Opulence had never defined the Raiden Shogun. Silk clothes, diamond jewellery or rare accessories were all superfluous for her. All of them were fleeting, mere signs of temporal wealth that was incompatible with eternity.
For that reason, the throne room was relatively empty. The tatami floor was scantly decorated, with barely any other furniture besides lights around. The only thing that could catch your eye was her throne. The symbol of her divinity, the Mitsuodomoe, filled the view the moment you stepped into the room. And in that raised platform, only she could stand. The whole room was focused on enhancing the Shogun's presence, filling any ambassador's heart with admiration and respect.
For the heads of the Tri-Commission, that would be a lie. Admiration, respect; it was all replaced with dread and apprehension. Because in the Shogun's expressionless eyes only laid a quiet animosity with no apparent cause.
Ayato didn't let her aura bother him. He, who had shown nothing but loyalty, had nothing to fear. Even if he was somehow punished, he knew Ayaka would be able to keep the Kamisato clan tightly bound. He stepped into the chamber at a tranquil pace and kneeled in the middle of the room as if it was any other meeting. The two older men followed him closely behind, their nervousness painfully obvious. The moment they both kneeled beside Ayato, the Shogun's voice glued them to the floor.
"Do you understand where the power you exercise comes from?" The Shogun's voice was unshakeable, resonating throughout the whole chamber.
The echo was cancelled as Ayato was quick to answer. "From you, Her Eternal Excellency."
The Shogun's head slightly turned to him. "Then you must understand that any mistake, any error you commit, is done in my name. To see that the powers I entrusted upon the three of you are misused and mishandled is nothing but an embarrassment to me."
The Archon got up from her throne. "The purpose of the Tri-Commission is to balance each clan, and thus Inazuma itself, into stability while I fulfil my purpose. The failure of one of you is a collective failure of the rest."
Her expressionless eyes analysed each Clan Head, before resting on Ayato. She moved towards him, slowly and methodically. The brooding clacking of her approaching footsteps only amplified the foreboding punishment that would befall them.
Then, after what felt like an eternity, the Raiden Shogun stopped in front of Ayato, standing barely two metres away from him. "Kamisato Ayato of the Yashiro Commission. I have only heard praise for your performance despite being so young. Yet, you are the only member of the Tri-Commission to propose the repeal of the Vision Hunt decree. What was your reasoning?"
Hiiragi and Kujou looked away at the mere mention of the repeal. How did the Shogun know that? The proposal never made it past them, she should have never known.
Meanwhile, Ayato worked hard to come up with an acceptable answer. He was against the decree, that was much was true. But saying so would be going against the word of the Shogun, and her word was law. He had to find the perfect words in a matter of one second.
"I believe the implementation of the decree is disrupting the lives of perfectly loyal subjects. They do not understand the Decree, even if your pursuit for Eternity is a laudable goal. Previous vision holders find themselves aimless and betrayed. My proposition was meant to give the people time to comprehend the Decree's purpose."
After a moment of thought, she turned her head towards the Kanjou commissioner.
"Was the law not published and announced publically?" Her question send shivers down Kujou's back.
"Yes, it was. Decrees are always declared on Inazuma city's main plaza… And bulletins are sent to all other minor settlements, including other islands." The old man wiped the sweat from his forehead as the Shogun's glare was moved away from him.
"Then what is it that they don't understand, Kamisato Ayato?" He was about to answer, but she continued. "My will is clear. The Vision Hunt decree is necessary. I will show the people of Inazuma the way to eternity, for their sake. This ambition is the only one needed for the good of the people. The only ones against this goal are traitors and enemy infiltrators."
The Shogun lifted Ayato's chin with a finger, her piercing glare meeting a match in Ayato's determination. "So which one are you, Yashiro Commissioner? An enemy? Or an infiltrator?"
Ayato didn't mull over the answer. "I'm but your humble subject. Each and every single one of my actions have been for the betterment of Inazuma in your sacred search for Eternity. If any of my acts have upset your will, then I accept your punishment."
She scoffed at his answer but pulled back. "Your words are honest. The love you feel towards Inazuma is not a lie. But well-meaning mistakes are still mistakes, regardless of intentions. Do not forget that."
"Inazuma has been infiltrated by foreign agitators and saboteurs." The Shogun boldly proclaimed, much to the surprise of the Tri-Commission. "All claims about discontent and unrest should be thoroughly verified before they are presented to me."
If it hadn't come from the Shogun herself, the Tri-Commission leaders would have dismissed the claim. The country was on a practical lockdown, with very little foreign influence. There was Fatui activity, but it was a wild claim to assume that the Tri-Commission didn't have control over the populace. The only somewhat credible theory was infiltration by the Watatsumi army, but to classify them as foreigners was absurd. They were de jure part of Inazuma.
Ayato and Hiiragi glanced at the Tenryou Commissioner, the man in charge of the internal security of the nation. But their glares were petty in comparison to that of the Shogun. The old man, for the first time in years, felt small and outranked.
"W-While we are certain that there are sympathisers of the Watatsumi army on Narukami island, they're scattered and without leadership."
The Shogun seemed insulted at his declaration.
"Do not blame the people of Watatsumi for your failures, Kanjou Commissioner. They've been misled by their so-called Divine Priestess and their new patron." She mulled over his name, spitting it out like poison. "Barbatos. And therefore, Mondstadt."
"What?" Hiiragi blurted out in surprise. "Those slothful astray are behind this?"
"Mondstadt is supporting this rebellion?" Ayato pondered over the implications, unsure of what to make of them.
The Shogun turned towards the Kanjou Commissioner, who was in charge of the Inazuman border.
"Hiiragi Shinsuke of the Kanjou Commission. Have you detected any irregularity in the customs border?"
"I, err, I haven't received any reports of irregularities. If the loafers have smuggled goods or weapons, it had to happen before the Sakoku Decree was imposed." Hiiragi stroked his chin, checking every memory of the last few years. But no answer appeared. "Even then, it must have done very slowly and irregularly for us to not notice."
"As I suspected, then. He was preparing this for years." She faced the Mitsuodomoe as if recalling memories. "If I was deceived by Him, then anybody could be."
The Shogun stood silently, composing herself before walking over to the last commissioner. The seniority of the Tenryou commissioner meant nothing against the Electro Archon of ages past.
"I have decided to make your adoptive daughter my close bodyguard." Her voice was suddenly a pitch lower. "Her loyalty and discipline is something I appreciate greatly."
"I… thank you for your words, Her Excellency. She's a brave girl and loyal to the bone."
"It is good to see that somebody in your Clan has some redeeming qualities. Kujou Takayuki of the Tenryou Commission. You are in charge of Inazuma's security. Whether internal or external, you were supposed to protect its people. Yet, it seems you had no idea that this was happening."
Kujou clenched his hands, readying for an answer. But the Shogun didn't let him reply.
"Do you take me for a fool, Kujou Takayuki? Do you think that I'm stupid perhaps?"
Even the guards at the chamber's entrance shivered at her words. Ayato's senses suddenly sparked up as the Shogun's intent became clear.
"I have met ancestors your family doesn't keep track of. I have seen strife you can't even imagine. I have met every type of person possible. Did you seriously think that I can't tell sycophants apart? Time and time again, you've fed me wrongful information. Had it not been for the actions of your only daughter, I would have never been informed of the Watatsumi uprising."
"M-Mighty Shogun, I-"
"Silence," The Shogun's order affected even those who hadn't heard it. For an instant, Inazuma as a whole was mute. "You have let the situation run out of control. Inazuma is at war. Now we have foreign agents undermining my rule, the Eternity I seek for everyone. Was the thought of freedom that enticing? Was it worth sending thousands of Inazuma's and Watatsumi's sons early to the grave?"
Her eyes briefly glanced at the guards, who immediately understood the signal.
"I care little for what He has offered you. You have misused my powers. You've let the enemy roam inside our borders, with your negligence provoking war. There's no doubt about it, you are an enemy of Eternity and a traitor to Inazuma."
Everybody knew what those words implied. A traitor to the Shogun was already a death sentence to your political career at best. But her anger was greater than that. No mere sidelining would appease her. Ayato could only face the ground as Baal spoke those dreaded words.
"I hereby sentence you to Divine Punishment, in front of the people you have betrayed."
The Tenryou commissioner didn't react immediately. His mind had effectively frozen at his sudden debacle. The moment the guards seized him, however, it unlocked the gates. His begging and crying did little to shake the Shogun's will, who averted her eyes from the now public traitor.
Hiiragi didn't say anything, though his heavy sweating already gave away his feelings on the matter.
Ayato, however, found himself at a crossroads. A public execution by the Shogun herself. This could set a dangerous precedent. Kujou might have been corrupt and was certainly dealing with the Fatui. However, the Shogun's reasons were shaky at best. Agitators and foreign agents from Mondstadt? They might love freedom, but he doubted they had the ability to do something so underhanded without any Commissioner noticing. And the Shogun's tone felt deeply personal. A grudge between Archons? Nothing he had ever heard or read about.
"Until the Kujou clan elects a new Clan-Head, I will assume the defence and security of Inazuma," Her words were clear. She faced Hiiragi, not moving from her spot. "I also want all remaining Mondstadt citizens out of my lands, no matter their position. I do not want any ships or goods from their lands to dock either."
The Kanjou commissioner didn't question her orders, but Ayato did.
"Almighty Shogun, whoever stayed in Inazuma after the Sakoku Decree did it because they created ties with our people. Friendship, relationships, families. Even, if they were agitators, to do it without restraint… If we act without thinking, this might put Mondstadt or even Liyue into a more belligerent position."
"Did I ask for your opinion, Commissioner? Do not forget that Kujou's failure is also your own. I showed leniency to you two, but do not take it as forgiveness." The Shogun answered, her eyes slightly wider. "It is their recreant God who has caused this situation. Retribution is needed. This is but a mercy compared to what I do to traitors. Kanjou Commissioner, make sure Mondstadt knows of this development."
Ayato simply acquiesced. This was not the time or place to act. If the Shogun willed it, then it should be done. Old man Kujou's fate had deeply disturbed him, even if he believed the Shogun had contained herself. And that showed him the new reality of war in Inazuma. The God of Thunder would not hesitate in killing him, even if he had done everything right.
She was acting irrationally. And everything because… somebody told her about Watatsumi's insurrection without consulting the Tri-Commission. Something was very wrong here, and he would find out at all costs.
Animals, including humans, had an innate urge to reproduce to create offspring. Humans in particular formed tight bonds with their children, and it was perceived as a natural step in life.
For Venti, that wasn't exactly the case. He was good around children; their innocence was quite endearing to him. But he, Barbatos, wasn't human. As a spirit of the wind, he didn't have a family, much less an impulse to leave behind some sort of spawn. The rest of the Archons were similar though he believed himself to be the most extreme case.
And then, that Vagrant from Inazuma appeared. Nobody but Venti or others of similar status would be able to discern the divinity that resided on the Wanderer. A drop of Baal's power. From surprise to incredulity, Venti couldn't understand how Baal made a child. He never asked since the curiosity was never there, but he assumed she didn't want any.
Of course, that was 500 years ago. Everything had changed since then.
Immediately he assumed the worst. The Vagrant, Baal's son, was here to stop him from going to Inazuma, to end his travel before it even began. But those fears were quickly dashed. This man's hostility wasn't focused on him but his travel companion Mona. And that only meant one thing, he was unaware of who Venti was. Not only that, the Vagrant seemed to not be fully attuned to his divine powers.
That gave him some room to act. He needed some time to fully analyse this new threat, to gauge whether he could be important or a fluke.
"Please, sit on one of the stumps. It's a free world." The bard offered, not moving from his seat.
Mona had only seen through Venti's lies twice, this occasion being the second one. This time, like the first, he had made his lie obvious. If the Vagrant's aura was that of hostility, the bard's was one of superiority. A blunt admission that Venti knew his intentions and didn't care.
The Inazuman wanderer was stunned for a moment, but he switched tactics quite rapidly and took his offer and sat down.
For Mona, that was the moment to act. She could teleport them a short distance away, and out of the man's grasp. But when her hands reached Venti's, he acted quick and impeded her spell swiftly.
"Wow Mona, please wait. Not in front of our guest." Venti faked a laugh, taking advantage of her sudden movement to make her sit on his lap.
She didn't have time to complain; too busy carefully monitoring the Vagrant.
The Wanderer observed the fire's dance, absorbing its warmth for a solid minute. Perhaps he was thinking about what his first move should be.
"Venti, he-" Mona once again tried to warn him, but he once again shut her up.
"Yeah, I noticed too!" Venti loudly exclaimed. "Are you not from Inazuma? I heard there's quite the ruckus going on there!"
"Indeed my friend. I was lucky to flee before everything went downhill." The wanderer turned to him, crossing his legs to face Venti. "You two are quite the odd pair as well. A mage from Fontaine and some… troubadour from Mondstadt. Travelling with no much more than their clothes and that bag to your side."
"Much like you, then?" Mona glared at the Vagrant, though he found the attempt amusing.
"Let's skip the formalities, witch. A gutsy escape from Fontaine, I didn't reckon you for a swimmer. But before I take back the Fontainian toy, I want to talk about the little bodyguard you've acquired."
His threat tempered the astrologer's will, though her wariness remained intact. Mona hadn't met him, but even a novice astrologer could discover that he was a Fatui. And not some small fry either.
"Don't shut your mouth yet, where did you meet him? His aura is certainly not human, I can tell that much." The Vagrant spoke again, resting his elbows on his knees. Clasping his hands together, he forced the issue again. "I was told you couldn't stop talking in Fontaine. Cat got your tongue? No more snarky remarks?"
With those provocations, Venti took control of the conversation.
"You honestly have to work on how you speak to a lady, Wanderer. Invite her to dinner first, or maybe ask your parents to properly teach you manners." Venti held his arm around Mona's back, pulling her slightly away from the intruder. "Maybe ask the Fatui to spend some money on diplomacy classes? That kind of thing."
"Spare me the goofy attitude. That won't work on me." The Vagrant admitted with a sigh. "The fact that somebody like you has slipped under our radar is quite a feat. Though… by the looks of it, you're not as strong as I thought. What a disappointment."
"You must be ashamed of your own strength if you decided to talk with me instead of fighting, then." Venti pointed out.
"I'm showing you two mercy. Look at yourself for a moment, bard." The Vagrant's hollow laugh resonated through the night. "You can't even let go of that mage because you're smart enough to realise the difference in our abilities. If I wanted to, she'd be dead before you even realised it. And you're scared of that fact." He directed his piercing stare at Mona. "And you? What are you now, a damsel in distress? Is that big hat of yours compensating for your lack of a brain? Or are the dots in the sky distracting you like a kid with some keys?"
"You-" Mona tried to get up and retaliate, but was cut short by Venti.
"Remember what I said earlier today." He sat her back down on his lap.
An angry enemy is a predictable enemy. Mona did remember them, though putting those words to practice was completely different. Much more when she found herself on the receiving end.
"That's right, listen to the buffoon. You two complement each other perfectly. One is an idiot who believes in the stars, and the other one a fool who can't let go of the past." The Vagrant could only clap his hands in amusement. "If this is all you two are capable of, then I'm not sure why I bothered coming. You're not even worth killing."
Venti snapped his fingers, catching the Vagrant's attention. "First off, I take offence to the hat thing. Yours is clearly bigger, so I suppose your brain is the size of a walnut. Second off, if a water mage and a drunk bard can handle the Fatui, then you guys should seriously consider retirement. And lastly, and more importantly: I know you're scared. You know that I can definitely kill you if I put my mind to it. Otherwise, we wouldn't be having this cosy discussion."
Everything stopped. The wind abruptly came to a standstill. The bard's whimsical demeanour had suddenly hardened into a looming resolve. The Vagrant frowned in response, though the sudden threat had caught him off-guard and unaware.
And for Mona, who was caught in the crossfire, the air had become heavy and stale. Her lungs had seized up as if the air wouldn't leave her body even if she tried to breathe. That scared her even more, aggravating her breathing into a feedback loop that seemed endless. And she could only stare back and forth at the Vagrant and the bard.
The Inazuman Fatui slowly got up from the makeshift seat. "You don't know anything about me, bard. I don't know why I bothered." He said with a snarl. "Now, the device. Give it to me before I change my mind."
"This artefact is bound by fate to me." Mona clutched the bag containing the artefact. "I won't give it to you."
"Fate? If you want to delude yourself into inaction, be my guest. Fate has to be taken and moulded by your own will, free from the interference of the Gods." The Vagrant spat out. "I won't ask again, give me the device."
Those words were enough for Venti. He had come up with a reasonable theory, now he could act.
"Tell you what, I'll give you a counter-offer. She gives you her nice hat, and you give yours. We can leave it at that." Venti smiled mischievously.
"You're not in any position to make offers." The Vagrant answered, his scowl hardening.
"Am I not? We've already established the pecking order here. We're definitely around the same level of strength, but I will come out on top if we fight. Besides, I have a trusty companion beside me, tipping the scale in my favour."
Venti was bluffing, millennia of experience backing him up. He didn't want to fight. But in front of him was a deceiving warrior as well, and the Vagrant would avoid conflict unless it benefited him. They were similar in that regard. Nothing would come out of their fight, which levelled the battlefield in Venti's favour. Exactly what he needed to get information out of him.
"I won't b-"
"Don't cut me. The adult is talking." Venti interjected, dropping the playful attitude. "So it is true you have very bad manners. And a very potty mouth. Do you kiss your mommy with that dirty mouth of yours?" Venti smirked. "Honestly I was a bit threatened before. But you're just a child throwing a tantrum against the gods… what's gotten you so riled up? Did she hide the cookie jar?"
The Vagrant maintained his smile, but his eyes narrowed. "That's the best you came up with? Pitiful. If you're so willing to talk, tell us who… No, what you are. The girl's wondering as well."
"Oh, I'm just a person very sure of what he is. Unlike you, I don't blame the first thing I see for my errors. Besides, I'm beginning to dislike your tone. Half-baked creations like you don't boss me around." Those words made the wanderer drop his smile.
"What did you just say?" The hostility around the camp shot up and froze.
"You were a little tough to figure out. I'm a little bit rusty." Venti let Mona off his grasp, getting up and taking a step towards the Vagrant, who tensed up in response.
Something had been bothering Venti ever since he noticed Baal's energy in the wanderer. If this had been some sort of actual child, the similarity in the energy wouldn't be so great. At most, it would be half-Baal, half-something else. But no, that wasn't the case with the Vagrant.
He had seen similar things occurring in Khaenri'ah, the so-called Art of Khemia. He wasn't very well-versed in the matter, but the creation of synthetic humans was certainly possible. And it would explain what this man entailed. How or why he was created, he didn't know. Why Baal let him go, was even more of a mystery.
But Venti certainly knew what artificial humans feared. And he would use that to get what he wanted.
"What I said was that little electro spawns like you don't boss me around," Venti stated again, this time with more vigour.
"Venti, what are you doing?! Don't antagonise him like that." Mona was stuck in place, the aura of both adversaries struggling to overtake each other. "He wasn't kidding, he might kill us!"
The bard didn't care. "No, he won't. Artificial minds like his are predictable and programmed in a certain way." Venti took another step towards the Vagrant. "Or are you? Maybe you can prove me wrong. Show me that you truly are your own person and not a puppet who can't see his strings."
The Vagrant had never seen anyone act so carefree around him. Insulting him to his face. Knowing what he was. And in that stupor, he was backed into a corner like a rabbit hiding from a fox. His instinct was screaming at him that this bard was dangerous, but the lack of killing intent only confused him more. Why couldn't he bring himself to attack him?
"I'm not the only one who can read the other. You know who I am, right? I know the power within you allows you to know this." Venti spoke in an affable yet magnanimous tone. "You realise what my acknowledgement entails. Perhaps you're still unsure of what you are… or who you are? Artificial humans always feel bound to the rules of their creation. Maybe you're not sure if those thoughts are your own, Kunikuzushi? But if you're sure, show me."
Scaramouche unconsciously took a step back, eyes wide. And then he seized Venti's throat in answer to his challenge, lifting him from the ground.
"I despise your kind, Nameless God," Kunikuzushi growled. "Always so high-and-mighty. Talking like they know best as if their experiences are the same as petty mortals. You've been soaring through the skies for so long that you've forgotten what it is to walk the earth."
Venti choked on his words. "Don't try to change the subject."
"I was willing to let you go with the mage, maybe have your little adventure. But you had to act like a stuck-up god. And you dare to compare me to a puppet? Look at yourself."
The Vagrant slammed the Bard against the ground, a mix of dust and dirt filling the air. Hydro energy crashed against his head, blowing his hat in two before rings of Electro energy lifted Mona from the ground, her arms tightly bound against her own body.
"Let him go!" She yelled, struggling to move.
Venti's whole body screamed in pain as blood trickled down his nose. He grabbed the Vagrant's clutching hand, giving his throat some room to breathe. "You know, I always felt like Baal would do this to me someday. Only with more stabbing. Her programming is still intact, isn't it?"
"Again with your irrelevant theories!" In a fit of rage, Kunikuzushi's fist slammed against the bard's face with little results. "Is this what you wanted?!"
"You're not sure of my words, are you? That, maybe, everything you're doing was determined one day." Venti continued talking calmly, much to the Vagrant's dismay. "Everything you think, every move you make... She made you who you are. But there's only one way to know the truth, isn't there? Only one way to be truly free. Let's go ask her, Kunikuzushi. Let's visit Baal."
The Harbinger's face twisted in rage before calming down in a frighteningly fast way. "I see now. So that's who you are. Your fake concern can't hide the fact that you only care about her. I am not programmed to do anything, because I'm a failed experiment. I'm truly free, and isn't that what you love?"
"You cannot be free as long as you trample other people's freedom."
"Witty. No, I won't play your game. Whatever you want to do with the Electro Archon, I am not a pawn on your chessboard. You have already given me what I wanted."
He released Venti's throat, before glancing at Mona. The Vagrant took his broken hat and approached the restrained girl. Ignoring her death stare, he took her hat and replaced it with his own.
"That looks hideous on you." Kunikuzushi scoffed, observing Mona's mage hat before turning to Venti. "I accept your counter-offer, bard. A hat for a hat, was it? Keep the Fontainian device and I'll go my merry way."
"How kind of you," Venti muttered as he tried and failed to plug his nose with his sleeve.
"Congratulations on riling me up. You're truly despicable, no doubt about that." The Vagrant walked over to Venti, who just stared at him. "I'm sure she will love to have his little boy-toy back. Tell her I say hello."
He dispelled Mona's electro restraints. "Next time, perhaps don't travel around with pretty girls who follow your tail like a dog in heat. Especially ones that stand out like a sore thumb."
The astrologer immediately seized the chance to throw away the broken hat and run to Venti. "Your fate was sealed the moment you crossed me, Harbinger!" She retorted.
"I'll take your tongue the next time you talk back, witch." The Vagrant cracked a smirk, before starting to walk away. "Oh, that's right. If you seek to enter Inazuma, perhaps the Fatui will give you a hand. We'll have a nice drink when you reach Ritou."
Mona and Venti didn't move until the Fatui slowly disappeared in the shadows, his dark aura gradually melding with the night. A soft breeze pushed away the stagnant air that had filled the camp, bringing back the chilly wind of Liyue.
"Well, that didn't go as expected." Venti glanced at his bandaged hands, now stained with blood. "He took your hat though, I was joking about that. I'll get it back somehow."
Mona wasn't in the mood for any jokes. "You are…"
"An idiot? Reckless? A little bit, yes." He got up from the ground, stretching his back. "But I mean, wasn't this too perfect? So perfect I'm a bit suspicious of my luck. Baal's experiment shows up right in front of me searching for you. And I couldn't pry any answers from him. I showed my hand too early and focused on her instead of him. Oh, well. From mistakes you learn."
Venti noticed Mona's wary eyes and touched his face in search of anything weird. But besides blood and a swollen cheek, there was nothing odd.
"Are you some god from Mondstadt?" The astrologer bluntly asked.
"I've already gotten you into trouble with that Harbinger, let's not make your hole deeper by answering that question, okay?" He answered, clasping his hands together and muttering a prayer.
The breeze calmly swirled around them, carrying anemo feathers that caressed them both. With each touch, her wounds disappeared along with her pain. Venti's bandages were taken by the wind, while the dirt and filth of their clothes fell to the ground. The campfire lost its strength, dimming more and more until it almost disappeared. But before it did, the breeze stopped. Mona didn't feel any pain from those electro rings anymore, and Venti's nose and hands were back to normal. Or so it seemed, for the latter could only hide his wounds from the Astrologer. He couldn't heal his vessel.
"You were talking about paying me back throughout this whole day, right?" Venti offered his hand, extending his pinky finger. "Then promise me to not tell anyone, okay?"
Mona fidgeted in place, unsure of what to do. Here in front of her was the answer to all of her questions about the stars, destiny and fate. The accomplishment no other astrologer would be able to accomplish, read a god's fate. Publishing it would not only make her famous but leave her without any financial worries. And his only request was to keep her mouth shut.
If she cared about fame and money, then perhaps it would have been a hard choice.
"You're such a child, who makes promises like this?" Mona intertwined her pinky finger with his own, her cheeks slightly flushing. Taking her hand back, she continued. "I believe this promise more than fulfils what I owed you. Perhaps acquiring a similar Astrologer's hat for me would tip the scale to balance? I cannot believe you let him take it."
She ran her hands through her hair, feeling naked without her hat.
"I don't believe I've seen the last of him, that's for sure. But I'll take the hat back for you, you have a bard's word." Venti sat back on the tree stump and warmed his recently healed hands. His back cracked in pain as he sat down.
"You're not going to Inazuma after that, right? It's clearly a trap. You heard what he said. If the Fatui want you to do something, you do the opposite. I don't know why they want you there, but… Well, I'm sure you're smart enough to realise it." Mona checked the bag sprawled on the ground next to it, making sure everything was intact.
The suggestion didn't linger for long in Venti's mind.
"You're such a kidder. Of course I'm still going. If there's a trap, then even better for me. A troubadour like me needs inspiration! The Ballad of Thunder and Wind must have a happy ending, or it won't have one at all."