Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"Haha, you're still the same, so impatient." Ms. Russell had watched Lime grow up, and she treated him like a junior. However, she had originally thought that the Silver Spear Pegasus would be inherited by Sneez, or perhaps Mainna, or... Noa's father. She hadn't expected that Lime, who had followed closely behind them and held the title of best second-in-command, would ultimately take the position. "Would you like to meet the main character of this banquet?"

"...Margaret Linguang?" Lime sighed. "She shouldn't have refused the Grandmaster's invitation back then. She would have been the best among us, and wouldn't have ended up like this."

"Lem... are you still unwilling to become the real leader?" Ms. Russell still sensed a hint of regret in these words. Indeed, Lime had seen too many heroes and too many geniuses. It could be said that he had never thought of becoming the leader of the Knights of the Silver Spear Pegasus. Even now, that title still belonged to Grandmaster Russell. The invitation he mentioned naturally referred to the invitation that Grandmaster Russell had given Margaret to join the Silver Spear Pegasus Regiment before she was exiled. As long as the other party agreed, Lime had no doubt that Grandmaster Russell would train Margaret to be a hero no less capable than Snitz.

Lime, who had always been the second-in-command, was also looking forward to this result...

But Margaret refused...

Thus, Lime became the most likely candidate to become the new leader of the Silver Spear Pegasus Knights.

"...I've seen too many heroes." Lime still didn't respond directly, but simply said, "Every one of them is incredibly outstanding. This should have been Casimir's most brilliant era. And I..."

"To be the second-in-command of Silver Spear Pegasus... can you still be considered a mortal?" Russell shook his head helplessly. "You're one of the stars, yet you're content to be a supporting role. Perhaps you should change your mindset."

"...Yes, Grandmaster." Lime nodded, but Russell knew that his words went in one ear and out the other.

"...So you don't want to meet Noah?" Russell asked. But the mention of that name sent a shudder through Rhyme. Just by looking at his expression of resistance, Russell knew the outcome. "Even though you held her when you were little..."

"Times have changed... The Kirilet family has been expelled from the ranks of the knight nobility," Liam replied. "Noa is no longer one of us."

"...Children of knight families don't necessarily have to become knights, Rhyme."

"But at least she shouldn't betray her family!" Lime's suddenly excited voice was quickly suppressed by his rationality. "Sorry... Grandmaster."

"You're just too rigid..." Russell shook his head. "Back then, when her father was still in the war group, he saved your life. When she was one month old, you even came to give her a small wooden lance. I remember it all. You obviously loved that child, but..."

"I am now... a member of the Silver Spear Pegasus, not her Uncle Lime anymore."

"...You really won't regret it?"

"…Standpoint, Grandmaster, stance is more important than anything else."

"...It's a shame, she must still remember you." Russell had originally wanted Lime to meet Noah. To Noah, Lime had once been a respected uncle. But then... on the one hand, Noah's father abandoned his position in the regiment and left Casimir, and on the other hand, Noah returned home and chose to go into business. Lime reportedly wrote to Noah to persuade him, but Noah still did not change his mind.

In the end, the two people fell into this awkward situation, and now... perhaps the rift between them has really developed into one that is difficult to heal.

"Okay, let's get back to the topic, Lime." Russell turned and looked at the Wall of Champions. "Do you know why I asked you to come here to see me?"

"...I don't know. Grandmaster, please enlighten me."

"I want you to look at this wall." Russell pointed to the Wall of Champions, the honor wall for all the Major champions. "Look at this wall, Rhyme, all the past Major champions."

"..."

"Why do the knights who emerged from this gradually collapsing era still radiate light?"

"...The presence of only one or two outstanding knights proves nothing, Grandmaster," Lime replied. "Knightly tournaments remain pure blasphemy, the bane of Casimir."

Chapter 169: Reporting Safety

"Every time I return to the Great Knight Territory, I feel even more sorrowful and angry. Our people are losing their reverence, and noble virtues have become a pedantic joke."

Lime's words were filled with anger, anger towards the business associations that turned the noble knights' duels into entertainment, and also anger towards this era, an era where capital is king and glory is fading.

The noble duel between knights is extremely noble in the mind of a traditional knight like him and should not be ridiculed by a group of spectators. This should be the last thing that should appear in the country of knights.

"It's been like this ever since the expeditionary knights left the Grand Knight Territory." As a Grandmaster, Ms. Russell clearly had a longer-term vision, but she had to admit that after those heroes left Casimir, Casimir headed in one direction, never to return. "Unfortunately, time has taken its toll on the young. The answers we've reached are no longer relevant."

"But... we still hold the power to overturn all of this." Rhyme turned, anger in his eyes. "We can turn back the clock, Grandmaster. With just one command—Casimir will never fall again."

"...Lime, this is why I think you're not ready yet." Ms. Russell looked a little disappointed in Lime's gaze.

"No one should hinder the development of the times," Russell replied. "You can't do it, and neither can I."

-

At this time, Shining and Nightingale finally returned to their base in Rhodes Island. After the city lights went out, they immediately decided to rush to the Doctor.

On the one hand, it was to protect the Doctor's safety, and on the other hand - it was to report to the Doctor about the events at Plot Zero.

What Shining didn't expect was that Noah had already told the Doctor everything. As a spokesperson for the Chamber of Commerce, Noah's actions were contrary to that.

"...But Miss Shining is right. If the situation at Plot Zero is truly like this...we shouldn't just stand by and watch for our own safety." Amiya looked at the doctor, who seemed to be contemplating, and spoke. "There must be something we can do."

"Of course, I've already planned three strategies. Which one do you want to hear?"

The doctor smiled and asked. Then, facing the three people's puzzled expressions, he spoke.

"The worst option is to blow up the facility now, rescue all the infected, and escape from Casimir."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Not to mention Amiya, Shining and Nightingale beside them showed expressions of disapproval. This was almost equivalent to declaring war on Casimir, and Rhodes Island simply could not bear the consequences of all this.

"Central strategy. We should immediately negotiate with the Federation and buy out all the infected." As if anticipating their opposition, the doctor continued, "How about it? This is very peaceful, and the Federation will be very happy."

"...The question is, do we have that much money?" Amiya actually considered the feasibility this time. "...Does Rhodes Island really have enough disposable funds?"

"So, there's a better plan. We'll report this to the National Council immediately and place our hopes on the Supervisory Commission." The doctor then offered the best plan, but while stating it, she also emphasized, "The consequence is that Miss Noya, who revealed this to us, will definitely be liquidated by the Federation—but sacrificing her alone will bring happiness to thousands of families, won't it?"

After hearing this, even Amiya knew that the doctor was teasing them. After all, it was impossible for the doctor to make such a decision.

It is said that there are three strategies: high, medium and low. In essence, the doctor is giving three directions: resistance, compromise, and - reporting.

The rebellion obviously couldn't be led by Rhodes Island, otherwise what difference would it make from Reunion? It wasn't funny to become part of Reunion after just crushing it.

Purchasing them was even more impossible. Even if Rhodes Island was truly wealthy enough, it would only make the infected people commodities with a fixed price. This behavior would only make the Chamber of Commerce even more greedy and might even lead to a worse situation.

As for the third one - it seems more feasible, but to be honest, this behavior is basically equivalent to a backstab on Noah, and... it does not essentially solve the problem.

The political landscape in Casimir is complex. Capital and the Supervisory Commission aren't simply in a confrontational relationship, but rather a mutually dependent and balanced one, each vying for control. Even now, the Supervisory Commission wouldn't step up for the infected.

"So... Doctor, what are you going to do?" Shining said, "Let's stop joking. What are your thoughts?"

“Use their methods to solve their problems.”

When the Doctor, Shining, and the others gathered, the most anxious people, besides Rhodes Island and the others, were probably Maria and the others, who were still waiting for Noah and the others to return. Ever since Margaret and Noah left, Maria and Zofia had experienced a power outage and signal loss. Furthermore, it was already late, and Margaret and Noah still hadn't returned. If they had just stayed out all night, Zofia wouldn't have been worried; she would have thought it was fine.

But the situation now is obviously different from usual. Zofia and Maria are a little anxious, but the communication line is still busy and there is no sign of recovery.

"...Where on earth did they go?... No news at all. They said they were going for a walk. Where did they go? Leitania?"

"Who knows... Miss Xinteleya, do you know where Sister Noya ran off to?"

"You ask me?" Cintrea looked at Maria and pointed at herself. "If I knew, would I still be here now?"

"……Can."

"...Stop it. I've just been monitoring the No-Horn Alliance, and they've gone radio silent, so it probably has nothing to do with them." Cintela spoke out her former employer without hesitation. "Of course, it's possible they knew I was monitoring them, so they changed the channel."

"...Why don't we go out and look for it?" Maria stood up. "Now that the phone is ringing, it should be okay to go out, right?"

"No, you stay here. I'll go look for him if anyone wants." Zofia immediately rejected Maria's suggestion. "Have you forgotten that you were kidnapped?"

Xinteleya: “…”

Maria: “…”

How should I put it? Although I really want to refute it, I can't.

And the kidnapper is right next to him... This situation is extremely embarrassing.

Just as Xinteleya was about to hide her face, the communication line finally lit up. Zofia quickly picked up the terminal, and it was Noa who was on the other end.

"Hey?! Noah, which hotel did you and Margaret book a room at?"

Chapter 170: Maenna's Warning

"..." Noah originally just wanted to report that she was safe, but Zofia's words made it impossible for her to do so. Moreover, she was playing the radio loudly, and Margaret beside her heard it clearly -

"Aunt Zofia...we were just going out for a walk." Margaret blushed and coughed, "It's not what you think..."

"Oh, then, when will you be back? Even if you went for a stroll to Leithania, it's about time you came back, right?" Zofia continued. "It seems something big happened tonight, and it's dangerous for you to be out there. I know you're powerful, Margaret, but you're still with Noah, right? Come back quickly, and we'll wait for news."

"We're safe...or rather, Casimir is as safe as it can be." Noah could only speak, "Because the Silver Spear Pegasus has entered the city...and the whole city is under martial law now. Who would dare to cause trouble at a time like this?"

"…What did you say?"

"Silver Spear Pigassos, enter the city."

"...I must be dreaming." Zofia was about to faint. "How is this possible!"

"You should be able to see the news soon." Noah sighed, "Don't worry, this is the safest time in the city. You won't even lose your wallet when you go out—"

"So what exactly was going on with the power outage just now?" Zofia asked, somewhat puzzled. "Or was it because of the blackout that the Silver Spear Pegasus entered the city?"

"Your guess is correct. Indeed, the blackout was caused by a raid on the power room in the core city," Noah responded. "You should have heard of the big partition, Zofia?"

"...That kind of thing...is actually going to happen again." At the moment of the power outage, Zofia had actually thought of the large partition, but she didn't expect that someone would actually dare to replicate it. What is this equivalent to...someone hijacked the plane and replicated 911 again. This is probably the situation.

No matter how you look at it... this is quite magical.

Zofia has begun to feel that the world is somewhat strange.

"This situation is special, and I can't go into too much detail. Anyway, it's not a bad thing." Noah nodded. "You guys stay home first. I'm just calling to let you know we're safe. We're safe now, or at least we've never been safer."

"... You... should come back earlier? I'm a little worried."

"...I will." Noah said, then hung up the phone and turned to Margaret. "Now should we go meet...Ms. Russell?"

"You decide. The current situation is indeed special. You didn't expect that the Silver Spear Pegasus would enter the Great Knight's Territory just like that, right?" It was the first time that Margaret saw such an astonished expression on Noah's face. Indeed, the Supervisory Association played a big game this time, so big that Noah even wondered if they were really going to deal a hard blow to the Chamber of Commerce this time?

"The Overwatch Council probably already made up their mind when they were using the Red Pine Knights. The Flametail Knights realized this..." Noah sighed. "I'm not sure what Ms. Russell is thinking. Things are completely out of control now. Or rather, the Overwatch Council has taken absolute control, and there's even a possibility of suspending the competition."

"...Noya." Margaret looked at Noya with some concern. "Are you really okay? These Silver Spear Pegasus...maybe they have a lot to say about you."

"...It's normal to have opinions, and I'm mentally prepared. They have reason to criticize me," Noah responded. "But I don't regret any of my choices, Margaret. If they really intend to judge me, I will accept it."

"I will not let you be judged," Margaret replied immediately. "It would be unfair."

"For a knight, this is justice." Noah knew that in the eyes of those orthodox knights, his actions were treason, worthy of the stake. If they really wanted to make an example of him, he wouldn't be able to escape.

"I won't allow it." Margaret stared at Noah, "Noah, if something like this really happens."

"...Let's not talk about that for now." Noah keenly sensed that Margaret was about to say something absolutely unspeakable and quickly stopped her. "There's more to consider right now. There are other things to do before they come knocking on our door."

-

Linguang family ancestral home——

This place was once a holy place for knights. Some knights came here just for pilgrimage. The Linguang family - this name represents glory.

At this time, in the somewhat dilapidated Lin Guang's house, there was a deserted man, and opposite him was a knight who looked a little at a loss.

"Rare guest——" After seeing the Silver Spear Pegasus enter the city, Mainna almost knew that this person would come to visit, so he returned to the ancestral home in advance, and Lime came here as soon as he met the master, almost at the same time.

"Sir, it's been a long time since we last met." Lime was very respectful. No matter what the ranger was like in the official definition, Lime always remembered that when Snitsch was the leader, this ranger had helped Silver Spear Pegasus fight countless tough battles.

"Don't salute me. I'm not even a knight. Don't forget your status," Mainna said. Lime was now the second-in-command of the Silver Spear Pegasus, and could be promoted to captain at any moment. Naturally, he couldn't salute a social animal like Mainna. This difference in status was crucial within the knight class, and it could even affect Lime's reputation. "If you're here to see Margaret, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."

"...I haven't been back to the Great Knight Territory in years. Has the hero's home become like this?" Rhyme looked around. It was a stark contrast to his last visit. Not only was much of the furniture gone, but while it wasn't exactly filthy, it certainly didn't look like the supposed "hero's home." "What about the sisters? Don't they live here anymore?"

"..." Mainna did not respond, but just stared at the "old friend" in front of him.

“Oh, sorry… This is a family matter. Sorry.” Rhyme realized his own rudeness and apologized immediately. “I just…”

"Anything else?" Mainna asked, which was obviously an order to leave, but Lime just shook his body and showed no intention of leaving.

"Mr. Maenna..."

"Don't call me that." Mainna's brows furrowed again, but Lime did not retreat.

“Others might belittle you, but we won’t,” Rhyme replied. “Even if Margaret went astray and her sister is still young, the Linguang family doesn’t rely on history and reputation to earn respect.”

Lime gestured around. "Those self-proclaimed elite merchants simply don't grasp this fundamental truth, which is why they're baffled by the knights' actions. Pah!" Lime's tone grew regretful. "Even seeing you're in good health is reassuring."

"...There's no need for you to continue talking nonsense." Maina raised her head. "She's not here. You and I both know why you came here."

"...Mr. Mainna." Lime wanted to say something, but Mainna had already turned away. "Don't bother her, Lime, if you don't want to be my enemy. Then don't hurt her anymore."

Chapter 171: Rules

Having said that, Liam knew he would get no more information about Noah from Mainna. Remembering how he had once been a guest of honor in this place, he felt a growing bitterness in his heart. He had always upheld tradition and the virtues and qualities that a knight should uphold, while also accepting the traditions and limitations of knighthood. He had never been the one to break free; he was no hero, merely a part of the system.

After all, Lime is just an ordinary knight.

He left sadly, leaving only his back to Mainna, with heavy steps, as if he had lost something.