"Ahh, my Dragon Steed! My Dragon Steed is dead!"
A sorrowful cry echoed around the Sky Sanctuary.
Sylvia looked a little puzzled.
"Was it not tasty enough?"
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She shrugged. "I an, it's not like a homade lunch is a Valentine's Day gift or anything. So, whatever."
But then...
Thinking back to that Valentine's Day gift, Sylvia suddenly felt her cheeks flush with heat.
"Maybe I should practice making lunch first. Otherwise, I won't be able to calm down at all!"
...
Blooming Sanctuary.
For so reason, Timothy suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
"Brr, that's weird. Why does it feel so cold all of a sudden?"
He glanced around, a bit uneasy.
In that brief mont, an image of Sylvia's terrifying cooking flashed through his mind out of nowhere.
Goddess Sylvia was amazing at everything—she had a natural talent for just about anything. But when it ca to cooking...
"Don't tell Sylvia's planning to cook again!"
His mouth dropped open in horror.
All he could do was pray silently. Even though it was Valentine's Day, he really hoped Sylvia wouldn't whip up sothing strange again.
As Valentine's Day approached, Timothy decided to leave Blooming Sanctuary and check out the Nine Dragons Ceremony that Azura had ntioned.
But the next morning, Holy Maiden Aeliana unexpectedly ca to see him.
A small golden flower was tucked behind her ear, giving her that usual mix of purity and alluring charm. She spoke softly, "Timothy, the Fountain of lody in Blooming Sanctuary has just reopened recently. Would you be interested in trying it out?"
"The Fountain of lody?"
Timothy had never heard of it.
"The Fountain of lody in the sanctuary was once a gift from the gods. If you can gain its approval through music, you might receive a divine treasure. But, of course, earning that approval isn't easy," Aeliana explained.
"Oh? Sounds interesting. But why are you asking for help, Holy Maiden?"
Timothy's curiosity was piqued.
"Well, it's because your musical performance at the last banquet was exceptional. Recently, the Fountain of lody has shown signs of stirring, so I thought you might be the right person to try. Plus, I happen to have the perfect instrunt for you."
With a slight smile, Holy Maiden Aeliana pulled out an ebony piccolo from her waist. "If you play this piccolo well, you might just have a shot."
"This piccolo..."
As Timothy took the piccolo, he noticed a faint, pleasant fragrance lingering on it. The entire instrunt seed to be infused with this delicate scent, constantly releasing a refreshing aroma.
The scent was nice, but Timothy's mind was elsewhere.
He glanced at Aeliana, who was avoiding his gaze and covering her lips with her hand. A suspicion crept into his mind. "Holy Maiden, this piccolo... it wouldn't happen to be yours, would it?"
"W-What? No way!"
Aeliana's body trembled like a startled rabbit.
"Still saying it's not yours?"
Timothy inspected the piccolo's mouthpiece closely and smirked. "The scent on this mouthpiece is exactly the sa as the one on you. You must've been playing it a lot."
Holy Maiden Aeliana's cheeks instantly flushed a deep red.
She opened her mouth, but after a long pause, couldn't co up with a retort.
"Damn it!"
With a hint of frustration, she turned her head away, reluctantly admitting the truth.
"Alright, spill it. Why are you so eager for to use this piccolo to challenge the Fountain of lody?"
Timothy toyed with the piccolo in his hands, feeling the cool, refreshing energy it emitted. He couldn't help but be a little surprised. Even the pure spiritual energy radiating from it was enough to show that this piccolo was no ordinary instrunt.
"Hmph, fine, I'll tell you."
Holy Maiden Aeliana shot Timothy a resentful glance before explaining, "The Fountain of lody is a mysterious place within Blooming Sanctuary. It's said to have the power to 'restore' anything. Anything broken or incomplete that's washed in the fountain has a high chance of being repaired. But to activate the fountain's restorative power, you first need to earn its approval."
Timothy raised an eyebrow. "So, you want to fix this piccolo?"
"Exactly. This piccolo was originally a Heavenly-level treasure. Unfortunately, it's been damaged, and I haven't been able to restore it."
Aeliana sighed softly.
"A Heavenly-level treasure, huh?"
Timothy was genuinely surprised. Heavenly-level artifacts were incredibly rare, even for Holy Emperor-level experts.
"I'm pretty confident in my musical skills, so I can give it a shot. But…"
Timothy grinned slyly. "If I manage to restore a Heavenly-level treasure, you'll owe sothing, right?"
"Owe you? What do you an by that? Don't tell …"
Aeliana's eyes widened in surprise as she instinctively crossed her arms over her chest. Then, with a teasing smile, she added, "Don't tell you want to…"
"Nope. I just want to borrow the piccolo for a while," Timothy replied without hesitation.
"Tch, I knew it."
Aeliana pouted, tossing her head in mild annoyance. But she still seed a bit curious. "But what do you need the piccolo for?"
Timothy didn't think much of it and casually replied, "Oh, nothing much. I just want to teach Sylvia how to play it. I figured I'd spend a night showing her the ropes."
"A night…"
"…"
The atmosphere suddenly froze.
Aeliana's face turned crimson, the blush spreading all the way to her ears. She took a shaky step back, nearly knocking over a teacup behind her. "Y-You! You! I can't believe you and Sylvia are already at that stage! And you just say it so casually!"
Timothy blinked. "Huh?"
It took him a mont to realize what she was implying.
"Wait, no! It's not what you're thinking!"
He threw his hands up in exasperation. "Seriously, what's with you Holy Emperor-level types? You're all so quick to jump to conclusions!"
"I don't believe you!" Aeliana bit her lip, her eyes filled with suspicion.
"Believe what?!" Timothy was torn between laughing and crying, completely at a loss for how to explain himself.
"Anyway, I'm borrowing this piccolo, and don't worry, I'll handle the restoration."
With that, Timothy left the room and made his way to the Fountain of lody.
The clear water flowed toward the center, bubbling and producing a soft, lodic sound. A group of female disciples from Blooming Sanctuary had gathered around the fountain, creating a lively atmosphere as they eagerly took turns trying to earn the fountain's approval.
Though none had succeeded, they seed to enjoy the challenge.
The sound of music filled the air, and many of the disciples danced gracefully, making the scene around the spiritual spring quite a sight to behold.
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