Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

For some reason, McGee had a rather bad feeling...

Chapter 15: Viviana

As Noah expected, the meeting didn't reveal any meaningful information, and even had a hint of probing. Noah listened for a long time, feeling only that these fishermen were frantically throwing bait towards him, completely unconcerned about whether he would bite or not.

Of course, if the fish really took the bait, Noah would probably have become the fish in the catch of one of the fishermen.

So Noah remained silent throughout the whole process, like a silent prey in a dark forest. He was not a hunter yet, and any comments he made would only attract the hunter's gun. This is what the saying "the tallest tree catches the most wind" means.

After the meeting, Noah originally wanted to leave immediately to check on Maria, but McGee stopped her, scratched his head embarrassedly, and then spoke.

"I've finished reading the previous poetry collection."

"Is that so?" Noah smiled. "So what are your thoughts after reading it?"

"...I don't want to lie. This is Miss Viviana's first time writing poetry, so..."

"Well, you really read it carefully." Noah nodded. Indeed, although Viviana loved poetry, this was her first time writing a poem. It was unrealistic to expect a blockbuster the first time she wrote a poem. The standard of this poetry collection was not high. McGee did not blindly praise it just because it was written by Viviana. In this regard, Noah still admired the spokesperson in front of him.

"But being too straightforward will make others dislike you, so I hope you will think again about how to answer. Of course, I appreciate your honesty." Noah nodded with a smile, then gestured for Kuro to push the wheelchair into the elevator.

McGee's eyes followed Noah as she left, and he couldn't help but shake his head silently. He was still unsure how to evaluate her. Perhaps, as Miss Noah had said, he should think again about how to evaluate her.

"...Viviana? Yes, it's me."

After leaving the elevator, Noah called Viviana. Facing her best friend's call, Viviana was happy at first, but then asked in confusion. "What do you want to talk to me about?"

"I can't come to you if I'm fine?"

"No, I just felt that your voice seemed happy. So I was curious—"

"Did you hear that? Actually, I sold your poetry collection and it got pretty good reviews."

Noah smiled and said, "But it will probably take some time to formulate my thoughts after reading this. Oh, and by the way, please allow me to keep the other person's identity a secret for now. But I've never lied to you before."

"Really?" Viviana was instantly caught up in a mixture of excitement over how her poetry collection would be received, yet also a bit of fear and shame over the poor quality of her collection, which she couldn't present to anyone. "That's true... If I were as sharp-tongued as you, I'd probably have given up writing poetry."

"That's called honesty." Noah smiled, "Are you free recently? Let's meet up. I got tickets for a recent theater performance and plan to watch it with you."

"I think you are generally busier, right? Okay, I'll come when I have time." Viviana shook her head, her huge antlers looking like coral. It must be said that when Noah read the poetry collection written in Braille, her heart was indeed moved, but this feeling was soon blocked by the conventional content in the poetry collection. The subject of poetry originally requires wild imagination and innovative ability to write amazing verses - but Viviana's verses are as conventional as she herself.

These works seem to allow Noah to find prototypes in similar formats. Of course, Noah believes that Viviana herself does not intend to follow the works of her predecessors, but she unconsciously composes her own poems in the way of her predecessors.

So Noah commented at that time——

"It reads too conventionally, like a composition."

This statement seemed to have dealt a heavy blow to Viviana, who ignored him for about two days. Later, Noah managed to reconcile with Viviana, and she carefully preserved the Braille poetry collection and promised to ask other appreciative people to review Viviana's poetry. Only then did she stop quarreling with him. However, quarreling with Viviana wasn't unusual.

How should I put it... People like her would only behave so rudely if they really think you are a friend.

No one expected that the reason Noah and Viviana became best friends was that one time when Viviana was admiring a flower garden, her antlers got stuck in a grape trellis. Although the huge antlers were unique in beauty and suited Viviana's temperament, they caused Viviana a lot of inconvenience.

For example, being stuck in the door, not being able to sleep on your side, having to make a custom bed, etc.

More importantly, although Viviana herself has gotten used to it, in a sense, her horns make her a little top-heavy, and even require her to develop a sense of balance beyond that of ordinary people. To prove this, Viviana even performed a show of walking around with a basin on her head. The basin seemed to be equipped with a stabilizer and did not move at all on Viviana's head.

The girl who had been stuck in the grapevine was now Noah's beloved friend. She had also learned during this time that Viviana wasn't the extravagant woman described in the Red Wine Newspaper. She didn't have hundreds of servants, and she certainly didn't take red wine baths—or rather, was red wine bathing meant to pickle herself? The newspaper editor who had spread the rumor was probably just anecdotal.

More importantly, she is a girl with very ordinary hobbies. She likes reading books, reading poems, and playing with dolls. Her room is also very girly. In Noah's eyes, the noble and luxurious Candle Knight is completely a piled-up idol. The real her is just a girl who is a bit of a homebody.

But it is true that Viviana's beauty is enough to become a topic of discussion. The news about Viviana in the Red Wine Newspaper always attracts more attention. After all, Viviana is indeed a girl who meets everyone's aesthetic standards.

Noah, who had personally touched Viviana's cheeks and antlers with his own hands, could give such an evaluation - if it were to get out, I guess many people would be envious to death, right?

But if Noya wants to know someone else's face, he can only do so through touch. There's no other way.

It was like going to the opera with Viviana; she could only enjoy the singing but not the performers' hard work.

So she only watched opera with Viviana—after all, she loved it, and she could sense a hint of the aftertaste in her emotions. This was also Noah's way of appreciating opera.

Chapter 16: Confession

Although it was late, Noah immediately arrived at the garden training ground, which was Zofia's garden - although she didn't take care of it at all, it was overgrown with weeds to the extent that people wondered if it was a wilderness area.

The fact that she could own such a large plot of land in the Great Knight Territory was in itself sufficient evidence of Zofia's success in business. Technically speaking, while Zofia's initial capital did come from knight competitions, her earning power was also quite impressive. While technically a member of the Linguang family, her surname wasn't Linguang, as she came from a branch of the Linguang family.

This happened during the period when the Linguang family was still glorious. According to her assets, it would not be difficult for her to take advantage of the situation and directly seize the Linguang name. However, Zofia was not such a person. She would only spare no effort to help Margaret and Maria. She was actually quite like Mainna. She had never been away from Casimir. When she walked onto the knight competition with a whip blade in hand, she might have already thought of such an ending.

However, the reason why Noya was able to come into contact with the Linguang family was not only because his grandfather was a comrade-in-arms of Cyril Linguang, but also because of another very important reason—

Yolanta Linguang.

Margaret Linguang and Maria Linguang's mother, and Snits Linguang's wife, had been named Yolanta Kirelite before marrying into the Linguang family. So, strictly speaking, Margaret should be called "cousin"—but if she continued like that, the relationship would become too chaotic. Since Margaret and I weren't much of an age difference, she might as well just call each other by their first names.

But it was Margaret who started calling her name first. If she remembered correctly, Margaret had always called her cousin before that?

In the overgrown garden, pushing the wheelchair had become an impossible task, so Kuro immediately lifted Noah from the wheelchair on his back, exerted force on his feet, and flew straight into the sky. After a few takeoffs and landings, he passed the overgrown area and found the two people who were still practicing.

This wasn't Kuro's first time carrying Noah, and she was already quite adept at it. Noah was also quite light, but there was no other way. Noah looked sick and frail, and certainly didn't seem like she could be very heavy. Kuro always felt like she was carrying a skeleton, so light it was painful. But she also knew that, while Noah didn't eat much, he at least met the recommended intake standards.

The main reason for her thinness was her physical condition, among which the impact of oripathy was more severe. It took away her sight and her ability to move freely. It was not easy for her to maintain her current mental state.

Only after Noah and Kuro arrived did Maria and Zofia stop their sparring. It was clear that not only Maria, but even Zofia looked exhausted. She hadn't expected that after Maria's use of Originium techniques in battle, her endurance had doubled, even becoming more energetic. It was she, the instructor, who was completely exhausted. Panting, she dropped her sword and leaned against a fallen tree trunk with Maria. Kuro placed Noah next to the stump.

After supporting himself with his hands, Noah almost understood the situation just by hearing the two people's breathing.

"I didn't expect you guys to be able to practice until now..."

"I didn't expect that..." Zofia couldn't help but complain, "You two sisters are really cut from the same cloth... Back then, your sister was like an indestructible cockroach."

"Sister...sister, she beat aunt a long time ago, right?"

"What did you call me?"

"elder sister……"

"That's more like it." Zofia put her hands on her hips angrily, "I'm only five years older than you, just call me sister."

"Ahahaha..." The Linguang family's generational hierarchy was indeed quite confusing. She was Margaret's cousin, Margaret's aunt—the sister of her father's sister's husband... Well, even Noya didn't want to figure out what to call Zofia. It was best to keep things as they were. After all, the relationships between ancient knight families were always complicated and tangled, so this situation was now considered normal.

"By the way, I have an announcement..." Noah had brought some lunch boxes and other items when she arrived, placing them in a cooler bag for the two of them. She knew they must be so tired from fighting that they'd forgotten to eat or sleep. She'd brought them lunch when Margaret was training, but the weeds weren't as rampant back then. She placed the lunch boxes on the ground and let the two of them help themselves. As for the dishes, she had prepared some too, spreading the tablecloth on the ground, and it immediately felt like a camping trip. "I've become the spokesperson for the Chamber of Commerce."

"..."

"..."

The atmosphere had been quite pleasant, but after these words were spoken, the entire garden fell silent. Zofia and Maria remained silent, but their gazes were fixed on Noah. Noah was quite sensitive to gazes, and immediately gave a somewhat apologetic expression. "Ah... I'm sorry. I know you don't like the Chamber of Commerce, but I felt I should tell you."

"...No, no, Sister Noah, you don't have the right to refuse..." Maria quickly waved her hand. Indeed, at first, both of them were surprised, feeling as if someone close to them had suddenly become an enemy. But upon closer reflection, she realized that Noah had no choice in the matter. It's more like the Chamber of Commerce's decision-making process has little to do with the individual's wishes. Some people have tried desperately to climb the ladder, but to no avail. And yet, the Chamber of Commerce doesn't mind handing the title to someone with no desire.

Therefore, blaming Noah was meaningless and even a bit unreasonable. However, the change in identity still made Zofia, who was deeply troubled by the Chamber of Commerce, feel a little uncomfortable.

The Chamber of Commerce had intervened in the competition where she had the accident. She still remembered how unwilling she felt when she was thoroughly studied by the other party, lacked supplies and logistics team, and lost to the other party's equipment advantage when she was clearly not at a disadvantage.

She tried her best but only managed to snatch one of the opponent's sword, while her left hand - her dominant hand - was left disabled.

Although he was now practicing right-hand swordsmanship, he obviously could not return to his peak state.

But she quickly adjusted herself and said, "It's okay, I don't mind."

——Generally speaking, people who say this are very concerned about it in their hearts.

Although Noah couldn't see Zofia's expression, he could sense a hint of loss in her words.

Chapter 17: Sacrifice

"I hope you understand."

Noya wasn't one to show her inner thoughts on her face, and her ability to perceive emotions wasn't meant for times like these. She treated Maria and Zofia like family. She wasn't willing to treat them as people who needed to use their abilities. So she spoke.

"From today on, I might not be able to see you very often - but don't worry, I will go to all of Maria's games. There will be more and more people watching me - which might cause you some trouble."

"Eh... why is this happening?" Maria was probably the most disappointed. She originally thought that Sister Noah would always be with her, but as the spokesperson for the Chamber of Commerce, the attention she would receive would be much higher than she had imagined. After all, it was no exaggeration to say that this position attracted the attention of thousands of people. If she showed too much attention to a certain competitive knight, it would somewhat affect Maria's reputation.

Because of Maria's competition, Noah obviously couldn't have frequent private contact with Maria. Although the spokesperson's identity hadn't been fully announced yet, for safety reasons, now was the most appropriate time to start. It was also a form of protection. Proposing this proposal proactively was actually a very gentle way for her to handle the situation. She shouldn't even have come here to say hello.

There are so many ways to notify the two of them, such as sending a text message or making a phone call, but Noah still came.

"Although I will be lonely, please be patient for a while." Noah smiled bitterly and shook his head. "I have always been on your side. Believe me."

"How could I possibly not trust Sister Nuoya——and…"

"...If you're just a spokesperson, you shouldn't be so serious. Are you planning to do something dangerous?" Zofia suddenly asked. This question stumped Noah. She was silent for a moment before shaking her head. "No, I just wanted to tell you about this."

"...Okay." Seeing that Noah was obviously unwilling to say anything in front of Maria, Zofia could only shut her mouth temporarily and said with a bit of loneliness, "It's not just Maria, I miss you too. You can't even call me?"

"...Well," Noah thought for a while. "As for the phone call...it should be possible. If you're really lonely, just call. But it's best to call at night."

"Okay!" Maria immediately became happy. It was obvious that this girl, whom she had always treated as a sister, really valued her. Noah couldn't help but reveal a subtle smile.

"Are you so happy to be able to make a phone call? You're really easy to please."

"But...but Sister Noah, you sounded like you were saying goodbye. I'm sure I'd be sad." Maria, perhaps realizing her emotions were fluctuating, said awkwardly, "Sister Noah, you won't be a spokesperson forever, right? Once you resign, we can hang out together anytime, anywhere, right?"

"Well, I promise you." Noah's smile froze for a moment before he nodded and agreed. "When I quit my job, I'll take you out to play. By then, maybe you'll have become a titled knight, right? Have you decided on a knight's title?"

"It's too early..." Maria didn't notice the slight hesitation, but instead felt happy about Noah's words. "But if there really is a chance, could you help me choose a title, sister?"

"Okay, if you can really become a titled knight, I will give you a title." Noah nodded and agreed. However, both she and Zofia felt that Maria would not be able to do it now. However, it is naturally impossible to pour cold water on Maria when they can encourage her. Besides, nothing is absolute in the world. What if Maria really awakens in the battle? You know, she is also a knight bearing the name of Lin Guang.

As everyone knows, the knights of the Linguang family love nothing more than to turn the tables from desperate situations.

When fighting against the Ursus army, Cyril Linguang's legend of almost single-handedly turning the tide of the battle still shines brightly today.

When Margaret became the champion as an independent knight, everyone thought it was impossible. Turning the impossible into the possible - not fearing hardship and darkness - has always been the tradition of the Linguang family.

Perhaps the legend of the Golden Pegasus could actually continue with Maria Linguang? Noah would rather see Maria become a legendary craftsman than a knight grappling with valor and brutality. She's still a long way from maturity, but no matter which path she chooses, Noah looks forward to the moment when Maria becomes a legend, hoping he'll still have time to witness that moment...

Noah subconsciously placed his hand on his wrist, touching the Originium crystal cluster that pierced his skin through his clothes, not knowing whether he could see it or not.

No one noticed Noya's abnormality, except for Kuro who had been standing beside her. However, knowing Noya well, Kuro simply closed his eyes and remained silent.

Before leaving, Noah said goodbye to the two of them, and when he was carried on Kuro's back again, Kuro spoke.

"Given your physical condition, you should actually stay in Rhodes Island."

"But I'm still needed here."

"You shouldn't be working so hard. The revival of the Kirilet family and the revival of the Linguang family are not burdens you should bear."

"...Qraw."

"I know what you want to say. You simply promised that Radiant Knight to take good care of her sister, right?" Kuro interrupted Noya. "But I hope you understand that even that Radiant Knight probably never imagined you would go this far. You should understand that, right?"

"Yes, she wouldn't want me to do this." Noah smiled bitterly, "But I don't have time anymore."

"..."

"Isn't it only natural that those without a future should fight for a future for those who still have one?"

Kuro was silent, and she suddenly remembered what Noya said when she explained to her the meaning of the Kirilet family crest.

Purity, perseverance, dedication, sacrifice...

In this city that has abandoned the spirit of chivalry, true knights have been stripped of their knighthood.

This is the case with Margaret Linguang.

Isn't it the same with Noah Kyrielet?

written request for leave

I have a fever... take a rest

The temperature has dropped significantly recently, so everyone should remember to keep warm...

Because I wrote it in advance, so taking a day off today = no update tomorrow. That’s all!

One hundred words one ...

Chapter 18: Immune System: This High-End Game

Strictly speaking, for Noah Kyrielight, losing her sight wasn't entirely a bad thing. Humans have five senses, and after losing sight, Noah was able to focus all her energy on cultivating the remaining senses: hearing, touch, taste, and smell. But most importantly, the one she relied on most, was her sixth sense, a special one she had possessed since birth.

Before Noah lost her eyesight, she was not very proficient in mastering this ability, but this feeling went beyond the five senses and entered a metaphysical sixth sense - she could perceive the emotions of others.

Yes, emotions—