Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"I just received news that the board of directors has given us permission to take action against the Knight of Glory—"

"To the Radiant Knight? Really?"

"The board's inconsistent judgment is indeed very troublesome. Now that Xuantie has escaped, we also need to find time to escape—in this regard, Baijin is more clever. This little Pegasus ran away before us."

"Then this time's escort mission..."

"Monique, I leave it to you." Roy said with a smile, "With you and three teams, we can handle a single Silver Spear Pegasus."

"But there are more than forty of them in this city..." Monique looked at Roy as if he were an idiot. "If you want me to die, just tell me. I'll send you on your way now."

"Not really. What if the Blood Knight wins? We won't have to fight so hard." Roy waved his hand quickly. "It's mainly because Xuantie has agreed to attack the Radiant Knight this time."

"Black Iron? Why?" Monique was even more surprised. "After this, will we still have anything to do with the Radiant Knight?"

"Don't worry. We've never been very clear about Xuantie's actions." Roy shook his head. "Perhaps Xuantie sensed something from Radiant Knight... and her childhood friend. Look, Noah Kyrielight is also among our targets."

"The board of directors has begun to be wary of us. We'd better not act rashly until Xuantie gives us a signal." Monique sighed and said to Noah. She didn't really want to recall the three-meter giant that appeared behind her that night. That thing gave Monique the feeling that it only needed a thought to crush her to death...

"Of course, the best outcome would be if the Blood Knights won—then we wouldn't have to work."

"Then who do you think is more likely to win?"

"It's hard to say..." Roy shook his head. "The Blood Knight was just injured... But even if he wasn't injured, the Brilliant Knight still has a chance of winning."

-

"Tickets for the finals? Why?" Amiya received a gift from the Supervisory Committee, the tickets for the finals personally delivered by Ms. Russell.

"Rhodes Island provided a lot of assistance for this year's Casimir Major. Casimir learned a lot from Rhodes Island regarding advanced methods for dealing with Oripathy," Ms. Russell said affably. "The winner of this year's Major was decided by the Radiant Knight and the Blood Knight—two infected individuals. Given that, I believe Rhodes Island should witness this unprecedented showdown, the first ever showdown between two champions."

"...Thank you for your kindness." Amiya no longer had any reason to refuse. She glanced at the doctor and accepted it after seeing him nod.

"Go witness the winner of this match. Of course, based on your perspective... you might prefer to see the Glory Knight regain his throne, right?" Ms. Russell looked at the two Sarkaz doctors standing nearby, "especially these two guests who have a close connection to the Glory Knight."

"There are four tickets in total, just enough for me and Amiya, as well as Shining and Nightingale." The doctor also spoke at this time, "Besides, you are Operator Lin Guang's most loyal partners, so you can't be absent."

"...Yeah." This sentence completely blocked the reason for Shining and others to refuse, "We will be there."

"I understand." Nightingale nodded. She also wanted to go to the scene to support Margaret.

-

At the Red Pine Knights' headquarters, they finally got the information about the finals of this special tournament.

The Blood Knight and the Shining Knight meet in the finals - a duel between two infected knights. No matter who wins, it doesn't seem to be a bad thing for the infected.

"Especially after the Plot Zero incident was exposed, the person in charge stepped down, and you even obtained legal status from the Supervisory Commission. You're absolutely winning, right?" Tolan also appeared at this time. "It's such a happy ending, I'm a little uncomfortable with it. Aren't you planning to have a party to celebrate?"

"..." Sona did not respond. She just looked at the TV screen outside the electronics store on the street without saying a word.

"That's not really the case...right?" Tolan sighed. "Two Infected Knights made it to the finals. The Infected are of course happy, but the non-Infected are naturally going to feel uncomfortable. The news is dominated by the Infected...This has begun to evolve into a conflict between the Infected and the non-Infected. The Helmetless Alliance is easy to deal with, the Federation is easy to deal with, but how do we deal with the public's fear of the Oripathy?"

"...I don't know." Sona shook her head, her heart in turmoil. Seeing this result, she knew that she and others had also participated in the consequences of the Great Partition. "Tolan, you are from outside the Great Knight Territory. Can I ask you a question?"

"Ok?"

"Will the lives of the infected really improve by defeating the Commerce Federation and the Helmets-less Alliance? In other countries without the Helmets-less Alliance and the Commerce Federation... can the infected live happily?"

"..."

"No, after all, is it really possible to defeat the Business Federation?"

Infected people, people suffering from mineral sickness.

A knight is a person who gains wealth and status through athletic competition.

——Is it really because of infection that the infected and non-infected people are divided?

-

Casimir, even a country that is relatively gentle towards the infected...

In Ursus, the infected are even sent to... those black mines, where human rights are almost non-existent.

Therefore, Tolan did not directly tell Sona the result.

He simply sighed and responded, "This has nothing to do with you..."

-

The Radiant Knights, the Blood Knights, they all seemed to be doing something great.

So, Sona...what should she do?

Is this really all I can do?

-

Noah met with the Blood Knight. Before the game started, she wanted to meet with the Blood Knight in person, and the Blood Knight agreed.

So they met in front of the Champion Wall, and as soon as they met, the Blood Knight's deep voice rang out.

"It's been a long time since we last met, Mr. Noah."

"You don't have to be so polite, Dikaiopolis," Noah said with a smile. He had almost watched the Blood Knight win the championship. Although he had defeated Viviana, whom he had invested in, Noah had developed a deep curiosity about the Blood Knight. After all, he was an Infected Knight, yet he had always followed the arrangements of the Commerce Federation and won the championship with such ease. He even helped to implement the Infected Knight Act.

To be honest, Noah really admires the Blood Knight.

As for the Blood Knight - his good impression of Noah probably came from the fact that the other party remembered his name when they met for the first time.

After all, this name is difficult to remember and very long, and many people need to meet him several times before they can remember it. Later, after he got the name of Blood Knight, only people like Noah would call him by his name.

"First of all, I want to thank you for interrupting the fight between Margaret and Tora." Noya first thanked the Blood Knight for his previous actions. "You really helped a lot."

"It's a piece of cake." The Blood Knight nodded. He stared at Noya and suddenly had a strange intuition. "You're looking for me...it's not about the Commerce Federation, right?"

"Well, you guessed right." Noah admitted that his actions had nothing to do with the Business Federation. "I just want to talk to you."

"...I'm all ears." The Blood Knight responded politely.

"What do you think of the Knight of Glory?"

Chapter 198: This is a good deal

"Shining Knight..."

The Blood Knight pondered for a moment. He still took Noya's question seriously. After all, the man before him was one of the few people in Casimir who had truly experienced Casimir's worst side, just like him. He also knew from other sources why Noya had become a businessman.

Noah is a person who is excluded by both the knight class and the bourgeoisie, and can only have a foothold when there is a balance between the two sides.

After the Casimir Special, she would step down as spokesperson for the Chamber of Commerce, and the situation would inevitably change. The Supervisory Commission was reclaiming its power, and it was conceivable that the merchants would face a difficult time in the future.

So, when the knight class gains the upper hand, who will be unlucky?

The Blood Knight actually sympathized with Noah very much. As a competitive knight, he had not experienced the harm of traditional knight family education, but he understood the difficulties of a knight noble who had almost no backing to rely on and no family elders to support him after losing his knight title.

It is hard to imagine how Noah managed to survive that period of isolation and helplessness on his own when he had not yet completed capital accumulation.

"A great loser," the Blood Knight responded. "Of course, that's not to say I have a problem with her. From a realistic perspective, her greatness lies in her struggle, her will, and her unwavering strength. Her failure... lies in her inability to achieve anything. Whether it was to demonstrate her beliefs or to uphold her honor, she ultimately exiled herself and implicated her family. In fact, even Miss Noya... you may have been affected by the Brilliant Knight incident."

After all, if you just ask around, you'll know that Margaret and Noah have a very close relationship.

Moreover, one of them is Casimir's national idol, while the other is the spokesperson for the Chamber of Commerce. This combination cannot be said to be unprecedented, but at least it is unprecedented.

It is conceivable how those merchants who regard Margaret as a thorn in their side will view Noah Kyrielight, an outlier. However, the strange thing is that because of the existence of the knight class, although the merchants are also very unhappy about Noah's existence, they will not completely exclude him from their circle. After all, Noah's mere existence is enough to disgust the knight class.

Noah's position is based on such contradictions and even a tightrope-walking situation.

This is what the Blood Knight admires about her. She is truly like flowing water, soft on the outside but strong on the inside.

"If she were a true knight, she should have considered these things instead of blindly fighting against the so-called rules. Only by following the rules can one fight against them. At least that's what I think."

"Sir Blood Knight... doesn't seem to like Knight Yao very much?" Noah smiled awkwardly. To be honest, she had heard almost exactly the same words from Uncle Marenna. The Linguang family was indeed deeply implicated because of Margaret's reckless actions. If it weren't for Uncle Marenna who was in charge of the situation, the Linguang family might have been excluded from Casimir long ago.

The Blood Knight's statement was correct, or rather, too correct—

Margaret was indeed too impulsive at the time, perhaps because of dissatisfaction with the status quo, or perhaps because of an inner calling - Noah once secretly wondered if it was related to what happened when she left Casimir.

After all, there was no need for him to go to Rhodes Island for treatment at that time, but the hospitals in Casimir were overcrowded one after another, which seriously delayed Noah's treatment time. Noah's condition later developed into such a serious condition, which might not have been fueled by domestic capital.

Of course, Noah never asked Margaret whether she was really involved, but she also believed that even if she was not involved, Margaret would still choose to resist.

After all, fighting injustice is what knights should do.

"These are two different issues, Your Excellency Noah. She doesn't need my love or support." The Blood Knight changed the subject. "I just think her actions should be based on a more realistic foundation."

"Reality...?" Noah thought for a moment and then asked, "If everyone is rooted in reality, if everyone wants to slowly change... then what about those who die in the midst of that slow change? Should they be sacrificed?"

"...Sir Noah, I think you're trying to confuse the issue." The Blood Knight shook his head. "Gradual change will undoubtedly result in more casualties, but compared to a life-or-death struggle... perhaps the success rate is higher."

"How long will that take—a generation? Ten generations? Even a hundred generations? Do you know when the next Blood Knight will appear?" Noah's words seemed to carry a hint of regret. "Sir Blood Knight, there's only one of you and one of the Radiant Knights. The next Blood Knight and Radiant Knight might be a hundred years from now, or even a thousand years from now—we can't wait for that day. We can't guarantee a higher success rate for your plan either. We can only seize the present moment."

"...Sir Noah, you mean..." The Blood Knight's expression changed, "You want to take a gamble?"

"Well, I want to bet my hopes on this game... I don't know what the final outcome will be, but perhaps His Excellency the Blood Knight doesn't quite understand..." Noah shook his head, "I don't have time anymore."

In front of the Blood Knight, Noya unbuttoned her sleeves. In his shocked eyes, she revealed the Originium crystal cluster that appeared on her arm.

"It's too late for me to slowly change. Lord Blood Knight, can you help me make a bet?" Noah said, "This time, Margaret will win, and then... I will declare Margaret's identity as an infected person to be false."

"...What are you talking about?" The Blood Knight's eyes widened. "How...could you possibly do this?"

"I will do it." Noah said seriously, "This is what I have to do."

"This way, the Knight of Glory will..."

"Becoming the target of public criticism, but who was it that tampered with the Glory Knight's test report?" Noah said, "When the time comes, Rhodes Island will produce two test reports for the Glory Knight, one mine and one Margaret's. They will be surprised to find that my test report and Margaret's test report are surprisingly consistent. And then, you know what will happen? At that time, you will use your heroic identity to announce to the infected that the expulsion was an action of the Chamber of Commerce to discredit Margaret, who is friendly to the infected—"

"...The wrath directed at the Radiant Knight will be directed at you. You are the spokesperson for the Chamber of Commerce and the head of the Kirilet family..." The Blood Knight continued, "Are you planning to...destroy yourself?"

"Sir Blood Knight, I am a businessman." Noah shook his head. "It is a good deal for the dying to gain hope for the living."

Chapter 199: Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night

Noah has been preparing for this plan for several years. When she found out that her medical examination report had been tampered with to become Margaret's, she had already thought of announcing this to the public. However, Margaret's expulsion was a foregone conclusion, so Noah had to consider - or must realize that the Chamber of Commerce's confirmation of Margaret's identity as an infected person could be reversed.

When the infected regarded the Knight of Glory as their hope, the Chamber of Commerce could have completely clarified the Knight of Glory's identity, and the Knight of Glory would have only become a liar who deceived the infected.

With just a little incitement, people will irrationally support and attack someone. The more popular Margaret is now, the greater the backlash will be when the truth is revealed.

When the Radiant Knight is no longer the light of the infected, when she defeats the infected's heroic Blood Knight, when she loses the recognition of this identity, she will become a liar in the eyes of the infected.

People don't consider that there is no benefit in pretending to be infected, nor do they consider whether these are the plans of the business association. Even if there are occasional sober people who express objections, they will be drowned out by the angry crowd.

This is public opinion, this is the media, this is the mob that can be easily incited.

Gossip can melt metal. A hero can fall to the bottom in an instant, and those who were once saved will not hesitate to stab their weapons into the hero's body - because he has betrayed their trust.

This isn't fair—

Noah doesn't like this...

If someone really has to be ruined, if someone has to bear the responsibility—

So why couldn't it be her?

Noah never told Margaret about this because she knew that her childhood sweetheart would not agree to it. No matter how many times she told her about minimizing the losses and handling the issue with public relations, the stubborn person would only tell her that she didn't need to sacrifice anything.

The family motto of the Kirilet family is—

Purity, tenacity, dedication, sacrifice.

Unlike the courageous Linguang family, Noya was not taught to have the courage to fight against anything since childhood.

Their education is more extreme than that of the Linguang family... Their family's education is: as long as it conforms to your inner justice, do it at any cost.

All costs, including myself.

And Noah’s justice is Margaret Linguang.

-

"Ms. Noah, this is the script for your final speech. Please read it exactly as it is—this is the Business Association's opinion." McGee sent the electronic copy of the speech to Noah's email. It was an audio file, so Noah only needed to read it back. The content was simple. There were two copies: one congratulating the Blood Knights on their championship, the other congratulating Margaret on her victory.

However, at the end of both speeches, exactly the same words were added.

Noah took a deep breath and didn't ask McGee for the specific reason. He just nodded. "I understand."

"Noah... Miss, I know you may have some opinions, but I have already applied to the director, and then you can join as one of the executive directors, and... this is not a lie, you don't need to have any psychological burden." McGee felt a little guilty to tell the truth, but his position did not allow him to sympathize with Noah. Although Margaret's medical examination report was handed over to the Chamber of Commerce by Noah himself... However, McGee had a feeling.

The girl in front of him remained unmoved.

McGee didn't know what made the girl look so calm - calm as if she was ready for everything, like the peace before death.