Talulah: Ansel Is Plotting a Rebellion? Who's Rebelling Against Whom? / Ansel: Come with Me and Become an Ursus Duke, the Empire's Prime Minister...

PS: I felt like I was in poor form today. Jibril was originally supposed to be manifested later, after the protagonist returned to One-Punch Man to fight Boros, but now she's being manifested early to pad out a chapter.

Also, the price of the Winged Ones' Spirit Corridor was changed from 7,500 points to 15,000 points. Readers who subscribed early can go back and refresh it.

Talulah: An Xiu Wants to Rebel? Who's Rebelling Against Whom?

A few days passed quickly. Because of the nobles' previous attempts to trip them up, the Wendigo Legion, which had only just settled down, set out once more. Led personally by An Xiu and guided by intelligence gathered by the Shadow Troopers, they began playing the Nine-Clan Elimination Game with the nobles of Ursus.

It was not just the nobles on the previous list who had refused to attend the coronation ceremony. Across all of Ursus, any noble with even a little dirt on them would have their door knocked on in the middle of the night by several massive Wendigos after the Shadow Troopers found them out, then their whole family would happily ascend to heaven together.

With the Shadow Troopers around, the Wendigo Legion led by An Xiu had intelligence and mobility both maxed out.

Thanks to their ability to slip into shadows, the Shadow Troopers could rapidly move people through them. Using the Shadow Kingdom, an independent space that served as the Shadow Troopers' headquarters, as a transfer station, even creatures as large as Wendigos could be sent anywhere connected by shadows in a short time through the combined effort of ten Shadow Troopers.

Moreover, perhaps because the Shadow Troopers An Xiu had purchased consisted only of the Ninja Troopers, the Shadow Kingdom they inhabited was incomplete. Accordingly, its corrosive effect on outsiders entering it, which had existed in the original work, was greatly weakened. As long as one possessed a certain level of strength, entering the Shadow Kingdom for a short time would at most leave them feeling a little unwell. For An Xiu now, that was actually a good thing.

After all, An Xiu no longer needed the Shadow Troopers—especially fodder at the Ninja Troopers' level—to help him fight. Since he only needed them to scout for intelligence and serve as transportation tools, the weaker the Shadow Kingdom's corrosive effect on outsiders, the better.

It was precisely with the mobility provided by the Shadow Troopers that nobles throughout Ursus would have their dirt exposed one moment, only for Wendigos to come knocking the next—directly airdropping onto their doorsteps.

With this process, in just a few days, the nobles throughout Ursus, from top to bottom, suffered a merciless purge. It also drove the small number of nobles who had not yet been visited completely mad.

Faced with the constant news of their colleagues' deaths, the old and new noble factions of Ursus, once hostile to each other, united in an unprecedented move. They formed a new interest group and sent representatives to Holy Steed Castle while the terrifying Wendigo Legion was still purging people outside, hoping to negotiate with Talulah, who was about to be crowned Empress of Ursus, and impeach An Xiu, the leader behind this purge of nobles.

"Your Majesty, this man acts perversely, disregards rank and propriety, treats the empire's laws as nothing, and slaughtered the empire's meritorious officials at will. Such conduct is clearly not that of a good man. He must not be entrusted with important responsibilities!"

"That's right, Your Majesty. We are not acting out of selfish desires. It is simply that such a dangerous person now commands a large army. With the slightest carelessness, we fear he may develop ambitions of rebellion!"

"We implore Your Majesty to swiftly revoke his military authority and not let the empire's meritorious officials grow coldhearted any longer!"

Listening to the noble delegations below, who had none of the swagger they had shown a few days ago when refusing to attend the coronation ceremony and were now crying and shouting at the top of their lungs, Talulah, who was handling documents with her head lowered, wore a strange expression.

Rebellion? Who was rebelling against whom? Was An Xiu rebelling against her? That did not seem any different from how things already were.

Besides, did An Xiu need to command a large army to rebel against her? Wouldn't she obediently surrender with just a word from him?

Oh, these nobles did not know about their relationship. Then it was fine.

To outsiders, Talulah had overthrown the former Emperor of Ursus and won the war entirely through her own efforts. After all, she had originally been the legitimate heir of Koschei's Domain. When Grand Duke Bagration had handed over the Third Army Group, he had transferred authority directly to her. As for the infected army expanded by The Reunion, that was even more obvious—it was a force she had built herself. The Wendigo Legion had also accepted commands from Talulah alone from beginning to end.

In other words, according to the intelligence of many forces, although Talulah had risen rather suddenly, no one thought she was a puppet controlled by others. Based on the information available, whether it was the Third Army Group, The Reunion's infected army, or the Wendigo Legion, all were firmly under Talulah's control. On top of that was the terrifying strength she had displayed before Holy Steed Castle, where she had single-handedly crushed the empire's capital defenses.

Could someone like that be a puppet? No, no, no. In the eyes of other nations and factions, Talulah was not merely no puppet—she was a dictator who had concentrated power tightly in her own hands. That was why these nobles had come to Talulah to cry and complain.

In their view, someone like Talulah would never tolerate others freely deploying her troops, especially the Wendigo Legion, a force the other party had somehow established and which could be called the ace army under Talulah's command.

After all, why would anyone hand their sharpest blade to someone else instead of wielding it themselves? As long as their words planted even a trace of suspicion in Talulah's heart, their objective would be achieved.

"Your Majesty, this man may harbor rebellious intentions. We beg Your Majesty to see clearly!"

Thinking this, the noble delegations below shouted in unison again.

This time, Talulah finally responded.

"Is that so? Then kill them."

The noble delegations immediately revealed delighted expressions.

"Then shall we kill him when he returns?"

"Why would I need to wait for Mr. An Xiu to return to kill you?"

Talulah pushed the completed official documents aside and finally raised her head. Yet her words sent the nobles below from heaven straight into hell.

"I can decide such matters myself. Guards, take them all away and throw them into the cells."

"Yes!"

Upon receiving Talulah's command, guards immediately stepped forward and escorted all the nobles away.

"Your Majesty, you cannot! Every word we said is true!"

"Your Majesty, we have been wronged! You cannot kill us! You can't kill us!"

"Croak! Your Majesty, you can't! You can't do this!!!"

The nobles being dragged away shouted themselves hoarse. Unfortunately for them, no matter how they begged this time, Talulah did not say another word.

Seeing the indifference in her eyes, the nobles being escorted away felt their hearts turn cold. In the end, they disappeared from Talulah's sight as the guards dragged them away.

Even the Sarkaz girl outside, who had just arrived to report on her work, was startled by the scene.

Fortunately, Talulah noticed the talented woman she had recently promoted to the Civil Engineering Department and immediately spoke.

"Mudrock, did you come to report something?"

Hearing Talulah's words, Mudrock immediately came back to herself.

"It is a progress report on the city wall reconstruction project. The destroyed walls outside Holy Steed Castle have been initially repaired, and they are expected to be mostly restored in five days."

"Mm, good work. Make sure the walls are fully repaired before the coronation ceremony and Military Parade."

"Yes!"

An Xiu: Come On, Be Duke of Ursus and Imperial Prime Minister with Me

Meanwhile, Chernobyl.

"This is the place. The few noble families in the major cities that have yet to be dealt with are all here."

Looking at the roaring Mobile City in the distance, An Xiu checked the list in his hand and spoke.

Several Wendigos following behind An Xiu stepped forward. Led by the Shadow Troopers he had summoned, they slowly sank into the shadows and, according to the intelligence gathered beforehand, began providing door-to-door delivery services to the noble families in the Mobile City.

With the Shadow Troopers' assistance, every noble family could receive their desired Wendigo Spears and heavy punches. Hopefully, the nobles in the city liked this surprise.

"Next, I should properly tour this Mobile City myself."

After airdropping the Wendigos, An Xiu also stepped into the shadows under the respectful guidance of the Shadow Ninja. In the next instant, he appeared in a corner within Chernobyl.

The current Chernobyl had not yet fallen under the Black Serpent's scheme as it had in the original work. Under the management of the New Aristocratic Faction, it remained one of the best-developed cities in all of Ursus.

Naturally, its appearance was completely different from the chaos and desolation it had shown upon its debut in the original plot. Not only was it prosperous overall, but its streets were also filled with people.

Most of them hurried to and fro, struggling for their livelihoods. After all, could commoners possibly hope to live comfortably under the rule of Terra's noble lords? What a dream.

Being alive, having a somewhat stable place to live, not being dragged off to work 24/7 in a mine until death, and having enough food for the whole family—those were things they should secretly be grateful for.

Perhaps it was precisely because the streets lacked the atmosphere of real life that An Xiu lost interest after walking around for only a short while and headed for his true destination.

Inside the ruins of an abandoned laboratory, the walls were covered in cracks and moss. All sorts of debris lay scattered across the floor, buried beneath dust. Clearly, no one had visited in a very long time.

Within this abandoned laboratory, An Xiu quickly found his target: a Stone Coffin capable of powering the entire Mobile City, containing Doctor, the protagonist of Arknights World.

Looking at the Stone Coffin before him, An Xiu rubbed his chin.

"The original plot did not seem to describe how to open this Stone Coffin. Kal'tsit probably is the only one who knows. Without the correct method, Terra's people probably have no way to deal with this Stone Coffin, which is most likely a creation of Pre-Civilization."

No wonder Kal'tsit had felt comfortable leaving the Stone Coffin here unattended for so many years. Unfortunately, it had encountered An Xiu now. He was no native of Terra.

"Jibril."

At An Xiu's call, a figure with pure white wings instantly appeared behind him.

"What are your orders, my master?"

Thanks to the Winged Ones' innate talent, even if she was tens of thousands of kilometers away, Jibril could instantly appear before An Xiu as long as she sensed his call.

At that moment, the Winged Ones girl with pale pink hair knelt on one knee behind An Xiu, holding a massive, blood-drenched beast head in one hand.

"Uh, what's with that head?"

"I was somewhat interested in this world's Giant Beasts, so while my master had given no orders, I took a brief look around this world. By chance, I found a sleeping Giant Beast. After defeating it, I casually took this trophy."

"However, these creatures are far weaker than I expected. They are not worth hunting specifically."

As she spoke, Jibril tossed the head in her hand aside with some disgust. Then she clasped her hands together, raised her head with a smile, and looked at An Xiu.

"Now then, returning to the previous matter, may I ask whether my master summoned me, Jibril, his most loyal slave, because there is something he requires me to do?"

"If there is anything I can do for my master, please do not hesitate to command Jibril as you please. If I could become a cornerstone beneath my master's feet on his path forward, it would be the greatest joy this body could know..."

As if she had thought of something, the Winged Ones girl's eyes gradually grew unfocused, while her dignified smile slowly began turning into a lovestruck grin.

"Open this Stone Coffin, but do not harm the person inside. Can you do that?"

After hearing Jibril's words, An Xiu no longer paid attention to the Giant Beast that had died for nothing and instead stated his original purpose.

"Mm... open this Stone Coffin?"

A finger covered by a black silk glove touched her lips. Jibril, who had regained her previous dignified posture, leaned closer and inspected it for a moment before nodding.

"Please leave it to me."

Black energy gathered into a scythe, and Jibril gave it a slight swing.

The next second, the lid of the Stone Coffin before them was forcibly sliced away, revealing the frozen person inside.

Seeing this, An Xiu pulled the frozen figure out and laid her down on a clean patch of ground. He then took out the Horse Talisman he had purchased earlier and began thawing and restoring the figure before him.

As the Horse Talisman's power flashed, the hooded figure wrapped in black clothing gradually began to breathe, and her consciousness slowly returned.

"Where... am I?"

A moment later, a confused voice sounded. The figure lying on the ground seemed to have awakened and instinctively tried to sit up. However, the hood atop her head accidentally slipped down, revealing long white hair and a pale, delicate face beneath.

"Who... are you...?"

Ignoring the fallen hood, Doctor found everything around her unfamiliar after awakening. Upon seeing An Xiu and Jibril before her, she instinctively displayed a trace of unease.

"Do not worry. We came to rescue you."

Looking at the white-haired girl, who appeared frail and sickly, An Xiu bent down slightly and took her hand, helping her sit up. He then soothed her in a calm voice.

"Rescue... me?"

Hearing An Xiu's words, Doctor seemed to calm down somewhat, but the doubts in her heart did not lessen at all.

"I'm sorry. I seem to remember nothing. If possible, could you tell me who I am? And why did you come to rescue me?"

"You are the last remaining Pure Human on this land called Terra. An old cat named Kal'tsit froze you inside this Stone Coffin and left you here. As for why I saved you, it is very simple. I am also a Pure Human. In a sense, we can be considered kin."

"Kin?"

Feeling that although An Xiu was holding her hand, she did not feel the slightest dislike and instead felt an intense sense of closeness, Doctor subconsciously believed the man before her.

"That's right. Come with me. Once we return, I'll have Talulah give you a position. From now on, you will be Duke of Ursus and Imperial Prime Minister. I guarantee that working for me is far better than going to Rhodes Island."

"Okay..."

Driven by the sense of closeness and trust in her heart, Doctor nodded despite finding the name Rhodes Island vaguely familiar. After unsteadily getting to her feet, she followed An Xiu and Jibril out of the abandoned laboratory ruins.

Kal'tsit's Ominous Premonition, Kryptonian Factor Modification Complete

Somewhere on Terra, Rhodes Island.

For some reason, Kal'tsit, who was inside a medical room, suddenly had a bad premonition.

"Strange. Why do I have this feeling?"

As the guardian of the land, a sage who foresaw the end, and an omniscient wise woman, Kal'tsit did not believe her feeling was an illusion. It was highly likely that something she had overlooked had happened, causing the unease in her heart.

"Has anything major happened on Terra recently?"

Taking out several intelligence reports brought back by Operators who had gone out, Kal'tsit began reviewing them carefully one by one.

There had been no major news in Victoria, Kazimierz, Great Yan, or any of the other nations. Only Ursus...

"Duke Talulah launches a lightning attack on Holy Steed Castle; Coronation ceremony and Military Parade to be held soon?"

"From a Duke's adopted daughter to the domineering, dictatorial Emperor of Ursus: A brief account of Talulah's life?"

To be honest, Kal'tsit did not care much about the Emperor of Ursus being replaced. Even if the intelligence reported that Talulah, who was about to ascend as the Emperor of New Ursus, had overthrown the royal family in less than ten days with the Third Army Group and the infected army she had recruited herself, Kal'tsit merely considered the new emperor somewhat more capable militarily.

Yet the events in Ursus suddenly sparked a flash of realization in Kal'tsit's mind.

"Oh no, Doctor!"

That was right, she remembered. The Stone Coffin containing Doctor was still in the ruins of an abandoned laboratory somewhere in Chernobyl, Ursus. Could the sudden unease she felt mean that something had happened to Doctor's Stone Coffin?

No, to be safe, she had to send someone to take a look... No, she should go herself.

With that thought, Kal'tsit immediately left the medical room and headed outside.