As the lamps were lit, a bright moon hung high in the night sky.
Luo Li's head felt heavy and dizzy. She was exhausted, yet too restless to sleep.
Nara and Ella had already gone to rest, and Lola had also retired for the night.
Only three little nuns remained by her side. They looked to be around eleven or twelve years old, and Lola had only allowed them near after a thorough vetting.
These three children had been selected from the orphanage.
Children with a talent for the divine arts were often picked by the Temple at the first opportunity, raised as nuns from a young age.
These children were usually sent to the Temple when they were five or six, or sometimes even younger.
The original owner of this body had been the same.
With no ties and no parents, she had been noticed and raised by the Temple in the orphanage. Later, she caught the eye of the previous Saintess of the Moon and was sent to the Holy Church for a pilgrimage before returning to the Kingdom of the Moon to officially become the Saintess.
'It seems leveling up isn't that easy after all.'
According to the latest reports, the cleanup work on the front lines was eighty percent complete. The total number of kills exceeded fifty thousand, most of whom were instantly shredded by Julius's 【Holy Charge】.
Most of the survivors had fled, while a small portion was wiped out by the Temple knights who pursued them.
Now, the remaining work consisted of delivering finishing blows and searching the area.
To ensure the safety of the realm, they had to be certain that not a single member of the demon army remained. The workload was still quite significant.
Overall, I participated in the killing of thirty thousand, and yet... that only raised my level by five, from level one to level six.
Thirty thousand people!
That is thirty thousand heads.
And it only got me to level six.
This is still at a low level. I can hardly calculate how many heads I will need when I reach higher levels.
If I want to reach level seventy, it seems I shouldn't be following the path of Zhu Yuanzhang, but rather that of Bai Qi.
Judging by these numbers, to reach level twenty, I would at least need to emulate Bai Qi—launching a war of national extermination every other day and burying four hundred thousand alive.
'However, that Barn provided quite a bit of experience. He alone was probably worth more than several thousand regular soldiers combined.'
Reaching level six at the end was thanks to Barn being slain.
The one who killed Barn was Hilda.
Both were level fifty, yet Cain had used every ounce of his strength just to heavily wound Barn, nearly dying in the process.
If not for my miraculous healing art, he probably wouldn't have been saved.
Then Hilda had to go through a bitter struggle herself before she finally killed Barn.
Although Hilda hadn't described the process in detail, the scene was easy to imagine.
A level fifty demon warrior versus a level fifty human Guardian Knight—one human was nearly killed to inflict heavy wounds, and the demon almost immediately faced a second opponent without a chance to breathe.
Even though he eventually died in battle, it was clear enough.
While the top-tier combat power wasn't far apart, the demon race still suppressed humanity.
This gave me a real headache.
"Your Highness, Your Highness..."
A sudden call in her ear jolted Luo Li's spirit, and she snapped her head up.
Standing before her was one of the three little nuns.
"Is something the matter?"
Even though there were only a few people present, the personality left behind by the body's original owner made her habitually ask in a gentle voice.
"Your Highness, Knight Yuna has returned. She is waiting outside the door."
"Yuna is back? Quickly, let her in."
"Yes, Your Highness." The little nun took the command, turned, and stepped down from the divine platform.
Luo Li straightened her sleeves and smoothed out the wrinkles caused by her tossing and turning on the bed.
She stood up and looked toward the temple doors.
With a creak of the hinges, a valiant young girl with short pink hair walked in from outside.
She wore silver armor that was mottled with dark bloodstains in several places. The armor even had scratches and slight indentations here and there.
Clearly, she had also gone through a grueling battle.
Accompanied by the 'clack-clack' of iron boots on the marble floor, Yuna walked to the base of the divine platform, knelt on one knee with her right hand over her chest, and gave a devout greeting.
"Your Highness, Guardian Knight Yuna has returned as ordered."
"Yuna, you're back. Good. Please, stand up."
Yuna seemed visibly startled when she heard me call her name, but she quickly rose to her feet.
"To appear before the Saintess in such a wretched state... I have truly offended your eyes."
"Do not say that."
Luo Li used her sleeve to wipe the dried blood from the corner of Yuna's forehead.
"Look at you, you were so careless."
Yuna froze, looking completely at a loss. A flash of surprise even crossed her face.
"Are you injured? How is your physical condition? Are you tired?"
The barrage of questions left Yuna unsure of how to react for a moment. She could only stand there in a daze.
"Your Highness, I... I am fine. This is not right. Your Saintess's robe is stained with blood now. This is the filthy blood of the demon race; it must not soil your clothes."
Seeing the Saintess intended to keep wiping, Yuna hurriedly took a step back to avoid Luo Li's hand.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I... I am truly fine."
Yuna seemed a bit uncomfortable with Luo Li's sudden warmth.
However, a flush of excitement appeared on her face.
"As long as you're okay."
Luo Li patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
This wasn't entirely an act; she truly needed the Guardian Knights.
The more she understood the Kingdom of the Moon, the more she realized the importance of military power at this moment.
"Your Highness, your sleeve..."
Yuna pointed hesitantly at Luo Li's cuff.
Luo Li looked down at her sleeve and smiled.
"This is nothing. Compared to you all risking your lives on the battlefield, what does a little stain matter?"
Yuna took a deep breath and immediately knelt on one knee again.
"Your Highness, please do not say such things. To fight for the Kingdom of the Moon and to fight for you is the duty of us Temple knights!"
"Even if it is your duty, you have at least given it your all."
Luo Li grabbed Yuna's arms to help her up. Seeing the fatigue and the dust on her face, she understood how bravely she had fought on the battlefield.
"You must be tired. There is no need for you to report today. Go back and get some proper rest. It won't be too late to come tomorrow."
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness, but it is fine. For us Temple knights, such a small thing is nothing at all."
Seeing the persistence on Yuna's face, Luo Li didn't want to disrupt her resolve, so she nodded.
"In that case, Knight Yuna, give a brief report on the situation at the front."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Yuna began her report.
"As of midnight tonight, the total number of kills on the front lines has reached over fifty-five thousand. We have captured various weapons, fifty thousand kilograms of grain, and other combat supplies. The cleanup is still ongoing, so these are not the final figures."
"You have all done very well. I understand. Yuna, go and rest."
Only then did Yuna finally react.
'Is it my imagination? Why... why does Her Highness keep trying to chase me away??'
Rate on N.U.
