Chapter 043: Kaeya, I Really Want to Kill You!

(TL/N: Sorry. some medic stuff make me need to bed rest)

Seeing that Shao Yun was fine, Noelle breathed a sigh of relief. She gently patted his shoulder and said with a smile, "It really is you! You scared me. I thought you were a homeless person who had frozen and passed out."

What kind of homeless person could make it onto Mondstadt's city defense walls? Wouldn't it be better to go to the Favonius Cathedral? The monks and nuns there are quite charitable and would surely take in someone without a home.

Shao Yun rubbed his sleepy eyes, still a bit dazed as he looked around. The sun had already risen in the east, casting golden rays across the land.

He stood up, stretched his stiff limbs, and greeted Noelle.

"Good morning."

Seeing that he was unharmed and even able to greet her, Noelle relaxed a bit, but a hint of doubt crept into her mind.

"Mr. Shao Yun, what are you doing up here on the city walls? I remember this is a restricted area for Mondstadt's defense. It's not open to the public..."

Faced with Noelle's question, Shao Yun, still groggy from sleep, blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

He scratched his head awkwardly and said, "Ah, well, I came up here last night to enjoy the view and ended up wandering here..."

As Noelle's gaze grew increasingly skeptical, Shao Yun's voice trailed off. He was telling the truth, albeit an incomplete version of it.

But it wasn't a lie—he really had come to enjoy the view.

After hearing Shao Yun's explanation, Noelle's eyes sharpened, clearly unconvinced by his words, not even the punctuation.

She placed her left hand on her hip and said distrustfully, "Mr. Shao Yun, I may be young, but I'm not naive. That excuse might work on Klee, but not on me."

Hearing Noelle say she was better than Klee, Shao Yun almost burst out laughing.

You and Klee are both quite naive. You both think simply and are quick to trust others. Only someone as foolish as the Fatui would fail to deceive you.

But then again, his own excuse wasn't much better...

Noelle thought about the Knights of Favonius' manual on how to deal with strangers trespassing in restricted areas.

There was only one solution: subdue the trespasser and take them to the Knights for questioning.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she noticed that Shao Yun had remained silent, a faint smile playing on his lips.

She had no idea what Shao Yun was thinking, but based on his expression alone, he looked like a shady Treasure Hoarder or a Fatui agent up to no good.

"Mr. Shao Yun," Noelle's voice carried a warning tone, "please tell me the truth, or I'll have to follow the Knights' manual and subdue you, then take you to the Knights for questioning."

As she spoke, her hands clenched into fists, ready for a real fight.

Seeing this, Shao Yun quickly wiped the smile off his face. Looking at Noelle's determined eyes and clenched fists, he felt a pang of unease.

It wasn't that he was afraid of Noelle's strength—it was more that if they fought, Noelle probably wouldn't be able to beat him.

If he went easy on her and lost, he'd be humiliated, a laughingstock.

If he won, it would be like a Ferrari racing a wheelchair—winning would be even more embarrassing!

He quickly scrambled for an excuse, and suddenly, an idea struck him.

Ah, I've got it!

Shao Yun hurriedly pulled out the temporary city defense pass.

"Noelle, look at this!"

Noelle took the pass and examined it carefully.

"The handwriting and seal do belong to Acting Grand Master Jean, but... this is just a card, not the official Knights' stationery. It's still suspicious."

Even this wasn't convincing enough? Seeing Noelle return the pass, still distrustful, Shao Yun, still half-asleep and his mind foggy, remembered the incident where he had caught the Treasure Hoarder leader, the Strange Bird. He decided to use that as a starting point to weave a plausible story.

"Noelle, I was the one who caught the Strange Bird, remember?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with you being on the city walls?" Noelle nodded in acknowledgment, but she still didn't see the connection.

Her brows furrowed as she waited for Shao Yun to provide a clearer explanation, as the two events didn't seem related at all.

Shao Yun understood that Noelle's doubts hadn't been completely dispelled, but since she had taken the bait, the rest would be easy.

He took a deep breath and continued spinning his tale. "How are they not related? The logic is perfectly clear!"

"Please explain in detail," Noelle said, her tone as serious as ever, but her willingness to listen meant she was already halfway convinced.

Seeing that Noelle was willing to hear him out, Shao Yun began brainstorming, trying to come up with a reason that would explain his presence on the walls and satisfy her.

"After I caught the Strange Bird, the Adventurers' Guild thought I was capable of taking on higher-level commissions. So, I accepted..."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "A sort of volunteer commission, helping the Knights of Favonius with odd jobs. The Knights sometimes outsource small tasks like transporting goods or cleaning. You know about that, right, Noelle?"

Hearing Shao Yun's explanation, the doubt in Noelle's eyes lessened slightly.

Shao Yun had caught the Strange Bird and gained recognition from the Adventurers' Guild, leading to a commission from the Knights of Favonius.

The Knights, short on manpower, did indeed outsource some minor tasks. This explanation seemed plausible.

"Oh, so it's similar to being a maid. Not an official Knight, but still doing work for the Knights."

Noelle, combining her own understanding, formed a logical loop in her mind, digesting Shao Yun's words.

In short, both Shao Yun and Noelle were unofficial members of the Knights.

Seeing that Noelle understood, Shao Yun quickly nodded in agreement. "Ah, yes, yes! It's similar work."

To completely dispel Noelle's doubts, he even joked about Paimon. "I need to work more to earn enough to feed Paimon. That little glutton eats so much; if I don't work hard, I'll go broke!"

A mix of truth and lies is the most convincing. After hearing Shao Yun's words, Noelle's expression softened.

"Oh, I see. It seems Mr. Shao Yun really cares about Paimon."

Shao Yun continued along this line. "Lumine's earnings alone can't fill Paimon's stomach."

Seeing Noelle's expression, it seemed she had been convinced. Shao Yun breathed a sigh of relief.

However, just as he thought it was all over, Noelle suddenly became very excited, as if she had met a new colleague.

"Mr. Shao Yun, if that's the case, then our goals are the same."

Shao Yun was taken aback, looking at Noelle in confusion. He wasn't sure what she meant by their goals being the same.

"What do you mean?"

Shao Yun looked at Noelle and suddenly noticed the two long-handled brushes and several buckets of water beside her. Curious, he asked, "Noelle, what are these for?"

Noelle replied with enthusiasm, "This is an urgent task assigned to me by Captain Kaeya!" Her face was filled with passion and determination, as if she was looking forward to the task with great confidence.

Shao Yun stared intently at Noelle. He noticed the extreme anticipation in her expression, as if she were lost in some indescribable dream.

Hearing that it was an urgent task from Kaeya, a sense of foreboding crept into Shao Yun's heart.

"What kind of task requires brushes?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Noelle's face lit up with admiration and excitement. Her voice filled with reverence, she said to Shao Yun, "Captain Kaeya said that the paths on Mondstadt's city walls need to be thoroughly cleaned and scrubbed to ensure that the Knights won't slip on any dirt."

Shao Yun looked at the seemingly endless stretch of city walls, feeling a wave of indescribable shock.

His eyes widened in disbelief, and he even stammered, "You! Noelle, you're going to... scrub the paths on the city walls? Kaeya said that?"

Noelle nodded, her face still filled with admiration. She seemed to be looking forward to the task with great enthusiasm.

"Yes, it's an urgent task. I'm contributing to Mondstadt."

Oh, you silly child. You say you're not naive, but after Grand Master Varka took most of the Knights with him, Mondstadt's current Knights are barely maintaining basic security. There's no way they'd send anyone to patrol up here!

"Did Kaeya assign this to you alone? I see you brought two brushes," Shao Yun said, thinking someone might come to help.

Noelle shook her head, indicating that she was alone, and explained, "It's just me. I brought two brushes in case one breaks and I don't have a backup cleaning tool. I plan to finish in one day."

You're being gaslighted! And he assigned this to you alone? Even if you're young, Noelle, you shouldn't be doing such heavy labor!

Shao Yun looked at her determined expression, feeling a mix of helplessness and frustration. Kaeya had assigned a 15-year-old girl to scrub the city walls—a grueling physical task.

This had to be reported to the Knights! He needed to report Kaeya for abusing Noelle!

But he was worried that if he reported it, Kaeya himself would be the one handling the complaint, leading to a farcical situation where the accused would be the judge.

To make Noelle reconsider and switch to an easier task, Shao Yun quickly resorted to a tactic often used by grandmothers to scare their grandchildren.

"Are you sure? These city walls stretch on forever. Even if you don't die from exhaustion, you'll be half-dead by the end of the day!" Shao Yun exaggerated, hoping Noelle would pick up on his attempt to dissuade her.

Noelle hesitated slightly after hearing this. "I did think about that on the way here, but..."

Then, her tone shifted, and she excitedly grabbed Shao Yun's hands, full of energy. "With Mr. Shao Yun's help, I'm sure we can finish in one day!"

Shao Yun was stunned. How did this involve him?

His eyes widened as he looked at Noelle, momentarily speechless. All his thoughts condensed into four words.

"What the heck!"

Noelle, holding a long-handled brush, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm, walked over to Shao Yun with a smile and handed him the brush.

Shao Yun wanted to refuse, but seeing the expectant look in Noelle's eyes, he numbly took the brush and nodded.

"That's more like it! Mr. Shao Yun, you're basically like a maid for the Knights now, right?" Noelle said with a laugh, her voice filled with cheerfulness and warmth.

"Let's work hard together!"

Shao Yun looked at the brush in his hand, then turned to see Noelle already hard at work. He couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and frustration.

He slapped himself lightly and muttered, "I really shot myself in the foot with my big mouth! I should've just said I was drunk and didn't know how I ended up on the walls!"

Despite his frustration, as Shao Yun watched Noelle's determined背影, his annoyance gradually faded.

He picked up the brush and joined Noelle in scrubbing the city wall paths.

Every now and then, he would glance up, keeping an eye on the city and its surroundings.

When his gaze fell on the distant Knights of Favonius headquarters, Shao Yun gritted his teeth and spat out eight words.

"Kaeya, I really want to kill you!"

...

Meanwhile, Kaeya, who was slacking off at the Knights' headquarters, suddenly shivered and looked out the window, muttering to himself.

"By the Anemo Archon, why do I feel a cold breeze blowing in?"

...

Time seemed to drag on due to the physical labor.

Shao Yun and Noelle scrubbed the paths, changing the water countless times.

The sun rose in the east, and as time passed, it climbed to its zenith, its scorching rays beating down on the city walls. Golden light gradually bathed the entire wall.

Sweat dripped down Shao Yun's face, soaking his collar. He kept working without pause, silently persevering alongside Noelle.

By the end, it felt as if the air around them had solidified, with only the sound of brushes scraping against the ground echoing in their ears.

Then, a system notification suddenly popped up.

[Core Health Remaining: 77% (Normal). Estimated time remaining at current consumption rate: 92 hours.]

[Core Stamina Remaining: 27% (Warning). Estimated time remaining at current consumption rate: 11 hours.]

[Core Death Eye Remaining: 99% (Perfect). Estimated time remaining at current consumption rate: 119 hours.]

System Notification: You have been engaged in high-intensity labor for 6.2 hours. Please rest and recover through eating or resting. When core stamina is depleted, core health will be significantly consumed. Please cherish your life.

Seeing the system's warning, Shao Yun was shocked. Even with a Vision reducing half the consumption, he had drained his stamina this much. How intense was this labor?!

Shao Yun suddenly stopped and turned to Noelle, who was still scrubbing. "Noelle, how much have we done?"

Noelle paused and looked back at the completed section. "About halfway, maybe a bit more."

Hearing this, Shao Yun, afraid he might collapse from exhaustion if he continued, quickly put down his brush and sat against the wall, waving his hand. "Let's take a break!"