Got a new fanfic up; it will update at 7:00 and 19:00 GMT-4 or EST
It is called Genshin Impact: A Liyue Storyteller Makes Hu Tao Tear Up
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Seeing that her pen pal remained silent, Mona grew worried he might be getting ready to sacrifice himself for Liyue Harbor. She didn't want to lose such a pleasant friend.
But as an adeptus, Su Bai couldn't possibly leave Liyue knowing it faced danger. Not only did he need to stay, but he also had to contact the other adepti and prepare for battle.
"You... you're not thinking of staying in Liyue to face that disaster, are you?"
"Listen to me. Come to Mondstadt with me."
Seeing the determination in Su Bai's eyes, Mona could hardly believe it. Survival was the universal principle—this was the first time she had encountered someone like Su Bai, who knowingly walked into danger.
"Sorry, Mona, I can't go to Mondstadt with you."
"As an adeptus, I once made a contract with Rex Lapis to protect Liyue. Even without that contract, as someone from Liyue, I couldn't possibly flee."
"But thank you for coming all this way to tell me. After this disaster passes, when you visit Liyue again, I'll make sure to properly host you."
Su Bai didn't hesitate to refuse Mona. He then glanced at Klee, worried the disaster might affect her.
"Brother Su Bai, don't worry. Klee won't cause any trouble."
Seeing Su Bai looking at her, Klee immediately promised she would behave. Su Bai considered sending her back to Mondstadt but decided against it. If disaster did strike, he could take her to Cloud Retainer. Besides, this was just Mona's divination—the disaster might not even happen.
"Su Bai, don't worry. Even if something does happen, we'll help you."
Lumine had little faith in astrology. In other worlds she had visited, astrologers often exaggerated small problems into great calamities. Those who couldn't read her fate always made excuses, so she didn't take Mona's warning seriously.
"And that disaster might not be man-made. It could be a natural disaster too."
"Didn't you tell me Liyue Harbor is a port city? Maybe Mona's prediction is about a typhoon. If a typhoon hits, there could certainly be casualties."
Lumine's words eased Su Bai's tension. She made a good point. As a port city, Liyue Harbor would certainly suffer if hit by a typhoon. Perhaps he had been overthinking things.
Mona was also embarrassed. She hadn't considered that possibility at all. Now that Lumine mentioned it, she realized her thinking had been too narrow.
"Forget it. I'll let future me worry about future problems. When I get back to Liyue Harbor, I'll just mention it to Ningguang."
Su Bai took a deep breath. He couldn't think of anything other than natural disasters like typhoons that could threaten Liyue Harbor. He really had been too anxious.
"By the way, Mona, do you want to come with us to Wangshu Inn for a meal? My treat."
"Ah? This... well, as an astrologer, I should consult the stars first."
Mona fiddled with the watery mirror on her chest and carefully studied the constellations. What she saw made her pause. The stars indicated that the heir of great knowledge, who should have been in Mondstadt, was actually right beside her.
She looked at Su Bai. Clearly, this man who only debated strange topics with her knew nothing about astrology. She then looked at Lumine and Paimon. These beings not of this world couldn't be the heir either. That left only one possibility—the adorable little girl.
For a moment, Mona felt her worldview shatter. There was nothing about this child that suggested great knowledge. The notebook falling from her backpack wasn't any record of wisdom—it was just filled with embarrassing stories about some young woman.
"What's wrong, Mona? Why do you look so strange?"
"Give me a moment. I need to verify something."
Before everyone's bewildered eyes, Mona approached Klee. Flipping her ponytail back, her face radiated pride.
"I am the astrologer who has unlocked the secrets of the stars. I didn't expect the heir of great knowledge to recognize me so quickly."
"Stars? What are stars? Are there fish in the stars?"
"Hearts? When did Mona get involved with Kokomi? That woman's schemes are only slightly behind Sister Miko's."
Mona's eye twitched. These two were getting more ridiculous. Who was Kokomi? She had never heard that name before.
"It's the stars! The stars! You two, take this seriously!"
"Heir of great knowledge, are you afraid of my challenge?"
"What are you talking about, big sister? Klee doesn't understand at all."
Klee tilted her head, her innocent expression making Mona wonder if she had made a mistake. But her hydromancy had never failed. This little girl named Klee had to be the one she was looking for.
"I know you're the one I seek, but just to be sure—your mother is Alice, right?"
"Yes, yes! Big sister, are you a friend of Mommy's? But Mommy went far away, and Klee can't find her."
"I know that. But before she left, she must have taught you about the occult, right?"
Occult? Klee's little head was filled with big question marks. This was the first time she had heard that word. Was it another kind of Jumpy Dumpty?
"Occult? Klee doesn't know. Mommy only taught Klee how to make Jumpy Dumpties and even bigger Jumpy Dumpties."
"What? That can't be. Senior Alice is a polymath in the occult. As her daughter, you should at least know something about it."
"Um, Mona, you might be overestimating a child's intelligence."
"Even if Klee's mother had taught her about the occult, she wouldn't understand any of it."
Paimon gestured at Klee's height, which barely reached Mona's waist. Mona finally realized the truth. Klee was too young to understand such things. So how was she supposed to retrieve that box the old woman had mentioned?
"Little Klee, before your mother left, did she give you a box?"
"Yes, she did. Klee even used the box to store some Jumpy Dumpty materials. Big sister, do you want the box?"
Klee pulled a box from her backpack and handed it to Mona. Seeing it filled with dangerous alchemical materials, Mona quickly waved her hands.
"No, no! I just want what was originally inside, not the box itself."
"Huh? The stuff inside? Isn't that the notebook you're holding, big sister? Didn't you know?"
What?! Klee's words hit Mona like a thunderbolt. So this was why the old woman had warned her that peeking inside would be the end of her. It was filled with embarrassing stories from her younger days! This was terrible. If the old woman found out, she would never let her hear the end of it.