The final stop: Mondstadt.
When the Traveler and the others arrived in Mondstadt City, the first person they encountered was Venti.
"Kind Traveler, could you spare some Mora to help a penniless bard quench his thirst and hunger?" Venti strummed his lyre, speaking to the Traveler and the others in an exaggerated tone.
"After seeing the lofty Pyro Archon, now seeing Venti again, I suddenly feel like you two aren't even from the same world," Paimon said helplessly to the Traveler.
"Oh? You've already met the Pyro Archon?" Venti took up the topic with interest.
"I hear the current Pyro Archon is a young man taking the role—must be quite arduous."
"Probably," Paimon tilted her head. "But I heard the Pyro Archon handed a lot of matters over to Mavuika."
"Not sure if it's arduous or not."
"Compared to Venti who does nothing, the current Pyro Archon should count as arduous," the Traveler said.
To the Traveler's words, Venti smiled, then said: "Looks like that young Pyro Archon and I would get along well. I really want to meet him someday."
It seemed like he'd sensed the other also liked slacking off, so Venti already considered that young Pyro Archon one of his own.
Seeing this, the Traveler stated their purpose.
"Oh? That Pyro Archon engages in creation too? Looks like we'd have plenty to talk about." Venti had originally thought it was about poetry, but after hearing the Traveler and the others' description, he showed the expression of an old man looking at his phone on the subway.
"Young people these days have such unique ideas," Venti said. "Like Miss Barbara—not only an idol, but apparently something about 'live' performances."
"We old folks have fallen behind the times."
"If Venti didn't drink, maybe he could become an idol like Barbara too," Paimon said.
"But that's impossible," the Traveler added.
"Ehe." Venti smiled, having no objections.
"So Venti has no ideas at all for the later content?" Paimon asked.
"Though I don't fully understand this novel, I know it's about the protagonist and his companions adventuring everywhere," Venti pondered, then said.
"I see the protagonist's adventure team seems to lack a bard. How about adding a bard in the next stories?"
Paimon thought: "But everyone in the protagonist's adventure team is super strong. Adding a bard—wouldn't that drag them down?"
Venti laughed upon hearing this: "Little Paimon, that's discrimination against us bards."
"Who says bards have no strength?" Venti patted his chest, as if saying, "Look at me—right before you is a super strong bard."
"Venti may be the Anemo Archon, but he doesn't really seem that strong," Paimon spread her hands, feeling his current appearance had zero persuasiveness.
Next, the Traveler and Paimon went to the Knights of Favonius.
"Traveler, Paimon, is something the matter?" Acting Grand Master Jean, who was working, saw the Traveler and thought they needed help.
Conveniently, they did have something to ask.
"Does Acting Grand Master Jean read this novel too?" Paimon said, somewhat surprised.
Jean smiled embarrassedly and nodded: "This novel is indeed quite interesting, and the way it depicts the side characters' romance stories is very captivating to me."
Don't let Jean's mature appearance fool you—her actual age is quite young.
"So Jean's suggestion is to add more romance elements in the subsequent stories?" Having asked so many people, Paimon already had experience.
"No, that's not quite what I think," Jean's reply differed from what Paimon expected.
"Why?" Paimon asked curiously.
"To explain, the main reason is that this novel is primarily about exploration. Adding too much romance might disrupt the core tone," Jean analyzed slowly.
"Moreover, as mentioned earlier, when the author depicts romance, it's mainly about side characters, not the main party."
"Given this novel's reputation and story quality, I think it still needs even more splendid adventure tales," Jean analyzed slowly.
"Oh, I get it," Paimon nodded thoughtfully. "Very much in Acting Grand Master Jean's style."
"We want to ask others about the book too. Does Jean know who else reads it?" the Traveler asked.
Jean pondered for a moment, taking a long time without replying.
"Is it inconvenient to say the names directly?" Paimon asked.
"No, it's that there are simply too many people who like this novel. I can't think for a moment who would be best to give you opinions," Jean said with a helpless smile.
"So that means we can ask anyone?" Paimon said.
"Anyway, we're pretty free now, so let's just ask every friend in Mondstadt."
Just as Paimon said this, the office door was forcefully pushed open.
"Acting Grand Master Jean, bad news—Klee blew up Starfell Lake again!"
"What?" Jean's eyes widened.
Before she could go out to drag Klee back to confinement, she turned her head to the Travelers and said: "Traveler, I've just thought of a new suggestion."
"That in the next stories, if problem children make mistakes, they must—absolutely must—receive severe punishment, so that the bear children reading this book won't dare to err again!"
With that, Jean hurriedly left the office.
"Looks like we've collected all the opinions," Paimon said to the Traveler.
"Mm." The short-haired girl nodded.
The first opinion was Venti's: add a bard to the protagonist's party, dedicated to performing.
The second opinion was for even more splendid adventure stories, without deliberately adding romance.
The third opinion was Acting Grand Master Jean's offhand angry remark upon learning Klee had erred again: harshly punish the bear children who make mistakes in the story.
Unlike previous times where they consulted the editor.
On the final return to Natlan, at the Stadium of the Sacred Flame, Rios came before the Traveler for the last time.
After hearing these three opinions, Rios said: "I think all three suggestions are great. Let's adopt them all."
"This... Pyro Archon, that might not be good?" The editor felt it wasn't quite right.
"What's not good about it?" Rios said with a smile.
"In my view, all three suggestions are excellent and won't affect the story's quality—especially the last one, which I think is particularly good."
"Even children, if they err, must receive punishment."
"Rios, are you taking this chance to jab at me?" Mualani, who had made many mistakes as a child, said.
"You're not that bad," Rios said with a smile.