Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"It's not just the Helmetless Alliance. If we can capture Noah Kyrielight alive, we'll never have to worry about food and clothing again." The bounty hunter known as Big Brother explained as he shaved with a dagger. "I have firsthand intelligence. Don't worry, we're definitely the first to arrive here. As long as we act quickly, there's no chance anyone else will get caught."

"real or fake?"

"Oh, why would I lie to you? I have connections in the Wuzhou League. I have a very close relationship with that Qingjin. The information I extracted from him with two glasses of wine, how could it be false?"

"Awesome, awesome—"

"That is."

"Brother...I didn't say anything just now."

"...What about what we just talked about?"

"..." The two fell into silence for a moment, then turned back tremblingly. Under the double moons, they saw a tall and straight blonde Caprini, who looked at them with a smile. In fact, when the young village chief was attacked, Noah noticed the movement made by the young village chief. You know, her hearing is quite terrible. When her vision has not recovered, she can calibrate her bow and arrow through hearing, and can even quickly locate as long as a sound is made.

However, Noah did not alert the enemy, but let Mace follow quietly. She was really curious why she was targeted as soon as she entered the border of Casimir.

She naturally didn't think that these bounty hunters would target the village chief. After all, the village chief was a native of Dishui Village. If they had any intentions towards the village chief, they would not have taken action now. If they were not targeting Rhodes Island, they would most likely be targeting her.

as predicted--

"So, it was the Hellless Alliance that spread the news of my return to Casimir?" Noah sighed helplessly, looking at the two bounty hunters, beaten beyond recognition, with only the strength left to open their mouths. He had been away from Casimir for so long, and upon his return, the Hellless Alliance was more anxious than anyone else. From what he knew about the Hellless Alliance, they were probably worried that he would ruin their plans. In other words, the Hellless Alliance must be doing something right now...

"The Heroesless Alliance hasn't made any moves in ages. I thought they'd vanished like they once did, but I didn't expect them to..." Margaret, aware of the seriousness of this matter, shared the Alliance's recent activities with Noah. "They know that skilled bounty hunters probably won't target you, so they've recruited a group of newcomers, probably to divert your attention..."

"If it's just because of this...then they wouldn't let Qing Jin in directly. I don't think it's that simple. The Wuzhou Alliance is not an idiot. They must have other intentions." Noah shook her head. When she heard about Qing Jin from the bounty hunter, she was still very confused. After all, how could Qing Jin be the one to suffer such a fate... Could it be that the Wuzhou Alliance just wanted to say hello to her?

This greeting... is no different from a provocation.

"What should we do with these two?" Seeing that no more information could be extracted from them, Jian's gaze turned cold. "Should we bury them and use them as fertilizer, or grind them up and feed them to the livestock?"

"...Not really. Those two were quite measured in their actions. The village chief is fine." Noah shook his head. "Besides, it seems like they haven't stained their blood before. They've probably only been in the business for a short time, so they still have some conscience."

Noah could tell at a glance whether these two people had killed anyone or not. Rather than being bounty hunters, they were just two idiots who had just entered the business and wanted to get rich overnight. They were similar to those thugs who roamed the streets before graduating from high school. She was not a murderer. She could even be called gentle to those who had never killed anyone and had their hands on blood. However, it was impossible for her to let these two people go like this, so Noah chuckled.

"Do you still want to continue being bounty hunters?"

"No, no, no! No more! No more!" Both of them were scared. The moment Mace stood behind them, they were so scared that they almost peed their pants. They had no idea how much trouble they had gotten into. This was when Noah was considered gentle and kind. If they had a bad temper, they would have been buried somewhere as fertilizer. The eldest brother no longer looked as majestic as before. He raised his hands high with a look of fear on his face.

"How about this, then? I see you're quite strong. You've offended Carol, so make it up to her. You'll be her bodyguards for two months, responsible for protecting Miss Carol. You must do whatever Carol tells you to do, without error. We'll be here for a while, and while we're here, I'll give you two small gifts." Noah felt that labor reform was the most reliable option, so he manipulated the gray matter in his body, condensing two small metal balls against its will. "These two metal balls are for your protection. As long as you don't do anything out of the ordinary, they'll really just be two small balls. If you do... that might change."

Although Noah was still smiling, to the two bounty hunters, that smile was no different from that of a demon. It was a naked threat, but they didn't dare refuse the gift. They could only kowtow in gratitude. Only after the two left the room, appreciating their gratitude, did Korra dare to speak. "Actually... it's okay to let them go. I'm not hurt."

"I'm thinking about you. With these two people here, there will probably be a lot of bounty hunters coming this time. Although their combat power is average, at least the two small balls on them can send a message, so that the people of Rhodes Island can come to protect you." Noya shook her head and said her true intention. "This trouble is my fault, and I can't let you bear the responsibility. Miss Krol, remember to be careful these few days. If anything strange happens, please tell me first. It's also okay to tell Mace. Mace will be patrolling the village regularly these days."

"Wouldn't that be too much trouble for Miss Jian?" Ke Luoer was a little confused. "Isn't it better for Miss Jian to stay with you?"

"...You don't have to worry about that." Noya paused. "In fact, she's actually quite bored being around me all the time. She's quite active, and even back when she was at Kjerag, she loved to meddle in other people's affairs."

Korol looked in Mace's direction, and Mace simply smiled and nodded, "Indeed, and besides, Noah doesn't actually need my protection."

"What do you mean I don't need your protection? I can handle it on my own, right?" Noah frowned. "And if something really went wrong, you wouldn't have come running over here the first time."

"..." Jian didn't respond. Perhaps considering Margaret's presence, she didn't show any overly intimate feelings. However, Noah seemed to be completely oblivious to her concerns. He took the initiative to stand up, walked to Jian's side, and smiled as he took Jian's hand. "What? Are you having a fight?"

"..." Mace looked at Noah doubtfully, then at Margaret. However, since Noah had taken the initiative, she naturally couldn't push Noah away. "No, I just feel that you understand me very well, and I'm very happy."

"..."Yes, Jian was very happy, but Margaret was not so happy. Margaret's eyes fell on Jian and Noah, but considering that Jian had been protecting Noah during her absence, she couldn't be angry. Moreover, being angry would be too ungenerous and would easily leave a bad impression on Noah. However, this sour mood, no matter how good her qi-cultivation skills were, it was impossible for her to really not show it at all.

Mace moved and tried to stand further away, but Noah exerted force again and pulled Mace back.

Such initiative made Jian a little uncomfortable. She frowned and spoke in a low voice.

"what happened?"

"...Don't worry about it for now." Noah also whispered, "Also, don't run."

"How could I run away?" Jian shook his head and sighed. He no longer avoided looking at Margaret and went straight to meet her. He even stretched out his hand and held Noah in his arms.

She noticed that Margaret's smile froze slightly for a moment. Although it was not her intention, she still felt a sense of relief.

“…Wow…” The young village chief looked at the scene and silently uttered a word.

"6."

As expected, this kind of Shura field is not something I can get involved in. I'd better take those two bodyguards and run away!

"Well, it's getting late. I'll go back first. Miss Noah, please be careful." The young village chief quietly moved to the door step by step, then ran away after saying a few words. Of course, the two bounty hunters could only follow Carol's footsteps. Noah, Mace, and Margaret were the only ones left. The atmosphere among the three of them was so awkward that even Noah, who took the initiative to create this situation, felt uneasy. Fortunately, the atmosphere was soon broken.

"Sister Noah! I'm here to sleep with you!" Maria, dressed in pajamas, hugging a pillow, and looking cheerful and oblivious to the atmosphere, opened the door like a divine being and directly invited Noah. "It's been ages since we've slept together, and I absolutely can't let you go this time!"

"...Maria..." Margaret was speechless and covered her forehead, "Don't cause trouble for Noah."

"...Sister...Sister, why are you in Sister Noya's room? Are you here for the night raid too?"

"...Ahem." Before Margaret could explain, Mace coughed twice. Maria then realized Mace was still in the room. She swallowed, realizing she had come at the wrong time. But she didn't run away. Instead, she pondered for a moment and came to a conclusion. "Why don't we just invite Bunny and Miss Skadi over for a pajama party?"

"...Maria..." Margaret's fists hardened. How could her sister be so blind to the reality? Was this the time for a pajama party?

"I have no objection." At this time, Noah spoke first. "I've always wanted to have a pajama party."

"Me too." Hearing that Noah agreed, Jian nodded. "Thinking about it carefully, even though you bought me pajamas, I don't think I've ever worn them."

"...There should be pajamas available in the village." Margaret was about to say something reproachful when she suddenly changed direction and said, "Pajama party is indeed a good idea."

Chapter 73: Shining Knight's Heart

Although Margaret herself thought it was ridiculous, and the idea was proposed by Maria, her own sister, the pajama party was still held as planned with everyone's unanimous agreement.

The girls each put on their pajamas. In the eyes of many people, pajamas are actually very wonderful things, somewhere between something that can be worn outside and a private space. Although some people don't mind wearing pajamas outside, most people still think that pajamas should only be used in one's own room. Pajama parties are an exception - at pajama parties, people will not feel ashamed of their pajamas, and they can also greatly narrow the distance between each other, which can be said to be a very useful reason for a party.

However, to be honest, there is nothing to be ashamed of for a group of girls. These girls can be honest with each other even in the bathhouse, and there is nothing to hide.

Especially since Noah didn't think his body was that good - Kuro, on the other hand, had a frighteningly good body due to his martial arts training, and he hadn't lost too much fat to the point of being skinny, so he looked very beautiful overall, especially his eight-pack abs, which Noah usually liked to touch. Although the two had confirmed their relationship, neither of them was the type to be thirsty, so the number of times they actually comforted each other was very few, but every time, Noah would notice Kuro's perfect body - and touchable muscles.

Compared to Kuro's perfect figure, Noah lacks the muscle element. With gray matter, her fat ratio is almost perfect, and there is no excess part. But because of this, Noah's muscles are not actually well developed. In order to ensure flexibility, the gray matter itself has the ability to increase strength, so there is no need to catalyze muscles. So in the eyes of others, Noah has the right figure, convex where it should be convex, thin where it should be thin, even if it is covered by pajamas, the towering fruit still attracts the attention of many people.

Noah, a person who is very sensitive to sight, naturally noticed what they were looking at. He immediately covered his chest and cast a reproachful look at everyone.

However, this look not only did not make them look away, but instead seemed like she was acting like a spoiled child. Only Margaret silently shifted her gaze due to chivalrous etiquette.

Maria's pajamas were similar in style to the ones Noah had bought for her in the past. They were loose and warm, but perhaps because Maria was a warm and cheerful person, she didn't button up her clothes at all, leaving her upper body half exposed, even her shoulders showing. Noah couldn't stand it anymore and had to step forward to help Maria tidy up her clothes. Although Maria was a simple-minded person, Margaret had a feeling at this moment... Could this girl be doing this on purpose?

No, no, no... After all, how could I doubt my own sister?

Maria had expressed her desire to be her wingman more than once, and she couldn't doubt her sister, who had always supported her and Noah in repairing their relationship. She could only pretend she didn't see it.

Fortunately, Zofia didn't come... If Zofia had come, who knows what the scene would have been like. Margaret was a decent person outside, and everything was easy to do. But his status at home was a bit too high. Not to mention that he felt a little guilty towards Maria because he had been away for so long, his uncle also protected the family when he was away, including his aunt Zofia. He was also seriously protecting the Linguang family when he was away.

Not to mention that Noah, the person he felt the most sorry for, was also here...

So whenever something happened at home, even if Margaret was right, she would not dare to say anything harsh, let alone in front of Noah... Noah doted on Maria more than herself, and if she said something harsh to her, she would probably be kicked out the next moment.

What is the position of the younger brother in the family? This is the position of the younger brother in the family.

To be honest, even in public, Noah would give him some face, but in private, let alone giving him face, he would be lucky enough not to beg her.

"Well... Noah... don't pamper Maria too much. She can put her clothes in order by herself." Margaret could only think it over again and again, and suggested in a very soft tone.

"She's always been quite careless, isn't she? I just tidied up her clothes, how can you call that spoiling her?" Noah rolled his eyes at Margaret. "But you, after all this time, why is Maria still so out of touch with you? She's only focused on work and not the family, right? I'm trying to take care of her, and you're giving me advice?"

"...I...I didn't." Margaret was speechless. She was indeed busy with work at Casimir, but it was definitely not to the point of neglecting her family. She basically gave Maria all the company she could, and even took her to visit her favorite factory on vacation. Although Margaret didn't think she was a competent sister, she definitely didn't derelict in her duty, right? "She's usually quite reliable, but only around you..."

"What do you mean in front of me? What? Your sister is unreliable in front of me?" Noah frowned, and Margaret immediately fell silent. Maria was actually just trying to get close to her and act coquettish, but Margaret almost squeezed her to death. Margaret's eyes changed when she looked at Maria. Maria quickly hugged Noah's arm and explained, "Sister is very good to me. Sister Noah, you misunderstood. Look, I'm not only not thinner, but I've gained some weight."

"That's true. But you are still growing up, so you'd better eat more. If you have any grievances, just come to me. Your sister is often too busy to come home, so please be more considerate." Facing Maria, Noah's tone suddenly became gentle. Not only did she ask about her well-being, she also kissed Maria on the cheek, which made Maria feel elated. She glanced at her sister and gave her a smile that showed that her evil plan had succeeded.

Margaret was speechless, but if she showed any objection at this time, Noah would probably get angry, so she could only remain silent and watch this scene. Jian, who was standing beside her, calmly made a pot of tea for herself and Noah. Compared with Margaret's anxiety, she was terribly calm. What's more important was that Maria was also very kind to her. As one of Maria's teachers, she had taught her all her skills. As the saying goes, once a teacher, always a father - of course, it was impossible for her to be Maria's father, but she was still very happy to be Maria's brother-in-law.

Amiya and Skadi, who had been summoned at short notice, sat together. It was Bunny's first time seeing Noah scold someone, which was quite refreshing. But perhaps it was because they were close enough that such an interaction could occur. Both of them also marveled at Noah's charm. Putting aside Miss Mace's situation, the relationship between Margaret and Noah was unparalleled. They were truly as close as family, and the bond between the Kirielight and Rinkou families rivaled that of the Zeppeli and Joestar families.

It is no exaggeration to say that if Miss Noya is willing to join the Linguang family, no one in the Linguang family from top to bottom will object, and they will even be overjoyed.

Unfortunately, Miss Noah is the only child of the Kirilet family, and it is impossible for her to abandon her surname. Otherwise, Noah would have become Noah Linguang long ago.

"Miss Margaret has been very busy lately. Casimir is indeed involved in the affairs of the Terran Council," Amiya said, smoothing things over. "Miss Margaret not only actively participates on Casimir's behalf, but also frequently lobbys other countries. It can be said that the Terran Council's affairs are progressing so smoothly thanks to Miss Margaret's help."

"I know she must have something truly important to do. I'm just worried she'll forget about her family." Noah whispered, "Margaret always puts work before personal matters, just like her uncle. I'm not really blaming her, I just feel sorry for her... It's easy to neglect those around you when you're too busy."

"...Noah." For Margaret, Noah's affirmation was obviously a shot in the arm. "I understand. I will definitely pay attention to this matter."

"...What's the matter? I'm just saying it." Noah rolled his eyes at Margaret. "Besides, I didn't praise you. I'm too lazy to say anything to you in this situation."

"...Noah, are you only so harsh on me?"

"Who knows."

Noah's words made Margaret depressed again, but it was obvious that Noah was just insulting her, just like in the past, a long time ago, Noah had insulted Margaret in this way. She didn't know if it was because her mentality had improved after her body recovered, but she seemed to be more and more like the Noah in the past, the somewhat arrogant Miss Noah before she was injured. She really disliked Margaret because of Yolanta's incident, and it was a daily routine for her to criticize Margaret.

On the contrary, after she contracted the oripathy, her attitude towards Margaret became gentler, with a feeling that a dying person's words are kind. After all, she never really hated Margaret. Occasionally, she would only feel a little jealous and possessive. But when her life was about to end, she naturally would not show her little thoughts on the table.

So Margaret is more familiar with Noah's attitude now, and even misses it a little.

It was as if they were back in their childhood, before the attack when Noya was thirteen that almost changed her life, their tit-for-tat yet nostalgic childhood.

Before that, Margaret's impression of Noah was actually quite limited. She only thought that this girl was pitiful and beautiful. She inherited her mother's black hair and somewhat cold attitude. She thought Noah was a very, very cold person. But when she felt Noah's tenderness, she regretted it. She would rather Noah always ignore her and treat her coldly than show a little tenderness to her when she was extremely weak.

She still remembers that they were hiding in the cave, Noya's body was covered with wounds and bleeding, but she still stood in front of her with only one sentence in her mouth.

"I'll get you out of here, I promise."

"I can't let [her] lose her baby... absolutely not."

"Mom... Dad... Where are you..."

While hiding in the cave, she fainted due to severe injuries. Margaret could only use his shallow Originium skills to prolong her life. She could only regret why she did not train herself more diligently, why her Originium skills were so weak and unable to save her, and why she, as a knight, had to be protected by her. The unwillingness at that time and the unconscious Noah's mumbling in her sleep were like blades, piercing her heart fiercely.

She was clearly the knight she'd been waiting for, the prodigy of the Linguang family. But in that moment, she felt only her own weakness. For the first time, she felt unworthy of being called "Linguang." Yet, she could do nothing but rely on her Originium skills to sustain her life. She never wanted to experience that feeling of powerlessness again. That night, the rain fell heavily, soaking her clothes. Noya's blood was smeared by the rain, and her face was pale, with only her Originium skills gleaming.

She wanted to protect Noah... That feeling, which was originally just an ignorant feeling, sprouted at that moment.

She must protect Noah...

But...why does she always get hurt?

Margaret lowered her eyes. Although Noah had recovered her health now, she only felt distressed when she saw her white hair.

That's the girl I swore to protect...

She subconsciously shifted her hips and moved closer to Noah. Margaret, feeling mixed emotions, reached out and brushed her hair aside, saying, "Okay, this is all my fault. I will definitely go home more often and take better care of Maria in the future. But... when can you come home? I'm waiting for you to come home too."

“…” Noah was stunned. She looked at Margaret with hesitation in her eyes.

Home...my home...

If there is really a place in this world that she can call home.

Apart from Rhodes Island, the only real place might be the Linguang family mansion. She spent half of her childhood there, and the people of the Linguang family also have the status of family in her mind.

For her, these words were a resounding blow, touching the softest part of her heart. She hesitated, glancing at Jian, who seemed to be deliberately looking away, instead chatting with Skadi beside her. She received no support, and was left alone to face Margaret's words, "You... still want me to go back to Casimir? I've already said..."

"I know you're busy. I was just wondering if I could take you back with me when you're done. You know, there's always a place for you in Casimir." Margaret saw that Noah had finally wavered, and she pressed the issue. "It's not like you're really not planning on coming back. I can see it clearly. How long do you think we've known each other? Casimir will always be your home, and that won't change. There will always be a room for you in the Linguang family mansion."

Margaret was not talking nonsense. After Noah left, the mansion that originally belonged to the Kirilet family was originally going to be auctioned, but Zofia spent a lot of money to save the mansion and moved all of Noah's personal belongings out of it. Now in the Linguang mansion, there really is a room that originally belonged to Noah when he was a child, and it has been waiting for Noah to come back.

As for Casimir's wanted order...it really didn't matter anymore. People had long forgotten about it. Humans always forget things easily. And now, Noa was no longer an obstacle to Margaret, nor was she her weakness. She actually had no reason to...

"Let's not talk about this today... okay?"

However, although Margaret had prepared everything, she had to stop it helplessly because of Noah's request.

"As you say, Noah."

Chapter 74: Red Warm

In fact, before hearing Noah's words, Margaret felt a little regretful. She didn't want to put pressure on the girl she liked. Obviously, those actions that she thought were good for her actually put pressure on her. This was not her intention, but she didn't know how to persuade Noah to come back. She wanted Noah to stay by her side. This was a very clear and pure selfishness that did not even leave room for rebuttal.

She wanted Noya to be her protector, to be Noya's only one, to keep her by her side. She loved Noya and didn't want her to be in danger. These thoughts were natural, but she thought about it the other way around. Would Noya's return to Casimir bring her any benefit? In other words, apart from staying by her side, was there anything worth giving up her current situation?

She left Casimir, and instead found a way to prolong her life. And when she was getting it, I didn't help her...

Finally, after everything was settled, she appeared in front of her as if it was natural and reached out to her.

Just as she'd said in her letter... Noah knew her too well. Between Noah and Casimir, she would choose Casimir. She would choose the interests of her country over sentimental relationships. She was worthy of everyone in Casimir, but only of Noah, who had given everything for her. She even wondered, if only she had chosen Noah, chosen to leave Casimir with her... if only she could have been with her throughout this journey, would everything have been different?

She had thought about it countless times, and even followed Noah on adventures in her dreams, but unfortunately... there was no if, because Noah didn't even give her the power to choose.

By the time she realized it, Noah had already made the decision for her, and she had abandoned herself and left Casimir.

She didn't even give Margaret time to catch up with her. Even though Margaret had already chased her to the border, she still couldn't catch up with Noah... She didn't stop at all and quickly crossed the border.

Later they met in Kjerag. At that time, she had participated in the coup in Kjerag and became the local honorary saint... At that time, Margaret had never thought that the situation would turn out like this. That actually became the reason for Noah to quickly escape from Kjerag, and later... That actually became Margaret's last chance to catch up with Noah. After that, she only saw Noah once through the induction of the Martyr's Sword, and she was thrown back before long.

...How can I put it...we are not destined to be together?