Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

The pastoral song appeared in Noya's mind again. The pastoral song was as familiar as if it was engraved in her bones. It seemed that she could sing it out completely just by opening her mouth. But at this time, Kuro subconsciously tightened the weapon in his hand, because from the beginning, or from the moment Noya woke up, there seemed to be a figure behind her. She could only feel this existence but could not see it. Moreover, from the beginning, this terrifying aura seemed to be getting worse and worse.

"...Noah! Why am I in your house?" At this moment, Noah's door was pushed open, and Zofia, neatly dressed, broke into Noah's room. She seemed to be unaware of the strange aura around Noah, nor the strange shadow behind Noah. She asked Noah, "I didn't say anything strange last night, did I?!"

"...No?" Noah blinked and scratched his cheek awkwardly. "It seems...he mistook me for Aunt Yolanta."

"...I knew it! Don't tell anyone! Especially not Maria! Damn, you two look so much alike!" Zofia's cheeks suddenly flushed. "Ah...I should have known not to drink so much. Besides mistaking you for me...that shouldn't be the case, right?"

"Well, that's all." Noah thought for a moment before nodding firmly. For Miss Zofia's mental health, he really shouldn't say anything more. Otherwise, Miss Zofia would probably spend the whole day in silence. No matter what, he shouldn't kick someone when they're down. Noah was still very gentle with those around him.

"……real?"

"Ah."

"...Never mind. It's better to expose it to you than to Maria and Maina."

"Hey, does this mean that my relationship with Zofia is better than Maria's?" Noah said happily. "You don't mind telling me your secret, so that's why you're saying that?"

"Well...well, I guess so." This time it was Zofia's turn to be shy. She put her hands on her hips and said, "Anyway, don't tell Maina and Maria, or I'll...I'll live with you."

"You're always welcome to do that. Compared to contacting Maria, contacting Zofia won't be something you'll be caught with—" Noah said with a smile, "Should I reserve a room for you?"

"From the tone of your voice... is it possible?"

"Maria does have a special room."

"I knew it!" Sofia sputtered. "I want one too! I have to!"

Kuro observed from the side. After Zofia appeared, she was certain that the shadow behind Noah wouldn't be visible to the public, so it probably wouldn't have any significant impact. Furthermore, the shadow behind Noah didn't seem to be trying to harm him. While the sudden appearance of such a thing was unsettling, it was best not to act rashly right now. Kuro silently let go of the hilt of his sword.

After sending Zofia away, Noah stretched and felt as if his body was filled with unprecedented strength. Even the low blood pressure that should have occurred in the morning disappeared.

"Today's unexpected condition seems to be quite good——"

"Noah..." Kuro was still considering how to tell Noah about the invisible shadow behind her. However, when Noah was groping to pull the wheelchair to the bedside, before Kuro could help, the shadow pulled the wheelchair over, just enough for Noah to reach. Then Noah supported herself with her hands and sat in the wheelchair. "Kuro, why are you in a daze?"

"...Ah...no." Kuro stared at the shadow, and the shadow seemed to be staring at Kuro as well. They stared at each other for a long time, and finally Kuro looked away first. "Noah, are you feeling unwell?"

"No?" Noah shook his head. "I don't feel anything is wrong with my body."

"Is that so..." Kuro was puzzled, and then decided to tell Noah about it first, so she tried to use concise language to perceive that there was a black shadow floating behind Noah... and she also helped Noah get the wheelchair just now.

After listening to Kuro's description, Noah turned her head. Of course... she couldn't see it, she just turned her head subconsciously.

Then she said with some confusion, "Shadow? What is that?"

"Don't you know either?"

"If I knew, would I ask you..."

Both the master and the servant were silent, and even the phantom itself seemed to be thinking about the meaning of its life. It seemed that Zofia could not see this black shadow, otherwise she would have screamed out long ago. For the time being, only Kuro could see it, and he seemed to be able to control the phantom's movements to a certain extent.

Anyway...it should be harmless for now, right?

Chapter 41: Plain and Boring

Having a shadow behind her didn't bother Noya at all. On the contrary, it didn't hurt her, was very obedient, and occasionally served as her hands and feet, allowing her to reach things she couldn't reach otherwise. It was surprisingly convenient, though Kuro might have been a little unhappy about it, as she'd usually done everything the shadows could do before. She'd occasionally stare at the shadow with a strange look, as if she were watching.

The second person to discover the phantom was Mainna, who was coming to work. After seeing the phantom behind Noya, his first reaction was to draw his sword—but he was immediately stopped by Kuro. Mainna stared at the phantom for a long time, searching his memory for similar objects, and the answer was... he had never seen anything like it. However, this proved a very embarrassing fact. It seemed that only masters of Kuro and Mainna's level could see the phantom—

Later, Noah went to find Sintela, but Sintela was completely oblivious to the phantom. In a sense, Sintela's strength wasn't yet strong enough to detect it...

There is almost no similarity between Kuro and Mainna, and apart from their respective strengths, there seems to be no other possibility.

So, the equation of being able to see phantoms = being a master was established. However, Mainna was clearly more wary of them than Kuro, even suggesting that Noya try attacking them with Originium techniques. Of course, Noya thought twice and refused. After all, if it didn't work, it would be fine. But what if it provoked the phantom? This phantom, visible only to masters, might also have the power to deal with masters... And wasn't it a well-behaved person? It hadn't done anything bad, had it?

It was no burden to have a ghost following him, so Noah finished his work for the day, and the shadow followed him all day long.

Kuro had been observing the shadow, and she felt it might have some human qualities. When Noya wasn't moving, it would occasionally float up and down. Although she couldn't see its specific appearance, it certainly looked like a human... It would even occasionally turn its neck to check nearby. Aside from not speaking, it was completely ghostly. However, Noya had no idea what this ghostly being was.

However, according to Kuro's description, she remembered the tall figure she saw in her dream. If this shadow was related to the figure fighting the monster inside the gate...

But it was just a dream after all, and couldn't be used as actual evidence. After all, apart from not being able to see their faces clearly, they had too many things in common.

Noah had tried to communicate with the phantom, but it completely ignored him. No matter what Noah said, it didn't react. Furthermore, Noah's nearly all-powerful sixth sense seemed to have no effect on the phantom. Unable to communicate, unable to perceive its will, and apart from knowing that it was invisible to ordinary humans, it seemed like all other information was zero. Even Noah felt at a loss as to where to begin.

I can't really go find some exorcist, right? Noah thought to himself, feeling somewhat annoyed. "Forget it, forget it. There will always be a way out. What else can I do..."

"..." Kuro remained silent. She was truly clueless about things that couldn't be physically touched. The opponent could touch real objects, but whether it was his fists or weapons, they would only penetrate his shadow. This kind of cheating was, of course, not something a purely physical character like her could handle. To use an analogy readers could understand, it was like Rock Lee fighting Uchiha Obito, while the opponent was still using Kamui.

What can you do if you can't even touch the opponent even with the Eight Gates?

At times like this, Kuro was a little worried about his physical condition that prevented him from using Originium techniques.

Fortunately, the shadow has been very quiet so far, but the problem is, what if someone discovers the shadow on Noah? Will they think Noah is hiding his strength?

However, so far, the only ones who could see the phantom were Mainna, Kuro, and, having been informed, Noah himself. With no way to control the phantom and no way to establish any communication, Noah went all out. It was just like carrying around a ghost on his back, so he could just think of Kuro as having an extra helper! It was a good chance for Kuro to rest up, as the phantom could do most of the things Noah would normally need Kuro's help with.

When SilverAsh appeared in Noah's office again in the afternoon, Noah caught the other party's fleeting surprise.

"You can see it?" Noah said straight to the point, "Just... the shadow behind me?"

"Is this some new defense facility?" Silver Gray, though somewhat surprised, maintained the composure of a CEO and asked calmly. "It's indeed special. Could you introduce it to me?"

"If I could tell you, I would... The problem is, I don't know much."

"Is that so? Well, it doesn't look dangerous at least." Silver Gray nodded. "Excuse me, can everyone see this thing?"

"...For now, only a few people can discover it." Noah replied, "You are the fourth one."

"It's truly an honor." Silver Gray stared at the shadow behind her. "Just looking at it is already amazing."

"That's it for now. I don't know what to do with this thing," Noah said helplessly. "If it can stay peaceful, then thank God."

"I believe that Miss Inoya's methods can perfectly control this strange gift." Silver Gray's tone was a little joking. "Will this affect our negotiations?"

"I hope not." Noya shook his head and placed the business plan on the table. "I plan to use Kalan Trade to attract businesses in Colombia. From what I know about you, you have connections with major Colombian companies."

"I see. You're trying to pressure the Casimir Business Association through the Colombian companies?" Silver Gray seemed to understand his purpose. "The companies you're trying to reach through me are those desperate for resources. And those resources are only available from Kalan Trade. Then, the Casimir companies won't be so opposed to Kalan Trade entering the market. Driving the tiger out will only lead to devouring the wolf. As long as our interests are aligned, these companies that originally manufactured us will become our partners."

"If they don't want all the money to go to Colombian companies, then Casimir needs to learn to unite appropriately," Noya commented with a smile. "This isn't a conspiracy; it simply makes them feel a sense of crisis."

"Yes, but I hope that Kalan Trade can also get some of the profits."

"Of course, it's a pleasure to work with you."

The two looked at each other and smiled. Since you want to form a business alliance, don't blame me for introducing foreign capital.

The so-called business war is so plain and boring.

Chapter 42: Stubborn

"The winner! The Knight of the Flawed Light! Brilliant swordsmanship! Unparalleled strength of will! Like an abyss, it dissolves the opponent's attacks! This is the secret weapon of the Linguang family!"

Maria panted. This time, she surprisingly didn't drag the situation into a prolonged battle. Her opponent was also much weaker than she'd expected, so she won without much effort. Compared to her previous hard-fought victories, Maria now felt more at ease. She didn't know if it was an illusion, but her strength was actually improving much faster than she'd imagined. Especially after receiving guidance from Mainna, her swordsmanship had become more flexible and less rigid, often achieving unexpected victories.

Maria today has been completely transformed compared to the past, and she has truly entered the sight of a group of people.

At the beginning, Maria's identity as the sister of Knight Yao had attracted a lot of capital to invest in her, but she refused them all. Now, she has successfully obtained a large number of points by relying on her identity as an independent knight, forcing many people to examine Maria's commercial value besides being Knight Yao's sister. In other words, in addition to those who want to hype Maria's identity, they have also begun to be interested in Maria.

This is a trend. The more Maria shows her strength, the more attention she will receive, and the louder the voices hoping for her to compromise will become.

Maintaining the status of an independent knight is extremely difficult. After all, knightly competitions aren't always one-on-one; sometimes they involve melee combat. In melee combat, knights from the same order often band together for support. This kind of grouping puts independent knights at a significant disadvantage. Maria, on the verge of joining the melee, must consider her next steps in order to earn as many points as possible and secure a spot in the next round.

In other words, how should one proceed as an independent knight?

Joining a famous knightly order is actually the best way now, but once you join the order, you must accept the arrangements of the order in many things - such as targeting a certain knight in a melee, sending knights with enough points to enter higher-level competitions, and even fixing matches. Although not every knightly order will do these things, most knightly orders actually have a so-called first-priority knight quota.

This is the inevitable result of the two systems, the Knights' Order System and the Ranking Points System. Knights who have no real strength but only have gorgeous looks can often stand out in this way, gain higher exposure, and correspondingly get more peripheral sales. They can also take advantage of the situation to engage in fan economy, accept advertisements, and hang various trademarks on the knight team uniforms.

These are all methods that have been used to death. In Casimir, as long as you become famous, money will flow into your pocket recklessly.

Of course, this situation also meant that the independent knights were the absolute weaker party. As the saying goes, two fists cannot defeat four hands, and a mighty warrior cannot withstand a large number of men. A weak independent knight in the melee was fine, as they wouldn't be targeted. However, if an independent knight possessed a certain level of strength but wasn't part of a powerful knight order, they would be easily attacked by a large group. Maria was currently facing a situation similar to this. If she wanted to continue earning points, she would inevitably have to participate in the melee.

As the younger sister of the Radiant Knight, I am undoubtedly the brightest person on the field and will definitely be the one targeted.

Maria's face fell as she faced Zofia's analysis. She muttered to herself, "But my sister has always been an independent knight..."

"Can you compare to your sister?" Zofia rolled her eyes. "I'm not trying to disparage you. Your sister is a rare genius. Throughout the history of Casimir, she's a rare talent."

"I know...but giving up without trying doesn't go against the family motto, right?"

"Are you talking about family mottos now? Why don't you recite them?"

"...Uh, not afraid of hardship and darkness."

"You're certainly not afraid of hardship, but have you considered that you don't have the strength yet?" Zofia slammed the table in frustration. "Do you think that just because you learned some swordsmanship from Mainna and received a few compliments, your ponytail will stick up? Let me be honest with you, you're only good enough to be in the top 16 right now."

"Then... Sister, aren't you also in the top 16?"

"You can be the same as the top 16 I made back then?" Zofia rolled her eyes at Maria. "And do I look like it's easy? Asking you to consider joining the Knights doesn't mean you've compromised your integrity, and there aren't any Knights who don't play dirty tricks. For example, the Sanhua Knights sponsored by your sister Noah, wouldn't that be okay?"

“…I don’t want to go.”

"...You didn't hear a word I just said?"

"I... just don't want to join the Sanhua Knights..." Maria said, holding back her anger. "I want to continue participating in the knight competitions as an independent knight."

"Tsk, I can't convince you anymore." Zofia sighed helplessly, "Don't believe those rumors reported in the newspapers. The Sanhua Knights are really not what you think."

"I don't believe it... and I also think that Candle Knight is indeed a knight worthy of respect." Maria retorted, "But, she and Sister Noya... don't they have a good relationship?"

"Why? Do you think she will take good care of you because of this relationship?"

"Even if there's no special consideration, others will think so. I don't want that," Maria explained. "Besides, didn't Sister Noah say we should avoid suspicion? Joining the knight order she sponsors doesn't count as avoiding suspicion, does it?"

"You are just stubborn. What she said about avoiding suspicion was essentially to protect you. But you joined the Knights Templar to protect yourself. There is no conflict!" Zofia knew Noah. If Maria asked to join the Sanhua Knights, Noah would definitely agree, because she also knew that joining a Knights Templar would have a strong protective effect on Maria. Even if there were no members of the Sanhua Knights in the melee on the spot, the name of the Sanhua Knights would protect Maria from being targeted by most people.

"I don't want this..." But Maria was stubborn. "I will continue to win with my own strength. Rebuilding Linguang's glory is our duty!"

"Come on, this slogan can fool Mainna, but you are trying to fool me?" Sofia immediately hit Maria on the head with a slap. It must be said that this child's ability has not improved much after participating in the competition, but she has become more stubborn.

I don't know who it is...

Looking at Maria with a stubborn face, Zofia suddenly remembered the image of Mainna who refused to join the knights' expedition. The one who didn't want to be a knight eventually returned home and took on the responsibility of the family.

Maenna, have you ever had such a...stubborn period?

Chapter 43: Maria's Originium Skills

"Your next opponent is the independent knight Maria Linguang. Please prepare for battle. This competition is an opportunity to showcase the superior performance of our company's armor. We hope you can prolong the match as much as possible and demonstrate the lightweight and superior performance of your armor."

The man in the suit said this to the Plastic Knight. He didn't care about the knight competition itself, only that this competition was a great opportunity to promote their company's armor. This was a marketing opportunity that money couldn't buy. In fact, men like this were not uncommon in Casimir. They believed that the Knights should be their living billboards for marketing. As for whether they could win the competition, that was something the Knights should consider for themselves.

Although they will add countless constraints and requirements to the knights, they do not care, or there is no need to care, about the importance of these equipment to the knights.

I invested money, so you have an obligation to wear these gear and win the game for me. How you win? It doesn't matter to me. Just win.

As for the reliability or performance of the equipment, whether it would affect the game or the impact on the knight himself, these were not within their consideration.

Such marketers, on the surface, profess respect and chivalry, but behind the scenes, they're obsessed with money. While the Plastic Knight may be dissatisfied, he knows his place, so he never says anything and simply does what he's told. The contract clearly states his obligation to cooperate with all investor promotional efforts. This means he gets a bigger share of the profits, and more money, and that's all he needs.

However, he was more concerned about the girl known as the Flawed Light Knight. Her sister was the legendary Shining Knight Lin Guang, so naturally, many people were interested in her, or rather, in the Lin Guang family name. In fact, the Plastic Knight felt quite sympathetic towards the girl. Having such an outstanding sister was not a good thing for an independent knight. Once the melee began, reputation would only become a prime excuse for them to attack you.

A knight without a knightly order is like a rootless weed. It's extremely difficult to achieve victory, even as a solo knight, by overcoming obstacles and defeating enemies with sheer strength, just like his sister. It's not like Plastic Knight hasn't dreamed of becoming a true knight. Perhaps Shining Knight Lin Guang embodies the vast majority of knights who have dreamed of becoming one. I hope to be like that myself.

However, after years of wear and tear and relentless torture, most knights have abandoned these dreams, living out their lives in mediocrity among renowned knightly orders. Or they may rise to prominence, partnering with large corporations to acquire even more resources and wealth. They become stars, and amidst the glitz and glamour of luxury, they gradually forget their original aspirations. Today's plastic knights fall somewhere between these two states.

Neither giving up completely nor boasting that they have seen the reality clearly, this period is the most confusing stage for a knight who has the strength but is unable to resist capital before becoming the person he least wants to be.

When Plastic Knight learned his next opponent would be Maria Linguang, he was actually somewhat pleased. He hadn't had the opportunity to face Margaret Linguang. While he didn't believe Xia Guang could match the legend, she was at least her sister, so she should have some strength. This would be a dream come true. He knew, too, that he couldn't even touch the youngest champion.

But who can blame me for always having those phantoms of competing against past champions in my dreams?

Donning his helmet, the Plastic Knight began preparing for the match with unusual enthusiasm. This might be the match he'd been looking forward to the most since accepting his fate. He wanted to see how his legendary sister would perform like a champion.

Maria, of course, didn't know she was being targeted. She was still struggling with whether to join the Sanka Knights. Zofia was right; from a rational point of view, the Sanka Knights were indeed her best choice, and she didn't think Noah would object. For Noah's sake, the Candle Knights would probably accept her, too. But the thought of serving under the Candle Knights, especially since Candle Knight Viviana was one of Noah's most flirtatious partners, made her a bit skeptical.

In her opinion, the only one who is worthy of Sister Noah is her own sister, Margaret Linguang. What is Viviana? She is just taking advantage of her sister's absence and waiting for her sister to come back! A country chicken and a clay dog ​​is nothing more than that!

Settlements, severe settlements!

Even Zofia probably didn't expect that the reason Maria didn't want to join the Sanhua Knights was because of her possessiveness towards Noah.

To say she was possessive wasn't accurate either. More accurately, Maria was a die-hard fan of Margaret and Noah. In her mind, only her sister was worthy of the beauty. Those who were currently close to Noah would eventually become losers.

She imagined that sooner or later Margaret would come riding on a colorful cloud and take Sister Noah away!

This idea was so strong that she felt extremely hostile towards anyone who approached Noah. It would not be an exaggeration to say that she was on high alert.

But, let's look on the bright side. With my sister gone for so long, and no one else showing any signs of success, it means Nuoya must have a place in her heart that belongs to her. Then, it's clear what I need to do. I must keep a close eye on Nuoya until she returns, and not let any thieving cats get a chance!

Perhaps because she was too focused, she was a little absent-minded during training. Only after being reminded by Maena several times did she finally focus on training.