"Don't worry, I won't expose you." Thinking Cecilia hadn't recovered yet, Veronica comforted her, "I am your companion."
To prove her sincerity, Veronica pulled an ancient pendant from her bosom.
"This is the 'Covenant of Light' passed down through our Family. It is said to only react to the purest power of light and the most pious Souls."
Veronica took Cecilia's hand and let her touch the crystalline pendant. (*Psychium Z)
The moment they touched, the 'tear of light' forcibly bound to Cecilia's chest suddenly grew hot.
Two powers of the same origin resonated!
The ancient pendant suddenly erupted with brilliant light, and within that light, an extremely faint dragon-shaped shadow vaguely appeared.
"Look, even the ancestor's relic has acknowledged you."
Veronica said excitedly, "It wasn't an accident that the tear of light chose you. This is a great transformation! Dragons and humans, power and faith... You will become the bridge connecting the two races!"
Cecilia held the warm stone.
She felt an extremely pure and warm intention flow into her mind.
It wasn't some great transformation.
It was just the final kindness of a girl named 'Colette' toward this world before her death.
Even though her Soul had dissipated, this kindness still remained in the relic connected to her Bloodline, accepting the 'imposter' Cecilia.
"But... the people outside say I'm a monster."
Cecilia said softly, "The Church won't allow a dragon to be the Saintess either."
"Then make them shut up."
Veronica stood up, returning to her image as a capable and shrewd noble Young Miss.
"Rumors stop with the wise, but they don't stop with fools. Since they like watching a show, we'll put on a grand performance for them."
She snapped her fingers.
Several maids carrying musical instruments and makeup cases walked in.
"I've already heard the rumors outside. They want to use your 'dragon' identity to attack you, so we'll beat them at their own game."
"H-how do we fight back?" Cecilia was at a loss.
A confident smile curled on Veronica's lips as she spoke of a plan that made Cecilia's dragon body tremble.
"It's simple."
"Let's have an idol debut."
"Idol debut?"
Listening to Veronica's plan, Cecilia felt her dragon brain was insufficient again.
"Exactly!" Veronica waved her arms, explaining passionately, "The whole city is spreading 'bad things' about you right now; it's better to guide the flow than to block it! We'll just go with the flow and turn you into the most dazzling star the Royal Capital has ever seen! Use your charm and 'miracles' to completely conquer everyone!"
The Hurst Family's industries spanned the Empire, including the emerging entertainment industry.
Thus, before Cecilia could react, she was taken by Veronica to the Royal Capital's top opera house to begin hellish 'idol training.' Learning etiquette, dancing, and how to display 'holiness' and 'charm' on stage.
The biggest problem was Cecilia's Singing Secret Art.
As soon as she opened her mouth, everyone and everything within a hundred meters would collapse into a forced hypnosis.
The Royal Capital's number one songstress, invited by Veronica, had only heard half a sentence before falling asleep with her harp for three days and three nights.
"Lip-syncing!" Veronica quickly thought of a solution, "We'll use Magic Recording Stones to record your voice. You only need to mouth the words on stage to avoid using mana. Combined with your Celebrate and Happy Hour skills, it will definitely blow the crowd away!"
This plan was crude but effective.
Though the process was arduous, Cecilia surprisingly didn't reject it. If told in detail, the author could probably write a whole 'Mujika' series about making friends or 'five-word Divine Beings,' but let's skip the daily life of the dragon and the girl for now... Late at night, training ended.
Cecilia dragged her nearly broken body back to the overly lavish bedroom in the manor. The warm milk and Sleep-aiding incense Veronica prepared were on the bedside table, but she was so tired she didn't even want to move a finger.
She collapsed onto the excessively soft velvet bed, but her body instinctively missed another texture—hard, cold, yet incredibly familiar rocky ground. That was where she had slept for countless nights in Caesar's Pokémon Center.
The faint hustle and bustle of the sleepless Royal Capital came from outside the window, making the room feel even emptier. She subconsciously curled up, a posture that gave her the greatest sense of security in narrow caves. Now the bed was huge, yet she felt she had no place to settle.
"...Damned ground Dragon."
She buried her face in the pillow and mumbled gloomily.
This complaint wasn't full of grievance; it was more like... a habit. A habit of that figure who always came up with outrageous solutions in desperate situations, a habit of that strange but reassuring scent of earth, toxic fungi, and dragon blood, even a habit of those grumbling scoldings.
Here, her new friend Veronica treated her very well, perfectly so. But that kindness belonged to 'Saintess Colette.' Whereas that bastard ground Dragon's kindness was rough, practical, and meant only for 'Cecilia'—even though he never admitted it was 'kindness.'
This vague realization made her heart a bit restless. She shook her head, attributing it to wild thoughts caused by being too tired from training.
"Sleep, Sleep... still have to memorize lines tomorrow..."
She mumbled and closed her eyes, assuming the sleeping posture she used most often in the cave, driven by muscle memory. Fatigue soon submerged her, but a moment before sinking into dreamland, a random thought flashed by:
I wonder if that idiot is also in some stinking gutter right now, thinking about how to scam people...
A few days later, 'Saintess Colette's' first public blessing ceremony was held in the central square of the Royal Capital.
Facing the crowd influenced by rumors and eyes full of doubt, Cecilia was so nervous her palms were sweating.
But when the music started, following Veronica's guidance, she quietly activated her skills while lip-syncing.
Celebrate!
Happy Hour!
In an instant, countless brilliant fireworks exploded over the square, and colorful points of light fell like rain.
Accompanied by her ethereal and pure voice from the Magic Recording Stone, the entire scene became dreamlike and holy.
The people were stunned.
Doubt and suspicion were replaced in this moment by shock and fervor.
In the crowd, an old Archbishop with white hair and beard looked at the girl bathed in light on stage with a complex gaze.
Veronica, beside him, asked at the right time: "Your Excellency Archbishop, what do you think?"
The old Archbishop was silent for a long time before slowly speaking, his voice carrying a hint of confusion: "Her Singing... has a strange infectious power that reaches the depths of the Soul. I read a hidden passage in the ancient scriptures once..."
"The Incarnation of Light is not for humans alone."
"When one with compassion burns themselves to protect the weaker, the true holy fire is lit for them."
Veronica firmly etched these words into her heart.
On stage, Cecilia looked at the once again fervent believers and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
—This idol path... actually seems like it might work?
At the same time, in the Royal Capital's underground Cult stronghold.
The dust from the explosion and the stench of sulfur slowly settled.
Caesar leaned against a half-collapsed wall, his chest heaving violently. His dark blue scales were covered in burn marks and lacerations, and his Rough Skin was stained with thick, purple-black demon blood. One of his claws was bent unnaturally, clearly broken.
In front of him was the massive, twisted remains of a demon slowly turning to ash. At the location of the remains' heart, the sharp claw shimmering with an eerie light was embedded.
"Pui..." Caesar spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva; the burning sensation mixed with sulfur made his throat ache.
[Ding! Over-level kill of 'Legendary Demon · Shadow of Beelzebub (Extremely Weakened),' Experience +12,000!]
[Rank Up! LV.41 > LV.42!]
[⊹ Detected... Comprehended Skills — Crunch, Substitute!]