After Ligeia's wide-scale Water Healing and my own Collective Healing, basically everyone who hadn't lost a limb was able to walk out and offer their thanks.
Those who had lost their legs could get out of bed, but walking was still very difficult.
There was no helping it; it was a large-scale healing after all. Treating nearly three hundred people at once was certainly beyond my current limits, and I couldn't simply regenerate their missing limbs instantly.
"Noble knights, I am the one who should be saying thank you. Thank you for your sacrifice for the Kingdom of the Moon."
I looked at their injuries and added another promise.
"Rest assured, I will continue to treat your permanent injuries gradually over time. Please do not worry, I will handle everything."
"Thank you, Your Highness!!"
The crippled knights had originally thought it was time for them to retire, and many had looks of confusion and loss in their eyes.
However, the moment those words left my mouth, their hope was instantly rekindled.
This was natural. According to the normal process, any further healing wouldn't be my responsibility, and the disabled among them would basically be removed from the knight order and officially retired.
But... how could I let such powerful labor be laid off so early?
You are the ones who must offer every last drop of blood for the Kingdom of the Moon.
Otherwise, how could I ever grant you your glory?
"The bonfire is still burning over there. Go and relax for a bit."
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."
I pointed toward the distant bonfire, and all the knights who could stand helped those who couldn't.
They walked over with their arms around each other's shoulders, laughter ringing out along the way.
Hilda walked up behind me at some point and supported my hand.
At that moment, it felt as if all the strength in my body had been drained away.
The total depletion of my mana left me with a powerful sense of weakness, and even my physical strength felt greatly diminished.
It seemed that while mana wasn't directly tied to my health, it had an indirect connection to my vitality.
"Your Highness..."
Hilda's worried gaze locked onto me; she had clearly noticed my exhaustion.
"I'm fine."
I shook my head.
"Help me back."
"Yes."
Distress flickered in Hilda's eyes. Ligeia, who was nearby, brought over a vial of liquid.
"Your Highness, this is a recovery potion. It can effectively restore some mana, or at least make you feel less miserable."
"I see. Thank you."
I thanked her, and Hilda took the recovery potion from her.
I looked at Ligeia.
"Ligeia, I'm leaving the communication with the skysoar dragons to you. After all, you're the only one among us who understands the dragon language."
Although the skysoar dragons weren't very intelligent—having the mental capacity of a seven or eight-year-old child—they could still understand simple dragon language.
And Ligeia was the only one who knew it.
At this stage, even if I was reluctant to let this research maniac near the skysoar dragons, I had no other choice.
"Please rest easy, Your Highness. With me here, they won't cause any trouble."
I nodded and said no more. With Hilda's support, I forced myself to act as if nothing was wrong and returned to the Saint's Carriage.
The moment I stepped inside, my legs buckled, and I nearly collapsed. Luckily, Hilda was still holding onto me, otherwise I would have truly lost face.
"Your Highness, please rest. Cain, Lady Ligeia, and I can handle everything outside."
"Mhm. Those knights who just recovered... warn them not to stay out too long. Their bodies haven't fully healed yet, and it could easily lead to chronic issues."
"Yes, Your Highness. The knights will be very happy to know of your concern."
"Go on then."
I smiled and waved her away. Under these circumstances, this was all I could do as a Saintess.
Once Hilda left the carriage, I took a deep breath and sat on the bed.
I placed my hand over my stomach and silently activated my Holy Crest.
A wave of warmth erupted from my lower abdomen, and in an instant, all the mana I had stored there flooded into my core.
The weakness I had felt vanished as the Holy Crest on my belly began to glow.
The mana that had been completely exhausted was almost entirely replenished in that single moment. Though it wasn't a perfect full recovery, it filled me nearly to the brim.
The Holy Crest could store mana equal to my own limit. My mana limit was 48 before, so after releasing it, my mana returned to 48.
Now that my maximum mana was 50, it was slightly short of a full tank, but my condition was completely restored.
I let out a long sigh of relief. The warm current spreading from my abdomen through my entire body felt so good I almost let out a moan.
I touched my stomach; a blue fluorescent light was visible even through the fabric of my Saintess's robe.
I turned to look in the mirror. Because the Holy Crest was running at full power, the girl in the reflection possessed an almost bewitchingly holy beauty.
Good grief, at this rate, the only thing I'm missing is heart-shaped eyes.
I'm being transformed into something... there's no going back.
After about a minute, the Holy Crest finished its full-power operation and returned to a normal state, the blue light fading away.
However, the Holy Crest was now operating in its second state. Although it no longer glowed, the silver patterns remained visible on my lower abdomen.
Others couldn't see it, but if I pulled my collar down just a bit, I could see a silver radiance nestled deep within my cleavage.
It really is an eroge after all.
To think I'd end up with something like this on my body.
Even if the function is great... I feel like something inside me has shattered.
It was probably my long-held sense of modesty.
I adjusted my mindset. Even though my mana was restored, I couldn't show it yet.
This was one of my trump cards, something that shouldn't be exposed unless absolutely necessary.
At a critical moment, this could cause an enemy to miscalculate, thinking I had completely run out of mana.
Activating the Holy Crest then could reverse a losing situation.
Therefore, it had to remain hidden, just like my Witch state.
The Witch state could instantly turn me from a healer into a warrior. Although I would never use it on the battlefield, it would be an invincible counter-skill if I were ever ambushed or kidnapped in private.
The sudden explosion of power would catch anyone off guard.
These were all my hidden cards.
Next, I needed to look at the class change.
I knew the Saintess role underwent a major shift after level 10; this was clearly stated in the biographies of the Saintesses.
But the specifics of the change were still exciting to anticipate!
I didn't know what professions were waiting for me in this first class change!
Thinking of this, my gaze fell upon the statue.
"Archangel Sariel, I really don't know whether to thank you or..."
The statue didn't respond to my words, but I began my prayers as usual regardless.
The attribute panel appeared before my eyes once again.
When it appeared, I didn't bother looking at my stats, focusing instead on the text following my level.
Level: 11 (Awaiting Class Change)
My brow furrowed slightly as I tapped the four words in the parentheses with my consciousness.
In an instant, the attribute interface changed, revealing a dazzling array of professional branches.
Aside from the Saintess of the Moon and the Saintess of Brilliance, combat classes similar to mages had finally appeared.
【Saintess of the Blade—Utilizes holy energy to unleash the power of melee weapons.】
【Divine Arts Mage—Utilizes holy energy to cast large-scale offensive divine arts.】
【Divine Arts Saintess—Utilizes holy energy to cast various healing and support skills.】
【Junior Scholar—Can learn any knowledge with increased learning speed.】
【Junior Architect—Specializes in construction with an accelerated understanding of architecture.】
Numerous professions appeared before me, including support and life skills, but the most critical were the first two.
The Saintess of the Blade could channel holy energy into weapons. This meant I wouldn't need high base attack power myself; I could even use the energy to buff my physical body and enhance my physical capabilities.
The Divine Arts Mage could use holy energy to cast massive offensive spells.
Both professions had their own unique bonuses. While it didn't mean I couldn't learn similar skills later, learning them without the class title would mean missing out on those specific bonuses.
In other words, once I changed classes, I would gain a new title!
But this made me hesitate.
The Divine Arts Mage might be weak early on, but it would have overwhelming offensive power in the late game. Regardless of the damage, the skills would at least look spectacular.
And the blade... I was incredibly envious of that path.
However!!
Without a doubt, I still chose the Divine Arts Saintess.
Rather than practicing skills that didn't match my current build, it was better to learn healing skills that had higher compatibility with me.
Trying to develop in every direction at this stage was too inefficient.
My low level was one reason, and the lack of time for personal development was another.
I had to focus on the most advantageous path to rise quickly.
Even if my melee and offensive capabilities were lacking for now, I had to strengthen my priest-type skills first.
I selected the class change, but... it seemed as if nothing happened.
What was going on?
Shouldn't there be a notification?
I was momentarily stunned. Before I could figure it out, a massive pillar of light erupted from the bright moon in the sky.
It looked like a celestial column of light falling rapidly from the heavens.
In an instant, my entire body was filled with holy energy, so comfortable I nearly let out a cry.
At the same time, the attribute interface before my eyes transformed.
【Class: Saintess of the Moon, Saintess of Brilliance (Divine Arts Saintess)】
Simultaneously, my attribute panel was upgraded by an entire tier.
My Strength, Agility, and Endurance didn't increase, but my Recovery and Mana instantly surged by twenty points!
"Your Highness, are you alright!?"
Hilda's nervous voice suddenly came from outside the carriage.
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
Rate on N.U.
