Just like that, Jean quickly made further arrangements for the current emergency. As for the theft of the Dragonbone from Dragonspine, due to the current shortage of personnel in the Knights of Favonius, it could only be postponed for now. However, this did not mean Jean would let the matter go.
Jean specifically approved a sum of Mora from the Knights of Favonius and posted a mission at the Adventurers' Guild: investigate the theft of the Dragonbone from Dragonspine. The reward was generous, enough to attract a large number of Adventurers to the snowy mountains to investigate the matter.
Firstly, it allowed them to hire Adventurers to investigate, saving the Knights of Favonius a great deal of manpower. Secondly, even if there were no results, with so many Adventurers active on Dragonspine, the thief who stole the Dragonbone would be deterred by the many eyes and ears, not daring to proceed with further theft.
As long as the Inazuma Delegation could be safely sent off, Jean would have ample energy to investigate this matter.
At the same time, inside the Angel's Share tavern, the drunken Venti demonstrated what true boundless capacity meant in front of Yuto and Shenhe. With Yuto as his unwitting benefactor, Venti began ordering only the most expensive wines at the tavern, along with a large assortment of bar snacks.
In Venti's words: "Such fine wine, if it were my usual self, I wouldn't be able to afford even a single glass. I must seize this opportunity quickly... another glass, yes, another glass."
As for the two jars of fine wine Yuto had given Venti, he cunningly put them away. It seemed he didn't want to waste his drinking capacity on this one meal.
Seeing Venti's utterly uninhibited demeanor, Yuto let him be. It just so happened that Yuto and Shenhe hadn't had dinner yet, so they joined Venti at his table.
Although the Angel's Share was a tavern, the bar snacks it provided were indeed exceptional. With such snacks as an accompaniment, it was easy for customers to be tempted into having a few extra drinks.
Yuto had reason to suspect that Diluc's status as Mondstadt's richest man was gradually built up by these drunkards patronizing his establishment.
Venti, propping his cheek with one hand, looked at Yuto with a very peculiar gaze, making Yuto feel uncomfortable all over. He couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Venti, what's wrong? Is there something strange on my face?"
Venti just smiled and shook his head, saying, "Nothing. I was just carefully feeling the story the wind brought me about you. It's truly magnificent, reminding me of an old friend."
Yuto: "Compared to you, my skill at playing the pig to eat the tiger isn't as refined."
Upon hearing this, Yuto couldn't help but roll his eyes at Venti. With such a BUG-like ability, he still had the nerve to claim he was the weakest of the current Seven Archons. Anyone who believed that was a fool.
Leaving aside Barbatos's inherent strength, just the fact that the first thing people in Mondstadt say when they meet is: "May the Anemo Archon protect you!" The massive boost in combat power this immense faith provided him was absolutely not to be underestimated.
The Barbatos of old blew away snow, cleaved mountains, and transformed Mondstadt into the spring-like place it is today.
Although the current Yuto could also Melt snow and cleave mountains, doing so would require Yuto to take it seriously. But for Barbatos, it might just be something he could do with his usual efforts.
Venti simply chuckled in response, then began to drink wildly with a capacity that even Yuto found terrifying. For the current Venti, his interest in wine far outweighed his interest in Yuto.
However, after getting drunk, Venti clearly became a chatterbox, starting to point out various people he knew in Mondstadt.
For example: to drink rare vintage wine, one must maintain a good relationship with Master Diluc; even at the risk of an allergic reaction, he wanted a glass of wine personally mixed by Diona; Eula, who always drinks her wine with ice... After talking about the people of Mondstadt, he didn't leave out people from other nations, like a certain stubborn Zhongli, the unyielding Baal who pursues ultimate martial arts, and the little sister Buer, with whom he gets along very well but has never met... Listening to Venti's ramblings, Yuto really wanted to record everything Venti said and play it for them when the few Archons gathered. He imagined it would be a very interesting sight.
Seeing Venti completely passed out, Yuto went downstairs to settle the bill with Diluc.
Diluc took a long bill from behind the counter, flipped to the last page, and said to Yuto, "That will be twelve million three hundred eighty-nine thousand Mora. Rounding it down, it's twelve million three hundred eighty thousand Mora."
This astronomical figure stunned Yuto, who exclaimed, "Hey, hey! Is this a black market shop? Why is it so expensive? I only treated someone to one meal."
Diluc crossed his arms and said expressionlessly, "It's not wrong. That bard has run up a tab here fifty-two times. This is the complete itemized bill. Would you like to see it?"
Yuto looked at the long stack of bills, his mouth twitching involuntarily. He glanced up at the utterly drunk Venti and felt like he had been completely swindled. What kind of Anemo Archon was this? He might as well be renamed the God of Free Meals.
Yuto: "Master Diluc, you must have some idea of that bard's identity. It's an honor for your tavern that he, an old man, drinks your wine. Why be so precise with the accounting?"
Diluc: "I do know his identity, which is why I've never forced him to pay. My family business is large, and I can certainly afford a little wine money. However, he just said someone would pay for him, and for you, who is paying for him, I don't need to be so polite.
You are, after all, a Regent of a nation. You wouldn't renege on such a small amount, would you? Alright, how would you like to pay? Cash? Or on account?"
Yuto: "Oh? Your information seems quite well-connected, even faster than Mondstadt's official channels."
Diluc: "Hmph! Most of the people in the Knights of Favonius are good-for-nothings. Do they know how to gather intelligence? The Inazuma Delegation has already arrived at Stone Gate, and they still haven't discovered that the Inazuma Envoy is not on the ship."
Yuto: "Oh? In that case, can I pay with information?"
Diluc: "That depends on whether your information is worth the price."
Yuto: "I hear Diluc despises the Fatui Harbingers and wishes to eliminate them. I happen to have news of two Harbingers. The Eighth of the Fatui Harbingers, 'The Fair Lady,' died in Inazuma. The Sixth, 'Balladeer,' has defected to Sumeru.
I wonder if these two pieces of information can offset that one's bill?"
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