“What Miss Violet mentioned, is it referring to those magical beasts with the legendary dragon bloodline? Of course, I’m aware, as there are many such magical beasts near Flame Dragon City.”

 

The city lord emphasized the term “magical beasts,” and Violet chose to challenge her.

 

“Oh? I actually think that… those who can possess dragon blood may not necessarily be just magical beasts.”

 

Anastasia frowned slightly, her expression darkening for a moment, but then she suddenly brightened. “Are you talking about the royal bloodline of the beastmen, the half-dragon people?”

 

As the ruler of the Flame Dragon City, Anastasia naturally had a deep understanding of all things related to “dragons,” and Flame Dragon City itself belonged to the western cities, with more opportunities for interactions with beastmen.

 

“Yes.”

 

This time, the priestess didn’t continue to press, as if she hadn’t noticed the change in the city lord’s expression. She explained with a smile.

 

“Although I haven’t seen half-dragon people in person, if they are the same kind of existence as I imagine… Let me be straightforward. Those who suffer from 【Dragon’s Blood Disease】 are actually undergoing a mutation in this direction, a mixture of human and dragon blood… they are half-dragon people.”

 

“Be cautious!”

 

The city lord’s face showed a look of shock, first confirming if the door to the private room was properly closed, then earnestly admonishing the young lady before her.

 

“Miss Violet, please do not bring up such words again. I am well aware of what half-dragon people are. Regardless of the feud between beastmen and our nation, how can those patients, half-dead as they are, have any connection to half-dragon people?”

 

“The Human United Kingdom has very strict regulations in this regard. If someone with ulterior motives were to hear this, it might be considered slander.”

 

“Well… that’s why I said it’s a failed mutation.”

 

Violet shrugged, seemingly unconcerned about the city lord’s warnings.

 

“The blood concentration is not sufficient, the purity is too mixed, and the human body cannot withstand such a strong mutation. That’s why it has evolved into its current state. If my guess is correct…”

 

The priestess suddenly smiled meaningfully and looked at the beautiful lady.

 

“Miss Anastasia, this disease probably has some connection with the red dragon that fell here, don’t you think?”

 

“…”

 

Anastasia hesitated visibly, she seemed to have some unspoken secrets, wanting to say something but unable to make up her mind. After a while, the city lord clenched her teeth.

 

“Miss Violet, I understand your curiosity about this matter, but please remember that 【Dragon’s Blood Disease】 is an illness, not anything else. You just need to treat it, please don’t delve any deeper. It’s in your best interest and ours.”

 

With that, she quickly added.

 

“Of course, regardless of everything, you will be fully compensated!”

 

Well, that didn’t matter much to her.

 

The promised rewards in the recruitment offer were mainly gold coins and magical items, and Violet considered such material possessions unimportant.

 

Violet didn’t come for the rewards in the first place. She initially sought the convenience of not waiting in line and later found the situation quite intriguing. She wanted to understand what was going on.

 

Of course, she wasn’t going to let go as easily as Anastasia suggested, just curing the patients in Flame Dragon City and leaving. Let’s not forget that Violet had a secondary motive, which was to investigate information related to dragons.

 

However, she wasn’t in a hurry either.

 

“It’s up to you. I’ll be staying in this hotel for the time being while I’m in Flame Dragon City. If you change your mind or if there’s anything you need, feel free to come find me.”

 

“Alright, I’ll trouble Miss Violet then. So, let’s leave it at that for tonight. Goodbye.”

 

Anastasia nodded, bowed, and then left the private room with a heavy heart.

 

The night passed without any further conversation.

 

The next morning, Violet, accompanied by Xiao Guang, went directly to the official clinic from the previous day.

 

Bishop Isaac and City Lord Anastasia were already waiting there.

 

“Oh, good morning to both of you~”

 

“Good morning, Miss Violet.”

 

Anastasia had regained her usual graceful and gentle demeanor, as if the events of last night hadn’t occurred. However, Violet noticed that her gaze seemed somewhat unnatural, almost wary, yet also held some obscure expectations.

 

“May the Goddess be with you, Miss Violet. We’ll be relying on you today as well.”

 

Isaac, who wasn’t wearing protective gear, was a mature man in his forties. He had neatly combed golden short hair, prominent eyebrows and eyes, and a kindly countenance, fitting the characteristics of a priest.

 

He held a holy emblem and wore a white emblem of the Goddess on his chest, which was somewhat like a cross on Earth but slightly different. The horizontal bar was shorter than the vertical bar, and it had four extending wing-like patterns on the back.

 

It’s said that in the Holy Empire, the emblems worn by temple personnel were quite elaborate. They were categorized based on rank, with the number of wings determining whether one was a two-wing acolyte, a four-wing bishop, or a six-wing divine envoy. Within each wing category, there were variations in emblem colors.

 

In summary, it was very complicated, with strict hierarchies based not solely on strength but on one’s “closeness to the Goddess.” The closer one was to the Goddess, the higher their status.

 

Interestingly, most people in the Holy Empire deeply believed in this concept that seemed quite ethereal to Violet… Should one say that the people in this otherworldly realm were simple-hearted?

 

The Holy Empire was a theocracy, and their king was also the High Priest of the Temple. The Temple had significant power, with branches established in almost every major city worldwide, such as Flame Dragon City.

 

Officially, their purpose was charity and spreading their religious doctrine, but the more astute individuals could see that it was a form of covert influence.

 

In reality, there was no other choice.

 

First and foremost, the Holy Empire was exceptionally powerful, and in terms of national strength and territory, it was almost considered the world’s foremost nation.

 

Their faith, known as the 【Goddess Church】, was a broad religion that encompassed nearly all intelligent races. Anyone with a heart that aspired for peace could follow the Goddess.

 

This led to an abundance of 【Goddess Church】 followers in nearly every nation and among various races worldwide. According to incomplete statistics, the number of 【Goddess Church】 adherents accounted for nearly one-third of the entire global population of several billion people. This was an enormous sphere of influence.

 

Excluding the Beastman Kingdom and the Feathered Kingdom, those wild beasts didn’t pay attention to this system since gods couldn’t fill their bellies. The latter, on the other hand, unified their faith in the gods of the sky and freedom.

 

The development of the 【Goddess Church】 to such a scale had reasons, and one of the most critical aspects was that the Goddess would genuinely respond to each devout believer.

 

The Temple’s 【Faith-Based Magic】 was a real power system. As long as you offered sincere prayers to the Goddess, the deity would respond to you and bestow you with the power of light.

 

The more focused your spirit and the more devout your faith, the more potent this power would be. Therefore, it was true that the upper echelons of the Holy Empire were the most faithful followers of the Goddess.

 

The teachings of the 【Goddess Church】 were quite liberal. Aside from the core members, regular adherents were free to believe in the Goddess, avoid criminal activities, and do as they pleased.

 

This resulted in the Temple’s faith becoming deeply ingrained in people’s daily lives.

 

This was especially true for adventurers, a high-risk profession that frequently required combat. Their reliance on priests was particularly pronounced. As a result, the Human United Kingdom, which prospered through adventuring, was deeply influenced by the Temple, with 【Goddess Church】 followers making up nearly half of the entire national population.

 

So, when Lilya mentioned earlier that divine authority should not interfere with politics, it was also a form of preventive measure.

 

The power of faith came in many forms, with priests inclined towards healing and assistance, inquisitors and arbitrators dedicated to judging heretics and demons, and holy knights specializing in combat and protection. These roles were typically determined by the inner desires of the faithful.

 

Although many were reluctant to admit it, the general consensus in the current world was that priests with 【Faith-Based Magic】 had the most potent healing abilities within their respective ranks.

 

In comparison, the well-established fields of alchemy, medicine, and healing magic were somewhat inferior, not to mention that priests also possessed combat support capabilities.

 

In fact, this profession was somewhat similar to Violet, but she had previously tried working with a priest at the Wanhe Fortress. The so-called 【Faith-Based Magic】, however, was not the same power system as what she brought from the 【Illusory World】.

 

The abilities of priests, regardless of their strength, were not cultivated through their own efforts but were more like borrowed powers from higher entities. It was the benevolence of the gods, where humans received power from the hands of gods and goddesses.

 

The God truly existed.

 

Aurora, the Goddess of Dawn and Hope.