After everyone left, only the Pyro-ravaged Starfell Lake remained.
An unnatural wind blew through the area, as if mourning the loss of the Statue of the Seven that once stood here.
A flash of teal light passed by, and in the gentle breeze, a figure in deep green flew from Mondstadt toward Starfell Lake.
It was Venti, now sober.
"Sigh, I guess I still can't stop worrying about that guy."
The teal wind carried Venti's body as he flew forward.
"Are you in danger, Famas?"
Venti suddenly remembered how, a thousand years ago, he had flown to Liyue only after Famas's defeat, arriving too late to even find Famas's remains.
"Surely not?"
Venti felt an inexplicable panic. That massive burst of Pyro energy—something must have happened to Famas. Otherwise, he wouldn't have...
Originally enjoying the scenery along the way, Venti's flying speed increased rapidly. Almost all the Anemo energy in the area was drawn to him, propelling him forward. The once-free and gentle wind gradually turned chaotic and violent, wildly disrupting everything in its path.
If Famas could see Venti now, he would surely remark that this guy was definitely slacking off. The chaotic and rampant storm was nothing like the demeanor of the "weakest" Archon.
Finally, Venti's feet touched the ground by Starfell Lake.
"What is this?"
The first thing Venti thought upon seeing Starfell Lake wasn't that Famas had deliberately destroyed the central island, but that he had encountered some irresistible danger.
That was until Venti noticed the not-yet-extinguished campfire by the lake, the leftover fish bones, and the lingering Pyro energy in the ruins.
"That old lady from Natlan hasn't been to Mondstadt in a long time, and she certainly wouldn't sit down with Famas to eat grilled fish..."
Regaining his composure, Venti thought carefully.
"So, the only one who has a grudge against Starfell Lake is Klee..."
"Klee and Famas were confined together..."
A terrible guess suddenly formed in Venti's mind.
"Could it be... Klee and Famas blew up Starfell Lake together?"
Looking at the ruins and the shattered remains of the Statue of the Seven, Venti gritted his teeth and jumped into the gradually settling, murky lake water.
Half an hour later, Venti emerged from the water, holding a small fragment of the Statue of the Seven.
"The wind rises..."
A beam of light shot out from the fragment in Venti's hand, revealing the entire process of the statue's destruction.
A figure shrouded in Pyro energy descended from the sky, directly obliterating the central island along with the Statue of the Seven.
From the projection of the fragment, it was clear that this figure was none other than Famas.
Moreover, Venti could make out from Famas's lip movements that he seemed to be muttering something about "blowing up fish."
"Fa～mas～!"
Venti gritted his teeth as he uttered the name.
"You're dead!"
——————————————
"Achoo!"
Hiding in a patch of grass, Famas sneezed, startling Xiangling, who immediately covered his mouth, afraid he would scare away the group of wild boars in the distance.
Xiangling put a finger to her lips, signaling everyone to stay quiet.
In the forest, dozens of wild boars were foraging.
"Keep it down, don't scare away our prey!"
Paimon, who hadn't eaten her fill yet, nodded vigorously in understanding.
Xiangling wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth and quietly approached a particularly plump wild boar she had been eyeing. From a distance that was neither too far nor too close, she hurled her spear.
The spear flew with precision, and the boar was dead before it even realized what had happened.
Xiangling clapped her hands, walked over, pulled out her spear, and carried the boar back to the group.
"How about this? This is the fattest boar I could find!"
"Amazing!"
Paimon exclaimed in awe.
"Clean and efficient, truly impressive."
Lumine also nodded in approval.
Only Famas smirked.
With a light stomp, flames erupted beneath the feet of the remaining wild boars that hadn't escaped, roasting them on the spot.
"Wow, Brother Famas is amazing too!"
Seeing Famas's move, Klee quickly ran over to the charred boars and dragged one back.
As everyone discussed how to prepare the boar meat, a young hunter approached.
His name was Allan, an ordinary hunter from Springvale.
As a member of the Adventurers' Guild, Draff had been keeping an eye on Xiangling, the renowned chef from Liyue, ever since she set out. When Xiangling appeared on the outskirts of Springvale, Draff had already received word from nearby hunters.
Allan had been sent by Draff to invite Xiangling to help promote Springvale's meat products.
Coincidentally, Allan saw the wild boars hunted by Xiangling and the group chatting and laughing nearby. Though a bit nervous, an idea struck him.
He quickly ran up to the group and said with a serious expression, "What are you doing? This is a wild boar habitat. Hunting is not allowed here!"
Xiangling scratched her head, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Allan noticed her guilt and pressed on:
"You know, doing this will scare the boars. What if they all run away? Isn't that killing the goose that lays the golden eggs?"
Xiangling, however, nodded in agreement. "Ah, I get it. Only the right environment can produce the most delicious meat... I'm so sorry, I didn't realize it would cause such a big impact!"
Allan was surprised at how easily Xiangling fell for his bluff.
In truth, his reasoning was completely made up. Scaring the boars away? With the lush grass here, these boars would never leave.
The hunters of Springvale often came here to hunt. For the boars, evading hunters while foraging also kept them fit, preventing them from becoming as sluggish as domestic pigs. The excellent environment and regular exercise were the secrets to the boars' delicious meat!
But since she was fooled, the next steps would be much easier...
Allan adjusted his demeanor, trying to appear as helpless as possible.
"Ah, you should go apologize to Mr. Draff. He's the leader of us hunters and takes hunting rules very seriously. If he finds out about this, he'll be furious!"
Xiangling, feeling guilty, naturally agreed to apologize.
She glanced at the speechless group, seeming a bit reluctant to part ways.
"Let's go together."
Famas, all too familiar with this kind of situation, shook his head. He held Klee's small hand on his left and Lumine's hand on his right, leading them toward Draff's location.
Allan excused himself to report back to Draff first, so he could prepare mentally. After telling Xiangling where to find them, he left ahead of the group.
A/n - Read chapters ahead on my patreon.com/nneol