"You're saying the Doctor and the Dark Shepherd staged a performance in front of Diluc?" Kaeya frowned. "Hard to believe someone could survive being dismembered."
Lin Yi shook his head. "It wasn't a performance. It really happened. And it's also true that the Doctor didn't die."
Jean was confused. "What does that mean?"
Lin Yi grabbed a bottle of wine from the nearby counter.
"Let's say this bottle is 'Dottore'." He poured wine into several cups. "Now, I've poured it out into multiple glasses. Has anything changed?"
Mention wine, and Kaeya instantly perked up. "Just a different container. The wine itself hasn't changed."
Lin Yi nodded. "Exactly. Dottore is still Dottore—only instead of one bottle, he's now in several cups."
He picked one up and dumped it onto the floor.
"Hey, hey!" Kaeya looked like his heart had shattered. "That's alcohol abuse!"
Too late. The crimson wine splashed across the floor, its rich aroma spreading through the room.
Ignoring Kaeya's anguish, Lin Yi continued, "Now, this cup of Dottore has been spilled—it's 'dead.' But has Dottore really died?"
Jean stared at the spilled wine, thoughtful. "You're saying… the Doctor isn't just one person?"
"He used to be," Lin Yi said. "But now, nobody knows how many copies of him exist."
Lisa glanced between the remaining cups and the half-full bottle, her expression chilling. "Body segmentation… he 'sliced' himself. Saphir only killed one of those slices. On the surface, it might seem like she crossed a line—but judging by her current position in the Fatui, the opposite may be true. It might've actually… benefited them."
"Like an immune system," Diluc said. "She eliminated a rogue element. Cleaned up the mess."
Lin Yi snapped his fingers. "Exactly. We don't know much about the Fatui, so we can't see the full picture. But what's clear is this: the top three Harbingers rival the Archons in power. If Saphir could kill a version of the Doctor back then… who knows how strong she is now?"
Diluc sighed. "That's what I've been trying to say. I didn't expect the Dark Shepherd to show up in Mondstadt. So I hope you'll tread carefully around anything involving her. If she goes berserk, we won't be able to stop her. Also—'Dottore,' two million mora. Pay at the counter."
Somewhere in Dragonspine, inside a snow-covered cave.
A white-haired boy was seated at a desk, scribbling in a notebook. Beside him sat a little girl in a red dress, staring blankly out at the snowstorm outside.
"Albedo, when will the snow stop? Klee wants to go play."
The little girl had golden hair, crimson eyes, and pointed ears beneath her red hat—clear signs she wasn't entirely human. A red backpack sat at her feet, decorated with a blazing Pyro Vision.
This was none other than Mondstadt's notorious explosives expert: the Spark Knight, Klee. Due to the dragon crisis, the city had become unsafe, so Jean had sent Klee to Dragonspine to be watched over by Albedo.
Albedo looked up, a soft warmth in his blue eyes. "Be patient, Klee. If you behave, the snow will stop soon. Then I'll take you down to the frozen lake and we can go fish-blasting."
Klee's eyes lit up. "Really? But won't Captain Jean find out?"
Albedo chuckled. "Don't worry. She won't hear a word of it."
Beaming, Klee clapped her hands. "Albedo is the best!"
He reached over and gently ruffled her hair. But just as he returned to his writing, his head snapped toward the cave entrance. He rose slowly. "Someone approaching this cave at this time, uninvited… You'd better have a good reason. Otherwise, I won't let it slide."
A sword materialized in his hand.
Klee blinked, startled, and quickly ducked behind him—only half her head peeking out as she watched the entrance.
A cheerful female voice echoed from the mouth of the cave. "Oh my, I've been discovered already? What a shame."
Despite her words, she sounded far from troubled. A woman entered, striding forward without hesitation.
Black nun robes, white inner blouse, long black hair cascading freely. Around her neck hung a golden Vision, worn like a pendant.
Afurola Saphir.
"No need to be so tense, Teacher Albedo. It's been a while, yes, but that's no reason to draw steel," Saphir said with a pleasant smile.
Albedo relaxed instantly, dismissing his weapon. He returned to his desk and resumed scribbling in his notes.
"You've made quite a scene recently, Professor Su Jin."
Saphir shrugged. "Just fulfilling a request. Lady Alice asked me to take care of it. Naturally, I gave it my all."
Albedo clicked his tongue but didn't argue. Instead, he cut to the chase. "You're not just here for pleasantries, I assume. What do you want?"
Saphir's grin widened. "Oh, Teacher Albedo, nothing escapes you. Actually… I plan to release five volumes of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime all at once. The manuscripts are done—but the illustrations…"
Albedo's face twisted with amusement. "I assumed you'd dropped the project. I haven't prepared anything."
"Hey! That's not funny!" Saphir cried, her smile vanishing. "I mailed the drafts ages ago! I'll be heading back to Inazuma soon, and if I don't deliver something, that damned fox won't let me live! My life depends on you!"
Albedo leaned back, folding his arms, his expression calm as ever—silently watching her dramatic flailing.
Realizing she was getting nowhere, Saphir sighed. "Alright. What do you want?"
Albedo nudged Klee forward. "She's been cooped up too long. Take her out for a while."
And just like that, the two girls locked eyes.
Klee had listened to the entire conversation politely but held her questions until the right moment.
"Miss, are you the author who created Rimuru?"
Outside, the snow had stopped falling. The three stepped out of the cave.
Saphir blinked in surprise. Albedo explained, "While I was drawing the illustrations, Klee peeked. She pestered me into making a small picture book that summarized the story. Surprisingly, she loved it."
"Dodoco is round, and Rimuru is round, so they'll definitely be friends! That means Rimuru is my friend too!" Klee's eyes sparkled. "Can you take me to see him?"
Saphir smiled at her innocence. "Sure. But Rimuru lives very, very far away. It'll take a long time to find him."
"That's okay! I'll bring Dodoco!" Klee patted her back, then realized she'd left her bag deep in the cave and ran off to fetch it.
Albedo watched her go and warned, "You're surprisingly good with kids. But don't underestimate Klee. She'll remember what you said. Telling her to 'wait until she's older' won't work."
Saphir shook her head. "I wasn't lying. I told the truth."
Albedo paused. "He's fictional. How do you plan to introduce her to Rimuru? Another illusion like Lady Alice?"
A strange smile curved Saphir's lips. "Who said Rimuru was fictional?"
"Klee! Albedo! Let's go blow up some fish!" Klee's voice rang out before Albedo could ask further.
He gave up on pursuing the topic.
Before leaving, Saphir turned back. "You're really okay with this? Aren't you worried I'll try something?"
Albedo simply shook his head. "Lady Alice said you're someone to trust completely. That's enough for me."
"What a free spirit," Saphir chuckled, taking Klee's hand and leading her out of the cave.
Albedo stayed behind, claiming he had more research to do. Klee was a little disappointed—but the lure of blowing things up quickly wiped that away. She happily skipped off with Saphir.
Moments later, the echo of explosions rippled through Dragonspine, thundering over the frozen river. The noise traveled far—far enough to reach a patrol team on the mountainside.
"Captain! That explosion was huge! This location is too dangerous, if it keeps—"
BOOM.
A deafening rumble cut him off.
Panic swept through the patrol.
"TAKE COVER! AVALANCHE!"
~~~----------------------
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