Traveling Together

"The wheat bread is indeed fragrant and delicious." Punk sat at an old, long dining table, using a small knife to cut the wheat bread on his plate into nearly perfectly equal squares.

"It's good that Your Excellency finds it to your liking."

The Baron gently placed down the fork in his hand. The iron fork made no sound as it touched the dinner plate.

Regarding the two's "official" conversation, Kane, who was beside them, was clearly impatient. Although he didn't speak carelessly or fidget due to his father's authority, his hand movements fully revealed his inner anxiety.

Punk caught sight of Kane, with a hand speed that almost created afterimages, shredding the bread on his plate into crumbs. He couldn't help but inwardly mock the Baron:

"Are you really father and son? Your personalities are too different!"

However, Punk also carefully noticed that although Kane's bread-cutting movements were fast and fierce, he surprisingly didn't touch the bottom of the plate, and the entire process was almost silent.

"I'd like to see what kind of act these father and son are putting on."

After quietly using a minor toxicity detection, Punk put the hard bread, cut into squares, into his mouth. Only cautious mages live long. Punk had always been cautious, but he noticed that Kane, who was engrossed in creating breadcrumbs, paused for a brief moment. Clearly, Kane had noticed his "little actions."

Punk calmly chewed the bread in his mouth. A wheat fragrance, mixed with the aroma of earth, spread through his mouth. Although the bread's texture was still a bit hard, the fine particles felt like a massage for his tongue, complementing the soft, melted wheat paste in his mouth... Punk had to admit that a large part of his praise for the bread was not just politeness.

Since the bread was so delicious, Punk decided to ignore Kane, who had stopped making breadcrumbs, and the Baron, who remained sitting upright. He cut another piece of bread and put it in his mouth, then focused on savoring the bread.

Time passed little by little, and a somewhat eerie silence settled over the dining table. Punk slowly finished his portion of bread with standard noble dining etiquette, while Kane, bored to death, had already carved the remaining half of the bread in front of him into a lifelike squirrel.

The Baron, however, waited meticulously until Punk had finished all of his bread before speaking unhurriedly:

"Does Mage Your Excellency intend to travel to Konola City? That is the closest city to here, but you still have to cross a large area of wasteland!"

"That's right. I've heard that the cuisine there is quite famous, and I've long wanted to go and experience it. I didn't expect to taste such delicious bread here already. I'm even more looking forward to Konola City."

Punk replied with a faint smile.

"Indeed, the cuisine in Konola City is delicious and distinctive. I visited once in my childhood and still fondly recall it."

The Baron gently stroked the table corners with his hand, a look of reminiscence on his face.

"Come on~, that cursed place is famous for its Sand Luo pig leather, okay..." Kane beside him finally couldn't help but complain.

"Stare..."

"Stare..."

Under the lingering gazes of the Baron and Punk, Kane seemed to want to say more, but ultimately decided to lower his head and continue adding details to the squirrel he was carving.

"..."

"..."

The atmosphere became extremely awkward...

"...My eldest son will also be heading to Konola City soon. How about traveling together?"

After a period of silence, the Baron said somewhat abruptly!

Upon hearing this, Punk couldn't help but frown. The Baron's words were too sudden. He and Kane knew nothing about each other, and he still harbored three parts hostility and seven parts caution towards this seemingly unreliable knight. Yet, the Baron seemed oblivious as he proposed cooperation, which seemed unreasonable no matter how he looked at it.

Kane, who was beside them, also stopped carving the squirrel. He looked at his father with an expression of helplessness, crossed his arms, and clearly pouted with dissatisfaction, the pauldron and chest armor clashing with a clang.

"Perhaps Baron, you don't understand the power of professionals... but for just a small wasteland... the strength of an Apprentice Level should be quite reassuring."

Punk said to the Baron in the most tactful tone possible.

"Perhaps Mage, you don't understand the recent situation in the Morde Wasteland... but if you've only heard some news about the undead... I feel it's better to have more assurance."

The Baron replied in a similarly tactful tone.

"Moreover, according to my merchant friend, an entire forest has been eroded by undead energy, and the woods are full of scattered skeletons. I believe it would be wise for Mage, who understands the power of professionals better, to consider carefully."

"...Undead?" Punk ignored the Baron's slightly mocking tone and recalled the information about the undead in his knowledge base.

There are many types of undead. Most of them hate all living beings, and their strength varies. Their origins are generally one of three:

The first type are "created" by professionals through means like summoning and synthesis. The strength of undead produced this way is directly linked to the creator.

The second type: born from the undead plane, but unless there are special reasons, it is difficult for such undead to descend to other planes, especially positive energy planes which are highly resistant to all negative energy beings.

The third type: "naturally" generated by the aggregation and catalysis of soul power carrying a large amount of negative emotions. A representative example is what are commonly known as ghosts and vengeful spirits. However, the power of these undead is generally low, only enough to scare ordinary people.

"But... even if the Baron's merchant friend exaggerated, and in reality, only a small patch of woods was eroded, that would still require at least Journeyman Level strength!"

Punk thought silently.

"In my opinion, who cares about undead? If we can't afford to provoke them, can't we avoid them? Besides, I cultivate the light battle qi, which is absolutely effective against those bone frames!"

Saying that, Kane gathered a bit of battle qi onto his fingernail and easily carved a small figure holding a sword onto the wooden table.

Punk ignored Kane's bragging and continued to ask the Baron, "When did your friend tell you the news?"

"A few days ago... By now, my friend should have returned to Konola City. But he doesn't have good relationships with people and lacks wealth and power. He's just a small merchant. Even if he reports to the Church, those arrogant clergy members probably won't believe him."

The Baron saw that Punk wanted to inquire if the Church, with its "purify all" zealots, would be involved, and thus reluctantly dashed Punk's hopes of an easy gain.

"Speaking of which, the villages in this area are very remote. Usually, only I, this old friend, occasionally bring a small caravan back and forth a few times. This time, I actually encountered undead, and it just so happens that my old friend has a habitually curious nature... it's not impossible he'll get himself into danger..."

The Baron put on a look of pained distress, but this time it didn't seem like an act.

Punk pretended not to hear the Baron's hint of "hoping for help to rescue his friend." In reality, he felt that the fate of such a troublesome person had nothing to do with him. Kane also perfunctorily mumbled a few words like "Got it, got it," clearly not wanting to bother with the troublesome merchant.

Punk thought seriously. He was not a mage who overestimated himself. If he truly encountered a Journeyman Level expert, it would be extremely dangerous. If a Combatant could cooperate with him, a spellcaster, then if any "accident" occurred, the chances of escape would at least be much higher. At the very least, there would be a target to distract pursuers.

When he looked up, Kane was also looking at Punk with a profound gaze.

"It seems we're thinking along the same lines," Punk thought!

"Then, may our cooperation be pleasant." Finally, Punk said with a smile to the Baron, whose expression had returned to its usual calm. Kane shrugged, indicating no objection.