“You want us to do what now, little lady?!”
[“I want you three to become my followers,”] I answered Caszcur’s question.
“Followers…?” Apsala stopped for a moment, thinking about my request. “Little one… you told me that you weren’t a priestess of Aurena, right? And you also know that I’m a Kargryxmor follower so isn’t asking this a bit redundant?”
It seemed there was a misunderstanding when I told them to become my “followers”… Actually, maybe there wasn’t one? I mean, technically, I was asking them to become affiliated with Aurena due to the origin of [Fan Overview] and [The Light].
[“No, that’s not what I meant. I mean that you become my followers, not Aurena’s or Kargryxmor’s or any other god’s,”] I responded, making the lizardmen even more confused. [“Ok, truth be told, I have an ability that grows stronger and stronger, the more ‘followers’ I have. You don’t actually have to do anything besides… Well, I also am not really sure what you’re supposed to say. The skill is still quite mysterious to me.”]
Both Saori and Tasianna became my followers when they got [Hestia’s Retainer], while I was not sure how Rajah and his family did it. Was there some sorta ritual or a specific phrase they had to say?
“… Little one, although I’m not quite sure what you’re even talking about, you should know that we lizardfolk take our religion seriously. The tribes that we three came from have a history of being Marsven worshippers.” Apsala looked troubled. “Yes, some of us worship Kargryxmor but that is because of our culture. The once renowned dragon that was known throughout the world ascended to godhood through his strength alone. This ideal helped us stay strong through our harshest time. That perseverance and courage would bring us fortune… and it has, in you, Hestia.”
Apsala cast her head down, crestfallen as she continued speaking while tucking her tail between her legs, "You want us to become your 'followers' so it may make you stronger, and nothing would make me happier than to be able to help you but… I-I can't do that. It feels like I would abandon my faith if I did. My faith has brought me both happiness and sadness but without it, I wouldn't have been able to keep my sanity through these trials and tribulation."
…I honestly didn’t think about that. I knew that these lizardmen were religious, but I never had the feeling they were that faithful about it. I wasn’t trying to make them convert or anything, but I underestimated the meaning of a “follower” for Peolyncian.
I was not religious myself, neither in this life nor in my past. Despite knowing gods actually existed in this world, I never wanted to worship them or anything, merely thinking of Kargryxmor as my super old grandfather and Aurena as a benefactor.
[“Lady Hestia, you could reveal your royal status. Just tell them your full name and I am sure Apsala at least would be convinced,”] Tasianna suggested in a private telepathic link.
[“Wait, no way that would be so easy. Also, what would ‘Hestia Atsuko’ even do?”]
Tasianna shook her head. [“No, you misunderstand, Lady Hestia. I meant, your surname. Your clan name. Anybody with rudimentary knowledge of dragonkins would know how dragons revere their ancestors, and once you reveal that you are a princess, they would know you are a descendant of Kargryxmor. After all, it is obvious.”]
[“… Please, don’t.”] My voice cracked a bit, rejecting what I was assuming Tasianna was intending to tell me.
[“Mhmm… I disapprove, Lady Hestia. You should know about them. The moment we reach Saelariel, the Elven King will probably suspect who you are. You cannot hide from it then.”] Tasianna looked at me with worry, making my chest feel tighter. I understood she was speaking the truth, but I still felt apprehensive.
“Young scale?”
The lizardmen and Saori were looking at us, confused as to why we were grimacing. Naturally, as we were speaking to ourselves.
[“… I would dislike to use my status as a crutch. Besides, my parents abandoned me in this forest. How could I call myself a part of that family, if I was left to die? I only have one pair of parents, so please leave it at that until we reach Saelariel…”] I let out a deep sigh while Tasianna simply nodded, worried about my reluctances.
On the other hand, Saori raised an eyebrow, curious what was happening with the both of us. She didn’t ask us what happened, but from how she darted her head around, she probably understood the general mood.
Am I being unreasonable here? Feels like I’m making a huge fuss over nothing. Tasianna did say Kargryxmor was my grandfather… so my dragon father and mother would be my family, right? … Right?
[“Enough, forget about what we just said. Let’s just go, we’re holding everybody up.”] Seeing how I wasn’t speaking up, Saori took over and ended the discussion. All the lizardmen agreed, so we all moved.
With that, our journey began. I had already noticed it during the rescue mission but the lizardmen really were adept with moving through a swamp, barely being affected by the water that went up to their knees.
To not be slowed down, Saori and I had to be creative about it and move along the trees if the water was too deep. The lizardmen were taller than us so if the water went up to their knees, then it would go up to Saori’s hips. I was even shorter than her, to the point the deeper areas went up to my diaphragm
As we wandered at a relatively good pace, Saori and I talked with Tasianna about what just happened this morning, wanting to understand a Peolyncian’s common sense. We had our theology lessons, but how faithful were Peolyncians, really?
She re-explained the gods gained their power through religious fervor, spell casting, or anything concerning their domains. For example, Tasianna’s main goddess was Plesia, Origin Goddess of Water and the chief goddess of the world, while also governing over the domains of order, honor, and tradition.
Although quite generous and caring to her followers, she was strict and expected her believers to abide by her church’s tenets and also any land’s laws. She could be lenient, but she abhorred criminals and anarchy to the point she would personally cause catastrophic events just to warn heavy offenders.
Kargryxmor was not only the god of dragonkins — mostly dragons, drakes, and wyverns — but also the god of oaths. Promises, in essence. Apsala probably thought becoming my follower was like absconding her faith and dedicating it to mine. Naturally, if she thought of it as that, her reaction made perfect sense.
It was even worse, though, since I was a dragon. She didn’t know I was the god’s descendant, so she probably thought I was trying to usurp or overthrow Kargryxmor by becoming a goddess, or something. Absurd, but that would be how Tasianna would interpret it if she was in her shoes.
[“I already cleared it up for you, Lady Hestia. So, there is nothing to worry about.”] I had to thank Tasianna for thinking ahead for us. Best maid ever.
In this world, since there were so many gods, each person could choose who they wished to worship. Races who had a patron god usually worshiped theirs regardless of their disposition, however, whoever they chose to worship next would usually be considered their primary god.
Tasianna was a fairy so growing up as a Zephira believer was normal. However, she considered Plesia her main goddess due to her waning faith in Zephira after what happened to Princess Schuri. She personally believed Plesia’s tenets were important for the world’s peace.
[“I equally pray to Zephira and Plesia every night, but I guess I was more an ice or water mage, than a wind one,”] Tasianna admitted, telling us that she felt more at peace with Plesia. [“Rules are needed to prevent tragedies like Princess Schuri’s death. It feels weird to say it, as I was taught to be free like the wind in my village.”]
In a way, this explained why she was so distraught about not being punished for her “mistake,” blaming herself for being the real reason why her previous mistress died. Not only was it her honor and pride as a maid, but also her religious belief that made it hard for her to understand why nobody was willing to condemn her for her mistake.
Having that explained to me helped me understand the situation a bit better. I understood now why I felt a bit disconnected by Apsala’s answer. It was normal for people to worship a god in this world, as they oversaw us from the heavens. You couldn’t deny their existence when the Divine System was in play.
Now it also made sense why Tasianna’s suggested to me to tell her the truth about myself. Still, I didn’t feel comfortable revealing that. It felt undeserved, honestly. Using my family’s status to bring out success felt bad. I never did it back on Earth, and I didn’t want to do it here… then again, I never succeeded in anything in my past life, so, really, meh.
In any case, Tasianna’s lecture made it easier for me to sympathize with Apsala. At the same time, it made Saori and I worry about religious zealousness. Zealots could be scary, as Earth’s history had shown quite a lot through stuff like the crusades or even genocide.
Haa, guess this whole “follower” stuff is harder to do than I thought. I should rethink all of this before attempting it again…
Eventually, the sun went down, and it was nighttime. Even in our rush, it wasn't a smart choice to travel while it was dark. Everybody needed sleep and it was better to rest now, so we could continue moving without any problems tomorrow.
After unpacking everything, the lizardmen immediately went into work mode, showing a surprising amount of energy despite having to walk for the whole day with only a few breaks. I also thought 'cause lizardmen were cold-blooded, like normal reptiles, they would feel less energetic when winter was right over the corner, but it seemed I wasn’t completely correct.
“No idea what you mean with ‘cold-blooded’ and ‘warm-blooded’ but if you want to know why, then I guess our bodies got used to it?” Caszcur answered, who was teaching me about proper woodworking. “Sure, it is cold with these rags but we gotta live with it. It doesn’t get as cold where we come from, but cold winter visit us every year like most other places. Shouldn’t you be more worried? You’re shivering in that simple dress.”
Activating [Body Temperature Control] I regulated my body heat back to normal to avoid shivering, making a “seeee?” face, afterward. While it might be effective, this was still only a temporary solution to my freezing problem.
The temperature was sinking and so was my body’s. It might not be a lot, but I was feeling chilly nonetheless and without reheating my body, my senses were getting duller the longer I stayed like this. I guess a fire dragon would feel less comfortable the colder it got, huh?
Understanding it would be inefficient to continue using my skills to warm up, I took out the pelt of that [Rock-Skin Horned Grizzly] I killed a month after I met Saori. As it was as large as my dragon form, as a dragonewt it was so huge I could completely wrap myself with it like a cocoon.
Deactivating [Body Temperature Control], I let out a comfortable sigh. [“Ok, yeah, I’m not doing too well with the cold, brrrr!”]
“Yeah, winter truly is a test for every young scale. I’m sure you’ll have no problems but be careful, alright? Probably not a problem for a fire dragon like you, but I’ve seen many young scales die during this time.” I smiled at Caszcur’s concern, finding it really sweet.
[“If something crazy doesn’t happen then everything will be alright. Still… thanks. I appreciate it. How about the other kids? You guys have it harder than me, so shouldn’t you be more concerned about them?”]
“Ahahaha!” bursting out in laughter, the tall lizardmen gently patted my head. “They might be young, but I think this experience has hardened them. They still are a bunch of hot-headed krill eaters, but I think we won’t lose anybody this winter. Right, little lady?”
Understanding what he meant with that smirk, I swiped his hand off my head with a chuckle. [“Shut it, you’re gonna jinx us if you continue thinking that it’s an absolute. It’s still a long way, you know? Anyways, enough of that, you told me you would teach me how to properly do these bowls so come on, let’s do it already.”]
Caszcur slammed his chest with his fist before taking out one of his woodworking knives and a log. "Ha, you got it, little lady! Leave it to this elder scale to repay you back with these free lessons."
As the whole “become my follower” thing failed, the lizardmen trio were visibly worried they might have ruined any chances to repay the debt. Crazy pessimistic, right? Thankfully, Tasianna cleared things up for us, so the awkwardness didn’t last too long.
Not wanting to bring it up again, I instead asked Caszcur to show me how to do proper woodwork. Considering he did criticize my bowls and utensils, I thought I should use this chance to learn how to do them properly. Our party’s eating comfort relied on my creation and if I could make better ones to make our dinners better, then so be it.
Saori went with the lizardwomen to cook our dinner for tonight, wanting to learn some lizardmen cuisine. She said something like, "Learning about another culture's cuisine is one of the joys of traveling. I will not let this chance go by!"
Apparently, the lizardmen had a trick where they could soften hard, sun-dried fish for dinner. From what little I heard, you put any dried fish into a mixture of forest herbs and muddy water and boiled it over a flame. The herbal oils would mix with the fish while the muddy water would slow down the cooking process of the fish.
As Tasianna wanted to join her, I was left without a translator. While it was hard to understand everything, I learned from my previous mistake and had my parallel minds remember numerous words Tasianna had translated for me. Learn by doing, right?
While it took a while for me to respond, I was trying my best to slowly learn Common. Still, regardless of how many words I’d been able to learn, I still hadn’t mastered it yet.
“You see how my knife is hiertunlut? Cut the bowl like this while keeping your hands still and precise. Control your strength and just let your claw slide around,” Caszcur explained.
“Hiertunlut?” I asked aloud, unsure what that word meant.
“You didn’t understand it?” I nodded to his question, prompting him to think about it. “Hmm, dammit. Words aren’t my specialty; I just know which to use. Hmm, sorry, I can't figure out the definition, little lady. Just follow my movements, and you'll get an idea of what 'hirtunlut' means. That's how I learned the word, and I figure you’re smart enough to understand."
With that said, he began cutting the bowl into shape, finely rounding any edges while keeping cutting to a minimum. While I observed his movements, he also patiently continued repeating the word “hiertunlut” to help me interpret it, which was a success after I finally understood that it meant “angled.”
While I was celebrating my success, I quickly learned that it was only a minor victory when the lizardmen were finished setting the camp up. Aksmias and a few lizardman artisans and builders joined our little woodworking session as they also wanted to help me get better with my craft.
While my heart felt fuzzy and my tail unable to stop waggling due to their hospitality, it felt a bit overwhelming with how they kept analyzing my every move. It was very nice of them, and the pressure was pushing me to learn and improve faster.
However, what actually made me anxious was that I couldn’t understand most of the words they said. Sometimes I couldn’t differentiate between a lizardman idiom or a Common tongue word, while other times I questioned if certain accent-heavy words were just growling or not. It was so nice of them… but it didn’t help if 50% of the comments sounded more like bestial howls.
“Oooh, you’re showing some fantastic talent there, lass,” a lizardman artisan praised me for the bowl I made under their supervision.
“Mhmm! This is better than most of the stuff the young scales at the tribes can make. Quality-wise it’s still ok but this is enough for me to allow an apprentice to sell it,” another bellowed a laugh, seemingly acting proud in my stead by inspecting the cut marks.
“It certainly looks better than your old ones, little lady,” Caszcur laughed, slapping my back in congratulations.
[“Oof, jeez, don’t slap my back that hard. I’m still a girl, you forgot?”] I chided Caszcur, giving him a stink eye in the process. Sure, it didn’t hurt, but still.
“Ahhh, stop yanking my tail with that krill eater act. You’re the sturdiest scale-kin among us artisans, and whether you’re a female or male, it doesn’t matter. It probably hurt my hand more than it hurt you. It felt like hitting a rock!” Caszcur waved my girlish act away, unimpressed by it.
Urgh, getting criticized for acting like a normal girl…
Well considering how I had been acting in this life, I really felt low in girl power. I wasn’t really a tomboy back on Earth, but I had to act more assertively as it was what I learned to survive in this place. Being meek would just get me killed. Still, I wanted to be a normal girl, despite being a dragon.
Well, whatever.
[“So, what’s your opinion on the bowl?”] I asked Caszcur, ignoring what just happened.
"Hmmm," Caszcur laid a hand on his chin, scratching it as he carefully inspected every single detail. "You still put a bit too much force into your swipes which makes everything a bit inaccurate. Here, look. You can clearly see where you began your cuts and how a small dent is left behind. I’m pretty sure you would do better with a knife, but you’ve gotten so used to using your claws to cut that it would be bad to change now. Maybe you have trouble controlling your Strength?”
I looked at my hand, doing some finger stretching warmups. “Hmm, I see. Got it, I’ll be more careful.”
Digesting the criticism everybody gave me, our little group of artisans continued creating small wooden creations. The amount of tips they handed over to me made me understand the value of the wood type, cutting technique, and also the resin used in the process. I even got tips on making furniture like chairs or tables for the future!
… Buuuut, at the same time, I also learned how artisans were super competitive and prideful of their abilities. A lot of quarrels erupted from conflicting ideas.
“You skink, we’re here to repay our debt to her and you’re trying to teach her some outdated technique? I’ll cut your tail before that happens!”
"Krrrrashu! This is something my workshop mastered, and we've been selling our wares in the grand clan village for multiple years now! I'm trying to teach the young scale something that I would never show an untalented krill eater like you!”
“Mastered? You try to fool our tails, huh? The last time I saw you there, I’m pretty sure you were begging people to buy your stuff, hahaha!”
Kinda wish I could visit that place one day… Hmm, where was the beastmen alliance, again? In the far east? Urgh, might not be possible any time soon.
Despite the rowdiness, I still enjoyed and benefited quite a lot from their lessons, feeling like I could break through to [Woodworking Lv. 4] without needing to spend SP. I could see myself making a ton of furniture for everybody in the future. It sounded really fun, even if it was just a hobby.
Still, we couldn’t do this forever. We had to eat, after all. After everybody started leaving for dinner, I quickly collected any finished bowls. However, before I was about to go, Caszcur stopped me.
“Hey, little lady, can I speak with you for a moment?” Turning around, I nodded to the tall lizardmen, prompting him to continue. “You remember what happened this morning? About that whole follower stuff?”
[“Huh, that? Caszcur, I already told you that it was fine. No need to bring that topic back up,”] I responded to his sudden questions, feeling confused why he would bring it up after all the awkwardness.
“Nah, see… I’m alright with becoming one of you followers, I mean,” he admitted, scratching his head nervously.
Caught off-guard by this, I made a bewildered “huh?” Waving my hands around at the suddenness of this, I replied after calming myself down. [“Wait, wait, why would you want to do that, huh? Weren’t you against it when I asked about it this morning? You just stood still like a statue, as if you were petrified by the very idea of becoming one!”]
“What the hell is that sorta imagination!”Caszcur shouted, scolding me for what I just said. “I didn’t answer because that question came out of nowhere! Do you really think somebody could think properly and give you an answer after you said, ‘Become my followers.’ Huh!?”
Both of us went silent, realizing we were getting ourselves worked up for nothing. After letting ourselves cool down a bit, Caszcur sighed deeply and crossed his arms.
"What Tasianna told me made me think it through more, and I realized it wouldn’t be so bad. It’s for your skill, right? Make you stronger? Well, who am I to disagree with my lifesaver about fulfilling a favor?"
[“But what about your belief? Shouldn’t Apsala’s reasoning also work with you?”] I pushed back, still remembering what Tasianna told me.
“Tasianna told me you aren’t looking at it as a religious thing, more like admiration or support. If you ask me, I can’t help but admire how a dragon like you is helping us this much. Apsala always called them boisterous and arrogant, but you’re… heroic, I guess.”
[“E-Eh?!”]
Caszcur’s remark startled me, feeling embarrassed at such flattery.
"Besides, religion? Sure, I worship Marsven, but only cuz of my tribe’s traditions. But it's just too much of a bother when it doesn't help me improve my craft, after all. If you ask me, Crustacia is more up my tail."
Origin Goddess of Earth, but also of Craftsmanship, Minerals, and Creation. Patreon Goddess of the Dwarves, as Tasianna explained. Yeah, I could see Caszcur worship a rock.
Remembering Tasianna’s lecture, any person may pray to as many gods as they wished. The gods saw no problem in a person praying to all gods, as even split prayer led to the same result — worship.
Tasianna told me the elven culture, more specifically speaking, the high elven culture promoted polytheism. Some elves chose to stick with one while others could choose how many they wanted to. It was all allowed.
Still, even with that in mind, I still scratched my neck nervously, finding the flatter overblown. [“Well, I guess? But still, why are they so accepting of the idea? I don’t think I did that much to gain your full trust. I mean, our first meeting was kind of… off, wasn’t it?”]
"And? Impressions changed, deal with it.” He shrugged wildly, shaking his head before counting the times I’ve help him out. "You saved the lives of my scale-kins and gave us food without any payment. You agreed to come with me on that rescue mission. You rescued me and our lost scale-kins from those terrors, and you also re-attached my arm. We didn’t start out well, especially concerning those virigresses, so everything you’ve done for me and my scale-kins wasn’t something we deserve. And despite that bad start, you helped us.”
… Hearing everything I’ve done for them really placed stuff into perspective. I really was a bit too nice to the people who tried to eat Rajah’s siblings, huh?! … But I guess my self-deprecation was a bit too much.
“Lizardmen tribes announce their chieftain through strength. Not only are you the strongest among us but you’ve also shown the leadership needed for one,” Caszcur said before bowing, placing one hand on the ground and the other on the chest. “There really is no reason for me not to accept, right?”
[“… Heheh, yeah.”] I threw my arms in the air in defeat. [“Let’s not make much of a deal out of it, but I really have no idea how this will work out so how do you… huh?”]
“Hmm? What is it?” Caszcur asked, oblivious of the fact he just became my follower.
What just happened?!
[“Well, congratz Caszcur, you just became my follower… somehow.”] I furrowed my brows, expressing my confusion to him.
“That happened? Weird, it feels like nothing has changed for me but… I guess that’s fine.” He shrugged. “At the end of the day, if it benefits you then whatever. Never expected anything to change anyways.”
[“… Yeah… but I still have no idea how that happened, though? There has to be a reason for why the System gave me the message now, right?”]
As I mulled for a reason, Caszcur placed his hand on my head and patted it. “Come on, little lady. I think you’re thinking too hard about it now. There is a dinner waiting for us, so leave the thinking for later, hahaha!”
With that said, he slowly walked towards the center of the camp where our dinner would be held. Noticing my stomach was growling, I gave my parallel minds the duty to think over it while I refueled our body with food. The night was cold and eating some good food would warm me back up again.
AbyssRaven 1 more follower gained!
If you guys want to support me, Hestia and "A Dragon Idol's Reincarnation Tale" (or just read up to 20 advance chapters + any Patreon-only chapters) please check out my Patreon: Rawr
For two dollars, for the cost of a coffee, you can read up to four chapters for the whole month! You will have my eternal gratitude for any support you can give me! Please.
Thank you for reading this chapter.
“You want us to do what now, little lady?!”
[“I want you three to become my followers,”] I answered Caszcur’s question.
“Followers…?” Apsala stopped for a moment, thinking about my request. “Little one… you told me that you weren’t a priestess of Aurena, right? And you also know that I’m a Kargryxmor follower so isn’t asking this a bit redundant?”
It seemed there was a misunderstanding when I told them to become my “followers”… Actually, maybe there wasn’t one? I mean, technically, I was asking them to become affiliated with Aurena due to the origin of [Fan Overview] and [The Light].
[“No, that’s not what I meant. I mean that you become my followers, not Aurena’s or Kargryxmor’s or any other god’s,”] I responded, making the lizardmen even more confused. [“Ok, truth be told, I have an ability that grows stronger and stronger, the more ‘followers’ I have. You don’t actually have to do anything besides… Well, I also am not really sure what you’re supposed to say. The skill is still quite mysterious to me.”]
Both Saori and Tasianna became my followers when they got [Hestia’s Retainer], while I was not sure how Rajah and his family did it. Was there some sorta ritual or a specific phrase they had to say?
“… Little one, although I’m not quite sure what you’re even talking about, you should know that we lizardfolk take our religion seriously. The tribes that we three came from have a history of being Marsven worshippers.” Apsala looked troubled. “Yes, some of us worship Kargryxmor but that is because of our culture. The once renowned dragon that was known throughout the world ascended to godhood through his strength alone. This ideal helped us stay strong through our harshest time. That perseverance and courage would bring us fortune… and it has, in you, Hestia.”
Apsala cast her head down, crestfallen as she continued speaking while tucking her tail between her legs, "You want us to become your 'followers' so it may make you stronger, and nothing would make me happier than to be able to help you but… I-I can't do that. It feels like I would abandon my faith if I did. My faith has brought me both happiness and sadness but without it, I wouldn't have been able to keep my sanity through these trials and tribulation."
…I honestly didn’t think about that. I knew that these lizardmen were religious, but I never had the feeling they were that faithful about it. I wasn’t trying to make them convert or anything, but I underestimated the meaning of a “follower” for Peolyncian.
I was not religious myself, neither in this life nor in my past. Despite knowing gods actually existed in this world, I never wanted to worship them or anything, merely thinking of Kargryxmor as my super old grandfather and Aurena as a benefactor.
[“Lady Hestia, you could reveal your royal status. Just tell them your full name and I am sure Apsala at least would be convinced,”] Tasianna suggested in a private telepathic link.
[“Wait, no way that would be so easy. Also, what would ‘Hestia Atsuko’ even do?”]
Tasianna shook her head. [“No, you misunderstand, Lady Hestia. I meant, your surname. Your clan name. Anybody with rudimentary knowledge of dragonkins would know how dragons revere their ancestors, and once you reveal that you are a princess, they would know you are a descendant of Kargryxmor. After all, it is obvious.”]
[“… Please, don’t.”] My voice cracked a bit, rejecting what I was assuming Tasianna was intending to tell me.
[“Mhmm… I disapprove, Lady Hestia. You should know about them. The moment we reach Saelariel, the Elven King will probably suspect who you are. You cannot hide from it then.”] Tasianna looked at me with worry, making my chest feel tighter. I understood she was speaking the truth, but I still felt apprehensive.
“Young scale?”
The lizardmen and Saori were looking at us, confused as to why we were grimacing. Naturally, as we were speaking to ourselves.
[“… I would dislike to use my status as a crutch. Besides, my parents abandoned me in this forest. How could I call myself a part of that family, if I was left to die? I only have one pair of parents, so please leave it at that until we reach Saelariel…”] I let out a deep sigh while Tasianna simply nodded, worried about my reluctances.
On the other hand, Saori raised an eyebrow, curious what was happening with the both of us. She didn’t ask us what happened, but from how she darted her head around, she probably understood the general mood.
Am I being unreasonable here? Feels like I’m making a huge fuss over nothing. Tasianna did say Kargryxmor was my grandfather… so my dragon father and mother would be my family, right? … Right?
[“Enough, forget about what we just said. Let’s just go, we’re holding everybody up.”] Seeing how I wasn’t speaking up, Saori took over and ended the discussion. All the lizardmen agreed, so we all moved.
With that, our journey began. I had already noticed it during the rescue mission but the lizardmen really were adept with moving through a swamp, barely being affected by the water that went up to their knees.
To not be slowed down, Saori and I had to be creative about it and move along the trees if the water was too deep. The lizardmen were taller than us so if the water went up to their knees, then it would go up to Saori’s hips. I was even shorter than her, to the point the deeper areas went up to my diaphragm
As we wandered at a relatively good pace, Saori and I talked with Tasianna about what just happened this morning, wanting to understand a Peolyncian’s common sense. We had our theology lessons, but how faithful were Peolyncians, really?
She re-explained the gods gained their power through religious fervor, spell casting, or anything concerning their domains. For example, Tasianna’s main goddess was Plesia, Origin Goddess of Water and the chief goddess of the world, while also governing over the domains of order, honor, and tradition.
Although quite generous and caring to her followers, she was strict and expected her believers to abide by her church’s tenets and also any land’s laws. She could be lenient, but she abhorred criminals and anarchy to the point she would personally cause catastrophic events just to warn heavy offenders.
Kargryxmor was not only the god of dragonkins — mostly dragons, drakes, and wyverns — but also the god of oaths. Promises, in essence. Apsala probably thought becoming my follower was like absconding her faith and dedicating it to mine. Naturally, if she thought of it as that, her reaction made perfect sense.
It was even worse, though, since I was a dragon. She didn’t know I was the god’s descendant, so she probably thought I was trying to usurp or overthrow Kargryxmor by becoming a goddess, or something. Absurd, but that would be how Tasianna would interpret it if she was in her shoes.
[“I already cleared it up for you, Lady Hestia. So, there is nothing to worry about.”] I had to thank Tasianna for thinking ahead for us. Best maid ever.
In this world, since there were so many gods, each person could choose who they wished to worship. Races who had a patron god usually worshiped theirs regardless of their disposition, however, whoever they chose to worship next would usually be considered their primary god.
Tasianna was a fairy so growing up as a Zephira believer was normal. However, she considered Plesia her main goddess due to her waning faith in Zephira after what happened to Princess Schuri. She personally believed Plesia’s tenets were important for the world’s peace.
[“I equally pray to Zephira and Plesia every night, but I guess I was more an ice or water mage, than a wind one,”] Tasianna admitted, telling us that she felt more at peace with Plesia. [“Rules are needed to prevent tragedies like Princess Schuri’s death. It feels weird to say it, as I was taught to be free like the wind in my village.”]
In a way, this explained why she was so distraught about not being punished for her “mistake,” blaming herself for being the real reason why her previous mistress died. Not only was it her honor and pride as a maid, but also her religious belief that made it hard for her to understand why nobody was willing to condemn her for her mistake.
Having that explained to me helped me understand the situation a bit better. I understood now why I felt a bit disconnected by Apsala’s answer. It was normal for people to worship a god in this world, as they oversaw us from the heavens. You couldn’t deny their existence when the Divine System was in play.
Now it also made sense why Tasianna’s suggested to me to tell her the truth about myself. Still, I didn’t feel comfortable revealing that. It felt undeserved, honestly. Using my family’s status to bring out success felt bad. I never did it back on Earth, and I didn’t want to do it here… then again, I never succeeded in anything in my past life, so, really, meh.
In any case, Tasianna’s lecture made it easier for me to sympathize with Apsala. At the same time, it made Saori and I worry about religious zealousness. Zealots could be scary, as Earth’s history had shown quite a lot through stuff like the crusades or even genocide.
Haa, guess this whole “follower” stuff is harder to do than I thought. I should rethink all of this before attempting it again…
Eventually, the sun went down, and it was nighttime. Even in our rush, it wasn't a smart choice to travel while it was dark. Everybody needed sleep and it was better to rest now, so we could continue moving without any problems tomorrow.
After unpacking everything, the lizardmen immediately went into work mode, showing a surprising amount of energy despite having to walk for the whole day with only a few breaks. I also thought 'cause lizardmen were cold-blooded, like normal reptiles, they would feel less energetic when winter was right over the corner, but it seemed I wasn’t completely correct.
“No idea what you mean with ‘cold-blooded’ and ‘warm-blooded’ but if you want to know why, then I guess our bodies got used to it?” Caszcur answered, who was teaching me about proper woodworking. “Sure, it is cold with these rags but we gotta live with it. It doesn’t get as cold where we come from, but cold winter visit us every year like most other places. Shouldn’t you be more worried? You’re shivering in that simple dress.”
Activating [Body Temperature Control] I regulated my body heat back to normal to avoid shivering, making a “seeee?” face, afterward. While it might be effective, this was still only a temporary solution to my freezing problem.
The temperature was sinking and so was my body’s. It might not be a lot, but I was feeling chilly nonetheless and without reheating my body, my senses were getting duller the longer I stayed like this. I guess a fire dragon would feel less comfortable the colder it got, huh?
Understanding it would be inefficient to continue using my skills to warm up, I took out the pelt of that [Rock-Skin Horned Grizzly] I killed a month after I met Saori. As it was as large as my dragon form, as a dragonewt it was so huge I could completely wrap myself with it like a cocoon.
Deactivating [Body Temperature Control], I let out a comfortable sigh. [“Ok, yeah, I’m not doing too well with the cold, brrrr!”]
“Yeah, winter truly is a test for every young scale. I’m sure you’ll have no problems but be careful, alright? Probably not a problem for a fire dragon like you, but I’ve seen many young scales die during this time.” I smiled at Caszcur’s concern, finding it really sweet.
[“If something crazy doesn’t happen then everything will be alright. Still… thanks. I appreciate it. How about the other kids? You guys have it harder than me, so shouldn’t you be more concerned about them?”]
“Ahahaha!” bursting out in laughter, the tall lizardmen gently patted my head. “They might be young, but I think this experience has hardened them. They still are a bunch of hot-headed krill eaters, but I think we won’t lose anybody this winter. Right, little lady?”
Understanding what he meant with that smirk, I swiped his hand off my head with a chuckle. [“Shut it, you’re gonna jinx us if you continue thinking that it’s an absolute. It’s still a long way, you know? Anyways, enough of that, you told me you would teach me how to properly do these bowls so come on, let’s do it already.”]
Caszcur slammed his chest with his fist before taking out one of his woodworking knives and a log. "Ha, you got it, little lady! Leave it to this elder scale to repay you back with these free lessons."
As the whole “become my follower” thing failed, the lizardmen trio were visibly worried they might have ruined any chances to repay the debt. Crazy pessimistic, right? Thankfully, Tasianna cleared things up for us, so the awkwardness didn’t last too long.
Not wanting to bring it up again, I instead asked Caszcur to show me how to do proper woodwork. Considering he did criticize my bowls and utensils, I thought I should use this chance to learn how to do them properly. Our party’s eating comfort relied on my creation and if I could make better ones to make our dinners better, then so be it.
Saori went with the lizardwomen to cook our dinner for tonight, wanting to learn some lizardmen cuisine. She said something like, "Learning about another culture's cuisine is one of the joys of traveling. I will not let this chance go by!"
Apparently, the lizardmen had a trick where they could soften hard, sun-dried fish for dinner. From what little I heard, you put any dried fish into a mixture of forest herbs and muddy water and boiled it over a flame. The herbal oils would mix with the fish while the muddy water would slow down the cooking process of the fish.
As Tasianna wanted to join her, I was left without a translator. While it was hard to understand everything, I learned from my previous mistake and had my parallel minds remember numerous words Tasianna had translated for me. Learn by doing, right?
While it took a while for me to respond, I was trying my best to slowly learn Common. Still, regardless of how many words I’d been able to learn, I still hadn’t mastered it yet.
“You see how my knife is hiertunlut? Cut the bowl like this while keeping your hands still and precise. Control your strength and just let your claw slide around,” Caszcur explained.
“Hiertunlut?” I asked aloud, unsure what that word meant.
“You didn’t understand it?” I nodded to his question, prompting him to think about it. “Hmm, dammit. Words aren’t my specialty; I just know which to use. Hmm, sorry, I can't figure out the definition, little lady. Just follow my movements, and you'll get an idea of what 'hirtunlut' means. That's how I learned the word, and I figure you’re smart enough to understand."
With that said, he began cutting the bowl into shape, finely rounding any edges while keeping cutting to a minimum. While I observed his movements, he also patiently continued repeating the word “hiertunlut” to help me interpret it, which was a success after I finally understood that it meant “angled.”
While I was celebrating my success, I quickly learned that it was only a minor victory when the lizardmen were finished setting the camp up. Aksmias and a few lizardman artisans and builders joined our little woodworking session as they also wanted to help me get better with my craft.
While my heart felt fuzzy and my tail unable to stop waggling due to their hospitality, it felt a bit overwhelming with how they kept analyzing my every move. It was very nice of them, and the pressure was pushing me to learn and improve faster.
However, what actually made me anxious was that I couldn’t understand most of the words they said. Sometimes I couldn’t differentiate between a lizardman idiom or a Common tongue word, while other times I questioned if certain accent-heavy words were just growling or not. It was so nice of them… but it didn’t help if 50% of the comments sounded more like bestial howls.
“Oooh, you’re showing some fantastic talent there, lass,” a lizardman artisan praised me for the bowl I made under their supervision.
“Mhmm! This is better than most of the stuff the young scales at the tribes can make. Quality-wise it’s still ok but this is enough for me to allow an apprentice to sell it,” another bellowed a laugh, seemingly acting proud in my stead by inspecting the cut marks.
“It certainly looks better than your old ones, little lady,” Caszcur laughed, slapping my back in congratulations.
[“Oof, jeez, don’t slap my back that hard. I’m still a girl, you forgot?”] I chided Caszcur, giving him a stink eye in the process. Sure, it didn’t hurt, but still.
“Ahhh, stop yanking my tail with that krill eater act. You’re the sturdiest scale-kin among us artisans, and whether you’re a female or male, it doesn’t matter. It probably hurt my hand more than it hurt you. It felt like hitting a rock!” Caszcur waved my girlish act away, unimpressed by it.
Urgh, getting criticized for acting like a normal girl…
Well considering how I had been acting in this life, I really felt low in girl power. I wasn’t really a tomboy back on Earth, but I had to act more assertively as it was what I learned to survive in this place. Being meek would just get me killed. Still, I wanted to be a normal girl, despite being a dragon.
Well, whatever.
[“So, what’s your opinion on the bowl?”] I asked Caszcur, ignoring what just happened.
"Hmmm," Caszcur laid a hand on his chin, scratching it as he carefully inspected every single detail. "You still put a bit too much force into your swipes which makes everything a bit inaccurate. Here, look. You can clearly see where you began your cuts and how a small dent is left behind. I’m pretty sure you would do better with a knife, but you’ve gotten so used to using your claws to cut that it would be bad to change now. Maybe you have trouble controlling your Strength?”
I looked at my hand, doing some finger stretching warmups. “Hmm, I see. Got it, I’ll be more careful.”
Digesting the criticism everybody gave me, our little group of artisans continued creating small wooden creations. The amount of tips they handed over to me made me understand the value of the wood type, cutting technique, and also the resin used in the process. I even got tips on making furniture like chairs or tables for the future!
… Buuuut, at the same time, I also learned how artisans were super competitive and prideful of their abilities. A lot of quarrels erupted from conflicting ideas.
“You skink, we’re here to repay our debt to her and you’re trying to teach her some outdated technique? I’ll cut your tail before that happens!”
"Krrrrashu! This is something my workshop mastered, and we've been selling our wares in the grand clan village for multiple years now! I'm trying to teach the young scale something that I would never show an untalented krill eater like you!”
“Mastered? You try to fool our tails, huh? The last time I saw you there, I’m pretty sure you were begging people to buy your stuff, hahaha!”
Kinda wish I could visit that place one day… Hmm, where was the beastmen alliance, again? In the far east? Urgh, might not be possible any time soon.
Despite the rowdiness, I still enjoyed and benefited quite a lot from their lessons, feeling like I could break through to [Woodworking Lv. 4] without needing to spend SP. I could see myself making a ton of furniture for everybody in the future. It sounded really fun, even if it was just a hobby.
Still, we couldn’t do this forever. We had to eat, after all. After everybody started leaving for dinner, I quickly collected any finished bowls. However, before I was about to go, Caszcur stopped me.
“Hey, little lady, can I speak with you for a moment?” Turning around, I nodded to the tall lizardmen, prompting him to continue. “You remember what happened this morning? About that whole follower stuff?”
[“Huh, that? Caszcur, I already told you that it was fine. No need to bring that topic back up,”] I responded to his sudden questions, feeling confused why he would bring it up after all the awkwardness.
“Nah, see… I’m alright with becoming one of you followers, I mean,” he admitted, scratching his head nervously.
Caught off-guard by this, I made a bewildered “huh?” Waving my hands around at the suddenness of this, I replied after calming myself down. [“Wait, wait, why would you want to do that, huh? Weren’t you against it when I asked about it this morning? You just stood still like a statue, as if you were petrified by the very idea of becoming one!”]
“What the hell is that sorta imagination!”Caszcur shouted, scolding me for what I just said. “I didn’t answer because that question came out of nowhere! Do you really think somebody could think properly and give you an answer after you said, ‘Become my followers.’ Huh!?”
Both of us went silent, realizing we were getting ourselves worked up for nothing. After letting ourselves cool down a bit, Caszcur sighed deeply and crossed his arms.
"What Tasianna told me made me think it through more, and I realized it wouldn’t be so bad. It’s for your skill, right? Make you stronger? Well, who am I to disagree with my lifesaver about fulfilling a favor?"
[“But what about your belief? Shouldn’t Apsala’s reasoning also work with you?”] I pushed back, still remembering what Tasianna told me.
“Tasianna told me you aren’t looking at it as a religious thing, more like admiration or support. If you ask me, I can’t help but admire how a dragon like you is helping us this much. Apsala always called them boisterous and arrogant, but you’re… heroic, I guess.”
[“E-Eh?!”]
Caszcur’s remark startled me, feeling embarrassed at such flattery.
"Besides, religion? Sure, I worship Marsven, but only cuz of my tribe’s traditions. But it's just too much of a bother when it doesn't help me improve my craft, after all. If you ask me, Crustacia is more up my tail."
Origin Goddess of Earth, but also of Craftsmanship, Minerals, and Creation. Patreon Goddess of the Dwarves, as Tasianna explained. Yeah, I could see Caszcur worship a rock.
Remembering Tasianna’s lecture, any person may pray to as many gods as they wished. The gods saw no problem in a person praying to all gods, as even split prayer led to the same result — worship.
Tasianna told me the elven culture, more specifically speaking, the high elven culture promoted polytheism. Some elves chose to stick with one while others could choose how many they wanted to. It was all allowed.
Still, even with that in mind, I still scratched my neck nervously, finding the flatter overblown. [“Well, I guess? But still, why are they so accepting of the idea? I don’t think I did that much to gain your full trust. I mean, our first meeting was kind of… off, wasn’t it?”]
"And? Impressions changed, deal with it.” He shrugged wildly, shaking his head before counting the times I’ve help him out. "You saved the lives of my scale-kins and gave us food without any payment. You agreed to come with me on that rescue mission. You rescued me and our lost scale-kins from those terrors, and you also re-attached my arm. We didn’t start out well, especially concerning those virigresses, so everything you’ve done for me and my scale-kins wasn’t something we deserve. And despite that bad start, you helped us.”
… Hearing everything I’ve done for them really placed stuff into perspective. I really was a bit too nice to the people who tried to eat Rajah’s siblings, huh?! … But I guess my self-deprecation was a bit too much.
“Lizardmen tribes announce their chieftain through strength. Not only are you the strongest among us but you’ve also shown the leadership needed for one,” Caszcur said before bowing, placing one hand on the ground and the other on the chest. “There really is no reason for me not to accept, right?”
[“… Heheh, yeah.”] I threw my arms in the air in defeat. [“Let’s not make much of a deal out of it, but I really have no idea how this will work out so how do you… huh?”]
“Hmm? What is it?” Caszcur asked, oblivious of the fact he just became my follower.
What just happened?!
[“Well, congratz Caszcur, you just became my follower… somehow.”] I furrowed my brows, expressing my confusion to him.
“That happened? Weird, it feels like nothing has changed for me but… I guess that’s fine.” He shrugged. “At the end of the day, if it benefits you then whatever. Never expected anything to change anyways.”
[“… Yeah… but I still have no idea how that happened, though? There has to be a reason for why the System gave me the message now, right?”]
As I mulled for a reason, Caszcur placed his hand on my head and patted it. “Come on, little lady. I think you’re thinking too hard about it now. There is a dinner waiting for us, so leave the thinking for later, hahaha!”
With that said, he slowly walked towards the center of the camp where our dinner would be held. Noticing my stomach was growling, I gave my parallel minds the duty to think over it while I refueled our body with food. The night was cold and eating some good food would warm me back up again.
AbyssRaven 1 more follower gained!
If you guys want to support me, Hestia and "A Dragon Idol's Reincarnation Tale" (or just read up to 20 advance chapters + any Patreon-only chapters) please check out my Patreon: Rawr
For two dollars, for the cost of a coffee, you can read up to four chapters for the whole month! You will have my eternal gratitude for any support you can give me! Please.
Thank you for reading this chapter.
