When the sound of footsteps disappeared, Uther climbed up with a grumble. While boarding the ship, her broad-range perception detected an unusually large number of humans inside the cabin, most of whom were children. To investigate further, Uther deliberately followed Joseph Brown's path. She was locked in a small cage, just enough for her to sit. On her side, there was a row of cages filled with girls of various ages, ranging from dark-skinned Mohsians to fair-skinned Snowlanders, all accounted for. The timid girls looked over at Uther, who waved friendly at them, only to realize that her hands and feet were chained with iron shackles.

"This slave trader has quite the preference," Uther rattled the chains, "Is he a supplier exclusively for lolicon enthusiasts? I heard there are many nobles in the Empire who enjoy this."

Upon hearing her words, the slave girls let out fearful groans.

"Don't worry, you won't be sold." Uther snapped her fingers, and the handcuffs and shackles instantly rusted away. She had set the activation condition for inherent magic style "Decay of All Things" as a snap of her fingers—just a minor experiment, but it turned out to be quite successful. If only Uther had more mental power, the sixth-tier magic style would have destroyed not only the cage, but also the entire ship.

A single action or a snap of the fingers could activate inherent magic styles, which was quite useful when one couldn't make a sound.

Shaking off the rust from her body, Uther stepped out of the cage. The cage continued to decay behind her, eventually turning into debris. Opening the door leading to the upper deck, she was greeted by a muscular man with dark skin. Their eyes met, and the man let out a surprised grunt. Although Uther had already sensed the presence of the guard before opening the door, she didn't regard him highly.

"Hey, handsome," she raised her right hand to greet the guard, "Where's the restroom?"

The guard pointed to a room on the left with his finger but suddenly felt that something was off. Before he could figure out what it was, Uther's karate chop knocked him out.

"Quite an efficient move," Uther flicked her hand, "Though this guy's head is really tough."

(Definitely! I can combine body strengthening with petrified skin next time.)

"Good suggestion, accepted."

Uther continued walking forward, her broad-range perception sensing the human activity in a cabin ahead. She cautiously and agilely avoided the slaves, moving through undisturbed. Almost all the slaves on board were muscular dark-skinned men, which made Uther admire the slave trader's unique taste. Not just muscular men, but all of them were black... Broad-range perception was really useful, Uther couldn't help but feel proud, although her moments of pride always led to trouble. Just then, a cabin door suddenly opened, and two men dressed as mercenaries walked out.

So, there are normal people on this ship? Uther stared at the two mercenaries, who stared back at her.

"A little girl? Could it be that a slave escaped?" one of the mercenaries said, "It's better to inform the captain."

"Come here, little girl," the older mercenary approached Uther, "Don't be afraid, Uncle won't harm you."

Hey uncle, your appearance is just like a child kidnapper, okay?

These mercenaries were different from the slaves, Uther became serious. Without warning, she kicked the crotch of the mercenary who reached out for her. He immediately fell to the ground clutching his crotch, and as a former man, Uther knew just how painful that kick was.

"Roth!" his companion drew a gun, but Uther was one step ahead, climbing the stairs. With her body strengthened, she was as fast as lightning and the mercenaries didn't even have time to aim.

"So fast! Is that really a child?"

"My balls are crushed! Avenge me, John..."

"Roth, hold on! Medic—!"

Uther wasn't in the mood to watch the bromance between the two gay guys. She quickly climbed onto the deck, swiftly avoiding the black muscular men's encirclement. Her goal was only one: the Magic Armor parked at the stern. Might as well seize this ship, that's been her plan since swallowing the **.

The slaves on the deck dropped their work and reached out to Uther with open arms, but in her enhanced dynamic vision, they seemed like they were in slow motion. Uther skillfully evaded the surrounding black muscular men and jumped onto the stern deck. At the same time, the mercenaries also rushed onto the deck, not hesitating to open fire.This is a correct judgment, but unfortunately it is too late.

Uther jumped into the cockpit, quickly closed the cabin door, fastened her seatbelt at the fastest speed, and then infused magic into the Spirit Seed Furnace. The steel giant, standing over three meters tall, stood up, causing the slaves to step back.

"What are you waiting for!" Joseph shouted loudly on the bridge, "Pull that dead girl out of there."

"Dead girl?" Uther's temples bulged with veins, "Who are you referring to?"

Magic Armor raised its right arm and fired a short burst from the 12mm machine gun, but missed due to the angle. Joseph immediately fled into the compass bridge. Uther shrugged off the black strong men who pounced on her. The collars on their necks emitted a green light, controlling their thoughts. It turned out that the collars of the slaves were also a kind of magic mechanism, preventing them from disobeying their master's commands and forcing them to obey. Unable to stay on the deck, Uther unfolded her wings and the Magic Armor took off, flying a circle around the Adventurer. But she saw four Magic Armors taking off from the cargo bay below the ship, approaching menacingly.

When Uther kicked the hired mercenary's groin just now, she noticed the magic circuit tattooed on his arm. Unexpectedly, the opponent really had a Magic Armor. Could it be that all slave traders are so financially capable? The four Magic Armors formed two pairs, flanking left and right. Uther recognized their models - "Guardian", the previous generation main model of the Empire. The one with three antennas behind it was obviously the captain's machine.

Uther quickly gained altitude. The Night Owl had a better climbing rate than the heavily armored "Guardian", and combined with her huge magic output, the Spirit Seed Furnace was roaring. Instantly gaining the advantage in altitude, Uther flipped her machine and started diving, swooping down on the target in low altitude like an eagle. She aimed at the captain's machine which was performing a zigzag evasion maneuver. Bang bang bang, three bursts of gunfire. The first two bursts missed, but the third burst hit the target. The captain's machine's stabilizer was blown off, and the Spirit Seed Furnace emitted black smoke, tilting and falling into the Sea of Emptiness.

"I took the first drop of blood!" Uther declared over the public channel. "Uther Norneim of Fort Hurricane 113th Squadron is here. Come and fight if you dare!"

She chased after the Guardian without its leader, closely following it. At the moment when the enemy plane turned and tried to escape at a large angle, Uther fired a string of bullets to shoot it down. Before she could shout in victory, the magazine on her machine gun clicked and flew out automatically, and the gun stopped at the position where it hung empty.

No way, no more bullets!

Two streams of fire flew past the Night Owl Command Type, and Uther managed to evade her opponent's aim at the last moment. Two enemy planes chased after her from behind. Although Uther still had the advantage in speed and altitude, she could not shoot down the enemy planes without bullets. Just then, she suddenly noticed that the Spirit Seed Furnace was not functioning normally. With a bang, the machine violently shook. Uther glanced at the rearview mirror, and her Spirit Seed Furnace was smoking.

Dropping the chain at a critical moment, it seems that regular maintenance is indeed important.

"Damn it, is this the end?" Uther activated the flight magic formula, preparing to escape. Although she was reluctant to leave behind the Magic Armor that had accompanied her for many years, she would definitely be shot down if she continued like this.

"Hold on, brother, reinforcements are here!"

A familiar voice came from the Federation military channel. Rows of bullets came from above, blasting the enemy planes chasing closely behind Uther in mid-air. A figure flew by, and with Uther's superhuman dynamic vision, she instantly confirmed the target - it was the Empire's Magic Armor "Iron Rider". How could the Empire's military be here? And they were even using the Federation's communication frequency. Moreover, why did that voice sound so familiar?

The Spirit Seed Furnace exploded again, emitting even more smoke, and the machine began to fall. Uther tried to glide using the flight wings, but the altitude continued to decline. Suddenly, a mechanical arm grabbed the handle above the Spirit Seed Furnace and forcefully lifted her armor up."What are you? And where did this Magic Armor come from?" The driver of the Iron Steed said, "If you don't answer, I'll knock you down according to the rules of engagement."

"Captain Hadley?" Uther finally remembered who the owner of the voice was.

With a snap, the helmet of the Iron Steed lifted up, revealing a bald head with no hair at all. Who could it be if not Hadley? But he had neatly trimmed his beard, and his uniform had been changed to the style of the Empire army.

"Open your helmet!" The machine gun moved over, "Let me see your face, pilot."

Uther regretted it. If she had known, she would have played dumb. She took a deep breath and opened the helmet. The cold wind blew away her light brown hair. Uther stared at Hadley through the flying strands of hair.

"A... a little girl?"

"That's quite impolite to say," Uther flicked her hair away from her face, "But this Magic Armor is important to me. Its Spirit Seed Furnace is malfunctioning. Please don't throw it away."

"Fine," Hadley nodded, "But first, drop your gun."

Uther nodded, and the Night Owl released its mechanical hand. The 12mm machine gun started to spin and disappeared beneath the clouds of the Sea of Emptiness. Hadley then closed his helmet and flew the Iron Steed, carrying the grounded Night Owl northward. It was only then that Uther noticed an Empire destroyer, just 20 kilometers away, that had come very close while she was focused on the battle.

The Empire destroyer quickly caught up with the Adventurer, the merchant ship, which, although fast, was no match for the speed of the destroyer known for its speed. Three Empire knights surrounded the Adventurer and the young girls saved by the boarding Empire marines lined up on the deck for inspection and registration.

Uther, wearing handcuffs, was escorted by two marines to the captain's room, where Hadley and another Empire army officer were waiting for her.

"Is she the pilot?" asked the officer, dressed as the captain.

"Yes, Captain," Hadley nodded, "This is quite a formidable person. I watched her battle from high above. Her control and accuracy in shooting are impeccable. If it weren't for running out of ammunition and the Spirit Seed Furnace of the Magic Armor malfunctioning, she could have easily taken down all four of those guys."

"Oh, appearances can be deceiving," the officer turned to Uther, "My name is Luke Maximilian, Empire Army Major, captain of the destroyer Swift Swallow."

"Hello, Captain," Uther bowed gently. She had intended to salute, but her hands were cuffed, "My name is Uther Nornheim, currently... a civilian."

"Wait, hold on!" Hadley interjected, "Did you say your last name is Nornheim? Let me ask you, do you happen to know someone named Carlus Nornheim?"

Uther thought for a moment and decided to play a prank on Hadley.

"Of course, I know him," she revealed a cute smile, "Carlus Nornheim happens to be my father."

Hadley seemed to have been struck hard. He was completely frozen. Seeing his shocked expression, Uther fought back her laughter, while Luke observed everything.

"You two, that's enough," Luke sighed, "For now, I don't consider Miss Nornheim a suspicious person. Guards, release her."

The marines immediately unlocked Uther's handcuffs. Luke waved his hand, and they left the captain's room.

"You little brat! You're definitely playing tricks on me!" Hadley approached, grabbing Uther's shoulder, "Carlus died at the age of 25! He was only 26 this year! He had been with seven women, and none of them got pregnant. How could he possibly have a teenage daughter?"

"I think I'm twelve years old," Uther mischievously added.

"Twelve years old, alright, even if you're twelve!" Hadley was completely confused, "26 minus 12 equals 14! My math teacher taught me that! But how could a 14-year-old kid with no hair have a child with a woman? And a beautiful girl like you?""It's better for you to ask him in person," Uther continued to make up stories.

"I saw him die with my own eyes, how am I supposed to ask him?" Hadley unintentionally increased the strength in his fingers. "He was blown apart that day by a cannon shot, and then fell into the Sea of Emptiness along with his armor... But by the way, how did you end up piloting his Magic Armor? The number on the shoulder is 401, that's right, it's his unit! That Night Owl Commando should have sunk into the Sea of Emptiness together with Carlus Noinheim!"

Uther suddenly fell silent, regretting not removing the number.

"It hurts!" she pretended to be in pain. "Uncle, my shoulder is about to dislocate..."

The ploy finally yielded results as Captain Luke walked over and struggled to pry Hadley's fingers open.

"Lieutenant, you hurt her," he said. "She's just a child, and she's just narrowly escaped death. Her memories might be confused and it's understandable that she can't answer your question." He turned to Uther. "Uther, the ship will soon be returning to Fort Hurricane. We will send you ashore, but the Magic Armor you're piloting must be confiscated."

"No!" Uther exclaimed. "That's my father's legacy!"

Luke's body trembled as if something had touched his heart. He glanced at Uther and turned to Hadley. "How badly is the Spirit Seed Furnace of that Magic Armor damaged?"

"It's in really bad shape," Hadley shrugged. "It couldn't even fly just now, so it's basically scrap."

"So it's just a pile of junk?"

"Yeah...pretty much."

"Uther Noinheim," Luke turned to Uther. "Our army has no interest in scraps, so we'll give it back to you."

"Thank you very much!" Uther bowed deeply.

Late at night, Uther slipped out of the cabin and arrived at the middle flight deck of the destroyer. The so-called flight deck was actually just a platform measuring 30 meters in length and 10 meters in width, extending from the hangar to above the rear Y turret. The steel platform had a barrier. When the Magic Armor was damaged and unable to land properly, the barrier would be raised, and the metal net between two metal poles would entangle the out of control Magic Armor to prevent damage or casualties.

Now there was no one on the flight deck. The cold wind mixed with snowflakes fell on the steel platform, turning into ice crystals in the gaps of the anti-slip patterns. The flight deck would probably be frozen tomorrow morning, right? It would be troublesome to clean up during this season. Looking towards the end of the flight deck, the slave ship was being towed behind, its navigation lights flickering in the wind and snow. Uther carefully walked on the deck, trying not to slip, and quietly entered the hangar. There was also no one in the hangar. After the mechanics had completed the repairs on the Magic Armor, they had gone to rest early. Four armored suits stood side by side on their racks like timeless guards, towering majestically. However, what Uther was looking for was not among them. In the corner of the hangar, she found her Night Owl Commando. This Magic Armor was already dilapidated, lying on the ground, and the Spirit Seed Furnace on its back was in an even worse state.

After a brief inspection, Uther decisively gave up. The core mechanism of the Spirit Seed Furnace was completely burned, and the magical steel parts inscribed with runes were scattered and shattered, while the magic circle inscribed on the rotating disk had long crumbled.

"Alas," Uther sighed, deeply and sorrowfully caressing her armor. "It seems you truly have died this time..."

"Not necessarily."

"Who is it?"

Uther turned around abruptly, only to see a bald man appearing at the top of the gangplank. Hadley, dressed in an Empire military uniform, climbed up from the lower deck.

"I've checked this Night Owl Commando," Hadley said. "The Spirit Seed Furnace exploded, the magic conduits were completely destroyed. To end up like this, who knows how much magic power you had injected into it. Although all the technicians on the ship say it's beyond repair, if it's that guy, perhaps it can still be fixed."

"That guy..." Uther remembered someone. "Lin?""That kid is the number one genius mechanic in Fort Hurricane," Hadley bent down and brought his face close, staring straight into Uther's eyes. "But on another note, how did you meet him?"

"Is it abnormal for a father to talk about his illegitimate brother?" Uther began lying with sincerity on his face, even she herself thought her control over expressions had reached a master level.

"Alright, even if you are the daughter of Carlus," Hadley couldn't find any flaws and seemed to give up. "Tell me, where is he now?"

"He's dead..."

"What child would say their dad 'is dead'? It should at least be 'passed away'!"

"Well, he's dead," Uther sighed and started fabricating more lies. "He managed to escape lowly from the battlefield, flying north to the nearby Floating Island. By the time I found him, he had already died from excessive blood loss, leaving only this Magic Armor behind. If he had died on the battlefield, he would have been a martyr, but unfortunately, he died outside of it."

"That's a bit too much. After all, Colonel led us to fight until the end and negotiated a conditional surrender," Hadley stroked his chin. "But on another note, I didn't personally see him fall into the Sea of Emptiness." He turned to Uther again. "So how did you end up in this airspace? The nearest Floating Island is at least three hundred miles away, and a Magic Armor without navigation equipment couldn't have made such a long-distance flight."

"Because of hardships in life, I wanted to sell my dad's relic, this Night Owl Command Magic Armor," Uther tapped on the shell of the Magic Armor with her fingers. "But the merchant I traded with clearly saw me as a commodity. However, I sneaked out during the journey and took the opportunity to snatch back the Magic Armor. Originally, I planned to beat that jerk to a pulp, and maybe learn some piracy skills and take over the merchant ship as well, but unfortunately, I failed."

"It's hard to imagine that a twelve-year-old girl would come up with such a badass plan, and almost succeed," Hadley said.

"Who said I'm the legendary genius girl?"

They exchanged a glance, and Hadley showed a defeated expression.

"Let me ask," Uther said, "do you know where Lin is now? Given his personality, he definitely wouldn't leave Fort Hurricane, but his address might have changed. Can you tell me about his recent situation?"

"Lin sold the house he planned to marry Erin Ransom with and moved to the old warehouse in the port area," Hadley sighed. "But his recent situation isn't great. After Fort Hurricane was taken over, although the Federation garrison accepted a conditional surrender, many people were left behind, mostly those of us who were born and raised in Fort Hurricane. Some, like me, simply joined the Empire army, while the majority retired and sought their own professions. However, that guy Lin completely fell apart. His fiancée Erin Ransom died, and most of his friends died as well, so he became a complete alcoholic, drinking every day and losing the will to work."

"Oh my god..." Uther clenched her teeth. "How could this happen?"

"Although I still feel like you're lying to me until now, but..." Hadley paused for a moment and said seriously, "since you claim to be Carlus's daughter, I hope you can help Lin for the sake of your old man. That guy is a fragile and delicate man inside, so please, lend him a hand. I'll be extremely grateful to you."

Uther burst into laughter. "What do you mean by 'I'll be extremely grateful to you'? Hadley, the standard language you're using sounds awkward, isn't it? Anyway, I won't leave Lin alone, you can leave it to me."

"Indeed, you are Carlus's daughter," Hadley laughed and showed his white teeth. "I'll just let it go for now."

Early the next morning, Uther boarded the helm of the roving compass ship. The Empire sailors were wearing thick winter clothes, gloves, and fur caps, barely enduring the cold winter. The prow main cannon of the Swift Sparrow was completely covered in ice and snow, and a thick layer of ice had formed on the bridge. Over ten sailors were using iron picks to remove the ice, while two Magic Armors were cleaning the ice off the ship's body. If the ice were to accumulate unchecked and exceed the carrying capacity of the Spirit Seed Furnace, the entire ship would be crushed. If they were unlucky and encountered a strong gust of wind, there was a risk of the ship breaking.Captain Luke stood at the porthole, using binoculars to observe ahead. The current speed of the Swift Sparrow is 10 knots, as the visibility is poor and there is a fear of colliding with the Floating Island. The helmsman holds the helm with caution, steering the course. Everyone is busy, and Uther decides to be a good spectator, standing in an inconspicuous corner.

"Captain," the voice of the lookout sounded through the brass speaking tube, "Fort Hurricane North Canyon Lighthouse spotted at bearing 330, distance 200 meters!"

"Engines reverse, slow down," Luke commanded, "Right rudder five degrees, maintain altitude."

"Right rudder five degrees, maintain altitude."

The helmsman repeats the captain's orders loudly while cautiously turning the helm. Uther feels his body tilting slightly as the Swift Sparrow smoothly completes the turn.

"Prepare for docking," Luke commands, "Shutdown engines two and three, speed five knots, proceed with caution."

The sailors quickly follow the orders without any mistakes.

These soldiers are well-trained, Uther finally understands why the Federation Army always loses to the Empire Army in naval battles. Even if the warship's performance is good, it's useless if it's operated by a group of inexperienced people. The naval combat capabilities of the Federation Army are inferior to the Empire Army, but the situation is reversed for the Magic Armor units. That's why both sides can fight evenly. This is also an important reason why Hadley and others were able to quickly join the Empire Army after the war.

The metal truss covered in ice and snow appears in the flying snow, and the crystal ice columns reflect the light from the Swift Sparrow's side navigation lights. Then, a spectacular harbor appears in view. It is a busy military port, with huge cranes rotating their arms in the wind and snow, and small freight trains speeding on narrow-gauge railways laid on the docks, their headlights emitting a bright beam. Uther looks at the familiar harbor, which now belongs to the Empire.

For some reason, it hurts a little.

The docking operation is completed twenty minutes later. Uther wears the military coat given to her by Captain Luke and carries a small bag down the gangway. Even on these snowy days, the prostitutes from the red district do not forget to come and solicit customers. They wear thin clothes and long stockings, trying to expose as much skin as possible to attract men's attention. The cold erodes their bodies, leaving a reddish-purple color on their skin. Even so, for their livelihood, they still refuse to wear more clothes.

When Uther walks down the gangway, the prostitutes cast curious glances at her. Wearing a military coat, she gives people a strange feeling, highlighting her military temperament mixed with her budding beauty, arousing envy among the women. They probably think she is the daughter of some high-ranking military officer?

Walking through the crowd, Uther skillfully boards a narrow-gauge train. The small freight train that transports goods doesn't refuse passengers hitchhiking, and Uther knows where it's going just by glancing at the number on the locomotive. The train starts, moving slowly along the tracks, leaving behind the destroyer ship that just arrived in port and the women gathered at the gangway. The driver of the train is still the old man with dark skin. He's probably going to retire soon, right?

"Little sister, are you a foreigner?" the old man asks.

"I was born in Fort Hurricane," Uther smiles bitterly, "I remember you."

"Haha, that must be a long time ago, right?"

"How have you been recently, old man?"

"Pretty good," the old man chuckles, "The initial days after the war were very difficult, with no water or electricity, and many people lost their homes. But after assistance from the Empire arrived, everything got better. People started rebuilding their homes, and I resumed my old job. But this winter is especially cold. I reckon there will be a lot of people freezing to death, right?"

"Let's pray that we don't know any of them," Uther murmurs as she gazes at the snowflakes dancing in the sky, "I'm back again..."

The narrow-gauge train stops near the warehouse area, and Uther takes the opportunity to get off. She puts on her canvas backpack and double checks her equipment: a 9mm revolver hidden under the coat, with 18 bullets in the magazine and an additional six in the gun, making a total of 24 rounds. It should be enough for self-defense. According to the agreement, Hadley will bring the Night Owl command type over in fifteen minutes. The weather is bad today, so no one should notice the low-altitude flight of the Magic Armor, right?As Uther walked past the destroyed tower, he arrived in front of an old warehouse. It was lucky enough to have escaped the bombing from a year ago, but the dilapidated roof looked like it could collapse at any moment.

"Is anyone there?" Uther knocked on the door.

However, after five minutes, there was no response.

Impatiently, Uther crossed her arms and waited another five minutes. Finally, she kicked the door open. The rotten wooden door crashed down, delivering the final blow to the rusted hinges. A strong stench hit Uther, who quickly covered her nose. The indescribable, sour and foul smell was nauseating.

"Is anyone here?" Uther covered her nose and entered the warehouse, but accidentally stepped on an empty wine bottle. With a clatter, the bottle rolled to the wall. Uther looked in the direction it rolled and saw a heavily intoxicated young man leaning against a pile of parts, with messy black hair disheveled, giving off an indescribable sense of decadence.

Although the person's eye sockets were sunken and the thick lenses of his glasses had frosted over, Uther would never mistake his identity. It was Lin, her sworn brother who grew up with her in the orphanage. However, this guy was now in a half-dead state, as alcohol had severely ravaged his body, turning him into a wreck.

"Lin! How far have you fallen!" Uther couldn't help but shout, filled with sorrow and anger.

"Who are you?" Lin looked up at the unfamiliar girl. "If you're a prostitute, leave. I don't need your services..."

"If Irene sister saw you like this," Uther held back her sadness and shouted, "she would be utterly devastated!"

"Don't mention her!" Lin stood up unsteadily and suddenly threw a punch.

Uther took the punch on her forehead and retaliated with a punch to Lin's abdomen. In pain from the impact on his stomach, Lin stumbled backward, vomiting the alcohol he had consumed the previous night onto the floor. The warehouse was instantly filled with a strong alcohol smell, but Uther had no intention of stopping. She grabbed Lin's collar and forcefully dragged him outside. She filled a bucket with ice-cold water from a public firefighting water tank and poured it over the young man's head with a loud splash.

The cold water instantly woke Lin up. He opened his eyes and looked at the unfamiliar girl in front of him. The girl possessed astonishing beauty, which surprised him.

"Are you awake?" Uther crouched in front of him. "My name is Uther Nornheim. Lin, I have a job for you."

"It's Sunday today, I don't take jobs." Lin stood up unsteadily. "Come back another day."

"Stop right there, this is an order." Uther said sternly. "You're leaving without even asking about the job. Have you fallen so low?"

"What business is it of yours if I've fallen low?" Lin turned around and glared at Uther. "Kid, stop talking like an adult. If it weren't for the fact that you're a kid, I would have punched you already."

"Oh? So you have the skills to fight now? Dare to hit someone?" Veins bulged on Uther's forehead. "Great, let's see if your weak little fists can land a hit on me. If you can, I'll stop punching you. Otherwise, I'll continue beating you!"

With that, Uther threw a punch at Lin's face. Although she didn't use physical enhancement, this punch exerted all her strength, causing Lin to stagger.

"You brat! Don't go too far!"

Lin retaliated with a slap, which Uther easily blocked. She then grabbed his wrist and swiftly executed a back throw. Lin, in the snowy air, drew an arc and plunged into the icy firefighting water tank. He struggled in the water, drinking a few mouthfuls of ice-cold water. Before their sworn brother drowned in freezing water, Uther caught his collar and pulled him up.

"Are you going to fight or not?" Uther looked down at Lin lying on the ground.

"I won't fight... Are you really just a kid?" Lin rolled over and spat out some water.

"I am just a kid," Uther sneered. "If you have the guts, bite me."

At that moment, a Magic Armor appeared in the snowstorm. Hadley arrived on time, placing the tattered Night Owl Command Type in front of the warehouse door and immediately returned to the Falcon.

"This is... a Magic Armor?" Lin looked at the steel giant. "This number, 401... It can't be wrong. This is Karlus Nornheim's armor! How did you get it?""From hell," Uther said.

Lin fell silent, staggering up and walking towards Night Owl. He gently touched the cold armor, every component of which was familiar to him. Despite some parts being replaced, this was the very body he knew.

"Fix it. That's the job I have for you," Uther said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "You know who its owner is. If you can fix it, I'll tell you about Carlus Noinheim."

"Who are you, anyway?" Lin turned to face Uther.

"My name is Uther Noinheim," she said, her long hair blowing in the cold wind. "Starting today, I'm your guardian."

"You must be mistaken..." Lin whispered, but Uther pretended not to hear.

"What are you still standing there for? Come inside," she beckoned at the door. "If you don't want to die from a cold, take a hot bath and warm up in bed."

Lin didn't refuse because he realized he had no choice.

The fireplace roared as Uther gathered firewood from nearby ruins. She lit the fire, with a temporary bathtub made from an oil drum burning underneath. The flames danced on the walls as Lin soaked in the hot water, gradually warming up his entire body. A red crystal hung around his neck, a pendant he had worn since birth. The back of the warehouse had been converted into a living area, although there was currently only a canvas hanging between workspaces. Still, the cozy feeling was slowly melting the ice in Lin's body.

The girl claiming to be Uther Noinheim was a mystery. The way she spoke and acted like an adult, her rough demeanor, and her tendency to get violent at the slightest provocation... Although she was a superlative beauty, she would likely grow into an enchanting beauty in a few years. But Lin could see a familiar shadow in her. It was impossible for the two to be the same person.

That was because Carlus Noinheim, just like his lover Eileen Lanson, was already dead, forever leaving this world.

But she had brought his magic armor.

There were too many doubts surrounding this, but Uther had promised that if he could fix her magic armor, she would tell him about Carlus. Lin realized he had no choice, and all he could do for now was to repair the magic armor that had once belonged to his old friend as quickly as possible.

"Wow, a rat! Take this!"

Bang! Something fell down.

"Is this a cockroach's nest? Activate: Inherent Magic Type 956, Flame Shot!"

The smell of burning came from outside. Something had immediately caught fire. What on earth was that child doing?

"Oh my god, Lin!" Uther called from outside. "I threw away all your wine bottles! They were piling up like a mountain. Don't you know how to clean up?"

"Wait! Don't throw away the ones I haven't finished yet."

"You want to keep them for drinking? Is that even possible?"

Crashing sounds came. Probably all the bottles had been shattered... Lin smiled bitterly. Uther was truly swift and decisive.

"You're Uther, right?" he asked. "Were you born in Fort Hurricane?"

"Why are you suddenly asking that? Damn it! You idiot, you even casually left high concentration Magic Elements in the house. Are you trying to kill yourself?"

"Don't touch those barrels, please."

"Fuck! I'll move them out, don't worry. I have ample experience moving this stuff."

The cold wind blew, and the canvas hanging swayed. It seemed Uther had gone outside. After a while, she returned to the warehouse, this time with the sound of nailing, indicating that she was repairing the door that she had kicked open.

Lin sighed and continued to stare at the fire, allowing Uther to mess up his disordered home. At the same time, he felt somewhat disappointed because in the end, Uther had not answered his question. Unconsciously, Lin drifted into a dream, dreaming of Eileen and the friends who had fallen in battle. They were all together, drinking and enjoying themselves, but this time, Carlus was nowhere to be seen.

When Lin woke up again, it was already afternoon. He was lying in bed, covered with a thick blanket. He had fallen asleep while taking a bath. Uther must have dried his body and hair. He felt guilty for being seen naked by the young girl. The fireplace burned fiercely, and the red coals glowed in the ashes, having burned continuously for quite a while. Lin put on his coat and found that it had been washed and dried. Outside, snowflakes were falling heavily, and he was puzzled how Uther managed to dry the clothes so quickly.The change in air inside the room surprised him greatly. When he lifted the canvas that served as a partition wall, he found himself in a very tidy workshop. Tools that were scattered around and parts that were haphazardly piled were all stored in boxes and neatly placed in the corner. The dust accumulated on the table was gone, replaced by freshly baked bread and smoked meat vegetable salad. Underneath the plate of food, Lin discovered a note that read: "I went out for a while, will be back in the evening."

It was hard to imagine that the ugly and crooked handwriting belonged to a delicate-looking young girl; instead, it resembled someone else's handwriting.