Removing the Curse

"Speaking of which, when are we heading out?"

Lina poured herself another cup, taking a sip before looking a bit impatient to set off for battle.

I had already gotten a feel for her personality; she was blunt and outspoken, possessing a sort of childlike innocence.

However, she was completely different on the battlefield, especially when she was analyzing the war situation earlier. In those moments, she gave off the aura of a commander of a hundred battles.

"We still have to wait a bit. By the way, have you seen the reinforcements from the Snow Country?"

"I have. They are decent enough. Though they can't compare to the Black Armored Knights, they can at least rival my second-tier troops."

"Oh? You have your army divided into tiers?"

Lina tilted her head back, her face full of pride.

"Of course! They are all warriors, and every warrior has a competitive heart. By dividing them into tiers, doesn't it encourage them to compete?"

I see. That was indeed an excellent way to train an army.

It just wasn't something I could apply to the Kingdom of the Moon yet.

"How many tiers did you divide the army into? And which tier are your Black Armored Knights?"

I took the opportunity to ask about her training methods. Lina didn't seem to have any intention of hiding anything and spoke freely.

"The army is divided into five levels, from the lowest Fourth Tier to the highest First Tier. My Black Armored Knights are, naturally, the highest... Special Tier!"

"Is there a difference?"

"Of course there is!"

Lina raised her hand and held up four fingers.

"An army has five essential points."

"Which five?"

"Obedience, unwavering will, fearlessness of death, strong individual power, and strict discipline."

My brow furrowed slightly. Although I could understand some of them, my understanding certainly wasn't as thorough as hers. Rather than mulling it over myself later, it was better to get to the bottom of it now.

"I understand obedience. What is unwavering will?"

Obedience was simple. Long-term training in synchronized marching and similar drills could create muscle memory. The moment an order was given, the body would react first.

I knew how to do that, but what about unwavering will?

"Faith, of course!"

"Faith? You mean the Holy Church?"

"Mhm! The latent potential that those with faith can unleash is entirely different from those without it."

Lina spoke to me with a serious expression.

"Faith is a way to stimulate the potential within one's heart. Often, people with faith can exert greater power and possess a more steadfast will. As long as their faith remains, they can display strength far beyond that of ordinary people."

Was that... a form of brainwashing?

Though I understood the concept, it was definitely not easy to achieve.

It required a long period of subtle influence.

"Then... what about fearlessness of death?"

"That's easy. As long as you can promise to take care of their families, most people with faith will not fear death."

Was that an advanced version of unwavering will?

I understood strong individual power. After all, this was an era where the individual could be stronger than the group; without strong individual power, it was impossible to become an elite force.

Lina seemed to see through my thoughts and nodded slightly.

"Mhm, there is no need for me to say more about strong individual power. Finally, there is strict discipline. The most important thing is to have a set of military laws that no one, including the generals, can break. Otherwise, they must be punished."

This was a further step beyond simple obedience.

Five points... or were they actually three?

However, since she categorized them this way, she naturally had her reasons.

Fearlessness of death and unwavering will were not the same, just as obedience and strict discipline were not identical.

They were two completely different matters.

At least, that was how Lina understood it.

We chatted for a while longer until a voice suddenly announced from outside the hall.

"Reporting to Your Highness, the King of the Snow Country has arrived at the North Gate and is preparing to enter the city."

He's here?

"Open the gates and welcome him."

"Yes!"

The reporting knight quickly withdrew, and I turned back to look at Lina.

"Let's go. We should go welcome the King of the Snow Country."

Lina looked at me with a face full of shock.

"Why would he come here? Wasn't it said he was seriously ill?"

"He is seriously ill, which is exactly why he's coming to me."

Lina was startled for a moment and instinctively glanced at me.

"Your Authorities... it couldn't be healing, could it?"

"It is a bit different, but not too far off."

Authorities referred to special class skills and unique powers, but my Healing Art was currently categorized as a common skill.

Yet, such a world-turning common skill was far more practical than those Authorities, even if it wasn't a special class power.

After all, healers were a rare existence in this world.

Counting the entire Kingdom of the Moon, those capable of becoming priests or nuns were a minority among minorities.

Furthermore, powerful individuals rarely appeared among them.

It was precisely because of this that a Saintess with healing abilities was exceptionally conspicuous.

The entire Brilliant City had a standing force of over ten thousand knights and over fifty thousand ordinary soldiers.

Although it was currently a state of war and many things had happened—leaving only about two thousand knights stationed in Brilliant City now—the number of priests and nuns was pitifully small compared to the knights who could form an army.

The priest team totaled only one hundred and thirty-seven people.

And those who could truly be called nuns with healing abilities numbered only about three hundred.

While the other women were 'nuns,' they did not possess the ability to heal; for them, it was merely a job rather than a class.

"Really? Then doesn't that mean we're bound to win this war?"

Lina was very optimistic, but I didn't share her sentiment. No matter how much I prepared for this expedition, I still felt uncertain.

As the saying goes, if you know yourself and know your enemy, you will never be defeated. Currently, I knew neither the enemy nor myself, yet I still had to brave the challenges for the sake of the greater situation.

Was there no uncertainty in her heart either?

Lina and I arrived at the main hall. Before long, the sound of light coughing came from outside the door, followed by a pale, middle-aged man walking in.

One look at this man was enough to tell he was a tough fellow.

Leaving everything else aside, his thick beard instinctively made one feel he was formidable.

Moreover, his body looked very robust, and he was nearly two meters tall.

In the Kingdom of the Moon, where the average height was only about one hundred and sixty centimeters, a height of nearly two meters was extremely rare.

"Broderick, King of the Snow Country, greets the Saintess of the Moon... and the Saintess of War."

When Broderick entered, he was being supported by others and looked very weak. However, upon seeing me, he quickly broke free from their support and greeted me with a solemn expression.

But halfway through his sentence, he suddenly noticed Lina's presence, and a look of surprise flickered across his face.

"Your Highness Lina, why are you here?"

"Isn't Blick here as well? I came for other reasons, of course. It's probably a bit different from your reason."

Lina's answer left Broderick momentarily stunned, and he turned to look at me.

"Has there been some change in the situation?"

"Indeed, King Broderick..."

"No, just call me Blick. Everyone who knows me calls me that. Forget about 'Your Majesty' and all that; I'm not used to it."

"Then... Mr. Blick may just call me Luo Li."

Blick nodded slightly. It was clear he was currently forcing himself to stay upright; his body was evidently at death's door.

"Blick, please follow me to the side hall. I will examine and treat you first."

He nodded slightly.

"Then I shall trouble Your Highness Luo Li."

In the side hall, Lina followed along with a face full of curiosity.

I performed a diagnosis first. After a single cast of Healing Art, I roughly understood Blick's current condition.

It was bad, very bad!

Although he still looked middle-aged on the outside, his internal organs had all deteriorated.

His vitality was even lower than that of a young girl in her twenties.

Every beat of his heart required his full strength just to pump blood out. It was clear that after every beat, his heart would pause momentarily due to exhaustion.

If it weren't for his level and attributes propping up this broken frame, an ordinary person would have likely died long ago.

"How is it? Have you reached a conclusion?"

Seeing that I wasn't speaking, Blick spoke up first.

"Your Highness Luo Li, please be direct. There is no need to hide anything; I am well aware of my own physical condition."

He shook his head with a bitter smile:

"I know the state of my body. I likely can't hold on much longer. If it weren't for her insistence, I truly wouldn't want to keep struggling. If you cannot treat it, I hope you will say so plainly."

"No, Mr. Blick, you misunderstand."

I shook my head.

Although his body was in a terrible state and beyond the reach of medicine, it was a perfect match for me.

My Healing Art could restore life force.

And life force was exactly what he lacked.

"Mr. Blick, I am about to begin your treatment. If you feel uncomfortable at any point, please be sure to say so."

An expression of wild joy appeared on Blick's face as he looked at me in shock.

"Are you saying... I can be saved?"

"Of course. I couldn't very well let you come all this way for nothing, could I?"

Hearing me say this, a desperate longing for life instantly erupted in Blick's eyes.

To be honest, as long as there was even a normal path to survival, no one wanted to die.

The urge to survive was a biological instinct, a memory carved into one's genes.

The purpose of any living creature being born was to stay alive.

Whether it was a king standing high above and looking down on the world, or an ant crawling on the ground.

The goal was actually the same.

I took a deep breath and turned to instruct Nara.

"Go find fifteen priests."

Based on my current understanding, the amount of life force missing from Blick's body was immense. It was definitely not something I, with a level in the teens, could replenish on my own. Therefore, I had to consolidate other sources of power.

Whether it was nuns or priests didn't matter.

In short, any healing energy of the holy element would do.

This energy could be controlled by me and converted into life force.

"Yes."

Nara complied and turned to leave, returning a moment later with over a dozen priests.

Although there was a flicker of doubt in Blick's eyes, he didn't ask questions. After all, he was the one being treated; he only needed to lie quietly on the bed and wait.

I instructed the priests to cast Healing Art on Blick, and the fifteen priests quickly began the treatment.

Finally, I slowly raised my hand, placing my fingers on Blick's wrist, and spoke softly.

"Healing Art."

The next second, a beam of holy light surged through my fingers and into his body.

The sacred power that had been aimless, sluggish, and devoid of spirit instantly erupted with unbelievable vitality the moment it sensed my aura, as if it had just been given a massive boost.

In an instant, it came surging over.

I took control of this sacred power immediately. To put it simply, this was the light element among the six elements.

And my Healing Art seemed to have a miraculous ability to activate and command these light elements.

In a single moment, I completely took charge of all the light elements.

At the same time, the active light elements began to stimulate a powerful life force.

I closed my eyes, feeling the reaction of the light elements within Broderick's body.

Outside, everyone watched this miraculous scene in astonishment.

As the young girl's hand rested lightly on Broderick's wrist, the light from the Healing Art released by the priests gathered in one place in an instant.

With an extraordinary, explosive growth, it covered Broderick's entire body in the blink of an eye.

At this moment, Lina clearly felt the vitality within Broderick's body beginning to flourish once more.

Broderick also widened his eyes in shock, feeling the reaction of his body with disbelief.

His previously painful breathing now became smooth.

His previously labored heartbeat became strong and powerful.

His muscles began to regain their strength. The suddenness of this recovery even gave Broderick an urge to jump up and perform a tap dance right then and there.

However, he restrained himself because the treatment was not yet over.

The light elements continued to circulate throughout his body.

Everywhere they passed, the parts that had completely lost their vitality were saved from danger, becoming even better than their normal state!!

Lina covered her mouth in surprise, her almond eyes wide as she watched everything.

Although a Saintess possessed Authorities, this was the first time she had seen an ability that almost reached the forbidden level.

Anything involving the realm of life was almost entirely classified as forbidden level.

Healing Art itself was not meant to infuse life force into others, but rather to activate life force and provide a certain amount of energy for the recipient to repair themselves.

Potions and herbs created by alchemists and apothecaries used medicine to increase life force.

However, the Broderick before her had only used the Healing Art of a dozen people, which was almost equivalent to conjuring life force out of thin air!

In an instant, Lina understood what kind of power this was.

Once the true nature of this power became known to the outside world, countless people would certainly come to beg Luo Li for help.

No one wanted to die, and the more powerful a person was, the less they wanted to die.

Furthermore, the more powerful a person was, the more painful and prolonged the process of death became.

Therefore, this power to infuse life force out of thin air—which could almost be said to bring the dead back to life and extend one's years—was definitely something countless people dreamed of!

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, the white, sacred light gradually faded, and a new aura began to emanate from Broderick.

He was a completely different person from the sickly man he had been moments before.

"That's about it for now. Mr. Blick, how do you feel? Is there any discomfort?"

Broderick stood up, feeling the abundant vitality in his body, his eyes erupting with waves of gratitude.

"I'm healed! Completely healed!!"

I shook my head.

"It is not enough. The curse on your body has not been removed yet. If you do not feel any discomfort, please lie back down."

After he lay down, I took a deep breath, preparing to remove the curse.