Arknights' Lock of Heaven

He didn't refute himself, simply because the uniform he wore represented the Business Federation.

Originally, I just wanted to learn about Xia Yu from him, since the Business Federation's limited contact with Xia Yu was all through this person in front of me.

But Charn suddenly had some other ideas.

"Would you like to work for me?" he suddenly asked. "I won't say the pay is great, but it's definitely more promising than your current job."

“Ah, this…” Markowitz looked up, his face blank.

"I...I'm sorry, I'm not mentally prepared. You mean, I'll work for you?"

"Of course, but don't worry, I'll give you time to think it over."

Charn said calmly, "However, let's talk about another topic now."

“Xia Yu…you must have met this person many times.”

"Could you share with me your impression of this person?"

"Impression?" Markowitz looked puzzled upon hearing this.

Then he recalled his several encounters with Xia Yu.

"I have a feeling you're going to become a big shot."

For some reason, this sentence has been lingering in my mind.

He was silent for a moment, then said, "My impression of him is that he's a good person."

“What a good man…” Charné uttered a thought-provoking sigh.

"hehe."

……

"Maria! Thank you so much!!!"

Bald Martin looked at Maria and exclaimed, "My little tavern hasn't been this lively in years."

Since the team's winning streak began, many fans have come to visit.

After all, Nearl Mansion is now deserted, and Zofia's estate is not open to just anyone.

This little tavern is usually the only place you can find Maria.

"When was the last time it was this lively?" Old Martin began to recall, "Oh, it seems to have been during Zofia's competition."

"Time flies so fast..."

Maria managed a weak smile upon hearing this, then continued drinking in a sullen mood.

Today, she ran into her uncle on her way home.

Marna's words echoed in her mind.

“I’ve said it before, the Light family doesn’t need the approval of that despicable Knights’ Guild. Does their lack of approval negate the achievements of our ancestors? Ridiculous! Over the years, the Light family has never relied on others to defend its position!”

“You are too influenced by Margaret, Maria. She never realized her own folly. You shouldn’t blindly follow her.”

"You know Margaret's temper. She has always looked down on commercialized knightly competitions. I thought she had some backbone..."

"And what was the result? She still had no other choice but to use equestrian sports to demonstrate her 'belief,' yes, 'belief.'"

"Can she change anything?"

Faced with her uncle's questioning, Maria could only plead, "Uncle... please don't say that about my sister..."

Words that have no power whatsoever.

"The only thing she changed was the company's attitude towards the Lin Guang family! The only thing she accomplished was forcing her seriously ill father to deal with the mess she had made!"

"The towering buildings that the Qasimir people have built over generations cast shadows. You hide in your hometown, under the protection of your elders. What can you possibly know?"

"Do you really think that a young knight who has just started out can accomplish anything? At sunrise, the high-rise buildings of the Ursus city-states will rise above the clouds on the horizon."

"The squires of the tower fight half-heartedly in the arena to please the nobles, while young steam knights, dressed in old-fashioned armor, come here to hone their skills."

"Bounty hunters and bandits trampled through one impoverished village after another, while the major city-states were thinking about how to build more arenas. The proportion of a village's harvest and taxes was ridiculous."

"How can I not be disappointed by a Kazimierz like this?"

“You’re right, Maria, you’re right. I’m worthless now, just a beast of burden for the corporation.”

"how about you?"

"What have you changed? What can you change?"

Every word her uncle spoke was a question to her.

Is what you're doing really meaningful? Can you really change anything?

“Mr. Xia Yu…” She looked up at Xia Yu beside her, her voice slightly tipsy, “Did everything I did really have any meaning?”

"No, what do you mean by 'meaningful'?" Hearing this, Xia Yu turned her head to look at her in confusion. "How can it be meaningless?"

"But...but even if I defeat countless knights...it still won't change the current state of Kazimierz, will it?"

Her eyes were filled with confusion. "My sister didn't succeed... and I... I'm not even as good as my sister... Ah, it hurts!"

At this point, Maria clutched her head in pain, looking at Xia Yu, who was holding a knife, with teary eyes.

"Wake up," he said helplessly to Maria. "Didn't you participate in the knightly tournament to preserve your family's knighthood?"

"What changed Kazimierz? Does this have anything to do with your participation in the Knights' Tournament?"

"The goal is right in front of us, why are you talking to me about the future of Kazimierz?"

"Ah this..."

Maria was stunned when she heard this.

Yeah, I'm not the older sister. I'm just trying to keep the family title. Why would I...?

208 The Meeting with Charn

“I find it quite strange,” Xia Yu said, looking at Maria. “Why would you have such a thought?”

"Hmm, could it be that intermittent melancholic and sentimental syndrome that comes with being around twenty?

"Huh? What kind of condition?" Maria was completely confused by Xia Yu's words. "Ah, I don't quite understand, but it shouldn't be... right..."

"What's going on?" Xia Yu looked at Maria with a puzzled expression, stroking her chin with her left hand as she asked, "Didn't you only participate in the Knight Arena for the family title?"

"How did we suddenly start talking about the future of Kazimierz?"

"Ah, this...it's because Uncle said..."

Maria, upon hearing this, repeated what Marna and she had said.

These words made her somewhat insecure and start to doubt herself, and she desperately needed someone to answer her questions.

"Tsk tsk tsk, your uncle... his heart is so dirty..."

After listening to Maria's retelling, Xia Yu chuckled.

"That's just a simple case of distorting the facts!"

"They're just taking advantage of your youth and ignorance. Ha, the life and death of Kazimir? While it's not that you, as a Kazimirian, have no responsibility, how can we expect you to change things all by yourself?"

"This is how they use grand principles to pressure you, confuse your purpose, distort what you were originally going to do, and then throw an almost impossible task at you to think about, thus leading you into a mental trap and ultimately making you give up..."

"I think his intention was to make you feel that continuing like this is pointless, and then you would give up the competition on your own."

"Well, this is your family matter, so I won't comment further."

"His words can only fool a naive young girl like you, and you admire Margaret so much for her goal of changing Kazimierz. It couldn't be easier to fool you with this method."

“The solution is quite simple,” Xia Yu said, looking at Maria. “Why did you participate in the Knights’ Tournament?”

"To preserve the family's knighthood!" Maria understood the gist of it by now.

"Isn't that all?"

“Maria, remember this,” Xia Yu patted Maria’s shoulder and said earnestly, “When you want to do something, always remember your original goal.”

"As for whether or not to listen to your uncle, that's up to you."

“Oh, I see,” Maria nodded in sudden understanding. “Mr. Xia Yu, you know so much…”

“Oh, what do you mean by knowing a lot?” Xia Yu said, both amused and exasperated. “Your uncle is just taking advantage of your naivety. Don’t blame me, go tell your two masters, go ask Old Martin, they will tell you.”

"Don't even mention them, even Zofia... oh, Zofia might not be so lucky, maybe she also wants you to quit."

"So, ignore all those seemingly profound principles, just remember your goal."

"The logic is correct, but the problem is, why should a young girl like you shoulder the future of Kazimierz?"

"Are you the future queen of Kazimierz? No, you're just a young girl who wants to keep her family title."

"Are all the others dead? The Grand Knight Commander? The War Knights? Those officials at all levels?"

“It’s not that you bear no responsibility for the rise and fall of Kazimierz, after all, you are a Kazimierz, but it can’t all be your responsibility alone.”

"So don't overthink it, just do what you're supposed to do."

"And don't take the blame upon yourself, understand?"