Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"Oh, no, didn't I just say it's my treat? Wait, you're running too fast!"

Before Harold could finish his sentence, he saw Rosalyn sprinting off on the train, seemingly at top speed. Damn, was that considered a false start? But Harold had no choice but to follow.

But the man in the gray hat behind them was thinking at this moment——

Is my hat really that weird?

Gray Top Hat silently took off his hat, looked around, and then put it back on.

However, he gained a lot from this trip here. Not only did he find out the whereabouts of Noah Kyrielight, but he also met the Radiant Knight and the Black Knight traveling together. From the perspective of intelligence alone, his trip was worthwhile, at least it was worth the price of the ticket.

Yes, Gray Hat had actually gotten a ticket. Kjerag train tickets were notoriously difficult to get, and even Gray Hat, a member of Victorian intelligence, had to personally scramble for them. He finally managed to get one and boarded the train. Harold didn't need to be so wary of him. He'd already accomplished his goal, and there were no pursuers. How could he possibly bother the girl?

Wait...why do I feel a chill on my back?

The man in the gray hat shuddered all over, then turned around stiffly, only to find a frightening figure appearing behind him at the end of the carriage.

Tick-tick-tick-

The second hand of the clock on the train was ticking, and his heartbeat gradually became equal to that of the man in the gray hat.

Although he didn't know why the mace appeared behind him, it was obvious that she was targeting him - that's not right, the communication between him and Miss Noah could not be said to be pleasant, but at least it couldn't be said that they would become enemies, right?

"—Ahem, Miss Jian, why did you suddenly come to see me?" He forced himself to maintain his composure and said with a wry smile, "Could it be that my behavior just now was inappropriate?"

"No, it's just that Noah just told me that you running around might affect her mood, so... let me keep an eye on you."

Mace also smiled, but to the man in the gray hat, this smile was like a flood or a beast.

"...Excuse me, how could I possibly cause trouble for Miss Noah——"

He quietly began to retreat, but every time he took a step back, Jian took a step forward. Seeing Jian's determination, the man in the gray hat secretly said that it was not good and immediately turned around and ran away.

Damn it! If this guy catches up with me, how can I still do my job?

"Why are you running? Are you guilty?"

The man in the gray hat said nothing, but just ran away.

Although he couldn't win, he still had the ability to run away!

Chapter 4 You jump I jump

While the train was in chaos, Noah was not idle either. After sending the mace to catch up with Gray Hat, she immediately asked Theresa to share the information with the Doctor, but she did not contact Enthiotis. However, it was obvious that Enthiotis knew about the spies operating in Kjerag. People like him would always take these things into consideration, and Noah did not think she needed to remind him.

What she cared about was what position she occupied in the other party's plan.

It was just like when I came to Kjerag for tourism and got caught up in the Snow Mountain Incident. However, now that Kjerag is completely united, at least there shouldn't be any problems internally.

As for Victoria... To be honest, although Noya is not very familiar with Vina, based on her understanding of Vina, this spy should be loyal to a certain Grand Duke, not Vina. In other words... this matter should not have much to do with Vina.

As for those grand dukes... these people were already on Noa's blacklist during the Battle of Londinium.

If it could cause them trouble, Noah would have no problem helping Enthiotis for free, not to mention that the other party had actually traced it back to her.

Planning aside, after Theresa passed on the information, the conclusion the Doctor came to was similar to Noah's. Theresa, Noah, and the Doctor were all smart people, and the answers they gave after communicating with each other were roughly the same. However, the Doctor was more cautious and felt that what happened in Kjerag might also have an impact on Vina, so she made a decision - she wanted to drag Vina, who had just become the Speaker, into the water.

After all, instead of being schemed against by a group of grand dukes, it would be better to let the Speaker try to fight back.

Aren’t chips already available?

-

"...A contact from the Doctor?" At this moment, Alexandrina Vina Victoria, who was thousands of miles away and codenamed the King of Propulsion in Rhodes Island, looked up from the document and looked doubtfully at Daphne who had delivered the message. To be honest, although the Doctor had been given access to the special channel early on, this was the first time the Doctor had contacted her through this special permission. Obviously, the Doctor would not use it casually unless there was something important.

Vina rubbed her brows. The fatigue from staying up late had not yet dissipated, and she was in a bad state. However, she still forced herself to be alert and spoke seriously. "Connect the channel. I want to know what the doctor wants to talk to me about."

Through mobile base stations, Terra had already established stable communication signals between various city-states. This was also due to the medium transmitter technology and Agor's technology sharing. Victoria successfully kept up with the trend and entered the complete information age. As a result, the interconnection of city-states became the norm, and network technology also made rapid progress. When the distance between city-states was shortened by the network, Terra's development also embarked on a more rapid path.

Vina knew that this would definitely be a revolution on Terra, so she immediately chose to join it and became one of the first countries to join the information age.

This encrypted communication channel specially left for the doctor is also one of the additions to the information equipment built this time, and it can be regarded as a solid foundation laid by Vina for the future.

Victoria is still Victoria after all. Even if it suffered a heavy blow, it still has enough foundation. As one of the strongest countries in the past, Victoria's entry has also led most of the countries that are still wavering to join the Terra network. In addition, Vina also took the initiative to join the Terra Parliament. It can be said that... Vina has caught up with all the opportunities that can be caught up. This may not be obvious now, but it is obviously a matter of great benefit to future generations.

"Doctor, long time no see."

After the communication was connected, Vina first exchanged greetings. Indeed, since Londinium, she and the Doctor, or the other operators of Rhodes Island, had not seen each other for several months.

She rarely even visited the Glasgow Gang, but thankfully, her friendship with them remained intact. She just had to notify Daphne before going out for drinks. Daphne was now her only trusted confidant in the entire Victorian government. After all, the Model Army had been disbanded, and she didn't have many cards on her plate. Of course, the Workers' Association still supported Vina, but if she truly wanted to follow Vina's vision and transform Victoria into a country ruled by farmers and workers, she still had a long way to go.

She refused the king's crown, and the path to kingship was blocked, so she wanted to come from the people and go to the people.

As the first powerful Terran nation to complete industrialization, what Vina had to do was to slowly extract this power from the hands of the Grand Dukes, but... these Grand Dukes also knew what they had to do and did not reveal any handle that she could catch.

Although they were taught some lessons in the parliament last time... it was far from enough.

"You sound a little tired. Are you okay?" At this time, the doctor also heard that Vina on the other end seemed to be in a bad state. "Make sure to rest well, Mr. Speaker."

"Don't call me by that title, Doctor. I'm still Vina, no different from the Vina you know." Vina shook her head. "Speaker, Speaker, forget it outside. This is a confidential channel. Doctor, please just call me Vina."

"Okay, okay, Vina, I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?" The doctor asked, leaving the audience in suspense.

"...Let me hear the bad news first, so that I can be mentally prepared." Vina thought for a while and spoke.

"Well, your Grand Duke seems a little dishonest in Kjerag. We saw the Gray Hat and a Viscount Victoria here. He's probably a soldier, the kind who has led troops before." But as the doctor spoke, Vina immediately slammed the table and said, "Why is the Gray Hat in Kjerag?!"

"I knew you weren't aware, Vina, but you have to understand that while the Grey Hats are nominally part of the national intelligence agency, in reality, they all take orders from the Grand Duke. As for which one—you should know exactly." Vina's reaction was within the doctor's expectations. "And since the Grey Hats are here, it means Kjerag may have been targeted by Grand Duke Victoria for a long time. This place's environment and its unique products may have been part of her plan."

"...The Duke of Caister, my dear aunt." To whom did Victoria's Grey Hat belong? The answer seemed obvious. "One of the eight Dukes of Victoria, sister of the late King Alistair II, my aunt. I should have thought of it earlier—so, now that the Grey Hat is in Kjerag, does that mean... have they caused you any trouble, Doctor?"

"That's not the case." The doctor's tone was relaxed. "But here's my good news. The unusual dispatch of the Gray Hat, or rather, the fact that MI6 is taking on private work, has a lot of room for investigation. If you handle it well, you can even regain control of MI6."

"That's easy." Vina had considered this, but the problem was... she had no one around her to rely on. Even if she wanted to take back MI6, it wouldn't be easy. If it were just the unusual movement of gray hats, it wouldn't be enough to make Duke Caster's gold drop. "But I will take this seriously. It's easy to track down every gray hat. The information you provided is important, but..."

"That's not enough," the doctor said, adding, "Believe me, since Duke Kast is so intent on Kjerag, he's certainly not just betting on the Gray Hat. Seizing a nation is no easy task. This is just an appetizer, Vina."

"Really?" Vina smiled. "Then I look forward to seeing what big surprises you'll bring me."

After ending the call, Vina closed her eyes and rested for a long time before she spoke, "Daifen, help me investigate the whereabouts of the Grey Hat members. Don't alert them, investigate secretly. And then... MI6, and the whereabouts of my aunt, the Duke of Caster."

"Yes!" Daphne nodded. "Besides that...are there any other instructions?"

"Don't act rashly. If you have to act, you must act with lightning speed. Don't give my aunt time to think. Daphne, my aunt is not an easy opponent. But if we succeed, Victoria's eyes will return to us."

Vina stood up. Now was not the time to deal with these official matters. She turned to the huge portrait beside her, which was a portrait of her father. She looked at her father and spoke.

"——Victoria may no longer need the Duke."

-

"Vina should have her own ideas." Noah said, "Theresa, when you were in Victoria, did you have any special impression of the Duke of Caister?"

"Hmm... Honestly," Theresa shook her head. "I don't know much about the Duke of Caster, but the Duke of Cavendish who invited us to Londinium is a complete idiot."

"That's a really harsh comment," Noah complained. "This is the first time I've heard such a comment from you."

"Carelessly inviting the Kazdel Military Council into a nation's capital is tantamount to treason. Although he chose this tactic to confront Duke Stafford, even the Sarkaz have little regard for treason," Theresa replied. "Ultimately, if it weren't for the Duke's stupidity, our entry into Londinium would have been nearly impossible."

"...That's true." Recalling the city defense artillery he faced at the time, Noah also agreed with this view.

"Let's not worry about Vina's situation for now." The doctor, of course, couldn't hear this exchange, but she still offered her opinion. "We need to gather evidence about Duke Caister's unauthorized transfers, and I think we should start with the Viscount."

"That viscount is not a bad man," Theresa said at this moment. "I can sense that he is a very gentle man, but... he is also a soldier."

"It's precisely because he's a soldier that he's easily forced to act against his will. After all, obeying orders is a soldier's specialty," the doctor emphasized. "The mace will follow the man in the gray hat, and our job is to quickly discover Duke Caister's other arrangements."

"..."

"what happened?"

"Noah said that every time she thought she was on vacation, she always got involved in this kind of thing. She seemed a little autistic. What should we do, Doctor?" Theresa tilted her head and whispered.

"..." The doctor was silent for a long time before she spoke, "This kind of thing... you just have to get used to it."

-

Putting aside the fact that Noah was a little autistic, the three groups of people who were running wildly on the train finally gathered at the very end of the train. The young and beautiful JK Rosalyn, Lockhart who was out of breath and about to faint, Mr. Gray Hat who was being chased by the mace and whose heart was in turmoil, and Miss Mace who had a serious face and looked as if she wanted to send everyone to the west, gathered in the last carriage (usually used to store goods, so there was no one there).

"...Pause...Pause...I really can't run any more...and there's no way out." Harold was the first to surrender. "Mr. Gray Hat, what's the point of you chasing us? We're colleagues after all, right?"

"Uncle, you are too cowardly. If it really doesn't work, we can just jump out of the back of the car - believe me, I can definitely catch you." Rosalyn's idea was the simplest, and to be honest, jumping out of the car seemed to be quite fun.

"I think you misunderstood..." Gray Hat was speechless, "I'm not chasing you... I'm also running for my life."

"what?"

"Have you guys had enough of chatting?" Mace said coldly, "Also, Gray Hat, I don't intend to kill you. I just said that you must act within my sight."

"...Can I assume you're planning to monitor my movements?" The man in the gray hat frowned. "Why are you holding on to me?"

"I think it's because, Mr. Weird Hat, you're so suspicious. Running around Kjerag in this kind of attire, anyone would think you're suspicious, right?" Rosalyn's innocent words seemed to deal the final blow to the Gray Hat, his ever-preserving gentlemanly demeanor now wanting to burst out in a tirade. "Miss, I believe my message is a fashion statement. You may not understand it, but please don't judge me."

“…But it’s weird—”

"In Victoria, the style of dress of the gentleman in the grey hat is indeed quite popular," Harold said, somewhat fairly. "However... I think what happened between us is probably just a misunderstanding. Since we have no intention of fighting, why don't we all disperse... Especially Mr. Grey Hat, please take care of your own business first. We won't bother you anymore."

"... Viscount Harold, you just said that you and I were colleagues."

"It may have been the case before. There's nothing much to say between you and me." Harold looked at the mace beside him. Having recognized the other party's true identity, he immediately denied his colleague relationship with the man in the gray hat.

"...Well, are you really going to make things difficult for me, Miss Mace?" The man in the gray hat sighed.

"That's up to you. How about this, you jump over here—and I won't chase you any further. After all, my eldest daughter only allowed me to keep an eye on you on the train."

"..." The man in the gray hat looked behind him and saw that Harold had quietly opened the train door and even made a gesture of invitation. He glared at Harold and then looked at Mace, but Mace's eyes at this time clearly said.

—Do you want to dance by yourself, or should I help you?

Chapter 5: Miss Noah has no idea how popular she is

The Grey Hat was still respectable after all. As he left the carriage, it was obvious that Viscount Harold was the first to breathe a sigh of relief. To be honest, the position of Grey Hat was considered unpopular in Victoria. Although Victoria was the world's most famous spy movie series 008, as for Victoria's intelligence level...

Well, let’s not mention things that don’t exist.

"Um... Miss Black Knight, can I ask for your autograph?" After Harold relaxed, he immediately realized that now was a great opportunity to get the Black Knight's autograph. He immediately took out the Black Knight flash card peripheral hidden in his arms, with a look of kirakira in his eyes. Although he was obviously a middle-aged man, he seemed to have the innocence of a child.

"Uncle, you are so embarrassing..."

"Kid, don't you understand? This is the signature of a Triple Crown winner. This foil card in my hand was also released in limited quantities. Just signing it would double its value. Do you know how much the Black Knight autographed foil card sold for in the last auction?"

"How many?"

Harold made a number with his fingers and then added.

"million."

"...Ms. Black Knight, I've suddenly become your fan, but I don't have a limited edition flash card. Uncle, could you give me an unlimited one?"

Although she may not understand what collection value is, she definitely understands what market value is. So Rosalyn, the JK who just despised the uncle, immediately joined the ranks of the mercenaries.

Of course, the old man and the young man sang the same tune, and Jian didn't mind it, so she took the marker from Harold's hand and signed her name on the two cards - it's funny to say, because she rarely signed, so each of her signatures was very valuable.

The original Chamber of Commerce probably didn't expect that the Black Knight would eventually have such a terrifying value, and probably regretted not forcing the Black Knight to leave a few more signatures.

After signing, Mace turned and left without saying anything else, leaving Rosaline staring at the Black Knight's back, her eyes sparkling. "So handsome, uncle, is this sister called the Black Knight?"

"The Black Knight is her knightly title. She's a triple champion, a legend in the Casimir Knightly Tournament. That's truly unprecedented. Not even the Radiant Knight has ever won three championships," Harold lamented. "This achievement is probably lost forever, after all, the Knightly Tournament has been restructured."

"Hey, hey, hey, I haven't even seen a knight competition." Rosalyn still felt a little regretful.

Regardless of the communication between the uncle and JK, when the gray hat [left in a decent manner], there were no accidents on the train's subsequent journey and it soon arrived at its final destination - Yinxin Lake Station.

Silver Heart Lake, nestled in the center of the basin, boasts a misty surface and crystal-clear waters, making it one of Kjerag's many treasures. Legend has it that Silver Heart Lake is the first tear shed by Yelagund. In winter, visitors can stroll across the frozen surface, peering through the ice and gazing at the scenery beneath. A newly constructed statue of Yelagund stands on an island in the center of Silver Heart Lake, where he watches over Kjerag and his people.

At least that's what it says in Kjerag's travel guide, but Noah thinks that Yela herself might not be willing to admit that her tears are so big.

When getting off the train, Viscount Harold and Rosaline couldn't help but stay at the station for a while. It was not until they saw Noah Kyrielight, the Black Knight, and later the Radiant Knight getting off the train that Harold sighed from the bottom of his heart.

"To think that Casimir's Triple Crown and Double Crown winners were on this tiny train... I should have asked for another photo."

"Uncle, are you getting too far? Besides, Radiant Knight is my former colleague. It's very easy to take a photo with him or get his autograph." Rosaline was amused at this moment. After all, she was also an operator of Rhodes Island, and she and Margaret were colleagues. Margaret was well-known for being easy to talk to, so it was not difficult to take a photo with him and get his autograph.

"Well, it's just out of gentlemanly consideration. I already have one autograph, and it would be a bit shameless to ask for another one." Viscount Harold still has some dignity, but it's worth the trip to see two knight competition champions traveling together. I was a die-hard fan of knight competition back then, and I still have a documentary about Knight Yao's first championship.

Although she was disappointed that she didn't get Margaret's autograph or take a photo with her, Rosalyn didn't come here for the knight competition championship. She went to the tour guide nearby, took the tourist map from her, and then ran back to her original place.

"I looked at the map, and the tour guide said that this place is only one street away from Silver Heart Lake, which is very convenient. Do you want to go together?" Rosalyn suggested. Under normal circumstances, Harold would of course be happy to go sightseeing together, but today was special. The appearance of the gray hat made him somewhat worried. Generally, where the gray hat appears, there is usually no good thing. For this reason, he did not want to implicate Miss Rosalyn who was really here for sightseeing... so he could only make an excuse.

"Not today. I'm sorry, Rosalyn, I can't keep my promise... I just remembered that Lily seems to be going into labor in the next few days. I need to rush to her side immediately."

"...Lily?" Rosalyn frowned in confusion. "Lily, could it be that your girlfriend is giving birth today? Then why are you still here?"

"What little girlfriend? What are you thinking about all day? I have a wife and daughter."