"So those abandoned temples and ruins are the places humans often go adventuring?"
The party walked toward the South Wind Lion temple. After Lumine explained some basics about adventuring, Wendy asked that question.
"Yeah… you could say that. Those kinds of places are common — especially ruins," Lumine answered cheerfully. She felt Wendy's way of thinking was very different from ordinary people's, and combined with Wendy's frightening strength, it made everyone wary. Lumine wanted to try befriending Wendy and gently correct her ideas about human society.
"How did those ruins come to be?" Wendy asked again, nodding as if she almost understood.
"Well… I don't really know either. The usual guess is the people who built them suffered some disaster or calamity, so—"
"So if I were to destroy Mondstadt now, and a very long time passed, would Mondstadt count as a ruin?" Wendy finished, looking at Lumine as if expecting an answer.
—Venti, Lumine, Paimon: all silent.
Lumine, please don't say things like that out loud. Venti, who'd been quietly anxious, turned to look at Lumine helplessly. He wanted to stop her from giving Wendy ideas, but Wendy was listening so intently he didn't want to interrupt.
"Ah— we're here finally!" Lumine exclaimed, relieved.
"Put that aside — we've arrived. Let's go in," Venti urged.
"I didn't expect the place would become a site for adventurers after the Stormterror incident. Does that mean we didn't clear everything out?" Lumine murmured as they entered the ruin and reached a shaft with an elevator. Paimon was amazed that adventurers still came here.
"Stormterror? That…?" Wendy began to ask, but Venti quickly diverted the topic. He did not want Wendy thinking about Stormterror — or stealing anything like last time. He wondered if that girl Kallen might be one of Wendy's acquaintances.
"The lift seems stuck. Don't worry — I can handle this." Lumine moved to check the mechanism.
"This height? I can—" Wendy started.
"No, no, I'll do it. I'm good at this." Seeing Wendy reach to act, Venti promptly generated a wind-field below them; he was truly uneasy about Wendy using her powers. With Venti's wind, the group easily rose into the upper Part of the ruin. Before them stood a thick stone door that they had to open to continue.
"It's such a hassle — why make these doors everywhere? Opening and closing all the time is boring," Wendy said, and then kicked the stone door so hard it created a huge hole.
"Ruin vandal," Paimon thought, half-amused but terrified that Wendy might notice.
"Yaa—" Suddenly a stream of Hilichurls' cries came from inside, followed by heavy collapsing sounds. Wendy had already dashed into the opening.
"Wendy — don't wreck things! The ruin could collapse, there are people inside! Wendy!" Venti shouted, rushing in. He had to stop her and rescue anyone trapped within. It puzzled him that Wendy had charged in — perhaps the Hilichurls had shown hostility toward her and she responded.
Boom — boom — more loud crashes. Paimon was petrified; she didn't want to be buried alive.
"What are you scared of? Those weird things are already handled," Wendy called out while sweeping through the area like a force of nature. After cutting through, Wendy soon found two trembling humans sheltered inside. She guessed they were the people the party had come for.
She hadn't planned to rush in; but sensing hostility from the monsters made her act without ceremony.
"Sta… Stanley?" One of the rescued men stammered. Jack and Stanley — famous names — now looked shocked and small in Wendy's presence. The Hilichurls that had seemed fearsome moments ago were paper before this girl; the thick stone door was as flimsy as cardboard under her force. Are you really human? they wondered.
"You meddlesome—" one man began.
"You meddlesome? Then tell me something," Wendy snapped back. If not for Venti's presence, she'd have been far ruder.
"I'm Mondstadt's most famous adventurer—Stanley!" the man blurted, trying to be brave.
"Stanley? So that's the Stanley the kid mentioned. Fine — show me how strong you are," Wendy said with interest.
"W-wait. Wendy, you promised me—" Venti finally caught up. He interposed himself protectively between Wendy and the two men. He didn't know what had been said to cause Wendy's aggression, but he wasn't going to let her lay hands on them.
"I thought he was strong, so I wanted to see. I didn't mean to hurt him — he's just a paper tiger," Wendy said with innocent frankness.
"You say I'm a paper tiger? I've reached the Ashen Sea—Stanley!" the adventurer protested.
"Okay, Stanley, that's enough. We know," Venti said, cutting him off and then turning to Jack, "You must be the adventurer Jack. Eileen said she can't make the meeting tonight, so tell Jack we'll reschedule."
Jack stammered apologies and gratitude — relieved to have been rescued and embarrassed at his earlier bravado. Venti glanced at Wendy, who was calmly wandering about, and sighed.
"You okay?" Lumine and Paimon hurried over, worried.
"All good. We're fine. What now—push forward or head back?" Venti waved for them to continue.
"Of course we press on! I'm Mondstadt's most famous adventurer — Stanley! A living legend!" Stanley declared again.
"Why say your name twice?" Paimon muttered.
"Hey, that attitude— I am—" Stanley tried to retort, only to be cut off. Venti, worried Wendy might find Stanley annoying, interjected with a plan: "We'll say we've heard of him — the famed adventurer who reached the Ashen Sea. No need to repeat."
Stanley's speech lost its momentum as the others moved on. He chased after them, undeterred.
Later, after clearing deeper chambers, Lumine and Paimon found a few more chests they'd missed before.
"Isn't it supposed to be only kids who have imaginary friends? How does Stanley, an adult, have one?" Wendy asked oddly as she took off the monocle.
"I meant most imaginary friends are kids' things, but there are exceptions — very rare ones. Stanley happens to be one of those," Venti explained. Wendy seemed calm for once, and Venti was glad — anything that kept her steady was welcome.
"His imaginary friend actually looks more like an adventurer than he does. Wait… imaginary friend? Could it be—?" Wendy mused.
"Wendy, stop." Venti quickly cut her off.
"What?" Wendy blinked.
"Heh, nothing. We'll be leaving now." Venti steered the topic away, and the group prepared to depart.
"Goodbye, Mister Stanley!" they called as they moved off.
"Uh, excuse me — could you help us with something?" Jack began.
"Sure, we can help!" Venti volunteered quickly — he wanted to distract Wendy and keep her occupied.
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