In the Whispering Woods, the forest closest to Starfell Lake—
A thick canopy of leaves filtered out the sunlight, and mottled patches of light swayed gently with the breeze.
Klee skipped happily ahead, her tiny figure darting between shrubs and trees, radiating excitement.
Meanwhile, Kairo yawned, looking rather tired.
Once they got back to Mondstadt, he thought he really needed a good night's sleep.
"Brother Kairo! Hurry up, it's just ahead!"
Klee turned around and waved at him cheerfully.
Kairo nodded and quickened his pace.
After pushing past a few clumps of bushes, he saw Klee stop in a small clearing.
The clearing wasn't anything special—overgrown with weeds and faintly desolate—but Klee was already pulling out a little iron shovel from her backpack, full of enthusiasm.
"Klee, what are you doing?"
Kairo's expression turned a bit odd.
"Digging for treasure!"
Klee brandished her shovel and started digging skillfully, humming a cheerful tune.
Before long, the loose soil gave way, revealing a small wooden chest.
It was covered in dirt, clearly having been buried for quite some time.
Klee tossed the shovel aside, then carefully lifted the chest out of the hole with a satisfied grin.
"Yay! Klee's treasure bombs are still here!"
"Last time I came here, I had too many bombs to carry, so I hid some of them here!"
"Treasure bombs?"
Kairo raised an eyebrow. When Klee opened the box, sure enough, neatly arranged inside were several red bombs.
Each bomb's shell gleamed brightly, and every one had a little smiling face drawn on it—classic Klee style.
Klee squinted happily, hugging the box and giving it a little shake.
"Hehe! They're all still here!"
"I ran out of bombs at Starfell Lake, so these will be perfect for restocking! Good thing Klee's smart and buried extras!"
Kairo: "..."
Watching this scene, Kairo couldn't help twitching his lips, half amused, half exasperated.
Other people buried treasure.
This little girl buried bombs.
And she really did treat them as her treasures.
Seeing Klee beam like she had just unearthed a pile of gold, Kairo suddenly realized—of course she'd do this.
In the city, Klee's bombs must be strictly restricted.
As he thought this, Klee was already tossing the bombs one by one into her backpack.
The pack, which already looked stuffed to the brim, somehow absorbed them all effortlessly without even bulging further.
"Hm?"
Kairo noticed, raising a brow.
Klee's backpack already held all sorts of things—she'd stuffed it full of fish earlier when they were fishing at Starfell Lake.
Now she could still fit so many bombs?
That backpack… was clearly enchanted for storage.
"Hehe."
Catching Kairo's curious gaze, Klee giggled.
"Brother Kairo, this backpack was specially made for me by Big Brother Albedo! It can hold lots and lots of things!"
"I see."
Kairo raised a brow again.
Of course. Albedo doted on her endlessly.
For an alchemist, crafting a storage-type spatial backpack wasn't exactly difficult.
Still, watching Klee lug around a bag full of explosives, Kairo fell silent for a moment.
A little girl… carrying a full load of bombs wherever she went.
Was that really okay?
Especially since he was the one who'd just enhanced those bombs with the Power of Destruction.
"All done!"
A moment later, Klee clapped her hands and stood up, beaming.
"Everything's packed! Brother Kairo, let's go blow up more fish!"
Kairo: "....."
"You mean go back to Starfell Lake?"
He looked up at the sky—it was already afternoon.
If they went back now, it'd be night by the time they returned to Mondstadt.
They'd have to camp outside… and that was risky.
Besides, he still needed to report to the Adventurers' Guild to turn in their commission.
"Oh, right."
Klee scratched her head. "Klee totally forgot about the time."
If they went fishing with bombs again now, they wouldn't make it back before dark.
She looked disappointed.
"Let's head back to Mondstadt," Kairo said, shaking his head. "I need to hand in my mission report."
"Okay!"
Klee nodded quickly. "Then we'll play again tomorrow!"
With that, the two of them left the Whispering Woods, heading toward Mondstadt.
The forest breeze carried the scent of grass and leaves, mingling with Klee's bright laughter that echoed between the trees.
Gradually, the shadows of the forest faded behind them.
The view opened up, revealing the clear, sparkling waters of Cider Lake.
The lake glimmered under the sunlight, pure and transparent.
A few waterbirds frolicked along the shore—a picture of serene beauty.
"Cider Lake!"
Klee's eyes lit up the instant she saw the water.
Letting go of Kairo's hand, she bounded eagerly toward the lakeshore.
When she reached the edge, she fished a bomb from her backpack—
a red, Klee-custom model, complete with a cute smiling face identical to the ones she'd just dug up.
"Brother Kairo!"
Her eyes sparkled. "The lake's so big! Let's try fishing here!"
Before Kairo could stop her, Klee had already thrown the bomb high into the air toward the lake's center.
"Let's see how many fish this one catches!"
"BOOM——!!!!"
Before she even finished speaking, the bomb hit the lake, and Cider Lake seemed to explode.
A deafening blast split the air, shaking the very atmosphere.
A massive column of water surged skyward, reaching for the clouds!
Waves burst outward, flinging water, fish, and chunks of stone across the shore and into the forest.
Even a bridge in the distance trembled faintly from the shockwave.
Kairo: "....."
Staring at the towering plume of water, Kairo fell into stunned silence.
He knew that Cider Lake was Mondstadt's main freshwater reservoir—a natural moat and a cherished landmark.
Its crystal-clear waters had remained pure for centuries, their sweetness the key to Mondstadt's famous wines.
And now… Klee was bombing that lake.
Klee, however, looked delighted at the chaos before her.
Without a second thought, she pulled out another bomb.
After all, Kairo had enhanced these bombs with special power—of course she wanted to test them all!
"BOOM!"
Another thunderous explosion split the sky.
Just as Klee was about to throw a third bomb, she froze. Her expression changed drastically.
"Ah! Oh no…"
"These bombs aren't like my old ones… Cider Lake's so close to Mondstadt—everyone in the city must've heard that!"
"What if the Knights think monsters are attacking!?"
Kairo: "...."
And right as Klee said that, a sharp, blaring horn echoed from the direction of Mondstadt.
Sure enough, the explosions had drawn the attention of the Knights of Favonius.
From the city walls, knights could be seen gathering quickly, scanning the surroundings with tense expressions.
Outside the city, citizens panicked at the sudden noise, whispering anxiously among themselves.
"What was that explosion?"
"It came from outside the walls!"
"Could it be… monsters attacking the city again!?"
One after another, voices rose in alarm.
On the city walls, the Knights' faces hardened.
Why would such a massive explosion go off just outside Mondstadt's perimeter?
"Go investigate—now!"
"I'll report directly to Acting Grand Master Jean!"
"Prepare for possible monster assault!"
…
The Knights of Favonius sprang into action.
Meanwhile, one of the patrol captains was already sprinting toward headquarters—to make an urgent report to Jean.