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[There was a newspaper editor who called himself Nikolai, and a government official named Manya—it was the first time I saw such a "somewhat useful" guy being kicked out.]
Xi'er's report aroused the interest of Pera, who was also working overtime at her desk: [Ms. Manya? I know her. She is a reformist in the Ministry of Government Affairs and is not opposed to attacking the Rift Realm... Why was she exiled? ]
[Then we have to ask the great guardian what has gone wrong again——]
[Can you bring her to my camp? I will receive her. If the important official of the Ministry of Political Affairs can be of use to us, even if it is just to provide some information, it will be fine. Oh, please also convey my invitation to Ms. Nikolai.]
[Wait for me to count them. There are too many exiles... I estimate there are more than 700 of them.]
Seven hundred people...
What is the Kburg population gift package?
If Kokolia continues to clear out the population that opposes her on this scale, there will soon be no one left in the East City District, as all of them will flock to the opposition-occupied area.
"...Look, isn't this a new life?" After listening to the conversation of his companions on the ground, Kong winked at Kama.
"? You have to take care of such a small matter personally?" But the person who expressed dissatisfaction changed from Kama to Heita.
Although she did not participate in the meeting, she had been eavesdropping since she had no idea when.
"If my hunch is correct, that official from the Ministry of Political Affairs must have brought important information, and I should be an in--" Sora could be said to have used all his tricks to find an excuse to escape the torture of the evening... at least to drag Kama's "raising the price" over.
"If you have that much time, why don't you help me test the simulated universe?"
"Just treat it as a change of mood... If you're bored, you can use your puppet to sit in with me. Maybe you can give me some advice."
Sora turned around and caught a glimpse of Himeko's skirt at the other end of the carriage...
Just like Heita, she had been prying at the door for a long time out of curiosity. If the light-transmitting part of the automatic door hadn't exposed her whereabouts... or if she hadn't been deliberately reserved to express that she wasn't completely eavesdropping, Kong really wouldn't have known that she was nearby.
Not only her, Pam's furry ears were also resting on the glass...
"... Kama, the navigator and the conductor have something to tell you, so we'll stop here for tonight."
"Yes, Master."
Kama threatened in a malicious but unexpectedly charming tone: "But maybe when you come back, Miss Navigator will like me more than you, hehe~"
……
After being driven out of Kburg, Manya thought her life was over.
But she really couldn't accept the order document sent by the Grand Guardian to the Ministry of Government Affairs - to close all stores that had purchased goods from the Wallace family.
The key point is "has been purchased", not "is being purchased"... Grammatical errors would never appear in a document signed by the Grand Guardian himself.
Manya was a frequent customer of the grocery stores around the long steps and the square. She knew very well that even in the area closest to Castle K, the merchants had connections with the suppliers of the Wallace family because the goods they supplied were new, good quality, fast and cheap... If a thorough investigation was conducted according to this requirement, no store would be able to escape and would all be destroyed.
But if they continue like this, everyone will only be able to eat special canned sausages and drink snow water. If even the slightest inappropriate behavior cannot be tolerated, Beloberg's business system will collapse on its own without any attack from outsiders.
It was during the process of telling her superiors that she could not complete all the tasks and could only ask the store to reapply for a business license as a punishment that Manya was labeled a lackey of the "fleet" and a supporter of the "outsiders", and was inexplicably carried out of the office by the guards.
Not only did he not give her a chance to pack her luggage, he even refused to let her wear the coat that was hanging on the hanger...
The old parish in Bay City was still very cold during the long night. If Pera hadn't handed her a cup of hot coffee in time, she would have shivered for at least half an hour, and her voice would have been icy.
"Don't worry, Manya. It's safe here. Even if you don't say anything, I can't throw you into the ice and snow again. Warm yourself up first."
But now, Pera's worried and humane eyes in the warmth of the earth furnace gave her a lot of security, allowing her to stiffen her head and look at the other girl sitting next to her.
Compared to her, the lady Nicolai next to her is much more powerful - she is a pioneer in opposing the blockade policy of Kokolia, and publicly criticized her in the newspapers. So Kokolia showed "respect" to her political opponent...
In fact, the punishment of exile is equivalent to the death penalty in the cold winter of Beloberg. It is the most primitive, cruel, and the most incompatible with the concept of conservation. Exiling more than 700 people in one breath shows Cocolia's determination to resist external pressure... or she has become anxious.
Since the blockade was established this morning, a steady stream of opponents have been thrown out of the city. Some of the more unlucky ones were taken away from the eastern parish. Most of those people were unlikely to be as lucky as them to be rescued immediately by the opposition...
"Pei, Pera, intelligence officer... there is another group of exiled people who left the city from the east. We should be able to catch up with them now."
Even though he was freezing, the newspaper editor still pleaded before Manya could speak: "Can you please save them? As long as they survive, they should be able to do something for you..."
"Don't worry, there are already rangers over there going to search and rescue." Pella immediately comforted her.
Although there are only two troops stationed in the city, the defense lines outside the city have been riddled with holes by the underground fire. Thanks to the elite troops walking on the road of destiny, they can stride forward in the snowy night.
Just as she was about to ask Manya, her fairly familiar colleague, what she had done wrong, Xier rushed into the shabby room with a few traces of melted snow hanging above her head.
"Perla, you'd better come to the church after this talk."
"Church? Are you having trouble accommodating people?"
"Not yet, but it's hard to control the fugitives and exiles together, and many of them are clamoring to join you... ahem, join Bronya's Iron Guard. There are too many of them, more than 3,000 scattered around in two gathering points. It's hard to tell just over the public channel, so I brought you a preliminary statistical list."
The list she handed to Pera was so dense that it could make a trypophobic person faint on the spot - but she let out a long breath, as if she was getting more and more excited. Her legs under her hot pants were steaming with white mist, and she looked full of heat, and she didn't have any sequelae from staying up late at all:
"Why is there a sudden sale? There are even guards among the exiles."
Cocolia's "letting go" is puzzling. Even if it is to streamline the team and catch the traitor, it should not be done when the defense line is just established.
The border is blocked only by barbed wire, but no high walls... Seele is eager to try, and wants to persuade Bronya to send troops overnight to capture Castle K in one fell swoop.
"Is this the star core exerting its power again?"
"I think this is a signal from Cocolia to us after she regained her sanity for a short time."
While she was getting excited, Paimon's cute voice and Sora's serious analysis were heard from outside the door.
The three of them, along with the black tower with a Sima face, blocked Xier who was about to jump for the pressed duck.
"Why are you still awake at this time? Why don't you go to accompany your new wife?" Xier was somewhat happy about Kong's unexpected and responsible return, but she couldn't help but speak angrily.
"Isn't this because I'm worried about you?"
Sora opened his backpack and motioned for Paimon to get in to keep warm or take a nap. He then half-jokingly pushed Seele back inside and said, "Don't rush to mobilize troops. I think these refugees are the gift packs she gave us after she regained consciousness."
284. Open the door! Check the abundance!
This is not the first day that Cocolia has behaved in such a strange, schizophrenic manner.
The exile order was not simply a product of eliminating dissidents - if the star core was still dominating her consciousness, she would definitely not have made the decision to "let people go" before the war.
What was lost was not only the reserve troops, but also the morale of the people in the area under her jurisdiction. She seemed to want to convey a message to her daughter... These people are given to you by your mother. While I am still clear-headed, send out as many people who can be used as possible.
After carefully checking the personnel composition of this group of exiles, he found that they included warriors, high-level intellectuals, and information transmitters. None of them were ordinary citizens. If he were Cocolia... no, if he were the Star Core, he would never let these people run around even if he let them rot in the territory.
If the ultimate goal of the Star Core is to lead Beloberg to destruction, then now that it has lost the credibility of its possessor, what it should do is to ensure that the balance of power between the two sides is not unbalanced, so as to consume the population to the greatest extent in the civil war and pave the way for its Rift Army...
Wait...imbalance?
Kong wasn't sure if Hu was behind this again.
But some things have changed subtly, changing the balance of power between the two sides. Yesterday, they weakened the power here, not wanting Nata to obtain the drug formula. Today, Cocolia suddenly sent someone over as if she cared about her daughter...
Or had Abundance driven the core out of the Great Guardian's mind for a while, buying her a moment of lucidity? Had the Arbiter reached Beloberg?
It is really hard to understand these elusive believers.
The abundant attention Nata received was not enough to turn the tide of the battle, and it needed time to develop, Mystique was being dragged down by memories, but if Henge sided with the opposition this time and made a balancing move in their favor, it would be fair to say that the hidden power held by the Star Core was far more than what Sora had seen in the simulated universe.
"It can't be that Cocolia's spirit has spontaneously overcome the control of the star core..."
"WTF?"
"Nothing. Xier, how is the investigation of Everwinter Ridge going?" The traveler stopped speculating and asked Xier about the progress of the work.
In addition to ensuring the safety of the goods, Xier also has to liaise with the rangers these days. It's totally fine that she says she's too busy to take care of her personal feelings.
Therefore, Nata couldn't make any additional arrangements for her - she seemed to be sulking on the surface, but privately she didn't bring too much resentment into her work.
As Pella was asking about the well-being of the exiles, Sora couldn't get a word in for the time being. Instead, after leaving the Black Tower, Sora had a chance to be alone with Seele... He might as well take this as a chance to encourage her.
In the workplace, if there are beautiful women coming in and out of the office frequently, it will immediately improve the work efficiency of men. In a sense, Kong is well aware of this.
...Of course, he positions himself as a "career beauty" rather than a male white-collar worker.
In fact, he also used the same routine when dealing with Bronya, but compared to those who only showed her but didn't give her any treats, he would give her some sweet treats depending on the situation.
"I didn't see any large robots you mentioned. The people of the Seventh Garrison are keeping a close eye on that area. If we want to go deeper, we must fight them forcefully."
The lemongrass fragrance specially supplied by Rhodes Island makes the overall smell of Sora similar to that of Holhaiya, but more enthusiastic than that of the snake girl. There is also a strange spice smell mixed in it, which seems to be newly added today...
Xier, who had a sensitive nose, thought that it was probably the smell of Kama.
Xier couldn't tell if it was because Sora was exercising more, so the smell was evaporating more frequently... This made her face slightly red and a little depressed - when she was out on the reconnaissance, Sora was still kissing and kissing other women on the train. She felt like a worker ant in an ant nest, doing the hardest work and eating the least...
"The Seventh Guards Regiment is still unwilling to join the opposition?"
"They don't want to fight with Kburg, and they certainly don't want to fight with Jeppard, so they stay out of it completely... My advice is not to force them to Kokolia."
Although the suggestion was serious, Kong could still see the awkwardness on Seele's face. Recalling Eula's accusations against him for "playing with the feelings of a little girl", he hesitated for a moment and decided to give Seele a chance.
"Let's go together tomorrow. It doesn't matter whether we convince the Seventh Regiment or not. The main thing is to infiltrate so that we can have someone to look after us. That area is really important for any battles that may break out in the future."
"Aren't you staying in the rear to accompany our Lord Commander?" Xier's emotions suddenly became intense, and her expression changed like turning pages of a book.
"What are you talking about... What do you mean by accompanying or not? If the front line is short of fighters, I must go. If that thing wakes up, the ranger won't be able to deal with it."
Kong immediately put on a dead look and said, "...We should bring another capable fighter just in case."
"Oh, a new wife huh... I'm used to it."
Xier's expression changed several times, and it was very similar to the sour face she had when Kong first met her.
"I thought you were going to take me to a quiet and deserted corner of Everwinter Ridge to do something."
"Ah?" Both Sora and Paimon were speechless by Seele's straightforwardness.
"Why, do you think I was too explicit? If I wasn't looking forward to this, I wouldn't bother making another trip."
Xi'er actually stepped forward and pounded Kong's thick chest muscles, as if she regretted that such perfect meat could not become her customized pillow:
"I've made up my mind this time. The more Nata doesn't want me to mess around with you, the more I'm going to show her. I'm not an obedient girl to begin with. When did she start to have the illusion that I would definitely listen to her?"
"You are angry with her..."
"At least I didn't cause trouble for her during work hours, which is already giving her face."
Xier's sullen face faded away, revealing a playful smile.
She seemed very proud of taking this step of "resisting Nata": "You shouldn't hate me, right? And I've done so much for you, you should reward me in another way - I guess you're already familiar with it, right?"
"We are still in a standoff period... Is it really okay?"
Xier had already said this, and Kong felt that there was no need for him to be reserved.
Kong had accepted this kind of overly alternative date invitation before. It gave him a thrill similar to that of eloping - but he had to choose the right location so as not to leave any psychological trauma on the girl.