Following Albedo into the camp, Lydia could still smell the faint, mixed scent of alchemical reagents and charcoal fire.
Unlike in the game, a stove for warmth stood in the corner of the camp.
Firewood burned inside, its flickering flames casting dancing shadows on the walls.
The cluttered tabletop was strewn with a drawing board, test tubes, and several books.
Most striking was the pile of Star Silver Ore in the corner, gleaming with a cold luster in the firelight.
The moment Klee entered, she dashed straight to the stove and squatted beside it, rubbing her hands together.
"So warm! Big Brother Albedo, when are you going to teach me how to make a new Jumpy Dumpty?"
Albedo walked to the table, picked up a book with a yellowed cover, and smiled at Klee. "Right now."
Lydia had just been marveling at the presence of a stove.
In the game, Albedo's camp is so spartan. Why would the real one have such a thoughtful addition?
Then she heard Albedo say, "Right now," and nearly dropped the Holy Lyre der Himmel in her arms.
The Albedo in the game is so serious and proper.
How did he become the "Exclusive Coach to Mondstadt's Munitions Boss" here?
This is so OOC!
"You can't be serious, Teacher Albedo?" Lydia hurriedly took a step forward, her voice filled with disbelief. "Are you really going to teach Klee how to make a new bomb? Her current Jumpy Dumpties are already terrifying enough! If you add a 'new model' to the mix, will Mondstadt's fishing ponds even survive?"
Lydia secretly glanced at the yellowed book in Albedo's hands.
The cover bore no title and looked quite old.
It seems like such a serious-looking book, but is it really teaching 'How to Make More Powerful Bombs'?
Albedo looked up at Lydia, a hint of resignation in his eyes. "I'm teaching An Introduction to the Precise Control of Elemental Power Output and Quantity, not 'New Bomb Crafting'."
"An... An Introduction to what now?" Lydia stared blankly, completely bewildered.
"Simply put," he explained, "it's about teaching Klee how to better control her Pyro power."
He opened the book and pointed to a page. "Klee's control over her power is still imprecise. The so-called 'new bomb' is essentially a way for her to learn how to manage the blast radius and intensity, preventing her from blowing up the entire lake the next time she goes blast fishing. In a way, this is also about protecting Mondstadt's environment."
Lydia listened, completely dumbfounded. Her internal complaints, far from diminishing, only grew stronger.
Wait a minute... that doesn't save the fishing ponds at all!
For Klee, isn't this just like turning a single feast into a daily banquet?
Seriously? That's his explanation?
This "proper teaching" excuse is so convoluted, anyone would get tangled up in it!
Lydia watched as Klee eagerly leaned over the table, her eyes sparkling as she stared at the book.
Lydia couldn't help but want to facepalm.
Looks like Mondstadt will soon have a Klee who practices "scientific blast fishing."
Klee, oblivious to Lydia's inner turmoil, tugged on her sleeve and exclaimed excitedly, "Lydia-oneechan, look! Albedo-gege says this way, I won't hurt the baby fish when I go blast fishing!"
Lydia looked at Klee's innocent eyes, then at Albedo, who was earnestly explaining the "Blast Radius Calculation Formula."
Suddenly, she felt... she really didn't know the Genshin Impact characters well enough.
Lydia sat quietly beside Klee, and after a few minutes of listening, both of them were completely lost.
Skipping past all the boring theoretical knowledge... what on earth is he even talking about?
Seeing their confusion, Albedo switched to a simpler teaching method.
He put down the book, picked up a piece of firewood, and gestured with it near the fireplace. "For example, when you use a Jumpy Dumpty, your Pyro power is like the flame on this wood. If it burns too fiercely, the explosion will be too scattered. If it burns too weakly, it won't have enough power. What we need to do is make the flame burn exactly where it's supposed to, without wasting elemental power or accidentally hurting our allies."
Klee's eyes instantly lit up, and she clapped her little hands. "I get it! It means the bombs will only blow up the bad guys, not the fish or houses!"
But you're still not sparing the fish... Lydia silently added in her mind.
"Yes, that's more or less the idea," Albedo nodded, pulling a sheet of calculation paper from a drawer. "We'll start with the basics today and combine it with practical application tomorrow."
Lydia rested her chin on the table, watching Albedo patiently explain the concepts to Klee. He would occasionally conjure a small burst of elemental power to demonstrate how to control its intensity.
Klee listened with rapt attention, nodding her little head from time to time. Whenever she didn't understand something, she would raise her hand to ask a question.
The once-quiet camp gradually grew lively, and even the crackling of the firewood seemed especially warm and comforting.
After watching for a while, Lydia felt she wasn't needed, so she took the Holy Lyre der Himmel and sat on a cushion in the corner.
"Big Sister Lydia! Look at my new Jumpy Dumpty design!" Klee suddenly ran over, holding up the drawing and presenting it to her like a treasure. "Now my Jumpy Dumpties can blow up even more Hilichurls!"
Lydia smiled and ruffled her hair. "Klee, you're so smart! You learned so quickly."
The two of them huddled over the drawing for a while longer, only reluctantly stopping when Albedo reminded them, "It's time for bed."
Albedo had prepared everything thoughtfully; the resting area in the camp was laid with clean wool blankets.
Klee fell asleep almost as soon as her head touched the pillow, a smile still lingering on her small face.
Lydia lay beside her, listening to Klee's even breathing and the faint sounds of Albedo tidying up. Gradually, she closed her eyes as well.
In the outer area, Albedo finally finished clearing the table.
He looked toward the inner chamber, a faint smile touching his lips.
Having spent years on Dragonspine, he had long grown accustomed to solitude. The camp was always silent, with only the wind and the crackling firewood for company.
But today was different. Today, there was the sound of Klee and Lydia's laughter.
This "noisy" atmosphere stirred a long-forgotten warmth in his heart.
He recalled the image of Klee pulling Lydia's hand, her face beaming with a brilliant smile, and couldn't help but shake his head.
Klee was so lively. Having a friend like Lydia, who was willing to join her in her wild antics, could be either a blessing or a curse.
He picked up the drawing board from the table, his charcoal pencil lightly sketching the sleeping figures of the two girls in the inner chamber.
But before he could complete the final stroke, his fingertips suddenly froze.
A faint, unfamiliar scent—one that didn't belong to Dragonspine—drifted in.
He set down the unfinished drawing and gazed out at the swirling snow.
The mountain was eerily silent in the night, broken only by the soft shush of snowflakes landing on the ground.
Yet Albedo could clearly sense an ominous presence fluctuating in the air.
"Something's wrong," Albedo murmured under his breath.
There had been too many anomalies in recent days.
Durin's cell samples had shown a significant increase in activity, and he had occasionally discovered bizarre monster remains in the snow.
The wounds on the corpses weren't inflicted by blades but were instead directly devoured by some kind of energy, leaving even the bones glowing with a faint black light.
All these anomalies pointed to a single conclusion: an external "something" had invaded Dragonspine.
These entities remained deeply hidden, yet they inadvertently left clues behind.
It felt like they were probing, or perhaps waiting for the right moment.
And their target was likely related to Durin—or even to Albedo himself.
Albedo turned to look toward the inner chamber, where the even breathing of Lydia and Klee could be heard.
Tomorrow, he still had to take them to gather the materials needed to repair the Holy Lyre der Himmel.
Considering Lydia's lack of a Vision and Klee's childlike nature...
He could only hope that these "uninvited guests" lurking deep within Dragonspine wouldn't cause trouble.
Albedo sighed softly and picked up his drawing board again.