Angel's Share Tavern.
"Please enjoy your meal, honored guests."
After setting the dishes on the table—with Kaeya helping from behind the counter—Diluc gave the two visitors a polite nod and headed back downstairs.
"Thank you."
Venti returned the nod, watching Diluc and Kaeya disappear down the stairs.
Then he turned toward Wendy, who sat across from him.
Wendy had just finished picking her room, then insisted she was hungry.
So Venti brought her here to eat.
And now, the entire second floor was empty except for the two of them.
Diluc's arrangement, of course.
When unpredictable trouble was a possibility, the safest place for everyone was away from Wendy.
"Wen~di~."
"What is it?
You don't like the food?"
Seeing Wendy staring at him instead of eating, Venti immediately assumed she didn't like the dishes.
"No.
I want to ask a question.
'Mora'—that's what humans in this world call their currency, right?"
Wendy casually tasted the food and asked.
"Well, yes.
But why do you suddenly ask—
Ah, I get it.
Don't worry, I'm treating you today.
It's fine even if you have no money."
Venti puffed out his chest a little.
Money-wise, he was usually broke—
but Jean had specially given him funds to cover Wendy's food and daily expenses during her stay.
Anything that can be solved with money isn't a problem.
If it isn't enough, they'll give him more.
As long as she doesn't repeat what she did last time… all is well.
"So where does Mora come from?
You can't just… conjure it, right?"
She thought for a moment before asking again.
"Of course not.
It's… well… money is something humans earn through work or skills."
Venti straightened up and explained earnestly:
"For example, I'm a bard, so I earn money through my songs and performances.
As for Diluc—he earns money by providing food and drinks.
Lumine takes commissions from the Adventurers' Guild to earn Mora.
There are countless ways to make money. I'm just giving examples."
He explained a lot.
If he didn't have to breathe, he might've gone on for an hour.
It didn't matter whether Wendy remembered the details—
as long as she understood some human common sense.
Her worldview was dangerously detached from reality.
Even though he had no idea what kind of world she came from,
He still wanted her to know at least some basic things.
"Listening to you talk, that Adventurers' Guild seems perfect for me.
If I go there—"
Venti: "!!"
"Wait—wait!!
You don't need to take commissions!
If you need money, I'll give it to you!
No need to go through that trouble!"
Venti panicked instantly.
He could not let her take commissions.
If she did, Dragonspine might not be the only place missing a chunk of land.
This wasn't the Archon War era—
altering terrain casually could devastate human settlements.
"Why are you panicking?
Do you not trust my strength?"
Wendy crossed her arms, clearly displeased.
"I do trust you…"
At this point, Venti was on the verge of tears.
If he had known this conversation would go this way,
he would have never brought up the Adventurers' Guild.
He needed another distraction.
Something safe.
Something harmless.
Then—
he remembered.
Lisa's monocle.
"Wendy! Let me show you something fun!"
"Something fun? What is it?"
Just as he hoped, Wendy's attention shifted.
"Ta-daa~ Look!"
"…A human's… eyepiece?
And only half?
What's so interesting about that?"
Her disappointment was immediate.
"Ahehe~
Don't judge it by its appearance.
This monocle lets you see people's imaginary friends."
"Imaginary… friends? What's that?"
This was clearly a concept she had never heard before.
"Imaginary friends are…
well, friends someone imagines into existence.
They're not real—just creations of the mind.
Usually children have them, but there are exceptions."
"Hm…
So basically talking to yourself?
That sounds boring."
Wendy looked completely unimpressed.
"Ehh?? No no no—
you can go look at other people's imaginary friends!
And they're not always human.
They can be anything!
Isn't that interesting?"
Seeing her lose interest, Venti desperately promoted the monocle like a traveling salesman.
"Not human? Then what are they?"
"Hehe, you'll see soon.
Let's finish eating.
Imaginary friends are really interesting!"
"…Fine."
Statue Plaza
"That's just a little girl.
How is that 'not human'?"
Wendy, wearing the monocle, looked around.
She could indeed see imaginary friends—
but she hadn't seen anything non-human yet.
"Eh—"
Just as Venti was about to explain, a familiar voice called out.
"Wendi! Wendy!
What are you two doing here?"
Paimon and Lumine had somehow appeared nearby.
"Hehe~ We're observing people's imaginary friends.
Want to join?"
"Imaginary friends?
What's that?"
Paimon was clueless.
"Wait—
you two don't have imaginary friends?"
Before Venti could answer, Wendy turned and looked directly at them, monocle glinting.
Venti instinctively shifted a step away.
"So anyway, Wendy—
Why don't you go explore the city with Lumine and look at more imaginary friends?
I need to go do something."
And before anyone could react,
Venti vanished—
like a gust of wind.
Everyone stared after him, bewildered.
"…He definitely had something on his mind.
Whatever.
I'm going to find some non-human imaginary friends."
Seeing no children around, Wendy headed toward another part of the plaza.
"We were totally ignored, huh…
But Venti did say she—"
"Let's just follow her."
Before Paimon finished the sentence, Lumine grabbed her and hurried after Wendy.
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