The Evil God Summoned by the Saintess

From the moment those two opened their mouths, Hilia knew they were the kind of ’tour guides’ who specialize in scamming foreigners.

If she really developed a liking for them just because of a couple of sentences, and let them take her into Dragon Island, who knows whether she’d end up in a slave caravan or a slum.

Even if she were lucky, she’d be ripped off severely, unable to leave unless she bought their designated items.

Of course, these are purely malicious speculations; maybe they’re genuinely enthusiastic guides who only charge a guiding fee.

If they wanted to scam her into slavery, Hilia might actually be slightly interested.

But if it was just for a guiding fee, then forget it; she didn’t have time to tour Dragon Island with a guide.

Instead of being rushed from place to place, leaving before she’s even had a chance to sit down, she’d rather travel slowly on her own.

With three months until school starts, Hilia wasn’t in a hurry.

Taking it slow would be just fine.

Dragon Island is a hub where the Blue Dragon Empire interacts with the world; it has products from all over, and materials too. Maybe she could gather all the materials here and save the remaining time for pure travel.

Lost in various thoughts, Hilia prepared to enter Dragon Island.

At this moment, the two people who had introduced her to Dragon Island earlier ran over, speaking one after the other.

"Miss, don’t go so fast; we just want to introduce you to Dragon Island."

"That’s right, we’re believers of Lord Erina, admiring his glorious deeds, and just want you to know about him."

"Exactly, and besides, you can’t just go in; you need a [Dragon Scale] to enter Dragon Island. Without it, you can’t get in."

Hilia paused in her steps and asked, "What’s a Dragon Scale? A dragon’s scale?"

Seeing her stop, the scruffy-looking guy said, "Not a dragon’s scale, but a badge issued by Dragon Island. It’s called [Dragon Scale] because it looks like a dragon’s scale. Foreigners need it to enter Dragon Island."

The other guy, with his hair slicked back and wearing some makeup to look handsome but coming off a bit effeminate, said, "Not anyone can get a [Dragon Scale]. If you don’t know how to get it, you’d be like a headless fly, unable to find it at all."

"So..." Hilia crossed her arms, looking at the two.

She wasn’t wielding a magic staff or riding a flying broom, and she was wearing clothes anyone could buy.

These disguises were naturally to avoid being noticed.

Entering the capital of another country, disguises were a must.

She had planned to use the badge from the Mercenary Guild along with the universal badge—a Gold Coin—to enter directly.

But watching their exaggerated performance, was it really impossible to enter without a [Dragon Scale]?

Hilia felt these two were overly eager; were they trying to sell second-hand [Dragon Scales]?

Or...

The girl narrowed her eyes slightly.

The bearded guy said, "Let me introduce myself. I’m Jack, and he’s Sam. We stopped you with no ill intentions, just to tell you..."

He leaned in closer and said softly, "We have a way to purchase Dragon Scales. Want to buy one?"

Hilia took a step back calmly, preventing him from getting too close, and then said, "I don’t believe it. What if you don’t need this so-called ’Dragon Scale’ to enter at all?"

Sam chuckled, "You can ask around, but don’t blame us for not warning you; the time you’d waste going to the gate and coming back isn’t short. Are you sure you want to go on a wild goose chase?"

He spoke with great confidence.

Hilia could tell they weren’t lying to her; it really seemed like you needed a "Dragon Scale" to enter Dragon Island.

After thinking for a while, Hilia asked with interest, "So how much for your Dragon Scale? I’d buy one for no more than one Gold Coin."

Jack and Sam exchanged a glance, chuckling, "We aren’t capable of getting Dragon Scales to sell, but we know someone who does. You just need to follow us, and a Dragon Scale isn’t that expensive—only 5 Silver Coins."

"Really?" Hilia smirked slightly.

"Come, come, follow me." said Jack, trying to grab Hilia by the shoulder.

Hilia stepped back and said coldly, "Watch your hands; we’re not familiar enough for that kind of contact."

A flicker of malice crossed Jack’s eyes, and he chuckled, "Sorry, sorry, I got a bit eager. Come on, let’s go find the merchant who’s selling Dragon Scales."

With that, he led the way to a small dock next to the floating bridge.

Hilia pondered for a moment and then followed.

The young man named Sam trailed behind Hilia.

Soon, they reached the shore. Jack was the first to jump onto a boat, and he beckoned to Hilia, "Hop on. Besides crossing the bridge, we can enter by boat. The merchant is on Dragon Island; we’ll take you there."

Hilia looked surprised, "I thought you needed a Dragon Scale to get onto Dragon Island?"

Sam, behind her, laughed, "That’s within Dragon Island city; Dragon Island is huge, and some parts are outside the city area. Those places can be reached by boat, and the inspection isn’t as strict as the main gate of the floating bridge. Even fake Dragon Scales can get through."

Hilia boarded the boat, standing at the stern, and said with a hint of amusement, "So you’re saying the merchant you mentioned sells fake Dragon Scales?"

Jack chuckled, "What’s the difference? As long as it gets you into the city, it’s real enough."

Hilia nodded, "True enough."

Once Sam boarded, the silent boatman activated an array on the boat, which propelled the boat towards the side of Dragon Island.

This small boat could only hold four or five people. The array didn’t stabilize the boat, causing it to wobble on the sea. With a bit more speed, the waves could launch it, rising and falling.

"Hey, miss, sit down, be careful not to fall into the sea," shouted Sam.

Hilia stood steadily at the stern and shook her head, "No need, I’m stable enough not to fall. By the way, aren’t you waiting for two more people?"

Sam replied, "This boat holds at most five people, and the cost for a round trip isn’t much. Having one customer is not bad, and we prioritize efficiency over waiting for people."

It sounded legitimate.

Hilia thought.

She stopped asking questions and just watched as the small boat sailed, navigating around Dragon Island.

As Jack and Sam had said, seeing from the side reveals that Dragon Island is vast, like a gigantic battleship—pointed at both ends and bulky in the middle. The viewing platform is positioned at the front tip, making Dragon Island seem small from that angle.

However, that high platform was the only place to look over Dragon Island city, as other places were level with Dragon Island, offering no aerial view. Conveniently, it was beside the main avenue, ideal for sightseeing.

Hilia admired the view of Dragon Island, its unique rugged architecture surprisingly pleasing to the eye.

Jack and Sam exchanged a glance as they watched Hilia stand firmly at the stern and showed surprise in their eyes.

They huddled together, whispering.

"Could she be a mage?"

"Possible, only a mage can stand that steadily."

"Not necessarily, she could have trained for it."

"Whatever, mages are worth more anyway."