Just as Shao Yun was about to say that it might be because of her age.
Suddenly, the wind began to pick up in Mondstadt.
"Why is it so windy? It hasn't been this windy in Mondstadt for a long time." Noelle felt the wind on her cheeks with a puzzled expression; the wind was not as gentle as the Windrise.
It felt like a stinging pain on her face.
Shao Yun sensed something was amiss. Based on the time, was the plot about to begin?
The wind quickly intensified and became more violent. Shao Yun immediately realized something was wrong and shouted,
"This wind isn't right, Noelle! Grab onto something and stand firm!"
As soon as his words fell, a massive dragon's roar echoed from the sky.
Noelle looked up at the sky vigilantly, uttering three words:
"Stormterror."
Immediately after she spoke, a giant dragon appeared in the sky, and everyone in Mondstadt witnessed the scene.
Stormterror circled above Mondstadt, roaring. Instantly, powerful air currents and a sudden hurricane swept through the entire city. Dust and debris from the streets were lifted into the air, forming swirling tornadoes.
Houses swayed noticeably, trees tottered, and the sound of shattering glass intertwined with people's screams.
Mondstadt residents on the streets who couldn't find shelter clung tightly to fixed objects around them to avoid being blown away by the wind.
In the fierce wind, people's clothes flapped wildly, their hair was disheveled, and their eyes were difficult to keep open.
...
Shao Yun held tightly to a lamppost with one hand, while the other arm was wrapped around Noelle, holding her close.
"Everyone in Mondstadt needs help." Noelle tried to pry Shao Yun's arm open, wanting to go out and save people.
"No, are you crazy? Don't let that small body of yours get swept into the sky." Noelle was strong, but her build wasn't large. What if she really got carried away by the wind?
"But everyone..." Noelle listened to the people's screams, feeling anxious, but Shao Yun held her tightly, leaving her no choice.
Shao Yun interrupted Noelle.
"Protect yourself first before thinking about helping others."
The wind rushed into his mouth, and Shao Yun almost choked. After catching his breath, he continued,
"What if the debris carried by this wind hits you? You..."
Taking advantage of Shao Yun's slightly weakened grip, Noelle broke free and activated her Elemental Skill, "Heartstopper Strike." Immediately, a 360-degree protective Geo armor appeared around her body, leaving no blind spots.
"This way, I'll be fine. I'm going to save people." Noelle left these words and rushed off to help the Mondstadt citizens trapped and unable to move in the hurricane.
"What the heck? You're really risking your life!" Shao Yun hadn't expected Noelle to be so reckless. He squinted, looking at the surrounding situation; many people indeed needed help.
Shao Yun gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, released his grip on the lamppost, and followed Noelle's footsteps, shouting,
"Hey! Wait for me, I'll go with you!"
He then muttered softly,
"Hopefully, I'll get some Honor points for this!"
...
Stormterror's figure flickered in and out of sight in the wind, but Shao Yun wasn't in the mood to watch it. He knew the Traveler would eventually drive it away.
The first person he saw was a blind woman with her eyes wrapped in cloth, trembling under a bench.
"Hello, it's not safe here. I'll take you inside a building." Shao Yun crouched down and extended his hand.
"Who are you? I haven't heard your voice before." The blind woman didn't trust this stranger much.
"My name is Shao Yun. Now is not a good time for introductions. I'll take you to a safer place."
"My name is Glory." The blind woman said, then shakily crawled out from under the bench.
Shao Yun helped her up, looked at the windmills creaking loudly in the wind nearby, and led her to the wooden door at the base of a windmill. The door was locked, so he kicked it open and brought Glory inside.
"It's better in here than outside. Come out after the hurricane ends."
After speaking, he closed the door and went to help others.
Noelle was evacuating people in the Fountain Plaza. Fortunately, around the Fountain Plaza were places like Hunter's Deer Restaurant, Mondstadt Department Store, With Wind Comes Glory, and Cat's Tail Tavern, which were enough for the people in the plaza to take shelter.
"Everyone, don't worry, hold onto something fixed! I'm coming to save you all." Noelle had the protection of her Geo armor, so she wouldn't be injured by debris in the wind, but it also invisibly increased wind resistance, requiring more effort to move.
She simply retracted her Elemental Skill and carried the trapped citizens to safety.
"Has anyone seen Little Prince? Little Prince is missing." The owner of Cat's Tail Tavern stood in front of the fountain, shielding her eyes with her right hand, calling out for Little Prince.
Noelle ran to her side, supporting her, and said,
"Miss Margaret, please ensure your own safety first. Little Prince will be fine."
"But..." Margaret was very worried. "What if Little Prince gets swept into the sky, or gets hit by something?"
At that very moment, debris was flung out of the tornado, and a piece of wood as thick as a bowl and as tall as Noelle was hurled towards her.
"Look out!" Shao Yun arrived at Mondstadt's Fountain Plaza, saw this scene, and immediately shouted a warning.
But Noelle's reaction was still a beat too slow. Seeing the piece of wood about to hit her, she didn't even have time to activate her Elemental Skill.
Just as Noelle thought she was about to be hit and shielded Margaret with her body, she only heard the sound of wood splintering behind her.
Afterward, only some wood chips patted her back; there was no pain as she had imagined. Noelle blinked, looked back, and saw no wood, only some wood chips that had drifted away with the wind.
"This is..." Noelle looked incredulously at Shao Yun, who was still in a shooting posture in the distance.
Shao Yun had just activated Death God's Eye, imbued with Fire Element, and fired six shots, shattering the wood.
He put away his gun and rushed over against the strong wind.
"Don't just stand there, hurry to a safe place!" Shao Yun patted Noelle's shoulder, pointing to the Mondstadt Department Store nearby.
"Ah, okay."
The two of them took Margaret to the "Mondstadt Department Store" and settled her. Just as Noelle turned to leave, Shao Yun stopped her, pointing to her chest.
"Including you."
Not being allowed to save people was more painful than death for her, so Noelle immediately retorted,
"No, the citizens of Mondstadt still need..."
Shao Yun commanded in an unquestionable, irrefutable tone, almost like an order,
"You're just a child too; you need to be protected. I'll save the rest of the people, you hide properly!"
Looking at Margaret nearby, he instructed, "Miss, please keep an eye on Noelle. This child is too impulsive; she needs to learn to protect herself."
"But..." Noelle still insisted. This time, Shao Yun directly pressed her into a chair.
"There are no 'buts'!" Shao Yun almost roared. "Take care of yourself, you'll understand."
Shao Yun took over for Noelle, rushing into the Fountain Plaza to evacuate the remaining citizens trapped in the wind.
He helped citizens, leading them to safe indoors, occasionally looking at the storm in the sky.
"Why isn't it over yet? Traveler, hurry up. The houses here can't hold on much longer."
After all personnel in the plaza were evacuated, Shao Yun rushed back to the Mondstadt Department Store and immediately saw Noelle obediently standing inside the Mondstadt Department Store, safely hidden.
As soon as she saw Shao Yun enter, she immediately stepped forward and asked, "Are all the personnel..."
"Everyone has been evacuated. There are no trapped citizens in the plaza now."
"Oh, that's good..." Noelle was about to relax when she suddenly thought, if the people in the Fountain Plaza were evacuated, what about the people in other places?
As soon as she thought of this, she wanted to go out again.
"What are you going to do again? No need to check, there's no one left in the plaza."
"What about other places..."
"Stop, stop, stop! Rest. It's as if you're the only one in the Knights of Favonius; the Knights in other areas will help the citizens."
"Only by protecting yourself can you help others." Shao Yun began to advise Noelle.
"I know you have a God's Eye, but you also need to consider yourself. If you get injured or faint from exhaustion, those you've helped will also worry about you."
After speaking, he glanced at the people taking shelter nearby. Those people understood and began to advise her in a flurry of voices.
"That's right, Miss Noelle, if you get hurt, we'll be heartbroken too."
"Just as this gentleman said, Miss Noelle, you also need to take care of yourself. You don't have to push yourself."
...
After listening to everyone's advice, Noelle was finally calmed down and sat steadily in the chair, waiting for the storm outside to disappear.
Although Mondstadt was experiencing a Dragon Scourge, it was the first time Stormterror had attacked Mondstadt.
Compared to the worries of others, Shao Yun was relaxed. The Traveler would eventually drive away Stormterror and resolve this crisis, becoming famous at that moment. What was there to worry about?