But the way Bruiser moved made Angel nod with satisfaction.
As he suspected, Bruiser’s only mode of movement was hopping.
Despite guessing how Bruiser would move, seeing it brought Angel satisfaction mainly because the iron rod within the coffin—Bruiser avoided using it correctly—but with every leap, he inevitably hit the rod, creating quite a scene every time.
Bruiser being able to manage moving by hopping despite this was a spectacle that thoroughly entertained Angel.
Having enjoyed the show, satisfied, Angel didn’t mind lending a helping hand to Bruiser.
Of course, Angel didn’t help remove the coffin or rod but used Illusion Technique to lower Bruiser’s presence subtly.
Even if he hops around on the street causing a big commotion, it’s hard to attract anyone’s attention.
As for Golos, walking together with Bruiser, he too enjoyed this benefit.
Angel secretly cast an Illusion Technique; he might be able to fool Lady Melo, but not Dox. Seeing the current situation, Dox could roughly guess some of Angel’s thoughts.
"Didn’t expect you’d have this... twisted sense of humor."
Dox’s voice came from the unbroken Mind Ribbon.
Angel: "There’s nothing twisted about it. Besides, why do I feel like you are enjoying watching it more?"
Angel was not making this up. Although they hadn’t spent much time together, he could already tell that Dox was someone who enjoyed watching the drama. Previously, when Dox visited the Princess Castle, he was constantly broadcasting the experience over the Mind Ribbon, clearly showing his hobby.
And indeed, Dox was left speechless by the banter.
Yes, when he saw the outfits of Bruiser and Golos, his eyes immediately lit up. Not only did he activate his observational abilities, but he also couldn’t help having the urge to get involved... if the iron staff happened to be in place when he jumped, wouldn’t that be more interesting?
Angel wasn’t aware of Dox’s urge to get involved personally; if he did, he would definitely strongly condemn it.
However, in the end, Dox didn’t make a move.
The main reason was Angel’s presence. Considering that he’s the Talented One of the Barbarian Cave, if he really made a move, Angel would definitely have to talk it over with him, which would likely lead to a deduction in goodwill points, so Dox held back.
"Speaking of which, why didn’t you head back to the Sandworm Market first?" Angel took advantage of a free moment to curiously ask.
Dox naturally wouldn’t reveal the real reason and instead replied in a righteous tone: "Of course, it’s because my battle with that damned parrot isn’t over yet. At least I need a hundred more rounds with it!"
"You still haven’t gotten over your resentment towards that Crowned Parrot?"
Dox: "No way, just wait and see me perform later!"
Angel: "..." In terms of arguing, Angel still felt that Dox might not be able to outmatch that mysterious parrot. However, seeing Dox so confident made Angel quite curious about how he’d end up being humiliated later.
Angel: "I thought you weren’t returning to the Sandworm Market because you wanted to secretly investigate the Princess Castle. Really, aren’t you planning to at least take a look?"
Dox squinted slightly: "To tell the truth, did you set something up?"
Angel laughed and said, "How could that be? What could I have set up? I just thought since you enjoy watching drama, you might catch a good show at the Princess Castle."
"What do you mean?" Unlike his previous simple coaxing, Dox this time sensed a possible hidden implication in Angel’s words.
Angel chuckled softly: "No hidden meaning, if you don’t want to watch, then just forget it."
Dox deeply looked at Angel, but ultimately chose not to follow up on this topic. Perhaps Angel indeed had some underlying intention, but his apparent attempt to lure him to the Princess Castle was undeniable. Something must be fishy.
...
They smoothly returned to Old Porter’s tavern.
Of course, only for others—it was smooth; Bruiser was nearly hopping until everything was shattered.
Upon reaching the tavern, others just prepared to rest when Bruiser fainted directly at the entrance.
Golos wanted to lift him but couldn’t because of his own restrictive outfit, and the iron coffin was quite heavy. He had no choice but to ask others to lend a hand, yet no matter how he shouted, others paid him no attention, as if he didn’t exist.
Just when Golos felt confused, Angel walked over with Siber.
Siber was initially about to sit down for a glass of water but was suddenly called by Angel. She was still a bit perplexed, not knowing what had happened.
When they reached Golos, Angel stopped. Siber still didn’t know what to do, and due to the Illusion Technique, she directly overlooked the presence of Golos and Bruiser.
At this moment, Angel suddenly pointed to the ground: "Help Golos lift Bruiser and take him inside."
Siber looked down and was startled. Where there was originally nothing, suddenly appeared a pervert and a coffin.
No... two perverts.
Though Siber outwardly scoffed, she recognized the two of them and, seeing their attire, guessed why they were so tightly wrapped.
Under Angel’s command, Siber dared not disobey and squatted down to help Golos carry the fainted Bruiser.
As they lifted, Siber murmured softly, "Was there nothing else in the wardrobe?"
Golos’s face reddened slightly, and he murmured with his head down: "There was, but mine is already the most normal... Originally, Bruiser was supposed to wear my set, but he let me have it."
Siber glancing at the coffin-wearing, unconscious Bruiser: "So, he’s the real pervert."
Golos immediately shook his head: "That’s not it. Bruiser said I’m one of his future top five Demon Generals, so to care for a subordinate, he let me have it."
Siber couldn’t help but roll her eyes at this. Once again, that idiot was trying to fool people with a novel she had discarded.
"You don’t seriously believe it?" Siber couldn’t help but ask.
"Why not?" Golos’s fair face showed a hint of confusion.
Siber couldn’t tell if Golos was truly naive or just pretending, so she changed the subject lightly.
"Even if there weren’t other clothes, why choose such a heavy coffin? Is he dumb?" Siber remarked irritably.
Why Bruiser eventually chose the iron coffin, Golos couldn’t figure out either, but the more Siber questioned it, the more she could guess some things... probably related to some Dark Demon King, and in that novel, the Dark Demon King wore armor. Could it be Bruiser mistook the coffin for armor?
Siber sighed helplessly.
Golos: "Sorry to trouble a lady like you to help."
When Siber heard this, she frowned slightly: "Enough with the nonsense, hurry up and move."
Actually, deep down, she didn’t mind Angel asking her to do this job, nor had she considered any differences between genders. Instead, Golos’s implicit hint at these ideas made her slightly uncomfortable.
Comparatively, Angel seemed much more appealing than Golos; at least, the Honorable Wizard didn’t concern himself with trivial gender differences.
At this moment, Angel, who was already inside the tavern, didn’t know that Siber silently praised him.
However, even if he knew, Angel wouldn’t care. He chose Siber to move Bruiser simply because she knew what Bruiser and Golos had been through and had seen their embarrassing state. Keeping that in mind, Angel chose Siber.
Certainly, Angel would consider Bruiser and Golos as well, ensuring others wouldn’t learn the unsavory details, which was mostly because he’d had his fill of watching the drama. Thus, he didn’t mind considering their future more thoughtfully.
This probably was an unconventional way to raise his goodwill points.