In an instant, Yun Wei recalled Aeneas's wicked deeds. He was about to refuse when he heard Isaac say, "Sure, we're just short one person here."
It appears that the two do know each other.
Yun Wei pursed his lips and looked at Isaac, who then introduced him: "This is Aeneas, a level 5 earth-type swordsman. He's quite strong. We sparred in the arena last week. Hey, Aeneas, this is Claude, my boyfriend."
It seemed the two had simply sparred with each other. Yun Wei breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't a gossipy person, and he hadn't mentioned Sid's situation to Isaac. Maintaining a businesslike attitude, Yun Wei nodded to the other party.
Aeneas looked him over with interest and said to Isaac, "Oh, is he the 'belief you're looking to protect'?"
The belief in defense? What does that mean?
Yun Wei looked at Isaac with a puzzled expression, but unusually, he saw a flustered shyness on the other's face.
Isaac's eyes darted away, and he chuckled casually, "It's nothing, I was just thinking about you while we were playing..."
Yun Wei shook his head. He could roughly guess what was going on. A strange sweetness welled up in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face.
Seeing this, Aeneas clicked his tongue in disdain and said to Yun Wei, "Hey, Claude, haven't we met before?"
Upon hearing this, Yun Wei's smile vanished, and he said expressionlessly, "That's right. Last week, I had a brief encounter with you at the stairwell leading to the second-floor terrace of the library."
He clearly stated the time and place, and his meaning was also very clear. Aeneas immediately recalled that terrible day, and his originally roguish expression turned sour.
Isaac noticed the awkwardness between the two and couldn't help but feel worried. "Yun?"
Yun Wei squeezed his hand and comforted him, "It's nothing, just some personal grudges."
He turned to Aeneas and said, “Rest assured, Aeneas, I will not let my personal feelings affect my mission. Although, personally, I despise your actions.”
Being humiliated like this by a first-year student, Aeneas could hardly remain calm. He drew his enchanted greatsword, about to step forward and teach Yun Wei a lesson, but was stopped by Isaac, who stepped forward. "Excuse me, sir, I think you would be better off finding someone else to team up with."
Their eyes met in mid-air, reminding Aeneas of that afternoon of his crushing defeat. He snorted coldly, sheathed his greatsword, and walked away dejectedly.
At this moment, Yun Wei approached Isaac and briefly explained what Aeneas had done to Sid.
After listening, Isaac remained silent for a while, and finally said only to Yun Wei, "I am serious about you."
Yun Wei glared at him, nudged his chest with her fist, and said reproachfully, "That's enough, I'm getting tired of hearing this."
However, Yun Wei was unaware that such sordid affairs among nobles were commonplace on the Zhuyuan Continent. Love affairs and vendettas were commonplace among nobles. There was even a family that was famous for "legally" expanding its territory through marriage and murder, so the loyal Temu Brown family has always been considered an anomaly on the Zhuyuan Continent.
Just then, the officer at the front shouted, "It's almost time! Lunagale cadet contingent, move out!"
The group of fewer than a hundred young students began to move about in a disorganized manner, heading west of the city. They were dressed in their finest clothes, full of youthful vigor, beaming with joy, and innocent and carefree, looking as if they were going on an autumn outing.
As they reached the end of Dawn Avenue, they waved goodbye to the eagerly awaiting faculty members. There, Ms. Susan, wiping away tears with a handkerchief, pushed aside the drowsy Mr. Reo beside her, rushed to the side of the street, and shouted, "Children, please be careful!"
Most of the school's teachers are level five professionals, and they have been incorporated into the ranks of the court mages, waiting to assemble.
The Vatican had informed Principal Victor, who was attending a meeting in the south, in advance, so even though Susan did not agree with sending the freshmen, who had only been enrolled for less than half a month, on such an adventure, she had no choice but to comply.
Once outside the west gate, the scenery changed abruptly. In stark contrast to the opulent and exquisite interior of Moonflower City, the area outside was noisy and desolate, as if even the air itself was polluted.
Looking around, the place was crowded with villagers who had come to seek refuge, a vast expanse of people, numbering in the tens of thousands. They were dressed in rags, some sitting, some lying down, their faces filled with fear.
Isaac wanted to go up and ask for some information, but the villagers, who seemed terrified, stammered and couldn't get any answers. The soldiers bringing up the rear of the column, on the other hand, charged forward aggressively, brandishing their warhammers and telling the villagers near the dirt road to move "far away," though their tone was anything but polite.
Yun Wei and Isaac exchanged a glance, their unease growing. He frowned and said, "If we just leave them outside the city like this, and the city's defenses fall, the consequences will be unimaginable." He thought it would be better to put all the refugees into the city first, but then he thought of the behavior of the city's citizens and nobles, and realized that this was not feasible.
However, he didn't hear a reply for a long time. Yun Wei was puzzled and looked up at the other person again, only to find that Isaac's face was unusually gloomy. He had never seen Isaac like this before. The other person had a stern face, his jaw was taut, and even his brows were furrowed.
Yun Wei then belatedly realized that Isaac was a descendant of the Second Dynasty, and the people of the Zhuyuan Continent were, in law and reason, his subjects.
Having been in the Zhuyuan Continent for so long, he had become accustomed to the hardships of the lower classes. The backward productivity and extensive production methods of the early Middle Ages meant that the lower classes were destined to struggle to make ends meet. And just two months ago, he himself was one of them.
This is not the end of the world, but it is far from paradise either.
For a moment, he was at a loss and hurriedly changed his words, saying, "It's okay, we will definitely be able to protect them."
After saying it, even he himself knew how pale and powerless this comfort was.
Isaac finally glanced at him, his lips moved, but he didn't say anything.
...
The procession continued for over an hour, leaving Moonflower City far behind. Looking into the distance, it seemed to reflect a rainbow of light, like a bright pearl on the horizon. Yun Wei knew that it was the magnificent bell tower of St. Lucy's Cathedral in the city.
Their contingent took a short break in the open space in front of the valley. Yun Wei and Isaac leaned against a slender chestnut tree, quietly drinking water.
Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came from behind the column; it must have been a group of Papal knights passing by. Yun Wei, his head hooded, didn't look up, for they had encountered many similar situations along the way.
However, this time the situation was somewhat unexpected.
The horses that had been galloping past suddenly stopped at their master's whistle, and the rider called out to his companions, "Priest Mok, you go first, I'll catch up with you later."
The horse's hooves clattered as it slowly turned around at a leisurely pace. Yun Wei was surprised and couldn't help but look up. The moment he saw the other person's appearance, his pupils contracted.
The newcomer reined in the chestnut horse, dismounted, and stood before Yun Wei.
Under Yun Wei's surprised gaze, the red-haired knight laughed and said, "Long time no see, Claude."
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