A ray of light rose from the horizon as the morning sun revealed half its form, its golden brilliance illuminating Brilliant City in an instant.
"Let us not go today. We shall go tomorrow instead."
Hilda's remark came out of nowhere, and it took Yuna a moment to react before she looked out at the battlefield strewn with corpses.
"You are right. I am afraid we cannot go today; we will likely be busy until midnight."
Beyond clearing the battlefield, they also needed to dispose of the corpses. Even in death, demonized creatures possessed a certain level of contagiousness.
They were like a plague, eroding every living thing on the continent.
"The traitor has been caught. He is currently being held in the dungeon, restricted by sacred shackles."
"Who is it?"
"Cyrus... from a branch of the Cavendish family."
Hilda fell silent for a moment, then turned to look at Yuna.
"Report this news to the Saintess. The entire Cavendish family is to be placed under house arrest while they await Her Highness's decision."
Yuna blinked at Hilda, raised an eyebrow, and spoke with a relaxed, playful smile.
"You are late with that order~ I have already finished doing all that~"
Hilda was startled, and seeing the mischievous look on Yuna's face, she could only shake her head with a wry smile.
"This is still a battlefield. Do not joke with me; you know how I am."
"Alright, alright. I simply wanted to give our Lady Serious a more relaxed and pleasant mood. I will stop joking."
The smile on Yuna's face vanished instantly, her brow furrowing slightly as she looked directly at Hilda.
"Hilda, what exactly happened to the Saintess? How could she change so drastically in a single night?"
Hilda opened her mouth, but remembering the Saintess's instructions in the carriage, she swallowed her words.
"You will find out, but not now."
"So you do know~ then I can rest easy~"
Yuna's furrowed brow smoothed out, and her habitual smile returned to the corners of her mouth. Two shallow dimples appeared, showing how relaxed and happy she felt at that moment.
"You can rest easy even without knowing anything?"
Hilda glanced at Yuna, feeling a sense of exasperated affection, like a mother wishing her child would grow up.
Although Knight Yuna's strength and level were higher than hers, Yuna always gave off the impression of a naughty young girl, which often made Hilda feel uneasy.
"I believe in you. I do not know what happened around the Saintess, but I trust you. Since you trust the Saintess, I naturally trust Her Highness as well~"
With that, Yuna turned to look at the soldiers trickling out from the city gates in the distance.
"Alright, there is still work to be done."
Yuna pulled on the reins, riding her horse toward the military formation.
The soldiers in these units were generally below level ten. Compared to the cannon fodder of the demon army, they could put up a fight, but facing a demonized orc or a fiend alone would only result in death.
"Soldiers, I command you now in my capacity as a Guardian Knight! Form squads of fifty and conduct a horizontal sweep of the battlefield. Kill every demon that is not yet fully dead!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Yuna gave Hilda a playful wink, turned her horse, and led the troops to begin the cleanup.
Hilda smiled helplessly. Though this young girl still had the temperament of a child, she was reliable in critical moments.
"Hmm... it seems I cannot rest either. I should head to the front line to prevent any large-scale gathering of demons from forming a fighting force."
Thinking this, Hilda pulled her reins to turn her white horse. Just as she was about to gallop forward, a small squad suddenly returned from ahead.
A troop of at least fifty knights escorted a black horse galloping from the distance.
"Move aside! Out of the way!"
They arrived before her in a flash. Looking at the knight sitting upon the black horse, Hilda was stunned.
"Cain!?"
Cain was currently in a wretched state.
A large section of the silver armor on his chest was dented inward, and the armor on his right shoulder was torn away, revealing the gambeson and flesh beneath. A massive gash had been torn across his abdomen, even exposing parts of his internal organs.
Cain held his abdominal cavity with one hand, swaying precariously on the black horse, his entire being in a semi-conscious state.
"What happened!?"
Hilda hurried forward. One of the knights holding the reins of the black horse saw Hilda, and his face filled with anxiety.
"Lady Hilda, the front line encountered the Demon Commander Barn. Lord Cain fought a bitter battle. Though he wounded Barn, he was severely injured himself. Please head to the front to provide support immediately!"
"I understand. Take Cain to see the Saintess at once. Leave the rest to me!"
Hilda nodded, asked for the direction, and galloped away.
Gerald watched Hilda leave, feeling somewhat relieved.
That Barn had already lost an arm to Cain's desperate strike. Although Cain was heavily wounded because of it, Barn's combat strength had dropped by at least forty percent.
A Guardian Knight in perfect condition could certainly handle him.
If he hadn't been worried that Cain would die right there, Gerald would have gone to kill Barn himself!
At this moment, even without the title of 'Guardian Knight', Gerald's level had long since surpassed fifty, reaching level fifty-two. Normally, he could have applied to become a Guardian Knight.
However, he had not done so, because if he did, he would no longer be able to follow the lord behind him!
The Guardian Knight buff increased overall strength by more than double; it was not merely a title, but a form of divine protection granted by God.
Even the Brave Knight title he currently held was enough to double his overall strength.
This was one of the advantages humans had over the demon race.
Level, class, and title.
These were the three most important elements for all experts in this world.
Equipment, battle pets, and skills were all secondary supports meant to maximize the potential of the first three.
Without the first three, the latter three were almost useless.
But without the latter three, the potential of the first three could not be fully realized.
Levels could grow gradually through cultivation, and classes could be chosen freely without restriction.
It was even possible for a person to choose ten classes to cultivate simultaneously.
It was just that... no one could actually achieve such a feat.
And titles were the rarest things on the entire continent.
The cavalry unit entered the city, passing under the eager and hopeful gazes of the citizens, all the way to the front of the Temple.
At that moment, a worn-out carriage was parked at the entrance, preparing to leave.
Meanwhile, the Saintess was stepping onto the thick carpet with bare feet, walking toward the Temple.
"Your Highness! Saintess! Please, I beg you to save Knight Cain!!"
Luo Li, having finally relaxed, was preparing to enjoy a hot bath and a wonderful, peaceful sleep. But before she could even step into the Temple, a shouting voice suddenly came from behind her.
"Cain!? How did he get so badly hurt!!"
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