After the Keeper of Order leaves and the strange golden sigil in the sky is gone, Su Mo retracts the mark the System left and quietly stabilizes Teyvat's leyline tremors. The awful, withering sensation that had spread through the land fades; the earth's currents stir to life again. Even Zhongli notices the sudden relief, but nobody truly understands what that golden pattern was.
With the immediate danger eased, Su Mo turns back to the matter at hand and teases a return to the conversation he'd interrupted. The assembled Archons—Barbatos (Wendy), Morax (Zhongli), and the Raiden—are uneasy. They all suspect the white-haired girl is not a simple trespasser: she has power that dwarfs even the dark forces the world remembers. Barbatos, who has been trying to protect Mondstadt, is especially anxious: this girl can wipe out a city without blinking.
When conversation continues, the girl finally gives a name: "Wendi." The coincidence makes tensions twist—Wendi/Wen-di similarity, the two gods' identities, the nervousness of the crowd—but Su Mo clarifies the situation: this newcomer claims she herself is the Wind God and wants the post. Barbatos is incredulous—he doesn't crave the title, but he will not allow mass slaughter in his city. He offers a conditional bargain: if she truly seeks the mantle, she must not disrupt the city or harm its people.
The girl's reaction is chillingly casual. She toyingly interprets Barbatos's condition in the worst possible way—she says aloud that "killing them all" would fit the bill—so Barbatos doubles down: he will never allow the people to be slaughtered, even at the cost of combat. Morax and Ei both realize negotiation is failing; for them the notion of abandoning their people is impossible.
A moment of uncomfortable memory passes through Ei: the Ghosts of five hundred years ago and the personal costs she still carries. The Raiden's reserve deepens the feeling of tragedy in the air. But then something absurd snaps the tension: Wendi says she's been studying them as if watching a play. She wonders if Barbatos's reaction counts as the human concept of "faith." The Archons exchange baffled looks. Morax mutters that she's harder to predict than Hu Tao—comically exasperated.
Wendi's mood changes abruptly: she announces she'll "be Wind God for a day." She's not after political control or the heavy mantle—she has a child's demands. She wants ice cream and a movie. She bluntly informs them: "I don't have money." The room deflates. Mons, gods, and guardians try to answer: Mondstadt has no ice cream or movies. They offer food and entertainment that are free. Wendi is unbothered—if there are no such luxuries, she'll still come and eat.
Barbatos motions forward, a little relieved (and a little embarrassed) to have the crisis defused into something so mundane. He also makes a show of inviting Morax and Ei to accompany him—he'd rather not face Wendi alone.
The chapter ends on a warm comedic note—after cosmic catastrophe, the would-be destroyer simply wants snacks—and the author's aside: there will be two more updates coming, but the third will be a little later.
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