Playing Genshin in Genshin! [25]

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Entering Mondstadt, a city known for its windmills and free spirit, Lu Shiyuan found it in an unusually desolate state due to the ongoing dragonstorm crisis. The streets were dotted with members of the Knights of Favonius rushing about, keeping a close watch on their surroundings.

As soon as he stepped into the city, Lu Shiyuan was stopped by a Knight for questioning. It was clear that Mondstadt was on high alert. Meanwhile, Lumine had gone to the Adventurers’ Guild not far from the city gates to submit a commission.

“Hey, Big Trickster, are you sure you’ll be alright surviving on your own in Mondstadt?” Paimon asked with concern. “Need us to help you find a place to stay?”

“Oh, no need. You two go take care of your business,” Lu Shiyuan said. “I’m planning to visit Mondstadt Cathedral first.”

“Alright then,” Paimon nodded. “We’re going to meet with Acting Grandmaster Jean.”

“Jean, huh… looks like the second act of the story is about to begin,” Lu Shiyuan mused. He needed to act quickly.

Without further discussion, the three went their separate ways—Lumine and Paimon heading to the Knights of Favonius headquarters while Lu Shiyuan made his way toward Mondstadt Cathedral.

On the way, Lu Shiyuan noticed a blonde woman in a tight-fitting knight's outfit arguing with a masked Fatui member, a female agent. The conversation didn’t seem to be going well. Seeing this, Lumine and Paimon stopped at a distance, waiting for them to finish talking before proceeding. Lu Shiyuan, however, continued on toward the cathedral.

Mondstadt wasn’t the small town it appeared to be in the game—it was a proper capital city, and it took a considerable amount of time to traverse. To save time, he rented a room at the Goth Grand Hotel as he passed by.

After admiring the enormous statue of the Anemo Archon in the square, Lu Shiyuan entered the cathedral, taking the opportunity to scout the area inside and out.

According to the game’s story, the protagonist would be tricked into coming here at night by a certain bard, only to have the Holy Lyre der Himmel stolen midway by a Fatui Electro Cicin Mage. The protagonist would end up blamed for the theft.

Lu Shiyuan planned to play the role of the "third party," intercepting the Electro Cicin Mage and reclaiming the Holy Lyre. This would be his opportunity to ingratiate himself with Mondstadt's anti-dragon task force.

Although the Electro Cicin Mage had teleportation abilities, the range was short, and she left behind traces of elemental power. Confident in his tracking skills, Lu Shiyuan believed he could catch up to her.

After identifying a few potential escape routes within the cathedral, Lu Shiyuan made his way back to the square, blending into the crowd and leisurely watching a bard perform.

This young bard had an ethereal, almost androgynous appearance. Dressed in green, with a matching hat and cloak, he exuded an otherworldly aura, as if he might turn into the wind and vanish at any moment.

Watching the bard sing and tell stories for tips, Lu Shiyuan couldn’t help but think, “Can you stop slacking off, Barbatos?”

That’s right—this humble, impoverished bard was none other than Barbatos, the Anemo Archon himself.

After liberating Mondstadt, Barbatos had retreated from governance, allowing the city to become a republic where no one ruled. He only showed himself when Mondstadt was in peril. Simply put, he was a god who preferred to slack off. In the mortal world, he went by the name Venti.

“Alright, everyone, if you enjoyed the performance, don’t give me money. Go buy a glass of apple cider from the tavern and share a drink with me,” Venti said cheerfully after finishing his song.

Some in the audience left coins behind, while others headed to the tavern as he suggested.

Lu Shiyuan, standing in the crowd, had a flash of inspiration—an idea to make some quick money. (His merchant instincts kicked in, thanks to his upbringing in a business-minded family.)

He dashed toward the Cat’s Tail tavern with such urgency that he infused his legs with Electro energy, moving faster than lightning. Within moments, he burst through the tavern doors.

“Three glasses of apple cider, to go. And I’ll be taking the cups with me!” Lu Shiyuan tossed a bag of Mora onto the counter.

“It’s broad daylight, and you’re already rushing to drink? You’re not from around here, are you, you drunkard?” A pink-haired, cat-eared girl behind the counter gave him an annoyed glare, baring her little fangs.

Amused, Lu Shiyuan reached out to pat the girl’s head, only to narrowly avoid being bitten.

Despite her grumpy demeanor, the cat-eared girl was diligent. At Lu Shiyuan’s request, she filled three fine wooden cups with apple cider, sealed them, and handed them over.

In another flash, Lu Shiyuan was back at Venti’s side.

Seeing the three cups of cider in his hands, Venti’s eyes lit up. “Wow, you’re a generous one! No one’s ever bought me three drinks at once before.”

“Hold up,” Lu Shiyuan said with a grin. “If you want these, you’ll have to agree to one condition.”

“What’s the condition?” Venti blinked, intrigued.

“You’ve got to drink all three cups in one go,” Lu Shiyuan’s eyes gleamed as if he had just found a goose that laid golden eggs.

“Drinking three cups in a row, huh? That’s a bit of a challenge.” Venti rubbed his chin, then took the cups and downed the cider in large gulps.

Surprisingly, despite his frail appearance, Venti drank with gusto. In less than a minute, all three cups were empty, and Venti let out a satisfied burp. “Ah, that was refreshing! It’s been so long since I’ve had such a good drink. Now, if only I had a friend to join me in a drinking contest, it’d be perfect.”

“Drinking them all is what matters,” Lu Shiyuan said, smiling as he gathered the wooden cups that Venti had left behind. As he noticed Lumine and Paimon approaching in the distance, he quickly excused himself and left.

“Come back for more songs, dear patron!” Venti called after him, still in high spirits. Then he noticed Lumine and Paimon approaching. “Oh, it’s you two.”

…

Back in his rented room, Lu Shiyuan pulled out his phone, opened the game, and stored the three wooden cups in his inventory.

Item: Wooden Cup
Description: A wooden cup imbued with a faint trace of the Anemo Archon’s power.

Seeing the item description, Lu Shiyuan smiled, pleased with his results. He then moved his in-game character to the crafting table and clicked on the synthesis option.

Scrolling through the synthesis list, he found the cup icon and clicked it. The three wooden cups combined, and the item description changed:

Item: Fine Wooden Cup
Description: A wooden cup imbued with a concentrated trace of the Anemo Archon’s power.

This synthesis feature was something Lu Shiyuan had recently discovered. Not only could it combine in-game items, but it could also enhance the quality of real-world objects by merging them.

He materialized the newly refined cup back into the real world.

Looking at the intricately crafted wooden cup in his hand, now surrounded by a gentle breeze, Lu Shiyuan nodded in satisfaction. “This looks great. I bet I can sell this for a good price.”