The grand master's office was spacious and bright.
Several rows of tall bookshelves stood against the walls, their shelves neatly lined with all manner of files and books.
A considerable number of documents were stacked on the desk, though they were arranged quite neatly. An ink bottle and a quill rested to one side, beside a small Windwheel Aster badge that held some papers down.
Jean sat behind the desk, her long golden hair tied in a neat ponytail that fell over one shoulder. A few loose strands at her forehead stirred gently in the breeze from the window.
There was a barely perceptible weariness between her brows, but her back remained ramrod straight, and her whole bearing was upright and resolute.
When Ye Xuan and Ronava walked in, she returned the quill in her hand to the ink bottle, closed the document, and set it to one side of the desk before rising to her feet.
"You two are here to discuss a partnership. May I ask your names?"
"Ye Xuan."
"Ronava."
Jean nodded and said, "As I understand it, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is a funeral establishment in Liyue. Liyue's customs are not the same as Mondstadt's, and besides, funeral affairs in Mondstadt have always been handled by the Cathedral of Favonius."
"Even if you opened a branch here, I'm afraid you wouldn't get much business."
Ye Xuan smiled, unconcerned. "It's simple. The Cathedral of Favonius only needs to hand that responsibility over to our Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
Jean frowned. "What?"
At that very moment, a one-eyed pirate captain happened to arrive outside the door and heard those words.
"Uninvited guests from Liyue injure a resident of Mondstadt, beat up a knight of the Knights of Favonius, and now want to seize the Cathedral of Favonius's responsibilities?" Kaeya strode through the door, his tone hostile.
Jean turned to him. "Kaeya, they injured a resident of Mondstadt?"
Ye Xuan said coolly, "I merely tested whether the knights of the Knights of Favonius were up to the task. The results were just barely satisfactory."
Jean's gaze abruptly sharpened. "Whatever the reason, injuring a resident of Mondstadt is unforgivable!"
With a turn of her wrist, she whipped up a fierce gust with the Aquila Favonia. "Gale Blade!"
Ye Xuan moved Ronava in front of him as a shield.
The fierce wind rushed into their faces, lifting Ronava's long hair.
She hadn't pinned her hair up, and the wind swept her hairpin away. It fell to the floor with a crisp clatter.
Only then did Kaeya finally get a clear look at Ronava's profile.
He had arrived at a very bad time.
Had he come even a moment earlier, he would have heard the two introduce themselves.
Kaeya's whole body jolted, and his expression changed drastically. "Jean, stop!"
Jean turned and saw that Kaeya was trembling all over, as if he had seen a nightmare that should not have existed.
"Kaeya, what's wrong?"
But Kaeya seemed not to hear her. He murmured, "How could this be... How could you possibly be here..."
Ronava swept a cold glance over him. "A remnant of Khaenri'ah, or a descendant of Alberich? Did you flee to Mondstadt? I thought you were all in Snezhnaya."
Ye Xuan patted Ronava on the shoulder. "All right, don't scare him. The kid won't be able to sleep tonight otherwise."
Only then did Ronava look away. She bent down, picked up the hairpin, and examined it carefully.
Fortunately, it hadn't broken.
Ye Xuan looked up and out the window. "That fellow Barbatos caught it with the wind before it hit the floor. As a reward, let's go a little easier on him later."
Ronava answered softly, "Mm."
Ye Xuan turned to Jean, his tone flat. "Since the Knights of Favonius can't meet our demands, there's no point wasting time. Let's go, Ronava. We're going to find Barbatos. Where is he?"
"He's right by the window. He heard us and seems to be getting ready to run."
A smile curled at the corner of Ye Xuan's mouth. "If he runs, then let's declare Mondstadt's death."
"Don't do that! I haven't done anything wrong!"
A green figure dove in through the window and wrapped both arms around Ye Xuan's thigh.
Jean and Kaeya both froze.
That habitually carefree bard, Venti, was actually Barbatos, the Anemo Archon himself?
He had actually hidden in Mondstadt for so long without anyone seeing through him.
Ye Xuan looked down at Venti hanging from his leg, then turned to ask Ronava, "Has he done anything wrong over the past few thousand years?"
Ronava thought for a moment. "You'd have to ask Istaroth. The area I oversee isn't around here."
Venti hurried to answer first. "No need to ask. I definitely haven't!"
Ye Xuan grinned. "Then let's beat him up on the charge of 'neglecting his duties.'"
Venti: "..."
Was there no escaping this beating after all?
"Don't!" Venti wailed. "Isn't it just a matter of putting the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor in charge of Mondstadt's funerals? A small matter, a small matter! Something like death should be under Auntie's care in the first place!"
Ronava had picked up quite a few turns of phrase from chatting with Ye Xuan, and this was the perfect time to take one out and use it.
"You're even calling me 'Auntie' to save your life?"
Venti looked aggrieved. "Weren't you just going to teach me a lesson? How did this turn into a matter of life and death?! Auntie, you want to kill me?!"
Ye Xuan said leisurely, "Gods love humanity, but are you human? Killing you wouldn't violate any taboo. Even if something goes wrong, at worst we'll just resurrect you again. We can treat it as a rehearsal. Right, Ronava?"
Ronava turned her head away. "Could you stop bringing that up? That amateur Rhinedottir couldn't even do something so simple properly."
Ye Xuan laughed. "Didn't you say you didn't care anymore?"
"Then I'll leave establishing the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor branch and managing its affairs entirely to you, Barbatos. I want to see results before we leave Mondstadt."
With that, Ye Xuan and Ronava turned and left, their footsteps gradually fading at the end of the corridor.
The office was quiet for a moment.
Jean finally spoke, a hint of hesitation in her voice. "Lord Barbatos... Are those two truly your elders?"
Venti waved a hand. "Just call me Venti. To tell the truth, I didn't dare trust my eyes at first either. But her authority was unquestionably the authority of death. There was no faking that. It seems she has now left Celestia and is following that person."
He paused, his expression becoming unusually serious. "Jean, you were far too reckless just now. If I hadn't caught that hairpin with the wind, I'm afraid Mondstadt City would already be facing a great calamity."
Jean's pupils contracted slightly. "What?!"
"She's very fond of that hairpin. It seems that person gave it to her. My auntie has always been a whimsical person. In her eyes, the lives of everyone in Mondstadt City combined might not carry as much weight as that one hairpin."
Venti sighed. "Find a spacious storefront among the Gunnhildr Clan's properties to serve as the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's premises. Also, pass a message to the Church of Favonius-tell them the church needn't concern itself with Mondstadt's funeral affairs from now on."
Jean frowned slightly. "The church... I'm afraid they won't readily agree."
Venti blinked. "This is a divine decree from Barbatos, the Anemo Archon. Besides, handing responsibility for funerals to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor might not be such a bad thing."
Jean was puzzled. "Why?"
"Because the Church of Favonius-it doesn't pay taxes."
With that, Venti turned into a wisp of wind and vanished from the Knights of Favonius.