Since they had already revealed their identities to each other, it was time to talk about serious matters.
And it seemed Venti also had something very important to tell him.
Naturally, Yuuko wouldn't miss this opportunity.
After all, what he lacked most was information.
Now, the main thing was to find a suitable place to talk.
Usually, in such situations, booking a private room at a restaurant was best.
But Yuuko didn't want to spend money.
After much thought, he decided to just take Venti home.
After all, home was also a good place for a conversation.
Not long after, Yuuko brought Venti back to his house.
Venti looked at Yuuko's modest house and exclaimed,
"I never expected someone like you to be so low-key, living in a house like this."
Yuuko shook his head: "Being high-profile isn't a good thing. In any case, hurry up and come in, it's getting late."
Venti smiled, then unceremoniously walked into Yuuko's house.
Then, under Yuuko's hospitality, he sat down at the table in the living room.
After Yuuko poured him a cup of tea, Venti chuckled: "I don't like tea. Do you have any wine?"
Yuuko rolled his eyes at the drunkard and said plainly: "No."
"Hahahaha, is that so?" Venti scratched his head with a smile.
Seeing this, Yuuko sighed again.
The more he interacted with this god of Mondstadt, the more unreliable he felt this guy was.
Yuuko even wondered why all the gods he encountered were like this, none of them reliable... For example, that retired old man Morax from Liyue.
He didn't have a single Mora on him, yet every time he bought something or ate, he acted very generously.
Who knows where that mysterious confidence came from... Another example is Raiden Ei from Inazuma, also a reclusive shut-in, who initially wouldn't listen to reason at all.
During the Vision Hunt Decree, if it weren't for Yuuko's intervention, making her change her mind.
Perhaps this shut-in would still be reclusive in the Plane of Euthymia... Recalling his impressions of these three gods, Yuuko couldn't help but blurt out:
"You gods, none of you seem reliable..."
"Hahahaha..." Venti laughed awkwardly.
Yuuko exhaled helplessly and asked:
"Well then, there's no one else here, and no one to eavesdrop, so can you tell me now? What exactly is erode, and is it a characteristic that all you Seven Archons possess?"
Hearing this question, the playful expression on Venti's face vanished instantly, replaced by seriousness.
He softly replied:
"More accurately, erode is actually a curse, a shackles placed upon us by the one in the heavens."
"Under this curse, we will slowly lose everything as time goes on."
"Including memories, emotions, personality, cognition, thoughts... One day, we will no longer be ourselves."
"This... perhaps it's also a means for the one in the heavens to limit us."
After hearing this, Yuuko fell into contemplation, his expression becoming very solemn:
"From the sound of it, this is a very malicious curse... Have all the Archons of your Seven Nations been afflicted by this curse?"
"Yes." Venti nodded, then corrected:
"However, it's not just us Archons of the Seven Nations who are afflicted by the erode curse; in fact, all things on the continent of Teyvat are, without exception. It's just that the degree of the curse we Archons of the Seven Nations receive is deeper."
"Is that so?" Yuuko muttered softly.
Now, his view of the Heavenly Principles had deepened.
After a long thought, Yuuko asked:
"Is this a curse set by the Heavenly Principles to restrict all things?"
Venti spread his hands helplessly: "How would I know what the one in the heavens is thinking?"
After a pause, Venti looked at Yuuko with a curious gaze again:
"However, it seems you are not affected by the erode curse..."
"I'm not?" Yuuko asked in surprise.
If all things on the continent of Teyvat were affected, then not having the erode curse himself would be very unnatural.
However, Venti did not answer this question.
Instead, he rested his chin in his hand, lost in thought, not knowing what he was thinking.
After a while, he shook his head: "No, please pretend I didn't say what I just said."
"You're deliberately trying to pique my curiosity, aren't you?" Yuuko complained.
"Hahahaha... My apologies, my apologies. Some things really shouldn't be spoken of carelessly before they're confirmed." Venti laughed awkwardly.
Yuuko sighed helplessly and changed the subject, pressing on:
"Let's get back to the main topic. You specifically came from Mondstadt to Inazuma just to find me, didn't you?"
"Actually, I also came for some free wine~" Venti chuckled.
The feigning-mad Venti, seeing Yuuko's unfriendly gaze, quickly cleared his throat and said:
"Hahaha, it's nothing really. I just became interested in your existence after hearing the old man talk about you. It just so happens that the Irodori Festival is approaching, and there's free wine to drink, so I came over."
"The old man you mentioned is..."
"It's Morax~"
"That poor fellow..." Yuuko sighed helplessly.
"Poor fellow..." Venti was slightly stunned, then burst into laughter:
"Hahahahahaha! If the old man knew you called him that, I wonder what he'd think."
Yuuko rolled his eyes at Venti:
"Is your reason for coming to Inazuma really that simple?"
"It's that simple," Venti replied with a sincere look.
"Tell me the truth," Yuuko suddenly glared.
Facing Yuuko's 'kind' gaze.
Venti shivered, instantly dropping his act of feigning madness, and cleared his throat:
"Actually, a deeper reason is that I wanted to see how much of a chance you all have here..."
"How much of a chance..." Yuuko raised an eyebrow: "So you already know our objective?"
Venti laughed heartily: "Hahahaha, I just happened to know, you see."
After a pause, Venti continued:
"From the aura around you, the Tsaritsa has already made contact with you. And considering the upcoming major trade between Inazuma and Snezhnaya, I assume you've already formed an alliance, haven't you?"
Yuuko did not deny it:
"More or less. After all, I can't stand the one in the heavens either, so I decided to cooperate with the Tsaritsa."
After speaking, Yuuko shook his head, then looked seriously at Venti:
"So, since you already know about the alliance between Inazuma and Snezhnaya, what about Mondstadt... no, what is your stance?"
Yuuko was actually very curious.
Would this unreliable god of Mondstadt stand on their side, or on the side of the one in the heavens... This was a very important matter.
It would also influence what actions Yuuko would take next.
Just as Yuuko was wondering what Venti's answer would be... Venti put on a puzzled expression: "Eh? What stance? Mr. Yuuko, what are you talking about?"
Yuuko: "..."
Yuuko complained helplessly: "There should be a limit to feigning madness, and your act is too fake..."
Venti: "Ehe~"
Watching Venti feign madness, Yuuko shook his head and didn't press further.
Because the answer was already obvious.
Venti would not take any side; he would remain neutral.
-------------------------------
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