"So, this... this is a purebred dragon!?"
The moment she entered the room, Momoka’s normally closed eyes snapped open.
A pair of black eyes, deep like the starry sky, reflected the figure of the white dragon.
It had to be said that the growth rate of the dragon race in their early stages was truly rapid.
Looking at the little white dragon before her, Luo Li remembered that when it was first delivered, it was only about a meter tall.
Back then, it was adorable and clumsy, with a large head, a round body, and short limbs, looking like a chibi creature.
Yet, after more than three months of growth, the holy white dragon before her had already undergone a transformation.
It was now over three meters long from head to tail, its white dragon scales becoming increasingly full, and its pair of leathery wings could reach a span of six meters when unfolded.
Its once chubby body had extended into a sleek, slender frame.
The dragon's head had also shifted from its original rounded shape into the majestic form of a true dragon.
At this point, Astrid’s appearance was almost indistinguishable from that of an ordinary adult dragon.
It was just that her size was still quite small.
However, she had already gained the ability for long-distance flight.
A pair of white dragon horns had begun to poke out from the top of her head, though they were currently only two short spirals.
In the future, these two small points would grow into proud, magnificent horns.
'Aung?'
Astrid, who had been sleeping, suddenly heard the door open and glanced over subconsciously.
But what she saw was not the familiar Luo Li, but another human wrapped in holy elements.
Confusion immediately flickered in her crimson eyes.
'Who is she?'
'What does she want?'
'When is she leaving?'
These were the first thoughts in the mind of this young, mentally immature dragon.
Momoka’s hands trembled as she looked at the white dragon coiled on the floor.
A pair of crimson eyes stared right back at her.
"Is it... truly a dragon?"
Even though her eyes could tell that the dragon before her was only a few years old, she could clearly feel the dense draconic aura radiating from its body.
There was no doubt about it; this was absolutely a purebred dragon!!
Even so, she still found it hard to believe.
Even with the holy white dragon standing right in front of her, she still wondered if she was seeing an illusion.
It wasn't that she was foolish; it was simply that seeing a purebred dragon on the continent was nearly impossible.
Purebred dragons were few in number, and combined with their long lifespans, they were generally unwilling to have anything to do with other races.
The vast majority of purebred dragons lived on isolated islands across the sea.
Even if there were purebred dragons on the continent, they would never reveal themselves easily.
This was her first time ever coming into such close contact with one!
"Astrid, come here. Let me introduce you. This is Momoka, the Saintess of the Sun. She'll be staying here from now on."
Watching Momoka’s stunned expression, Luo Li found it a bit amusing.
She hadn't expected this usually serious Saintess of the Sun to be so dazed with shock.
It was quite an interesting sight.
After all, it wasn't easy to see such a beautiful girl make such a face.
However, since they weren't very close yet, she decided to set aside her amusement for now.
She beckoned Astrid over.
During the month she was away, Astrid had mostly survived on Holy Water.
It was only after Lina returned that the dragon managed to eat properly through her.
By now, Luo Li had more or less figured out the little creature’s temperament and preferences.
No wonder the Dragon King had said this little one was difficult to raise.
It was indeed far from easy.
What this little one needed was the purest holy element, untainted by any other elements.
It wasn't that she couldn't eat other holy elements, but doing so clearly made her uncomfortable.
To put it simply, it was like eating something slightly unclean.
She could digest it, but she had to use extra energy to filter out the impurities.
Because of this, since Luo Li’s return, the little one had moved back into her room to sleep.
She slept at night and spent the day digesting holy elements.
This cycle repeated daily, turning her into a literal shut-in.
Of course, the little one also ate quite a lot every day.
While it wasn't quite a whole cow a day, she still required at least two or three hundred pounds of meat.
'Aung~'
Astrid looked at Momoka and then glanced at Luo Li.
Since 'Mama' had introduced her, she would grudgingly lower herself to acknowledge the stranger.
"H-Hello. My name is Momoka. I look forward to your guidance."
Being greeted by a purebred dragon made Momoka feel somewhat overwhelmed and honored.
She hurriedly replied.
However, the holy white dragon seemed to lose interest as soon as the greeting was over and slumped back onto the floor.
She rested her chin on her tail, her eyes watching Momoka warily.
Seeing Astrid’s lack of interest and Momoka’s slight awkwardness, Luo Li stepped in to smooth things over.
"Don't feel discouraged, Momoka. The little one is probably just shy around strangers. Give it time, and you'll get used to each other."
Momoka looked as if she really wanted to touch Astrid, but the little dragon didn't seem inclined to give her the chance.
"Luo Li is right. There is no need to rush, lest I startle her. Her name is... Astrid? It's a wonderful name. She sounds like a girl?"
Momoka hesitated for a moment before withdrawing her hand.
After all, this was a holy white dragon. This species was the subject of many legends, even in human nations.
"Yes, she's a girl. She's only about two years old? I don't remember her exact age."
Luo Li scratched her head; it seemed the Dragon King had never actually told her how old the hatchling was.
But that didn't matter. For now, the little one couldn't survive without her.
There probably weren't many people on this continent who possessed such pure holy elements as she did.
And there were even fewer whom the Dragon King would trust.
By now, the sky had grown dark.
Lina, who usually slept like clockwork when there was no war, had a very precise biological clock.
"Aah~ I say, have you two been polite enough? Why don't we just go to sleep..."
As she spoke, she seemed to think of something, and a smile curled onto her lips.
"Momoka, this is your first time in Brilliant City. You must feel a bit uneasy, right?"
Momoka was stunned by the sudden question and hesitated for a moment.
Lina was right. Today was Momoka’s first day in Brilliant City.
Although they had met in the communication room before, this was their first time meeting in person.
As the saying goes, you can know a person's face but not their heart.
The Kingdom of the Sun was currently in such a miserable state that it could no longer even accommodate its own refugees.
Things had reached a point where the nation was only one step away from ruin.
The Pope had designs on the Kingdom of the Sun, and that greedy little emperor, Dominic of the Kingdom of Flame, also coveted their land.
As the Saintess of a nation, she had nowhere left to go.
If this Luo Li before her also had ambitions for the Kingdom of the Sun’s territory, then she would truly have no way out.
Fortunately, at least until now, Luo Li had not made any comments regarding the remaining territory of the Kingdom of the Sun.
This put her mind at ease, but ultimately... she was still somewhat apprehensive.
"Well..."
Momoka slowly closed her eyes. When her Authorities were not active, she kept them closed.
After all... she didn't want to accidentally glance around and see a bunch of skeletons walking about.
"See, Luo Li? I told you. Momoka is being so polite today because she's definitely uneasy."
Lina said with a laugh, then suddenly changed the subject.
"I propose that to help Momoka get rid of her unease, the three of us should sleep together tonight!"
"Huh?" — Luo Li.
"What?" — Momoka.
'Aung??' — Astrid.
Two humans and one dragon, three pairs of eyes instantly turned toward Lina.
Facing these six eyes, Lina waved her hand dismissively as if it were nothing.
"We're all girls, what's there to be afraid of? Besides, there are some things... that need to be made clear."
Her words made Luo Li’s brow furrow and Momoka’s expression turn solemn.
Clearly, Lina had sensed something, which was why she had made such a suggestion.
And it seemed... that if they were in bed with no one else around, it would be easier to speak from the heart.
She seemed to be intentionally encouraging Luo Li and Momoka to deepen their communication.
Luo Li pondered for a moment, her expression gradually smoothing out as a smile formed on her lips.
She turned to look at Momoka.
"I think Lina’s proposal is quite interesting. What do you think?"
"Since Luo Li also finds it interesting, then it shall be so."
Luo Li and Momoka shared a smile, both seemingly having things they wanted to say.
Lina, seeing this, immediately relaxed.
Her carefree, lighthearted smile returned to her face.
"Then it's settled! Nara, Nara~ Hurry and get the bedding ready! We're all sleeping together tonight!"
Nara looked at the three Saintesses in speechless disbelief.
This was ridiculous. Three Saintesses sleeping together? This had to be a first in history.
However, she turned to look at her own lady.
Since her lady didn't seem to have any intention of refusing, she had no choice but to comply.
But why... did she feel a strange sense of annoyance?
With that trace of confusion, Nara turned to order the preparations.
In a short while, the bed was made.
After all, her lady’s massive bed was more than large enough for seven or eight people.
It was so spacious one could practically jump around on it.
"Prepare for us to change first. Draw the curtains."
Luo Li hesitated. To be honest, she was already used to being undressed in front of her personal nuns.
But stripping down in front of Lina and Momoka was a different story.
Lina and Momoka didn't object.
After a quick change, Luo Li did something unprecedented: she wore pajamas and panties this time.
The style of the pajamas was simple, without any lace or fancy decorations.
It was just a solid-colored, long-sleeved white dress.
The loose sleeves had straight cuffs that reached slightly past her wrists.
The pure cotton fabric was very comfortable to wear.
As for why she was wearing panties, it wasn't just because she was sharing a bed with strangers today.
It was mainly because... her period had arrived.
She put on a specially made sanitary pad, which she still wasn't quite used to.
Then she went to the bed.
At this moment, Momoka and Lina were also standing by the head of the bed.
The three of them seemed a little awkward.
Being Saintesses, they had never slept with anyone else before.
But among them, there was an exception!
Before Momoka and Luo Li could react, Lina jumped onto the bed first.
"I'm taking this side! This spot is mine tonight!"
As she spoke, she lay down with her feet toward the wall and her head toward the center.
Luo Li was stunned for a moment.
She had thought the three of them would sleep side-by-side, but Lina’s move offered another solution.
Why shouldn't the three of them sleep with their heads toward the center and their feet toward the edges?
Wouldn't that make it easier to talk?
Luo Li glanced at Momoka, and Momoka glanced back at her.
Neither said a word, but they shared a smile.
They climbed onto the bed from opposite sides and lay down with their heads toward the center.
Fortunately, the bed was large enough that even with the three of them sleeping in a triangle, there was plenty of room.
Lying on the bed and staring at the familiar ceiling, Luo Li glanced toward the door.
"Lights out."
The young nun outside bowed her head slightly, then reached out to turn off the lights.
Instantly, the room fell into darkness.
As their eyes adjusted, the light from outside the window became more prominent.
The heavy snow that had been falling for a day and a night had already draped all of Brilliant City in a silver coat.
The snow was still falling, and the white ground made the city appear brighter than usual.
Even though the moon's light did not reach the earth tonight, it could not stop the white snow from illuminating the dark.
Luo Li could hear the breathing of Momoka and Lina beside her.
Their breathing was very distinct.
Lina’s breaths were deep and long, a result of her physical conditioning as a melee fighter.
Momoka’s breathing was steady and rhythmic.
Perhaps this was also related to the nature of her profession?
Luo Li focused on her own breathing and realized it seemed no different from an ordinary person’s.
Was it because she was too weak?
Just as she was thinking this, Momoka’s voice suddenly reached her ears.
"Luo Li, thank you."
"Hmm? Why the sudden politeness? What are you thanking me for?"
Luo Li was a bit surprised. Why the sudden gratitude?
"I... I don't know. But... thank you anyway. Perhaps it's because you healed my limbs, or perhaps it's because you were willing to accept the refugees of the Kingdom of the Sun."
Momoka’s words made Luo Li pause.
She subconsciously turned her head to look at Momoka.
Momoka still wore the same expression, her eyes closed and a gentle smile on her lips.
Overall, she looked no different than she did during the day.
However, there was a clear change in her tone.
Compared to earlier, her voice was softer.
It seemed she was more relaxed.
"As Saintesses, the people of any of the Eight Nations of the Holy Church are our people. If our positions were reversed, I believe you would have done the same as I did, Momoka."
Lina chimed in indignantly:
"Luo Li is right. Our Eight Nations of the Holy Church were originally one. Why divide us? It's just those few people who love competing for power who have made us so distant."
"That may be true, but in the end, nations are still different."
Momoka’s voice turned heavy as she turned her head toward the girl.
"Are you interested in the territory of the Kingdom of the Sun?"
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