It wasn't until Amber ran over to whisper something to a patrolling Knight of Favonius that Rover's suspicions were confirmed.
Upon first arriving in Mondstadt, compared to Jinzhou, Rover had the illusion that the city felt more primitive. Moreover, the people were visibly uneasy, as if a storm was brewing at any moment.
After briefly surveying the surroundings, Rover withdrew his gaze and followed Amber to the Good Hunter restaurant. However, before everyone could even settle into their seats, an uninvited guest appeared beside them.
"Well, well, travelers from afar—mind if I join your table?"
A man wearing an eyepatch approached them. The moment Amber saw Kaeya, she stood up and eagerly welcomed him to sit.
"This is Kaeya, my friend."
After some small talk, everyone got acquainted. Seeing that Kaeya had arrived to stabilize the situation, Amber gave him a meaningful glance before turning to the others with an apologetic expression.
"I just remembered I have other matters to attend to. You all go ahead and chat—just put the bill under my name."
With that, Amber quickly left. At this moment, Abby, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly popped up again.
"There's good food!"
Abby's eyes sparkled as he squinted at Paimon, who was already burying her face in her meal.
"Oh, you, Paimon! You didn't even share any of the good stuff with me!"
Paimon wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth and said pitifully,
"It's not my fault! You were impossible to wake up! Rover told me that nothing from the outside world could disturb you."
Meanwhile, Kaeya naturally struck up a conversation with the two in front of him.
Through their talk with Kaeya, Rover and Aether gained a preliminary understanding of Mondstadt's current situation.
The evil dragon in the forest was known as Stormterror. No one knew why it had begun attacking the city, but more importantly, this wasn't the first or second time. Amidst the growing unrest, the Fatui had already begun spreading propaganda, claiming that for the city's safety, they intended to intervene in the dragon crisis.
Rover stroked his chin, deep in thought. His mind kept circling back to the dragon-controlling youth's motives—why would he launch an attack on Mondstadt?
Just as he was lost in thought, the sky darkened with thick clouds, and another dragon's roar echoed from above. Countless sudden tornadoes began wreaking havoc within the city.
The three of them stood up almost simultaneously. Kaeya acted decisively, sealing the entrance with Cryo and sternly instructing the remaining restaurant patrons to stay inside and take shelter.
Aether looked up and saw civilians being swept into the air by the tornadoes, now plummeting downward. He summoned a gentle wind current to cushion their fall.
"Abby, can you locate that mysterious youth's position?!"
Rover raised his arm to shield himself from the fierce winds as he shouted.
Abby nodded uncertainly. Based on the earlier description, the youth was likely connected to Anemo and possessed considerable strength. He quickly sniffed the air.
"There's a highly concentrated mass of pure Anemo energy… but it doesn't seem human…"
Abby scratched his head, unsure how to describe it, but Rover nodded anyway.
"Let's go!"
...
In a narrow alley, the youth quietly waved his hand, calming the rampaging Anemo energy within the city. However, Stormterror in the sky continued to howl defiantly, resisting his efforts.
"Dvalin…"
The youth gritted his teeth, his anxious expression unmistakable. Just as he prepared for his next move, a familiar figure blocked his path.
"This time, I won't let you escape."
Rover stepped forward, blade in hand. The bright particles of light around him suddenly darkened, and a power distinct from Spectro surged within him.
His blade gradually became enveloped in black particles, transforming into a scythe. Half of a wing unfurled from his back, and at this moment, Rover looked utterly sinister, his eyes filled with nothing but the desire to annihilate everything.
"I think there must be some misunderstanding."
The youth spoke calmly, gesturing toward the sky. If they fought now, the situation would only worsen.
Moreover, he had no idea about Rover's origins, and his strength was not to be underestimated.
"I am not the mastermind behind all of this."
The youth knew that if he didn't explain himself, Rover wouldn't let him go. After a moment of consideration, he reluctantly set down the bottle of wine he had just swiped.
"Once this dragon crisis is resolved, I'll give you a full explanation."
Rover wasn't an unreasonable person. He glanced at Abby.
"No malice detected. Seems trustworthy enough."
With that, Rover agreed to the youth's proposal—at least until the dragon crisis was dealt with.
"Can you use a glider? I'll use a gentle wind current to help you ascend. Attack the corrupted crystal on Dvalin's back with Anemo energy."
The youth spoke, but Rover shook his head. He looked up at the dark, stormy sky, where the multi-winged dragon continued to soar—as if taunting them or reveling in the thrill of destruction.
"It's already attacking the city like this. If you're not confident, let me slay it. Just give me a strong gust."
Rover's tone was calm, but there was a trace of doubt beneath it.
The youth grabbed Rover's wrist, pursed his lips, and after a long pause, finally spoke.
"Dvalin is my familiar. It's just in too much pain right now. Give me some time, and I can heal it. For now, we just need to drive it away."
His voice carried a pleading tone. Rover studied the youth deeply—someone who could command a dragon as a familiar was likely none other than the Anemo Archon himself.
Since this was the Anemo Archon's domain, it was only right to defer to his judgment.
With governance in the youth's hands, Rover would follow his lead.
"Fine. But I still need a strong gust to get close to Stormterror."
Seeing Rover agree, the youth's usual cheerful smile returned. He produced a lyre, and as its melodious notes filled the air, Rover suddenly felt a fierce wind surge beneath his feet, propelling him skyward.
"WAAAHHH—!"
Abby clung tightly to Rover's waist, screaming as they soared upward.
"You didn't have to come along."
"No way! I'm not letting you face danger alone. We agreed—we face risks together!"
As Abby spoke, they drew closer to Stormterror. Rover gripped the glider with one hand, riding the violent winds until he was directly above Dvalin.
Rover's eyes narrowed, spotting the foul, corrupted crystals on the dragon's head and tail.
Without hesitation, he used his Grapple to land on Dvalin's back. The black particles from his half-wing coalesced into razor-sharp blades, which he hurled at the crystal on the tail. The power of Havoc obliterated the crystal upon contact.
Rover turned, intent on destroying the crystal on the head as well, but suddenly, something unexpected occurred. Several furry creatures wielding staves appeared mid-air, chanting spells to attack Rover as he traversed the dragon's back.
Rover had no choice but to evade. Abby flew behind him, absorbing the elemental attacks.
Under the increasing assault, Stormterror finally couldn't endure any longer. Its body convulsed violently before flipping mid-air. Due to gravity, Rover was thrown off its back—but a gust of wind caught him before he could fall.
"Abby, after it!"
Seeing Stormterror flee into the distance, Rover shifted his focus to the creatures that had ambushed him.
Did they think they could attack him and just walk away? Unfortunately for them, at least one would have to stay behind!
The Abyss Mages took one look at Rover's murderous expression and immediately began chanting teleportation spells.
Rover locked onto one with a Cryo shield. With a Grapple, he leaped onto the shield, his blade morphing into a scythe. The edge, infused with Havoc energy, sliced through the shield like tofu.
The Abyss Mage was frozen in terror, so afraid it couldn't even finish its spell. Its companions cast pitying glances its way before hastily teleporting away, desperate to avoid the reaper's gaze.
As the two plummeted, Rover planted his foot on the creature's body and drove his blade through its chest. A scream echoed as the Havoc energy disintegrated the monster. Only then did Rover summon his glider again, letting the wind carry him to a landing spot not far from Mondstadt.
The youth's figure reappeared, this time leisurely strumming his lyre—as if composing a ballad for a hero's return.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Venti. And yours?"
"Rover. A wanderer from afar."
After the brief exchange, Venti led Rover to a massive tree, beneath which stood a Statue of the Seven.
"This is Windrise. Ah, the tales of heroes are best written on uncharted paths. Since you're so curious, let me tell you what I know."
Venti sighed helplessly. Compared to the traveler Aether, Rover was the trickier one—the hardest to fool.