Chapter 16: Venti's Last Mora
After dealing with the troublemaking blond who came looking for death and easing his financial burden a little, Roshin cheerfully walked back into the bar.
"Why were you gone for so long?" Venti waved at Roshin as he entered.
"Let's just say fate has a sense of humor. I only meant to grab a Walkman for you, but I accidentally ran into some guy looking for a fight. Spent a bit of time burying him in the dirt—figured I'd dig him out tomorrow to teach him a lesson." As he spoke, Roshin tossed the Walkman to Venti.
"Not sure why, but this bar actually has Wi-Fi. You can browse the latest hit songs—I've got a membership, so you can download them directly. The paper there is the manual if you want to check it out."
Roshin wasn't worried about Venti not understanding the text on the Walkman. If people from different worlds could communicate just fine, how hard could words be?
"Thanks." Excited by his new gadget, Venti immediately started fiddling with the Walkman.
While Venti was occupied, Roshin didn't idle either. Since finishing Venti's song, 20 minutes had passed, meaning he only had 10 minutes left to master his Vision.
Using a Vision wasn't complicated, but mastering it was another matter. Without the buff, Roshin wouldn't have been able to jump from the second floor unscathed and soundlessly.
Even while burying someone, Roshin had been multitasking, using his Vision to improve his proficiency. After all, the window to master it without guidance was only half an hour.
Opportunities like this didn't come often.
So while Venti, the Anemo Archon, happily listened to music with his headphones on, Roshin practiced with his Anemo Vision.
As he trained, strange ideas kept popping into Roshin's head.
Since it's all wind, could Anemo power be used to create techniques like Wind Release? Wind Release: Rasenshuriken?
Not an exact replica—he didn't have chakra—but something similar shouldn't be too hard, right?
Since he was also a happy windblade, could Roshin use the skills of the Swift Wind Swordsman? At the very least, the Wind Wall should be easy enough to replicate, right?
With his mind opened to new possibilities, Roshin was flooded with all sorts of whimsical ideas. Though he hadn't watched much of Naruto or played much as the Swift Wind Swordsman, a quick online search could provide all the inspiration he needed.
While indulging in these creative thoughts, Roshin didn't forget about Venti—his handy tool. After drinking his wine, the bard owed him some answers, after all.
Venti was Lord Barbatos, with thousands of years of experience in mastering Anemo energy. Even if Roshin only possessed elemental power while Venti was born with it, some of that experience could still be useful.
"Alright, I should go now. Stop asking questions," Venti said, growing annoyed as Roshin kept interrupting his music. He was ready to make his escape.
"Fine. The buff time's over anyway. Take this MP3 player with you—and its charger. It has an ultra-long battery life, lasting a full day without issues, and it's durable. When it runs out, you can come back to the tavern to recharge and download more music." Roshin decided not to pester Venti any further now that the buff had fully expired.
"Got it. But how do I return to this tavern? Will it keep appearing in Windrise?" Venti asked.
"Once you've been here, it's easier to come back. Just close your eyes and focus on imagining it. The more concentrated your mental energy, the easier it is to summon the tavern. It's best to do this in an open, secluded place. You can bring friends too."
"You can come anytime, but I won't always be here. Evenings are best—assuming our timelines match," Roshin explained.
The tavern was always open since it was essentially a place for accepting commissions. But even when Roshin wasn't around, there was no need to worry—there was nothing worth stealing inside. The furniture and other items were bound to the tavern and couldn't be taken out.
"Our nights align, so the timing should work," Venti mused with a nod.
"One last question—what's that commission board for?" Venti pointed to a notice board by the entrance labeled [Commission Board].
"That? If you enter the tavern with a strong enough desire, it can manifest as a commission posted on the board. I'll receive it immediately and might choose to fulfill it if it catches my interest."
"Ah, I see. So that free drink from the grand opening was probably my commission, right?" Venti pondered for a moment before speaking.
"You're sharp," Roshin admitted without hesitation.
"But what do you get out of it?" Venti asked, curious.
"Just as I said when I first introduced myself, I enjoy helping others—that wasn't a lie. When I help people, my special ability rewards me with these." Roshin manifested a Primogem and showed it to Venti.
"Then... what if I wanted another glass of wine?" Venti tentatively asked.
"I can choose not to accept certain requests. So it's not like I'll help you with whatever you want. Besides, your wish isn't strong enough to form a proper commission. If you really want my help, you'd better add something extra," Roshin said.
"Like what?"
"Like your songs." Roshin fiddled with the Vision in his hand.
"Then it's a deal. If I come to you for help in the future, don't refuse me. By the way, I'll keep your secret."
Venti winked at Roshin before hopping off the barstool and skipping out of the tavern with his lyre in hand.
"This Venti really..." Roshin looked at the single Mora left under Venti's wine glass, torn between laughter and exasperation.
"Could this be his entire fortune?"
As everyone knew, Venti was broke.
Roshin had heard the joke that the three Archons couldn't scrape together a single Mora between them. Though he rarely played Genshin Impact, such widely known memes were hard to miss.
"I hope he doesn't starve tomorrow." Roshin silently prayed for him.