"What 'most precious fish'?! All the fish in that pond look exactly the same! This is pure extortion!"
"And! I was just having a little fun with your staff! How does that equal psychological trauma?!" Cipher's face flushed red with anger, her tail standing straight up, feeling like she'd encountered a ruthless, unscrupulous merchant.
"Heh," Phaethon's smile grew even more "benevolent." "Am I the boss, or are you? If I say it existed, it existed. If I say it's worth that price, it's worth that price.
As for the staff's psychological trauma... shall I call them over for an on-the-spot assessment?"
As he spoke, he seized the moment when Cipher's attention was diverted and she instinctively thought of fleeing—and precisely grabbed the fluffy tip of her tail, which was swishing about excitedly!
"!!!" Cipher's entire body stiffened violently, as if hit by a paralysis spell. The whole cat instantly turned to stone. Her voice even changed pitch, tinged with panic and indignation.
"P-Phaethon! L-let go! Let go now! I-I won't run! I was wrong! Don't pull my tail! Not there, no no no!" She instantly started hissing and puffing up.
Phaethon obligingly let go, but a faint glow swirled around him. The weight of Earth and the binding force of Law silently spread, thoroughly locking down the space around them—clearly preventing her from making another escape.
"Now," Phaethon said leisurely, watching Cipher who was frantically checking her tail, her face a mix of lingering fear and grievance. He smiled and asked, "Honored Miss Cipher, do we still need to... keep clear accounts?"
"Ugh..." Cipher hugged her tail, her little face woeful, ears and shoulders drooping. She muttered under her breath,
"Phaethon... you can't pull tails, it'll... it'll cause problems... Also, I just realized today how fitting your name is...
Truly white when you're being fair, and truly black-hearted when you're being ruthless... You're a bone-devouring demon king when it comes to cats!"
"So it's happily agreed upon?" Phaethon said with a beaming smile, directly settling the matter.
"You will use your 'Godspeed' to safely transport me, Castorice, and Sister Cyrene to Styxia. As for payment... let's use our Friendship Card. Permanently valid."
***
The winds howled atop the walls of Castrum Kremnos.
Tattered banners fluttered weakly in the wind carrying the scent of gunpowder.
Phaethon was about to embark on his journey. Phainon and Mydei stood side by side, seeing him off.
Phainon patted Phaethon's shoulder. "Phaethon, go with Castorice to retrieve the Coreflame of Death without worry. Leave this battlefield to us." His tone was filled with unquestionable confidence.
Beside him, Mydei crossed his arms. His magma-like eyes swept over the still-churning Black Tide outside the city walls, his voice low and brimming with fighting spirit. "The journey to Styxia holds unknown dangers. Have no concern for the defenses here."
Seeing the two of them adopting this "the wind blows cold, the warrior departs, never to return" posture, Phaethon rolled his eyes in exasperation:
"Hey, hey, what's with you two? Why so solemn? You're making it sound like I'm going on a one-way trip! I'm just going on a business trip, not to my death!"
He shook his head, bringing the topic back to serious matters, his expression turning earnest. "Let's be serious. Before I leave, I will anchor several Infinity Gates permanently outside Castrum Kremnos.
This way, the Judgment of Shamash will conduct uninterrupted automatic patrol strikes around the city, providing you with maximum fire support."
Phaethon's tone shifted, becoming even more serious, carrying a trace of barely perceptible concern:
"But... once I depart, it means the loss of the most direct perception and instant judgment of the battlefield.
The strikes of the Judgment of Shamash will rely entirely on pre-set patrol paths. It will no longer be able to 'intelligently' prioritize eliminating the densest, most dangerous enemy clusters, or perform on-the-fly precision adjustments like before."
He looked at the two of them, his gaze grave. "That is to say... you will need to shoulder a heavier responsibility.
The frontal impact and pressure faced by the frontline warriors... will also be greater, more direct. Are you both truly prepared?"
Upon hearing this, far from showing concern, Phainon grinned, revealing a row of white teeth. The smile even held a hint of eagerness for battle and excitement.
He gave Mydei's solid chest a hearty thump with his fist, which only earned him a displeased snort from the other.
"Pressure? That's exactly what I want! Finally, I can cut loose and have a proper competition with this newly ascended 'Strife' Demigod! Let's see who can clear out those Black Tide scum faster and in greater numbers!"
Mydei snorted coldly, raising his chin slightly, his gaze disdainful. "Foolish Deliverer, obsessed with such meaningless competition, you are only inviting hardship.
However..." The corner of his mouth lifted into a nearly arrogant curve. "If you wish to compete, I shall make you admit defeat wholeheartedly."
Just as this battle-ready, slightly melancholic atmosphere of parting settled in, an extremely impatient voice cut in, shattering the "touching" farewell scene.
"I say—how much longer are you big men going to stand here entrusting things to each other? And the lines are so long and mushy!"
Cipher stood with her hands on her hips, her cat ears twitching with displeasure, finally unable to hold back her complain any longer and voicing it loudly.
"I finally understand! Why the Princess Homebody's recent output has been ridiculously high!
It's because she's not writing fiction at all! She's just documenting your daily lives! These ready-made materials are more dramatic than any play!"
Suddenly named, Castorice instantly flushed bright red, flustered as she tried to explain:
"Um... M-Miss Cipher, please don't... I haven't... that is... I only drew a little inspiration..." Her voice grew smaller and smaller, almost burying itself in her chest.
"Aiya ya~" Cyrene chuckled lightly, "sidling" up next to Cipher. Her sparkling eyes hadn't left the pair of fluffy cat ears and the agilely swishing tail.
"Dear feline phantom thief, you are mistaken! One mustn't underestimate this kind of... clumsy yet pure friendship between boys! ♪"
As she spoke, her fingers twitched eagerly, seemingly very keen on personally verifying the feel of those ears.
Cipher: "!!!"
Seeing Cyrene's increasingly close, "dangerously" gleaming eyes and "claws," Cipher entire body leapt backward like a startled cat.
Cipher: ∑(❍д❍ฺlll)!!! How would I understand?! First a ruthless merchant tries to extort me, now a feline lover is on the prowl! Tell me, is it too late to use Godspeed and make a run for it?! Can I just quit this job?!