"Kaya, what happened?"
On his way toward the Knights' Headquarters, Diluc spotted Kaeya rushing by.
"Looks like Acting Grand Master Jean called you as well.
But I don't know the details either.
She only sent someone to drag me back, saying there's something extremely urgent."
Kaeya stopped, catching his breath.
He was just as confused.
"Then let's hurry."
Diluc's curiosity only deepened.
Knights' Headquarters
"So that fake Archon… ahem… Wendy has returned?"
After hearing Jean's explanation, Diluc finally understood why everyone was gathered outside.
Though he wasn't surprised—
When she left, Wendy said she'd come back eventually.
He just didn't expect it to be so soon.
"Yes. Lord Venti is speaking with her inside right now."
Jean nodded, her expression extremely tense.
Mondstadt was now like a ticking bomb.
And no one had the ability to defuse it.
All they could do was pray.
Still—
Jean wanted to take meaningful action.
She thought about evacuating people to safety,
but that might anger Wendy.
With her unpredictable temperament…
Jean didn't dare gamble.
"It's fine. She's easy to talk to.
Worst case, just take her to Diluc's tavern again—
or to Good Hunter.
Whatever she likes to eat, we'll give her.
If she wants to play, we'll play with her."
Kaeya recalled how Wendy reacted to food and felt confident this could work.
"…You're treating her like a child.
But… didn't Venti say before?
That Wendy really likes… uh… ice… ice something—
Ice cream! And some other thing called… what was it…"
"Movies."
Lumine finished for Paimon.
"Ice cream? Movies? What are those? Food?"
Diluc had never heard of either.
"She likes them, you say?
Then… Do you know where we can get them?
We can try finding them for her."
Hope lit up in Jean's eyes.
If they couldn't fight her,
then appealing to her interests was the best strategy.
"Ice cream is food, but movies aren't.
Mm… how to explain…
Movies are like plays—
you watch a story, but it's recorded."
Lumine explained as best she could.
"A play? That's easy.
But ice cream… which nation makes that?
I've never heard of it."
Kaeya was utterly clueless.
"I don't think Teyvat has it.
But we can try making some.
It probably won't taste right, though—
we're missing a lot of ingredients."
Lumine had made ice cream in other worlds,
so she knew the basics.
"Honorary Knight, thank you.
But let's check on Lord Venti's situation first."
Inside the Headquarters
"Why are you staring at me like that?
I don't owe you money, do I?"
Noticing Venti staring at her strangely, Su Mo (Wendy) tilted her head in confusion.
"You came for that, didn't you?"
Venti gestured toward the cube in his hand,
cutting straight to the point.
He knew she was here to reclaim the power she left behind in Teyvat.
And he wanted that problem solved—
if only to stop the Abyss Order from stalking him day and night.
"Ven~ti, do you think I'm that bored?"
Su Mo genuinely didn't understand why he thought she came for those books.
"It's not boring at all, Wendy.
This thing is extremely dangerous for us."
Venti grew frustrated.
The people of Mondstadt had been working tirelessly—
physically exhausted, mentally stressed,
and constantly harassed by the Abyss—
all to keep her leftover power from falling into the wrong hands.
And her only response was—
"It's boring."
It was enough to make him lose patience.
She clearly didn't understand him at all.
Or… did she simply not consider mortals to be "people" in the first place?
"For you it's dangerous?
Are you guys really that fragile?"
Wendy looked even more confused.
"Wendy, listen—"
"Tell me—
What's dangerous about this book?"
Without letting him finish, she opened a book and shoved it toward him.
Venti: "…"
So we weren't even talking about the same thing…
He felt a strong urge to cry.
"Go on—show me.
Which part of this is dangerous?"
"Not that, Wendy…
Put the book down.
I'm talking about the power you left behind.
That is dangerous."
Venti forced himself to explain clearly.
"The power I left behind?"
Seeing her still lost, Venti took out the cube.
"Here—this."
"Who put this illusion on it?
How childish."
Su Mo tapped the cube—
and the terrifying aura vanished.
The purple lines disappeared.
The cube turned into a completely normal, powerless block.
"Being fooled by such a lame trick…
Some 'Archon' you are."
She tossed the cube back at the stunned Venti and sat down again, bored.
Venti: "…"
How…
Wait—
that girl did say the cube was fake…
So she was telling the truth?!
We…
We were tricked the entire time?!
Tears welled up in Venti's eyes.
He, the Knights, the Fatui, the Abyss Order—
all of them had been played like fools.
And even when she told them the truth outright…
none of them believed her.
How embarrassing.
Wait—
if she didn't come for the power—
Then WHY is Wendy here?!
"Then… what are you here for?"
"To play with you.
I've been bored these days.
Pretending to be the Wind Archon was fun,
so now I want to find something different to play with."
Venti: "…"
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
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