Given our current state after a major battle, it would be irrational to head straight for the front lines.
If we encountered an unexpected situation midway, it could easily result in a total wipeout.
Therefore, I had originally planned to return to Brilliant City first to reorganize and drop off the wounded.
Then, I would decide whether to head to the front lines based on the situation.
However, under the current circumstances, the front lines were out of the question; I had to turn back and deal with these nobles first, finding a way to crush their arrogance.
They were like a pack of parasites, greedily sucking the blood of the common people.
I had left them alone for too long, to the point where these parasites had forgotten who was truly in charge.
I had considered the possibility that they might attack Lola, but I assumed it would be after my death!
At the very least, it should have been while I was missing or out of contact.
Without the protection of the Saintess, a newly appointed bishop held little power and even less influence.
Furthermore, it was because of her that I had moved against the Garnet family in the first place.
These factors provided the nobles with more than enough reason to act.
Knowing this, I had not only tasked Baker with ensuring Lola's safety and getting her out of the Kingdom of the Moon if necessary, but I had also instructed the old bull, Sake, to protect her.
Yet, I never imagined they would dare strike at Lola while I was still alive!
How—how dare they!!
I clenched my fists as fury surged in my heart, but I knew now was not the time to simply steamroll over these nobles.
It was not yet the moment; I had to endure.
But this time, I would make these nobles pay the price no matter what, letting them know that I, the Saintess, was not someone to be trifled with.
Anyone who dared touch my people would pay dearly!
I took a deep breath, calming the emotions fueled by my rage.
"Hilda, at maximum speed, how many days will it take to arrive?"
"Replying to Your Highness, even without rest, it will take three days."
Outside the window, Hilda pondered for a moment before giving me that answer.
Three days.
Three days without sleep; with the endurance of Temple knights, three days of continuous travel should not be a problem.
"Inform the entire army: no rest. I want to see the city of Brilliant City within two days! Once we arrive, I will buy drinks for every knight."
"Yes!"
As I let the curtain fall, Hilda's shout echoed outside.
"By order of Her Highness, the entire army is to advance at full speed! If we reach Brilliant City within two days, Her Highness will treat everyone to drinks!"
"Long live Her Highness!"
The army responded with a thunderous roar that felt like a crashing tidal wave.
Hearing that sound, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.
At least this decisive battle against the main demon army had completely won over the hearts of the soldiers; even when pushed this hard, they had no complaints.
If nothing else, I could say that for these remaining fifteen hundred knights, if I pointed east, they would not strike west, and if I pointed north, they would not head south.
Effort always has a price, but in exchange, I had gained sufficient capital!
The loyalty of these knights was my capital!
The elite team of the future would be built with them at the center.
Although it was just a round of drinks, which was a pittance compared to their wages, such small favors could sometimes become great assets in winning people's hearts.
The carriage's speed immediately shifted up a gear, and the entire army's pace accelerated to nearly thirty kilometers per hour.
This was almost a full gallop.
Exceeding this speed would be considered a sprint, which would consume too much stamina; doing that during a long march would be madness.
Maintaining thirty kilometers per hour was enough for me.
The distance from the northeast of the Four-Ring Mountains to the gates of Brilliant City was at least six hundred kilometers; at thirty kilometers per hour without rest, we could arrive within two days.
Right now, I wasn't worried about anything else; I only prayed that nothing would happen to Lola!
She was a rare and capable assistant, and one of the first people to be truly loyal to me.
Whether from my personal perspective or from the perspective of a ruler, she was a precious friend and official.
Barry Garnet.
You had better pray... pray that nothing happens to Lola, otherwise, I will have the entire Garnet family buried with her!!
Nothing happened during the rest of the journey.
It was almost entirely continuous, sleepless travel.
While the knights outside endured the wind and sand, Ligeia and I remained much more elegant inside the carriage.
Two thousand skysoar dragons followed closely in the sky, their dark mass covering the sun like a black cloud.
Although the journey didn't interfere with my sleep, every time I closed my eyes, I dreamed of Brilliant City.
I didn't know what the situation was like inside Brilliant City at this moment, nor did I know how Lola was doing.
Please, don't let anything happen to her.
...
"How is Bishop Lola?"
Inside the Temple in Brilliant City, the atmosphere had become so heavy it was suffocating.
Lola had not woken up for five days; on the day of the assassination, she had collapsed immediately after ordering that the Saintess be notified and had remained unconscious ever since.
Even with Camilla using every method at her disposal, there was no sign of improvement.
Faced with Knight Nar's question, Camilla shook her head silently, her expression grim.
The two of them were currently sitting in the Temple's lounge, while Sake stood near the door, his axe gripped tightly in his hand.
For five days, this old bull had stood guard at the door ever since Lola fell unconscious, allowing no one to approach except for the most trusted few.
He almost never left his post.
Even for basic needs, he would finish as quickly as possible, notifying Knight Nar to stand in for him during those brief moments.
Seeing that the tauren Sake was starting to doze off with bloodshot eyes, Nar stepped forward.
"Sake, you should rest today. I will take over the guard for a day."
Nar's youthful face was full of resolve, yet there was a hint of confusion in his eyes.
At this moment, he was the only Guardian Knight left in Brilliant City.
Knight Yuna had already led an army with a large supply of grain toward the Four-Ring Mountains to stabilize the millions of refugees; without a military presence to maintain order, riots could easily break out.
That was something they could absolutely not allow!
But... although Nar was the strongest combatant currently in Brilliant City and the highest-ranking official who remained conscious, he was too young.
He had never imagined that one day he would be left to defend Brilliant City alone!
Outside the Temple, countless people held banners, protesting while simultaneously trying to storm the building.
However, because Nar was still there, they were only making a show of it and didn't dare to actually force their way in.
After all... no one wanted to use their neck to test whether a Guardian Knight's sword was sharp.
Even so, it was enough to leave the young knight feeling extremely flustered.
"No, this old bull isn't leaving. As long as Her Highness isn't back, I will stand guard."
Sake slowly raised his head, his bovine eyes filled with exhaustion and bloodshot veins, yet he remained stubbornly seated by the door.
"I broke my word. I didn't protect Bishop Lola well. I've failed Her Highness, so I won't leave until Her Highness returns!"
Nar opened his mouth to speak but, seeing Sake's determined expression, he found he couldn't say anything.
He wasn't good at comforting or persuading people; faced with such resolve, he could only remain silent.
Sake slowly looked up at Camilla.
"Lady Camilla, have you still not identified the curse Bishop Lola is suffering from?"
Camilla shook her head helplessly.
"No. Although there are a few clues, they aren't enough to determine exactly which curse it is."
"Is there any way to wake her up?"
Nar followed up immediately, but he was met with Camilla's somewhat discouraged explanation.
"No. If there were, I would have used it already. There is no one here currently capable of performing high-level holy spells."
"If we are to break the curse through alchemical means, we must know exactly which one it is, otherwise, we risk causing even greater problems."
Curses were strange things; it wasn't that alchemists couldn't break them, but to do so, they had to know the name of the curse.
To put it simply, they had to understand the components of the curse to reverse-engineer the cure.
It was like taking an antidote after being poisoned.
Without knowing what the poison was, one could never use medicine blindly, or it might only make the toxicity worse.
"The best I can do right now is temporarily preserve her life, but there is a limit to that. Three days at most. If she isn't treated within three days, her internal organs will likely begin to fail."
Outside the Temple, a protest group gathered by numerous merchants blocked the main gates with banners, demanding the abolition of the Cavendish family's slave reform.
Inside the Temple, Bishop Lola lay unconscious, her life hanging by a thread, with time barely being bought.
The three people who were now considered the Saintess's inner circle looked at each other, none of them knowing what to do in the face of the current situation.
Camilla was anxious, worried not only about the situation here but also about Her Highness.
She knew something of the risks involved in this expedition and understood the stakes.
If an accident happened out there, then the situation here would truly be a hopeless state of absolute ruin.
But even if she wanted to help the Saintess who was still out fighting, she was simply out of reach.
She couldn't help even if she wanted to.
Most critically, the fact that these nobles had suddenly started rioting while the Saintess was away suggested they had prepared well in advance.
Otherwise, the timing would not have been so perfect.
The Saintess was away on campaign, with Hilda and Cain accompanying her.
Bishop Lola, who was guarding the city, had been ambushed and fallen into a coma from a curse.
Knight Yuna had left the city to pacify the refugees.
Since the founding of the Kingdom of the Moon, this was the first time Brilliant City had been so vulnerable.
These slave traders seemed to have coordinated their actions, all surfacing at once.
Several of them were even members of the renowned Rowan family from the border; this entire group held noble titles.
Even if Knight Nar wanted to use force to drive them away, he had to consider the consequences.
Those consequences were not something a minor Guardian Knight could bear!
Camilla let out a long sigh in her heart.
She glanced at the young knight sitting across from her.
In the end... he was still too young.
Camilla couldn't help but think of that decisive, swift-acting Saintess.
"If you were here... what would you do?"
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