Klee's words didn't evoke much feeling in Durandal. She understood that Klee didn't comprehend the meaning of her question.
The reason she gave such an answer was simply that she had seen too little, had not personally witnessed the tragedies she had caused, and thus could say such things.
However, Durandal was already very happy that she could give such an answer. This was probably the most Klee could do.
"You don't understand the meaning of the question, elf. Evil isn't judged by appearance. Even if someone looks like a good person, they might actually be a great villain. You cannot judge a person's good or evil by their surface."
"Sister Durandal is right, Klee really can't figure it out. Sister Durandal's question is too complicated for Klee."
Klee hung her head, like a student being quizzed by a teacher, but she quickly realized she shouldn't speak to Durandal with such an expression and immediately perked up.
"It's precisely because I don't understand that I need to find out. If you don't give Klee a chance, how will Klee know if Sister Durandal is evil or not?"
"Find out? You want to see me take countless lives with your own eyes?"
"It's not like that at all! Mama said that to judge if someone is good or bad, you shouldn't listen to others, but judge for yourself. Acting Grand Master Jean also told Klee that a person's power isn't the standard for judging evil; the true way to judge is by the person who uses it."
Klee stepped forward and grabbed Durandal's hand, saying, "Sister Durandal has always stayed here, and it's very beautiful here. Klee loves this place. Sister Durandal has raised so many flowers and is loved by so many animals. Klee doesn't believe that such a Sister Durandal is a bad person."
"..."
"So... so... Klee doesn't think Sister Durandal is evil! Sister Durandal is a good person! That's what Klee believes."
Klee blurted out all her words at once. This was the conclusion she had reached after an entire night, and also her most genuine thought.
Durandal didn't answer. She gazed at Klee, and in her mind, she saw the time when she first arrived in the demon realm. Although many years had passed, she still clearly remembered the scene when the residents of the demon realm saw her.
Fear, despair, fright, terror. Among them were Children. Regardless of their race, their gazes towards her were all the same.
But she saw no such gaze in Klee's eyes. Instead, Klee looked at her expectantly, as if hoping for something.
What did she want her to agree to? Did she want her to fulfill some wish? Or was she hoping for her to grant her power?
Or... was she hoping that she would accept her words? Believe that she truly thought she wasn't evil?
"Strange elf, avoiding danger is an animal's instinct, so why do you instinctively come closer? Or is it because I've suppressed my aura, causing you not to fear me?"
Speaking of which, to avoid scaring the animals living here, she usually completely suppressed her aura. Could the reason Klee wasn't afraid be because of this?
Thinking of this, Durandal gradually released her aura. This was the terrifying aura of Durandal, the black plague. No matter how strong an expert, upon feeling this aura, they would become alert.
Durandal's aura was so terrifying; just a little bit was enough to scare away the surrounding small animals, making them scatter and flee.
Klee was also startled by this aura, but she didn't run away. She stubbornly stood her ground, looking at Durandal, conveying her determination through her eyes.
After more than a minute, Durandal retracted her aura and let out a soft sigh.
"You... are the most troublesome elf I've ever met. Why do you insist on coming closer? We haven't even met many times, have we?"
Why be so concerned about someone you've only just met once? If she simply ignored her and left this place, her life could return to normal; her appearance wouldn't disrupt anything.
Under normal circumstances, isn't that what a normal person would do? Why did she choose this abnormal approach?
"Because Klee wants to be friends with Sister Durandal and wants to play with Sister Durandal. Hehehe~ Will you be my friend, Sister Durandal?"
"...How interesting. To want to be friends with an Apostle. Should I call you naive? Or reckless?"
Rubbing Klee's hat, Durandal slightly curved her lips and said, "Since you've made up your mind, then be prepared to face calamity. In the future, you might suffer pain because of me, and the reason for your suffering will be because you approached me."
"Hehehe~ I believe Sister Durandal definitely won't let Klee get hurt, right?"
"Why do you say that? To me, you're just a completely unfamiliar elf. You have nothing to do with me, so why should I protect you?"
"Because Sister Durandal is very gentle."
Does this Children even understand what she's saying?
Durandal sighed inwardly, feeling that it was very difficult to establish effective communication with her. To make her understand what she wanted to express would probably take a lot of effort.
However... this warmth, it's really nice.
Klee's unconditional trust made Durandal scoff. If such a person went to the demon realm, they would definitely be deceived by the people there in various ways, and eventually be abandoned after their value was squeezed dry.
But this unconditional trust also made her very fond of it, especially for an existence like her who hadn't received much trust. After experiencing such trust, she couldn't help but want to reciprocate it.
"I... am not gentle at all."
"Hehehe~"
To Durandal's answer, Klee only responded with a smile. She understood that Durandal's reaction was a bit like Eula; it was better not to point things out too clearly and just go along with her words.
Lisa... cough! Cough! Sister said that Sister Eula isn't a bad person. Don't look at her usually cold demeanor; she's just like that. You just need to ignore her threatening words.
"Then, can Sister Durandal go out and play with Klee now? Yesterday, Klee didn't even eat any grilled fish, and she's been thinking about it constantly. Today, she must achieve this goal."
"...Do you really like grilled fish that much?"
"Mm! grilled fish is my favorite."
How dazzling, that smile. Durandal increasingly didn't want to destroy that smile. She... wanted to protect that smile.
——————
Starfell Lake, an agile figure was swiftly moving across the grassland.
She is the Reconnaissance Knight of Mondstadt, Amber, currently on a reconnaissance mission to find a nearby Hilichurl base.
She was also looking for Klee's whereabouts. When she left, she heard the guards say that Klee had left Mondstadt and, if nothing unexpected happened, should have headed towards Starfell Lake.
Oh dear~ Is that Children going to blow up fish like before? Will she be too reckless and set the nearby forest on fire?
Amber got a headache just thinking about Klee's past 'achievements'.
She admitted that Klee was a good Children, and all the Knights of Favonius members liked her, but when she got rambunctious, she would cause trouble, and very big trouble at that.
Last time, she set a forest on fire. Fortunately, it was dealt with quickly, otherwise, it would have caused a huge forest fire.
The agile Amber seemed to have endless energy, observing her surroundings with her Wind Glider from above, searching for Klee's traces while looking for Hilichurl camps.
"Found it!"
Soon, Amber found a bonfire, and next to it, she spotted the little girl in a red coat.
She quickly flew in that direction, and as she got closer, she noticed there was also a girl in black next to Klee.
At this moment, Klee was leaning on the girl's shoulder, seemingly tired from playing, resting her head on her shoulder.
Amber landed a short distance away, and just as she was about to greet them, the girl's gaze stunned Amber speechless.
She seemed to be warning her not to speak if she didn't want anything bad to happen.
Amber nervously swallowed. This girl was terrifying. She looked younger than Amber, but the aura she exuded was no joke.
Although nervous, she still needed to explain the situation, otherwise, a misunderstanding would be troublesome.
"I am Amber, the Reconnaissance Knight of the Knights of Favonius."
Amber introduced herself softly: "I'm Klee's friend. I came to find her because I was worried about Klee's... safety. She hasn't caused you any trouble, has she?"
Amber observed the girl carefully. Among the people she knew, there was no one with such a terrifying aura. Who was she? Was she from another city?
Her clothes were so beautiful, but wouldn't such clothes hinder her movement? What if she encountered Hilichurls in the wild and couldn't even run fast?
The girl didn't answer Amber's question. She pointed to the bonfire in front of them, where several grilled fish and fish bones on the ground could be seen, clearly indicating they had just finished eating.
Sure enough... she came here to blow up fish again and grill them. If Acting Grand Master Jean found out, she'd probably be grounded again.
"Uh... haha~ I have some other things to attend to. I'll leave Klee in your care, kind person."
How awkward! Amber didn't know what to say and felt that staying longer would be useless, so she simply entrusted Klee to her temporary care.
She wasn't worried about Klee's safety; she was a Vision holder. Besides, the fact that this girl had earned Klee's trust meant she wasn't a bad person.
Amber trusted Klee's judgment. Klee had never made a mistake when it came to judging people.
Leaving these words, Amber turned and quickly left, leaving Klee and the girl sitting quietly on a Shitou.
The girl ignored the departing Amber, her gaze fixed on Klee, who was leaning on her shoulder.
Klee stirred slightly in her sleep, her head sliding from the girl's shoulder to Durandal's lap.
Feeling the touch on her lap, the girl's pupils flickered. She hesitated for a long time, then placed her hand on Klee's head, took off her hat, and gently stroked her beautiful hair.
At that moment, her eyes softened, an expression she had never shown before.