"The minimum number of Guardian Knights in Brilliant City must be four. Martha likely anticipated this, which is why she left only the four of us behind."
"Currently, the demon army has surrounded the east, north, and south sides of the city. The east is where their main force is concentrated, so Nar, the strongest among us, is stationed there."
Hilda pointed to the silver coin placed to the north.
"Next is the north, where Knight Yuna is on guard. Finally, there is the south. Since the demon army's presence there is relatively small, Knight Cain is holding that position."
Following Hilda's explanation, Luo Li finally understood the layout of Brilliant City.
Because the city lacked an inner citadel, the outer wall was the only barrier. Consequently, almost the entire main army had been deployed to the eastern, northern, and southern walls. Only enough knights to maintain the Temple guard remained behind; everyone else was on the ramparts.
There were eight Guardian Knights in Brilliant City in total.
Four of them had been sent away by Martha under various pretexts, leaving only four Guardian Knights and a few other knights within the city.
These included Knight Nar stationed at the East Gate, Knight Yuna at the North Gate, and Knight Cain at the South Gate.
Hilda, the final member, acted as a roving knight, serving as a sort of emergency responder who went wherever she was needed most.
"I see. I have a general grasp of the layout now. Knight Hilda, I must trouble you to bring me the profiles of the knights as soon as possible."
As a once-great city state, Brilliant City's walls were remarkably sturdy and reliable.
The primary reason it had fallen in the original timeline was the collapse of morale following her capture as the Saintess.
Thinking of this, Luo Li felt a bit more at ease.
The current demon army had not brought sufficient supplies. They were like a long-distance vessel without enough fuel; even if they could sail, they would find it difficult to reach their destination.
However, her brief moment of relief was quickly replaced by thoughts of their current predicament.
No matter how she looked at it, the situation felt somewhat desperate.
Maybe... she could just perform a sliding tackle and offer herself up? Surrendering on the condition that they didn't violate her might be worth considering...
"No, no, I absolutely cannot surrender. Once I do, I'll truly be like meat on a chopping block. I will not be the fish at the mercy of their blade. Absolutely not!"
The current situation was clearly severe. Unlike before, this was a matter of life and death... No! It was an issue even more important than life itself!!
This concerned her chastity!
Luo Li pursed her lips in thought and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. A lock of long silver hair slipped through her palm. If such beautiful hair fell into the hands of the demons, they would surely revel in its silky texture!
"Nar... I still have some impression of that person."
The original owner's memories were clearly naive, so much so that she understood nothing of the affairs between men and women, and was equally ignorant of the outside world.
However, the title of Guardian Knight had to be bestowed by the Saintess herself, so she had met this Knight Nar before.
Knight Nar was a rising star and a member of the Dressas family, the same family as that blonde knight, Adam, who had appeared earlier.
He didn't seem very old, having just turned fifteen this year, yet his strength ranked among the top of the eight Guardian Knights. He was considered a rare genius in Brilliant City.
His family was permanently based in Brilliant City, and all their foundations were rooted here. Would he really sell out the city?
It seemed unlikely when she thought about it.
Still, she couldn't rule out the possibility.
Then there was Yuna at the North Gate.
She was also a knightess and a close friend of Hilda. They were the only two women among the eight Guardian Knights and were very close.
Yuna could essentially be ruled out as a suspect.
Finally, there was Cain.
This man came from a fallen noble family. If any of the Guardian Knights in the city were suspicious, it would undoubtedly be him.
However, it was too early to draw conclusions.
Luo Li gathered her silver hair in front of her chest. It felt surprisingly good to the touch, smooth and soft like exquisite fur. The sensation against her fingers as she rubbed it was warm and comfortable.
While Luo Li was still pondering her own safety, a sudden commotion drifted in from outside.
It sounded like a large crowd cheering, very loud, with people shouting things like "Long live the Holy Church!"
Hearing this, she couldn't help but look toward the door as the Temple gates were pushed open with a creak by two people.
Two nuns ran in hurriedly, their faces filled with joy as they rushed to her bedside.
"Your Highness, by the grace of Archangel Sariel, the demon army has retreated!"
Luo Li froze for a moment upon hearing the news, but she didn't lose her composure. Her lips instinctively curled into a practiced smile.
"Yes, I understand."
Seeing the Saintess so calm, the two nuns felt as if she had known all along that the demon army would retreat!
The nuns began to fill in the blanks in their minds.
They had served the Saintess before. The previous Saintess had been naive and dazed, like a simple country girl who knew nothing of the world.
But today, every action the Saintess took seemed to have undergone a transformation.
In this era of faith in 'God', such a sudden change in the Saintess was quite thought-provoking.
After reporting the situation, the two nuns withdrew from the Temple at the Saintess's command.
Nun A stopped at the Temple entrance, a flicker of doubt in her eyes.
"I say, the Saintess seems a bit different today compared to how she usually is."
Nun B, however, looked delighted.
"You don't understand, do you? This must be because Her Highness has received a divine decree. How else could she have known that Sister Martha was a demonized human?"
"A divine decree? Yes... that must be it! That's the only thing that explains why Her Highness suddenly became so clever!"
The two nuns whispered to each other. Although it was just a private exchange, such things could not be kept secret.
In less than ten minutes, the news had spread throughout the entire Temple.
The topic became more exaggerated as it passed from person to person, with some even claiming 'witnesses saw an angel descend with their own eyes.'
Meanwhile, the Saintess, who was the subject of the nuns' gossip, was staring blankly from her bed.
"The demon army retreated? They really retreated?"
Luo Li got up from the bed.
The cool marble floor was smooth and clean, acting like a mirror that reflected the girl's furrowed brows.
Her small feet stepped onto the cold stone slabs, and the slight chill sent a shiver through her delicate body.
"Something is wrong. Is the demon army giving up on force and planning to use military stratagems? A feint? A deception?"
She had no idea that when Hilda returned with the organized records, she heard rumors along the way that 'Her Highness is currently behind closed doors, communicating with the Great Angel.'
Hilda didn't believe it at first. But when she reached the Temple gates and prepared to announce her arrival, she suddenly heard a sequence of sounds from the room that belonged to a language not of this world.
The language sounded exceptionally ancient and complex. The Saintess's voice was low, and in the cavernous Temple, even a level fifty Guardian Knight like Hilda couldn't quite make out what she was saying.
Then, the Saintess simply revealed a deeply meaningful smile.
That incomprehensible language, that meaningful smile, and the various ways the Saintess had acted completely differently than before...
Hilda was struck by a sudden realization!
So, Her Highness really was communicating with God!
Rate on N.U.
