Robbery

Kang De ultimately failed to persuade the princess and the knight.

The Goth People insisted on participating in the battle to seize the ship.

Even if it means bloodshed and sacrifice.

Kang De could not dissuade them, because he understood their intentions. Besides the so-called honor of battle and Goth People's pride, Cleveland and Tina's purpose was also very clear.

They did not want Kang De to be involved in the fierce front-line battles.

The reason is just as the princess said.

Because this is a world full of killing and war, purity of soul is especially rare. As someone whose hands are stained with blood and who has never turned back, the knight seems unwilling to let Kang De step into that world too early... Although such kindness is hard for Kang De to understand, he cannot refuse it.

After all, people who grow up in peaceful environments cannot truly understand the horror of war and the preciousness of peace... nor can they truly comprehend the pain of killing and the weight of life.

After a brief argument, Kang De finally agreed to the knight's proposal.

Both sides compromised.

Just as Kang De didn't want the Goth People involved, the knight even wanted Kang De and the princess to return to camp first, so that he could lead the Goth Navy in a close-quarters battle to seize the ship.

The final action was that Kang De's side immediately dispatched birds to deliver a message to Goth Camp to begin the advance. Then, the three of them took a boat out to sea and joined several small boats of Goth's side. Sister Bedela, who was on board, would take the princess back to the camp, while the men would begin the battle to seize the boat.

The waves rise and fall, the moon shines in the sky, and the Wings of Wayne in the distance is like a black silhouette. The silent sea monster lies dormant, a colossal creature.

Kang De and his group met up with several small boats belonging to Goth.

The ships on Goth's side were all overloaded with passengers. Fortunately, the three assault boats left behind by the elves on the beach alleviated this awkward situation. The sailors silently and quickly changed ships, leaving one small boat behind to carry Lady Bedela and Princess Tina back to Goth Camp.

The entire process of redeploying personnel was silent and efficient.

This was a secret raid, and everyone was strictly ordered not to make a sound before approaching the target, so there were no speeches or orders.

But all the soldiers maintained high morale... With friendly forces killed, the enemy ravaging their homeland, and the glory of boarding the Elven capital ship, the Goth People had every reason to fight.

Before leaving, the princess glanced at the surrounding ships; Goth's warriors were already prepared for battle.

Just like before, just like the millions of people who have fought or are fighting for Goth.

As always, she could only watch as the brave warriors marched off to the bloody battlefield and faced death.

This made her feel a pang of sadness and helplessness. These brave people before her might soon die from the arrows of the elves, just like the people of the Iron Fist Bane.

She could only watch helplessly, unable to do anything about it.

What cannot be achieved at the negotiating table must be paid for with blood and sacrifice.

--Because of the incompetence of the rulers, the country could not become prosperous and strong, could not deter foreign enemies, and had no choice but to fight. It could only passively endure invasion and declaration of war, so that when a great war broke out, it could only watch helplessly as its passionate and brave citizens fought with their lives, causing countless bloodshed and sorrow, and breaking countless families. These are all the sins that the Taidariel Family has to bear.

At that moment, she understood the self-blame and exhaustion hidden in her father's words.

Father, however, Goth's internal power structure is deeply entrenched, other nations are eyeing him covetously, maritime shipping has been cut off by the elves, vast tracts of land are uncultivable, and the Empire's attitude is particularly ambiguous... In such a difficult environment, simply maintaining stability is already extremely challenging. Even with tireless daily governance, how can such a nation suddenly rise to power and strength?

I doubt even the gods could do that...

The princess sighed silently in her heart.

Perhaps the father was also powerless in the face of this deadly situation, which is why he was so helpless and indignant.

But that was all they could do. All the Goth People could only grit their teeth and persevere, each doing their own thing and silently praying that the glory of the gods would shine again.

That's the only way.

She steadied herself in the rocking boat, bowed to everyone, and whispered, "My friends, please bring Goth victory and a safe return... May all of you come back alive."

The soldiers silently bowed in return.

Tina looked at Kang De again, then turned her gaze to the knight. "My knight, please protect Mr. Kang De, and also take care of your own safety."

Cleveland replied solemnly, "I will obey your will and uphold this oath until my death."

The princess frowned; she had never liked hearing the word "death."

She looked at Kang De one last time, her eyes filled with worry and concern.

Kang De knew what she was worried about.

He said, "I understand, don't worry."

Tina said softly, "Yes, I'll wait for you to come back. After that, I have something I want to tell you."

... Um?

What's the meaning?

Is there anything you want to say to me?

Even as battle loomed ahead, Kang De's heart stirred on the cold sea.

After Tina finished speaking, she bowed to everyone again, then sat back on the boat. The sailors rowed the small boat back towards the Goth Camp.

Kang De clicked his tongue, paused for a moment, and then suddenly said to the knight beside him, "... What do you think your princess wants to say to me?"

The knight gestured to the captain, who nodded. The hastily added sails were raised, and the ships, propelled by the wind, headed towards the Wings of Wayne. Keeping a close watch on the surroundings, Cleveland casually replied, "Her Highness always has her own ideas and plans."

Kang De asked, puzzled, "Aren't you curious at all?"

The knight countered, "Why should I be curious about that?"

Kang De started off casually, but seeing the knight's nonchalant attitude, he decided to tease him, "Shouldn't you be curious? You're her guardian knight, responsible for her safety and reputation. Look at her, a young woman, saying she has something to say to me when she gets back, all in front of everyone... So, aren't you afraid she might be trying to express some kind of affection or confess her feelings to me?"

This is such a classic storyline.

The loyal dog-like character by the female lead's side, whose lifelong belief is to protect her. He harbors love in his heart but dares not have the slightest intention to disrespect her. Like a licking dog, he shows great hostility and vigilance towards the male lead's appearance, strongly resists the male lead and the female lead being together, and repeatedly interferes and obstructs them.

Such unlikeable characters often turn to the dark side in the latter half of the story because they end up with nothing after trying to please everyone, and their final fate depends on the subject matter.

--In traditional romance novels, the female lead will likely repent after the conspiracy is exposed, bless the male and female leads, and live with the defeated second female lead. In urban fantasy novels, she will mostly be trampled on by the male lead and never be able to recover. If you encounter a more conscientious author, he might sacrifice himself to protect the female lead in the very end, using his life to embody the ultimate meaning of being a "simp".

That's about it.

It has to be said that this kind of plot is so classic that when Kang De saw this combination of knight and princess, he immediately began to observe Cleveland's intentions and attitude.

Well, while Tina is very beautiful and he has a good impression of this otherworldly princess, he hasn't reached the point where he'd decide "Mom, I want to mate with this lady" after just one glance... But he still needs to gather the necessary information to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Unexpectedly, Cleveland overheard his probing, turned around, sized him up, and then said, "Her Highness is a reserved and self-respecting lady who would never easily do what you described. She always has her own ideas and plans, and she will make rational and mature choices, including those related to personal feelings... I have no right to inquire or interfere."

"..." This statement was somewhat ambiguous, and Kang De felt that the guy was implying something.

So he asked directly, "What do you mean?"

The knight glanced at him and said casually, "What I mean is, if you, Kang De, have feelings for Her Highness the Princess and intend to take action, then don't let your imagination run wild. Try to show your wisdom, maturity, erudition, and responsibility, and abandon any strange, perverse tastes. It would be better to improve Her Highness's impression and opinion of you."

Kang De's face darkened. "You mean, Tina doesn't even look at me now, that I'm stupid, childish, superficial, eccentric, and have a wicked sense of humor, and that I don't need to think too much, is that right?"

Who says honest people can't swear?

They're really aristocrats, aren't they? They even know how to insult people indirectly without using any vulgar language.

A slight smile appeared on the knight's lips, seemingly indicating his intention to acquiesce.

Kang De whistled nonchalantly: "François--"

Before he could finish speaking, the knight was horrified and gave Kang De a meaningful look, as if he were killing a chicken and slitting its throat. His eyes were filled with accusation and even a hint of pleading.

The knight's expression turned one of grief and indignation.

"Seriously," Kang De stopped teasing him, "You don't have any feelings for Tina?"

The knight paused for a moment, then said, "Of course! Her Highness is beautiful, learned, gentle, and kind. Everyone who sees her is captivated by her, let alone someone like me who follows and protects her."

"..." Kang De said, "It's not that kind of fondness, I mean..."

He didn't know how to describe it for a moment. Asking him directly if he liked Tina seemed a bit too blunt... Besides, this didn't seem like the right place to discuss this kind of topic.

The knight seemed to have figured something out. He gave Kang De a meaningful look, a strange smile on his face, "You want to ask if I harbor feelings for Your Highness?"

He chuckled and patted Kang De on the shoulder, "Don't worry, no, really no."

Why are you trying to reassure me? Something feels off.

"As for the reason..." Cleveland winked at him, "I'll tell you later."

The ship, using both oars and sails, gradually approached the Wings of Wayne. As the ship grew larger in their field of vision, the sailors were already on high alert, while Cleveland and Kang De lost interest in talking.

The relaxing chat is over.

The knight became solemn. "Now comes the moment of battle, Mr. Kang De. It is not a hunt for Black Beast, nor an ambush of elves, but a close-quarters battle of courage and will. We will engage the elves in hand-to-hand combat."

He looked at Kang De and said solemnly, "Prince Charming has already given me strict instructions. In this battle, capturing the Wings of Wayne and protecting Mr. Kang De are equally important. Therefore, I must ask you not to put yourself in danger."

Kang De smiled.

The princess had previously explained to him her goodwill and intentions towards the knight.

We must not allow the pure to be drawn into slaughter.

This kind of kindness is not easily understood by Earthlings.

That's what the princess thought, and that's what the knight thought too.

But now, Kang De understood the difference between the two.

On one side is a cute girl gazing at you with beautiful, captivating eyes, saying tenderly, "I don't want Kang De to fall into that kind of situation, so promise me you won't do anything dangerous, okay?"

On the other side was a burly man who said with a firm gaze and solemn expression, "Don't get involved in the killing, don't fight, protect yourself, stay behind me."

These are completely different things.

The former would make him feel tenderness and pride, thinking, "This girl is so kind, and so good to me. Does she have feelings for me?" After all, the saying "a beautiful woman's kindness is profound" is not just a joke.

And the latter...

Damn it, are you looking down on me? Huh? You're not even as good as me!

Kang De then laughed, "Who will protect whom is still uncertain."

The competitive spirit and desire to win among men is simply one of the most incomprehensible things in the world.

The Wings of Wayne are approaching.

The ships lowered their sails, the sailors prepared their oars, and after each ship was checked to ensure everything was in order, the captain and the knight exchanged a glance, nodded simultaneously, and then gave the order.

With a thunderous roar, the assault boat sped toward the Wings of Wayne, no longer caring whether the loud paddling would alert the elves.

The Goth sailors, poised to pounce, immediately threw out their grappling hooks, secured them to the ship's side, and began to climb rapidly, the thumping of their feet disturbing the elves inside the cabin. One elf opened a porthole and peered out, only to be struck squarely on the forehead by Kangaroo's arrow.

But a commotion erupted inside the cabin.

Cleveland shouted sharply, "Get on the boat! Speed up!"

Kang De pulled a homemade fragmentation grenade from his body, lit it, and tossed it to A Xing A Xing, who threw it through the porthole with a loud bang, followed by screams and muffled thuds.

"Once we get up there, the rest of us will take the defensive positions."

Kang De repeated his instructions, "Beware of stray arrows. Kangaroo, you need to be extra careful. A Xing, you're the biggest, I'll get you a shield later. I know you're tough, but strong defense and being easily slashed are two different things. Anyway, let's establish a foothold first, then we'll go rob!"

The animals were initially distracted, but their eyes lit up when the word "robbery" was mentioned.

Cleveland shouted from above, "Kang De!"

"They're here!"

Kang De grabbed the grappling hook, pushed off the ship's side twice, and leaped aboard. The Wolverine and the Marmot carried him up, followed by the A Xing, and finally the Kangaroo —the archer himself jumped up.

Once aboard, the Goth People had already formed ranks, prepared Javelin, longbows, and crossbows, ready to deal with the charging elves. The captain was shouting orders and assigning tasks, the sea breeze was brisk, and the sails were rustling.

The elves had already noticed the uninvited guests boarding the ship.

Kang De took a deep breath.

The battle is about to begin.

Before that...

Although the explosion on the beach went unnoticed by the Wings of Wayne, other outposts on the island heard the unusual tremor. When the scouts arrived at the beach, they found Flame that had not yet been extinguished, and the mangled bodies of their comrades.

In their shock and anger, they sounded the horns and drew the trigger.

They also discovered that several boats on the beach had disappeared.

"Could it be that..."

The elves weren't stupid; they looked on in horror at the distant Wings of Wayne.

"We must inform the captain and Sir Taize immediately!"

This shocking and terrifying news was quickly delivered to the rift where the troops were stationed, and to Adjutant Mailun. Upon reading it, the adjutant broke out in a cold sweat. He immediately rushed to the edge of the rift, raised his horn, and blew it with all his might. The sound was mournful and echoed deep into the rift, far, far away.

The sound of the bugle means: return immediately, regardless of the consequences, a state of utmost emergency.

The first mate waited and waited, but the captain's and the knight's horns never answered...

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PS1: 4500 words, two in one. Ah, this cold is so awful... Goodnight everyone.