"We haven't seen any sign of the Treasure Hoarders or Noelle along the way; it seems they've already entered the Whispering Woods."
Jean looked at the bowknot in her hand, deep in thought.
She had picked up this bowknot on the road. As an accessory Noelle often wore, its presence here suggested Noelle might have accidentally dropped it while tracking the Treasure Hoarders. It was precisely because of this clue that Jean hadn't doubted she was heading in the right direction.
"There are no traces of a fight along the path. Given Noelle's strength, it's impossible for the Treasure Hoarders to have taken him down silently. Noelle probably hasn't been discovered yet."
The wooden horse ran at breakneck speed, allowing Jean, the leader, to gaze from the carriage roof toward the Whispering Woods not far ahead.
In the dark depths of the forest, flocks of crows took flight, letting out unpleasant cries, which made Jean increasingly anxious.
Hoo—!
"Leader Jean, we've arrived!"
Jean nimbly flipped and jumped down from the carriage, landing gracefully on the ground.
Siegfrieda stumbled out of the carriage compartment and scrambled to the roadside grass on all fours, vomiting violently.
Jean looked at the two of them and said earnestly, "Thank you both for your help. The Knights of Favonius will not forget your contribution."
"It's very dangerous here; please return as soon as possible."
Amu shook his head and asked, "But Leader Jean, if we leave, how will you return to Mondstadt City?"
At this moment, Siegfrieda also managed to pull herself over and persuaded her, "That's right, Leader Jean, we should stay here and wait for you!"
"Don't let Amu's weak appearance fool you; he actually can't even defeat a Mitachurl."
"Besides, with the speed of the wooden horse, we can escape at any time even if we run into danger."
Seeing the determined looks in Amu and Siegfrieda's eyes, coupled with her worry that Noelle might be hurt if she delayed, Leader Jean agreed to let the two stay.
"Fine, but your own life safety must always be your top priority!"
"If I haven't emerged from the Whispering Woods by noon, Cavalry Captain Kaeya will bring a squad of Knights here to support you. If you encounter difficulties, you can ask them for help."
"Remember, you must protect yourselves well. Retreat immediately if you face danger!"
"Understood! Leader Jean!" × 2, Siegfrieda and Amu responded in unison.
Under the gaze of the two, Leader Jean strode forward with firm steps, walking one step at a time into the pitch-black depths of the forest.
...
On the other side, during the Treasure Hoarders' journey, the atmosphere grew increasingly strange.
The few members who were relatively close clustered together, needing to stick together whether they were using the restroom or drinking water, as if afraid of being ambushed if separated.
The Cyclops leader clutched the treasure chest containing the magical carrot and thought to himself that things were not looking good.
He knew that the entire group was currently like an explosive barrel, needing only a single spark to ignite everyone.
He also knew that while everyone hadn't completely turned on each other yet, he, as the leader, still held some deterrent power in their minds. At this moment, if he gave up this chest of carrots and the other chest of Mora, he had a high probability of surviving.
But could he bear to part with it? Of course not!
The greed in his heart had driven these fiends, who wore human skin, past the point of no return.
It wasn't until the Cyclops leader's 'beloved pet' cautiously approached and accidentally touched the treasure chest that the Cyclops leader instantly lost his reason, wildly swinging the greatsword in his hand!
The greatsword was aimed at enemies, while the short blade punished brothers who made mistakes.
When the Cyclops raised his greatsword toward a member of his own group, the iron law defended by blood and lives for years instantly collapsed!
This action acted like a spark, instantly igniting the emotions of every Treasure Hoarder present.
The slaughter began!
Blood and wails intertwined.
Friends who used to call each other brothers now became enemies; trust had long since vanished. Everyone's minds were currently clouded by greed.
Kill everyone else, then monopolize the Mora and the carrots.
Noelle hid in the grass, tightly covering her mouth to stop herself from crying out. She wanted to rush forward and stop the slaughter of these Sinners, but the Abyss Mage hidden in the shadows hung over her like the Sword of Damocles, making her hesitate.
If she went out to stop them now, not only would she risk injury and be ambushed by the Abyss Mage, but the stolen goods could not be recovered! If the Abyss Mage obtained the magical carrot, it might bring about an even greater disaster.
But if she didn't go out to stop them, watching these people kill each other, Noelle felt her own convictions being tortured.
She wanted to bury her head in the grass and hide like an ostrich, but the potential attack from the Abyss Mage made her feel like thorns were pricking her back; she couldn't close her eyes when her life was threatened.
During this entire pursuit, from the Treasure Hoarders' idle chatter, Noelle had already confirmed that everyone here was an unforgivable villain. Even if they were handed over to the Knights of Favonius, the final result would be execution.
So, should she sacrifice herself for these villains?
For the first time, Noelle began to deeply ponder whether her actions were worthwhile.
If there were innocent civilians surrounded by monsters ahead, Noelle would undoubtedly charge into the monster encirclement without hesitation, believing it was what she should do even if it cost her life.
But now, facing a group of unforgivable villains who were slaughtering each other due to their own greed, with no innocents present, should she still intervene in the villains' self-destruction?
Was it worth it?
Joining the Knights of Favonius had always been the ideal Noelle strove for!
But no matter how hard she tried, she could never pass the Knights of Favonius's assessment.
Noelle had been dejected, disappointed, and had even considered giving up.
However, whenever she walked into the Knights of Favonius's cemetery, touched the memorial stele, and felt the encouragement and expectations of the noble heroic spirits of the predecessors of the Knights of Favonius, Noelle would summon her courage again to face the challenges life threw at her.
When Noelle had free time, her favorite place to visit was the library at the Knights of Favonius Headquarters, where many moving stories were recorded about the Knights of Favonius sacrificing themselves for Mondstadt.
Noelle had always used these knights as role models to inspire herself.
Looking at the fighting Treasure Hoarders before her, the ugliest aspect of human nature was displayed in front of Noelle. At this moment, she understood that not everyone deserved to be saved!
Although as a Knight of Favonius, she would certainly defend Mondstadt at the cost of her life at some point, this was always done under the two major premises of worthiness and necessity.
Her seemingly dedicated actions in the past were merely self-indulgence, blindly throwing herself into danger, which would ultimately only lead to a meaningless death, causing sorrow to the family and friends who cared for her.
A light flickered in Noelle's eyes; her gaze became firm and sharp!
The unadorned flower of Mondstadt City was undergoing transformation and growth at this very moment!
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