Angel's Share Tavern
"Lady Durandal! Hello~!"
Paimon, who had been stuffing her face at the bar, nearly choked when she looked up and saw Durandal descending from the second floor. She immediately put down her food, wiped her mouth, smoothed her clothes, and waved frantically.
Originally, she was going to greet her as "Miss Durandal"—
but then she remembered how Rita always addressed her.
So "Durandal Lady" it became.
After all, anyone capable of hiring someone like Rita as a maid must come from a terrifyingly wealthy family. Paimon had to leave a good impression!
And honestly, looking at Durandal—her armor, poise, and presence—Paimon felt that calling her "Lady" didn't feel strange at all.
"Don't call me that," Durandal said with a gentle smile.
"Just Durandal is fine.
You must be a little Paimon, right?"
"Huh? Durandal lady knows who I am?!"
Paimon was stunned.
She had been mentally preparing an elaborate introduction to impress Durandal… only to discover it was unnecessary.
But then dread began creeping up her spine.
If Rita had described her habits…
If Durandal had seen her panicking back at Stormterror's Lair…
If she knew how much she ate—
"Rita told me about you," Durandal continued, smiling kindly.
"She also mentioned… you tend to eat a lot."
Durandal's gaze shifted to the mountain of empty plates behind Paimon.
Paimon froze.
Shame consumed her tiny soul.
"D-Durandal…"
"Durandal lady, you mean Durandal lady!"
Lumine suddenly entered from outside, greeting Durandal—only to be corrected instantly by Paimon.
Durandal blinked.
"…."
Then Lumine corrected herself quickly:
"Durandal lady, hello!"
Close up, Durandal was impossibly beautiful.
Seeing her in person made Lumine feel small… and flat.
But she clenched her fists.
It's fine. I'm still young. I'll… definitely surpass her someday!
She tried to convince herself while her eyes—against her will—slipped down to Durandal's chest.
Why are they so—
Durandal sighed softly.
These two insisting on adding "lady" to her name was giving her a small headache.
Venti Arrives
Creak—
"Miss Durandal, perfect timing. I was just looking for you.
Could you come with me for a moment?"
Venti stepped inside, pushing the door open with a polite smile.
"Of course. I'll be right back."
Durandal waved at Paimon and Lumine, then followed Venti outside.
As she walked, her expression shifted subtly.
Is this about the conversation I overheard earlier?
But what exactly…?
Because Jean had approached her earlier, Durandal had only caught part of the Archons' conversation through the system:
She heard her own name—
And then nothing else.
Outside Mondstadt
"Miss Durandal," Venti began after they left the city gate,
"I want to ask for your help. Of course, I won't let you help for free. I may not be as strong as you, but… there are many things I can offer."
"Help?
What does the Anemo Archon need from me?"
Durandal genuinely hadn't expected this.
"It's like this…"
Venti took a breath.
"One of my friends wants to set up a 'test.' He needs your cooperation.
You've met him already—Morax. He returned to Liyue not long ago."
Venti briefly explained the situation.
A few minutes later—
Durandal finally understood.
No wonder they mentioned my name…
But then she sighed.
…Doesn't this mean I'm volunteering myself into more trouble?
Because according to Venti—
Besides her, he also intended to invite Wendy to participate.
Here's the plan, as Venti laid it out:
Morax wanted to retire.
But before giving up his Archon status, he needed to ensure his people could survive without him.
Thus, he wanted to test the Qixing and the adepti.
During the Rite of Descension, Morax would "die"—
pretending to be killed by Wendy.
Then Wendy would begin attacking Liyue, even releasing the ancient gods beneath the sea if needed.
Meanwhile, Morax would observe from the shadows, seeing whether Liyue could stand on its own.
However—Wendy was way too strong.
Morax's people wouldn't even last long enough to show their capabilities.
So—
Venti wanted Durandal to fight Wendy,
holding her back just enough to give the Liyue authorities a fighting chance.
A staged battle.
A script.
A performance.
The goal wasn't to truly destroy anything—just to test Liyue's resilience.
If they passed, Morax would "die" for real and retire.
If they failed, he would "resurrect" early.
"—So? What do you think, Miss Durandal?"
Venti finished, looking at her with hopeful, sparkling eyes.
Durandal thought for a brief moment—
and nodded.
"I can do it.
It sounds interesting.
But… where is Miss Wendy?"
"…That's the problem."
At that moment, Venti's smile cracked visibly.
He tried to laugh it off, but it came out hollow.
He didn't know where Wendy was.
He had no way to contact her.
He could only pray that Wendy—like last time—would suddenly appear out of nowhere.
Wendy… Please come find me again…
I really need you this time…
Venti's internal plea echoed across the wind.
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