When Kael and Fischl stepped into Mondstadt City, they were met with a scene of chaotic excitement.
Unlike the usual leisurely atmosphere, the city was buzzing with noise.
Almost everyone was discussing the same topic.
The news of the explosion had already spread through every street and alley, becoming the center of heated debate.
On the streets, merchants abandoned their stalls. They whispered among themselves, craning their necks to look toward the alchemy workshop with expressions of surprise and unease.
"My goodness, Mr. Albedo's alchemy workshop actually exploded?"
"In all these years, I've never heard of such a thing! Mr. Albedo is the most skilled alchemist in Mondstadt. How could he cause such a massive explosion?"
"Could it be a failed experiment? Or... is it related to those terrifying Abyss monsters?"
"I think he must be researching a more powerful weapon to deal with monsters."
...
Some frowned, their voices tinged with worry.
Others guessed with great interest, treating the event as fresh gossip material.
Some even pulled out their Kamera, snapping pictures of the smoke rising from the workshop.
"Gotta save some image data. Might sell for a good price later," a young merchant muttered, adjusting his lens.
"Let's go, let's go! Get closer and have a look!"
Some bold young men tried to push forward to investigate.
However, before they could get close, several fully armed Knights of Favonius blocked their path, waving them back with serious expressions.
"This area is sealed by the Knights of Favonius. Unauthorized personnel keep back."
"But—"
"No buts! This isn't a game."
...
Faced with the knights' stern demeanor, the crowd had to retreat, standing on the periphery to watch and speculate.
"It's a pity. Even Grand Master Jean came personally. Something big must have happened."
"The explosion in the workshop was unusual. Even the elemental fluctuations were incredibly strong. I wonder if Mr. Albedo is injured..."
"If Mr. Albedo is injured, what will happen to Mondstadt's alchemy research?"
"You're overthinking it. Mr. Albedo is a Geo Vision holder. With his alchemy, he can easily protect himself."
"I'm more curious about what he was researching. Is it a weapon against monsters? If so, I'm really looking forward to it."
"To be honest, this explosion was too big. The workshop is shattered. It'll probably take days to rebuild."
"The power is terrifying. If an ordinary person were in there, they'd be dead for sure."
...
Various speculations rose and fell. Some were worried, some excited, some just watching the drama.
As Kael listened to the chatter, walking forward, his expression became incredibly strange.
He could now confirm that Albedo's explosion was absolutely related to the bombs he had enhanced earlier.
The aura dissipating in the air—wasn't that the aura of the Destruction Path?
Yesterday, when he and Klee bombed fish at Starfall Lake, the residual aura left by the bombs buffed with [I Also Want to Help] was exactly like this.
After entering the city and getting closer, the scent was even stronger.
Much thicker than yesterday.
It must be the residual aura caused by all of Klee's bombs detonating at once.
But the question was—
Why would Albedo suddenly be researching those bombs?
Did he notice something?
Or was it just scholarly curiosity?
Or did Klee tell Albedo about the bombs?
"Forget it."
Kael shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it for now, and continued walking.
Fischl, on the other hand, seemed unusually excited. Listening to the surrounding discussions, the corners of her mouth lifted, assuming a profound look of "The Prinzessin has long foreseen everything."
She coughed lightly, raising a finger as she walked, speaking exaggeratedly. "Hmph. The trajectories of fate have converged. The anomaly is descending. We are destined to be the witnesses in this tide of chaos..."
Oz rolled his eyes helplessly and translated dutifully: "My Lady means: The situation seems to be getting more interesting."
Kael couldn't be bothered with her chuunibyou speech. He just kept walking.
"Let's go to the Adventurers' Guild to hand in the mission first. We need to tally up the resources."
The priority was to deal with the sacks in his hands. Running around the streets with these specialties was inconvenient.
Hearing Kael's words, Fischl, who wanted to stay and watch the drama, didn't hesitate. She immediately followed Kael's footsteps.
She looked just like a little follower.
The two walked through the noisy crowd, heading toward the Adventurers' Guild.
...
When they stepped through the guild's doors, Katheryne, who was buried in organizing commissions, immediately had her attention drawn to them.
Not because of Kael and Fischl's aura, but because of...
The four bulging sacks they were carrying!
"Welcome back to the Adventurers' Guild."
Katheryne spoke subconsciously.
But her voice trailed off as her gaze locked onto the sacks in Kael's hands. The corner of her mouth paused, and a rare look of astonishment appeared on her face.
Four sacks?
Such volume...
Could it all be loot?
Kael didn't waste words. He walked straight to the counter and, without hesitation, dumped the contents of the sacks.
Crash—!
Accompanied by a crisp clattering sound, countless Mondstadt specialties tumbled out, piling up into a small mountain directly on the counter of the Adventurers' Guild!
Small Lamp Grass, Windwheel Asters, Wolfhooks, Flaming Flowers, Mist Flowers...
And various rare minerals, all mixed together. Every single item was a valuable specialty of Mondstadt!
Katheryne: "...???"
The nearby guild members: "...???"
The entire Adventurers' Guild hall went silent for two seconds.
Then, a burst of suppressed gasps erupted!
"My god?! Th-This is..."
"W-Wait... Am I seeing things? That's two whole sacks of Mondstadt specialties?"
"Holy Barbatos! Windwheel Asters, ores, Mist... Mist Flowers?? ...How much time would it take to collect this much?!"
...
Many adventurers accepting commissions stared with wide eyes, crowding around.
Looking at the mountain of specialties on the counter, their faces were filled with disbelief.
"How on earth did he do that?"
One adventurer stared dumbfounded at the Mist Flowers, swallowing hard.
These flowers were rare plants. It was hard to find even a few normally, but here they were piled up in a heap?!
Several low-rank adventurers who made a living collecting resources wore expressions of deep existential doubt.
They work hard from dawn to dusk, and might only bring back a few specialties a day.
And this guy comes back carrying two sacks?!
Even if he's working with a Vision holder, this is too ridiculous.