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Chapter 302: I, Usurper. [Release Version]
🕑 Added 2022-04-06 01:36:08 +0000 UTC“Welcome, children of Aurora. You certainly took your sweet time coming.” A haughty-sounding woman welcomed us into the room, attracting our gazes as she wafted her blond hair around and looked at us with her ruby-colored eyes in interest.
On the other hand, a muscular dark elven woman nodded as a welcome. “Not a single member of Aurora died despite facing an enemy beyond your levels so early. Admirable,” she said, showing us only a reserved smile as a sign of acknowledgement.
The Night Sisters, the daughters of Marsven and Edna. Ilsaphone, the eldest and the Goddess of Necromancy and Death; Vivachel, the middle aged one and the Goddess of Vampires; lastly, the Goddess of Grudges and Vengeance, the youngest of the sisters, Kronnaz.
Because of their status as gods, everybody aside from me was mostly listening to either gibberish or some weird accent whenever they spoke. This was a safety measure, since the words of a god could harm a mortal’s soul. Due to my circumstances, I could hear them perfectly and acted as everybody’s translator with [Telepathy]. Pretty similar to when I did the same for Mother and Kramps.
“Hmm? Where is the fairy?” The blond, noble-looking Vivachel questioned after counting us up.
“She’s… We left her behind,” I replied.
Emil and Tasianna were with Reajaen… for obvious reasons. Our end of the bargain was now complete, and so it fell to Tasianna and Emil to do what they needed to do. Closure for Tasianna. As her friend, I didn’t know if that was the best path for her, but we couldn’t stop her anymore. Even Reajaen herself accepted her death.
“Don’t worry too much,” Kronnaz suddenly spoke, somehow noticing the atmosphere around us. “Vengeance and grudges are part of life. To overcome them, regardless of your methods, is to pass a trial in life. It will mold you. To deny somebody this chance would be folly.”
[“Oh? Is that why you actually let me live, Kronnaz?”] Klea’Hatma’s voice appeared in our heads, sounding as if she was teasing the goddess. Was she actually trying to pick a fight? [“Well, whatever. Glad to be around Ellaine for a bit longer. In any case, look at this! Seems like those princes of sin aren’t slacking on their training. An aberration of indulgence, and it looks like it was growing pretty well!”]
After we gave Parilostro a new heart, Ilsaphone led us into the dungeon’s core room, as that was where the Resclaves stored the demonic item. Here, now, our attention was drawn towards two places, beyond the goddesses. First, right in the middle was a clear, crystal ball floating above a pedestal, protected by a pillar of mana, while on the left, in a small room, lay our primary reason for coming here.
Looking very much like a safe with all the metal fortification, Reajaen told us they built the walls around it to make sure the demonic object wouldn’t escape. I was confused by what she meant by “escape,” since I thought the thing was a ball or something, but now that we were here, we could see what she meant.
“Kruuuukyuk!” It growled at us as we looked through the small window.
[“Awwwwww, look at the thing!”] Klea’Hatma sounded like a girl fawning over a small dog or cat. [“Look at the small aberration. Such an adorable little bugger.”]
… This is ‘cute?’
As Reajaen mentioned, the object was indeed in the form of a sphere. In fact, it looked pretty much like an eyeball. The problem was that it had flesh surrounding it which formed into a mouth and a bunch of tentacles. It looked less like an inanimate object and more like a monster.
… Mana Eyes.
<Aberration of Indulgence (Envy): A semi-perfect gargoyle created using the blood of a demonkin prince of sin, a being who has gone down the path to assimilate themselves with their progenitor, the Demon of Envy. This gargoyle acts as a source of power similar to a catalyst, but also as a phylactery and anchor for their owner’s life force. Due to the chaotic demonic mana inside the blood, the gargoyle transforms into a true monster, evolving over time depending on the amount of mana embedded into it. Rank E
Owner: Thals’Yond>
And it was a monster. A demonic one, even.
The Prince of Envy’s name is Thals’Yond, huh? I’ll remember that.
“… This is the object you wanted me to destroy, Goddess Ilsaphone?” Saori asked wearily.
Ilsaphone wobbled her head around. “No, to be exact, my Quest detailed you to destroy this dungeon here. What you do with the dungeon core or this demonic object is left to your discretion. You can do whatever with them.”
“Didn’t she also have to kick out the two demon associates here?” Asaka asked. “O’Bloom is bye-bye, but what about Parilostro?”
“Most likely it should still work. He and his mother hadn’t had any contact with the prince of envy in years, and if we destroy his chest plate, that would mean all the demonic influences are gone. It should count. Correct, Goddess Ilsaphone?” I turned around where Ilsaphone still kept her face hidden under her hood. I expected her to answer me, but her younger sister was the one to do so.
Clapping her hands with a wide smile, making it seem like she was patronizing us, Vivachel spoke out in her sister’s place. “Elsa probably would agree. She is not a pedant and I think she would just like to give Saori her blessing. She won’t admit it, but she would like to make you her champion no matter wha—Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, Sisteeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!”
White silhouettes looking like ghosts suddenly appeared behind Vivachel before they picked her up and threw her outside the room. In the next moment, a wave of blood entered the room like a slime before forming itself into Vivachel. She didn’t look too pleased.
Ilsaphone ignored her younger sister’s pouting to explain the details. “What Vivi wanted to say without all the fluff, is that yes, I will grant you your reward. A blessing, although you won’t be officially recognized as my champion, as well as information related to Belzac’s true intention for calling you. Oh right, have you retrieved all the pelts of your garms, yet, Saori?”
“I have three.”
One from the Layavete cartel, another from the O’Bloom’s bandit base, and the last one from one of Reajaen’s potion shops. The last one, according to the intel we received from Gael and the Shaturein folks, was among O’Bloom’s pelt collection inside his mansion. Once we returned to Gleisvale, we should have Gael pick it up for us.
“Good. Once you have them, bring them with you. They will be needed for your garms with what Belzac is planning. Let that be your crumb to entice you.” The Goddess then turned to Asaka. “Asaka, have you already figured out a place for the onnikai to live?”
“Huh?” She looked surprised. “I thought after the onnikais and Tasianna deal with their source of anger, wouldn’t the former, you know, just disappear? Didn’t that happen with that Kiiro fellow, Hestia?”
I nodded, but Ilsaphone had something else to say.
“If you are speaking about the onnikai leader in your time in Firwood, then I will say that Kiiro was already weakened from his fight against that human, Davison. Onnikais aren’t like ghosts or ‘yokai,’ as you Japanese would know them. They can’t be ‘exorcised’ or appeased like that.” Ilsaphone used her knowledge of our world to explain it to us. “Yes, over time, an onnikai can turn back into a spirit once its source of vengeance is gone. They can pray to Goddess Zephira for that. However, these onnikais have fully converted to my faith. They want to remain onnikais since I’ve managed to adjust my blessing after what happened in Firwood. I thank you for helping me with that.”
“Which means…” Asaka sighed. “No… I haven’t found a haven for them yet. I guess they can’t stay here, huh?”
“Hmm. That probably would be quite a bit of a problem,” I commented. “The onnikais despise the Resurrection member. Even if Reajaen died, they wouldn't like being here, nor would the Resurrection appreciate their presence. The primary religion in Estralia is God Mercurias, but the seat of the Church of Aurena borders them. I don’t think they would accept the onnikais inhabiting corpses.”
Everybody nodded. The Church of Aurena only tolerated the Church of Marsven since he’s an Origin God, but that was about it. Conflicts still happen between their followers which could lead to wars. I mean, grimgarians are technically the descendants of Kronnaz but they were treated as nothing more than monsters, so what would they think about onnikai-controlled undead?
Nothing good, that’s what I would predict.
“Hmm, then how about we ask Lady Duchess Morgiana?” Ellaine suddenly brought up as we contemplated on a way to solve Asaka’s Divine Quest. “Onnikais are faefolk, and the Morgiana Duchy is the closest to Saelarial. We can ask her and Lady Thyra for help. Or, we can even default to Muraina. As a Saelari, she could bring the onnikais into elven territory. Regardless, they would feel safe in either case.”
That was a good suggestion. We could probably talk with Artorias or Muraina for help in this matter. Migration shouldn’t be a problem with my nexus.
[“Hmm, it seemed like the four of you figured something out. Now, how about you direct your attention to the aberration?”]
“I agree with the demon. Has Ilsaphone not told you to make haste?” Kronnaz chastised us. “The aberration is about to evolve into a D rank.”
[“Mhmm.”] Klea sent us an image of her nodding her head. [“Aberrations are us demon’s lovable pets. Not only are they the protectors of our life force cores, but also an incredible force of nature once they mature and manage to evolve. They can take on so many forms. So many cute and very grotesque figures, unnatural to the world of Peolynca. Ooooh, this brings tears to my eyes. I miss my little ones so very much.”]
…
I squinted my eyes and turned to the growling eyeball with sharp teeth and tentacles.
Yup. Eldritch. Nothing to see here. Her tastes can remain her tastes.
“So… how do we destroy it?” Saori asked.
[“Hmm, destroy?”] Our demon sounded like she was about to object. [“You don’t need to do that, Saori. As Ilsaphone mentioned, you can do whatever you want with it. It’s a phylactery. Perfect to safeguard your soul like a lich. Give you a second chance. It would be a waste to simply get rid of it.”]
“If you are trying to trick us, demon, I can end you now. Words won’t get you anything here.” I scowled at Ellaine’s rings.
[“No, no, not for me, dear! Whatever amount of my soul I could give it would be worth next to nothing. At best, I could transfer my mana into it and make it my new home, but that would be about it. Not to mention, if I tried that, Aurena would probably kill me before you could. No, my suggestion would be for Ellaine.”]
“Me?” Ellaine raised an eyebrow.
[“Yes, Ellaine. You are not a demon contractor, but you could grant the aberration your mana while in [Assimilation] form. You can make your own aberration to protect not only your soul, but also yourself once it evolves into an A rank. You wouldn’t need to fear death any longer.”]
“Like a lich,” Ilsaphone added.
“Excuse me, but shouldn’t you say something against this? I mean, you three are goddesses and this sounds like such a bad move to do,” Asaka pointed this out, prompting Vivachel to answer her.
“No. We are gods. We are watchers and guides, but we aren’t your mothers. We cannot interfere if your actions are ‘abiding by the rules.’ We can only suggest. And, in this case, Kroza can explain it better than me.”
Kronnaz looked Ellaine straight in the eye, intimidating her a little bit due to their height and stature difference. “Let me reiterate once again what I said after you, Tatsuya, and Kyouya fought me — I will trust your judgement.”
It was short and to the point, fitting for somebody stern and aloof like the Goddess of Vengeance and Grudges. It reminded me of what Ellaine told me after their first meeting.
Their fight was pretty one-sided, where Kronnaz dealt with them as if they were small children. While Ellaine and the boys went at it seriously, Kronnaz treated it as if she was drilling a mortal champion. Although the goddess said she would destroy Klea’Hatma if she failed, she actually couldn’t follow through with that threat due to Aurena’s protection.
In fact, the test was just a way for Kronnaz to understand Ellaine better. It was a trial to see if Kronnaz would aid us in our Divine Quest, or if she would stay neutral about it. In the end, she chose the former. Fortunately.
Outside of Kronnaz’s trial and Ilsaphone’s Divine Quests, the Night Sisters’ goal was to assess our “fates” as they called it. To analyze two specific people in this, and those were Asaka and Reajaen and their positions in the sisters’ plans. Asaka, as she was considered a “saint candidate of Aurena” by the demonkin-controlled Church of Aurena, and Reajaen, given her relationship with the demonkin prince of sloth, were both suspicious figures to the goddesses.
I didn’t know what they were thinking with Asaka, but Reajaen was probably dead at this point. I did hope Tasianna would find it in herself to forgive her, but I had no idea what Emil would do. That onnikai was an old one, having been “born” during the War for the Faefolk. His hatred for humans and fae hunters was the most intense, similar to Kiiro’s in a way.
“As such—” My mind returned to the present with Kronnaz’s strict tone. “What you do with the aberration is your issue. You can not keep it here. Even after destroying the dungeon, a new one would form around the aberration’s mana. Choose wisely.”
“I see…” Ellaine nodded after I told her all of that, then immediately gave them an answer. “Alright, let’s destroy it then.”
[“Hold on, stop!”] However, before any of us opened the door, Klea’Hatma voiced her disapproval. [“First off, if you tried to destroy it like that, you would just unleash a wave of demonic mana into the surroundings, dears. Macula plants won’t cut it to cleanse the ground. Second, you would waste a valuable tool in this phylactery.”]
“Klea, while I trust that you aren’t trying anything weird and this is for my own benefit, I don’t think keeping something like this around is anyway good. This is the life force of the prince of envy, right? That’s why O’Bloom and those two demonkins were sent here. If we keep it, they will target us even more,” Ellaine argued, seemingly undeterred by the demon’s request.
Proud of you! Don’t let that demon whisper you sweet nothings!
[“The answer is obvious. Destroy the mana in it before using the phylactery for yourself.”] But, of course, Klea’Hatma still continued to defy our wish and give us another suggestion. [“Once the mana is no more, the demonkin whelp will believe he lost his phylactery altogether. If he will hunt us, it will be for being a threat to his plans. Not to take a hold of the aberration. It will also prevent him from having any control of it once the aberration evolves enough times.”]
I scratched my head in annoyance. Hearing the demon continue speaking was giving me a headache. “Klea’Hatma, while Ellaine can ‘trust’ you, the rest of us can’—”
“She’s right, though.”
“Huh?!” I turned around to Vivachel, confusing the others since I didn’t send them the translation yet.
“Hestia, you are in a particularly special position where you are an U.S.U.R.P.E.R. Usurper. For some reason, that ‘guest’ who helped Goddess Aurena and Kargryxmor with your reincarnation gave you the power to usurp divine powers. I think the latter two already told you that?”
I nodded. That’s why I was able to take control over their two blessings, making them technically mine if I didn’t permit them to alter them.
“Good, no need for me to explain then, little princess. Now, have you tried using it on a demonic power, yet? Take control over, for example, Miss [Saint Candidate]’s skill?”
I also nodded, but neither Asaka nor I knew what that meant. It clearly had “Usurped by Hestia” or something on her false [Saint Candidate] title, but nothing really changed for her.
“Mhmm, I see. Well, Asaka, do you still use your unique skill for anything?” Vivachel asked and she shook her head. “Then, good, hope your fellow transmigrator doesn't either. Well, those Hestia has blessed with her pseudo-blessing, at least.”
“What do you mean by that, Goddess Vivachel? Pseudo-blessing? And what is this with their unique skills?”
But, my questions weren’t answered and she simply opened the door for the aberration to jump out. Before it attacked anybody, Saori captured it with her [Dark Tendrils]. While we were baffled at her sudden action, she simply smiled at me.
“Here is my advice as a goddess, dominate and usurp this aberration’s mana, Hestia. Once you do, expunge it with the spell Aurena granted you. The phylactery would then be ‘clean’ and you can use it for yourself. Afterwards, use your control over the [Hestia’s Retainer] title on your Earth friends, and rid them of their unique skills given to them by the demonkins. There you go. A free trial in the infinite wisdom of the vampire queen, hmph, hmph!”
Haughty like a noble, fitting for the Vampire Goddess’s appearance. However, with the backing of a goddess and no complaints from the other two, the four of us girls actually begin considering Klea’Hatma’s idea. Were we being too cautious of her?
“The last of my worries are gone. If you want, we can do it like Klea said, Hestia.” Ellaine was the first to agree, since her only issue was the phylactery acting like a beacon for the demonkins. She was the only one who trusted the demon.
And this was what was needed for Asaka, Saori, and me to stop being stubborn about it. I presumed Ellaine could use this to improve herself further with her demon powers. If it won’t backfire, then this was the path to go down on.
[“Or, of course, Ellaine could simply suck up all the envy mana. That would give her demon of envy powers, but will most likely corrupt her.”]
“Okay, shut up! I’ll do it already, Klea’Hatma!” I stopped the demon from saying anything further, before calming down to ask how I was supposed to do this.
“Pour your mana inside and concentrate on the blood it has.” Ilsaphone began her instructions and I followed them. “Blessings are granting people a piece of your mana. At least, when it comes to us gods. However, in your case, your [Hestia’s Retainer] comes from your [The Light] title. In essence, your pseudo-blessing comes from the mana Aurena gave you, but since you usurped the blessing, it makes it so that mana is ‘yours.’ It also makes it so your retainers have more resilient souls, so that’s why they can hear us, fragmented those words may be.”
“Kyyyuuuuurk!” the aberration growled, trying to sound like a roar. It tried to remove my hand, snapping around like a turtle, but Saori kept it in control.
My mana began to enter the aberration, recoloring the “eyeball” slightly blue on a side. As I did so, I could feel something foreign trying to enter my body. Since I didn’t know what it was, I used [Draconic Barrier] to block it.
“Good. You realized that quickly,” Ilsaphone noticed what happened. “That is the defensive mechanism of the object. Envy’s mana is trying to take control of you, but without its original owner, it is no threat to you. Simply block it from entering your body, otherwise, you might get some nasty thoughts.”
I did as she said and as more of the aberration turned blue, a System message suddenly appeared before me.
<Condition to usurp demonic object fulfilled. Object: [Aberration of Indulgence (Envy)]. Owner: Thals’Yond. Usurpation process ongoing…>
Wait, it’s doing this with—
<You have usurped control over [Aberration of Indulgence (Envy)]. You are its new owner>
—out my approval… Well, that was easy.
“Oh good work, Hestia. That was honestly quicker than I thought,” Vivichel looked amazed but also worried. “Hmm, that is a bit scary. Why would anybody give such power to a mortal like that? Our poor blessings. And you can even do that on demonic blessings!”
“Enough, elder sister,” Kronnaz shut Vivachel up. “Hestia, now expunge the mana. That will kill the aberration and make it free for you to use.”
Looking at the aberration, it wasn’t snapping at me anymore, instead, it was looking at me with pure affection. It stung my heart! I knew it wanted to hurt me before, but its mood change was a total surprise.
I’m sorry, little one. Shine.
With one of my first spells, I shone a bright light on the creature, melting it away as it screamed in horror at its impending doom. I had to close my eyes, feeling really bad about what I was doing. It wasn’t created like this ‘cause it wanted to, but I was reaping its life ‘cause it was bad for us.
Once the screams ended, I opened my eyes to see a thick white orb. None of the tendrils or the eye was around anymore, and once I appraised it again, it didn’t mention its rank. In other words, the monster was dead and it was back to being a normal inanimate ball.
What did this cost me? Everything… Well, not anything really, but it still made me feel bad. I need to hug Rajah afterwards…
[“Good work, dear~”] Klea’Hatma praised me, making me feel even worse. [“This can be the replacement for your vampiric necklace, Ellaine. We can do it afterwards when you assimilate. Simply pour some of your mana into it and it can practically act as your soul phylactery similar to a lich's. Which also means you can attain immortality in the future if you fortify your soul enough.”]
Hold on, immortality? Wait, does that mean I won’t have to be scared of Ellaine dying of old age?! Wait, that’s amazing!
But contrary to my excitement, Ellaine had an entirely different reaction.
“Hold on, what?” Ellaine looked at the demon in surprise. “Y-You didn’t mention this before.”
[“Oh, I thought that was obvious with my explanation. Sorry about that, Ellaine.”] Even Klea’Hatma sounded like she didn’t expect her reaction either. [“W-Well, it’s just when you are still attached to me, Ellaine. If we someday were to be separated, you will lose the ability to use it, too. You need to be in your assimilated form to use it, so you can still die if you are in your human form. Yes, not true immortality.”]
“… I-I see. Mhmm.”
Ellaine doesn’t like it?
But my thoughts didn’t last long as Ilsaphone clapped her hands, drawing my attention back to her.
“And that is about all that we Sisters need to do here. You will only need to destroy the dungeon, which should be easy, as you only have to drain the mana from the dungeon core until it's empty and crack it open. Warning, drain the mana, alright? If you don’t, you will cause a mana explosion large enough to kill all of you.”
I wouldn’t forget that point. I was already told this multiple times in Cedaraille.
“Once you do, I shall grant Saori her reward. The same thing happens once Asaka fulfills her bargain.” Ilsaphone nodded in contentment. “In any case, with this done, allow me to give you another tip. This revolves around you [Otherworldly Visitors]. Asaka, you are currently linked to the demonkins through those unique skills of yours. I am not sure what they wish to do with you. If you wish to sever any possibility of a bad fate, I would suggest abandoning those skills with Hestia’s help. She can similarly usurp them like the aberration. However, be warned, if you do so, the demonkins will have no more reasons anymore to ignore you.”
“… Guess that’s important enough to inform everyone before we do it, huh?” Asaka looked at us and we nodded. “Oh right, before you three leave, may I ask Goddess Vivachel a question?”
“It’s about that bloodling, correct?” She guessed correctly. Elrick still hasn’t sent us a letter. “Hmm, in that case, you probably shouldn’t worry too much. Considering he abandoned his position as your guard — a saint candidate’s guard — he probably would be excommunicated by the church by now. In that case, he would either return home and continue his act as a human, or this might be the chance for him to finally do what is normal. Vampires are not supposed to hide in the darkness, we are to prowl even during the mornings.”
From the sound of it, it might be hard to meet up with Elrick for a long time. Asaka knew where the von Karsteins’ territory was, I believe. We could always visit him, if necessary.
“If that is all, then we should dismiss ourselves,” Kronnaz said before she slowly melted into her shadow with the other two goddesses. “My elder sister will visit you in Gleisvale once everything is settled, but until then—”
“Actually, there is something I wish to ask you, Goddess Kronnaz,” I stopped her, which she did without complaining. At her quick “Speak,” I nodded and asked the question that was bothering me. “Not only are you the Goddess of Vengeance and Grudges, but you also are the progenitor of all grimgarians, correct?”
She nodded, waiting for me to finish. My instincts told me she already knew what I wanted to say.
“The ogre king has migrated to the southwest of the Kingdom of Artorias, over the mountains of Avitor Peaks. As their goddess, would there be a way for you to persuade them not to follow your demonkins’ plans? There is no need for war, right?”
I remembered the black potion the troll shaman drank. I understood from Aurena’s warning that the grimgarian battalion was part of the demonkin’s plan to send Artorias into chaos. They probably were still working with them, but considering the situation, I had to hope Kronnaz could stop them.
But when the goddess shook her head, I could only frown and sigh in disappointment.
“There is a grudge between the humans and beastmen, and my descendants. I will not stop them not because I am their progenitor, but because I am the Goddess of Vengeance and Grudges. I stand by my ideals. To find your path in life, you must face trials.” This was her divine domain, after all. “If you wish to stop them, you must do it yourself, Hestia. You are mortal, and this is a mortal concern. If I were to intervene, I would break a rule. You are an idol, Hestia. Use your ability to persuade them before it comes to a battlefield.”
And with those words Kronnaz left. Shortly after, Ilsaphone did, too. Vivachel on the other hand, smiled brightly and waved at us, wishing us goodbye.
“It has been fun to meet and speak with all of you. Trial and tribulations you might have faced, but your growth has been promising to watch, little ones. Do know that we gods are on your side as long as you don’t commit some horrendous act, but not all will accept you as easily as we three did.” Her ruby eyes glistened as her head was almost submerged in her shadow. “Listen well, in a week’s time, we gods will have finished our preparations. Hestia, you already heard this from Kargryxmor, so explain it to your friends. When that happens, prepare yourself for a turmoil in the mortal realms.”
A Divine System update, right? I’ll be able to speak with Aurena when it finishes… but what exactly is the update?
That was an answer we had to wait to receive. Until then, we could only wait.
Once Vivachel also left, we grabbed the dungeon core from its pedestal and placed it and the aberration into my storage. Next, we made our way to Parilostro’s room.
I expected the worse… but—
“Kuek! Kuek, hiekhiekhiek…” Emil was crying.
“Huaaaah… huaaah…” Reajaen was still alive, though she was missing an eye and a left arm, while her legs were mangled with ice spears. She looked like she would die from blood loss at any moment now, weren’t it for the ice sealing her wounds.
We didn’t know what happened, until we saw Tasianna.
“… I couldn’t bring up the hate to finish it,” she said when we approached before tears formed in her eyes and she hugged me out of nowhere. “I thought I hated humans because they killed Princess Schuri. When I learned Reajaen was at fault, that hatred suddenly disappeared. I didn’t understand what was going inside of me… I thought I would start hating beastmen, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. Not even towards foxians. That hatred I had never resurfaced.”
She took a small break. I could feel something wet drop on my back, wings, and tail.
“Until the day we confronted Reajaen on everything. I hated her. I wanted to kill her. But I felt lost at the same time. She was remorseful. I didn’t expect that. Her apology caused me to reflect on myself. Until I knew of the truth, I directed my hatred on the entirety of humankind. It was as you and Miss Saori said, Lady Hestia. I didn’t know the world enough. Not every human is as malicious as the fae hunters I met that day. As such…”
Tasianna let go of me and a frost blade floated towards it. On its edge it held a frozen eye.
“Her crimes can never be forgiven… but, as an individual, I shall. That is what Princess Schuri would want. My kind-hearted mistress did not reappear as an onnikai. Such a young soul…” She wiped away her tears and took a deep breath. “However, as a fairy and a former attendant of the royal family of Iggdrasil, Reajaen Resclave will face her punishment for the crimes she had inflicted on us!”
Reajaen moved towards us, having drunk one of her potions just so she could endure walking with her deformed legs. She fell onto her knees like a stringless puppet, groaning as she forced out her words.
“T-The Resclaves are at your command, Princess Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor… haaa. My sinned soul and body are now yours to use and throw away until the day I am trialed by Saelariel. Allow me to do something good and repay you for saving my son until I die.”
<[Foxian, Reajaen Resclave] have received the title [Hestia’s Retainer]>
“Foremost, I am Her Imperial Highness’s attendant, maid, and shield.” I turned back to Tasianna, who had kneeled down, too. “As punishment for her crimes, Reajaen Resclave will serve my Mistress until the day she dies. She will follow your orders and become President of Estralia to control the region and the trade in eastern Altrust in your name! Once her duty has come to an end, she will personally visit the Fairy village and face her judgement for stealing away the royal family of Iggdrasil’s daughter, Princess Schuri Estria Iggdrasyl.”
“… That sounds like a lot of problems,” I remarked at the last sentence.
“Yes, and I apologize for that, Lady Hestia. If we inform Muraina, she will do the same for Saelariel. If Reajaen comes anywhere close, archers will try to shoot her down as the sentence is death, without a doubt. If that happens, we will require your aid to assure her survival, Lady Hestia, just enough so she can reach a court of law. Vigilante justice is not justice. As a follower of Goddess Plesia, I am ashamed to have only come to this realization now.”
What a drag… Still. Tasianna, good job.
“Come.” I pulled Tasianna up before embracing her. “I’m proud of you. Thank you for also persuading Emil.”
She clenched her fingers on my back hard enough to the point I could feel the pain, but I allowed it. A little irritation was irrelevant after seeing Tasianna’s growth.
“Yes…” Tears began to fall again. “It was hard to do so.”
“Please, promise us,” Emil spoke up from the corner, still crying. “A new life. Away from all of this. I never want to meet this woman ever again! If you can do that, I will make sure all the onnikais will follow your wish, Tasianna. We just… peace.”
“Don’t worry about that.” Asaka moved over to him. “We’ll resolve this. Don’t worry.”
And so, the conflict in Estralia had finally ended. The merchant republic would probably still face more challenges in the future with Aurora’s influence over Shaturein and the Resurrection, but that was just another day for them. Merchants trying to vie for power was nothing abnormal, compared to what we faced today.
For now, rest was on the plan. R&R and also some time to let things settle down. The enemies loomed over our heads, but Aurora couldn’t fight nonstop, at least, not for now. We still had injured and other issues to handle.
Regardless, a week passed by quickly. The introduction of the Divine System’s new feature woke everybody up.
<System Update: Triple Job System has been implemented into the System and all profiles. To read more on the details, please continue reading. Once you are finished, please visit your nearest [Crystal of the Divine System]>
And there was something else, just for me.
<Good Morning, Hestia. It has been a long time. I would like for you to accept a Divine Quest to obtain your Unique Job.>
Comments
Well, I can add that spot. I just thought it wasn't needed. And, don't forget, they can't destroy the dungeon while inside it. That's bad.
Diego Rossi
Nice to see Tasianna and Emil overcoming their hate. "Once Vivachel also left, we grabbed the dungeon core from its pedestal and placed it and the aberration into my storage. Next, we made our way to Parilostro’s room." It is only a secondary nitpick in an otherwise great chapter, but that seems a bit hurried. After all the build up at least a row of text about how they destroyed the dungeon seems needed. Or the dungeon hasn't jet been destroyed?
Diego Rossi
Even Reajaen herself accepted her faith. -> fate
Kale Daley
Nice, I wonder what the job will be? Maybe it will let her actually get Multicast so she can free up the minds for something else.
