"Kevin, if I told you that I received my God's grace and suddenly became different from before, would you believe me?"
I looked at Kevin, and he gazed back at me through the screen.
Time seemed to freeze.
I didn't dare let even a hint of my nervous heart show on the surface.
If he saw through me, my little life would be in danger.
The Temple would never allow anyone to possibly seize the consciousness of the Saintess.
Once discovered, it would lead to being hunted by the Eight Nations of the Holy Church simultaneously!
If he really saw through it, my only option would be to run away, escape the territory of the Eight Nations of the Holy Church, stay as far away from civilization as possible, take enough money, and live out the rest of my life in peace.
"I believe you."
After an unknown amount of time, Kevin knelt on one knee and offered a salute.
"The Saintess receiving God's grace is the glory of the Kingdom of the Moon. Your Highness... I wonder if I am fortunate enough to hear God's will?"
His gaze carried a sense of piety, and his entire being entered a state almost like that of a saint.
That fanatical faith and serious look in his eyes let me know that he truly believed what I said.
I shook my head.
"I cannot accurately express it in words, but God told me... the current Kingdom of the Moon has reached a point where it must change. I wonder... Knight Kevin, what do you think?"
The Kevin before me was the strongest combat force in the entire Kingdom of the Moon and a massive figurehead. If he stood on my side, he would be my invincible sword.
But if he stood on the side of the nobles, then he... would be the most desperate high wall I would have to face!
Whether he knew about this early or late made no difference, so I might as well show him my hand and see how he would react.
"..."
Kevin was silent for a while.
"What kind of change... is Your Highness referring to?"
"I cannot tell you much for the time being, but the first goal for now is the centralization of power."
This was the ultimate goal. Only when power was concentrated in my hands could this country change according to my will.
"Your Highness... wishes to carry out a reform?"
With just one sentence, he guessed what I wanted to do. At this point, denying it was useless.
"Yes, it is a reform."
I responded directly to his question, looking him straight in the eyes. I wanted to know if he would support me.
"In Your Highness's plan, what will become of the nobles in the end?"
He did not stand up, still kneeling on one knee. After hesitating for a long time, he suddenly looked up.
"Those without ability can only wait to die and will no longer hold power. That is the change the reform will bring."
"In Your Highness's plan, will the nobles lose their original rights and wealth?"
"Not entirely, but close. They will no longer enjoy rights, but I will do my best to guarantee their wealth."
"..."
Kevin fell silent again. Only after a long time did he slowly speak.
"Please give me some time to think, Your Highness. I need to gather my thoughts."
"Very well."
I nodded, looking directly into his eyes again, gazing at him with seriousness and a hint of plea.
"Kevin, I hope you do not become my enemy, and I hope you do not become a sinner against the Kingdom of the Moon. However, no matter what happens, you are the Heavenly Punishment Knight of the Kingdom of the Moon. That will never change, even if you stand on the side of the nobles."
Kevin's expression was grave as he nodded slightly.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
"Alright, that is enough of that. Let us talk about the Snow Country next. I remember the Saintess of Ice is named Elizabeth?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Her full name is Elizabeth Saint Raguel."
Kevin stood up. Although his brow still carried a deep gravity, he still answered my questions seriously.
"Kevin, was it you who contacted the Kingdom of the Sun and the Snow Country to jointly deploy troops and suppress the Holy See?"
"Yes. The current Pope is ambitious and has sent people to contact me multiple times before, wanting to take over the Kingdom of the Moon, but I refused them all. So when the Holy See sent troops, I felt something was wrong and immediately contacted the Saintess of Ice and the Saintess of the Sun to request their assistance."
"You did well. Now, let me tell you the cause and effect of this matter."
Since Kevin could go this far, it was enough to show he had a certain understanding of the current situation.
I laid out my suspicion that Martha was likely someone the Pope had intentionally placed by my side.
Kevin listened quietly, never interrupting me.
After a long while.
Kevin stroked the stubble on his chin, thinking seriously for a moment before responding to me.
"This is indeed something the current Pope might do. However, this matter still cannot be brought into the open. Your Highness also needs to be careful. Even if things are truly like this, it is better not to offend the current Pope while things haven't completely fallen apart. He is a man with extreme ambition and personality."
"Have you met him?"
"Yes. Back when you were not yet the Saintess, only a candidate, I saw him and spoke with him while escorting you to the Holy See for your baptism. You should have seen him as well, though you did not communicate with the Pope."
Is that so?
I couldn't help but recall the man dressed in a white robe with gold trim and wearing a crown that the original owner saw during the baptism.
I had seen him too, but we hadn't spoken.
From his appearance, that man didn't look like someone who could hold the position of Pope at all. He spoke elegantly and gently. On the surface, he didn't seem like that kind of ambitious person.
However, that was hard to say. At least in this incident where the demon army attacked Brilliant City, the Pope's suspicion was the greatest!
"I understand, Knight Kevin. I wonder when it will be convenient for you to return. Currently, there is still no news from Duke Simmons at the border. I feel... he might have defected to the demons."
As soon as the words left my mouth, Kevin shook his head.
"Please rest assured, Your Highness. I know Simmons well and have confidence in him. His parents and family were all ravaged and killed by the demons. He has carried a hatred for demons since he was a child. This man would never defect to the demons. I swear it on my honor as a knight."
"If that is the case... why has Duke Simmons not sent back any news? The demon army drove straight in and reached the heart of the Kingdom of the Moon before Brilliant City even received word."
By that time, it was already too late. They could only set up defensive measures and couldn't possibly engage the demons in a field battle.
"I have my suspicions about that as well, so I have already contacted Klo and Tristan to head to Simmons's territory. At the same time, I notified Robert and Kariel to return to Brilliant City as quickly as possible. I expect Robert and Kariel will be able to see Your Highness within a day or two."
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