Finally, there's Diluc, who says:
["'There is an Abyss Order stronghold on the uninhabited island. Go at once.'"]
As for Razor's letter, he couldn't read it himself—Druffy had to tell him what it said.
["'Red, very hot girl went to the island. She needs friends' help.'"]
It must be said—this was truly tailor-made for each of them. Whether it was Albedo's letter, Diluc's, or Razor's, they all ensured an immediate response.
From this, it's clear that "Dodoking" knew them very well.
This kind of targeted gathering of acquaintances on a secluded island—if this were a Detective Conan setting, a dead body would show up any minute now.
Diluc points out how suspicious this all is. He doesn't believe there's any "Dodoking"—it's just a scheme aimed at them.
[Klee protests: "No no, there is a Dodoking! Dodoking is the big bad!"]
[Diluc gives an almost imperceptibly indulgent smile and doesn't argue, simply saying: "...Fine."]
In the end, the group goes to find Razor—who's already at "Dodoking's" location.
Razor had found a strange mechanical part, seemingly connected to "Dodoking."
Once the part is reattached, "Dodoking" indeed starts moving. As an Inazuman automaton, it's somewhat formidable.
Unfortunately for it, the Mondstadt Dream Team is here for a team-building exercise, so it lasts about as long as a snowflake in Dragonspine.
After defeating the automaton, three crystals drop—along with another letter.
"Mysterious king, mysterious king, sleeping alone on the island to the southwest;
The bad child made him wait too long, night falls, stars climb the sky."
"Greedy sprite, greedy sprite, made the moon run in circles;
The tri-colored key is kept by the strange fish, the secret lies here—dare you come?"
From this, it's clear the real "Dodoking" is on the small island to the southwest.
When the group arrives, a massive barrier blocks their path.
[Klee: "The bigger the barrier, the eviler Dodoking is!"]
To dismantle the barrier, they seem to need to solve a puzzle.
During the process, they realize they must wait until nightfall for the "strange fish" to appear. Until then, they can only wait.
Klee wants to go fish-blasting—which is perfectly normal for her.
What's abnormal is that this time, Jean not only doesn't stop her… she even joins in.
Fish: Our god has betrayed us.
At night, the group catches the fish, completes the mechanism, and prepares for Klee to press the button that will dismantle the "big barrier."
Klee hesitates—she's afraid she won't be able to defeat Dodoking and might be separated from Dodoco.
Diluc, Kaeya, Jean, Albedo, Razor, and the Traveler listen silently.
Dodoking, huh? Go on, keep talking. We're listening.
With this lineup? Even if it were Dodoking the Demon God, they'd still wipe the floor with it.
Only after Klee voices all her fears and worries does the group comfort her.
What's this "Dodoking" anyway? How many divisions does he have?
Encouraged, Klee presses the button—the barrier dissolves, revealing not a "big bad", but a "paradise" for Dodoco.
Jean, who had been shielding Barbara and Klee with her arm, relaxes her guard at the sight.
Albedo, who had seen through everything from the start, simply smirks.
Lucian specially illustrates this smirk—after all, seeing Albedo smile this brightly is a rare sight.
For this illustration, Sucrose expresses great approval—"It really is rare to see Master smile like this."
Inside this "Klee's Happy Place", there's also a phonograph playing a recorded message.
[Dodoking: "Evil red girl, you've finally come. I've waited so, so long—it's been terribly boring!"]
["To dare face me, the ruler of the Dodoco tribe—Dodoking—you are truly brave!"]
["Though bravery is admirable, it's meaningless now… because…"]
["Because Dodoking is me—your mommy, Alice!"]
That's right—there was never any "Dodoking". This was all just a mother's gift for her child.
To make it happen, she even gathered all of her daughter's friends to celebrate and have fun together.
Readers are stunned—Klee's mother is the legendary "Great Adventurer" Alice? Truly, "a tiger doesn't produce a dog of a cub."
Come to think of it, Mona's story previously mentioned that Mona's master and Klee's "master" were "mortal enemies."
Seems Mona's master is also a formidable figure.
This little girl really lives up to being "Mondstadt's Strongest"—just what kind of monsters surround her...?
[Alice: "My Klee loves playing with all sorts of little toys, and as her mother, I naturally support that."]
Everyone's read Klee's stories—are these "little toys" the kind that one-shot Abyss Mages?
["My wish is simple—for Klee to grow up with curiosity and kindness in her heart. If she wants to, she can do anything, go anywhere."]
With these words, Klee essentially receives a "free-pass travel permit" akin to Tang Sanzang's—"If they won't let you through, I'll go through them myself."
Klee just blows up mountains, forests, and oceans.
Alice is the culprit who turned Stormterror's Lair into ruins—the kind of person even Rex Lapis personally "supervised" when she visited Liyue.
The difference in scale is obvious.
["Klee, you were born in summer—a gift from the sea and wind to Mommy. I'm so grateful for your birth, and I wanted to give you something in return."]
["So Mommy set up this island, turned ancient ruins into a summer playground, and invited you here as 'Dodoking.'"]
["Mommy wanted you to experience the wonderful things in stories, so I give you the azure sea, pearl-white sand, a magical paradise…"]
["...and all the people who love you."]
["Klee, Mommy will always love you—but besides Mommy, there are so many others by your side."]
["Friends who accompany you, teachers who guide you, and even those who stayed on this island for you despite knowing something was off."]
["Wherever you go from now on, never forget—there are so many people in this world who love you."]
Mommy loves Klee, and Klee loves Mommy.
Whether it's the mommy who blew up Mondstadt's gates or the mommy who grounds her, she loves them all—because…
["Klee loves Mommy the most most most!"]
Readers are deeply satisfied, feeling like the "rigor mortis" life gave them has lightly faded.
This—this is what we need. Shikikan, write more stories like this. The lethality of your previous works was a bit too high.
Little do they know—the upcoming Inazuma arc will make their "rigor mortis" come back with a vengeance.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice – Albedo: About Summer? Islands? A Grand Adventure!
"This was Aunt Alice's gift for Klee, so even though I guessed the truth early, I didn't spoil the surprise. I'm glad Klee loved it."