Lilith never expected these two Church clerics—despite their pampered appearances—to be so alert.

She’d clamped a hand over her mouth the instant before making a sound. Yet even that faint noise had startled them.

Lilith ducked back below the windowsill, locking eyes with Viola in panic.

Their gazes met, each seeing the fear mirrored in the other’s eyes.

Heavy footsteps thudded from inside the room, growing closer—the priest was coming to check the window.

Thinking fast, Viola freed one hand, dug into her pocket, and crumpled a tissue. With a few swift twists, she conjured three tiny white paper doves from her palm.

It was a beginner’s trick—*Animated Objects* and *mimicry*—often practiced by apprentice mages during chant drills. Utterly impractical, really. Mostly used to amuse children.

The doves flapped against the windowpane with soft *thumps*, then soared skyward, drawing the priest and bishop’s attention.

“Hmph. Just some clumsy birds, Famario. You’re far too jumpy,” the bishop sneered. The priest halted mid-step.

Viola winked at Lilith, who flashed a thumbs-up and mouthed:

*“Well done—”*

Watching the doves fly off, then crumple back into tissue scraps on the ground, Lilith felt a pang of envy.

*How convenient magic was…*

A shame she’d mastered nothing after months in this world. Despite being Dragonkin, the only supernatural skill she’d unlocked was shifting between human and dragon forms.

*Useless system!* Other transmigrators got cheat skills—martial manuals, divine artifacts, or “get stronger by doing X” perks…

Hers? Not even a single basic spell after months. How was she supposed to fight in a fantasy world with bare hands?

She scowled. Even her mother—the youngest Silver Dragon Queen, Feliana Claude—would never imagine a dragon growing this big without learning a single spell.

Unlike humans, dragons unlocked magic instinctively as they matured.

*No more delays.* Once this was over, she’d find a teacher. Magic lessons started now.

…

“My apologies, Your Grace. Ever since locking that Bloodline in the dungeon, I’ve felt… uneasy,” Priest Famario rubbed his temples, tension etching his face. A sense of foreboding had gnawed at him since the bishop outlined the plan.

“To preside over tonight’s burning, I suggest you rest and conserve your strength.”

“…Yes. But I still don’t understand—why midnight? Executions are always at noon…” Famario bowed slightly, voice hesitant.

The bishop’s gaze swept down at him. One hand gripped his staff; the other rested behind his back as he strolled to the window, gazing into the distance.

“Midnight is when Bloodlines grow most savage.

“We’ll provoke its brutality before the crowd. Then Subject One will ‘save’ the people, purging it with holy flames.

“This preserves the Church’s righteous image… and eliminates an unstable element. A truly obedient ‘Hero’ will take its place.”

“But Your Grace—her power at night…”

“Worried we can’t control it? Heh—” The bishop covered his mouth, chuckling softly.

“I’ve already laced its special *Communion* with a little… additive. The moment it reveals its nature, the drug takes effect.

*A tiger stripped of its claws is weaker than a hyena.*”

Famario’s eyes widened in understanding.

“Your wisdom is unmatched, Your Grace—”

Unseen by the pair—and Subject One lurking nearby—two girls slipped down the outer wall, vanishing around a distant corner.

…

Lilith and Viola dropped lightly from the wall, fleeing far from the cathedral. Certain no one followed, they crouched in roadside bushes.

“What do we do? Alquett’s burning at midnight…” Viola’s voice trembled. They’d fought alongside her for months. No one deserved to die screaming in flames.

Lilith fell silent.

Born in peaceful modern times, she’d never faced life-or-death stakes like this. She’d anticipated Church schemes—but not their speed, nor their ruthlessness toward their own Hero.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got this,” she soothed Viola, mind racing.

If the bishop drugged Alquett… relying on her was impossible.

Rescuing her early? Risky. They didn’t know her cell’s location. And Alquett’s stubborn pride might make her refuse help. One misstep, and they’d all be captured.

*Better to strike during the execution.* Darkness would hide them. Human night vision was poor. Even if the plan failed, escaping under cover of night was easier.

Lilith had little power. Even in dragon form, she couldn’t fight the bishop, priest, and city guards alone.

She sighed. *Mother would just charge in headfirst.*

Feliana Claude—current Silver Dragon Queen, youngest in centuries—needed no schemes. Her name alone shook kingdoms.

…Wait.

Lilith’s eyes lit up. “Viola—that dove spell. Is there a stronger version?”

“Huh?” Viola blinked.

“Something that… adds realistic body parts to living things? Like dragon scales, wings, silver fur—”

“I could try… but for something dragon-sized? My magic would last less than a minute.”

“…One minute?” Lilith grinned. “That’s enough. Listen—I have a plan…”