Early the next morning, Eula arrived at the Church of Favonius.
Xia Zhi had told her yesterday to come find him in the morning—he had something for her.
But the first thing she saw wasn't him. Instead, two figures were clashing noisily in the courtyard.
It was Noelle and Yaoyao.
Eula froze where she stood.
Noelle had mentioned to her a few days ago that every morning she sparred with Yaoyao and then went to take a bath. So Eula already knew they practiced together every day.
But she'd assumed it was just two rookies flailing at each other. Now, watching them fight in person, the sheer level of their skill left her stunned.
Yaoyao she could understand—she might be young, but her master was an Adeptus. Her spearwork being this refined wasn't surprising at all.
But Noelle? What on earth was going on with her?
Eula stared at that familiar figure, and yet, right now, Noelle felt almost like a stranger.
The two of them had always gotten along well enough. Otherwise, that time when Eula had been late to the mess hall and found no food left, Noelle wouldn't have shared her own lunchbox with her.
And since they both wielded claymores, Noelle sometimes came to ask Eula questions about the Knights' swordsmanship.
Eula knew very clearly what Noelle's actual ability was.
Frankly speaking, despite all her effort, Noelle's sword talent had never been anything special. Without a proper teacher, she'd spent years grinding away at the basics of Favonius swordsmanship all on her own, and her skill had remained stuck at a beginner's level. That was why she had never been able to become a full knight.
And yet, the Noelle standing before her now was showing the poise of a true swordmaster.
Eula herself wasn't even a swordmaster yet.
How was that possible? How could Noelle have grown this fast?
Her mind swirled with questions as she stood to the side, frowning slightly, watching the match.
When the round ended, the two girls lowered their weapons and rested for a moment.
Noelle smiled at her partner. "Yaoyao, your spearwork's been improving so quickly these past two days."
Yaoyao beamed. "Noelle-sis, your swordsmanship's been improving really fast too!"
As she tilted her head back in delight, the white pendant on her pale throat caught the morning light.
Noelle's gaze flicked to it. She already knew—it was Yaoyao's Magical Girl transformation device.
Just like her own sword hilt, it granted its wielder the [Spear Master] ability upon transformation.
That was the reason both of them had advanced so quickly.
But what unsettled Noelle was how quickly Yaoyao's device recharged. Compared to her own, it was several times faster.
At that moment, Eula walked over. They exchanged greetings.
Eula studied Noelle, then asked with a hint of doubt, "The sword style you used just now… that wasn't Favonius swordsmanship, was it?"
Noelle nodded. "No. Mr. Xia taught me another style."
So that was it… taught by Mr. Xia.
Eula gave a small nod, realization dawning. "I watched from the side just now. Your skill's already excellent—honestly no weaker than mine. If you enter the selection trials this year, you'll definitely become a Knight of Favonius."
But Noelle only lowered her head with a faint smile. "I don't think I'll be taking the trials this year."
Eula blinked. "Why not? Wasn't that always your dream?"
Noelle nodded. "It was. But now I understand… a true knight doesn't need anyone else's recognition. What matters is staying true to your own code."
Eula looked at her serious profile, struck by how much she resembled Jean now.
She used to be like solid rock—steady, dependable. But now there was also a touch of wind: free and unrestrained.
After a pause, Eula said, "Don't tell me you're worried that if you join the Knights, the daily assignments will interfere with running your potion shop?"
Noelle's eyes flickered. "Of course not, Senior Eula, you're overthinking it."
Still such a poor liar.
Eula didn't press further. Instead, she drew a broad, ornate claymore from her inventory.
Its wide blade gleamed, decorated with intricate patterns.
The [Sacrificial Greatsword].
A weapon said to have been blessed by the gods.
Noelle blinked. "Senior Eula, what are you…?"
Eula met her gaze. "Spar with me. I want to see just how far your skill has come."
After a moment's hesitation, Noelle nodded. "All right."
Both of them were claymore users—training together would only be more fruitful.
The clashing of steel rang out again.
Yaoyao hugged her spear and watched eagerly from the side. After a while, she even pulled out her phone, snapping a few photos to send to the group chat.
Eventually, Eula and Noelle broke apart, lowering their weapons.
The duel had ended in a draw.
Eula's emotions tangled within her chest.
Noelle too stared down at her claymore, dazed.
Had she really caught up to Senior Eula?
Eula—who stood shoulder to shoulder with Jean, the Dandelion Knight, as the famed [Spindrift Knight]?
Did that mean she had also reached the level of the captain she admired so much?
Eula sheathed the [Sacrificial Greatsword] and looked at the still-dazed Noelle. "You're really not considering the Knights' trials this year? With your current strength, you could be a squad captain."
Noelle shook her head. "I don't want to. Not for now."
Eula didn't press. She only nodded. "All right, then."
She stepped aside, quietly watching Noelle and Yaoyao resume their sparring.
Why had she never noticed Noelle's talent before?
Or was it simply that Mr. Xia was an excellent teacher?
Still, that had been pure swordplay. No elemental power had been used.
If she unleashed her Cryo Vision, with her mastery of elemental combat, she should still easily overpower Noelle… right?
Her eyes drifted to the Geo Vision on Noelle's waist.
Maybe not. After all, Geo users excelled at defense. Paired with a claymore's sweeping strength, the combination was nearly perfect.
Eula let out a soft, inexplicable sigh.
Time slipped by.
Xia Lin got up and wandered over. Then Klee, Fischl, and Rosaria joined them.
Finally, Amber arrived. She'd returned late last night from another mission, earning herself two days of leave.
"The past couple days I was away and missed meals! So sad!"
Her voice was as lively and energetic as ever.
Listening, Eula couldn't help but smile faintly.
After Xia Zhi finished washing up, he came to greet everyone.
Then he handed Eula a folded slip of paper.
She took it, curious. "Mr. Xia, what's this?"
"Our script for you," he said quietly.
"Our?"
"I wrote the draft. Xia Ci helped revise it."
"Oh, thank you both."
"No problem. Read it through. If anything feels off, we can revise again. Or when the time comes, improvise if you need to. This is just a backup."
"All right, I'll take a look."
Eula unfolded the paper.
Huh? These lines… felt a little odd.
Not bad, exactly, but—too much of a Liyue flavor.
Still, she knew the language well. She'd studied under Amber's grandfather, a Liyue native who often taught her old Liyue sayings.
When she finished reading, she refolded the paper with a slightly strange expression.
Xia Zhi asked, "Well? What do you think?"
Eula gave him a calm smile. "It's good. I've memorized it. I'll stick to this."
"Just remember," Xia Zhi warned, "things might not go exactly as expected. Be ready to adapt."
Eula chuckled. "Don't worry, Mr. Xia. I'm not that dense."
He laughed softly. With someone as capable as Eula, there was little to worry about.
He handed her a small vial.
She arched a brow. "And this is?"
"A Calming Pill. It keeps the mind steady and calm."
"I already feel calm. I don't need this."
"Come on, it won't hurt you."
"…All right. Thank you, Mr. Xia."
She tucked the bottle away, a faint warmth spreading in her chest.
She knew of such medicine—Amber's grandfather had told her the Adepti brewed them from rare herbs. For Mr. Xia to gift her something so precious spoke volumes of his care.
With a friend like this, what more could she ask for?
Afterward, they all went out for breakfast.
Rosaria and Diona split off—they had to train new staff at the Pet Tavern.
The rest headed toward the Knights' tribunal.
Once there, Eula entered the inner court alone.
The others searched for seats in the outer hall.
"Over here, bestie! Over here!"
It was Venti and Dragon King's group waving them over.
Xia Zhi walked over. "You guys too?"
Venti grinned. "Of course. Came to watch the show."
Xia Ci raised a brow. "Pretty early for that."
Dragon King nodded. "Gotta grab seats. The Lawrence clan isn't exactly loved in Mondstadt. Lots of people will be here to watch them squirm."
Venti stretched out a hand to Xia Zhi. "Bestie. Where's the wine you promised?"
Xia Zhi sighed and passed him a bottle. "Here."
"Ten bottles," Venti corrected cheerfully.
"…Fine."
Venti hugged the bottles with a satisfied smile.
Dragon King clapped his shoulder. "Bestie…"
Venti immediately shoved five his way. "Here."
Dragon King beamed. "Refreshing…"
"Don't drink here," Xia Zhi warned.
"Relax, relax," Venti waved him off. "If the scent spreads, this trial's done for."
Dragon King stared at the stage. "Why haven't they started yet? Hurry it up…"
"Not everyone's here."
"Come on, let's play some mobile game. We're short one."