The two girls wove through the streets of Mondstadt. Before long, they reached their destination. Since the Knights of Favonius Headquarters was located within the city, it didn't take long at all.
...
Knights of Favonius Headquarters
Just as Bonanus and Noelle arrived at the entrance, they ran into Kaeya, Amber, Lumine, and Paimon. What a coincidence.
"Yo, you two came too." Kaeya stepped forward first, greeting them with a smile. It seemed the Acting Grand Master had also called her reliable junior.
And a Liyue merchant. He supposed he and this merchant were already acquaintances by now.
"Hello, Captain Kaeya! And Amber, and the traveler from afar." Noelle smiled sincerely as she greeted them.
She turned her gaze to Lumine, her eyes full of gratitude. After all, it was this traveler who had driven away the dangerous dragon.
"Hello! I'm Paimon! This is the Traveler. We're looking for her missing brother." Paimon floated over, waving at Noelle cheerfully.
"Ah, I see. Being separated from family is truly painful. I hope you find your sibling soon. If there's anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask." Noelle nodded.
Everyone was greeting each other warmly, while Bonanus simply leaned against a stone pillar with her hands behind her head, curiously studying Lumine.
Wow, the real version of the sister. She looks so cute. I really want to pinch those rosy cheeks. But that would be too forward and sudden. Definitely not appropriate.
Bonanus thought to herself.
Lumine noticed the gaze again. Even though she couldn't clearly see the two girls on the city wall from the bridge earlier, she could tell by instinct that these were the same two.
The familiarity in this person's gaze was hard to miss. Lumine felt like this person had some purpose, but she didn't seem threatening.
"Do I know you?" Lumine stepped closer and asked in a voice only they could hear.
In response, Bonanus simply tilted her head with a smile, as if to say, "What are you talking about? I have no idea."
"Don't pretend. I can tell you know me. Do you know my brother? Please, tell me where he is." Lumine pressed on, undeterred. She leaned in closer, her eyes desperate for an answer.
Bonanus smiled helplessly and shrugged. Just as she was about to speak, Paimon, hovering by the entrance, interrupted them.
"Hey, what are you two doing? We're going in!" Paimon called out loudly, looking confused. They had just met and already had so much to talk about?
"Coming." Lumine smiled at Paimon, gave Bonanus a friendly glance, and followed Paimon toward the headquarters entrance.
"Sister, what did you two talk about?" Noelle asked, leaning in. She hadn't heard their conversation, but that didn't stop her from being curious.
"Hmm? She asked if I'd seen her brother." Bonanus answered honestly. There was nothing wrong with that. It was the truth.
"How sad. Being separated from family is terrible. If we get the chance, we should try to help her." Noelle looked at Bonanus, seeking her opinion.
"We'll see. Maybe there's nothing we can do." Bonanus said casually. Find her brother? That was a joke. In her previous life, she'd never even seen the Traveler's brother.
If it were that easy to find him, the game wouldn't exist.
"Let's hurry inside. Everyone else has already gone in. We're the only ones left." Bonanus took Noelle's hand, and they entered the headquarters together.
...
Inside Grand Master Jean's Office
"Yo, Acting Grand Master." Kaeya greeted Jean casually, signaling that he had brought the people she wanted to see, then led everyone inside.
Seeing them, Jean's tense expression softened. She stood up straight and approached them.
"Mondstadt welcomes you. The traveler who came with the wind, and the merchant from Liyue."
"I am Jean, the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius. This is Lisa, the Knights' librarian." After welcoming them, Jean introduced herself.
Lisa, who had been flipping through a book nearby, propped her chin on her slender hand and looked at them curiously.
"Oh my, are these the little cuties who came to help because we're short-handed? How adorable~"
Lisa's voice was full of charm, even if she didn't mean to be seductive.
Bonanus felt a shiver run down her spine at Lisa's voice. This big sister was so charming. She wasn't sure what exactly she meant by that.
Noelle, on the other hand, was nervous, fidgeting with her hands. This was her first time in a meeting where important matters were discussed. She couldn't calm down.
"Kaeya, give me a full report. And tell me about this traveler." Jean said seriously. She had very little information about them, so she needed to start with some questions.
"Alright. Here's what happened..." Kaeya spread his hands and calmly explained everything that had just occurred, along with the Traveler's general situation.
During this time, Noelle also reported to Jean what had happened outside the city gate.
A short while later...
"I see... I understand the pain of being separated from family. If it weren't for these distractions, the Knights would have better ways to help you than just posting missing person notices." Jean nodded.
Finding someone was a small matter compared to driving away Stormterror. It was practically insignificant.
Lumine nodded. She understood Mondstadt's situation. Being attacked by Stormterror was already enough trouble.
"It's fine. We should deal with the current problems first. Is there anything I can help with? Since I'm here, I might as well do something." Lumine offered.
She knew that being invited by the city's Acting Grand Master meant there was something they needed her help with.
"Paimon will help too!" Paimon chimed in, floating up and settling comfortably on Lumine's head.
Lumine didn't seem to mind, as if Paimon did this all the time.
Bonanus saw Paimon's behavior and thought, MiHoYo! Why can't my Paimon do that? Come out and explain yourself!
"Thank you both again. You've been a tremendous help. The Knights are grateful." Jean said happily.
Getting their help had been the whole point of this meeting. Since they offered first, she'd just go along with it.
After settling things with Lumine, Jean turned to Bonanus and Noelle.
"I've heard about what you two did. Knight Noelle, you helped Captain Ireland repel the monster attack. You've shown not only courage but also real skill." Jean said approvingly.
Her expression made it clear that she had always held this junior in high regard.
Hearing this, Noelle quickly gave a proper salute, stumbling over her words.
"I... it was my duty!" Noelle was thrilled. Grand Master Jean called her "Knight Noelle"! That was amazing!
Did this mean the Grand Master had acknowledged her?
"And you, the merchant from Liyue. The Knights have taken note of everything you've done these past few days. Thank you for helping us deal with the monster threats around Mondstadt." Jean nodded seriously.
Bonanus knew it was finally her turn. This felt like a beautiful teacher praising her students one by one.
"Even though you're a merchant from Liyue, please accept the title of "Honorary Merchant of Mondstadt" from the Knights. Though it's not a noble title..."
"It will raise your standing in Mondstadt and make future trade easier for you. The city and the Knights would be happy to have closer trade ties with you." Jean took a breath and waited for her response.
"I'm honored to accept the title. I look forward to our future trade relations. I'm sure neither side will be disappointed." Bonanus flashed a professional merchant's smile. "Honorary Merchant of Mondstadt"? What even was that?
Was it a downgraded version of "Honorary Knight"? She didn't see the point and even found it a little awkward.
But since they offered, it would be rude to refuse. She accepted.
To real merchants, this title would be incredibly valuable.
It meant she would become famous in Mondstadt's business circles. For a merchant, that was a huge advantage.
Too bad she wasn't actually a merchant. She had no goods to sell. She was just a simple person who wanted karmic debt and to save others.
So this title would probably just collect dust.
Seeing her acceptance, Jean nodded in relief. That should put an end to certain people using this matter against them.
After all, this merchant was now considered half a citizen of Mondstadt.
"Since I have this title now, I'll do my best to help all of you. I wouldn't want my trade partners to have headaches." Bonanus cleared her throat and addressed the group.
"So, can you tell me your plan?"