Ancient Dragon in Arknights

In Nesario's social circle—the most distinguished person: Aldean Cumberland.

She also learned through her own means that a certain duke was about to march on Lentinium, and her first thought was naturally about Vina's situation; so she secretly sent people to help her—for example, to seek refuge in the duke's mansion, intending to let Vina hide in her home to get through this difficult time; but Lentinium was already poised to launch its attack after disengaging from the war.

So she abandoned the idea, after all, she was already struggling to survive, and with other grand dukes taking over, her position as Duke of Cumberland would truly be over. However, she still gave Nesario a suggestion—if they had nowhere else to go, a pharmaceutical company called "Rhodes Island" would be a good place for them to lie low.

It was unclear from which faction she had obtained the intelligence; Nesario, born in Colombia, knew that every company with a name and a reputation was not simple—this pharmaceutical company was probably no pushover either.

Two days later, in the afternoon—the sun was still shining brightly over Lentinium, and everyone was ready to go about their lives as usual; but today was destined to be anything but peaceful.

The sound of cannon fire erupted from the outermost city wall and never stopped; the alarm blared throughout Londinium in an instant. The last time Londinium was at war was twenty years ago, when the city guard and the old Lion King were fighting amongst themselves.

Having lived in a stable environment for so long, the people of Lontinim had almost forgotten how to deal with danger. They were in a state of chaos and panic, and in the end, they could only hide in their homes, trembling under their cups.

Fortunately, the various factions entangled in Londinium probably did not intend to cause too much damage—the sounds of cannon fire, crossbows, and battle cries, along with the constant steam billowing from the steam knights, all came from the outskirts of the city and eventually disappeared completely when daylight arrived.

Nesario didn't know which side had won or lost; but he felt the situation couldn't be too bad—the Steam Knights were Victoria's most elite and powerful weapons of war; Nesario had the privilege of seeing them several times during his years studying at the Royal Guard Academy.

It is unlike the knights of Casimir who wear armor, carry lances, and ride camels; nor is it like the various new powered armors of Columbia; if Nesario were to use the most vivid adjective to describe it, it would be—"Gundam".

"Steam Knights" are pilots clad in enormous mechanical armor, most of which are ten meters tall. They are incredibly fast, capable of flight, firing cannons, and equipped with massive weapons capable of cutting through city walls in close combat. Depending on their functional needs, they can also be loaded with different modules—this power can overturn all concepts of warfare.

At least a dozen of these machines are deployed in Londinium, and in preparation for war, steam knights stationed elsewhere in Victoria may also be recalled.

The deafening steam noise last night is the best proof... Hopefully, the outcome will be good.

While the fighting raged in Lontinim, Nesario and his men had already begun their escape.

"Let's go."

"Ah."

Vina looked back as if to imprint everything she could see in her mind's eye, then turned and disappeared into the dark pipe.

Chapter 160 Betrayal

In the Ortcliff district of Lentinium, this place should be deserted, with only maintenance personnel hired by the council regularly going in to clean and repair it.

But today, it's bustling with activity—the western part of the Holy Kings Cathedral, a place traditionally used for King Victoria's ceremonies, has been deserted since the old king was hanged twenty-two years ago.

Today, it welcomed a guest—a fully armed and utterly aloof Sarkaz; black horns encircled the sides of his slightly pinkish white hair, his face was as ruthless as the frozen earth of the Arctic, he wore heavy, expensive armor, and a black cloak cast a terrifying shadow behind him.

Demon King—that's what anyone who sees him would think, but... he's not the Demon King of the Sarkaz race.

"After the giant called Gaul fell, Victoria and Letania frantically absorbed its remains, and in just a few decades, the era of Gaul was over. You never saw the warships and cannons of Cogscia I; nor did you experience the prosperity and pride of Lingons; the territory of your fathers has now fallen to the jurisdiction of the border nobles of Victoria."

“Your chest is adorned with Victorian medals, and you speak Victorian, without a trace of Gaulish accent. Yet now you claim to represent ‘Gaul.’ What makes you think you represent ‘Gaul’?”

The demon-like Sarkaz spoke, his voice almost identical to his appearance—cold, hard, and deep, like a chilling wind carrying the smell of gunpowder from a battlefield.

“Yes, Your Majesty Theresis, you are right. But in Terra today, not a single city belongs to that country called ‘Gaul.’ We are scattered because we have no place to call home.”

Therese – Regent of the Sarkaz – won the civil war in Kazdel and gained the support of the Sarkaz Military Council to become the Regent of the Sarkaz.

At this moment, the Sarkaz regent stood before Victoria's throne, and the person before him, with whom Neltharion had such a profound connection—was none other than Leto!

Leto is no longer a major, but a lieutenant colonel; thanks to his past efforts in the city garrison, he has successfully become the main figure in charge of the city garrison.

As war approached, he seized the fleeting opportunity to kill his superior and rally his subordinates; and commanded the city's garrison to join the melee between the two dukes. In the end, neither the Duke of Stafford nor the Duke of Cavendish could dodge the enemy's cannon fire.

Two dukes died overnight in Victoria, and the ensuing battles over their estates will be one of the most exciting events in Victoria's history.

Why did Leto do this? Of course, it was to restore Gaul to its former glory.

As mentioned at the beginning, Nesario misunderstood him; this guy not only did not betray his country, but also became the leader of the Gallic remnants, constantly looking for opportunities for the restoration of Gaul.

And now, the opportunity has come.

The Duke of Stafford, due to serious illness, was forced to begin a death charge toward the throne; while the self-proclaimed clever Duke of Cavendish hired Sarkaz mercenaries to cause trouble in Londinium.

Both sides' plans were to treat the other as their primary enemy. As for the Sarkaz army? Let them perish together with the Steam Knights.

However, as the ancient rulers of Terra, the Sarkaz rose from the ashes of thousands of destructions, and the two dukes were simply no match for them.

The Steam Knights were all hunted down by the Sarkaz Royal Court's elite forces, while the two dukes were destroyed by the city's defensive cannons operated by Lieutenant Colonel Leto.

Two guys with big ambitions got together, and Leto saw this as an opportunity.

"Two hundred years ago, Gaul also marched its artillery corps to the walls of Kazdel, and now you seek cooperation with the Sarkaz?"

“...Other countries were also involved in that battle. You entered Londinium at the invitation of Duke Cavendish, weren't you? You should know better than me that other dukes are closely watching the situation in Londinium right now, and no matter how many troops you have, having another ally is always a good thing.”

"Is this how you cooperate with the Sarkaz? What do you want the Sarkaz to do?"

“It’s very simple—once your plan is realized, just allow me to transfer a few cities that originally belonged to Gaul.”

"The existence of a country has nothing to do with the number of its cities."

"But Gaul no longer had the time or the opportunity."

The two sides were not evenly matched—Leto, despite having the support of the city's defense forces, still lacked the strength to confront the Sarkaz directly. He had conducted countless calculations before coming, down to every single word, and only then did he barely manage to persuade Theresis.

As for why Theresis accepted this cooperation, firstly, Leto was indeed somewhat useful, as the city's defensive cannons in Londinium were indeed an extremely powerful force; secondly, Leto posed no threat to the Sarkaz—his target was worthless in Theresis's eyes, practically laughable.

"By the way, I should tell you something. Victoria's two crown princes—Aslan and Draco—have just escaped."

"The two powerless crown princes pose no threat to Sarkaz."

“Aslan is indeed incredibly weak, but that Drak... he was once my student. I can assure you that even someone as powerful as you would face risks if you wanted to kill him.”

"...I will keep an eye on it."

The butterfly of fate gently flaps its wings, and the world turns in response.

As Nesario walked through the Lentinium Pipeline, he could never have imagined the incredible gift his mentor had given him; this was understandable, as the events that had unfolded in Lentinium in the past two days were completely contrary to the tactical knowledge he had acquired over four years—books are dead, reality is magical.

Graduates of the Konoe Academy, who graduated just days ago, missed out on one of the most exciting internships.

"Vina, we've been stuck in these pipes all day. Are you sure we haven't gone the wrong way?"

"This is my first time going too... to be honest, I'm not confident."

"..."

Although they were going in a straight line, considering the size of Lentinium, Nesario still chose to trust Vina.

A whole day has passed, just bear with it a little longer.

Vina and the three Glasgow gang members led the way, with three Palicoes in the middle for protection, and Nesario bringing up the rear.

The atmosphere in the group wasn't great... Although the Palico knew the Glasgow Gang, they had very little contact; moreover, the newcomer Dagda had repeatedly clashed with Indra and the others.

The "Crown Prince" seen by the knights and "Vina" of the Glasgow Gang seem like two different people, and they often clash over advice.

Dagda's integration into the Glasgow gang will likely involve getting beaten up quite a bit.

Chapter 161 The Chase

In the end, Nesario and his companions even spent a night resting inside the pipes before successfully escaping from this dark and gloomy place; at the end of the pipes, they saw an elevator platform—clearly not a structure that a mobile city would normally have.

This was an extra addition by Aslan using royal privileges. The lions' caution was correct; at least the passage was not abandoned, but left their bloodline with a chance to escape even a hundred years later. Of course, their nemesis Drak also benefited from this.

"Alright, everyone, cheer up. The road ahead is the hardest. We need to follow the route Londinium took to find that junkyard. And... that place has probably already been claimed by someone else."

Countless scavengers in the wilderness await this gift, and Neltharion isn't worried that they'll steal the land vehicle, because his anti-theft measures are somewhat effective—the land vehicle's engine contains many fragments of Nergigante's spikes, and it absolutely cannot start without Neltharion's repairs.

Everyone stepped onto the lifting platform, and as the start button on the control panel was pressed, the huge mechanical structure began to operate according to the designed program—gears meshed, steel cables twisted; the group gradually descended from the sealed pipe.

A tremendous roar and the desert sandstorm surged toward the group. The roar was the sound of the engines of the moving city, and the wild wind, mixed with the heat, lashed against their faces.

There were no safety measures on the platform, and everyone else immediately lay prone on the ground to avoid being blown off, reducing the impact of the wind. Nesario, however, stood nonchalantly in the gale—normally, such strong winds would have blown him away; but he seemed unaffected by physics, remaining unharmed in the storm. If it weren't for his hair dancing wildly, the others would have thought he hadn't been blown away at all.

Upon reaching the ground, everyone quickly headed in the opposite direction from where they had been traveling through Londinium, carrying their luggage. The massive composite track tracks on the ground served as excellent guidance, and any stubborn rocks or rough terrain were transformed into smooth roads by the weight of the moving city.

"I didn't expect to escape from Londinium so easily..."

"I don't know when I'll be able to come back."

“We’ll definitely be back. The Glasgow gang is waiting for us.”

"Terra Continent Survey Team! Officially Departing!"

The group experienced both joy and sorrow, but more than anything, they felt uncertain about the future.

Vina and her companions had never left Lentinium since birth. This bustling, vibrant city was everything to them, and the Alterculia district was the pinnacle of the world. But now, Lentinium was no longer safe, and they were forced to leave this world—there were countless "Lentiniums" on Terra, and where could they possibly stay?

Compared to Vina and the others' sadness, the three Palicoes were much more excited. This wasn't their homeland, and any sadness they felt had been over years ago. Right now, all they wanted was to explore everything on Terra, driven by curiosity about the unknown—and of course, they still remembered the scale they had found before.

"Nesario meow. What's wrong?"

The three Palicoes noticed that even the usually reliable and steady Neltharion seemed slightly lost in thought—what feelings did he have for this city?

"Only by breaking free of the old shackles can one truly know who they are."

Four years is but a fleeting moment for a dragon; but for Neltharion, who possesses a human soul, it has been a long time—from initial enthusiasm to panic, fear, and helplessness upon learning his identity; and only after obtaining the power of the ancient dragon did he barely gain a sliver of confidence.

Although he was not directly besieged during those four years, the shadow of Victoria constantly loomed over his mind.

But now—after truly leaving Lontinim, Nesario inexplicably gained a new understanding.

Even though he hadn't escaped the dukes' sphere of influence, and the shadow of them wouldn't dissipate as long as he remained on Victorian soil, he inexplicably felt fearless now.

"?"

A sudden whiff of gunpowder wafted in the wind. Nesario couldn't see the source, but he was strangely familiar with the smell—the smell of the Sarkaz.

"Vina! Take them and get out of here quickly. The Sarkaz aren't planning to let us go..."

Nesario pushed the three Palicoes next to Vina, then slowly walked away.

"I'm not planning to desert my post! Take me with you."

Upon hearing that a fight was about to break out, Indra immediately took out his brass knuckles from his bag, ready for a fierce battle.

"Get lost. The enemy is the Sarkaz's ace; one captain can wipe out your Glasgow Gang from the inside out. Just run and don't look back."

Neltharion was right. Twenty Sarkaz emerged from the city's entrances and exits into Londinium, then followed the wizards' guidance and rushed toward Neltharion—they had no means of transportation, but their speed was as if they were flying across the ground.

A few of these guys could easily wipe out Vina and her group. If it weren't for Nesario being there, they definitely wouldn't have been able to escape.

"I originally intended to hide my strength and develop my abilities in peace for a few years... but now, I've changed my mind."

Neltharion knew what that strange feeling he had earlier was: four years of pent-up resentment that constantly reminded him to be careful, yet at the same time urged him to burn those hiding behind the curtain to ashes.

His heart pounded harder and harder, as if it were about to burst out of his chest; Nesario instantly entered battle mode.