I opened a shop on the Astral Train-Chapter 16

Klee stood still, hands clasped behind her back, waiting for Jean's scolding.

Jean looked at the little girl and suddenly realized why Hook had seemed so familiar earlier.

It was Clara.

Jean saw traces of Clara's spirit in Hook.

Her instincts proved right when, one day, Klee and Hook—while innocently trying to cook fish—ended up blowing up a demon from Liyue.

But that was a story for another time.

For now, Jean sighed and turned her attention back to Klee.

"Klee, it's not that I don't want you to go out and play, but Mondstadt isn't safe these days. I'm afraid you'll run into danger."

Klee lowered her head, kicking at the floor.

"Klee understands, Captain Jean..."

Yuri glanced at Hook, who stood beside him, watching Klee with curiosity. He smiled.

"Klee, do you want to go play?"

Klee perked up instantly, nodding eagerly.

"Hmm!"

Yuri chuckled.

"Then go play with your little brother. There's no danger over there. Want to go?"

Klee's eyes widened with excitement.

"Really? Big brother, Klee can go play with you?"

Yuri nodded.

"Really. If you don't believe me, ask Captain Jean."

Klee turned to Jean, her little face filled with hope.

"Really, Captain Jean?"

Jean hesitated for a moment. Klee hadn't left the Knights' headquarters since the dragon attack. Keeping her cooped up forever wasn't right either.

"Alright," she finally said.

Klee cheered, jumping in place.

"Yay! Klee can go out and play!"

She ran to Yuri's side, beaming.

"Big brother, where are we going?"

Yuri ruffled her hair.

"Come on, I'll take you there now."

Then, he turned to Jean.

"Jean, is there a safe place nearby?"

Jean gestured toward her office.

"This way."

Yuri followed her inside and placed a portal in the room.

Himeko and Walter had seen the portal before and didn't react.

But Ying, Paimon, Lisa, and Jean eyed it with curiosity.

Yuri introduced it casually.

"This door connects to my shop. You can use it anytime."

Then, he granted Jean, Lisa, and the others free-travel access.

Paimon, ever the curious one, turned the doorknob and peeked inside.

Across the way, she spotted March 7th and Dan Heng playing chess.

Dan Heng, multitasking as always, held his phone in one hand while making a move with the other.

March 7th looked deeply troubled, struggling to figure out her next move.

"Whoa! Yuri, your store is really across the street!"

Without waiting, Paimon flew through the door. Free, unlimited drinks awaited her on the other side.

Especially grape juice—her absolute favorite.

Yuri looked at Jean and the others.

"Well? Aren't you curious about what I sell?"

With that, he stepped through the portal, holding Klee's hand in one and Hook's in the other.

Himeko and Walter followed, bringing Clara along.

Lisa patted Jean's shoulder.

"Come on, Jean. Don't forget the Stellar Jade."

Jean picked up a pile of raw stones from her desk—ones Kaeya and Amber had gathered the night before—and stepped inside.

Lisa followed right after.

Back at the Store

Klee's big eyes darted around the shop, taking in every detail.

But the moment she spotted the starry sky outside the window, she froze, completely mesmerized.

"Wow! So many stars! Did Klee fly into the sky?"

Yuri crouched beside her.

"Do you like it here?"

Klee nodded enthusiastically.

"Klee loves it here!"

Then, as she spun around, something else caught her eye.

A small, round creature with stubby legs was waddling toward Jean and the others, carefully balancing a few glasses of juice in its hands.

Klee gasped.

"Bunny!"

She rushed over and started circling the little creature.

"What's your name, little bunny?"

The creature—Pom—paused and looked up at her.

"I'm not a bunny! I'm the conductor of this train, Pom. Pom!"

Klee tilted her head, biting her finger.

"Oh! Little bunny, your name is Pom? Hello, Pom little bunny! I'm Klee, the Spark Knight of Mondstadt's Knights of Favonius! Nice to meet you!"

Pom sighed.

Not this again.

Still, when she looked at Klee's bright, innocent face, she decided to let it go.

It was just a kid's harmless mistake.

At that moment, Hook wandered over, curious.

"Pom, do you actually have a bunny name?"

Pom groaned internally.

Another one.

But as someone who had dealt with countless children over the years, Pom was well prepared.

She handed out the juices to Jean and the others, then pulled out a phone and tapped on a video.

A familiar tune filled the air.

"Pleasant Goat~ Beautiful Goat~ Lazy Goat~ Fierce Goat~"

Klee and Hook's eyes locked onto the screen immediately.

Pom smirked. Got 'em.

She led the two to a sofa, sat down with them, and let the cartoon work its magic.

Jean, watching from a distance, was stunned.

Klee—her Klee—was sitting still.

Quiet. Focused.

It was a sight Jean had never even dreamed of.

Lisa, ever amused, nudged Jean.

"Jean, don't forget why we came here."

Jean snapped out of her daze.

"Right." She turned to Yuri. "What should we do now?"

Yuri led her and Lisa to the bar and activated the touch screen.

"Have you decided what you want to buy?"

Jean nodded.

"We need something to strengthen the Knights."

Yuri thought for a moment, then swiped through the inventory.

"Here, take a look at this."

Jean and Lisa leaned in.

[Product: «Wind Spirit Technique»]

Function: A basic skill from the fantasy world, allowing practitioners to control the power of wind. Price: 2,000 Stellar Jade

Lisa raised an eyebrow.

"Fantasy world? What kind of place is that?"

Yuri explained.

"The fantasy world is mid-tier among all known worlds. The strongest beings there can rule eternally and shatter entire universes in an instant."

Jean and Lisa froze.

"Universes?" Lisa echoed.

Yuri nodded.

"A universe holds countless planets. Your world—Teyvat—is barely the size of one planet."

The weight of his words settled in.

This technique... Was it truly something they could wield?

Lisa smirked.

"Jean, let's buy it. If we have extra, we'll check out other items. Besides, we are the kingdom of wind, aren't we?"

Jean didn't hesitate.

She pulled out the Stellar Jade and paid immediately.

Jean took out the raw stones.

"How many Stellar Jades do you need?"

Yuri pointed to the exchange scale beside him.

"This is where you can trade raw stones for Star Coins. One raw stone equals ten Star Coins. Just put in as many as you want to exchange."

Lisa smirked. "Obviously, we'll exchange all of them."

She glanced at Yuri with amusement. "After all, these raw stones are only valuable if we buy something from you, right?"

Yuri chuckled. "Then I'd better work harder to sell more products so you can spend even more."

Jean exchanged all the raw stones she had, totaling 8,360. After purchasing "Wind Spirit Technique" for 2,000 Star Coins, they still had 6,360 left.

Jean opened the book and started reading. The techniques were detailed, listing all the steps for training.

"This is great! With 'Wind Spirit Technique,' the overall strength of the Knights of Favonius will improve."

Lisa stretched lazily, settling onto a high stool, resting her chin in her hand.

"Jean, you shouldn't distribute this technique to all knights right away."

Jean frowned. "Why not? Wouldn't it be better if everyone learned it? The stronger our knights, the safer Mondstadt will be."

Lisa sighed. "Jean, not everyone in the Knights is loyal to Mondstadt."

Realization dawned on Jean. She had overlooked this. Some members were less committed to Mondstadt's well-being. If they learned this technique, it could lead to trouble.

Yuri interrupted. "I have a suggestion."

Jean and Lisa turned to him. "What is it?" Jean asked.

Yuri smirked. "There's an old saying from my homeland: 'In the face of absolute power, conspiracies and schemes are meaningless.'"

Lisa arched a brow. "And?"

Yuri continued, "I suggest you invest in something that enhances individual combat power."

Lisa chuckled. "Yuri, are you just trying to drain us of all our Star Coins?"

Yuri didn't deny it. "Of course. I'm a businessman. But you'll benefit too, won't you?"

Lisa grinned. "Then go ahead and introduce us to your wares."

Yuri tapped the touch screen, displaying various items: enchanted swords, Devil Fruits, magical tomes, physical enhancement items...

Jean and Lisa examined them carefully before their gazes landed on an item called "Magic Heart."

[Item: Magic Heart]

Effect: Harmonizes internal magic flow and increases magic attack power by 10%.

Price: 5,000 Star Coins

Lisa's eyes gleamed. This could help restore her body. Though she had immense magical power, her frail constitution forced her to endure severe backlash after each use.

If this item worked, Mondstadt would gain a powerful mage on par with the Abyss Order's elites.

Jean didn't hesitate and purchased it for Lisa.

Lisa examined the object before glancing at Yuri. "How does this work?"

Yuri consulted the system. "It's simple. Channel your magic into it, and it'll bind to whoever touches it first with magic."

Lisa smirked. "So if someone else grabs it first, will you give me another?"

Yuri chuckled. "If someone steals it, and you can't get it back, I'll help."

Lisa's smile widened. "I'll hold you to that."

Afterward, Jean and Lisa bid farewell and returned to Mondstadt, leaving Klee behind to play. With the city's current instability, she was safer here.

After a short rest, March 7th and Dan Heng used the portal to return to Belobog.

They immediately set off for Boulder Town to find Kevin.

At Natasha's clinic in Boulder Town, Kevin sat in front of an Essence Incubator, eating a bowl of rice and greens.

He took a bite and sighed. The food in the Underworld still wasn't great, but at least it was edible since Yuri arrived.

In the past, food was scarce. Natasha had told him horror stories about what people used to eat just to survive.

The clinic's door creaked open, and March 7th and Dan Heng walked in.

Kevin looked up. "Hey, have you guys eaten? Want me to get you a bowl of rice?"

March 7th eyed his plate. "No thanks, we just ate on the train."

Kevin paused, confused. "The train? How? It's so far from here."

Had they used Yuri's landing craft? No, the timing didn't match.

"How'd you get back?" He asked between bites, still chewing on a piece of greens.

March 7th grinned. "Yuri set up a portal at Serval's place. We can go straight to his shop."

Kevin's eyes widened. He glanced at his meal.

Forget this—if there's a portal, I'm going back for a feast!

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

But then he hesitated, glancing at the Incubator.

His elf hadn't hatched yet.

He sighed. Fine, he'd wait. He could celebrate after his elf was born.

As they chatted, the lights in the clinic flickered.

Kevin, March 7th, and Dan Heng immediately took defensive stances.

A static crackle filled the air, and a holographic projection of Silver Wolf appeared.

"Hey, long time no see, Kevin."

March 7th tensed. "Star Core Hunter! You've got guts showing up in front of me! Get ready for a beating!"

Silver Wolf barely spared her a glance, ignoring her entirely as she looked straight at Kevin.

"Kevin, where did you get that game cartridge last time?"

Kevin blinked. "I found it in a trash can. Why, did you clear the game already?"

Silver Wolf nodded. "Yeah, finished it. Just like you said—I unlocked Shock Blade."

Kevin grinned, giving a thumbs-up. "Knew you'd pull it off. So, what do you want this time?"

Silver Wolf smirked. "I want to know if you have any more game cartridges like that one."