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Chapter 68: A Mermaid Who Loved A Knight (3)

"You\'re realizing that now?"

Facing Kai\'s playful smile, Crawford scratched his head and asked, "So what are you planning to do? As I said, two knights are always watching over me."

"I\'ll handle them, so don\'t worry about that part... Do you know any way to meet Helene?"

"...There is a way." Crawford pulled out a small conch from under his pillow. "It\'s a conch made of a seashell. When Helene gave it to me, she said that if I blew into it, she would come to me, no matter where or when."

"That\'s romantic."

"...Yeah, she\'s unbelievably wonderful. Unlike me."

"If you also shave and style your hair I bet you\'d still look like you’re in your prime.”

Kai wasn\'t exaggerating. Crawford may have looked like a homeless person now, but Kai had seen him during his glory days as a knight.

He was astonishingly handsome!

Even now, his good looks were just hidden behind the beard and long hair.

"Let\'s head out first."

"...Where?"

"Surely you\'re not planning to meet Helene like this, right?" Kai responded, slightly taken aback at Crawford\'s question.

Crawford looked down at himself and mumbled in a timid voice, "It\'s embarrassing, but I have no money..."

"Don\'t worry about that," Kai said with a smile. "I\'ll take care of everything for you from head to toe today."

***

Snip, snip.

"Oh my..."

"Wow..."

Stylists working on their clients\' hair in a salon in Aquaria paused their work and exclaimed as they couldn\'t help but let out their admiration.

Crawford opened his eyes to see his reflection in the mirror.

"Uh..."

Though he had aged and developed a few wrinkles, it was the same face he had when he and Helene had been passionately in love. Even he hadn’t seen his own face like this in ages, so it was no wonder others were surprised.

Kai took him out of the shop once his hair and beard were trimmed.

He\'s really handsome.

Crawford was really a picture-perfect middle-aged man! While he had just been a good-looking young man before, his years of sadness had given his gaze a deeper, more mature feeling.

"Now let\'s go buy some clothes."

"No, I can’t let you do that much..."

"I told you I’d fix you up from head to toe today."

Kai urged him along, taking him to a tailor and a shoe shop, transforming Crawford into a perfect gentleman.

"Hmm, looks good."

If they advertised with before-and-after photos of Crawford, they would make a fortune!

I can’t believe a person can change this much. Indeed, it’s crucial to take care of oneself.

Kai had forgotten how, just a few days ago, he had barely escaped looking like a mess at his own mother\'s birthday party. Surely, it was easy to forget where one came from!

Leading Crawford, Kai headed to the final destination.

Then Crawford suddenly stopped and said, "Hold on a second. This place is..."

Grasping Kai\'s shoulder, Crawford looked up at the store\'s sign with a wistful gaze.

"Is there a problem?"

"...No, not at all."

Crawford quietly followed Kai into the shop.

"Pick whatever you like."

"Me?"

"Or should I choose for you?"

"...No, I\'ll choose."

Crawford spent a while gazing at the ring display in the jewelry shop before returning to Kai.

"Have you chosen one?"

"I couldn’t decide."

"Should I choose for you then?"

"No." Crawford shook his head and smiled. "I’m sorry, but I\'d rather deal with the ring on my own if that’s okay."

"Pardon? But I thought you said you didn\'t have any money..."

"There\'s a ring I’ve always wanted to give her."

It was the proposal ring he couldn’t give to her twenty years ago!

Kai, recalling this, silently nodded. "Sure, let\'s do that then."

"Thanks."

"No problem. It\'s less money out of my pocket."

When Crawford started walking, Kai followed with a faint smile on his face. They varrived at a beach where twin caves could be seen in the distance.

"This the right spot?" Kai asked to check.

"Yes, we used to meet around here."

"Then go ahead and blow the conch to call Helene."

"Are you sure you\'re gonna be okay?" Crawford seemed to worry how Kai would deal with the consequences.

"Even if I\'m not, I\'ll have to be. I need to prepare."

Kai quickly changed into his Armor of the Undead gear and turned his back to Crawford to face the two knights approaching in the distance.

***

Clank, clank.

Two knights in full plate armor entered the beach. Then they observed Crawford, who was blowing the conch at the edge of the beach, and approached him.

However, someone stepped in to block their path. It was an adventurer dressed in full black armor, Kai. "From now on, he\'s going to be busy, so let\'s talk over here."

"...What are you doing?"

"We\'re carrying out our orders from Baron Bariton, the lord of Aquaria."

The knights growled at Kai, who was standing in their way.

"Surely you\'re not planning to defy the orders of Baron Bariton, are you?"

"I\'m following the will of the Solarian God, Helix. Are you suggesting that a mere baron would defy a god? Should I report it as blasphemy to the church?" Kai retorted.

"Watch your mouth!"

The knights, realizing Kai wasn’t going to back down through a conversation, quickly drew their swords.

At the same time, Kai entered his battle stance, his eyes glowing.

Let\'s test the waters first, shall we?

Kai\'s sword spun in an instant as he lunged off the sand. "Flood of Blades!"

"Argh!"

One of the knights groaned as he swung his sword to block Kai\'s surprisingly fast attack.

Clang!

They have good reflexes. Judging by their attack power, they\'re probably... around level 100.

The level gap was overwhelming, even tougher than facing an Orc Lord, and now he had to deal with two of them.

Plus, these guys aren\'t as dumb as Orcs.

NPCs were designed to think just like people, and these knights had a background of decades of sword training.

"Dover! I\'ll keep him busy, so go get Crawford!"

"Got it!"

The knight named Dover dashed past Kai. And in that moment, Kai\'s eyes lit up.

Got him.

He quickly spun around and followed Dover, shouting, "Now!"

As he shouted, the sand burst into the air like an explosion. And out of it, came six gnoll skeletons, all latching onto Dover\'s left leg.

"Wh-what are these things!?"

Every time Dover swung his sword, the weak gnoll skeletons were instantly unsummoned.

However, it was enough time for Kai.

"Flood of Blades!"

Crack!

Full plate armor was favored by knights for its strong protection and a sword that swung with such defense was deadly!

But there\'s also a disadvantage.

The joints were the disadvantage of full plated armor. To maintain mobility in a suit of armor made of solid material, the joints had to be somewhat flexible. And leather was usually used to fill those gaps.

Kai\'s sword was sharp enough to slash throught the leather at the armor\'s calf joint to hit Dover\'s leg.

"Aaagh!"

As Dover\'s leg got slashed in an instant, he screamed in pain and swung his sword.

However, Kai was already out of range, dodging the sword\'s path.

Shit, my left leg...

It was too damaged to move. The moment Dover realized this, he called for help from his fellow knight, Brafa.

"I can\'t handle him alone! I need support!"

"Shit... Then let\'s end it quickly!"

Got them!

Kai let out a sigh of relief as he had at least prevented the worst-case scenario of the knights reaching Crawford.

Of course, six gnoll skeletons had been sacrificed in the process, but it was a small price for the result.

Now, let\'s do this.

Kai\'s eyes shined as he faced the two knights, or rather, his prey.

***

Dover made the first move. He quickly realized his left leg had lost its function, and his mobility was severely compromised.

If that\'s the case, I\'ll have to hold him in one spot.

Meanwhile, his colleague, Brafa, would decapitate Kai!

It was a simple yet highly effective strategy.

Swoosh!

The sword of a knight with decades of experience came down like lightning toward Kai.

Compared to Kai\'s vertical strikes, this was a clean downward slash!

However...

A clean attack meant there were no extra movements, making it easier to predict. Thus, if one could react in time, dodging it was the simplest thing.

Kai kept his eyes on the attack and pivoted on his left foot to avoid the sword. Then came his counterattack!

Kai thrusted his sword.

“Aaagh!”

This time, it was Dover\'s left knee.

Dragging his now tattered leg, Dover cursed. "You bastard, you keep aiming at my left leg, huh!?"

"Isn\'t targeting an opponent\'s weakness the basics of combat?"

"You\'re an impudent bastard who doesn’t even know the honor of a knight..."

"And stalking a man with severed limbs and pressuring him is what an honorable knight does?"

As Kai casually dismissed Dover\'s bullshit and confirmed Dover could barely stand properly, he became certain of something.

Master Huey said the most important thing in swordsmanship are the roots.

And by roots, he meant strong, stable legs. If those were crucial on solid ground, it was even more so on this sandy beach.

Dover won\'t even be at half his usual strength now.

There was nothing easier than dodging a sword with an unbalanced center of gravity. And even if he swung it, it would lack power.

After judging so, Kai rolled across the sand and lunged forward.

Swoosh!

"You bastard!"

This was an unfair fight, a two against one battle! Kai faced Dover while keeping an eye on Brafa approaching from behind.

Given the unfair odds, he had to perform at 150% of his usual skill to stand a chance.

My level is way lower than theirs... but if I use Supernova, I’ll gain a temporary advantage.

Supernova, which raised all stats by 30, produced surprising synergy with the title Saint of Glendale.

The Saint of Glendale increases the effect of all skills using Holy Power by 10%.

In short, that meant instead of 150 stats being increased, he would get a boost of 165!

In that case, although only just for a moment, I won\'t be at a disadvantage.

It would boost his health, attack power, speed, and even dodge rate!

Having gained confidence from this, Kai stood up and brushed off the sand.

Now, my job is to disrupt their perception.

Kai had already used all of Fermi’s Venom he had to slowly restrain and impede his enemies.

But despite that fact, he smiled as the sand getting brushed off his body caught his attention.

If I don\'t have any venom, I can just make some.