"You're curious about this glass bead?"
Bonanus touched the Vision-shaped decoration on her waist, courtesy of the Anemo Archon. She looked at the trainee knight with an amused smile.
"Glass bead? Ah... yes!" Noelle answered honestly without further thought.
But comparing a Vision to a glass bead... though it didn't really mean anything, something about it felt strange to Noelle.
Seeing Noelle waiting for an answer, Bonanus chuckled softly. The Vision was just decoration. She could wield elemental power on her own.
She didn't need a Vision at all.
"I don't know which aspect of me earned the gods' recognition. I just know that when I woke up one day, this Vision was already on my table."
"I have no idea why the gods suddenly 'gave' it to me."
Bonanus sounded utterly indifferent, as if the Vision that everyone longed for was nothing more than a useless trinket in her eyes.
Hearing this, Noelle tilted her head in bewilderment. What? You got one just by waking up? Come on—Visions aren't cabbages!
If you could get a Vision just by sleeping, then everyone in the nation would have one.
Only Miss Fashui could do what others couldn't. If anyone else heard this, their eyes would probably turn red like a rabbit's.
"Ah... well..." Noelle scratched her cheek awkwardly. She herself wished for an Anemo Vision.
After all, the god of Mondstadt was the Anemo Archon—Barbatos, the great god of freedom.
"Miss Fashui is truly amazing..." After thinking for a moment, Noelle could only squeeze out those words. She didn't know how to respond to such a modest brag.
If Noelle knew the word "humblebrag," she would have blurted it out.
But Bonanus hadn't lied. She really had woken up to find the Vision on her table. It might be useless, but at least it looked pretty.
It even glowed sometimes—very interesting. Most importantly, it was free. Getting something for nothing from a god sounded fun.
"Don't make that face. Sometimes Visions just appear like that—unexpectedly." Bonanus rubbed her belly and smiled.
"Alright!" Noelle nodded in response. Thinking of how people obtained Visions reminded her of her own past.
Her path to obtaining a Vision wasn't complicated—easy in some ways, not so easy in others.
Noelle had failed seven knight selection exams. As someone who worked very hard, she had been deeply hurt.
She had studied knightly etiquette countless times, practiced swordsmanship endlessly, and read mountains of books. Hard work could easily be crushed by a single failure, and with it, her confidence.
Noelle was just an immature, young, pure-hearted girl. This had been a heavy blow.
What was all the effort for? Wasn't it to gain recognition? To chase her dreams and goals? If the outcome was so painful, most people would lose faith in hard work.
Heartbroken and lost, Noelle had been confused. But just as she was wandering in despair, Grand Master Jean had walked out of the gate.
Noelle had been nervous. She had instinctively performed a basic knightly salute. But as a failure, how could she face Master Jean?
As a young girl, her sudden reaction had made her feel ashamed. She had wanted to run, to hide in a hole.
To her surprise, Master Jean had said nothing about her behavior. She had simply stopped and returned the salute.
Was that recognition?
As Acting Grand Master and the one in charge of selections, Jean knew this young girl, Noelle, and her efforts.
Jean thought highly of Noelle. But Noelle was too impatient. No matter who it was, becoming a good knight took time.
Jean had high hopes for this junior, looking forward to her future progress.
That day, Noelle had not only earned the Acting Grand Master's recognition but also the gods' recognition—and gained countless insights.
That was the story of how she obtained her Vision, and it remained her driving force.
Snapping out of her memories,
"I still need to work harder." Noelle muttered to herself. Recognition was the first step. She had to achieve results to live up to that recognition.
"Mondstadt wasn't built in a day. You'll succeed. Believe in yourself!"
(T/N: I think the author forgot that Rome doesn't exist in Teyvat so I localized it.)
Bonanus struck an encouraging pose. With Noelle's strength and effort, success was only a matter of time.
She didn't know why the girl had started muttering to herself, but encouragement was always good. A person's motivation often came from a single word of support.
"I understand! Thank you for your guidance, Sister!" Noelle looked deeply grateful.
Huh? What guidance? Bonanus was confused. Was it just "Mondstadt wasn't built in a day"? Surely many Knights seniors had said that to Noelle before.
If she thought it was guidance, then fine.
But rather than continuing with these topics of encouragement and Visions, Bonanus wanted to talk about something else. This was too boring.
She could talk about things girls liked more—like going out, where to go next, and so on.
Aside from the people of this world, Bonanus wasn't interested in Visions. Was a god's recognition that important? Unless the god gave her money—then it would matter.
Come to think of it, she had already freeloaded plenty from Rex Lapis. Or rather, she had freeloaded from Childe—and from "merchants" in general.
Rubbing her chin, Bonanus changed the subject.
"Like I said, I'm counting on you during my stay in Mondstadt. But I'll return the favor."
"For example, I'm quite famous in Liyue. If you have time, you should come visit—especially during Lantern Rite. Don't refuse my invitation!"
Bonanus extended the invitation. She was already looking forward to next year's Lantern Rite. Just thinking of the delicious food and endless merchandise made her mouth water.
Noelle nodded in acceptance, but it would depend on her schedule. She was very busy.
She would do her best.
"I'll definitely come if I have time. I'll be in your care then, Sister Fashui."
Noelle smiled. Though she was busy, she would gladly experience foreign customs.
She could relax and learn new things—a win-win. And Liyue was the nation of Geo—her own Vision was Geo.
There might be unexpected gains.
"Don't worry. When you get to Liyue Harbor, go to a place called Wangsheng Funeral Parlor and look for a purple-skinned man."
"He'll know where to find me."
Bonanus gave Noelle a clear address. As for why she didn't tell her to go directly to Yujing Terrace to find her...
Noelle was a foreigner and a trainee knight of the Knights of Favonius. Places like Yujing Terrace would be hard for her to access.
Not impossible, but certainly troublesome. Better to have her go to Brother Bosacius. With his warm personality, he would surely welcome this foreigner.
"Wangsheng Funeral Parlor? I've heard of that establishment. But a purple-skinned man..." Noelle scratched her head in confusion. Was that a different race?
"He's my big brother. Don't worry, he's very welcoming." Bonanus didn't explain further. Noelle would see for herself.
She just hoped the girl wouldn't be scared by his four arms. There was no four-armed humanoid in Mondstadt.
"I understand. Thank you for the invitation." Noelle pressed a hand to her chest. Though this knight was still young, she was already quite developed.
Today felt like her lucky day—a task from Senior Kaeya and a new foreign friend. Wonderful.
She looked forward to that day. Today had been fulfilling—lots of conversation, lots of stories.
But it was time to wrap up, because their meals had arrived. Time to enjoy the foreign cuisine!