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As long as Noelle can earnestly learn from my own experience, I'm confident I can train her to reach the same level of capability I possess. Once I correct those core problems in her mindset, she'll pass Jean's assessment smoothly without any trouble at all. After all, the main issue with Noelle was simply that she had no one to properly teach her. If you look at the styles of the other Knights of Favonius, it makes sense. Jean herself is a massive workaholic. The only real difference between her and Noelle is that one is constantly exhausted while the other is constantly busy. Jean is far too submerged in her own paperwork to guide someone with the same self-sacrificing tendencies.
Kaeya is another story entirely. He's always acting like a mysterious monster, making it nearly impossible for someone as earnest as Noelle to learn anything useful from him. If she follows him around, he'll just end up dividing his own tasks into smaller pieces and handing them off to her, treating her more like a professional errand runner than a knight-in-training. No one else in the order has the right perspective to turn Noelle's ideas around and show her a different path. Looking at it this way, I'm actually the best candidate for the job. I have a high status, a proven track record, and a unique way of doing things. Jean was actually being quite smart when she suggested this arrangement.
After we left the Good Hunter restaurant, Noelle followed me down the street, her eyes sparkling with curiosity about my recent career change. Senior, senior, why exactly did you decide to start writing novels recently? Everyone in the Knights has been talking about it, and your work has caused quite an uproar in the city. Some of the others just gave a wry smile when they heard. They said it was just like the Wind Knight to do something so unpredictable and shocking. It was especially surprising that you actually included the Acting Grand Master and the other sisters in your stories.
The fact that I had suddenly set aside my duties to write light novels naturally attracted a lot of attention. In the eyes of the public, I was a knight with terrifying combat power and extreme efficiency. Of course, they were used to me disappearing on my own adventures from time to time, but it was still hard for them to reconcile the image of a legendary warrior with someone who writes stories about idols. When To Save Mondstadt, Debut and Become an Idol! first hit the shelves, it felt like a depth bomb had been dropped right into the middle of the Knights' headquarters.
I had written a version of Mondstadt that was so miserable that it would be annexed by evil forces if the knights didn't start singing and dancing to save it. Many people were speechless and could only offer a helpless smile at the absurdity. They figured that even if the Grand Master had taken most of the army away, things wouldn't get that desperate. Still, it was just a novel, and despite the weird premise, many knights secretly bought several copies to keep as personal treasures. After all, when the protagonists are based on the most famous and beautiful women in the city, who wouldn't be a fan?
Noelle, for her part, seemed to prefer my second book, Detective Fengdu. She thought the idea of a hero guarding a city with the secret power of the wind was absolutely brilliant. She naturally equated the fictional city with Mondstadt. She was especially vocal about the villains who harvested the energy of dead gods to create cursed products to sell to the unsuspecting public. That's just so evil! How could anyone be part of such a disgusting and weird organization? I'm just glad the real Mondstadt doesn't have enemies like that, or it would be far too scary.
I saw how invested she was in the lore and just chuckled. It's nothing too deep, Noelle. In fact, my dream is just to live a stable, quiet life. I want to be able to support myself just by writing stories. Is that really true? Well, the progress on those first two books is coming along nicely, so I'm already planning a third one. I want to use the history of original Mondstadt as the theme. It'll be a story centered on the Lonely King of the Tower, Decarabian, and the rise of the Anemo Archon. It'll probably be a bit more serious, like a chronicle of the past.
Oh, Senior, you're starting a new book already? she asked, her jaw nearly dropping. You mean you're going to be writing three different series at the same time? That's amazing! Plus, most people in Mondstadt today don't have a very clear impression of what happened during that ancient period. If you write about it, it's going to be incredibly interesting to everyone. It's not a bad idea, I replied as we continued our walk. We chatted as we moved through the city streets, but as we turned a corner, I suddenly spotted a very familiar figure in the crowd.
It was a young boy wearing a green robe and a matching hat, with distinctive braids that glowed slightly at the tips. He had slender legs and carried himself with an air of youthful vitality. He looked exactly like a wandering bard, full of energy and a sense of mischief. My eyes lit up instantly. A boy in green? Isn't that him? I asked Noelle to wait for a moment while I moved to follow him, my curiosity getting the better of me.
While I was busy tracking down the bard, my novels were making their way into the hands of my closest acquaintances. At a tavern called Angel's Share, the atmosphere was quiet for the morning. The owner of the establishment, a young man with striking red hair named Diluc Ragnvindr, sat at a corner table. He held a copy of Detective Fengdu in his hand, slowly flipping through the pages with an intense, serious expression. As the master of Dawn Winery, Diluc controlled nearly all of Mondstadt's wine industry and held massive influence over the city's economy. He was a man of vast resources and unmatched ability.
Normally, he only appeared at the tavern occasionally, leaving the daily operations to Charles the bartender. But today, he was personally reviewing the work of his friend. As he read, his expression shifted constantly, reflecting a complex mix of emotions. It was clear that some of the content hit very close to home. The Museum organization in the book uses the remains of fallen gods and forbidden materials to create evil artifacts. Isn't this just a thinly veiled description of the Fatui and their Delusions? An ominous object made to mimic a Vision. Diluc let out a short, sarcastic huff. It was an exclamation of pure disdain for the devices.
In all of Mondstadt, there was no one who understood the dangers of a Delusion better than Diluc. His father, Crepus, had died right in front of him because of the backlash from such an object. That tragedy had changed Diluc from a cheerful young man into a cold, expressionless individual who operated in the shadows. Looking at the novel in his hands, he couldn't help but let out a deep, heavy sigh. It's just like you, Ye Ruo, to take something this dangerous and turn it into a fictional story for the public.
If the Fatui actually read this and realize what you're implying, they're going to be furious all over again. But then again, we've fought them more than once. No matter how angry they get, it's useless because they know they can't actually interfere with you. Diluc went silent for a long moment, staring at the text. In his mind, he was convinced that Ye Ruo had based the story on their shared experiences. The protagonist in the book had lost his mentor long ago and continued to fight as a masked hero guarding the city. Diluc saw the parallels to his own life as the Darknight Hero all too clearly.
However, the idea of the detective duo in the book began to bother him. One protagonist was clearly based on Ye Ruo, but the other was a character who excelled at gathering key information and had a deep connection with the hero. Diluc paused, a sudden thought occurring to him. He imagined a certain man wearing an eyepatch and a smug grin. A cold shudder ran down his spine, and he quickly shook his head, his face darkening at the mere suggestion. No, absolutely not. It's impossible. It couldn't possibly be him.
Back on the street, I managed to catch up to the bard. He was standing by a fountain, idly strumming a lyre and looking as if he didn't have a care in the world. I approached him with a smile, wondering how the god of wind would react to being written into my next novel. Noelle caught up to me, looking a bit out of breath. Senior, you moved so fast! Do you know this person? she asked, looking at the bard with curiosity. The bard turned toward us, his sea-breeze eyes twinkling with recognition and amusement. Well now, if it isn't the famous Wind Knight and his lovely assistant. What brings such distinguished members of the order to a simple bard like me?
I laughed, crossing my arms. I'm just looking for some inspiration for a new story, Venti. And I think you might be exactly what I'm looking for. Venti tilted his head, a playful smile on his lips. Inspiration, you say? I'm always happy to share a tale or two, provided there's a bit of wine involved. But a story about the old days of Mondstadt? That sounds like quite the undertaking. Do you think you can handle the weight of such history? I looked him in the eye, feeling the subtle pull of the wind around us. I've handled plenty of heavy things before. Besides, I have a feeling you'll be able to tell me exactly where the facts end and the legends begin.
Noelle looked between the two of us, sensing a strange dynamic she didn't quite understand. She noted the bard's casual attitude and my own confident demeanor. It was as if we were speaking a language she hadn't learned yet. But she stayed silent, dutifully taking her place as my assistant and observing everything. She was determined to learn every aspect of being a knight, even if it meant following me as I interviewed wandering musicians for book research. To her, this was all part of the deep training I had promised.
As we walked away with Venti in tow, headed toward a quiet spot to talk, I felt a surge of excitement. My system was active, my books were selling well, and I had the city's resident deity right next to me. Life in Mondstadt was definitely getting interesting. I could see the legendary fame points already starting to accumulate in the back of my mind. The story of Decarabian and the nameless bard was going to be a masterpiece, and I was going to be the one to tell it to the world.
As we found a comfortable spot near the great oak tree at Windrise, Venti sat down on a gnarled root and began to tune his lyre. The wind here was always stronger, carrying the scent of grass and old secrets. So, where shall we begin? he asked, his voice suddenly taking on a more melodic, timeless quality. Shall we talk about the blizzard that once covered this land? Or perhaps the king who thought he was protecting his people by locking them away in a cage of wind? I took out a notebook and a pen, ready to capture every word. Let's start at the beginning, I said. I want to know about the boy who wanted to see the birds fly. Venti's fingers danced across the strings, and the first notes of a ancient melody began to drift through the air.