Klee rubbed her tear-filled eyes, sniffling softly. "Really?"
Jiang Bai pointed at Dvalin, who had landed nearby. "Really. If you don't believe me, ask Dvalin yourself!"
Meeting Klee's watery gaze, Dvalin paused silently before finally forcing out the words against his better judgment:
"...Yes."
The Abyss Mage had indeed been a monster, though it had truly died, not escaped as Jiang Bai had claimed.
Klee's tears instantly turned into a joyful smile, blowing a huge bubble from her runny nose.
She innocently looked up at Dvalin. "Now that the bad guy's gone, can the big dragon be friends with us again?"
Dvalin stayed silent, as did Jiang Bai.
Both knew the issue between the dragon and Mondstadt was deeper than a few words could resolve.
Jiang Bai's eyes landed on the ominous spikes protruding from Dvalin's back. It was clear the dragon's current lucidity was only temporary.
He took out a fragment of the Skyfrost Nail and carefully inserted it into the unfinished flower crown Klee had dropped earlier, handing it back to her.
"If you're going to apologize, you can't come empty-handed. You need a gift."
Holding the flower crown tightly, Klee climbed onto Dvalin's head under the dragon's attentive gaze. She scrambled carefully onto his back, placing the small, half-made flower crown around one of those corrupted spikes.
The tiny green wreath looked oddly out of place against the jagged red spike, strange and unsettling.
Yet the delicate Cecilia flowers, thriving atop the storm-swept cliffs, remained untouched. They swayed gently in the breeze, blooming proudly with their own gentle brilliance.
As the wind blew softly, the Skyfrost Nail fragment emitted a soothing blue glow, easing Dvalin's pain slightly.
Though it brought only minor relief, it was still a significant improvement.
"This is Klee's apology gift! But it's not finished yet…" She adjusted the flower crown carefully, finally nodding with hesitant satisfaction.
She still remembered Albedo's words—those fragments could purify corruption.
Dvalin shifted slightly, helping Klee sit more comfortably on his back, then turned his gaze to Jiang Bai.
"You said earlier that the bard was badly injured?"
"Ah, yeah…" Jiang Bai scratched his head awkwardly, remembering his hasty lie.
That bard was probably still drinking happily at Dawn Winery. If Dvalin saw Venti drunk and carefree, all their hard-earned goodwill would vanish instantly.
As a follower, having a god like that bard really was maddening.
"He's recovering from his injuries, trying to use the Holy Lyre to reach you. We've been helping collect your tears."
"That bard's power has truly weakened to such a state?" Dvalin flapped his wings in disbelief.
Unable to contact his own follower, forced to rely on the Holy Lyre's power—even needing his tears to activate the Lyre—just how powerless had Barbatos become?
"I'm not entirely sure myself…"
Jiang Bai knew very little—he was merely a regular working man. What did he know about the business of gods?
"Enough," Dvalin interrupted firmly. "Where is he? I'll go find him myself."
"I don't think that's a good idea," Jiang Bai replied hesitantly. "The Knights of Favonius haven't revealed your true identity yet. If you suddenly descend upon Mondstadt again, the citizens will panic."
Venti wasn't even in Mondstadt City, but Jiang Bai figured it was best not to say that and risk upsetting Dvalin further.
Dvalin lowered his massive head, silently staring Jiang Bai down.
He said nothing, but the oppressive aura alone was enough to smother Jiang Bai with pressure.
Just as Jiang Bai thought Dvalin was about to lose his temper, the dragon carefully lowered his head, gently setting Klee back down on the ground.
He spread his six wings, a fierce gust rising beneath him as he ascended toward the sky.
"Then let that bard come find me."
With those words echoing, he vanished into the horizon.
Jiang Bai rubbed his temples, feeling a headache approaching. "Let the bard find you?" You didn't even tell us where to look.
Well, hopefully, a god and his follower had enough understanding to figure it out on their own.
Putting away the collected tear crystals carefully, he called to Klee, "Let's go back."
Dvalin's rationality was temporary at best. The Abyss Order wouldn't easily let such a powerful creature go, and more Abyss Mages were bound to target him soon.
They needed to hurry while Dvalin's mind was clear to help Aether and Venti cleanse the corruption from his body.
It took Jiang Bai and Klee several days to return to Dawn Winery. Luckily, Venti hadn't left yet.
Venti was exactly as Jiang Bai imagined—looking half-drunk, though under the strict supervision of the maids, he probably hadn't managed to sneak much wine.
Seeing Jiang Bai and Klee finally return, he waved cheerfully. "You're finally back! We were waiting for you!"
"I thought you might have left already."
Jiang Bai had genuinely worried they might have departed without them. It was fortunate their timing matched up.
Next time, it'd be better to agree on a specific meeting time beforehand.
Covered in grime from several days of wandering outdoors, Klee was whisked away by Jean for a proper bath. Meanwhile, Jiang Bai handed over the collected tear crystals to Venti and Aether.
"So many!" Venti exclaimed, surprised.
Jiang Bai had brought seven or eight tear crystals back, about as many as the Knights had collected altogether.
"We were lucky and met Dvalin."
Jiang Bai briefly recounted their encounter, causing Venti to let out a soft, wistful sigh.
"Dvalin…"
But he quickly composed himself. After all, Dvalin regaining even a little sanity was something worth celebrating. At least he wouldn't recklessly burn himself out now.
"Klee really helped out this time…" Jean said with heartfelt admiration after listening to the story.
She'd thought Klee's constant talk of apologizing to the "big dragon" was childish, but she'd actually done it—and helped restore Dvalin's sanity. It was an enormous contribution.
Jean turned to Jiang Bai sincerely. "Thank you for your help as well."
Jiang Bai waved it off lightly. "Just doing what little I can. Besides, I don't want to see a hero suffer unjustly."
Venti smiled warmly, pushing the crystals towards Aether. "Then, brave traveler, the task of purifying these is yours."
"Weren't we going to find Dvalin directly? Do we still need to power the Holy Lyre?" Paimon asked.
"Of course. The Lyre will help me communicate better with Dvalin."
Aether nodded, purified the crystals, and dripped their essence onto the Lyre's strings.
Infused fully with the wind element, the Lyre seemed reborn, glowing with newfound vitality.
"Ah, how nostalgic," Venti murmured, gently strumming the strings, eyes filled with memories.
"This should be enough now, right?"
Seeing the revitalized Lyre, Venti grinned brightly. "More than enough! Let's rest tonight, then set out to find Dvalin in the morning!"
Diluc's gaze flickered upwards, noticing his owl circling high above.
He moved quietly to the window, extending an arm. The owl descended gracefully, landing on his shoulder.
Removing a letter from its leg, Diluc read swiftly, his brows furrowing.
"I'm afraid we won't all be going together tomorrow."
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T/N: klee is just the best