Morning sunlight returned to this land once again, driving away the darkness and bringing light to the people. But today's sun seemed a little too bright.
Those who hadn't closed their curtains said they were forced awake. Those who had closed them said they could sleep another half hour.
Either way, a new day had begun, and people had to continue their own stories.
---
Traveler's Home
The inn's residents also fought off their drowsiness and got up. They fixed their clothes, tidied their appearance, and walked out the door to start their daily routines.
Those with jobs went back to work. Those with businesses went back to selling. The adventurers went back to their commissions.
---
Inside a certain room at the inn
"Hmm... my head hurts a little." Venti slowly sat up after waking. He rubbed his aching head from last night's drinking and licked his dry lips.
Last night was wonderful. He hadn't drunk that much in a long time. He wished every day could have endless wine. Good wine was his favorite thing.
He looked around the room. Huh? The place looked very tidy. Someone must have cleaned it for him. Probably the old man's subordinate.
How nice. They even covered him with a blanket. Very thoughtful.
After fixing his messy hair, his gaze fell downward and landed on a woman sprawled out on the floor, fast asleep.
Seeing this, Venti couldn't help but chuckle. What an unladylike pose. He felt a strange connection to this woman, like they were somewhat similar.
He shook his head, stood up slowly, and carefully fixed his clothes, hoping he hadn't made too much noise and woken the tired lady.
But that hope didn't work. Even though Venti tried his best to stay quiet, Bonanus still woke up.
She was like that sometimes. She could sleep like a log, impossible to wake. But other times, the tiniest sound would disturb her.
Woken up, Bonanus covered her eyes with both hands. With the window still open, the sunlight hit her face directly. It was very bright.
"So noisy..." Bonanus mumbled under her breath. She was now under the influence of something called "waking up grumpy." It was not a good feeling.
Seeing this, Venti stuck out his tongue apologetically. Looks like he still woke her up.
"Sorry about that. I accidentally woke you." Venti's voice was full of apology.
Bonanus frowned. She put her hand under the blanket and squinted at the bard apologizing to her.
"Drunkard, you're awake?" She sighed softly, shifted into a more comfortable position, and propped her head on her hand to look at Venti.
This guy in green made her work hard last night.
"Ehh? Don't call me that! I'm Mondstadt's Anemo Archon, you know. And I helped you!" Venti put on a hurt expression, as if the name had wounded his soul.
Bonanus gave him a look that said, "Go on, I'm watching." She knew very well what kind of person this Archon was. She wasn't falling for his act.
Seeing her expression, Venti smiled awkwardly. The fact that she didn't buy his act made her a little like that stubborn old man.
But the old man usually ignored him or sent him flying. He never just sat there watching like this.
"Come on, I'll buy you a drink next time to make up for it. I promise." Venti said seriously.
Bonanus was not convinced. The guy got so drunk last night, he probably spent all his Mora on alcohol.
And she didn't even like drinking. She would never experience the feeling of getting drunk and spilling secrets.
If that ever happened, she would be so embarrassed she would tear her own underwear. That would be complete social suicide.
"Forget the drink. It's not a big deal. But Mondstadt's Anemo Archon skipping his duties to go drinking... what would your followers think if they found out?"
Bonanus teased. She wasn't mocking him. She just wanted to see how he would respond.
"Ehe~" Venti just stuck out his tongue playfully. He answered her question with two simple words.
Hearing that "ehe," Bonanus couldn't help but think of a famous scene from the game.
It was when Venti and the Traveler "borrowed" the Holy Lyre. Venti said that to Paimon.
With that thought, she couldn't help but say,
"What does 'ehe' mean?" As she said this, she even sat up and crossed her arms, as if she wasn't satisfied with his answer.
Venti didn't explain. He just shrugged helplessly and smiled.
"Anyway, I have important things to do. I'm heading out. Remember to come back in the afternoon for your treatment. Have fun in Mondstadt."
With that, he vanished from the room in a flash. That didn't look like someone going to do important work.
Judging by the look on his face, Bonanus was certain he wasn't going to do anything important. But maybe he was going to see Stormterror.
Still, the Anemo Archon's business was none of her concern. Let him handle it himself. With the Traveler around, nothing too bad would happen.
"Ah..."
Bonanus shook her head and stood up. After just waking up, the room felt a little stuffy. She needed to get some fresh air by the window.
She walked to the window, took a deep breath, and let the fresh air fill her lungs. She felt much more alive. It was very comfortable.
She leaned on the windowsill, stuck her head out, and watched the people passing by. No car exhaust. No engine noise. That made her feel even better.
"Where should I go today?"
Bonanus quietly thought about her plans for the day. First, she needed to find someone to process the meat from yesterday's hunt and cut it into pieces. Then she needed to talk to Kaeya about the fishing rod.
After that, she could go eat some good food.
She could ask a chef to turn yesterday's catch into delicious dishes, take pictures with her kamera, and then go shopping.
How wonderful. Life was getting more comfortable every day.
Too bad she hadn't run into that enthusiastic Outrider Amber yesterday. She wondered if she would see her today.
"Sister Fashui!"
Just as she was thinking that, a familiar voice called her name. It was Noelle. She had already arrived.
She looked down and saw Noelle waving at her. From her sweet smile, she could tell Noelle was very happy to see her.
"Noelle, why are you here so early?" Bonanus waved back. Judging by how long Noelle had been waiting, she must have been there for a while.
"Sister, if you want to rest longer, you can sleep a few more minutes. I can wait." Noelle looked up and smiled.
"No need. Wait for me. I'll be right down!" Bonanus pulled back from the windowsill. She needed to tidy up before going down.