Goruna City, Day of the Expedition.
It is also the day for the Promotion Ceremony of the apprentice knights.
In a square large enough to hold a hundred thousand people, ten thousand apprentice knights stand in numerous square formations, their expressions solemn and dignified, clad in silver armor and armed with long swords.
Thousands of civilians crowd around the center of the square, eagerly gazing at the elevated platform draped in red velvet.
On the platform, flags flutter in the wind, and a woman dressed in a pure white off-shoulder gown stands at the center.
She is enveloped in a halo of light, existing like a divine presence that makes it difficult for anyone to look directly at her.
She is the Holy Maiden of Goruna City!
With unmatched status and power, even the aristocrats in the High City must lower their proud heads in her presence.
The Holy Maiden softly speaks, "Knights, may the Holy Light be with you."
With a gentle wave of her hand, rays of light descend from the sky, gradually enveloping the knights.
At once, all the knights kneel, their right fists pressed firmly against their chests.
The sound of clashing armor resonates throughout the square.
Daniel kneels, slightly lifting his head, his gaze only able to catch a glimpse of the Holy Maiden's fair ankles. The magical energy filling the air exerts a pressure that makes it difficult for him to stand.
He is also one of the apprentice knights.
To be precise, most of the students and faculty at his school are apprentice knights.
They all transmigrated to this other world more than half a month ago, wielding swords and blades in a training ground filled with thousands of people.
Regardless of gender or size, they are forced to engage in daily training; anyone who dares to be a coward will face execution on the guillotine.
Daniel knows that today is everyone's opportunity to leap to success.
This faint halo is assessing their potential and loyalty to Goruna City.
Those who advance will become noble High City Knights, gaining not only a powerful steed, a Unicorn, but also their own mansion in the city, no different from the aristocrats except for the title.
Of course, most will only become the next tier of elite knights.
As for those deemed unworthy by the Holy Light during the Promotion Ceremony, they will be relegated to the ranks of low-level knights, essentially becoming cannon fodder on the battlefield, not to mention any rewards of mounts.
The square formation he belongs to consists of his fellow students and faculty.
Several people already radiate more and more light, their entire beings glowing.
Bald-headed James trembles with excitement, saying, "Haha, I'm at least going to be an elite knight! I feel like I'm about to burst with brightness!"
Clad in female knight armor that exposed half of her breast, the class flower Catherine said enviously, "Being an elite knight is pretty good; it's definitely better than being a common knight."
As the class flower, her words drew the agreement of many gazes.
Under the shimmering Holy Light, everyone felt their strength increase as the light entered their bodies.
A few individuals were accumulating power, showing signs of breaking through to become High City Knights, making their months of rigorous training worthwhile.
Gradually, everyone noticed that only Daniel's side showed no signs of change.
It was as if he were a forsaken subject abandoned by the Holy Light, with not a single ray of light entering his body; instead, it continuously avoided him.
The looks from his classmates and teachers were filled with pity and mockery.
Catherine looked at Daniel with disdain, saying, "Oh, with trash like you, I can't believe you're even my classmate! I can't believe I even went on a date with you!"
James laughed heartily, "Someone has to be at the bottom, right? Daniel, you really are unfortunate!"
Daniel frowned, feeling the overwhelming presence of Holy Light surrounding him. Each tiny speck of light seemed to elude his grasp, slipping away continuously.
This was a bit troublesome.
Perhaps it was because he was different from everyone else.
Since transmigrating, he has obtained the Evil Woman System. The more women with high Evil Value he captures, the more powerful abilities he can gain.
Over the past few months, he had captured two evil maids, gaining some enhancements in power.
For someone like him, it would be strange to also receive the favor of the Holy Light.
But now, trouble had truly arrived.
The Holy Maiden on the platform had noticed Daniel's anomaly, her gaze proud and cold as it swept over him, frowning as she said:
"It seems we have another heretic?"
Her voice was not loud, but it was clear enough for everyone to hear.
Now, it wasn't just the people in Daniel's square formation who were paying attention; all eyes were on him, the gaze of tens of thousands of people present!
Words like "heretic," "demon clan," and "corruption" triggered sensitive nerves among the people of Goruna City.
In the eyes of everyone, hatred and malice pressed down on Daniel.
The crowd of onlookers erupted into chaos.
"Burn him! Burn him!"
"Quickly kill the heretic, oh, the terrible heretic!"
"For the peace of Goruna City, Holy Maiden, please give the order!"
Facing certain death, Daniel's expression showed little panic; instead, he remained calm, deep in thought.
He looked around.
The square was filled with dark-clad apprentice knights.
On the outskirts of the square, there were also many elite knights on duty!
Daniel's square formation was not on the edge; trying to break through the heavy obstacles to escape was completely impossible.
Daniel's gaze fixed on the Holy Maiden on the platform, as a voice echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Detecting that the Holy Maiden's Evil Value is about to explode!]
[Ding! Detecting that the Holy Maiden's true identity is not humanity, but rather a member of the Demon Clan; she is a Succubus.]
[Ding! Anticipating that if the Holy Maiden were to submit, you would receive a massive reward!]
[Ding! You are being repelled by the Holy Light, and have been designated as a heretic; please find a way to escape!]
The two evil women Daniel had previously subdued were merely ordinary villains; compared to the Holy Maiden before him, their status and level of wickedness were insignificant!
In the current situation, escape was impossible. Not to mention whether he could even get away, the feeling of being a stray dog would hardly be pleasant.
He never expected that a normal Promotion Ceremony could go awry, but now he had no choice but to take a gamble.
Daniel racked his brain for information about the Demon Clan and Succubi. Thankfully, because of the Evil Woman System, he had enough strength to handle his training, allowing him more time over the past few months to learn about this world through books.
A flash of inspiration struck; Daniel seemed to find the answer.
On the platform, the Holy Maiden pointed at Daniel and spoke softly, "My knights, seize him."
There was no need for the Holy Maiden to say anything further; the knights around Daniel shouted and charged at him, intending to drag him up to the platform and burn him alive before everyone's eyes.
This had always been their method for dealing with heretics!
Daniel looked around at his classmates and teachers; no one was ready to speak up for him. Instead, they looked at him with even more disdain.
They feared being associated with him.
Daniel let out a cold laugh and offered no resistance as several knights grabbed him and brought him to the platform, stripping him of his knight's sword.
He knelt, now just a few steps away from the Holy Maiden.
Below the platform, the square formation Daniel had been part of watched helplessly as he was about to face execution by fire, and a flood of scornful words began to flow.
James remarked, "Heh, poor Daniel. Though I don't believe in this heretic nonsense, who can deny that he doesn't have the blessing of the Holy Light?"
Catherine puffed out her chest, her delicate features displaying disdain. "Even if he's not a heretic, he's just a low-ranking knight. What use is that in this world?"
Teacher Donnie nodded in agreement. "Since we've come to this world, we must abide by its rules to survive."
On the platform, Daniel was tightly bound and pinned to the ground.
The Holy Maiden wore a smile on her pure face. "My brave knights, thank you for your assistance."
The knights knelt excitedly, pounding their chests, stepping back a few paces. Since the Holy Maiden hadn't told them to leave the platform, they were reluctant to depart.
After all, the Holy Maiden needed protection, right?
[Ding! The Succubus disguised as the Holy Maiden frequently dealt with commoners, knights, and even aristocrats in the name of heresy. In reality, heresy simply refers to those who are not sensitive to the Holy Light's magical energy, yet she relishes labeling them as heretics, taking delight in watching people in despair.]
The Holy Maiden allowed them to remain on the platform and slowly addressed Daniel, "Evil heretic, it seems you still do not understand what you are about to face."
The Holy Maiden was waiting to see Daniel's fear and pleas for mercy; the corners of her mouth twitched as her legs, hidden beneath her long skirt, rubbed together in excitement.
She was utterly thrilled at the thought of hearing humanity's cries of despair and fear once again.
"Wait," Daniel suddenly spoke up.
"Hm?" The Holy Maiden tilted her head in confusion.
Daniel smiled and said, "Holy Maiden, I have a final word to share. May I speak with you privately?"
The Holy Maiden smiled softly, nodded, and leaned down closer to Daniel.
She showed no signs of impatience; slowly watching her prey fall into despair was part of the fun.
A deep cleavage came into view before Daniel's eyes.
Finally, Daniel spoke, "Holy Maiden, you wouldn't want your Succubus identity to be exposed, would you?"
In an instant, the Holy Maiden's pupils dilated, and goosebumps erupted on her skin.