The Adventures of an Overpowered Knight in Another World Chapter 726- Battle of Blacktide (10)

Yet beneath that breathtaking appearance lurked something cold enough to freeze one’s soul.

The beautiful woman was none other than the Ninth Heavenly King, Duvessa.

Her emerald eyes glanced toward the distant town.

"So... this is Blueberry Town, huh."

One of the cloaked demons respectfully knelt.

"Yes, Lady Duvessa. The information gathered by our infiltrators confirms it. This is where the target has resided for many years."

"Her name is Aurelia Benedict. A young woman who used to live together with her elder brother, Drystan Benedict, the current Vice Commander of the Temple of Light."

"According to our intelligence, she possesses no known combat ability, and she volunteers at the local church. She is well-liked by every resident of the town."

"So what makes her unusual?" Duvessa asked.

"Although the woman is a noncombatant and has never trained or leveled up, our agents report that several critically injured people have inexplicably recovered after receiving her care."

"There are also repeated accounts of people claiming that merely being around her calms their minds and eases their pain. Although nothing has been confirmed, the number of such reports continues to increase."

Another subordinate added,

"More importantly, she has close ties with Commander Reinhardt Arcknight. The Divine Paladin has personally visited this town numerous times."

"Based on eyewitness accounts, their relationship appears to be far closer than that of ordinary acquaintances."

Silence returned.

Duvessa gently smiled, and her beautiful eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"Interesting. The other two women turned out to be ordinary. I really hope we have the right target this time."

Compassion, healing, and the ability to inspire hope.

These abilities rarely appeared all at once.

But when several signs gathered around one person, they became difficult to dismiss as mere coincidence.

She slowly looked toward the distant church.

"If she truly is the woman that person is looking for... then we cannot allow her to awaken."

The surrounding subordinates lowered their heads.

"What are your orders, Lady Duvessa?"

"Do not rush. I want every corner of this town observed. Monitor the situation and identify everyone capable of posing a threat or anyone whose strength exceeds expectations."

"Once we capture the woman, withdraw immediately. No unnecessary fighting. We don’t want to attract unnecessary attention."

As she spoke, her emerald eyes reflected the peaceful lights of Blueberry Town.

The subordinates simultaneously bowed.

"As you command, Lady Duvessa."

The next instant, the figures dispersed soundlessly.

Within moments, no trace of their presence remained.

Evening settled gently over Blueberry Town.

Inside the church, Aurelia was organizing the chairs and cleaning the hall.

After making sure every orphan had eaten their fill, she stepped outside.

"It’s finally done."

She stretched lightly, letting out a small sigh.

The cool evening breeze brushed against her platinum-blonde hair, carrying with it the sweet scent of the nearby blueberry fields.

"Big Sister Aurelia."

A group of children surrounded her.

One little girl happily hugged her waist.

"Can we play tomorrow too?"

Aurelia smiled warmly and patted her head.

"Of course. But only after you’ve finished today’s homework."

"Awww..."

The children immediately groaned.

Another little boy tugged on the corner of her sleeve.

"Big Sister, when is Big Brother Reinhardt coming back?"

The moment those words were spoken, every child perked up.

"Yeah, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen him. He promised to teach me how knights train."

It was not only the boys.

Even the girls were infatuated.

"I want him to tell us more stories and lift us up again."

Listening to their excited chatter, Aurelia couldn’t help but smile.

There was no helping it.

Reinhardt really was popular with the children.

That said, a faint trace of longing quietly appeared in her eyes.

"I don’t know."

She gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"But he promised me he’d come back. So I’m sure he’ll return."

The children immediately nodded with complete confidence.

"Big Brother Reinhardt never lies."

"Exactly. He’s the strongest knight. He’ll definitely come back."

Aurelia chuckled softly.

Just then, footsteps echoed from the road ahead.

Several figures quietly approached them.

Within moments, every path leading away from the church had been silently blocked.

Aurelia’s smile immediately faded, and she instinctively stepped forward, protecting the children behind her.

As for the children, they could only look around in confusion, wondering what was going on.

"Who are you?"

Aurelia’s voice remained calm.

But inside, her heart had already become tense.

These people...

Their gazes contained unconcealed malice.

One of the strangers calmly stepped forward.

"You are Aurelia Benedict, right?"

Although he phrased it as a question, his tone made it clear he already knew the answer.

"You’ll come with us."

They gave no explanation.

They simply stated their purpose.

Hearing this, Aurelia frowned.

"I’m afraid I have to refuse."

The strangers looked at one another before continuing toward her as though her answer meant nothing.

Seeing them approach, Aurelia’s expression grew serious.

"Stop."

But the strangers ignored her.

Just as the leading figure stepped within several meters...

Buzz...

Golden light suddenly bloomed, and an enormous barrier unfolded around Aurelia and the children.

Like a transparent golden dome.

When the approaching figures struck the barrier, they were violently thrown backward.

BANG...

Several people rolled across the ground before barely regaining their balance.

"What?!"

"A barrier?"

They stared in disbelief.

One of them cautiously reached toward it again.

But the instant his fingers touched it...

Crackle...

Golden lightning erupted across the barrier, and the man screamed as he was blasted several meters away.

The children stared with wide eyes.

Even Aurelia herself looked surprised.

"I..."

She had no idea where the barrier had come from.

Far behind the crowd...

Duvessa quietly observed everything.

A trace of genuine surprise finally appeared on her beautiful face.

"Interesting..."

She slowly narrowed her emerald eyes.

"A human with very little mana, no formal training, and no levels. Yet she can create such a barrier?"

One of her subordinates respectfully spoke.

"Lady Duvessa, our actions have been revealed. Should we retreat?"

Duvessa shook her head.

"No. If anything, this confirms my suspicion."

"We must get that woman."

Her gaze remained fixed on Aurelia.

She became more and more certain that the woman Lord Mammon was seeking was very likely her.

She calmly raised one hand and pointed it toward the golden barrier.

"Stop holding back and destroy the barrier."

The surrounding figures nodded.

"As you command."

With the order given, they stopped holding back.

The disguises covering their bodies immediately melted away, and their human skin split apart.

Black horns emerged from their heads.

Their eyes turned scarlet.

Dark wings unfolded from their backs.

The moment they revealed their true forms, dense demonic energy erupted into the surroundings.

The peaceful evening instantly transformed into a nightmare.

Seeing the dreadful appearance of the intruders, the children gasped in horror.

"D-Demons!"

"They’re demons!"

The demons had attacked their town.

BOOM...

BOOM...

BOOM...

At that moment, the demons mercilessly began attacking the barrier.

Spells continuously slammed against the golden dome, causing it to shake violently.

Cracks slowly began spreading across its surface.

Each impact dimmed its brilliance further.

Aurelia looked around anxiously.

She didn’t know what to do.

She couldn’t understand why the demons were here.

Weren’t they supposed to be fighting the knights at the borders?

Could it be that they had sneaked in?

Aurelia could feel the barrier slowly weakening.

If this kept up, the barrier would break, and the children would be in danger.

Making her decision, she clenched her fists and turned toward the frightened children.

"Listen to me. You all... you must run and alert everyone about the demons."

"Now go. I’ll try to hold them back a little longer."

When the children heard that, they became even more frightened.

Nonetheless...

"W-We won’t leave you."

"We’ll stay together."

They were reluctant to leave their big sister behind.

"No."

Aurelia’s voice suddenly became stern, causing the children to freeze.

It was the first time they had ever seen her angry.

"You must leave. Go find the town elder and tell them about the situation."

"Ask them to send an emergency report back to the capital. Go now."

"B-But..."

"I can’t protect all of you with my strength alone. So... please run."

Tears welled up in several of the children’s eyes.

Reluctantly, they nodded.

Aurelia opened a gap in the barrier, allowing the children to escape.

"Her Majesty’s order is to avoid attracting attention. Don’t let those children get away!"

The demons roared and fired spells toward the fleeing children.

However, at that moment, the barrier surrounding Aurelia changed shape and extended over the children’s escape route, blocking every incoming spell.

BANG...

BANG...

Although this allowed the children to get away, spreading the barrier so thin made it unstable.

At that moment...

CRACK...

A large fracture spread across the barrier.

Seeing this, the demons smiled.

"It’s breaking."

"Strike harder. Break this barrier."

CRASH... As time passed by, more and more attacks landed, and the golden barrier finally shattered into countless particles of light.