Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

Noah's tone was gentle. In fact, these children had originally planned to come here to steal some things because they saw that someone was staying here. Of course, Noah would not let these children succeed. However, after being caught by Noah, Noah did not blame them. Instead, he performed a little magic trick for them.

For these children, this little magic trick was enough to attract their attention. Soon, they even forgot their purpose of coming here. They focused their attention on watching Noya direct the little shadow figures to dance, their eyes sparkling.

Most of the children here are from Liberia, the largest ethnic group in Iberia. Noah could tell from their voices that these children were very thin and their voices were weak. She originally wanted to give them something to eat, but thinking that she might get into some trouble because of this, she resisted the urge to give alms and instead performed a simple magic show for them.

She asked casually during the performance.

"What do you usually eat?"

Chapter 3: The Little Inquisitor

The children were simple-minded and answered directly when the kind magician sister asked this.

"Eat some dried meat! The church distributes it regularly, and it'll keep you full for the whole day!"

"Many adults wouldn't let us get it, saying it would give us a stomachache and turn us into a monster."

"But we will go and get it secretly..."

Hearing this, Noya couldn't bear to listen any more. These dried meats were most likely dried shovelnose fish. The people here made dried sea bream into meat and distributed it to the children... Whenever she touched the children, Noya couldn't suppress her emotions. But even though her fists were clenched, she didn't show it on her face. She reached out and touched the heads of several children, then whispered, "Free things are the most expensive. Your adults are right. Don't go to get them in the future. If you want to eat, come to your sister and she will give it to you. Just don't tell your parents. The food at your sister's house is not bad either. This is an agreement, okay?"

"Really?"

"Sister, don't you want to eat?"

Of course, the children were happy. They wanted to eat something other than the odd-tasting dried meat. But sometimes, hunger can make people tolerant of any food. For these children, as long as Noah could give them food, they would obey.

No one can get along with their own stomach——

Noah nodded, took out some biscuits from his pocket, distributed them to each child, and told them to eat them before going home, not to let the adults find out, and to remember to eat them with water.

The children nodded obediently and soon dispersed. Noah stayed where he was, stunned for a while until night fell. Noah felt the cold night wind and turned his wheelchair back into the house.

A fire had been lit in the house, and the smoke flowed down the chimney, bringing warmth into the room. Mace sat beside the fire, whittling a piece of wood with her sword. Of course, she heard what was happening outside, and spoke to Noah.

"Those kids can't keep a secret. You'll get yourself into trouble if you do that."

"I know, but... after these kids tell me that, what else can I do?"

Noah shook his head and smiled bitterly.

"Should I pretend I don't know and let them continue to eat those so-called dried fish?"

"You can't save them. And even though the dried fish may have some problems, it's still meat. To them, even if it's poisonous, they'll still stuff it into their mouths."

"I know... I know." Noah sighed, her obsidian eyes reflecting the fire. She just couldn't bear it, but she couldn't change the status quo. However, she couldn't stay in Saltwind City for long... The most she could do was to share some of her rations with the children.

"Here you go." Mace placed the food in his hand into Noah's. "Don't think about just giving away your own rations. We are in this together, and we should shoulder everything together."

“… Mace…”

"Stop talking and go to bed early. I'll keep watch for you--" Mace stopped Noah from returning the food to him, picked Noah up from the wheelchair and put him directly on the bed. Although there was only a layer of heat insulation pad, it was warm enough. Noah had no choice but to put the biscuit in his hand into his mouth and crush it. It didn't have much taste, but just one biscuit was enough to consume calories for a day.

They brought a lot of things, which were also the technological products of Rhine Life. However, even with these things they brought, they could definitely not solve the situation here.

She closed her eyes and decided to leave her thoughts to dreams for the time being, just like turning her thoughts into stone and throwing them into the endless ocean of dreams, hoping to stir up some waves.

As the night wind blew, Noah's breathing soon became steady, while Jian was still sitting by the fire, adding some firewood to the fire from time to time. Around midnight, there were suddenly some small footsteps outside the door. Jian did not move, but his half-closed eyes opened slightly, and his ears curled up.

Soon, an iron hook quietly stretched out from the gap in the wooden door. This slender iron hook made of bent iron wire followed the gap in the door and hooked up the temporary bolt. After several times, the bolt was opened. But at the moment the door was opened, a cold wind blew across his neck. He subconsciously shuddered all over, and there were indelible blood spots on the rusty knife in his bandaged hand.

He had been observing this team of masters and servants who had just arrived in Saltwind City for a long time. There was a blind young lady with limited mobility, and a bodyguard of Caprini. There were only these two people, and no extra guards. Although the bodyguard seemed to be capable, he was just one person after all. The young lady was not worried. What was more important was that the young lady must have something valuable on her. He licked his cracked lips and looked into the room - he only saw a lit fire, and the young lady sleeping under a thermal blanket spread on the ground.

Where did the bodyguard go? He looked puzzled, but soon he looked at the young lady lying on the bed with a lewd smile on his face.

However, before he could even walk into the room, he was dragged out by his clothes with a huge force. The force was so terrifying that it lifted him up and threw him out fiercely. The close contact between his flesh and the ground made a dull sound. He felt that his internal organs were about to shift and several bones were probably broken. Before he could even get up, he saw the mace appear in his sight. Under the moonlight, the golden hair was coated with a layer of silver. She stepped on the bandit's heart and slowly applied force.

The sound of bones being overwhelmed by the weight and the fear of approaching death made him unable to even utter a word of begging for mercy. He felt that the air in his lungs was about to be squeezed out by such force. He had no doubt that the other party could crush his sternum in an instant, but the other party chose the most torturous method of slowly increasing the force. He could not speak, let alone struggle. The foot stepping on his heart was like cast copper and iron, and he could not move it even a little bit no matter how hard he tried.

He had hit a wall, he realized.

The little brat who sold him the information said that the young lady had a lot of food, so he took the risk. But now - his face has turned liver color due to lack of oxygen, and it feels like he will suffocate to death in the next second.

"Shh—she's sleeping, don't make any noise." Mace raised a finger and whispered, "And—remember in your next life, don't randomly choose an opponent you're not sure of when walking at night."

click-

The sternum was broken and the bandit under the mace died instantly. If the other party did not pull out a knife and just wanted to steal something, he would at most be beaten.

But if the other party wants to kill and rob, that's another matter. Jian never thinks that such a person should be alive, and I'm sure Noah won't think so either.

Noah must have heard the noise just now. The fact that he didn't stop himself showed that he had acquiesced. After crushing the gangster's sternum to death with one foot, Jian looked around. There should be more than one gangster watching here. Now it can be regarded as killing the chicken to scare the monkey. After he took action, many of these people disappeared from his sight. Of course, there are still some left, but they have no courage. Jian turned around, went back into the house, and closed the door again.

Noah didn't move and his breathing was steady, as if he hadn't been woken up. He didn't pierce the mace and returned to his original position, closing his eyes to rest.

Recently, she has become accustomed to resting in this way. Although it is not as comfortable as sleeping, it allows her to get the best rest while remaining alert. She usually rests in a meditation-like way when she is on night watch.

The night passed quickly and no one dared to disturb the two people's rest. When the mace reopened the door, the body disappeared.

I don't know if he was dragged away by the organization he belonged to, or if he was cleared out by someone else. Anyway, out of sight, out of mind, I don't bother to pursue it.

It wasn't just Jian who was busy that night. After a brief separation, Gloria, Jian, Noah and others followed the direction of the Trail of Distant Hometown, dived into the sea, and found some things left over from the past somewhere on the seabed.

Those were two suitcases, extremely heavy, but of course—for Gloria, they weren't that heavy.

Gloria dragged the two suitcases back to shore and opened them. Surprisingly, they weren't the supplies she'd expected. Inside were two familiar weapons. These weapons had once belonged to members of Gloria's squad, but had been lost after the battle—she hadn't expected to see them here.

Gloria checked the marks on the weapons. There was no doubt that these two weapons were the same ones held by her teammates. There were even damages on them left by fighting with a large number of Hai Si.

But he hadn't found these two weapons at the time, so the tombs that Goletia had erected for these two teammates could only be regarded as cenotaphs.

Who retrieved these two weapons and even packed them in a suitcase and placed them on the seabed?

Gloria was thinking about it. She originally wondered if Skadi had done it, but she quickly rejected it. Skadi looked so silly that she didn't seem like someone who would have such thoughts. Laurentina was also impossible because she was kidnapped directly after the battle and had no time to do this.

Then there may be only one answer...

Deep-sea hunters, there might be others alive. In order to commemorate his comrades, he found these weapons and placed them here, hoping that other deep-sea hunters would find them.

There are still other compatriots alive...Gladiya's expression did not become happy because of this. After all...although it seemed that this deep-sea hunter was still rational at that time.

But now it’s not necessarily the case…

So much time had passed, Laurentina had become like this, and Skadi seemed to have changed a bit too... That deep-sea hunter who had narrowly escaped death chose not to seek out his compatriots, but instead sold the Guide to the Distant Homeland directly to the tin can Noya mentioned...

What does this mean?

Abandoned Agor? Or... is he already dead?

Gladia didn't think this was a good sign. Looking at the two weapons, she sighed and closed the suitcase again.

"Maybe I shouldn't have brought you onto dry land..." She whispered to the two suitcases, but the two suitcases remained silent and did not respond.

As the captain of these two people, Gladia has the obligation to bring them back to her hometown where she was born and raised, the sea that nurtures all life.

The swordfish dived into the ocean once more, put the two suitcases back in their places, and then returned to the surface.

After finishing these things, Gladia didn't immediately return to Noah and the others. Instead, she soaked in the sea water and closed her eyes to rest. She hadn't been here for a long time, so she felt the sea, felt the ocean currents, and tried to find some information from them. But soon, she opened her eyes -

Because something has come—

The person who came was carrying a lantern, which was similar to the one Noah had bought, and looked a little newer. It was a girl with long gray hair, a swift sword hanging at her waist, and she was wearing a black robe. She looked very serious. She came from the other side of the coast, and judging by the time... she was very punctual.

Gloria slowly walked up the shore and faced the Inquisitor, who seemed a little childish to her.

"You came?"

"It's the same as agreed, Gloria." The little judge who was ordered by the higher-ups looked at Gloria with a strange look, but there was not much kindness in that look, and most of it was even wariness.

Gloria didn't mind the other party looking at her that way, but such hostility was too obvious and showed her immaturity.

The cooperation agreement between Iberia and Agor was drafted by the Saint. Now she represents Agor. If the young judge does not want to go back and be punished, he must at least be on good terms with her.

After all, the rules—

Only rules can maintain the dignity of the court.

"What happened here? There shouldn't be so many people alive here," the young Inquisitor inquired. "More people survived here than I expected... This doesn't make sense..."

"I shouldn't be the one telling you this." Gloria shook her head. "They found a way to survive, but... it's like drinking poison to quench thirst."

"...You'd better not play dumb with me," the young judge said seriously. "What exactly did the people here do?"

Gloria didn't say anything, but threw the package in her hand over. The young inquisitor subconsciously drew her sword and cut the package open, and a lot of "dried meat" fell out. The young inquisitor looked at the dried meat that fell on the beach, her eyes gradually solidified, and she recognized what these things were.

"...These things...are used as food?"

"As you can see, little Inquisitor," Gloria nodded. "The funny thing is, this was discovered by a young lady I brought here."

Gladia looked at the sea expressionlessly, the sea breeze caressing her cheeks, and she went home.

Chapter 4: Fanatics

On the other hand, Noah and Gloria flew almost in a straight line to the Saltwind City in Iberia via a low-altitude transport plane, but Skadi was in a miserable situation.

Without such convenient transportation, she was naturally much slower. After asking for help from an old friend, she changed into a red dress to conceal her identity. After all, she was quite famous, and if she was constantly pestered by these people, it would inevitably slow down her progress. Once again setting foot on Iberian soil, she smelled the scent of the sea breeze and couldn't help but feel as if she was in another world.

When she first walked ashore from the coast, she only felt tired and wanted to leave this sad place as soon as possible. At that time, she had not yet realized that one day she would face the thing she least wanted to face. Although she had not actually seen the ocean, the salty smell of the ocean had already made her understand - she had returned to her hometown.

Homesickness filled Skadi's heart. Her heart was like an isolated island a long time ago, and she thought she would remain lonely forever.

But her severed bloodline was reconnecting, and the news of her fellow tribesmen's survival brought a little warmth to her weary and withered heart, like water soaking through cracked earth. The deep-seated connection with the Deep Sea Hunters filled her broken loneliness and gave her the courage to face the past.

In that battle, Skadi barely survived a life-or-death situation and had no time to think about what to do next.

Having lost contact with Agor, she seemed to have lost all her compatriots. At that time, she was truly like an island isolated by the sea...

Fortunately, her voice now responded.

So she didn't actually feel sad, on the contrary, she was quite happy.

Honestly, anyone experiencing this would be lucky not to feel depressed, but Skadi managed to persevere thanks to her somewhat flimsy nerves. While she wasn't without sadness, or that she felt her teammates' sacrifices were insignificant, her mind always managed to temporarily put aside her worries and focus on the present. Call her thick-skinned, or just slow-witted.

That's what makes Skadi Skadi.

The naive Miss Killer Whale fought against her almost tragic fate in her own way, and now - she has returned to the center of her fate.

"...Oh, I'm still not used to it." Skadi, who had changed into a red singer costume, couldn't help but sigh. Unlike the ones she wore daily, this set of clothes was light and fluttering, not close-fitting, and it was hard to say whether it had any advantages in combat. She even felt that it would break if she moved a little more. As a rigorously trained warrior, to be honest, she was still a little resistant to this kind of light and girlish clothes.

But there is one advantage, she can avoid a lot of official scrutiny by wearing this dress——

travelling poet?

Diva?

Anyway, after reporting this identity, she became very calm on the way to Iberia, so calm that it surprised her.

If she had known that changing clothes could help her avoid the trouble from those bounty hunters, she would have changed them long ago. It's not like she didn't have other clothes.

Hey, if Captain Three were still here, he would probably criticize her for being lax.

Recalling the days among the deep-sea hunters, Skadi curled up the corners of her mouth into a barely perceptible smile.

Let’s continue our journey…Saltwind City is just around the corner.

-

The deep-sea hunters are connected by blood, and Gloria had already noticed it after Skadi set foot in Iberia.

The same parts of their bodies resonated with each other, just like a family. As the captain of the second team, Gloria had not felt such a connection for a long time.

When she first became a deep-sea hunter, she could sense an implicit bond between herself and her teammates. This bond allowed them to work together seamlessly and empathize with each other. They were like a big family, and Gloria was the head of the family. Now she felt someone had returned to her side, even though they were still far away, and even though... now was not the time to meet.

Arriving at the large cave under the church, Gloria raised her head and looked at Laurentina who was wrapped in a bubble-like container. Laurentina was transferred here from the transport plane for treatment. Only in a place close to the sea can the power of the deep-sea hunter be fully exerted.

It was because of the lack of water that the ghost shark frequently fell into a state of mental disorder. However, after approaching the sea, her condition began to improve.

"——Look at you, still wandering like a lost sea fish." At this moment, behind Goletia, a man dressed in green religious clothing spoke in his hoarse voice.

"You want to know where I took her. You care deeply. You're not eligible to participate in our gathering, but your eyes tell me you want to know what we'll do to her." The bishop's voice was hoarse, with a strange rhythm. Gloria simply glanced at him. He had approached her and promised to treat Laurentina, which was the beginning of their collaboration. "Have you rediscovered the brotherly love between you? Are you torn by your old friend's fate? Do you feel unfair? Are you angry?"

"Foolish—deep-sea hunters are blood relatives. We're not truly related, but there's something more profound between us than that. As for anger and injustice—do you think I'd be controlled by that kind of emotion?"

Goletia's disdainful tone did not anger the old man, but the old man did not stop his chattering.

"You brought an unexpected person. I think I need an explanation. Are you planning to bring her to receive the power and happiness bestowed by God? Or do you simply need a test subject?" The bishop mentioned Noah's matter. He had more eyes and ears in this city than one could imagine. He got the news after Noah entered the city. She was surprised that Gloria would actually bring a guy who was not a member of the Deep Sea Hunters into Saltwind City.

This city was supposed to belong to them—but now, something foreign had entered the city.

Normally, foreign objects would be eliminated immediately, but Caprini beside her was very troublesome... Moreover, the other party was brought in by Gloria, so the bishop naturally had to ask Gloria for her opinion.

"No comment. I'm not obligated to explain all my actions." Gloria had no intention of revealing her intentions. "But you can also assume that I'm betting on others besides you. I remember there's an old saying you guys have about not putting all your eggs in one basket, right?"

While Gloria was busy, Noah was not idle either. When Gloria did not come back, she and Mace went out first to investigate the conditions of the soil and the state of the coast in Iberia. After the Great Silence, most of the land in Iberia that could have been used for farming turned into saline-alkali land that was extremely toxic to crops. These soils were contaminated by salt, making it impossible to continue growing crops.