"Waaah… I'm gonna tell my dad! He'll teach you all a lesson! Waaaah—!"
Timmy tried several times to spit out the pigeon meat he'd already swallowed, but failed miserably.
Choking on sobs, he ran toward Mondstadt Cathedral—apparently going to look for someone.
"Timmy's going to find Sister Grace."
Jean sighed. She didn't dare imagine what chaos would happen if these two mischief-loving gods stayed in Mondstadt long-term.
Then Paimon dropped a bomb.
"So… Farmas, are you still gonna live with us?"
"You're… you're an adult! You can't sleep in the same bed as Lumine anymore!"
Paimon kicked her legs in the air indignantly.
Lumine froze, face instantly red.
She swallowed the piece of Honey Roast she'd been chewing and lowered her head shyly.
Wait… I even wiped Farmas clean that night… Was I wearing a bathrobe at the time?!
Her heart nearly exploded. She didn't dare look at him.
"Well… I wonder if I could trouble the Knights of Favonius for a temporary stay?"
Farmas glanced at Lumine's reaction, then at Jean's teasing look.
"It's rare to see Acting Grand Master Jean making that face."
Venti smiled mischievously.
Everyone stared at Farmas and Lumine.
"Of course. The Knights' dormitory welcomes you, Lord Farmas."
The group had grown familiar enough to joke with the two gods—Barbatos and the Flame Archon behaved nothing like distant deities.
A faint smile appeared on Farmas' lips.
—Meanwhile, far away in Stormterror's Lair—
A young man stood atop the ruined tower, watching the ancient palace hidden behind the wind barrier.
Behind him, two Abyss Mages knelt respectfully.
Stormterror Dvalin flapped his wings and disappeared into the depths of the lair.
"Your Highness… your servants bring you another victory. When your kingdom returns to this world, we shall bask in its glory."
The young man turned.
His face was unmistakably the same one taken away by the gods long ago—Aether.
"Victory?"
The half-masked Aether stared coldly at the Abyss Mage.
"W-We had everything under control… but a blonde girl and a red-and-white-haired man appeared. They disrupted the entire plan…"
The mage bowed deeply.
"Blonde…"
Aether was silent for a long moment, looking off into the distance.
"…It doesn't matter. As long as the grand plan remains unaffected."
——————————————
"Since we're finished eating, shall I show you your room, Farmas?"
Everyone stood up.
Diluc had left earlier—he needed to return to Dawn Winery to consult his informants about the Abyss and Dvalin.
Lumine and Paimon also excused themselves to take commissions from the Adventurers' Guild.
If they didn't earn Mora soon, they'd starve.
And Venti—unsurprisingly—had already gone to the Cat's Tail for drinks, his voice floating out the door as he shamelessly flattered Diona.
"Alright."
Farmas, now back in his usual red outfit, walked to Sara to pay the bill.
But when he reached into his pocket, he froze.
"Across the Seven Nations, Mora is minted by Rex Lapis in the Golden House," Jean explained gently.
"It is the universal currency—understood by all, a precious metal, and also a catalyst for many reactions."
Seeing his expression, she knew he had no money.
She turned to Sara.
"Please charge today's meal to the Knights of Favonius. Miss Hertha will settle it."
Then she faced Farmas again.
"Your relationship with… Liyue's Lord Rex Lapis…"
Farmas tilted his head and waved a hand dismissively.
Jean realized her mistake and quickly dropped the topic, leading him toward headquarters.
Farmas had never used money.
In Munata, his people believed in war and conquest.
Citizens did not plunder each other—but other nations, other gods?
Robbing and warring were part of life.
"So what was Munata's creed again? Battle and… pursuit?"
He remembered Venti's explanation—how Munata's new fire spirit ruler had inherited his path, but refined it:
War became battle.
Plunder became pursuit.
"Pursuit…"
Lost in thought, he did not notice that the headquarters looked strangely empty.
Kaeya and Amber were gone—likely on missions.
Jean led him upstairs.
At the end of the second-floor hallway, she stopped before a door.
She unlocked it.
Inside was a room decorated entirely in the warm sands and blazing reds of ancient Munata.
A tea table carved from Flameburst Tree roots.
A boar-leather sofa.
Totems marked with fire sigils.
Yellow-tinted walls.
A massive bookshelf and a weapon rack—of a style only Munata ever produced.
Farmas stepped inside, stunned.
For a moment he felt he'd stepped back a thousand years into old Munata itself.
"This was once the room of Lady Vanessa—
Lionfang Knight, undefeated gladiator, and first ruler of Mondstadt."
Jean watched as he picked up a framed picture from the shelf.
A tall, bronze-skinned red-haired girl in gladiator armor smiled from within.
"After Old Mondstadt fell, the Lawrence clan were pioneers—brave archers who carved out the new land.
But a thousand years later, they forgot the teachings of Barbatos, sinking into greed and tyranny.
"Lady Vanessa, together with the Gunnhildr family, rose up and created the free city of Mondstadt."
Jean spoke softly behind him.
"I know."
Farmas nodded. "So… I'll be staying here?"
"If you don't mind."
Jean smiled gently.
"Lady Vanessa never abandoned her faith in flame.
According to Captain Varka, she left Mondstadt to search for you."
Her voice held admiration.
"'As long as the flame burns, life will endure.'
Lady Vanessa always believed the God of War—Farmas—still lived."
Holding the photo, Farmas let out a faint sigh.
He wasn't sure whether to feel moved… or saddened.
He had thought only his generals—those who fought and rose with him in ancient times—kept faith in him.
He never imagined that even here, far away in Mondstadt…
there was someone who had believed in his flame all along.
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