Inside the East Gate of Brilliant City, two hundred knights tightly surrounded the incredibly luxurious Saint's Carriage.
With lances in hand, they faced the enemy.
On the outside was a force of nearly two thousand men—soldiers, mercenaries, and even many knights.
According to Sean's original plan, this should have been an easy mission to complete.
A lone, defenseless Saintess and two hundred exhausted knights; even if there were Guardian Knights in the ranks, he wasn't unprepared!
But why... what on earth was that in the sky?!
Sean looked up in disbelief at the two thousand skysoar dragons shimmering in the orange-red light of the flares, his mind nearly coming to a halt.
"Sean, dismount and surrender immediately!!"
Hilda glared at Sean. As the next head of the Garnet family, one of the four major noble families, Sean was quite famous in aristocratic circles.
Others might not have been familiar with him, but Hilda recognized him.
"Lady... Hilda."
Hearing his name called, a flicker of life returned to Sean's hollow eyes. He composed himself and looked again at the young girl standing before the Saint's Carriage.
In that moment, Sean suddenly understood why the Saintess had said those words that seemed like stalling earlier.
She wasn't stalling for time; she was letting him fully commit to his betrayal until there was no turning back. She was playing him for a fool!
At this stage, there was no room left for excuses.
Thinking of this, he suddenly drew the longsword at his waist!
"Don't be fooled! She is a human Saintess; how could she possibly control so many dragons?! This is clearly an illusion!!"
Sean pointed his sword at the white-robed girl standing on the carriage.
"Everyone, listen to my orders! Capture the Saintess for a reward of a hundred gold coins!! Kill—!"
He had already planned his escape. Although he didn't know where the Saintess had obtained so many dragons, he knew very well that two thousand dragons were enough to oppose ten thousand knights.
This rebellion had already failed!
Therefore, the moment the command left his mouth, he began preparing his retreat.
However... he had expected that once he gave the order, the entire army would instantly join the fray, allowing him to escape in the chaos.
But even after he shouted, no one responded to him.
Sean turned his gaze back in a daze, scanning his surroundings.
All the soldiers and knights, including the mercenaries, were frozen in place, staring in terror at the sky, at the dragon army that covered the heavens!
"What are you staring for?! Attack! Kill her! Capture the Saintess and you'll get a hundred gold coins! Don't you want the money? Don't you want titles? Kill!"
Still, no one responded to him.
The entire army was deathly silent.
Suddenly, a loud clang rang out.
Everyone turned their heads at once, only to see a mercenary who had dropped his longsword and was now kneeling on the ground.
That sound was like a signal. Others looked at each other and, one by one, threw down their weapons and knelt.
It started with a few, but as the sounds multiplied, more and more people knelt.
Finally... when Sean's gaze swept across his own army.
In the entire force, everyone except him was kneeling on the ground, their faces filled with terror.
"What are you doing?! It's just an illusion! An illusion!!!"
Sean's powerless fury drifted away on the wind through the silent street.
But no one was a fool; the sheer intimidation of two thousand skysoar dragons was enough to make anyone give up resistance.
"You have lost. Kneel and surrender, and I shall spare your life."
Looking at the Sean who had fallen into a frenzy, his handsome face was now twisted with malice and panic.
The elegance he had shown upon his arrival was gone, leaving only the word 'pathetic' to describe him.
"Lost... Just like that, I lost?"
Sean turned his head back blankly, staring at the white-robed girl who had spoken. This was, without exception, the most powerless moment of his life.
"No... I haven't lost! I haven't lost!!"
Suddenly, Sean's gaze sharpened, and his entire aura changed.
He pointed his longsword at the holy maiden on the carriage, his eyes blazing with rage.
"Saintess! I'll kill you—!"
With a roar, he kicked his horse's flanks. The white horse beneath him surged forward, charging straight for the Saint's Carriage.
At the same time, beside the carriage, Hilda had been prepared for a long time. She also kicked her horse, charging at Sean with her knight's lance leveled!
"Hilda, leave him alive."
Seeing Hilda charge without a word, I knew that if I didn't stop her, Sean's head would likely be separated from his body in the next second.
This fellow was still useful. I needed him to interrogate his accomplices and wipe out these restless people in one fell swoop.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Hilda responded, and in the next second, the two horses crossed paths!
A crisp snap rang out. Sean looked at his longsword, which had been broken into two pieces. Before he could react, the knight's lance struck him heavily in the chest.
Clang!
With a loud thud!
After a moment of world-spinning chaos, the lance of the valiant knight maiden was pressed against his throat.
"Your Highness, I have successfully captured the traitor, Sean Garnet!"
Hilda looked up at the Saintess standing on the carriage, who had remained expressionless from start to finish.
Sweeping her gaze over the kneeling rebel army, the Saintess immediately ordered:
"The rest of you, disarm immediately. Bind one another, open the city gates, and welcome the rear army into the city!"
"Yes!"
With a crisp response, Hilda quickly took command. The city gates were opened once more, and the soldiers atop the walls also threw down their weapons.
Creak...
With a teeth-grinding sound, the two massive defensive beams were slowly pulled back. The rear army successfully merged with the vanguard. Of the two hundred knights... not a single casualty occurred.
"Hilda, leave one hundred and fifty men to guard the rebels. The remaining fifty shall accompany me back to the Temple. Ligeia, order the skysoar dragons to follow the carriage!"
"Yes!"
"Understood."
Hilda and Ligeia responded in unison, and the rebels in front cleared a path.
These people had lost their will to fight; leaving one hundred and fifty men was more than enough to guard them.
"One hundred and fifty men from the rear army stay behind. Anyone who dares to resist or flee—kill them without exception! The rest of you, follow me to protect Her Highness as we return to the Temple!"
At Hilda's command, the orderly knights instantly split into two groups.
The front fifty quickly moved back to protect the Saint's Carriage, while the other hundred and fifty dispersed to manage the captured rebels.
Ligeia also raised her staff, chanting in an unintelligible language. The two thousand skysoar dragons in the sky instantly shifted their formation.
They spread out like the wings of a swallow. The largest skysoar dragon at the lead, followed by the other one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine, lowered its altitude and followed closely behind the Saint's Carriage.
Standing on the carriage, I leaned the Sword of Fidelity against the floor, resting my hands on the sapphire pommel. I did not return inside the carriage.
I wanted to tell everyone... I—Luo Li, your Saintess of the Moon, have returned!
As the carriage moved forward, I gave Hilda an instruction.
Immediately, everyone in the entire procession shouted at the top of their lungs:
"Her Highness the Saintess has signed a contract with the dragon race! She has defeated the demon army and returned in triumph! The traitor Sean Garnet has been captured! A curfew is in effect starting today; no one is permitted to leave their homes! Anyone who steps outside will be treated as a rebel!"
They marched forward, shouting all the way.
When we were just a few hundred meters from the East Gate, a group of men and horses suddenly rushed out from the side.
The leader was an old acquaintance.
"I, Audis Von, have arrived late to protect you! Please forgive me, Your Highness!"
Before his voice had even faded, Audis knelt on the ground. Seeing him drenched in sweat, it was obvious the man had rushed here with his troops in a great hurry.
"Rise, Lord Audis. I will remember that you came to my aid."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
It seemed that even if I hadn't been able to hold out, this old man would have arrived in time. Hmm... his loyalty is commendable; he can be put to good use.
Audis stood up with the help of those beside him. He looked up at the two thousand skysoar dragons in the sky, a look of realization flashing in his eyes.
Then, he took a step forward.
"Your Highness, the South Gate is currently controlled by my son, Roland. However, the West Gate and North Gate are still in the hands of the Garnet and Rowan families."
The old man wiped the sweat from his forehead and said loudly:
"I am willing to lead my subordinates to suppress them!"
I looked down at the old man. His eyes were solemn; it seemed he truly wanted to take action rather than simply trying to snatch credit.
"Lord Audis, you are not young. Such exertion might..."
"It is no matter. It is an honor for a subject to serve Your Highness. Please, Your Highness, give the order!"
Seeing the sincerity in Audis's eyes, I nodded.
"Very well. I shall remember this, Lord Audis. Hear my command: lead your forces to the West Gate and suppress the rebels. Kill any who dare to resist without exception!"
"By your command!"
Sometimes, giving a subject a bit of merit is a necessary tool for a ruler.
Only by showing them a bright future will they serve me with all their heart and soul.
However, before Audis could lead his troops away, another group appeared directly ahead. There were about five hundred of them, heading straight this way.
From a distance, a voice could be heard shouting: "I, Elmer Cromwell, have arrived late to protect you! Please forgive me, Your Highness!"
Cromwell?
What a quick reaction!
I didn't expect anyone in the Cromwell family to be so decisive.
Brilliant City was only so large; I knew the moment the skysoar dragons appeared that it would be impossible to hide them.
So I had already anticipated that people would lead their armies here to 'protect' me. Although it was just icing on the cake or a late attempt at fixing a mistake, it was better than doing nothing.
Clearly, the Cromwell family's reaction was very swift, otherwise they couldn't have arrived so quickly.
The group soon reached us. Hilda rode forward and let out a sharp shout.
"Who goes there?! Dismount and identify yourselves!!"
"I, Third-class Marquess Elmer Cromwell, have come to protect Her Highness!"
As he spoke, a middle-aged man jumped directly off his horse. The men behind him also leaped down and knelt on one knee.
Looking at this middle-aged man, his face seemed about seventy percent similar to Cain's; he was very likely a brother.
"Elmer, come forward."
"By your command!"
Elmer stood up and walked over, while his soldiers remained where they were.
He strode to the Saint's Carriage and knelt on one knee.
"I, Elmer Cromwell, pay my respects to Your Highness. I pray you are well!"
"I am well. Rise."
I replied coolly, glancing at the man. He did indeed look very much like Cain.
"Elmer, what are you doing here?"
"I have come to protect Your Highness!"
Elmer didn't even blink, lying to my face with his eyes wide open.
If I were the one currently surrounded, his army would likely have joined Sean's forces to deal with me, wouldn't they?
"Heh... but I heard that the rebels wanted me to abdicate in favor of Sir Cain. Isn't that Cain a member of the Cromwell family?"
I asked despite knowing the answer. When I said this, Elmer's expression visibly turned quite ugly.
"Your Highness... such hearsay is not worth listening to. My Cromwell family is loyal and has never harbored such a thought. I beg Your Highness to investigate clearly!!"
As he spoke, he even added a hint of a sob to his voice, kneeling back on the ground with a face full of grievance.
A good show, quite a good show!
To say the Cromwell family knew nothing at all would be treating me like a three-year-old child.
But with these words and his current actions, even if I knew in my heart that the Cromwell family might have played a role in this matter, I couldn't directly punish him.
"In that case, Lord Elmer, are you willing to fight for me?"
"Of course!"
"Good. Lord Audis has already received orders to suppress the West Gate. Since you say so, I shall leave the North Gate to you. I have only one requirement: show no mercy to any rebels at the North Gate!"
Elmer was stunned for a moment, appearing completely bewildered.
He couldn't help but be dazed. Once this order was given, he would either have to raise his sword against the Garnet family or disobey my command by showing them mercy.
The former would mean the Cromwell family, who were originally tacitly supporting the Garnet family's rebellion, was now kicking them while they were down.
If that happened, the Cromwell family's reputation among the nobility would instantly drop several levels!
Hardly any noble would ever dare to trust the Cromwell family again.
The latter, however, would be a blatant admission that the Cromwell family participated in or condoned this rebellion.
That would be equivalent to showing their hand to me, and they would have nothing to say when I retaliated later.
This Elmer was truly a child of the nobility; his intentions were clear from his grim expression.
He already understood my meaning.
Either abandon the other nobles and turn to support me.
Or continue to maintain their noble circles and oppose me.
Beside us, Audis Von's dull eyes brightened for a moment when he heard this order, a flash of approval crossing them.
At the same time, he decided to add fuel to the fire. Acting like a senile old man, he asked with feigned confusion:
"What? Is Marquess Elmer unwilling to kill rebels?"
"How could that be!!"
Elmer froze, instinctively looking up at me before immediately snapping back. He then bowed his head to accept the command:
"I understand. I shall lead my subordinates to the North Gate immediately!"
"Very well. Then I shall look forward to your good news, Lord Elmer."
Elmer gritted his teeth and nodded with a grimace.
"Please rest assured, Your Highness. I shall not fail my mission!"
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