Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

Chapter 20: She is still young, and her dazzling little sun

Although it was just a simple sentence, only nine words at most, the impact on Noya was no less than facing an Originium bomb. For a few seconds, her mind went blank. She couldn't say anything when she opened her mouth. It was as if her brain and vocal cords had stopped working. Even the feeling of wanting to cry just now disappeared. No... I can't say it disappeared, but it was completely different from the emotion before...

But... she didn't struggle, she didn't try to break free from the embrace.

Although she wanted to say that this shouldn't be the case and that she should reject Margaret's confession, she had no intention of taking action.

"...I...can it really be me?"

She finally spoke, but her voice was filled with tears.

"Really... can you choose me?"

She clutched Margaret's clothes with her hands and buried her head in Margaret's chest. Her whole body was trembling. Margaret felt like she was holding a piece of fragile ice in her arms. She had never thought that Noah would be such a fragile person. Rather, she always thought that Noah was strong enough not to need anyone's protection. She could protect herself. In Margaret's eyes, she was so perfect that it made people feel ashamed.

But... now she is hesitating, yet still confirming.

"...Well, I choose you." Margaret's hug increased in strength, as if she wanted to hold the girl in front of her into her arms, as if she wanted to completely merge the two of them and never separate them again.

"No matter how many times you ask, I have made up my mind - I choose you, just like you didn't abandon me when I was thirteen... I will never abandon you."

This was the true words. Even without using her ability, Noah could confirm that this sentence was absolutely true. She seemed to be able to touch Margaret's fiery soul. At this moment, the walls of their hearts had completely dissolved. They seemed to be speaking frankly to each other, and their two hearts were beating left and right - so that's how it was. The reason why humans have only one heart is because it is complete only when two people hug each other.

Noah thought a little naively, but she couldn't apply her rationality to the moment. She wanted to forget, but she couldn't. This feeling had been with her since the night before she left Casimir, the night when the whole city was in chaos, the night when she quietly left. She had planned everything, but she sat in the empty old house and waited for ten minutes, yes, only ten minutes.

During these ten minutes, she thought a lot, and she also knew that it would be safer if she left earlier.

But she still waited for ten minutes, quietly, without saying a word or explaining anything. She just sat there... sitting in the reading position where she often sat when she was a child, waiting for something.

In the past, before the incident that changed Noya's fate, before she moved into the Linguang family mansion, this seat had belonged to her...

That was when she was very young. She had lost her parents at that time. Her grandfather told her that her parents had gone to do something that had to be done. So her grandfather was taking care of her at that time, but he himself was also very busy and often could not be by her side.

There was nothing that could be done about it. If it were Noya later on, she would certainly understand her grandfather's difficulties. But at the time, although she was sensible and precocious, she still had an instinctive longing for her family. Often, she would even play with her own shadow—this is one of the reasons why she studied shadow magic so deeply. As a descendant of nightmares, shadows were her siblings. Using shadows to create various small animals to keep her company was her original use.

Children who have lost their parents are usually precocious, and she is one of them - she is precocious enough to understand her situation, the impermanence of life, and even more so, to understand that her current self may be a burden to anyone.

After all, my sister is married and my grandfather is busy with military affairs, so everyone has their own things to do.

Compared to what they have to do, they are insignificant.

She didn't want to cause trouble to her sister or her grandfather... So, she learned to play with her own shadow and talked to herself to relieve her loneliness.

She just stayed in her little room, in the old house in Kirilet. She hardly ever left the room. She even cooked her own meals and ate them herself. She just sat in the chair that was a little too big for her at the time and read, day after day, year after year.

She doesn't have expectations of anyone, so naturally she doesn't resent anyone. Precocious children are often not smart, but because they no longer have the room to make mistakes.

Even the right to cry has been taken away.

Her world seemed to collapse into such a small room in an instant, and at this moment, when she closed herself off and wanted to spend her life like this.

But the door was opened.

The door wasn't locked and anyone could have opened it, but it was in that moment—in that split second that the man opened it for the first time.

Noah raised her head and met those enthusiastic eyes. Those eyes belonged to Margaret Linguang, who was about the same age as her and even a generation older than her. She was the daughter of Noah's sister Yolanta. Like Yolanta, she had a pair of sparkling eyes.

It was as if a little sun had run into the dim little room. She was still young, and although she had initially mastered the use of light, she could not control it very well. At that time, she was a real self-luminous little light bulb. Wherever she went, there was shining light. Unless she fell asleep, the light would always cover her from top to bottom and left to right. She was completely different from Noah Kyrielight in a black dress.

She is also different from herself.

She has a pair of parents who love her deeply. She grew up under their love. Compared to Noah, she has everything.

Outstanding talent, strong bloodline, and harmonious family.

These are the things she has lost since she was born. For little Noah, her first reaction, or subconscious reaction... is actually jealousy.

It's easy to understand... Noah was not actually such an altruist from the beginning. It's better to say that she has all the emotions that an ordinary child should have. She is just precocious and doesn't want to trouble her relatives, but her feelings for children of the same age as her are very direct.

She hated Margaret—

Hate this sparkly kid.

I hate that this child has taken up all of my sister's tenderness.

I hate other people's children who have a bright future as described by my grandfather.

I hate this girl who was born with happiness and family that I don't have.

This ugly jealousy made her instinctively hate the child in front of her who was clumsily opening the door. She was not even as tall as the door handle. Even Noah had to use a cane to open the door. She must have been jumping like a fool to reach the door handle. Little Noah frowned, closed the book on her knees, and wanted to issue an eviction order to the child. This was the Kirilet family, and she was a child of the Linguang family. Without the owner's permission... she should not break into her own boudoir.

It was unbecoming and the best excuse she could find for scolding the child.

This was purely selfish, wanting to find an excuse to drive the child away. Compared to her, who was dark and unlovable, a child like Margaret Linguang was too dazzling, so dazzling that it was an eyesore.

"What are you doing here? This is the Kirilet mansion," she said coldly. Her voice, though childish, was clear. "You shouldn't be barging into the Kirilet household, and certainly not into my room without permission. Now, leave. I won't tell your elders about this."

In fact, she wanted to say that she would not tell Sister Yolanta, but for some reason she felt awkward and changed her words to her elder.

Perhaps he wanted to remind her that, strictly speaking, he was the younger sister of Margaret Linguang's mother, and her aunt.

Although the two are of similar age, he is a generation older than her.

Moreover, she would be the head of the Kirilet family in the future, a knight noble on par with the Linguang family. She wanted to be a bad kid in front of this child, a domineering girl, and even thought it would be better to scare her to tears!

Although this is meaningless, children don't care about the meaning. They just want the person in front of them to know that they are much more mature and better than her. This cannot be compared with having a happy family. This is a very childish behavior, but it is precisely because of its childishness that children will do it. It is not an exaggeration to say that they are pretentious.

This child who seems cute but stupid... no, stupid and hateful, will definitely be dissatisfied with her unfriendly attitude and may even do something to herself.

At that time, Noah was such a petty, jealous, pretentious and not gentle person at all.

He is a child who takes his own misfortune as a reason to be hostile to the happiness of others.

"...You're so beautiful." However, the child kept staring at her, looking her up and down as if she had seen her favorite doll. A compliment came out of her mouth that came completely from the heart. "As cute as a doll!"

"...Who's the doll?" Little Noah was stunned for a moment, then jumped up from the chair. When she sat on the chair, her feet couldn't touch the ground, so she jumped down and demanded angrily. "I'm Noah Kyrielight, the future head of the Kyrielight family, and your aunt! You have to show me some respect! Don't look at me like that! You shouldn't look at ladies inappropriately!"

"But you are really beautiful. I came here with my mother. She said there is a little princess hidden in this mansion. Are you that little princess?" Unfortunately, Margaret was stupid at the time and completely ignored Noah's teachings. She arbitrarily determined that the girl in front of her was the little princess her mother was talking about. She reached out and held Noah's hand, dragging her out of the room. During this period, no matter how Noah struggled, it was of no avail.

At that time, Margaret's strength was already evident, and it was really beyond Noah's ability to resist. Moreover, Noah at that time had not made up her mind to train well... After all, she was only five or six years old. But Margaret had undergone rigorous training, so from all aspects... she really had no way to break free from Margaret.

It is no exaggeration to say that it was this time of being forcibly taken out of the room that made Noah determined to train himself well.

After being pulled out of the room, Noah raised his head and saw Yolanta standing next to his room. The playful smile on her face when she watched her daughter pull her sister out is still fresh in Noah's memory.

Although it was not a pleasant memory, it was indeed Noah's first impression of Margaret.

An unreasonable, extremely rude, and annoying bastard.

How could such a person be the daughter of gentle Sister Yolanta!

Such a terrible encounter was so memorable, it was definitely not because she held a grudge... Ah, okay, she was still very grudgeful at that time, but if she thought about it carefully, if Margaret had not unreasonably pulled her out of the room, she would definitely not have mustered up the courage, and her personality would probably have remained gloomy, and she might even have gone astray. If she thought about it this way, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Margaret at the time... seemed to have unknowingly shaped the Noah of today.

"Mom! I found the little princess! She's so beautiful!"

"Be good, Mommy has seen this. From now on, she can play with you. You can call her Noah. She's your aunt, but you're about the same age—maybe even a little younger. So you'll have your own affairs. You have to protect her." Yolanta smiled and patted Margaret's head, saying to the little girl. "Girls are very delicate, so never use violence against them. Be gentle with them. So... apologize to Xiaoya first."

"...Um, I'm sorry, Noah..."

"..." Noya looked at Yolanta. Precocious as she was, she knew it had to be Yolanta's idea. But since he had already apologized, and as a noble knight, she couldn't pursue the matter further, so... she could only nod and accept the apology. "Forget it this time, but... I didn't promise to be your playmate!"

Yolanta didn't say much, just looked at Noah and smiled. Margaret seemed to have not understood what Noah said at all, and continued to run around him. Noah didn't expect... that in the end this girl would hug him like this and say that she wanted to marry him.

——On the night she left Casimir, she sat in her room and waited for ten minutes.

Unfortunately, Margaret did not open that door at that time.

However, she knew it in her heart.

Why did she have to wait ten minutes?

Chapter 21: An Untimely Visit

She was waiting for a miracle.

A miracle that she had already known in her heart, but even deep down she was a little reluctant to believe it would happen.

She was looking forward to the girl she was thinking about opening her door and pulling her out of the room, just like in the past, just like when they were little.

Precisely because the possibility of it happening was so small, Noah called it a miracle - all she wanted was for Margaret to choose her between Casimir and her, even just once.

And now, she has waited for it.

A miracle really happened.

-

Everything is under Yelagund's watchful eye.

This sentence, written in the Manjuyuan text, actually extols Yelagund's omniscience and wisdom, a kind of religious advocacy. However, even the compiler of the text probably didn't anticipate that he had accidentally guessed one of Yelagund's powers. In fact, Yelagund's authority is simple to explain. Her power essentially leans towards [protection]. She can protect Kjerag in the face of natural disasters and transform Kjerag into her own divine domain. Within this divine domain, Yelagund fears no challenge.

Call it land grabbing or local advantages, anyway... whatever happens on Kjerag's piece of land, she will be the first to know.

For example... this familiar [friend] in front of me.

"Long time no see, Yelagund." He did not open his mouth, but his voice reached Yelagund's heart.

"It's been a long time, Anma. Why are you here with me instead of staying in your Sami Snowfield?" Yelagund naturally recognized the existence in front of him, Anma, the Beast Master of Sami, the Lord of Deer. Unlike the giant beasts created by the Son of the Star, the Beast Master was a completely man-made creation. It was a super-domain spirit born by the previous civilization to explore the boundaries of consciousness and soul. It could even be violently identified as a way of soul ascension.

It can be said that the Beast Master is a relic of the previous civilization, while the Behemoth is a creation of the Son of the Stars that can nurture the ecology on its own.

While both possess immense power, often even considered gods, their origins are fundamentally different, and most beasts and their masters never intersect—but Anma is an exception. She is Sami's master, but Sami has more than just Anma, the Deer Master. There's also a beast named Sami, the father of the ancestral spirits, who was once a friend of Yelagund.

However, because of the fight against evil spirits, Sami seemed to have been asleep for a long time, so in most cases, Anma became the only extraordinary existence in the Sami Snowfield.

"The Star Child has fallen. Sammy knows about this, but he can't leave without permission, so I've been asked to help him." Anma responded. As the Lord of Deer, she could let her beast kin leave Sammy on her behalf. Now she looked like a snow-white fawn. "The newborn Star Child has arrived in your kingdom. The other giant beasts will surely sense it. Unless they are absolutely unable to leave or are still asleep, they will probably try to make their way here. After all, the Star Child is almost like the Creator to you."

"Indeed, I have sensed the auras of several old friends, both acquaintances and strangers, although they have not yet entered my territory directly like you." Yelagunde smiled helplessly. Who could have known that the honorary saint whom he chose at random would actually inherit the identity of the Son of the Star? It is not surprising that sensing the birth of a new Son of the Star, it is not surprising to attract giant beasts. Fortunately, those people from Yan Country cannot leave the country... otherwise, it would be a mess here.

"The giant beasts don't meet each other, just like the beast masters won't gather together casually. They may still be patiently waiting for the Star Child to leave your kingdom, but that may not be the case later." Anma reminded, "That's why Sammy asked me to remind you. The existence of the Star Child is very important to the giant beasts. Giant beasts are also living creatures. They don't like to be controlled, but the Star Child has the ability to create and destroy giant beasts at will. This is a very terrifying thing for most giant beasts."

"The behemoth has an endless lifespan, but it also has an infinite lifespan. No matter how powerful a behemoth is, it will die. When it dies, its authority will return to the Son of the Star. This is different from you beast masters—you are truly immortal. Is this the characteristic of the super-domain spirit?"

"I didn't become a Beast Master just because I wanted to be what I am now..." Anma shook her head. "Besides, you should also understand that the difference between a behemoth and a Beast Master is too great. The method we use to become Beast Masters may not necessarily work on behemoths."

"I was just saying that," Yelagund shrugged. "Besides, living too long like you wouldn't be such a good thing... You can't even end your own life."

"...Indeed, the Star Children have given you the power of death." Anma sighed, "But those people of the previous civilization never considered what kind of torture immortality would be."

"Okay, stop complaining." Yelagund sighed. "Should I explain this to Starchild? There are many behemoths who want to see her?"

"That depends on your plan. This Son of the Star is your saint. In the eyes of many giant beasts, you are quite extraordinary." Anma's voice was a little funny. Obviously, the act of taking the Son of the Star as one's saint was a bit funny even in the eyes of the beast master, and the embarrassed Yelagund just rolled his eyes.

"If you're just here to laugh at me, I can kick you out right now."

"Alright, alright, don't worry. Now that I'm here, I'll definitely help. So, let me first explain your wishes to the giant beasts outside, so they can be patient. After you've discussed it with the Star Child, we can decide whether to let the Star Child and the giant beasts meet."

"...Yes, it's possible. It wouldn't be a bad idea to let them behave themselves." Yelagunde also thought it was a good idea. After all, being surrounded by a group of giant beasts was too unbearable. "Then I'll trouble you, Anma."

"It's just a piece of cake, and... to be honest, I should thank this Star Child for his help."

"what happened?"

"In Leithania, she passed through the gates of the Warp and reclaimed the Wasteland," Anma responded. "The Wasteland's existence has become a barrier between the Warp and the real world. The increasingly serious pollution at the Far North Star Gate has been slowed down, and my children have gained a rare respite. This Star Child has helped Sami in her own way—I must express my gratitude to her."

Anma raised her head, and a snowball condensed from her crystal-like antlers and fell into Yela's palm.

"Give this to her, maybe it can help her."

"The Beast Master's blessing?" Yelagund naturally knew what it was. It looked like a snowball, but in reality, it contained a true blessing, a blessing not easily given to others. It was also known as Anma's love. "You really spent a lot of money. It seems that Noah really helped you a lot."

"As long as it can make my children feel a little more relaxed... I will give them as much reward as I can." Anma watched the Sami warriors fight against the evil demons. As a beast master, she and the Sami beast were the same. They watched the children fight against the evil demons, watched the children sacrifice, and watched them give everything. Humans are not plants. Both beast masters and beasts have feelings. The piety of these children has long made this beast master who did not originally belong to Sami develop feelings for Sami.

And truly regard these humans as their own children.

As a mother, she would naturally give for her child. Since Star Son helped Sami, she would naturally pay the corresponding reward.

This is the reward of being a mother.

"Okay, do you need to meet her? Although it's not nice of me to say this, she's actually a very good kid. She'll definitely be happy to meet you." Yela accepted the snowball and suggested, "And to be honest, Sammy's problems will need to be resolved sooner or later. Perhaps the Star Child can mobilize the giant beasts to deal with the demons? Although those things are not easy for us to deal with either."

"..." Anma hesitated. Indeed, if Noah could help summon the giant beasts to go to Sammy to fight against the evil demons, it would be of great help. However, Noah was the Son of the Stars. In terms of status, he was a truly noble person. To be honest, Anma had no idea. After all, she could not afford too expensive a reward. Sammy was in a bitterly cold snowfield. She was just a beast master. No... even if Sammy itself was here, it could not ask anything of its creator, right?

"I think we can give it a try. It doesn't cost anything to try anyway." Yela leaned over and picked up the little deer that Anma had transformed into. "Come, let's go meet our new leader."

"She's your new leader." Anma didn't struggle, but the deer rolled his eyes humanely, "She's not the leader of our beast family."

"Yes, yes, yes." Yelagund nodded with a smile, took a step forward, and disappeared from the spot in an instant.

She can come and go freely throughout Kjerag, and appear anywhere by teleporting, but there is only one exception, and that is next to Noya. After Noya inherited the power of the Star Child, wherever she is can be called the [Holy Land]. Even if she herself is completely unaware of this, the power that flows out unconsciously has already alienated the surroundings. In other words, next to Noya, it is actually no longer considered the divine domain of Yelagund.

So she could only teleport to the nearest place, just outside the clothing store. Yelagund's sudden appearance did not attract anyone's attention. A simple cognitive filter would judge his sudden appearance and disappearance as a very normal situation. She hugged Anma and looked into the store with some curiosity. Now the situation in the entire store was a blind spot for Yelagund. This feeling was quite wonderful. She walked into the store. This was a very charming clothing store - at least in Yela's opinion, it was a very good store.

The new customer naturally attracted the attention of the store owner. The old woman pushed her glasses, looked outside the door, and then her eyes immediately focused on the little deer in Yela's arms.

"Sir, pets are not allowed here." The old woman wanted to stop Ye La from bringing her pet into the room, but Ye La's clothes made her stop immediately. "...Are you...are you from Manzhuyuan?"