Slimes always staying locked indoors wasn't good, so Koji cleaned up the garden and turned it into a little playground for them.
Naturally, this drew plenty of onlookers from Mondstadt. At first, people were nervous, even afraid. But when they saw that the slimes weren't attacking anyone, their curiosity overcame their fear and they came closer.
Once they heard that Acting Grand Master Jean had approved it, they relaxed even more. If Jean vouched for something, it was trustworthy.
This was the first time most people had seen slimes up close. Round, bouncy, surprisingly cute… if only wild slimes weren't hostile, they'd actually make wonderful little pets.
"Jean, what brings you here?"
When Koji noticed her, he quickly invited her inside. They'd avoided a lot of trouble in Mondstadt thanks to her support.
"I came to ask you something."
Jean accepted the water he poured. Her exhaustion was obvious to the naked eye. Koji knew just how busy she had been—between the crisis with the dragon and the endless problems residents brought her, she hardly had time to breathe.
Mondstadt needed reform. It was a city of overgrown children, and it showed.
"Venti said Lumine has the power to purify Dvalin. He suggested we could seek your help." Jean hesitated, then added quietly, "The Knights can pay handsomely."
"In that case, Jean, let's just go and kill Dvalin."
Koji reached out and grabbed her hand. As long as the price was right, even the Archons could be toppled.
"Uh… no, that's really not necessary…"
Jean's face flushed red as she pulled her hand free. It was the first time a man had held her hand.
"As long as we can bring Dvalin back to his senses, that will be enough."
Koji, straight to "kill the dragon"? That was a little too extreme.
To be honest, even after discovering Venti's true identity as the Anemo Archon, Jean still felt conflicted. The God of Freedom really was… a little too free.
"So when do we head out? The sooner the better." Koji asked.
He already knew which blessings he would use. He was ready to face Dvalin head-on.
"We'll need some preparation first. Dvalin is a creature of the gods—not to be underestimated," Jean answered carefully.
She didn't know exactly how strong Koji was, but with the Knights stretched thin, she had to plan cautiously.
"Fine. You decide."
Koji's tone was calm. He would help—but for a price. They weren't free labor.
Jean nodded and took her leave.
…
"Koji, what did Jean want?"
Lumine shuffled out in a white nightdress, her hair still a tangled mess.
"She wants us to help with Dvalin." Koji smiled.
"That giant dragon… that's going to be tough." Lumine frowned, hesitating.
"She said the pay is generous."
"In that case—well, of course, we're justice's chosen champions!"
The instant Lumine heard "generous pay," her attitude flipped like a stage mask. Who could turn down Mora?
"Champions of justice, golden-haired knight… you've almost got the whole Fate setup here." Koji chuckled.
"Exactly, it really does have the Fate vibe." Lumine nodded seriously.
"By the way, isn't Bedman's ultimate move basically 'Excalibur'? That last attack you pulled—if you changed the color, you could've just shouted EX—Excalibur."
Koji laughed. She really had watched a lot of anime. Good thing she hadn't recognized his blessing's inspiration, or she'd be quoting Overlord instead.
"What are you two even talking about?"
Paimon floated nearby, utterly lost. "Curry sticks? …Is that food?"
"Nothing," Koji said solemnly. "Just a saying from back home."
"Yeah, Paimon, you wouldn't get it even if we explained," Lumine agreed.
"Hmph."
Paimon puffed up angrily. It would take at least ten Sweet Madame dishes to make this right.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Koji went to open the door—and found the Rock Princess herself: Noelle. This was his first time meeting her in Mondstadt.
Supposedly, if you just called her name, she'd come running to help.
"Hello, Mr. Koji, Miss Lumine, Miss Paimon. I'm Noelle, a maid of the Knights of Favonius. Acting Grand Master Jean asked me to help watch over your slimes." Her voice was polite and steady.
Paimon immediately perked up, floating smugly. Finally, someone addressed her properly!
Koji realized Jean must have been worried about the slimes wandering around and startling people. And Noelle, often left with little real work, was a natural choice.
Don't underestimate her, though. Noelle's strength was terrifying. Her greatsword swung with the power of a landslide.
"Just call me Koji. You don't mind slimes?"
In the garden, seven colorful blobs bounced cheerfully. Noelle bent closer, curiosity plain in her eyes. This was her first time so close to them.
Round and soft, slimes were practically cute compared to other monsters. They looked harmless like this.
"They're adorable. Wild ones attack people, of course, but these… may I touch one?"
"Go ahead."
With permission, Noelle crouched and patted a Geo Slime. So docile! In the wild, it would have charged her instantly.
Its texture was smooth and springy, like polished jade—soft but firm. Much nicer than she had expected.
So this was what slimes felt like. She scooped up the Geo Slime and even rubbed her cheek against it, smiling.
Having a Geo Vision of her own, she felt a special kinship with it.
"Mr. Koji, Miss Lumine—you haven't had dinner yet, have you? Please, allow me."
Without waiting, Noelle slipped into the kitchen like she owned the place.
Koji and Lumine exchanged a look. She really was too diligent.
Soon, a mouth-watering aroma wafted out.
"Smells amazing…"
The dishes were authentic Mondstadt cuisine, no worse than what you'd find at the Deer Hunter. It was like the house had turned into a restaurant.
"Noelle, your cooking is incredible." Koji gave her a thumbs up.
"As a maid, skill in cooking is simply one of the basics," she replied calmly, as if it were nothing special.
Koji almost asked if she could also pull weapons out from under her skirt.
And she wasn't done. After dinner, she began cleaning. Wherever she went, the place sparkled as if brand-new.
"Koji, this maid is amazing. Should we… maybe try to steal her away?" Lumine whispered, eyes shining.
She could clean, cook, and probably crush enemies with her greatsword. Truly a perfect maid.
"Good idea. But let's take our time. Noelle isn't a tool to be stolen," Koji agreed.
Graceful in the parlor, skilled in the kitchen, and able to transform into a rock-solid shield in battle—where could you find another like her?
Sure, Koji had blessings that could handle cooking, but eating someone else's food always tasted better.
Paimon: You guys do realize Jean would never agree to this, right? Still… Noelle's cooking really is delicious.
(End of Chapter)
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