Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"What are you doing in my Operator?"

Kal'tsit stared at the guy who was poaching her. It was no exaggeration to say that she was probably the only one who could treat Carmen as an elder, after all, her experience was there.

The poaching was discovered, and Saint Carmen spoke without blushing or beating her heart.

"...I remember Rhodes Island operators weren't prohibited from multi-tasking, right?"

"You don't mean this as a part-time job. Are you planning to train Noah as your heir?"

"My Lord, your vision is still as sharp as ever. So, are you willing to give it up?"

"Not to mention that Noah isn't my product, secondly, she's the acting general manager of Rhine Life. Have you considered Rhine Life's feelings when you want to poach her?"

Indeed, Rhodes Island doesn't have any restrictions on operators holding multiple positions, but you're poaching the CEO of a top corporation in Terra's most powerful nation. Furthermore, their identities are all impressive, one by one. Iberia alone... honestly, Iberia is a small temple these days, and there's really no room for a figure like Noah. Of course, saying this directly is a bit disrespectful.

And most likely, Carmen also knew Noah's resume. The gold content of this resume was also considered the best among the best in Terra.

But he still made the invitation, which showed that he was indeed very anxious. The lack of successors in the Inquisition was probably beyond Kal'tsit's imagination. No wonder he was so anxious to take back the Eye of Iberia.

"-Although this is just a preliminary invitation, Iberia really needs talents like you. Please consider it. I will give you everything I can." Carmen glanced at Noah and was not in a hurry to get Noah's response.

After all, the future of Terra will belong to the young. Old men like him will sooner or later withdraw from the stage of history. Before that, it is his responsibility to find another way for Iberia.

Carmen turned and left, leaving Noah bewildered and Kel'tsit helpless. After seeing Carmen push the door open, Kel'tsit spoke. "I can't offer you any advice, but as you should know, Iberia is in dire straits right now. His invitation must be serious. He truly needs a helper, or rather... a successor. If you agree, the position of the next Saint will most likely be yours. Consider it for yourself."

"...Saint? Me?" Noah hadn't expected the invitation to have such a meaning. "Are you being too hasty? This is just our first meeting, isn't it?"

"Sometimes, for an Immortal, just one meeting is all it takes to understand a lot. You're truly the kind of person Iberia needs right now, so it's no surprise he's so anxious," Kal'tsit explained. "Noya, don't underestimate yourself. You're far better than you think."

"...Dr. Kel'tsit..." Noah sighed, "I will not join the Inquisition."

"I understand. I'll let him know. No one can force you to accept." Kal'tsit nodded. "We'll be heading to the Eye of Iberia early tomorrow morning. Make your preparations. We'll need to take a boat. Even with the protection of the Deep Sea Hunters, it's not that safe. If you just need Agor's skills, I suggest you stay on shore and provide support. There's no need to go deep into the battlefield."

"Are you worried that I'll be a drag?" Noah smiled awkwardly. "I'm not to the point where I need your attention, am I?"

"No, I don't doubt it. I'm just worried about the danger." Kal'tsit shook her head. "After all, you have difficulty walking during this operation, and we're at sea. You..."

"Don't worry, I have my own way." Noah said confidently, "I have the ability to protect myself. Besides, if I don't go, Mace certainly won't go either. This means we'll lose a powerful fighting force."

"...Okay, but you have to be careful." Kal'tsit looked at Noah worriedly, but finally chose to believe it.

After all, Noah had never let her down—

-

Early the next morning, Noah and the others arrived at the dock to wait for the boat. Due to the sea disaster, there were very few so-called "fishermen" on the coast. The person in charge of guiding them this time was a lighthouse worker, who was said to be the old man who had repaired the Eye of Iberia.

The group responsible for retaking the lighthouse include Noah, Mace, Skadi, Gloria, Laurentina, Elini and Dario. They are just the advance troops. They go to the lighthouse just to clear the way. The technicians of the Punishment Army are responsible for repairing the lighthouse.

It can be said that they are like the pioneers, the vanguard, while the real heavy lifting is done by the Punishment Army.

The 3,000-man Punishment Army dispatched this time was arguably Iberia's largest domestic military operation. Carmen and Kal'tsit were responsible for command and coordination.

Before Noah set out, she always had an ominous premonition. This premonition lingered around her, making her feel that even the sound of the sea seemed so... weird.

The capricious sea was indeed now faintly surging with undercurrents and waves, but soon a small boat broke through the fog on the sea and came to their side.

On the small boat sat the silent judge Dario and an Agor who looked a little shy.

"...Who is this?" Noah heard the stranger's breathing and asked.

"Jordy, the Agor."

When she heard about the Agor people, Elini's face changed.

"There shouldn't be any Argol people in Granfalo... The Argol people here..."

"Because they colluded with the Deep Sea Church, they've been wiped out..." Dario continued, taking over Elini's words. "But he's special. He might be a descendant of Breogan. He's familiar with the situation inside the lighthouse, and he himself wants to go there. With Saint Carmen's consent, he will join our advance team."

"Even so, we should still demand that he hand over the family inheritance and let the Inquisition take over and investigate." Elini still couldn't understand. "Sir! We can't take that risk."

"Please be patient. This is the judgment of the Saint, not something you can influence—and, Miss Noya, can you tell me if he can participate in this?" Dario looked at Noya, his eyes full of inquiry, and Noya understood why Carmen was doing this. So, using her abilities as a lie detector? That was fine, though. Noya nodded. He didn't sense any falsehood in Jody's emotions, only nervousness and a hint of anticipation.

"can."

She nodded.

"He's not a Deep Sea Cultist, I can guarantee that."

"...In that case, he can go with you."

"Wait, I don't understand..." Elini didn't understand why Noah could just nod. She still felt that such an action should not have any unstable factors.

But she was just given a look by Dario and immediately fell silent.

"I understand... I accept the order..."

Chapter 28: Extermination Order

Although Jody's joining was purely accidental in a sense, the most important reason was probably because he was a descendant of the lighthouse designer Breogan and was familiar with the structure of the lighthouse.

Although Noah supported Jordi to join the team, besides the fact that he did not feel that he had any ill intentions, there was another important reason.

"Is being a descendant of Breogan a good thing for you?" After getting on the boat, which was swaying all the way, no one spoke much due to nervousness. Only Noah whispered to Jody beside him.

"Ah... are you asking me?" Jody was a little surprised. Although the wheelchair-bound sister looked frail, most of the people here followed her lead. Jody could tell that Noah was the one with the most say. Furthermore, it was Noah's initiative that had finally gotten him accepted into the team. He was somewhat flattered that such a prominent figure would actually approach him.

"Don't be nervous, I'm just curious. After all, I have a formidable ancestor—" Noya thought of her own grandfather. Both hers and Lin Guang's grandfather were war heroes, knights who single-handedly defended their nation's honor. As his granddaughter, she felt somewhat disgraced. Not only did she not become a knight, she was even a wanted criminal. Even if it was for a reason, she had sacrificed her family's honor. In fact, she had always been resentful.

But she didn't think too much about it at the time. Reputation was really not important to Noah. It was a personal reputation, but she really didn't want the surname Kirilet to be tainted with a bad reputation.

Uncle Lime's persuasion was not without effect. She was indeed shaken, but she still did it. She thought at the time... if her grandfather were still alive, he would probably agree with her actions. After all, she sacrificed her reputation in exchange for Margaret's opportunity to change Casimir.

All for Casimir——

"...Well...actually, I don't know either." Faced with this question, Jody shook his head awkwardly. "Although I'm a descendant of the legendary Breogan, besides being an Agor, I don't have any special qualities. I'm not smart, nor am I good at mechanics. Apart from liking to look at those blueprints when I was a child, I haven't had any outstanding qualities. I've always been ignorant. So, having such a great ancestor for me...maybe it's just an extra wish. I really want to see what the Eye of Iberia designed by my ancestor looks like...you might laugh a little when I say this, but I also want to see that legendary ship..."

"The Fool?" This seemed to be the purpose of the deep-sea hunter. Finding the Eye of Iberia was an important condition for contacting Agor, and the Fool was also the crystallization of Agor's technology. It was a powerful battleship designed by Breogan. Many people said that it had sunk with the Invincible Armada, but some people also said that it was still wandering on the sea and had become an unmanned ghost ship.

"Once we restart the lighthouse, we'll know. The Eye of Iberia has the ability to receive and amplify signals. As long as the Fool is still in the nearby waters, the Eye of Iberia will be able to pick up the Fool's signal, and then everything will be clear." Gloria interrupted, "If the Fool can be recaptured, it will be good news for Iberia and us. I hope everything goes well."

"...I'm just afraid that we won't be so lucky..." Elini muttered softly, obviously still wary of Jody. Jody shrank his head. The judge looked like he was ready to raise his hand cannon to shoot him at any time, and he couldn't help but be afraid.

Noah smiled and held out her hand. "Eline is not a bad person. She's just too nervous, right, Eline?"

"Who's nervous?! I'm an Inquisitor who's completed all the training! I'm much braver than any of you!" Elini sputtered. "I... I'm just worried that this operation might fail again because of the Deep Sea Cultists. After all, this wouldn't be the first time."

"You can completely trust Noah's judgment." At this time, Skadi said, "Noah's ability is to see through people's hearts. I knew this on Rhodes Island. If this guy was a Deep Sea Cultist, he wouldn't have come to the ship."

"...seeing through people's hearts?" Elini blinked. "How could anyone possibly have such cheating ability?"

"That's because you're so ignorant, little birdie—" Ghost Shark nodded his lips with a smile, "There are so many wonders in this world~"

"What do you mean I'm ignorant?" Ai Lini said breathlessly, "I just haven't seen it. What's wrong with asking?"

"Irini, ignorance is not something to be proud of." Dario, her master, reached out and tapped her head, then apologized to everyone. "I'm sorry, Irini is still immature. I hope you don't mind."

"..." Elini didn't dare to speak. After all, Dario was her teacher, and she had to give Dario enough face in public.

She lowered her head to repair her equipment: swift sword, lantern, hand cannon. These were the weapons commonly used by the Inquisitor. In order to fight against Hai Si, she needed to ensure that these equipment would not betray her at the critical moment. Although her temper was not very good, she also knew clearly who the enemy was.

The ship advanced for a long time, surprisingly encountering no resistance. With Noya's help, the Ghost Shark remained conscious. The three Deep Sea Hunters were already a combat team. Skilled in coordination, the Mountain and Sea Hunters had their own set of tactics, and the minimum number of personnel required was officially three. Even though Skadi wasn't under the Second Captain's command, they coordinated perfectly. Before approaching the lighthouse, the three Deep Sea Hunters took turns in the water. They were at their strongest underwater—Golletia commanded the two Deep Sea Hunters as they circled the ship.

They have already felt an unusual chill in the ocean currents...

So that's it... Goletia finally saw a scene underwater that made her feel a little creepy. On this reef, which was supposed to be a hill, there were densely packed coral-like things attached. These [coral reefs] were full of holes, and Hai Si was shuttling back and forth in these holes, like a huge ant nest. If a person with trypophobia came here, he would probably faint at the sight of it... This complex nest has already marked that the area under this lighthouse has completely become Hai Si's territory.

This is a tough battle...

Gloria saw all this, but did not back down.

"Skadi, Shark, protect this ship and keep an eye on those primitive signal navigation devices," Goletia began to command. "Be careful not to get hurt. These sea heirs haven't awakened yet. The closer we get to their nest, the more likely we'll provoke their aggression. We can't bleed in the sea; it's too dangerous—our blood will drive them crazy."

"Second Captain, what about you?" Skadi asked doubtfully, but the Ghost Shark beside her seemed to have understood Gloria's plan. "Skadi, do you know why our Second Captain became the bait to lure away Hai Si?"

"……Um?"

"Like you, your specialty is strength. Given a fulcrum, you could overturn an entire Haisi lair—but we each have our own strengths. I excel at annihilation warfare, at weaving my way through the battlefield, and I have the best physical endurance on the team. And as the captain, how could she not have her own strengths?"

As soon as Ghost Shark finished speaking, she covered her ears in the water. Skadi didn't know why, but the next moment, she heard a terrifying explosion -

?

Skadi saw that Goletia's body suddenly exploded. Yes, it exploded. A bubble suddenly exploded around Goletia. Then, Goletia used the Changshuo in her hand as a spearhead, which turned directly into a sharp sword, crushing all the sea creatures on the way and directly pierced into the sea creatures' nest.

The seemingly massive coral reefs collapsed almost instantly, their structures destroyed and the nest crumbled. The roar beneath the water also sent a terrifying tremor through the small boats above. Jody instinctively crouched down, protecting himself. "What's going on?! Is there another monster attack?"

"No, we can't see it! We don't know what's happening underwater, but..." Elini immediately leaned over the edge of the boat and looked down, but all she could see was a deep darkness. "It's them! They're engaging Hai Si in close combat!"

"Is there anything we can do?" Mace asked Dario beside him, "Or do we have to go into the water with oxygen tanks on our backs?"

"No, leave it to them. They are the experts underwater."

Dario shook his head and spoke.

"Golatia has diverted most of the sea creatures. This movement is just like dropping a mine into someone's nest—" Although Skadi knew that the second captain was good at speed, she didn't expect that the other party was so fast that he could produce cavitation underwater... What level of speed is this?

"Seeing the Captain's ultimate move once again is a visually stunning sight—if only I could be that fast. Skadi, focus on clearing out the remaining sea urchins." Ghost Shark activated its chainsaw underwater. Its special structure creates a high-speed, cutting stream of water along the blade as it rotates underwater. In water, it can even injure people from a distance. After most of the sea urchins were lured away by Gloria, who had physically pierced their nest, she and Skadi had no problem protecting the boat.

Most of the sea sharks would be crushed as soon as they approached the boat. Skadi and the ghost shark worked together seamlessly. They were deep-sea hunters by blood, and they could often complete their cooperation perfectly without even any movements or hints.

"Elini, you take the descendants of Breogan and continue to steer the ship." Dario raised his lantern, wielded his swift sword, and stood at the bow to give orders. "Hurry up, before the enemy surrounds us."

Breaking through the sea nest is the only way to enter the Eye of Iberia, and they only have a small boat to rely on. There is no other way. Iberia has not been out to sea for too long, and this small boat is the only ship that can be used.

But as the advance team advanced, Saints Carmen and Kal'tsit also encountered their own big troubles.

"If every minute and every second that the tide hits the beach, every drop of water, every grain of sand is an extension of the terrifying fish and its ecology, how can we defend our home?" Carmen asked Kal'tsit beside her. At this moment, they were facing the overwhelming blue-gray pollution with the Punishment Army. These things were alive and were undoubtedly a form of those monsters. This form could infect the land, occupy the ground, and provide supplies to their compatriots. On this blue-gray land, those sea heirs seemed to have been injected with some hormones and had a terrifying speed. Although the Punishment Army would not be wiped out by the sea heirs of this scale, their endless numbers did prevent the Punishment Army from moving forward.

There are so many Deep Sea Cultists in Granfalo...

Carmen couldn't help but sigh——

"Sign the extermination order—in the name of Saint Carmen, we will annihilate this town."

"If Noya were here, she would stop you."

"We can no longer distinguish between the Deep Sea Cultists and the common people—" Carmen began. "When I was younger, I might have wondered whether I should kill innocent people—but now, I no longer have time to distinguish. I cannot make the same mistake again."

Kelsey was silent. She knew that there would definitely be innocent people killed in this massacre. But just as Saint Carmen said—

Now, how can we tell the difference?

The punitive troops were silent. They were butchers, they were the sharp blade of Iberia, they were sinners, and they should be court-martialed.

——They must complete this crime.

Everything for Iberia.

Humanity must take back the sea, Iberia must take back the sea!

The silent punitive troops drew their swords and swung them at the people they were supposed to protect—

The lights were on and the whole of Glenfarclas was ablaze.

Carmen took the lead, using the lantern in her hand as a guide to burn the bodies of the deep-sea cultists.

"Now, start cleaning."

The technology from Agor could cleanse the land of these specialized sea creatures. The Punitive Army was Iberia's national defense force. This eradication was already one-sided, but the problem was compounded by the fact that these sea creatures were indiscriminately infecting the citizens of Granfalo. The sea creatures lurking beneath the city had already infiltrated it, like a virus, spreading from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred.

If Noah hadn't gone to Saltwind City, the outcome in Saltwind City might have been no different from here.

After this crackdown, how many residents of Granfalo will survive?

Carmen didn't know and didn't want to think about it anymore.

However, his footsteps stopped in front of someone.

"...Thiago." The two gray-haired old men looked at each other in the sea of ​​fire.

"...You finally came with the Punishment Army to complete what you hadn't done before."

Tiago looked at the man in front of him. They were once comrades-in-arms, but now - they were enemies.

"This is for Iberia."

"But I'm no longer just Iberia, Carmen." Thiago was not infected, but he still stood in front of Carmen, even if it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

"Old friend... the light of the Eye of Iberia will shine again today. I promise you."

"Carmen, Saint Carmen." Tiago sneered, "Iberia is no longer my glory. Now my glory is Granfalo, this town that you set on fire."

——So, they are mortal enemies.