Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

Enya had a lot of things to prepare before the ceremony began, so she didn't have the luxury of considering the rationale behind Enthiotis's actions. Such matters weren't her responsibility; right now, she was focused solely on completing the ceremony.

At this time, the Great Elder finally arrived and said, "Enya, are you ready?"

"I've prepared my luggage and speech," Enya replied respectfully. "Please rest assured, Great Elder. This isn't my first time participating in a ceremony."

"This ceremony is different from previous ones." The Great Elder emphasized the special nature of this ceremony. His gaze also swept over Noya and Kuro who were standing beside him. "Before the ceremony, try not to communicate too much with outsiders."

"Yes..." Enya lowered her eyes, "I heard... Enthiodis is coming to pay homage to Yelagund?"

"It's a good thing he's willing to show his devotion at this time." The Great Elder's attitude toward Enthiotis improved significantly after Enthiotis chose to hand over power. It was clear that he considered this transfer of power particularly important. "Shivaash recently requested many statues from the Huacong Manzhuyuan, providing them for those in the territory who didn't have any."

"...It seems like he really has become so devout overnight."

There was obviously something behind her words, and the Great Elder would not fail to hear it. But he still emphasized it.

"Whatever Enthiotis may have in mind, his actions are beyond reproach," the Great Elder said solemnly. "Since his actions are upholding the faith, Lady Saint, there is no need to worry."

——The Kjerag people will eventually bow to their thousand-year-old tradition.

"I hope so."

The more confident the Great Elder was, the more uneasy Enya became. These things were tangled up in her heart. She could feel that a storm was coming, but she could not stop it.

"Except for Enchiodis, the heads of the other two clans will be waiting up the mountain as usual." The Great Elder turned and prepared to leave. "Since you will be accepting the transfer of power from the three clans as the Saint, you must prepare more than just polite words. Whether it's the Holy Hunt or the Grand Ceremony, any slight bias in your attitude towards the three clans will be immediately interpreted as a sign of one clan's gain or loss of power."

He was trying to warn Enya not to show favoritism toward the Shivaash family because of her bloodline. This transfer of power—rather than being transferred to the Saint, it was more like being transferred to Manzhuyuan.

The Saint is just a puppet supported by Manzhuyuan.

Enya knew this and bowed her head. "I understand the weight of the Holy Bell in my hand, and I've considered how to handle it."

Noya watched this scene with mixed emotions. He suddenly understood Enthiotis's actions. Deep-rooted faith in Kjerag united the people, but it was also this very ingrained faith that gave rise to a group of unreasoning conservatives, who would hinder Kjerag's progress. Perhaps Enthiotis, a progressive, sensed the true source of this resistance and acted accordingly...

"However, I still lack one thing in my preparation. The longbow for hunting, please allow me to use it, Great Elder." Enya suddenly spoke, not only scaring Noya, but also causing the Great Elder to stop and leave.

"Enya, you've read the notes of past Saints and should know that a Saint doesn't have to personally participate in the hunt. Do you plan to use this longbow at the opening ceremony of the Holy Hunt?"

This is obviously not in line with tradition, but it has not been explicitly prohibited, and the Great Elder did not make a final statement.

"Although the Saint doesn't have to personally participate in the hunt, it wouldn't be disrespectful to Yelagund if she did."

"This has been the tradition of Manzhuyuan for thousands of years. Lady Saint, you must not disregard your status."

The saint must accept the prey offered by the three tribes on behalf of Yelagund, and bring the food to the ceremony on behalf of Yelagund to give to his people.

And now Enya wants to hunt by herself——

The Great Elder's words did not seem to be because the tradition was broken, but rather because he was angry that Enya had his own judgment and was going against his words.

"You're right. In the past thousand years, there has never been a precedent of the three tribes handing power back to Manzhuyuan." Enya didn't back down, but continued according to the Great Elder's words. "The handover of power should be a measure to ease the situation, but in recent days, chaos has frequently broken out at the foot of the Holy Mountain, and the land that was to be handed over to the Saint has been wantonly destroyed. It's as if they are truly not afraid of angering Yelagund."

"The people of Yelagund need the Saint to appease their wrath and demonstrate to them their unwavering devotion." The Great Elder certainly knew what was happening beneath the Holy Mountain, but in the face of the transfer of power, he chose to turn a blind eye. After all, he truly didn't care about the damaged tracks; it had nothing to do with Yelagund, the Holy Mountain, or even Manzhuyuan.

Yaer looked at the scene, sighed helplessly, and quietly came to Noah's side. Although she didn't speak, her voice rang in Noah's ears.

"So? Isn't the debate boring? It's all far-fetched and speculative. No one really asks Yelagund what He means."

"People are just willing to believe what they believe." Noah responded calmly. Yaer is already magical enough, and it is not strange to have another one who can transmit secret messages.

"Perhaps, Yelagund needs a saint to convey his wrath."

The confrontation between Enya and the Great Elder continued, and this sentence shocked the Great Elder.

"Don't speak nonsense in the temple."

"Also, 'The hardworking will reign, the lazy will suffer.'" Enya said, not giving the Great Elder any face. "Although I know that the three tribes are handing over power to the Saint, it doesn't mean that she will hold the real power."

"But if the Saint wants to maintain the status of faith, she can't just wait for the three tribes to deliver results. This isn't to show their incompetence—I want to set an example first."

"...If we want to maintain it, there is no possibility of change." As a stubborn person, the Great Elder naturally had to express his opinion. He had warned repeatedly.

"Yeragond's people have moved on, and what they pray to Him must be different from what they did a thousand years ago."

He certainly cannot respond in the same way as he did a thousand years ago.

The debate between the Great Elder and Enya stalled at this point. Judging by Noya's standards, the Great Elder had undoubtedly lost. In a debate, it was impossible for one side to admit defeat. The Great Elder could only hold his breath and leave, while Enya waited respectfully until the Great Elder's back disappeared before she breathed a sigh of relief.

"It made you laugh."

"Nothing, I'm just curious, Enya, are you really planning to be the leader of the three tribes in the Snow Region?" Noah asked curiously. She originally thought that Enya was a saint who was forced to take on the task, and the three tribes themselves only handed over nominal power to her. Strictly speaking, this was called a spiritual leader.

This is also what Manzhuyuan values. The three tribes nominally submit to Manzhuyuan - this is a very important signal.

As long as this is achieved, the influence of Manzhuyuan will be strengthened again, enough to control the entire Snow Region.

But according to Enya...it seems that she doesn't intend to be just a spiritual idol, but intends to actually take over the power?

Is this... really okay?

"...Noya, you and Enthiotis are partners, right?" Enya asked. "Then, how big of a gap do you think the current Kjerag is compared to the outside world?"

"...Do you want to hear the truth or something nice?"

"……real."

"The gap is too vast to describe," Noya replied bluntly. "If Victoria marches on Kjerag, Kjerag can only rely on the terrain to hold out for... two days at best." That was the most lenient statement. "Kjerag has no ability to protect himself."

"...Yeah, I think so too, so...it's time to change."

Chapter 23: The Holy Hunt Begins (4k)

Noah then realized that, as expected... Enya was Enthyodis's sister.

Perhaps in some ways, Enya really is exactly like Enthiotis.

It's no exaggeration to say that Kjerag is quite possibly the weakest nation on Terra right now—a nation that has been closed to the outside world for many years, having missed out on most historical opportunities. It missed out on the Originium Industrial Revolution and the new power distribution brought about by the Four Emperors' War. This small, snowy nation, isolated in its corner, may appear stable, but in reality, a vast gap has opened up between it and the nations outside, which are constantly engaged in fierce warfare.

If this continues, either the country's doors will be blasted open by cannons and warships, or it will be invaded commercially and become a colony in the true sense.

Today, Kjerag no longer has the confidence to compete with the outside world. The beliefs they use to unite themselves are almost useless in the face of technological advancement.

A Grand Duke in Victoria might be able to force Kjerag's borders open, and Victoria had clearly already made plans in advance. The Kalan Trade was part of their plan. While Enthiodis wasn't necessarily a lackey of the Grand Duke, it made one thing clear: Victoria didn't mind changing the management of Kjerag.

The Holy Hunt and the Grand Ceremony were both scheduled for tomorrow. Noah stayed with Enya for about ten minutes and then left the Holy Mountain. When she was going down the mountain, she unexpectedly discovered what the crowd was discussing... basically everything was about Enthiotis.

Enthiodis left the old house in Shivaash early in the morning and walked all the way here without taking a rest or even drinking a sip of water.

I didn't eat or drink or sleep along the way.

Many people were discussing whether to send a bowl of water to Enchiodis. If they really followed the tradition, the journey would be extremely difficult for ordinary people.

On the one hand, Enthiotis's territory is the farthest from the Holy Mountain and is the entrance to the outside world. It is almost equivalent to crossing half of Kjerag to reach the Holy Mountain. This is why Enthiotis set out early.

Noah thought for a while and decided to go see Enthyotis. After all, he was his partner. Although what he did was not very authentic, he was still somewhat magnanimous. He decided to go and see if he could help.

By the time Noya arrived at Enthiotis's location, it was already dusk. Shivaash's group approached silently. Enthiotis lowered his head, clasped his hands together, and silently prayed toward the holy mountain in the distance.

People who heard the footsteps curiously leaned out of the window or walked out of their doors and stood on both sides of the street.

These people showed expressions of pity and even wanted to step forward to help, but they were all politely rejected by Shivaash's guards.

Noah listened to Enthiotis's heavy footsteps and felt his emotions. Although her emotional perception was fundamentally different from mind-reading, she could only vaguely judge the changes in his emotions and clearly distinguish between malice and kindness. But what she felt from Enthiotis now was a bitter emotion... This bitterness touched her, and it seemed that her previous guess was not wrong.

He was indeed... here to walk the path of the Saint.

Don’t advise others to be kind unless you have experienced their suffering. But how many people are willing to experience the suffering of others?

Enthiotis might know that this behavior has no practical significance, and even seems a bit excessive as a show, but he would still take this path, just to feel how difficult the path Enya had taken was, crossing half of Kjerag and walking on the road to the Holy Mountain.

He persisted until now, still gazing at the holy mountain from afar - perhaps the person he prayed to was not Yelagund, but the saint who represented Yelagund.

She was his most beloved sister.

However, the footsteps increased...

Noah knew that someone had followed his footsteps and was heading towards the holy mountain.

People stood up without saying a word, walked downstairs, and followed the Shivaash family guards into the snowfield.

The people who were most worried about Enthiotis's health were of course the servants around him. Jiaofeng had suggested several times that Enthiotis should at least drink some hot water, but Enthiotis refused every time.

He probably understood Enthyodis's character best. Weiss stopped Jiaofeng and shook his head silently. "You know the master's temper well. Knowing he will definitely not accept it, why bother..."

"……Why."

The wind and snow were getting stronger and stronger, but Enthyotis was moving forward step by step without ever raising his head.

Noah also did not sleep all night. She could not move forward with Enthiotis, so she could only choose to accompany him all the way to the foot of the holy mountain.

If she could walk, she would definitely follow the team, not because of any deep faith in Yelagund, but because Enthiodis himself has the charm to make people follow him.

This is pure admiration - he is worthy of being my partner.

The other two families had been waiting for a long time. Along the way, they heard a lot of stories about Enthiotis's journey on foot. Actos remained silent, while Latatos complained a lot.

"How slow... Letting both families wait for him together, what a grand display." Latatos naturally doubted Ensioddis's devout faith. In her eyes, this behavior was pure show. But Actos shook his head.

"He walked all the way here, which is quite good indeed."

"How strange! You're actually praising him? I heard Enthiotis was widely praised along the way and was very popular. Actos, be careful! In a few days, the most devout follower of Yelagund might change from you, Actos, to him, Enthiotis."

Axtos had long been aware of Latatos's sarcasm, but he didn't mind. "I don't trust him, but he did the right thing, so I won't say he did the wrong thing against my will. Whether the Perlochi family is pious or not is not for you to judge."

"Tsk... troublesome." Latatos sighed. The people around her were so stubborn, making her feel isolated. "I just want to remind you that our alliance is now the most solid one."

"I don't like the way you and Enthiotis are beating around the bush. I only care about actions." Actos glanced at Latatos and turned away. "Enthiotis does seem more trustworthy now than you."

"Heh...just looking at the action. Then how about we talk about the previous explosion?"

"What? You're going to admit that it was your Brown Tao family who did it? I don't believe it. This is totally different from your style."

"What if I say... I know who the mastermind is?"

"—Are you serious?"

"Absolutely no lies."

Axtos had heard about the explosions that had severed the railway and cut off Shivaash's lifeline. He had certainly suspected the Brontao family of such behavior—but he didn't think they would do such a thing.

But since the other party said so... I guess she has already made up her mind.

-

Compared to the discussion between the two heads of the family, Xu Ruth, the second in command of the Brown Tao family, was now thinking about asking Mo Xi to win face in hunting. As a result, after searching for a long time, Mo Xi slowly appeared, which made her a little angry.

"Where have you been? Never mind... How are your preparations going? If you excel at the Holy Hunt, Latatos will definitely acknowledge you. Then..."

"Madam... do you really want to perform well in the Sacred Hunt? I have a feeling... Madam Latatos wouldn't care about the results of the Sacred Hunt... after all, it's just a ceremony."

"What can I do?" Xu Lu Si said angrily, "Latatos has calculated everything, and I don't have any chance to show my ability."

"...Well, I do have my own ideas. Madam, would you like to follow my plan?"

Moshi looked at Xuluo with some trepidation, but saw a glimmer of anticipation in Xuluo's eyes. "What? What good ideas do you have, Moshi? As long as you can suppress Latatos's arrogance, you can do anything!"

"Hmm." Guilt flashed across Moshi's eyes. "Then Madam, you must keep this a secret. It's best not to tell even Lord Yucatan... He will definitely tell Madam Latatos."

"...That's right, he's the most active snitch." Xu Ruth nodded. "Then I'll leave it all to you, Moshi! Remember to show off for me."

"Of course, please rest assured." Mo Xi nodded, "Then I will definitely make you shine."

-

"...Finally, we're here." Noya felt the journey was much longer than she'd imagined. She was impressed that Enthiotis had actually made it to the ceremony. This required not only a strong physique but also a resolute will.

Enya looked at Enthiotis, who had just arrived at the ceremony, with a complicated look in her eyes. "You were almost late, Enthiotis."

"I beg your pardon..." Enthiotis' voice was a little weak. If nothing unexpected happened, his feet would probably have blisters. However, he remained unshaken. "The path to true knowledge is not easy. This must be a test from Yelagund to Shivaash."

"It's been hard walking from Turikam to Mount Kalan." Enya nodded, acknowledging Enthiodis's piety. But now, Ya'er's words rang in Noya's ears again.

"She asks where Enthiotis is every few minutes, and she's even ready to make a little noise to delay the ceremony—"

"...Hehe, isn't this a very touching brother-sister relationship?"

"Who says it isn't? Besides, tests and such... Honestly, most of these tests are given by the believers themselves, and have nothing to do with Yelagund... Sigh."

"Indeed, the purpose of the test is to test one's own conscience," Noah responded. "Using Yelagund's name simply makes it easier to use."

Enya didn't know that Ya'er was about to reveal her secrets to Noya, so she pretended to be calm and said, "I hope you can really find the right path."

"With the Saint Lady's blessing, the road ahead is bright."

At this moment, Enthyodis is undoubtedly the most devout believer.

Enya had never expected that her casual remark would be taken as a blessing by him. Although it did have that meaning, it was more of a mockery... But this was her brother, an impeccable man.