Chapter Text
Venti would call himself somewhat of a connoisseur of dating sims. They are hardly his only hobby, certainly, and he prides himself on having a varied and eclectic amount of interests and experiences, but dating sims occupy a special place in his heart. The romance! The implausible plots! the oftentimes insane love interests! What’s not to love?!
His friends might poke fun and complain that he’s more invested in his pixelated boyfriends and girlfriends, but it’s all in good fun anyway. It’s not his fault that real life is never even half as full of drama and self-afflicted ennui as a good dating sim.
It’s not that he plays every single dating sim that comes out – that would be impossible, and probably mind-damaging – but he makes sure to at least sample the yearly selection. Genshin Impact is relatively new, mildly expensive, and endlessly charming. The protagonist manages to make an impact – haha – even as a vehicle for audience self-insert, the world is fascinating, and the wide variety of potential routes can make a gamer’s head spin! Venti is definitely invested, and can already see a bright future ahead of him, romancing the likes of Albedo, Keqing, and Ayaka, guiding the Traveler’s action, poking fun at all the corny dialogue. Ah, the joys of the game!
Which is why he’s incredibly put out when he gets hit by a car one morning on his way to the store. Oh, I hope my Switch doesn’t get damaged, manages to be his last thought before everything goes black.
Waking up is a surprise. Waking up and being addressed as Barbatos, tyrannical ruler of Mondstadt, is less of a surprise and more of a bad plot-twist, one right out of one of the myriad of plagiarizing web-novels he has read over the years. He sits up in the bed (huge!! who needs such a huge bed?!) and tried not to hyperventilate.
“Um, your highness – “
“Leave,” Venti manages to say, and somehow his panic must translate into anger, because the attendant (he has an attendant!) quickly scampers away, leaving him alone.
He’s in a large, round room. The walls are made of glass, letting in the full force of the sun. Opulence spills from every corner: the splendor of the four-poster bed, the magnificence of the hanging chandelier. This is, without a doubt, the bedroom of the Tyrant of the Four Winds, King of Mondstadt, general asshole and pain in the ass, the Lord Barbatos. Venti knows, because Venti has guided Genshin Impact’s protagonist into this very room on many different routes, and then watched gleefully as they massacred the tyrant, eventually throwing his body out of the tower and into the joyful crowd below.
Barbatos was a minor villain in Genshin Impact’s general story, and a major one in a few different romance routes, such as Acting Grandmaster Jean or Crimson Knight Diluc. As the main antagonist of the starting area he appears in every route, but he only becomes a major challenge when romancing characters of Mondstadt. However, he still meets a grizzly end in every. Single. Route. Of. The. Game. How is that fair?!
Venti stumbles his way towards the large (gold, of course) mirror in the corner. He stares in horror at his face – that’s definitely Barbatos, alright! How has he never noticed how much he resembles this character?! He hasn't really romanced anyone from Mondstadt yet, but still!
He tries to pinch himself, but he doesn’t wake up. Next, he considers braining himself on the balcony, but on the off-chance that this is actually real, he doesn’t want to accidentally kill himself. Not when the future of his death is already imminent enough, thanks!
Well, fine. If he takes it at face value, he just got transmitigated into the body of his least favorite villain in his most favorite dating sim. That is definitely the title of a sub-par web-novel, and also apparently his new life. The new question is this:
How does he not die?
Hardly has the question crossed his mind before the same attendant from before meekly pokes his head in. “My lord…”
“Yes?” he says with a blank face. He would like to start with making everyone else less deathly afraid of him – honestly, Barbatos, that’s not how you find good help! – but that would probably be a slow process.
“You have a visitor… She claims to have completed the S tier bounty on Andrius’ head.”
She’s here!
Already?! Couldn’t he have been dropped a little bit further back in the plot, please?!
The shock on his face must be apparent, because the servant becomes as white as a sheet. “She has proof, my Lord, a claw of the beast, otherwise I swear I wouldn’t have let her in!”
“You’ve performed admirably,” he says, and ignores the look of shock his words cause. “I’ll meet her in the throne room, then. Just let me…” he looks down at what is probably the most expensive pair of pajamas he’s ever worn. “Get dressed.”
“At once, my Lord!”
Apparently, tyrannical rulers don’t lack a sense of fashionable dramatics, and Venti is quite pleased with the variety of robes, capes, and other menacing, luxurious garments. He very deliberately passes over the canon outfit of the villain – no need to tempt fate, after all – and instead chooses some comfortable leggings, breaches, a shirt, a vest and a cape. On a whim, he twirls on a lovely green hat. Hey, in fantasy land, do as the fantasy people do! He has played enough games to know layering is a must.
He manages to only get lost twice on the way to the throne room, and silently curses the lack of an in-game map. But then the tall, heavy set of doors looms in front of him, and he only minimally relishes the drama of sending them flying open and stepping into the lavish room.
It looks just as it did in the game, the same as his bedroom. Big – way too big – and gaudy, and in the middle a slight woman dressed in white and gold, a floating companion at her side. Ha Ha, take that, losers on the forums! Female Traveler is canon alright!
“Well!” he smiles at her, clapping his hands. “What’s that that I hear about the demise of the Great Northern Wolf, Andrius?” He, of course, knows that Andrius is not dead. The Traveler fought him, certainly, but did not kill him when she defeated him. Instead, the two joined forces, and hatched a plan to spy on Barbatos. If the Traveler took this route, she must have gotten quite a few favor points in the Razor romance!
She blinks at him. She really is quite pretty, with her big golden eyes and shiny golden hair. Even in this gaudy room, she shines brilliantly. No wonder every NPC falls for her! Even Venti feels quite dazzled to meet his favorite protagonist. “I have completed the bounty.”
“Pah, we shouldn’t talk about such dower things.” He waves her off. If he remembers right, in his glee that his old enemy (who used to be his friend, as it’s revealed in the accompanying manga!) is dead, Barbatos gives her a second bounty, this one the Stormterror Dragon D’valin. Of course, she wins over the loyalty of the dragon as well, and he plays a key part in the downfall of Barbatos himself.
And so, they must never, ever meet!
“It’s a wonderful day, should we take a walk in the garden instead?”
Now she gives him an alarmed look, for some reason. Her floating companion isn’t as quiet. “Hey, what about our reward!”
“Of course, of course!” He nods his head. He can’t remember what the game awarded the protagonist (aside from a shit ton of favor points with various characters), so he improvises. “What would you ask of me, then?” Impulsively, he offers the Traveler his arm and she, after a moment of hesitation, intertwines hers with his, allowing him to lead her out of the throne room and into the accompanying gardens.
“You’re letting us pick?” Paimon shrieks.
Venti shrugs. “Why not?” It would be a good way to score some favor points with the protagonist, after all!
“Seems… dangerous, for someone in your position,” the Traveler says carefully. There is something very piercing about her stare, and Venti squirms internally, feeling like he just got caught in a lie.
“Nonsense, what would I not offer for the defeat of a creature that has struck terror in the hearts of my people?” Venti laments, making wild gestures with his free hand. The gardens really are lovely, and he feels quite satisfied with this stage for his acting performance. “For so long the people of Mondstadt have lived in fear of the fallow beast! As their ruler, have I not taken on their misery, their debt? What price could be too far to pay?”
Anyone else would be embarrassed to spew such nonsense, but Venti feels quite delighted. Finally, years of ingesting such terrible, cliché dialogue have come to fruition!
“What are you talking about?!” Paimon demands. Venti never really liked her as a mascot character – too whiny! – and it’s even more annoying now that he can’t just skip her lines. “You – “
“Paimon, could you please go tell our companions that we have been invited for dinner?” The Traveler cuts her off.
“You have?” Venti and Paimon ask in unison.
“Yes,” the Traveler says, still looking intently at Venti. She stops their stroll, and Venti is forced to stop as well, their arms still linked. “Invite us.”
“You… are invited to dinner,” Venti says, feeling slightly wrong-footed. He doesn’t think there’s any route with this dialogue option!
For the first time, the Traveler smiles at him. He thinks that if he was one of the romanceable NPCs his heart would be struck down with the force of it. “Excellent. Paimon?”
“Hmph, fine! But this better be a five-star meal, or else!” With that threat, she disappears, presumably to tell their companions about the change of plans. Idly, he wonders who the protagonist has already recruited – definitely Amber, Kaeya, and Lisa, the starting party, but who else? Razor, maybe, if she’s already been to Wolvendom. Jean, Diluc? Ohhhhh, Mona if she managed to activate the hidden quest!
“You do not match the stories I’ve heard of you, Lord Barbatos.” The Traveler’s voice cuts through his musings.
“Oh?”
“You would claim to be genuinely worried for your people.”
“I am!” They might just be nameless NPCs, but they are always kind to the protagonist, and often provide her with gifts and free resources. Venti got quite attached to them, playing through the game the first time.
“Hmm. And yet you have not acted against Celestia?” This shocks Venti so much he actually lets go of her arm to stare at her, eyes wide.
Celestia is THE main villain of the game. While early in the game it seems that Barbatos is acting on his own, later he shows up as one of this faction’s agents, in a plot-twist that is totally predictable, but still satisfying. For the Traveler to even know the name of this faction so early means she must really be doing things in a weird order!
All of a sudden, he has an epiphany. He knows exactly how to begin the road to change his fate!
An anguished expression comes across his face. “Oh, Traveler, your words truly pierce into the source of my misery! For what can I, the humble ruler of a small country such as Mondstadt, can do against the power of Celestia? For so long I’ve tortured myself with my inadequacies, hoping for a strong enough warrior to come along that might be able to face such a power at my side!” He monologues, starting to really get into this shameless character. “Why, the bounties were merely a test! If indeed a warrior appears that is brave enough to face such beasts, strong enough to defeat them, and cunning enough to request a reward, surely that person would be Mondstadt’s salvation.”
The Traveler looks quite overwhelmed in the face of such performance. Venti can’t blame her – he even has tears in his eyes! It’s magnificent! “What… are you saying?”
“I shall join your travels, brave hero! And together, we will take on Celestia!”
After all, what better way to escape being a two-bit villain fodder than to become a treasured companion?!
Of course, it is not that simple. First, it is Paimon who is quite loud – and quite rude – about her reservations. “You can’t trust him!” she insists. “Everyone says he is evil, and – and – look at him!” She waves a tiny hand at Venti’s general direction. He tries very hard to look as trustworthy and earnest as possible. He is pretty sure he manages to make his eyes look twice as big as they usually are. “Does he look reliable to you??”
Still, the Traveler is staunch in her decision. Venti had expected it would take more – a LOT more – for her to agree to add him to her rag-tag group of companions, but she agreed surprisingly quickly. Almost suspiciously so, but beggars can’t be choosers, and Venti is pretty desperate to get out of Mondstadt. The more death-flags he can avoid, the better.
Then, of course, are her companions. He is positively giddy to meet them, and they don’t disappoint. Amber is as cute in person as she is pixelated, and he can definitely see Lisa’s appeal even if he never romanced her. Kaeya though – he is wary of Kaeya, and not just because he was the winner of “Sexiest Genshin Love Interest” contest three years in a row. He knows Kaeya has a secret route connected to his Khaenri'ah background, but he never managed to unlock it before his… untimely death. So he will have to be careful around him, but otherwise he’s really looking forward to having a drinking buddy!
She hasn’t recruited Razor. He doesn’t know why and can’t really ask – but she mentions having met Bennet and Fischl, so he knows they’re at least around, even if they aren’t permanent companions. He meets Acting Grandmaster Jean – first time for him, although presumably she has worked for Barbatos for many years – and is very impressed. They don’t call her the Dandelion Knight for nothing! She seems as reliable and steadfast as she does in the game.
It’s with Diluc that they get into real trouble.
“Absolutely not.”
“That’s what Paimon said!”
“Diluc–“
“You must be joking. After everything we’ve told you about this city, and him…! To bring him along would be beyond foolish of you.”
“He will be useful,” the Traveler says. It sounds vaguely ominous to Venti’s ears.
“Think about it like this,” Kaeya says, slinging an arm around Diluc’s shoulders that immediately gets brushed off. “We can send him out as a distraction for our next monster bounty. Maybe if we’re lucky he will get eaten.”
“Uh–“ Venti tries to object but he gets cut off by Paimon’s enthusiastic “Yes!”
“It might… not be that bad,” Amber says reluctantly. “Lord Barbatos is certainly powerful, at least.”
Venti smiles at her. He always really liked Amber’s upbeat, can-do attitude. “Ah, please call me Barbatos! No need to stand on ceremony if we are to be travel companions.” He ignores the way everyone stares at him in shock and turns to Diluc.
“Master Diluc, I understand your… reservations, but rest assured my intentions in tugging along are beyond honorable! I wish to pay back the Traveler for her service to Mondstadt,” he steadfastly continues to ignore the way Amber looks visibly sheepish at their lies. “I believe I can certainly lend my expertise to her journey.”
If nothing else, he certainly knows enough spoilers to assist!
Somehow, even despite his honeyed words, Diluc looks less than reassured. Venti can only hope the Traveler wasn’t intending on romancing him, since he can practically see her losing favor points as he asks her: “I cannot change your mind?”
She shakes her head, but does look apologetic.
“Very well, then this is where we part ways.”
Venti’s eyes go wide. So Diluc won’t be a recruited companion! Interesting. He doesn’t have to be, but it’s a requirement for both his route as well as Jean’s and Kaeya’s. He casts anxious eyes towards the Traveler, worried she might change her mind, but she simply nods in acknowledgment.
“I enjoyed fighting at your side,” she says. It’s enough to make Diluc send her a small smile before he departs, not sparing even a single glance towards his brother, who just shakes his head ruefully.
“Always so dramatic,” he complains half-heartedly.
“You will not leave him to his own devices,” the Traveler states. It could sound like a question, but it really doesn’t.
“He will probably work himself to death if Kaeya and I don’t keep an eye on him,” Jean says. She looks as serious as ever – probably not even aware of her own hypocrisy! She really is delightful.
In the end, it is only the Traveler, Paimon, Amber and himself that set out of Mondstadt. Lisa has elected to stay behind, and the Adventurers Guild members all had things to do – because of Venti’s actions, the Traveler didn’t have time to do even half of the side-quests needed to recruit them.
He can’t find it in himself to mind all that much. His favorite companions are still ahead, after all.
Off to Liyue they go!