"So, this is the carriage without a horse," said Layla with a big smile on her face. Despite not being able to see, she could hear that there was no galloping sound that usually comes from a horse.
There was a continuous flow of energy that supplied the rune. She was so excited that she couldn't help but stand on top of the carriage.
"Saintess. Please be mindful of your image." One of the knights who was protecting her couldn't help but warn her, albeit Layla didn't seem to care about it.
"I mean, look at this… This is an automatic carriage without a horse. Just imagine how many horses we need to bring whenever we're on an expedition. What if those horses die on the way? If only we had this kind of technology, precious horses wouldn't lose their lives and the people would have an easier time." Layla looked extremely excited about this carriage.
Because they had been moving around to help people, they knew how much horses were worth. So, this technology was what captivated her the most.
She couldn't help but remember the conversation with Noel before.
"So, when are we going to leave?" Layla asked.
"I still have a few things to do. At the very least, one more week."
"One week, huh?" Layla didn't think much about the time. Noel had the right to be careful and within that one week, they could also see around the city while doing their job.
When she recalled that information and linked it with this kind of technology, the Saintess couldn't help but say, "Inform Paladin Lloyd and Paladin Aurelia to be ready to come in the second batch of migration for the heart of Lounstein."
"What? You're going to mobilize the paladins?" The knight was stunned.
"We will have to be sincere if we want to receive his help. With me and two paladins helping the city, he shouldn't mind parting with a lot of stuff, right?"
"But Saintess… Paladins are the strongest force in our temple. They are the only Spirit Grandmasters we have, aside from Archbishop Noah. And you are going to ask two Paladins and yourself to help this territory?"
"Paladin Aureila will come to the main city and help me. Paladin Lloyd will be standing by in this city. If those elders ask about it, just tell them that I'm placing my bet for the future. They will probably shut their mouths once they hear about this city."
"…" The knight gasped. He thought Layla was insane. Still, when he thought about this automatic carriage, he knew how much easier it would be for them to reach their destination. And this was only the prototype.
When Noel improves it even further, it might turn into extremely ridiculous stuff. In other words, the Saintess exchanged the service of the Paladins for that future.
"But won't the Earl feel troubled if we do this?"
"We're going to build new headquarters in the main city. So, it's normal to at least have one Paladin stationed there, no? Let's just say that Lloyd is a bonus."
"…" The knight gave a wry smile. The Saintess was probably the only one who could say it.
After all, she was also one of the Spirit Grandmasters that the temple had.
"I understand. I'll report it to the elders about your request." The knight nodded.
"Thank you."
While Layla was exploring the city, Noel and Anna were discussing her. They had never thought that Layla would come here, so Noel couldn't help but ask, "What actually happened to her in our previous lives?"
"Hmm…" Anna recounted what happened. "She was controlled by the demons and became a Spirit Grandmaster. I was the one who defeated her and the Moon Temple ended up picking a new saintess.
"However, Layla was irreplaceable. It wasn't that she was strong. In one versus one, she would definitely lose because she didn't have the ability to hurt others. Instead, she received the ability to protect.
"And that barrier could be expanded to a whole city, creating an indestructible wall that protected the people. If she wanted, she could trap thousands of demons for a few days by herself.
"Such an ability couldn't be replaced by anyone. It should be a worthy power for someone who received the blessing of the Moon Goddess."
Noel acknowledged her power. It was indeed such a ridiculous power, but he still thought that his fire was more potent. Still, it didn't matter because the Saintess was on their side.
While the Moon Temple was sitting out when there was a conflict between humans, she would definitely step up against the demons. He could even leave the demons at the Moon Temple while he took care of the human side.
"I see. How about the Moon Temple? Do you know any information about them? I haven't searched for their information about them yet."
"Moon Temple is a huge influence. They have several Grandmasters and a lot of knights. They nurture a lot of healers, which spread all around the kingdoms."
"Kingdoms?" Noel frowned, not expecting it to be plural."
"Yes. Right now, they are operating in Greenwood Kingdom and Muivell Kingdom. In the past, they were going to expand to the Zaecuria Kingdom, but the hole the previous Saintess left behind was so big that they failed to do so."
"So, the fact that they have two headquarters."
"Yeah. The first headquarters is located west of the kingdom. Meanwhile, the second headquarters was built fifty years ago in the Greenwood Kingdom. They remain neutral most of the time even though they are sought after by countries."
"I see. It seems that the Saintess loves gambling."
Anna nodded in agreement. "If she constructed the third headquarters in our territory, it meant that she would abandon the expansion to the Zaecuria Kingdom because she chose us. And if I'm not wrong, at least one Paladin will remain in the headquarters at all times. There will also be dozens of healers. So, I'm assuming that she will split the forces into two, since she has promised to build a branch here."
"A paladin, huh…" Noel thought for a moment. "This is also a bit concerning."
"What do you mean?"
"You see… If the forces within the city are too strong for the lord to control, it means that if they are trying to break away, the lord will be powerless to stop them. This is like the current condition of the royal family. If we are too strong for the royal family to control, they are going to eliminate us."
"So, that's how it is. But don't you think it's fine for the time being?" Anna asked.
"Yes. We have four Spirit Grandmasters right now. But if she is going to move a Paladin here, it means that there will be two Spirit Grandmasters from their side. Even Duke Lorelei is here. The power balance becomes a bit too chaotic."
"Do we need more Grandmasters?"
"How many Grandmasters did I have in the past?"
"Hmm…" Anna recounted the number. "There are seven Grandmasters. Well, my family only had four Grandmasters in our previous lives: my father, his student, my elder brother, and me. As for you, you have Dimitri, Howard, the Sword Saint's successor, and…"
Anna paused, not knowing whether she should reveal their names.
Noel asked, "It's fine. Please tell me about it."
"Then, the other three are Howard's second in command, a mercenary that you saved, and an abandoned Spirit Magician. Do you need me to say their names?"
"No. That's enough." Noel thought for a moment. Howard's second in command should be among the four Spirit Masters. He had no idea about the mercenary, so he should have appeared after he became a lord or they might not even meet in this life due to the change of situation. As for the Spirit Magician, it should come from the Tower Association. That person might even be the one leading the research for runes.
Still, he couldn't meet the Sword Saint's successor due to the promise to Old Ru. In exchange, he had Anna. However, it would still take a bit of time to nurture Spirit Masters to become Spirit Grandmaster. If he just wanted to increase their Spiritual Energy to the Grandmaster level, he could simply shove the Demon Crystals into their mouths, but their skill would be lacking.
Noel asked, "How about the kids?"
"The kids? If you're asking about the Sword Dancing Kids, the twins were Spirit Wielder, almost Spirit Masters. The others are still one rank lower, but they are quite strong. If you're talking about Tristan and Sandra, Sandra is an official maid. I didn't meet her, so I didn't know her strength. Tristan was a genius in Rune, so he had become a big figure."
"Livia?"
"Livia, huh? I didn't investigate her that much, but she was the one taking care of the whole academy. And it didn't seem like she left your side."
"I see." Noel fell into deep thought. On the one hand, he couldn't rely on this information. In fact, he would have a hard time finding them and convincing them. And that relationship would be superficial because of the information from Anna. On the other hand, he needed more Grandmasters in his territory.
"I will think about it for the time being. Instead, you should be prepared for the next mission."
"Next mission?"
"Yeah. The messenger is about to arrive. I'm sure that after seeing the Moon Temple and Duke Lorelei, the Third Prince won't be able to hold the urge to send me away."
"He wants you to move in a critical condition to worsen your condition? But doesn't that mean you're going to be angry when he makes it oblivious?"
"Yeah. That's why there must be something that he can use to tempt me. It should be pretty precious, so we should get ready and act like we're dying. I've told Khalid not to show himself as well."
"I see. In that case, I will take my leave." Anna nodded, planning to return to her room. She was still curious about what Noel was planning to do, but considering his charm, he should be able to get a few Spirit Grandmasters.
While she doubted that the Moon Temple had bad thoughts, it made sense if he wanted to increase his strength for the sake of maintaining the current power balance.
By the time they reached the peak of Spirit Grandmaster if not Spirit Transcendence, the entire power balance would be tipped over.
She couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if she and Noel hadn't died in their previous lives and somehow reached the Spirit Transcendence Stage?
Aside from the commander of the Demon Banner Army and the Marshall, there was no one who had reached this stage. So, having two additional Spirit Transcendence might not be good for the kingdom since they were fighting each other.
And in this life, the appearance of two Transcendences would definitely be enough to create a new kingdom. That was why the royal family was eager to eliminate them.
When she was walking back to her room, the Saintess surprisingly appeared on the opposite side as if she had been waiting for her.
Anna didn't know what she wanted, so she was just going to pass her and return to their room.
At that time, the Saintess opened her mouth. "The Moon Goddess gives me a revelation. The end of your growth is near if you keep doing the same thing. Have you explored the actual power behind your destiny?"
"!!!" Anna's body froze as she couldn't help but turn to the Saintess. "What did you say?"
The Saintess shook her head. "I don't know. The Moon Goddess only told me to pass that message to you. I don't even understand the meaning behind it. To me, you are a peerless genius with unlimited potential, so it's kind of surprising. Anyway, I have passed the message."
Anna's body trembled as she watched the Saintess walking away. Those words struck deep in her heart.
