Meanwhile, things were not going well for Diluc.
Originally, he had been by the lake near Dawn Winery, fighting side by side with his Bagon and achieving a streak of six consecutive wins.
But due to his misjudgment, Bagon lost to a Cryo Slime with a power level of only five.
It was a complete and unfortunate defeat—a real Waterloo moment.
Diluc had already returned to Dawn Winery, ordering the servants and the steward to prepare one hundred million Mora and a carriage, and he was now rushing towards Mondstadt.
...
In Mondstadt, at the Knights of Favonius Headquarters.
After Jean brought Klee back, she found Oshawott's shell and returned it to him in the resting area. Then, she instructed the knight on duty to watch over Klee and not let her run around.
Klee covered her mouth, chuckling. Yesterday she was confined, and today she was confined again. She was bored.
Klee wanted to go out and blow up fish.
One Dodoco was fun enough, but with Oshawott, the fun doubled.
Klee whispered into Oshawott's ear, "In a while, pretend to have a stomachache to distract him. We'll go blow up fish outside Mondstadt."
"Dada (no problem)..." Oshawott removed the shell from his chest and confidently flashed it at Klee.
Klee quietly turned the door handle, peeking through the gap. On the other side, the knight on duty stood like a guardian deity, watching her.
Klee lowered her head, then gently closed the door.
She turned to Oshawott and asked, "Ready?"
"Dada..." Oshawott nodded.
Klee opened the door again and called out to the knight outside, "Oh no! Oshawott is sick!"
The knight looked in, startled. He saw Oshawott lying on the ground, clutching his stomach and crying. Didn't they just come back from the Pokémon shop, where it was confirmed he wasn't sick?
"Klee isn't lying," Klee insisted, her little fists clenched, her crimson eyes glistening with tears. She was almost in sync with Oshawott, ready to cry at any moment.
The knight was completely bewildered. Who could bear to see Klee cry?
Moreover, the Pokémon inside was reportedly purchased by Jean at a considerable expense—it couldn't afford to get sick.
If it really was ill, that would be disastrous.
"Knight big brother..." Klee brought her fists to her eyes, sniffling, about to burst into tears.
The constant wave of cuteness had the knight on duty second-guessing himself.
Should he believe her or not?
It was a tough decision.
Better go ask Acting Grand Master Jean. After all, if Klee really caused trouble, Jean was the only one who could handle her.
The knight swallowed nervously, trying to calm himself as he reassured Klee, "Wait here, I'll go call someone for you."
Klee peeked out of the door, watching the knight walk farther away. She gave a sly grin, "Oshawott, come here."
"Dada..."
Oshawott, who had been lying on the ground with his legs in the air and crying hysterically, immediately flipped over and ran over.
"Use your scalchop to cut that," Klee said, pointing at the chain in the door gap.
A white arc flashed as Oshawott swung his scalchop down, slicing the chain cleanly in half.
"Klee is free!" Klee cheered, grabbing Oshawott's hand and dashing out.
When Jean and the knight hurried back, they found the door open, the chain broken, and no one inside.
"I'm sorry, Acting Grand Master Jean, it was my negligence," the knight said guiltily.
"Inform Captain Kaeya and all available knights. Search the entire city for Klee and bring her back by dusk," Jean decided immediately.
"Yes, ma'am."
...
Klee strutted along the streets of Mondstadt with her backpack on. The Dodoco plush attached to her bag swayed back and forth.
She smiled brightly, waving to patrolling knights as they passed by.
The knights smiled and nodded back at her. After all, Klee was one of the few "favorites" in the Knights of Favonius.
Her mother was Alice, an incredibly mysterious and talented witch who had joined former Grand Master Varka's expedition half a year ago.
Her adoptive brother was Albedo, the Chief Alchemist.
Above her were Acting Grand Master Jean and Lisa, and below her was Captain Kaeya.
With such a powerful background, Klee could basically do as she pleased in Mondstadt. Just one essay titled "My Witch Mom" would earn her full marks from the teacher grading it.
So, unless there was a direct order to bring her back to the headquarters, the knights chose to turn a blind eye.
Takashi and Xerneas, after finishing their afternoon tea, returned to the Pokémon shop and saw Klee with her backpack, walking confidently alongside Oshawott towards the city gate.
Xerneas watched curiously as Klee spread her arms and ran, asking, "Is that running style scientifically sound?"
Takashi nodded slightly. "All adorable kids run like that."
Klee and Oshawott reached the city gate, crossing the bridge over Cider Lake. Suddenly, they noticed a commotion behind them—the entire Knights of Favonius were mobilizing.
Klee and Oshawott exchanged a smile. "Let's go blow up some fish!"
"Dada..."
They paid no attention to anything else and ran across the bridge.
Klee took off her backpack, pulled out a bouncing bomb, and threw it in an arc towards Cider Lake. "Yay!"
The bomb, with its fuse lit, was thrown into the air. Oshawott leaped up and fired a Water Gun, accurately hitting the fuse and extinguishing it.
The bomb turned into a dud, falling into Cider Lake with only a small splash.
Not a single fish flew out.
Klee found it amusing and pulled out two more bombs from her bag, tossing them into the air.
Without hesitation, Oshawott acted again, using Water Gun just as before.
"Wow, so cool..." Klee clapped her little hands, her face full of joy.
A luxurious carriage approached from afar. Klee tilted her head, trying to see who it was but couldn't make out their face.
Oshawott called out, "Dada."
"Let's go check it out," Klee said, curiosity piqued. She put the bouncing bomb back in her bag and followed the carriage with Oshawott.
On Mondstadt's city wall, a lively young girl stood holding a monocular, surveying the entire city.
Her auburn hair danced in the wind, tied up with a red bunny bow, and she wore a pair of goggles around her neck.
She was Amber, the renowned outrider of the Knights of Favonius and champion of gliding.
Though she often seemed clumsy, whenever she focused on her duties, she became a completely different person, able to track even the most obscure clues.
Amber put her monocular back into her pouch, donned her goggles, and spread her wind glider. She descended from the city wall like an angel, landing right in front of Klee.
"Little cutie, finally found you." Amber put her goggles back around her neck, hands on her hips, blocking Klee's path.
"Hmmph... Klee didn't sneak out."
"Of course, sis knows that. So, let's go back together." Amber ignored Klee's excuses and grabbed her backpack, ready to drag her back into the city.