You've found the Gusha-hime Knight, so put your hair up in a bun!

At least on the surface, the evidence that her father colluded with the demons to obtain the power of the abyss is quite conclusive.

Under such circumstances, there was no other possibility that he could still be alive except that the emperor still believed in him.

People like Rodel, who came from a military background, actually had some connection with the fathers of many rising stars in the military.

Rodel knew Cecilia's father's character well: upright, incorruptible, and valuing honor and reputation above all else; he was definitely not the kind of person who would yield to power.

Moreover, although the situation seemed plausible at the time, upon closer examination, many suspicious points could be found. However, if one wanted to continue the investigation, the clues would simply run dry.

Rodel nodded, then asked, "What are your thoughts on this matter?"

In fact, Rodel had always intended to secretly protect Cecilia, a fierce warrior on the battlefield, and have her go to another city to await orders under an assumed name.

However, after learning that Shiloh intended to buy Cecilia, Rodel simply let him be.

Or rather, this is even better. After all, the Wells family has a close relationship with the royal family, so it's not much different for them to take in Cecilia. Moreover, this way, it can also ensure that she is within easy reach.

Upon hearing Rodel's question, Cecilia fell silent for a moment, then slowly rose, a sharp glint gradually appearing in her blue eyes as she swept her gaze across the ministers who had just been criticizing her, as if trying to memorize their faces.

How did this country survive from the chaos and disorder of ancient times to the present day?

Cecilia clenched her fists, her tone icy: "Is it people like you, whose minds are full of self-interest and who only think about eliminating dissidents?"

"you--!"

Cecilia's blunt remarks angered the minister, causing him to slam his fist on the table, his face contorted with rage as he tried to reprimand her.

But just moments after he stepped off the stool, an immense force pressed him back down with a thud.

Bang!

The dull thud was enough to show how powerful it was, and the minister, who had been almost slammed onto the stool by the force, felt as if all the bones in his body were about to break, and his head was buzzing.

“I agree with what Cecilia said… I think it’s time to clean up the composition of these councilors, what do you say, Your Majesty?”

Zeno spoke with a smile, but the chill in his tone sent a shiver down one's spine.

The eldest prince looked grim, but there was nothing he could do.

He was quite helpless when it came to his younger sister, after all, this was a world where strength was paramount, and while the [Erosion Realm Rank] wasn't the absolute top tier, it was definitely in the first echelon.

Not to mention that Zeno is a member of the royal family, meaning she has made it clear that she will not participate in the struggle for the throne, otherwise she would definitely be her strongest competitor.

Seeing Zeno standing up for her, Cecilia nodded to her and continued, "I don't want to waste any more words on you. As for the restrictions you mentioned, there's a contract between me and Shilo, isn't that enough?"

Having said that, Cecilia openly displayed her slave contract, which echoed the mark of Shiloh.

Seeing the light emitted by the contract, all the ministers present were speechless.

They never expected that Cecilia, who had achieved the [Stage of Eclipse], would not break the contract and would instead continue to serve Shilo as a slave!

This is no ordinary female guard slave; she is a transcendent being of the [Erosion Realm Rank], an extremely rare existence in this world!

Jealousy made many ministers tremble with anger, unable to understand how Shilo could make Cecilia so devoted to him.

Of course, the old man wasn't thinking about romantic relationships; he was simply envious of Cecilia's combat prowess.

In their eyes, Cecilia was undoubtedly a top-tier fighter who had worked tirelessly for the Wells family, and no matter which family she went to in the capital, she would definitely be able to bring it into the ranks of first-class families.

Seeing this, Shiloh withdrew the mark, then took Cecilia's hand, looked at the emperor sitting high on the throne, and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am willing to vouch for Cecilia. Or rather... I am the only one who can vouch for her."

"Oh? How do you say this?"

Upon hearing what Shiloh said, Rodel became interested and asked.

"There are too many people and too many eyes here, so the martial arts training ground is more suitable for demonstrations."

Before the matter was settled, the ministers, who had failed to cause any trouble for the Wells family or even gain any benefit, were naturally dissatisfied and wanted to speak up to reprimand them, but Rodel's voice came from above first.

"Then let's do it this way. Perfect, I also want to see how powerful this newly promoted [Erosion Realm] of the Empire is."

At this critical juncture in the war against the demons, Cecilia's advancement to the [Erosion Rank] is naturally a great thing.

Seeing the smile on Rodel's face, as if he were seeing a promising junior, the ministers had no choice but to shut their mouths and lower their heads.

Having said that, the Crown Prince then presided over the rest of the meeting after Rodel left.

Although Rodel has temporarily left, it does not mean the meeting is over. The outcome regarding Cecilia's fate will most likely be announced soon.

In the training ground, Cecilia stood in the center, with Shilo and the others standing beside her, watching intently.

"I never expected that even after that incident, Cecilia would be able to advance to this rank in such a short time. She's truly... a force to be reckoned with."

Dylan, the chief bodyguard beside Rodel, crossed his arms and sighed.

Although Dylan is one of the best in the [Erosion Realm], having immersed himself in this level for many years, his control over various aspects of power is far beyond that of extraordinary individuals who have just entered this level.

But seeing Zeno and Cecilia reach this level earlier than one another, he couldn't help but question his life.

He's a genius, absolutely a genius.

Is the [Stairway to the Eclipse] really that easy to enter?

Or am I actually an idiot?

For the first time, Dylan felt that he had aged, as if a few more wrinkles had appeared on his forehead.

Rodel looked at his old friend beside him, chuckled silently twice, then turned his gaze to the azure sky. After a few moments of silence, he slowly said, "Whenever a great calamity strikes, someone is always born... Is this situation ultimately good or bad?"

Apart from the blazing sun high in the sky, there was nothing else in the sky.

But in Rodel's eyes, it was as if something was standing there.

"No matter what calamity may befall me, I will destroy it."

Zeno spoke calmly, his golden eyes displaying the same domineering aura as always.

Rodel looked at his eldest daughter and found her pleasing to the eye no matter how he looked at her.

This domineering aura was just to his liking; it was a pity that Zeno had absolutely no desire to be emperor, otherwise, he would have been a suitable candidate for crown prince…

"Wow, she truly is my good daughter; she's even more manly than a man."

Rodel stroked his beard, a mischievous smile spreading across his face, and praised Zeno earnestly, but his words made her expression freeze.

Ever since her argument with her sister, Zeno's sister's words, "Sylvanas doesn't see you as a woman," have been lingering in her mind, keeping her up at night.

Rodel's words made Zeno realize that he seemed to have shown an unwomanly side to Shiloh again, so he quickly composed himself and secretly glanced at Shiloh.

However, Shiloh seemed completely oblivious to what he had said, his gaze fixed on Cecilia in the distance, unwavering.

Seeing this, Zeno gritted his teeth inwardly, feeling a pang of bitterness in his heart.

They're both members of the Knights, so why is she the only one who gets to do so?

Zeno took a few deep breaths, swallowing his resentment, and then looked at Cecilia with a critical and analytical gaze.

A good warrior will not be saddened by a temporary setback. As the saying goes, learn from the barbarians to defeat them. Since Cecilia and I have some overlapping traits, it is not a bad idea to learn from and imitate her carefully.

No matter what, I will definitely win in the end.

Ha, I am the strongest.

Cecilia had no idea what Zeno was thinking, but she felt a little uneasy, as if some bad thing was eyeing Shilo and trying to steal him away.

Cecilia glanced at Shiloh and, seeing that he was still looking at her with a gentle and calm expression, relaxed slightly and nodded to him.

The unspoken understanding between the two was beyond words; a single glance was enough for them to know what the other meant.

"That's right, as long as he's there, nothing will happen."

Cecilia closed her eyes slightly, repeating this sentence to herself in her heart. Then she took a deep breath and gathered that unfamiliar energy in her palm.

"【Sacred Domain of Judgment】·【Blood Asura】!"

With a fierce shout, a massive aura of malevolence erupted from Cecilia's palm, and a crimson mist of blood enveloped her, forming a thick, ferocious armor that made her look like a terrifying demon god.

Twisted, sharp blades swirled and danced all around, while storms raged, like loyal mad dogs protecting their master.

Sensing this terrifying power, Zeno's expression turned serious, and golden light surged from his body as he resisted this extremely aggressive energy.

"Heh, interesting..."

Zeno's battle-crazed nature was ignited. Under normal circumstances, she would have rushed up to fight long ago, but considering Xiluo's presence, she only clenched her fist and did not make any further moves.

Cecilia's aura was surprisingly powerful, but Zeno quickly frowned, keenly sensing the change in her aura, which was heading towards a berserk state.

Rodel looked at Shiloh and said, "You said you could suppress Cecilia's berserk state?"

It wasn't that Rodel didn't trust Shilo, but the fact that the [Stage of Stars] could affect the [Stage of Eclipse] was simply too contrary to common sense. It was only because he knew that the other party wasn't a child who would boast that he waited until now, hoping to see for himself.

Xi Luo nodded without saying anything more, and began to mobilize the Yin and Yang Qi within his body.

As the Yin and Yang energies resonated with each other, Cecilia's aura, which should have been falling into a berserk state, miraculously reversed and slowly transformed into sacred golden light.

Cecilia, who was in a state of semi-consciousness, gradually transformed from [Blood Asura] into [Holy Angel].

The golden holy artifact replaced the twisted blood blade and floated slowly in the air.

The surrounding storm was neutralized by the power of containment, and the ruins slowly returned to their original appearance in the holy light.

"What an extreme field it is."

Dylan sighed in amazement, then couldn't help but ask, "You brat, what kind of technique is this that can actually affect the [Erosion Realm]?"

I thought it was already outrageous enough that Cecilia had reached the [Stage of Eclipse] at her age, but I didn't expect that this kid, Shilo, seemed to be even more monstrous. He was even able to break through the field restrictions that stood in front of all levels of beings and affect the ranks above them.

It can be said that this level of difficulty is not much different from influencing a deity with the status of a mortal.

After all, an ant can only look up at the sky; no matter how vast the sky may be, it is still a place it cannot reach.

"Hmm... this method is not universal; you can think of it as tailor-made for Cecilia's situation."

Xi Luo considered it for a moment, since it wasn't appropriate to talk about dual cultivation in front of elders, so he gave a brief summary.

Upon hearing this, Dylan breathed a slight sigh of relief. Fortunately, this method was not universally applicable; otherwise, he might as well have gone back to the mountains to practice for another hundred years.

As the golden light slowly faded, Shiloh stepped forward to catch Cecilia as she fell from the sky, putting his arms around her waist and back, and softly asked, "How are you feeling?"

Cecilia shook her slightly dizzy head, gave a gentle smile, and said, "I feel much better. After a few more training sessions, I should be able to control it."

"That's good."

Shiloh channeled Yin and Yang energies into Cecilia's body to restore her health, then looked at Rodel and asked, "Your Majesty, are you now at ease?"

Rodel stroked his beard and nodded, saying, "It's good that you have such methods. Right now, the demons' attacks are becoming increasingly fierce, and warriors like Cecilia are a much-needed asset. During this time, you should intensify your training until she can completely control the field."

Upon hearing Rodel's reply, Cecilia and Shiloh's faces lit up with joy, and they bowed, saying, "Yes."

Rodel looked at their tightly clasped hands, glanced at his daughter beside him, sighed almost imperceptibly, and then waved his hand, saying, "Come to my study."

Upon hearing this, Shiloh was taken aback, realizing that Rodel meant for him to go over there. So he told Cecilia to go with Zeno to wait, and then followed him.

After completing his mission to assess Cecilia's danger, Dylan, who had served as Rodel's bodyguard, returned to his post to guard the palace.

"Father and Xiluo may need to talk for a while, let's go to the courtyard for a short rest first."

Zeno looked at Cecilia with a polite and elegant smile and extended an invitation.

Cecilia was taken aback by what she heard, nodded somewhat in surprise, and followed Zeno's footsteps.

"You seem surprised?"

Zeno noticed the surprise on Cecilia's face and asked in confusion.

Cecilia paused for a moment, then nodded and replied, "To be honest, yes. I originally thought you would spend this time sparring with me."

The honest man's words made Zeno stagger, a blush creeping onto his face. He frowned and said, "What do you mean? In your opinion, I only like rough things?"

"Uh, that's not what I meant... It's just that your fighting spirit was very obvious just now."

Zeno turned his head away, his fist clenching and unclenching, feeling a bit annoyed.

Seeing Zeno quicken his pace, Cecilia felt as if she had said something wrong, and scratched her hair awkwardly.

Cecilia knew that Elena and the others had told her the whole story about Shiloh's visit to the palace and his beating up of the third prince when she got home that night. So Cecilia also knew that the Wells family had a long tradition of intermarriage with the royal family.

Although Serme is not royalty, she is the child of the capital's chief magical technology researcher at the time. She also went to help her mother when she was teaching members of the royal family.

Flynn's extraordinary talent in magic gave him and Serme a lot to talk about. They would often go to her little studio and hang out together to study all sorts of magic-related knowledge.

Because the two had a very deep affection for each other, and because the previous emperor had died before having a daughter, he could only do a favor by bestowing a marriage upon Cerme and Flin, but on the condition that their children be betrothed to members of the royal family.

So the whole "we got engaged after drinking" thing was just a way to fool the kids.

The engagement between Shiloh and Otivia was arranged when they were very young.

However, Otivia ruined her own life.