“Appear, Shadow Pack!” Saori reached her arm out in a dramatic fashion, conjuring up a black magic circle. From it, a shadowy wolf the size of Saori appeared, growling and exposing its large fangs. “Now, Shadow Clone.”
I took a step back as I saw Saori’s figure appear from a second magic circle. Flabbergasted, I stared at the giant wolf to her right and her exact copy to the left. Seeing them both was a huge surprise, but what caused my jaw to drop was the fact she had cast both spells simultaneously.
“Y-You … when? N-not only was that two magic circles … but … w-was that a dark spell or … a custom spell?” I asked her with widened eyes, grinding my teeth together as a single cold sweat bead dropping to my cheeks.
“How do you like my little magic trick, Hestia?” Saori conveyed, showing a hint of smugness. “It took me almost three weeks, since we arrived in Artorias, to finish that custom spell. Thankfully, Mister Kushlek’zar did give me a ton of support, especially explaining how I could use [Shadow Clone]’s magic circle as a foundation for it. I learned [Fluid Cast] and [Multi-Cast] after we defeated the bandits.”
Artorias? Right, that’s the name of the kingdom. Almost forgot.
Her custom spell [Shadow Pack] was finalized a few days ago. I didn't know how she hid this from me, but it seemed she sneakily did a ton of magic training while I wasn’t looking. I knew she was taking lessons from Master just like me, but the fact she improved this much when she used to have such troubles with magic … wow.
“Training and studying do not just end after the sun has set,” Saori proudly announced while high-fiving her clone and stroking her giant shadow wolf. “You use your evenings to practice your singing, writing your songs, and creating your choreography. Your idol concert is more important to you, and that is something I respect as you are giving it your all. So, do not be so surprised that we were spending our time training.”
Now that I think about it, in our week of stay here, Saori and Tasianna always disappeared in the evening. After having dinner with them, I would engross myself in my prep for the concert, ignoring my surroundings. Mornings were always busy for us, so I never had time to work on it after breakfast.
They always gave the excuse that they were spying on the spies or speaking with the village watchmen, so I never doubted them. Hiding the whole picture under a veil of truths?
“Gahaha, Saori, come on! The lass is already perturbed, so show her the tricks we showed you!” Krim-Slak demanded from her while munching on some food.
Saori nodded and donned her [Shadow Armament] around her arms like gauntlets. She then conjured two [Dark Bolt]s, flaunting her [Multi-Cast] over my face since I still hadn’t been able to earn it, before grabbing them. Almost as if she had “umbrakinesis” she molded these spells into daggers she could hold.
While twirling them around, bragging about her dexterity, Saori suddenly threw the dagger into the air. As I looked up, I flinched back when she suddenly kicked the dagger, launching it right past my head with pinpoint accuracy. I followed its trajectory, but it suddenly stopped and began returning to its master, where I noticed a thin blue strand hanging off the dagger.
As it returned back into her hand, she threw the dagger up again, but this time, the shadow wolf grabbed it. “Good boy!” she praised him before rubbing his head. She then turned back to me, her face practically radiating positivity.
“And I will continue,” she stated. “Right now, I can do some party tricks like that, but I can also fight with them. Grazlahta and Krim have been teaching me. I will become better.”
I had forgotten about the fact I could have asked the two carnosilians for help when it came to weapons. “Ability” was a section in our Profiles which categorized non-spell attacks, which mostly included my dragon and weapon abilities. Saori told me she had learn an “unarmed” and “dagger” ability during her private training.
“And that is not all. Custom spell, spell techniques, and dagger proficiency might sound good, but that is not enough, right? I am okay being a rogue for our party … but I want to be a fully-fledged ‘arcane trickster,’ as the saurians called it.” Saori then snapped her fingers, pointing up in the sky where I saw a larger magic circle forming.
Around the size of a tree, the black circle lit up for a moment before something like a blade came out of its like a portal. In the next moment, the giant blade dung right into the ground, gouging out a large section of earth and launching it into the air. However, it didn’t stop, this pendulum kept rotating around the magic circle, destroying anything it touched.
“[Tenebrous Magic Lv. 1]’s [Umbra Pendulum].”
“… You did it?” I stared at the giant spell, unable to believe Saori had managed to evolve her [Dark Magic] into its advanced elemental form. I thought she used SP to level it up, but considering how smug she was, she couldn’t have. She wasn’t that type of person.
In fact, this suspicion died in the next moment as Master spoke, “I watched over her training. She got [Fluid Cast], [Multi-Cast], and also leveled up her element all under my watch. Mhmm, it feels good to have three apprentices. It makes me proud to see your progress!”
“Thank you very much, Mister Kushlek’zar.” Saori bowed deeply to him after canceling her [Umbra Pendulum].
Satisfied with that feature, Master then looked over to me. A smile was forming on his dinosaur head. “Do you see now, my apprentice? Your companions will become stronger. How and why? Because I have to make sure I repay all three of you for accepting me as your teacher.”
Master …
“It’s also a matter of pride,” Grazlahta added. “Remember? Kush never managed to train up his students back when he was just a normal Depth Priest in Caedhul. He was a gifted shaman back in Aelozonia, but when we arrived on this continent, he learned he was nothing compared to the levianewt, naga, and merfolk mages in the capital of Goddess Plesia’s faith.”
“I just wasn’t a good teacher back then. Nor a mage.” Master shook his head in annoyance of his own failure. “Arrogance didn’t blind me, but the fact I couldn’t assimilate into the continent’s magic training. My students were used to a different method … and I soon learned my ways were antiquated. In our jungle back in Aelozonia, I thought of the world as so much smaller … only to learn how everything had progressed right past me.”
Master raised his head, staring into the darkening sky with a longing expression. “That is why, I dedicated myself to learning. To practice. And here, my efforts were finally rewarded. I have a little dragon, a diligent cadejo, and an eager fairy as my students. To me … I can’t help but find some pride in this. We’ve only just met, but you all exceeded my expectations.”
He knew our titles gave us a skill proficiency boost, but he told us it came from our hard work. We really only just met, but in this one week where I officially became his apprentice, it felt like months had passed. To all of us, Master Kushlek’zar had been a real boon. To the point I was ready to tell him how I was an otherworlder. Even Tasianna told him she was a fairy, something she intending to hide.
“That is why …” His voice lowered before he sat down on the ground, prompting me to do the same. “I can’t allow you to purposely weaken yourself. Back to my question, can you defeat me in your dragon form, Hestia?”
There was that question again. Master really was provoking me into a fight here.
If you thought about it normally, in my dragon form, my offensive stats were higher than his, while my defences were lower. I was also far faster, to the point I could blitz him. However, the thing was, up until now, Master hadn’t really gone fully serious.
Even back in the bandit or whenever we spared, he never really had a deathmatch mentality. It was always either “I need to stop her” or “sparring is over.” He never thought of me as an enemy he had to kill for his survival, and even then, his magic prowess was scaring me a bit. Trepidation of the unknown, really.
I might have had my moments where I wanted to test my power against other monsters, but I still considered surviving the goal of everybody. You won by getting out of a fight alive, regardless of whatever triggered it. However, would I consider fighting Master in that manner? Where a single mistake could end the other’s life?
No.
“… I don’t know,” I answered his question. “I’m not the sort of person who would go into a fight not knowing if I could win. I would rather run if I’m not forced into it, like saving somebody.”
“Hmph.” Grazalahta shook his head. “A warrior should always seek out difficult fights to better themselves. If all you do is run, how can you overcome your limits?”
It was a fundamental difference in our philosophies. Saori, Tasianna, and I shared this survivalist mentality, although to different degrees. On the other hand, Grazlahta and Krim-Slak were both bonafide warriors and challengers, seeking to better themselves with more and more battles. They sought strength to challenge others during their job as Tide Watchers.
“I just think that it’s unnecessary …” I rebuked him. “Whether Saori and Tasianna want to prove themselves to me in a fight, or if I fought Master to prove to him I am strong enough doesn’t matter in the end run. Fighting to me is a necessity; either to survive, obtain a goal, or defend my friends. I don’t do it out of lust … at least, I don’t want it to be lust.”
Once again, the fact I knew I had battle lust inside me made me feel uncomfortable. How I was drunk on power during my early days when I was reborn in this world, and how I could only think about leveling. I still had these moments. It felt right … but it also felt wrong. All of these thoughts swirled in me as I thought of [Battle Frenzy], my innate bloodlust from my dragon bloodline.
Saori and Tasianna knew about it already, but they still tried to push me forward. I wanted to stand still, wait for them before we reached the finish line, but they didn’t care. They knew fighting me wouldn’t have proved anything. They couldn’t beat me in my dragon form, and doing it with some gimmick wouldn’t work. The moment I went berserk, then it was all-in. So … they were doing it through words.
“… I will do anything for you, Princess Hestia.” Tasianna grabbed my shoulder. “If I have to stain my hands with blood, so you don’t have to fight, then so be it. I do not wish to hold you back, I want to stand beside you as you walk into the world. My life is yours, my Princess.”
Ever since the bandit quest, Tasianna had changed a bit. She had become more assertive. Was she hiding something? I did miss my old friend, where she was a bit more timid, but I guess even she was growing. She wasn’t letting emotions hold her back like this.
“Do you hear that, Hestia?” Master used Tasianna’s statement as his leverage to continue, “Your friend would fight by your side, however, what would happen if you were to fight somebody beyond your capabilities? Beyond what your team can handle?”
I had no answer outside of fleeing.
“You don’t want to fight me. This means the results will remain unknown to either of us, however, I am not the only strong person in this world. In fact, I don’t believe I am that strong compared to others! I am not even rank A,” he grumbled. “In Firwood, the closest town from here, has a rank A adventurer. He is above level 100.”
I gulped. Since I met the garm matriarch, the people I began to met were becoming stronger and stronger. First Asterios, now Master, and then there was this rank A person?
Master continued, “He is the guild master of the local hunter’s guild. The ‘Wing Ripper.’ A nickname he had earned from killing numerous flying beasts like griffons, hippogryphs, wyverns, and, from the rumors, also a dragon. Maybe a drake or lesser dragonkin, but that was what I heard from the adventurers there. Tell me, my apprentice, if you do not wish to fight me, what would you do if you anger such a man? What if he learns of your nature and wishes to fight? Would you turn him down? Can you turn him down? What if he forces you to fight? I do not know his demeanor, after all.”
Master was once again giving me all these hard questions. It was once again all about fighting. Fighting. Fighting. Fighting. That has been all I have done since I was born in this world! Where was my peace where I could frolic around and sing! I was an idol, not some warrior mage whose only thought was to become the best and strongest!
… But, I couldn’t ignore such a question this time. I couldn’t brush it over like Master’s challenge. If this person actually was a threat and sent after me ‘cause I was a dangerous dragon, what would I do? What if people began finding out my identity and thinking I was some savage beast. Would they listen to me if I talked to them as my dragonewt or human form?
In the end, the only path forward was to acquire strength. Speaking was nice, but sometimes even words wouldn’t help out. Just like what happened with the garm matriarch. I couldn’t stop her from fighting me so I could save her life. She wanted to die that day … so she could pass on Saori to me. To an otherworlder just like her last child.
“Here is the thing, Hestia, our world isn’t the most peaceful. You find bandits and monsters whenever you go out, you have merchants scamming you on money, and arrogant nobles. You might have been born in the Belzac forest, but one day, you will have to return to your family. Your mother and father,” Master stated it plainly, reminding me how much I didn’t want to meet them. I still didn’t think of them as my parents. “I don’t know much about the dragons or the Kargryxian imperial family, but I do know dragonkins. The ryuukoatls were territorial and eager to fight each other to test their worth. It could happen with the dragons; with your siblings, if you have any.”
I turned to Tasianna, but she couldn’t tell me about it. She knew the name of the dragon emperor, but not about my mother. Knowing my dragon father’s name would only create this invisible connection between us, so I didn’t want to know it now. Instead, Tasianna told me I did have siblings, but she didn’t know how many.
“… I think I get it.” There were too many arguments against my decision. Even without a fight, I knew what I said was wrong. In this world, standing still wasn’t allowed, as conflict could happen at any time. If I stayed weak, what would happen if I couldn’t defend my friends? All I could do was to trust in the two to grow while I discipline myself to prevent [Battle Frenzy].
“Strength doesn’t come from your stats and skills alone.” Master proceeded to take out his religious amulet, prompting Krim-Slak and Grazlahta to put down their shield and ring on the ground, respectively. “Items shouldn’t be neglected.”
Catalyst, runes, and enchantment. This lecture was his present to me after I understood how my thoughts were holding me back. Even if my worries were real, they shouldn’t blind me from the fact the world was larger than myself. Why would the world care about me? After all, even a stupid god like Shiterno could cause me torment like this. It made me feel even weaker.
So, to cheer me up, Master showed me a mage’s most powerful tool—a catalyst, or a magic tool. In addition, he also wanted to teach us about runes and enchantments.
“I am not an expert enough in these fields to give you all the details, but I assure you won’t be disappointed. Once you have the chance, find an alchemist, runesmith, and enchanter. Well, also don’t forget a blacksmith. Even if you cannot use all your equipment in your monster form, think of how they could empower you.”
“Nonsense, Kush!” Krim interjected. “Young scale, Saori, think about it. Monster armor. If you can find yourself a talented dwarven blacksmith, get them to join your party! In fact, any skilled smith you can trust. Imagine if you bring strong armor enchanted and fitted with runes into battle! Fiersome! What a sight!”
My weakest stats were undoubtedly my Vitality and Wisdom. If I could obtain some armor to block damage, cover up my weaknesses, it would be worth it. However, how are we supposed to hire a blacksmith for such a Job? If I evolved, I would just turn larger. We needed a smith who could journey with us.
I guess that is something I have to remember for the future. One of our party members needs to be a smith.
… Maybe it was a good choice not to fight Master, after all. I didn’t realize it when he tried to stop my rampage, but he did contend with my fire quite well.
“Every magic item can only have three enchantments maximum, as any more would cause it to blow up from the conflicting mana. This also means you cannot add runes with enchantments. You must choose one or the others, and you can’t remove any enchantments, so think wisely,” he explained.
“Oh, and you can’t add runes on ‘objects which didn’t come from the earth,’ or something like that,” Krim-Slak elaborated on runes. “The dwarf who made ours said you can apply it on anything that can survive some extreme heat. Metal, rock, maybe leather and wood. Clothing probably not. Mana clothes, magic tools like catalysts, and a few others can’t have runes at all. You need to rely on enchantments for those.”
“Very complicated,” Saori stated. “But it should be easy to remember. Then again, we will need funds first.”
Master nodded his head before putting his amulet back on his neck. “Exactly. That is why I mentioned you need to find a capable alchemist, runesmith, and enchanter for the three different systems of power.”
“An alchemist, you say?” Tasianna murmured, probably remembering how we had that discussion before. I remembered how Saori wanted one of us to become an alchemist so we could make money from potions.
Master then reiterated how he wasn’t an expert in these topics and asked us to find the artisans to elevate our knowledge. He was of the opinion that it would be better for us to witness the processes, instead of hearing it all from him as theory.
Krim-Slak and Grazlahta then took up their shields and activated a rune called [Defensive Rune: Auracoil], creating a mana shield around them. They mentioned how runes were a warrior’s best friend, since they didn’t need to learn how to use magic. Still, you needed [Mana Control] to activate them. In addition, they also activated runes on their respective weapons, causing them to be set on fire and lightning.
“Fire is good against trolls and any nasty regen-freak.” Krim-Slak held the flame in front of me, where I proved they weren’t strong enough to burn me by sticking my hand in it. “I also have a rune to turn it into the wind element. Makes the blade go faster, slice better.”
I then turned to Grazlahta, putting my hand on the electricity surrounding his weapon, before having to snapp my arm out of it. It felt like my hand was being fizzled up!
What the hell?!
After my curiosity was satisfied, Master coughed, drawing my attention back to him.
“Will you evolve?” he asked with an emotionless face, almost as he was judging me for my next decision.
“… I will.” My decision was final.
Master then smiled, nodding in relief. “Then … I have one more treat. This is something I cannot teach you myself, but I can inform you, so you can either learn it yourself or have somebody else teach it to you.”
“You’re my only master.”
“Ha ha ha!” He slapped his knee when he burst out in laughter. “What an answer! You make this elder scale happy, young scale. But, ahem, don’t be like that. You can have more than one master. I cannot teach you how to wield a weapon or act like a dragon, right? You need to seek teachers for those aspects. In this case, too. Do you know what a ‘Territory’ is?”
I shook my head and so did Saori and Tasianna. As such Master explained a “Territory” was the end goal for anybody with strong aura skills. Auras like [Terror Aura] or [Benevolent Aura] were in general not very useful combat-wise, only good to intimidate or charm others. However, a Territory was the culmination of these skills into an actual combat presence.
It was the release of your mana into the environment, changing it up and creating something akin to a “boss stage.” People with Territories could turn a grassland into a small ocean or volcano. They could summon weapons down to turn the tides, or make one of their techniques even stronger.
However, the lynchpin of this technique was you had to have an advanced form of an aura. For [Terror Aura] its advance form was [Tyrant’s Aura]. Once I had one, I could learn how to do this technique, but apparently you needed a teacher for it. Somebody to evoke that “drive” inside you, or whatever.
It was a bit vague, but Master did say he didn’t know much about it. It wasn’t some mystical or forbidden technique, but it was rare. Since Master didn’t have an advanced aura skill, he couldn’t do it. He was close with [Terror Aura Lv. 7], but it would take some years to level it up, he stated.
Not if he had the SP System, though. Of course, I didn’t bring it up for now.
In any case, after this lecture was done, Master told me to get a good night’s sleep. Sleep on the information I got today and my renewed convictions. As such, our group began to return to our home. It was then that Saori ruffled my hair.
“This is my choice, you know?”
“Hmm?” I raised an eyebrow, not understanding what she was talking about.
“Getting stronger, I mean,” she stated. “Back on Earth, I didn’t have many chances to express myself after my father died. Before I became a teacher, I deliberated a lot about my future. After getting my degree, I contemplated either continuing my studies or entering the workforce. Managing the four years of studies with a part-time job on the side, was no easy feat, especially when my mother herself still hasn’t fully accepted my father's death yet.”
Oh right, she practically had to do everything once her father passed away. Her mother’s health deteriorated, so she wasn’t able to contribute to the household, on the contrary, she had medical bills to pay.
[“In the end, I chose my mother, instead of advancing my dream, and decided to pursue a different career. I needed a well-paying job and, hopefully, one where I could use what I learned,”] Saori said with a grin. [“My passion is history, as you know, but I only had a bachelor's degree, needed to live close to my mother, and my alma mater was not the best so that limited my options. It took me so long to decide, especially when even my friends thought taking the job at Shirako High was impossible.”]
Saori nodded with a satisfied expression, reminiscing her past. [“Frankly, I wouldn’t have continued if it were not for all the bills that were piling up, haha. I took the highest paying job, the teacher position at Shirako High. I went to the interview expecting to humiliate myself and not getting the job, but somehow receiving the position in the end. It all seemed so fine … until I realized I never really felt fulfilled.”]
Saori mentioned how she enjoyed being with her students and how one of them even taught her how to cook. She enjoyed being with them, but wasn’t happy she had to be a teacher. To her, it was just a means to a goal. She needed money, and had to treat it as such. She demanded so much from her students ‘cause if they scored high, she would get a bonus.
Now in this world, she regretted those days. Back then, she needed money so she never thought of it too much. Now, she had all the time to think. To reflect.
“Let us do something fun together, Hestia. You, Tasianna, and me. Let us have fun and do what all of us want, but for that, I understand we need strength. So, let me be your crutch when you need it,” Saori demanded. “Not because I owe you, but because I want to help a friend. Let me choose what I want to do, even if it is not the most efficient path.”
“And let me be there when you need me, Lady Hestia,” Tasianna interjected. “You’ve seen Miss Saori’s progress. I won’t lag behind too much. I swear.”
“… Yeah. Thank you guys.”
Our silence filled the setting sun. Only our footsteps could be heard as we returned to the lively Carine village.
… Evolution … Yeah, let’s do it. For them, for myself.
AbyssRaven Some peace of mind. I also made a meta joke about how many fights we've been having in this novel, despite it also being a slice-of-life! Ahhhhh, where is my comfy life story!
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Thank you for reading this chapter.
“Appear, Shadow Pack!” Saori reached her arm out in a dramatic fashion, conjuring up a black magic circle. From it, a shadowy wolf the size of Saori appeared, growling and exposing its large fangs. “Now, Shadow Clone.”
I took a step back as I saw Saori’s figure appear from a second magic circle. Flabbergasted, I stared at the giant wolf to her right and her exact copy to the left. Seeing them both was a huge surprise, but what caused my jaw to drop was the fact she had cast both spells simultaneously.
“Y-You … when? N-not only was that two magic circles … but … w-was that a dark spell or … a custom spell?” I asked her with widened eyes, grinding my teeth together as a single cold sweat bead dropping to my cheeks.
“How do you like my little magic trick, Hestia?” Saori conveyed, showing a hint of smugness. “It took me almost three weeks, since we arrived in Artorias, to finish that custom spell. Thankfully, Mister Kushlek’zar did give me a ton of support, especially explaining how I could use [Shadow Clone]’s magic circle as a foundation for it. I learned [Fluid Cast] and [Multi-Cast] after we defeated the bandits.”
Artorias? Right, that’s the name of the kingdom. Almost forgot.
Her custom spell [Shadow Pack] was finalized a few days ago. I didn't know how she hid this from me, but it seemed she sneakily did a ton of magic training while I wasn’t looking. I knew she was taking lessons from Master just like me, but the fact she improved this much when she used to have such troubles with magic … wow.
“Training and studying do not just end after the sun has set,” Saori proudly announced while high-fiving her clone and stroking her giant shadow wolf. “You use your evenings to practice your singing, writing your songs, and creating your choreography. Your idol concert is more important to you, and that is something I respect as you are giving it your all. So, do not be so surprised that we were spending our time training.”
Now that I think about it, in our week of stay here, Saori and Tasianna always disappeared in the evening. After having dinner with them, I would engross myself in my prep for the concert, ignoring my surroundings. Mornings were always busy for us, so I never had time to work on it after breakfast.
They always gave the excuse that they were spying on the spies or speaking with the village watchmen, so I never doubted them. Hiding the whole picture under a veil of truths?
“Gahaha, Saori, come on! The lass is already perturbed, so show her the tricks we showed you!” Krim-Slak demanded from her while munching on some food.
Saori nodded and donned her [Shadow Armament] around her arms like gauntlets. She then conjured two [Dark Bolt]s, flaunting her [Multi-Cast] over my face since I still hadn’t been able to earn it, before grabbing them. Almost as if she had “umbrakinesis” she molded these spells into daggers she could hold.
While twirling them around, bragging about her dexterity, Saori suddenly threw the dagger into the air. As I looked up, I flinched back when she suddenly kicked the dagger, launching it right past my head with pinpoint accuracy. I followed its trajectory, but it suddenly stopped and began returning to its master, where I noticed a thin blue strand hanging off the dagger.
As it returned back into her hand, she threw the dagger up again, but this time, the shadow wolf grabbed it. “Good boy!” she praised him before rubbing his head. She then turned back to me, her face practically radiating positivity.
“And I will continue,” she stated. “Right now, I can do some party tricks like that, but I can also fight with them. Grazlahta and Krim have been teaching me. I will become better.”
I had forgotten about the fact I could have asked the two carnosilians for help when it came to weapons. “Ability” was a section in our Profiles which categorized non-spell attacks, which mostly included my dragon and weapon abilities. Saori told me she had learn an “unarmed” and “dagger” ability during her private training.
“And that is not all. Custom spell, spell techniques, and dagger proficiency might sound good, but that is not enough, right? I am okay being a rogue for our party … but I want to be a fully-fledged ‘arcane trickster,’ as the saurians called it.” Saori then snapped her fingers, pointing up in the sky where I saw a larger magic circle forming.
Around the size of a tree, the black circle lit up for a moment before something like a blade came out of its like a portal. In the next moment, the giant blade dung right into the ground, gouging out a large section of earth and launching it into the air. However, it didn’t stop, this pendulum kept rotating around the magic circle, destroying anything it touched.
“[Tenebrous Magic Lv. 1]’s [Umbra Pendulum].”
“… You did it?” I stared at the giant spell, unable to believe Saori had managed to evolve her [Dark Magic] into its advanced elemental form. I thought she used SP to level it up, but considering how smug she was, she couldn’t have. She wasn’t that type of person.
In fact, this suspicion died in the next moment as Master spoke, “I watched over her training. She got [Fluid Cast], [Multi-Cast], and also leveled up her element all under my watch. Mhmm, it feels good to have three apprentices. It makes me proud to see your progress!”
“Thank you very much, Mister Kushlek’zar.” Saori bowed deeply to him after canceling her [Umbra Pendulum].
Satisfied with that feature, Master then looked over to me. A smile was forming on his dinosaur head. “Do you see now, my apprentice? Your companions will become stronger. How and why? Because I have to make sure I repay all three of you for accepting me as your teacher.”
Master …
“It’s also a matter of pride,” Grazlahta added. “Remember? Kush never managed to train up his students back when he was just a normal Depth Priest in Caedhul. He was a gifted shaman back in Aelozonia, but when we arrived on this continent, he learned he was nothing compared to the levianewt, naga, and merfolk mages in the capital of Goddess Plesia’s faith.”
“I just wasn’t a good teacher back then. Nor a mage.” Master shook his head in annoyance of his own failure. “Arrogance didn’t blind me, but the fact I couldn’t assimilate into the continent’s magic training. My students were used to a different method … and I soon learned my ways were antiquated. In our jungle back in Aelozonia, I thought of the world as so much smaller … only to learn how everything had progressed right past me.”
Master raised his head, staring into the darkening sky with a longing expression. “That is why, I dedicated myself to learning. To practice. And here, my efforts were finally rewarded. I have a little dragon, a diligent cadejo, and an eager fairy as my students. To me … I can’t help but find some pride in this. We’ve only just met, but you all exceeded my expectations.”
He knew our titles gave us a skill proficiency boost, but he told us it came from our hard work. We really only just met, but in this one week where I officially became his apprentice, it felt like months had passed. To all of us, Master Kushlek’zar had been a real boon. To the point I was ready to tell him how I was an otherworlder. Even Tasianna told him she was a fairy, something she intending to hide.
“That is why …” His voice lowered before he sat down on the ground, prompting me to do the same. “I can’t allow you to purposely weaken yourself. Back to my question, can you defeat me in your dragon form, Hestia?”
There was that question again. Master really was provoking me into a fight here.
If you thought about it normally, in my dragon form, my offensive stats were higher than his, while my defences were lower. I was also far faster, to the point I could blitz him. However, the thing was, up until now, Master hadn’t really gone fully serious.
Even back in the bandit or whenever we spared, he never really had a deathmatch mentality. It was always either “I need to stop her” or “sparring is over.” He never thought of me as an enemy he had to kill for his survival, and even then, his magic prowess was scaring me a bit. Trepidation of the unknown, really.
I might have had my moments where I wanted to test my power against other monsters, but I still considered surviving the goal of everybody. You won by getting out of a fight alive, regardless of whatever triggered it. However, would I consider fighting Master in that manner? Where a single mistake could end the other’s life?
No.
“… I don’t know,” I answered his question. “I’m not the sort of person who would go into a fight not knowing if I could win. I would rather run if I’m not forced into it, like saving somebody.”
“Hmph.” Grazalahta shook his head. “A warrior should always seek out difficult fights to better themselves. If all you do is run, how can you overcome your limits?”
It was a fundamental difference in our philosophies. Saori, Tasianna, and I shared this survivalist mentality, although to different degrees. On the other hand, Grazlahta and Krim-Slak were both bonafide warriors and challengers, seeking to better themselves with more and more battles. They sought strength to challenge others during their job as Tide Watchers.
“I just think that it’s unnecessary …” I rebuked him. “Whether Saori and Tasianna want to prove themselves to me in a fight, or if I fought Master to prove to him I am strong enough doesn’t matter in the end run. Fighting to me is a necessity; either to survive, obtain a goal, or defend my friends. I don’t do it out of lust … at least, I don’t want it to be lust.”
Once again, the fact I knew I had battle lust inside me made me feel uncomfortable. How I was drunk on power during my early days when I was reborn in this world, and how I could only think about leveling. I still had these moments. It felt right … but it also felt wrong. All of these thoughts swirled in me as I thought of [Battle Frenzy], my innate bloodlust from my dragon bloodline.
Saori and Tasianna knew about it already, but they still tried to push me forward. I wanted to stand still, wait for them before we reached the finish line, but they didn’t care. They knew fighting me wouldn’t have proved anything. They couldn’t beat me in my dragon form, and doing it with some gimmick wouldn’t work. The moment I went berserk, then it was all-in. So … they were doing it through words.
“… I will do anything for you, Princess Hestia.” Tasianna grabbed my shoulder. “If I have to stain my hands with blood, so you don’t have to fight, then so be it. I do not wish to hold you back, I want to stand beside you as you walk into the world. My life is yours, my Princess.”
Ever since the bandit quest, Tasianna had changed a bit. She had become more assertive. Was she hiding something? I did miss my old friend, where she was a bit more timid, but I guess even she was growing. She wasn’t letting emotions hold her back like this.
“Do you hear that, Hestia?” Master used Tasianna’s statement as his leverage to continue, “Your friend would fight by your side, however, what would happen if you were to fight somebody beyond your capabilities? Beyond what your team can handle?”
I had no answer outside of fleeing.
“You don’t want to fight me. This means the results will remain unknown to either of us, however, I am not the only strong person in this world. In fact, I don’t believe I am that strong compared to others! I am not even rank A,” he grumbled. “In Firwood, the closest town from here, has a rank A adventurer. He is above level 100.”
I gulped. Since I met the garm matriarch, the people I began to met were becoming stronger and stronger. First Asterios, now Master, and then there was this rank A person?
Master continued, “He is the guild master of the local hunter’s guild. The ‘Wing Ripper.’ A nickname he had earned from killing numerous flying beasts like griffons, hippogryphs, wyverns, and, from the rumors, also a dragon. Maybe a drake or lesser dragonkin, but that was what I heard from the adventurers there. Tell me, my apprentice, if you do not wish to fight me, what would you do if you anger such a man? What if he learns of your nature and wishes to fight? Would you turn him down? Can you turn him down? What if he forces you to fight? I do not know his demeanor, after all.”
Master was once again giving me all these hard questions. It was once again all about fighting. Fighting. Fighting. Fighting. That has been all I have done since I was born in this world! Where was my peace where I could frolic around and sing! I was an idol, not some warrior mage whose only thought was to become the best and strongest!
… But, I couldn’t ignore such a question this time. I couldn’t brush it over like Master’s challenge. If this person actually was a threat and sent after me ‘cause I was a dangerous dragon, what would I do? What if people began finding out my identity and thinking I was some savage beast. Would they listen to me if I talked to them as my dragonewt or human form?
In the end, the only path forward was to acquire strength. Speaking was nice, but sometimes even words wouldn’t help out. Just like what happened with the garm matriarch. I couldn’t stop her from fighting me so I could save her life. She wanted to die that day … so she could pass on Saori to me. To an otherworlder just like her last child.
“Here is the thing, Hestia, our world isn’t the most peaceful. You find bandits and monsters whenever you go out, you have merchants scamming you on money, and arrogant nobles. You might have been born in the Belzac forest, but one day, you will have to return to your family. Your mother and father,” Master stated it plainly, reminding me how much I didn’t want to meet them. I still didn’t think of them as my parents. “I don’t know much about the dragons or the Kargryxian imperial family, but I do know dragonkins. The ryuukoatls were territorial and eager to fight each other to test their worth. It could happen with the dragons; with your siblings, if you have any.”
I turned to Tasianna, but she couldn’t tell me about it. She knew the name of the dragon emperor, but not about my mother. Knowing my dragon father’s name would only create this invisible connection between us, so I didn’t want to know it now. Instead, Tasianna told me I did have siblings, but she didn’t know how many.
“… I think I get it.” There were too many arguments against my decision. Even without a fight, I knew what I said was wrong. In this world, standing still wasn’t allowed, as conflict could happen at any time. If I stayed weak, what would happen if I couldn’t defend my friends? All I could do was to trust in the two to grow while I discipline myself to prevent [Battle Frenzy].
“Strength doesn’t come from your stats and skills alone.” Master proceeded to take out his religious amulet, prompting Krim-Slak and Grazlahta to put down their shield and ring on the ground, respectively. “Items shouldn’t be neglected.”
Catalyst, runes, and enchantment. This lecture was his present to me after I understood how my thoughts were holding me back. Even if my worries were real, they shouldn’t blind me from the fact the world was larger than myself. Why would the world care about me? After all, even a stupid god like Shiterno could cause me torment like this. It made me feel even weaker.
So, to cheer me up, Master showed me a mage’s most powerful tool—a catalyst, or a magic tool. In addition, he also wanted to teach us about runes and enchantments.
“I am not an expert enough in these fields to give you all the details, but I assure you won’t be disappointed. Once you have the chance, find an alchemist, runesmith, and enchanter. Well, also don’t forget a blacksmith. Even if you cannot use all your equipment in your monster form, think of how they could empower you.”
“Nonsense, Kush!” Krim interjected. “Young scale, Saori, think about it. Monster armor. If you can find yourself a talented dwarven blacksmith, get them to join your party! In fact, any skilled smith you can trust. Imagine if you bring strong armor enchanted and fitted with runes into battle! Fiersome! What a sight!”
My weakest stats were undoubtedly my Vitality and Wisdom. If I could obtain some armor to block damage, cover up my weaknesses, it would be worth it. However, how are we supposed to hire a blacksmith for such a Job? If I evolved, I would just turn larger. We needed a smith who could journey with us.
I guess that is something I have to remember for the future. One of our party members needs to be a smith.
… Maybe it was a good choice not to fight Master, after all. I didn’t realize it when he tried to stop my rampage, but he did contend with my fire quite well.
“Every magic item can only have three enchantments maximum, as any more would cause it to blow up from the conflicting mana. This also means you cannot add runes with enchantments. You must choose one or the others, and you can’t remove any enchantments, so think wisely,” he explained.
“Oh, and you can’t add runes on ‘objects which didn’t come from the earth,’ or something like that,” Krim-Slak elaborated on runes. “The dwarf who made ours said you can apply it on anything that can survive some extreme heat. Metal, rock, maybe leather and wood. Clothing probably not. Mana clothes, magic tools like catalysts, and a few others can’t have runes at all. You need to rely on enchantments for those.”
“Very complicated,” Saori stated. “But it should be easy to remember. Then again, we will need funds first.”
Master nodded his head before putting his amulet back on his neck. “Exactly. That is why I mentioned you need to find a capable alchemist, runesmith, and enchanter for the three different systems of power.”
“An alchemist, you say?” Tasianna murmured, probably remembering how we had that discussion before. I remembered how Saori wanted one of us to become an alchemist so we could make money from potions.
Master then reiterated how he wasn’t an expert in these topics and asked us to find the artisans to elevate our knowledge. He was of the opinion that it would be better for us to witness the processes, instead of hearing it all from him as theory.
Krim-Slak and Grazlahta then took up their shields and activated a rune called [Defensive Rune: Auracoil], creating a mana shield around them. They mentioned how runes were a warrior’s best friend, since they didn’t need to learn how to use magic. Still, you needed [Mana Control] to activate them. In addition, they also activated runes on their respective weapons, causing them to be set on fire and lightning.
“Fire is good against trolls and any nasty regen-freak.” Krim-Slak held the flame in front of me, where I proved they weren’t strong enough to burn me by sticking my hand in it. “I also have a rune to turn it into the wind element. Makes the blade go faster, slice better.”
I then turned to Grazlahta, putting my hand on the electricity surrounding his weapon, before having to snapp my arm out of it. It felt like my hand was being fizzled up!
What the hell?!
After my curiosity was satisfied, Master coughed, drawing my attention back to him.
“Will you evolve?” he asked with an emotionless face, almost as he was judging me for my next decision.
“… I will.” My decision was final.
Master then smiled, nodding in relief. “Then … I have one more treat. This is something I cannot teach you myself, but I can inform you, so you can either learn it yourself or have somebody else teach it to you.”
“You’re my only master.”
“Ha ha ha!” He slapped his knee when he burst out in laughter. “What an answer! You make this elder scale happy, young scale. But, ahem, don’t be like that. You can have more than one master. I cannot teach you how to wield a weapon or act like a dragon, right? You need to seek teachers for those aspects. In this case, too. Do you know what a ‘Territory’ is?”
I shook my head and so did Saori and Tasianna. As such Master explained a “Territory” was the end goal for anybody with strong aura skills. Auras like [Terror Aura] or [Benevolent Aura] were in general not very useful combat-wise, only good to intimidate or charm others. However, a Territory was the culmination of these skills into an actual combat presence.
It was the release of your mana into the environment, changing it up and creating something akin to a “boss stage.” People with Territories could turn a grassland into a small ocean or volcano. They could summon weapons down to turn the tides, or make one of their techniques even stronger.
However, the lynchpin of this technique was you had to have an advanced form of an aura. For [Terror Aura] its advance form was [Tyrant’s Aura]. Once I had one, I could learn how to do this technique, but apparently you needed a teacher for it. Somebody to evoke that “drive” inside you, or whatever.
It was a bit vague, but Master did say he didn’t know much about it. It wasn’t some mystical or forbidden technique, but it was rare. Since Master didn’t have an advanced aura skill, he couldn’t do it. He was close with [Terror Aura Lv. 7], but it would take some years to level it up, he stated.
Not if he had the SP System, though. Of course, I didn’t bring it up for now.
In any case, after this lecture was done, Master told me to get a good night’s sleep. Sleep on the information I got today and my renewed convictions. As such, our group began to return to our home. It was then that Saori ruffled my hair.
“This is my choice, you know?”
“Hmm?” I raised an eyebrow, not understanding what she was talking about.
“Getting stronger, I mean,” she stated. “Back on Earth, I didn’t have many chances to express myself after my father died. Before I became a teacher, I deliberated a lot about my future. After getting my degree, I contemplated either continuing my studies or entering the workforce. Managing the four years of studies with a part-time job on the side, was no easy feat, especially when my mother herself still hasn’t fully accepted my father's death yet.”
Oh right, she practically had to do everything once her father passed away. Her mother’s health deteriorated, so she wasn’t able to contribute to the household, on the contrary, she had medical bills to pay.
[“In the end, I chose my mother, instead of advancing my dream, and decided to pursue a different career. I needed a well-paying job and, hopefully, one where I could use what I learned,”] Saori said with a grin. [“My passion is history, as you know, but I only had a bachelor's degree, needed to live close to my mother, and my alma mater was not the best so that limited my options. It took me so long to decide, especially when even my friends thought taking the job at Shirako High was impossible.”]
Saori nodded with a satisfied expression, reminiscing her past. [“Frankly, I wouldn’t have continued if it were not for all the bills that were piling up, haha. I took the highest paying job, the teacher position at Shirako High. I went to the interview expecting to humiliate myself and not getting the job, but somehow receiving the position in the end. It all seemed so fine … until I realized I never really felt fulfilled.”]
Saori mentioned how she enjoyed being with her students and how one of them even taught her how to cook. She enjoyed being with them, but wasn’t happy she had to be a teacher. To her, it was just a means to a goal. She needed money, and had to treat it as such. She demanded so much from her students ‘cause if they scored high, she would get a bonus.
Now in this world, she regretted those days. Back then, she needed money so she never thought of it too much. Now, she had all the time to think. To reflect.
“Let us do something fun together, Hestia. You, Tasianna, and me. Let us have fun and do what all of us want, but for that, I understand we need strength. So, let me be your crutch when you need it,” Saori demanded. “Not because I owe you, but because I want to help a friend. Let me choose what I want to do, even if it is not the most efficient path.”
“And let me be there when you need me, Lady Hestia,” Tasianna interjected. “You’ve seen Miss Saori’s progress. I won’t lag behind too much. I swear.”
“… Yeah. Thank you guys.”
Our silence filled the setting sun. Only our footsteps could be heard as we returned to the lively Carine village.
… Evolution … Yeah, let’s do it. For them, for myself.
AbyssRaven Some peace of mind. I also made a meta joke about how many fights we've been having in this novel, despite it also being a slice-of-life! Ahhhhh, where is my comfy life story!
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