This Is My Route to Winning Them Over!

"This is Mona, Astrologis Mona Megistus. An astrologer." Surtr raised his hand, conjuring a stream of air to close the open door. "She... must have been frightened. Perhaps she made a terrible mistake while performing astrology. She was startled, and thus activated her physiological self-protection mechanisms. She probably won't wake up for a while."

The Flame-haired maiden hesitated for a moment.

"I've met this woman a few times. Her fainting... might be partly my fault. And based on my observations during the day, there shouldn't be a healer in this village who knows more about medicine than me. So, sorry... she might have to take up some space in this house tonight."

"I'm fine, Surtr." Alina waved her hand and smiled. "In the northern wastelands, I often fall asleep leaning against a rock or sitting by a fire. A bed isn't a necessity for me. Besides, I'm actually quite experienced in dealing with frightened children."

"Well, then I'll leave it to you." Surtr covered the unconscious girl with a blanket, and at the same time made the fire in the fireplace burn even brighter, hoping to make the poor girl, who was shivering even in her unconscious state, a little more comfortable—she took a deep breath and subconsciously paid attention to her surroundings. Although it was an unnecessary action, she finally relaxed a little after confirming that there was only a gust of wind nearby.

"Nighttime isn't a good time to seek out renowned doctors, but I suspect other astrologers, or perhaps those who possess the Eye of God, might offer some advice on her condition. If she hasn't woken up by tomorrow, then I'll seek out some professionals to handle her special situation. But until then..."

She pulled up a chair for herself and sat down. At the same time, she gave a small thank you to Alina, who had poured her a cup of tea.

"Alina, I suspect something might be wrong with this world—I've noticed some unsettling omens and changes. Whether Miss Mona wakes up tomorrow or not, we may have to change our plans and leave this place sooner."

She saw Alina tilt her head, but she didn't seem very confused.

"Leave here?" The Little Deer's antlers gleamed faintly in the firelight. "We're not going to look for Talulah... Hmm, have we found out where Talulah is?"

"No," Miss Surtr shook her head. "Finding Talulah and reuniting with her is still the priority. But I think Talulah is very likely not in Mondstadt. Because I have an agreement with a certain unreliable guy, and given his abilities, if Talulah were really in Mondstadt, he would at least give me some vague information by now."

She turned her head to look to her side. Near the fireplace, a wisp of wind was gradually clearing from its initial blurriness.

"Isn't that right, Wendy? As a deity who can command all winds, if you want to find someone, it's just a matter of a moment as long as she's still within Mondstadt, isn't it?"

She spoke, and then saw the boy in green appear in the shifting vortex of wind—compared to before, the boy held a harp that exuded aura of wind in his hands. And this harp was connected to his aura, amplifying his power by a considerable degree.

"To be precise, it's Mondstadt outside of the Stormterror's Lair. If I need to find someone, I only need a single breath."

The boy in the wind bowed slightly to her, then nodded to Alina, who remained calm.

"But that ruin is an exception, because it contains Teyvat and the remnants of the previous Wind God's power. It is the only surface area where my powers cannot be fully effective."

The boy tilted his head and blinked.

"So, are you interested in taking on a commission? Miss 'Omnipotent Helper' who can do anything?"

Ah... 66 is back... but it's still changed quite a bit _(:з"∠)_

Chapter Ninety-Six: This is my strategy route!

Miss Surtr's response was very concise.

She only uttered two words, signifying that she had accepted the commission—

"The contents?" she asked.

"That's quite decisive and straightforward." The emerald-clad Wind God clapped her hands and chuckled. Her gaze, though slightly obscured, clearly revealed her appreciation. "Very good, I like your style. Now, I will tell you the details of the commission."

He paused, not bothering to acknowledge Alina, who was still silently listening nearby. And when he spoke, Miss Surtr did not intend to exclude Alina from the conversation.

So he continued.

"The content is simple. Within the Stormterror's Lair, some powerful monsters reside— Ruin Guard, Hilichurl tribes, Abyss Mage —they are either guarding or attracted by the powerful elemental tides emanating from several nodes within the ruins. Defeat them and destroy those nodes. Then, the great barrier outside the Stormterror's Lair will be broken."

He made a gesture, using the wind to construct a detailed, albeit blurry, overhead view, projecting a vast area of tens of thousands of square kilometers crisply onto the dining table to one side. Within the projection, several glowing coordinate points were specially marked.

"After breaking the barrier, I can summon the ancient winds that swirl within the ruins. They will assist me and some of the Knights of Favonius in awakening Teyvat. At the same time, I will be able to use them to inspect every detail of the ruins area, so that as long as your friend is within Mondstadt, I can find her."

He brought his five fingers together, and the projection of the terrain transformed into a delicate sphere of wind. It neither scattered nor disintegrated, resting quietly on the table like a fine glass bead. The entire map remained perfectly displayed within the sphere; clearly, this was the assistance he, as the Wind God, could provide.

Surtr nodded and picked up the Wind-Constructed Orb.

"That's it?" she asked. "Don't you need me to help you deal with that dragon? If you're willing to cooperate, I can also help you shatter all the filth on that wind dragon's back, so that the dragon's mind can function properly—I think after I destroy those three elemental convergence nodes, that dragon won't pose much of a threat to me. Or do you have some other plan?"

"Oh, I admit that." The emerald-green boy looked at her, his eyes filled with undisguised amazement. "It's only been a day, no, half a day. Your physique, the elements surrounding you, are at least a third stronger than they were this morning. If you can maintain this rate of growth, even a fully-fledged Teyvat will soon be no match for you—"

"But, I'm sorry. There are others who can defeat and heal Teyvat. After all, while your flames are incredibly effective, applying them to Teyvat is still too cruel. Compared to that child who could gently purify the corruption within Teyvat, you... are a bit frightening."

Miss Surtr raised an eyebrow slightly—undoubtedly, the child Wendy was referring to was Luminous, the Traveler, the main protagonist in the original story who possessed unique powers to purify the dragon's corrupted body. While she found this roundabout return to the original story somewhat strange, she was always too lazy to bother with such things.

Anyway, even if she doesn't care, someone else will—someone has already given themselves away so many times that it seems they never intended to hide it in the first place. So, it's better to hand over this tedious task to someone who seems very interested.

So she turned her head and glanced at Alina.

Alina, however, was already sitting at the table with a gentle smile on her face.

"Surtr." The Little Deer with SilverAsh hair gently touched the table. "Are you planning to accept this contract?"

"I've accepted." Surtr nodded in response. "Enter the Stormterror's Lair, clear out the monsters, destroy the nodes, and finally ensure the barrier descends. At the same time, avoid any contact with the wind dragon throughout the entire process—that's the procedure, right?"

"Yes, that's certainly true." The bard holding the precious zither nodded repeatedly. "As soon as the barrier is lowered, I will immediately help you search for your companion in the Stormterror's Lair. If she is there, you will definitely find her. And even if she is not there, I can still provide you with some assistance."

"So, besides finding the person, there are other rewards for this job?"

"That's not wrong..." the bard scratched his head. "Effort and reward should always be equal. That's the principle of making friends."

Alina nodded.

"Then, this topic certainly has room for discussion." She turned her head and glanced at her companion. "Surtr, what follows is the rather tedious negotiation phase. Are you planning to stay and listen in?"

Miss Surtr, who dreaded such trouble, simply waved her hand dismissively. She even deliberately avoided mentioning a single word related to Mona to avoid creating an artificial flaw—she believed that as long as she didn't get in the way, the person sitting at the table would definitely be able to handle the current problem and arrange everything properly—this had been true in the past, it was true now, and as long as trust was placed, it would likely remain true in the future.

"Just tell me the result." — She pushed open the door and walked out. "I'm going to sit on the rooftop for a while, you two can talk slowly."

She left, without hesitation.

But the atmosphere inside the room changes abruptly when the door closes.

The Wind God of Mondstadt summoned a chair, sat down, and maintained a safe distance from the other girl at the table. His pure eyes were filled with solemnity.

"So," his voice was low and sharp, "What do you want to know? What do you want?"

In his eyes, the antler-clad girl was as terrifying and sharp as a mountain range formed from piled-up blades. Even though she appeared to be just an ordinary body of flesh and blood, her body concealed a secret that could threaten him and even the entire kingdom beneath his feet.

He saw that the girl had long purple hair and turquoise eyes.

—As expected, I knew Persephone was trying to interfere with my dream... It seems that the 'special observation method' she told me about last night wasn't just empty talk. Although I don't know exactly how she did it, at least for now, she is indeed here.

—But this method... tsk.

The Flame-haired maiden sat on the top floor of the inn—she didn't like drinking much, so she prepared tea instead to drown her sorrows.