Noelle, you silly girl…
Victor Wang really wanted to pull her aside and tell her that a person needs to learn to be selfish—that no matter what you do, you have to put yourself first.
That your time is valuable, and not everything is worth helping with.
That your body is valuable, and if something happens to it, you won't be able to help those who truly need it.
But just saying it isn't going to change anything—not when even Acting Grand Master Jean can't make a dent.
If Kaeya were willing to teach her by example, maybe there'd be some effect… but who knows what that guy's planning? He just watches from the sidelines and does nothing.
Should he hire some extras to teach her a lesson before he leaves?
No, that would be too much hassle. Too complicated.
No time like the present.
Victor Wang also vaulted over the railing with one hand. Even though he'd eaten a hearty meal of Consecrated Bass over a few hours ago, he still had room for more.
"Noelle! My friend, it's been a while—you haven't forgotten me, have you?"
Noelle, ever sensitive to her name, immediately traced the voice to its source: Victor Wang approaching the Good Hunter.
"Of course not! Since I agreed to be your friend, I'll remember it and uphold it for a lifetime!"
"Glad to hear it. I'll take an order of grilled steak, please."
"Of course, please wait a moment."
Since he wasn't wearing a mask, Victor picked a seat facing away from Lumine and Amber—just like when he tricked them into helping fight the Wolf of the North.
It was the first time he'd acted this cautiously around them since obtaining Anemo powers.
Amber had waved to him from behind and continued chatting with Lumine and Paimon about Noelle. From the sound of it, they had started talking about her after that loud call earlier.
"So, it's true that yelling 'Noelle!' to the sky solves all your problems? Mondstadt's folk wisdom is incredible… I've learned so much…"
"Yeah, Noelle's just too pure and selfless. She really enjoys helping others. There were even some Knights who were supposed to help people themselves but pawned their tasks off on her just to slack off."
"There are people like that in the Knights of Favonius?"
"Can you believe it?! Makes me furious just thinking about it. Thankfully, Acting Grand Master Jean punished them all severely."
"…Noelle really wants to join the Knights, huh? She asked me for advice about it the other day. If she actually becomes a Knight, those people will have even more reason to push their work onto her..."
"With her strength, Noelle could've joined the Knights of Favonius long ago. But because of her personality, Jean secretly held her back. Not that I blame her—I wouldn't feel safe either. If it were anyone else, they'd have figured it out by now. But Noelle still foolishly thinks she's not trying hard enough.
"The Knights of Favonius face all kinds of sly and malicious enemies… and deal with tasks that are unthinkably dark, even revolting. Noelle's just not ready yet… Maybe it's better to let her keep that childlike innocence."
Victor Wang listened in silence, feeling a bit torn.
"Shh, she's coming," Paimon whispered to stop Amber and Lumine's discussion.
"Here's your grilled steak. Please enjoy." Noelle placed the dish steadily on the table like a true maid, then held the tray to her chest and bowed slightly.
"Noelle…"
"Yes?" She turned slightly, looking at Victor Wang with a hint of confusion. "Do you need help with something?"
Barbara needed to learn to say no—that much was unquestionable and something he could work on.
Diona wanted to abandon the Springwater Sprite's blessing because Little Wen had influenced her path in life. He had no choice but to take responsibility for that and made the decision on her behalf when she hesitated.
But Noelle's innocence and her dream—what right did he have to choose for her?
Just because they were friends?
No… I can't do that.
Victor Wang shook his head subtly.
"No, it's nothing."
Noelle looked thoughtful, but with new guests arriving, she quickly hurried off to take their orders.
As the sun set and the moon rose, the stars wheeled above. Lumine and Amber had finished their meal and left a while ago. Victor had long since finished his grilled steak. He had shifted to a new seat facing Mondstadt's main avenue, watching the shop signs light up and streetlamps glow as the street filled with bustling people—some in a hurry, some taking their time.
From 6 PM to 9 PM, it was Mondstadt's evening rush hour. Noelle had been running nonstop, but thankfully, Sara returned by carriage.
"Thank you so much! Please, take this mora as payment for covering my shift."
"Oh, that's not necessary. I'm just happy I could help!"
Sara grabbed Noelle's hands to stop her from escaping. "If you don't accept it, I won't feel comfortable asking you for help again next time."
"Well… alright then."
Sara was among the most respectful of the people who asked Noelle for help.
After tucking away her "unexpected fortune," Noelle didn't leave. Instead, she walked over to Victor Wang's table, pulled out a chair hidden beneath the round table, smoothed out her skirt, and sat down.
"Is something bothering you? I'm very good at sensing these things."
"Didn't think you'd notice."
Noelle pointed to the rose on her left arm. "In Mondstadt, the rose symbolizes secrecy. Whatever you want to say, I promise I won't tell a soul."
Victor Wang gave a mock sigh. He had already decided not to interfere with Noelle's choices—but now that she came to him on her own, maybe he could test the waters?
"I've been thinking about how much a person is willing to give up for their dream."
"Hmm… that's a deep question…" Though unsure whether she could offer the right answer, Noelle, like any good maid—or knight—would never back down from an earnest request. "Is your dream that difficult to achieve?"
She tried to understand the root of Victor's thoughts.
"Let's put it this way… I'd rather not talk about my dream. Why don't we use yours as an example?"
"My dream? My dream is to join the Knights of Favonius."
"Is your dream that difficult to achieve?" Victor returned her earlier question.
"Ah… yes. Very difficult. I signed up as soon as I reached the age requirement for selection. Swordsmanship, etiquette, communication—for twenty-one months, over seven full seasons, I trained relentlessly. I even memorized the Knights of Favonius Guidebook cover to cover."
"But you still failed seven times?"
"Was it really that strict? Could there have been foul play during the selection?"
Noelle shook her head. "Back then, Acting Grand Master Jean was in charge of selection. She's my role model. I still can't match her in either strength or discipline. So, failing was only natural. I clearly wasn't good enough in her eyes."
"..."
Ugh, you dork! You should be comparing your diligence to the Anemo Archon, or your strength to patrol guards, not to an instructor—much less the Acting Grand Master!
He remembered: during those seven attempts, Noelle didn't even have a Vision yet. She was just a strong, ordinary girl.
"Then why didn't you keep applying afterward?"
"I wanted to stay close to the Knights of Favonius and help people in a more official capacity, so I took on the role of maid under the logistics squad."
"I started learning bomb-making from Klee, how to make Baron Bunny from Amber, assisting Kaeya with missions, helping Lisa clean the library… The more I did, the more I realized how lacking I was."
"Klee is incredibly strong. Amber is kind and popular. Kaeya finishes every task perfectly and still has time for a drink. Lisa spends all day in the library yet knows everything about everything—her knowledge is astounding."
"That's when I understood how impulsive I had been applying for selection. I still have a long way to go."
"..."
You're impossible! Always focusing on everyone else's strengths, huh?
Why not mention how Klee causes mayhem, Kaeya slacks off, and Lisa's too lazy? You're kind, lovable, and well-liked too, you know?!
"No one's perfect… forget it. Do you still want to join the Knights of Favonius?"
"Of course I do."
"If you had the chance—and the more you gave up, the higher your chances of getting in—how much would you be willing to sacrifice?"
Noelle blinked her big, innocent eyes, hesitated, and asked, "Victor… you haven't fallen for a scam, have you? Dreams don't fall from the sky, you know."
"I'm just speaking hypothetically. Remember what I said I've been thinking about? Let's say the price were something specific: wealth, freedom, your life, a permanent change to your personality—even everything you own. How much would you give up to join the Knights of Favonius?"
"I would only give up wealth. No—if I had to use unfair means to join the Knights, then I wouldn't give up anything at all."
So stubborn in such a surprising way…