He changed Tiwat

They were able to enjoy a delicious meal this time, thanks to Yingmei, who wasn't even present.

Several months ago, the renowned golden-haired honorary knight ventured into the Dragonspine Mountains and discovered a snow pig colony deep within the mountains. This food, which was thought to be extinct, has once again appeared on the tables of Mondstadt people.

Xiangling, the young master chef of Liyue, also made a special trip to Dragonspine during that time. Unfortunately, her plan to hunt the "Great Snow Boar King" failed, otherwise "Wanmin Hall" could have had another dish of "fresh chilled meat".

In fact, Xiangling's failed hunt was largely due to Luminous's influence—snow pigs are very rare, and snow pig meat is very valuable, so... Luminous wiped out the snow pigs once again, turning them into food expenses for some kind of "emergency food"...

This "Thick Sauce Vegetable Stew with Meat" uses such rare ingredients, so it's naturally not an ordinary delicacy.

According to Han Fulai, this dish is practically a collection of calories.

Fresh meat and vegetables are cut into small pieces, added with tomatoes, and simmered for a long time to make a thick soup. Even just a small bite brings a sense of comfort and satisfaction from the bottom of your heart. The meat, which becomes more and more fragrant with each chew, seems to give you endless strength, making you feel perfectly comfortable even in the freezing cold.

Eating this stew in winter would be pure bliss, but unfortunately it's summer in Mondstadt now—however, pairing it with chilled dandelion liqueur and experiencing the hot, cold, sweet, and sour flavors simultaneously is a unique and unforgettable experience.

Yes, the chilled dandelion wine was kindly provided by Han Fulai.

He couldn't be stingy after being treated to so many delicious dishes.

The 82-year-old dandelion wine from Château de Dawn is perfect for a celebratory banquet, and the membership card that Ning Lu lost to him in the poetry recitation competition has finally been put to good use.

But... his efforts to balance the accounts seem to have failed again...

The joyous celebration lasted until late at night, and the drinking contest between Yura and Kaia ended in a draw—because the bottle of dandelion wine worth three million Mora was empty.

The day after the competition ended, Han Fulai received an invitation from Barbara, the "Mondstadt Idol," to go to the Cathedral of the West to discuss the performance arrangements for the closing ceremony of the celebration.

As this year's "Best Bard of Mondstadt," he will, as is customary, wear the laurel wreath he won in the competition on the last night of the "Badminton Festival," hold the "Sky Harp," and take the stage to sing a song.

The "Sky Harp" is a testament to the "God of Poetry," representing the presence of poetry in Barbatos and Mondstadt—to put it more simply, since the real god of wind is absent, a poet is needed at the festival to hold the wind god's harp and cosplay as the wind god, sharing joy with the people.

His performance at yesterday's "Poetry Recitation" event was remarkable. The name "Sir Humphrey, who rivals Barbatos" has already spread throughout Mondstadt. The legend of this Liyue poet is now circulating in all the taverns. Many people who were unable to attend the "Sir Humphrey Concert" are regretting it and say that they definitely cannot miss the legendary poet's performance at this closing ceremony.

As a popular idol in Mondstadt, Barbara also received requests from fans who hoped she could sing a new song for everyone at the closing ceremony.

So Barbara thought about it and decided to take this opportunity to hold a "joint concert" with him and perform together on stage at the closing ceremony.

Ideally, we could establish a long-term collaborative relationship with this talented poet, so she'll never have to worry about lyrics for her new songs again.

Chapter 293 Let the Wind Decide

Han Fulai enjoyed the idol treatment along the way and also experienced Barbara's troubles.

During the short journey from the hotel to the Cathedral of the West, Han Fulai encountered ten tourists who wanted to take photos with him, eight fans who presented him with flowers, and he also received two love letters and one interview from a reporter—of course, because he had important business to attend to today, he politely declined them all.

For a fleeting moment, he seriously considered whether he could follow Barbara's example and debut as an idol, leveraging the Chinese music scene to become a Teyvat pop king – it wouldn't be a dream!

In reality, aren't gods, rulers, and idols all objects that carry the wishes of the people? Perhaps being an idol as a side job can help him collect wishes even faster?

However, he quickly dismissed the idea... Well, putting all other issues aside, a man with a fiancée can't debut as an idol...

Think of Liyue's idol, the Geo Archon, who has been single for over six thousand years...

Arriving once again at the spacious Ponte Vecchio, Han Fulai stood before the statue of the wind god, gazing up at the indistinct face of the wind god and the Gothic cathedral standing behind it.

The towering towers, the pointed arches, the protruding buttresses, and the iconic rose window at the church entrance—everything exudes a sense of solemnity and holiness.

Looking up at such a tall and solemn building always makes one feel insignificant.

...But the thought that the deity worshipped by the Church of the West Wind was the drunkard who had asked him to "steal" the "Lyre of the Sky" instantly shattered any semblance of a grand, solemn, and sacred atmosphere.

At that moment, a flat, monotone voice rang out: "Good morning, Sir Humphrey. May the wind god protect you."

Han Fulai turned his head and saw Sister Victoria, one of the judges from yesterday's competition, walking out of the side door of the church.

The stern-faced nun had just finished her daily "patrol"—mainly dissuading tourists who like to write "I was here" in various places, and driving away members of the "Barbara Fan Support Group" who might be peeking through the church windows.

Sister Victoria was of course aware that Barbara had invited Han Fulai to the church, and when he arrived, she took the opportunity to show him the way.

Although Han Fulai had entered the West Wind Cathedral several times in the game for missions, this was the first time he had ever walked in in real life.

The church was unlit, but sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows on all four sides, casting dreamlike and colorful patterns on the rows of pews.

In the very center of the chapel is a pipe organ that occupies the entire wall, and a nun in a black robe is playing music, the sound echoing in the church's vaulted ceiling.

Han Fulai was quite familiar with that piece of music; it was the background music for the Mondstadt Cathedral in the game, "Windborne Hymn".

—The gentle breeze carries hope, and the winds of time gather hope into faith. The wind rustles the windmill blades, ringing the delicate wind chimes; listen closely, and you'll hear the stories they tell, free and timeless…

A group of priests dressed in white lapels sang hymns, led by the black-robed nun playing the harp; Barbara was among them. To his surprise, there was a little boy in the choir, and he recognized the boy—Timmy, the little boy who always fed the pigeons at the gates of Mondstadt.

The pews in the chapel were already quite full, with tourists from out of town as well as locals from Mondstadt who came to worship. Most people were praying with their eyes closed, while a few were singing along with the choir.

The lyrics they sang were the same prayer that Han Fulai had heard Barbara recite yesterday while treating Edith: "O wind that guides me forward. Give me the strength to keep going when I am in distress, give me the wisdom to distinguish good from evil when I am confused, give me the courage to fight when I suffer injustice..."

"Barbara's morning classes are not over yet. Please come with me to the reception room and wait a moment."

Sister Victoria politely led the way for him, but Han Fulai stopped walking and looked up at the stained glass windows—it was the first time he had noticed the stained glass paintings in the West Wind Church, and he found that the patterns in those paintings seemed to have special meanings.

Seeing that Han Fulai seemed quite interested in the church's stained glass, Sister Victoria, fulfilling her nun's duty, pointed to the stained glass windows around the church: "If you don't mind, I can tell you: these windows depict the symbols of Lord Barbatos and the doctrines of the Church of the West Wind."

"The doctrines of the Church of the West Wind?" Han Fulai was even more curious now.

He had heard rumors about the stained-glass windows of churches around the world before. It was said that the reason why the stained-glass windows in churches were built so big and painted was to make it easier for illiterate people to understand the doctrines.

The church would use stained glass to create comic strips of Bible stories and embed them in the windows, which the public called "the Bible for the illiterate."

It seems that the stained glass windows of the Cathedral of the West Winds are also the "bible" of the people of Mondstadt, and are inlaid with the doctrines of the wind god.

Sister Victoria guided his gaze from window to window:

"The main motif of the large round stained-glass window is the Cecilia flower, which grows only in the cool and windy high places. It is elusive and untouchable, symbolizing the wind-like Lord Barbatos."

"The blue background symbolizes the sky of Mondstadt, representing unbridled freedom; the red color is associated with blood, symbolizing the bloodshed and sacrifices made by the people of Mondstadt for freedom, as well as the spirit of resistance passed down through generations."

"The small floral window below is a combination of acanthus leaves and irises. The acanthus leaves represent wisdom and art, as well as respect for life and faith, implying that the temple will last forever like the poems of Mondstadt; the flying shape of the iris symbolizes the 'Holy Spirit,' representing light and freedom that will forever protect Mondstadt."

"These painted patterns, when combined, represent the doctrines of our Church of the West Wind—"

The choir was just reaching the end of the hymn—

"...Let the wind guide us! Devout people gather here, and if they sincerely confide in the wind, their words will one day reach the ears of the gods. ...Let the wind guide us, may the wind god protect us! Anemo!"

At this moment, Han Fulai, who was in the sanctuary, truly felt as if a tangible force of will was gathering in this space, forming a gentle breeze.

Faith is like the wind; it may seem nonexistent, but it is everywhere.

The faith of the Mondstadt people, in this song, brushed against his cheek like the wind, blowing towards the wind god whose whereabouts were unknown.

Chapter 294 A Song for Children [4k]

After the choir finished their work, Barbara, who had already noticed Han Fulai, couldn't contain her excitement and ran over to them.

The joint concert scheduled for the closing ceremony of the "Badminton Festival" was nothing short of a "Mondstadt Spring Festival Gala" for Barbara. To have such an opportunity to promote popular songs, especially to perform with the poet laureate, Barbara's current mood can only be described as "jubilant".

Before she could even greet them, she was met with a lecture from Victoria: "Running is not allowed in the church. I've told you so many times. As nuns who worship God, you must always be mindful of your manners. You must never be like Rosalia..."

Mentioning Rosalia, Sister Victoria looked around and asked, "By the way, why is Rosalia missing again? I finally managed to get her back to the choir this morning, why didn't you keep an eye on her?"

“Talia, the acolyte, has already gone after her; she really runs faster than a wildcat…” Barbara retorted, feeling wronged.

These are Talia's exact words when she went after the person—"Even if it's a stray cat you picked up, you should at least say hello before running away...!"

Barbara wholeheartedly agreed.

Sister Rosalia had less reverence for God than the average citizen of Mondstadt. She never participated in church activities, and although she was nominally a member of the choir, her attendance was consistently zero. Barbara had worked with her for several years, and the number of times they had met could be counted on two hands.

For example, after being brought back by Sister Victoria this morning, Rosalia just sat quietly on the last row of benches smoking and refused to participate in the choir activities at all.

Barbara had kindly advised Victoria, following her orders, such as "Please don't smoke in the church" and "Please attend the ceremony on time"... but the result was the same: once she finished smoking, she would disappear.

Rosalia was like a wisp of smoke rising from a burning cigarette, disappearing without a trace if you weren't paying attention.

In addition...

"...You won't let me run in the church, how am I supposed to catch up with her..."

"Huh? What did you just say?" Sister Victoria frowned when she heard Barbara's protest.

Barbara quickly lowered her head.

Before this strict nun, Mondstadt's most popular idol's small act of rebellion failed.

To avoid embarrassment, Han Fulai, very tactful about the atmosphere, looked around at the scenery, only to witness a heartwarming scene by the organ: Timmy hugged the black-robed nun playing the organ from behind and called out "Mama".

The nun in black robes turned around, patted Timmy's little head, her face full of doting affection, radiating maternal love.

But... that face, it's so young, looks like it's only in its early twenties, not much older than Barbara.

If it weren't for this young mother being so well-preserved... then it would be... Timmy's dad is really something else!

Come to think of it, his only impression of Timmy was that he would feed pigeons at the gates of Mondstadt every day; or rather, the only thing he could think of when he thought of Timmy was pigeons. Thinking back, he realized he had never seen Timmy's guardian feeding pigeons with him, nor did he know where Timmy lived… He only discovered today that the boy actually had a nun mother.

...And the Church of Favonius in Mondstadt is truly "free," you can become a nun even if you have children.

In his original world, nuns in the church usually had to undergo several years of baptism and practice, and make a "life vow" to God before they could be allowed to become nuns. The so-called "life vow" means that one should wholeheartedly and devoutly serve God, dedicate oneself to God, and never fall in love or get married. To put it bluntly, they are nuns with hair.

However, since even nuns in Mondstadt can become idols and hold concerts, they probably don't have those rigid rules anymore.

As he was thinking this, he saw the nun in black robes look up and meet his eyes.

The nun said a few words to Timmy, handed him a small paper bag, and then got up and walked towards him.

Sister Victoria was only there to show Han Fulai the way; her work was actually quite busy. Seeing the black-robed nun arrive, she finished her lecture to Barbara, bid farewell to the two of them, and hurriedly left.

If nothing unexpected happens, they should be rushing to capture Rosalia, who skipped the church event.

The nun in black robes approached and greeted him softly: "You must be Sir Humphrey, who won the title of 'Best Bard of Mondstadt' in yesterday's competition? It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Grace, and I am a priestess and choir leader at the church."

Han Fulai's first thought was: the people in the choir all had very nice voices, and they spoke as if they were singing.

Moreover, her long golden hair and azure eyes almost made Han Fulai think that it was Qin standing there... If it weren't for the fact that her face lacked the decisiveness and fortitude unique to the acting Grand Master of the Knights, but had more maternal love and gentleness, she would have looked just like Qin wearing a nun's habit.

Honestly, Barbara and Sister Grace look more like sisters when they stand together.

Barbara clearly had a good relationship with Sister Grace, affectionately taking her arm as she introduced her to him: "Sister Grace is my first vocal teacher, and I learned my vocal exercises from her. Also, she is the manager of the church's liturgical supplies, and the 'Sky Harp' you need to borrow is currently under her management."

Just then, Timmy's voice came: "Thank you, Mom, I'm going to feed the pigeons!"

The paper bag in his hand contained breadcrumbs for feeding the pigeons.

Grace gently waved goodbye to Timmy while reminding him to be careful on the road, perfectly embodying the image of a virtuous wife and loving mother.

Han Fulai casually complimented, "I often see your child feeding small animals; he's a very kind and loving child."

Unexpectedly, Sister Grace sighed upon hearing this.

“You’ve got it wrong, Timmy… he’s not my child.”

Han Fulai couldn't help but wonder: "Eh... but I heard that child call you 'Mom' just now...?"

Grace's face darkened slightly: "I've been taking care of some children who need care. Some parents are too busy with work, so they ask the church to help take care of their children. This is also my way of practicing my faith... Timmy is the one I've taken care of the longest, and he gradually started calling me 'Mom'."

Barbara added, "Yes, and Nora from Uncle Barton's family, the blind girl Gloria, and Anna, the sick sister from Anthony's family... Sister Grace takes care of them all. She's the person I admire most in church! As a nun, Sister Grace has always been a role model for all of us!"

Grace gently shook Barbara's hand to express her gratitude.

"Lord Barbatos is a very gentle god who has always protected his people with his gentle winds. The winds of the gods can spread joy throughout the city and also quietly wipe away the tears of the sad. I don't have the magical power to heal patients and help others like Barbara, so I can only do what I can."

Indeed, Sister Grace was as gentle as she appeared.

However, Han Fulai also gleaned a different meaning from her words—Timmy's long-term care from the church, his calling the nun who cared for him "Mom," and his acceptance into the church choir likely implied…

"Could this child's parents already be...?"

Grace nodded somewhat heavily: "Yes, the child's parents are no longer here."

"Timmy's parents were both adventurers from Clearspring. I didn't have much contact with his mother, only knowing that she died in an adventure when he was very young. I've met his father quite a few times, though. Mr. Duraf from Clearspring was a very good friend of his father. They hunted together, drank together, and when they got drunk, they'd go off and cause trouble together..."

"I don't know how many times he was warned by the Knights, or how many times Sister Victoria reprimanded him. It wasn't until Timmy was born that Timmy's father stopped restraining himself."

"He even quit drinking and started working hard to save money, saying, 'Dad has to set a good example for his son.' Then he kept nagging Mr. Dulaf not to set a bad example for Timmy, which made Mr. Dulaf quit drinking too. When they couldn't resist, they would keep drinking apple wine, and I would occasionally go and have a drink with them."

"After Timmy's mother passed away, his father even left the association and stayed in Mondstadt as a hunter, wanting to stay with Timmy as he grew up. Unfortunately... one of their hunts went wrong, and Timmy's father was seriously injured... Although Mr. Drouot immediately brought him over, and the church did its best to treat him, unfortunately... he still passed away."

“Mr. Drouf was very depressed and started drinking a lot again… Later, Mr. Drouf sent Timmy to me and asked me to take care of him. He told Timmy that his father had gone on an adventure to a faraway place and would send letters and money every month in imitation of his father’s handwriting… The reason Timmy loved feeding pigeons so much was because the pigeons could deliver his father’s letters to him…”

"I see..." Han Fulai felt a strange sense of guilt—he had killed pigeons in front of Timmy quite a few times in the game before...

Sister Grace sighed again.

"But Timmy is growing up, and he's thinking about more and more things and asking more and more questions... It's becoming increasingly difficult for me to face this child. Every time I hear him shouting that he wants to find his father, I suddenly feel soft-hearted, and I'm really afraid that one day I won't be able to hold back and will tell him the whole truth... But that's absolutely not allowed."

“I know it’s wrong to lie to him, and I can’t keep this from him forever… But he’s still a child… My parents were also adventurers, and they passed away when I was very young. As an orphan adopted by the church, I understand the pain of losing parents better than anyone else… Although Timmy keeps saying that he’s a man now and even helps me take care of Nora and Gloria, how could he possibly bear this cruel truth?”

“Until he’s mature enough to bear the truth… even if it’s deception, I want to give him a happy childhood. That way, no matter what pain he suffers later, at least he’ll have beautiful memories to comfort him…”