Inside the Grand Master's office, Rostam paced restlessly. He and Arundolyn had just returned from the frontlines, where they led a push to repel the Abyss and reclaim territories across Mondstadt. Rostam's armor has new dents and scratches, even his uniform was smeared with dirt and tears of battle. Arundolyn looked no better though unlike his companion, he remained composed as he calmly poured two glasses of dandelion wine.
"You'll wear yourself out pacing like that," Arundolyn remarked, eyes still focused on the wine as it filled the glass.
"Ughh... I just can't sit still! They're still out there, fighting the Abyss with only four people! Lumine still has trauma from that damn thing, and we still sent them out anyway!" Rostam's voice cracked with frustration.
Arundolyn let out a sigh. "They're the only team suited for this. You know that."
"That's exactly why it pisses me off! I said I could take their place, and you still pushed for this!" Rostam snapped.
"And you understand why I couldn't allow that, don't you?" Arundolyn's tone remained steady, but firm.
"That's what makes it worse! I get the logic! I know the situation Noah's team is in, and yet—I still let them go!" Rostam growled before slamming his fist into the wall, the impact rattling the room's fixtures.
Arundolyn didn't reply. He simply set one glass of wine on the table, took his own, and drank in silence.
Rostam let out a heavy breath as the tension left his shoulders. He picked up his glass and downed it in one go, the warmth settling his nerves. Arundolyn quietly refilled it without a word.
"Better?" he asked, tone calm.
"…Yeah," Rostam sighed, finally relaxing. "Thanks, Ars."
He slumped into a nearby chair, cradling his head in his hands. The room settled into a silence as both men waited for word from Noah and the others.
Then there was noise coming from outside. Both men straightened, exchanging a sharp look before reaching for their weapons. The door burst open before Arundolyn could respond.
"Grand Master! Apologies for the intrusion, but we have a situation!" the knight barked, breathless and tense as he saluted.
"...That's fine. Tell me what happened," Arundolyn said with a sharp tone, instantly catching the knight's urgency. Both he and Rostam tensed, their instincts kicking in.
"Thank you sir!" Knight bow before continuing, "Lord Dvalin came to Mondstadt! He is together with Sir Noah and his party. And even Miss Alice was together with them!"
"WHAT?!" Arundolyn and Rostam shouted in shock.
The renowned adventurer and Witch, Alice or more commonly known as Miss A, She is famous from her magical capabilities and the adventure stories as in every place she went there will always be explosions, leveling of mountains or ruins after she left.
"Wait, wait—you're saying Noah and the others came with Lord Dvalin and Miss A?!" Rostam repeated, utterly stunned.
"Yes, sir! They're currently at the Cathedral," the knight confirmed. "Seneschal Thaddeus is with them."
"Understood. Thank you for the report," Arundolyn said briskly, already grabbing his coat. Without wasting another second, he and Rostam exited the headquarters and made their way straight toward the Cathedral.
----------
When Arundolyn and Rostam arrived at the Cathedral, they were prepared for bad news, grim reports, injuries, maybe even a crisis that would threaten Mondstadt. Instead what they found was something worse...a chaotic rom-com scene.
Off to one side, Dvalin had shrunk himself down to human size. And today, for the first time in their lives, the two knights learned that even dragons could have a very expressive face. Confusion, disbelief, and sheer exhaustion were all written plainly across Dvalin's features. Sitting beside him, a certain bard in green robes gently strummed his lyre while singing overly dramatic love ballads, as if serenading the whole mess into greater absurdity.
At the center, Seneschal Thaddeus was doing his absolute best to maintain a serious and solemn expression. Unfortunately, the occasional twitch of his shoulders betrayed the inner battle he was losing against a full-blown laugh. Beside him, Deacon Ragna and Cardinal Norman exchanged glances, both wearing expressions that blended amusement with helpless resignation as they looked to their left where the heart of the chaos unfolded.
And the cause of it all, well...
"Hehehehe, this is really comfy, Captain~," Alice better known as Miss A—hummed as she made herself at home on Noah's lap. "I totally get why Kii-chan and Ellie fight over this spot. It feels like nothing bad could ever touch me here~"
"I know, right?!" Kiana agreed with a bright smile but after a second froze then gritted her teeth, and a tick on her forehead appeared. "BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU WILL BE SAFE FROM ME!"
"Kyaa~! Captain, save me~! Kii-chan's going full Herrscher~!" Miss A clung dramatically to Noah, arms looped around his shoulders like she was claiming sanctuary.
"What are you doing?! Let go of him this instant!" Kiana lunged forward, trying to pry Alice off like an overly attached sloth.
Elysia and Lumine's cheeks twitched in synchronized disbelief as Kiana and Miss A clashed like rivals in a magical girl show.
"...Noah, aren't you lucky~" Elysia said through a strained smile, her brows twitching while trying to maintain her usual cheer.
"Yeah... Noah, don't tell me you're actually enjoying this?" Lumine asked, gently tugging the sleeve of his coat with a pointed pout.
Noah didn't even try to answer. He glanced away, only to lock eyes with Arundolyn and Rostamm who are still both frozen in a stunned daze.
His face went bright red. And it only got worse when he realized Dvalin, Deacon Ragna, and even Cardinal Norman wore similar expressions.
As for Venti and Seneschal Thaddeus… they looked far too entertained, the glint in their eyes practically screaming, This is gold..
Noah quickly looked away again, only to see Lumine's puffed cheeks and Elysia's smile, one of those dangerous, charming ones that promised retribution. Cute? Absolutely. Terrifying? Even more so.
"Ehh… Kii—sorry, I mean, Kiana and A, can we please not do this now?" Noah pleaded, waving his hands slightly like someone trying to defuse a ticking bomb.
"Huh? Are you saying… you're fine..... with her..... sitting on your lap?" Kiana's voice dropped into a low chilling tone, each word more ominous than the last.
Scary! That is so Scary Kiana-san!!!! That's not the Kiana I know! Noah, Elysia, and Lumine all thought in sync, a bead of sweat running down their temples.
"…This is the first time I've seen a real-life shuraba," Rostam whispered in awe.
"....Realy? Same with me as well. It's quite a battlefield," Arundolyn nodded, folding his arms.
"So this is the price of romantic overachievement," Cardinal Norman murmured with a sage nod.
"Ahaha… well, at least he hasn't got stabbed… yet," Deacon Ragna said, trying to keep it light despite the chaos.
"Hehe~ Isn't it fine? They all look happy. Right, Lord Venti?" Thaddeus quipped with a sly glance.
"Ehe~ This kind of love is a form of freedom too, you know," Venti said, strumming his lyre with a grin. "But seriously, drop the 'Lord'! I'm just a humble bard."
"…That's going to take time," Norman replied with a crooked smile.
"Kiana-san, that's not what I meant, okay?! So could you, uh, please let go of your hold on your pistols? You're scaring me a little here..." Noah stammered, voice rising just a bit with panic.
"Ara~ Does that mean... you don't like me, Captain?" Alice asked with an exaggeratedly sad look, her tone theatrical.
"No! That's not what I meant either!" Noah waved his hands in alarm.
"Oh? So that means I can stay~?" Alice tilted her head, eyes shimmering with hopeful glint.
"Captain…" Kiana cut in with a flat but deadly serious voice.
Ugh… my stomach…Can I just fight the abyss than face any of this…? Noah thought grimly.
He turned toward Elysia with a tearful plea in his eyes. She let out a soft sigh, clapped her hands decisively, and stepped forward before the tension could erupt into another disaster.
"Alright, Kiana and Alice… er, Miss A? Let's save the drama for later. Everyone's here now, so let's settle down."
"Hmph!" Kiana huffed, crossing her arms and puffing her cheeks as she plopped into the seat beside Noah.
"Fiiine~" Miss A finally slid off Noah's lap, albeit dramatically, and took the seat next to Kiana with a carefree smile.
Noah glanced toward Elysia like a drowning man spotting a lifeboat. She responded with a graceful wave and a knowing look.
Ellie, my goddess!! I love you!!!! Eimen!!! his mind screamed in silent gratitude.
"Ahem… apologies for the disruption," Elysia said, cheeks slightly pink from Noah's overly grateful expression, trying her best to restore order with her usual charm.
"Ahahaha, it's perfectly fine, Miss Elysia. Quite the entertaining display, if I may say so," Seneschal Thaddeus chuckled before turning to Venti. "Lord Venti, I believe everyone is ready. You trust everyone in this room, correct?"
"For the last time, drop the 'Lord' already!" Venti groaned, playfully waving his hand to summon a breeze of Anemo that swept through the chamber, layering it with a soundproof barrier. Deacon Ragna and Rostam exchanged glances as the air shimmered lightly around them, while Arundolyn and Cardinal Norman narrowed their eyes, both beginning to connect the dots about the true identity of the carefree bard being addressed so formally.
"Greetings, everyone~! I'm Venti, Teyvat's number one bard!" Venti declared dramatically, arms spread wide. "Oh, and I also happen to have a side job as the Anemo Archon Barbatos."
"Your main job is being the Anemo Archon! Not being the Bard!" Dvalin snapped with an exasperated tsukkomi.
"Ehe~" Venti responded with a cheeky grin, utterly unrepentant.
Rostam and Ragna stood frozen, mouths agape.
Norman turned to Thaddeus who wore a smirk as he shurgs at him.
As for Arundolyn, his expression was a conflicted blend of shock and that same I knew it realization sinking in.
——-
"So, let me get this straight," Rostam said, licking his lips as he tried to process everything. "Noah practically soloed a commander-class Abyss creature while surrounded? That's what you're telling me?"
"Huh? I wouldn't say surrounded," Noah replied with a puzzled look. "I think there were only... ten? Maybe twenty at most?" He paused, crossing his arms as if trying to remember. "Yeah. Probably just that many."
Rostam slowly turned his head toward Kiana, Elysia, and Lumine, silently asking them, Is this guy serious?
Kiana scratched her cheek. "Honestly... I kinda lost count myself."
And trying my best to ignore that voice, Kiana thought with a twitch of her eye.
Lumine nodded, her hands on her lap. "...I was too focused on making sure Noah didn't get killed…"
Elysia was about to answer, but Dvalin beat her to it with a loud huff.
"Only that many? Human, you do realize we were watching you, right?" Dvalin's eyes narrowed, his tone borderline offended. "Do you even know how many bodies were left behind after your little 'duel'?"
"Huh?" Noah blinked, completely thrown off.
"Noah, darling," Elysia chimed in with an exasperated smile, "you kinda… tunnel-visioned. Like, really hard. It was cool but also worrying."
Mou! Really what I'm going to do with this silly man~ Elysia added in her mind.
"…So they say," Rostam muttered, clearly unimpressed.
"Kuh! I can't believe I missed seeing Captain's dazzling moment!" Miss A lamented, throwing her arms up dramatically.
"Hmm~ Hmm~ It would make a splendid tale, worthy of an epic song," Venti mused, already imagining verses. "And heroes who shine so bright… deserve a proper reward, don't you think?"
"Hmph. Especially when they saved me from the brink of Abyssal corruption. I owe them a debt," Dvalin added with a rare tone of humility.
"Oh~! Then I've got just the idea!" Venti said, eyes gleaming mischievously. "But I'll need a little something from you first, Dvalin."
"…Kuh. Fine," the dragon replied reluctantly, already regretting it.
"In that case, how about granting them the title of honorary knight?" Arundolyn suggested.
Everyone in the room turned to stare at him.
"It would grant them official citizenship, benefits within Mondstadt, housing access, merchant discounts, and most importantly diplomatic identity when traveling abroad," Arundolyn continued, adjusting his gloves. "They'll be knights in name only. Free to come and go, they won't be tied with the order. They can still continue to act as Adventurers just with a bonus status."
"Ohh! I like that! Let's go with that~!" Venti declared, grinning wide. And with the Anemo Archon's approval, no one dared object.
"Wait! wait! hang on!" Noah quickly raised his hand in protest. "Venti, are you serious? This was just a commission from the Knights of Favonius! An adventurer gig! It shouldn't be that a big deal right?"
Kiana, Elysia, and Lumine nodded in agreement. "We only did what was asked of us."
That got them a long, unified sigh from half the room.
Rostam facepalmed. Arundolyn and Dvalin deadpanned. Ragna and Norman exhaled loudly. Thaddeus and Venti shared a look of wry amusement.
"…So what you're saying is that saving an entire nation's guardian deity was just another job?" Cardinal Norman asked flatly.
"WAHAHAHAHA!! Of course only you guys would treat saving a country like a grocery errand!" Miss A burst into laughter so hard she nearly fell over.
"Uhh… sorry?" the four said in unison, blinking at the backlash.
"Ahhh~ Captain, you really are something else~" Miss A wiped a tear from her eye. "Let me spell it out: Dvalin is not just some magical pet dragon. He's Barbatos's dependent, the Guardian of Mondstadt, and also a potential successor to the Anemo Archon's position if something were to happen to Venti!"
"Ohh!.... Hmm?....Wait…what?!" Noah, Kiana, Elysia, and Lumine chorused, stunned.
"Ahaha~! By the stars, I'm so glad I met you all at this time!" Alice laughed, nearly rolling on the bench.
"We'll talk about their reward more thoroughly later," Arundolyn said, clearing his throat before turning to the bard. "Lord Barbatos—"
"Mou~ Just 'Venti,' please, Arun," the bard cut in with a grin.
"...Lord Venti," Arundolyn repeated with visible effort, "I assume you didn't gather us here just to hand out knighthoods."
Venti sighed, dropping his teasing tone. "Sadly, no. As much as I wish this is just a casual chat with friends. But unfortunately we've got trouble on the horizon."
The air shifted immediately. The knights sat straighter. Noah and the girls leaned in. Even Miss A's carefree expression is gone.
"We need to brace ourselves, the Abyss is sending a major force our way, and Durin, the poison dragon, is along with it."
The room fell silent.