Luo Li sat atop her horse, gazing at the Black Armored Knights who had already formed a neat line behind her.
Even after losing nearly two thousand men, the formation of the Black Armored Knights showed not a hint of disorder.
The military array remained perfectly aligned, and their equipment had been partially replaced.
For instance, if someone's shield was broken, they simply took a replacement from the armor of a fallen comrade.
"Lina, is the armor on the Black Armored Knights universal?"
Luo Li was somewhat curious, and Lina's answer was quite simple.
"Of course. Otherwise, what would they do on the battlefield if a shield or something else broke?"
The shields held by the knights were not large; they were the type that resembled folding fans, constructed from folding shield ribs.
To be honest, it was almost impossible for this kind of shield to defend against blunt weapons like hammers.
However, they were very convenient for defending against swords and blades.
These shield ribs were extremely sturdy yet possessed a certain degree of flexibility.
When blocking an enemy weapon, they did not provide a hard recoil but rather used technique to deflect the strike.
By allowing the opponent's weapon to slide off the shield, they forced the enemy's strike to miss its mark.
As long as the enemy did not have weapons like crossbows, these shields were quite effective in close-quarters combat.
Clashes between cavalry often happened in an instant.
The epic duels of three hundred rounds described by storytellers were nothing more than narrative embellishments.
On a real battlefield, the two sides would cross paths, trade a single blow, and that was usually it.
That single moment often decided victory or defeat.
There were rarely opportunities to turn around and swing again.
Therefore, for powerful individuals, this brief exchange only required a certain amount of skill and flexibility.
There was absolutely no need for those massive shields.
The Black Armored Knights had discarded heavy greatshields in favor of these compact arm shields, emphasizing individual skill and strength.
In the moment of engagement, there was no need for a brutal head-on struggle.
Simply shifting the enemy's weapon by a slight angle was enough to create an opening for a counterattack.
For the experts of this era, such a shield was more than sufficient.
As for those greatshields, they were generally not used by cavalry.
They were too heavy and cumbersome, causing the cavalry to lose their mobility.
However, most knights in the Kingdom of the Moon still used lances and knight shields—those large shields that could protect half the body.
After all, the strength of the knights in the Kingdom of the Moon was inconsistent, and they could not form a unified camp of experts like the Black Armored Knights.
To put it bluntly... they lacked specialized elite units.
It seemed necessary to learn from this; it would be effective for military reforms later on.
After thinking this much, Luo Li looked up toward the distance.
She would leave this place to the black dragon for now. With him here, facing ten thousand enemies shouldn't be a major problem.
Even if he truly couldn't hold them off, once those seven ice dragons arrived, it would be enough to defend these two high grounds.
In the short term, I cannot let the Demon Emperor realize my intentions, or else this plan will be impossible to execute.
Although we have our own air force, if the Demon Emperor starts a war regardless of the cost...
Those five feathered serpents alone would bring immense trouble.
I didn't even know who this horse I was sitting on belonged to; its master had died in battle just now.
It looked quite sorrowful at the moment.
A tear trail slid down its cheek.
Was it grieving for its master?
After a slight hesitation, she reached out and gently stroked its neck.
Although she had only seen it on television, she knew this was a way to soothe a horse.
Just behind the mane, right at the front of the saddle.
This seemed to be the place where horses felt most comfortable.
After stroking it a few times, she took the opportunity to release a skill—healing.
Light elements possessed a characteristic that could soothe the mind; even without being released as a skill, gentle light elements had this effect.
It was like the two or three o'clock afternoon sun combined with a slight breeze, making one feel drowsy.
She was a bit nervous about whether it would work on animals, but at the very least, the healing art wouldn't cause any harm.
As the holy light erupted from the girl's fingertips and flowed slowly into its body, she could clearly feel the horse's emotions... stabilize a little.
The horse's tail, which had been swishing uneasily, stopped, and its body ceased its restless movements.
"Good boy, it's okay now."
Luo Li spoke softly into its ear. The horse seemed to understand her words and gently shook its head.
The tears... had finally stopped.
"I couldn't tell, but you actually have quite the talent for being a knight?"
Lina, seeing this scene, couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. She rode closer and stroked the horse's back.
"No, I'm just applying what I've learned on the fly."
She looked back at the other knights; most of their movements were just like this.
"No, no, no, this isn't something just anyone can do. The horses of the Black Armored Knights are all spirited stallions."
"To soothe such a horse without a certain level of talent would inevitably provoke it on the first try. I never thought..."
At this point, Lina's eyes suddenly lit up, and she abruptly turned her head to look at Luo Li.
"How about... you become a knight with me?"
Uh~
"Forget it."
Luo Li shook her head. Setting aside whether it was too late to learn now, her own class skills didn't match.
Furthermore, what could she do even if she learned?
A knight could at most become a vanguard officer; it was difficult to even become a general.
But the skills she currently possessed were area-of-effect skills.
Such skills were incredibly precious on this continent.
Giving up healer skills for knight skills would be like throwing away the world to pick up a sesame seed.
With such skills, she could even change the course of a battlefield in an instant.
As her level increased, the range of her skills would grow larger and larger.
At only level sixteen, she could already influence allies within a two-kilometer radius centered on herself.
If she reached level thirty, there would be a qualitative change.
This skill might even easily cover an entire city.
And after that?
Level thirty is a major milestone, as are sixty, seventy, and seventy-five.
By then, even if she couldn't cover the entire continent, covering the Kingdom of the Moon should be no problem, right?
Standing in Brilliant City and healing the entire nation.
Who in the world could achieve that?
Releasing a skill once a week for the entire country—how terrifying would that level of faith and majesty be?
At that time, even if she didn't go to the battlefield, as long as she could observe the situation at any time, she could radiate her power across the entire Kingdom of the Moon.
When that time came... who would dare to bully her?
Forget bullying her; just uttering a single insult would probably result in the citizens of the Kingdom of the Moon drowning the offender in spit.
No matter how strong a knight was, they were ultimately just an individual.
They could fight ten thousand soldiers, but what about twenty thousand? Thirty thousand?
And those were just ordinary soldiers; what if there were experts among them?
As the saying goes, a hero can't fight four hands, and a brave tiger is no match for a pack of wolves.
Ultimately... level seventy-five still wouldn't reach the level of a complete qualitative change.
At most, it would be a relative qualitative change.
So, as for wanting her to give up the healer profession... to put it bluntly.
Don't even think about it!
With such a bright future, why would she give it up?
She still wanted to enter her retirement life early.
"Let's head out."
She ignored Lina's suggestion. Lina didn't mind, simply shrugging and calling out behind her.
"Keep up!"
With that, she squeezed her horse's flanks and took the lead, charging forward.
Luo Li was a bit inexperienced, but she had at least ridden before, so she followed closely behind.
Before riding this horse, Luo Li had placed several cushions on the saddle to avoid chafing her thighs.
She had often seen in television dramas people whose buttocks were rubbed raw from riding.
She didn't want to be on the battlefield worrying about her little bottom while also trying to figure out how to deal with the Demon Emperor.
Galloping at full speed, she gave it her all, but unfortunately, she lacked experience.
To the point where... her coordination with the horse was not very good.
When the horse exerted force to leap, she didn't move with it, keeping her waist stiff and straight.
The horse was tired, and she was tired too.
Even though she knew this was the case, she really couldn't grasp the feeling.
"You can't ride like that."
Lina slowed down and looked back at Luo Li's stiff back.
"You have to move with its rhythm. Follow the momentum. When it leaps up, you need to tuck your waist; when it lands, you need to straighten it."
"That's easy to say... but..."
Although she understood in her mind, the Saintess's robe she was wearing was a cinched-waist type, making it uncomfortable to move her waist.
And... she couldn't catch the timing either.
"Hmm... it seems you really are a novice. Here, watch me first."
Saying that, Lina squeezed her horse's flanks, and her body moved like a wave.
Her upper body leaned forward, rising and falling with the horse's leaps.
The movement was so fluid it was as if she were one with the horse.
Luo Li's eyes were glued to Lina's movements.
She memorized the physical actions.
Finally, Lina circled back to Luo Li's side.
"How about you try half-squatting first? Yes, stick your butt out... use your knees to adapt to the rhythm."
"Like... like this?"
With one hand holding the reins and both feet in the stirrups, her buttocks slightly left the saddle.
This movement... was a bit like a horse stance?
"Yes, just like that. Bend your waist more, lean forward..."
"Like this?"
Luo Li leaned forward again, and the two mounds on her chest bounced involuntarily.
She looked down at her chest.
A deep career line caught her eye... wait, screw that!!
What pleasure is there in looking at myself?!
No, no, clear your mind.
It was like doing a horse stance while standing in the stirrups, then arching her back like a bridge.
"Is this right?"
Luo Li glanced at Lina, and seeing her nod, she finally took a deep breath.
"Hyah!"
She squeezed the horse's flanks with her legs, and the black horse beneath her instantly bolted forward!
And in that instant, Luo Li suddenly felt like she was getting the hang of it.
The moment the horse leapt, her knees naturally relaxed, staying close to the horse's body.
When the horse landed, she applied a bit of force with her knees again, returning to the horse stance position.
By rising and falling like this, it was countless times smoother than sitting directly on the horse earlier.
Wow~ so this is what riding a horse is like.
Wait, this posture seems to evoke a vague, blurry idea in my memory.
Mounted position?
(゜ロ゜)
Was this movement actually that vivid?
Lina caught up at some point, galloping beside me.
"See, isn't that much smoother?"
"Uh~ yeah."
Looking at the serious expression on Lina's face, I suddenly felt my face grow hot.
It's just riding a horse...
"We don't have much time, let's pick up the pace. Hyah!!"
Luo Li squeezed the horse's flanks, and the black horse immediately accelerated further.
"Don't always sprint like that. You might not be tired, but it won't be able to take it. You still need to control your speed appropriately."
Uh~ okay.
She lowered her speed and proceeded with the main force once more.
I have to say, the horses of the Black Armored Knights are truly excellent.
After running for half the day, even though they were panting and drenched in sweat, they remained vigorous and powerful.
The strength of every stride never faltered.
Hmm... very sturdy.
However, the sweat really was a lot.
My legs were already covered in quite a bit of horse sweat.
My own sweat was also constantly dripping down.
After all, it had been half a day, and the physical exertion was significant.
"Lina, roughly how much further?"
I didn't have enough experience with riding, and I had spent the whole way learning and practicing my coordination with the black horse.
Because of that, I hadn't bothered to calculate the distance.
"About an hour and a half left."
Lina replied.
An hour and a half. At the black horse's speed, that should be... a distance of forty or fifty kilometers?
To preserve the horses' stamina, the entire army's marching speed was maintained at just under forty kilometers per hour.
"Lina, send out scouts first."
Even though she was still polishing her skills with the black horse, her brain hadn't turned to mush.
When marching, maintaining vigilance is the first priority!
This was something that could never be neglected.
"Don't worry, I've already sent them out in all directions."
When did she do that?
How come I didn't know?
Luo Li was stunned for a moment but didn't press the issue.
Half an hour later.
A troop of cavalry came galloping toward them.
"Guardian Knight Robert greets Her Highness the Saintess!!"
"Mm, thank you for coming to meet us. Where is Dominica?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, Dominica is waiting at the central command. Please board the carriage first."
As he spoke, the army behind them parted to create a path.
The Saint's Carriage, which I had missed dearly while on the black horse, slowly came into view.
Huu... finally, I don't have to keep riding.
The Black Armored Knights quickly moved into defensive positions, and Lina hurried over to take the reins of the black horse.
"Luo Li, you should get in the carriage first. We'll talk about the rest when we arrive."
Luo Li nodded. The moment she jumped off the black horse, her legs gave way.
If Robert hadn't been prepared nearby, she would have fallen right onto the ground.
"Thank you."
Luo Li thanked Robert and boarded the carriage with his assistance.
"All troops, move out!"
"As you command!"
At Robert's order, the Saint's Carriage slowly turned and headed toward the central command.
The others followed suit.
Lina also brought the Black Armored Knights along, closely following the Saint's Carriage.
Roughly an hour later, they finally arrived at the central command.
She lifted the carriage curtain to observe the situation outside.
Almost all the knights were resting in their armor, not having unequipped a single piece. Every face was filled with exhaustion.
Their expressions were suppressed, and it looked as if the pressure was about to crush them.
When those knights saw my Saint's Carriage, even though many hadn't seen me yet, they cried out in surprise.
"Her Highness the Saintess has returned!"
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