Mondstadt Plaa.
On the giant Anemo Archon statue, a green figure could be seen faintly between its hands.
Looking closer—it was the wandering bard, Venti.
Sitting between the statue's palms, his slender legs swayed gently in the wind, giving off a carefree charm.
At this moment, Venti held a bottle of apple cider he had just bought from Angel's Share.
He gulped it down.
"Ah… life is so good when I don't have to work to pay off debts."
He lay back comfortably, enjoying the rare peaceful afternoon.
A breeze brushed past his slightly flushed face, carrying distant sounds that made him pause.
Looking toward Stormterror's Lair, he murmured softly,
"Dvalin… are you suffering?"
At that moment, Barbara walked by, holding a thick book, hopping along cheerfully.
"Hehe, there must be so many teachings from Lord Barbatos in here!"
She smiled happily at the book in her hands.
But then—
From the corner of her eye, she spotted the green figure on the statue.
Her face puffed up in anger.
"This is too much! How can someone climb onto the body of the Anemo Archon? That's disrespectful to the divine!"
Venti, who had been deep in thought, heard the angry voice below and looked down.
Seeing Barbara, he immediately felt a headache coming.
He knew very well how devout she was.
And here I am… right in her line of fire.
With no choice, Venti climbed down.
"So it's you!"
Barbara glared at him angrily.
At first, she had only intended to give a verbal warning.
But when she realized it was Venti—Cao Zhong's friend—
She changed her mind.
Today, she would teach him a proper lesson.
"You've gone too far! The Anemo Archon protects Mondstadt, and you dare disrespect his statue! As punishment—you're not allowed to drink alcohol for one month!"
Venti froze.
He had expected punishment—
But a month without alcohol?
That was basically a death sentence.
"W-Wait… that's a bit much, isn't it? The Anemo Archon wouldn't be angry over something this small…"
"Still arguing? Do you understand the Anemo Archon better, or do I?"
In the end, Venti lost the argument.
Watching him leave in defeat, Barbara crossed her arms, still annoyed.
How does Mondstadt have someone like this—lazy, shameless, and obsessed with alcohol?
She clasped her hands and prayed to the statue.
"Great Lord Barbatos… if necessary, please just take Venti back into your embrace."
Not far away—
Venti stumbled and almost fell.
"…That's not necessary, is it?!"
Meanwhile, at the Knights of Favonius headquarters—
Jean was buried in a sea of books, trying to find useful information.
Recently, Stormterror had been appearing more frequently.
It was not only affecting Mondstadt's economy but also threatening the safety of its citizens.
As Acting Grand Master, she had to take action.
"Why can't I find anything?"
Jean rubbed her head in frustration.
"All the historical records are here… so why is there no information about Stormterror?"
As a rational leader, she wouldn't recklessly confront the dragon.
Only by understanding it—and finding its weakness—could they win.
But strangely—
There were no records at all.
As if the dragon had appeared out of nowhere.
Frustrated, a figure suddenly appeared in her mind.
If he were here right now…
She drifted into her memories.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
Just then—
Someone walked in without her noticing.
Until—
A pair of mischievous hands suddenly grabbed her from behind.
"Ah—!"
Jean was startled and almost drew her sword.
When she saw who it was, she relaxed.
It was Lisa.
"Hey, what are you doing?!"
Jean brushed her hands away, slightly annoyed.
Lisa leaned casually against the desk, smiling teasingly.
"What's this? Daydreaming about someone?"
Jean's face turned red instantly.
"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll tear your mouth apart!"
She quickly pretended to organize documents, avoiding eye contact.
Lisa picked up a book and flipped through it casually.
"Still looking for information about Stormterror?"
Jean had already calmed down.
"What else can I do? I can't just ignore it."
Lisa smiled faintly.
"If you can't find it…"
"Why not ask the amazing Mr. Cao?"
Jean paused.
That's right.
Cao Zhong was incredibly knowledgeable—he might actually know something.
Why hadn't she thought of this earlier?
It must be because of those videos… they've been affecting my judgment.
After all—
That man had caused her so much trouble recently.
Jean sighed softly.
But deep down—
She knew Lisa was right.