Chapter 09
. How Did You Get In Here?
A sense of quiet elegance emanated from the small, pale yellow building. The multiple, modestly sized windows were not flashy, but neat and understated.
Though overall the structure gave off a quaint impression, a golden statue atop a low central pillar stood out prominently. It appeared to be a depiction of a god, gazing down from its high perch. Despite this divine adornment, the building itself looked old and worn.
And in front of that grand, timeworn temple, Charnelica was in despair.
“It’s gone…”
She had walked all day to get here. It had been well over half a day since she left the Cartel mansion. But now, only after arriving at her destination, she realized—her bag from the mansion, her entire fortune, was gone.
“…Hng.”
Her face crumpled into a pout as she sat down and tried to retrace her steps. When had she lost the bag?
Charnelica’s plans had been thrown off when Dragon Lord lost his memory, making it impossible to meet a god for at least a year. Thus, after leaving the Cartel mansion, her first destination had been a temple.
“Can’t I meet a god if I go to a human temple?”
“Don’t be silly. We’re dragons. Unless it’s through the Lord, gods won’t respond.”
According to her friend Chel, it was meaningless for a dragon to visit a temple. But since things had gone awry anyway, Charnelica figured it wouldn’t hurt to try. Temples were places closest to the traces of gods.
There were many large temples, but Charnelica specifically asked around for a small one. She knew gods well.
Gods preferred quiet places, even the ones who communicated frequently with humans. Being in a place full of needy beings was exhausting even to think about.
Although she didn’t expect any god to actually meet her, finding a quieter place slightly improved the odds. That’s why she passed several large temples and trekked for hours to this distant, humble sanctuary.
Along the way, she had stopped at many places—wells to quench her thirst, and small eateries.
“I have no idea…”
Charnelica sat on the ground, knees drawn up, and buried her face.
How could she have lost all her money in less than a day?
She was supposed to endure a full year in the human world before becoming a holy dragon. The money she had borrowed was supposed to last her that year—and she had promised to repay it with pride. But to lose it all in an instant…
“I should’ve kept it on me!”
She was frustrated. Just getting here had taken hours. She didn’t even know how to hail a carriage, so she had walked the whole way.
Now, the sun had turned crimson, and the sky was darkening. It was too late to return to the Cartel mansion. Soon it would be completely dark—she wouldn’t be able to see a thing.
“Well, I’ve come this far. I might as well go in.”
She stood up weakly. At the very least, she had to make this trip worthwhile.
“It’ll be fine. I’ll go inside and figure things out. First, let’s try calling the god!”
Steeling herself, Charnelica approached the temple’s door. The large, pale yellow doors were tightly shut and completely undecorated.
Old as it was, this was the kind of place that held real divine power.
Despite her bleak circumstances, her heart swelled as she looked at the temple. It felt familiar, like home.
No doubt—I was a god once.
Charnelica pushed the doors with all her might.
Creeeak.
Thankfully, they weren’t locked. The doors opened with a grating noise. Stepping cautiously inside, Charnelica looked around.
It was dark. Only faint light filtered in through the small windows, which had yet to be overtaken by nightfall.
“Ahem.”
Feeling awkward for entering someone else’s temple, she cleared her throat.
But no one responded. Silence reigned.
This was exactly the kind of atmosphere she wanted. A quiet space where she might have a one-on-one with a god—assuming the god actually appeared.
The interior wasn’t particularly elaborate. Just like the exterior, it was simple and unadorned. There didn’t seem to be a separate prayer room. Just a few long benches and a single altar at the front.
Charnelica confidently walked straight to the altar.
“Hmm.”
Looks like they spent all the money on that statue outside.
Near the altar, there wasn’t much to see. No statue or painting of a deity. Just a few candlesticks and some books. It looked more like a study than a temple.
Come to think of it… I don’t even know whose temple this is.
She closed her eyes. Whoever the deity was, maybe they’d respond if she called out.
If there’s a god here, come out.
She spoke to the god in her mind.
I may be a dragon now, but I was once a god. I still have all my memories. So if you could come out and explain what’s happened to me…
Gods could understand the voice of one’s heart without words. So surely, they would understand Charnelica.
“……”
But nothing happened.
Even as time passed, she continued to silently call the god.
And slowly, darkness began to settle over the temple interior.
Her pride took a hit. She had once been a god, and now she was standing in another god’s temple, looking like this.
She already knew that dragons couldn’t meet gods. She had just hoped. Maybe—just maybe—they’d listen. But even knowing that, the disappointment was crushing.
“Fine.”
Shaking her head, she stood up and turned to leave—then paused.
Thick books on the altar caught her eye. She figured she might as well at least find out whose temple this was.
Charnelica picked up one of the three thick books. As she did, dust swirled into her face, irritating her nose.
Cough, cough.
Wow, forget old—this place looks abandoned!
In the dim light, she hadn’t noticed, but the place was thick with dust. And now that she thought about it, the door had creaked like it was rusted when she first opened it.
Better check before it gets completely dark.
The black-covered book bore unfamiliar letters. But as she stared at them, they slowly became legible.
It was a dragon ability called “Tongue Conversion,” passed down to hatchlings. Even as hatchlings, dragons needed to study, and so they needed the ability to read any language in the world as if it were written in the dragon tongue. This magic was carved into a dragon’s heart and could be used even by hatchlings who couldn’t perform other magic.
It’s taking longer to translate than usual. Maybe because it’s dark?
The cover read: Holy Scripture. Without hesitation, Charnelica opened it.
“What the…”
She frowned instinctively.
All the text inside had been blacked out. As if someone had deliberately scrubbed away every line. Despite the pages being full of tiny print, not a single letter remained.
It was bizarre. She flipped through the book again to the end—same result. All the words had been completely erased.
She quickly set it down and opened the next book.
“What the…”
The same. Every word erased, as if to ensure no one could read them.
And the third book was no different.
“Why…?”
She felt the blood drain from her face. A chill ran down her spine.
I—I used to be a god. Why am I feeling this way in a temple? Did something happen because I brought the soul of a god into another god’s temple?
Something felt terribly off. Like something bad was about to happen. If it was just the god of this temple appearing, that’d be fine. But it didn’t feel like that.
I need to get out of here!
She turned quickly—but by now, darkness had fully settled. In a hurry, she grabbed a matchbox from the altar. She needed light to avoid tripping on the way to the door.
Snap!
A match flared to life, giving off a smoky scent and a faint warmth.
Charnelica lit three candles on the altar, then picked up the candlestick. She began turning toward the door—
“Ahh!”
She let out a startled cry and stumbled backward.
A man stood suddenly before her.
But the silver candlestick in her hand was heavy, and as she lost her balance, she nearly fell backward.
Snap!
The man caught both the swaying candlestick and her arm just in time.
Thankfully, she didn’t fall.
“Are you all right?”
A deep male voice resonated in her ear. Charnelica was startled by the low, rich sound she’d never heard before. It was the kind of voice that made you want to hear him sing.
“Uh, yes…”
She replied vaguely. The sudden movement made the candlelight flicker. Though faint and unstable, the flames helped her make out the man’s features.
“I apologize if I startled you.”
“No, it’s fine.”
Despite her initial thought—Do you even realize how much you scared me?—she found herself saying it was okay. Because as soon as she saw his face, she had nearly forgotten how to breathe.
Even by dim candlelight, it was obvious—his features were sharp and striking. No darkness could hide it.
His kind eyes and naturally harmonized nose and lips reminded her of the word prince. Just like the charming noble faces described in the fairytale books at the Cartel mansion.
“Thank you for catching me.”
At some point, the heavy candlestick had ended up fully in his hands.
Now free, Charnelica placed a hand on her collarbone and bowed her head slightly. It was a graceful gesture that came to her instinctively.
“By the way… who are you?”
Her curiosity bubbled to the surface.
The candlelight made it hard to tell, but his hair was tousled and unruly. His clothing wasn’t fancy, either. His face screamed “prince,” but his appearance otherwise was entirely ordinary.
“My apologies, milady. But allow me to ask you something first.”
The man spoke with a serious expression.
“This temple does not permit unauthorized entry. Milady, how did you come to be here?”
