"It's been quite a fun day."
Leon playfully tapped Klee's arm with his finger.
Night had already fallen after a long day of games and explosions. Though Klee was a bundle of endless energy, she was still a child. At that moment, she was fast asleep in Leon's arms, her breathing soft and rhythmic.
Clutched tightly in her tiny hands was a doll — and her adorable little face brushed unconsciously against Leon's chest, smiling in contentment as if she were having the sweetest dream imaginable.
As for what lay behind them…
It was nothing short of devastation.
What used to be a peaceful lake was now a crater of murky water and smoke. The fish weren't the only casualties — Leon's latest high-yield explosive had practically erased the entire lake from existence.
Leon sighed. "Well… I guess that unlocks the hidden achievement: Master of Terrain Destruction."
He chuckled to himself and muttered, "I'll have to talk to Jean about this later. From now on, I'll let Klee use her talents freely for bomb research and crafting."
Of course, he also knew he'd have to take full responsibility — making sure Klee had the best possible life, the best education, and the joy of smiling every single day.
"But according to Klee, her mother Alice is also a bomb maniac… Hmm, maybe I should try to contact her someday."
The thought of what kind of woman could give birth to someone as cute and explosive as Klee genuinely intrigued him.
"Huh? What's this…"
Leon stopped mid-step.
On the road back to Mondstadt, he stumbled upon a grisly scene — a pile of monster corpses. There were about thirty of them, probably remnants of the beast tide from earlier that day.
All dead.
Judging by the sword wounds carved deep into their flesh, they'd all been slain by a blade.
"Whoever did this is strong," Leon muttered, crouching to inspect one of the bodies. "Most of these are Class C beasts, with a few Class Bs mixed in. That's no small feat for an ordinary person."
If it had been the Knights of Favonius, they'd have needed at least fifty people to pull this off — and even then, there might have been casualties.
"It seems whoever fought them was a close-combat specialist. Otherwise, even a greatsword wouldn't have been able to slice through hides this thick."
But something else caught his attention.
Among the violet monster blood splattered across the ground, there was also a significant amount of red — unmistakably human blood.
Whoever fought here had bled a lot.
And there, scattered across the ground, were several strands of icy-blue hair.
Leon narrowed his eyes.
In his previous life, he had studied numerous books on profiling and detective work. Thanks to his "Absolute Genius" intellect, he'd quickly mastered those skills and made them his own.
The battlefield had left behind plenty of traces — more than enough for Leon to reconstruct the fight.
"The footprints are from high-heeled boots… so the combatant is a woman. And although this area isn't far from Mondstadt, the tracks show she deliberately lured the monsters away from the city."
"She wanted to relieve some of the pressure on Mondstadt. Even though she only drew about thirty beasts — barely a drop in the ocean compared to the tens of thousands earlier — that kind of courage deserves recognition."
"She's probably still alive. Judging by the blood loss and the way the footprints stagger, she was badly injured but managed to kill them all…"
Leon's gaze followed the trail.
Every few steps, the ground was slightly indented beside the footprints — marks from a sword being used as a crutch. The warrior was forcing herself to keep walking, step by step, back toward Mondstadt.
"…Whoever you are, you're a hero," Leon murmured with genuine admiration.
Realistically, her actions hadn't made much of a difference. Mondstadt had never truly been in danger — the tens of thousands of beasts were wiped out easily by Leon himself. Thirty more, even B-level ones, wouldn't have changed a thing.
But that didn't matter.
"Impressive. If I ever find out who did this, I'll make sure she's rewarded properly."
He opened his hand, letting the few strands of blue hair slip through his fingers and drift away in the night wind. There was deep respect in his eyes — respect for a warrior who had fought selflessly despite overwhelming odds.
True heroes, he thought, aren't defined by the scale of their deeds, but by their courage in the face of crisis.
Just like the soldiers who stand firm to defend their homeland — even if they fall without striking a single fatal blow, as long as they stand, they are worthy of the title hero.
"I'll ask Jean to help me find whoever did this later."
"Mmm~~"
Klee stirred in his arms, furrowing her brow and curling up closer.
"Well," Leon said softly, "I really shouldn't linger here."
The air was thick with the scent of blood. With a flick of his hand, Leon conjured a gust of Anemo energy to disperse it, then continued his walk back to Mondstadt, carrying the sleeping Klee.
–––
In Mondstadt.
Jean and Barbara were already awake. As expected, Jean had immediately gone back to work.
Leon could only sigh. "I've never met a girl so addicted to her job…"
He smirked faintly. "Guess I was too gentle last time. Next time, Jean, I'll show you what I really mean — and make sure you stay in bed for three days straight."
Then, with a more serious tone, he explained everything that had happened with Klee.
The Lionheart of Mondstadt listened carefully and, after a moment's thought, nodded. She fully trusted that Leon would take good care of Klee.
After all, she had long hoped for someone to share the responsibility of looking after the little troublemaker.
"I'll inform Miss Alice about this later," Jean said. "In the meantime, please take good care of Klee, Your Highness."
"No problem," Leon replied with a grin. "She's a lot of fun to be around — makes me almost want to have a kid of my own."
Jean blushed instantly but tried to keep her composure, coughing lightly before replying, "That's… good to hear. But please, be careful."
Leon chuckled. "Don't worry. Klee's bombs can't hurt me. Oh, and when her mother gets back, make sure to introduce us — I've got a lot to discuss with that Alice about explosive research."
He'd heard stories that Klee's mother was an adventurer even more remarkable than Lumine — a woman whose name was whispered in legends across Teyvat.
"All right," Jean said. "When Miss Alice returns to Mondstadt, I'll arrange a meeting. I think the two of you will get along quite well."
"Really? Then she must be quite the eccentric," Leon laughed. "Sounds like fun."
He knew exactly what kind of man he was — eccentric, unpredictable, and unapologetically himself.
And if Jean thought Alice would "get along" with someone like him, then there was no doubt — she was definitely not normal.
(End of Chapter)