![[Silver Ash] - Become The Strongest In Another World](https://pub-808a39b4257a4970ba241a999948d404.r2.dev/-silver-ash----become-the-strongest-in-another-world.webp)
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"Livia, you need to get out now."
"No way."
"Come on, when are you going to hide there? "
"According to Noelle, because who am I doing this for? "
" … Me? "
"Fright."
Noelle let out a tired sigh as she looked at Olivia wrapped in a blanket on her bed, showing absolutely no sign of moving.
Some time has passed since 'the incident', and now Chloe has given a report that everyone she called before has gathered in the living room.
Noelle wants to go see them as soon as possible, but she is blocked by Olivia who is completely unwilling to get off her bed.
Realizing that things are not going well, Noelle can only make one choice.
Noelle walked up to Olivia, and forcefully pulled her blanket.
The blanket wrapped around Olivia's body instantly lifted, and Olivia's body that only used a crumpled gray sweater was plastered very clearly.
The black skirt and stockings he had used before had come off, and were now just lying on the floor.
Olivia raised her flushed face and looked at Noelle in annoyance.
"No need to look at me like that. Fix your appearance and hurry to the living room, everyone is waiting."
Olivia did not answer him, and simply turned her face away in annoyance.
Although he wanted to be angry at Noelle, he could not do so. That was because part of this matter was his own fault.
She was not sensitive enough to not notice the anxiety Noelle had all day, so she finally showed her thoughts in another way.
Therefore, Olivia had no right to be angry with Noelle. He was just a little annoyed that Noelle did not say what he was thinking directly.
Although usually very blatant.
" … I'm sorry, I think I'm overdoing it."
Noelle let out a sigh of resignation and again covered Olivia's body with the blanket.
"I'll go out first to meet them, you can catch up when you're ready. As much as possible I won't involve you in the plans that will be there later" Noelle said as she walked away from Olivia.
The door opened, and Noelle's whereabouts disappeared completely from the room.
Olivia who was still there now raised her face, showing a grim expression.
"When this is not Noelle's fault .. Stupid."
...****************...
"So? Why are you gathering us here? "
Rico warily asked Noelle, while everyone in his group was silent, leaving the matter of this discussion to a single Rico.
Noelle was a little confused when she saw Rico talking to her. Previously, he had expected that at least Norman or Kaira would be an important part of this discussion, but it seemed that the two of them were not here at all now.
Everyone from the group of princes had already gathered right in the living room of Noelle's house. All but the figure of the prince himself, and two others.
Those two people were Kaira and Iris who went out of nowhere.
"If you're looking for Norman, Kaira and Iris, they're currently on Celle to give a more detailed account of what happened before. They are also examining Dyland" Rico said as if reading Noelle's mind perfectly.
"When did they come back? "
If they would not return within at least two days, it would put Noelle in trouble.
"They left by teleportation yesterday, so they should be back here soon tonight, or tomorrow."
"So, yes ... Then, I just need to explain it to you guys, and you'll give them the details later? Can we do it like that? "
"Depends on what you want to talk about."
Rico crossed his arms, and looked at Noelle firmly as if giving her an affirmation.
Noelle responded by simply shrugging her shoulders.
"Well, whatever I'm going to tell you later, at least one of you will definitely pass this information to the prince."
"And? Can you tell us immediately about the reason why you called us all here? "
Noelle crossed her legs, and stared at everyone there with eyes that seemed to scan to the deepest part.
"It's all about Cryll."
"?!! "
As soon as the name Cryll was mentioned, there was a drastic change in the expression of one of the people there.
It was Stella whose whereabouts disappeared out of nowhere as the assault progressed.
Stella widened her eyes in surprise, and immediately flinched.
"Cryll's! Is she okay?! "
Worries were evident on his face as he tried to get reassurance from Noelle. Despite that, Noelle did not move her expression at all, and continued.
"He's fine. At least he won't be killed by them."
"Wait there, Noelle. What did you just mean? Who's this 'them' you just talked about? "
Rico raised his hand and interrupted the conversation, making Noelle stare confusedly at him.
"Don't look at me in such wonder, okay? It's only natural that I don't know anything. We have almost no information about what's really going on in this city."
After Rico said it, it all made sense.
Only the people in Noelle's group were invited to the Earl's room to check on the threat message given by the enemy group. It was only natural that Rico or even everyone in the princely group had absolutely no information about it.
(Do I really have to explain it from there? I hope not. Yahh, at least the prince is not here now.)
It would be more troublesome if Norman was there right now.
That was because, the information that Noelle would reveal after this would definitely shake her greatly, and make her naturally become hostile towards Noelle.
With a tired sigh for the second time, Noelle began to explain everything that happened.
Starting with a wreck investigation mission, a threat message from Nuko containing a video of Cryll being held captive, and the reason that is likely to be a trigger in the attack carried out by enemy groups.
Upon hearing that, Rico tightened his fist, and hit the table firmly.
"Omong empty! If you have such information since the beginning–"
"You expect us to tell you about this information? Don't be so hopeful. We didn't believe it ourselves at the time. And our act of keeping secret the threat message Nuko gave us was critical to preventing public panic."
Before Rico finished his sentence, Noelle had already interrupted him while looking at him with lifeless eyes.
"Although so–"
"Even if I or at least anyone who knew the information told you, what would you do? Are you able to create a countermeasure plan to repel the invaders and the huge wave of monsters from the underworld? Don't expect too much because it feels so painful."
Rico did not answer anymore. He knew that what Noelle said was true.
Even if he or at least anyone among the people in his group found out about that information, none of them could create a countermeasure plan.
The only thing they could do was probably to speed up the evacuation process, and strengthen themselves to deal with the upcoming wave of monsters.
Most of the reincarnators in the princely group did have great abilities in combat. But, just that alone would certainly not be enough to stop the attack.
In that night's battle, something very ironic even happened. A Knight of the Round like Lucius must lower his pride in the presence of a group of alien villains named Asterisk whose own origins are still even gray.
"Even so, if you tell us about it, we can make further actions to minimize the casualties! "
What Rico said was true, but he himself should have known otherwise it would have no effect in front of Noelle.
"Indeed, how many people were killed in the incident? "
"Itu–"
Rico could not answer. It was because he knew how many people had died in the incident.
The death toll was 'zero'.
By including all those who were subjected to the detonation by the enemy group, there were absolutely no casualties among the civilians.
Almost all of the victims were from foreign groups such as the dark population, and soldiers who were escorting in some important places.
Other than that, there were no deaths at all.
Knowing that alone is enough to make Rico's exit completely blocked.
Although not as bad as Noelle, Rico is actually not so concerned with the circumstances of others, as long as the people closest to him can live safely.
He realized that, and inevitably agreed to what Noelle had said before.
The good side is that there are absolutely no casualties among the population.
Rico bites his lower lip, and gives instructions to everyone in his group.
"You guys, don't tell Norman about this. He would definitely not stay silent if he came to know all these things."
They all nodded in agreement, agreeing with what Rico said.
Although it would be easier for him if he let Norman take care of everything, Rico did not want to bother with the problems that would come after.
"In that case, we can take care of this matter later. You better be clear about what happened to Cryll, Noelle."
Rico looked at Noelle with affirmation, as if he would not let her run away.
Well, Noelle had absolutely no intention of running away from this. It was already his intention to tell everyone about the information he got.
Noelle nodded.
"It's good if it's done quickly. I'd like to discuss something related to Cryll. Can I borrow your powers to save him? "
What Noelle said was enough to shock everyone.
Before, Noelle had shown absolutely no sign of caring for him. And now, he's hoping that at least Rico and the others will help him save Cryll.
"I know what you're thinking, and it's not like that."
Noelle waved her hand in annoyance, trying to get rid of the negative thoughts everyone had towards her.
"Of course I want to save him, but I want to make preparations as mature as possible so that there will be no mistakes. But, it would seem to be a very troublesome matter if I stall for longer than this."
"Whatchu mean? "
Rico raised one eyebrow, questioning what Noelle had said just now.
"Yahh, you know–"
Just before Noelle finished her sentence, the door leading to Noelle's room opened, featuring the figure of Olivia with a little girl holding her hand.
All eyes were on the two of them, or rather on the little girl holding Olivia's hand.
Perhaps out of fear, or whatever it was, Levina started hiding behind Olivia when she felt many gazes pointing at her.
Olivia stroked her head gently, and slowly made her show herself.
The two of them then walked towards the sofa where everyone was sitting, and naturally took the spot right beside Noelle.
Noelle shockedly looked at Olivia for a moment, and Olivia replied with only a puzzled look accompanied by a tilting motion of her head.
Previously, he had thought that Olivia would not leave the room at least until all this talk was over.
But Olivia had recovered herself much faster than Noelle thought.
For a moment, Noelle wanted to stop all the talking and focus on Olivia, but apparently she didn't have time for it.
"Well, back to the conversation."
"Wait a minute, Noelle. How are you going to explain that little girl? He's the guy Nix Regina called Archon, right? Why is he with you now? "
It's only natural that Rico asks that. Everyone in Eisen was still worried about an attack that would most likely come again in the future, and one of the disasters they were worried about was Archon.
Rico's eyes narrowed, looking at Levina who was still confused and unable to understand the situation.
Noelle returned Rico's gaze by blocking his sight of Levina, and gave a threatening look at Rico.
"He had nothing to do with all the previous attacks. Don't involve him. Besides, what I want to discuss here is about Cryll's rescue plan, you shouldn't bring any other topics into this conversation."
As much as possible Noelle wanted to avoid the topic of Archon and Levina, but it seemed impossible to do considering that all the events were still fresh in everyone's memory.
In order to avoid that topic, Noelle could only forcefully shift the conversation, and get everyone to refocus with their main discussion.
"As I said earlier. It'd be more dangerous for me if we didn't save Cryll right away. If you don't understand what I mean, then I'll explain."
Noelle narrowed her eyes, and made the air in the room become heavier, so everyone inevitably became focused on listening to her.
"I hate to say it, but I know that bastard more than I want to. He must have done something to cover a dangerous path for her. And after I investigated it a little, I finally knew what he had done."
"And? Whatisit? " ask Rico.
Noelle smiled, and replied, "He must have made everyone on the enemy side fooled by the identity of the person they were holding hostage."
"Whatchu mean? "
So far, Rico still doesn't understand what he means. Although Noelle should have said it as clearly as possible.
But it didn't matter, Noelle was in a good enough mood that she was willing to explain it at length.
"In an emergency situation, Cryll will definitely never get people close to him involved in a problem. And this time, the situation was exactly the same as the one I just described. She's taken hostage, and she definitely doesn't want to get the person closest to her, Stella to get involved with this, does she? "
" … That's right."
If Rico thought about it any further, what Noelle had just said was indeed true.
Whether it is good or bad, Noelle and Cryll bear a lot of resemblance in almost every aspect.
They both do not care much about the situation of others, but instead, they become very sensitive and overprotective of people close to them.
If Noelle's target of protection is Olivia, then Cryll will have Stella as the person she must protect.
That's what makes them pretty similar. Although, the two of them were not even willing to admit it.
Noelle then continued, "In this kind of situation, she would definitely not use her own name, as it could be a weapon for the enemies to weaken her. Therefore, he must have used someone's name to be profaned here. And in that case, I'm the one who grew up."
Rico's eyes widened, it was clear that he had understood the situation.
"Don't that mean–"
Just before Rico finished his sentence, Noelle interrupted with a nod, then looked at everyone seriously.
"The person currently being held hostage by the enemy is not Cryll Light, but someone by the name of Noelle Lynneheim."
As soon as Noelle said it, everyone's eyes widened in shock. No exception with Stella involved as someone who became the reason Cryll perform the action.
"So, the reason you're saying that things will get worse if we stall for longer … "
Rico glanced at Olivia who gloomily lowered her head, which Noelle then replied with just a brief nod.
"He used my name for disguise, and he indirectly got Olivia involved in this. There is no reason to remain silent. Now that the enemy is in a state of chaos, we don't know what they're going to do next."
Rico nodded in agreement, but he then looked at Noelle in confusion.
"Wait, Noelle. I understand what you mean by that. But, why didn't you tell the Earl about this? "
In this kind of situation, it would be best if they were to hand it over to the person who had the highest authority in Eisen.
If they could let the Earl act on his own, it would probably be safer. Or at least that's what Rico thinks.
Noelle let out a sigh of resignation, and looked at Rico with a disappointed look.
"When you're smart, but why haven't you noticed? Do you really still believe in that suspicious old man? "
"I can't deny that" Rico replied quickly.
Even though Rico had noticed the suspicious moves of the Earl, he could not avoid it completely.
As long as there is no definitive decision given by the parliament which has the direct approval of the king in the capital, Rico could not make any major decisions without notice or permission from the Earl who was the highest authority in Eisen.
Or at least that's what Rico thinks.
But, for the sake of whatever happened, Noelle would never want to contact the Earl and give him a report containing this information.
For the reason, you could say very simple. It was because Noelle was very suspicious of the Earl, and had never trusted him in the first place.
If he had originally told her about something like this, it would have been the same as relying on her and Olivia's safety on the enemy.
"Well, like I said before. This was a secret information that only everyone in this room knew. You're free to tell Norman about this, and I'll leave the censorship matter to you later. For now, the city should get back to the topic."
Rico nodded, waiting for Noelle to continue her words.
"Some time ago, I got information about Cryll's current location, and I've also figured out the guard structure he's in."
"Then you should have a plan, right? "
Noelle nodded, and placed a piece of paper right on the table.
"I've made a lot of plans for this operation. But, most of my plans will not be able to go without your help. That's why, I dare say that 'I need your powers' even though I hate to do it."
"Aren't you a little too honest? "
"Is that a bad thing? "
—Of course not, is what Rico wanted to tell him before he finally realized an oddity of all this.
"Wait, Noelle. I want to ask you one thing."
"Whatis that? "
Taking a breath, Rico then continued. "Based on what you told me earlier, Cryll was arrested for meeting the enemy while on a mission to investigate the ruins the Earl gave him, right? At that time, why did they choose to hold him? Although it should be easier for them to kill him right then and there? "
The Ap Rico asked might be a little rough, but it was true.
The enemy would not benefit at all from letting Cryll live, but they instead let him live as a hostage. Obviously it's weird.
In response to that, Noelle only smiled wryly.
"You already know about the case of everyone being held hostage by the enemy, don't you? "
"? was?Yeah ... It's about a dark resident whose head gets blown up every few hours, right? "
"That's right. Even though the enemy has a huge number of hostages in the city, why would they even bother to make Cryll an additional hostage? What's more, they announced it before their plan was executed. With all that, you should have guessed it, right? "
Rico's eyes narrowed, clearly unhappy with what he himself was thinking.
Noticing that, Noelle raised one corner of her lips, forming a terrible smile.
"Pay as you think. They just make it a guarantee. In short, Cryll is just a new hostage to be used when the plan they've created has failed."
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