For a boy like Venti, who had been born and raised within the tower, everything the wind spirit Barbatos described about the outside world was fresh and fascinating.
He could imagine it all.
He pictured the blue sky. He pictured the green earth.
"Barbatos—"
"I'm so envious of you. You get to see the world outside."
Listening to Barbatos describe the outside world only strengthened young Venti's longing for freedom, his yearning to see what lay beyond.
Not only that—
After hearing Barbatos's descriptions, young Venti's creative thoughts surged like a tide.
With nothing but a small branch, guided by instinct, he began to scratch strange symbols into the ground, composing one song of freedom after another.
Barbatos, lingering by the boy's side, was astonished to see these symbols.
Though the boy was not a god and had no Vision, the symbols he drew with a simple branch radiated a powerful Anemo energy.
Barbatos happily swirled around the boy, absorbing all the surrounding Anemo power into itself.
Its weak, formless body grew a little stronger.
At this rate, it would not be long before Barbatos gathered enough Anemo power to gain a true godly form.
Then, not only could Barbatos scale the walls and cross the storms, but it could even take young Venti to the world outside.
But Barbatos had no intention of telling the boy this secret.
It wanted to surprise him.
It imagined the look on the boy's face—surely, he would be overjoyed.
Thinking of this only made Barbatos happier.
It joyfully swirled around the boy, absorbing Anemo power with all its might, eager to form its godly body as quickly as possible.
Soon, young Venti had covered the ground at the foot of the walls with poems and songs, written with a small branch.
In that moment, he understood the feelings of the old poet who had passed away.
He wanted to follow in that poet's footsteps.
To spread songs of freedom and longing for freedom to every corner beneath the tower, to the heart of every person living there.
"Barbatos—"
"Will you be my friend and help me spread these songs?"
Young Venti looked at the faint breeze with hopeful eyes.
At this moment, it did not matter if it was a wind spirit or a god. They would become the best of friends.
Hearing the boy's invitation, Barbatos swirled around him several times.
With a hint of pride in its voice, it said, "Fine, I'll agree to it."
"But it's not because I want to be your friend that I'll help you spread these songs."
"It's because—I truly love them."
At that moment, Barbatos was like a shy child. It slipped over the boy's shoulder and hid behind his back.
It was so happy.
Not only did Barbatos now have a name, but it also had its first friend.
And it could listen to songs every day.
Soon, it would grow into a powerful god of wind.
Feeling the breeze ruffle his small braids, young Venti knew Barbatos was hiding behind him.
He smiled.
"Barbatos, I need your help."
"I'll play my harp and sing. You use your power of wind to carry these songs to every corner beneath the tower."
But Venti also knew that Barbatos was still very weak.
Even using all its strength, it could only carry the sound of the harp a little farther.
Barbatos said happily, "Yes, yes—such beautiful music should be heard by everyone."
And so, a human bard and a wind spirit, newly born, began to sing songs of freedom beneath the tower.
In the days that followed, young Venti would come to the walls every day after finishing his work to meet Barbatos.
Together, they performed day after day, spreading songs of freedom and the sound of the harp to every corner beneath the tower.
They awakened in people a longing for freedom.
Gradually, their footsteps touched every corner of the city. At the cathedral, beneath the windmills, in front of the flower shops, more and more people heard their voices.
Finally, one day, after they had been partners for a long time, the closest of companions, young Venti and Barbatos came to a tavern.
"Barbatos—"
"Today, I'm going to use all my wages to show you something wonderful."
Venti led Barbatos into the tavern, a smile on his face.
Within these walls, who could resist a good cup of wine?
Hearing this, Barbatos ruffled Venti's braids and settled on his shoulder.
"Something wonderful?"
"I am Barbatos, a powerful god! I can scale the walls and cross the storms. Is there anything I haven't seen?"
Though Barbatos had absorbed a great deal of Anemo power and grown stronger, it was still like a child, a little playful.
Venti said confidently, "It's not ordinary stuff. It's a magical liquid."
"One sip, and you'll feel what freedom is like."
A single cup cost several days' wages.
Even Venti could only afford to come to the tavern once a month to enjoy such a drink.
The next moment, Venti led the breeze into the tavern.
He handed over all his wages to the tavern owner in exchange for a cup of clear liquid.
Barbatos scoffed. "I thought it was something special. It's just a cup of water."
"The streams outside the walls are much clearer than this."
Venti laughed. "See, I told you you'd never seen this before."
"It's called wine."
With that, Venti raised the cup and took a careful sip.
A rich fragrance, accompanied by a unique spiciness, rushed through him.
He shivered.
Ah, that was good.
Within these walls, only this fragrant, spicy wine gave one a fleeting taste of freedom.
Venti was not much of a drinker.
One sip, and the warmth rushed to his head. He felt pleasantly tipsy.
He immediately took out his harp and began to play a song of freedom in the tavern.
"Great god of wind—"
"With a wave of your hand, drive away these raging storms—"
"Leave this tower—"
"Let me see the blue sky, let me see the green earth, let me see the birds flying free—"
"Free god of wind—"
...
As the boy sang, Barbatos, curious, lingered by the cup.
It caught a strange scent.
Fragrant. Spicy.
Two completely different, even opposite, sensations—yet both present in the same cup.
Filled with curiosity, Barbatos used all its power of wind to lift a tiny droplet of wine, mixing it into the breeze.
For the first time, this newborn god tasted something strange.
It went straight to its head.
"V-Venti… I feel kind of dizzy…"
"What's… happening…?"