Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

After confirming once again that he could not draw the sword, Noah did not put the sword back in its place, but placed it beside him. Anyway, there was a special device on the side of his wheelchair designed for hanging some things, and hanging it there would not affect his travel.

Pushing the wheelchair out of the bedroom, Kuro's eyes naturally fell on her, and then he caught a glimpse of the sword in her hand. "Why did you take it out so suddenly?"

"Well... maybe I feel more at ease with it around." Noah thought for a moment, then replied with a smile, "Kuro, I promised you I wouldn't send you out without permission. I may not be able to keep that promise anymore."

"...Is there anything I can do for you?" Kuro didn't say anything, just nodded. "But even if that's the case, you need to at least stay in a safe place."

"I know there are a lot of people targeting me." Noah smiled and shook his head, "But I think if I just passively take the beating now, there's really no way to change the current situation, so I plan to take the initiative."

"What do you think?"

"The Heroless Alliance."

Noah spoke, and although Kuro didn't say anything, after hearing this word, Noah clearly felt that Kuro's emotions fluctuated slightly.

Noya knew Kuro disliked the No-Horned Alliance, but if the No-Horned Alliance wasn't involved in this assassination, then this time, they wouldn't have a direct conflict of interest with the No-Horned Alliance, and the No-Horned Alliance would be happy to act for their own benefit. So why couldn't the No-Horned Alliance be a knife in her hand?

In Casimir, you can live without a life, but you can't live without one. And the No-Head Alliance is definitely one of the best at making things happen in Night City.

"…if that's your decision."

"Don't worry, Kuro. I know my limits." Noah responded with a smile, "I won't bring trouble upon myself."

"I believe you, but the Helmetless Alliance is still a very uncontrollable factor. I don't think they are as simple as they seem." Kuro responded, "This is my personal experience."

"Indeed..." Noah sighed, "Unfortunately, nothing is up to us."

Noya considered changing the organization within the Chamber of Commerce, but she discovered that it wasn't as disorganized as she'd imagined. Instead, it was incredibly united, especially when facing outside capital. This wasn't a fluke; there must be someone within the Chamber of Commerce who could control these capitalists. This person might be the reason the CSRC was letting the Chamber of Commerce run its course.

Although these are all Noah's own speculations, from all indications, Casimir is now in an extremely fragmented situation. The knights of war are stationed at the border as soldiers, the country is almost completely controlled by capital, and the Securities and Futures Commission exists as a government, but it lets the Chamber of Commerce do whatever it wants. In addition, the rejection of foreign capital is so huge that it is hard not to suspect that someone has set some invisible "rules" in the upper echelons of the Chamber of Commerce.

As for who set the rules, Noah has not yet found out, but she is indeed using this [unspoken rule] to restrict the actions of those businessmen.

As long as you follow the rules, there will always be patterns to follow. If there are rules, there will naturally be ways to follow them or to exploit them. The most terrifying thing is never the strictness of the rules, but the fact that the rules themselves are hidden, and their power will only be revealed when you actually touch them.

However, Casimir's current situation, after all, is still under the control of the CSRC.

After all, if you look closely, although the Chamber of Commerce seems to be all-powerful, they have yet to develop their own armed forces. Most of their operations even rely on assassin organizations like the No-Horned Alliance. Is it because they can't afford their own private army? Or do they think it's unnecessary?

Neither. The real reason is probably one of the unspoken rules within Casimir - that is, the Chamber of Commerce must never cross the line.

Otherwise, no matter who they are, facing the threat of the established Silver Spear Pegasus, they would have to consider their own weight. Within Casimir, the Supervisory Commission is far from a puppet without real power. With the Silver Spear Pegasus, Casimir's most powerful organ of violence, the Supervisory Commission is in a secure position. It is precisely because of this situation that Noya cannot rely on the Supervisory Commission... Since the Supervisory Commission has tacitly approved many of the Chamber of Commerce's actions, it is difficult for her to determine whether the assassination attempt against Maria also falls within this scope of tacit approval.

It was precisely because of this that she couldn't completely trust the Supervisory Commission—or rather, trust the elder she was very familiar with back then...

Thinking of this, Noah couldn't help but shake her head. She really didn't want to believe that the kind elder she had been to would one day become her enemy. But the current situation didn't allow her to consider it anymore.

She was born and raised in Casimir, so she naturally hoped that Casimir could become better, but the Casimir of today...

Noah didn't speak for a long time, only sighing.

A nation must naturally have a spiritual existence that supports the nation, just like the freedom advocated by Colombia, the glory advocated by Victoria, or the foundation of Ursus built on conquest. For Casimir, this national spirit is obviously chivalry. Noah does not want Casimir to lose this spirit. Casimir should not become the second Colombia. It should have its own will.

Today, Casimir is losing this spirit. They have begun to turn this spirit into entertainment, pastime, and topic of conversation before and after meals. The spirit that was originally recorded in family precepts and legends has gradually moved away from this country, and most people are unaware of it.

When the knight is no longer worthy of the title of knight, when Casimir is no longer a country of knights.

So Casimir, is it still Casimir?

She recalled the words that Margaret always said:

"A knight is a noble being who illuminates the entire earth."

But can this nobility awaken Casimir again?

Chapter 61: Master of Slacking

It is actually not difficult to contact the Helmetless Alliance. In fact, after Xintelaiya appeared, Noah knew how to contact the Helmetless Alliance.

The contact method was on the contract that Xintelaiya used to approach him. The seemingly ridiculous Originium hand sanitizer actually had a company that existed. The fact that Xintelaiya could use it to approach him meant that this company itself was under the management of the No-Hero Alliance.

This so-called Originium hand sanitizer company also left complete contact information, and the meaning is very clear. This is a signal, a signal that the Wuzhou Alliance has no intention of becoming an enemy of Noah.

The reason why Xintelaiya was sent here actually also represents this meaning. After all, the Helmetless Alliance couldn't be unaware that Kuro was by Noah's side. Even if Xintelaiya was given ten lives, she would not be able to escape Kuro's protection. So this was obviously not to kill herself, but rather a test.

Noah dialed the number left by the Source Stone Hand Sanitizer Company. After a few busy tones, a slightly frivolous male voice came over.

"Hello, welcome to your call. Source Stone Hand Sanitizer. Business cooperation or after-sales service?"

"...It's a business cooperation, I guess." Noah twitched his lips. "Can we talk in private?"

"What a troublesome customer! Of course, sincerity is the hallmark of our business, even if you can't see my sincerity through the phone. But as long as the price is right, there's nothing we can't do together." The other party still spoke with a smooth voice, but his meaning was clear: the Wuzhou Alliance valued Noah's price. As the new spokesperson for the Trade Union, Noah's potential value was enough to attract the Wuzhou Alliance's attention.

Although the Hero-less Alliance itself may not be willing to become the black glove of the Chamber of Commerce, as long as Noah can give the Hero-less Alliance enough benefits, that would be a different matter.

After all, the Wuzhou League itself is an assassin organization, and the essence of an assassin organization is still to take money from people and eliminate disasters for them.

"I will give enough chips."

"That's great. You still owe our Xinteleya a meal, so why not let her take you to a fly-in-the-wall restaurant in the alley. Maybe we'll run into each other there?" The other party finally gave the meeting place, and Noah finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Although the No-Horn Alliance had contacted her, they had remained silent throughout. Furthermore, the fact that Sintela hadn't left the company suggested they hadn't given up on monitoring her. This surveillance had both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage was that her connection with the No-Horn Alliance remained intact, but the disadvantage was that they would gradually learn more about her. While Noa was wealthy, she wasn't rich enough to warrant VIP access from the No-Horn Alliance.

The reason why the Wuzhou Alliance was willing to find him was probably because of his identity as a spokesperson.

As for this identity, probably only Noah knew about it. It was just that the Chamber of Commerce thought it was easier to control.

Therefore, there are actually some misunderstandings in the communication between himself and the Wuzhou Alliance. One side is not sure what basis Noah has for being the spokesperson of the new generation of the Business Federation, and the other side is communicating with the Wuzhou Alliance, which is already very dangerous, knowing that the situation of their own identity is not optimistic. Both sides are testing each other, but testing does not mean that they cannot cooperate, so let's see who finds out the other party's details first.

However, as long as they can meet, Noah is confident that she can find the other party's flaws, which is one of the reasons why she insists on meeting the other party.

But since they'd mentioned asking Cintela to lead the way, could that mean Cintela was also a very important figure within the No-Horn Alliance? Noya tilted his head, thinking for a moment, then dismissed the thought. If she were truly important, she wouldn't be stealing wages from her own company. Could the No-Horn Alliance be unable to pay her wages? She had to clock in at her own company's cat cafe on time?

-

"Ah!"

Ms. Xinteleya, who was petting cats for a paycheck, suddenly sneezed, startling the cats beside her, who were diligently serving them until they were a little hairless, and they took off. Xinteleya rubbed her nose. Since joining this company, she felt that her life before this had been meaningless. Not only was she not required to stay in her job forever, but she could freely go to free cat cafes. The cats were extremely skilled and even paid her salary.

How to say happy? Happy.

The Helmetless Alliance is a shady company. Luckily, Roy hasn't contacted me in two weeks. It would be best if he forgot my contact information. I could just say goodbye to the Helmetless Alliance. Who wants to be a fearful assassin when they can live a good life? Honestly, these past two weeks have made Sintela feel like her life's pursuits have shifted subtly. It's nice to slowly explore her own fish in a stable life.

It is much better than high-risk jobs such as assassination, security arrangements, and even intelligence gathering.

It's no wonder that even someone like Mainna Linguang ended up being a social slave. Being a social slave isn't the problem; the problem is the poor treatment. Look at Mainna, who used to be so bitter and resentful, now even greets people at work. Her mental state has improved so quickly that even Xinteleya isn't used to it.

Providing a social slave with a punctual leave of absence and high salary can basically cure most of their mental illnesses.

This is the case with Mainna, and even more so with Xinteleya. Since she started living and eating in the company, Noah often greeted her in the cafeteria. Although she was a target, no assassination mission had been issued yet, so Xinteleya had no reason to refuse her kindness.

Now they are dining companions, to the extent that if Noah is so busy working overtime that she forgets to eat, she will knock on the door and call him.

After calculating the time, it was indeed almost time for dinner. Xinteleya touched her belly, which might have been a little swollen than before she started working, and decided to go find Noah first. She must have forgotten to eat because of work again.

Oh~ What will the boss do without a model employee like him?

Xinteleya happily moved the cat employee off of her, stood up, stretched, and skipped towards Noah's office.

"……Um?"

"Hey, Old Ma, you're going to eat too. I'm looking for the boss." After two weeks of allergy training, Xinteleya was now able to face the sudden appearance of Mauna with a normal mindset. "Is she working overtime again? Aren't you her assistant? How can an assistant suggest eating every day to get the boss to work overtime? Do you like to slack off too?"

"...No, I have to go back to have dinner with Maria soon." Mainna looked at the young assassin from the No Helmet Alliance in front of her, but she didn't seem angry. "She might be looking for you. Go in."

"Okay~" Xinteleya didn't feel anything was wrong, waved her hand and walked into the office. At this time in the office, Noah was sitting in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in a daze, tapping the armrest of the wheelchair with his fingers, as if waiting for something.

Cintrea raised her hand in greeting.

"Boss, it's time to eat."

"Yeah." Noah nodded slightly, turned his wheelchair, and smiled. "This time, I want to eat out. I'll treat you, how about that?"

Chapter 62: Intelligence Trading

Xinteleya felt a little strange. The last time she went out to eat with Noah seemed to be when they just met.

It had been two weeks, and she hadn't mentioned it, and Noah hadn't mentioned it either. She had almost forgotten she'd promised him to treat her to a meal. And she'd even specifically requested a shabby restaurant in a small alley.

Although Xinteleya prefers to eat in the company cafeteria, where the food tastes good and the chef is very good, she has been in Casimir for so long after all, so naturally she knows some fly-in-the-wall restaurants with good food.

It turns out that bowl of pork trotter rice was quite delicious to Noah?

Xinteleya looked at Noah with some curiosity, but Noah didn't say anything along the way. He just tilted his head, as if listening to something.

But what was there to listen to? On this street corner, aside from the whispers of the city's most shady people, the arguments between couples, the hawking of vendors, and so on... there didn't seem to be anything worth listening to.

It wasn't any elegant music, and even if there was music occasionally, it was probably just because the TV news played the familiar prelude.

"Speaking of which, where's your bodyguard? Why can't I see her?" Finally, out of curiosity, Cintela asked, "Aren't you two always inseparable?"

"Kuro? She's nearby, but she hasn't shown up yet." Noah had no intention of hiding it from Xinteleya. "After all, in my situation, I need someone to protect me."

"Is that so?" Sintela didn't care. On the contrary, Noah's reserve and caution made her feel more at ease. If Noah had truly trusted her so much after only two weeks together, she would have felt something was amiss. Caution and sincerity weren't incompatible, and Sintela wasn't the kind of person who would insist on someone's heart being poured out before she could truly be considered genuinely involved.

Only when there is a little distance can we be friends - it doesn't matter.

"We're here, we're here. I highly recommend this place." Finally, Xinteleya stopped her wheelchair in front of a not-so-popular noodle shop and introduced it. "The noodles here are amazing. Remember to follow my recommendations. I'll go in and order the food. You wait outside."

There were a few tables and chairs at the door that were not strictly in compliance with city regulations. Noah was waiting next to a table and chair that had peeling paint but was still relatively clean.

Xinteleya went to queue up. This place was indeed quite popular, and there was actually a queue. Noya could already smell the aroma that whetted her appetite. These aromas were not carefully blended with spices or carefully prepared, but rather a very homely smell. Just the smell of them warmed her body, and Noya was looking forward to what she would eat soon. But she didn't come here just to eat.

Noah waited for a while before she heard someone sitting down at her table. She asked with a smile, "Someone's already here."

"Hintraya won't mind. After all, I'm her boss." The man said with a smile, "Your voice sounds more competent on the phone."

"...Well, maybe." Noah smiled. "Well, let's not beat around the bush. I want to buy some...information from you?"

"Intelligence? The price of intelligence fluctuates quite a bit. First, tell me what kind of intelligence you want so I can determine the price, right?" The other party also smiled. "But don't worry, as long as we clearly mark the price, we can guarantee the accuracy."

"...You didn't even ask what the information was, but you're already sure you have it?"

"..."

"Well, that's not important. It's just that you probably already have the information I need." Noah noticed the other man's momentary emotional fluctuation and immediately confirmed his thoughts. "Don't worry, I just need to know who transferred the Plastic Knight's points that day. That's all I need."

"You really don't want more?"

"That's only if I can afford it." Noah shook his head. "From the beginning, you've been acting like you're eager to give me information... It seems like this group of people is quite troublesome for you, too."

"...Haha, you really like to joke."

The other party's tone was flawless, but his emotions were unconcealed, and Noah once again got his answer. For the Wuzhou Alliance, the person who transferred the points was clearly a thorn in their side. However, they were likely enemies, not friends, so they were not only willing to share the intelligence, but also wanted to profit from it.

In this round of probing, Noah had already won. Each of her questions hit the nail on the head. Not only did she point out that the other party had already sorted out the intelligence, but she also saw what the position of the No Hero Alliance was.

Since the Wuzhou Alliance is so targeting us...it is very likely that they are from a foreign country.

And the foreign forces that are closer to Casimir?

"...Letania?"

"I'm beginning to suspect you already know everything." The smile faded from his voice. "Let's be frank, then. We do find these guys from Leithania troubling, and I'm willing to sell you the information, even at a discount. But how confident are you in dealing with them?"

"The Wuzhou Alliance is unable to take action?"

"It's not that we can't take action, it's that it's not worth it." The other party confessed, "The Wuzhou Alliance had better behave itself for the time being. This is the order from above."

"...Up there?" Noah pondered for a moment. "I understand. I can't guarantee I can solve it. I can only say I'll try my best."

After both parties reached an agreement, the other party gave him a memory card and left with his noodles. Around this time, Xinteleya finally returned with two bowls of noodles. She didn't seem to notice the man sitting there before, but enthusiastically offered Noya a bowl of noodles. "Try it! The line is really long today. I finally got a seat."

Noah held the memory card in his palm and smiled flawlessly, "Yeah, I'm also waiting impatiently."

Roy, who had left his seat, pulled up his hood and stood on a platform, gazing down at Noah and Cintelaia below, his expression grave. Although it had only been a few brief exchanges, it was as if the other party had completely seen through his disguise. If he hadn't known they were truly blind, he would have thought they were masters of micro-expressions.

He was able to glean so much information from just a few words. No wonder he was able to rise so quickly in a place like Casimir...

No wonder... Xuan Tie values ​​this girl so much.

Roy shook his head, turned around and disappeared into the shadows.

Chapter 63: Howling Guard

Leitania, the land of warlocks, the land of music.

In the past, during the reign of the Witch King, Lethania was once a powerful nation. It held the upper hand in the Battle of the Four Kings, which sieged Gaul. However, after the Witch King's tyranny and eventual fall, Lethania gradually declined until today.

Leithnia and Casimir, these two countries often have some frictions because of their border relationship.

The information recorded in the memory card in Noah's hand is information belonging to the remnants of the Witch King.