About the Time I Was Picked Up and Adopted by Talula Chapter 39

"Leave Garson to me. I still have a score to settle with him," W said with a cold smirk as she picked her target.

"Alina and I will handle Duke Baikal. It's time these nobles woke up from their pipe dreams."

Talula and Alina exchanged glances and nodded.

They're good sisters when they don't have to fight Orson… Wait, if that's the case, won't FrostNova get an advantage…!

Talula frowned, realizing things weren't so simple.

Oh, it's fine. FrostNova has Patriot with her.

Talula's brow relaxed, steady as ever.

"Then, as for me…"

"Miss Natalia, your mission is to reach the Chernobyl signal tower alive and inform the Emperor in Saint Gallant Castle of everything that has happened here," Talula informed Early Snow of her task.

"Of course, you'll likely be hunted by Duke Baikal's forces within Kazimierz City. Reunion's vanguard will assist you, Miss Natalia. Stay alive. You are the core of this battle. As long as you and the Rostov family head are alive, this war will have witnesses, and it cannot be considered a failure."

"…Okay!"

Early Snow nodded earnestly. The woman who was once just a high school student, a rebellious older sister, now showed no trace of youthfulness or naivety. She understood the mission she carried and shouldered it.

—Perhaps the future of Ursus wasn't so dark after all.

Talula sighed, looking at Natalia's determined expression.

"Orson… Even though Miss Talula abolished that promise… I don't mind?"

—Ursus is completely hopeless!!

Talula sighed, listening to Natalia mutter to herself with a hint of shyness.

56. A Normal High School Girl's Daily Life

For the people living within Kazimierz City, by the time they realized "war" had begun, they were already in the heart of the battlefield.

The explosion on People's Avenue not long ago, the terrorist attack at Peterheim Middle School, and now the sudden assault on the Rostov family's territory—

"Get down!"

"Wha!?"

As everyone finished their meeting and confirmed their respective enemies, Early Snow was about to move when Talula tackled her to the ground.

At the same moment, the entire outer corridor of the villa was filled with the sound of explosions, and several guards were sent flying by the powerful impact.

"They're here earlier than expected! It looks like the plan needs adjustment. Natalia, we—"

"N-no need to adjust! I'll hold off these enemies. You proceed with the original plan!"

Early Snow gritted her teeth and got up from the shattered living room, picking up a decorative steam-powered siege spear.

"I understand. Reunion's forces should have also arrived in Kazimierz City. They will cover your advance to the signal tower."

Talula nodded at Early Snow. The noble lady before her had become a qualified "warrior."

"Let's go, Alina. Remember to stick close to me."

Talula placed a hand on the greatsword at her waist and stood up, preparing to head to Duke Baikal's hiding place.

She knew very well that those who considered themselves "chess players" would only watch from the sidelines in places they deemed safe.

What Talula intended to do was drag these unseen insects out into the sun and burn them to ashes with her flames.

"Alright, don't act rashly then… Hm? Lyudmila?"

Alina noticed that Lyudmila, whom she had brought back, had followed them at some point.

"…I can help."

"Hah, don't push yourself."

Alina sighed and ruffled Lyudmila's hair. At this point, she couldn't say anything like "don't follow" anymore.

W had already made her escape. Talula, Alina, and Executioner had left the villa through the back door. Her cheap father didn't know where he had gone.

"Young miss, watch out!"

"Nngh—!"

A guard still capable of fighting beside her alerted Early Snow, who immediately aimed the siege spear in her hand towards the direction the enemies were pouring in and pulled the trigger.

Pfft!

"RUA!?"

The roar of steam, accompanied by a fierce gust of wind, sent a giant spear, as large as a human face, blasting a row of soldiers away from the breach.

"Natasha! You get out of here quickly, leave the rest to me—I, I, I, I, damn it!?"

Early Snow's father rushed back to the main hall in a panic and witnessed the explosive scene of his beloved daughter shooting away enemy troops with a single spear.

"Father, where is Orson?"

While the guards sought cover and used crossbows to block the advancing Baikal faction soldiers, Early Snow reloaded the spear and asked about the Rostov family head.

"He took off. More importantly, I and the remaining guards will hold this place. You should find an opportunity to advance towards the signal tower."

"Take off...?"

Zar'ya was a bit bewildered. Those two words made it hard for her to imagine Orson's current situation.

"This isn't the time to talk about that, Natasha! Get out of here quickly, there are too many enemies. We have to separate them so you have a chance to reach the signal tower."

The head of the Rostov family swung his staff, awkwardly using the most basic Originium Arts to attack the soldiers who were constantly closing in.

"I understand—Father."

Zar'ya nodded, preparing to retreat from behind the cover and leave the hall.

But just then—

"None of you are leaving."

A deep voice, as if from hell, emerged from among the soldiers. It was as if she had instantly fallen into an ice cellar; Zar'ya felt her entire body's blood freeze.

Emperor's Blades—

The Inner Guard, wearing a strange mask and exuding an ominous aura, slowly walked out from among the enemies.

"Colluding with Infected, allying with external organizations. Before your corpses are hung from the rafters, do you have anything else to say?"

"You... damn it! Attack him together! Take him do— Huh?"

A guard trembled as he charged towards the Inner Guard, but after only three steps, his upper body separated from his legs.

"Inner Guard... Is this for real?"

Zar'ya's father wore a wry smile at what he saw before him.

Being able to anger the Inner Guard enough to chase him down was truly something to brag about. He'd have plenty to boast about at drinking parties later.

"I only have one thing to say, Lord Inner Guard."

"—Stay away from my daughter!"

After a bitter smile, the head of the Rostov family gritted his teeth and waved his staff at the Inner Guard. At this moment, all the people of the Rostov family, past and present, would be branded as traitors.

But he didn't care!

BOOM!!

A massive amount of smoke, accompanied by a dull sound, instantly filled the entire hall. The pitch-black smoke enveloped everyone present.

"Cough... cough—Father? Where are you... Gah!?"

Zar'ya squinted, trying to make out the situation around her, but her wrist was suddenly grabbed by something.

"—I am not an enemy. Teacher Orson sent me. You can call me [Faust]. Follow me."

Zar'ya looked at the young Fedia before her, who had seaweed-like hair and a few scales near his eyes. The boy was even younger than her.

But it was clear that this young man possessed a calmness and decisiveness forged through countless life-or-death experiences.

"Wait, my father—!"

Zar'ya tried to find her father, but only heard his shouts in the thick fog.

"You go with them first. I'll hold off this Inner Guard with a facehugger on its head!"

"Please move quickly, Miss. The cover of the fog won't last long."

"...I understand."

Zar'ya made up her mind and followed Faust, using the cover of the fog to escape the pursuing enemies.

Although she had left the Rostov villa, the forces of Grand Duke Baikal in Kazimierz City were still a persistent threat.

According to the reflection array Orson had set up earlier, only a small portion of the people were held back at the Rostov villa by the guards and her father. The remaining two-thirds of the troops, after a brief period of chaos, had reacquired Zar'ya's location and begun pursuit.

"This way."

Faust led Zar'ya through Kazimierz City. Zar'ya was surprised. This boy, who was clearly visiting Kazimierz City for the first time, knew every shortcut in the city better than she did.

"Ugh—! These guys caught up!"

Zar'ya aimed her siege spear at the giant billboard on the rooftop and fired, forcefully yanking the massive sheet of metal down to block the pursuers behind them.

"What the hell... Is this the 'ordinary high school girl' from the intel!?"

The soldiers of the Baikal faction cursed. At the same time, Faust took a signal flare from his pocket.

"Please don't worry. We've reached the first rendezvous point."

Faust fired a signal flare into the sky. It was then that Zar'ya noticed they had arrived at the central park, which she had visited just a few days ago.

57. I Can Only See Her Taillights

Zar'ya was about to ask Faust why they had come to a place with no people or cover, but the next moment she noticed that dozens of warriors, entirely clad in black, were already silently stationed in the park, utterly motionless.

"Enemy numbers?"

As the signal flare ascended, dozens of heavily armored Shield Guards, with red and black DNA-like patterns on their shoulders, emerged from within the park.

"Many. No need to block all of them."

Faust had a brief conversation with the leader of the Shield Guards, who nodded before hoisting his shield.

"It's time to teach these rotten, fragile recruits a lesson! Soldiers, let them know how a real Ursus soldier fights!"

The Shield Guards took their positions, and at the same time, soldiers from the Baikal faction caught up.

"Just kill that white bear! She's just a student, she doesn't have any— thump!!!"

Before the leading soldier could finish speaking, a shield bash directly caved half his face into his skull.

"Enemy!?" "It's, it's the Shield Guards!? Why are the Shield Guards here?" "Damn it, don't push me!"

The ambush in Central Park stunned all the soldiers of the Baikal faction. They had originally thought their only enemies were the daughter of the Rostov family, and at most, that kid Fedia who suddenly appeared.

But this group had never imagined they would run headfirst into one of Ursus's former elite units—the Shield Guards—in a place like this.

Worse still, because Chernobyl Park was densely planted with trees, their long spears and crossbows, as well as their transport equipment, were rendered useless. Instead, the Shield Guards, in groups of two or three, were constantly breaking through and routing those soldiers.

The army that had been closing in on them was instantly thrown into disarray by the Shield Guards.

"…So this is what Orson was thinking back then?"

FrostNova understood Orson's true intentions during that 'club activity'. He was preparing for a scenario where the combat effectiveness of the Reunion fighters could be most effectively utilized once the war fully erupted.

"Will we be able to shake them off like this?"

"No, more than half the troops will choose to bypass the park, and the Shield Guards' combat effectiveness will be restricted to avoid harming bystanders."

Faust replied indifferently, while observing the Orson-crafted reflection array map in his hand, identical to FrostNova's. Since they were far from the Rostov villa, their observation of the enemy's movements was becoming increasingly blurred.

"There's still a ways to the signal tower… If this continues, we'll be caught!"

"That's why we're heading to the next node. Wait for me."