"Yep! This is the bomb Daddy made. It's just as powerful as the ones Mommy makes!"
Little Klee lifted her chin proudly, childish face brimming with pride and the show-offy gleam of a kid who can't wait to tell the whole continent how amazing her dad is.
Lisa in her violet dress lounged with a lazy smile. Her lacquered fingers lightly stroked her chin as the tall, handsome man with flawless features rose in her mind's eye.
Who would've thought—beyond a pretty face and the power of prophecy—he can actually wield two elements at once, even fusing them perfectly into a bomb.
Then again, for someone who can hop between worlds with ease, any level of power seems plausible.
"Looks like Mr. Ken's strength really is beyond what we imagined."
Jean sighed, hand resting on Aquila Favonia. Watching the dragon vanish into the distant sky, those gem-clear eyes held a mix of curiosity and relief.
Thank goodness… this traveler from another world is not an enemy of Mondstadt.
Thank goodness… he's also Klee's father.
"Hee-hee… My daddy's the best! With a bomb this strong, if we used it for fishing… we'd blow up soooo many fish, right? Klee can't wait!"
Patting the one bomb she had left, Klee's eyes turned into stars again.
Jean and Lisa both developed an instant headache.
With Alice away on expedition with the Knights, Mondstadt had been relatively peaceful. Even with Klee's day-to-day fish-blasting shenanigans, the Knights could still keep her in check.
Now, out of the blue, a dad who can also make bombs shows up… a bit worrying.
Are Mondstadt's fish going to go extinct?
"Keep an eye on Klee."
Jean walked over to Barbara and spoke softly.
They might have driven Dvalin off for now, but there was still a lot of follow-up to handle. First, calming the people of Mondstadt was important.
Next, the caravans hit by the wind disaster—those needed timely outreach as well.
"Acting Grand Master, when we were clearing rubble down below just now, we found that Snezhnayan merchant was crushed to death by falling stones."
At that moment, Knight of Favonius Miles ran up to report.
While Klee was chasing Dvalin off, the knight squad had been down below cleaning up. No one expected a huge rock to drop out of the sky and kill Tsarevich and his attendants on the spot.
"Really?" Lisa's emerald eyes brightened ever so slightly. "How tragic… are you sure he's dead?"
"Yes!" Miles grinned. "Smashed beyond recognition."
Lisa said gravely, "It's a shame, of course. But for merchants traveling the Seven Nations, dying on the road isn't unheard of."
"Indeed. Mondstadt is kind to others. Bury their bodies," Jean said evenly.
Barbara fought to keep a straight face as she folded her hands in prayer. "How pitiful, Mr. Tsarevich… Your face is still fresh in my memory, and to think, in the blink of an eye, you've ascended."
Klee was even more direct, bouncing and wiggling her hips. "La la la~! La la la la!"
Ahem.
A fleeting smile crossed Jean's pretty face, but she quickly turned serious again.
Miles gave a knight's salute. "The Acting Grand Master is right—we treat people kindly… I'll toss their bodies in the wild—uh, I mean… I'll bury them in the wild."
…
Blue Star.
At that moment, in the Star Dome Company office, Ken was holding a meeting.
Genshin's progress was ahead of expectations; a closed beta was right around the corner. He had to clearly explain the game's business model and philosophy to the staff.
After all, to game developers, the higher the profits, the higher their bonuses—so they had every right to know what model the game would use.
"Boss… you mean this game is completely free?"
The black-stockings office lady beside him was the first to blurt out her surprise when she heard Genshin would launch for free.
"Boss… most games charge up front now. Can we really go free-to-play?"
"I know you've poured your heart into this game, but you can't power the grid with love alone, Boss."
"You're so naive. The boss isn't running a charity."
The bunny-eared modeler, Hana Bunny, flashed a smile, bright red nails tapping the table.
Anyone who quit right after a project was rejected, then founded Star Dome and spared no expense to recruit so many talents—such a person is definitely not a philanthropist.
"Hana Bunny's right. Compared to paid games, free ones are the most expensive."
"You've all been wondering how players will obtain these characters. Today I'll tell you: by drawing lots."
"Every month we'll update gacha banners featuring limited characters. If players want those characters, they'll have to pull during the limited time."
"Otherwise, if they miss the character, they might be waiting a year—or even longer."
In his previous life, Ken had suffered enough at the hands of gacha.
In this life, he wanted Blue Star's players to properly experience the darkness of the draw.
The employees who'd had doubts fell silent.
They suddenly understood why Ken had Klee, Barbara, and other S-tier cosplayers record promotional videos.
If those are limited characters…
Who wouldn't want to hurry up and bring their waifu home!
"Everyone, let's give it our all. When Genshin officially opens, each of you will get a big bonus. Let's work hard!"
After inspecting development progress on-site, he went home satisfied.
...
"System, invite a new partner."
Back home, Ken looked at the remaining time on today's invite and wasn't about to waste it.
He just didn't know who he'd invite today…
…
<><><>>><><><><><><><>
Advanced chapter here: p-atreon.com/Sajaboyzzz
<><><><><>><>>><><><><>
Keep the Chapters coming - Support with Power Stones!
Every 200 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter!