Arknights' Lock of Heaven

"Sadly, there are many such people in Kazdel."

"They live in such an environment, grow up in such an environment, watch such adults die, and then grow into such adults themselves..."

At this point, Mud Rock closed his eyes in anguish.

"Although I really don't want to say this about my own people, I think they are beyond redemption."

"Just like they think my choice is hopeless."

"..."

Both fell silent.

Finally, Xia Yu broke the silence.

The sun was almost below the horizon, and the evening breeze was growing colder and more biting.

“I understand,” Xia Yu said softly, “So that’s how Kazdel is…”

"Alright, it's getting late, let's go back."

Hearing this, Niyan nodded.

“Oh, right,” Xia Yu looked at Ni Yan’s smooth wrist and took a strand of long hair from her head.

"Here, take this as proof of our team's membership." In Xia Yu's hand, her long hair gradually turned into a green bracelet, covered with diamond-shaped decorations.

It complements the hairpin made of mudstone perfectly.

235 Major Opens

The city is a monster that devours people, yet we are still grateful to stay inside its stomach.

We wait for life to digest us, for our bones and flesh to be expelled, and what remains will become nutrients to power the city forward.

That is, civilization is thriving.

Kazimir Grand Knight Commandery - 11:30 AM

"Welcome to the Kazimierz National Arena! Welcome to the Kazimierz Special Tournament! I'm your old friend—Big Mouth Mob!"

Is always shining gold.

Mob, the talent discovered by Cárne, was fortunate enough to stand in the commentary seat for the Special Championship.

"...How did Mob become a Major commentator? Did he secretly bribe one of the spokespeople?" a knight in the audience said in surprise.

"Bribes? If it really comes down to bribery, how much would it take?" Upon hearing this, one of his knights rolled his eyes at him.

He thought about it and thought, "Hmm, that makes sense."

"But Mob is usually very outspoken. What if he slips up at such a big event?"

As he said this, he grinned as if he had thought of something funny.

After all, they are all knights, and everyone knows Mob's style.

The nickname "Big Mouth" explains everything.

"Ha, you know what? That famous commentator, Bearded Cage, got into trouble because he 'teased' a certain Cavalier during the Special Major..."

"Then it disappeared the next day. Want some popcorn?" His companion handed him a serving of popcorn.

Mob's voice continued on stage.

"After a long qualifying period, the main stage of the Kazimierz Knights Special Tournament, which all of Kazimierz has been eagerly anticipating, will begin today with its first match!"

"After a long qualifying period, the main stage of the Kazimierz Knights Special Tournament, which all of Kazimierz has been eagerly anticipating, will begin today with its first match!"

"Hey, resigning to take responsibility, a common trick," the knight said nonchalantly, grabbing a handful of popcorn in the process.

"I meant disappearing, not resigning, you understand?"

His companion lowered his voice to explain.

"Uh...really?" The knight suddenly lost his appetite for popcorn.

Mob's voice continued on stage.

"Eight Grand Orders, sixty-four Orders, and two maverick independent knights have gathered at the Special Championship today!"

"Duel, racing, and freestyle competition—three major categories, eight events, and forty-three sub-events; honor and wealth—countless knight orders and knights are determined to win the medals!"

"You all know about that news, don't you?"

Mob the Big Mouth deliberately kept everyone in suspense before loudly announcing, "The former pride of Kazimierz, the champion of the Knights' Tournament, the successor of the legendary Black Knight, and the predecessor of the current reigning champion, the Blood Knight..."

"The Radiant Knight—Margaret Nearl! Returns like lightning!"

"She has returned to Kazimierz! She has returned to reclaim her rightful glory! The glory that belongs to the Nearl family!"

He made no mention of Margaret's sister, Maria, or anyone else, as if they had vanished into thin air.

All I can say is that those who know, know.

To cover up the mess Xia Yu had made, the Business Federation had no choice but to swallow their pride and vigorously promote Margaret's return.

They hoped to use this big news to overshadow the controversy caused by Xia Yu.

In recent days, with the help of countless behind-the-scenes manipulators, videos of Margaret's past matches and the glorious history of the Nearl family have appeared in various media outlets in Kazimierz.

All that's missing is for the major corporations to personally step forward and cheer them on.

Xia Yu's current residence, Zofia's mansion, is now under close surveillance by the Kazimierz authorities, who are worried about spies from some country causing trouble.

The kidnapping of Maria to threaten Margaret, as depicted in the original storyline, will absolutely not happen again.

The current business associations are so eager to bury their heads in the sand like ostriches, fearing that Xia Yu might ruin their business if she's unhappy.

To be honest, Xia Yu's personal matter is a small matter, but the knight competition is a big deal!

These people wouldn't dare let Xia Yu ruin their reputation.

So there's no other way but to endure it.

As for what happened in secret... all I can say is that Xia Yu has compiled a rather thick list of names.

At least there will be plenty of street light fixtures.

"The huge prize pool is still increasing right now. Every penny spent from the various arenas in Kazimierz will be converted into Major prize money according to the Knights' share!"

"Which knightly order will win the most trophies? And which knight will emerge victorious from the dueling tournament and become the champion of this year's tournament?"

"Let's wait and see!"

The opening ceremony has finally ended, and next up is the ten-on-ten match between the two top knight orders, the Helmet Knights and the Cloud Knights.

However, none of this has anything to do with Xia Yu or Margaret.

"The Grand Knight Commander... sigh."

Margaret watched the broadcast on TV and sighed.

"Six years have passed, and this city hasn't changed at all."

Six years ago, although he won the championship, he was humiliatingly exiled from Kazimierz.

Margaret knew in her heart that this was for protection.

Now that I'm back, I thought the Business Federation would definitely launch a bloody attack against me, but I didn't expect things to turn out like this.

Before she returned, she had already made countless contingency plans in her mind.

I'm mentally prepared for everything from the smoothest execution of the plan to the worst-case scenario of complete collapse.

But I never expected it to turn out this way.

The business federation is loudly proclaiming its return, completely disregarding its own identity.

It was as if nothing had ever happened.

And the person who created all of this is sitting right in front of him, casually eating grapes.

“Hey, these grapes are pretty good,” Xia Yu turned to look at Maria, who was also slumped on the sofa beside her.

“Ah, I bought this at the morning market this morning,” Maria replied while eating. “I don’t know why, but there’s been more and more fruit at the morning market lately.”

"It's still winter now."

"You guys... sigh..."

Looking at their relaxed demeanor, it's impossible to tell that they were the same people who had angrily rebuked Kazimierz in the arena.

As for Xia Yu, needless to say, he naturally wouldn't care about these things.

And Maria... well, how should I put it...

This girl is really open-minded. Why did she participate in the Knights' Tournament?

He wanted to preserve his family's knighthood, and he also admired his older sister.

Now that my sister is back, her account has been saved, and she will continue to compete...

Then I don't need to play!

After Margaret expressed her desire to continue competing, Maria happily transferred her spot to her.