Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

Seeing Noah coming, her first reaction was joy, but the next moment, she felt something was wrong from Noah's expression.

From the moment she entered Margaret's room, the main control was switched to Noah. She looked at Margaret. Although she had prepared herself mentally, she was still a little panicked when she really faced Margaret. Her heart was beating very fast, as if it was about to jump out of her chest. She first raised her head, wanting to look directly into Margaret's eyes, but immediately lowered her head, her eyes dodging, as if she had done something wrong.

After all, she had just rejected Margaret's courtship, and today she had to reject her invitation to go back to the Grand Knight's Territory together.

Is that too decisive? Even if it's a friend's invitation... it's okay to go on your own, right?

Noah's tangled expression was actually quite adorable. Even Theresa, who was watching from the side, smiled like an auntie. "Don't you still like this knight lady very much?"

"... I like him, but I've already fallen in love with Jian... I feel... I think... maybe... maybe... I should be a scumbag, to actually like two people."

Noah was truly wailing inwardly. Her views on one-on-one relationships were quite traditional. Although her opinions and ideas were quite youthful, her only traditional views were on relationships. She was seriously planning to spend the rest of her life with someone.

The reason she rejected Margaret was that she was dying, and she fell in love with Jian during that time, but she did not give up her love for Margaret.

This... is a bit too bad from every aspect.

"...If you wanted to tell me you weren't planning on returning to the Grand Knight Territory, you could have just told me directly, Noah." Margaret, perhaps sensing Noah's hesitation, took the initiative to speak. "I know you're reluctant to go back not just because of what happened in Casimir, but more importantly, there's no place for you to return to. Or rather, there's no place for you in Casimir—is that what you think?"

"...I guess so." Noah nodded. Indeed, this was also one of the reasons why she didn't want to go back.

"But I just want to tell you that you're wrong, Noah..." Margaret suddenly knelt on one knee, frightening Noah and causing her to step back a few steps. But like a true knight, she knelt on one knee and took Noah's hand. "I asked Uncle Mainna to help me support the political situation in Casimir. The reason I came out alone was simply because of you, Noah. Although you rejected me before, isn't perseverance what the Linguang family excels at?"

“…Huh?”

"Of course you can reject me, but you won't deprive me of my right to pursue you, right?"

"Hey...wait, Margaret, what are you going to do?"

"I've made up my mind, Noah. No matter where you plan to go, I will follow you—"

"Then...Casimir."

"After you returned from Leitania, you wrote a letter to the Linguang family, explaining the situation. My uncle was relieved. My parents fought against that unexplainable existence. They did what a Linguang family member should do. Like your parents, he still didn't want to become a knight, but he promised me that as long as I could bring you back, he would temporarily take over my duties."

"……What's the meaning?"

"In Uncle Maenna's eyes, you and I are both members of the Linguang family, and no one from the Linguang family can be left behind."

Margaret's eyes seemed to be shining with flames.

"So, this time, I can choose you." The moment Margaret opened her mouth, Noah felt as if his heart had been dealt a fatal blow.

...Margaret...chose me?

She left Casimir behind and chose me?!

Noah felt like crying, but she was afraid that her emotions would be too intense and would lead to a loss of control over her power. She could only suppress her inner joy. However, excitement was excitement, and after Margaret said this, Noah could no longer refuse Margaret.

"Margaret... you should understand the meaning of this sentence, right?" Noah suppressed her excitement and said, "Between Casimir and me, will you really choose me?"

"A promise once made cannot be taken back. I will not break it—I do love Casimir, and I am willing to lay down my life for him. But, Noah... you are the only one, or rather, you are the only one I owe the most to, and the one I love the most. I figured it out a long, long time ago—between Casimir and you, I choose you."

“…” Noah closed her eyes. In order to prevent herself from losing control of her power due to excessive excitement, she immediately asked for help. Then, the next moment, Theresa came online with a confused look on her face.

"...She... needs time to think about it for now." Theresa chose her words carefully. "Ahem, I'm not Noah Kyrielight. I'm just filling in for her."

"Is that so... Then, does this also mean that she is really considering it?" Margaret looked at the bewildered [Noah] in front of her. She was not surprised that there was another consciousness in Noah's body. It was rather that she had vaguely sensed it before.

The reason why he expressed his feelings today was because he realized that the Noah just now was the real Noah.

"I think so. But you still have a long way to go," Theresa warned. "This girl only blames herself—so, your love, for her, requires a process of acceptance."

"I can wait until she accepts me."

Volume: Silver Heart Lake Train

Chapter 1: On the Train

Noya didn't say a word until they boarded the train to Kjerag. It wasn't that she was being upset. Theresa could sense that Noya was in a complicated mood, with joy and confusion. After all, Noya was just a young girl. No matter how mature she was, she was still a little immature in dealing with her feelings. Theresa had a lot to say about this - although she had never been in love.

But she really has the advantage of age, and she has become very indifferent to this matter. With this outsider's perspective, she actually sees it very clearly.

In reality, Noah only had to deal with his own hurdle. Margaret clearly didn't mind Mace interfering in their relationship, as Mace had always been with Noah and had protected her many times when she wasn't around. From any perspective, Margaret had no objection to Mace's existence, and their relationship was actually quite good. As for Mace, it was even more straightforward. She was originally Noah's attendant, and even though Noah had explained that they were actually family, Mace clearly still positioned herself as a [attendant] + [lover], so she didn't mind her [master] having more romantic relationships.

And more importantly, the Kirilet family of Noah's family is a knight noble family, and knight nobles actually don't mind knights' bigamy.

However, after approaching Kjerag, the train began to be heated. It was said that the train heating was also a technology that the Shivaash family had specially brought from other places. In order to facilitate the development of tourism, Kjerag had put in 180% effort. It could be said that Kjerag had already regarded tourism as a very important source of support for Kjerag's economic expenditure. It was no exaggeration to say that the entire Kjerag population was looking forward to the tourism industry bringing new innovations to Kjerag.

This heating may seem like a detail, but it also implies that the people of Kjerag are worried that tourists will not want to go to Kjerag because it is too cold. It can be said that they regard serving tourists as the most important goal in their actions.

The warmth brought by the Originium heater surprised Theresa. When she was in Kazdel, there were only a handful of Sarkaz who could buy Originium heaters. Most people could only gather together to keep warm by the heat of the Soul Furnace, or use the simplest heating method, the bonfire. So during the most difficult winter in Kazdel, there was an unwritten custom in Kazdel, which was to set up temporary tents next to the Soul Furnace and use the heat of the Soul Furnace to fall asleep peacefully.

Of course, Kazdel no longer needs to do that, but even now, Theresa still remembers that time vividly.

Kjerag was also a small country that had just opened its borders, but it was obvious that Kjerag seemed to be luckier than Kazdel. At least a train like this might still be in the drawing stage in Kazdel, but Kjerag had already turned the blueprint into reality and became a channel for Kjerag to connect with the outside world.

When will Kazdel have its own railway and trains... As the former Demon Lord, Theresa sighed inwardly.

Many times, Theresa couldn't help but wonder whether there would be a better result if the Sarkaz could be united from beginning to end.

In this way, the brothers and sisters do not have to attack each other, and the Sarkaz and the indigenous people can also work together to look forward to tomorrow.

Unfortunately, that was just a scene in a dream.

Heavy snow had begun to fall outside the window. Kjerag was at a very high altitude, and most people might even experience some altitude sickness when they went there. However, on the other hand, there was also scenery rarely seen in the entire Terra. The snow was drifting heavily, and the whole place was covered in white. The train moved forward on the tracks, and the front of the train pushed through the snowflakes. Sometimes these snowflakes would stick to the windows, and then melt due to the temperature inside. Theresa could see the scene of the snowflakes melting, until the snowflakes turned into water droplets, streaked across the windows, left a trace, and then disappeared.

It is said that there are no natural disasters in Kjerag - people live in a world without natural disasters, a scene that is unimaginable to most Terrans.

It is precisely because of this that after the tourist visa was opened, there were quite a few people going to Kjerag. For example, there were probably nearly a thousand people on the entire train - and this was just the capacity of a train. People yearned for the mystery of Kjerag and also for a pure land without natural disasters. Kjerag's long-term closure gave the outside world a sense of mystery, and many tourists were willing to spend money to broaden their horizons.

The Shivaash family, who can see this and vigorously develop the tourism industry, probably has a very perceptive leader.

"SilverAsh, or rather, Ensiodis Shivaash, the head of the Shivaash family, is one of my partners. He possesses unique vision and methods, and is in charge of external affairs in Kjerag. He holds the highest status in the entire region, aside from the Saintess. I've spoken with him in previous meetings. The Shivaash family is now largely responsible for Kjerag's external affairs, so you'll probably see him soon." Noya finally spoke. "On the battlefield, he's a formidable opponent, but as a friend, I hold him in high regard."

"You're finally willing to talk?" Theresa smiled. "You were silent before, and I thought you were asleep again."

"I was just thinking about something, and I also said that I came to ask the gods here how to control power—" Noah explained, "I can't just keep silent."

"That's right, Sherag... To be honest, this is my first time traveling," Theresa said with a smile. "Or should I say... besides Victoria, this is my first time leaving Kazdel?"

"You didn't go to Victoria for tourism..." Noah couldn't help but complain, "Although I can understand your purpose at that time, you were indeed an invader. You fought for the Sarkaz, which is understandable, but correspondingly, your actions also caused the people of Victoria to suffer. This is your sin, and I will not forgive you-"

"Of course, I know what I was doing," Theresa responded frankly, "but I won't regret it."

"...Oh, forget it... There's no point in saying this." Noah sighed. What happened in Victoria was actually a mess. Later, Noah reviewed the entire incident. It was essentially a group of nobles fighting for power, including the Sarkaz. It was also a chess piece in their fight for power. It was just that the regent of the Sarkaz, Tracys, used his own means to become a chess player and even led the direction of the entire game.

If it weren't for the Grand Dukes who pretended to obey but actually disregarded the citizens of Londinium for their own interests, things would never have gotten out of control to this extent.

This cannot wash away the crimes that the Sarkaz committed against Londinium, but those nobles are the people that Noa hates the most.

The so-called war is actually a game between politicians, and Noah hates those self-proclaimed noble politicians the most. In the battle of Victoria, there was no right or wrong, only hatred.

That's what war is like...

"Noah, you're actually right. The Sarkaz did make a mistake, and I won't deny it. A crime is a crime, and as the Demon King, I must shoulder it and move on," Theresa responded. "But I also want to know, if you were in the Demon King's shoes, what would you do?"

“…” Noah didn’t answer, but no answer was the best answer.

Theresa, who was controlling Noah's body, sat on the train seat, feeling the slight shaking of the carriage. The two fell into a silence, an unspeakable silence.

If Noah is the devil.

If Noah bears the blood feud of the Sarkaz.

What would she do?

Noah couldn't answer this question.

She also didn't know what decision she would make because she had never experienced such a choice.

No...she knows.

-

She took a deep breath and spoke.

"I would do the same as Tracys—" Her words trembled slightly, but she seemed unwavering. "I might restrict my soldiers, so they wouldn't have to oppress the civilians so much, but I have to admit, in general, Tracys and I are no different. If I were the Demon King, I would bear the fate of the Sarkaz, and I would have to find a glimmer of hope for my people. And for that glimmer of hope, I'm willing to become a sinner."

"So, we are the same kind of people, Noah." Theresa shook her head. "Sometimes, no matter what choice you make, it's always wrong."

All they have to do is choose a less bad option among the wrong ones.

-

On the train, there was a person who didn't fit in with the other passengers.

The train will shake slightly while running, which can easily make people drowsy or even fall asleep. But for Mr. Gray Hat at this time, falling asleep is not a good thing.

He was observing the entire carriage, or rather, observing whether there was anything unusual in the carriage.

The total number of people in the carriage clearly exceeds the capacity.

The number of local civilians and tourists was roughly equal, which was rare for a sightseeing train.

There's something a little strange about the sacks stacked against the wall in the last row... There's movement inside the sacks, are they living creatures that were brought in illegally?

Well, there are no other anomalies, and no one worth paying attention to... The intelligence only points to the train heading to Yinxin Lake, and the actual clues are indeed not that easy to find.

I still have to find a chance to check the box...

The man in the gray hat withdrew his gaze and was about to stand up to check the compartment when he felt a series of kicks coming from behind him. Judging from the frequency, this couldn't be the massage function of the carriage seats... Could there be a monster on Kjerag's train that specializes in kicking people's seat backs?

—Boom boom boom boom—

But the kicking from behind seemed to be dissatisfied with his lack of response. The frequency of kicking the back of the chair seemed to have entered a fatal rhythm, each time faster than the last. Gray Hat had no choice but to look at the little monster behind the chair.

"What are you doing?"

"Uncle Gray Hat, you finally responded. I thought you fainted. It's easy for tourists to faint on the Kjerag. If you don't respond again, I'll tell the crew." The child finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Gray Hat turn around. It seemed that he was worried that Gray Hat would faint from altitude sickness like other tourists. However, it is true that Kjerag is at a very high altitude and the oxygen content in the air will drop rapidly. Many people cannot adapt to it.

"I'm fine. Sorry for bothering you." The man in the gray hat naturally couldn't get angry at the child. He just thanked the child for his concern and reminded him, "I would be happier if you could call me directly instead of kicking the back of my chair like that."

"Well, uncle, since you're not sleeping, do you want to play with my wooden sword toy? This toy was carved for me by a very capable older sister!"

A very powerful sister?

Gray Hat was quick to sense something, but before he could ask, the child's mother pulled him back, slapped him on the head several times, and said viciously, "What are you playing with? Come back and sit down! Don't bother me!"

After she finished scolding the child, she immediately apologized to the gray hat. "I'm so sorry to bother you, sir. This child deserves a lesson. I will definitely discipline him!"

"...No, it's nothing." The man in the gray hat awkwardly withdrew his intention to ask further questions. After all, it was just a small wooden sculpture in a child's hand, and it probably wasn't that important. Compared to this incident, he began to have some doubts about his hat.

"Is this hat... really that weird?"

Mr. Gray Hat adjusted his proud hat. Perhaps it was a little crooked just now, which made the child feel strange. However, while he was adjusting his hat, the door at the end of the carriage suddenly opened, and out came Noya, who was operated by Theresa. Because it was a bit boring to stay in the compartment, she decided to walk around. Kjerag's old-fashioned train was actually quite novel in Theresa's eyes. After all, she had never been on a train. In a sense, she was really a country bumpkin from Kazi Village.

She was still very interested in this product of civilization. Just after leaving the compartment area, she almost bumped into her fellow villagers who were sitting on their luggage at the end of the carriage, right by the door. They probably didn't buy seat tickets, so they each brought a small stool, or sat directly on their luggage. Most of these people were locals. Although the train provided meals, they all seemed to have dry food with them, which they drank with the pack animal milk in the kettle - probably because the train meals were relatively expensive.

This situation is not uncommon. There are not many trains in Kjerag, and they are not only prepared for tourists, but also for local residents. However, with so many people, it is naturally difficult to buy seat tickets.

The people sitting at the rear of the train didn't seem to mind having no seats. After all, compared to riding a pack animal for a whole day, the train was already quite cost-effective.

These people didn't even look at Theresa, nor did they pay any attention to the girl who suddenly broke into their group. They chatted with each other in the Kjerag dialect about whose child had just married or whose pack animal had just given birth.

Ordinary foreign tourists certainly couldn't understand what they were talking about, but Theresa was different. Noya had been to Kjerag and had lived there for a while, so she heard a topic from these people that interested her very much.

[Statue of Yelagund]

Chapter 2: Hidden Blind Box

The Yelagund statue, this plan seems to have been in the works since the time when Manjuin was in power, but because Kjerag was not strong enough at the time, if the planned statue was to be built, it might consume too many resources, so it was always shelved. After the Snow Mountain Incident, the Saint came to power, Kjerag opened to the outside world, and soon a large amount of capital and technology poured in, making the construction of the statue possible.

Moreover, Kjerag did need a landmark building, and the Manzhuyuan was obviously not suitable, so the Yelagund statue was officially put on the agenda.

Statues... Theresa nodded. Indeed, if the purpose is to develop tourism, statues are a good idea. If Kazdel also develops tourism... the Soul Furnace will probably be made a landmark building... well, the premise is that there are people willing to travel to Kazdel.

Theresa was still thinking when two strange people came towards her - a middle-aged man with silver hair and aristocratic attire, and a JK Ursus woman wearing a belly-baring top. The two of them were chatting animatedly, completely oblivious to the surrounding situation.

To the two of them, Theresa was just an ordinary passerby on the street, and they didn't care at all.

"So... Rosalyn, you didn't realize you were born in Kjerag until you were in high school?"

"Yeah, my mom never mentioned this before. At first I thought she was joking!" The JK said with a smile, "I've almost forgotten everything about my childhood. I just remember that there was snow everywhere... But there's snow everywhere in Ursus! Who can tell the difference?"

"Well, if you put it that way, there's some resemblance." The middle-aged man, who seemed to have also been to Ursus, agreed, "But in my memory, Ursus is colder than Kjerag."

"Ah... That's right, Ursus is indeed colder." The girl called Rosalyn asked curiously, "Uncle, have you been to Ursus too?"

"Hahaha, that was all those years ago." The middle-aged man laughed heartily, completely lacking the elegance of a Victorian aristocrat. Instead, he had the boldness of a soldier. "There weren't many opportunities to go shopping back then. What a pity!"

——No, that's a soldier.