Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"Sorry, old man, thank you for teaching me just now, but I think it would be more appropriate for me to shout it out."

"...Never mind. I don't think Yelagund would care about so many details..." The old monk sighed, "There's no need to be so polite, little girl."

Rosalin had expected a few scoldings, but the old monk didn't seem as pedantic as she'd imagined, which improved her impression of both Yelagund and the old monk. Having prayed and done her business, Rosalin decided to leave. After bidding the old monk farewell, she turned and walked away.

But when she turned her head, the old monk finally caught a glimpse of her face - the curve of her cheeks, the raised bridge of her nose, the shape of her lips... Perhaps these were just associations and far-fetched assumptions, but the old monk still felt a sense of familiarity filling his heart.

“…You…you are?”

"...What's wrong, old man?"

Rosalyn heard the old man calling her and subconsciously turned around and asked, "What's going on?"

"No... no, it's nothing. I've seen quite a few tourists, but I've never seen anyone act like you, little girl." The old monk concealed his emotions and tried his best to appear calm. "Little girl, what's your name?"

"Rosaline, my name is Rosalyn." The girl said with a smile, "It sounds nice, right? My mother gave it to me."

"How old are you?"

"I'm...almost twenty."

“…” It was becoming more and more correct. The old monk nodded, and the age matched.

"Are you a Kjerag?"

"Old man, you can tell?" Rosalin was surprised. After all, few people could tell from her appearance that she was of Kjerag descent. "Are you a fortune teller? I remember fortune tellers reading faces and such."

"Ahem...it just feels like that when I see you."

"You're quite talented, then. Perhaps you could become a fortune teller in the future." Rosalyn gave a thumbs-up. "I was indeed born in Kjerag."

Then she realized that her words seemed a bit ambiguous, and added, "But I've been living with my mother in Ursus, and this is my first time in Kjerag. Well... if you count it that way, I can only barely be considered half a Kjerag!"

"You grew up in Ursus?"

The old monk was stunned for a moment, but soon felt relieved. "Ursus is also very good... very good. So, young lady, what are your plans for coming to Kjerag this time?"

"Old man, are you so interested in my affairs?" Rosalyn scratched her head, a little puzzled by the old monk's question. However, she was naturally straightforward and said, "Forget it. Consider it a reward for teaching me the prayer sign. Let me tell you about my own affairs."

"My mother gave birth to me in Kjerag, but she left when I was very young. I've lived in Ursus ever since. This time I came back... just to travel. I'm also curious about where I was born. I have a long itinerary planned. I want to go to the Yelagund Statue to pray... and I'm also planning to climb the mountain next to the Silver Heart Lake and fulfill my mother's last wish there. Oh, and last but not least, I also want to find my father... I hear he's the most handsome man in Kjerag."

"...So that's how it is..." When the old monk heard the word 'last wish', his expression trembled. He never thought that such a thing would happen, but he would not touch Rosaline's wound casually, so he did not ask what the last wish was.

"What a good girl... a good child. Courageous, knowledgeable, smart, and pretty..." After confirming something in his heart, the old monk liked Rosaline more and more, and became more and more intimate with her.

"Hey, hey, is it really as good as you say, old man?" Rosaline felt a little embarrassed by the praise, but the old monk just blew his beard and glared.

"Of course not. Which family can have a good child like you? It's the blessing of Yelagund and the blessings accumulated in the previous life!" The old monk's decisive look made Rosaline's nose turn up to the sky.

"That's right!" Then he came to his senses. "Well, that's not right. I can only say that my mother is blessed. It has nothing to do with my father, who is the same as if he didn't have one."

"Ahem..." The old monk's face flushed purple at this, but he couldn't utter a word in rebuttal. "Your father, ah, your father's matter..."

The old monk sounded more and more guilty as he spoke, but fortunately Rosalyn didn't pay any attention to it.

"Even you can't think of who it could be, old man?" Rosalyn was puzzled. "That's strange. It shouldn't be that way. Kjerag is one of the most handsome men, and my mom said I look a lot like my dad, so I thought it shouldn't be difficult to find him."

Rosalyn curled her lips and couldn't help but start to speculate. "Could it be that my dad isn't really that good-looking, but only handsome in the eyes of his beholder?"

"...That's not the case. Look at your appearance. How bad could your father be?" The old monk said quickly, "You just said that your mother said you look a lot like your father. Your mother is not bad looking either, right? Look at your appearance. How could your father be ugly?"

"Oh! That makes sense!" Rosalin immediately realized that doubting her father's appearance was also doubting her own appearance. Although Rosalin was not a narcissistic person, she always thought she was quite beautiful. "Hey, the old man is right. With my appearance, my father can't be bad either. He must be a handsome man."

"Yes, yes, yes..." The old monk smiled dotingly, almost reaching into his pocket to give Rosaline something delicious. He hadn't brought any food with him when he went up the mountain, and now he felt a little embarrassed. "That's it, it's so difficult..."

"It's difficult, but there's no rush. We'll talk about it later." Rosalyn was open-minded and didn't take it to heart at all. "Old man, since you're a monk here, you should be familiar with this area, right?"

"I dare not say that I know everything, but I know a thing or two." The old monk straightened his back immediately. He was considered to be well-informed in this area, which meant that Rosaline could ask as many questions as she wanted.

"Can I ask how to get up that mountain next to it?" Rosalin pointed to the tall mountain beside Silver Heart Lake. Kjerag is a land of mountains, a country nestled in a gap within a mountain range. This mountain isn't even considered tall within the mountain range. "I heard there's a popular little attraction up there for couples. If I want to go up, do I need to buy a ticket?"

"Of course, there's no entrance fee. Besides the fact that the Holy Mountain is overseen by the Saintess, which holds special significance, the mountains and rivers of Kjerag belong to all the people of Yelagund," the old monk replied. "Alas, who would have asked such a question in the past? Back then, our place was much quieter than it is now. There weren't those tourist attractions or fancy things, and there weren't so many tourists. Everyone had faith in their hearts and revered the mountains, rivers, and lakes. It's only now that the Shivaash family is so determined to open it up, and the Saintess isn't trying to stop them, that's why things are like this..."

When people get old, they tend to dwell on the past. He wasn't really dissatisfied... he just simply missed the past.

But Rosalyn was straightforward. "Isn't it good to be open?"

"That's no longer for an old man to judge," the old monk said with a smile. "Now that this mountain has been opened, it won't remain closed... There's no way back now~"

"Little girl, are you planning to go up the mountain today?" He turned his head and asked.

"Not today, it's too late. I need to find a place to stay for the night. I'll go up the mountain tomorrow morning." Rosalyn looked at the sky and shook her head. "Uncle, do you have any hotel recommendations nearby?"

"The old man has a few humble houses at home, which can provide shelter from the wind and rain." The old monk became excited when he heard this, "Little girl, if you don't mind..."

"I don't mind! I'll go with you!" Rosalin made a quick decision, which actually scared the old man. "You're so kind, old man! My mom said the people of Kjerag are simple and honest, and it seems she wasn't lying!"

"You, you girl!" The old monk grew anxious, wondering how Rosalyn could possibly be so clueless. "How could you agree to this so quickly? How can you be so careless when you're out and about? What if someone gets into bad intentions? What will you do?"

"You brought it up yourself, why are you so angry..." Rosalyn didn't know what the old man was angry about, but she explained, "Don't worry, old man. I've suffered a lot in Ursus, so I'm not easily bullied. If we really have to fight, we don't know who will win!"

"That's absurd!" The old man blew his beard and glared. "If someone is stronger than you, how are you going to protect yourself? You're a young girl, you can't trust everyone when you go out."

"I'm not stupid..." Rosalyn scratched her head. "Okay, I know you're worried about me, old man! Actually, I don't know why, but I always feel, uh..."

Her face flushed.

"Why are you hesitating?" The old monk continued to insist, wanting to teach the child a lesson about being cautious. But the next sentence froze him.

"Oh, I can't explain it, but I just feel like you, old man, wouldn't hurt me," Rosalyn said with a nonchalant smile. "When I first saw you, I felt you were very kind, like an elder. And you were so angry just now, weren't you just afraid that I'd be as naive as usual? Shouldn't I feel more at ease then?"

“…you…you…” The old monk stuttered for a long time, “It’s up to you.”

Despite his words, the old monk's heart was filled with sweetness, his eyes even warming. Fortunately, he turned away in time, preventing Rosalin from seeing him. This girl, though a little clueless, was still a very kind person... But then he thought of her previous words about the hardships she had endured in Ursus, and his heart was filled with regret. All those events from the past suddenly flooded back to him.

If he had not been so blinded by greed at that time, if he had made the decision, would the little girl have had a better childhood?

The old monk, who had already confirmed the other person's identity in his heart, was like an old grandfather who had not seen his younger generation for a long time. He was really afraid that if he was more serious, he would scare her away.

No... What he was worried about was how many years he had left to live, and how many more times he would be able to see the girl in front of him.

The old monk had mixed feelings when he brought her home this time...but one thing was certain.

——Even if it was a feathered beast that laid eggs at home, as long as Rosaline was a little greedy, tonight's dinner would definitely be feathered beast soup.

It's a rare opportunity to come here, so ** is **, how can it be more important than my lovely granddaughter? What if she doesn't eat well next time and doesn't come?

The old monk had made up his mind, but the pampered egg-laying feathered beast at home trembled all over, feeling that its time had come.

Chapter 9: Temporary Contract

The Shivaash family office was shrouded in the flickering flames of the fireplace. Enthiotis's silver hair shone coldly in the shadows. He seemed to have noticed someone coming. Before Noya pushed open the door, Enthiotis raised his head and greeted him.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Honorary Saint." This prominent figure, now Kjerag's second-in-command, welcomed Noya with a joking tone. "You could have said hello to me before you came."

"I only took the liberty of coming here because I got your invitation." Noah had already returned to his seat to observe the game. Theresa, who was in charge of the operation, relayed Noah's words. "And I'm not hiding anything, am I? You should have known about it when I entered the country, right?"

"Don't make it sound like I have spies everywhere," Enthyodis laughed. "Besides, you are such an honored person, you naturally need a grand welcome ceremony."

These words were of course a joke. Enthiotis knew that Noah didn't like such scenes, and she didn't like people paying special attention to her. If possible, she would rather keep a low profile so that no one knew about her, but this was almost impossible. Her fame was already too great, and many people were paying attention to her. It was just that her ability prevented most intelligence personnel from getting close to her. But if they couldn't even detect her entry, then Enthiotis would have to consider liquidating his intelligence department.

Both of them were smart people and communication was effortless. Enchiodis directly disclosed most of the information - of course, not all of it. Noah could guess that he was hiding something. But what surprised Noah was that Enchiodis was actually related to the Duke of Caister, and the Duke of Caister was the aunt of the current President of the Victorian Parliament. In other words... he could even be related to Vina.

After knowing this relationship, Noah finally understood why Enthiotis was able to contact a figure like Duke Caister, and how much SilverAsh paid in order to accumulate capital in a short period of time.

And now - although Enthiotis has succeeded, he certainly will not really become a traitor and turn Kjerag into Duke Kaster's possession.

He wanted to confront the Duke of Caister without openly turning against him.

"The biggest problem is this garrison," Noya said. "Duke Caister's garrison is probably just a safety measure. They're prepared to seize Kjerag's sovereignty by force at any time. I think you should also understand that this force is Victoria's regular army. Kjerag will have a hard time fighting against such a well-equipped army."

"Of course, I know the difference between Kjerag and Victoria better than anyone else." Enthiotis nodded. "So, I'd like to ask for your help."

"……What's the meaning?"

"Of course, I won't let you take the initiative. I know your position doesn't allow it. What I want to borrow is——Kuro."

"...Qraw?"

Noah was really a little surprised this time, because Enthyotis knew who Kuro's true identity was, and she had long abandoned the name Kuro, so why did she mention it at this time?

"...That's right. I won't be borrowing the Black Knight, who is deeply bound to you. I only want to borrow... Kuro, this mysterious guard." Ensiodis nodded. "We lack a decisive fighting force, and you can't openly help us. Therefore, I can only ask you to temporarily lend us your guard."

Enthyotis's words were straightforward and simple, but for Noah, her first reaction was to refuse. After all, although Mace was her bodyguard, he was also her lover, and she naturally didn't want her lover to leave her side.

However, at this moment, Mace, who had been standing behind her, patted her shoulder and said, "I agree."

"...?" Noah grabbed the joystick directly this time and turned around to ask, "What?"

"I said, I agree. I can help you, Enthyodis." Mace repeated this sentence, "Of course, I can help you, but you should also pay something. As a mercenary, my price is not cheap."

"Of course, I will pay you an amount that will definitely satisfy you." Enchiodis agreed to Mace's request without hesitation. After all, he really lacked high-end combat power as a supplement. If that army took action, to be honest, he didn't think that the Mountain Snow Ghost Army could fight against this team. And once the Mountain Snow Ghost was used... that would mean a direct confrontation with Duke Kaster.

In this situation, Kjerag's army could not be dispatched, and there was no high-end combat force around him, so he proposed to borrow the mace.

He actually didn't hold out hope. After all, it was obvious to everyone that Mace was unwilling to leave Noya's side. However, as Kjerag's second-in-command, he had to give it a try.

Fortunately, he succeeded.

"Don't worry, I won't make it difficult for you to borrow the mace—" Enthyodis continued, "As an honorary saint, there's no higher position than this, so all I can give you is a promise."

Enthiotis took a deep breath. "I, Enthiotis Shivaash, and Kjerag will fulfill one of Miss Noya's requests without harming Kjerag's interests."

"You made a promise like this right when you were about to break the promise made to Duke Caister. Doesn't it have any credibility?" Noah couldn't help but complain. "You made another promise when you broke one. Your promises are really cheap."

"That's different." Enthiotis knew Noya wasn't questioning his credibility, but was simply taking her anger out on him for choosing to defect to the opposing camp. "You are the Honorary Saint of Kjerag. I'm even considered your subordinate. My promise to you is absolutely true."

"Since Jian has made her own decision, I naturally won't object. But I want you to know... I value Jian very much." As Noah spoke these words, his voice dropped a few notches, a blatant warning. "Her choice to help you was hers, but that doesn't mean you can order her around."

"Of course, I will proceed with caution," Ensiodis promised. "Also, Your Excellency, I may be a gambler, but I will go all out on every bet."

"It's best..."

Noya didn't want to continue the discussion. She looked at the mace and said, "Come back soon."

"Yes." Jian smiled and nodded.

After Noya left, Enchiodis turned to look at the mace beside him and said, "I thought you would refuse. I was prepared to persuade you with all possible means and even offered you a higher reward, but... I always feel that you seem a little too decisive. Why?"

"...It's okay to tell you." Mace was silent for a moment before speaking. "She didn't just bring me to Kjerag. She also brought Margaret Linguang, the Brilliant Knight of Casimir."

"...The information has already been delivered to me, but I'm still curious why you chose to leave Noya at this moment?" Ensiodis frowned. He knew the Radiant Knights and their strength. He wasn't worried about Noya's safety, but he didn't think leaving Noya at this moment was a good move. "Aren't you afraid..."

"Afraid she'll replace me?" Mace laughed, preemptively stating Ensioudis's thoughts. "That's impossible, but you're right. I did take the initiative to leave Noya, leaving Margaret Linguang with an opportunity. As for why, I can only tell you that I simply don't want to see Noya suffer any more."

"...It seems your relationship is even more complicated than I imagined." Enthyodis sighed, "Are you even willing to give up your unique position for Noya?"

"I just gave her a chance. As for whether Margaret Linguang can seize it, it depends on her luck." Mace closed his eyes and no longer responded to Enchiodis' words.

-

"..."

"Noah?"

"..."

"...If you really care that much, why don't you just go back and bring the mace back?"

"...I shouldn't have tied her down. I promised long ago that I wouldn't go against her wishes." Noya had already curled up. Although this wasn't the first time she'd let Mace leave her side, each time was always out of necessity, or they had to act separately. Most of the time, they were inseparable, but this time, it was Mace who took the initiative to leave...

This seemed different from before, and even when she wanted to refuse, Jian agreed to it.

This feeling is very strange. I clearly decided to respect Jian's opinion, but when we really met, I felt like a piece of my heart was missing.

"I was just going to help, but you look like you've lost your soul," Theresa complained helplessly. "Honestly, this is the first time I've seen you so depressed. To me, you're so strong that you almost seem unhuman."

"...If that's true, that would be fine. The bad thing is, Miss Administrator just wants me to be an ordinary person," Noah replied. "That's why I'm so troubled."

While the two were communicating in their hearts, she had returned to the small courtyard prepared for her. Enya had also gone back. Enya only came to deliver a message and had no intention of meeting her brother. After all, the conflict between the two still existed. Noya returned to her room after returning to her residence. She originally thought that she only needed to rest for a while to calm down, but soon, she rolled around on the bed and wrapped herself up like a big spring roll.

If someone else saw this, they would probably be shocked, after all, this is so different from the attitude Noah usually shows.

But Theresa didn't think this was a bad thing; she even found it a little funny. But soon, they couldn't continue rolling around like this because there was a knock on her door. Noya immediately got out of the bed, straightened her messy hair, and made a similar gesture as before before saying, "Come in, the door is unlocked."

"I heard about Jian, Noah." The person knocking on the door was naturally Margaret. After hearing that Jian was leaving temporarily, her first reaction was to take over Jian's original job, which was the security task beside Noah. Although she had made it clear that she liked Noah as a knight, she was really a blockhead when it came to emotional matters... So she didn't think this was an opportunity. On the contrary, she was really worried about Noah's safety.

This has nothing to do with Noah's strength. She just feels that... Noah is missing a protector, so she should take over.

"...Ahem, come in and talk first. There's no need to talk through the door." Noya had thought Margaret would open the door, but when she saw she had no intention of coming in, she stood up, opened the door, and then pulled Margaret in and sat down. She poured Margaret a cup of tea and then one for herself. This tea was sent by Enya and is said to have beauty and skin-beautifying properties. "If you have anything to say, sit down and talk. She volunteered to do this with the mace, and I respect her wishes."

"I know you've always been like this." Margaret smiled. "Since the mace is not with you for the time being, I think you can't always be without help, so..."

"So you plan to replace Mace and stay by my side?" Noah whispered. However, after she finished speaking, she also felt something was wrong. "I still say, it's about work."

"Almost." Margaret nodded. Compared to Noah's petty thoughts, she was much more open and honest. "I'm here to ask for your opinion."