Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

The only offensive relic, the Paradise Fulcrum, failed to prevent the destruction of mankind. It can be said that the previous civilization has done its best.

Project Originium, Project Preserver, Deep Blue Tree, and even Project Zero all existed to preserve life and civilization as much as possible after humanity's defeat. However, thanks to Noah's efforts, Haisi had begun truly shifting toward the Deep Blue Tree's goals. Project Preserver had completely failed, and Project Originium had been temporarily put on hold. After all, Precious had promised Noah she would reconsider the matter. As the primary executor of the Originium Project, her attitude was crucial.

It is precisely because there are probably only two people who can influence Prissus, one is the Doctor and the other is Noah, so Noah took the initiative to synchronize these information with the Doctor.

The most confused person here is probably Amiya. Although she knew a little about the existence of the previous civilization from Kal'tsit, she never expected that Miss Noah, the Doctor and others would have so many intricate connections.

"Well... then shouldn't Miss Noa, the Doctor, and Miss Precious be the ones to sit down and talk?" Amiya raised her hand seriously and asked, "After all, they're true partners, right?"

"Even partners can have disagreements," Noah explained. "Like now, she still wants to rebuild the previous civilization, while we've chosen to help Terra. It's not about right or wrong, it's simply a difference in perspective. Amiya, I also considered asking you to attend this meeting for this reason. Dr. Kal'tsit probably wanted to tell you this."

"Then... Doctor, even if you know all this... are you still going to stay with us?" Amiya looked at the most important person in her heart, the Doctor. "Doctor, you've found your true partner. Will you stay in Rhodes Island?"

At this time, not only Amiya, but also Kal'tsit and Noah looked at the Doctor. Although Noah had confidence in the Doctor, in the final analysis, it was the Doctor himself who could decide everything.

If the Doctor really chooses Precious, to be honest, Noah has no right to say anything, because it is the Doctor's choice. The Doctor is Noah's friend, and she should not interfere with the Doctor's choice.

The doctor sighed. Honestly, after hearing Noah speak frankly, many of her suspicions were answered. She was certain that Noah wasn't lying, or rather, her personality wouldn't allow her to lie to her. She could completely trust Noah in this regard. Of course, she had mixed feelings about the previous civilization, about Precious, about Noah's true identity, and even about herself being the culprit who killed Theresa.

She knew what Theresa meant to Kal'tsit and Amiya, and she did do something that disappointed them, but Theresa also gave her the power to choose.

——Choose the power of Terra civilization or the previous civilization.

If letting oneself lose one's memory and then make a choice has some meaning of guidance, then letting Noa give oneself back one's past memories is indeed fair, especially at this juncture, when Precious has been resurrected. If the Doctor chooses to join Precious, almost no one can stop them. Precious's authority over the Originium is enough for the two of them to destroy the Terra civilization, but even so... Noa still gave herself the right to choose.

This is trust.

Even without Priss's influence, Noah seemed to trust him as much as before.

Before the doctor could speak, the door of the conference room opened, and Precious, like the owner of the place, ignored everyone's surprised looks and sat down in an empty seat nearby.

"...Isn't the door locked?" Amiya and Kal'tsit were both frightened, but probably only Noah knew that Priss had a high level of authority on Rhodes Island. Theoretically, there was no door in the entire Rhodes Island that could stop her. However, her appearance did not surprise Noah. According to Priss's prying desire, it was impossible for her not to eavesdrop on this meeting, or rather, Noah intended for her to eavesdrop.

"...Why are you looking at me? Keep going? Or do you not welcome me?" Precious sat in his seat, glanced coldly at Amiya and Kal'tsit, and said in a cold tone, "I'm just here to listen."

Although she was just there to listen, her presence had actually proved something. However, with Noah around, it was impossible for her to really take action... Noah did have the means to restrict her, and she didn't really want to fall out with Noah.

Having spent so much time with Noah, she believed she understood her personality. Although gentle and tolerant, everything had its limits. When something crossed her line, she would immediately treat the person as an enemy. And she never showed mercy to her enemies. Honestly, with the power she currently possessed, Precious had no guarantee of victory...

These were from the perspective of strength, which she was not sure about, but from a psychological perspective... to be honest, Precious hoped that Noah could come to her side. After all, in the entire Terra civilization, Noah was probably the only one who could make Precious look up to him.

Now everyone in the conference room is waiting for the doctor's answer, but for the doctor himself...

"...Can I think about it first?" Even the Doctor couldn't give a direct answer at this time. Although he looked calm, the one who was actually most shocked here was the Doctor himself. Noah spoke very carefully about what he had done and his experiences in the previous civilization, without any bias. It can be said that he gave a very objective account of everything the Doctor had done in the past.

She had done her best, but the doctor was still caught in a dilemma...

The Doctor is a good person, a truly good person, and she always makes the most moral choices...but the choice she faces now is not a simple moral issue.

It was natural that she felt complicated, or rather, no one could sort out everything and give a choice so quickly.

Humans are not machines and cannot give such a clear answer.

So, after the doctor said this, Noah also sympathetically stopped Amiya and Kel'tsit who wanted to say something, and gently shook his head, "Doctor, no matter what choice you make, I will not blame you. It is your own choice, and no one can force you."

"...Aren't you afraid that the Doctor will stand with me?" Prisseth was confused at this moment. "Shouldn't you be standing against me?"

"I'm not your enemy, Precious." Noah had actually said this a long time ago. "We never need to fight to the death. I will seek a path to coexistence, as I did then and now."

"I think your thinking is truly naive." Precious's words were truly unforgiving, but she didn't lose her temper. She simply sighed. "Doctor, if that's the case, I won't continue to persuade you. But you can't avoid this choice. Give me an answer as soon as possible. It will be better for both of us."

The meeting was temporarily suspended. Noah and Precious left first. Although Kal'tsit and Amiya wanted to say something, they also knew why Noah didn't let them play the emotional card. At this time, no matter who said what, it would put a lot of pressure on the Doctor. Noah was just protecting the Doctor.

After leaving the conference room, Noah and Precious walked onto the deck. The midday sun was a bit dazzling, and from above they could see the dust kicked up by Rhodes Island's advance. Noah looked at the wasteland and asked curiously, "When did you start listening?"

"At first." Precious knew there was no point in lying to Noya, so he told the truth directly. "I was actually surprised. I thought you would try to persuade the doctor, or even embellish your memories, but no... You told the doctor everything honestly and objectively... I couldn't find any fault."

"What's the point of me exaggerating? I don't wish to distort anyone's will, no matter what method I use. Besides, this isn't a moral issue... I will understand whatever the Doctor chooses. No one is wrong here." While Noa leaned more towards the Terran Civilization than the Pre-Civilization, she wouldn't force Precious and the Doctor, both from the Pre-Civilization, to change their choices. "This is my honesty."

"Honestly... to be honest, you've shown some human weaknesses. If we really become enemies and kill you... I'll have nightmares." Precious couldn't help but complain, "Or is this your purpose?"

"...I'm not perfect. Of course I have weaknesses." Noah shook her head. "But, Precious, I consider you and the Doctor my friends. This is my most honest feeling. I won't lie to my friends. This is also my honesty."

Chapter 69: Dripping Water Village

"...Okay, Noah, I'll give you one chance. For your honesty, and because you're Miss Administrator's last successor, I'll give you one—just one—chance. I'll accompany you to the secret laboratory in Dripping Water Village. I believe Miss Administrator definitely didn't just leave these things behind. She's always been incredibly well-planned. She might have already prepared the answer for us. And... you mentioned before that in that secret laboratory... there's Miss Administrator's AI, right?"

"...Yes." Noah nodded, "At least that's what my grandfather told me."

"That's fine, Noah. This isn't because you've convinced me, nor do I have any interest in the current Terra civilization. I'm just willing to give you this opportunity, do you understand?"

"……Eh?"

"What? I've made it very clear. I'm only planning to give Terra Civilization a chance because of you." Precious frowned. "Now, you'd better pray that the administrator has other plans. My patience isn't unlimited."

"Precious, I'm glad you think this way." Noah was naturally happy. This was the first time that Precious took the initiative to offer to give up his original position.

"Don't be too happy too soon," Precious poured a bucket of cold water on him without hesitation. "And... do you really think it's worth it? The enemy we face can't be defeated by passionate lines about friendship, hard work, and victory. They are lumberjacks, enemies we haven't been able to defeat despite our best efforts. You're right, we are not the enemy. We have only one enemy, and that is the lumberjacks... The reason I chose to abandon Terran civilization is simply because your efforts are meaningless and even a waste of time. We don't have much time... Terra cannot protect us."

The current Terran civilization was too weak, mired in internal strife and suspicion. Its nations lacked even mutual understanding. Noa's efforts had only united a small number of people. Could such a civilization truly overcome foes that previous civilizations hadn't conquered? Wasn't this just wishful thinking? Precious couldn't convince herself, couldn't believe what was happening. The only hope she held tightly to her hand was the Originium.

It was a very conciliatory move for her to give such an answer.

"……I have no idea……"

"...right...you don't know." Precious turned his head, the wind blew the long hair of the two people, one black and one white, and they stood on the deck of Rhodes Island. This was the Ark of Tomorrow that once belonged to the previous civilization, and now it also belonged to the Terra civilization. However, Precious walked into the shadows, while Noah was still in the midday sun. Precious turned his head and felt that her white hair was so bright that it was dazzling, and he couldn't help but squint his eyes.

In a blur, she seemed to see the scene of the administrator standing on the deck and chatting with the doctor -

She felt at the time that they were omnipotent, and as long as she followed them, she would definitely have a happy ending and everything would go in the best direction.

But, it turns out.

She was wrong.

When the stars went out and everything ceased to exist, all the achievements and technologies they were proud of would become nothing more than their gorgeous coffins in the end. The most powerful weapons they could create, even super weapons that could destroy an entire galaxy in one blow, could not defeat an enemy they could not even recognize. However, the fleet's destruction signal would not lie. When the human defense fleet was completely destroyed, they could only retreat to Terra - it was not that they did not want to return to their home planet, but it seemed that they had lost contact with their home planet. In the end, this group of stray dogs could only pass through the star gate and come to their last defense base.

When all of humanity fell into negativity, it was the Doctor and the Administrator who took charge. Scientists took over the work that should have been done by politicians. The first completed Heaven's Fulcrum was the first to be proven ineffective. But then, they also had the Originium Project, the Deep Blue Tree, and... and... what else? At the time, Precious couldn't think of any other means he had to fight the enemy.

They don't even have a way of truly understanding the enemy's form and weaknesses. They only know that when death comes, everything will become invisible, and any technological creation will be useless in front of it.

Despair... What is truly terrifying is despair.

Her last hope was to put everything into the work at hand, and everyone was on edge.

Hope, hope is the most important thing in a hopeless world.

Perhaps, from that time on, she no longer believed in the existence of hope.

However, there were still things she could do, she could still stay in the Garden of Eden... she was still living in the paradise in her mind.

She once made a joke in front of everyone: if everything was irreversible, then why not just rebuild a Garden of Eden within the Originium? Living together forever, perhaps that would be a happy ending, too?

Anyway...houses will always be demolished, life will always be met with death, prosperity will always be followed by withering...hope will always turn to despair.

The Originium will solidify all of this, solidify time, solidify life, solidify the soul... Then, everyone can usher in eternity, unchanging eternity.

This must be some kind of... happiness, right?

We will meet thousands and thousands of times, we can have countless miracles... We can listen to the sound of butterflies breaking out of their cocoons, we can hear the sound of the tide breaking on the rocks, we can have everything and maintain our dreams forever.

Precious believed so much...

However, she hadn't done it yet... She was like the child who always carried a doomsday button with her. Every time she wanted to press it, something held her back, something—perhaps a sunny day, perhaps just a smile from Noah. And today, she finally made up her mind to put the button away. Perhaps, she could trust Noah. She wouldn't deceive herself, and she had never deceived herself.

She is willing to believe Noah...

She just didn't want to believe herself.

-

Dishui Village.

Skadi had been here before, at least she still remembered what she had done here.

Compared to when she came here, Dishui Village was obviously very different. The village seemed to have a second spring and was much more prosperous than when she came here before.

This might have something to do with the so-called Knight's Treasure...

Dishui Village is a small border village in Casimir. The straight-line distance from the Great Knight's Territory may be farther than the border line to another country. It can be said to be a forgotten village. Except for tax collectors, few people would come here.

Just by seeing the rolling waves of wheat on the plain, Noah still felt...she was home.

This feeling is hard to describe, and she has become accustomed to the feeling on the journey. But when she stopped here, the wind seemed to convey a message, a message that only she could interpret.

That's the taste of home—

"Casimir... I'm back." When she left, Noah actually hadn't thought about returning to Castimir. After all, her body at that time could become a pool of Originium ice at any time and anywhere. Not to mention coming back, it didn't matter if the thing she was thinking about exploded halfway. Anyway, she had almost done what she wanted to do, and she was seriously preparing to cross off the items on her bucket list.

But she didn't expect that after more than a year away, things would be completely different. She had solved the threat of oripathy... although the troubles had increased instead.

However, compared to the previous time when it was difficult for her to even survive, she is actually quite content.

"Ms. Noah, we've already greeted Casimir... Of course, we didn't mention your situation... So..." Amiya ran to Noah's side, "To prevent any trouble, this mask is for you."

"……mask?"

"You're still a wanted criminal in Casimir, after all...there's nothing we can do." Amiya was a little embarrassed. After all, this was Noah's home, and wearing a mask in her hometown was a bit uncomfortable. But Noah understood that this was for the sake of the next plan, so he smiled and nodded.

"Okay, that's a bit of a novelty." The mask Amiya had prepared only covered the upper half of her face, but that was more than enough. It was similar in style to the mask Mace had worn back then, and I had probably given Mace a mask for a similar reason. It was all karma, I guess. "Mace? Do you want to reminisce about the past?"

"Isn't that necessary?" Mace had been tormented by the Rhodes Island training room these past few days. However, at her level, the possibility of becoming stronger in a short period of time was very low, so she mainly used training to relieve her anxiety. Indeed, after the high-intensity combat training, other things aside, her mental state was much better than before. It was also something to do. "I've worn it many times before."

"...Now that I'm back in Casimir, I kind of miss calling you Kuro." Noya curled her lips. "Besides, I'm the only one wearing a mask. Isn't that weird?"

"There are so many people wearing masks in Rhodes Island, how can you be the only one?" Mace looked at the doctor beside him and said, "Look at this guy who wears a mask every day, hasn't he ever complained?"

"...Tsk." The doctor felt like she could have been shot even when lying down, or perhaps she had been accidentally put on by these two people while showing off their affection. But she rolled her eyes and suddenly had an idea. "That's right, if everyone is wearing a mask, then no one is wearing a mask, right? How about we all wear a mask and call it the new rule in Rhodes Island?"

"Rejected. I don't need to do such a thing." Kal'tsit was the first to object. She rolled her eyes and said, "Don't come up with such stupid ideas. We are here to investigate the former civilization laboratory, not to hold a masked ball."

"Masquerade balls are indeed very popular in Casimir, especially among the nobility. Spearheaded by a certain noble, they serve as a social gathering for many of Casimir's aristocratic children." Noah was, after all, a local figure, so he was naturally well-versed in the local customs. "So wearing a mask itself isn't anything strange."

"Look, Noah has agreed." The doctor was happy. "And masks have their advantages. Look, our outfits are already conspicuous. Wearing masks and costumes, it makes sense for us to say we're on tour, right?"

"Tour..." Kelsey couldn't help but be speechless, "You really like this strange style."

"It's not just me. Look at Amiya. Isn't she looking forward to it too?" The doctor pointed at Amiya, whose eyes were shining. "For Amiya's sake?"

"I...actually, I wasn't looking forward to it that much." After being pointed out by the doctor, Amiya blushed a little. She turned her head away embarrassedly, but her two little ears drooped.

"..." For Kal'tsit, although this action seemed to have no benefits and no meaning, when she saw that Amiya was also looking forward to it, she finally softened her heart. "Okay, just this once."

So, because of this little farce, the Rhodes Island Mask Troupe was officially established.

One person wearing unusual clothing might draw attention, but if a group of people were all wearing unusual clothing and masks, everyone would be more relaxed, thinking it was a style from another country. So, while the outfits of Rhodes Island and the others occasionally drew attention, few raised objections. Noah, Mace, Skadi, Precious, Amiya, the Doctor, and Kal'tsit were the first to enter Dripping Village to investigate. Noah, with his fluent Casimir accent, was naturally responsible for communication.

Soon, they arrived at the location of the village chief of Dishui Village.

Dishui Village is just a small border village, and the village chief’s house is not very big. It looks like a two-story building with a small courtyard. There is nothing special about it.

Noya walked into the yard and immediately saw the village headwoman watering the flowers in the yard. She looked no older than him. Seeing a guest coming in, the young village headwoman was startled, but she quickly calmed down and asked politely, "Are you a tourist?"

"Chloe, it's me." Skadi took off her mask, revealing her true face. Only then did Skadi recognize her identity. "Are you the... bounty hunter?"

The bounty hunters had caused considerable trouble for Dripping Village, but Skadi was different. She had helped Carol and the others. A mounted police officer had also played a significant role in the situation. Unfortunately, Grani had been busy with other things recently and hadn't had time to show up. After seeing Skadi, Carol felt relieved. "Why are you here? Is there anything I can help you with?"

With someone familiar around, everything was easy to talk about. Skadi quickly explained her own goals, as well as Rhodes Island's. Korol was actually very happy to learn that Rhodes Island planned to set up a temporary base in Dripping Water Village. Everyone knew Rhodes Island's reputation, and they could also provide treatment for some of the village's oripathy patients. It was a win-win situation. "I see... There are some vacant houses on the south side of the village. If you need them, you can stay there first. I'll ask the villagers to help."

Chapter 70: Radiant Knight

It had been a long time since Dripping Village had experienced such a situation. As the village chief, Koror was well aware of the situation. Rhodes Island was no longer the same as before. Not only was it Agor's sole designated partner, but it was also the backbone of the Terran Council. She had carefully read the newspapers. Rhodes Island had evolved from a simple infected rescue organization to establishing excellent relations with various countries, even becoming a significant player on Terra.

It is natural for a small dripping village like mine to please the people. Letting Rhodes Island establish a temporary base here is a decision that has only benefits and no harm.

Humph, now that we've learned how to operate Koror, Dishui Village can expect a good life from now on~

"Korol? Korol? Why are you giggling like an idiot?"

While Carol was still immersed in the dream of the great development of Dishui Village, Skadi beside her ruthlessly shattered her fantasy.

"Ah... I was just thinking. Oh, by the way, Miss Skadi, why are you wearing glasses? They look good on you, though." Korol and Skadi were acquaintances, though not too close, to be honest. She probably understood that Skadi wasn't a bad person; after all, she was a member of Rhodes Island. However, this time, she didn't even recognize Skadi at first. It was because glasses really did create a completely different look with and without them.

She didn't recognize Skadi at first because she had a bit more of an office clerk temperament.

"Well... it's a long story. I've retired from the front lines and now do some clerical work." Skadi pushed her glasses and said bluntly, "This pair of glasses was given to me by my former captain. He said it can help me process documents. It incorporates some Agor technology."

"I see..." As the mayor of a rural village, Carol clearly had no idea about Agor technology. She saw them as just ordinary glasses, but she didn't see the need to delve into them further. Besides, Miss Skadi looked great in them. It was a shame the little Ranger Grani wasn't around this time, otherwise they might have gotten together and chatted about Big Bob, or... about the Knight's treasure.

When they first met, the integration movement was still in full swing, it seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Oh, right, I saw her today. That's Noah... Miss Noah, right? She speaks Casimir so fluently. Could she be from Casimir too?" To change the subject, the village chief of Dishui Village quickly pointed in Noah's direction. "Yes, it's Kuranta. She must be from Casimir."

"...Well, it should have been that way before, but now..." Although Skadi wasn't familiar with many things on Earth, she was still paying attention to Noa. Noa was wanted by the Casimir authorities, so technically, he was no longer a Casimir citizen. While she didn't understand why someone would expel someone like Noa, Skadi could only assume that Casimir had its own reasons.