After giving the priest of the Church of Light a chance, which he failed to seize, Garon decided to withhold the information about the Black Sun sculpture for the time being. He planned to visit the headquarters of the Church of Light when he had the time and confidence to confront the Pope directly, to see if he might exchange it for other treasures.
The blessings and protection of the God of Light were of no interest to him; he could give them to whomever he pleased.
Garon was resolute in his thinking. Without sufficient benefit, even if the dark god could indeed descend through the statue, bringing disaster and darkness to the continent of Noah, he would not freely give away his precious collection.
No dragon would do such a thing.
Even a gold or silver dragon.
If anyone asked them to selflessly contribute their treasures, they would experience the wrath of a good dragon.
Exchanges, however, were a different matter.
"Esteemed Silver Dragon, should you come across any information about the Black Sun sculpture, please notify the Church of Light to prevent the impending darkness that threatens to engulf the light," the priest bowed deeply as he spoke earnestly.
"The Church of Light will not forget your contribution."
Garon touched his dragon horn, looking down at the politely requesting priest, and responded in a neutral tone devoid of emotion, "I will consider it."
"Thank you for your understanding," the priest expressed his gratitude with a relieved expression.
Then, looking up with respect at the dragon shimmering in silvery light, he asked, "This area is not under your territory, may I know what brings such a noble Silver Dragon here? Is there something urgent?"
A mature silver dragon appearing in the Dragon Spine Mountains would not be without reason.
Garon turned his gaze southward, squinting as he said, "I am heading to the human kingdoms in the south, just passing by here for a rest."
He had not been asleep long; the sun had just risen from the horizon to mid-sky when he felt the approach of these humans and woke up.
"I see," the priest nodded in realization.
Then, he sighed softly, saying to Garon, "It is said that silver dragons are fond of human society; you must be looking forward to enjoying your visit."
"However, the timing of your visit could be better."
Garon's eyes narrowed slightly, "The timing is not good?"
The priest nodded, his voice filled with pity, "The lands of the human nations are soaked in blood and death, the fires of war continue unabated, and it's uncertain when peace and tranquility will return."
"War rages, smoke fills the air, and dark gods lurk in the shadows, watching the light; the timing is indeed very poor."
The faces of the priest and the surrounding paladins, all staunch in their resolve, showed a hint of helplessness.
As followers of the God of Light, their primary directive was to be just and kind.
As righteous people, they felt compassion for the current state of human society.
However, on the continent of Noah, the Church of Light never interferes in human wars, and now with the threat of dark gods, they could do little to help those engulfed in conflict.
"If you go to the human nations with a heart full of kindness and compassion, you may return disappointed."
Garon remained unphased, "Why should a true dragon care about the conflicts among humans?"
The priest paused, feeling something amiss.
He had assumed that Garon might also regret the plight of human society and perhaps offer some help, but it seemed that was not the case.
The tales of silver dragons' goodness were perhaps just fanciful stories. The priest chided himself internally, realizing he had naively believed that silver dragons would empathize with humans based solely on what he had read in books or heard in the crowd.
Dragons are rare, and most human knowledge of them comes from scant historical records, the veracity of which is often uncertain.
"Esteemed Silver Dragon, I apologize again for disturbing your rest."
"If there is nothing else, we must depart now, as there are many more shadows of darkness for us to explore."
The priest's voice and posture maintained respect for the powerful being, showing not a trace of disrespect.
Garon did not respond.
He spread his dragon wings, casting a large shadow as he did so.
With a gentle flap of his wings, a gust of wind arose.
The silver dragon soared into the sky, his body interwoven with golden sunlight and faint silver gleams, disappearing from sight in an instant.
The oppressive presence in the air vanished with him, and everyone felt as though a great weight had been lifted from their chests, and they breathed a sigh of relief.
"If this had been an evil dragon..."
A robust, middle-aged paladin looked in the direction Garon had departed, his brow furrowed.
"If it were an evil dragon, the
faithful of the God of Light would naturally not fear a battle to cleanse the evil with divine might," stated a young paladin solemnly.
The priest glanced at the young paladin, his wrinkles deepening as he shook his head almost imperceptibly.
With deep faith in the God of Light, the priest knew from experience that faith could provide boundless courage and strength, but often, it was not enough to overcome more powerful beings.
"Singerson, the church teaches us courage and compassion, not arrogance and ignorance."
"Contemplate the doctrines three thousand times as a reminder," he advised.
"Thank you for your guidance," the young paladin said after snapping back to reality.
The group resumed their journey, striding firmly through the mountains and rivers of the Dragon Spine, sweeping through every dark corner filled with evil.
Thousands of meters high, Garon looked up at the dazzling orange-yellow sun, blinking.
With a dragon's eyes, staring directly at the sun did not cause the slightest discomfort.
The sun, radiating endless light and warmth, piqued Garon's interest.
"This sun, it's like a giant fireball," Garon mused, feeling the warmth from the sun.
A few seconds later, he shook his head, diverting his gaze from the sun and focusing on the path ahead as he continued to fly rapidly, guided by the connection to the Redflame Staff, all while surveying the world below.
Crossing the Dragon Spine Mountains and heading further south, Garon saw shadows of human villages.
Invariably, these villages appeared dilapidated and desolate.
His far-reaching vision allowed him to see the scenes within: charred houses, fractured walls, and ravaged grounds.
Occasionally, some villages still intact were sparsely populated, mostly by the elderly, women, and children. The few men who remained often bore signs of disability.
These people wore expressions of worry and unease; hardly anyone smiled, or at most, they forced a smile.
"This war has been going on for almost a year," Garon recalled what he had learned from Amos.
Once again, he recommended the book "This Warrior is Too Crazy", mentioning that the author had exploded with ninety-five chapters in one day...
Feeling inferior, he bowed in admiration.
"I'm too unworthy, sad, heartbroken, in pain."
Sobbing...