Chapter 98: The Planning of the trip to Firwood.

Urgh, getting used to sitting with a tail seems to be the hardest challenge of my life…

Once again riding House Helvas’s carriage, I experimented with ways to make sitting inside it more comfortable for myself as I fumbled with my long tail. No matter how fluffy the seats were, it just felt weird having my tail there.

“…We have been using this carriage for over a week now. You still have not gotten used to it?” Saori asked, perplexed at my continued troubles.

“Give me a break, Saori. Your tail isn’t longer than your torso and head combined. Mine alone is already longer than the whole seat,” I complained with a troubled face. “Even without the dress, it’s such a bother.”

Today was the day after the God Thanking Festival. My party and I were being driven towards Ellaine’s home during our usual visiting time. The reason for our meeting today would involve what Lorena told me yesterday.

Lorena’s problem was she was raped by some slave merchant and now had to deal with the repercussion of being pregnant with his child. Due to the negative stigma of a “deflowered” woman in her village, and presumably most of society, her parents have also suggested she marry and try to hide the truth about the baby. The only thing she needed was a fiancé.

Luckily for her, a man willing to take her as a wife despite knowing the full truth was available in the village — her childhood friend, Ruld the Cobbler. Ruld, the person who made my boots, and his family had agreed to the marriage once Lorena and her parents explained the situation to them. As the two families had a great relationship and were living together in a single house anyway, both parent couples were pretty overjoyed at the suggestion according to Lorena. They dearly wanted their eldest children to marry, it seems.

“It took us a while to decide on a plan but we settled that I would marry Ruld and move to Firwood with him. We have to make it there before the 8th of WinterSun so we can participate in the Binding festival and make our marriage official under the eyes of the Goddess,” she told me with a small smile as she told me her plans. “I do not want it, but the child still deserves a proper life. Not drinking with everybody was rough, but I don’t want it harmed.”

Weddings in Peolynca couldn’t be arbitrarily held on whatever day you wanted, unlike on Earth. Commoners weren’t financially able to plan one, and everybody wanted their marriage to be acknowledged under the God’s eyes according to religious tradition.

There were four chances in a year for couples to marry, and this always happened in the first full week of the season on LightDay. According to Lorena, the 1stof WinterSun, so January by Earth’s calendar, was a LightDay, but, as it wasn’t a full week, it didn’t count. So, they planned to travel to Firwood on the 1st and marry on the subsequent week.

As Lorena was impregnated about a month ago, her belly wasn’t visible under her clothes yet, but it had started to swell. As winter was coming, she could continue hiding the bump with more clothing until the marriage using the cold as an excuse. Once Lorena moved to Firwood with Ruld, it would become easy to convince people I was Ruld’s baby since nobody knew her. Even if a woman were to question the belly size and their time of marriage, it seems having pre-marital sex was accepted in this world as long as the couple had already decided to get married.

If the birth happened after the marriage had been blessed by the gods, the child would still be “blessed” and wasn’t considered a bastard. Lorena didn’t know the exact reason for this, believing the gods didn’t mind, but I think it had something to do with Marsven and his wife Edna. The current Goddess of Monsters and Fertility had been pregnant with the Goddess of Death before her ascension, but the marriage wasn’t mentioned when I read that tale.

According to Tasianna, while fairies didn’t marry, elves did, using the same concept of the Binding festival. All marriages would happen in the first week of summer, where the day the couple would marry would be determined by their choice of god and faith. I figured they probably did it this way so as to not exclude any of the Origin Gods.

Anyway, Lorena and Ruld decided that once the baby was born, they would give him or her over to the church’s orphanage. Using the excuse that they couldn’t financially take care of it, they would escape any negative stigma from their neighbors while distancing themselves from the newborn. Nobody would judge a young couple for handing their child over to the orphanage, as they could always have more children once they’re better prepared.

While I personally didn’t like the idea at all — my values conflicted with theirs — I wouldn’t judge them. Lorena didn’t want the child ‘cause it was from her rapist, and this was the only realistic way without resorting to any extreme methods. I guess I was a bit too naïve for this subject in the first place, huh?

Anyway, this leads back to why I was going to Ellaine. Lorena asked me to escort her and Ruld to Firwood, as they couldn’t make the trip themselves. The roads were filled with monsters, and winter was almost here. It hadn’t snowed yet, but she assured me snow always appeared by the end of this month.

I planned to help them after I performed my concert, and, for that, I needed Ellaine. More specifically, I needed her authority as the daughter of the count. A serf was a belonging. They were owned by the lord of the fief and required the lord’s authority to become free as leaving the fief unannounced could be punished by the law.

Ruld’s cobbler workshop bought his freedom for him, but in return, he had to stay contracted to the workshop until he worked off all his debts to them. He was happy working there, so it was fine in my book. Lorena, on the other hand, would have it harder, so I had to do something about it.

From our discussions, I learned Ellaine wanted me to either stay at her mansion or go with her to Firwood, the opportunity to solve this problem was easily available right now. My party didn’t want to leave the village this early, since we’d planned to stay here for the whole winter, but Saori and I both agreed to help a friend in need, whereas Tasianna stayed indifferent. Besides, we needed IDs, and Count Helvas did mention we had to go to Firwood to acquire them.

“Ah, it seems we’ve arrived. I can feel the warmth of the barrier,” I uttered as the carriage entered the demesne of the mansion.

The feeling I had from entering the area of the mansion during my first visit was due to a huge mana barrier covering the whole area. Ellaine told me it was a manatech used to keep the cold and snow away from the mansion, keeping a perfect temperature for their garden to flourish even in the midst of a snowstorm.

Honestly, I was baffled she had the mana to keep the barrier and every single light active in the mansion, but she quickly explained to me that wasn’t the case. The house was currently being fueled with mana batteries her mother made in the case of her absence, as she was the most accomplished mage in House Helvas. “Did the Count marry her just for that reason?!” I thought when I heard that, worsening my already bad opinion on him.

Interestingly enough, Ellaine also carried around a necklace with a similar function like the barrier. It kept her warm while she continuously channeled her mana into it. Considering I couldn’t make my heater balls anymore, I think I would need to buy one of these pendants in the future to keep our garden working during winter.

“Manatech is amazing,”I thought, wondering if it could be used on the village to modernize it a bit, but that idea was quickly shot down by Ellaine when she explained how incredibly taxing and expensive acquiring mana batteries was. “Investing that much money into commoners, when they cannot maintain such exquisite technologies?! Unthinkable and foolish. Lady Hestia, who has planted that seed of thought into you?” she questioned me with the most mortified and outraged expression she has ever shown me.

Speaking of Ellaine, once we arrived before her mansion’s doors, Barathan greeted us and immediately showed us our way to his mistress. Saori and Tasianna were led to the kitchen so they could unpack today’s cake and get my tea, while I greeted Ellaine.

“I wish you a bountiful EarthDay, Lady Ellaine. May Goddess Crustacia bless your land,” I said, assuming my “noble” persona while inside her home.

“Your blessing is welcomed. My gratitude from the depths of my heart to you, Lady Hestia,” Ellaine replied before dropping a bit of her mannerisms for casualness now that we became a bit more acquainted.

Noticing her cheerful smile compared to the fake smiles she’s been giving me these past days, I asked her, “Oh? You seem quite happy? Did something happen?”

“Yes, my family sent me letters,” she answered, slightly embarrassed as she said that. “I may not have been there with them, but they reported everything they’ve done at the capital. It is…shameful to say this, but I wasn’t able to sleep until I finished those letters, he he.”

Oooooh. That’s relieving to hear. You weren’t alone on Peolyncian Christmas it seems, Ellaine. Good for you!

They might not have been here with her, and it was clear to everybody that she was saddened by it, but at least in her heart, they were together. Maybe the Count isn’t that bad? At least, not as a family man.

We had some small talk until Saori and Tasianna returned with the cake and tea. I then explained to Ellaine my problem, hiding the fact that Lorena was pregnant. As expected, she was quite pleased with the proposal.

Aside from being my lady-in-waiting and keeping watch over me, the Count wanted Ellaine to get me to either stay at their mansion here or at the one in Firwood. When I asked why she was so upfront about it, she told me that hiding it wasn’t worthwhile anymore. She understood I valued honesty and trust more than some convoluted scheme.

“Then, I shall send a message to my father to inform him. I do not know if he has made all the preparations for your reward yet, so I must give him the information about our departure. We will also need the permission from the lord of Firwood to enter town,” Ellaine uttered as Barathan retrieved a brown, clay-like bird and some parchment.

When I asked her about it, she told me it was a [Messenger Bird], a manatech similar to those gargoyles her mother and brother rode, before showing me her own gargoyle mount. “They are creations alchemists produce using a piece of manatech as the base while adding monster parts to form its shape. They grow once mana is infused into them, and depending on the animal, they may also fly. Our house’s emblem would make an ill-fitting gargoyle, as they are crops, so instead we chose our kingdom’s beast, the griffon.”

I already knew this from spying on her family’s departure, but she didn’t know that, so I listened intently. The [Messenger Bird] was a manatech able to reproduce the voice of its owner to the recipient. They had an incredible flight speed, allowing them to travel long distances in no time, so they were used similarly to a phone call. The only problem was they were quite expensive even for a magnoble like her father. The profession of the normal messenger wasn’t endangered due to this reason.

“…However, before I send it,” she muttered, stopping her hand from writing, before looking deep in the eyes. “Lady Hestia, please be truthful with me. Are you possibly…a follower of God Danterno?”

“Huh?” I let out unwillingly, not expecting this question.

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“I confess, my duty was to supervise you as my father needed to know if you are a threat to our kingdom or not. You have admitted to not being a priestess of our Goddess, and you should be a follower of God Kargryxmor as you are a dragonewt, but I realized we never questioned your allegiance to the other Origin Gods,” Ellaine explained with caution. “Greenveil duchy is an agricultural focused land, so we also give our respects to Goddesses Zephira and Crustacia. Their churches might not be as affluential as Goddess Aurena’s, but they exist in Cedaraille, the capital of this duchy. If you weren’t Goddess Aurena’s follower then you must be one of the before mentioned Origin Goddess, but your custom spell…I’ve never heard anything about it, even at the academy.”

She proceeded to explain to me how shocked she was to see me create fire so easily with my claws and how unnatural my white flames and [Sanctified Blaze] were.

Well, you’re unnatural too! Ahem…shouldn’t take that too personally.

She understood, as a mage, about my power once she witnessed me spar with Saori and Tasianna but was always confused why I never used a single fire spell.

“You could produce fire from your body, but I never witnessed a red magic circle, the sign for either a fire or inferno spell. Your [Sanctified Blaze] even has a white magic circle, making it a holy spell, no?” Ellaine face contorted slightly from confusion as she continued her interrogation. “I had to report this to my father once I saw you use your custom spell on the injured man. I watched your training to see your current level in [Inferno Spell] but was left more perplexed afterward. My father has searched the libraries of the royal university and also asked houses specialized in magic, even Houses Myrrddin and Morgiana, but found nothing. I am aware our information on dragonewts is outdated, but a mention on flames as white as Goddess Aurena’s magic should be available.”

She tightened her hands, almost as if she was fearful of my answer to her questions. “I have already told you my stance on mages of other elements. Dark or fire mages, I do not pretend I haven’t heard the stigma surrounding them, but I do ignore the rumors, as my mother taught me the importance of understanding each system spell. However, my father is the Count of a noble house. As such, he must be aware of your intentions before giving you your IDs. While we respect God Kargryxmor as a subordinate god of Goddess Aurena, we are more concerned if you are a fervent believer in God Danterno or not, Lady Hestia. If you are aware of his church’s preaching…then you must know why I worry.”

Macklemor, that fanatical fire mage I met at the bandit camp, came back to mind. His constant preaching of how Danterno’s church actually worked compared to how the outside looked on it was still vivid in my memory. I didn’t know if he was speaking the truth, but I was not interested in it anymore. Due to a certain someone, I wanted nothing to do anymore with his church. Nothing!

Frowning throughout the whole interrogation, I couldn’t help but scratch my head in irritation from her accusations. “Don’t lump me in with that damn imbecile!”

“Lady Hestia?!” Ellaine cried out in surprise as I broke my façade.

“I’ll make it clear for you right now, Ellaine. I have nothing to do with him, and I want to continue not having anything to do with him or his church,” I spoke, raising my voice as anger started to consume me, only calming down once I felt Saori’s and Tasianna’s hands on my shoulders. “…I apologize, Lady Ellaine. It seems I am terrible at controlling my feelings once I’m angered. I lashed out at you once again.” I apologized, noticing a bit of my [Draconic Aura] must have leaked like last time.

“No, it is I who must apologize. I wouldn’t have mentioned this if I had known how much is would displease you,” she said with a wry smile.

“Thank you…To elucidate further, [Sanctified Blaze] is a holy spell with fire properties, I can assure you that. It was made with one of my unique skills,” I explained to her about the existence of [White Flames] without telling her how I obtained it, knowing she will learn about it soon enough anyway. “I am a dragonewt and my body produces special scale-dust which I use to create sparks and fire, and I use [Pyrokinesis] to control them. I only possess one fire spell in my arsenal and it’s my own custom spell. I do not possess [Fire Magic] or [Inferno Magic].”

“What? But that cannot be. You must have one of them to even create a custom spell with fire as its element. That is how custom spells are created,” Ellaine replied with a frown, stating an obvious fact. “I witnessed you cast both lightning and lava element spells during your spar. I am not a fire mage myself, but even I know the different composite elements and which elements are required as their pre-requisites. Lady Hestia, it is hard to believe you with those facts.”

“I know, I understand it must sound far-fetched, but I am telling you the truth. I once had [Inferno Magic Lv. 5], I admit, which should clear up how I could create a custom fire spell and own lightning and lava magic. However, sometime during my travels, I lost both fire magic skills and I am currently in the process of reorganizing myself as a mage,” I informed her without being startled of her sudden distrust. “Yes, I have heard about Danterno’s religion, but I am not their associate. I was never and will never become a servant of that idiotic god.”

“…Well, insulting an Origin God isn’t what I would recommend myself, but it isn’t outlawed in our kingdom. I understand, Lady Hestia. I apologize for having my suspicions. I will trust your words considering the person I have come to know,” Ellaine said with an elegant nod. “I will inform my father about everything and our plan to travel to Firwood. The information on your status board will be sent to him and everybody who must know will too, when we issue your ID. It will reassure him once he learns what you said.”

“Please tell him not to be shocked when he sees it.”

With that finally done, Ellaine agreed on releasing Lorena from her serfdom; in return, I would join her in moving to Firwood. After finishing the letter, she wrapped it around the manatech bird’s leg and activated it, speaking to it as it recorded her voice. She also urged me to repeat what I told her, so her father can hear my admittance, releasing it after everything was sorted out.

The moment it left Ellaine’s hand, the bird flapped its wings like a hummingbird and shot off into the sky. I had no idea when it would return, but seeing it fly away like that, I had no doubts it would reach her father.

“The two commoners will sit inside the servant’s carriage while you and I stay in my carriage. A gargoyle would be faster, but I wish to enjoy a calm trip with you, don’t you agree?” Ellaine said with a smile now that the official business was done. “Also, I wish to have your two retainers, Saori and Tasianna, in the same carriage.”

Seeing me raise a brow, she explained, “I was baffled when you said you considered your companions your equals. While I do adore Josine and do trust her with everything, I also know there is a social barrier between us,” she smiled at her personal maid.

“Your words honor me, Lady Ellaine,” Josine smiled back warmly.

“That is why I wish to know them better. A mage seeks knowledge, as Istari intends us to do. However, due to the social barrier and how it is considered rude to speak with a retainer without her mistress’ consent, I wish to do this under the pretense of this being similar to a request from a noble to an adventurer,” she suggested, finally taking a bite of the pound cake.

“You wish to hire us?” I asked.

“Yes, I will offer you an F rank quest to escort me to Firwood, turning our relationship, until it is fulfilled, to noble and mercenary. I will still treat you with the respect you are due as a princess and guest to House Helvas, but this is all a pretense so I may speak with your retainers.”

It was so round-about, so incredibly round-about, but I guess that is how nobles handled stuff like this? I don’t know, but she was speaking so comfortably as if she knew exactly what she was doing. Urgh, am I glad I will never have to do this sorta stuff.

“F rank is acceptable as the further we go from a settlement, the higher the mana concentration in the area, meaning the risk of monsters will be higher. I am confident in my ability to fend off G or even F rank monsters, but my level is quite low, despite my abundance of skills,” Ellaine told me, explaining she gained most of her levels from fulfilling academy requests but never from participating in a real fight like her father and mother. “I do not believe a D rank would appear, but considering your strength, you would be able to take one down, correct?”

“With the flick of my fingers…literally,” I answered with a smile, before chuckling as I realized the possibility for that statement becoming true.

“Fantastic. You still have the fulfillment document for the bandit quest, correct, Lady Hestia?” Ellaine asked, to which I nodded. “Good. Please hand it over to me. I will gather all the necessary documents and will make sure you gain the appropriate recompense. The nobles of the Greenveil duchy know the importance of a proper transaction, and every deed demands a reward.”

Ahh, so her “merchant-spirit” was the reason why she was so adamant at giving me the money for the white grace. Well, I can say Saori was literally trembling at the idea of even more money. I can already guess how she will fantasize about it later on.

With all our plans finished, I stayed a bit longer to ask her a few other questions before leaving the mansion. Most of the questions were directed at how the God Thanking Festival would be celebrated at the capital, and if there was anything exciting she could mention.

“Brother wrote that a few heroes, chosen by Goddess Aurena herself, have arrived at the capital for the ball. One of the two saint candidates was supposed to join also, but didn’t,” Ellaine reported. “Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to learn their names as he and my parents had to report your stay here to the royal family. Even after they returned to the ball, everybody was already crowding around the heroes, so neither my brother nor my parents had the chance to approach them.”

Heroes, huh? I guess that concept was a staple in fantasy novels. So, Aurena already has chosen her champions, then why did she need me? Hmm, I hope she’ll be able to answer this question once I talk to her, although I have feeling I won’t like it what she has to say.

Saying our goodbyes, we left after a lot of talking. Once we were outside, Saori suddenly noticed something in the sky, pointing it out for me.

“Snow?”

For the second time in this life of mine, I saw snow falling from the sky. However, instead of fading away like the first time, this one continued into the night, covering everything in a blanket of white snow. Like a curtain signaling the end of a theater show’s act, this pale veil was like a sign that my time in Carine village was soon to end.

Soon my first idol concert would begin. My debut as a proper idol in Peolynca, the start of my dream becoming true. And with it, the start of my new adventure at Firwood.

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