Chapter 72: The Saintess and the Dragon’s Dilemma

At the center of the square stood a colossal Tower of Light, its apex crowned with an immense crystal orb. Legend claimed this crystal was a sacred artifact bestowed by the God of Light.

However, this was merely a tale; the orb was highly unlikely to be the creation of the God of Light.

After all, the God of Light had been utterly annihilated by the giants, leaving not even a trace.

Having received the giants’ blood infusion, Theodore’s race could, in essence, now be considered giant.

His human lineage likely comprised less than one percent of his being.

That bowl of blood was most likely left by the giants specifically to prevent the extinction of their descendants.

One could even say it was preserved for humanity, as only human genes possessed the resilience to be forcibly evolved into giant bloodlines without collapsing from the inherent conflict.

Yet, the power contained within that blood was simply too immense; even the most formidable human experts could not withstand it.

It had to be preserved by the dragon race until the vast majority of its potent energy had dissipated.

It was then that Theodore became its first recipient.

Once Theodore grew powerful enough, he too would be able to replicate the blood transformation process used by the ancient giants.

Moreover, this particular blood didn’t come with a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ restriction.

Therefore, the dragon race harbored grander ambitions.

****

To return to the main point, based on the inherited memories Theodore received and the dragon race’s records he specifically researched, the giants’ eradication of the God of Light had been utterly thorough.

It seemed to have even implicated the Dark Lord God who created Promen, which was why nothing at all remained of that God of Light.

Of course, that Dark God was later also ‘stabbed in the rear’ by the giants, but the first attempt wasn’t entirely clean. When they tried to revive, they were pinned back into their coffin by the giants and dragons, sealing their fate completely.

As the faithful gathered in sufficient numbers, Alicia, the Saintess of the Holy Light Church, stepped before the Crystal of Light.

She was a woman of profound sanctity and grace, quite unlike the temperament Theresia feigned or the cultivated elegance of others.

Alicia’s sacred aura stemmed not from a magnificent appearance, but from the natural outpouring of her inner kindness and purity.

Her features were exquisite and harmonious, her brows like painted strokes, and her gaze clear yet profound, as if able to pierce through the mists of the human heart straight to the depths of the soul.

Her smile was gentle and comforting, capable of soothing the anxieties and pains in the hearts of the faithful without needing many words.

A cascade of golden, wavy hair, soft and lustrous, shimmered like a sunlit wheat field, radiating a golden glow.

Her figure was perfectly proportioned, neither overly slender nor overly ample, conveying a sense of healthy elegance.

Standing on the high platform in a simple yet solemn white gown, she ignited the crystal orb with holy fire, bathing the entire square in sacred light.

The devotees danced around the Tower of Light, singing hymns in praise of the God of Light.

‘Such beauty, such a figure, such an aura!’

Theresia silently gave a thumbs-up, then sighed with regret. “‘Tis a pity my roots have been severed; otherwise, I would surely abduct her and leave the world with the legend of the Black Dragon stealing the Saintess.”

Observing Theresia’s regretful expression, Theodore wondered if there was anything normal in that dragon’s mind. ‘Is the evil inherent in the Black Dragon bloodline truly irrepressible?’ he mused.

‘It seems it falls to me to prevent this Black Dragon from treading the misguided path of her predecessors. I must instill proper values! I must twist her worldview back into shape!’

Theodore silently prayed to the Dragon God, asking that he might achieve this grand objective before Theresia committed a grave error.

Noticing Theodore’s pious demeanor, Theresia asked suspiciously, “‘I didn’t realize you also believed in the God of Light.'”

Theodore glanced at Theresia. “‘I am expressing gratitude to the Dragon God,'” he stated.

“‘Gratitude for what?'”

“‘For taking away your ‘tools of mischief,’ thereby protecting others and fulfilling my purpose.'”

Theresia’s fists clenched instinctively.

She cast a menacing look at Theodore, thinking, ‘Perhaps I should demonstrate my violent tendencies right now.’

Upon hearing this, Theodore continued, “‘Indeed, yes. As a Saintess, Alicia is certainly far more reliable than you, the Holy Dragon recognized by the Pope. She is gentle, patient, intelligent, and capable.'”

Theresia inwardly chuckled, ‘Such high praise?’

“‘Oh? Are you very familiar with her?'”

Theodore pondered for a moment, then nodded. “‘I suppose so. Alicia is in charge of the Festival of Light. Since I awoke earlier, I’ve been eating and drinking for free, and I felt quite awkward being waited on, so I offered to help, and we became acquainted.'”

A glint flashed in Theresia’s eyes. ‘Could she perhaps divert Theodore’s attention to Alicia?’

“‘Does the Holy Saintess have any restrictions against marriage?'”

“‘Not exactly, but I hear that if they marry, they voluntarily resign from the position of Saintess.'”

Theresia raised an eyebrow, nudging Theodore with her elbow. “‘Oh my, you know such details. Could it be that you’ve fallen for her?'”

Without thinking, Theodore retorted, “‘How could I? She’s not a dragon.'”

Theresia stared blankly at Theodore. ‘The key point is that Alicia isn’t a dragon?’

‘Theodore, would you care to translate what you just said?’

Theodore’s heart skipped a beat. Although he believed his preferences were perfectly honorable, to avoid startling the human-obsessed Theresia, he maintained a composed expression and replied, “‘I meant, she isn’t *you*, this dragon. My feelings for her are merely a benevolent appreciation of her capabilities. However, from a human aesthetic perspective, I acknowledge her captivating charm.'”

‘Yes, she must be a universal charmer. But she’s no longer human!’

Theresia eyed Theodore suspiciously. ‘Something isn’t right. If it were before, I would have believed him, but ever since we met again, his behavior has gone beyond merely ‘dragon-scaled.”

“‘You are human; you should still understand this, shouldn’t you?'”

Theodore emphasized, “‘More accurately, I am a giant.'”

“‘Has your aesthetic sense become twisted from spending so much time with dragons?'”

Theodore looked at Theresia beside him. ‘You are a dragon; is that how you speak of the dragon race’s aesthetics?’

“‘No, of course not. My aesthetic sense has never changed. I simply genuinely like *you*, Theresia, which is why I don’t feel much for Alicia.'”

Theresia instinctively took two steps back, her small hands restlessly fiddling with each other behind her back.

“‘Hey, must you be so mushy? Look, there’s a new activity starting!'”

This ‘ball’ was indeed the bane of Theresia’s tsundere, untruthful nature, compelling her to eagerly divert Theodore’s attention.

Climbing onto the stage was a group of children, placing milky-white glowing stones beside the ignited Crystal of Light. The crystal flames posed no danger and did not burn anything, ensuring the children’s safety.

This was the children’s game of finding the Stone of Light during the Festival of Light. These stones appeared only on the day of the festival, and those who found and offered them to the Crystal of Light were believed to receive the special favor of the God of Light for the entire year.

The entire ceremony lasted less than an hour, after which the faithful dispersed, eager to enjoy the festive atmosphere.

Theresia and Theodore were preparing to leave, but they noticed Alicia subtly gesturing to them. Guided by a priest, they arrived at a secluded corner with few people.

“‘My apologies for the wait.'”

Unlike her dignified demeanor on the holy altar, Alicia appeared quite vibrant in private.

She approached Theresia and Theodore with light steps.

“‘Not at all, we just arrived. The holy fire ceremony must have been exhausting, Alicia.'”

Alicia smiled brightly. “‘It wasn’t exhausting at all. Seeing everyone’s happy expressions, I feel completely healed.'”

Alicia’s words perfectly fit the image of a Saintess, and Theresia genuinely felt they came from the heart. Such a beautiful maiden, dignified and sacred on stage, yet lively and cheerful offstage, was a treasure to men!

Even Theresia, the human-obsessed dragon, felt a stir in her heart. She secretly glanced at Theodore, finding that he showed no wavering or distraction whatsoever from Alicia’s smile.

Theodore, maintaining his composure, simply asked, “‘What did you need us for?'”

Alicia looked at the silently observing Theresia, whose demeanor was no different from her graceful presence on stage moments before. “‘Well, actually, I wanted to speak with Her Highness Theresia.'”

“‘Hmm?'” Theresia blinked. “‘Me? Also, just call me Theresia. ‘Your Highness’ is too formal; honestly, I really can’t get used to it.'”

“‘Yes,'” Alicia sighed deeply. “‘I had originally intended to partake in Holy Communion with Theresia, but unfortunately, there were matters with the ceremony arrangements that required my attention, so I had to be absent. After hearing that you, as a Black Dragon, are remarkably sacred and graceful, comparable to Lord Moria’s student, I very much wished to meet you.'”

Theresia remained somewhat bewildered, asking, “‘Uh, why?'”

“‘Because I grew up listening to Lord Moria’s stories! Lord Moria was truly magnificent. Gentle, kind, powerful, and well-read. Just like you, Theresia, are now!'”

Theodore:

“…”

He turned his head away, unable to bear hearing those words.

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