Chapter 35: Paimon, the Genius of Nicknames
Mondstadt — Angel's Share.
After returning to the tavern, Venti could hardly wait to take the Skyward Harp into his hands, his expression filled with nostalgia.
Venti: "Rosewood carved with wind motifs… star-iron strings cool to the touch… Ah, this feeling really takes me back…"
Su Han sighed. "Indeed. Time flows on. When this seat first encountered Lord Barbatos the Anemo Archon, I was but an innocent youth…"
Venti: "?"
Paimon: "You two—can you stop bragging already?!"
Jean turned to Venti. "Well? Can you use it to call Dvalin?"
Venti rubbed his chin. "Hmm… Although it's undeniably the treasured relic of the Anemo Archon, I'm afraid it still won't work just yet."
"As you can see, after a thousand years, the power of 'wind' within it has long since run dry."
"In its current state… I might manage a residency performance here at Diluc's tavern, at best…"
Diluc: "Even the stage at Angel's Share has a long list of singers bidding for it. Don't assume it's that easy."
Paimon: "Master Diluc, shouldn't you be criticizing a more important issue?"
She turned and glared at Venti. "Hey, bard! You borrowed the Skyward Harp just to play it for a bunch of drunkards?"
Venti: "Ehehe—"
Paimon: "'Ehehe' what exactly?!"
Too much! Paimon planted her fists on her hips and glared at him repeatedly, trying to kill Venti with her eyes alone.
Venti coughed lightly. "In any case, this still isn't enough to communicate with Dvalin."
"But the problem isn't the harp itself—it's the strings."
"And now, it's your turn to step up, Lumine."
Lumine blinked. "Me? I don't really know anything about repairing instruments…"
Venti waved his hand. "Oh, relax. I'm not asking you to fix this priceless harp."
"It's the Anemo element clinging to the strings—the concentration is far too low."
Too low? I see!
Lumine seemed to grasp something. She raised her delicate hand and aimed at the Skyward Harp in Venti's grasp. "Gust Surge."
A miniature vortex of Anemo energy burst forth from her palm. Fortunately, Venti reacted swiftly, twisting the harp aside just in time to avoid disaster.
He stared at her in shock. "That's not what I meant! I was referring to the purified crystal of Dvalin's tears—you've been keeping it safe, haven't you?"
Lumine suddenly realized. "You could've said that earlier."
Paimon huffed. "Bards just love being mysterious."
Su Han nodded solemnly. "Lumine's way of thinking grows ever more aligned with this seat's own."
Everyone present nodded in agreement.
Venti cleared his throat. "Next, try dripping it onto the harp. Carefully. And no more 'Gust Surge.'"
Lumine accepted the harp from Venti and cautiously let a purified tear crystal fall upon it.
Something miraculous happened.
Though the Skyward Harp had always been kept spotless under the care of Mondstadt's nuns and priests, it had gradually begun to give off a faint sense of decay, growing more pronounced with time.
But the moment the pure tears of the Wind Dragon touched its surface, the harp instantly came alive. Vitality surged through it, brimming with life—like a frail old man encountering a radiant young maiden in her prime.
And yet… the harp still seemed somewhat unsatisfied.
Lumine glanced sideways. "Su Han, you don't have to narrate everything like that."
Su Han coughed lightly. "I simply cannot restrain my desire to perform."
Venti forcibly suppressed the urge to comment, pretending nothing had happened. "Oh? Just as I expected."
Jean stroked her chin, a spark of delight flickering in her eyes. "It feels as though the harp has… regained its youth?"
Paimon's eyes widened. "The Acting Grand Master is praising herself!"
Jean flushed. "I meant the Skyward Harp!"
Su Han lifted his head at a forty-five-degree angle, gazing into the void. "Wei Yimin, behold—this prosperous age is as you wished."
Lumine snapped, "If you two keep messing around, I'm throwing you out!"
Su Han (and Paimon): "Oh…"
Venti let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks to Lumine's purification, the Anemo element within the harp hasn't continued to wither away."
"But it's still not fully replenished. Fortunately, I planned ahead."
He turned to Diluc. "Master Diluc, did you find the tear crystals I asked you to search for?"
Diluc replied calmly, "Time was short. I found one tear crystal in the ruins within the forest. I haven't had the chance to locate the other."
Lumine stepped forward. "Leave the rest to me."
Jean nodded firmly. "This isn't a task for the Honorary Knight alone. We'll all begin preparations immediately."
"Once we obtain the remaining tear crystal, we'll trouble you to purify it again."
Lumine smiled. "Don't worry. Leave it to me."
Venti clasped his hands together dreamily. "Ah, how wonderful. Heroes entrusting one another, setting out side by side—such scenes are always so captivating."
"Allow me to send you off with a tune."
Paimon squinted suspiciously. "Wait… are you trying to slack off and contribute nothing but your mouth?"
Venti grinned. "Playing the harp requires hands, you know."
Paimon stomped her little feet in frustration. "Grrr! I'm so mad! That's it—I'm giving you an awful nickname."
"Hmm… Got it! From now on, I'll call you… 'Tone-Deaf Bard'!"
Lumine burst out laughing. "Paimon really is a genius when it comes to nicknames."
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