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One person was devoid of expressions, while the other hopped her way with a smile. Valerie did not know that her curiosity had bought people an unknown relief. But, on the other hand, Valerian scared them. It was as if his eyes could peek into the depths of their souls and discover their darkest secrets.

The distance between the two temples was not too much. Finally, Valerian reached the entrance of the dragon temple and was greeted by a guard, “How may I help you?”

Valerian replied calmly, “The head priest must have bought a few refugees over last night. I must check on them and get my horse from your stables.”

The guard understood. The head priest has told them about this person. The explicit instruction was to respectfully escort this person inside the temple to meet the head priest. The guard did as he was told.

Valerian followed behind him, with Valerie holding his hand. She was curious but mannered. The atmosphere inside the dragon temple was slightly more oppressive than the temple of mercy. The little girl asked, “Big Brother, what is that?”

Valerian followed the direction pointed out by her tiny finger and said, “The statue of the dragon god.”

The guard in the front could not help but turn his head to look at this young man. Of course, only a few people can tell the difference between the dragon god and the guardian dragon statues. But, of course, the statues were made of stone, so the color was not the basis of this identification. But if Valerian was to tell him that the only reason he could differentiate was that this statue had the strongest pressure radiating from it.

The guardian would have lost his confidence as a proud member of the Dragon Temple. Soon, they reached a big hall. The guard said, “The high priest is inside.”

.....

Valerian nodded and entered the room with Valerie. The place was filled with beds, and the two people spotted a few familiar faces. It was those women he rescued, and a few of the Dragon worshipers were busy caring for them. Unfortunately, some of these women were sick and needed extensive treatment.

The head priest sensed Valerian’s arrival, and he came over after delegating the work to a few of his juniors. Before the young man could say anything, the head priest said, “Thank you for your actions. These women have a chance to survive. You have my gratitude.”

Valerian waved his hands and said, “I did what a human should do for another if needed. They were not at fault for having ended up in such a situation. Instead, I should thank you for supporting them in their need.”

Valerian bowed slightly, and so did Valerie. The head priest understood that not only was this young man strong, but he was also a humble human. He asked, “Are you leaving the settlement?”

The young man nodded and said, “I have to investigate a few things related to this incident. First, I am sure with the dragon guardians. Such actions must not be linked to this settlement.”

The head priest nodded and said, “Well, indeed, there is no such activity in this settlement. Though, do you have any idea where to investigate from?”

Valerian nodded and said, “The man I apprehended a few days ago seemed noble. I will have to look into a place where merchants or some rich men live.”

The head priest said, “If it is the rich you are looking for, then you should head to the West. I hear they have established a kingdom there.”

Valerian was surprised and asked, “A kingdom, you say?”

The other party nodded and said, “I received the word a week ago. It seemed someone gathered the crowd and formed a government. Later they decided to call that place the Hope Kingdom. From the information I gathered, this settlement is home to around three thousand families. Approximately ten thousand people.”

Valerian was shocked and asked, “Isn’t that too much?”

His answer received a nod, and the person said, “They have gathered five settlements together to form this kingdom. So, I think you might be able to find something there. The southern continent is not rich, but these big settlements are the merchant’s paradise. Only merchants and traders are what you may call noble.”

Valerian nodded and said, “Thank you for your advice. I want to take my leave now. The more such negative elements are exposed to the society, the more they corrupt those around them.”

The head priest nodded and said, “Your horse will not last long. He is old. If you do not mind, you can take one of ours.”

Valerian was unsure how to reply when Valerie said, “Adonis is a good horse. Why can we not take him?”

The head priest squatted to match her level, saying, “Just like humans, animals also need rest in their old age. Adonis is reaching the end of his life span. Do you want him to die in suffering? Or would you like him to die peacefully?”

Valerie did not know what to say but did not want to leave the horse. Confused, she could only glance at the young man next to her. Valerian saw her big eyes brimming with tears. His heart trembled, and the young man hurriedly held the girl in his arms and asked, “What happened Vali?”

His tone was low and soft as if a whisper. The girl sobbed as she held onto him and asked, “Am I selfish for not letting go of Adonis? But I do not want him to be in pain as well. So what do I do?”

Valerian calmed his emotions and gently patted her back before saying, “We are all selfish, but you can still think about Adonis and care for his suffering. That means you are not a bad person. However, Adonis cannot speak his mind, and thus we must take care of him. Right? The head priest will take good care of him.”

The head priest nodded approvingly when the little girl gazed at him with questioning eyes. Then, after a few minutes, Valerie nodded and said, “Okay.”

The girl nodded and said, “Can I see him once before we leave?”

The head priest nodded and took her hand to lead her to the stables personally. Valerian followed them with a faint smile on his lips. Inside the stables, Valerian selected a new mount from the three magical beasts bred by the dragon temple. Valerie patted Adonis and told him various things, like being nice and eating on time.

Valerian smiled at her innocent behavior and decided on a Wind Mare. The beast was slightly blue-skinned with a dense white mane. The mare was tall and sturdy. Valerian brushed her coat gently while channeling wind mana in her body, and the mare took a liking toward him. Valerie said goodbye to Adonis and came to see the new mount. She was surprised and said, “So pretty.”

Valerian smiled and said, “See, change is not bad.”

The dragon temple provided them a saddle, and Valerian sat the little girl atop the horse after bidding farewell to the head priest. Then, he guided the horse out of the settlement.

A few people on the way mustered up the courage and came closer to them and gifted Valerie with some food and items to take with her as a token of gratitude. The little girl was surprised and happy, but then she said, “Uncle, Aunty can you give these things to those people at the dragon temple? They need it more than I do.”

A simple sentence won the hearts of many people. The aunty holding a stall said, “You are indeed an angel of mercy.”

Valerie shook her head and said, “Big Brother taught me, that one should only take as much as they need and give the rest to those in need. If I take all your things, that will mean I am a sinner.”

The people subconsciously cast a gaze at the cold-looking boy and thought, ‘Seems like even the demons in the temple of mercy have morales.’

The news of Valerian facing almost a hundred bandits alone to rescue a few ladies had gone viral. After parting ways with the crowd, the two people left the settlement. Valerie asked, “Big Brother, shall we name this one?”

Valerian smiled and said, “Okay, but now, think of a Female name.”

Valerie nodded and said, “Anne.”

The young man smiled and asked, “That was fast. What is the meaning of this name?”

Valerie replied, “I had a friend in the tribe, she was called Anne.”

Valerian nodded and patted the nape of the mare and asked, ‘We will call you Anne, is that okay?’

The mare nodded humanely. Valerian hopped over to sit behind Valerie and then with a flick of the reins, Anne began to pick up the pace. They were heading to the west of the southern continent. The Hope Kingdom.