Chapter 91: A Draconic Bargain

Theresia made a classic ‘pause’ gesture, her eyes narrowing as she looked first at Theodore, then at the Old Patriarch. “Are you two implying something?”

“What are you talking about?”

Theodore flinched slightly, then adopted a confused expression.

The Old Patriarch, meanwhile, shot Theresia a disdainful look. He pointed at her and said to Theodore, “Look, this is a classic case of paranoia and narcissistic draconic tendencies.”

Without waiting for Theresia’s response, he continued with a sneer, “You’re reacting so sensitively. Could it be that you’ve done something unspeakable to Theodore?”

Theodore stared at Theresia in shock, then glanced down at his own lower half. “Theresia, what did you do to me?”

Theresia: “???”

She looked at Theodore’s lower half.

The loss of her own was a source of abnormal grief and rage, even now. Perhaps she could try to find someone to share the burden with.

While it was disgraceful for her, the mighty Black Dragon King, to attack below the belt, Theodore was no ordinary dragon fanatic. He deserved a powerful counterattack.

Moreover, *that thing* of his had already committed a monstrous crime.

Although, half the reason for that crime was her own willingness.

Currently, Theodore was very close to her. If she were to act suddenly, she was sixty percent confident she could deliver a crushing blow.

However, this was the Holy Light Church.

And the Holy Light Church was renowned for its healing magic.

After such a blow, Theodore would undoubtedly struggle wildly, inevitably attracting members of the church. In that scenario, Theresia would have no opportunity to inflict irreversible damage.

More than likely, Theodore would recover completely.

Therefore, she needed to restrain herself.

This was a killing move, one that absolutely had to be used at the most opportune moment.

Hmph, let those two ‘eggs’ remain with him for now.

They would be in her grasp eventually!

Theresia retracted her gaze. Theodore looked at her suspiciously; he had a premonition that Theresia had been plotting something sinister, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

A chill, however, ran down his spine.

At this point, Theodore, under the Old Patriarch’s subtle guidance, had already broken free from Theresia’s enchantment.

Escaping the allure.

The thought that he had succumbed so easily made Theodore inwardly shake his head at his own behavior. He still lacked experience.

Theresia’s actions, while bold and unrestrained, always stayed within certain bounds. Whenever he tried to push further, she would deftly deflect him.

He had been toyed with so easily by a scoundrel.

Just as Theresia was about to demand a thorough explanation, the Old Patriarch suddenly brought up a serious matter—one that couldn’t be ignored.

“As the prophet who leads you in resisting the curse, I am deeply saddened by the setbacks in your endeavors. But what can be done? Those rebellious dwarves fled into the labyrinth with their miscellaneous contraptions, leaving behind a complete mess.”

“Promen is just the beginning; more Aether constructs are yet to come. While their individual strength might not be formidable, if we lack weapons or spells capable of disrupting their structure, these things will resurrect indefinitely wherever Aether exists.”

“Though resisting the curse is our mission, sacrificing a dragon’s life for it seems hardly worth it, don’t you agree?”

“Heh heh.”

Theresia rested her hands on the table, her eyes keenly fixed on the Old Patriarch.

“Old Patriarch, since you’ve said all this, there must be a solution. It’s impossible for me to give up. Why don’t you state your conditions?”

The Old Patriarch was very pleased. Theresia was quite sensible. “My request is simple: as long as you can contribute to the cause of the dragon race, everything else is negotiable.”

Theresia subtly glanced at Theodore’s lower half, then stated, “I will not lay dragon eggs!”

“No, no, no, you’re being superficial, Theresia.”

The Old Patriarch shook his finger. “There’s more than one way to contribute to the dragon race. I recently had an assignment, but Dragon Island hasn’t decided who to send yet, so I need you to fill in first. Have you heard of the Ore Tribunal in the Imperial Capital? It should be big news across the continent by now. Everyone—”

Theresia shouted without hesitation, “No!”

“Excellent, truly you.”

The Old Patriarch marveled at Theresia’s consistent performance, then looked at Theodore. “What about you?”

Theodore replied, “I know a little, but it was from the Holy Light Church’s reports.”

The Old Patriarch sighed. “Why is the gap between humans and dragons so vast?”

He clenched his fist, passionately exclaiming, “My ambition lies in grander things! If I were to focus on such trivial matters, the curse that has plagued our race for millennia is what I must dedicate my life to breaking!”

‘Ah, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.’

The Old Patriarch dismissively waved his hand, then looked at Theodore with slight interest. “How did the Holy Light Church publicize this matter? Briefly explain.”

With a hint of amusement, Theodore said, “The general gist was that while establishing the Tribunal is good, since it’s located within the Empire and administered by the Empire, the autocratic and tyrannical Empire might exploit it for private gain, doing things that disrupt human peace.”

The Old Patriarch shook his head. “Humans, truly. During the Unified Empire era, their cohesion was no less than other races. But with such a large population, their diverse thoughts and opinions make it difficult for them to accept ideas they don’t agree with.”

“Let the humans handle their own affairs. This time, because of your meddling, it’s unlikely a war will break out anytime soon.”

The Old Patriarch looked at Theresia. “As for the Ore Tribunal, you’ll have to fill in for me… for a year.”

Theresia pondered, “A year?”

Her temporal perspective was still short. (It was entirely a dragon’s sense of time.)

She inquired, “What will I need to do?”

The Old Patriarch thought for a moment, then summarized, “Roughly, it’s about making the dwarves work harder, making the elves cause less trouble, and ensuring humans have business to conduct. That’s about it. How’s that, simple?”

“No, what are you talking about?” Theresia’s mind was reeling. She understood the literal meaning of each sentence, but when combined, she grew increasingly confused. Why would an Ore Tribunal involve itself in such matters?

The Old Patriarch stroked his beard. “That’s roughly the idea. After all, it’s a nascent institution, and its powers and responsibilities aren’t yet clearly defined. So, we’re sending you, an outstanding representative of the dragon race, to test the waters for us.”

To be safe, Theresia decided to preemptively protect herself. “I’ve never done anything like this before. I’m telling you now, don’t blame me if I mess it up.”

The Old Patriarch rolled his eyes. “Heh, then let me rephrase it. How well you perform in this matter will greatly influence the extent of our future support for you.”

“After all, carving an Aether-disrupting spell onto your dragon claw is quite different from carving one onto a wooden stake, isn’t it?”

Theresia slammed the table, causing numerous cracks to spread outwards from her palm. “You’re sending someone with absolutely no experience to handle this kind of thing, and you expect a satisfactory outcome from me?! Old Patriarch, even if you’re the ‘version one’, you still have to be reasonable!”

The Old Patriarch stroked his beard, chuckling. “Oh dear, this old dragon is getting on in years. The greatest joy of my twilight years is probably sparring with the younger generation. What’s ‘reason’? I don’t understand.”

“Of course, if you find it truly difficult, you can refuse. It’s just this labyrinth, you see. Heh heh, Aether isn’t easily dealt with.”

Theresia sneered, remaining silent.

‘Does this mere Old Patriarch think that only dragons have longevity? Don’t forget, my actions are sponsored by the elves!’

Having raised her personally, the Old Patriarch understood Theresia’s thoughts with just a glance. “Oh, that’s right. The elves don’t seem to know how to deal with Aether. Hahahaha, the forbidden magic created by the dwarves was originally handled by the dragon race, hahahaha!”

From shock to utter exasperation, the Old Patriarch spoke with great pleasure.

“Oh my, the sight of a little dragon throwing a tantrum is truly delightful.”

The Old Patriarch leisurely continued, “Of course, you could also beg Theodore. He has many things that even Promen can use to destroy Aether constructs. But I believe his conditions would be even harder to accept than mine.”

Theresia immediately looked at Theodore, her eyes filled with the last vestiges of hope for their profound friendship.

Theodore smiled in response to Theresia’s hopeful gaze, then uttered three words without hesitation: “Make me float.”

“To hell with friendship!”

Theresia instantly felt that the Old Patriarch’s demands weren’t so harsh after all. “Old Patriarch, to devote myself wholeheartedly to the cause of the dragon race until my dying breath has always been my cherished ideal.”

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