"I remember he said everything would be arranged by tonight, and then he just vanished… Could something have gone wrong during the abduction?"
"That's impossible. Kurt has a Delusion— even ordinary Vision holders wouldn't stand a chance against him, let alone some random person without a Vision."
"No matter what, we'll need to find him and ask. The handler's business can't be delayed."
"Unfortunately, when he came back earlier, he was accompanied by two Vision holders— one of whom was a member of the Knights of Favonius. We'll wait until they leave before we approach him."
The three Fatui elites exchanged quick words and came to a decision.
Meanwhile—
In a quiet corner of Mondstadt, a newly rebuilt alchemy workshop stood silently under the night sky.
The faint scent of alchemical reagents still lingered in the air, and warm light spilled softly through the window. Occasionally, the bubbling of flasks could be heard, accompanied by subtle fluctuations of elemental energy.
Inside, Albedo sat at his desk, absorbed in an ancient tome, his gaze fixed and thoughtful.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from outside, followed by the distinct, rhythmic knock used only by Knights of Favonius.
Knock, knock!
Albedo raised an eyebrow, looking up from the page. "Come in."
The door opened, and a young knight in full uniform stepped in, face flushed with excitement and disbelief, clearly bearing urgent news.
After a salute, he steadied his voice.
"Master Albedo, Miss Katheryne from the Adventurers' Guild requests your presence for an evaluation. Someone has just brought back the complete corpse of a Whopperflower."
A complete Whopperflower corpse?!
"...Hm?"
The calm expression on Albedo's face shifted instantly. His pupils contracted sharply.
His fingers froze on the page, eyes widening in sheer astonishment.
"You said— a complete Whopperflower corpse?"
"Yes, sir!" The knight nodded, still visibly shaken. "According to Miss Katheryne, the body is nearly intact— even the Ice elemental traces on its surface haven't faded yet!"
Albedo fell silent, blue eyes glinting with intrigue.
Whopperflowers— notoriously difficult to capture intact.
As mimic-type plant monsters, their elemental composition destabilized rapidly upon serious injury, causing their bodies to disintegrate.
And an Cryo Whopperflower? That was an even rarer, higher-tier variant.
Almost no adventurer could slay one and bring the corpse back whole.
This wasn't just a valuable material— it was an unprecedented alchemical sample.
Even Vision holders often struggled against such creatures.
"Interesting…"
Albedo murmured, closing his book and rising without hesitation.
"I'll head to the Adventurers' Guild right now. Prepare to accompany me."
The knight straightened and saluted. "Yes, sir!"
Within moments, Albedo had gathered his gloves, notebook, and alchemy tools, then strode briskly into the night toward the guild.
The Adventurers' Guild hall was abuzz with voices when he arrived.
Adventurers crowded around the front desk, eyes wide as they stared at the intact corpse of the Cryo Whopperflower.
Even among seasoned fighters, the sight inspired disbelief.
How could anyone have brought back something like that?
Even a Pyro and Electro Vision holder working together shouldn't have been able to—
"Make way! Master Albedo has arrived!"
At once, all heads turned.
Golden hair cascading like sunlight, the young man in the white-and-gold uniform of the Knights of Favonius stepped gracefully into the hall.
It was none other than Mondstadt's Genius Alchemist— Albedo.
"Albedo's really here?!"
"He actually came in person— he must think this is serious."
"Then this Whopperflower corpse must be far more valuable than we thought…"
The chatter died away as all eyes fixed on him.
Ignoring the murmurs, Albedo went straight to the counter, gaze locking on the frozen corpse.
The air still shimmered faintly with cold— proof that it had been killed only hours ago.
Meaning: the fight happened today.
He turned to Katheryne, voice calm. "Let me take a look."
"Of course." Katheryne handed him the ledger with a gentle smile.
Albedo slipped on his gloves and leaned over the corpse, examining every detail.
The entire hall held its breath as the alchemist worked— waiting for his judgment.
How much was it worth? What secrets might it hold?
Everyone's attention was on him.
"If you need privacy," Katheryne added softly, "there's a back room prepared. It might be safer if the elemental residue reacts."
"Good idea," Albedo nodded.
He carried the corpse to the room behind the counter, closing the door behind him.
Inside, the alchemical instruments were already laid out.
Standing before the long table, Albedo placed one gloved hand on the Whopperflower's charred surface.
The body was almost blackened— burned by intense Pyro explosions.
The icy outer layer had been nearly vaporized, only shards of frost remaining.
And yet— faint traces of Ice energy still lingered.
This battle had been fierce— and whoever fought it used extremely concentrated Pyro power.
"...Hmm?"
Albedo's brow furrowed.
Something about the residue wasn't right.
It wasn't just burn marks— there was another kind of energy woven through the tissues.
A strange, destructive power.
He scraped off a bit of the blackened powder and placed it in a small vial.
At once, the reagent inside shimmered with violet-black ripples.
This wasn't normal Pyro Energy.
It was— something else.
Something ruinous.
Albedo's mind flashed— back to the explosion in his workshop yesterday.
That same burst of annihilating energy!
His expression hardened.
"How could it be here…?"
Yesterday, he'd accidentally triggered one of Klee's bombs while tinkering, which released that strange Destructive Aura and demolished the workshop.
And now— the same energy appeared again, but stronger.
Who caused this?
Who unleashed that power again?
His gaze snapped toward Katheryne. "Who brought this corpse in?"
She blinked, taken aback by his intensity.
"Mr. Kairo, an adventurer— he returned with Miss Klee and Miss Fischl. If you wish to know more, perhaps you should ask Klee directly. She's the one who brought the corpse."
"According to the report, Kairo, Fischl, and Klee discovered and hunted the Whopperflower together during today's expedition."
Albedo's eyes widened. "Klee?! Again?"
How could it be her?
She'd just been released from confinement yesterday— without her backpack.
Her bombs had been destroyed in his lab explosion!
She'd gone to Lisa to make new ones… and today she came back with a near-intact Whopperflower corpse, drenched in that same Destructive Aura?
That meant the bomb she made last night had been modified— or tainted with that strange energy again.
But how?
His thoughts turned sharply.
Kairo.
That name again.
Klee's new "friend."
A skilled adventurer— and a swordsman.
Could he have triggered that energy somehow?
No… more likely, something about him had interacted with it.
Was it possible he harbored some unknown power— one linked to the Abyss?
Albedo's mind raced.
Fischl could be excluded— the girl's Electro bird companion was strong, but she couldn't have done this.
Which left Kairo.
Katheryne's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"So, Master Albedo, shall we record your preliminary evaluation?"
Albedo exhaled slowly. "I'll need to conduct further study. The value— at least one million Mora, plus several alchemical reagents. But for a full assessment, I'll need time."
"Understood," Katheryne nodded and left to continue her duties.
Once alone, Albedo activated a Geo barrier around the corpse and stared silently at it.
That destructive energy…
It had appeared in Klee's bombs.
In the Whopperflower corpse.
And according to Eula's report, even the slain Fatui elite near Starfell Lake had similar traces.
The Abyss Order…
Could Klee's new friend somehow be connected to them?
His expression darkened.
Could Kairo secretly be one of the Abyss's chosen— hiding in plain sight within Mondstadt?
But that made no sense. The Abyss Order didn't recruit people like the Fatui did.
And Kairo was an ordinary adventurer, not even a Vision holder.
Unless… he possessed some hidden power.
Albedo's lips curved faintly.
"Looks like this Kairo… is someone worth meeting in person."
His gaze lingered on the corpse before him.
Every fragment might hold the key to that mysterious power.
He would find out what it was— and how it worked.
Could it be analyzed?
Could it be replicated?
Harnessed?
The possibilities stirred his mind like fire.
He began dissecting the Whopperflower with calm precision, already planning his next steps.
Once this was done—
He would speak to Klee.
And then, to Kairo himself.
Meanwhile—
Under the warm glow of Mondstadt's streetlamps, the smell of roasting meat filled the air.
The Good Hunter buzzed with life as usual.
Laughter, clinking glasses, and the sounds of busy servers created a cheerful din.
By the window sat three familiar figures— Kairo, Klee, and Fischl— feasting on a table piled high with roasted meat.
"Waaah! So tasty! Super tasty!"
Klee's eyes sparkled as she gnawed on a chunk of roast larger than her face, oil glistening on her cheeks.
Today had been perfect—
She blew up a Whopperflower, blew up some fish in the river— pure happiness!
"Today, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung has triumphed once again over the trials of fate!" declared Fischl proudly, carving her steak with theatrical flair.
Oz, sitting at a nearby table, added in a weary tone, "Her Ladyship means to say, she had a wonderful time."
Kairo chuckled, watching the two girls' satisfied faces.
"As long as you're happy, that's all that matters."
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