In Ark Simulator, why do I always get a tough start?

Chapter 10 The Witch King's "Resurrection" Plan?
"You... are that..."

Late at night, Gertrude, who had draped herself in a black cloak to conceal her identity and carried a staff that resembled a conductor's baton, finally managed to evade all eyes and arrive at Chen Qi's tavern.

Gertrude came here only to recruit a scapegoat who could help her get rid of her foolish brother.

She didn't have high hopes for the so-called "son of the witch king," regarding him merely as a symbol created by the leader of this ignorant organization in the slums to attract more people to join.

After all, although Gertrude had never seen the Witch King in person, she knew better than outsiders in the noble circles that the Witch King had no children.

That arrogant emperor, whose eyes were probably only on Originium Arts and musical scores, had no interest in women, let alone children.

If we're really talking about gossip, there's a rumor that the Witch King has a very close relationship with a mysterious Sarkaz...

But regardless, all of Gertrude's certainty crumbled the moment she saw the young man who called himself "Qi".

There is no other reason.

Those blood-red horns, identical to those of the Witch King, are simply too compelling evidence!
In Terra, there are techniques for maintaining horns, but the skill of directly "cosmetically altering" horns is simply impossible.

Not to mention the long horns with blood-red markings that are naturally present on someone like the Witch King? That can only be something one is born with!
These exceptionally rare long horns—if you were to convince Gertrude that it was all just a coincidence, she would much rather believe that the young man before her truly possessed pure Witch King blood!
But, how is this possible?

I've never heard of the Witch King ever having a queen, and I've even heard that women around him are extremely rare. Why is that...?

"Yes, it's me."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Gertrude Strolo."

Unaware of Gertrude's speculation, Chen Qi readily admitted that he had invited her.

Looking at the woman in front of him, who had firmly held the top spot on the list of "bad women" in Ark before Arturo was implemented, he felt unusually calm and composed.

"However, considering that you will soon inherit the title of Earl, perhaps I should address you as Earl Gertrude?"

"..."

Even though she knew I was the successor to the count, she remained so composed.

Gertrude was instilled with aristocratic education from a young age, and the ability to read people's expressions and moods was an essential skill.

She was 100% certain that Qi's composure was genuine.

The calmness and indifference in his eyes...it was as if he was already used to seeing nobles, and even he, a mere earl, was nothing to him.

This further confirmed Gertrude's suspicions.

Sure enough, this guy is a descendant whom the Witch King secretly groomed as his successor!
If he hadn't been groomed as an heir, he wouldn't have been able to meet so many high-ranking officials, so much so that even now, living in a slum, he still possesses a natural air of nobility.

Having confirmed this, Gertrude suddenly had a sudden realization—

She suddenly thought of a possibility.

The descendants of the Witch King do not necessarily have to be born from a woman!
This is the Witch King, he has so many secret laboratories, and knows so many forbidden spells and Originium Arts...

Creating his ideal offspring without the need for a woman would be far too easy for him!
Now, the Witch King's secretly raised offspring has been sent to the slums, and after his own overthrow, even the Twin Queens and the Electors do not know the whereabouts of his offspring...

—Could it be that the Witch King had already foreseen this?

He knew all along that he was going to be killed?!

So, before anyone noticed, he sent his heir out into the outside world?
Gertrude's expression changed drastically the moment this possibility flashed through her mind!
She suddenly realized that she might have guessed an incredibly terrifying, century-level plan!
If the Witch King knew he would be defeated by the Twin Queens, yet still accepted this outcome, it means he had already prepared a backup plan.

And his successor might just be his backup plan!
Is it because he believes his descendants can avenge him and regain power in Letania?
No, perhaps there's an even more terrifying possibility...

Perhaps the Witch King never died at all?

His descendant, who was sent out of the tower at a young age, could become a pawn in his resurrection!

"...Ms. Gertrude?"

However, Chen Qi, who had no idea what Gertrude was thinking, only saw her face turn pale and then dark under the light, finally becoming flushed as if she were quite excited...

Of course, if Chen Qi could hear Gertrude's inner thoughts, he might laugh out loud.

Gertrude's guess wasn't entirely wrong; Chen Qi was indeed accustomed to seeing high-ranking officials and dignitaries.

He's met two emperors, let alone counts.

The old man doted on his youngest son, showing him an intense affection, as if he couldn't wait to pass the position to him.

The younger one didn't want him to leave at all, fearing he would run away.

So, in Chen Qi's eyes, the Earl was nothing. The shock that Gertrude, this little boss, brought him was not as great as the mace.

Fortunately, Chen Qi's gentle call pulled Gertrude out of her thoughts.

But this time, Gertrude, fully realizing that she had been drawn into a shocking plan, felt an overwhelming sense of excitement!
Under the rule of the Twin Queens, plotting to seize power with the remnants of the Witch King's faction and even the Witch King's son might be a risky move for many.

But for Gertrude, she saw more of an opportunity.

An opportunity for her to rise to the top!

If I could become the first assistant to this son of the Witch King, then in the future, if he really succeeded in overthrowing the Twin Queens...

How could a mere earl possibly offset his own merits?

I will be a duke! An elector!
Even this son of the Witch King seemed to be around the same age as himself; perhaps in the future he could become the son of Letania—

The thought of this possibility made Gertrude feel extremely hot, causing her to break out in a sweat and her breathing to become heavy.

She had already made up her mind.

Having made the decision, Gertrude acted without hesitation.

Looking at Chen Qi in front of her, a sweet and kind smile almost immediately appeared on her face, and she said lightly to Chen Qi:
"Then thank you for your kind words, Your Excellency Qi... Let's get straight to the point now."

"Since you are willing to help me, you must hope that I can repay you in the future. So, may I ask, what kind of repayment do you need from me?" "It's easy to talk to a smart person, Ms. Gertrude."

Chen Qi smiled slightly, seeing that Gertrude understood the art of exchanging favors, and spoke without hesitation:
"As you can see, I am gathering a force, and you should know what this force will do in the future."

"But the forces within the slums alone are not enough for us to win. Therefore, we need to unite more people like us... who are dissatisfied with the Twin Queens."

"What are you planning to do?" Seeing that Chen Qi's plan was exactly the same as her own, Gertrude felt even more certain and asked with a smile.

"We need the help of the civilians in the city."

Chen Qi responded without hesitation.

“We need not only the infected, but also the non-infected, workers, company employees, guards... anyone whose interests have been harmed by the Gemini Queen’s policies but who dare not speak out, to join us in the resistance.”

"But these actions require capital, which we currently lack."

"Therefore, we need your help, Countess."

"I see." Upon hearing this, Gertrude finally understood Chen Qi's thoughts.

He wanted to incite everyone in the mobile city to overthrow the Twin Queens' rule over it.

With this mobile city, they possessed the most basic resources to contend with the Twin Queens.

Gertrude believed that this was only the first step in his plan.

The son of the Witch King will never give up until he overthrows the Twin Queens!

“That sounds like an interesting plan.” Gertrude gave what she thought was a sweet smile.

However, in the eyes of Chen Qi and Jian, who remained silent to the side, Gertrude's wicked smile, as sinister as a scorpion, revealed the malice in this woman's heart.

“But, even so, I am not yet an earl, Your Excellency.”

"What do you intend to do to allow me to bypass my brother and inherit the earldom?"

Gertrude asked the question that was on her mind most.

Similarly, Jian, who also had no idea how Chen Qi could achieve this goal without getting into trouble, cast an extremely curious glance at him.

However, Chen Qi simply uttered a single sentence in response.

“It’s very simple. Once your brother dies of natural causes, you will be the sole heir to the earldom.”

As he spoke, Chen Qi calmly picked up a piece of paper from the side and wrote lines of text on it, while asking Gertrude:
"Ms. Gertrude, how has your brother been lately? Has anything unusual happened to him?"

"...Ever since my weak father died tragically, he seems to have been hiding in his room because he was too frightened."

Although she didn't know what Chen Qi wanted to do, Gertrude still answered honestly.

"He seems to have gotten sick recently; he's been coughing constantly and has lost a lot of weight... What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Chen Qi shook his head, continuing to write as he said indifferently:

"Since your brother is getting thinner and thinner, as his sister, you should also show him some concern."

“You can buy him more seafood such as sea scales and shrimp. Iberia exports a lot of seafood to Letania every year, and eating more of these will be good for him.”

"At the same time, don't forget to supplement with vegetables. I've made a list of some vitamin... no, more nutritious fruits and vegetables for you. If you take them together, I'm sure the effect will be good."

"Oh, I also have a prescription here. They are all medications that are quite effective in treating viruses. After taking them, you can drink some wine or something to help you sleep."

After finishing writing the medical orders, Chen Qi handed the form to Gertrude, who looked completely bewildered, a calm smile on his face, and said lightly:

"Please follow the doctor's orders, Ms. Gertrude."

"I think you should get the results you want in less than two months."

Gertrude: "...Then I'll take the doctor's advice."

Ultimately, Gertrude, still somewhat skeptical, accepted Chen Qi's prescription.

Only after her figure disappeared from the tavern did Jian silently approach, looking at Chen Qi with a puzzled expression and asking:

"...What are you doing? Aren't these things making that woman's brother's life better?"

"Yes, all of these are tonics, and they're all quite expensive."

Chen Qi shrugged, then, meeting Jian's gaze, he revealed a dangerous smile.

"Haven't you always wanted to learn about acupoints? Now, I'll teach you a more effective method than attacking acupoints—killing without leaving a trace."

"Poisoning is the most despicable and easiest method to be traced."

"The real poison can also be those medicines that are considered tonics or even life-saving drugs by the world."

"If the combination is appropriate, a person can die by their own hand without even realizing it."

After saying that, Chen Qi turned to look at the silent mace, and seeing that she seemed lost in thought, he asked, half-jokingly:
“It’s despicable, isn’t it? These are my methods.”

"That's really despicable. If I encountered an opponent like you, I would definitely want to kill you."

Jian nodded expressionlessly, but when he turned his gaze to Chen Qi's eyes, which showed no regret or guilt but rather a clear and resolute determination, Jian paused slightly.

"...But, compared to those hypocritical superiors, you are probably more pleasing to my eye."

"After all, I've never considered myself a good person." Chen Qi smiled faintly, muttering to himself calmly:

"I'm just a guy who'll do anything for himself and for the people who support him."

"As long as we don't let down everyone who stands by us... let history and future generations judge everything."

(End of this chapter)