Arknights' Lock of Heaven

"Amiya looks great today, she's full of energy and seems completely refreshed."

"Do you think it has something to do with the person following behind her?"

"Probably. Look at how excited she is. Every time I see her, she acts like a little adult. To be honest, she's so mature that it makes me feel a little sorry for her. She's only fourteen years old, and this joyful expression... It's the first time I've ever seen her act so childlike."

"It seems she trusts this newcomer a lot."

"It doesn't necessarily have to be a newcomer. To make Amiya so happy, and I heard that this person had dinner with Dr. Kal'tsit at a restaurant before, just the two of them!"

"You mean?"

"This person might be a veteran of Rhodes Island, perhaps even a senior member like Dr. Kal'tsit! They just recently returned, otherwise, how could Amiya be so happy on their first meeting?"

"That seems... to make sense."

And so, Xia Yu witnessed the birth of a rumor.

It turns out that gossip is human nature, and even demi-humans are no exception.

Even more outrageous stories came to mind. He even overheard two girls wearing medic insignia claiming to be Kal'tsit's ex-husband and Amiya's father, saying they were there to reconcile with Kal'tsit, which explained why Amiya was so happy to see him...

It’s so outrageous that his mother opened the door for outrageousness, it’s so outrageous!

Xia Yu could tell that the two medical operators who were talking didn't even believe it themselves; they were probably just having some fun during their breaks, telling jokes to cheer themselves up or something.

But look at yourselves, how could humans like you and cats like Kal'tsit have a baby with Amiya, a bunny?

Oh, Amiya is a chimera, but even chimeras won't work!

Neither I nor Kal'tsit are related to rabbits.

Even if you're going to spread rumors, you should at least live up to your status as medical operators!

In comparison, the statements made by the Rhodes Island elders are not unacceptable.

On the way to the bridge, Xia Yu's face grew increasingly dark.

PRTS is indeed advanced, but the more advanced it is, the faster rumors spread.

I don't know if Rhodes Island has a network administrator, but even if it does, it doesn't seem like anyone wants to manage it.

However, rumors that are too outrageous can only be treated as jokes, like those about ex-husbands...

The elders of Rhodes Island told a story that seemed plausible and well-founded, and it appears that quite a few people actually believed it.

Xia Yu turned off the magic detection, ignoring all that nonsense.

Amiya's happiness is not entirely unrelated to her.

He cured 80% of her Oripathy, and in the blink of an eye, her chronic illness was gone. Her body, which had been suppressed for so long, suddenly felt relaxed, so it was normal for her to be cheerful.

This is not something that can be made public, so it's normal for people to speculate since they don't know the reason.

They really care about Amiya.

Xia Yu watched as Amiya skipped and hopped ahead of her, greeting all sorts of people as she went, a relaxed smile on her face.

This child probably doesn't realize that his usual mature image is starting to crumble.

However, since the child was unusually happy, I decided not to remind her.

I wonder if Kal'tsit, who claims to know everything about me, is aware that her reputation has been damaged.

Xia Yu thought with a wicked sense of humor.

24 Story

The sun had not yet completely sunk below the horizon, and the soft light of dusk gradually faded across the wilderness.

"It's so beautiful..."

Standing on the bridge, Xia Yu couldn't help but sigh.

The desert, the sunset, and Rhode Island, a city steeped in industrial aesthetics, beneath my feet.

Everything was so magnificent.

"Do you think it's beautiful?" Amiya looked up and asked. "To me, it's just an ordinary everyday thing."

"This is how I spend every day."

"That's life," Xia Yu said, holding onto the railing with both hands, bending down and leaning her upper body on it, letting the evening breeze caress her face and tousle her long hair.

"Life is short, only a hundred years or so. How can you experience everything? What you take for granted may be an unprecedented experience for others."

“Mr. Xia Yu always says some very philosophical things,” Amiya nodded seriously, then imitated him by holding onto the railing with both hands.

At fourteen, she was still small and couldn't lean her upper body against the railing like Xia Yu. Amiya's posture was more like climbing than leaning, with her hands gripping the railing almost reaching her chin.

“To be able to say so many philosophical things, Mr. Xia Yu must have experienced a lot,” she winked at Xia Yu. “Can you tell me about it? Dr. Kal'tsit always says that I still have a lot to learn.”

"Trying to find out my secrets, huh?" Xia Yu chuckled and reached out to rub Amiya's little head.

“Didn’t I already say?” the latter seemed to be doing this for the first time, with a slightly embarrassed expression on his face, “I just want to get to know my future colleagues.”

Xia Yu was not disgusted by Amiya's slightly scheming nature.

Or rather, anyone who would treat the successor raised by a woman like Kal'tsit as a harmless little rabbit is truly blind.

Amiya is a really nice person. She listens carefully to everyone's opinions and makes improvements. She studies hard until late at night every day. She greets any Rhodes Islander who passes by.

On the way to the bridge, Xia Yu had already felt how much Amiya was loved by everyone on Rhodes Island.

However kind one may be, as the leader of Rhodes Island, one must certainly possess the necessary skills and tact.

People may adore a hardworking and kind child, but they won't wholeheartedly follow a leader who is only hardworking and kind.

As a leader, you can tout your kindness and promote your hard work, but the most important thing is the ability to make decisions and lead everyone through obstacles in the unknown future, moving step by step closer to the desired outcome.

Although Amiya is still very young, she is already on the path to becoming a leader.

In the future, she has the qualities to become a queen.

"Let me tell you a story," Xia Yu smiled, looking at the setting sun on the horizon, and slowly pulled a story from her memory.

A story about a saint who was put on trial.

-

“I don’t like this story,” Amiya said, wrinkling her little face and kicking the railing childishly. “They’re so unreasonable.”

"It was clearly the Holy Maiden who saved this country, how could they..."

Xia Yu noticed that Amiya asked how she could do it, not why.

Do you know why the kings and nobles of France did that?

"I can understand a little bit," Amiya nodded, her face full of confusion.

"but……"

“You understand, but you can’t agree, right?” Xia Yu smiled slightly and turned to look at the sunset that was gradually disappearing on the horizon.

Why did the French stand by and watch the English ransom Joan of Arc from the Burgundians and then watch her be burned at the stake for heresy?

It's nothing more than dirty exchanges of interests and the idle suspicions of the nobility.

Xia Yu's story subtly hints at these relationships, and given Amiya's unique upbringing, it's understandable that she can grasp them.

“I don’t like this story,” Amiya repeated, lowering her head in disappointment and muttering, “Heroes shouldn’t be treated like that.”

“Yes, heroes shouldn’t be treated like that,” Xia Yu rubbed her little head, finding herself really loving the feel of it.

"This is what dirty rulers and dirty politics look like."

After hearing this story, Amiya felt her Oripathy, which had been mostly cured, return, and her mood improved.

She tilted her head back, her face slightly upturned, and looked at Xia Yu with a habitually inquiring expression, asking, "So, Mr. Xia Yu, what do you want me to learn from this story?"

"The filth of the nobility? The essence of politics? Dr. Kal'tsit has already taught me."

"The filth of the nobility?" Xia Yu smiled. "That's just the nature of this class. The essence of politics? It's just a game between two sides for their own interests."

"At least that's how I understand it."

"But why do I have to make you understand something?" Xia Yu asked with a puzzled look. "Didn't we agree that it was just a story? Am I going to assign you a reading report or something?"

Upon hearing the book review, Amiya's petite body visibly trembled.

It seems she's received quite a bit of homework from Kal'tsit.

“But Dr. Kal’tsit is always like this,” Amiya replied, looking puzzled. “She does this every time she tells a story.”

"After Dr. Kal'tsit finished speaking, I shared my thoughts, and then the doctor analyzed the cause and effect of the event from various perspectives. Finally, there was the homework..."

Seeing her pitiful appearance, Xia Yu couldn't help but sigh.

“That’s Kal’tsit, isn’t it?” Xia Yu crouched down and looked at her face. “And I’m Xia Yu. I told you a story because you wanted to hear one.”

"It's not about asking you to experience anything, and it certainly won't ask you to write a review."

Xia Yu gazed into her eyes.

"It's just a simple story, don't overthink it."

"There's no deep meaning to it. I'll tell you if you want to hear it."