"Ba-Barbatos? You're Lord Barbatos, the Anemo Archon himself!"
Rola's astonished exclamation drew everyone's attention. Venti momentarily put aside his concerns about Dvalin and turned to face her.
"Yes, I apologize for deceiving you earlier. But truthfully, I still prefer you calling me by my old name, just like before. We're still friends, aren't we?"
Still in shock, Rola stumbled back a few steps, overwhelmed by Venti's gentle words.
"Alright, Rola, keep calm," Diluc said, patting his sister's shoulder. "Lord Venti... I mean, Lord Barbatos wouldn't want you to be like this either." Diluc knew his sister's devotion to the Anemo Archon rivaled that of the nuns in Favonius Cathedral.
Rola nodded, her gaze toward Venti now carrying a newfound reverence.
Venti faced Rola, his smile summoning a refreshing breeze.
Meanwhile, among the players, some oblivious netizens only realized after Rola's outburst that Venti was actually the Anemo Archon?!
[Originally, my Venti bias shattered completely when I realized he was the Anemo Archon. But seeing Rola's reaction, it suddenly rebuilt itself!]
[Rola-chan's surprised face is so cute!]
[Venti and Rola, hehehe, the lilies of our homeland are blooming again!]
[???]
[Wait, are there still people who don't know Venti's a guy?!]
-
At Starsnatch Cliff:
"Ba... Lord Venti, what should we do now? Dvalin doesn't seem to be responding to your summons."
Venti chuckled wryly. It seemed it would take some time to rebuild his relationship with Rola to its former state.
"Dvalin's mind has been severely corrupted by the Abyss. Conventional methods won't work to awaken him. We need to resort to... unconventional measures."
Paimon: "What kind of unconventional measures?"
Lumine suddenly interjected: "Just beat Dvalin up first, then try reasoning with him."
"Ah? Beat Dvalin up?" Rola thought of Dvalin's immense size and instinctively felt a pang of unease. But after stealing a glance at Venti and seeing his encouraging nod, she nodded in agreement.
"With Lord Barbatos here, everything will be fine, right?"
"Ha ha, it might sound strange, but that's exactly what I mean."
After deciding to head to Stormterror's Lair, the group formulated a plan and prepared to depart immediately, wasting no time.
As they prepared to leave, Diluc stopped Rola, who was brimming with excitement.
"Rola, you should return to Mondstadt first—or go straight back to the Winery. You don't need to come with us on this mission."
Rola's face twisted into a grimace, her entire body radiating reluctance.
This was a mission to slay a dragon alongside Lord Barbatos himself! Such a classic and fantastical scenario had already played out countless times in Rola's Chuunii-esque mind. Now that it was becoming reality, how could she possibly miss it?
"Brother~"
Diluc remained unmoved.
Seeing that her pleading was ineffective, Rola turned to Jean.
Jean subtly averted her gaze. Diluc was Rola's Brother, and she was reluctant to contradict him. Besides, she also thought it best for Rola to return to Mondstadt. The mission's dangers were unpredictable, and if anything happened to Rola, Jean knew Diluc would never forgive himself.
Rola didn't bother asking Lumine and Paimon for help; she knew they couldn't dissuade her stubborn brother. Resigned, she turned to Venti.
"Venti~"
"Ehe~"
Rola felt a pang of jealousy but reluctantly gave in.
Besides, the main plot was nearly over anyway; skipping the final stretch wouldn't matter much. She'd already gotten her fair share of plot piggybacking.
"Alright, I'll head back first. But you all be careful! Paimon, remember to stay out of harm's way!"
Paimon waved goodbye. "Don't worry! Paimon will protect herself!"
Lumine also bid Rola farewell.
-
Rola returned to Mondstadt alone.
After treating herself to a hearty meal at Good Hunter and packing some takeout, she set off for Favonius Cathedral.
It had been ages since she'd seen Barbara, and Venti and the others would be coming to return Jean's lyre soon. This would be another chance to piggyback on the plot.
But what about La Signora's storyline later? How should she handle that?
As she walked, Rola pondered this dilemma. In the end, she decided to simply let things unfold as they would, without interfering.
-
Rola arrived at Favonius Cathedral, where the choir was singing. After waiting nearby for a while, she suddenly spotted Rosaria, a nun, blending in with the choir and secretly slacking off.
Rosaria looked utterly exhausted, dozing off while standing.
Once the choir finished their performance and the nuns dispersed, Rola hurried over to Rosaria, who was still nodding off in her seat.
Before Rola could speak, Rosaria's eyes snapped open, her gaze locking onto Rola.
"Rola? Are you here to pray to Basbatos too?"
"Ahem, Sister Rosaria, it's Barbatos. Are you very tired, Sister?"
"Mmm~ I've already finished my duties for today. Can you tell Barbara I'm going back to catch up on sleep?" Rosaria yawned, ruffling Rola's hair.
"Oh, and I really liked that wine you gave me last time. Remember me if you get more—I'll buy you some next time."
Rola nodded vigorously. Hearing Rosaria mention wine, she immediately pulled out a bottle from her Vision's dimensional space.
The moment Rosaria saw what Rola held, her listless expression vanished, her eyes gleaming with sudden intensity.
Though a nun, Rosaria harbored a deep fondness for alcohol, often frequenting Angel's Share.
Rola glanced around furtively to ensure no other nuns were watching, especially Barbara, before pressing the bottle into Rosaria's hands.
"I happen to have a bottle with me."
You might wonder why Rola, who doesn't drink, would carry a bottle of alcohol. The main reason was Venti.
Rola was like a little hamster, constantly pilfering from her brother's reserves. However, she knew her limits. She never touched the wines he valued highly or those he had only a small amount of.
After all, with so much wine in her brother's cellars—and so many cellars—taking a little wouldn't hurt, right?
"Little Rola really loves her big sister~" Rosaria teased, playfully pinching Rola's cheek. Smiling, she accepted the exquisitely crafted bottle.
"Rola!" Barbara suddenly spotted Rola and greeted her cheerfully.
Rosaria smiled at Rola, tucked the bottle into her cloak, and headed toward the Favonius Cathedral entrance.
"Barbara!"
Rola and Barbara settled into seats inside the cathedral.
"Barbara, Sister Rosaria went back already."
"Mmm, she looked so tired. She really should rest. I wonder why she's so exhausted today? We need to talk to her properly about not staying up late—it's bad for her health!"
"Barbara, I brought your favorite snacks... Are you still busy? Let's go to the back—"
Barbara hesitated, but when Rola's beautiful, wide eyes fixed on her, she nodded.
The two girls made their way toward the back of the cathedral.