At six o'clock the next morning, Orion woke up early and ate Clara's breakfast. Lumine also returned from outside, having completed her Purple Demon Eyes training for the day, full of energy.
Looking at Lumine, who diligently trained every day, Orion didn't know how to speak.
It's just my mouth! I speak without thinking, and in the end, I can't smooth things over!
Barbara had already suffered once, and Orion truly didn't know how to approach Lumine. Damn it! Why didn't I eat a few gods of illusion? If I had learned Infinite Tsukuyomi, I could turn Lumine into a simple Star slave in minutes, and then she wouldn't have any worries!
What? The gods of illusion are goddesses, raised within my body? Oh, never mind then, I can't eat them. They even helped me measure my height when I was a child.
"Orion! I feel like my eyes are really different from before! Am I about to master the Purple Demon Eyes?"
Damn it, I really want to hypnotize her.
As soon as the food was served, Paimon would wake up on time, but she could immediately go back to sleep after eating, which was impressive. Orion couldn't learn it even if he wanted to; perhaps that was her Talent.
After breakfast, Orion asked Skirk if she wanted to come along. Skirk asked what the main purpose was today, and Orion told her it was just to watch a little boy purify Stormterror, no fighting involved.
Skirk shook her head upon hearing this: "If fighting were required, I could help. But if it's just to watch, then there's no need for me to go."
Orion thought about the subsequent plot: "There will definitely be a fight later, but we have to wait."
Skirk opened her eyes with a hint of interest: "Roughly what level?"
"Well... Venti, Jean, Diluc, and Lumine, they can handle it."
Skirk closed her eyes again upon hearing this: "Then it seems I won't need to make a move at all during this trip to Mondstadt."
Orion also thought so. Skirk used Cryo element not because she was best at it, but because she was least proficient in it.
Even so, Skirk was enough to stand out among such characters. Whether she could reach a divine level was uncertain, as Orion had never seen the Seven Archons fight with full power, only knowing that they could move mountains and fill seas. Whether Skirk could do the same was unknown.
Lumine, Paimon, and Clara were all ready, waiting for Orion at the door.
"Trash Master, aren't you leaving yet?"
"Who taught you all this?" Orion grumbled as he followed them.
Clara leaned against the door and looked inside: "Sister Skirk isn't coming?"
"She's not coming along," Orion closed the door. "She probably won't make a move at all during this trip to Mondstadt."
After leaving Mondstadt City, Orion had Lumine and Clara hug him, while Paimon naturally sat on Orion's shoulder. Then, with a "whoosh," they teleported to the statue of the seven near Dawn Winery.
As for Mr. Svarog, his current state is very strange. He usually hibernates in a sub-space-like place. If Clara needs to shout "Kill him! Berserker!" oh, my apologies, it's "Help me! Mr. Svarog!" he will suddenly pop out and punch the opponent, so there's no worry about him being left behind.
Arriving near Dawn Winery, sniffing the cool morning air mixed with the scent of earth, Orion immediately became excited.
"I absolutely must let you listen to Dawn Winery's morning BGM!"
Saying that, Orion pressed the volume button again, and a melodious BGM, accompanied by a female hum, softly played in the damp morning mist, elegant and lingering.
Lumine and Paimon, as Orion expected, enjoyed this soul-purifying BGM.
Clara, however, looked terrified. Where was this sound coming from?
Arriving at the cliff, Orion flew down with Clara in his arms, landing in the vineyard, and even caught two Crystalfly along the way. Then, the group walked towards Dawn Winery.
Still some distance from the main gate, Orion saw the bard in green, our esteemed Anemo Archon Venti. He was tuning the sky harp when he suddenly seemed to hear something and turned around, meeting Orion's gaze.
Orion, suddenly feeling like he "met a classmate on vacation and wanted to shout their nickname," waved his arm and yelled: "Hey! Baba—"
Before he could finish, as the angle changed, Jean and Diluc, who had been discussing something nearby and previously blocked by the wall, came into view.
Diluc reacted quickly and immediately turned to look: "Hmm? Baba?"
Orion's eyes instantly sharpened, and his tone shifted from joy to a hint of suspicion: "Is this operation okay? You Ba'al."
Venti:???
"What is Ba'al?"
"It's a dialect from my hometown, referring to unreliable people."
"You'd better be telling the truth, or I'll compose your name into a drinking game and spread it widely among the taverns of Mondstadt."
Hoho, has our intimacy reached the point where we're making jokes that never appeared in the game? Batman, you rascal.
Orion looked at the people present: Venti, Diluc, Jean, Lumine, Paimon, Clara, and himself. There was one more Clara and himself than in the original game's plot, but it shouldn't be a big problem.
"Everyone should be here, right? Minstrel, aren't you going to start soon?" Orion urged Venti.
Jean, however, said with a strange expression: "No, actually, there are two more..."
Orion showed a confused expression, and just then, a familiar voice came from behind.
"Sorry! We're late!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice. The newcomers were the two people forcibly inserted by Simon Page: Sister Rosaria and — Deaconess Barbara Page... The combat meeting began, but there wasn't much substantial content. The essence of bringing so much combat power was to worry about a sudden fight breaking out halfway through the purification.
There was only one main objective for this operation: Venti would actively summon Dvalin and purify it.
Before everyone, far more Dragon Tears imbued with Anemo power than in the game's plot were taken out. Lumine "purified" them, and the remaining Anemo power was poured into the sky harp, creating a divine artifact that seemed to be used by the Anemo Archon herself.
Looking at the sky harp floating in mid-air, shimmering with light, even Old Man Diluc showed a solemn expression.
But Barbara, who always had incredibly strong faith, was somewhat restless at this moment.
Orion noticed this and was thinking if he should go talk to her later, but Rosaria suddenly spoke, voicing their shared confusion: "I say, everyone, I've been hearing a beautiful humming sound, accompanied by many instrument sounds, ever since I arrived. Is this music also the power of the sky harp? Like... being able to make sounds without plucking the strings?"
Everyone suddenly looked at Orion.
Orion looked embarrassed and raised his hand: "Sorry, that's my sound."
Forgot to turn off the speaker.
No, Diluc, all of you! Shouldn't a normal person ask a question when they hear someone walking over with a speaker? Why is everyone silent?!
Barbara's pupils, however, contracted for a moment.
From the music she had just heard, she had continuously perceived a joyful, cheerful emotion.
This sound only appeared after she got closer. (Referencing Paimon saying she couldn't hear the BGM when far from Orion.)
Doesn't that mean... Orion was happy because of her appearance this time, and used some ability to produce joyful music?
Barbara, who had already decided to ignore Orion for a while and sort out her thoughts, felt her heart's defenses suddenly loosen a bit.
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