Chapter 105: Did I mention I hate Slimes?

Saori’s face paled, her red eyes wavering as she heard the information I received from Aurena, the origin goddess I’d decided to be the champion for. She stood there, massaging her temples as she silently contemplated my words.

“Saor-” I started to say but was swiftly silenced by my troubled friend.

“S-Sorry, not now, Hestia. I need a moment to think this through,” she replied, now beginning to pace throughout the bedroom I was borrowing inside Ellaine’s family mansion. Tasianna and I could only awkwardly glance at each other, as we weren’t sure what to say to Saori in this situation. She was supposed to be the cool-headed one among us and was usually there to reassure us if we were troubled.

I could see Tasianna wanted to say something, as she started to stand up multiple times but faltered before she walked over. I was also confused about what exactly I was supposed to say; I thought it sounded nice that people she may know were here in Peolynca with us, but looking at Saori’s grim face, my mouth couldn’t release those words.

Why is she acting so weird, shouldn’t this be good news? I thought about the situation. I know Aurena was being pretty cryptic about it, which made me suspicious, but from how nonchalant she was, I didn’t believe it was too troubling. The only thing I was concerned about is how she wasn’t the one who summoned them and, subsequently, Saori herself.

Eventually, Saori calmed down and sat back on her chair. It looked like she had finished pondering it. “Hestia, when you spoke with Aurena, were you able to ask her about her other champions and saints? I believe Lady Ellaine mentioned her brother saw Aurena’s chosen ‘heroes’?”

…Wait, now that I think about it, wasn’t that one of the things I wanted to ask Aurena?! Oh shit, I forgot!

It has been nearly three weeks since Ellaine randomly mentioned the fact the capital of this kingdom was hosting heroes chosen by Aurena herself, among them being two saintesses. Back then, I questioned why she could have multiple champions when she was planning something with me, but then I thought, “Wouldn’t it be better to have multiple people working for her?” I disregarded it afterward, and as time went by I simply forgot about it as my focus was mainly on my concert.

Apropos, couldn’t I have asked Aurena why my dragon parents even left me in that stupid forest in the first place? Why was my egg left there and why did nobody come back to help me? Couldn’t Kargryxmor have done something as the god of dragons? Verdammt! From all that anger I had for Aurena, I lost the chance to ask some seriously important questions!

You know, for somebody with a fractured memory, I really wonder why I’m not making notes. Maybe I should start a diary?

“...I’m sorry.”

“Urgh, it is alright, if you forgot about it then it cannot be helped,” Saori responded, stroking her chin as she returned to mulling over the situation before snapping her fingers. “Hestia, could you ask Ellaine if her parents could investigate the ‘heroes’ for me? I want to know their names, appearances, and from where they came from. Her father should receive our status boards before her letter, so I do not think he will deny us once he learns the truth.”

“Sure, I can do that,” I said, before tilting my head in confusion. “Although, why are you so interested in them? Weren’t you just now more worried about the other people who came to this world with you? Actually, I wanted to ask you this but, are you alright? You don’t seem very happy despite the good news.”

Saori mumbled, “good news?” as she winced at me. “The thing is, Hestia, I do not think it’s ‘good news’ at all,” she stated.

When my face contorted into confusion, Saori nodded, telling me she guessed I wouldn’t understand it and decided to explain her thoughts to me, “Do you remember those fantasy novels you told me about, the ones where people were transported into another world? When I heard what Aurena told you, I was more afraid than joyous. Hestia, I think you’ve forgotten this but this world is not exactly safe, especially not for people from our world who never once in their lives left civilization. If they are people I once knew, then I have this extreme dread inside my chest, telling me it is either my senpais or students, as they were the closest to me when I died at work.”

In this case, she was probably talking about those isekai novels where a whole class of students would be transported into another world to be turned into heroes. It would sound pretty farfetched, even for me despite being literally reborn into Peolynca, were it not for Aurena’s info.

I really thought Saori would be delighted to have people she knew in this world, but I guess she was right to assume they could be in danger. The positive influence Saori had on me after we met made me assume everything to be optimistic, but seeing as how often our party was put in danger until now, I guess my thoughts were too naïve.

“Hey, hey, Hestia, it is ok, you do not have to look sad. I know you meant well,” Saori reassured me as she noticed me feeling frustrated over my blunder.

“Miss Saori, is it too presumptuous to believe you assume those ‘Goddess Aurena’s chosen heroes’ are the people you once knew?” Tasianna questioned to make sure, earning her a confirmation from Saori. “Then the solution is clear, no? Once it is confirmed they are the people you know, we can travel to Griffonpeak where Lady Ellaine’s brother mentioned they are. This also coincides with Lady Hestia’s goal.”

Tasianna’s suggestion made our next goal clear. Whether they were Saori’s acquaintances or not, it was irrelevant to my meeting with Aurena at the capital of the Kingdom of Artorias. Of course, I do hope they are the people Saori was assuming as that would quell her worries.

I’ll report this to Ellaine during dinner and ask her for the favor. Whatever we do afterward will depend on her intel.

While we were still discussing the plan, the sound of a bell ringing suddenly came from outside our door. From the time I spent with Ellaine at her mansion and at the different accommodations we stayed at during our trip to Firwood, I now understood what the meaning of this sound was. In the home of a noble, bells were the usual way for people to call each other, whether it was a noble calling for a servant or a servant announcing themself and requesting to enter a room with a noble inside.

Saori, having gotten used to it during the trip, stood up and walked to the door to open it after confirming who was behind it. After greeting each other, Saori welcomed two maids into my room. Tasianna was already standing behind me before those two entered, keeping up appearances whenever we weren’t amongst ourselves.

“Lady Hestia, as you remember, this is Miss Manuela, the head maid of House Helvas’s mansion in Firwood,” Saori presented, introducing a dark blue-haired young woman in her mid-twenties. “She has come to inform us about the dinner plans.”

In her highly decorated maid dress, clearly contrasting the simpler design of the maid behind her, Manuela bowed before me with the other maid and spoke, “May the goddess bless you on this peaceful RestDay, Lady Hestia. As Miss Saori just said, I am Manuela. As the head maid of House Helvas’s Firwood mansion, I welcome you and your two attendants in our Lord’s name. As the humble servants of Lady Ellaine, please, use us however you may, your word is our command.”

“Thank you very much, Manuela, you two may rise” I responded politely, only continuing speaking once they raised their heads. “You are here to speak about dinner? Is something wrong?”

Confidently, Manuela kept up a smile as she gave me a short head shake to my question. “There isn’t, my Lady. Dinner will be at the same time Barathan informed you, and I will come to escort you once the preparations have been made. I am here to guide your attendants to the kitchen and also inform them how to operate inside the mansion. Lady Hestia, as you only have two attendants, the whole servant staff will act as your hands during your stay.”

Coming from a decently wealthy family, I’m used to having people taking care of the housekeeping, instead of doing it myself. My mama did do the cooking and participated in the cleaning, but, in general, my nanny was responsible for most of it while we also employed cleaners. Only now that I was living with Saori and Tasianna have I started taking care of the household, although Tasianna was the one who did most of it, to be honest.

Taking care of a small cave or a farmer’s house was one thing, totally doable for three girls, however, a large mansion was a whole other beast. There is a reason why a mansion owner must employ so many people to keep it maintained. Although I wasn’t exactly super useful as a housekeeper, I was still an extra pair of hands for my two friends, but during our stay here, they’ll probably have to take care of my room, clothing, meals, and other tasks, which wasn’t feasible for only two people.

I was a guest at Ellaine’s, but visiting nobles were expected to have servants and attendants take care of their own meals. Receiving a celebratory or welcoming feast was acceptable, but during an extended visit, the visitors had to cook for themselves to show-off to the host’s chefs. The ingredients would be provided by the host as a sign of hospitality, though.

That was why Saori and Tasianna had to be taken away to prepare our meals, and I was now given a replacement in their absence. Apparently, noble girls weren’t allowed to be servant-less; they always had to have a servant nearby to serve their needs.

While I wasn’t very fond of having a stranger take care of me, I couldn’t say anything against Manuela’s explanations. Maybe it’s ‘cause of her soothing voice, perfectly fit for a teacher or instructor if she became one, or the fact it was simply this country’s culture and social rules. I still remembered the terrified faces those gossiping servants had, and I didn’t want to cause them too much trouble, so I relented and accepted.

“I will look forward to your service, Manuela. Please, serve me well,” I told the head maid, prompting her to bow and thank me graciously.

She then left the room with Saori and Tasianna, leaving me behind in my room with Svena, the chestnut-brown haired maid who accompanied Manuela into the room.

“Lady Hestia, is there anything you need,” she asked me with a polite smile, showing a will to serve. If I remember correctly, she was one of the maids who chided the younger servants, looking scared as hell when she did so. Right now, though, I couldn’t see any anxiousness in her eyes. She looked confident, dependable, and competent.

“Svena, correct? I apologize for what occurred this morning. You look terrified back then, but please don’t worry when someone gossips behind my back. If it isn’t too extreme, I won’t be bothered. I’m used to them,” I told her, so she didn’t have to chide people if they complained about my behavior. Honestly, I didn’t like bad gossip at all from my time on Earth, but I had to say it to make sure people weren’t stressing themselves out for me.

Svena’s eyes widened, clearly not expecting what I just said, as her brows formed into a small frown, “Lady Hestia, your compassion is beyond what a humble maid like I deserve, may the goddess bless your warm heart. However, only a fool speaks behind a noble, especially when that noble is our mistress’s guest. If they weren’t disciplined there, then the chance of them shaming House Helvas in the future would be higher. Also, please rest assured that we were informed in detail of how to serve you, so please, enjoy your stay and let us handle everything, Lady Hestia.”

So, the reason why Manuela and Svena weren’t acting nervous or scared around me was ‘cause either Ellaine or her servants at the Helvas county told them about Saori, Tasianna, and me. If that is the case, then why am I acting like this?!

“Well, if that is the case…then let us start with acting less stiff around each other. Nobles must keep up appearances in public, but in private, I wish to relax. Is that acceptable, Svena?” Breaking out of the noble persona I’ve been developing as I spent more time with Ellaine, I directly informed her of my intention and wish in my usual tone while staying mildly polite.

With a confirming bow, she replied with “by your will.” After I mentioned I wanted some tea, Svena immediately rang a bell outside my room, summoning a young butler in his teens. After receiving his order, he rushed through the hallway and only returned with a cart filled with tea making essentials and tea snacks.

Svena then began preparing tea according to the leaves I chose. Instead of choosing from among my own supply, the few tea leaves offered were unfamiliar to me, so I decided to taste test it. That reminds me, I should really go to the market with my party once we have the time to restock our supply and maybe find some special herbs or spices.

After I was halfway through with my tea, nature began calling for me. Considering I needed to take a bath before dinner anyways, I asked Svena if there was enough time for one, and entered the bathroom once I got confirmation.

The bathroom was similar in style to a master bedroom’s. It had a toilet, a bath, a dressing area, and what looked like a shower. Like my room, it was large and filled with fine colors and engravings to enrich the look of it. Like the rest of the mansion, manatech lamps were shining bright light as they illuminated the room.

I was ready to finally get rid of the smell and dust I’d accumulated from today’s trip to town. The only problem was that Svena followed me into it.

“Lady Hestia, I presume Miss Saori or Miss Tasianna were responsible for washing you during your baths, and it must feel awkward with a stranger like me, but, please, allow me the honor,” Svena boldly told me.

Huh?! Y-You, washing me!? WHAT?!

Just to make this clear, Tasianna did enjoy washing me during my baths and showers, but I thought she only wanted to do so ‘cause of her fixation on serving me. Eventually, I got used to it and it turned into us just washing each other like in a Japanese bathroom. At least, that’s what Saori used to excuse herself to join us. I know I’m half-Japanese, but this part of Japanese culture still gets me as somebody who grew up in the U.S.

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Now, having a complete stranger do it was even crazier. My face felt a bit warmer as I heard Svena offer it to me. Even after she explained that nobles would have their attendants clean them didn’t make it better. Thankfully, going to the toilet was more private.

When Svena started casting [Create Water] to fill the bath, which was made of a material similar to limestone, I had to ask her if she was a mage. She explained she wasn’t a mage as she only knew basic custom spells to help her work more efficiently as a house servant. [Create Water], [Ignite], [Apply Light], and [Wind] were all the spells she knew, as she still hadn’t gained any of the elemental magic skills.

“A high-ranking servant must know simple spells for efficiency’s sake. If a servant cannot protect their liege, then they will not rise in the hierarchy,” she explained.

Apparently, noble houses would train their servants in magic theory if they showed any promise as a mage. This was not only to produce strong defenders for the house’s defenses but also to help them do their duties better. Both Barathan and Manuela were not only able retainers but also capable fighters and mages. That would explain why Barathan was able to keep up with us after we sprint-walked out of the church.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case for all the servants. The majority of them had too little mana to even think of joining training, while others like Svena could only cast simple spells, making them not suitable as mages. Servants like Barathan and Manuela who attended the royal academy with their noble master and mistress were rare, but, fortunately, they had knights and soldiers responsible for the protection of the demesne, so this wasn’t a problem.

After that lengthy explanation, I couldn’t hold it in any longer and went to the toilet. Thankfully, privacy was a concept here as I pulled a curtain to hide behind.

Grrr! Verdammt, I really want to kill you slimy bastards. If only you weren’t House Helvas’s property. I hate going to the toilet…

I wasn’t exaggerating when I hated it. A toilet in a noble’s mansion wasn’t a simple pot or jug you would do your business in, but it actually looked and acted like a modern toilet. The only problem was the method of sanitation and draining, as instead of using water, they used something completely else.

SLIMES! FUCKING SLIMES, AHHHH!

Aroma Detritislime

A slime able to change their color depending on the herb, flowers, or fruit they consume, preferring sweet-tasting food. They can exude a pleasant smell from their body according to the herb, flower, or fruit they’ve consumed, attracting animals and monsters to them so they may consume their main source of nutrition. Herbivores and detritivores. Extremely passive and noncompetitive, making them capable of working with other slimes of any kind, even the more lethal ones. Rank G

That’s right, slimes. What was under the hole wasn’t water, but a bunch of blue and green slimes, all exuding a pleasant aroma. At first, when I saw them in that viscount’s mansion, I thought they were just gel or something but when I saw their cores and how they wriggled around to surround my finger, I instantly shrieked loud enough for everybody to hear me. That encounter with that moss slime in the elf hut inside Belzac forest was still fresh in my mind.

Now, setting aside the fact that I was willing to put my finger into a toilet, I also wanted to see if these things were as passive as their description told me. Ellaine also assured me they were as she’s been using them since her childhood, but my mind couldn’t calm down with words alone. The test showed those eldritch beings were completely harmless, but I still hated having to go to the toilet.

Bladder, why must you always force me to the toilet?

A good thing about these things was their ability to make both pee and poop smell good. It comes out of you and the smell instantly turns into that of a flower or herb. So, despite my hate for going to the toilet, I still enjoyed this luxury whenever I turned my head off for a moment.

Ahhhh, feels better now.

After using a fine towel to clean myself, I left the toilet to see Svena using [Ignite], a basic custom fire spell to heat up the bath, now filled to the brim with fresh blue water.

She said the full chant and I’ve memorized the magic circle…I think. If I can’t get [Fire Magic] from the SP store anymore, I wonder if I can actually learn fire spells like Master Kush told me. It’ll be useless but I should test this theory.

Knowing it would take too long with her small fire, I took out one of my heater balls and poured mana into it, then told Svena to stop so I could throw it inside the bath. The water quickly began to bubble, at which point I took the heater ball out of the bath. Svena was worried I’d burned myself but telling her I was a dragonewt and that most fire couldn’t even hurt me seemed to have persuaded her.

Once the bath was ready, I was about to take off my robes before Svena stopped me, asked me to come behind a divider, and began undressing me without my permission. “Lady Hestia, please raise your arms, I will now take off your coat. I will also be wary of your horns and tail.”

Bit by bit; my robe, my jacket, my vest, my turtleneck, my boots, my skirt, and finally my underwear was removed with finesse in that order. Svena did it so fast and gracefully that my mind didn’t even register that I was naked for a moment. It seems I had still had much to learn when it came to being a noble lady, but hopefully, I wouldn’t have to with Saori and Tasianna at my side.

When she saw my sun core, she widened her eyes. It was obvious without her saying anything that she was surprised. Unfortunately, I couldn’t avoid it. Svena looked adamant about bathing me that I couldn’t do anything but show it to her. Well, time to use my silver-tongue.

“Svena, this is a private matter for me, so I don’t want you to speak of it to anybody. Not Barathan, not Manuela, not Lady Ellaine, not even Lord Helvas himself. Please, keep this to yourself, I hope I can trust you. Ok, time for a shower~”

Strangely enough, she looked a bit shaken when I said that. Did I say something wrong? Before I could think about it, Svena guided me to the shower. While it might seem weird to see a shower during medieval ages, the shower itself was actually a manatech with a blue crystal-like ball in the middle, where I could pour my mana into to let warm water flow out. I didn’t know how it actually worked, but when I used [Mana Eyes] on it at the previous mansions, I understood both water and fire was being produced through a sigil-like rune to make the shower work. I have to learn how runes work, I’d thought to myself at the time.

Svena then took a blue pendant hanging from the showerhead and asked me to pour mana into it. Once she put it on, a water-like aura coated her whole body, designed to not protect her from damage but to keep her dry. With the pendant on, she entered the shower with me and I, reluctantly and with a big blush, activated the shower.

“Please, use this. I don’t know what conditioner or shampoo you are using but I like these,” I told Svena after taking out the shampoo and conditioner Tasianna made for the three of us. I remembered Ellaine mentioned shampoo and conditioners were elven luxury products, so I made sure to give Svena clear instructions on how to use them.

After showering and cleaning myself, I then entered the still steaming bath. It seems nobles from the Kingdom of Artorias have a habit of showering and then bathing. Water creation was all done through either magic or manatech, meaning there wasn’t a cost behind them after the tools were bought. It was easy and not a hassle, so the nobles enjoyed it without care.

Mama taught me to shower first and then bathe due to her Japanese habits, so it wasn’t much of a problem for me. Saori also loved it, so we seriously enjoyed them when we stayed at the other mansions.

After the bath, Svena realized she didn’t have any clothes for me to change into, but I simply took out the dress I wore during the dinner with Count Helvas. It fitted then, so I thought it would fit again. Ellaine also wore these long dresses, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

After my relaxing, although pretty embarrassing, bath, Manuela returned to escort me to the dining hall. On a grand dining table, I sat on the opposite side of Ellaine and we waited for our meals to come while making small talk. Once they arrived, she asked all servants to leave the room aside from Barathan and Manuela, while Saori and Tasianna would stay at my side.

Now dropping her façade, Ellaine chuckled for a bit before forming a teasing smile. “Hie hie, Barathan gave me a detailed report on everything you’ve done, Lady Hestia. Now, I am pretty sure you’ve mentioned that you weren’t a priestess, right?”

Unable to ignore her words, I could give a wry smile and shrug in defeat. “Hey, when I told you that, I really wasn’t. I didn’t lie to you, honest. But…I can’t say that now.”

“Don’t worry, Lady Hestia, it is merely a jest, hie hie. If what Barathan said is true and if you also admit to it, then my father will have nothing to fear. Honestly, as a dragonewt and worshipper of Kargryxmor, it should have been obvious,” Ellaine then pressed her hands together, gave me a short prayer as she spoke in a congratulatory tone. “May your souls be blessed by the Goddess of Light, Lady Hestia. Congratulations on being recognized by Goddess Aurena herself. Now, are you a champion or saintess?”

I knew she was trying to get some information out of me with that last question, probably to use for her house’s advantage so I simply smiled and told her to wait. After that, Ellaine’s face became serious and told me to stay inside the mansion until my IDs were ready, to prevent the church from finding me.

It seems my little meeting with Aurena caused a stir with the white-robed priests and priestesses, even to the point where the nobles even went back to the church due to it. Ellaine’s spies reported they were currently trying to find me but couldn’t due to Barathan stopping all information leaks after what happened. Even the guards I met today were silenced by the Marquis’ document.

I’m telling you, that document is super scary. It can even silence people!

Apparently, the church wanted to bring me into their midst, while Ellaine wished to keep me outside their influence. Despite technically being Aurena’s priestess, they knew I wasn’t affiliated with the church itself as I always denied it whenever they asked me. Simply being a priestess didn’t mean I was part of the church, as Aurena’s religion had many different churches, especially with all the different subordinate gods. Interesting.

“If they’re that much trouble, I could probably blow them up,” I stated, causing Barathan to turn deathly pale as he quickly shut my idea down. Saori and Tasianna, too, joined in, telling me to not even joke about it as I could cause some serious trouble if I did.

To keep her word of being truthful with me, Ellaine explained an ID wasn’t just a way to identify ourselves, but also a way to show one’s allegiance to a certain faction. While emblems can be easily removed, the design of a card cannot, and it could attribute any future achievements I made to the church.

When I mentioned the fact her kingdom could do the same, Ellaine answered she wasn’t sure what her father and king would do but that I should trust them until then. She informed her father about today’s report with a messenger bird, but it seems he hasn’t received it yet. I had to be patient, she asked.

I told her I would agree to her request if she could have her family investigate the “heroes” at the capital. I didn’t mention that Saori was the one who wanted the information, only that I wanted to know their names, appearances, and where they came from. As this was a favor for a favor, I didn’t have to worry that I would owe her house in the future.

Truth be told, I didn’t think I would be involved in politics the first day I entered Firwood. I was already hating it, but I guess this did fit with Aurena’s request to learn about her church and also this world’s culture. I guess I’ll just suck it up and be a hikikomori for the next three days. Lorena’s and Ruld’s wedding won’t happen until LightDay, which is in five days.

“Miss Saori. Miss Tasianna. I will require your aid to protect Lady Hestia, so I will be eternally grateful if you could support me with a plan,” Barathan told my two friends, which they agreed to.

And just like that, schemes and plans were happening around me while I was stuck in my room, simply practicing magic and training as I had literally nothing better to do. Just like that, three days passed.

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