"Even though we didn't find any clues about your brother this time, going to the Starsnatch Cliff late at night wasn't in vain, we at least helped Amber!" Paimon said with a cheerful smile.
"Mm!" Lumine nodded.
She wasn't too disappointed. After traveling for so long, the urgency to find Aether had mellowed. Just like Shen Qin said, the stories and scenery along the journey were meaningful in their own right.
"Ouaahh~ I'm so sleepy! I need to crash! We still have to wake up early tomorrow for the Knights' strategy meeting!" Paimon yawned wide.
That's right. With her ability to purify the curse of dragonblood, Lumine had become a key figure in the coming offensive against Stormterror's Lair. Jean had invited her to participate in tomorrow's operations meeting.
So it was time to rest early!
That night, Lumine awoke from her dreams with a subtle sense of awareness. To her surprise, the window in the room was open. She quickly glanced at Paimon, who was still fast asleep, and let out a small sigh of relief.
The wind? She got out of bed, walking toward the window to close it—only to see a figure standing on the rooftop across from her!
She recognized the person, it was that bard she'd met before, the one named Venti.
"Venti?" She picked up the sword resting beside her bed.
Venti waved at her and used the wind to send his voice gently to her ear: "Apologies for this midnight visit, but something very important just occurred to me."
He was referring to a crude doodle he'd received earlier that evening. It was only after sobering up that he realized the stick figures in the drawing were clearly Lumine and Paimon. He couldn't help grumbling─ 'who drew this badly?'
And if they knew they couldn't draw, why not just leave a note?
Of course… it had to be Shen Qin's twisted sense of humor.
Lumine hesitated for a moment but eventually climbed out the window and joined him on the roof, still gripping her sword cautiously.
Venti didn't mind her caution. He took out a purified crystal tear and asked, "Did you purify this tear?"
"Yes, but… a tear?"
"That's right. It's a tear shed by Dvalin. It contains his unique power. Before purification, it also held the cursed energy of the corrupted dragonblood, abyssal power, and his resentment at being forgotten by the people of Mondstadt. I've long sought to lift his curse, but never found a way."
He put away the purified tear and took out another, still tainted one, then spoke earnestly: "Please purify this one as well. I'm counting on you."
Lumine glanced at him, then stepped closer. As before, her power naturally flowed from her, enveloping the tear. The black-red corruption on it gradually faded away until the tear turned crystal-clear.
"Thank you!" Venti stowed it away. "I owe you one."
"You said you've always wanted to break his curse… So your true identity must be…" Lumine trailed off.
From the beginning, she'd felt something odd about this bard named Venti. Whenever she got close to him, the wind element inside her would cheer up, and bards with Visions were rare.
A very rare combination, indeed…
"Ahem! My true identity is none other than the bard named Venti. That's beyond dispute." He cut her off with a carefree smile.
"…Fine," Lumine said, dropping the matter. "Then can I ask you one question?"
"Hmm? Since you helped me purify the tear, sure!"
"Have you seen my brother? He's called Aether, with hair just like mine."
"Nope." Venti replied without hesitation. Seeing Lumine's confusion, he added with a chuckle, "If it were your brother, I imagine he'd be just as memorable as you are. But sadly, I have no recollection of someone like that. Besides, I've been asleep for a long time, he may have come to Mondstadt while I slumbered."
Lumine looked a little disheartened. "…"
"Oh, right! Could you help me with one more thing?"
"What is it?"
"There's a lyre called the Skyward Harp stored in the basement of the Church of Favonius. Can you retrieve it for me?"
"…Why don't you go get it yourself?"
"Alas! I'm just a bard, good at singing and goofing off when drunk. I don't have the skills to sneak past guards and retrieve something like that."
"Wait a second—are you asking me to steal it?!"
"Ehe~ In freedom-loving Mondstadt, I prefer to say: I'm simply granting the Skyward Harp, long imprisoned in a basement, the freedom it deserves."
"Tell me what you need it for first."
"Hm… I suppose telling you now wouldn't hurt."
Venti explained, "The Skyward Harp was once the weapon of Barbatos, the Anemo Archon. After He fell into slumber, people couldn't find him, only His lyre—so they enshrined it in the cathedral. I learned this recently from various rumors."
"Now, I happen to know a way to call out to Dvalin. With the Skyward Harp, I can sing and summon him. Then you can use your power to purify him, and it'll all work out beautifully!"
Lumine gave him a deadpan look. "That simple? Are you sure it'll go smoothly?"
"…Probably?" Venti scratched his head.
'That was definitely a question, not an answer!'
Lumine sighed. "You can forget it. The Knights have already decided to directly attack Dvalin's lair—Stormterror's Lair. I'll be going with them to purify him directly."
Venti was surprised. "Huh? How come I wasn't told about this?"
Lumine gave him a look: You're a "bard"—why would they tell you anything?
Venti shook his head. "Never mind. I won't worry about it. Shen Qin is there anyway—he'll make sure Dvalin isn't hurt too badly."
Back when someone had tried to smear Dvalin's name in Mondstadt, it was Shen Qin who changed public opinion. In Venti's mind, he was a genuine dragon-lover—totally trustworthy.
"Wait a minute… Who gave you that purified tear? I remember it was taken away by Shen Qin and the others…"
Venti's eyes lit up. "Could it be… Shen Qin gave it to me? And then he told me you could purify the tears, guiding me to seek you out… But if the Knights already had a plan, why would he do that?"
Lumine thought aloud, "Do you think… he knows your true identity?"
"Maybe." Venti recalled that night in Springvale when they'd spoken. "Last time he asked for my power. This time… does he want the same thing? Do you know if the Knights are facing any particular challenge?"
Lumine quickly pinpointed the key issue. "Yes! Tomorrow's meeting is to discuss how to break the barrier around Stormterror's Lair. That's the biggest obstacle between us and Dvalin. Albedo said they've been researching ways to break it since before the corruption started, but nothing has worked so far."
"That barrier? Oh, I know it well." Venti smiled. "I can take care of that—though I'll still need the Skyward Harp to assist me… Hisss! Could this have all been part of Shen Qin's plan? That man is terrifying!"
Shen Qin: I just opened the Celestial Eye. Stop dragging me into this, thanks!
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T/N: I just realized that I actually miss to upload this chapter. This is chapter 98 if everyone's unaware. My apologies on this one |ω･`)