Chapter 250 (2): Dragon Blood Ritual

Looking at her student’s pale face and the sad eyes under the glasses, Flora felt her heart clench. She had raised this girl to adulthood. Although she saw Ottilia as a tool and always disciplined her harshly, she was human, and humans could never avoid developing feelings.

She said hoarsely, “The Pope has been in trouble the past two days. To avoid giving the investigation team any leverage against him, you have to disappear for a while. You will no longer be a disciple of the church, and you alone must shoulder the blame for your deed.”

Deductions could be bold, but evidence was a must when giving a guilty verdict. Deduction without evidence to back it up would not be considered in court.

The Pope didn’t want to admit that he had arranged for Ottilia and Regina to attack Wayne, so he told Flora to take care of the mess, having the two shoulder the blame and disappear.

By disappear, he didn’t mean for them to leave Ostarrichi. That would be naive. He meant that they should leave the Chosen Land—to vanish physically. Moreover, the phoenix bloodline should be retrieved to cultivate the next Holy Maiden.

The Pope gave Flora a chance to prove her loyalty and work diligently rather than biting more than she could chew. She could only have what she was given; if something wasn’t given to her, there had to be a reason for that, and she shouldn’t grab for it.

The Pope appreciated Flora’s ambition. It was a good thing for people to have desires. He believed that Flora would realize how difficult it was to start a business after being independent for a while, learning to hide her ambition.

The higher-ups of the church monopolized power, so power could only be inherited rather than taken by any independent agent. As long as Flora worked hard, she would become an Oracle High Reverend one day; she might even become the Pope going forward.

Doesn’t the cake look nice and big? Why don’t you have a taste?

Flora did. It was dry, hard, and bitter, a difficult lie to swallow. Watching vitality gradually leak out of her student, her eyes burned with resentment.

She hated the church!

She hated the aloof and indifferent goddess, she hated the Pope for making her kill her student, she hated Silvia for working against her, and she hated Wayne for coming out of nowhere.

She also hated herself and her student, who had limited talent.

After some time, with the now cold red gem in her hand, Flora looked at the two lifeless bodies before her. Sensing the resentment in the air, she raised her hand... and lowered it after a pause.

Using magic, she pulled the two bodies underground. When a cold breeze swept by, she seemed to hear the heart-wrenching voices of the wraiths cursing out.

Two spirits joined the Misty Forest, and there would be more if nothing were changed.

Flora dragged her feet away. The fact that these spirits hadn’t been erased would suggest that they were in a similar situation to Ottilia and Regina.

“How ironic...”

***

“My chest hurts!” Lying on the wicker chair, Wayne rubbed his chest and gave Veronica, who was reading a book, an accusing look. “I’ve risked my life to protect you, almost dying in the process. But you? You wouldn’t give me the time of day as I recover, even humming while reading books...”

“Veronica, I don’t have a sister like you.”

Veronica flipped the book and said cruelly, “Stop whining. There hasn’t been a day when you’re quiet. You’re so noisy that my chest is hurting.”

“Let me rub it for you then.”

“Ha, rub yourself.”

“I say we should help each other,” Wayne suggested seriously. “If we rub ourselves, and someone sees us, they’ll think we’re perverts.

(눈‸눈)

Nah, no one other than Senna can enter, and in Senna’s eyes, we’re step-siblings with the same father. No matter if we rub ourselves or each other, we will be seen as perverts.

“How are you recovering, Wayne?”

Senna came to the garden. When she saw Veronica reading on the side while Wayne grunted in his chair, she couldn’t help but say, “Veronica, I told you to take care of Wayne. Why didn’t you? He’s your brother.”

“Master Senna, I’ve just sat down.” Veronica sighed, putting on a convincing petulant look.

During the time she spent with Wayne, her ability to lie had improved, so she was able to say that without obvious signs of acting.

Senna bought it readily. The siblings were so close that it was just another Sunday when they hugged each other. Who knew how Veronica had taken care of Wayne when Senna wasn’t around?

Sooner or later, they would cross the line!

The thought made Senna question the reason Veronica had withdrawn from the Holy Maiden selection. Was it to become Wayne’s bride? As expected of Silvia’s daughter. Auston’s contribution only made her more insane.

“Master Senna, I’m just about recovered physically. It’s just that my thoughts are still a little sluggish.”

Wayne sat up and patted his chest to show that he was healthy. After two pats, though, he started coughing.

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Veronica turned away, while Senna quickly went up to smooth her hand along his back. After a thorough examination, she confirmed that he had recovered physically and would be able to move freely in two days. The fake cough was meant to tease Veronica. It was a little game between the siblings.

What kind of siblings played unhealthy games like this?

Senna shook her head slightly. Since Veronica had withdrawn from the selection, she didn’t bother telling the two of them to behave. They could do whatever they wanted to do; there was no requirement for purity for the Nature Knight.

“Master Senna, how’s the investigation going? Has the real culprit been found?” Wayne coughed twice.

“At my insistence, the Pope has conceded and allowed Vice Captain Garvin and me to establish an investigation team, but after so many days, the evidence has likely all been erased.”

Senna’s face darkened. “Tubert’s under investigation, too. Over the past few days, a few monkeys have appeared in the area. He’s watching you. Don’t give him the chance to talk his way out of it.”

“Virgil and Cerci, who attacked you, are still missing. Tubert must have moved them elsewhere. The Pope is a likely suspect, too. The fact that Tubert’s two students showed up at the selection site is the best proof. Only the Pope could have done that...”

“And the two Holy Maiden candidates, Ottilia and Regina from the Prussia District, were arranged to take the fall. Who knows which mountain they were buried under?” Senna scoffed, emphasizing to Wayne how cruel the High Prophet and the Pope were. In comparison, Senna might as well be a saint for caring only about Wayne’s safety.

“It’s been difficult for you, Master Senna,” Wayne said with a regretful expression. “You must have been under a lot of pressure for pulling the strings and protecting Veronica and me. Truthfully, I didn’t like you that much in the beginning, but I feel much better about you now.”

“Good boy. You’re Silvia’s student, so we are supposed to be family. Who else am I going to help, if not you?” Senna was overjoyed. Whether Wayne was only being polite, it was a good start for their relationship to improve.

Veronica looked down at her book while listening to Wayne fool Senna, filing away the method he had used to deceive women. She was learning to avoid falling for the same trick herself, but also to notice it when Wayne was tricking other women so that she could warn him with a dragon punch.

“Oh, Master Senna,” Wayne said, his heart racing a little, “About the two candidates from Prussia. Have they gone missing... or have they been made to go missing?”

“I don’t know, but they are missing.” Senna didn’t dwell on it. “Tubert was very likely the mastermind for failing to keep his students in check, allowing them to attack you. There is the possibility that he and the Pope worked together for fear of you becoming the Nature Knight. Thus, they sent Tubert’s students and killed them, and then they would kidnap you and make you the next High Prophet...”

Senna continued with her brainwashing attempt, which fell on Wayne’s deaf ear. He quietly prayed that Ottilia hadn’t been made to disappear. It would be tragic for someone as young as she was to have never fallen for a great scumbag.

He didn’t think it was likely. Flora had spent years raising her student. With all the effort she had put in, she would try her best to keep her student safe. Surely!

“There’s something important I need to talk to you about, Wayne.” Senna stopped smearing her opponents’ reputation, putting her hands on Wayne’s shoulders seriously. “Vice Captain Garvin responded. Sir Moula, the Nature Knight, will return to the church’s headquarters soon. He won’t be able to stay for long since he has his mission, but he wants to meet you during his stay. We have to be prepared.”

The dragon blood?

Wayne nodded. He had prepared a plan to steal the dragon blood.

However much he was given, he would take. Half of it would be his, and the other half would be Auston’s. The Lando family would all benefit from the offer. It couldn’t be more perfect.

As for Senna... Wayne would have to turn her down, regretfully. His constitution wasn’t compatible with dragon blood, so he was only ever going to be a dragon rider rather than a dragon.

He was sure that Senna would forgive him with her magnanimous bosom.

“Master Senna, I’m ready. When should we start?” Wayne’s expression turned grave. “I’d like to do it as soon as possible. The Nature Knight could return any moment, and I’d need time to get used to the dragon blood to increase my chance of becoming the chosen knight.”

“I’ve already prepared the dragon blood ritual. We may start anytime,” Senna said with her eyes narrowed. She had been waiting for this moment for a long time. If Wayne hadn’t gotten injured, she would’ve already completed the ritual to replace his blood.

“Even today?”

“We can start now, but your condition...”

“I’m recovered.” Wayne patted his chest. He didn’t cough this time.

Senna nodded in satisfaction. She rejected Veronica’s offer to help. “You have dragon blood, so you can’t be present at the ritual. Otherwise, your blood will be taken by Wayne, too. I can do it on my own.”

She closed her eyes to open her dark domain, taking Wayne from the mansion’s garden into a different space. Before leaving, Wayne shot Veronica a look. She needn’t worry. He had everything under control.

No matter what sins Senna had committed, she would have more than paid them back by meeting him!