After Becoming an Evil Dragon, I Was Entangled by the Saintess - Chapter 20

The silent darkness lay like a colossal beast, lurking beyond the walls of Klein City after dusk.

A torchlit caravan trudged along the rugged, silent road, their cargo consisting of prison wagons crammed with gaunt, emaciated Kobolds, Lizardfolk, Gnolls, and other Subhuman creatures. A few less crowded and filthy wagons held Elves and Half-Elves, none appearing older than thirty in human years—still considered young for the long-lived Elven race.

The caravan was guarded by twenty mounted warriors, all practitioners of martial professions, led by at least three Third-Tier Warriors. In addition to the warriors, a mage cloaked in black robes radiated an aura of sinister malevolence.

“Move it! Once we deliver them to the Black Prison, we can drink ourselves silly for a day,” the lead warrior barked.

“Heard a Great Dragon appeared in the Red Maple Territory?”

“Don’t believe everything you hear. If there were a Dragon, we’d be seeing the ruins of a city, not this caravan.”

The caravan moved through the dark night, while Flah, concealed nearby by an invisibility spell, watched her suffering kin with mounting fury. After learning of the anomalies at the Sain Auction House, she had continued to gather information from members of the Steelheart Guild, eventually uncovering this merchant group. She should be rescuing her people from their misery, not hiding in the shadows.

Ilti swiftly grabbed Flah, preventing her from impulsively rushing out. Her expression was grave as she whispered, “There’s a mage in the group whose depth we can’t fathom.”

“A Fourth-Tier Mage,” Veranse said gently, but her words brought no comfort. While the gap between First-Tier and Second-Tier Practitioners might be manageable, the higher the tier, the more insurmountable the challenge of fighting someone of a higher level. Fourth-Tier Mages were mid-level practitioners, on the cusp of becoming high-level mages. Their mastery of spells and casting speed created an immense gulf between them and Second-Tier Practitioners who had barely escaped the status of magical apprentices.

Ilti’s fury was partially quenched by reason. She abruptly turned to Yulxi, her eyes gleaming with renewed determination.

Yulxi’s expression remained calm and steady.

“If you’re willing to intervene and rescue them, you’ll earn the friendship of the Moonlight Forest,” Flah said.

Yulxi replied casually, “Friendship between an Elf and a Black Dragon?”

Flah stiffened. She had to admit that such a claim would be dismissed as a wild fantasy, but she was serious! Well, she couldn’t speak for the entire Moonlight Forest, but she could certainly offer her own friendship!

“I don’t need the Moonlight Forest’s friendship,” Yulxi said, raising an eyebrow. Seeing Flah’s tense expression, she shrugged and added, “But if we rescue them, I’d like them to visit the Dragon God Temple to pay their respects. What do you think?”

The Dragon God Temple had recently been built in the Red Maple Territory, but it hadn’t yet attracted any faith or Merit. Instead, it had become a sort of “roadblock.” Most people avoided going to the city hall unless absolutely necessary, and those who had to pass by deliberately took detours. Perhaps once the Knights had spread news of the great Black Dragon’s tax exemptions and reductions to every corner of the Red Maple Territory, the temple would finally begin to bear fruit.

Flah hesitated for a moment before saying, “Very well.” May the Goddess of Life forgive me, but the Dragon God has long since fallen. This doesn’t count as abandoning my faith, since I’m not the one worshiping him anyway. “Are you going to intervene, Lord Yulshi?” Flah asked, her eyes filled with anticipation as she gazed at Yulshi.

“Not yet,” Yulshi replied. The caravan escorting the prisoner carts couldn’t possibly enter the city openly. After all, the Empire had enacted laws to ensure harmonious coexistence with other races, and the Sain Auction House’s actions violated these laws, making their activities akin to smuggling. Where did they enter the city? Through the underground tunnels?

Suddenly, the caravan came to a halt.

The order came from the gaunt mage cloaked in black robes.

Though his presence in the group was understated, the entire caravan obeyed his every command.

The mage raised his staff and began chanting.

He cast a detection spell forward, his gray eyes cold and deep like storm clouds gathering in winter.

This spell could detect fluctuations in nearby Magic Power.

“Lord?” The caravan’s guard captain asked nervously, fearing trouble at this critical moment. The cargo’s value was immeasurable; any mishap would cost him his life.

The mage frowned, detecting nothing, yet a sense of foreboding settled in his heart.

This feeling wasn’t unfounded. His expression darkened, his face resembling the parched bark of an ancient tree, as if no flesh remained beneath the withered skin, only bone pressed tightly against it. Raising his staff, he cast another Fourth-Tier spell, creating several Flame Traps. These traps wouldn’t vanish on their own unless triggered, but certain practitioners, such as bards and rogues, could detect and disarm them. The mage, however, seemed unconcerned, his sole purpose being to determine if anyone was secretly following him.

“What’s he doing?” Flah frowned. Elves possessed natural Magical Talent, but Flah had chosen the path of a Ranger rather than a Priest, limiting her spell repertoire.

“Casting spells to set up magical traps,” Ilti replied. As a mere Second-Tier Mage, she couldn’t decipher the mage’s spells. She turned, placing her hopes on Yulxi and Veranse.

Yulxi raised an eyebrow, her gaze fixed on Veranse.

If the True Dragon’s Eye could pierce through concealment, detecting a few traps would be child’s play.

More than showcasing her own abilities, Yulxi was eager to learn about Veranse’s skills.

“Follow me,” Veranse said, blinking her eyes as she offered a devout prayer. “Praise be to the Lord God! May the great Lord God guide us away from evil and lead us toward the light.”

Yulxi stared in disbelief. Is this how she deceived the Light Church into making her a Holy Maiden? She doesn’t even believe in the Lord God! Even if the gods were to awaken from their slumber, they probably wouldn’t hear her prayers. She glanced at Ilti and Flah. The former seemed to believe Veranse’s words implicitly, as if Veranse herself were the embodiment of light. As for Flah, her mind was entirely consumed by thoughts of those poor elves; her already limited intelligence had been completely drained.

The caravan’s destination was a small manor, its black stone walls standing weathered and worn, as if they had stood in the wilderness for centuries. Inside, the manor consisted of ordinary stone houses, their surroundings overgrown with weeds, giving the place a desolate air. Though the stone walls appeared to offer little protection, they were actually enchanted; anyone who tried to force their way in would likely face a magical assault.

“Veranse, can you dispel the magic on the wall?” Ilti asked, her eyes shining with anticipation, completely forgetting that Veranse had introduced herself as a Second-Tier Mage, the same rank as her.

“Perhaps,” Veranse replied hesitantly after a moment’s pause. She drew her staff, chanted for a few seconds, and unleashed a fiery storm that swept across the black wall. The commotion was deafening. The guards, who had just settled down, rushed out in a frenzy, while the grim-faced mage emerged slowly, his voice raspy as he muttered, “Annoying little insects.”

“I’m sorry,” Veranse said, her head bowed and her hands wringing nervously.

Ilti couldn’t bear to scold her, seeing her distressed expression. She took a deep breath, gripped her staff, and braced herself for a full-scale battle.

“Lord Yulshi,” Veranse murmured softly.

Yulshi’s eyebrow twitched.

Veranse was doing this on purpose.

She wanted to see him fight!

Yulshi glanced again at the raging flames, faintly detecting the aura of Dark Magic.

Something was wrong. Besides the fiery storm, Veranse had also left another magical mark on the wall.