Transcendent Dawn

The garden in the palace was not large, making it impossible for people to ride horses freely.

Especially for a delicate princess.

Therefore, the so-called ‘riding’ was nothing more than choosing the most gentle small horse for Princess Messiah to ride on. A guard would lead the horse by the rein from the front and walk slowly, ensuring there would be no accidents.

The distance was indeed quite far. Although they were within sight, their conversation wouldn’t be heard.

“You are… Garfield, right? Merely a knight’s attendant, yet you are quite bold.”

Mounted on the horse, Princess Messiah tried hard to make her voice sound full of authority.

However, this scene of a child playing an adult made Su Lu want to laugh and pinch her chubby little face.

“My boldness is well-known. I wonder which incident the princess is referring to?”

Su Lu returned the question.

“You…you were spying on me and my mother…”

Messiah covered her mouth. Her ladylike upbringing forbade her from continuing.

“Hehe…”

You’re still too innocent to contend with me, little girl.

Su Lu inwardly chuckled a few times, but suddenly an inspiration sparked. He stared at the necklace on Princess Messiah’s neck.

This necklace, linked with gold and silver and adorned with several gemstones, shone brightly and beautifully under the sunlight. But what was most eye-catching was the quail egg-sized black diamond-shaped crystal at the core, just like a whirlpool, attracting Su Lu’s spiritual senses.

“Honorable Princess Messiah, may I ask what the piece of jewelry you are wearing on your neck is?”

Su Lu asked as soon as the thought crossed his mind.

“Hmph!”

Messiah stuck her neck out like a proud swan. Eventually, when she saw Su Lu didn’t continue after asking, she sulked, “This is a unique True Dragon Necklace given to me by my father as a birthday gift. It is decorated with a Dragon Crystal!”

‘Dragon Crystal! The soul and energy core of a Giant Dragon!’

A piece of knowledge flashed through Su Lu’s mind.

All of a sudden, the little red horse he was leading seemed to be startled and raised its hooves abruptly.

“Ah!”

Messiah screamed and fell off her mount.

“Oh, Mother Goddess!”

“Quick! Hurry!”

The queen and Knight Neville’s exclamation came from not far away.

‘Is it over… Will I break my leg and be grounded for a few more months until the wedding?’ Little girl Messiah was filled with despair.

The wind whistled in her ears, but she didn’t fall to the ground. Instead, she ended up in a warm hold.

“Your Highness, are you all right?”

Lifting her head, Garfield’s face appeared in front of her eyes, with a trace of grin on his lips.

“Thank…Thank you,”

Messiah mumbled quickly, her voice barely audible.

But Su Lu heard it.

“It’s my duty!”

He released his hands and bowed slightly.

No one noticed that when he made the rescue, his right hand seemed to have grabbed something he shouldn’t…like that Dragon Crystal!

“Messiah! Messiah!”

At this moment, Flora had lifted up her court dress and was running towards her, “My little angel, thank the Mother Goddess, you are unharmed.”

“Attendant Garfield saved me,”

Messiah whispered while Neville was investigating the cause of the small red horse’s fright but found no answers even after a while.

“Garfield, you did well. I will reward you,”

Flora regained her calm and spoke in the demeanor of a queen.

“It’s my mission and my duty,”

Su Lu saluted solemnly, with a flash of excitement in those pupils.

On the attribute bar, a series of uplifts emerged:

“Ding! An anomalous energy source has been detected, and identified as Dragon Crystal. Absorbing now!”

“XP+100”

“XP+100”

Not just one, but a dense cluster!

‘The dragon crystal, the core of a fifth-order legendary being, is incredibly hard. Even the Silver Knight can’t split or destroy it…’

Su Lu recalled some knowledge.

In his view, this is a protective measure, preserving the internal energy and soul from dissipation.

The extreme manageability of a five-order nature might be useful in the main world, but here… it might only be used as a decoration.

Yet, in front of his attribute column, it seemed like he had met his bane.

‘Holding it for just a moment, I absorbed hundreds of experience points. The XP it holds must be no less than 2000!’

Su Lu stared at Messiah’s True Dragon Necklace, as if he saw a treasure.

Such a large amount of XP, and relatively easy to obtain, was more convenient than overturning the North Territory’s knight team.

“Hmph!”

Messiah, who initially had a better impression of Garfield, shuddered involuntarily at seeing his gaze and gave Su Lu a glare.

But what both of them didn’t notice, was that on top of the Dragon Crystal at the core of the True Dragon Necklace, an incredibly subtle split appeared that was almost undetectable to the naked eye.

Vaguely, a phantom of a dragon-like creature seemed to emerge from it!

Night time.

Su Lu exited the palace, intending to return and carefully consider his next steps.

‘The Dragon Dynasty is known as the Giant Dragon Kingdom, with five dragons in the registry… so there should be at least five Dragon Crystals!’

‘Granted some may be buried with the dead, there must still be some in the hands of the royal family. For example, Messiah’s True Dragon Necklace!’

‘I want them all!’

The Dragon Crystal from a fifth level giant dragon, perhaps is the most indestructible object in this world, and its sealed nature prevents it from being used as an energy source or to make any marvelous items.

But for Su Lu, these are five treasures!

He quickened his pace down an alley and suddenly turned around, facing the darkness: “Sir Neville?”

“Garfield, your perception impresses me.”

Sir Neville, with impeccably groomed white hair, emerged, his expression solemn: “Tell me… was the incident in the garden today intentional?”

This was not due to Su Lu leaving a clue by mistake, but because there was, at that time, only one suspect and a horse.

This was speculation without evidence, interpreting cause from effect.

Although this rigid knight didn’t investigate further due to the princess’s presence, he certainly saw Su Lu as a cunning opportunist in his heart.

“Intentional, perhaps.”

Su Lu smiled, suddenly took a step forward, moving swiftly.

“No… you’re not!”

As soon as Sir Neville finished speaking, he got hit hard on the back of his head. His eyes rolled up, and he fell to the ground.

“Up next, is the palace exploration at night, right?”

Su Lu shrugged: “It’s a pity… the shadow clone has a distance limit, which can only be used for exploration. For the main part, there is still a certain level of risk.”

He didn’t bother about Neville behind him, and took another path towards the palace.

Inside the palace.

Messiah’s room.

On the bed made of velvet and silk, the girl sulkily prepared to remove her necklace, ready to have a good night sleep: ‘That Garfield… I’ll remember him, Humph!’

Even if she had to go to the North Territory, she could beg the king to grant her this attendant. Then, sworn by the True Dragon Bloodline! This matter is not over!

But the moment she touched the necklace, or rather, the Dragon Crystal,

Messiah’s eyes went blank as if she heard the roar of a dragon resounding in her ears!