Stepping on the head of a grail knight!
Haters, speak up! Who still dares to say the Prince of Qingxi only has skills in bed?
Faust’s current sense of accomplishment and satisfaction was immeasurable.
Jie jie jie, this feels even better than a climax!
Though the Titan mecha was currently riddled with holes, and he had indeed used many underhanded tricks—whether it was the combination of 【Furinkazan】 and 【Steel Breathing】 or his psychological warfare—it wasn’t exactly a victory of raw strength.
But a win was a win; no need for excuses!
At this very moment, Faust had fairly and squarely (highly debatable) defeated a 【grail knight】.
...
Excitement aside, Faust allowed himself a moment of smugness before immediately backing away.
While he had technically stepped on his opponent's head and arguably defeated Dathrohan by making him lose the will to fight, Faust couldn't actually kill him here.
The damage reduction trait of a 【grail knight】 was terrifyingly high. Without any instant-death traits or curses, killing one was truly difficult.
Furthermore, the Titan’s current condition wasn't great. If he insisted on a pursuit to the death, there was a chance the tables might be turned.
He knew when to quit while he was ahead.
"Let's end today's clash here. Why don't you head back and think things over, Excellency?"
Faust offered an out as he maneuvered the Titan backward.
The upbringing of a grail knight was indeed superior; despite being so humiliated, he didn't fly into a rage. He simply deactivated his 【Knight-God Stance】 and turned away, looking utterly despondent.
"Lord Dathrohan..."
The warriors under the grail knight’s command stared blankly at their idol. Dathrohan didn't have many physical wounds, but his expression was as ghastly as it could be.
Pale, bloodless, and filled with agony, the grail knight waved to his subordinates. "Withdraw... for now, retreat..."
The skirmish had already halted due to the presence of the two giants. Now that Dathrohan had been defeated, there was no longer any reason to continue the battle.
The golden eagle knights gathered the bodies of their comrades and retreated in disgrace.
On the other side, Faust returned in triumph. The Titan mecha was disassembled within the fortress, and the 【Neural Link Pod】 ejected to the ground. Faust climbed out from the "amber."
The first thing he did wasn't to tend to his wounds, but to say to Snow White with utmost humility: "Mission accomplished."
Selena crossed her arms and sighed with regret. "I actually thought you wanted to die with me... What a shame. It turns out you actually had a plan."
"I'm sorry I couldn't fulfill your wish."
Faust placed a hand over his chest and said meaningfully, "Because the Goddess of Luck kissed me."
This was a double entendre, referring both to the young girl's kiss before the battle and the favor of actual "fate."
Logically speaking, the mind of a 【grail knight】 should be indestructible. Even by targeting the Lady of the Lake, his most cherished subject, a few words shouldn't have shattered his resolve so easily.
Otherwise, decades of tempering and cultivation being undone by a few sentences would make him far too fragile.
Dathrohan losing his composure so easily was likely due to the subtle influence of the 【wheel of destiny】.
The "prince" fighting for the "princess" had to win. As long as there was any "factor" that allowed for victory, any logical victory that could be explained away would be employed.
Fate was leaning toward him!
Dathrohan... this grail knight had been sabotaged by heaven’s will.
However, Selena likely didn't catch the deeper meaning and could only assume Faust was complimenting her.
"Goddess of Luck... Hmph, I must correct you. Describing me as a goddess is far too vulgar. My beauty cannot be described or compared to any concrete entity. Which goddess? What kind of goddess? Who would dare be compared to me?"
The Princess of Midwinter elegantly pressed the jabot at her chest and said proudly.
You’re going full 'indefinable and eldritch' now, aren't you!
Faust almost laughed in exasperation. He was just about to speak up to dampen Selena’s blatant arrogance when a sweetness suddenly filled his throat.
"Pfft!"
His Highness first spat out a mouthful of blood. Then, the wounds on his arms and back, which had cracked under the heat of the 【lake-light fire】, burst open.
Repeatedly using the cheesy combo of 【Furinkazan】 and 【Steel Breathing】 had been fun for Faust at the time, but the sect put an immense burden on the body. One had to use the pilot's flesh and blood to compensate for the machine's shortcomings.
Specifically, the pilot had to undergo constant, volatile emotional shifts. This was impossible for anyone who hadn't specialized in paths for tempering the mind, like a 【martial saint】 or an 【observer】.
Earlier, he had been holding his breath to face the grail knight. Now that he had relaxed, his condition instantly collapsed.
Selena immediately stepped forward to support the man, ignoring the blood and filth as she began to heal Faust’s wounds.
Her bone flute doubled as a wand. With a light dance, a misty light enveloped the wounds, healing them at a visible rate.
Faust let out a confused hum at the sight.
"What? I may not be a high warlock like my mother, but I can still use simple recovery spells."
Selena focused on healing Faust. She lowered her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes trembling as she gently stroked the wounds caused by the neural feedback. She whispered, "You did well, my knight, my... prince."
"I barely contributed to this battle and could only watch you fight. It's a disgrace... Am I useless for anything other than my beauty?"
Seeing Selena’s low spirits, Faust comforted her. "There’s no need to feel ashamed. Your power is far greater than you imagine, because your 'beauty' itself is an authority that transcends the mundane."
He didn't yet know what 【Snow White's】 authority as a 【witch】 was, but he could guess it was related to the key factor of "beauty."
Compared to a "witch authority," any other path or trait was negligible.
However, Faust's words, which revealed the underlying logic of fate, took on a different flavor in the black-haired girl's ears.
The Princess of Midwinter looked up, her exquisite face radiating joy. "Oh? Is that what you think? Hehe, actually, you don't need to be so subtle. It’s fine to just confess directly. Given your bravery today... I might just say yes."
Faust had intended to be a gentleman, but seeing Selena’s smug and self-satisfied look, his contrary personality couldn't be suppressed. He immediately sat up straight and said, "Though the timing isn't great, I must bring you back to reality. In terms of beauty, I've seen someone of your caliber. To be blunt, it’s my childhood friend."
Both being 【witches】, it was truly impossible to say whether Viviana or Selena was superior.
"Oh, really?"
Selena wasn't annoyed by Faust’s rebuttal. Instead, she wore a subtle smile.
"It seems you’ve fought until your mind has become clouded, to speak such a lie."
She pulled the marriage proposal letter from her bosom and slowly unfolded the extremely long sheet of paper.
"Wait, what are you doing?"
Faust’s brow furrowed, sensing something was wrong.
The Princess of Midwinter cleared her throat and began to recite with deep emotion: "My beloved Snow White..."
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