Chapter 226 - ONE'S RESPONSIBILITY

Veronica closed her eyes and waited for some kind of transformation.

'Am I getting wings? Why don't I feel anything? Hmm? Wait! I believe something is changing!'

She sensed her heart getting warm. She lowered her head and looked at her chest.

She saw a bright light start to come out of her.

With a wide-open mouth, she stared at the pure light. However, a moment later, it was impossible to endure the bright light.

She covered her eyes with the back of her hand as the light grew stronger.

Soon, her body disappeared from the dragon's grave.

The only thing that remained was the golden bowl that was in her hand.

The next second, she was seen in the garden of the temple, in front of the giant tree that made a hole for her.

When her legs touched the ground, she opened her eyes and found herself in the bright place.

Although the sun was setting, the garden was brighter than the dragon's grave.

"I came back!"

Veronica didn't know if she should be relieved or disappointed. Nonetheless, she was happy.

"Did I gain some kind of power? Am I as strong as a dragon now? Did I grow wings?"

Veronica tried to look at her back. She had to be disappointed because she didn't grow wings.

She checked her muscles and saw that she was as thin as ever.

"What? I didn't grow wings or anything a dragon was supposed to have! Then why did I drink that blood, just to come back to the garden?"

She tried to jump like Dastan thinking she could fly like him since he was an elf. However, that didn't work either.

"Maybe I cannot see my power but I can use it," she pondered. 

After taking a deep breath, she punched the giant tree with all her mind and she regretted it the very next second.

"Ow!"

She whined in pain and hugged her injured fingers. Her face distorted as her fingers started to bleed.

'It hurts. It hurts like hell.'

The tremendous pain made her voice grow numb.

She bit down on her lower lip and headed to Saint Ava.

'I need her to heal me. What kind of blessed child I am that I cannot even take care of my own injury. So much for drinking dragon blood. If that blood wasn't supposed to help me then why did I go there in the first place?'

While lamenting, she walked inside, unable to notice the droplet of blood that dropped to the ground from her injured finger, and in that place, a flower plant grew in the blink of an eye.

Saint Ava was surprised to see her injured hand.

"How did this happen?" she asked. "Were you fighting with the stone wall?" 

"No, I was just trying to figure out how strong I am."

Veronica hid the fact that she fell on the giant tree hole and went inside the dragon's grave. 

Since nothing inside her changed, she felt like everything was just a dream. She must have fallen asleep or daydreamed that she went to the dragon nest – that's the conclusion she came up with after being injured.

"Did you think you could break a stone wall just with a punch of your weak arm?" Saint Ava mocked her.

"Why do I think that you look pleased with my injury?" Veronica was displeased with the reaction. 

"Think whatever you want. If you are here just to fool around, then you should get back to the normal life you want to live. At least, you will get your freedom. But here, you will be trapped with responsibilities and duties you never wanted to have."

Saint Ava healed her hand and was ready to go to the prayer hall. 

"You know why I'm here," Veronica reminded her. 

Saint Ava let out a sigh and turned around to take a glance at her.

"Why do you want to know about the elves so much? Give it up. I'm not going to tell you."

Veronica raised her voice, "You can't say that! I told you innocent lives were lost because of them. They were not only connected with the human trafficking but also killed those people just to cover up who they were."

"But you figured out who they were, didn't you?"

"They tried to kidnap me at first knowing that I'm the blessed child or whatever. The next time, they didn't know who I was and almost killed me."

"But you didn't die."

"That's because I saved one of their people!"

"Veronica, you are alive right now. You are breathing. They didn't kill you. So, you shouldn't have tried to fight them. You should be grateful to them that they let you live and celebrate it with your friends."

Veronica was speechless by her cold words.

She never thought Saint Ava would turn her back to innocent people, let alone people who died unjustly.

"Are you really saying that? Are you really the Saint everyone respects? Why are you biasedly supporting the elves who did wrong and turn your back to the people who were devoted to Goddess Juvena and prayed to you?"

Saint Ava was losing her patience. She thought it was time to correct her disciple's view of the world.

"You have mistaken something, Veronica. One should not pray to me. I'm not a Goddess. I cannot hear their prayers until they come to me and tell me what they want from Goddess Juvena. The only power I have is the healing power. Goddess Juvena does her miracle through me.

"One should pray to the kind Goddess who gave them love and peace. I'm just a vassal who works for the Goddess. People can respect me and support me, but they must not serve me as I am not the powerful Goddess.

"If people think their prayers wouldn't be conveyed to the Goddess because they aren't devoted enough, they can tell me their wish. I can pray to the Goddess in their place. How dare they pray to the human vessel and not the Goddess Herself."

Saint Ava took a deep breath and continued, "As for you, next time you want to pick a fight, pick on someone your own size. Don't come to me and ask for something ridiculous."

Speaking her mind, she began to walk away.

Behind her, Veronica lowered her head.

She could vividly remember the faces of the innocent children who might have had a bright future one day and led a happy life, and those men and women whose precious families were suffering after losing them.

"Have you ever told them not to pray to you?" she asked in a low voice.

Saint Ava stopped in her tracks. "What do you mean?"

Veronica said, "When you go outside and meet people, have you ever told them that they were making a mistake? Did you ever tell them that the only person they should serve was the Goddess Juvena, not you?"

"Would that make a difference? If you think people are that intelligent and obedient, you are gravely mistaken. Just a few weeks ago, people were crazily praying to you, the blessed child who came to the world to bring peace and harmony. 

:Once or twice, you can tell them not to pray to you. But over and over they make the same mistake like some blind, deaf, ignorant fools. One day, you will eventually grow tired and stop pointing out their mistakes."

"I won't." Veronica raised her head and stared at the woman known as the Saint.

"I won't give up that easily. I know most people are ignorant to blind faith because it's easier to trust a human they met or existed than to believe in the Goddess who they never knew but only know its existence through books."

"That's why I will keep reminding them what's right from wrong until I lose my voice. I'll make the strict rule so that they can only serve the Goddess not me, the vassal. As a vassal, my duty is to protect them from doing something wrong. My duty is to guide them to the right path. They will follow a leader who will guide them to the kind and loving Goddess.

"It is my duty. My responsibility. They might be ignorant, but they are also innocent. I love these people. I'll do anything to protect."

Saint Ava raised an eyebrow. "Even if you have to let go of your freedom?"

Veronica didn't flinch at the question. Her emerald eyes were determined.

"I need my freedom in order to protect them," she replied.

The corner of Saint Ava's lips hoisted.

"Oh yes, and how will you protect them without coming by my side?"

Veronica replied, "You weren't able to protect them even though you were standing on the pedestal. What is the point of standing next to you? I will protect people in my way."

"Someone who can't even heal herself, what good can you do to those people? Before you can protect or reach all the people, you will die in the hands of power and greed. Can you even fight?"