Windwail Ruins.
"Vennessa… that little girl…"
With a bottle in hand, Venti listened to the light-screen's narration while drifting through memories of the past.
Usually, he was the bard who told stories to others.
Now it was someone else telling his story for once.
And honestly—
it felt pretty good.
No wonder "the old man" liked listening to storytellers so much.
Now Venti finally understood the joy.
As he listened, he felt himself returning to that era a thousand years ago…
back to the days where they fought for freedom.
But—
When he heard the final line of the segment, his smile froze.
"Something interesting?"
"Did I even do anything like that back then?"
Wait.
Don't tell him—
Was it referring to that backwind contract?
The moment he remembered it, Venti's expression became subtly awkward.
Beside him, Dvalin had been quietly listening too.
But noticing Venti's reaction, realization struck him immediately.
The dragon burst into laughter, wings flapping.
"Hahaha—Barbatos! Didn't you want to see your own 'funny moments'?"
"Well, here they come!"
Venti panicked instantly.
He put the bottle down and waved his hands in protest.
"Wh-what funny moments!? Saving Mondstadt is not a comedy!"
"And I had no choice back then!"
"But if you gave me another chance—
I would've forged the handwriting even better!
So well that even the old man himself couldn't tell!"
He puffed his chest proudly.
Dvalin stared, then rolled his eyes.
Good grief.
You're given another chance, and the first thing that comes to mind…
is forging the signature even more convincingly?
As expected of you, Barbatos.
Even when doing serious things, you refuse to be serious.
"Don't explain to me.
Go explain it to the jokers in that chat group."
"See if the Traveler, the Geo Archon, or the Hydro Archon believe you."
"That's like asking me to die!"
"Sorry, I'm also a creature who enjoys chaos~ ehe~"
Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
"Something interesting that didn't involve brute force?"
Hu Tao tilted her head, thinking.
After a moment, she turned toward Zhongli.
"Hey, Consultant, do you know what the light-screen meant?"
"A bit."
Zhongli took a sip of tea and nodded calmly.
Of course he did—
he was one of the people involved at the time.
"Oh? Details!"
Seeing he really knew, Hu Tao instantly perked up.
"Just wait for the light-screen."
"The commentary will be amusing."
A faint smile tugged at Zhongli's lips.
Watching others' chaos was amusing, yes—
but nothing beat watching that old friend's chaos~
"You people love being mysterious."
Hu Tao rolled her eyes.
Zhongli did this.
The light-screen did this.
Everyone loved dropping half-spoilers.
Who knew if they'd ever fill all the holes…
Villa.
Luo Chen's voice continued:
"After the fall of the nobles, the thousand-year shadow over Mondstadt finally lifted."
"The people regained their freedom."
"Vennessa then established the well-governed Knights of Favonius and the Church."
"And with Barbatos's assistance, the Four Winds were formed."
"The guardians are: Dvalin the Stormterror, the Knights of Favonius, the Lionfang Knight—also called the Dandelion Knight—
and the North Wind Knight."
"With that, Mondstadt's strength reached its peak."
"And after everything was restored, Barbatos departed once more."
"When he arrived, Mondstadt was smothered under the rule of corrupt nobles."
"When he left, he left behind a new era of freedom."
"Quietly I took my leave, just as quietly as I came."
"I waved my sleeves, not bringing a single cloud away."
"Just like 1600 years ago."
Windwail Ruins.
"Quietly I leave, just as quietly I came…"
"I wave my sleeves… ahh, what a poem!"
Venti and Dvalin—who had been bickering seconds earlier—both fell silent at the same moment.
Venti's eyes lit up again.
Poetry.
Other than Mondstadt and wine, poetry was his greatest love.
He'd already heard one verse earlier—
and now there was another!
A beautiful one, too.
Dvalin also loved poetry.
That was how Barbatos tricked—cough—invited him in the first place.
"Good poem, but it feels incomplete."
"We should ask about it later."
"And just like the previous one, we can save it for a performance finale!"
Venti was absolutely enamored.
It described him perfectly.
Transcendent Chat Group
Tartaglia:Beautifully done! Even as a Snezhnayan, I admire Vennessa greatly!
Tartaglia:It's a pity they only expelled the nobles instead of wiping them out.
Eula:…
Eula:Wiping out the Lawrence clan means wiping out me! Hmph—this grudge is noted!
Furina:Based on the earlier commentary, the Anemo Archon should be strong.
So why was the main force Vennessa? (confused.jpg)
Lumine:Simple! Ever seen someone open with a guaranteed win card? (evil-smile.jpg)
Kujou Sara:Makes sense. Just like how I handled the Tri-Commission issue this time.
Venti:Ehe~ Quietly I leave, just as quietly I came~
Hu Tao:Good poem! Almost rivals my own masterpieces!
Xiangling:Hu Tao, don't flatter yourself! (laugh.jpg)
Nahida:Just like before, when Mondstadt was in crisis, Barbatos appeared again.
Zhongli:And once peace returned, he departed once more. Truly free-spirited.
Barbara:If only Barbatos-sama actually looked like this right now…
Alice:Hey, what's wrong with being a drunk? My dear Barbatos has worked hard for so many years—can't he relax? (smirk.jpg)
Paimon:True! (funny-face)
Jean:Thank you, Barbatos-sama and Lady Vennessa. Without them, Mondstadt would not be what it is today!
Jean:Also… what does "Zhuge Liang" mean?
Jean had paid full attention earlier and caught the comparison to her Gunnhildr clan.
She just didn't understand the reference.
Alice:Oh, I know this one! He's a loyal minister from another world.
Alice briefly explained Zhuge Liang's life and deeds—
his unwavering loyalty, dedication, and willingness to work himself to death for his lord.
Everyone was amazed.
Such a loyal man truly existed?
No wonder the light-screen used him to describe the Gunnhildr clan.
Zhuge Liang repaid Liu Bei's kindness with his entire life.
The Gunnhildrs received Barbatos's grace, and for thousands of years, they upheld the oath to guard Mondstadt.
Compared to the corrupted Lawrence clan—
their loyalty was priceless.
They weren't just similar—
they were practically identical.
Knights of Favonius Headquarters.
"'Exhausted himself unto death'… to think the light-screen uses such a phrase to describe your family."
Lisa chuckled softly.
"It truly shows how highly it regards the Gunnhildrs."
Which made perfect sense—
everyone admired loyalty.
Even villains liked loyal followers.
Jean felt her heart warm with pride.
This was the light-screen's recognition of her clan.
Her faith only grew stronger.
Seeing her friend get all serious, Lisa poked again:
"Remember when I told you to get married?"
"Well, since the light-screen likes you so much, isn't this your chance?
Just marry him!"
Jean broke instantly.
"W–What are you talking about!?"
"Oh come on, no outsiders here. Don't be shy~"
"Do you want to taste my Dandelion Curry Rod?"
"Violence again? Careful or the person in the light-screen might not like that."
"…Really? Ahem. Keep talking and I'm sending you straight to him."
"Great, we can go together~"
"…"
Villa.
Luo Chen, completely unaware of Jean and Lisa's antics, continued after wetting his throat.
"Now that the first two events are done, there are still two more regarding the God of Freedom's beloved."
"And since these two are connected, I'll discuss them together."
"Third—the Khaenri'ah War."
"Fourth—the saving of Dvalin."
"Five hundred years ago, the Khaenri'ah calamity swept across all of Teyvat."
"Every nation suffered."
"We'll discuss the other nations later—
for now, let's focus on Mondstadt."
"During the calamity, the corrupted dragon Durin rose from the sea and approached Mondstadt."
"Its black wings blotted out the sky, spreading toxic miasma."
"Instantly, Mondstadt was filled with monsters and decay."
"It resembled the end of days."
"Durin never intended harm—
but its very existence brought disaster."
"At that time, aside from the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, the other six Archons were all fighting in Khaenri'ah."
"Barbatos could not come."
"Thus, Dvalin answered the call."
"After a fierce battle—
with Barbatos's divine blessing—Dvalin slew Durin over Dragonspine."
"But the dragon was poisoned by Durin's blood and gradually corrupted."
"We'll explain the details in Dvalin's own segment."
"With Durin defeated, the despair began to fade."
"Barbatos then fell into slumber—
and woke again five hundred years later."
"This time, Mondstadt faced Stormterror, the corrupted Dvalin."
"Barbatos acted again!"
"With the help of Traveler Lumine, Jean, and others, Dvalin was rescued."
"The crisis was—once again—resolved!"
Luo Chen then played two videos:
One was Mondstadt's main story arc from Genshin Impact
(except for the part where Venti gets stabbed—
that would be for the comedic commentary later).
The other was Venti's Story Quest.
The first four events showed Barbatos's love directly.
The Story Quest showed it from another angle.
He may act lazy—
but he remembered every citizen's name.
Even if a soul died in the windless sea of oblivion, he would bring it home.
Everyone finally understood the Anemo Archon's heart of freedom—
and his love for Mondstadt.
Mondstadters were especially emotional.
Normal Chat Group
Harry:I knew Barbatos-sama's deeds, but never in this detail! He's truly great!
Hoffman:He built our free nation, expelled the nobles, ended the calamities…
Stanley:Barbatos remembered my name… I knew you were real! (crying)
Goth:He called me "big sis" once… I'm dying of happiness… (joy.jpg)
Sister Victoria:This is our Archon. Our Barbatos-sama!
Sister Victoria:Hear the wind. Follow the wind! We thank Barbatos-sama!
Others:Hear the wind! Follow the wind! Thank you, Barbatos-sama!
Mondstadt always had one of the strongest faiths in their god.
Now, after seeing all this, they were overflowing with gratitude.
Their gentle god made them proud.
As for the "drunkard" image?
Sure, it still felt a little weird…
But—
This was freedom.
And Barbatos had worked for so long.
Wasn't he allowed to relax now?
The people of other nations were stunned—
but they agreed.
Such a god deserved admiration.
Liyue and Inazuma felt this most strongly.
For they also deeply loved their own Archons.
As for Sumeru and Fontaine…
Sumeru respected the Greater Lord more,
and in doing so, indirectly betrayed the Lesser Lord.
Fontaine…
they adored Furina as an idol far more than they worshiped her as a god.
Religion was thin there.
Windwail Ruins again.
Venti and Dvalin silently watched the videos.
When they finished, the two exchanged looks, both emotional.
They wanted to say something—
but said nothing.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly Venti gasped.
"What is it?" Dvalin asked.
"A surge… a powerful, constant surge of faith!"
Venti whispered in awe.
Faith in Mondstadt usually fluctuated within a stable range.
But right now—it had spiked.
Which meant only one thing:
After watching the light-screen,
the people of Mondstadt believed in him even more.
That was good for him.
Even love needed faith—
and godhood responded to it.
Venti turned toward Mondstadt, as if he could see the citizens praying.
His gaze softened.
"…Thank you, light-screen."
"What will you do now?" Dvalin asked quietly.
Venti drained his bottle with a bright grin.
"Perform my duty as the Anemo Archon."
"For example—bringing Stanley's wandering soul home from the windless abyss."
Dvalin blinked in surprise.
Then sighed softly.
"Barbatos… you finally chose to do something serious."
"Ehe~"
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
patreon.com/nani_kaito