I am Mo Wan, the priest of the Azure Crystal squad.
I am about to receive the honorary baptism of the Church and officially become an honorary knight of the nation.
Looking at my reflection in the mirror with long purple hair, I took a deep breath.
This purple hair represents the royal bloodline among the demons.
And I, Mo Wan, as a princess of the demon race, have now become a member of a hero party, helping humans fight against my own kind.
But this was an act of helplessness.
I only did it to survive.
Three years ago.
I pushed through a series of reforms in the Demon Empire that I thought were advanced. However, I touched the interests of too many demon elders. In the end, the changes ended in failure.
To appease the public anger, the Demon King—my father—exiled me to a barren land abroad. I was forbidden from stepping foot in the Demon Empire again.
After wandering for a while, I joined the Azure Crystal squad to continue scraping by in this world.
At that time, I was only fifteen years old.
As for why I dared to propose reform policies at such a young age, it was partly because I was young and fearless. It was also because I am a transmigrator.
Before I crossed over, I was a male college student on Earth.
However, even with the memories of two lives combined, I was still just a child in front of those demon elders who had lived for hundreds of years. I was too naive. I was too self-righteous.
Taking off my weathered combat coat, I changed into the white priest robes Rosa bought for me.
"Knock knock knock! Mo Wan, are you ready? We need to hurry. We cannot be late for such an important occasion!"
The call of my best friend came from outside the door.
"Coming, coming!"
Mo Wan quickly tidied her messy purple hair.
She took one last deep breath and opened the door.
Rosa was already dressed in a beautiful skirt. Shiny jewelry decorated her long, azure hair.
Mo Wan only tied her purple hair into a single ponytail. There were no other decorations besides a hair tie. Her appearance looked very simple and plain.
As the party priest, her salary was low. She did not have extra money to buy jewelry like Rosa.
In truth, she was not without combat ability. As a demon princess who could inherit the throne, it was impossible for her not to know combat magic. She simply was unwilling to harm her own compatriots with her own hands. Her role in the team was healing. She never participated in combat.
Although this approach was somewhat self-deceptive, she had to do this to balance survival and her love for her homeland.
She did not know if her luck was good or bad.
The Azure Crystal squad had achieved many military merits and gained the King's appreciation. They would receive honorary titles in the Holy City's church alongside other distinguished hero parties.
Mo Wan felt conflicted.
She was a demon princess and the greatest enemy of humanity, yet now she was fighting for the glory of a human kingdom.
"What is wrong? Mo Wan, your face looks pale. Are you too nervous?"
The blue-haired girl beside her stared at Mo Wan's face and asked with concern.
Mo Wan clutched her chest and nodded slowly.
"Yes."
"Oh, do not worry! It is said that this year's ceremony is hosted by Saintess Iselyn! Do you know her? If you see her, all the anxiety and trouble in your heart will vanish. You will feel your soul being baptized and redeemed."
"Saintess Iselyn..."
"Right. Even if you have not seen her, you must have heard of her?"
Mo Wan nodded.
She had not seen her. She was exiled before she had the chance to see the human Saintess.
As a demon princess and candidate for the next Demon King, she naturally understood the position of the Saintess.
The Saintess was also a formidable enemy of the demons.
She was the greatest threat to the development and survival of their race.
The Saintess existed to eliminate demons. In her eyes, there was no option for peaceful coexistence between humans and demons.
"So, even if you forget etiquette because of nerves, the kind Saintess will surely forgive your rudeness. Relax."
"Okay."
Mo Wan put on a smile.
She tried to adjust her expression so her friend would not worry about her strange mood.
The Azure Crystal squad soon gathered.
There were six people in total—two women and four men. Once everyone was ready, they set off for the church in the Holy City.
Inside the church hall.
Mo Wan stood in line with the others and waited patiently for the ceremony to begin.
In the Kingdom of Vesa.
Every knight receiving honorary titles must undergo the church's baptism. The church had to ensure the knight's loyalty before they could receive the medal.
Finally, the Saintess stepped onto the podium.
Mo Wan looked up.
The Saintess was technically a High Nun, but her clothes were completely different from ordinary nuns.
The nuns on guard duty wore black and white habits with veils. Mo Wan did not think those clothes were beautiful or holy. She only found them formal and serious, like the school uniforms girls wore back on Earth.
But the Saintess was different.
She looked more like a princess than a nun.
She wore a pure white dress. Complex lace patterns formed many pleats on the skirt. Long wings of fabric spread out behind her. The front of the skirt only reached above her knees. White stockings fit her slender legs perfectly. Even as she climbed the stairs, the stockings did not show a single wrinkle.
The only symbol of her church status was the shawl on her upper body, printed with the sun emblem.
Mo Wan stared at the Saintess's face.
The Saintess was expressionless. Her silver hair reflected the light from the skylight. The sunlight seemed to condense into a faint halo above her head.
She looked cold and distant, yet she also brought an extraordinary sense of peace.
Mo Wan found it hard to describe the feeling.
The moment she saw Iselyn, she felt the Saintess possessed a unique kind of gentleness. It was not the kind of gentleness that smiled at people. It was the feeling that no matter what sins you confessed, the Saintess would forgive you with absolute calm.
The Saintess spoke softly. She praised the achievements of every hero party present.
Finally.
The Saintess required everyone to swear an oath of loyalty to the Kingdom of Vesa.
Mo Wan glanced at Rosa. Rosa was excitedly reciting the oath with the crowd.
Mo Wan opened her mouth.
Suddenly, she felt a lump in her throat. She could not say a word.
The demons had abandoned her. Even if she pledged loyalty to humans, no one would blame her. She was human in her past life, so her conscience should not hurt.
But she simply could not read the oath like the others.
She numbly opened and closed her mouth, mimicking the shapes without making a sound.
Then.
She noticed the Saintess's gaze. The woman in white on the high platform was looking this way.
Mo Wan could only bet that the other party was just glancing in her direction by accident.
One second passed... two seconds passed... three seconds passed...
The Saintess did not look away. Those deep red eyes remained fixed on Mo Wan.
Cold sweat broke out on Mo Wan's back.
'I am screwed.'