“Say, ‘ahhhhhhhhh,’” Saori said as she drew a wooden spoon filled with steamed white grain coated in a mouthwatering brown sauce close to my mouth.
“Ahhhhhhhhh, mhmph.” I bite into it, drawing the warm, savory food into my mouth, letting my saliva run as I start chewing on it. “Mhmmmm!”
The tender meat and the filling toffels compliment the white, oval grains, adding an extra flair of texture as my cheeks turned red from the nostalgic taste after I swallowed it. There was some spiciness, but not too much, perfect for those wanting just a small bit of kick without burning their mouths.
“Hestia, your cheeks! Is it the food or are you warming up again?” Saori hastily grabbed a cup of tea and poured it into my mouth.
I coughed up the tea and some of the food, before frowning at Saori for her rash behavior. “Bwuah! Saori, I’m not a kid! And it’s the food! You should know how nostalgic the taste of rice should be.”
Saori’s eyes widened for a second, her mouth agape as she put the teacup down. “O-oh … I apologize, I overreacted a bit … How is the taste?”
“Well, if we excluded the tea … It’s good on the Saori cooking scale, but the curry isn’t there yet. The spice combination isn’t correct I believe.” Happy with my answer, Saori gave me another spoonful to fill my tummy.
Subjugating the bandits not only meant that we fulfilled the Quest we got from Colwyn but also that we secured the food they stole. Honestly, I was glad it wasn’t destroyed during the whole raid. It was a miracle that it didn’t get burned to ashes!
Speaking of burns…
“How are your burns? They still hurt?” I asked with a troubled expression, eyeing her singed arms.
“…What is that frown? Come on, smile for me, Hestia," Saori urged me as she placed two fingers on the edges of my mouth and pushed them upwards. “As you once said, ‘An Idol must always keep up a smile.’ Do not worry, Kushlek’zar already healed me. The fur will need some time to regrow, but I prefer this look personally, heh.”
Despite how much Saori was trying to cheer me up, I couldn't help but continue looking at those burns, regardless if they were gone now or not. The thought of who gave Saori those wounds made my heart hurt as if it was being squashed.
… I know it wasn’t technically my fault. I mean, who would have thought that the bloody fire Origin God himself would be so “nice” to grant me his blessing and the new title [Divine Inferno]. I should be grateful ‘cause it improved the strength of my fire spells, right? FUCK NO! I WAS NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT AT ALL!
Why? Why, why, why did that fucking bastard do that to me, huh? Not only did I gain his “blessing” but I also lost all my fire, inferno, and holy spells. Sure, I got [White Flames] and [Corrosive Fire] in return … but who asked him to do that for me, huh?!
I also never asked him to fix my custom spell “Imperial Hellfire,” alright? Oh, wait, I mean, [Symphonie des Feuergottes]. Do you know what “Feuergottes” means in English? Fucking, “Fire God!” Translated, the spell meant “Fire God’s Symphony!” Argh, not only did he steal my chance to personally finish my custom spell, but I was now the “proud” owner of a spell made by that narcissistic piece of shit Danterno!
Oh, sorry, I meant, “Shiterno!” Fitting name for an abusive prick who thought sending a damn Divine message to me was okay! Especially when Aurena told me these messages weren’t okay for my soul! Dude, that god probably didn’t have an inch of a brain cell!
… Jeez, why, why? Harrgh, I told myself that I wouldn’t go on a rampage and kill things like that. I didn’t want to kill things without my own consent. I’m sorry, Macklemor … why didn’t you surrender … Dummkopf.
I had to be honest here, I was frustrated that I killed him due to my rampage but it actually didn't mean that much to me. Macklemor was a bandit and he stayed adamant about being my enemy to his last breath. To me, as a monster, it was just business as usual.
“Whew, that [Starvation (Minor)] will not disappear anytime soon it seems. I should get you some more curry rice. Tasianna, like before, please take care of her.” Saori stood up and switched places with my second friend, before going to the cauldron manned by Mister Kushlek’zar in the middle of this camp.
“Of course, Miss Saori!” Tasianna stated with fervor, swinging her two blue braided pigtails around with a bow. “Lady Hestia, how is it? Should I raise the temperature or is this cold adequate?”
I showed her a small smile before nodding. “No, it’s perfect. I can feel myself cooling down and I think [Overheated (Minor)] will disappear soon. Thanks for asking, Tasianna.”
“That is a relief to hear, Lady Hestia. It is a pleasure to serve you,” she responded. “… If I may, could I ask you how it felt to listen to a god? Receiving a Divine message from them is usually only reserved for the blessed.”
Well, to be pedantic, Tasianna did explain how Champions and Saints, collectively called “blessed,” still had problems listening to a god’s words. Sentences were usually chopped up into individual words, since divine words could harm your soul. In my case, I read entire paragraphs from Aurena and four sentences from Danterno. Tasianna was curious about this.
But, what was I supposed to say? Aurena’s message was calming to read since I managed to get some answers from her, while Dan—Sorry, Shiterno, pretty much bashed me in the head, knocking me out. He was responsible for my rampage.
After Danterno took away my spells, my mind essentially went into shock. My System spells were, after all, saved inside my [Arcane Mind] and [Mental Warfare], so from that, I presumed having lost so many spells at once was the cause for my headache. I growled and struggled, but it felt like my brain was about to explode.
Then, he just had to send that Divine message, which knocked me out, forcing my body into a state of [Battle Frenzy (Moderate)]. I was essentially acting on my draconic instincts, my monster side. And since I didn’t give permission to my parallel minds on what to do when this happened, their hands were literally tied. Thank goodness, I didn’t actually go unconscious, otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to communicate with Saori.
However, this did mean I saw everything that happened. My body wanted to defend me, but it couldn’t distinguish foe from allies due to the soul-killing agony from Shiterno's message. The dread I felt when it didn’t even register Saori or Tasianna as friendlies was bone chilling. The fact I lost control once again reinforced how I was more than just a danger to myself.
Strangely, Shiterno also messed with my dragon skills. [Dreadflame Dragon] and [Hellblade Dragon] sounded like racial skills considering they fused from [Spark Fire Dragon], [Draconi Claws], and [Draconic Fang]. In addition, my body also underwent changes due to them, without me even evolving.
Seeing my body use [Scale-dust Veil], [Hellblade Edge], and [Dreadflare Aura] did make me a bit excited from the sheer flexibility and power of those abilities but that instantly disappeared once I saw myself use them on the saurians and my friends. Any progress my parallel minds achieved to “wake me up” was instantly made null as the hysteria I felt caused my mind to further deteriorate.
… I can still remember it all. Calm down.
Eventually, I calmed down, fortunately. However, that was mostly ‘cause my body reached its limit. [Dreadflare Aura] and [Symphonie des Feuergottes] covered me in intense heat that would usually kill anything that couldn’t withstand a literal volcano … and I was in the epicenter of it.
It consumed so many calories that I got [Starvation (Minor)] while also giving me [Dehydration (Moderate)] ‘cause my sweat was literally evaporating from my skin due to the heat.
In addition, I couldn’t move my body due to [Arcane Fever (Minor)]. How did I get it despite being extremely resistant against it? Well, imagine me having to manage my [Overheated (Moderate)] to the point that my [Body Temperature Control] jumped three levels while keeping [Symphonie des Feuergottes], [Dreadflare Aura], and [Hellblade Edge] active.
That was a ton of mana that I used in a short amount of time … but that wasn’t all. I also used [Pyrokinesis] to emulate some of my [Inferno Magic] spells. There were no magic circles, I just transformed them into a certain form and shot them at Mister Kushlek’zar who was dueling me with his water spells.
Saori admitted that she couldn’t believe that I lost a mana duel against somebody with less Mana, but what could I say? The quantity didn’t mean much if my usage was subpar. I should be lucky I stopped at [Arcane Fever (Minor)]. Any worse, and I could have lost a leg.
Urgh … that memory of the garm matriarch’s limbs exploding in a bloody fountain from arcane corruption. Yikes.
I was having a terrible headache, I puked blood, and my body was limp. I had already experienced [Arcane Fever] a couple of times, but I still couldn’t get used to it. If I wasn’t careful, my Heatlh could just be drained until I died. I was lucky to have a lot of Health and also Mister Kushlek’zar to cast [Ocean’s Healing] on me, otherwise …
Yeah, thinking about it does drain the blood from my face.
“Ahhh, Lady Hestia! Priest Kushlek’zar, she needs healing, again!” Tasianna worriedly shouted out before grabbing the tea and pouring it down my throat. “My Lady, please, you must drink the tea!”
“Mhumphfpfpf!” I flailed around, unable to speak as tea water gushed down my throat.
“Ocean Healing!” Mister Kushlek’zar dashed over us and poured some water over my body, however, instead of getting wet, the water dissipated once its job was done.
Help, this is patient abuse!
Fulinoe leaves had a remedial effect which alleviated arcane corruption. When used to make this brown-colored tea, its potency would increase. In addition, having Mister Kushlek’zar heal me with [Ocean Healing], meant I really couldn’t die now. How lucky was I to have friends like these? Once again, I was reminded how the lonely life I had in the Belzac forest before meeting all of them was hell.
“Hestia, are you alright? Here, another bowl of curry rice!” Saori then shoved a spoon with curry right into my mouth before I could say anything!
It was true! This was patient abuse!
“Ha ha ha, I don’t think a single bowl would help, Miss Saori,” Kushlek'zar responded with a merry laugh. “She ate through two cauldrons filled to the brim with your wonderful food. She probably needs more considering that she not only used quite the amount of Mana but is also a dragon.”
He says it like that, but I didn’t hoard those two cauldrons for myself. The saurians and the humans ate quite a lot themselves.
Still, despite all the “patient abuse,” I couldn’t help but feel gratitude to them. I cast my eyes down, trying to hide my tears since I couldn’t wipe them away. “Thank you …”
“Hestia …” Saori placed the bowl on the ground, ruffled my hair with affection, and then gave me a short hug. “See? You cooled down enough. You cannot burn me in this state.”
The meaning behind these words lies with the fact that Saori and Tasianna both burned themselves after embracing me the moment my rampage ended. Despite Mister Kushlek’zar cooling the area with his water magic, it wasn’t enough as I still had [Overheated (Moderate)]. Even if it was an accident, it didn’t make me feel any better.
“Seeing a young scale in such a state does not make this old scale very happy, Hestia. Do me a favor and go back to your previous state,” Mister Kushlek’zar urged me while crossing his arms. “Besides, you mustn’t fault yourself for something caused by the gods. Instead, feel honored that you have fancied an Origin God.”
I couldn’t hide anything from Mister Kushlek’zar at this point. I might not have told him about Kargryxmor and Aurena but I couldn’t construct a proper lie to excuse my rampage at all. There was also the fact that I couldn’t hide [Divine Inferno] in time before he used [Identify] on me. If the cat was already out of the bag, I might as well come clean. Especially when he was kind enough to hold back to avoid killing me during that battle.
“… I do understand what you mean, Mister Kushlek’zar, but … aren’t you annoyed that I killed those captured bandits?” I asked feebly, avoiding making eye contact with him.
The bandits the saurians captured weren't lucky enough to survive my rampage as nobody helped them when I activated [Dreadflare Aura]. They were too close to me that I literally cooked them alive, scorching them until only their bones were left.
Speaking of which, I also destroyed my party bracelet with that act. Saori might have gotten the experience when I killed Macklemor but she missed out on those 21 bandits. It was disturbing to think that I was more annoyed at the fact that the experience was wasted instead of me killing 22 humans and beastmen today.
Has my mind turned completely into that of a monster?
“Don't let that cloud your mind, young scale. They were destined for judgment anyways, due to their crimes of pillaging and murder,” Mister Kushlek'zar answered with a firm tone, sternly speaking against my naivete. “You have a good soul, lass, so don't let these criminals distort it. Helping the innocent and condemning the wicked is a worthy cause to strive for. Just look over to the prisoners you’ve freed.”
His arm directed my eyes toward the group of 30 or so villagers and mercenaries, all huddled up away from the saurians. They were all devouring the curry rice that Saori made. As the food was technically theirs, we couldn’t exactly deny them from getting any especially with how malnourished they were.
“We were lucky that none of them actually were sold off to a slave trader. The mercenaries you saved informed me that the bandits had an argument with them that led to the end of any transactions. Ha, and here I thought the ‘Depth Serpents’ had to go headhunt them.” The relief in Mister Kushlek’zar’s voice suggested that this wasn’t a common occurrence. “I believe every culture has a tradition where they hold a feast after a momentous event. Isn’t the joy in their faces enough to soothe your mind, young scale?”
Breaking bread with each other while beads of tears dripped into their curry rice was a wholesome sight, equivalent to the time I spent with the lizardmen … although the “feast” was pretty lacking.
“You call it a feast but I was the only one who cooked, and only curry rice is not enough,” Saori complained with a frowned face, as she kept stuffing my mouth with the exact curry rice. “Thankfully we were able to cook the hardened rice quite fast, thanks to Hestia’s body temperature. As much as I wanted to create a variety of dishes, Hestia and the malnourished prisoners required an easy-to-eat and filling meal, which so happens to be curry.”
“Thanks to my body temperature,” yeah, putting my weakened body under a pot to cook a large batch of rice without having to create a fire was a pretty good idea. Due to the transfer of heat, that process also managed to cool me down a bit, so we hit two birds with one stone. It just didn’t help that I felt like a tool.
“Mhmm, it certainly helps that it was delicious. How long has it been since I tasted curry? Since I left Caedhul? Yours however has a certain charm unlike the marine country’s, which I assume is due to it being sweeter? Curious. Where did you learn this meal, Miss Saori?” Mister Kushlek’zar mumbled as he licked his mouth clean with his long tongue, still suspicious that Saori was a monster like me.
Regardless of how tense it seemed, the two somehow hit it off as Saori simply ignored his attempt to draw an answer out of her and just talked about curry with him. Mister Kushlek’zar wasn’t exactly helpful as he didn’t know the spice blends too well, but any criticism for her curry was satisfactory for Saori.
As I was watching them talk, while Saori kept feeding me the curry and the fulinoe tea, Tasianna suddenly tickled my ear as she said, “Lady Hestia, are you still worried about what happened?”
The concern in her voice made me clench my teeth. “… Was I that obvious?”
“You usually are far more talkative,” Tasianna answered with a nod. “Even when you were enfeebled after our fight with one of the leviathan’s appendages, you tried to speak even when you were so close to [Arcane Fever]. However, it feels like you are trying to avoid speaking if it isn’t urgent.”
Well, what can I say besides I’m not in the mood…
“Hestia …” Saori stopped speaking with Mister Kushlek’zar the moment she heard Tasianna, putting the bowl of food down. “Look at me, nothing happened to us. You neither hurt Tasianna nor me. This is Danterno’s fault, not yours.”
“… You still couldn’t stop me, though …” I meekly stated while looking at my new set of claws. “My body didn’t know how to control its new power output, so it recklessly used everything in my arsenal without a care. However, the more I get used to it, the more I can master my new abilities, the more dangerous my feral state will be.”
I shook my arm, releasing shining red scales onto the ground. “Condense [Symphonie des Feuergottes]’s initial explosion, use [Dreadflare Aura] as a one-second burst attack instead of a continuous heatwave, ignite the scale-dust with my claws instead of my mouth to prevent the explosion to cloud my vision. I can think of so many ways to refine my battle habits, and I don’t think this is all my body is capable of. I still haven’t even checked my dragon form’s yet. Due to [Divine Inferno] I can’t hurt myself with my own fire spell, so who knows how reckless my feral will become.”
I gave a defeated chuckle as I counted up all these reasons. I felt like a loser.
“It has only been a week or so and we’re back to the same fucking discussion. When will I next go on another rampage? Can somebody stop me next time? All this worrying is making me sick of myself.”
I eyed the sharp end of my claws. So sharp, so durable, so strong. They could pierce even metal at this point, not to mention simple bare flesh. One clean swipe. That was all I needed to end somebody’s life. One clean swipe and it all would end.
As my line of sight never strayed from my claws, a black-furred hand blocked them, displaying its own claws to me. They were shorter, duller, and less imposing. They couldn’t be compared to mine at all.
“Don’t,” Saori uttered with a shake of her head, a bitter smile trembling to keep itself together, as her deep-red eyes peered into me.
“… I gave you my promise, and I plan to keep it. I have a dream, which I will not squander a second time. I have two precious friends, whose eyes I don’t want to see cry.” I breathed in deeply, so much so that I felt dizzy from the extra amount of oxygen, before exhaling and looking at them with firm eyes. “I’m counting on you two. Please support me as I try to control the beast inside me, so I won’t make you two sad ever again.”
“By your will, Lady Hestia!” Tasianna shouted as she kneeled down, hiding her wet eyes by casting her face down.
“Keep your shine, Hestia. Don’t let this week’s events pull you down,” Saori encouraged me as she pressed her hands around my cheeks, showing a smile at my renewed determination. “You are not the only one improving, and I will not stop until I am your equal.”
I’ve learned some valuable lessons from this Quest.
First, that killing when I need to do it, whether it may be humans, beastmen, or monsters, wasn’t something that I should worry so much about. Feeling guilty about every single kill wasn’t good for me, but I should always be wary to never abandon the moralities that I’ve learned. At the end of the day, even bandits had backstories.
Second, seeing my friends being sad was more painful to me than I actually thought. Crying and being depressive about the matter was natural but what was important was that I got myself up and going. Nobody wanted to see me in this state and if an idol couldn’t bounce back from a bad day, then what had I been doing with my life on Earth?
Third, and lastly, fuck Shiterno and Kargryxmor.
Fuck those two, seriously. Fuck Kargryxmor for giving me this shitty blessing that only produces troubles. Weakness to water and also that shitty [Battle Frenzy]. Pah, this was more like a curse at this point, even if it did give me a temporary increase in my stats!
And, Danterno, that fire guy could suck a big one. Shiterno! A deserving nickname! Nobody asked you to help me here. Do you honestly believe that I would be grateful to you when you didn’t even have the courtesy to prevent me from attacking my friends? Your asinine execution of your plan made me want to vomit. Don’t even think about me becoming your pawn!
I didn’t know what Aurena was like, but I honestly was contemplating working with her just to spite those two sick fucks. Nonetheless, any wyverns or dragons would probably be bad news for me. I was not gonna speak with my “grandpa.”
“Hmm, that spark in your eyes seemed to have reignited,” Mister Kushlek’zar stated with a wide grin. “Here’s a lesson for the future, don’t think you can do everything alone, all right? You understand, young scale?”
“Uh, uhm, yes!” I responded with a weary tone.
“Good, then once your [Arcane Fever] is gone, we will get back to training. I do not have much time until I must depart but as my student, I want you to learn all four advanced casting techniques. You said that you lost [Fire Magic], [Inferno Magic], and [Holy Magic], right?” I nodded at his question. “Then it is even more imperative that you learn how to properly construct a custom spell. As a mage and your master, I cannot fathom what you could do with your talent, especially with those white and purple flames."
Mister Kushlek’zar scratched his plumage again, thinking about something before speaking, “… As a member of the mages guild, I am actually obligated to report to them about your custom spell. The mages guild is responsible for managing all official mages including recording custom spell to prevent arcane terrorism. However, at this point, it is very likely that they will forbid your spell, so until you can control that spell properly, don’t show it to the world.”
The old scale then turned his head towards Saori and Tasianna. “I will also assume you two wish to learn, too, correct? I have no qualms for more apprentices, ha ha ha!”
The two nodded in unison.
Asterious is still hunting for us and Shiterno won’t be happy about what happened here. It can’t be a coincidence that I got this blessing when I was in the presence of Macklemor. I need more strength to fend those two away, to keep my happiness … which means it is almost time …
Evolution … But could I control myself then?
After I ate and drank enough to get rid of both [Starvation] and [Dehydration], everybody rested for the night, while the saurians kept watch. Once morning came, both [Overheated] and [Arcane Fever] disappeared.
Having fully recovered from the aftermath of that bandit raid, the saurians and my party started our escort of the former prisoners towards Carine village. Unfortunately, we couldn’t move too fast as most of the villagers and mercenaries couldn’t muster enough strength to walk for too long until they needed a break. We had to move slower, especially when the cold nights came earlier now.
Fortunately for my party, that meant that we had more time to learn from Mister Kushlek’zar while also giving us a chance to bond with the whole saurian party. It also got to the point that I started calling Krim-Slak “elder scale” out of respect.
Even if Krim-Slak and Grazlahta were for killing me before Mister Kushlek’zar ordered them not to, I could understand their choice. I wouldn’t want to hurt Saori or Tasianna. The loneliness in Belzac forest was miserable, so the last thing I wanted to do was to hurt the people who saved me from that hell.
After four days of travel through the woods, we finally reached the outskirts of Carine village.
AbyssRaven The Bandit arc is done!
If you guys want to support me, Hestia and "A Dragon Idol's Reincarnation Tale" (or just read up to 20 advance chapters + any Patreon-only chapters) please check out my Patreon: Rawr
For two dollars, for the cost of a coffee, you can read up to four chapters for the whole month! You will have my eternal gratitude for any support you can give me! Please.
Thank you for reading this chapter.
“Say, ‘ahhhhhhhhh,’” Saori said as she drew a wooden spoon filled with steamed white grain coated in a mouthwatering brown sauce close to my mouth.
“Ahhhhhhhhh, mhmph.” I bite into it, drawing the warm, savory food into my mouth, letting my saliva run as I start chewing on it. “Mhmmmm!”
The tender meat and the filling toffels compliment the white, oval grains, adding an extra flair of texture as my cheeks turned red from the nostalgic taste after I swallowed it. There was some spiciness, but not too much, perfect for those wanting just a small bit of kick without burning their mouths.
“Hestia, your cheeks! Is it the food or are you warming up again?” Saori hastily grabbed a cup of tea and poured it into my mouth.
I coughed up the tea and some of the food, before frowning at Saori for her rash behavior. “Bwuah! Saori, I’m not a kid! And it’s the food! You should know how nostalgic the taste of rice should be.”
Saori’s eyes widened for a second, her mouth agape as she put the teacup down. “O-oh … I apologize, I overreacted a bit … How is the taste?”
“Well, if we excluded the tea … It’s good on the Saori cooking scale, but the curry isn’t there yet. The spice combination isn’t correct I believe.” Happy with my answer, Saori gave me another spoonful to fill my tummy.
Subjugating the bandits not only meant that we fulfilled the Quest we got from Colwyn but also that we secured the food they stole. Honestly, I was glad it wasn’t destroyed during the whole raid. It was a miracle that it didn’t get burned to ashes!
Speaking of burns…
“How are your burns? They still hurt?” I asked with a troubled expression, eyeing her singed arms.
“…What is that frown? Come on, smile for me, Hestia," Saori urged me as she placed two fingers on the edges of my mouth and pushed them upwards. “As you once said, ‘An Idol must always keep up a smile.’ Do not worry, Kushlek’zar already healed me. The fur will need some time to regrow, but I prefer this look personally, heh.”
Despite how much Saori was trying to cheer me up, I couldn't help but continue looking at those burns, regardless if they were gone now or not. The thought of who gave Saori those wounds made my heart hurt as if it was being squashed.
… I know it wasn’t technically my fault. I mean, who would have thought that the bloody fire Origin God himself would be so “nice” to grant me his blessing and the new title [Divine Inferno]. I should be grateful ‘cause it improved the strength of my fire spells, right? FUCK NO! I WAS NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT AT ALL!
Why? Why, why, why did that fucking bastard do that to me, huh? Not only did I gain his “blessing” but I also lost all my fire, inferno, and holy spells. Sure, I got [White Flames] and [Corrosive Fire] in return … but who asked him to do that for me, huh?!
I also never asked him to fix my custom spell “Imperial Hellfire,” alright? Oh, wait, I mean, [Symphonie des Feuergottes]. Do you know what “Feuergottes” means in English? Fucking, “Fire God!” Translated, the spell meant “Fire God’s Symphony!” Argh, not only did he steal my chance to personally finish my custom spell, but I was now the “proud” owner of a spell made by that narcissistic piece of shit Danterno!
Oh, sorry, I meant, “Shiterno!” Fitting name for an abusive prick who thought sending a damn Divine message to me was okay! Especially when Aurena told me these messages weren’t okay for my soul! Dude, that god probably didn’t have an inch of a brain cell!
… Jeez, why, why? Harrgh, I told myself that I wouldn’t go on a rampage and kill things like that. I didn’t want to kill things without my own consent. I’m sorry, Macklemor … why didn’t you surrender … Dummkopf.
I had to be honest here, I was frustrated that I killed him due to my rampage but it actually didn't mean that much to me. Macklemor was a bandit and he stayed adamant about being my enemy to his last breath. To me, as a monster, it was just business as usual.
“Whew, that [Starvation (Minor)] will not disappear anytime soon it seems. I should get you some more curry rice. Tasianna, like before, please take care of her.” Saori stood up and switched places with my second friend, before going to the cauldron manned by Mister Kushlek’zar in the middle of this camp.
“Of course, Miss Saori!” Tasianna stated with fervor, swinging her two blue braided pigtails around with a bow. “Lady Hestia, how is it? Should I raise the temperature or is this cold adequate?”
I showed her a small smile before nodding. “No, it’s perfect. I can feel myself cooling down and I think [Overheated (Minor)] will disappear soon. Thanks for asking, Tasianna.”
“That is a relief to hear, Lady Hestia. It is a pleasure to serve you,” she responded. “… If I may, could I ask you how it felt to listen to a god? Receiving a Divine message from them is usually only reserved for the blessed.”
Well, to be pedantic, Tasianna did explain how Champions and Saints, collectively called “blessed,” still had problems listening to a god’s words. Sentences were usually chopped up into individual words, since divine words could harm your soul. In my case, I read entire paragraphs from Aurena and four sentences from Danterno. Tasianna was curious about this.
But, what was I supposed to say? Aurena’s message was calming to read since I managed to get some answers from her, while Dan—Sorry, Shiterno, pretty much bashed me in the head, knocking me out. He was responsible for my rampage.
After Danterno took away my spells, my mind essentially went into shock. My System spells were, after all, saved inside my [Arcane Mind] and [Mental Warfare], so from that, I presumed having lost so many spells at once was the cause for my headache. I growled and struggled, but it felt like my brain was about to explode.
Then, he just had to send that Divine message, which knocked me out, forcing my body into a state of [Battle Frenzy (Moderate)]. I was essentially acting on my draconic instincts, my monster side. And since I didn’t give permission to my parallel minds on what to do when this happened, their hands were literally tied. Thank goodness, I didn’t actually go unconscious, otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to communicate with Saori.
However, this did mean I saw everything that happened. My body wanted to defend me, but it couldn’t distinguish foe from allies due to the soul-killing agony from Shiterno's message. The dread I felt when it didn’t even register Saori or Tasianna as friendlies was bone chilling. The fact I lost control once again reinforced how I was more than just a danger to myself.
Strangely, Shiterno also messed with my dragon skills. [Dreadflame Dragon] and [Hellblade Dragon] sounded like racial skills considering they fused from [Spark Fire Dragon], [Draconi Claws], and [Draconic Fang]. In addition, my body also underwent changes due to them, without me even evolving.
Seeing my body use [Scale-dust Veil], [Hellblade Edge], and [Dreadflare Aura] did make me a bit excited from the sheer flexibility and power of those abilities but that instantly disappeared once I saw myself use them on the saurians and my friends. Any progress my parallel minds achieved to “wake me up” was instantly made null as the hysteria I felt caused my mind to further deteriorate.
… I can still remember it all. Calm down.
Eventually, I calmed down, fortunately. However, that was mostly ‘cause my body reached its limit. [Dreadflare Aura] and [Symphonie des Feuergottes] covered me in intense heat that would usually kill anything that couldn’t withstand a literal volcano … and I was in the epicenter of it.
It consumed so many calories that I got [Starvation (Minor)] while also giving me [Dehydration (Moderate)] ‘cause my sweat was literally evaporating from my skin due to the heat.
In addition, I couldn’t move my body due to [Arcane Fever (Minor)]. How did I get it despite being extremely resistant against it? Well, imagine me having to manage my [Overheated (Moderate)] to the point that my [Body Temperature Control] jumped three levels while keeping [Symphonie des Feuergottes], [Dreadflare Aura], and [Hellblade Edge] active.
That was a ton of mana that I used in a short amount of time … but that wasn’t all. I also used [Pyrokinesis] to emulate some of my [Inferno Magic] spells. There were no magic circles, I just transformed them into a certain form and shot them at Mister Kushlek’zar who was dueling me with his water spells.
Saori admitted that she couldn’t believe that I lost a mana duel against somebody with less Mana, but what could I say? The quantity didn’t mean much if my usage was subpar. I should be lucky I stopped at [Arcane Fever (Minor)]. Any worse, and I could have lost a leg.
Urgh … that memory of the garm matriarch’s limbs exploding in a bloody fountain from arcane corruption. Yikes.
I was having a terrible headache, I puked blood, and my body was limp. I had already experienced [Arcane Fever] a couple of times, but I still couldn’t get used to it. If I wasn’t careful, my Heatlh could just be drained until I died. I was lucky to have a lot of Health and also Mister Kushlek’zar to cast [Ocean’s Healing] on me, otherwise …
Yeah, thinking about it does drain the blood from my face.
“Ahhh, Lady Hestia! Priest Kushlek’zar, she needs healing, again!” Tasianna worriedly shouted out before grabbing the tea and pouring it down my throat. “My Lady, please, you must drink the tea!”
“Mhumphfpfpf!” I flailed around, unable to speak as tea water gushed down my throat.
“Ocean Healing!” Mister Kushlek’zar dashed over us and poured some water over my body, however, instead of getting wet, the water dissipated once its job was done.
Help, this is patient abuse!
Fulinoe leaves had a remedial effect which alleviated arcane corruption. When used to make this brown-colored tea, its potency would increase. In addition, having Mister Kushlek’zar heal me with [Ocean Healing], meant I really couldn’t die now. How lucky was I to have friends like these? Once again, I was reminded how the lonely life I had in the Belzac forest before meeting all of them was hell.
“Hestia, are you alright? Here, another bowl of curry rice!” Saori then shoved a spoon with curry right into my mouth before I could say anything!
It was true! This was patient abuse!
“Ha ha ha, I don’t think a single bowl would help, Miss Saori,” Kushlek'zar responded with a merry laugh. “She ate through two cauldrons filled to the brim with your wonderful food. She probably needs more considering that she not only used quite the amount of Mana but is also a dragon.”
He says it like that, but I didn’t hoard those two cauldrons for myself. The saurians and the humans ate quite a lot themselves.
Still, despite all the “patient abuse,” I couldn’t help but feel gratitude to them. I cast my eyes down, trying to hide my tears since I couldn’t wipe them away. “Thank you …”
“Hestia …” Saori placed the bowl on the ground, ruffled my hair with affection, and then gave me a short hug. “See? You cooled down enough. You cannot burn me in this state.”
The meaning behind these words lies with the fact that Saori and Tasianna both burned themselves after embracing me the moment my rampage ended. Despite Mister Kushlek’zar cooling the area with his water magic, it wasn’t enough as I still had [Overheated (Moderate)]. Even if it was an accident, it didn’t make me feel any better.
“Seeing a young scale in such a state does not make this old scale very happy, Hestia. Do me a favor and go back to your previous state,” Mister Kushlek’zar urged me while crossing his arms. “Besides, you mustn’t fault yourself for something caused by the gods. Instead, feel honored that you have fancied an Origin God.”
I couldn’t hide anything from Mister Kushlek’zar at this point. I might not have told him about Kargryxmor and Aurena but I couldn’t construct a proper lie to excuse my rampage at all. There was also the fact that I couldn’t hide [Divine Inferno] in time before he used [Identify] on me. If the cat was already out of the bag, I might as well come clean. Especially when he was kind enough to hold back to avoid killing me during that battle.
“… I do understand what you mean, Mister Kushlek’zar, but … aren’t you annoyed that I killed those captured bandits?” I asked feebly, avoiding making eye contact with him.
The bandits the saurians captured weren't lucky enough to survive my rampage as nobody helped them when I activated [Dreadflare Aura]. They were too close to me that I literally cooked them alive, scorching them until only their bones were left.
Speaking of which, I also destroyed my party bracelet with that act. Saori might have gotten the experience when I killed Macklemor but she missed out on those 21 bandits. It was disturbing to think that I was more annoyed at the fact that the experience was wasted instead of me killing 22 humans and beastmen today.
Has my mind turned completely into that of a monster?
“Don't let that cloud your mind, young scale. They were destined for judgment anyways, due to their crimes of pillaging and murder,” Mister Kushlek'zar answered with a firm tone, sternly speaking against my naivete. “You have a good soul, lass, so don't let these criminals distort it. Helping the innocent and condemning the wicked is a worthy cause to strive for. Just look over to the prisoners you’ve freed.”
His arm directed my eyes toward the group of 30 or so villagers and mercenaries, all huddled up away from the saurians. They were all devouring the curry rice that Saori made. As the food was technically theirs, we couldn’t exactly deny them from getting any especially with how malnourished they were.
“We were lucky that none of them actually were sold off to a slave trader. The mercenaries you saved informed me that the bandits had an argument with them that led to the end of any transactions. Ha, and here I thought the ‘Depth Serpents’ had to go headhunt them.” The relief in Mister Kushlek’zar’s voice suggested that this wasn’t a common occurrence. “I believe every culture has a tradition where they hold a feast after a momentous event. Isn’t the joy in their faces enough to soothe your mind, young scale?”
Breaking bread with each other while beads of tears dripped into their curry rice was a wholesome sight, equivalent to the time I spent with the lizardmen … although the “feast” was pretty lacking.
“You call it a feast but I was the only one who cooked, and only curry rice is not enough,” Saori complained with a frowned face, as she kept stuffing my mouth with the exact curry rice. “Thankfully we were able to cook the hardened rice quite fast, thanks to Hestia’s body temperature. As much as I wanted to create a variety of dishes, Hestia and the malnourished prisoners required an easy-to-eat and filling meal, which so happens to be curry.”
“Thanks to my body temperature,” yeah, putting my weakened body under a pot to cook a large batch of rice without having to create a fire was a pretty good idea. Due to the transfer of heat, that process also managed to cool me down a bit, so we hit two birds with one stone. It just didn’t help that I felt like a tool.
“Mhmm, it certainly helps that it was delicious. How long has it been since I tasted curry? Since I left Caedhul? Yours however has a certain charm unlike the marine country’s, which I assume is due to it being sweeter? Curious. Where did you learn this meal, Miss Saori?” Mister Kushlek’zar mumbled as he licked his mouth clean with his long tongue, still suspicious that Saori was a monster like me.
Regardless of how tense it seemed, the two somehow hit it off as Saori simply ignored his attempt to draw an answer out of her and just talked about curry with him. Mister Kushlek’zar wasn’t exactly helpful as he didn’t know the spice blends too well, but any criticism for her curry was satisfactory for Saori.
As I was watching them talk, while Saori kept feeding me the curry and the fulinoe tea, Tasianna suddenly tickled my ear as she said, “Lady Hestia, are you still worried about what happened?”
The concern in her voice made me clench my teeth. “… Was I that obvious?”
“You usually are far more talkative,” Tasianna answered with a nod. “Even when you were enfeebled after our fight with one of the leviathan’s appendages, you tried to speak even when you were so close to [Arcane Fever]. However, it feels like you are trying to avoid speaking if it isn’t urgent.”
Well, what can I say besides I’m not in the mood…
“Hestia …” Saori stopped speaking with Mister Kushlek’zar the moment she heard Tasianna, putting the bowl of food down. “Look at me, nothing happened to us. You neither hurt Tasianna nor me. This is Danterno’s fault, not yours.”
“… You still couldn’t stop me, though …” I meekly stated while looking at my new set of claws. “My body didn’t know how to control its new power output, so it recklessly used everything in my arsenal without a care. However, the more I get used to it, the more I can master my new abilities, the more dangerous my feral state will be.”
I shook my arm, releasing shining red scales onto the ground. “Condense [Symphonie des Feuergottes]’s initial explosion, use [Dreadflare Aura] as a one-second burst attack instead of a continuous heatwave, ignite the scale-dust with my claws instead of my mouth to prevent the explosion to cloud my vision. I can think of so many ways to refine my battle habits, and I don’t think this is all my body is capable of. I still haven’t even checked my dragon form’s yet. Due to [Divine Inferno] I can’t hurt myself with my own fire spell, so who knows how reckless my feral will become.”
I gave a defeated chuckle as I counted up all these reasons. I felt like a loser.
“It has only been a week or so and we’re back to the same fucking discussion. When will I next go on another rampage? Can somebody stop me next time? All this worrying is making me sick of myself.”
I eyed the sharp end of my claws. So sharp, so durable, so strong. They could pierce even metal at this point, not to mention simple bare flesh. One clean swipe. That was all I needed to end somebody’s life. One clean swipe and it all would end.
As my line of sight never strayed from my claws, a black-furred hand blocked them, displaying its own claws to me. They were shorter, duller, and less imposing. They couldn’t be compared to mine at all.
“Don’t,” Saori uttered with a shake of her head, a bitter smile trembling to keep itself together, as her deep-red eyes peered into me.
“… I gave you my promise, and I plan to keep it. I have a dream, which I will not squander a second time. I have two precious friends, whose eyes I don’t want to see cry.” I breathed in deeply, so much so that I felt dizzy from the extra amount of oxygen, before exhaling and looking at them with firm eyes. “I’m counting on you two. Please support me as I try to control the beast inside me, so I won’t make you two sad ever again.”
“By your will, Lady Hestia!” Tasianna shouted as she kneeled down, hiding her wet eyes by casting her face down.
“Keep your shine, Hestia. Don’t let this week’s events pull you down,” Saori encouraged me as she pressed her hands around my cheeks, showing a smile at my renewed determination. “You are not the only one improving, and I will not stop until I am your equal.”
I’ve learned some valuable lessons from this Quest.
First, that killing when I need to do it, whether it may be humans, beastmen, or monsters, wasn’t something that I should worry so much about. Feeling guilty about every single kill wasn’t good for me, but I should always be wary to never abandon the moralities that I’ve learned. At the end of the day, even bandits had backstories.
Second, seeing my friends being sad was more painful to me than I actually thought. Crying and being depressive about the matter was natural but what was important was that I got myself up and going. Nobody wanted to see me in this state and if an idol couldn’t bounce back from a bad day, then what had I been doing with my life on Earth?
Third, and lastly, fuck Shiterno and Kargryxmor.
Fuck those two, seriously. Fuck Kargryxmor for giving me this shitty blessing that only produces troubles. Weakness to water and also that shitty [Battle Frenzy]. Pah, this was more like a curse at this point, even if it did give me a temporary increase in my stats!
And, Danterno, that fire guy could suck a big one. Shiterno! A deserving nickname! Nobody asked you to help me here. Do you honestly believe that I would be grateful to you when you didn’t even have the courtesy to prevent me from attacking my friends? Your asinine execution of your plan made me want to vomit. Don’t even think about me becoming your pawn!
I didn’t know what Aurena was like, but I honestly was contemplating working with her just to spite those two sick fucks. Nonetheless, any wyverns or dragons would probably be bad news for me. I was not gonna speak with my “grandpa.”
“Hmm, that spark in your eyes seemed to have reignited,” Mister Kushlek’zar stated with a wide grin. “Here’s a lesson for the future, don’t think you can do everything alone, all right? You understand, young scale?”
“Uh, uhm, yes!” I responded with a weary tone.
“Good, then once your [Arcane Fever] is gone, we will get back to training. I do not have much time until I must depart but as my student, I want you to learn all four advanced casting techniques. You said that you lost [Fire Magic], [Inferno Magic], and [Holy Magic], right?” I nodded at his question. “Then it is even more imperative that you learn how to properly construct a custom spell. As a mage and your master, I cannot fathom what you could do with your talent, especially with those white and purple flames."
Mister Kushlek’zar scratched his plumage again, thinking about something before speaking, “… As a member of the mages guild, I am actually obligated to report to them about your custom spell. The mages guild is responsible for managing all official mages including recording custom spell to prevent arcane terrorism. However, at this point, it is very likely that they will forbid your spell, so until you can control that spell properly, don’t show it to the world.”
The old scale then turned his head towards Saori and Tasianna. “I will also assume you two wish to learn, too, correct? I have no qualms for more apprentices, ha ha ha!”
The two nodded in unison.
Asterious is still hunting for us and Shiterno won’t be happy about what happened here. It can’t be a coincidence that I got this blessing when I was in the presence of Macklemor. I need more strength to fend those two away, to keep my happiness … which means it is almost time …
Evolution … But could I control myself then?
After I ate and drank enough to get rid of both [Starvation] and [Dehydration], everybody rested for the night, while the saurians kept watch. Once morning came, both [Overheated] and [Arcane Fever] disappeared.
Having fully recovered from the aftermath of that bandit raid, the saurians and my party started our escort of the former prisoners towards Carine village. Unfortunately, we couldn’t move too fast as most of the villagers and mercenaries couldn’t muster enough strength to walk for too long until they needed a break. We had to move slower, especially when the cold nights came earlier now.
Fortunately for my party, that meant that we had more time to learn from Mister Kushlek’zar while also giving us a chance to bond with the whole saurian party. It also got to the point that I started calling Krim-Slak “elder scale” out of respect.
Even if Krim-Slak and Grazlahta were for killing me before Mister Kushlek’zar ordered them not to, I could understand their choice. I wouldn’t want to hurt Saori or Tasianna. The loneliness in Belzac forest was miserable, so the last thing I wanted to do was to hurt the people who saved me from that hell.
After four days of travel through the woods, we finally reached the outskirts of Carine village.
AbyssRaven The Bandit arc is done!
If you guys want to support me, Hestia and "A Dragon Idol's Reincarnation Tale" (or just read up to 20 advance chapters + any Patreon-only chapters) please check out my Patreon: Rawr
For two dollars, for the cost of a coffee, you can read up to four chapters for the whole month! You will have my eternal gratitude for any support you can give me! Please.
Thank you for reading this chapter.
