Chương 39: 37. Venti Is Who Now?!
We all gathered inside the cathedral, seated in one of the wooden pews meant for prayer. Sunlight streamed in through the stained glass windows, casting colorful patches across the floor.
The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of incense.
Paimon, sitting cross-legged on the pew with her tiny arms crossed, eyed Venti suspiciously. "I don't know, Paimon thinks this is a terrible idea. You're gonna try and ask for the Holy Lyre?"
She gave him a once-over, clearly unimpressed. "No offense, but you're like the last person Paimon would trust with anything valuable."
Venti just grinned, radiating confidence in that annoying way of his. "Oh, ye of little faith! Watch me work my magic!" He winked at her, practically glowing with mischief as he straightened up and strutted toward one of the nuns.
She was busy tidying up hymnals, blissfully unaware that a wild bard was about to throw a wrench into her peaceful day.
I glanced at Aether and Paimon, raising an eyebrow. "So, I think we can all agree that this is going to end terribly, right? But... we're all still curious to see what he's gonna do?"
Paimon let out an exaggerated sigh, settling onto Aether's shoulder like she was getting ready to watch a disaster unfold. "Yup, that about sums it up," she muttered, making herself comfortable.
I turned to Aether to get his opinion, but he just shook his head, gesturing for me to be quiet. "Shh, let's hear what he says. I have a feeling this is going to be... interesting."
With that, we leaned forward, focusing on Venti's attempt to charm the nun.
---
Well, calling it a disaster would have been putting it lightly. Venti's attempt at persuasion had been... let's just say it didn't go as planned. He tried everything—smooth words, heartfelt appeals, a little flattery, and something about Barbatos that I didn't catch because I was too busy processing the stupidity of what he was doing.
And what did he get for his trouble? A firm denial and a weird look from all the other nuns.
After a painfully awkward chat that followed between Aether and another nun, we all unceremoniously walked out of the cathedral.
Now, we stood outside on the steps, sunlight hitting our faces. And that's when it all caught up to me.
Paimon and I lost it, clutching our sides as we wheezed with laughter. "Did you see the way she just shut him down?" Paimon wheezed, barely able to catch her breath.
Paimon was laughing so hard she actually stopped flying, ending up rolling around on the ground.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she clutched her sides.
"Oh—oh Archons—his face! Did you see the way she just—she just shut him down!" Paimon wheezed between fits of laughter, barely able to catch her breath.
Even I couldn't resist. "I think my favorite part was when he tried to offer to sing for her in exchange, and she looked like she wanted to call for backup!"
Venti scratched the back of his neck, his usual confidence slipping as a faint blush crept up his cheeks.
He crossed his arms, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for us to finish. "Are you both quite done?" he muttered.
Aether stood behind us, arms crossed, trying to maintain his serious expression, but I saw the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
He wasn't as immune to the hilarity as he was pretending to be. Once Paimon and I finally managed to calm down, Aether took a deep breath and got straight to the point.
"So... now that we've all tried asking nicely and were still turned down, what's the plan, Venti?" Aether asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the bard. "You've gotta have something else up your sleeve."
Venti cleared his throat, clearly eager to move on from the memory of his failed charm offensive. "Well, to be honest, I knew that just asking wasn't going to work." He cast a glance at Paimon, who immediately puffed up with indignation.
"You knew it?!" she snapped, floating up to eye level with Venti. "So what, you just wanted Aether to go up there and embarrass himself too?!"
Venti quickly held up his hands in defense, his expression somewhere between sheepish and smug. "No, no! You've got it all wrong! I merely wanted to gauge just how influential the Knights of Favonius' newest hero is." He offered a weak smile, but I could see the glint of mischief in his eyes. He was clearly enjoying this.
I gave him a deadpan stare, crossing my arms over my chest. "Right... sure. And now that we've found out just how little influence we have... what's next?"
Venti's face brightened again, like he was thrilled I'd asked. "Since borrowing the lyre didn't work, we'll just have to... steal it."
He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world, cheery and upbeat, as if he was suggesting we borrow a loaf of bread from a neighbor.
All three of us just stared at him, letting his words sink in. Paimon's mouth fell open, and Aether rubbed his temples like he already felt a headache coming on.
"You're serious?" I said, giving him a flat look. "Steal it? I should turn you in just for suggesting that."
Paimon nodded vigorously, crossing her arms. "Yeah! What do you think the knights would say if they heard you suggesting something like that?!"
Aether sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Okay, look, I do not want to steal anything, especially not something like the Holy Lyre!"
Venti, unbothered by our protests, just chuckled softly. "Look at you, getting all sidetracked. I'm simply saying that you three are much more suited for this task than I am. Besides, aside from my singing, I'm afraid I don't have many other talents to offer."
He put his hands on his hips, the mischievous smile never leaving his face. I could feel my eyebrow twitching in frustration.
He made it sound like we were the ones being unreasonable here.
"And if I were caught trying to sneak it out of the cathedral myself..." He gave an exaggerated shiver, his expression suddenly turning tragic.
"Oh, the grave injustice of a poor, youthful, innocent bard being locked away in the cold dungeons of Mondstadt! I shudder at the thought!"
Paimon rolled her eyes, clearly not buying the act. "How could it be a 'grave injustice' if you get caught stealing something red-handed?" she retorted.
Venti pointed dramatically in our direction. "Ah, but it's different for you three! The people of Mondstadt trust you! If you were to get caught, you could smooth-talk your way out of it, I'm sure."
I couldn't help but think of how Eula would react if she found me stealing the Holy Lyre. Oh boy, she'd have my head—and probably my entire torso too...
Paimon, looking like she was already resigned to her fate, muttered under her breath, "There's nothing 'little' about this heist..."
Venti grinned, extending his hand toward us like he was a shady guy trying to sell kids drugs. "So, what do you all say? Are you in?"
Aether was silent for a long moment, his expression thoughtful as he stared down at Venti's offered hand.
Then he looked back at the bard, a seriousness in his eyes that caught me off guard. "Before... did you say that you were Barbatos?"
The words seemed to hang in the air, heavy with unspoken implications. Paimon and I froze, exchanging a quick, wide-eyed look. Venti? Barbatos? The Anemo Archon?
Wait... He DID say he was Barbatos when he was talking to the nun earlier..
My mind reeled as everything started to click into place—his weird familiarity with Dvalin, his control over the wind... Suddenly, all those little quirks made sense.
Venti's smile faltered for just a heartbeat, but then he shrugged, the playful glint back in his eye.
"Well, I do have a flair for the dramatic, don't I?' But when Aether's steady gaze didn't waver, Venti sighed, the pretense dropping. "Fine. Yes, I might've let that slip... Your point being?"
Paimon and I practically tripped over ourselves as we stumbled back, nervously inching behind Aether.
"We're very sorry! We didn't know we were insulting a god, okay?!" I blurted out, my voice a little higher than I'd like to admit.
Paimon nodded furiously, muttering apologies under her breath, all while trying to hide behind Aether like he'd somehow shield her from divine retribution.
Venti's expression shifted from awkward to deeply amused, his lips twitching with the effort to hold back a laugh. "Oh, don't worry. I'm not one for holding grudges."
Aether, clearly done with our antics, pushed our hands off his shoulders and took a step forward, meeting Venti's gaze with a seriousness that even made me straighten up. "If you really are a god, then we can't simply abandon you."
Venti's curiosity was piqued, and he tilted his head slightly, studying Aether with genuine interest. "Why does your decision hinge upon whether or not I am a god?"
Paimon, still peeking out from behind Aether, piped up, "That's a long story... Paimon will tell you some other time."
Aether, ignoring Paimon's dramatics, stepped forward, extending his own hand toward Venti. "And even if you're not a god, I'll help Dvalin anyway." There was a quiet determination in his voice, something almost wistful. "I don't want to see another separation..."
Venti seemed taken aback for a moment, the playful mask slipping just a little as he studied Aether's expression. Then he gave a small, genuine smile and reached out to shake Aether's hand. "Well then, I guess we have ourselves a deal, don't we?"
---
Night had settled over Mondstadt, wrapping the city in a blanket of darkness. Through my window, the distant lantern lights flickered like tiny stars, casting a warm glow over the cobblestone streets.
But inside my little apartment, the atmosphere was anything but cozy. Aether, Paimon, and I gathered around the worn dining table in the center of my place, a map of the cathedral laid out before us, though none of us had really looked at it yet.
I got it from Amber after a little deception (Sorry Amber)
I leaned back in my creaky wooden chair, drumming my fingers against the table's edge. "Okay, so... just to double-check before we dive into this insanity. Are you absolutely sure about this, Aether? What if this guy is just a con artist with some fancy wind tricks? Maybe he's planning to run off with the lyre the second he gets his hands on it, laughing all the way out of Mondstadt."
Aether looked up from the map, meeting my gaze with a calm expression. He didn't seem fazed by my doubts at all—just... thoughtful.
He looked down at his hand, slowly curling it into a fist. "I know you felt it too, Tayden. That weird presence he has. Venti... he's not a regular guy. I think he really is Barbatos, or at least, someone with a connection to him. And even if he's not, even if he's lying... I can't ignore Dvalin's pain. I still have to try and help him. So, you in?"
Aether's voice carried a weight to it—this steady, unshakable resolve that I'd come to recognize over the months we'd spent adventuring together.
The guy had a way of diving into trouble with both feet, and somehow, it always made you want to follow him.
I stayed silent for a moment, pinching the bridge of my nose and letting out a long, drawn-out groan. "Ughhh... you know, I'm supposed to be the one keeping an eye on you, making sure you don't get into any trouble. This is such a bad idea."
Aether just waited, patient as ever, a small, knowing smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He knew I wasn't going to back down—not when he had that look in his eyes.
I let my hands drop from my face and met his gaze head-on, then broke into a reluctant smile. "Fine. You win, okay? We'll do it your way. But if that drunken bard pulls a fast one on us, I'm going to throw you both into Mondstadt's fountain."
Aether's smile grew wider, the kind that lit up his whole face, and he raised his fist towards me. "Deal."
I rolled my eyes but couldn't help the grin that tugged at my mouth. I raised my own fist and bumped it against his. "All right, let's get down to planning this ridiculous heist."
Paimon, who'd been hovering nearby with her arms crossed, suddenly let out a relieved sigh. "Paimon was starting to think you two would just keep staring at each other all night! Let's get on with it already!"
Aether chuckled softly, glancing over at her. "We're ready, Paimon. Just had to make sure Tayden wasn't about to back out on us."
I shot Aether a mock glare, but there was no real heat behind it. "Hey, I don't back out that easily. But seriously, this plan better be worth it."
We gathered around the map of the cathedral, leaning in close as Aether traced a path with his finger.
Aether started pointing out the entrances and exits, noting the patrol routes we'd observed earlier in the day. "Okay, so the cathedral's main entrance is out of the question—too many eyes, and they keep it locked at night. But there's a side door near the garden that they sometimes leave open for the night air."
I nodded, keeping my focus on the details. This wasn't the first time Aether and I had gone over plans like this, though most of the time it involved dealing with treasure hoarders or rogue Hilichurls, not sneaking into holy buildings to swipe sacred artifacts.
Still, the process was familiar enough—working out escape routes, contingency plans, who'd do what if things went south.
Paimon, hovering over the map, tapped her tiny finger near the cathedral's bell tower. "And don't forget the bell! Paimon remembers that the nuns go to ring it at dawn, so if we're not out of there before then, we're definitely getting caught!"
"Good catch, Paimon," Aether said, giving her an approving nod. She beamed at the praise, puffing out her chest a little.
I couldn't resist throwing in a jab. "Just make sure you don't go yelling in the middle of the heist, okay? We're trying to be sneaky here."
Paimon shot me a glare that was all too familiar by now. "Hey! Paimon can be quiet when she needs to be! You just focus on not tripping over your own feet, Tayden!"
Aether hid a laugh behind his hand, and I just smirked. It was nice, this back-and-forth banter. It kept my mind off how crazy our plan really was—breaking into Mondstadt's cathedral on the word of a guy we'd met only recently, who claimed to be an archon.
Yet, here we were, ready to go through with it because... well, because Aether believed in him. And honestly, I trusted Aether.
There was a time when I would've called that kind of trust stupid. But I'd seen what Aether could do, how he fought, how he never hesitated to put himself on the line for the people he cared about.
And if he believed that helping Venti and Dvalin was the right thing to do, then... maybe it was.
Besides, when is it not fun to do stupid stuff with your friend?
"So," Aether said, glancing between us with that steady determination in his eyes. "Are we ready for this?"
I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the task ahead of us settle on my shoulders. Iooked at Paimon and Aether with steeled resolve.
"Ready as I'll ever be"
So in three days, operation [Steal The Hold Lyre], will commence.
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(Somewhere In Mondstadt)
The air in the room was cold, almost unnaturally so. Somewhere, in one of the city's shadowy corners, in a dimly lit chamber that seemed worlds away from the bustling streets, a figure sat motionless, like a statue carved from ice.
Her long platinum blonde hair flowed over the back of the velvet chair, catching the faint slivers of moonlight that seeped in through a small, barred window. The dim light highlighted the sharp lines of her face, the cold beauty that seemed to hold a permanent sneer, and the dark, intricate mark that marred one side, winding like a creeping shadow across her skin. It gave her an eerie symmetry—half elegance, half menace.
She tilted her head slightly, listening to the soft footsteps approaching from the hall outside. Her eyes, icy and piercing, flicked to the door, just as it creaked open.
A man entered, his face hidden behind a mask, but the fear was evident in the way he moved—slow and deliberate, like he was afraid to disturb even the air in her presence. He knelt swiftly on the cold stone floor, head bowed, hands clenched into fists at his sides.
"Harbinger, we've received new information that is of use to you," he spoke, it was obvious that he was doing his best to keep it steady.
She didn't move for a moment, her expression remaining as cold as the air around her. Then, a thin smile crept across her lips—a smile that promised nothing good. "Go on, then," she purred, her voice smooth, yet edged with a chill that seemed to cut through the shadows in the room.
It was the kind of voice that could make your skin crawl, even when she spoke softly.
The subordinate took a breath before continuing, clearly trying to keep his composure.
"It appears that Barbatos... has resurfaced, alongside a few new acquaintances. The [Honorary Knights]. The one you told us too keep a close eye on, Tayden Voss and the other by the name of Aether, along with his floating companion."
The Harbinger's smile widened, sharp and dangerous. Her laugh cut through the silence like a blade—low at first, then rising into a sound that bounced off the walls, growing louder, more frenzied, until it filled the entire chamber.
He flinched at the sound, his gaze glued to the floor. Every muscle in his body was tense, as if bracing for some unseen strike. He knew better than to look up when she was in this kind of mood.
Finally, the laughter trailed off, but the eerie smile remained on her face. She turned her head, allowing the moonlight to catch her eyes, which gleamed with a predatory light.
"So, you've finally shown yourself, Barbatos," she murmured, her tone now softer but no less dangerous. Her lips curved into a smirk as she thought of the Archon, the so-called protector of Mondstadt, playing his little games with mortals.
"With new... friends, no less." Her voice lingered on the word 'friends,' dripping with mockery, as if the very idea was amusing beyond measure.
She turned back to face the window, her fingers brushing lightly over the frosted glass. For a moment, she seemed lost in thought, a flicker of something colder than amusement passing across her features.
Then, like a knife snapping shut, her expression hardened. She twisted back towards her subordinate, her smile vanishing. Her gaze pinned him where he knelt, freezing him in place. The temperature in the room seemed to drop even further.
"Pay close attention to them," she commanded, each word laced with an unspoken threat. "This is our opportunity. I will not have it squandered because of incompetence. You will observe, you will report, and you will make sure that nothing—nothing—escapes my notice."
She leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping into a dangerous whisper that seemed to cut through the subordinate's soul. "And make sure you Don't. Mess. Up. Do I make myself clear?"
He stiffened, the tremor in his hands betraying the fear that he couldn't quite suppress. He swallowed again, forcing out a shaky, "Y-yes, Harbinger. Perfectly clear."
She watched him for a beat longer, her gaze like a weight pressing down on him, before she waved a hand dismissively. He scrambled to his feet, practically stumbling over himself in his haste to leave the room, the door creaking shut behind him.
Once he was gone, silence filled the chamber again, but her smile didn't fade. She turned back to the window, her reflection blending with the cold light of the moon.
Her fingers traced the frost on the glass as she whispered to herself, "Yes, Barbatos... let's see what your little 'friends' can do. And let's see just how far they are willing to go for you."
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