The Unexpected Guest

"Your Highness, do you truly intend to go?"

Early the next morning, Ligeia and Camilla appeared before me.

Including Lola, there were five of them in total.

Camilla looked completely reluctant, yet she possessed a certain stubbornness, clearly intending to stop me.

The expressions on the others' faces were similar, mostly showing varying degrees of indignation.

"Yes."

"Your Highness, you cannot!!"

It seemed these five had coordinated this beforehand.

I looked back at Hilda. She was guarding the main hall but hadn't sent me any word in advance, obviously planning to join in as well.

What was this?

A palace coup?

"If you have something to say, stand up and say it. Kneeling is always uncomfortable, is it not?"

I gestured for the five people kneeling before me to rise.

However, none of them reacted.

Seeing this, my expression soured.

Were these five truly trying to force my hand?

"What is the meaning of this?"

Lola looked up, her gaze meeting mine directly.

"Your Highness, I understand your feelings, but leading the army to the demon island personally is far too dangerous. Do you truly intend to abandon the Kingdom of the Moon?"

I glanced at the others.

"Is this how all of you feel?"

Camilla looked up with a grave expression.

"Yes!"

Ligeia looked at me with the same determined gaze.

As for Audis, a hint of panic was visible on his aged face.

"Your Highness, if you leave like this, the newly stabilized Kingdom of the Moon will immediately fall into chaos!"

Augus also had a grim expression.

"Your Highness, the Kingdom of the Moon has not yet returned to its proper track. Once we lose you, our pillar, everything will come to a standstill. We might even face a fierce backlash from the nobles. If you... if you insist on leading the expedition, then please, kill me first."

I turned my gaze toward Hilda.

"Are you with them too?"

A flash of conflict crossed Hilda's face as she looked at the five people kneeling on the ground.

Suddenly, she stepped forward, stood below the divine platform, and dropped to one knee.

"Yes."

"Heh... hehehe..."

Seeing this, I couldn't help but laugh. I walked over to the sacred bed and looked down at the six people kneeling there.

"What... what is this? A palace coup?"

I turned to Lola.

"Lola, stand up and tell me... are you staging a coup?"

"Your servant would not dare!!"

Lola looked up, her eyes holding a trace of helplessness.

"Then what does this mean? Do you want me to yield to you?"

"No! I only hope that Your Highness will consider the bigger picture and not risk yourself!"

"Lola... you do realize you've crossed the line."

"I know."

Her voice was firm, refusing to back down even an inch.

I had expected people to try and stop me, but I hadn't expected Lola to unite the others to do it together.

The reason she didn't stop me last night was likely because she felt her own strength wasn't enough.

So she had humored me then, only to suddenly appear before me now.

"Your Highness, may I say a word?"

Suddenly, Ligeia looked up at me.

"Speak!!"

I was starting to get angry. Although they were doing this for my own good, I wanted to stay alive even more than they wanted me to.

I wasn't even sure if my thoughts as a Saintess were prevailing or if my desire to survive was taking the lead.

Perhaps... the Imperial Expedition was the conclusion reached after those two thoughts collided.

At this moment, I had no better option.

If I didn't lead the expedition personally, the knights from the various nations could never be unified.

Unless a Heavenly Punishment Knight led them, but the only Heavenly Punishment Knight... Kevin, had already led his troops to Seaview City.

Consequently, the only one with the supreme authority to unify the cavalry of the other nations was me.

They were essentially a heap of loose sand. If I wasn't at the front lines, they would inevitably drift apart during a massive operation like landing on the demon island, resulting in a total defeat.

The military power of a single nation wasn't enough; the forces of at least three nations had to be combined.

At most, they could be split into two groups, and even then, they couldn't be too far apart.

Thus, there was no one else but me who could lead the army.

This was the greatest dilemma I faced.

Camilla and Ligeia were high-tech talents.

Augus, Audis, and Lola were talents for internal administration.

Lancelot might be a military talent, but he couldn't be given heavy responsibilities right now.

Grannia was powerful, but he wasn't a military leader.

If forced onto the battlefield, he would be a powerhouse at best.

So, in truth, I had no one I could truly rely on for this besides Kevin.

Although Hilda was a Guardian Knight, she had no way to unify the knights of other nations.

I didn't want to go to demon territory myself either. Any fool could see how dangerous that was.

But if I didn't go, who would?

There was no second option.

"Your Highness, although Bishop Lola's actions are a bit excessive, she is indeed thinking of you and the bigger picture."

"The bigger picture? If she were truly thinking of the bigger picture, she shouldn't be stopping me now. She should be coordinating everything for me as quickly as possible!"

I pointed at Lola in indignation, but seeing the stubbornness and sense of grievance on her face, I found myself unable to do anything to her.

The more I thought about it, the angrier I became.

So frustrated that I couldn't even sit down, I abruptly stood up and walked down from the divine platform.

"You must understand that the true bigger picture isn't the Kingdom of the Moon, but the entire continent! That is the fundamental prerequisite for everything. If I am gone, there will be another Saintess of the Moon, but if the continent is lost, what do we have left to develop!?"

Lola pursed her lips in grievance, but she refused to yield a single step, just staring at me.

"Lola, I know you're worried about me, but do you have a better choice right now?"

Lola kept her mouth shut and didn't speak, but her gaze didn't waver.

"You... you're really going to be the death of me!"

I was so angry I felt like my chest was going to explode.

I stared intensely at Lola.

"Lola, tell me, besides me, who else can integrate the allied knight orders of several nations?!"

Lola pursed her lips and shifted her gaze slightly, avoiding a direct answer.

"Lola! Look into my eyes and tell me, besides me, who else can ensure their will to fight doesn't falter?"

"Tell me, who else can make a group of knights willingly stand on demon territory, leaving their wives and children behind to wage a war with only a slim chance of survival!?"

I looked up at the others.

"Tell me!!"

The hall fell into a dead silence. No one spoke, and no one wanted to speak.

Because they didn't have an answer.

Or rather... they knew the answer but didn't want to admit it.

"Besides me... besides me standing there to keep them from retreating, who else can do it!?"

Humans are selfish, and the other Seven Saintesses' nations hadn't faced the demons in direct warfare for a thousand years.

The vast majority of people had never even seen a demon, only hearing about them from others.

I had even seen a joke recorded in a book.

A... devout believer of the Temple actually made the ridiculous claim that God can influence and change everything.

This was a person truly recorded in history.

And he paid the price for his reckless behavior.

As he wished, he influenced the stomach of a demon soldier.

The world is never short of idiots. After a long period of peace, they start to think they are invincible.

They can never experience just how cruel a true battlefield is!

It's like the saying goes—have you ever killed anyone? Have you ever seen a dead person?

No.

Those people never had.

Within a massive buffer zone like the Kingdom of the Moon, all conflicts were suppressed in this region.

From the Great Wall to the Four-Ring Mountains, from Brilliant City to the border of the Holy See.

This entire region was a buffer zone for all races on the continent.

And it was precisely because of this buffer zone that bleeding-heart idiots who could say things like God can influence everything were raised.

The Kingdom of the Moon and the Kingdom of the Sun both had chances to see demons with their own eyes, and the Beastmen Kingdom in the north-central part of the continent also had chances to encounter them.

Aside from them, other nations didn't even have a chance to glimpse a demon.

Therefore, what these people valued wasn't victory over the demons, but their own families and happiness.

Because they had seen too little, their vision was short-sighted, only able to care about what was right in front of them.

And it was exactly this selfishness that would likely lead to a total collapse of the army once they appeared on a difficult battlefield.

At least in my understanding, except for the knight orders of the Kingdom of the Highlands and the Snow Country, the armies of the other nations were almost pathetic.

In such a situation, a central pillar would change the course of a war.

For the knights, I could be their pillar and their overseer.

As long as I stood on the battlefield, they would fight to the death to keep their knightly titles, if only for the sake of their families' happiness.

One must know that deserters were the most despised in this era. Once the news leaked, their titles would surely be stripped.

They might even be demoted directly from nobles to slaves.

I believed that as long as I remained on the battlefield, the army would not collapse as long as even thirty percent of their combat power remained.

But if I wasn't there... then the situation would be hard to say.

"No one is speaking, are they? You all know that besides me, no one else can command the armies of the six nations, right?"

The group lowered their heads one after another. Whenever my gaze swept past them, they would subconsciously look away.

"Since you know... why are you still stopping me? Do you not understand the consequences once the demons invade the continent?"

"Augus, you tell me. Once the demons wipe out the Kingdom of the Sun and invade the Kingdom of the Moon, will your ambitions... still be achievable?"

"Audis, you tell me. In such a situation, what can the nobles do?"

"Ligeia, tell me. If the demons occupy the continent, what will be left for you to research? Being researched by the demons?"

"Camilla, tell me. If the demons occupy the continent, can people still live freely?"

"Hilda, tell me. When the demons stand on the soil of the Kingdom of the Moon, you might be able to protect me for a moment, but can you protect me for a lifetime!?"

"Lola... you tell me!!"

I scanned the group, finally letting my gaze rest on Lola.

"Tell me! If the demons successfully wipe out the Kingdom of the Sun, will there be any way for my ambitions and your ambitions to continue? Creating a comfortable environment for orphans, letting the people live in prosperity, letting the slaves stand up... but once the demons invade, all these people will be dead."

Lola stared at me blankly, likely imagining that scene because of my words.

"They will all be dead. For whom would we be working so hard?"

The corners of her mouth trembled slightly as she pursed her lips, unable to utter a single word.

"Everyone, leave..."

Looking at Lola's appearance, I knew she didn't want to admit defeat, but the reality was right there.

The group looked at each other and finally withdrew.

"Lola, stay. Walk with me."

The others left, leaving only Lola, me, and Nara, who had remained silent the whole time, in the hall.

"Stand up. Don't keep kneeling; the floor is cold."

Looking at Lola's stubborn expression, I felt a bit of heartache instead. I reached out to help her up.

This time, she didn't refuse. Perhaps she understood my thoughts, or perhaps she had been convinced by me.

I reached out and gently brushed the dust off her scarlet hakama.

I whispered an instruction:

"In the future, don't do this again, alright?"

Lola lowered her head without speaking. Looking into her eyes, I knew she felt aggrieved.

But now that things had come to this, what else could be said?

"After I leave, Lola, implement the other policies as quickly as possible. I hope that by the time I return, Knight City and Dragon City will be mostly built. Also, hurry with the city for the knights' families. Make sure those families are completely isolated as much as possible. You know... this is necessary to unify all the knights."

"Mhm..."

Lola nodded gently, finally speaking.

Looking at her expression, she looked so aggrieved she seemed ready to cry. I knew she was doing this for my sake, but the current situation allowed me no room for retreat.

The changes in the demon race were too sudden.

If I had known more about this game before I transmigrated, perhaps I could have changed this world even more.

But back then, I was too focused on my kinks and base impulses. Who could have thought things would turn out like this?

"When I leave, I'll leave Hilda behind. With her by your side, she can at least protect you from danger. There's also Grannia."

"Your Highness... you should take Grannia with you. His strength..."

"No, I'll feel more at ease with him by your side. After all, I'll be leading an army and will have them to protect me. Even in a critical moment, I still have Lancelot, don't I?"

Hearing this, Lola lowered her head and gave a slight nod.

"Yes, that's better. Be good. I will definitely return. You must wait for me, alright?"

"Mhm~"

Her voice was already a bit choked. I smiled and gently wiped away the tear tracks from the corners of her eyes.

"Alright now, it's not like this is a final farewell. You must believe in your Highness. I will surely return alive."

"Yes! Your Highness... you will surely return alive."

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became a bit intimate.

But just then... a woman's crisp voice suddenly came from outside the door.

"Is Her Highness Luo Li here?"

As she spoke, a slender and elegant figure walked in from the door and scanned the hall.

The moment her gaze locked onto me, her eyes brightened!

She snapped her feet together, a hint of joy on her face that immediately turned into solemnity!

"Lina Saint Michael, the Saintess of War, reporting for duty!"

Immediately after, she swung her greatsword. With a clang, the tip of the sword pierced into the marble floor.

She stared at me with burning eyes.

"Your Highness Luo Li, quickly tell me where the enemies are! My greatsword is thirsting for battle!"

My floor! That costs one gold coin per tile!!

Dammit!