Lance Charge on the Arkship, but No Mount

"That's right. I've heard some rumors about this. There are many powerful weapons in this world, and many of them possess their own consciousness, just like the sword you encountered, Mr. Claude."

"Those capable of forging such weapons can no longer be called human. They should be called gods."

A New Beginning: The Road Is Long and Difficult

Because it was already late, they could no longer return to the Great Knight Territory. At their hosts' invitation, Claude and his two companions stayed aboard Rhodes Island for the night. As guests of the island, each of them was assigned a separate room. But Claude was in no hurry to sleep. Though this place was called a landship, it was more like a small mobile city. It had not only all kinds of basic facilities, but also a wide variety of shops.

He was in an exceptionally good mood today, so he rarely felt like taking a stroll around the place.

The shops here appeared to be run by Rhodes Island operators. Many of them wore Oripathy monitoring devices. Claude wandered around, looking to see whether there was a tavern. On the snowy plains of Ursus, supplies were scarce, and he seldom had the chance to drink.

There were not many people here, but it was still lively. Claude stepped aside to let a man and woman walking together pass. After taking a few more steps, he came to the edge of a flowerbed. Made of tempered glass and aluminum alloy, it did not look sturdy enough to sit on.

Just as Claude was about to buy a can of beer and find somewhere to sit and rest for a while, a sharp siren suddenly sounded nearby. He turned and saw an ambulance parked by the roadside. Its interior was filled with sophisticated medical equipment, making it look like a temporary treatment facility. Several medical operators in white protective suits were sprinting toward it with someone on a folding stretcher.

The stretcher was loaded into the vehicle at once, and the medical operators climbed in as well. As the doors closed, Claude clearly saw Originium crystals rapidly spreading across the patient's face. He could not help standing up, because he knew the patient had become extremely dangerous. At any moment, the worsening disease could turn them into a highly infectious source. Yet those doctors in protective suits had gotten into the same vehicle without hesitation.

The ambulance sped away, the road ahead already cleared of all obstacles. Claude did not hesitate and followed after it.

"Get out here! He's about to deteriorate! Hurry!"

"Hibiscus, what are you standing around for?"

"Hurry! Do you have a death wish?"

By the time Claude arrived outside the emergency room, quite a crowd had gathered there. A familiar voice at the front was shouting, apparently telling someone to get out of the emergency room. Claude squeezed past several people and made his way to the front of the crowd. As expected, it was Doctor Kal'tsit.

A petite Sarkaz girl with purple hair hurried out of the room as well. Almost the instant she rushed outside, a terrifying scream erupted from within the emergency room, followed by a dull thud. Blood smeared across the reinforced glass window, mixed with fine Originium crystals.

Claude and the others instinctively stood twenty meters away from the emergency room. Seeing this, everyone understood what had happened. The atmosphere became suffocatingly oppressive, and no one made a sound.

The girl called Hibiscus removed her hood and dropped to her knees. Doctor Kal'tsit did not continue scolding her. After a slight hesitation, she crouched down and embraced the girl. The other medical operators did not waste any time. They immediately changed into more comprehensive protective isolation suits, took their equipment, and entered the emergency room.

Claude watched with his own eyes as the blood covering the window was wiped clean, after which the cleaning tools were thrown into an isolation container as well. Risking their lives, the medical operators began their work in an orderly manner. They cleared away the severed limbs, flesh, organs, and dense Originium crystals inside, placing them into specialized isolation containers. This was clearly not their first time doing such work. They moved with practiced ease.

After they finished clearing the visible remains, specialists carrying special sterilization equipment entered to disinfect the emergency room. Claude did not continue watching.

Claude thought of a major problem. Though they had secured a stable supply of suppressants, without professional and reliable doctors, it would only treat the symptoms rather than the root cause. Yet given their current situation, outstanding medical talent would hardly choose to join them. But the issue was already urgent, and he had to find a way to solve it.

As he pondered, his gaze swept over Doctor Kal'tsit, and inspiration suddenly struck him. The girl called Hibiscus seemed to be Doctor Kal'tsit's student. Reunion Movement also had several members with considerable medical talent, especially Ino. His Originium Arts possessed a natural healing effect. But they lacked the relevant medical knowledge. If they could be sent to Rhodes Island to study, then once they had learned enough, they could be of use in this matter.

The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. He needed to refine his plan, then approach Rhodes Island's leadership and hopefully reach a partnership with them.

Watching Doctor Kal'tsit become busy again in the distance, he knew he should not disturb her now. He had no mood to look for a tavern and drink anymore, so he turned and left, intending to return to his quarters and rest.

His boots rang against the steel deck as Claude continued thinking about his plan. Suddenly, the sound of blades tearing through the air came from nearby. He stopped and looked toward the training ground beside him, unable to hide his surprise. Was someone still training this late at night? Looking up, he saw the sign: Training Ground No. 5. The keen whistle of the blade made Claude's hands itch. He stopped hesitating, opened the door, and walked inside.

Under the bright lights, a girl in a purple dress was wielding a straight sword. She swung her weapon with complete focus, so absorbed that she did not even notice Claude entering. Claude did not make a sound to disturb her. Instead, he leaned against the wall and watched. His black armor allowed him to blend perfectly into the shadows.

But as he watched, Claude could not help frowning. He noticed that the girl's hands and feet had begun to tremble slightly. It was a sign of overexertion. She must have trained here for a very long time. Her movements were already beginning to deform, and her sword swings had become stiff. She was nearing her limit. If she continued, she might injure herself.

Sweat ran from her forehead to her chin before dripping down. The sword that normally felt light in her hand now seemed impossible even to lift, and every muscle in her body ached. Yet the Feline girl with pale purple hair continued gritting her teeth and persevering. During another swing, she used too much force. Her knees went weak, and her entire body lost its balance.

Just as she thought she was about to fall to the ground, her flailing hand caught hold of something hard and cold. Looking up, she found a tall knight standing before her. Her hand was resting on his armored bracer.

Realizing how improper her current posture was, she hurriedly stood upright.

"Thank you, sir. May I ask who you are?" Though grateful that he had caught her in time, Melantha did not lower her guard easily. Her straight sword remained raised.

"I only arrived here today, so I suppose I count as a guest. This is my identification card." As Claude spoke, he lifted the tag hanging around his neck. It was a temporary identification card for guests.

"Mr. Claude, please forgive my rudeness just now. I am Melantha, leader of Reserve Action Team A4." The purple-haired girl hurriedly put away her weapon and bowed to Claude.

"It's fine. Being cautious is a good thing."

Claude looked at the girl wiping the sweat from her face with a handkerchief. Even the hand she used to wipe herself was trembling slightly, so he asked her a question.

"Miss Melantha, it's already very late. Aren't you going to rest? If you keep training, you'll hurt yourself."

The purple-haired Feline girl hesitated briefly before answering.

"It's fine, Mr. Claude. As the leader of Reserve Action Team A4, I need to become stronger so that I can lead everyone to survive on the battlefield. That is why I cannot slack off."

"Miss, hard work is certainly not wrong, but training without restraint like this will yield limited improvement while damaging your body instead. In the long run, it is even less worthwhile. Any injuries you suffer while young will bring you pain when you grow old."

"But my talent is only average. If I do not work even harder, how can I help everyone?" The girl still seemed uncertain.

"You can have a little more confidence, miss. In my view, you have considerable talent in this regard. No powerful warrior was born strong. They all rely on the accumulation of time and the tempering of battle. You have plenty of time ahead of you. Do not push yourself too hard."

It was obvious that the girl had not entirely abandoned her thoughts, so Claude continued.

"Do you know about Kazimierz's 22nd Knights Championship?"

"Of course. The Radiant Knight is incredibly strong. We all admire her."

"I was, more or less, second place."

Melantha carefully examined the armor worn by the knight before her. Suddenly, excitement appeared on her face, as if she had discovered something.

"That's right, just as you think. So I believe my words carry at least some weight." Claude smiled and cut off what she was about to say.

"So go back and get some proper rest. Let your body recover to its best condition before coming here to train again."

"I understand, Mr. Claude. I'll get some good rest." Melantha nodded seriously, packed up her things, bade Claude farewell, and left the training ground.

After the girl left, Claude looked at the empty training ground and could not resist the itch in his hands. He decided to practice for a while before sleeping. He was full of energy at the moment and not sleepy in the slightest.

Drawing the sharp sword from the scabbard at his waist, Claude looked at its spotless blade. Then he slowly began to move.

His movements were slow at first, but gradually the blade accelerated. In the end, even the sword itself could no longer be seen. All that remained were streaks of silver light circling around him, appearing everywhere without a single blind spot.

This was the killing art of the First Legion's Sky Knights. Their numbers were few, and they had been born into enemy encirclements. Through countless generations of life-and-death struggles and ceaseless refinement, they had developed this swordsmanship created solely for killing. Not a single movement was superfluous. It could face several enemies at once without falling behind.

Beyond exquisite swordsmanship, there was only faster movement, faster strikes, and courage greater than the enemy's. Where an enemy could swing once, they could swing twice. That was how this art of killing came to be.

Claude was naturally a master of this swordsmanship. Using those lethal and exquisite techniques had already become instinct to him. His long years of warfare had tempered him without end, driving his skills to their peak.

He unleashed a vicious, lightning-fast slash, only to change his move midway with equal speed. The blade on the other side suddenly shifted at an unexpected angle, viciously cutting toward an enemy's ribs.

No part of the sword was superfluous. Its sharp edges, keen point, even its guard and counterweight—every part could be used as a means of attack. Its methods changed endlessly, dazzling the eye.

He ended the training session with a steady, precise thrust. Claude subconsciously flicked his sword, shaking off blood that was not there, then let out a long breath.

Every time he finished training, his mind became calm. Sheathing Mercy, Claude pushed open the training room door and prepared to return to rest. By then, the moon was high overhead, and it was deep into the night.

"The road ahead is long and difficult."

Doctor Kal'tsit looked at the financial report on her desk, feeling a slight headache. Rhodes Island's economic situation had worsened year by year, which was why yesterday's cooperation with Mr. Claude had seemed so precious.

She was not skilled in financial matters. She was only handling them because no one else could. The person truly skilled at this was someone else, but that person was no longer by her side. Rhodes Island's financial situation had continued to decline, while Amiya was still far from mature. It was difficult to find anyone on Rhodes Island truly capable in this field.

Just as Kal'tsit's headache worsened, a message suddenly arrived on the terminal on her desk. Opening it, she found that it was from Mr. Claude, whom she had met yesterday. He wished to see her again and discuss a new partnership.

Letting out a breath, she accepted Claude's request for a meeting. Before long, someone knocked on the office door.

"Come in."

Claude pushed open the door and entered. It had to be said that the office was quite distinctive. There were no unnecessary decorations, and nearly everything in sight was in cool tones, perfectly matching his impression of Miss Kal'tsit.

Sitting in the office chair across from Kal'tsit, Claude did not waste words and went straight to the point.

"Doctor Kal'tsit, I have a proposal."

A New Beginning: Cooperation Between Organizations

Kal'tsit raised an eyebrow with interest, signaling Claude to continue. With her experience, she naturally knew that Claude could not possibly be buying such a large quantity of medicine as an individual. There had to be a wealthy organization behind him. Rhodes Island's economy was in a prolonged slump. If they could reach a long-term partnership with the other side, things should improve.

Of course, Kal'tsit had overestimated their wealth. The money Claude had brought out was all the Reunion Movement had left after routine expenses. There was not one extra coin.

But Claude would not become timid because of that. He had immense confidence in the Reunion Movement's future. Moreover, after careful observation, he had found Rhodes Island to be the most suitable partner. Their neutral position internationally meant cooperating with them would not drag his side into the political struggles of other countries. For those struggling to survive under the oppression of the Ursus Empire, they certainly could not afford to provoke another nation.

Furthermore, Rhodes Island possessed medical technology that was among the most advanced on all of Terra, as well as a series of internationally renowned doctors such as Doctor Kal'tsit. This was extremely important to the Reunion Movement, which had many infected members. And since a single organization could operate such an enormous landship in its entirety, they must have excellent talent in mechanical engineering as well. Otherwise, even maintaining the landship would be beyond ordinary people.

So he proposed a series of partnerships to Doctor Kal'tsit in fields such as medicine and machinery. The Reunion Movement would cover all expenses, while Rhodes Island would train personnel in those areas. Moreover, if Rhodes Island could provide complete excavation and protective equipment, the mines of all sizes in the territories they controlled could be put to use, allowing them to supply Originium ore at extremely low prices. This would solve not only their medicine supply problem, but also part of their funding problem.

Of course, he was not naive enough to think the other party would simply agree. This was a process of negotiation, and now he waited for their counteroffer.

Kal'tsit fell into thought. She had not expected the other organization's true identity to be a resistance group from Ursus. But if they wanted to cooperate with them, they had to consider Ursus's reaction. Their organization was currently extremely weak, every step as precarious as walking on thin ice. There was no room for mistakes.

"Mr. Claude, your proposals are all valuable. But this is not something I can decide alone. We need to hold a meeting. Please wait a moment."

"Of course. I will patiently await your company's response."

Doctor Kal'tsit had always acted without delay. She sent several messages through her terminal, then immediately took her leave. Claude remained seated in her office, drinking a cold glass of sparkling water with lemon and mint. It was very refreshing. He was not worried about returning empty-handed, because even an outsider like him could see this organization's predicament.

Kal'tsit walked quickly across the deck. Turning through the complex corridors, she soon arrived at a hidden room. At the door, she did not immediately enter. Instead, she spoke a single word.

"Red."

A figure in a red cotton coat appeared soundlessly behind her. A thick hood concealed the figure's entire face, making their features impossible to see. Only a Lupo tail hung down behind them.

"Do not let anyone approach this place."

The petite figure in the red coat vanished from the spot in the blink of an eye, as though she had never appeared at all.

Only after doing all this did Kal'tsit push open the door and enter, turning back to close it behind her.

Though the room appeared ordinary from the outside, it held another world within. It was far larger than it appeared from without. A long conference table stood inside, along with a huge terminal screen at its end. It glowed with a dim blue light, illuminating several figures dressed in black uniforms.

Kal'tsit took her seat at the head of the table, with Amiya beside her. Across from Amiya sat an unusual woman. She had long snow-white hair and crimson eyes, but her entire body bore an unnatural pallor. Most eye-catching of all were the sharp points visible at the corners of her mouth. Without question, this woman was a Bloodfiend, the most notorious kind among the Sarkaz.

Because of the Bloodfiends' terrible and horrifying habits, even among the Sarkaz, they were infamous across all of Terra. Yet Rhodes Island actually had a Bloodfiend attending one of its high-level meetings. Judging by the expressions of those around her, they had long grown accustomed to it.

"All right, let's begin the meeting. I called everyone here because there is a resolution concerning Rhodes Island's future that needs to be decided."

Kal'tsit looked at Rhodes Island's core members. Once everyone was ready, she played the conversation between herself and Claude on the terminal behind her. Everyone listened closely to their discussion. Even Amiya, the youngest among them, did not make a sound. Ordinarily, a child like her would not need to attend such a meeting, but as Rhodes Island's leader, she needed to grow as quickly as possible. Kal'tsit did not intend to let this opportunity to temper her pass by.

The recording soon ended, but no one spoke for a time. Everyone was considering the gains and losses involved.

"All right. Everyone may share whatever thoughts you have." As Kal'tsit spoke, people gradually began voicing their opinions.

"I think it's an excellent proposal. It can ease our financial situation, and it aligns with our principles. After all, they have many infected members, so this would count as providing assistance to the infected."

"But they are, after all, a resistance organization from the Ursus Empire. We must consider Ursus's reaction. We should not become involved with Ursus again."

"But I believe their proposal to train personnel is not a problem, nor would it attract Ursus's attention. Besides, our purpose is to help the infected and do our best to ease the suffering on this land. Isn't this an excellent opportunity?"

"We can indeed provide machinery and protective equipment for excavating Originium ore. Though they are expensive to produce, we do have stock available." A girl with crimson eyes and sharp fangs spoke as well. She too bore Bloodfiend traits.

"That aspect can indeed be considered."

"All right. Then our final conclusion is this: we can train personnel for them, and we can sell them equipment. But we will not purchase Originium ore from them. Are there any other objections? Raise them now."

"To ensure rigor, we will hold another vote. Those in favor, please raise your hands. Those opposed, remain seated and do nothing."

"The result is obvious. Then the resolution is passed." As Kal'tsit announced the result, everyone let out a breath. Many of them had important work to attend to, so they did not linger and left one after another.

"Amiya, let's go." Kal'tsit called to the thoughtful Amiya, and the two headed toward the office together. One day, meetings like this would no longer be chaired by her, but handed over to Amiya. Kal'tsit believed that day would come soon.

Claude idly teased the potted plant on the desk with his finger. Hearing the door open, he turned his chair around. As expected, it was Kal'tsit and Amiya. He stood up and smiled at them, waiting to hear the decision they had reached.

"Mr. Claude, we cannot agree to all of your proposals. Please forgive us for that. Please read this contract carefully. If there are no issues, we can formally sign the agreement." The petite Cautus girl spoke first, while Kal'tsit stood silently behind her.

"Miss Amiya, you're being too formal. There's nothing to forgive." Claude began reading through the contract, which still carried the scent of fresh ink.

He soon finished reading all its contents, then extended his hand toward the petite leader.

"Then, a pleasant partnership."

"A pleasant partnership." A smile appeared on Amiya's youthful face.

In high spirits, Claude walked through the corridors of Rhodes Island. Their cooperation with Rhodes Island had been finalized, and he suddenly felt that the road ahead had brightened. They were no longer an organization sealed within one small region. They had successfully established a connection with the outside world, and several important problems had largely been resolved.

In this good mood, he came across an unusual area. Several Rhodes Island operators were setting up equipment in a training ground. The devices looked extremely unique, successfully drawing Claude's interest.

After going over to ask, he learned that the equipment was meant to test newly recruited operators, roughly evaluating their abilities in various areas.

"May I give it a try?" Unable to hold himself back, Claude asked them.

"Of course. We were just looking for someone to calibrate these machines. If Mr. Claude is willing, that would be perfect."

Claude eagerly stepped into the training ground. There were relatively few people here at this time, so he did not draw much attention. But a hidden gaze had noticed him.