---
Chapter 13: Wendy's Punishment and the Fatui's Suspicion
---
As everyone in Mondstadt knew, the city was full of avid drinkers. To satisfy their love for wine, Mondstadt's wine industry was highly developed, and numerous taverns dotted the city.
Among these taverns, two were particularly famous:
1. The Angel's Share tavern, owned by Diluc and backed by Dawn Winery, the largest wine producer in Teyvat.
2. The Cat's Tail tavern, popular among Mondstadt's drunkards thanks to its talented bartender, Diona.
Strangely, despite his love for alcohol, Wendy (aka Venti) had never set foot inside the Cat's Tail. The reason? He was allergic to cats!
For some, Wendy's punishment—acting like a cat whenever he touched or smelled wine—might seem like a dream. But for Wendy, it was a nightmare! The sensation of being surrounded by countless imaginary cats made his entire body feel itchy and uncomfortable. Even the wine in his mouth felt like it had turned into a mouthful of cat fur!
---
"Poof!"
Wendy hurriedly spat out a sip of wine, his face a picture of discomfort.
Meanwhile, in the Q&A chat group, the reactions were mixed.
---
[Affection: "This punishment... looks kind of strange?"]
[Diona: "What are you talking about?! Cats are adorable! This is clearly a reward, not a punishment!"]
[Yanfei: "I agree. If Paimon's punishment is barely a punishment, then Wendy's punishment hardly qualifies as one at all!"]
[Tartaglia: "This Q&A system is definitely biased against me! Why are their punishments so mild, while mine was so severe?!"]
[Diluc: "Hmph. Maybe it's because the Q&A system can't stand what you Fatui are doing, so it punishes you more harshly."]
---
Liyue, Northland Bank.
---
Tartaglia looked at Wendy's so-called "punishment" and felt his mind collapse. "What the hell?! Why is Wendy's punishment so soft, while I was deprived of my strongest ability—the Demon King's Armament!"
Tartaglia couldn't help but agree with Diluc's harsh comment. Could it really be that the Q&A system couldn't tolerate the Fatui's actions?
---
[Wendy: "Hey, hey! It may not seem like much to you, but for me, this is a terrible punishment!"]
[Wendy: "I'm allergic to cats! That means I won't be able to drink any wine for a whole month!"]
[Wendy: "What kind of hellish punishment is this?!"]
---
Wendy stared at the Q&A chat group in disbelief. "Do they even realize how hard this is for me?"
---
[Margarita: "No wonder Wendy only came to our Cat's Tail tavern once and never returned. It turns out he's allergic to cats!"]
[Draff: "Wow! Is it that serious? Good thing I'm not allergic to cats!"]
[Thoma: "Don't get too comfortable. Even if you're not allergic, this Q&A system will find another way to punish you!"]
[Diona: "I hope the Q&A system punishes my alcoholic dad next! Or better yet, it should just destroy the entire wine industry in Mondstadt!"]
[Affection: "Wait, you're a bartender at the Cat's Tail, right? Why would you want to destroy Mondstadt's wine industry?"]
[Amber: "Oh, let me explain! Diona became a bartender to create disgusting drinks and destroy Mondstadt's wine industry from the inside."]
[Amber: "But no matter what strange ingredients she uses, all her drinks end up being really popular! That's why we think Diona has a '100% Perfect Wine' physique!"]
[Chongyun: "What kind of supernatural constitution is that?!"]
---
Chongyun was dumbfounded. He had always thought his Pure Yang body was unique, but now he realized that Mondstadt had its own peculiar talents, like Diona's 100% delicious wine physique! It seemed that Mondstadt was truly full of surprises.
---
At that moment, the Q&A system chimed in once more.
---
[The punishment is over. Now, the next round of Q&A begins.]
---
The cheerful atmosphere in the Q&A chat group quickly faded, replaced by a sense of seriousness.
---
[Jean: "Although Wendy's innocence has been proven, the remaining options are still quite troubling."]
[Lisa: "Yes, whether it's the Fatui, the Abyss Order, or the Demon Dragon Durin, all of them are suspicious choices."]
[Albedo: "It's possible that the battle between Dvalin and Durin centuries ago could have had an unknown effect on the East Wind Dragon."]
[Diluc: "Indeed. Durin was defeated five hundred years ago, but I believe another party is more likely to be involved in Dvalin's fall."]
[Amber: "Oh? Do you have any clues, Diluc?"]
[Diluc: "Think about it. Who benefits most from Stormterror's rampage? It's obvious, isn't it? The Fatui. They're using Stormterror's rebellion to interfere with Mondstadt."]
[Jean: "What Diluc says does make sense."]
---
Diluc's words caused everyone to pause and consider the bigger picture. They had been so focused on solving the immediate issue of Stormterror's rampage that they hadn't stopped to think about who might be behind it.
If they followed Diluc's logic, the Fatui's involvement suddenly seemed much more plausible.
---
[Jean: "Madam, care to explain?"]
[Lady: "Explain? Explain what?! The Fatui have nothing to do with the fall of the East Wind Dragon!"]
[Lady: "Maybe Dvalin turned against Barbatos because he was fed up with the wind god's negligence!"]
---
The Lady's defiant tone didn't sit well with the Mondstadters. Could Dvalin's descent into madness really be blamed on Barbatos' hands-off approach? It seemed unlikely, but the Fatui's constant interference in Mondstadt's affairs made them prime suspects.
---
Power stones goal: 1200 for an extra chapter
- - -
Read 7 chapters ahead at patreon.com/Kaisen837