"You're not an outsider," Fischl replied, taking a few steps before glancing back with a grin. "You're just… a little too grumpy, that's all."
"This girl… After getting help, she's got the nerve to tease me." Eula chuckled softly. "I'll remember this grudge."
---
Knights of Favonius Headquarters, Captain's Office.
"Sorry to intrude," Fischl announced as she pushed open the office door. "The gate guard told me that Lucas was here… huh?"
----
The office was empty; not only was Lucas nowhere to be seen, but the room seemed completely deserted.
At this hour, Jean should have been hard at work here.
"Wait, what's this?" Fischl's eyes quickly fell on a beautifully crafted game board on the desk. She moved closer, murmuring to herself, "What a gorgeous chessboard."
As a girl with a natural attraction to beautiful objects, Fischl found herself enchanted, especially by the mysterious aura surrounding the board and its pieces.
Almost instinctively, her fingers brushed against the board. In that instant, a brilliant light erupted from it, swallowing Fischl whole.
---
Meanwhile, back in the game world…
"Alright, I think I've rested enough," Lucas said, dusting the sand off himself as he stood. "Shall we continue our game?"
"Yes, we've taken enough time," Jean replied, though her mind was clearly still preoccupied with her duties back home. "I hope I don't come back to too big a pile of work."
Lucas stretched his arms, but just as he began, a flash of purple light burst above him, and suddenly, a slender young girl fell from the sky, crashing right on top of him.
"Where… am I?" Fischl muttered, looking around in confusion. "Captain Jean, Klee… what is going on?"
"We'll explain that later," came a groaning voice from beneath her. "But for now, could you please get off me?"
Only then did Fischl realize she was sitting on someone. She scrambled up, shocked, as Lucas lay on the ground with a look of exasperation. "Good thing you didn't fall a few inches over… or else…"
"My loyal retainer! At last, I've found you!"
Fischl's face lit up as she recognized him. "I have an important mission for you!"
"Hold on a moment!" Lucas said, frowning. "How did you end up here?"
"I… I came to the Knights of Favonius looking for you," Fischl said, scratching her head. "But you weren't in the office, and when I accidentally touched the chessboard on the desk, it somehow transported me here. So… where exactly is this place?"
"Let me give you the short version," Jean said as she briefly explained what had happened.
"This place… is it really that magical?" Fischl's eyes sparkled with excitement, her inner fantasies igniting. "It's almost like the fabled realm of my homeland, the Immernachtreich!"
As soon as she spoke, the entire "scene" around them began to shift visibly.
The vast sea stretched away, transforming into endless castle walls.
The soft sand beneath their feet became a solid, stone floor.
And in the distance, what had been a mountain turned into a towering, majestic castle!
"Wow!" Klee bounced with excitement. "Fischl, you're amazing!"
"This is… strange," Jean muttered in surprise. "Fischl, did you do all this?"
"I have no idea!" Fischl looked around, equally startled. "But… it's exactly like the Immernachtreich I always imagined… I mean, my homeland."
"I get it now!" Lucas exclaimed as the realization dawned on him. "This game world was originally shaped by Klee's imagination, but once Fischl entered, it started responding to hers…"
He added, "And because Fischl's fantasy is much more intense, it's completely taken over the world, turning it into the Immernachtreich!"
"Oh-hohohoho!"
At that moment, a haughty laugh rang out from above. "So you followed me all the way here, little Amy?"
Everyone looked up, startled, to see a blonde girl floating in midair. She looked exactly like Fischl, except she wore a luxurious purple-and-blue dress with mismatched thigh-high stockings, perfectly accentuating her slender legs.
Beside her, a massive black raven circled, unmistakably Oz.
"There are two Fischls!" Klee exclaimed. "But which one's the real one?"
"Obviously, I am," the floating Fischl scoffed. "I am the true Prinzessin der Verurteilung, ruler of the Immernachtreich and rightful master of Oz. You, however, are just a pitiful wretch who refuses to face reality."
"Oz!" Fischl cried, spotting her raven companion beside the doppelganger. "Don't let her deceive you—I'm your true master!"
But Oz didn't respond. He simply perched on the shoulder of the other Fischl.
"Oz serves me, the true Prinzessin der Verurteilung," the doppelganger mocked, "not a pathetic, ordinary girl like you. Go back to your world and live as a wretched little human."
With those words, the other Fischl and Oz soared higher into the air, disappearing into the top floor of the dark castle.
"Oz!"
Fischl fell to her knees, her voice trembling as she wept. "Don't leave me… you're my only friend…"
As her tears fell, the world around them began to destabilize, like peeling plaster crumbling away from the walls.
This was a realm built on imagination, and as Fischl faced reality, her vision of it started to collapse.
"My princess!"
Just then, Lucas knelt in front of her, one knee on the ground. "Now's not the time to give in. Will you allow that impostor to steal away your kingdom, your people, and, above all, your dearest friend?"
"L-Lucas…" Fischl murmured, biting her lip.
"I'm not Lucas. I am the King of the Undead," he said, extending a hand to her. "Your loyal knight and cleric await you, ready to help you reclaim what's yours."
With a meaningful glance, he gave Jean and Klee a quick signal.
"Th-that's right!" Jean quickly caught on, bowing. "The Dandelion Knight, at your service, Your Highness."
"And Klee the Spark Knight!" Klee held up her hands. "Ready to blast all the baddies for Fischl!"
"Everyone…" Fischl looked at them, her expression filled with gratitude.
"As for my undead army," Lucas added, helping her to her feet, "we'll clear every obstacle from Your Highness's path."
"Oh-hohohohoho!"
Revitalized, Fischl rose to her feet and let out a triumphant laugh. "Indeed, I am the true Prinzessin der Verurteilung! My kingdom, my people, my castle… and Oz, I will reclaim them all!"
In front of the group, a new game prompt appeared:
[Due to the intervention of the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, Fischl, the rules have been modified.]
[New Objective: Help Fischl become the true Prinzessin der Verurteilung.]
"Look!" Klee pointed at the chessboard in surprise. "The board changed too!"
Everyone looked down, and sure enough, the game board, once filled with images of beaches and oceans, had transformed into the dark castle of Immernachtreich.
The goal now lay at the top floor of the castle, the lair of the other Fischl, the "false princess."
"Seems like even with new rules, we're still playing a board game," Lucas chuckled. "Captain Jean, would you like to roll the dice?"
"Yes," Jean nodded, casting the dice in her hand.
A roll of two and three—five spaces.
[You have reached the entrance of the Immernachtreich castle, but a fierce, two-headed ogre blocks your way…]
A towering creature materialized at the castle gates. Standing at least three or four meters high, the monster wielded a spiked club. The most terrifying part was the pair of grotesque heads on its neck, each leering with a menacing expression.
What a twist—so now they weren't even playing chess; they'd switched to a full-on D&D campaign!
Indeed, both the "two-headed ogre" with its classic Dungeons & Dragons (DND) vibe and the narration style made Lucas feel like he was immersed in a tabletop RPG campaign.
In such a game, players take on the roles of various characters, each with unique abilities, and navigate adventures within a world governed by intricate rules.
The thrill lies in the unexpected events and the immersive sense of stepping into the game. And now, Lucas and his team's castle adventure felt strikingly similar to this kind of tabletop campaign.
With a resounding "thud," the two-headed ogre hefted its weapon and began stomping towards them.
"Ginn's gonna tear you to pieces!" the left head roared. "Then hang you up to dry!"
"No way, Gark likes 'em boiled!" the right head bellowed in a deep, grumbling voice. "Your tastes are awful!"
Yes, the two heads on the ogre not only had distinct minds but could also carry on a full conversation with each other. Of course, given the ogre's naturally low intelligence, having two brains wasn't necessarily an advantage.
"What…what a scary monster!" Even the usually brave Klee cowered, hiding behind Lucas. "Daddy! Beat it!"
Without hesitation, Lucas conjured his Dragon Piercing Spear and launched it straight at the ogre's chest.
This move was strong enough to pierce even the most robust Geovishap Hatchlings, yet to his surprise, the ogre raised its spiked club and swung, effortlessly cleaving the spear in two.
"Ginn's angry now!" the left head bellowed, livid. "Ginn's gonna eat all of you!"
"If you didn't eat so much, we wouldn't be so fat," the right head grumbled.
"Everyone, be careful!" Jean, sensing the unusual strength of this new creature, braced herself for a tough battle. "I'll lead the charge!"
Previously unable to join in due to her temporarily reduced size, Jean instinctively stepped up to protect her companions now that she was back to her original form.
Just as Jean had predicted, the monster possessed formidable strength and nearly impenetrable defense. Though she struck it several times, her attacks barely scratched its thick hide.
"Ground Smash!"
The ogre slammed its club into the ground, creating a shockwave so intense that Jean lost her balance and toppled to the ground.
"Got you!"
The ogre seized the moment, raising its club high to crush Jean. But she was prepared, a swirl of Anemo energy forming beneath her, ready to propel her out of harm's way.
However, just then, everything seemed to freeze. The enormous club halted mid-swing, suspended in the air, as if time itself had stopped.
Not only that, but all movement around them ceased entirely, even Jean's own.
Then, a die appeared before her—a d20, with twenty faces, each marked with a number.
Jean wasn't entirely unfamiliar with such dice. She recalled the Tianquan of Liyue had once sent her a game called The Thousand-Year Liyue Saga, which required similar beautiful dice to determine the outcomes of events.
Next, lines of text appeared before everyone's eyes.
[In certain special circumstances in this game, a d20 will be used to determine the outcome.]
[Generally, the higher the roll, the more favorable the result. Conversely, a low roll may lead to disaster. Rolling a 20 signifies a "critical success," while a roll of 1 is a "critical failure."]
[Please roll to determine the result of the two-headed ogre's attack.]
"So, I have to entrust my fate to a single die?" Jean muttered with a frown but rolled the twenty-sided die with a mental command.
The die clattered to the ground, landing with a crisp sound—and came up 20!
[Result: Critical Success!]
As soon as the roll was confirmed, the frozen scene resumed.
The ogre's club was mere inches from striking Jean when suddenly, two enormous hands descended, catching the ogre mid-swing and pinning it down.
Even though the ogre was massive, the hands holding it made it look like a helpless chick, unable to resist.
Those hands belonged to none other than Barbara, who had returned in her gigantic form.
Having been sulking alone due to her sudden transformation, Barbara had come back just in time to see the creature "bullying" her sister. Already in a foul mood, anger surged through her.
Without a word, she seized the ogre in her hands.
"Oh…my…" Ginn's left head stammered, staring up at the giant. "You're…really tall!"
"Let go of me!" Gark's right head squirmed, struggling to break free. "I'm gonna squash that woman flat!"
"You dare lay a hand on my sister…"
Barbara's face darkened, her tone icy as she spoke through clenched teeth. "You can both… die!"
Typically, gentle Barbara would never resort to violence. However, her fury had reached a boiling point as she watched the ogre threaten Jean.
With a swift motion, Barbara closed her fists around the ogre, crushing the creature between her palms. Two anguished cries rang out before Barbara gritted her teeth and squeezed tighter.
It was like crushing a ripe tomato—"splat!"—and the ogre's cries ceased abruptly as red liquid splattered through Barbara's fingers.
"Klee, don't look." Lucas quickly covered Klee's eyes.
Barbara opened her hands, and the two-headed ogre, now reduced to a ball of mashed flesh, was casually tossed into the sea with a splash, sending up a large wave.
Then, calmly, Barbara summoned water elements to rinse the blood and remnants from her palms.
"Sister, are you okay?" Barbara knelt beside Jean, checking her over. "Did that monster hurt you?"
"I'm fine, but you…" Jean asked tentatively, "are you alright?"
After all, Jean knew Barbara as someone who wouldn't even step on an insect—yet here she was, having crushed an ogre with her bare hands. Naturally, Jean was a little concerned.
"Oh, I'm perfectly fine," Barbara sighed with relief. "Actually, I feel much better now."
So the two-headed ogre had basically become her stress toy.
"Oh, right!"
Jean suddenly remembered something. "Did everyone else see the prompts?"
The others nodded, though, aside from Lucas, they looked a bit puzzled.
D20 dice are a staple in Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, so it made sense they might not be familiar.
"Allow me to explain," Lucas began. "Back where I'm from, there's a lesser-known but very interesting game."
Holding up the game board, Lucas continued, "In this game, players each play as unique characters with different abilities. They perform actions, and the dice determine their success."
"Yes, that seems to match the prompt's instructions," Jean agreed. "But does that mean the rest of the game is just based on luck?"
"Not quite—it's also linked to our own 'attributes,'" Lucas explained. "Let's say, for example, Captain Jean has an agility stat of 10, but dodging the ogre's attack required a combined total of 20 agility points."
"So if I roll a 10 or higher…" Jean nodded, piecing it together. "Adding that to my stat gives me the 20 needed to dodge, right?"
"Exactly. But you lucked out and rolled a perfect 20, a critical success," Lucas said, nodding. "So, not only did you avoid the attack, but Barbara also took the ogre out entirely."
[You have defeated the mighty gatekeeper. The castle gates now stand open, and unknown adventures await you…]
As the narration ended, the massive castle doors slowly creaked open.
"Why bother with all that!" Lucas slapped his knee, grinning at Barbara. "Barbara, why not just knock that whole castle down?"
Indeed, with her towering form, the castle was no taller than her, and destroying it would be as easy as toppling a stack of building blocks.
"No way!" Barbara huffed. "A proper lady doesn't do such crude things!"
Not that her method of squishing the ogre was exactly "ladylike."
"It actually isn't a bad idea," Jean added thoughtfully. "It could save us a lot of trouble."
"Even you, Sister?" Barbara sighed. "Fine, I'll give it a try."
"Yes! Giant Barbara's gonna smash the castle!" Klee squealed with stars in her eyes. "I want to blow it up too!"
"Hold on, Klee." Lucas patted her head. "Barbara's bombs are a lot bigger than yours right now!"
"What are you saying?" Barbara shot him a glare, covering her backside defensively. "I can hear you!"
"Just kidding!" Lucas quickly waved it off. "Go on, knock it down! And don't worry—no one's coming to stop you!"
"Unbelievable!" Barbara cracked her knuckles and prepared to topple the castle. But just then, Fischl, who had been silent, cried out, "No… please don't!"
"Miss Fischl?" Barbara paused, recognizing the speaker. "What are you doing here?"
"That's not important right now," Fischl replied with a determined look. "Please forgive my insistence, but this castle houses the citizens and soldiers who protect the Immernachtreich. I can't… allow them to be harmed."
To the others, everything here might seem like a fantastical illusion.
But for Fischl, who had just reclaimed her self-confidence, this place was truly a part of the Immernachtreich—it was real.
Lucas, having once viewed the simulator as just a "game," completely understood how she felt.
"Fischl has a point," Lucas agreed. "Destroying the castle without reason might not be wise."
"Oh, right!" Klee nodded, eyes bright. "If we wreck it, then there won't be any fun exploring it!"
"Very well," Jean said, smiling. "It's a beautiful castle, after all. It would be a shame to ruin it."
"Thank you, everyone," Fischl said gratefully. "Fear not; this is my palace, and everything inside was designed by me. I'll show you all who truly rules here."
"Glad to hear it." Barbara relaxed and took a step back. "I was starting to worry that if I did destroy this castle, I might turn into something… weird."
After all, in most fairytales, only monsters and dragons made a habit of smashing castles.
"Now then!" Barbara suddenly remembered. "Whose turn is it to roll?"
"It's Klee's turn!" Klee beamed. "I'm so excited!"
"Hurry up!" Barbara urged her. "Once this round's over, I can go back to normal."
"Got it!"
Klee raised the dice high with a dramatic flair, as if hoping for a powerful roll. "Here we go!"
She rolled a 1 and a 2, for a total of 3 steps.
"Huh? Such a low number!"
Klee looked disappointed. If it had been two 1s, she'd at least have gotten a re-roll. But as it was, 3 was the lowest possible outcome.
[Player will swap bodies with the closest girl until two matching dice rolls are achieved.]
"Swap bodies?"
Lucas raised an eyebrow, wondering aloud, "Wait… does this mean…"
"What… what's happening?"
Klee looked at her hands in astonishment, her face full of disbelief. "I… I've turned into this little girl?"
"Wow! This is amazing!" Meanwhile, Fischl examined her now smaller form with fascination, exclaiming, "Klee's all grown up! Hooray!"
Just as the event described, Klee and Fischl had indeed swapped bodies, with Fischl closest to Klee.
"Could it be… Klee and Fischl—you two really switched bodies?" Jean seemed unable to believe her eyes. However, after all the strange things that had already happened, she couldn't deny the possibility.
"Daddy!" Klee squealed, throwing herself into Lucas's arms with a wide grin. "Do you like this version of Klee?"
Although Lucas knew the girl in his arms was really Klee, her body was Fischl's—a form older than Klee's by just a few years but still notably different. Holding Klee was one thing, but having Fischl in such close proximity left him unsure where to place his hands.
"Don't use my noble form for hugging other men!" Fischl blustered, only to pause as a realization dawned on her. "Wait a moment… Lucas… is Klee's father?"
Fischl hadn't registered this detail before, but now, with Klee calling him "Daddy" so openly, she began to question their unusually close bond. Did he already have a wife and child?
"Don't be alarmed," Jean murmured, noticing Fischl's expression and quickly explaining the situation.
After Jean's brief explanation, Fischl understood. It was a little unrealistic to assume Lucas had a daughter Klee's age.
"Klee—no, I mean Fischl—is absolutely right," Lucas said, gently pushing Klee out of his arms with a resigned smile. "Klee, you can't just hug your dad whenever you want now."
"But why not?" Klee looked up with a pout, her face full of disappointment. "Doesn't Daddy like Klee anymore?"
Lucas shook his head, saying, "It's because you're in Fischl's body now."
"But before, when Klee got big, Daddy was fine with hugging her!" Klee protested, glancing at her new form. "And Fischl's body isn't that different from Klee's."
In Klee's mind, all the girls had different "ranks" in terms of stature: Jean was top-tier, Barbara second, and she and Fischl were about the same.
"It's completely different!" Fischl huffed. "Comparing my divine form to that of a mere child is beyond absurd!"
Klee walked over to where Fischl was sitting in her own small form, scooping her up with curiosity. "So this is what it's like to hold Klee?"
"N-no, don't just pick me up like that!" Fischl felt strange seeing her own body this way. "And don't make such silly faces in my form!"
"Fischl, can you do Klee a favor?" Klee asked earnestly.
"W-what favor?" Fischl asked, puzzled.
Klee handed her over to Lucas with a serious expression, saying, "Since Klee can't hug Daddy now, please let Daddy hold Klee's body in his arms for me, okay?"
"W-why would I need to do that?" Fischl's face turned red. "And… what's even the point of it?"
"Klee's love or Klee's body—Daddy deserves at least one!" Klee declared solemnly. "Otherwise, Daddy will feel so lonely!"
At that, Fischl shot Lucas a look of disdain as though he were beneath contempt.
"Hey, don't look at me like that!" Lucas protested. "I didn't teach her to say that!"
"I… I shall accept your request," Fischl said, unexpectedly nodding. "But in return, I have demands of my own."
"No problem!" Klee nodded eagerly. "Klee will do anything you ask!"
"Firstly, your speech!" Fischl insisted. "Since you're using my body, you must refer to yourself as 'I,' 'your princess,' or 'Prinzessin der Verurteilung.' Got it?"
"Klee… No, I mean, I shall remember!" Klee said, nodding. "I am the Prinzessin der Verurteilung!"
"Not quite!" Fischl corrected her. "Your stance is all wrong. When saying that, your hand goes here, your legs bend inward just slightly, and your waist—keep it firm…"
"Uh…" Lucas coughed awkwardly. "Maybe we can save the lessons for later?"
"No, we cannot!" Fischl said firmly. "The Immernachtreich is full of my loyal subjects. Should they witness their princess in such a graceless state, it would utterly ruin my royal dignity!"
---
While Fischl instructed Klee in the art of noble posture, meanwhile, in the castle's highest tower…
This was the exclusive chamber of the true Prinzessin der Verurteilung, resembling Fischl's own room back home, though much grander.
The room held an array of "princess gowns" in various styles hanging on racks, as well as weapons collected from her expeditions across realms: the Starfall Staff that could summon meteor showers, the Heaven's Edge blade that could slice through the night, and the Shackling Ring, capable of imprisoning any target for eternity.
Unlike Amy's childhood toys, these were no imitations.
But one wall of the room held something even more unusual.
It was entirely covered in photographs.
If Lucas saw this wall, he would be utterly shocked.
Because each and every photo depicted him!
Moreover, the Lucas in these pictures looked different from the real world. He wore an ostentatious black coat with a massive cloak woven from dark feathers, his silver hair shining with a brilliant luster.
The real Lucas's face was merely pleasant-looking, but with a few small tweaks in these photos, he looked breathtakingly handsome.
The otherworldly Fischl stood before the photo wall, her gaze filled with longing and adoration.
"Soon, my Lord of the Undead, we shall be together for all eternity," she whispered, gently caressing her flushed cheek as she swayed in place. "This castle shall be the sanctuary of our love!"
With that, the alternate Fischl flung herself onto her bed, clutching an oversized body pillow emblazoned with Lucas's image and rolling around with it.
"I can't wait a second longer," she murmured, pressing a kiss to the pillow's lips with a dazed expression. "My one and only Lord of the Undead…"
Just then, a loud flutter of wings sounded as Oz flew in from the window, landing on a gleaming golden perch.
----
"How's everything looking, Oz?" Midnight Fischl sat up, gracefully brushing a strand of golden hair behind her ear. "How are those intruders doing?"
"They appear to be preparing to enter the castle," Oz replied, bowing his head. "Everything is proceeding according to plan."
"Oz…" Midnight Fischl narrowed her eyes. "You're not still loyal to that other one, are you?"
"You needn't worry," Oz responded evenly. "I serve only one master, the true ruler of the Immernachtreich, Prinzessin der Verurteilung."
"Exactly! I am the true Prinzessin der Verurteilung!" A self-satisfied smile appeared on Midnight Fischl's face. "From this point forward, with the Lord of the Undead by my side, I shall restore the Immernachtreich to its former glory!"
---
Two hours later…
"I am the sovereign of the Immernachtreich, Prinzessin der Verurteilung!" Klee struck a dramatic pose, her expression serious as she intoned, "I shall cast judgment upon all sins in this realm and pierce through all hidden truths!"
"Hmph, that's… adequate, I suppose," Fischl rubbed her chin, as if evaluating Klee's performance. "I'll let it pass for now."
"Yay!" Klee cheered, immediately switching to a proud expression. "The… um, this princess requires no approval from the likes of you!"
"Klee…" Lucas couldn't help but chuckle as he placed a hand on her shoulder, leaning down to whisper, "Maybe don't get too into it."
"I am not Klee! I am Prinzessin der Verurteilung!" Klee pounded her chest, her little face puffed with pride. "Sir… please mind your manners!"
Watching his "daughter" gradually take on Fischl's persona, Lucas felt a pang of mixed emotions.
Who could have guessed that Klee would take to this so well? She wasn't just "adequate"—she was on her way to outdoing even Fischl.
Just then, Lucas felt a tug on his sleeve and looked down to see Fischl in Klee's body, lightly pulling at his shirt with a resigned look in her eyes. "Hold… hold me, please. But don't get the wrong idea—this is just part of the arrangement with Klee."
Lucas couldn't hold back a wry smile as he lifted Fischl into his arms. Though she appeared as Klee, the slight frown on her face gave her real identity away.
Yet, knowing it was Fischl's soul inside Klee's body brought an unexpected feeling to the moment.
"Don't… don't look at me like that!" Fischl muttered, glancing away. "It's not as if… you're anything more than a mere retainer."
"That's not true!" Klee stood with her hands on her hips, scolding Fischl. "You have to call him 'Daddy!'"
"Huh?" Fischl blinked, surprised. "You want me to call him Daddy?"
"Since I've fulfilled my role as Fischl, you should act just like me, too!" Klee nodded with all the seriousness of a princess. "Isn't the Prinzessin der Verurteilung supposed to honor her word?"
"Actually, it's really not necessary…" Lucas interjected quickly. "It's just a title, after all."
"No, Klee's right." To everyone's surprise, Fischl shook her head, her gaze focused on Lucas as her cheeks flushed. "D-daddy…"
The shame! The utter disgrace!
To call another man "Daddy"—for the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, this was a humiliation that could go down in history.
Though Fischl currently wore Klee's face, the mental image in Lucas's head was Fischl herself calling him "Daddy."
Just then, Jean and Barbara returned from their scouting.
Since they had already finished a turn in the game, Barbara had reverted to her usual size.
"We checked the surrounding area," Jean reported, her tone serious. "There's only one entrance—through the main gate."
"Thanks for the hard work." Klee raised an eyebrow and, imitating Fischl's haughty tone, said, "Excellent work, my loyal knight and priestess. Rest assured, rewards shall be bestowed upon you in due time!"
Barbara glanced between the "Fischl" in Lucas's arms and the "Klee" exhibiting maximum chuunibyou energy. "Have Fischl and Klee… switched back already?"
"No, quite a bit happened while you two were gone," Lucas sighed. "Let's move on with the game, then."
"It's my turn!" Barbara reached for the dice, but before she could roll, a message floated down from above.
[Proceed into the castle to continue the game.]
"Another rule change?" Jean looked thoughtful. "What does everyone think?"
"In this situation, we don't have much choice but to press forward." Lucas rubbed his chin. "That other Fischl has definitely set up some traps for us."
Fischl opened her mouth to respond, but Klee was already standing at the castle entrance, pointing to the massive door with one hand on her hip. "Immernachtreich! The princess is here to reclaim you!"
Evidently, Lucas had underestimated how deeply children could immerse themselves in role-play.
What little girl hasn't dreamed of being a magical princess at some point?
In fact, this whole identity swap with Fischl seemed to have awakened something new in Klee.
Please, Klee, Lucas thought to himself, don't grow up to be a strange kid… If Alice finds out about this, she'll probably tear me to pieces and feed me to the Hilichurls.
---
Meanwhile, in the castle's high tower, Midnight Fischl observed the scene at the castle gate through an ornate spyglass.
"Oh-hoho! So, little Amy, you actually dared to come inside?" Midnight Fischl lowered the glass, her face twisted into a sneering smile. "Fine, then. Once you're in, I have a few delightful surprises in store for you."
Without further delay, Lucas and the others passed through the castle gates. As they stepped into the grand hall, they immediately noticed a massive oil painting displayed above the staircase.
The painting depicted Midnight Fischl seated on a grand chair, wearing an elaborate gown. In contrast to the original Fischl, her eye color was different, making it easy to distinguish their identities.
Behind Midnight Fischl stood a tall, silver-haired man dressed in black, his hand resting on her shoulder in an intimate manner.
"What a narcissist…" Fischl muttered with a frown. "The real Prinzessin der Verurteilung would never flaunt herself like that!"
Her comment prompted the others to shake their heads—considering Fischl's usual personality, her counterpart was, if anything, the subtler of the two.
"Wait, everyone, look at that man…"
Klee's eyes went wide with surprise. "He looks just like Daddy!"
The others now turned their attention to the man in the painting.
"There is a resemblance," Barbara squinted, studying the figure. "Though he's, uh… a bit more handsome than Lucas."
"Barbara!" Jean scolded, with a serious expression. "You shouldn't say such things!"
Lucas felt a swell of appreciation—Jean, with her high emotional intelligence, always knew how to say the right thing.
But then Jean continued, "It's wrong to lie, especially when it's a lot more handsome."
Thanks, Jean.
"Don't worry, Daddy!" Klee chimed in, patting Lucas reassuringly. "To the princess, you're still the most handsome of all!"
Hey, wait, whose role are you playing?
"That man is likely just a figment of her imagination," Fischl said, seeming to understand his identity instantly. "I know her better than anyone else, after all."
"It looks like we can roll the dice again." Barbara lifted the dice in her hand. "Is everyone ready?"
With a nod from the others, Barbara tossed the dice.
Four and five. Nine spaces.
[The adventurers entered the castle, unaware of impending danger. The ground shook suddenly, and hidden creatures reached out with monstrous claws!]
"Well, that certainly rhymed…"
But before Lucas could finish his sentence, the ground began to tremble violently, just as the message had warned. A portion of the floor collapsed, revealing a massive pool beneath.
From the murky depths, a colossal octopus-like creature surfaced, its thick tentacles flailing toward the group.
Before anyone could react, each of them found themselves ensnared by the creature's slimy limbs.
"Ew… disgusting!" Barbara squirmed as the creature's sticky tentacles squished against her, an uncomfortable grimace on her face. "What should we do?"
"Barbara, don't worry!" Jean, despite being trapped as well, spoke up to reassure her. "I'll protect you!"
But the creature's tentacles were incredibly strong. Even with Jean's full strength, she couldn't break free. The tentacle wrapped around her body, binding her tightly with surprising force.
Though it was a dangerous situation, Lucas couldn't help but glance over at Jean, thinking how many men in Mondstadt would envy him for witnessing such a scene. This was like something straight out of, well… a certain kind of story.
Still, it was hardly the time for sightseeing.
"Barbara, try wrapping the tentacles with your Hydro element!" Lucas suggested. "Hurry!"
Though puzzled, Barbara immediately summoned a wave of water that enveloped both her body and the creature's tentacle.
At that moment, a twenty-sided die appeared in front of Barbara, rolling to reveal a result of 12.
[Dice Roll Result: 12]
[Check Result: Success]
[The tentacle loses strength from absorbing too much water.]
The tentacle surrounding her slackened and eventually released Barbara, who fell to the floor, drenched and covered in a slimy film.
The octopus, as a sea creature, couldn't handle the freshwater effects on its tentacles due to osmotic pressure. Lucas's theory was spot-on; in a game, there's always a way to succeed, and this test seemed to focus on their elemental control.
"Everyone, try using your own elemental powers!" Lucas gripped his tentacle and prepared to freeze it using Cryo energy.
Just like Barbara, a twenty-sided die appeared before him.
[Dice Roll Result: 9]
[Check Result: Success]
[The tentacle shatters from the cold.]
As expected, the icy energy from Lucas's hand froze the tentacle around him, causing it to break apart.
"I see!" Jean exclaimed, catching on quickly. "Winds! Slice it to pieces!"
[Dice Roll Result: 14]
[Check Result: Success]
[The tentacle is sliced into pieces by wind blades.]
A whirlwind of sharp wind blades surrounded Jean, swiftly severing the tentacle holding her into sashimi-sized pieces.
"These tentacles pose no threat to the Prinzessin der Verurteilung!" Declared Klee in character as she tried to summon fire. "Endless flames of the abyss, burn them to ash… huh?"
But to her confusion, Klee couldn't summon any flames at all.
"Oh no!" Lucas called out, realizing the issue. "You're still in Fischl's body!"
"Oh, right!" Klee finally remembered that with her new body, she didn't have access to Pyro energy. But she had no idea how to use Electro instead.
The dice didn't give Klee any time to learn.
[Dice Roll Result: 3]
[Check Result: Failure]
[Dragged into the bottomless abyss!]
"Waaah!!"
Klee was suddenly yanked forcefully by the tentacle, which pulled her straight into the water.
"My body!"
Seeing her own body dragged under, Fischl's panic surged, and sparks of Pyro energy flickered around her small frame.
[Dice Roll Result: 20]
[Check Result: Critical Success]
[Intense flames incinerate the octopus into ashes.]
Flames erupted from Fischl's body, scorching the giant octopus to a crisp, filling the air with the scent of grilled seafood.
But even with the octopus defeated, Klee, already pulled under, still hadn't resurfaced.
"Hurry! We have to save her!" Without thinking, Fischl moved to jump into the water, but Lucas caught her in midair, holding her tightly.
"Don't be reckless!" Lucas said, trying to keep her calm. "Klee is probably fine."
"How could she be?" Fischl's voice trembled with worry. "What if she drowns? Isn't she… your daughter?"
"Take a good look," Lucas raised his voice slightly to snap her out of her panic. "This game world is built from Klee's imagination. If she were really in danger, this world would have collapsed already. And look—her game piece is still on the board. That means she's safe."
"You see?" Barbara pointed at the pool, where the water had somehow completely disappeared. Everyone peered inside to find it was little more than a shallow basin, barely a meter deep. Inside lay only the charred remains of octopus tentacles—no sign of Klee, now in Fischl's form.
Everyone let out a sigh of relief, especially Jean.
Though Klee called Lucas "Daddy," Jean was Klee's official guardian. If anything were to happen to Klee, who knows what Alice would do—destroying half of Mondstadt wouldn't be out of the question.
"But then… where could she be?"
Fischl had a sudden realization. "I get it! That impostor must have taken her! They might've mistaken Klee for me!"
"B-but wouldn't they be able to tell?" Barbara wondered, looking doubtful. "Even if they swapped bodies, there are still… obvious differences."
"I… certainly hope so," Fischl replied, looking slightly embarrassed.
For now, she could only hope that Midnight Fischl was sharp enough to realize she'd taken the wrong Fischl.
"That actually puts me at ease," Lucas said with a nod. "Midnight Fischl would never harm Klee."
"How can you be so sure?" Fischl asked, suspicious. "Do you know her that well?"
"It's simple. Midnight Fischl is a product of your imagination. If Fischl were to die, she would also cease to exist," Lucas reasoned. "I suspect her goal is to make you, Fischl, fully accept your 'ordinary' self. Then, she can be the true Prinzessin der Verurteilung."
"That makes sense!" Fischl clenched her fists, eyes determined. "I'm not giving up on anything—not on the Immernachtreich, not on the Prinzessin, and certainly not on Oz!"
"There's something I've been meaning to ask you," Lucas said as if he'd suddenly remembered. "The Oz beside Midnight Fischl—are you sure that's really your Oz?"
Midnight Fischl was born purely out of Fischl's imagination. Before Fischl entered the board, Midnight Fischl hadn't even existed. So how did Oz come to be in this world?
"Of course he is!" Fischl nodded firmly. "I can feel a connection between us!"
"If you want the truth, we'll just have to keep playing," Jean said, wiping off the sticky residue left by the octopus tentacles with a grimace. "But first, is there any way to clean ourselves up a little?"
"Yes, please!" Barbara agreed, equally repulsed. "We're never going to get anywhere like this!"
Indeed, the four of them were covered in sticky slime from their recent encounter with the octopus. Barbara, especially, was drenched, her clothes clinging tightly to her body in a rather undignified fashion.
"That's easy," Lucas suggested, pointing to the empty basin. "Barbara can fill it with Hydro, then Fischl can heat it up with Pyro. We'll have ourselves a makeshift bath."
"Good idea!" Jean nodded. "We can wash our clothes too, then I can use Anemo to dry them quickly."
"It shouldn't be too difficult, but…" Barbara shot Lucas a sidelong glance. "There's nothing to block the view here. It's not like we can just bathe with him watching."
"But I'm filthy too…" Lucas tugged at his sticky collar. "How about I just turn my back and keep my eyes closed?"
"Good point!" Fischl chimed in. "It's not like he hasn't been teased by Eula before."
"That was ages ago!" Lucas sighed. "How long are you going to hold that over me? Besides, even if you were back in your own body, there wouldn't be much to see."
"You—!" Fischl was left speechless with rage, though glancing at Jean and Barbara, she had to admit they were both, admittedly, a bit more… endowed.
Especially Jean, whose figure was a top contender on Mondstadt's "Most Desired" list in Mondstadt Adventurers Weekly. Incidentally, the Knights' Lisa, Eula, and Sister Rosaria from the Church were also frequently featured in the rankings.
"Barbara, this isn't the time to be worrying about such things," Jean said with utmost seriousness. "I trust Lucas."
"Captain Jean…" Lucas's heart swelled with gratitude.
"But to safeguard my sister's modesty…" Jean said, suddenly producing a strip of cloth and wrapping it over Lucas's eyes. "I'm afraid we'll have to take some precautions."
Poor Jean had no idea that Barbara's innocence had long since been compromised by the very man before her.
---
While the group busied themselves with their impromptu bath, things were taking a different turn in Midnight Fischl's palace.
"Cough, cough!"
Klee blinked her eyes open, slightly disoriented, only to find herself lying on an oversized, luxurious bed.
"Oh, you're finally awake."
Midnight Fischl, with her signature golden hair and piercing pink eyes, sat in front of Klee, a cold smile on her lips. "I can't believe how easy it was to capture you. I expected more of a challenge."
"You're… the other Fischl…" Klee started, but then quickly remembered Fischl's instructions—"Whatever happens, stay in character as the Prinzessin."
With that in mind, Klee sprang from the bed, striking the dramatic pose Fischl had painstakingly taught her, and proclaimed with utmost seriousness, "I am the true Prinzessin der Verurteilung, Fischl! You are nothing but an impostor!"
"Hmph. You are merely my shadow," Midnight Fischl sneered. "To create such a grand fantasy and then be crushed beneath its weight… To me, you're nothing but a coward hiding from reality."
The words were carefully chosen, intended to pierce the heart of the real Fischl. Midnight Fischl was certain they'd deal a severe blow.
Unfortunately, her plan was lost on Klee. Unfazed, Klee nodded cheerfully and even boasted, "Yep, that's exactly what I am!"
Klee extended her thumb, her expression exactly like that "I don't care" meme face.
Wait… is she completely unfazed?
Klee's reaction left Midnight Fischl slightly puzzled, and her response only reinforced the notion that she was, indeed, the "real" Fischl.
"It seems you've accepted that you've lost your 'power of imagination,'" Midnight Fischl sneered. "Then watch closely!"
She twirled elegantly in place, and her gown transformed as if by magical girl transformation.
"Behold! This is the power of imagination!" Midnight Fischl smirked proudly. "Little Amy, can you do that?"
"Wow! Amazing!" Klee closed her eyes, pressing her fingers to her temples as if concentrating. She furrowed her brows and muttered, "I can do that too. Behold!"
Then, with a sudden splash, a full bucket of water appeared out of nowhere, dousing Midnight Fischl from head to toe. Fish flopped around in the slick pool on the polished wooden floor, with one small fish landing directly atop her head.
"Quit conjuring up this nonsense!" Midnight Fischl shook her head to dislodge the fish, but the episode only added to her growing doubts.
Midnight Fischl's very existence stemmed from the "lost fantasies" of Fischl. Theoretically, her power of imagination should've been much weaker by now.
In that case, I'll have to take things up a notch!
With a smirk, Midnight Fischl waved her hand. "Oz, come here!"
Obeying her command, Oz flew over and landed before her, bowing respectfully. "How may I serve you, my queen?"
"Tell me, Oz!" Midnight Fischl raised an eyebrow. "Who is your true master—me or her?"
"It is naturally you, my queen," Oz said, without sparing Klee a glance.
"Then let little Amy," Midnight Fischl sneered, snapping her fingers, "witness just how close we are!"
At the snap of her fingers, Oz's form was enveloped in dark feathers, and when the feathers dispersed, a curvaceous woman with black hair and eyes stood before them.
Midnight Fischl wrapped her arms around Oz's human form in an intimate embrace, casting a smug look at Klee. "You see? Oz has transformed to match my essence!"
"Wow!" Klee exclaimed, eyes wide. "So Oz is actually a girl?"
"That's… that's not the point!" Midnight Fischl felt a surge of frustration. "Doesn't it bother you to see us this close?"
Midnight Fischl had assumed that openly flaunting her intimacy with Fischl's closest companion would leave Klee crushed. But instead, "Fischl" seemed entirely unaffected.
Could it be I underestimated her resolve?
"Wait, is that—?"
Klee's eyes lit up as if she had made an incredible discovery. She walked over to a wall lined with portraits, each one depicting none other than the "Lord of the Undead." Her mouth fell open, wide enough to fit an egg. "It's Daddy!"
"What… what did you just call him?" Midnight Fischl's eyes narrowed.
"Daddy," Klee replied dreamily, rubbing her cheek against one of the photos with obvious affection. "That's what I've always called him."
Midnight Fischl was momentarily dumbstruck.
So… this is what they do in their spare time?
"No… no, you're not allowed to call him that!" Midnight Fischl protested, jealousy flaring. "He's the Lord of the Undead! My destined love!"
"Well, if you like Daddy that much…" Klee said with a mischievous grin. "Why not just become his daughter too?"
"His… daughter?" Midnight Fischl repeated, stunned.
"Yeah!" Klee nodded enthusiastically. "Wouldn't you want to fall asleep in Daddy's arms, have him feed you, and snuggle close with him?"
"I… I…" Midnight Fischl's face flushed bright red. "More than anything!"
"Then go ahead and say it!" Klee urged her with an innocent, sparkling gaze. "Just say those words!"
Midnight Fischl's face turned a deep shade of crimson as she muttered, "D… Dad?"
"Louder—I can barely hear you!"
"Dad.."
"Louder!"
"Daddy!"
"Now say it a few more times!"
"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"
Off to the side, Oz, now in her human form, watched the two Fischls calling out to "Daddy" with a deadpan expression, as though it had nothing to do with her whatsoever.
---
Meanwhile, back with the others…
Barbara and the group had managed to fill the pool with warm water, transforming it into a makeshift hot spring.
The four of them soaked in the pool, relishing a rare moment of peace.
Though they hadn't been in the board game for long, they'd already endured quite a lot, so this was a perfect chance to recharge and relax.
"Ahhh… this is heaven," Jean sighed contentedly as she let herself sink into the warm water, the fatigue of the previous encounters melting away. "Thanks, Barbara."
"If it makes you happy, that's all that matters," Barbara replied, her cheeks slightly pink. "It's nice to finally do something for you, Sister."
"This pool is far too basic, though," Fischl said with a self-satisfied smile. "Once I reclaim the Immernachtreich, you can all come and enjoy a real royal bath!"
While the three girls chatted happily, Lucas remained silent.
With the "blindfold" over his eyes, he hadn't moved too far from the others, but listening to their cheerful voices made him imagine the scene beyond his vision.
Unbeknownst to Jean, the strip of cloth she'd torn off for his blindfold was made of rare, luxurious silk.
Ordinarily opaque, the silk turned somewhat sheer when damp, and soon, a soft glow began to seep through the once-dark cloth, illuminating his vision.
After a few moments, Lucas could even make out the blurred forms of the others through the translucent silk.
This teasingly hazy view, tantalizingly unclear, stirred his imagination far more than a direct view might have.
Just as he was debating whether to turn his back entirely, he noticed that Barbara had somehow drifted closer to him.
Just then, Lucas suddenly sensed something was off, a distinct feeling as if something vital had suddenly been seized by someone else. His joystick was in someone else's hand.
Naturally, the person responsible was Barbara, who was right next to him.
"Shh…" Barbara whispered softly into his ear, "You wouldn't want anyone to notice, would you?"
Although the water in the bath was crystal clear, the lack of lighting in the great hall combined with the haze of steam made it difficult to see anything beneath the surface.
"What… what are you trying to do?" Lucas frowned. "Aren't you afraid of getting caught?"
"Don't worry, Jean and Fischl can't see us," Barbara replied with a sly smile. "It's the perfect chance."
"Lucas?" Jean tilted her head, sounding a bit puzzled. "You've been awfully quiet. Is something wrong?"
"It's just that, sis, when girls are chatting, it's normal for a guy to keep quiet," Barbara said calmly, covering for him. "And besides, even the thick-skinned would get a bit shy in a situation like this. Don't you think?"
"Yes, that's right."
Lucas quickly agreed, "No need to worry, Captain Jean, I'm perfectly—ah!"
Suddenly, Lucas sucked in a sharp breath, causing Jean to ask, "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yes… I'm fine!" he stammered. "It's just… a bit too warm, that's all."
"If you soak too long, it can really wear you out," Jean said, looking a bit worried. "Maybe you should get out and cool off for a bit?"
Get out? In his current state, there was no way he could stand up without things becoming… awkward.
"No need to worry, Sister." Barbara gave a mischievous smile. "He's in great shape."
She shot Lucas a gleeful, teasing look.
"The volcano's about to erupt," Barbara whispered, taunting him. "Let's see if you can keep it together."
"Don't forget something important," Lucas replied, a mischievous grin forming. "Your sister is here in the bath too. If this volcano really erupts, she'll be caught in the blast as well."
"Huh?"
Barbara's expression shifted as she realized it was far too late to send Jean out of the bath. Her only choice was to keep the volcano from erupting altogether.
With that in mind, Barbara subtly shifted her position to help contain the situation.
The volcano erupted, sending boiling lava splattering onto the stone walls with a steamy hiss.
The noble Barbara, with her timely intervention, had managed to preserve her sister's dignity.
"Barbara? You look a bit… off," Jean noted, eyeing her sister with concern. "Are you feeling light-headed from the heat?"
"Y-yes… maybe I soaked a bit too long…" Barbara stammered, rising carefully from the bath. "We're probably clean enough by now. The clothes should be dry, too."
Even after they'd all gotten dressed, the blush on Barbara's face hadn't quite faded. Lucas, meanwhile, wore a faintly amused smile.
"You've made a noble sacrifice today," he whispered, chuckling.
"What are you grinning about!" Barbara shot back, still flustered. "I did it to protect my sister—that's all!"
"Oh, by the way," Lucas raised an eyebrow, "you might be interested to know that the lava cools down quickly once it's exposed. It wouldn't have harmed your sister even if it had 'erupted.'"
"You…you tricked me!" Barbara's face turned even redder. "So, you planned this?"
"You started it, didn't you?" Lucas replied with a sly smirk. "You have to put out the fires you light."
"Lucas, Barbara, no more chatting, please," Jean said, unaware of the underlying tension. "It's time to get back to the game."
This time, it was Lucas's turn to roll the dice.
Just as he was about to toss them, he paused.
"What's wrong?" Fischl asked curiously. "Are you nervous?"
"No, I just thought of something," Lucas replied thoughtfully, eyeing the dice. "If that other Fischl can alter the rules through imagination, why don't we try it too?"
"Changing the rules through imagination?" Jean echoed, puzzled. "But wouldn't that count as cheating?"
"How could altering the rules be cheating?" Lucas grinned. "As long as we move the pieces to the goal according to the dice, that's what counts!"
He held the dice in his palm, and when he opened his hand, the two six-sided dice had transformed into twenty-sided dice!
Alchemy allowed Lucas to alter the dice as easily as he could summon fire from a volcano.
"Of course!" Barbara exclaimed, realization dawning on her. "There's nothing in the rules that says we have to use six-sided dice! If we use dice with higher numbers, we can reach the goal faster!"
"Klee, Daddy's coming to save you!"
Lucas threw the twenty-sided dice with a flourish. "Show me the numbers of destiny!"
The dice spun wildly on the board, spinning like tops. Soon, one of them stopped on a "1."
"Oh no!" Fischl cried. "Isn't that the lowest number?"
"Not quite finished yet!" Lucas pointed at the other still-spinning die. "Time to change the rules of inertia—accelerate!"
With a sudden burst of speed, the remaining die spun frantically, giving off a buzzing sound, until it slammed into the first die.
The impact sent the other die flying, which landed on "20." The spinning die also stopped on "20."
Forty steps!
"Ah!" Klee looked around, then looked at herself, and said in surprise: "Klee has changed back!"
"Klee!" Lucas immediately swept her into a hug, breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness you're safe!"
Even though he'd known she wouldn't be harmed, actually seeing her unharmed finally eased his worries.
"Klee's fine!" she chirped, smiling. "The other Fischl was really nice to me."
"Really?" Barbara asked, surprised. "But isn't she supposed to be the villain?"
"No, Klee thinks she's just lonely," Klee shook her head. "If we give her a chance, maybe she could even be our friend!"
"That'll be up to her," Lucas said, narrowing his eyes. "And I think we'll be facing her soon."
After trekking forty steps across the game board, their game pieces finally landed on the final destination.
[Through trials and perilous paths, the final challenge awaits. A slumbering knight guards the gate, no army nor hero may pass.]
The four adventurers now stood on a towering fortress wall, leading to the final tower. The walls were tall and thick, lined with massive ballistae—a formidable defense zone, to be sure.
Strangely, however, there were no guards along this path, only a single knight clad in black armor, seated at the doorway to Midnight Fischl's chamber. He held a massive sword to prop himself up, his helmeted head bowed as if in deep slumber.
---
Meanwhile, inside Midnight Fischl's quarters...
Fischl, now back in her own body, found herself in a setting eerily identical to her own room.
Her "rival," Midnight Fischl, sat nearby, clutching a photo and gazing at it with a dreamy smile, murmuring, "Daddy… heh… Daddy."
"You… what are you doing?" Fischl asked in disgust. "Are you out of your mind?"
"Huh?" Midnight Fischl snapped out of her trance, staring at Fischl. "Aren't you the one who told me to call him that?"
"So that's it…" Fischl said with a smirk. "I swapped bodies with that little girl earlier, and you didn't even notice, did you?"
"What? No… impossible!" Midnight Fischl's eyes widened in disbelief. "I was tricked by that little runt?"
"Enough games," Fischl said, her tone sharp. "Return everything you've taken from me—now!"
But despite her command, nothing happened.
"Oh-hohohoho!" Midnight Fischl burst into her signature laugh. "It seems that the land of Immernachtreich isn't answering your call!"
From the bedposts, chains shot out, binding Fischl's limbs tightly, while Midnight Fischl placed her hand over her chest.
"W-what are you doing?" Fischl struggled. "Let go of me!"
"I gave you the chance to leave," Midnight Fischl said coldly. "Since you insist on clinging to delusions, I'll just absorb you, making myself the true Prinzessin der Verurteilung!"
Dark energy began to seep from Fischl's body, dissolving into black particles that Midnight Fischl absorbed.
"You won't succeed," Fischl gritted her teeth. "My friends… they'll be here soon to save me!"
Midnight Fischl laughed. "They've only just entered the castle. They'll have to get through all my traps before—"
But she was interrupted as Oz appeared, bowing his head. "Mistress, they've already reached the doors to your quarters."
"How did they get here so fast?" Midnight Fischl frowned. "No matter. The slumbering knight guards the door. They won't break through so easily, and I have enough time to fully absorb you!"
---
Bang!
With a heavy thud, Lucas flew backward, landing hard on the stone floor.
The knight who had struck him made no further moves, returning to his seat to resume his slumber.
"This guy's ridiculously strong," Lucas muttered, rubbing his aching back. "They don't make final boss gatekeepers for nothing."
Indeed, the four had been fighting the "slumbering knight" for a while now, but his strength was almost otherworldly. Worse still, any damage inflicted on his armor regenerated instantly, as if he neither tired nor felt pain.
"Maybe brute force isn't the way to beat him," Jean said thoughtfully, stroking her chin. "Did you notice he only attacks if we provoke him or try to open the door behind him?"
"I noticed that too," Barbara said, nodding. "He only reacts when we approach or attack."
"Then perhaps the key is to land an overwhelming blow he can't regenerate from," Lucas suggested, snapping his fingers as an idea struck him. "We just need to stack up enough damage!"
The others exchanged puzzled glances, not quite following.
"We're still in a tabletop game, right?" Lucas explained. "If we roll a 'critical success,' we'll deal massive damage."
"That's not enough on its own," Jean countered. "We scored critical hits earlier, but they still didn't faze him."
"Then we layer on more damage!" Lucas grinned. "For instance, by using a surprise attack from behind."
"That's dishonorable!" Jean protested. "Knights shouldn't resort to such underhanded tactics—it violates our moral code."
"A backstab could do triple damage," Lucas added.
"Well, Grand Master Varka once told me," Jean reconsidered, "that sometimes you have to be adaptable to achieve noble ends. This… this is a 'justified' surprise attack!"
Her flexible sense of honor was almost impressive.
"He seems to be perpetually in slumber," Lucas continued, "which should increase our chances of success. Now we just need the weapon with the highest base damage to pull off the backstab."
"My only option is this imitation Falcon Sword," Jean said, looking to Lucas. "But your 'Song of Broken Pines' could deliver a lot more base damage."
"Can I use Klee's bomb?" Klee chimed in, waving her bomb excitedly.
"Area-of-effect attacks can't trigger a backstab…" Lucas's gaze wandered to the ballistae along the walls. "That's it—let's use this!"
---
Ten minutes later…
Jean stared at the setup, muttering, "You're serious about using the ballista for a backstab?"
"It's not just any ballista, it's a siege ballista," Lucas corrected, as he loaded one of Klee's bombs into the ballista he'd removed from the battlements.
Theoretically, backstabs should be performed with small, concealed weapons like daggers or at most a short sword. Pulling a siege ballista off a fortress wall for a backstab was beyond unconventional—it was the kind of stunt only possible in a tabletop game. (AN: Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game. I suppose its mechanisms are being used here.)
According to legend, the ruler of Immernachtreich, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, commanded numerous powerful subordinates.
A dragon-slaying warrior, a mage capable of world-ending destruction, and even a thief skilled enough to steal the clothes off your back.
Yet, among them, the most legendary was the "Slumbering Knight."
This knight, clad in impenetrable armor, remained perpetually asleep—not out of laziness, but because his slumber was essential to gather strength. When he awoke, it was only for one purpose: to fight.
Such a formidable warrior was appointed by the Prinzessin der Verurteilung as the most loyal guard at her chamber's door. Anyone who dared approach would immediately rouse him, and he would drive them back without mercy.
But who would have expected him to face such cunning invaders?
"All set," Lucas said, positioning the siege ballista. "Ready to roll the dice."
"I'll roll!" Klee quickly raised her hand. "Klee's luck is amazing!"
After all, her constellation was a four-leaf clover, a sign of good fortune.
"Shh, quietly now." Lucas handed her the dice, whispering, "I believe in you, Klee. Go for it."
[Roll to determine whether the loading action is detected: 11 points]
[Success! The Slumbering Knight has not noticed your actions.]
[Roll to determine if the sneak attack is successful: 20 points]
[Critical success! The sneak attack will deal triple damage.]
[Roll to determine if the sneak attack hits: 13 points]
[Success! This attack will hit.]
[Roll to determine if the sneak attack causes a critical hit: 20 points]
[Critical success! Triple damage applies.]
[Roll to determine…]
…
[Ready to attack. Estimated damage: 3,521 points]
Using a siege ballista for a sneak attack was absurd, so the system imposed a series of dice rolls, as if attempting to prevent this action. However, Klee's extraordinary luck turned every roll in their favor.
As the ballista now aimed squarely at the Slumbering Knight, the damage count was so exaggerated that, never mind a knight—even a dragon would be reduced to ashes from this hit.
Yet, just as they were about to launch, the knight—who had remained motionless with his head bowed—suddenly shifted slightly.
The group tensed.
Had he sensed the ambush and was now about to retaliate?
However, contrary to Lucas's expectation, the Slumbering Knight did not attack. Instead, he stood up, brushed off his armor, moved aside, and made a gesture of invitation.
"Wait… are you saying," Lucas asked cautiously, "that you'll let us pass?"
"What else? With you lot, I've had the worst luck ever. You're all the absolute worst—just downright despicable. I'm the guard here, can't I just guard in peace? And you pull off this trick? I was going easy on you, but no, you're out to destroy me! Just go on, ancestors, go on in! I'm not risking my life for a few hundred Mora!"
His voice grumbled bitterly from beneath his helmet. Clearly, this knight had quite the sharp tongue; perhaps his master's family name was Chun.
But in any case, it was a good result. After all, a 3,521-damage hit would probably have been overkill, reducing the Slumbering Knight to nothing more than a "Dust Knight."
"Thank you," Jean, herself a knight, expressed her gratitude. She and the others pushed open the door to the final chamber.
Once inside, however, Klee snuck back out, adjusted the ballista's aim, and quickly lit the fuse.
A blast of stacked buffs shot forth, shattering a distant section of the fortress wall with a deafening boom, leaving Klee grinning with excitement.
"Too bad, Mr. Knight!" Klee chirped, stomping her foot as she laughed sweetly. "That was supposed to be for you!"
The Slumbering Knight, watching the pile of rubble, remained silent.
---
Meanwhile, Midnight Fischl, who had been absorbing Fischl's imaginative power, suddenly heard the explosive noise, followed by the entire room shaking violently.
"Damn it!" Midnight Fischl scowled. "Oz! What's going on out there?"
"The intruders have defeated the Slumbering Knight," Oz replied calmly. "Estimated time to arrival: thirty seconds, twenty-nine, twenty-eight…"
"Hah!" Bound tightly, Fischl grinned. "I told you—they're coming for me."
"So what?" Midnight Fischl snarled, accelerating her absorption. "Even if this is risky, once I absorb you, I'll be invincible here in the land of Immernachtreich!"
---
"Fischl!" Lucas's voice cut through the silence of Midnight Fischl's quarters.
Yet, the only ones present were Midnight Fischl and Oz.
Fischl's usual clothes lay scattered on the bed, but there was no sign of her.
"You've finally arrived," Midnight Fischl murmured breathily, her eyes gazing at Lucas with an intense, adoring gleam. "My dear Undead King, soon we shall be united… forever."
"Those are Fischl's clothes!" Barbara exclaimed, noticing the scattered garments. "What did you do to her? Where is she?"
"Where is she?" Midnight Fischl placed a hand over her chest, smiling. "Right here."
"You… ate her?" Jean looked appalled.
Midnight Fischl raised an eyebrow. "Of course not. She and I are now one. In all the three thousand realms, there is only one true Prinzessin der Verurteilung—and that is me, Midnight Fischl!"
"No matter what you call yourself," Jean said, drawing her sword, her gaze steely, "you will release Fischl! Otherwise, we'll have to fight you."
Midnight Fischl chuckled softly. "It seems you don't yet comprehend what it means to be the master of Immernachtreich." She snapped her fingers with a grin. "Allow me to show you all who the true god is here!"
With a snap of her fingers, the entire environment began shifting rapidly. By the time they regained their bearings, they found themselves standing on a desolate battlefield.
And facing them was an entire army, the forces of Midnight Immernachtreich, awaiting their command.
Jean and Klee followed Barbara's gaze upward, and to their shock, they realized that they weren't actually under an open sky but beneath the "giant" forms of Lucas and Midnight Fischl.
Surrounding them wasn't an endless wasteland either; at the edges of this barren ground stood walls enclosing the space, turning this area into a giant game board. They hadn't been transported to a new realm; they'd been pulled into the game board itself and turned into pieces on the board.
Yes, before Lucas and Midnight Fischl, a square meter-sized sand table had appeared, and now, Jean, Barbara, and Klee were positioned on it as pieces in this twisted game.
But Lucas, no stranger to strange and perilous situations, stayed calm. He frowned and asked, "What exactly are you planning?"
Midnight Fischl's eyes gleamed with a manic intensity. "Isn't it obvious? We're going to play a game. If you win, they'll return to normal. But if you lose… you'll stay with me here in the Immernachtreich—forever."
"Interesting." Lucas gave her a slight smile. "So, what are the rules of this game?"
"Oh, they're simple. I created this game myself. Using our 'decks,' we'll engage in combat," she replied, holding up a deck of cards that had appeared in her hand. "Whoever loses all their pieces first… loses."
Across from the three pieces representing his allies, Midnight Fischl's own piece sat perched upon a high throne, gazing down upon them with disdain.
"So, where's my deck?" Lucas asked, still wary.
"It's right here," Midnight Fischl tapped her temple with a smug smile. "Imagine your own cards, and they'll appear. The power of imagination is all you need."
"Oh, I see. So that's how it's going to be…" Lucas raised an eyebrow, muttering, "Cheating, are we?"
Forcing him to play cards with no cards of his own—this was something else entirely!
"I'll take the first turn!" declared Midnight Fischl, drawing five cards from her deck. A confident smile spread across her face. "I summon the monster card, [Raven Knight of the Prinzessin der Verurteilung]!"
At her command, a knight clad in black armor with a raven's head materialized on the board, ready to fight.
Okay, so it looked like she was really going all in on this.
A Prinzessin der Verurteilung deck… who knew it would end like this?
"Next, I'll play a magic card, [Prinzessin der Verurteilung's Forced Conscription]. Its effect…?" Midnight Fischl grinned. "It multiplies any 'Prinzessin der Verurteilung' monster on the field by one thousand!"
Sweat instantly formed on Lucas's brow.
I take it back. She's clearly bluffing with these card effects!
However, as the creator of the rules, Midnight Fischl's whims reigned supreme, and the board was soon covered with a veritable legion of black-armored raven knights.
"And now, the magic card [Pre-Battle Declaration of the Prinzessin der Verurteilung]!" Midnight Fischl's voice rang out as she activated yet another card. "All my monsters now have ten times their attack power!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the raven knights grew even larger, the pressure around them intensifying.
"Now, I'll summon [Celebratory Champagne of the Prinzessin der Verurteilung]!" Midnight Fischl's card turned into a goblet of champagne, which she raised in triumph. "A toast to my impending victory."
Yet, just as she was about to drink, Oz swooped down, swiping the glass away and admonishing her, "My lady, you are underage."
"Fine! Then let it be [Celebratory Fruit Juice of the Prinzessin der Verurteilung]!" she grumbled, shamelessly using another card for a mere drink, her expression triumphant. "This win is already mine."
Indeed, the game was hardly fair to begin with, and by the next turn, her raven army would reduce the three pieces representing his friends to dust.
"Lucas!"
Jean's voice broke through his thoughts, pulling his attention to the miniature figures on the board. All three were looking up at him with trust in their eyes.
"Go, Daddy!" Klee cheered, waving her hand. "Klee knows you'll win!"
"Y-Yes, if you win," Barbara blushed, adding, "I might even consider giving you a private concert!"
That's right; this wasn't the time to give up.
Back in his former life, he may have been an underdog author, impoverished and struggling, but in one thing he'd never been poor.
His imagination.
"It's my turn!" Lucas declared, and a deck of cards materialized in his hands. He drew one card and held it high. "I activate [Pot of Greed]—allowing me to draw two cards!"
Since she was bending the rules, a single banned card was fair play.
"Is this the limit of your imagination?" Midnight Fischl taunted. "Seems like you're destined to belong to me."
"I summon the effect monster, [Huang Yueying]!" Lucas continued, placing another card. "Her effect, 'Gathering Wisdom,' lets me draw an additional card each time I use a spell card!"
"Hold on a minute…" Midnight Fischl looked perplexed. "That card design looks oddly different…"
"You said it yourself—we use our imagination to… 'print' the cards, right?" Lucas smirked. "Next, I play [Out of Thin Air], drawing two more cards, and using [Huang Yueying's] effect, I draw yet another card!"
"Then, I'll place two jokers down for a 'King Bomb' combo!" He revealed two regular playing cards, turning to Klee with a grin. "Klee, you're up!"
"Roger that!"
With a bright smile, Klee summoned a massive bomb and hurled it at the raven knights. The ensuing explosion obliterated a swath of knights into ashes.
"M-My soldiers!" Midnight Fischl's eyes widened with genuine panic.
"We're not finished yet!" Lucas went on. "I activate the fusion spell [Unite], merging Jean and Barbara into the [Paladin Knight: Barbajean]!"
A vortex swirled around Jean and Barbara's figures, drawing them together into a single, shining form.
From within the light, a silver-armored blonde knight emerged. Her appearance combined Barbara's delicate beauty with Jean's resolute demeanor, creating an aura of fierce elegance.
"Now attack!" Lucas commanded, "My knight!"
"With pleasure!"
Barbajean, her back adorned with wings of steel, launched forward into the ranks of Midnight Fischl's forces.
The blade in her hand glowed with intertwining water and wind elements.
"Maelstrom Blade!"
She unleashed a powerful whirlpool of water and wind from her sword, tearing through the raven knights like a tempest through reeds, shredding them apart.
"And it's still not over," Lucas revealed his next card. "I play the spell [Undead King's Secret Art], reviving all fallen monsters as my skeleton minions!"
The remains of the fallen raven knights began to shudder, cracks forming across their armor as skeletal warriors crawled out and reformed, joining his new undead army.
In the blink of an eye, the battlefield had swung completely in his favor, tipping Midnight Fischl's vast advantage upside down.
"C-Can you even do that?" Midnight Fischl gasped. "My… my Immernachtreich army!"
"This is the power of imagination!" Lucas drew his next card, but Midnight Fischl suddenly revealed her last one, "[Prinzessin der Verurteilung's Requisition]! I forcibly confiscate your entire hand!"
"Classic you," Lucas smirked, pausing for a moment before handing over his cards. "Going for new rules as soon as you're losing?"
"I told you—I make the rules!" she sneered, snatching the cards from him with a triumphant gleam in her eye. "Now let's see what you've been saving… huh?"
All the cards in her hands were filled with… writhing tentacles of various kinds.
"It's a pity, but I knew you'd do this," Lucas smirked, narrowing his eyes. "I activate the effect of [Parasitic Tentacles]—whenever you draw these cards, they automatically summon and attack the one who drew them!"
Tendrils burst forth from the cards, winding tightly around Midnight Fischl's form and soaking her luxurious dress in viscous, shining fluids.
The once all-powerful Prinzessin der Verurteilung was reduced to a prisoner bound by her own fantasies.
"W-Wait a moment!" Midnight Fischl struggled against the hold, brow furrowing. "Why are these tentacles attacking me?"
"There's no rule that says I can't attack the player directly," Lucas said with a smile. "If you refuse to surrender, I can't promise where these tentacles might decide to go next."
"Hmph… even if that's the case, you don't have any cards left!" Midnight Fischl sneered. "Once it's my turn, I'll activate the card that will secure my victory!"
At that moment, her expression faltered as a flicker of struggle appeared on her face.
"I won't… let you keep controlling me!" Fischl's true self fought through, shouting, "Lucas! My loyal retainer! Keep attacking her—I'm almost free!"
"It's useless!" Midnight Fischl immediately forced Fischl's consciousness back down. "He doesn't have any cards left!"
"Who says I need cards to cast a spell?" Lucas raised his right hand, declaring, "I activate the spell card [My Fist]—and target you with a direct attack!"
"W-wait a minute!" Midnight Fischl's eyes widened as Lucas's fist drew closer. In desperation, she called out, "Oz! Help me!"
"Apologies, my lady," Oz said with a slight bow, his expression unchanged. "According to your orders, I am not permitted to interfere in this game."
Before Midnight Fischl could react, Lucas was already upon her.
"Sorry about this."
Lucas controlled his strength, throwing a swift punch straight into her stomach. The force hit her like a shockwave, and her body buckled as her mind went blank from the pain.
"Due to [Huang Yueying's] effect, I draw another card."
Taking advantage of her dazed state, Lucas quickly drew from his deck, pulling a card and announcing, "Next, I activate the spell card [De-fusion]!"
Midnight Fischl's face turned pale. "De-fusion…?"
Could he be targeting [Holy Knight Barbajean] with it to split her and launch more attacks?
"Correct," Lucas smirked. "But the target this time… is you."
"What?!"
Midnight Fischl was struck with a sudden realization as her body began to glow. A blinding light filled the room, and a girl's figure was forcibly ejected from her.
Lucas stepped forward, catching the real Fischl as she separated from Midnight Fischl. She appeared weak and vulnerable, wearing nothing, as if the separation had drained her strength.
With Fischl's escape, Midnight Fischl's power was immediately diminished, and the sand table game could no longer be maintained. The three others returned to their normal size and form, released from the game board.
"It's okay now. You're safe," Lucas whispered, gently brushing the golden strands from her forehead. "I told you I'd come to save you."
"Now, it's my turn to end this," Fischl said, her voice gathering strength as she rose. She stepped up to face Midnight Fischl, her gaze steady. "Thank you. It's because of you that I found the resolve to strengthen my vision. The Immernachtreich is real!"
"Hmph… I admit defeat this time," Midnight Fischl smiled bitterly, her expression one of resignation. "After all, I am only a shadow of you."
Fischl didn't respond. She slowly extended her hand toward her doppelganger, and Midnight Fischl's form began to dissolve into faint specks of light, merging with her.
"No… please, don't!" Klee suddenly dashed forward, pressing down on Fischl's outstretched arm, her voice loud and pleading. "The other Fischl isn't bad—please, give her a chance!"
"Klee…" For a moment, Fischl hesitated, her resolve wavering.
Midnight Fischl might have been her enemy, but her existence had been born from her own self-doubt about the Immernachtreich.
"Hmph…"
The half-absorbed Midnight Fischl opened her eyes and, without another word, flung herself into Lucas's arms, calling out affectionately:
"Daddy!"
"D-Daddy?"
Jean and Barbara both turned toward Lucas with expressions of utter disbelief.
They knew, of course, that Lucas couldn't possibly be the father of this "Midnight Fischl," but the way she addressed him was beyond strange.
"What are you looking at me for?" Lucas said, a mix of exasperation and amusement. "I have no idea what's going on!"
"Allow me to explain," said Oz, who had been silent until now. Stepping forward, he said, "Miss Midnight Fischl has lost her powers and memories. Her knowledge of Mr. Lucas comes only from subconscious impressions."
"Why… me, though?" Lucas asked, clearly puzzled. "I don't exactly have any connection to her, right?"
"Midnight Fischl was born from Miss Fischl's mind," Oz replied. "Thus, she inherited Miss Fischl's personality, memories, and powers—including certain subconscious associations."
Jean and Barbara both turned to look at Fischl. They didn't need to say anything; their questioning gazes said it all.
"It's not like that at all!" Fischl exclaimed defensively. "He… he's nothing but…"
"Daddy!" Midnight Fischl interrupted, clinging to Lucas and peeking out from behind him, looking pitiful. "I'm scared…"
"She isn't faking," Oz continued, shaking his head. "With Miss Fischl's inner resolve now restored, Midnight Fischl will no longer pose a threat to you."
"Oz!" Fischl suddenly snapped, glaring at him with her hands on her hips. "I haven't forgotten what you did! Why did you betray me?"
"You misunderstand, Miss Fischl. I am not your Oz," he explained gently. "Each Fischl has their own Oz. Your Oz disappeared when you lost faith in your own fantasy, and now, he's reappeared as you've regained it."
"My… Oz?"
A soft glow emerged from Fischl's Vision, and with a swirl of dark feathers, Oz materialized in front of her once more.
"It's been a while, my lady," he said, bowing his head. "I feared I might never see you again."
"Oz!" Fischl cried, throwing her arms around him as tears welled up in her eyes. "I knew you'd never betray me!"
"So, what are you going to do with Midnight Fischl?" Jean asked, crossing her arms.
"I've decided," Fischl replied, her face bright with a newfound confidence. "A shadow, though guilty of transgression, completes the whole of one's self. And, of course, ruling the vast realm of the Immernachtreich alone would be exhausting. So…"
She pointed a finger at Midnight Fischl with royal authority. "You shall continue to serve as my shadow and manage the Immernachtreich in my absence. And you, Oz—Midnight Oz—you seem reliable, so you shall assist her."
"I am honored," Midnight Oz replied, bowing deeply. "My mistress's mistress is my mistress as well. I shall obey you."
As he spoke, the scenery around them began to blur. Within seconds, everything vanished, and the group found themselves standing once more on the sunny beach of the island.
"Where's my Immernachtreich?" Fischl cried in dismay. "It was such a grand domain, and now it's gone!"
"There's no need to worry." Midnight Fischl explained. "The Immernachtreich is a construct of your imagination, meant to reside within your mind. For now, it rests within me, ready to be reestablished as soon as you find a proper domain."
"Why go to so much trouble?" Lucas mused. "This place seems perfectly fine for it."
"This is Klee's imagined world," Midnight Oz pointed out. "Once the game is over, everything here will vanish."
"But where can I find space for it?" Fischl mused, scratching her chin. "Our backyard surely wouldn't be enough…"
"Forgive my frankness," Oz warned, "but the size of the Immernachtreich rivals Mondstadt itself. Placing it anywhere in Teyvat would be tantamount to… declaring a new nation."
This statement, as absurd as it sounded, was not far from reality.
The last unrecognized kingdom on Teyvat had been Khaenri'ah, which the Seven had destroyed, and the Heavenly Principles would not ignore a new realm like the Immernachtreich.
"Not to worry," Lucas said, an idea dawning on him. "I know a place where we could fit ten Immernachtreichs if we wanted."
[Congratulations on completing this game. The system will now distribute rewards to each player based on their performance.]
[Jean's reward: True Favonius Sword.]
A finely crafted sword appeared in Jean's hands.
"This… it looks like the Favonius Sword?" Jean whispered, running her hand over the blade. "But it's unlike the one wielded by the Knights of Favonius…"
Unlike her previous, less-than-authentic "Replica," this was a genuine masterpiece that matched the quality of the original.
[Barbara's reward: Transformation Wand.]
Barbara, meanwhile, received a charming magic wand.
"It's adorable!" she beamed, clutching it to her chest. "Does this mean I can transform with it?"
"Try it, Sister Barbara!" Klee urged, eyes sparkling. "I want to see you transform!"
Barbara held the wand up, clearly excited. "Alright then… Transform!"
However, instead of the magical glow and outfit she imagined, Barbara's body began to expand, growing larger by the second.
"Huh?! Why am I getting big again?" she cried in dismay. "I didn't want this kind of transformation!"
After a bit more trial and error, Barbara finally returned to her original size.
"Sister Barbara, you're amazing!" Klee's eyes sparkled. "Now you can grow and shrink anytime you want!"
"Who'd want such an ability?!" Barbara said, nearly in tears.
After all, she did have her idol reputation to think of; getting giant-sized in front of everyone in the game world was embarrassing enough.
"I think it's actually pretty useful…" Jean said seriously. "If the Stormterror ever attacks again, giant Barbara could be a valuable asset."
"Sister!" Barbara fumed. "Even you're saying this?"
"I… I was only joking," Jean chuckled, patting Barbara on the head. "Besides, I'd never let you take on such a risk."
[Lucas's Reward: One Magic Card, One Trap Card, One Monster Card]
- Fusion (Magic Card): Allows the fusion of two or more targets; all fusion materials must agree to the fusion. (One use per day)
- Magic Cylinder (Trap Card): Reflects an opponent's attack back at them. (One use per day)
- Blue-Eyed White Dragon (Monster Card): A legendary dragon known for its overwhelming attack power. Able to crush any opponent, its destructive force is unparalleled. (One use per day)
What? Blue-Eyed White Dragon?
I'm not exactly into dragons…
I wanted Dark Magician Girl!
Despite a little disappointment, the reward was still quite generous.
---
[Klee's Reward: One Wish]
A wish—an actual wish!
Everyone was stunned by Klee's reward.
After all, it was a prize with essentially no limits.
"That's amazing!" Barbara suddenly thought of something and exclaimed, "If Klee wishes for the Stormterror to be defeated, then Mondstadt would be safe!"
"Captain Jean…" Klee hesitated but eventually nodded. "If this wish could help everyone, I'd be willing to use it."
For Jean, this was definitely something to consider.
But she finally shook her head and said, "No, Klee. You don't have to sacrifice your wish for this. Dealing with the Stormterror is the responsibility of the Knights of Favonius!"
"You're right…" Barbara realized she'd spoken out of turn and quickly corrected herself, "Klee, you should wish for something you really want!"
"My wish is…" Klee looked at Lucas, then seemed to make up her mind. "To be able to see Daddy and Mommy anytime I want!"
Lucas was taken aback by this wish, feeling his eyes sting with emotion.
It wasn't money, power, or anything else.
Her wish was something that most kids take for granted—to be with her parents every day.
[Klee's Reward: Summon Magic Hat]
- Effect: Allows up to two targets to be marked. Once marked, Klee can teleport to the target's location or summon the target to her. (One use per day)
A red hat suddenly descended from the sky, landing on Klee's head.
"Wow!" Klee blinked in surprise, then her face lit up with joy as she clapped her hands. "Now Klee can see Daddy and Mommy whenever she wants!"
---