"Wait a second, okay? Klee needs to take her treasures out first... Clatter, clatter!"
Klee rummaged through the chest and pulled out a huge pile of strange materials.
Kamisato Satoru immediately recognized quite a few mineral crystals among them. Every single one was a key material used in making high-powered explosives.
No wonder the kid treasured them so much.
"Wait, why is the chest completely empty?"
Mona stared desperately at the now-empty bottom of the chest, her heart sinking.
What she was looking for was the inheritance that had been kept inside.
"Huh? Was Big Sister looking for what was originally inside the box?"
Klee tilted her little head and thought for a moment.
"Yes! That’s exactly what I’m looking for! You... you didn’t accidentally destroy it, did you?"
Mona was so anxious that her eyes were almost turning red.
"Klee wouldn’t break it! Here. You’re probably looking for this old book, right? After Klee took it out of the box, Klee thought it looked really important, so Klee kept it safely inside her backpack the whole time."
"Let me see... This is actually a diary? Judging by the handwriting, it really was written by that old hag when she was young. Wait, why does this look like it’s full of all her embarrassing secrets from her younger days?! Oh no, oh no! If she finds out I read this thing, she’ll tear me limb from limb when I get back! (#?Д?)"
Snap!
Mona slammed the diary shut as though she’d been electrocuted.
Her previously rosy face instantly turned deathly pale.
Meanwhile, Kamisato Satoru secretly raised his Kamera.
Click!
He captured Mona’s priceless terrified expression for posterity.
Of course, he’d known exactly what was written in that diary from the beginning.
He’d deliberately kept quiet purely because he wanted to watch Mona suffer when she discovered it herself.
"Couldn’t you just insist that you never opened it? Wouldn’t that solve the problem?"
Eula offered what sounded like a fairly reasonable suggestion.
Mona shook her head despairingly.
"You don’t understand. That old hag’s astrology is countless times more advanced than mine. You already saw what I can do. If she decides to investigate, there’s no way I can hide it from her."
"All right. Then you’re really out of options."
Eula sighed sympathetically.
"Looks like I absolutely can’t go back anytime soon. I’ll have to hide out in Mondstadt until things calm down. But I’ve already spent my last Mora getting here, and whether I’m studying the stars or just trying to live, I need a proper laboratory. And rent in Mondstadt is so expensive..."
Mona’s voice grew quieter and quieter until she looked completely wilted.
"Ahem. After going around in circles for that long, what you’re really saying is that you’re completely broke, right?"
Kamisato Satoru mercilessly exposed the truth.
"You bastard! Couldn’t you at least leave me a little dignity?!"
Mona glared at him in humiliation, her face bright red.
Sure, she really was penniless.
But having someone say it straight to her face was still devastating to her pride!
"Um... Big Sister. Klee still has twenty Mora saved up. Do you want to borrow it for now?"
Klee thoughtfully pulled out her adorable little Dodoco coin purse, carefully pinched out several shiny coins, and held them toward Mona.
Mona: "..."
She wanted to disappear on the spot.
The overwhelming sense of defeat left her wishing the ground would swallow her whole.
She was a genius astrologer, yet she somehow had less money in her pocket than a little kid running around the streets.
"Pfft!"
This time, even the normally well-mannered Eula couldn’t hold it in.
She exchanged a glance with Kamisato Satoru, and the two burst into laughter.
The way Mona’s face kept shifting between red, green, and purple was simply too entertaining.
Once everyone had finally laughed enough, Kamisato Satoru realized they probably shouldn’t torment Mona any further.
"I actually know of a place in Mondstadt that should suit you pretty well. Apparently, the previous tenant was some kind of scholar too, so there should already be quite a bit of experimental equipment inside."
"Ms. Eula, is that true?"
A spark of hope instantly returned to Mona’s previously lifeless eyes.
"Yes. The owner, Mr. Goth, posted a commission with the Adventurers’ Guild a long time ago. Apparently, anyone capable of breaking the magic formation at the entrance earns the right to rent the place."
"Perfect! As long as it isn’t some ridiculously complicated ancient seal left over from ages past, a little formation like that won’t be enough to stop me."
Mona raised an eyebrow rather proudly.
With Eula leading the way, the group returned to the city.
Klee, meanwhile, took advantage of everyone’s inattention and went da-da-da off to resume her old profession.
Fish blasting.
Kamisato Satoru didn’t bother stopping her.
After all, there was basically no one in Mondstadt capable of hurting Klee. And with everyone knowing the child’s background, most people would give Alice some face anyway.
More importantly, Klee’s Constellation was a four-leaf clover symbolizing extraordinary good fortune.
This kid was ridiculously lucky.
Still, one thing was easy to predict.
The moment her fish blasting became loud enough, Acting Grand Master Jean would definitely follow the explosions straight to her.
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