While Venti was gritting his teeth, plotting ways to confront Gu Sanqiu, and enduring the unrelenting taunts of his own companion in the pocket dimension, Gu Sanqiu had already led the group to their dinner destination.
Naturally, the main topic at the table quickly turned to how a foreigner like Gu Sanqiu had seemingly received a response from the Anemo Archon.
Most of the attendees were skeptical at first. If Barbara hadn't brought up the very real issue of being stalked by Albert, complete with recent examples, the group would've dismissed the story as half-believable at best.
But after it was verified, their attention shifted from discussing Barbatos's response to congratulating Barbara.
Given that Albert's usual obsessive behavior didn't explicitly violate Mondstadt's laws, even with her many friends in the Knights of Favonius, there wasn't much Barbara—or even Jean—could do about him.
However, Gu Sanqiu's intervention had been different. Using an Elemental Seed to simulate the Archon's response, and doing so publicly in the presence of Mondstadt citizens and the sisters of the Church of Favonius, he had dealt with Albert decisively.
Albert might still harbor his unhealthy obsession with Barbara, but at least for a good while, he likely wouldn't dare act on it.
To be fair, Gu Sanqiu mused, these Elemental Seeds were incredibly useful. Simulating divine will for harmless pranks—or to resolve minor nuisances—was almost too convenient.
A slew of ideas began forming in his mind.
He didn't need to pull any stunts like this on Liyue's territory, and he already had a Seed from Decarabian for use in Mondstadt.
As for Inazuma... Well, considering the odds of me ever stepping foot there again, it's probably not worth considering.
Even though his training allowed him to wield various elemental powers, the lack of an innate "magic organ" made it fundamentally different.
Maybe I should ask the Old Man if there are any other surviving Archons capable of wielding multiple elements. If I could get my hands on more of these Seeds, that would be incredible.
Still, there were risks involved. He could only pull such stunts in Mondstadt because of his rapport with Venti.
Trying this sort of thing in Snezhnaya? He'd be frozen solid before he could even blink. And in Inazuma? The Raiden Shogun would likely cleave him in two without hesitation.
Forget it. Let's shelve the idea for now. If push came to shove, there was always Aether. Each time that kid connected with a foreign statue of The Seven, he gained another element.
With the right support tools, I could make a spectacle out of him, Gu Sanqiu thought. It wouldn't carry the same weight as a true Archon's intervention, but it might still be enough to sow fear and doubt among enemies.
For now, however, dinner was the priority.
Everyone he could gather—aside from the two perpetually absent brothers known for their mountain-and-fire duality—was seated at the table.
Raising his glass, Gu Sanqiu grinned. "Alright, everyone, here's to getting together for a nice meal. Cheers!"
Barbara held a glass of lightly flavored mint water with soothing properties and clinked glasses with the group. Apart from Klee, Aether, Bennett, and Paimon—who all had juice—everyone else was drinking alcohol.
Well, except for a certain outrider knight whose juice had been promptly snatched and replaced with half a glass of wine by her "dear bestie," a certain guerrilla captain. The latter had cheerfully declared, "Good friends share everything."
Gu Sanqiu suspected ulterior motives—or perhaps some cleverly disguised PDA (scratch that)—to avoid drinking too much.
As for Albedo, the alchemist showed little reaction to Aether's presence, quietly sipping on some high-quality Liyue wine Gu Sanqiu had brought along.
Still, Gu Sanqiu couldn't help but wonder: Could Albedo actually drink something like machine oil or diesel?
Probably not—different systems entirely. Still, the thought intrigued him.
Quickly stifling his wandering curiosity, Gu Sanqiu reminded himself of Albedo's keen perception. The last thing he needed was for his dubious musings to be noticed.
The evening proceeded with lively chatter, thanks largely to Gu Sanqiu and Eula—the self-proclaimed chaos instigators—keeping the mood buoyant. Even the shyer or less familiar members found themselves swept up in the atmosphere.
By the end of the meal, even the ever-disciplined Barbara looked genuinely worried about gaining weight, while Bennett, usually carefree, appeared similarly concerned.
Gu Sanqiu, however, was quietly relieved. The fact that they'd made it through dinner without any disasters meant that the group's combined good luck was enough to balance out Bennett's infamous misfortune.
"Ugh, so full!" Paimon sighed, now too lazy to fly and instead sprawled on Aether's back, her small hands playfully ruffling his hair.
"I've decided! Once I make it big, I'm going to eat like this every single day!"
Gu Sanqiu shot back casually, "If you eat like this every day, forget whether Aether can carry you—you won't even be able to fly."
Paimon froze mid-motion, her grip tightening instinctively on Aether's hair. He winced, feeling a sharp tug.
"Hey!"
Before Paimon could unleash her retort, Aether's gaze shifted sharply toward a specific spot.
"What's up? See something?"
Gu Sanqiu noticed the change and followed Aether's line of sight, his brow furrowing as he spotted the target: above the fountain near Good Hunter, at the side of the alchemy table.
"Well, well. That's interesting."
Gu Sanqiu smirked. "What's over there?"
Aether nodded, his movements deliberate as he leapt up to the spot with Paimon still clinging to him. Extending his right hand, he touched the air near the location.
"There's… something. It's calling to me."
Of course there is, Gu Sanqiu thought. That's a teleport waypoint.
He maintained his smile, but internally, questions swirled. Waypoints should've already existed—why hadn't they materialized before now?
Perhaps they required activation by the right person before becoming visible?
A low hum resonated as wind currents surged, and Aether's entire body trembled violently. His face turned pale at an alarming rate.
"Let go!"
Gu Sanqiu's expression darkened as he darted forward, grabbing Paimon with one hand and pressing his other firmly on Aether's shoulder to yank him back.
Aether collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. Gu Sanqiu quickly channeled elemental energy into him, replenishing what had been drained moments earlier.
"Does this thing need elemental energy to activate?"
Gu Sanqiu frowned, studying Aether's pale face. "It doesn't seem like just that—it might be tied to your constitution."
"Is it really that important to you?"
Aether looked up at Gu Sanqiu, hesitating before giving a firm nod.
"It's… very important. I feel like… I can use it."