If she hadn't seen his shoulders trembling, she might have truly believed this boy feared nothing.
As expected, as long as one still possessed the will to live, they would cherish their life immensely after facing death once.
It appeared that demon society was one where women held the superior position. Purebred demonesses enjoyed high status and could possess more than one male consort or husband.
Whether it was strictly a matriarchal society or an ant-colony hierarchy remained to be seen.
However, it was easy to see why the demons were this way.
In essence, the demons were similar to savages who lacked moral concepts or social structures.
Male demons might mate indiscriminately, never knowing if the offspring born was their own or their brother's.
But females were different; at the very least, a child born from their own womb was undeniably their direct descendant.
Regarding other races, they cast a wide net to mass-produce low-grade demons to serve as fodder.
Meanwhile, the upper echelon was managed by purebred demons.
Purebred demons exploited the hybrids, and this exploitation was something the latter could not resist.
This was because the genetic gap between the two was simply too vast.
From this perspective, the demon race was indeed a garbage race.
As the saying goes, one can judge the whole from a single part.
Despite only interacting with one demon general, Luo Li could essentially deduce the rest.
While things might not be exactly the same, they certainly wouldn't be far off.
If such a race were to occupy the entire continent, then every living creature upon it would inevitably be dragged down with them.
They would all become lower-class races.
She might be able to spare herself, but in such a situation, society would completely stagnate before rapidly regressing to the Stone Age.
At first, Luo Li had harbored a small hope.
She wondered if she could live a long life in demon society while in her witch form.
Even if the continent couldn't be held, she might still thrive among the demons.
At worst, she could at least have a meal and live a normal life.
But looking at it now... that possibility was nearly zero.
The social system of the demons belonged to savages and was devoid of order.
Such a system would only destroy all civilization.
This was a predatory civilization!
It was like a certain superpower from her previous life that was built on plunder, seizing the land, resources, and labor of others for its own gain.
"This race should not exist in this world."
Although the various races on the continent currently fought amongst themselves and had minor frictions, they had never gone as far as enslaving an entire race or attempting genocide.
As for the specific reason why the Dragon King said the titans were wiped out, there must have been a concrete cause.
That had nothing to do with her for now.
"They... they seem to respect you? Is your status very high among the demons?"
Mochizuki Shingen's question snapped Luo Li out of her thoughts.
Looking down at the little guy, Luo Li gave a faint smile.
"Perhaps."
The girl flipped over and jumped down from the ox-horse beast. She reached out, grabbed the boy by the collar, and lifted him onto the creature.
She tossed him into the carriage house, then turned and sat at the front, gently holding the reins in her palms.
She was careful not to let her sharp fingertips accidentally slice through the ropes.
"Let's go."
After stumbling a couple of steps and falling into the carriage, Mochizuki Shingen looked up at Luo Li's back with confusion.
"Where are we going?"
"I'm sending you home."
And sending herself home as well.
"Home..."
Mochizuki Shingen lowered his head and murmured a sentence that brought a sharp pang of sorrow.
"I don't have a home anymore. My home was destroyed by all of you."
"...It's alright. Once you reach the Kingdom of the Moon, you will naturally have a home."
Luo Li smiled. In her territory, no one should be allowed to starve, and no child should be abandoned.
Perhaps this was what she should focus on next.
Currently, the situation in the Kingdom of the Sun was a disaster, and the Kingdom of the Moon would surely fall into chaos without her.
She had to return as quickly as possible to stabilize the situation and legally incorporate the territory of the Kingdom of the Sun into her own hands.
Previously, she had harbored some optimism.
She thought that as long as she stabilized the Kingdom of the Moon, acted as a good monarch, developed the people's livelihood, and organized the military, she could rest easy.
But now it seemed the foundation of the demon race went far beyond just this demon island.
Therefore, what she could do was empower the human race as quickly as possible so they could resist the demon invasion.
They might even need to launch a massive offensive.
The only way was to rapidly develop machine tools and firearms, ensuring that even ordinary people could hold their own when facing low-level demons.
High-level combatants obviously couldn't be dealt with using ordinary firearms.
But powerful entities would naturally be handled by high-level humans.
The problem now was how to deal with the low-level demons.
Only by allowing ordinary people to face demons below level ten without fear could they truly defend against a demon assault.
However, this was not something that could be accomplished overnight.
She wondered how the tests for the steam engine were going.
If it could already withstand long-term testing, could they begin developing machine tools?
There had to be a systematic research facility for this.
Once she returned, she needed to properly organize that department.
As she sat on the ox-horse beast, Luo Li began to form a rough concept of how to proceed.
Although she only knew the specific working principles of a lathe, as long as she had a steam engine, the rest could be left to the professionals.
There was no need for her to interfere personally in those details.
While it wasn't realistic to manufacture gunpowder on a large scale in this world, there were many alternatives.
For instance, mana stones.
Any type of mana stone could be used for explosive propulsion through the control of elemental mana.
By using these as a substitute for gunpowder, firearms would only need to be loaded with metal bullets.
This way, anyone with even a slight grasp of elemental magic could use a firearm.
They could even create bullets with immense destructive power.
For example... by stuffing unstable mana stones into the bullets.
The moment the bullet hit the target, the mana stone would explode, which would not only damage the enemy's body but also cause mages to completely lose their control over the elements.
The future looked promising!
Just thinking about it made her heart race with excitement.
Luo Li quickly took a deep breath to calm her emotions.
No matter what kind of excitement she felt now, it ultimately led to only two outcomes.
One was a desire for possession.
The other was a desire to destroy everything.
This was precisely why the demon race could not develop technology normally.
These impulses should have been used for productive work, but demons were born to direct such urges toward paths they shouldn't take.
Although their pace wasn't fast, traveling this way saved a lot of physical strength.
At the same time, Mochizuki Shingen wouldn't suffer any further issues.
That was enough.
She just didn't know if she could make it back to the Great Wall within three months.
Dreaming of the future while driving the ox-horse beast, Luo Li moved along the coastline with a complex heart... heading all the way west.
...
The storm had already reached the edge of the continent.
At this time, Brilliant City could already see the faint omens of the approaching tempest.
Inside the Temple, everyone wore a gloomy expression.
The relaxed atmosphere of the past had vanished completely since that news arrived.
Although the news of the Saintess of the Moon's disappearance was still unknown to the outside world, everyone within the Temple knew.
Nara looked at the empty hall, then glanced at Lola, whose eyes were dark and whose cheeks had sunken in, and let out a sigh.
"Lola... you should rest."
As someone who had risen to her position alongside Lola, Nara cared deeply for her.
After all, this was her closest colleague and the person the Saintess relied on most.
Lola had not slept for two days and nights, continuously processing documents.
She hadn't allowed herself a single moment of rest.
Lola was so focused that she didn't seem to hear Nara's voice, murmuring softly to herself.
"The construction of the Refugee City is halfway done, and the funds are sufficient, but there's another shortage of grain. It seems necessary to purchase more from Twin River City to support these refugees. Her Highness wouldn't want to see them suffer."
"Problems have arisen with the reconstruction of the northeast region. Many citizens are unwilling to return. Reports from the Great Wall say much of the land has been abandoned and is overgrown with weeds. If Her Highness returns, she will certainly be troubled. This must be resolved quickly."
"The situation in Seaview City must be a total mess by now. Can we relocate some of the refugees there? Seaview City is currently isolated and needs management... who should be sent?"
"Refugees from the Kingdom of the Sun have begun moving into Double-Wing City, but one city cannot absorb so many people. How can we ensure they are safely migrated inland?"
A series of problems crashed into Lola's mind like a heavy mountain.
For a moment, her once-clear mind became hazy.
She felt dizzy, and everything before her eyes began to blur.
This is bad... is it because I haven't eaten for two days?
Why does it feel like the strength is slowly leaving my body?
"Lola? Lola!!"
Urgent cries reached her ears; Lola knew it was Nara's voice.
She wanted to respond, but her body would no longer allow her to push herself.
With a sudden bout of vertigo, she could only helplessly put down her pen before the world turned black.
In that final moment, a familiar figure flickered before her eyes.
'Your Highness... if you are still alive, please, come back.'
Thud!
...
Less than five days after the news of the Saintess of the Moon's serious injuries and recovery was released, the people of Brilliant City received more bad news.
The newly appointed Cardinal Lola had collapsed from overwork.
A shadow of gloom fell over the faces of the knights still stationed in the city.
The once bustling Brilliant City had grown increasingly silent during this period.
Even in the lively markets, few people shouted or cheered anymore.
Many shops had even closed their doors.
Even the ordinary residents walking the streets looked pale.
"Have you heard? The Cardinal collapsed."
"Sigh... it's truly adding insult to injury. Her Highness is gravely wounded, and now the Cardinal is sick too."
"What are the soldiers at the front doing? Why was Her Highness so badly injured? Even if she's hurt, why hasn't she returned yet?"
"Who knows! The Pope has already issued a Papal Decree, and the noble lords are all in a panic."
"Tell me about it. Sigh... we can only pray for Her Highness to return soon. Otherwise, I really don't feel at ease."
Listening to the conversations around him, Augus slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he stood on the balcony.
This courtyard had been arranged for him by Lola. It was very close to the East Main Street market and had an excellent location.
In the past, a house like this wouldn't necessarily be obtainable even for tens of thousands of gold coins.
Now, as part of the seized assets of the Garnet family, it had been allocated to him.
"Lola is sick too. Augus, do you have any ideas at all?"
Yuna looked at Augus with a grim expression.
Yuna had come today to discuss what to do with the people in the Refugee City.
With the storm approaching, every time the tide day of the Demon Island Strait passed, a massive storm would follow.
Furthermore, based on the date, the dragon calamity was likely drawing nearer as well.
Now that the Saintess was not in Brilliant City, never mind the one or two million refugees outside, even the dragon calamity would be a death blow to the current Kingdom of the Moon.
"I will go see Cardinal Lola shortly. After our discussion, I will arrange for the refugees as quickly as possible."
Augus turned back and looked at Yuna.
Yuna was not wearing her armor today, but was dressed in everyday clothes instead.
She seemed much lighter and more graceful.
However, her expression remained very heavy.
"Panic is already spreading through the refugee camps. If we can't handle this storm properly, it could easily trigger civil unrest! You know that Her Highness isn't here, and if something really happens..."
"I know. Don't worry, I won't let that happen."
A sharp light flashed in Augus's eyes.
That piercing gaze made even Yuna, a Guardian Knight, feel a shiver of trepidation.
"Then... I'll leave it to you. Don't forget, I only have a thousand knights under my command right now."
"I understand. You just go back and make the arrangements. I'm going to see Cardinal Lola now."
"Mm..."
Yuna nodded. Facing this man named Augus, whom she had only known for a short dozen days, she felt an inexplicable sense of trust.
Whether it was his ability, his character, or any other aspect, this Augus inspired deep confidence in her.
At the same time, she was somewhat curious.
Di Clapham.
She had heard many rumors about this family from her grandfather, Audis.
It was a tragic family. Due to an incident involving their ancestors, the family's talents had withered away.
It was almost impossible to find anyone of note among them now.
And yet... the man before her, with his slender frame, had actually earned the Saintess's appreciation.
He must have something extraordinary about him.
This was what Yuna was most curious about.
However, although they were acquainted, their interactions were purely professional.
They had almost no personal communication.
Furthermore, the current state of the Kingdom of the Moon left her no time to worry about such things.
Watching Yuna leave in a hurry, Augus's brow furrowed.
"Someone, prepare the carriage. I am going to the Temple."
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