Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 143

[Vol. 5] Chapter 143: Military Meeting

“So, like I said, those guys disappeared without a trace long ago. If nothing went wrong, they probably used some special spatial technique to escape as soon as the barrier was deployed. Normally, it’s impossible to find them.”

The speaker, a mysterious girl with petite stature, long snowy white hair, and a red-and-white dress as elaborate as a dance costume, was lazily sitting on a large boulder beside Her Highness the Saintess. She wore a small fox mask on her face, and two adorable triangular ears stood atop her head.

Although her tone and the content of her speech seemed somewhat impudent, and she didn’t show the respect that should be due to the Saintess, none of the high-ranking knights or archbishops around expressed any objections or displeasure. Even the holy knight who had just rushed back from the front lines couldn’t help but look at her curiously.

After all, her fame and achievements had recently been rising like the sun. In the expeditionary army, if you only considered popularity, she was second only to the Bright Light Saintess, the supreme leader herself.

Though the holy knight belonged to the main rear army and had not seen her in action, it was said that when the ?Blood Calamity? broke out, it was Miss Dawn who summoned a holy and noble white dragon, rushing to the ?Wall of Heaven? and destroying the evil magic formation hidden within the mountains.

Even though it was the Dragon who later confronted the evil lightning beneath the blood-red sky, and the miraculous, sky-piercing golden beam that destroyed the blood-red curtain was undoubtedly a divine blessing bestowed by the goddess.

Miss Dawn’s ability to step forward at the first moment and return unscathed from the demon-infested, barrier-enclosed St. Bergen Mountains is sufficient proof of her strength and righteous heart.

There was no doubt. Miss Dawn was a messenger of the Light.

With her past actions in the Western Capital and the mysterious trait of always wearing a mask, many Knight Templars had begun to secretly speculate that this Miss White Fox might actually be a divine being, sent by the Goddess herself to fulfill a divine mandate and save the Holy Empire from the imminent peril of the demon invasion… or something along those lines.

The fact that she could summon a white dragon, which symbolized light and holiness, and that the dragon willingly allowed her to ride it, was the strongest proof of this.

Of course, this was all just speculation, and no one was foolish enough to run up to her and ask directly. If Miss Dawn really was a divine emissary, then every move she made would surely be imbued with deep meaning.

This had already become an unspoken understanding among the upper echelons of the Expeditionary Army.

As the Miss White Fox spoke, Her Highness the Saintess naturally turned her gaze toward her.

After signaling to the holy knight to step down, she smiled slightly, though with a trace of helplessness, and said:

“I do not doubt the intelligence Miss Dawn has provided. But as the leader of the Expeditionary Army, with such a major event unfolding, we have to at least try… Alright, let’s continue our previous discussion.”

Skimming over the somewhat awkward topic, Her Highness picked up the pointer lying by the table and tapped it a few times on a certain location on the Holy Empire’s map that was spread out before them.

“Here is where we are currently stationed. Now that the vanguard forces have passed through the canyon and crossed the St. Bergen Mountains, we have officially entered the eastern part of the Holy Empire. Aside from some Knight Templars pursuing the remaining demon forces, the rest of our troops are ready to advance.”

“The original plan was for the Expeditionary Army to first head to the Flower City and rendezvous with the forces under the Redemption Saintess. Then, together, we would pass through Angel City, the Holy Empire’s Capital, and join forces to fight against the main demon forces in the two major eastern provinces.”

As she spoke, the blonde girl slowly traced the map with the pointer. A clear marching route, marked with golden lines, had already been laid out on the map—this was the strategy the Expeditionary Army had drafted before their departure.

However, the current issue was that after such a serious incident occurred at the ?Wall of Heaven?, with demons now confirmed to be present in large numbers in the St. Bergen Mountains, the border between east and west, and with the major battle between the demons and the Expeditionary Army already breaking out, the question arose: should they still follow the original plan? This had become a matter for discussion.

As expected, it didn’t take long for one of the attending bishops to make a suggestion.

“Your Highness, since the demon forces have already spread into the western St. Bergen Mountains, this shows that their power is no longer confined to the two major eastern provinces. Now that we’ve caught their trail, wouldn’t it be better to use this as a breakthrough point? We could pursue the fleeing demon remnants and strike unexpectedly. It might have a surprising effect.”

“……”

After a brief pause, the Saintess did not immediately respond, and soon another young holy knight spoke up to oppose the idea.

“Archbishop Vergil, have you considered the possibility that this is all just a trap set by the demons to intentionally lure us in and scatter our forces and attention?”

“Oh? Why do you say that?”

Upon hearing this, the young holy knight responded without hesitation.

“Please consider this: the ?Blood Calamity? in St. Bergen affected both the eastern and western sides of the mountain range. The eastern region has already suffered heavy casualties and is in utter chaos. Yet, in such a situation, our knights have been able to consistently track the movements of those high-level demons, but have never actually managed to catch up to them.”

“Doesn’t that seem strange to you?”

“…I overlooked that possibility.”

Within a few sentences, Archbishop Vergil, the first to speak, was left speechless, his face showing embarrassment. The others nodded in agreement, while the Bright Light Saintess Yuna and the Miss White Fox, who was present but mostly silent, both turned their gazes toward the young knight, with a hint of interest in their eyes.

Finally, it was Her Highness the Saintess who resumed the discussion.

“That makes sense. So, Sir Clatius, in your opinion, what course of action should we take now to be the most effective in combating the demon forces within our nation?”

Indeed, the white-armored holy knight who had just refuted the earlier suggestion and appeared to be one of the youngest present, aside from Yuna and Violet, was none other than Clatius, the Knight Templar captain whom the Miss White Fox had encountered several times before in Sacred Star City.

To be precise, he should be called Clatius Summerfield.

Based on the information provided by Prakaka, along with what was uncovered through the investigation of the ?Gaze of Eloun?, this conclusion had already been reached.

Of course, no one present seemed aware that he was a member of a divine lineage, and both the Bright Light Saintess Yuna and Clatius himself, who were clearly in the know, showed no intention of revealing this secret.

In fact, Clatius, in his role as the captain of the Knight Templars of Sacred Star City, had indeed led a group of elite knights under his command in response to the Holy War’s call, voluntarily joining the Expeditionary Army.

Most of the high-ranking clergy present were likewise temple leaders or close confidants of the Saintesss from various major western cities, joining for the same reason.

Without showing any sign of warmth or familiarity, the young captain of the holy knights responded in a calm, professional tone that carried a faint sense of distance:

“In the end, the demons in the St. Bergen Mountains are nothing more than scattered remnants, neither in number nor strength capable of truly challenging the main force of our expeditionary army. The real cause of the massive casualties and destruction was the terrifying phenomena triggered by the evil rituals.”

“Considering the intelligence from the vanguard about unknown individuals preparing those rituals, we can deduce that the demons themselves are likely not the true masterminds behind this incident. They seem more like secondary accomplices or collaborators. These demons were probably left behind as a diversion, to mislead us.”

“Ultimately, the real demon strongholds are still entrenched in the eastern Holy Empire, the provinces of Sarnos and Keller, where they are fortifying their positions and seem intent on turning those two provinces into their foothold in this world. As time passes, their influence and control over the area will only deepen.”

“Therefore, chasing down the fleeing demons is pointless. The Knight Templar orders in the cities can handle them. To save time, there’s no need to detour to the Flower City. The Redemption Saintess can lead her forces separately, and we can all meet at the Holy Empire’s Capital. Our goal should remain singular.”

The holy knight slammed his hand forcefully onto the map, pointing to two areas marked with black circles.

“We must gather our forces as quickly as possible, push east, and strike at the borders of Sarnos Province, forcing the demon main force into a large-scale battle with our army and annihilating them!”