“Thanks for the drink, warrior.” Venti downed his glass of apple cider with a flourish. “One day, I’ll repay your generosity with a song.”
“No need to be so polite! If you really want to pay me back, you might as well fight me instead.” Jia Changjiang waved off the offer with a laugh. “Besides, I’ll probably be in Mondstadt for a while. I’ll drop by the tavern at night to hear you play and keep the drinks flowing.”
“You’ve got real talent. Next round’s on me.”
He clapped Venti on the shoulder, his grin wide and cheerful. “Let’s call it a toast to friendship. You won’t turn me down, will you?”
“A drinking buddy who keeps buying me drinks?” Venti’s eyes lit up mischievously. “How could I refuse such a wonderful arrangement?”
“Then let’s start with introductions!”
Jia Changjiang raised his glass with a hearty laugh.
“Jia Changjiang—or you can call me Jax Lancelot. A Weapon Master.”
“Venti, at your service.” The bard lifted his glass as well, smiling. “May the gentle winds guide you, warrior from afar.”
“Nah, I’d rather face the storm.” Jia Changjiang chuckled. “But for safety’s sake, let’s save that for later.”
The two clinked glasses, and Jia Changjiang declared, “Cheers! Tonight’s my treat!”
Jia Changjiang didn’t remember how many drinks he’d had that night.
He only knew that by the time he stumbled out of the Angel’s Share, most of the Mora he’d earned from the day’s commissions was gone.
Glass after glass of cider had flowed, perhaps as an attempt to drown some of the lingering melancholy of being so far from home.
Still, the surprising part wasn’t how much he drank—but how much Venti drank. That sly bard had racked up more than half the tab on his own.
As Jia Changjiang staggered back toward his inn, he mumbled, “Heh… drank so much on my dime. I have to fight you someday, you cheeky bard.”
—
Long after Jia Changjiang left, just as the Angel’s Share was about to close, another figure entered the tavern.
“Captain Kaeya? You’re here late tonight,” Charles greeted, already reaching for the ingredients to prepare Kaeya’s usual order.
“The usual—Death After Noon,” Kaeya said with a smirk as he took a seat at the bar. “I had some loose ends to tie up. By the way, I heard you had an interesting guest earlier—a black-haired traveler in strange clothes?”
“You’re well-informed, as always.” Charles began mixing the drink with practiced ease. “There was indeed a guest like that. Drank quite a lot, too—and treated a bard to more than a few rounds.”
“Oh? Did they say anything interesting after a few drinks?” Kaeya asked.
Before Charles could answer, the tavern door swung open.
Charles glanced at the newcomer and promptly clammed up.
“Go on, Charles.”
The newcomer was none other than Diluc, the owner of Dawn Winery and the Angel’s Share itself.
“Didn’t expect to see you here tonight,” Kaeya said, smiling at his estranged foster brother. “What brings Mondstadt’s most reclusive noble to my favorite watering hole? Interested in our exotic traveler too?”
“I have every right to know what happens in my tavern.” Diluc crossed his arms, his expression frosty. “An outsider comes to Mondstadt and immediately challenges the Acting Grand Master? Hmph. And the Knights couldn’t even refuse him?”
“Fools… between the Fatui and Stormterror, now even a stranger thinks they can make a mockery of the Knights of Favonius?”
Diluc’s disdain was clear in every word, his voice laced with bitterness.
“Ah, no need to be so harsh, Diluc.” Kaeya’s tone remained light, though his gaze sharpened. “We should have faith in our dear Acting Grand Master. Or perhaps you’ve taken to keeping tabs on us now? The challenge is hardly public knowledge yet.”
“I have my sources. And I’ll make sure this… embarrassment doesn’t spread further.” Diluc’s crimson gaze didn’t waver. “If Jean loses, Mondstadt will show even more weakness to the Fatui.”
Turning back to Charles, Kaeya prompted him again. “So, what did this traveler say? Seems like you’ve caught our winery heir’s interest too.”
Charles glanced nervously at Diluc before responding.
“Nothing much. Just that he plans to challenge all the strongest people in Mondstadt… calls himself a Weapon Master, says he can use any weapon.”
“And?” Kaeya leaned in slightly.
“No other goals were mentioned,” Charles admitted, shaking his head. “Though he did say he’d be back tomorrow. Seems he and that bard made plans for another round of drinks.”
Charles set Kaeya’s drink down in front of him.
“Your Death After Noon.”
Kaeya and Diluc both fell silent, each lost in thought. Charles couldn’t tell what they were thinking, but he was certain it wasn’t the same thing.
—
Over the next week, Jia Changjiang’s routine became straightforward.
He still had no idea when the Traveler would arrive in Mondstadt, and with no hints or movement yet, his focus remained solely on growing stronger before his fight with Jean.
Each morning, Jia Changjiang would stock up on supplies from the Hunter’s Restaurant—food and water to last the day—and then head to the Adventurers’ Guild to accept as many commissions as possible.
No matter what the task, he took it.
To his delight, completing commissions not only earned him Mora but also triggered additional missions within his system, allowing him to double-dip on rewards.
The payouts weren’t enormous, but the sheer volume of tasks he completed made up for it.
For a gamer who loved skipping cutscenes and going straight for quests, it was paradise.
By evening, Jia Changjiang would head to the Angel’s Share to unwind, listening to the tall tales of veteran adventurers while sipping cider.
It might have seemed like a lazy routine, but in truth, the week of commissions and barroom banter gave him a better understanding of Teyvat—a world he had previously rushed through without caring much for the lore.
One key takeaway stood out above all else:
“So, these Visions are really that powerful, huh?”
Sitting at the bar with a tankard in hand, Jia Changjiang’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he stared at the glowing orb hanging from Venti’s hip.
“So, you really are strong, huh, Venti? Fight me!”
—
T/N: Is he…Natsu?
This is a fan translation of 武器大师在原神绝不死于徒手 by 徐人双. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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