Arknights, Suika's Messenger Journey

"Um, it seems she went to Manzhuyuan. I heard from the owner of the Warm House that since the exam is located there, she went to check it out first."

"Okay, then don't worry about him. You just keep a close eye on the students these two days, and nothing should happen to anyone before the exam is over." Enchiodis said that he knew the other two families' character very well, and if they had the chance to hold others back, they would definitely do it cleanly and efficiently. So in order to ensure that his students could complete the exam safely, he arranged Matterhorn, who he trusted most, to supervise everything in person.

At the same time, the other two companies also took similar actions.

At this time, Suixiang had already arrived below Manjuyuan.

When the guards saw a stranger running to Manzhuyuan on such a snowy day, they were a little nervous. After all, the guards here were basically children of aristocratic families. The guards here were equivalent to a gilded channel. In terms of combat effectiveness, they were far inferior to Perlochi's warriors.

However, Manzhuyuan is located in the heart of Kjerag. If someone really came here, it would mean that almost all of Perlochi's soldiers were killed. It actually doesn't make much difference whether these Karami have combat effectiveness or not.

So when these guards saw a figure suddenly emerge from the wind and snow, they were frightened.

Fortunately, there is only one Suixiang. If she was with dozens of people, these newbies would probably be scared to death.

After learning about Suika's identity and purpose, the guards looked at her in surprise.

Even if you are not a member of the Kjerag family, you know that the most eye-catching thing in Kjerag recently is the exam in three days.

The person who brought this exam was a messenger from the outside world. She suddenly came to Manzhuyuan at this time, and no one knew what she wanted to do.

So a guard quickly went to report to the elders.

Soon after, Suika was invited in.

"There are still three days until the exam. Miss Messenger, is there anything you need to tell me now?"

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the Great Elder looked towards Suixiang.

"As for me, let me do two things this time.

Firstly, I heard there are quite a few students taking the exam this time. I wonder if the Great Elder has arranged the exam rooms and how the invigilation arrangements have been made.

Secondly, when will the examination papers be opened and printed?

You can’t just start it today, right?”

After hearing what Suika said, the elder stood up.

"It's Kjerag's blessing that Miss Messenger cares about this matter.

There is no need to worry about the examination venue. Manzhuyuan already has large rooms prepared for believers, and two rooms are enough for 500 candidates.

The examiners who would invigilate the examination had already been decided, and they were the guards from our side. They were all warriors loyal to Yelagund, and under Yelagund's watchful eye, they probably wouldn't dare to act recklessly.

As for the test paper, we really missed this matter.

But when the test papers are printed, they will be seen by others. If they are spread out..."

As the Great Elder spoke, he brought her to a large indoor square. Cuixiang looked over and saw that the square was about half the size of a football field. Although it would be a bit crowded with more than 200 candidates, it was not too small.

The Great Elder said that there was an identical house not far away.

Both rooms were equipped with the same heating sticks that had been seen on the Holy Mountain before, so even though they were very spacious, the temperature was actually not low, and the students' hands and feet would not be so cold that they could not write.

Suika was very satisfied with this.

As for the examination paper that the Great Elder was worried about, it was even simpler in Suika's eyes.

“This isn’t difficult. Doesn’t Shivaash’s family have a copier?

Transport it here, arrange a room and three people from different forces, and have them go in and make copies of the test papers on the last day.

The three of them cooperated and supervised each other, and before the exam, no one was allowed to contact them except for having food delivered to them.

As long as the people transporting food cannot communicate with them, and their daily activities are restricted to certain areas and do not overlap with others, then even if someone has bad intentions, it will be difficult for them to find an opportunity within a day."

Chapter 316: Kjerag’s Future

"Good idea, worthy of a messenger from the outside world."

The elder glanced at Suika and said to the people beside him

"Go and invite envoys from all tribes to discuss this matter."

After that person left, the elder looked at Suika again.

"Can we talk for a minute, little girl?"

"Of course, aren't we chatting now? And I also want to consult you about something."

Suixiang looked at the old man in front of her. This guy had a special status in Kjerag. As a religious institution in Yelagund, Manjuyuan not only managed the daily life of the saint, but also had the right to convene the three-tribe council, which was the most important for stabilizing the situation in Kjerag.

This meant that any major move of Kjerag's could not be hidden from his eyes, and as the Great Elder, he also had the right to express his own opinions on these matters.

The old man before him couldn't simply be labeled a diehard or a conservative. Whether as the de facto supreme leader of Kjerag's state religion or a participant in Kjerag's political development, his vision was undoubtedly sufficient.

He was well aware of the reasons for Kjerag's backwardness, a large part of which was due to its ignorant religious beliefs, but he did not choose to change. Instead, as a vested interest, he watched the situation unfold while increasing the persecution of those who held the idea of opening up Kjerag.

Because he understood the underlying nature of the situation, he understood that the more open Kjerag was, the more disadvantageous it would be for him.

However, he is currently the highest authority in Kjerag, and even the Council of Three Clans needs to consult his opinions. Therefore, with him in control of the general direction, the open faction to which Enthiotis belongs is severely suppressed.

“Hahaha, that’s really great.

Then tell me what your problem is. I should know a thing or two about it in Kjerag."

Hearing what Suixiang said, the Great Elder said with a smile, looking like a kind old grandfather. No one would have thought that if it weren't for him, Shelag's development would not be so slow.

Suixiang expressed her idea of buying a batch of these heated sticks, which was also the purpose of her coming to Manjuyuan in advance.

She had specifically asked about this when she was at the Brunto family before, and Latatos from Brunto told Suika that this thing was a "specialty" of Manjuyuan, so even if people from other families could make it, they had to get Manjuyuan's consent before selling it.

“This is nothing. Although everything is made in Manzhuyuan, the actual materials are all from various ethnic groups.

If the courier wants it, I'll mention it during the meeting later and give her a special purchase certificate."

After the old man finished speaking, he looked at Suixiang again. Suixiang nodded to express her gratitude, then shook her head to indicate that she had nothing to say.

“Now that you have finished your business, Miss Messenger, I, an old man, would like to ask you a few questions.

Before you came here, or how did the outside world view Kjerag as a country?

Seeing this, the elder spoke and asked.

After asking the question, there was no expected answer, but a brief silence.

"Well, what's wrong with you, little friend?"

The Great Elder looked at the silent Suika and regretted what he had said the moment he said it.

At this time, several envoys from the Three Clan Council happened to come here not far away. Seeing the two people communicating, they did not come forward but stood quietly not far away waiting for the call from the Great Elder.

After taking a quick glance, Suika pretended to hesitate.

"Uh, so I really said it?"

Before the elder could say no, she continued

"When Enchiodis's letter was delivered to the school, the principal held a special meeting to discuss the quota issue.

Some people present were surprised. They asked why Kjerag, a self-governing region, should have ten quotas like a sovereign nation…”

Having said this, Suixiang deliberately looked at the members of the Three Clan Council who were indignant after hearing her words, and then looked at the expressionless elder.

"I also need to apologize here. Initially, I had the same idea as those people.

In my opinion, Kjerag is similar to Xiosta, an autonomous region with its own independent economy and beliefs.

It is a small place with snow-capped mountains as an independent attraction.

On the Terra maps of countries like Da Yan and Ursus that I've seen, the Kjerag region isn't marked as a country; it's just a name."

After listening to Cuixiang, the Great Elder still had no expression on his face, but the people not far away were almost furious.

What do you mean it’s just an autonomous region? Kjerag has been an independent sovereign state since ancient times!

The Great Elder was also feeling very uncomfortable at this moment. He had originally just wanted to find a topic to talk about, and then seize the loophole in her words to say that Kjerag's current existence was the most suitable for Kjerag.

It would be best to expel this messenger from Kjerag before the exam, but even if that's not possible, he should be kept under control. However, this person is completely unreasonable and always speaks with a powerful tone.

Looking at the expressions of those people not far away, he knew that he had made a big mistake, but they had all heard what he had just said. He couldn't go back on his word and punish Suixiang now.

He could imagine that when Suika's words reached the ears of the three families, the one from the Shivaash family would probably laugh out loud.

After all, if Kjerag wants to be recognized by the Terran nations again, then opening up is a necessary step, and then strengthening the country, the army, and the economy to make himself more well-known.

But all these things pointed to one thing, which was to open up Kjerag, and this was something he absolutely could not agree to.

"So what do you think of Kjerag now?" The Great Elder had no choice but to change the subject and try to divert his attention in this way.

“Some want to move forward, some hesitate, and some try to hold themselves back… However, no matter how the times change, there will never be a regression, and those who stagnate will be eliminated by the times.

Ultimately, if the people of Kjerag want to proudly proclaim their country's name elsewhere, rather than becoming a truly autonomous region, then openness, acceptance, and tolerance, and ultimately, overcoming obstacles to forge a unique path of development for Kjerag, are essential."

When Suixiang saw a lot of people appearing around, she showed a serious expression, then activated her ability to spread her voice far away, and then spoke word by word.

The Great Elder disagreed after hearing this. Considering his age, he naturally knew all about these things. Everyone can talk about the big principles, but who can easily do it?

He wouldn't live for many more years. If he wasn't greedy for power, he should be sitting in a warm little house playing with the children instead of plotting something with Suika here.

However, he obviously did not notice what Suika had done secretly. At this time, many people not far away had a pensive look in their eyes.

Chapter 317: Equally despise every swordsman who doesn't let the dog eat

Turning around, the elder was surprised to find many people standing not far away. He was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

"Ahem, this guy is old and his ears are useless. Since you are all here, let's talk business..."

The words of the Great Elder made everyone come out of their thoughts and look at him.

He then recounted Suika's suggestion.

After hearing this, several messengers realized that they were so busy arguing with each other that they had forgotten about the most important test paper.

Fortunately, the solution given by Suika seemed very good to them. The three of them supervised and guaranteed each other, and spent a whole day in an isolated place to carry out printing work.

Although it will be a very tiring and painful day for the person doing this, it does ensure safety and confidentiality.

After everyone reached a consensus, the representatives left to arrange to bring the printing press from Enthiotis's territory.

Suixiang suggested going to see where the test papers were placed.

The Great Elder led her inside, and the further they walked, the more guards there were.

When the elder reached a small courtyard in the deepest part of Manzhuyuan, he stopped.

"The test papers and the large box containing them are all in here. Our people are responsible for guarding the outside and delivering daily necessities to the people inside..."

"Is it convenient for us to go in?"

"Of course it's convenient. After all, the test paper was originally brought up by you, Miss Messenger. If we didn't trust you, this exam would be completely unnecessary, right..."

After the elder finished speaking, he walked to the door and knocked.

Soon, the door was opened with the sound of footsteps.

"It's not time to deliver food... Great Elder, Suika!"

It was Jian who opened the door. She was a little confused as to why someone was knocking on the door before the time came, but she was shocked when she opened the door.

"I was wondering why I hadn't seen you in a long time. Turns out Enchiodis assigned you to guard the exam papers!"

Although Suika knew about this on the same day, she still deliberately joked about it after they met.

"I wouldn't trust anyone else with this, and since you trusted me with the test papers, I naturally have an obligation to protect them before the exam."

In front of the Great Elder, Jian gave a rare serious answer.

While the few of them were communicating, the people inside also came out. After seeing the Great Elder, they all tensed up.

"No problem. The messenger wanted to see how you were doing here and whether the exam papers were well protected. I brought her here to take a look. I hope I didn't disturb your work."

The Great Elder had a smile on his face and spoke in a gentle tone. If not everyone present knew who he was, they would probably have thought he was a kind and gentle old grandfather.

And after meeting Jianjian, Suixiang felt relieved to see that the people with her were indeed women from the other two factions as Weiss had told her before.

Although no one can force her to do anything with her mace's strength, it still feels weird to live with a man for such a long time.

When saying goodbye to Kane, Suixiang looked at the two of them and felt that they looked familiar, but she couldn't tell their names.

"Why, do you know those two?" Noticing Suika's gaze, the Great Elder looked over and found that it was the other two people and asked.

"No, but to be trusted by the Brontao and Perlochi families and assigned to such an important mission, I guess those two women must be the best of the best!"

"The shorter one is from the Bulangtao family. His name is Mo Xi. I heard he's the confidant of the family head's sister.

The tall Etafian is a general of the Perlochi family, named Valais."