I'm fighting Kal'tsit? Really?

Gerald pushed the door open and said to Toran, "Also, don't worry too much about your problem."

"Experts will be coming soon to take over this place."

Chapter Fifteen: Operation Ends

The information wasn't completely hidden; it was simply sealed within layers of formalistic protection, with a slightly excessive number of traps and heavy guard along the way.

The combination of incantation and wind at this moment is like a universal key, silently unlocking all defenses: metal latches, surveillance cameras, and even mechanisms hidden behind walls and in corners are all dissected into silence by the wind—and people are taken along with them.

Compared to Gerald's forceful entry during his time in prison, his current approach is far more lenient. He no longer needs to smash through walls and force his way in to essentially dismantle all defenses. For the guards, who have virtually no means of resistance, the lack of oxygen caused by the deprivation of air is merely a fleeting moment.

While doing all this, Gerald himself remained outside the clinic.

The two entered the clinic, which, unlike its rugged appearance, seemed quite...ordinary.

The clinic, which was closed for the day, was not accepting patients, so the entire facility was almost deserted. The front desk logbook was brand new, and the registration counter even had a list of emergency medications arranged chronologically.

Even the most astute infected person, upon seeing these places, would temporarily lower their guard and categorize them as "temporarily trustworthy." Influenced by the propaganda of other infected individuals, they would believe that the hospital established by the Control Council outside was the place they truly needed to be wary of.

But the wind doesn't lie.

It pieced together clues from all the "non-surface" things: from the cracks under the floorboards, from the bloodstains that hadn't been wiped clean in the corner, and from the faint, sudden sounds of breathing.

"This place certainly puts on a good show," Toran murmured, "but the more it does that, the more it shows that it's not for infected people."

Gerald didn't reply, but simply nodded, signaling him to follow.

The medicine warehouse, logistics room, and testing area were all marked by Feng in advance, so the two of them had a smooth journey all the way to the innermost room.

……

In terms of results, the investigation of Plot Zero went much more smoothly than expected.

Before the people here could react, most of the security forces had already been neutralized, and the "doctor" was pinned to a chair and unable to move.

For ordinary people with no combat experience, the sensation of the wind wrapping around their limbs is like their time being frozen, and no matter how much they struggle, they cannot break free.

The other person's mouth was gagged, but there was no pain on their face; instead, there was a habitual, almost indifferent submission. He was clearly not new to this situation, only this time the two visitors were far more professional—and far more dangerous—than those he had encountered before.

The two masked men seemed to be his executioners. They did not introduce themselves or engage in any unnecessary chatter. They simply flipped through the documents they had received one by one in front of him and quietly waited for time to pass.

Until the other person breaks down on their own.

Threats are never constructed with words.

With just a few simple words and actions, without any emotion or even a strong tone, it was enough to make this person called "the doctor" pour out information like beans.

A moment later, the hidden door behind the staircase opened in a relatively peaceful manner.

The basement was extremely rudimentary, seemingly used only for storage. It contained a large amount of non-public testing data, drug batch lists, classification of infected individuals' vital signs and labor assessment data, and even unactivated identity chips and batch registration forms, all neatly stacked and categorized.

As Toran watched the news that would cause an uproar among the infected in the entire Great Knight Territory if they were exposed, he couldn't help but sigh, "Even if I think they're not human, I have to say, these guys don't seem to see themselves as human beings at all... The whole process is so systematic it's chilling."

"But what I'm wondering now is, who do you plan to put in charge of this place?"

Toran gently closed the documents in his hand, turned his head, and looked at Gerald standing to the side. "That doctor outside will definitely re-contact the contact after we leave. There's no way the two of us can completely clear this place out in a short time. Or are you going to use your Originium Arts to wipe this place out with one click?"

"It's not that complicated."

Gerald closed his eyes, sensing the direction of the wind. A faint airflow danced between his fingertips, as if bringing some kind of omen. "Plot Zero is in a good location, right on the southwest corner of the Grand Knight Territory, outside of District Seventeen."

"In other words, to get here, you don't need to go through most of the city's registration and inspection. You just need to enter from the dock and then pass through the port and industrial zone to get there."

He paused, then slowly raised his gaze to the persistently gray sky above.

"...Or, we can simply climb over that outer wall from outside Kazimierz."

With that, he opened his eyes and walked outside.

Toran watched his retreating figure, shook his head with some regret, and spread his hands: "You plan to leave these documents here? It's a pity. I think there are still many places where they can be used, or burning them would also be a good option."

“Not for now.” Gerald walked away without turning his head, only adding casually, “Our reinforcements have arrived.”

"……reinforce?"

He quickly found out who the other person was referring to.

When the two walked back through the clinic corridor and pushed open the old metal door to return outside, the wind had calmed down.

Standing at the street corner was a figure with her hood pulled low. She stood quietly, as if waiting for a long-awaited appointment.

Only after Gerald walked out of the alley did the man slowly raise his hand and take off his hood—

Her long, golden hair cascaded from beneath the fabric, much like sunlight cast upon the edge of shadow, creating a soft yet undeniable halo. Her eyes matched her hair color perfectly, possessing a calm and sharp brilliance honed over the years—cool yet not chilling, bright yet not dazzling—a radiance unique to the Radiant Knight.

“Margaret Lin Guang has come to keep her appointment.”

The arrival of the Radiant Knights was without any ceremonial procession or prior notice.

She simply stood there, as if she had stepped out of some distant memory, taking back everything that belonged to her when she left, including the one-handed sword hanging at her waist.

“Yes, I’ll need you to handle the coordination here.” Gerald handed the prepared list to Margaret. “Have you received authorization from the Kazimierz authorities? Or will Rhodes Island only be able to openly get involved once the Major begins?”

"The PhDs expressed their basic willingness to cooperate."

Margaret took the list and quickly glanced at it: "However, Rhodes Island still cannot directly intervene in surface affairs, including the treatment of infected people. Even now, it can only appear as an external assistant."

“But, after all, we’re not entirely Rhodes Island people.” She then added with a smile, “Shining and Liz are still on their way, and there are a few other operators in charge of field operations who will assist us. To avoid any accidents, I arrived before them.”

"Leave this to us from now on."

--------

The afternoon light dimmed behind the clouds, and the city's skeleton was silhouetted against the industrial gray and sunlight, becoming a rusty color.

Gerald stood atop an old building, the wind dispelling the dust and heat, allowing him to quietly look down upon everything below.

The ground beneath their feet remained Plot Zero, and figures still moved about in the alleyways. Logistics vehicles slowly drove past narrow street corners, and the infected huddled like shadows against the eaves and walls, letting the world spin above them.

His gaze swept over the numb faces—from patients, children, and the elderly to abandoned miners and infected knights; every pair of eyes was a frozen moment in time.

The city keeps turning, but they are forgotten here.

Toran stood beside him, saying nothing, but lit a cigarette and silently exhaled a wisp of white smoke carrying a sense of unease. The smoke dissipated instantly in the wind, as if leaving no trace was permitted even in the high sky.

Seeing this, Sarkaz took a swig of beer.

"Phew." He reluctantly pulled his mouth away from the bottle. "I didn't expect this, new friend. How long have you been preparing for this? You said you didn't need to care about the infected, so why did you send the eldest daughter of the Lin Guang family back here specifically to take charge of these infected?"

"Because someone cares."

Gerald shifted Pegasus's perspective to the distance, gazing at the walls of Kazimierz on the horizon: "Those who care about things are responsible for what they care about. As long as it solves the problem, then this arrangement is perfectly reasonable."

"Really? Is that your idea?" Toran glanced to the side. "It's somewhat surprising, I must say."

"Because they're too selfish?" Gerald replied.

"Quite the opposite." Beside Toran was an open pizza box, the cheese and sauce long since cooled and the edges dried by the wind, but that did not affect his enjoyment of eating it: "Using one's abilities appropriately is a quality of a leader. If I were to put you in this position, I would gladly follow your orders."

“That’s not my intention, and you don’t need to be moved by it,” Gerald replied calmly. “It’s just a difference in perspective that has led to your misunderstanding, but the word ‘leader’ is far removed from my own experience.”

Toran didn't respond to that remark, nor did he look at Gerald. He simply lowered his head and tore off slice after slice of pizza, maintaining a leisurely pace as he chewed.

"...Thanks." After a long while, he suddenly said this, his tone devoid of any sarcasm, only a rare sincerity.

“It’s not because I owe you a favor,” he said, flicking the tissue in his hand to wipe the last bit of cheese away. “It’s just that too many of my compatriots have been thrown here. Living feels like a crime, being tossed around, unable to even find the strength to stand up.”

“I’m not good at handling these things. If someone could really put us to good use, I would never refuse. It’s just that no one else can do that, so we decided to open our own door—that old bastard Xuan Tie is one, and so am I.”

He stood up, clapped his hands, and shook the breadcrumbs from between his fingers and cuffs. The dust and crumbs drifted in the wind, like scraps of paper swept into a corner after a show.

“I have to leave for a while.” Toran said as if it were something perfectly ordinary, tugging at his cloak.

"Recently, one after another, bounty hunters near the Great Knight Territory have gone missing, which is a bit too abnormal, but it's definitely a good thing. I need to take this opportunity to win back my old friends who are still willing to listen to me."

“…” Gerald remained silent for a while.

It seems this situation occurred because of him.

It's best not to mention that.

“I will head west, exit from the southwest gate of the Great Knight’s Territory, go around that cliff, and arrive at a small place called ‘Grey Hibiscus Hill’.”

As Toran spoke, he pulled out a yellowed piece of paper from his pocket and lightly traced a few creases on it with his fingernail. “Near the edge of Kazimierz, that’s where I’m stationed. If you’re looking for me, follow this line. I’ll have someone leave something as a marker.”

He spoke bluntly, handing the piece of paper to Gerald without further explanation or asking about Gerald's next steps. He simply turned back and said before leaving:

"see you later."

The wind swept across the metal rooftops, and his figure disappeared into the gradually darkening outline of the streetscape.

Chapter Sixteen: The Battle for Territory (Pt*80 (4K))

Time passed, on the other side.

"what!"

Maria woke up from her dream.

She sat on the bed, panting heavily, beads of cold sweat trickling down her forehead. Her chest heaved violently from a brief moment of distraction, as if she had just survived a difficult battle in a dream.

She then quickly looked around, confirming the room's layout and the fact that she was alone in the room, before slowly coming to her senses.

...Nightmare.

It's impossible for a childhood friend to have worked so hard for years, clinging to hope and dreams, only to be knocked down by reality with two brutal blows, right?! Even compared to the various knight-errant novels on the market, this scenario is far too tragic! It's the kind of situation where once the reader discovers the real-life name, there's no escaping it!

That's right, that's right. In the end, having a child in just two years is completely impossible from a realistic point of view. She must have had a nightmare to do that.

"Ah... my body hurts so much, and my eyes hurt too." Maria struggled to squeeze the blanket between her thighs to release some of the heat from her body. She then groggily glanced at the incongruous mechanical clock on the bedside table: "Four o'clock... afternoon?!"

Just as she was still reeling from the fact that she had slept almost until evening, her bedroom door was slammed open from the outside—Zofia, with obvious displeasure on her face, entered the room and said, "Don't yell in the room, Maria, we can hear you yelling all over the hallway."

"Oh no!" Maria scrambled out of bed and hurriedly told her aunt, "We're going to be late, Aunt! Why didn't you wake me? We have a match against the Rusty Bronze Knight today! We'll be disqualified if we're late for the preliminary round!"

"What stupid things are you talking about."

Zofia tapped Maria on the head with the newspaper in her hand, making the pony yelp in pain, and then opened the newspaper and handed it to her.

[First Battle a Success! Maria Nearl Crushes the "Rusty Bronze Knight"!]

The unremarkable title and the concise and efficient article content are reminiscent of a report written by an intern.

Although the name "Lin Guang" itself implies high traffic, the content of the article is generally objective and does not show any particular preference or trend. It is probably because the current situation has caused an unusual wavering in the judgment of the direction of the trend, and they do not want to take responsibility, so they made this choice.

“You played very well. The newspapers are practically overflowing with news about you. The crowd waiting for you outside the manor could probably build several stories high.” Maria smoothed her long hair that had fallen over her shoulder. “Just rest at the manor today. You’ve been working too hard these past few days.”

"Eh?"

Maria picked up the newspaper in her hand, glanced at the contents cautiously out of the corner of her eye, and then quickly looked away.

Zofia looked at her niece's behavior and a question mark appeared above her head: "...Why did you peek? This must be a very satisfying moment, right? You can accept it without hesitation?"

Hearing his aunt's words, the little pony glanced at it cautiously again, then quickly looked away, pretending nothing had happened, his eyes darting around: "I didn't see it, I don't know anything... Ah! This crossword puzzle in the newspaper is so interesting!"

Seeing this, Zofia chose to use a simple vertical slash to strike her niece on the head: "Face reality."

"What do you mean?"

"The fact that my beloved older brother is back." Seeing the other person's expression, Zofia knew that she had not misjudged the situation.

To Zofia's surprise, the mere mention of a certain word caused Maria to writhe in agony on the bed, simultaneously covering both of her ears with her hands.

"Ugh!! No way! My brother got married and had a child at the same time, and my sister even saw him before I did! At least wait until I confess my feelings!!"

"Besides, I don't know how I spent the last two years in prison, so why am I seeing my sister so soon?! This is so strange! Why do I have to endure so much in Kazimierz and have to accept things I don't like, while my sister can be with my brother outside? It's so unfair!!"

Young Pegasus rarely acted spoiled and almost always only showed his innocent side to people he trusted implicitly.

It's just that if you keep your grievances bottled up inside for too long, there will eventually come a moment when they completely explode like this.

Maria rolled around in bed, burying her face in the blankets, peeking her ears out from between her fingers and then pulling them back in, and flicking her tail irritably, as if that would shake off all the negative emotions in her mind.

“I’ve worked so, so hard!” Her voice was muffled and hoarse under the covers. “I’ve been training, forging iron, listening to my aunt, and enduring all the gossip all by myself. Now that I’ve finally made it this far, the first person my brother sees when he comes back is my sister, and the person standing next to him isn’t me. I haven’t even had a chance to hug him yet, and I already know that he’s not the same brother he used to be.”

"what……"

Zofia was momentarily at a loss for how to react to this scene.

Frankness isn't a bad thing. From an emotional intelligence perspective, it might not be pleasing, but it's undoubtedly the fastest way to solve problems. And Gerald was remarkably adept at offering comfort afterward; he was perfectly capable of handling such situations.

But she can't handle it.

Zofia could only watch helplessly as her little pony, after experiencing escapism and a breakdown, vented her dissatisfaction until it gradually calmed down.