"Klee really likes Sister Ningguang. Sister Ningguang is a good person!"
Klee didn't realize anything was off. She looked at Ningguang with a happy smile and clapped.
In truth, Klee really liked both Ningguang and Keqing—because they let her blast fish.
Klee's view of good and evil was that simple.
Her innocent, soft voice drew the surrounding gazes at once.
Especially Keqing.
Seeing Ningguang crouched before Klee, smiling and chatting, Keqing couldn't help but curl her lip.
At a time like this, with a battle imminent, this woman was still thinking about finding a man?
And trying to cozy up to Klee to get to him?
Ningguang, are you okay?
That desperate?
Unable to tolerate it, the Yuheng finally chose to speak up.
Keqing glared at Ningguang and mocked, "You're in a good mood, Lady Ningguang. Cozying up at a time like this."
"But I think you're buttering up the wrong person. You should cozy up to Klee's mother and ask that famous adventurer Alice whether she agrees."
Keqing knew Klee well enough to know the child was too young, too sheltered by the Knights, and didn't understand many things.
The kid probably even thought having a bunch of stepmoms would be fun, with so many people doting on her.
So Keqing disdained using Klee to court Ken.
She felt it bordered on manipulating a child.
Ningguang rolled her eyes helplessly. "If Yuheng is so free, go check whether the deployments are in order. Snark here helps no one."
She had indeed been trying to win Klee over, but her aim was to get Klee to stay in Liyue.
It wasn't very honorable, but who wouldn't covet such a powerful fighter?
Even if it risked misunderstandings with Acting Grand Master Jean.
Who knew Klee would… misunderstand.
Strictly speaking, Klee wasn't wrong. Ningguang did have thoughts about Ken.
"Don't worry, Sister Keqing. My mom's easy to talk to. She'll be happy there are so many stepmoms to dote on Klee!"
Klee blinked big eyes, showing maximum filial piety. She didn't understand Ningguang and Keqing's veiled duel at all, and patted her chest in promise.
In Klee's view, her mom was indeed easygoing and rarely argued.
Although once, someone upset her mom—by the next day, that person's house was a ruin.
Mom said it was justice from the heavens—that Celestia couldn't stand that person and was sweeping out evil.
Ningguang: "..."
Hearing Klee, both Ningguang and Keqing's mouths twitched.
Was Lady Alice really easy to talk to?
Perhaps in normal times she was lively, mischievous, and very affable—but only if you didn't offend her, right?
Offend that great demon king, and Liyue Harbor might see some new ruins.
Ningguang wasn't keen on adding a Jade Chamber Ruins to match the Stormterror's Lair ruins.
Clearly this needed to be taken slowly, not rushed.
Even with her intellect, matters of the heart weren't a calculation to be solved.
"Uh… okay. As long as Klee's happy. Have fun later, and if anything happens, come straight to me."
Seeing Klee's earnest look and all the eyes on her—including Lumine's and that icy beauty's—Ningguang couldn't say more.
She felt a bit helpless. She did like Ken, but having Klee blurt it out in public was a tad awkward.
Fortunately, Ningguang had weathered many storms; her expression stayed composed.
The Jade Chamber slowly moved forward, and Guyun Stone Forest came into view.
Looking at Guyun, Ningguang felt a bit of lingering fear about her earlier idea.
She'd said that if Ken helped lure out Beisht, she would ask Alice to bring Klee to blast fish.
In hindsight, that was rash.
With the battlefield at Guyun, if that great demon king joined the fray, Guyun would be ruins by the end.
She had been too hasty facing Ken. She'd have to be more careful in the future.
Ningguang thought to herself.
...
Guyun Stone Forest.
Ken stood on a cliff, gazing at the vast sea. He pulled a fishing rod from his system space and cast leisurely from the precipice.
The rod extended a hundred meters with geo power; the line, condensed from hydro, stretched hundreds of meters down into the ocean.
"Can you really fish like that, sir?"
A hearty voice came from nearby. Beidou strode up, laughing.
In Ningguang's plan, Beidou's fleet was one of the firepower anchors, ambushing near Guyun.
Seeing Ken fish there, she asked curiously.
"You'll see, Captain Beidou."
Ken smiled and flicked the special rod.
In an instant—
A surge of hydro gathered in the sea and spread downward at lightning speed.
The Siren's Requiem—elemental power unique to Ken alone.
Gentle and pure, it could cleanse oceanic pollution. For fish, it was the finest delight.
But for Beisht, that familiar power was hatred incarnate.
Far below, the ocean surged into towering waves, as if a giant creature rolled and roared, churning the waters in an instant.
A vast, dangerous aura emanated from the depths, dimming even the sunny sky as wind and cloud shifted.
"That presence…"
Feeling the hair-raising power, Beidou narrowed her eyes, solemn.
She'd sensed it more than once at sea.
But before, it came from the deep. Now she felt it racing toward Guyun, darkening the sky as the weather turned in a heartbeat.
Osial's vassal—Beisht!
Though short of a true god, it was not to be underestimated, and its portents were terrifying.
"Roooar!!!"
A bellow rose from the deep, tossing up waves.
Beisht hurtled forth. Its giant body rose from the surface, azure and glass-clear. Compared to Osial, though, Beisht was smaller.
Upon seeing Ken, its eyes burned scarlet. It charged him like mad.
"So eager? I don't have time to play today."
Ken glanced at the frenzied Beisht. His figure vanished from the cliff and appeared on the Jade Chamber.
Beidou: "???"
Watching Ken leave so quickly, Beidou blinked, then sprinted for the Alcor, muttering to herself.
Mr. Ken… sure moves fast.
"I'll leave it to you."
Ken checked the time and prepared to return to Blue Star to set up Zhongli's preview stream.
He was in a rush these two days; there was no time to stick around.
"Leaving already?"
Watching Beisht wreak havoc in the distance, Ningguang rolled a gem between her fingers and smiled. "Not staying to watch the fun?"
Ken shook his head. "I have my own work. I'll leave Klee to you. When it's over, have her and Lumine return to Blue Star immediately."
Thinking of his agreement with Zhongli, Ken added a reminder.
If no one watched Klee, the seas around Liyue would suffer; many fishing vessels might be destroyed.
Best to head back as soon as things wrapped.
"What's this? Don't you trust me?" Ningguang teased.
Ken raised a brow. "If you're fine with her staying in Liyue Harbor, I've got no objections."
"Is that Lady Alice… gentle-tempered?" Ningguang suddenly asked.
True to her style, she always did her homework before undertaking anything—even romance.
Ken mused. "Alice's temper? Truly very nuclear-kind. I'm off. Remember to send Klee back after."
With that, Ken summoned a vortex gate and left.
He could guess why Ningguang asked, so he didn't pry.
Watching him go, Ningguang looked puzzled. She knew how powerful Klee's bombs were, but with someone supervising, it should be fine, right?
The child seemed well-behaved lately.
However—
Before Ningguang could figure it out, she saw the little red figure eagerly pull a bunch of Jumpy Dumpties from her backpack and start hurling them like rain.
"Big fish, don't run! I'm catching you to make tonic for Daddy!"
Klee shouted, brimming with enthusiasm.
"..."
Seeing her stance, Ningguang's eyelid twitched hard.
Back when they fought Osial, Ningguang had tasted Klee's power and marked her as dangerous.
But after recent interactions, she felt the child didn't deserve that label and shouldn't be seen as dangerous.
Now, watching the girl's excited face up close, Ningguang was speechless.
She decided to reclassify Klee as dangerous.
When they'd bombed Osial, Klee had tossed bombs from inside the clouds—they couldn't see her expression.
Now, clearly seeing it… the thrill on Klee's face was too much.
Like… a slightly unhinged terrorist.
No wonder Ken warned her…
As expected, a father knows his daughter best.
Worthy heir to Lady Alice; she shouldn't let Klee's cuteness lower her guard.
"Raise the Jade Chamber higher!"
Seeing Klee happily bombing away, Ningguang called out.
She feared her Jade Chamber would be caught in the blasts. Those bombs were no joke.
"Roar!!"
These days, Beisht had been bent on revenge for Osial. Even knowing it wasn't strong enough, it wanted to gamble it all.
Having finally sensed that hated aura today, it rushed over—only for Ken to hop onto the Jade Chamber and vanish.
So Beisht turned its fury on the Jade Chamber.
But before it could strike, a rain of bombs fell.
"Boom boom boom!!!"
The blasts boiled the surrounding sea in an instant.
Beisht howled in pain, feeling itself being braised. It tossed its massive body and spat out surging orbs of light toward the Jade Chamber.
"Careful."
Ever-prepared, Shenhe moved to block in front of Klee.
Though she still didn't fully understand worldly emotions and partings, her master had told her to follow Ken, and Klee was Ken's daughter; naturally, she had to protect her.
Ningguang also shone with radiant geo light, shielding Klee.
"Klee is so happy…"
To blast fish without restraint, and to have so many people protecting her—that life was wonderful.
Klee almost didn't want to return to Mondstadt.
Acting Grand Master Jean was too strict!
...
Meanwhile—
After returning home, Ken checked the time and started a video meeting to discuss the next evening's preview stream.
Because it was Zhongli's banner, Zhongli's CV arrangements had to be on point.
And the flow needed to be clear to avoid mishaps.
"Send the run-of-show to my inbox, and the video for review as well. Also, the Anemo Archon banner's settlement report—send the detailed stats to my email by the deadline."
Though Ken often acted hands-off, he always handled what mattered.
Hence skipping the fun in Liyue.
After the meeting, staff quickly sent the preview's rundown. Once Ken confirmed it, he got up to find Zhongli.
Zhongli would join the preview tomorrow; Ken needed to go over the flow with him.
But as Ken fanned himself and approached the neighboring villa, before he even entered he heard voices inside.
"Morax… are you sure about this? I… I don't think I can do it."
With Azhdaha's doubtful tone, Zhongli's calm voice followed.
"Azhdaha, have faith in yourself," Zhongli said with a smile. "Give it a try—you'll like it."
Azhdaha sounded a bit panicked. "Morax… get someone else. I really can't!"
"In general theory, doing this with one's own vassal is perhaps most fitting," Zhongli intoned solemnly. "We haven't fought side by side in millennia. Think of this as reliving those days."
Azhdaha: "You call this reliving the old days?"
Ken: "???"
Hearing the exchange, Ken's mind went off the rails. He hurried in and saw a ridiculous scene inside.
Morax… are you okay?
Sure enough, after coming to Blue Star, the gods just kept breaking character.