Kane crossed the stairway in three strides to reach Punk's side. Without caring about the thick, flowing blood beneath him, he plopped down on the ground. His armor struck the stone with a clank that rang out crisp yet heavy in the blood-soaked night.
Pulling out a bottle of ale from who knew where, Kane took a huge swig as he sat there. Whether Punk was listening or not, he began speaking in a careless tone. "Hey! Do you think our adorable Her Highness the Princess can win?"
"Konola City's walls are already riddled with holes."
Punk's answer sounded less like a response to Kane and more like him talking to himself. He glanced sideways at the walls that two Formal Level experts had smashed apart during the day. The breaches had now been sealed with vines summoned by Mainesi, but patches of green "plaster" stuck to the bloodstained ancient walls looked as awkward as could be. "Konola City is running low on food as well." Punk pointed at the "refugees" below the walls, left homeless after their houses had been destroyed. His voice was calm and cold, without the slightest fluctuation. "Yet the enemy has the support of the entire Kingdom of Kamos." He raised his head to look toward the enemy camp, glowing with firelight in the distance.
"If you replace 'adorable princess' with 'Formal Level princess,' then there is still some chance of winning."
Punk concluded with a hint of mockery.
"Ow..." Kane rose to his feet and stretched extravagantly, grumbling as he did so. "But I still haven't gotten the royal battle technique. Blowing up the heads of all those small fry is pretty damn satisfying, sure, but I can't help fight and then sneak off with my tail between my legs before I've even been paid, can I?"
Kane planted his lance heavily against the ground, driving its point deep into the city wall. Then he leaned back against the battlements and looked up at the brilliantly colored starry sky.
"It doesn't matter. If our Formal Mage wants that princess to stay alive, then there has to be action tonight. Otherwise, if the enemy attacks the city as desperately as they did during the day, then even if Mainesi can keep holding Lunka back, our ordinary soldiers won't be able to endure it."
The facts proved Punk's deduction entirely correct. The moment he finished speaking, just as Kane opened his mouth to reply, a neatly dressed apprentice warrior came jogging over and waved at Punk and Kane.
"Excuse me, are you two Formal Level professionals?"
"..."
"..."
That question was completely unnecessary. Neither Punk nor Kane had concealed their Soul Level. Any professional could tell their level of strength at a glance.
The apprentice warrior also realized that his question had been rather stupid. Scratching the back of his head awkwardly, he said somewhat shyly, "Lord Mainesi requests that all Journeyman Level professionals proceed to the square!"
Kane glanced at Punk, put on an exaggerated expression, and shouted, "Wow! Incredible! You actually guessed it!"
Punk ignored Kane entirely. After casting Lesser Levitation on himself, he leaped from the city wall and drifted gently to the ground. Kane jumped down as well, though he smashed a crater into the ground when he landed. The tremendous crash drew many cautious peeks from the civilians.
The square was not far from here, only a few steps away. Everything happening here could be seen clearly from the square. Now, after Kane's flamboyant and domineering entrance, everyone in the square turned to look in Punk and Kane's direction, including the princess and Mainesi on the raised platform.
Punk paid no attention to the crowd's astonished stares. He silently walked toward the gloomy group of mages, while Kane, who loved drawing attention, chose an entirely different way to enter.
No one knew where he pulled out a bright red flower. Ignoring the warriors' howling cheers around him, he walked with the perfect gait of a nobleman toward the princess. He bowed elegantly with flawless aristocratic etiquette and offered her the flower in his hand.
"Princess Narsya, as beautiful as the moon itself, Knight Kane devoutly offers this flower in advance celebration of your inevitable victory."
Without allowing his armor to make even the slightest sound from beginning to end, Kane held out the flower to the princess in an elegant pose. For a moment, the scene was filled with romance and grace.
"Th-thank you..."
Princess Narsya had clearly never encountered anything like this before. Her Highness, who had worn a stern expression until then, now resembled a shy little girl, flustered and red-faced. Kane's "performance" might have seemed exaggerated and affected to a truly mature person, but to a little girl like Princess Narsya, inexperienced in the ways of the world and just beginning to understand romance, it was still highly effective.
Just as the princess was about to accept Kane's rose, Mainesi's calm voice interrupted the romantic "ceremony."
"Enough. I am quite pleased by Knight Kane's loyalty, but I must now announce important military arrangements."
Mainesi coldly blocked the princess's delicate hand, which had already reached halfway out, and spoke to Kane in an eerie tone.
After returning to the group, Kane received a message from Punk. The short-range Message Spell, which could establish a two-way mental channel for a brief period, came in useful amid the noisy surroundings. Mainesi could naturally tell that Punk was using a Message Spell, but he had no way of knowing its contents.
"There was no need to make such a spectacle just to probe the relationship between Mainesi and the little princess, was there?"
Punk questioned Kane in a somewhat icy tone. Kane's flamboyant entrance had undoubtedly made people notice Punk standing right beside him. Clearly, Kane had dragged low-profile Punk into the spotlight.
"Hahaha, it was nothing. Besides, I had a deeper reason for doing it."
Kane dismissed Punk's question with a sly grin.
"Let's hear it."
"If I leave a good impression on the princess, then when we lose and flee, she'll follow me. Then I can sell her to that Prince William or whoever he is and make a fortune. What's the problem?"
Punk considered Kane's so-called "deeper reason" and replied coolly, "That plan is too risky. Mainesi might not necessarily fall, and we know nothing at all about Prince William's situation. I'm not joining." Punk's response was decisive and firm.
"Tch, it's only a plan. To be honest, I watched those two big shots fight during the day."
Kane subtly gestured with his chin toward Mainesi on the platform.
"Lunka is definitely at least one professional level stronger than Mainesi. And Mainesi is only one professional, while the Kingdom of Kamos has a whole crowd of professionals waiting for him. What the hell are you scared of?"
"The risk is too great. I'm not joining."
Punk still answered without the slightest hesitation, then cut off the Message Spell. Unlike Kane, a poor warrior desperately short even on Journeyman Level skills, Punk had enough Journeyman Level knowledge. There was no need for him to take such a great risk for such limited profit.
Right now, the most urgent matter was obtaining some alchemy formulas, and that still had to be settled through Mainesi. Punk narrowed his eyes slightly and gazed darkly at Mainesi, who was beginning to make his announcement on the platform.
Haha, the next chapter is Night Action. Everyone, come save it to your collection!
Before you continue