Once they entered Mondstadt's territory, the scenery was no longer as monotonous as Snezhnaya's.
Because Barbatos had blown away the endless snowstorms, Mondstadt had long since transformed from a desolate snowscape into the mild, springlike land it was now.
Jiang Yan couldn't help sighing at how much Mondstadt had changed.
Although he had visited once when the nation was first founded—
that time to establish diplomatic relations with Barbatos—
back then, the snow had only just melted, and the land had yet to regain its vitality.
But now?
Honestly…
Barbatos really did have a talent for environmental management.
"Hey there, handsome young man—
care to share a drink with me?"
A drunken voice drifted into Jiang Yan's ear.
A youth who looked exactly like a wandering bard sat cross-legged on a tree branch, swirling a cup of wine and grinning at him.
Jiang Yan smiled faintly and said to the people around him:
"Find an inn nearby and rest for the day. We'll head to Mondstadt City tomorrow."
The General Affairs Bureau staff and the Millelith exchanged looks and nodded.
Only after settling everyone in did Jiang Yan leap upward, arriving beside the drinking youth.
Jiang Yan looked at the boy—who resembled Wendy* by about eighty percent—and asked in confusion.
Yes, the drunken youth before him was none other than the Anemo Archon:
Barbatos.
"Ehe~"
"Walking among mortals requires a mortal form! Though I no longer govern Mondstadt, I still need a proper identity here!"
Barbatos giggled, hiccupped drunkenly, and handed Jiang Yan a bottle.
"So, as Wendy's older twin brother, I appear like this!"
Since Wendy hadn't died in the rebellion that overthrew the tyrants, it was Wendy who now ruled Mondstadt.
And somehow… hearing Barbatos say all that, Jiang Yan didn't feel even a hint of contradiction.
As expected of you, Barbatos.
"Aiya~, such a lovely day—wouldn't it be a shame not to drink?"
Barbatos clinked his cup against Jiang Yan's and laughed.
"Come, come! Bottoms up!"
Jiang Yan chuckled and downed the wine in a single gulp.
"Good!"
Seeing Jiang Yan finish so cleanly, Barbatos cheered and also emptied his cup.
Then, out of nowhere, he pulled out another unopened bottle.
"Come come come, let's continue!"
"Stop! Hold on a sec!"
Jiang Yan thrust his arms out in front of himself, crossing them in an X, blocking Barbatos's "drink attack."
"You don't expect me to sit on this tree branch drinking with you all night, right?"
He stared at Barbatos strangely.
"I came all the way from Liyue on an official visit, and you want to start with a drinking duel?"
"What's your plan—get me drunk and ship me back to Liyue?"
Hearing that, Barbatos suddenly realized it did sound like he was trying to alcohol-poison a foreign dignitary.
"Hehe… I forgot, I forgot."
"It's just—since you're here, I'm so happy~"
Looking at the bleary-eyed wind god, Jiang Yan rubbed his temples.
"How much did you drink before I even arrived…"
Even though Jiang Yan had saved Wendy before, Barbatos simply could not give up drinking.
He had somehow reverted to the exact same wine-lush persona from Jiang Yan's previous life's memories.
"Ehe~ come on, come on! I'll take you somewhere fun first!"
Barbatos grabbed Jiang Yan, and a gust of High Wind's Song lifted them both into the air.
Wind flowed around them, carrying their bodies upward.
"Let's gooo!"
Barbatos shouted as he dragged Jiang Yan along at high speed.
Jiang Yan silently wondered…
Does this count as drunk flying?
He wasn't using the Rooster Talisman or Vector Manipulation at the moment, so Barbatos was fully in control of their flight.
And to be fair—
Barbatos flew very fast.
In only a moment, he had carried Jiang Yan all the way to Windrise.
At this time, Windrise still lacked its iconic great oak tree.
That tree wouldn't appear until Vanessa ascended to Celestia in the future.
Right now, Windrise was just a broad, empty plain.
"Ehe! Come here, I'll show you my treasure!"
Barbatos ran to the center of the plain, waving enthusiastically at Jiang Yan, who had just landed.
Jiang Yan froze.
The Anemo Archon has… treasure?
You? Barbatos? Treasure?!
Curious, he walked over.
Barbatos dug rapidly into the soil.
Soon, inside a newly formed pit, dozens of jars of wine emerged.
"Ah… I shouldn't have expected anything else."
Jiang Yan pressed his hand to his forehead helplessly.
He really should've known.
What kind of treasure could Barbatos possibly have?
Of course the only thing he treasured was alcohol.
"Eh? You don't like it? These are fine wines I've been aging for years!"
Barbatos seemed disappointed that Jiang Yan didn't care.
"It's not that I dislike it. I'm just not someone who loves drinking."
Jiang Yan smiled.
To a wine lover, Barbatos's stash would be priceless.
But to Jiang Yan?
Mostly useless.
Suddenly, Jiang Yan remembered something—
he vaguely recalled obtaining a recipe for brewing premium liquor somewhere before.
Maybe he could brew a batch for Barbatos to try?
If it turned out well, he could even build up Liyue's wine industry.
He considered it for a moment, but then decided—
Better to wait until he returned to Liyue.
Then, during the Seven Archons' gathering…
he'd pull it out with a flourish.
And make Barbatos drool.
Jiang Yan grinned mischievously at the thought.
Meanwhile, completely unaware of Jiang Yan's evil scheme, Barbatos used Anemo to bury all the wine back underground.
Since Jiang Yan wasn't interested, he'd let the wine age a few more years.
"Hey, Jiang Yan! Want me to take you sightseeing in Mondstadt?"
"I'm a fantastic tour guide!"
Barbatos dusted off his hands after burying the wine and turned to him with a grin.
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