[Vol. 5] Chapter 123: The Promise with You
Although a single Crystal Bright Beast, with its imnse strength, is capable of pulling several tons or even tens of tons of cargo, to avoid any unforeseen accidents, large caravans like the one Violet and others are traveling in are typically hauled by at least three fully grown Crystal Bright Beasts.
After all, war is no child’s play. Even though this type of caravan is unlikely to be taken directly to the battlefield, there’s no guarantee that along the way, they won’t encounter demons or other unidentified enemies launching sudden attacks. Therefore, safety and stability are of utmost importance.
Incidentally, although the core of the Expeditionary Army consists of 60,000 Knight Templars, when adding the logistics personnel, those not officially part of the force like Violet, the attendants of the Saintess, and other accompanying personnel, the total number actually approaches 200,000.
Most of them will not travel with the main force of the 60,000 cavalry, who move at the fastest pace.
Instead, they will follow behind at a slower speed, heading toward several key cities in the eastern part of the Holy Empire, including the Angel City, to establish supply lines and continuously transport resources from the rear.
It seems that Yuna never intended to heavily rely on the Church for support from the very beginning. Instead, she planned to rely on the western regions, with Bright Light City at the forefront, to directly establish a supply line and sustain the massive consumption of the expedition.
Such a feat cannot be accomplished overnight or on a whim. The Sumrfield family has likely been secretly preparing for this holy war for a long ti.
In this light, the earlier shipnt of large quantities of iron ore and magic crystals to Bright Light City by the White Dove rchant Guild, along with other rchant caravans that were clearly not the only ones involved, and the fact that the Sumrfield family had long since forged a cooperative relationship with the wealthy Spirit Veil rchant Guild, all make perfect sense.
At least one thing is certain, the outbreak of the holy war was long foreseen by the Bright Light Saintess.
As she contemplated the key information she had gathered so far and sorted through the connections in her mind, the white fox girl shifted her position.
She moved to the side of the pink-haired girl, who was curiously looking around the interior of the carriage like an innocent child, seemingly anxious about leaving the city she had never stepped out of since she was little.
Raising her hand, she habitually ruffled the latter’s incredibly soft hair.
“Little Eudora, are you still worried?”
There was no denying that the succubus race naturally possessed a charm far beyond that of ordinary beings. In soone like Chloe, a fully grown adult, it could be called allure.
But in soone like Eudora, whose body hadn’t fully matured and who was still just a child, it leaned more toward a kind of endearing cuteness that evoked pity.
Even though Eudora likely wasn’t intentionally emitting this aura, the small amount that naturally leaked from her was enough to make her seem even more adorable and fragile than other girls her age. It made people want to scoop her up and shower her with affection.
Of course, this childish charm would have no effect on true powerhouses. In fact, it would only add unnecessary danger and trouble to the little one.
Considering all of this, there was no way Violet could leave Eudora, who was already a succubus, in Bright Light City. Her identity was far too taboo in the Holy Empire.
If discovered, not even Yuna, the Bright Light Saintess, could guarantee her safety — let alone the fact that Yuna had no reason to protect a demon in the first place.
When it ca to this Saintess, Violet couldn’t say she fully trusted her. Though she seed easygoing on the surface, the priestess could sense that Yuna Sumrfield was extrely firm and pure in her faith, to the point where it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call her a zealot.
However, the word “zealot” here doesn’t rely imply madness.
People like her, in certain circumstances, can easily commit extre actions that ordinary people would find unacceptable. This is why Eudora’s identity must absolutely remain hidden from her. For now, Violet could only keep Eudora by her side.
“You don’t seem very happy. Is it because you’re reluctant to leave this city, or is it that person who always ignores you?”
After all, Eudora was only a little over ten years old. While she was relatively well-behaved and rarely caused trouble for adults, the slight worry hidden beneath her curiosity and excitent over new things did not escape the white fox girl’s notice.
It wasn’t just Violet. Aside from the dragon girl who didn’t care about such matters, Leila, Rene, and even Theresa had all vaguely sensed it.
However, since it was the priestess herself who decided to take Eudora away, they refrained from comnting or comforting the little girl on the matter.
The young girl pouted and instinctively turned her head away.
“No… Eudora isn’t unhappy. Well… alright, maybe just a little. Even though Uncle Jadler always ignored , he did take care of for many years. If it had just been alone, I probably would’ve starved to death long ago…”
“The other neighbors—uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters—were all very kind to … Little Ka and Little Bri from the orphanage would often run out to see and bring food…”
Eudora lifted her head, and though her light purple eyes were bright and clear, a visible trace of sorrow flickered through them.
“Big sister fox, does that an I’ll never see them again?”
“Uh! H-how could that be! Eudora, actually…”
The green-haired girl, who loved the little loli with a shared sense of misfortune, hurriedly opened her mouth, wanting to say sothing. However, the white fox girl raised her left hand, her gesture cutting off the other’s voice.
Even without hearing it, Violet could guess what Theresa was about to say, sothing along the lines of “We’re only leaving temporarily, we’ll co back eventually,” or “You’ll definitely have a chance to see them again soday.”
These empty and sowhat deceitful words were akin to how so parents tell children, after a family mber passes away, that “Grandpa and Grandma just went to heaven and won’t be back for a very, very long ti,” to shield a child’s pure, fragile heart from the harshness of reality.
But Violet believed Eudora didn’t need such sugar-coated false comfort.
She was a child abandoned by the gods. Though she had only been in the world for a little over ten years, she had already endured many hardships and witnessed too much pain and separation.
Despite her innocence and youth, the fact that she didn’t want to accept gifts for free and instead sought to repay those who helped her with her own labor showed that Eudora understood reality. She wasn’t just a fragile flower living in a naive dream world.
To deceive a child like her with sweet lies would be the true harm.
“As things stand now, yes, that’s how it is. Eudora, you should understand that you are now a creature known as a demon. You know that’s not a good na, but you may not yet realize what such a title truly ans in this land, do you?”
Pondering for a mont, the girl spoke words that were sowhat harsh.
“This ans that anyone who interacts with or grows close to you will, if your identity is exposed, be imdiately implicated and judged as heretics for colluding with demons. At the very least, they’ll be exiled from the country. But more likely, they’ll be directly ‘purified’—in other words, killed. And of course, you would be the first among them. Do you understand?”
“The decision to complete your demon transformation was mine. If you wish to complain, you can…”
Before the white fox girl could finish, the young loli’s face suddenly showed shock.
“B-but, Sister Fox, if that’s the case… then won’t everyone be in danger?! What will happen to you all if we’re found out?!”
“…Alright, calm down, let finish what I was saying.”
With a slight press of her fingers, she gently pushed the panicked Eudora back down when she tried to get up.
Seeing that the little one didn’t get angry or complain, but instead worried about the others’ safety before her own, even Violet, with her normally cold and indifferent heart, couldn’t help but feel a small warmth from Eudora’s pure, unpolished kindness.
So things, so truths, didn’t need to be spoken too much or made too clear.
“It’s true, as long as we’re within the Holy Empire, anyone who stays with you is at risk. That’s not wrong. But… that doesn’t include us, the ones currently in this carriage.”
Miss White Fox gently ruffled the head of the now-anxious child and spoke with a soft voice filled with confidence.
“Though we may never return to Bright Light City, I promise you, Sister Fox will find you a new ho where you can live safely and happily. So, little Eudora, you no longer need to be afraid or worry about being abandoned or hard.”
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