Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

Chapter 22: Heartbeat

So - something happened that Frémont probably never dreamed of.

His tower, the core of Ludwig University, a tower that almost no one had been able to break into for thousands of years, suddenly had two more people - or to be more precise, an uninvited guest.

——Snap——

The sound of Ludwig Tower's defensive spells crumbling echoed through Flemont's heart, and he saw his nominal disciple, Noa Kyrielight, casually push open the door to his laboratory. Despite having broken through the defenses, she politely saluted and then asked, "Master, have you changed your mind today?"

"...No, get out!" Fremont held his forehead and felt the defensive spells of the entire tower. Logically speaking, these defensive spells should have been able to turn the tower into an impregnable fortress. He had been studying how to strengthen the defensive spells in the past few days, but under the premise of not hurting Noah, all the defensive spells were like paper in front of this girl. Basically, they would break through in less than three minutes.

This undoubtedly touched Fremont's bottom line. He was being suppressed in the sorcerer's most honorable mutual solution equation? This was unprecedented. Even Helhunzollon had only broken into his tower twice, and those were unpowered versions of himself. What had gone wrong? He had practically enchanted every brick of the tower with protective spells, so how could the other party still get in so easily?

"So... that's really a pity." Noah showed regret on his face, but did not leave the tower. Instead, he said hello to Ermengarde who was bored beside him, and sat down next to his junior uncle who should be his junior master in theory. He opened the book "General Record of Eternal Research on Classical Originium Crafts and Golden Rule Movements of Leithnia" which he had not finished studying yesterday. The title was as exaggerated as its thickness, and he read it carefully.

Although the content is quite complicated, this book is surprisingly easy to read. The author uses concise language to describe in detail the development of Letania's magic, as well as the reference to other magic. He even traces the origins and believes that Sarkaz witchcraft is basically just a less common Originium skill. People's prejudice and discrimination against Sarkaz also affect the Originium skills they use. This long-standing negative perception has even affected our research on Sarkaz Originium skills - research facilities in some areas do not even allow Sarkaz to enter.

Modern research reveals that Sarkaz sorcery is a broad category of ancient magic with numerous branches and complex operations. The core concept is the unique Originium skills inherited by certain Sarkaz through their bloodline. This differs significantly from the highly personalized and random Originium skills we commonly perceive. Researchers are still unclear about the principles of this inheritance, so the discriminatory term "sorcery" is still used to distinguish Sarkaz Originium skills from other Originium skills.

In fact, she specifically called Mr. Logos in Rhodes Island to verify this theory. In fact, Mr. Logos also confirmed the importance of witchcraft and bloodline inheritance. In fact, it is not just the Sarkaz. Those with the blood of the gods can usually cast some spells that are difficult for ordinary people to use. For example, the Linguang family's light source stone skills. If you don't have the blood of the Golden Pegasus, when learning light source stone skills, you will often be burned by your own light. Moreover, the power of this light is also related to spiritual power. In other words, the stronger the spiritual power of the body, the more destructive and powerful the light that can be controlled.

It is even possible to judge whether the warriors of the Linguang family are in a state of readiness for battle or whether they are nervous by the brightness of the light. This research also specially invited Maria, who happened to be in Rhodes Island at the time, to help demonstrate and shoot a video. Maria in the video was probably quite active and nervous because she heard that it was Noah who proposed this matter, which caused the light on her body to be quite unstable. However, it must be said that compared to the Maria that Noah had met at the beginning, the current Maria is much more mature. As the young director of the Howling Guards, she has not neglected the practice of martial arts. Today's Maria is like Margaret who left Casimir, with the heroic aura that a knight should have.

Of course - after she relaxed, her inner silliness still showed.

I can also use the Originium technique of light, but probably because the part of the Golden Pegasus in my blood is too thin, the light I can control is very limited. The Originium technique of light is a very special category. It is a way of using the Originium technique from the system of gods and people. Theoretically, the intensity of light depends only on the intensity of mental power, but if your body does not reach the level of keeping pace with the spirit, it is very likely to be burned or even melted by your own light.

Even if Golden Pegasus is willing to teach this Originium skill, there are only a few people who can learn it.

However, when contacting Maria, there was an unexpected surprise, that was Uncle Mainna. Uncle Mainna also came to Leithania. After knowing Noah's arrival, he specially found time to come to the house and discuss with Noah about the things about Yolanta and Mr. Snitks. Noah told Uncle Mainna everything she saw and heard. She never hid anything from the family she recognized.

But Mainna is a mature adult after all. When Noah said that she was actually "Zero" relying on the real Noah's body, although she was surprised, she did not change her attitude towards Noah.

"It's okay. Your will has long been respected by the Linguang family. No matter who you are, we will be your family." Mainna can't say soft words, but after saying this, Noah still felt warm.

"If Margaret minds such things—I'll break her legs."

"...Let's forget about this." Noah smiled awkwardly. Although this should have been just a joke, Uncle Mainna had said that he would break Maria's legs, but Maria still hadn't become a one-legged warrior.

"Find a time to tell Margaret and Maria about these things. I won't reveal anything to her—" Mainna suggested. "It's important to tell them in person. Margaret and Maria are both very straightforward people, and they both have a good impression of you. To be honest, I was worried for a while that Margaret and you would elope after this was over. After all, Maria is still here. Theoretically, Maria could take Margaret's place. Look at how well she's doing now. But Margaret didn't shirk her responsibilities. Instead, she bravely took on these responsibilities. Like her father, she's a natural leader. Maybe I was just worrying too much."

"What kind of person is Margaret? You know better than I do. If she can choose to leave with me after this is over, then she might as well not come back. She's already established a strong foundation in Rhodes Island. If she sets her mind to it, there's nothing she can't do. She's always been one to move forward, never stopping for anyone. That's one of the reasons I like her." Noya never considered another possibility, because even considering it would be a blasphemy against her will. "The sun's radiance is so dazzling that it won't stop for anyone. Chasing the sun will only melt your wax wings, and eventually fall into the abyss, leaving only a shadow on the sun. There will be no results, and no ending."

"You don't have to be so pessimistic. What kind of person was Margaret? What kind of will did she possess? History will reveal the answer. Now that she's passed down through history, her thoughts and feelings are irrelevant. The world will naturally judge." Mainna looked much softer as she recalled the past, like a sword, borne from a vicissitudes and painful past, ultimately fading into the dust of light. The sun rises and sets, and the will of the light, inherited from generation to generation, is destined to strangle fate. "The Kingdom of Knights, I don't want it to remain a Kingdom of Knights. The Knight should be merely a spirit, dwelling within the justice of each of us. It shines brightly when needed, and when not, it recedes into your heart to guide your progress."

"You're saying something profound, Uncle Manna. Casimir's transformation wasn't part of my plan, and I believe it wasn't part of Margaret's either. Casimir today—ah, Margaret is more like a totem, a beacon. As long as there's light, people will know where to go. That's the greatest gift she can give Casimir." Noya concluded his meeting with Uncle Manna with these words. Before leaving, Uncle Manna specifically shared the intelligence he'd gathered. "In the Far North, in Sami, there are traces of demons. I've heard of a warrior, alone, journeying to the Far North—people call him the 'Last Kexue.'"

"Tora..." Noah had never expected that she would learn his whereabouts from Uncle Mainna. No wonder he hadn't returned to her side for so long. Perhaps he had been confused and thought about looking for herself, but finally chose to walk his own way and head north - could the enemy he was going to face be an evil demon?

The worst thing to do when reading is to let your mind wander. Perhaps sensing Noah's uneasy mood, Fremont casually waved his hand, and the book in Noah's hand suddenly closed. "If you don't have the heart to read, don't waste your time reading. Get out of my tower!"

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Frémont, I'll stop here today. Have a nice day." Noah knew he was in the wrong, so he apologized awkwardly and turned to leave. Ermengarde looked at Noah's departing back and looked at Frémont with some uneasiness, "Why are you so fierce? You obviously like this child too, don't you?"

"After all, you wouldn't let anyone you dislike freely browse your collection. The last time someone touched your collection, you threw them out of the city." As the gatekeepers of the Hall of Knowledge, liches inherently possess a perverse thirst for knowledge and possessiveness. They naturally resent the thought of someone they dislike freely browsing their collection. But Noa was an exception. Anyone could see that Flemont didn't dislike Noa. His attitude made him look like a spoiled brat.

However, even if the little lich had a hundred guts, she would not dare to say such words, and could only complain secretly in her heart. As for Ermengarde, she felt that the old lich could definitely accept a disciple from the next generation. After all, Noah's knowledge and level of Originium skills were the best she had ever seen in her life. He could be called the number one warlock of the new generation. Perhaps only Logos, the current lord of the Banshee Court in Rhodes Island, could compete with him.

That's right, it's just a competition. Although Logos is powerful, it is inseparable from his bloodline. He is an anomaly among all generations of the Banshee Court, and he has inherited the love of seemingly everyone in the Banshee Court. He has countless buffs on his body. Even in such a cheating situation, Noah can actually compete with him, and even has a slight advantage in the aspect of removing curses. It is exaggerated beyond the limit.

"Hmph—just because I like someone doesn't mean I'll cross the line for their talent. I've told you many times about the importance of bottom lines. If I hadn't been fooled by that damned Herhunzoren and given him my life, he wouldn't have become what he is today. I've seen many geniuses, but genius can benefit mankind or destroy it. Look at Herhunzoren, and then look at this child. They both seem to be fascinated by the Warp. I don't want to see the next Witch King born!"

"She is she, and the Witch King is the Witch King," Ermengarde sighed. "Once bitten, one becomes afraid of ropes for ten years. Teacher, aren't you worried that I'll end up like him with all these restrictions on me?"

"Ermengard, I hope you won't test my patience. Otherwise, get out of this tower like her!" Frémont glared, but Ermengard seemed lost in thought, looking in the direction Noya had left. "What if, I mean what if, she's even more powerful than you think? Perhaps we liches wouldn't have to hide forever? Hiding the Life Knot in the Warp is safe, but we constantly feel the coldness of the absence of our souls. Honestly, I really don't want to send the Life Knot into the void. I'd rather it remain within my body, so at least I don't have to light a fire late at night to warm my frozen fingertips."

Ermengarde muttered to herself, not yet having the courage to speak all these words.

But Noah's appearance undoubtedly gave her some inspiration——

Why do even humans flock to the Warp, but Liches are so secretive about the Warp?

Aren't we the ones best suited to explore the warp?

Chapter 23: The Noble Man

As the saying goes, if you keep thinking about it, there will be a response.

Noah planted a seed in Ermengarde's heart in a very short time, a seed that was even dangerous in Fremont's view. But apart from Noah, let's turn the timeline back to a few days ago. After escorting Arturo to prison, Viviana entered the Twin Towers according to the original agreement and met the queen. To be precise, it was one of the queens, the black goat Hildegard Herinmart.

Compared to the gentle White Queen, Hildegard Herinmart, known as the ruthless authority, is undoubtedly one of the most feared people in the whole of Leithania. Cold and ruthless is her label. Holding a black sword, she is considered to have the same brutality as the Witch King. In the evaluation of the people of Leithania, she is far inferior to the other queen in terms of popularity. But there is no doubt that in the eyes of most people, Viviana, who was ordered by Hildegard to inherit the title of Elector, is naturally Hildegard's person.

This is what is called a faction. Even though Viviana herself has never admitted it, in the eyes of most people, it is an indisputable fact that she belongs to the Black King faction.

After entering the tower, Viviana was still a little uneasy about meeting the queen who put a sword across her neck when they first met. Fortunately, the queen did not summon her frequently. Most of the time, she just sent someone to pass on an order to her and did not summon her specifically. However, this also meant that once she was called over, there was probably some troublesome matter to be assigned to her - she had just been assigned the task of investigating the Witch King's Echo.

Although he was complaining in his heart, as the Elector and the lord of Shi Tong Territory, how could he abandon his responsibilities?

But every time at this time, she began to miss Noah, and she didn't know what Noah was doing now...

But at this moment, a tower warlock suddenly appeared beside Viviana. These tower warlocks were directly under the Queen's orders and could be considered the Queen's confidants. Because they always wore masks, it was difficult to tell which one it was. But out of courtesy, Viviana still greeted him first.

"Hello--"

"Ms. Droste, you're back so soon. Of all the nobles I know, you're the one who loves reading the most." The tower warlock responded politely, but she thought it was Viviana who came here to read. After all, in the Queen's Twin Towers, the place Viviana often visited was the library with a large number of classics. But this time, Viviana hoped that she came here to read -

"I'm here to see the Queen," Viviana explained. "Thank you for your usual graciousness, but today, I don't think I'm in the mood to read."

The tower warlock nodded slightly. "If so, you must have a great mission. Best wishes to you, Lady Droste."

"Thank you." The two nodded to each other and passed by each other. Viviana glanced at the invisible black coagulated bloodstain on the clothes of the High Tower Warlock. Thinking of the High Tower Warlock's responsibilities, she suddenly realized that the High Tower Warlock might have completed an [execution] or witnessed an [execution]. In connection with her previous ordinary words, Viviana couldn't help but sigh.

Fortunately, Ms. Hildegard did not make Viviana wait too long. When she came to the queen, the first thing she saw was the black sword leaning on the throne beside the queen, which was stained with blood. On Viviana's side, some masked servants were cleaning a bloodstain. The owner of the bloodstain had probably been sent away. However, once human blood was spilled on the ground, it was difficult to deal with. Even for professionals who were used to cleaning bloodstains, it would take a lot of time to clean it up.

Beheading on the spot - the queen's methods are still so clean and efficient.

Viviana withdrew her gaze and saluted the Queen. "Viviana Droste, greetings to the Queen."

"——Viviana." Hildegard raised her eyes, and when her cold black eyes fell on Viviana, she could feel a chill. The bloody black sword, the indelible blood stains, and the spotless clothes on her body, combined together, showed a monarch with bloody hands and decisive killing. Viviana understood why some people thought Hildegard was a tyrant. Her thunderous methods were well-known among all the Leithanian nobles.

In the eyes of many people, Hildegard's summons was as close to a death notice as possible. Hildegard liked to conduct questioning in court. She was actually a very reasonable person. She would reveal the chain of evidence one by one, and then make a judgment in court. In the end, she would even carry out the execution herself. It would take almost no time from the judgment to the execution. The blood stained here was enough to scare the nobles of Leithania.

That sword had drunk the blood of countless people, including even the blood of the Witch King Herhunzoren.

This strong murderous aura made Viviana dare not even look directly into Hildegard's eyes.

"I heard your friend has returned from Agor?" Hildegard spoke slowly, but Viviana felt her heart suddenly stop. "Noa Kyrielight, Casimir's wanted criminal, the former governor of Rhine Life. When such a person comes to Leithania, are they treated well?"

"...Ms. Noah is my friend."

"—I'm not asking that. I'm asking if you've treated this [friend] well."

"...Yes." Viviana lowered her eyes. "I arranged a place for her to live with me. She came here just for vacation and has no political purpose."

"Vacation...Vacation, I see." Hildegard smiled softly. "Viviana, my Viviana, if I ask you to leave her in Leithania, will you do it?"

"...You...what do you mean?" Viviana raised her head and narrowed her eyes slightly. "What do you want to do to Miss Noah?"

"What? I simply admire her talent and hope she can be used by Leitania," Hildegard replied. "You can rest assured that I have no plans to do anything to her. I simply want to see for myself what kind of person this household name is."

"I'm so sorry, Your Majesty." However, when it came to Noya, Viviana, contrary to her usual behavior, mustered up the courage to look at Hildegard and speak. "I don't want to treat my friend this way. She is not your prey. Her will is her own. She will not serve you, nor any other queen. Her eyes never hold the so-called imperial power—she is a true knight, a noble being who illuminates this land. If you intend to keep her by force—"

"What would you do if I tried to force her to stay?" Hildegard asked with a smile. "Viviana, can you really go against my will?"

"I will fight to the end." Viviana looked directly into Hildegard's eyes. "I will protect my friend."

"...Heh, this is probably the first time you've dared to look me in the eye." Hildegard shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I don't intend to force her to stay. She has talent, but she's not the right person for Leitania."

"...Thank you, Your Majesty." Viviana finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although she had just confronted the Queen, she didn't think she could withstand a few moves from Hildegard if possible.

"I'm here for something else. Don't thank me yet." Putting aside Noa's concerns, Hildegard got down to business. "Have you found any results on the Witch King's Echo that I asked you to investigate?"

"...Strictly speaking, we didn't find any direct clues, but before coming here, we arrested a Sakota who claimed to be involved in the criminal activities of the Witch King's Echo. According to the procedures, I arrested and detained him, and he is now in prison." Viviana honestly explained the details of the work, especially when she mentioned the strange Sakota, her tone was a little uncertain.

"How did you arrest her?"

“…She…turned herself in.”

“…turn yourself in?”

"Yes." Viviana nodded. "I saw her beneath the Twin Towers. I also took away all her weapons and spellcasting units. Theoretically... she had indeed lost her ability to resist. Sakota didn't have an overwhelming advantage in physical strength. I only allowed the military police to detain her after I was sure she was unable to perform Originium techniques."

"The echo of the Witch King, Shakota..." Hildegard pondered for a moment. Even she could sense the doubts. "I understand. I will go and see this Shakota myself."

"...Your Majesty, with all due respect, why did you suddenly summon me?" Viviana couldn't help but ask. "You normally wouldn't summon me directly. If you just wanted to inquire about progress, I'd write a report every day and have the messenger deliver it to you. You wouldn't need to meet me in person."

"...What? You really don't want to see me?"

"Don't dare."

"No need to pretend. Many people are afraid to see me." Hildegard chuckled. "But this time, it's not just to inquire about the progress. Viviana, do you remember the origin of the Twin Towers?"

"...Remember, the Witch King's Tower was overturned by the two queens. After the Witch King's Tower fell, the Queen's Twin Towers were rebuilt in the same location using the building materials of the Horn of Origin. It is a symbol of the royal power of Leithnia..." Viviana was very good at history and repeated the recorded text word for word.

"Yes, this tower beneath our feet is one of the Witch King's legacies—and a few days ago, the twin towers experienced a [resonance]."

"resonance?"

"The material of the Twin Towers is the Horn of Origin of the Witch King, the Witch King's tower. Apart from us, only one person can resonate with the Twin Towers." Hildegard did not say the name directly, but Viviana already knew why Hildegard summoned her to inquire about the progress. Herhunzoren, Letania's nightmare, Hildegard, one of the Twin Queens, could be so cautious. Perhaps only the Witch King is qualified.

But...isn't the Witch King dead?

"Your Majesty, I don't understand..."

"Viviana, you grew up in an attic and later left Leithania for Casimir. You don't understand what kind of man Herkunzorum is. You haven't experienced his era, which is fortunate for you," Hildegard said. "I never deny the significance of Herkunzorum's wisdom, skills, and strength to Leithania. On the contrary, we need them right now. However, this doesn't mean I want the Witch King to return—we pierced his chest ourselves, at a huge cost, not to remember him one day."

"Then you mean..."

"Indeed, we killed him. But he was Herhunzoren. He was the Witch King, and he still lives on in Letania's memory. On this level, we did not completely kill him. He is like a shadow, following Letania everywhere." The Black Queen narrowed her eyes slightly. "The Electors will not like what I say, except you, Viviana. You are the only Elector who might stand on my side. This is why you must become an Elector - Letania cannot forget the Witch King, and cannot get rid of the Witch King's influence. You are the only exception."

"…Because I haven't actually faced the Witch King…?"

"Yes, you won't fear him, and you won't miss him. To you, he's just a piece of history from the distant past—" The Black Queen smiled. "That's exactly what I hope to see, Viviana. They're never afraid of the title of 'Witch King'. They're worried that Liselotte and I will follow in Herhunzollon's footsteps and take away their power and interests."

"...Your Majesty...you...don't have to tell me this." Viviana knew that after hearing these words, she would likely be dragged into a complicated entanglement. To be honest, she had never expected the Black Queen to actually say this to her...

"No, this is very important. It's for Leitania, Viviana." The Queen stood up and turned her back to Viviana. "Lizelotte never agreed with my approach. She always told me that overly radical measures would cause humanity to rebel. We, if I can still call us "we," also have our differences. In a sense, I am fighting alone. I need allies, such as you, Viviana, or..."

"...Is this why you asked me about Miss Noya's specific situation?"

"You're right. The Exalted are difficult to control, but they will choose to join the game on their own accord—" Hildegard began. "Besides, she's not completely unrelated to this place, Viviana. She's of the Kyrielight bloodline."

“…Kyriet…”

"Believe me, she will come to me on her own."

Chapter 24: Great Rune

"Is this your idea?" Loris looked at Sakota, who was humming a tuneless song, with a puzzled look on his face. "You said you wanted to help me avenge those guys, but you're just going to attend a concert?"

"Yes," Arturo said with a smile, "I am a musician after all. How can I miss my concert?"

"Need I remind you that you are officially wanted for escaping from prison and your performance at this concert has been cancelled?" Loris folded his arms and leaned against the wall. He couldn't help but start to doubt whether it was the right decision to give up his peaceful retirement for this seemingly calm but insane Sakota woman.

"Mr. Loris, music doesn't require special preparation. It's something natural, a melody forged from within, a spontaneous inspiration, a flash of inspiration. Extensive practice simply allows you to grasp the moment of inspiration and avoid wasting it," Arturo explained. "It's true that I've been disqualified from performing, but who says you need qualifications to perform music?"

"Madman..." Loris frowned, but the intercom on his waist rang, "I'll buy you some time, you can handle it yourself."

"Of course, thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Loris." Arturo watched Loris, who had changed into guard clothes, close the door and leave. Looking at the staff members who were easily knocked down by Loris on the ground, she showed a charming smile. In order to help her enter the preparation room of the concert, Loris showed his strength that he had not shown for a long time. He was worthy of being the first hero to step into the Witch King's Tower. People whose hearts have been awakened can always bring her many surprises.

I'm really looking forward to it——if my performance can resound throughout Leitania——

She chuckled and walked into the dressing room, changing into the dress that had been prepared. She had a lot of things to do before going on stage.

-

"Concert?" After Noah came back from Ludwig University, Viviana, whom she hadn't seen for a long time, suddenly knocked on her door. Although the two lived together, they didn't communicate much because Viviana had work to do. However, Noah understood Viviana's difficulties very well. In the past, Viviana always waited for her to finish the work at hand. Now it was her turn. It could be said that it was a kind of reversal of fortune in a sense.

"Yes—" Viviana tilted her head in confusion. "I saw two tickets in the mailbox this morning. They were VIP tickets. I thought you bought them."

"I haven't even heard of this concert..." Noya shook her head. Looking at the two tickets, she suddenly remembered a joke. It was a bit hellish, but she hadn't told a hellish joke in a long time, so she spoke up. "Speaking of which, Viviana, do you know how I got oripathy in the first place?"

"……what?"

"I received a similar letter before, but that time it was Margaret who invited me out to see the flowers, but I ended up being ambushed—" Noah said with a smile, "I haven't seen flowers as beautiful as that one for a long time. Perhaps I should thank those guys who tricked me out back then?"

"...Ms. Noah, this isn't funny." Viviana frowned. Although she had long known that Miss Noah had such a hobby of making fun of her, every time she heard it, she only felt distressed, not amused. "This isn't something to discuss with a smile!"

"I don't mind. Just think of it as a joke from hell—" Noah shrugged, feeling that Viviana, like Mace, couldn't appreciate his black humor. "Anyway, I think it's suspicious."

"Then I won't go—" Viviana was already incredibly busy. It wasn't that she couldn't spare the time, but ever since the day His Majesty summoned her and said those words about the Witch King Herhunzoren, Viviana's nerves had been on edge. After all, his meaning was simply—be prepared, the Witch King might want to have a resurrection match with us. Then, he handed most of the investigation work to Viviana.

"I didn't say I wouldn't go." Noah blinked. "I was just a child at the time and had no sense of security, so they got away with it."

"...Then why are you going? Don't you have any sense of safety now?"