Thinking of this, Cecilia suddenly brimmed with anticipation for the future.
Caesar watched the confident little Silver Dragon—now completely fooled by his own sweet talk—and a pang of guilt welled up inside.
Building your joy on someone else's blunder… that's pretty low, even for me. I'd better treat her right from now on.
Hmph-hmph!
Cecilia, of course, noticed nothing of her ally's inner turmoil. She puffed her tiny chest, leaned in mysteriously, and lowered her voice.
Little Earth Dragon, since you've got such good taste, this Young Miss will show you the brand-new Secret Art I mastered during my evolutionary slumber!
Without waiting for an answer, she launched into a boast: "From my inheritance memories I learned two amazing Secret Arts—one called Happy Hour, the other Payday!"
Caesar's heart skipped a beat.
Happy Hour? Payday?
Weren't those the pokémon moves that simply boosted money after battle—pure support skills with zero combat power?
Still… looking at the chubby little dragon bubbling with excitement, Caesar had a premonition.
In Cecilia's claws the thing might turn into something wild.
Sure enough…
—System Notice: Cecilia used Happy Hour!
As the System panel popped up, the dragon began an odd little routine.
First she lifted her left stubby leg, wiggled it clumsily, swapped to the right, twisted her body in rhythm, swirled her plump tail in circles, and finished with a spin.
One could only call this dance… Dragon Dance.
Caesar's guilt deepened—great, I've broken the kid's IQ.
Looked like a toddler-dragon doing aerobics.
Yet he realized Happy Hour here really was triggered by this flamboyant jig—and the dance carried a strange, infectious cheer that left onlookers relaxed and happy.
While Caesar puzzled over its use, Cecilia halted, struck a pose she thought heroic, and fired her second move.
"Payday!"
With a chubby claw jabbed skyward, a "treasure rain" suddenly poured through the cave.
Clatter-clatter—
A dense clatter burst overhead.
Caesar looked up—and his eyes went wide.
Countless glittering, golden things rained down!
Coins, gems, magic crystals—the dazzling sight sent Gabite draconic DNA into overdrive.
We're rich!
Could Payday here really conjure money from nothing, just like in the games?
This wasn't support—it was divine!
"Cecilia, you're a Genius!"
Caesar showered praise without reserve and dashed for the mountain of gold.
"Of course I am!"
Chin high, Cecilia charged her four stubby legs straight into the treasure pile.
The two dragons rolled joyfully in the coins, roaring with delight.
Excitedly clawing through the heap, Caesar felt something drape over his head—
He grabbed it: a slip of silky fabric embroidered with gold thread, red gems set at key points, pulsing faintly with mana.
Caesar froze.
This thing… looked familiar.
Wasn't this the risqué lingerie he'd stripped off that psycho woman?!
Back then the System had said it was a knock-off of the Focus Sash that could lock HP in a pinch; he'd kept the unlucky garment and had Cecilia stash it in her Storage Ring.
"…?"
A bad feeling surged.
Caesar's gaze swept the pile: the eye-burning Focus Sash, giant Energy storage crystals, all the beast cores and Materials he'd hoarded… his eyelid twitched violently.
So Payday didn't create loot—it simply sucked every nearby treasure into one heap?!
A glance at his Storage Ring confirmed it was nearly empty.
Well, that burst the bubble.
"Ahem… dear, beloved partner," Caesar cleared his throat.
"Hmm?" The little silver head popped from the coins, a diamond sparkling between her teeth.
"Let's pack everything back up," he sighed; though the move would be great for looting enemy bases or battlefields, right now it was just cringe.
"Oh…"
Seeing Caesar's face fall, Cecilia belatedly realized she'd… messed up again?
The Secret Art she'd worked so hard to grasp had merely unpacked her ally's own belongings.
The tiny Silver Dragon felt wronged.
No way! this young lady has to prove herself!
Cheeks puffed, she decided to go all-out—ultra-powered edition!
Happy Hour—opening move!
The bewitching dance began anew.
Next, a festive red glow shimmered over her.
Celebrate!
Originally just fireworks for victory.
Now Cecilia poured every drop of her mana into it.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Multicolored elemental fireworks lit the gloomy cave like a disco.
Atmosphere: perfect.
She sprang upward.
Bounce!
The so-called "splash-nothing," universally mocked as Trash.
Yet under the Z-Move System it becomes a terrifying offensive god-skill.
She lacked a z-crystal, but with a True Dragon's physique she rocketed skyward.
Spinning, leaping, eyes shut tight.
At landing she gathered all her strength, swung toward the cave mouth, and clawed!
Payday—Full Power!
"Come… to me!!!"
Boom—!
A terrifying suction force erupted, centered on Cecilia.
This wasn't wind.
It was a targeted, rule-based pull on anything of high value!
Caesar felt his claws tighten as the Storage Ring on his fingertip nearly tore free.
Terrified, he clutched the ring with both claws and pressed himself to the Ground like a gecko clinging to the stone.
'Have you lost your mind?! Stop it!'
Caesar roared.
The pull was absurd!
Bits of rock in the cavern didn't budge, yet the ore crystals hidden in the crevices shot toward Cecilia like bullets.
Even the sharp claw tucked beneath Caesar's scales was yanked away!
'I won't stop! I'm going to prove myself!'
Cecilia Ground her teeth, her face flushed crimson.
She could sense it—this time it wasn't just the treasure nearby.
A Silver Dragon's perception followed that suction far, far beyond the cavern.
It felt as if… she'd hooked something huge.
…Meanwhile, on the border of the Lordaeron Empire.
A solemn procession advanced along a desolate road.
Twenty Templar Knights in fine plate armor, polearms and tower shields in hand, guarded a magnificent carriage emblazoned with the sigil of the Church of Light.
It was a Holy Pilgrimage Guard—an impressive name for the bodyguards who escorted a Saintess Candidate from city to city on her rite of passage.
With the decennial Saintess Selection about to begin, every diocese had dispatched its candidates on ritual tours to proclaim the goddess's will, swear their oaths, and win the favor of believers and prelates alike.
This group had traveled west and was nearing its final stop—Osterburg.
Halfway through the wasteland, they met another party of four.
The blue-haired hero Siniel, leading the smaller band, had meant to yield the road when he noticed the diocese crest on the carriage, but something suddenly sharpened his gaze.
He stepped forward, saluted the knight-captain, and called out, 'Might the lady within be Her Excellency Anastasia?'
The captain hesitated, then looked wary.
The Saintess Candidate under their protection was indeed named Colette Anastasia.
Siniel quickly explained, 'I am Siniel; I had the honor of meeting Her Excellency Colette at the capital's Celebration.'
As he spoke, he glanced at the elven mage at his side, Hibiscus.
Hibiscus showed no expression, apparently indifferent to the holy retinue.
Reassured, Siniel continued to converse with the captain.
Moments later, a delicate hand in white lace gloves lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, revealing a cool, stunning face.
Silver hair spilled like moonlight; violet eyes shone like flawless gems, though their gaze held distance and detachment.
She said nothing, merely lifted a teardrop-shaped jewel at her breast.
The gem was crystal-clear, light swirling within—the tear of light, symbol of the goddess's gaze and proof of her status as a Saintess Candidate.
Siniel understood the silent message.
During the selection, candidates must remain unsullied and avoid needless talk.
'We intruded; forgive us,'
Siniel apologized, then withdrew to the roadside with his companions, watching the procession pass.
'Tch, a bunch of fanatics acting all mysterious,' the Dwarf warrior Dwarf spat.
'Watch your tongue, Dwarf,' said the priest Hyte, himself unkempt but still respectful toward the Church.
'That Saintess… something felt off,'
Several hundred paces on, Hibiscus suddenly remarked.
'Off how?' asked Siniel.
'I don't know—her elemental aura was too quiet, as if she weren't alive,'
Hibiscus frowned; as an elf, her perception of mana was keen.
'Perhaps she Cultivates some special divine art,'
Siniel shrugged it off.
Then—
Disaster struck!
A commotion erupted behind them.
A heart-rending scream followed: 'Your Holiness—!!!'
'Quick—protect her!'
The cry was so shrill that Siniel's band froze and spun around.
The once-orderly pilgrimage had turned into chaos: knights drawing swords, horses rearing and whinnying.
'An attack?!'
That was Siniel's first thought; his broken blade hummed, the metal necklace at his throat burning hot.
[Ding! Emergency detected!]
[Side quest issued: Sacred Bond.]
[Objective: Rescue the Saintess Candidate Colette Anastasia.]
[Reward: +100 points, +20 Church of Light favor.]
System-9527 chimed, but as the 'Hero,' Siniel needed no prompting. He spun and sprinted toward the turmoil—
'Oi! Siniel!' Dwarf hefted his axe and pelted after him.
Hyte and Hibiscus followed close behind.
As he ran, Siniel weighed possibilities: a rampaging Magical Beast?
A lost drake from the Dragon Spine Mountain Range?
An assassin from the Devil King's army?
Or political rivals among the Saintess Candidates?
Any of those could drench this wasteland in blood.
Yet when he reached the frantic knight-captain and heard the report, he froze: '—What do you mean the Saintess is flying through the sky?!'