reincarnation npc, but tomorrow's ark

……

"Do not."

Surprisingly, after carefully examining the key in front of her, Talulah shook her head.

"Huh?" Bai Ye tilted his head, wondering what Talulah wanted to say.

The girl's reaction was beyond Bai Ye's expectations. At first, he even thought there was something wrong with his ears, as if it were his imagination.

“My identity is too sensitive. I cannot inherit this key as a red dragon. Right now, I can only be a nobleman of the Ursus Empire, and the infected on this land need my protection.”

"This identity is already eye-catching enough. If I were to inherit the national sword of Victoria, it would be too dazzling. Many people would have different thoughts. The landscape of Ursus, Victoria, and even Great Yan and Columbia would definitely be shaken. At that time, everything I have now may be gone."

As she spoke, Talulah placed the box she was holding on the table and turned to look intently at Bai Ye:

"Bai Ye, I can't accept this key."

“Then don’t think about what it represents. It’s a keepsake left to you by your father, a memento.” Bai Ye nodded and then gave his advice.

Talulah is right. If a nobleman of the Ursus Empire wields the national sword of Victoria and also possesses the blood of a red dragon, it's hard not to speculate. It might even spark a new war between the Four Emperors.

Moreover, the situation in Victoria is now more complicated than in the past—the fire has died down, but the king is nowhere to be seen, while the regent is entrenched in Londinium, plotting the future of the Sarkaz.

A fragile balance has been reached among the nobles, citizens, and Sarkaz, and any external influence could ignite the shadow hanging over Londinium.

However, for Talulah, this key represents not only a treasure, but also a memento left to her by her father.

……

However, Talulah shook her head again, and said with a light laugh:

"If it's just kept here as a collection, it would be too extravagant and a waste. I can't bear to part with it."

Yes, from a down-on-her-luck fugitive noble to the current lord of the core city, Talulah can be considered to have started from scratch. She struggled for so long in the northwestern frozen lands of Ursus, and she would not give up any usable resources.

Simply keeping this key as a souvenir is a bit of a waste; how could Talulah bear to part with it?

"..."

Bai Ye was somewhat speechless.

This won't work, that won't work, young lady, this is really difficult...

However, to Bai Ye's surprise, Talulah picked up the key from the box and then took Bai Ye's drooping hand.

Talulah blushed slightly when she touched Bai Ye's hand, but she still pried open Bai Ye's fingers, then placed the key in his palm, and finally pushed Bai Ye's fingers to close his palm.

And so, Bai Ye held the key in his palm.

"You... what is this?!"

Bai Ye's eyes widened. He wanted to let go, but Talulah's hand was still wrapped around him, preventing him from opening his palm.

"Don't move."

Talulah's hands were tickled, and her face turned even redder, but she was unwilling to let go.

Just then, there was a knock on the office door. Talulah recoiled as if electrocuted, then spoke:

"Please come in."

This sound was so faint, barely a whisper, that even Talulah herself was taken aback. She quickly cleared her throat and spoke again:

"Please come in!"

Chapter 139 Old Wei is Enraged

"Talulah, the blueprints for the new hospital are ready... Eh? Bai Ye?!"

Alina, the little deer girl who was rescued from the snow by Byakuya, entered the room.

She was wearing a white dress, and on her antlers was the ring that Bai Ye had given her.

Upon seeing Bai Ye, the girl was clearly very surprised, but her eyes were full of joy.

However, the next moment, she saw Talulah standing next to Bai Ye, her cheeks flushed and her head lowered.

"Am I disturbing you?" Alina narrowed her eyes. Although she still had a warm smile on her face, she inexplicably made people feel a little pressured.

"Alina, don't misunderstand, we were just discussing business." Talulah shook her head repeatedly, but she didn't dare to look at Alina.

That was a little deer spirit, who could always see through a person's thoughts. She felt inexplicably guilty and naturally didn't dare to look up.

To be fair, Talulah's attack and defense are very weak when she is not possessed by the black snake Kosichie, which is the complete opposite of her black snake form.

Alina didn't pursue the matter further. Instead, she placed the blueprints on the table, turned around, and drifted away.

Before leaving, she gave Bai Ye a meaningful smile.

……

"What's wrong with her?" Bai Ye was a little confused.

"I...I don't know either." Talulah blinked. Although she didn't like lying, because lying meant running away, sometimes, while running away was shameful, it did work.

Having been pursued by two deep-sea hunters in succession, Bai Ye had no idea what girls were thinking, so don't expect him to react in any way.

Moreover, at this moment, Bai Ye's entire focus was on the key in his hand.

"So, you're going to give this key to me?" Bai Ye asked, holding the key in his hand, his eyes filled with surprise.

“Hmm.” Talulah also came back to her senses. She nodded and then pointed to the box on the table. “If you just want to keep it as a memento, I think the box is enough. After all, it’s something that Father… left behind.”

When talking about her father, Talulah seemed a little unaccustomed to the word, and her sentences were somewhat awkward.

Bai Ye's breath hitched. This guy was actually serious; she wasn't joking at all.

As a red dragon, she could inherit Victoria's long-vacant throne, and if she possessed the national sword "Breath of Kings," she would be the rightful queen, with the support of the core city behind her. Even Bai Ye might be able to help her.

The girl gave up something so easily, and even put it directly into Bai Ye's own hands.

"This is no joke. Old Wei asked me to deliver it, and then you just gave it to me?!" Bai Ye shook his head.

“Since it’s been given to me, it’s mine now, and I have the right to dispose of it as I see fit.” Talulah had recovered from her earlier outburst and said with a smile, “Just don’t tell Old Wei, that’s our secret.”

Talulah made a decision that would make Koschche want to vomit blood with ease. Yes, if that guy had a spirit in the afterlife, he would definitely be so angry that he would vomit blood.

All that teaching was for nothing! Everything I learned before was useless!

"Too cunning..." Bai Ye swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

It would be a lie to say he wasn't tempted. He really liked this thing. It was because of some kind of morality and virtue that he would never admit to that he seriously kept his promise instead of running away with it.

Well, even now this stubborn guy is unwilling to admit that he's a nice guy.

However, there were even more foolish people in the world who simply handed the treasure over to him.

They're a perfect match.

“First, you have the absolute power to possess it. Second, I believe you can maximize the use of this key.” Talulah looked into Bai Ye’s eyes and said earnestly, “Instead of letting it gather dust here, I’d rather give it to you.”

"Bai Ye, I am already very content with my current life and everything I have, and all of this is thanks to you. Just thinking about how to protect what I have and how to help more infected people has already taken up too much of my energy. I don't have that much ambition. My hands are too small to hold so much."

"Perhaps for my father, returning to Victoria as Draco was his long-cherished wish, but that is not my wish. I have no interest in the throne of some distant kingdom on this land—perhaps Kosiché adopted me because of my identity, but I will never let her have her way."

"Take the key, Bai Ye. It's not a gift of gratitude. We owe you a debt of gratitude that we can never repay. This is just the Reunion Movement leader's reasonable allocation of the resources at his disposal." As she spoke, Talulah patted Bai Ye's shoulder in a very formal manner.

"Heh—you really are... hopelessly naive." Bai Ye pursed his lips, and finally put the key into his inventory.

After going around in circles, this thing ended up back in his hands. If Old Wei knew that his niece was siding with outsiders, he would probably be furious.

"White Night, once you get the 'Breath of Kings,' don't forget to bring it back for us to see—" This was Talulah's only request. As a Drak born in Lungmen, unlike Aslan, she had never been to Victoria, let alone seen Victoria's national treasure.

Bai Ye also laughed:

"Yes, it's a deal."

-------------------------------------

Bai Ye did not leave immediately; Alina had already informed the other Reunion cadres of his arrival.

As a result, he was unable to escape.

The last time they came to the core city was during Requiem Night, when Bai Ye hurriedly left with Talulah. This time, these guys are naturally unwilling to let Bai Ye leave easily.

……

"Mr. Bai Ye."

At the city hall, Bai Ye met a familiar old friend.

“Mr. Sergei?” Bai Ye called out his name.

"Mr. Bai Ye, it's been a long time. Thanks to you, I'm reunited with my children again." The middle-aged man bowed to Bai Ye in gratitude.

In previous major events, this seemingly insignificant figure played a crucial role, becoming the target of the reformists' attacks on the conservatives within the Ursus Imperial Council. At the most dangerous times, this middle-aged man might face more than 30 assassination attempts a day.

Fortunately, he survived the clutches of those ruthless nobles.

Even Bai Ye had prepared himself for the possibility that he would never return, yet this tormented middle-aged man ultimately emerged alive from hell.

Chapter 140 Old Friends, New Beginnings

(Looking for a girlfriend I can spend Children's Day with [just kidding])

-------------------------------------

“My usefulness is waning…” Sergei chuckled. “The battle between the bigwigs is nearing its end. After his trial at St. Martin’s Castle, Grand Duke Baikal was ordered by His Majesty to be hanged as a warning. Viscount Kerke committed suicide before that, and the deputy division commander of the Third Army and governor of Rosin defected, but was executed by the Imperial Guards on the way, and his body was brought back to St. Martin’s Castle. All the Imperial Guards involved in this incident knelt before His Majesty’s palace for three days and three nights.”

"And Marquis Boris... is said to have been killed by you personally, in front of those masked saber-wielding men."

Clearly, Sergei, as a key figure involved in this matter, knew a great deal of inside information.

“The conservatives have been suppressed, resources have been handed over to His Majesty, his authority has been strengthened, and I, who was originally the target, have become a nobody again.”

"Fortunately, His Majesty is merciful and pardoned my sins, allowing me to return to the Marquisate of Talulah and reunite with my family."

Sergei looked at Bai Ye as he spoke:

"Mr. Baiye, you must have known about this all along, right?"

"Because I was protected by Reunion Movement cadres along the way, they thwarted several assassination attempts against me."

Bai Ye shook his head:

“I don’t know when you will be able to come back, but I have arranged for people to meet you at Saint-Germain Castle in advance. They will protect you in secret at all times, and they will also escort you when you leave.”

In fact, Bai Ye couldn't be sure if this guy would come back alive. If it was the Internal Security Department that made the move, the Ghosts of Reunion Movement alone wouldn't be able to stop it.

As the leader of the Dark Division, Bai Ye's orders were also ruthless: if an expert beyond their capabilities attacked, they should abandon the target and retreat immediately.

It's cruel and realistic, because with those kinds of experts, no matter how many people there are, it's all in vain; there's no need to waste your life.

After all, Sergei had gone to St. Arthur's Castle prepared for death, and when he left Chernobog, he already considered himself a dead man.

"The leader of the warriors under protection is Ilya's daughter, isn't she... I never imagined she'd grow up so big," Sergei sighed.

Yes, the team sent by White Night to protect Sergei was the elite Ghost Squad led by Lyudmila, the Kingslayer.

After being personally trained by Bai Ye and given the Four Winds Bracelet, they gained power far greater than before, becoming the most elite assassins of the Reunion Movement.

"That little girl looked at me with a very complicated expression... I even thought I was going to be killed by her." Sergei touched his neck, as if the assassin could still feel the girl's cold, sharp gaze.

“After all, the death of that child’s father is related to you.” Bai Ye sighed. “Afterwards, make amends.”

“Yes, from the moment I went to Saint-Germain Castle, I stopped living for myself.”

His hands were stained with the blood of his colleagues and friends, yet he still managed to live on, naturally because he still had inner strength and purpose.

Otherwise, the immense inner pain would torment him constantly.

Bai Ye looked at the pitiful middle-aged man and shook his head.

He didn't tell Sergei that in the timeline before he traveled through time, he was killed by Lyudmila and his beloved son Alex.

Yes, that was a scene of perfect fatherly love and filial piety, which is terrifying to even think about.

"Hmph, don't even think about retiring. You still have to help me with the work. You should have experience in managing this city, so help me assist Talulah."

White Night gave Sergei his mission.

"I will, Mr. Baiye. Rather, it would be my honor to be able to help you."

You see, he has to thank us.