The construction of the temporary base proceeded without any major trouble.
Even after the torches were planted all over the place, not a single monster showed up.
This absurd situation made Ryen a little puzzled.
But for Jean and the others, although they felt relieved, they weren't exactly happy.
The reason was simple.
The firearms in their hands still hadn't been fired even once.
All around them, a number of stone houses had been piled together. They didn't look very nice—just like a bunch of matchboxes.
But since this was an exploration mission, there was no need to be too picky.
Stone was also much safer than wood.
They sat around the campfire.
Nahida and Paimon were nestled on either side of Ryen, dozing off in his arms.
Although both of them were technically older than Ryen—even Paimon's "loose change" in age was probably more than Nahida's entire age—they didn't show any signs of maturity.
In their daily lives, they acted and thought like children.
Nahida might try to maintain some composure in front of others, but once she stuck to Ryen, she reverted to being a carefree little girl.
Ryen often joked that he was a "king of children."
Jean looked on enviously and whispered,
"Ryen is really well-liked by children…"
Children…
Lisa sweatdropped slightly.
Since when did Jean judge age based on appearance?
One was a 500-year-old Lesser Lord Kusanali.
The other… likely predates even the founding of Mondstadt.
And these were considered children?
But oddly enough, Ryen fully agreed with Jean's comment.
"Maybe I really am the king of children."
Hearing that, Jean sighed a little sadly.
"Maybe I've been too busy all the time… I haven't had much chance to care for Barbara and Klee. They're not very close to me."
"Klee even seems a bit afraid of me…"
As she spoke, Jean lowered her head in guilt.
"That's not true."
Lisa smiled and shook her head.
"Barbara and little Klee still really like you. It's just that you haven't had the time to spend with them."
"I went to the confinement room once, and guess what I saw little Klee drawing?"
"Take a guess, Jean—what do you think she was drawing?"
Lisa's words piqued Jean's interest.
Klee had been entrusted to her by Alice. Since becoming acting Grand Master, Jean hadn't had much time for Klee.
But her concern for Klee hadn't lessened—in fact, it had increased, probably out of guilt.
Seeing the hopeful look in Jean's eyes, Lisa stopped teasing and chuckled:
"Klee spent a long, long time drawing Lady Alice, then she drew you, Albedo, and herself…"
"She said it was her family portrait. Klee has always seen you as her family, Jean."
Then Lisa feigned a hurt expression and said dramatically:
"I mean, I care about Klee too, but she only added me to the picture after someone reminded her…"
Jean's emotions were complicated.
"Klee… has always thought that way?"
"And I kept locking her up in solitary just like that…"
Jean bowed her head sadly.
This was like asking someone to give up their bus seat, only to realize that the person in need was blind.
Jean was definitely going to have a sleepless night after this.
Lisa smirked, amused inside.
"Little Klee… Sister Lisa has done all she can for you. Let's hope you don't cause too big a ruckus this time."
That's right.
Lisa had done it on purpose—to make Jean feel guilty.
Of course, everything she said was true—Klee had drawn Jean in the family portrait.
However, Lisa had embellished a few minor details.
In the original portrait, Lisa was already included.
So were Kaeya, Amber, Barbara, Noelle, Diluc…
Even Lumine and Paimon, who Klee had only recently met, were there too.
To Klee, as long as they were good friends, she considered them family.
She was pure and innocent—a truly lovable little girl.
As for why Lisa did this…
Now that Jean wasn't in Mondstadt, Klee had turned into a wild little pony.
And Kaeya, who was left in charge, could barely be trusted to not encourage Klee's antics.
Jean was still going to be away for a while. And knowing Klee's personality, there was no telling what chaos she'd cause.
Fishing with explosives?
In a few days, it might be more than just fishing.
With the same explosive talent as her mother Alice, Klee might blow up Starfell Lake, the Mondstadt Bridge, or even Windrise.
And who knows—maybe poor Bennett would be out adventuring and suddenly hear a "Heave-ho!"
Lisa couldn't bear to see little Klee locked up for too long.
So she planted this guilt seed in Jean early.
That way, when Jean returned to see the aftermath of Klee's mischief, as long as Klee showed her that family portrait, half of Jean's anger would probably melt away.
Seven days of confinement might turn into just three.
In short, Lisa had been crafting Klee's "get-out-of-jail-free" card all along.
"If I had known we'd be out here this long, I should've brought Klee along…"
"I wonder if she's feeling lonely in Mondstadt by herself."
Upon hearing this, both Venti and Diluc twitched at the corners of their mouths.
Klee? Lonely?
That might be true for most kids.
But Klee was happiest when she was alone.
Diluc was already worried about whether his tavern would get blown up.
With that rotten scoundrel Kaeya around, who knows if he'd trick Klee into blowing open the wine cellar just to sneak a few drinks.
"You can bring Klee next time."
Ryen smiled warmly.
"I can help take care of her. I love looking after kids."
Having a daughter like that around was like a real-life version of An Angel Came Down to Me.
If he could, he'd bring in Qiqi, Diona, Sayu, and Yaoyao as well.
Ryen would fully evolve into the ultimate "king of children!"
Surrounded by so many adorable little girls, even just sitting and sipping tea every day would bring him joy.
"Klee's luck is also a rare gift you all could use. Besides, my world is big and empty."
"She could blow things up to her heart's content."
Seeing Ryen fawn over Klee before even meeting her, Lisa could only shake her head helplessly.
Still, bringing Klee over might be a good thing.
This world was vast, and Klee's bombs carried elemental energy—so the destruction wouldn't be too extreme.
To Klee, this place might just be a natural amusement park.
Letting her indulge her explosive urges here might mean she'd stop wreaking havoc on Mondstadt in the future.
"Ryen, should we check the loot from today's Lucky Blocks?"
Ganyu leaned in, gently resting against Ryen's shoulder. Feeling Ningguang's envious gaze, a trace of smugness bloomed in Ganyu's heart.
"Lucky Blocks, huh…"
Ryen sighed.
"We didn't get a Totem of Undying or anything, did we? If not, then there's no need to check. It's unnecessary."
Ganyu obediently nodded, yawned, and said no more.
Venti's eyes sparkled mischievously as he chuckled:
"Ehehe, looks like everyone's getting sleepy. But this is my first journey in another world—it needs a memorable ending!"
Jean and the others were also reminded that they were spending the night in Ryen's world.
They couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental.
Just a few days ago, who would've imagined they could embark on an inter-world journey like Lumine?
Venti reached to his waist, and his wooden lyre Der Frühling appeared in his hands.
"How about letting the greatest bard in this mortal world offer you a most beautiful ballad?"
Lumine, off to the side, curled her lips but still acknowledged Venti's boasting.
At the very least, she had never met a better bard than him.
Propping her chin up with her hands, Lumine said lazily:
"Venti, have you ever thought about writing a new bard's tale based on the work we're doing now?"
"Once Ryen's world develops further, it'll surely be sung across all of Teyvat."
Venti blinked and smiled:
"I have! I've already started working on it."
"Really? Really?!"
Hu Tao's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Did you include the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor in it? I've got a brand-new marketing strategy: obsidian family tombstones, premium luxury golden coffins…"
"You've got to add all that in!"
Venti's face froze. He suddenly imagined himself performing ballads all over the land, repeatedly mentioning funeral parlor coffin ads…
For some reason, he felt a chill down his spine.
After a moment of silence, he carefully sidestepped Hu Tao's topic and gently plucked the strings.
The crisp, soothing notes of the lyre carried a calming strength that resonated in everyone's hearts.
"The story I want to tell… is very, very long…"
Venti's expression softened. Compared to being the Anemo Archon, he was truly a professional bard.
When he sang, that was when he was his truest self.
"We'll write that tale slowly, in time. But for now, what I want to say is…"
He cast a subtle glance at Lumine. Then he sang softly:
"The wind carried the seeds, and time made them sprout…"
As the song flowed, everyone's hearts gradually calmed.
Perhaps what Venti sang of was the destined cycle they had all glimpsed before.
A story that could not be spoken aloud.
But now… it didn't matter.
The foreign wind might carry seeds that could change the mortal world.
Yet the foreign soil and sky had already, silently, begun to overshadow Teyvat.
…
That night—perhaps because of Venti's singing—everyone slept soundly.
Even Ryen, who'd already had a nap earlier that day, didn't stay up late with Ganyu and went to bed early.
Venti truly was the best bard in the mortal world—even without divine power in this realm.
He could still sing songs that touched the heart.
If he were a woman, Ryen would've surely captured him and made him sing lullabies every night.
What a shame…
The next morning, sunlight tore through the darkness.
At the edge of the vast grasslands, the sun slowly rose.
Xiao had already gotten up early.
He was going to deal with the monsters that had gathered outside the fence overnight—a task he usually handled during travel.
But this time, someone else joined him.
"Good morning, Conqueror of Demons."
Seeing Diluc walking out from the neighboring building, Xiao gave a slight nod.
He drew a diamond sword and said:
"Use an enchanted diamond sword to clear out the monsters gathered outside the fence. Many of the drops are quite useful."
Hearing this, Diluc nodded and quietly drew his own diamond sword.
"You seem quite familiar with this process, Conqueror of Demons."
Xiao's expression remained calm as he walked toward the outside.
"During past excursions, we've often had to camp out overnight."
"When we return to Liyue Harbor, I'll give you a monster guidebook to copy."
Diluc had been about to bring this up himself. Hearing Xiao mention it first, he accepted graciously.
"Much appreciated."
Just as Xiao was about to respond, his gaze suddenly fixed on an unfamiliar creature outside the fence.
It was unlike any monster they had seen before.
Clad in strange clothing, it wandered about holding a dark, menacing weapon.
It looked more like a villager-type entity than a monster.
Strangely, apart from these beings, not a single zombie or skeleton-type monster was present.
Just as Xiao was still pondering this, the creature abruptly turned its head and looked straight at him and Diluc.
The next moment, they raised their weapons.
Xiao got a clear look—
They were firearms, similar to the hot weapons used by humans, but slightly different!
An intense sense of danger surged. Xiao swiftly pulled out a stack of obsidian blocks and placed them on the ground.
"Bang!"
"We're under attack!"