Chapter 23: The Saddle of Shame and the Reckless Promise

“Absolutely terrible.”

“Absolutely comfortable!”

Catherine’s statement was met with two starkly contrasting, yet equally resolute, voices.

Theresia covered her face with a claw.

Humiliation and regret intertwined in her heart.

Indeed, Theodore was now sitting steadily upon her neck.

The reason for his stability was simple.

Theodore was seated in a dragon saddle.

It was a remarkably beautiful saddle, resembling a living vine that encircled Theresia’s neck. Verdant leaves, spread across the vine, fluttered in the wind, shimmering with a vibrant glow.

They secured the dragon’s neck perfectly, without causing any discomfort. The cushion, piled high with green leaves, was soft and emitted a delightful fragrance, ensuring the dragon felt both comfortable and refreshed.

Theodore’s body and legs were firmly secured by the vine, allowing him to remain stable even in the fiercest gales, preventing him from being thrown towards her tail.

This was the very dragon saddle Theodore had purchased in the Elf City, specifically spending nearly 70% of his mercenary earnings on it.

And as it turned out, he had made no mistake.

Just as a high-end computer is incomplete without a powerful graphics card and CPU, a magnificent dragon, of course, deserved an equally magnificent saddle!

He, Theodore, finally understood what it truly felt like for a genuine Dragon Knight to sit atop a dragon, gazing level with the sky and looking down upon the vast ocean.

It was absolutely exhilarating!

However, for all of Theodore’s excitement in that moment, Theresia wished for nothing more than to die.

This entire situation had unfolded just as the appraisal was nearing its end.

Theodore had excused himself to buy a few things, and Theresia hadn’t paid it much mind.

But who could have imagined that this scoundrel would return, having spent nearly his entire fortune on a high-grade dragon saddle!

She considered Theodore a brother, yet this ‘brother’ harbored intentions of riding her!

Theresia’s fiery temper flared. She had wanted nothing more than to send Theodore to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with that Elf Princess.

Then she heard Theodore say, very earnestly, “You can’t go back on the words you spoke the day we arrived.”

She was speechless. At that time, she genuinely hadn’t anticipated any issues at the appraisal office, so she had casually uttered those words.

Who would have thought Theodore would remember them for three days straight?

What a petty man. She had never noticed this before.

Theresia, of course, wanted to renege. To her, a dragon wearing a dragon saddle was no different from a human wearing a dog collar!

However, Theodore, who had always been as gentle as jade in front of her, was incredibly insistent this time. He cajoled, pleaded, and even brought up the Old Patriarch, implying that if she didn’t comply, he would abandon her and join the ‘dark side’.

At such a critical juncture, this kind of thought was clearly dangerous.

That old dragon had wanted her to lay dragon eggs for many years, and Theodore was a crucial safeguard in her plans. If he were to be swayed by the Old Patriarch, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The thought of herself lying in a nest, hatching eggs, made Theresia’s vision darken. At that point, nothing else mattered.

Thus, considering the stakes involved, considering her own reputation, and considering the very real possibility of having to carry Theodore, Theresia reluctantly agreed.

From the moment they teleported back to the island, Theresia eliminated every seabird that witnessed the sight along their journey. After dispatching several thousand passing birds, she was ridden all the way to the vicinity of Trial Island.

Initially, she had planned to make Theodore dismount immediately, but Catherine had arrived too quickly, even using acceleration magic.

In the past, Theresia would have greatly praised Catherine’s actions.

But now, she was seriously considering whether it was time to make some modifications to Catherine’s memory.

“You can get down now.”

Theresia issued her final ultimatum.

Though Theodore was very reluctant, Trial Island was already within reach. He knew full well that Theresia’s pride was not yet thick enough for a public Dragon Knight display.

He obediently put away the Elf Dragon Saddle. The verdant vines rapidly contracted under a green glow, coiling around Theodore’s wrist and transforming into a perfectly fitting vine bracelet.

Then, Theodore leaped from Theresia’s back, caught gently by her dragon claws.

Theresia breathed a sigh of relief. In truth, she hadn’t been uncomfortable. The specially crafted Elf Dragon Saddle was clearly worth every penny.

She could feel something around her neck, but it was akin to a human wearing a necklace, with no sensation of being constricted. Moreover, the exotic scent emanating from the saddle was quite pleasant.

However, as a dragon, she had her dignity!

How could she be ridden so casually by just anyone?!

As a highly hypocritical dragon, she was the only one allowed to carry others; no one was allowed to ride her!

“Theresia, what’s it like to be ridden? Is it fun?” A pure, innocent voice shattered the dignity Theresia had just managed to reclaim with a single blow.

Theresia’s fiery temper was about to—

“What are you two doing? Hurry back! We still have physical examinations to conduct.”

It was the Old Patriarch’s voice, transmitted directly through magic across a thousand meters to their ears. Clearly, they had lingered a bit too long.

“Theresia, be careful! The Old Patriarch and the others have quite a formidable presence. I’ll always be on your side.”

The adorable and naive White Dragon clenched her tiny claws, cheering Theresia on as if Theresia were about to crash someone else’s party. She was completely oblivious that the ‘enemy’ in her eyes had just prevented her from getting several bumps on her head.

“Mm, alright.” Theresia gave Catherine a deep look. *Sigh*, she would let her off this time.

She was just a little dragon, barely over a hundred years old and not yet an adult. Ignorance was bliss.

Besides, she was pressed for time now. She would find a more opportune moment later to properly correct this silly dragon’s intelligence.

Theresia no longer hesitated, carrying Theodore as she flew towards Dragon Island.

They both noticed the bustling dragon gathering taking place below Dragon Island. It was Theodore’s first time seeing dozens of dragons appear simultaneously. The lively scene made his somewhat settled mood surge with excitement once more.

However, these dragons seemed uninterested in Theresia, or perhaps they hadn’t even noticed her arrival. This struck Theodore as odd, given Theresia’s considerable size and her high-altitude flight.

In theory, any dragon on the island who looked up would see her. Theodore had already spotted several dragons lying on the beach sunbathing, yet they clearly remained unaware.

“The Old Dragon has set up a barrier. These dragons will only move within the barrier, and it isolates perception both inside and out. Although the Old Dragon and I have some differing views, he never drops the ball when it matters.”

While the dragon’s estrus period usually passed quickly, any accident would certainly not be a minor issue.

Therefore, the Old Patriarch strived to eliminate any possible external influences.

Landing smoothly on the mountaintop, Theresia transformed into her human form and walked towards the Old Patriarch with Theodore.

The Old Patriarch and the Director also transformed into their human forms at the same time.

“Well, any problems? I’ve said it before, I’m not the kind of dragon who plays petty tricks. If you want to contend, then contend. What I, the Old Dragon, admire most are ambitious young dragons.”

The Old Patriarch smiled warmly, appearing very amiable.

“Mhm.” The Old Patriarch’s materials were fine; the problem arose when she went for the appraisal.

However, Theresia was prepared to swallow this unfortunate incident whole. Now that they had reached the most critical juncture, Theresia’s guard was raised to its highest. Without further ado, she stated, “Take us for the physical examination.”

“No problem. Take them over.”

The Old Patriarch waved his hand, and a Dragon Clan Guard led the human and the dragon towards the emergency center.

The Director frowned, looking at the nearly two-meter-tall Theodore. *Could this delicate and fragile human body truly withstand the Black Dragon?*

*The Black Dragon’s ‘field’ was not one that could be tilled with an ordinary hoe.*

“Theresia, you… *muffled*.”

The Director hadn’t finished speaking before the Old Patriarch directly clapped a hand over his mouth.

Theresia heard the Director’s voice but had no intention of responding.

Theodore, meanwhile, felt the Director’s gaze upon him—a look of deep suspicion and concern.

Clearly, the possibility of an accident during Theresia’s upcoming trial was quite high, which was why such strict requirements were placed on him as her backup plan.

While he was happy to be trusted by Theresia, he also didn’t want anything to happen to her.

He firmly believed he was willing to risk his life to help Theresia pass the trial, but the crux of the matter wasn’t his life, but rather *passing*.

Many things in this world couldn’t be achieved by conviction alone.

So Theodore kindly reminded her, “Theresia, perhaps you should still consider the Old Patriarch’s help. Of course, I’m willing to help you, even if it means risking my life, but if it can increase your chances of passing the trial, the more backup plans, the better.”

“No need to consider!”

Theresia raised an eyebrow, waved her hand dismissively, and looked at Theodore with resolute eyes. “You are my only choice, whether you can persevere to the end or not. And don’t talk about risking your life—your life is just as important to me.”

Theodore was speechless for a long moment. Finally, he replied with strong conviction, “I understand, Theresia! I will definitely not let you down! So relax, it’s okay if we fail; I’ll carry you through, guaranteed to satisfy!”

Theresia nearly tripped on flat ground, her mouth twitching slightly. She turned to look at Theodore, struggling to say, “There’s no need to be *that* enthusiastic.”

Subsequently, they strode into the emergency center.