“Good morning, High Bishop Theodore. Uhm, I hope this auspicious RestDay has found you well. It is an honor to meet you once again in the Goddess’ blessed land.'”
Standing inside the temple’s altar room, I was surrounded on all sides by men and women dressed in glamorous white robes. In front of me stood the High Bishop himself, along with a man and woman behind him. I did not know their identities but, seeing as they were the only ones on the altar with him, I guess they must assume important positions inside the temple.
Yesterday’s message from the High Bishop suggested that we meet inside the temple in order to “appease the angered priests and priestesses,” especially since it was my “duty” to bless and be blessed by all the priests in the Goddess’ name. Or, as Ellaine interpreted what was being said in between the lines, they were jealous that the High Bishop and the attendees at the tea party knew me more than the humble servants of the Goddess. I accepted my role as an impromptu priestess, so their excuse kinda made sense.
The High Bishop did mention that clergymen acted in favor of their families, so it wouldn’t be surprising if these priests and priestesses wanted to meet me due to the rumors floating around Firwood. Both inside the noble and commoner districts of the town.
After showing a curtsy, the High Bishop bowed slightly in response. “I welcome you back to this humble temple dedicated to the holy Goddess, Priestess Hestia Atsuko. I pray your stay in Firwood has been a memorable one?”
“Yes, I thank you for asking, High Bishop Theodore. House Helvas has been a wonderful host, accommodating me and my retainers with whatever my heart desired. I could comfortably and freely perform my duties as a humble priestess in Firwood, and for that, I thank you, Lord Sirius, and the Goddess for this opportunity,” I responded, using the rehearsed lines I learned from Manuela.
“‘Lord Sirius?’ Does the priestess know of Artorian etiquette?”
“If she does, then … By the Goddess.”
There were a few short whispers after what I said, but most of the priests and priestess were disciplined and stayed quiet. Ellaine told me the High Bishop wanted me to flaunt my status but, at this point, it might be more efficient to plainly say my “family” name—Kargryxmor. Thankfully, everybody who knew my secret wasn’t interested in revealing I was a dragon, and we were simply taking advantage of the fact that the majority of nobles had zero information on dragonewt society. The isolationism of Kargyx and lack of contact with Loatryx worked in my favor.
After that, the High Bishop gave me a [Prayer] to officially welcome me here as a guest and pilgrim. The priests, priestesses, and shrine maidens sang the [Prayer] song in unison, and I was basked in light as the spell was cast.
Once that was finished, Theodore announced to everybody in attendance that he and I were to leave together for priest duties. All but the shrine maidens frowned as they heard this. It was to be expected when your chance to network with somebody important was being snatched away from you by your boss. They were clearly displeased with Theodore, but he ignored it without blinking an eye and showed me to his carriage. Theodore’s grey-robed attendant boarded the carriage from the outside bench, and once it began to move, we began our discussion.
“Thank you for playing along, Lady Hestia. That should be enough to appease most of the white robes,” the High Bishop said so casually after making everybody angry.
Unable to understand how the showing was supposed to “appease” anybody, I asked him to clarify.
“When they requested me to invite you to the temple, they said, ‘We wish to meet the dragonewt priestess.’ That I have fulfilled, yes? They might have meant ‘meeting’ as in ‘getting to know you better,’ but that is none of my concern when I never gave them my word. Our task today is more important than the ‘she has no obligation to come’ reply I gave them.” In other words, he was being pedantic about it. He continued, “Besides, did you not ask me to give you a tour around the church? They will have plenty of opportunities to speak with you then. For now, let us concentrate on the plot.”
“Plot” was such a bad way to address the plan. I would like to call it “bringing the villains to justice.”
Shrugging, I asked him about something that was concerning me since I read the letter he sent me, “Okay, then I have a question. How and why are we doing this? Wouldn’t Lord Chezaic be wary if you suddenly found out about his son and forbade you from coming to his home? As a noble with a high rank, he has enough reason to deny you access if he really wanted to. This is a private matter.”
Theodore nodded, understanding my question. “It is true, there is no obligation for a noble to reveal one of their offsprings to the public if they so wished. Also, as the only way for you to be remembered is to attend social gatherings, it made sense why even I wasn’t aware that Lord Chezaic hid his eldest child. It is an anomaly but an understandable one due to the child’s sickness. If I were to question Lord Chezaic about it now, after nearly 18 years, he would undoubtedly be cautious.”
I expected a “but” here and a “but” I received.
“But that would only happen if I were to do it directly. When I heard from the reports that Lord Chezaic asked a priest to heal his son, I was naturally curious, as I wasn’t part of the church back then. After some searching through my father’s files, I found out he did not ask the Firwood temple, but actually went to the holy capital for aid. The blessing of well-organized documents.”
The priest in question was an elderly man who managed to unlock [Major Heal] just like me. For reference, [Major Heal] was the level five spell of [Sacred Magic], which meant this old priest was an especially skilled one. When Lord Chezaic went to the Holy Capital Aureolis, which was the south-west neighbor of the Kingdom of Artorias, he asked this priest to heal his son.
However, it didn’t work out. According to Theodore, the condition was a “birth curse,” an abnormal status effect that didn’t show itself in the profile. Healing magic accelerated the regeneration speed of a person with mana, returning their injured form to their uninjured form—a concept I managed to understand by my lonesome. There were also debilitating effects that hindered healing—for example, Farron’s mysterious [Crystallized (Lungs)] and my [Dread Burn] if I were to use the [Scale-Dust User] Job—so it wasn’t surprising to find out that there were other restrictions to healing magic.
“The priest in question is a kind and compassionate one. Nonetheless, from the way he wrote in his letter, he seemed to have been wary of me when I initially asked him. Still, in the end, I managed to persuade him to help us when I told him I might have a way to heal Lord Chezaic’s son. He sent a letter of introduction to Lord Chezaic and I received an invitation a few days ago to heal his son.”
“And that solution is supposed to be me? Let me make it clear to you now, but my healing isn’t anywhere as special as you think it would be. I might heal faster and more efficiently, but I’m still restricted by the Divine System’s rules. Although, saying it now might be too late but that is all your fault for not asking me first,” I stated with a frown.
I thought I gave a pretty convincing argument, but the High Bishop simply shook his head. “Please, do not act so modestly. I was able to analyze your Profile, do you remember? Besides, I also learned that you were blessed by two Origin Gods and one subordinate god, making you far more powerful than an ordinary person.”
He then leaned forward, resting his head on his hands, bringing his lilac eyes closer to view. “Lady Hestia, I bid you to try it at the very least. If you are successful, then I am sure Lord Chezaic will be willing to confess everything without causing any trouble. Even if you aren’t successful, the amount of information I received from the priests you annoyed with your presence in the commoner district should be enough to confine Lord and Lady Chezaic long enough for your party to infiltrate the alchemy guild and allow Davison an ‘audience with Goddess Death.’ As my brother’s substitute, I wish to try every method out before we enact the plan. As one of the Goddess’s Champions, I believe you should, too.”
I had little confidence that I could heal the son when another priest with [Major Heal] already failed. The thing was, my healing wasn’t anything special, my flames were. [White Flames] and [Corrosive Fire] had special properties that I could use to create spells others wouldn’t be able to copy, since they were my unique skills, but that didn’t apply to any of my healing methods. If I couldn’t heal my damaged mana paths, then how could you expect me to heal somebody else of an unhealable condition?
Still reluctant, I kept complaining about it to Theodore, but he simply waved my concerns away. He wasn’t interested in hearing what I had to say, implying sometimes we had to clench our teeth and do what was right. Since I began calling myself a priestess of Aurena, I had to take responsibility for that action and do my duty.
B-but I really can’t do it.
Whether I was afraid of embarrassing myself or failing in general, I didn’t want to go in, tell him I was a priestess of Aurena and that I would heal him. What kinda fucked up hope-giving situation was that? Why was the High Bishop pulling me into this mess? I wanted to scream into his face and bust out of the carriage door, but I was only barely able to hold in this desire. I knew it was immature.
After a while, we arrived at House Chezaic’s mansion and were invited in by the house’s staff. Inside I managed to meet up with the Chezaic twins again, but they simply greeted me before walking away, stating they had an “appointment.” Considering the frantic look on their faces, they probably weren’t so thrilled to see me.
“Lord Amadeus’s room is under the mansion. Please, follow me,” a female wolfkin servant said, before opening a door and descending a staircase with us behind her. The basement of the mansion was as fancy and well-decorated as above, contrary to House Helvas’ more simple design of their basement and training room. Since the first child of an Arcanuess was living here, the hallways had to look like the upper floors, correct?
We stopped at a single door, but before we went in, the servant spoke softly, “High Bishop Theodore. Lady Priestess Hestia. Lord Amadeus’s hearing is very sensitive so I would like to humbly ask you to speak in whispers.”
We nodded and the door was opened for us by the servant. Once inside, we were greeted with a soft, “I thank the Goddess for this meeting. It is an honor to be visited by the High Bishop of Firwood himself and his esteemed companion.”
Sitting in the middle of a king-sized bed, a young man showed us a warm smile, showing no hint of an illness or weakness. However, when my eyes moved up a bit, I came to understand why he was living inside the basement. His skin was pale like a ghost, his eyes red as blood, and his medium-long hair was as white and devoid of color as a senior citizen. He had albinism.
“Hiehie, did I scare you, my Lady? I apologize profusely for not warning you. Lily, you should have warned them,” the feminine looking boy chided his servant.
With her dog-like ears slumped like a sad puppy, she bowed in forgiveness to us and her maste., “I apologize. I have sinned as a servant. Lord Amadeus’s state has become so normal to me that I forgot to mention it to visitors.”
“NO, no! Oh, I apologize for raising my voice … and also for my rude behavior,” I replied, covering my mouth in the process.
Amadeus, the boy in the bed, then laughed, making me feel a bit flustered at the situation. Theodore then coughed to break the moment and allow us to return to reality. “Lord Amadeus, may the Goddess bless our meeting on this auspicious RestDay. I hope you have had a peaceful day. As you have already guessed, I am Theodore Samuel Sirius, the High Bishop of Firwood’s temple.”
He then moved his arm to the side to introduce me, prompting me to curtsy. “This is Lady Hestia Atsuko, a dragonewt noble from Loatryx. As mentioned in the letter, she will be your healer for today.”
“She is? Please excuse me for doubting you, Lord High Bishop, but will she be able to heal me? My last healer was able to cast [Major Heal] and even he wasn’t able to,” the boy wondered, looking a bit conflicted at the news.
“Lady Hestia also can cast [Major Heal]; in addition, she seems to be favored by the Goddess. She possesses increased healing powers and a special custom spell,” Theodore stated with a blank face, completely ignoring the fact that I was trembling at him hyping me up like this.
When Amadeus inspected me to see if Theodore’s words were true, I immediately recomposed myself and gave him a forced smile. When the smiling boy agreed to let me try, my heart couldn’t help but feel like it was burning, pounding so hard against my chest that it wanted to burst open to tell the young man the truth. The hope he was showing me made my head heavy, as I was being stricken with guilt.
“I understand. If it is the High Bishop’s words, then I would like to accept Lady Hestia’s hospitality. It would only be right—AHURGH! Kack, gurgh, gurgh, ahack!” The boy’s body jerked forward as he coughed up blood on his hands, barely able to cover his mouth in time to save his velvet-colored bed sheets.
The first to respond was his maid, who rushed to his side with a loud “Lord Amadeus!” She then opened the drawer next to him and took out a pink potion before helping him drink it. She then wiped away the blood on his face and bed sheets before running out the room, asking us to watch him while she got water.
Velvet? Wait, is this ‘cause of the blood? Does he frequently cough like this?
“I-I apologize, it seems like I couldn’t hold it in. I got a bit too excited and my mana went rampant,” he told us.
‘Too excited?’ I-Is it ‘cause of me?
“Can I do it?” and “I must do it” were floating inside my mind, agitating me to the point I couldn’t move forwards. I was scared, overwhelmed that I couldn’t be the saving light for this bed-ridden boy.
When the High Bishop saw me like this, he patted me on the back and spoke to his attendant, who came with us, to pull two chairs to the side of the bed. He showed me to my seat and then went onto the other side where he continued speaking.
“If you are having trouble with mana, can I presume you were born with an unbearably large amount, Lord Amadeus?” Theodore asked.
“Yes, unfortunately. Not only was I born with the ‘Pale Blight’ but also a fragile body with immense mana. The sun burns my skin without any protection and I am too weak to move around for too long, in addition, any emotional increase will cause my mana to rampage inside me.”
The “Pale Blight'” was the name Peolyncians gave albinism, while Amadeus’s second issue was called “Raffarson’s Debilitation.” Named after an archmage who suffered it, the disease was caused by a weakening of his mana paths, where they became too fragile to transport mana correctly through your body, making them prone to exploding. Coupled with the fact that he was born with a noble’s amount of mana, it made it hard for him to do anything related to mana out of fear of injuries like before.
Not only that but he also admitted he was born with a naturally weak body. In other words, it was like the universe looked at him and said “fuck you” before giving him all the debilitations it could to ruin his life. He had to be careful of the sun, had a weak body, and his mana was out to kill him. Talk about a terrible life.
“I see.” The High Bishop frowned. I guess he didn’t expect it to be this bad. “Lady Hestia, I will prepare the holy water and inspect where you will target your healing spell. In the meantime, please, give Lord Amadeus some social experience. It will take some time.”
Was the High Bishop being considerate or was this his plan all along? In any case, I was glad to have some time to think about it. But … talk with him? What exactly?
“Uhm, Lord Amadeus?” I drew his attention, but I needed a few seconds of finger twiddling to figure out a conversation topic. “Uhm, your servant, Lily, said something about your hearing? That it was sensitive? Were you also born with it?”
“Oh, yes, that is correct. However, it isn’t as terrible with the help of mana tools.” He pointed at the drawer next to his bed and asked me if I could help him. I pulled out a pair of earbuds and gave them to him. “These are sound blocking mana tools that allow me to dampen the sounds around me. Whispers become inaudible but I don’t have to inconvenience people around me anymore, as I won’t receive a headache when they speak loudly. However, they require my mana to be used, so it is a bit of a double-edged sword.”
He was about to put them on to demonstrate, but I stopped him by saying that it wasn’t a problem.
“Hiehie, thank you very much for your consideration, my lady,” he giggled, but I could see from his forced smile that he was a bit relieved I didn’t force them on him. “However, with how sensitive my hearing is, it makes it far easier to recognize each note when playing an instrument.”
“Oh, you play?”
With a self-deprecating laugh, he answered, “Well, which self-respecting noble doesn’t? I cannot fight, I cannot create magic tools nor spells, and making potions is too strenuous. I can play different instruments on my bed and I guess it has become a valuable hobby. Do you play, Lady Hestia?”
“The geigler and I guess … uhm, the ‘piano?’ I am not sure what you Artorians call it.” Maybe there was a harpsichord version in Peolynca, but I haven’t asked Ellaine about it. “Oh, and I also enjoy singing. You could say that music is part of my life and that I live for it.”
“Is that true?” He sounded excited, worrying me it would put too much pressure on him emotionally. “Then, would you like to play with me?”
I was worried it would put too much pressure on his hearing but he assured me his hearing was alright if I played correctly.
“I don’t know why, but if it comes to perfect tunes, I can endure it even if it’s ear-splitting for others. However, the moment a tune goes offbeat, I can feel a piercing headache. That’s how I can tell if somebody is playing correctly or not.”
He then continued, giving me his version of the puppy eyes, “Please? I do not have many chances to play with others. Lily is tone-deaf, my half-sisters rarely visit me, and my father is, well, occupied and I don’t want to bother him. I know it’s selfish, but I would like to request to hear your music.”
Considering how excited he looked, the memory of before came back to mind, so I told him to calm down if I were to accept it. I couldn’t have my patient bleed out in front of me.
Once I agreed, the High Bishop told his grey-robed attendant to bring us the two instruments sitting in the corner. A geigler and something that looked like a harp guitar with enough strings to rival a zither. It was called the “Zentier.”
Used to his instrument, Amadeus strung his string, letting out a pleasant melody to drown out the silence inside this room. “Lady Hestia, if I may ask, what is your [Musician] level?” he asked, to which I answered that I had a unique skill which it merged into. He was surprised to hear this but smiled pleasantly, before saying he couldn’t help waiting anymore.
And then, we let our instruments do the talking for us. First I played, then he played, then I played, and then it was him again. I used my bow to create music while he plucked each string to create an assortment of tunes. Once we got a feel for each other, we stopped soloing and began a duet. Nobles were taught how to play instruments to facilitate their education, but it astounded me how good they were. That reminded me, I should probably do this with Ellaine, too.
“As I walk on the ground now
Striding through lands of lush greens
How can I forget
I used to see it, from up there.
Feel the wind stream around me
Like a butterfly riding on high winds
But now I’m down here
Looking up, longing for my fleeting past.
Why was it like, wow wow wow wow wow?
Stranded down here, all my hopes are crushed.
However, wow wow wow wow wow
Must I really accept this unfair world, or not?
Don’t let your light flicker and dim.
Put up a smile and never give up.
Hope will not die this soon.
Remember that this is the life that you have chosen!
My broken wings, set yourself free.
Rise from the ground, oh, so I plea.
So, our dreams can be true.
To reach the stars! ”
I instinctively began singing. Nobody prompted me. I just sang as I was carried away by the notes. Meanwhile, Amadeus’s maid returned with a tray—on it was a flask of water, his lunch, and also another pink potion.
Once we stopped, Amadeus showed a beaming smile. The mood brightened inside. “Thank you very much, Lady Hestia. That was extremely refreshing, so refreshing that I wished to join in, but … I believe if I did so, I would displease my ears, haha.”
As he smiled, a question flew into my ears. “Lord Amadeus, if I may ask, have you tried leveling up yet if your body was so weak? To improve your strength or vitality would be helpful, no?”
It was a genuine question, as I knew the System improved your durability by a lot the more you increase your stats. This was reality but the world was still governed by a game-like System. However, I was met with a frown by the High Bishop in return.
“Lady Hestia, when you level, you should know that your mana capacity increases, yes? While Lord Amadeus might reinforce his body’s durability through increases in his strength, vitality, and wisdom, it won’t change the fact that his body is ill-adapted to his mana in the first place. If he had the base amount of mana of a commoner, then your idea would work, but his base amount is too high.”
“Then why not temporarily drain his mana with a mana battery?”
“No, it won’t work. We already tried it,” Amadeus answered himself. “My mana paths are also a problem, not just my body. Draining too much, too quickly will make them burst. Drain it too slowly and my natural regeneration would hinder the process. Besides, I would have to continue it indefinitely until my body finds the equilibrium, and during that time, I cannot have my mana reach its full capacity. In that case, arcane corruption would be my worst enemy.”
He then picked up the bottle standing on his nightstand and showed it to me. “These potions my father has been receiving from the alchemist guild have helped me relieve problems concerning my mana paths. They slow down the mana flow inside my body and slowly strengthen the mana paths with the excess.”
I felt like an idiot. It should be easy enough for me to understand that and not ask him a redundant question like that, but I was being rash. Urgh, what was I doing?
“Lady Hestia, the water is ready. I will need your help now, please, come over,” the High Bishop told me, to which I complied immediately. “Please, put a drop of your blood into the water and then your mana once I am finished with my part.”
“A drop of my blood?” I thought he was weird to ask me about it, but he should have a plan, so I followed his orders. As no conventional knife could pierce the scales on my hands, I had to use my claws for the job. A drop of red touched the water and began spreading around it as white flames closed the small cut on my finger.
The High Bishop then took out a vial of white liquid, the same he had on the day of the Binding Festival, and poured a small amount into the water. I then let my mana flow into the mixture and the water began shining a brilliant white, while the red blood disappeared completely without leaving any traces behind.
“Lord Amadeus, Lady Hestia’s blood is related to the dragonkins, and is blessed by heightened regeneration and a high mana concentration. The white liquid itself is the same ‘Draught of Sanctity’ we priests use for our holy water during our sermons. I swear, it had been personally sent to me by a dependable clergyman in Aureolis. With the dragonkin blood, it should aid in your body’s growth and also improve the quality of your mana before the healing,” Theodore said, worrying Amadeus’ maid.
Noticing this, he began his explanation to sooth her fear. “Please, calm down, I have brought a vial of ‘Removal Decoction’ with me to remove any potion effects in the case he were to experience side effects. However, I theorize only beneficial effects will happen.”
“Please, allow them, Lily. Father invited them here, so they must be alright,” Amadeus said to cool his maid down.
Once she agreed, she took the glass of “holy water” and helped Amadeus drink it. He flinched back and his face contorted into pain. Lily wanted to snatch the white potion in the High Bishop’s hand, but her master stopped her before she could, telling her with a strained face that he was feeling uncomfortable due to the heat.
It lasted a whole minute, where Amadeus sweated enough to drench his bedsheets, but he eventually recovered. He expressed he was feeling warmer, but he wasn’t sure if the potion actually helped his condition.
At this point, my curiosity got the better of me. The reason why I was reluctant to use [Mana Eyes] until now was ‘cause it absorbed [Identify], turning the skill into my primary appraisal skill. Meaning, while being able to see the mana flow of a person, I would also open up his Profile. Due to those [Identify]-sensing manatech Ellaine showed me, I was scared to cause a problem.
However, while I was playing with him, I noticed he wasn’t wearing any accessories like most nobles would. Even the High Bishop was, although, it was his amulet of Aurena. Maybe he was wearing the manatech somewhere else, but I wanted to risk it to see his issue.
____________________________________________________________________
Name: Amadeus Viego Chezaic Level: 0 Race: Human
Age: 18 Years Job: None
Status: Health: 147/147 Mana: 821/821
Strength: 74 Intelligence: 101
Vitality: 41 Wisdom: 34
Agility: 51 Stamina: 81/81
Effects: None
Skill: Magic skills and related:
[Mana Control Lv. 1]
Senses and movement skills:
[Enhanced Auditory Sense Lv. 6]
Resistances:
[Arcane Corruption Resistance Lv. 2]
Others:
[Singing Lv. 1] [Musician Lv. 8][Noble Aura Lv. 1]
[Royal Etiquette Lv. 4][Scholar Lv. 2][Calligraphy Lv. 1]
____________________________________________________________________
None?! How are all these issues a ‘none?!’
From what I understood of the “Effects” field, it displayed any buffs or debuffs affecting the body or mind, which includds spell effects, diseases, injuries, and mental attacks, among others. So why was his albinism and fragile mana paths not something displayed on by the System? Was it ‘cause he was born with them and the System considered it “normal” for him?
I guess that did mean the value of doctors, alchemists, and other medical professions wouldn’t die out in a world where healing magic existed. Theodore explained that holy magic had no effect on his body while potions from the alchemy guild did. Even the “holy water” we were giving him right now was just a glorified potion.
Now speaking of Amadeus’s mana paths, they were actually pretty fucked up. Compared to mine, which looked like a bunch of arteries, his were more like straws. Thin and small, but not more numerous. They weren’t similar to capillaries—tiny but high in numbers—but more like very feeble arteries—small numbers despite being small enough to include more of them.
A few spots were especially blue, however, those were also the spots where I could see mana dispersing outside his body. They looked like the spots that burst. They were slowly healing up by an external mana source, which I concluded was the holy water’s work, since Amadeus explained he felt heat from these spots he was pointing at.
The High Bishop then nodded to Amadeus’s statement, before pulling out what looked like a monocle. He put it on and began inspecting Amadeus, before pointing at the spots I should be healing him, exactly the same spots my [Mana Eyes] were telling me were damaged. Wondering if this was similar to my skill, I asked the High Bishop for his permission to wear them and he obliged.
Looking through the monocle, I could confirm it was an inferior version of [Mana Eyes]. Unlike my skill, this manatech monocle could only see faint hints of areas where mana was concentrated at. It was like having heat vision, but only being able to see temperatures above 100 celsius (212 fahrenheit). My [Mana Eyes] skill was similar to perfect heat vision, like a snake’s, but for mana. I could see mana everywhere in the room, not just on Amadeus’ body, while the monocle didn’t fill my vision with blue from the stray mana.
After handing him the monocle back—my curiosity satisfied—I began using both [Major Heal] and [Sanctified Blaze] to heal Amadeus’ wounds. I just hoped that I could help him…
“… Thank you, I think it might have helped … but I don’t feel that much stronger than before,” he admitted, but it seemed Theodore wasn’t surprised about it at all. When I looked into Amadeus’s eyes, I couldn’t help but sense that the light in it was gone. Did I bring up his hopes and then throw it out of the window? If that was so, then why did I agree to do this today?
“Uhm, I have a skill that allows me to see your mana in more detail,” I gave a basic explanation of [Mana Eyes] without revealing too much about it: just enough for him to understand me. “The pot—holy water seemed to have helped you, too.”
“But did it help my already small mana paths? Was the holy water or your healing able to expand them to allow me to use magic or prevent my emotions from causing them to go wild? Or is this just a temporary solution? Lady Hestia, if you are able to see my mana paths, can you tell me they are becoming better?”
I gulped. “T-they are—” The paths have healed up, thankfully, meaning there wasn’t a leak anymore, but that was about it. The external mana I saw simply entered his mana paths and that was it. No extra actions happened. I couldn’t say anything.
… Damnit. Why couldn’t I have a cheat for my healing, too? This sucks …
For the first time since I became her Champion, I prayed to Aurena. I prayed that she would grant me this cheat-like healing ability to help Amadeus or a clue to solve this illness, but I didn’t receive an answer. I mean, she could currently see through my eyes so she should know what was going on here. I mean, she was a bloody goddess for goodness sake, she could totally do it if she wanted.
But then I remembered, “Gods aren’t supposed to intervene in mortal problems directly.” I honestly didn’t expect her to give me a super spell at this point without earning it, since it would probably be showing too much favoritism for me. However, I did expect at least some clue to help him. What was she planning with staying silent? I knew she could send missives to me.
Understanding my silence, Amadeus let out a slow sigh. “… If I may, could I speak to you … in private?”
When he looked over to his maid, she nodded with a pained expression and asked Theodore’s grey-robed priest to wait with her outside. Once Theodore gave the okay, he complied. After the door was closed, he showed us the rune hidden on the wall behind his bed—an anti-noise leaking rune.
“I will be forthright, were you the ones who came down to the basement a week ago? When my half-sisters held their annual tea party?” he stated with confidence.
I was flabbergasted, but seeing as he went the extra mile to show that nobody could hear us inside this room, I kinda admitted to it with a question, “How did you know?”
“Ah, so I was correct. I guess it wouldn’t be a surprise to expect a beautiful noblewoman like you would attend a tea party, hiehie,” he giggled, making me blush. I couldn’t understand why he was flirting with me right now. “My sensitive hearing was the reason. It was faint, but I managed to hear somebody entering the basement after Lily brought my medicine. I wasn’t able to hear anything else after that, so I thought it was my imagination. But, when Lily mentioned a dragonewt noble attended the party and that the High Bishop would come to heal me with a guest of his, I was naturally curious. I pieced the puzzle together and figured that something big was happening. Until this day, my father hasn’t told anybody who didn’t need to know about my existence. This day cannot be a coincidence.”
“I see, if pretenses aren’t needed anymore, then it would be better if we left,” Theodore immediately stood up from his seat.
“Please, wait! Urgh! Ack, if the High Bishop is involving himself in this matter, then it must be important, correct? Why else would a greifnoble involve himself this much in the affairs of an arcanuess? Arcanuess houses rise and fall all the time, and you can simply delegate this task to another arcanuess or even a count if you desire so. I have a question, are you here because of my father and step-mother’s involvement with the alchemist guild.”
“Wait, you know about that?!” I blurted out.
“So it is about that?! It is about what they did with the agreement they had with the alchemist guild’s guild master?! Then let me—ACK! Arck, urgh!” as Amadeus was talking passionately, he once again began coughing blood. I took the pink potion and helped him drink it, stabilizing him.
He thanked me and wanted to continue speaking, but the High Bishop stopped him. “Lord Amadeus, I suggest you say no more. You seem to be knowledgeable despite being contained down here in your House’s mansion for nearly your whole life, so I presume you must understand what you are doing. Forget about it, we have enough evidence. Silence yourself, for you have nothing more to say.”
“Then tell me, Lord High Bishop, do you have evidence for my step-mother’s involvement?” he shouted, flinching each time he raised his voice from the headache he was feeling.
“Yes, we have enough to detain her, if that is what you ask.”
“Is it only enough to convict her as a supporter, as a financial source for the alchemy guild, like my father? Will her punishment only be to take the vow? To join the church?”
“… Lord Amadeus, I insist you keep yourself silent. Do not say anything anymore.” Like a final plea, Theodore gave Amadeus a sullen look to dissuade him from talking.
Wait, what is going on here? I’m like a third wheel in this discussion.
“No, I understand it already. My mother, my father’s first wife, died because of that temptress! She only married into house Chezaic in an attempt to strengthen her own house in the Equevanna Duchy. She is a traitor to the Greenveil Duchy!” Amadeus slammed his fist on his bed. “I don’t want her sent to the church to remove her from noble society; no, I want her gone. To feel the same terror my mother felt! I was too young to remember her clearly when she died. My wish for a mother died because of that fiend, and I was left alone in this basement because of her. To make people forget about me, so her daughters can inherit the House.”
Amadeus then pointed at the spot where we got his instruments and spoke, “The documents are in the inside of my instrument box. I managed to copy a few documents inside my father’s study while he wasn’t looking. I accidentally learned the truth of these potions. What was used to make them …” His face then contorted as if he was in pain again, but it looked more like he was frustrated. “I-I wanted to see the outside world, I wanted to walk and … live. I also didn’t want my father to be convicted, I didn’t want the last member of my family to be gone. I apologize for my negligence, Lord Theodore.”
Theodore looked at the downcast eyes of the young albino boy and sighed. “… You managed to copy this? When you cannot even move?”
“… Yes. Please. Also, my sisters didn’t know anything about this. They had no idea about my father’s or step-mother’s dealings, nor what my step-mother actually did. They are innocent in all of this,” Amadeus declared. “… I really thought I could go outside. Drink the potion and then let a surgeon fix my mana paths once they grew thick enough. My father was so hopeful … and he looked so depressed whenever he talked about it. I wonder if he ever realized his new wife was the cause of all his suffering …”
… Why do I feel like this was an omen? This should just be a usual ‘beat the bad guy and bring happiness to everybody’ move just like in those movies and shows. Why am I feeling like something bad will happen?
“Also, please be careful when you arrest the people from the alchemist guild. The experiments that were done there also mentioned something about combining catalysts with monsters, but I couldn’t understand all the technical details and words.”
With his explanation done, the High Bishop bid me to the door. We were leaving.
“Lady Hestia … if you had the time … could you write down the notes for the song you sang? ‘My broken wings, set yourself free.’ I love this sentence.”
We weren’t friends. We were only acquaintances with an affinity for music. I would love a musically inclined friend to jam with, but I guess the current plan held precedent. I needed to fulfill my promise to Kiiro, after all. However, as fellow musicians, I accepted his request.
“Sure, I’ll have it ready for the next time we meet.”
With those last words, we left the mansion. Inside the carriage, the High Bishop looked through the document we got from Amadeus. Unlike the ones Saori found, which mostly showed how Lord Chezaic supported the Alchemy guild and where his bribe money went, the one we got today detailed his agreement to the fae hunts.
One was a contract that obligated Davison to supply Lord Chezaic with potions to help his son’s condition and also a final curative to fully heal Amadeus. In return, he would provide tools and money to Davison, including his influence as a noble, to help pave his way forward. There was also mention of Lady Chezaic, who invited Davison to Firwood in an attempt to help her take over House Chezaic and also build a platform for her family to receive ingredients from the Belzac forest for a reduced price.
It seemed Lady Chezaic wasn’t directly involved in the fae hunt like her husband, but it mentioned she knew about it. There was also the fact that a foreign noble was willing to bring down a house of the Greenveil Duchy to strengthen her own. It was not unusual for this to happen, but her intention to let Amadeus die with the last curative was a crime. The murder of other nobles was strictly forbidden if a proper cause wasn’t there.
“This is a casus belli …” Theodore murmured. “Casus belli” translated into “cause for war.”
He then continued, “It was unfortunate that we couldn’t heal Amadeus, but we received a lot in return. I will need to inform my brother and Lord Greenveil about this, so be prepared to act at any time, Lady Hestia … Lady Hestia?”
“Oh, I’m sorry … I’m just a bit overwhelmed. I never had this happen to me before. I had a feeling I couldn’t heal him but … it felt bad when the light in his eyes just vanished and he admitted to everything. Lord Theodore … was that … was that like the confession of a criminal? W-will he be—” I attempted to say but Theodore laid his hand on my shoulder to calm me down.
“Don’t think too much about it now, Lady Hestia. Think of what is the right thing to do. Everything has been set into motion, so you must steel yourself,” he said gently. “This was also a lesson for you, that any hopeful priestess must learn one day. Lady Aurena, the Origin Goddess of Light, has given us mortals her miraculous power, but we are mortals still. The domain of miracles belongs to the Goddess herself and her chosen Champions and Saints. We cannot heal everybody, and this is something we must accept. Most nobles join the church knowing this, but commoners are different. You are a noble, but your attitude reminds me of white-robed commoners—hopeful and naive. I wanted to make you aware of this.”
“… To drive me forward?”
He nodded, “I said I will teach you everything about the church, correct? To make you understand the Goddess and your role as her Champion better. One of these lessons is about who you can and cannot save, to steel your will for the future when death and conflict might become part of your daily life. However, never forget, the Goddess watches over you. You aren’t just a dragon princess, you are soul blessed with the good needed to act in your role. You cannot be too naive, but becoming a pessimist is equally problematic.”
“… Thank you.”
Was Aurena thinking the same thing? That praying to the gods every single time you had a problem wouldn’t solve your problems? If that was so, then didn’t it kinda validate the fact that I wasn’t interested in praying to gods until now? Regardless, whatever she was planning, it would be better for me to continue developing my own abilities and not focus on every bump on my road. If Aurena didn’t want to cuddle me, then she achieved it alright.
“It is a pleasure. I understand what it feels like to be forced to learn to adapt to your new situation. I cannot teach you everything in Firwood, but you mentioned you needed to go to the capital, correct? The cathedral in Griffonpeak will reveal more information about the Church of Aurena.”
That was a good suggestion. I still needed to know more about how the temple functioned, outside of it being a place for noble priests to make connections, for some reason.
“… Also, please do me a favor and keep the part about me asking for your blood to yourself. I read that the dragonewts of Loatryx consider using dragon blood for anything outside of proper rituals as sacrilegious and taboo. I would rather not have dragonkins suddenly appear before my door and pierce me with your spears.”
“… Got it.”
Scary dragonewts, huh?
After we talked a bit more, I managed to persuade Theodore to put the attack on hold until LightDay, which was in five days. This was to solve the second problem that Amadeus mentioned, the one with the monsters.
At first, Theodore said my plan was a waste of money, but eventually, he caved in as I could promise him that the town’s people could be kept safe. Commoners were commoners to the nobles, but without an able workforce, the town couldn’t keep flourishing. Somebody had to lure people away from the alchemy guild.
And for that reason, I was here.
My second concert. This LightDay would become a festival for the people to celebrate.
Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor the Idol was ready to perform.
AbyssRaven
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“Good morning, High Bishop Theodore. Uhm, I hope this auspicious RestDay has found you well. It is an honor to meet you once again in the Goddess’ blessed land.'”
Standing inside the temple’s altar room, I was surrounded on all sides by men and women dressed in glamorous white robes. In front of me stood the High Bishop himself, along with a man and woman behind him. I did not know their identities but, seeing as they were the only ones on the altar with him, I guess they must assume important positions inside the temple.
Yesterday’s message from the High Bishop suggested that we meet inside the temple in order to “appease the angered priests and priestesses,” especially since it was my “duty” to bless and be blessed by all the priests in the Goddess’ name. Or, as Ellaine interpreted what was being said in between the lines, they were jealous that the High Bishop and the attendees at the tea party knew me more than the humble servants of the Goddess. I accepted my role as an impromptu priestess, so their excuse kinda made sense.
The High Bishop did mention that clergymen acted in favor of their families, so it wouldn’t be surprising if these priests and priestesses wanted to meet me due to the rumors floating around Firwood. Both inside the noble and commoner districts of the town.
After showing a curtsy, the High Bishop bowed slightly in response. “I welcome you back to this humble temple dedicated to the holy Goddess, Priestess Hestia Atsuko. I pray your stay in Firwood has been a memorable one?”
“Yes, I thank you for asking, High Bishop Theodore. House Helvas has been a wonderful host, accommodating me and my retainers with whatever my heart desired. I could comfortably and freely perform my duties as a humble priestess in Firwood, and for that, I thank you, Lord Sirius, and the Goddess for this opportunity,” I responded, using the rehearsed lines I learned from Manuela.
“‘Lord Sirius?’ Does the priestess know of Artorian etiquette?”
“If she does, then … By the Goddess.”
There were a few short whispers after what I said, but most of the priests and priestess were disciplined and stayed quiet. Ellaine told me the High Bishop wanted me to flaunt my status but, at this point, it might be more efficient to plainly say my “family” name—Kargryxmor. Thankfully, everybody who knew my secret wasn’t interested in revealing I was a dragon, and we were simply taking advantage of the fact that the majority of nobles had zero information on dragonewt society. The isolationism of Kargyx and lack of contact with Loatryx worked in my favor.
After that, the High Bishop gave me a [Prayer] to officially welcome me here as a guest and pilgrim. The priests, priestesses, and shrine maidens sang the [Prayer] song in unison, and I was basked in light as the spell was cast.
Once that was finished, Theodore announced to everybody in attendance that he and I were to leave together for priest duties. All but the shrine maidens frowned as they heard this. It was to be expected when your chance to network with somebody important was being snatched away from you by your boss. They were clearly displeased with Theodore, but he ignored it without blinking an eye and showed me to his carriage. Theodore’s grey-robed attendant boarded the carriage from the outside bench, and once it began to move, we began our discussion.
“Thank you for playing along, Lady Hestia. That should be enough to appease most of the white robes,” the High Bishop said so casually after making everybody angry.
Unable to understand how the showing was supposed to “appease” anybody, I asked him to clarify.
“When they requested me to invite you to the temple, they said, ‘We wish to meet the dragonewt priestess.’ That I have fulfilled, yes? They might have meant ‘meeting’ as in ‘getting to know you better,’ but that is none of my concern when I never gave them my word. Our task today is more important than the ‘she has no obligation to come’ reply I gave them.” In other words, he was being pedantic about it. He continued, “Besides, did you not ask me to give you a tour around the church? They will have plenty of opportunities to speak with you then. For now, let us concentrate on the plot.”
“Plot” was such a bad way to address the plan. I would like to call it “bringing the villains to justice.”
Shrugging, I asked him about something that was concerning me since I read the letter he sent me, “Okay, then I have a question. How and why are we doing this? Wouldn’t Lord Chezaic be wary if you suddenly found out about his son and forbade you from coming to his home? As a noble with a high rank, he has enough reason to deny you access if he really wanted to. This is a private matter.”
Theodore nodded, understanding my question. “It is true, there is no obligation for a noble to reveal one of their offsprings to the public if they so wished. Also, as the only way for you to be remembered is to attend social gatherings, it made sense why even I wasn’t aware that Lord Chezaic hid his eldest child. It is an anomaly but an understandable one due to the child’s sickness. If I were to question Lord Chezaic about it now, after nearly 18 years, he would undoubtedly be cautious.”
I expected a “but” here and a “but” I received.
“But that would only happen if I were to do it directly. When I heard from the reports that Lord Chezaic asked a priest to heal his son, I was naturally curious, as I wasn’t part of the church back then. After some searching through my father’s files, I found out he did not ask the Firwood temple, but actually went to the holy capital for aid. The blessing of well-organized documents.”
The priest in question was an elderly man who managed to unlock [Major Heal] just like me. For reference, [Major Heal] was the level five spell of [Sacred Magic], which meant this old priest was an especially skilled one. When Lord Chezaic went to the Holy Capital Aureolis, which was the south-west neighbor of the Kingdom of Artorias, he asked this priest to heal his son.
However, it didn’t work out. According to Theodore, the condition was a “birth curse,” an abnormal status effect that didn’t show itself in the profile. Healing magic accelerated the regeneration speed of a person with mana, returning their injured form to their uninjured form—a concept I managed to understand by my lonesome. There were also debilitating effects that hindered healing—for example, Farron’s mysterious [Crystallized (Lungs)] and my [Dread Burn] if I were to use the [Scale-Dust User] Job—so it wasn’t surprising to find out that there were other restrictions to healing magic.
“The priest in question is a kind and compassionate one. Nonetheless, from the way he wrote in his letter, he seemed to have been wary of me when I initially asked him. Still, in the end, I managed to persuade him to help us when I told him I might have a way to heal Lord Chezaic’s son. He sent a letter of introduction to Lord Chezaic and I received an invitation a few days ago to heal his son.”
“And that solution is supposed to be me? Let me make it clear to you now, but my healing isn’t anywhere as special as you think it would be. I might heal faster and more efficiently, but I’m still restricted by the Divine System’s rules. Although, saying it now might be too late but that is all your fault for not asking me first,” I stated with a frown.
I thought I gave a pretty convincing argument, but the High Bishop simply shook his head. “Please, do not act so modestly. I was able to analyze your Profile, do you remember? Besides, I also learned that you were blessed by two Origin Gods and one subordinate god, making you far more powerful than an ordinary person.”
He then leaned forward, resting his head on his hands, bringing his lilac eyes closer to view. “Lady Hestia, I bid you to try it at the very least. If you are successful, then I am sure Lord Chezaic will be willing to confess everything without causing any trouble. Even if you aren’t successful, the amount of information I received from the priests you annoyed with your presence in the commoner district should be enough to confine Lord and Lady Chezaic long enough for your party to infiltrate the alchemy guild and allow Davison an ‘audience with Goddess Death.’ As my brother’s substitute, I wish to try every method out before we enact the plan. As one of the Goddess’s Champions, I believe you should, too.”
I had little confidence that I could heal the son when another priest with [Major Heal] already failed. The thing was, my healing wasn’t anything special, my flames were. [White Flames] and [Corrosive Fire] had special properties that I could use to create spells others wouldn’t be able to copy, since they were my unique skills, but that didn’t apply to any of my healing methods. If I couldn’t heal my damaged mana paths, then how could you expect me to heal somebody else of an unhealable condition?
Still reluctant, I kept complaining about it to Theodore, but he simply waved my concerns away. He wasn’t interested in hearing what I had to say, implying sometimes we had to clench our teeth and do what was right. Since I began calling myself a priestess of Aurena, I had to take responsibility for that action and do my duty.
B-but I really can’t do it.
Whether I was afraid of embarrassing myself or failing in general, I didn’t want to go in, tell him I was a priestess of Aurena and that I would heal him. What kinda fucked up hope-giving situation was that? Why was the High Bishop pulling me into this mess? I wanted to scream into his face and bust out of the carriage door, but I was only barely able to hold in this desire. I knew it was immature.
After a while, we arrived at House Chezaic’s mansion and were invited in by the house’s staff. Inside I managed to meet up with the Chezaic twins again, but they simply greeted me before walking away, stating they had an “appointment.” Considering the frantic look on their faces, they probably weren’t so thrilled to see me.
“Lord Amadeus’s room is under the mansion. Please, follow me,” a female wolfkin servant said, before opening a door and descending a staircase with us behind her. The basement of the mansion was as fancy and well-decorated as above, contrary to House Helvas’ more simple design of their basement and training room. Since the first child of an Arcanuess was living here, the hallways had to look like the upper floors, correct?
We stopped at a single door, but before we went in, the servant spoke softly, “High Bishop Theodore. Lady Priestess Hestia. Lord Amadeus’s hearing is very sensitive so I would like to humbly ask you to speak in whispers.”
We nodded and the door was opened for us by the servant. Once inside, we were greeted with a soft, “I thank the Goddess for this meeting. It is an honor to be visited by the High Bishop of Firwood himself and his esteemed companion.”
Sitting in the middle of a king-sized bed, a young man showed us a warm smile, showing no hint of an illness or weakness. However, when my eyes moved up a bit, I came to understand why he was living inside the basement. His skin was pale like a ghost, his eyes red as blood, and his medium-long hair was as white and devoid of color as a senior citizen. He had albinism.
“Hiehie, did I scare you, my Lady? I apologize profusely for not warning you. Lily, you should have warned them,” the feminine looking boy chided his servant.
With her dog-like ears slumped like a sad puppy, she bowed in forgiveness to us and her maste., “I apologize. I have sinned as a servant. Lord Amadeus’s state has become so normal to me that I forgot to mention it to visitors.”
“NO, no! Oh, I apologize for raising my voice … and also for my rude behavior,” I replied, covering my mouth in the process.
Amadeus, the boy in the bed, then laughed, making me feel a bit flustered at the situation. Theodore then coughed to break the moment and allow us to return to reality. “Lord Amadeus, may the Goddess bless our meeting on this auspicious RestDay. I hope you have had a peaceful day. As you have already guessed, I am Theodore Samuel Sirius, the High Bishop of Firwood’s temple.”
He then moved his arm to the side to introduce me, prompting me to curtsy. “This is Lady Hestia Atsuko, a dragonewt noble from Loatryx. As mentioned in the letter, she will be your healer for today.”
“She is? Please excuse me for doubting you, Lord High Bishop, but will she be able to heal me? My last healer was able to cast [Major Heal] and even he wasn’t able to,” the boy wondered, looking a bit conflicted at the news.
“Lady Hestia also can cast [Major Heal]; in addition, she seems to be favored by the Goddess. She possesses increased healing powers and a special custom spell,” Theodore stated with a blank face, completely ignoring the fact that I was trembling at him hyping me up like this.
When Amadeus inspected me to see if Theodore’s words were true, I immediately recomposed myself and gave him a forced smile. When the smiling boy agreed to let me try, my heart couldn’t help but feel like it was burning, pounding so hard against my chest that it wanted to burst open to tell the young man the truth. The hope he was showing me made my head heavy, as I was being stricken with guilt.
“I understand. If it is the High Bishop’s words, then I would like to accept Lady Hestia’s hospitality. It would only be right—AHURGH! Kack, gurgh, gurgh, ahack!” The boy’s body jerked forward as he coughed up blood on his hands, barely able to cover his mouth in time to save his velvet-colored bed sheets.
The first to respond was his maid, who rushed to his side with a loud “Lord Amadeus!” She then opened the drawer next to him and took out a pink potion before helping him drink it. She then wiped away the blood on his face and bed sheets before running out the room, asking us to watch him while she got water.
Velvet? Wait, is this ‘cause of the blood? Does he frequently cough like this?
“I-I apologize, it seems like I couldn’t hold it in. I got a bit too excited and my mana went rampant,” he told us.
‘Too excited?’ I-Is it ‘cause of me?
“Can I do it?” and “I must do it” were floating inside my mind, agitating me to the point I couldn’t move forwards. I was scared, overwhelmed that I couldn’t be the saving light for this bed-ridden boy.
When the High Bishop saw me like this, he patted me on the back and spoke to his attendant, who came with us, to pull two chairs to the side of the bed. He showed me to my seat and then went onto the other side where he continued speaking.
“If you are having trouble with mana, can I presume you were born with an unbearably large amount, Lord Amadeus?” Theodore asked.
“Yes, unfortunately. Not only was I born with the ‘Pale Blight’ but also a fragile body with immense mana. The sun burns my skin without any protection and I am too weak to move around for too long, in addition, any emotional increase will cause my mana to rampage inside me.”
The “Pale Blight'” was the name Peolyncians gave albinism, while Amadeus’s second issue was called “Raffarson’s Debilitation.” Named after an archmage who suffered it, the disease was caused by a weakening of his mana paths, where they became too fragile to transport mana correctly through your body, making them prone to exploding. Coupled with the fact that he was born with a noble’s amount of mana, it made it hard for him to do anything related to mana out of fear of injuries like before.
Not only that but he also admitted he was born with a naturally weak body. In other words, it was like the universe looked at him and said “fuck you” before giving him all the debilitations it could to ruin his life. He had to be careful of the sun, had a weak body, and his mana was out to kill him. Talk about a terrible life.
“I see.” The High Bishop frowned. I guess he didn’t expect it to be this bad. “Lady Hestia, I will prepare the holy water and inspect where you will target your healing spell. In the meantime, please, give Lord Amadeus some social experience. It will take some time.”
Was the High Bishop being considerate or was this his plan all along? In any case, I was glad to have some time to think about it. But … talk with him? What exactly?
“Uhm, Lord Amadeus?” I drew his attention, but I needed a few seconds of finger twiddling to figure out a conversation topic. “Uhm, your servant, Lily, said something about your hearing? That it was sensitive? Were you also born with it?”
“Oh, yes, that is correct. However, it isn’t as terrible with the help of mana tools.” He pointed at the drawer next to his bed and asked me if I could help him. I pulled out a pair of earbuds and gave them to him. “These are sound blocking mana tools that allow me to dampen the sounds around me. Whispers become inaudible but I don’t have to inconvenience people around me anymore, as I won’t receive a headache when they speak loudly. However, they require my mana to be used, so it is a bit of a double-edged sword.”
He was about to put them on to demonstrate, but I stopped him by saying that it wasn’t a problem.
“Hiehie, thank you very much for your consideration, my lady,” he giggled, but I could see from his forced smile that he was a bit relieved I didn’t force them on him. “However, with how sensitive my hearing is, it makes it far easier to recognize each note when playing an instrument.”
“Oh, you play?”
With a self-deprecating laugh, he answered, “Well, which self-respecting noble doesn’t? I cannot fight, I cannot create magic tools nor spells, and making potions is too strenuous. I can play different instruments on my bed and I guess it has become a valuable hobby. Do you play, Lady Hestia?”
“The geigler and I guess … uhm, the ‘piano?’ I am not sure what you Artorians call it.” Maybe there was a harpsichord version in Peolynca, but I haven’t asked Ellaine about it. “Oh, and I also enjoy singing. You could say that music is part of my life and that I live for it.”
“Is that true?” He sounded excited, worrying me it would put too much pressure on him emotionally. “Then, would you like to play with me?”
I was worried it would put too much pressure on his hearing but he assured me his hearing was alright if I played correctly.
“I don’t know why, but if it comes to perfect tunes, I can endure it even if it’s ear-splitting for others. However, the moment a tune goes offbeat, I can feel a piercing headache. That’s how I can tell if somebody is playing correctly or not.”
He then continued, giving me his version of the puppy eyes, “Please? I do not have many chances to play with others. Lily is tone-deaf, my half-sisters rarely visit me, and my father is, well, occupied and I don’t want to bother him. I know it’s selfish, but I would like to request to hear your music.”
Considering how excited he looked, the memory of before came back to mind, so I told him to calm down if I were to accept it. I couldn’t have my patient bleed out in front of me.
Once I agreed, the High Bishop told his grey-robed attendant to bring us the two instruments sitting in the corner. A geigler and something that looked like a harp guitar with enough strings to rival a zither. It was called the “Zentier.”
Used to his instrument, Amadeus strung his string, letting out a pleasant melody to drown out the silence inside this room. “Lady Hestia, if I may ask, what is your [Musician] level?” he asked, to which I answered that I had a unique skill which it merged into. He was surprised to hear this but smiled pleasantly, before saying he couldn’t help waiting anymore.
And then, we let our instruments do the talking for us. First I played, then he played, then I played, and then it was him again. I used my bow to create music while he plucked each string to create an assortment of tunes. Once we got a feel for each other, we stopped soloing and began a duet. Nobles were taught how to play instruments to facilitate their education, but it astounded me how good they were. That reminded me, I should probably do this with Ellaine, too.
“As I walk on the ground now
Striding through lands of lush greens
How can I forget
I used to see it, from up there.
Feel the wind stream around me
Like a butterfly riding on high winds
But now I’m down here
Looking up, longing for my fleeting past.
Why was it like, wow wow wow wow wow?
Stranded down here, all my hopes are crushed.
However, wow wow wow wow wow
Must I really accept this unfair world, or not?
Don’t let your light flicker and dim.
Put up a smile and never give up.
Hope will not die this soon.
Remember that this is the life that you have chosen!
My broken wings, set yourself free.
Rise from the ground, oh, so I plea.
So, our dreams can be true.
To reach the stars! ”
I instinctively began singing. Nobody prompted me. I just sang as I was carried away by the notes. Meanwhile, Amadeus’s maid returned with a tray—on it was a flask of water, his lunch, and also another pink potion.
Once we stopped, Amadeus showed a beaming smile. The mood brightened inside. “Thank you very much, Lady Hestia. That was extremely refreshing, so refreshing that I wished to join in, but … I believe if I did so, I would displease my ears, haha.”
As he smiled, a question flew into my ears. “Lord Amadeus, if I may ask, have you tried leveling up yet if your body was so weak? To improve your strength or vitality would be helpful, no?”
It was a genuine question, as I knew the System improved your durability by a lot the more you increase your stats. This was reality but the world was still governed by a game-like System. However, I was met with a frown by the High Bishop in return.
“Lady Hestia, when you level, you should know that your mana capacity increases, yes? While Lord Amadeus might reinforce his body’s durability through increases in his strength, vitality, and wisdom, it won’t change the fact that his body is ill-adapted to his mana in the first place. If he had the base amount of mana of a commoner, then your idea would work, but his base amount is too high.”
“Then why not temporarily drain his mana with a mana battery?”
“No, it won’t work. We already tried it,” Amadeus answered himself. “My mana paths are also a problem, not just my body. Draining too much, too quickly will make them burst. Drain it too slowly and my natural regeneration would hinder the process. Besides, I would have to continue it indefinitely until my body finds the equilibrium, and during that time, I cannot have my mana reach its full capacity. In that case, arcane corruption would be my worst enemy.”
He then picked up the bottle standing on his nightstand and showed it to me. “These potions my father has been receiving from the alchemist guild have helped me relieve problems concerning my mana paths. They slow down the mana flow inside my body and slowly strengthen the mana paths with the excess.”
I felt like an idiot. It should be easy enough for me to understand that and not ask him a redundant question like that, but I was being rash. Urgh, what was I doing?
“Lady Hestia, the water is ready. I will need your help now, please, come over,” the High Bishop told me, to which I complied immediately. “Please, put a drop of your blood into the water and then your mana once I am finished with my part.”
“A drop of my blood?” I thought he was weird to ask me about it, but he should have a plan, so I followed his orders. As no conventional knife could pierce the scales on my hands, I had to use my claws for the job. A drop of red touched the water and began spreading around it as white flames closed the small cut on my finger.
The High Bishop then took out a vial of white liquid, the same he had on the day of the Binding Festival, and poured a small amount into the water. I then let my mana flow into the mixture and the water began shining a brilliant white, while the red blood disappeared completely without leaving any traces behind.
“Lord Amadeus, Lady Hestia’s blood is related to the dragonkins, and is blessed by heightened regeneration and a high mana concentration. The white liquid itself is the same ‘Draught of Sanctity’ we priests use for our holy water during our sermons. I swear, it had been personally sent to me by a dependable clergyman in Aureolis. With the dragonkin blood, it should aid in your body’s growth and also improve the quality of your mana before the healing,” Theodore said, worrying Amadeus’ maid.
Noticing this, he began his explanation to sooth her fear. “Please, calm down, I have brought a vial of ‘Removal Decoction’ with me to remove any potion effects in the case he were to experience side effects. However, I theorize only beneficial effects will happen.”
“Please, allow them, Lily. Father invited them here, so they must be alright,” Amadeus said to cool his maid down.
Once she agreed, she took the glass of “holy water” and helped Amadeus drink it. He flinched back and his face contorted into pain. Lily wanted to snatch the white potion in the High Bishop’s hand, but her master stopped her before she could, telling her with a strained face that he was feeling uncomfortable due to the heat.
It lasted a whole minute, where Amadeus sweated enough to drench his bedsheets, but he eventually recovered. He expressed he was feeling warmer, but he wasn’t sure if the potion actually helped his condition.
At this point, my curiosity got the better of me. The reason why I was reluctant to use [Mana Eyes] until now was ‘cause it absorbed [Identify], turning the skill into my primary appraisal skill. Meaning, while being able to see the mana flow of a person, I would also open up his Profile. Due to those [Identify]-sensing manatech Ellaine showed me, I was scared to cause a problem.
However, while I was playing with him, I noticed he wasn’t wearing any accessories like most nobles would. Even the High Bishop was, although, it was his amulet of Aurena. Maybe he was wearing the manatech somewhere else, but I wanted to risk it to see his issue.
____________________________________________________________________
Name: Amadeus Viego Chezaic Level: 0 Race: Human
Age: 18 Years Job: None
Status: Health: 147/147 Mana: 821/821
Strength: 74 Intelligence: 101
Vitality: 41 Wisdom: 34
Agility: 51 Stamina: 81/81
Effects: None
Skill: Magic skills and related:
[Mana Control Lv. 1]
Senses and movement skills:
[Enhanced Auditory Sense Lv. 6]
Resistances:
[Arcane Corruption Resistance Lv. 2]
Others:
[Singing Lv. 1] [Musician Lv. 8][Noble Aura Lv. 1]
[Royal Etiquette Lv. 4][Scholar Lv. 2][Calligraphy Lv. 1]
____________________________________________________________________
None?! How are all these issues a ‘none?!’
From what I understood of the “Effects” field, it displayed any buffs or debuffs affecting the body or mind, which includds spell effects, diseases, injuries, and mental attacks, among others. So why was his albinism and fragile mana paths not something displayed on by the System? Was it ‘cause he was born with them and the System considered it “normal” for him?
I guess that did mean the value of doctors, alchemists, and other medical professions wouldn’t die out in a world where healing magic existed. Theodore explained that holy magic had no effect on his body while potions from the alchemy guild did. Even the “holy water” we were giving him right now was just a glorified potion.
Now speaking of Amadeus’s mana paths, they were actually pretty fucked up. Compared to mine, which looked like a bunch of arteries, his were more like straws. Thin and small, but not more numerous. They weren’t similar to capillaries—tiny but high in numbers—but more like very feeble arteries—small numbers despite being small enough to include more of them.
A few spots were especially blue, however, those were also the spots where I could see mana dispersing outside his body. They looked like the spots that burst. They were slowly healing up by an external mana source, which I concluded was the holy water’s work, since Amadeus explained he felt heat from these spots he was pointing at.
The High Bishop then nodded to Amadeus’s statement, before pulling out what looked like a monocle. He put it on and began inspecting Amadeus, before pointing at the spots I should be healing him, exactly the same spots my [Mana Eyes] were telling me were damaged. Wondering if this was similar to my skill, I asked the High Bishop for his permission to wear them and he obliged.
Looking through the monocle, I could confirm it was an inferior version of [Mana Eyes]. Unlike my skill, this manatech monocle could only see faint hints of areas where mana was concentrated at. It was like having heat vision, but only being able to see temperatures above 100 celsius (212 fahrenheit). My [Mana Eyes] skill was similar to perfect heat vision, like a snake’s, but for mana. I could see mana everywhere in the room, not just on Amadeus’ body, while the monocle didn’t fill my vision with blue from the stray mana.
After handing him the monocle back—my curiosity satisfied—I began using both [Major Heal] and [Sanctified Blaze] to heal Amadeus’ wounds. I just hoped that I could help him…
“… Thank you, I think it might have helped … but I don’t feel that much stronger than before,” he admitted, but it seemed Theodore wasn’t surprised about it at all. When I looked into Amadeus’s eyes, I couldn’t help but sense that the light in it was gone. Did I bring up his hopes and then throw it out of the window? If that was so, then why did I agree to do this today?
“Uhm, I have a skill that allows me to see your mana in more detail,” I gave a basic explanation of [Mana Eyes] without revealing too much about it: just enough for him to understand me. “The pot—holy water seemed to have helped you, too.”
“But did it help my already small mana paths? Was the holy water or your healing able to expand them to allow me to use magic or prevent my emotions from causing them to go wild? Or is this just a temporary solution? Lady Hestia, if you are able to see my mana paths, can you tell me they are becoming better?”
I gulped. “T-they are—” The paths have healed up, thankfully, meaning there wasn’t a leak anymore, but that was about it. The external mana I saw simply entered his mana paths and that was it. No extra actions happened. I couldn’t say anything.
… Damnit. Why couldn’t I have a cheat for my healing, too? This sucks …
For the first time since I became her Champion, I prayed to Aurena. I prayed that she would grant me this cheat-like healing ability to help Amadeus or a clue to solve this illness, but I didn’t receive an answer. I mean, she could currently see through my eyes so she should know what was going on here. I mean, she was a bloody goddess for goodness sake, she could totally do it if she wanted.
But then I remembered, “Gods aren’t supposed to intervene in mortal problems directly.” I honestly didn’t expect her to give me a super spell at this point without earning it, since it would probably be showing too much favoritism for me. However, I did expect at least some clue to help him. What was she planning with staying silent? I knew she could send missives to me.
Understanding my silence, Amadeus let out a slow sigh. “… If I may, could I speak to you … in private?”
When he looked over to his maid, she nodded with a pained expression and asked Theodore’s grey-robed priest to wait with her outside. Once Theodore gave the okay, he complied. After the door was closed, he showed us the rune hidden on the wall behind his bed—an anti-noise leaking rune.
“I will be forthright, were you the ones who came down to the basement a week ago? When my half-sisters held their annual tea party?” he stated with confidence.
I was flabbergasted, but seeing as he went the extra mile to show that nobody could hear us inside this room, I kinda admitted to it with a question, “How did you know?”
“Ah, so I was correct. I guess it wouldn’t be a surprise to expect a beautiful noblewoman like you would attend a tea party, hiehie,” he giggled, making me blush. I couldn’t understand why he was flirting with me right now. “My sensitive hearing was the reason. It was faint, but I managed to hear somebody entering the basement after Lily brought my medicine. I wasn’t able to hear anything else after that, so I thought it was my imagination. But, when Lily mentioned a dragonewt noble attended the party and that the High Bishop would come to heal me with a guest of his, I was naturally curious. I pieced the puzzle together and figured that something big was happening. Until this day, my father hasn’t told anybody who didn’t need to know about my existence. This day cannot be a coincidence.”
“I see, if pretenses aren’t needed anymore, then it would be better if we left,” Theodore immediately stood up from his seat.
“Please, wait! Urgh! Ack, if the High Bishop is involving himself in this matter, then it must be important, correct? Why else would a greifnoble involve himself this much in the affairs of an arcanuess? Arcanuess houses rise and fall all the time, and you can simply delegate this task to another arcanuess or even a count if you desire so. I have a question, are you here because of my father and step-mother’s involvement with the alchemist guild.”
“Wait, you know about that?!” I blurted out.
“So it is about that?! It is about what they did with the agreement they had with the alchemist guild’s guild master?! Then let me—ACK! Arck, urgh!” as Amadeus was talking passionately, he once again began coughing blood. I took the pink potion and helped him drink it, stabilizing him.
He thanked me and wanted to continue speaking, but the High Bishop stopped him. “Lord Amadeus, I suggest you say no more. You seem to be knowledgeable despite being contained down here in your House’s mansion for nearly your whole life, so I presume you must understand what you are doing. Forget about it, we have enough evidence. Silence yourself, for you have nothing more to say.”
“Then tell me, Lord High Bishop, do you have evidence for my step-mother’s involvement?” he shouted, flinching each time he raised his voice from the headache he was feeling.
“Yes, we have enough to detain her, if that is what you ask.”
“Is it only enough to convict her as a supporter, as a financial source for the alchemy guild, like my father? Will her punishment only be to take the vow? To join the church?”
“… Lord Amadeus, I insist you keep yourself silent. Do not say anything anymore.” Like a final plea, Theodore gave Amadeus a sullen look to dissuade him from talking.
Wait, what is going on here? I’m like a third wheel in this discussion.
“No, I understand it already. My mother, my father’s first wife, died because of that temptress! She only married into house Chezaic in an attempt to strengthen her own house in the Equevanna Duchy. She is a traitor to the Greenveil Duchy!” Amadeus slammed his fist on his bed. “I don’t want her sent to the church to remove her from noble society; no, I want her gone. To feel the same terror my mother felt! I was too young to remember her clearly when she died. My wish for a mother died because of that fiend, and I was left alone in this basement because of her. To make people forget about me, so her daughters can inherit the House.”
Amadeus then pointed at the spot where we got his instruments and spoke, “The documents are in the inside of my instrument box. I managed to copy a few documents inside my father’s study while he wasn’t looking. I accidentally learned the truth of these potions. What was used to make them …” His face then contorted as if he was in pain again, but it looked more like he was frustrated. “I-I wanted to see the outside world, I wanted to walk and … live. I also didn’t want my father to be convicted, I didn’t want the last member of my family to be gone. I apologize for my negligence, Lord Theodore.”
Theodore looked at the downcast eyes of the young albino boy and sighed. “… You managed to copy this? When you cannot even move?”
“… Yes. Please. Also, my sisters didn’t know anything about this. They had no idea about my father’s or step-mother’s dealings, nor what my step-mother actually did. They are innocent in all of this,” Amadeus declared. “… I really thought I could go outside. Drink the potion and then let a surgeon fix my mana paths once they grew thick enough. My father was so hopeful … and he looked so depressed whenever he talked about it. I wonder if he ever realized his new wife was the cause of all his suffering …”
… Why do I feel like this was an omen? This should just be a usual ‘beat the bad guy and bring happiness to everybody’ move just like in those movies and shows. Why am I feeling like something bad will happen?
“Also, please be careful when you arrest the people from the alchemist guild. The experiments that were done there also mentioned something about combining catalysts with monsters, but I couldn’t understand all the technical details and words.”
With his explanation done, the High Bishop bid me to the door. We were leaving.
“Lady Hestia … if you had the time … could you write down the notes for the song you sang? ‘My broken wings, set yourself free.’ I love this sentence.”
We weren’t friends. We were only acquaintances with an affinity for music. I would love a musically inclined friend to jam with, but I guess the current plan held precedent. I needed to fulfill my promise to Kiiro, after all. However, as fellow musicians, I accepted his request.
“Sure, I’ll have it ready for the next time we meet.”
With those last words, we left the mansion. Inside the carriage, the High Bishop looked through the document we got from Amadeus. Unlike the ones Saori found, which mostly showed how Lord Chezaic supported the Alchemy guild and where his bribe money went, the one we got today detailed his agreement to the fae hunts.
One was a contract that obligated Davison to supply Lord Chezaic with potions to help his son’s condition and also a final curative to fully heal Amadeus. In return, he would provide tools and money to Davison, including his influence as a noble, to help pave his way forward. There was also mention of Lady Chezaic, who invited Davison to Firwood in an attempt to help her take over House Chezaic and also build a platform for her family to receive ingredients from the Belzac forest for a reduced price.
It seemed Lady Chezaic wasn’t directly involved in the fae hunt like her husband, but it mentioned she knew about it. There was also the fact that a foreign noble was willing to bring down a house of the Greenveil Duchy to strengthen her own. It was not unusual for this to happen, but her intention to let Amadeus die with the last curative was a crime. The murder of other nobles was strictly forbidden if a proper cause wasn’t there.
“This is a casus belli …” Theodore murmured. “Casus belli” translated into “cause for war.”
He then continued, “It was unfortunate that we couldn’t heal Amadeus, but we received a lot in return. I will need to inform my brother and Lord Greenveil about this, so be prepared to act at any time, Lady Hestia … Lady Hestia?”
“Oh, I’m sorry … I’m just a bit overwhelmed. I never had this happen to me before. I had a feeling I couldn’t heal him but … it felt bad when the light in his eyes just vanished and he admitted to everything. Lord Theodore … was that … was that like the confession of a criminal? W-will he be—” I attempted to say but Theodore laid his hand on my shoulder to calm me down.
“Don’t think too much about it now, Lady Hestia. Think of what is the right thing to do. Everything has been set into motion, so you must steel yourself,” he said gently. “This was also a lesson for you, that any hopeful priestess must learn one day. Lady Aurena, the Origin Goddess of Light, has given us mortals her miraculous power, but we are mortals still. The domain of miracles belongs to the Goddess herself and her chosen Champions and Saints. We cannot heal everybody, and this is something we must accept. Most nobles join the church knowing this, but commoners are different. You are a noble, but your attitude reminds me of white-robed commoners—hopeful and naive. I wanted to make you aware of this.”
“… To drive me forward?”
He nodded, “I said I will teach you everything about the church, correct? To make you understand the Goddess and your role as her Champion better. One of these lessons is about who you can and cannot save, to steel your will for the future when death and conflict might become part of your daily life. However, never forget, the Goddess watches over you. You aren’t just a dragon princess, you are soul blessed with the good needed to act in your role. You cannot be too naive, but becoming a pessimist is equally problematic.”
“… Thank you.”
Was Aurena thinking the same thing? That praying to the gods every single time you had a problem wouldn’t solve your problems? If that was so, then didn’t it kinda validate the fact that I wasn’t interested in praying to gods until now? Regardless, whatever she was planning, it would be better for me to continue developing my own abilities and not focus on every bump on my road. If Aurena didn’t want to cuddle me, then she achieved it alright.
“It is a pleasure. I understand what it feels like to be forced to learn to adapt to your new situation. I cannot teach you everything in Firwood, but you mentioned you needed to go to the capital, correct? The cathedral in Griffonpeak will reveal more information about the Church of Aurena.”
That was a good suggestion. I still needed to know more about how the temple functioned, outside of it being a place for noble priests to make connections, for some reason.
“… Also, please do me a favor and keep the part about me asking for your blood to yourself. I read that the dragonewts of Loatryx consider using dragon blood for anything outside of proper rituals as sacrilegious and taboo. I would rather not have dragonkins suddenly appear before my door and pierce me with your spears.”
“… Got it.”
Scary dragonewts, huh?
After we talked a bit more, I managed to persuade Theodore to put the attack on hold until LightDay, which was in five days. This was to solve the second problem that Amadeus mentioned, the one with the monsters.
At first, Theodore said my plan was a waste of money, but eventually, he caved in as I could promise him that the town’s people could be kept safe. Commoners were commoners to the nobles, but without an able workforce, the town couldn’t keep flourishing. Somebody had to lure people away from the alchemy guild.
And for that reason, I was here.
My second concert. This LightDay would become a festival for the people to celebrate.
Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor the Idol was ready to perform.
AbyssRaven
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