Arknights: Studying medicine can't save Terra

"Please allow me to refuse. I will not allow my fellow Sarkaz to make such a choice. They can die in battle, but they cannot end up like this."

Qi Yan clapped and praised, and the shout of "Bravo!" startled Manfred so much that he almost drew his sword from his waist.

Hedley's eyelids twitched, and he subtly blocked Manfred's arm to prevent him from getting splattered with blood when Qi Yan punched him to death.

Qi Yan ignored the various underhanded tactics of these two best buddies who had a love-hate relationship, and spoke again:

"Now, to return to the topic, General, who do you think dares to call themselves a hero in this world today?"

“…Rhodes Island?” Manfred said, in a fit of despair.

“Rhodes Island does have some ability, but it’s not yet large enough.” Qi Yan shook his head again. “Once they get involved in too much conflict, they’ll just be chased around everywhere.”

Kal'tsit is a figure, but she is not exceptionally strong individually. If she wants to succeed, she needs to plan ahead.

Although the doctor was intelligent, he had no memory, and without sufficient information, he couldn't use his great abilities.

Amiya has a good temperament and deserves to be described as having a promising future, but she is still too young and needs a long period of growth and refinement.

Manfred was unconsciously drawn to Qi Yan's words, nodding repeatedly as he listened, feeling that these words revealed a lot of information.

But upon closer reflection, he couldn't help but frown, realizing it was all just repetitive talk, seemingly useful but actually utter nonsense.

Manfred didn't think much about it and smoothly changed the subject:

"Does the political commissar believe that Deep Pool is the one with the most potential?"

Upon hearing this, Mandra immediately stood up, ready to begin praising Abrahina's greatness.

Before she could even speak, Qi Yan, without turning his head, delivered a backhand choke, forcing her to squat back down.

“My leader has ambition, but that’s all she has to offer,” Qi Yanrui commented. “Victoria doesn’t need a hegemon. She can rule a region and be a powerful figure, but she’s destined not to be the queen.”

"What about the dukes of Victoria?" Manfred's interest was gradually piqued.

"A pile of loose sand."

Qi Yan sneered, "Duke Windermere is stationed on the frontier. Although he has ambition, he is not to be feared. Once the royal court intervenes, she will be powerless to resist."

The Duke of Wellington, despite commanding a large army, considered himself a Tara, and his wolfish ambitions were plain for all to see.

The Duke of Caesar possesses unparalleled intelligence, numerous self-reliant methods and trump cards, and maneuvers within the battlefield. He has entered the fray, but not completely.

The other dukes are hiding their true colors; they'll be purged sooner or later—just a bunch of cannon fodder.

Manfred's doubts grew.

In the short time it took to say those few words, Qi Yan had already critiqued all the major powers, even including himself, but none of them caught his eye.

No... there's another faction.

"Commissar, do you mean Sarkaz?" Manfred probed.

Qi Yan nodded, but then immediately began to shake his head.

Manfred was completely baffled by Qi Yan's words.

"Xiaoman," Qi Yan sighed.

Manfred: "..."

In his silence, Qi Yan slowly began his operation:

"The Sarkaz are an ancient and powerful race, otherwise I would not have come to form an alliance with you on behalf of the Deeppool."

But the Sarkaz also have their shortcomings. Look back at your own people.

Following Qi Yan's words, Manfred turned his head and looked around, puzzled, and said:

"I didn't find anything wrong with it."

"This is the biggest shortcoming of the Sarkaz!" Qi Yan suddenly quickened his pace. "The Sarkaz have not discovered their own shortcomings, so they find it difficult to improve. The Sarkaz bloodline gives them powerful strength and a blood feud that they can never forget. Every Sarkaz is a compatriot connected by blood."

But it is precisely because of the power of this bloodline that the Sarkaz are trapped in the hatred of thousands of years and in the glory of the past.

To take the simplest example, while the Sarkaz's displacement is partly due to their displacement, the greater reason is their over-reliance on bloodline power. This has resulted in the average level of education among the Sarkaz being equivalent to prenatal education!

Manfred: "..."

Very well, this is the second time I've been insulted.

Hedley turned his head, his gaze drifting to the side, conveying the message that 'if I don't look at you, you won't see me.'

Qi Yan hadn't finished speaking when he launched into a barrage of close-range attacks on Manfred:

"The Sarkaz have many royal courts, which is a source of pride for every Sarkaz member. However, in reality, those old fogies in the royal courts have become the biggest obstacle to the progress of the Sarkaz."

They are decadent, they are stubborn, they are hopelessly mired in their past glories. If the Sarkaz want to progress, they must break free from the past and face the future!

Manfred was startled, and his thoughts, which had just been taken away by Qi Yan, instantly returned to their own rhythm.

His face was calm, but the emotions in his red eyes were unfathomable.

“Commissar, if this is your plan, please stop. The Sarkaz will not kill each other.”

(Later, I'm stuck on the plot. Let me sort it out. If I can, I'll post it. If not, it'll be two chapters today.)

Chapter 570 It’s getting cold, so put on some clothes

“The Sarkaz certainly won’t kill each other.”

To Manfred's surprise, Qi Yan nodded in agreement.

This caused Manfred's hard-won composure to crumble, plunging him into confusion once more.

Qi Yan cleared his throat, a hint of amusement in his voice:

"Although the Sarkaz appear to be in chaos, scattered across the land after the destruction of Kazdel, I know that the Sarkaz simply lack a worthy goal to follow."

And now, countless Sarkaz are flocking to Londinium from all over, responding to the 'King's' call, uniting to strive for the future of the Sarkaz. I admire this, just as I admire the Sarkaz's resilience.

Everyone loves to hear nice things, and Manfred is no exception.

He was somewhat flattered by Qi Yan's praise, but he forced himself to remain calm and said simply and directly:

"Commissar, please stop teasing me with your words. What do you really want to say? Please speak frankly."

“Alright, then I will speak.” Qi Yan removed his mask, looked directly at Manfred, and said firmly, word by word, “In my opinion, the future of the Sarkaz is now in your hands. Among the Sarkaz, the only one who dares to call himself a hero is you, Manfred!”

Manfred: ?!

He was really confused.

Not only him, but even Herede and Mandela were stunned, staring at Qi Yan in disbelief.

After a moment of awkward silence, Manfred snapped out of his daze and took a half-step back in fright:

“You… Mr. Qi Yan, these words are somewhat presumptuous. I am just an ordinary Sarkaz general.”

Now that both sides had made their intentions clear, Qi Yan no longer concealed his intentions and launched a direct attack:

"Theresia was revived by the Absolute Master using her body, and you know in your heart that she is destined to be only a symbol, not the true king of the Sarkaz."

Theresis was foretold by the Cyclops' prophecy that he was destined to die alone on the throne.

The ten royal courts of Sarkaz are either dead or in hiding, and even Theresis can't gather them all around him now. You know better than anyone that they can't shoulder the future of Sarkaz.

As for Rhodes Island… the Sarkaz will never accept a demon lord from another race.”

Manfred: "..."

His throat was a little dry.

Before the fight even started, Qi Yan had already stripped our side bare. What's the point of fighting?

Qi Yan stepped forward, pointed at Manfred's chest, and said firmly:

"But you, my friend, you are the real hero."

I firmly believe that the future of the Sarkaz lies in your hands, as you inherit Theresis's mantle. When the war ends, when the royal courts fall, and when all obstacles in the Sarkaz's path are cleared away, the Sarkaz will need a new generation of leaders to guide them forward.

"well said."

Just as Manfred was startled by Qi Yan's words, an even more alarming voice came from not far away.

Manfred and Hedley both turned to look and immediately bowed.

Even Mandra came to her senses. Although she had been clamoring to see Theresis the whole time, she was clearly afraid when she actually saw him. She moved little by little behind Qi Yan to hide.

Therese walked with a steady gait, one hand resting on the hilt of her sword at her waist, the other hanging at her side. She didn't deliberately release any aura or pressure, but the moment she appeared, she became the focus of everyone's attention.

Those Sarkaz who had been sent far away by Manfred, even from a distance, all stopped what they were doing and paid their respects to Theresis.

Qi Yan looked the Sarkaz regent up and down.

"You did show up after all, which is typical of you." Qi Yan wasn't surprised. "You're not the kind of ruler who sits high on the throne and looks down on everything. You're the executor who never hesitates to personally nip any potential danger in the bud. However..."

"You just appear before me like this, are you planning to eliminate me before you even cause trouble?"

Therese walked up to Qi Yan, ignoring Qi Yan's evaluation, and said:

"Your words are radical and provocative, but unfortunately, the Sarkaz do not need other races to guide their future, nor do they welcome the favor of the gods."

Qi Yan was not angry when he saw that Therese was not giving him any face at all.

In fact, he would be surprised if Theresis, like some others, were to feign compliance when faced with his superior strength.

"I'm not here to guide Sarkaz. As I said, I just think highly of Xiaoman, so I came to see him," Qi Yan said with a grin.

Therese turned her head and looked at Manfred expressionlessly, making the latter break out in a cold sweat.

Qi Yan's words were all praising him, but it was precisely because of this that Manfred felt like he was being roasted on a fire by Qi Yan.

Look at what kind of words those are!

The future of Sarkaz is not in the hands of the Regent, nor in the hands of the Demon King, but in the hands of a general who holds military power.

Does this mean I'll have to wear an extra layer tomorrow because it's cold?

Therese said nothing, but silently watched Manfred, pondering to herself.

The intelligence report states that Qi Yan likes to kidnap young girls with very different personalities, but who are all quite attractive and have great personalities...

Could it be that Manfred also...?

No, I watched Manfred grow up since he was a child, and I even bathed him when he was little.

Therese cleared her mind and was completely relieved.

He had already lost one of his two apprentices, and he couldn't afford to lose this last one, otherwise he would truly have no one left to rely on.

“Qi Yan, I remember you’re not the kind of politician who enjoys backstabbing and intrigue.” Therese recalled Qi Yan’s image from the intelligence report and bluntly stated, “Tell me, what is your purpose in coming here?”

"You're so open-minded, as expected of Teacher Da Te. I enjoy chatting with you."

Qi Yan grabbed Mandra's cat ears from behind and pulled her to face Theresis directly: "Deep Pool wants to reach an equal cooperation agreement with you. Do you agree?"

“Deep Pool is not even worth my attention.” Therese’s tone was calm, but an aura of domineering power emanated from her. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even give Deep Pool a second glance.”

Qi Yan glanced at Mandela and, sure enough, saw that the silly cat was looking furious.

Unfortunately, she didn't dare to say a word of rebuttal to Therese. She could only secretly clutch Qi Yan's clothes, whether she was angry at Therese's attitude or angry at her own fear.

“You have a spy from the Deep Pool in your hands. Release him,” Qi Yan continued.

"Why should I?" Therese didn't waste any words.

"Either he comes back, or I go to him."

"Gods are not invincible."

Therese stared directly into Qi Yan's eyes, showing no sign of backing down.

His pink eyes were strikingly similar to his sister's, yet no one would mistake him for her. There was no warmth in those eyes, only domineering arrogance and an air of self-importance.

Qi Yan blinked his pale gold eyes.

Beneath the calamity clouds gathered by the shattered skyscraper, his golden eyes were not fully open, but this did not mean he was at a disadvantage.

“You’re right, but unfortunately you’re a Sarkaz, and I’m not a god.” Qi Yan smiled. “To be honest, on this land, my favorite race is the Little Liberians, and the race I admire most is the Sarkaz, but it’s truly a pity…”

Perhaps it was fate's cruel joke, but Sarkaz was destined never to stand before me and have an equal dialogue.

I am the scourge of the Sarkaz.

Tracy: "..."