"This was an emergency, and I had to take the liberty of mobilizing the army without first requesting a Divine Oracle. I hope Your Highness can forgive me."
Having said this, Kevin lowered his head slightly.
"There is no need to apologize for that. You did the right thing. Given that Brilliant City had lost all external communication, your decision was correct. If I were in your position, I would have done the same."
"Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness. This subordinate shall take his leave. Please take care of yourself, and for heaven's sake, cherish your well-being. Do not take any more risks."
He cautioned me earnestly, though unfortunately, his warning was quite useless.
If such a situation were to arise again, I would still do the same.
It would be a waste to leave the power of a Saintess unused.
Even without anything else, my special class skills alone are enough to make me the ultimate support!
"Take care, Your Highness."
Kevin gave me one last look. The complexity in his gaze made it impossible for me to tell what he was thinking at that moment.
Perhaps he felt my change was too drastic and found it strange.
Or perhaps he felt that for a woman to be so bold as to lay hands on the nobility was... audacious.
But regardless, I had already laid my cards on the table with him.
If he stood by my side, things would be much easier.
He could stand at the forefront and take the fall for everything!
While I could remain hidden in the background.
Until the entire Kingdom of the Moon fell completely into my grasp!
By then, nothing would be able to stand in my way!
Of course, doing this might very well ruin him.
I would have to see how he reacted; it was still too early to say for sure.
I turned my gaze toward the door.
Just now, Kevin had raised no objections to Hilda and Cain becoming Praetorian Knights.
Yet in reality, the military force of the Kingdom of the Moon was governed by both of us. He had mobilized troops without my permission and had repented before me, seeking forgiveness.
There were only eight Guardian Knights in the entire Kingdom of the Moon. Taking two of them and placing them under my own command was essentially turning government troops into a private army.
Yet he had no questions, let alone any further inquiries.
Was he truly that shrewd, or was he truly loyal to the Holy Church without a second thought?
I did not know.
Everything would have to wait for time to give me the answer.
But for now, more important matters were ahead. Soon, Robert and Kariel would return to the city with their troops.
I remained wary of these two Guardian Knights whom I had never met.
"Hilda, Guardian Knights Robert and Kariel will return within a day or two. Make preparations to receive them."
Leaving the communication room, I immediately assigned this task to Hilda.
Rather than sending Lola, who had just become my confidante and had no reputation to speak of, it was better to send Hilda. After all, as a fellow Guardian Knight, it would be seen as giving them sufficient respect.
As for whether they would show me respect in return, that would depend on how they reacted later.
"Let us go."
As soon as those words left my mouth, the mage who had just entered the communication room came running out in a panic.
"Your Highness, there is another message."
Hadn't we just hung up? Why was there another one so soon?
"Is it Kevin?"
"It is not Sir Kevin. It is... the other Saintesses, Your Highness."
Other?
That word was used well.
It meant that the message was certainly not from just one person!
Very well, it seemed the people I was to meet today were all heavyweights.
I took a deep breath to bolster my courage and stepped into the communication room.
"First, connect to the Snow Country and the Kingdom of the Sun."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Following the mage's response, two streaks of light abruptly appeared before me, forming a screen from top to bottom. Appearing before my eyes were two women wearing Saintess's robes similar yet distinct from my own.
On the left was a woman in a slightly heavy, white Saintess's robe. She looked to be in her thirties, carrying a mature charm, with long blue hair and matching blue eyes.
And on the right... holy crap!
Why was her outfit so... familiar?
Straw sandals, a scarlet hakama, a white robe, a hanging collar, and a chihaya. She had long black hair and her eyes were closed.
This... wasn't this a textbook shrine maiden outfit? And a standard Japanese one at that!
"A pleasure to meet you for the first time, Lady Luo Li. I am the Saintess of the Sun, Momoka Saint Raphael. Please guide me."
Following her greeting, Momoka knelt gently on the ground, and that familiar sensation washed over me.
As expected of a Japanese eroge, even a standard shrine maiden could appear in a world like this.
It felt a bit out of place, yet at the same time, it felt perfectly natural.
Fine, I was already used to it.
On the other side, the girl with blue hair and blue eyes in the heavy Saintess's robe also nodded slightly to me, greeting me with a smile.
"Hello, a pleasure to meet you, Lady Luo Li. I am the Saintess of Ice, Elizabeth Saint Raguel. I offer you greetings on behalf of the Snow Country."
The noble aura radiating from these two made me feel for a moment that I didn't quite measure up. But immediately after, the pride deeply engraved in my heart caused my body to react instinctively.
"Greetings, Ladies. I am Luo Li Saint Sariel, the Saintess of the Moon. I thank you for everything you have done for the Kingdom of the Moon. On behalf of all its citizens, I offer you my highest respect and gratitude."
In this situation, which was similar to a meeting between heads of state, the lighthearted rhythm I had imagined was unlikely to occur. On the contrary, it would probably remain serious from beginning to end.
As soon as I finished speaking, Elizabeth let out a soft giggle.
"Hehe~ I didn't expect the Saintess of the Moon to be so unexpectedly serious. I feel like you two might actually get along, don't you think, Lady Momoka?"
Elizabeth looked quite mischievous, while Momoka seemed long accustomed to her personality.
"A meeting between two Saintesses is already a serious matter, let alone a meeting between three. Lady Elizabeth, please do not joke in such a setting."
"Oh my, Momoka is angry again~ Hehe~"
"I am not angry. I am simply asking you to stop laughing. This is a very serious matter."
"Fine, fine~ You are right, you make a good point. I shall stop laughing then~"
Elizabeth was clearly a bit playful as she shrugged and turned to look at me with a helpless expression.
"See? This is the Kingdom of the Sun for you. So many rules. I really wonder if anyone in the Kingdom of the Sun actually knows how to laugh?"
"Lady Elizabeth, please show some respect. As the Saintess of the Sun, I must naturally set an example. In a meeting between Saintesses, one must maintain proper decorum. Please do not throw mud at my people, or I will not forgive you, even if it is you!"
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