Ancient Dragon in Arknights

“It’s okay, Rita told me about it a few days ago. We’re...very similar, so we had a great time chatting.”

Chen had a very good impression of Rita, even to the point of feeling like they were kindred spirits. From the beginning, Nesario felt that they were the same kind of people—both were born into wealthy families, both had conflicts with their elders, and both had very lofty ambitions; in terms of personality, they were both very upright, except that Chen was a bit naive, while Rita was more worldly-wise.

"Me too, Rita Scamanderos—I will remember this name for the rest of my life."

Seeing Nesario's serious demeanor, Fiona and Chen naturally assumed that his relationship with Rita was purely genuine friendship; and Nesario also held Rita in high esteem.

But in reality... Nesario's memory of Rita is that she was the love of his life.

Finally, the three of them clasped hands and parted ways after a joyful shout of "Graduation!"; they would have the chance to meet again in the future, Fiona and Rita were active in Victoria; Chen settled in Lungmen—Terra, although it could not reach the other side of the world in an hour, still had ways to travel quickly.

......

Just when Nesario thought this was the final farewell, he suddenly remembered that he had a close friend he hadn't said goodbye to.

"I wonder what's going on with that kid Fischer..."

"I'm fine, congratulations on graduating."

As they were talking, Fisher suddenly appeared from the side. He had been watching from the sidelines and only came forward after Nesario and his teammates finished talking.

"You too... What happened to you yesterday?"

“That’s what I wanted to say. Nesario, come here.”

So mysterious?

Nesario approached Fisher discreetly, and the two walked side by side, slowly distancing themselves from the chaotic crowd until their words could only be heard by the other.

"In the next few days—the Duke will launch an attack on Londinium. This news is absolutely accurate, and no one knows how things will turn out. If you're planning to do anything... this is the perfect opportunity."

"!"

The Duke is attacking Londinium?! Wouldn't that... throw the entire Victoria into chaos?!

Rita and the others will be leaving Lentinium quickly today, so it probably won't be related... But the Palicoes are still here, so Nesario needs to take some action.

“Fischer...you know who I am, right? Why did you go to such lengths? Whether I live or die is none of your business.”

"..."

While others like Nesario might have various reasons, Fisher was actually the one with the fewest reasons.

It's true that Nesario and he are roommates, but they aren't as inseparable as Fiona and Chen are; and in terms of mutual benefit... Fisher has taken good care of Nesario, and Nesario's reciprocation is nowhere near as much as Fisher's contributions.

Neltharion initially thought Fisher was investing early because of his Draco identity and saw it as a profitable opportunity, but now it seems... he truly considers Neltharion a friend.

"Nesario, do you think I'll ever have a chance to make friends?"

"...probably not."

Considering Lori's occasional complaints, spies and secret agents are definitely the two identities furthest from friendship and trust.

"So...you're my last friend. I'm not that heartless. Take care of yourself...we'll meet again someday."

"Fischer, you won't use the guise of friendship to spy on me anymore, will you?"

"Who knows."

Vayvan, dressed in blue, turned and walked into the crowd. His movements were stylish and casual, exuding a cool charm. This was probably one of the few moments when he truly showed his emotions; from now on... he would be facing his own battlefield.

Nesario watched his friend gradually disappear into the crowd and smiled slightly. Then he headed towards the school building—originally planning to launch the escape immediately after the graduation ceremony, Nesario found a more suitable time after Fisher's information.

......

Outside the school, Nesario walked confidently toward the Glasgow Gang, carrying a bag containing some of his necessities. He had received his diploma and completed all graduation procedures. After gathering up the things he no longer needed in his dormitory and burning them all, he officially left the Royal Guard Academy.

“Hmph—hmph—”

Although this street may be completely destroyed in street fighting in a few days, what does that have to do with Nesario? The responsibility and compensation should go to those dukes; they are the ones who caused this mess.

"cough--!"

In the secluded box, Nesario suddenly heard a painful cough. Who was it?

Nesario wouldn't normally be interested in this body, but he smelled blood—it was an injured person... This kind of sensitive information, encountering an injured person in a secluded alley, always made him feel like he was smelling a conspiracy.

Nesario put down his things and walked deeper into the area—after pushing aside several stacks of old boxes, he found a girl named Felin sitting awkwardly on the ground.

She had long, black hair that seemed to have been cut from the night, and dark golden pupils shooting out from the strands like sharp swords piercing her chest; but these weren't the most eye-catching features. What was most striking was her attire—armor, slightly retro yet dignified. It was adorned with numerous Originium circuits and new technologies, but most of the armor was damaged, and remnants of blood stained it.

"A wounded... Tower Knight?"

Having lived in Lentinium for so long, Nesario has also come to know many of the unique features of the Victorian era—among them the existence of the “Tower Knights.”

The Tower Knights have a long history, originally established by the Red Dragon King, and at their peak numbered over a hundred. Their duty was to protect the safety of the king's royal family at all costs.

After Aslan took the crown from the Red Dragon, the Tower Knights' allegiance changed from the Red Dragon to Aslan.

However, this legendary organization had only a few dozen Tower Knights left after fighting to the death to protect the old king and the rebellious army twenty years ago.

Without the patronage of the royal family, the Tower Knights' fame in Victoria plummeted.

Now, a living Tower Knight appears before Neltharion.

Chapter 157 Dagda

"Leave here, or you'll get dragged into this."

Upon seeing Neltharion, the wounded knight's first instinct wasn't to seek help, but to demand he leave immediately; the blood on her body was still fresh, likely from not long ago. Her enemies weren't entirely wiped out, and might even be heading this way.

"Answer me, are you a Tower Knight?"

Unfazed by the other party's stern tone, Nesario advanced slowly towards the black-haired knight instead of retreating.

"what you up to!?"

The injured man was wary of everything around him, initially thinking he was just an ordinary citizen, but as Nesario approached, the threat emanating from him began to sound the alarm bells for the knight.

Considering how ostentatious the enemies who attacked the Tower Knights were, it's clear there are traitors in Londinium, and this guy might be one of them!

The blade was instantly drawn from its sheath, and before it could even aim at its enemy, it was sent flying—Nesario's tail was incredibly agile, making it all the easier for him to disarm his enemies.

At this moment, he stood before the knight who was powerless to fight back.

With their sharp, terrifying tails, six black horns resembling crowns, and a constant radiance emanating from their chests, the Tower Knights were, after all, an organization established during the Red Dragon Age. Although they had now defected to Aslan, they were the ones who dared not forget the Red Dragon the most.

The young knight was still naive—her previous education consisted of rigid doctrines written in dogma.

This includes the phrase "The Tower Knights are forever loyal to King Victoria," and the kingship is passed down alternately between the Red Dragon and Aslan.

She was still young and had not yet been taught by the Grand Knight Commander "truths that do not exist in dogma," such as the Red Dragon being a thing of the past and the current Tower Knights being merely followers of Aslan.

Although he had never seen Draco, nor heard other knights sing of their greatness, and had never even felt awe for the majesty of the Red Dragon King.

But this earnest knight still chose to follow what she believed to be proper knightly etiquette—she endured the pain, forced herself to maintain her posture, and then knelt down on one knee toward Neltharion.

“Isabel Dagda Montagu – a tribute to you.”

"...That's right. Tell me, what happened to you that could have brought a knight to such a state?"

Although Nesario appeared outwardly unmoved by the knight's courtesy, he was actually quite pleased—finally, four years! Finally, there was a Victoria who held Drak in high regard! He had truly experienced the joy of royalty.

"It was the Sarkaz... Many elite Sarkaz surrounded the tower. We fought to the death, and I was the only survivor..."

'Sarkaz? Why these guys?'

Nesario also had a deep impression of the Sarkaz—after all, he had killed a squad of Sarkaz mercenaries back then.

But ordinary mercenaries can't pose a threat to the Tower Knights, right? In other words... it's the Sarkaz's regular army.

The Sarkaz do not have a true kingdom on Terra—because it has long been destroyed. Kazdel is the homeland of all Sarkaz, but it is arguably one of the worst places on Terra.

Even in such a chaotic situation, the Sarkaz had its own government, as mentioned in textbooks, but it seems that the Sarkaz government was never unified.

How did they find the time to cause trouble in Lentinium? Or rather—how did they manage to get through the dukes' blockade and the nobles' spies to reach Lentinium?

I don't understand... but there's no need to be wary.

"If you have nowhere else to go, then come with me."

"...Yes, as you command—they're here!"

Dagda spotted the approaching Sarkaz and loudly warned Nesario to be careful. In fact, Nesario had already smelled the Sarkaz's scent—compared to the perfume and honey of the Londinium people, the Sarkaz's smell of Originium mixed with blood was far too obvious.

Clang! The black blade swiftly attacked Nesario's back, but unfortunately it was blocked by the tail blade before it could hit—the sound of metal clashing echoed throughout the alley. Judging from the force transmitted from the tail, these guys were definitely not weak.

After the attack was blocked, the Sarkaz soldier who launched the first attack did not utter a word. He dealt with Neltharion's counterattacks while creating distance.

With a series of rhythmic clangs, the standard blade in Sarkaz's hand snapped instantly—the difference in weaponry was too great.

"Watch out for his tail, attack from multiple angles."

"Yes!"

There were about four Sarkaz in total. They were originally blocking one end of the alley, but after the squad leader probed and obtained information, they quickly launched their attack.

Two Sarkaz, with their exceptional physical abilities, climbed up the wall and quickly passed over Nesario, cutting off his retreat. They wore heavy white armor, yet their movements were incredibly agile. In an instant, the once crowded alley was filled with flashes of blades from all four directions.

'They're all quite skilled, highly obedient, and excellent at teamwork; they might even possess Originium Arts... How did these guys infiltrate Londinium? Are all the military's intelligence personnel idiots?!'

Nesario simply couldn't understand it. If the other party was a highly skilled spy, it would be normal for a few people to infiltrate; but if the other party was one of the best among the Sarkaz, then they would also be qualified to infiltrate Lontinim silently.

But these guys in front of me are neither spies nor some rare and powerful bloodline. They are the elite soldiers of the Sarkaz. Isn't it terrible that the capital of a country has been trampled by ordinary soldiers of an enemy country?

"I hope you can give me satisfactory information later."

Nesario stretched his body, and with his movement, the alleyway, which had been windless, was suddenly swept by a strong wind.

Neltharion, who had been the center of everyone's attention, suddenly vanished—no! He didn't disappear; his movements were so fast that the eyes couldn't keep up!

When the group caught sight of him again, he had already arrived in front of the two Sarkaz.

The Sarkaz elites, seasoned by countless battles, had long since developed a conditioned reflex—before their brains could even react, their blades were already raised in defense.

Boom!Boom!

The immense force shattered and destroyed all the blocking stances. The fists that slammed out from both sides at the same time sent Sarkaz flying. They crashed into the wall not far behind them like two cannonballs, and the wall collapsed, burying the two of them inside.

"Signal—" "Too late!"

The squad leader immediately realized that they had run into something they couldn't fight back against.

But before he could utter the order to "use the signal flare," his comrade beside him was already beheaded.

The silver helmet covering the head was severed and hit the ground with a dull thud—their armor was specifically designed to protect the neck! Nesario had probably shattered the protective armor along with it.