Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"..." Although Maria was very happy that Noah said she was still there, she also felt that this sentence was a bit strange. However, with her emotional intelligence, she might not be able to understand such feelings, so she could only hold Noah's hand temporarily, warm her cold palm on behalf of her sister, and rub it with her cheek, trying to warm Noah's heart with her body temperature.

For some reason, Maria seemed to have something extra in her heart.

After all, Noah said that she and her sister look a lot like each other. Is it just their appearance that is similar... or are they similar in other areas as well?

Since we are similar...then why can't I be the older sister?

Maria's thought only flashed through her mind, and then she immediately dismissed it. What was she thinking... Sister Margaret would never abandon Sister Noah. After all, Sister Noah had waited for her for so long...

Absolutely impossible!

Chapter 72: Shooting Range

Sintela hasn't received any instructions from Roy in a long time. While this is obviously a good thing, it's also a bit tricky for Sintela, a Platinum Master. In the past, I only had a few days off a month, and even three days off was a blessing. But now, I've been slacking off for almost a month. This doesn't make sense. Are they planning to fire me and find a new Platinum Master?

That feels good, I haven’t wanted to do this for a long time!

A smile appeared on Xintela's lips. If she could retire from the Platinum Throne, she would definitely agree with it with both hands and feet. However, compared to this, she was more worried that if she was really abandoned, she would also be included in the assassination list... After all, in a killer organization, there is only death and no retirement.

Hintleya recalled a movie she'd watched in her spare time. The protagonist was a retired assassin who'd originally planned to live a good life, but his partner died, his partner's dog died, and his car was stolen, forcing him to return and kill. Some people just watched the movie, while others just looked in the mirror. Hintleya wondered if she'd go crazy if she were in that situation herself.

Retire from the underworld, this kind of thing is a flag...

Holding the cat in her arms, Xinteleya's eyes were filled with melancholy. If it were her turn, she would lose her job, the cat would run away, and she would be hunted down.

I don't have the same powerful abilities as the killers in the movies to kill everyone. I will probably just struggle a bit and then retire like my master.

Hey, why did I get on this pirate ship in the first place?

While Xinteleya was still thinking, she heard the door of the cat cafe creak open, and the person who appeared at the door was her current boss, Noah Kyrielight.

"Ms. Xinteleya, have you been staying in the cat cafe for too long lately?" Noah asked. For some reason, Xinteleya suddenly felt embarrassed, as if she had been caught slacking off. She immediately jumped up from the pile of cats and said, "I'm going back to my post now!"

"Wait a minute, I'll give you a day off today." Noya reached out and grabbed Xinteleya who was about to run away as she passed by her. "Do you have time? Come with me somewhere."

Sweating profusely was probably what it felt like. Cintrea didn't know what to say at this point, so she could only nod in agreement. Noah didn't say much, though. He simply called a car to take her, Kuro, and the other two to a certain building. Cintrea looked up in confusion, not sure if it was an illusion, but she suddenly felt as if her identity had been discovered.

After all, why would anyone bring their employees to an archery facility?

Had he discovered a flaw in his identity? Had he already confirmed his membership in the No Heir Alliance? Why not just resign... or was this a test? These thoughts flashed through Cintrea's mind, but Noya made no attempt to answer. Instead, he led Kuro and Cintrea into the arena, pushed their wheelchairs, changed their clothes and protective gear, and then, each armed with a bow, headed to the fixed-target shooting range.

"I remember you said you knew a little about bows and arrows, right?" Noah finally spoke. "So I brought you here to play, just to relax a little."

Xinteleya looked at the bow and arrow in Noya's hand and asked with some confusion. "It's okay for me... but boss... do you want to shoot arrows too?"

"Well, I want to try." Noah touched the bow in his hand, revealing a nostalgic expression. "Don't look at me like this now, I used to be very powerful."

"Is that so..." Xinteleya did not disbelieve it. After all, she had already investigated and found that Noah was the best at using bows and arrows in the past, but he probably hadn't used a bow and arrow for a long time.

Shooting at a fixed target was no problem for Sintraya, or rather, for the Platinum Master. She drew her bow and released her arrow with perfect form. As the arrow pierced the bull's eye, Sintraya naturally scored a perfect ten. It's no exaggeration to say that her archery skills were among the best of the younger generation, but only within that generation. As for the superiors above her, every one of them was far more capable than she was.

As the mechanical voice announced the number of rings, Noa placed the bow on her knees and clapped softly. "Very impressive, Miss Cintrea!"

"Humph, after all, this is the only skill I can be proud of." Cintela was very pleased with the compliment. "Besides, I've been practicing non-stop all these years, so it's only natural that I'm at this level. Even if it's ten meters away, I can still hit the target with every arrow!"

This is no joke. The compound bow Xinteleia used before had a strong poundage and was a powerful bow that could really penetrate armor. She had strong arms and excellent eyesight. Since she started holding the bow, she has always been the best archer among her peers.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be targeted by the Wuzhou Alliance—

"Miss Cintela is so amazing! I'm embarrassed to show off my skills." Noya smiled, lifting the bow from her lap. Like Cintela, she placed the arrow on it. Her hand was steady, a testament to her rigorous training. The moment she drew the bow, Cintela could sense a slight shift in her expression. It was as if, the moment she drew the bow, her attention was completely focused—utterly concentrated. Then, with a crackling sound, the string snapped, and Cintela had no doubt the arrow would find its mark.

For a moment she even forgot the fact that Noah couldn't see, so when she set her eyes on the target, her expression froze.

Although this arrow did hit the target, it was a rather marginal third ring...

This doesn't make sense... The posture, momentum, and technique of that archery were all perfect. Cintela found it hard to accept, but the mechanical voice didn't lie and announced the result directly.

"Really...Three Rings." Noah was slightly stunned and shook his head. "Sure enough, there's still no way."

After losing her sight, she considered many ways to replace vision to assist shooting, but the effects were all very poor. Now being able to ensure that she did not miss the target is already her limit.

"..." For a moment, Xinteleya didn't even know how to comfort Noah, and even felt a little resentful of the mechanical voice. However, it was meaningless. Noah herself knew that this might be the result, and she just wanted to give it a try.

But after racking her brains, Xinteleya finally came to a conclusion - she suddenly took Noya's hand and said, "Come with me. I know another place where we can practice shooting, and I like it there better."

"Eh?" Noah was dragged to a new venue in her wheelchair, and Sintreya finally stopped. "How about trying a more difficult target shooting?"

"...target shooting?" Noah was stunned for a moment, then seemed to have thought of something and said with a smile, "Perhaps, that's exactly what happened."

Chapter 73: Skeet Shooting

Skeet shooting is definitely a more difficult event than fixed target shooting, but it is different for Noah.

Fixed targets are inanimate objects that don't move or make any noise, so for Noah, shooting at fixed targets really relies on feeling and intuition. But skeet shooting is different; a moving, audible target makes it much easier for Noah to grasp its position.

Sintreya started shooting again, one target at a time. She steadily destroyed the targets, steady and deadly. Her dynamic vision was excellent, and her reflexes were quick, so standard target shooting was no problem for her. After a flawless performance, Sintreya's score was undoubtedly a perfect score.

Then it was Noya's turn. She once again wheeled her wheelchair into position, set up her bow and arrow, drew the string, and sank into absolute stillness, like a statue. Then, the moment the target was released, she seemed to move from absolute stillness to extreme speed, from arrow release to target shattering, almost simultaneously. Seeing this result, Sintela finally revealed a look of relief. Sure enough—as long as the target moved, Noya could lock onto it.

Hit—hit—hit, without a single mistake. Noya's shooting technique was like art, precise and elegant. Though blind, she was able to lock onto the flying target through various means. Noya, enjoying the rare pleasure of shooting, curled her lips slightly. This time, she didn't even need the mechanical voice to announce her score; she was confident enough to confirm her perfect score. After all, she had already heard the sound of the target breaking.

After everything was over, Noya breathed a sigh of relief and put down her bow. Before she could share her joy, she was hugged by Xinteleya beside her. "Isn't that amazing? I'm impressed by you!"

"Okay, okay, it's normal..." Noah said a little embarrassedly, "I originally wanted to take you out to relax, but I didn't expect that I would have to be comforted by you."

"Eh? You took me out to relax?" Xinteleya finally realized why Noah brought her out. "Ah... you mean I've been staying in the cat cafe..."

"Yeah, didn't I tell you? If I find any employees staying in a place like this for a long time, I will have a talk with them. I thought you were under some pressure or something." Noah said with a smile, "But it seems that there is nothing to worry about."

"To relieve my stress, you ended up coming to the archery gym?" Xinteleya originally thought Noya was just talking, but she didn't expect her to actually be so nice to her employees. "And who would bring employees to a place like this?"

"But you said you know a little about shooting—if I don't bring you here, I can only take you to dinner. But eating with the boss would still be a bit stressful, right?" Noah said. "But it would be different if we came to the amusement park, right?"

"What kind of entertainment venue is an archery arena? Can you at least take me to the bowling alley?" Noah's words made Xinteleya laugh. "Also, just because I know a little about archery doesn't mean I'm a fanatic about it. If possible, I'd rather go to an amusement park or a circus."

"...Then, I'll take you there next time." Noah smiled helplessly. "The relationship between us shouldn't just be that of boss and employee, but also that of friends, right? You can tell me a few days in advance. If there's nothing you can't postpone, I'll make arrangements."

"Boss, you're just too kind-hearted." Xinteleya said helplessly, "But don't miss out. How about I take you to the amusement park next time?"

"Well, okay. But I might not be able to play some of the activities, I hope I won't spoil your fun." Noah nodded, agreeing, "I'm looking forward to it."

The corners of Xinteleya's mouth rose unconsciously. It was indeed a good feeling to be noticed and cared for. She didn't have many friends and relatives in Casimir, and had always lived a rather heartless life, thinking that she was free and easy. But when she was cared for, she still felt a warm feeling.

But when she thought of her identity and her purpose for coming to Noya, she felt inexplicably depressed. If possible, she really didn't want to deceive Noya, but if she revealed her identity, wouldn't he be scared? After all, the reputation of the No-Head Alliance was not good. Xintela looked at Noya. To Xintela, Noya was a good boss, but to Platinum... Noya was her target.

A target who could receive assassination orders from the Wu Zhou Alliance at any time...

Although it might be a bit unrealistic to want to kill Noah with my own ability, after all, she has Kuro always by her side, and that blond office slave, how could I have the ability to... kill someone like Noah?

Thinking of this, Sintela couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. It wasn't that she wasn't trying hard, but the enemy had Gundams. Humans have their limits, and forcing things when they can't be done is unacceptable.

At least now, there is no life-and-death conflict between them, so just enjoy it for now.

"Speaking of which, Cintrea, where did you learn your shooting skills?"

"Oh, that. I learned it at home when I was little, and then I met a master when I grew up," Cintela replied casually. "But I was a terrible learner, and I basically relied on my natural talent to get by. So I can't use it as a reference."

"Is that so—" Noah nodded doubtfully, "That's quite interesting to say. Although it's just a feeling, isn't your archery technique very similar to mine?"

"Really?" Cintela asked doubtfully, "How are they similar?"

"Ah... My technique has changed a bit, after all, I need to adapt to my own situation, but my family's archery technique is basically the same as yours, Cintrea—though for now, I can only confirm it by listening," Noa explained. "But since I can only rely on listening, there will definitely be a certain amount of error—so you don't need to worry about it."

"Is that so..." Sintela recalled Noah's archery. At that time, she did not notice it because his posture was perfect. His archery style seemed to have some similarities with her own, but Sintela quickly abandoned this idea. After all, Noah's archery style was the famous family tradition of the Kirilet family, and the possibility of it being related to her own was too small.

She drew her bowstring once more—

"Since we're here, why not play again?"

"Well, I'm happy to accompany you."

Noya, like Hintleya, drew his bow. The moment the target flew out, two arrows struck it almost simultaneously, shattering it into pieces. A smile curved Noya's lips. "This time, mine was faster."

"Nonsense, I'm definitely faster."

The two people were arguing about which arrow was faster, but the real meaning was not to compare, but simply to enjoy the fun of archery.

Chapter 74: Anxious? Anxious!

Cintela didn't know that Noah had actually guessed her identity a long time ago, but she didn't know that she was actually the Platinum Leader of the No-Horn Alliance. In essence, she still regarded Cintela as one of the assassins of the No-Horn Alliance, and didn't expect that the other party was a member of the management.

But Cintrea's affairs weren't the main point. Before Maria faced the Left-Handed Knight, Noah hadn't been idle either. Not only had Kuro help with her training, but within a week, he had also prepared Maria with a sword and shield that was superior to her previously damaged one. He even adjusted the weights specifically for Maria, making it easier to use. These were all things that could be achieved with money; Noah had clearly invested heavily in Maria's equipment over the past few days.

Maria felt that Noah gave too much and even felt a little uneasy - but Noah's excuse was of course, you win, I can earn it back double.

So now Maria only needs to think about how to win!

It can be seen from Zofia that even though she has just entered the threshold of the official competition, her ability to make money is not comparable to that of ordinary competition knights. Zofia is only in the top 16, but it is enough to buy a big house and a super garden. As long as Maria takes the step of the Left-Hand Knight, the Linguang family will not only be disqualified as a knight, but may have a second spring.

In other words, if Maria had not always refused to accept the conditions of those capitalists, it would not have been so difficult for her to become a real knight.

However, because she is Lin Guang - a knight with the name of Lin Guang, she will not accept the invitation of those investors who tarnish the name of knights, and it is even more impossible for her to join them in corruption.

As an independent knight, she entered the official competition. Although she did not dare to dream of becoming the new champion like her sister, she would never give up, nor would she become a lackey of the investors!

Although she was right in thinking so...

"Too slow! Who do you expect to hit at such a slow speed?" But the opponent she faced now was Kuro. Although Noya hadn't revealed Kuro's true identity to her yet, and because Kuro's mask had a special effect that obscured perception, even after Maria had seen Kuro many times, she still couldn't see her true face beneath the mask. But the only thing she knew was that Kuro was an incredibly powerful warrior.

The opponent appeared unarmed, not even bothering to wear armor, even with his hands behind his back. Yet, Maria's attacks were constantly dodged with the slightest movement. Several times, the sword came within millimeters of Kuro's body, but this was impossible. Kuro had never drawn his weapon, and the opponent had only used kicks, never once removing his hands from behind. "Speed ​​up, keep speeding up! Now that you've taken off your armor, you need to increase your speed. You can't keep moving so slowly."

"You can't do it just because you say so!" Maria held the sword in both hands and kept attacking Kuro, but even in the cast-off state, her speed was indeed much faster than before, but the problem is that just because you become stronger doesn't mean you can cross the mountain that was originally insurmountable. Originally, Maria thought that her strength was no longer what it used to be, but after meeting Kuro, she woke up from her dream.

She couldn't touch him in the past, and she still couldn't touch him now. In fact, as her strength grew, she felt more and more how big the gap in strength between herself and Kuro was.

Frog in the well, short-sighted, these two words could not describe her previous views. She thought that she would gradually approach Kuro, and even have a chance to surpass Kuro, but now it seems that the gap in strength between them may be much greater than she imagined.

"But you have to be able to do it—" Kuro mercilessly kicked the sword out of Maria's hand, and then stopped a spinning kick before hitting Maria's cheek. If she wanted to, she would definitely be sent flying. After confirming this, Maria silently chose to surrender.

I can't even make Kuro draw his sword...

Kuro's strength still exceeded his imagination. The battle just now was more like teasing than instruction. Kuro's teaching method has always been a very standard way of fighting to support fighting. In other words, all she can give is practical combat completed with strong strength to the point. If one cannot make progress in actual combat, her teaching method can easily cause a devastating blow to people's self-esteem.

Fortunately, Maria was not an ordinary person, and her low mood only lasted for a moment. When Noah pushed her wheelchair up to wipe the sweat off her face, she immediately smiled happily.

Maria's progress has been very fast. From knowing only basic swordsmanship at the beginning, she was able to master the lightsaber taught by Mainna, and finally even developed the Sword of Repentance. Her physical skills, which were originally at a disadvantage, also improved rapidly in Professor Kuro's practical courses. It can be said that if this knight competition really has a so-called protagonist, then Maria is the most suitable person to be the protagonist. Noah really feels sorry for this sister who has always been held in his hands.

If she hadn't participated in the knight competition, she wouldn't have had to work so hard.

But since she has chosen this path, she must be prepared for it.

So no matter how distressed he was, Noah could only cup her cheeks and encourage her. "Keep going."

"Ok!"

However, this simple encouragement was like a magic pill to Maria. She immediately jumped up and healed her wounds in excitement. Then she picked up her sword from the ground and shouted to Kuro, "One more time! I will definitely touch you this time!"

She may be a little green, but that's Maria—Noah couldn't help but think with a smile.

The battle between the stubborn Maria and the iron-fisted Kuro continued. Time was running out before they faced the Left-Handed Knight. Only by engaging in such frequent battles could Maria achieve further breakthroughs. As for what Mainna was doing at this moment...

Uh... he was still reading the newspaper. Or rather, every night after he got off work and had dinner at home, he would stroll to the door of the Howling Guard, then spread out today's newspaper and read it on the bench like a normal office worker.

The people in the Howling Guards have become numb. The first time they were as nervous as facing a great enemy, the second time they were silent as a mouse, the third time they were hysterical, and now - they have become numb. Anyway, Mainna is there, and if you dare to go out, you must be prepared to be hacked to death. Although he is not there 24 hours a day, if you do something when he is not there, the next time he comes, he may not come to read the newspaper.

Under this kind of mental pressure... the fact that these remnants of the Witch King didn't collapse was a testament to their mental strength.

"...What on earth is this guy planning to do? Can you please give me a quick death?"

The tower warlock was already numb. All she wanted was to fight him to the bitter end. Since he had already discovered her group... and was squatting there reading the newspaper every day, why not just come in and chop them up! Why not come in and fight! She couldn't stand it anymore!

Chapter 75: Rain that Determines the Atmosphere

If you can only be a thief for a thousand days, how can you prevent a thief for a thousand days?

If Mayenna squatted at the door for one more day, they would not dare to do anything. After all, no one here dared to say that they ate Mayenna Linguang raw. Even if someone really dared to say such words, they would only be looked at as an idiot.

That's how intimidating Maenna Linguang was. He didn't do anything, just sat by the door, but he was like Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva suppressing the demons of hell, making these people almost sick. More importantly, they didn't know what Maenna was up to. Logically, if he really wanted to get rid of them, he could just come in and hack them to pieces, but he didn't—he just read the newspaper there, rain or shine, and even brought his own umbrella.

More than one person has suggested they just fight him out. Perhaps Mainna has lost his sword skills due to his long career as a social slave, or perhaps he's simply become a weakling?!

It’s not impossible!

But I'm afraid that the person who said this may not believe it himself. If Mainna really didn't have as strong strength as he did before, how could he dare to block the spring, and no one in the spring dared to go out.

"...I'll go meet him..." At this point, the tall Kuranta almost realized it was time to make his own move and spoke up. "Maybe...he just wants to see an old friend?"

"...You know him?" At this point, the Tower Warlock no longer had the heart to argue with Kuranta. "That's right, you're the Silver Spear Pegasus, you should know him! Let him go!"

"...I just went to meet him. As for why he did this...I have no control over it, and neither can anyone else. The people who could control him are no longer here, at least not in Casimir." The tall Kuranta glanced coldly at the tower warlock. "Remember, you and I are not on the same page. This is just a temporary partnership. You have no right to order me around, let alone interfere in his affairs."