Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"But if this battle was caused by me, I have no reason to hide." Franz was not as indifferent as Gerhard. He wanted to help, but Gerhard smiled and said...

"You feel guilty, of course." His smile was a little sad. "Fate chose you to be the one who survived, which wasn't necessarily a mercy. I know that feeling best."

"...What...are you talking about? Have you ever experienced similar pain?"

"In the final battle, I was seriously injured and spent the better part of six months in a daze. Sensei Frémont painstakingly healed me. That day, I finally woke from the nightmare of the scarlet steps, and the first thought that came to my mind was... my classmates, friends, even my lover were gone." Gerhard's expression at that moment made Franz feel a chill in his heart. "In despair, I climbed to the top of the Sonata Tower and wanted to jump. But the teacher found me. I asked him if everything I had done for Leitania was truly meaningful enough."

significance?

What is meaning?

Does it mean that I was the only one who lost everything in that transformation? What reason do I have to live?

The teacher will not understand this kind of feeling.

Of course Gerhard would think so... Franz, Franz is very similar to himself.

They lost everything because of a change. Their courage brought about their own sorrow, but they had to watch everything they had gained continue to fall.

So he began to wonder if he had done something wrong?

"My teacher gave me a stack of books about the Golden Rule. He said that when I couldn't answer my own questions, history might be able to. So I began to study the movement, studying why Leithania was born and where it should go. I studied for a full twenty years." Gerhard is the person in the world who knows the Golden Rule best besides the Witch King and Flemont. The more he understands the Golden Rule, the more he understands the greatness of Herkunzollern, the only man who modified the Golden Rule.

"What's the answer?" Franz finally realized something was wrong, and his tone became a little flustered.

"Ever since the creation of the Golden Rule, Leitania's problems have persisted. The cultural differences between the various tribes, the chasm between nobles and commoners, have remained unchanged for millennia. History has proven that transforming Leitania, bringing a new life to its people, and ending the cycle of needless sacrifice... is incredibly difficult."

Gerhard smiled.

"The strongest will and the greatest strength are both indispensable. Fortunately, this strength has not been completely lost. We are going to find it."

"The power you mentioned is hidden in this ancient campus?" Franz gripped his staff. He had sensed something.

"Yes," Gerhard replied, "this is an opportunity, Franz."

"If I get it, I can solve this dilemma, eliminate the threat posed by the Witch King's remnants... and change my fate at the same time?" Franz took a deep breath. "Is that possible?"

"Of course it's possible. Everything will get better. We will pick up the key to change everything. Come on, Franz, it's right in front of us." Gerhard persuaded, "The key is in your hands. It's your chance, mine, and even the chance for all of Leithnia."

"That's it." At this moment, a voice made Franz stop. He turned around and saw that the people who came here were of course Viviana and Noah. The tracking spell on Franz had completed its task and turned into fragments and disappeared, but it didn't matter anymore. At this time, Noah had already come to their side.

"Mr. Gerhard, no...should I call you the Witch King's remnant?"

"...?!"

Noah's words made Franz turn around and look at Gerhard. Seeing his half-smile, Franz subconsciously took two steps back. He had long been suspicious, and Noah's words only gave him confirmation. He took two steps back, so that key...

"...Franz, do you want to trust this person or me?" Gerhard asked. "I can help you, but she can only make you continue to suffer."

"……I……"

Franz hesitated. Everything Gerhard promised was too tempting for him. But the remnants of the Witch King that Noah mentioned... Gerhard? Could it be the remnants of the Witch King?

"...Mr. Franz, I know what you're hesitating about. But think about it carefully. Who in this world knows the Golden Rule best besides the Witch King and Mr. Frémont? My father, the former Elector, had his copy of the Golden Rule stolen. The culprits are the remnants of the Witch King!" At this time, Viviana also stepped forward to persuade, "Mr. Gerhard, the copy of the Golden Rule is in your hands!"

“…” Gerhard did not answer, and the atmosphere suddenly became weird, but Gerhard still did not move, just looked at Franz expectantly.

"I can help you resolve the echoes of the mortal world in your head. I can also free you from the curse of the Utica bloodline, Franz. I can solve everything that troubles you," Gerhard emphasized. "I can bring change to Leitania, just as I did in the past."

lure……

It was like a devil's temptation. Franz subconsciously wanted to believe that the voice in his head could really be solved? Could he really be free from Utica's bloodline? Could the thing that killed my brother really be solved?

Franz turned around, having made his decision.

Noya felt sorry, but she couldn't just sit back and watch. She took a step forward, but the next moment, the stairs beneath their feet tore apart, and the entire structure of the Sonata Tower shifted. This was due to the magic within the Sonata Tower. Gerhard manipulated everything. Gerhard was too familiar with this place, this academy.

This is his home turf.

The walls closed, isolating Noa and Viviana, and Gerhard held Franz's hand.

"Franz, come here. We should move on." Gerhard smiled, and a black door appeared in front of them.

"here it is?"

"This is what I told you, the key to changing Leithania. Over a thousand years ago, sages from different tribes gathered together and, witnessed by the most powerful undead sorcerer, signed a covenant. This covenant stipulated the relationship between the tribes, established the electoral system, and laid the foundation for the morality and aesthetics of the Leithanian people."

Gerhard introduced, and Franz certainly knew these introductions - because they were written in history books.

"You mean... Golden Rule?"

"For the next several hundred years, the Golden Rule ensured the stability of Leithania. Until a little over a hundred years ago, the Syracusans were the first to abandon the movement and attempt independence from Leithania. It was a conflict... that lasted for years. With the loss of one section, the movement lost its stability. The various regions fell into chaos, and Leithania was on the verge of collapse."

By this time, Gerhard's tone had begun to change.

"In the midst of despair, one man stood up. He realized that the Golden Rule movement had to be updated. Only by removing Syracuse from the movement could the new movement tie the remaining nine regions together again."

that person……

Franz took a deep breath.

"The Witch King."

"Yes..." Gerhard pushed open the door. "What you see is the most mysterious room in Ludwig University, the place where the Utica family's thousand-year-old rituals are concentrated—and it's also where Herzogenaurach updated the Golden Rule."

This is the starting point of Leitania's rebirth.

And now, it will be the starting point of change for Leitania.

Everything was just as he had expected, and he came to the starting point of change.

However, before he pushed open the door, a voice, a cold voice, froze his soul.

"Who allowed you to get your hands on my inheritance?"

This majestic and terrifying voice resounded in the tower, and the entire tower seemed to tremble because of this voice. Both Gerhard and Franz were completely fixed in place by a terrible force at this moment, and the owner of this voice, that terrifying shadow, the voice that could only be heard in Franz's nightmares, was sounding behind them.

That voice, is that him?

This is impossible……

How the hell is this possible?!

Franz wanted to turn around, to see the person who heard the voice, to confirm his nightmare.

But he couldn't.

With just one sentence, he could strike fear into the hearts of all of Leithania.

And now, the nightmare of Letania was right behind them... so close.

"Foolish bloodline and traitor, what qualifications do you have to get involved here?"

Chapter 41: There Must Be a Witch King

As if something was strangling their throats, both Franz and Gerhard were now constrained by terror. Not to mention moving, they couldn't even look back.

Herhunzollon, who temporarily borrowed Noya's body, easily mastered the entire Sonata Tower's technique and took it back from Gerhard's control. This kind of control over the technique is something that even his most satisfied disciple Noya finds difficult to do. Noya has excellent talent in music and magic, but as the saying goes, every profession has its own specialties. If Noya's strength comes from his inner determination and talent, then Herhunzollon's strength - no, this is no longer strong, this is simply abnormal.

For most spells, Herhunzollon only needs one glance to completely analyze them and use them for his own benefit. In front of him, no sorcerer can hide their spells. It is like a tough plunder. Replicating, copying, and even strengthening spells are all Herhunzollon's specialties. It is precisely because of this extraordinary spell analysis ability that he can, as a mortal, stand shoulder to shoulder with the Lord of the Lich King's Court who considers himself the gatekeeper of the Hall of Knowledge. In his limited years, he has achieved the achievement of analyzing the Golden Rule and even entering the subspace.

In his eyes, Gerhard's technique was as ridiculous as a childish toy. With just one glance, he took away the control of the technique.

In Leithania, no one can stop Herhunzollon. He is the king and the ruler here. With a tall tower, his figure has not faded even after so many years.

He lives on in Leithania and in the hearts of everyone who lived through the Age of the Witch-King.

"Foolish, traitorous, and blind blood, how dare you speak so arrogantly about Leitania—"

"How dare you talk about Leitania!"

The tower was trembling, as if it also felt fear in his words. They were located in the basement of the Sonata Tower. This underground secret room was once a special structure used by Hercules to modify the Golden Rule. Every inch and every minute of this place was permeated with the voice of the Witch King. This was Utica's secret room, his lead singer. Everyone knew that challenging a warlock in the warlock's tower was a foolish act.

The legends were all true. Gerhard witnessed history repeating itself as the secret room welcomed its true owner.

"That's great... The legends are all true. The teacher didn't lie to me." He fell into a kind of frenzy, muttering to himself, as if it was not him who was being targeted. He was like a pilgrim, full of piety.

All of this, the rituals, the magical devices, are so well preserved. This is living history! Even the best history books couldn't possibly record the events in such detail!

At this moment, something emerged from the ground. It was shadows one after another, sorcerers one after another. These people wrapped in black robes emerged from the shadows.

These men, clad in black, their cloaks stained with blood, their presence completely convinced Franz of one thing, because he knew them. It was these very creatures, these very beasts, who had instilled the echoes of the mortal world into his head, making this noise a constant companion for half his life. The robes, hoods, and masks, unchanged for over twenty years, tore apart his nightmare bit by bit, and these very instigators, his deepest nightmares, were now kneeling before him—

Bow down to their returning god...

"Welcome back to your territory—"

"Welcome back to this land that has been defiled by traitors!"

"Herhunzollon! Your Majesty the Witch King! We have finally waited for your return!"

"We have been waiting for your return... We are your humblest followers, we wait for fate to favor us, but fate... fate is your defeated enemy, strangled by fate's throat, we have been trying to find your trace. It is great... My king... You have returned, you will lead us back to the glorious era... Let Leitania be great again, let Leitania be Leitania!"

One after another, they knelt down in front of Noah. They didn't even dare to raise their heads and look at Noah's appearance. They only dared to kiss the ground at Noah's feet.

The Echo of the Witch King...

The Witch King's remnants...

They have many names, but at this moment, they are just subjects.

The truth they sought now appeared before them, and they would not mistake it. Although the figure looked thin, they could see that those eyes belonged to Herhunzollon.

The one with half-closed eyes, neither sad nor happy, like a god...

The King they saw.

"..." Noya, no, Herhunzollon did not respond to these people's prayers, nor did he pay attention to their kneeling. From beginning to end, he did not say even a word to these [ministers]. She just walked past these people step by step, and the door opened for them. The black door was his creation, and naturally it was impossible for him to disobey his master. The secret room sunk underground, and everything displayed in it, can be called Herhunzollon's legacy.

Finally, he stopped beside his chair, where a black cloak hung. He stretched out his hand, and the cloak automatically wrapped around his body as if it had life. The black cape had a bright red lining that looked as if stained with blood. He turned around and sat in his chair, his hands naturally falling on the armrests. Then, he lowered his head and gave everyone an order -

"Kneel down."

Gerhard, the only two people standing, immediately knelt down. Herhunzollen's voice seemed to be filled with magic, and the syllables alone were enough to crush a person's spirit.

"..."

Creak... creak, Franz's bones were screaming, his body was terrified, his spirit was shattered, but he did not kneel down. He gritted his teeth, his gums bleeding, his eyes were bloodshot, but he did not kneel down.

He won't kneel—

He still had revenge to take, he couldn't surrender to this monster, he absolutely couldn't surrender to fate.

Franz recalled the white figure. It was his brother. They had the same blood, the same fate, and similar wounds.

But he was already dead, and he didn't even have the chance to be with him until now.

The culprit! It's the man in front of me!

He forced himself to raise his head, and then his eyes trembled...

The man sitting on the throne... was not the monster he thought...

No, he suddenly understood.

He had heard of her legends from various sources. Her name had long been known throughout Terra. She was the witch betrayed by Casimir, the honorary saint manipulated by Kjerag, the protector of Victoria, the former governor of Rhine Life, and the one who led the friendly exchanges between Agor and the ground. It seemed... she seemed to be able to do anything.

And now, it seems that everything has an answer.

Noah Kyrielight, at that moment, sat upon the throne, her crimson eyes half-closed, looking down at the men kneeling before her. Her eyes held neither joy nor sorrow. With a flick of her finger, she could control everything in the chamber. Taking the lives of everyone here would be a piece of cake. Because she wasn't the Noah Kyrielight Franz knew. So that was it, so that was it. She was indeed a witch, deceiving everyone!

He should have thought of it long ago, why she played songs they had hardly ever heard before!

Why she is one of the best warlocks in Terra!

Why can she always create miracles, why is she always at the center of events!

"He-er-hun-zo-lun!"

Because she is Hercules. Franz doesn't know how she did it, but Hercules lives in her body, and her eyes have proved everything.

"...noisy." His fingers trembled, and the huge pressure almost broke his back, but hatred, yes, hatred drove his soul, making him take out the magic wand in his hand. The several metal dice flew in the air, gathering his full strength to strike. He wanted to crush his nightmare here, he wanted to kill this tyrant, he wanted to kill him for himself, for Chalk, and for everyone!

He must not survive!

However, the next moment, before that huge power could condense into shape, the Originium crystal cluster had already pierced his skin, and blood instantly dyed his clothes red, but he did not stop. He was self-destructing, driven by his anger, gambling everything, even if it would explode in the next moment. It didn't matter. He was seeking, seeking strength, driving the Originium in his body like drinking poison. He was extremely grateful that he was a mineral patient, and the stones that pierced his body supported him to deliver the final blow.

Hatred... Can hatred make people so strong?

At this moment, Franz's entire life seemed to pass by again.

"The Count of Utica".

He had earned that nickname in the decade since he'd woken from a coma and found himself placed in that shackled chair many years before.

He never wanted the title of count, hated the surname Utica, and even disliked the old-fashioned name Franz, which was used by countless aristocratic children.