I'm on the Ark, and I start out as Gretchen.

No matter how many times she thought about it, Dumb Goose still felt it was too wasteful... She felt that a competition like the Knights' Tournament was neither worthy nor necessary for her to use Margaret's armor.

"Huh! Why? My sister's armor is of very high quality, and your figures... are about the same." After hearing Bianca's answer, Maria was slightly taken aback, and then said with a look of surprise.

Clearly, she hadn't considered that Bianca would refuse her, or refuse a suit of armor that fit her so desperately...

"My reason for refusing was not because the armor was of poor quality... it was simply because I felt that this kind of match was not worthy of this armor."

At this point, Bianca gently reached out and touched her nose, a hint of helplessness flashing in her beautiful blue eyes.

"How could you... Bianca, are you an idiot?"

Upon hearing someone's reason, Maria's lips twitched involuntarily, and she said in an annoyed tone.

"I don't care, I've already lent you the thing!" After saying that, Maria took the armor off the shelf without any hesitation and stuffed it directly into Bianca's arms.

"Ah this..."

"Okay, okay, stop being so stubborn. I'll go out now, and then you can try it on and see if it fits."

After Maria finished speaking to Bianca, who was clutching her armor and looking somewhat bewildered, she quickly left her room, making sure to close the door behind her.

After leaving her room, Maria quickly covered her face and slowly squatted down against the wall.

"!"

'Oh my god, what did I just say?! I even locked Bianca in the room!'

She felt both embarrassed and ashamed as she recalled her actions. She couldn't understand why she had acted so impulsively!

"..."

Looking at the closed door, a hint of helplessness flashed in Bianca's azure eyes. After standing there for a while, she slowly shifted her gaze to the armor in her arms.

After some trial and error, Bianca finally managed to put on the armor that originally belonged to the Radiant Knight Margaret.

Well, just like Maria said, it actually suited me quite well, and there was nothing particularly awkward about wearing it.

However, despite being called an idiot by someone just now, Bianca still had reservations. She still felt it was a bit of a waste to wear this armor to the knightly tournament.

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Of course, at this point, Silly Goose didn't intend to refuse anymore. From now on, she would cherish the armor, ensuring it wasn't damaged in the slightest, and return it intact.

"..."

After looking in the mirror and checking her appearance, Bianca gently reopened the door, intending to go out and find Maria.

"?"

However, as soon as she opened the door, the sight that greeted her made Bianca freeze, and a big question mark slowly appeared above her head.

"What's wrong, Maria? Are you feeling unwell?"

Maria, who had been squatting on the ground, immersed in embarrassment and shame, felt a sudden jolt when she noticed Bianca appear. She jumped to her feet, her face flushed, and hurriedly explained:

"I...cough, I'm fine, haha...I just wanted to squat for a while."

"You don't look like you're alright. If you're feeling unwell, you should tell me." Bianca frowned slightly as she looked at Maria, whose face was flushed and who was so anxious that she couldn't speak clearly.

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Then, she quickly stepped forward, wanting to reach out and measure the foal's temperature.

However, when Bianca saw her hands encased in gauntlets, she silently stopped moving.

After pausing for a moment, he took another step forward, brushed aside the strands of hair on his forehead, and pressed his forehead directly against Maria's.

"!"

Maria, already feeling ashamed and flustered, completely "exploded" after Bianca's actions! Her face turned bright red, and a wisp of white smoke even appeared to rise from her head.

"It's really hot. Is it because you didn't sleep well last night that you're sick?" Bianca looked up at Maria's flushed face so close to hers and felt the heat emanating from her forehead, and whispered.

Actually, when they met before, Daigo had already noticed that Maria looked like she hadn't rested well. He had asked her about it on the way to the Guang family's house, but she brushed him off.

Now, no matter how Bianca looks at Maria, she feels that Maria's abnormality and unease stem from not getting enough rest.

Otherwise, how could a person's face suddenly become so flushed and their forehead so hot?

"Ah, I'm fine! Bianca, wait a moment!"

Maria felt the warm breath emanating from Bianca as she spoke, and her body stiffened at first. After realizing what was happening, she pushed the person in front of her away and rushed into the bathroom without looking back.

"...?"

Bianca tilted her head and watched Maria's retreating figure for a moment before finally belatedly realizing something...

She blinked her azure eyes gently, a look of understanding appearing on her face along with a hint of apology.

……

"Ahem, I'm back."

After a while, Maria finally came out of the bathroom and walked up to Bianca.

Although the foal's face was still somewhat rosy, it was much better than before when it was flushed.

"Well, welcome back."

As she spoke, Bianca nodded slightly to Maria, while simultaneously observing her discreetly.

"I'm sorry, I was too presumptuous and rude just now. If I made you feel uncomfortable, please blame me." After withdrawing her observing gaze, Bianca said to her new friend with a serious expression.

"However, if you really feel unwell, you should go and rest first."

"...?"

After hearing Bianca's serious words, Maria's CPU, which had just cooled down, suddenly showed signs of overheating again...

P.S.: Does this chapter look strange to you guys? I revised it several times; this chapter took me four hours to write. It's finished for today, no need to wait. My daily routine is almost over; I need to quickly get back to writing about the competition!

Chapter 19 Weapons and Training

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"...?"

After hearing Bianca's serious words, Maria's CPU, which had just cooled down, suddenly showed signs of overheating again...

After a short while, Maria finally understood what Bianca had just said, and then tried her best to explain calmly:

"Ahem, Bianca, you misunderstood. I was just thinking about some things, and I didn't mean to offend you. Although I did go to bed a little late last night, I'm not feeling unwell."

"Really? Don't be afraid to seek medical help." Upon hearing this, Bianca blinked her azure eyes and looked at Maria, who was indeed "better" than before, and said.

"Don't worry, I won't do anything reckless in this regard." Maria paused slightly, then lowered her voice before continuing:

"After all, if I really get sick and don't rest or get treatment, Aunt Zofia... Sister Zofia will definitely grab my ear and give me a good scolding."

"...Alright then, be more careful."

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Bianca stared intently at Maria for a while before relenting, nodding gently and offering her instructions.

Upon hearing this, Maria smiled at Bianca, then patted her chest and said, "Don't worry, I won't do anything reckless in this regard."

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Come on, let's go find a weapon that suits you." After saying this, the little pony chuckled softly and pulled Bianca towards its armory.

While the Lin Guang family may not possess any truly extraordinary treasures, they do have a collection of some weapons of decent quality.

"Ah... As for weapons, I can actually figure it out myself." Clearly, Bianca had no idea that Maria had even thought of and prepared her own weapon.

Actually, in terms of weaponry, Daigo had no worries at all. The reason was simple: although the other armors didn't come with weapons, and he hadn't obtained the Black Abyss White Flower, he did have the Star Anchor.

After all, the armor itself was a manifestation of the world bubble within her body, so this armor was not "deducted" from weapons by the system like the others.

While it might seem like overkill, Bianca felt it wouldn't be a bad idea to use it if necessary, and she would control the intensity. If all else failed, she could always conjure a spear herself for temporary use.

“We’re already here, we don’t need another weapon!” Maria said quickly after hearing Bianca’s words.

From the little pony's perspective, the armor had already been lent out, so they didn't need another weapon. Besides, she had agonized over this decision all night before finally deciding not to give up.

That would be a bit of a loss...

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"Ugh……"

In the end, Bianca stopped hesitating and let Maria follow her to the place where Nearl's family stored their weapons.

Honestly, I'm so frustrated I could barely contain myself.

On the one hand, she was worried that Maria might get into trouble for trusting others so easily. On the other hand, she didn't know how to repay her friend for her help.

"Ok?"

Just as Maria turned around to introduce Bianca, I saw a helpless expression on her face, and asked with some confusion, "What's wrong?"

"...Maria, do you usually trust others this much?" Bianca looked at the room filled with weapons and remained silent for a while before finally asking her concerns.

"...?"

Upon hearing this, Maria blinked her golden eyes lightly, paused for a moment, and then explained in a light tone, "How could that be? I don't usually bring friends home. It's just that Bianca... you're special."

"special……?"

Bianca tilted her head slightly and immediately grasped the key point in Maria's words.

To be honest, the moment I heard Maria's words, I thought she had been found out... After all, there were some things she hadn't actively tried to hide, and if you were careful, you could still see some clues.

After hearing Bianca's words, Maria coughed twice, a hint of guilt flashing in her golden eyes, and began to explain:

"Ahem, yes... I just feel that Bianca, you're a bit like my older sister..."

At this point, Maria's eyes gleamed, but she didn't continue, silently adding in her mind: 'To be dazzling, yet convincing, inspiring a desire to witness it.'

“I see. However, this is not a reason for Maria to trust others so easily. You should still be careful in this regard.” Upon hearing this, Bianca nodded slowly, then gave her a serious warning.

Although the goose accepted Maria's reasoning, it didn't mean she agreed with her friend's idea.

After all, you can't judge a person solely by their appearance. This time, I can only say I was lucky to be a good person. If it had been someone else… no, it didn't even need to be someone else; if it were another version of myself, I might have…

As if she had thought of something, Bianca's gaze towards Maria suddenly became a little strange, and there was also a hint of apology and guilt.

"Yeah, I'll be careful, don't worry. I'm not that easy to fool... wait, Bianca, don't treat me like a child!"