The two of them followed the winding road, crossing the canyon beyond the Stone Gate, until before them gradually emerged an endless vineyard, the mountainsides covered with crystalline grapes.
A gentle breeze passed, carrying with it waves of intoxicating fragrance, refreshing the spirit.
Continuing forward, they passed the tranquil and peaceful Springvale.
Afterward, they finally reached the Mondstadt Bridge spanning across Cider Lake.
To avoid unnecessary curiosity and gawking from knights, Kirara shifted back into her agile nekomata form.
Shao Yun, meanwhile, smiled warmly at the two ever-present knights guarding the gate and took the initiative to greet them.
"Hello, two brave knights steadfast at your posts! I've come once again to visit the beautiful city of Mondstadt."
One of them, a knight of Favonius named "Lawrence," upon seeing Shao Yun, instantly lost his stern composure and grew visibly uneasy.
He gave a somewhat awkward but proper knight's salute before speaking politely. "Greetings, Mr. Shao Yun. A most warm welcome to Mondstadt once again."
Yet Kirara, hearing this sudden form of address, was left utterly confused.
Blinking her bright, lively eyes, she turned toward Shao Yun with curiosity and asked, "Mr. Shao Yun? But I remember you said your name was Tacitus Kilgore. What's going on here?"
Shao Yun helplessly shrugged, then explained, "When traveling abroad, various circumstances are bound to arise. Using an alias is simply a precaution—please forgive the deception."
Kirara listened quietly, then smiled in understanding. "A bit of caution isn't wrong at all. Staying alert is always a good thing."
"Since that's the case, let's part ways here. I really enjoyed chatting with you along the road."
After all, she still had important cargo to deliver, and couldn't afford to linger.
Shao Yun replied, "Mm, then until fate brings us together again!"
Kirara turned and left, her figure slowly vanishing at the end of the street.
Once she had gone far, Shao Yun carefully studied the familiar yet strange city of Mondstadt before him, muttering softly.
"Mondstadt, oh Mondstadt, this makes it the third time I've returned here."
"No—counting this time, it should actually be the fourth."
Now, how to find someone? Head to the Adventurers' Guild reception and ask Miss Katheryne.
He dismounted, leading the reins as he walked forward.
Before long, he arrived at the Mondstadt Adventurers' Guild reception desk.
At that moment, Mondstadt's Katheryne was busy behind the counter. Hearing footsteps, she raised her head.
When she saw that it was Shao Yun, her expression grew momentarily complex, but she quickly regained composure and warmly greeted him. "Ad astra abyssosque! Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild."
Shao Yun recalled the time when he had held a sawed-off shotgun, threatening her.
That scene still played vividly in his mind, stirring complicated feelings within him.
He gave a light cough to mask his emotions, then asked as calmly as he could, "Excuse me, Miss Noelle—do you know where she is?"
Katheryne froze at once, like a clockwork doll whose spring hadn't been wound, instantly motionless.
A moment later, she snapped back to awareness, hurriedly rifling through commission slips.
"Miss Noelle, you say… I'll need to check whether she has accepted any commissions."
She searched frantically through the papers while responding.
Shao Yun was stunned, a thought flashing across his mind.
Could it be that Chairman Celius really managed to fool simple, kindhearted Noelle?
"She actually accepts commissions?"
Katheryne, still flipping through records, explained, "Although Miss Noelle is a maid of the Knights of Favonius, she has a warm heart. She often volunteers to help us."
"The Adventurers' Guild couldn't let her efforts go unrewarded, so we treat her aid as commissions and prepare corresponding payments as thanks."
She shook her head helplessly, then added, "But no matter what, Miss Noelle always refuses to accept the payment. So, we've had no choice but to hold it for safekeeping on her behalf."
At that moment, Katheryne suddenly paused her frantic searching.
Pulling out a fresh slip, her face lit up with joy. "Found it!"
"Just an hour ago, Miss Noelle helped the Guild transport some goods. By now, she should be back soon. You can wait here for her."
Shao Yun leaned against the counter.
"Alright, then I'll wait."
In the somewhat drawn-out wait, boredom set in, and Shao Yun struck up more conversation with Katheryne.
But this time, their talk wasn't idle or casual—it concerned something serious: the Mondstadt knight selection exams.
Katheryne patiently explained with a smile, "Indeed, many passionate young men and women of Mondstadt long to join the Knights of Favonius!"
"After all, for them, becoming a knight is the highest honor."
Shao Yun nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's certainly true."
As they spoke, time slipped by unnoticed.
Suddenly, Katheryne pointed toward the distance, where a girl was running over. "Here comes Miss Noelle."
Shao Yun quickly looked.
Sure enough, a beautiful girl in a maid outfit, moving with light steps, hurried toward them.
He waved his hand toward her, signaling his presence.
From afar, Noelle spotted him. Upon confirming it was truly Shao Yun, delight filled her clear eyes.
Her pace quickened until she reached him.
"Mr. Shao Yun, you really came?"
Scratching his head awkwardly, Shao Yun apologized. "Sorry, Noelle. Lumine and Paimon had sudden matters to handle, so only I could come cheer for you."
"But—they asked me to pass along their blessings to you."
Hearing this, Noelle blinked, her big eyes studying him before softly replying, "Oh, so it's just you alone…"
Then, as if embarrassed, she coughed lightly.
Soon after, her lips curved into a bright smile, and she spoke warmly. "Mr. Shao Yun, your timing is perfect. Tomorrow is the big day—the formal exam."
Shao Yun sized up the spirited, radiant girl before him, amused. "The exam's tomorrow already, and you don't look nervous at all."
Without hesitation, Noelle nodded confidently. "Because the Honorary Knight once told me—when facing crucial moments, the last thing you should do is let nerves get the better of you."
"As the saying goes, 'more haste, less speed.' Only with a calm heart can one perform at their best."
Shao Yun agreed wholeheartedly. "Mm, that's very true. A relaxed mindset does help meet challenges…"
But mid-sentence, he suddenly realized something and exclaimed in surprise, "Wait—that's not right! If tomorrow's the exam, why are you still doing strenuous work like moving cargo?"
He meant her helping the Adventurers' Guild…
Noelle lowered her head, nervously fiddling with the hem of her dress. Her expression was embarrassed.
Softly, she muttered, "Whenever I see someone in need, I just can't stop myself from helping. It feels like instinct—I can't control it."
Shao Yun shook his head, sighing earnestly. "You need proper rest if you want to be in your best state for tomorrow."
"By the way, what time's your exam?"
Noelle raised her head slightly. "It starts at eight o'clock. And I heard there aren't many participants this time, so the whole process should finish by noon."
Shao Yun nodded in understanding, then smiled sincerely to encourage her.
"I hope everything goes smoothly. Let's meet again tomorrow morning. May you achieve your dream and become a true knight!"
Noelle nodded firmly, eyes full of anticipation. "Mm-hm! If I really can become a knight this time, it would be wonderful!"
They chatted a bit longer, sharing light stories from daily life.
But glancing upward, they realized dusk had already set.
Seeing the late hour, Noelle smiled and waved goodbye, returning home to rest for the important exam ahead.
Shao Yun watched her figure fade away, pressing his lips together.
Her expression earlier had confirmed it—something was amiss.
After her exam, he would need to have a Bonnie MacFarlane-style conversation with her.
…
When Noelle had fully vanished from sight, Shao Yun turned his thoughts to where he would stay the night.
Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared before him.
It was Mona, clutching her stomach with both hands, clearly starving.
But when her eyes landed on Shao Yun, her weary look instantly vanished.
She shouted aloud.
"I'm not seeing things, am I? Shao Yun?!"
Shao Yun looked over and, spotting her, greeted.
"Mona, long time no see."
Realizing it was indeed him, Mona hurried to his side.
Before even steadying herself, she blurted out in haste, "Mr. Shao Yun, you've finally returned to Mondstadt! I've been searching everywhere, waiting for you so long!"
Shao Yun, puzzled by her anxious look, asked gently, "What's wrong? You look like you're in a rush."
Mona bit her lip, sweat beading on her forehead. Yet it was as though her throat were blocked—she stammered, unable to speak a full sentence.
After a long moment, she finally forced out a few words.
"There's… something very important! Too complicated to explain here—can you come back home with me?"
Shao Yun shrugged helplessly, muttering inwardly, 'This late at night? If I go with her, I'll probably end up sleeping on the streets.'
But seeing how distressed she was, he eventually nodded. "Alright, let's go then."