Arknights: Mobile City

"Then, Your Majesty, our deal is concluded. Energy and food supplies. If you have no objections, our agreement will officially stand."

In the Imperial Palace of Yan, Heal spoke softly, snapping True Lung from his thoughtful silence. He nodded gently, prompting a court official to swiftly present a document.

With that, the contract was sealed.

Heal turned gracefully, waved a casual goodbye, and walked down the steps. Only as she reached the doorway did her voice drift back into the hall:

"About the Sui fragments and the Sui Xiang... If Your Majesty remains interested in the future, perhaps fate will lead us to another trade."

Leaving those words behind, Heal disappeared from view, leaving True Lung alone in the hall, his eyes still thoughtful.

His business with Heal was now complete. Earlier, he'd expanded the deal to include grain supplies—a minor issue, considering Yan's abundant recent harvests that left plenty for export.

Yet True Lung's primary concern was Heal's attitude toward the Sui Xiang.

That day at Yu Wei Residence, what had Heal truly intended with her remarks?

He had posed the question directly—and found her response satisfactorily frank.

"Oh? That? Naturally, because I—and The City—stand to gain considerably."

That much was enough.

Satisfied, True Lung glanced down at the chessboard before him. With a quiet sigh, he finally placed a piece deliberately onto the board.

"Heh… The City, huh?"

"This truly grows beyond mere amusement…"

---

Meanwhile, in Kazimierz, this season's Knight Tournament had come to an end.

The Radiant Knight had emerged champion in a near-overwhelming victory.

She vividly remembered the kind stranger who'd delivered a potion to her before the final battle—undoubtedly someone wealthy, considering the potion's exceptional quality. Nearl kept this act of kindness close to her heart.

Soon after, her gratitude fresh, she left Kazimierz and set out into the wilderness.

Truthfully, it was exile.

Yet, she held no regrets.

As she wandered the wildlands, Nearl slowly built a campfire, roasting meat and wrestling with complicated thoughts about her future.

Eventually, she simply sighed quietly to herself.

"My apologies, miss, but it seems I must interrupt your thoughts."

A sudden voice called from nearby, jolting Nearl from her musings. She whipped around toward the synthesized electronic voice, spotting Pioneer standing calmly some distance away.

"It was I who delivered that potion to you during the finals."

"You…?"

Nearl's mouth hung open slightly, caught off guard. But she quickly recomposed herself.

"You look lost, as though unsure of your path," Pioneer continued matter-of-factly before Nearl could respond.

Nearl froze at the blunt assessment.

Pioneer chuckled softly.

"If you don't yet have a destination, The City might be worth considering. It does not discriminate against the Infected and welcomes all who arrive."

A city that accepts the Infected…?

Nearl wanted to ask more, but Pioneer abruptly vanished before her eyes, leaving only a note behind with directions to The City.

She stared at it blankly for a moment before carefully putting it away.

"The City, huh…"

"Well, visiting wouldn't hurt."

---

Centaurea felt her life couldn't get much worse.

Never mind the fiasco with Pioneer—she'd nearly lost her life tracking him. And now, because Pioneer had abruptly vanished from her watch, Grand Knight Iwona had personally reprimanded her.

What could Centaurea even say? Iwona was her boss.

All she could do was silently endure the woes of a poor wage-slave.

Now, staring down at her latest assignment from Iwona, Centaurea felt utterly miserable.

[Proceed to the City and thoroughly report its internal situation.]

With a heavy sigh, Centaurea raised her eyes toward the endless expanse of wilderness ahead, resignedly trudging forward.

Sigh… At least the destination is clear—The City.

---

With that, all loose ends were practically tied up.

In his cabin within The City, Obsidian slowly paced, mentally ticking off recent accomplishments.

These past two days, he'd been occupied wrapping up final affairs.

The deal with Yan was officially sealed; energy and food were already en route. Everything desired from Kazimierz was secured—even Radiant Knight Nearl was neatly picked up by Pioneer at the last moment.

Heal and Pioneer were currently making their way back to The City, while Hai had smoothly taken charge of the Hana Association.

Obsidian had checked in recently and found the Hana Association already boasting over a dozen members, with Hai organizing specialized departments. Five Fixer Offices were established throughout The City, with registered Fixers numbering more than four hundred.

"Time to set up the Second Association soon… I'll leave its management entirely to The City's residents themselves."

After some thought, Obsidian made this quiet decision.

A single Hana Association under his control was sufficient—it held authority over the other Associations and had the strength to enforce it.

He'd loosely modeled the Fixer and commission ranking systems after those from the original City. Currently, Hai stood solidly in the mid-First Grade—already the strongest Fixer citywide.

As for the vast majority, most Fixers remained below Fifth Grade. Third- and Fourth-Grade Fixers were sparse, and the Association's critical Second Grade members—the backbone of Branches One and Two—were entirely absent.

Yet he was confident that would change soon enough.

After Hai wrapped up his current tasks, Obsidian would dedicate himself entirely to preparing for Don Quixote.

As Obsidian quietly pondered these things, a sudden signal interrupted his thoughts, causing him to pause in surprise.

It was Texas contacting him—a letter had arrived at The City Head's office.

He'd established a channel for direct letters to the Head earlier, though it had seldom been used. Texas sending one was unprecedented.

His curiosity immediately piqued, Obsidian accepted and opened the letter. Reading the very first line made him frown deeply.

[A new City region discovered. Please contact immediately upon seeing this.]

A new… region?