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Her reaction made Ye Ruo shake his head with a light chuckle. He gestured for her to settle down. Don't be so stiff, Noelle. You don't have to be so restrained around me. Just relax and let's talk like normal people. Noelle nodded, her fingers still fidgeting slightly with the hem of her apron. She spoke softly, her voice filled with a mix of reverence and nerves. I heard from the Acting Grand Master that you'll be guiding my practice for a while, Senior. I was so excited that I couldn't even sleep last night, so I made sure to get here early. I'm really sorry that a powerful knight like you has to take time out of your busy schedule just for me.
It's really nothing, Ye Ruo replied, waving off her concerns. Jean asked me for a favor, and I was happy to help. Now, please, sit down. Under his encouraging gesture, Noelle finally sat back in her chair. She gradually began to relax, though she remained visibly nervous. After all, the man sitting across from her was her idol. It wasn't just about his strength; he was the only knight in the entire order to be named after the element of wind itself. In a city that worshipped the Anemo Archon, the symbolic meaning of his title was immense.
The Wind Knight's excellence was recognized by every single person within the Knights of Favonius. In fact, it was the Grand Master himself, Varka, the Knight of Boreas, who had personally bestowed the title of Wind Knight upon him. Everyone knew that Varka held Ye Ruo to incredibly strict standards, yet the young man had exceeded every expectation. Whether it was his prestige among the citizens, his combat prowess, his success in high-profile travel missions, or his ability to lead squads against monsters, he was flawless. Noelle looked at him with eyes full of envy and aspiration. She often told herself that if she could become even one-tenth as good as her predecessor, she would be happy.
A waiter from the Good Hunter restaurant approached their table. Ye Ruo glanced at the menu and ordered a few hearty dishes suitable for a long morning of discussion. Once the waiter left, he leaned forward and asked casually. Tell me, Noelle, how has your knight training been going lately? At the mention of her training, Noelle's eyes lit up with a spark of confidence and determination. I've been asking the other seniors for advice on how to become a true knight. For example, I've been learning how to make Baron Bunnies from Amber, and I've been helping Kaeya finish some of his smaller errands. Oh, and I even asked the Spark Knight for some tips. Unfortunately, Master Jean ended up putting both Klee and me in solitary confinement for two days after that.
Ye Ruo felt a headache forming and rubbed his eyebrows in exasperation. What on earth were you thinking, asking Klee for advice? Her only area of expertise is blowing up fish. She's a little girl who spends half her life in a confinement room. He looked at her seriously, his tone becoming firm yet kind. First of all, you need to stop asking them for help with these strange things. Amber's Baron Bunny relies entirely on her Pyro Vision and her specific style of combat. As for Kaeya, that kid is just being lazy and dumping his paperwork on you because he knows you won't say no. And learning from Klee? That's just a one-way ticket to a locked door. You haven't realized what you actually need to learn yet.
In Ye Ruo's eyes, Noelle was a maid knight who had pushed herself to an unhealthy extreme. She strove to finish every task perfectly and seemed to appear instantly whenever anyone needed help. She was always on call for even the most trivial requests. He knew that if a gate guard felt like taking an unscheduled nap and asked Noelle to cover his shift, she would stand at that post until she collapsed. Ye Ruo had actually reprimanded several of those lazy knights in the past, which led to Jean officially adding a rule to the handbook prohibiting members of the order from taking advantage of Noelle's kindness.
Despite the new rules, Noelle remained frantically busy. She ran from one side of the city to the other, working even harder than Jean did. Her inability to say no was her greatest weakness. It was the primary reason she had failed the official knight selection seven times. Jean worried that if Noelle became a formal knight with her current mindset, she would be exploited or put herself in unnecessary danger. Her physical strength was never the issue. With her Geo Vision and her legendary natural power, she was already one of the strongest fighters in the order.
There was a famous story among the blacksmiths about her strength. Noelle once drove Wagner to the brink of a mental breakdown. He had forged over a dozen high-quality longswords for her, only for Noelle to break every single one of them after just a few swings. Wagner eventually had to shut himself away to create a specialized, heavy-duty greatsword that could actually withstand her power. Without her psychological hurdles, she could have easily been a captain by now. Ye Ruo remembered another incident where Noelle heard an adventurer was trapped in a blizzard on Dragonspine. She charged into the mountains alone during a storm, found the person, and carried them back. By the time she reached the city, she had a dangerously high fever and remained in a coma for three days.
The Knights were constantly worried about her. Her enthusiasm was so great that she often ignored the concept of teamwork, choosing to shoulder every burden herself. That was why Jean had been assigning her security tasks within the city walls lately. Ye Ruo decided to change his approach. Noelle, what do you think about the way I handle commissions for the Knights? How do you think I manage so many tasks? Noelle looked at him with pure admiration. You're incredibly strong, Senior! It's honestly amazing how you can resolve a mountain of tasks so quickly. I want to be just like you, which is why I feel like I'm not doing enough. I need to work harder and be even more serious.
Incorrect, Ye Ruo interrupted. Noelle blinked, stunned by his sudden bluntness. Why? You think the way to succeed is by completing everyone's tasks perfectly and constantly forcing yourself to do more, but that's the wrong direction. But Senior, you do the same thing. You always get everything done so efficiently. Ye Ruo smiled slightly as he saw the confusion on her face. What I'm actually good at is waiting for things to pile up to a certain level, and then dealing with them all in one go.
I don't run around like a headless chicken just because there's a commission here or a problem there. If you're constantly busy without a plan, you'll never finish your work. You'll just end up dizzy and exhausted. If I tried to do things your way, even I wouldn't be able to stay perfect. The tasks would keep coming in a steady stream while I burned out. Noelle looked shocked, as if he had just revealed a forbidden secret of the universe. But the Grand Master told me before he left that if I stayed in Mondstadt, he wouldn't have any worries. He thinks so highly of me, so I have to prove he's right.
Ye Ruo's expression became quite strange. Noelle, don't you know? Varka said that exact same thing to every single knight who stayed behind in the city. Even Kaeya heard it, and you can see him lounging around and slacking off whenever he gets the chance. Noelle's jaw dropped. Really? He told everyone that? She felt a bit silly for taking the compliment so personally. Ye Ruo continued, his voice steady. However, Kaeya's efficiency is still very high when he actually works. The same goes for me. My individual efficiency is higher than dozens of regular knights combined.
The secret isn't working harder; it's integrating tasks to find the most time-saving and non-repetitive path. That's why I can finish my work so early and still be ahead of everyone else. Also, focusing entirely on your own efforts while ignoring your companions isn't a good trait for a knight. The Knights of Favonius is a team. Some things are meant to be shared. You alone cannot maintain an entire city and protect every resident of Mondstadt. Over the next few weeks, you need to learn about high efficiency, the balance between work and rest, the importance of saying no, and how to analyze a commission before jumping into it.
I want you to stop what you're doing for now. I want you to act as my personal maid and just live the life of a normal citizen for a while. Practice isn't just about swinging a sword; it's everywhere in daily life. My goal is to help you finally pass that exam and become the outstanding knight you were meant to be. Is that really the secret? Noelle asked, her eyes wide with wonder. As expected of a senior, everything you say makes so much sense. I understand now. Please, let me stay by your side and learn everything I can!
Noelle didn't fully grasp every detail of his logic, but she knew that if the Wind Knight was telling her this, it was for her own benefit. She saw herself as a failure who couldn't pass a selection exam, while he was a legend who had achieved greatness at a young age. To her, every word he spoke must have a profound, hidden meaning. She smiled cutely, clasping her hands together and nodding with absolute seriousness. Ye Ruo gave a satisfied hum. In his heart, he was quite pleased. He had just secured himself an incredibly capable and hardworking assistant.