Will the kemonomimi encounter Alien Ranch Story?

"Whoosh!" A bowstring twanged softly. "No!" Marna reached out to grab the arrow but failed. The platinum-clad figure behind him gave an apologetic smile and mouthed, "Sorry, this is a mission."

The Originium arrow wasn't aimed at Nearl's vitals; it merely pierced her arm, causing a superficial wound. The fragile Originium arrow couldn't inflict much damage. However, seeing the specially crafted, pure Originium pierce her body and watch the blood trickle out, Nearl felt a moment of disorientation.

This means that from now on, she is an infected person, a patient with incurable Oripathy. According to the rules of Kazimierz, she cannot even retain her knighthood. This change left Marna and Margaret completely blank-minded.

Fortunately, the ranger reacted quickly: "Silver Spear and Heavenly Horse, protect the patriarch!"

Marna leaped across the battlefield and arrived before Linguang. Even after seeing that the arrow had only grazed him, he was not relieved, for the dark golden arrowhead spoke volumes.

"You can no longer inherit the family business, but I will do my best to secure a good outcome for you..."

"uncle?"

"Exile is your only way out. If you insist on retaining your so-called honor and knighthood, you will die, and your sister will die too!"

The ranger had no intention of lecturing anyone further, because his only thought now was to save the lives of the two children at all costs, even if it meant the Lightbringer family was stripped of its noble status.

"Everyone, return to your camp immediately! She has become infected, and I am now the acting patriarch of the clan!" Marna shouted, and the Pegasus Knights silently departed.

"This is your plan?"

"Only a part," Korbel didn't deny, and the Ranger wasn't angry, but just looked at him sadly. "Well, perhaps this is the fate of a knight. If this is the ending, it's not unacceptable."

It's just too tragic that the knight didn't disappear on the battlefield with honor, but was banished and dissolved in a web of conspiracy.

But who can the knight-errant blame? Knights are truly no longer suited to this era. In fact, after some time, it's uncertain whether those young knights will even be able to step onto the battlefield again, or whether they will still have a shred of honor in their hearts.

The young guards of Ursus have all become tools in the infighting among the nobles. How long can the knights of Kazimir uphold this honor and bravery? Marna has no hope for it.

"Tell your boss we surrender!"

"uncle!"

"Shut up!" Marner glared at the somewhat bewildered Nearl pony. "We surrender! The Nearl family will never interfere in anything here again! You've won!"

"uncle……"

“Do you know where you went wrong? Do you know why they won? You don’t know, you know nothing. You just brought your men here, thinking this was your battlefield to claim honor, but there isn’t a single warrior here!” Marner’s tone became increasingly stern.

"Or is it that in your heart, the survival of the family, the changes of the times, the suffering of the people, all of these things are less important than your grandfather's dying sigh and your own vanity?!"

"No, I'm not..." Nearl wanted to defend herself, but didn't know where to begin. Just like Talulah's assessment of her, she was like the Talulah of the past. She harbored ideals but knew nothing. As long as she was tempted by a glorious reason, she would stray onto another path and become someone else's executioner without even realizing it.

“Perhaps this is a good thing.” Marna calmed down a bit. At least one of the parties involved didn’t really intend to make things difficult for her, and she hadn’t strayed too far or been taken advantage of too much. It’s better to learn a lesson now than to learn an even bigger lesson in the future.

"If you're going to be exiled, I suggest you take a look at the Republic of Kazdel. Hmm, you could also consider visiting the countryside of Kazimir. I've heard you're a very famous ranger?"

“Yes, I will. The Nearl family will withdraw from the Knights Association, and we will admit defeat…” Manna looked at Nearl, “For the next year, I will take you along every path I once walked, to see with your own eyes and experience with your own body what a true knight is, and what you should stand for!”

“Yes, Uncle, but Maria…” Lin Guang had no reason to refuse, nor could he refuse, but he was a little worried about his sister.

"She'll send her to your aunt's place. Rhine Life is a pretty good option..." At least it's more promising than staying here playing those boring games with a bunch of old fogies.

"The Nearl family has conceded defeat. Your plan is indeed...perfect!" the spokesperson exclaimed sincerely. The Nearl family conceded defeat on their own, rather than being defeated, which meant that Silver Spear Pegasus had no reason to be hostile to the Federation, and they might even become an ally of the Federation.

The spokesperson had one more question: to whom was the Rinko family admitting defeat?

Is it the Federation, or this Ursus nobleman in front of us?

This indicates who will use their power.

However, this question remains unanswered.

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Last Autumn

-------------Chapter Dividing Line---------------

After a night of chaos, the power plant incident was ultimately explained as being caused by a rogue knight who lost the match. The Federation got what they wanted: a reformed tournament format, with the bloody gladiatorial rules somewhat limited. However, the part the Federation desired most remained elusive.

The Knights Guild would rather revoke Nearl's knighthood and banish her than admit that "an infected knight is also a knight."

Because if the infected knight is a knight, then whether the infected person who becomes a competitive knight is also a knight becomes a topic of much discussion.

Even the Nearl family, knights among knights, can be sacrificed when faced with the interests of the entire class.

Of course, as compensation for the Nearl family, which has considerable influence among the conquering knights, the Knights Association intends to find a reason to grant Maria the title of knight.

However, regardless of the circumstances, a rift eventually formed between the two sides, and Margaret herself, as one of the parties involved, clearly saw the true colors of the great knights she had once considered kind and benevolent. But none of this really concerned her anymore.

"Congratulations, you've gotten what you wanted..."

“Thank you, but my boss and I are very curious, what exactly do you want? It's definitely not just the arena prize money or some simple monetary gain.” This was also what the spokesperson was curious about: what were Talulah's motives?

"My goal has been achieved, at least the main goal has been achieved."

The tacit understanding between the military, nobles, and bureaucrats representing merchants in Kazimir has been broken, and their struggle in the future will become more explicit and intense.

Only when they start fighting will the lower-level people have a chance to catch their breath. After all, Lao Xia and his group haven't even dealt with Kazdel yet, so they don't have time to deal with the Kazimierz situation.

Most importantly, according to the intelligence recently sent by Lao Xia, the economic situation in Kazdel and even the entire Terra is not quite right, and the Doctor has made a prediction that we need to be wary of a major war breaking out.

Therefore, one of Talulah's tasks was to remove Kazimierz from the battlefield before the war even began.

Otherwise, the infected and the new Kazdel established by the Sarkaz would not be able to withstand simultaneous attacks from multiple sides, especially since they haven't even settled things domestically.

"May I know which side you represent?"

"Don't you already know?" Whether it's Titan Industries, the tanks, or Kobel's fighting style, the answer is already on the table.

“The New Kazdel Republic… I didn’t realize you had more than just this as a backup plan. Are we one of your backup plans?” The spokesperson looked at Talulah.

"Perhaps, who knows?" Talulah remained noncommittal. The propaganda in Kazimierz had already been launched, and the power plant cooperation would drive a large population movement, allowing her to increase the number of infected once again.

"Furthermore, if you are familiar with the trends in the global market, you should understand what our objectives are, and there is a strong foundation for cooperation in this regard, especially in the fight against Colombia, isn't there?"

The spokesperson knew what the other party was referring to: food. Qazimir is Terra's largest food exporter.

Colombia is the second largest, with advanced technology and a higher level of organization. Their large farms have gradually caught up with Casimir's natural advantages.

In other words, Colombia is Casimir's biggest competitor and enemy, which is why the federation believes they should compete with Colombia to seize market share rather than hold the Cavaliers back.

New Kazdel are newcomers to the world of food, but their output is even more astonishing; however, their product range is relatively limited, and their production environment is highly unstable.

Most importantly, their sales targets are mainly Ursus, Lungmen, and Da Yan, while Kazimierz's customers are Letania, Victoria, Sargon, and Sami.

The market overlaps with Colombia's, but doesn't conflict much with New Kazdel's market, so Ursus wouldn't buy their food.

They won't sell either. Once those wild bears have eaten their fill, they certainly won't obediently hand over their money; instead, they'll march south as a whole army.

"Therefore, we should unite. There is an old saying that goes, 'Whoever controls the food controls the world.'"

“And we also have an old saying: the enemy of my enemy…” The spokesperson extended his hand, and Talulah paused for a moment, then smiled, “That is an ally.” The two hands clasped together.

That's right, allies, not friends, and they will never be friends. They just have a common enemy because Colombia's market overlaps with Kazdel's.

They then talked about many things, such as Lao Xia's fertilizer exports, the introduction of improved varieties, and so on. Titan's specialty crops are also one of Lao Xia's research directions. These will be useful whether they are used on the Ark or when they return to the Covenant to ask the Academy of Agricultural Sciences for a prize.

A few days later, outside Kazimir City, the lush green fields were already tinged with gold. "It should be almost harvest time in Kazdel this season, why don't we go there next?" Manna, cloaked and holding a map, said, "And maybe visit Letalu and Letania along the way?"

"Hmm..." The blonde girl beside her stared blankly at the field, looking dejected. She had spent her whole life pursuing the perfect knight, but now she had become an infected person and was no longer even a knight.

"Cheer up, Nearl!"

"I'm not a knight anymore..." the girl said dejectedly.

"What do you think a knight is?" Marna asked seriously. "Is it someone who lives in a castle, rides a horse, carries a weapon, wears the armor of their ancestors, and constantly talks about glory and virtue?"

"This... really can't be?" In the past, Lin Guang did think so, but she always felt that it shouldn't be like this.

"So, are those who possess great martial prowess and rampage across the battlefield knights?"

"This...is that probably?"

“No, use your brain and think carefully, what is a knight…” Marna sighed, “Ask your heart, what is a true knight.”

"What is... a true knight?"

“There are two kinds of knights. The first kind, which I call the superficial knight, or the secular knight, lives in a castle and is part of the rules of operation of this country and this land. Farmers cultivate the land, bureaucrats manage it, and knights protect the territory and enjoy offerings. They ride horses, have squires, and live off the flesh and blood of serfs.”

Marna pointed to the fields by the roadside. "Look, there are knights like that everywhere. Do you consider them knights?"

Lin Guang looked at the swaggering knights, accompanied by their entourages and servants, as they marched through the fields, the farmers on either side kneeling in fear by the roadside. She even recognized the men on horseback; they were respectable gentlemen in their daily lives, and perhaps excellent warriors on the battlefield, but…

"Uh……"

"The other kind of knight is the knight of the heart; as long as one follows this spirit and will, one is a true knight."

"The Eight Virtues?"

"No, that's..." It was proposed based on feudal rule, and undeniably it does have some good aspects. However, it's too much to confine it to the ruling class, such as concepts like pity and loyalty.

"I'm talking about the oldest code of chivalry: sweep away the darkness, have mercy on the weak, and be fearless. Those infected in the arena, they are such knights. They don't fight for their own castles or for so-called glory, but for other weak people. And you've always thought they don't count as knights at all, haven't you?"

"Uh……"

"So now you need to use your own two legs and your own eyes to see clearly what a true knight or chivalry is."

The knighthood as a class entity may disappear into the annals of history. However, some of the spirit it embodied can continue to be passed down.

It's just a matter of removing those elements that are solely for maintaining rule. And ultimately, this class was initially a representative of progress, at least better than slave owners and savages.

"I understand, Uncle," Margaret finally raised her head, looking at the endless fields and roads ahead.

"That's good. I will take the place of your parents and that old stubborn man and teach you to be a true knight. Of course, you can also call it a wandering knight?"

Marna ruffled her hair, and the two figures, back to back, disappeared into the road leading to the wilderness on the road leading to the wilderness.

This year was called a turning point by the people of Terra. To be more precise, it started in the autumn of the previous year. The first sign was that the manufacturing securities of Longmen, which had been rising for several days, entered a long period of stagnation. Economic experts from Da Yan and Victoria claimed that this was just the aftermath of industrial adjustment and that a new period of good fortune would soon arrive.

In the manufacturing sector of Lungmen, due to sluggish sales, manufacturers began to compete fiercely to maintain sales volume. In order to maintain profits, workers' wages became lower and lower, and some new exploitative methods even emerged.

For example, some companies might completely stop paying wages and instead pay by piecework; others might even go so far as to pay wages with goods.

In the commercial sector, grain prices are declining at a slow but steady pace, while trading volume is decreasing. Faced with the collapse in grain prices, merchants who have hoarded grain are choosing to sell before prices bottom out.

However, it is difficult to buy cheap food on the market because labor and transportation costs have not changed.

Although later researchers believe that the Lungmen stock market crash of the following summer should be considered the beginning, many still believe that the real beginning was in the autumn of the previous year.

Six months after the founding of the New Kazdel Republic, Regent Theresis rejected the legitimacy of the regime, declared that he did not recognize the so-called new Demon Lord, and established a united kingdom that united most of the Kazdel city-states and tribes, assuming the position of regent.

However, for the Sarkaz of Kazdel, the harsh winter snows, carrying the scent of death, actually arrived much earlier, only becoming most biting in the autumn.

In October, the autumn grain harvest was completed and began to gradually enter the market. At Satti Oasis, bags of packaged grain were stacked up for inventory. Part of the grain was used to pay the farm's wages and provide for consumption, while the rest was dumped into the Kazdel market.

The entire stacks were filled with the fresh scent of starch and wheat, a sign of another bountiful harvest for the residents working in New Katzdale. But for farmers and ranchers elsewhere, it was a death knell.