After that, Amiya didn't see Noah for a long time.
Later, Nearl Operator, introduced by Noah, joined Rhodes Island with the Apostle Squad, becoming a cornerstone of Rhodes Island. It was said that Nearl Operator and Noah had a very good relationship, and Amiya often came over to inquire about Noah.
Whenever Noah was mentioned, Nearl's expression would suddenly soften. According to Nearl, her relationship with Noah was not good at first. Noah's favorite aunt, Yolanta, was her mother, and at that time, in Noah's eyes, she was like someone who had stolen her aunt. Although her mother had no intention of neglecting Noah, she almost treated Noah as her third child.
But Noah herself was quite awkward at the time; she didn't like playing with her and would even throw stones at her... although her aim was always off, only landing at her feet.
Later, Margaret learned that Noah was an archer; it was impossible for her to miss when throwing stones. She was simply subtly protesting that Margaret had taken her mother. But even when protesting, she didn't want to hurt her, perhaps fearing that Aunt Yolanta would be sad. In any case, Nearl at the time only felt that Noah was a quiet, somewhat lonely child.
Yolanta later told Margaret that Noah's parents had left Kazimierz when she was very young and had since disappeared. She was practically raised by her grandfather and Yolanta, so she was very attached to Yolanta, and her hostility towards Margaret probably stemmed from this.
However, Margaret didn't dislike this cousin. Margaret was only a few months older than her, so they were essentially the same age. With Margaret's proactive approach, Noah gradually began to be willing to talk to her. However, the real turning point in their relationship... probably still originated from that kidnapping case that almost changed her destiny.
At that time, both were children, and Margaret was far from having her current level of strength, so she was directly ambushed and knocked out by the kidnappers. But Noah was not knocked out immediately, probably because Noah had already learned some techniques about identifying positions by sound and certain self-defense methods from Yolanta. She actually, as a child, managed to knock down one of the bandits.
Margaret didn't see that scene, but she could imagine Noah desperately snatching Margaret from the bandits' hands and then running away alone...
It seemed to have rained heavily at the time. Little Noah, with wounds on her body from the bandits' weapons, carried Margaret and ran for an unknown distance. According to Yolanta's later description, Noah was stabbed in her lower back with a dagger and had knife wounds all over her body. According to the physique of an average child, she should have collapsed long ago. But Noah broke through the encirclement, carrying the unconscious Margaret for several miles. Coupled with the heavy rain, the bandits had difficulty tracking them, and they narrowly escaped.
Later, when the Lingguang Family and Kielanlet discovered the two missing, they found Noah and Margaret embracing each other. Noah was covered in wounds, burning with a high fever. The two children were hiding in a small cave, completely drenched, with bright red bloodstains spreading on their clothes.
After examination... all the bandits' weapons at the time were contaminated with Stone source art dust...
Noah, who did not receive immediate intervention after being injured, unsurprisingly became an Oripathy patient...
And Margaret, who was knocked out first, ironically escaped unharmed. Margaret later asked Noah why she fought so desperately.
What she said at the time, Margaret can hardly forget to this day.
"I don't have parents. Aunt Yolanta is my mother. Although I don't like you taking Aunt Yolanta away, I even more don't want Aunt Yolanta to lose her true daughter... Whether a mother loses a child or a child loses a mother, it must be equally sad and lonely."
From that day on, Margaret's feelings for Noah completely changed...
It wasn't until Noah went to Rhodes Island for treatment that they separated, and then, due to a series of coincidences, they have not seen each other again to this day.
Although they still kept in touch, Margaret still hoped to see Noah's face again. In her memory, the girl who carried her and ran for several miles now needed her, so she would protect her without hesitation. Her feelings for Noah were mixed with kinship, guilt, and a certain survivor's guilt. She wished so much that it had been herself who had stepped forward at that time. As a Knight, as a member of the Lingguang Family, she hadn't even protected those around her.
The Kielanlet family motto: Purity, Perseverance, Dedication, Sacrifice.
Noah, at a young age, had already achieved all of this, and at a great cost. In Margaret's heart, although Noah has never been called a Knight to this day, she is the true Knight. She is her role model and the person she reveres.
She even felt that if Noah hadn't gotten sick back then, her own championship might have been debatable...
After all, Noah, as a child, knocked down a bandit and even broke through the encirclement with her, which was truly astonishing. It's hard to imagine how Noah managed to do that back then, but at least Noah at that time was indeed much stronger than Margaret.
So, Amiya could understand Margaret's current reaction. In fact, as a friend, Amiya now also wanted to rush to her side, but this was impossible. She couldn't abandon Rhodes Island to aid Noah, who was far away in Kazimierz. However, at least she could apply to the Doctor to send Margaret, and even the entire Apostle Squad, to Kazimierz. Before Margaret could say anything, Amiya directly nodded in agreement.
"Nearl Operator, you go get your gear ready first. I'll talk to the Doctor. You can depart first; the Doctor and I should arrive shortly after."
Amiya gave a thumbs-up; she perfectly understood Margaret's feelings right now.
"Not just you, I'll also submit the deployment request for the Apostle Squad to the Doctor. You can all depart first and use Rhodes Island's vehicles directly. I'll handle all the paperwork."
"Thank you, Amiya." Margaret nodded and clicked her headset to contact Shining and Nightingale. After the two arrived, she didn't delay for a moment, directly getting into the driver's seat and, with the two members of the Apostle Squad, drove straight out of Rhodes Island's hangar. Although this was using island equipment without prior application, with Amiya, the leader of Rhodes Island, giving her approval, the hangar personnel directly opened the gates, allowing the off-road vehicle carrying the Apostle Squad to drive out of Rhodes Island unimpeded, speeding towards Kazimierz.
Although they would definitely miss the melee – Margaret just wanted to get to Noah and Maria as quickly as possible, the sooner the better.
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