That night, the Traveler and others arrived at 'Angel's Share'.
Inside the tavern, Master Lu stood behind the bar, wiping glasses.
The three of them focused their attention on Stanley, who was already drunk.
"Stanley... tell me, what should I do?" Stanley muttered to himself.
"Wuwuwu... Stanley..."
"Why wasn't it me who died in the Junjiji Sea back then! Why did I use your name, and your soul didn't come to stop me? Stanley!" He was in pain.
"If it weren't to protect me, a newcomer, you wouldn't have died in that windless place."
He blamed himself.
"You already had the title of The Great Adventurer." 'Stanley' gritted his teeth, "But for a good-for-nothing like me, you can never become a legend again!"
"Stanley... I'm afraid the Mondstadters will forget you completely, so I tell your adventure stories everywhere."
"I want all Mondstadters to remember! Stanley reached the center of the Junjiji Sea! He is the greatest Adventurer, he is still alive!!"
"Still alive!!"
At this point, 'Stanley' seemed to have made up his mind, muttering to himself.
"Stanley won't die! Because I am... I am Stanley!"
At this point, 'Stanley' sighed again: "I'm sorry Stanley, I'm sorry... even I'm old now... I'm old!"
After crying for a while, 'Stanley' finally came to his senses and looked back at the Traveler and the others.
"How long are you going to keep eavesdropping?"
He must have noticed them long ago, but he just wanted to tell this deep-seated secret.
Both were playing another person, but in comparison, Furina couldn't tell anyone her secret, and she acted for 182,376 days and nights.
How many times greater would Furina's breakdown and torment be than his?
At this moment, Jacques arrived, bringing good news: his parents had agreed to let him become an Adventurer.
He was eager to share this news with Stanley, but he found Stanley slumped on the table, seemingly asleep.
He was afraid to face Jacques; he was just a cowardly liar, how could he face the other's sincere heart for adventure?
"Mr. Stanley... huh? He's drunk again?" Jacques was also used to it.
"See you tomorrow, sir. When you're sober, will you tell me some more stories?"
After Jacques left, 'Stanley' 'slowly woke up'.
"Thank you for not revealing my secret."
"I didn't dare to look at him just now; his sincerity towards adventure is pure."
"And I, I am a tired, useless liar, but that child is still a shining newcomer, I can't ruin his dream."
'Stanley's' voice revealed weariness; he was tired, and old, and he wanted to rest.
But Stanley couldn't get old, Stanley was The Great Adventurer! His adventure couldn't end yet!
"You can't say he's a liar, right? Because Stanley's adventure stories and experiences are all real," Paimon comforted.
"Stories... experiences... hah, forget it."
"Actually, my memories of adventure, of Stanley... are already blurred now."
"This is my biggest secret, my biggest fear!"
Yes, if even he forgot Stanley, then did Stanley truly die?
"These past years, I lived for his stories, but his personality, his life, I can no longer remember... Hahaha..." 'Stanley' gave a bitter laugh.
To make Stanley a legend who survived in the Junjiji Sea, not a failure who died in a windless place.
He gave up his own identity and lived as Stanley.
He himself could be a Nameless nobody who died in a windless place, but Stanley had to be The Great Adventurer famous in Mondstadt, a living legend!
"The only thing I can't forget is that he died in the windless Junjiji Sea, and the wind couldn't carry his soul away!" He felt guilty.
For Mondstadters, dying in a windy place meant returning home, but what about dying in a windless place?
"I'm old, no matter how unwilling I am to let go, I can't hold on to much. I'm so useless! Useless!!"
"An Adventurer cannot die that way! Cannot... wuwu..."
'Stanley' buried his head and wept bitterly, because the real Stanley died because of him.
"Hans Archibald." A gentle voice sounded.
Hans looked up and said in surprise, "How do you know my real name?"
I clearly gave up this name, I clearly 'died' in the Junjiji Sea!
A gentle breeze blew through the enclosed tavern, as if transporting everyone to another space.
"Wind? It's the sound of wind that was so desperately sought in the Junjiji Sea!"
In this unique space, only two people remained. Looking at the poet in front of him, Hans finally realized the other's identity.
"I... I always believed... in your existence!"
Hans's voice trembled slightly, unsure if it was from excitement or fear that this was just a dream.
The Anemo Archon reached out a hand, and gentle words sounded.
"May I take the soul of your old friend?"
Hans slowly placed his hand on the Anemo Archon's hand; this was not a dream...
Looking up again, the Anemo Archon in front of him had surprisingly transformed into Stanley, whom he had longed for day and night.
Hans wanted to reach out and grab him, but Stanley's soul merely smiled slightly and gradually dissipated, flying with the wind to the heavens above.
His smile, did it mean he forgave me? Hans fell into a deep sleep.
Stanley's story ended, but Venti's had not.
"Traveler, let's meet at our usual spot."
"Okay, see you at our usual spot."
The two were very in sync, not saying where the usual spot was, as if they knew it implicitly.
They met at the statue in front of the cathedral.
Venti, holding the Apple cider he got from Jacques, began to tell the story of Mondstadt's past.
"My current appearance, actually, is just like Mr. Fake Stanley, borrowed from a friend."
Venti recalled the past and began to tell his story.
The story I'm about to tell begins in Old Mondstadt...
After the story ended, Paimon curiously asked, "What happened next? That friend you mentioned, what happened to him later?"
"Paimon, do you want to know the rest of the story?" Venti seemed a little down.
Lumine noticed Venti's change in mood and stopped Paimon, who was about to press further.
"Paimon, go pick two Apples." The Traveler spoke, sending Paimon away.
"Why do you suddenly want to eat these now? You're impossible." Paimon obediently went to look for Apples.
Venti knew the Traveler was deliberately helping him distract Paimon, and looking into the distance, he sighed:
"Good wine... gentle breeze, moments like these always make me recall the song I heard from him."
"Fly, fly, just like a bird."
"See this world for me, fly to the heavens for me."
Song of the Archon, Act I: If You Are Trapped in a Windless Place, End.
Navia snapped back to reality, tears having streamed down her cheeks for who knows how long.
After finishing such a story, she almost started believing in the Anemo Archon.
"Lin, is all of this true?" Navia asked Lin Qiu, her eyes red.
She no longer cared if she looked good crying; she just wanted to know if this story was true or false.
"It's true." Lin Qiu nodded.
Navia was a very emotional person, and at this moment, she didn't need to be strong.
Her feet were no longer on Lin Qiu's lap; instead, she hugged her knees and sobbed softly, burying her head.
'Emotion value gained: 100'
'Emotion source: Navia'
'Emotion content: I wish the story of the Anemo Archon and Stanley were fake.'
Lin Qiu tilted his head, looking at Navia, and couldn't help but ask, "Are you really crying?"
Although his purpose in writing this plot was to gain emotion points, he really didn't expect Navia to cry so miserably.
What would happen if she found out about Furina's story later?
Navia ignored this 'annoying' man, her two small feet kicking alternately, seemingly wanting to kick Lin Qiu away, but she never managed to kick him, looking more like she was pouting.
She wouldn't usually act like this; it was only when she was alone with Lin Qiu.
Lin Qiu nodded in satisfaction; now he wasn't afraid that others wouldn't break down.
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Character Voice Line · Navia: About the Song of the Archon
"The story of the Anemo Archon and Stanley moved me deeply, because I couldn't help but put myself in Lin's shoes... If Lin were to die, I can't even imagine..."