Chapter 119

Seeing Theresa's expression, Tifa and Reiner understood her meaning. Since Theresa was confident she could handle the matter well, they naturally wouldn't raise any objections.

However, before that, there is one more thing I need to tell Theresa, the leader.

Moreover, if the dragon is already under Bishop Theresa's control, then perhaps they could try taking another path.

"Ms. Theresa, do you remember those two people who opened the door without permission?"

"Reiner said."

"I remember, weren't they the two botanists sent from India?"

Theresa nodded, thinking that the other party was going to tell her that the two people had been dealt with.

"There's bad news: those two might not have acted of their own volition, but rather were being led by demons."

Even if Reiner, being America, is a materialist, the influence of his environment would still make him somewhat averse to religion.

Just like how even if we don't believe in some taboos passed down from the elderly, we wouldn't deliberately violate them.

Moreover, in this world of gods and dragons, demons are also a part of materialism.

"Ha?"

Theresa's first reaction was, "What kind of joke is this? Do you really believe lies that others make up?" But she quickly began to consider the possibility.

It seems quite possible.

Moreover, their return to normal at this time is very likely because the Divine Grace Barrier has eliminated the demon's seduction.

Where are they now?

"I tied them up."

Reiner looked at the Scout Team not far away and said, "Bring those two over here!"

Theresa, hoping to find something amiss, carefully observed the two, but still couldn't draw any useful conclusions. The only thing she was certain of was that the two were not lying, and their previous actions were not intentional.

"Could it really be a demon...?"

Reiner's face was extremely grim, because it meant that the demons had likely already noticed them.

"It's possible that it's a demon or someone who has been brainwashed and hypnotized."

Theresa did not give a definitive answer.

She didn't expect to be able to see anything wrong right now; she just wanted to see for herself if they were talking. After all, checking magic power was possible before using the Divine Grace Barrier, but not at this moment.

"Ms. Theresa, I have a proposal."

Reiner took a deep breath and then said, "Why don't we go back first? This time we should bring more people with us, and we can even ask the Magical Girl to help us."

Asking the Magical Girl to help is actually a bad idea, because if you ask them to help, you can't avoid the Magical Mascot. And once the mascots find out about this situation, the Evil Organization will definitely find out too. Although there are no secrets that stay hidden forever, it's only a matter of time, but asking the Magical Girl to help will definitely speed up that time.

"... Entrusting the Magical Girl should have been the final decision, but the current situation leaves us no room for hesitation."

Theresa nodded at the proposal, which brightened Reiner and Tifa's eyes considerably.

"So now we... no, after we've resolved these residents' housing issues...!?"

Reiner started planning his time.

"However, we have no way to go back now."

Theresa's voice interrupted his reverie.

"Huh? What does this mean?"

Reiner was surprised by this response and he touched the 'key' at his waist in confusion.

"I'm sorry... Due to the Divine Grace Barrier, the key should be in a dormant state. Its function is powered by both magic and electricity. The Divine Grace Barrier will nullify both of these energy sources at the same time. Although the battery's energy can be replenished later, we currently have no means to do so."

Theresa's voice was somewhat low, and her words filled the Scout Team with despair. "So, if we want to go back, we can only wait for the other side to come looking for us."

"This..."

This result felt like a stone was pressing down on everyone's hearts. Having something but not using it is a completely different kind of psychological pressure than not having it and therefore being unable to use it. Although no one had expected to go back immediately and was mentally prepared to stay here for a long time, but...

"So... how long will it take for the other side to notice something is wrong?"

"Reiner asked."

"I will have the Valkyrie send a message to the other side through the door every four days, so Schicksal will know our situation in two Schicksal. However, forming a search and rescue team... will probably take some time..."

"I see... I understand."

Reiner nodded, trying to adjust his mindset as quickly as possible.

The members of the Scout Team had no other choice but to continue their mission, which was to ensure their survival as much as possible. So they followed the townspeople to collect water from the stream.

Compared to the townspeople who had little wilderness experience and brought almost nothing with them, the Scout Team, although not carrying any heavy items, had essential survival tools such as water bottles, lighters, and Swiss Army Knife, which came in handy at this moment.

Seeing that the water resources had been collected, Reiner looked at Theresa.

"We'd better find a place near a water source, and then have Ilulu dig a suitable cave in the nearby mountains."

Theresa said.

"A cave? A cave big enough for two thousand people to live in?"

Reiner was initially skeptical about the scale of the project, but considering that dragons were ruthless beings capable of leveling mountains, he didn't say anything more.

"A temporary residence that can accommodate two thousand people would be enough if it were about the size of a football field."

Theresa said, "Once I regain some strength, I'll go back to the town to check on the dragon's condition. If all goes well, we can start repairing the town tomorrow."

"I'll follow your instructions."

Reiner naturally had no objections; in any case, he now completely admired Theresa.

Needless to say, the Valkyrie are basically all moderators of Theresa's fan page. Even if Theresa goes on an adventure, as long as she gives a firm order, the Valkyrie can't object.

Now that the next course of action had been decided, there was no need to let Ilulu continue to sleep. Theresa secretly released Judas from Ilulu's restraints, and the feeling of being filled with magic was incredibly comfortable, allowing Ilulu to quickly regain consciousness.

As she gradually regained consciousness, Theresa ruthlessly tightened the Binding Vow on Judas.

She felt comfortable for a moment, then immediately felt uncomfortable again. This feeling of being stuck in the middle made Ilulu open her eyes in annoyance. She noticed Theresa's concerned expression and remembered what had just happened.

'Oh right... I was defeated by humans...'

Realizing this, Ilulu somewhat depressed, yet also inexplicably relieved, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and she had a strange sense of 'whatever'.

Seeing that she was awake but not speaking, Theresa started the conversation directly. "Ilulu, are you alright?"

Get up and get to work!

Chapter Thirty-Five: Caves and Demons

Ilulu hadn't quite figured out what was going on yet, but she did recognize the word "work".

"Get to work?"

How come they've only just been arrested, and suddenly they have to work?

What happened to the harmony and friendship we were promised?

"The town's residents are now homeless, so we need a temporary place to accommodate everyone for the night."

Sleeping on the grass in the wild is very unsafe. Although dragons don't have this concept, Ilulu, who liked to play with human children when she was young, could understand it to some extent.

Because one of her human friends was lying on the lawn and nearly died after being bitten by a poisonous insect.

"But..."

Ilulu tugged at the Neck Ring around her neck. "I can't use any strength right now."

"I'll go over there with Ilulu first. Reiner, Tifa, you two organize the Scout Team and the people in the town, and tell them not to panic."

Theresa patted Tifa on the shoulder, gesturing for her to put herself down.

"But..."

Your body?

Tifa didn't finish her sentence, after all, Ilulu was still there.

"Don't worry, I'm not that fragile. Although I haven't fully recovered, I'm not so weak that I have trouble walking."

Theresa's uninhibited remarks surprised Tifa and Reiner, who did not expect her to be so open about Ilulu's existence.

But then Tifa smiled. It was precisely this kind of Bishop Theresa who could become the leader of Schicksal, worthy of all Valkyrie following her.

"I see."

Tifa did not object further and bent down to make it easier for Theresa to return to the ground.

Tifa and Reiner then took on their respective roles.

Compared to Reiner, the townspeople respected and trusted Tifa more. After all, from their perspective, Tifa was with Theresa, and as Theresa's subordinate, she was naturally someone the believers needed to respect.

Therefore, it would be more appropriate for Tifa to guide them there.

Theresa didn't intend to hide the fact that Ilulu was a dragon. Although the townspeople were initially surprised when they learned that the dragon was going to open Temporary Shelter for them, they immediately began to praise her with even greater devotion.

Yes, the Lord will guide and protect the ignorant lambs. As the all-knowing and all-powerful supreme God, it is quite normal for the dragon to repent and reform after being taught a lesson by God's Executor.

As for those who resented the dragon to the point that their faith cracked... there really weren't any. After all, thanks to the work of the priest and Schicksal, no one in the town was injured or killed. Although they were tired, they had no complaints after thinking that it was a test from the Lord. Instead, they felt that they were undergoing a sublime trial.

The refugees who had fled from other cities had negative feelings toward Ilulu.

During this time, they had been receiving aid from the Church and were constantly immersed in the atmosphere of faith. Although they had never believed in God before, they were deeply shocked to see that this town, which believed in God, had not suffered any casualties.

'Is it truly because I never had faith that I was abandoned by the gods and attacked by evil dragons?'

They couldn't help but have this thought.

If the town they lived in had been a town with faith, would they be safe and sound now, with not only are their relatives safe, but the evil dragon also protecting them?

Compared to the villagers, the Scout Team couldn't accept Ilulu's existence so quickly, but since Theresa herself had spoken, they didn't complain. Apart from some biologists who were eager to see the difference between dragons and other creatures, there was almost no discussion about Ilulu.

They can't even live their own lives, and their future is uncertain, yet they're discussing dragons?

After everyone had started moving, Theresa led Ilulu to a spot at the foot of the mountain near the stream.

"Ilulu, can you transform into a dragon and dig a hole here?"

Theresa, whose Binding Vow had been slightly loosened, asked.

"That's possible, but wouldn't humans get sick living in caves?"

Ilulu scratched her head with her paw.

"We can't go back to the town, so living in the cave is a better option than living outside."

"The reason we can't go back... is it because of Eton?"

Ilulu then remembered her kin who had been pinned to the ground when she flew high in the sky.

"Yes, he destroyed the city, so I have to punish him."

Theresa said softly, "I'm sorry, but it's my responsibility."

"Huh? Why are you apologizing to me?"

Ilulu was stunned for a moment.

"Hmm? Because he is your kin, right? Even though he attacked first, it is also true that I hurt your people and made you sad, so I apologize to you."

Theresa was surprised that Ilulu would ask this question, and her expression was also somewhat puzzled.

"Ah... you apologized because I was sad."

Although she wasn't actually sad, Ilulu was still somewhat pleased by Theresa's words, even though she knew she shouldn't feel that way.

To dispel this useless emotion, Ilulu quickly explained, "I'm not sad... Although we are of the same race, our relationship isn't exactly close."

Theresa understood this instantly. It was like an ancient clan. Although everyone shared the same blood and had kinship ties, it didn't mean they were a harmonious family. On the contrary, there would be a lot of friction and conflict among them.

The larger the number of people in a clan, the more intense the conflicts and indifference will be; sometimes, the relationships within the clan are even worse than those with outsiders.

"So that's how it is."

Theresa nodded, but her eyes shone with a tenderness that belied her age.

"Why... why are you looking at me like that! This isn't something to be pitied!"

Ilulu was so intimidated by that look that she didn't dare to meet his gaze, so she quickly turned her head away and pretended to be unhappy.