Chapter 39
As night fell, an arrow pierced the air, landing on the south gate of Nanling City, carrying a letter with it.
The soldiers on duty immediately went to investigate. The city gate was forged from a special metal, yet the arrow had been shot with such force that the arrowhead was deeply embedded. Even with the combined strength of three men, they couldn’t pull it out. Left with no choice, they had to seek help from the mercenaries.
The mercenaries, having undergone rigorous training, possessed exceptional physical strength. After a few days of rest, even though Liu Siruo’s arm had been severely injured, she had mostly recovered by now.
She wasn’t the strongest among the mercenaries, but she was still several times stronger than the average person.
Even so, at the city gate, she used all her might yet couldn’t budge the arrowhead even slightly.
Liu Siruo, usually laid-back, couldn’t help but frown, her expression turning serious. She quietly ordered the people behind her, “Go and get Hua Yumu and Albert.”
This was a matter that should have been discussed by the whole team, and the name Carol was already on the tip of her tongue when she suddenly recalled how the old injuries had flared up, leaving Carol in excruciating pain and restless throughout the night.
Forget it, let her rest.
Hua Yumu and Albert arrived soon after. Despite being woken from their sleep, there wasn’t a hint of displeasure on their faces.
Albert crouched down, not rushing to pull out the arrow, but observing it carefully. As a renowned archer for many years, he quickly determined the direction from which the arrow had been shot and other key details. He concluded, “It’s Wakako and Lin Lin.”
He had personally taught archery to every member of the team. A master could always recognize his apprentices’ work.
“Them?” Liu Siruo narrowed her eyes. “But there’s only one arrow.”
“Wakako’s range and power, Lin Lin’s aim.” Albert stood up. “This arrow was shot with the combined effort of both of them.”
He was stronger than Liu Siruo and managed to pull out the arrowhead after some effort, retrieving the letter that had been fluttering in the wind.
The parchment was stiff from the cold wind, bearing only five words:
“Morning Prayer, negotiation before battles.”
The handwriting was childish and crooked, like a child’s. They all recognized it as Wakako’s.
The three exchanged glances, each reading the gravity of the situation in the others’ eyes.
“This is…” Liu Siruo frowned but left the rest unsaid.
She knew what Wakako had gone to do the day the storm broke.
Hua Yumu turned and told the city guards to leave. Then, in a low voice, he confirmed her thoughts, “Yes, this is the Saint’s doing.”
Wakako wasn’t the only one who realized the Saint wasn’t truly loyal to the Eagle Kingdom. While the team was still investigating in the Eagle Kingdom’s capital, the calm and experienced captain had also gradually noticed some anomalies.
The events at Hyman’s wedding further confirmed their suspicions. They were captured during the Saint’s water purification ritual. The Eagle Kingdom had long sought to capture the mercenaries, yet Liu Siruo was released unharmed.
At that time, she had asked, “Should we rescue Wakako?”
Hua Yumu had simply shaken his head and said, “She will return safely.”
His prediction was spot on. Wakako returned safely after her heat cycle, without a scratch.
During that time, the other four members of the squad had also gathered some information, such as the story of the Omega young master of the Saionji clan who had betrayed his kingdom – Saburo. He had taken up a position in the Eagle Kingdom’s court and was said to be highly favored by the Eagle Kingdom’s ruler.
The events of that year had always been suspicious. Although Saburo held a low status within the Saionji clan and was destined to be married off as a political tool upon reaching adulthood, such circumstances were not uncommon among noble families and wouldn’t typically be enough to incite such rebellious actions.
Moreover, he was a marginal figure with no real power. How could he have managed to collude with the enemy kingdom on his own?
Now it seemed that the Saint was facing some constraints in the Eagle Kingdom. Saburo alone couldn’t be responsible. Unless there was someone else behind him, someone who could even pose a threat to the supreme Saint…
The only plausible explaination was Them—the one whose name ordinary people dared not utter.
But what had the Saint done to provoke even Their wrath?
After the storm broke, when Wakako had yet to return, Hua Yumu, who had come to support them, also surmised that it likely had something to do with the Saint, though he didn’t expose the matter.
Albert couldn’t help but worry, “Wakako and the Saint…”
When Wakako joined the team, the Saint was already “deceased,” so they had never witnessed her stubborn and disobedient side.
In fact, before this, Wakako had always been the most cooperative and dedicated member of the team, willing to go to any lengths to complete a mission. Everyone trusted her implicitly.
However, since the Saint’s reappearance, she seemed to have become a different person. While there hadn’t been any significant consequences yet, there was clearly a fundamental shift in her attitude.
Having been in the team for many years, Albert admired this junior, whose talent in archery and other areas far surpassed the norm. But as a mercenary… Wakako had long since failed in her duties.
Under normal circumstances, cutting off communication with Lin Lin during the mission in the Eagle Kingdom’s palace should have been enough for Hua Yumu to suspend her temporarily. Not to mention that now, during this critical time of war between the two Kingdoms, she had repeatedly neglected her duties. If it were anyone else, they would have been dismissed and investigated.
Albert asked, “How do you plan to punish her?”
Surprisingly, Hua Yumu shook his head. “Why should I punish her? This is exactly what I wanted to see.”
“Or rather, even the Queen would be pleased with this situation.”
A knowing smile played on the lips of the shrewd captain. “The Saionji clan wasn’t particularly close to the Saint in the past. She was already estranged from Mios, and now she has turned to the Eagle Kingdom. From this perspective, we’ve suffered a significant loss.”
Liu Siruo’s eyes lit up, quickly grasping Hua Yumu’s meaning. “You intend to lure her with emotions…”
“How can you call it luring?” Hua Yumu corrected her. “Our squad member happens to be the Saint’s former servant. I believe she will show us some favoritism.”
That’s why the Queen, despite her suspicions, would allow Wakako to come to the front lines. This was the very purpose.
In thousands of years, no Saint had ever defected to another kingdom. Since this generation’s Saint hailed from Mios, she absolutely could not belong to the Eagle Kingdom. Otherwise, wouldn’t Mios become a laughingstock? They still hoped to bring the Saint back to their own kingdom.
Moreover…
Back then, the Saint had asked Hua Yumu to accept Wakako, who came from a servant background and wasn’t qualified to become a mercenary. He had agreed and fulfilled his promise, taking her as his apprentice and nurturing her carefully.
And a noblewoman as educated and principled as the Saint would never tolerate owing a debt of gratitude.
***
At morning prayers, the first bell of Nanling City tolled, its sound resonant and long-lasting.
However, the city was much emptier than before. Before dawn, the soldiers stationed in the city, led by the Crown Princess, had departed for the border between the two Kingdoms.
“Captain Hua.” The letter eventually reached Tsukiyo’s hands. She frowned as she repeatedly confirmed with the person beside her, “Is it really that Saint? Saint Miki?”
Hua Yumu lowered his voice and replied, “Yes.”
Tsukiyo fell silent. Due to the influence of the Queen and the Queen’s Constort, she had always found it difficult to hold any fondness for the Saint, and now her feelings grew even more complicated.
At the front lines, the Eagle Kingdom’s forces had arrived earlier than they did, and from a distance, they could see them already lined up, fully prepared.
On the border between the two kingdoms, there was a noble carriage that had no place on a battlefield. It was entirely white, made of purple linden wood, and even from afar, one could imagine the faint fragrance it emitted.
Everyone from Mios knew that white was the exclusive color of the Saint.
Occasionally, the wind would lift the curtains, but the face of the person inside remained hidden, only strands of pure white hair fluttering in the breeze.
Two figures approached on horseback from a distance. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that they were Miki and Lin Lin, who had gone out to search for Wakako. They appeared slightly disheveled but unharmed, their hair a little messy.
To ensure the Crown Princess’s safety, Hua Yumu and the others went forward to greet them, only allowing them to rejoin the ranks after confirming everything was alright. “What happened?”
Lin Lin’s expression was grave. “The Saint sent me and Senior Sister to deliver a message. She intends to…” But before she could finish, she was interrupted.
Though there were only two armies facing each other, the sound of drumming suddenly filled the air, even though no drums were visible. The sound was so clear that it seemed to resonate directly in everyone’s ears. Then, as if their bodies were no longer under their control, their knees buckled, and they collapsed to the ground.
Even those on horseback could only slump against their mounts, unable to muster the strength to sit upright.
The carriage, which shouldn’t have been there, suddenly stirred. A slender, pale hand lifted the curtain, and a clear voice, though not loud, rang in everyone’s ears, amplified by the drumming:
“By the grace of Heaven, the Saint is divinely appointed, to protect the foundation of the Eastern Continent.”
She continued,
“But your actions today are truly disappointing.”
Disappointing.
This word was so cold and merciless that even Crown Princess Tsukiyo, who held no fondness for the Saint, broke out in a cold sweat.
Disappointing to whom? The Saint? Or to God? Could it be that the divine was displeased with both Kingdoms…
“You all pride yourselves on being battle-hardened elites, yet after a hundred years of war, you still play like children. It is truly laughable.”
These words struck at the pride of everyone present, yet they were undeniably true. The two kingdoms had been at war for over a century, with neither side able to claim victory. Both their military and royal power had long since waned, and the initial fervor had faded.
The Saint stepped out of the carriage, her bare feet touching the ground.
She was dressed in a white robe, with a white cloak draped over it, enveloping her entire figure. Only a small, delicate face could be seen.
She seemed to grow thinner with each passing day, her chin sharp, her cheeks excessively pale, and a faint, unnatural flush at the corners of her eyes.
“By the decree of God,”
Miki stepped forward, one step at a time.
“From this day forth, the Eagle Kingdom and Mios shall cease hostilities. In one year’s time, only one kingdom shall remain in the Eastern Continent. As for which one… you shall fight for it, and the outcome will be revealed.”
Wherever her feet touched, even the previously barren ground bloomed with bright red flowers, as if imprinted upon the earth.
This was the first time the Saint had publicly appeared before the people of Mios since her reappearance five years ago. With such divine manifestations as proof, no one dared to question her.
These so-called “miracles” weren’t difficult for the Saint, but recent events had taken a toll on her. Unbeknownst to others, every step she took was as agonizing as dancing on the tip of a knife.
She stood tall between the two armies, like a white snow lotus on a mountaintop. “Mios is my homeland. Since the Crown Princess is here today, I shall temporarily return with you.”
Gasps of astonishment erupted!
Miki paid them no heed.
She merely smiled faintly, then suddenly turned her head, meeting the eyes of another pair within the carriage, eyes filled with confusion and helplessness. In a voice only they could hear, she said,
“Waka, I will not be separated from you.”
