At that moment, Barbatos was still a wisp of wind, without a true godly form.
So, strictly speaking, Barbatos had not actually drunk anything.
Just smelling the strange liquid had made it drunk. Its consciousness was already clouded.
Its speech had become halting and slurred.
It called out young Venti's name in a daze.
It tried to do what it always did—ruffle the boy's braids, fly onto his shoulder—
But then—
Dizzy and unsteady, Barbatos tilted and, carried by a gust of wind, tumbled into young Venti's arms.
Having absorbed a great deal of Anemo power, Barbatos had grown much stronger.
The impact nearly knocked Venti to the ground.
Feeling the breeze in his arms, Venti laughed heartily.
"Hahaha—"
"Barbatos, I didn't know you were such a lightweight."
"I thought I had a low tolerance, but yours is even lower—"
Venti reached out to embrace Barbatos.
But his arms passed through the wind spirit. He hugged nothing.
Barbatos had not yet formed a physical body.
Barbatos protested weakly, "I… I am a mighty god of wind… I am… not drunk!"
Venti just laughed.
"Haha, fine—if you say you're not drunk!"
"But remember, before you learn to hold your liquor, only take the tiniest sip. Otherwise, you'll definitely get drunk."
The next moment, he took another small sip of wine, a warm current spreading through his body.
He picked up his harp, playing a song of freedom as he sang:
"Let me leave this tower—"
"To see the blue sky, the trees with their lush branches, the birds flying free—"
As Venti sang, everyone in the tavern was drawn to his voice.
But many also began to murmur:
"Boy, what are you singing about?"
"Are you blind? Blue sky? Lush trees? Birds flying free? You've got it all wrong."
"The sky is gray. The trees are bare."
"The Lord of the Tower himself has said the world outside is false."
"How can you prove your songs are true?"
The people within the tower had only ever seen the gray sky, the bare trees, and the black crows—birds of ill omen.
So when they heard of blue skies and lush trees, they were skeptical.
The tipsy Barbatos grew angry at their murmurs.
It had seen the outside world with its own eyes. How could it be wrong?
Staggering, Barbatos tried to argue with them but crashed into a table instead.
Thump—
A gust of wind nearly snapped the table leg.
"The Lord of the Tower is lying—"
"I've seen it clearly. The world outside is just as beautiful as in Venti's songs."
"The trees there are huge, the flowers fragrant—and there's sweet honey, though I can't taste it."
Barbatos rambled on, describing the outside world in a drunken haze.
But aside from young Venti, no one in the tavern believed a wisp of wind.
Flowers, according to legend, had vanished from within the tower decades ago.
How could they still exist in this world?
No matter how tall the trees outside were, could they be taller than the mighty tower?
Already drunk, Barbatos grew even more incensed at the surrounding doubts.
"Fine—you don't believe me, do you?"
"Then I'll bring a flower from outside in, and you'll see for yourselves."
With that, Barbatos, still woozy, rushed out of the tavern.
Venti was startled.
He knew Barbatos was still too weak. Trying to carry something through the storms was an impossible task.
If it forced its way through, it could hurt itself.
Venti tried to stop it. "Barbatos, don't be rash—"
But it was too late.
To a drunken Barbatos, not even the raging storms, not even Decarabian himself, would be a deterrent.
How could an ordinary human stop a wind spirit?
Venti could only chase after it, trying to talk it down.
But a drunk Barbatos would not listen to anyone, not even a god.
It charged straight into the storms.
Venti chased it all the way to the walls but could not stop it.
He called out anxiously, "Barbatos, don't forget our promise! Whether a thousand years or ten thousand years pass, I will play my harp and sing for you."
"So you must come back."
He was afraid Barbatos would hurt itself trying to carry something through the storms.
Hearing Venti's voice, Barbatos called back, "I know. Don't worry—I will bring a flower from beyond the walls into the tower."
The truth was, Barbatos was not angry because people doubted him.
It was angry because they doubted Venti's songs.
That, it could not stand.
It scaled the walls and plunged into the fierce storms.
Venti gripped his harp tightly, waiting for Barbatos to return.
As he waited, he sat on the ground, just as he had the day they first met, softly playing his harp and singing songs of freedom.
Meanwhile, the wind spirit Barbatos easily scaled the walls and crossed the storms.
It saw the world outside.
It saw a land covered in blooming flowers.
Without a physical body, it used its power to lift a small red flower, wrapping it in a gentle breeze to carry it back through the storms, back to the boy within the tower.
But compared to the raging storms, Barbatos was still far too weak.
Even using all its strength, it could not withstand the storms' fury. The winds tore apart its protective breeze, shredding the flower it carried.
Barbatos refused to give up.
"Venti is waiting for me to return."
"I will bring a flower to show them. Show them that Venti's songs are true."
Desperately, using what little power it had, Barbatos protected the flower within its breeze.
But the storms shredded it anyway—its stem, its petals, and even its tender stamen were torn to pieces.
Barbatos's strength was nearly exhausted.
It was in danger of being assimilated by the storms, losing its consciousness as a wind spirit, and becoming part of the tempest.
Dying.
But in its hazy state, it heard the sound of a harp. It heard the boy's song.
Finally, guided by Venti's voice, Barbatos broke through the storms and returned to the boy.
"Waaah—"
"Venti, I'm sorry. I'm too weak. I couldn't even bring in a single flower."
Barbatos tumbled into Venti's arms, its voice breaking into sobs.
Hearing its words, Venti smiled with relief.
"I'm just glad you came back safely."
"You fool. No more reckless risks like that."
But as they embraced—
A single red petal fluttered down, drifting between young Venti and Barbatos.
Barbatos had not failed.
It had succeeded in bringing one petal into the tower.
Into Venti's world.