Arknights: Studying medicine can't save Terra

Maena: "..."

He realized he couldn't win an argument with Qi Yan's unreasonable quirks, so he ignored them with a dark expression and turned to continue on his way.

The village was left behind by the group.

The first rays of dawn broke through the sky beside me.

The golden Pegasus gazed into the distance, its vision reaching a river valley. On the opposite bank of the valley lay a place that was both familiar and unfamiliar to Marna.

That area used to be the territory of the Chesper family, but due to the events of that year, Marner personally executed those members of the Chesper family who were suspected of treason.

The former manor is gone, replaced by a factory that Marna finds both strange and repulsive.

But none of these were the goals of this golden pegasus.

He pressed on, nothing could stop him, as he marched toward the encampment of the knights who fought across the desolate wilderness.

The group moved quickly, their will unwavering under Marna's leadership, except for one poor Rupert who was so exhausted he was practically panting and barely managed to keep up with the Kuranta members...

In the camp of the conquering knights.

The knights on guard duty immediately spotted the approaching group and reported the news to their commander.

Sitting in his tent, Chesper was clearly surprised:

"He found us so quickly?"

Chesper paused for a moment, still unsure whether he felt happy or uneasy.

The knight who came to report asked for instructions:

"Should we intervene?"

"Looking for death?"

“Hmm… We currently have dozens of high-ranking warrior knights at our base, as well as a team of nearly a thousand others. We are even capable of facing the entire army of Letania.”

Chesper did not argue with the young knight, but simply gave the order:

"Let them pass, do not be hostile, they are my friends."

Obeying orders is a soldier's duty.

The young knight immediately bowed and accepted the order, then turned and gave his instructions.

Without keeping Chesper waiting in the tent for long, Marner strode in, followed by Tolan, who was supporting Qi Yan, and Desty, who was dutifully acting as his secretary with a water glass in hand.

"Aren't you going to drink some water?" Descartes asked worriedly. "I feel like you're about to stop breathing."

"You...you...deduct my salary!" Qi Yan said angrily.

Desty put away her water glass with a pitiful expression.

Marner and Chesper stared at each other in silence, but Marner inexplicably felt that her prestige had been affected and that she wasn't as high as before.

“Ahem, welcome, everyone, please have a seat.” Chesper broke the silence first.

Marna and the others sat down in turn.

Chesper wanted to pour them a glass of water, but considering that Qi Yan had just deducted the girl's wages for refusing to drink water and seemed to dislike the matter, he had no choice but to give up.

Unaware of Chesper's inner turmoil, Marner coldly cut to the chase and questioned him directly:

What are you about to do?

Chesper was visibly surprised: "You didn't even investigate properly before coming here?"

“I have some suspicions, but if I wait until I have thoroughly investigated everything, it may be too late,” Marna said in a deep voice.

"You really surprise me."

Chesper chuckled a few times and said with emotion, "I thought you must have changed a lot over the years, but you are still the same spirited person you always were."

“No rush to reminisce, Chesper, tell me what you’re doing,” Marner pressed again.

"Marna, what do you think a warrior knight should be like?"

Chesper continued talking about other things: "A few years ago, I served as the Grand Master of the Knights of Conquest. You know, when someone nominated me, the old Grand Master didn't think I was a good candidate at first."

He thought I cared too much about justice, even making choices that were almost tantamount to betraying my family. But the duty of a knight in arms is to obey orders, not justice.

Marner remained noncommittal, simply staring intently at Chesper, trying to discern his old friend's true thoughts.

To his surprise, Chesper made no attempt to hide himself.

Chesper looked directly at Marner and retorted with a question:

"Tell me, did you see the letter I wrote to you for help when Serena was on trial?"

"I saw it."

Chesper remained silent, trying to wait for Marner's explanation.

Explain why he remained indifferent despite seeing his own plea for help and knowing that his former companion was in danger and about to be executed by those businessmen and politicians under despicable pretexts.

Even if Marner told himself that he had actually tried but was powerless to do so, Chesper would be happy.

But there was only silence inside the tent.

Chapter 518 Explanation

A very soft smacking sound broke the silence.

All eyes turned to the originator of this voice that was so out of place with the atmosphere.

Qi Yan licked his dry lips, completely ignoring the atmosphere, and complained to himself:

"Brother Chesper, as the commander of a knightly order, don't you even know how to offer a guest a glass of water?"

"Uh, I thought you hated drinking water."

Chesper quickly got up to get the kettle and pour water.

Qi Yan slapped Tolan's thigh hard and said angrily, "Who told you I hate drinking water? Didn't you see how angry I was about not drinking water that I deducted Destle's salary?"

“You…I…” Chesper felt a little lost. “I don’t quite understand your personality. You really are as unpredictable as the rumors say.”

"I don't understand, why don't you ask?" Qi Yan retorted angrily.

Chesper paused as he handed over the water glass.

Qi Yan snatched the water glass and gulped it down in one go.

Then he let out a long breath, his face showing an expression of finally coming back to life:

"Honestly, you almost made me die of thirst. Remember, if you don't understand something, just ask. People have mouths for more than just eating."

After being clearly reminded twice by Qi Yan, Chesper finally understood what Qi Yan meant.

He looked at the still silent Marner and said with a wry smile:

"I thought that given our relationship, there was no need to say many things out loud."

Qi Yan interrupted from the side, saying, "If you don't have the skills of Doctor and SilverAsh, don't pretend to be profound here."

No, even SilverAsh knows to be straightforward!

"What I hate most in this life is riddle tellers, except for my old lynx!"

Marna also turned to look at Qi Yan.

He didn't know who SilverAsh was, but he knew very well the Doctor, the one who manipulated the war and the fate of Kazimierz, sitting comfortably in the hotel yet in complete control of the situation.

Even someone like that needs to be frank and open with their friends.

Marna's eyes dimmed, and she let out a sigh that only she could hear.

“Chesper, I don’t think I need to explain anything.” Marner finally decided to change her mind. “But if you want to hear it, I can say it once.”

Chesper's fingers tightened around the water bottle:

"Tell me, why didn't you save Serena back then?"

"Because I can't do it..."

Marna closed her eyes and whispered about the torment she had once felt: "I knew clearly that I couldn't save her. I knew she was innocent, but she was just caught up in the conflict between many forces."

The Oversight Council, the Business Federation, and even the National Assembly, which represents the laws of Kasimir, together accounted for thirteen people who were tried in that trial alone.

Even if I exert all my strength, even if I expose all the injustices, even if I fight to have the injustices I see enshrined in the law, I still cannot bring about any change to the status quo.

"So you can just stay unmoved?!"

Chesper was losing control of his anger; this was the first time he had ever yelled at Marner so out of control.

"I can't do that..."

Marna's eyes remained closed: "My brother is missing, Margaret is caught up in the knightly arena, Maria is still young, my father has passed away, the Nearl family... I am powerless to help."

Chesper was still furious, but he didn't ask any more questions.

In fact, his anger was not directed at Marner at all.

Marner finally opened his eyes, his gaze as calm as a still pond, and looked at Chesper, his voice soft yet firm:

Tell me, Chesper, what are you doing?

Chesper turned his back to everyone and placed the kettle on the table.

His voice was filled with barely suppressed anger:

"I will take action against the Leitanian contingent that was sent back from Tsvonek, and use this opportunity to send the conquest knights into Tsvonek, so that those who are still indulging in fantasy will understand that war is inevitable."

Kazimir needs real violence to awaken him; he needs a cataclysmic war!

“Chesper…you need to wake up,” Marner retorted. “War brings nothing but suffering.”

I know you are angry, angry at this country that has driven everyone to despair, mired in a dark quagmire for so long with no way to escape, but I believe you wouldn't want to see your people displaced because of your actions.

Chesper turned around and said, word by word, "I said, war is unavoidable."

“I will stop you before you can turn back,” Marna retorted without backing down.

Faced with Marner's vow, Chesper simply smiled regretfully:

"You've seen everything that Kazimierz has gone through. With just a little provocation, other countries will take the initiative to start a war."

Ursus's ambitions are obvious, but we cannot ignore Letania either. They have been recuperating for a long time since the fall of the Witch King's Tower, and I have personally witnessed their preparations for war.

I knew that the moment you showed up here, all my plans were doomed to fail. But if you can stop me, can you stop anyone else?

“I can’t do it, but I believe someone can,” Marner said with unwavering conviction.

"You mean Russell?" Chesper scoffed. "She's backing down to Letania, seemingly putting pressure on the Business Federation, but she's just taking a few companies down with a half-hearted approach."

You must know that the Business Federation has long been interfering with the Knights of Conquest, and more and more Knights are trying to sell their glory or even turn to the merchants' ambition to gather armed forces.

Do you know what I saw in the old commander's notes after I took over this Knights of Conquest?

One transaction after another, a battle between knights and the Merchant Guild; one dirty, unseen affair after another!

Marner did not deny any of this.

Although he was depressed, he did not lose his judgment. In the ten years since he chose to shed his identity as a wanderer and return to Kazimierz, he has witnessed too much.

Chesper stepped forward and continued:

“Marna, Russell bypassed Letania and chose Ursus as proof that Kazimierz is not weaker than other countries. I have no fault for that, but you and I both know that Letania will not let this go.”

Their troops remained stationed on the border; they had never truly accepted Russell's concessions, only offering face and insignificant benefits, which could not satisfy Letania's growing ambitions.

“But not now. Kazimierz is currently unable to resist an invasion by multiple countries,” Marna cautioned.

"Kazimir is destined not to win, but he will not lose either."

He couldn't understand where Chesper's confidence came from.

Kazimir is by no means a war-fighting power. Over the years, its battles with Ursus have already come at a heavy price, and it has even lost much of its territory.

Chesper suddenly smiled.

With a mixture of reverence and unparalleled confidence, he stated firmly:

"Kasimir, this nation silent in the darkness, refuses to allow those two dazzling beings to be driven away in peacetime."

But when war breaks out, when the crisis of collapse descends, people will hope for their return, and they will surely return.