Thanks to Sister Grace's arrangements, everyone was given their own rooms.
Though they were all doubles, the rooms had been cleaned to a shine, and felt pleasant to stay in.
The only exception was Xia Zhi — since he was male, he had a double room to himself.
As for the room assignments, just like back home, Xia Ci and Xia Zhen stayed in the room to his left, while Shenhe and Ganyu shared the room to his right.
That way, even though he was alone, he probably wouldn't feel too lonely at night.
After settling in, everyone came back out of the church and strolled around the square.
The early spring sunshine was just right, warm on their skin, with a gentle breeze.
They slowly made their way to the center of the square.
At the foot of the giant stone statue, a circle of clear water glistened, ringed with countless fresh flowers.
Diona, being a local, explained, "These flowers are all offerings to Lord Barbatos."
Zhu Zi crouched down, inspecting them curiously. "The stems and leaves are so fresh — looks like they were picked just this morning."
Diona nodded. "That's right! If you want to pray to Lord Barbatos, you just whisper your wish when the wind blows, and the wind will carry it to him."
Chi Yu asked, "Does it matter what kind of flowers you offer?"
Diona shook her head. "Nope! But most people like to use dandelions or Cecilias."
Zhu Zi thought for a moment. "Sounds kind of like how we burn incense for the Geo Archon at Yiyan Hall — doesn't matter if it's cheap incense or expensive."
Diona considered it. "Yeah, I guess it's similar."
"In that case, offering flowers to the Anemo Archon is a unique Mondstadt tradition," Xia Ci laughed, clapping her hands. "We absolutely have to try it!"
Diona looked at her. "Huh? Should we go pick flowers now? Or buy some from the florist?"
Xia Ci waved her hand. "No need to make it that complicated or waste money — come on, I've got a Dendro Vision!"
Of course! Back at Dawn Winery, Xia Ci had made all those grapes grow on command, so flowers would be no problem.
Xia Zhen glanced at the green glass orb on Xia Ci's waist, saying nothing.
All right, you win, Dendro user.
Back when she'd wandered around Liyue's streets, Xia Ci had bought plenty of flower seeds. Now she took a few out, tossed them into the soil at a corner, and in no time, vibrant blossoms sprang up.
Everyone took a share.
Xia Zhi bent down and placed his flowers at the foot of the stone maiden.
As he straightened up, a breeze brushed gently by.
Xia Zhi thought for a moment, brought his hands together, and prayed quietly into the wind.
"Lord Barbatos, this is my first time in Mondstadt, and I didn't know what to prepare, so please forgive me."
"I run a specialty drink shop back in Liyue, and I brought my staff along for a little vacation. We'll be here for about ten days, so I pray you'll watch over us and let us have a good time."
"Oh, and one more thing — I opened a school as well, and I'm hoping to borrow some books from Mondstadt's library for a fair exchange. Please bless our cooperation."
Xia Ci had been playing around, but seeing her cousin so serious, she thought for a moment, then followed suit, placing her own flowers down and praying with hands clasped.
"Barbatos, you drunkard, where the heck are you? An old friend's come visiting and you're nowhere to be found — did you pass out in a tavern again?"
Xia Zhen watched the two of them, then solemnly put his own flowers down, joining the ritual.
"123, 321, 1234567…"
—
Mondstadt's most famous tavern was the Angel's Share.
Funded by the centuries-old Dawn Winery, it was directly supplied with their finest wines.
Thanks to its exceptional quality, the Angel's Share had always thrived.
Every day, countless customers packed inside to drink, from morning to night, keeping the place lively.
In a corner booth, a youth with long hair braided down one side, a Cecilia flower tucked into his hat, lay sleeping with one hand propping his cheek, the other holding an empty glass.
He looked like he'd gotten drunk and simply passed out on the table.
The bartender and regulars were used to this sight, and left him alone — this was just their familiar customer, Venti.
At one moment, however, the sleeping youth abruptly opened his eyes, lifted his head, and turned to look in the direction of the Church of Favonius.
The drinkers nearby were startled. "Whoa! Venti! What's up with you? Having a nightmare?!"
Venti retracted his gaze, rubbed his face with a casual smile. "Haha, sorry, I really was having a nightmare. Didn't mean to scare you."
"How about I buy you a drink to calm your nerves?"
"Sure! That one"
"Hey, you brat! You always pick the expensive ones!"
"Well, if someone's treating me, of course I have to choose the good stuff! Haha!"
"You know, Captain Kaeya really loves that too, he always orders it."
A moment later, the bartender brought over a glass of that powerful liquor.
Venti took a sip, looking completely satisfied.
But then, as if sensing something, his expression shifted and he looked again toward the Church of Favonius.
"Hm?"
Venti frowned slightly, mumbling in a voice so low no one could hear.
"That… sounded like Buer's voice…? But didn't she disappear long ago? Hah, she guessed right — I really did doze off here after drinking… I guess I'd better head over and check it out later… but first, let me finish this drink…"
He brought the cup back up, savoring another mouthful, that satisfied look returning.
And then, as if another echo had reached him, he turned to look toward the church yet again.
"Ah?"
This time, his face changed completely, filling with utter disbelief.
"That… that was Baal's voice? … No way… Morax and I watched her fall with our own eyes… I must still be dreaming…"
Venti set down his half-finished drink and got up, heading straight for the door.
The nearby drinkers looked on in surprise. "Hey! Venti, you're not finishing your drink?!"
The youth's voice came back from outside the tavern. "Next time you're buying!"
The regulars glanced at his leftover glass and shook their heads. "Weird… that kid usually clings to his drinks for dear life. What's gotten into him today?"
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