Lance Charge on the Arkship, but No Mount

"There's no need, Miss Alina. Please keep the remaining materials. You need them too. I only need this one thing." Claude wore a gentle smile, and he was clearly in a very good mood.

"Besides, Miss Alina, your sewing is so good that I ought to pay you for it."

As he spoke, Claude turned the cloak over in his hands. The outside was covered in dense black fur, while the inside was smooth red silk, firmly stitched together with silk thread. The stitching was delicate, and the style grand. The more Claude looked at it, the more he liked it. Unable to resist, he flicked it behind him.

The black cloak was like a piece of the night sky cut away, spreading through the air to cover Claude's back. He then fastened the two ties in front of him, wrapping himself in the cloak.

The wide cloak enveloped his whole body, hanging all the way to his knees. It made him look heavier, adding considerably to his imposing presence. The collar was folded over, revealing the red silk lining beneath. It added a touch of nobility and heroic spirit.

"Mr. Claude, it suits you very well." Alina covered her mouth and laughed softly.

"It really does." Talulah examined Claude carefully and nodded from the side.

"And I have Miss Alina's exquisite craftsmanship to thank."

Claude continued, "Miss Alina, take the remaining furs back and make whatever you need. This creature's fur is quite warm."

Then he turned to Talulah. "Talulah, the things I told you today weren't ideas I came up with myself. They were gained through the brilliant thoughts and unceasing sacrifices of great predecessors. I don't know how far you can go, but I believe you are worth helping."

Talulah looked at the young man before her. Wrapped in his thick cloak, he looked like a high-ranking Ursus general. Only his handsome face and heroic brows were exposed. Yet she knew that this youth was fundamentally different from Ursus's generals.

The ideas in his heart were so lofty and dazzling that they could destroy everything about the way she had once viewed the world. His ideas were enough to overturn this empire, perhaps even this land. But she knew she had only learned the surface of it. An impulse rose within her uncontrollably. She wanted to invite Mr. Claude to stay!

Talulah had never been someone who hesitated at critical moments, but just as she was about to speak, she suddenly faltered. Should she really invite Mr. Claude? He was not Infected. With his abilities, his future should be limitless, yet she wanted to invite him into this cause where death was all but certain, to become enemies with the entire Ursus Empire.

Talulah thought for a long time. Though she had many doubts, she knew that if she did not say it today, she would regret it for the rest of her life. She wanted to become friends with Claude and have him continue teaching her. So she stopped hesitating and gritted her teeth.

"Mr. Claude, I would like to invite you to join us. Join my organization. The path you spoke of—I want to invite you to witness it with me." Talulah's expression was incomparably firm. Once she truly made up her mind, she would never regret it or hesitate again.

Claude's expression showed slight surprise. He truly had not expected Talulah to invite him to join her. He knew his own limits. His knowledge was only at the level of idly browsing things online. If he were really asked to guide people ideologically, that would be quite difficult for him. He was better at leading armies to crush their enemies.

So after thinking briefly, Claude prepared to refuse Talulah. But when he saw the girl's resolute expression, he saw flames burning in her eyes. Those were flames possessed only by people with unwavering convictions, people willing to give everything for their ideals. Such people should have been rare, yet Claude had already encountered several of them in this world. Their steadfast wills shone like the sun. Unconsciously, his refusal began to waver. In the end, he only said one sentence.

"Please let me think about it."

Hearing that, Talulah, who had been slightly nervous, let out a breath of relief.

"Of course! You can answer whenever you want. We will welcome you at any time."

"If you do not mind, could I meet your other companions?"

"Of course. I'll take you to meet them tomorrow."

"Are you sure you want to come with me? It would be fine for you to rest here today." Claude said to Centaurea beside him, who was still dressed rather thinly and shivering.

"It's fine. I was once a proper knight who competed in knight tournaments. My physical condition isn't that poor." Centaurea stared enviously at Claude's warm cloak while stubbornly refusing to admit defeat.

"Please wait a moment, you two." Alina ran after them with a small cloak in her hands. She came to Centaurea's side and said to her.

"Centaurea, this is for you." As she spoke, she draped the cloak over Centaurea without giving her any chance to refuse.

This cloak was very similar in style to Claude's, only much smaller. The moment Centaurea put it on, she immediately felt warmer. Claude looked somewhat embarrassed beside her. He had not considered this at all. Miss Alina really was more attentive.

"Thank you, Alina." Alina happily accepted Centaurea's thanks. Then she said to Claude.

"Mr. Claude, don't worry. There are still plenty of materials left, enough for us to use."

The two of them did not delay any longer and left with Talulah.

On the way, Claude finally could not hold back his question and asked Talulah, "Miss Talulah, aren't you cold dressed like that?"

Talulah froze for a moment, then quickly understood what Claude meant. She answered, "It's all right. You don't need to worry. Because of my Originium Arts, my body temperature is much higher than an ordinary person's, and I'm less afraid of severe cold."

Claude nodded to show that he understood, then asked again.

"Miss Talulah, could you introduce me to your two companions?"

"Of course. Speaking of them, they began fighting for the interests of the Infected on this snowfield earlier than I did."

"They are the Snowfield Guerrillas spoken of among the Infected. They consist of the Yeti Squad and the Shieldguards. The Yeti Squad is led by Miss Yelena, a very capable caster. The Shieldguards are led by old Mr. Patriot. He was once a legendary warrior of the Ursus Empire. They may be somewhat difficult to get along with, but they are both good people. You'll understand when you meet them."

This time, the Infected warriors around Talulah did not follow them. They remained in the village to protect Alina. The Patrols had not come by for a long time since last time, but they still could not rule out the possibility of trouble.

The guerrillas' hiding place was not far from the village, but the road there was difficult. They had to pass through dangerous mountain passes and snowfields where the snow was knee-deep, sometimes deep enough to bury a whole person. It took considerable effort before the three of them reached the guerrillas' hidden base.

As they neared the entrance, Claude suddenly stopped and turned to look at a patch of trees nearby. Out of nowhere, a group of elite warriors in white uniforms appeared. They carried long blades, heavy crossbows, and staffs, surrounding the three of them.

These warriors looked well-equipped and highly trained. Several crossbowmen swiftly took the high ground, aiming their heavy crossbows down at them. At the very front stood several tall, sturdy sword-and-shield fighters. Not far behind them were casters holding staffs.

Talulah was about to explain when a cold female voice suddenly interrupted her.

"Talulah, you had better give us a reasonable explanation. Why did you bring strangers here?"

Claude looked at the white-haired girl before him, who wore thin clothing and had a pair of long rabbit ears. A biting chill radiated from her body, steadily lowering the surrounding temperature and forming a thin layer of frost over his cloak.

A New Beginning: The Infected

The cold of Ursus was the kind of cold that could silence all life. But now Claude felt a cold even greater than that. The frigid air entered his nose and lungs, bringing an uncomfortable, needle-like pain and making him feel as though his lungs were about to freeze into ice.

Perhaps that was not an illusion, Claude thought. Electricity began to flow across the longsword in his hand.

Even though Talulah had said they were trustworthy comrades, Claude would not lower his guard easily. Those who were careless on the battlefield often died early.

These people's positioning was exceptionally clever. Not only had they blocked every path of retreat for Claude's group, but they had also left the casters and crossbowmen with excellent sightlines. The slightest unusual movement would see them drowned beneath arrows and Arts. It was not as though Claude had no chance. That girl was a caster, but she was too close to him. With his speed, he could completely break through these people's encirclement. Before the crossbowmen and casters could kill him, he could reach her.

Of course, Claude had not come alone, and he also felt that attacking first at their very first meeting would be an extremely foolish act. So although Claude had made his preparations, he merely watched quietly as Talulah negotiated with the white-haired girl.

"Yelena, you don't need to worry. They are trustworthy people. Just a few days ago, they defeated the Patrols and saved Alina."

"Even if they are trustworthy, why did you bring them directly to our hiding place without notifying us? Do you not know how dangerous that is?"

"Please forgive me, Yelena, but this time I am absolutely certain."

The two spoke for a while. Then Yelena raised her hand and made a gesture, and the warriors put away their weapons.

She then came before Claude and Centaurea. "Since Talulah is vouching for you, I will trust you for now. But if you do anything suspicious here, do not blame us for taking special measures."

"Of course. I understand." Claude naturally understood how dangerous the guerrillas' situation was in a place where the enemy was so powerful. There was no such thing as being too careful.

Upon entering the camp, the first thing they saw were tents. Though they looked crude, they had been set up with great discipline. The front of the camp was easy to defend and hard to attack, while a route for retreat had been left behind it. There was also a forest not far from the camp, providing ample wood for fires. It was clear that the commander was an experienced veteran.

This was a typical semi-permanent camp, with simple but effective barricades and walls. Such camps were generally occupied for one or two months and were extremely convenient to dismantle.

Bundled-up warriors could be seen everywhere in the camp. They did not even show their faces. While Claude observed them, they observed Claude as well. This young man always gave them a very dangerous feeling, making them wary.

The gazes of these battle-hardened warriors gathered together were enough to make an ordinary person tremble in fear. Yet Claude's expression did not change. He looked around, then walked straight among them and sat beside a campfire.

"What are you eating?" Claude looked at the iron pot hanging over the fire. It held a white, thick soup, and he could not tell what was in it.

A tall member of the Yeti Squad beside him looked speechless at Claude's easy familiarity, but still answered him.

"Just some dried bread and taro soup."

"Give me a bowl."

The Yeti Squad member looked surprised. "But we're Infected."

"Will eating this infect me?" "Uh... no."

"Then that settles it. Come on, serve me a bowl." As Claude spoke, he picked up a cleaned bowl and chopsticks from beside him and handed them over.

A female member of the Yeti Squad sitting by the fire took his bowl with interest and filled it for him. She also handed him a piece of dried bread from the side.

Claude stirred it with his spoon. Most of the bowl was soup, with only a small amount of taro, while the dried bread had clearly been kept for a long time and was hard as a rock.

After taking a large mouthful of soup, Claude frowned.

"No salt?" "We have no salt for the time being. We can only make do."

Claude reached into his waist pouch. Seeing the surrounding warriors suddenly become alert, he smiled.

"I have some. Put it in." Claude tossed the small package in his hand to the female Yeti Squad member who had just served him.

She looked at the paper packet in her hand and hesitated. It had been given by a stranger of unknown origin, but they desperately needed salt. Strong soldiers would suffer aching limbs and weakness all over if they went without it.

Claude saw that she had frozen up and shook his head. He stood, walked to the pot, poured the jerky and some of his dry rations into it, then took the paper packet from her hands. He opened it and poured the snow-white salt inside into the pot.

The Yeti Squad member stared at him blankly. He should have stopped this stranger just now, but for some reason, he had not dared to rebuke him.

"How can soldiers go to war against the enemy on empty stomachs?"

As he spoke, Claude poured the soup in his bowl back into the pot, served himself another bowl, and sat down on a rock to eat first.

Seeing how heartily he ate, the other soldiers could not help swallowing. But they still did not dare act without permission, all turning their gazes toward Yelena.

Yelena was also somewhat surprised. Mr. Claude's actions had been so natural that even she had not thought to stop him. But he had already proven that there was no poison. There was no reason to prevent her brothers and sisters from eating. So she nodded, and the Yeti Squad members began eating. The formerly tense and stiff atmosphere immediately became harmonious.

Claude sat by the fire, eating as he chatted with the Yeti Squad around him. The cold and aloof Yeti Squad members were drawn into conversation by a few words from him, and before long, they were speaking with him enthusiastically. He laughed and talked freely among the soldiers, waves of laughter constantly breaking out.

Talulah and Yelena stared at him in astonishment from behind. To anyone unaware of the situation, it would have seemed as though he were the commander of this unit.

Centaurea, meanwhile, acted as though it were nothing unusual. She had long known what kind of person this guy was. It had been the same in the Great Knight Territory. He always seemed able to earn others' trust easily. She walked over and found a place to sit, and while Claude continued chatting with others, he casually served her a bowl as well.

The more Yelena watched, the more something felt wrong, the more awkward it seemed. Just as she was about to say something, Talulah suddenly grabbed her.

"Yelena, come here. I have something to show you."

Full of confusion, Yelena followed Talulah into a tent. Talulah took a small booklet from her clothes and handed it to her.

"Take a careful look at this."

Though somewhat puzzled, Yelena opened the booklet in her hands and began reading.

At first, she read it rather absentmindedly. But as she continued, she suddenly sat up straight, and the expression on her face grew increasingly shocked. What was written inside was earth-shattering to her. Things she had never been able to understand suddenly had answers. She tried to find flaws in these ideas, but when she compared them to her own experiences and the old man's experiences, she found that she could not.

Seeing the same shocked expression on Yelena's face that she herself had worn, Talulah suddenly felt a trace of amusement.

"Talulah, where did you find this?" Yelena finally could not suppress the emotions surging within her and urgently asked Talulah.

"Mr. Claude outside told me all these things. That is why I believe he is someone capable of changing all of this."

"So Mr. Patriot isn't here?"

"That's right. Big Daddy went to attack an Originium mine today and rescue the Infected inside. Mr. Claude, do you need something from Big Daddy?"

"Yes. I would like to meet this old gentleman."

"Mr. Claude, don't blame me for speaking bluntly, but I think Big Daddy will probably dislike you."

"Is there a reason for that?"

"No particular reason. Mainly because you are a Kazimierz knight, Mr. Claude, and Big Daddy fought Kazimierz his whole life. Big Daddy is also rather stubborn, so he may be hostile toward you."

"Oh, is that so? It's all right. I still hope to meet him."

"All right. I'll tell you when Big Daddy returns."

"No. Just tell me where the mine is. I'll go find him." Claude stood and began gathering his equipment.

"Mr. Claude, there's no need for you to make another trip. Big Daddy will deal with that mine very soon. There are only a few dozen guards."

"It's fine. I wanted to take a look at an Originium mine anyway. It concerns something of my own."

After getting the location from the warrior called Big Bear, Claude and Centaurea immediately set out. With their pace, they quickly reached the vicinity of the mine.

The mines across Ursus's snowfields were all the same. Several dozen or even hundreds of guards oversaw a constant stream of Infected and non-Infected sent here to excavate Originium, becoming fuel for the empire's advance and fuel for the empire's fire.

What? You ask why non-Infected were sent here too? After digging for two days, would they not become Infected? That was the common state of affairs on Ursus's snowfields. The entire Ursus Empire was a war machine disguised as a country. The previous emperor had forged Ursus into a machine born for war. The empire was like a tuna in the sea: once a tuna stopped swimming, it would suffocate and die. Once the empire stopped waging war, it would fall apart.

And now, when the empire could not wage war at will, it began to rot uncontrollably. Without war to divert its internal conflicts, it used the Infected as sacrifices. The Infected were branded as guilty, and ordinary people were stirred into hating them, never considering that they too had a high chance of becoming infected one day. By dividing the Infected and ordinary people into two classes, they could oppress and brutalize the Infected without restraint or bottom line, squeezing every last bit of value from them to obtain the power needed to sustain the empire.

The corruption in Ursus was even more horrifying, especially in matters involving the Infected. Any Patrol member could extort villagers' property on the pretext of the Infected. They could also seize a healthy person without any evidence and send them to an Originium mine, turning them into a genuine Infected. By relying on such methods, even an ordinary Patrol member could become wealthy. While Infected corpses piled up like mountains in the mines, the money in their pockets grew ever greater.

The scene before Claude was precisely that. The Patrol members of the Originium mine lay in the snow—or more accurately, their corpses did. Dismembered and scattered corpses lay across the snow. Foul-smelling organs and half-dried blood piled across the ground. When iron boots stepped down and lifted again, they drew sticky red strands behind them.

The sight was horrific, but what truly drew Claude's attention was not their corpses. It was the mountain of Infected corpses piled nearby. There were men, women, children, and elderly people among them. The elderly were often piled at the bottom, because they were the first to die, along with the children. The strong men were on top, because they could usually endure Oripathy and prolonged abuse longer.

Every one of them wore nothing but tattered clothes in the ice and snow, some with only strips of cloth. They were skin and bones, their bodies covered in dense Originium crystals. Many also bore marks of whipping and beating.

Not all the corpses had frozen stiff. Some were fresh. After a brief look, Claude understood what had happened. Before Patriot attacked, the mine's guards had executed every remaining Infected for some unknown reason. Looking at the tangled bodies in the great pit, some of the Infected had not even been dead when they were thrown in. In their final moments, they had struggled in agony inside the pit they themselves had dug. Their desire to live had been so strong. They had silently endured every hardship and torment, only to bleed out their last drop of blood in this icy, desolate place where no one cared.

A heavy atmosphere surrounded Claude. He had long known how the Ursus Empire treated the Infected, but he had never seen it with his own eyes. Now that he witnessed such utterly bottomless evil, he felt a fierce, lava-like rage for the first time in a long while. It had never been so intense before. It felt as though it would burn through his heart and incinerate his entire body from within into a charred husk.

Claude had seen many scenes like this. Elves and beastmen never showed humans mercy, and Claude had long seen sights ten times more miserable than this. But he had never felt such intense rage then, because he knew there was no point in it against humanity's enemies. The only thing he needed to do was cut off their heads, slaughter them to the last, and let their blood water the earth in repayment for what they had done. Claude was a knight of justice, but his justice belonged only to humanity. Toward those other races, he possessed not the slightest shred of mercy.