CHAPTER 448: CHAPTER 267: ELVEN CAGE

As the saying goes, a fight is a moment of delight, but the aftermath is a crematory site.

When night fell, David watched as Aria, the Star Singer, was escorted before him by Monado and the Barbarian Rosinde on each side, and he immediately felt a toothache coming on. Damn, it felt good, but this elf is a hot potato through and through.

"What’s wrong?" Hearing David’s mutterings, Lizrite, who came along, couldn’t help but ask, puzzled.

It’s just capturing a Chosen of God legend, isn’t it? To this ’uneducated’ ’country bumpkin Red Dragon,’ it didn’t seem like such a big deal.

David had just stabilized the Mana Energy within his body and was feeling a slight headache, suspecting some trouble was ahead, though not quite putting his finger on the specifics. He immediately flicked the tip of his tail at his sister Viola, whose mother was a priestess of Tiamat, saying, "Viola, you explain it to her."

The black dragon sister, who was with her brother Alfonse tallying up several chests of treasure while non-stop stuffing some Gold Coins and gems into the crevices of her scales, immediately stiffened.

Thinking she was caught red-handed, she relaxed only after Alfonse quickly repeated the request in her ear. She then turned her head to explain to Lizrite, "It’s simple. Do you have faith?"

Lizrite immediately held her head high with pride, saying, "My faith is in Gold Coins, and maybe I’ll believe in the Chromatic Dragon Queen or Lady Pafila before I die."

...As I thought, another non-believer.

The somewhat speechless black dragon sister swallowed her original speech and replied properly, "This is how it is. Perhaps to you non-believers, the so-called Chosen of God are simply individuals designated by gods based on their preferences or achievements. However, it’s not actually that simple. Not just anyone can become a Chosen of God. On the contrary, the criteria are so high that sometimes there isn’t a single Chosen of God in the world. For example, our Chromatic Dragon Queen’s Chosen might appear only once every thousand years."

As she spoke, Viola looked towards David, seemingly thinking of another existence that broke the norms, her eyes filled with reverence. "Until our Lady Pafila burst onto the scene and broke this precedent."

"My mother once discussed this topic with me. Why does a god establish their doctrines and ask their followers to practice them?

"Is it purely to discipline the followers? Not quite.

"To some extent, it is also for selection.’"

"Selection?" Lizrite was stunned, and even David, hearing this for the first time, looked their way.

"Mmm." At that moment, Aria, the Star Singer, let out a soft moan, showing signs of regaining consciousness.

"Knock her out," David immediately ordered. "Don’t let her have the chance to wake up."

"Understood." Ogre Monado didn’t quite understand the command but immediately swung his big club towards the back of the elf’s head. Accompanied by a spine-chilling thud, the elf Godchosen collapsed once more.

Viola looked at the Chosen of God somewhat sympathetically before continuing, "Right. Through doctrines and trials, they select for conduct, faith, values, and other such characteristics that are closely aligned with the god. The closer these characteristics are, the higher the believer’s rank typically is within the hierarchy of faith."

"From casual believers, to Priests, to Pastoral Heads or Popes whose fervent beliefs and actions are always aligned with the doctrines—at the pinnacle of this pyramid is the Chosen of God."

"A Godchosen, as the name suggests, is a person chosen by a god from among thousands of followers. They are the god’s spokesperson in the material plane and the most perfectly attuned ’mortal vessel.’ At critical moments, they can allow the god to descend upon them, maximizing the display of divine power. They are also integral to confrontations between gods on the material plane."

"How could such one-in-a-million existences be commonplace?"

"Therefore, the capture of Aria will most definitely attract the highest attention from the Elven Kingdom and the Church of the Moon Goddess."

Viola spread her claws with a sense of indifference and said, "So, this time, haha, we’ve really stirred up a hornet’s nest."

At least to this black dragon gal, her ’godfather’ David was also an honorary elect of the Chromatic Dragon Queen Tiamat anyway. If things really hit the fan, the Dragon Queen would have his back.

Little did she know that the real Dragon Queen had long since gone off with her arch-enemy Bahamut on an ’interdimensional dragon tour.’

Finally understanding the situation, Lizrite couldn’t help but become instinctively nervous on David’s behalf. "Then... then why not just negotiate a prisoner exchange with the High Elves?"

"It’s not that simple."

David smacked his lips and said, "Those elves won’t even publicly acknowledge this incident."

If this were Blue Star, it would be like believers in the common era finding out that the son of Holy Mary had been kidnapped and hung on a cross; there would surely be an uproar. It would be a massive blow to the believers’ faith and the Church’s authority.

So, they would most likely gather forces in secret and come to the rescue.

Before The Slaying King Star descends.

"We might need to prepare for battle against the High Elves in advance," David said seriously.

Hearing such solemn words from David, the White Dragon Mofei and Alfonse, who were desperately stuffing Gold Coins into their scales, also paused sharply, exchanging glances and feeling a bit inexplicably nervous.

After all, a full-blown war with the High Elves was a completely different concept than bullying the Human Kingdom as they were now.