About the time I was picked up and adopted by Tallulah

Tallulah looked at Maria. According to Orson, this girl was actually a young, innocent, optimistic, and inexperienced new knight.

In that case, Tallulah wasn't sure whether she should tell Maria about her next topic as well.

"It's okay. Maria wants to change the current status of knight competition. In this case, she must understand a deeper side of Casimir."

Orson looked at Maria, who nodded to show that she had come to her senses.

"Then I'll be frank. According to intelligence, the owner of a small business was found dead at home last week. That business had previously been preparing to transfer assets and withdraw from this year's Knight Games. [Reunion Movement Security] will take over that business's position, but only if we can establish a substantial "headquarters" in Casimir. Otherwise, not only will the replacement location be close to the core of the Commerce Union, but the Reunion Movement itself might also expose its relationship with Rhodes Island."

Tallulah revealed her purpose of looking for Orson.

"Finding a 'headquarters' for the Reunion Movement... doesn't seem like an easy task. We need a financial sponsor who's also familiar with the mechanisms of Casimir, and most importantly, can help us fool people... ah."

Orson was halfway through his speech when he saw Maria's dazzling blonde hair and instantly thought of another person named Kuranta who had long golden hair.

--------

"Aunt said she would find a way to fix it!"

Ten minutes later, Orson put down the phone and gave Tallulah a thumbs-up.

Things that were thought to require serious discussion were half settled with just one phone call from Orson. For a moment, Tallulah didn't know whether she should be impressed by Orson's wide network of contacts or by the fact that this idiot had the physique to attract rich women.

"But the most important thing is manpower. Zofia can't find anyone who doesn't belong to Casimir."

Orson explained the part that his aunt was having trouble with.

"That's no problem. Rhodes Island has always been good at getting visas. I can send some members of the Reunion Movement over, and the rest can be replaced by those infected people we rescued. Many of them are no longer considered child laborers—wait, how old is child labor?"

Tallulah frowned. During the time she worked with Rhodes Island, Tallulah's underage labor law had been completely shattered by the 100% child laborers led by Amiya.

In short, upon learning that things had progressed, Tallulah immediately began to make preparations. In an instant, the silly dragon who blew up the kitchen while cooking turned into an unfathomable leader who controlled the overall situation.

"Well……"

Maria frowned as she watched Orson and Tallulah busying themselves. She wasn't sure what she could do, but she knew very well that she had to do something.

After hesitating for a moment, Maria walked towards her grandfather's study, where there were many texts that Maria had never read or that made her sleepy after just one glance.

——Orson seemed to have mentioned the "Jianzhengyuan" to me before. Even if it's just to find out the meaning of this term, I want to help in more areas.

Maria thought so and began to search attentively on the dusty bookshelf.

Orson noticed Maria's plot and guessed that she wanted to know more about Casimir's past and situation.

——The competition hasn’t started yet, but the preparations are already quite advanced.

Looking at Maria and Tallulah busying themselves, Orson sighed silently.

The group, who originally just wanted to make a quick buck, used Sona as a lead to be exposed to the darkness behind the prosperity of Casimir, and at the same time prepared to fight against it.

Come to think of it, it really fits the development of 'Rhodes Island/Reunion Movement'.

After a period of time, the preparations at the Reunion Movement headquarters had made considerable progress, and time had unknowingly come to late at night.

"Uh……"

Orson made an awkward sound as he looked at Tallulah, who was sitting on the sofa resting as still as a mountain after finishing her work.

"Um, Tallulah... do you want me to take you back?"

Orson asked quietly, only to receive a glare from Tallulah.

The great leader of the Reunion Movement, the heir of Victoria with the precious and noble blood of Draco, the designated successor of the Undead Black Snake, Tallulah, whose femininity was not even as strong as Gavial - at this time, she was staying at the Linguang house and had no intention of leaving.

"How do you usually rest at night?"

Tallulah asked Orson in return, the implication of her words being very clear.

"Of course we're separated. Usually I'm on the sofa and Maria is in her room."

Orson didn't think much about it and answered Tallulah's question honestly.

"Stare—never mind, you idiot can't lie."

Talulah originally wanted to rely on her "oppressive dragon gaze" to see if Orson was lying, but as soon as she saw his expression, she knew that he was not lying.

It would be great if this guy could transfer his unconscious feminine charm to his usual silly state.

But even if we sleep separately...

Tallulah frowned, and at this moment Maria came out of the study rubbing her eyes.

"Hmm... Tallulah-senpai is still here."

Maria asked Tallulah curiously, and Tallulah took out her phone and put it to her ear, saying "hmmmm yes yes yes okay okay" several times before telling Maria, "Something happened at my company, so I have to stay here today."

"Oh... never mind. I'm going to do my daily training. You guys can chat slowly for now."

Orson went to the untended garden of Lin Guang's house for routine training, while Tallulah and Maria just sat on the sofa together, awkwardly standing there.

Both of them were concentrating and not daring to neglect their actions. Tallulah was afraid that Maria, the seemingly innocent and foolish female knight, would cheat on her, while Maria was afraid that Tallulah's "other personality" would suddenly possess her and engage in a lesbian relationship with her.

The two of them were concentrating on the awkward chat, and in order to prevent the other party from suddenly doing something when they were not paying attention, they could not close their eyes even if they were very sleepy.

After a while, it was already late at night.

After finishing his exercise, Orson returned to the room and sighed as he looked at the two people who had fallen asleep at some point, leaning against each other, breathing softly with their eyes slightly closed.

"Haa ...

After taking out the quilt from the closet and covering the two of them with it, Orson sat on the chair next to him, took out his cell phone and took a picture of the scene in front of him.

I almost never see Tallulah sleeping so peacefully and calmly.

The black snake's voice suddenly sounded in Orson's ears.

Because Orson has unlocked the ability to "harass lonely old snakes within the WIFI range", Black Snake can now observe Tallulah's sleeping posture through Orson who is next to Tallulah.

In the past, she would always place her palm on the hilt of her sword, just to be able to kill the enemy who attacked her immediately. But now? She is like the innocent Pegasus beside her. She trusts you so much, trusts you to protect her.

"And I trust Tallulah as well."

Orson looked at Tallulah's sleeping face and responded silently.

[Now is just the quiet road before entering the natural disaster storm. The corruption and darkness hidden in Casimir will be no less than that in Ursus, but this time you will no longer face a city, but an entire country.]

Through Orson's ability as the 'Tuner', Black Snake projected his consciousness into reality, although only Orson and Tallulah could see it.

The phantom of the black snake sat on the sofa opposite Orson, seemingly smiling.

"Ah, I know. So I will do my best to keep going. This is the path we have chosen, and it is the future that everyone is confident of."

Orson glanced at Kosice, who was not wearing women's clothes today.

Even though it was an illusion of consciousness, the black snake still looked like the white-haired old man.

I wonder what effect it would have if I pointed at him and said, "I think you look like a 148cm tall, golden-haired, flat-chested, tsundere, animal-eared, nine-tailed fox loli"?

Black Snake didn't know that Orson's mind was full of such mourning. He crossed his arms and spoke meaningfully:

If you truly choose this path, then—try to dismantle the massive machine. The clash of forces in Casimir is more complex than the conflict among the Ursus nobles, but this also means there are more areas for maneuver.

"Split... well, although it sounds like that at first glance, I've used my brain enough today, so I'm going to sleep and don't want to hear your bragging anymore."

[You, a polio patient with Alzheimer's disease, I fucking——]

Orson closed his eyes and fell asleep on the sofa.

【…】

After failing to spray someone, Black Snake looked at Tallulah and Orson silently.

These young people want to challenge the country, but their purpose is just to give some people the qualifications and rights to survive.

In the days before I was called the "Immortal Black Snake", wasn't I the same as them?

He recognized the darkness of Ursus and understood the horror of the continent of Terra, but unlike those who chose to escape, he wanted to prove to everyone that all tragedies and disasters, whether it was "darkness" or "suffering", could be changed.

As a result, after struggling for countless years and hesitating again and again, what was changed in the end was not the land, but one's own beliefs.

Koschei knew very well that it was only a matter of time before the faith of the lynx struggling to survive in Rhodes Island collapsed, not to mention that even the source of that "faith" was imported.

Perhaps a hundred years of wandering wouldn't be enough to extinguish the fire within, but what about a thousand years? Two thousand years?

After witnessing countless failures, betrayals, ugliness, and violence, the only thing I can believe in is what I see with my own eyes.

Kosice waited for Tallulah's despair and collapse, not to deny everything the girl stood for.

——But in this way, I can deny everything I have tried to uphold, just like before, just like yesterday.

but……

"Let me bear witness, Orson. Trusted by your daughter, can you continue on the path you've chosen in this 'Knightly Kingdom,' where knights are no longer paupers?"

The illusion returned to nothingness, and before disappearing, Kosice took another look at Tallulah's sleeping face.

Pretty cute, isn't it?

46. Orson's first opponent

early morning--

"Haha... you guys are really good at making trouble. You suddenly called me and told me you were looking for a vacant building. I've sorted out a few options. You know, lack of sleep is a woman's biggest enemy."

Aunt Sofia walked into Lin Guang's house yawning and placed a pile of documents on the table.

"Good morning, auntie... Well, what happened yesterday?"

Maria rubbed her eyes and looked like she was still sleepy. After getting up, she noticed that she had climbed up from the sofa, and there was no sign of Tallulah beside her.

"Ah ha ha……"

Orson, standing nearby, chuckled as he placed breakfast on the table. Tallulah had woken up earlier, and after realizing her own angry behavior the night before, Miss Drake took advantage of Maria's stillness and ran away, covering her face.

"...?"

Zofia raised an eyebrow. She had a vague feeling that something must have happened last night. Of course, she certainly couldn't have guessed that Maria had slept with the "leader of the Reunion Movement who was suspected of being a lesbian" (?).

——Forget it, if something strange really happened, Maria would definitely not be as silly and cute as she is now.

Sophia was not worried that her foal would be cruelly eaten up by Orson. After all, these two guys were easier to guess than the other. If she played the game of "pulling turtle" with them, she would probably be able to win Orson and his underwear together.

"Sandwiches for breakfast? Hmm, they taste good. Why don't you just come to my place and be my housekeeper to pay me back?"

Zofia said after picking up a breakfast sandwich.

"I'm still a long way from being good at cooking."

After experiencing the incident of being killed by high school students, Orson has become much more docile in terms of housekeeping skills, knowing that there are always people better than you.

However, during the time he lived in Rhodes Island, he often encountered the situation of "accidentally eating Hibiscus's nutritious meals", so Orson sometimes had to help with cooking. As a result, his cooking skills were honed to a higher level.

It's said that Miss Lynx, who often eats junk food to save time, was dragged to the cafeteria by Amiya one day when Orson was in charge. Since then, whenever Orson is the chef, there's a high chance you'll see the green cat-headed man with a serious expression getting his food.

That's a bit off topic.

"What detailed information...Did my aunt compile all this last night?"

Orson looked at the information brought by Zofia, which contained a series of locations suitable for the Integration Movement as temporary "companies".

The first alternative is a building called 'Ogawa Apartment'. It is said that this place was originally intended to be used as a landmark apartment building, but it has been haunted since it was built.

The second alternative is a small bungalow formerly known as the "Wanshiwu". It seems that the previous owner ran away with the money, leaving behind only a dog taller than a person and a pair of glasses.

The third alternative was a small factory known as a "brewery" by the surroundings. This place had been doing quite well, but when it came time to distribute bonuses at the end of the year, the boss suddenly discovered that all the employees around him were spies from the Wahaha factory next door, and the few who were not spies turned out to be incompetent. In a fit of rage, he closed the brewery.

The fourth alternative is the abandoned laboratory "Umbrella", which was originally a local pharmaceutical factory in Casimir. Later, people often reported that sounds like "wailing wailing" were heard in the middle of the night, so the property management shut down the factory.

"..."

Although the geographical location is indeed very suitable for the Integration Movement to serve as a base, these alternative options are really one hell of a lot in every sense.

Tallulah fights the Licker, the Black Organization assassinates Johnny Silver Deer, and Junjun is bitten by Dingchun. This kind of plot sounds like the bad movie that Huang Maomao likes.

"By the way, the Knights Association should announce the schedule for the Knights' Games today, which should also include the detailed schedule for the qualifying rounds. Remember to take a look if you have time."

Sofia remembered something, picked up the remote control beside her, and turned on the few home appliances in the living room.

"Play-in round?"

Maria tilted her head, looking like she was hearing this line for the first time.

"Haaa...Maria, you don't even know the rules of the Knights' Games, do you?"

Seeing Maria like this, Zofia sighed and asked in confusion.