"I am old... No matter how reluctant I am to let go, I cannot hold onto much... I am truly useless! Useless... But an adventurer cannot die in such a way... No..."
Stanley slumped onto the table, burying his head in sorrow, his body trembling with sobs.
"Hans Archibald?"
Venti slowly approached the fake Stanley, calling out his true name.
Despite Venti's usual lack of serious pursuits, he remembered the names of every Mondstadt resident.
Even if some people had forgotten their own names...
"How did you know... my real name..."
Hans was taken aback at first, the name sounded so familiar. Then he realized, well, this was indeed his name.
No one had called him by it for decades; he had almost forgotten it himself.
Venti smiled gently, looking at Hans kindly. A breeze suddenly blew towards Hans from behind him.
Light green luminescence danced around Venti, like joyous, dancing wind spirits.
"It's the sound of the wind, yearned for but never found, in the Sea of Embers..."
Hans looked at Venti with great excitement. How beautiful was this sound of the wind.
"I... I have always believed in your existence..."
Hans saw the light green luminescence transform behind Venti into a pair of graceful, ethereal wind streamers dancing with the breeze.
At this moment, Hans realized with certainty that this bard standing before him was none other than the legendary Barbatos, protector of Mondstadt!
"May I have the soul of my old friend?"
Venti slowly extended his right hand towards Hans.
Hans stood up with a gasp, walking towards Lord Barbatos in disbelief.
Had a god heard his prayer and come to save him?
Hans slowly placed his right hand on Venti's. Instantly, a flash of green light, and he suddenly realized that Lord Barbatos had transformed into Stanley, holding his hand.
Stanley, his face scarred, shone with a faint green glow, looking at him with a smile.
The next second, Stanley's figure flickered, becoming ethereal.
In the blink of an eye, Stanley's phantom dissipated before Hans with a gentle breeze.
"Th-truly incredible... Thank you, thank you, Lord Barbatos..."
Hans bowed respectfully, placing his hand on his chest to thank Lord Barbatos.
"I'm sorry, I still need some time to adjust my mood... but I think I'll be alright..."
Hans let go of his decades-long obsession, and his entire demeanor underwent a drastic change.
With that, Hans let out a sigh and left the tavern.
"Hmm, that's good. Hans has found his true self, and Jack has successfully become independent. With so many good things happening, doesn't that deserve a drink to celebrate?"
Venti chuckled, instantly transforming from the solemn, serious Barbatos back into the carefree bard.
"Here are your drinks, sirs..."
Diluc spoke up, placing two prepared glasses on the counter in front of him.
He had long suspected Venti's true identity, so he wasn't particularly surprised when Venti displayed divine power.
"It's wonderful, after waiting so long, I can finally have a drink. *Slurp*... Dandelion wine, it still tastes the same, delicious! Delicious!"
Venti quickly approached the counter, picked up a glass, and took a large gulp, exclaiming with satisfaction.
He downed more than half the glass in one go, his drunkard nature clearly revealed.
This jovial demeanor was a stark contrast to his earlier solemn and serious divine persona, making it difficult to discern which was Venti's true face.
"Master Luc, you saw what just happened, didn't you? Hans disguised himself as Stanley for so many years, deceiving the world and himself. Thankfully, he finally let go in the end..."
Feng Yi took a sip of apple wine and asked Diluc, who had been engrossed in the gossip, if the juicy gossip wasn't satisfying.
"Stanley... ah no, Hans, as he should be called now. After all these years, what bound him was no longer the 'friend' himself, but I suppose his friend's story will not be forgotten in Mondstadt..."
Diluc, suddenly addressed by Feng Yi, savored the taste of the gossip and declared it sweet and smooth.
Feng Yi agreed. Although Stanley was gone, his story, through Hans, had been passed down to Jack and other young adventurers.
When Jack grew old and became a veteran adventurer, he too would tell Stanley's story, guiding the next generation of adventurers.
Seeds of adventure were taking root and blossoming in the land of freedom that was Mondstadt, with Stanley's adventurous tales passed down as foundational texts for future generations.
"Come with me, I'll take you somewhere nice..."
Venti finished his drink, winked at Feng Yi, and then quickly pushed open the door and left the tavern.
"Where to?"
Two places flashed in Feng Yi's mind: beneath the great tree in Windrise, and the Anemo Archon statue in Mondstadt Square.
If the plot followed its course, the "nice place" Venti spoke of would most likely be the palm of the Anemo Archon statue.
Feng Yi finished his half-glass of wine and then followed, leaving the "Angel's Share."
Diluc quietly watched the two empty wine glasses on the counter. He calmly took out a ledger from a drawer, flipped to the page for Venti's tab, and wrote down a "+2".
On the street outside the tavern, Venti strolled along happily, chuckling. He had gotten away with another free drink.
He wasn't someone who liked to default on debts, he just happened to be broke at the moment. When he had money later, he would definitely repay it with interest!
At worst, he could find Morax in Liyue sometime. With their relationship, and Morax's wealth, paying off this small debt would be a piece of cake.
Old Master Zhong, who was listening to opera in a teahouse, sneezed... Hey, hey, hey, don't bring me into your bragging...
Just as Feng Yi had predicted, Venti led him to sit on the outstretched hand of the Anemo Archon statue.
The wind at this height was cool and refreshing.
"Care for a glass of Snezhnayan strong liquor?"
Venti poured a glass for Feng Yi and then drank directly from the bottle himself.
"It's so nostalgic. The first time I watched the scenery from here, I wasn't 'like this' yet..."
Venti's tone suddenly turned melancholic, his eyes reflecting waves of reminiscence.