Yes, Lady Funina!

"Congratulations, Ms. Charlotte, you've been hired. See you at the West Wind Cathedral tomorrow morning at eight o'clock."

Volume 1: Chapter 51 Richard: Impersonating a God? Death Penalty!

The Cathedral of Favonius, a landmark of Mondstadt, dates back a thousand years. It was once used by the old nobility as a grand hall to flaunt their power and majesty. Today, it belongs to the Knights of Favonius and is managed by devout followers of the wind god.

Today, their deity has been welcomed into the devout sanctuary.

"Hello, Sister Sister." The speaker was a young man dressed in green with a friendly smile that made people feel instantly fond of him.

Sister Gotlind, who was on duty today, returned the smile. "May the wind god bless you, young poet. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Not far away, Ying and Paimon were also watching the conversation between the two.

Paimon nudged Ying and asked, "Do you think the bard can borrow the [Sky Harp]?"

“No,” Ying said firmly.

Paimon was surprised by Luminous's certainty and was about to ask why when he saw Wendy scratching her head and walking up to them with an embarrassed smile, while Sister Gotlinde was nowhere to be seen.

"Heh heh, I said I was Barbatos, the god of wind, and wanted to borrow the Sky Harp," and then the nun walked away without looking back.

"Who would believe something like that out of the blue?" Paimon said, arms crossed, looking at the unreliable bard with a hint of exasperation.

Seemingly noticing Paimon's gaze, Wendy quickly added, "But the goal has been achieved, at least she didn't deny it—the cathedral houses the Sky Harp."

After Wendy finished speaking, she paused, stroked her chin, looked at Ying, and suddenly thought of a brilliant idea.

"Since Ying is a rising star in the Knights, why don't you... give her a try?"

Ying slowly typed a question mark, while Paimon thought Wendy's words made a lot of sense and chimed in, "I think it's feasible, at least it's definitely more likely to succeed than the bards."

"Don't be shy, go on!" Wendy gestured with her chin towards the nun not far away, then joined Paimon in cheering her on.

Not long after, Ying returned.

The plan has undoubtedly failed. Without the Knights' permission to borrow the item, it is clear that another method must be found to obtain the Sky Harp hidden in the West Wind Cathedral.

Just as the three were at their wits' end, they heard noisy footsteps outside the door. Paimon looked in the direction of the sound, then quickly tugged at Ying's sleeve and said, "Ying, look, isn't that Richard, the big shot from Fontaine we met yesterday?"

"And there's also Captain Jean and Kaeya, but they both seem to be half a body length behind the person walking in the middle. Someone with that kind of status... could it be the water god that Charlotte mentioned?" Paimon stared wide-eyed at the imposing Frynn, who was walking at the very front.

"Oh? Lord Water God? Where, where?" Wendy also looked over.

Then Wendy spotted Frynn, who stood out in the crowd, and was momentarily stunned, but quickly recovered.

Then Wendy turned her gaze to Richard, who was standing next to Furnessa, just as Richard was looking at Wendy.

'Barbatos, the Anemo Archon? So K has already woken up.' Richard thought to himself, he had seen this Anemo Archon when he was young when the poison dragon Durin attacked Mondstadt, so it wasn't surprising that he recognized Venti.

Richard noticed Wendy winking at him; the way she was winking made it clear she didn't want to reveal her identity.

'Is this some kind of undercover investigation trick again?' Richard remained silent, but showed no intention of revealing his identity.

When Qin saw Ying and her group from West Wind Cathedral, she paused for a moment, nodded to them as a greeting, and then spoke to Sister Gotlinde, who had been drawn over by the group's presence:

"Sister Gotlinde, we've come to borrow the Sky Harp."

Sister Gotlinde found today to be quite unusual. First, a young man impersonating Lord Barbatos came to borrow a piano, then an honorary knight came to borrow a piano, and now the acting Grand Master has come with a group of people to borrow a piano.

"I didn't expect the Knight of Honor to be telling the truth. So he really is here to handle the official business you assigned him, Commander Jean."

Hearing this, Ying, who was not far away, guiltily looked away.

"Honorary Knight?" Jean hadn't expected that Ying had come to the West Wind Cathedral to borrow the [Sky Harp] before they arrived.

“Yes, don’t you know? Besides, there was another young man who came to borrow the violin before the Knight of Honor, and he even claimed to be Lord Barbatos. He must have had ill intentions!” Sister Gotlinde said angrily.

If it weren't for her good temper and the boy's inexplicable affability, she would have long ago rallied the believers to drive this usurper who claimed to be a god out of the West Wind Cathedral.

Upon hearing this, Richard glanced at Wendy next to Ying and his lips twitched. If Sister Gotlinde really did that, Barbatos would probably be the first god to be expelled from his own church by his most devout believer.

"Is that so?" Funina, who was standing next to her, was also surprised.

To dare impersonate a deity is incredibly audacious! It's utterly appalling. How could a nun let someone escape like that? This City of Freedom is far too free. In Fontainebleau, it would be akin to the Inquisition!

As Funina thought this, she suddenly realized that she was probably the least qualified to say such a thing.

Richard nodded in agreement after hearing Funina's words, "Indeed, if this were in Fontainebleau, they would at least be convicted of a serious offense of disrespect, just like the criminals in the attack a few days ago, and sentenced to at least ten years in prison in Mero Petersburg."

"Is it...is it that serious?" After hearing Richard's words, Funina felt her mouth go dry.

“Of course, Lady Funina, I understand your mercy, but that is not a reason for others to overstep the bounds of the gods. If you ask me, if Fontaine had a precedent of no death penalty, these audacious and ungrateful scoundrels should be sentenced to death, or at the very least, to life imprisonment,” Richard said earnestly.

Funina's face turned pale, and she hesitated for a long time without uttering a single word.

“That would be too harsh, Mr. Richard,” Wendy said, walking over at that moment.

“Oh, yes, so it depends on the specific circumstances.” Richard readily accepted Wendy’s opinion. “If no serious consequences are caused, the punishment can range from a warning to a few years’ imprisonment. If serious consequences are caused, the punishment can range from more than ten years’ imprisonment to the death penalty.”

Funina swallowed hard. "How should serious consequences be defined?"

"I'm sorry, Lady Furina, I'm not an expert in law, but from my personal perspective, you can refer to the classification of fraud levels."

"Scam level?"

"Yes, it depends on its size, number of people, amount of money involved, and even its impact on the entire country."

"For example, if someone impersonates a deity and makes the entire country, and even the surrounding areas, believe in him and use this title to seek personal gain... then I think it would not be an exaggeration to impose the most severe punishment on him."

"Lady Funina, what do you think?" Richard asked, looking at Funina who was trying to remain calm.

Volume 1: Chapter 52 Unfamiliar

“I…I think you’re right. We should be tough on those who impersonate gods.” Fryna spoke loudly, seemingly to prevent others from noticing anything, which attracted the attention of Master Jean and Sister Gotlinde, who were talking not far away.

"Huh? Isn't that the boy who claims to be Lord Barbatos? How did he end up next to the Water God? The Knight of Honor is here too." Sister Gotlinde exclaimed softly.

Qin also looked over and saw the bard in the green cloak. Strangely, when she saw the bard, she felt a sense of familiarity, as if the children of the gods had met their god.

“Sister Gotlind, please take out the Sky Harp first. It is very important for awakening Lord Dvalin, the Dragon of the East Wind,” Harp instructed.

"Oh, okay." Realizing the urgency of the matter, Sister Gotlinde did not hesitate and summoned the church's prayer priest Barbara, asking her to take the harp leader and his party to retrieve the [Sky Harp].

Interestingly, lending out the Sky Harp requires the consent of the Knights Commander, the Church Bishop, and the people. Church Bishop Simon Page happens to be the father of Jyn Gunnhildr, the current acting Grand Master of the Knights Commander. His other daughter, Barbara Gunnhildr, is an idol in Mondstadt and is deeply loved by the people of Mondstadt, representing the will of the vast majority of the Mondstadt people.

In other words, to obtain the [Sky Harp], you only need to win over this family.

This also reflects the current state of Mondstadt. With Grand Master Falgar's expedition, Mondstadt is now essentially a "one-sided story".

Fortunately, this family is all selfless, otherwise Mondstadt would probably have another 'Lawrence'.

The process of obtaining the Sky Harp went very smoothly, and soon Jean and Barbara brought the Sky Harp to Richard's side.

"We've got the Sky Harp, what's next?" Harp asked Richard, after all, he was the main architect of this plan.

“Then we’ll need to ask the Knights of Honor and the members of the Knights Order to go and find the Crystallized Tears of Dvalin. Look, it’s the one the Knights of Honor have,” Wendy replied quite naturally.

"Hmm? And who is this...?" Jean turned her gaze to Wendy, remembering what Sister Gotlinde had said to her earlier.

“Wendy, a bard, is very interesting to talk to and quite knowledgeable,” Funina introduced.

After their conversation, and with the other party speaking up for her on the topic of 'how to judge someone who impersonates a god,' Frynn felt quite good about Wendy.

But at least one thing is certain: she didn't recognize Wendy's true identity at all.

"Is that so? But please, Mr. Wendy, don't use Lord Barbatos's name to deceive people so casually in the future, even if it's out of good intentions," Jean earnestly warned.

"What? What? He's that madman who impersonated the Wind God?" Fryna looked at Wendy in surprise. No wonder he spoke up for her; he was defending himself!

"Ahem, actually, this is the first time I've met this bard, and we're not very familiar with each other, right, Richard?" After learning about Wendy's behavior, Furnessa decisively distanced herself from him.

“Yes, Lady Funina.” Richard watched the farce unfold with amusement, suddenly understanding the fun Wendy had in hiding her identity.

However, what puzzled him was that Lady Furina did not seem to recognize Wendy.

Was Wendy just too good at hiding it, or...?

“As Mr. Wendy said, we now need to find more Wind Dragon Tear Crystals to activate the Sky Harp and restore its former power to summon the East Wind Dragon, Dvalin.” Richard explained as he gestured for Ying to drop the Wind Dragon Tear Crystals onto the Sky Harp.

As Ying Zhao did, the purified wind dragon teardrop transformed into a gust of wind power and merged into the body of the [Sky Harp]. The [Sky Harp] glowed faintly, appearing to have regained some of its power.

However, to fully restore its former power, it will probably need more Wind Dragon Tears, so the Knights Order and Honor Knights will need to help collect them.

As for Richard and Frynn, they naturally chose to wait for their good news at the West Wind Cathedral. After all, you can't expect the gods to do these errands themselves, can you?

As for Richard, he said he was a civil official, frail and weak, and would only be a burden to these valiant knights. Besides, he had already marked the possible locations of the Wind Dragon Tears, so he wouldn't cause any trouble and would stay to have tea and chat with Lady Funina.

Oh, right, Richard had promised yesterday to introduce Barbara to Funina, and he hadn't forgotten that, so Barbara joined the tea party as well.

Charlotte, the accompanying reporter, naturally didn't stay for tea with Richard and the others. She was preparing a big news story, and collecting teardrops naturally required leaving behind valuable video footage.

Charlotte estimated that this news article would conservatively earn her a nomination for the Ravel Award, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, she would most likely win. (Note: The Ravel Award is considered the most prestigious award by journalists in Fontainebleau.)

A reporter who had just started her internship won this award through her own hard work, something Charlotte had never even dared to dream of before.

Thank you, Mr. Richard, for your generosity and strong sense of justice; he is truly a wonderful man. — Charlotte

"So Mr. Wendy isn't coming along?" Richard asked.

"It's not easy to see an old friend I haven't seen in a long time, so of course I have to stay and chat a bit more," Wendy said with a smile.

“Old friend? You two know each other?” Funina looked Wendy and Richard up and down.

“We know each other, we were good friends who fought side by side, right?” Wendy nudged Richard with her elbow.

"I know him, but we're not close," Richard said calmly, taking a sip of tea.

"G! That's so mean!" Wendy was devastated. He slumped onto the table and said to Barbara, who was pouring him tea, "Thank you, but I don't drink tea. Do you have cider?"

"No!" Barbara retorted angrily. Who drinks in a church? It's disrespectful to Lord Barbatos!

"So what's going on between you guys, and what does 'fighting side by side' mean?" Funina was completely confused.

"We just got a bunch of drunks drunk at the tavern, Lady Furina. Barbara, didn't you have something you wanted to ask Furina? Now's your chance." Richard didn't want to say anything more about this matter and changed the subject.

As expected, Funina's attention was diverted, and she started chatting with Barbara, who had been watching longingly but dared not interrupt.

Barbara's favorability +1

Wendy leaned closer and whispered, "So you came here this time not just for Klee's safety, but for something else, right?"

"Yes, and your Heart of God, Lord Barbatos."

Volume 1: Chapter 53 She wasn't a water goddess, just an ordinary girl.

“The Heart of God is the most important proof of the Wind God’s power. I cannot give it to you without a proper reason,” Wendy replied seriously.

As for Furnessa and Barbara, who were standing to the side, they seemed not to have heard Richard and Wendy's conversation, and only felt a gentle breeze blowing.

"Does Lord Barbatos mean we have to pay more?" Richard asked, seeing Wendy using some means to block out the sound, so he turned up the volume as well.

“The Heart of God cannot be measured in money.” Wendy shook her head.

"What about waking up Dvalin? That would be a huge favor, wouldn't it?"

“Indeed, but isn’t that also helping yourself?” Wendy said meaningfully.

“So you didn’t refuse.” Richard didn’t directly answer Wendy’s question.

Wendy also didn't answer directly: "You stay by her side, also for her Heart of God?"

It's clear that the 'she' Wendy is referring to is Furnessa.

“Furina does not possess the heart of a god, nor is she the water god Fucarus. She is merely a pitiful human girl cursed by the gods,” Richard said, a conclusion he deduced through various signs and tests.

“No, she is indeed the water goddess Fucarus,” Wendy replied with a smile.

Richard was stunned. He hadn't expected Wendy to say that, but he had no reason to lie to himself.

However, this also means that one's own deduction is wrong and needs to be overturned and started over.

Richard shook his head and said, "Forget it, let's put aside whether Funina is the water goddess or not, and let's continue talking about the Heart of God."

"You're no longer one of the Fools, so why are you still so fixated on the heart of God?" Wendy asked curiously.

"Returning a favor can bring you a lot of benefits. By the way, just in case you don't know, the Fools have already taken action. Even if they don't give it to me, someone else will come and take it from me."

Richard had relied heavily on the Fools' forces to establish himself in Fontainebleau. Now that he was no longer serving Queen Winter, he naturally had to repay those favors.

What's more, he's poached from the Hearth House, and if he doesn't make a move, Arecino won't let it go.

However, Wendy's lack of surprise suggests that he already knew the Fatui would attack him.

Indeed, the Fatui's covetousness of the Heart of God is common knowledge, and considering their actions toward Mondstadt in recent years, it's clear they're starting to get restless.

"Hmm, so it was to repay a favor and get some benefits in return~ I wonder what I... cough cough, um~ you know." Wendy winked at Richard.

"Understood, a premium membership card for Dawn Winery!"