[Vol. 7] Chapter 231: The Ritual of the Dragon God
In the deep night, the light from countless torches dispelled the dark shadows of the mountains. Under the afterglow of the raging dragon flames and the faint barriers, it seemed even the pale silver light of the moon was blocked out. In the valley, a beautiful young woman with distinct dragon features, dressed in noble and elegant clothing, stood with her hands behind her back, silently contemplating as she gazed at the shadows of the mountains.
"Tribe Leader."
As this soft voice called out, Claire, wearing the robes of the Dragon Priest, ran to the woman's side. The woman glanced at her, giving a slight nod.
"Have they arrived?"
"We haven't detected any foreign individuals in the surrounding mountains or airspace yet. But the appointed time has passed... Could something have happened?"
The woman, dressed in even more extravagant and intricate ceremonial robes, raised a hand to stop her younger cousin’s worry and speculation. She looked toward a shadowed area not illuminated by the torchlight. A faint golden glow and a dignified vertical pupil showed a serious expression in her eyes.
"No, they have already arrived."
"Who is it!?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, two figures stepped out from the hidden spot she had been watching. The surrounding dragon warriors were immediately startled and rushed forward, but the mature woman with brown hair shouted at them!
"Step back!"
Claire, also surprised, quickly turned her head to look at the newcomers. When the two figures slowly walked into the dragon flame's light and Claire’s excellent dragonkin eyesight allowed her to see who they were, she finally breathed a small sigh of relief. Then, with a hint of surprise, she greeted them.
"Miss Violet, Miss Light, uh... How did you suddenly come into our territory? That was quite frightening..."
"Ha ha... Sorry, sorry. There have been some unfriendly eyes in the sky watching us, so I didn't want them to know about what was going on here. I had to take some precautions to cover our tracks. Apologies for scaring you."
"Unfriendly eyes...?"
The Dragon Priestess was slightly stunned, but the elegant and higher-ranking beauty beside her quickly took over the conversation.
"It’s probably the Imperial Intelligence Bureau's surveillance magical birds. I’ve heard that they’ve been researching similar weapons based on the [Graeme] model for some time now. It seems they’ve recently made a breakthrough. This isn’t good news, it’s quite troublesome..."
"What!? Tribe Leader, I’ll go...!"
Claire was startled and was about to signal the dragon warriors nearby to search for and eliminate those hidden devices. However, the brown-haired beauty, the Tribe Leader, shook her head.
"No, don’t provoke them just yet. The core areas of our tribe are protected by barriers and can't be easily spied on. For now, just act like we didn’t notice the outer areas. Let them think we don’t know."
"The presence of this surveillance clearly indicates that the Austre Empire doesn’t plan to take further action against our tribe at the moment. If we destroy it carelessly, it might cause unnecessary complications. Let everyone know to be cautious when dealing with confidential matters. Pass the order down."
"Understood... Then, I’ll excuse myself."
After greeting the group, Claire quickly rushed out of the valley. The mature brown-haired beauty finally turned her attention to the two women, smiling politely and bowing slightly.
"Praise the Dragon God, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Cleo Dorgon, High Priestess of the Dragon Temple and Tribe Leader of the Dorgon family. I’m here to personally welcome you, honored guests."
Violet nodded in return. This was her first formal meeting with the woman in front of her, though she had heard much about her through various channels.
Though Cleo introduced herself simply as the High Priestess, in fact, she was also the highest-ranking official in the Austre Empire's Lannas Province, overseeing most internal matters except military authority. The major dragonkin families today all looked up to Cleo, and her position could be described as both highly influential and powerful.
Moreover, a small dragonkin, who had been living under Violet's care, was actually the daughter of this Tribe Leader. The two had been exchanging information through various means, and Violet had decided to come here tonight based on Cleo's advice.
The reason was simple, the dragonkin known as the High Priestess of the Dragon Temple was the only one among all the creatures Violet knew who had personally met with the Dragon God recently.
In a way, Cleo could be considered the Dragon God's spokesperson and messenger in the outside world. To avoid unnecessary trouble, it was very important for Violet to meet with her first.
"The Tribe Leader doesn’t need to be so formal. You should already understand the purpose of our visit. I know this matter is very serious and important for the dragonkin. If there are any issues or difficulties, feel free to speak openly now," said the black-haired girl directly.
Upon hearing the straightforward words of Violet, Cleo’s smile faded a little. She then looked at the golden-haired little girl beside her and seemed to be examining her closely, as if looking for something.
After a moment, the Tribe Leader smiled.
"It’s this little one who wants to meet the Dragon God, right? She has been gaining fame in Sainz recently... It’s so well-known that even we dragonkin have heard quite a lot about it. It seems that, just as the rumors say, little Miss Light does indeed have very obvious dragonkin features, and according to the rules, she meets the basic conditions to meet the Dragon God."
At this point, Cleo suddenly changed the topic.
"However, even within the dragonkin, it’s very difficult to gain the honor of meeting the Dragon God. Although Miss Violet saved my daughter and even helped us retrieve something that was lost, business is business, and personal matters are personal. Because of this, I’ll need to carry out a formal inquiry first. What do you think?"
"That's fine, you may ask," Violet replied without hesitation.
"Alright then," Cleo said, not delaying any longer. She raised her hand and took out a golden dragon-shaped seal. The seal glowed slightly and floated up, spreading a faint, almost imperceptible light that enveloped the three of them.
The Tribe Leader's delicate face, which resembled Lenka’s by at least seventy percent, grew slightly more serious.
"This is the [Evil-Breaking Dragon Seal], a sacred treasure granted by the Dragon God in the past, passed down within our dragonkin tribe and used specifically for rituals. No creature with dragon blood or related to the dragonkin can do evil or lie in its presence, or they will face the punishment of the Dragon Seal. Now, Miss Light, please answer my questions one by one under its witness."
Violet exchanged a glance with Xiao Guang. The little dragonkin, who had already prepared herself, let go of Violet's hand and took a step forward.
"Let’s get this over with. Don’t drag it out."
Xiao Guang's words didn’t anger Cleo. Instead, she nodded thoughtfully before continuing.
"Alright... First, what is the purpose of your visit to meet the Dragon God?"
"To find an answer to something and to do something I am destined to do."
"Do you hold any malice towards the Dragon God or our dragonkin tribe?"
"No."
"Will what you plan to do cause harm to the Dragon God or our dragonkin tribe?"
"No."
"Alright..."
After asking these three questions and receiving clear and confident answers, the High Priestess looked up at the unchanging Dragon Seal in the air, seemingly relieved.
Xiao Guang had not lied, and with that as a foundation, things would be much easier to negotiate.
But perhaps due to her relaxed state, or maybe because Cleo, as the High Priestess, sensed something subtle, she accidentally asked a slightly strange but seemingly reasonable question.
"So, what is your relationship with the Dragon God?"
"...?"