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

Chapter 92 Tsukasa's Forbearance, Three Tasks of Plotting for the Nation

"pray!"

Five days later, while everyone in the Shivaish family was plunged into a deep, sorrowful silence by the tragedy caused by this "accident".

An outside voice suddenly broke the silence of grief.

Having received a letter from Fiona, Chen Huijie, far away in Lungmen, finally learned about her friend's ordeal in Sherag.

Inspector Chan, who had been back in Lungmen for three years and was about to be promoted to Senior Superintendent, was immediately filled with righteous indignation when he learned that his friend’s parents might have been targeted.

So she made a decision that left everyone speechless.

She resigned.

After handing her resignation letter to Wei Yanwu, the ruler of Lungmen, Chen Huijie immediately followed the messenger, Horn Peak, to Sherag.

When she rushed to the mourning hall where Chen Qi was, panting and out of breath.

As she pushed open the door, she witnessed a scene that made her eyes tremble.

Inside the mourning hall, white candles hung low, their wax dripping silently onto the bronze stand, like solidified sorrow.

A pale white curtain hung from the beam, trembling slightly in the draft, like the sigh of a departed soul.

The mourning hall was already filled with people, including heads of various families, important figures from the Shivaish family, and a delegation from the Manju Academy led by the Grand Elder.

However, Chen Huijie noticed Chen Qi immediately. He was standing with his back to her, wearing a simple white robe, and stood out conspicuously among the line of gray and white fur in the film.

"pray?"

Feeling pity, Chen Huijie couldn't help but call out softly again, her voice trembling.

Only then did Chen Qi in front of her seem to break free from his grief.

His shoulders didn't move, but he silently turned his head and met Chen Huijie's gaze, which was filled with worry and pity.

At that moment, in Chen Huijie's memory, Chen Qi had always been spirited, far-sighted, and had a perfect family that even she envied.

But he cast a hollow gaze at her, one that made Chen Huijie's heart skip a beat.

For a fleeting moment, Chen Huijie's vision blurred.

She seemed to see in this boy a reflection of her own childhood, shattered when her only loving mother passed away.

"...Chen, you're here."

Upon seeing Chen Huijie arrive, Chen Qi forced a smile, his voice filled with deep exhaustion as he said:

"Thank you so much for coming all the way from Longmen."

"But now that we have a railway, I'm sure you won't be as tired as last time when you come to Shelag, right?"

Chen Huijie did not reply; her chest just ached.

"Time is up."

At that moment, the Grand Elder of Manju Academy, after scanning the area, quietly announced the official start of the funeral.

"This funeral will be jointly presided over by me and the elders of Manju Academy."

"The matriarch of the Shivaish family was not a member of the Sherag tribe. According to Sherag tradition, her remains will not be buried in the snow-capped mountains, but will be sent back to Victoria."

"how come--"

However, as soon as the elder finished speaking, the two girls, Enya and Enshia, who were kneeling with Chen Qi, both changed their expressions.

Even Chen Huijie and Fiona, who were just friends and didn't know much about Chen Qi's mother, felt that the elder's words were a bit excessive.

After all, even if life has ended, what child wouldn't want their mother's gravestone to be not too far away from them?
Although Sherag already had a railway, it was still quite far from the center of Victoria.

By the time Elizabeth's remains were transported from Sherag to Victoria, they would likely have already decomposed and begun to stink.

Such an excessive demand is practically an insult!
"—I will heed the words of the Grand Elder."

However, just as the girls were about to erupt, Chen Qi's unexpectedly calm voice stopped them from doing anything.

At this moment, everyone except Enciodes, who understood his brother's plan, was shocked by Chen Qi's obedience.

When Aktos, the patriarch of the Perroch family, heard the calm tone of the future patriarch of Shivaesh, a hint of astonishment appeared on his hairy face.

As the sole military leader of Sherag and the most conservative patriarch, Akthos is the most steadfast supporter of the Manjushri and Jeragand.

Therefore, he did not have any goodwill towards the Shivaesh family, the most "rebellious" family in Sherag.

His presence was partly to intimidate Chen Qi, the new head of the family, and prevent him from doing anything impulsive in his grief.

After all, even Actos felt a bit indignant when he heard the elder reveal before attending the funeral that he was unwilling to bury Elizabeth's body in the snow mountain.

Because his beloved wife was also not from Sherag.

Although Aktos disliked the Shivaesh family, he put himself in their shoes and thought, what if his beloved wife died in an accident, but was forbidden by the Manjusaka to be buried in Sherag?

Actos couldn't guarantee that someone as steadfast in his faith as himself wouldn't feel disheartened and resentful.

But now, staring at Chen Qi's calm expression, which showed no ripples and not even a trace of anger.

While Aktos breathed a sigh of relief, a sense of contempt arose in his heart towards Chen Qi, the future head of the family.

“An adopted son who was raised as a biological son by the Shivaish family couple and even inherited the position of family head.”

"And now, his own mother isn't allowed to be buried in Shelag, and he doesn't even get angry?"

“It seems the Grand Elder was right.”

Aktos recalled the Grand Elder's evaluation of Chen Qi and murmured to himself:

"With the look of a wolf... he is indeed an ungrateful wild cub."

The elder, who shared Aktos's thoughts, was initially taken aback upon seeing Chen Qi's unexpected calmness, but then a feeling of contempt and confidence arose within him.

"Hmph, as expected, I was right."

"The son of a hawk with the eyes of a wolf is ruthless and heartless."

The Grand Elder originally intended to use this matter to test Chen Qi's attitude, and ideally provoke Chen Qi's anger so that the restless Shivaish family would be completely expelled from the Three Clans Council.

However, Chen Qi's composure thwarted the Grand Elder's plan, but it also made the Grand Elder even more convinced of his judgment.

This ominous child is not only heartless, but also cowardly.

"However, this is for the best. At least the order of Sherag will no longer be disrupted, and the power of the Shivaesh family will suffer a huge blow as a result."

"Given enough time, Shivaish, this uncertain factor, will surely be driven out of the sacred land of Kherag!"

“Shelag... we don’t need any technology or reforms, Yelagand is enough to protect us.”

"As long as things don't change, Sherag will never attract attention and will never be disturbed by the outside world."

The Grand Elder's will was unwavering.

If his thoughts were made public at this moment, the answer to who was responsible for this murder, which was staged as an accident, would be obvious.

"elder brother……"

However, Enya and Enshia, who couldn't understand why their brother, who had always protected them, would make such a choice, didn't even have a chance to speak.

Ensiodis, who was standing next to them, immediately pressed down on his sisters' hands and shook his head seriously.

“Enya, Enshia, listen to your brother.”

“What my elder brother is doing is a matter of great importance concerning the continuation of our family.”

This scene, however, was also witnessed by Latatos, the patriarch of the Brantau family, one of the three great families.

Although she had never left Sherag, she was a rare female head of the family in Sherag who was skilled in strategy. She vaguely sensed this from the words of the still immature Ensiodes.

This adopted son of the Shivaish family may be hiding a plan that none of them have considered.

Could it be that he has already guessed the truth? Does he know that it was Manjuin who did this?
But even if he guessed it, what could he do? If Manjuin wanted to eliminate the Shivaish family, could he really bring down Manjuin?

Chen Qi's expressionless face left Latatos with no clues.

But the unease in her heart led her to make a decision at that moment.

"A long night can lead to many unforeseen events."

“This kid is still young, yet he is so calm and composed, not controlled by his emotions. If we give him the opportunity to grow up, he will definitely turn against our family.”

"We should unite with Perroch and the Manju Academy to expel Shivaesh from Shelag first."

Latatos murmured to himself.

In the small mourning hall, everyone harbored their own schemes and plans that could not be made public.

Only when the final ceremony of offering flowers to the deceased began did everyone's thoughts temporarily subside.

"...Though you are not a member of Sherag, I hope Jeragand will continue to protect your soul."

"Yeragond, above."

Inside the mourning hall, besides Chen Qi and several of his siblings, as well as Chen Huijie and Fiona, who were friends and should offer flowers last, there were others present.

Only the Grand Elder, representing the Manjusaka Academy, offered flowers to Elizabeth at the very end.

However, knowing in his heart that the death of his parents was inextricably linked to the Manju Academy, Enshiodis clenched his fist as he looked at the Grand Elder's hypocritical and sanctimonious demeanor.

But he couldn't have an attack.

He knew that this concerned his elder brother's grand plan, and he absolutely could not reveal any flaws at this time.

Therefore, Ensiodis chose to lower his head tightly, feigning grief, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

But it wasn't out of sadness, but to stop the pain of his fingernails digging into his flesh and drawing blood.

In the blink of an eye, the elder had finished his prayer.

Before leaving, the Grand Elder, still harboring suspicions, did not forget to test the attitude of Chen Qi, this ominous son.

Therefore, before he even left the mourning hall, he sighed loudly, a lament that everyone present could hear:

"If only the Shivaesh family had listened to my advice earlier, they wouldn't be in this predicament today."

"A hawk's gaze and a wolf's glances are an ominous sign... This boy is indeed an ominous one."

"!!!"

The moment the elder finished speaking, the once deathly silent mourning hall seemed to be engulfed in flames!
Enshiodes, who had been controlling himself well, finally lost his temper and turned around abruptly after hearing the elder's words that slandered his brother.

His eyes blazed with a chilling coldness and murderous intent.

Needless to say, Enya and Enshia, the two children who regarded their brother as their most precious possession, found it even harder to suppress their indignation.

Even Fiona and Chen Huijie couldn't bear to hear the Elder's insults towards their friend.

The chivalrous Chen Huijie even placed his hand on the longsword named "Chixiao" at his waist because of the Grand Elder's words. If it weren't for the relatively calm Fiona restraining her friend in time, Chen Huijie might have actually held the sword to the Grand Elder's face and made him take back his words.

However, this is exactly the effect the Grand Elder wanted.

Sensing the intense killing intent behind him, the old and frail elder slowly turned around and fixed his gaze on Chen Qi.

Under his gaze, Chen Qi finally turned his head slowly again.

At that moment, the Grand Elder was mentally prepared to face the most ferocious alpha wolf deep in the snow-capped mountains.

But when Chen Qi turned his head, what the Grand Elder saw was a harmless, calm face, without even a trace of sadness.

His anxiety finally subsided completely.

As expected, this child is nothing more than a heartless beast.

How can a beast grieve for the death of a human?
The head of the Shivaesh family really did trust the wrong person.

Having achieved the result he wanted, the elder, relieved, had no more worries and slowly walked out of the mourning hall.

However, what the Grand Elder didn't notice at the moment he stepped out of the mourning hall was...

Behind him, Chen Qi, who was staring at his back, saw a ruthless, sharp, and vengeful bloodlust flash in his eyes the moment he saw him reveal a flaw.

"—Fiona, I want to ask you for a favor."

Only after the Grand Elder had completely left the mourning hall and there were no outsiders around did Chen Qi speak to his friend in a calm and even tone:

“I plan to send Enciodis, Enya and Encia to Victoria for a period of time to study.”

"I hope you can take them safely to Victoria and look after them until they graduate, okay?"

"elder brother?!"

However, upon hearing Chen Qi's words, Enya and Enshia, who were filled with sorrow, were greatly alarmed.

"Brother, we don't want to leave you!"

Enya gripped Chen Qi's hand tightly, her rather cute, round face showing a pitiful expression as she tearfully complained:

"Encia and I won't cause you any trouble, brother. Please don't let us go, okay?"

"Brother... Brother, don't you want Enshia anymore? Brother..."

Compared to Enya, the youngest Enshia is still unable to understand her brother's choice and just keeps crying, begging her brother not to send her away.

"—Silly girl."

However, looking at his two younger sisters who were reluctant to part with him, Chen Qi suppressed his emotions and patiently comforted them:

“I’m sending you to study in Victoria not to send you away… On the contrary, I hope you can broaden your horizons and grow.”

"Spending your whole life in these deep mountains of Shelag will not lead to anything. You should go out and see a bigger world."

"Only in this way can you help your brother in the future, understand?"

Soon, Chen Qi's words of comfort took effect. His two younger sisters, who had been weeping uncontrollably, nodded and tearfully agreed.

"Yes, we'll listen to our brother."

"Good boy."

Chen Qi patted his two younger sisters' heads with satisfaction and gave them a final word of advice:

"Remember, listen to your second brother when you're out there. He's your last resort while I'm not around, understand?"

"Your brother will be in Shelag, waiting for you to return after you have completed your studies."

"Don't worry, brother."

Enciodes, fully aware of the weight of his responsibilities, stepped forward and made a solemn promise to Chen Qi:
"I will definitely take good care of Eun-ya and Eun-shia."

"So please take good care of yourself in Shelag, brother."

"Don't worry."

At this moment, Chen Huijie, who had witnessed everything and made up her mind, stood beside Chen Qi and said, word by word:

“With me by your brother’s side, I promise I won’t let anyone hurt him.”

"List?"

Chen Huijie's sudden and resolute statement was unexpected even by Chen Qi, who had already given up on winning her over.

After all, compared to Senior Superintendent of Lungmen, it was a waste of Chen Huijie's talent that Sherag was penniless.

However, what Chen Qi was unaware of was...

Having witnessed all of this, Chen Huijie no longer chose to stay in Shelag simply for her future or ideals.

Chen Huijie, who lost her mother at a young age, witnessed her half-sister Talulah being kidnapped by an unknown Ursus nobleman.

But Wei Yanwu, who was the ruler of Longmen at the time, was his own uncle, and he turned a blind eye to all of this.

The shadow of that day still lingers in Chen Huijie's heart to this day, refusing to be dispelled.

She hated Wei Yanwu's indifference countless times, and she also hated her own cowardice and incompetence countless times.

Now, in Shelag, he witnessed Chen Qi, whom he had once admired, also lose his mother because of a conspiracy.

In order to keep her younger siblings away from this place of trouble, she had no choice but to send them to Victoria, thousands of miles away.

Chen Huijie's heart had already developed a deep empathy.

So this time, she stepped forward without any fear!

She chose to use her own strength and her own methods to protect the family she longed for.

She chose this method to make up for her past incompetence and to fulfill her dream of happiness.

Even if this dream has nothing to do with her.

She wouldn't turn a blind eye either.

"...In that case, Fiona, Chen, please take Enya and Ensia back to our manor to pack their things."

"I have one last thing to tell Enciodes."

"it is good."

Without arousing any suspicion, Chen Huijie and Fiona nodded and led Enya and Ensia away from the mourning hall.

However, just as the doors of the mourning hall were slowly closing...

No longer concealing his fierceness and hatred, Chen Qi turned his gaze to his younger brother, the only person he could currently entrust with important responsibilities.

“Enciodes, I have a very important task to entrust to you.”

"Brother, please speak," Ensiodis nodded heavily.

"As long as it can avenge our parents, as long as it can keep our family standing."

"No matter how difficult or dangerous it may be, I am willing to do it."

"Good boy."

Looking at Enciodes, who was a year younger than him but displayed a composure no less than his own, Chen Qi smiled with satisfaction before coldly revealing his plan.

"Brother, I want you to secretly cultivate a force in Victoria."

“A force capable of secretly infiltrating Shelag undetected and capable of overthrowing the Shelag regime.”

"In the future, when my elder brother avenges our parents, he will need their help."

"Big brother? Do you want an army? To stage a coup?"

Having said that, Enciodes vaguely understood Chen Qi's meaning, lowered his voice, and asked seriously.

However, under Ensiodis's gaze, his elder brother smiled and shook his head, calmly and ruthlessly saying:

"No, what my brother wants is not just an army."

“Normally, the army is not strong enough to suppress Sherag, and once morale is shaken, the army may collapse.”

"What I need is a group of loyal warriors who would die for us!"

Death warrior!

Upon hearing the words uttered by his brother, Ensiodis's heart skipped a beat, and a rare hint of panic flashed in his usually resolute eyes.

But quickly, Enciodes regained his composure, forcefully suppressing the trembling in his heart, and nodded emphatically in agreement:

"My brother knows."

"I certainly won't let my brother down!"

[The host's "Planning for the Nation" progress has been detected to be increasing. Would you like to retrieve the specific data?]

"Recall it." Chen Qi said coldly to himself upon hearing the familiar voice.

[Specific data on the "National Development Line":]

[Task 1: Eliminate the vigilance of other families and the Manju Academy (In Progress)]

[The Perroch family's level of vigilance towards you: 50%]

[The Blangau family's level of vigilance towards you: 98%]

[The Grand Elder's level of vigilance towards you: 60%]

[Lowering the guard of major powers against you will greatly increase your chances of successfully staging a coup. Please continue your efforts, host.]

[Task 2: Cultivating Forces for a Coup (In Progress), Progress: 1%]

Having an armed force at your disposal, powerful enough to overthrow Shelag, is indispensable for your successful coup.

[Task 3: Seize Religious Support (Not Yet Started), Progress: 0%]

[Shelag is a religious state, and controlling the religion will grant you the ultimate authority to interpret your coup, preventing potential resistance from the people of Shelag.]

[The success rate of the coup is 5%, which is highly dangerous. Please decide on the opportunity to stage a coup when you deem it appropriate.]

Yes, you understand, it's not the right time yet.

The Shivaish family's power is not yet sufficient, and they do not possess enough strength or authority to overthrow the Manjusin.

You need to be patient, to lie low, and wait for the opportune moment to strike the enemy decisively.

When you are absolutely certain that you can overthrow everything in this country.

[This is the day you will show them your fangs of vengeance!]

(End of this chapter)