I'm fighting Kal'tsit? Really?

"I already told you not to call me that..." Zofia rubbed her temples, sighed, and then gave a gentle look: "What's wrong?"

In response, Maria smiled broadly and hugged her aunt, who was not related by blood but was closer than blood relatives, then quickly let go and waved to her, "No, I just wanted to tell you that I appreciate your support in helping me reach the Special Championship."

Seeing this, Zofia could only pat the other's head without saying anything. She simply patted her shoulder and watched her being led away by the maid until her figure completely disappeared at the end of the corridor before turning her gaze away.

Her smile gradually faded at that moment.

Zofia turned around, quickly walked down the corridor, pushed open the bedroom door, and closed it behind her.

The bedroom was dimly lit, filled with the scent of paper and ink. The documents on the table were neatly stacked, and a candlestick nearby burned with a soft glow.

She stood in the center of the room, facing an empty corner, and began to speak—

"Alright, we finally got her to come over today. Is everything resolved?"

"It's all resolved."

The answer she received was a calm voice, but contrary to Zofia's initial expectations, the voice came directly from the chair behind her desk.

There, Gerald was quietly writing something. The original spell was quickly dispelled, and the wind used to conceal him was also withdrawn.

However, this action almost startled Zofia: "—Why are you sitting in my seat?"

"Do you expect me to sit on the bed?" Gerald seemed to be very familiar with the layout of the place. He naturally gestured for Zofia to sit on the bed: "Go there, I'll tell you about what happened these past two days."

……

After arriving in Kazimierz, the first person Pegasus truly met was Zofia.

Having worked in the business world for a long time, she possesses information far exceeding his imagination, making her one of the most convenient ways to solve problems quickly. Moreover, as Maria's elder and guardian (pseudo), their relationship is quite familiar, and their level of trust is naturally beyond question.

This Whipblade Knight's life after retirement was mostly filled with "protecting the honor of the Nearl family" and "caring for Maria," so this was the first time she had suddenly embarked on a series of secret missions. Therefore, contrary to Gerald's expectations, her joining the party actually went very smoothly.

In contrast, Maria's participation was largely within Gerald's expectations. Considering that insurance could be taken care of throughout the competition, he had no objection. If Maria wanted to participate in such a low-level competition, letting her vent her frustrations was a good option.

Moreover, Gerald was actually quite gratified to know that his childhood sweetheart sister had grown to this extent during this time.

After all, he hadn't watched many knightly competitions, but judging by this level, even he estimated that his arm would ache for quite a while after taking a hit head-on. In this respect, most of the knights in this arena wouldn't be a match for Maria, and they were only a few years away from becoming champions due to their lack of combat experience.

But the problem is, when will I be able to see her?

Logically speaking, there would naturally be various reasons not to see her, but those seemed to be things Gerald would only do after weighing the pros and cons. Perhaps it was because he had been overwhelmed by a large amount of information and choices these past few days that his thinking had stagnated for a while—in reality, he didn't need to dwell on this issue at all.

It's not like he's missing any relevant information; he should be able to see him if he wants to.

therefore--

"I feel guilty about doing this,"

Zofia sat on the bed runner with a resentful look to avoid soiling her bed. "I tricked my niece into coming here just to let her meet a strange man, and it seems that someone doesn't realize what the problem is... Sigh, I'll have to send everyone else out later to prevent any trouble."

"It's just another meeting. I don't want to leave in a hurry after meeting once. It would be troublesome and seem insincere."

Gerald casually replied, then, after using the wind to create multiple layers of protection around them, explained the day's events to the other party:

“I took a look, and the Wuzhou Alliance has fallen into disarray. The disappearance of Xuan Tie and Bai Jin has caused the two Qing Jin to go into hiding as well. The search and cleanup will be very commotion, so we need to use something else to attract attention.”

“Hmm.” When discussing serious matters, Zofia was always very serious: “Since they want a sufficiently brutal criminal as Maria’s first opponent, it means that while setting up the target, they also want Maria to be seriously injured at the same time, in order to cover up the problems within the Business Federation.”

In just one day, the propaganda machine went out of control, the search team disappeared, and news and reports could only maintain basic operations. This mouthpiece of Casimir was completely seized and torn out of its mouth.

For the business association, the best solution would be to distribute the large pie of Rose Newspaper fairly among everyone, so that the publicity channels could return to the hands of the businessmen.

This is why Gerald once told “journalist” Kane that he no longer owned the Rose Newspaper, because his allies would automatically let the problem disappear.

Correspondingly, when a monopolistic enterprise needs to have its functions divided and distributed equally among others, it may first notice external threats, but it must also be concerned about its enemies on the same side, namely the other enterprises that will share in the whale fall legacy.

“Okay, I’ll leave the market changes to you.” Gerald nodded. “If possible, try to keep an eye on the inside news for me and stay in touch with your informants. I need to find out about a problem that Xuan Tie mentioned in his intelligence report, and I might be unable to get away for a while.”

"What exactly do you mean?" Zofia asked.

“Infected Knights.” Gerald tapped the table with his hand. “The commotion the Commercial Federation has caused in recent years, according to the intelligence reports, has occupied a very important part of Meshko Industries.”

“Some of the infected riders are hiding on one of the commercial sections they are on. If I were the Business Federation, I might start my operation from there after the current crisis has been temporarily stabilized.”

"Trying to shift the blame as well?" Zofia recalled the relevant descriptions from her memory, and could only shake her head with some regret. "I'm sorry, I know nothing about this, and besides, if they really want to do this, there doesn't seem to be anything we can do."

"is it?"

Gerald seemed to hold a different attitude: "We all know the attitude of the noble knights towards the infected, and Margaret's current whereabouts are the best proof; and if the Merchant Federation chooses to solve the problem of these infected by shifting the blame, then who can they rely on?"

He continued, "What if, at this very moment, they encounter a force from the outside world? Would they decide to join it, or would they decide to be exiled from this city?"

A red shadow flashed through Pegasus's mind, belonging to the Khan's night.

He closed his eyes briefly, then looked at Zofia, whose expression was gradually turning to surprise and doubt, and quickly changed the subject: "Of course, we don't need to consider these things right now. The specific situation will require a detailed investigation before we can get any results."

"What we need to focus on right now is Maria's condition—"

"aunt!!"

Gerald suddenly shut his mouth.

Someone is approaching.

He didn't have time to hide himself... or rather, was there any need to hide? This time, it seemed, he had come back specifically for her.

However, Gerald felt that something was amiss. He glanced at Zofia, who was sprawled lazily on the bed like a rag doll, and then looked towards the doorway.

Oh, I remembered it.

Then, the doorknob was slowly turned.

The door opened.

The metallic clanging of the armor was deep and clear; the armor was still on, yet the steps were steady, carrying the imposing presence of a warrior.

Maria Nearl stood in the doorway, her face still beaming with joy.

She had just picked up her terminal and was about to rush into the room when she suddenly stopped at the last moment, staring blankly at the two people in the bedroom.

The blond hair reflected a warm glow in the indoor light, and the armor on his body was still on, indicating that he had changed his original plans and returned.

But what's most striking are her sharp eyes.

Those eyes held neither the composure of the competition nor the intimacy of facing Zofia, but rather a deathly ash, as if burned out, which quickly appeared and enveloped her entire body.

"……elder brother?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it seemed to seep into the air slowly, carrying a chilling quality. Finally, her gaze swept across the bedroom, landing on Gerald, and she narrowed her eyes slightly.

Why were you in your aunt's room?

Chapter Eleven: The situation really took a sharp turn for the worse (4K)

The situation has really taken a sharp turn for the worse.

Under normal circumstances, Gerald believed that a simple strategy like saying, "Because I need to conceal my identity, I need Zofia's help," or "I hope to see you again after you've rested," to shift the topic to the other person, would easily change the subject and move on to something else.

But clearly, Zofia didn't think that way.

She only needed to show a slight look of panic, coupled with the unexpected coldness in her niece's eyes, it was only natural that she would make a mistake.

"Maria?!" Zofia, realizing her indecent posture, hurriedly scrambled out of bed and waved at Maria. "No, it's not what you think—"

Appeared.

The reaction was the epitome of perfection, almost textbook material. Details like the slight blush on her face from excitement and the way she unabashedly removed her armor "because it was her own room"—every single action seemed to strike a nerve with Maria.

As if to appease Zofia's actions of adding fuel to the fire, Maria stood motionless at the door, muttered something for a while, and finally turned her gaze to Gerald.

Then--

Without warning, Maria suddenly fell to the ground with a "plop" as if a string had been cut, and water droplets fell from the corners of her eyes like a broken string.

"Waaaaah... Waaaaaahh ...

It was as if the girl who had just defeated the Bronze Knight with a single sword strike in the arena was not her, as if that victory that shocked the entire audience and made countless people in Kazimierz look at her with new eyes... was just some kind of precarious illusion.

Her emotions were like a fuse silently lit, and large tears fell. She tried to wipe them away with her sleeve, but the more she wiped, the more tears streamed down her face, causing her metal armor to tremble slightly. Each tear that slid down her chin hit her breastplate with a heart-wrenching, soft clatter.

So Zofia rushed forward immediately.

"Oh dear...! Don't sit on the ground! Don't sit on the ground! This is metal armor, not cotton!" She quickly bent down and helped Maria, who was already sobbing, up from the ground. While pulling her to the bed, she used her sleeve and a towel to wipe away Maria's tears haphazardly, muttering, "My little darling, my little darling..."

As Zofia was being dragged, she subconsciously turned her head to look at Gerald, who was still standing to the side, and then frantically gestured for him to help with a look that seemed to say, "Please come here quickly."

Faced with the current situation, Gerald simply walked slowly over from the table, said nothing, and quietly sat on the edge of the bed, watching Maria sobbing, and calmly patted her head.

When Zofia saw that he was finally willing to move, she breathed a sigh of relief, quickly got up from the bedside, and walked to the door.

She opened the door and cautiously peeked into the hallway as she walked out, as if wary of any servant suddenly bursting in and witnessing something they shouldn't. After confirming the hallway was clean and there were no onlookers outside, Zofia turned back and gave a final instruction:

"You two shouldn't wander around today. Just stay in this room. I'll bring you water and food through a different route later. Make sure no one sees you."

"understood."

Gerald responded very honestly and dutifully, and when Zofia looked at Maria, who was whimpering, she sniffed and also mumbled a soft "hmm".

After Zofia finished her rambling, she took one last look around the room before finally leaving and gently closing the door behind her.

The room fell silent again.

The candlelight flickered, the wind rustled softly, and only Maria's sobs lingered.

Gerald looked at her for a while before speaking, his tone as calm as ever: "They're gone."

Maria was still lying on the pillow, her sobs had subsided considerably, and only when she heard these words did she slowly raise her head.

She wiped her face haphazardly with her sleeve, trying to regain her composure, but her lips were still trembling slightly and the tip of her nose was a little red.

"...So why does my brother always seem to notice?" she complained softly. "It's normal for him to cry after such a long time apart, right?"

Gerald didn't answer the question, but just looked at her intently.

Maria is not the kind of child who cries at the slightest thing.

Her personality differed from Margaret's. Unlike the latter, who was born with the will and ability to shoulder the family's burdens, she was more sensitive, more tender, and tried harder to prove that she wasn't someone who needed to be taken care of. Therefore, she would only truly cry when she was on the verge of collapse, and when she did cry, she would never make a fuss, but would only shed tears silently.

Such a sudden sitting on the ground and crying is almost certainly an act.

"Aren't you uncomfortable wearing these clothes?" Gerald sighed, no longer paying attention to the child's choice. "Take off your soft armor and arm guards."

“Ah…” Maria’s ears suddenly drooped, and her tail became somewhat listless: “…No.”

"Why?" Gerald asked, a question mark appearing above his head.

Rebellious phase?

“Because I smell of sweat.” Maria quickly dodged Gerald’s outstretched hand and pulled back a little. “It’s been so long since we last met. It would be really unpleasant to smell an odor as soon as I come back, wouldn’t it? I don’t want that.”

"Then you should have just taken a proper shower."

Thinking of Zofia, who had just been terrified and left him here to deal with things alone, Gerald felt a surge of helplessness. "Now that you've kicked her out, maybe you can go out and talk to her again. Don't worry, I won't leave you today."

"No." At this moment, Maria's tone carried a hint of regret, but she was clearly more disgusted with the scene just now: "Besides, why didn't my brother come to me on his own initiative, but instead came to my aunt? Compared to my aunt, who only knows how to make and spend money every day and has almost forgotten the basic manners, I'm definitely better, right?"

"I'm really strong now!" Maria said excitedly, picking up the greatsword that she had been carrying on her back but was now placed in the corner. She swung it with one hand, "I can swing the greatsword with one hand now, and I've been practicing dodgeball. I can now dodge for ten minutes straight!"

Gerald paused, taken aback: "You alone—uh—"

“Uncle Koval’s workshop has materials, so I specially built a venue and machines for training.”

When talking about herself and her favorite topics, Maria often didn't realize what she was doing with her hands. She happily tossed the sword aside, then habitually leaned back and sat on Gerald's lap.

"The ball speed is much faster than when I was a kid, but compared to when you used to make ten balls out of the wind and throw them out of the small room to bounce, giving me five minutes to dodge, it's definitely much simpler now. After all, at first the ball hit me really hard, and I'd get bruises everywhere, but now I don't even feel it when I get hit."

Gerald barely managed to dodge the sharp edges of the arm armor to avoid having his head elbowed over in an instant: "...I see."

Therefore, his training methods for those little female demons were indeed correct.

What's wrong with this approach that can greatly enhance resilience and agility while requiring only a little hardship?

I don't know why Ramalyn and Theresa are trying so hard to stop him from making any more improvements.

Gerald had just pulled himself out of his past memories when he looked down and realized that Maria was already nestled in his arms, lying there quietly, almost unnoticeable.

But the little pegasus kept watching him, staring directly into his momentarily unfocused gaze.

"Hmph~ Hmm." After realizing that Gerald had come to his senses, Maria narrowed her eyes, revealed her innocent smile again, and subtly stepped back: "Oh, right! There's a reason why I didn't go to take a bath and came to see Auntie! Brother, look at this."

She picked up the terminal that had been on the other side and placed it in front of Gerald. It displayed a message that had been sent not long ago.

Maria labeled the person who sent the message as "Uncle".

Would Marna use an electronic terminal to send messages to Maria?