“Is that so, Lady Ellaine? Why, considering that your father was just elevated to a higher rank, you should have expected that you would receive more attention. Not like you hadn’t already.”
“The invitations have been piling up, Lady Severa. It’s gotten to the point that I wish Lady Hestia would drag me out to do more Quests, just so I can have more excuses to refuse them all.”
“Well, it is something you’ll have to just bear with. Even Cernust and I have things to sort out before we can advance to the next phase.”
It has been three days since the orphan trafficking incident on the midnight of the 17th. After receiving rather chilling information that a demonkin had infiltrated the lycerepth entourage, most of us couldn’t get a real rest that night.
Of course, since it was important for her safety, Hestia did warn Saintess Eshe’s knights to be wary of them, using Goddess Aurena as an excuse for knowing about it. “We swore our loyalty to our Lady. Even if the opponent was the Holy Emperor, we would stand with her,” they replied with conviction. They were the ideal knights to me.
Still, even with that news, it wasn’t as if we could run up to the lycerepthors and denounce one of them as being a demonkin. Klea’Hatma clarified that demonic mana surrounded all the lycerepthors like cloaks, and assumed the demonkin did it to hide their existence. While she could detect the demonic mana, she wasn’t capable of pinpointing the source in her current state.
Klea’Hatma also informed us that her former compatriot — the Demon of Envy — could fully transform themselves into whatever form they wanted, making them one of the best infiltrators. If their descendants inherited this power, like the Prince of Envy impersonating the Pope did, then it could be any one of those lycerepthors. Maybe even the judge, Pestrodus.
As such, instead of trying to expose this menace, it was better to take cautionary measures like informing His Majesty. For whatever reason this demonkin was in Griffonpeak at this moment, it couldn’t be good.
Also, I heard that his Majesty summoned Hestia and that she had to apologize for endangering herself by going into Shaturein. I was surprised I wasn’t punished for not stopping Hestia. She was a very, very important foreign dignitary, even if she didn’t act like one all the time.
“Lady Ellaine, is something worrying you, again?” Snapping out of my thoughts, I turned to face the person I was having my lunch with — Severa Moreschi, daughter of Viscount Moreschi of the Lecartiglio duchy.
“Ah! I apologize, that was rude of me,” I responded, embarrassed at having been caught spacing out.
“It’s fine. You have much to think about, but this is your lunchtime. You should eat before, uhm, you have a physical education period today, correct? Your body will need energy for that.”
“Mhm, that’s right. Thank you.”
Honestly, she and I became good acquaintances in such a weird way. While so many other noble ladies approached me to get closer to Hestia, and lately to get closer to my house after father became an arcanuess, Lady Severa approached me to deliver a message from Hestia’s acquaintance Cernust.
In the letter, the aforementioned Cernust complained to Hestia that Lord Duke Greenveil had hired him to regrow the woods the rachonoid queen destroyed during the dungeon break in Cedaraille, and that he was recommended by her to Lord Duke Greenveil. There was so much to do that he could neither visit his Princess, Hestia, nor his beloved, Lady Severa, in Griffonpeak due to this request.
Regardless, while I had mentioned briefly meeting Lady Severa the day they encountered the grimgarian battalion, I didn’t think I would meet her at the royal academy. I meant, actually speaking with her instead of just greeting each other in passing. I haven’t been particularly popular at the academy for a while now, so I found it surprising that somebody approached me without any political agenda.
This all happened after the ball, so I was already on edge with so many noblemen and ladies trying to smooth talk themselves into becoming “friends.” I knew they were only interested in Hestia and the rumors of the partnership between father and Lord Duke Greenveil. I was just their middleman.
It’s such a difference now that I have somebody to talk to in the academy. My life really was lonely before, huh?
After my father was honorably elevated to the rank of arcanuess by Lord Duke Greenveil, my time in the academy had also changed. Despite the royal academy advertising that rank didn’t matter here in this educational system, there were still a lot of ways to segregate students from others. For example, the three cafeterias and how they were decorated.
The first, and most lavishly decorated of the lot, was reserved for the children of royalty, greifnobles, and arcanuesses, the second was for the rest of the nobles, while the third was where commoner students ate. From what was explained, this system was there to allow students to comfortably eat and talk with each other, but I guess it’s just a way to keep those of a similar ranking together to bond with.
As much as the royal academy wanted to imitate Aleistunum culture, where students could actually learn without fearing ranks, our academy’s board of directors proved to be a thorn to this plan. As the board was made up of high-ranking Artorian nobles, it was obvious decisions would be made to favor the nobility. While commoners could still learn here, they certainly didn’t have it easy.
At the very least, the food was kept at the same quality for each cafeteria. The only difference between the cafeteria I used when my father was a count and now that he was an arcanuess was really only the decor and people around. At least I was allowed to invite whoever I wanted to come eat with me.
After spending a good lunch break with Lady Severa, the bell struck, signaling the end of the break and the time to return to class. Ignoring everybody’s inquisitive eyes, I said goodbye to Severa and walked over to the classroom for my next period — agriculture and farm management. To a noble from the Greenveil duchy, including this lesson in your schedule was as normal as a Morgiana noble attending magic courses.
“Now, as you already know, mana concentration in the soil usually acts as a growth accelerant. Not only does it aid in the harvest yield, but it also nurtures beneficial critters like worms and various insects which help break down fertilizer faster. A simple question to start off the class, then. Why is it recommended to keep the mana concentration low?” the professor asked, pointing at a male student to answer it.
“Monster spawning, of course. Since farms are cultivated by serf villages, it is best if we do not risk large monster spawnings and instead save on the pay for guards. Some mana is good, but too much, and the risks will outweigh the benefits.”
“Correct! Moderation is best in this case; however, recent studies done by the researchers in the Magical Capital have discovered that the type and quality of mana can have a significant effect on the end product of a crop.”
Somebody raised their hand at this moment, wanting to ask a question, which the professor accepted.
“Professor, isn’t this already well known? The reason why Belzac herbs are potent is due to the area they grow in. The mana in the Belzac forest is so ripe that the quality of herbs grown there and here in the kingdom differs starkly.”
“Yes, but do you know what produces this mana?” Nobody answered. “It is a known fact that different creatures produce different types of mana. The mana from a dragon and a human cannot be compared. Spells also change the property of mana to a different element, similar to how elementals do it. However—”
Picking up his mana pen, the professor began writing on the fairnite board, imprinting blue glowing words for everybody to read.
“How does this work? What makes the mana in the Belzac forest different from that of the farms in Greenveil Duchy? How is the mana from a monster different from that of a human or beastman? Is there an organ that produces this effect or is our blood and mana connected in some way? From the notes of Goddess Chihiro, research has also been done on uncovering genetics and how it might be involved in the different types of mana.”
The revolution queen, Dravlia Kongun, who later became known as the Goddess Chihiro, was most likely the most important person for Peolynca’s development in the last 200 years. A transmigrator from the same world as Hestia and Saori, she was a wellspring of innovative ideas and a champion of progress. Even after her death and apotheosis, her notes and inventions still aided us in research like this.
I do wonder what Hestia’s and Saori’s marks on the world will be. But then again, they will outlast quite a lot of people due to their lifespan. Even me.
I raised my hand. “Professor, while I do understand this is a very fascinating topic, your excitement might be diverting us from the primary subject for today. How can different types of mana affect crop quality and is there a way to recreate this?”
“Ahh, I apologize, Miss Ellaine. This is something I shouldn’t take away from your magic theory professors, haha! Now, to answer your question—”
As I was about to begin writing down my notes, I overheard some students speaking behind my back. Improving my hearing through skills really helped.
“Tch, the teacher actually raised an interesting point and she wants the boring facts we’ve already read from the textbooks.”
“Mhmm. Don’t you think she’s gotten a bit arrogant with her house’s recent success? The rumors even say she’s become a retainer to that Lady Hestia.”
Flies buzzing around.
I ignored them and continued writing down every word my professor spoke, planning to organize them into proper notes afterward. Mother mentioned this was how she taught herself to make notes since it helped you become a better listener, a valuable trait for court politicking. Well, not like it will become useful for me.
“Do you think she might just be bored from staying here? Why hasn’t she requested a time off yet?”
Whether it was during a tea party or at the academy, gossiping was not an uncommon occurrence. However, it wasn’t like this one was wrong. I was bored. Every week, five days in a row. Academy in the morning to dull my senses, and more in the afternoon to drive me to tears. I would only be introduced to something fun and interesting in the evening.
Maybe I really was becoming spoiled recently. Becoming a member of Aurora has not only helped me deal with some of my personal problems but also helped me become much stronger. In addition, ever since I met them, I cannot tell how often I’ve thought, “My heart is about to stop!” Not in a bad way, but in a good way.
My life after father stopped training me with brother was just dull and dreary, to be honest. I lived the life of an average young noble lady by speaking with the people my parents wanted me to be acquainted with, learning the skills necessary to become a proper noblewoman, and just not acting out to shame my house. Well, not like I was that successful with that last part.
But, after I’d visited the Cedaraille dungeon and fought that lightning wyvern, my mundane life just seemed even more mundane. It is the breaks in between these moments that really invigorated me. My training with father, my adventures as a member of Aurora, and Master Grimnir’s loud voice pounding in my eardrums whenever I made a mistake with repairs. Spending time with genuine friends and surviving through our antics made all of the academy and tea parties just annoying.
Well, speaking of genuine friends.
I looked around the room, trying to find Amelia, but it seemed like she wasn’t here. For a daughter of a commoner woman, Amelia always was quite the workaholic and perfectionist. She had to prove herself to her noble peers as the daughter of a duke.
Even if her half-siblings would inherit their father’s titles and land at the end of the day, Amelia couldn’t escape the life of a noble even if she took over for her grandfather and became the president of the Sarlenzia company. Their most prominent customers were aristocrats, after all.
As such, it surprised me that she wasn’t here today. Even if she knew the subject like the back of her hand, she would be here for the same reason I was here.
Reputation and image.
I promised father to attend the academy to help restore my damaged reputation from rejecting my birthright and handing the inheritance to brother without a proper duel. Outside of Brother dropping from the academy, everything went alright after I returned.
But, Amelia’s business wasn’t mine anymore. Considering how much of a selfish friend I was to her, I did not deserve to meddle in her affairs anymore. We had to work together and maintain a good enough reputation for our respective houses, but our friendship was no more.
I shouldn’t get distracted. It’s still a long way until I can go home. Haaaaa, I wish I had a way to speed up time…
After what felt like an eternity, I managed to endure through additional classes until it was time for physical education. Compared to the training I suffered through with either Father or Hestia, this seemed more like a warm-up for me, even while the non-knight students struggled to catch their breath.
After doing some laps and stretching, it was time for some Elemental Barrage, or, as Hestia called it, Peolyncian tag. Apparently, this exercise was a bit like an Earthly game called tag, but we could use magic and unarmed abilities. No weapons or lethal attacks, of course.
[“Welp, more training to fight against multiple targets, Ellaine. Get ready.”]
[“Urgh… let’s see if I can do it again. Three in a row, I wonder?”]
There was also another distinction — it was everybody for themselves. The person with the most people tagged out wins. There were no official teams.
After accepting a room key from the receptionist of the training building, I went over and entered a small private changing room. Since privacy was important to nobles, the academy was funded enough to afford rooms for three classes worth of students to change at the same time. Inside one, I changed to the academy-issued training outfit.
Should I bring it with me today, again? It dangles too much without my chainmail.
I was speaking about my [Necklace of Vampiric Undying]. You could say that I’m feeling a bit paranoid after what happened with that lightning wyvern. Even if the Goddess and Klea’Hatma were ready to save me at the last moment, I couldn’t argue that I was this close to dying. To me, it felt as if time had slowed down, letting me have enough time to think of everything that occurred up to this moment.
Except when bathing, I haven’t gone anywhere without this necklace. Even when I sleep, I keep it on. Life is too precious to die this young, and this necklace is here to grant me that second chance if that does happen. It doesn’t grant me any other benefit outside of a single death save.
[“If you’re that nervous, you should just bring it with you, Ellaine. A human’s mortality is far too short for you to worry about death this much,”] Klea’Hatma advised.
[“I know,”] I acknowledged, putting the necklace back on. [“Klea’Hatma… I have a question. Do you fear death?”]
[“You are asking a being whose only binding to life is this little speck of mana inside your rings. Have you forgotten that Aurena destroyed my soul?”] I looked at her bitterly, realizing that was a bit insensitive of me, but Klea’Hatma simply laughed it off. [“Hahaha, oh, don’t give me that look, dear. I’ve lived a life too long for you to ever understand. If it weren’t for my hedonistic tendencies, I would have accepted death as the sweet release from my immortal coil. Mhm, to join my compatriots. It wouldn’t be so lonely anymore.”]
Klea’Hatma had been imprisoned inside that dwarven ruin for over 2000 years, and was only recently released by Hestia and the others. Her soul was destroyed and she was made to do my biddings in order to continue “surviving.” It was pitiful, to say the least.
Stop. As a demon, one of the creatures deemed enemies by the Origin Gods, I shouldn’t feel sympathy for her. I should remember that she will do anything to free herself and restore her soul and body.
I gave a solemn nod of understanding to Klea’Hatma and exited the changing room and went outside to the training grounds. As I entered it, the effects of the mana barrier began to affect me. This was a barrier designed to temporarily reduce Strength and Intelligence, while raising Vitality and Wisdom. It was there to reduce the likelihood of death.
After doing some laps and stretching as a warm-up, it was time for Elemental Barrage. After making sure I was limber enough, I turned around to see all my classmates glaring at me. If I had arrived earlier at the academy, I could have joined the PE classes suited for the knight students. However, as I didn’t, the ones I was facing were those with little to no combat experience.
Still, they knew I was their biggest threat. It has been like this for nearly a month now. I have participated in this four times now. In the first, I dominated everybody since they didn’t expect me to have improved too much, while I lost the second before I realized too late that everybody was aiming at me. For the last two, I was prepared and went in to win.
Today, for the fifth match, it wouldn’t be any different. Three wins in a row, that was my goal.
“The potency of the barrier has been increased. Everybody ready themselves… Begin!”
It wasn’t even a contest.
Even without my sword, I’ve more experience fighting as a mage due to Mother’s and Hestia’s training. Even with all the projectiles shot at me at the beginning of the fight, I managed to use wind and earth magic tactically to escape everything.
There were fire, water, wind, and earth mages as well as those from knight houses amongst my classmates. However, unlike a well-practiced party, they weren’t able to show enough coordination to defeat a single superior opponent. I wasn’t fighting against 22 nobles, I was fighting against a mob.
“The match is over! Final tally — Lady Ellaine Helvas at 18 points, Lord Oliver Farsrein at two points, with Lord William Colhan and Lady Beatrice Catrina at one point each. The winner is Lady Ellaine Fierro Helvas!”
When the match looked unbeatable, the remaining nobles turned against each other to gain some points before I could finish them in a clean wipe. Well, not like it mattered to me. A win is a win. And with that, the day came to an end.
Without changing my clothes, I picked up my belongings from my private room, intending to leave before everybody else finished changing. My classmates would shower me with worthless flattery and other gestures if I didn’t leave immediately. I wanted to avoid that as best as I could.
As I was about to leave, I noticed a few young men waiting outside. Nobles were allowed to enter the academy with their retainers, that was why the academy also had a sizable commoner population amongst the students. Those who came from humble homes and those who swore loyalty to a noble house either by themselves or through their family.
If these students were the retainers of my classmates, then that probably meant my noble peers noticed me avoiding them. These young men were here to stop me, most likely. As such, I went over to the back entrance and used the stealth training I received from Saori to its fullest, sneaking away from everybody right under their noses.
As I let out a sigh of relief, I suddenly noticed two people hanging out in the shadow of a nearby building, the one Principal Thyra was building for her new classes. Since it was afternoon, the construction work has stopped. Still, entering the building wasn’t allowed for safety reasons.
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Probably should leave. Not worth getting in trouble for eavesdropping.
Turning around, I began making my way to the entrance. Usually, after all the classes were over, most students would meet up at the communal building to spend time with each other, while the knight and magic-focused students left for training.
I had training with my father. Gargoyle usage was only allowed at specific locations to prevent air traffic, and one of those places was the academy entrance. I heard Hestia was coming back to the city today after testing out her portal system, so I definitely have to—
“Well, my dear Lady Amelia, I hope we have a deal~”
I immediately activated my stealth skills and snuck behind a corner, perking my ears in the direction of that voice. I took a peek, recognizing a tall man in silver-gold armor speaking with a young girl with green and lilac hair. The man’s groomed light green hair was pretty noticeable, even without his armor.
“Lord Charleslyt, there is no deal. If you wish to make me your fiance, go to my father and ask him for my hand. My marriage is not for me alone to decide on!”
Huh?! Marriage?! Hold on, who is marrying who? Amelia?! Lord Charleslyt?! What?!
“But, Lady Amelia, was my proposal not very enticing? Considering my standing and how the church supports my every action, it would boost your own image even more. Think of the acknowledgement and respect you can gain by joining me.”
I couldn’t stop myself. I couldn’t look away nor stop eavesdropping. The moment I heard Amelia’s name, my body just instinctively hid behind this corner and began listening to what was going on.
It was even more surprising when Lord Charleslyt was named. Who was he but the most popular noble in the kingdom right now? Even the crown prince, an incredibly handsome and capable man destined to rule the kingdom one day, is less on the mind of young ladies than Lord Charleslyt.
Although he wasn’t the heir, he still was Duke Equevanna’s second son. He was not only a B rank adventurer but he was also supported by the church in the effort to become a champion of the Goddess. If you heard this, any father would want this person as a son-in-law. Even if his reputation wasn’t the most stellar thanks to the rougher members of his party, he was known to be cordial and a smooth talker inside the court.
And he is also the one who took in Jonathan. He is my brother’s party leader. And now he is speaking with Amelia about marriage.
However, without any warning, Amelia pushed Lord Charleslyt back. “E-Enough. I don’t care what you have to offer me or whatever you think I need, Lord Charleslyt. You shouldn’t drag an unmarried woman into a lone place like this. Please, if you want my hand, talk with my father!”
“Mhmm, I see,” Lord Charleslyt nodded, raising his hands as he walked back slowly. “I apologize, but please see this as a gesture of my feelings for you. Still, I promise you, if we were to be wed together, I would make sure that the Sarlenzia company never faces any hardships ever again. I shall help you make it the best merchant company in the west. Please, consider this when you inform your honorable father, Lord Duke Greenveil.”
And with a flamboyant bow, Lord Charleslyt left Amelia. Graduated nobles were allowed to visit the academy, but I’d never seen one of them visiting just to offer his hand to a girl. Maybe I’m just not popular enough to know about it.
After he left, I watched Amelia, who let out a deep sigh and began leaning her back onto the wall, looking unnerved as she tried to calm her breathing. Noticing something was wrong, I walked over to speak with her. She’s not my friend anymore, but that doesn't mean our past friendship was a lie.
“Amelia?”
“Kyaaaak!” Amelia screamed, covering her mouth with her hands. “E-Ellaine?”
“I’m sorry! So sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you like that, Amelia. Uhm, well, I saw that you weren’t looking very well, and we aren’t allowed to enter this building so… Well, are you alright?”
“Y-Yes, thank you for worrying about me, but, why are you here in your training clothes? Why do you smell like sweat?” She pinched her nose, making me conscious of what I was wearing in front of her.
“I-I ran away before I could take a shower. To avoid everybody, you see.” The changing room had a small restroom with a toilet and shower. I could have showered, but that would have delayed my escape.
“I see… You have it hard, too,” she nodded before eeking out a sentence, “Uhm, uhhh, d-did you hear anything?”
I guess that would be something you wouldn’t want to get out of. The other girls would torment her if they knew Charleslyt had offered her his hand.
“Don’t worry, my mouth is zipped. If my word isn’t enough, then I’ll swear it on my house’s honor, Amelia,” I replied.
“T-Thank you, Ellaine.” She smiled softly.
“But, what was that about? Why did Charleslyt ask for your hand in such a forceful manner? He should have formally asked for you by making the request to your father. Even if Lord Duke Greenveil and Lord Duke Equevanna do not have a good relationship, it would be better than this.”
Rumors could start if somebody else saw this scene. Considering how Amelia was currently viewed by the noble lady society, rejecting Charleslyt would be a massive blow to her reputation and image. You can’t just reject the most popular bachelor in Artorias without people speaking about it.
“Please, I don’t want to talk about it.” As expected, Amelia was less inclined to bring the topic back up. “We should leave before a professor finds us here, and, uhm, Ellaine, I apologize.”
I raised a brow. “Hmm? Why are you apologizing, Amelia? If someone should apologize, it should be me for selfishly aband—”
“No!” she interrupted. “I’m really sorry that I couldn’t stop him. I’m really sorry, Ellaine.” And with that, she left in a hurry, as if she was running away from something.
Who is ‘him?’ What does she mean by that? Urgh, what is going on in Amelia’s life right now?
But did I deserve to know about it? Was I qualified to question her any further?
No.
I left the academy by flying on my gargoyle. I returned home, learning from Josine that father had to call off today’s training since some complications happened at the yeast factory. Since he had to check on it, I was free for the afternoon.
After taking a shower, I went over to the RV, noticing it had returned. When I entered, I heard from Tasianna that Hestia went over to Mother’s room while Saori went over to Muraina to ask about Tasianna’s problem and Master Grimnir continued working on Hestia’s and Saori’s weapons.
“How were the tests? Did they work?” I asked Tasianna while helping her with the garden.
“Perfectly! We only tested it from Cedaraille to Griffonpeak, but it seems like there weren’t any complications regardless of who used it. The only issue was the mana cost, which was daunting, to say the least.”
“How much is it from Cedraille to Griffonpeak?”
“For Lady Hestia? Nothing, since she’s the owner. However, for anybody else, well, it used up half of my mana pool, for reference.”
“H-Half?! You have the second-highest mana pool in our party, even more than Saori in her fenrir form! I can’t afford that!”
“Don’t worry, it seems the teleportation also accepts mana from your catalyst. The one I have, which was blessed by Goddess Zephira and Kiiro, has enough to pay for my trip.”
“Is that so? Then we probably should acquire some more catalysts in that case. My spell rings are used to cast spells, they aren’t there to store large quantities of mana.”
“Yup, that is the plan!” Tasianna exclaimed excitedly. “Master Krymdar already showed me how to make catalysts, so all we need to do is gather the materials. I’ll use this chance to train myself. When Lady Hestia’s and Miss Saori’s catalysts are returned to us with their enchantments, I must always be ready to repair them!”
I gave her an affirmative nod. Seeing Tasianna like this is always a treat.
After that, I left to meet up with Mother. Josine informed me she had letters for me. Inside, I greeted both mother and Hestia, where I learned that Hestia had received a letter from Dame Yorshka.
“Haaaaa, the letter says the message that she sent to my dragon mother was intercepted by two snow wyverns I’m supposed to know. Apparently, those wyverns are now taking the letter to the Nordor clan in Loatryx and then will send it to my dragon mother,” Hestia explained.
“That that means—”
“Yeah, we need to stick around in Artorias for a while. I mean… I can’t accept her as my mother right now, but she still is, right? I mean, if I thought of her as my real mother, I would do my best to meet up with her again. Not complicate things by running around.”
“By your real mother, you are speaking about your human one, correct? Not the Sixth Dragon Empress?” my mother asked. There was a lot of mother talk between the three of us.
“Yes, that is correct. I’m not thinking as ‘Hestia’ about the situation, but whoever I was back on Earth. Melloxtressa is a stranger to me, plain and simple. But I do want to soothe her. I can’t imagine how much she was suffering after losing my egg.”
“To a mother, her child is everything. If I had lost Jonathan or Ellaine when they were just a newborn, I would drown myself in sorrow,” mother said. “You are doing the correct thing, Lady Hestia. Now that Ellaine is here, please, these are the remaining letters for each of you.”
Hestia and I both received a pile of letters, all coming from nobles. Most of them were from young noble ladies who invited us to their tea parties while a few asked Hestia to join them for a ball at their domains. Among them, three came from Lady Duchess Morgiana, Lord Duke Greenveil, and Lord Grand Duke Myrrdin. In other words, the people Hestia should ally herself with.
“Jeez, another load of this? Lady Marianne, haven’t I explicitly stated that I won’t be joining any tea parties?” I agreed with this statement.
“Now, you two,” mother scolded us for our responses. “While I understand Lady Hestia saying this, you should know better, Ellaine. Tea parties are a great place to form bonds of friendship and make allies. It isn’t too bad of a proposition, no?”
“But they are boring, mother,” I stated for the both of us. “You should know it best as a lady. All of these tea parties are just social and political battlefields, where becoming true friends is not on anyone’s mind. It is analyzing your peers, assessing if they are allies, neutrals, or enemies, as you told me.”
Hestia nodded. “Exactly. My first tea party with the Chezaic twins was just a political play for us, right? To uncover their family’s role in the Davison problem. Even if I joined now, all of those ladies are expecting me to appear just so they can advance their houses’ ambitions. Everybody wants to speak with me, right now, and, once my dragon mother arrives, it will become even worse!”
Mother stayed silent, having already heard this argument before. Understanding what she was intending to do by accepting these letters, I had to speak up. “Mother, I know you want to do this for me. Like at the last tea party, having Lady Hestia accompany me to a tea party would help my reputation, but I’m not interested in such a scheme.”
Relying on Hestia wasn’t the way to go. I would just be considering Hestia’s retainer at that point. To make my family proud, I needed to achieve my own merits. I needed to change everybody’s opinion with my own hands. I didn’t want people approaching me to meet Hestia, I wanted them to be like Lady Severa.
“Please, send them back.” My mother agreed, reluctantly.
There was still one more letter addressed to Hestia, and this one was surprisingly coming from the cathedral. Specifically, the cardinal.
“Burn it,” Hestia responded after she read it, looking irritated.
“Huh? But why?” I asked.
“The cardinal wants to invite me to meet me, but something tells me it won’t be as simple. Why hasn’t he sent an invitation up until now? I even announced my relationship to Goddess Aurena at the ball. After that time with the spies, I just don’t trust this guy at all. Let’s just stay away from him for now.”
In Artorias, if the cardinal of the cathedral asked for a meeting, even His Majesty couldn’t outright refuse it without a proper excuse. However, Hestia was about to burn the letter. Not sending a response, even if it was a refusal, was simply antagonizing the church. Even if Hestia was the Goddess’s champion, that went too far.
“Lady Hestia, please, reconsider it. Not sending a reply can already be considered extremely discourteous, but this is the cathedral we are talking about. While I agree with your wariness, considering how late it came, you should still visit the cardinal.”
“Why, Lady Marianne?”
“Because you are already known as her blessed, Lady Hestia,” mother firmly stated. “From your explanation of what an idol was, I understood it as being someone who’s well-known and well-loved. Although you are a champion, your description made it sound more like you’re actually a saint. You wish to bring people hope and happiness, only without all the sermons and religious justifications. Am I not right?”
Hestia scratched her neck, giving a delayed “yes, ” to mother’s reply. She did elucidate that an idol on Earth was mostly a musician and entertainer who was extremely popular, who fully embodied the concept of the word idol — someone meant to be admired or revered by her fans.
Translating words and concepts from another dimension or world to ours was a bit tricky. The idea of Hestia’s meaning of “idol” wasn’t something we were aware of, although it could be comparable to that of a saint or a popular noble.
“In any case, since you are using the Goddess’s name during your concerts, it would be best if you got better acquainted with the church. The church and their God’s blessed have always been the supporting foundation for all the six Origin Gods’ faith, after all. Also, unlike our High Bishop Theodore, the current Cardinal of Artorias, Bennard Bonovier Gillsna, abuses the goodwill of Lord Grand Duke Olivus too much. Usually for… bad gossip, from what I heard.”
What mother just said could be classified as heresy against a high-ranking clergyman. After all, cardinals who act as the spiritual representatives for a country were usually appointed by the ministers of Aureolis. People like Lord Grand Duke Olivus or His Majesty could give recommendations, but, as mentioned, they were only recommendations.
“Lady Hestia, I think it would be good if you accepted it,” I supported mother. “Uno only found out that the cardinal had been spying on us, but he hadn’t discovered the reason. Saori might not have detected any spies since then, but who knows when the cardinal might act again. It might be better to just confront him and learn his motives.”
“A direct approach, huh? Hmm, yeah, let’s do that. Staying too passive won’t do me any good when I have to stay put until my dragon mother arrives. Still, I have a bad feeling about it.”
“Well, I don’t think it’s anything unusual. Our party’s luck is extremely bad for our health, hiehie.”
“Hey, hey! Don’t say it like that, Ellaine! You’ll jinx us at this point! Just because we meet giant monsters and weirdly aggressive people sometimes doesn’t mean our luck is that bad!”
“… Hearing all of this… Oh my sweet son and daughter. Following in the footsteps of your parents and facing such audacious events. The life of an adventurer is not good for my heart, you two children.”
Mother, forgive me!
But, even if our luck was that bad, even if our constant confrontations with all of these threats was becoming the norm instead of the exception, I still felt more excitement being an adventurer than being a normal noblewoman. I felt alive here.
I have no regrets.
I was proud to be a part of Aurora.