Alka and the others rested in the flower forest, waiting for Jason and the others to return.
They didn't have to wait long.
Jason and the other two walked in from the doorway.
"How's it going?"
Hearing Alka's words, Jason smiled and nodded. "Just as you guessed, he wants us to wait a few more days on the island."
With that, Jason and the other two found a seat in the room.
Sofia asked, "What conditions did they offer?"
"We don't need to do anything. We just need to explore the city during the Blooming Festival.
If nothing goes wrong, they'll pay us 500 gold sails. If something goes wrong, they'll need our help.
We'll be compensated accordingly based on our assistance."
Everyone nodded at these terms.
A very reasonable price.
One could even say it was generous.
"Well, since we've accepted the commission, let's stay here for a few days and enjoy their grand festival."
Alka stood up and said.
Everyone nodded.
Jason then pulled out a map.
"This is the city layout they gave us."
Alka took it and looked at it, blinking. There wasn't a single white dot on the map.
It wasn't that the map wasn't up to standard, but rather that this place was truly that clean.
He placed the map on the table for everyone to examine, primarily to take in the city's topography.
As well as key facilities, patrol routes, and defense deployments.
"Give us this map. It seems they trust us," Simon said, looking at the map.
Hearing this, Jason glanced at him, then pointed at Alka's forehead.
Simon slapped himself in sudden realization; he'd forgotten that.
After all, the Flower Fairy had personally blessed him.
Who else could he trust if not him?
Distrusting Alka meant distrusting the Flower Fairy. Such a thing was impossible for these believers.
"Did you ask for some detailed data?" Alka turned to Jason and asked.
Jason nodded. "She told us a lot of secret information."
After speaking, Jason leaned slightly on the table and pointed at the map as he began to explain the situation to everyone.
"This city originally had a permanent population of around 120,000. Due to the festival, the city is now occupied by approximately 160,000 people. This is a rough estimate.
A total of 500 soldiers have been transferred back, all in the second stage. There are less than 10 in the third stage. They are centurions and several squad leaders."
The island wasn't small, but because of the vines entwining it, it seemed incredibly large.
It's more than enough to accommodate a population of over a hundred thousand, making it seem quite relaxed.
However, there are indeed too few soldiers.
Jason continued, "Among the island's powerful warriors, four of the five Flower Knights are at the third level. The strongest, Jilina, is at the fourth level.
Here, when the festival begins, the Great Gardener and some of his church's priests will perform rituals.
The Great Gardener is at the seventh level, and two of the priests beside him are at the fourth level. This represents all the known combat power on the island right now."
Hearing this, Sofia became somewhat puzzled.
"With the Great Gardener's strength alone, just sitting here is enough to intimidate everyone. Why does he need our help?"
There was nothing wrong with this statement. A Great Gardener of the seventh level.
It could be said that he protected this place, the land of all spirits.
"That's the problem. When the most crucial moment of the Bloom Festival begins, the Head Gardener will preside over the ceremony within the enormous Heavenly Flower. Not only him, but even the two priests beside him will be unable to mount a combat force.
This ceremony is extremely important, crucial to the revival of the Flower Fairy."
Hearing this, everyone instantly understood.
The most dangerous moment is during the ceremony itself, and their main purpose for remaining behind is to prevent enemy sabotage during that time.
"They've even told us this information. Does that mean they believe the enemy might know this secret information?"
Jason nodded. "You know, it happens every year, and it's been that way for years. Attacks during the Bloom Festival have been quite frequent in recent years."
This means the enemy has already figured it out.
Alka paused and asked, "How long will the ceremony last?"
"It's said to last about two hours."
After everyone understood the basic situation,
Alka said bluntly, "Since we've accepted the commission, we must do our best."
"This is the Flower of Heaven, and this is where the altar was built. The distance between the two is less than a kilometer.
The altar is extremely dangerous because it's where the most people are, and chaos will surely ensue."
"So, if the enemy truly intends to sabotage it, what will their purpose be?" Matlisa asked, somewhat puzzled.
If they intend to disrupt the ritual, that's obviously impossible.
Because the person presiding over the ritual is a Stage Seven.
They didn't know the full power of a Stage Seven being, but some of them had seen one.
That was the once-living Lucilia.
The patriarch of their clan was a Stage Seven powerhouse.
Simply put, they were the key to the prosperity of a faction, ensuring its enduring strength.
In other words, they were among the most powerful in the entire Infinite Sea.
Alka even suspected he might possess a crown-level treasure.
Of course, it was just a simple suspicion.
"Perhaps they simply want to cause trouble?" Juanlu said from the side.
When a cultist like this does something like this, almost no one would be surprised.
Even if there's no benefit, simply causing chaos, destruction, and bloodshed is enough for them.
There's nothing wrong with thinking this way.
"Okay, let's not think about it," Alka said, and began discussing with the others that it would be best for them to split up and wait in different locations.
Alka believed that these people weren't interested in keeping them here because of their strength.
After all, no one in their group had surpassed the fourth stage.
Ultimately, their usefulness was limited.
But one thing couldn't be ignored.
The growth of the puppet army.
Although Alka and the others were all at the third stage, they were all considered strong within their respective ranks.
Alka himself was capable of exceptional performance.
But the most striking aspect was the puppet army, comprising over seventy third-stage figures.
Despite their small size, their strength was undeniable.
These few dozen third-stage figures instantly increased their military power.
Since we were helping others and had accepted the commission, we naturally had to carefully consider how to maximize the role and strength of the puppet army.
We had to allocate them appropriately.
...
Two days passed quickly.
The curtain of the sky had just been torn away.
A bustle of activity could be heard from outside, filled with a cheerful and festive atmosphere.
Alka and the others were making final preparations within the flower forest.
Even though today was the Bloom Festival, they weren't in a rush.
Because the ceremony hadn't begun yet, the Head Gardener and the priests around him were still busy preparing for it.
If the enemy didn't act smart and attack right now, they'd be completely out of luck.
Indeed, they were desperate for someone to sabotage them, ideally right now.
That would mean they'd practically done nothing and just enjoyed someone else's grand festival.
After learning more information, they even got 500 gold for free.
That couldn't be better.
But the enemy clearly wasn't that foolish.
Gilliana had entrusted them with such crucial information, making an attack almost inevitable.
Arka and the others were making final preparations, waiting for the ceremony to begin.
Lucille stood on the table.
Below her were the puppet knights, arranged in six neat rows.
Each row consisted of two five-man teams. With the exception of the wingless flying team, two members were removed from each team.
Each team was led by a captain.
The flying team, led by Jiu, would form a separate squadron, ready to provide support at any time.
They even carried a team flag, the same compass pattern from the island. However, their eyes had been transformed into puppets with long hair, each holding a staff and a sword.
This was their knight team flag.
It looked quite formal.
Besides these six rows,
Behind Lucilia, there was a separate assault team modeled after the others.
They are Er, modeled after Sofia; San, modeled after Julia; Si, modeled after Matlisa; and Lily, modeled after Alka.
And finally, the last of the Puppet Girls, Dragon-Man Formation Member Crystal, modeled after the crystal dragon Urulius.
Since her creation, she has been by Urulius's side, learning and understanding the dragon's power. She is also responsible for comforting and caring for her.
Lucelia was heard saying from above: "Sisters, this is the first time we're all acting together. This time, we will make the most of it.
This is our Puppet Knights' first battle. This time, we must bring all our might to bear and show our might!"
"Charge!"
"The Puppet Knights are invincible!"
"Long live!"
A chaotic mix of responses followed Lucelia's speech.
No matter how you looked at it, it didn't look like an elite regular army, and certainly not like a rogue army of thugs either.
Because these puppet girls looked so silly.
"Is this really okay?" Matresha couldn't help but ask, looking at the group of puppet girls.
This was too worrying.
After all, there was no guarantee they'd actually encounter any enemies trying to cause trouble. Getting all excited would only make it awkward when there weren't any.
"Forget it, let them go," Alka said with a smile.
In reality, this could be considered the puppet girls' first battle.
In previous battles, Alka and his group had usually been the ones leading the charge, with only one or two puppet girls supporting them.
It was difficult for them to fully exploit their strengths.
Thinking of this, Alka looked at Simon: "Are yours ready?"
Simon nodded, making a "no problem" gesture with his metal hand.
"Don't worry, it's foolproof. The entire city will be within range by then."
Hearing this, Alka said no more and took the two puppet girls from the table next to him.
Handing them over to Simon, he said, "I'm leaving these two in your care. Please protect them well."
"Don't worry, Captain. I'll protect her and myself." Vice-Captain Zero said politely, lifting her skirt.
The two girls were Vice-Captain Zero and Shi, the core of the puppet girls.
Alka smiled and nodded.
Simon also took the two girls and placed them on his shoulders.
Shi seemed drowsy, leaning on Simon's shoulder, as if she was about to fall asleep.
Simon had no choice but to take her down and place her on a floating platform nearby, allowing her to rest.
Zero also came down to take care of her.
"Alright, let's go out."
Everyone nodded.
Then the girls split into small groups of eleven and left the flower forest for their designated area.
Lucille, their leader, also left with them.
If Luille was to unleash her full potential, she had to stay with the puppet girls.
After leaving the flower forest, Simon and Alka and the others departed in different directions.
"How lively!" Sofia couldn't help but exclaim, looking at both sides of the street.
A faint floral fragrance lingered in the air.
The residents and tourists who came and went wore local costumes, embroidered with a variety of beautiful flowers.
Various flower decorations hung on both sides of the street.
"Does this mean anything?"
Matlisa watched as everyone here placed a flower on their head, ear, chest, or waist.
Everyone's placement was different.
They had never seen this before.
Arka observed the scene and said, "Maybe there's some kind of meaning, like the placement, the meaning of the flowers, or something."
Not far away was a stall displaying a variety of flowers.
The roots of the flowers had some kind of special soft balls, seemingly providing them with nutrients.
All the flowers used for decoration had these soft balls at their bases.
"Let's go and take a look," Arka said, leading the group over.
Before the ceremony began, they could enjoy the Blooming Festival.
He inquired with the owner at the stall.
"You're from out of town, aren't you? It's rare to see such an important festival," the owner said with a smile.
Then he began to explain: "Each flower has a different meaning. Placing it on different parts of your body, matching it to the flower's meaning, represents your hope for a bright future."
Hearing this, the three girls in the group immediately piqued their interest.
Alka and the others listened curiously, gazing at the dense array of unknown flowers on the stall.
Matlisa picked up two lavender flowers shaped like trumpets.
She handed one to Porolo.
"Here, this one's for you. Place it on your chest."
She placed her own flower on the chest of her floral dress.
Matlisa's dress was a combination of pale purple and grayish-white patterns. "Oh, okay, put it here?"
Although Pororo was a shark-man, he wasn't completely naked.
He wore an open-chested, light blue, short-sleeved vest with a bright silver pattern that resembled lightning.
He wore matching shorts.
Matrica looked at Pororo and shook her head. "No, I'll put it here for you."
As she spoke, her snake tail curled slightly.
Lifting it up, he scraped twice at Polo's chest, placing the flower in the correct position.
"Hmm, it looks much better this way."
Sofia placed a pale pink flower with a hint of red on Alka's chest.
He also placed the same flower on his own chest.
Alka, of course, wouldn't refuse.
Julia looked at the flower in her hand. It was a sea-blue flower, each petal arranged in a disordered pattern.
It was even swaying slightly.
She slowly placed the flower next to her ear.
Watching everyone's actions.
Jason turned to look at Juanlu.
Feeling Jason's gaze, Juanlu noticed the flower in Jason's hand again.
"Hey! Stop it! Get out of here." With that, Juanlu casually picked up a pink and white flower and placed it on his chest. "You really don't understand romance," Jason said, picking up two identical flowers at random. The crystal in his hand spread upward, enveloping them and transforming them into crystal-like flowers.
He placed them directly on his chest.
"Save this one for Urulius." With that, the other flower vanished from his palm.
Everyone did just that.
After decorating their own flowers, they immersed themselves in the festive atmosphere.
They were like genuine tourists, enjoying the Bloom Festival.