"The Gnosis is the most important proof of my authority as the Anemo Archon. Without a proper reason, I can't just give it to you." Venti replied seriously.
Nearby, Furina and Barbara didn't seem to hear Richard and Venti's conversation at all, they only felt a faint breeze brush by.
"So Lord Barbatos means… you want more money?" Richard raised his voice when he saw that Venti had used his powers to block out the sound.
"The Gnosis can't be measured by money." Venti shook his head.
"Then how about awakening Dvalin? That should count as a big favor, shouldn't it?"
"True, but you're doing it for yourself too, aren't you?" Venti replied meaningfully.
"So you're not refusing." Richard didn't answer Venti's words directly.
Venti didn't respond directly either: "You stay by her side for the Gnosis too?"
Obviously, the her he referred to was Furina.
"Furina doesn't have a Gnosis. She's not the Hydro Archon Focalors. She's just a poor human girl cursed by a god." Richard said. This was the conclusion he'd reached based on various signs and tests.
"Wrong, she really is Focalors, the Hydro Archon." Venti said with a smile.
Richard froze, he hadn't expected Venti to say that. But there was no reason for Venti to lie to him.
That meant his deduction was wrong, he'd have to start over.
Richard shook his head and said, "Fine, whether Furina is the Hydro Archon or not, let's put that aside for now. Let's talk about the Gnosis again."
"You're not with the Fatui anymore, so why are you still so fixated on the Gnosis?" Venti asked curiously.
"To pay back favors, and it's worth a lot. By the way, in case you don't know, the Fatui are already moving. Even if you don't give it to me, someone else will come to steal it."
Back when he was trying to establish himself in Fontaine, Richard had used a lot of help from the Fatui. He no longer served the Tsaritsa, so naturally he needed to repay those debts.
Besides, he'd poached people from the Hearth House. If he didn't show some goodwill, Arlecchino would never let him go easily.
Yet Venti didn't look surprised at all, clearly, he'd long expected the Fatui to make a move.
Of course, everyone knew the Fatui coveted the Archons' Gnosis. With how they'd been stirring in Mondstadt these past years, it was obvious they were growing impatient.
"Ah, so it's about paying debts and getting benefits, huh~ Then what about me… ahem… you know." Venti winked at Richard.
"Got it. One deluxe membership card for Dawn Winery!"
"Oh my, how could I accept that? We're good friends! This Gnosis was always meant for you. Once this is all over, the Anemo Archon's Gnosis will be yours." Venti said coyly, but his hands moved fast, slipping the VIP card into his pocket without a trace of shame.
And so, the deal for the Gnosis was settled. Venti lifted the barrier, and Furina and Barbara, still oblivious, kept chatting excitedly about music and stage performances.
Clearly, Furina's years of stage experience and natural talent had already won Barbara's admiration.
If Barbara didn't still radiate such genuine devotion to the Anemo Archon, Venti felt she might have been converted into a follower of the Hydro Archon on the spot.
Then again, maybe the two weren't mutually exclusive?
In any case, Venti never restricted what his people believed in. He was always that free-spirited, open-minded god.
About an hour passed in rest when the Knights returned, and brought back a tear from Stormterror. But this tear hadn't been purified, instead of being crystal clear, it was murky and radiated a foul, ominous aura.
Obviously, this couldn't help restore the Holy Lyre der Himmel's power, if anything, it would make things worse.
The previous Stormterror Tear had been purified by Lumine. According to Jean, the power tainting these tears was extremely repellent to elemental energy. So far, only Lumine seemed capable of cleansing them.
But Richard seemed to have his own plan. He took the tear from its wooden box and held it up before Furina.
"W-What are you doing?" Furina panicked. Did he really think she could purify a Stormterror Tear?
What kind of joke was this? If she really could do that, she'd have revealed her divinity long ago, she wouldn't have waited until now!
And she'd been hiding so far back, why did Richard still come to her?!
After spending so much time together, didn't Richard know what she really was?
"Lady Furina, please use your divine power to purify this," Richard said, giving her a subtle look.
Seeing his signal, Furina immediately understood, 'Just put on an act? That, I could do!'
Furina looked like a student who'd finally found a test question she knew how to answer; she confidently and proudly struck a prayer pose.
Then, the tear in Richard's hands began to emit a faint light. Over time, the foul power faded away, leaving it pure and clear once more.
This very moment was captured by the reporter Charlotte, who'd returned with the Knights. By sheer luck, her angle was perfect, the shot framed Furina's saintly image flawlessly.
No repositioning needed, as if it had all been meticulously staged.
With this one photo alone, Charlotte felt she'd basically secured this year's Ravel Award.
"It really was purified, so this is Lady Furina's divine power? Amazing!" Barbara gasped wide-eyed, witnessing this 'miracle' with her own eyes.
Meanwhile, Venti watched Richard and Furina's little performance with a knowing smile. Well, let it be seen as a divine miracle of the Hydro Archon, then.
Judging by Richard's demeanor, it seemed he'd recovered some of his strength during his travels across the Seven Nations.
After finishing her 'prayer', Furina casually brushed a strand of her snow-white hair aside, pretending it was all too easy: "What a troublesome power, though only slightly troublesome."
The unspoken meaning was clear: for her, cleansing a tear tainted by the Abyss was nothing at all.
"Thank you for your effort, Lady Furina," Richard said with a smile.
Hearing this, Furina's cheeks flushed slightly; she wasn't thick-skinned enough to accept his praise so directly.
"Ahem, you helped a lot too, Richard. When we get back, I'll make sure you get a proper reward." Furina promised.
After all, others might not know how the Stormterror Tear had really been purified, but she did.
It was all thanks to her Secretary General.