The journey.
Lu Mo and Cecilia finally set out on their journey to the Holy Demon Wall. As the dragon spread its wings and soared into the distance, the Holy City grew smaller and smaller in their eyes, eventually becoming buried beneath the clouds. It felt very much like the day their childhood had ended — those figures, those houses, and those towering buildings gradually receding into the distance.
However, this time, Cecilia did not cry as she had six years ago.
Because Lu Mo was by her side.
The Great Barrier was extremely far from the Holy City. Even when traveling by dragon, it would take at least one to two weeks to arrive.
At noon and in the evening, they would stop temporarily to rest. Sometimes they stayed in nearby towns, and other times they camped among the mountains and fields.
Even after all these years, Cecilia remained a bit of a foodie. Every time they reached a town, the first thing she did was drag Lu Mo to browse the nearby food stalls or restaurants.
In this regard, she was completely different from the other Saintesses traveling with them.
The other Saintesses, in such moments, would basically stand quietly behind their Heroes, obeying their every word. They did not run around, nor did they eat random things; they strictly followed every dogma of the Saintess Academy.
But Cecilia was an exception.
She was a rebellious Saintess.
She was the sheep that had jumped over the fence.
“Is it really okay for us to leave the group like this?”
“Whatever. Finding something good to eat is more important.”
“I suppose you’re right… after all, the meaning of life is just to go to the docks and get some fries.”
“But will I get fat, Miss Lu Mo? These cakes look so delicious…”
“You won’t.”
“Really?”
“It’s fine. The cake is cold, so it’s negative calories.”
“Here, I’ll leave this to you, Miss Lu Mo!”
“I’m so full… I can’t eat another bite…”
“Come, Miss Lu Mo, open wide, ah —”
“Oops, I accidentally finished the cake. I’ll go buy some more —”
“It’s time to get back on the road. We’ll talk about it when we come back next time.”
“But it really is tasty… Wait! Miss Lu Mo, you still have cream on your mouth!”
“What? Can’t I just lick it off with my tongue?”
“No!!!”
“Oh, then I’ll wipe it — Cecilia, what are you doing?”
Throughout the journey, Cecilia almost always stuck close to Lu Mo.
Wasn’t the relationship between these two a bit too good?
Solaris sometimes even had an illusion — clearly, she was the Hero of Sequence One, the wielder of the Decimation Sword, yet at certain times, she felt as if Lu Mo was the true protagonist.
In the other Hero parties, the Saintesses without exception stood respectfully beside their Heroes. Some Heroes had even wrapped their arms around their Saintess’s waist, and the Saintesses offered no visible resistance.
“Lord Solaris, is Lady Cecilia not by your side?”
Whenever she was asked such a question, a hint of embarrassment would rise in Solaris’s heart.
“Miss Cecilia is training,” she would answer expressionlessly, her tone cold.
She certainly couldn’t say that the girl had been spirited away by a knight, could she?
It wasn’t just her; the other young men and women traveling with them also had quite a few complaints about this.
They praised Solaris while grumbling about Cecilia, and they directed all sorts of accusations toward Lu Mo — even though the two only left for a short time each time.
Such a situation was fine once or twice.
But one evening, when Cecilia prepared to drag Lu Mo away again —
“I must ask you to stop, Miss Cecilia.”
The moment Cecilia stepped out of the inn, she felt a chill lock onto her.
“What are you two planning to do again?”
Solaris walked over slowly, approaching the two step by step.
Lu Mo was about to speak, but Cecilia stepped forward first to shield her.
“To… to move my body a bit and find something to eat.”
She tilted her small face up, though her momentum was somewhat lacking.
“The duties of a Saintess — have you forgotten them?” Solaris’s expression was indifferent. “The duty of a Saintess is to nurture the Artifact, obey the Hero, and remain by the Hero’s side at all times. The academy’s dogmas also clearly state that no matter the time, you must do so.”
“For the purity of the Holy Blood, you should not eat such messy food.”
“For the purity of the soul, you should pray and remain here.”
“You are an existence born for the sake of slaying the Demon King.”
“This is your destiny.”
“Therefore, from this day forward, you must stay here.”
“You must learn to consider the big picture and take the initiative to fulfill your duties as a Saintess, rather than acting as you are now — without organization or discipline.”
Her tone became increasingly icy, and the pressure she exerted grew stronger.
Under this weight, Cecilia’s expression changed slightly.
“I… I…”
The cowlick on top of her head instantly drooped, making her look a bit timid.
But even so, she still stood in front of Lu Mo, refusing to take a single step back.
Lu Mo’s gaze also gradually grew cold.
She was all too familiar with this style of lecturing.
From teachers during her student days to superiors after entering society — those high-and-mighty words, constantly claiming “this is for your own good” or “you must have a sense of collective honor,” were like a cold, giant serpent binding a person tightly.
She let out a soft sigh.
‘It’s really… enough.’
She stepped out from behind Cecilia.
“Miss Lu Mo?” Cecilia was stunned.
Solaris also furrowed her brows. “Move aside. I am speaking to Cecilia.”
However, in the next moment, her voice suddenly stopped.
Because Lu Mo raised her head and looked her straight in the eye.
In that instant, a sharp, cold will slashed toward her like a sharp blade —
It was a sword intent that felt as if it could cut through anything.
She had only ever felt this sensation from the Decimation Sword.
An invisible sword intent sliced through the air between the two of them. Solaris’s majesty was torn apart in an instant.
“I am her knight, that is true,” Lu Mo spoke calmly. “But I wish to ask — during this time, Cecilia has been using her Holy Blood to nurture the Artifact. Has her blood become impure just because she went out for a little while?”
“Has her soul fallen because she didn’t pray?”
“She has clearly been fulfilling her duties all along, so where does this talk of dereliction come from?”
Solaris fell silent.
“She is a Saintess, but she is also a living girl,” Lu Mo continued, her tone calm yet firm. “Besides her duties as a Saintess, she also has a life of her own.”
These words would have sounded incredibly rebellious to anyone else.
Furthermore, it was a knight who was saying them.
“As for being without organization or discipline — we are still on our way to the Holy Demon Wall, and the mission hasn’t even begun. What discipline is there to speak of?”
“It won’t be too late to talk about these issues once we reach the Holy Demon Wall.”
Lu Mo took Cecilia’s hand.
“So for these few days, please give her a little freedom.”
“Move aside, Miss Solaris.”
She led Cecilia and walked straight forward.
The two were about to collide.
However, at the last moment, Solaris instinctively stepped aside.
“Thank you for your understanding,” Lu Mo said flatly.
The figures of the two disappeared into the crowd.
Solaris stood at the entrance of the inn, unmoving for a long time.
She didn’t lose her composure, and she wasn’t angry.
But the people around her could faintly feel that the air had turned cold.
It was a very faint, yet very real killing intent.
She had originally intended to establish her authority from the very beginning.
She needed an obedient Saintess.
But now, Cecilia was not obedient.
And that knight —
Lu Mo had shattered her perceptions time and time again.
Defeating a ranked Hero.
Displaying strength at the high stages of the Epic Rank.
And outside the grand hall, she could even withstand her divine pressure.
Such a knight had never appeared in the entire history of The Holy Sanctuary.
She also vaguely understood the intentions of the higher-ups — first, to have Lu Mo protect Cecilia, and second, to have Lu Mo serve as a whetstone.
And what she had to do… was to tame this unstable whetstone.
She would make her willingly become a stepping stone.
So then — how should she make Lu Mo bow her head?
“Let us start with… that unfinished battle from the talent assessment.”
***
The next day.
The dragon landed on a plain, and the group took a temporary break to rest.
Some rested while others trained.
Lu Mo went to an isolated edge of the area, preparing to practice her swordsmanship.
“Miss Lu Mo.”
A voice came from behind her.
She turned around and saw Solaris walking toward her.
“Your swordsmanship seems to be quite good.”
“Miss Solaris,” Lu Mo replied with a nod, “I know a thing or two.”
“Shall we exchange pointers?”
“Regardless of rank, regardless of divine power. We shall compete only in swordsmanship.”
The voice wasn’t loud, yet it echoed across the entire field.
Several Hero parties turned their heads to watch.
Shock and bewilderment soon turned into excitement. They were like a bloodthirsty audience.
Lu Mo looked at her and suddenly smiled.
“Then I shall make a fool of myself. After you, Miss Solaris.”
“Good.”
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