We traveled through time together, but I'm the only dragon? The others are all beautiful girls?

"Thank you for your help—I will never forget this kindness. If you ever need my help again, please don't hesitate to ask. Anyway, I'm free now."

When the word "freedom" was mentioned, Tvalin's expression turned somewhat ferocious.

He only thanked Akalion and Luminous, and ignored a certain wind god—even though this wind god had already come into Akalion's body—and turned away!

On one hand, there was anger towards the wind god; on the other hand, there was a lack of understanding of how to deal with the mess he had created.

The words of the wind god exonerated Him—although He had done all these things because of the abyss, Dvalin still felt deeply ashamed of what He had done.

Moreover, while Barbatos reintegrated Him into Mondstadt, he also kicked Him out, and He became "free".

Ha ha!

“Dvalin…” Wendy shook his head helplessly as he watched Dvalin’s departing figure, then looked at Akalion and Luminosity.

"Hey, you two, powerful travelers from afar—and your little guide."

Wendy's gaze swept over Paimon, who was hiding behind Akalion's dragon horns, and the smile on his face deepened.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Wendy, and I am the finest bard in Mondstadt."

"..."

Akalion, Luminous, and even Paimon all watched Him in silence, without uttering a word.

Why would someone say something like that at a time like this?

Barbatos, get your act together!

"Heh heh!" Wendy chuckled sheepishly. "Alright, I am Barbatos—the Anemo Archon of Mondstadt. As a reward for your saving of Mondstadt, please allow me, in the name of the 'Anemo Archon,' to spread your 'heroic deeds' to every corner of this land."

"A traveler from another world, along with her dragon companion and guide, descended from the heavens to save the Guardian of the East from the poison of the abyss and protect millions of Mondstadt's people—this is a great heroic epic worthy of being passed down through the ages!"

That's more like it. *3

Volume 1 Snowfield Dragon Lord: Chapter 70. Negotiating Rewards with Venti

Listening to the cheers of Mondstadt's survivors, Akalion felt no satisfaction whatsoever at the reward offered by Venti.

"--not enough."

Akalion's cold, deep voice, unique to dragons, clearly reached the bard's ears.

"Mere 'songs' and 'epic's' are not enough to repay us for saving Mondstadt and Dvalin! Although you provided assistance, it only saved [lives] that should have died in this dragon plague."

“No life was meant to die in this dragon plague, but... what you said makes sense.”

Wendy's face still wore that warm and approachable smile.

His emerald eyes, reflecting the boundless sky, calmly gazed at the colossal dragon before him, whose presence was palpable, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

"Well then, mighty dragon from a foreign land! Before you offer your 'reward,' at least let me know your name, shall you?"

“Akalio Vilminax Pantokratol.” Aklio proclaimed his true name with the arrogance and majesty of a true dragon. He then proceeded to inform the wind god of all his titles before him.

"What a resounding title, like something out of a legendary tale!" Wendy's eyes lit up slightly. She could clearly feel that when this dragon uttered its true name, the world itself was cheering for it.

This excitement... could it be that the Nibelungs have returned?

"So, Akalion, what exactly do you want?"

"Paimon wants lots and lots and lots of the Deer Hunter's signature roast meat!" Paimon stood to the side, raising her little arm high, offering what she considered the most practical reward.

Ying silently reached out and firmly restrained Paimon, who was in a state of excitement, and then gestured with her eyes for her to be quiet.

Paimon immediately covered his mouth and waited with Luminous for the outcome of Akalion and Wendy's negotiations.

Well, compared to Akalion who transmigrated into a dragon, Ying's personality isn't as adept at making unreasonable demands in such situations.

"What I want is something more tangible than empty fame," Akalion stated bluntly, showing the tree the fruit first, regardless of whether there were any.

"Hey, speaking of Mora, I don't have a single one!" Wendy reached into her pocket, which, like the vast and boundless sky, was completely empty.

"I want a permanent 'contract' from you."

Akalion ignored Wendy's antics, glanced at Ying, and went straight to the point with his demands.

“I hope you can permanently bestow that ‘protection of a thousand winds’ upon her.”

"..."

Wendy's smile finally faded, and her eyes became serious and deep.

“I’m sorry, Akalion. I can’t do that.”

He gently shook his head.

"'A Thousand Winds'—a grand symphony spanning millennia—is key to maintaining the climate and ecology of Mondstadt; it is the 'breath' of this land. I cannot simply bestow it upon any individual. Otherwise, I would have intervened personally long ago—"

"Even if you take action, you won't be able to solve the problem of the 'Abyss's' corruption so easily."

Akalion's dragon eyes swept over Wendy slightly, interrupting him with a much more tactful tone.

"However, since you've put it that way, and since intangible things cannot be used as bargaining chips, let's talk about tangible things instead."

"I want Brightcrown Mountains in western Mondstadt, and Springvale below it, as Lumin's fiefdom. Of course, sovereignty over it still belongs to Mondstadt. She simply has more 'autonomy' than a regular lord—what do you say?"

“That won’t do either.” Wendy shook her head vigorously without even thinking. “The people of Mondstadt are free. Even I, the ‘Anemo Archon’ they worship, have no right to demand their loyalty to any one person!”

As the God of Freedom, how could He make such a promise?

Although He owed these two strangers a debt of gratitude that was so great it was a headache, He could not afford to pay the price.

"This won't work, and that won't work either!"

Akalion's deep, displeased voice boomed like rolling thunder.

"Are all the gods and men of Mondstadt so ungrateful?"

Hearing those chillingly accusatory words, Wendy felt her head spin. She could only maintain her bard's smirk, trying to argue, "Well, you can't say that. If you could get them to willingly come to you—"

"No, I am not some greedy and wicked dragon."

Seeing Wendy trying to pass the buck to the mortals, Akalion interrupted him with a cold smile and offered a seemingly sincere compromise.

“In that case, let’s compromise and make a discount. The ‘Protection of a Thousand Winds’ doesn’t need to be permanent; it only needs to be applied to Ying when she is in real danger.”

"Furthermore, you need to get the Mondstadt people to hand over the [Wind Dragon Ruins], as well as the [Brightcrown Canyon] and parts of its waters to the east, and a portion of the [Wolf's Lair] territory to Ying. And Mondstadt will be fully responsible for all new construction in this area—in return, we will contribute thirteen percent of all future tax revenue from this region."

"I do not intend to establish an independent kingdom here, but rather to continue existing as a subordinate state of Mondstadt. This will not only solve the problem of a land that has long been occupied by monsters and polluted by the death remnants of the Demon God Deckardarian, but also bring you a powerful ally, won't it?"

"Hey! Is that a broken bone?!" As soon as Wendy said this, he saw that Akalion's gray dragon eyes had become dangerous. He quickly changed his words and said, "Ahem, um... could you... not go to Wolf's Lair? Andrius the North Wind Wolf, it doesn't have a very good temper, and those wolves will also cause a lot of problems for your new territory, won't they?"

“Andrius, leave it to me. I will not harm the wolves that have lived here for generations, provided that they also obey my orders—as well as Luminous and Paimon’s.” Akalion said in a tone that was almost nonchalant, yet full of absolute dominance. “Until they dare to openly defy me, I—as well as Luminous and Paimon—will treat them as our subjects and fulfill all the duties of a lord.”

“I promise that this land will forever serve as a bulwark for Mondstadt and will not be used for any other purpose.”

"Paimon guarantees it too!"

After Ying stepped forward at this moment, Paimon followed suit.

"..."

Wendy fell into deep thought. Akalion's conditions were quite good; in fact, Mondstadt hadn't paid anything and had gained a large living space.

Akalion has already seen the entire Wind Dragon Ruins, the place where the tornado god Deckardarian perished, the old Mondstadt. Not counting the surrounding mountains, the area of ​​the gentle basin inside is about 150,000 square kilometers. There are many rivers inside. Although there are no rivers that can directly lead to Cider Lake and Azurewater Plains, canals can be built on several mountain ranges to make it navigable.

If it weren't for the remnants of the Demon God's death, this place wouldn't have been abandoned by the Mondstadt people.

But Wendy's concern wasn't that; it was another issue, one concerning whether Mondstadt could continue to exist in Teyvat.

Akalion appeared, but Tenryu didn't react at all... After careful consideration, Wendy made a decision. Akalion and Luminous were right in front of him, and they had indeed saved Dvalin.

"Yes, it is possible, but I have one condition. If Mondstadt itself is threatened with annihilation, as long as Luminous is willing to step forward, she will also receive the 'Blessing of the Thousand Winds'. In addition, the extent to which you should be responsible for the construction is something you need to discuss with the Knights and the Church yourselves. As the Wind God, I cannot interfere too much with the 'freedom' of mortals."

Upon hearing this, Akalion's expression changed again.

Oh no, I agreed too quickly! A slight pang of regret flashed through Wendy's mind. But Akalion ultimately made other demands.

"Okay—but you have to remember. You owe me, Ying, and Paimon a favor."

"Sigh~ Fine!" Wendy sighed deeply. In reality, He hadn't lost out at all. Rather, He had simply bound a [Descendant] to the Mondstadt chariot with another [Dragon Lord] who was beyond the usual ranks, and He had actually gained something.

But this also means that in the distant future, He will have to join the ranks of the [Descendants].

Natural justice...

"Yay! Now we'll have an endless supply of sweet flower-stuffed chicken every day!"

Paimon joyfully flew out of Luminous's embrace and came to Akalion.

"If it were me, I would definitely choose to take a huge amount of Mora and then live off the mountain!"

“It’s ‘sitting idle and living off one’s savings,’ Paimon.” Ying finally relaxed her guard. She was really afraid that the oppressive negotiation just now would completely fall apart and a fight would break out on the spot.

"It's all the same, Luminous!" Paimon scurried around Akalion happily. "This request of the [Big Talker Dragon] is just like that old saying in Liyue—well, giving a mermaid is...well, better...better...better...better..."

“It’s better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish!” Ying said helplessly, rubbing her forehead. “Paimon, you can’t just eat, drink, and sleep all day!”

"Ugh!" Paimon's little face turned bright red in an instant. Then, she went to Akalion's head and said in a determined tone, "Paimon understands!"

"I never expected Akalion to be so powerful! Then I can't use the title 'The Talkative Dragon' anymore. It's decided! From now on, I will call you—'The Sage Dragon of Savior'!"

"Ahem!" Wendy coughed, a hint of warning, as she watched the scene unfold. "The people below have been waiting for you for a long time. It's about time you went to receive the Mondstadt people's gratitude."

"Where is your 'oracle'?" Ying asked without any attempt to avoid any unnecessary mistakes in the following process.

"Am I really that unreliable?" Wendy winked playfully. "Of course it just dropped."

"Oh, right, there's one more thing. Whatever you do, whatever you do, don't reveal my true identity—just say that I'm a poor, penniless bard you rescued while fighting that evil dragon, okay?"

"You're coming along too?" Akalion asked, somewhat surprised. "Shouldn't you be better off extricating yourself in this situation? Why are you willingly revealing it?"

"Hey!" Wendy's face broke into a smile full of freedom and poetry. "How could such a historic moment, one that will be sung about for thousands of years, be complete without the world's best bard?"

Incidentally, he also acted as a mediator between Akalion and his group and the Knights of Favonius, to prevent anything from happening that could damage their relationship.

Does the oracle of Barbatos without the crown still carry weight?

The answer is yes, and it's quite significant.

Upon hearing the oracle, the entire city of Mondstadt—no, the entire Mondstadt region—began a rapid charge towards the city, with residents crowding the vicinity of Anemo Square.

This is the first time in five hundred years that we have heard a divine oracle from the Wind God!

Moreover, we will soon see the arrival of the hero who saved Mondstadt and the guardians of the East Wind.

How could I miss it!

Even if I get crushed to death, it's worth it!

However, after this disaster, the giant babies of Mondstadt have grown a lot, and there have been no incidents of disorderly behavior—of course, it is also possible that the Fatui's sticks were swung more than six times per second.

Jean Gunnhildr, the acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, and Barbara Page, the representative of the Church of Favonius and a priestess, stood silently before the magnificent statue of the wind god.

They, and all the people of Mondstadt, are waiting.

We await the arrival of the hero who will save everyone, as revealed in the divine oracle.

Qin's right hand was unconsciously gripping the hilt of the Windhawk Sword at her waist. Although her face still maintained the calm and dignity that belonged to the Dandelion Knight, her heart was already completely occupied by the upcoming meeting.

Barbara, standing to the side, had already clasped her small, fair hands tightly together in front of her chest. Her eyes, as clear as the sky, were filled with the most sincere gratitude to the Wind God.

Everything that happened in this situation will surely be remembered for a very long time...

Volume 1: Snowfield Dragon Lord: Chapter 71. Mondstadt's Thanks

Akalion's current appearance is completely different from when he was still in Eldra.

The once dark gray scales now all had a mixed texture of white crystals and metal, and the two pairs of dragon horns shone with pure white light. Under the sunset, the crown, which was constructed from the crystals of the seven elements, appeared so striking, so natural and sacred.

This colossal dragon, exuding a sacred aura, slowly descended from the heavens before the eyes of all Mondstadt citizens, filled with awe and awe.

"Phew, what a thrilling and exciting trip!"

A clear, vibrant sound, as if even the wind itself was playing its accompaniment, broke the sacred silence.

The bard, clad in green robes, leaped down from the hill-like back of the dragon, his face bearing his usual radiant smile. He first performed a standard, ancient Mondstadt greeting to Jean and Barbara, who had already approached and were watching with serious expressions, before speaking:

"—Your Excellency Acting Commander, and all the free people of Mondstadt who love this land! Please allow me, Venti, the humble bard who was fortunate enough to be saved by heroes, to solemnly introduce to you our great savior!"

With that, he turned around, opened his arms, and in a tone full of poetry and romance, as if he were reciting an immortal epic, proclaimed to all the people of Mondstadt:

"—This is the great dragon Akalion Virminax Pantopkrat, who came from a distant otherworld to lend us a helping hand when Mondstadt was in peril!"