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That was the most solemn nod that Lilith had ever seen in her life.

The Pope stared at her intently as he slowly lowered his noble head as though being pressed down by something heavy. Lilith could even hear the creak of his bones.

After his beard touched his chest, the Pope slowly raised his head again. The vein on the sides of his head throbbed as his eyes turned bloodshot. It was a simple gesture, yet it seemed to have exhausted every ounce of strength that was left in this old man.

The Pope repeated the actions three times and was pale by the time he was done. He looked like his heart was sliced by a knife every time he did that.

“You have successfully persuaded me, but I have a question for you too. I hope you’ll answer it truthfully.”

The pope stood up slowly, his oppressive aura filled the entire hall.

“What’s your question?” Lilith asked.

“Who are you exactly?”

Of course, he wasn’t asking for her name. In fact, the moment she chopped the goddess’ boobs off, the Pope had ingrained her name into his mind.

He was inquiring on Lilith’s origin, or more exactly, her race.

Now that Lilith had taken out that scroll, the Pope naturally wouldn’t bluntly ask offensive questions such as ‘just what the hell are you?’ to her in case she would really unleash the power contained in the scroll if she got mad.

Truth be told, the Pope already had an answer in mind.

After all, there were only three races that were led by demigods in this world.

Only the closest members to a demigod could make them offer a demigod level protection spell to her.

The leader of the Sea of Origin had no descendants.

The Demon King was going crazy all over the world not long ago after his daughter was taken away.

After the elimination, there was only one answer left.

“My mother is the Queen of Dragons. You should get what that means right?”

As expected…

The Pope was a tall man. There were hardly any other human beings taller than him. Thus he was like a small giant before Lilith.

Lilith showed no signs of discomfort facing the tall Pope. She had long gotten used to talking to huge creatures. The Pope was just a bug compared to the creatures that Lilith had usually come into contact with in the past.

Maybe a slightly huge bug.

Besides, the Pope was a little hunched from his old age. Hence, Lilith seemed more like the giant while he was just a dying old man.

The old Pope sighed, “Go then, with Thea. Henceforth, she has no relation to the Luminous Theocracy.”

Lilith was taken aback. “You’re going to let me go this easily?”

She thought it would have taken more effort than that to convince the stubborn old man.

The Pope laughed deprecatingly at himself. “What can I possibly do other than that? Allow you to blow up the entire Luminous Theocracy and then risk the Queen of Dragons flattening the continent out of her anger for mankind? I’m not old and senile yet. I know how to act wisely.”

In the past, Aeria was once assaulted by the Demon King.

According to historical records, the reigning Pope gathered the power of the entire city and forced the Demon King to withdraw under the protection of the goddess.

But as the Pope, he knew the truth best.

The so-called power of the entire city was easily wiped out by a single blow from the Demon King. Hundreds of magic circles left by the ancestors were turned into fleeting fireworks in the sky in that single blow.

To this day, the defensive magic of Aeria had yet to be completely restored.

The Pope was well aware of the power of demigods. It was nothing that mere mortals could resist.

The human race was able to force the Demon King to retreat so many times, only because the nine nations had something that the Demon King feared.

The Pope didn’t want his selfish desire to lead to the downfall of the human race.

It took the entire race to withstand only one demigod. He couldn’t possibly invite another one…

He might as well just pick a knife and stab himself.

Lilith carried Thea in her arms like a princess.

She turned around and walked toward the exit. She paused in her tracks when she reached the door, then turned back to face the old man who had slumped into his chair as though he had lost all his strength.

“I had Thea cut off her ties with Luminous Theocracy not just so that we can be friends. There’s a more important reason behind it.”

Looking at the Pope who had lowered his head in silence, Lilith drew a deep breath before continuing, “I’m sure you know that reason.”

Having said that, she went out without looking back again.

Among the dense crowd outside the sanctuary were not only the important figures of the church that had gone out earlier, but also the knights and priests who guarded the city and the sanctuary.

They had received a decree from the Pope not long ago, so they knew what this meant.

Of course, there were doubts and confusion among the people, but it was a decree from the Pope of Luminous Theocracy.

The Pope’s power was absolute. The goddess’ decree came only second.

This was how things work in the Luminous Theocracy.

When Lilith passed through the crowd with Thea in her arms, everyone got down on one knee and shouted in unison, “Farewell to the saintess.”

Their voices shook the sky but never reached the ears of the commoners in the city due to a magical barrier.

If it wasn’t for the fact that Lilith had brought up her request for the saintess to renounce her faith in front of all the people in the sanctuary earlier, the Pope probably wouldn’t let a fourth person know about it.

Once news of this got out, it would undoubtedly stir up a great commotion among the believers. The impact might be so huge that many followers might renounce their faith, just like the saintess did.

For example, those that had been saved by Thea.

Or those that Thea had once blessed.

Or those who had regained hope in life because of Thea.

After all, there weren’t only followers of the goddess in the Luminous Theocracy.

In the sanctuary, the Pope leaned back into his chair and looked up at the relief of the Radiant Goddess on the ceiling.

Of course, he knew of the reason that Lilith mentioned.

Thea wasn’t only his chosen heir, but also the goddess’ vessel.

She was the vessel that the Radiant Goddess would use when she descended.

Once the Radiant Goddess descended into the world of mortals for some reason, she would deprive Thea of her consciousness and take over her body.

But for what reason would the goddess personally descend to the world of mortals?

The Pope suddenly recalled something because of Lilith.

The history of all races in this world began nine million years ago.

It would seem like nine million years ago was the dividing line. Before that point in time, all races were but instinctive beasts. After the division, some races gained intelligence, and then started their own language and writing.

It was also at that time that humans started crawling like toddlers and then progressively built up their own civilization.

Throughout history, countless dynasties had fallen and risen. The human race changed their fate of being food to many other races to one of the tyrants that occupied an entire continent.

Countless truths were buried in the long river of history. Yet some remaining fragments were inadvertently passed down.

Among the few secrets of the church that only the Popes could know, there was a short story that was never recorded in any books. It was passed down the generations of popes through oral tradition.

No one could verify the authenticity of the tale, yet it was still extremely bone-chilling.

Nine million years ago, many races fought against each other for territories.

It was at that time, a huge crimson dragon swooped down from the sky.

She didn’t participate in the battle. Instead, she circled her own territory with blue flames that could burn everything to the ground. And to this day, her territory had never been invaded.

She was none other than the current Queen of Dragons.

Nine million years ago…

She was already a demigod.