Changes

"Bring me a horse!"

Watching the knights so filled with joy and inspiration, I felt a surge of excitement in my heart and wanted to ride out and join them!

However, Hilda remained more level-headed and whispered a soft warning in my ear.

"Your Highness, it is not yet time."

Fair enough.

"Knights, I know there may still be hesitation in your hearts. Not far ahead are the refugees retreating from the northeast region."

Although many already knew this news, everyone hesitated when the moment actually arrived.

It was simple; in Brilliant City, they almost never saw such a massive migration of refugees.

"Knights, if there is still doubt or fear in your hearts, if you are not yet angry enough, then look at those refugees."

"If we cannot stop the enemy's advance, then... Brilliant City, and even the entire Kingdom of the Moon, will be the next to suffer this fate!"

My voice spread throughout the entire army with the help of Ligeia’s magic. The two thousand knights looked at each other in silence.

I said no more. The hatred these new-generation knights felt for the demon army was not actually that high.

The reason was that they had never personally witnessed the tragedies brought by the demons.

"Hilda, let us move out."

"Yes, ma'am."

Hilda nodded in response and raised her lance high.

"Move out!"

She immediately turned her horse and sped off, followed closely by the thousand knights behind her.

After a slight hesitation, I did not return to the carriage. Instead, I stood on the platform of the Saint's Carriage, reached out, and pulled out the Moon Banner, planting it firmly on the vehicle.

This banner represented not only the Saintess but also the supreme authority of the Kingdom of the Moon.

While most people in the Kingdom of the Moon might not recognize a military flag, they all knew this banner because it was depicted in the murals of every Moon Temple.

Anyone from the Kingdom of the Moon would recognize it.

Ligeia smiled thinly and cast a spell, causing the wind in front of us to weaken instantly.

The dust kicked up by the horses' hooves was also directed to flow past the sides of the Saint's Carriage.

Not a single speck fell on me.

The carriage galloped forward, and the scenery ahead became increasingly clear. Scattered groups of people began to appear along the roadside.

Seeing this, I took a deep breath and glanced back at Ligeia.

She understood my intent and cast the amplification magic again, though a trace of a helpless smile flashed across her face.

She even rolled her eyes at me.

It seemed she was complaining about how much of a slave driver I was as a Saintess.

However, I could not afford to say much to her at a time like this.

"All knights, listen... repeat my words as we move forward!"

"I am the Saintess of the Moon, Luo Li Saint Sariel! I am leading the Temple knights to the front line to intercept the demon army and reclaim our lands! All citizens, do not look back! Head straight for Brilliant City! Brilliant City has prepared food and lodging for you! Do not panic, do not lose heart, and do not give up! The Kingdom of the Moon will always be your strongest support!"

Upon hearing these words, countless commoners looked up in shock toward us.

Almost everyone’s gaze seemed to be searching for that single ray of light.

As the sky grew dark and moonlight enveloped the land, the knight unit continued its journey. The refugees on both sides voluntarily cleared the path to let the knights pass.

Everyone watched the passing cavalry with expectant eyes, searching for that incredibly bright figure among the ranks.

Closer!

Even closer!

In the eyes of the people, the reflection of a silver-white carriage appeared.

Eight snow-white steeds, four in front and four behind, pulled the silver-white carriage as it sped along.

Standing atop that carriage was a young girl dressed in a white Saintess's robe with gold trim, firmly gripping a flagpole.

Her eyes were fixed forward, filled with a burning rage. Everyone knew that this girl... was expressing her fury toward the demon army.

Her delicate body stood tall against the wind, and the flag in her hand fluttered brilliantly.

Flying from the pole was the banner that represented the supreme authority of the Kingdom of the Moon.

The refugees who witnessed this scene were nearly moved to tears.

In a state of near-despair, the current Saintess had broken hundreds of years of history by leaving Brilliant City to personally lead an army to the border to resist the demons.

To the common folk, this was nothing short of a massive, powerful morale boost!

"Your Highness! You must kill all the demons!!"

"Her Highness hasn't forgotten us!"

"Your Highness, Your Highness!! I am willing to join the army and follow you to crush the demon army!"

"Long live Your Highness!"

Someone started the slogan, and then the refugees behind began to follow one by one, shouting those words.

For a time, the canyon surrounded by the four peaks echoed with the nearly unanimous shouts of the people.

"Long live Your Highness!"

Waves of sound resonated over the lake, causing the water to tremble and ripple as if in awe.

Seeing this, my own heart was naturally filled with excitement.

As expected, the common people are sometimes the simplest.

Give them a bit of kindness, and they will return it tenfold.

Even though I had done nothing yet except shout slogans and tell them that food and lodging were ready in Brilliant City, these refugees in their desperate hour began to sincerely support me.

It seemed the thousand years of the Eight Nations of the Holy Church were not in vain; it had left a deep imprint in the hearts of the people.

Although the Kingdom of the Moon was now terminally ill, the hearts of the people were not beyond saving!

What I needed to do was give the people of the Kingdom of the Moon a sense of reassurance and uproot those cancerous nobles.

In this way, the rise of the Kingdom of the Moon was just around the corner.

The people's support can be used!

A surge of passion rose in my heart.

I wanted to shout, but I suddenly remembered I was still the Saintess and had to maintain my elegance. I forced myself to endure it as the army crossed the Four-Ring Mountains.

I looked up at the surroundings.

The Four-Ring Mountains were absolutely a vital transportation hub. Such a place should be a strategic point contested by all military strategists, yet the Kingdom of the Moon had not established a pass here.

This was definitely a major strategic error by the Kingdom of the Moon over the past thousand years!

With the Four-Ring Mountains, they could at least block a large-scale invasion by the demon army.

Compared to this place, the greatest passes of my old world would seem lackluster.

This showed that the Kingdom of the Moon truly did not have the energy to maintain such things.

Furthermore, once past the Four-Ring Mountains, we were no longer within the jurisdiction of Brilliant City.

Without unification, trying to unilaterally build a pass was definitely a challenge within the noble circles.

The nobles would not agree to it.

Unless I offered them benefits they could not refuse, ordinary nobles would not let me build a pass here.

This... was probably another chronic illness of the Kingdom of the Moon.

That night, the entire troop barely stopped. Even in the most crowded areas, the refugees would voluntarily make way.

On one hand, it was out of fear of the nobles, as every knight was a noble.

On the other hand, it was because of the name of the Saintess.

No one wanted to block the Saintess as she personally led an army to reclaim the lands they had been driven from.

Along the way, I did not sense any malicious gazes, but... that made sense.

I didn't have any skills to detect that anyway.

"Ligeia, can you manage such a large area?"

"It is a bit difficult... but I can try. However, Your Highness, are you sure you want to do this? My magic has more powerful applications."

"Yes, do it this way."

I nodded. I had already discussed this with Ligeia beforehand, so there was no need for much talk.

"Fine. Since Your Highness has said so, I shall naturally obey."

Despite the prior agreement, Ligeia still harbored a bit of concern.

"However, Your Highness, after performing such a large-scale spell, I may not have much strength left to help you."

"It is fine. Leave the rest to me."

Ligeia shrugged noncommittally.

"Alright, alright... sigh... a dignified Saintess who doesn't worry about her own safety but insists on doing this instead. Truly..."

"What? You think what I am doing is wrong?"

"It is right. But... because it is too right, it feels a bit wrong."

I looked back at her with a look of confusion, puzzled by the tone of her voice.

Right?

If it is right, then it is right. Why would it feel wrong?

"Your Highness, do you truly think this is the right way to act?"

"Is it not?"

"The action itself is correct, but it depends on your position. From your perspective, there might be nothing wrong with it. But from mine... Your Highness, you seem to be missing something."

Missing something?

Down there?

That was indeed missing, and quite thoroughly at that. It had completely cost me my 'manhood'.

As for the rest... well, one 'manhood' exchanged for two large mounds of flesh.

I didn't even know if that was a fair trade.

However, the meaning behind her words did not seem to be about that.

Ligeia seemed to see my confusion and could only shake her head with a bitter smile.

"Your Highness, from the perspective of a ruler, what you are doing is incredibly correct. It is so correct that it could serve as a perfect standard. But Your Highness, you have forgotten..."

"Forgotten what?"

"That you are still a human."

Hearing her say this as if in lament, I was momentarily stunned.

Vaguely, the image of a golden short-haired girl sitting on the Wasteland of Camlann amidst countless weapons and severed limbs appeared in my mind.

It seemed... I was becoming a bit like her?

Saber?

King Arthur?

Artoria?

This?

Recalling my actions and my thoughts from before, everything had been for the sake of surviving better.

But without me realizing it, I had begun to look at things from the perspective of a ruler, gradually forgetting my original intention.

After all... if I just wanted to live safely, there was absolutely no need to take this risk.

Perhaps there truly had been some psychological change.

But it did not matter.

I shook my head.

Recalling the final scene of that tragic king at a time like this was a truly bad omen.

"Enough, let us not speak of it."

I turned back to look at the refugees on both sides of the road. Almost everyone’s gaze toward me was filled with an incredibly burning expectation. I even felt as if those gazes could set me on fire.

The entire night was spent traveling, continuing until nearly dawn.

I had stood for over ten hours just so everyone could see my presence.

I believed that the demons who had blended into the crowd must have seen my magic portrait.

And the holy aura on my body was an even more unmistakable factor.

Therefore, when the cavalry passed the Four-Ring Mountains and prepared to set up camp at dawn, a crowd of tens of thousands had gathered among the refugees.

Amidst the crowded masses, there seemed to be a slight pattern. The very center was surrounded by countless refugees.

In that empty central space stood a man.

He had an ugly face with a severe underbite that made him unforgettable at a glance. His eyes were like thin willow branches, and the malice erupting from them was enough to make one shudder.

Beside him, a woman appeared.

If anyone from the Temple in Brilliant City were here, they would recognize this woman almost instantly.

Martha!

The personal nun who once held almost all the power in Brilliant City.

However, the current Martha had undergone a world-shaking change compared to before.

Her aged skin had returned to the suppleness of her youth. Her full chest was so prominent that her thin cloth clothes could not hide the surging waves.

"Are you sure the one you saw was her?"

The man with the underbite held a beautiful woman tightly in his arms. This woman's eyes were slightly vacant, and she seemed to be in a daze.

Her breath was shallow and rapid, while the man's large hand moved shamelessly over her body in the middle of the crowd.

"It is her. I would never mistake that aura!"

Martha knelt before the man and responded firmly.

"However..."

"However what?"

The man's raspy voice accompanied a cold gaze fixed on Martha, seemingly filled with hatred.

"Lord, the temperament about her seems to have changed."

Martha felt that icy stare and could not help but tremble. Out of fear, she could only speak honestly.

"Changed? How much could she have changed?"

"I... do not dare to say, but she is not quite the same as before."

Martha answered cautiously, not daring to lift her head. She could only stare at the ground.

In her field of vision, she could clearly see a tentacle emerging from the man's trouser leg.

This tentacle wrapped around the snow-white leg of the woman in the man's arms and crawled upward until it was hidden beneath her long skirt.

"Heh! Change? How much can a fragile little Saintess change? Whatever. Since she has delivered herself to me, I will not be polite. But before that, I will let the army break her spirit and drain her strength."

The man turned to the beastman beside him.

"Leo, have the vanguard prepare. While they are exhausted from a night of travel, strike and break the cavalry's formation."

As he spoke, the man pulled the woman closer. The woman let out a soft moan, her expression appearing both pained and blissful.

"This time, I refuse to believe she has any tricks left. Once I capture her, I will make her... wish she were dead!"