After breakfast, I paid Sara for letting me stay in her room. She said it wasn't necessary, but I insisted. It was the least I could do after she let me stay with her. Besides, it was a great way to test out Lisa’s pouch. It might as well be bottomless.

After dinner, I walked around town with Paimon and Lumine. 

“Paimon, don't you have something to ask Fabi?” Lumine asked. 

“Ask me what?” I asked.

“Oh, oh, nothing.” Paimon said, “Except… Paimon was wondering if she could join you on your adventure.”

I stopped in my tracks, “Wait, what? Why?”

“The idea of going to so many different worlds is exciting. With all the magic we have, that's something we haven’t figured out yet.”

“You already do that here, don't you? I already explained there's so much to do here.”

“Well, yeah, but all our adventures are in the same world. Paimon wants to see other worlds with different adventures, too.”

I was touched that Paimon wanted to join me on this crazy journey, but it felt wrong to pluck someone out of their world. “But… but doesn't Lumine need you here? You're her guide.”

“Don't worry about me.” Lumine said, “I'll be fine. I have missions to keep me busy. Besides, I don't want to lose any chance to find my brother.”

I looked at Lumine and then at Paimon. She really wants to come with me. Paimon isn't really capable of getting into trouble, so maybe this will be fine. It'd be nice to not be alone during all this. I smiled and hugged Paimon, “Ok, you can come. But I'm gonna keep an eye on you.”

“Thank you so much, Fabi!” Paimon said, “Paimon will do her best to be a great guide.” I almost started squealing. There’s the line.

We overheard the guy in front of the tavern talking to himself, “Shame I only get to listen in from the other side of the window and don’t get to join in the debate. I’d love to give my two cents…”

“Say what?” Paimon said, “What’s up, what’s up? Paimon wants in!” Ok, I guess we're talking to this random NPC now.

“Recently, all the customers at the tavern have been debating the exact same topic: ‘who is the strongest fighter in Mondstat?’” Patton explained. 

“The strongest fighter? Must be someone who can floor a whole gang of hilichurls with just one punch!”

“Pff! I do that for fun.” Lumine said.

“Then Paimon nominates you! But anyway, is there, like, a general agreement in the city on who it is, or…?”

“Hah. expecting people to come to a swift and straightforward consensus in the city of freedom is like expecting Fisherman’s Toast to drop out of the sky.” Patton said, “Everyone’s got their own opinion, backed up by a unique set of cherry-picked information, but let’s be honest, that’s what makes the discussion so impassioned and entertaining. Mainstream opinion is polarized, with most people supporting one of two candidates. One is the Dandelion Knight knight, the other is the Darknignt Hero.”

“Who the heck are those guys?” I asked.

“Paimon, Fabi, who are you voting for?” Lumine asked.

“Ooh! Ooh! Paimon votes for you!” Paimon said.

“Me too.” I said.

“But let’s go into the tavern and talk to the patrons, maybe we’ll pick up some juicy gossip.”

“Oh, I do envy your life of leisure, but don’t mind me, of course.” Patton said, “I guess I'll just get back to work.” 

“Maybe you should take a few days off.” I said as we went inside. 

We asked around for who everyone thought was the strongest fighter in Mondstat. Someone talked about a destructive little girl dressed in red. I already knew who they were talking about, but I wasn’t about to spoil anything. Some drunk guy said Jean. I’m pretty sure he was thirsting over her and I don’t blame him.

“Patton was right about one thing.” Paimon said, “Not just that, but some people’s choice of candidate was just plain weird.”

“You're telling me.” I said, “Not once did they mention you, Lumine.”

“I don't mind too much.” Lumine said.

“If everyone’s got their own opinion and can’t be persuaded, how are we ever gonna find out who mondstat’s strongest fighter is?” Paimon wondered, “Eureka! Paimon’s got it! Let’s go see what Jean says. Bet the knights have got an official ranking table for this kind of thing!”

“That's a good idea.” I said.

“What makes you so sure?” Lumine asked.

“Come on, let’s just go and ask already.” Paimon said, “We’ll never find out if we don’t! Guess it depends if they counted all your shenanigans or not. Don’t worry though, Paimon has full confidence in your abilities!”

…

By the time we got to Master Jean's office, it was already day time. Am I the only one who's noticed that the days here are literal minutes long?

“Oh, Master Jean!” Paimon said when we walked into the office, “Sorry to bother you, but we’re collecting intel on the strongest fighter in Mondstat. Do you have - uh, one of those… official Knights of Favonious- verified ranking table… thingies?”

“Strongest fighter in Mondstat?” Jean asked, “I am sorry, but I cannot help. I do not have any relevant documentation on that topic.”

“Oh… Well, that sucks. Paimon was hoping Lumine would at least make the top five.”

Jean chuckled, “Well, although I do not have the data to make such an assessment, I will say that my faith in our honorary knight’s abilities has never wavered.” I smiled and looked at Lumine proudly.

“Which reminds me. Recently, one of the Abyss Order’s Mages has been active near the city, although he is keeping a low profile. If you are staying around Mondstat, please be on the lookout for danger. Given your… well, high-ranking fighting strength, I hope you will be able to help keep the area safe.”

“Awesome!” Paimon said, “After she beats the Abyss Order, she’ll climb up that ranking table faster than she climbs up all those cliffs!”

“Paimon, there is no ranking table.” Lumine said. 

“Well, either way, smashing the Abyss Order to bits is the right thing to do.”

Jean laughed, “I like your enthusiasm. It is infectious. But be careful out there.”

“We will.” I said.

We left Jean’s office and into the hallway. A short girl wearing red, carrying a bunch of scrolls ran into Lumine, knocking them both to the ground.

“Oh, my god.” I helped Lumine up and we went to help the girl.

“Are you alright?” Paimon asked the girl.

The girl got up and I immediately recognized her. She was short, most likely a child. She had cream colored hair in pigtails with cow-like ears, for lack of a better term. She had a red and white dress, brown shoes, a red hat with a white feather, and a brown backpack. Klee, the newest character on my team. I've heard almost everyone talk about how adorable she is, which could not be more true.

“I-I’m fine!” Klee said, “I’m not hurt! Sorry for bumping into you.” 

“You dropped something.” Lumine said, holding out a notebook.

“Hey, look, there’s some writing on here.” Paimon said. She read what was written in the book, “‘Explosion inside city wall grounded be thy woe. Explosions can hurt people. Jean can be dreadful. Monstat be bombed, Klee be doomed’?”

“Yikes! Mr. Kaeya wrote these down for me, um… they’re um, survival rules.”

“Survival rules?”

“Kaeya?” I asked, “Is he around anywhere?” Paimon looked at me and I blushed.

“Y-yeah.” Klee said, “Rules that I must absolutely never break under any circumstances. Otherwise, something terrible would happen.”

“Kaeya writes like this?” Lumine asked.

“Yep! Ah, I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Klee.”

“My name is Lumine.” Lumine said.

“I'm Fabi.” I said.

“And Paimon’s name is… well, Paimon.”

“I’ve heard all about you guys!” Klee said, “You’re the Honorary Knight who helps Mondstat!”

“Wow!” Paimon said, “More recognition, yay! Paimon is so happy right now.”

“I heard it from Amber… but wait, no- there’s no time for this right now. I’m dealing with a big emergency. I grabbed my map and ran as fast as I could all the way here.”

“What emergency?” Lumine asked. 

Klee became sad, “Th-the treasure I buried in the whispering woods, its… gone.”

“Did you say… Buried treasure?” Paimon asked.

“A girl dressed in red… hm…” Lumine said. 

“And she has treasure! Seriously? Klee gets six-fingered Jose’s vote for strongest fighter in Mondstat? What is wrong with people?”

Sometimes in the game, Paimon and the player would have conversations that feel telepathic. I don't remember if they established that Paimon is a mind reader. 

“Lost treasure is a big deal, let us help you find it.” Paimon said out loud.

“Yay!” Klee said, “Thanks, you guys! Let me see… Here! Here’s where the map says the treasure should be. I put a circle around it. I also put a wooden sign in the ground at the place where I buried it. To make it easier to find!”

“Paimon is starting to understand how this treasure went missing so easily.” Paimon said in her head. How the frick can I hear her?

“Come on, Miss Honorary Knight, let’s go!”

…

We followed the map to where the treasure was in the forest, fighting the occasional slimes and hilichurls along the way. We saw a sign next to a big pile of rocks and a hole.

“Well, at least the treasure wasn't hard to find.” I said.

“We’re here!” Klee said, “This is the place! Look, this is where my huge treasure was buried.”

“And where there’s now a huge empty hole in the ground.” Paimon said.

“Wait, who’s that over there?” Lumine asked. We looked up and my throat closed up.

“It’s… an Abyss Mage!?” Paimon exclaimed, “Maybe he’s the one Jean was warning us about.”

“Aaahhh! I hate these guys!” I said.

The red, black and white monster had a small glowing hovering orb next to him that sort of looked like a bunny. 

“What’s that in his hand?”

“My treasure!” Klee exclaimed. 

“What?!”

“I see the little girls’ brought her friends with her!” The Mage said in a distorted voice, “Time for a change of plan.” The Mage hovered away.

“Hey, you!” Paimon said, “If you think you’re so tough, get back here and fight!”

“After him!” Lumine said. We sprinted after the Mage. My lungs were burning, but that didn't stop me. At least it was better than running laps in middle school.

“What’s an Abyss Mage?” Klee asked, “I play in the forest all the time, but I’ve never seen one before. They ran after the abyss mage. It looks so cute! Soft and fluffy. I wanna stroke it.”

“Bad idea, Klee.” I panted. Soon enough, we backed the Mage into a corner.

“Game’s up.” Paimon said, “Now hand it over!”

The Mage growled, “You fools think I would give this up so easily after what I have been through to acquire it? Hehe.” The Mage summoned fire slimes to slow us down. I think they're actually called Pyro or something, I don't remember.

“Careful, Klee, don’t be drawn in by it.” Paimon said as Lumine fought the slimes, “Abyss Mages are the bad guys.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Klee said, “Master Jean says that stealing is wrong.” After defeating all the slimes, we had the Mage backed into another corner.

“Freeze!”

“That girl’s lucky she didn't come alone, otherwise I’d… hmph.” The Mage summoned electric slimes. I think they're called Electro?

“Hmm… but if we could just get him to give it back…” Klee wondered. 

We chased the Mage further into the forest until we ran into an empty mountain side.

“No!” I said, “A dead end.”

“Where'd he go?” Paimon asked, ‘The Abyss Mage! He just… disappeared! What’s going on!”

We looked around, wondering what to do, when I found what looked like a torch, “Hey, guys, look at this.” 

Lumine looked at the torch thing, “It's a puzzle!”

“Of course. By the color and symbol, we need fire power.” I said.

“You mean Pyro?” Paimon asked.

“Uh, yeah.” I looked down, a little embarrassed. I sound so stupid. 

Somehow, Lumine turned into Amber, making me do a double take, “Wha…? How did you do that?!” 

“We don't really know.” Paimon said. 

Amber, or Lumine, I guess, lit the torch and with her bow before turning back into Lumine. After the torch was lit, a secret passage was revealed inside the mountain. 

“A gateway to a domain!” Paimon said, “The Abyss Mage must have snuck inside.”

“Then he has no way out.” Lumine said.

“Great!” I said, “Let's get in there and nab him then.”

Klee was panting, making us a little worried. It made me wonder how Klee got involved with the Knights of Favonious, anyway. She's just a kid, she shouldn't be in this line of work. 

“Klee, do you need a rest?” Paimon asked, “Why don’t you wait here while we get your treasure back for you?”

“No, I’m coming with you!” Klee said, “It’s my treasure that Mr. Fluffball stole, and it’s up to me to get it back!”

“But these domains can be dangerous.” Lumine said.

“Yeah, there are all kinds of monsters in there.” I said.

Klee giggled, “Don't worry. Klee is a big girl! Come on, miss honorary knight, let’s go!”

I smiled at Klee’s dedication. I mean, as long as this is something she wants to do, then who am I to judge?

We went into the domain. It was dark, cold, and looked like a ruined temple. 

“Ugh, this place is creepier than in the game.” I said, “Let's not be here longer than we need to, ok?”

“You got it, Fabi.” Paimon said.

We went down the halls, looking for the Mage. Domains are where the player would try out new characters, testing their skills and powers. I actually really like going through domain-like places because of the rewards. It also has a cool atmosphere, at least they do in the game. In person, it's scary.

In this case, the player would play as Klee. Klee’s skill was bombs and fire, or Pyro or whatever. She may be as cute as a button, but she’s quite deadly, in a not self-aware kind of way. And it showed as we fought all the monsters. It almost made her cuter.

After defeating the final monster, we found the Mage hovering menacingly above us. 

“Hmph.” The Mage said, “You followed me. I must say, I’m impressed. But this is as far as you will get.”

“Oh, yeah?” Paimon said, “What are you gonna do?”

The Mage laughed maniacally, “Oh, the human proclivity to gossip has provided us with everything we need. We learned that your little red friend has in her possession the most powerful treasure in all of mondstat. That treasure is now in my hands. There is nothing you can do! Now your precious treasure shall be your undoing!”

“No, no, wait!” Klee said, “D-Don’t touch it!”

“Oh, how you fret now your predicament is finally clear to you! Now, what have we here - a flame symbol?” I don't know how it happened, but the Mage exploded. 

My jaw dropped in shock. I put my hand over my mouth to not laugh. That was so random. 

“No!” Klee exclaimed, “I broke the survival rules… explosions can hurt people… Jean can be dreadful… This is it… This time i’m done for.”

“It's really nothing to worry about, Klee.” I said.

“Wait, so, Klee’s treasure is a bomb?” Paimon asked.

“That was epic.” Lumine said. 

“You can say that again.” I snickered. 

“No wonder Klee was rumored to be the strongest fighter in Mondstat.” Paimon said, “Paimon for one is never picking a fight with her. Ever.” We noticed that Klee wasn't with us anymore, “Hold on… why has she gone and run off?”

“Something to do with Jean.” Lumine said. 

“And the survival rules.” I added.

“Seems like it!” Paimon said, “Well, then. Let’s head to the knights’ headquarters and report to Jean.”

…

We went back to Mondstat and to the knights headquarters. When we got to Jean's office, Klee was already there, her head hung down in shame.

“Klee?” Paimon asked, “You’re here, too?”

“I… turned myself in.” Klee said, tearfully. 

“Huh?”

“I… m-my bomb… I hurt someone… I broke the rules… I'll never see the light of day again.”

“Let's not get too dramatic here.” I said, getting worried.

“Klee, I need you to answer me.” Jean said, “You said someone was injured. Where are they?”

“Wait!” Lumine said, “There’s been a misunderstanding.”

“Why is that?” Jean asked.

“The person that Klee blew up was an Abyss Mage.”

“I-It’s true.” I said.

“But… but Mr. Fluffball was only a thief… he didn’t deserve to blow up.” Klee sniffed.

“Hey, come on now… Paimon already told you that the Abyss Mages are the bad guys.” Paimon said, “And actually, they’re the worst kind of bad guys you can imagine. They don’t just hate the good guys, they hate all people. Their enemy is… humanity itself.”

“She's right.” I said, “Plus, they're super hard to defeat with their stupid shields.”

“Mr. Fluffball was a bad guy on purpose?” Klee asked, “Mr. Flufflball is the enemy of humanity? What? I don’t get it!”

“This was an oversight on my part.” Jean said, “I did not tell you these things before because you are still young. In fact, the Abyss Order is a hostile force in Mondstat which has been unusually active lately.”

“Because of Mondstat's most powerful treasure?” Lumine asked.

“Aha, that’s it!” Paimon exclaimed, “Paimon understands now! They were tracking down poor Klee because they heard rumors about the treasure! Just like the way Paimon’s first reaction was to try and get her hands on… ah, no- to try and get the facts on the treasure.”

“It’s ok to want money, Paimon.” I said, “Who doesn’t want treasure?” Paimon chuckled nervously.

“So… does that mean…?” Klee asked.

“In light of your contribution on this matter, I will allow you to take part in the next Ludi Harpastum.” Jean said. Wait, what’s Ludi Harpastum?

“Ludi Harpastum! Whoa!”

“You got very lucky.” Lumine said.

“Miss Honorary Knight, you’ve gotta come too!”

“Whoop-de-doo, it’s a happy ending!” Paimon cheered.

“Except…” Jean said.

“Except what?”

“Klee, where did you hide the treasure to begin with? Were you trying to blow up the fish in Starfell Lake again?”

“I’m sorry, what?” I said, “Blowing up fish? Again?” What kind of sick kicks does Klee get out of that?!

“I wasn’t! I swear I wasn’t!” Klee winked at us, basically telling us that she was.

“She’s giving us that look that means, play along.” Paimon said, telepathically.

“Uh-oh, Jean noticed it too.” Lumine thought. How am I hearing this conversation?

“Klee?” Jean sternly said.

“I’ll see myself to solitary confinement.” Klee ran out of the office, giving herself away.

“Paimon bets Klee must get bored in there all by herself.” Paimon said.

“Let’s go check on her.” I said. We left Jean’s office to visit Klee in solitary confinement. We stood outside the door.

“Guess who?” Paimon said.

“That’s Paimon’s voice I hear!” Klee said, from the other side of the door.

“Need a bite to eat or anything?” Lumine asked.

“Ooh, ooh, yes, please! Wait- no, i… I can't. Klee needs to be a good girl and think about what she did. Stop tempting me!”

“It's good that she’s taking her punishment seriously.” I said.

“Anyway, while I'm grounded, I'm making an extra special new treasure… the Ludi Harpastum version!” 

“Wait, what?”

“When you say treasure…?” Paimon asked.

“I made it into the shape of a Harpastum and everything.” Klee said, “It looks so cute.”

“So… another bomb.” Lumine said.

“Just wait for Ludi Harpastum. They’re gonna love it.”

“Yeesh, if Jean was listening to this, Klee might find herself grounded for an awful lot longer.” Paimon said.

“You’re telling me.” I said. I was about to leave when I felt the Mora Stone vibrating in my pocket, “Oh, no.”

“What is it, Fabi?” Paimon asked.

“I think… I think the Stone is opening a portal.” I said. Just as I thought, a light purple portal appeared in front of us. I was just as scared as the first time I saw it. The portal pulled me in immediately, lifting me off the ground. I noticed Paimon being pulled in too.

“Fabi!” Lumine said, grabbing on to me and Paimon. I gripped her hand tightly, terrified for my life.

Jean ran out of her office to see what the noise was about, “I’m guessing you’re on your way to the next world.” She said.

“I guess.” I said, “Guys, I’m scared!”

“Don’t worry, Fabi!” Lumine shouted, “I got scared in every world I went to! I promise it’s worth it!” 

“I hope you’re right!” I looked back at the portal, its pull getting stronger and stronger, “Tell everyone thank you! Thank you for the adventure!”

“You’re welcome!”

“Paimon will see you soon, Lumine!” Paimon said.

“Have an adventure!” 

“Good luck!” Jean called out.

The pull got too strong. Lumine let us go and Paimon and I got sucked into the portal, on to the next world. I wonder where we’ll go next.