I, Noelle, Persuade With Reason! [17]

Fischl leaned out her window, carefully catching Oz as he wobbled unsteadily into her palms.

“Ugh—!” Oz barely had time to steady himself before he threw up.

“Are you alright? Where did Stormterror go? Was it Noelle who drove him off? Is she injured?” Fischl showed only brief concern for Oz, quickly firing off questions about Noelle, excitement glittering in her eyes.

Girls really do grow up fast...

“Ugh—!” Oz vomited again. After a few moments, the dizziness subsided, and his head cleared a little.

“Stormterror has been driven away, but not by Noelle. She didn’t fight. The one who confronted Stormterror was a girl I haven’t seen before—a newcomer to Mondstadt.”

Oz spoke slowly, smoothing his feathers with his beak as he did.

Stormterror had appeared suddenly, catching Oz by surprise while he was busy “spying” on Noelle from above. To shield Fischl from distress, Oz had swiftly severed their shared vision.

After tumbling countless times in the air, he felt as if his entire body was about to fall apart.

Luckily, he'd reacted quickly. If not, Fischl would’ve likely been vomiting alongside him right now.

“What? Not Noelle? A stranger? Then how is Noelle?” Fischl felt slightly disappointed. She’d expected Noelle to bravely defend Mondstadt, but reality proved different.

“Oh—I forgot to mention, that girl was brought by Noelle. Perhaps Noelle knew her abilities and saw no serious threat, which is why she didn’t intervene,” Oz quickly offered an excuse, sensing Fischl’s disappointment.

Immediately, Fischl’s eyes lit up. She paced excitedly, murmuring to herself.

“I knew it! Exactly! Everything must be within her control; that's why she only observed. I see now!”

Fischl was convinced she'd once again uncovered one of Noelle’s hidden secrets, thrilling her endlessly.

She’s hopeless, Oz sighed inwardly, raising a wing to cover his face. Did I unintentionally corrupt her?

Still, Noelle wasn't dangerous. She’d actively protected Klee and Amber earlier. Surely, Fischl spending time around Noelle wouldn't cause any harm. What could possibly happen—Noelle eating Fischl up?

“Exactly what I was thinking,” Oz nodded in agreement.

“Right, right!” Fischl only let her girlish side show around Oz. Now, giggling, she sprawled happily across her pillow.

Oz saw she was slipping into her fantasies again. He began stretching his sore wings, planning to rest a bit.

Suddenly, Fischl leapt from her bed, running to Oz and gazing at him expectantly.

“Where is Noelle right now?” Fischl asked, suddenly shy.

“When I returned, I saw them heading toward the Knights of Favonius headquarters.” Oz felt dread creeping in. Was she going to send him out again?

“The Knights? Probably discussing the dragon incident. And afterward? Where will Noelle go? Will she join Acting Grand Master Jean to handle Stormterror? Oz, please, keep an eye on her for me, would you?” Fischl pleaded sweetly.

“I…alright,” Oz sighed wearily, rubbing his face with his wing. He couldn't bear seeing Fischl disappointed.

“Go forth, my faithful retainer!” Fischl cheerfully pointed toward the sky.

“Hey! Let me drink some water first!” Oz wondered if he indulged Fischl too much.

---

Meanwhile, at Knights of Favonius headquarters…

“Come in.”

Jean’s voice echoed softly. Kaeya opened the door, ushering Lumine, Noelle, and the others inside.

Kaeya smoothly made introductions, helping Jean, Lisa, and Lumine become acquainted, maintaining a friendly atmosphere.

However, Noelle noticed something strange—Lisa was holding her book upside-down.

“Oh my, is this sweet child here to lend us a hand since we’re short on manpower? How adorable.” Lisa set the book down, approaching Lumine with a gentle smile.

Lumine was surprisingly composed facing Jean and Lisa. After exchanging pleasantries, Jean moved on to the main topic.

“Stormterror’s attack revealed the opportunity to end the source of this disaster. Through Lisa’s magical detection, we've traced the hurricanes surrounding Mondstadt back to their source.” Jean crossed her arms, looking serious.

“Oh? Where exactly?” Kaeya asked curiously.

“The abandoned temples of the Four Winds. Stormterror has been drawing on the residual energy there, enabling him to create such destructive storms,” Lisa briefly explained.

“Our targets are three of these temples. Amber, Kaeya, Lisa—I leave this to you. Klee, you’ll stay with me,” Jean promptly assigned tasks.

“We’re counting on the Knights of Favonius, then. By the way, where is the inn?” Lumine wanted to help, but felt too uncomfortable; she badly needed a hot bath and clean clothes.

“Hey! Don’t slack off! We should join too!” Paimon enthusiastically interjected.

“Alright then,” Lumine reluctantly agreed.

“In that case, Knights, head out first and clear the areas around the temples. Ensure no enemies remain. Lumine, go with Noelle to change your clothes—there’s no rush. Noelle, please accompany Lumine. If you perform well, I’ll officially approve you as a knight when you return.”

Jean suddenly adjusted her arrangement, specifically instructing Noelle, though she still avoided meeting Noelle’s gaze directly.

“Yes, Acting Grand Master.” Noelle would never decline Jean’s kindness, though she couldn’t help feeling Jean was oddly tense.

Lisa and Kaeya exchanged quick, surprised glances.

During Stormterror’s rampages, Jean, Kaeya, and Lisa frequently assigned Noelle various trivial tasks specifically to prevent her from attempting to fight the dragon alone.

But over the last ten days, Noelle had refused several minor errands, spending most of her time assisting Jean in the office. Jean’s attitude toward her subtly shifted, culminating in openly promising her knighthood now.

Lisa and Kaeya had no idea what Jean was thinking, but they didn’t dare object.

With the plan finalized, Jean still had much work to do, so everyone exited her office.

Klee wanted to tag along with Noelle, but understanding she shouldn't cause trouble at a critical time, obediently sat beside Jean instead, drawing happily with crayons.

Noelle brought Lumine to her room, prepared hot water, set out clean clothes, and then gently pushed the shy, blushing girl into the bathroom.

“Noelle is so kind—just like an older sister.” Lumine lay back in the warm water, feeling wonderfully relaxed after showering.

“Eh? Do you have a sister?” Paimon, who was happily swimming around the tub, asked curiously.

“No, but I wish I had one,” Lumine murmured softly, thinking of her brother.

“Then just treat Noelle as your big sister!” Paimon suggested brightly, promptly bumping her head against the tub’s edge and tearing up immediately.

“Yes,” Lumine smiled softly, gently comforting Paimon.

After bathing, Lumine and Paimon changed clothes, then joined Noelle, heading toward the nearby Temple of the Falcon.

On the bridge, Timmie was still feeding pigeons. Seeing Noelle pass by, he cheerfully greeted her.

As soon as they crossed the bridge, Noelle and Lumine were suddenly intercepted by Fischl, who dropped dramatically from above.

“I am the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, Fischl, summoned here by destiny itself. Traveler from another world, this Prinzessin graciously grants you permission to journey alongside her.”

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This is a fan translation of 我，诺艾尔，以理服人！ by 暗香浮动 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!