"Lancelot, what do you think?"
I watched Grannia leave the room, his footsteps firmer and lighter than before.
I was not surprised by the contradictory aura he carried.
He was a pure person who, despite having no desires of his own, possessed a profound urge to help others.
On Earth, people like him were a rare breed.
In this world where information moved slowly, one could still find a few such individuals.
What was remarkable was that he possessed great strength and had never suffered a soul-crushing defeat.
It was likely that his natural air of approachability made it difficult for anyone to harbor hostility toward him.
"Lancelot?"
Why was there no response?
I recalled that he had already been assigned to my side.
I glanced left and right, suddenly spotting a figure hiding behind one of the hall's massive pillars. I walked over to take a peek.
"Lancelot?"
"Ah..."
Lancelot started slightly, appearing somewhat unaccustomed to his surroundings, a rare trace of embarrassment flickering across his face.
"Forgive me, Your Highness... I am still not quite used to this new name. Did you require something?"
"What do you think of Grannia?"
I did not press him on the matter of the name. After all, even if a new name felt familiar, it was natural for the change to feel strange at first.
His reaction was perfectly normal.
"Your Highness, in my opinion... that man is very strong."
Well, that was a remarkably redundant statement.
I shot Lancelot a flat look. Realizing his words were lacking, he quickly corrected himself.
"No, what this subordinate—what I meant to say is that he has great potential. If he were given a proper title, it would not be impossible for him to even reach the level of a Heavenly Punishment Knight."
Still redundant.
It seemed asking him was a waste of time.
I turned to look at Lola.
"Lola, what is your assessment of him?"
Lola lowered her head in thought for a moment before speaking slowly.
"Grannia may seem simple, but his mind is fiercely independent. He is difficult to control. He can be deployed on the front lines, but he must never be forced to act against his conscience, or he will surely rebel."
I nodded. Lola's assessment hit the nail on the head.
That was exactly the kind of man he was.
He could be used, but never forced to do something he considered wrong.
Otherwise, rebellion was inevitable.
His sense of independence was too strong.
Such a person was also ill-suited to be a commander-in-chief.
In that regard, he was much like Lancelot beside me; neither of them could lead an entire army.
I was gaining more talent, yet why did it feel like my pool of usable leaders remained unchanged?
Lancelot was too kind-hearted and stood firmly by his principles; he would never raise a hand against a child.
On the battlefield, any trace of soft-heartedness could be fatal.
Grannia was the same.
Even in the heat of war, he would likely cling to his moral code. Neither of them was fit to lead.
This meant their roles were quite limited.
Aside from serving as specialized shock troops, they were almost useless in other military aspects.
No... that was not entirely true.
At the very least, based on my plans, Grannia would be perfect as a knight guarding Brilliant City.
For the sake of the people, he would surely give his all.
As for Lancelot, he could serve as a vanguard officer, but never the supreme commander.
Furthermore, as a vanguard, he would have to engage in honorable, open combat.
In the past, such a role would have been of little use.
But things were different now.
"Lancelot, tomorrow you will head north to Dragon City. If you are willing, you may choose a dragon to be your mount."
Lancelot froze. He stared at me blankly before asking a question.
"Is Your Highness not afraid that I might steal the dragon and flee?"
"Pfft!"
Before I could reply, Lola let out a sudden burst of laughter.
Lancelot looked at Lola with a bewildered expression.
"Why is Bishop Lola laughing? Are you not concerned?"
Lola stifled her laughter and adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses.
"Do not overestimate yourself. The skysoar dragons are a race recognized by the dragon tribe. The distinction between true dragons and sub-dragons is merely a classification used by humans. In the eyes of the Dragon King, all recognized dragons are simply part of the tribe, with the only difference being high or low birth."
Lola looked at Lancelot calmly.
"It is Her Highness who made the deal with the Dragon King. Without Her Highness's consent, no human can possibly rear a member of the dragon race. Do you truly believe you could steal that dragon and survive the Dragon King's wrath?"
Lancelot fell silent, staring back at Lola.
He did not doubt for a second that this sixteen-year-old girl before him could not even withstand a single finger of his in a fight.
Yet, in this moment, Lancelot felt as though he were standing before a peak that pierced the clouds.
Even if she was only 1.6 meters tall, even if her slender arms looked as though they would snap with a gentle pull.
At this instant, Lancelot could not find even a shred of the will to resist her.
"I... I have been disrespectful."
Lancelot slowly took half a step back. This retreat surprised me.
I glanced at Lola instinctively.
She had been a Bishop for less than a month, yet she had already developed such prestige?
No, it was not just prestige; it was the power backing her, that absolute confidence and the aura of a ruler that had subdued Lancelot.
"Alright, let us not argue over this. After all, I did promise the Dragon King that I would take good care of the skysoar dragon tribe."
I glanced back at Lola, and she obediently took a step back.
With a single word from me, the antagonistic atmosphere between the two vanished.
I turned back to Lancelot.
"Lancelot, I know your character prevents you from striking the innocent. Therefore, I am giving you the chance to face the guilty. Go and choose a mount. But remember, military orders always override your personal thoughts, and I... am not a cruel person."
That was enough said.
The rest would depend on Lancelot's future choices.
He pondered for a moment before nodding slightly.
"I understand."
With that, he withdrew.
It seemed he was going to prepare for his trip to Dragon City tomorrow.
I turned my attention back to Lola.
"Lola, tell me about the changes in Brilliant City over the past few days."
Because magic existed in this era, construction was much faster than normal.
Though I was still getting used to it, I had to adapt. After all, I would likely live here for decades, perhaps even centuries.
Powerful individuals often enjoyed much longer lifespans.
That was simply how the rules worked in this world.
The recorded limit for human life was around two hundred and seventy years.
As for ordinary people, they lived sixty or seventy years.
Those who surpassed level thirty would break the hundred-year mark.
Those over level sixty would surpass one hundred and fifty years.
And those who reached level seventy... would break the two-hundred-year barrier.
However, it was rare for level seventy powerhouses to actually die of old age.
That record of two hundred and seventy-three years was held by a nuclear-level Heavenly Punishment Knight.
It was the longest recorded lifespan, set by Virginia.
I heard that before she died, she used her holy radiance to ensure her face showed no signs of aging.
Even in death, her body remained youthful.
However, her internal organs had all failed. Even with the nuns desperately casting healing arts, she could not be saved.
Women truly are remarkable; even in death, they do not forget to leave a good impression on the world.
Then there was me.
I wanted to shout—though shattered to pieces, I fear not; I leave my integrity to the world!
Unfortunately, I had no integrity left, only social death.
I could only imagine how I would be 'praised' on the internet for a long time to come.
I could almost see countless netizens laughing themselves into a fit in front of their computers upon hearing the news.
Then that old saying would surely trend again.
'A little indulgence is pleasant, a lot is harmful, but forcing it leads to national social death.'
Perhaps I would even become a cautionary tale, used to warn young people not to be too much of a 'veteran driver' and to practice moderation.
But none of that mattered to me now.
Now, I was the Saintess of the Moon, the Queen of the Kingdom of the Moon!
I had both spiritual and material power in my hands!
Our slogan: Wipe out the demons, no cavities!
The former was for the safety of my chastity.
The latter, naturally, was to ensure a better life ahead.
As the saying goes: Good teeth mean a good appetite, and everything tastes better.
As I lost myself in thought, Lola continued her report on the specifics.
"The West Gate has been fully repaired. The walls are open, and normal traffic has resumed."
The damage to the West Gate had occurred during the first demon night raid. Because of the sheer number of troops and the aerial attacks, parts of the wall and the civilian houses near the gate had been destroyed.
"Construction of the Knight's Family Village in the west has begun. Some villagers have already moved in, and each household has been allocated land seized from the Garnet family."
Building this village served two purposes. First, it kept the knights close to their families so they could focus on their duties.
On the other hand, it prevented the knights from worrying about their wives getting into trouble while they were away on campaigns.
It gave them peace of mind while they were out at war.
At the very least, they did not have to worry about a metaphorical green hat appearing on their heads while they were away.
It effectively cut off any path for a meddling neighbor to cause trouble.
"The construction of Dragon City has entered the formal paving stage. It is expected to be operational within a month."
That was quite fast, but it made sense. Other cities were built by humans.
This city, however, was being built by dragons and humans together.
The dragons were responsible for hauling massive stone slabs, while the humans only had to fill the gaps with slime adhesive.
Having powerful subordinates really made things easier, even if they were dragons.
"The Knight City to the southeast is still under construction. It is expected to take at least six months before it can be used."
Compared to a village, a castle with its own defensive capabilities was naturally harder to build.
The reason it could be finished in six months was partly thanks to the refugees, who were currently willing to endure hardships and work tirelessly.
On the other hand, credit went to Camilla's slime adhesive.
That substance increased the speed of construction several times over.
"I see. Has the site for the airship airport in the West Gate been decided?"
"Replying to Your Highness, an area has been cleared, however..."
"However what?"
I glanced at Lola. She hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly.
"Your Highness, I believe taking off and landing airships within the city carries a certain level of risk."
She was right. Operating airships inside the city was dangerous for the general public.
"How do you suggest we solve it?"
"Your Highness, there is a village to the south. Do you remember the one we visited last time?"
Last time?
Oh, right. That was when we moved in secret, sneaking out of Brilliant City to ambush the demon army from behind.
"You mean... building it in that village?"
"Yes. Rather than building inside the city, it would be better to build an independent airship airport outside. This would avoid accidents and provide enough space for future expansion."
That made sense. It seemed my thinking was still not comprehensive enough.
"Very well, let it be so. However, you must oversee this personally. I do not want to hear about people being forcibly evicted and bringing their complaints to me."
"Please rest assured, Your Highness. I have it under control."
Lola adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses, her response brimming with confidence.
"Good. I leave that to you. Also, inform Sir Kevin of the Demon Marshal encountered by Yanagi Musashi. Order him to reach the Stargaze City border as soon as possible to defend against the demons."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"And notify the Holy See of this matter. Let them consider the rest."
"As you command."
I waved my hand, and Lola withdrew.
In an instant, I was alone in the great hall once more.
Sitting on the sacred bed, my thoughts drifted to the front lines.
The demons' initial plan was to kidnap me. After failing, they suddenly attacked the Great Wall but retreated immediately when they failed to break through, vanishing without a trace.
Although the front-line reports claimed they wanted to assassinate human experts, it was obviously a simple lie.
So, what were the demons truly thinking?
"Bring me the map."
"Yes."
Nara responded and quickly withdrew. A moment later, a large map was rolled out below the divine platform.
I stood before the map, my finger tracing the line of the Great Wall.
This was the coastline. From here, there was a path unknown to most races, and on the other side of that path lay the demons.
If the demons sailed downstream, wiped out the Kingdom of the Sun's naval forces, disrupted communications between the Kingdom of the Sun and the continent, and then launched an invasion...
Then the Kingdom of the Sun was likely in grave danger right now.
Seaview City was located in the southeastern corner of the Kingdom of the Moon, toward the south, right on the coast.
It was a major transportation hub. Once the demons controlled it, they could use it as a springboard, capable of both offense and defense.
If they could also take the inland portions of the Kingdom of the Sun that bordered Seaview City...
And use the Kingdom of the Sun's resources to sustain Seaview City...
The situation seemed to be getting worse.
I felt that the demons were no longer the foolish, mindless creatures described in books.
Modern demons had tactics, schemes, and strategy.
They had deliberately avoided the hardest nut to crack, choosing instead to attack the Kingdom of the Sun, which was already short on troops.
At this stage, the best move was to immediately reinforce the Kingdom of the Sun. Regardless of whether an invasion was possible, the threat had to be nipped in the bud.
But what if the enemy was merely 'sieging a point to strike the reinforcements'?
If that were the case, the reinforcements would be walking into a trap.
Right now, the enemy was in the shadows while I was in the light, leaving me hampered at every turn.
It seemed I had to find a way to change the tide of this war.
But...
It was going to be difficult.
Rate on N.U.
