Asura in Arknights

Ioleta Russell, sitting opposite Li Ang, looked troubled. "I was going to ask about the riots at Plot Zero, but you've given me such a surprise."

The Grand Knight reacted very quickly; almost within minutes of Li Ang contacting her through Hinterlea, she had already decided on the time for the meeting.

It will be placed two hours later.

In such a short time, Li Ang didn't have time to do anything else. After making some preparations, he went to the designated location to meet with the Grand Knight Commander.

Several days ago, Li Ang had already considered meeting with the Grand Knight Commander. Given the recent series of events, he needed to discuss things with her, both logically and emotionally. At least based on Li Ang's current subjective feeling, the Grand Knight Commander's side was more worthy of his trust.

The business association is too chaotic; a hundred people will have a hundred completely different opinions. Li Ang also doesn't like dealing with those profit-driven businessmen.

More importantly, the Securities and Futures Commission is now the weaker party.

Taking this opportunity, Li Ang wanted to confirm whether the Grand Knight Commander had any other clues.

Now that Viviana's situation has been added to the mix, it's even more necessary for Li Ang to meet with her.

“Do you know how much impact it will have if we make these things public? Especially now, at this crucial stage of Plot Zero, countless eyes are watching what’s going on here.” Ioleta sighed, rubbing her forehead.

The market for Plot Zero is not very large, and only a few people can get a share of it, and most of them are from the business associations that are closer to the Securities and Futures Commission.

Those who were unable to participate were naturally unwilling to give up and wanted to find an opportunity to get involved again.

The existence of Plot Zero is crucial to the Securities and Futures Commission, and the plan that Li Ang just told her was so reckless that, in her shock, Ioleta almost forgot the purpose of her conversation.

What troubled Ioleta the most was that they were only in a cooperative relationship, and Ioleta had no way to interfere with the other party's decisions.

Moreover, Li Ang had already made all the arrangements and was just waiting to implement them in a couple of days. The fact that he came to inform her was already a demonstration of his sincerity.

"But if we don't make it public, it will only lead to more serious consequences. Whether we admit it or not, these things have objectively happened. If we don't deal with them now, they will become weapons in other people's hands against me."

“That’s true, but…” Ioleta still had doubts.

"My secretary has contacted several of the victims or their relatives. As long as the compensation is adequate, there should be no problem getting them to appear at the press conference."

Although money can't solve all problems, the problem they're facing right now is one that can be solved with money.

In the end, Li Ang persuaded the Grand Knight Commander.

“…Fine, let’s leave it at that. Even if I disagree, haven’t you already arranged everything?” Ioleta sighed.

Li Ang smiled, which was his way of answering the Grand Knight's question.

"If necessary, the Securities and Futures Commission will cooperate with your actions."

"Thank you so much. Actually, you don't need to do much."

"All we need is for you to help emphasize that the current Boer Pharmaceutical, after several restructurings, is a new company that has no relation to the previous Boer Pharmaceutical except for the name. The compensation being offered now is based solely on humanitarian considerations."

“I will shut up those who can’t see the bigger picture if they make reasonable demands,” Ioleta replied.

"So, can you tell me about the riots from before? That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

After going around in circles, Ioleta finally asked about the matter that concerned her greatly.

She received daily reports on the situation of Plot Zero, but she couldn't understand why the situation had deteriorated so drastically in just one day.

"I haven't actually found many clues about this matter."

Upon hearing Ioleta's question, Leon also showed a thoughtful expression.

As things have progressed to this point, the answers to most questions have come to light, but one thing remains shrouded in mystery—the truth behind the riot a few days ago, and the hometown association hidden behind it.

There seems to be no connection between these two events and other incidents; at least for now, Li Ang has not been able to find out the purpose of the hometown association.

"Clearly, this was a deliberate act. According to my investigation, an organization called the Radom Hometown Association was behind instigating those people."

“In this process, they used something like stimulants or hallucinogens; otherwise, given the conditions offered by Plot Zero, those infected people wouldn’t have been so easily incited.”

“What are those people… what is their purpose?” Ioleta asked.

“I don’t know,” Li Ang answered quite readily. “Their leader, Lucifer, personally blew up his own base, killing many of his men, and then disappeared without a trace. No one has been able to find his whereabouts yet.”

"A clue... someone did provide a somewhat uncertain clue. When someone contacted those fellow villagers, they found that they were very disciplined, forbidding anyone from joining, and there were no elderly or children among the members. Their behavior was somewhat like that of a soldier."

"soldier?"

Upon hearing this speculation, Ioleta immediately frowned.

If it were just those who didn't get a share of the spoils secretly sabotaging things, that would be fine. But if it involves soldiers... then the seriousness of the matter is on a completely different level.

"Could it be Ursus who did it?" Ioleta couldn't help but wonder.

Ursus and Kazimir are sworn enemies, and armed conflicts still occur on their border from time to time. If Ursus is jealous of their success and sends people to cause trouble, that would be perfectly normal.

But then Ioleta thought about it again and felt that something was not right.

That group of people is not a small number. If the border guards let such a large number of Ursus soldiers in, they should all go back to jail.

After a moment of contemplation, Ioleta slowly said, "Don't have anyone investigate this matter anymore. I will send someone to handle it later."

Chapter 82 Telling Parents

Ioleta had clearly misunderstood something; she was worried that the people Leon had sent to investigate were unreliable, thus alerting them prematurely.

But little did I know that Leon hadn't sent anyone at all; he had been investigating the matter himself all along.

However, Li Ang did not offer any further explanation, but simply gave Ioleta an OK sign.

"Should I send some Conqueror Knights to Tile Zero?"

Considering the security issues there, Ioleta made this suggestion.

If these are spies from other countries who have secretly infiltrated the area, then the security measures at Plot Zero are truly worrying...

"...No, that would be making a mountain out of a molehill and might even cause public panic. I think the Bloodblade Knights have enough manpower to maintain order there."

Although the offer was indeed tempting, and if he accepted it, he would no longer be responsible for the security of Plot Zero, Li Ang still declined Ioleta's offer.

Everyone who lives in Kazimierz knows what the words "warrior knight" mean.

The last time the Knights of the Expedition secretly entered the city to wipe out the Unarmored Alliance, it didn't cause much of a commotion because there was an impending natural disaster, and they had a ready-made excuse to maintain order.

This time, the conditions aren't so favorable. If the knights of conquest enter the city, wouldn't that be announcing to everyone that something big has happened here? How will Li Ang fish then?

Although Li Ang told Ioleta about the press conference, he never mentioned that he planned to have Shuiyue impersonate him and attend the press conference in his place.

Therefore, even though Ioleta's suggestion could have helped him avoid a lot of trouble, Leon ultimately rejected it.

The Grand Knight Commander didn't press the matter, simply saying, "As long as you understand it."

After discussing the arrangements for the next few days with the Grand Knight Commander, this conversation can now be considered to end here.

However, now that their business was over, they had some personal matters to discuss.

“Grand Knight Commander, regarding your adopted daughter… I have some questions I’d like to confirm with you,” Li Ang said.

"What's wrong? Did Vivian get into some trouble? Do you need to come all the way here to complain to me?"

Having finished discussing the important matters, Ioleta also dropped her previous seriousness, and a rare smile appeared on her face. She teased, "I think you came here for this, didn't you? Didn't you already make up your mind about those things before? You didn't need this useless old man like me to look at them."

"You're joking. You're the pillar of Kazimierz, how could your hometown be a useless place? Letting you take a look is just in case."

Li Ang's expression remained unchanged as he spoke in a serious, official tone, "However, my personal visit this time is indeed closely related to Miss Dross."

"Tell me, what did that child do?"

Nodding slightly, Ioleta didn't continue teasing.

"Actually, not long ago, Miss Dross did something I couldn't understand. I suspect she's hiding something, and she may be in danger because of it."

Tell the parents.

This is the ultimate method that Li Ang has mastered.

If we were to ask who in the world understands Viviana best, it would undoubtedly be Ioleta, who raised her for over a decade.

This was both a search for answers and a reminder to Ioleta.

He couldn't control Viviana's actions, and he had already given her the necessary warnings. If Viviana still encountered an accident because of this, then it had nothing to do with him.

"In short, that's roughly the situation."

“Miss Dross suddenly took on a task that had nothing to do with her, and before the rendezvous, she went alone into the ruins of Plot 21, searching for something there.”

Li Ang skipped over the matter of the knocking sound coming from the ruins.

"Is there something there that bothers her? Or did Miss Dross have some past dealings with Paul Pharmaceuticals?"

Now, Li Ang no longer holds any hope for Adams and Ayin. Whenever a strange problem occurs in the Great Knight Territory and the culprit cannot be found, just blame it on those two. Nine times out of ten, it's their doing, and the last one is an unsolved mystery created by the Unarmored Alliance.

Although Viviana is the adopted daughter of the Grand Knight Commander, what if? These two don't seem like the type to care about each other's status.

"Vivian did something like that?"

After hearing Li Ang's account, Ioleta was extremely surprised, as it did not match her impression of the child at all.

Li Ang's subsequent guess made Ioleta find it somewhat amusing. It seemed that he had been quite troubled by these matters recently, as everything could be attributed to Pol Pharmaceuticals.

"But you're wrong this time. Although that child worked for Ross before, I've been keeping an eye on her situation. It has nothing to do with Pol Pharmaceuticals."

But if there's no connection, what was she trying to do by going to those ruins?

"As for her reason for going there..." Ioleta suddenly looked thoughtful.

After a long pause, she slowly said, "There are only a few possibilities that could make Vivian care so much, even to the point of lying to hide it."

Then, Ioleta suddenly changed the subject, "Do you know who that child is?"

"I've heard some things. She seems to be the illegitimate daughter of a high-ranking noble in Letania. She was exiled to Kazimierz because of some issues concerning family honor."

"Because of this identity, some people say she is a pawn used by some opposing forces within Letania to instigate a rebellion, while others say she is a descendant of the Witch King."

Li Ang recounted everything he knew, saying, "This is all what Kane Ross told me back then."

"Kane..."

Upon hearing Li Ang's reply, Ioleta immediately revealed a subtle expression, "That reporter who spouted nonsense really is..."

"What he told you was both right and wrong."

Just as Li Ang was filled with questions, Ioleta continued to explain, "Vivian is indeed a descendant of the nobility of Letania, but she is not a high-ranking noble, nor is she an illegitimate child."

"Drost was just a minor baron on the border of Letania, and Viviana was his only daughter. Later, some things happened, and Viviana's parents passed away one after another. Young Viviana was unable to inherit her father's position, which led to her cousins ​​taking away her remaining estate. It was a loyal old servant who brought her here for refuge."

“Vivian was indeed involved in a rebellion, but it was her father who participated, not herself.”

"As for the bloodline of the Witch King... as far as I know, that old fellow died very suddenly and left no descendants."

Ioleta wore a disdainful expression. "These days, if you just wander around the remote areas of Letania, you can find a hundred or so guys who claim to be descendants of the Witch King. Almost everyone who wants to establish themselves as king will use this as a claim."

Clearly, Viviana's father, who was plotting a rebellion, had done the same thing.

The areas near Brandenburg are relatively safe, but the borders of Letania, far from the political center, are anything but secure.

The fact that the two empresses had not appeared for many years had led many to have inappropriate thoughts. If it weren't for the remaining prestige of those two empresses, it might not be long before eighteen warlords emerged within Letania, and the country would start fighting amongst itself.

Upon hearing this explanation, Li Ang also displayed the same subtle expression.

Well... although he never cared about Viviana's background and never intended to use her identity for anything, the information Kane provided him back then... was a bit too outrageous, wasn't it?

They all seem to be correct at first glance, but upon closer examination, none of them are entirely accurate.

When that old bastard Kane told him all this, he clearly didn't have any good intentions.

He probably thought that Leon was wanted by Letania and had fled to Kazimierz, and that if given the chance, Leon would definitely take revenge on Letania.

If he intends to exploit Viviana's identity, he will inevitably suffer a major setback in this matter sooner or later.

Fortunately, neither Leon nor Adele ever considered taking revenge on Letania, and even if they did, they wouldn't have used such underhanded methods. They inadvertently escaped Kane's little scheme.

After learning about Viviana's true background, Li Ang roughly guessed what Viviana, with her indifferent personality, would care about.

"You mean she's investigating the rebellion her father was involved in? What does that have to do with Plot 21?" Li Ang was completely baffled.

“That’s something you’ll have to figure out for yourself,” Ioleta shrugged. “I’ve just mentioned the most likely option.”

"Perhaps she's investigating that cousin who seized the family fortune."

Scratching his head, Ioleta's explanation only made Leon more confused.

Seeing the puzzled look on Li Ang's face, Ioleta continued, "You don't need to worry too much. I'll contact Vivian later and tell her to be careful."

"Adults must take responsibility for their choices."

This was the answer Li Ang most wanted to hear, meaning he wouldn't be held responsible for Viviana's next actions.

However, Li Ang's mind was now completely absorbed in another possibility that had suddenly come to mind—