Bernie's Adventure

These nine little things were here to stay.

Furthermore, these nine light spheres were incredibly difficult to hide.

The reason she hadn't underreported their number was that there was simply no way to conceal them.

They were spheres of light, and they glowed on their own.

They were eye-catching no matter where they went.

"Have the training ground over there renovated. Put in more iron pillars for me to use for skill testing."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Luo Li gave Nara the instruction and, seeing her turn to leave, sat down on her sacred bed.

She propped her chin on her hand, resting her elbow on the small table.

Her left hand, meanwhile, was constantly changing gestures.

The nine palm-sized light spheres were like nine little lightbulbs, making the temple, which hadn't been particularly bright, shine with radiant splendor.

The light emanating from these little spheres was like sunlight under a midday breeze.

It made her whole body feel warm and cozy.

What were these, sun lamps?

It seemed she would have to prepare a special little bedroom for these little creatures.

Otherwise, if they just stayed by her bedside, she wouldn't be able to sleep at all.

Who could sleep while facing nine lightbulbs?

Did they think this was an operating table?

She wasn't here for a C-section.

Her slender fingers continued to shift through various movements.

Because the power of Self-Destruct was too great, she didn't give them that command for now.

Unless it was absolutely necessary, she wouldn't let them self-destruct.

Raising her hand meant 【Prepare】.

Clenching her fist meant 【Standby】.

Pushing her palm outward was 【Light Barrier】.

Pointing with two fingers was 【Flash】.

Turning her palm downward was 【Burn】.

Shaking her wrist meant 【Orbit Self】.

Making a pistol gesture was 【Aim】.

Making a firing motion was 【Fire】.

The nine little light spheres were kept busy by the silver-haired girl's movements, flying up and down with great enthusiasm.

Through constant practice, she gradually became familiar with the various limits of these nine light spheres.

Their flight speed was about thirty kilometers per hour.

It wasn't particularly fast.

There was no limit to their flight altitude, as they were almost entirely unaffected by gravity.

When taking action, Luo Li could silently think of one of the nine numbers in her mind.

The numbered light sphere would then follow the command.

For example, if she thought of number nine and made the two-finger pointing gesture.

The light elemental would teleport in the direction she pointed.

However, this was limited to her line of sight and could not pass through walls.

She spent the day playing with the nine little spheres with great delight until the sky turned dark.

The nine spheres had also clearly grown a bit weaker.

Presumably, the energy in their bodies was nearly exhausted.

Fortunately, moonlight was one of the light element energies they could absorb.

"Your Highness, you have been playing all day. It is about time to let them rest, isn't it?"

Nara looked at the light elementals, who were almost played to the point of collapse.

Even though the light on these little things had grown dim and flickering, they still obeyed Luo Li's commands.

No matter what gesture she made, these little fellows followed orders obediently.

Over the course of the day, Nara had witnessed the progress of these nine little things.

Compared to how they were flying around randomly in the morning.

Now, these nine little spheres could perfectly execute every command according to Her Highness's gestures.

Hearing Nara say this, the girl shook her hand, which was somewhat sore from a day of practice.

It wasn't that she was truly cold-blooded enough to work these light elementals so hard.

It was mostly a case of sweating more in peace so one would bleed less in war.

She wanted to practice as much as possible now to avoid a situation where they failed to react when she actually needed them in the future.

"Is it already night?"

She looked out the window and saw that the sky had indeed gone dark.

Through the window, she could see a sliver of the full moon hanging in the distant sky.

The weather tonight was truly excellent, with a bright moon and few stars, and no dark clouds to be seen.

The entire sky looked so peaceful.

"Your Highness, it is already past seven o'clock. Let us eat first. I have had the kitchen prepare some light and tasty dishes. Would you like to..."

"Bring them up."

She spoke casually.

Luo Li was indeed quite picky about her food, but today she simply didn't have the energy to be choosy.

In any case, anything brought to her wouldn't be ordinary.

It wouldn't be bad.

Furthermore, Nara had been with her for so long; how could she not know her preferences?

In a short while, four dishes and a soup were laid out on the table.

Compared to the vast majority of people, it wasn't exactly a meager spread.

But if this food were shown to other nobles, at least half of them probably wouldn't believe it.

A grand Saintess, the ruler of a nation, actually ate so simply?

"Your Highness, this is the fruit salad with milk made according to your instructions."

"This is..."

"Alright, I see. I'll just have a quick bite."

Luo Li glanced at the dishes on the table and waved her hand dismissively.

For some reason, she felt a bit restless today. It hadn't been noticeable during the day, but now she felt as if there was something she had forgotten to do.

Perhaps others had experienced a similar feeling.

Even though the day had passed, you just felt like there was some important task left unfinished.

That was exactly how she felt right now.

She ate a few bites, reaching about seventy percent full.

"Alright, that's enough. Nara, prepare a kennel or some other small, enclosed room for me."

"Your Highness?"

"It's for them to live in."

She pointed casually at the nine little light spheres huddled together.

These spheres needed a place to sleep at night.

Even if they didn't sleep, she couldn't let them serve as her lightbulbs all night, could she?

How was she supposed to sleep in the middle of the night?

Nara glanced in the direction of Her Highness's finger, and a smile couldn't help but tug at the corners of her mouth.

Her Highness truly thought of everything.

After finishing her business, Luo Li washed up as usual and went back to her room to sleep.

The nine little things were given a bed made from a temporarily crafted wooden box.

Nine marble bases had been specially placed inside, allowing the nine little things to be set into them one by one.

Lying in bed, Luo Li looked at the mana bulb above her head.

A sudden burst of inspiration hit her.

She called someone in, had the bulbs removed, and then pressed the nine light elementals into the bulb sockets.

Instantly, the light in the room became warm and pleasant, making her entire body feel comfortable.

Yes!

This was the way.

She couldn't let them just shine for nothing, could she?

With them being so bright, putting them in a small box wouldn't be making the best use of them.

Now it was perfect.

When she didn't need them, she could just block them with something.

Perfect!

She could even save some mana stones. Wasn't that wonderful?

She had saved another sum of money; her heart felt quite content.

While she was feeling quite pleased with herself, someone in Stargaze City to the south was not feeling quite so wonderful.

Bernie.

His ancestors were locals of the Kingdom of the Moon, but because the family had committed an offense, the entire household had moved to the Kingdom of the Sun.

They had taken root there, and three hundred years had passed since then.

He had long since forgotten his ancestral surname, knowing only that his ancestors were minor nobles in the Kingdom of the Moon.

As for what offense they had committed or how they had escaped, those details had long been lost to history.

And now, he had returned to his ancestral land.

But he was in a bit of a difficult position.

Under the orders of the Guardian Knight, Yanagi Musashi.

He had galloped through the night from the military camp outside Twin-Wing City all the way to Stargaze City.

This was equivalent to racing from the south to the heartland overnight.

He had come all this way without stopping.

He hadn't even dared to rest along the way.

He was terrified of causing a delay.

But even so, he had been riding for two full days and nights.

In those two days and nights.

He had nearly worked his companion steed to death.

But even then, he didn't dare pause for a moment.

Until he finally reached the foot of Stargaze City.

However, a problem had now arisen.

It was seven o'clock in the evening, and Stargaze City had actually closed its gates.

Whenever darkness fell, the gates of most large cities would be shut.

This was to prevent people from using the cover of night to enter the city for robbery or banditry.

This was originally a good thing that benefited the people.

But today, it was not a good thing for Bernie.

After galloping for two days and nights without even having time for a single meal.

He was now barred from the city by the gates before him.

If he didn't enter the city now, he would likely waste another night.

Bernie knew very well that a half-day delay here could mean the deaths of thousands or even tens of thousands of people over there.

This was no small matter.

But what could he do?

Storm the gates?

If he tried to rush in, he could be killed on the spot and would have nowhere to complain.

Closing the city gates was the law and regulation of the city.

Bernie stood outside the gates, hesitating for a long time before taking a step forward.

Normally, there were small wicket gates outside the main gates, specifically intended for certain people to enter under special circumstances.

However, these were also guarded.

Bernie stepped forward, and the soldiers had noticed him long ago.

They immediately turned their heads toward him.

"What are you doing? Can't you see the gates are closed? If you have business, come back tomorrow!!"

The soldiers at the gates were stationed here year-round and were naturally used to being overbearing. Ordinary people wanting to enter the city at night had no chance at all.

"Officer, please. You see, I was traveling during the day and arrived a bit late. I didn't expect the gates to be closed. I wonder if you gentlemen could do me a favor? I would be most grateful."

Bernie hurriedly lowered his head.

Before coming, he had already removed his armor and weapons. Currently, his attire was no different from that of a commoner.

Because of this, the soldiers at the gate didn't think much of him when they saw his appearance.

However, as the saying goes, there is no one in the world who isn't greedy.

The only difference lies in what they are greedy for.

And these gate guards were no saints; naturally, they were greedy as well.

It was just that they rarely had the chance to indulge it.

The lead soldier looked Bernie up and down, seeing that his clothes were covered in the dust of travel.

But even that couldn't hide the noble air of his features.

Looking at the horse behind him, the guard couldn't help but hesitate.

In this era, a horse was essentially no different from a sports car.

Such a thing was not something an ordinary family could afford to keep.

And this horse looked like a fine steed by any measure, which indirectly suggested that this man came from a wealthy background.

"Well... as for making an exception, it's not impossible. But my brothers and I are soldiers, after all. If we just let you through so easily..."

"Listen to what you're saying. How could I let you gentlemen work for nothing?"

Bernie instantly understood the leader's intention. He reached into his sleeve and pulled out seven or eight silver coins.

He reached out, took the lead soldier's hand, and slapped the money into his palm.

"It's nothing much. Just something for you and the boys to get some late-night snacks and tea. Consider it my treat."

The lead soldier looked down at the money in his hand and weighed it.

His originally grim expression immediately turned into a beaming smile.

"Good, good, good! Not bad at all! You're quite sensible!"

"It's not easy for anyone. Traveling through all this dust, it's only natural for us to look out for each other, right?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

"The captain is right."

"Exactly, it's not easy for anyone."

"Open the door, open the door!"

The soldiers became more talkative by the second as they turned to open the door.

This wicket gate was cut directly out of the main gate, leading into the gatehouse.

There was no need for further trouble.

Bernie felt a wave of relief in his heart.

No matter what, he had managed to get inside.

"Thank you, thank you."

But just as his front foot stepped through the gate, the lead soldier behind him suddenly gave a sharp shout.

"Wait!!"

Bernie's face stiffened, his body pausing slightly. He immediately forced a smile back onto his face.

He turned around to look at the guard captain.

"Brother, is there something else?"

The guard captain scrutinized him.

"I'm telling you, once the gates are closed for the night, no one is allowed to enter without the city lord's order. Do you understand what I mean?"

Bernie's eyes flickered as he understood instantly, offering a slight smile.

"I understand, I understand. I didn't enter the city at night. I entered during the day."

Hearing this, the leader's eyes lit up, and the grim expression on his face vanished instantly.

"Haha! Sensible. Let him in."

After the lead soldier spoke, he turned and left.

Bernie let out a sigh of relief. He didn't dare linger any longer and turned to enter the city.

The moment he was inside, the gate was closed behind him.

Bernie knew exactly what the purpose of his trip was.

As a Fidelity Knight, he couldn't know all the details, but he could grasp the general idea.

With the way the current Saintess of the Moon was dealing with the nobles, how could those nobles sit back and wait to be dealt with?

Furthermore, seeing that the Saintess's sphere of influence was growing larger and larger.

If they could still sit still, they wouldn't be nobles.

Because he understood these things, Bernie also knew how dangerous this trip was for him.

Once discovered, there would be absolutely no hope of survival.

Now, entering the city was only the first step. The next thing he had to do was find a way to use a communication room to contact Brilliant City.

But the problem was, would the communication room still be open at night?

Was anyone guarding it?

If those nobles had sealed off the communication room, what should he do then?

After thinking for a moment, Bernie took a deep breath.

He couldn't afford to rush anything now. Being able to enter the city was the successful first step.

Next, he should find a place to stay first to avoid being caught on the streets, which would be impossible to explain.

Leading his horse, he asked for directions and found an inn.

Once there, he handed the horse over to the attendant, left some money, and immediately turned to leave.

Right now, the key was the communication room.

And in a city, there were usually only two such places.

One was the Temple, and the other was the Mage Association.

It was impossible for the Temple to be open at this time, not to mention that the Temple had a private communication room.

For civilian use, the only option was the Mage Association.