Hilda and Cain’s eyes rolled back as they gasped for air, looking as if they were about to expire.
“Knight Yuna, you should probably let go. I would hate to see a Guardian Knight fall to infighting right after a great victory,” Baker cautioned expressionlessly.
“Especially not in my bar.”
Yuna froze and hurriedly released them, patting their backs for a while before they finally caught their breath.
After the brief commotion, the atmosphere in the bar softened slightly.
The wandering poet’s guitar transitioned into a more lyrical melody.
The magic lights shifted with the rhythm of the music, turning into a dim, ghostly blue.
Hilda took a sip of her drink.
“Cain, I rarely had contact with you before. I always thought you were an unfeeling fellow. I never imagined... you were this kind of person.”
“What kind? Did you think I was the cynical type who viewed everything with malice and suspicion?”
Cain laughed, though his smile soon faded into a look of helplessness.
“Well, you certainly look the part!” Yuna chimed in, leaving Cain speechless as he shot her a glare.
When he turned his head, however, he saw Hilda nodding in agreement as well.
Cain: “...Did you two plan this just to annoy me?”
Seeing the aggrieved expression on Cain’s face, the two women shared a look and burst into laughter.
Watching them laugh, Cain couldn't help but crack a smile himself.
“Heh... I suppose anyone who meets me would think that at first. Who told me to be born with this face?”
“Alright, alright, no more teasing. Don't be sad,” Hilda said, quickly regaining her composure.
“I’m not sad. I’ve long since gotten used to it.”
Cain was quite open-minded about it, showing no sign of offense, which actually made the two women feel a bit embarrassed.
After taking a drink, Cain suddenly seemed to remember something and shifted the topic.
“Speaking of which, Her Highness the Saintess issued many orders today. It looks like something big is...”
As soon as he spoke, Hilda’s expression instantly went cold.
Yuna’s face also grew solemn.
Baker, the owner, stood up from behind the counter and walked over to the front.
“Your Excellencies, if you wish to discuss sensitive matters, you may use the rooms upstairs. There are many ears here, and important things can easily be overheard.”
“My apologies.”
Cain was stunned, but seeing Hilda and Yuna’s reactions, he realized this was no simple matter.
Though he rarely dealt with the high nobility and actively avoided them, he knew that their internal struggles were often accompanied by bloodshed—sometimes even more terrifying than the battlefield.
“Knight Cain, this matter cannot be spoken of by me. If you wish to know, you will have an audience with Her Highness tomorrow. She will tell you. If she does not, then you will also know what that means.”
Hilda warned him with a serious expression, her words clearly carrying a hidden weight.
Cain’s brow furrowed, and he gave a slight nod.
“I understand.”
Cain suddenly realized that tomorrow's audience would determine which path his future would take.
Whatever Her Highness intended to do, it would certainly cause a major upheaval in the Kingdom of the Moon.
In the struggles of the nobility, choosing a side was the most important thing.
The three fell into silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
After a while, perhaps feeling the atmosphere had grown too stiff, Baker spoke up.
“Knights, since Her Highness the Saintess led such a brilliant counterattack, the Pope and the other six Saintesses will surely send their congratulations. I wonder if they have arrived yet?”
Hilda shook her head.
“No. Many of the magic towers Brilliant City uses to communicate with the outside world were destroyed. The mages are working quickly to repair them, but it will take at least three to five days.”
“What about the border?”
Baker didn't press further, but Cain did. The sudden breach of the border by the demon army was a massive issue.
Although the border forces were relatively small, there were still nearly fifteen thousand Hope Knights. While there were no Guardian Knights, there were quite a few Brave Knights—at least three hundred of them.
It was impossible for such a force to fail to send back even a single message.
Furthermore, relying on cities, magic circles, priests, heavy ballistae, and other defensive measures, no matter how bad it got, they couldn't have been taken down overnight.
The fact that not even a single beacon tower was lit was extremely suspicious.
“We don't know. The most likely scenario is that the Duke has defected to the demon army and secretly opened the city defenses, allowing the demon army to enter the heart of the Kingdom of the Moon without a word. But that is only a guess.”
“Defected to the demons? No... the Simmons I know wouldn't be that kind of person. Both of his parents died at the hands of the demons. Having grown up on the border, such a thing shouldn't be possible.”
Cain shook his head, dismissing the possibility.
“Then I don't understand. How did the demons break through the border defenses?” Yuna placed a finger to her lip, her face still slightly flushed from the alcohol.
Hilda was also puzzled.
Guardian Knights rarely lied; their every word represented their honor.
Since Cain could say it so confidently, he was at least ninety percent certain.
In other words, the situation at the border was likely much more complicated than imagined.
“In any case, the most important thing right now is to repair the magic towers as soon as possible to get word out from Brilliant City. Only then can we quickly recall Robert and the others to prevent a similar situation from happening again.”
Cain drained the last of his Flaming Rose and set the glass down.
As a general, he understood the vital importance of information. At this moment, Brilliant City was isolated and without aid; not a single piece of news had been sent out since the connection was severed.
“I have a piece of news. I wonder if Your Excellencies would be interested in hearing it?”
Suddenly, Baker whispered a suggestion. The three immediately frowned and looked at him.
“What news?”
Baker smiled. He looked honest enough, but the movement of his fingers made it clear just how shrewd this bar owner really was.
“Your Excellencies know my rules. If you want information, you have to...”
Hilda’s brow tightened as she reached into her bosom and pulled out two gold coins. Beside her, Yuna also rummaged through her pockets and produced five gold coins.
Cain, however, searched his entire body only to scrounge up three silver coins.
Yuna and Hilda looked at him in surprise. With a Guardian Knight’s monthly salary of ten gold coins plus the additional income from his rank as an Count, it was impossible for him not to have a single gold coin on him.
Cain turned his head away awkwardly.
“Earlier... I saw a woman who looked quite pitiful, so I gave her some money. I only came here for a drink... I didn't... didn't bring much.”
See his embarrassment, Hilda didn't push him and looked back at Baker.
“Seven gold coins. Is that enough to buy your news?”
“It won't take that much. My business is honest; I cheat neither the young nor the old.”
Baker took two gold coins and tossed them in his hand with a smile.
“Can I speak now?”
“Of course.”
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