【Xilika’s back was different from her innocent face—her waist was extremely slender, and the curve of her hips was beautiful, even visible from behind.】
【Her chest was anything but poor, and she seemed to be around nineteen years old.】
【There’s no way you have no feelings for her.】
【You just find it hard to accept the idea of a goblin violating a saintess.】
“I guess I really do prefer pure love after all.”
One day, while Lai En was eating with Xilika, the system suddenly prompted him.
【Due to prolonged contact with the saintess, you have awakened a talent.】
【Awakened Talent: Moon God’s Gaze (Blue).】
【Moon God’s Gaze (Blue): Under moonlight, all stats increase by 10%.】
【Every saintess is watched by a deity. This is both a blessing from heaven and a shackle.】
“All stats increase!”
Lai En had already acquired several talents and equipment that boosted all stats.
“If these talents keep stacking, the improvement will come really fast.”
“Too bad they all come with conditions.”
In addition, Lai En looked at Xilika curiously.
‘Just being with her awakened a blue talent…’
It seemed the saintess’s functions still had room for exploration.
Xilika noticed Lai En’s gaze and immediately tensed up.
But as usual, nothing happened, so she continued eating with an unchanged expression.
……
While Lai En was enjoying his peaceful life, the situation on the battlefield was far from optimistic.
Necromancers on the human side were increasing in number, and some powerful grand necromancers had even emerged.
Zagu himself was wounded and had returned to the rear to rest.
“I remember you. You helped me win five hundred gold coins.”
When Zagu saw Lai En visiting, he immediately recalled the scene from before.
There was a terrifying wound on his neck, extending all the way to his waist, still glowing with a dark gray light.
Many goblins asked him about the front lines, but Zagu refused to speak.
The collapse of an empire has its omens.
By then, Lai En was already starting to worry.
‘Right… Xilika might know something.’
Back home, Lai En tried to communicate with Xilika.
Xilika had been diligently learning the goblin language, and this conversation showed results.
With the help of writing and gestures, Xilika was actually able to communicate with Lai En.
From Xilika’s words, Lai En roughly understood the cause and effect of this war.
The location of the Goblin Kingdom was the tomb of some ancient tyrant. A secret cult wanted to revive this notorious tyrant.
So the cult gathered a group of mercenaries and launched a war against the Goblin Kingdom.
After all, the Goblin Kingdom was just a kingdom made up of the weakest race.
While there were some mutated goblins—like Zagu—they were still far from matching a human kingdom of similar size.
The goblins had no chance.
Of course, that was Lai En’s own inference.
According to Xilika, the goblins were merely an obstacle; they couldn’t stop the secret cult’s plan.
Once the tyrant at the bottom of the tomb was revived, the Goblin Kingdom would be the first to suffer.
Next would be the human empire next door. Xilika came from that human empire, called the Silent Moon Kingdom.
This kingdom wasn’t large. From what Xilika said, Lai En could tell it wasn’t even half as strong as the Kingdom of Tianyue.
In any case, after their kingdom learned of these developments, they actively sought help from nearby kingdoms.
But the secret cult moved faster than they expected.
Long before they knew anything, the secret cult had already begun its actions.
The entire Silent Moon Kingdom had long been riddled with the cult’s spies and pawns, like a sieve.
Xilika was arranged by a traitor to follow a suicide squad to the war front.
Not only was her ability to use magic crippled, but she was also betrayed right at the front lines.
The king could barely save himself, let alone a mere saintess.
In short, the Silent Moon Kingdom hadn’t even fired a shot before becoming a puppet of the secret cult.
Xilika’s position had been replaced by a cult sorcerer. The Silent Moon Kingdom was now a stronghold for necromancers.
“Don’t you want to go back and help your king?”
Lai En asked as a matter of course.
But Xilika just shook her head.
“I’ve had enough of being a saintess.”
Only then did Lai En understand that Xilika hadn’t become a saintess willingly. There must have been some dark stories inside the Silent Moon Kingdom.
Those things were a scar on Xilika.
Lai En looked at Xilika with both sympathy and helplessness.
If the current battle situation was as she said, then the fall of the Goblin Kingdom was all but certain.
He would have to find a way to escape again.
Xilika, on the other hand, looked as if nothing was wrong.
“Aren’t you afraid?”
Lai En asked.
Xilika tilted her head and looked at him.
“You’re strong. I believe you can protect me.”
Lai En felt a warmth in his heart. It was the first time someone had relied on him like this.
But Saintess, is it really okay for you to rely so heavily on a goblin?