Chapter 18

【Good, good, good.】

【He must be infatuated with the busty acting squad leader.】

【Men, hehe...】

【Fine, don't talk to me again.】

Lumine: "....."

Lumine: "Who is she? Who is she mad at?"

Kamisato Ayaka: "Hehe, I just realized how cute Lumine is when she's jealous."

Kokomi: "This is how a girl should be—this is what happiness looks like."

Lumine: "Where's the happiness? I feel nothing."

Paimon: "I told you Lumine would be unhappy without me. That kid Su Bai—is he doing this on purpose? He doesn't seem like someone who can't see through things."

Aether: "I already said the Reincarnator isn't a good person. He's strong, calculating, and Lumine has no chance against him in matters of emotion."

Furina: "The main plot's finally starting. Lumine and Su Bai will eventually have a huge fight over a misunderstanding and break up."

Lumine: "Furina, you seem really eager to see me and Su Bai fall out?"

Furina: "Why the rush? It's your past life, not this one."

Lumine: "....."

【Shortly after Lumine left, Su Bai also departed from the Knights' Headquarters.】

【As acting squad leader of Decheng, Jean granted him and Lumine the title of Honorary Knight.】

【Apparently, there are special discounts for spending in Decheng.】

【Su Bai didn't care about this.】

【But as soon as he stepped out of the Knights' Headquarters, a crowd gathered beneath the Statue of the Wind God caught his attention.】

【He moved closer to look.】

【A man dressed in green, wearing white silk stockings...】

【Was playing a lute.】

【Muttering to himself: "The story I tell begins in the Age of Antiquity, when gods walked the earth, and the Sky Dragon descended from the heavens..."】

【"....."】

【"....."】

【"The Singer and the Dragon became legend; the Age of Darkness descended."】

【"Another evil dragon arrived..."】

【"....."】

【"The Sky Dragon swallowed the evil dragon's blood and fell into slumber."】

【"Many years passed, and no one remembered it when it awoke."】

【"....."】

【"Anger and sorrow, life and poison-blood merged into tears, falling from the dragon's eyes."】

【"....."】

【Su Bai listened quietly to the bard's tale.】

【When it ended, he still watched the green-clad, white-socked man with keen interest.】

【"Hello, are you looking for me about something?"】

【"Or are you simply interested in my story?"】

【"I'm Venti, the man who has won the title of Decheng's Most Beloved Bard three times in a row."】

【"I'm Su Bai. I'm indeed interested in what you said about the Wind Dragon."】

【This bard knows quite a bit.】

【He tells his story so smoothly, like he lived it himself.】

【"Tartaglia?"】

【Venti's casual remark made Su Bai frown.】

【In Decheng today, no one calls the former East Wind Dragon by the name "Tartaglia."】

【This bard must have a serious problem.】

【"You call it Tartaglia?"】

【"Shouldn't it be the Wind Dragon?"】

【Venti: "....."】

【"Hehe."】

【Su Bai: "....."】

【Their conversation seemed to stir unpleasant memories in Venti.】

【He pulled out a crimson tear-crystal and murmured: "It was once a gentle child, now it has become so sorrowful, filled with rage."】

【"Just like the tears it left behind."】

【"Poison-blood has already corroded it."】

【Su Bai froze.】

【This strange man's identity is certainly not ordinary.】

【Su Bai said nothing, taking the blood-red tear-crystal in his hand.】

【Instantly, a gentle breeze swept past.】

【The blood-red tear was immediately purified.】

【"You..."】

【"You truly possess incredible power."】

Lumine: "I did that. I did this very thing in this life too. Su Bai stole my credit. I hate it. (Pouting)"

【Su Bai paid no attention to Venti's astonishment.】

【He simply asked calmly: "I saw the sadness you showed just now when you called Dvalin 'child.'"】

【"Could your identity be the Anemo Archon Barbatos?"】

Dvalin: "....."

Barbara: "Eh!? Is the bard the Anemo Archon Barbatos?"

Klee: "Is the big brother bard the Anemo Archon?"

【"So in your understanding, the Anemo Archon Barbatos takes the form of a bard?"】

【Venti laughed: "Barbatos has not appeared for a very long time. The reason I am like this is that I was deeply moved by Dvalin's story."】

【Su Bai: "....."】

【It felt very suspicious.】

【But since the other party denied it, he had no evidence either.】

【The two exchanged a few simple words.】

【"Do you think that finding Dvalin means you can find the Anemo Archon Barbatos?"】

【Venti pretended to think for a long time.】

【"If you wish to see Dvalin..."】

【Venti brought Su Bai to the cathedral in Mondstadt.】

【"As long as we obtain the Skyward Harp inside the cathedral, I have a way to let you see Dvalin."】

【Venti strode boldly into the cathedral.】

【He came before Barbara.】

【After some exchange.】

【Venti's dejected appearance proved his failure.】

【But, the next second.】

【He suddenly became confident again.】

【"At this point, I can no longer hide it."】

【"My devout believer."】

【"Rejoice. The person before you is the Anemo Archon Barbatos himself."】

【"Are you not shocked? Are you so shocked you want to cry? Finally seeing the deity you serve. How is it? Very moved, right?"】