A new day dawned, and Victor Wang met up with Fischl and Bennett at the Adventurers' Guild right on schedule.
"I've got a friend who wants to come to the domain with us today," Bennett said, scratching his head a little sheepishly. "I told her I'd check with you both first."
"Has the honor of serving beside this princess become so coveted? Who is this soul?"
Bennett lowered his voice, "It's Barbara. But if you'd rather not, we can just go as the three of us."
"Oh? The shining idol herself," Fischl mused.
Neither Fischl nor Victor objected.
After a brief discussion, Fischl and Bennett browsed commissions on the guild board while Victor picked two for himself—"No Honor Among Thieves" and "The Big Ice Cold Crisis." Yesterday's run-in with Treasure Hoarders had proven these tasks useful for sharpening combat skills.
Not far from the city gates, a cloaked figure caught up with them from Whispering Woods. It was Barbara.
"Hi everyone," she greeted. "When I delivered medicine to Old Jack yesterday, Bennett mentioned you'd been clearing Valley of Remembrance, and I—I'm just one Flower of Life short. So, I thought maybe I could join you?"
Her eyes sparkled with hopeful sincerity.
"This princess... ahem, I have already given consent," Fischl said with a gracious nod.
Barbara then looked to Victor.
"Hi Barbara, I'm a fan of yours."
"Oh! You're the one who was vice-president of the support club at the concert!"
"Glad you remember." Victor beamed.
"Thanks again for that day. For some reason, none of the usual support club regulars showed up… If not for you…"
"It was my duty."
Bennett and Fischl exchanged amused glances. Even after half a month, they instantly recognized that voice—it was unmistakably the same one that had shouted "Miss Barbara! I'm your fan!" during the concert.
But before they could tease him, someone else came running up behind them. Barbara instinctively tightened her cloak and tucked behind the trio.
"Lady Barbara! Lady Barbara!"
It was Albert.
When he reached them, he blinked. "Huh? I thought I just heard Lady Barbara's voice?"
Victor shot a glance to Fischl and Bennett, then turned to Albert and asked, "What are you doing?"
"Well, I was waiting outside the cathedral for Lady Barbara, like always. But she didn't show up at her usual time. I asked Sister Victoria, but she wouldn't tell me anything. That just made it more suspicious! So, I started searching the city. Then I thought I heard her voice nearby..."
"Vice-president, tell me! Did you see Lady Barbara?"
Albert circled them, trying to peek behind. But Victor casually matched his movements, always keeping himself between Albert and Barbara.
"I did."
"Where?!"
"She said she was headed... to Wolvendom. Something about picking special Valberries for medicine."
"Oh! Red Valberries! She picked those just recently too… So, she did go to Wolvendom! I must go protect her!"
"There are wolves there. Can you even handle it?"
"You were once our support club president—you understand, right? For Lady Barbara, I'm invincible! I'm off!"
And off he ran.
"Well, it's kind of on the way," Victor said. "Let's walk slowly, let him get a good head start."
The others agreed.
Barbara smiled gratefully. "You helped me again."
"You've got to learn to say no to overly enthusiastic fans."
"But…"
"If they can't even understand your struggles, can they really call themselves fans? Boundaries are healthy for both idols and supporters."
Victor figured Lumine had already completed Barbara's hangout event, and if this world didn't allow dialogue rollbacks, he could at least give Barbara a push in the right direction while the moment was hot.
"I see… If only all fans were like you—it would make everything so much easier. By the way, I never asked—what's your name?"
"Just call me Victor."
"Victor… I'll remember that." Barbara smiled sweetly.
Once the two had finished talking, Bennett finally got his chance to ask, "So that was you at the concert? The first one to cheer?"
"Yup. You were there too?"
"Of course! Miss Barbara's healed me and my old man adventurer dads many times. We all went to support her. Only problem was—I was one seat short. The little stool I brought broke a leg, so I had to stand the whole time."
He gave Barbara a thumbs-up. "Still amazing!"
"But of course! My performance was worthy enough to win the hearts of my father and mother!"
"Huh?"
"What the young miss means is: she and her parents loved your performance."
"Really? So, you all came to see me?" Barbara's cheeks turned slightly pink.
"Well, you are the only 'idol' in Mondstadt—or even all of Teyvat."
"I'm… the only one?!"
Her face turned redder. Alice had made it sound like there were tons of idols.
Albert was now completely out of sight. The group picked up the pace—there was still a long journey ahead.
"Oh, right." Barbara turned to Victor. "Albert said you were once a support club president?"
Barbara's official fan club had always been led by Albert. So which club did he mean?
"Don't listen to Albert. When it comes to idols—you're the only one I follow."
"Only one?"
"Yup. Just you." Victor grinned shamelessly.
"I see…"
But… didn't you just say I'm the only idol? Barbara pondered, but let the thought go.
The four placed their hands on the domain gate to Valley of Remembrance and entered.
Barbara insisted she wasn't much of a fighter and could only provide healing—but on Victor's suggestion, she stayed at the back and applied Hydro to the enemies.
Where before Overloaded was risky and self-damaging, now their fire and lightning attacks combined with Hydro for Vaporize, Electro-Charged, and Swirl reactions. Even with the fourth difficulty active, the domain was easier than yesterday.
When the Cicin Mage flashed in and bursted, Victor once again got zapped. Barbara instinctively tried to cast Melody Loop on him, but he quickly declined.
The team emerged victorious—no surprise.
Bennett whooped with joy. He'd scored two more 4-star artifacts—Maiden Beloved goblet and sands.
Victor had only 3-star options again, also goblet and sands. He picked the TinyMiracle set and finally had four pieces.
Aside from a minor increase in mental strength compared to his old 2-stars, he didn't feel much difference.
Barbara, however, finally got her long-sought Flower of Life for the Maiden Beloved set.
Seeing how elemental reactions worked firsthand, she remarked, "So this is what it feels like to earn artifacts with your own strength."
Victor asked curiously, "Couldn't the Church have helped you farm?"
"They did—many times. But I was missing just this one flower, and it just wouldn't drop. I didn't want to keep wasting everyone's time, so I gave up. Then I heard from Bennett that you were running this domain… I thought I'd try my luck. I guess it was the right call!"
"Luck, huh…"
Barbara pulled out some drinks from her pack. "So, thank you all for letting me tag along. Please, help yourselves!"
"Whoa! Fantastic Summer-Serendipity Coral Sparkling Tea? I've never had this before—lines are way too long!" Bennett chugged half a bottle.
Victor took one. Inside was a shimmering swirl of blue and violet, flecked with star-like sparkles. The taste was lightly bitter and sweet, indescribably complex—just like its dreamy appearance.
The four stood atop the cliff outside the domain gate, sipping tea.
"You know," Barbara said, "I've wanted to ask since we met at the cathedral—why do you wear such a big cloak?"
Even with his face healed, the mask made him stand out. The cloak only made him more noticeable—to Vision holders at least. But between the two, Victor preferred to stay covered.
Bennett and Fischl perked up—they'd asked the same question when they first met Victor and nearly pegged him as a vampire. Thankfully, Oz had cleared that up.
Victor lowered his hood, revealing the fox mask, and explained smoothly, "I've had a strange condition since childhood. My body's allergic to sunlight. I break out in hives and get itchy. So, this outfit is necessary."
"Oh—I'm so sorry… My healing skill only treats external wounds, but I've been learning medicine too. When I get back to the Church, I'll look for remedies."
"That's really not necessary."
"Please, let me help."
"Well… alright. But all the doctors I've seen said there's not much hope. Don't strain yourself—I've gotten used to it."
Barbara nodded earnestly.
Just don't take it too seriously, Victor thought. Ordinary medicine can't fix what I've got...