Ch5: Soldier, Poet, King

Author's Note; So the new Dragonspire event is really cool but I'm looking forward to the later banners so I can get C1 Xiao and maybe Ganyu.

(((((

Mondstadt's city is busy as ever, good for the local economy, but taxing due to my more introverted personality. The unseen fox ears pressed tightly against my skull.

Sure once I may have been one of the Seven reigning Archons yet that was a different situation altogether. Quietness easily went hand in hand with ruthlessness, thus I had to fight tooth and nail to be crowned.

That purpose I used to have ended with a checkmate and lost in translation.

Everything even now, while not blatantly stated, has an underlying survival aspect to it. In light of that as a rhetorical question I can't help but think there's more than that to life.

Visit one small town and every small town is the same, go to a big city and there's no point in visiting another similar bustling metropolis. The only nuanced concepts that ever seem to differ are the language, people, and culture.

Yet even after living for a few thousand years there's still so much to discover. Maybe I should take influence from my companion and change my outlook on life.

Lumine was a bonafide traveler that hungrily took in every sight and sound."I've been to many places, but each is one special in that they're all different."

"Once I too had a similar thought process." My reply was a nod, "but then somewhere along the way something changed, or it was just constant dissatisfaction I had with the places I visited."

"I can kinda understand where you're coming from, certain destinations are better vacation spots than others."

"Don't even get me started on Dragonspire, it's one of the worst places in all of Teyvat."

"Consider me in-dragon-spired to want to check it out anyway!"

Now it was my turn to groan at the bad pun. At least in the meanwhile I was able to think of an appropriate comeback. "Well for all freeze years the snow is kinda nice I guess."

There was a light hearted airiness to the conversation, something productive for me to focus on rather than the flaky locals.

For a protagonist that I remember to be of the silent variety Lumine had an interesting perspective in contrast to my more cut and dry personality.

(((((

Signing up to join the Adventurers' Guild was easy, doing the actual commissions is what I considered to be the most tedious part.

"Are the guild receptionists really all named Katheryne?" Lumine wondered.

"That's just the running joke they tell every newbie." I explained. "Katheryne is actually a respective title that dates back to the forgotten nation of Khaenri'ah."

"Ah okay, but I'm still not over the fact you called her a robot to her face!" She let out a hearty chuckle. Yet again we were on our way.

Helping a girl named Ella Musk talk to a Hilichurl was our only job of the day. It was easier than I thought it would be.

Lumine carefully walked up to the Hilichurl's primitive settlement. Thus, I stuck close to the aforementioned commissioner as backup.

Nothing happened as the only creature that was awake was passive and its companions were in a deep sleep. Mission success! Ella was able to have a broken conversation with the Hilichurl.

Give enough and Ella might become the next Elon Musk of Teyvat, yet the Ceo of Tesla also had a hair transplant so I didn't know what to think.

Meanwhile Lumine looked a little bored at the final outcome. On the other hand I was happy to get our first paycheque.

Either the rest of the money was going towards buying a better sword for Lumine or a wind glider. It was enough to pay for lunch and then some.

"So Ella, where did you find out all that information about Hilichurls?" Lumine asked.

"Duh, the Knights of Favonius Library silly!" The younger girl stated.

"Maybe we should have gone there in the first place." A huge oversight on my part I admitted. Although the more the years passed the more my memories of Genshin Impact deteriorated.

Why did I even throw away my Gnosis again? Not that it mattered or I remembered but that was a thought best left for later.

(((((

Stairs, boy do I hate stairs with a passion and the nearby artitecture happened to have a lot of stairs. Then finally there was a brief reprieve once we descended down some steps.

Mondstadt's library was bigger than last I checked or bothered to note.

Interestingly enough some of the really eccentric books were "One Hundred Uses for Slime," "My Bestfriend's a Hypostasis," or "A Legend of Sword."

"So what do you think of the expansive book collection?" I tilted my head.

"I've seen better but it's not bad." Lumine stated.

"Hmm… Then Liyue is probably the next place on the list to check for some of this world's oldest records."

"It might be best to ask the head librarian then." Encyclopedia after another heavy textbook and she still hadn't whatever it was that she was looking for.

"If the Knights of Favonius are busy investigating the disturbance that we stopped then it's safe to say that nobody of true importance is currently within their headquarters."

Once again my habit of meddling came back to bite me in the ass. To seek out the Acting Grandmaster, or Cavalry Captain, etc, right now was akin to going on another frivolous hunt for nothing.

"Oh well, it's getting late anyway so we can try tomorrow but the night life looks kinda fun." Lumine let out a quiet yawn.

However, while I was reluctant, a night out on the town it was.

(((((

They don't call Mondstadt the capital of booze for nothing. During the day the streets were relatively tame but a few of the Favonius Knights ensured nobody got too rowdy.

There are a lot of great drinking establishments to choose from. Yet the best bar ever had to be Angel's Share.

"Woah! Foxy grandpa after all these years you're still kicking..." Commented the plucky windspirit dressed in garishly bright attire.

Although from his voice he sounded slightly inebriated. A god that walked amongst people but he was also super ridiculous. No one believed he was the Anemo Archon.

"Greetings to you too, Barb." I replied. "Can't say I expected to see you here."

"Come on anything but that nickname Inari!" The drunkard whined. "That's an old person's name, anyway nowadays I just go by Venti."

"Like that one starbucks drink? Anyway Barbatos, er… Venti you're not just old but ancient, but I guess that would make me extinct. "

"Ugh, you've probably been smoking that pipe again haven't you."

"Actually I only burn incense. However, approximately six hundred years ago I may have set a tree on fire with lightning... Anyway, Lumine meet Barbatos aka Venti. Barbatos, this is Lumine."

"Have you seen a boy that looks like me or ever heard of the name Aether?" Her voice was filled with hope but she didn't expect much either.

Before Venti could give an answer, a new fourth party interrupted the important conversation. "Halt, as the acting Grandmaster, I Jean Gunnhildr place you three under arrest for suspicion of collaboration with the Abyss Order!"

(((((

For a God of freedom like Venti there isn't much that bothered him besides injustice and tyranny. After all, an apple a day keeps the Hilichurls and stress away.

Although if only Venti had woken up sooner because the mess Inari caused wouldn't have happened.

However, maybe his bad drinking habits had finally caught up to him. Venti's mind trashed by intoxication conjured up an image of a dead older brother figure.

It had to be a delusion of an old memory that resurfaced. Thus he humoured the apparition of Beleth, perhaps this was a way of finding closure.

Unlike the death of his friend the nameless bard, Inari's demise never made sense to Venti. People don't one day become someone else but that's what happened.

Back when there used to be annual Archon meetings it was as if a stranger stood before the other six. Then a month later due to mysterious circumstances Inari just up and died.

Wait, so it wasn't just a dream that's the result of a drunken stupor. Inari was still alive and about to be humorously arrested.

Anger was only the tip of the iceberg of the indecisive emotions that Venti felt.

(((((

Voice Line Snippet

Inari's Troubles: It'll be fine I'm sure! Lest my problems come back to haunt me it should be nipped at the bud but slapping a bandaid on a leaky faucet simply creates a huge tidal wave…"