Chapter 318
"Hehe, it doesn't matter. Would you mind telling me why you're being hunted down?"
June 30, 8:47 pm
After Maena left, Sophia conveyed his message to Maria.
She understood her uncle's good intentions, but she would not change her current plans.
Even though the Commercial Union and the Knight Association are no longer as pure as they once were, the noble Knight of the Nearl Family must be preserved.
Even if I lose in the special tournament, it doesn't matter. At worst, I can go home and train for three more years, and then come back to participate in the next Knight Competition.
As for Uncle Maena's concerns about commercial pollution, that will not happen.
Maria had already discussed it with her aunt and didn't want to be tied down by advertisers and corporations. She had turned down every offer of help she'd received these past few days.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you."
The four men were drinking at Martin's Bar when a man dressed like a business professional walked up to them.
"Miss Maria Miss Nearl, I am Mr. Charnet's assistant. He is not feeling well today and went to the hospital to have his stomach pumped. I will be the one to deliver the inside information about the Knight Competition."
"Oh? What news?"
"That's right, Miss Maria. Next week is the Special Tournament, and your opponent in the round of 64 will be Left-Handed Knight Titus White Poplar."
This player is the captain of the Sharp Helmet Knights, and like the Nearl Family, he inherits the title of noble Knight. His best achievement is reaching the top sixteen in the Special Tournament.
Sophia was very surprised and asked:
"How is that possible? Maria's score is so low, how could she be matched with such an opponent?"
The assistant gave a professional smile and explained:
"Although we publicly stated that the matchups for the top 64 were randomly selected by computer, it's clear to everyone that these were decided internally by the company."
We are sharing this information with you to express our goodwill. If Miss Maria is willing to accept an invitation from any Knight order or take on an endorsement from any company, then even if you fail in the special tournament, we can still guarantee the noble Knight of the Nearl Family. Miss Maria, we hope you will seriously consider this."
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Maria didn't rush to reply to the invitation to cooperate. Instead, she turned to look at Sophia. Seeing her aunt nod at her, she followed her heart and declined:
"I'm very sorry, sir. I'm pleased to have received the attention of so many companies and Knight, but I still have many shortcomings. At least for this year's Knight Competition, I have no intention of cooperating."
Seeing that she remained as unyielding as before, Charlene's assistant tried to persuade her again:
"Miss Maria, no one is perfect. I understand your determination to revive the Nearl Family, but cooperating with the Knight and the corporation does not conflict with your efforts to improve your strength. With the corporation's help, you can obtain the latest smart armor and weapons, which will give you a qualitative leap in strength."
You are still young, with a bright future ahead. There is clearly a faster path to restoring your family's glory, so why abandon it? Are you inherently subject to contempt simply because you are associated with the Commercial Union?
Sophia was very dissatisfied with this fallacy of equivocation and corrected it, saying:
"Sir, let me remind you. You may be able to fool Maria, but you can't fool me. Whether Maria joins the Knight or collaborates with a company, the associated endorsements and commercials will keep her too busy to maintain her daily training. From the very beginning, you've been at odds with her goals. So, please leave."
Seeing others disrupting the proceedings, the person in charge issued the order to leave on behalf of the person in charge. The assistant looked angry but dared not show it on the spot.
"Miss Maria, don't listen to her nonsense. The frequency of endorsements and commercial advertisements is entirely negotiable. Besides, you'll be facing formidable opponents in the upcoming special tournament. If we cooperate now, we can retain our title of noble Knight. Why not?"
Unfortunately, Charne's assistant didn't use the right strategy to change Maria's mind. His words were like a chicken pecking at rice—completely ineffective.
"Sir, you needn't worry about the special tournament. Even if we lose, I'll accept it."
Over the next few days, Maria will accumulate enough points in the dueling tournament to secure a place in the top 500. As for the special tournament, she knows she can't win. She's only going there to spar and doesn't care about winning or losing.
"Alright, I'm sorry to have bothered you tonight, goodbye!"
Charlene's assistant, his face dark, turned and left Martin's Bar. Since Maria refused to cooperate, he couldn't be blamed for leaving a player with no commercial value.
June 31st.
At six o'clock in the morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
After leaving a note, Flame Tail Knight Sona and Grey Fur Knight quietly left the suite.
They were in a hurry to return to the base to check on the current situation of those infected last night.
Shi Lei was quietly reading in his bedroom and did not appear to say goodbye to the two.
After last night's conversation, he now has a general understanding that the Commercial Union has an assassin organization.
They specifically target Infected Knight or independent Knight who have no commercial value.
Come to think of it, isn't he exactly the perfect fit?
Shi Lei was actually looking forward to this assassin organization contacting him, so he could have some fun with them.
He didn't have any matches in the following days. Naturally, he didn't need to go out or be in the public eye.
Ever since the TV camera lens exploded in public that day, no one has approached him to discuss business cooperation.
Shi Lei gave Rebecca a few days off so she could rest well before the special tournament began.
His current location is right in the middle of many arenas and Maria's residence.
As long as one lives here, the Jade Shield, with a radius of six kilometers, is sufficient to cover the surrounding area. It can remotely protect the young Knight of the Nearl Family, preventing them from getting injured during the competition.
He had gone to the arena a few days ago to activate and deactivate the Jade Shield on-site. Later, he discovered that it wasn't necessary to go through all that trouble; he could remotely control it just as well by watching the live Live Broadcast from his suite.
"Knock knock knock".
At 10:30 in the morning, someone suddenly knocked on the door.
Shi Lei used his Psychic Scan to confirm that the people outside were Flame Tail Knight and Grey Fur Knight. Moreover, they had brought more than twenty children who were suspected of being infected.
He judged that these people needed his help, so he got up and went to open the door.
Shi Lei never gets involved in things he hasn't encountered before, but he helps if he can when he does. He opened the door and looked at the huge crowd outside, knowing the answer already, and asked:
"What's going on here?"
Sona looked embarrassed, and said with a forced smile:
"Mr. Lucky Knight, I'm very sorry to bother you again. Something has happened here; the National Assembly has stripped us of our legitimate Knight."
These children are infected individuals we bought from various arenas at great expense. The oldest is 20 years old, and the youngest is 8. They were infected individuals who were brutally killed by those commercial Competitive Knight in some small-scale competitions.
I know I shouldn't be bothering you, but in this city, I can't think of anywhere safer than your place. I hope you can be kind enough to let them stay for a few days. I promise they'll be very obedient, won't cause any trouble, and won't make a fuss.
We won't be staying long; we'll leave as soon as we find a way out of the city. Could you please take us in for a few days?
Seeing Sona's pitiful eyes, Shi Lei stepped aside and said:
"There are security cameras in the corridor. Let's come in first."
As Flame Tail Knight said, these children were very well-behaved. They didn't touch anything or make any noise after entering the house.
Because they knew that the two Pinecone Knights were helping them fight for their lives.
Shi Lei first told the children to rest in the second bedroom before asking what had happened:
"You've only been gone a short time, and you've already been stripped of your Competitive Knight status? What exactly did you do?"
If I said no, would you believe me?
The Grey Fur Knight beside him added:
"Apart from the Blood Knight, the champion of the previous Knight Competition, other Infected Knight are more or less restricted. Although Kazimierz announced three years ago that infected people would be allowed to participate in the Knight Competition, they have been suppressing and murdering Infected Knight behind the scenes, and secretly eliminating those Competitive Knights."
"So what are your plans now?"
Sona paused, then shook her head and said:
"I don't know. We can take these children out of the city first. Once we get back to town, we can think about how to deal with the Commercial Union and the National Assembly."
"I get it, so you don't have a plan?"
Sona looked slightly embarrassed when the Lucky Knight pointed it out so bluntly.
But that's the reality, and we have to accept it:
"Yes, there is indeed no detailed plan."
If they are subsequently wanted by the authorities, they will definitely be unable to remain in the Grand Knight Territory. The villages within Kazimierz are also not suitable for infected individuals to live in.
Shi Lei spoke with Sona last night and learned about their Pinecone Knights.
This is a Knight order organized by the infected, hoping to achieve equality for the infected in Kazimierz.
But any normal person knows that seeking equality for those infected is nothing short of wishful thinking. Even if they don't show it outwardly, they still feel discriminated against deep down.
"If you have nowhere to go, I have a good suggestion."
"Oh? Where?"
Both Flame Tail Knight and Grey Fur Knight looked over, quietly waiting for Lucky Knight to continue.
"On the border between Ursus and Lungmen, there is a Liyue City, nestled among mountains. As long as you love peace and don't cause trouble, you can move in for free. For example, the Rhodes Island, which didn't participate in plundering before, has come here to join us."
Sona couldn't make up her mind, so she asked her friend for advice:
"Little Grey, what do you think?"
The Grey Fur Knight stared at the Lucky Knight's mask, a fleeting glint of wariness flashing in his eyes:
"If this is a city built on a mountain, how did you find out?"
Shi Lei understood their cautious attitude and decided to reveal his true identity to them without exposing it.
"I came from Liyue City to purchase a batch of supplies. I expect to return at the end of July."
"Are you telling the truth?"
"Of course, I'll take you all to Liyue City after I finish this commission. Whether or not you'll stay there can be decided after we see it in person."
Sona was very happy and bowed repeatedly in gratitude:
"Mr. Lucky Knight, thank you so much!"
Although the Grey Fur Knight remained suspicious, she did not voice any objections. If the other side wanted to harm them, they would have done so long ago; they wouldn't have waited until now.
"You mentioned before that remnants of the Rhodes Island went to Liyue City. Was it a team led by Patriot?"
"Yes, he's currently in charge of city patrols. If you want to join later, you can work under him. You can do farming or raising Fowlbeast, either way."
There are many houses and few people in Liyue City, so there isn't much to do each day. As long as you love peace and don't slack off, life can actually be quite comfortable.
The Grey Fur Knight pondered for a moment and agreed. They had been stripped of their Knight and had already broken ties with the Commercial Union. If they waited for the official arrest warrant, there would be nowhere for them in Kazimierz.
"I will persuade the members of the Knight Order to go to Liyue City together. But before that, we need to settle our accounts with the Commercial Union."
"It's alright, there's still plenty of time. I'll let you know when I'm leaving Kazimierz."
After saying that, Shi Lei turned and left. He was going to the hotel front desk to book another luxury suite.
Seeing that he was about to leave, the Grey Fur Knight, worried that he might tip off the Commercial Union, asked warily;
"Mr. Lucky Knight, where are you going?"
"There are more than twenty of you here, and it's too crowded to share a suite. I'll go and book a new room, preferably on the same floor as you, so it'll be easier to take care of you promptly."
"Oh, I see. Thank you so much."
Although the Grey Fur Knight said that, his actions betrayed him as he followed Shi Lei.
Only after seeing him finish registering at the front desk did I feel relieved.
There's no way around it; infected people are too easily betrayed. Many people offer superficial reassurance but then secretly inform on others.
The Grey Fur Knight had witnessed too many such incidents and suffered heavy losses, thus they had to proceed with extreme caution.
Shi Lei knew she was secretly watching him, but he didn't expose her. There's always a process to go from distrust to trust.
Time seemed to fast-forward like a movie, and four days later...
The preliminary rounds of the Special Championship have concluded. The top 64 players on the leaderboard have automatically advanced to the main tournament.
The Commercial Union used a computer to 'randomly' draw the matchups via Live Broadcast. The Knight rested for a day before the intense and brutal elimination tournament began.