"If I travel alone on horseback, I can arrive in just ten days. However, if I lead an army at a fast pace, it will take about a month. If we proceed at a normal march, it will take at least three months."
Kevin spoke with a brilliant light flashing in his eyes, his entire presence like a sword drawn from its sheath. Despite his serious expression, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"Hmm... I need to consider this first."
"Your Highness, my suggestion is that I ride ahead alone and return to Brilliant City. At the very least, my presence there will ensure the demon army does not dare to act recklessly."
"No!"
If Kevin were to go ahead alone, the demons would inevitably find out.
While the intelligence of lower-level demons might be comparable to cats or dogs, the demon elites who exceeded level thirty possessed wisdom no different from humans.
As the only level sixty existence in the Kingdom of the Moon, Kevin Cromwell, the Heavenly Punishment Knight, was undoubtedly the figure the demons watched most closely.
If he traveled alone, setting aside the high probability of being ambushed by the demon army on the way, his mere presence in Brilliant City would make the demons hesitant and afraid to act.
That was not what I wanted. Once the demons felt that Brilliant City was unreachable, they would surely take the massive number of refugees, slaughter the men, kidnap the women, and then withdraw from the Kingdom of the Moon.
The moment those millions of refugees were rounded up, the Kingdom of the Moon would have already lost half the battle!
Given the nature of the demon race, they would never allow so many refugees to retreat from the front lines.
Whether it was for breeding or satisfying their bloodlust, other races were a necessity to them.
Humans, with their fast reproduction rate and standard appearance, were naturally the primary target for the demons.
They would not turn a blind eye to the migration of nearly two million people.
For so many refugees to gather together, it was impossible unless the demons had intended for it to happen.
These demons were like a plague of locusts wherever they went, leaving nothing behind.
They killed the men and took the women, from eighty-year-old grandmothers to three-year-old toddlers; there was no one they wouldn't touch.
The border of the Kingdom of the Moon was a vast territory, and the possibility of the populace spontaneously gathering together was nearly zero.
In other words, someone had deliberately driven the people together and forced them to migrate at the same time.
I couldn't think of any other possibility besides the demon race.
This was why I had sensed something was wrong from the very beginning.
They were getting desperate! They were getting desperate!
Reinforcements from the Eight Nations of the Holy Church would arrive at the borders of the Kingdom of the Moon in three months at the latest.
Once that army was formed, even the main force of the demon army would have to retreat before six hundred thousand elite troops.
So they were in a hurry!
And right now, Brilliant City was in its weakest state of defense.
There was no better time than this.
This was the only and best opportunity; if they missed it, there would truly be no hope left.
If I retreated now or had Kevin rush back, it might indeed force the demons to back down.
But the losses to the Kingdom of the Moon... who would compensate for that?
The Kingdom of the Moon was mine!
They killed my people and destroyed my land. Who would pay for this blood debt?
Since they dared to take such a risk and there was no news from the border, the most likely scenario was that the border army was forced to stay in place.
Extrapolating from this, the main force of the demon army should still be outside the border.
That meant those hidden among the two million refugees were likely just a small portion of the demon elites.
"Your Highness, what do you intend to do?"
Kevin's brow furrowed, showing a hint of anger but even more concern.
Clearly, he had likely guessed my thoughts.
"I will make sure the demon army never returns! Kevin... if you travel alone, the demons will surely know. Once they get that news, those two million people will likely be slaughtered to the last person."
"Does Your Highness mean..."
"Let them come! When millions of people stop beneath the walls of Brilliant City, those demons will have to gather together if they want to attack. That will be the best time to strike."
"But Your Highness, with the military strength of Brilliant City, it is impossible to withstand so many demons. What exactly do you plan to do?"
What was I going to do?
To be honest, even now, I didn't know exactly what to do.
This move by the demon race was incredibly sinister.
No matter what happened, they wouldn't lose.
If they saw the situation was unfavorable, they would kill the two million people and flee.
If it was favorable, they would gather and attack Brilliant City.
In other words, I needed to let them see the weakness of Brilliant City while still leaving a hidden trump card.
The window of opportunity the demons wanted to seize was only this month or so.
And the window I needed to seize was only one day, or perhaps even just a few hours!
I had to counterattack at the exact moment the demons gathered and prepared to launch their assault on Brilliant City.
Ultimately... the demons' goal in attacking Brilliant City this time wasn't the population, but me.
What they wanted were the Authorities of the Saintess of the Moon.
If I used myself as bait to draw them out... the possibility was not zero.
But doing so would inevitably put me in grave danger.
Worst of all... once they used the civilians to threaten me, the situation would become a dilemma.
If I didn't agree, I would fall into a position of being heartless and unjust, and the prestige of the Saintess of the Moon would drop to absolute zero.
If I did agree, I would face a fate worse than death.
No matter how we defended, it seemed to lead to the worst outcome.
"I am leaving Brilliant City... to go to the front lines."
"Your... Your Highness, what did you just say? Am I getting old? Am I hallucinating?"
Kevin looked at me with an expression of pure disbelief, his eyes filled with shock and confusion.
After thinking it through, I became even more determined in this idea!
I looked up at Kevin.
"I am going to the border!"
"Your Highness... how could you think such a thing!? This is absolutely out of the question!"
"It has to be done, Kevin. If those demons have hidden among the refugees and reach the walls of Brilliant City, what will I do if they demand to trade the refugees for me, and kill thousands of people every ten minutes if I refuse?"
Kevin's brow tightened as he imagined that scenario, and he couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.
"Sss... to think they could come up with such a sinister method. As expected of the demon race! It is truly revolting! They are worse than beasts!!"
Uh... Kevin, I feel like you just insulted me with that sentence too.
However, a great person doesn't dwell on the mistakes of others, so I won't hold it against you for now.
"Kevin, when that time comes, if I don't agree, it would be heartless. But if I do agree, then even more people in the Kingdom of the Moon will die. Therefore, I cannot stay in Brilliant City."
I would turn the passive into the active. Since defense wasn't working, I would take the initiative to strike!
"Then, what is Your Highness's meaning?"
"I will lead the army to the border. I will inevitably encounter those millions of refugees on the way. At that time, I will take the opportunity to soothe them and use myself as bait to draw the demons out!"
"That is unwise! It is too dangerous. Your Highness, you absolutely must not!"
Unwise or not, I couldn't think of a better plan besides this one.
"This is the only way to save those millions of refugees and the only chance to crush the demon elites in one stroke. Kevin, you are a general; you must know that time waits for no one. You understand."
"...Is Your Highness truly determined?"
"Yes."
"How much confidence does Your Highness have?"
"Thirty percent."
"Thirty percent? Does Your Highness have any other hidden cards?"
"..."
I didn't respond, only looking directly at Kevin. He remained silent for a long while before letting out a helpless, bitter smile and shaking his head.
"I understand. If that is the case... then Your Highness... please take care."
He understood that this might very well be the last time we saw each other. He hesitated as if he wanted to say something.
I smiled.
"Don't worry. If the situation becomes impossible, I will sacrifice my life for the country. I will never allow the demons to obtain the Authorities of the Saintess. As for what to do after my death... we can settle that once you return."
"Your Highness..."
"There is no need to say more."
Kevin fell silent. He gazed at me quietly, then suddenly dropped to one knee before me and swore a loud oath.
"Your Highness's bravery... among all the Saintesses of history, only the First Saintess of the Moon can compare to you."
He looked up, his gaze meeting mine, his eyes filled with solemnity.
"If you return victorious this time, I, Kevin Cromwell, will assist you with all my heart and soul to revitalize the Kingdom of the Moon and clear all obstacles for you."
"I will be the strongest sword in your hand and the strongest shield in your hand!"
"If I break this oath, I voluntarily strip myself of my knightly title and will atone with my life—I swear by my honor to the Archangel of the Moon!"
This sudden oath of loyalty made me look at Kevin in surprise. He smiled and nodded.
"Your Highness's bravery has won me over. I hope Your Highness can return successfully and lead us to revitalize the Kingdom of the Moon and restore its glory!"
I smiled slightly. It seemed Kevin had decided to choose between the nobility and me.
I hadn't expected this risky move to bring such an unexpected surprise.
With the strongest military power and the strongest royal power, when I returned victorious... the Kingdom of the Moon would be entirely in my hands!
However, that was a matter for later.
"In that case, Kevin, I won't say much more. I have a lot to prepare."
"Take care, Your Highness!"
"Yes."
...
I cut off the communication and turned to look behind me.
"Lola, immediately stop Knights Nar and Yuna, who are preparing to head out. Summon Camilla, Ligeia, and the four Guardian Knights to the Temple for a meeting. Also, go and call Sake the tauren; I have something to say to him."
Lola's brow was tightly furrowed, her voice laced with worry.
"Your Highness, have you really decided..."
"Since the decision has been made, I won't say anything more. Go."
Lola stared at me, dazed for a long moment, before lowering her head deeply.
"I understand. During the time Your Highness is on this expedition, I will guard Brilliant City well for you."
"Yes, I'm counting on you."
This was a risky move. The Saintess of the Moon personally leading an army to the border was indeed the most dangerous step.
Yet, at this stage, it was also the safest step.
Only this could disrupt the demons' plans and throw them into chaos. Only this could solve the current predicament.
Upon returning to the Temple, the four knights and Camilla arrived within moments. Ligeia, who was the furthest away, arrived in Brilliant City half an hour later.
These six people represented the strongest combat power I currently had in my hands.
Looking at the six of them below, I spoke with a calm expression.
"Tomorrow, I will personally lead two thousand knights to the border. I will leave twenty thousand infantry and three thousand knights to garrison Brilliant City."
"What!?"
"Your Highness, you mustn't!!"
"This... this is too dangerous!"
"Your Highness, what are you trying to do!?"
The four knights voiced their objections and concerns almost simultaneously.
The two from the elven race, on the other hand, appeared somewhat calmer.
It made sense; after all, concern often leads to confusion.
After the battle that night in Brilliant City, these four Guardian Knights might not have completely given their hearts to me, but they had at least accepted me properly.
As knights, their duty was to protect me. Leaving Brilliant City meant losing that protection.
Naturally, they would be more worried.
The other two were much more composed.
Camilla pondered for a moment before suddenly looking up at me.
"What does Your Highness intend?"
"To lead the snake out of its hole. I will use myself as bait to draw the demons out from among the refugees. Only by doing this can we avoid large-scale deaths, and only then will we have the chance to crush the invading demons in one stroke."
Ligeia, perhaps knowing she didn't understand military tactics, didn't ask questions in that regard. Instead, she looked at me with concern.
"Your Highness, doing this will put you in grave danger. I truly have no accomplishments in terms of troop deployment, but Your Highness... I only want to ask one thing. How much certainty do you have?"
"Thirty percent, Ligeia... I have something I need to discuss with you in a moment."
I couldn't say it yet. It concerned whether the probability of success could be raised from thirty percent to fifty percent.
"Your Highness, I think it might be better to just have someone pose as you. That might fool the demons?"
Camilla's brow was tightly furrowed as she suddenly made this suggestion.
However, I rejected it on the spot.
"No. The Saintess traveling is a rare occurrence for the Kingdom of the Moon. Such a thing cannot be faked. Even if we find someone to pose as me, it will arouse the demons' suspicion. Therefore, I must show my face and prove that I am the Saintess. Only then will those demons surface."
There could be no deception in this matter. For such a major event, if the Saintess of the Moon didn't show her face and instead stayed inside the Saint's Carriage the whole time, wouldn't that clearly tell the enemy that 'the Saintess in the carriage is a fake'?
So, I couldn't play tricks here.
I had to let them know for a fact that the Saintess was in the Saint's Carriage. This was a true Imperial Expedition!
Only in this way could I disrupt the demons' deployment.
If they didn't separate from the populace and gather their strength to kill me, then I would successfully reach the border, moving in the opposite direction from them.
In that case, all their plans would go down the drain.
Therefore, they would need to act, and they would be forced to act!
"Your Highness, what if you are overthinking it? What if there truly are no demons among those refugees?"
Camilla raised another possibility.
If I were just shadowboxing with the air, wouldn't this move instead push me into a fire pit?
"If that is truly the case, then I will simply head straight to the border."
"The demons would not block news from the border for no reason. There is bound to be a suspicion of a large-scale invasion."
"The border, having lost contact, will surely be in a state of panic. If I arrive, their hearts will naturally stabilize, and their combat effectiveness will be guaranteed."
Therefore, it was killing two birds with one stone. Whether or not I was shadowboxing with the air, the consequences would be positive.
"But Your Highness, what if the demons are intentionally doing the opposite? What if they've calculated that you would head to the border and plan to ambush you halfway?"
Camilla raised yet another possibility, but I shook my head.
"Camilla, no one can account for every single possibility. All strategies are a gamble on probability. The strategy with the highest probability is the one that is feasible."
I took a deep breath and continued to explain:
"To bet that I would lead an army out is almost impossible. The probability of that is too small."
I shook my head, looking at Camilla with a smile on my lips.
"I am certain they won't even think of this."
"Therefore... I shall lead an Imperial Expedition!"
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