The Matter of Talula Picking Me Up and Adopting Me

To Orson's left, FrostNova, known to the Enforcement Team as the "Snow Monster Princess," was holding a bowl of plain congee with an awkward, shy expression. She cooled it down, then scooped up a spoonful of icy congee mixed with ice chips—literally—and desperately suppressed her embarrassment as she tried to feed it to Orson.

"Teacher Orson, let's play the 'Apple Game'! I heard it's been really popular lately!"

To Orson's right, Ino smiled as he peeled and cut an apple into pieces. He put one slice into his own mouth, held it against the tip of his tongue, lightly bit down on one end, and prepared to deliver it to Orson in that pose.

A careful look would reveal that the apple slice was also mixed with life-draining feathers, written as Originium Arts but pronounced as computer accessories.

"Get some proper rest, Orson. I'll tell you your favorite story from beside you: In the second year of Yuanhe, a gambler arrived at the Hua family's home..."

At Orson's bedside, Alina held a book called Ballad of the Wandering Knight and slowly read aloud into his ear in her soft voice.

Meanwhile, JunJun was wearing her mask and hood as usual. Unwilling to expose herself before everyone, she was using a permanent marker to scribble across Orson's cast, writing things like "X-harassing pervert" and "Terrifying fur-rubbing biped."

"..."

Surrounded by girls—and one young boy—at his hospital bed, Orson could not feel any so-called bliss at all. Icy congee mixed with doctored apples filled his mouth, Ballad of the Wandering Knight, which he had heard countless times already, filled his ears, and he could only weakly watch JunJun draw a route of advance that even ghosts could not understand across his body. His eyes gradually went vacant.

At that moment, Orson could not move his limbs, nor could he use Originium Arts to speak. He could only endure a situation barely different from hell.

After the Kazimierz City Incident ended, the Third Army Group ultimately chose not to continue fighting Reunion.

On one hand, this detachment was wary of The Silence of the North, Patriot, and the "Snow Monster Princess." On the other, the soldiers had long grown tired of being ordered around and controlled by those old nobles.

After Lumen's broadcast ended, both sides quickly pulled apart and stopped fighting. Among those still alive, Orson was actually the most seriously injured.

The Black Score, which represented the physical properties of objects, could not be used by Orson on living beings. However, by attaching Rest Note to his limbs, he could temporarily enhance his physical abilities, and he could even maintain that boost during Curtain Call.

That was the principle behind Fever Time.

Of course, the price was that once the time ran out, the limbs that had been attached would be difficult to separate... meaning fractures, muscle tears, dislocations, inflammation, and other aftereffects.

As for the Rabbit Plan that made the army group explode on the spot, it was actually a tactic that used the final digits of the Fibonacci sequence as a timer to turn Curtain Call off and on, allowing Originium Arts to attack the enemy unilaterally.

Protocol Three was even easier to understand. Patriot simply threw Orson out like a discus or javelin. It was an excellent breakthrough and surprise attack tactic with no downsides and no one getting hurt—other than the person being thrown.

"Natalia, how are your father's injuries?"

"Thanks to the help of the infected from Kazimierz City's Azazel, he only suffered superficial wounds. Thank you very much, Miss Talula."

"I was only acting according to Orson's previous plan—"

Talula and Lumen arrived at the hospital while talking. The moment they pushed open the door and saw the scene before them, both froze in place.

"You... you people are sneaking ahead again!"

Puffing up her cheeks in anger, Talula squeezed in beside Orson as well. Unable to find anywhere she could contribute, she simply placed her hand on Orson's chest.

"I'll warm you up, Orson."

Determined to make full use of the Sankta family's innate advantage—being hot enough to burn people—Talula voluntarily became a hot-water bottle.

"...Wait for me!"

After thinking on the spot for a few seconds, Lumen immediately turned and left the ward. Not long after, she returned carrying a huge bag of expensive nutrient solution whose effects were completely unknown, pried open Orson's mouth, and poured it in.

"Yo, Shadow Man. I heard you were hospitalized? Now I can take you out with ease... Uh, are you people holding a joyous funeral?"

W was the last to arrive at the ward. The mercenary girl pushed open the door wearing her trademark malicious grin, then froze at the sight before her.

"That joke isn't funny, W."

Talula frowned, her tone somewhat angry, while W pointed at the ECG monitor beside them.

Beep, beep, beep—

"Orson!?"

Everyone was startled, while Orson lay in his hospital bed and smiled as he left this beautiful world.

Three days later

"Congratulations on being discharged, Orson."

Wrapped in bandages, Orson slowly left the hospital. The moment he stepped outside, he saw the people who had fought alongside him during this time.

"Everyone..."

Orson was deeply moved, then turned and ran.

These people's medical skills could only be described as tragic...

And the only young Liberi with actual medical care skills had nothing on his mind except spinning big birds around and around.

According to the Intelligence Department's investigation, the body of Boris, Mayor of Kazimierz City, was found in a wasteland on the outskirts. Kazimierz City was currently without a mayor.

Although the infected had played a crucial role in the Kazimierz City Incident, Kazimierz City could not take in so many infected. Moreover, most residents of Kazimierz City, even after learning of Grand Duke Baikal's conspiracy, had merely lost some of their former obvious hostility and fear toward the infected.

Making ordinary people accept the infected was still an incredibly difficult matter.

Baikal's remaining faction might still be waiting in the shadows for a chance to retaliate. No one knew how the other old nobles would view Reunion after learning about the Kazimierz City Incident.

In terms of the outcome, Talula and the others had only extinguished this "Mars," but they had not fundamentally changed the nature of Kazimierz City as a "Powder Keg."

But at least—Reunion, the infected, the abandoned Northern Territory Civilians who once could not even muster the courage to resist, had all taken their first step.

Perhaps it was not the hardest step, but it was the most meaningful one.

Meanwhile, in a room inside a massive landship, a small Casters girl wearing a blue-toned coat stared at the screen before her.

"Doctor's signal confirmed... We can finally confirm it. But... Chernobyl? That's Ursus territory. We can't act recklessly."

The Casters girl frowned as she thought. After a while, the little Black Rabbit seemed to have finally made up her mind.

But just then, the rabbit-eared girl suddenly noticed something strange on the screen.

"Doctor's signal... Was it like this before?"

The young Rabbit frowned.

Domineering Big Sis Lumen, Snatching Someone Online

Nearly two weeks had passed since the Kazimierz City Incident.

Many things had changed, but even more remained as ordinary as before.

Due to Ursus's national conditions, the prevailing political climate, and other reasons, the actions of the infected organization Reunion, including the infected warriors from the Azazel clinic who had volunteered themselves, were not publicized.

Conversely, no news outlets smeared or persecuted those infected either, despite such methods clearly being the media's proud little traffic-generating tricks.

Most citizens only vaguely knew that Kazimierz City had nearly been used as a pawn by the old noble Grand Duke Baikal to start a war. The Rostov family had joined forces with other nobles, Talula, heir to Duke Koschei, and the people of the Northern Territory to stop Duke Baikal's conspiracy.

The matter became a popular topic of conversation after meals, while countless distorted versions spread through hearsay.

In one version, the Rostov family's heir awakened the power of the Flesh-Ball Fruit, and that curvaceous schoolgirl could slap ten Orsons all the way to the Sabaody Archipelago with one hand.

In another version, The Silence of the North unleashed Infinite Void on the battlefield, then used Reverse Cursed Technique to slaughter everyone present. Unfortunately, she later accidentally touched a rabbit's tail and was slapped into the ground by the Spear of Ursus.

In another version, the young Sankta was reborn through flames, the Female Fire Dragon soared through the skies, and she roared, "All Ursus people are trash!" as dragon breath carved despair into the hearts of every soldier who participated in the war.

In another version, someone claimed to have seen a Lupo, Feline, or Perro girl who had fallen into a pit by the roadside.

These stories were obviously nonsense, yet they were subtly correct in places.

People's attitudes toward the infected had not changed much, but they were at least beginning to change. The Enforcement Team temporarily stopped searching for infected, and every Kazimierz City noble was required to inspect the living conditions of villages within their territory.

Lumen's Father was a merchant at heart. The moment he heard about Talula's earlier efforts to unite the villages, he immediately began establishing proper trade routes for the border villages. He also planned a small town near Kazimierz City centered on logistics transfer, with the Northern Territory residents as a supplementary labor force, while he himself earned the difference as a middleman.

Of course, the matter was exposed within days. After Lumen used overwhelming force to split his skull and make him submit, Lumen's Father obediently used the money as agreed to repair infrastructure for the people of the Northern Territory.

As for the current Emperor, fortunately, he truly was as Lumen's Father had said: someone who desired to reform the old nobility and change Ursus's warlike tone. This Emperor even maintained relatively lenient policies toward the infected.

After Talula invoked Duke Koschei's name, the Emperor, through Speaker Viter, neither acknowledged nor pursued this operation. In truth, that itself was a form of support.

Not labeling Reunion a "terrorist organization" and instead pretending not to notice it was already the limit of what the Emperor could do for now.

After all, in some sense, this Emperor was no different from someone sitting on a Golden Toilet. He had his own battlefield and constraints.

"So, everyone is fairly clear on the recent situation."

In the meeting room of the Rostov family villa, which was still being renovated, Talula stood before everyone with a low voice.

"..." "..."

Around the conference table sat Reunion's leaders, Lumen, heir to the Rostov family, and Orson, who had been dragged over to make up the numbers.

"Having gathered all of you representatives here, you should vaguely know what I intend to do. This matter may be troublesome, but it cannot be avoided."

Talula took out an envelope, cut open the wax seal, and poured out its contents—a letter, and a... razor blade.

The instant they saw that sharp blade, everyone present sucked in a breath.

"Let's stop putting it off. We have to settle this today—who exactly gets to be City Lord of Chernobyl? It's already been delayed for a week and a half! Speaker Viter is stuffing razor blades into the envelopes he uses to demand drafts from us!"

Talula pinched the blade in one hand while helplessly banging on the table with the other and loudly complaining.

"Mm-hmm... Maaa..." "Zzzzz." "Awaaa—"

The moment they heard Talula's words, everyone immediately used their own methods to pretend they were deaf or mute. Some pretended to be senile, some loudly shouted "ZZZ," and some stuck their fingers into a USB port and pretended to be electrocuted.

"You people..."

Talula rubbed her brow.

Because of Boris's death, Kazimierz City was currently without a lord. That was absolutely unacceptable for a city-state. Under normal circumstances, the title "City Lord" might have been alluring, but after everything that had just happened, no one wanted to be propped up to put out fires at a time like this.

"If nobody wants it, let's give it to the Head of the Rostov Family. Any objections?"

"No!"

Talula dumped the responsibility onto Lumen's Father, who was not present, but then the butler delivered a letter. It said Lumen's father had gone to the Northern Territory Survey to inspect the environment and resources and would not return for at least a week or two.

"..."

The young Sankta's forehead bulged with veins as the fall guy she had painstakingly found slipped away just like that.

"Talula, aren't you well suited for this position? You're a duke yourself. Inheriting the position of City Lord would be perfectly justified."

FrostNova asked Talula why she did not take the position herself, but Talula shook her head.

"Nominally, I am the most suitable candidate, having inherited the Black Serpent Title. But as I said before, I will only use this identity to help the infected and civilians. If I accept this power, it will mean that I am bound by it."

Talula glanced at Patriot, then looked at Orson.

"Reunion should not be bound. At least for now, Reunion should not be tied to Ursus. We still have far too much to do, and the identity of City Lord would not bring us many benefits. It would only drag us into an endless political vortex."

Patriot nodded, acknowledging Talula's words.

"What about the nobles? Does no one want to become City Lord? I thought merchants liked risky investments."

"They probably understand that business and politics are two different games now..."

Lumen sighed in response, then looked at Talula.

"Did my father recommend me as City Lord?"

"—You're right. He has been telling me all along that you would be a serious and dutiful new City Lord. And Natalia, what you did during the Kazimierz City Incident is now known and praised by everyone. If you become City Lord, you may indeed be a little young, but public support should be high."

"Is that the only way... Fine. I'll accept this responsibility."

Lumen sighed. She had already expected the meeting to end this way. Moreover, after the Kazimierz City Incident, Lumen herself wanted to do something for this land.

"That settles it, right?"

The newly appointed City Lord signed her name, then pressed her fingerprint onto the letter.

"Natalia, wielding power means you can accomplish more, but do not forget that those mad people who tried to start wars were also slaves corrupted by power."

Talula earnestly warned Lumen, who nodded.

Don't be consumed by power...

"Good! Since I've become the City Lord of Kazimierz City, then—Citizen Orson, in my capacity as City Lord, I order you to belong to me for the entire day today!"

"Wha—what!?"