There will come a soldier who carries a mighty sword,
He will tear your city down
Oh lai of lie oh lord, oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh lord
He will tear your city down
That bard has been singing those songs all night. Though this one sounds different. Is it the one he said he would write about Divalin?
There will come a poet whose weapon is his word.
He will slay you with his tongue.
Oh lai of lie oh lord, oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh lord
He will slay you with his tongue.
"Master Diluc, one...." Quinn slurs. It's insulting how drunk everyone here gets.
"Let me guess, Death After Noon. Is that all?" Quinn nods, slumping onto the stool in front of the bar. Already black-out drunk.
"Come on, Master Diluc. Liven up a little bit. Eh, he.' I don't have to look up to hear the bards smile.
Anger heats my cheeks. Drunks and their drunk friends.
"What do you want Venti?" I don't know if I heard the song end.
"A drink of course. Didn't you like my performance? Eh, he."
"I'm closing the tavern. Go home, everyone." An impulsive decision on my part, but If I hear that bard's voice for a moment more my heart might explode. Blood pressure rises when you're upset after all.
"Oh come on!" Half of the tavern groans while the other half slowly starts packing up.
"Master Diluc. Such a joker! You might make some decent pay as a bard. Though not as much as me! Eh, he."
"I wasn't kidding, Venti. Leave." He doesn't move. "I mean it, Venti. Don't make me grab the Traveler to drag you back into whatever hole you crawl out of every night."
His face falls. Looking disappointed only for a moment before he picks it up again, back to the same facade. "Master Diluc! You mustn't insult a bard, songs of this tragedy will be sung for generations."
I turn to start cleaning up the bar, giving a quick 'put the bottle down' over my shoulder.
The tavern empties quickly, though Venti stays. He doesn't steal anything this time, opting to help clean up other areas of the tavern. Clearing tables, bring over dishes, at one point he starts using Animo to sweep the floor.
Midnight nears, signaling that I need to start patrols. The knights certainly aren't the one's protecting Mondstadt. And Barbados over there isn't either.
"Do you ever think about taking a break from protecting the city? Taking one night off?" The question startles me, we've been working in silence for an hour now.
"No, I have no need for a night off. Someone needs to make sure the city is safe."
"Does it have to be you all of the time? There are other people. We could ask the Traveler to take your shift tonight, let you get some sleep?" I don't turn to face him, washing the dishes instead.
"It's not like the knights are going to protect this place. Or are YOU going to start pulling your weight, Barbados? Are you going to do something other than drink and sing?" The water is hot on my hands, I try to focus on that instead of how the energy in the room dropped.
"No, I guess not eh, he. I should get going. I'll see you tomorrow Master Diluc." I don't watch him leave but I do hear the door close.
Hey, at least there isn't a bard in my tavern anymore.
I need to start my patrol.
YOU ARE READING
A Barkeep And His Poet
Romance"No like, you're really pretty." He states, his cheeks pink. "Someone has an admirer." Kaeya snorts, looking from me to Venti. I can't think of an answer so I don't speak, giving other customers their drinks. Rosaria snickers and I look over. Venti...
