Ark Simulator, we're just friends, right?

"I can see your enthusiasm and sincerity for the integration movement. These things cannot be faked, not to mention that you are very similar to your father..."

As he talked, the patriot seemed to remember the past and stopped talking.

This made Sophia feel a little dissatisfied. She hates that others stop talking halfway through, and leaving the second half of a sentence for others to guess is not only a waste of time, but also makes people feel like being scratched by a cat.

Although she knew that the patriots didn't stop on purpose, the fact that such important words were half heard made the girl anxious.

Especially Patriot seems to be talking about his father...

Especially the phrase 'You are very similar to your father...', which made Sophia pay special attention to what the Patriot wanted to continue saying.

Sophia was sure that the Patriot must have something to say, but she stopped talking because she was caught in memories.

After all, to be honest, Sophia didn't really know her father that well.

Although she knew her father, the well-known Grand Duke of Moscow loved her very much, but as mentioned above, even after living together for 16 years, Sophia did not see through the man's heart.

He was indifferent, and would throw Sophia who failed to complete the training into the ice and snow. At that time, Sophia was not yet eight years old, but he was also gentle, because he never left, but silently guarded around, and did not stop Talina brought Sophia a cotton coat, but she didn't stop her wife from taking Sophia home.

His ideas are ancient, he always wears the military uniform of the former emperor's period, misses the greatness of Ursus during the former emperor's period, and lives the life of the old Ursas nobleman, but he is also open-minded. Even though Sophia is a woman, he never despises Don't let her go, and never restrict and control Sophia's thoughts and paths.

On the day of her mother's death, Sophia saw the soldier shed tears in full view. Although he didn't show much expression, his cloudy blue eyes reflected incomparable grief and condolences.

It was only on that day that the Grand Duke of Moscow took off his military uniform and changed into the aristocratic dress he wore when he married Sophia's mother...

That dress, at least in Sophia's memory, was never worn by her father.

He only wore that dress twice, once when he married the girl he loved, and once when he saw off the girl in his heart.

Sophia can see through many people, but she can't see through her father alone.

It seems to be a remnant of the old era, but it seems to be the helm of the new era.

There is a thick layer of fog between me and myself, it seems to be right in front of my eyes, but it is so far away...

It's just that Sophia is too embarrassed to ask if the patriot doesn't say anything. Although she really wants to know what kind of person her father is, Sophia understands that some things will naturally get the truth when the time is right.

There is still a long time in the future, and I will always have the opportunity to get to know my father, the Duke.

"Teacher... are you okay?"

On the side, Talina, who was accompanying Sophia, looked at the faint loss in Sophia's eyes, and asked softly in Sophia's ear with a little worry.

"Ah, I'm fine, Talina, I was just thinking about something."

Sophia, who realized that she was still leading the team, quickly recovered.

After all, she is still leading the team now, and the location of the warehouse is very hidden. It seems a bit irresponsible for her to be distracted and think about other things when she is leading the team.

"Is it about the Duke?"

Talina, who was keenly aware of the reason for Sophia's loss of consciousness, asked.

Sophia's appearance was reflected in a pair of blood-colored eyes, and Sophia saw herself reflected in Talina's eyes, nodded slowly, and said in response: "It's sort of."

She didn't say much about what she was thinking, but just replied a little casually. Obviously, Sophia didn't want Talina to get involved in this matter, otherwise, with Talina's character, she would even investigate her father.

Sophia didn't want that, and she preferred to find the answers herself, rather than relying on Talina.

"...Is that so?"

Aware of the tactful refusal hidden under Sophia's words, although Talina was a little disappointed, she understood that this was Sophia's private matter, and she did not decide to investigate the Duke's thoughts on her own.

Although Talina was very grateful that the Duke allowed Sophia to take her in and did not dislike her identity as an infected person, compared with Sofia, Talina would choose the latter without hesitation.

Because Sophia has been everything to her since that winter day.

"Sorry, although it's not possible now, I will tell you later."

Sofia heard the loss in Talina's voice, and couldn't help feeling a little guilty. She stretched out her hand and touched Talina's head. Although the two were almost the same height, and even Sofia was slightly lower, she stood on tiptoe slightly. Sofia could still easily touch Talina's head behind her toes.

After Talina received this sudden 'attack', her face turned red, and the hidden disappointment disappeared in an instant. Her body subconsciously wanted to escape from Sofia's side, but feeling the softness and warmth on her head, Talina He gritted his teeth and lowered his head, not daring to look at Sofia.

"Hey, how do you feel? Is it as comfortable as before? Talina~" After seeing Talina's shy look, Sophia's originally dull mood improved a lot in an instant. A soft smile hung on his face.

The long golden hair was scattered on the front and back of the shoulders, the crescent-like eyebrows were relaxed, and the small white hands exposed to the air were touching the black hair as smooth as silk. The skilled movements made Talina feel the comfort she had not seen for a long time. .

——Since she grew up, Sophia, who realized that she was not as tall as Talina, rarely touched Talina's head like this.

In the early years, due to the good nutrition of the Duke's family, Sophia was at least half a head taller than Talina at the beginning, but unfortunately, when she entered puberty a few years later, her nutrition had caught up with Talina's height early It surpassed Sophia in one fell swoop.

If it weren't for Sophia's good foundation and the Duke's family's excellent genes, I'm afraid that Sophia would be half a head shorter than Talina, and she would be reduced to a pitiful 1.6 meters...

But who kept Sophia from practicing books and graphic novels all those years ago?All the errands were handed over to Talina. As soon as the amount of exercise widened the gap, the height gap also gradually widened. It can only be said that all achievements need to be paid for.

Sophia proved this with her height, otherwise she would be 1.7 meters or even 1.7 meters five now.

This is not an exaggeration. You must know that Sofia's father, Sergey, is 1.9 meters tall, and her mother is not short at 1.7 meters. She is a tall and beautiful woman.

But when it comes to Sophia, it becomes a bit embarrassing. It is only about 1.6 meters 1.7, and even needs a booster to barely exceed the height of 1.7 meters, but Talina can be [-] meters even without shoes.

The gap is like this, it can be said that it has given Sophia a big blow, otherwise she would be so likely to let such a good head like Talina not touch it?

And Talina, who was so shy after being masturbated, blushed even more when she heard Sophia's words, and felt a stream of heat rushing to her head, and finally stammered out a sentence after a long time:

"Mentor...bullying people."

"Pfft~, it's so cute, as expected of my Talina, she performed very well this time, how about I give you a long-lost hug when the task is completed? It's the kind of princess hug that sent you to the bathtub back then... ..."

"Woo! Teacher! Don't talk anymore!!!"

……

With the interaction between the two girls, the originally dull atmosphere of the march became a little more angry. Although no one spoke because of military discipline, the shield guards couldn't help but smile under their masks.

Even the patriots couldn't help remembering this scene deeply in the depths of their memory.

Beautiful things are worth remembering by everyone, even mentors and Chekas are just ordinary people after all.

If there were no Originium disease and oppression, this world would definitely be incomparably beautiful...

Chapter 160 Eight You see, this is Ursas Zhenghuang flag—well, it's red.

The Third Army of the Ursas Empire, also known as the Royal Guards of the Ursas Empire, is the leader of the [-]th Ursas Standing Army, and is the most elite and powerful army of the Ursas Empire.

Its subordinates possess the most elite forces in Ursus - War Warlocks, Shield Guards, Elite Forwards of the Empire, Assaulters, Crossbowmen, War Fortresses...

More than 30 soldiers supported this terrifying group army, making it the regular group army with the largest number of people in the entire Ursas and even the entire Terra.

The huge number of people not only did not drag down its strength, the cooperation between multiple arms built a complete combat system, and the cooperation between sophisticated standard weapons and diversified arms was enough to destroy all powerful enemies.

It's a pity that such a powerful armed force can't charge for the empire and garrison the frontiers, but has to curl up in the territory of the Grand Duke of Moscow, as a representative of maintaining imperial power, guarding the few pure lands of the empire that are not chaotic.

But even so, it is still the power of the apex of Ursus, which is beyond doubt.

And as the imperial marshal who commanded it—Serge, or the cousin of the former tsar, the Grand Duke of Moscow is now facing a choice, a choice that can change the future of Ursus, or... an early There is a choice of answers.

Although he had expected it and had the answer in his heart, when this multiple-choice question was really placed in front of him, Sergey still felt a little emotional.

The former prosperous and powerful empire can become what it is today. As the marshal of the empire, he undoubtedly feels more deeply than anyone else.

Seeing the agreement in front of him and Grand Duke Baikal who was almost in the same position as him, and Viscount Dunkel who was guarding him behind him, Sergey's cloudy blue pupils were slightly absent-minded, and he couldn't help but think of his daughter who had been away for a few weeks.

If she hadn't given herself a new hope, maybe she would really choose to give up everything?

Sergey couldn't help thinking as he gently stroked the red-covered book with his right hand wearing a white glove.

After all, he has been tired for a long time, and he has fought for the empire for decades, from the conquest and prosperity of the former emperor's era to the division and darkness of the new emperor's era.

Sergey witnessed with his own eyes that an empire became great and powerful before his own eyes, and then became weak and decayed in front of his own eyes, like a dying old bear or an old man dying.

He was tired, he was tired a long time ago, if he hadn't been worried about the empire, if he hadn't made promises to his cousin, if he hadn't had his own family, he would have known himself in an unmanned mass grave .

How can there be anything in the world that is more heart-wrenching than witnessing that the motherland that one has fought for and become strong has become precarious and fragmented in front of one's own eyes?

Knowing that the empire would find it difficult to return to its former glory, Sergey had had enough of watching his familiar brothers and friends leave him and disappear into the vast crowd. He was tired.

Especially after the death of his wife, whom he loved all his life, he has no nostalgia for the world. If not for his own flesh and blood still alive, he should have gone with his wife and the first emperor to meet the martyrs of Ursas They are gone.

Because Sergey is just a pure fighter, he does not desire power or status, all he desires is a complete family, a prosperous motherland, and brothers who can drink together and recall the past.

But now all that is gone.

All that remained by Sergey's side were power, status, and reputation, things he never desired...

It was as if it was a joke made by the gods - the marshal of the army and horse life failed to get what he wanted, but got what the world longed for.

But fortunately... Sophia, his daughter, his last nostalgia in the world brought the Duke his last hope - an unimagined, deviant in his own opinion, but full of possibility and hope path of.

Slightly closing his eyes, he suddenly recalled the once prosperous and powerful empire, his brothers in the army, his wife who passed away, and his daughter.

He can't forget the former empire, but now all the prosperity has turned into ruins. He can't forget his brothers, and he can't forget how they were "cleansed", expelled, and sent to the battlefield of the Eastern Kingdom to die tragically...

'Sergey, as your friend, not your general, I want to tell you that the current Ursus is no longer the former Ursus. '

'...When you can understand my words, you will understand why I left the army. '

The former general's words echoed in Sergey's ears.

At that time, he had already understood the general, but he still had hope for Xin, hope for Ursus, and he was still young at that time...

Now he is old, has lost too much, too much, and has witnessed too much.

The status quo of the empire makes him angry, the emperor's incompetence makes him disappointed, the nobles' greed makes him disgusted, and the army's disloyalty makes him silent.

The thought of being loyal to the emperor has gradually faded amid repeated disappointments and the wear and tear of time, especially after reading what his daughter wrote, he no longer has any expectations and hopes for the new emperor.

Does it really matter if the ruler of Ursus is an emperor or not?

These are the words on the last page of the "Red Ursas Declaration", and this question has also caused Sergey to think about it for a long time.

And now...he had the answer.

"... I will not hand over the actual control of the Third Army to you, and I will not agree to your plan."

Opening his blue eyes, Sergey slowly sat up from his seat, staring directly at the two people who came forward.

The old and decayed aura on his body gradually faded away, and the killing spirit of years of fighting made him change from a marshal to a warrior galloping on the battlefield again.

The double-headed eagle holding a sword and a crown seems to be telling something on the family crest on his chest.

"Why? Don't you yearn for the revival of Ursus? Marshal." Grand Duke Baikal frowned upon hearing this.

According to the information and intelligence he collected, as well as the attitude and actions of the Grand Duke of Moscow over the years, the other party has long since lost the idea of ​​continuing to serve the empire. It is not always possible to go once a year.

He... obviously hated it, but why is he unwilling to hand over the Third Army to me?

Such doubts could not help but arise in my heart.

But Grand Duke Baikal was not angry, because the man in front of him was a marshal worthy of his respect, or worthy of the respect of all Ursas. The time he fought for the empire, the expanded territory, and the victories he won were worthy of every Ursas Respect him.

Even Grand Duke Baikal grew up listening to the legend of Sergey when he was young. Sergey was the earliest idol in his heart and the goal he always wanted to surpass.

The Baron behind him was no exception.

"Please tell me the reason why you did this, Marshal, you know that we have no other intentions or other goals. All we desire is the revival of the Ursus Empire. Why are you unwilling to send the Third Army Leave it to me?"

Eager to get an answer, Duke Belga sighed softly, looking at the plan that he had written by himself for several days after staying up all night and the letter of promise to Sergey that Sergey put on the side table, although he was puzzled, he still Face Sergei with respect.

Nobles are indeed proud, and Belgar is no exception, but when they face a real legend, their pride will also turn into respect for the legend.

At least that's how it was for Duke Belgar.

"...Because, I found the answer again, young Duke Belgar."

Sergey stared at Sergey in front of him for a long time, and his sharp blue eyes looked at the new Duke of Belga like sharp knives.

Obviously his brother did not disappoint him. Although he was a bit aggressive, impetuous, and lacking stability, this generation of Duke Belga also inherited his father's integrity and bravery.

It was as if his brother was standing in front of him.

"Answer?" Repeating the key words in Sergey's words in doubt, Duke Belga fell into silence, and finally looked directly at Sergey's gaze that seemed to be able to pierce people, uneasy but with a little hope asked:

"Have you...have you found a way to save Ursus?"

He hopes to get an affirmative answer from Sergey. It is true that Princess Belga is the main combat faction, and even plans to get the actual control of the third army from Sergey, and use war to promote Uganda. Sass returned to its former prosperity.

But if there is a better method, especially the method from the marshal in front of him, not only can he cancel the agreement with the 'Black Snake', but he can even give away all the mistakes and resources in his duchy.

There are many nobles chasing fame, wealth, and status, but there are not a few nobles in the Ursus Empire who are eager to restore the glory of the former empire and rebuild the prosperity of Ursus.

After all, even if one wants to pursue fame and fortune, one also needs a strong motherland, doesn't it?

Regardless of the purpose in his heart, whether it is sincere or ulterior motives, as long as what he wants is to restore the glory of the Ursus Empire, then he is considered an ally in the eyes of Duke Belga.