"Okay! Chef Klee is ready for duty!"
"What should Klee do?"
Kamisato Satoru pointed toward the stove, which hadn’t been lit yet.
"First, use your Pyro Vision to help Daddy light the stove."
"Okay!"
The moment she finished speaking, a brilliant red glow flashed from the little backpack on Klee’s back.
Immediately afterward, a round, exquisitely crafted Jumpy Dumpty appeared in her small, pale hand.
"No! Wait, stop!"
Kamisato Satoru’s pupils abruptly contracted.
His heart nearly stopped from fright as he screamed at the top of his lungs.
BANG!
Unfortunately, he was still a step too late.
Klee casually tossed the bomb straight into the narrow firebox with perfect accuracy.
A deafening explosion instantly shook the entire street.
Flames shot toward the ceiling as thick smoke billowed everywhere. The heavy iron wok was blasted upward with such force that it smashed straight through the ceiling and flew into the sky.
Klee: "..."
Kamisato Satoru: "..."
"Daddy... Klee was wrong. ⊙▽⊙~"
Only now did Klee realize what she’d done.
She lowered her head pitifully, her tiny hands nervously twisting the hem of her clothes.
"It’s fine. Out with the old, in with the new."
Kamisato Satoru stared at the devastated kitchen and its blackened walls, forcibly squeezing out a calm smile to reassure her.
Fortunately, that had only been a miniature bomb.
If she’d used an enhanced version, the entire building would probably be a pile of rubble by now.
"Hey! Is everyone inside all right?!"
The blacksmith Wagner’s booming voice came from outside. The explosion had clearly given him quite a scare.
"Everything’s fine! The kitchen hadn’t been used in too long. Dust built up in the pipes and caused an accident."
Kamisato Satoru hurried outside and gave him an explanation, finally managing to send him away after some effort.
To keep Klee from getting dragged off to solitary confinement, he had no choice but to lie through his teeth.
"Daddy..."
Klee buried herself in Kamisato Satoru’s arms, looking utterly pitiful.
Kamisato Satoru sighed and gently patted her little head.
"Excuse me... Is Mr. Satoru here?"
Just then, a silver-haired girl dressed in a blue-and-white maid outfit timidly entered and gave an impeccably proper bow.
"That’s right. You must be Noelle!"
Kamisato Satoru set Klee down beside him, his eyes genuinely lighting up.
The girl’s playful short hair and gentle yet resolute green eyes made her look like the very picture of a perfect maid.
"Yes. Acting Grand Master Jean told me that you needed someone to help manage the shop."
Noelle smiled faintly, her voice soft yet steady.
"I was planning to teach you how to cook today, but unfortunately..."
Kamisato Satoru awkwardly glanced back and pointed toward the ruined kitchen, which was still spewing black smoke.
Hearing that, Klee became so embarrassed that she wanted to crawl into a hole. Her little face turned as red as a ripe apple.
"Please leave something this minor entirely to me!"
Noelle didn’t mind in the slightest. She picked up the nearby repair kit and rushed into the kitchen like a whirlwind.
Watching how swiftly and efficiently Noelle began cleaning up, Kamisato Satoru couldn’t help marveling inwardly.
As expected of Mondstadt’s strongest logistical support.
"Noelle, I’ll leave this place to you for now. I’m taking this little one out for a walk. We’ll talk more when I get back."
"No problem. I hope you have a wonderful time."
Without even looking back, Noelle remained completely absorbed in her work.
Her dedication really was impressive.
"Little one, how would you like to go outside the city and throw those precious bombs of yours around to your heart’s content?"
Kamisato Satoru lowered his head and tempted her.
To her heart’s content?
Throw bombs?
"YES!"
Those two ideas seemed to ignite a flame deep within Klee’s soul.
The golden strand of hair atop her head instantly sprang upright.
"Then let’s get going!"
"Yay! It’s a big adventure!"
Klee excitedly raised her chubby little arms and jumped for joy, even knocking her beret crooked.
"Let’s go!"
Kamisato Satoru scooped her into his arms and lightly pushed off the ground.
His entire body shot toward the distant wilderness like an arrow released from a bow.
Not long after they left, however, a nimble figure dressed in green and wearing a Cecilia flower silently followed after them.
It was none other than Barbatos, the Anemo Archon who spent his days drinking and performing instead of doing any proper work—Venti.
The wind had told him that Kamisato Satoru had taken Klee outside the city, and the news had startled him so badly that he’d nearly dropped the bottle in his hand.
He wasn’t particularly worried about Kamisato Satoru himself.
But add the terrifyingly destructive Klee into the equation, and the consequences became impossible to predict.
After all, Venti still hadn’t forgotten the legendary exploits of Klee’s mother, Alice, who had practically bombed the ruins of Old Mondstadt into their current state.
Little Klee might not be quite as outrageous as her mother yet, but when it came to reshaping the terrain, she was already well on her way to surpassing her.
Usually, Jean kept a close eye on her inside the city, so things remained relatively under control.
But now she was following Kamisato Satoru, a man who feared neither heaven nor earth.
Who knew what kind of catastrophe those two might cause together?
If they got even slightly carried away, Mondstadt might end up with a second Stormterror’s Lair.
"What a pain. Can’t even enjoy a drink in peace."
Venti muttered helplessly to himself before transforming into a gentle breeze and following closely behind them.
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