[Vol. 8] Chapter 317: White
The one who came was not a stranger, but the person Violet and the others had met yesterday, called “Laylin” by Nitila. She was also from the Mingjiao tribe and seemed to be someone from her past, the Village Chief!
She still wore the same plain cloth dress as yesterday, with a mysterious smile on her face, yet her eyes showed a bit of curiosity.
Seeing the slightly complicated look on the beautiful woman’s face, the priestess didn’t give a clear answer.
“Maybe it was the very first moment I entered this world, or maybe even earlier. I’m afraid you don’t know this, but I’ve always had sharp eyes. I can see things that others cannot.”
She pointed to her silver-blue eyes, which faintly flickered with black-and-white light, and then added with a smile.
“And I also have a bad habit. No matter what I notice or guess, I like to keep it to myself, secretly thinking and investigating. The difference between you and normal villagers is far too obvious. Even though you tried to hide it with the identity of [Village Chief], it’s still very hard for people not to notice you.”
“Hehe~”
Although it seemed like she had been found out, the [Village Chief] did not look shaken. Instead, her smile grew even deeper.
“As expected, you are not easy to deal with. No wonder you are the biggest problem in our plan. Perhaps… I should respectfully call you, Your Divineness the Goddess?”
Violet’s expression didn’t change, but her words stayed sharp.
“Then how should I call you? [Village Chief], Laylin, the Chosen One, or perhaps…”
“The White Dragon Queen, Miss Cielru White?”
“...”
“Uh… well… could you two please talk in words normal people can understand?”
Hearing the two women test each other like in a game of chess, even the well-traveled Daughter of Truth couldn’t help but let out a confused sound. She could understand each word they said, but when put together, the meaning became like some strange secret code.
But clearly, neither side had the time or intention to explain anything to her. When Violet listed several names, especially the last one, the beautiful woman standing across from her raised her eyebrows slightly, but soon calmed down again.
“Looks like you prepared quite well. Did the Goddess already notice something was wrong with me back in the Purple Mist City?”
“Haha, of course not that early. If I had known back then, I would have taken another action right away.”
The priestess shook her head and looked at the woman standing alone in front of her, with a small smile on her face.
“Since you want to stall for time, and I also have some information I want to confirm, why don’t we just sit down and have a good talk? We can finish the conversation that was left unfinished last time, don’t you think~?”
“...?”
The [Village Chief] looked at Violet with some confusion. She clearly understood what these words meant, but in those calm, clear silver-blue eyes that seemed as deep as a still lake, she could not see any emotion. So she simply nodded, choosing to step back in order to advance.
“Very well. Since the Goddess is not in a hurry, why should I be? If I can avoid fighting such a powerful god head-on, I would be more than happy.”
“As proof of sincerity, let us talk in our true forms.”
As she spoke, her figure suddenly shifted, as if light and shadow peeled away from her body and slipped straight into the void behind her. Her mermaid form began to change rapidly.
Her face became visibly younger, her long hair turned as pure as falling snow, the tear marks on her cheeks faded, replaced by a pair of golden vertical pupils that looked both majestic and enchanting. Long dragon horns naturally grew from both sides of her head, and even her plain clothes transformed into a luxurious, intricate outfit. In just a few moments, she had turned into a stunning figure Violet had once seen before.
Who else could it be but the dragon woman who had appeared in the night battle above Purple Mist City, claiming to be the White Dragon Queen, Cielru?
But unlike the vague spirit-like image from that time, this White Dragon Queen now had a real body, standing in her full prime. The aura she released was even faintly surpassing the limits of mortals, as if some kind of power of this world was boosting her, pushing her across the great barrier to truly reach the realm known as God.
Perhaps this was why she dared to face the priestess all by herself.
“Let me introduce myself again. I am one of the Chosen Ones, code name [White]. Of course, you may continue calling me Cielru White if you prefer.”
“Oh my, oh my~ No wonder you smiled so strangely back then. Thinking about it now, it’s a little embarrassing, isn’t it?”
The priestess curved her lips into a playful smile as she spoke.
“I’ve always been curious. What is the true relationship between you so-called Chosen Ones and the real Lords? Those guys are much stronger than you, yes, but from what I’ve observed so far, it doesn’t look like the Lords have the power to help others cross that boundary. From this view, the difference between you and them should only be strength, not a strict hierarchy of higher and lower.”
“Since the World Sustainers have such strict ranks, there must be a reason for it. Can you tell me the logic and the reason behind it? Or who exactly is the one behind you Chosen Ones, the one who chooses you?”
[White] quietly observed the black-haired girl in front of her, who spoke as if casually chatting with an old friend. She showed no hostility or impatience. After a moment, she only gave a slight nod and said:
“Of course. With the strength and status of Your Divineness, you certainly have the right to know this information. But… this matter is forbidden knowledge. Most of it is sealed by absolute rules from a certain existence. Even though those rules are much weaker in this world, there are still limits to what I can say directly.”
“As you said, we World Sustainers are a group with strict ranks. The Lords, as embodiments and representatives of world concepts themselves, hold near-absolute authority among their respective races. But… even the supreme Lords have an origin, and that origin is the great will called [The Lord of Beginning].”
“That is the founder of the World Sustainers, the true origin, and the one who chose us and gave us our mission. The [Lord of the Beginning] has no race under Their command. Even now, Their will eternally lingers in this world, choosing beings who meet Their conditions and granting them Their blessing.”
“As for what exactly the [Lord of the Beginning] is, and Their exact relationship with the Lords, I cannot reveal. What I can tell you is this. They are neither in a superior-subordinate relationship, nor are they equal. From this view, those of us chosen by the [Lord of the Beginning] exist outside the system. We are special beings whom even the Lords cannot directly command.”