"Miss Jibril is truly beautiful and kindhearted~" Venti raised his glass. "May the Anemo Archon protect you!"
"Cheers!" With a crisp clink, both swallowed the wine in their glasses.
Although Diluc had insisted on Apple Cider, Venti's relentless pestering eventually persuaded him to serve a few cups of Dandelion Wine.
"...Ha~ Sure enough, Angel's Share is the best tavern in Mondstadt!" the Bard, who was allergic to cat hair, declared.
"Does Venti come here often to drink?"
"Of course, especially on the days Master Diluc is here."
The two looked toward the counter, where Diluc nodded from afar. "His bartending skills are definitely among the best in all of Mondstadt!"
"However, most of the time I also support the tavern's business. You know, I'm a Bard~"
Jibril smiled politely. "Diluc told me you are a very famous Bard in Mondstadt."
"Haha, you could even say I'm the best Bard there is~" Venti said proudly, taking another swig of wine. "But... compared to a bard like me, Miss Jibril is certainly more important!"
The Flügel gently narrowed her eyes as her right hand under the table unconsciously clenched tightly.
Soon after Venti appeared, Jibril immediately asked the System about the current power gap between them. The answer was... a slight difference.
Relying on its "self-created" scoring mechanism, the System claimed to have rated people ranging from The Heavenly Principles to a Slime.
If the Heavenly Principles scored a perfect 100.000 points, the current Anemo Archon could probably achieve 62.528 points while Jibril scored between 50.721 to 81.096 points.
[Keeping three decimal places is for greater differences!]
As for why Jibril's strength fluctuates so greatly, the key lies in the power of her Heaven's Strike.
If the Flügel poured out her power without any restraint then she could severely injure or even threaten the life of an Archon.
She knew it was possible for her to unleash a full Heaven's Strike without restraint in Mondstadt City.
But... she wasn't a Demon and Mondstadt clearly didn't need to be urbanized... Besides, using too much strength would turn her into a child.
Jibril resolved to play dumb and tilted her head as she asked in confusion. "Why do you say that?"
"Because people like you are destined to appear in songs sung by Bards!"
Venti stared intently at the Flügel with his green eyes.
In his eyes, Jibril could clearly see herself, down to every detail on her face.
"Standing in the sunlight guarantees achievement as a Hero; standing in the shadows can also lead to disaster." Venti stated confidently.
"Heh, then it seems I am destined to become a Hero," Jibril pointed to the halo above her head. "It's simply too bright. Forget being in the dark, I have trouble even sleeping..."
She wasn't lying; it was truly bright!
"Hahaha! Then I must start composing a piece for you right away!" Venti raised his glass as he saluted the Flügel.
"You flatter me... You flatter me... Actually, I just came on a whim. The main purpose of this trip to Mondstadt is to help a friend find someone."
"Oh? Do tell!"
"The Anemo Archon!"
"The Anemo Archon?" Venti asked curiously.
"Yes, the Anemo Archon!"
"But that guy hasn't appeared in hundreds of years. The Knights of Favonius, the Church... no Mondstadters has ever seen him! Finding the Anemo Archon might be a bit difficult, huh?"
The Bard shook his head regretfully. Jibril felt a faint trace of pity hidden in his eyes.
Today, she finally witnessed a true veteran actor.
"But has he really disappeared?"
"Hmm..." Venti wore a troubled expression. "He's still here.... but at the same time not."
"Hahaha... Venti, those words are quite confusing!" Jibril raised an eyebrow while leaning against the table with her arm supporting her cheek.
"So... can you explain? Where exactly is he?"
"Every wisp of breeze, every change in wind direction, is a symbol of Barbatos, the Anemo Archon! The wind is freedom and so are the Mondstadters..."
The two clinked glasses once more. This cup was dedicated to freedom!
Gulp, gulp, gulp... "However... arriving in Mondstadt recently is truly not the best time..."
"Someone just told me that this afternoon."
Venti sighed. "The City of freedom has indeed encountered significant trouble. I suppose Miss Jibril also saw Dvalin this afternoon?"
"I saw it... more than just saw it." Jibril muttered softly while tapping the table with her finger. "But don't most people call it Stormterror? Why do you call it Dvalin?"
"Could it be... you two are familiar with each other?"
"Guess~"
Seeing Jibril turn her head away, Venti quickly offered an apologetic smile.
"...I'm sorry~ I was just joking. Cough, cough... Actually, I know his story!"
The Flügel watched the somewhat reserved Bard with one eye half-open.
"Once... he was also a gentle child, but now he has become sad and angry." Venti paused slightly and seemingly glanced at Jibril with a meaningful look. "Even if he isn't hunted down, he will gradually burn himself out."
"Ah~ So it seems you really are familiar with it?" Jibril returned a playful look. "Venti, I seem to have also met an acquaintance."
"Oh? You didn't just meet them today, did you?"
Jibril suddenly slammed the table. "He's quite extraordinary. A very long time ago, we had a...deep friendship!"
"Oh really? Then... where did this begin?"
"The lights were dim and I suddenly turned back! But he was hidden in the shadows of the lamps."
"Then, at that moment..."
"Exactly like this moment."
"Can it really be similar...?"
"Similar! Quite similar, but you have one more thing than him!"
Venti asked in confusion. "Could it be... more clothing?"
"Of course not."
"Then what?"
The Flügel pointed to Venti's nose. "You're better at playing dumb then he is!"
"My friends have been telling me since a long time ago that your greatest advantage in the future will be playing dumb. Tell me, can I still change?"
Jibril looked at Venti and rolled her eyes. "No! Drink by yourself Bard!"
"Hey, don't go~ I'll pay the bill myself, you don't have to!"
That sounded unrealistic and indeed, it wasn't very believable. The Flügel frowned and said. "Are you sure you have Mora? And... aren't you supposed to perform tonight?"
"Even the greatest Bard needs inspiration~"
"Are you sure... you're not just trying to squeeze in a couple more drinks while I'm here?" Jibril countered.
"Of course not!" Venti blurted out. "It's more than just a couple of drinks."
"..."
----
There were rumors circulating around that there has always been a certain type of person.
They enjoy attending drinking parties but never pay the bill. Whenever the check arrives, they, who were lively just a moment ago, immediately pass out drunk.
Jibril didn't know if Venti was one of those legendary figures, but when the Bartender brought the check to them, he certainly seemed to suddenly get drunk.
Fortunately, he didn't slump under the table like a pile of mud, otherwise Jibril felt her hand could definitely scratch out someone's Gnosis right then and there.
"To our traveler from afar! To... our great... traveler!"
Bang—!
Looking at the peacefully sleeping young man, Charles half-covered his forehead. "I apologize, Miss. There probably won't be a performance tonight."
"It's fine..."
Jibril counted the numbers on the bill and tears slowly poured out from the corner of her eye.
Although Mora was useless to her, if she calculated carefully, it was enough for her to take Lumine out for several big meals in Mondstadt.
"Jibril, there's no need to pay for him. The debt will be added to his tab."
Diluc came down from the second floor and slowly walked beside them, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Anyway, he already owes me a lot of money—enough to work at the Dawn Winery for a full year— no, two years."
He owes this much and you haven't kicked him out!? Diluc, you really are an Angel... "...Apple Cider... delicious... ooh heheh~" Venti mumbled indistinctly rolled over and fell silent again.
"Venti... is quite the talkative one."
Diluc paused slightly in his action of clearing the glasses. "Talkative? Indeed... what did you two talk about?"
"Roughly... the sights and customs of Mondstadt, like the scenery, food, and festivals..." The Flügel suddenly snorted twice as her wings unconsciously spread. "Oh! He also kept complimenting my looks'~"
[Idiot! Was he complimenting you? He was complimenting his songs!] the System complained, exasperated.
"Hah... that guy..." Diluc shook his head and took the Mora from the Flügel's hand.
Jibril looked up at the wall clock. Nearly two hours had passed without her realizing it.
Alright, it was time to go back and handle serious business!
Just as she stood up, Diluc called out to her.
He leaned closer, a deep shadow cast over his shoulder by the candlelight. "...Do you know about the Fatui?
"Uh... Never heard of them. Are they famous in Mondstadt?"
Diluc glanced toward the corner of the second floor, the glass cup making a faint scraping sound in his hand. "Troublesome and dangerous individuals. There are two people upstairs... I heard them talking about you."
Are those two Fatui sent by La Signora? Are they worried I'll hinder their plan?
"It's fine. I don't know them~" The Flügel moved her chair. "Maybe they saw me in the city during the day?"
Seeing the indifferent expression on Jibril's face, Diluc could only silently step aside for her.
"...It's late. Hurry back to the Hotel."
"Got it~" The Flügel brushed past Venti, waved and skipped out the door.
However, before she had taken a few steps, she quickly dropped her smile and looked up at the second floor of the tavern at the window seat where the two Snezhnayan people were sitting.
They think they can tail me with this level of skill? And they're still eating? I'll make sure you never get a proper meal again!
Jibril stood in the middle of the empty street, her golden crossed eyes glowing coldly under the moonlight.
The young woman looked left and right, confirmed she was alone and a dangerous curve appeared at the corner of her lips.
Killing intent, almost solidified, surged out from the black energy in her hand. Thousands of threads converged, overlapped, and separated, twisting and finally forming two slender needles.
It's already night... just die quietly.
[Little chicken, killing them won't count for rewards. You need to go out and farm Mobs.]
'...'
Jibril paused slightly, impatiently clicked her tongue and casually crushed the two needles into dust.
"Why didn't you say so earlier?"
The night wind blew past, leaving only the black dust in the alley.