Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

She is the Knight of Glory... Margaret Linguang.

Whether the road ahead is fire or ice, she will never stop charging.

Then - light bloomed in the center of the arena, and as the cross crystal took shape in the palm of her hand, before Viviana could react to what the other party was doing, the spear in Margaret's hand turned into a ray of light and was thrown in Viviana's direction.

At this moment, Viviana seemed to hear Margaret's voice again - no, it was her own voice.

—The last knight on this land, alone, charged towards the huge waves as black as night.

Chapter 143: Victory

Light

The omnipresent light, this is the light of the Shining Knight.

Viviana cast spells, and the shadows cast by the candlelight tried to restrain the thrown spears of light, but these shadows seemed unable to stop the impact of the spears of light and shattered one after another. Viviana, holding a sharp sword, was forced to hit all the candles on the path of the spears of light. With a loud bang, the spears of light were finally blown off by the force of the explosion, but Viviana also lost all the candles she had arranged.

"As expected of a Radiant Knight..." Viviana held the staff in her hand, and her underwear was soaked with sweat. In order to block the attack, she almost squeezed out all her Originium skills, and only then did she deflect the attack. Yes, it was just deflected. Later, Margaret even sent the spear of light back to her hand with a casual move. When all her candles were exhausted, she even exposed her trump card.

shadow--

That’s right, although Viviana seems to be using candlelight spells, her real skill is actually the shadows under the candlelight.

These shadow spells have strong binding, restriction and suppression capabilities, but even shadow spells cannot stop the light spear cast by Margaret. The light spear is blazing and unstoppable, directly penetrating the black dense forest composed of shadows and going straight to the dragon's nest. If his reaction had not been fast enough, he would have been pierced by the spear.

Of course... Margaret would never do that. She would probably retract the spear of light before it pierced her - after all, she was Margaret.

Viviana secretly laughed at herself for still wanting to snatch Noah back from Margaret. The other party's strength was definitely not comparable to hers. Perhaps she was just too weak.

"Candlelight and shadows... How amazing! You seem to be very good at summarizing magical phenomena. My light... can't even illuminate you."

Margaret admired sincerely. If it weren't for her Originium skill being light, the black forest that had just stretched out from under the shadow of the candlelight would have probably captured the light spear. The shadow would weaken its own power if it touched it even a little. Although the most eye-catching thing was the light and heat of the candlelight spell explosion, what really made Viviana invincible was the shadow around the Candle Knight.

This high-level confrontation was rare even in the world of knightly competition. On one side stood the Linguang clan, steeped in history and glory, and on the other stood the outstanding sorcerers of Leithnia. Casimir and Leithnia had always fought and collaborated with each other, serving as neighbors and rivals. The arena was a replay of the Great Knight Casimir versus the Golden Rule Guard.

At this moment, the two of them had undoubtedly sensed something from each other's Originium skills and sword skills. That was determination, that was enlightenment. Perhaps the Candle Knight had no reason to defeat the Radiant Knight, but she stood here and she would never retreat.

Viviana, holding a long sword, stood in front of Margaret with a tough attitude even though she had lost the support of candlelight.

Of course, Margaret felt the other party's will. What they wanted was not victory or glory.

Instead, he felt the opponent's will during the collision of swords.

This is a duel between knights, a battle between the confused and the enlightened.

After several collisions, the candlelight faded, and the shadow hidden beneath the candlelight quietly leaped out of the ground and enveloped Margaret. The elegant longsword cunningly sought a flaw in Margaret's defense, but Margaret's sword and spear skills were so skillful that after several attacks, it was still neutralized.

In between battles, they never stopped communicating.

"Nice swordsmanship, Miss Droste."

"The same goes for you, Lord Linguang."

Once again, they tested each other, clashed, and retreated after one strike. This was due to Leitania's noble swordsmanship, which always left room for maneuver. She also manipulated the shadows between her fingers, causing unexpected trouble to Margaret.

"What have you been fighting for until now? Can you tell me?" Viviana controlled the shadow to wrap around Margaret, but the next moment, the light dispelled the shadow, and her own shadow could not even restrain Margaret for a second.

"Why?" Margaret brandished her sword and spear, advancing through the dense forest of shadows. "I want to ask you this question, too. Why did you become a knight?"

"..." Viviana opened her mouth, but felt a sense of shame. After a long pause, she responded. "I simply chose to become a knight to survive. However, when I realized that winning in competitions and gaining popularity could earn me knighthood, I was disappointed. For all these years, I haven't felt the difference between my days as a Candle Knight in Casimir and my days reading by candlelight in the attic."

"...But, that's not what your sword says."

"Yes, that's what I thought originally, but... I was wrong." Viviana took a deep breath, as if to burst out her inner emotions. The shadow finally broke through the protection of the light for the first time and bound Margaret's feet. She couldn't break free for a while, but a candle flame fell in front of Margaret at some point.

"Because I found the person I wanted to protect in Casimir...So, from that day on, I was no longer a lost person."

boom!

Heat and flames enveloped the arena, and even the earth trembled. Many people instantly broke into a sweat for Margaret. Facing the Candle Knight's candle explosion in this unavoidable situation, even Margaret Linguang and even the Radiant Knight would not be able to escape unscathed!

The entire arena was filled with smoke, which obscured the figures of the two men. Everyone held their breath. After all, they were afraid that this battle would come to an end with this explosion.

Will Margaret withstand the explosion and continue the battle, or will she retire?!

Then—people saw the light.

In the smoke, a ray of light pierced through the smoke, as if the light from heaven had suddenly appeared. People clearly heard the neighing of a horse, a neighing that seemed to have spanned history and time, coming from the distant past. The smoke dissipated in an instant, and a knight with a body that seemed to be flowing with gold emerged from the smoke and turned into a stream of light. The shadows retreated, and the Pegasus descended.

"That's a good answer—" Margaret pointed the sword in her hand at Viviana's neck with a smile on her face, "But since I was thirteen, I have decided who I want to protect. I will never lose to anyone in my love for her."

Chapter 144: You've Fallen into the Trap

"...Um, Ms. Cintrea, where exactly are you planning to take me? You said Sister Noya wants me to help fix the plumbing...but this doesn't seem like Sister Noya's home."

Maria was holding a bunch of tools and following Sintelaiya. Sintelaiya was the receptionist of Noah's company. Maria had often seen her when she came to see Noah before, so she had no guard against her. She believed whatever she said. When she heard that she wanted to help Noah repair the water pipes, the tools she brought were enough to repair the tank.

Xinteleya, who was walking in front, also fell into a state of doubt about her life at this time. She said it herself, and this little girl actually believed it?

But the order was to abduct the youngest daughter of the Linguang family. She couldn't disobey the order, but the other party didn't specify where to take her. So Xinteleya wanted to take Maria to another place and let her stay for a few days. If possible, she didn't want to use force on Maria. If the order from her superiors hadn't directly bypassed Qingjin and landed on her head, she would not have wanted to take such a job.

"Don't worry, we're just a few steps away," Cintrea said perfunctorily, thinking, "You're almost there! I'll just fight you and then pretend I can't win and run away. I don't want to kidnap you." Putting aside the question of whether she could defeat the Cybertronian who had breached the arena's outer wall, the pangs of conscience alone made her want to back out.

To be honest, Noah treated her well, even if she came to Noah just to scout the place, but people are not plants, who treats them well and who treats them badly is obvious at a glance.

But as a Platinum Prince, she couldn't refuse the board's order. If she did, the next person to hunt her might be Lapis Monique. Not only would her life be in jeopardy, but it might even put Noa in danger... After all, Lapis Monique was far more brutal than she was, and her minions had never been spared. It was with this fear that she abducted Maria.

"I see... Miss Xinteleya, come to think of it... how did you get to know Sister Noya?"

"Well..." Bai Jin thought for a while, "She treated me to a meal, and that's how we got to know each other."

"what?"

"No, I also think our acquaintance was bizarre. I was meeting Nuoya on behalf of our company, and it happened to be dinner time. After the business talk, Nuoya invited me to dinner, but I felt I couldn't afford high-end Western food, so I took Nuoya to a cheap restaurant. She actually liked it." Bai Jin explained, "Then my company fired me, so I just started following Nuoya. Easy, don't you think?"

"Eh~ But this also means that you are trusted by Sister Noah, right?"

"……trust?"

"Because Sister Noah's diet actually needs to be strictly planned. It seems that she can't even eat too much greasy food."

"...I heard it from that guy, but is her health really that bad?"

"Yeah? She's always been in poor health, so she has to strictly control her diet, otherwise she'll get sick easily." Maria nodded. "Usually, she doesn't eat much when we eat, and she has to take medicine every day to stabilize her condition."

"Then why does she still want to eat it? I won't be angry even if she doesn't eat it." Bai Jin blinked. For some reason, her heart trembled and she felt guilty.

"Of course I don't want to make you sad." Maria shrugged. "Sister Noah is a very gentle person."

"...That's true. You have to take care of your own body. If you can't eat it, just say so. No one would eat it just because they don't want to make others sad." Xinteleya said this, but she felt inexplicably bitter in her heart.

"That's exactly who Noah is, I'm telling you," Maria said seriously. "She's very considerate and attentive to others. Even if she genuinely thinks my inventions are useless, she'll still offer suggestions and feedback with a smile. She's such a great person."

"Yeah... a really nice person." The more Maria spoke, the more upset Xinteleya felt. "How could such a person be so hated?"

"Huh? Why are you hated?" Maria didn't understand what this meant, so she asked, "Does anyone hate Sister Noah?"

"Yes, there are a lot of people, a bit exaggerated." Xinteleya sighed and said, "Those businessmen, those who dislike Noya, are numerous, as numerous as the hairs on a cow."

"That must be their fault. Sister Noah has never pressured anyone, nor has she ever pushed things too far. Even against real business enemies, she's never left them with nowhere to go," Maria said dissatisfiedly. "She's really done her best."

"Right, right, right..." Sintela chewed over these words. "She did her best, but whether others hate her or not has nothing to do with what she did."

"...I don't like this." Maria was a little depressed. "Why shouldn't good people have a good reputation?"

"How should I put it..." Cintrea wasn't sure whether she should tell the truth, but after a long pause she finally spoke. "In the eyes of most people, Noah is a fence-sitter. Born into the knightly aristocracy, he's doing the work of a merchant. In their eyes, if loyalty isn't absolute, it's definitely disloyalty. So, both the knights and the capitalists hate Noah. That's the truth."

Maria didn't reply for a moment. Perhaps these intrigues were too taxing for her?

"I still think that if everyone really understands Sister Noah's actions, no one will dislike her." Maria said after a long pause, "Right now, they just don't understand what kind of person Sister Noah is."

"It doesn't matter if they know. They don't care," Cintrea responded. "Just like she's not as smart as you think."

"What do you mean?"

"She didn't even notice an assassin had been lurking beside her for so long. Isn't that stupid?" Cintela pulled a self-deprecating smile at the corner of her mouth. "Yes, I understand her, I know how good she is, but as long as someone orders her death, I will have to act. I will poison her, slit her neck with a knife, and shoot an arrow through her heart. I will act so quickly that she won't even realize what's happening before she dies."

“…What are you talking about?”

"I'm saying, you've fallen into a trap, Maria Linguang." Having reached a convenient alley, Xinteleya finally turned around. "This place has been blocked by the Helmetless Alliance. If you don't want to suffer, I suggest you surrender."

Chapter 145: Maria is kidnapped

"Eh!? Miss Cintrea, you're actually an assassin!"

"Hehe, it's too late to start getting scared now!"

"Ah... Miss Cintrea, please hand me wrench number two."

"Oh... this one?"

"Hmm, wait a minute..."

Maria tightened the pipe joint with a wrench, making sure it wouldn't leak anymore before poking her head out. "So, Miss Sintreya, you only brought me back to your house to help fix the pipe..."

"I didn't mean to kidnap you, I just sent you to my house for a few days," Cintrea said sarcastically, her chin resting on her hand as she watched Maria fix the plumbing. "I don't want to hurt you either. If I did, Boss Noya would definitely fire me."

"That's true... Miss Xinteleya, you've been working quite hard..." Maria stepped out from under the stove, looked around the deserted room, and said, "Miss Xinteleya, don't you live here often?"

"I've been staying in the dorms lately... It's much better there, they have heating..." Sintela replied. "Besides, there's nothing great about living here. It's called my home, but it's just a rental. My parents are away, and I'm all alone in Casimir. Think about it—when I go home, I can only eat takeout, or even cheap boxed meals. I can't cook, so this is just a place to sleep. Look, I didn't even fix the burst pipe... It's been there for a long time."

"I see... Miss Cintrea, you're in a pretty bad situation too..."

"Who says it isn't?" Xinteleya shrugged. "Just stay here for a few days and relax. If you want anything to eat, I'll bring it to you from outside. I'll let you out when this is over."

"But my sisters will be very troubled..."

"So what... This is all I can do." Xinteleya sighed helplessly. She was just an innocent little Pegasus, no one loved her and no one cared about her. She finally had a place to stay, but ended up destroying it with her own hands.

Even if he didn't do anything to Maria, Noah probably wouldn't have kept her alive after kidnapping her...

This means that I have to say goodbye to the dormitory with free breakfast, lunch, free heating, internet, free water and electricity, and the cat cafe that I miss the most.

Just thinking about it made Sintela's back buckle under the weight of reality. As an ordinary worker, she couldn't think of a better solution. As a compromise, she could only let Maria stay with her for a few more days, masquerading as an abduction. However, after listening to Sintela's words, Maria somewhat understood her difficulties and realized that this older sister truly held no ill will towards her.

He even prepared snacks and drinks for himself, so it didn't look like kidnapping, but rather like inviting guests to stay at his home.

"...Although I know you well, Miss Cintraya...my sister will be worried...and Sister Noya will definitely be looking for me everywhere." Maria sat down next to Cintraya and whispered, "Miss Cintraya, can't you leave the No Hero Alliance and really join Sister Noya's camp?"

"Heh... You don't know how the Helmetless Alliance deals with traitors. My master, the previous Platinum, also defected, and now the grass on his grave is three feet high. How could I defect? ​​Where could I defect to? As long as they are in Casimir, there is no one the Helmetless Alliance cannot kill." Cintrea twitched her lips. "I can't leave. Once I get on this ship, I'm doomed to be tied to it. Even retiring peacefully is wishful thinking."

Maria was silent. Indeed, in Casimir, anyone the Helmetless Alliance wanted to deal with... would be difficult to defend against if one did not have a certain level of strength or was surrounded by powerful figures.

After all, there is no such thing as a thief on guard against thieves for a thousand days.

Sintrea actually had good intentions in placing her at home. If Sintrea really refused the kidnapping, the two Qingjin would most likely take over. Roy would be okay, he would most likely spare Maria's life, but what if it was Monique... Sintrea didn't think Maria would survive in Monique's hands.

That's why she acted this way...at least it could save Maria's life, right?

Crunch...

Oh... my life is so miserable...

——Crackle, crackle, crackle…

If you think about it carefully, why did you get on the pirate ship of Wuzhou League when your level is obviously pretty good?

——Gudong gudong…

"Why are you eating now?!" Sintela was still in autism, but Maria beside her had already started eating senbei. Not only senbei, but also gummy candies, and then took a sip of milk tea. While she was feeling bitter and resentful, Maria maintained a make-do attitude and started showing off her snacks. She seemed to be eating them happily, which obviously made Sintela feel unbalanced.

"Forget it, I'll eat it too if you eat it." Sintela turned her grief and anger into appetite, snatched the senbei from Maria's hand, stuffed it into her mouth, chewed it and swallowed it. She ate too fast and even choked a little. It was Maria who handed her milk tea that saved her from choking to death on a piece of senbei.

"Even Senbei bullies me..."

"Ms. Cintrea, you don't look like a bad person..." Maria whispered. "And I understand how you feel... After all, I'm the weakest in the Linguang family, right? I'm stuck between the low and high, and I'm actually quite anxious. My two sisters are amazing. Zofia... my sister made it to the top 16 of the competitive knights, and I'm the only one who didn't even make it to the official competition."

"That's because you gave up on your own, didn't you? You gave all your points to the Radiant Knight?"

"That's true, but my strength really only reaches this point. I don't even know how I defeated the Left-Handed Knight, and it was all because he was careless," Maria explained. "If he'd used all his strength, I definitely wouldn't have been able to defeat him."

"A win is a win, what's the point of saying ifs?" Xinteleya curled her lips. "But I did hear that the Left-Handed Knight was suspected of match-fixing."

"Eh?"

"It's just a legend. I haven't checked it carefully. It has nothing to do with me." Xinteleya shrugged.

"It's a match-fixing...it was just like that time." Maria was even more speechless. She mistook milk tea for wine, and the sweet milk tea made her heart ache when it went down her throat. "Wow, damn it, I knew it."

"Okay, okay, stop it. Drinking milk tea like this will make you fat." Xinteleya also found it amusing. She hadn't expected Maria to be such an interesting soul. "Would you like to tell me what kind of person Noya was before I met her?"