"Come, come, Cyrus, take a look? I traveled so far to get these shots."
"And this one, Stanley, what do you think? The Dark Sea is much farther than the Sea of Embers, isn't it?!"
...Inside the small tavern, Yu Jin, holding a glass of orange juice, darted around. At each table he visited, a few more photos would appear.
Soon, he had run a round through the entire tavern. After a brief silence, a burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted!
"Hahaha! I was wondering where you ran off to, so you burrowed into the Dark Sea, impressive!"
Cyrus was the first to rush to Yu Jin's side, slinging an arm around his neck. He had noticed Yu Jin's uniqueness during the initial test, but he never imagined he would be *that* unique.
The Dark Sea, a place no one had ever set foot in! But now someone had, and it was an Adventurer registered in Mondstadt!
As if imagining himself lording it over the other branch presidents, Cyrus burst into laughter.
"Senior, how did you get there?!"
"Yu Jin, are those legendary evil gods in the pictures?"
"Senior Yu Jin, tell us what the Dark Sea is really like!"
...Soon, more people gathered around Yu Jin. Yu Jin waved his hand, jumped onto a table, and shouted, "Don't rush, why do you think I came to the tavern to find you on my first night back?"
"All of you, sit down and listen carefully as I tell you about my Adventure in the Dark Sea!"
And so, in the small tavern, Yu Jin stood on a table, vividly recounting his Adventure in the Dark Sea, surrounded by a group of Adventurers, some greenhorns and some veterans.
Even the other drinkers and the tavern's bartender joined in, listening intently as Yu Jin spoke.
When he spoke of danger or magnificent scenery, Yu Jin would also pull out photos for everyone to see, always eliciting gasps of astonishment.
The Dark Sea was exciting enough that even without embellishment, Yu Jin's experiences were captivating to everyone.
Time passed imperceptibly, and everyone in the tavern gathered until late into the night before reluctantly dispersing... Another morning dawned, several days after Yu Jin's tavern boasts.
Upon hearing that Yu Jin had not reported his deeds to the headquarters, Cyrus volunteered to organize the materials for him and apply for the title of Great Adventurer.
And today was the day he would collect his certificate.
"Good morning, Mr. Yu Jin!"
"You too!"
"Are you going on an Adventure, Senior?"
"No, I'm free these days."
"Mr. Yu Jin, when do you plan to eliminate the Dragon Scourge?"
"I'll have to wait for that; I'll ask the Knights of Favonius sometime."
...Walking on the street, Yu Jin was still somewhat unaccustomed. His reputation had soared again in the past few days, to the point where many people would proactively greet him even when he was just strolling.
Soon, Yu Jin arrived in front of the Adventurers' Guild. This time, it wasn't Katheryne's reception area, but the Adventurers' Guild building where Cyrus handled association affairs.
The Adventurers' Guild building looked somewhat similar to the Knights of Favonius building, but it was smaller.
By the time he arrived, a considerable crowd had already gathered in front of the Adventurers' Guild building. Besides Adventurers, there were also ordinary residents and even some Knights of Favonius who came to watch.
"Senior!"
"The one who purges sin, has he finally come to receive his commendation?"
"Master!"
The first to run over were the three youngsters: Bennett, Fischl, and Ellin. But no matter how Yu Jin looked, something felt a bit strange.
Bennett and Ellin were fine, acting as usual. But why was Fischl carrying the Dragon-Hunting Bow horizontally on her back? Didn't she find it cumbersome?
"Fischl, doesn't a Vision have a storage function? Why do you still carry the Dragon-Hunting Bow on your back?" Yu Jin grumbled, looking at the Dragon-Hunting Bow behind Fischl, which was much longer than she was.
"The Prinzessin bears the noble duty of protecting all souls of the mortal realm, and thus requires the power before her to be added to her being!" Fischl was speaking in her chuunibyou manner again.
"My Damselette wishes to exercise." Oz's ability to abridge was comparable to Kutri's.
"Alright, as long as you're happy." Yu Jin turned around and looked at Ellin again. Now, both her footsteps and aura were significantly better than before.
Yu Jin pointed a finger at Ellin's forehead and said to her, "I travel around a lot, so I can't always guide you. Let them help you. Who knows, you might even meet that fellow from Inazuma there."
Yu Jin thought of Maple; he wondered how that boy was doing now.
"Them?" Ellin touched her forehead; she felt as if some wondrous change had occurred within her.
"My former opponents." Yu Jin explained, "My martial arts were honed by them, and yours can be too."
"Really?" Ellin squeezed her palms and nodded heavily, "Master, don't worry, I won't disappoint you!"
Yu Jin looked around, regretting that Kaeya and the others hadn't come. But this was normal; ever since the Dragon Scourge descended, the Knights of Favonius had been short-staffed, and they were probably still working overtime.
Yu Jin walked past the crowd and entered the Adventurers' Guild building. What greeted his eyes was a large hall, with many portraits hanging on its walls.
Those were the Great Adventurers who had emerged from Mondstadt.
"Haha, you're finally here." Cyrus emerged from his admiration of the portraits. He pulled Yu Jin to a portrait and excitedly said to him, "How is it? Cool, right?"
Yu Jin looked, and it was indeed a portrait of himself. Cyrus had originally wanted Yu Jin to take off his helmet, but Yu Jin refused to agree no matter what.
So, it could only be like this.
"Not bad." Yu Jin nodded. Was this being remembered in this world?
"What do you mean 'not bad'? The Association paid a hefty price to have this painted for you!" Cyrus clapped Yu Jin's back and said with a laugh.
"Here, your badge." Cyrus said, handing Yu Jin a brocade box.
Yu Jin opened it and saw a beautifully exquisite badge inside.
"Isn't this a bit too hasty?" Yu Jin said to Cyrus. With such a grand display, he had expected something much more solemn.
"It is that hasty! I only called one person. Everyone outside is here voluntarily." Cyrus didn't mind in the slightest, he remarked with emotion:
"The Association is inherently a loose organization, without so many formalities. Perhaps it's precisely because of this that Mondstadt has so many Great Adventurers."
"The most?" Yu Jin looked at the portraits in the hall. There was Stanley, and some people he didn't recognize.
"Hmph hmph hmph, naturally." Cyrus proudly puffed out his chest. He said to Yu Jin, "How about it? Interested in becoming a branch president?"
Cyrus thought Yu Jin was excellent—powerful yet caring for his companions. And like him, he cared for newcomers.
"Never mind, you should remain the president." Yu Jin said, then walked out of the Adventurers' Guild building.
He didn't want to be bound by anything right now. Becoming a branch president would mean being responsible for the Association. For Yu Jin, who traveled all over the world, the position of president was clearly not suitable for him.
Stepping out of the building, there was another clamor, but just as Yu Jin was showing off his badge to the crowd, a storm suddenly struck!
Endless gales swept through Mondstadt City, and a giant tornado roared, stirring up debris from the ground.
"Someone's being blown away!" Suddenly, a shout came, and Yu Jin looked up.
A blonde Damselette was caught in the gale and swept high into the air, but she didn't give up.
The Damselette struggled to spread her Wind Glider behind her, desperately maintaining balance in the wind. The flowing wind seemed to be moved by her perseverance. A faint green glow appeared on her body.
"Venti?" The lightning on Yu Jin's hand dissipated. He looked at the Damselette fighting the giant dragon high in the sky, remaining silent for a long time.
Then, he suddenly smiled. He saw the gears of fate begin to turn.
So, there really are people called "Protagonists" in this world.
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