While Luo Li began researching how to spend this money to make it a stepping stone for the rise of the Kingdom of the Moon, another conversation was unfolding.
Across the ocean on the four islands of the Kingdom of the Sun, inside the Jingten Shrine, Her Highness Momoka Saint Raphael, the Saintess of the Sun, stepped out of the communication room after concluding her conversation.
She wore a white robe with a hanging collar, a red skirt, and a large bow at her waist.
Her long black hair flowed behind her, and her almond eyes, which had been wide open, were now closed again.
Walking out with her was the King of the Sun, Ryuichi Yamazaki.
"Your Highness Momoka, you must have just used your Authorities to observe those sixty-three document tablets... was there anything strange about them?"
As a King, he should have been an entity completely opposite and equal to the Saintess, yet Ryuichi Yamazaki's attitude toward Momoka was somewhat different.
It seemed both close and distant.
"There was not. I used the Eyes of Truth to observe those sixty-three document tablets just now. They were overflowing with celestial power, and every word contained immense strength and will. They are undoubtedly genuine document tablets."
Ryuichi Yamazaki nodded slightly.
"I see. It seems the world... is about to change again. We must prepare. Recently, things have been unsettled within our borders. Hiroyuki Amazawa on the fourth island is struggling to suppress his ambitions. You must be careful. If anything happens to me, you do not need to intervene."
When he spoke those last words, Ryuichi Yamazaki's voice clearly turned strange.
It sounded like a worried warning, yet also like a command.
"...I understand. Please be careful as well, Your Majesty. Our country is now forced to send troops to the Kingdom of the Moon, otherwise a demon invasion would be a massive disaster. However, this is also when our internal defenses are at their weakest. If something truly goes wrong, I will inform His Holiness the Pope. I am sure His Holiness would not stand by and watch you suffer."
"...Take care of yourself."
Ryuichi Yamazaki looked back at Momoka. For a brief moment, a hint of tenderness appeared on his rugged face, though it vanished instantly.
If Momoka's perception had not been greatly enhanced by her Authorities, she might not have even noticed it.
Her feet moved slightly as she instinctively wanted to call him back, but Ryuichi Yamazaki left without looking back.
She watched his back as he walked down the steps, passed through the torii gate, and gradually disappeared down the road lined with cherry blossoms.
Silently, she took the crimson longbow from her back.
This was her Sacred Treasure, the Wind and Thunder God Bow, while hanging at her waist was another Sacred Treasure, the Solar Katana.
Momoka frowned, her hand gently stroking the longbow that had accompanied her for over a decade, and she murmured to herself.
"Father... if something really happens to you, I will not stand by and watch. Even if it means the current system of the Kingdom of the Sun completely collapses, I will not hesitate!"
She suddenly drew the longbow, and a flash of lightning power descended from the sky accompanied by blazing flames.
The entire bow instantly erupted into a roar of flames, burning fiercely, yet the fire did not harm Momoka in the slightest.
On the bowstring she had pulled from thin air, an arrow composed of lightning appeared out of nowhere!
She released her fingers, and a whistling sound tore through the air!
Swoosh!
The purple bolt of lightning reached the heavens in an instant!
Boom!
The sky seemed provoked, letting out a thunderous roar that shook the earth.
Purple lightning flashed across the firmament and vanished!
This single shot seemed to declare her resolve.
At that moment, Ryuichi Yamazaki, who had already reached the foot of the mountain, looked up at the purple lightning flashing through the daylight. Feeling the ground tremble from the electricity, he let out a long sigh of relief.
A gratified smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, but this display of a tough man's soft side was fleeting.
"The child has grown up and has her own ideas now..."
Ryuichi Yamazaki shook his head, muttering words others could not understand as he stepped into his dragon carriage.
"Hiroyuki Amazawa... do not look down on me, the King of this nation. Let me see what tricks you have! If only for her sake, I cannot be defeated too easily. Otherwise, I would be losing face for my child."
Meanwhile, in the neighboring Kingdom of Flame...
Dominic Burns, the King who had ascended the throne before the age of eleven, should have been naive and innocent, but his small face was currently full of gravity.
"Sister Anna, are those sixty-three tablets real?"
"They are real. Even Momoka used the Eyes of Truth to observe them, so there is likely no mistake."
Anna Saint Uriel, the Saintess of Flame, sat in her seat wearing a thin, gauzy Saintess's robe that left much of her skin exposed.
Opposite her was the ruler of the Kingdom of Flame, Dominic Burns.
"Is that rumor... actually true?"
"Is Your Majesty referring to the matter recorded in the Secret History of the First Pope?"
Anna seemed to have already guessed the young King's thoughts and asked with a smile.
"Yes, Sister Anna. If that secret is true, then I fear the Eight Nations of the Holy Church will completely lean toward the Kingdom of the Moon in the future. Even my Kingdom of Flame will not be spared."
"No, Your Majesty, you are overthinking it."
"Why?"
Dominic looked up in confusion at the lightly dressed Anna.
Anna smiled and answered, "Because our current Pope will not allow another Pope to appear."
"Then doesn't that mean there will be a good show to watch?"
A naive smile appeared on Dominic's youthful face, however... in the flash of light in his eyes, there was a wealth of malice.
"Of course. Your Majesty does not need to worry. Once the Holy See and the Kingdom of the Moon are both wounded, will that not be the time for us to profit? We might even gain even more benefits."
Anna spoke with a chuckle, and King Dominic sitting opposite her laughed as well.
The laughter of the two echoed in the empty hall.
It was bone-chilling.
At the same time, in the Kingdom of the Sea...
In the royal capital of the City of Water, situated upon the ocean...
A faint sound of a whistle came from outside the window. Standing by the window, one could see a train racing across the vast, endless sea from a distance.
The splashing water would occasionally startle fish and shrimp, causing them to leap out of the surface.
The entire massive island was covered in buildings of various colors. From the wooden structures of the Kingdom of the Sun to the earthen and stone buildings of the Kingdom of Sand, all sorts of architectural styles were present.
On the streets, a sea of people moved about, their heads bobbing like countless ants.
High above the royal city, on the tallest divine tower...
The ruler of the Kingdom of the Sea, the only Queen among the Eight Nations of the Holy Church, was watching the vibrant people below who were bustling about their lives with a smile on her face.
"Ophelia... look. The Kingdom of the Sea is so prosperous. What a beautiful sight."
"This is all thanks to Your Majesty's excellent governance."
Ophelia Saint Gabriel was veiled in white silk, hiding her true face. She stood behind Anastasia Toland and responded softly.
"Ophelia, there is no one else here. You should still call me Naya."
Naya turned her head to look at Ophelia. The two had been close friends since childhood, practically growing up as inseparable sisters.
"It seems... Naya has something she wants to tell me?"
Ophelia, the Saintess of Water, did not stand on ceremony and immediately changed how she addressed her.
Naya smiled helplessly.
"You are still as blunt as ever, but you are right. I do have something to discuss with you."
Ophelia's brow tightened.
"Is it about the document tablets?"
"Yes."
The Queen nodded and pondered for a moment.
"...It has been a full thousand years since someone could contract a document tablet. The world is currently at peace, and although there are occasional ripples, they do not affect this prosperous scene. But now... a second person capable of contracting document tablets has appeared, and our current Pope is an ambitious man. Ophelia... how do you see this?"
"With my eyes."
"..."
Naya froze for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Pfft... haha! Truly, that is just like you."
The laughter continued for a while. After it stopped, the Queen's face remained full of smiles.
However, this time, her eyes were much clearer, and her expression seemed more relaxed.
"But you are right. We will just watch. We will... just watch."
In the Kingdom of the Highlands... the City of Heaven.
A sword hung at her waist, and a ponytail extended all the way down her back.
She was covered in beautiful armor, though unfortunately, while the chestplate had an opening, there was no cleavage to be seen, only a flat chestplate as smooth as an airfield.
"Grandpa! The Saintess of the Moon is so amazing! She can actually contract document tablets!"
Lina's large eyes were full of envy, but there was no trace of negativity. She was as pure... as a child.
"Yes, she is very impressive."
Recalling the feeling after their brief conversation earlier, Scott Polite, an old man with rich life experience, was filled with doubt.
He believed he had lived long enough, met enough people, and traveled countless paths.
Yet, he had never met someone like her.
In her speech and mannerisms, there was always a sense of being out of place.
It felt as if this Saintess of the Moon did not belong to this world at all.
It was as if she were looking down on everyone from a high vantage point.
This strange feeling was something Scott could not figure out.
He was somewhat familiar with the situation in the Kingdom of the Moon.
Logically, the Kingdom of the Moon should be terminally ill and beyond saving!
However, the confidence in the eyes of this Saintess of the Moon gave one the illusion that they had to believe in her.
Even though she said nothing, Scott still had a feeling.
A feeling... that this Saintess of the Moon would one day restore the brilliance of her country!
Thinking of this, Scott could not help but sigh.
"She is very impressive indeed..."
Speaking of this, he turned to look at Lina beside him.
Although Lina was not his biological granddaughter, her parents had died when she was young, and she had grown up at his side. She was not related by blood, yet she was closer to him than any biological grandchild!
His other grandchildren were all under the tutelage of the royal family and were kept away from him. This was a method of royal education, meant to ensure the children became independent and did not rely too much on their elders.
But as a result... even as a King, Scott had never felt much familial affection.
However, from this little girl, he felt a thick sense of family!
Therefore, even his biological grandsons were worthless in his eyes. Instead, this adopted granddaughter with no blood relation was the one he cared for the most.
Comparing the two, no matter how one looked at it, Lina was more than a little different from the Saintess of the Moon.
Whether it was aura, speech, mindset, or almost any other aspect, Lina was inferior to that Saintess.
However... so what if you are great? What does that have to do with me?
Other people can be as amazing as they want.
The one he loved most was still this little granddaughter.
"Grandpa! I want to go to the Kingdom of the Moon!"
"No!!"
As a Saintess, Lina's thoughts were very simple. She thought that as the Saintess of War, the only one among the Saintesses who could rival a holy knight, she could not just stand by while the demons invaded.
Naturally, she had to lead by example and go to the battlefield herself, making those demons cry for mercy before making them pay compensation and retreat.
Otherwise, wouldn't her title as the Saintess of War be for nothing?
But who would have expected that as soon as she spoke her thoughts, she would be scolded by her grandfather!
"...Grandpa?"
"Absolutely not! If you dare go, I... I will disown you!"
"I... I won't go! I won't go!"
Seeing the usually kind Scott suddenly become so strict on this topic, the young girl Lina had no idea how to react and could only quickly agree.
"Good, it is best not to go! That place is a den of trouble. Our Pope... must have received the news by now. I just wonder how he will react to being excluded."
Scott muttered to himself. He had never underestimated this Pope, and he didn't dare to.
After all... the largest organization of evil deeds within the Eight Nations of the Holy Church, Necessary Evil, was controlled by the Pope.
In the Kingdom of Sand... Oasis City.
Inside the Temple, all the nuns were kneeling on the ground, their bodies shaking like sieves!
Crash! Crash!
The crisp sound of porcelain shattering twice came from within the massive Temple.
At the same time, there were screams of rage full of bitterness.
"Why her! How could it be her! I don't accept this! I don't accept this!!"
Smash!
A piece of porcelain was thrown at the entrance of the Temple.
The largest fragment slid out of the Temple gates, the sunlight hitting it and making it shine with a golden light.
The porcelain was covered in exquisite patterns, each one full of beauty and luxury!
One could tell at a glance it was worth a fortune!
"I clearly... I clearly gave so much! I prayed devoutly before the divine statue every day! I gave so much! I even cut ties with my beloved and dedicated this body to the god from then on! Why... why wasn't it me!!"
Smash!
Another piece of priceless porcelain was smashed onto the floor.
A fragment slid out, just in time to be stepped on by a shoe.
Seeing the newcomer, the surrounding nuns all turned around and knelt toward the man.
"Your Majesty... look..."
Hugh Golgustin glanced at the porcelain fragments at the door and shook his head helplessly. He looked at the nearly frantic figure inside the Temple gates, his eyes full of pity.
Taking a deep breath, Hugh stepped into the Temple and offered a familiar quip.
"You're throwing money away again."
"I feel like it!!"
Hearing someone dare to speak at a time like this, Aisha snapped her head back and retorted furiously.
However, when she saw that the person who entered was the King of the Sand, the anger on her face vanished by more than half in an instant.
"Hugh, why are you here? Didn't I say not to come?"
Hugh smiled slightly.
"If I didn't come, wouldn't you tear this Temple down?"
"That's none of your business!"
Rate on N.U.
