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[Dodoco]: Help Klee sew Dodoco back together.
Reward: 150 Primogems + Special Explosives Study (contains some alchemy knowledge) + Random Favorability
(Note: The more satisfied Klee is with the repaired Dodoco, the higher the tier of Special Explosives Study earned, up to Master level.)
"Chen Luo, did you just say you want to learn how to make bombs from Klee?" Jean looked at him with an expression that very clearly said 'Did I hear that correctly?'
"Yes. I'll help Klee repair Dodoco, and then she'll teach me how to make bombs," Chen Luo said, nodding seriously.
"This…" Jean found that difficult to process.
And she really didn't want to agree. Mondstadt already had one Klee—that was more than enough.
"But Acting Grand Master Jean," Chen Luo said, sounding discouraged, "if I want to learn alchemy, it's reasonable to seek out Mondstadt's most talented alchemist. But he doesn't have time. So isn't it normal to learn Explosives Study from his sister instead? You wouldn't deny me this, right?"
"This…" Jean found herself temporarily speechless.
Albedo truly didn't have time to teach him, and with his personality, it was doubtful he'd make a patient or attentive teacher anyway.
His teaching style was mostly hands-off. If Chen Luo wasn't exceptionally gifted, he probably wouldn't keep up.
And yes—Klee was Albedo's sister.
But learning to make bombs from Klee… no matter how she thought about it, that didn't sound safe.
Yet refusing again wasn't good either. Rejecting him twice in a row would make her seem utterly insincere.
"If Klee is willing, then… you may learn bomb-making from her." Jean finally agreed.
She practically had no other choice. Not only was Chen Luo looking at her expectantly—Klee was too.
And although the idea of someone wanting to learn bomb-making from Klee wasn't exactly reassuring, Chen Luo was the hero who peacefully resolved the Stormterror incident. He had to be more sensible than Klee, right?
At the very least, he should know what can be blown up—and what absolutely cannot.
Letting him study bomb-making with Klee also meant he could keep an eye on her for now.
With Stormterror handled, there was still a massive amount of aftermath work to deal with. And with the incident of Lord Barbatos being attacked at the cathedral entrance, Jean already knew she wouldn't have any time to watch Klee for quite a while.
Klee's brother Albedo was also likely buried in research and sketching in Dragonspine.
Taking all of that into consideration, Jean reluctantly agreed to Chen Luo's request.
"Great! Finally someone who wants to study bombs with me!" Klee cheered. Besides Chen Luo, Klee was equally thrilled.
Jean could only sigh deeply.
The last person who "studied bombs" with Klee had been her mother—and back then, Mondstadt was constantly echoing with explosions.
Now that Ms. Alice had finally gone on an expedition with the Grand Master, Chen Luo appeared…
She could only hope Chen Luo had real talent and would finish this "educational experience" as quickly as possible. Otherwise, who knew how long the explosions would continue?
"All right, time to fulfill little Klee's wish. Klee, hand Dodoco to me," Chen Luo said, extending a hand.
"Okay." Klee carefully placed the two pieces of Dodoco into his palm.
Actually, the damage wasn't severe—it was just that the round body had separated from the tail. Sewing them back together wasn't difficult; it only required basic stitching skills.
But to sew it so perfectly that the seam was invisible—that required real craftsmanship. Fortunately, Chen Luo had exactly that.
And more than that…
"Klee, your Dodoco is quite special. Whoever made this definitely poured a lot of love into it," Chen Luo said as he examined the doll closely.
"Of course! Mommy loves me the most, and I love Mommy the most too!" Klee nodded.
"That's… not quite what I meant. Forget it. Your mother really does love you a lot."
Klee had taken "love" in the simplest sense—not entirely wrong, but not what Chen Luo was referring to.
What he meant, and what Klee understood, clearly weren't the same.
"Tsk, tsk… this really is the perfect base material for making a companion-type doll." Chen Luo stroked Dodoco thoughtfully.
"Brother Chen Luo, what's a companion-type doll?" Klee asked, confused.
"Hm, how should I explain this… Klee, would you like Dodoco to be able to talk to you?" Chen Luo asked.
"Eh?" Jean, sitting at the Acting Grand Master's desk, froze mid-penstroke.
"Eh?" Klee froze too.
"Dodoco… can talk?" That was something Klee had never even imagined.
"Mhm. The principle behind it is a bit complicated. But to put it simply: Dodoco has accompanied you for a very long time, and it already acknowledges you as its favorite friend. With a little power bestowed on it, it could gain the ability to speak," Chen Luo explained.
In truth, it was because Alice had poured enormous love into the doll. And after Klee received Dodoco, she carried it everywhere without ever replacing it. Through that long companionship, Dodoco had gained the potential to become a companion-type puppet.
To become one, three conditions had to be met:
First, the creator needed sufficient power and enough heartfelt intention when making it.
Second, the doll had to stay with its owner for a very long time.
This was somewhat like the idea of tsukumogami—objects gaining a spirit after years of being cherished.
And once those two conditions were fulfilled, a third condition still needed to be met.
That is, sufficient luck.
After all, not every doll that has been filled with sentiment and carried for a long time is guaranteed to become a companion-type puppet.
But coincidentally, Klee—whose constellation is the lucky four-leaf clover, Lepus Minor—truly possesses enough luck.
Once these three conditions are met and the doll becomes a suitable vessel, creating a companion-type doll doesn't require much additional effort.
The reason it's called a companion-type doll is because of its child-soothing nature. The creation difficulty isn't high, but since it's a doll with its own spiritual nature, it still counts as an advanced puppet. At minimum, it requires Mastery-level Puppet Animation.
Coincidentally, Chen Luo had just reached Mastery level.
And even after its spirituality is awakened, this type of doll can only soothe children, much like ordinary furniture with a touch of life.
That's why this demanding yet unrewarding type of companion puppet has practically disappeared. After all, who can't buy an AI-powered child-soothing toy these days?
Simply put, it requires high input, low returns, significant difficulty, and the overall effectiveness isn't impressive—so almost no one bothers with it anymore.
Originally, such dolls were used by noble families to comfort their young children, only to be discarded not long after.
The reason Chen Luo had never made one before was simply because it was too labor-intensive.
Only after becoming a Herrscher of Sentience and a Heart Demon, and eating so many chocolate bars that his mental strength increased dramatically, combined with his Mastery-level Puppet Animation skill, could he barely manage it.
So regardless of profession, anything involving a hint of the mystical or spiritual will always be costly and difficult to craft.
"Really, really? Can Dodoco really talk to me?" Klee looked extremely excited after hearing Chen Luo's explanation.
"Of course. But because you haven't spent enough time with Dodoco yet, it will only be able to say the word 'Dodoco' to express emotions. When you're happy, it will say 'Dodoco' in a cheerful tone. When you're sad, it will use 'Dodoco' to comfort you. Whether you understand its feelings depends on your rapport with it." Chen Luo crouched down and explained.
"In the future, once you've spent more time together and your bond grows stronger—and once Big Brother improves his puppetry skills—Dodoco might truly be able to talk to you freely."
That was the basic situation.
This companion-type doll was the most elementary spiritual puppet. As Chen Luo said, its intelligence was low; it could only use a single word to express faint emotions.
That was why almost no one wanted one.
Laborious and thankless.
But… Klee seemed absolutely delighted.
"That's amazing, Big Brother! If Dodoco can talk, then Klee can share even more stories with Dodoco! Mommy's going to be really surprised when she comes back!" Little Klee cheered.
"Mhm. Alright then—can you provide a quiet room?" Chen Luo stood up and looked at Jean.
After all, Puppet Animation wasn't a skill that could be used casually. Even with Furniture Mastery, using Animation consumed a lot of energy. But Chen Luo felt all the effort was worth it—the bomb-making skill he'd gain later should be quite high-level.
So he needed a quiet place. Even the bar would have worked.
"Let's go to the confinement room! It's really quiet there, no one will bother you. Klee knows the confinement room very well—Klee can take Brother Chen Luo there." Klee offered enthusiastically, eager to help Dodoco start talking as soon as possible.
"..." Going straight to the confinement room, just like that?
Should he blow something up first to make going in feel more appropriate?
"Well… Klee isn't exactly wrong. If you don't mind, Chen Luo, you can stay in the confinement room for a while." Acting Grand Master Jean reluctantly nodded.
There was only one regular resident of the confinement room, and that was Klee—because it wasn't a place for just anyone.
Most people who caused trouble would either be reprimanded or sent directly to jail.
But Klee? Klee was different. She went there two or three times a week, like going home.
"Then, Acting Grand Master Jean, don't forget to mention the Crafting Bench matter to the Church." Before being dragged away by Klee, Chen Luo reminded her.
"Understood. No problem." Jean nodded.
"Jean, I—A'Luo? What are you doing?" Just as they were about to leave, the door opened and Eula walked in, immediately spotting Chen Luo.
"Ah, well, I'm going to the confinement room." Chen Luo pointed at the door beside them.
Who knew what the Knights were thinking, putting the confinement room right next to the Acting Grand Master's office?
And they still claimed it wasn't built specifically for Klee?
This placement practically screamed "Klee supervision room." Anyone with sense could see that.
"Confinement room? But you just became an Honorary Knight today." Eula looked completely dumbfounded.
I—Mondstadt's so-called sinner—have been with the Knights for years and never been in the confinement room.
You join for a single day, and you're already going?
And although it wasn't an official rule, the confinement room was generally for Knights personnel. Ordinary citizens wouldn't be put there.
"Hm? Klee?" But when Eula looked down and saw the tiny culprit, she understood instantly.
Klee. Oh. That explains everything.
"Mhm. Stay there for a bit. After I finish discussing matters with Acting Grand Master Jean, I'll come get you out." Eula patted Chen Luo's shoulder.
"..." Chen Luo opened his mouth to explain.
"Hello, Sister Eula! Brother Chen Luo, come on, come on! Klee will take you to the confinement room!"
"…See you later." Chen Luo said helplessly.
Fine. Explaining now was pointless. Better to let Jean explain later.
With that in mind, he glanced back at Jean, eyes full of hope.
Jean returned an encouraging look.
"..."
Did she even understand what he was asking for?
Chen Luo wasn't convinced, but Klee was dragging him along with such enthusiasm that he couldn't resist. Even the Herrscher of Sentience hurried ahead to open the confinement room door for him.
Was putting him in the confinement room really that exciting for them?
"Ahem… Eula, the reason I called you here today is to discuss your contributions regarding the Stormterror incident." Jean said, closing the door after watching Chen Luo get dragged off.
As for explaining things for Chen Luo… she'd do it later. She was certain she'd remember.
Probably…