Alan and a group of paladins had already intercepted and captured numerous protagonists before their convoy entered Valer, the capital of Rivenland.
After dealing with these protagonists, they continued their journey towards the city.
Rivenland, known as the 'Land of Flowers', was especially vibrant during the Ceremony of Divine Grace.
The main thoroughfares between the cities were adorned with an array of beautiful flowers, not just ordinary ones, but those exuding various fragrances.
These scents were not only refreshing but also had the unique ability to uplift the spirits and bring comfort to both body and mind.
As Alan and Elizabeth, along with the paladin contingent, traveled along the floral boulevard, the silver moon hung high in the distant sky.
It appeared like a colossal jade disc suspended in the heavens. A gentle breeze stirred, causing petals of various colors to flutter and dance in the air under the radiant moonlight.
Alan suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed on the massive orb in the sky.
There, something seemed to twinkle momentarily, followed by the swift descent of a figure clad in white, radiating a unique lunar glow.
Dressed in a plain white gown, the figure wielded a silver long spear, which upon closer inspection, revealed itself to be a flagpole bearing a flag.
On this flag, a crescent moon shone brilliantly, casting dazzling silver light that resonated with the moon above.
The flag, fluttering around the white Saint gown, bore patterns resembling iron spikes, reflecting a steel-gray hue. Then, Saint Christine unfurled her flag, standing proudly on the floral avenue.
The capital of Rivenland, Valer, lies adjacent to Mingse, with the main road between the two cities lined with flowers, known as the Bridge of Holy Angels.
It was here, at the highest arch of the bridge, that Saint Christine made her stand.
Alone with her flag, she seemed untouchable, a sentinel amid the beauty.
The gusting winds and drifting petals stopped short of her, repelled by the radiant lunar light that emanated from her being. Then, as the moonlight slightly receded...
Petals from the sky finally descended before Saint Christine, some gently landing on her white Saint gown, adding a touch of perfect embellishment to her attire.
In a moment of silence, Christine's flawless, porcelain-like complexion, usually marked by an air of indifference, began to convey a more human essence.
The silver light shimmering in her grey eyes seemed to soften her expression, adding layers of depth to her otherwise stoic demeanor.
At the forefront of the paladin procession, Alan stood resolutely, his gaze fixed on Saint Christine of Rivenland.
He greeted her with a warm, sunny smile.
"A follower of the Goddess of Moon, aren't you?"
Alan spoke from a distance of about thirty feet away.
"I've always had a particular fondness for the Goddess of Moon. However, your eyes seem to lack her gentle, compassionate nature, leaning more towards a certain… tenacity, or should I say, obstinacy?
It seems something is clouding your vision, preventing you from seeing the truth. There's a subtle resentment emanating from you, am I right?"
Upon hearing these words, Christine's brow furrowed slightly. She did not respond directly but instead commented, "Aren't you from Beaconburg? I was under the impression that Vina was your paladin leader. Who are you exactly? And your aura…it doesn't seem as profound as Vina's."
Her gaze then shifted towards Elizabeth standing beside Alan.
Christine's light golden hair began to glimmer with silver hues, increasingly taking on a silvery-white appearance, as if bathed in moonlight.
"Do you intend to confront me? Here and now, in this setting?" she inquired.
Alan simply smiled quietly and began walking towards Christine in a relaxed manner. Christine watched him intently, her expression a mix of hesitation and scrutiny.
On this night, the moonlight was exceptionally bright, casting a serene and ethereal glow over the scene.
As the Ceremony of Divine Grace drew near, the Goddess of Moon was about to descend, her divine radiance already illuminating the city of Valer below.
Under the glow of the Goddess of Moon, Christine's strength was likely to rise to a 5-star lord-tier.
Furthermore, the lunar power emanating from her alone should be sufficient to repel the light power radiating from the paladins arrayed before her.
It was a known fact that during the Ceremony of Divine Grace, the paladins' deity, the Almighty God of Light, Alan, had never made an appearance.
This implied that the paladins were at their most distant from their deity during the ceremony, their powers overshadowed by the energies of other gods and their devoted followers.
This was how things were supposed to unfold, and Saint Christine of the Moon Church in Rivenland believed it to be so.
She hoped to use her connection with the Goddess of Moon to dim the golden radiance of the Beaconburg paladins, perhaps even replacing it with her own silvery glow, making them subservient under her luminance.
In doing so, the paladins of Beaconburg would face humiliation even before entering the main event of the ceremony, disgracing themselves in front of the nobility of various nations.
This was Christine's plan, a calculated move to assert her dominance.
As the magnificent moonlight ascended, how could the power of the golden light continue to shine?
However, as the lunar light spread, the golden radiance around Alan and the entire paladin procession remained undiminished, bright and dazzling.
Alan casually walked into Christine's lunar domain, coming within a few dozen feet of her, then nonchalantly brushed past her.
As he passed, he even patted her shoulder, continuing on without a backward glance.
At that moment, Christine stood frozen in confusion. She couldn't comprehend what the new paladin leader, the representative of the Ceremony of Divine Grace, had just done.
The dignity and perfection of this paladin were indeed extraordinary, almost divine in nature. Yet, his aura still seemed to be at the lord-tier.
How could Alan, seemingly a lord-tier, effortlessly break through the Moon Goddess's radiance, especially when he was at a disadvantage, away from his home ground?
Was Alan's strength far more formidable than it appeared? Christine pondered, bewildered.
At the same time, when Alan's hand brushed her shoulder, she felt a surge of extraordinary golden energy flowing into her.
In her astonishment, Christine turned to confront the man for his "impoliteness."
However, as she fully faced him and caught sight of the Beaconburg paladin leader's retreating figure, she found herself unexpectedly transfixed.
His silhouette imprinted a profound, indescribable sentiment in her heart, like a single drop of water rippling across a serene lake.
Compelled, Christine spoke out, "You..." But then she hesitated. As a Saint of a nation, and considering the other party had already departed, it didn't seem appropriate to pursue the matter further.
Yet, Christine found herself deeply introspecting, trying to discern her emotional state.
An inexplicable stir had taken root in her heart, a sensation she had only ever experienced during prayers before the statue of the Goddess of Moon.
It was under the guidance of the Goddess of Moon's radiance and divine sound that she had managed to suppress her vampiric bloodline's thirst for blood, keeping her vampire traits – like blood-red eyes and sharp fangs – at bay.
Facing the paladin leader, Christine felt a similar disturbance in her heart when Alan touched her shoulder.
An unseen, intangible energy not only dispelled the hostility in her aura but also planted a new, peculiar thought in her mind. In that moment, Saint Christine of the Moon Church of Rivenland was at a loss.
"Could it be that I've fallen for that man?" she murmured to herself, a complex mix of emotions swirling within her.
She attempted to use her lunar power to calm the turmoil within her, seeking a state of tranquility, but she was unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, Alan and his procession of 300 paladins had already entered Valer in Rivenland.
The sky above was aglow with moonlight, resembling an aurora canopy, while nobles and ministers lined the path with magical sparklers, welcoming them.
From a distance, the Queen of Rivenland stood on a raised platform, her gaze filled with admiration as she looked their way.