"Aziz, Guardian Knight of the Kingdom of Sand, is here."
As he spoke, a wyvern dove from the sky, snapping its wings open just ten meters above the ground.
The wyvern’s momentum stalled instantly in midair, and Aziz flipped off its back, dropping ten meters to land firmly on the ground.
The moment he landed, Aziz didn't even have time to acknowledge Hilda; he rushed to the side of Rahman, who lay on the ground, his life or death uncertain.
Aziz and Rahman were the only reinforcements sent to the Kingdom of the Moon.
If Rahman died here, it wouldn't just be Aziz's problem—it would be a major crisis for the Kingdom of Sand.
The Kingdom of Sand prioritized commerce over military matters and did not possess many Guardian Knights.
Although the Kingdom of Sand was situated at the junction of three races, it essentially functioned as a massive transit station.
Goods were constantly being moved between the three races through their territory.
The Kingdom of Sand was a barren land of endless yellow sand with very little arable soil.
They relied on the Beastmen Kingdom to the north for food and the Dwarven Kingdom to the west for daily necessities.
One could almost say the land was useless, except for its exceptional convenience for transportation.
Furthermore, the Kingdom of Sand had a small native population, and other races made up a significant portion of the inhabitants, resulting in very few people being able to become Temple knights.
The entire Kingdom of Sand possessed only six Guardian Knights and one Heavenly Punishment Knight.
Aside from the Heavenly Punishment Knight, who was required to remain in the capital, the other four knights were stationed long-term at various other oases.
Only Aziz and Rahman were permanently stationed in the capital, Oasis City.
Because of this, they were the only ones the Kingdom of Sand could spare.
Of course, before they left, Aziz had advised the Saintess of Sand.
He warned that Rahman’s arrogance and overbearing nature would likely lead to a diplomatic incident and strongly requested that he be replaced.
Unfortunately, Her Highness the Saintess of Sand had let his words go in one ear and out the other.
And now, the consequences were right before his eyes.
It had really happened, and in the worst possible way.
Rahman had led his forces to charge Brilliant City, only for the city to somehow produce two thousand sub-dragons whose dragon breath had taken him down instantly.
Now, Rahman’s fate was unknown.
While the Kingdom of Sand was the first to show disrespect, the Kingdom of the Moon's reaction had been far too extreme.
If Rahman truly died, the situation would be nearly impossible to resolve.
Aziz stepped forward quickly, looking at the charred, elongated shape on the ground that was barely recognizable as human.
He reached out, found the man's nostrils, and checked to see if he was still breathing.
Feeling a faint breath brush against his fingertips, Aziz let out a long sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness he's not dead. Otherwise, I'd have no idea how to explain this to Lady Aisha."
He took a long-saved life-saving medicine from his bag and, gritting his teeth, forced Rahman's mouth open and poured it in.
This bottle of medicine had cost Aziz two years of savings, and it could rapidly restore vitality in critical moments by forcing the body's potential to repair injuries.
Though he was loath to part with it, Aziz used it anyway.
Primarily, if Rahman died here, Aziz would have no way to face Aisha.
"And who might this be?"
"Rahman, Guardian Knight of the Kingdom of Sand and the commander of the reinforcements for the Kingdom of the Moon."
As he spoke, Aziz stood up and turned back to look at Hilda.
"And who are you?"
Hilda's brow furrowed, and she responded with a serious expression.
"Hilda Cromwell, one of the eight Guardian Knights of the Kingdom of the Moon."
Aziz nodded and took a deep breath.
"I will report this entire incident to my Saintess, and we reserve the right to hold the Kingdom of the Moon accountable."
Hilda's expression soured at his words, and she stared at Aziz with narrowed eyes.
"I should be the one saying that. Your Wyvern Knight Corps refused to stop despite being ordered to do so and continued their charge even when faced with a clear show of force, leading to this disaster. I will also report this truthfully to my Saintess."
Aziz nodded, saying nothing more.
It was clear they were the ones in the wrong from the start.
Arguing further would be a waste of time; now that the incident had occurred, the rest would be a game of politics between the two Saintesses and had nothing to do with them.
At least Rahman was alive, so he could still return and fulfill his duty.
At that moment, the sound of galloping hooves echoed from a distance, led by Kevin Cromwell.
"I am the Heavenly Punishment Knight, Kevin Cromwell. I order you all to rest and recover here immediately while awaiting treatment. Who are you?"
As he spoke, Kevin noticed Aziz, whose aura was clearly different from the other knights, and asked casually.
Seeing that a Heavenly Punishment Knight from the Kingdom of the Moon had arrived, Aziz did not dare to be disrespectful and lowered his head in response.
"Guardian Knight Aziz."
"Very well. You will oversee the rest of the Wyvern Knight Corps. Once everything is settled, come find me at the main camp!"
Saying this, Kevin turned and shouted loudly.
"All troops, dismount! Set up camp here!"
...
The chaos outside the city had already caused panic among many people within.
Despite the torrential rain, opportunistic merchants had quickly opened their restaurants and tea houses.
Inside the Moonlight Bar, the largest bar in Brilliant City, the familiar figure behind the counter had long since changed.
Standing behind the bar now was a mature woman with a faint, knowing smile on her lips as she surveyed her surroundings.
In the newly opened bar, many people entered to escape the storm.
Usually, bars would remain closed in such weather, but since a major event had just occurred and the bar was a place where information flowed fastest, they had to open for business.
Many of those who had just arrived began to gossip fervently.
Almost everyone was talking about only one thing.
That was the earth-shaking dragon breath that had seemed ready to scorch the world just moments ago.
"I say, what's the deal with those dragons? Where did they come from?"
"Don't you know? Our Saintess brought them back. They were the same dragons that burned down the Garnet family estate."
"It was terrifying! You don't know, I live right by the West Gate. It was beyond anything a human could imagine!"
"Heavens, what if those dragons suddenly go mad and start attacking us?"
"Stop with the needless anxiety. Since the Saintess could bring them back, she can naturally control them. It seems our Kingdom of the Moon is about to rise~"
"Rise? That's not a certainty. The nobles were in revolt recently, and now they're all on edge. No one knows what this new Saintess, who has only been baptized for a year, is thinking. With such power in her hands, what happens to the Kingdom of the Moon depends entirely on her whims."
"What future? I don't even know if tomorrow or the demon army will get here first. We've been out of contact with the Great Wall for so many days now, and not a single bit of news has come back."
"That's just because you're uninformed. Didn't you see Lord Kevin leading the army? I suspect the next step is to reinforce the Great Wall."
"Sigh... I have elders to support and children to raise at home. What will we do if the demon army breaks through?"
The bar had been open for less than ten minutes and was already packed, with everyone talking to those around them.
On one hand, they were trying to fish for news to use as gossip later.
On the other hand, many wanted to know the current state of the Kingdom of the Moon.
Regardless of the talk, whether people were worried or happy about the two thousand dragons brought back by the Saintess, one thing was certain.
This Saintess was completely different from the previous "flower vase" Saintesses; she was an entirely different kind of existence.
This news spread quickly among the commoners and even faster within the Temple.
Outside the West Gate, Kevin led three thousand knights to camp there, both to intimidate the Wyvern Knight Corps and to protect Brilliant City from any potential riots by the Sand knights.
With a Heavenly Punishment Knight overseeing things, Hilda naturally didn't need to stay on the West Wall.
In all of Brilliant City, Hilda was now the only one left who could move freely to protect the Saintess.
Yuna had gone out of the city to manage the million refugees, while Cain and Nar were organizing the army.
Hilda took a deep breath.
The Kingdom of the Moon had never faced such a difficult time.
Once Kevin led the army out, the great Brilliant City wouldn't even be able to produce two Guardian Knights.
No one knew better than Hilda how difficult things were for her Saintess.
She had been the first person to witness her Saintess gradually growing stronger from the very beginning.
Recalling the dragon breath she had seen from the West Wall, Hilda could now truly feel the pace of Brilliant City's rise.
"Guardian Knight Hilda requests an audience with Her Highness."
Even as a personal bodyguard, Hilda was in the habit of having someone announce her arrival first.
Soon, someone came out to summon her inside.
Upon entering the hall, she saw the young girl leaning against the divine platform.
She was as holy as ever, calm and elegant.
She didn't seem panicked at all by the chaos at the West Gate.
"Hilda is here? Sit down."
Since granting seats had become a common practice, there were always several chairs prepared in the hall specifically for visitors.
Hilda didn't stand on ceremony and sat down in a chair.
Watching Hilda sit, I set down the book in my hand.
To be honest, ever since I saw the dragon breath flare up, I hadn't been in the mood to keep reading.
What exactly happened at the West Gate? Why did Ligeia go as far as using dragon breath?
What was the situation now?
I was still completely in the dark.
"Tell me about it."
I sat up straight. I could be lazy during ordinary times, but when serious matters arose, I had to be professional.
"In response to Your Highness, just now..."
From Hilda’s mouth, I soon learned the details of the dragon breath incident at the West Gate.
When I heard that a Guardian Knight of the Kingdom of Sand had been seriously injured, my heart skipped a beat, and a chill ran through me.
The reinforcements from the Kingdom of Sand had come with the intent to trade. Now, before the trade had even begun, we had essentially slapped them in the face.
No one would be in a good mood after that.
However, even if Aisha, the Saintess of Sand, was dissatisfied, she certainly wouldn't start trouble at a time like this.
She would surely endure it to complete the trade for the document tablet. As for whether she would seek revenge or friendship, that would be a matter for after this business was concluded.
After a moment of silence, I turned to Lola and gave my orders.
"No matter what, we cannot let this Rahman die in our Kingdom of the Moon. Send someone to call Camilla for a consultation and ensure he is out of danger."
"Provide treatment for everyone in the Wyvern Knight Corps and strive to ensure no lasting issues remain."
"Have the current leader of the Wyvern Knight Corps come to see me. Arrange for people to take over the airships immediately. There are many supplies on board; take a portion of them to the East Gate to help cover the shortage for the refugees."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Lola nodded without hesitation and immediately left to attend to the tasks.
"Hilda, you may withdraw as well. Leave the West Gate to Kevin."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Hilda quickly left the Temple to continue her duties.
Currently, all four city walls were under Hilda's jurisdiction, and even my Temple fell within her scope of responsibility, so she had to remain at her post at all times.
Watching the two of them leave, I stood up and walked toward the communication room.
"Nara, have the mages adjust the frequency to the Kingdom of Sand immediately. I wish to speak with Saintess Aisha personally."
"Yes, Your Highness."
I headed toward the communication room, which was located on the right side of the Temple, near the front hall, while the guest room was on the left.
When I arrived at the communication room, the mage bowed to me first and then gave a report.
"Your Highness, the connection has been established. The Saintess of Sand is waiting for you."
"Understood. All of you withdraw. Nara, guard the door and do not allow anyone to enter."
"Yes."
I took a deep breath, organized my thoughts, and stepped into the communication room.
As soon as I entered, I saw the 3D image already standing there.
Aisha Saint Metatron, the Saintess of Sand.
She was still wearing that silk-thin gauze dress, with what could be described more as a bikini swimsuit than actual clothing underneath.
She dressed as lightly as possible.
I understood; after all, the Kingdom of Sand was far too hot.
"It has been a long time, Lady Aisha."
"Greetings, Lady Luo Li."
We exchanged pleasantries first, and then I changed the subject, recounting what had just happened as objectively as possible, without letting my personal emotions interfere.
Aisha listened quietly, and after a long time, she let out a slow sigh.
"Sigh... I knew it."
What did you know?
I was stunned for a moment. Aisha seemed to notice my confusion and explained with a small smile.
"The one leading the army this time was Rahman, my Guardian Knight. Although he is powerful, he has a few character flaws. I forgot to mention that to you beforehand, so this incident is my fault."
"No, no, Lady Aisha needn't be so polite. This was also due to my own oversight."
"Haha~ Lady Luo Li is truly modest. However, I am curious—what is the story with those two thousand dragons? Does Lady Luo Li have some connection with the dragon race?"
Aisha looked at me with a smile, a trace of curiosity in her eyes.
I hesitated, but before I could speak, Aisha suddenly spoke again.
"It seems it's difficult to discuss, so I won't pry. After all, as Saintesses, we each have secrets that are hard to share with outsiders, don't we?"
"Thank you for your understanding, Lady Aisha."
I breathed a sigh of relief; it really would have been difficult to explain.
Aisha smiled, and the topic shifted once more.
"Well, since that matter is settled, let us discuss other things."
She looked at me with an eager gaze.
"Lady Luo Li, I wonder when the trade for the document tablet can begin?"
Rate on N.U.
