CHAPTER 388: CONVICTION.

Aurelia walked the empty street, looking left and right but finding nobody, not even a pedestrian. ‎Everything was abandoned, the houses, the market, and the city square that used to be filled with laughter and conversations. Everyone had left the Holy Nation, nobody stayed, not a single soul after what they found out about the truth. The silence was so thick it pressed against her chest. No bells rang, no prayers echoed, not even the chatter of children in the streets. The world had turned its back on this place. And yet, when she lifted her eyes, the Paladins still stood.

‎Aurelia took a deep breath and tried to push the emotions aside. She had to focus on what was in front of her, the line of the remaining Paladins who stayed. She was moved when they chose to stay because they believed that goodness wasn’t about serving God, but to do what was right.

‎"My Lady..." The Paladin’s captain, Ulric.

‎All the Paladins lowered their heads, even though their bodies were so used to go down on one knee. They was no longer serving a Saint, but they knew deep down Aurelia was still a Saint in their eyes. They knew that she was a true Saint for revealing the dark secret, bearing the consequences and the responsibilities.

‎Aurelia lowered her head and looked beyond the Paladins that were lined up in front of her. Her gaze was focused on the gate in the distance, her expression stiffened and serious.

‎"They’re here?" Aurelia asked, looking at the cloudless blue sky.

‎

‎"They’re here, My Lady. We have counted and there are at least two thousands of knights and mages beyond the city wall," Ulric answered as he looked at Aurelia without any sign of fear and hesitation.

Aurelia took a shuddering breath as she nodded and walked toward the gate in the distance. All the Paladins parted ways, watching her walk past them before they raised their shields and follow her from behind. Their faces were hidden on the full helmet they wore, the white armor that made them different than steel-colored armor. They walked with their heads held high and their shoulders squared, ready to follow the order of the lady they served.

"Sir Esper and the rest are already on the frontline, Sir Ulric?" Aurelia asked, walking gracefully with the white robe that she wore, the robe where she removed the crest of the Holy Nation and the Angelis family’s crest, a pure white gown.

"Yes, My Lady, Sir Esper is out there. His presence is enough to make them to hesitate to make a move and to attack the city," Ulric answered as he nodded.

There was tension in the air, and Aurelia could feel it, and it wasn’t fear but rather something else. She looked over her shoulders, staring through the small gap in the Paladins’ helmets. She didn’t say a word, but she understood their concerns, their hopes of not bathed their blades with human’s blood because they had been using their weapons to fight demonic beasts, nothing more.

"Please, if you wish to stand down, please stand down..." Aurelia said with a gentle voice as she turned around to look at the Paladins behind her. "Your guilt will only pain me more than what the gnawing feeling in my heart, the fact that I will take the lives of others is already unbearable," she revealed with a softened gaze and voice.

There was only silence for a moment, the wind blew their capes, creating a heavy atmosphere as they stared Aurelia in the eyes. They could see nothing but the truth of fear and guilt, but they also saw determination, conviction, and acceptance. They knew that they weren’t the only ones who were concerned about this situation, and they all stood their ground, not moving away even after Aurelia gave them a way out.

"Let the deaths of the lives you take will be the ones I will bear. All of you will become the Truthbearer, the people who will fight against the corruption and the dark mist that blinds those who are lost. You will not only take people’s lives, but you will also become the savior of the people. Believe in me, and I will promise you that I will stay true to the truth and only the truth," Aurelia said with a serious expression before she turned around and continued her path toward the gate.

The Paladins didn’t take a second to process, they followed her the moment she took a step forward.

Aurelia walked out of the gate and saw two dozen of Paladins standing in line with Esper at the front as their captain. When they saw her, they parted and let her walk past them, lowering their heads while the Paladins that Ulric commanded began to stand in formation. Esper lowered his head as he watched Aurelia walk toward him and stood beside him, staring at the army in the distance.

"Have they sent a messenger yet, Sir Esper?" Aurelia asked, her gaze was focused on the thousands in front of her.

"Not yet, My Lady. I believe they’re waiting for you," Esper answered, and then saw a man on a horse began to move with two knights behind him follow the man. "It seems they’re making a move now, My Lady," he pointed out.

Aurelia nodded and began to proceed in meeting with the enemy’s leader. Esper and Ulric followed her from behind with their hands ready on the handles of their swords. They kept their eyes wide open to their surroundings, making sure there was no mages or archers that would do a surprise attack on them.

Once they faced each other, Aurelia watched the muscular and bearded old man jumping down from his horse. He didn’t bother to lower his head to Aurelia since he didn’t have a reason to, especially that Aurelia chose to strip down from all her status.

"Please walk away and let us take the city, Lady Aurelia. There’s no need for an unnecessary battle because you don’t have enough force to even protect your nation," the old man said with a loud and deep voice, trying to intimidate Aurelia.

"And who are you to tell me to get out of the land that I own, Sir?" Aurelia asked, staring into the man’s eyes. "Would you abandon your home just because strangers gather at your door? No, you would fight for it, no matter their number."

"That land..." The leader pointed his finger at the Holy Nation behind the wall. "That land is built by the money of the people, the followers that you have deceived. That land belongs to ours, and we will take back what’s ours," he said, his body towering Aurelia.

Ulric and Esper were staring at the man with a cold gaze and ready to cut his head off the moment he dared to touch or leaned even closer to Aurelia. On the other hand, Aurelia didn’t flinch, didn’t react to the man’s words.

"Ours? Who? I don’t see the other nations behind you, only one. I don’t believe my land only belongs to one nation. So, no, I won’t give this land to the nation you serve. Don’t try to speak about the truth when you’re only using it for your own gain, Sir," Aurelia responded, her gaze never leaving the man’s eyes.

"If that’s what you want, Lady Aurelia. Then we will proceed with what we came for, so please, be ready," the man said with a cold tone.

The man clenched his jaw and fists, but he knew he couldn’t touch her, not in this moment. He decided to retreat, climbing up on his horse before he turned around and go back to the line. Aurelia watched them leave before she turned around and walked back to be with the 56 Paladins that were going to defend the city against more than 2,000 soldiers.

Aurelia was surprised to see Serena outside the wall, standing in front of the Paladins with Videl beside her. She fastened her pace because she promised that she didn’t want Serena to get involved in her battle.

"Saint Serena? Why are you out here?" Aurelia asked with a worried voice.

"I’m just wondering," Serena smiled gently at Aurelia before she turned around to look at the Paladins that behind her. "In a scale of one Paladin how many knights and mages they can handle on their own?" She asked.

"10 to 15 knights, Your Holiness," Ulric answered with confidence.

"And what about Swordmasters like you two can handle?" Serena asked with her brows raised, looking over her shoulder at Esper and Ulric.

"I can handle a hundred knights with confident, and that also apply with Lord Esper, Your Holiness," Ulric answered with confidence.

"So that’s roughly a thousand people," Serena hummed as she placed her hand on Videl’s pauldron. Videl was wearing an all-black full body armor, covering his whole body and identity from others. "Then I’ll lend you this knight of mine. He can easily handle the remaining half of the enemy’s force," she smiled softly.

"Saint Serena, I don’t want you to be a part of my battle. I don’t want you to do that..." Aurelia said with a frown on her face.

"And I’m not planning to, Aurelia. But he’s not a part of me, so that doesn’t count, isn’t it?" Serena chuckled softly. "Please, use him. He would love to help you," she said as she placed her hand on Aurelia’s shoulder.

Aurelia shoulders relaxed a bit, knowing that protecting the city wouldn’t be impossible anymore but guaranteed.

"Thank you, Saint Serena," Aurelia smiled gently as she held Serena’s hand on her shoulder.

"Good luck, ladies and gentlemen. May God be with you," Serena snapped her fingers and used her Divine power to enhance everyone’s physical ability by two folds before she walked away and went back inside the wall.