Silver Dragon

Facing Randolph’s questioning, Noa did not answer.

She just said to herself in her heart.

‘That person is the only variable in the predetermined ending.’

Then her figure flashed, and she left the church.

Seeing Noa leave, the old Pope’s tense nerves relaxed considerably.

He looked at the half-dead archer lying on the ground.

He let out a deep breath.

Less than a few minutes passed.

“Tsk tsk tsk, as expected of the First Chair of the Dragon-Slaying Guard.”

“The one and only Emperor-Tier Sage. Truly lives up to her name.”

A man wearing a white mask applauded as he slowly walked to Randolph’s side.

Accompanying him was Kristine’s father, Alvin.

Looking at the silent, one-armed archer on the ground, the man chuckled and said.

“You’re the former Pope, after all, and yet she didn’t even leave you a shred of face.”

“It seems the Church is declining day by day.”

His words were tinged with a bit of mockery.

Randolph frowned and replied to him in a calm tone.

“No matter how much the Church has declined, it’s not something you rats from the Dragon Cult, who hide in the sewers, can compare to.”

Hearing this, the man laughed even louder.

“Hahaha! Alright, rats we may be.”

“But don’t you forget how much help we rats have given you.”

“Speaking of which, weren’t you wary of the Imperial Family before, not daring to make a move against that child? Why did you change your mind so quickly?”

Alvin was also a little puzzled by this.

He had suggested to Randolph last time to just send someone to kill Black.

But the old Pope had refused, saying that they should first issue a warning to avoid alerting the enemy.

But not long after the warning, the old Pope had suddenly changed his mind and wanted to eliminate the young man.

That was what led to today’s events.

Randolph took a few steps and looked up at the stars in the sky.

His old voice said slowly.

“After hearing that the child had obtained the Demon-Cleaver, I performed Divination Magic once.”

“The result showed that with this child around, our plan will inevitably fail.”

Hearing this, both the white-masked man and Alvin fell silent.

If it was Divination Magic, then its credibility was indeed very high.

No wonder Randolph had suddenly changed his mind.

“It’s strange, though. Where on earth did this young man come from?”

“The last two times he intervened, it was too coincidental, as if he knew our plan from the very beginning.”

Alvin said hesitantly.

The white-masked man, as if remembering something, said.

“I’ve heard of this person from some of the failed members of the Cult.”

“He participated in the royal fleet’s crusade against the Sea Dragon King and was the Second Princess’s guard.”

“However, he wasn’t particularly conspicuous on the ship at the time and had no presence in the crusade.”

‘Could it really be a pure coincidence?’

Alvin still felt that this matter was full of suspicious points.

“Regardless, we can no longer make a move against that child.”

Randolph sighed and said.

He didn’t think Noa’s words just now were just to scare him.

“But… will our plan proceed as usual?”

Alvin asked with a frown.

“Proceed as usual.”

Randolph said with certainty.

“Why?”

Now Alvin was even more confused.

He didn’t understand.

Divination Magic had already predicted failure.

Since they weren’t going to make a move against Black, they should have changed the original plan.

Meeting his gaze, Randolph stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.

He looked at his former son-in-law and said, word by word.

“Don’t worry, I have my own arrangements. Just do as I say.”

“You just need to remember, you want to resurrect Louisa. As her father, why wouldn’t I want the same?”

“More than ten years of planning cannot be in vain. The plan will succeed in the end.”

Hearing the name Louisa, Alvin couldn’t help but tremble.

A hint of sadness appeared on his previously calm expression.

He looked at the old man before him.

For a moment, he was speechless, but he nodded heavily.

“Yes. I’ll go and make the arrangements for what comes next.”

Staring at Alvin’s retreating back, Randolph’s face became gloomy.

A complex and inscrutable light flashed in his eyes.

He said to the white-masked man beside him.

“Silver Dragon, perhaps I should consider your previous proposal.”

“Oh?”

The man named Silver Dragon was quite surprised to hear this.

“You’re prepared to sacrifice Alvin? So what you said just now was just to appease him?”

“It seems, Your Holiness the Pope, you are willing to pay any price to achieve that lofty ideal.”

Randolph clasped his hands behind his back and closed his eyes.

“Divination Magic won’t be wrong. If we can’t touch that child, we can only change the plan.”

“For the permanent peace of human civilization, a little sacrifice is unavoidable.”

Hearing this, Silver Dragon was also amused and said pretentiously.

“I am deeply impressed. If the Pope needs anything, the Dragon Cult will definitely assist with all our strength.”

“I don’t need your assistance. On the contrary, I’ll trouble you not to interfere. This is the Church’s own business.”

Randolph said specifically, as if to avoid suspicion.

“Aiya, aiya, my good intentions are not appreciated.”

Silver Dragon waved his hand and walked away helplessly.

He only left behind a sentence tinged with light mockery.

“Don’t worry, our Cult really doesn’t dare to act recklessly in the imperial capital.”

“My mission this time is merely to provide you with some advice.”

In the thick of the night, Randolph sighed and sat in the ruined pavilion.

He said to himself.

“As long as the differences between people can be eliminated, there will be no more wars.”

“For this, any price is worth paying.”

…

After dragging his exhausted body back home, Black didn’t delay and immediately shut himself in his room.

Under the bright light of a magic crystal lamp, he began to study the Ivoran Holy Water formula.

As his research deepened.

His admiration for that Alchemist Sage from thousands of years ago grew.

The ingredients listed in the formula were not the rare and precious materials he had imagined.

On the contrary, most of them were common materials and minerals that could be found anywhere on the market.

Who could have thought that these cheap materials, through a specific combination and refining process.

Could neutralize the dreaded Blightbloom Fever.

“As expected of one of the Twelve Sages.”

Black praised in a low voice.

It was precisely because the cost of the formula was extremely low, and the refining threshold was not high.

That it could be mass-produced back when Blightbloom Fever broke out on a large scale, ultimately successfully curbing the spread of the epidemic and saving countless lives.

The next morning.

Black personally went to Servia’s largest alchemical materials market.

Following the formula, he purchased a sufficient amount of basic materials such as Silverleaf Grass, Serenity Bloom, Moondust, and Purified Water.

Returning home, he closed the door.

Black took a deep breath and calmed his mind.

He took out his commonly used alchemy equipment.

A glass flask, a stirring rod, a scale, and a small magic array inscribed with runes.