The Adventures of a Mushroom | Genshin x Child!Reader

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟲: 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶'𝘀 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻

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A quiet hush filled the Cathedral, and heavy afternoon sunlight splashed softly onto the tiled floor. Red-and-blue stained-glass windows lit up the wooden pews and creamy marble columns.

Displaying absolutely no intention of being sneaky, Venti marched straight down the aisle, towards the nearest sister of the church. The system displayed her name as [Gotelinde].

"Hello there!" Venti said.

"May the Anemo God bless you, young bard. How can I help you?" the woman asked politely.

"Actually, I know a secret that can save Mondstadt from its current predicament," Venti said. The Sister leaned in, looking mildly interested. "I'd like to borrow... the Holy Lyre der Himmel. With it, I'll be able to help Stormterror—"

"Please see yourselves out."

"W-what?" Taken aback, Venti stepped backwards.

"That foolish beast betrayed the winds. Not even the God of Anemo themselves would forgive it!" Gotelinde declared confidently, unaware that Barbatos was standing right in front of her.

Venti certainly didn't look much like a god. His head drooping in disappointment, the flower on his hat positively wilting, he cried, "Please, I beg of you!"

"I'm... afraid not, little bard."

"Then I guess I have no choice! I cannot hide anymore!" Venti threw up his arms, striking a majestic pose, as if he were trying to catch all the sunlight in the room. "My disciples, rejoice! Behold, the God of Anemo, Barbatos, has descended!"

Gotelinde blinked.

Venti grinned. "Shocked, aren't you? Don't you just want to cry out and rejoice? How does it feel to finally meet the god you've been serving?"

With a yawn, Gotelinde walked away. "If there's nothing else, I'll be going back to handle the Cathedral's paperwork now."

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"Well, that didn't work," Venti sighed, slumped over a pew. "She didn't even bat an eyelid."

You patted him sympathetically. "Burble... gobble..." (It'll be okay, Lord Bar-bar. Goat-Lin is a meanie anyways!)

A determined look entered Venti's eyes. "You're right. There's still hope. Now, little mushroom, here's where you come in. Since you're so small and fast, you can head down to the basement and grab the Holy Lyre!" Venti pointed at a narrow spiral staircase in the back of the Cathedral. "Ah... be careful not to get caught, though. It would be a grave injustice if you were arrested!"

You approached the staircase with a pounding heart. Envisioning the Sweet Flower you would receive as your reward, you headed down into the darkness.

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Shelves. Rows of wooden shelves, all containing dim candlesticks, dusty books, and bottles of unused quills. Clearly, the Cathedral basement was used for storage.

It's so quiet.

Hidden on the staircase, you scanned the mazelike room below you. Instead of the basement-monsters you had imagined, there were guards, marching back and forth in the aisles between the shelves. At the very end of the room, there was an arching doorway and an instrument on a pedestal. That must be your target, the Holy Lyre der Himmel.

But if that's the Holy Lyre, then what's the Holy Liar?

You could see why Venti had recruited you now. An ordinary person would have to cross the room using the narrow spaces between shelves while trying not to get caught by the guards. You, however, had it easy. From your observations, you noticed that the guards glanced to the left and the right, but never once thought to look upward.

Capitalizing on their blind spot, you floated close to the shadowed ceiling and managed to cross the room in less than a minute. However, as you entered the room with the Lyre, a slender figure in a purple hood appeared and headed swiftly for the Lyre.

Oh noooo you don't!

Swooping down, you touched the Lyre just as the purple-hood lady wrapped her hand around it. "System, store!"

Oh! Mushrooms don't have mouths! I wonder if the system will let me store—

Rather than flying into your mouth, it felt like the Lyre was being absorbed into your tentacles. Somehow, you were still able to taste it—hot apple pie with vanilla ice cream drizzled on top.

As the Lyre dissolved in her hands, the purple-hood lady let out a yelp, attracting the attention of the guards. Their armor clanking noisily, they ran to investigate. With a hiss of frustration and a burst of electricity, the purple-hood lady vanished.

I'm outta here!

You zoomed over the heads of the guards and out of the basement before any of them had a chance to take a second look at you.

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You found Venti perched on the stone balcony overlooking the plaza. He took one look at your breathless, Lyre-less form, and his expression turned grim. "The Lyre?"

You shook your head and pointed at the guards pouring out of the Cathedral. Alarmed, Venti picked you up and took to the air. He crossed the city in short bursts of wind, gliding swiftly towards a cluster of buildings to the left.

Venti dropped down in front of a small building with tables arranged haphazardly around it. A yellowing flyer on the wall read "Angel's Share: The Best Tavern in Mondstadt." Skirting around a man staggering around outside, he slammed open the door and entered the tavern.

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You had never been inside a tavern before. As a mushroom, you received a few odd looks from customers, but only a few, since most of them were too drunk to even notice you.

Venti walked up to the bartender with a big smile on his face, as if you weren't being chased by the Knights of Favonius. "Hi, we'd like a seat at your... ahh... least conspicuous table."

As if seeking permission, the bartender glanced at someone standing nearby—a tall man with crimson hair, tied back in a fluffy ponytail. Since the man was dressed in an elegant black coat, you assumed he must be rich.

Wow, that coat looks fluffy! He must be an um-portant grownup! I should give him an extra-cool nickname... like... like...

Mister Strawberry!

Clearing his throat, the man spoke. "The second floor has fewer customers, so you'd be less conspicuous up there... but aren't you a bard? Why not sit front and center?"

With a nervous chuckle, Venti replied, "Haha... let's save the paid performance for next time. We'll be heading up now! See you in a bit."

The red-haired man smiled politely, though you could tell he didn't trust you. While you and Venti headed up to the second floor, you heard him mutter to the bartender, "Hey, keep an eye on that bard and that... floating creature."

No sooner had you sat down at a table with Venti, the door to the tavern slammed open for a second time that night, and two knights ran inside.

"Ah, Master Diluc. Have you seen two thieves around?"

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