reincarnation npc, but tomorrow's ark

Chapter 47 Ioleta Russell

“I’m sorry, I only have some free time today. Things haven’t been peaceful along the border lately. Our neighbors, Letania and Colombia, always seem so aggressive and dynamic.”

"Not at all, I should have paid you a visit when I first arrived. It was so impolite of me... If I may be so bold, you look even younger than in the photos on television and magazine covers."

Bai Ye greeted the old man in front of him with a smile.

"...I heard that when you were in the Business Federation, you didn't talk to those directors like this?" The old man was amused by Bai Ye's words.

“We Ursus have a saying: ‘Treat friends with the warmth of spring, and enemies with the coldness of winter.’ Your attitude and way of speaking will naturally differ depending on who you are dealing with,” Bai Ye replied.

At this moment, he was in the office of the Grand Knight Commander of the Supervisory Council.

The old man sitting in front of him was none other than the Grand Knight Commander himself, Ioleta Russell.

This was a kind old lady, an old celestial horse, yet Bai Ye could sense the terrifying power hidden beneath this aged body.

Two days after seeing off Platinum Hintria, he received an invitation from the Supervisory Council; the Grand Knight Commander wanted to see him.

Unlike his attitude towards Ryan, the chairman of Rose Newspapers, this time Bai Ye went there in person.

This Grand Knight Commander is a highly respected old Pegasus in Kazimir, who also commands all the conquering knights and Silver Spear Pegasus. They call him a Grandmaster. Such a status is worthy of Bai Ye's personal visit.

“Ursus…you don’t seem like an Ursus person.” Ioleta Russell shook her head slightly. “I know Ursus people all too well. Every time we meet, even in a peaceful and friendly meeting, we are always at odds.”

“After all, there are too many grudges and frictions between the two countries, and the hatred has been passed down from one generation to the next,” Bai Ye said slowly.

"But the border of Ursus has been peaceful for a long time now. The frictions that used to be common have almost disappeared in the last year," the Grand Knight said with a smile. "At first, the Knights of the Expedition thought it was a conspiracy by the Ursus people. They thought that these people were no longer as reckless as before, but had become malicious. But after being on guard for a while, they found that there was still no movement at all."

"Because that benevolent emperor does not want the country to continue to be mired in war, and his proposal has also received the support of the dove nobles," Bai Ye replied with a smile.

"Yes, this Ursus emperor's approach is completely different from his father's. Why is that?"

Bai Ye laughed and echoed:

"Yes, why is that? I'm looking for the reason too."

“However, I have heard that a nobleman played a significant role in the political struggle between the doves and hawks, and that nobleman was later knighted… but few people know that there was someone else behind that nobleman,” Ioleta Russell said thoughtfully.

Bai Ye blinked:

"Is that so? It seems that the Grand Knight Commander is indeed well-informed... Even I was unaware of such a thing."

Bai Ye acted as if he knew nothing about the matter.

"Ha, young people these days... You've indirectly eliminated the war between two countries, bringing peace to the border, and made such a great contribution. Don't you feel even a little bit proud?"

Bai Ye tilted his head:

"It was His Majesty the Emperor, Marquis Talulah, and the Imperial Council who brought about the peace. What does it have to do with me?"

Seeing that Bai Ye was pretending to be stupid, the Grand Knight Commander stopped asking questions.

In fact, Bai Ye was indeed pretending to be stupid.

He didn't want to get too involved with the Ursus Empire and its nobles, and he certainly didn't want the Grand Knight Commander to tie him to the Ursus Empire.

Bai Ye was simply Talulah's friend, nothing more. That's why he chose to help her, finding a breakthrough for the Ursus Empire in the most appropriate way, and a solution that would satisfy most people.

Moreover... Bai Ye's series of actions not only dealt a heavy blow to the conservative forces, but also implicated innocent citizens of Chernobog.

Although the capture of the city was peaceful and there were no casualties, innocent citizens living in the core city had already suffered losses. Their homes were occupied, their lives were disrupted, and they were displaced.

Therefore, Bai Ye never felt proud of his actions. He simply did what he believed was in the best interests of himself and his allies. Perhaps it was wrong, but it was necessary. Even knowing the consequences, Bai Ye would still do it.

But there's nothing to be proud of.

As for subsequent compensation and redress, that was the Emperor of Ursus's business. For him, this was a good opportunity to win the hearts of the people. The conservatives, especially those conservative nobles who had either been executed or committed suicide, became public enemies. They were pushed out by the emperor to bear the wrath of the citizens and the state.

In fact, apart from that outrageous psychological trauma, after undergoing training at the Loyalty Academy, Bai Ye's psyche is almost perfect. Although he may have doubts, reflect, and worry, he is never confused because he knows what he is doing and has the determination to carry something through to the end.

……

Although Ioleta Russell was unaware of Bai Ye's thoughts, nor did she know that the young man before her possessed a psychological resilience far exceeding that of his peers, this did not diminish her admiration for him.

Yes, I actually admired it before, but now I admire it even more.

"Do you know why I insisted on seeing you in person?" the old fox asked with a sly smile. Perhaps older people like to let others guess their thoughts. That's how the riddle-maker got his answer.

Bai Ye shook his head and tried asking:

"Did I manage to balance the conflicts between the Supervisory Council and the Business Federation?"

"No."

"Could it be because of the Unarmored Alliance? I believe His Excellency the Grand Knight Commander should have already received relevant information."

No matter how secretive it was, it couldn't possibly be hidden from the highest levels of Kazimir.

Bai Ye did not believe that the Grand Knight Commander was completely unaware of the Unarmored Alliance.

“The Unarmored Alliance… you did cause quite a commotion that night, but that’s not the real reason.” The Grand Knight shook his head again.

This time, it was finally Bai Ye's turn to be puzzled.

Because he couldn't find any other reason.

"Is it related to the undead? Or infected?" Bai Ye finally guessed.

After all, that was all he could think of.

Chapter 48 Today, let's play chocolate sweet love 2

The Grand Knight Commander didn't let Bai Ye continue guessing; she smiled and said:

"The reason is actually very simple. I just wanted to thank you in person for taking care of the little sister in the Rinko family."

"???"

"Clam?"

As Ioleta Russell finished speaking, Bai Ye was completely dumbfounded; this time, it was his turn to be at a loss.

Every single thing he did after arriving in the Kazimierz Grand Knight Commandery was a major event, and every single one of them could become a reason for the Grand Knight Commander to receive him.

But he never imagined that Maria, the younger sister of the Lin Guang family, would be the key reason. He even thought that the old fox was lying again.

“I’m not lying to you.” The Grand Knight seemed to have seen through Bai Ye’s thoughts, and she gently shook her head. “No one knows how far we will go for the children of the Nearl family. From the beginning, we have been paying attention to them, whether it is old Cyril’s youngest son or Snitz and Yoranta’s two daughters.”

“Near Light… well, that is, Margaret invited me to stay at her house when she learned I was coming to Kazimierz. Since I was staying there, it was only natural to help her out; it was just a small thing,” Bai Ye explained with a smile.

After a moment of silence, Ioleta Russell slowly began to speak:

"Would you be interested in hearing the old man talk about his past?"

"I'd like to hear the details." Bai Ye naturally had no objections.

At this moment, the player's perspective begins to take over again. Exploring the unknown and learning about those hidden histories are exactly what players love to do.

"'Fear not the darkness' is the ancestral motto of the Linguang family. But this phrase is engraved on the shields, spears, and swords of nearly thirty members of the Silver Spear Pegasus Knights."

Ioleta Russell recalled, then, like an old woman telling a story by the fire, recounted what had happened back then.

"In the Tenth Uka War, in that hopeless battle, in the heart of the dark swamp, Cyril Nearl vowed to save every besieged knight. No supplies, no communications, and the army's artillery divisions and mobile units were hunting them down."

Bai Ye felt somewhat embarrassed.

Although... he wasn't actually from Ursus. However, things had come to this point, and he was now quite involved with the country.

So, listening to these stories from the past, he didn't know what kind of expression to wear.

Well, Ioleta Russell didn't seem to mind at all; she simply recounted the past war to Bai Ye, this "Ursus" from the heart of Chernobog:

"Nearlight persuaded only seven knights to participate in the rescue operation. Before setting off, each of them engraved 'Fearless of Darkness' on their shields."

"Seven knights set out, but forty-one returned. Of the original seven, only Cyril and I came back."

"!"

Bai Ye looked up at the old woman in front of her. No wonder the conquering knights and the silver-speared celestial horsemen respected this great knight commander so much. It turned out that she was also one of the seven knights from back then.

"'Undeterred by Darkness'—besides bringing back forty-one men, we also brought back the shields of all the fallen. We then inscribed this phrase on our swords, armor, staffs, shields, and even on our bodies, as if it could grant us endless power. After that night, we broke out eastward, annihilating three thousand enemies. When we rejoined the Knights' headquarters, only seven knights remained. But all forty-six knight shields, each bearing its family crest, returned to the land of Kazimierz; not a single one was abandoned."

After a moment of silence, Bai Ye said softly:

"I've heard about the Battle of the Golden Plains, but not in such detail. All I know is that on that day, Cyril Nearl seemed to become a second sun."

“We all owe this family too much, so I will express my heartfelt gratitude to you when you help them.”

Bai Ye smiled:

“I can’t become someone like Cyril Nearl, but even if we can never reach the stars, the light can still shine through. No matter how much time passes, we can still see the light. The stars are neither a fantasy nor a myth. They prove to us that there is goodness in this world, and it is worth fighting for.”

Bai Ye wouldn't become such a selfless person, but that didn't stop him from appreciating these respectable fellows.

“No, young man, you are far more noble than you imagine.” The Grand Knight shook his head.

Bai Ye couldn't help but laugh out loud:

"Your Excellency, Grand Knight Commander, are you joking?"

“No, I’m serious. Mr. Bai Ye, would you be willing to cooperate with us?” After a moment of contemplation, Ioleta Russell extended an olive branch.

“It is my honor. With your and the Supervisory Council’s support, I think our work can go much more smoothly.” Bai Ye grasped Ioleta Russell’s outstretched hand.

He has gained another friend.

Casimir.

The Business Federation is no threat at all; it's nothing but a bunch of greedy parasites. The National Assembly has long been bribed and turned into a tool of the Business Federation. The Unarmed Alliance has essentially been taken down.

Bai Ye was more worried about the Supervisory Council, and it was inconvenient for him to act rashly before figuring out the Grand Knight Commander's attitude.

Fortunately, the result was very good.

“If we can maintain a friendly relationship, perhaps that relationship can extend to the relationship between Kazimir and Ursus,” Ioleta Russell said with a smile.

She herself seemed very happy.

Bai Ye shrugged:

"I'm just an ordinary scholar, I don't have that much power, but I'll do my best. I do have some influence in Ursus."

……

Next, Bai Ye and the Grand Knight discussed some details of their future cooperation. At the end of the conversation, Bai Ye suddenly spoke up:

"Your Excellency, I have a small request."

“Please tell me, and I will help you with anything I can do.” Ioleta Russell had not yet realized the seriousness of the situation.

"...Really?" Bai Ye's eyes lit up.

“Of course. As long as it’s within my capabilities.” Ioleta Russell owed White Night a favor, so she naturally wouldn’t refuse.

Thank you, Miss Nearl. Rather than saying that Bai Ye's connections were more effective, it would be more accurate to say that he was using Margaret's connections.

"Your Excellency, Grand Knight Commander, how long has it been since you last drew your sword?"

Bai Ye asked with a smile.

“…In Kazimierz, no one needs me to excel.” Ioleta Russell didn’t know why Bai Ye asked such a question.

Upon hearing this, Bai Ye smiled and stood up:

"Isn't it available now?"

"I am a junior student, Bai Ye, please enlighten me."

A longsword, gleaming in one hand, appeared in Bai Ye's hand, like a pool of autumn water.

Chapter Forty-Nine: So-called Honor

That afternoon, a loud clanging sound came from the Grand Knight Commander's office, but by the time his subordinates went to investigate, the sound had disappeared.

The door was locked and could not be opened.

After noticing nothing unusual, they felt relieved.

……

In the office, after a moment of silence, Grand Knight Commander Ioleta Russell lowered her longsword and slowly sheathed it.