Name: * Level: 0 Race: Young Spark Inferno Dragon
Age: 5 Month
Status: Health: 3071/3071(+1834) Mana: 11569/11569(+6975)
Strength: 1513 (+579) Intelligence: 2291 (+1019)
Vitality: 812 (+343) Wisdom: 921 (+379)
Agility: 2987(+1123) Stamina: 1558/1558(+634)
Effects: [Damaged Mana Path [Left Wing] (Minor)]
Skill Points: 50 (-1500)
Unique Skill: [Spark Fire Dragon Lv. 7] (+1) [Spark Fire’s Fire Boost]
[Spark Flame Veil] (New)
Skill: Magic skills and related:
[Lava Magic Lv. 1] [Holy Magic Lv. 10] [Holy Amp]
[Holy Magic Efficiency] [Sacred Magic Lv. 2] (+1)
[Fire Magic Lv. 10] [Fire Amp] [Fire Magic Efficiency]
[Inferno Magic Lv. 4] (+3) [Earth Magic Lv. 10] [Earth Amp]
[Earth Magic Efficiency] [Terra Magic Lv. 1]
[Wind Magic Lv. 7] (+1) [Wind Amp] (New)
[Space-Time Magic Lv. 4] (+1) [Space-Time Magic Efficiency]
[Magic Power Enhancement Lv. 5] (+1) [Mental Stability Lv. 2]
[Mental Warfare Lv. 2] [Silent Casting Lv. 6] (+1)
[Draconic Magics] [Draconic Barrier Lv. 2] (+1)
Physical skills and related:
[Unarmed Technique Lv. 4] [Draconic Claws Lv. 2]
[Draconic Roar Lv. 1] (New) [Draconic Fangs Lv. 1]
[Sundering Enhancement Lv. 1] (New) [Piercing Enhancement Lv. 1] (New)
[Crushing Enhancement Lv. 1] (New)
Senses and movement skills:
[Stealth Lv. 8] [Accuracy Correction Lv. 4] (+1)
[Prediction Lv. 6] (+1) [Danger Perception Lv. 1] (New)
[Probability Correction Lv. 1] (New) [Detection Sensor Lv. 1]
[Enhanced Auditory Sense Lv. 1] (New) [Enhanced Olfactory Sense Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Vision Lv. 4] (+1) [Tracking Lv. 1] (New) [Night Vision Lv. 7]
[Presence Killer Lv. 6] (+1) [Evasion Lv. 10] (+1) [Acrobatic Lv. 9] (+1)
[Terrain Maneuvering Lv. 2] (New)
Resistances:
[Physical Super-Resistance Lv. 1] (New)
[Absolute Pain Tolerance] (New) [Abnormal Status Nullification] (New)
[Holy Resistance Lv. 4] [Inferno Resistance Lv. 1] (New)
[Terra Resistance Lv. 1] (New) [Wind Resistance Lv. 2]
[Water Resistance Lv. 1]
Stat growths and related:
[Health Recovery Lv. 4] (+2) [Stamina Recovery Lv. 5] (+1)
[Enhanced Health Growth Lv. 6] (+1) [Enhanced Health Capacity Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Mana Growth Lv. 8] (+1) [Enhanced Mana Capacity Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Strength Growth Lv. 5] [Enhanced Strength Enforcement Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Intelligence Growth Lv. 7] (+1) [Enhanced Intelligence Enforcement Lv. 4] (+2)
[Enhanced Vitality Growth Lv. 4] [Enhanced Vitality Enforcement Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Wisdom Growth Lv. 4] [Enhanced Wisdom Enforcement Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Agility Growth Lv. 7] (+1) [Enhanced Agility Enforcement Lv. 4] (+2)
[Enhanced Stamina Growth Lv. 5] [Enhanced Stamina Capacity Lv. 4] (+2)
Others:
[Singing Lv. 2] (New) [Dancing Lv. 1] (New)
[Poison Creation Lv. 2] (New) [Trap Creation Lv. 3]
[Identity Blocker Lv. 1] (New)
[Identify Lv. 10] [Noble Aura Lv. 1] (New)
[Battle Mind Lv. 4] (+1) [Royal Etiquette Lv. 1] (New)
[Leadership Lv. 1] (New) [Cooking Lv. 7] [Dismantle Lv. 6]
[Thought Acceleration Lv. 1] (New) [Parallel Thoughts Lv. 6] (+1)
[Humanize Lv. 6] (+2) [Pyrokinesis] [Aerokinesis] (New) [Telepathy] (New)
Ability List: [Flame Blast] [Spark Claws] [Spark Flame] [Spark Fire Breath]
[Spark Fang]
Spell List: Custom spells:
[Imperial Hellfire]
Lava spells:
[Lava Ball]
Holy spells:
[Minor Heal] [Cure] [Modest Heal] [Smite] [Light] [Holy Protection]
[Holy Strength] [Purify] [Sacred Smite] [Sacred Veil]
Fire spells:
[Fire] [Firebolt] [Imbue Fire] [Fire Ball] [Strengthening Flames]
[Flame Spear] [Petal Flame] [Flame Explosion] [Inferno Blast]
[Blazing Twister] [Inferno Beam] [Scorching Sun]
Earth spells:
[Earth Wall] [Rock Blast] [Earth Strike] [Rock Bullet] [Sturdy Earth]
[Earth Spears] [Earth Crash] [Earthen Shackles] [Terra Wall]
Wind spells:
[Wind Bullet] [Wind Cutter] [Air Shield] [Wind Slash]
[Swift Winds] [Wind Blast]
Space-Time Spells:
[Haste] [Storage Magic] [Warp Point: Entry]
The Light spells:
[Shine]
Titles: [The Light] [Bearer of Kargryxmor’s Blood] [Otherworldly Reincarnator]
[Princess] (New)
[collapse]“And that is without getting myself nerfed by [Humanize]. Can you imagine it? [Humanize Lv. 6] causes [Humanize (Moderate)], which halves all my stats. I’m so weak, right now!” I complained at Saori about my dragonewt form. Finding it ridiculous how much [Humanize] reduced my stats just so I could look like a human!
[“… You’re still far stronger than me though.”] However, Saori didn’t seem to agree with my plight. Well, she wasn’t wrong about that, but that was beside the point.
“Ah, you’ll get there.”
Yo, yo, yo, yo dayo! Guess who’s back? Back again? It’s me! You lovable little dragon just got finished from evolving, and I was stronger than ever. It’s been a while since I gave a summary of my progress, so I kinda wanted to do one. It also helped that Saori was totally willing to hear me out!
Without further ado… The first major improvements I did after the garm encounter was collecting and buying all the skills the garms were using which I thought would be useful. Those would include the resistance skills for abnormal conditions, like poison, bleed, paralyze and torpor. The garm matriarch gave me a big warning on this front.
On a more positive note, I also bought utility skills to improve my hunting efficiency and life, generally. [Tracking] and [Terrain Movement] respectively were the ideal skills since they touched those niches. Of course, I also had to improve my in-battle ability, so [Danger Perception] and [Probability Correction] were the best for that.
It took me far too long to realize this, but I finally took the opportunity to buy [Identity Blocker]. If you thought about it, knowing an enemies’ spells and skills was unsurprisingly very beneficial. If I had known the mama garm had [Shadow Clones], I would have probably anticipated that spell being used. Well, not like I would have won anyways if I had known.
I also took another page from her book — I bought [Poison Creation]. After what she did to me during that fight and how she lectured me about creating more tools for myself, I took it seriously to the point I was collecting any toxic fluid or items I could find. Then, I used the skill to mix them together into even stronger concoctions. Fortunately, there is no shortage of those monsters and plants, albeit they aren’t good for experience.
In total, that cost me 2650 SP.
Now, that wasn’t too bad. [Poison Creation] cost me 600 SP and [Identity Blocker] cost 250 SP. Not very cheap but I believe it is worth the price.
However, now we got into my spending on skill improvements. A few of them were purely for breaking through the break requirements but most of my expenses went into defensive skills.
Buying something like [Poison Resistance] will cost me 150 SP but leveling this up from level one to level ten made me spend 1000 SP. 1150 SP in total.
Now imagine me doing this for the four abnormal status skills I bought, while also considering physical, pain, fire and earth resistance.
I actually wanted to buy [Dark Resistance], to cover my biggest weakness, but the cost was insane! 3000 SP, the exact amount I would need to buy [Dark Magic], oh jeez. It was far too expensive! At this point, buying it was out of the question, and I had to gain the skill naturally, by taking dark elemental damage.
I also considered improving my resistances to water, as that was also a problem for me. However, upgrading [Water Resistance Lv. 1] to level two cost me 300 SP. With how the cost would increase after level four, seven, nine, this was quite insane. Being frugal was too hard!
I hate my titles sometimes.
Regardless, I took it as an investment. Concerning everything aside from dark and water resistance, the rest were there to keep me safe. The price was irrelevant in this case. Sadly, after I committed to the idea, I noticed I only had 50 SP left to my name. For the first time in my life, I was too poor to buy something I really wanted. I didn’t think my spending was this terrible.
Oh wait, wasn’t I unable to buy [Humanize] in the beginning too?
[“You spent quite the sum on those skills.”]
Hearing Ms. Segawa’s voice again, I shook off my train of thought and returned back to reality.
“It was for the sake of survival.”
And I mean it.
[“So, what does [Bleed Resistance] exactly do? I cannot imagine a wound not bleeding.”]
“Oh, it’s just this.”
While in my dragonewt form, I used my still sickle-like claws to slit open my wrist, showing Saori what max bleeding resistance did. Blood was dripping from my arm, but it was to the point it could ever endanger me for too long. After a few seconds, the wound was already healing up from my natural regeneration.
Not understanding my intentions, she instead exploded in my face and scolded me for doing something reckless. [“Stop, you do not have to cut your wrists! You can just explain it! There is no need to mutilate yourself!”]
“Heheheh, I guess that was also an option, but showing teaches you things better. If you’re already angry, you’re probably be livid when I tell you about the time I set myself on fire or let barracudas shoot water bullets at me.
How nostalgic these memories were. Training my [Fire Resistance] by shooting myself with my fire spells was such a fond memory. Sadly, with how high my Intelligence was compared to my Wisdom, doing it now could actually hurt me.
[“You what?!”] Ms. Segawa jumped right on me, pushing me on the ground before glaring at me with her black eyes.
Seeing I was teasing her a bit too much, I apologized to her and had her calm down before explaining the reasoning to my masochistic tendencies. It was to level resistance after all.
Thereafter, I also told her how important [Bleed Resistance] was to me. Healing magic couldn’t regenerate blood. With a max resistance skill, I could still gain [Bleeding (Minor)] but it could never rise to moderate or major stage. Anemia was a serious problem during a fight.
[“Jeez… You really could have done that earlier. You really are a cheery person, huh?”] Saori sighed in exasperation. [“So… Can you finally explain to me who you are?”]
I flinched and froze in place, twitching involuntarily as I tried to eek out a response, “… I already told you everything.”
[“No, I do not mean your past. I meant the fact that you have a title called [Princess], Your Royal Highness~”] From the tone of her voice, it sounded like she was messing with me.
“Gurgh… Even if you ask me this, how can I even answer that question when I have no idea who I even was in this world? All I know is that the title appeared after my evolution.”
[“Why, I humbly apologize for my rude remarks, Princess.”]
Being a bit annoyed at her snickering, I stood up and picked up the hem of my flame dress, created to cover my otherwise nude body. Going through the movements my etiquette teacher pounded into my head, I gracefully performed a curtsey.
In addition, I decided to also shoot back an appropriate remark fitting for my weird new title. “Hmph…ahem, I graciously accept your apology, I felt no offense from it.”
It’s been a while since I did this, but I believe neither Mama nor my educator would be unhappy about it.
And, apparently, neither was Saori. [“… Wow, are you sure you were not a princess on Earth? It feels like I was almost charmed.”]
Charmed? What does she mean by that?
After I asked her that, she remarked about what happened when she woke up, [“When you sang, I thought you were basked under streams of white light, while when you curtsied, I thought stars and hearts appeared. That, uh, “aura of nobility” is dangerous!”]
To be precise, I let out my [Noble Aura] while during my curtsy, believing it was a charisma skill or something. From how Saori explained it, I was more confident this skill would be useful to persuade people in the future. Could this be used for my idol stuff, I wondered?
[“Come to think of it, your whole demeanor changed once you began talking formally, which, pardon my rudeness, is surprisingly refined despite your usual crude speaking mannerism,”] Saori suddenly commented while I was thinking of [Noble Aura]’s potential usage.
“I don’t think it’s that bad… I don't like acting formal ‘cause it's tiring and annoying. To be honest, I don’t know how you’re able to keep your act up 90% of the time.”
During my one month with Saori, I had noticed she had a certain speaking style where she wouldn’t use any contractions like “Don’t” or “isn’t.” She told me she chose to speak like this when she was asking around for tips to fit into a rich, prestigious high school. Over her three years of being a teacher, it became almost normal for her to speak without contractions as it seemed more “formal” to her.
After she explained it to me, she began pestering me to answer her question. Considering she shared her reason with me, I had to oblige. “My mother wanted me to learn proper etiquette ‘cause my father sometimes invites, well, distinguished guests to our home for dinner.”
Yes, learning how to curtsey for something simple like greeting somebody was over the top. But that was exactly what the etiquette teacher my mother hired told me was necessary. I personally thought it was “antique” and “pretentious” as hell, though.
I loved my Mana very much, but even she had her weird moments as a parent. Speaking like what she imagined me to be was just unimaginable, especially since I was a nine at that point. Probably had something to do with my traditionalist grandparents, but I quickly learned everything my etiquette teacher taught me and just shoved them to the side of my brian.
[“I thought your father was a musician?”] Saori pointed out what I told her about my background.
“He is…but he’s more like a conductor, a maestro for an orchestra. He’s successful enough to get invited by a ton of his wealthy attendees. Haven’t I told you I was a silver spoon kid back on Earth?”
I believed he had quite a few Broadway gigs, so he was earning quite a hefty sum. My family could live in a fairly expensive apartment in Manhattan ‘cause of him.
[“You don’t sound very enthusiastic about it.”]
“No, no, I do feel very proud of my father. It's just very embarrassing to say it ‘cause it sounds like bragging. My parents financed my training as an idol, which the other trainees used to tease me about. Like ‘Oh, you’re so rich, it doesn’t matter if you fail or not.’ They always go on; how lucky I was to get everything paid by my rich parents.”
Yes, I was fully aware how fortunate I was. I wasn’t an idiot! However, that didn’t mean it allowed everybody to continue harping on about it as if it was some universal fact!
“Eventually…” I stuttered, feeling unwell as these memories resurfaced. “It got to me and I blew up in front of everyone. Boom, my relationship with all of them was totally ruined.”
My parents asked me to switch to another training school, but I couldn’t give up on the trainer there. He was that good. My parents eventually persuaded him to privately tutor me, but that only made my relationship with the other trainees even worse…
“It never really bothered me, really, outside of my school friends telling me I sounded ‘unnormal’ with my speech style. However, the tipping point was this very moment. I honestly thought if I could act less like a rich girl, they might become my friends. But, they knew me already, so any changes I made were called out.”
[“Oh…”]
“Still, I knew any of them could become a colleague one day. Potentially, so I tried my best to warm up to them. Which inevitably caused me to neglect my time with my school friends. I was too focused on my idol training, and with how I started imitating kids I saw on the streets, I was kinda creating a rift between us. It was a stupid kid moment where I thought I knew everything better, and I hadn’t realized I knew nothing until, well, I was friendless.
I didn’t have many friends when I entered primary school, but after entering middle school, the amount of people I could call friends could be counted on one hand. And they were either my cousins or family friends. With how much I dedicated everything to my dream, I just neglected making new acquaintances.
The atmosphere turned awkward when I ended my retelling. Saori didn’t speak. She just stared at me. Maybe I spoke my mind too much. I should probably play it off as if it was nothing.
“I-I’m sorry. I went a bit…I should have kept that for myself…”
[“Eh? Oh no! It is fine. I am willing to listen, if you have any worries. As an educator, I believe it is a part of my responsibility to listen to any problems my students have, and if possible, support them. I may not be your teacher but as an adult, you can confide with me."] She looked me straight into my eyes, showing me her earnestness.
While I appreciated the sentiment, I felt conflicted if I should continue. All this reminiscing had done was remind me how incompetant I was with dealing with the unfairness of the situation. To me, it felt like talking about it wouldn’t do anything good. I wanted to bury it all. Keep it locked away from my new life.
As if she could see something in my frown, Saori stepped up until our eyes met. [“Hey, Miss Dragon, look at me. Considering how much you are hesitating about it, this experience probably has hurt you more than a surface wound. However, because it is so personal for you that you need to stop letting it fester inside of you.”]
I kept silent.
[“Then let me ask you this in another way: why exactly do you wish to become an idol so much you were sacrificing your social life?”]
She was throwing me a rescue line, giving me a way to express myself. She was being pushy about it, but I didn’t mind it too much. Still, it felt weird. I could talk about everything with my parallel minds, but I felt conflicted when talking with Saori.
… Sigh.
“… I told you that I was an idol in my past life, right? Well, that was a lie. I was only a trainee, no, I aspired to be one. I haven’t been accepted by a single studio or agency.”
I began preparing at a tender age of seven and kept up my training for nine years, dreaming if I could just keep smiling it would all work out. I fully believed in hard work rewarding me with success. My parents always told me that was the way forward, and my trainers reinforced it.
“So, I went to auditions. If the scouts weren't interested, then go to them. Show them your skills. The problem is that I wasn't the only one who thought of this.”
There was always someone more talented. Always someone who performed better. Hard work? Everybody needed to train as if this was the passion of their life to even get to this point where I was. However, unlike those who were taken, either I fucked up or my luck just wasn’t. With every success, a little bit of luck was needed somewhere.
That was what I began to believe.
[“Failing that often, jeez… You know, I can sympathize with you, but in my case, I chose money over my dream. I had to for my mother. So, despite all that, how did you continue? Why are you still doing it in your second life?”]
“I-I don’t know. It hurts every time I was rejected. But it hurts even more, knowing that if I give up, I will disappoint my parents who supported me with all their hearts.”
My parents comforted me when I failed, but I knew this wouldn't last forever. Even I had to become an adult eventually. My parents had the connections to help me, but if I took it, then those idiots who called me a spoiled brat would have been vindicated! Still, maybe I was too bratty to understand my parent’s intentions. Too stubborn and childish.
Love, money, a good education, and they even supported my dream, until I died. How could I not be grateful? Nevertheless, the one thing I wouldn’t allow them to give me was the fulfillment of this dream. I want this to be due to my own efforts.
How ironic that in the end, without the support of my parents, I failed with that dream. It made the naysayers correct ‘cause I died. How morbid and amusing at the same time.
“I… felt like I owed it to them,” I finally landed on a thought I was satisfied with. “They supported my dream for nine years. I made an oath to myself to succeed even back then. To me, if I gave up now, I would just be ungrateful. I don’t know.”
I could feel my tears starting to swell at this memory of my parents, but I kept them back, forcefully. I must not cry.
“Now I am in this world. Reborn. With my memories. I have neither money nor connections. I don’t even have proper clothes!” I pointed at the flame dress I made. It was literally the only thing keeping my human shame intact. "I want to know. Can I do it in this world? Am I good enough to do this alone… or am I really nothing without my parent's support?"
This plan, of course, was completely kicked out of the window due to the gods’ interference. While, yes, I was grateful they reincarnated me, I found it bothersome that I was a princess in this blood. Considering the evolution choices I’d received, it was very likely I was related to this Kargryxmor in some capacity.
“That’s why I have been doing my best to keep my training up when I’m in human form. I want to go back to human society and debut successfully. I will do it, this time, no matter what! Not only for my parent’s sake but also for my own.”
Hearing my sincere wish, Ms. Segawa contemplated a bit, frowning for a moment. [“I now understand why you are so diligent with your training. I might not know much about being an idol nor an entertainer in general, however, is it really ok for someone to become an icon of cheerfulness, if they themselves are not?”]
“Huh? … Hehe. Hahahaha, hehehehehahaha!” I suddenly burst out in laughter, finding her words so amusing I couldn’t control myself.
[“Miss Dragon?!”]
“You’re right! You’re right! I am a hypocrite, am I not? An idol should always act happy and friendly, but what the hell am I? Due to [Battle Frenzy] I could go berserk anytime during a concert and boom, it's over. The ideal female idol should be cute and sweet, singing songs to bring happiness to her audience, instead, I was killing things just so I can become stronger and stronger."
Hearing that “icon of cheerfulness” made me want to ramble at that very fact. It was a self-deprecating rant about myself, as I slowly felt more and more inadequate to continue this. Not ‘cause of my lack of effort, but of how utterly unqualified I was. So much blood was on my hands…
I eventually stopped laughing, looking crestfallen to the ground as I reflected on my actions. Saori noticed this and barked, drawing my eyes to her. [“My opinion of you is that of a very emotional person who feels most comfortable wearing those emotions on her sleeves. You know you can cry if you are sad.”]
No! I can’t cry! I will not cry! I made a promise to myself to not cry.
“… What are you saying? You helped me reflect on myself. So, thank you…~” I forced myself to smile, putting up a mask to hide the pain gnawing in my chest.
Act happy. Act cheerful. An idol shouldn’t act sad or angry. She was there to make others happy. Even if I was a hypocrite and my smile was as fake as it could get, I didn’t want to expose this side of myself.
[“That is what I meant with keeping your feelings to yourself!”] Saori was outraged. [“Believe me, putting up a smile just to make others not worry about you, will inevitably cause the opposite. I am sorry if you don’t want to hear it, but you need to let your feelings out.”]
“No, please stop… We don't need to continue with this. It was a waste of time anyway…”
I stood up, and began to move away, but Saori wouldn’t let me. She dashed forward, standing in my way before speaking one sentence. [“…Then let me help you.”]
“What?”
I froze in space, not expecting that from her. She continued speaking in a soothing voice, trying not to agitate me further. [“Let me help you then. If you are not willing to fully express yourself now, then I can follow you until you can. Being patient with emotional students is a part of my job after all.”]
“… What do you get from this? What you said makes no sense. Why would you want to do something that annoying? I’m a stubborn idiot. Plain and simple. Not worth somebody’s time.”
[“Well, I guess the first thing that I get from this is to make myself feel better. If you were one of my own students, then I would do my best to help you get over it. The other reason is part of my dream.”]
I raised an eyebrow. “What dream would force somebody to jump on some random girl’s foolish ambitions?” I scoffed.
[“Somebody who wishes to travel the world.”]
“That’s your dream? Isn’t that a bit… simple?” Not knowing how to properly answer, that was all I could say.
However, she didn’t care. [“You might not know this, but I was not somebody who was born with the opportunity to travel around the world whenever I wanted. You said your grandparents lived around the world, right? One pair in Germany and the other in Japan? Well, I was never able to fly outside of Japan.”]
Hold on, what?
[“Before my father died, he planned to have my mother and I join him on a trip around the world; visiting the many sights of the world after we saved up the money for it. I also studied history because I wanted to learn about the past of the world. Even after his death, I didn’t want our dream to die off. I worked in a profession I didn’t exactly want because it paid well, and I was planning on using this money to pay back medical bills and also to travel with my mother.”]
Saori closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. She opened her eyes again before continuing.
[“Now I am in a completely foreign world with a foreign culture and also a history I knew nothing about. I want to know this world better. What is it like outside of this forest when dragons and giant wolves exist. Is it like medieval Europe like most modern fantasy stories, or maybe it was something entirely else! The thrill! As an idol, you need to travel far and wide, no? You will have to sing in foreign cities and countries. There can be no better traveling companion than you.”]
It was convincing… but not enough.
“What…What if it all fails and I choose to give up on it?” I stumbled on my words, remembering how I said something similar to my parallel minds and was tripping over myself right now.
[“Then so be it. I will still drag you around with me.”] She was blunt!
“I-Isn’t that awfully selfish of you?!” I flinched backwards, unexpecting her to be this uncompromising!
[“Yes, it is! And that’s how you should express yourself. Show some more confidence in yourself. We are both reincarnated people from the same world and both of us are animals now. Were you to ask me, I would prefer traveling with somebody I knew personally and could trust not to stab me in the back.”]
I couldn’t argue with that, so I just nodded.
[“So, shall we become traveling companions, partner?”] She sent me a mental smile and offered me her paw as if it was a handshake.
“Uhh, well…”
[“Just for your information, you may not decline me.”]
Gck, this person is totally not modest at all! Aren’t you Japanese?! Hello?!
Saori completely flipped her personality. She was very pushy today, extremely inconsiderate!
“Th-Then I have nothing else to say. I…” I paused for a moment and closed my eyes.
Nothing she said actually solved my inner dilemma, and even I was currently arguing with my parallel minds on that issue. However, did I need to solve this problem now? Was i necessary for me to find a conclusion now?
No. There was still a long way until we reached some form of civilization. There was enough time to think about it.
However, until then, being with this little warg might actually be the thing I needed. Even without the garm matriarch’s promise, my heart already knew the correct answer. Never again did I want to be alone again. I needed other people. I needed somebody to talk with. Solitude was not my thing.
… accept, I guess.” I smiled wryly.
Saori smiled also, looking quite cute in her warg form. [“Splendid. Now before we end this conversation, we need to give you a name!”]
“A name?” I tilted my head.
[“Correct. I find it completely unacceptable to continue with Miss Dragon.’ We are friends and traveling companions now. It would be rude if we just kept this as our status quo.”]
Friends? Huh?
She was right. I couldn’t remember my name, no matter how much I tried it. I knew it came from my parents, but with it gone, the sentimentality disappeared, also. I was reborn. This was my second life. I needed to understand that, so I nodded to her suggestion. I couldn’t keep my tail from wagging around in anticipation.
[“… Don’t you have a suggestion of your own?”]
“What meaning does it have when I name myself? Your name only has meaning, if somebody like your parents gives it to you. You mentioned I needed a name, so you do it.” I pushed the whole responsibility on her.
["A name… hmm. I have two pretty fitting names. The first is Hestia, the Greek goddess of hearths and its fire."]
Greek, huh? Well, she was a history teacher, after all.
[“The other name is Atsuko.”]
“Atsuko?”
[“Yup. “Atsu” for honest or warm. “Ko” for being childlike. I thought it would be good to give you a Japanese name considering you are half Japanese.”]
My original name could have been Japanese. This made sense.
“So, why did you take ‘Hestia?’ That’s a Greek goddess name, right? I don’t think I act like a ‘goddess’ at all.”
[“I chose that name for you because I believe you are someone who values her family quite a lot. A name fitting for somebody who will do her best to keep her family happy even at cost of herself.”]
I was baffled by her reasoning. “That is… quite a nice reason, more than I deserve. That makes choosing one of them quite hard.”
["There is no need to choose. Just take both. One as your first name and the other as a sort of the last name."]
I lifted up one of my brows, showing my astonishment. Saori, on the other hand, showed me a gentle smile, suggesting I never had a choice once I gave up my right to suggest a name.
Chuckling, I spoke, “Well, I guess it’s better than being called ‘Miss Dragon’ all the time. So be it.”
[“Fantastic. From today onwards you shall be “Hestia Atsuko”. It is an honor to have met your acquaintance, Princess Hestia. I, Saori Segawa, shall follow you from today onwards as a companion.”]
< [Young Spark Inferno Dragon *] has been named [Young Spark Inferno Dragon, Hestia Atsuko]>
“Come on, you don’t have to be that formal… huh?”
[“Huh?”]
< [Young Garm, Saori Segawa] has received the title [Hestia’s Retainer] and is now your follower>
AbyssRaven Name Reveal! Everybody, meet Hestia! Here you go, her appearance in artform! Courtesy to Nuraproject for the fantastic art!
Name: * Level: 0 Race: Young Spark Inferno Dragon
Age: 5 Month
Status: Health: 3071/3071(+1834) Mana: 11569/11569(+6975)
Strength: 1513 (+579) Intelligence: 2291 (+1019)
Vitality: 812 (+343) Wisdom: 921 (+379)
Agility: 2987(+1123) Stamina: 1558/1558(+634)
Effects: [Damaged Mana Path [Left Wing] (Minor)]
Skill Points: 50 (-1500)
Unique Skill: [Spark Fire Dragon Lv. 7] (+1) [Spark Fire’s Fire Boost]
[Spark Flame Veil] (New)
Skill: Magic skills and related:
[Lava Magic Lv. 1] [Holy Magic Lv. 10] [Holy Amp]
[Holy Magic Efficiency] [Sacred Magic Lv. 2] (+1)
[Fire Magic Lv. 10] [Fire Amp] [Fire Magic Efficiency]
[Inferno Magic Lv. 4] (+3) [Earth Magic Lv. 10] [Earth Amp]
[Earth Magic Efficiency] [Terra Magic Lv. 1]
[Wind Magic Lv. 7] (+1) [Wind Amp] (New)
[Space-Time Magic Lv. 4] (+1) [Space-Time Magic Efficiency]
[Magic Power Enhancement Lv. 5] (+1) [Mental Stability Lv. 2]
[Mental Warfare Lv. 2] [Silent Casting Lv. 6] (+1)
[Draconic Magics] [Draconic Barrier Lv. 2] (+1)
Physical skills and related:
[Unarmed Technique Lv. 4] [Draconic Claws Lv. 2]
[Draconic Roar Lv. 1] (New) [Draconic Fangs Lv. 1]
[Sundering Enhancement Lv. 1] (New) [Piercing Enhancement Lv. 1] (New)
[Crushing Enhancement Lv. 1] (New)
Senses and movement skills:
[Stealth Lv. 8] [Accuracy Correction Lv. 4] (+1)
[Prediction Lv. 6] (+1) [Danger Perception Lv. 1] (New)
[Probability Correction Lv. 1] (New) [Detection Sensor Lv. 1]
[Enhanced Auditory Sense Lv. 1] (New) [Enhanced Olfactory Sense Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Vision Lv. 4] (+1) [Tracking Lv. 1] (New) [Night Vision Lv. 7]
[Presence Killer Lv. 6] (+1) [Evasion Lv. 10] (+1) [Acrobatic Lv. 9] (+1)
[Terrain Maneuvering Lv. 2] (New)
Resistances:
[Physical Super-Resistance Lv. 1] (New)
[Absolute Pain Tolerance] (New) [Abnormal Status Nullification] (New)
[Holy Resistance Lv. 4] [Inferno Resistance Lv. 1] (New)
[Terra Resistance Lv. 1] (New) [Wind Resistance Lv. 2]
[Water Resistance Lv. 1]
Stat growths and related:
[Health Recovery Lv. 4] (+2) [Stamina Recovery Lv. 5] (+1)
[Enhanced Health Growth Lv. 6] (+1) [Enhanced Health Capacity Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Mana Growth Lv. 8] (+1) [Enhanced Mana Capacity Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Strength Growth Lv. 5] [Enhanced Strength Enforcement Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Intelligence Growth Lv. 7] (+1) [Enhanced Intelligence Enforcement Lv. 4] (+2)
[Enhanced Vitality Growth Lv. 4] [Enhanced Vitality Enforcement Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Wisdom Growth Lv. 4] [Enhanced Wisdom Enforcement Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Agility Growth Lv. 7] (+1) [Enhanced Agility Enforcement Lv. 4] (+2)
[Enhanced Stamina Growth Lv. 5] [Enhanced Stamina Capacity Lv. 4] (+2)
Others:
[Singing Lv. 2] (New) [Dancing Lv. 1] (New)
[Poison Creation Lv. 2] (New) [Trap Creation Lv. 3]
[Identity Blocker Lv. 1] (New)
[Identify Lv. 10] [Noble Aura Lv. 1] (New)
[Battle Mind Lv. 4] (+1) [Royal Etiquette Lv. 1] (New)
[Leadership Lv. 1] (New) [Cooking Lv. 7] [Dismantle Lv. 6]
[Thought Acceleration Lv. 1] (New) [Parallel Thoughts Lv. 6] (+1)
[Humanize Lv. 6] (+2) [Pyrokinesis] [Aerokinesis] (New) [Telepathy] (New)
Ability List: [Flame Blast] [Spark Claws] [Spark Flame] [Spark Fire Breath]
[Spark Fang]
Spell List: Custom spells:
[Imperial Hellfire]
Lava spells:
[Lava Ball]
Holy spells:
[Minor Heal] [Cure] [Modest Heal] [Smite] [Light] [Holy Protection]
[Holy Strength] [Purify] [Sacred Smite] [Sacred Veil]
Fire spells:
[Fire] [Firebolt] [Imbue Fire] [Fire Ball] [Strengthening Flames]
[Flame Spear] [Petal Flame] [Flame Explosion] [Inferno Blast]
[Blazing Twister] [Inferno Beam] [Scorching Sun]
Earth spells:
[Earth Wall] [Rock Blast] [Earth Strike] [Rock Bullet] [Sturdy Earth]
[Earth Spears] [Earth Crash] [Earthen Shackles] [Terra Wall]
Wind spells:
[Wind Bullet] [Wind Cutter] [Air Shield] [Wind Slash]
[Swift Winds] [Wind Blast]
Space-Time Spells:
[Haste] [Storage Magic] [Warp Point: Entry]
The Light spells:
[Shine]
Titles: [The Light] [Bearer of Kargryxmor’s Blood] [Otherworldly Reincarnator]
[Princess] (New)
[collapse]“And that is without getting myself nerfed by [Humanize]. Can you imagine it? [Humanize Lv. 6] causes [Humanize (Moderate)], which halves all my stats. I’m so weak, right now!” I complained at Saori about my dragonewt form. Finding it ridiculous how much [Humanize] reduced my stats just so I could look like a human!
[“… You’re still far stronger than me though.”] However, Saori didn’t seem to agree with my plight. Well, she wasn’t wrong about that, but that was beside the point.
“Ah, you’ll get there.”
Yo, yo, yo, yo dayo! Guess who’s back? Back again? It’s me! You lovable little dragon just got finished from evolving, and I was stronger than ever. It’s been a while since I gave a summary of my progress, so I kinda wanted to do one. It also helped that Saori was totally willing to hear me out!
Without further ado… The first major improvements I did after the garm encounter was collecting and buying all the skills the garms were using which I thought would be useful. Those would include the resistance skills for abnormal conditions, like poison, bleed, paralyze and torpor. The garm matriarch gave me a big warning on this front.
On a more positive note, I also bought utility skills to improve my hunting efficiency and life, generally. [Tracking] and [Terrain Movement] respectively were the ideal skills since they touched those niches. Of course, I also had to improve my in-battle ability, so [Danger Perception] and [Probability Correction] were the best for that.
It took me far too long to realize this, but I finally took the opportunity to buy [Identity Blocker]. If you thought about it, knowing an enemies’ spells and skills was unsurprisingly very beneficial. If I had known the mama garm had [Shadow Clones], I would have probably anticipated that spell being used. Well, not like I would have won anyways if I had known.
I also took another page from her book — I bought [Poison Creation]. After what she did to me during that fight and how she lectured me about creating more tools for myself, I took it seriously to the point I was collecting any toxic fluid or items I could find. Then, I used the skill to mix them together into even stronger concoctions. Fortunately, there is no shortage of those monsters and plants, albeit they aren’t good for experience.
In total, that cost me 2650 SP.
Now, that wasn’t too bad. [Poison Creation] cost me 600 SP and [Identity Blocker] cost 250 SP. Not very cheap but I believe it is worth the price.
However, now we got into my spending on skill improvements. A few of them were purely for breaking through the break requirements but most of my expenses went into defensive skills.
Buying something like [Poison Resistance] will cost me 150 SP but leveling this up from level one to level ten made me spend 1000 SP. 1150 SP in total.
Now imagine me doing this for the four abnormal status skills I bought, while also considering physical, pain, fire and earth resistance.
I actually wanted to buy [Dark Resistance], to cover my biggest weakness, but the cost was insane! 3000 SP, the exact amount I would need to buy [Dark Magic], oh jeez. It was far too expensive! At this point, buying it was out of the question, and I had to gain the skill naturally, by taking dark elemental damage.
I also considered improving my resistances to water, as that was also a problem for me. However, upgrading [Water Resistance Lv. 1] to level two cost me 300 SP. With how the cost would increase after level four, seven, nine, this was quite insane. Being frugal was too hard!
I hate my titles sometimes.
Regardless, I took it as an investment. Concerning everything aside from dark and water resistance, the rest were there to keep me safe. The price was irrelevant in this case. Sadly, after I committed to the idea, I noticed I only had 50 SP left to my name. For the first time in my life, I was too poor to buy something I really wanted. I didn’t think my spending was this terrible.
Oh wait, wasn’t I unable to buy [Humanize] in the beginning too?
[“You spent quite the sum on those skills.”]
Hearing Ms. Segawa’s voice again, I shook off my train of thought and returned back to reality.
“It was for the sake of survival.”
And I mean it.
[“So, what does [Bleed Resistance] exactly do? I cannot imagine a wound not bleeding.”]
“Oh, it’s just this.”
While in my dragonewt form, I used my still sickle-like claws to slit open my wrist, showing Saori what max bleeding resistance did. Blood was dripping from my arm, but it was to the point it could ever endanger me for too long. After a few seconds, the wound was already healing up from my natural regeneration.
Not understanding my intentions, she instead exploded in my face and scolded me for doing something reckless. [“Stop, you do not have to cut your wrists! You can just explain it! There is no need to mutilate yourself!”]
“Heheheh, I guess that was also an option, but showing teaches you things better. If you’re already angry, you’re probably be livid when I tell you about the time I set myself on fire or let barracudas shoot water bullets at me.
How nostalgic these memories were. Training my [Fire Resistance] by shooting myself with my fire spells was such a fond memory. Sadly, with how high my Intelligence was compared to my Wisdom, doing it now could actually hurt me.
[“You what?!”] Ms. Segawa jumped right on me, pushing me on the ground before glaring at me with her black eyes.
Seeing I was teasing her a bit too much, I apologized to her and had her calm down before explaining the reasoning to my masochistic tendencies. It was to level resistance after all.
Thereafter, I also told her how important [Bleed Resistance] was to me. Healing magic couldn’t regenerate blood. With a max resistance skill, I could still gain [Bleeding (Minor)] but it could never rise to moderate or major stage. Anemia was a serious problem during a fight.
[“Jeez… You really could have done that earlier. You really are a cheery person, huh?”] Saori sighed in exasperation. [“So… Can you finally explain to me who you are?”]
I flinched and froze in place, twitching involuntarily as I tried to eek out a response, “… I already told you everything.”
[“No, I do not mean your past. I meant the fact that you have a title called [Princess], Your Royal Highness~”] From the tone of her voice, it sounded like she was messing with me.
“Gurgh… Even if you ask me this, how can I even answer that question when I have no idea who I even was in this world? All I know is that the title appeared after my evolution.”
[“Why, I humbly apologize for my rude remarks, Princess.”]
Being a bit annoyed at her snickering, I stood up and picked up the hem of my flame dress, created to cover my otherwise nude body. Going through the movements my etiquette teacher pounded into my head, I gracefully performed a curtsey.
In addition, I decided to also shoot back an appropriate remark fitting for my weird new title. “Hmph…ahem, I graciously accept your apology, I felt no offense from it.”
It’s been a while since I did this, but I believe neither Mama nor my educator would be unhappy about it.
And, apparently, neither was Saori. [“… Wow, are you sure you were not a princess on Earth? It feels like I was almost charmed.”]
Charmed? What does she mean by that?
After I asked her that, she remarked about what happened when she woke up, [“When you sang, I thought you were basked under streams of white light, while when you curtsied, I thought stars and hearts appeared. That, uh, “aura of nobility” is dangerous!”]
To be precise, I let out my [Noble Aura] while during my curtsy, believing it was a charisma skill or something. From how Saori explained it, I was more confident this skill would be useful to persuade people in the future. Could this be used for my idol stuff, I wondered?
[“Come to think of it, your whole demeanor changed once you began talking formally, which, pardon my rudeness, is surprisingly refined despite your usual crude speaking mannerism,”] Saori suddenly commented while I was thinking of [Noble Aura]’s potential usage.
“I don’t think it’s that bad… I don't like acting formal ‘cause it's tiring and annoying. To be honest, I don’t know how you’re able to keep your act up 90% of the time.”
During my one month with Saori, I had noticed she had a certain speaking style where she wouldn’t use any contractions like “Don’t” or “isn’t.” She told me she chose to speak like this when she was asking around for tips to fit into a rich, prestigious high school. Over her three years of being a teacher, it became almost normal for her to speak without contractions as it seemed more “formal” to her.
After she explained it to me, she began pestering me to answer her question. Considering she shared her reason with me, I had to oblige. “My mother wanted me to learn proper etiquette ‘cause my father sometimes invites, well, distinguished guests to our home for dinner.”
Yes, learning how to curtsey for something simple like greeting somebody was over the top. But that was exactly what the etiquette teacher my mother hired told me was necessary. I personally thought it was “antique” and “pretentious” as hell, though.
I loved my Mana very much, but even she had her weird moments as a parent. Speaking like what she imagined me to be was just unimaginable, especially since I was a nine at that point. Probably had something to do with my traditionalist grandparents, but I quickly learned everything my etiquette teacher taught me and just shoved them to the side of my brian.
[“I thought your father was a musician?”] Saori pointed out what I told her about my background.
“He is…but he’s more like a conductor, a maestro for an orchestra. He’s successful enough to get invited by a ton of his wealthy attendees. Haven’t I told you I was a silver spoon kid back on Earth?”
I believed he had quite a few Broadway gigs, so he was earning quite a hefty sum. My family could live in a fairly expensive apartment in Manhattan ‘cause of him.
[“You don’t sound very enthusiastic about it.”]
“No, no, I do feel very proud of my father. It's just very embarrassing to say it ‘cause it sounds like bragging. My parents financed my training as an idol, which the other trainees used to tease me about. Like ‘Oh, you’re so rich, it doesn’t matter if you fail or not.’ They always go on; how lucky I was to get everything paid by my rich parents.”
Yes, I was fully aware how fortunate I was. I wasn’t an idiot! However, that didn’t mean it allowed everybody to continue harping on about it as if it was some universal fact!
“Eventually…” I stuttered, feeling unwell as these memories resurfaced. “It got to me and I blew up in front of everyone. Boom, my relationship with all of them was totally ruined.”
My parents asked me to switch to another training school, but I couldn’t give up on the trainer there. He was that good. My parents eventually persuaded him to privately tutor me, but that only made my relationship with the other trainees even worse…
“It never really bothered me, really, outside of my school friends telling me I sounded ‘unnormal’ with my speech style. However, the tipping point was this very moment. I honestly thought if I could act less like a rich girl, they might become my friends. But, they knew me already, so any changes I made were called out.”
[“Oh…”]
“Still, I knew any of them could become a colleague one day. Potentially, so I tried my best to warm up to them. Which inevitably caused me to neglect my time with my school friends. I was too focused on my idol training, and with how I started imitating kids I saw on the streets, I was kinda creating a rift between us. It was a stupid kid moment where I thought I knew everything better, and I hadn’t realized I knew nothing until, well, I was friendless.
I didn’t have many friends when I entered primary school, but after entering middle school, the amount of people I could call friends could be counted on one hand. And they were either my cousins or family friends. With how much I dedicated everything to my dream, I just neglected making new acquaintances.
The atmosphere turned awkward when I ended my retelling. Saori didn’t speak. She just stared at me. Maybe I spoke my mind too much. I should probably play it off as if it was nothing.
“I-I’m sorry. I went a bit…I should have kept that for myself…”
[“Eh? Oh no! It is fine. I am willing to listen, if you have any worries. As an educator, I believe it is a part of my responsibility to listen to any problems my students have, and if possible, support them. I may not be your teacher but as an adult, you can confide with me."] She looked me straight into my eyes, showing me her earnestness.
While I appreciated the sentiment, I felt conflicted if I should continue. All this reminiscing had done was remind me how incompetant I was with dealing with the unfairness of the situation. To me, it felt like talking about it wouldn’t do anything good. I wanted to bury it all. Keep it locked away from my new life.
As if she could see something in my frown, Saori stepped up until our eyes met. [“Hey, Miss Dragon, look at me. Considering how much you are hesitating about it, this experience probably has hurt you more than a surface wound. However, because it is so personal for you that you need to stop letting it fester inside of you.”]
I kept silent.
[“Then let me ask you this in another way: why exactly do you wish to become an idol so much you were sacrificing your social life?”]
She was throwing me a rescue line, giving me a way to express myself. She was being pushy about it, but I didn’t mind it too much. Still, it felt weird. I could talk about everything with my parallel minds, but I felt conflicted when talking with Saori.
… Sigh.
“… I told you that I was an idol in my past life, right? Well, that was a lie. I was only a trainee, no, I aspired to be one. I haven’t been accepted by a single studio or agency.”
I began preparing at a tender age of seven and kept up my training for nine years, dreaming if I could just keep smiling it would all work out. I fully believed in hard work rewarding me with success. My parents always told me that was the way forward, and my trainers reinforced it.
“So, I went to auditions. If the scouts weren't interested, then go to them. Show them your skills. The problem is that I wasn't the only one who thought of this.”
There was always someone more talented. Always someone who performed better. Hard work? Everybody needed to train as if this was the passion of their life to even get to this point where I was. However, unlike those who were taken, either I fucked up or my luck just wasn’t. With every success, a little bit of luck was needed somewhere.
That was what I began to believe.
[“Failing that often, jeez… You know, I can sympathize with you, but in my case, I chose money over my dream. I had to for my mother. So, despite all that, how did you continue? Why are you still doing it in your second life?”]
“I-I don’t know. It hurts every time I was rejected. But it hurts even more, knowing that if I give up, I will disappoint my parents who supported me with all their hearts.”
My parents comforted me when I failed, but I knew this wouldn't last forever. Even I had to become an adult eventually. My parents had the connections to help me, but if I took it, then those idiots who called me a spoiled brat would have been vindicated! Still, maybe I was too bratty to understand my parent’s intentions. Too stubborn and childish.
Love, money, a good education, and they even supported my dream, until I died. How could I not be grateful? Nevertheless, the one thing I wouldn’t allow them to give me was the fulfillment of this dream. I want this to be due to my own efforts.
How ironic that in the end, without the support of my parents, I failed with that dream. It made the naysayers correct ‘cause I died. How morbid and amusing at the same time.
“I… felt like I owed it to them,” I finally landed on a thought I was satisfied with. “They supported my dream for nine years. I made an oath to myself to succeed even back then. To me, if I gave up now, I would just be ungrateful. I don’t know.”
I could feel my tears starting to swell at this memory of my parents, but I kept them back, forcefully. I must not cry.
“Now I am in this world. Reborn. With my memories. I have neither money nor connections. I don’t even have proper clothes!” I pointed at the flame dress I made. It was literally the only thing keeping my human shame intact. "I want to know. Can I do it in this world? Am I good enough to do this alone… or am I really nothing without my parent's support?"
This plan, of course, was completely kicked out of the window due to the gods’ interference. While, yes, I was grateful they reincarnated me, I found it bothersome that I was a princess in this blood. Considering the evolution choices I’d received, it was very likely I was related to this Kargryxmor in some capacity.
“That’s why I have been doing my best to keep my training up when I’m in human form. I want to go back to human society and debut successfully. I will do it, this time, no matter what! Not only for my parent’s sake but also for my own.”
Hearing my sincere wish, Ms. Segawa contemplated a bit, frowning for a moment. [“I now understand why you are so diligent with your training. I might not know much about being an idol nor an entertainer in general, however, is it really ok for someone to become an icon of cheerfulness, if they themselves are not?”]
“Huh? … Hehe. Hahahaha, hehehehehahaha!” I suddenly burst out in laughter, finding her words so amusing I couldn’t control myself.
[“Miss Dragon?!”]
“You’re right! You’re right! I am a hypocrite, am I not? An idol should always act happy and friendly, but what the hell am I? Due to [Battle Frenzy] I could go berserk anytime during a concert and boom, it's over. The ideal female idol should be cute and sweet, singing songs to bring happiness to her audience, instead, I was killing things just so I can become stronger and stronger."
Hearing that “icon of cheerfulness” made me want to ramble at that very fact. It was a self-deprecating rant about myself, as I slowly felt more and more inadequate to continue this. Not ‘cause of my lack of effort, but of how utterly unqualified I was. So much blood was on my hands…
I eventually stopped laughing, looking crestfallen to the ground as I reflected on my actions. Saori noticed this and barked, drawing my eyes to her. [“My opinion of you is that of a very emotional person who feels most comfortable wearing those emotions on her sleeves. You know you can cry if you are sad.”]
No! I can’t cry! I will not cry! I made a promise to myself to not cry.
“… What are you saying? You helped me reflect on myself. So, thank you…~” I forced myself to smile, putting up a mask to hide the pain gnawing in my chest.
Act happy. Act cheerful. An idol shouldn’t act sad or angry. She was there to make others happy. Even if I was a hypocrite and my smile was as fake as it could get, I didn’t want to expose this side of myself.
[“That is what I meant with keeping your feelings to yourself!”] Saori was outraged. [“Believe me, putting up a smile just to make others not worry about you, will inevitably cause the opposite. I am sorry if you don’t want to hear it, but you need to let your feelings out.”]
“No, please stop… We don't need to continue with this. It was a waste of time anyway…”
I stood up, and began to move away, but Saori wouldn’t let me. She dashed forward, standing in my way before speaking one sentence. [“…Then let me help you.”]
“What?”
I froze in space, not expecting that from her. She continued speaking in a soothing voice, trying not to agitate me further. [“Let me help you then. If you are not willing to fully express yourself now, then I can follow you until you can. Being patient with emotional students is a part of my job after all.”]
“… What do you get from this? What you said makes no sense. Why would you want to do something that annoying? I’m a stubborn idiot. Plain and simple. Not worth somebody’s time.”
[“Well, I guess the first thing that I get from this is to make myself feel better. If you were one of my own students, then I would do my best to help you get over it. The other reason is part of my dream.”]
I raised an eyebrow. “What dream would force somebody to jump on some random girl’s foolish ambitions?” I scoffed.
[“Somebody who wishes to travel the world.”]
“That’s your dream? Isn’t that a bit… simple?” Not knowing how to properly answer, that was all I could say.
However, she didn’t care. [“You might not know this, but I was not somebody who was born with the opportunity to travel around the world whenever I wanted. You said your grandparents lived around the world, right? One pair in Germany and the other in Japan? Well, I was never able to fly outside of Japan.”]
Hold on, what?
[“Before my father died, he planned to have my mother and I join him on a trip around the world; visiting the many sights of the world after we saved up the money for it. I also studied history because I wanted to learn about the past of the world. Even after his death, I didn’t want our dream to die off. I worked in a profession I didn’t exactly want because it paid well, and I was planning on using this money to pay back medical bills and also to travel with my mother.”]
Saori closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. She opened her eyes again before continuing.
[“Now I am in a completely foreign world with a foreign culture and also a history I knew nothing about. I want to know this world better. What is it like outside of this forest when dragons and giant wolves exist. Is it like medieval Europe like most modern fantasy stories, or maybe it was something entirely else! The thrill! As an idol, you need to travel far and wide, no? You will have to sing in foreign cities and countries. There can be no better traveling companion than you.”]
It was convincing… but not enough.
“What…What if it all fails and I choose to give up on it?” I stumbled on my words, remembering how I said something similar to my parallel minds and was tripping over myself right now.
[“Then so be it. I will still drag you around with me.”] She was blunt!
“I-Isn’t that awfully selfish of you?!” I flinched backwards, unexpecting her to be this uncompromising!
[“Yes, it is! And that’s how you should express yourself. Show some more confidence in yourself. We are both reincarnated people from the same world and both of us are animals now. Were you to ask me, I would prefer traveling with somebody I knew personally and could trust not to stab me in the back.”]
I couldn’t argue with that, so I just nodded.
[“So, shall we become traveling companions, partner?”] She sent me a mental smile and offered me her paw as if it was a handshake.
“Uhh, well…”
[“Just for your information, you may not decline me.”]
Gck, this person is totally not modest at all! Aren’t you Japanese?! Hello?!
Saori completely flipped her personality. She was very pushy today, extremely inconsiderate!
“Th-Then I have nothing else to say. I…” I paused for a moment and closed my eyes.
Nothing she said actually solved my inner dilemma, and even I was currently arguing with my parallel minds on that issue. However, did I need to solve this problem now? Was i necessary for me to find a conclusion now?
No. There was still a long way until we reached some form of civilization. There was enough time to think about it.
However, until then, being with this little warg might actually be the thing I needed. Even without the garm matriarch’s promise, my heart already knew the correct answer. Never again did I want to be alone again. I needed other people. I needed somebody to talk with. Solitude was not my thing.
… accept, I guess.” I smiled wryly.
Saori smiled also, looking quite cute in her warg form. [“Splendid. Now before we end this conversation, we need to give you a name!”]
“A name?” I tilted my head.
[“Correct. I find it completely unacceptable to continue with Miss Dragon.’ We are friends and traveling companions now. It would be rude if we just kept this as our status quo.”]
Friends? Huh?
She was right. I couldn’t remember my name, no matter how much I tried it. I knew it came from my parents, but with it gone, the sentimentality disappeared, also. I was reborn. This was my second life. I needed to understand that, so I nodded to her suggestion. I couldn’t keep my tail from wagging around in anticipation.
[“… Don’t you have a suggestion of your own?”]
“What meaning does it have when I name myself? Your name only has meaning, if somebody like your parents gives it to you. You mentioned I needed a name, so you do it.” I pushed the whole responsibility on her.
["A name… hmm. I have two pretty fitting names. The first is Hestia, the Greek goddess of hearths and its fire."]
Greek, huh? Well, she was a history teacher, after all.
[“The other name is Atsuko.”]
“Atsuko?”
[“Yup. “Atsu” for honest or warm. “Ko” for being childlike. I thought it would be good to give you a Japanese name considering you are half Japanese.”]
My original name could have been Japanese. This made sense.
“So, why did you take ‘Hestia?’ That’s a Greek goddess name, right? I don’t think I act like a ‘goddess’ at all.”
[“I chose that name for you because I believe you are someone who values her family quite a lot. A name fitting for somebody who will do her best to keep her family happy even at cost of herself.”]
I was baffled by her reasoning. “That is… quite a nice reason, more than I deserve. That makes choosing one of them quite hard.”
["There is no need to choose. Just take both. One as your first name and the other as a sort of the last name."]
I lifted up one of my brows, showing my astonishment. Saori, on the other hand, showed me a gentle smile, suggesting I never had a choice once I gave up my right to suggest a name.
Chuckling, I spoke, “Well, I guess it’s better than being called ‘Miss Dragon’ all the time. So be it.”
[“Fantastic. From today onwards you shall be “Hestia Atsuko”. It is an honor to have met your acquaintance, Princess Hestia. I, Saori Segawa, shall follow you from today onwards as a companion.”]
< [Young Spark Inferno Dragon *] has been named [Young Spark Inferno Dragon, Hestia Atsuko]>
“Come on, you don’t have to be that formal… huh?”
[“Huh?”]
< [Young Garm, Saori Segawa] has received the title [Hestia’s Retainer] and is now your follower>
AbyssRaven Name Reveal! Everybody, meet Hestia! Here you go, her appearance in artform! Courtesy to Nuraproject for the fantastic art!
