Perhaps this narrative epic directly revealed the truth behind the betrayal of Dvalin, one of Mondstadt's Four Winds.
He was corrupted by poisoned blood during a great battle centuries ago. After reawakening, the people no longer revered him, and he was forgotten by the world.
If she were in his shoes, Lisa thought, she might also want to take revenge on these ignorant people.
The reason for Stormterror's rage may have been found, but a new question arose.
Who exactly was this green fellow?
How could he be so familiar with these buried truths?
This was history that wasn't even recorded in the Knights of Favonius' library.
Furthermore, the imagery that accompanied the narrative epic depicted Dvalin heeding the call of the Anemo Archon.
And that Anemo Archon's image bore a certain resemblance to the green fellow standing before her.
Could it be… this green fellow was…
An emissary of the Anemo Archon!
A spark of realization lit up in Lisa's eyes. She felt there was a high probability this guess was correct.
The only way to verify it was to see how the story unfolded next.
---o---
After the crowd dispersed, the Traveler and Paimon approached the green fellow to talk.
"Ah, you're…"
"Oh…! You're the ones who scared Dvalin off that day."
The green fellow was clearly feigning ignorance.
"Dvalin? But don't most people call him Stormterror?"
"Why do you call him that? Are you two very familiar?" Paimon asked, cutting straight to the point.
"Hehe, take a guess~"
After introducing themselves, the green fellow also gave his name.
"I'm a bard, Venti."
"To be precise, I'm the three-time reigning champion of the 'Most Beloved Bard of Mondstadt' competition."
Clearly, that wasn't true.
Lisa had never heard of such a bard.
And in its current state, Mondstadt had never held any sort of event like a 'Most Beloved Bard' vote.
He probably just gave himself the title…
"So, what can I do for you?"
The Traveler took out the dark red crystal, intending to show it to Venti.
However, the crystal, which was originally a dark crimson, had been purified into a clean, aqueous blue.
Not just Venti, but even Paimon and the Traveler were surprised.
They had no idea when this purification process had occurred.
"These are tears shed by Stormterror in his anguish."
"I have a tear crystal here as well. Can you purify it?"
When the tear was placed in the Traveler's hands, it was instantly cleansed, transforming from a murky, dark red to a pure, clear blue right before their astonished eyes.
Once the purification was complete, to the surprise of the other two, the Traveler simply pocketed the tear.
Venti exclaimed in admiration:
"You truly possess an incredible power."
"Someone like you is destined to be sung of in the epics of bards."
"Standing in the light, you are sure to become a hero. Standing in the shadows, you could just as easily guide a calamity…"
From Lisa's perspective, this protagonist—the Traveler—was obviously a fictional character created by Lin Yu, one who didn't exist in reality.
That was why she was so special, possessing so many unique abilities.
—The power to command the elements without a Vision, and the ability to purify the corruption within the dragon's tears.
Of course, perhaps it wasn't entirely baseless.
Maybe, Lisa mused, the image of this Traveler was how Lin Yu envisioned himself.
---o---
Under the giant tree at Windrise, Venti negated Lisa's previous deduction.
"Stormterror's initial hatred was definitely not because people stopped worshipping the Four Winds."
"That hatred wasn't born naturally. It's the product of corruption."
"The black blood flowing into his heart tormented him, giving him no peace during his long slumber."
"That is why, when he awoke this time, his mind was so easily corroded by the curse of an Abyss Mage."
Abyss Mage… Corruption…
Lisa's expression became extremely grave.
Finally…
Within this mobile game, she had found the true reason for Stormterror's betrayal of Mondstadt!
It wasn't of his own free will. He had been cursed and corrupted by a monster from the Abyss Order!
The value of this intelligence was immeasurable for the Mondstadt of today.
Moreover, if things went as expected, Kaeya's investigation should be yielding results soon.
If his findings matched the game's plot, then this intelligence could be fully authenticated.
Lisa put down her phone. Although she wanted to keep playing, she had to relay this information to Jean right now.
The situation in the real Mondstadt had not yet become as dire as it was in the game. There was still time to act.
---o---
While Lin Yu's mobile game hall was becoming increasingly popular, a quiet change was taking place in a hidden domain in the outskirts of Mondstadt.
Within a giant flower bud, the figure of a young boy could be seen curled up, as if sealed in amber, perfectly still. He seemed to have been this way for an untold number of years.
Suddenly, streams of glowing green light began to appear in the surroundings, one after another, converging toward the center of the flower bud.
"Hooo…"
With a surge of pure Anemo energy, the boy's body moved.
He first stretched his limbs, then leaped gracefully from the flower.
"Hah… That was a good nap!"
Emerald light swirled around the boy, weaving itself into the attire of a bard.
His pupils, and the two braids that hung beside his ears, all radiated a verdant glow, giving him an air of divinity.
This boy was Barbatos, who had been asleep for centuries.
He could also be called by the name he used while walking the mortal world: Venti.
"It should have been another five hundred years or so since I last slept."
The winds around him constantly whispered tales of the ages that had passed.
But what had awakened Barbatos was not the wind of this world, but the great crisis now facing one of his subjects—Dvalin.
"Rest easy, Dvalin. Last time, you answered my call and saved Mondstadt."
"This time, it is my turn to save you."