“Ahh, Ellaine, my lovely daughter. I hope you have been well, dear, and haven’t been too lonely.” Just having arrived this morning on her gargoyle, Ellaine’s mother, Marianne, greeted her daughter and gave her a big hug. “I’ve heard from Manuela that you finally joined a tea party. Fabulous! I am so glad you have begun to open up again, dear.”
“Mother, the tea party was hosted by the Chezaic twins. It was business. If it weren’t for Lady Hestia, I wouldn’t have joined it at all,” Ellaine eked out a reply, releasing herself from the hug. Her expression seemed more than a bit tense.
“Don’t belittle your actions, dear. Nobles join balls and tea parties for business and social reasons all the time. I was afraid you would have to make your coming-of-age debut when you reached 16, so I am glad that you managed to join a social event without me urging you.” Marianne’s words were strict, but they seemed like they were influenced by her familial love. The proud smile she was showing Ellaine made the latter blush a bit.
“Sister, it’s good to see you in good health after so long.” Aside from the knights who accompanied them, Ellaine’s brother Jonathan also arrived with his mother. Unlike Countess Marianne who wore a fancy rider’s outfit, Jonathan had something called a gambeson on with metal gauntlets and leg armor.
Saori had previously mentioned that gambesons were more common to see as an armor type than chainmail or the metal armor you see on knights, since it was far lighter and more flexible. It was supposedly padded and good against cuts, but I couldn’t see how. It looked just like fancy leather or wool armor to me. I guess combining them with chainmail and other kinds of metal armor would increase your defensive stat by a ton, though.
It does look quite comfy and warm, hmm.
“Oh, Jonathan! Good to see you in good health, too. I see you’ve been working out while you were at the capital,” Ellaine noted from her brother’s appearance, something I couldn’t personally tell since I hardly knew him.
“You noticed? Yes, knights from the Lionheart and White Talon orders were there, so I couldn’t help but ask for some sparring matches. Haha, it was impossible for any of us to even land a clean hit, despite ganging up eight to one,” Jonathan replied along with an energetic laugh. “The level difference is really apparent.”
Ellaine’s eyes widened in wonderment, before she continued speaking highly of her brother, “Your last year in the academy will be something to be applauded, then. I will make sure to cheer you on at the tournament.”
“And I will make sure to make you, father, and mother proud when I’m there.” Jonathan’s mouth opened up to show a massive grin as a flush appeared on his face, caused by his little sister’s words. Ellaine had mentioned that they had a good relationship, but I thought it would be a bit more strained from the inferiority complex she developed ‘cause of him. I guess I was wrong.
After they were done greeting Ellaine, they turned to me and were about to bow before I stopped them. “Hold on! Hold on! Please, don’t make this awkward for me. I’m fine with a casual greeting. Nothing dramatic.”
Ellaine had warned me that her family might treat me more like a princess than just, well, me, similar to Lord Sirius, so I already anticipated this would happen. I curtsied normally, showing that I wanted them to relax a bit.
The Countess and her son voiced it would be inappropriate, but I quickly dissuaded them. The whole House Helvas family knew about my party’s profiles, so they knew I was from another world. However, since I was born as a princess of Kargryx in Peolynca, they wanted to treat me as one. It didn’t matter if I was a nobody on Earth.
Some would like it. Me? I would rather you treat me as Hestia and ignore that princess stuff, since even my “home country” didn’t even know if I was alive.
After we were done with the greetings, Marianne led us to the garden for talks. She wanted to know more about what happened during her absence, since the information she received from Ellaine’s and Manuela’s letters wasn’t sufficient for her. She especially wanted to hear how Tasianna was doing.
“Hmm, I see,” she sighed deeply, looking mortified at what Tasianna recalled from the basement. “I must apologize profusely for what happened, Madam Tasianna. I can assure you that Artorias as a whole is planning to right the wrong our ancestors have done. Something as abhorrent as this incident should have never happened under our watch—something we from the Morgiana Duchy can never excuse nor forgive ourselves for.”
Just like Manuela, another noble from the Morgiana duchy bordering the Elven Kingdom Saelariel, Marianne’s parents originated from there before she married into House Helvas. Born into an arcanuess house, she was fervent about rekindling the broken bonds between Artorias and Saelariel, which meant she was apologetic towards Tasianna for everything that happened in the past. She didn’t genuflect like Manuela, but she was bowing at a 90-degree angle when she apologized to Tasianna.
“Lady Marianne, it is fine. The incident has been taken care of and the perpetrators have been caught. Please, you do not need to apologize, only strive to prevent something like this from ever happening again.” Surprisingly, Tasianna’s response was pretty mature and calm. I had a feeling seeing the basement with captured fae and the death of Kiiro had affected her a lot, but maybe last night’s birthday party helped her find some peace? If it did, then working on all of the decorations was totally worth it.
“Yes, that we must. Thank you for your kind words, Madam Tasianna. Artorias must be more vigilant.”
The discussion then turned towards Ellaine’s training. Her mother was especially interested in my willingness to help her and began to describe everything Ellaine wrote in the letters she was sending to her parents. The middle aged woman was clapping her hands, while her daughter was blushing.
“Do not tell me that you have finally taken your studies more seriously? If so, that’s wonderful to hear.”
“W-well, I must admit I have been neglecting the homework the academy handed to me. I’ve been mostly concentrating on physical and live combat training, per Lady Hestia’s and Miss Saori’s advice. Oh, but I have been working on improving my artificer skills, mother!”
“First time I’ve heard of it,” Jonathan interjected himself, looking surprised with his widened eyes. “Aren’t you in the magician course, though? Wouldn’t it be better for you to increase your mana and level up your elemental spells? I understand mages need some stamina to properly move around, but it sounds like you’ve been doing practices common for people in the knight course.”
At this point, I couldn’t understand what they were exactly talking about. I mean, stuff like “knight’s course” and “magician’s course” gave me an idea of what they meant, but I needed more clarification. I felt left out and I wanted to participate in this discussion more.
“Oh, my apologies, Lady Hestia. That was very rude of me,” Jonathan answered for all of them. “When we mentioned studies and courses, we were talking about the schedule and training regimen the academy gives to us students to help the development of our stats and skills. They aren’t mandatory, but act as a suggestion whenever we are on leave. Vacation, noble dealings, such examples.”
Ellaine continued the explanation, “The academy is divided into knights and magicians; specifically, on what we wish to focus on—the development of our physical or mana-related abilities. My brother Jonathan joined the knight’s course as he plans to become a knight after he graduates this year, while I have chosen the path of a mage … Well, you should be able to guess my reasons, Lady Hestia.”
Since her father stopped helping her with her sword training. Yeah, I remember she mentioned that.
Realizing what was being discussed, I elaborated on why Ellaine’s training had become more physical, “Since she asked me specifically for some training tips, I had her go through what I did when I was still developing my abilities, albeit without risking her life against hungry monsters. This includes building up stamina, combat practice, and how to deal with melee combatant as a mage.”
I then signaled for Saori to come forward. She pulled out the schedule we developed for Ellaine. “Of course, since Ellaine is a mage, I didn’t neglect her magical training, as you can see where I still included them here. However, I personally believe the schedule the academy has been teaching her isn’t very useful for real-life applications, as you develop certain skills faster when you are being pressured. Casting spells under enemy fire, for example. Also, leveling. Ellaine just reached level 23 after our hunting trip. I know nobles don’t go out very often, but Ellaine didn’t even know how to dismantle a skorr before I taught her, even if her knights did.”
“Wha—?!” Jonathan flinched, almost dropping his tea cup. Noticing he spilled some tea onto the white table cloth, he placed it down before replying. “Lady Hestia, I know you are a very powerful magician, but isn’t that a bit too much? She hasn’t graduated yet, so aren’t prolonged hunting trips a bit too much, even for leveling? Also, while I know that sparring against others is good, Ellaine does not possess much fighting experince, so isn’t it too harsh? And, and, dismantling? She’s a magician, and a lady, that doesn’t seem very appropriate!”
Ahh, I see, so he’s the overprotective brother type, huh? I wonder if he’s also a siscon?
While I was amused at what he said, as I was the one training Ellaine, Marianne suddenly burst into laughter even as she attempted to hide it behind her fan. “Oh, dear, you too have much to learn. Hiehie, even noblewomen must learn how to dismantle a monster for their flesh when they become knights or adventurers. To think otherwise would be silly; otherwise, you would become dead weight.”
“Mother?! This is Ellaine we are talking about.”
“I know, Jonathan, but that is why I am so very proud. Ellaine, my treasure, you have finally grown out of your shell. I mean, I would have prefered it if you had concentrated on your magical studies alone and doubled your efforts, as I believe you would be able to surpass your brother in that field eventually. Your talents aren’t as inferior as you believe, my love,” Ellaine’s mother reassured her, looking radiant after she stopped laughing. “Now I understand. Barathan. Manuela. You two could have specified this more in the letter, no?”
All the prominent retainers and attendants were here.
“My apologies, my Lady. I shall do so next time,” Barathan replied with a smile.
“Lady Marianne, I believed that you would have been happier if you heard it yourself,” Manuela answered with a dutiful bow.
Although Ellaine’s letters did talk about our training, Marianne wanted me to give my perspective on it, including how I thought Ellaine fared. I began to describe what happened after they left for the capital. About my shaky start with Ellaine, about my concert, my time in Firwood, how Ellaine and I bonded through dragorade and jogging, about the whole onnikai and Davison affair, and then the annoying trial.
Ellaine was flustered throughout the whole discussion, even hiding her face when I mentioned that she took up the sword again. Her brother was quite surprised to hear that, even asking if Ellaine was planning to become a knight.
I couldn’t help but let out an elated sigh as this meeting was more pleasant than I initially thought. I still had our first meeting in my head and how Ellaine has described her family. She spoke highly of them, but, I mean, she was a noble. As if she would speak ill of them, even if we had become friends.
“I would like to thank you so very much for your support, Lady Hestia. As a mother, not as a noble. After she gave up her succession rights when she was twelve, I was devastated to witness the prime of her life cut short from the social stigma. She continued falling into a hole I couldn’t help her climb out of, and I thought it was over when my husband told me Ellaine would miss her debut to become your lady-in-waiting.” If it wasn’t for the tone of her quivering voice, I wouldn’t have noticed that she was stopping herself from crying. “Ahh, I wish my adventurer days had granted me more wisdom. Maybe then I wouldn’t have to rely this much on you. Thank you, once again.”
“Mother … I must apologize. I wouldn’t have troubled you and father this much if I had just put more effort into my training. Realizing what I had to do after Lady Hestia’s concert wasn’t ideal at all,” Ellaine admitted to her mother, looking disappointed in herself.
“No, no, as the eldest, I should have noticed this sooner,” even Jonathan was apologizing. “Instead of treating my younger sister as somebody I must protect, I should have done more to help her, instead of focusing on my own abilities.”
Holy cow, this is soooo wholesome. I feel so fluffy!
Marianne chuckled once more, before snapping her fingers. That was when one of her knights came over and handed her some folded parchment, followed by Marianne casting an [Air Shield] around us to block any sound from going out. “Please, consider this House Helvas’s token of appreciation. As requested, we have done some investigation on those ‘Goddess’s Chosen.’”
Finally, after so much waiting, an answer came. Saori did tell me that Gael gave her a lot of information yesterday on the subject, even confirming that those heroes were very likely to be Saori’s students. Even now, I could see Saori’s shaking hands as she eyed the parchment Marianne had, gulping when she received it.
Reading through it with Saori and Tasianna, they noted how they knew most of the information already through Gael and that pantherean mercenary, Kaian, they fought during the Davison raid. That the otherworldlers were summoned to this world and then tasked to hunt down some bandits—which was the group Macklemor belonged to—before they made it to the Griffonpeak to announce the existence of “Aurena’s Chosen.”
There was, thankfully, new information which Marianne explained came from the royal family. Aside from wanting to befriend me, as I was royalty, they also helped out due to my involvement in the Davison affair. Informing Ellaine and Theodore about it was the right move.
“I see,” Saori sighed. “These ten are part of a whole group which split apart, huh? That means that the possibility that all my students had come to this world is very real. Lady Countess Marianne, was there any information on this statement? Did the church reveal how many heroes were summoned?”
Marianne shook her head. “I apologize, but, no. The church was quite secretive according to His Royal Majesty, despite wanting to use those heroes as propaganda to raise their influence in our kingdom. After all, aside from you and Lady Hestia, this is the first appearance of otherworldly visitors to Peolynca since the Revolution Queen. As you might expect from my husband’s greed for the yeast recipe, His Royal Majesty was very much interested in the knowledge of those heroes.”
“And I guess this means it would be the same for the other kingdoms and countries, correct?” I stated, prompting Marianne to nod.
“Similar to your role as a Champion of the Goddess, being summoned here to Peolynca by the Goddess makes them quite influential not only from their ‘affiliation’ but also their knowledge from another world. Artorias follows the teachings of the Goddess, but aside from the Olivus duchy, the remaining six duchies keep the church of Aurena at an arm’s length when it comes to politics. The church and the pope wish to change this.”
Should I tell her that Aurena admitted that they weren’t summoned by her? No, that would be stupid. I’m here to help Saori, not make it harder on her students.
“My students … used as religious pawns? I guess I should have assumed this,” Saori commented with a frown, looking conflicted at the matter.
“No, that isn’t the only reason. As you might know, Madam Saori, the human race has a terrible relationship with the demonkins because of the legacy of their progenitors, the demons. The church of Aurena isn’t a religion restricted to Artorias, after all; it also affects the Folschreck Empire—to whom we are vassals—and they are currently in a war with the demonkin. The church wishes to direct the Goddess’s Chosen against the ruler of the demonkin in order to end the conflict and bring peace. As I can see that you know them, then allow me to the blunt—unless they become strong enough, this is suicide. This war has gone on for nearly 700 years now.”
Nearly 700 years! I jerked as I heard this number, however, Saori just bit her lips in frustration.
“… Don’t tell me, there were actually longer wars back on Earth?” I quickly deduced from the way Saori acted.
Saori massaged her temples. “The Spanish ‘Reconquista’ was nearly 800 years long. Even the crusades took 604 years to end. Long wars aren’t unnatural as it takes a long time to have an army travel from one point to the other, and there are even gaps of ‘peace’ for winter or other reasons, but due to hostility and a lack of diplomacy, they just aren’t officially over. Considering this is a race war between two large factions, I would presume multiple breaks were made within this time, correct?”
Marianne nodded, leaving me speechless at how these long wars were even possible. It sounded like a callous use of lives, throwing them into the meat grinder to prove some point. These “break” only sound like time to train up the next generation of soldiers to then throw them into the graveyard once again. Ridiculous.
Saori closed her eyes, breathing in and out through her nose. Once she opened them again, she asked Marianne a question, “May I ask, do you know where they currently are?”
“Unfortunately, they were last sighted in the Lecartiglio duchy, but we’ve lost contact with them from there. I personally assume they are going around finding Quests, dungeons, and other activities to train themselves up, which means their location is harder to pinpoint. We are, however, sure they did not leave the kingdom just yet as our borders guards would have mentioned something.”
“I see,” my wolf friend nodded, resolutely, before turning to Tasianna and me. “Lady Hestia. Tasianna. I would like our next destination to still be Griffonpeak. Without any information, it would be best if we personally asked the cathedral for more information. Maybe your influence can sway them to divulge more information, Lady Hestia.”
“Good idea. I have to visit them anyway, so this would coincide with our goals.” I gave her a thumbs up to show my approval.
“If this could bring you some solace, the heroes are being escorted by two paladins of the Church’s paladin order. One was quite young but seemed promising enough in order to be assigned to your students, while the other was one of their strongest knights. The ‘White Winged Dragoon’ is her epitaph, one of the Knights of Aurena’s Knight-Captains, with the abilities of a rank A. Her family is from Artorias, so we can vouch that she can and will protect your acquaintances from any common threat.”
… Dragoon? I remembered Farron calling himself a dragoon, so maybe he would know this ‘White Winged Dragoon.’
Saori let out a sigh of relief and thanked Marianne for the information. Saori also asked if her students had shown their abilities to anybody when they were in the capital; however, it seemed like the church didn’t want anybody to witness their combat prowess. They only had a social debut.
Was it just me, or was the church very uncooperative? I wonder, was this what Aurena mentioned when her church was being corroded? No, I shouldn’t make this assumption before actually meeting them. I had to maintain a more unbiased standpoint.
“Lady Hestia, might I presume you will be leaving Firwood soon?” Ellaine asked, to which I confirmed her assumption. “Then I guess we will meet in Griffonpeak. Brother, we must leave soon for the academy, yes?”
“Today is the 28th, correct? WinterMoon is tomorrow, so we must prepare for our departure soon. Ready our attendants, register at the academy, and make sure our equipment and tools are ready,” Jonathan answered after some thinking.
“Lady Hestia, the academy begins on the first day of SpringBloom; however, we must prepare to depart for Griffonpeak soon. Unfortunately, that does mean that I will miss your birthday …” Ellaine voiced her regrets. I guess she was right that next month was my birthday… Verdammt, I’ve been in this world for nearly a year now.
“… Which means I should finally make up my mind.” As I was contemplating my existence in this world and how wild it was that I would become a year old soon, Ellaine stood up. She breathed in deeply before looking at her brother with eyes of conviction. “Brother. Jonathan, I would like to ask you for a spar. Will you accept?”
… Hmm?
Ellaine’s request came out of nowhere. The fact her personal attendant, Josine, looked at her mistress as if she had gone insane confirmed she hadn’t told this to anybody. Similar to her mother, Saori, Tasianna and I were left speechless, staring at the blue-haired noblewoman with slight bafflement.
Jonathan stuttered to find a reply, “S-Sister, what is the meaning of this? Are you requesting a duel to succeed our House!?”
“Pardon? No, what are you thinking, brother! I already gave it up, so why would I want it? I asked you for a spar, a FRIENDLY spar. I wish to test my training against you.” The misunderstanding caused Ellaine to turn red as she had to explain her intentions to her brother.
After everybody calmed down, Jonathan still seemed hesitant to fight his younger sister, especially considering she was far more of a defeatist two months ago. He was apprehensive for a good reason. He only accepted once Marianne spoke up, saying that it would be best if siblings fought against each other once in a while to know each other’s strength, since they would be working together in the future.
From how Marianne said it, I could guess that she must have fought with her siblings quite a lot. Ellaine did say that her mother had quite a few siblings and that she was the youngest. As a single child, I had no idea about sibling rivalry. Did siblings actually fight each other that often, or was that just a TV troupe?
Now dressed in a gambeson and more appropriate training wear, Ellaine and Jonathan met up at the training field of the Helvas mansion, where the guards and knights sparred. Marianne came forward and gave them each a bracelet to wear. It wasn’t a party bracelet, that was for sure.
“Lady Hestia, this is a manatech we use for official duels and sparring matches during festivals or tournaments. Of course, we nobles have multiples of these in the case that our children wish to spar against each other or their tutors. It is for safety reasons, so we can monitor their health and call off the spar if necessary,” Marianne explained after I asked her.
It was like a MMO’s dueling system, designed to prevent death for games that included death penalties like EXP loss. Since it would undoubtedly cause friction between noble houses if someone were to die accidentally, regardless if it was an honorable duel or not, having such an item seemed pretty convenient. Smart.
“I have set the losing condition to 60% of your current health or if either of you are unable to continue the fight. A healing and mana wall enchantment will activate upon the conclusion of this spar. Ellaine. Jonathan. Will both of you accept these conditions?
Enchantment? Ooooh, interesting!
“Yes, mother.” Ellaine and Jonathan both assumed their stances.
Ellaine had been learning from her knights how to hold a sword, but compared to Jonathan, who received personal training from their father, Ellaine’s could only be described as lacking. I wasn’t an expert on weapon fighting just yet, but, I have been able to experience fighting against a veteran fighter thanks to Guild Master Farron.
In my opinion, Jonathan’s stance was firm, showing his body was fully used to moving in such a pose, but it didn’t give me the same indomitable warrior feeling Farron’s had. That said, Ellaine’s unsteady balance and anxiousness made it seem like Jonathan would win without question. A mere two months couldn’t catch up to years upon years of training.
Ellaine … What are you thinking? No! This isn’t the time to think like this. I shook my head, throwing away those thoughts before raising my arms up, pumping my fists into the air.
“You can do it, Ellaine!” I cheered for her against the odds. These were the moments where Ellaine needed her friends to support her without any doubt!
Ellaine looked over, showing slightly shock at my unlady-like actions, before smiling. Her eyes sharpened and the trepidation in her limbs died down. She took in another breath before tightening her grip around her sword. She was in the zone.
The siblings’ swords glimmered under the sun. Neither spoke, preferring to stare at the other for their first moves.
“… Begin!”
And they clashed.
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“Ahh, Ellaine, my lovely daughter. I hope you have been well, dear, and haven’t been too lonely.” Just having arrived this morning on her gargoyle, Ellaine’s mother, Marianne, greeted her daughter and gave her a big hug. “I’ve heard from Manuela that you finally joined a tea party. Fabulous! I am so glad you have begun to open up again, dear.”
“Mother, the tea party was hosted by the Chezaic twins. It was business. If it weren’t for Lady Hestia, I wouldn’t have joined it at all,” Ellaine eked out a reply, releasing herself from the hug. Her expression seemed more than a bit tense.
“Don’t belittle your actions, dear. Nobles join balls and tea parties for business and social reasons all the time. I was afraid you would have to make your coming-of-age debut when you reached 16, so I am glad that you managed to join a social event without me urging you.” Marianne’s words were strict, but they seemed like they were influenced by her familial love. The proud smile she was showing Ellaine made the latter blush a bit.
“Sister, it’s good to see you in good health after so long.” Aside from the knights who accompanied them, Ellaine’s brother Jonathan also arrived with his mother. Unlike Countess Marianne who wore a fancy rider’s outfit, Jonathan had something called a gambeson on with metal gauntlets and leg armor.
Saori had previously mentioned that gambesons were more common to see as an armor type than chainmail or the metal armor you see on knights, since it was far lighter and more flexible. It was supposedly padded and good against cuts, but I couldn’t see how. It looked just like fancy leather or wool armor to me. I guess combining them with chainmail and other kinds of metal armor would increase your defensive stat by a ton, though.
It does look quite comfy and warm, hmm.
“Oh, Jonathan! Good to see you in good health, too. I see you’ve been working out while you were at the capital,” Ellaine noted from her brother’s appearance, something I couldn’t personally tell since I hardly knew him.
“You noticed? Yes, knights from the Lionheart and White Talon orders were there, so I couldn’t help but ask for some sparring matches. Haha, it was impossible for any of us to even land a clean hit, despite ganging up eight to one,” Jonathan replied along with an energetic laugh. “The level difference is really apparent.”
Ellaine’s eyes widened in wonderment, before she continued speaking highly of her brother, “Your last year in the academy will be something to be applauded, then. I will make sure to cheer you on at the tournament.”
“And I will make sure to make you, father, and mother proud when I’m there.” Jonathan’s mouth opened up to show a massive grin as a flush appeared on his face, caused by his little sister’s words. Ellaine had mentioned that they had a good relationship, but I thought it would be a bit more strained from the inferiority complex she developed ‘cause of him. I guess I was wrong.
After they were done greeting Ellaine, they turned to me and were about to bow before I stopped them. “Hold on! Hold on! Please, don’t make this awkward for me. I’m fine with a casual greeting. Nothing dramatic.”
Ellaine had warned me that her family might treat me more like a princess than just, well, me, similar to Lord Sirius, so I already anticipated this would happen. I curtsied normally, showing that I wanted them to relax a bit.
The Countess and her son voiced it would be inappropriate, but I quickly dissuaded them. The whole House Helvas family knew about my party’s profiles, so they knew I was from another world. However, since I was born as a princess of Kargryx in Peolynca, they wanted to treat me as one. It didn’t matter if I was a nobody on Earth.
Some would like it. Me? I would rather you treat me as Hestia and ignore that princess stuff, since even my “home country” didn’t even know if I was alive.
After we were done with the greetings, Marianne led us to the garden for talks. She wanted to know more about what happened during her absence, since the information she received from Ellaine’s and Manuela’s letters wasn’t sufficient for her. She especially wanted to hear how Tasianna was doing.
“Hmm, I see,” she sighed deeply, looking mortified at what Tasianna recalled from the basement. “I must apologize profusely for what happened, Madam Tasianna. I can assure you that Artorias as a whole is planning to right the wrong our ancestors have done. Something as abhorrent as this incident should have never happened under our watch—something we from the Morgiana Duchy can never excuse nor forgive ourselves for.”
Just like Manuela, another noble from the Morgiana duchy bordering the Elven Kingdom Saelariel, Marianne’s parents originated from there before she married into House Helvas. Born into an arcanuess house, she was fervent about rekindling the broken bonds between Artorias and Saelariel, which meant she was apologetic towards Tasianna for everything that happened in the past. She didn’t genuflect like Manuela, but she was bowing at a 90-degree angle when she apologized to Tasianna.
“Lady Marianne, it is fine. The incident has been taken care of and the perpetrators have been caught. Please, you do not need to apologize, only strive to prevent something like this from ever happening again.” Surprisingly, Tasianna’s response was pretty mature and calm. I had a feeling seeing the basement with captured fae and the death of Kiiro had affected her a lot, but maybe last night’s birthday party helped her find some peace? If it did, then working on all of the decorations was totally worth it.
“Yes, that we must. Thank you for your kind words, Madam Tasianna. Artorias must be more vigilant.”
The discussion then turned towards Ellaine’s training. Her mother was especially interested in my willingness to help her and began to describe everything Ellaine wrote in the letters she was sending to her parents. The middle aged woman was clapping her hands, while her daughter was blushing.
“Do not tell me that you have finally taken your studies more seriously? If so, that’s wonderful to hear.”
“W-well, I must admit I have been neglecting the homework the academy handed to me. I’ve been mostly concentrating on physical and live combat training, per Lady Hestia’s and Miss Saori’s advice. Oh, but I have been working on improving my artificer skills, mother!”
“First time I’ve heard of it,” Jonathan interjected himself, looking surprised with his widened eyes. “Aren’t you in the magician course, though? Wouldn’t it be better for you to increase your mana and level up your elemental spells? I understand mages need some stamina to properly move around, but it sounds like you’ve been doing practices common for people in the knight course.”
At this point, I couldn’t understand what they were exactly talking about. I mean, stuff like “knight’s course” and “magician’s course” gave me an idea of what they meant, but I needed more clarification. I felt left out and I wanted to participate in this discussion more.
“Oh, my apologies, Lady Hestia. That was very rude of me,” Jonathan answered for all of them. “When we mentioned studies and courses, we were talking about the schedule and training regimen the academy gives to us students to help the development of our stats and skills. They aren’t mandatory, but act as a suggestion whenever we are on leave. Vacation, noble dealings, such examples.”
Ellaine continued the explanation, “The academy is divided into knights and magicians; specifically, on what we wish to focus on—the development of our physical or mana-related abilities. My brother Jonathan joined the knight’s course as he plans to become a knight after he graduates this year, while I have chosen the path of a mage … Well, you should be able to guess my reasons, Lady Hestia.”
Since her father stopped helping her with her sword training. Yeah, I remember she mentioned that.
Realizing what was being discussed, I elaborated on why Ellaine’s training had become more physical, “Since she asked me specifically for some training tips, I had her go through what I did when I was still developing my abilities, albeit without risking her life against hungry monsters. This includes building up stamina, combat practice, and how to deal with melee combatant as a mage.”
I then signaled for Saori to come forward. She pulled out the schedule we developed for Ellaine. “Of course, since Ellaine is a mage, I didn’t neglect her magical training, as you can see where I still included them here. However, I personally believe the schedule the academy has been teaching her isn’t very useful for real-life applications, as you develop certain skills faster when you are being pressured. Casting spells under enemy fire, for example. Also, leveling. Ellaine just reached level 23 after our hunting trip. I know nobles don’t go out very often, but Ellaine didn’t even know how to dismantle a skorr before I taught her, even if her knights did.”
“Wha—?!” Jonathan flinched, almost dropping his tea cup. Noticing he spilled some tea onto the white table cloth, he placed it down before replying. “Lady Hestia, I know you are a very powerful magician, but isn’t that a bit too much? She hasn’t graduated yet, so aren’t prolonged hunting trips a bit too much, even for leveling? Also, while I know that sparring against others is good, Ellaine does not possess much fighting experince, so isn’t it too harsh? And, and, dismantling? She’s a magician, and a lady, that doesn’t seem very appropriate!”
Ahh, I see, so he’s the overprotective brother type, huh? I wonder if he’s also a siscon?
While I was amused at what he said, as I was the one training Ellaine, Marianne suddenly burst into laughter even as she attempted to hide it behind her fan. “Oh, dear, you too have much to learn. Hiehie, even noblewomen must learn how to dismantle a monster for their flesh when they become knights or adventurers. To think otherwise would be silly; otherwise, you would become dead weight.”
“Mother?! This is Ellaine we are talking about.”
“I know, Jonathan, but that is why I am so very proud. Ellaine, my treasure, you have finally grown out of your shell. I mean, I would have prefered it if you had concentrated on your magical studies alone and doubled your efforts, as I believe you would be able to surpass your brother in that field eventually. Your talents aren’t as inferior as you believe, my love,” Ellaine’s mother reassured her, looking radiant after she stopped laughing. “Now I understand. Barathan. Manuela. You two could have specified this more in the letter, no?”
All the prominent retainers and attendants were here.
“My apologies, my Lady. I shall do so next time,” Barathan replied with a smile.
“Lady Marianne, I believed that you would have been happier if you heard it yourself,” Manuela answered with a dutiful bow.
Although Ellaine’s letters did talk about our training, Marianne wanted me to give my perspective on it, including how I thought Ellaine fared. I began to describe what happened after they left for the capital. About my shaky start with Ellaine, about my concert, my time in Firwood, how Ellaine and I bonded through dragorade and jogging, about the whole onnikai and Davison affair, and then the annoying trial.
Ellaine was flustered throughout the whole discussion, even hiding her face when I mentioned that she took up the sword again. Her brother was quite surprised to hear that, even asking if Ellaine was planning to become a knight.
I couldn’t help but let out an elated sigh as this meeting was more pleasant than I initially thought. I still had our first meeting in my head and how Ellaine has described her family. She spoke highly of them, but, I mean, she was a noble. As if she would speak ill of them, even if we had become friends.
“I would like to thank you so very much for your support, Lady Hestia. As a mother, not as a noble. After she gave up her succession rights when she was twelve, I was devastated to witness the prime of her life cut short from the social stigma. She continued falling into a hole I couldn’t help her climb out of, and I thought it was over when my husband told me Ellaine would miss her debut to become your lady-in-waiting.” If it wasn’t for the tone of her quivering voice, I wouldn’t have noticed that she was stopping herself from crying. “Ahh, I wish my adventurer days had granted me more wisdom. Maybe then I wouldn’t have to rely this much on you. Thank you, once again.”
“Mother … I must apologize. I wouldn’t have troubled you and father this much if I had just put more effort into my training. Realizing what I had to do after Lady Hestia’s concert wasn’t ideal at all,” Ellaine admitted to her mother, looking disappointed in herself.
“No, no, as the eldest, I should have noticed this sooner,” even Jonathan was apologizing. “Instead of treating my younger sister as somebody I must protect, I should have done more to help her, instead of focusing on my own abilities.”
Holy cow, this is soooo wholesome. I feel so fluffy!
Marianne chuckled once more, before snapping her fingers. That was when one of her knights came over and handed her some folded parchment, followed by Marianne casting an [Air Shield] around us to block any sound from going out. “Please, consider this House Helvas’s token of appreciation. As requested, we have done some investigation on those ‘Goddess’s Chosen.’”
Finally, after so much waiting, an answer came. Saori did tell me that Gael gave her a lot of information yesterday on the subject, even confirming that those heroes were very likely to be Saori’s students. Even now, I could see Saori’s shaking hands as she eyed the parchment Marianne had, gulping when she received it.
Reading through it with Saori and Tasianna, they noted how they knew most of the information already through Gael and that pantherean mercenary, Kaian, they fought during the Davison raid. That the otherworldlers were summoned to this world and then tasked to hunt down some bandits—which was the group Macklemor belonged to—before they made it to the Griffonpeak to announce the existence of “Aurena’s Chosen.”
There was, thankfully, new information which Marianne explained came from the royal family. Aside from wanting to befriend me, as I was royalty, they also helped out due to my involvement in the Davison affair. Informing Ellaine and Theodore about it was the right move.
“I see,” Saori sighed. “These ten are part of a whole group which split apart, huh? That means that the possibility that all my students had come to this world is very real. Lady Countess Marianne, was there any information on this statement? Did the church reveal how many heroes were summoned?”
Marianne shook her head. “I apologize, but, no. The church was quite secretive according to His Royal Majesty, despite wanting to use those heroes as propaganda to raise their influence in our kingdom. After all, aside from you and Lady Hestia, this is the first appearance of otherworldly visitors to Peolynca since the Revolution Queen. As you might expect from my husband’s greed for the yeast recipe, His Royal Majesty was very much interested in the knowledge of those heroes.”
“And I guess this means it would be the same for the other kingdoms and countries, correct?” I stated, prompting Marianne to nod.
“Similar to your role as a Champion of the Goddess, being summoned here to Peolynca by the Goddess makes them quite influential not only from their ‘affiliation’ but also their knowledge from another world. Artorias follows the teachings of the Goddess, but aside from the Olivus duchy, the remaining six duchies keep the church of Aurena at an arm’s length when it comes to politics. The church and the pope wish to change this.”
Should I tell her that Aurena admitted that they weren’t summoned by her? No, that would be stupid. I’m here to help Saori, not make it harder on her students.
“My students … used as religious pawns? I guess I should have assumed this,” Saori commented with a frown, looking conflicted at the matter.
“No, that isn’t the only reason. As you might know, Madam Saori, the human race has a terrible relationship with the demonkins because of the legacy of their progenitors, the demons. The church of Aurena isn’t a religion restricted to Artorias, after all; it also affects the Folschreck Empire—to whom we are vassals—and they are currently in a war with the demonkin. The church wishes to direct the Goddess’s Chosen against the ruler of the demonkin in order to end the conflict and bring peace. As I can see that you know them, then allow me to the blunt—unless they become strong enough, this is suicide. This war has gone on for nearly 700 years now.”
Nearly 700 years! I jerked as I heard this number, however, Saori just bit her lips in frustration.
“… Don’t tell me, there were actually longer wars back on Earth?” I quickly deduced from the way Saori acted.
Saori massaged her temples. “The Spanish ‘Reconquista’ was nearly 800 years long. Even the crusades took 604 years to end. Long wars aren’t unnatural as it takes a long time to have an army travel from one point to the other, and there are even gaps of ‘peace’ for winter or other reasons, but due to hostility and a lack of diplomacy, they just aren’t officially over. Considering this is a race war between two large factions, I would presume multiple breaks were made within this time, correct?”
Marianne nodded, leaving me speechless at how these long wars were even possible. It sounded like a callous use of lives, throwing them into the meat grinder to prove some point. These “break” only sound like time to train up the next generation of soldiers to then throw them into the graveyard once again. Ridiculous.
Saori closed her eyes, breathing in and out through her nose. Once she opened them again, she asked Marianne a question, “May I ask, do you know where they currently are?”
“Unfortunately, they were last sighted in the Lecartiglio duchy, but we’ve lost contact with them from there. I personally assume they are going around finding Quests, dungeons, and other activities to train themselves up, which means their location is harder to pinpoint. We are, however, sure they did not leave the kingdom just yet as our borders guards would have mentioned something.”
“I see,” my wolf friend nodded, resolutely, before turning to Tasianna and me. “Lady Hestia. Tasianna. I would like our next destination to still be Griffonpeak. Without any information, it would be best if we personally asked the cathedral for more information. Maybe your influence can sway them to divulge more information, Lady Hestia.”
“Good idea. I have to visit them anyway, so this would coincide with our goals.” I gave her a thumbs up to show my approval.
“If this could bring you some solace, the heroes are being escorted by two paladins of the Church’s paladin order. One was quite young but seemed promising enough in order to be assigned to your students, while the other was one of their strongest knights. The ‘White Winged Dragoon’ is her epitaph, one of the Knights of Aurena’s Knight-Captains, with the abilities of a rank A. Her family is from Artorias, so we can vouch that she can and will protect your acquaintances from any common threat.”
… Dragoon? I remembered Farron calling himself a dragoon, so maybe he would know this ‘White Winged Dragoon.’
Saori let out a sigh of relief and thanked Marianne for the information. Saori also asked if her students had shown their abilities to anybody when they were in the capital; however, it seemed like the church didn’t want anybody to witness their combat prowess. They only had a social debut.
Was it just me, or was the church very uncooperative? I wonder, was this what Aurena mentioned when her church was being corroded? No, I shouldn’t make this assumption before actually meeting them. I had to maintain a more unbiased standpoint.
“Lady Hestia, might I presume you will be leaving Firwood soon?” Ellaine asked, to which I confirmed her assumption. “Then I guess we will meet in Griffonpeak. Brother, we must leave soon for the academy, yes?”
“Today is the 28th, correct? WinterMoon is tomorrow, so we must prepare for our departure soon. Ready our attendants, register at the academy, and make sure our equipment and tools are ready,” Jonathan answered after some thinking.
“Lady Hestia, the academy begins on the first day of SpringBloom; however, we must prepare to depart for Griffonpeak soon. Unfortunately, that does mean that I will miss your birthday …” Ellaine voiced her regrets. I guess she was right that next month was my birthday… Verdammt, I’ve been in this world for nearly a year now.
“… Which means I should finally make up my mind.” As I was contemplating my existence in this world and how wild it was that I would become a year old soon, Ellaine stood up. She breathed in deeply before looking at her brother with eyes of conviction. “Brother. Jonathan, I would like to ask you for a spar. Will you accept?”
… Hmm?
Ellaine’s request came out of nowhere. The fact her personal attendant, Josine, looked at her mistress as if she had gone insane confirmed she hadn’t told this to anybody. Similar to her mother, Saori, Tasianna and I were left speechless, staring at the blue-haired noblewoman with slight bafflement.
Jonathan stuttered to find a reply, “S-Sister, what is the meaning of this? Are you requesting a duel to succeed our House!?”
“Pardon? No, what are you thinking, brother! I already gave it up, so why would I want it? I asked you for a spar, a FRIENDLY spar. I wish to test my training against you.” The misunderstanding caused Ellaine to turn red as she had to explain her intentions to her brother.
After everybody calmed down, Jonathan still seemed hesitant to fight his younger sister, especially considering she was far more of a defeatist two months ago. He was apprehensive for a good reason. He only accepted once Marianne spoke up, saying that it would be best if siblings fought against each other once in a while to know each other’s strength, since they would be working together in the future.
From how Marianne said it, I could guess that she must have fought with her siblings quite a lot. Ellaine did say that her mother had quite a few siblings and that she was the youngest. As a single child, I had no idea about sibling rivalry. Did siblings actually fight each other that often, or was that just a TV troupe?
Now dressed in a gambeson and more appropriate training wear, Ellaine and Jonathan met up at the training field of the Helvas mansion, where the guards and knights sparred. Marianne came forward and gave them each a bracelet to wear. It wasn’t a party bracelet, that was for sure.
“Lady Hestia, this is a manatech we use for official duels and sparring matches during festivals or tournaments. Of course, we nobles have multiples of these in the case that our children wish to spar against each other or their tutors. It is for safety reasons, so we can monitor their health and call off the spar if necessary,” Marianne explained after I asked her.
It was like a MMO’s dueling system, designed to prevent death for games that included death penalties like EXP loss. Since it would undoubtedly cause friction between noble houses if someone were to die accidentally, regardless if it was an honorable duel or not, having such an item seemed pretty convenient. Smart.
“I have set the losing condition to 60% of your current health or if either of you are unable to continue the fight. A healing and mana wall enchantment will activate upon the conclusion of this spar. Ellaine. Jonathan. Will both of you accept these conditions?
Enchantment? Ooooh, interesting!
“Yes, mother.” Ellaine and Jonathan both assumed their stances.
Ellaine had been learning from her knights how to hold a sword, but compared to Jonathan, who received personal training from their father, Ellaine’s could only be described as lacking. I wasn’t an expert on weapon fighting just yet, but, I have been able to experience fighting against a veteran fighter thanks to Guild Master Farron.
In my opinion, Jonathan’s stance was firm, showing his body was fully used to moving in such a pose, but it didn’t give me the same indomitable warrior feeling Farron’s had. That said, Ellaine’s unsteady balance and anxiousness made it seem like Jonathan would win without question. A mere two months couldn’t catch up to years upon years of training.
Ellaine … What are you thinking? No! This isn’t the time to think like this. I shook my head, throwing away those thoughts before raising my arms up, pumping my fists into the air.
“You can do it, Ellaine!” I cheered for her against the odds. These were the moments where Ellaine needed her friends to support her without any doubt!
Ellaine looked over, showing slightly shock at my unlady-like actions, before smiling. Her eyes sharpened and the trepidation in her limbs died down. She took in another breath before tightening her grip around her sword. She was in the zone.
The siblings’ swords glimmered under the sun. Neither spoke, preferring to stare at the other for their first moves.
“… Begin!”
And they clashed.
AbyssRaven The Helvas thunderdome!
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