Man in the Ark: Revitalizing Kazdel

Accompanied by papal officials, the Kazdel delegation walked along a bright red carpet through the crowded and noisy throng of onlookers. Papal knights, clad in heavy silver armor, lined up on either side, their eyes peeking out from between their visors, resolute and calm.

"Mommy, it's Daddy! Daddy's so handsome!" Cecilia was carried on her mother Felia's back. She held her hat with one hand and pointed at the Sarkaz man in the Kazdel delegation. Her little face was full of excitement and joy.

The child's innocent voice attracted the attention of those around them, but when they saw that it was an ordinary mother and daughter, they all withdrew their concerned gazes.

"Perhaps they are family members of the papal knights or executors; as long as the child is accompanied by family members," many well-meaning people thought to themselves, their attention returning to the delegation entering the city.

“Young Sakta, judging from her height and development, is about six years old…” Federico, who was more than ten meters away from the mother and daughter, kept his calm and indifferent eyes fixed on Cecilia.

“Her aura and wings are not in good condition. Even for a six-year-old Sakta, the aura should not be so dim, and there are faint signs of it breaking.”

“The shattered halo, could it be… no, impossible, she doesn’t even have her own guardian gun, how could she have fallen from the heavens?” Federico had an absurd guess in his mind, but he quickly dismissed it.

"The probability of an attack increases in squares where large crowds gather. Increase vigilance and allow the use of force if necessary." Federico repeated the order in his mind, his right hand reaching for the shotgun at his waist.

Kreel, who was mixed in with the Kazdel delegation, felt a faint call from his bloodline. He turned his head to look in the direction from which the strange feeling came and finally found the cute Sarkaz girl waving in the crowd.

Krell's bloodline intuition told him that it was his daughter—the lovely Cecilia, and his lover Felia.

"Daddy's looking over here. He thinks he's seen Cecilia." Looking at that face that had appeared countless times in her dreams, Felia's lips curled into a happy smile.

"Wait for me, we'll see each other soon." To avoid attracting attention, Krell reluctantly looked away and quietly clenched her fist.

Pope Ivangelista XI, dressed in a white-gold robe, stood before the sacred and solemn Papal Palace, holding a scepter, gazing in the direction of the Kazdel mission.

"Welcome to Laterano, both of you..."

......

The Tara region in northwestern Victoria is dotted with lakes and marshes. The Duke of Wellington, who was constantly on the guard of the other dukes, was like an old lion lurking in the grass, dominating this land.

Now, this aging lion, which has been sleeping for decades, is once again showing the world its sharp teeth and claws, ready to tear a piece of flesh from the land of Victoria.

A united army of a dozen dukes confronted the most powerful fleet on the land across the river, with countless black cannons constantly aimed at the enemy fleet, and the two sides were on the verge of war.

This stalemate has lasted for weeks, with Deeppool's activities throughout Victoria. While not highly destructive, they are frequent and troublesome. Each Deeppool mobile squad of a dozen or so men manages to escape before the Duke's forces arrive. Their elusive nature and unpredictable movements are utterly frustrating.

In an effort to curb the continued spread of Deeppool's power, the Duchy implemented even stricter control measures, but with little effect. Deeppool's forces were like wildfire spreading across reeds, impossible to extinguish completely, always reigniting from the ashes.

Legend has it that an immortal ghost army resides in the Deep Pool, its appearances always accompanied by chilling purple flames. However, recent attack records show warm, golden flames almost becoming a harbinger of the Deep Pool army's arrival.

On the "Gastroir", the officer raised his hand and knocked on Abrahina's office door, then pushed the door open and entered.

"Your Highness, the Duke's allied forces have sent envoys who wish to negotiate with us," the officer said in a deep voice, bowing slightly.

"Heh... In the end, some people couldn't sit still any longer. They hoped to end this war with minimal losses." A satisfied smile appeared on Abrahana's lips as she retracted her crossed legs and lazily stood up.

“Let’s go see what sincerity they can offer.” Abrahana casually picked up her coat from the back of her chair and walked out of the office with elegant and confident steps.

......

The harsh environment of the Ursus mining region in the far north has been secretly sealed off by the Duke of the North. Except for convoys transporting ore and supplies, all movement in and out is prohibited without Grand Duchess Eliza's special permission.

After a month-long journey, Talulah's Reunion squad finally set foot on the land of Brest. Guided by a local liaison, Talulah successfully entered the blockaded Far North mining area by bribing the guards and temporarily settled in a village near the mine.

Seeing the villagers' hardship, Talulah recalled the Reunion Movement's experience of hiding on the ice plains, and thought that if they hadn't received help from Rhodes Island and the attention of Speaker Witt...

The Reunion Movement could not have grown to its current size, nor could it have helped more of its infected compatriots. With no further orders for action yet, Talulah decided to stay for the time being. While learning about the mine's situation, she would also help the villagers with whatever she could.

For example, what Talulah is doing right now is using her longsword to help the villagers chop wood. A group of lively and adorable children are gathered around her, chattering away.

"Sister Talulah, you're so amazing..." The Ursus girl, her face flushed, propped her head up with her hands, her eyes sparkling as she watched Talulah chop wood with gusto and admiration.

“Natasha can be like me someday, but you have to eat well and grow up quickly.” Talulah chopped the last piece of firewood, sheathed her sword, and sat down next to the little Ursus girl.

"Really?" Natasha's eyes lit up, and she shook Talulah's arm.

"Of course it's true." Talulah raised her hand to brush away the sweat-dampened hair from her forehead and smiled gently.

"Hehe... Sister Talulah is a good person, just like Galactus." Natasha's face showed an innocent smile.

"Ghost Star? What a strange name. Natasha, who is Ghost Star?" Talulah asked softly, her face full of doubt.

“Ghost Star is a friend I met near the mine. It looks a bit different from everyone else and is afraid of scaring you, so it lives outside the village,” Natasha enthusiastically introduced her strange friend to Talulah.

"Natasha's friend? Can you introduce her to Sister Talulah?" Talulah reached out and patted Natasha's head, asking curiously.

"Okay, I'll go home and get a potato first. Devourer of Stars really likes to eat that." Natasha's two short legs moved quickly, and she ran home in a flash.

Not long after, Natasha returned, carrying potatoes covered in mud in her arms.

"Let's go, Sister Talulah, this way..."