Uncle here isn't your average office worker!

Marna's brow furrowed even deeper, and she couldn't help but rebuke him aloud.

He didn't mean to sever ties between Margaret and the Lin Guang family. They are still family, and they should share both glory and setbacks. Just like back then, when Margaret insisted on going to the arena, saying it was her own decision, but after winning the championship, the turmoil that followed was always cleaned up by the already seriously ill old Lin Guang.

He wanted Margaret to realize that she had to be a responsible person and that everything she did had to take her family into consideration. Otherwise, she would never be able to support the Lin Guang family name in the future and would only bring about her own destruction.

Once she realizes and learns this, what's wrong with Marna acknowledging her or even helping her? Who dares to question the path chosen by a mature golden pegasus?

But he didn't say any of these words.

Firstly, he wasn't the type to patiently lecture Margaret endlessly. Secondly, he believed these principles were meaningless unless Margaret realized them herself.

Thirdly, although he certainly won't admit it, he's actually quite clumsy with words. He can't express himself even when he has something to say, and he always has a "I have my own reasons for not speaking" attitude that can drive a person crazy.

Knowing that Margaret wasn't truly mature yet, Marna lost the desire to continue the conversation, and after letting out a sigh, said:

"Alright, I know why you came back. You want to go find Roy, right?"

Margaret nodded immediately: "Yes, and Maria too!"

“I’ve already spanked her for you. If you want to do it again, go to your aunt’s house. Her aunt takes care of her while I’m away from the Grand Knights.” Marna instructed. “As for Roy, most people guess that he left the Grand Knights to find you, but he told me some information before he left.”

Margaret asked curiously, "What information?"

To everyone's surprise, Marna immediately shook her head: "You're not worthy to know yet."

Do you know that only saying half of what you mean and leaving people in suspense is downright stupid?! I can't yell at you or beat you up, but I can glare at you!

Margaret used a glare, while Marna used an adult-level move called "Hard-Bearing," rendering Margaret's skill ineffective.

A mere glare had no effect on the tried-and-tested tactics of corporate slavery, and Marna had no desire to offer any explanation, leaving Margaret with nothing but a helpless pursed lip.

"However, I can tell you that he will likely be passing through the border region soon. If you're lucky, you might run into him and another very strong guy on the road. He's an Ager. Do you know what an Ager is?"

Marner's voice suddenly quickened, as if she was eager to explain Roy's "General Theory of the Agorians" to her niece, but to her surprise, Margaret simply nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world:

“I know that I work at Rhode Island, a pharmaceutical company, where a special Agor is receiving treatment.”

What makes it special is that in Margaret's worldview, Oripathy is undoubtedly incurable. When Oripathy infects the nerves, it's already in its late stages; survival is out of the question, and even buying a coffin is uncertain. But there's one Oripathy patient on the island, Agor, whose spinal cord is said to be filled with highly concentrated Originium solution. Yet, not only is she not dead, she's still lively and active, able to participate in some simple battles, and her strength is abnormally high.

This unusual event once drew a lot of attention to the Aegir on Rhodes Island, causing many operators to start paying attention to this rare race. It wasn't until Dr. Kal'tsit personally took charge of the health check and file of the [Specter] operator that the matter was gradually suppressed.

Therefore, she had some understanding of the Agorians, knowing that most of them lived in Iberia, but their roots were actually in the sea, and they had their own country, which was much larger than she had imagined.

This made Marna's words catch in his throat, and his expression worsened. He could only wave his hand, as if he didn't want to see her again, and said:

“Follow this sewer to the corner and then go up. That’s the exit from the city. Find a middleman outside the city and give him Toran’s name. Have them take you to Toran’s camp. Tell him who you are, and he will take you to the Grand Knight’s territory. If you want to find Roy first, head south, towards the direction closer to Iberia. Roy should be heading that way.”

Margaret nodded: "Understood!"

PS: Transitional chapter

Volume 1: Chapter 136 The Forest Keeper

Kazimir, the forest ranger's base camp.

The rangers' base camp was built inside a natural cave with four exits. The area was heavily guarded, with the guards stationed at each cave exit and occupying high ground to observe the surroundings and guard against sneak attacks.

Nature is indeed a marvel of nature. Even Roy, a berserker who prides himself on his excellent sense of direction, felt somewhat dizzy after wandering around the Ranger's base camp for more than a dozen times. It's hard to imagine how the Ranger squads, who set off from the depths of the caves every day to carry out missions in various places, manage not to get lost.

"A good Kuranta can always find the way forward; that's what you call an old horse knowing the way."

Anbenal explained to Roy in a serious tone, while the signal for passage was sent from the outpost. He turned around, waved to Roy, and walked into the three-story wooden building in front of him.

This not-so-grand building, constructed inside a cave, is the core hub of the entire Kazimierz Rangers. Roy had imagined it to be a bustling scene of people coming and going, but when he actually stepped inside, he found it to be terribly desolate.

In the center of the empty hall stood a small sculpture of a forest ranger, holding a crossbow in one hand and a knife in the other, with an Ursus man pinned beneath his feet. Above his blade, a tattered banner of the Ursus Empire fluttered like a rag, seemingly telling the story of the forest ranger's achievements.

Seemingly noticing Roy's curious gaze, or perhaps out of pride and courtesy, Anbenal took the initiative to introduce himself to Roy:

"This statue is called 'The Conquest of Ursus.' The one holding a bow and longsword is the original Ranger: Robin Hood. He rose to prominence during the Ninth Uka War, established the Ranger organization, and then led the Rangers in the Tenth Uka War, cooperating with the Knights of Conquest to defeat the Ursus Third Army. This statue depicts the scene of him leading the Rangers to sweep through Ursus scouts during the Battle of White Mountain Forest. In that battle, the Ursus people, due to false intelligence, stepped into the ambush set by the Rangers and the Knights of Conquest, and were finally annihilated at the pass of the Tannen Mountains."

Seeing Anbennar's knowing expression as if he knew everything, Roy nodded and then asked with some curiosity:

"Then why is it called 'The Conquest of Ursus'?"

“Because no matter how many times the Ursus invades Kazimir, they will only end up like this!” Anbennar said firmly.

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than another unfamiliar voice came from the side of the corridor:

“I acknowledge your courage, Anbennar, but I do not recommend that anyone underestimate the power of Ursus, especially at a time like this.”

Roy's gaze fell on the corridor, where an elderly man with a dignified face, gray hair, and black-rimmed glasses strode out. Even though it was the first time he had seen him, he exuded a sense of composure and determination.

He nodded to Ambennal, then extended his hand to Roy and introduced himself:

“Mikhail, Forest Ranger Advisor, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Knight Heng, I have long admired your name.”

Roy waved his hand. He didn't like this formal, polite, and probing atmosphere. He said decisively, "No need to be so polite. Just call me Roy. I'm here to help you. There's no need to be so polite."

The old man's eyes flickered, and he nodded slightly, stepping aside to lead Roy the way:

"Then come this way. The other two are already waiting for you in the operations room, Mr. Roy."

The operations room was never short of arguments. Perhaps because the most composed Mikhail had just left, the two in the room were arguing again within minutes.

A tall, short-haired, and rather respectable-looking young woman leaned against the edge of the sand table and said loudly:

"The forest rangers should immediately regroup, recall the teams still on missions outside, conduct an internal investigation and purge, find the mole, and then make further plans!"

On the other side, a middle-aged man with a beard and one blind eye was also not giving an inch:

“We absolutely cannot do that. There has never been a precedent for recalling all the forest rangers back to base! Do you know how many gaps in our defenses will appear if we do that? Do you know how many forest rangers who were not affected by this incident will be thrown into panic if we do that? Do you know that if we do that and fail to find the mole in time, the forest rangers could be wiped out in one fell swoop?”

The young woman simply shook her head in bewilderment and retorted:

"So what? Does this mean the things you described won't happen? We already know that more than ten squads of our people have been killed, and the gaps in our defenses are too big to be filled. The forest rangers who haven't been attacked yet are in danger at any moment and have the right to know the truth! If we don't recall them, once the connection between headquarters and the forest rangers in various places is completely cut off, we will be torn apart, and then we won't even have a chance to fight back!"

The one-eyed middle-aged man stubbornly held his neck up. He knew his companion was right, but he couldn't change his mind because of it.

Recalling the forest rangers at this time is too risky!

Standing outside the door, Roy also heard the argument inside. He turned his head to look at Mikhail beside him and raised his hand to stop Mikhail's hand from opening the door.

"Wait, I'd like to understand why they're arguing so fiercely?"

It's perfectly normal for people in the same camp to argue because of differing opinions, but now that the organization is facing a life-or-death situation, if they can't unite as one, it's a path to self-destruction. Roy didn't believe the Forest Ranger didn't understand this principle.

"But that's where the problem lies."

Mikhail sighed and explained in a low voice:

"The Rangers do not have a leader in the strict sense. After the death of the original Ranger Robin Hood, the Rangers have always been managed by a three-person council. In order to maintain the balance of power within the Rangers, the three-person council usually represents three different factions."

"The female voice you heard is coming from Natasha. She represents the war orphans among the forest rangers. During the protracted Uka War and border conflicts, too many children were orphaned. The forest rangers adopted them and raised them. Most of them also joined the forest rangers and regarded them as their second home."

"And the male voice you heard is Brutus. He represents the veterans among the Rangers. As the name suggests, he represents those veterans who were forced to retire from the battlefield due to injuries, illness, or reaching the limit of age. They joined the Rangers hoping to continue to contribute to the country."

"And that's where the problem lies."

Mikhail sighed again.

"Natasha wants to preserve the forest rangers' home and hates the mole to the core, so she demands that all forest rangers be recalled immediately for an internal investigation to find the mole."

"But Brutus was adamant. For him, even if the Rangers were wiped out, the organization could be rebuilt. What he was determined to protect was the country. Therefore, he would not allow any Ranger to leave their patrol route, even if it required keeping it a secret from all of them, even if they might die at any moment."

Volume 1: Chapter 137 Is the furniture in the staff room adequate?

We often say that we should unite, seek common ground while reserving differences, and eliminate the influence of external factors on internal stability.

Roy used to think it was really absurd for a team to fall apart and explode due to disagreements. Often, if you just look at it from a different perspective, everyone can live well. Organizations formed for the same purpose are inherently inclusive of diverse ideas, so why would anyone be so determined to eradicate any dissenters?

Even the capitalists of the Business Federation know that they should sacrifice some of their own interests for the greater good, and even suffer some losses, because they know that only by banding together can they fight against the Supervisory Council, which represents the traditional aristocratic power. If those insects can understand this, how could the forest rangers not understand it?

However, when Roy actually stood in that position, he understood perfectly well that the rangers not only understood, but understood all too well, which led to the current situation.

Natasha is a war orphan. The group she represents suffered brutal massacres in Ursus. Their parents may have been unarmed farmers or battle-hardened warriors. Like Balot, isn't she a new generation of forest rangers born in the flames of war?

If you ask her whether she knows the importance of protecting her country, whether she is willing to sacrifice for her country, Roy is sure that this question is an insult to her. Even though Balot is not a high-ranking official, she was able to sacrifice herself to leave information about the mole for the forest rangers. She was able to rise step by step to the position of staff officer. Who can question the hardships she has experienced and the sacrifices she has made?

Sacrificing for one's country is commendable, but what about her family? Kazimierz doesn't share Yan's strong sense of national unity and the importance of family to the nation. In her heart, family and country are equally important. Aren't her family members also people she needs to protect? How can she allow such a traitor to live, and stand by and watch the Ursus people raise their knives against her unsuspecting family?

If there was a chance to protect it from the beginning, who would want to seek revenge later?

Moreover, with the mole still present, even if the Rangers are not recalled, those Rangers who cannot contact the central base will become a disorganized mess after losing their guidance, and will be divided and annihilated by the Ursus.

Protecting our homes is protecting our country. Rather than delaying, we should issue the order immediately. Every minute less we waste will allow the forest rangers to preserve their strength!

However, her proposal was met with unprecedented opposition, and the opponent was none other than another staff officer of the same rank, who was also her adoptive father—the former knight Brutus.

Natasha was a war orphan. Brutus was the man who led the Forest Rangers to rescue her from a village ravaged by Ursus. He adopted her, brought her into the Forest Rangers, and remained the person she respected most. It was because of this relationship that the Forest Rangers' upper three-person council was known for its harmonious relationship. Their parents were also considered hero parents among the Forest Rangers, helping them overcome countless difficulties.

Natasha clearly remembered that her favorite childhood stories were those of knights-errant that Brutus told her, and her most exciting moment was when she first went on a mission with Brutus. But she never expected that her most angry moment would be when Brutus stopped her.

"We absolutely cannot recall the patrols. The security of the frontier cannot be ignored. Recalling them now would be tantamount to leaving the frontier defenses wide open, putting the Knights of Conquest stationed there, along with several mobile cities that haven't had time to adjust their routes, in grave danger! That's millions of people!"

“You’re being too impulsive, Natasha. The Forest Keepers have been prepared to die ever since they stepped onto the battlefield against Ursus, and now is the time! I’ve already sent messengers on three fronts to deliver messages to the Knights of Conquest, the Mobile City, and the National Council of the Overseer’s Council. The Twelfth Uka War could break out at any moment, and it is precisely at times like these that no one can be allowed to abandon their post!”

"I will do my duty to the best of my ability and die for my country. Let them hate me if they want."

"I!"

"stop fighting!"

The door to the operations staff room opened again, and Mikhail, the last of the three forest ranger staff officers, walked into the room with a grave expression, coldly demanding:

"Quiet down, or we'll just make a fool of ourselves in front of our guests. If even you can't keep your composure at a time like this, what will become of the forest rangers as a rabble!"