After apologizing and thanking everyone, Noelle paused.
She thought for a moment, then finally made up her mind and spoke.
"There's one more thing I'd like to tell everyone."
"I know that I'm often busy outside, helping others, and that it makes you all worry."
"But after thinking it over last night, I've decided to keep helping others from now on!"
"As for why..."
She turned and ran to the corner, returning with a large wooden crate in her arms!
She set it down in front of the assembled ranks and opened it, showing everyone the letters stacked to the brim inside.
Standing before the crate, she faced everyone and spoke again.
"Until yesterday, I hadn't found a conviction of my own."
"I kept helping people, but really, it was only because the Knight's Basic Handbook said that offering a helping hand to the weak is a virtue every knight should possess."
"I was only imitating Acting Grand Master Jean, thinking that as long as I followed her example, I could become a true knight."
"I only wanted to earn other people's recognition that way. I thought that if enough people acknowledged me, I would eventually become a knight."
"But in truth, all those thoughts were driven by selfish desires."
"My only purpose in doing those things was to gain recognition. That's why my resolve wasn't firm enough."
"Because I helped others with selfish desires in my heart, I craved something in return. But when my efforts didn't receive the reward I thought they deserved, I felt lost and hurt!"
"I felt that I'd done so much, yet hadn't received the reward and recognition I deserved. That's why I was so devastated after failing the selection for the ninth time."
"I've always admired Acting Grand Master Jean, learned from her,