"Klee, did Albedo teach you all this?"
Glancing helplessly at Kurumi and Seele, who had been pushed away by the sudden academic atmosphere and were now chatting near the lake, C.C. turned back with a deliberately surprised look at the little girl.
After a while of talking, C.C. realized this kid was a genius—though only in one very specific field: explosions, or rather, bomb-making.
She had perfectly inherited the talent of her mother, the great adventurer Alice, and carried it to incredible heights.
"Brother Albedo only taught me once… then Captain Jean banned him from teaching me anything else about alchemy and bombs…"
Klee drooped her head, looking dejected.
Then, as if sharing a secret, she leaned close to C.C.'s ear and whispered:
"But when I was helping Albedo, I peeked at his alchemy notes! Most of it I didn't understand… but sometimes, I could figure out a little bit."
That soft, adorable voice tickled at her ear, and C.C. couldn't help pinching Klee's chubby cheeks. The tender, jelly-like feel made her smile.
"Is that so? Then Klee really is a smart girl."
She ruffled Klee's golden hair. By now, she had already taught her the concept of using Pyro energy to mimic "fusion" and "fission," along with ways to upgrade her Jumpy Dumpty bombs to the next level.
And unlike the two hopeless "students" Seele and Kurumi, Klee absorbed the knowledge almost instantly—fast enough to give C.C. a rare sense of achievement.
Of course, she didn't go overboard.
If she did, Jean might actually launch an international manhunt.
Klee might cause trouble sometimes, but in C.C.'s eyes she wasn't a problem child—just a little too energetic.
And after every mess, she always tried her best to clean up… though sometimes her clumsiness just made things worse.
Still, once she truly grasped the power of fusion and fission, C.C. believed she wouldn't treat explosions like a game anymore… probably.
Given time, this girl was destined to become Mondstadt's strongest fighter—no doubt about it.
Who cares about Diluc's claymore swings or Amber's Baron Bunny tricks?
Once Klee grew up… the age of Pyro bombs would begin.
As for when exactly that would happen, C.C. wasn't sure. Even geniuses needed time to digest knowledge.
No one could master so much this quickly—unless they were cheating like her.
And with a child as lively as Klee, she'd probably only think about it after she got bored of fishing with bombs.
"Captain Kaeya, over here!"
"Klee's here!"
Just as C.C. was about to ask if Klee wanted to test the upgraded bomb, voices echoed from the distance.
'Tch. Not good.'
Her little "demonstration" as a Herrscher must have drawn the Knights of Favonius.
C.C. glanced at the lowered water level and the floating, unharmed dead fish across the lake's surface.
Sure, she had time to fix this, but wasting it on trivialities wasn't her style.
Restoring the scene with Herrscher powers would only draw suspicion—especially since the knights had already arrived at the lake's edge.
So…
A glimmer flickered in her golden eyes as her gaze turned toward the so-called "running sun," or rather, the tiny girl beside her.
She couldn't forget—Klee and Lumine were cut from the same cloth.
If that sly traveler could shamelessly use Klee as a tool, then tossing a little blame onto the child shouldn't be a big deal.
Besides, it would give Klee time to reflect on the alchemy lessons she'd just learned while sitting in timeout.
That way, C.C. wouldn't waste her day with the Knights, and Klee would come out with stronger bombs. A win-win future!
The only issue was… Kaeya knew Klee too well. He'd believe anything she said, which meant this would require a little finesse.
"Huh? Oh, it's the Knights! They're calling me?"
Klee tilted her head in confusion. She wasn't nervous at all—why would she be? From her point of view, the explosion wasn't her doing.
"That's right, Klee-chan~"
C.C. placed both hands on Klee's small shoulders, her expression that of a gentle big sister, her smile warm and kind.
"You remember saying that friends should help each other, right?"
"Of course! C.C. big sister is Lumine's best friend, and you taught me so much about bombs! That makes us the best of friends now. So if you need Klee's help, just say it!"
Klee's face beamed with innocence. Anyone who saw that pure smile would be moved.
For a fleeting moment, C.C. felt her own heart purified. And then—
"Well then, Klee, if the Knights ask you about the explosion… don't say anything, okay?"
'To stay pure, you have to pass the blame along, after all.'
"Don't say anything? Why?" Klee blinked, puzzled. Then she brightened. "But if that helps C.C. big sister, then I'll take the blame instead!"
She had no idea what was about to happen.
Pure little Klee didn't even consider that she was being set up. And that was the real problem.
Teyvat was dangerous. If she never learned to be wary, what would happen when she ran into real scoundrels in the future?
Sure, with Klee's raw firepower, no one could really threaten her safety—and the Knights would always protect her.
But still… being tricked into becoming someone's tool, like Lumine had done, was another matter.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Klee. I still have things to do, so I'll be going. Next time I visit Mondstadt, I'll play with you again."
Her gaze softened, her smile as warm as spring sunshine.
'Of course, that's assuming you're not locked up in solitary by then.'
"Okay!" Klee nodded sweetly, waving enthusiastically as C.C. walked away. "Bye-bye, C.C. big sister! And Seele and Kurumi too!"
"Goodbye."
Seele and Kurumi, though surprised by C.C.'s sudden departure, returned the farewell warmly. No one could resist Klee's charm.
The two quickly followed C.C., and soon the three vanished into the shadows of her dimensional space.
…
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[Lumine]:No way. No way. You actually tricked Klee of all people!?
———————————————————————
Hands on her hips, Lumine leaned forward, jabbing a pale finger at Nagami's face.
———————————————————————
[Nagami]: …Before you say anything, maybe check if you still have a conscience.
———————————————————————
Nagami calmly took her other hand, unfazed.
Lumine touched his chest with her small, delicate fingers, but her cheeks betrayed her—flushing pink in spite of her words.