Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"You even bully a... a disabled person!"

"I... ahaha..." No matter how dumb Margaret was, she knew Noah was taking her anger out on me. "So... are you going to hold me accountable?"

"...Forget it." Noah turned away. "But I'll tell you the answer next time. Is that okay?"

"Anytime." Margaret finally smiled. "It's a deal."

Chapter 65: Covenant

"Is this the piano that was flown in from Victoria?" Noah curiously stroked the keys before him. The texture alone made it clear they weren't cheap. Although it hadn't been tuned yet, Noah knew how to tune it, so that wasn't a problem. "Wouldn't it be too expensive?"

"No, since it's the Honorary Saint's request, there's no reason for me not to fulfill it." Ensiodis said with a smile, "Besides, I'm also very curious about what kind of music the Honorary Saint can play."

"...Well, for now, it's just rehabilitation," Noya said a little embarrassedly. "I plan to start practicing piano again, that's all."

"That's okay, just consider it a gift from me to you." Enthiotis certainly didn't mind, but he still glanced at Enya beside him. Ever since Knight Yao came to visit, he always felt that Enya's state was a little weird. Not only did she peek at Noya, but she also specifically asked Yaer to buy some books, used the channels of Kalan Trade but intended to keep it secret. Although there was no problem for him to know, for the privacy of the Saint, Enthiotis still suppressed his curiosity.

Perhaps he wanted to secretly learn how to govern a country? Or did he have other ideas?

Enchiodis guessed that if that was the case, he could definitely help her pick out some must-read books.

Since they are hiding it from me, there is no need for me to investigate further. I can just let things take their course. That is Enya, my sister, and a family member I am proud of. She will definitely not let me down.

"But... so this is a piano... I've only seen it in books before." At this time, Enya finally came over and touched the piano with some curiosity. "How does this thing make sound?"

"Actually... this is fine." Noya fumbled and placed her hands on the keys. Then, as her fingers moved up and down, a string of notes rang out. Without tuning, the sound was a little off, but Enya was already surprised.

"It actually made a sound. How did it do that?"

"Actually, you'll find out if you open the back cover—" Noah said with a smile, "The piano is actually a combination of string instruments and percussion instruments. Ah... Of course, the sound-producing principle is closer to that of string instruments... Uh, does that make it even more confusing?"

"Hmm..." Enya nodded dully, "What do you mean by both string instruments and percussion instruments?"

"Just think of it as if every time I press a key, a small wooden hammer in the back hits the string. The sound of the piano is essentially the sound of the small hammer hitting the string," Noah explained. "Actually, when I was a kid, Casimir was very popular. These instruments originated from Leithania...ah, now Syracuse, so I learned for a while."

"It does look incredibly sophisticated..." Enya followed Noya's instructions, opened the back cover, and after discovering the mechanical structure inside, she was a little confused. "Noya, how did you learn this as a child?"

"That's a long story." Noah shook her head, not intending to explain in detail, but placed her hands on the keys. She couldn't see the keys now, so she could only play according to her previous memory.

Fortunately, the spacing between the piano keys is stable, so she can play it completely from memory. Noah pressed the keys and originally wanted to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, but she remembered her previous experience and changed the song.

——Anyway, let’s play Canon first.

Soon, a string of music as smooth and elegant as flowing water under a small bridge rang out in the room. Enya stared at Noah who was sitting there. She closed her eyes and let her slender fingers move on the keys. The unique tone of the piano soon immersed everyone in the room in it.

Noah didn't think her playing skills were that great, not to mention that there was a music master in her head. She believed that Enthiotis, who had studied abroad in Victoria, could hear that she hadn't touched the piano for too long, so the music she played was somewhat flawed.

Moreover, the piano has not been tuned yet, so it is natural that there will be some inaccuracies.

But perhaps because of the charm of the Canon itself, Enya still applauded after the song was finished. "It's really beautiful! Miss Noah, are you a genius?"

"...It's just that the Canon itself has a calming power. It's not my fault." Noya waved her hand quickly. "Also, there were a lot of mistakes, and the piano isn't tuned. I'll practice a little before playing it for you."

"Isn't this the perfect version?" Enya said, looking forward to it even more. "If you play again next time, please remember to save a seat for me."

"Yeah, definitely," Noya said with a smile. However, before playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star that day, she hadn't thought she would pick up the piano again. After all, she had picked up archery and even swordsmanship, but it seemed she had never picked up the piano.

Maybe it was because she had only spent a short time learning the piano, or maybe it was because she always subconsciously put the memory of learning the piano in the deepest part, making it difficult to access.

She touched the piano keys, feeling a little sad and a little funny.

“…It always feels like meeting old friends.”

"Excellent performance! Even I can feel the surge of emotion." Enthiotis's reaction was slower than Enya's, but his evaluation was very high. "While you're right, there were mistakes and some issues with pitch, your performance was quite moving. In my opinion, the moving quality of a performance is more important than technical requirements."

Enchiodis's words were not simply praise, but genuine admiration. "For me, this is also a rare and excellent performance."

After Enthiotis's speech, the room fell silent. Noya was stunned; she hadn't expected Enthiotis to give such high praise. Enya, however, didn't want to agree with her jerk brother, but she didn't think there was anything wrong with his assessment. So, the atmosphere suddenly became awkward.

But Enchiodis wasn't one to be manipulated by the atmosphere, so he simply said, "I'll have someone tune it. I hope to hear Miss Noya's excellent playing next time."

Then I left - very gracefully.

Noah came back to his senses and asked Enya curiously, "Enya, is this your first time listening to piano?"

"Not really. I've listened to recorded music before, but it's definitely different from hearing it live," Enya explained quickly. "I was just overwhelmed by the aura of the live performance."

"Is that so... But Ensi Odisya must have heard many great masters perform." Noya was a little concerned. "Is the infectiousness he mentioned... more important than technique?"

"I don't quite understand it, but it's true. When I listened to your performance just now, Noah, I felt like I could sense your emotions. I don't get that feeling when I listen to recorded music at all," Enya thought for a moment before explaining. "At first I just thought it was the effect of a live performance, but maybe this is what's called 'infectious power'?"

"Really... infectiousness..." Noah fell into deep thought. Although as a performer, she did not feel this, but since both of them said they did, then there really was something other than playing skills.

...Speaking of infectiousness, it means conveying your emotions to others through music.

If that's the case, what if you could apply your abilities to piano?

Well, it’s just an idea now, but I must give it a try when I enter the hall again.

Closing the cover on the piano keys, Noah breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, I'll practice after the tuning is finished. That's all for today."

"Eh... is this the only song..." Enya felt a little disappointed, "I want to listen to more songs."

"Hehe, next time, I'll play whatever you want to hear." Noah promised with a smile, "When everything is ready, I will naturally play it for you - and I promise it will be even better next time."

——Of course, I need to do some rehabilitation first.

This is what I said in my heart.

However, being able to touch the piano again is of great significance to Noah. In order to master the piano that appeared in the hall as soon as possible, she at least intends to try her best.

But before I become proficient in it, I'd better not touch the piano casually...

She didn't want to face that weird thing again...

Evil demons, this kind of thing is definitely not something she can deal with in her current state, let alone facing the evil demons head-on to find clues about her parents. Now, just knowing the existence of the evil demons is her limit.

To fight against the evil, at least... I have to be proficient in using the piano.

If he could make the best use of the palace and make himself strong enough, maybe, just maybe, Noah would be able to find his parents. It would be much better than having no hope at all.

Although the fear of facing the evil spirit still remained in her heart, she also found hope from it. Compared to herself, her parents were much stronger than herself.

She believed that her parents would never lose to the evil spirits so easily. Perhaps they were just trapped, just like Herhunzolen. If she worked hard enough, she might be able to rescue them.

Noah clenched her fists, but at this moment, she did not notice that the shadow behind her was staring at her. The huge figure now looked so... dim.

But soon, the shadow naturally shrank into Noah's shadow, without any sound, and naturally Noah would not notice it.

pat-

"Noah?" The door was opened, and Kuro outside finally walked into the dark room. Noah had been staying in the room since she finished playing the piano, and Kuro only opened the door now.

"what happened to you?"

"...Nothing, I just found the way to go." Noya shook her head and greeted Kuro with a smile. "I'll trouble you again in the future, Kuro."

"...As you wish." Kuro looked at Noah's smile, but felt that there was something heavy behind the smile. However, she did not have the same emotional perception as Noah, nor could she accurately describe her current feelings, so she could only nod.

——Something definitely happened to Noya, her intuition told her this fact.

But the problem was that she couldn't ask, because even if she asked, Noah would just change the subject.

Her gaze fell on Noah's clenched fists, and a hint of helplessness flashed in her eyes.

She could easily deal with thousands of troops, but she couldn't say any words of comfort at this time.

But at least she still has the right to accompany Noah.

-

"That's the thing—"

At this time, in the Rhodes Island base, when the white-armored knight Roland in a white cloak appeared here, the operators except the doctor did not even notice it.

He appeared before the doctor like a gust of wind, like a ray of light, and said with one hand on his chest. "I'm here to seek help, Doctor from Rhodes Island... No, should I call you by another name?"

"...?"

"The evil spirit of the Tower of Babel." Roland raised his head. The scene around him was distorted. In front of the doctor, the layer of Originium technology that had been hindering his cognition dissipated, leaving behind a strange girl with white hair, red eyes, and a broken horn on her forehead.

She was said to be weird because it was only after she removed the layer of Originium technology that hindered her cognition that the Doctor discovered that the tall white-armored knight Roland was actually her in disguise. Secondly, the Doctor did not sense the slightest trace of childishness or innocence in this girl.

On the contrary, the other party obviously knew her - it's just that the person she knew was not the current doctor from Rhodes Island.

But it was the one in the past who single-handedly overturned the balance of war and was feared even now.

The evil spirit of Babel——

"So you came here for Miss Noah, right?" The doctor was not panicked. It was rather that she was used to strange people suddenly coming to her. It was like that with Miss Yaer before, and now Roland, who had been following Noah, suddenly revealed his true identity in front of her. Maybe she really had a physique that attracted all kinds of weird people.

"That's right." Roland nodded. "To be precise, I want to ask you a favor."

"What is it?" the doctor asked curiously. "First of all, I can't do everything. After all, I'm just an ordinary person with no power."

The girl reached out and placed a spiral horn like white jade in the doctor's palm. "This is the broken horn of a unicorn, also known as the Gift of Kirilet. It once belonged to the Kirilet family, but now, I am temporarily handing it over to you."

"..." The doctor looked at the unicorn horn in her hand and felt a little familiar. When she realized the name of the unicorn horn, she seemed to understand something.

"Noa Kyrielight... Kyrielight's gift. This shouldn't be a joke, right?"

"As you can see, I've already returned the horn." Roland's expression was noticeably dispirited after losing it. "A unicorn's horn holds most of its power. Losing it is equivalent to depriving the unicorn of most of its power."

"……That……"

"Don't worry, this isn't my broken horn. My horn was broken because of something else..." Roland shook his head. "I'm just relying on this broken horn to maintain my strength."

Roland looked at the broken horn in the doctor's hand and lamented. "If possible, please give this broken horn to Noah at the right time. As for the timing... it's up to you."

This is the broken horn of the ancestor of Kirealite. Sooner or later, it will return to the hands of Kirealite's descendants. I have borrowed it for a thousand years, which is enough.

"Kirillet originally gave this horn to the unicorn clan in order to escape from it. Now, we are returning it to the Kirilet clan. It may seem ironic... but perhaps this is fate."

Chapter 66: The Price of Distorting Reality

After Ensiodis airlifted the piano over and tuned it, in addition to the work given by Enya, Noya spent most of his time practicing the piano. He already had a foundation before, and after hard practice, Noya's level improved by leaps and bounds. It was also because of the improvement of his skills that even Herhunzoren, who had originally disdainful of him, would occasionally give him some advice. After a week of hard practice, Noya finally decided to challenge playing the piano in the black gold space again.

Before the challenge, she specifically sought out Yaer's help as a protector. If her willpower was exhausted again, in order to prevent the invasion of evil spirits, Yaer would have to pull her out in time. As a giant beast, or as a god, she had the ability to clean up Noah's mess, as well as the ability to discover and solve problems.

Ya'er had previously speculated about the Black Gold Shop. She believed it was likely located within the demonic base camp—a black box, like Schrödinger's cat. Without an observer, the inside was difficult to observe, allowing for situations that contradicted outside perception. For example, the resurrection of the dead, such as Herhunzollon's continued survival within the Black Gold space, was possible.

Of course, she was just speculating. After all, she had been a homebody her entire life and had never truly left Kjerag. So, she could only speculate based on her own experience. Even the existence of demons was something she had heard about from a colleague long ago.

The weird Noya from the Black Gold Hall had guessed it long ago. She once speculated that this might be a backup plan for Herhunzollon to resurrect, or a place to preserve certain things, or even a storage room for the boss, with Herhunzollon as one of his collections.

However, there is no evidence to support these. The only thing we know is that according to Herhunzollon, this temple is alive - it has its own will, and Herhunzollon has been recognized by the temple, so he can continue to exist in it and conduct research.

As for the rest... Noah really has no channels to obtain information.

A good cook cannot cook without rice... No matter how smart Noah is, in such a situation where there is a lack of information, she can only walk in the dark and take one step at a time.

This was one of the reasons why she did not follow the Doctor and the others back to Rhodes Island. After all, not every place had a god like Yaer willing to help and escort them. She had to master the ability to play the Nameless Harp in Kjerag first.

Distort reality and change people's hearts.

This is how Herhunzollon described the piano - Noah naturally believed that Herhunzollon had no reason to lie to her, so this piano could indeed do things that were impossible in reality.

It is better to say that in the black box created in this black gold palace, everything is possible.

Hercules, who can deceive the world even about life and death, and the nameless harp that can change reality.

What Noah has to do now is to try to control the power that appears before her for the first time.

People should not be afraid of the tools in their hands. It is because humans have the courage to pick up tools that they are different from beasts. People use tools, make tools, and master tools.

And now, I just want to play the piano.

Noah sat in front of this mysterious and ancient-looking piano and took a deep breath. In her mental state, she could see the appearance of the piano in front of her. What she had to do now was to put aside some worries and anxieties and try to grasp the power that was given to her.

——As for the repertoire, she has also prepared it.

To Therese (To Alice)

Pressing the keys, it was as if the warmth from the fingertips melted the snowflakes, and the nameless piano in the black and gold palace was finally played again after a week.

To integrate one's feelings into the piano keys, one must focus one's emotions on every movement and every time one presses a key. This time, Noah clearly felt that every time she pressed a key, this nameless piano devoured a part of her. As her inner emotions were greedily absorbed by the keys, the piece of music gradually slipped away from her control, and her body unconsciously began to move, making the piece gradually rounded and perfect.

Emotions are like a spring, and people are their vessels. When the spring is drained, people are left with only an empty shell. Playing the nameless harp is dangerous. It is greedy, devouring Noya's emotions, attempting to drain the spring that is Noya and reduce her to a hollow shell. However, Noya is prepared. Although she loses control for a time, her ability is to manipulate the flow of emotions. Soon, she has reduced the loss of her inner emotions to a trickle, controlling it—it is nothing but greed.

It doesn't require so much emotion—

Although the Nameless Harp was trying to take away Noah's control, soon the control fell into Noah's hands. Like a balance, Noah successfully limited the cost in his own way.

In this tug-of-war, Noah gained the upper hand for the first time.