Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

The falsehood hidden beneath the truth often makes people lose their judgment.

"Could it be that there's something wrong with the wine shipped by the Perlochi family, or rather, the transportation route arranged by the Perlochi family? Miss Rosalyn's appearance was a pure accident. So was Miss Noya. And because of this, you're worried that after I meet Miss Rosalyn, I might accidentally find the Perlochi family and discover something I shouldn't have discovered?"

Gray Hat clapped his hands.

"I see—I just thought of this possibility. You're using me," Gray Hat said, suddenly realizing. "I fell into your trap the moment I spread the news of Noa Kyrielight's appearance in Kjerag. Miss Noa's appearance made us cautious, and with the distraction, we easily overlooked such an obvious target."

Jian's face had turned gloomy. She really didn't expect that with just such a few clues, the other party had already roughly deduced their purpose.

"The Perlochi family is responsible for transporting all of Kjerag's resources. All of Kjerag's transportation railways converge at a common point: the Silver Heart Lake. Furthermore, the most important point... is the island in the middle of the lake at the foot of the Yelagund statue. This is quite obvious, but precisely because it's so conspicuous, we overlooked it from the beginning. Perhaps the Yelagund statue holds some secrets."

The man in the gray hat told all his guesses, and observing the expression on Jian's face, he was already 80% sure.

The Black Knight is not good at keeping secrets. Her expression may seem cold, but in fact, when her micro-expressions are interpreted, there are still big flaws.

As for Noah Kyrielight, first of all, they had no reason to be her enemy. After all, her position was truly special. Not only was she the envoy of Agor, the most powerful nation to date, but she also had close personal relationships with leaders of many countries, even... with Speaker Vina...

--I see.

Gray Hat didn't say it out loud, but she understood that if that was the case, her boss would probably really get into some trouble.

The man in the gray hat smiled, like a detective who had finally revealed the truth at the end of a mystery novel, and bowed with the unique Victorian elegance.

"I think I guessed right."

boom!

Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to brag about his cleverness. Rather, it was precisely this desire to show off that put him in danger once again. Although he had been prepared, the cold wind from the mace's swing still cut his cheek as he dodged the mace's double blow. He wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand. Fighting the Black Knight with two or three broken ribs was an absolutely foolish decision. Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems... running away was the best!

The double maces came down with the force of thunder, but what was left in the original place was just an afterimage. Gray Hat used his Originium skills to successfully avoid the second pursuit of the mace. The weapon passed through the afterimage and smashed into the snow. Suddenly, the snowfield exploded into a ten-foot ice mist. Even Gray Hat, who had already run some distance, couldn't help but complain in his heart at this time - is this going to kill him?

If these two maces hit me... I won’t be able to survive even with my several lives!

This is really a life-and-death race...

However, he could no longer think at this time. The man in the gray hat changed his steps several times, and in the next moment, he actually separated into three afterimages that were difficult to distinguish between real and fake, and fled in three directions. This was one of his special skills. Generally, pursuers would see three afterimages and would not know which one was real. Most of them would be stunned for a moment, and this stunned moment was enough for the man in the gray hat to escape from the scene.

Unfortunately... he encountered a mace——

boom! ! !

The three afterimages were indeed difficult to distinguish, but Jian didn't hesitate at all, chasing the one on the left. The man in the gray hat was immediately terrified because... she had guessed correctly? How could it be possible? His moves had rarely failed, and this afterimage's skills were definitely at the pinnacle. How could it have determined his true location so quickly?

But there was no time to think. Two smoke bombs dropped from the sleeves of the gray hat. He flicked his fingers and the two smoke bombs exploded directly. At the moment the smoke exploded, he repeated his trick again. This time, he separated five afterimages! He really couldn't believe that the other party could be so lucky as to guess right twice in a row!

Unfortunately, after the smoke dissipated, the mace showed almost no sign of stopping and went straight towards the real body - this time, Gray Hat understood.

Afterimages are of no use to this guy!

Actually, it wasn't that the mace was cheating, nor was it that the gray hat's afterimage level was not up to par. In fact, the reason why he was discovered was very simple...

There will be no footprints in the afterimage.

This is snowy ground, and you can easily tell who the real one is just by looking at the footprints.

By the time he realized what was happening, the mace had already been thrown—the heavy black iron mace ripped through the air, nearly breaking the man in the gray hat's spine. Fortunately, he dodged in time, narrowly avoiding the terrifying blow. The Black Knight crushed the tree trunk that three people could hug together, and swung the remaining iron mace in the air with a full moon arc of light. Pine needles and ice spikes were shattered by the strong wind, but the man in the gray hat had no room to dodge... He was still in mid-air! There was no way to gain leverage!

boom--

Just before the attack hit, Jian seemed to sense something and suddenly raised her head. Sure enough - at this moment a lance fell from the sky and actually blocked the attack. The lance and mace collided, making a harsh metal friction sound. The owner of this lance... Jian was very familiar to her, after all, this guy was her love rival.

"Calm down, Black Knight." The lance arrived first, followed by the Radiant Knight, who dropped from the sky. She was standing in front of the mace. "Do you want to kill him?"

"Why are you here?" Jian frowned. At that moment, she did have the intention to kill, but she didn't expect to meet Margaret at this time. "Where is Noah?"

"Of course, I'm going to clean up the mess," Margaret said with a smile. When she stopped the mace, the man in the grey hat had already run away without looking back. However, he probably didn't expect that the one who saved his life was Margaret Linguang. "Don't worry, he can't escape."

"Wouldn't it be better to just kill him? We're in the middle of nowhere—and there's an avalanche. Wouldn't it be better to just pretend he died in the avalanche?"

"Do you think Victoria cares what killed her family's spy?" Margaret, as Casimir's future leader, understood politics far better than the Black Knight. She knew that no matter how he died, accidental or intentional, as long as the Gray Hat was dead, Victoria would have a reason to invade Kjerag. "He can't die, at least not here."

Although Victoria now has a parliamentary system, there is a troop dispatched by Duke Caister in Kjerag. Once the Grey Hat dies, this troop must seek justice for the death of the spy even if they don't intend to go to war. This is essentially giving others a handle, but according to Mace's personality... it is probably because the Grey Hat knows something, right?

But that is not something Margaret needs to consider. After all... Noah can handle this kind of thing better.

Margaret drew out her lance and saw an obvious dent on it. She raised her head and looked in the direction of the mace. For some reason, she felt that the electric light on the mace was even more intense than before.

Of course, Mace didn't mind Noah handling this matter - but he was already here.

"Margaret Linguang, since you have taken my prey, you must accompany me to enjoy it."

Chapter 31: The Duel between the Black Knight and the Shining Knight

Between the Black Knight and the Shining Knight, who is stronger?

This problem has actually troubled fans of Casimir's Knights Competition for many years. On the one hand, the Black Knights' three consecutive championships are unprecedented and will never be surpassed. After all, the Knights Competition has begun to reform and no longer conducts that kind of bloody competition without mercy. Therefore, both the intensity and difficulty have been reduced to a level. The current New Knights Competition has also been split into a sports competition that is more inclined to showcase the spirit of chivalry.

If the original knightly competition was more like a modern version of the Colosseum, then the new version of the knightly competition was simply a technical exchange.

Therefore, there will no longer be champions like the Black Knight and the Shining Knight who have fought their way out of a group of strong men. Therefore, the only two legends left for comparison of combat power are these two.

The Black Knight and the Shining Knight.

There are quite a few people who are constantly arguing on the Internet about these two people, whether they are citing facts and evidence, or simply the fan groups on both sides. Some are having rational discussions, while others are arguing with each other. Some are mocking the fans of the Black Knight as a group of old-fashioned people who cling to their old idols, while others are mocking the new generation of Shining Knights as just high-level actors with gorgeous packaging. Some of them have simply never watched the two's ring battle performances. As online viewers, these people's voices are also ridiculously loud.

It even developed to the point where any post involving the debate between the Black Knight and the Shining Knight would go viral in a short period of time, and then be deleted or locked without being allowed to reply due to the heated language.

For forum administrators in Casimir, this topic is commonplace, but for the two main characters - well, they really don't care.

If the question of who was stronger could be determined verbally, then no one would want to discuss such an uncontroversial topic. Essentially, the two had never fought in public, and their respective strengths were universally acknowledged, leading to their comparison. Everyone has a certain admiration for the strong; the strong naturally attract others. Add to that the fact that both were incredibly handsome, with the Radiant Knight a national idol, and it's no surprise that such a debate was brewing.

However, there is no first in literature and no second in martial arts.

Although they don't care about the impact of who is stronger or weaker on themselves, but... if there really is a winner to be determined, then it's not a bad idea.

The cold wind blew on their cheeks. Both of them held weapons in their hands, which were their most handy weapons. This was also a good place. There were no pedestrians, no spectators, only each other, and the snowflakes all over the sky and the ground.

If you want to choose a battlefield that is good enough, perhaps this is the most suitable choice.

"Let me state in advance, Mace, I have no intention of fighting you. If possible, we can completely avoid this meaningless battle. Noah won't be happy either."

"Come on, Margaret, those nice words you say are completely different from your current state."

"...Do you think I'm excited?"

"No, I'm just telling you that you can't fool your body. Fighting against the strong is a warrior's instinct. Once you reach this level, you will naturally look forward to competing with people of the same level as yourself."

"...I still don't think it's a good idea to let so-called instincts control your actions."

"Then, if you just turn your head, I'll give up. If you're willing to turn around and leave, I'll give up fighting you."

"..."

Margaret did not move. Her reason told her that this was a meaningless battle, without glory and justice. Her strength should not be wasted in such a place. Her education and her own beliefs did not make it right to fight with the mace at this time.

But—she couldn't turn around and leave.

Perhaps she had forgotten that the Golden Pegasus wasn't originally renowned for its chivalry. She was a descendant of powerful gods, with blood flowing like gold. Before becoming a knight, the Golden Pegasus's reputation wasn't earned for its noble character. In that ignorant age, only blood and war could convince people. But within the Golden Pegasus's bloodline today, that bloodline and instinct, inherited from her ancestors' fierce battles, had never faded.

Postnatal education shaped Margaret's noble character, everything she identified with, and the existence of Margaret Linguang.

There is a theory in psychoanalysis: id, ego, and superego.

The id is completely subconscious, represents desire, and is suppressed by consciousness.

The self represents the surface layer of consciousness that is responsible for dealing with matters in the real world.

The superego is conscience or inner moral judgment.

The Brilliant Knight, Margaret Lin Guang, can actually represent these three parts.

The Knight of Glory is Margaret's superego, which binds her. It is her morality and conscience, her code and identity, and can even be seen as her ideal form.

Margaret is the self, the middle state responsible for reconciling the differences between Lin Guang and Yao Knight. The self is the executor of the personality, distinguishing between extreme rationality and extreme wildness, and is the foundation of what makes people human.

Lin Guang is her surname, which represents the violence hidden in the blood of her ancestors. It is the most primitive desire of human beings to satisfy instinctive impulses, such as hunger, anger - and even sexual desire.

Although the Black Knight had memorized this fascinating theory while reading the book, she had never encountered such a contradictory being as Margaret Linguang. She had always suppressed herself, as if she had no dark side, but Jian never believed that anyone could be without a dark side. Even Noya had her own selfishness, making wrong decisions and doing wrong things. She was already the most perfect person in Jian's eyes - so, Margaret Linguang?

When one side of a personality is so glorious, what about the other side that is suppressed?

what……

Margaret was laughing.

Unlike her usual gentle smile, this time Margaret's smile was more like a self-deprecating smile. That kind of smile really shouldn't be on the face of a Brilliant Knight...

After the self-deprecating smile, her expression finally changed. In Mace's eyes, the being in front of him was no longer the great and glorious knight, but a monster that temporarily obeyed its instincts and displayed a terrifying and oppressive feeling like a top predator.

The ferocity of the Golden Pegasus finally emerged again after being buried for so many years.

-

"...Sister...?" Maria seemed to have sensed something. She felt her blood boiling. She and Margaret had the same blood, and she felt a [resonance] towards the liberated wild Margaret, just like what happens between twin sisters. Her body temperature was rising and her heart rate was speeding up, as if her body was awakened. The small wounds she had originally had were also recovering rapidly. She couldn't help but look out the window - what kind of opponent had her sister encountered?

This kind of situation almost never happens...

Could it be that even my sister is forced to use all her strength?

"What's wrong, Maria?" Zofia was a branch family member, after all, and she couldn't feel the call of her bloodline. She just felt as if Maria had suddenly become more energetic, as if she had drunk a dozen cans of energy drinks, and even a bright red appeared on her skin. "Are you feeling unwell?"

"...It's a bit hot..." Maria fanned herself and stuck out her tongue. "Maybe my sister is in trouble... Although I've never encountered something like this before, my intuition tells me...it's probably my sister's fault."

"Could it be that you sisters have some kind of telepathy?" Zofia's face was filled with disbelief. "And who could have forced Margaret to this point?"

"Hey, Auntie, why don't you believe it?" Maria said angrily. "It's true that I don't have any evidence, but my intuition really tells me so."

"Great, great, your intuition is truly remarkable... Encountering an avalanche is one thing, but even Margaret's in trouble... But doesn't she have Noah with her? She shouldn't be in trouble, right?" Zofia shook her head helplessly. "With Noah here, nothing will go wrong."

"...That's what I said..." Maria was truly overwhelmed by the heat and immediately threw off the covers. Her entire body was scorching, so she could only walk around in circles, trying to cool down. If Zofia hadn't been in the room, she would have even taken off her clothes. After just a moment, she felt the hospital gown she'd just changed into was soaked with sweat, and her breath became incredibly hot. She held it in for a long time before rushing straight to the ward's bathroom. She didn't want to wait for the tub to fill, so she just lay down in it, turned the cold water on full blast, and let the icy water wash over her body, which finally gave her some relief.

Maria was like this, and Margaret at this moment exuded a terrifying aura all over her body. Snowflakes falling on her skin would instantly sublime and vaporize. The aroused fighting spirit made her completely enter a state of readiness for battle.

If Russell were here, he would probably recognize it immediately. This was the state that Lin Guang's grandfather displayed when he was fighting against the Patriot Phalanx. He became more and more courageous as the battle went on, and no one could stop him. If ordinary people in the Lin Guang family only used 50% of their strength at most, the people in this state were complete war machines. Their self-healing ability, strength, defense, and even mental willpower would be comprehensively improved.

She just needs to turn her blonde hair into an afro to show her dominance...

From the very beginning, this battle seemed to be entering uncharted territory.

Even with a mace, she couldn't be sure how strong Margaret was in her current state. Her initial assessment of Margaret was actually slightly lower than her own, but this state... was different.

With a wave of his hand, the iron maces that had been thrown out suddenly took off from the snow pile as if they had received a summons. This pair of iron maces were the masterpieces of the craftsman cat, and they had various magical mechanisms, one of which was the anti-loss mechanism. According to the craftsman cat, it would be too funny if a hunter could even lose his weapon.

——It seems that from the very beginning... I have to use all my strength.

Grasping the flying iron mace, Mace made a judgment, and then crossed the two maces and raised them above her head. As the blood and energy burst out of her body, she entered the state of [Demon Transformation] in the first second. The mace in this state is so powerful that even the Blood Demon Lord has to look at it differently. Her speed and flexibility will get a qualitative leap in this state, and to match it is the will to fight. Ever since Mace learned [Demon Transformation]... it has always been called a trump card.

Margaret Linguang.

锏。

Both warriors, whose names were recorded in the annals of the Casimir Knightly Tournament, were reduced to afterimages almost simultaneously in the deep mountains of Kjerag. The two figures collided with each other, and the blast of air instantly blew away the surrounding snow. The storm of this exchange of blows even caused a snowless area to appear at the center of the collision. It seemed like just a single collision, but in fact, at the moment of contact, the two men's weapons collided with each other countless times, making sharp noises.

In the first collision, although the two seemed evenly matched, only Jian knew that she was indeed slightly inferior in strength.

As expected of a descendant of the bloodline of the gods, his basic stats were indeed impeccable. Margaret, who had entered a state that was almost equal to frenzy, suppressed the mace in terms of strength. In the head-on collision just now, if it weren't for the fact that Margaret was using a lance and the mace was using a double mace, in terms of weapons, the lance was not suitable for a head-on collision, which could be considered to have barely made up for the difference in strength between the two.

Margaret was no less surprised than the mace. Only she knew what the mace had done just now. It was obviously at a disadvantage in terms of strength, but after discovering this, the mace doubled the frequency of its attacks. So in the previous collision, most of the weapons collisions were actually caused by Margaret defending, and she couldn't even find a way to attack. The mace was as nimble as her hands and feet... Aren't these things quite heavy weapons?

Margaret and Jian have always had a high opinion of each other's strength, but after actually fighting, they both found that their original expectations were too conservative.

You have to know that she is of divine blood, and her starting point is much higher than that of ordinary people. However, Mace does not have any divine ancestors. Her strength and skills are all honed bit by bit by herself. This kind of strength is real and absolutely unquestionable.

Margaret couldn't help but feel a little respect... This kind of strength is indeed worthy of respect.

However, their fight wasn't over yet. The previous fight was at most a test, and the real fight would come next...

"I'm beginning to regret not fighting you sooner."

"Each other..."

This is enough for the two people to communicate verbally. Next, they just need to understand each other in the battle. In a sense, Jian and Margaret are indeed the same kind of people, the same kind of people who enjoy the battle itself.

And in such a battle, before both of them are exhausted... it is likely that the winner will be undetermined.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't the two people present who made this judgment, but Miss Noah, who discovered the two people's fight early on - and Mr. Gray Hat, who was tied up and lying headfirst in the snow.

"...Ah...I knew these two guys would fight sooner or later."

Chapter 32: Watching the Stars

Noah watched the battle from afar. To be honest, she felt a little complicated. After all, the two people fighting below had a complicated and ambiguous relationship with her. In addition, Noah herself was a person who liked to take all the responsibility on herself. She also had a certain self-knowledge. If it were not like this, how could she have come this far?

“…Wuwuwu…Wuwuwu…”