"You can't go to that place."
Kaeya shook his head firmly. "This was our oversight. Dragonspine hasn't shown any anomalies for years, so we didn't consider the possibility that the elemental disturbances might affect the mountain."
"I'll file a formal report with the Knights when I get back. We'll handle the investigation into Dragonspine. You don't need to get involved."
"Anomalies in Dragonspine?"
Diluc's sharp gaze locked onto Kaeya. "Are you hiding some crucial information from me?"
"All I'm saying is that even the best adventuring teams have lost their lives on that mountain. I don't want you going there," Kaeya replied, slamming his cup onto the table.
"I'll handle Sanqiu. Whatever his reasons for focusing on Dragonspine, the Knights' survey data should suffice as a response."
"In short, the dangers of the mountain aren't just environmental. There are hidden threats as well. Even for you, it's too risky."
"Do you really think it's more perilous than what I faced in the northern territories back then?" Diluc rose from his seat. "Dragonspine, huh? If you hadn't said anything, I wouldn't have been interested. This was just a simple transaction with him."
"But now, I have a reason to go."
Diluc turned and walked away. Kaeya remained seated, his right hand unconsciously pressing against the eyepatch over his left eye.
"Damn it," Kaeya muttered, rubbing his temples. "Sending someone powerful to investigate Dragonspine is no different from hiring a skilled adventurer for a private expedition."
He sighed heavily.
It seemed clear that Gu Sanqiu suspected something unusual was happening on the mountain. By steering the Knights away, he was likely trying to avoid attracting unwanted attention—attention that might thwart someone's plans.
"Dragonspine… why does it have to be that cursed place?"
Kaeya got up to settle the bill, his mind replaying the enigmatic smile Sanqiu had flashed before leaving.
"If it were just a matter of ordinary risks, it'd be one thing. But if the secrets buried in the mountain are uncovered, those unworthy of the knowledge might meet their end without even understanding why."
---
The next morning, Diluc left Mondstadt. Unwilling to let him go alone, Kaeya followed from a distance, planning to intervene with a convenient excuse and turn the trip into an opportunity to strengthen their strained brotherly bond.
Meanwhile, Gu Sanqiu finished his breakfast and headed to the Knights' headquarters to inquire about Aether and Paimon's whereabouts.
At the reception hall, a Knight who recognized him hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Ah, I remember you. You're Gu Sanqiu, correct?"
As someone involved in the previous domain incident, the Knight had some impression of the guest who had come to assist from Liyue.
"That's me. I'm trying to find out where the two people Amber brought in for ID registration yesterday went."
The Knight looked conflicted. "Mr. Gu, that's against our policy. We can't disclose the whereabouts of travelers in Mondstadt unless you provide evidence of suspected criminal activity along with official documentation from Liyue."
Gu Sanqiu scratched his head. "That complicated? I helped Amber bring them here yesterday—doesn't that count for something?"
"Apologies, but unless they told you themselves, we can't share that information," the Knight replied firmly.
Gu Sanqiu nodded in understanding. "Alright, fair enough. Then can you at least tell me where the Spark Knight is right now?"
The Knight blinked in surprise. "The Spark Knight? You mean Klee?"
"Yes."
After a moment of thought, the Knight replied, "The little one… I mean, the Spark Knight is on a special day off today. She's likely playing outside the city."
The Knight seemed unbothered by revealing Klee's location. After all, her reputation for explosive mischief was well-known, and Sanqiu was often mentioned fondly by her as "Brother Sanqiu."
Perhaps, on some level, telling Sanqiu where Klee was could even spare Mondstadt's environment from her creative chaos.
"Thanks," Sanqiu said. Compared to finding Aether, tracking down Klee was simple—just look for places with water.
From the sky, Gu Sanqiu used his senses to scan the area below while pondering whether Diluc had understood his intentions.
"Dragonspine isn't a place just anyone can explore. Aside from Albedo, I probably can't convince anyone else to go there."
Albedo's connection to the mountain was complicated, making it unwise to involve him.
Then there was the secondary purpose of getting Diluc to Dragonspine: dragging along a certain dark-skinned, eyepatch-wearing individual.
Sanqiu's plan was simple. Send Diluc to investigate the mountain to uncover any unusual activity. At the same time, he wanted to get closer to Aether and keep Kaeya from meeting him too soon.
The combination of an outsider and someone from Khaenri'ah was too potent to ignore. This had to be handled delicately.
No matter what Barbatos and the others were scheming, being the first to connect with Aether couldn't be a bad move.
Could those strange favorability boosts actually benefit me somehow?
Sanqiu's thoughts wandered. Or maybe Aether's destined to become some sort of "arbiter," deciding who gets to survive?
No way. If that were the case, why gamble on someone stripped of all their powers? Why not nurture someone directly or collaborate with the Abyss Princess?
Boom!
The explosion below broke his train of thought. He'd found his target.
Water droplets shimmered in the sunlight, creating a rainbow-like spray of stardust over the pond. Beside it, a small figure crouched with an eager expression, cheering at the sight of the blast.
"Yay! Bomb Bomb Mark I was a success!"
Huh?
Bomb Bomb Mark I? Is this Klee's latest bomb prototype?
"Klee."
The little girl looked up. Seeing Sanqiu descend, her expression turned from excitement to panic.
"B-Brother Sanqiu!"
Klee hastily strapped on her backpack and pointed to the pond.
"T-The pond! It seems affected by some elemental disturbance. There was an explosion just now—it was so scary!"
"Klee, as the Spark Knight of the Knights of Favonius, is here to investigate!"
...
Does this kid think I can't hear her?
"Bomb Bomb Mark I."
Those four words sent Klee's world into darkness. With a pitiful look, she stretched out her arms toward Sanqiu.
"Klee… Klee doesn't want to go to solitary confinement!"
---
T/N: KLEE IS SO CUTE
...
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