Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

Leitania is the capital of music, and it is extremely popular in the field of music. It can be said that the people now in the square are the strongest lineup in the whole of Leitania.

"From this angle... doesn't it seem like Trilinterme isn't as big as you imagined?" Helinmart noticed Noah's actions and came to the railing, standing shoulder to shoulder with Noah. "Being able to overlook the entire Trilinterme from this angle is something not everyone can experience."

"...Are you testing me?"

"No, I'm just stating a fact. The only person who can see the entire city from this angle... apart from you, me, and my sister, probably only..."

"The Witch King, Herhunzoren. Isn't that what you wanted to bring up?" Noah rolled his eyes. "I won't deny it. He was my teacher and taught me a lot. I respect his knowledge."

"Indeed, but you haven't inherited his ambition—" Helinmart looked at Noya, "In my opinion, you clearly have all the conditions to become king, but you have been rejecting this right."

"Is becoming a king really that interesting?" Noah shook his head. "Becoming the leader of a country... just thinking about it is too troublesome..."

"Troublesome... indeed." Helinmart agreed. "It's too troublesome. Everything is too troublesome."

"Standing too high, although you can see far, it is easy to ignore the people around you. Your Majesty, power is very tempting to many people, but for me... maybe not. If possible, I just hope to be an ordinary person, with an ordinary life, surrounded by people who love me. This is everything I pursue, but even such an ordinary wish has not been realized, let alone becoming a so-called "king." Noya pointed to the people under the tower, "You just said that in all of Leithania, there are only three people who can restrain me: you, the other queen, and Mr. Fremont... But in fact, you worry too much. The people who can restrain me... are actually down there, among those people, those I care about, those I love, and those who love me. They are my anchor, they are the existence that truly makes me feel nostalgic -"

"...Ha, you're actually lecturing me?" Helinmart's face darkened. "What do you want to say? That I'm no match for you?"

"You're free to interpret it that way." Noah shrugged. "I just want to tell you that I don't like heights... If possible, I'd rather stand with the people below than on top of a tower like this."

"So, in your opinion, are we two idiots?" At this moment, another queen finally appeared. This queen was about the same height as Helinmart. She was dressed in a white veil and had a smile on her face. Compared with the serious Helinmart, she was more approachable. No wonder she was called [Eternal Grace].

"Hello, Miss Noah, nice to meet you-"

Chapter 51: The Day of Accession

"Your Majesty, I didn't say that—" Noah shook his head, "This is just my personal opinion. It doesn't mean it's correct, nor does it mean I want to mock you by making such remarks."

With the two queens standing beside him, even Noah was sweating profusely. After all, he still had a crown on his head. To put it another way, it was like wearing a dragon robe in front of the current emperor, a crime punishable by death for all nine generations of his clan. Fortunately, neither Liselotte nor Helinmart seemed to have any intention of attacking him. In fact, Liselotte... the queen whom Noah had rarely seen since arriving in Trilinterme, seemed to be very interested in Noah. Her eyes were always fixed on Noah, and she even deliberately circled around him a few times.

"What a lovely child." She held her cheek with her hand and smiled gently. "Hildegard, you've kept this little cutie hidden for so long, not wanting me to see her. Isn't it a bit too much to bring her out now?"

"You can watch her anytime you want, but she's not a canary in a cage—" Hildegard Helinmart folded her arms across her chest and responded coldly, "Lizelotte, you've been keeping an eye on her the whole time, even before me, haven't you?"

"After all, she's very close to our new Elector Lady—" Liselotte made no secret of her special interest in Noa. "Besides, Miss Noa's identity is quite sensitive."

"...I don't think I'm a big shot." Noya subconsciously took two steps back. Compared to Helinmart, the White Queen gave her a more dangerous feeling. Although she always had a smile on her face, Noya could sense her emotions. Often, Noya used her sense of taste to judge emotions. For example, positive emotions are generally sweet, just with different flavors. However, the emotions Noya felt from the White Queen were completely different from anything he had experienced before... If anything, it was probably similar to what he had felt from Archon Agor, Goletia's mother, Helatia. "Isn't it going to cause both Your Majesties so much worry?"

"Haha, at first I just thought you were special. Who knew you had so many secrets—" Liselotte just smiled and said, "As a disciple of the Witch King, I didn't expect there would be such a big surprise. Although I don't know how you are connected to a guy who has been dead for so many years... It's just that in this country, everything related to the Witch King is considered contraband, including you, my lovely Miss Noya."

"First... I don't consider myself an appendage of the Witch King. Your labeling of everything... with all due respect, you're no different from childish behavior." Noya responded to Liselotte's labeling with neither servility nor arrogance. Even facing the two Leithanian power leaders, Noya maintained a normal and polite manner, but would never condone their labeling of him as the Witch King. "Secondly, I'm not your toy, Your Majesty. I'm here simply because I believe I need to return the copy of the Golden Rule to you, not because Your Majesties can restrain me."

Noah's meaning was very clear. Don't test yourself with such a frivolous tone. Noah has long since left the stage of being submissive. Now she has many trump cards, including the Nameless Harp, the Eye of God, the telepathic Originium skill, the music box that stores several echoes of the mortal world, and the gray matter that can cause a world-destroying doomsday. Unknowingly, she has mastered terrible power.

I'm here because I want to be here, not because you guys want me to be here—

Noah's darkening expression made the atmosphere slightly tense, but Liselotte managed to maintain a smile, narrowing her eyes as she spoke. "I was only joking. I won't hurt you, Miss Noah."

"This joke also depends on whether it is appropriate or not..." Noah didn't think Liselotte was joking. This White Queen was obviously a smiling tiger and was not as gentle and kind as she seemed on the surface. Helinmart was more straightforward and more in line with Noah's preferences.

She prefers straightforwardness to those who delve into conspiracies—like Margaret Linguang.

"Oh, there will be a day when you will fail in this regard, Liselotte." Helinmart unconsciously raised the corners of her mouth. After all, it was rare to see Liselotte fail in terms of affinity.

"...You have no right to laugh at me about this, Helinmart." Liselotte's mouth twitched, and she could only weakly retort to her sister's ridicule. "Well, the Queen's Celebration is about to begin. We two should take the lead. During the performance of the Golden Rule, all Golden Rule Guards will be responsible for the security of the entire venue. Miss Noya, you'd better not wander around. Otherwise, we will not be responsible if anything happens."

"What I mean is, don't run around, nothing's wrong." Helinmart actually started to like Noah. Although their relationship was not bad, she was still very happy that she could make Liselotte look bad.

The two queens were supposed to ascend the podium hand in hand, receiving the admiration of the people. However, Liselotte looked at Helinmart beside her, a dim light flashing in her eyes, and then she spoke softly. "Please help me straighten my crown, please?"

"Hmm." Helinmart reached out and helped Liselotte adjust the crown. This crown had been forged by the craftsmen after they decided to share power. Each of them had one, and the two crowns could overlap to form a single crown. This served to prove that Leitania was ruled by two queens, and without either, it would be incomplete. But Helinmart was meticulously adjusting it, even smoothing Liselotte's hair—as if she were handling a precious, fragile object.

"Your fingers are so cold," Liselotte whispered. "You've been holding that sword all day. Your hands are as cold as the sword itself."

"I'm sorry, it's just that—I always have my reasons for holding the sword." Helinmart's tone softened. Perhaps only she, the only one of her kind in the world, could express such emotion. "It's almost time. We should declare the celebration open, Liselotte."

"...Hildegard..."

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"Do I look good today?"

The White Queen looked at her own half body, with a glimmer in her eyes. The Black Queen clearly hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she held up the White Queen's hand.

"as always."

The two queens smiled at each other, just as they had done so many years ago, her her sword, her her shield. They were the sword and shield, the twin queens of Leithania, and they should have been inseparable. But time, it seemed, was the most ruthless thing in the world, turning the indestructible into dust, and turning the most sincere and affectionate into strangers. Just as the two queens were about to take the stage together, Helinmart suddenly stopped, turned, and, at Liselotte's bewilderment, released her hand.

"You go first, Liselotte. Don't keep the people waiting too long." Helinmart looked at Ermengarde, who had appeared on the platform at some point, and Viviana, who was dizzy from the aftereffects of the teleportation. She narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at Noah beside her. After receiving an innocent look from Noah, she said, "Perhaps our Elector has something he wants to tell me."

"We used to walk on the covered bridge together." Liselotte did not leave immediately, but looked at Helinmart who turned around and whispered.

"Nothing has to remain unchanged." Helinmart didn't look back, leaving Liselotte with only her back. "I'll come find you before the performance officially begins."

To circumvent the Golden Rule's blockade, Viviana had no choice but to enlist the help of Miss Ermengarde. As a lich, Ermengarde could tear space at will, bypassing the Golden Rule's guards and reaching the Twin Towers. Enduring the dizziness and discomfort of the teleportation, Viviana immediately spotted the cloaked Noah Kyrielight beside Helinmart. With her intelligence, she naturally guessed that Noah had been hidden by Her Majesty the Queen.

But now is not the time for a touching reunion——

"Your Majesty... I'm sorry for barging in here so suddenly... I just have something I must report to you..." Viviana knelt on one knee and saluted the Queen. "The terrorist Arturo has escaped from prison, and we are searching for her... We suspect that as a contact of the remnants of the Witch King, she escaped at this time in order to launch an attack on the Queen's Celebration... I request that the Queen's Celebration be terminated and Arturo be apprehended first."

"...Impossible." Helinmart didn't mind Viviana using the power of the lich to break into the Twin Towers. However, she just shook her head at Viviana's suggestion. "The Queen's Celebration cannot be stopped, let alone postponed."

"……But!"

"Viviana, I'm very grateful that you care so much about the people and even went so far as to use the lich's help to come here and provide me with information. However, the Queen's Celebration is not just an event—it's a public occasion. You should have eliminated the hidden dangers before the celebration, not come here now and ask me to end it."

Helinmart actually didn't dislike Viviana, she just felt that Viviana's naiveté was a little inappropriate.

"And... Liselotte has already gone to the covered bridge, and the ceremony has begun."

"What!?"

The next moment, Viviana realized why the Queen's Celebration was called Terra's grandest magical gathering. This was more than just a performance—every Leitanian musician was a top-tier sorcerer, and the power of their combined ensemble was enough to shake the entire Leitania. Beams of light, formed by various Originium techniques, intertwined within the clouds. The melodies and spells came from those on earth. Everyone, with total devotion, joined in a uniquely Leitanian melody, their instruments serving as both instruments and spellcasting devices. The surrounding buildings and the twin towers resonated perfectly, and at that moment, the open space surrounding the two Queen's Towers became a true amphitheater.

This is a feast that is difficult to describe in words. It is the music of Leitania, the prelude to the Golden Rule. This is a visual and auditory feast woven with magic, and the ultimate embodiment of Leitania's classical beauty and magical power.

This magnificent spectacle can be seen throughout Trilin Terme and even in the surrounding neighboring cities.

And it was in such a performance that Arturo, standing in the center of the musicians, with a black veil on his head, placed his bow on the strings with emotion.

She had been stripped of her Originium skills, her innate talent, forcibly taken away by Noya, even stripping her of her aura and wings. However, Noya could not take away her music, or rather, Arturo's own "musical theory," which had been accumulated bit by bit through her long listening to the voices of others. Now, without Originium skills, she could hear it with unparalleled clarity. The resonance between the musicians, or the "huge collective consciousness" of countless people playing the same piece simultaneously, had reached a level that even without Originium skills, she could clearly perceive it.

All Arturo had to do was guide these emotions... much like Noah had done in Casimir. All he needed was a fulcrum... a gentle pry, and that was all...

Take these emotions into your heart...

Arturo, playing herself.

Play, Leitania.

The golden rhythm contains Leitania's will.

It symbolizes order, harmony, and the perception of beauty.

No one can easily destroy it. The golden melody is deeply rooted in the hearts of every Leitanian.

Is this kind of existence somewhat similar to Lateran's [Commandments]?

If the Golden Rule truly reshaped the hearts and aesthetics of the Leithanians, then... why couldn't the Golden Rule become Leithania's [commandment]?

Of course, under normal circumstances, the Golden Rule would never be able to accomplish this, but only today, only today when all of Leitania's top musicians played the Golden Rule, today when the power of the Golden Rule was unleashed to its fullest.

Arturo finally had the opportunity to truly delve into the core of the Golden Rule movement.

Just like the Witch King did before, to modify... to reshape...

Why is Lateran the Earthly Paradise of Terra?

Why is it that only Lateran can achieve [equality] and [happiness]?

Arturo actually came to the conclusion early on.

It is [precepts].

The commandments connected the Laterans to each other, making their conflicts and differences seem easy to resolve from the very beginning.

Arturo wandered through Terra, visiting many countries, but only the Golden Rule, only Letania—she believed—was the only place where she could complete the experiment she envisioned. This land, blessed by nature, was now blossoming within her harp.

The Golden Rule...will reshape Leitania.

Did you hear that?

-

Noah's eyes gradually turned golden, and she unconsciously began to move forward, taking off her black cloak, revealing her golden crown and halo.

The crown transformed by the golden rhythm music... is now shining with unprecedented light.

Chapter 52: Ascension Ceremony

Something's wrong! Nine times out of ten, something's wrong.

Someone has tampered with the Golden Rule!

By the time Noah realized this, it was already too late. In this world, there was only one person who was qualified and capable of modifying the Golden Rule.

"...Teacher, you plotted against me."

"No, I never plotted against you. It was them, they who brought you here. Their suspicion and distrust of you have long led to this situation." Herhunzollon finally spoke. "It was suspicion, their inner unease and fear about you, that made them try to keep you close and control you. It was this desire for control that drove them to bring you here, to the center of magic where the Golden Rule is played—it was they who orchestrated your coronation ceremony."

Noah wanted to say something, but Herhunzolen had completely modified the core of the Golden Rule Music in her head, making the original version, which could be said to be a backup of the Golden Rule Music, show a completely different effect from the Golden Rule Music. Golden veins spread across the entire sky, and the crown, which was sculpted by the Witch King himself, became the center of the ritual, gathering all the music played by the musicians and the power they contributed into Noah's body.

If it were an ordinary person, he would have exploded and died by now, but the one who accepted these emotions and powers was Noah Kyrielight.

Even if these forces cause some damage to Noah, the gray matter will repair it at the fastest speed. In this world, there may be no one more suitable to be the container of the Golden Rule than Noah.

Arturo, who was originally scheduled to be the container of the golden rhythm, raised her head, smiled and took off her veil, exposing herself to everyone's sight.

She had known it all along... Compared to herself, the person most suited to become the Golden Rule was Noah Kyrielight. The power Noah possessed now bordered on divine. Even if Yela were here, she probably couldn't compare to Noah, now one with the Golden Rule. Feeling the power within her that could easily obliterate a city, even with Noah's mental strength, she felt a moment of trance.

——The coronation ceremony... what you prepared, teacher... I'm afraid it's not the coronation ceremony, right?

The power flowing through Noya's body now surpassed the limits of what a mortal could contain, but she didn't lose control. The combination of her halo, wings, and crown completely suppressed this power. By this point, Noya had completely absorbed the emotions and power of all the musicians. Even if they stopped playing, it would be too late. Noya estimated that she could maintain this godlike power for at least ten minutes...

Ten minutes of being transformed into a god... My teacher is truly a genius...

While Noah was still observing his specific situation, the two queens were looking solemnly at Noah, who was surrounded by golden music. The power contained in Noah's body at this time was the sum of the power of the musicians in the entire square - or even stronger. The oppression he brought to the two queens was even more powerful than the Witch King at the time. Helinmart held a long sword. She had said before that she was confident that she could kill the Witch King again... But what if she was facing another person, another person who was more powerful than the Witch King?

"Lizelotte..."

"Hilhigaard..."

The two queens called out each other's names almost simultaneously. In this crisis, the two queens stood together once again, sword and shield, the twins of Leithnia once again shoulder to shoulder. The previous barriers and conspiracies vanished almost instantly. They knew that facing such a powerful opponent, they would only seek death if they tried to fight alone. They had to knock Noa down from that position, or rather... kill him...

The long sword in Helinmart's hand has condensed huge energy. When the two queens' spells are connected with each other, the power increases exponentially, but the next moment - after Noah realized the two people's intentions, she just turned her head and glanced at the two of them, and the two were almost crushed by the terrifying pressure. This terrifying power gap made this ordinary glance enough to make people tremble in their hearts.

The current Noah... could even be called a human-shaped natural disaster...

"...So that's how it is. The technique that Herhunzollon was studying before he was assassinated was actually this kind of thing..." At this time, the only person who could participate in it, except for the Twin Queens, was probably Fremont. The Lord of the Lich King's Court had to be shocked by the [Apotheosis Ceremony] completed by Herhunzollon. With the power of a mortal, he touched the realm of the gods. This technique gathered the power of the entire Letania and could allow a mortal to temporarily ascend to the realm of gods, but why did he want to complete such a technique?

He was already practically a god on earth...why did he need to get involved in the realm of the gods?

When Fremont was puzzled, the golden sky suddenly cracked, like an eye, an eye opened from the void, and glanced at the world across millions of light years. It was this glance that shattered the golden sky, like countless pieces of glass, and the entire sky turned dark. Under the darkness, an inverted Witch King's Tower fell into reality under the shocked gaze of everyone.

Probably everyone here will never forget this moment, the sky shattered, time and space burst, everything hung upside down in the sky, and the upside-down tower that stood like a mirror fell into reality, as if the Kingdom of Shadows in mythology appeared in the world. That was the kingdom of the Witch King, or rather, it was the [Lethania] built by the Witch King in the warp. This madman really reshaped Leithania in the warp!

He really...built Leithania from the ground up!

Most people felt as if they were floating in the sky. They might have never imagined such a scene in their entire lives. The moment the familiar city fell into reality, even if they could not understand the scene, they were shocked by the exaggerated visual effects. People could not even take their eyes off the falling city.

"...Teacher...what is this?"

"This is a refuge, or you can call it the [Wasteland]"

"refuge?"

"Did you see that eye? That's the demon's gaze. It's discovered you, or rather, it's been watching you all along. The demon has been trying to come to Terra and pollute Terra, so I must prepare early. If the demon invades reality, if it destroys everything, then the ocean will evaporate, time will be disrupted, and those who were once reliable will no longer be trustworthy. No means can destroy this existence that transcends human cognition - so, I wonder, if humans can't do it, then what about the gods?"

"...God...you're talking about...a giant beast?"

"It's true that the Behemoth possesses power bordering on divine, but... that's not enough. The Behemoth's power can only temporarily repel the demons, but it can't completely isolate them from Terra. Therefore, I pondered day and night in my tower, finally glimpsing a fraction of the true Creator's power." Herhunzoren, arguably the most powerful and accomplished sorcerer in all of Terra, finally reached a forbidden zone. "I didn't complete my research before my death, but I did see the true Creator."

"...As a native of Terra, you are truly remarkable." At that moment, Precious appeared out of nowhere. Her presence didn't surprise Herhunzoron, for the "Creator" he spoke of was precisely Precious. It was only after suppressing Precious that he finally gained the final piece of the apotheosis ritual. He was emulating Precious.

Most people did not see that eye. Herhunzollon blocked the evil demon's glance. Once ordinary people saw such a thing, they would be polluted instantly. He always loved Leitania, so how could he let Leitania be polluted? What he had to do was to use this Shadow City in the wilderness as an outpost in the subspace and a real battlefield. He had already sensed the approach of the evil demon - so, he wanted to borrow Noah's hand to completely isolate the evil demon from Leitania!

"——Teacher, you're really playing too big..." Noya was helpless. After truly knowing Helhunzolun's purpose, she was relieved. "...But, if I'm not mistaken...this is what you said, teacher, to help me find my parents, right?"

"With the protection of the Golden Rule, you will no longer be swallowed by the Warp itself when you enter the Warp. This is your basis for entering this world - I never break my promise."

"Teacher...you could have told me clearly from the beginning." Noah sighed, "Do you have to be so calculating?"

"Explain yourself? Given your personality, you'd take the initiative to discuss this with these two idiots, and then they'd lock you up—how ​​could they possibly let you come here? Without coming to the ritual center, the ascension ceremony can't be completed. I never take risks. These two guys are my creations, and I know them too well. Forget about the black sheep, but the white sheep will never let you succeed in ascension. In the worst case scenario, she'll probably try to ascend to the godhood herself, wanting to replace you and gain this power." Herhunzolun bluntly complained about his two creations, not leaving them any face. "You're too focused on morality. This is your greatest weakness."