Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 218

[Vol. 5] Chapter 218: Each on Their Own Journey

It seemed the plan was progressing smoothly.

As she led her troops in a swift charge on horseback, Edwina Cecilia thought to herself.

Although the Goddess… Miss Violet had said she would not intervene in the war between the Holy Empire and the demons, it was clear that she still leaned significantly towards their side.

Whether it was her previous involvement in the ?Blood Calamity? or the ?Masked Demon Disaster?, or her recent permission for Leila and Rene, who seemed to have transformed to angel, to intervene in the battle, these actions strongly demonstrated her support.

While this time it was supposedly under the guise of helping Edwina as a friend, it was likely also a means for the Goddess to protect her people. Her goal seemed to be ensuring that her followers could achieve victory through their own efforts, without fully relying on divine blessings.

In truth, though the Goddess had not personally intervened in the conflict, if it hadn’t been for the two angels, Leila and Rene, who charged into the enemy troops and destroyed dozens of ?Nightmare Executioners? at the start of the battle three days ago, as well as intimidating the enemy with their overwhelming strength to prevent them from using their trump cards recklessly, the damage to the city walls and the casualties within the city would have been much worse than they were now.

This time was no different. Leila and Rene not only drew away the strongest individuals in the western gate’s demon army but also deliberately attacked the demon forces, throwing them into chaos and creating the perfect opportunity for Edwina and her troops to break through the enemy lines.

While the main force of the war remained the people of the Holy Empire, this level of assistance was already extremely valuable.

It was clear that even as a compassionate goddess who could embrace even invaders like the demons, she still responded to the prayers of her followers, granting them salvation and delivering punishment to external foes.

This proved that the church and all the beings of this world still held a place in her divine sight, and just knowing this filled Edwina, as a faithful and a divine descendant, with immense honor and warmth.

The goddess is indeed watching over us.

Moreover, if I’m not mistaken, Violet’s purpose this time probably includes…

“Second Miss! We’ve got demon cavalry on our tails!”

A unicorn suddenly accelerated, reaching the side of the leading Holy Knight, expertly matching her pace while loudly issuing a warning.

Ah, I was distracted—this is a major taboo during such tense moments of war.

Shaking her head vigorously to clear her mind, Edwina urged her exceptionally tall unicorn to turn and asked, “How many are there?”

“At least five thousand! They’re all demon cavalry, and they’re less than a kilometer away from our rear!”

“Five thousand demon cavalry… that’s quite a force.”

Edwina furrowed her brow at this response.

Demon cavalry are one of the main combat units under the lord of ?Slaughter?, known for their high mobility, consisting of both demon warhorses and demon knights.

Though called warhorses, the former are actually formidable demons themselves, possessing much greater combat power than the demon beasts used as cannon fodder. Together, they possess combat strength comparable to that of ?Courageous Knight?(Mithril-level).

For Edwina, ?Courageous Knight? is not particularly strong, but having five thousand of them is enough to make her exceedingly cautious.

Moreover, the hierarchy among demon cavalry is strictly categorized: for every fifty riders, there will definitely be a higher-ranking commander, and for every five hundred, there’s another level up. With five thousand cavalry, it indicates that there must be at least one legendary-level commander among them.

Although Edwina has advanced to transcendence, to be honest, she has never arrogantly believed she could move freely among the demons. Such a large-scale invasion definitely means that the demon world has dispatched enemies of the same transcendence level, and perhaps more than one.

It seems the demons were caught off guard and are now furious, trying to wipe out our cavalry that has charged out of the city in one fell swoop.

…Engaging them wouldn’t be wise.

After some thought, Miss Holy Knight quickly came to this conclusion.

Not only does her detachment of Knight Templars consist of only three thousand elite fighters, but facing off against five thousand cavalry led by a high-ranking demon would not guarantee victory. Even if they could manage to win, it would certainly not be a quick resolution.

If they are caught and held by the demons, more enemy forces will undoubtedly follow closely behind, completely surrounding and annihilating her entire unit.

“How’s the situation with the Redemption Saintess?”

“Based on the signals, they should have broken through into the city! These demons must have realized our intentions, which is why they’re chasing after us in retaliation, haha! A bunch of fools!”

Though they were facing the threat of total annihilation, the knight responsible for relaying messages seemed to have little fear or worry. As he spoke, he began to laugh heartily, and many of the surrounding knights, galloping on horseback, responded with laughter that echoed the exhilaration and pride of having struck their enemies.

This is the sharp counterpoint that is almost ingrained in the very essence of the people of the Holy Empire.

Edwina did not laugh, she continued to contemplate the message the goddess was trying to convey through those actions and words, as well as the subsequent course of action.

Soon, Miss Holy Knight nodded again.

“Very well, then let’s proceed according to plan. We’ll continue heading south, shake off the enemy’s tail, and cross the star river. As for those demon cavalry… let them chase if they want. The more firepower they draw here, the lighter the pressure will be on the main battlefield! Relay the order: the entire army accelerates! Everyone, let’s get moving!!”

“Yes!!!”

………………………

“We’re off, Edwina!”

“This is a difficult trial. Perhaps it will be more extreme than any crisis you’ve faced before. After all, this time, you’ll probably have to rely on yourselves.”

Floating high above on the white clouds, the priestess in a flowing white robe looked down at the two departing cavalry units and sighed softly.

“Master, if you want to help, you really don’t need to take such roundabout measures, right? Just let me go and eliminate all those so-called demons!”

Beside her, the golden-haired girl with dragon wings, who was also hovering in the air, couldn’t help but propose this suggestion.

It was unclear whether she was itching for a fight after the recent battles or genuinely concerned for those ordinary beings caught up in the war, who seemed as insignificant as ants to her.

Seemingly touched by the dragon girl’s words, the black-haired, white-robed priestess gave a slight smile without turning her head.

“Xiao Guang, there’s a question… I wonder if you’ve considered it. Since demons can be summoned through rituals and can appear in any corner of this world, why do they focus all their efforts on gnawing at the Holy Empire, a hard bone to chew, instead of invading other countries?”

“Hmm?”

The dragon girl frowned, looking as if she was seriously pondering the reason, but soon she shook her head in resignation.

“I don’t know. Could it be that they’re frustrated because they can’t break through, so they need to prove themselves? I remember that guy Lucas said that demons can invade many other worlds at the same time.”

Violet couldn’t help but chuckle.

“That reasoning is a bit childish… First, you need to understand that war inherently involves significant conflicts of interest, both material and spiritual. This is the root of contradictions and warfare.”

“The fact that demons remain fixated on the Holy Empire means that there’s far greater value here than anywhere else.”

“Furthermore, based on various countries’ historical texts and folklore, small-scale demon invasions used to occur in various regions of this world. However, at some point, they gradually concentrated towards the central Holy Empire.”

“For instance, in the Human United Kingdom, Lilya mentioned that there hasn’t been a demon invasion for almost a hundred years. Why do you think that is?”

“……?”

Upon hearing this, the dragon girl’s confusion deepened, suddenly realizing something.

“Because… the benefits here have become greater, far exceeding those in other regions?”

“Hey, good job! My Xiao Guang can keep up with my line of thought now. Let me pet your head.”

Receiving the compliment and being petted, the dragon girl’s face flushed slightly with joy, and her cute tail wagged happily. She had expected a more detailed explanation, but after waiting for a while, she only saw her master smiling and waving her hand.

“Here’s the second question: Why did the demon lords, who have always fought independently, suddenly join forces for war this time? If the root of the conflict lies in competing interests, what usually leads to an alliance?”