Genshin Impact, the spear remains.

"Huh? Cooking? Why do you say it's the Knights' responsibility?"

Paimon couldn't understand Bai Qiyun's somewhat profound words.

She believed that the Dragon Plague was caused by the conflict between the Stormterror and the Mondstadt people, and this explanation made logical sense.

Upon hearing this, the boy lowered his head.

"A very simple question, if I have the chance, I would like to ask the Knights how they promote their Four Winds Protection."

Yes, this was the most unbelievable thing for Bai Qiyun in the whole incident.

He tilted his head and looked at the honored knight behind him.

"We Liyue people can't remember all of our own immortals, but that's because there are so many immortals. But why don't many people remember the four guardians of the winds in Mondstadt, even though there are only four?"

Without Bai Qiyun needing to elaborate, Wendy quickly grasped the reason herself; it was probably because...

"Yes, there is only one answer, and that is that the Knights of Favonius, who have ruled Mondstadt for a thousand years, deliberately concealed this fact. Some of them deliberately downplayed the concept of the four winds after the wind dragon fell asleep."

Even he, a Liyue native, understands this, and I believe that the acting guild leader is no exception.

Bai Qiyun walked around the crowd a few times, connecting the clues in his mind to form a rough hypothesis.

"But why would they do that? The Four Winds are the guardians of Mondstadt, so aren't they just pushing their own people away?"

Paimon's little brain is getting more and more confused. To her, her own people are her own people, and such behavior is betrayal.

Looking at the bard's face, which was filled with self-reproach, Bai Qiyun was surprised, but he didn't think much of it. Perhaps it was because he was a member of Mondstadt that the other man felt guilty.

He cleared his throat and continued to answer Paimon's questions.

"Perhaps they are afraid."

"Fear? Fear of what?"

The boy's words became increasingly vague and ambiguous, and even Ying began to have trouble understanding what Bai Qiyun was saying.

Raising his head, Bai Qiyun looked up at the sky above the treetops, his gaze sweeping across the lush canopy and landing on the weathered statue of the Wind God not far away.

"They fear the symbols of that era. They are afraid that one day that era will return. Justice, freedom, ideals—those things that the people of Mondstadt once sang praises of—are their enemies. What they fear are precisely the things that their ancestors sang praises of with their lives."

"So when the opportunity came, they spared no effort to cover up everything that had happened on this land. The wind dragon no longer sang, the north wind no longer roared, and the eagle and lion gradually walked into darkness."

"That was a dark age unknown to people. On the surface, the people were still thriving, but they did not know that the faith they pursued had been completely abandoned. Now the storm has returned, and those who cannot see the light of day are trembling in fear. However, the hidden dangers they left behind must be borne by the people of Mondstadt now."

The boy's tone grew heavier and heavier as the story progressed, but even more somber than his voice was the face of the bard hidden in the shade of the trees.

In fact, he had foreseen all of this.

From the founding of New Mondstadt 2600 years ago, even from the time the Knights of Favonius overthrew the old nobility, it has been over a thousand years. If there were no dirty secrets in that time, even he himself wouldn't believe it.

It could be said that the root of this dragon plague lies with the people who once ruled Mondstadt, yet entrusting the land to the people to govern is precisely the will of the wind god. Could it really be...?

"So if we explain the pros and cons to the acting leader, she will definitely understand and help us."

However, in contrast, most of the people living on this land are kind-hearted, and after countless generations of effort, a group of outstanding talents like Jean Gunnhildr has finally emerged.

For some reason, Bai Qiyun felt at ease whenever he thought of that conscientious acting leader.

"Yes, yes, that leader of the harem shouldn't refuse our request. We're doing our best for Mondstadt after all."

Paimon didn't understand a whole string of words Bai Qiyun had said before, but she understood this last sentence.

"Hmm, that makes sense. In that case, Wendy, could you let me explain to Jean first?"

If it weren't absolutely necessary, Ying wouldn't want to risk breaking the law and committing a crime by stealing that so-called Sky Harp.

The girl's short, golden hair fluttered on either side of her face, and her sincere gaze made it impossible for Wendy to feel any reluctance.

Although the procedure was rather complicated, in order to get the traveler's help, he could only patiently wait for the other party to complete the procedure.

"Alright then, let me know once you've made your decision. If you need me to come, you can find me in the square in front of the Church of the West during weekdays."

After letting out a helpless sigh, Wendy agreed to Ying's suggestion.

"Workdays? You're a street performer, do you even have a job?"

In Paimon's opinion, this somewhat unreliable guy in front of him was truly idle and lazy, and it felt like he could be seen everywhere.

Even Wendy felt a little embarrassed by Paimon's gaze.

His eyes widened as if he had witnessed the most impossible thing in the world.

"Hey, I'm a bard, after all. It's perfectly normal for me to sing and busk in the square!"

Before Paimon could say anything more, suddenly, a pair of large hands grabbed her neck. Ying shook her head and pulled the little one aside.

A carriage slowly passed by not far from the crowd. The horses were sweating profusely under the scorching sun, and the coachman waved his whip, trying to make it go faster.

"Huh? That's...?"

Bai Qiyun's attention was diverted by the sudden appearance of the carriage, and he stared blankly at the people in the carriage for a while.

"Hey, what's wrong, cook?"

After escaping Ying's clutches, Paimon quickly slipped to Bai Qiyun's side. Following the boy's gaze, he saw a carriage heading into the distance.

"No, it's nothing. Have you all settled things?"

Coming to his senses, Bai Qiyun stopped dwelling on the previous topic.

If he wasn't mistaken, the person in the car looked like the businessman he and Bennett had rescued before... I think his name was something like Granny.

"It seems about time."

Looking to the other side, Ying and Wendy's conversation was almost over, and Paimon floated behind the boy, waiting quietly.

While he was at it, Bai Qiyun opened his backpack and counted the number of windmill chrysanthemums. This was a commission he had accepted, and he couldn't afford any mishaps.