Arknights' Lock of Heaven

“Not entirely,” Charles said, recalling what the consultant had told him that night. “The most crucial technologies are all in the hands of Rhode Island. Only Rhode Island can produce the machines needed to build the eco-park. It can be said that as soon as the eco-park in front of us is completed, Rhode Island will immediately become one of the world’s top companies.”

"Rhodes Island is still very cautious about this. Without the kind of machine they call the foundation, no one can build an eco-park."

"To aid us, they brought three sets of base plates from their ship," Charles sighed and said. "Unfortunately, one set was forcibly activated en route to escape the Sixth Army's pursuit. Although it managed to kill the Sixth Army by overloading, that base plate was also damaged."

"It can only be used for research now."

"Research?" Elena's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. "Isn't that a mature technology? Why does it still need research?"

“After all, it’s a product of the past. In fact, Rhodes Island didn’t fully understand it either. It was only exposed because they wanted to support us,” Charles replied. “That’s what we researchers do. With the technology from the past, the eco-park can definitely operate, but the internal workings are a complete black box to us.”

“Actually, I heard that the research on the Rhodes Island main ship has also stalled,” he said quietly, glancing around. “So they’re planning to take this opportunity to do something big, hoping to attract a group of renowned scholars to come and conduct research.”

"Their plans were in perfect harmony with the Patriots', which is why we are where we are today. If the snowfields weren't still in the midst of war, many of the invited scholars would have already set off. Right now, they're all just watching and waiting."

"The researchers here are mostly from the top universities in Terra, and their connections are quite impressive. I believe a group of scholars will arrive soon after the war ends."

In other words, these researchers have a complete set of information about this technology...

Elena narrowed her eyes upon hearing this.

“Charles,” she urged her subcutaneous surgical unit to increase its output, “where are those so-called base plates…?”

“Hmm? The base plate,” Charles said hesitantly in her eyes, “is on the Orville, including that abandoned one.”

"Speaking of which, it truly lives up to its reputation as a pioneer in technology. It's incredibly powerful; we can't even disassemble it."

“Is that so?” Elena breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. “We had a pleasant chat today, so let’s end it here. Remember, you didn’t tell me anything.”

Then turned around and left.

Charles was left standing there, completely bewildered.

"Did I mess up my performance?" he couldn't help but wonder.

Even if Elena were acting before... she wouldn't have spoken like that, would she?

Should we notify them...?

“There’s no need,” Xia Yu’s voice rang out from behind him at that moment. “You didn’t mess anything up, and she will believe everything that happened today.”

“Well done, Mr. Charles, your mission is accomplished.”

462 No one can turn back

"My mission is accomplished."

Elena declared this to her two colleagues and the dukes behind the communicator.

"..."

"Elena, are you awake?"

The weak voice of the Grand Prince of the Urals came through the communicator.

Hearing his voice, even though it was so weak, Elena's body trembled instinctively.

“Your Grace, no… Father, I am fully conscious,” she said, bowing her head reverently, oblivious to the pale red petals on her hand. “I can vouch for everything I have said, with my life.”

“…Relics from the past…” Grand Duke Vanya was not at all shocked by Elena’s identity when he heard this. “If it’s true, then it’s entirely possible to achieve the effect they’re promoting.”

"But are patriots really that naive?"

"Does he really think we'll stop because of that so-called threat? He should be more familiar with our style than with any so-called cooperation, right?"

"To rob, to plunder, that's how Ursus has lived for a thousand years."

“He has no choice, Vanya,” the Grand Prince of the Urals said in a strange tone. “Could he possibly resist? Hundreds of thousands of troops could crush those lowly infected into mincemeat at any moment.”

"He contacted Rhodes Island, the Emperor, and the Council, trying to use them to keep us from launching an attack."

"Ha, isn't this what politics is all about? Forming alliances and counter-alliances, but unfortunately... no one can stop this runaway chariot."

“We’ve started it, but that doesn’t mean we can keep it firmly under control,” Duke Belgaard sighed. “These days, the nobles under my command are getting increasingly restless.”

"The day we promised is approaching. If we still can't send troops by then..."

They are the leaders of the Ursus nobles, but not dictators; they cannot disregard the wishes of the nobles under their command and act arbitrarily.

Even the former emperor of Ursus couldn't do that.

"Belgar, is there still no concrete news from Letania?"

“Soon,” Duke Belgaard replied. “I have already made a deal with an elector, and I believe news of the lich’s movements will arrive soon.”

"To be honest, I still don't quite believe that it wasn't caused by the lich. Your subordinates said it was a relic from ancient times... Ha, who would believe that?"

"If we are ambushed during our advance... it won't just be the Sixth Army that suffers."

“Anyway, isn’t the completion date they claim coming soon?” The Grand Duke of Ural took a deep breath upon hearing this, ignoring the subtle schadenfreude in Belga’s tone. “We’ll just have to wait and see.”

"Is it a lie, or is it true?"

“You’ve done well, Elena,” he said, his voice devoid of any emotion. “Go into hiding first. If that thing is real, then the strength of you hidden among the infected is very important.”

After he finished speaking, the call was disconnected.

"..."

After a long silence, a voice finally rang out from the dukes' meeting room: "Prepare for war."

"Patriots have no choice, so when have we ever had a choice?"

"Everyone knows what the officers and nobles under your command are like now. From top to bottom, everyone is hoping for a war. Merit, status, money—all of these can be obtained through war."

"Moreover, it is a war that we are bound to win. Even if we wanted to compromise, we couldn't stop now. The whole country is eagerly anticipating this war."

Moreover, no one had ever considered compromising. What was supposed to be a sure thing turned out to have so many unexpected changes.

"Ursus... has been suppressed for far too long, from the defeats in the wars in Kazimir and the Eastern Kingdom, to the numerous internal contradictions that have accumulated over the years..."

"We lit this fire, but we never expected it to burn so fiercely. Everyone wanted a change to happen, but the Emperor and the Imperial Council were still so slow to realize that they could use the division of profits to feed the hungry 'beast' of Ursus."

"Ha, what that madman Kosiché said back then was actually right. Ursus needs a war to reform itself."

"If it's fake, then our army will crush those lowly infected; if it's real, it will become a new hope for Ursus."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

“Witt, something’s wrong, something’s very wrong,” Emperor Ursus paced anxiously in front of the Speaker in the palace of Saint Jun Castle.

"Look at those intelligence reports: the army is assembling, supplies are being transferred, and those nobles... they really want to solve the problem with swords!"

"We can't keep watching like this!"

“Yes, Your Majesty, you are right, we cannot continue like this,” Speaker Witt sighed upon hearing this. “I heard that the Patriots sent us an invitation via the Rhodes Island route?”

“Yes, they invited us to see the so-called completion ceremony,” the emperor said with a wry smile. “To be honest, I’d love to see it and see what gives them such courage and confidence.”

"But you know, I can't go there."

"Then I'll go."

"What?" The emperor, who had been pacing back and forth, suddenly stopped, turned to Speaker Witte as if he hadn't heard clearly, and asked, "What did you just say?"

“I said, I’ll go,” Witt said firmly, looking into his eyes. “I’ll go for you, for Ursus, to see if everything they’re saying is true.”

"Impossible!" The emperor rejected his idea without even thinking. "Witt, I can't lose you."

“But we can’t be completely ignorant of what’s happening on Ursus,” Speaker Witt insisted. “I can only make a decision about such things if I witness them firsthand.”

“But in Ursus, the Patriots guerrillas are still considered rebels. You can’t go there openly; you can only go alone… Those nobles won’t let you come back alive! They’ll risk everything to keep you there!”

"You know that the policies and political direction you've implemented over the years have made those nobles hate you to the core. They'd love for you to die there, so that a chaotic army could silence everyone!"

“A person who shouldn’t have been there died there. Such disregard for one’s own life will not earn anyone’s sympathy! If you died there, you would even be despised by your followers!”

“Isn’t this exactly what you were thinking, Your Majesty?” Witte looked into his eyes and said slowly.

"What do you mean? Witte! I never thought of such a thing!" Upon hearing this, the emperor instantly flew into a rage.

“No, you misunderstand, Your Majesty,” Witt said slowly, looking at his expression. “What I mean is, isn’t this exactly what you want to see—the noble army attacking the Patriots’ base and that Rhodes Island guy?”

"Isn't this the scene you wanted to see from the moment you issued the pass to Rhodes Island?"

“Yes, but that’s no reason for you to take risks,” the emperor said with a grim face. “In my memory, you have always been a steady person.”

“Even the most composed person has moments when they have to take a gamble,” Witt said slowly. “Now that things have come to this, we have no other choice.”

"I know that the nobles have been gradually eroding the royal family's power over the years, which has kept you up at night. Now that I see hope for a solution, I'm willing to take the gamble."

"The only chip I've bet on the table is myself, the Speaker of the Ursus Empire Council."

"There have been no shortage of assassinations against me over the years. I know all too well how much they hate me. Now, seventy percent of the nobles in Ursus are stationed on that defensive line with their troops."

"If I could use myself to make this fire burn even brighter and completely burn away that bloated and useless malignant tumor in Ursus, wouldn't that be a great deal?"

"I disagree!" That was the emperor's only response.

“Your Majesty, I do not need your consent,” Speaker Witt smiled slightly. “I also have an invitation from Rhodes Island.”

"You are not allowed to leave Saint Jun Castle without my permission!"

"Shall we make a bet, Your Majesty?"

"..."