A magnificent castle stood tall at the edge of human territory, situated at a river fork on elevated ground amid the plains and hills.
The knights were stationed in their tents, constantly ready to receive the order to march.
Although the epic war between humans and the demon race seemed only a night away, it still felt incredibly distant.
With the Silver-White Sword Empress’s support, the Saintess, the Holy Queen, and the Four Saints were all fully prepared.
They had ample time and high morale.
However, up until now, no combat-related orders had been issued from within the castle.
The same was true for the [Shining Saint] Morphis.
She had been waiting since yesterday for Miss Philina to bring her news, yet Philina had unexpectedly disappeared for an entire night.
“What is Miss Philina doing right now?”
She stood at the very top of the castle’s tower.
The clear blue sky was refreshing, but the fierce winds blowing from all directions made it hard to tell which way was which.
Is the Goddess safe right now?
Please, Miss Philina, don’t let anything happen to you either…
Just as she was thinking this, the sound of footsteps came from the stairs behind her, causing Morphis to turn around.
The holy scripture tucked at her waist flew forward as if it had come alive.
“Whoever it is, if you wish to see me, come up quickly.”
The [Shining Saint] Morphis said coldly.
The ones ascending were several knights clad in red cloaks.
They walked up to Morphis and filled the entire hundred-plus square meters of space enclosed by the iron railing at the top of the tower.
It felt less like they had come to report and more like they had come to surround and pressure her—a member of the Four Saints.
“Flame Lock.”
It was the knight order belonging to the [Flame Saint].
Originally, the Flame Saint had been a knight captain within the order, often charging at the forefront against the demon race.
Later, disillusioned by the knight order’s atmosphere and the church’s outdated incompetence, she had voluntarily left the church.
Even so, they had joined the battlefield five years ago during the revival of the [Evil Tree].
They fought for several days against the evil demon known as the “Gold-Bathing Demon,” eventually falling into a disadvantage and forced to retreat due to supply issues.
…Although the battle ended in defeat, they once again earned the church’s trust.
The Flame Saint had made great contributions by helping defeat the Evil Tree and securing victory for the Holy Queen.
For this, she was personally granted the title of [Flame Saint] by the Holy Queen herself.
Thus, the so-called Flame Lock Knight Order was now regarded as the church’s third branch—an elite force with the fewest soldiers but the highest quality.
The only issue was that the Four Saints were directly under the personal command of Holy Queen Simona.
Strictly speaking, not even the Saintess could order them.
“Don’t assume all the knights are simply sitting around waiting to die, Miss [Shining Saint].”
The knight at the very front spoke.
His helmet completely covered his face, making it impossible to see his features.
“I am Galand, Vice-Captain of Flame Lock. Let me inform you that the Third Knight Captain is dead, and the Holy Queen’s whereabouts are unknown.”
“You believe I killed the Third Knight Captain,” [Shining Saint] Morphis said coldly.
“With his strength, how could he possibly threaten me?”
Galand replied calmly, “No. We suspect that the human side has already been infiltrated by the demon race. This is the conclusion we reached after discussing it with the other knight captains.”
“Demons disguising themselves as humans?”
Galand drew his longsword and slowly stepped forward:
“My mission is to arrest all members of the Four Saints. We will begin an internal purge to root out the problem.”
Galand did not stop. At that moment, Morphis’s eyes turned a brilliant golden yellow.
“Have you thought this through, Sir Knight? You are courting death.”
All the knights present drew their swords one after another, as if a deadly battle was about to unfold.
Right then, a crimson figure flashed past. Vice-Captain Galand immediately assumed a defensive stance, but he was still sent flying several meters by a ferocious force, nearly collapsing to the ground.
The girl who appeared before [Shining Saint] Morphis had crimson hair.
She looked at all the knights with contemptuous eyes but said nothing.
“Miss Philina, you’re back!”
Morphis exclaimed excitedly.
Immense relief washed over her heart.
Seeing Philina appear unharmed felt like a massive weight had been lifted from her chest.
However, what surprised her even more came next.
A girl slowly walked out from behind Philina.
She carried an extraordinary, gentle aura like soft moonlight, instantly filling Morphis with warmth.
“There are no traitors here. Please leave, everyone from Flame Lock~.”
“Silver-White Sword Empress?”
Galand looked up, his voice filled with disbelief.
The girl wore a black dress with blue lace trim, resembling an elegant blooming rose.
Her long legs were wrapped in white stockings, accented by black leg rings.
Her voice seemed to hold tolerance for all things in the world, like a transcendent goddess descending to grant mercy to humanity.
Yet her beautiful eyes were cold and hauntingly beautiful, giving off an unapproachable feeling.
“Lady Gabriella…!”
Morphis could barely contain her excitement.
She recognized her at a glance—no, she had already sensed it the moment Philina teleported her here.
It was the Goddess, Lady Gabriella!
Philina had succeeded!
What surprised Galand and nearly everyone present even more was that the Saintess was following closely behind the Silver-White Sword Empress Gabriella.
“Galand, take your knights and leave. Humanity has not lost. Tell the Flame Saint that there is no infiltration whatsoever.”
By now, Galand had also noticed that Philina’s skills were exceptional, and the Silver-White Sword Empress radiated the aura of a true powerhouse without even needing to fight—just as the legends described.
She was the only person in recent decades capable of facing multiple demon generals and the Demon King alone, entering and exiting the Black Stone Mountains seven times, a place humans could scarcely cross.
He offered no further words, merely nodding to a few knights.
Soon after, all the Flame Lock knights withdrew from the top of the tower.
Gabriella looked at Morphis, who was kneeling on the ground, momentarily at a loss for words. So this was the so-called [Shining Saint].
The person who was about to become a threat to the evil god.
The heavenly oracle envoys were indeed awakening one after another.
The reason she had come to this human castle stemmed from Philina’s plan earlier that morning.
That morning, Philina had cautiously asked her many questions.
Without exception, every question had been probing whether she had truly fallen or not.
Of course, Gabriella had answered them perfectly.
She hadn’t fallen at all. Naturally, she was still thinking about humanity~
Anyone who threatened her master had to be “eliminated.”