Chapter Text
As Venti sat in Mondstadt square, having recently completed a performance for the good people of Mondstadt, he decided to visit those who had helped him with the storm terror problem, namely Jean and Diluc as recently he heard that the traveler was busy in Fontaine, having dealt with the recent prophecy which doomed it's people to dissolve in water.
He decided to check up on Diluc first, entering Angel Share to find Diluc standing behind the counter, serving drinks to Mondstadt's ever-famous drinking population.
"Hello, master Diluc," exclaimed the Bard, excitedly but Diluc looked at him unimpressed.
"No," replied the Tavern owner, simply as the God chuckled.
"I'm not here for Alcohol, Master Diluc," said Venti as he took a seat at the counter.
"Then why are you here, Bard?" asked Diluc, to which Venti just simply smiled.
"To check up on my friends, of course," said the Anemo Lord as Diluc raised an eyebrow, why would he be checking up on them?
"Why?"
"Ehe, Perhaps to see how things are going in Mondstadt, perhaps to see how my friends are doing, I can have over a hundred reasons for my decisions and you wouldn't understand all of them, Master Diluc," answered Venti, mysteriously as Diluc sighed, the Ruler of Mondstadt was always like this.
"As you can see, I'm busy, go check up on someone else," replied the former Knight Captain as Venti smiled, Master Diluc was the same as ever, protecting Mondstadt from the shadows, acting annoyed at his presence and more, now was the time to check up on Jean, the girl was always trying her hardest for the betterment of Mondstadt.
Venti stood in front of the headquarters for the Knights of Favonius, having had a nice chat with the Knights about how they were doing before entering the headquarters of the Knights. This large building housed the leadership and base of the Knights of Favonius with multiple features such as Libraries, prison cells, and laboratories.
He smiled, his mind going back to simpler times with Vannessa, now one of his Four Winds but he was here for someone else as he walked into the Office of the Acting Grandmaster to find the Dandelion Knight asleep at her desk, clearly having been doing paperwork.
'Gunnhilders, always working themselves to the bone for the sack of Mondstadt,' thought Barbatos, with a small chuckle, perhaps for old times' sake, he should help run Mondstadt and do some of this paperwork.
"Jean, please wake up," said Venti as Jean opened her eyes and looked up at her elder who appeared younger.
"Lord Bar- Venti, what do you need?" asked Jean as Venti smiled.
"You know I could do your paperwork for you while you go rest," said Venti, simply.
"No, no, I can handle it," replied Jean but Venti shook his head.
"Acting Grandmaster, I found you asleep at your desk, clearly tired, don't worry, I can deal with the paperwork, after all, it can't be harder than building Mondstadt and uniting its scattered clans," said Venti, "Go rest, think of it as a commandment from your god."
"Are you sure?" asked Jean, still unsure.
"Yes, I can handle it and you clearly need the rest," answered Venti as Jean sighed, despite how much she wanted to argue, she did feel tired and clearly, there was no arguing with her lord when he was like this. She got up from the desk filled with papers and walked towards the door.
"If you need something, just call me," said Jean as Venti nodded and began sitting on her desk and going through the papers.
"Let's see what Jean has to deal with," said one of the surviving members of the Original Seven, as he started to go through paperwork and his eyes widened.
'What the hell?' thought Venti as he looked over the document, concerned, 'This will be a problem...'
Lisa decided to go check up on Jean, her friend didn't know when to stop and would work herself to death if the other knights didn't do something about it.
"Jean, sweetie, are you there, I got some tea," said Lisa, simply as a different voice called from inside.
"Come in," said a young voice, clearly not belonging to Jean as Lisa entered the office to find Mondstadt's best bard sitting in Jean's seat, as he was looking over documents.
"Where's Jean?" asked Lisa, but the Bard waved his hand.
"I was able to convince her to rest," answered Venti, "Now then, you are one of Jean's confidants, are the Knights really suffering from this level of funding and a lack of numbers?"
"How?" asked Lisa, she had thought it a difficult, almost impossible task to get the knight to rest.
"I have my ways, now then, answer my question," answered Venti, his face serious and calm, so different from what she had seen of him when he performed for the masses.
"Yes, it is as you believe," replied Lisa, her eyes going towards the floor "Since Grandmaster Varka took 80% of the knights on an expedition trip, we not only have to send resources to them and protect Mondstadt, Jean is the one who holds most of the burden as she is acting as our leader but even she struggles."
"Why hasn't she received help from the rest of you?" asked Venti to which Lisa let out a sad sigh.
"We try but Jean is insistent that she handle this by herself," answered Lisa to which Venti looked unimpressed.
'Sorry Jean but it seems that I will be doing more than your paperwork,' thought Venti as he decided to grab a stack of paperwork.
"Lisa, can you be a dear and destroy this stack?" asked Venti as Lisa got up confused, what was the bard doing, this was important, Knights business and he wanted her to destroy paperwork.
"The knights need this, we can't just destroy it," replied Lisa but Venti waved her off.
"It's just useless complaints and other such things, I see no use to it so destroy it," said the God, cheerfully as Lisa grabbed the pile while Venti looked deep in thought as she left.
"How long are you going to be doing this?" asked Lisa as God shrugged, he really didn't know.
'It seems that Mondstadt is in a problematic situation, if I leave it like this, it could become dangerous and even if I am an absentee God, I will never leave Mondstadt in danger,' thought Venti, 'If I want to change things, I will first need a new outfit.'
Venti's current outfit was fun and friendly and didn't help with his image, something that he really needed to work on if his plan was to succeed so he was going to change, he would change back into this outfit once he was done, but for now he would have to change, it needed to fit his style but at the same time, make him look professional yet regal.
He thought back to those he knew who looked professional and regal and his mouth turned into a smirk, he had it.
Jean walked into her office to find Venti still doing paperwork but instead of his regular outfit, she found him dressed professionally. He was wearing a green frock coat with black collars holding fur over a navy blue single-breasted waistcoat, with a white dress shirt and a navy blue tie holding the design of Cecelia, he was also wearing blue formal pants and shoes.
"New outfit, Venti?" asked Jean with a raised brow.
"Actually yes," answered Venti as he looked up from the piece of paperwork, he was doing.
"I think I can handle the paperwork now, you don't have to," said Jean, as Venti sat regularly.
"Actually Jean, you won't have to do paperwork for a while," replied Venti as Jean saw that there were still stacks upon stacks on the desk.
"Why?" asked Jean, her confusion growing as he looked straight into her eyes.
"I will be taking over as acting grandmaster of the Knights of Favonius," answered Venti, his eyes completely serious.