Noah still wanted to finish these matters at hand early. She didn't think Margaret had the inclination to run a company, so she had already started looking for a successor for the company early on. This person was the head of the Human Resources Department. Noah now truly resembled Zhuge Liang before he emerged from the mountains; before the matter was even over, she was already thinking about her retreat.
Of course, she also considered that if even Margaret couldn't save Kazimierz, then she would take everyone from the Nearl Family family and run away together. After all, running away with Kuro was running away, and running away with a whole family was also running away; it didn't matter. Ultimately, Noah felt that Margaret would definitely care more about Kazimierz than she did, so she never thought of making Margaret choose. She would take the initiative to run away.
In fact, Noah saw many things very clearly, as she had an innate perception of emotions. She clearly saw that Manner had not been assimilated by Kazimierz's Decay, and she could see that Candle Knight's heart was still trapped in that attic. She knew that Maria admired her sister, but also truly loved the end of craftsmanship. She knew Zofia's unwillingness and her concern for Maria. She saw everything very clearly, or rather, too clearly.
Therefore, she knew that even if Margaret returned, she would only stay in Kazimierz. Maria would return to her path as a craftsman. Manner, after everything ended, might return to a ranger's life, or perhaps go to find Snitz and Yolanta. Their personalities determined their decisions; they were all Nearl, and didn't need others' advice. As for herself, she, who was tired of Kazimierz's intrigues, wanted a long vacation.
She was too tired, navigating between human natures, doing her best to protect herself and those around her. For Noah Guillerette, it was too exhausting.
She didn't want to be tainted by so many things; she just wanted to live out the rest of her life peacefully.
Oripathy is a terminal illness, and her symptoms were very severe. Every night before falling asleep, she would wonder if she would wake up. She had to think more, to prepare how to arrange for those who depended on her in case she truly died unexpectedly.
Her life was a race against time, not knowing when she would reach her own finish line. To be honest... Noah was inherently a pessimist.
It's just that she was surrounded by a group of shining individuals, forcing her to drag her exhausted body to accompany them forward. Even though she herself didn't believe in Kazimierz's future, she believed in Margaret, she believed in Maria. She truly owed these two sisters from a past life. But it was precisely the Nearl spirit they possessed that made Noah rally from her pessimism.
...A pessimist being pulled forward by optimists.
Perhaps this was Noah's true situation?
Night once again enveloped Kazimierz. Noah sat in her wheelchair, listening to the wind—the wind seemed to carry a sob, mixed with some unknown Noise.
At this moment, Noah was like picking up a conch from the beach, gently placing it to her ear, listening to the sound of the waves coming from within. She liked listening to the sound of this city. This city was like a giant beast, a never-ending giant beast. The people in this city, the city they built, had its own unique sound. She had heard the sound of Rhodes Island, and she had heard the sound of Columbia. Compared to them, the difference was quite significant. The sound of Kazimierz was like an old Knight riding a skinny horse walking through fields of wheat, slowly advancing along the sunset.
It seemed to be decaying, but the wheat waves underfoot still nurtured vitality.
The old Knight is the soul of this city. Although it is old, it has not perished. There are always noble ones who bend over backward, holding up torches for those who come. Kazimierz's knightly spirit is like a fire. Whenever people think it has gone out, there will always be a few people who rekindle themselves and tell everyone—the fire has not gone out, Kazimierz still has a soul. This misnamed Knight kingdom, in stories, whether it charges at the shadows of windmills or awakens the young people sleeping beneath the wheat waves, is yet unknown.
Noah was just a listener. She was not a prophet, nor was she the one who could burn herself to light Kazimierz's tomorrow.
She listened to the city's sounds, to its whimpers, its roars, its sighs as faint as starlight.
The city was alive, she firmly believed; the people who built it, and the city itself, had their own life and soul.
What supported this city was people, but many chose to selectively ignore this. What was truly valuable about Kazimierz was never its knightly spirit, nor its capital operations, nor those in high positions.
What truly sustained the city's lifeblood—it was always just that group of people, that group of the 'majority'.
It's just that their voices were too small, and many couldn't hear them...
But Noah could hear them, she could.
"Sister Noah?"
At this moment, someone interrupted her listening. She turned around and asked, "What's wrong? Can't sleep, Maria?"
"I just saw Sister Noah out on the balcony and was worried you'd catch a cold." Maria came over with a blanket and helped Noah cover herself. She turned to look below the balcony, where the city's neon lights twinkled. This city, a city that never sleeps, indeed showed few remnants of its former identity as a Knightly Nation. "What are you listening to, Sister Noah?"
"Listening to the city's sounds," Noah said with a smile. "That might sound a bit confusing, so just pretend I'm listening to the wind."
"The sound of this city... sounds so cool."
"Pfft... it is cool. Actually, I want to listen to the sounds of various cities in the future; that's one of my dreams. When the time comes, I'll self-publish a book, describing what the city sounds I've heard are like. I'll give each of you a copy, with my autograph."
"Really? I want one too." Maria was genuinely interested. For someone her age, whether it was battling the shadows of windmills or listening to the sounds of the city, everything seemed to carry a sense of mystery and coolness. This was also the time for indulging in knight novels and various fantasy literature, so in Maria's eyes, Noah was truly too cool.
"Mm, there will be a chance." Noah nodded. She lowered her head slightly, but felt the music box in her arms suddenly tremble, slipping from her clothes. Before Noah could react, the clasp of the music box hit the ground, snapping open with a 'patta' sound.
Everything happened too fast. Kuro didn't even have time to intervene, and Noah only managed to shield Maria behind her before a tremor suddenly exploded.
Almost instantly, Noah and Maria were enveloped by this strange tremor, then deprived of consciousness.
Kuro rushed to their side at the fastest speed of her life, but only managed to catch them. And inside the music box—it was already empty.
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