I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

While the two were tossing and turning in bed, unable to fall asleep—

Holy City, Cathedral.

The documents from the last meeting were still scattered on the long table in the council chamber, and the parchment filled with the rankings of the warrior squad's priests in reserve was hurriedly tidied up and moved aside.

Cardinal Marcus sat in the main seat, his face solemn, his quill still in his hand, and an urgent secret letter that had just been sent from the Elven court lay open in front of him.

Inside the hall, in addition to the high-ranking officials who attended the last meeting, there were also several Templar Knights officers dressed in silver-white light armor.

Marcus pushed the secret letter to the center of the table and said in a low voice, "News has come from the Elven court that the demons have amassed about two legions of troops on the northern border and have already clashed with the Elven rangers several times."

The demons seem to be deliberately hunting elves, especially lone rangers. While elves are long-lived, their numbers are far fewer than the demons', and in a conflict without the use of forbidden spells, they would be at a disadvantage no matter what.

A cardinal frowned: "Hunting elves? The demons have always coveted the elves' magical knowledge and often kidnapped them as slaves, but such a targeted operation is unprecedented."

"What's even stranger is the demons' unusually persistent pursuit of the elves: according to surviving elves, the demons seem to be looking for some specific person or thing," Marcus added.

One of the more senior cardinals put down the holy book in his hand and slowly spoke: "According to the ancient covenant, when the Elven royal court is attacked, the human kingdoms and the church are obligated to send troops to support it."

But the capital has just experienced a divine descent, and the people's hearts are not yet settled; the refugees in the north have not been fully resettled; and the First Legion is still stationed in the west... Opening another front at this time would leave our forces stretched thin.

Someone asked, "What did they say in the capital?"

Marcus took out a royal letter from his sleeve and unfolded it, saying, "His Majesty the King has ordered the remnants of the Third Legion to form a support force with a part of the First Legion, and they will set off in three days."

However, this decision was highly controversial at the council meeting, with many ministers arguing that it was a matter for the elves themselves and that humans should not risk their lives for the elves.

"Foolish!" A young bishop slammed his hand on the table. "If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. If the demons defeat the elven royal court, the western and northern fronts will be connected, and the capital will have no natural defenses left!"

Another person calmly analyzed, "But we also have to consider the actual troop strength. The First Legion is stationed in the western border, the Second Legion is to protect the capital, and the Third Legion has just suffered a heavy blow in the western border... The kingdom can only send out a limited number of troops, so the symbolic significance is greater than the practical significance."

Marcus, still playing the peacemaker, raised his hand to quell the argument: "The kingdom has its own considerations. Our church's duty is to fulfill the part of the covenant that 'provides the aid of the Holy Light and elite forces.' Ladies and gentlemen, the Elven Royal Court's letter requesting aid specifically mentioned the 'Holy Sword.'"

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Who doesn't know that the Holy Sword has a "special attack" effect against demons?

Ordinary people may not know that the previous hero Alex wiped out the demon vanguard with a single sword strike, but these high-ranking members of the church are very clear about it.

Marcus continued, "The news of the Holy Sword's early maturity was originally planned to be announced on the Day of Revelation, but the Elven Court wanted us to release the news ahead of time to deter the demons."

They believed the demons' actions were highly likely related to the Holy Sword—a new hero had yet to appear, and the demons wanted to take advantage of this window of opportunity to disrupt the alliance between humans and elves, and even seize the Holy Sword.

"The Holy Sword possesses a spirit; only the brave can touch it. How can the demons seize it?" a bishop questioned.

Marcus shook his head. "We don't know either, but intelligence from the Elven Court indicates that the demons seem to be searching for a way to 'remove the restriction on the Holy Sword's binding with a master.' The new Demon King, Malbaz, has always been radical, so we must be wary."

Anna, who hadn't even had a chance to return to the capital before being summoned to a meeting, sat quietly at the end of the table, listening intently. She then spoke softly:

"Since the Holy Sword is about to be completed and we need to deter the demons, why not announce the news in advance? At the same time, the Church can send a high-ranking official to the Elven Royal Court to understand the situation, instead of blindly sending troops."

Marcus nodded: "Deacon Anna's suggestion coincides with my own. The support legion in the capital will need several days to prepare, while our church can send a special envoy with news that the Holy Sword is nearing completion to discuss specific cooperation plans with the Elven Royal Court. At the same time, the Knights Templar will send an elite squad to accompany them, just in case."

"Who will be the special envoy?"

Marcus's gaze fell on Anna: "Butler Anna has just returned from the capital and is familiar with the movements of the Western Regions and the Demon Clan; she was also a member of the Hero's Squad and has had dealings with the Elven Royal Court. It is most suitable for her to lead the team."

Anna paused slightly, then rose and bowed: "I will obey the Cardinal's command."

Marcus added, "Furthermore, the news of the Holy Sword's maturity will be announced to the entire city during tonight's evening prayers, and will then be spread throughout the world via secret church messages, so that the demons will know that humanity's hope has never been lost."

No one raised any further objections.

Marcus signed his name on the letter of appointment with a quill and handed it to Anna: "Depart immediately. Do not wait for the Legion. A squad of Templars awaits outside the city. May the Holy Light guide you."

Anna took the letter, put it away, bowed, and left the council chamber.

Outside the window, dusk was falling, and the bells of the holy city were about to ring.

……

Ji Tian looked down at the person in his arms, pulled the blanket up to cover her exposed shoulders.

Elena nestled in his arms, her body still trembling slightly, her fingers unconsciously drawing circles on his chest.

"Does it hurt?" Ji Tian asked.

"Nonsense~" Elena buried her face even deeper, covering her bright red ears with a pillow. "Don't ask me questions like that."

Upon hearing this, Ji Tian stopped asking questions and gently patted her back to comfort her.

After a long silence, Elena finally spoke in a muffled voice, "You...you'll take responsibility, right?"

Of course.

"Don't be so wooden anymore."

"As much as possible."

She looked up at him, her eyes red-rimmed, and said, "What do you mean by 'as far as possible'? You should say 'definitely'."

Ji Tian looked at her, reached out and wiped away the remaining tear stains from the corner of her eyes, "Definitely."

Elena then leaned back into his arms, satisfied, and drew a heart shape on his chest with her fingers again.

"Ji Tian~"

"What's wrong?"

"What were you thinking when you kissed me first?"

"I'm thinking... how to stop you from crying."

"and then?"

"Then I found that this method worked quite well."

Elena lightly punched his chest. Ji Tian had already controlled his physical strength to a minimum, so this time there was no pain like hitting a wall. "You—! So you'll kiss me every time I cry from now on?"

"it is good."

"...You're such a blockhead."

It was dusk outside the window, and a gentle breeze rustled through the old, crooked oak tree, its newly sprouted branches swaying softly in the light and shadow.

In the distance, the faint sound of Gregor directing his servants to sweep the courtyard could be heard; everything was so quiet, yet so vibrant.

Elena closed her eyes, feeling the warmth and heartbeat emanating from Ji Tian's chest.

"Ji Tian".

"What's wrong?"

"Your heart is beating so fast."

"...You misheard me."

She smiled, found a more comfortable position in his arms, and fell into a deep sleep.