Arknights' Lock of Heaven

After all, it was something that we repaired piece by piece, together with everyone else.

Although it can't compare to the high technology here, it's home.

It was second only to his own cozy little home in his heart, but unfortunately, he could never go back there.

I wonder how Anna is doing now, and whether her daughter has finished her studies...

"village head!"

Just then, a familiar voice, choked with emotion, snapped him out of his reverie.

"Village chief! I'm so sorry!"

He turned his head and saw the honest, simple-minded boy from the Matic family standing by his bedside with tears in his eyes.

Speaking of Matic's son, although he's a bit simple-minded, he's a decent person and works hard. When I first met them, the boy was so thin, timidly hiding behind Matic who was holding a stick...

In the blink of an eye, they've all grown into such strong and healthy kids. It wasn't for nothing that I swallowed my pride and went to the city to beg for meat for these children.

As he pondered, his rambling thoughts gradually returned to normal.

"Where am I?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

“On the Orville,” Sonny said, his voice choked with emotion, “on the ship everyone’s talking about.”

Victor was not fully conscious, and upon hearing this, he subconsciously asked, "Is it the Promised Ark?"

"The Promised Ark?" Xia Yu looked at Victor upon hearing this. "I didn't even know the Orville had that title?"

“Ah, according to those two scholars’ descriptions, it certainly deserves that title,” Victor gradually came to his senses, feeling somewhat embarrassed by his unconscious words. “And you are?”

“Me? I’m just an unworthy captain of this ark,” Xia Yu replied with a smile.

"Ah, this, you..." Upon hearing this, Victor quickly tried to straighten himself up by supporting himself with his hands.

“Hey, you’re a patient right now. Please respect modern pathology and doctors. Don’t do any strenuous exercise,” Xia Yu gently pressed his hand down. “Ark was just a joke. I’m just an ordinary captain.”

Hearing this, Aya rolled her eyes. "Just ordinary? You have the nerve to say that."

“No, I’m just too excited,” Victor said, taking a deep breath. “I never expected to meet you. After learning about your and all the crew members of the Orville’s heroic deeds, I have long admired you all.”

“I can’t take this praise anymore,” Xia Yu laughed. “You’re quite capable to have led a group of infected people to survive in the snowfield for so long.”

"How can I compare to yours..."

Sonny was stunned as he watched the two of them awkwardly start flattering each other.

Did I not realize that the person next to me was so amazing?

Meanwhile, Aya sighed and gently patted the medical record book. "Although you two have a pleasant conversation, I still have to remind you that the patient needs to rest! His body is already very weak."

“Oh, then it seems that’s enough for today,” Xia Yu nodded to Victor. “I’ll tell you one last thing.”

"Everyone in the village is on their way and will be here soon."

"Don't worry, none of them are in trouble."

400 Family and Responsibility

"Why do you always have such a long face?"

After Xia Yu left, Ya Ye gave a few instructions and then hurriedly left. Victor knew that she was taking the doctors to give his villagers a medical check-up, so he kept thanking her.

Now, only his son Sonny and Matic are left in the ward, and he always feels empty inside.

Even though you're lying here, it doesn't feel real.

It all happened so fast. Just a moment ago, I was worried about the safety of the village, but now everyone is telling me not to worry. The Orville has arrived, and they no longer have to live the life of going hungry.

But I always feel... that all of this came too easily, as if I were living in a dream.

So he turned to Sonny, who had a tense expression, and asked, "What's wrong? Is something the problem?"

Upon hearing this, Sonny couldn't hold back anymore, and tears streamed down his face. He lowered his head and threw himself beside the hospital bed, crying out, "Village Chief, I'm so sorry!"

"Uh..." Upon hearing this, Victor's brain raced. What... what does "sorry" mean?

Could it be... could it be... that the villagers... everyone... the Orville... they did this to put their minds at ease...

Victor's pupils dilated as if he could hear his own heartbeat, thump, thump.

His voice trembled as he grabbed Sonny's hand and asked, "Has something happened in the village?"

"Ah, no," Sonny looked up blankly and replied, "Nobody's hurt."

Hearing this, Victor let out a long sigh of relief. Sigh, this child…

He felt his tense body relax instantly, and waves of weakness washed over him.

So she let go of Sonny's hand that she had been holding tightly and lay peacefully on the hospital bed.

It's good that nothing happened, it's good that nothing happened, sigh.

Just live.

"Village chief, you..." Looking at his appearance, Sonny asked timidly, "Are you...are you alright, village chief? Have I gotten into trouble again?"

“No, it’s none of your business,” Victor smiled kindly, knowing that this boy didn’t understand anything. “Don’t be so loud, this is a ward.”

“Oh,” Sonny replied in a low voice.

Ah, it should be common sense that you shouldn't speak too loudly in a hospital room, but Sonny, nobody taught him that.

Having lived in the snowy plains with his father since he could remember, how could he know these things?

Victor sighed, then his teacher's instincts told him something.

“Sonny, you just said you got into trouble again,” he said, looking at Sonny. “You even apologized to me at first… what happened?”

He almost thought something really had happened to the village, and that it was just a lie told by the people on the boat to comfort him.

Although Sonny had explained that the village was fine, and he believed that this honest young man would never lie so naturally, he still needed to ask him what trouble he had gotten into.

After all, he's a child I've watched grow up. If he causes trouble on this ship, I'll risk my reputation to plead with them. This child has lived on the snowy plains since he was little and hasn't seen much of the world. Sigh.

If only I could spend more time teaching them, but all I've ever done is take up most of my energy with village affairs.

"I...I," Sonny lowered his head, nervously twisting his hands together, "While you were asleep, Chief, it was my turn to keep watch, but then I got a stomachache and ran out to use the toilet..."

"When you came back to the village, you woke up. Everyone gathered in front of your hospital room, saying that after you woke up, they couldn't see anyone. You went out without clothes on and got frozen at the door..."

"Wow, village chief, I was wrong, I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have..." He seemed to be trying to find a word to describe his behavior, but in the end he could only manage to stammer, "I shouldn't have gone to the toilet... Village chief, please don't die!"

“This…” Victor was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this.

It seems I need to pay more attention to my children's education.

From grammar to vocabulary, look at how many mistakes this child just made.

Victor's instincts as a teacher, honed over the course of his life, immediately kicked in. He was unconscious, not asleep; he was a caregiver, not a guard; he hadn't gone out naked. He wasn't stupid; his clothes were just too thin, and he was so worried about the village that he rushed out in a panic...

Besides, going to the toilet is a natural instinct, how can you blame him? You should blame his dad! What does a twelve or thirteen-year-old know? What's wrong with arranging for an adult to look after him?

Seeing the pitiful look on the face of the child he had watched grow up, Victor immediately shifted the blame to the child's father.

Also, so that's why I didn't see anyone the moment I woke up – the child went to the toilet.

I was almost scared to death by that pile of Ursus military supplies at the door, it's all Matic's fault!

Huh? Wait a minute, where did all this military supplies come from?

Victor immediately thought of the valley leading from the village to the outside sea route, and the corpses scattered all over the mountains.

And the traces that seemed to be from a natural disaster.

“Sonny, I don’t blame you,” Victor comforted the child. “Going to the toilet is something everyone has to do.”

"It's my fault for not staying in the room properly, you don't need to blame yourself."

He gently comforted Sonny, then said, "Tell me what happened after I left the village?"

“Oh,” Sonny nodded upon hearing this, the grievance on his face fading slightly, and then began to tell the story from his perspective.

"After the village chief and that seemingly powerful man left... a very important person came to the village..."

"...She's the daughter of the great hero in the story...They say an army is chasing after them..."

"...The adults were all very scared...We didn't sleep all night...The family was all ready to run away...Those people were so strong...They won..."

"...The captain told us to go out and bring back food...The house is full of food, even meat filled one room..."

"...That amazing uncle carried you back, Village Chief...You've been sleeping the whole time...I heard from the adults that many more troops are coming..."

"...Today they said those armies are finished too... We have to move again... The adults are reluctant to leave the food at home, and Dad said we have to move quickly... The boat won't be waiting for too long..."

"...and they even threw away all the food in the house..."

Listening to his intermittent narration, Victor gradually pieced together the whole picture.

It seems that someone came to the village after I left. The great hero... Patriot? Yes, he is the only hero the infected have on the snowfield.

The hero's daughter, the princess of the Yetis that Anton had mentioned?

They used magic to kill the pursuers, which are the corpses they saw, or so it seems.

More troops... Could it be the Sixth Army stationed in Chipliny?