"Hold on, hold on! Drinking can wait. Shouldn't you first tell me why you called me here? What's the plan, and when are we doing it? At least give me some details."
Gu Sanqiu grabbed Barbatos's wrist with a swift motion. "What exactly do you want me to do, and when? At least give me a heads-up."
"Oh, it's nothing urgent! Let's have some drinks first," Barbatos replied nonchalantly, dragging Gu Sanqiu toward Angel's Share with surprising strength.
You can't be serious.
Gu Sanqiu grumbled inwardly. La Signora wasn't even a match for him, yet this slacker was dragging him forward as if it were nothing. If this was just physical strength, he could probably beat La Signora until her mother wouldn't recognize her.
When they arrived at Angel's Share, the two managed to snag a corner table on the second floor, thanks to Gu Sanqiu vouching for Barbatos.
The reason for their placement in the corner was simple: the only reason Barbatos was allowed to sit down at all was due to Gu Sanqiu's friendship with Master Diluc and the assurance that they'd sort out the paperwork at the Knights of Favonius the next morning.
With Jean—an overworked acting Grand Master—at the helm, the Knights weren't ones to push work to another department. A certificate like this wouldn't take long to process.
Still, for the sake of Angel's Share's reputation and that of Dawn Winery, the two had to sit discreetly in a corner. An outdoor table was out of the question.
Even Mondstadt's taverns were caught up in fierce competition.
"This is so satisfying," Barbatos said after a hearty gulp of wine, cradling his cheeks in his hands and swaying with joy.
"I've dreamed of sitting openly in a tavern, drinking to my heart's content, with some snacks on the table and a friend across from me. This is the life."
"If you went to Liyue, no one would stop you from drinking as much as you want," Gu Sanqiu remarked, taking a sip of the bartender's special. Then he fixed Barbatos with a pointed look.
"Alright, we've had our drinks. Can we get to the point now?"
"You're so stiff. Why do you have to imitate your old man's seriousness?" Barbatos teased with a grin.
Gu Sanqiu's lips twitched. He suddenly doubted whether Barbatos really was part of the Archons' grand strategic scheming.
"Talk. Or I'm taking back the wine I gave you earlier."
Barbatos's face fell. "Hey, hey! That's a rare treasure! How could you take back a gift to your elder?"
Gu Sanqiu shot him a glare. "You know it's valuable, yet here you are, wasting time. Haven't you heard the phrase, don't bite the hand that feeds you?"
Barbatos blinked innocently. "Wait, aren't you drinking something I paid for right now?"
…
I should never have taken a sip of that wine.
Expressionless, Gu Sanqiu began seriously considering asking Zhongli to teach him how to throw a Geo spear.
"Relax, relax," Barbatos waved his hand dismissively. "We'll head out tomorrow after we sort out the paperwork. I just know the general timing of what's to come; the exact moment depends on a specific sign. You understand, right?"
"A sign? What kind of sign? Stars falling from the heavens? The world whispering secrets?"
Barbatos's lips twitched. "Why is everything in your head so apocalyptic? Can't a sign be something smaller? Like, say, a girl blushing after hearing a sweet nothing?"
"My bad. That was presumptuous of me."
Gu Sanqiu admitted his mistake with a calm nod. "So, let me guess. Is this sign something only you can sense?"
Barbatos grinned smugly. "Exactly. More or less, anyway. Only I can sense it."
Then, as if recalling something, his expression turned thoughtful.
"No, wait. If we go by my methods, you should be able to sense it too. Maybe even more clearly than I can. But I'm not entirely sure."
Gu Sanqiu frowned. "Hey, you're kidding, right? My family has been rooted in Liyue for generations. How could I possibly sense something weird like that?"
Barbatos casually raised his cup. "Relax, nephew. When the time comes, I'll make sure you witness something incredible. Just trust your elder this once, will you?"
"Fine. You're an Archon, after all. I'll trust you for now."
The two clinked glasses. After their drinks, Barbatos disappeared, likely either slipping into the alternate space of Stormterror's Lair to nap with Dvalin or handling some mysterious task.
Gu Sanqiu returned to the Goth Grand Hotel as usual, exchanging greetings with Amber along the way. She was working the night shift and carrying a drunken Eula home on her back.
If Eula hadn't brightened up upon spotting Gu Sanqiu and insisted on finding another place to drink, the two might have chatted a bit longer.
"Tomorrow, I'll finally meet the golden-haired one, huh?"
A sly smile played on Gu Sanqiu's lips. "Interesting. I'm looking forward to it."
---
The next morning, a familiar figure—an idle wind god—appeared outside his window.
Like a nagging alarm clock, Barbatos used a gentle breeze to lift Gu Sanqiu from bed, urging him to wash up and accompany him to get the paperwork done.
Gu Sanqiu tried to shoo him away with claims of sleeping in the nude, but Barbatos was unfazed.
"I've seen your ancestors in all their glory through the breeze. If it weren't for your old man telling me not to mess with kids, I might've whipped their butts with wind lashes. You think this fazes me?"
Such is the downside of being of a lower generation.
Once dressed, Gu Sanqiu was immediately whisked to the Knights of Favonius headquarters by an impatient Barbatos.
"We could've walked here in under five minutes. What's the rush for a piece of paper?" Gu Sanqiu muttered, his lips twitching.
The Knights were efficient. In under half an hour, Barbatos held the coveted certificate like a priceless treasure.
To Gu Sanqiu's surprise, Barbatos pulled out a luminous turquoise gem—Vayuda Turquoise—and encased the certificate in a makeshift cardholder.
"Wait, is that Vayuda Turquoise?"
Barbatos nodded. "Yeah, haven't you seen it before?"
"I've never seen anyone use something so precious like this," Gu Sanqiu said, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"It's a paper certificate. What if I spill something on it while drunk? Of course, it needs proper protection," Barbatos said matter-of-factly.
"Think about my position, nephew. This tiny gem is nothing compared to a certificate that lets me drink in peace."
"Well, when you put it that way… I guess it makes sense…"
Buzz—
Gu Sanqiu jolted. Within him, the elemental seed given to him by Decarabian began to glow, as did the Vision dangling from Barbatos's hip.
"See? I knew you'd be able to sense it too," Barbatos said with a knowing grin.
"That elemental seed from Decarabian…" he mused. "I have no idea what that tornado fool was thinking."
Suppressing the seed's energy with a deep breath, Gu Sanqiu steadied himself.
"So this is the sign you mentioned?"
Understanding dawned on him. The sign must be tied to the golden-haired one resonating with a Statue of the Seven and regaining their first elemental power.
"Exactly. Now it's time to meet the main event."
With a playful smirk, Barbatos vanished with Gu Sanqiu.
"This is the place."
After a brief ripple in space, the two landed in a thicket. Peeking out, they spotted their target.
Under the shade of a tree, a golden-haired man used his weapon to slice a Sunsettia in half, offering one half to the small creature floating beside him.
Tch. So, it's the brother, Gu Sanqiu thought.
As he studied the figure, he couldn't help but notice the man's pure eyes, clean and soft golden hair, and warm smile as he handed the other half of the fruit to his companion.
What a kind and gentle guy.
And that figure—toned waist, perfect legs, so handsome, so beautiful…
Wait.
Gu Sanqiu froze, horror dawning on him. Summoning a surge of dark willpower to drown out the overwhelming emotions, he barely managed to pull himself together.
"D-did I… just… fall for him?!"
---
T/N: ...YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS NEW SHIP SANQIU X AETHER WHAT SHOULD WE CALL THE SHIP? AEQIU? SANTHER? STARINCENSE? STARBEARER OMGGGG
...
Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.
Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.
WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it… or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.
If you had fun, you know what to do:
👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]
Heads up—Patreon's 50% off for all tiers during May. So if you were on the fence? Now's the time.
And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.
👉 [discord.gg/wisetl]
Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.
—Leaf