Shen Qin immediately grabbed Baron Bunny Mark II and hurled it as far as possible. At the same time, he dived and shielded Klee beneath him.
The expected explosion didn't occur. When Shen Qin turned to look, he saw that the surface of the doll was coated in frost, and its internal components had ceased functioning due to the extreme cold.
"Klee, you almost caused trouble again," Kaeya said, standing at the entrance of the alchemy workshop with an exasperated expression. The glow from the Vision at his waist slowly faded.
Noticing Shen Qin's gaze, Kaeya raised a hand in greeting and smiled with narrowed eyes. "Oh, dear guest, we meet again. I told you, didn't I? We'd be seeing each other often!"
Shen Qin helped Klee up from the ground. The little girl, realizing she had nearly caused a disaster, hung her head and remained silent.
Turning to Kaeya, Shen Qin expressed his gratitude. "Regardless, thank you for your help this time."
"Oh? I thought you'd question why I'm here," Kaeya replied with a smirk. "If you did, I'd simply answer: the Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius, while conducting a routine patrol, noticed a suspicious young man leading a little girl into a restricted area of the Knights' domain. Upon investigation, it turned out they were guests from Liyue and the Knights' very own Spark Knight."
And there it was—the signature Kaeya sarcasm.
Shen Qin shrugged nonchalantly. "We both know what's going on. Let's skip the rhetorical pretense."
"Heh." Kaeya chuckled lightly. "Still, your actions surprised me. If I were to grade you, it wouldn't be a failing score."
Klee glanced back and forth between the two, blinking in confusion. She couldn't understand what Brother Kaeya and Big Brother Traveler were talking about.
Kaeya didn't linger long. He left with an entire box full of explosives that Klee had secretly stashed in the alchemy workshop.
Why? Well, every month, Jean would send someone to search Klee's workshop for hidden explosives. This time, Kaeya had stumbled upon them by chance and decided to handle the task in advance.
As for what would happen to those explosives… perhaps they'd find a new home in the Knights' armory?
Seeing Kaeya left, Shen Qin returned to his alchemy workshop carrying a large pile of materials, while Klee stayed in her own workshop. There was no need to guess —she was undoubtedly planning to make a new batch of bombs.
After all, without bombs at her side, Klee always felt uneasy.
"Now, all I need is some Electro Crystals and I'm good to go."
Shen Qin headed back to the Adventurers' Guild.
Electro Crystals are a rare and highly specialized alchemical material with limited uses. They're scarce in the wild, so obtaining them typically requires issuing a temporary commission through the Adventurers' Guild.
As for how he'd pay the commission reward… he could only temporarily borrow some Mora from Klee!
And speaking of the devil, as soon as Shen Qin arrived at the Adventurers' Guild, he ran into Kaeya again!
"Ah, Shen Qin!" Kaeya waved his hand repeatedly, an amused smile on his face as he looked at the speechless Shen Qin. "Apologies, apologies. This time, it's really just a coincidence." (T/N - For real, for real?)
So, the previous two encounters weren't coincidences?
Hearing the conversation between him and Katheryne, Kaeya curiously asked, "Oh, you need Electro Crystals? Those aren't easy to find. Adventurers usually take two or three days to find them —if they're lucky enough to stumble around them, of course."
"That troublesome?" Shen Qin frowned.
Electro Crystals were the energy source for the hoverboard he was designing. All other components revolved around it, if there's no electro crystal, he can't even make it!
"Are you in a hurry to use them?" Kaeya asked, noticing Shen Qin's reaction.
Shen Qin answered honestly, "Very much so. I'd prefer to have them right now, if possible."
"I see…" Kaeya stroked his chin, pondering for a few seconds before a mischievous smile appeared on his face. "I know someone who might have Electro Crystals. Want me to take you to meet her?"
Shen Qin's gaze grew skeptical. Why would someone who always seemed to be giving him a hard time suddenly offer to help?
"Don't give me that doubtful look. Worried about ulterior motives? You're overthinking. I'm a Knight of Favonius, after all. It's our duty to assist guests like you. Besides, you proved yourself earlier today," Kaeya said with a chuckle.
After hesitating briefly, Shen Qin agreed to follow him.
"Oh, by the way," Kaeya added, "her temper isn't great, and she's rather eccentric. Try not to say too much. If you offend her, both of us are doomed."
That person… No, it couldn't be…
A sense of foreboding rose within Shen Qin.
When Kaeya brought him to the library of the Knights of Favonius, Shen Qin buried his face in his hands in frustration. As expected…
The purple-themed sorceress was lounging lazily in a recliner. Her revealing robes clung to her skin, highlighting her alluring curves. A book floated in front of her, turning pages on its own with the aid of elemental energy, requiring no effort from her hands.
Lisa noticed the two heading straight for her. She glanced at them but made no effort to get up. "Oh, it's Kaeya and an unfamiliar little guest. What brings you two here?"
Haha, I'm in danger.
"Lisa, this alchemist here needs Electro Crystals. I thought you might have some, so I brought him along," Kaeya explained.
"Oh? So you're the new alchemist?" Lisa closed her book and approached Shen Qin, leaning in close to examine his eyes.
Their noses were less than ten centimeters apart. Shen Qin could feel her breath and the faint fragrance she carried. Even worse, her low-cut outfit and leaning posture…
Shen Qin shut his eyes and took a step back, already sensing the faint electric currents in the air. If he made any inappropriate moves, he'd likely be carried out of the library horizontally in the next moment.
"Such a good boy," Lisa said with a soft laugh, covering her mouth. She straightened up and added, "You can have the Electro Crystals for free, but you'll need to do me a little favor."
Hearing her voice come from a safer distance, Shen Qin opened his eyes and asked, "What favor?"
"Ah, you see, being a librarian isn't as leisurely as I thought. There's so much to do —recording transactions and returns, reshelving the books misplaced by visitors, and even chasing after those who don't return books on time. Sometimes, I feel like quitting."
Kaeya laughed. "Compared to the rest of us in the Knights, you have it easy. At least you don't have to venture outside the city."
"Perhaps a bit of adventure would spice up life," Lisa sighed, turning to Shen Qin. "That's the deal. If you can help out in the library for a few days and give me some proper rest, the Electro Crystals are yours."
『 Temporary Task Detected ― Design a Library Management System for Lisa
『 Unlocked Branch ― Library Terminal Blueprint, Automaton Principles, Teyvat Coding Language 』
『 Upon Completion ― 1 Random Blueprint Draw Opportunity 』
As the system prompts appeared, Shen Qin processed the surge of knowledge in his mind while, to Kaeya and Lisa, he appeared to be staring blankly into space.
"Hey, little guest, snap out of it. Are you dazzled by me?" Lisa teased.
Shen Qin regained his composure and, with excitement, said to Lisa, "Miss Lisa, I accept this task. I can design a library management system for you. It'll handle loans, returns, and book organization automatically—you won't even have to lift a finger."
"Library management system? What's that?" Lisa asked with interest.
Kaeya was intrigued as well and decided to stay and listen.
Shen Qin explained, "Well, This system will catalog all the books in the library. Borrowers can use the terminal to register transactions and return it themselves. In your case, you'll only need to supervise."
"If books need sortation, the system will already know their correct locations. It can return them automatically, and you'll only need to operate it through the terminal's screen!"
"Interesting! Your system and terminal sound similar to Sumeru Akameiya's Akasha Terminals… Am I right?" Lisa remarked, her sharp intellect quickly drawing the connection.
"There are some differences, but it's quite similar." Shen Qin confirmed.
Lisa pressed further. "And how does the system manage physical books? Would it use elemental energy?"
Shen Qin pondered for a moment. "Maybe I could design something… like mechanical floating spirits. They'd connect to the system and handle physical tasks."
"Brilliant idea!" Lisa clapped lightly, visibly impressed. Even Kaeya, though unable to grasp the specifics, was struck by the concept's potential.
Imagining this system applied to the Knights' operations, Kaeya thought, Wouldn't that lighten everyone's workload immensely?
Shen Qin added, "If given enough time, I could even develop personal terminals like the Akasha. Then, everyone could read books anywhere without visiting the library. But creating a network akin to the Akasha to connect them all would be extremely challenging."
"Are you sure you're not a reclusive prodigy trained by the sages of Sumeru?" Lisa said, marveling at his ideas.
In Sumeru, countless people utilized the Akasha to gain knowledge, yet no one had thought to replicate it.
"Shen Qin, if you truly develop this library management system, the Knights of Favonius will fully support you," Kaeya said with newfound seriousness.
"Then… please hand over the Electro Crystals first." Shen Qin replied with a grin.
With Kaeya's promise and the Electro Crystals in hand, Shen Qin returned to his alchemy workshop, excited to create a prototype of the library management system within three days.
After his departure, Kaeya and Lisa discussed something in secret. When evaluating Shen Qin, Lisa remarked with a smile, "I can sense some mysteries about him, but he's still a good child and a genius alchemist."