*Cough*

"I can tell that you traveled a lot to get here. As such, it is my duty to assist you in any way you can. Please, come inside my tent, and we can talk more about it."

The Cardinal showed his resilience as he invited the party inside his tent. His eyes showed no conflict, and he seemed normal when deciding.

But his words surprised everyone, and all the cardinal's subordinates looked at him in shocked awe.

"C-Cardinal, please rethink your choice. Even if you know these people, there is a limit to what we should or should not do during our mission. What if something happened to you while you were helping these people? You should prioritize-"

The guard spoke in a concerned voice. He thought he was making a lot of sense, but before he knew it, a firm strike on the back of his head ended up knocking the man unconscious, and he fell asleep before he knew it.

Everyone turned toward Priestess Cana in shocked silence. They had not expected her to do something like this.

"Tsk, finally! Some peace and quiet. Does someone else have something to say about this? No, right? Cardinal, we are free to head in now."

No one wanted to go against Priestess Cana or say something that would displease her.

Like the gentle Cardinal, Priestess Cana did not believe in holding back. She did what pleased her, and it showed in her actions and carefree nature.

So, once she clarified that she supported what was happening and did not want any interference, this topic was as good as over. No one else tried to argue with her.

The tent door opened and closed behind the Cardinal before he disappeared inside the tent. No one moved toward that tent, but they all worried about what would happen next.

But the one most worried about what was happening was the Cardinal himself.

His instincts warned him that he and everyone else in this camp were in danger because of Layla and her mysterious power. Whatever the kid had done had turned her into a ticking time bomb about to explode.

As such, she needed to be handled carefully, so the Cardinal accepted this request and asked Mary to place his young mistress on the bed.

Once Mary was placed down, the cardinal looked at her carefully before turning toward Mary with a serious look.

"Miss Layla, would you mind telling me what happened for your miss to end up in this situation? From the looks of it, this is not a regular injury. I would like a record of what happened before I try something."

The Cardinal asked for a record but was unsure if he would get one. Mary's expression did not look as good as he hoped it would.

"Tsk, I have no idea what happened. There was an attack, and we all got separated. The next thing I knew, my miss was lying unconscious, and I could not feel her core. I am sure she's not dead…yet. But I would not like to risk her getting more injured than this ether."

Mary spoke in a low voice. She did not threaten the Cardinal outright, but her eyes told the Cardinal that this was a threat.

He needed to ensure Layla was alright. Otherwise, Mary would stop caring and do something that would make the Cardinal regret ever being born.

*Sign*

'What a mess. Now that the maid said it, I cannot feel this kid's core inside her. The last time I felt it, the core was injured, but now it's done. Is it even possible for someone to be alive without their core?'

The Cardinal had only ever heard of this happening once, but even that was a myth, and it was about one of the three first gods.

As such, he did not want to comment on it.

Instead, he reached out to touch Layla and guess her condition. He placed his hand on Layla's chest, but just as he was about to send his power through her body to check up on her, his body froze as his instincts warned him to pull his hand back.

He pulled back in time before noticing that blackish jaw snapping at him angrily.

Sharp teeth emerged from behind the magic as a dragon came into his focus.

Although the dragon was young and small, it was as powerful as a fully mature dragon, even at birth.

It could not speak for now, but the dragon could express its dislike when someone tried to touch its partner.

This took the Cardinal aback, and he quickly assessed the situation to the best of his abilities.

"Miss Maid, where did this dragon come from? I was not told that a dragon is involved in all of this. How do you expect me to treat your miss when the dragon wants me to stay back and not come any closer to them?"

The Cardinal asked as he pulled his hand back. It had almost gotten bitten, and if the dragon had injured him, then there would be nothing in this world (except the original three god's direct interference) that would help him recover.

He was attached to his limbs and body, so the Cardinal did not want to risk anything permanently damaging his body.

"Ah, did I forget to mention this creature here? It is something our miss raised ever since it was an egg. It's an adorable creature, right? It decided to form a bond with our miss.

But that is not the main issue here. We discussed that you are saving our miss, not her dragon pet, right?"

Mary asked with a smile, and the Cardinal felt bitter that this cunning maid had almost set him up.

The dragon had almost ended up unliving him, and only his fast reflexes saved his life and his limbs from being torn apart by those sharp teeth. He was lucky to still be alive after that encounter.