Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"...It's very dangerous." Maina looked at Noya, "I don't want you to take any risks."

"But I'm already taking a risk." Noah said with a smile, "Instead of waiting for trouble to find us, why not take the initiative to solve the trouble, right?"

Chapter 85: Request

Uncle Manna finally nodded reluctantly. He wasn't sure how accurate Tolan's intelligence was, as there had been plenty of blunders before. But this time, at least it was accurate. If there was a next time—well, we'd see.

Chesper was taken into custody, but judging by Ms. Russell's actions, he should not be severely punished. After all, he was at most an accomplice - and according to the other party's explanation, Casimir probably hadn't been completely unaware of the remnants of the Witch King, and now he was just giving them a reminder.

Judging from the current situation, at least the arrangements made by the remnants of the Witch King in Casimir have been in vain in a short period of time. However, after the incident of the Howling Guards, it is likely that the reaction of the Chamber of Commerce will be greater this time.

After all, Howling Guard was no small company, and the fact that a company was directly under investigation couldn't be concealed. Noah could only minimize the impact as much as possible, but judging by the current situation, there were already many impeachment cases against Noah himself. But as the saying goes, too much debt doesn't worry you, and too many lice don't bite you. Anyway, the fact that he hadn't stepped down meant that these people hadn't intended to get rid of him, but were just trying to disgust him.

This level of disgust no longer affects Noah. She attends various press conferences quite calmly and swears in front of the camera that such things will not happen again.

I don’t think I’ll be that unlucky - there’s no chance that something bad will happen to the company again, right?

Well, let's take some time off from the intrigues between the companies and Noah has already booked the match between Left-Handed Knight and Maria Linguang for the next day.

Noah had just finished a social event that day, and before heading home, he ran into Maria, who was rarely at the training ground. It seemed she had been waiting for him. When she saw Noah being pushed out of the company in a wheelchair by Kuro, she rushed over, calling Noah's name as she ran.

Noah raised her hand and asked Kuro to wait for a while. Although she was no longer shy about meeting Maria, this was the first time she had ever been blocked at the door. She was also very curious about what had happened that made Maria run to the company door to wait for her at this time.

When Maria came to Noah, Noah took the initiative to ask. "What happened? The competition is tomorrow, and you came to see me today?"

"Ah... that's right. Noah-san seems very busy lately and hasn't come to see me train. I was a little worried." Maria scratched her head a little embarrassedly. "So I came to see you after training..."

"There's been a lot of investigations and news about the recent gas explosion at the Howling Guard Company. As a spokesperson, I've naturally been traveling a lot, so I haven't had much time to visit you," Noah said apologetically. "How are you? Are you confident you can defeat the Left-Handed Knight tomorrow?"

"I... am not sure either." Maria was about to nod confidently, but she finally spoke the truth. "After all, he's at the official tournament level... A knight with an official title, he's not on the same level as a newbie like me."

"Don't say that. There's no such thing as a newcomer being unable to beat a veteran." Noah shook his head. "You've made significant progress. I believe in you."

"The obvious improvement is just because I was too... weak before, right?" Maria was still very clear about her own strength. The so-called huge improvement was based on the fact that her original strength was too poor. Before, she was obsessed with craftsmanship and rarely practiced even basic swordsmanship. After participating in the knight competition, even if her uncle and aunt took turns to help her train, it was just to make up for her laziness during that period.

She also discovered that most people expected her to become a great knight like her sister. Perhaps she had wasted a lot of time when she was obsessed with craftsmanship.

How should I put it… She had originally believed that her sister and uncle would hold up the sky if it fell, so she had no problem studying craftsmanship. But when she was truly needed to uphold the Linguang family's honor, she realized she wasn't strong enough to hold it up. She had never been irresponsible, and even if her uncle told her not to take on these responsibilities, she would never pretend that nothing had happened.

But therein lies the problem... She wants to shoulder the responsibility, but her strength cannot be improved to the same level as her sister in a short period of time.

She is not a Saiyan and does not have the ability to break through her limit in one breath. Even if she risks her life... she dare not say that she can defeat the Left-Hand Knight.

To be honest, the more she practiced and watched the Left-Handed Knight's game videos, the more confused she became.

Did she start too late?

So when she ran to see Noah this time, part of the reason was actually that she wanted to gain courage from Noah to challenge the Left-Hand Knight.

"So... Sister Noah, could you please tell me something... something that would motivate me?" Maria looked at Noah expectantly. "That way, I'll definitely be able to muster up the courage tomorrow!"

"...words of encouragement." Noah was silent for a long time. She certainly fully supported Maria's actions, but this time it was indeed a bit difficult for her. Facing the Left-Hand Knight, there was indeed a certain gap between her and him. It was not without reason that most people were optimistic about the Left-Hand Knight.

"Even a single sentence... For example, I will definitely win." Maria's gaze was so scorching that Noah felt a little uncomfortable. This ability to clearly feel the other person's gaze made her very sensitive to such scorching gazes, but she knew that Maria was just feeling uneasy, and what she had to do now was to help Maria build up her confidence.

So how can we help Maria build up her confidence?

Noah pondered. Logically, Maria's biggest admirer must be Margaret, so it would be best if Margaret came in person. But Margaret wasn't even close to being anywhere in the world, and she hadn't even received a reply from Margaret yet, so it was impossible for her to come and encourage Maria in person. So, what could she say now? Noah began to think like Margaret... What would Margaret say if she were here?

She spoke, following Margaret's tone.

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. A knight... is a noble being who illuminates the entire earth. Remember?" Noah said, mimicking Margaret's tone as best as she could. "A knight pursues his goals, not just the outcome of a battle. How about this... If you win, I'll grant you one request. Any request. How's that?"

This is how Margaret encouraged herself when she was suffering in the hospital bed after she was injured.

As long as you can hold on, promise yourself one request.

If I think about it carefully, I haven't fulfilled this request yet... If Margaret comes back, I must collect the debt from her.

"Anything... is OK?"

"Well, anything is fine." Noah nodded, "As long as I can do it."

Chapter 86: Massage

"Sister Zofia!!!"

"Huh? Didn't you go to find Noah? Why did you suddenly come back?" Zofia was just about to throw herself into the warm bathtub and had already taken off her clothes when she heard heavy footsteps outside the door. Maria, fully dressed, opened the bathroom door and shouted at Zofia.

"I want more training!"

"Huh?!" Zofia thought Maria must be crazy. "Why? And you get out first! I need to take a shower!"

"Don't wash it yet! Let's train first! I think my sword of repentance still has room for improvement!"

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute, I haven't even put on my clothes!" Zofia clung to the sink next to her to prevent herself from being pulled away by Maria's strange strength. Since the child started training to rely on her, apart from other things, her strength has been getting stronger and stronger. "At least let me put on my clothes first!"

He was becoming more and more lawless, and even broke into his own bathroom, completely ignoring the fact that he was still naked.

During the struggle, Zofia was really helpless, so she simply pulled the towel beside her and used it as her whip blade, directly entangled Maria's hands and feet, and then pulled it suddenly, making Maria fall to the ground. "You guy! You should listen to me! Why are you so anxious all of a sudden!"

I just left the training ground with a heavy heart, but after going to Noah's place, I felt like I was injected with chicken blood. How come?

"...I...I suddenly want to improve. Tomorrow's match can only be won, not lost." Maria hesitated for a moment, then made up a ridiculous excuse. "Couldn't it be that I suddenly awakened and plan to triple my strength in one day?"

"Guess I believe it?" Zofia looked at her as if she was an idiot. Her Maria was good in everything except lying. Zofia had already noticed the blush on her face just now. This girl definitely didn't suddenly ask for extra practice just because she wanted to improve.

"Anyway...anyway, I just need to practice more."

"If you don't explain clearly, I'm going to rest today. Go practice on your own!" Sofia was also furious. She immediately pulled the towel in her hand and threatened. "I was already planning to take a shower, and you said you want to practice more. I'm going to sweat again, and then I have to take another shower when I get home. What a hassle."

"...Gu..." Maria seemed to know that she was asking for too much, but when she thought of Noah's promise to agree to anything if she won, she seemed to be filled with infinite motivation. She didn't know what to ask Noah to do next, but Noah had said what she wanted, and she would definitely not go back on her word, so Noah would do whatever she said.

Even if...even if...

Maria's mind flashed through some scenes that even she herself felt were a bit blasphemous. Her face flushed, and she quickly patted her cheeks to sober herself up. "No, nothing."

"There's nothing wrong with just sitting here. Your face is almost as red as a monkey's butt. Did Noya promise you something? She planned to give you a new workshop if you win?"

"...The Artisan Workshop...seems pretty good." Maria's eyes lit up, but she still shook her head. "No...it's not that specific. Anyway, there are rewards, and I can choose whatever I want."

"No wonder you're so excited..." Zofia finally understood why Maria suddenly asked for advancement. "Okay, I'll just consider it as accompanying you. Let's take a shower together when we get back."

"Hmmmm!" Maria nodded excitedly, "So?"

"Let's go. I'll go change my clothes first and then gather at the garden training ground." What else could Sofia do? Of course she had to pamper her own child.

Watching Maria leave so joyfully, Zofia had a few thoughts. Maria's excitement wasn't just because Noah had promised her a reward, but more importantly, because Noah had let her choose the reward. Since she could choose any, Zofia, as an adult, would naturally have some adult thoughts. After all, she wasn't exactly innocent, and she already knew everything she needed to know about that.

Although Maria herself probably didn't think of it to that extent...but as a dirty adult, Zofia had already begun to imagine all kinds of situations.

Alas, as an elder, there's still a long way to go in educating the younger generation. Zofia didn't think there was anything wrong with Maria's subtle feelings for Noya. It was normal during adolescence to have feelings for a girl of the same age, and it was easy to have wild thoughts during that period. Ultimately, it was just the will, not the guts. Even if she won, Maria probably wouldn't make any excessive demands. And Noya herself should have her limits. Even if Maria made an excessive request—Noya could always refuse.

It's a good thing to have motivation. Zofia is looking forward to the possibility that the sisters Maria and Margaret and Noah will perform a classic 8 o'clock show for her in the future.

Zofia turned around and looked at herself in the mirror. She suddenly felt a little frustrated. If she weren't older, maybe she would have joined in too. After all, although Noah hadn't realized it yet, he was actually just as attractive as Margaret. He spoke softly, acted decisively, was considerate, and had a sense of loyalty. It's no exaggeration to say that someone like Noah was hard to find, even with a lantern.

If Zofia wasn't the elder - she would have eaten the young grass long ago.

There is no place for those two little brats Margaret and Maria!

But I’m only five years older than Maria... Zofia sighed, shook her head, put on her clothes, and rushed directly to the garden training ground.

-

Noah naturally didn't know that her promise to Sofia would result in overtime. After finishing a day's work, she leaned against the back of her wheelchair to rest at her desk as usual, and Kuro beside her kindly reminded her.

"Haven't you had a massage lately?"

"...Eh? You want it now?" Noah shuddered and subconsciously wanted to refuse.

Kuro's massage was a necessary medical procedure to prevent the muscles in his lower body from completely failing. For Noya, it wasn't comfortable at all, and he even had to use a fasciotomy. For Noya, every massage was basically a wave of excruciating pain. She would rather not feel anything in her legs at this point. It was numb, swollen, and painful, but she couldn't avoid it...

"...Okay, no one will come to see me today... Um... don't be so hard..." Noah thought it was about time, held his breath, and finally let it out slowly. "I'm afraid of pain..."

Chapter 87: Just Sweat!

Noah's office was specially built to facilitate some things... It was specially made to have excellent sound insulation. And now most of the company's employees have already left work, so Noah allowed Kuro to take action.

Kuro was not polite and first turned the sofa into a sofa bed. Then Kuro moved Noah to the sofa bed. Noah lay there quietly like a lamb to be slaughtered, and even trembled a little because of fear.

Honestly, she was truly terrified of pain, having been like this since she was little. Even a fall would have made her cry for ages. Although she'd become somewhat resistant to pain due to her oripathy, it was only during this kind of massage that she couldn't help herself. It wasn't just pain; it was a combination of numbness, soreness, swelling, pain, and tenderness. It was truly unbearable for most people.

Noah felt that she could try to scrape the bone to remove the poison without changing her expression, but she definitely could not help but scream during the massage.

What's worse is that I can't get Kuro to stop...

Kuro was already quite skilled at this, knowing Noah's body so well that even if he were to strip naked before her, she wouldn't be moved at all. It wasn't that Noah's body was unattractive, on the contrary—due to spending so much time indoors, his skin was fair, and while he was a bit thin, he still had some flesh where it counted, and his looks were one in a hundred... no, one in a thousand.

According to Noah himself, he and Yolanta are 70% similar. Maybe it's just genes...

As for why he didn't compare himself to his parents, it was mainly because Noah couldn't remember what they looked like...

Before taking action, Kulo first moved his fingers, washed his hands, and disinfected them. Finally, he started working on Noah's legs. Although Noah's legs could not move, she retained her feeling. When Kulo took off her black stockings, she shuddered unconsciously. Taking off black stockings was originally a somewhat ambiguous thing, but now it was like applying iodine before an injection. When her legs naturally felt a slight coolness, a pair of hot hands touched Noah's calves first.

"Ah..." Noah cried out subconsciously, and then immediately covered his mouth. Even he himself felt embarrassed when he heard the sound he just made.

"It hasn't started yet..." Kuro turned her head. Noah's moan just now made her heart ripple. "Okay, let's check the situation first. I'm going to pinch a few places. Please bear it as much as possible. It might be a little itchy."

"...You go ahead." Noya's tone was almost mortal, so Kuro happily began kneading her thighs, moving all the way to her knees, calves, ankles, heels, then the soles of her feet, toes, and even every toe. Noya had been fighting back the strange sensation, feeling her feet being manipulated like toys by Kuro's hands, but unable to resist.

Her entire body had begun to turn red, completely out of embarrassment... This was clearly expected behavior, and it was a massage technique recommended by the Yan Kingdom operator, but why was it so...

If Noah were to describe it... it's just scratching the surface.

"Feels okay..." Kuro breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that not having massage for the past few days did not make Noah's condition worse. In fact, it was better than before. She tilted her neck and heard the crackling sound like popping beans coming from Kuro's body. Noah's heart sank.

"Um... there's no need to use so much force."

"The master said that it's useless if you don't use force. Just bear with it." Kuro ruthlessly began to press the acupuncture points on Noya's legs according to the massage technique. The hands of martial artists, which were originally used for fighting, are naturally flexible, and at this time they can perfectly apply the massage technique. Coupled with the medicated oil left by the master of Yan Country, Noya felt that the places on her legs that were applied quickly began to heat up, and then began to itch as if ants were crawling over them. If Noya could control her lower body at this time, she would probably have been unable to help but move - but now she had to endure it and not scratch.

Kuro's massage technique is a combination of Yan Country martial arts, Tuina, massage, and external application of medicine. This technique was taught to Kuro by an operator named Nian whom Noah met in Rhode Island. It is said that her family has a great doctor who is very good at this craft, but the other party is not in Rhode Island, so he can't help Noah with treatment. Nian can only teach this set of massage techniques to Kuro.

Nian also promised that if he had the chance, he would bring the doctor over to treat Noah, but Noah didn't take it too seriously.

Rhodes Island can't cure my condition, so I guess even the doctor introduced by Nian probably won't be able to solve it, right?

"Ah~ Wuwu... Don't... Don't touch that, please, Kuro."

Halfway through the massage, Noah was about to cry out loud. This massage was even several times more painful than before. She didn't know if her lower body had improved or if there was some other problem, but it was even more unbearable than before.

Kuro didn't answer, but she felt that Noah's voice was indeed very suitable for training the mind. When she was massaging Noah, it was also a good opportunity to train her mind. Only by concentrating on it could she avoid making mistakes throughout the process. Noah's voice was just a disturbance and must not disturb what she was going to do next.

Kuro, who was fiddling with Noah's legs, didn't even realize that a smile had appeared on the corner of her mouth, as if seeing Noah in pain gave her a little pleasure.

In the end, Noah was so tired that his voice was weak, his whole body was sweating, and even his clothes were soaked. Only then did Kuro stop working.

However, Noya was lying on the sofa bed, barely able to breathe. When Kuro was about to wash his hands, she reached out and grabbed the corner of his clothes. "...Um...take me over too. I need to change my clothes."

Nuoya's face flushed, and even her voice sounded a little weak. "By the way...please get me some clean clothes, and underwear too."

"...Oh." Kuro glanced at a certain spot subconsciously, and even her face couldn't help but turn a little red at this moment. "I know."

“…Don’t even think about it!”

"Cough cough."

After helping Noah change her clothes and putting her in the bathtub, Kuro consciously picked up Noah's clothes and walked out of the bathroom. She deliberately avoided paying attention to certain places, but she felt that her self-control might need improvement.

——Well, it should be just sweat, right?

Chapter 88: Dragon Heat Mechanism: Flawed Light Charging Axe

The next day, Noah attended Maria's crucial battle with a normal expression.

The Left-Handed Knight is a true regular in official competitions. Although he has never been awarded a single-word title, he is the mainstay of official competitions.

Many people call the Left-Handed Knight the backbone of competitive knights, or the true official goalkeeper, the relegation master, and so on. These are not pleasant titles. But no one can deny the high gold content of the Left-Handed Knight.

When the Black Knight was wreaking havoc, Zuo Shou was a regular participant. When the Radiant Knight ascended to the throne, Zuo Shou was also a regular participant. When the Blood Knight was going against the tide, he was still a regular participant. Having never missed a formal competition, he should have his own pride.

I believe that time will prove everything, and the Left-Handed Knight will always get the honor he deserves.

"The Radiant Knight returns—there's only been one Radiant Knight, and you've relied on luck to win until now. Now, your luck's over," the Left-Handed Knight commented disdainfully during a pre-match interview. He'd faced the Radiant Knight's might firsthand, felt his unwavering strength that dominated the entire competition. In his opinion, perhaps only the invincible Black Knight could compare to the Radiant Knight, and even the Blood Knight seemed slightly inferior. And Maria Linguang, now being hyped as the Radiant Knight's return, might seem to him like nothing more than a clown.

"I will protect the glory of the official tournament. The weak will not be allowed to enter the realm of the strong." The Left-Handed Knight glared at the camera, spear slung over his shoulder, like a general heading into battle. "I will show this clown the difference in strength."

Left-handed Cavalier's pre-game trash talk has always been good, and he has heated up the atmosphere before the game. He really understands the game. However, these pre-game trash talks are also the mass production line of the Cavaliers' competitive bible. A lot of the pre-game trash talks that are required to be said have become boomerangs, hitting the person involved with a black eye.

But it was the Left-Handed Knight who said this - this was another game that would decide who of the two would advance to the official competition, so there was no reason for Left-Hand not to give his all.