Arknights' Lock of Heaven

But after Kal'tsit finished speaking, she returned to her usual playful and carefree demeanor.

“Mr. Xia Yu,” Amiya said as the two women were still arguing, “you’ve really had a hard time this time.”

"If it weren't for you, Sister Anto... she would probably be in grave danger."

Anto, as Kal'tsit's student, had only recently been allowed to travel, so Amiya was naturally very familiar with him.

"Actually, I didn't do much," Xia Yu waved her hand and said modestly, "It was just something I did along the way."

“Then I really have to thank you,” Amiya said earnestly. “I really can’t imagine what would have happened if something had happened to Anto…”

Upon hearing them mention Anto, Kal'tsit stopped lecturing the Doctor.

Amiya might believe Xia Yu's excuse that it was just a side trip, but Kal'tsit wouldn't be so naive. Besides, Xia Yu chose the mission from her in the first place, clearly aiming for Wolumond. The mission connecting to Eyjafjalla was just a side trip.

Of course, some things are better left unsaid; there's no need to dig deeper.

"We really owe Anto a lot," Kal'tsit said, thanking Xia Yu as well. "That child is still a bit naive. Hopefully, this incident will teach her a lesson."

Even Amiya fell silent at this point.

Even Amiya, who is usually good-natured, became furious after receiving the mission briefing personally sent back by Anto.

How could there be such a person in the world?

Anto went to Wolumonde to save them, didn't he? Why would anyone plan something so heinous?

This might be hard for Amiya to understand because she is still young, but for Kal'tsit, she has seen too much and can find more than a dozen similar things in history without even thinking.

She has been trying to comfort Amiya these days, but words alone cannot make someone mature overnight; only through personal experience can one truly understand.

“Human hearts are unpredictable,” Xia Yu patted Amiya’s head. “I won’t say anything like ‘you’ll understand later’ or any of those polite words. I’ll just tell you the whole story.”

Xia Yu pulled up a chair and sat down, then said to Amiya, "Do you know why this happened in Wolumonde?"

“Because of the natural disaster and the lack of timely prevention, coupled with the inaction of the Letania government,” Amiya thought for a moment, then answered seriously with a stern face, “this incomprehensible thing happened because of the combination of various factors.”

Hearing this, Xia Yu couldn't help but nod in admiration. It was already quite impressive for a fourteen-year-old girl to have such insight. When she was fourteen, she was still foolishly believing that the so-called quality education of public intellectuals was destroying children's nature and that interest-based education in Europe and America was the future.

It seems Kal'tsit has put a lot of effort into this aspect.

"Then what is the most important factor?" Xia Yu pressed on.

“The most important thing…” Amiya thought for a moment, then replied, “is the inaction of the Letania government.”

“Hmm, very good,” Xia Yu nodded in satisfaction, “but do you know? Such inaction is not even a major fault for the Letania government.”

"Even if all the people of Wolumond were to die, whether from starvation or murder, it would not be considered a fault by the Leitanian government."

"Maybe we'll just have to drink three cups of wine as a penalty at the banquet, and that'll be the end of it."

"So now you know why that guy named Thor is so extreme."

“The disappearance of an ordinary town due to a natural disaster is not a big deal for Letania,” Amiya said, bowing her head. “But if there is an outbreak of riots by the infected, especially if there are Reunion members among them who previously attacked a city, that would be a big deal for the officials.”

"Therefore, he needs to artificially create this conflict to attract the attention of the government and nobles, while keeping the conflict within a controllable range."

Hearing this, Xia Yu was genuinely surprised. He looked up at Kal'tsit with a questioning gaze, but she gently shook her head, indicating that she had not analyzed these things for Amiya.

“I understand everything,” Amiya said sadly, lowering her head. “I understand everything…”

“I know why the Leitanian government ignores this. For the nobles, a small town isolated by natural disasters and mountains is too expensive to rescue, so they might as well pretend they don’t see it.”

"After all, they are nobles and officials, and they are not born into the same social class as ordinary people."

"The person who orchestrated this incident was driven mad by this country."

“Before this, I think he had tried to get help from the outside world, but no one paid any attention to him.”

“Those who sympathize with his homeland are too weak, a drop in the ocean, while those who truly hold power remain indifferent to the disasters happening within their own country.”

"I imagine that when he returned to his soon-to-be-destroyed hometown empty-handed, he must have felt utterly hopeless in the face of the expectant eyes of his fellow villagers."

"This despair tormented him and drove him insane, which led to this insane plan."

Amiya murmured, "But what does this have to do with Sister Anto? She's the only one who lent a helping hand to Wolumond..."

"That man named Thor is pitiful, but not worthy of sympathy."

"But all of this was caused by Letania's inaction."

“Mr. Xia Yu, I understand everything.”

Amiya raised her head, her eyes seemingly flashing with fire.

“I swear, I will change all of this.”

133 Team Member Selection

The doctor and Amiya left the office hand in hand.

They had other things to take care of.

Now only Kal'tsit and Xia Yu are left in the office.

Xia Yu remained silent as Amiya left.

Kal'tsit did not utter a sound to break the silence.

"Kelsey."

After a long while, Xia Yu finally spoke.

"I'm here."

“If, and I mean if,” Xia Yu turned to look at Kal'tsit by the desk and said earnestly, “if I have children in the future, could you be their teacher?”

"Amiya has been taught by you better than I expected."

Hearing this, Kal'tsit's eyes almost overflowed with laughter.

"It's my pleasure."

After saying that, the two tacitly agreed not to continue the topic.

Why is Kal'tsit so happy?

Xia Yu's words certainly didn't literally mean hiring a teacher for his future child.

After all, he doesn't even have a girlfriend, so worrying about this now is way too early.

His words demonstrated his stance; he endorsed Rhode Island's principles.

Xia Yu was an outsider from the very beginning. Although he joined Rhodes Island somewhat haphazardly, he seemed to know some secrets about Rhodes Island's past.

However, his relationship with Rhodes Island was never that close.

He can leave whenever he wants, and who can stop him?

But now, faced with Amiya's ideals, he voiced his agreement.

He agrees with Rhodes Island's ideals and its path.

Those who share the same ideals and goals can be called comrades.

Only now has he been truly accepted by Rhodes Island.

“Amiya, you really surprise me,” Xia Yu said, organizing her thoughts. “You’re not like a fourteen-year-old at all.”

"When I was fourteen, I didn't even know what I was doing..."

"She is our future, our hope," Kal'tsit said, her eyes filled with pride as she spoke of Amiya.

After all, it's a child you raised and taught yourself, so it must feel good to be praised.

"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Let's talk about this mission."

As a workaholic, Kal'tsit quickly turned her attention from casual conversation back to work.

"I already know the specifics from the task briefing compiled by the doctor."

"Now, I want to know, how many books do you actually have?"

Kal'tsit asked Xia Yu directly.

"How many?" Xia Yu stroked his chin. To be honest, he really didn't know. "Why don't you find a big enough room and I'll put them out and count them?"

The wealth accumulated by a noble family over hundreds of years is no small sum; his royal treasury is practically turning into a royal library...

Ninety percent of the items inside are books.

"Do you need me to help you monetize them?" Kal'tsit made a rough estimate after hearing this, and then asked, "I consider myself to have some connections. If you want to monetize these books, I have some channels."

"But I don't recommend that you do that."

As for why it's not recommended, everyone knows the answer.

If the Mainz family had just provided aid to Wolumonde as instructed by Xia Yu, their own collection of books would be sold off and scattered everywhere the next day...

They're probably going to go crazy.

In their eyes, Xia Yu was a member of Rhodes Island, and in their desperation, the only Rhodes Island members in Letania they could seek revenge against were those Xia Yu.

Therefore, this is not a good choice.

But Kal'tsit also knew how obsessed Xia Yu was with Originium, so she still gave him the option to monetize it.