Ancient Dragon in Arknights

*Thud*—A sharp steel tail shot out from behind, and the sharp blade pierced into the sofa next to Aldette's face.

The gleaming blade clearly reflected Alede's calm expression.

"Miss! Police—"

"Elsie!"

Alde spoke up to stop the maid who was about to call for help, and seeing Nesario's firm stance, she smiled.

"Okay, that's enough probing. Let's talk about something real."

"Please say."

Nesario retracted his tail with little interest; he had guessed correctly.

Cumberland didn't make the matter public, but instead approached me privately, which shows that she also didn't want to make a big deal out of it—everyone wants to keep a low profile and develop in peace, so naturally, there's something to say.

"Your bloodline... or rather, Draco's bloodline, is there any left?"

"No, I'm an adopted orphan from Colombia. To be honest, before arriving in Lentinium, I didn't even know I was a..."

Nesario didn't say the word, but both understood what he meant.

"So, you're really here to study, and not for some other activity?"

"Absolutely true—you should have checked my resume; was there any falsehood in it?"

"..."

Aleide: How could such an outrageous thing happen in the world?

"Okay... next question, where is she?"

"..."

Chapter 81 Meeting of Lord and Minister

“Let me ask you a question in return—what do you plan to do after you find her? Will you take her back to the Duke of Cumberland’s mansion, drag her into politics prematurely, and have her die in some so-called accident, or will she be taken away by a duke and become a puppet?”

Netsario couldn't understand it. Alde didn't seem like a fool. She should have been aware of her current situation—how could she talk about being loyal to her duty when she was struggling to survive? Even if Vina was willing to follow Alde, did Alde have the means to protect Vina?

Nesario believed that the other grand dukes were not incapable of completely overthrowing the Cumberland family. The reason they hadn't was because Cumberland was still useful—what was that usefulness? Of course, it was to lure out the remnants of the royalist faction, or even the royal family itself.

“I…I have to confirm this, at least to let me know that Cumberland’s persistence is worthwhile.”

"..."

Aldey presented a reason that Nesario couldn't refute: yes... the dangerous people weren't just Vina, but also Aldey herself.

Look at her—this Grand Duchess wears no extravagant jewelry, and her attire is no different from that of an ordinary person; she doesn't look like a noblewoman at all. And look at her face. This is not the face of a noble girl, especially a duke's daughter. What noble girl has a scar on her face?

"Which dukes have extended olive branches to you?"

“Almost all of them. All the dukes have contacted me, and if I had just given the nod, Cumberland’s decline would have stopped immediately, and it would have been even better than it is now.”

"..."

So what the hell did Draco do?! Why haven't I encountered such a die-hard fan?!

Nesario could hardly believe it. On one side were powerful dukes, and on the other was the nearly extinct royal family. Following the former would not only bring unimaginable prestige, but if the gamble was right, there was even a chance to become a so-called "founding hero".

Although Cumberland was a "die-hard supporter of the Aslan royal family," omitting the preceding paragraph wouldn't have much of an impact; being a die-hard supporter of the royal family—that's considered a virtue if it got out.

As a result, Aldebaran remained true to herself for someone she had never met—even as her family fell into ruin and her dreams were shattered, she still protected the so-called Aslan.

Neltharion: So where are my followers? I have the makings of an emperor! Wealth and glory are not out of the question! Someone, say something!

Even though he was filled with envy, Nesario's face remained expressionless; instead, he wore a mocking expression—an expression that was particularly irritating to Aldebaran.

"I'll take you there...but only for a brief meeting, don't say anything more."

"I know what I should and shouldn't say."

......

So, a Miss Rupert, completely disguised, left the Royal Guard Academy with a special Vyvan.

To be honest, this move was a bit risky, since Neltharion was really impossible to disguise himself with – his horns and razor-bladed tail were too big, and there were almost no items or clothing to cover them up; so, the only thing Neltharion could do was to reduce his travels and avoid being discovered by the spies hidden in Londinium.

“Although I have been discovered by those guys... even you were able to find me. I highly suspect that it won’t be long before another duke’s envoy comes knocking on my door.”

"Based on your description, the guy you encountered was probably one of Duke Caesar's men. They were the ones who came to negotiate with me on behalf of Duke Caesar."

"What kind of person was the Duke of Caster?"

Nesario recalled the rumors he had read in books and many newspapers that the Duke of Custer was supposedly a duchess whose estates were well-governed and were among the more prosperous areas of Victoria; but these were all written in books, and as everyone knows—what can be written down is no secret.

"The Duke of Caesar is highly accomplished in intelligence gathering, and her spy network covers most of Victoria, but her strength is not considered strong among the dukes. Her army is far smaller than those of the generals."

"If my information is exposed to her, what do you think she'll say?"

Nesario needed someone who understood the Grand Dukes to explain things to him; at the very least, he couldn't fight a name, and he needed to understand the other party's character and motives.

"She'll probably try to win you over. As I said, she's not strong enough, so she has to try other things. Like a legitimate reason."

"Aslan or Drak's crown prince?"

No wonder someone was secretly monitoring Vina but never attacked her; it turned out to be a form of observation and protection.

"Am I now also under her observation and protection?"

"It's very possible, maybe even—there's someone watching you right now?"

Nesario activated his full aura perception, but the surrounding crowd seemed normal in terms of both malice and scent. If Alde hadn't been right next to him, he would have even had to use his guide bug to find them.

"It's okay, their headache will only be more trouble if I stand here now."

"I hope so."

The Glasgow Gang had now taken over 57 Sadion Street and several surrounding streets, making them easy to find. Especially for someone as familiar with the area as Neltharion.

"Oh! Isn't this Brother Nesario? You've got some time to visit us today?"

"Just brought a friend to experience the atmosphere of the boxing gym."

"Oh—I understand."

Looking at Miss "Rupert" behind Nesario, the Glasgow Gang underling gave a knowing smile.

"..."

"Gangsters? Crown Prince? That's too strange."

Clearly, Cumberland, who came from a poor family, didn't care about these details, and Allardy took the lead and entered the boxing gym.

"Indra! Indra!"

The atmosphere inside the boxing gym was very lively; you could hear the cheers even standing at the entrance.

It seems that Indra was either accepting a challenge or challenging someone, and judging from the direction of the cheers, Indra had won again.

"*Victoria's profanity*!"

With a fierce shout, the referee declared Indra the winner.

"Hey! Isn't this Neltharion?! Haven't shown up in a while? Let's fight!"

Where is Vina?

"I'm here."

As the backstage door of the boxing gym opened, Ms. Lion, who looked like she had just woken up, came out.

His messy golden hair resembled a mane, his physique was strong and powerful, like a born king, and his racial features were slightly different from those of ordinary Felins—there was no mistake, this guy was Aslan!

"I want to fight you!"

Nesario: ! ?

Vina: ......?

Chapter 82 The Knights' Saga

"Hey, the Glasgow Gang's rule is you have to beat me first before you can challenge the boss. If you want to fight, I'll fight you!"

Although Indra is usually carefree, he has an unshakeable bottom line, which is the rules of the Glasgow Gang.

According to the rules, if Vina defeats Indra, she becomes the leader; however, in cases involving major decisions and disagreements, Indra can challenge her again. At other times, Indra is Vina's most loyal guardian knight and her most steadfast supporter.

He was a man of his word, having been Vina's lackey for many years. As for the right to challenge? He used it once when he moved out of Norbert, but lost.

Upon hearing Allard's challenge to Vina, the rest of the Glasgow gang stopped what they were doing and turned to Allard, trying to figure out what kind of person this unruly individual was.

“Allardy, you’re too hasty. Just as she said, that’s how the Glasgow Gang operates, and I can’t help you with that.”

Nesario subtly distanced himself, as if Alde hadn't been someone he brought in.

"...Should I give you some time to rest?"

This scene was far too gentle compared to the mocking and ridiculing expressions of the nobles. Aldebaran was not afraid at all, and she gestured for Indra to fight her.

"Let's get straight to it. That was just a warm-up."

A smile played on Alder's lips. She pushed off the ground with her right foot, and with a burst of wind, she flew into the boxing ring.

"!"

Originium Arts!

"And it's extremely powerful!"

"..."

Although none of the Glasgow Gang members were sorcerers, their experience on the streets made them understand this magical power, because when fighting with others, they often suffered greatly when encountering someone who could use Originium Arts.

"Don't blame me for being despicable."

"Hmph, those who play with sticks, get so close, or I'll smash your face in."

Both sides took their positions, and Morgan, acting as referee, announced the start of the match!

Thump—Indra swung her fist straight at Aldebaran's cheek. It was a fist filled with anger; she wanted to teach this ignorant Rupert woman a lesson.

As for her being brought by Neltharion? Let Neltharion worry about that!