Ella opened her mouth slightly in surprise and asked Camisia for confirmation.
Camisia nodded seriously.
"Oz has acknowledged the identity of Saint Jinghua, but he hasn't made her a true Saint. The so-called Holy Son Successor is probably just a transitional status, and there's still some distance between her and becoming a true Saint."
"It could also mean something like the heir to the throne. Only after Angelica-chan is confirmed to have gone to another world can Kagami-chan become a true saint."
Iris added as she stepped forward from behind Camisia.
"In short, Oz has acknowledged Saint Jinghua's identity. Saint Jinghua can rest assured."
“…You really admitted it?”
The situation was so different from the one where they had nowhere to go just now. Jinghua rushed to Kamisia with excitement, his whole body trembling. Kamisia responded with a gentle look and handed the notice in her hand to Jinghua.
Unable to control the emotions in my heart, even the paper in my hand was shaking slightly.
"I'm so glad you actually admitted it... Ella... I succeeded, I succeeded!"
His lips moved as he murmured softly, then he slowly turned around and looked at Ella. Finally, tears gathered in his eyes. Jinghua rushed straight to Ella, hugged her, and burst into tears.
Perhaps she was finally able to vent the frustration and grievance that had been accumulating in her heart for a long time. Thinking so, Ella patted Jinghua's back gently as if comforting a junior.
After five full minutes, Jinghua left Ella sobbing. The paper in her hand had already been crumpled into a ball, and her face was covered with tear marks. Even Ella's shoulders were soaked with tears.
Looking at the tear and sweat stains on Ella's clothes, Jinghua took a step back and lowered his head.
"I'm...I'm sorry."
"It's okay. Rather than that, Jinghua, you should just wipe your tears first."
Ella took out a handkerchief from the storage and handed it to Jinghua. Only then did Jinghua realize that there were other people standing in the room. Especially when she remembered that Ruthie and Mitis were also in the room, she suddenly became stunned and froze in place. She slowly turned her head with a slightly frightened look and looked at Ruthie and Mitis who were standing behind Ella.
——Thankfully, his actions didn't cause them any annoyance. Lotte smiled in response, while Mitis waved her hand with a look of "there's nothing I can do about it."
Did they both know that they had no such feelings for Ella and it was just pure friendship, or did everyone present know that they were sticking to their own BL culture and therefore had no worries at all?
But no matter which possibility it was, Jinghua only felt a sense of being filled in his heart. The loneliness of drifting alone in a foreign land disappeared at this moment. The feeling of being recognized, trusted and accepted by others made Jinghua's nose sour.
"Thanks……"
"No need to thank me."
"...I wasn't telling Ella."
“Eh——”
Ella froze in place in embarrassment, while Camisia, who was standing beside her, reminded her.
"Oz's message tells Saint Jinghua to return to the castle immediately. I don't think Oz will change his mind at the drop of a hat, but it's best to go quickly. I'll send someone to escort you for safety."
"Yes, yes! Then, I'll go first?"
"No need for questions."
There was a barely perceptible hint of silence in Shen Gan's emotionless tone.
"Going late will lower Oz's impression, right, Kagami-chan?"
"Then... I'm off!"
"Um."
As if remembering something, Jinghua, who had already run to the corridor, suddenly turned around and waved desperately at Ella and her group as if she wanted to break her arms.
"I'll be back!"
"Yes, yes. It will be too late if we don't go now."
Ella sighed helplessly.
As Jinghua's footsteps faded away, only the members of the Branch of Disaster except Angelica were left in the room.
The room was silent for a moment, as if waiting for the emotions to settle.
"Ahem."
The first person to speak wasn't Iris or Camisia, but Ella, who had taken off her coat and put on the "Miracle of Healing."
Ella clapped her hands lightly, making a "pa" sound, and let out a small breath.
"Well, now that Kagamika has been recognized, let's discuss the remaining issues."
Chapter 61: Plans and Mutations
*创世纪6187年11月5日 上午11:10分 库米海姆王国
Now is the third day since Jinghua was recognized by Oz. As Iris said, Oz announced to the public that Jinghua is the successor of the Saint. Only after confirming that Angelica is missing or dead, can Jinghua become the official Saint. In addition, it is worth noting that Oz does not seem to be as stubborn as before. He added a clause in the notice issued to the people that if Saint Angelica is found, then Jinghua will become the second Saint.
In the human kingdom, this wanton increase in the number of saints would undoubtedly arouse the disgust of many people, but from what Ella saw, the Kumi people did not seem to have such a problem. Instead, they began to dig into Jinghua's life experience with great interest.
As for the conflict between Kiru and the Kingdom of Kumheim, it was eased because Jinghua was recognized. Although Oz did not express that he would return Angelica in the future, as long as Jinghua had the title of saint, subsequent matters would be much easier to discuss. In addition, in Kiru's eyes, Angelica was just hidden in a border town by Oz, so the act of establishing another saint's successor was undoubtedly a sign of submission, which meant that she would be returned after a period of time.
In such an environment, Kiru was of course willing to protect the safety of the Kingdom of Kumheim. After explaining his request to Camisia and Ella, the demon soldiers guarding the border of the Kingdom of Untermire marched towards the eastern border of the Kingdom of Kumheim under secret orders.
It is also worth mentioning that the Kingdom of Untermire, which is very close to being a vassal state, also participated in this operation. The local lord expressed his willingness to provide logistical assistance for this war. Although the lord also told Linglan, who led the soldiers, that he hoped to send most of his troops to assist, Linglan politely rejected the lord's proposal because the militia would not only be useless in frontal combat, but would also drag him down, causing damage to the demon soldiers and militia together.
The reason why the lord volunteered was very simple. As long as he could play a role in the suzerain country's foreign war, the king would naturally promote the lord for the sake of the demon clan. For the lord, it was a godsend opportunity.
Looking at Jinghua who was undergoing combat training not far away, Ella, who was sitting on the stone pier, couldn't help but feel a little envious - it was easier to receive training from Mitis than to have to sign Camisia's combat plan. The mental fatigue was far heavier than the physical fatigue.
"...The Royal Guards are expected to arrive at noon today, and the soldiers from the Kingdom of Harry will pass through a branch of the Heim River in the afternoon, seven kilometers from the royal capital. The long march will necessitate a riverside camp for rest and preparations for the siege at dawn the next day. The battle will then be divided into two parts... Princess?"
Camisia stopped moving the military flag on the sand table and looked at Ella, who narrowed her eyes slightly with envy.
Ella came to her senses immediately.
"Ah, I'm listening."
"Senior, you're distracted again."
“Eh…”
Unable to hide it from the eyes of Shen Gan next to her, Ella timidly looked up at Camisia. Camisia did not seem angry at all, on the contrary, she had an understanding look.
"Indeed, these trivial matters should not be left to the princess. They should be decided by me, your servant..."
"No, no, that's not what I meant."
Ella waved her hands quickly.
"I just need a moment to think..."
"How careless!"
boom.
Just as Ella was racking her brains to think of how to explain, Mitis, who was fighting not far away, shouted, and the battle ended with the sound of a wooden stick hitting her head.
“It hurts, it hurts… Hitting me on the head is just too much!”
"Uh, sorry, Jinghua's progress is so fast, I got a little caught up in it."
"You two should take a break first."
Jinghua and Mitis took the towel and juice handed to them by Lotte and went to rest in the shade where Ella was sitting. Due to the impending war, the guests in the inn had fled outside the city, and now only Ella and her group were left, so they didn't have to worry about being overheard even if they discussed important matters directly in the backyard.
After wiping the sweat from his forehead with a soft towel, Jinghua, panting, sat down on the empty seat opposite Ella.
"Phew, I'm so tired. I didn't expect Oz to ask me to go to the castle just to test me."
The so-called test refers to the task that Oz asked Jinghua to guard the city gate. Thanks to this, Jinghua has been training day and night these two days.
"Your Majesty, Oz, is probably trying to build up Miss Kagamika's prestige within the army. If Miss Kagamika participates in this war, she'll have even greater public support when she becomes a saint."
"But asking someone who's never experienced war to be a commander is ridiculous, no matter how you look at it. They said, 'Since you're a saint chosen by the gods, you should demonstrate your abilities as a child of God.' I thought they were suggesting some kind of internal affairs cheating, but they're assigning me to be the captain of the city defense. Although Miss Camisia said Oz's assignment is to the west gate, where the troops are weak and impossible to attack, I still feel a sense of tension."
To be honest, Jinghua hasn't been able to sleep well these days because of this incident.
Jinghua let out a long sigh.
"If I were just an ordinary soldier being commanded, it would be fine, but they actually asked me to command others. Even though I'm only commanding ten soldiers, what if I mislead them and they get hurt..."
"I feel like I can understand Jinghua's feelings."
He was also worried about the safety of the demon soldiers.
Ruthie, who had resumed making tea, consoled him.
"Don't worry, His Majesty Oz has already recognized Miss Jinghua as a saint and will not embarrass Miss Jinghua anymore."
"It's a pity that Oz specifically emphasized not to ask anyone else for help. Otherwise, if we just went over there, Jinghua wouldn't have to worry. Speaking of which, Ella, where is Iris?"
Mitis lifted her hair and wiped the back of her neck with a towel, then looked at Ella.
"He said he was worried about Angelina, so he went to the residential area in the North District early this morning."
"Really? Indeed, at this critical moment, if something goes wrong with Angelica, it will be terrible. And Camisia, will the battle start tomorrow?"
"Well, I had originally planned to handle it myself, but if you're interested, Sir Mitis, there's no harm in speaking up now."
Camisia turned her attention back to the sand table and carefully explained the next plan to everyone.
"It is expected that the Harry Kingdom will attack the capital of the Kumiheim Kingdom before dawn tomorrow. Since the tributary of the Heim River, where the Harry Kingdom and Riglist coalition forces are stationed, is seven kilometers away from the capital, there is a long buffer zone in between. Therefore, our demon soldiers can be divided into two groups. One group of 8,000 soldiers will be responsible for defeating the main force of the attacking coalition forces, while the other group will wait in the rear, facing the capital, at Kiru's request, to threaten Oz to hand over Angelini, pretending to give Oz a way out."
Until now, Kiru believed that Oz only appointed Jinghua as the successor of the Saint because he had no other choice. Therefore, as long as he let the demons arrive at the city and made it look like Oz had to hand over Angelica, Oz would step down and hand Angelica over to him.
Of course, it could also be in the form of "accident". For example, after a stalemate of several days outside the city, the soldiers "accidentally" discovered that Angelina had escaped from the city. After all, it was necessary to give Oz an excuse so that he could explain to his people. As for what to do after losing the saint, Oz only needed to bring Jinghua to the table and announce the news that Jinghua could decipher the text on the crown. The unrest would gradually subside with the passage of time.
Of course, this is definitely a good thing for Ella and her group who are in the know. Ella is of course happy that Jiru keeps his current idea. Before she first came, Ella was worried that Jiru would be dissatisfied with her plan to let the demon soldiers stay under the city and not move, and would ask her to attack the capital of the Kingdom of Kumheim. But now there is no need to worry. The ideas of both parties unexpectedly overlap, that is, just let the demon soldiers pretend, and Angeline will return to her hands by herself.
Ella questioned Camisia's words.
"Defeat the coalition forces? Wouldn't it be a huge loss if we only send a portion of our troops?... Don't the coalition forces have those war weapons called golems? Remember, the Kumheim Kingdom was defeated by the golems."
"Don't worry about that, Princess. I've already learned the true nature of the golem. It's not a weapon of war, but a stone statue summoned by the magic casters of the Riglist Church. Kumi are naturally very resistant to magic, but they also have difficulty using magic themselves. Therefore, when facing monsters like stone statues that are highly resistant to physical attacks, normal attacks are unlikely to be effective."
"Even so, isn't it a huge threat to our infantry?"
The most common characteristics of stone monsters are their huge size and hard skin, and ordinary stabbing or slashing can hardly cause any damage.
Camisia just smiled in response, but Ella caught a glimpse of sadism in her purple eyes, as if she was expecting something.
Placing a chess piece that was significantly larger than the others on the sand table, Camisia pushed it between the coalition flag and the Demon King's flag.
"Although I originally planned for Linglan, myself, and Lord Mitis to lead the magic casters to annihilate the golems, Dean's messenger recently informed me of the progress of the artificial puppet's manufacturing, which is the weapon for which you provided the blueprints and semi-finished products."
When Ella heard the words "artificial puppet", her throat rolled unconsciously, but Camisia didn't notice because of her unconcealable excitement.
"With your blueprints and the semi-finished product, Dean quickly ordered the gathering of the Demon Clan's top technicians to begin replicating and assembling it. Since this was the first prototype, Dean believed that the remaining designs on the blueprints should be incorporated into it, serving as a template to facilitate detailed adjustments during future mass production. However, he did not expect that the puppet, originally intended only for construction within the territory, would be exceptionally suitable for warfare.
Dean saw the potential of artificial puppets and, in order to use them as a support for our demon clan in times of crisis, he temporarily ordered the craftsmen to use the finest materials to build them. Although in the end, even the scarlet-gold-grade magic core was unable to power the puppet, everything was resolved after using the magic core you gave us before you left."
"Hmm... Could it be that Camisia is trying to say that the artificial puppet is on its way here?"
"Yes, the reason I left at night was to take the puppet Dean had placed in the storage tool. After seeing the puppet, even I was afraid of the power it contained. If it were to truly work, I'm afraid that even with the combined strength of Dean and I, we would only be able to barely defeat it. Even the stone monster, known for its hardness, would definitely not be able to withstand its trampling."
Camisia moved the chess piece representing the puppet and used it to kick down the coalition flag.
Ella could only pray for the well-being of the coalition forces. Although she had never seen an artificial puppet, anything made by "F.Wing" would definitely not be too weak.
"Miss Camisia... wouldn't using these artificial puppets be considered a massacre? If word gets out, it might even sway the demons..."
Not only would it lower the reputation of the demons, but it would also label Ella as a brutal person.
However, Camisia had already thought about this and answered in a calm yet confident tone.
"Lord Ruti shared my thoughts, so I intended the puppet to cease its actions after destroying the golem. This use was merely to test its suitability for warfare while destroying the golem. I had no intention of exposing its full capabilities."
"What if the Harry Kingdom still refuses to give up and continues to move forward?"
The one who spoke was Fuka, who was controlling "The Curse of Undine". The snowflake-shaped metal pieces danced in Fuka's hands as if they had life.
"I have already explained the issue Princess Ji raised to Linglan. The purpose of this battle is to inflict a severe blow to the Kingdom of Harry, capturing its soldiers and the commander. The cause of the riot in the Kingdom of Untermele has been investigated. Intelligence obtained from the captured Third Prince of the Kingdom of Harry indicates that it was the Harry nobles who supported him who were behind the rebellion, including having soldiers under demonic banners slaughter border villages. All of this was orchestrated by the Harry Kingdom. Their intention to destroy the Kingdom of Untermele is to provoke us demons behind them. Moreover, their actions have directly touched upon the Princess's property. Failure to inflict pain on them will only cause outsiders to question our loyalty to the Princess."
I don't feel anything... But then again, it's only normal to think that this has offended the demons, right?
Although she thought so in her heart, Ella would certainly not say it out loud without understanding the occasion. Otherwise, it would only undermine Camisia's good intentions, although she still felt that Camisia had gone too far.
Everyone shared Ella's thoughts, revealing subtle expressions of helplessness. Only Jinghua had her mouth slightly open, looking extremely envious of Camisia—muttering, "Miss Camisia is so handsome."
"So what should we do?"
Mitis asked.
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