"Hi!"
"Mr. Varka!"
When Alice saw Varka, she greeted him with a bright smile.
Varka had a bit of a headache. After giving a helpless smile, he nodded in return. "Ms. Alice, it's been a while."
"Mm-hmm~"
Alice nodded, then turned her gaze to Gu Chen, who was about half a head taller than her. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she said, "You must be the Vice Grand Master, right? I heard you took down a Fatui Harbinger—how did you do it? Could you tell me about it? I really want to hear the story, please, please~"
The corner of Gu Chen's mouth twitched slightly. "He had ill intentions. So I killed him."
"Huh? That's it? Just like that?"
Alice froze for a moment, then said, "Alright, alright."
She straightened up and continued, "I already mentioned it in the letter. This is Albedo, and this is Klee~"
Albedo stepped forward. "Mr. Varka, Mr. Gu Chen."
"Hello."
Gu Chen and Varka nodded.
Thankfully, Albedo was very polite and looked like a mature, steady young man.
Little Klee raised her small hand and waved. "Uncle Varka, Brother Gu Chen, hello~"
"Hello."
There was a smile in Gu Chen's eyes as he nodded slightly.
Varka glanced at Gu Chen with some resentment, then rubbed his chin. "I'm not that old, am I?"
Why did she call him "uncle" and Gu Chen "brother"?
Although from a generational standpoint it wasn't wrong, men tended to fixate on strange things.
Not dwelling on it, Varka laughed heartily. "Good child!"
He turned to Alice. "You're entrusting Klee to the Knights of Favonius, right? That's no problem."
"Mm-hmm! And Albedo too—he's a genius alchemist!" Alice pushed enthusiastically.
Albedo looked helpless.
Gu Chen smiled. "We'll provide whatever help we can. With Mr. Albedo's abilities, he should be more than capable of serving as the Knights' Chief Alchemist."
"You flatter me, Mr. Gu Chen," Albedo replied modestly.
"Then it's happily decided~"
Given Klee's young age, Varka arranged for her to stay in a room next to the office.
It was an unused room that could conveniently be renovated into living quarters for the little one.
That way, if anything happened, they could check on her just by stepping out of the office and turning around.
While guards led Albedo and Klee to familiarize themselves with the Knights' headquarters, Gu Chen asked, "Ms. Alice, entrusting Klee to the Knights—are you about to do something more dangerous?"
"Mm~ yep."
Alice nodded, then added, "There are lots of things that aren't convenient to do with Klee around, so I'll be counting on you!"
"You've brought the Knights an alchemical genius. Taking care of Klee is no problem," Gu Chen said, nodding. "I hope we'll get along well."
Alice blinked. "Definitely! I'll be staying in Mondstadt for about a month, to help Klee get used to the place."
"That's fine."
Gu Chen nodded, then added seriously, "I've heard quite a few stories about you, Ms. Alice… I hope you'll restrain yourself while you're here."
Hearing that, Alice looked a little dejected. "Okay, okay, I know~"
Even as a mother, she still behaved like a young girl.
"Then I'll go take a look around Mondstadt. I'm planning to write a book soon—Teyvat Travel Guide!" Alice's eyes shone with excitement.
Varka thought about it for a moment—then gave up thinking altogether. He spread his hands. "Vice Grand Master, I'll leave this to you. I ate something bad last night, so I'll be taking my leave."
The second-strongest man after Gu Chen had food poisoning?
That excuse was way too flimsy.
Gu Chen took a deep breath. "As a local, I'll accompany you."
"Huh? No need, no need." Alice waved her hands.
"That makes it even more necessary." Gu Chen smiled faintly.
Alice scratched her head guiltily and chuckled. "Alright then—let's go!"
[Nilou]: If you ignore Klee, I'd totally believe Ms. Alice is still a girl.
[Collei]: She looks like a really interesting big sister!
[Alice]: (Paimon・hmph)
[Kirara]: I hope there's an episode featuring Ms. Alice and Mr. Gu Chen. (Klee・please)
[Alice]: Huh? (scratching head)
[Sangonomiya Kokomi]: That might be a little inappropriate?
[Alice]: Nah, it's fine~
[Dvalin]: With the Cult Leader around, she probably won't blow up Stormterror's Lair again, right? Even if it was just a few bridges, that's still my home! (pain)
[Venti]: (snicker)
After spending several days, Gu Chen took Alice around Mondstadt.
It was obvious her hands were itching—she really wanted to throw something explosive.
But with Gu Chen right beside her, all Alice could do was sigh in frustration.
[Klee]: Mama's screen time feels so short. (sad)
[Kaeya]: Normal. First come the big events, then the main characters. As for side characters… haven't you noticed? I barely get any screen time either. (shrug)
[Lisa]: I've been forgotten in the library~
[Amber]: I showed up, but only as a tiny kid, gone in a flash. (Amber・nooo)
[Venti]: As Mondstadt's Anemo Archon, I've only had a few scenes myself!
[Dvalin]: Up till now, the only thing about me in the video is the Cult Leader sensing my breathing above the clouds at Stormterror's Lair! (Qiqi・faint)
[Gu Chen]: Diao Chan is still on the way ing
[Zhongli]: What does that even mean?
[Gu Chen]: (10s stick-figure Diao Chan video)
[Dvalin]: Fine, fine. (Qiqi・faint)
Alice was about to leave.
During this time, both Klee and Albedo had grown familiar with Mondstadt.
On Mondstadt's main bridge—
"Mama~"
Little Klee clung to Alice's leg with teary eyes, utterly unwilling to part.
Alice gently patted Klee's head and said softly, "My little Klee, Mommy will come back when I have time. The Knights have so many family members here who'll take good care of you—don't worry~"
"Mm… Klee understands." Klee reluctantly let go.
"Alright everyone, I'm heading off!"
Alice waved goodbye.
Klee cried for a bit after parting with her mother for the first time, but Jean soon comforted her.
Albedo said with a complicated expression, "Grand Master, Vice Grand Master… you may have to put in some extra effort from now on."
Both men knew what Albedo meant.
Klee had fully inherited her mother's talent—and part of her personality.
Trouble was almost guaranteed in the future.
But Varka didn't mind at all.
"I'm leaving her to you, future star of the Knights." Varka patted Gu Chen on the shoulder.
Gu Chen glanced at him calmly. "I'll handle it."
Varka laughed loudly. "I'm off. Your coming-of-age ceremony is up soon—I've got preparations to make."
Varka and Gu Chen's relationship was complicated.
Sometimes like master and disciple, sometimes like close friends.
But Varka was an elder who had raised Gu Chen, so of course he would personally handle Gu Chen's coming-of-age ceremony—and make it grand.
A few days later.
Gu Chen officially appointed Albedo as the Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favonius, concurrently serving as the leader of the investigation team.
These duties were simple for Albedo, requiring no more than five percent of his attention.
After looking over his schedule, Albedo said, "The rest of my time can be devoted to research… hmm, no, wait. Klee might cause trouble. I'll need to clean up after her."
Klee was lively by nature and loved making bombs to go fish-blasting.
Albedo could already imagine his future days.
Vice Grand Master's Office.
After taking a sip of tea, Gu Chen said, "Things have been quiet lately. You need to learn to relax."
Jean froze, then said seriously, "I—"
"Silence."
Gu Chen raised a finger. "That's an order."
Jean deflated a little. She'd been ready to argue her case, but once an order was issued, she had to obey.
"Balancing work and rest is the real truth. Mrs. Frederica hasn't seen you in a while—make some time to visit her," Gu Chen reminded her.
"Alright." Jean nodded.
After signing several documents, Gu Chen added, "Go eat breakfast."
After breakfast in the cafeteria, Gu Chen returned to see a red figure sneaking about at the Knights' entrance, looking around nervously as if afraid of being discovered.
Last night, Klee had made lots of bombs. Today, she planned to leave the city to test them.
She'd heard that the Vice Grand Master hated trouble, so Klee thought it best not to tell anyone—she'd sneak out, test them, and sneak back in.
Taking advantage of the early morning when everyone was eating, Klee tiptoed toward the exit.
Just as she stepped outside, she felt her backpack straps lift—and she herself was suddenly dangling in midair.
Panicking, she turned to meet Gu Chen's gaze.
"What are you trying to do?" Gu Chen asked.
"I—I… I…"
Klee racked her brain for an excuse, growing so anxious she was on the verge of tears.
Gu Chen set her down. "You're still young, but you're also a member of the Knights. Leaving the city requires reporting. What if bad people kidnapped you?"
"Huh?"
Klee tilted her head in confusion. How did Big Brother Vice Grand Master know she wanted to leave the city?
"Your little schemes are written all over your face," Gu Chen said, shaking his head.
"Really?"
Klee touched her little cheeks, utterly puzzled.
Gu Chen said nothing.
"Vice Grand Master…" Jean hesitated.
Klee was just a child—Jean felt it wasn't necessary to be too strict.
"Go eat some breakfast. Come find me afterward," Gu Chen instructed.
"Mm…" Klee drooped as she walked away.
After she left, Jean said, "Playing is a child's nature."
"I never said she couldn't play."
Gu Chen shook his head seriously. "She's still young. And because she's young, we need to be extra careful about her movements. If something happens, how do we explain it to Ms. Alice?"
Jean thought it over and realized he had a point.
Back in the office, after waiting a bit, there was a knock on the door.
Little Klee pushed it open, head lowered, standing in front of the desk like a child who'd done something wrong.
Gu Chen was writing something. He soon handed her a sheet of paper. "Memorize this. It's the format for your outing applications. From now on, whenever you go out, write down the time and when you plan to return. In areas guarded by the Knights, you can go alone—but in the wilds, you must have someone accompany you."
Klee looked up, eyes wide. "I can go out?"
"Of course." Gu Chen nodded. "Write one now."
"Oh! Oh!"
Klee was overjoyed. She grabbed the pen and copied the form, her crooked handwriting matching Gu Chen's expectations for a child.
After signing the application, Gu Chen stood up. "Let's go."
"Big brother is coming too?" Klee tilted her head.
Her backpack was full of bombs…
"I've never tried fish cooked with explosives. We can give it a try," Gu Chen said with a smile.
Klee's eyes widened. She cheered, "Gu Chen is a good person! A super good person!"
Jean laughed helplessly. "Vice Grand Master, you're spoiling her."
"It's fine. If we nurture her from a young age, the Knights might gain an explosives master someday," Gu Chen shrugged.
"Alright, we're heading out. Finish your work early and get some rest."
With that reminder, Gu Chen tilted his chin. "Let's go."
"Coming, coming!"
Klee was ecstatic. She grabbed her backpack straps and hurried after Gu Chen.
[Albedo]: It seems I overthought things. It's not Klee causing trouble for Mr. Gu Chen—it's Mr. Gu Chen and Klee together causing trouble for Acting Grand Master Jean. (Tighnari・shock)
[Nilou]: A kind father, a strict mother, and a little rascal! (yay)
[Collei]: Eh! Looking at it that way… it really does fit! (Venti・sparkly eyes)
[Klee]: Hehe, Gu Chen is a good person, a super-duper good person! (Klee・yay)
[Gu Chen]: (Zhongli・Dragon King crooked smile)
[Alice]: Why is it that when I want to blow things up I'm not allowed, but when Klee wants to blow things up, she gets personally escorted?! (Keqing・pout)
[Gu Chen]: Because Klee is cute. (Klee・play with me)
[Klee]: (Sucrose・obedient)
[Alice]: Wuwu, I lost to my daughter. (Sucrose・aggrieved)
[Klee]: Mommy don't cry, pat pat~
Following Gu Chen's instructions, Jean finished her work, tidied up, and returned to the Gunnhildr household.
"Finished with work?" Frederica asked in surprise when she saw Jean return.
"Yes." Jean nodded. "I wanted to do more planning, but the Vice Grand Master ordered me to balance work and rest."
Frederica smiled. "That child really cares about you."
Jean pursed her lips without replying.
Bang.
Several books were tossed onto the table. With a meaningful look in her eyes, Frederica said softly, "Take some time to read these."
"Huh?"
Jean picked them up—and froze.
The Melancholy of Young Lady Vera
The Cold Vice Grand Master Falls in Love with Me
The Knight and the Noble Lady
"What… what are these?" Just reading the titles made Jean's cheeks flush.
This wasn't even a hint anymore—it was outright blatant!
"Make sure you seize your chance. Once it slips away, regret is the most painful thing," Frederica said with a light smile.
"Mother, first tell me—who wrote The Cold Vice Grand Master Falls in Love with Me?" Jean demanded.
Frederica smiled sweetly. "Of course, it's written by the girls who see the Vice Grand Master as their dream lover."
It sounded absurd at first.
But Jean knew very well how popular Gu Chen was in Mondstadt.
Calling him the dream of countless girls wouldn't be an exaggeration.
But publishing books about it…
"Not reading them? Then I'll take them back," Frederica said, smiling as she reached out.
Jean grabbed the books and said sternly, "Of course I'll read them. I need to see how these girls usually fantasize about our Vice Grand Master. Such behavior requires ideological education!"
Frederica's smile grew even wider.
"Are you going to criticize them… or perhaps borrow their ideas to indulge in some fantasies yourself?"
"Mother!!"
Jean stomped her foot, hugged the books, and fled.
Watching her daughter's flustered retreat, Frederica laughed happily.
[Nilou]: The Cold Vice Grand Master Falls in Love with Me—please send me a copy!
[Collei]: Me too!! (Klee・please)
[Kirara]: @[Yae Miko]Senior! Does Yae Publishing have this novel? (Klee・please)
[Yae Miko]: A new business opportunity~ I'll go urge the author to write it right away!
[Jean]: (Qiqi・faint)
[Yae Miko]: Mm~ let's write it from Jean's perspective—admiration to employment as an assistant, daily work turning into feelings, slowly flowing into something beautiful~
[Jean]: Does it really have to be written? (Jean・wry smile)
[Lisa]: Translation: It absolutely has to be written. Remember to privately send me a copy.
[Jean]: …
—[A Cool Memory][Glass-Hearted Shabby, Don't Write Books][Heroes Admire Heroes][No Way I Lose While Driving][Luo Tianyi Yixue][Still Double-Skin Milk]×2[White-Weave]
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