The Church of Favonius would undoubtedly throw all its resources into recovering the Holy Lyre. And yet, the chances of the thief finding a buyer were practically zero. Which made the motive behind the theft all the more baffling. Everyone exchanged puzzled glances. Then Su Mo spoke.
"Look at it from a different angle. A common thief who steals the lyre would be hunted down by both the church and the Knights of Favonius."
"But… what if it wasn't a common thief? What if the one who stole it was a group confident they could handle the Knights' retaliation?" After all, if stealing the Holy Lyre meant certain death, no one would dare attempt it. But if someone was confident they could avoid punishment…
Then things changed. As for why they chose to steal it rather than seize it openly?
Simple: fewer complications.
In Teyvat, there weren't many factions capable of standing against the Knights of Favonius without fear. Which left only one likely culprit.
"The Fatui." Everyone's eyes met as they came to the same conclusion. Given the Fatui's infamous reputation, it wasn't hard to believe they'd be behind this.
"B-But if it really is the Fatui, then Captain Jean will be in a difficult position…" Barbara said worriedly. No matter how poor their relationship, the Fatui held official diplomatic status. The Knights couldn't just barge into their quarters and search without risking an international incident. Especially now, with Grand Master Varka away on an expedition, Mondstadt was vulnerable. No matter how important the Holy Lyre was, it couldn't be prioritized over the city's safety. Just like during the Stormterror crisis, if forced to choose between the relic and Mondstadt's people, Jean—as acting Grand Master—could only choose the latter. So even if everyone suspected the Fatui, they couldn't storm their embassy without solid evidence.
Unlike Liyue, Mondstadt lacked the strength to act aggressively. Lumine frowned at that. If it were just a matter of brute force, she wasn't worried—Su Mo was with her, after all. But when it came to politics and diplomacy… she wasn't good at that.
"Ugh! Knowing it's them but being unable to do anything about it is so frustrating!" Paimon huffed, arms crossed and cheeks puffed out in anger. Everyone instinctively turned their eyes to Su Mo. Clearly, they were expecting him to come up with a solution. And Su Mo, under their collective gaze, remained calm.
"If they used underhanded means to steal the Holy Lyre, then we're perfectly justified in responding with equally 'unofficial' methods." He smiled faintly.
"After all, diplomacy works both ways."
"And here in Mondstadt, if you're looking for someone who specializes in shady business, sneaky tricks, and generally not doing their job properly…"
Before anyone could say more, a breeze stirred, and a teal-clad figure appeared before them like a gust of wind itself. "That would be me!" the bard proclaimed, proudly patting his chest with a confident grin.
"Why do you look so proud, you're just a street performer!" Paimon exclaimed, folding her arms. "And what's with being proud of sneaky, shady tricks? That's nothing to brag about!"
"Ehe~!" Venti stuck out his tongue playfully, flashing a cheeky smile.
"What's that even supposed to mean?!" Paimon stomped her feet in the air in frustration.
Seeing Venti show up, Su Mo gave him a glance and said calmly, "If you're here, then the Lyre is probably not a problem anymore." Since he had already figured out Venti's plan, it wasn't hard for Su Mo to guess his next moves. No doubt, the moment Venti learned the Lyre had been stolen, he must've immediately suspected the Fatui and come to intervene. The Fatui might think their plan was working perfectly, but in reality, it was all within Venti's expectations. Despite his carefree demeanor, Venti was no fool—he was one of the most cunning and elusive gods on the continent. Though he liked to avoid responsibility, his wisdom ran deep.
"Haha, Mr. Su Mo really does trust me. That puts a little pressure on me, you know," Venti chuckled, clearly amused that Su Mo seemed to see right through him. Still, since they were on the same side—and Su Mo had even helped save Dvalin—Venti had no reason to keep up any pretenses. Barbara, still uneasy from earlier, turned to Venti and asked, "So, do you have any ideas, Mister Bard?"
Despite being a devout sister of the Church, standing right in front of the God of Wind himself, Barbara didn't recognize him. Probably because Venti looked way too unreliable to be divine.
To her question, Venti blinked and smiled.
"It's simple," he said. "Since the Fatui stole the Holy Lyre, we'll just steal it back!"
"...Huh?" Everyone froze. For a moment, silence filled the church. Sure, it was their own relic, but something about "stealing it back" sounded... off. Still, under the current political tension, maybe that was the best approach. After all, a direct confrontation with the Fatui could cause an international crisis.
"Then who's going to do the stealing?" Lumine asked innocently, raising a practical concern. Everyone turned to look at her.
"Eh?!" She took a surprised step back, placing her hand over her chest. With that look in their eyes, she could see where this was going.
"I can tell from your aura—you've got the makings of a master thief!" Venti laughed gleefully. "How about becoming my partner in crime, the Phantom Duo of the Skies?"
"Isn't that just being a thief?!" Paimon retorted in disbelief. Lumine nodded solemnly. Venti, unfazed, continued with his twisted logic, "Come now. As an honorary knight reclaiming something that rightfully belongs to Mondstadt, how could that be considered stealing?"
Su Mo, however, glanced at Paimon and interjected with a different idea. "Come to think of it, a mysterious little being like Paimon—who has a personal storage space and can vanish at will—should make a perfect thief." Paimon's unique abilities weren't just game mechanics; in this world, they were actual lore-based traits. If anyone had the potential to be an unstoppable phantom thief, it was her. Unfortunately, her courage didn't quite match the skillset.
"Wah! No way! I can't do it!" she cried out, shaking her head furiously. "Those Fatui guys are scary! If I get caught, you'll never see me again!" Saying that, she darted behind Lumine for cover. Seeing this, Su Mo couldn't help but shake his head.
Honestly, with her intelligence—or lack thereof—she'd probably fly straight into the sea and drown if not for Lumine's timely fishing skills. Sending her to infiltrate the Fatui base would be a complete disaster. Sharing a glance with Venti, both men seemed to silently agree: it had to be Lumine. And with Su Mo's vote of confidence, Lumine reluctantly put on a disguise mask, accepting her role in this bizarre plan. By some strange twist of fate, she was once again tasked with retrieving the Holy Lyre. Only this time, it wasn't from the Church of Favonius—but from the Fatui stronghold. Thanks to Su Mo's Observation Haki cloaking her, he had already planted safeguards in case something went wrong. So, he wasn't too worried about Lumine's safety.
What concerned him more was Venti's part in the plan. They had decided to split up—Venti would head to the Fatui's front gates and cause a distraction, drawing attention and chaos. Meanwhile, Lumine would sneak in and recover the harp. It might have looked like Venti was just trying to weasel out of the hard work, but Su Mo had a different hunch. He suspected the bard was planning to blow the whole thing up—figuratively, if not literally.
And sure enough...
Once the plan was underway, Venti began serenading the Fatui guards with his lute and a whimsical poem. Now, a bard singing in public usually didn't cause too much of a scene. At worst, he'd be shooed away. But Venti, being Venti, had to stir the pot. His lyrics were outright offensive—alleging, for instance, that Barbatos once swapped the Tsaritsa's scepter with a Hilichurl stick. It didn't take long before the Fatui guards were absolutely fuming.
"So, you're the one who's been slandering Her Majesty the Tsaritsa in your poems?!" one soldier roared. The soldiers from Snezhnaya were fiercely loyal to their queen. Mocking her, even in song, was enough to provoke a full-blown reaction. Sure enough, Venti's performance escalated into a full-scale disturbance—one far more chaotic than expected. The noise soon drew the attention of the Fatui higher-ups. From the shadows emerged one of the harbingers, the same woman Su Mo had previously blasted with lightning and left for dead. Wrapped in icy wind and flanked by electro-casters and debt collectors, she stepped forward—her entrance dramatic as ever. Despite the healing potions she must've taken, her wounds hadn't fully recovered. Bandages still wrapped around her limbs, maintaining her fragile condition.
"So, you're the bard who dares insult our Tsaritsa?" she said coldly, her gaze sharp. Seeing her all wrapped up like that, Venti—ever the child at heart—couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Pfft!"
"Hahahaha! That look of yours—maybe it's time to give you a new nickname!"
"How about we call you Mummy? Hahahaha!" Venti laughed so hard that tears welled up in his eyes, his expression infectious and bright. Had the Fatui agents not been trained in iron discipline, some might've even been dragged into laughing along with him. But Venti's mocking laughter didn't last long.
The temperature around them suddenly plummeted. A chilling aura swept through the air, causing frost to bite at the surroundings. The expression on the Harbinger known as "La Signora" turned as cold as ice—fierce and deathly still.