198: There Is No Way...

There Is No Way...

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***

"He is...Morax? The original Archon like Lord Barbatos? But how come? I heard every citizen of Liyue knew Morax as a dragon that descended once per year. Lumine, could it be that you're mistaken? He's clearly a human."

Barbara raised her eyebrows sceptically at Lumine's accusations, unable to comprehend that such news could be true.

"We're certain that the man before us is either Morax himself, or a part of his body and I need to ask him a few questions for my...selfish goal..."

Lumine softly uttered.

She was close, she could feel it. It was only a matter of time until she met her brother. Although she didn't trust his words much, Childe already told her he was alive and well, and while someone like Venti had no idea, Morax, the oldest god, might be able to locate him somehow with some divine methods.

Zhongli turned his head away without responding, seeming to show some discomfort with the unexpected exposure but certainly showing no fear of anyone present.

"Once again, are you Morax?" She reiterated, noticing that her first question hadn't met with an answer. "Or maybe merely a temporary aspect? Could that be it? A temporary vessel you overtake right before turning into a Dragon for the Rite of Descension? Please answer, Barbatos told us you can help me..."

"...Bawbatows?"

The sentence must've caught Zhongli off guard because of his sharp intake of air through the gag, conveyed by his gasp.

But he wasn't the only one.

"...Lord Barbatos...sent you?" Barbara's eyebrows furrowed as she looked alternatively between Lumine and Yomite, neither of them confirming her assumptions.

Though this surely had been kept a secret that hadn't come to light till now in front of outsiders, Lumine mentioned a very crucial secret info in front of Barbara which couldn't mean any good things...

Taking the awkward silence as a yes, Barbara turned back toward Lumine with bright eyes.

"N-No way! Is it actually true...? W-Where have you seen Lord Barbatos!?" She exclaimed, leaning forward in excitement.

Yomite facepalmed, there was now another issue at hand...

(Lumine...how could you just let it slip...he told us to keep his identity a secret, especially from someone from the church...and you must have spilled the beans in front of the biggest fanatic about him... Although at this point I'm not sure whether she's a bigger fanatic about me than him...)

"Eh...Barbatos? I-I meant to say...Barba...Barba...Barbara..." Lumine began awkwardly. "N-Nevermind, it doesn't matter."

Barbara gave a short sigh at her pitiful attempts at hiding stuff before speaking, "Please don't try to lie to me...My whole life, I've spent praying to him, as a thanks for the actions he did in the past, and also because my father told me to...If you've met someone as amazing as him... please tell me how you did it...I really wish to do so as well to meet him and thank him for everything in my life...How was he like?"

Yomite almost choked on his saliva.

(Amazing? Him? That 'thing'? Never! Ever! Call! That! Thing! Amazing!)

He screamed internally but he decided to suppress those ungodly thoughts. (A trap drunkard that only brings trouble to everyone around him, steals their money, food and alcohol and is the weakest God I've ever seen! Don't call it amazing!)

He glanced at Zhongli who also made a sour face at the mention of the drunkard bard.

(Even the God of Liyue knows what's up! His face is completely filled with disgust! Don't be fooled by him, Barbara! Barbatos isn't who you think he is at all!)

"I-I..." Lumine tried forming words but it was difficult. No good things came to her mind when thinking about Venti.

"Uh...He is...a very unique and... interesting...individual...but I am not sure whether you would get along with him..."

"Ah! Is he as graceful and as powerful as the legends foretold? The stories speak of his beauty and virtues as none others could compare! Of course I would want to meet him! To seek him, if possible..."

"Barbs..." Yomite grimaced, as he stopped her there, "I'm sorry to burst your bubble...but the Archon you're so eager to meet.. isn't anything like you're imagining..."

Even worse, he was far, far from it.

"What do you mean? Lord Barbatos is nothing like...the myths?"

Her voice rose and seemingly distressed her more with the realization.

"Do you know his whereabouts, Yum-Yum?"

"Well...I don't know where he's currently at...but I can tell you that you've met him before...multiple times even..."

Her eyes widened at his sudden disclosure, excitement turning into disbelief.

"..M-Multiple times!? I did!? Are you saying...Are you really telling me the truth?"

Yomite sighed a long breath, shaking his head side to side before replying, "Do you know a bard named Venti?"

"Venti?"

Barbara thought for a moment.

She'd certainly heard of the name before. He was a fairly popular bard and she heard his songs several times. Poking fun at the old slavery of Mondstadt in his songs with ways she'd never heard before.

"I've heard of him...Ah! Come to think of it, wasn't it the green bard that broke the Holy Lyre Der Himmel!? Now I remember!"

Barbara huffed.

Destroying an artifact of Barbatos himself, the bard was lucky to get away with a few warnings from her sister Jean.

"The Knights of Favonius better punish him one day fo—"

"So yeah. That's him."

...

..

.

"...?"

Barbara froze up instantly at his statement.

"Pardon...?"

"Venti the bard is Barbatos. The God of wind and the God you all worship."

"...No way..." Barbara exhaled in disbelief. "...That..that...that can't be true..."

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