Chapter 120: The Morning of the Great Expedition

As an exceptionally grand day, it also marked the last day for Miss Vilyric and her companions to leave the Western Capital. The Priestess woke up unusually early and ran out to the streets outside the Bright Hotel, ready to witness the mobilization ceremony of the Temple Knights coalition.

This eastern expedition gathered six Temple Knights divisions around the Western Capital led by the church, with over half of them coming from Mingguang City directly under the governance of the Saint of Bright Light. This included fifteen thousand Temple Knights from the Mingguang Knights and another fifteen thousand comprised of eight other reorganized knight divisions.

Although only about a quarter of the stationed military strength from Mingguang City was deployed, considering that it included half the elite forces of the Mingguang Knights and the participation of the Saint of Bright Light herself, these thirty thousand Temple Knights could be considered nearly half the high-end combat power of the entire Western Capital, showcasing a full commitment.

The remaining thirty thousand Temple Knights were selected from the vast western regions of the Holy Nation, gathered from cities like Holy Star City to form a formidable coalition of sixty thousand.

The Holy Empire has always adhered to a strategy of elite troops, maintaining only about one-fifth of the standing army compared to other major powers. After all, when facing powerful demons and other malevolent forces, merely amassing numbers holds no significance, only leading to more casualties and potentially becoming cannon fodder for the enemy.

Thus, these sixty thousand Temple Knights made up the entirety of the western expeditionary army.

Of course, this also included special formations such as the Priesthood, the Arbiter’s guerrilla unit, and the Saintess’s exclusive Holy Warrior squad, but all these could still be classified under the six Temple Knights divisions as a comprehensive force.

The Western Capital was unusually bustling today. The vast capacity of Mingguang City was certainly sufficient to accommodate the deployment of sixty thousand troops, so the coalition, having arrived in batches over the past few days, had already set up camp within the city, awaiting today’s review by the Saintess.

Although it was still morning, the flow of people in the streets was more bustling than ever, countless traders and travelers flocked to witness this once-in-a-century great expedition.

As a result, the Temple Knights responsible for maintaining order were considerably more numerous than usual, creating a veritable crowd.

Walking alone on the road, Miss White Fox could clearly feel many people pointing and staring at her. Some gazed with curiosity and admiration, while others appeared puzzled, listening to their companions explaining the situation. Wherever she went, she instantly became the focus of attention.

After all, the name “Xī” had become widely known as the tale of the Masked Demon spread, drawing increasing recognition from the public. Even that battle had been adapted into dramas, with stories proliferating alongside cultural dissemination.

Everything about Xī, her unique attire, her mask, had gradually become a trend within the Western Capital, imitated and adored by many.

With fame comes the desire of people to uncover more about this mysterious and powerful Miss Priestess, or even to see the true face hidden beneath her white fox mask. After all, curiosity for the unknown is a biological instinct, particularly when that “unknown” seems relatively safe.

While most people understood restraint and respect, there were always a handful of self-important individuals or those lacking sense who would step out of line.

Over the past half month, Vilyric had encountered no less than ten individuals who abruptly approached her, unilaterally expressing their so-called “admiration” or even “infatuation,” the majority being men, but occasionally, there would also be women thinking they could just befriend her with their feminine charms.

In addition, many others asked numerous peculiar questions driven by curiosity, including but not limited to, “How does Miss Xī eat with a mask on?” and “Miss Xī always wears this red and white long dress, don’t you need to change and bathe?” and “Are Miss Xī’s fox ears real? Can I touch them?” … these annoying troubles.

This is the downside of being famous, which Vilyric had always tried to avoid. After all, most of these people meant no harm; the Priestess couldn’t just wave them away like a flying insect.

Naturally, there were also some with malicious intents who, fearing Xī’s powerful abilities, dared not act recklessly and opted for a softer approach, attempting to bribe her with wealth or seeking favors to glimpse the beauty behind her mask, or even to establish “that kind of” relationship.

For such idiots, it was convenient; she could simply have the patrolling Temple Knights escort them off to have some tea in the prison, and as for their annoying cries of “You’ll regret this!” and “Wait, I can pay more!” she’d simply pretend not to hear.

Thus, it had become rare for Vilyric to bring other companions along during her trips to the bustling market recently. After all, if they attracted attention, especially those like Tilysha, who were relatively defenseless, or Eudora, who was temporarily with her and had a sensitive identity, it would lead to some considerable trouble.

Fortunately, the identity she used now was merely a facade.

Anyway, no matter how famous she was, once the mask was off, who would know she was the renowned Miss Xī?

Amidst the gazes of the crowd, Miss White Fox soon arrived at the training ground in the eastern district of the Starry Bear.

Flags fluttering, the Temple Knights clad in gleaming white armor were already lined up in a neat formation, standing in ranks in the square, while on the periphery, Holy Knights not participating in the expedition set up a barrier, keeping the countless onlookers at bay.

Adhering to the elite troop doctrine, nearly every Temple Knight was equipped with full-body armor made from a mix of materials including some Ink Steel, and their weaponry was distinctly different from that of ordinary troops. While it might not reach the level of magical equipment, they were certainly crafted masterpieces by skilled artisans.

Aside from each profession’s specialized weapons or staves, most Temple Knights were also equipped with dual-handed ceremonial weapons resembling long polearms found on the Blue Star, situated between spears and longswords.

This weapon was heftier than the long spears commonly seen in the United Kingdom, the Wasteland, and the Kingdom of Azure, with long and sharp blades that wielded substantial might but also required the user to possess enough strength to handle them properly.

Vilyric had previously tried one of these standardized polearms; its weight was at least over fifty pounds, and the higher-tier variants used by captains and the like could exceed a hundred pounds. They weren’t just any random piece of equipment anyone could swing about carelessly.

Each Temple Knight could be regarded as a fully-armed heavy infantryman, and mounted on a horse transformed them into heavy cavalry, additionally utilizing a special type of magic known as faith-based magic.

Therefore, while only sixty thousand Temple Knights were being dispatched for the expedition, their actual combat effectiveness on the battlefield against demons was entirely comparable to an ordinary force of six hundred thousand, or even a million.

Seeing the girl with the white fox mask approach, a centurion resembling a battalion leader quickly dashed out from among the Temple Knights maintaining order outside, coming up beside Vilyric amidst the curious gazes of the crowd and respectfully performing a knightly salute.

“Exalted Goddess, Miss Xī, you have finally arrived. The Saintess has been waiting for quite some time. What do you think…?”

Not surprised by the sudden approach, the White Fox girl merely nodded slightly and spoke in a calm tone.

“Um, let’s go over now. Please lead the way.”

“Of course! Please follow me!”

Well, the reason she got up so early to watch the parade wasn’t solely due to Miss Vilyric wanting to join the excitement; it was also largely because a certain Saintess had previously asked her to do a small favor.

In this unprecedented great expedition in three hundred years, destined to be recorded in history as the “Fourth Demon War,” if the great hero who stepped forth to confront the “Masked Demon,” saving countless citizens of the Western Capital, could make an appearance beside the Saint of Bright Light during the parade, it would undoubtedly boost morale immensely.

“So, I’m counting on you!”

*Cough*, this was a direct quote from a certain Saintess.

   

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