Chapter 37: Operation Dvalin Rescue
The next morning, at Dawn Winery.
"Yoo-hoo—!"
With a whoosh, Paimon popped out from within Lumine and cheerfully greeted Jean and Diluc.
Jean smiled faintly. "Little Paimon certainly has a unique way of appearing."
Su Han snorted. "Have some confidence. It's downright terrifying."
"Hey!" Paimon protested.
Diluc gave a quiet huff. "Hm. You all seem quite energetic. I had assumed collecting Dvalin's Tears overnight would have left you exhausted."
Jean nodded slightly. "Thanks to Mr. Su Han, I no longer tire so easily these days."
Paimon waved her hands. "Enough about that! The Dvalin Protection Association is assembled once again!"
Venti clapped lightly. "Then, let's see the crystals you've gathered."
Without a word, Diluc took out three dark-red, murky tear crystals.
A flicker of pain crossed Venti's eyes. "The color of the crystals… seems even more clouded…"
"Dvalin… just what kind of torment has he been enduring?"
He took a breath. "In any case, let's purify these first. Lumine, I'll leave it to you."
Lumine's slender, pale hand touched the floating tear crystals. Just as they had expected, the dark-red impurities gradually faded, replaced by a pure, sky-blue glow.
Jean exhaled softly. "Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would have found it hard to believe."
Diluc nodded. "Interesting. Like filtering wine—refreshing to behold."
Lumine lowered her gaze. "It's just a pity…"
Paimon blinked. "Pity what?"
Lumine glanced sideways. "Pity I can only purify tear crystals… not my good companion's filthy heart."
Su Han: "???"
Venti chuckled. "Now, now, Lumine. Mondstadt is a city of freedom. Here, one may follow the desires of their heart—even proposing to several women they fancy is perfectly permissible."
"Well… of course, Su Han's way of confessing is a little special. There's a high probability it might shock the beloved."
Paimon folded her arms. "I think you can remove 'high probability.'"
Venti clapped his hands lightly. "In any case, we have enough tears now. Next…"
Su Han cut in, "Just like last time, drip them onto the Holy Lyre der Himmel."
Venti pouted. "Ehe… stealing someone's lines is bad behavior, you know—"
This time, the process of infusing the Holy Lyre der Himmel with the purified Dragon Tears went smoothly. The lyre finally shone with renewed vitality, Anemo energy brimming and spilling over.
A gentle breeze curled around the group, as though the lyre itself were joyfully expressing its gratitude.
Paimon clapped excitedly. "Yay! We did it!"
Jean cast her a wary glance before speaking carefully. "The Holy Lyre feels completely different from before."
Venti nodded. "The Anemo energy… it's practically bubbling with liveliness. This should do."
"Hehe, it's all thanks to everyone's efforts. My sincerest gratitude."
Paimon puffed out her chest. "Mm-hmm! You should definitely thank Paimon properly."
Jean cleared her throat. "Then… where shall we summon Stormterror?"
"Certainly not within Mondstadt City. If something goes wrong, the damage would be irreparable."
"And doing it here at the winery would obviously…"
Diluc said flatly, "Oh, losing the winery wouldn't be irreparable. But it would be inconvenient."
Su Han stroked his chin. "So if we summon Stormterror somewhere else, wouldn't that save Senior Diluc quite a sum of Mora?"
Paimon's eyes sparkled. "Great! Then split the savings with us!"
Diluc: "…"
Jean: "…"
Venti smiled serenely. "Sea breeze or high-altitude winds—either can carry a bard's song much farther."
"If the air is dry, stifling, and oppressive, not only the bard but even the dragon might grow angry."
Paimon nodded sagely. "I see. Sea breeze or high-altitude winds, huh?"
"So the best place to play would be…"
Lumine tilted her head. "The seaside?"
Jean considered. "A cliff?"
Su Han declared grandly, "Play while gliding through the sky!"
Jean sighed. "Even Amber couldn't manage something like that."
Paimon nodded seriously. "I think Su Skinflint could pull it off."
Venti tilted his head. "It's possible—if Su Han doesn't mind being bitten to death by an enraged Dvalin…"
Diluc spoke calmly. "Travel east from Starfell Lake for some distance. South of the beach lies a stretch of mountainous terrain."
Paimon gasped. "Ah! You mean the beach where you fished Su Han and me out! I remember—the cliff above it is called Starsnatch Cliff…"
Su Han's eyes narrowed. "Isn't that the place where I first encountered a Hilichurl Berserker?"
Lumine corrected him flatly, "It was Bennett."
Paimon blinked. "Bennett? Who's that?"
Su Han (and Lumine): "…"
Diluc continued, "Climb along the mountain ridge, and you'll reach Starsnatch Cliff."
He glanced at Venti. "Singer, the sea breeze and high-altitude winds you desire can both be found there."
Venti tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm… Starsnatch Cliff, you say…"
"Yes, that's quite an excellent location. It suits my singing perfectly."
Jean nodded decisively. "Very well. Make your preparations and gather at Starsnatch Cliff."
"Please take this seriously. Do not be late."
Paimon saluted. "Understood, Acting Grand Master!"
Jean blinked. "Ah… apologies. I slipped into habit."
Diluc gave a quiet scoff. "Even with hope for negotiation, we cannot rule out the possibility of a battle with Stormterror. Be prepared."
"Don't misunderstand—I'm merely interested in hearing the bard's song."
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