Chapter 35 – Conversations in the Dark Night

Kane took three strides from the staircase to Punk’s side, disregarding the sticky blood still flowing on the ground, and plopped down onto the floor. His armor clanged against the ground, producing a sound both crisp and deep in the blood-scented night air!

Pulling out a bottle of ale from who-knows-where, Kane sat on the ground and took a large gulp, not caring whether Punk was listening. He spoke in a nonchalant tone, “Hey! Do you think our Kawaii Princess can win?”

“The walls of Konola City are already full of holes.”

Punk’s response was more like talking to himself than replying to Kane. He glanced sideways at the city wall that had been smashed by two Formal-Level powerers during the day. Now the gap was blocked by vines summoned by Mainaixi, but the green “bandage” pasted on the ancient blood-stained wall looked utterly awkward! “Konola City is also running low on food,” Punk added, pointing indifferently at the “refugees” below the wall who had lost their homes to destroyed houses. His voice remained flat and cold, devoid of any emotion. “Yet the enemy has the support of the entire Kamos Kingdom,” he continued, lifting his head to gaze at the enemy camp blazing with fire in the distance.

“If you replaced the Kawaii Princess with a ‘Formal-Level’ princess, then there might be some chance of winning!”

Punk concluded with a hint of sarcasm.

“Ouch~” Kane groaned as he stood up and stretched exaggeratedly. “But I haven’t gotten the Royal Technique yet. Though it’s pretty satisfying to poke holes in those minions’ heads, I can’t just slink away without getting paid for helping in this fight, can I?”

Kane slammed his lance heavily into the ground, driving the spearhead deep into the city wall, and leaned back against the battlement, looking up at the colorful starry sky.

“No matter. If our Formal-Level mage wants that princess to survive, he’ll have to take action tonight. Otherwise, if the enemy attacks as fiercely as they did during the day, even if Mainaixi can hold off Lunka, our ordinary soldiers won’t last.”

As it turned out, Punk’s speculation was entirely correct. The moment he finished speaking, just as Kane opened his mouth to respond, a neatly dressed apprentice warrior jogged over, waving at Punk and Kane.

“Excuse me, are you two Formal-Level professionals?”

“…………”

“…………”

The question was practically redundant. Neither Punk nor Kane had concealed their soul tiers—any professional could tell their power levels at a glance!

The apprentice warrior realized his question was rather foolish. Scratching the back of his head sheepishly, he said somewhat timidly, “Lord Mainaixi requests all Apprentice-Level professionals to gather at the plaza!”

Kane glanced at Punk and put on an exaggerated expression, exclaiming loudly, “Wow~ Amazing, you actually predicted this~”

Punk ignored Kane entirely. After casting a Lesser Lightness Technique on himself, he leaped off the city wall, landing gently on the ground. Kane followed suit, though his impact created a small crater, the loud noise causing many civilians to sneak cautious glances.The plaza wasn’t far from here, just a few steps away. Everything happening here could be clearly seen from the plaza. Now, after Kane’s “flamboyant and domineering” entrance, everyone in the plaza had turned their attention toward Punk and Kane, including Princess Nasia and Mainaixi standing on the high platform.

Punk paid no heed to the astonished gazes of the crowd, silently making his way toward the somber group of mages. Meanwhile, Kane, who loved being the center of attention, had a completely different approach to his entrance.

He pulled out a vibrant red flower from nowhere, strode with the precise gait of a noble, completely ignoring the raucous cheers from the surrounding warriors, and elegantly approached the princess. With a perfect noble bow, he presented the flower in his hand!

“Your Highness Princess Nasia, as beautiful as the moon Tor, Knight Kane devoutly offers this flower in anticipation of your inevitable victory.”

From start to finish, Kane hadn’t allowed his armor to make a single sound. Now, in an elegant posture, he handed the flower to the princess, filling the scene with an aura of romance and grace!

“Th-thank you…”

Princess Nasia clearly hadn’t encountered such a situation before. The originally stern princess now resembled a shy little girl, flustered and blushing. It must be said that while Kane’s “performance” might seem exaggerated and artificial in the eyes of truly mature individuals, for a young girl like Princess Nasia, inexperienced in worldly matters and at the age of budding romance, its impact was significant.

Just as the princess was about to accept Kane’s rose, Mainaixi’s calm voice interrupted this romantic “ceremony”!

“Alright, I am quite pleased with Knight Kane’s loyalty, but now I must announce important military arrangements.”

Mainaixi coldly blocked the princess’s half-extended delicate hand and spoke to Kane with a somewhat chilling tone!

Having returned to the ranks, Kane received a message from Punk—a short-range Message spell. This spell, capable of briefly establishing a two-way mental channel, proved useful in the noisy environment. Mainaixi could certainly detect Punk using the Message spell, but he wouldn’t know the content of the communication.

“Did you need to make such a grand spectacle just to test the relationship between Mainaixi and the little princess?”

Punk’s tone was icy as he questioned Kane. This guy’s “flamboyant entrance” had undoubtedly drawn attention to Punk, who was right beside Kane. Clearly, Kane had thrown Punk, who intended to keep a low profile, under the bus!

“Hahaha~ Not bad, right? And there’s a deeper meaning to what I did~”

Kane chuckled mischievously, brushing off Punk’s questioning lightly.

“Let’s hear it.”

“I left a good impression on the princess so that when we flee after defeat, she’ll follow me. Then, we can sell her to that so-called Prince William and make a tidy profit!”

Punk pondered Kane’s so-called “deeper meaning” and responded coolly, “This plan is too risky. Mainaixi may not fall, and we know nothing about Prince William’s situation. I won’t participate!” Punk’s reply was resolute and firm.

“Tch~ It’s just a plan. To be honest, I observed the combat prowess of these two big shots during the day.”

Kane subtly gestured toward Mainaixi on the platform with his chin.”Lunka’s strength is definitely at least one professional level higher than Mainaixi’s, and Mainaixi is just a professional. The Kamos Kingdom has a whole roster of professionals waiting for Mainaixi—what are you afraid of?”

“The risk is too great; I’m not participating!”

Punk answered without hesitation once again, then severed the Message connection. Unlike Kane, who was a poor warrior lacking even Apprentice-Level skills, Punk had sufficient Apprentice-Level knowledge and saw no need to take significant risks for minimal gains.

At present, the top priority was to obtain some alchemy formulas, and this still hinged on Mainaixi. Narrowing his eyes slightly, Punk gazed thoughtfully at Mainaixi, who had just begun announcing news on the stage.

(End of Chapter)