"Fast!! Get back to the Temple at top speed!!"
Nar constantly urged the knights behind him. Brilliant City was neither large nor small.
Even for cavalry, it would take several minutes to cross.
Furthermore, they were currently at the very edge of the city.
He had originally accepted a deployment order to go to the New City, which was located ten kilometers east of Brilliant City.
Right now, he was almost at the East Gate.
Fortunately, the road he took was the East Main Street, a wide thoroughfare that allowed the horses to gallop.
However, the soldiers patrolling the streets made it impossible for his unit to run at full speed.
He could only drive back the guards as they rode.
"Get out of the way! Move!!"
Nar’s youthful voice shouted incessantly, growing hoarse, yet he did not care.
He looked up toward the central square in the distance.
If things were as he suspected, among the three guardian knights currently in Brilliant City, the only ones Her Highness could trust were likely Kevin and Hilda.
Even he was not trusted.
That deployment order from Augus was clearly meant to prevent him from joining his family in rebellion.
Sending him away from Brilliant City to the New City served two purposes.
On one hand, it was to keep him safe.
On the other hand, it was likely because of his strength.
At least in his own estimation, neither Hilda nor Kevin could stand against him in a one on one duel.
The youth possessed humility, but not to an excessive degree.
He understood his own strength deeply.
Forget facing them individually; even if the two of them attacked him together, it would be impossible to take him down quickly.
This was likely Minister Augus's greatest concern.
If he participated in the rebellion, the current forces in Brilliant City would be unable to resist.
Not to mention his prestige within the army.
He was young, energetic, powerful, full of potential, kind, humble, and meticulous in his duties.
The knights following him knew this very well.
As for why they followed a youth so much younger than themselves?
It was simple.
It was because of his immense potential.
In hundreds of years, he was only the second person in Brilliant City with the potential to become a Sacred Knight.
In fact, many had already concluded that he was destined to become one.
The knights following him were mostly elites, and that fact alone was enough to earn their loyalty.
If he joined the rebellion, the knights following him would naturally revolt as well.
Most of the elite knights in Brilliant City were currently under his command.
Brilliant City currently had over two thousand knights, with fewer than five hundred Brave Knights in total.
Nar alone was followed by nearly three hundred of them.
This was an absolute force. Before the Dragon Knight Corps could react, his strength was enough to change everything.
Aijel understood this perfectly.
Having observed everything from the beginning, Aijel looked at the young back before him.
He couldn't help but feel worried.
A fifteen year old boy, despite his great strength, was facing a situation not seen in a millennium.
For some reason, ever since that Saintess took power, the Kingdom of the Moon, which had remained unchanged for a thousand years, had undergone countless transformations.
First, they had defeated the demon army despite being outnumbered.
Then came the slave reform.
Even more shocking was the direct counteroffensive against the demon continent.
And now, it was a noble rebellion.
Aijel was also young, and as a member of a branch of the Dressas family, one of the four major noble families, he was no fool.
Though his past efforts had been focused on his strength, it didn't mean he lacked political insight.
He understood that the current Saintess was incredibly ambitious and had radical ideas to change the Kingdom of the Moon.
Even as a Brave Knight without high level political vision, he could see it.
Her Highness was pushing too hard. Even if the nobles endured in silence, they couldn't simply wait for their own demise.
He had expected this day to come, but he hadn't expected it to be so soon.
However, it made sense. If they waited until Her Highness solidified her position, took full control of the military, and began reforms from the grassroots level, the entire social atmosphere would change. By then, any resistance would be futile.
Now was likely the best opportunity.
Her Highness had left Brilliant City, and Lady Lina had gone to High Ridge City in the northwest to hunt down Butcher Zuka.
Sir Kevin and Sir Yuna had each led five thousand knights away from the city.
Currently, Brilliant City was at its lowest defensive capacity in history, and even the Saintess was absent.
Something was wrong.
Minister Augus's deployment order was clearly a precaution, otherwise, he wouldn't have easily cast Nar, a top tier combatant, out of the city.
Looking at it this way, could Minister Augus have anticipated this?
The rebelling nobles likely didn't know about the deployment order.
If they did, they would have understood.
After some thought, Aijel decided not to send word to his family.
Regardless of whether the Dressas family was involved in this rebellion, he had no intention of reporting back.
As a member of a branch family, he had been taught a theory since childhood.
To preserve the family, the family must not lean entirely toward any one side.
At all times, the family needed to hold two opposing positions.
If the family participated in the rebellion, then he and the other clansmen among these knights were the family's future.
If the family did not participate, then he and his kinsmen might become heroes or die on the battlefield.
But either way, at least one side of the family would survive.
His gaze turned toward the distance. Something seemed to have already happened at the central square.
Powerful elemental fluctuations were constantly vibrating the elements in the air.
Even from their distance, they could clearly feel the chaotic state of the elements over there.
"Lord Nar, it seems the battle has already begun at the Temple."
Nar sat on his horse, his brow furrowed as he nodded.
"Increase speed! No matter what, we must protect the Temple!!"
If they truly breached the Temple or harmed Minister Augus and Bishop Lola, his father would likely not survive.
He couldn't let the situation deteriorate any further!!
Nar grew increasingly anxious.
At this moment, the battle had already begun in the square.
The majestic knightess held a greatsword, her red cape fluttering in the wind.
Behind her were dozens of young female knights loyal to the Temple.
Unlike Yuna, who was stationed in the New City for long periods, Hilda was permanently stationed at the Temple in Brilliant City.
Naturally, it was easier for her to attract female knights to her cause. Due to the special circumstances behind the Temple, at least half of the knights guarding it were women.
This accounted for almost all the female knights in Brilliant City.
Their total number was only about one tenth of all knights.
There was another specific reason. Female knights changed their surnames after marriage, so their sense of identity with their birth families was much lower than that of male knights.
This meant that these female knights almost never became die hard supporters of their families.
Their stance made them more suitable for guarding the Temple and far more loyal.
Compared to becoming women of another family, their unchanging identity was that of Temple knights!
"Hilda! Don't be so stubborn!"
Standing before Hilda was a member of the Cromwell family.
This rebellion was started in Kevin's name, so naturally, the Cromwell family could not avoid it.
In fact, they had to be at the forefront.
Since Kevin was not in Brilliant City, the only one who could represent the Cromwell family was Elmer Cromwell, Kevin's younger brother.
Kevin's absence was actually beneficial for Elmer.
He had been worried that his older brother might be indecisive.
If the younger brother stood up first and forced the older brother to take a side, Kevin would surely stop hesitating once everything succeeded.
Of course, it all sounded good in theory.
But now, he had run into trouble.
In terms of seniority, the woman before him was his junior. As a fellow member of the Cromwell family and a guardian knight, she was naturally someone he kept an eye on.
"Hilda, you know the current situation. Her Highness Luo Li has repeatedly pressured us nobles. If we don't resist now, the families might cease to exist. Doing this only hurts your loved ones and gladdens your enemies!"
Hilda looked at her clan uncle calmly, her eyes showing no ripples, only a conviction to face death.
"Uncle Elmer, as a guardian knight, my duty is to protect the Temple. No matter what you say, I will not retreat. If you insist on a forced assault, do not blame me for severing our family ties!"
Her greatsword pointed directly at Elmer. Hilda did not hesitate for a second.
"There is still time to turn back! Uncle Elmer, please lead the family members back to the estate and await judgment. Otherwise, in the name of a guardian knight, I will execute you on the spot!"
Currently, various families had sent their powerhouses to the front of the Temple.
There were at least a hundred experts present, including more than twenty who were over level 50, matching the strength of a guardian knight.
Whether in terms of quantity or quality, her side had no chance of victory.
However, even so, Hilda would not show the slightest sign of weakness.
As a temple knight, showing vulnerability before the enemy would bring shame to Her Highness!
Today, even if she died, she would not let anyone step over her corpse!
Hilda firmly believed.
Her Highness would surely return and lead the Kingdom of the Moon to glory once more.
Gripping her greatsword, Hilda's gaze swept across the unit of several hundred people.
She had already prepared herself for death!
"Temple knights never retreat!!"
She might not retreat, but the people inside the Temple could.
Both Bishop Lola and Minister Augus were the Saintess's trusted aides. Her Highness would need them to govern Brilliant City in the future.
Therefore, after hearing Minister Augus mention the noble rebellion, she had taken it upon herself to secretly send the two of them away.
The two people currently sitting inside the Temple were knights in disguise!
The Kingdom of the Moon could lose a Hilda, but it could not lose those two, and it certainly could not lose Her Highness!
Elmer's face turned ashen.
Regardless of anything, she was one of the few powerhouses in the family. If he could persuade her to surrender, he was naturally willing to do so to reduce casualties.
After all, they would still have to deal with the Dragon Knight Corps after this battle, so they couldn't afford massive losses.
The three hundred plus people here represented the majority of the noble strength stationed in the Kingdom of the Moon.
And more were racing toward this location.
"Hilda, do you really have to be so heartless? I am your uncle!"
Elmer wanted to try one last time, but unfortunately, Hilda's resolve was as firm as iron!
"Enough talk, Uncle Elmer. This is the final notice. Return to the family estate immediately and await Her Highness's judgment!!"
Seeing this, Elmer's gaze suddenly turned sharp.
He glanced at his pocket watch; time was running out.
Although the communication facilities in Brilliant City had been destroyed and information couldn't be sent out in the short term, no one knew when Dragon City would receive word.
Five hundred members of the Dragon Knight Corps.
That was a force that could change the course of events. They could not afford to delay any longer!
Thinking of this, Elmer took a deep breath and looked at Hilda with a ruthless expression.
"Attack!!"
Hilda's brow tightened. In the next second, a powerhouse appeared before her.
Clearly, since it had begun, there was no turning back!
This strike was aimed directly at her vitals!
Watching the man throw a punch toward her chest, Hilda instantly simulated several of the opponent's follow up moves in her mind.
If she dodged backward, one wrong move would lead to total defeat. Once she retreated, she would be met with a chain of attacks.
She wasn't facing just one enemy, but over twenty experts of her own level and more than a hundred level 40 experts.
She could not retreat!
In an instant, Hilda analyzed the situation.
Retreating would invite a barrage of attacks. If they all swarmed her at once, even counterattacking would become impossible!
Instead of that, she might as well fight to the death!
【Skill — Bash!】
Sometimes, the most powerful move wasn't a grand ultimate skill, but rather the most familiar and fastest skill, which often produced miraculous results!
She thrust her shoulder forward. The opponent's punch was clearly intended to force her back.
If she didn't retreat, she would have to take the hit.
Hilda was prepared to endure the strike. As she lowered her shoulder, the armor on her left shoulder collided violently with the opponent's fist.
A sharp pain radiated through the armor into her shoulder.
Her left arm went numb, but her right hand did not hesitate to trade a wound for a wound, delivering a diagonal upward slash!
Screech!
The greatsword swept across the chest of the man before her with extreme speed.
He seemingly hadn't expected Hilda to charge forward instead of retreating and failed to react in time. He only managed to barely avoid a fatal spot, but a wound was left from his lower right abdomen up to his upper left shoulder.
Blood splattered. Both sides had taken a hit.
And the battle... had only just begun!
Rate on N.U.
