"My lady, she..."
"Don't worry. I think other than not being fully adjusted yet, everything else should be fine."
"Then may I go in?"
As Luo Li stepped out of the room, she was immediately met by Knight Izumi.
In the current Kingdom of the Sun, only two Guardian Knights remained alive.
There were also thirty thousand knights.
However, Izumi was the only one currently in Brilliant City.
The other was stationed in Stargaze City.
That was Yanagi Musashi, leading his thirty thousand knights and tens of thousands of infantry.
This represented the last of the Kingdom of the Sun's military strength.
"You may."
Luo Li said nothing else, merely nodding.
In her heart, however, a faint ripple of concern arose.
She was thinking about what Momoka had just said.
Regarding the healing art.
Of course, she already knew about the danger.
Momoka just didn't realize that.
Indeed, in that moment just now, she had been acting.
Everything had been foreseeable even before she began repairing Momoka's body.
There were only two possible outcomes.
After repairing Momoka's body, she would either be met with gratitude or cold-blooded betrayal.
Because Luo Li's healing art had already touched the forbidden zone of life.
Naturally, Luo Li had bet on the former.
But if it had been the latter, she would have had to use some unpleasant methods to restrain Momoka.
Fortunately, Momoka was indeed as she had expected—not an ungrateful person.
Being able to speak plainly and warn her was enough.
It proved that Momoka was on her side, not the Pope's.
Luo Li looked down at her hands.
She knew exactly what level her healing art had reached.
She also knew that the Pope was aware of it.
However, both sides remained silent.
Luo Li was silent because she was in a passive position.
The Pope's silence, on the other hand, was rather intriguing.
The document tablet, the healing art, and the rumors of being 'blessed by God'...
The Pope surely knew all of it.
Yet he hadn't made it public; he had even intentionally suppressed the information.
Was it deliberate?
The current situation was like having her weakness gripped in someone else's hand.
This time bomb would surely be used by the Pope at the most opportune moment.
Specifically... the moment she was backed into a corner.
It made sense when she thought about it.
She had just finished the campaign on the demon island, coordinating with the elves, dwarves, beastmen, and dragons.
She had returned in triumph.
She had captured a demon general—Butcher Zuka.
She had wiped out at least six or seven hundred thousand demon elites.
Each of these achievements was pushing her prestige to a peak.
If the Pope were to announce this now or strip her of her title as Saintess, she would actually laugh.
Because that would only prove the Pope was a fool.
She was at the height of her power; how could a few rumors compete with the prestige of leading a campaign against the demon island?
Instead, this current calm was not a good thing.
The Pope's shrewdness was unexpectedly deep.
Even as her prestige began to overshadow his among the people, he could remain patient and refrain from spreading the news.
The only possibility was that Diocletian was waiting for the perfect moment.
Waiting to cast her into the abyss in one fell swoop.
Luo Li hesitated for a moment before looking up at Lola.
"Lola, come here. I have something for you to do."
Lola quickly stepped forward.
However, Luo Li didn't speak there. Instead, she moved to her own room.
This was the safest place in the entire Temple.
The vault was located here, containing many magic arrays that made it nearly impossible for anyone outside to eavesdrop.
"Your Highness, is there something urgent?"
Only after Luo Li sat down did Lola ask the question.
She had been concerned since they left Lady Momoka's room.
Her lady's expression had been very grave, as if a dark cloud were hanging over her.
It left Lola feeling a trace of unease.
She knew her lady's personality all too well.
Anything that could make her lady frown like this was certainly no trivial matter.
"Yes, there is something I need you to do. But it must be done discreetly."
"Please speak, Your Highness."
Luo Li remained silent for a moment, then reached for the paper and pen on the table, scribbling in her messy handwriting.
She then handed the note to Lola.
"Lola, I want you to spread the rumors written on this paper. Don't do it too quickly. Aim to have them fully circulated within three months, then keep them spreading steadily for at least half a year."
Lola took the note and glanced down at it. Her expression darkened.
"Your Highness, what... what are you trying to do?"
Luo Li leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.
"Lola, you don't understand yet."
Lola didn't speak, simply listening quietly.
Luo Li didn't mind cultivating her right-hand woman.
Lola was smart, but she was still a novice when it came to things she had never experienced.
After all, you couldn't expect a wild person who couldn't read to suddenly become a scientist researching black holes.
That wouldn't be logical.
Luo Li picked up the cup on the table. Inside was a golden-hued tea.
This was one of the few drinks she could have during her monthly cycle.
Snow Mountain Black Tea.
However, she was only allowed two cups a day.
If she dared to take an extra sip, Nara's personality was such that she would nag about it all day.
"Lola, there is a saying: 'The tree that stands out from the forest is the first to be buffeted by the wind; the levee that rises above the shore is the first to be crushed by the waves.'"
"Right now, I am that tree and that levee."
"I've certainly made quite a splash with this campaign on the demon island."
Luo Li held the teacup with both hands, cherishing the warmth from its surface as she composed her next words.
Since she was dealing with a genius, she had to be careful about what she said.
She didn't want to accidentally lead this genius astray; that would be a problem.
"Everything has two sides. Having such a grand reputation brings both advantages and disadvantages."
"Life is unpredictable. Things can't always go smoothly. What if I make a mistake next time? What if I lose a battle?"
"If that happens, my prestige will plummet and it will be difficult to recover. So, rather than waiting for certain people to frame me, I'd rather take the initiative myself."
Lola lowered her head, contemplating for a long time before letting out a long sigh.
"Your Highness... your foresight is profound. I understand."
Losing a battle, making a mistake...
In previous wars, these were absolutely unacceptable.
Because if a mistake or defeat occurred, there was only one outcome.
But now, the internal affairs of the Kingdom of the Moon had stabilized.
After several ruthless purges, the nobles had temporarily fallen in line.
This made defeats and mistakes things that could be managed.
To a certain extent, they would no longer be life-threatening.
Previously, she hadn't been able to consider these things, but now she had the capacity to think about failure before victory.
Naturally, she had to be fully prepared.
She would pave the way for her retreat first, and then think about how to win.
The war with the demons and the conflict with the Pope were not things that could be resolved overnight.
One had to think ahead.
She would tarnish her own rising reputation with a few rumors.
Things like 'the Saintess of the Moon is just acting in collusion with the demon race' or 'the Saintess of the Moon possesses forbidden skills of the Holy Church.'
As long as she acted uprightly and maintained her position, these rumors would eventually be debunked.
In the end, they would just become a joke among the people.
Luo Li's simplest thought was this.
Rather than leaving this leverage in the Pope's hands as a bomb that could go off at any time, she would rather just lay it all out in the open.
While her prestige was still at its peak, she would spread these rumors herself.
She would bring this hidden bomb out into the light.
That way, if the bomb were ever actually detonated, she would have a chance to avoid it.
She wouldn't be blown to the sky by a hidden trap.
Lola quickly grasped her line of thinking.
She found it hard to imagine that this was a decision made by a sixteen-year-old girl.
Could any other sixteen-year-old remain so rational under the rush of such fame?
It was likely one in ten thousand.
Her Highness was truly the Chosen One!
"Yes. Now that you understand, go ahead. Try to make the news come from a distance, preferably from the west. Don't let Brilliant City be the starting point. Do you understand?"
Luo Li's idea was simple. She wanted to use this method to warn the Pope that 'this information is already useless.'
She also wanted this news to reach Diocletian's ears as quickly as possible.
Lola nodded slightly, understanding her lady's concerns.
She also understood that this was to guard against the Pope.
If the news came from the west...
In the future, it would be difficult for the Pope to use these rumors as a weapon.
And if the Pope ever tried to make things difficult for her lady, what would the people think?
The answer was obvious.
'The Pope is jealous; the Pope wants to harm the Saintess of the Moon.'
'The previous rumors slandering the Saintess must have come from the west too.'
Such suspicions would naturally arise in their minds.
Even if they believed in the Holy Church, the Pope did not represent the Holy Church itself.
At the thought of the Pope, even Lola felt a chill run down her spine.
She was already well aware of the issue with her lady's healing art.
And she wasn't the only one.
Everyone close to her lady knew how miraculous her healing art was.
Anyone familiar with the Sacred Canon could easily see that this healing art touched the forbidden zone of life.
Her lady was doing this to prevent it from becoming a sword used against her.
At the same time, she was preparing for her future ascension to the throne!!
Lola understood!
Once the people began to doubt the Pope, the only one they could continue to believe in would be her lady.
When that time came, her lady would have the chance to claim the ultimate power!
Everything was moving forward step by step.
This was only her lady's first step!
Just the first step for the future!
Lola took a deep breath and nodded with deep meaning.
"I understand, Your Highness. I will personally oversee the follow-up matters."
"Huh?"
Luo Li was momentarily stunned. Follow-up matters? Were there follow-up matters to this?
Did this really require someone of a bishop's rank to oversee it personally?
Shouldn't this kind of thing spread naturally once the seed was planted?
What were the subordinates even doing?
"What do you understand?"
She asked in surprise, but Lola only gave a mysterious smile.
"Your Highness, I understand."
Luo Li blinked, feeling as though... something wasn't quite right.
But she couldn't put her finger on it.
She could only stare blankly at the mysterious smile on Lola's face.
She opened her mouth.
"Ah... well... as long as you understand. Go on then."
Watching Lola's departing back, she still didn't know what Lola had 'understood.'
But at least one thing was certain: Lola would not harm her.
That was enough.
As for certain things, it was best to let her subordinates handle them.
She could consider it part of their training.
Being a leader really was exhausting.
She took a sip of tea, watching the snowflakes dance outside the window.
A small sense of pride welled up within her.
...
In the blink of an eye, it was already afternoon.
The heavy snow in the sky showed no signs of stopping.
A thick layer of snow, reaching up to one's shins, had already accumulated on the ground.
The streets were filled with infantry soldiers, and occasionally, a few knights could be seen on patrol.
Many people were on their rooftops, vigorously sweeping away the snow with large brooms.
All four city walls and all twelve gates had been opened.
Wagons were continuously transporting snow out of the city.
The entire Brilliant City seemed different from previous years, yet it was hard to say exactly how.
It seemed more vibrant.
A somewhat luxurious carriage passed by the roadside.
Any knight who saw the emblem on the carriage would instinctively take a half-step back.
Among all knights, those at the pinnacle of the continent were the Sacred Knights.
But in the Kingdom of the Moon, the one before them... was the strongest.
Indeed, this carriage belonged to the Heavenly Punishment Knight, Kevin Cromwell.
The emblem of a Guardian Knight was a shield and a lance.
The emblem of a Heavenly Punishment Knight, however, had an additional pair of wings.
Combined with the family crest beside the knight's emblem...
Any knight in Brilliant City could instantly recognize who was sitting inside this carriage.
And now, inside this seemingly unremarkable yet actually quite lavish carriage...
Kevin, with his strong jaw and piercing eyes, was looking with a grim expression at the person before him.
The person kneeling on the floor.
Elmer Cromwell.
His younger brother, born of the same mother.
The person he was closest to in the entire family.
Since their father passed away, he had been a bit too indulgent with his brother.
Fortunately, Elmer was usually thorough in his dealings, and since Kevin needed to manage the knights, he had temporarily entrusted the position of family head to him.
But who would have thought this foolish brother would dare to involve himself in a coup?
Fortunately, the Saintess had given him face and allowed Cabinet Minister Augus to provide him with an out.
He had managed to emerge unscathed.
But he never expected that after so little time...
Had it even been two months? Probably not even that.
How could something like this happen again today!
At the thought of this, Kevin's rage flared.
If not for his mother's repeated instructions to 'take good care of your brother,' he would have wanted to run him through with his sword right now!
"I'll ask you one more time. Who exactly arranged for those people to be in there?"
"And who gave you the courage to interfere in military affairs?! Do you have a death wish?!"
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