Paimon jumped at the unexpected voice. When she realized who it was, her expression turned sour. "Ugh, it's the green hat bard! That's blackmail!"
She was already annoyed that she'd only gotten a tiny sip of the wine. Why should he get a whole cup?
"Oh? Are you saying no?" Venti blinked innocently, his teal eyes dancing with mirth. "If word of this little mischief gets out, not just this tavern—all of Mondstadt's bars might start turning you away."
"Urgh…"
Paimon was momentarily speechless.
"You see? Just one little drink and the problem goes away. Don't you think that's a fair trade?" Venti offered, smiling like a fox who'd cornered his prey.
"Well, when you put it that way… it does sound reasonable…" Paimon mumbled, almost convinced.
She followed his logic too easily—no wonder she was often called emergency food instead of a brain trust.
Seeing her falter, Su Mo couldn't help but interject with a sigh. "You dummy. As long as you don't admit it, no one can prove you actually drank anything."
Being the seasoned veteran he was, Su Mo wasn't about to be rattled by Venti's bluff.
"You say they snuck some wine? Where's your evidence? Got photos? Why are you even watching kids this closely—got something to hide?"
Turn the tables, keep them off balance—that was the trick.
"Oh, right!" Paimon's eyes lit up. "You can't prove anything! I'm not scared of you!"
"Sigh…"
Venti put on a melodramatic look of despair. "Here I was, kindly offering to keep your secret, and now I'm being treated like a villain…"
He looked genuinely hurt—well, almost.
Su Mo could see through him easily. The bard's eyes were still sneaking glances at the bottle in his hand.
"If all you wanted was a drink, I'm happy to share," Su Mo said with a smirk. He popped the cork and poured a glass, sliding it across the bar toward Venti.
Unable to resist, Venti eagerly accepted the drink and settled in beside him.
"So," he said, swirling the wine thoughtfully, "looks like you've got something to discuss with me."
Of course he wasn't clueless—Venti knew Su Mo had been waiting for him.
And truth be told, the bard was just as curious about Su Mo as Su Mo was about him.
The power to control the wind… and yet it didn't come from a Vision.
The moment Su Mo first used the authority of Lord of the Skies, the Anemo Archon had already sensed it. From that moment, Venti—though still wearing the guise of a mere bard—understood clearly: this man before him was someone who could shift the balance of the world. Perhaps even more important than the Traveler herself.
Which meant, no matter what, he had to learn more.
"…Yes, I do have something I need to ask you," Su Mo nodded, expression calm. "I'm helping Lumine search for her brother, Aether. He was taken away by an unknown god. That's why we're traveling across Teyvat, seeking the Seven Archons—starting with Mondstadt."
He paused briefly, then added meaningfully, "And the reason I sought you out… is because of Barbatos, the Anemo Archon."
Su Mo met Venti's eyes directly as he said that, words heavy with implication.
But Venti only smiled softly, as if completely unaware. "Looking for the Seven? Now that's an interesting journey! Unfortunately, Barbatos hasn't involved himself with the mortal world for years. No one really knows where he is anymore."
Then, without missing a beat, he deflected. "If it's Archons you're after, you're better off trying Liyue's Geo Archon or Inazuma's Electro Archon."
And just like that, he pushed the responsibility toward Zhongli.
A classic case of shirking work.
Su Mo didn't call him out on it—not yet. Instead, he played along, his tone turning casual. "Yeah, I've heard about Barbatos. Apparently, he's a lazy god who sleeps all day and refuses to do anything productive. Sounds like he's not the type to actually help people."
The sarcasm was thick, but Venti pretended not to hear it.
"Anyway," Su Mo continued, changing the subject, "the real reason I came to you is because of the dragon—what people here call the Stormterror."
"Oh? You mean Dvalin?" Venti raised an eyebrow, interest piqued. "What do you want with him?"
"Dvalin… so that's the Stormterror's name?" Paimon muttered, scratching her head. "Everyone else just calls him the wind dragon or Stormterror, but you're calling him by name. You sound… awfully familiar with him!"
For once, Paimon's intuition hit the mark.
"Ehe~," Venti chuckled but offered no explanation.
Su Mo picked up the thread again. "Even if we can't meet the Anemo Archon directly, we'd like to speak with the Knights of Favonius. Maybe ask for their help in locating Aether. But in order to gain their trust, we need to prove ourselves first."
"And with Stormterror causing so much chaos lately… well, you get the idea."
He trailed off, but Venti already understood.
"You're planning to deal with Stormterror… to earn the Knights' gratitude," he said slowly. Though his face remained composed, there was a ripple of tension in his gaze.
Su Mo's reasoning was perfectly sound—Stormterror was indeed a threat to the people of Mondstadt. But if Su Mo was serious… that could be a serious problem.
Venti hesitated for a moment, then spoke, "Dvalin was once one of the Four Winds who protected Mondstadt. What if… he didn't go rogue, but was being manipulated by someone else? Wouldn't that be tragic?"
"I think rather than simply hunting him down, it might be better to uncover the truth behind what's happened. That way, if you resolve it peacefully, the Knights—and even the people—might thank you even more."
He was practically begging with his eyes. Venti didn't want Su Mo to take the direct route. Dvalin wasn't just some dragon—he was Venti's loyal companion, his friend.
Su Mo paused in thought, then gave a slow nod. "You're not wrong. Dvalin once protected this land. Killing him outright would seem excessive. But… I have no way to communicate with him. If it comes to a fight, I'll have no choice but to act."
He sighed as he said it, as though it truly pained him.
Venti took a sip of wine to calm himself—his fingers trembled slightly as he held the glass.
He was nervous.
If Su Mo were just an ordinary Vision wielder, Venti wouldn't have worried. Few humans could even challenge Dvalin, let alone defeat him.
But this man… Su Mo had the power to command the skies with a breath. His authority felt divine—on par with the Archons themselves, perhaps even greater.
Venti had personally examined the location where Su Mo used his abilities the day before. His conclusion?
This man's power was at least equal to Venti's own at full strength.
If Dvalin truly clashed with Su Mo, and negotiations failed…
Dvalin wouldn't survive even one round.
That outcome was unthinkable.
And so, after a moment's internal panic, Venti straightened and said firmly, "Don't worry—I'll help you talk to Dvalin. I'm the best bard in the world, after all! You can trust me on this."
He smiled, reassuring. "So before you resort to anything drastic, let me try first."
Su Mo considered it, seeming hesitant. After a long pause, he finally nodded. "Alright. I'll leave that part to you."
On the surface, his expression was reluctant.
But inside?
Su Mo was smiling.
His plan had worked perfectly.
By pretending to know nothing and feigning readiness to take violent action, he forced Venti to worry. And in that anxiety, Venti had offered Su Mo exactly what he needed—proactive cooperation.
The hunted had become the hunter.
Now Venti needed him, not the other way around.
Flawless reversal.
"Leave it to me!" Venti slapped his chest proudly, taking another swig of wine. "I'll make sure things go smoothly with Dvalin!"
It wasn't until he put the cup down that he realized… something wasn't right.
Why was he the one being talked into doing favors?
Wasn't he the one who always tricked others into helping him?
How did this get flipped?
Su Mo simply offered a small, enigmatic smile from the side.
The deceiver… had been deceived.
Call it karma.