Chapter 633: I Messed It Up

Sonia watched Thales' dazed expression and seemed thoughtful.

"You know, when I returned to the capital this time, I found that everyone was living very comfortably," she said after a moment, giving a light snort as she took out her tobacco pouch and paper again and began rolling another cigarette. "They are no longer as nervous as they were a few years ago, ready to move and flee at any moment, constantly worried about when the northerners would attack again."

"That is a good thing." Thales nodded. "And with you guarding the fortress, your contribution is tremendous."

But the Flower of the Fortress snorted lightly, her voice carrying sarcasm.

"In fact, a month ago, I took people north to Black Sand Region and 'camped' on Lampard's territory. To put it plainly, we were scouting."

Thales did not turn back. He only looked at the distant Star Lake.

"How bold."

"Right now, that place is, mm, very quiet." Sonia's hands were steady as she rolled the cigarette, meticulous, not at all like someone who had drunk too much.

"Black Sand Region has just fought a civil war, and everything is still recovering. But farmers and herders pay less tax, merchants pay less to pass customs, and there are fewer unlawful bandits on the roads. Even between villages, the group brawls that the rough northerners never tired of are rare now. I hear that no matter what disputes arise, they rely on the newly arrived officials, or a huge pile of king's decrees I cannot understand, to settle them."

King's decrees.

Thales said nothing, but his thoughts slowly pulled away from sadness and sighs.

"Those northern lords I once dealt with, so familiar they could not be more familiar, rotten and stinking... Levan, Mende, Devenson, Peruno, Ika... most of them are gone as well. Some lost their heads in the civil war, some moved to Black Sand City, and some were replaced by new heads of family who obey the king in everything. The rest shrink in their castles, shut their gates, and linger on their last breaths."

Obey the king in everything.

Thales' brows slowly furrowed.

"Many young people in the countryside of the Northland have left too. I hear some joined the king's army during the civil war, while others went to the cities afterward to make a living. Those who stayed behind are all excitedly discussing how they can go to farther places, like Black Sand City, and work hard like other commoners who have risen above the crowd, maybe fishing up an official post or even a title.

"And our agents farther north, including the Secret Intelligence Department spies who occasionally stop to rest, also say that every day, even every hour, from fallen nobles and wandering knights down to commoners, ruffians, and hoodlums, newcomers are going bustlingly to Black Sand City, wanting to accomplish something there."

Rise above the crowd.

Accomplish something.

Thales' eyes grew sharper.

"Is that so?"

Sonia nodded. She had finally finished rolling a cigarette and was carefully packing the end.

"To be honest, I have not fought wars for a short time. I am not afraid of the Northland's heavy cavalry, not afraid of their greatsword infantry or heavily armored axemen. With Broken Dragon Fortress in hand, even if you ask me to fight one against ten, or even more, it is not a big problem. But..."

At this point, Sonia paused.

Several seconds later, she struck the pitch-crystal flint and lit the cigarette in her hand.

"But I can feel that something in the north is different now. And this is definitely not a question I can answer on the battlefield with blades, swords, and magic guns."

Thales listened to her words, but before his eyes appeared the words of that "old friend" of his.

[Thales, you know better than anyone. Six years have passed, and that ideal Eckstedt is farther and farther away from me.]

Looking at it now, perhaps it was not so far.

After experiencing the winds and storms since returning home, Thales felt a sigh rise within him.

Just like Cohen, alone and weak, and the unshakable Lower City: those who never forget may not have completed their work, but an echo will come.

And how did you do it, Chapman Lampard?

On this journey, what did you pay?

The Flower of the Fortress inhaled deeply and exhaled endless smoke.

"What do you think, Your Highness the North Star who returned from the north?"

Thales came back to himself.

North Star, a voice silently said in Thales' heart. No, you do not like that nickname.

It seems impressive, but it carries mockery, as well as imperceptible rejection and estrangement.

It gave you much, but took away even more.

"I know."

The Duke of Star Lake slowly nodded. "Seven years ago, I was there, at the very center of the storm."

Thales turned away to avoid the smoke. He only felt that everything before him had been blurred by Sonia's rolled cigarette, hazy and difficult to distinguish, full of unknowns.

"That is why I know better than anyone what kind of beast I released in Eckstedt, in Dragon Clouds City, and what sort of flames it will ignite."

Beast.

The Flower of the Fortress was silent for a while, then slowly said, "Then can you lock it back in its cage?"

Thales smiled.

Lock it back in its cage.

"No one can lock it away." He shook his head and sighed. "From the moment it was born more than a hundred years ago, this was destined."

Perhaps, perhaps it was not only more than a hundred years, his heart whispered.

From the day humans were born, it quietly landed.

Sonia snorted sarcastically. She took a drag and leaned against the observation platform, her expression serious.

"Now, many people in Eternal Star City think Eckstedt is mired in infighting, divided and declining, and can no longer launch a nationwide expedition like in the Bloody Year, so it cannot threaten us."

Thales pressed his lips together.

"At least the first half is right."

Sonia ignored his words and continued.

"And for seven years, the border between the two countries has been calm. Broken Dragon Fortress has been even more deserted. Whether His Majesty or the great figures before the throne, even many families in the Northland who have treated Eckstedt as enemies for generations, all feel that the great enemy is gone and the external threat removed. They can turn around with peace of mind and make trouble for their own people.

"Even old Sodor is no exception. He rejected my proposal to strengthen the fortress defenses and said he had more important matters.

"There are even some people at the imperial conference who think I am being alarmist."

Sonia's words fell, and her gaze aimed directly at Thales, sharp and pressing.

Thales looked back at her as well, his gaze deep.

Between them, there was only a wisp of white smoke rising from the rolled cigarette between Sonia's fingers.

Several seconds later, Thales grinned and shook his head.

"Only fools would think Eckstedt has declined and is no longer a concern, let alone the lords of the imperial conference. I think many times, they simply have no choice."

"No choice?"

Sonia disagreed.

"When old Sodor asked me for reservists, saying he was going to the Western Desert to rob nobles, he looked very enthusiastic. He did not look as if the king had forced him."

Western Desert.

The Desert King plan.

Thales was silent for a while.

"Not the king." Thales gazed absently at the night sky. "The thing forcing them is not the king. It is not even a person, but 'things.' Reputation, position, ideals, interests, power. Everything in the web they are in forces them to make decisions that, from another angle, may be neither rational nor long-sighted."

Sonia's cigarette end brightened and dimmed. Amid the smoke, she frowned.

"And this is the most frightening part." Thales unconsciously gripped the ring and dagger in his pocket, feeling their weight on left and right. "The most brilliant coercion is often subtle and silent, making you think you are doing it willingly."

The observation platform under the moon returned to silence.

After a good while, the Flower of the Fortress flicked the cigarette ash and snorted coldly.

"Listen, I do not know what happened in Renaissance Palace, and I do not know what 'beast' you released. But what I saw on this trip gives me a bad premonition. When Broken Dragon Fortress becomes lively again next time, what we have to face may far exceed imagination."

Thales raised his eyes.

"So?"

"I need more."

"More what?"

"Everything." Sonia answered without hesitation. "Everything that can prevent my ominous premonition from becoming reality."

She took a drag and lightly exhaled toward Thales.

"Soldiers, money, equipment, grain, intelligence, morale, support, and perhaps civil officials who do not drag us down, though in my experience, the last is basically impossible."

Thales furrowed his brows. He lowered his head and coughed, waving away the smoke.

Sure enough. She was not simply returning to her hometown for vacation, nor had she just happened to pass by your castle by coincidence.

A voice spoke in his heart: everyone has something they seek, everyone has something they desire.

Even the bright and magnanimous, renowned Flower of the Fortress cannot avoid vulgarity.

Thinking of this, Thales' mood sank somewhat.

Sonia has a request of you. You should agree, or at least leave the conversation open, and see what can be discovered later, he whispered inwardly. Even if it is only an empty promise, this is what fits the covenant you made with the king: using the rift between father and son to illuminate every crack in the kingdom.

Even if it is the Flower of the Fortress.

But...

"Sorry, you have found the wrong person," the Duke of Star Lake said in a low voice after a moment. "I am only an exiled and out-of-favor prince, with no soldiers, no authority, and so poor I jingle."

Sonia stared at him for a good while before turning toward Star Lake.

"It does not matter. Nineteen years ago, when I led troops north to Eternal Star City and met your father among a group of refugees, he was about the same."

The Flower of the Fortress took another drag.

"In fact, Kessel had just escaped pursuit then, dazed and trembling. He was much more miserable and downcast than you are now."

Hearing that name, Thales frowned.

"Then perhaps you should go find my father for help."

"If I could, damn it." Sonia cursed and pointed at the moon with her cigarette as she complained. "Ever since he sat on the throne, your father has become less and less cute, and less and less obedient. Nothing like when I first met him in wartime. Tell him to kneel, and he kneeled. Tell him to strip, and he stripped. Force him to dance, and he danced. Tell him to be king, and he cried and crawled off to be crowned..."

Thales listened to these disrespectful words and frowned deeply.

Why did she say this?

Your father has become less cute... tell him to be king, and he was crowned...

Why say these words to him?

Sonia Sasere should be a pillar general of the royal standing army, the kingdom's northern shield, the sword in the Iron Hand King's hand, shouldn't she?

Why?

But none of this showed on Thales' face. He only picked out one word from her sentence to tease.

"Strip? Really?"

Sonia waved her large hand, not hearing him.

"In short, I do not expect you to do anything now. Look at that poor little frame of yours. But I can wait. Wait."

Amid the hazy smoke, the Flower of the Fortress revealed a smile to him.

But at that moment, Thales only felt hollow inside.

Wait.

Wait for what?

What else, another voice in his heart quietly said. Between you and the king, what else can she wait for?

But no, Sonia...

Thales felt a sudden panic. He subconsciously rubbed the bone ring in his pocket and remembered his agreement with King Kessel.

Sonia switched the cigarette to the other hand and sighed.

"As for you, just keep my words in your heart. If something happens to the kingdom, it will happen in the north. You must prepare for the future."

Thales swallowed.

Prepare for the future.

Future?

No, impossible, Thales dismissed the improper thought.

Sonia is the fortress commander. What she cares about is only Eckstedt's threat and the defense of the north. If something happens to the kingdom, it will happen in the north. That is the key in her words.

So what, another thought in his heart emerged again. The reason she says this is because, as the defender of Broken Dragon Fortress, she must say this.

Because the enemy in the north is her capital. The size of the Kingdom of Eckstedt's threat directly affects Sonia's safety and prospects, affects the standing army under her, affects the resources she can obtain, affects the degree to which she is seen and valued, and affects her power and position in the kingdom.

Because she is also within the web.

Unable to pull herself free.

Isn't that so? Isn't this exactly the principle you experienced in the political games of these months, and used to turn the tables on the king?

And you, Thales, must see through this. Her request for help is not so simple. No!

Thales closed his eyes and interrupted his thoughts.

He was thinking too much. Sonia, the Sonia he knew, was not that kind of person.

"Why? Why me?"

Thales opened his eyes, looking somewhat tired.

"I believe there are other people of insight in the capital who can give you more substantial help."

Sonia enjoyed a mouthful of tobacco and pondered for a moment.

"Perhaps because you are rather special? For example, taking a sword and daring to storm the palace in rebellion, threatening your father?"

Thales abruptly turned back.

The Flower of the Fortress raised the cigarette in her hand. "Do not look at me. Rumors spread very quickly. Uh, it definitely was not old Sodor who told me."

But Thales' mood sank.

See? You were right, Thales.

She came to find you because you stormed the palace in rebellion and left safely, because you proved your weight and became a second pole outside the supreme throne.

Thus the kingdom's winds and clouds changed dramatically. Even the Flower of the Fortress, who seemed so spirited, magnanimous, and heroic, saw, knew, and felt, just as the king and Thales had predicted, that Thales might be able to contend against King Kessel.

So she came.

Not only to return home. Not only for the north. Not only for that pitiful bit of personal friendship with you.

Thales silently looked at Sonia, restless and irritated inside.

Sonia did not notice the change in Thales' gaze. She smoked by herself, immersed in the hazy smoke and incomparably at ease.

"Perhaps also because you are one of the few people who can handle Lampard? According to Miranda, seven years ago, you gave up the chance to escape and decisively turned back to the Hall of Heroes, using your own freedom to extinguish the warfire between two countries before it could ignite."

Thales took a deep breath.

Seven years ago.

Seven years ago again.

Damned seven years ago.

He suddenly lost interest in the conversation before him.

Whether it was for fortress defense or for the kingdom's future, in the end, she had come to show goodwill, draw him in, ask for help, and choose a side, or any other pleasant or unpleasant synonym.

She, the master of the Supreme Shield, Sonia Sasere who had once saved his life, was actually not much different from the Duke of the Western Desert.

[Powerful nobles and lords will scramble to come find you, draw in the prince who has not been back for long, and use every method to win you to their side...]

Sonia. Even Sonia was the same.

Thinking of this, Thales only felt deep disappointment.

And he, Thales Jadestar, could no longer speak honestly and without reserve to this lifesaving benefactor the way he had when they first met, could no longer open his heart.

"So I thought, that child," Sonia took a drag and sighed, but her gaze carried a hint, "the child who balanced forgiveness and justice beneath the gallows, the child who dared charge at Lampard and dared swing a sword at his father, ought to offer some hope?"

In that instant, Thales clenched Covenant.

"Hope?" Thales mechanically repeated.

Sonia was not the first, and would not be the last. In the future, more people would do the same thing. From a certain point onward, among the people who spoke with him, calculations and interests, objectives and desires, would only grow more and more numerous.

Until nothing else remained.

Thales subconsciously gripped Covenant in his pocket.

But you know it, Thales.

This is a necessary path, and this is only the beginning.

A voice spoke to him in his heart: you know it, and you have long prepared yourself.

No matter the cost.

Sonia smiled and knocked Thales' forehead.

"I know. You are not yet a 'great figure' in Renaissance Palace. Temporarily, not yet. But the advantage is that you also have not had time to become 'unable to help yourself' after being forced by some damned thing, and you have not become as detestable as they are."

Become them.

Thales ignored her presumptuous movement. He only felt that the bone ring in his pocket was growing increasingly prickly.

She thinks she knows, but she knows nothing at all.

Thales stared at her.

The Flower of the Fortress smiled.

"In short, the world will not remain unchanged. I hope that you, in fact, many people all feel that you are..."

"But I am not!" Thales shouted subconsciously.

The observation platform was silent for an instant.

Sonia was startled. She looked in surprise at Thales, whose breathing was hurried, and the smile on her face gradually vanished.

"Not what?"

But Thales immediately reacted and adjusted his breathing in regret.

"Sorry, my lady. I... I lost my composure. Perhaps I drank too much tonight and cannot concentrate."

He controlled his tone and forced out a few traces of a smile.

"I understand your concerns about the fortress defenses, my lady. But perhaps you do not understand my situation..."

But before he could finish, Sonia coldly interrupted, "Shut up."

Thales was about to say something, but in that moment, the light in the Flower of the Fortress' eyes was startling, abrupt and sharp, making him forget his words.

She was carefully examining Thales from head to toe.

"Tell me, brat. How long has it been since you returned to the capital?"

The young man froze for a second.

"Half a year, perhaps. I do not remember. I am very sorry for my slip of the tongue, but it is very late now, my lady. I am somewhat tired..."

But the Flower of the Fortress shook her head and clicked her tongue, interrupting him again.

"Sunset above. It seems she was right. They fucked you up badly."

Thales frowned.

"What?"

Sonia laughed toward the sky.

"Do you know? Right now, you are just like that mute under you, speaking with a mask on." Sonia raised her cigarette and curled her lips, the curve of her mouth unchanged, the coldness in her eyes unchanged as well.

Speaking with a mask on...

Hearing this, Thales was silent for a while.

"Ralf cannot speak."

"Are you any different right now?" Sonia quickly retorted. She laughed coldly. "How long has it been since you spoke like a person?"

Thales was speechless for a moment.

"What, were you possessed by a demon, or cursed by a witch?"

Cursed by a witch.

Thales swallowed and forcefully endured the desire to touch the ring.

[I will help you push the kingdom rolling forward, remove obstacles, and break shackles. For this, I will spare no price.]

[Very good. Then, as we agreed, child, become my sword and cut through thorns and brambles until the kingdom's feast is clear.]

He took a deep breath.

"I... you do not understand, Sonia..."

"You have not even tried. How do you know..."

"You do not know!" the irritated Thales loudly interrupted her.

His breathing was hurried as he stared at Sonia, who was holding the rolled cigarette and looking entirely at ease.

You merely heard a few rumors, weighed the situation enough, Sonia Sasere, then hurriedly came back to your hometown to "visit" me, relying on so-called old friendship to say words with hidden meaning, "something will happen in the north," "I can wait," "prepare for the future," "you are rather special," so lightly, so grandly, so self-righteously...

Thales mobilized the Sin of Hell's River and tried his best to smooth his breathing.

"You do not know, Sonia." Thales worked hard not to think too much. He stood up, wanting to end the conversation as decently as possible.

"You know nothing."

[He gave you a sword.]

"Nothing at all."

The young man said this in a trance.

[I, Thales Jadestar, am destined to become your enemy.]

Nothing, nothing at all...

[My son, you must fulfill your promise and swing your first sword.]

Sonia did not speak. She sat opposite Thales and stared fixedly at him, letting the rolled cigarette in her hand burn.

But her eyes made Thales increasingly uneasy, making him want to turn and hide.

Finally, the Flower of the Fortress breathed out and looked toward the starry sky overhead.

"You know, back when I wanted to come to Star Lake Castle and apply to be a guard, my ma was shocked out of her wits. Ah, 'shocked out of her wits,' that phrase was taught to me later by a madam in the castle."

Thales came back to himself.

"What?"

But Sonia did not pay attention to him. She merely continued speaking faintly to herself.

"And when I arrived here, the first thing they said when they saw me was: You have taken the wrong road, girl. The back kitchen and weaving workshop are not here, and the maid recruitment is not here either.

"And when they learned that I had come to apply as a guard..."

Sonia gave a light laugh, her emotions complicated.

"John was an enlightened duke, so no one dared directly say, 'Hey, girl, you are not suited for this. Go home and give birth and nurse children.'"

The Flower of the Fortress turned back to ask Thales, with meaning in her words.

"Does it sound like now?"

In a poor mood, Thales frowned.

"Now? What now?"

Sonia snorted coldly.

"Now, no one dares directly tell you: 'Hey, prince, duke, North Star, you are new here. You are delicate and pampered, soft-hearted, barbaric and crude, and you do not understand romance. You are not suited for this work. You should lie back in bed and fuck off, then obediently wait until you learn to behave and become clever, and wait for your father to pass you the throne.'"

Delicate and pampered, soft-hearted.

Thales' fists subconsciously tightened.

Sonia leaned forward, close to Thales, her tone full of mockery.

"But they all think this way. It is only that many times, they do not even know it themselves. And when they look at you, their eyes are full of pity and sympathy, the kind that moves themselves. What, can you not sense it?"

Thales suddenly felt an inexplicable indignation.

"I..."

Sonia narrowed her eyes.

"So much so that even you have begun to think this way, you self-important little waste."

Thales could not listen anymore. He took a deep breath.

"Good night, Sonia. It was very pleasant chatting with you."

But at the instant he turned around, Sonia's words, both mocking and contemptuous, came again.

"In their place are polite and courteous words with hidden meaning: 'Oh, Your Highness, you truly are mature beyond your years!' 'You have already done the best one can at your age!' 'We cannot expect more from you!'"

Sonia's tone dimmed.

"Just like back then, when that recruiting officer looked me up and down with strange eyes while saying to me, 'Oh, a heroine who yields nothing to men!' 'A girl actually has such ambition!' 'We should really let those useless men come and see!'"

Thales' steps stopped.

"And they say this because you are new, because you are an accident. By common sense, you should not be here sharing a room with them. Just like me back then."

The Flower of the Fortress turned to face the starlight over Star Lake, her expression numb.

Thales did not turn back, but his throat moved.

"Why say these things?"

"Because I know this feeling." Sonia took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, as if savoring wine brewed from memories. "The feeling of stepping into a completely unfamiliar world, facing all the obstacles you are unused to and do not know, yet still having to pretend to be tough and move forward step by step."

In that instant, Thales trembled slightly.

The feeling of stepping into Renaissance Palace appeared in his memory: cold, narrow, oppressive.

The scene of walking into the Ballard Room also came before his eyes: everyone with smiling faces, earnest words, and dignified false righteousness.

But...

"And unfortunately, this happens to be your opponents' territory. It is the battlefield they have long been used to, the rules they have fixed, an environment beneficial to them and harmful to everyone else." Sonia gazed absently at the starlight over Star Lake, glittering yet bottomless. "And we, we are using our short points to strike their long points, accommodating them, following them, doing that 'same old thing' that you may never be able to handle."

Thales was silent for a long time.

[Be cautious, brat. Like me, you are below them. Yet like your father, you are above them. And you returned from the north, outside them.]

At that moment, what Jines had said to him before the royal banquet surfaced in his heart.

[This means that, from inside to outside, when all is said and done... you are not them.]

But...

Thales clenched the dagger and bone ring in his pocket and snorted coldly.

"Let me guess. What you are going to say is that although you went through layer upon layer of difficulty, you still succeeded. You passed the application and became a guard, and stayed in the castle, right?"

He turned and looked at the Flower of the Fortress' back as she leaned on the observation platform.

"Through your Power of Eradication or whatever, the strong survive, the fit live on, you displayed the strength of a newcomer, made a stunning debut, proved that women are no worse than men, and can also excel in a man's field? Not only that, you reached the peak, shocked countless people including Duke John, and finally became one of the kingdom's three great commanders. So now you are here to pour motivational soup into me, 'Hey, do not give up, you are the best,' right?"

Sonia did not answer. She merely sighed deeply and pressed the cigarette end against the observation platform to extinguish it.

Thales shook his head sarcastically.

"Save it. This is not the same at all."

The words fell. Thales no longer hesitated and turned to leave.

"They said women are not suited for the battlefield." Behind him, Sonia's voice came from far to near. "So, be careful."

The Sin of Hell's River rose. Thales frowned.

"What?"

But in the next second, he felt pain behind his knee.

Thud!

Thales was swept down. He barely reacted in time and braced both arms against the ground.

"What are you..."

But the shocked and furious him had just turned back when he saw Sonia's cold face, as well as the sole of a military boot slowly enlarging before his eyes.

Bang!

The Sin of Hell's River roared madly. At the last moment, Thales blocked the Flower of the Fortress' kick. The impact numbed his arm bones, and his entire head buzzed.

What the hell?

Sonia's Power of Eradication fed back into his senses like unbreakable solid ice: strong, hard, mighty, and heavy.

But his good luck ended there.

Sonia's next knee strike followed along the momentum, completely breaking through his defense.

Thales only felt his vision darken. His back immediately hit the ground. Sonia knelt on his chest and locked his neck, pressing him firmly to the floor.

Only the Sin of Hell's River was left flowing madly, powerless to do anything.

Damn it!

This gap... how could it be so big?

"Fuck your..."

Thales cursed furiously, but what followed was the Flower of the Fortress' merciless slap.

Smack!

This slap could truly be called fiery and thorough. Not only did it slap Thales dizzy and make stars burst before his eyes, it also slapped the prince's bellyful of rage back into his mouth, leaving him only able to breathe.

"Children cannot swear," Sonia said coldly as she pinned him down. "Do not fuck this and fuck that all day."

This observation platform was in the central position of the castle, while the guards mainly focused on external threats, which was also why Thales had chosen this place. Even so, the sounds of fighting still traveled out.

"Who is making noise up there?"

Lights appeared on a slightly lower castle wall and shone toward the platform. A voice Thales knew extremely well rang out, righteous and stern.

"Stand up, raise your hands, and show your faces! Let me see!"

Sonia snorted coldly, turned her knee, and pressed down on Thales' neck. ("Damn it, why is it the neck again!" said the furious Thales.)

"This old lady is fucking a man here!"

The Flower of the Fortress straightened up, revealing half her head, her roar shaking the castle.

"Do you have a fucking problem with that?"

After saying this, she even lowered her head and said to Thales without hiding it:

"Scream! Scream louder! Did you not eat enough, you waste? Use the strength you used when you nursed!"

Thales was shocked and angry at the same time. Unfortunately, his neck was pressed down, and with his mouth open and tongue tied, he could only make "uh, uh, uh" sounds.

Hearing her voice, the patroller on the castle wall was silent for several seconds.

"Ah, it is Lady Sasere!"

In the next moment, the patroller's voice became gentle and flattering.

"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding, haha! Well, well, sorry to disturb you! Duke Thales asked me to send you his regards on his behalf... and please be a little gentler! Zombie is my partner. Although he looks big, he may not be able to withstand your strong..."

"Get lost!" Sonia's roar rang out again.

Below the observation platform, the patroller's voice and his lamp disappeared together. The many Jadestar private soldiers who had followed him disappeared along with them.

Only then did Sonia laugh coldly, slightly release Thales' neck, and lower her head.

"Now, no one will disturb us."

There had never been a moment when Thales hated his guards as much as he did now.

He swore that once he escaped, what awaited the latter would be the most terrifying punishment and torture in the world, far beyond their imagination.

The Sin of Hell's River continuously gathered into his arms, but the young man simply could not break through the Flower of the Fortress' suppression.

Sonia, whose gaze had originally been cold, looked at his sorry struggle and his tears and snot streaming down. Suddenly, the corner of her mouth split open, and she chuckled.

In the next second, she released her knee, grabbed Thales, dragged him up from the ground, and leaned him against the observation platform.

Granted amnesty, Thales had no time for counterattack or revenge. He painfully panted and rubbed his chest.

"You crazy woman. What exactly are you, are you, are you doing..."

"I messed it up."

One light and casual sentence made Thales' words stop abruptly.

Messed it up? What messed up?

Thales panted and could not help looking at Sonia.

"The castle guard recruitment. I stumbled at the entry test. I used all my strength and still could not lift a certain weighted stone."

Sonia was smiling.

But at that moment, the smile on the Flower of the Fortress' face looked tired, bitter, and numb.

It held none of the bearing of the great general who crossed battlefields and forcefully resisted the northern barbarians.

This rare expression of hers made Thales not know how to answer.

"The long-distance running test too. My stamina was not qualified at all."

With no awareness of having just bullied the prince, Sonia tiredly turned around and sat down side by side with Thales.

"And shooting. I barely pulled the bow while trembling, but I simply could not shoot the arrow onto the target. And reading and writing. Did I ever tell you? It was a madam in the castle who later taught me to recognize words."

She stared fixedly at the night sky.

"As for combat, that was even worse. I suppose I was more used to swinging a hoe to beat people than wearing armor and using blades and swords to kill people. Even brand-new recruits could knock me down."

Thales slowly evened his breathing.

"Although among people who did farm work, I counted as skilled, and I was a fierce woman well-known across the surrounding villages, and had even swung a pitchfork to fight wild boars and bandits, among those men who came from various places and danced with blades and swords..."

Sonia said faintly, "In short, I messed it up. Among all the applicants, I, the only woman, ranked at the bottom. I was the worst."

"I remember their gazes and laughter. And all my effort merely proved to them once more, in futile and bloody fashion, that women are not suited for the battlefield, and perhaps should not be soldiers, and cannot do those things that involve fighting and killing."

Messed it up.

Thales' breath stopped for a second.

At that moment, the Flower of the Fortress, whose fame shook the Western Continent, slowly raised her head. She looked at the bright moon and starry sky in confusion, as if drunkenness had returned to her nerves.

"All my dignity, persistence, and hope were smashed to pieces by bloody reality the moment I stepped into that unfamiliar world."

Sonia turned to look at Thales and revealed a weak smile that did not match the identity of the Flower of the Fortress.

"Just like you."