Ancient Dragon in Arknights

"Young scholar, put your work aside for now."

"I disagree. The work of the Plant Life Research Institute is very important; it's related to our subsequent supply of equipment."

"Then I can only give these scales to the craftsman cat to make into armor."

"Meow!?"

Nesario took the huge scale out of his pocket. Scholar Meow glanced at it distractedly, then dropped his notebook and rushed over.

"These, these, these are dragon scales!"

“Yes, remember that big house you went to last time? This is what we found inside. Take a look at it; I need to know what kind of person this ‘fellow villager’ is.”

The scales of various monsters are all unique, and identifying the type of monster based on its scales is indeed one of the essential skills for hunters.

But since it's just a single scale with no other secretions, even a scholarly cat would want to study it.

The results couldn't be obtained immediately, so Nesario could only calm down and pick flowers and break branches in the Plant Research Institute.

At the same time, he was also mentally planning what to do next.

That noble family is very likely to take action, and since we've already been exposed, we need to be more discreet when we're out in the streets in the future. As for the information from the Royal Guard Academy, we're not too worried; in fact, it's like having the darkest hour on the night before us.

Based on his experience over the past month, Nesario has indeed felt the privileges of the Royal Guard Academy, which is directly under the jurisdiction of the council and the army, making it quite difficult for nobles and merchants to interfere.

Therefore, the water at the Imperial Guard Academy was surprisingly shallow.

The only downside is that Nesario can't freely display his tail, otherwise that powerful noblewoman would probably come after him directly.

Chapter Sixty-Two: Lori in Action

"Nana, what did you do on your birthday?"

"I didn't do anything special, just ate and slept normally. After all, I'm Colombian, so I don't really care about these kinds of holidays that are only for Victorians."

"Hey... there are lots of events being held in the Sadion district. They're really fun."

"That's really a pity."

The holiday is over, and school days have begun again.

The four-person group didn't take any action during the last holiday, mainly because Nesario was busy stealing things; Fiona took Chen to a square in the Sadion district to participate in a birthday event, while Rita wrote a letter home and sent it to her family in the border region. As well-known royalists, the White Wolf family would definitely hold a commemorative event on this special day.

At that time, Nesario was "dating" the king's daughter in the dark, sunless city pipes.

Thinking about it this way, it seems that Neltharion's activities are the highest level among everyone.

After all, others can only reminisce about the greatness of their predecessors, but Nesario can personally witness Aslan's final glory.

'Yesterday was even my birthday, a special day. If I had pulled Vina aside and done something to celebrate life, would the old king, buried in the earth, have felt that remembrance?'

If the Glasgow Gang knew that such blasphemous thoughts had been conceived in Nesario's mind, he would probably be beaten to a pulp.

These things are ultimately just fantasies. Vina is not a helpless little girl. Putting aside her own strength, if Neltharion really dared to offend her, that golden lion would definitely tear Neltharion's flesh to pieces.

He can guarantee it.

"You absolutely have to come with me for my birthday next year! It'll be my treat!"

Fiona extended a warm invitation, saying that Nesario wouldn't need to steal anything for his birthday next year, so he could play as much as he wanted.

"I'll definitely be there when the time comes."

Nesario turned his gaze aside and noticed that neither Chen nor Rita seemed inclined to join the conversation, whereas they would usually strike up a chat occasionally.

"You two? Is there some trouble you're in?"

"Yesterday, I didn't rest at all; I practically walked the entire Sadien district..."

Chen's weak voice slowly escaped from her throat, and from her eyes, which were clearly full of energy yet exuding fatigue, one could tell just how exciting yesterday's so-called "play" had been.

"Thanks a lot."

Nesario stopped disturbing her rest and turned to look at Rita.

"Why is Miss Rita, who is always strict with herself and meticulous, frowning today?"

Although Rita wasn't as listless as Chen, she seemed downcast since we met today. This was quite unusual; what kind of trouble could possibly make the incredibly strong-willed Miss White Wolf so distressed?

"Yesterday, I planned to go shopping for clothes with my roommate. But she refused... She has her own things to do, which is understandable. But—she's been like this for several days, avoiding me and busy with something on her own."

"So you're unhappy about her keeping it from you?"

Nesario silently noted down a trick in his mind: Rita would definitely fall for the feigned indifference tactic.

"That's not it... I just hope she can talk to me and see if there's anything I can do to help."

"Hmm...why don't you just ask her directly? Knowing your personality, you probably wouldn't ask her on your own initiative."

Nesario was right; Rita had indeed never offered to help the other person, because she felt that would be too presumptuous.

"But isn't this a bit inappropriate, interfering in other people's affairs so rashly..."

Rita was taught from a young age that she should offer a helping hand when facing victims; but in ordinary times, if someone avoids her, she should not interfere.

"Why not just follow your own heart?"

Nesario lives by his own heart, so he doesn't quite understand Rita's hesitant and indecisive thinking.

"I will think about it."

......

What has Miss Losley, the subject of this discussion, been up to lately?

She did a lot of things, such as investigating Nesario's past, his whereabouts in Lentinium, and what he did during his three-day holiday.

As Rita's roommate, Lorily could naturally get information about Nesario from her. She was in the shadows; the enemy was in the open, so the investigation proceeded unexpectedly smoothly.

"The mastermind behind the Glasgow gang, the thugs who robbed the Dogtooth gang... and the murderers."

Is murder a serious crime in Terra?

It depends on the occasion.

As the saying goes in Yan State officialdom: Some things are nothing on the scale, but even a thousand pounds on the scale can't stop them.

In the various countries of Terra, who among the powerful and wealthy doesn't have one or two lives on their hands?

But those killed were either thugs from the wilderness or vicious criminals, and the killings took place in places beyond the reach of the law.

The guy Nesario killed was the godfather of the Fang Gang, and he was definitely not a good person—but he should be facing trial by the Lontinim city police.

Nesario then killed him outright... Was this driven by a sense of justice, or was it to cover something up?

"What a complicated guy..."

Lori was born into a fallen noble family, descendants of the Gallo-era, who now occupy a rather awkward position in modern-day Victoria.

Growing up in this environment, Lori developed an exceptional ability to read people and situations, and aristocratic salons and tea parties became her most proficient battlegrounds.

Fisher's style of intelligence gathering was to personally go out and use various disguises, forgeries, and espionage techniques to obtain information.

Lori, on the other hand, has a different style. She never takes the initiative herself, but rather uses the dinner table to stir up trouble and achieve her own goals.

However, at present, Nesario's problem clearly cannot be brought up in the idle chatter of the nobles.

Lori had to take matters into her own hands...

Unlike other students, the curfew that Nesario had to be mindful of was meaningless to Loceli, because she was already a member of the Victorian military.

Perhaps this is what it means to be a top student; Fisher has become a detective trusted by the city police, while Losley has already taken up a position in the military.

After class, Lori headed to the Sadion district; she needed to investigate where all the things the Glasgow Gang had taken had gone.

There might be a big secret behind this, and Lori always trusted her intuition. This time was no exception.

Chapter Sixty-Three: The Owner of the Scales

"Miss, it's getting late, you should rest."

It was already past midnight, but one room in the Duke of Cumberland's mansion was still lit up—the bedroom of the current Duke of Cumberland, Aldée Cumberland.

A woman named Felin gently pushed open the door and saw Aldée writing furiously at her desk. She felt sorry for her and advised her to rest early.

"Elsie? It's alright, there's still plenty of time."

“It’s getting late, Miss, it’s past midnight. You need to take care of yourself; you are the hope of the Cumberland family.”

"Hope... I wish that day would come sooner."

What is Allardy writing?

It is all her deductions about the current situation.

Yesterday, on his birthday, a petty thief broke into the Cumberland household, a disgrace to a duke's estate.

But Allardy was more concerned about who was behind it all. Although the Cumberland family was now in decline, they still retained their ducal status. Those who wanted to harm her in the shadows should think twice.

This was originally a good opportunity to launch an attack.

But once the thief's disguise was exposed, the opportunity turned into a big problem.

"I never expected that Draco still had some bloodline left behind."

"What impact will this have?"

Elsie was just a servant who served the Cumberland family her whole life. Like Cumberland, she was devoted to her master.

"Of course it has an impact. Although Draco has been missing for a long time, he still retains the right to the throne. The previous king was Aslan, and the new king could very well be a Draco. If he is found by another duke..."

Cumberland has lost completely, and the new King Drak will sweep everything away before the King of Aslan returns.

"But didn't you say that he was acting on Aslan's orders?"

"That statement is probably not true; he is well aware of his own troubles. That's why he's throwing out this smokescreen to mislead me."

The old king fell from power so quickly that the Duke of Cumberland, who was also Aldebaran's father, was completely unprepared.

Much information and secrets have been lost, and Aldebaran only knows one thing: Aslan's crown prince has successfully escaped. He survived under the secret escort of the palace guards. As for where he went?

Aleide didn't know either.