Upon closer inspection, the person standing before him was Noelle. His movements halted abruptly.
Brushing off the dust clinging to his clothes from the smoke bomb, his mind raced as he pointed at the Fatui agent lying motionless on the ground, breathing shallowly, and cursed with a grin.
"This guy deserves it; he's one of the Fatui."
Noelle paused, a flicker of doubt flashing through her clear eyes. She looked at the man lying on the ground—he was dressed in a way typical of Mondstadt, nothing like how the Fatui usually presented themselves.
Shao Yun crouched down, pulled a badge of a Fatui Skirmisher Recruit from the man's coat, and held it up for display.
Noelle's gaze locked onto the badge in his hand. It gleamed with a cold, metallic light.
Her brows furrowed slightly, her eyes filled with deep suspicion and thought.
"This is indeed the insignia of a Fatui Skirmisher Recruit," Noelle said, her tone tinged with uncertainty as she gently rubbed her chin.
"He was trying to spy on the Knights. I... you know."
Hearing such shocking news, Noelle's eyes widened. Her voice trembled a little as she looked at Shao Yun—was there really someone brazen enough to eavesdrop on the Knights?
"Ah... really?"
Noticing the flicker of hesitation in Noelle's eyes, Shao Yun seized the opportunity. He hardened his tone, filled with confidence and trust.
"This isn't just a hunch. You can ask Acting Grand Master Jean—she can confirm it."
Noelle stood in place, brow slightly furrowed. After a moment, she took a deep breath and nodded slowly, a look of apology spreading across her face.
Her voice was gentle and sincere. "Mr. Shao Yun, I'm truly sorry. My actions just now were rather reckless—I nearly attacked you without understanding the situation."
It was just a misunderstanding, no big deal.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Shao Yun's gaze shifted to a few crates behind Noelle. They looked quite heavy, with some dust clinging to the surface—clearly they had been carried a long way.
Curious, he asked, "Noelle, what's in those crates?"
Noelle turned at his question, glanced at the boxes, and suddenly clapped a hand over her mouth in realization.
"Oh! I just remembered—I'm in the middle of carrying out Captain Kaeya's emergency mission!"
She rushed over to the crates, bent down, and with both hands lifted one with some effort.
Shao Yun stepped forward to help her manage the load.
"I need to deliver these fruits to the knights at the city gate. Captain Kaeya said a lack of nutrition would affect their combat performance—it's urgent."
Alright, not a bad task, and trust Kaeya to come up with something like that.
If he had more time, he might even help her deliver them. But for now…
"Alright then, go ahead—I won't keep you."
Just as Noelle was about to leave, she stopped to thank Shao Yun for his help during the recent dragon disaster.
"Oh, right, Shao Yun. Thank you for helping me clean up that day."
Shao Yun waved dismissively. "It was nothing, don't mention it."
Noelle, carrying the wooden crate, was about to leave but left him with a final message.
"I'll be around Mondstadt's gate for the next few days. When you have time, come by—I have a gift to thank you."
Seeing Noelle still mindful of preparing a thank-you gift for him, Shao Yun felt it was unnecessary.
"Get going then."
After Noelle left, a system notification appeared.
[System Notification: Three days later, at dusk, head to Mondstadt's gate to trigger a conversation with Noelle.]
He thought it would be something simple, like Lisa giving a little trinket—but then, another prompt appeared.
[Warning: This mission is important. Please take it seriously.]
Just a conversation? Why so ceremonious?
Besides, did he even have time lately? Searching for Dvalin's tears alone was enough to wear him out.
…
Back at Angel's Share, Shao Yun opened the door to find the bar empty, except for bartender Charles polishing glasses behind the counter.
Charles looked up at the arrival. "Mr. Shao Yun, what can I get for you?"
"Where is everyone?" Shao Yun asked. He hadn't been gone long, yet the place was deserted.
"Oh, you mean Master Diluc and the others? They left a while ago." Charles pointed at the door behind Shao Yun. "Been a while now."
Just as Shao Yun was about to head out to look for Lumine, Charles quickly stopped him.
"Wait a moment—I just remembered. Lumine left a note for you."
He reached beneath the bar and handed over a folded piece of paper.
Unfolding it, Shao Yun read the brief message.
"Shao Yun, go to Adventurers' Guild to see Katheryne—urgent!"
Clearly, it was Paimon's handwriting—short and sweet.
He figured she had probably wanted to write a long message, maybe even trick him into missing it so she could enjoy a drink alone, but under Lumine's pressure, she must've kept it short.
"Thanks." Shao Yun pocketed the note and headed straight for the guild reception.
From a distance, he saw Lumine and Paimon speaking with Katheryne, scanning through available commissions.
"I'm here." Shao Yun waved and approached them.
Upon hearing his voice, Paimon crossed her arms, furrowed her brow, and pouted with visible dissatisfaction.
"You sure took your time! Lumine and I were about to leave already!"
Lumine, noticing Paimon's behavior, remembered the events of the previous night and lightly slapped her back in protest.
"Paimon, don't lie to Shao Yun. We just got here ourselves."
Busted, Paimon lowered her head in defeat.
"Ugh~ My juice is gone."
Seeing Paimon's dejected expression, Shao Yun chuckled. "Haha, if you want juice, I don't mind treating you every day."
"Really?" Paimon perked up immediately.
"Paimon!" Lumine raised her voice, quickly reining her in.
"Haha, alright, enough of that—so why did you call me to the Adventurers' Guild?"
Getting down to business, Paimon instantly regained her energy and pulled Shao Yun toward Katheryne.
"Here's the thing—the Guild is recruiting new adventurers. The benefits are amazing, and I thought you should join too."
To Paimon, it was a cushy gig. She and Lumine could easily handle things like delivering goods or fighting Hilichurls. After completing the tasks, they could earn over 10,000 Mora.
Shao Yun wasn't too interested. This wasn't a game, where he needed to earn Primogems. The commissions now only paid in Mora, and with over two billion in his pocket, it wasn't worth the effort.
"Oh, I see."
Paimon blinked, not picking up on the disinterest in his voice. With mild excitement, she asked, "So, what do you think?"
"Honestly, I don't really care. Seems like I could accept commissions even without being an adventurer."
Katheryne, overhearing this, kindly offered an explanation.
"It's not quite like that. With the Guild's filtering process, you'll receive missions more suited to your skills. Why wait for uncertain private requests that offer no guarantee and could cause labor disputes?"
"Besides, with Lumine and Paimon as your guarantors, all you need to do is fill in some basic information. Registered adventurers enjoy many benefits, like…"
Before she could finish, Shao Yun impatiently waved his hand.
"I know. Help for newcomers, easing the burden for veterans—you've mentioned it all. But what's next?"
Katheryne got straight to the point, revealing what most adventurers longed for: access to unexplored domains.
"New domains will first be explored by Guild members. If your skills are outstanding, you'll have priority access, and all the treasure chests inside will be yours."
At the word "treasure chest," Paimon lit up again. If Lumine hadn't been holding her back, she'd already have dragged Shao Yun to sign up.
"And since you're travelers, being known as adventurers too would make you more welcome across nations, saving you lots of trouble."
Shao Yun stood silently, slightly lowering his head, weighing something internally. Then he fixed a penetrating gaze on Katheryne.
"And our files would end up on the desks of major powers, used as pawns, right?"
Katheryne hadn't expected such a sharp question. She laughed awkwardly.
"It's not like that. Understanding your background is just for—"
"Save it. I'm not interested." Shao Yun cut her off, still reluctant to expose himself too much.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going."
His four miracle supplements were gone—still unreplenished. Instead of earning a few coins, he might as well gather herbs and restock.
"Wait! Shao Yun!" Paimon rushed forward, blocking his path.
"Shao Yun, joining the Guild isn't a bad thing. You get paid for commissions, and even receive treatment if injured! What's the downside?"
He glanced around, then whispered in Paimon's ear, "I don't like being the center of attention. You understand, right?"
Paimon seemed to grasp his sentiment, but still coaxed him in her soft voice. "Shao Yun, relax. No one here knows who you used to be."
"I know, but…"
Seeing he was still stalling, she fluttered her eyes and put on a pitiful expression, whining, "Just consider it keeping me and Lumine company, okay?"
Shao Yun sighed heavily. He was a sucker for this kind of plea. She said it so sincerely—he couldn't bear to refuse. He gave a reluctant nod.
"Only because it's you two. Anyone else, I wouldn't even consider it."
Back in front of Katheryne, even though he agreed to join, Shao Yun still had questions—he wasn't here for a full-time job.
"I want to ask, are commissions mandatory?"
Katheryne had never encountered such a question before. Her mind raced for a fitting answer.
"That's the first time I've heard such a request. Most adventurers can't wait to take more…"
Still, going by the logic of "no rule means allowed," she gave him a reply.
"The Guild doesn't require adventurers to fulfill a quota. It's entirely voluntary."
As long as it wasn't mandatory. No way he was becoming a corporate cog—this was an isekai adventure and he was loaded. Freedom was key!
With no further questions, they moved to the next step.
"Please fill out this form."
Shao Yun took the paper and pen Katheryne handed over, jotted down the basic info, and returned it.
Katheryne glanced at the form, her eyes pausing on the name field with a hint of confusion. She looked up at him and asked uncertainly.
"Tacitus Kilgore?"
Seeing her puzzled expression, Shao Yun said nothing—just nodded.
If that one didn't work, he had plenty more: Callahan, Tahiti, Fenton, or even Cornwall.
Katheryne looked back at the form and voiced her concern.
"Aren't you… Shao Yun?"
Shao Yun nodded. "So what? A name's just a code name."
Katheryne looked like she wanted to cry. Why was he making her job harder?
"This will mess up payment processing."
Hearing this, Shao Yun glanced at Lumine and got a great idea.
"Just put Lumine as the payee—we're traveling together anyway."
Katheryne looked at the trio with a helpless expression. She had worked reception for years and thought she'd seen it all. Today proved otherwise.
"Alright…"
She filed away the form and started processing Shao Yun's—well, Tacitus'—adventurer status.
Lumine stared at him, a mixture of confusion and curiosity in her eyes.
"Shao Yun, I don't get it. Why put me as the payee?"
"I don't want unnecessary attention. Besides, we're together—who holds the money doesn't matter."
One coin might stump a hero, but even a single coin can give a man wings. And with all the money he already had, the commission pay was basically Paimon's snack fund.
Once the paperwork was done, Katheryne handed him a pristine Adventurer's Certificate.
"Congratulations, uh… Mr. Tacitus. You're now a proud member of the Adventurers' Guild. May you reach the ends of stars and the abyss."