Best Laid Plans
"So, what exactly is your plan, here," I asked Venti as we walked into the massive church. The floor was covered in ornate designs on marble and some other kind of stone, lined by pews and all leading up to the raised podium at the far end. Nuns flitted about, going about their duties of cleaning, dusting, sweeping, and other various work around the church's halls. Several doors led off to the wings of the church, leading to what I only could assume were offices for various important members.
"Well, I need to collect an old instrument of mine. I called it the Lyre der Himmel back in the day, and if my suspicions are correct, the church is currently holding on to it," Venti told us with a hushed whisper, probably wanting to avoid unnecessary attention. I glanced around a bit more as we walked the long aisle, seeing the evening sunlight filter through the impressive stained-glass windows. "With it, I should be able to call Dvalin, wherever he might be."
"You're certain that he'll listen to you, again?" I asked, not sure how I felt about this plan. "If he doesn't, then you're dragon food."
"Aww, is that concern that I hear in your tone, dear Traveler?" the bard teased me. He turned to face me and fluttered his eyelashes, looking way too close to a cute girl for comfort. Damn, is this what it felt like on the other end? "Rest assured; I have my ways of staying safe."
"If you say so," I grumbled while Paimon looked between the two of us in confusion. For all of five seconds.
"Really!? Another one!?" she shouted at me, pointing an accusing finger at my face as I tried to sink into my t-shirt and Venti laughed at my misfortune. "That's right, yesterday you though he was a girl!"
"Please shut up," I grumbled, staring at the floor as Paimon continued to chew me out. I glared at the god who had started this, only getting a raspberry in reply. "Fix this."
"What ever could you mean, dear Traveler?" the traitor asked. "I am but a humble bard with a cute ass and a budding chest!"
"Gaaaah, stop it!" I groaned, handing my head down into my waiting hands. "You both are assholes!"
"Speak for yourself, buster!" Paimon continued. "At least Paimon isn't trying to get in bed with anything that moves!"
"You are a literal child!" I argued.
"Paimon is not a child! Paimon is Paimon!" At this point, I had become aware that our argument had attracted a whole lot of attention from the people around us, who were all glaring at us.
"Paimon-"
"And besides that, you-" I cut the fairy off my grabbing her out of midair, shoving my hand over her mouth. I sent the nuns and churchgoers around us an apologetic smile.
"You can chew me out later, Paimon, but we're in a church right now," I told her. She seemed to calm down after I told her that, enough for me to let her go. She still glared at me, though.
"You're not off the hook yet, buster," she whispered harshly to me. I looked around for the bard who had dragged us here, spotting him speaking with one of the nuns on how to get his lyre back. Unfortunately, it seemed like his efforts were all in vain, even as he revealed himself as the Anemo god, Barbatos. I watched with a bit of amusement as the nun practically scoffed at him and stormed off.
"Excuse me," I interjected before she could get too far. Her glaring eyes leveled themselves onto me.
"Yet another vagabond looking to waste my time?" She asked, her displeasure apparent. "If you're looking to take the Holy Lyre der Himmel, then you can forget it, just like your little friend over there!"
"I am an Honorary Knight of Favonius," I told her, and saw her eyes look over my attire. It was now that I was reminded that I have been wearing the same ratty clothes for two days straight, and hadn't bathed in that time, either. Oops. She obviously didn't believe me. Still, I pressed on. "Surely the church has some way of granting permission to use the holy lyre? What channels would we need to go through in order to do that?" The nun seemed at least appeased by my offer to go the legal way of doing things.
"You would need signed documentation from the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, the Seneschal of the Church, as well as a Community Representative," she told me. "Though I don't see you having any luck with that. Both the Seneschal and Grand Master are away on expedition. Not to mention… well, you hardly seem the sort with such connections, Honorary Knight or not."
"Would Acting Grand Master suffice?" I asked, already formulating a plan in my head. She seemed taken aback by my ignoring of her implication.
"W-Well, I suppose it would-"
"Who would the Acting Seneschal be?" I pushed further.
"T-That would be Cardinal Calvin, though right now he-"
"Would his signature suffice?"
"Now, young man, I'm not sure what you-"
"Lastly, this community representative, who would qualify for that?"
"Excuse me!" the woman finally snapped. "I don't know who you think you are, but you are being exceptionally rude! Just get it through your heads that you may not use the Holy Lyre der Himmel, and move on with your lives! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have much to do!" With that, the woman huffed and walked off.
"Wow, that was rude," Paimon said, crossing her arms in disappointment.
"As I expected, that didn't work," Venti added, walking up behind us. "It looks like the Church of Favonius won't play along, either. Not even for the illustrious Honorary Knight! Luckily, that does just confirm that my lyre is here."
"Any other ideas, smart guy?" Paimon asked him, sounding frustrated. I guess she was expecting an easy job.
"I do have one plan," Venti spoke with a playful tone. "How do you two feel about… heists?" Paimon stomped the air.
"Just like that, you want to try and steal it!?"
"Actually, that might not be necessary," I spoke up. "All we need are three signatories, one of which we already can get quite easily. Cardinal Calvin might be open to reason, and I'm sure that Jean can find a community rep who'd be willing to help me since I helped fend off Stormterror." I thought for a bit longer. "Even if the Cardinal proves difficult, I'm certain that Jean would be all too happy to put on a little pressure on our behalf it it's to make an attempt on solving the Dvalin issue. After all, a happy people may pay more respects to the church."
"Ah, but wouldn't an unhappy people also be more likely to come to the church in order to find guidance?" Venti countered. I glanced at the bard.
"I'm surprised you would speak against the same church that worships you as their god," I told him, earning a giggle in reply. Dammit, why did he have to look and sound like a cute girl?
"What can I say? I'm just as invested in this as you are," he told us. "Maybe even more so. After all, Dvalin is a close friend of mine, and it pains me to see him so angry. I'm just offering up every option I can to help you."
"Everything, huh?" I asked, getting a nod from the disguised god. "If that were true, why not show that nun your overwhelming godly power? We could have that lyre right now if you did that."
"Ah, yes," the bard had the decency to blush at that. "You see, do you remember how I told you that I've greatly weakened over the centuries?' No… "Yes, well, that little 'thousand winds' trick I pulled helping you drive away Dvalin was sort of the last of my power until I can regain my strength. Anything I would have showed her would be no more powerful than what a Vision Bearer could perform." Wait, does that mean that trick he pulled outside on my lungs was something someone with a Vision could do?
"Well, I guess that means I should get those letters," I changed the topic back to my plan. "If we're lucky, we can get everything in time to grab the lyre by tomorrow."
"Sounds like a plan," Venti agreed. "If we manage to pull this off, then you will have my gratitude." I raised an eyebrow at that. "What is it, dear Traveler?"
"How much is the gratitude of the god of winds worth?" I asked, not yet convinced. He grinned at me.
"Oh? Could it be that you're asking for more?" he teased, returning the look I was giving him in a far more playful fashion. "And just what could the Honorary Knight want from little old me? Money? Power? Answers to your missing memories?" Yeah, not even gonna question how he knew that.
"None of those," I told him. "Money and power are useless to me, and I'm certain you couldn't provide that even if you wanted to." His giggle all but confirmed my suspicions. "That, and I'm certain that you don't actually know anything about me. At least not yet. So as for what I want…" I frowned for a moment, wondering what I could possibly ask from a god like him that would be useful. Well, there was something… something calling deep within the recesses of my mind. An ambition, calling out from the Statue of The Seven; though who it belonged to I couldn't be certain. I was honestly afraid to ask. "I want to fuck you."
"What!?" both Paimon and Venti exclaimed, being shushed by the nuns as a result. "W-Well, Traveler, I didn't know you were interested in me like that," Venti did his best to regain his bearings, but I could tell I'd thrown him through a loop. Paimon, though, looked furious at me.
"'I want to fuck a god.' That was what one of the voices was screaming when I touched your statue, yesterday," I said. "I don't know who was screaming it, but I suppose that ambition was passed on to me when I activated this Vision. I'm not really picky, but you're girly enough for me to just not think about it and I don't know when my next opportunity might be."
"How hurtful," Venti whined exaggeratedly. "And here I thought that our illustrious Honorary Knight had been charmed by my girlish looks and incredible personality." I gave him a flat stare. "Fine, fine. If you help me bring Dvalin back to his senses, and I'll let you bend me over and ravage me like Decarabian's winds ravaged around Mondstadt's former capital."
"Deca-who?" I asked, not sure what to make of what he'd just said.
"Don't worry about it, dear Traveler," Venti waved off my question. "Now, why don't you go get cleaned up and rested, and tomorrow we'll go ahead with your plan to get those letters of recommendation." With a wink, he left Paimon and I to our own devices.
Glancing at said fairy, she was still glaring at me. "Paimon wants to speak with you. In private," she pretty much demanded. Oh boy, I might have dug myself a deep hole with this one. I followed the floating fairy outside, but she didn't stop there. She flew out to the side of the church, well out of the way of any passers by.
I felt like a schoolboy being led to the principal's office, following Paimon. When she finally turned to face me, it was with an expression of fury. "Paimon is angry at you, buster!" she shouted at me, pointing her finger at me. "After all that stuff you said to Amber, how could you immediately betray her for someone else!? Paimon thought you were a pervert, but not a scummy pervert!"
"Hey, first off, Amber and I aren't even dating," I pointed out. "Not to mention, she has no intentions of dating any time soon. What does it matter if I decide to pursue someone else?"
"Because you're playing with her feelings, and it seems like you don't even care!" Paimon protested. "When you make pervy comments to other people, don't you think that hurts her?" Well… "Paimon knows you aren't normal, but you need to learn some manners! Amber trusts you!"
"Amber and I won't be dating, though," I told Paimon. "You heard us earlier, you and I will be traveling, so it's not like I can ever have the kind of exclusive relationship that you're thinking of, Paimon."
"E-Even still…" the fairy tried to continue, but seemed to realize what I was getting at. I shook my head, though.
"I really do like Amber," I said to my floating companion. "She's dedicated and driven, and really cute. But with the kind of journey we're on, there's no way I can pledge myself to just her. If she isn't ok with that, then it sucks, yeah, but I can respect that." I let out a gentle sigh. "She knows that, Paimon. At least, I think she does. So now it's her choice if she ever wants to be in a relationship with me, even knowing that I won't be hers, alone."
"Still, would it hurt you to not be so willy nilly when you're being pervy?" Paimon asked. "Starting another relationship is one thing, but asking for… well… what you asked Venti? That's just too far!" Well…
"Ahhh… I guess you have a point," I acknowledged. "Alright. Then this will be the only time I do this. I'll be relying on you to keep my head on straight, partner. Deal?" Paimon's face visibly brightened.
"Deal!" she agreed. "Don't worry, Paimon will make sure you don't become a scummy pervert! And make sure that you talk to Amber about this! Even if you think she knows, you should make it clear, anyway."
"Yes, mom," I groaned playfully, and Paimon floated over to punch my shoulder. "Venti was right, though. I need a bath, a change of clothes, and honestly, a place to stay. I have no idea where wind gods go when they get tired, but I'm pretty sure it's not anywhere we can follow." Paimon nodded in agreement, and we headed down to the main streets of Mondstadt. My first order of business was getting some necessary supplies, so it was off to the Windseeker Goods general store. At this time in the evening, the sun was setting, and the streets were not as crowded as they were earlier. There were people helping clear the debris off the road, and I saw others carrying the bodies of the deceased away.
"Paimon guesses this means there's gonna be a lot of work for Jean the next few days," Paimon spoke as we walked down the main road, heading to the plaza where Windseeker Goods was. "Paimon feels sad, seeing all the people who died in Dvalin's attack..."
"And if Venti's to be believed, then it's not even the dragon's fault," I added. "At least, not completely. That Abyss Order is mostly to blame." 'Mhm!' Paimon agreed. "I guess that means we'll have to work even harder to avoid killing it. Jeez, that's gonna be a pain in the ass..." As we got closer to the store, I noticed a girl with mint-green hair headed for the same door. She was dressed in fancy clothing, and even had a little hat sitting atop her head. On the bridge of her nose were round glasses, and from the back of her clothing was a short cape of sorts that trailed down to her knees. Deciding to actually be a nice person, for once, partially because I was still feeling a little guilty about that argument with Paimon, earlier, I rushed forward to open the door for her.
"Oh! Thank you," she gave me a smile as she thanked me, and I couldn't help but be struck by how cute she was. Then I was actually struck on the back of the head as Paimon slapped me upside of it.
"Hey! Eyes above the neck, buster!" Paimon shouted, making me wince. Whoops. "Sorry about that. Paimon is still trying to teach this one manners."
"O-Oh, no, it's alright!" the girl protested, shaking her head frantically. "In order to properly gauge a person, sometimes it's necessary to look them over. It's no trouble, because I was doing the exact same to him." Cutie-say-what-now? Wait, was this what it felt like to be looked over like a slab of meat?
...Surprisingly, I couldn't find it in myself to mind all that much. "In fact, I noticed that you're also an Anemo Vision Bearer," the girl continued. Eh? She was a Vision Bearer, too? Gods, what the fuck? Sure enough, hanging from her neck by a collar was an Anemo Vision. "Oh! Please, excuse my rudeness. My name is Sucrose, I'm an alchemist specializing in bio-alchemy."
"An alchemist?" I repeated, earning a nod from the girl. I glanced around, noticing we had actually completely blocked the door for the store. I waved her in, and followed after her, letting the poor guy with his grocery bags finally leave. "So, you work with Timaeus next door?" Sucrose nodded enthusiastically, seemingly happy that I at least recognized her workplace.
"Precisely!" she shouted. Well, it was more of a whisper than a shout, but I suppose it counted as much, for her. "I think I remember you passing by yesterday with Outrider Amber. Yes, she was showing you around, wasn't she? And then..." Her voice trailed off, eyes flitting outside as she must have remembered what happened less than an hour later. I noticed that two tufts of her hair flattened against her head. Wait, not hair... ears? This girl had animal ears. Oh, Venti, did I want to pet her ears. Thankfully, I possessed enough self-restraint to not act on that urge.
"Yep! Then he drove off Stormterror and was given the title of Honorary Knight!" Paimon filled in the silence, and I saw as a few curious heads turned our way.
"Let's keep that bit between us," I gently chided Paimon, who had the decency to blush. Sucrose, though, was looking at me with awe in her eyes. "Yeah, I'm the newest Honorary Knight of the Knights of Favonius. Please don't make a big deal about it, though? Honestly, part of me doubts I even deserve the title. All I did was be at the right place at the right time."
"Actually, I saw you drive off the dragon with my own eyes," Sucrose said. "What you did was incredibly brave, and I think you should acknowledge that. Someone like me could never have stood up to Stormterror, after all."
"Nah, I'm sure you would have been fine," I refuted her. "For what I can tell, Vision Bearers are ridiculously strong. I only just awakened mine, so I don't have any practice." Still, Sucrose shook her head.
"Even excluding aptitude in wielding a Vision," she spoke up, "I couldn't possibly have done something so terrifying. The fact that you were able to muster up the courage to face such a horrifying foe speaks volumes about you, Mr. Honorary Knight. You must understand, that Vision Bearers within the Knights of Vafonius are simply on another level compared to the rest of us."
"The rest of you?"
"Yes," Sucrose nodded. In the back of my mind, I realized that neither of us had moved during the entire conversation, meaning neither of us had actually done any of the shopping that we both likely needed to get done.
"Hey, mind if we shop and talk?" I asked, hoping to move things along. Judging from the woman behind the counter, who I assumed was Blanche, she didn't appreciate us just loitering. Sucrose, with a small jump of surprise and a blush, nodded enthusiastically.
"I'm so sorry!" she apologized. "I-I simply was caught up in the moment! Yes, we should purchase the things we meant to, as well!" We both grabbed baskets by the front door and began our shopping. It seemed like Sucrose had come for some ingredients and 'reagents', as she called them. Stuff for alchemy, basically. I, on the other hand, was grabbing an Inventory Bag and a few pouches, along with ingredients of my own for if ever Paimon and I had to travel out from the city. All the while, Sucrose and I continued to talk as Paimon looked at various knick-knacks and items we passed by. "Anyway, as I was saying about the rest of us," Sucrose continued.
"Mondstadt has several Vision Bearers within its borders," she explained. "Only a handful of which are like me, who would be considered civilians with no combat training. Most of our other Vision Bearers are within the Knights of Favonius, or joined the Adventurer's Guild." I nodded in understanding. That was interesting... "Us, who are civilians and don't specialize in fighting, are strong compared to the normal person. If I needed to defend myself while out in the field researching, I could do so with ease. However, the gap between my abilities and fighting prowess compared to someone like Outrider Amber is leaps and bounds. It would be like comparing a person without a Vision to someone with one."
"That much of a gap, huh?" I asked, my voice low as I thought about the implications of such. "That's insane."
"Yes," Sucrose agreed. "So, to say that you could possibly even overpower me in a combat situation isn't necessarily implausible. Given the right circumstances, I would be helpless against you." I was going to make a comment, but from the corner of my eyes I saw Paimon glaring at me. I wisely kept my mouth shut this time. "Mr. Honorary Knight, is that truly all you're buying?" She was looking down at my basket, filled with bare essentials.
"Until I can earn some more money and actually have a clue on what the hell I'm doing, yeah," I told her. "Not to mention, I need to find a place to stay for the night, and can possibly get a shower or a bath. I don't know how long it's been since I washed, but I'm certain I smell." She gave me an apologetic smile.
"I didn't want to say anything..." she admitted. I let out a sigh at her response and shook my head.
"No, it's alright," I told her. "I should probably buy some soap, some shampoo, and some other essentials... What a hassle."
"If you'd like, I could pay for some of the items you have if it would make things easier for you?" she offered. I thought about turning her down, but... well, I really wasn't in any position to turn down financial help.
"Thanks," I gave her an appreciative nod. "I'll be sure to pay you back." After a bit more discussion, we finally left the store with all the items we needed. Now, it was just a matter of finding a place to stay for the night... that was the much harder deal. I idly wondered if the Knights of Favonius Headquarters would have any rooms. Well, I'd have to come to a decision, soon, as it was already coming night. "What a pain," I grumbled as Paimon floated nearby, sipping happily at the box of apple juice I'd bought her. "Just where the hell can I find a place to stay and freshen up for cheap?"
"Excuse me," a voice called out to me. Well, I guess the stars are aligning today. I turned to face whoever had spoken, and I saw a girl who was probably about six years my junior or so standing before me. she had a pretty white dress with blue highlights, and blonde hair that was a familiar shade, though I couldn't tell why. Hanging from her waist was a blue book of some sort, slung like a waist-bag, and on it a blue gemstone. A Vision. She held her hands in front of her, giving me a nervous smile as she looked at Paimon and I with pretty, blue eyes. "Did you just say that you needed a place to stay?"
"Listen, kid, it's probably not a good idea to invite complete strangers off the street," I told her. "Vision or not, some guys can be pretty dangerous. Lookie here, I've got a Vision of my own. I've recently been told that people who aren't in the Knights of Favonius are a lot weaker as fighters, so you have no idea if I'd be a safe person to have around, ya know?"
"Oh, but you aren't a stranger," the girl insisted, shaking her head. "You're the newest Honorary Knight. It's truly a pleasure to meet you!" Damn, how quickly did news spread across this city? I'd only been an Honorary Knight for a few hours, and some random girl on the street already knew? "Jean told me all about you when she came to the church, not too long ago. She sounded very worried about you, but also very proud! She told me that you might not have any place to stay, so I took it upon myself to offer you a space at the church to sleep and wash yourself."
"The church, huh?" I pondered her offer for only a few moments. "I guess I really don't have a choice in the matter. I'll owe you one... er..."
"Barbara," the girl introduced herself. "My name is Barbara Pegg, and I'm the Deaconess of the Church of Favonius. It's a pleasure, Honorary Knight." What a sweet girl. I really hope nobody takes advantage of her. I reached over, gently patting her head as I offered another word of thanks. Her posture stiffened, but relaxed after a moment when she realized I wasn't going to do anything else.
"Well, lead the way, Barbara," I encouraged her, and soon enough, we were walking back up to the church. As we walked, a stray thought passed through my mind. "Say, Barbara," I spoke up after a few minutes of walking. She glanced over to me, giving me her full attention. "Say that I needed to borrow the Holy Lyre der Himmel for a bit in order to help put a stop to Stormterror; or at least, make an attempt. Would you be high up enough to write a letter for me to do that?"
"I'm afraid not, Honorary Knight," she shook her head, offering me an apologetic smile. "For that, you would need to speak to Cardinal Calvin. He was out for most of the day, but he should be back by now. If he's not busy, I could introduce you once you've cleaned up a bit?"
"That would be great, actually," I nodded, feeling my spirits lift a bit. Well, maybe this would be a lot easier than I thought it would. It might take a little time, but with Stormterror no longer attacking the city, I think we could afford a day or two. I'm sure Jean would let us know if we needed to hurry up, after all. "So, what exactly do you do as a Deaconess?" I continued the conversation, hoping to at least maintain the friendly terms I had with one member of the church.
"Well, my duties include helping those who come to the church in prayer and worship to the Anemo god, Barbatos," she explained. "However, first and foremost, I'm a healer. My Vision allows me to more easily help those who are sick or wounded recover to full health, but I've always desired to be able to heal through my singing." Her singing? She nodded when I asked about it. "YEs. I'm what's called an idol, you see. I sing, dance, and my goal is to bring cheer and happiness to the people of Mondstadt in their darkest hours."
"Sounds like a noble goal," I told her. "Well, it seems like the people here need that now, more than ever. Have you had any luck?"
"W-Well," she trailed off, looking away off into the distant hills. "I'm not sure, to be honest."
"What do you mean?"
"When I perform, the people smile, you see," she tells me. "But it only lasts for a few fleeting moments. From how I understand it, an idol should be able to make a person feel happy at any time, no matter what." Well, I could see where she was coming from, but...
"Isn't that asking a bit much?" I asked. "Both from you and the people of Mondstadt. It's not like you can always perform at every given moment. You surely need rest, too. That, and Mondstadters can't constantly watch you, either. Even if they could, I think that the novelty of seeing you perform would grow boring after a while." Barbara was silent as I spoke, and the silence continued for a minute or so. "I can appreciate what you want to do, but I think you're going about it the wrong way. Maybe someday I can help you figure something out, but right now I need to focus on Stormterror. Just take it easy until then, alright? Your own health is just as important as the health of others."
"I-I see," Barbara nodded slowly, though I could see that she didn't seem entirely convinced. Well, can't win them all, Hoshi. "I appreciate your advice, Honorary Knight. I'll-" She was interrupted by shouting coming from within the church, and I could see several Knights of Favonius flooding out. One of them, Porthos, I realized, ran towards us.
"Honorary Knight!" he shouted, his voice frantic. "Honorary Knight, please tell me you apprehended a thief on the way here!"
"No, not at all," I shook my head. "I've actually been walking here with Barbara. What's going on?" He seemed even more shaken.
"Oh, it's a disaster!" Porthos groaned. "The Holy Lyre der Himmel has been stolen!"
"What!?" Barbara shouted, losing all sense of her former composure. "What a tragedy! Please tell me that the Knights of Favonius are searching for it!"
"As we speak, miss," Porthos replied. I turned to face Paimon just as she began tapping my shoulder; she seemed equally as panicked.
"What are we gonna do, Hoshi?" she asked. "We needed that lyre to help us call Dvalin! Now it could be anywhere!" I felt my fists clench in frustration. Fuck, why did this roadblock have to happen now of all times!? Why would anyone steal the lyre- Venti... That son of a bitch!
"I think I know who stole it," I growled, getting the attention of Paimon, Barbara, and Porthos. "The bard, Venti. I wanted to get it the legal way, but before that, Venti suggested stealing it. That little bastard must have gotten impatient and run off with it."
"How could he!?" Paimon wailed, anger beginning to course through her body as she processed what I'd just said. "Was he really in that much of a hurry that he couldn't wait a day!?"
"God or not, when I get my hands on him, I'm going to wring his useless little neck," I promised. I turned to the other two, describing what Venti looked like so they could put out a search for him. Being the Anemo god, I wasn't sure if they'd actually find anything, though. For all I knew, he could be miles away by now.
"Grrr... Paimon's so mad that Paimon is gonna give him the ugliest of nicknames!" I wasn't sure how that would help, but whatever made her feel better.
"Luckily for us, I think I know where this bard might be," Porthos offered. "Before we got the call about the stolen lyre, I was taking a little time at the Angel's Share Tavern down in the city. It's a popular place right now, but I think I saw a bard matching your description while I was there."
"So, the little bastard stole the lyre in order to play it at a tavern?" I asked. If he were a normal bard, that might make sense, but he was the Anemo god. What could he possibly get from that? Something wasn't adding up, and I began to wonder if I'd missed something. Well, I couldn't focus on that right now. Guilty or not, Venti was our best lead. "Let's go, Porthos. Bring a few men with you, we've got a lyre to find." He replied with a 'Yes, sir!' and ran off to do as I'd said. I turned towards Barbara. "Thank you for your hospitality, and if possible, I'd like to take you up on your offer, later," I told her. "We'll get that lyre and bring it back, just sit tight, alright?"
"Thank you so much, Honorary Knight!" Barbara bowed, worry and panic laced in her tone, but she was holding herself well. "If you do this, the Church of Favonius will be in your debt!"
"Hold that debt until we get the lyre back," I told her as Porthos returned with about four other knights. "Are you ready, Porthos?"
"We are, sir," he responded. "Just give us your orders, and we'll follow!" I nodded in acknowledgement of his words, tasking him with leading us to the tavern. We made it there within the hour, the Angel's Share a decently sized building nestled deep along the northern wall of the city. Patrons of all sorts drank, talked, celebrated, and mourned with hardly a care in the world, oblivious to the crisis currently happening within the walls of their city. Honestly, I was a little jealous. To have your only concern be survival and making it to the nice day? Sounded simple and nice.
When we entered, it was to the sound of Venti's lyre playing as he sang some tune. Unfortunately, I wasn't in the mood to listen. "Venti!" I shouted, interrupting the bard's performance. A smile spread across his face. Well, that told me what I was beginning to suspect. Fine, a slight adjustment would be made.
"Heh hey, Traveler!" Venti called out, sounding entirely too happy given the circumstances. "Come to listen to my performance? I promise you that it's one for the ages!" Yeah, we got it wrong. Shit.
"You're wanted by the Knights of Favonius under suspicion of stealing the Holy Lyre der Himmel," I continued, watching as the shock appeared on his face. Given how terrible his acting skills have been thus far, I think it's safe to say he was innocent. Still, as Honorary Knight, I had to follow through to a point. At the very least, once we got Venti out of the public eye, I could salvage this. "Please come quietly with us, and you will be given fair treatment."
"Excuse me, but what is the meaning of this?" one of the men behind the bar counter asked. He was dressed in a black coat and black pants, and had sharp eyes that seemed to give off an air of mystery and confidence. "You Knights of Favonius can't just barge in here without a warrant or due cause."
"Apologies, Master Diluc," Porthos stepped forward, and I sent him an appreciative nod, "but you're currently harboring a wanted suspect for a very serious crime. If you'll allow us to remove him from the premises, we'll be out of your hair, immediately." The man, Diluc, seemed to think this over for a moment. He looked over towards Venti, who in turn was staring at me. I tried to give Venti a visible sign, just a slight nod, assuring him that I would be fair. He seemed conflicted, but stepped up.
"I also apologize for this whole mess," Venti spoke to Diluc. "I'll go quietly, dear knights. No need to go ruining the night and drink for the other patrons of this lovely establishment. Take me away, dear Honorary Knight!" He smiled and winked at me, and it seemed to be enough to satisfy Diluc, who let out a sigh.
"Fine," he stated. "I expect he'll be treated with the utmost care. Won't he, Honorary Knight?" he asked me.
"Of course, Master Diluc," I followed the lead of the others. "This is simply an investigation, so should he be found innocent, he'll be released, immediately. You have my word." That also seemed to be enough to satisfy the mystery man. I had no idea who he was, but if he was important enough that even Venti was addressing him by a formal title without much playfulness, then he was probably someone whose bad side I didn't want to be on.
Without much else fanfare, the Knights of Favonius led Venti outside. "Be gentle with him," I instructed them. "Something's amiss. In fact, Porthos, you're with me. Let's interview our suspect." He gave me a confused look before nodding. We took Venti aside to a more secluded area, and the other Knights of Favonius stood guard as Porthos and I confronted Venti. "I'm afraid I may have made a miscalculation," I told Porthos. "But we'll see. Venti, can you tell us where you've been for the last three hours?"
"Ah, well, I've been there, at the Angel's Share, of course!" he spoke, all too cheerily. "You can ask Master Diluc or any of the other patrons, and they'll be able to back up my story. Now, what's this about the lyre being missing?"
"It was stolen not too long ago," I told him, frowning. So, I'd been wrong. Damn, that left us back at square one. It would be easy to have the knights corroborate his story. "My first thought had been you, honestly. I'd thought you'd gotten impatient and went in to try and steal it, despite me telling you I'd had a plan."
"My dear Honorary Knight, I'm hurt!" to his credit, he actually sounded hurt by the accusation. Guess I really screwed this up.
"I apologize," I told him. "Despite my faux pas, would you be willing to help us track down the real thief?" He giggled good-naturedly, nodding.
"It's not a problem at all! Really, I can't blame you," he forgave me easily. "Certainly, you have my help however you need it! Just ask, and I shall make it so, dear Honorary Knight!"
"Perfect," I let out a sigh of relief. At least one thing was going alright, tonight. "Is there any way you'd know how to track the lyre, itself? Any elemental remnants, or something?"
"Not quite," he responded, "because as it turns out, there's plenty of secrets whispered in the wind. All I need to do is find the right ones. If you gentlemen wouldn't mind giving me a moment to focus...?" I needed, waving for Porthos to follow me. He seemed incredibly confused.
"Sir, just what the heck was that all about?" he asked. I shook my head, keeping an eye on Venti as he closed his eyes and raised an ear, just in case the little bard decided to try and disappear on us. "I thought you were certain that it was him?"
"I was," I said. "But his response to my arrival was happiness and excitement, not shock or nervousness. The guy is shady as hell, but he's a terrible actor. If he'd actually stolen it, not only would he be actively avoiding me, but he'd probably be long gone by now." I let out a sigh of frustration, crossing my arms over my chest. "Which means we're back to square one unless he can figure out where the real thief went."
"And... you trust him to do that?" another knight asked. "Who's to say he isn't working with the thief!?"
"Venti's the kind of guy to work on his own with this kind of stuff," I told them. "Even though he had a motive, it's a motive that doesn't really allow him to share. It would have been only him, nobody else. I need you all to just trust me on this. Unfortunately, I can't reveal more without divulging state secrets." They seemed to accept that, and I approached Venti when I saw his grin widen and his eyes open. "What've you got?"
"Seems our little thief has a hideout not too far away from the city," Venti said. I looked him over, seeing his legs shaking a bit. Of course that trick had to use some of his power. "What's the matter, Honorary Knight? Realizing just how charming I am? Now isn't really the time for that, don't you think?"
"You and you," I pointed to two of the knights. "Make sure Venti gets someplace safe for the night after he tells us where this hideout is. I think he could use some rest. Porthos, is there anyone with a bit more power that we can rely on to help us get the lyre back?" Venti shot me an appreciative smile, nonchalantly leaning against the wall before his legs could give out.
"In terms of Vision Bearers, no sir," Porthos said, shaking his head. "Captains Amber, Kaeya, and Eula are still out in the wilderness, and Captain Albedo is absent as usual, too. I'm afraid that you're our only reliable Vision Bearer at the moment, sir."
"I suppose Jean will be busy, leaving her absent for this as well," I grumbled, frowning as I considered my options. A squad of non-Vision Bearer Knights of Favonius? Well, not ideal, but I could work with this. "Venti, tell me where this hideout is. Porthos and these three will join me in clearing it out and retrieving the lyre. These two will assist you to safety."
"Your help is greatly appreciated," the disguised god thanked me. "It's located in a cliff outcropping near a lake to the south of the city," he said. "At the base of a waterfall."
"That sounds like that's in the Windwail Highlands. That's about a day's travel from here," Porthos offered. "That means we might still have some time."
"Another thing that you might be interested in," Venti spoke up again. "The winds that I heard, they were Fatui voices." I saw Porthos visibly grimace at that news.
"Assuming he's not lying," he said, "then that means this just got a lot more difficult. The Fatui are still officially Mondstadt's allies. If they've stolen the Holy Lyre..."
"Then that means they've stolen an artifact of significant importance to Mondstadt culture," I continued for him, earning a look of surprise. "Which means that no matter what, this is an act of aggression towards Mondstadt. Assuming we need to go through legal procedures in order to find evidence, a warrant should suffice for an investigation of their hideout to prevent any fallout coming down on us, right? Where would we get a warrant for investigation due to probable cause?"
"W-Well, that would be something the Seneschal from the church would provide," Porthos offered. "Though with the Seneschal absent, the Acting Seneschal, or the Deacon or Deaconess would probably work." I glanced at Paimon, and she gave me a smug grin after a moment of thought. She was thinking exactly the same thing that I was.
"Luckily for us, I seem to be on good terms with the Deaconess," I told him. "Have yourself and your men get some rest tonight; we'll be leaving at dawn in pursuit of the suspects. I'll be going to the church to do the same, as well as to get a warrant from the Deaconess. If you find anyone willing to help us in our investigation, please ensure that we can enlist them."
"Yes, sir!" Porthos saluted with that same pose Amber used. "Alright, men, you heard the Honorary Knight! Let's get to work! We're not gonna let the Fatui just do whatever the heck they want with Mondstadt!"
I glanced towards Paimon again as the knights carried out their duties, including getting Venti to someplace safe that he could rest. "Seems like there's no rest for the wicked, Paimon," I grumbled, feeling the events of the day catching up with me. "Let's get to the church and get all of this over with. I need some food in my belly and a nap."
"Sounds good to Paimon," she replied. "Paimon's starving!" As the sun disappeared over the horizon, Paimon and I made our way back to the church, ready to prepare for another extremely long day.
(XXX)
A day off, and a lot of time to work on this chapter. As I stated before, the story of Genshin Impact tends to happen around the Traveler, so it's a bit difficult to make changes to the story. However, I think this is a pretty meaningful change; Diluc won't be getting involved as a required game character. Instead, Hoshi will be leading a small contingent of knights in a formal investigation, with whomever else might be getting involved in helping. Of course, I imagine there will still be some push-back from the Fatui. You guys have no idea how much time I spent going through the Wiki and looking through locations in-game to try and get some of the details right. I've actually been debating creating a new account just so I can go through these missions and details again, since It's been so long since I played through them. Right now, I'm relying on the aforementioned sources as well as various Twitch and Youtube streamer playthroughs to try and get the details just right.
Anyways, please leave reviews, and thank you to those who are doing so! They do a whole lot to keep my passion for this story alive, and give me some ideas for future chapters or things that might need clarification. I've gone over previous chapters to try and fix some spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, so please also let me know if and where you see anything. If It's something I consider a mistake, I'll try to make sure to include it in a chapter revision!