Chapter 7: (Should You Be Trapped in a Windless Land) Venti Quest
Lumine, Boboiboy, and Paimon are walking around the city and see a little girl playing all by herself near the Anemo archon's statue
"Hey, Lumine, Boboiboy… look over there!" Paimon exclaimed while pointing at the little girl. "She... all by herself, right? Because she's acting as if she's talking and laughing with somebody else... Uhhh! Paimon's creeped out."
"I had an imaginary friend too when I was a kid." Lumine confessed
"What? You mean you used to act like that too, Lumine?" Paimon asked in shock
"Uh...so is this... an invisible friend who hangs out with you sometimes? Or...do they just exist in your imagination?"
"'imaginary' means 'in your imagination'." Boboiboy explained
"Imaginary...imagination..." Paimon repeated until she realized "Oh, you mean 'imagined friend', right? Why didn't you just say so?"
"So, this 'imagined friend' of yours...when does Paimon get to meet them?"Paimon asked which the two didn't know what to explain to her
"They...invisible now." Lumine replied awkwardly
"Seriously? So imaginary friends just...disappear when you grow up?" Paimon asked incredulously.
"Tragically, yes." Lumine confirmed
"Oh... Paimon was looking forward to meeting yours... Hey, don't suppose your brother has an imaginary friend, too?" Paimon asked
"Sure he do." Lumine said
"No way!" Paimon exclaimed in a hint of jealousy. "You guys are so lucky. Because they have this game in Liyue - have you heard of it? It's a four player game but it seems you guys could play it with just the two of you!"
"And what about you, Boboiboy? Do you have imaginary friends when you are a kid?" Paimon asked
"Of course, I do. But I grew up and don't have imaginary friends anymore." Boboiboy answered
"Travelers!" Venti called out, suddenly appearing out of nowhere "Fancy meeting you three here."
"Ugh, tone-deaf bard! What are you doing here!" Paimon exclaimed
"Haha, I'm here because Lisa has been making some exciting new contraptions." Venti explained
"Why does the thought of Lisa's contraptions make Paimon so nervous?" Paimon asked
"Come now, that's no way to speak about the elegant Miss Lisa! For this particular contraption, Lisa had to import some dangerous materials from Sumeru." Venti said
"D-dangerous?" Paimon stuttered
"A monocle equipped with some sort of...detector?" Lumine asked in confusion
"That's right!" Venti agreed "Looks like a monocle, but actually it's called a nirnama detector. Sadly, Lisa isn't able to use it herself, so I'm borrowing it for a while...and also, I'm testing it out for her, to see if it actually works."
"Huh? Why can't Lisa use it?" Paimon asked
"Hmm...perhaps it's because she lacks a certain childlike sense of wonder? Or maybe there's some other reason for it." Venti guessed "If you want to know for sure, just ask her yourself sometime."
"So you can see them? Go on, tell us - what does this imaginary friend look like?" Paimon asked
"Haha... That would be telling." Venti laughed "Anyway, it's all yours now, Travelers. Take a look, see if you can see Nora's imaginary friend."
Lumine did as told and wore it, seeing an invisible girl beside the child
"Do you see 'em? Do you see 'em?" Paimon asked
"Yeah! Seems like they're best friends." Lumine said and handed it to Boboiboy so Boboiboy wore it and saw it
"Wow. I can see a little girl jumping together with her." Boboiboy described
"So, it does work for you too..." Venti said.
"Paimon wants to see~!... Wait, but this gizmo isn't in Paimon's size." Paimon noticed with a sad look. "Alright then, you'll have to be Paimon's eyes on the ground, Lumine! Let's go see what everyone's imaginary friends look like."
the four set off to see people's imaginary friends and found it fascinating. Until they see a Bloatty Floatty friend from Flora
Venti: There it is. Behold, a floaty imaginary friend for floaty-headed Flora: A Bloatty Floatty!
Paimon: Wait, imaginary friends can be plants now!?
Flora: Hehehe, hi Travelers, hi Bard.
Boboiboy: Hi Flora.
Lumine: Hi. Have you got a minute?
Flora: Sure. How can I help?
Lumine: Who's your... friend?
Flora: Hmm? Oh, you mean Mr. Floatty? Most people can't see him.
Flora: Mr. Floatty is my bestest friend. We grew up together!
Paimon: (*grumble* No fair! Paimon hates feeling left out...)
Venti: Flora... Why exactly are you friends with a Bloatty Floatty?
Flora: What's wrong with it? I always wanted to be friends with a plant who could fly.
Paimon: Friends with a flying plant? Why?
Flora: Hehehe, because then when it's windy you and your friends can fly off into the sky together! You gotta admit that's pretty cool.
Paimon: ...Isn't that called being blown away?
Flora: Hehehe, that's what some people like to call it.
Flora: I only found out this plant existed from an explorer who told me stories of his adventures.
Flora: I think his name was... Stanley!
Lumine: Oh, I know Stanley.
Boboiboy: Stanley? He is an adventurer right? I did read one
Flora: Yep. Stanley's an adventurer.
Flora: And you can tell he's an expert at it from the stories he tells! Hehehe.
Flora: "The amazing adventures of Stanley" are super famous in Mondstadt!
Flora: He's in the city at the moment. You should go ask him to tell you some of his stories.
Venti: That sounds like a fun idea for next time! But right now we have other things to attend to...
So the four left the City of Mondstadt while talking
Paimon: Flora's a pretty mysterious kid.
Venti: Which child shall we interrogate next?
Paimon: Paimon's thinking... Ooh, how about that little guy on the bridge?
So Lumine checked Timmie out and found something shocking. His imaginary friend is Ruin Guard
Lumine's jaw drop "What the!?"
"What's wrong?" Boboiboy asked as Lumine put it on him and Boboiboy along with Elemental Brothers' jaw dropped too "What?!"
Lumine then showed Paimon what she saw
Paimon: N—no way!
Venti: Well. That... is unexpected.
Boboiboy: Timmie's imaginary friend is a Ruin Guard?
Lumine: Am I... seeing things...?
Lumine: I've heard of "guardian angels," but come on...
Paimon: Paimon's freaking out right now... That thing is sure to attack us!
Venti: Haha... What say you we postpone our conversation with Timmie for the time being?
Lumine: Paimon, it's time to say the line.
Lumine: That line you love to say so much.
Paimon: Huh? Paimon has a favorite line?
Lumine: The one about exploring the area ahead of us later.
Paimon: Seriously? Oh, alright then...
Paimon: How about we explore the area ahead of us later?
The group went to Angel's share to see because Paimon wondered if adults could have imaginary friends too so they all went off to the tavern where most adults go.
Unfortunately, there was no one inside the tavern so they headed back out and went outside and they spotted Kaeya, Diluc, and two others talking.
"The thing about wine is, you have to drink it at a tavern or you miss out on half the fun." Kaeya explained
"Seems to me you'd find some way of keeping yourself amused even if you drank alone." Diluc said
"Haha, if I didn't know any better, I would say you're being deliberately uncivil." Kaeya teased.
"Just... drink responsibly on my premises, okay?" Diluc said while looking at him with a blank look
"Oh? And if I did have one too many, what then?" Kaeya questioned "You'd throw me out along with the trash, is that it?"
""Throw you out"?" Diluc repeated
"You know... the same way you threw out father's legacy? You sold off his mansion - or maybe you've forgotten?" Kaeya said
"I see no reason to cling to things that have outlived their purpose." Diluc said without hesitation
"Is that so?" Kaeya said "Then I trust you were most swift indeed to part with a certain vase?"
"Sorry, I have no recollection." Diluc answered
"That's odd, because Master Diluc definitely has a vase at home - a beautiful one, unmistakable." one of the people at the table, Reckless Pallad, said "In fact..."
He continued speaking but Lumine took this chance to see if they had any imaginary friends, only to end up disappointed
"Seems our suspicions were right...Grown-ups don't appear to have imaginary friends." Paimon said
"Like I said - a lack of childlike wonder." Venti said
"Seems adults are the same everywhere." Lumine remarked
"So people just stop dreaming when they grow up? Okay, well Paimon for one never wants to grow up!" Paimon exclaimed
"Hmm... this raises an interesting question: At what age, exactly, do people's imaginary friends disappear?" Venti mused before shooting a mischievous look. "Let's... go and check."
So the four walked away
"Hmm... How about Ellin? Someone of her age surely must have some imagination left, don't you think?" Venti suggested
"Uh-oh... Somehow, Paimon finds the idea of not being able to see Ellin's imaginary friend kinda scary..."
When they reached Ellin, they used the monocle and looked, only to see Jean
"Jean!" Paimon exclaimed "What is Jean doing here? Is master Jean Ellin's imaginary friend?"
"Ellin is a conscientious child." Lumine said
"Ellin is really determined to become a knight." Boboiboy said with a smile
"Yeah, she's so conscientious it's... terrifying!" Paimon said until Ellin noticed them
"Hmm? Oh, hello." Ellin greeted "What are you guys doing?"
"Are you always training here?" Paimon questioned
"You bet." Ellin answered with a smile "Today, I heard Stanley talking about his adventures. It was incredible! It got me really pumped up."
"I hope I can be as outstanding as him one day." Ellin finished with hope
"So that you can fight shoulder to shoulder with master Jean?" Venti teased
"I-I mean, obviously I want to become a knight!... And if I got to go on an adventure with Jean herself... Well, even better!" Ellin exclaimed
"Seems Ellin reeeeally looks up at Jean." Paimon commented
"There's nothing wrong with that." Lumine told her
"I believe you'll succeed, Ellin." Boboiboy encouraged
"Thanks!" Ellin said "I was thinking, it's not every day I get to hang out with the Honorary knights... Would you join me for some sword training?"
Lumine agreed and showed Ellin how to destroy the training dummies with one move
"Huh, so THAT's how you do it. I'm impressed."
"Whew! Thank you, it's clear I still have a long way to go in my training." Ellin said
"So modest! I for one think you're quite the pro at this already." Venti told her
"Well, I'm exhausted from training, so clearly my fitness needs some work. One day, though... I'll smash all the training dummies in Mondstadt." Ellin said with determination.
"Ellin, Ellin, she's our girl!" Pamion cheered. "If she can't do it... um, hilichurl!"
"Thanks... Shoot, I got so caught up here I forgot there's something I was supposed to do today! Ugh... But I'm so sore from training, I can hardly move... honorary knights, could you deliver a message to Jack for me?"
"Sure, where can I find him?" Lumine questioned
"He's gone adventuring at the Temple of the Lion with Stanley today." Ellin explained "Stanley's a truly legendary adventurer, renowned in all of Mondstadt. He once set foot in the Mare Jivari. We were going to meet up tonight and discuss adventure plans... Could you let him know it'll have to be another day?"
"Temple of the Lion? Sure, I miss that place!" Lumine said
"Great! Thank you so much."
So the group left to go to the temple to meet up with Jack and Stanley
"The Temple of the Lion... We explored this place once before, didn't we?" Paimon commented as they traveled through the domain. "During the Stormterror incident. Seems like it's now a hotspot for adventurers. That can only mean one thing..."
"We didn't bag all the loot last time!" Paimon yelled. Lumine nodded in agree while Boboiboy looked at the two with a blank look
"Looks like we can't go any further." Paimon noticed when they saw a lift moving beyond their reach.
"Not to worry! Allow me. Those who wander in the dust, the wind shall send soaring sky high." Venti said smugly, creating a wind current for them to easily fly to the lift
They continued to venture further and reached a room filled with hilichurls. So they took them down. Once that was done, they walked a little further and found more enemies along with two people
"Hey, are those guys..." Paimon looked closer
"They are in trouble. Let's help them." Boboiboy said and changed into Blaze "Boboiboy Blaze!"
"Oh no, what're we going to do?" The younger named Jack said in panic
"D—Don't worry...! I—I've got this..." The older named Stanley is trying to protect Jack
"Stay still! We got this!" Lumine told them
-A few minutes later-
They finished taking enemies down
"*panting*" Stanley takes a deep breath
"I was so sure I was about to die!" Jack exclaimed while sighing in relief
"To be fair, that could have gone either way." Venti commented "So - you must be Jack the adventurer, I assume?"
"Yes... Who are you?" Jack asked
"Actually, we came looking for you." Paimon said without explaining anything
"Ellin has a message for you." Venti decided to reveal "She said she won't be able to join you today to plan out your next adventure together. She'll join you some other time."
"Oh, I see... I feel bad you had to come all this way to find me... and then had to rescue me." Jack said awkwardly, feeling shy
"Huh? I don't see what all the fuss is about." Stanley proclaimed. "It was nothing that I, Stanley, couldn't have dealt with by myself!"
"Whoa, you're Stanley?" Paimon asked with big eyes "You're that legendary adventurer? Renowned in all of Mondstadt? Who once set food in the Mare Jivari!?"
"Hehehe, the very same!" Stanley said
"Hahaha! I must say, it's an honor to meet one as legendary as yourself." Venti said with a grin "Well then, how would everyone like to proceed? Head back or head further inside?"
"Stanley, what do you think?" Lumine asked
"Hehehe, well, girl... I think you're now in the safe hands of Stanley, the great explorer and legend of Mondstadt!" Stanley said which made Solar suspicious of him
"In which case, why head back now?" Stanley added
"Okay, motion passed by unanimous consent! Let's head further in." Venti summarized
So the group continued further. While we walking, Stanley was trying to tell the group about how great he was
"So I'm guessing you mostly came here because you wanted to hear my adventure stories, am I right?" Stanley asked
"No, we really just came for Jack." Venti denied
"What!?" Stanley said infuriatedly "Do you know who I am? I am Stanley, renowned adventurer of Mondstadt!"
Which made Solar felt more suspicious
'He is acting very strange. Is this really Stanley? Why is he acting all arrogant?'
"Yeah, I think we got that." Venti said with a bored tone
"Well your attitude says maybe you don't got that! I am Stanley, the living legend! Stanley, he who braved the Mare Jivari!"
"Enough already! Stop name-dropping yourself every time you open your mouth!" Paimon screamed in irritation
"It's true, though!" Jack defended "Stanley is the most amazing guy!"
"Hmph." Stanley scoffed "Well, Jack will listen, won't you? Now, where was I?"
"You and your partner reached the Mare Jivari!" Jack exclaimed dutifully "A famously terrifying place with not a wisp of wind!"
"Percisely!" Stanley said "There was a deadly silence in the air. A sea of ashes stretched out before us, as far as the eye could see - the Mare Jivari."
"Suddenly, my partner was caught in a whirlpool whipped up by an evil beast! Luckily, I managed to grab hold of him just in time."
"Wow! So did he make it?" Jack curiously asked
"*Sigh*, sadly... In the end, I alone was able to set foot on home ground once more, where the gentle breeze carried away the tears welling up in my eyes..." Stanley sadly sai
"*Sob*, that poor guy... How could that happen..." Jack said while crying a little
"Jack! You can't cry so easily if you want to be a great adventurer!" Stanley scolded
"I-I know! Because an adventurer's proudest achievement is to die in the course of their final adventure." Jack answered. "But whatever happens, no adventurer should ever die in a place where the wind doesn't blow... The wind has to bring your spirit back to Mondstadt."
"Sigh, that's right! To die in a place where the wind blows, and to have your spirit carried back to Mondstadt on the wind... That's... that's the dream." Stanley uttered, stuttering at the end
"Yeah... Although, the most I can aspire to be right now is beginners' commissions, like clearing out the slimes clogging up the sewers..." Jack said with a hint of embarrassment
"You shouldn't die in a place with no wind... Why do they keep going on about that?" Paimon wondered "Hmm, is that why Stanley thinks the Mare Jivari is the most terrifying place in the world? Because there's no wind there?"
They finally reached the end and got the chest. While Stanley and Jack were talking, Venti turned to chat with Lumine
"Lumine, I believe I have made a small discovery." Venti said "Could I ask you to use the nirnama detector once more?"
Lumine agreed and checked it out. Jack, as expected had no imaginary friend, but Stanley surprisingly had one. He had some scars on his face. The movements were following Stanley's movements
The four were shocked
"What? Stanley has an imaginary friend?" Paimon cried out in shock
"It seems his imaginary friend is a seasoned warrior... covered in scars from head to foot, and a look of staunch determination on his face." Venti analyzed
"I knew there was something weird about his story..." Boboiboy(Solar) confirmed
"Oh? You thought so too, huh." Venti said "I agree. He wasn't telling the whole story."
"Please excuse me, I'll be leaving now." Stanley told Jack
"Bye, Stanley!" Jack said happily
"Do you still have time to spare?" Jack asked the trio once Stanley disappeared from view
"What is it?" Venti asked
"A few days ago, Stanley got drunk and told me a secret - something he's never told anyone before." Jack confessed
"The weapons he took on his adventure all those years ago... they were none other than those wielded by Mondstadt's greatest hero, Vennessa herself! The Sword of Brilliant Valor and the Shield of Magnificent Honor! I don't know whether you believe me, but... apparently, both the sword and shield are still right here in Mondstadt, over in Dadaupa Gorge! Since you guys are the experts at this... Can you come with me to try and retrieve these two legendary weapons?"
"Why did he abandon them in the wild, then?" Lumine asked
"I dunno, outstanding individuals always come with their quirks, right?" Jack shrugged
"If I can just get hold of something impressive enough to show my family what I'm capable of, maybe they'll finally come around to the idea of me being an adventurer... Right now, I'm just a rookie, my abilities are limited, and my parents don't support my goals one bit... So what do you say? Help a guy out? I can't bring myself to tell Stanley about it, because my reasons are so selfish... But, I swear I'll give the weapons back to him as soon as I'm done!"
"Aw, poor Jack... Let's help him out!" Paimon said
"Alright then. Hard to say no after that sob story." Lumine agreed
"Venti, you coming too?" Paimon asked
"Mm... I don't know..." Venti mused
"Oh, one other thing — I have a bottle of rare vintage wine that I had someone fetch for me a couple years ago. Help me find these weapons and it's all yours!" Jack remembered, unknowingly bribing Venti
"Oh, Dadaupa Gorge, was it? Let's hurry, there's no time to lose!" Venti quickly exclaimed which made Lumine, Boboiboy, and Paimon look at him with a deadpan look
The five left, not knowing that Stanley was listening in on their conversation with a serious look
-Timeskip to Lion of the South-
The group have arrived at the Sword of Brilliant Valor's location. They found some hilichurls standing around the sword
"Hey, that bunch of hilichurls... are they holding some kind of ceremony? And what's with that pile of knickknacks? Are they worshipping them?" Paimon is curious
"Seems so! That must be the Sword of Brilliant Valor surely." Venti said as he and Lumine took out their weapon
"Boboiboy Earth!" Boboiboy changed into Earth
After defeating the hilichurls and retrieving the sword
"Eh-he. Lo and behold, the Sword of Brilliant Valor!" Venti made an introduction
"Are you sure? Looks kinda basic to Paimon, and a little worse for wear too! Why would hilichurls be bowing down before a piece of junk like this?" Paimon is curious
'Ahh... Seems somebody tossed an old sword into a pile of spoils these hilichurls were already celebrating...' Venti thought
"This is in terrible shape! And it's so basic, I... I'm at a loss for words." Jack said
"Hmm... say, Jack, have you ever seen an Anemo Crystalfly? They're found in the open country around Mondstadt City.
If you saw one in broad daylight, you wouldn't bat an eyelid. But in the pitch blackness of night? Its brilliant glow is mesmerizing — it truly resembles an exquisite crystal dancing in the night air.
Is valor not the same? When everything is going your way, it seems meaningless — fades into the background. But when you're in dire straits, valor is the thing that gets you fired up and fighting back. It's the brilliant ray of light that guides you out from the darkness."
Venti said
"Excellent recovery." Boboiboy whispered
"Almost fell for it myself!" Lumine added
"You're right... you're right! Then this has to be it — this is the Sword of Brilliant Valor!" Jack said
"Ehehe, mm-hmm! So, we got our sword — now we just need that shield! Let's scout around! It's definitely in Dadaupa Gorge some— huh?" Venti noticed Stanley, who was eavesdropping on them from a distance
He hurried off when he realized Venti had noticed him.
Paimon: There's somebody there!
"Stanley? What's he doing here?" Venti is feeling suspicious
"He's acting so weird..." Paimon commented
Jack: What happened? Why did you stop all of a sudden?
"Huh? Oh, ah, it's nothing. Just one of those Mora-spouting weasel thieves passed by is all." Venti lied
"What? Where? I wanna see!" Jack said in excited
"Maybe another time, hehe. We have a shield to find, remember?" Venti reminded him
As they left to find the shield
-Time skip-
They have arrived at the Shield of Magnificent Honor's location. They found a hilichurl carrying a shield made of wood
"Lo and behold, the Shield of Magnificent Honor!" Venti told them which made the three look deadpan
"Liar, liar, pants on fire! It's a chunk of wood! A chunk of scrap wood with a handle attached... Who in their right mind would use this as a shield!?" Paimon pointed it out
"There's also wine stains on it... Yeah, I'm pretty sure this was just taken from a wine barrel..." Jack recognized
"And yet, my bard's intuition tells me that this is none other than the Shield of Magnificent Honor. Warriors wear their battle scars with pride, and shields are no different.
Surely, an intact shield is one that has shied away from the battlefield. Is not the broken and splintered shield the one that has fought in countless wars and lived to tell the tale?
Though the soldier's body be tired and torn, still they fight till the very end, till they have no blood left to bleed. Such magnificent strength of will... is that not the true meaning of honor?"
"I agree with Venti!" Lumine played along
"Me too, this is the shield." Boboiboy added
"You do have a point... Shiny new shields don't stay new and shiny for long... Okay then... Well, maybe if we ask nicely, he'll just let us take the Shield of Magnificent Honor for free?" Paimon said as they got closer to hilichurl
"*clears throat* Excuse me, Mr. Hilichurl?" Paimon waved hello to hilichurl
Hilichurl: Dala?
Paimon: Welp! Okay, you two take it from here! Hope you've picked up some Hilichurlian by now. If not, there's always body language...
"Alright. Let me do it." Lumine stepped in and coughed to get ready to talk
Lumine: Vin plata dada!
Hilichurl: Mosi mita!
Paimon: Seems cheerful enough. Maybe negotiations will work after all...
So they talked for a while. Hilichurl felt happy and gave them the shied
Hilichurl: Muhe vin plata? Mani ye! Mani dada!
Paimon: Oh yeah! He actually gave us the shield!
"Guys, thank you so much! I can't believe I actually found them! Mom! Dad! Check out the legendary weapons I found!" Jack exclaimed in glee, running back to Mondstadt to show his parents to make them proud
"Hey, wait!" Venti called out but got no response "The wine, you promised! Ugh, and I actually helped a lot this time— Hmm? What're you doing here, Stanley? Out for a stroll?"
Stanley came out from his hiding spot with an awkward look
"Ah... haha, ah— hey!... What're you doing here, bard! Fancy that, huh? You, uh... out for a stroll too?" he asked nervously
"That's right, an after-dinner stroll to be precise. We were also helping a friend look for something." Venti nodded
"Paimon's starting to think Stanley might be a fraud..." Paimon whispered
"I'm seriously starting to think so, too." Lumine said
"He's definitely a fraud. No question." Boboiboy(Solar) said without hesitation
"Did Stanley plant the sword and shield here in advance so as to not hurt Jack's feelings?" Paimon wondered
"Adventurers must be pretty familiar with Dadaupa Gorge? You've fought battles here before, after all." Venti said
"You'd better believe it! I could navigate this whole area with my eyes closed!" Stanley once again boasted
"Wow. Then I admire your perseverance, and your memory too." Venti said with a smile
"It's only to be expected of a great adventurer like me! You guys had better watch out though. This place is crawling with hilichurls!" he said before placing a hand on his chest "I, ah— I'll get back to my, um... ah... stroll now. Goodbye."
With that, he walked off
"Guilty conscience, huh?" Paimon said
"Well, he shouldn't have gotten so carried away bragging to Jack, should he?" Venti questioned "Although... on further reflection, I must say I'm intrigued. Someone who can't let go of the past, and gives up on the present instead... I wonder... if such a person was forced to take their first step towards the future, which way would they go?"
"What are you talking about?" Paimon asked, not understanding
"Haha, I'm just musing to myself." Venti waved it off."Anyway, I propose we take a trip to Angel's Share tonight."
-Timeskip to Angel's Share-
The group entered the tavern at night before heading to Diluc for a short talk.
"You know, I'm glad I actually had the chance to come down here today. The tavern isn't overcrowded, and I couldn't be in a better mood." he simply said before going back to work
They found Stanly, who was drunk and lying head on the table
the four decided to sit behind Stanley's seat and listened in on his murmurings
"Tell me, Stanley ... Tell me what should I do...?" he began in sadness
"Huh? Why does he keep repeating his own name?" Paimon asked in confusion
Lumine immediately said "He's hiding something."
"Could there be another person called Stanley?" Paimon asked
"Surely not. Even I've never heard tell of a second Stanley." Venti denied
"Unless..." Boboiboy(Solar) is thinking until "Stanley" keeps talking
"*sobs* Oh, Stanley... It should have been me! I should have been the one to die in the Mare Jivari that day... Why won't your spirit come and stop me from using your name? Why, Stanley, why? If only you hadn't had to save a rookie like me, you would have never died in that windless corner of the world... You were a renowned adventurer, destined to become a legend one day... But now... that'll never happen, because your life was cut short— and all because of a worthless tag-along..."
"Uhh... Does anyone get what's going on here?" Paimon asked
" ...I think our friend really did make it to the Mare Jivari. And I think the tragedy he encountered there was real, too." Venti said "But, the real adventurer, the real Stanley — that was his partner. Not him. The real Stanley is the one who died to save our "Stanley.""
"Wait... So the only reason our Stanley is called Stanley in the first place is because he stole the other Stanley's name?" Paimon asked in shock
"I fear that may be the case." Venti agreedd
"Stanley, for so many years I've lived in fear... fear that Mondstadt will forget all about you... So I tell your adventure stories at every opportunity..." Stanley continued to sob. "Mondstadt must remember: Stanley reached the center of the Mare Jivari... He's the greatest adventurer there ever was, and he lives on! Stanley will never die, because I am Stanley! I... am Stanley... I'm sorry, Stanley... I'm getting too old... now... *sigh* Are you guys planning on eavesdropping much longer?" Stanley finally spoke to them
"Yikes! We're busted!" Paimon shrieked
"Go away. Save your questions, just leave me in peace!" Stanley screamed
"But..." Paimon trailed off
"Leave, now! Don't make me tell you again!" Stanley ordered
Jack suddenly appeared and called out to them
"Honorary Knights! Venti! And Paimon! I'm so glad you guys are here." Jack said while approaching them. "I've been looking for you everywhere! I wanted to thank you again for helping me find the sword and shield. My parents are finally supporting me!"
"Oh? Really?" Venti said
"Yeah, really! They even said they're gonna pay for someone to fix up the Sword of Brilliant Valor and Shield of Magnificent Honor for me, so I can take them out on the road." Jack said in excitement.
"That's wonderful. So, Jack, is this the part where you bid farewell to Mondstadt and set off on your intrepid trip traversing Teyvat?" Venti asked.
"No, not yet. I still don't have what it takes to go too far from home just yet." Jack said with an embarrassing grin
"Besides, I'm sure Stanley still has a few stories left to tell. Hehe... They're what inspired me to become an adventurer in the first place. Stanley, I- Oh, you're drunk again... See you tomorrow, then. After your hangover wears off, maybe you can tell me some more of your stories?"
Jack then walked away
"Stanley's really fond of that kid, don't you think?" Venti said
"*hic* Jack? Jack!" Stanley called out
"Jack left." Venti told him.
"Oh, I see... Well, thank you for not telling him about my secret." Stanley said with gratitude
"Eh? All of a sudden you're facing the facts? That isn't like you..." Venti asked in surprise
"Just now... I couldn't bear to look at him. His adventurer's spirit is so pure... unblemished..." Stanley confessed "I'm just a weary old feckless fraud, but that kid is a brand-new shining star, full of potential... I cannot allow his dreams to be crushed."
"You're not a total fraud... Stanley's adventure stories and experiences — they're all true, aren't they?" Paimon comforted
"Stories... Experiences... What's the point of them anymore? To be honest, my memories of adventuring, and of Stanley... they're hazy, these days. That's my biggest secret of all. And my biggest fear. All these years, I've been living to tell his story. But his personality, and the details of his life, I don't remember them clearly anymore. Ah-ha... But the one thing I can never forget... is that he died in a windless land, where his spirit can never be recovered!" Stanley exclaimed in frustration and hopelessness.
"His whole life, he's been drowning in guilt..." Lumine said with pity
"Exactly... Even in his memory, the real Stanley isn't the living, breathing friend he knew at all." Venti said "Instead, he's become fixed on the image of him as that battle-scarred warrior... and that image had held him captive his entire life."
"I'm too old... I never let go, but still so much has slipped away..." Stanley cried out. "I'm completely and utterly worthless! No adventurer should have to go that way... No adventurer ever..."
"Hans Archibald?" Venti called out, surprising Stanley
"My true name... How did you know?" he asked in shock.
Venti didn't say anything, just summoning a strong wind
"The wind..." Hans said while flinging his arms all around "I can hear the wind blowing in the Mare Jivari..."
Venti appeared in front of Hans as Barbatos, causing him to stand up shakily
"I always believed... you existed..." he whispered
"Will you hand me your old friend's spirit?" Venti asked gently while reaching out his hand
Looking hesitant, Hans held Venti's hand and a soft glow appeared. Hans saw Stanley's figure looking at him with a soft smile as he disappeared, his soul finally going in peace
"I... I can't believe it..." Hans said with a stutter and a look of worship "Thank you all! And thank you, Lord Barbatos... I'm sorry, it's going to take me some time to calm back down... But I think that... I'm going to be okay..."
Hans left sadly.
"Ah, wonderful! Stanley reconnected with his true self, and Jack can finally go his own way." Venti said with a grin "This calls for a celebration! And by celebration, I do of course mean libation!"
"And by libation, you mean you're not leaving this tavern till you're too drunk to walk, right?" Paimon said without any signs of amusement.
"Haha, no, the wine here's too expensive." Venti denied "Jack still owes me some wine though — he promised me a rare vintage in exchange for helping him out, remember? I'll head off to fetch the wine. See you shortly, let's meet at the usual place!"
"Huh? Where's that supposed to be? Why has Paimon never heard of it? Hey, Tone-Deaf Bard!" Paimon shouted
"It's anybody's guess." Boboiboy told her
" I think I know where... possibly." Lumine said
"Hey!" Paimon sighed as they headed to Diluc, telling him about Stanley, mostly because he looked at them with narrowed eyes
"Stanley..." Diluc started. "So many years after the fact, it's not even his friend himself that holds him back anymore. But I for one am confident that the people of Mondstadt will not forget his friend's story."
-Timeskip to Monstadt's giant statue-
The three saw Venti who sat on his own statue's hands in front of the church while gazing at the sky
"You made it... finally." Venti said once they arrived
"Just tell us where you mean next time, okay!? We looked everywhere!" Paimon exclaimed in anger. "Hmph... So. Did you at least manage to find your wine?"
"Yep! Well, sort of... Jack made it out to be a rare, collector's edition vintage..." Venti said with a disappointed look. "...when actually, it's just a half bottle of regular cider."
"Ah, this takes me back. The first time I saw this view, I hadn't even taken on this form yet." Venti continued which surprised them
"...What?" Lumine asked in confusion
"What do you mean?" Boboiboy added
"It was about twenty-six hundred years ago, before the world had come under the rule of The Seven." Venti started speaking about his past "At that time, Old Mondstadt was ruled by a tyrant, who sealed off the city's perimeter with a ferocious hurricane. Even the birds couldn't get in or out."
"Old Mondstadt? Oh, Paimon remembers — nowadays it's known as Stormterror's Lair, right? You mentioned it before!" Paimon recalled
"That's right." Venti confirmed "The tyrant of the winds who once ruled from that tower was Decarabian, God of Storms. Back then, I was but a wisp among the thousand winds. I wasn't a god of anything — I didn't even have a human form... I was just a tiny elemental being who lived in the wind, a gentle breeze bringing subtle changes for the better, or tiny seeds of hope."
"A tiny elemental being?" Paimon questioned. "Without a human form? Venti... do you mean you used to look different than you do now?"
"Yep. My current form is not so different from the situation with fake Stanley... I took the form of a friend." Venti said as he started telling the story
"In Old Mondstadt transpired the story to be told,
Where a tyrant ruled, I met a boy, not that old.
The lyre he played, and for a song he sought,
But storm-walls blocked blue sky — he was sincerely distraught.
"I do so wish to see the birds in flight"
Said he, his strong eyes filling with light.
But his voice was lost in the howling wind's churn.
For the whirlwind takes, and gives naught in return.
The true sky, and songs that cageless soar...
Were they not wishes worth fighting for?
So the boy turned, extending his hand:
"Let us cast down the tyrant and his walls from this land."
The young boy raised then the flag of revolt,
And I threw myself into freedom's tumult.
Victorious were we who fought to be free.
Gods fell, winds whipped, nations shook violently.
In the smoke, a despot met his doom,
And we watched as his great tower fell none too soon.
Mondstadt began anew, the story passed down—
And since then never has another worn its crown."
"So then what?" Paimon asked. "What happened to your friend?"
'Same situation as with Stanley's friend...' Lumine and Boboiboy thought same thing
"Say, Paimon, do you wish to hear the next part of the story?" Venti asked teasingly
"Yes, of course! The suspense is killing Paimon!" Paimon exclaimed, no awareness of the deeper meaning of Venti's question
"Paimon, go pick us a couple of apples." Lumine suddenly said
"Now's the time you suddenly get a craving for apples? Really?" Paimon asked incredulously.
"Hahaha, getting a little peckish or something..." Venti started.
"Oh, so peckish." Lumine agreed.
"Huh! Paimon's had it up to here with you!" Paimon said with a huff but still left to do what she wants
"Ah... You know, you're so smart it almost makes me uncomfortable sometimes..." Venti confessed with a smile before turning melancholic.
"But then, maybe it's right that true friends can tell what the other is thinking. A refreshing drink, a gentle breeze... Moments like this always take me back... Back to a song that I first heard from him..."
"I'm listening." Lumine gently said
"I want to hear it too." Boboiboy said
"Fly, fly away.
Like a bird in the sky.
See the world on my behalf...
To the heavens may you fly..."
Lumine quietly gazes at Venti's seemingly lonely back
'The green-clad figure is uncharacteristically silent.' she silently thought 'Sometimes even the lissome wind grows heavy in its grief... But not that mortals could ever see a moment oh so brief.'
After the song, suddenly many butterflies came from Venti and flew around him. Lumine and Boboiboy didn't recognize them. They were glowing bright blue
"Huh? These butterflies. I don't recognize them." Boboiboy said
"Me neither." Lumine agreed
"Oh, these little fellas? They are belonging to Kuputeri. She brought them here from her planet Windara. I have been taking care of them for 500 years." Venti said as he guided butterflies back to the cage he was holding "I didn't release them across Teyvat because they were important to me. I hid them in the secret spot that no one can ever find."
"Boboiboy. There is something I wanted to give to you." Venti said and took out the fan
"Huh? Is this?" Boboiboy recognized it. The fan is the same one from the picture that Venti showed. The fan is glowing bright
"Yes. This is Kuputeri's fan. She gifted it to me before she left. I sense some of her Tempest Element inside her fan. So I think it may come in handy. Maybe, you can use the Third Tier of Cyclone." Venti handed Boboiboy the fan
"But I can't take it. This fan is very important to you. It held dear and memories to you." Boboiboy didn't want to take it away from Venti but
"Don't worry. I have her butterflies so you can have her fan. You may need it." Venti told him so Boboiboy accepted it
"Thank you." Boboiboy thanked him
"Nice. You got yourself a first third tier element." Lumine complimented
"But that fan. I sense the power of Tempest inside is small so it's not fully permanent. If you manage to access Tempest power from that fan, use it wisely." Venti told him as Boboiboy nodded
"If you meet other Archons, you can find more items like this fan. The Six Beings has left some for us." Venti said
"Really?" Boboiboy said
"Yep. Find other Archons, they will give you Six Beings' items." Venti said "Good luck on your journey to find Archons."
So Boboiboy and Lumine left the statue
