[Option 1: Turn a blind eye. Pretend you didn't see anything. After all, getting involved with Sampo means there's an 80–90% chance you'll be dragged into some half-baked scheme that only sounds reasonable. You decide to stay out of trouble, quietly detouring away and even deliberately avoiding eye contact.
(Reward: Branch Skill of Sampo's Path Power — You Shine the Brightest. When used, blinds all enemies in a certain area for 10 seconds. Blinded enemies cannot detect allied targets. If you attack blinded enemies, each enemy unit's first action will be delayed by 25% with a fixed 100% chance.)]
[Option 2: Follow in secret. Every time Sampo acts, though sneaky, he never fails to profit. Narrowing your eyes, you decide to quietly observe what kind of shady business he's up to this time. You stroll casually to a nearby street stall, pick up a skewer of candied fruit, and watch Sampo's every move while taking a bite.
(Reward: Void Obsidian. A piece of black matter captured from the Void, faintly infused with the power of the Path of Nothingness. Its pitch-dark facets reflect no light — nor emotion — only an empty stillness.)]
[Option 3: Approach him directly. Sampo's unique intel is too tempting to ignore, even though becoming his "guest" is rarely a good thing. After all, in his eyes, guests can become goods if the price is right. But if you're careful, you might avoid that fate. You stride forward and clap Sampo on the shoulder. "Alright, who are you trying to scam this time?"
(Reward: Eye of the Storm. The arrowhead of a fallen Tempest-Wielder, infused with the power of the wind. Said to be left by a Voidborn monster created in the Riven Realm. At the eye of the spiraling wind, a broken arrowhead glimmers faintly. Those who perish in the Rift shall one day return through it.)]
Kairo: "......…"
Seeing these three options, Kairo's eyelid twitched violently.
Goddamn Sampo.
Bennett Sampo?
What kind of evaluation system was this?
Bennett — that's the Bennett, one of Mondstadt's youngest adventurers, forever hounded by inexplicable misfortune.
The Benny's Adventure Team he founded has been plagued by bad luck to the point that every other member is on "indefinite leave." Only the team leader himself remains active — basically on the verge of being disbanded.
Still, thanks to Bennett's earnest pleading, Mondstadt's Adventurers' Guild receptionist, Miss Katheryne, kept the team officially registered, while tactfully hiding the fact that all the other members had long defected to other groups.
Not that Bennett was really unaware — he knew. He just kept smiling anyway.
And Sampo?
On the surface, he's a smooth-talking merchant who shows up wherever there's "profit." His silver tongue is second only to his habit of getting others into trouble.
His unique intel makes him hard to ignore — though becoming his "client" usually ends badly, since in Sampo's world, the thin line between client and commodity is just a matter of price.
And behind the mask? He's a member of the Masked Fools.
Bennett and Sampo—
They couldn't be less alike.
Kairo's expression grew increasingly odd.
These rewards, too… were absolutely ridiculous.
Two material drops, and one full Branch Skill of Sampo's Path Power — You Shine the Brightest.
The choice was obvious.
As Kairo's gaze flicked toward Bennett, the boy was still cheerfully greeting townsfolk near Mondstadt's gate.
He looked sixteen or seventeen, bright green eyes shining with youthful energy and an unstoppable smile full of optimism and determination.
He wore classic adventurer's gear — a sleeveless light vest showing faint traces of lean muscle, a deep-blue utility belt loaded with alchemical vials and tools, practical for survival in the wild.
Most striking was the red band tied around his left wrist, and the Vision of Pyro gleaming faintly at his chest under the morning sun.
Goggles perched on his head completed the image — an energetic young explorer, always ready to charge into the next ruin.
The boy's steps were light, his spirit high — pure, unshakable vitality radiated from him.
"Ha-ha! Uncle Saula, you're looking great today! Will something good happen?"
"Hehe, wanna come treasure hunting? I found a great spot yesterday — guaranteed loot this time!"
"Ah, my dads are still the same, full of energy! Shame the team's still short on members…"
Bennett chatted cheerfully as he walked, waving at everyone in sight until he was nearly out of view.
[You encounter Sampo in Rivet Town. He's enthusiastically greeting everyone, but you, having dealt with Sampo before, know that the more he smiles, the more schemes he's spinning. You choose to ignore him.]
[You've obtained Option 1's reward: Branch Skill of Sampo's Path Power — You Shine the Brightest.]
As Bennett disappeared through Mondstadt's gate, Kairo's panel flickered.
A ripple of unseen power descended upon him, merging into his body — and instantly, he knew he'd mastered a new Path skill.
"…That's easy?"
Kairo blinked.
He hadn't done anything — and still got the reward.
And not just any reward — a powerful one.
It felt like a pie had fallen straight from the heavens.
Should he… hang around Bennett more often?
Maybe he could trigger these rewards again and again?
The idea made his eyes narrow in thought.
Tempting. Very tempting.
That skill was seriously useful — a 10-second blind, plus a 25% delay to enemy actions. Combine that with Seele's ultimate ability soon to come… thirty seconds of total freedom. Just imagining it was thrilling.
And then—
A dramatic voice split the morning air, dripping with pride and theatrical grandeur:
"Hum hum hum—The chaotic night has been vanquished! The gears of destiny turn once more! Behold, your companion of divine judgment descends!"
"I am—the Prinzessin der Verurteilung! Fischl von Luftschloss Narfi Dort!"
With that grand deClaration, a figure in purple strode forward with regal confidence.
Morning light glimmered on her golden hair; the breeze fluttered the black-and-violet lace of her Gothic dress.
Her hem lifted slightly as though greeting the dawn — the very image of a princess from the realm of night.
A black raven took wing from her shoulder, circling once before letting out a low, resonant cry.
And then, in a weary tone, the raven spoke:
"Milady means… She's here."
Kairo: "......"
He couldn't help twitching at the corner of his mouth, glancing up at the self-styled "Prinzessin."
Did Fischl never get tired of this?
Meanwhile, Klee stood frozen, staring wide-eyed at Fischl, her tiny mind struggling to digest that long, incomprehensible introduction.
"Eh?"
She looked at Kairo, then back at Fischl, whispering, "Brother Kairo… is this princess our teammate?"
"Uh—"
Before Kairo could answer, Fischl crossed her arms and smirked proudly, golden eyes gleaming.
"Foolish witch! Dost thou mean to say thou hast not heard of mine august name?"
"I—Fischl von Luftschloss Narfidort—am the Seer beneath the Raven's Wing! The Dreamweaver of Fate! The Sole True Knower of Heaven and Earth!"
"To travel beside me is an honor beyond compare!"
Klee: "???"
The poor girl's head tilted, confusion written all over her face. She looked at Kairo again, silently pleading for translation.
Kairo sighed helplessly and turned to Oz.
The raven beat his wings once, long-suffering, and calmly translated:
"Milady means: her name is Fischl, and she'll be joining you on your journey."
Klee: "Ohhh!"
Her face lit up instantly.
"So a new friend!"
She ran up to Fischl, grinning. "I'm Klee! Spark Knight of the Knights of Favonius! Is Fischl-sis coming adventuring with Brother Kairo too?"
For once, Fischl froze—
Then, coughing lightly, lifted her chin again.
"Indeed! The pact of night hath been forged! Together shall we traverse the threads of destiny!"
Oz: "Milady means, yes—she'll be adventuring with you."
Klee clapped happily. "Yay! Klee brought lots of bombs today! We're gonna have so much fun exploding things!"
Kairo: "......"
This kid… never changes.
Still—
His gaze flicked to Fischl again, slightly puzzled.
Klee didn't know Fischl?
But yesterday, Fischl had claimed she knew Klee.
So… one-sided recognition?
He sighed and shook his head. "Alright, everyone's here."
Fischl crossed her arms proudly. "Hmph! Then let us set forth upon the new path of fate!"
Klee raised her hand, bright-eyed. "Klee's ready too! Let's go blow up fish!"
Kairo: "…Right. Let's pick up a few commissions first."
He spoke briefly with Katheryne, accepting several gathering missions — one in Whispering Woods, another near Windrise.
Then, the three left the Adventurers' Guild and headed out of Mondstadt.
With Klee along, things were… surprisingly efficient.
Her Klee's Backpack could store a mountain of materials, freeing Kairo's hands completely. Even the extra sacks of supplies he grabbed from the Guild fit neatly inside.
He couldn't help but wonder: could he load an entire bag of resources into that tiny pack later?
Meanwhile, back in the Adventurers' Guild—
Even after Kairo's team vanished down the street, the place was buzzing with energy.
"Damn, there he goes again—two Vision holders with him this time," a young adventurer muttered sourly. "Yesterday they made over six hundred thousand Mora! Think they'll beat that today?"
"No way!" another scoffed. "Six hundred thousand? That's insane! You'd need Rare ores and luxury goods out the nose for that. Yesterday there was a fluke. No way they'll be that lucky again!"
"Who says they won't?" someone countered immediately. "Don't forget — Klee's with them now! That little walking explosion might just uncover buried treasure! What if she blows open a long-lost ore vein in Whispering Woods?"
"Exactly! And Fischl's no slouch either. Yeah, she's a bit… dramatic, but her combat power's solid. With those two helping, Kairo's haul today might even surpass yesterday's!"
"You lot are hopeless…" grumbled another, before his eyes lit up mischievously. "Tell you what — let's bet on it. Will Kairo's team earn more or less than yesterday?"
Instantly, the guild erupted.
"I'm in! I bet they earn less!"
"I say more! Whispering Woods and Windrise are treasure troves!"
"I'll go with more! Kairo's luck is scary-good. He always finds things others can't!"
"Fine, let's make it interesting — loser buys everyone a round of the Angel's Share Fruit Wine!"
"Deal!"
The Adventurers' Guild became a lively battlefield of voices and laughter.
To them, this wasn't just a wager on Kairo's profits — it was a wager on fate itself.
Then, one tall adventurer muttered, "How about we follow Kairo today? See how he finds all that loot?"
The crowd fell silent for two seconds—then burst out laughing.
"Ha! You think you can keep up with them?"
"Get real! With those Vision users on the team? You'd be eating dust before noon!"
"Besides, they're bound to run into monsters — maybe even illicit camps! Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"Yeah, old man, just wait here. When they come back loaded again, then you can regret it!"
The older adventurer flushed, scratching his head awkwardly as laughter echoed around him.
Still, beneath the teasing, everyone wore the same expression—pure envy.
To adventure alongside two Vision holders and rake in the mountains of Mora…
That was better than being a Knight of Favonius.
The Adventurers' Guild buzzed brighter than ever.
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