Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 903 - 20 The Declaration of the Girls

Chapter 903: Chapter 20 The Declaration of the Girls

"I’ll remember what you said, oh, and I think some others should remember it too," Flare glanced toward the corner, chuckling, "I’ve found that some things always require taking the initiative, if we wait like we used to, we might miss our chance again. Don’t you agree, Kyle?"

"Heh, how would I know." Pannis shrugged, chewing a jungle berry with his mouth full and mumbling unclearly, "I can’t understand a word you’re saying, how come you’ve also learned to speak in such incomprehensible terms?"

Flare’s face tensed up, staring intently into Pannis’ eyes for a long while before her expression thawed like ice melting, slowly crinkling her nose and flashing a smile that could enchant even stone statues, she huffed like a little girl and casually pushed Pannis off the balcony railing. She turned around with a smile, hands behind her back, "Playing dumb is a response that satisfies me quite well. Kyle, just like you said, I’ll wait for you to finish the mission you haven’t yet completed, and then... hehe, you absolutely won’t be able to escape this time, not now, not ever, you’ll always be mine. Humph, I’m heading back to the event now, you just lie down there like a fool, dummy."

"Ah, my misfortune." Near the balcony railing, Pannis, with straws in his hair, climbed back up with a woeful expression and lay back down in his original spot, muttering, "Another one beside me has gone crazy."

"Using the word ’again’ here gives us quite the subtle feeling," the girls murmured among themselves after the Elf Queen had passed by and returned to the event. They approached the balcony and glared at Pannis, "Why don’t you explain who else around you has gone ’crazy’ aside from the one just now?"

"Don’t push me, okay? It took me so much effort to climb back up," Pannis sat up defensively and complained, "Whoever pushes me is crazy, hey, hey, I’m talking about a serious issue here, hey, alright, alright, I admit my mistake, you guys are not crazy, really not, stop pushing or I’ll fall down again... ah."

By the time Pannis climbed back up with even more weeds on his head and a gloomy face, the girls had already leaned casually against the railing as if nothing had happened, leaving him no choice but to sigh in resignation and lie back down on the railing, making one wonder about his peculiar fondness for it.

"The Elf envoys coming over for this meeting, is it mainly to discuss cooperation between the two sides?" Catherine stopped teasing Pannis and asked seriously, "You don’t seem surprised at all, did you know about this beforehand?"

"No, I didn’t know, but it certainly isn’t surprising," Pannis shook his head, "You should also be familiar with the battle circumstances during the last Return of the Dead calamity from your studies of wartime history. During that time, the Elves’ Forest Guardian Army didn’t leave the forest, only stationed at the border, but even so, they lost three thousand Warriors in the fierce battles. Neutral Land didn’t have it easy either, despite the large numbers in mercenary companies with archer squads, their long-range strike capabilities were unbalanced compared to the close-combat troops due to the nature of mercenaries. Therefore, during that month-long battle, the lack of long-range forces caused heavy losses for Neutral Land’s troops. The City of Knowledge had three hundred small teams responsible for clearing Upper Rank Undead, but only one hundred seventy remained after the fight. The City of Innocence had ten captains that year, and only three survived. Yet, the worst hit was the City of Freedom. Back then, three of the seven great mercenary companies nearly lost half their forces, and the remaining four also suffered close to a third in casualties. If it weren’t for the full support from the City of Knowledge and the Business Federation afterward, at best, out of the seven great mercenary companies, only three would have remained. After all, mercenaries don’t have the backing of an entire race and national support like other forces do; mercenaries don’t have anything to rely on, and that’s the price of being a free force."

"Indeed," Catherine bowed her head in thought and sighed, "Whether it’s troop replacements, compensation distribution, or even equipment updates, it all depends solely on the mercenary group. Hmm, so this time, these two forces with obvious gaps are coming together for the war?"

"The main reason is that there is advance preparation this time," Pannis explained, "Since there’s a forewarning, the defense line will certainly be pushed inward, which means a smaller area to defend and fewer troops required. However, for the Elves, this is a big headache because moving inward means they’ll be leaving the protection of the forest, causing their offensive and defensive capabilities to significantly decrease, and accordingly, there will be a noticeable increase in casualties. So, with both sides having needs, coming together becomes an inevitable choice. That’s why both parties started negotiations before the formal meeting, and at the subsequent formal meeting, they could discuss the division of defense zones in the form of a joint force."

"Huh." Leaning on the railing, Catherine lifted her head to gaze at the stones atop the terrace and spaced out for a while before exhaling deeply, "Is this the prelude to a real large-scale war? It always feels surreal—what would it really be like when we actually face the war?"

"That’s because you haven’t really seen the battlefield of the Undead wars," Pannis shook his head, choosing not to elaborate further, "But anyway, it doesn’t matter to us anymore. If we succeed, then we won’t have to see the real war with the Undead. If we fail, heh, likewise, we’ll no longer have the chance to even consider the matters of the battlefield."

"Heh, you’re right," the young ladies exchanged smiles, and with a squint, Catherine said, "It seems you’ve finally accepted that we’re coming with you. So, no more sulking, eh?"

"Hmph, if you want to throw your lives away, who am I to stop you?" Pannis snorted coldly, turning his head away from the girls’ faces, "Anyway, you think having one more person means one more bit of strength. When it comes time to lay your lives on the line, no one will feel sorry."

"Thanks a lot." Catherine leaned over Pannis, her black hair sweeping his face, and looking down at him, she said, "We’re very clear that you’re worried about us, which is why you don’t want us to go with you. But do you know? We’re equally worried about you. Knowing you’re in danger pains our hearts too. For more than two years, you’ve been by our side, protecting us with your life. Now that you’re in need, we will protect you with our lives, even if it’s just for one more second. Do you understand? This is our declaration. We’re definitely going with you, and nothing you say can change our minds."

With a complex look in his eyes, Pannis watched as Catherine’s eyes came closer. Just as their breaths could already be felt and their distance was mere inches apart, Pannis suddenly let out a light sigh. His balance shifted slightly, and after a scream, he fell from the terrace for the third time. (To be continued. If you like this work, we invite you to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation vote, monthly vote. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)