"Tvalin? Who's that?"
Paimon felt the name sounded familiar but couldn't place it.
"It's the real name of the Dvalin—the Stormterror."
Lumine explained.
"Oh right! I remember now! But don't most people just call it Stormterror?"
Paimon suddenly looked suspicious.
"Wait… does that mean you're very familiar with the dragon?"
"You can guess."
The bard smiled playfully.
"Hey!"
Paimon stamped her foot.
Then whispered to Lumine:
"This guy is really suspicious."
Lumine was curious too.
"So who exactly are you?"
The bard puffed out his chest proudly.
"I'm Venti, a bard."
"To be precise—three-time consecutive champion of Mondstadt's Most Popular Bard."
Then he tilted his head.
"So why did you stay behind? Did you want something from me?"
Paimon crossed her arms.
"If you already recognized us, there's no need to explain!"
"We're obviously here about Stormterror!"
"Eh??"
Venti blinked in confusion.
"Hey! Don't pretend you suddenly forgot!"
Paimon suddenly remembered something and became smug.
"Lumine, show him the thing!"
"Oh."
Lumine took out the purified tear crystal from Paimon's storage.
"I wonder if he'll recognize it."
Venti's eyes widened.
"That's—!"
Paimon stared too.
"The crystal… it's purified?! When did that happen?"
Lumine shook her head.
It had been purified by Jiang Chen, but she wasn't ready to reveal that.
The Dragon's Tears
"This…"
Venti sighed quietly.
"This is a tear shed by Tvalin in pain."
He pulled out another crystal from his pocket.
Unlike Lumine's, this one glowed dark red.
It hadn't been purified yet.
"Once, he was a gentle child…"
"Now he's filled with anger and sorrow…"
Venti handed the crystal to Lumine.
"I also have a dragon tear."
"Can you purify it?"
Lumine nodded.
Jiang Chen had told her she could do it too.
She held the crystal in her hand.
A strange energy flowed through it.
The red corruption faded away.
The crystal returned to its pure glow.
Venti stared in amazement.
"You truly possess extraordinary power."
Then, as usual, his bardic instincts took over.
He recited dramatically:
"Someone like you will surely appear in the songs of future bards."
"Stand in the sunlight and you may become a hero."
"Stand in the shadows and you may guide disaster…"
Then his expression turned regretful.
"Unfortunately… I don't have time to compose a new song right now."
"Even if Tvalin isn't slain, his life will quickly fade."
"He will burn himself out in anger."
Lumine's "Advice"
Lumine thought for a moment.
Maybe she should comfort him?
…On second thought—
No.
"As a knight, I advise you and the dragon to turn yourselves in."
She said seriously.
"Ah… haha…"
Venti scratched his head awkwardly.
"Even if you joke like that, it won't improve my mood."
"You've already helped by purifying the tear. I'm grateful."
Lumine fell silent.
She hadn't been joking.
Venti Leaves
Venti suddenly seemed ready to leave.
"I already have a plan."
"And seeing the dragon's tear reminded me of an old friend."
"I'll take my leave now."
"Hey! Where are you going?"
Paimon asked anxiously.
"To the symbol of Mondstadt's hero."
"See you later!"
Venti waved and ran off.
Lumine and Paimon watched him disappear.
Their Thoughts
"What do you think?"
Paimon asked.
"He's strange…"
Lumine said.
"But…"
She remembered the epic poem he sang.
"He's not simple."
Combining that story with what Jiang Chen had told her, a realization dawned on her.
Stormterror's madness likely came from poisoned dragon blood mixed with a curse.
A truth even the Knights of Favonius didn't know.
She could report this to Jean.
But Paimon was still muttering.
"He probably thinks we're strange too."
"Paimon… don't you think his voice sounded familiar?"
"Really? I didn't notice."
"…Never mind."
Lumine started heading toward the stairs of the Statue of Barbatos Plaza.
"Where are we going?"
Paimon hurried after her.
"To the symbol of Mondstadt's hero."
"We should follow him."
"Are we spying on him?!"
Paimon suddenly got excited.
"Yes."
Lumine nodded.
"…But where exactly is Mondstadt's hero symbol?"
Paimon pointed southeast.
"You can see a huge tree from here. It's probably there."
Lumine didn't fully trust Paimon's navigation.
"Let's ask Jiang Chen instead."
Back at Good Hunter
They returned to Good Hunter.
Inside, Jiang Chen was sitting at a table chatting with Mona.
Lumine greeted Mona politely.
Then said:
"Jiang Chen, I just met a bard named Venti."
Jiang Chen looked slightly surprised.
"Venti?"
Since the Stormterror crisis began, that bard hadn't been seen performing at the restaurant or any tavern.
The last time he appeared had probably been when Lumine and Paimon ran into him by chance.
"Looks like that guy has finally shown himself again."