Man on the ark, forced to become king

These words were like a needle piercing straight into the 'shell' that Xi had painstakingly built up. The gloomy aura immediately deflated like a punctured balloon, completely dissipating.

The blush on her fair face grew visibly, spreading to her neck and then to her pointed ears, turning them bright red.

"I can not understand what you say."

"Tch, I think the only thing you're tough about is your mouth."

Nian crossed his arms, his smile growing wider, his eyes filled with a playful glint.

"You were happy when you received the gift, weren't you? Don't tell me you weren't, I saw it clearly, your tail was wagging."

Xi blushed like a boiled crab, her eyes darting away, her head lowered, not daring to look up, but she still wouldn't back down: "Isn't it normal to be happy to receive a gift!"

"Yes, yes, yes, that's right."

Today, we've truly witnessed what it means to be stubborn to the end. Her stubbornness is almost as strong as the weapons she forges.

She's been hiding in her paintings for hundreds of years, and all she's learned is fear and stubbornness. She's at her wit's end.

"Why don't you learn to be more frank with me? Or do you think you have plenty of time and don't need to rush? Opportunities are fleeting."

"Some people, as you keep making friends, they become true friends. They seem very close, but in reality, they are far away and there is no chance at all."

"..."

Xi blushed and remained silent. She knew what Nian was talking about and understood what he meant.

But... but that kind of thing isn't that easy.

She's not shameless like some of her older sisters!

Seeing this, Nian sighed and stopped teasing her. He walked over, patted her shoulder, and said softly, "Back then, we were like sitting on a kettle boiling water. Sui was the water inside the kettle. Just when the water was about to boil, no one knew when the lid would pop open and boil all of us sitting on it in."

"What else could I be thinking about back then? I was just trying to find a way to live a little longer, and at the very least, to leave something of my own so that I wouldn't end up leaving in a sorry state, completely gone without a trace."

"Things are different now. The Golden Tree has isolated the effects of the year. Although it's not a complete solution, at least we don't have to live in fear anymore."

"Before, we didn't have the right conditions, and we couldn't meet the right person. Now that we have the right conditions and we've met the right person, what's the point of dragging our feet?"

"Lin Lu has been quite good. She lifted us off the kettle that was about to burst, and she didn't try to blackmail us. Although she's nominally under the control of the Golden Tree, isn't she actually much freer than before?"

"He's an immortal being, perhaps even longer than you or me. He's incredibly powerful, has a good temperament, and is quite comfortable to be around. You don't deny that, do you?"

"……kindness."

Xi nodded almost imperceptibly, not denying it. She actually thought the same thing, but she just couldn't be so straightforward about it.

After a thousand years of solitude, now that they are free, who would want to continue living alone?

This is a very real problem. These 'gods' are not as hard as they appear, and they are different from those ancient gods and behemoths that are truly far removed from humanity. Rather than being gods, they are actually closer to humans.

When the mountain that was pressing down on you is removed, what remains is boundless emptiness. At this time, the existence of an 'anchor' or a 'pillar' becomes extremely important, and Lin Lu is undoubtedly the most suitable person for that.

"So what's there to hesitate about?"

Nian slapped Xi on the head, waking her from her reverie.

"Hesitation leads to defeat, my dear sister! We don't need to find countless reasons to convince ourselves like ordinary people do. As long as we find each other pleasing to the eye and feel comfortable together, that's enough, understand?"

"Lin Lu asked me to go to Sherag with him. It's said that there's a true god there who might be able to fight against natural disasters. But I've already got the result I want. I'll give you this opportunity. Don't end up accomplishing nothing, understand?"

Chapter 84 Silver Gray's Scheme

Shelag, the old residence of the Shivaesh family.

SilverAsh arrived from Ursus, travel-worn and weary.

It's a bit better outside. Although St. Petersburg in Ursus is far from Shelag, with modern vehicles running at full speed and on the main roads, it doesn't take too long.

But things are different once you get into Shelag.

Compared to the outside world, the isolated Shelag is practically an uncivilized primitive society, basically still in the stage where 'communication relies mainly on shouting and travel relies mainly on walking'.

Before gaining absolute control, SilverAsh dares not openly use external technological creations here, otherwise he will be denounced as a heretic.

Therefore, after entering the country for too long, they could only rely on the most primitive method of running on foot. Even strong people with plenty of physical strength would be exhausted after running all the way.

However, those gathered here are all trustworthy confidants, so SilverAsh doesn't care about appearances anymore.

"How is Weiss doing?"

Pushing open the door and entering the room, one sees a burning stove in the center, and a cot placed near the stove. A young man from the Yitla tribe, his entire body wrapped in bandages, lies on the cot, his face pale and devoid of any color.

The blonde Caprini knight and the young man from the Fuente tribe were sitting on the edge of the bed. They turned their heads when they heard the noise at the door.

"Mathjon, how is Weiss doing?"

"not too good."

The young man from the Fengti tribe, Matthon, shook his head and sighed, "Weiss was seriously injured this time and has not yet woken up. The doctor said he will need at least a month to recover his mobility."

"A month?"

Upon hearing this, SilverAsh breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the worst-case scenario he had anticipated did not occur.

In the isolated Shelag, injuries are a difficult thing to deal with. The village still uses primitive herbal remedies, without any modern medical equipment or doctors who know how to use them. Traditional treatments are slow to take effect and have limited effectiveness for more serious injuries.

Therefore, within Shelag, the only option is to "rest for minor illnesses and endure for major illnesses."

Only those who can endure can survive; what might be considered a minor injury to outsiders is a matter of life and death here.

"Jian, what's going on?"

Relieved, SilverAsh looked at the blonde woman standing by the bed.

Black Knight Mace, hailing from Caprini of Letania, is a three-time champion of the Casimir Knights Tournament. He is the only reliable expert under his command in terms of combat prowess. There should be no one in the territory of Sherag who can defeat Black Knight.

"I don't know. Weiss went to the construction site to check on the progress of the project as usual, but he didn't come back on time. At the same time, the old house was also attacked. Someone tried to shoot Encia's room with heavy crossbow bolts, but they didn't succeed. Matthon went out to look for Weiss and found him unconscious in the cedar forest not far from the construction site."

"He had twenty-three wounds on his body, which were probably inflicted by an axe, but they all avoided vital organs. The person who did it clearly did not intend to kill him on the spot; perhaps it could be interpreted as a warning."

"A warning...?"

SilverAsh clenched his fists, filled with resentment.

The cause and effect of this matter are already very clear. There is no need for much analysis; one can guess who did it.

Who else could it be? The only ones who have been opposing the trade in Khalang in Shelag are the other two members of the Three Races Council—the Blantau family and the Perroch family, and... the Manju Academy above the snow.

The current patriarch of the Blantau family is fond of playing tricks, but the current situation is not so dire that she would resort to such drastic measures, as there is no need for it.

That woman is smart; she won't easily resort to violence or break off relations with the Kara trade.

Needless to say, the Perroch family is a bunch of barbarians who despise intrigue and always act directly. If they were the ones who did it, Weiss would have no chance of coming back alive; they would simply dump his body at the doorstep of the Shivaesh family.

After eliminating two out of three suspects, only one suspect remained—the one from Manjushri Temple.

They certainly had sufficient motivation.

In recent years, Kara Trade’s attempt to establish a factory in Shelag has displeased the Grand Elders, who have ample reason to take action against Weiss as a warning to Kara Trade not to go against their agreements.

Ha, a bunch of lazy, incompetent old beasts.

The firelight flickered, and it seemed as if flames were burning in Silver Gray's eyes. His passion was still burning, and he couldn't wait to turn against those old bastards.

But he couldn't, because Manjushri Monastery was located on the sacred mountain of Kalan. To attack it would mean making an enemy of the entire Shelag, and no one would stand by him.

So we must be patient, patient... how long must we be patient!

Even the best self-control could not suppress the resentment in his heart. Silver Gray's knuckles cracked, and he almost broke the cane in his hand.

His trusted subordinate and friend lay unconscious in a hospital bed, and his sister Encia's room was nearly breached by a heavy crossbow. How could he possibly tolerate this?!

Damn beast!

"Calm down, Ensiodis."

The female knight placed her hand on Silver Gray's shoulder, gently shook her head, and whispered, "If you need, I can go to Manju Academy tonight, kill those old guys, and then leave Sherag. They can't stop me."

"No, we can't do that."

Did Jian have the strength to storm into Manjushri Academy and kill all those detestable old stubborns? Of course he did.

Within the territory of Shelag, no one was her match. Even when facing the Perroch family's army, she could leave with ease, not to mention some old folks who were too old to walk.

However, they cannot do that, because on the holy mountain... there is a god.

The impact of doing so would be too great. No one knows whether Yeragand, who has been missing for hundreds of years, will return and push everything in the worst possible direction.

Moreover, Manju Temple is not entirely useless. Many spirit mediums are also stationed there. Jian could make a round trip through them, but it would be impossible for him to escape unnoticed.

Once the news gets out, the charges of attacking Manjushri and blaspheming Jeragand will plunge the entire Shivaish family, along with the Kharan trade, into the abyss.

Bang!

He slammed his fist into the wall, his silver-gray chest heaving violently before finally settling into calm.

He reached into his coat and pulled out a simple glass bottle from the inner pocket, inside which a golden liquid swayed back and forth.

Staring at his unconscious friend, SilverAsh gritted his teeth, finally made up his mind, strode over, uncorked the bottle, and dripped the Golden Tree Dew from the glass bottle into Weiss's mouth.

Such severe injuries cannot withstand any further strain. They have no way to transfer him to Shelag, which has better medical facilities. However, given the current level of medical care in Shelag, Weiss's injuries can only be managed by his own physical condition, and there is always the possibility of an unexpected worsening.

He couldn't gamble with his friend's life.