Arknights' Lock of Heaven

The freedom here refers to the freedom to roam this land under the name of Rhode Island.

If you were to assign him a ministerial position in an important department of Rhodes Island, with all the power and benefits, he might not be happy about it.

After all, given their capabilities, do you really think they'd stay here because they value Rhodes Island's limited rights?

Just kidding. If he wanted to, there would be no shortage of countries in the world willing to spend lavishly on him, and it wouldn't be impossible for them to even wage war for such strategic capabilities.

Just give him what he wants.

Kal'tsit had noticed long ago that everything on this land seemed unfamiliar to Xia Yu. After the Chernobog incident, he, who had been so cautious, seemed to have confirmed something and began to gradually revert to his true nature.

When I presented him with the Rhodes Island field mission that day, his curiosity about this land was almost overflowing.

Some people are destined to defy conventional reasoning. Perhaps high position and power are more in line with the pursuit of most people, but Xia Yu is clearly not among them.

For him, power was not a lofty pursuit; it was readily available whenever he wanted it.

A high-ranking minister might not be as pleasing to him as a field team leader.

In that case, just give him a squad.

Let him go and see, let him experience, let him truly understand this world.

By then, this 'deity' of unknown origin might very well become one's true comrade.

Kal'tsit recalled all the information about the Xia language.

Having experienced a glorious era, can you really tolerate today's backward and ignorant world?

No one knows the glory of our ancestors better than ourselves.

One day, you will make a choice.

Kal'tsit looked up and took her gaze away from the documents in her hands.

Amiya sat in front of him, carefully wiping the ornate longsword in her hand.

No, perhaps the choice has already been made.

126 Rescue Team in the middle of the road

"Why did we come to this backwater?" Chester complained to Streich, wiping the mud off his shoes in disgust on the grass. "Couldn't we just send any official to handle this kind of relief?"

"Wasn't it always like this?"

"If you want fame, can't you just donate money? Why do you have to come in person?"

"Shut up!" Streich couldn't stand his incessant chatter any longer and turned to scold him. "This is the family's plan. If you didn't want to come, you could have just pretended to be sick! Since you're here, don't keep complaining in my ear!"

The thought of being hung up in a tower all night because of this small town filled him with a nameless rage.

Because of these people, the family suffered such great losses, which made Streich, who believed he was the rightful successor to the next patriarch, even more furious.

But what can you do no matter how angry you are?

Forget about revenge, he can't even put on a cold face when facing the residents of Wolumond. Even if they point their fingers at him and curse him, he has to obediently accept it now!

The reason for this was that Xia Yu's methods were simply beyond their comprehension.

That's the entire city's Originium reserves...

It vanished without a trace overnight, like a dream bubble. Even if the Gemini Queens did it themselves, they probably couldn't have done it so cleanly.

Even using normal methods to transport these Originium stones out of the city would be a considerable undertaking.

Not to mention that the tower, which had been built up over hundreds of years, seemed completely defenseless in front of that person. The various witchcrafts and modern Originium Arts accumulated over hundreds of years to guard the library were so powerful that they couldn't even call the alarm against him.

If someone like that isn't satisfied with what they do this time, who knows what they might take from the tower next time?

The heads of clansmen?

Nobody dares to risk their life on this.

Therefore, the Mainz family immediately used its influence to raise a large amount of supplies, and even borrowed Originium from the Loren family on short notice before rushing to the Great Rift Valley.

"I didn't want to come either, but my grandpa forced me to come by hitting me with his cane..."

Chester didn't dare to talk back to Streich directly, but instead turned his head and muttered to himself, "I really don't know what those old men are thinking."

"Yes, yes, my father is the same."

"I still feel this mission is strange, and the old men won't say much about it..."

As soon as Chester began to complain, several people immediately echoed his sentiments.

Not only him, but also most of the powerful figures in the Mainz family sent their direct descendants to show how much importance the family attached to the matter.

Of course, these young people alone are not enough. The current leader of the team is Simmons Mainz, a key member of the family.

They also spent a lot of money to hire several disaster messengers to help the rescue convoy safely cross the Great Rift Valley.

These actions have fueled a great deal of speculation about the Mainz family, with countless people wondering why their style of doing things has changed so drastically after the powerful alliance between the Mainz and Loren families.

In Letania, aren't you high-ranking nobles who pride yourselves on your superiority and never interact with the lower classes? Given your usual practices, wouldn't it be normal for you not to forget Wolumonde, or at least send a few officials there?

Why aren't they continuing with the aristocracy? Have they finally come to terms with reality and want to completely submit to the Gemini Queens?

The old nobles denounced the Mainz family for their disgrace, and their officials were secretly considering whether to seek a way out from the Empress. After all, it wasn't that they were disloyal, but that their boss had to surrender first.

But the Mainz family clearly couldn't care less about that; saving their own lives was the priority.

Similarly, the Loren family also knew what had happened behind the scenes, so instead of kicking their brother when he was down on his luck, they helped him up.

The Loren family was extremely fortunate to have lost to Mainz in the month-long debate over which territory the wedding should be held on; otherwise, they would be the ones suffering the most now.

When it came to the rescue, both families behaved exceptionally well, contributing both manpower and resources, which enabled them to dispatch a rescue team in such a short time.

Strachey even left home the day after the wedding.

Naturally, a member of a family like Chester shouldn't be told what's going on behind the scenes, so Streich couldn't explain it to him either.

In the end, all I could do was offer him a token consolation, then warn him not to cause trouble in Wolumond, and finally, after he behaved himself, I hurriedly left them.

Then he walked toward Simmons Mainz, who was in charge.

“Uncle Simmons,” Straitch greeted politely, “how are we going to get across the Great Rift Valley?”

“Let’s wait a bit,” Simmons nodded to Straitch, then looked at the map in his hand. “The Cataclysmic Messenger is assessing the activity cycle of the Great Rift Valley. Hopefully, they can find a safer route.”

“If it’s just about the roads, why not hire some locals?” Streich asked, puzzled. “Shouldn’t people who have lived here for years know the area well?”

“It’s not that simple, young master,” a middle-aged man in a police uniform next to Simmons said cautiously. “My name is Robert, and I’m a military policeman in Wolumond. But after the disaster, even I can hardly recognize this place anymore.”

"Who knows if the terrain has been drastically altered because of this great rift valley, or if those previously accessible trails have been destroyed."

Of course, the rescue team also included the military police who originally belonged to Wolumonmund.

They were naturally worried about the situation in their hometown, but without the orders of the nobles, who would dare to go back?

Fortunately, the Mainz family decided to provide assistance immediately after the wedding; otherwise, they couldn't imagine what would have happened to their family members left in Wolumonde.

Now, most of the military police have led their men into the deep mountains and forests to search for the roads they knew before the natural disaster. As long as there is a road that leads safely to Wolumonde, they can immediately take in an unknown amount of supplies.

But such roads are not easy to find. There are very few roads in the Winterling Mountains that can be traveled by vehicles. The most dangerous thing is that the Great Rift Valley runs across the middle of their Wolumonde, cutting most of the plain in two.

"Don't worry, if it really comes down to it, we'll call in more people. The family is already making preparations. Even if we have to carry it by hand, we'll get the supplies in."

Robert, who was bowing his head, was so moved that he almost cried. What did we, Wollemund, do to deserve such a nobleman's painstaking efforts?

Not only did they spend a lot of money to buy supplies, but they also rushed from Dresden to the Great Rift Valley in five days at a speed that even they found a little difficult to keep up with. They were practically inseparable from their own needs, and they ate, drank, and relieved themselves on the vehicle.

She was completely different from her nonchalant attitude before the wedding.

Although Robert was also puzzled by this, he was just happy to save Wolumond no matter what.

He abruptly looked up, ready to pledge his loyalty to Simmons, only to find that the latter had his back to him and was speaking to Streich.

After a two-second pause, Robert lowered his head again.

His doubts deepened.

Logically speaking, shouldn't we, the people of Wolumond, be the most anxious at this time...? Why do the two adults in front of me seem to be more anxious than I am?

But he dared not say it, nor did he dare ask. Since he hadn't told them, the military police who were closest to Wolumond, it was something they shouldn't know.

Just be careful with your words and actions.

"Of the dozen or so advance teams, if even one of them can safely reach Wolumonde, it will be considered a success!"

Simmons patted the map, "Even if the car can't get in, we'll carry it in by hand!"

Strach nodded, picked up the water bottle at his waist, and took another big gulp of water.

This has become the norm for him these past few days; the anxiety in his heart makes him feel constantly thirsty.

They took too long.

In just five days, nearly a hundred truckloads of supplies were gathered and delivered to the Great Rift Valley. It seems very fast, right?

However, judging from the plea for help sent out by Wolumondna, their food supplies had almost run out a month ago.

A month has passed, who knows what the situation is like in Wolumonde now?

On the bright side, the fact that the mysterious man didn't directly attack the Mainz family but instead sent them to their rescue suggests that Wolumonde's situation isn't completely collapsing yet.

But if this drags on any longer, no one knows what might happen.