After Becoming an Evil Dragon, I Was Entangled by the Saintess - Chapter 12

One mouth to feed was fine, but two mouths were even better. Yulxi didn’t refuse Veranse’s company.

At the same time, she wanted to understand Veranse’s true motives. It couldn’t just be about the food, could it?

“If it weren’t for you, I’d still be suffering in that inferno,” Veranse said sincerely, after finishing her meal.

Yulxi remained silent, but Kasha nodded earnestly in agreement. Yulxi had opened a door to a new world for them, and once they’d stepped through, there was no turning back. If Yulxi opened a restaurant in Red Maple Territory, it would be packed with customers. Of course, if those customers knew they were being served by an evil Black Dragon, most would probably faint from terror.

“Will you be returning to Mangshui Forest?” Veranse asked, resting her chin in her hand and gazing at Yulxi with sparkling eyes. The Black Dragon’s Familiar remained in the dense forest, so the Black Dragon herself could simply wait for her “subjects” to bring offerings, right? Or would she stay in Red Maple Territory? That wasn’t impossible, considering Yulxi preferred moving about in human form.

“Are you so concerned?” Yulxi asked, her expression unreadable. “Perhaps you want to know the location of my true Nest Cave so you can send the Church’s dragon-slaying forces after me?”

“How could you say such a thing!” Veranse stood up, her expression hurt. “I escaped that hellish world thanks to you. Would I repay kindness with betrayal?” She gazed intently at Yulxi. “I believe you’re different from other Evil Dragons. I saw you return the treasure to the poor people.”

Yulxi asked, “What if I could bind you and take you back as my cook?”

Veranse paused for a few seconds, as if calculating the odds of such an attempt succeeding.

Probably zero. The aura Yulxi had previously exuded had terrified even her.

A faint smile curved Veranse’s lips. “You jest.”

In Klein City, Flah cursed Earl Unos, who had fled, and the former High Priest, while Ilti sat numbly in her chair, still unable to believe their misfortune.

Everything had gone so terribly wrong.

They had spoken of hunting dragons while a Dragon was right beside them.

They had tried to keep the Dragon out with a barrier, but the Dragon was already among them.

“Don’t you find all this defies common sense?” Ilti asked. Fortunately, the new Priest, Charlotte, had helped calm the people’s unrest. As for how Charlotte had become High Priest, Ilti neither knew nor cared, and the Holy See didn’t need to know either.

“Is that so?” Flah replied, pondering. “Perhaps the Great Dragons underwent some changes after the Dragon Era ended?”

“Even if they changed, Dragons are inherently greedy, especially the Five-Colored Dragons,” Ilti said, taking a deep breath. “Even the Gold Dragons, who are friendly to humans, covet treasure. How much more so the infamous Black Dragons?”

“Yet she suppressed her greed and ordered the guards to return the treasure to its rightful owners,” Ilti continued. “Remember, Dragons are fiercely possessive creatures. What they see, they claim as their own. Anyone who could steal a single gold coin from a Dragon’s Nest must be exceptionally powerful.”

“Have you ever heard of a Black Dragon who can cook?” Flah asked, licking her lips at the thought of food, savoring the divine taste that had felt like ascending to the Divine Realm. If we work for the Black Dragon, do we get free meals and lodging? Flah wondered, her mind racing.

“Could it be a trick?” Ilti suggested cautiously. “As far as I know, the Illusionist School among mages can achieve such feats. Perhaps it’s some kind of magical artifact.”

Flah nodded, convinced once again. “That’s very possible.” She ground her teeth, her pointed ears twitching. “If that’s the case, I’m going to give Yulxi a thorough beating.” After her fierce declaration, she suddenly remembered something. “Wait, doesn’t the contract include true names? Check it again!”

Ilti prayed frantically as she fumbled through the contract. But the Gods offered no mercy; she found a long list of true names belonging to Dragons. Her face drained of color, she looked utterly despondent. “It really is a Dragon.”

“Well, at least we’re still alive,” Flah said.

Ilti thought of her brother’s gruesome fate, and a surge of relief washed over her. “Maybe it won’t be so bad,” she murmured, trying to reassure herself.

Yulxi was nothing like the Black Dragon Ilti had imagined.

Yulxi gave Ilti only three days to recover.

When Ilti arrived at the castle, she still looked pale and pitiful. Flah, however, was in better shape, her nerves taut, ready to draw her sword at any moment.

Yulxi ignored Flah’s barely concealed hostility. Seated at the head of the long table, she calmly asked, “What is the population of Red Leaf Province? What are the annual tax revenues? And how are the expenditures managed?”

Ilti and Flah exchanged bewildered glances. They never would have guessed that Yulxi would be most concerned about these matters. Ilti stammered, “The Red Maple Territory’s population is smaller than that of the southern and eastern provinces. It includes one city, five town centers, and numerous villages where most of the population resides…”

Yulxi listened to Ilti’s rambling nonsense, but she had anticipated this. After all, the noble lady had never been groomed as an heir. Not even the original Lord likely knew the details. The city hall officials might have had some knowledge, but the situation in the towns remained unclear. Since the Lord himself served as the Mayor of Klein City and had fled, his subordinates had naturally vanished as well.

“As the Lord, you must understand the household registry and taxation,” Yulxi stated firmly.

Ilti stared blankly at Yulxi’s stern expression. In that moment, her fear of the Black Dragon receded, replaced by the panic and shame she used to feel when facing her teacher. She lowered her head, desperately suppressing the urge to blurt out, “I’m just a mage.”

“Where do you plan to build the Temple?” Yulxi pressed.

Ilti, a casual follower of the God of Light, hesitated at the mention of “Temple,” feeling her faith somehow desecrated. The idea of a Black Dragon constructing a temple seemed absurd. During the Dragon Era, all the Dragon Gods had perished. Could the worship of Great Dragons truly revive deities? It wasn’t impossible; as long as they were remembered, the day of their return would eventually come. Yet the Dragon God Temple wouldn’t be dedicated to the Dragon Gods themselves, but to Yulxi herself.

“What about the Church?” Ilti asked tentatively.

Replacing the Church was an option, but Veranse was still in the territory, and Yulxi didn’t want to stir up too much trouble. Besides, she already had a better plan. She unrolled a parchment scroll, pointed to an empty spot near Klein City Hall, and declared, “Build it here.”

The City Hall was the second most magnificent structure after the castle, with a vast plaza that could easily accommodate a temple. “Make it quick,” Yulxi demanded of Ilti.

Ilti lowered her head and replied, “Yes, Lord.”

Few in the Red Maple Territory had witnessed the Black Dragon’s appearance firsthand, but everyone had felt the oppressive dark clouds and overwhelming Dragon’s Might. Those who had fled were long gone, while those who remained dared not leave their homes. But with dwindling food supplies, they couldn’t hide forever and starve to death. When Ilti sent guards to knock on their doors, pale-faced residents emerged to find a proclamation:

The Lord’s Manor hereby summons artisans to construct a Dragon God Temple.

Upon completion, the Red Maple Territory will become a sanctuary under the protection of the Great Dragon.

Given the choice between becoming a quick snack or being stored as provisions, most people chose the latter.

What if there was a chance to escape before the Black Dragon devoured them?

Bordering the eastern lands of Red Leaf Province was Emerald Province.

Though not as fertile as the southeastern regions of the Empire, Emerald Province boasted rich mineral deposits and unique flora, making it far wealthier than Red Leaf Province. Moreover, Emerald Province was the direct fief of Princess Isfan Lanster, the Emerald Princess. However, the princess resided in the Royal Capital, leaving the territory to be administered by her close friend and adjutant, Orlandi.

Earl Unos, having fled Red Maple Territory, sought refuge in Emerald Province first. Still clinging to his dream of “dragon hunting,” he hoped to enlist their aid.

“A Legendary Dragon has appeared in Red Maple Territory?” Orlandi’s expression turned incredulous upon hearing the news. She had no intention of assisting Earl Unos, knowing he had previously bribed the Second Prince in an attempt to curry favor. Though skeptical of the Legendary Dragon’s existence, she paused to consider before instructing her subordinates, “Send Earl Unos back. The Empire does not tolerate nobles who abandon their people to flee alone.”

Her stated reason was noble, but if the truth were revealed, it could cause considerable trouble. She added, “Do it discreetly.”

And so, on the day the Dragon God Temple was completed, Ilti received Earl Unos, bound hand and foot and thrown outside.

Ilti: “……”

“You need a will to confirm the legitimacy of your position,” a warm voice said. Ilti looked up and saw Veranse, who had come with Flah.

Flah nodded in vigorous agreement, then kicked Earl Unos, cursing, “You murderous swine!”

Ilti pressed her lips together.

Lord God above.

Miss Veranse can’t possibly be the Holy Maiden of Light, can she?

No matter how sacred and radiant her appearance, she can’t hide the “kill them all” meaning in her words.