In the fresh morning breeze, Hiroshi held a sleeping Klee as he and Barbara slowly flew towards Mondstadt.
Looking at Klee's adorable sleeping face, Barbara covered her mouth and smiled softly. "Little Klee finally fell asleep."
"Yes," Hiroshi sighed, sitting cross-legged on his sword. The gentle breeze surrounded Klee, adjusting her position to make her more comfortable.
Hiroshi reached out and gently poked Klee's sleeping face, a smile forming on his lips. "This little one... even though she slept during the first half of the night, it must've been tough for her afterward. If it weren't for Klee, things would've been much harder for us."
"You really care for little Klee, don't you?" Barbara said with a chuckle, seeing Hiroshi's tender expression as he looked at Klee. "But it seems Klee likes you very much as well, Honorary Knight."
The sword glided slowly towards Mondstadt, the two chatting softly in the breeze.
The sword light descended from the sky, and Hiroshi, Barbara, and Klee appeared at the gates of Mondstadt.
A gentle breeze formed a small barrier around Klee, shielding her from the city's noise. Hiroshi waved his hand, storing the swords floating around him, and followed Barbara through the gates under the watchful eyes of the Knights of Favonius.
"Let's head to the Knights' headquarters to report to Jean," Hiroshi said, then walked over to a nearby Good Hunter stall, buying three servings of Fisherman's Toast. He stored one, handed another to Barbara, and kept one for himself.
"You should eat something, Barbara. You've had a long night too."
Barbara took the warm toast from Hiroshi, blushing slightly. "Thank you, Honorary Knight."
Taking a large bite, Hiroshi chewed and swallowed, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Glad you like it. Also, you don't have to be so formal—just call me by my name."
Barbara nodded slightly, swallowing a small bite. "Alright, I'll call you Borther hiroshi then."
At the Knights of Favonius headquarters, Jean, Lisa, and Lumine were discussing the matters of the Four Winds Temple when a knock came from the door.
"Come in," Jean called.
Hiroshi walked in with Klee in his arms, followed by Barbara.
Seeing Klee, Jean rushed over, worried. When she saw that Klee was only sleeping, she sighed in relief.
"Hiroshi, Barbara, you're back at last. Thank Barbatos for his blessing," Jean said.
"Jean already told me most of what happened," Lisa said, stepping up from behind Jean. Lumine followed curiously.
Lisa narrowed her eyes as she carefully looked Hiroshi and Barbara over. "It seems things went well this time, hiroshi. How did it go with the Demon King's forces and the monsters at Daduapa Gorge?"
"The Demon King's forces? Monster army?!"
A startled shout rang out, and Paimon rushed over, her eyes wide. "What's happening? What do you mean by Demon King's forces and a monster army? Is Mondstadt in danger?!"
Lumine also stepped forward, her golden eyes fixed on Hiroshi. "Hiroshi, did you encounter anyone else from another world? Did you see my brother?"
Hiroshi gently placed Klee down on a nearby sofa, setting up a soundproof barrier around her before turning back to the others. "Here's what happened. You already know that I have a chat group that connects me to other worlds."
"This morning, when I was on my way to Daduapa Gorge, the group issued a mission. Some evil forces had accidentally arrived in Teyvat and were attempting to return to their world to bring back an army to invade."
Hiroshi stood, meeting the stunned gazes of everyone around him. "My friends and I took on the mission to destroy them before they could succeed. But there were too many—if we didn't act, they would've escaped, and Teyvat would've been exposed to an invasion."
"Wait, wait!" Paimon said, holding her head in confusion. "What's a chat group that connects worlds? And what's all this about an invasion? Paimon can't keep up!"
Lumine blinked, then said, "Invasions from other worlds—I've seen that happen before during my travels with my brother." She paused, frowning thoughtfully. "But a chat group like Hiroshi's? I've never heard of something like that before."
"So what is a chat group?" Paimon asked, her head still spinning.
Hiroshi laughed. "It's pretty simple. Imagine a tool that lets people from different places talk to each other in real time. My chat group does the same, except it lets people from different worlds chat and exchange items."
"Oh, hiroshi, I think I get it," Lisa said, a curious gleam in her eyes. "A chat group that connects different worlds… fascinating. I'd love to research it. But why did this chat group issue a mission to deal with the monsters here? Also, can I join the group too?"
"The group exists to help its members grow stronger. I think the mission was issued because the invaders posed a threat to me specifically. As for joining—that depends on whether I get more invitations in the future. The first spot is already reserved," Hiroshi explained quickly.
"Oh?" Lisa's eyes lit up at the thought of joining but darkened slightly at the mention of someone else already having the first spot. "Could you tell me who reserved it? Maybe I should have a chat with them."
"Lisa, big brother promised that I'd get the first spot!" came a soft voice from behind. Everyone turned to see Klee rubbing her eyes, walking over sleepily.
"Klee, you're awake? Don't you want to sleep a bit more?" Hiroshi smiled, patting her head. He pulled out a still-warm Fisherman's Toast and handed it to her.
Lisa looked surprised, then smiled. "Klee, dear, since I'm always good to you, why don't you let me have this chance?"
Klee held Hiroshi's leg, shaking her head as she held her toast. "No way. Big brother said he'd take me to other worlds. Lisa, you'll have to wait till next time."
"Klee!" Jean's stern voice rang out.
Klee flinched and ducked behind Hiroshi, clearly scared.
Hiroshi frowned, glancing at Jean. "Jean, there's no need to scare her like that. And it's my decision who gets to join—I promised Klee, and I'm not breaking that promise. But if I get another chance, I'll consider adding you as well."
"Eh? Can I join too?" Paimon asked eagerly, flying up to Hiroshi.
Seeing her hopeful face, Hiroshi ruffled her hair. "Guess, Paimon."
"Hmph! I won't guess!" Paimon pouted, crossing her arms.
"But there's delicious food, you know? In some worlds, the food even glows," Hiroshi whispered, smirking.
"Glowing food?!" Paimon's eyes widened, and she drooled slightly. "Really?! Hiroshi, you're so kind, I know you'll add Paimon!"
"Heh. What do you think?" Hiroshi said smugly, crossing his arms, savoring the sweet sense of revenge on Paimon for all those times she stole his lines in-game.
Just then, Hiroshi felt a tug on his arm. Lumine bowed deeply, her expression serious. "Please, let me join that chat group someday. It might be my best hope of finding my brother. Please… I'll do anything if you let me in."
Quickly helping her up, Hiroshi looked into her eyes. "Don't worry, I'll add you."
Lumine jumped happily, hugging Paimon, and smiled. "Thank you, thank you! And I'll forget what you said to me earlier."
Hiroshi blinked, recalling the incident, and laughed awkwardly. Looking at Lumine's beaming smile, he felt his mood lighten considerably. "I wish you the best in finding your brother, Lumine. Just remember—you owe me one."
"You can't let it go, huh?" Paimon muttered from where she was squeezed between Lumine's arms, her voice muffled.
Everyone in the room burst into laughter at her complaint.
Once the laughter died down, Hiroshi turned to Jean. "Jean, thanks to Klee and Barbara, we managed to eliminate the threat completely. You can rest easy."
Jean had suspected as much, seeing them return unharmed, but hearing Hiroshi confirm it made her finally relax. Lately, bad news had piled up one after another, nearly overwhelming her, and this good news was like a breath of fresh air.
"Thank you and your friends so much for your help," Jean said gratefully. "If you need anything, feel free to ask the Knights of Favonius. We will do our best to accommodate you. Mondstadt will always welcome you."
"This was mutually beneficial for both sides," Hiroshi said, then added with some embarrassment, "But we'll happily accept the reward."
Jean smiled and shook her head. "This matter was ultimately Mondstadt's problem, yet you and your friends helped us resolve it. You more than deserve the reward."
Jean crouched slightly and waved Klee over. "Klee, thank you for your hard work. I'm sorry for earlier. I've been overwhelmed lately, but that's no excuse. Can you forgive me?"
Klee peeked out from behind Hiroshi, her eyes softening as she saw Jean holding out her hand. With a bright smile, she ran forward and hugged Jean.
"It's okay, Jean. I forgive you!"
Jean hugged her tightly, gently stroking her hair with a smile.
"Oh, by the way, what's that floating red crystal?" Hiroshi asked Lisa, pointing to the object. He couldn't help but feel it looked familiar.
Lisa looked at him, flipping through her book. "It's something we believe was left behind by Dvalin. We're not entirely sure what it is, but it seems to reject people with Visions. It shouldn't affect you or Lumine, though."
Barbara, who had been quiet, frowned. "It feels tainted… filled with impurities. And there's a deep sadness in it."
Jean nodded, standing up. "Though we don't know its exact nature, we believe this crystal relates to the recent disturbances in Mondstadt. We're already searching through records for clues, and we need you two to help keep it safe."
"Who first found this thing?" Hiroshi asked.
Paimon raised her hand. "We picked it up on our way here."
Hiroshi gave Lumine a curious look, then tossed the crystal over to her. "Then you might as well be the one to keep it."
Turning back to Jean and Lisa, he nodded. "I'll head back to rest now. Thanks again."
Jean and Lisa both nodded, and Klee waved at him. "Goodbye, hiroshi! Come play with me again!"
Hiroshi nodded and looked over at Lumine and Paimon. "What about you two?"
Lumine looked at Paimon, and they both turned to Jean. "We'll head out as well. If we get any new information, we'll report it immediately."
Outside the headquarters, Lumine pulled Hiroshi aside and whispered, "There's something I need to discuss with you. When we found that red crystal, we also saw someone dressed in green, touching it and looking really sad."
"Hmm?" Hiroshi thought for a moment, picturing a certain green bard. Though he couldn't recall the storyline well, he was pretty sure that only one person fit that description.
"Do you have any leads on who he might be?" Hiroshi asked.
Lumine nodded. "He didn't seem like a bad person. I want to find him and ask about all this."
"And how do you plan on finding him in all of Mondstadt?" Hiroshi asked curiously.
Lumine frowned, deep in thought.
"Look, look down there!" Paimon suddenly shouted, pointing at a running figure in green. "Isn't that him?!"
Lumine turned and gasped. "It is! Paimon, that's him! Let's go!"
She took off running, following the green figure disappearing into the streets.
By the time they found him, a crowd had gathered at the feet of Mondstadt's Anemo Archon statue. The green-clad figure stood there, plucking at his lyre and singing a gentle song—telling a myth that had long since faded into legend.