Chapter 337: Pen, Sword, and Heart.

Chapter 337: Pen, Sword, and Heart.

Ghuhahahahahahaha! My thanks, dragonewt girl! Im not a fan of Aurenas blind little pups, but white spells are far more useful than any other healing method. A salve wouldnt heal those wounds!

Oof!

The first thing Ghorush did after I healed the two baseball-sized holes in his arms was to smack me right in the back, nearly knocking me over due to size and weight difference alone. Dragon or not, I wasnt as heavy as my original form right now. Otherwise, wooden floors would just crack under me.

Well, thats the least I could have done after making your arms practically useless. Neill suddenly grabbed my shoulder and pulled me closer to her, looking prideful as she stared at Ghorush, who was just getting up from his bed in the infirmary. Hmph! Thats how a victor should act, ha!

So you nearly ruined his life as a warrior because you thought I could cure him? Neill? Isnt that going too far? I glared at my reckless sister. Tch, bad loser.

Shishihahahahaha! But look at that! You closed up his arms to the point he could smack your back! See, I knew you had in you, Hestia! Huep!

Waaaaah! Neill suddenly smacked me in the back, too! Stop it! Stop hitting my back! Also, control your strength if you do so! I dont care how it isnt hurting me, stop doing so!

Warrior idiots

One minute, they were trying to kinda kill each other, in the other, they became fast friends. At least, that was what it looked like when I saw Ghorush laughing merrily, congratulating Sis for her victory over him. Despite her laser beam from her unicorn horn possibly stopping his life as a fighter, he still took the loss well, praising her for giving him a wonderful fight.

Just like my first impression of him when I first met him in the royal rumble, he was a real battle junkie.

When Neill literally dragged me to the infirmary after her win, we saw the tall leonid literally shun the priests away from him, only accepting potions from the alchemists. From what he just admitted, it seemed he wasnt a real fan of Aurenas religion and its followers. Reminding me quite a bit of the lizardmen I met in the Belzac forest.

He did try to reject my help, showing more suspicion of me compared to when we first met. Still, to the victor went the spoils, and he was a firm believer of that motto. Sis wouldnt accept his reluctance of getting healed by a priestess of Aurena, so in the end, she persuaded him to have my flames and [Major Heal] patch him up.

Hmph! Ghorush jumped off his bed, which comically broke apart after he did so, probably due to his weight.

S-Sir, you shoul One of the alchemists tried to stop him, but the blunt beastmen didnt care one bit for their complaint. Shoving them aside, he came over to pat Neills shoulder.

Good fight. Hope we can repeat that again, but for real next time! He grinned, showing off his massive canines.

Unperturbed by this, even taking it as a sign of goodwill, she slapped his burly forearm lightly before bumping her fist against his. I fight for glory and respect, leonid. Thats the thing that separates us. Death sounds like a pain for my tail.

Ghuhahahahaha! Fine! Each warrior to their own. At least, our wish to become stronger and fight powerful opponents is still the same. The Elemental Kings might not watch over us anymore, but I am sure the Spirit of Fire would have been pleased with our performance!

Once again, the leonid brought up the Elemental Kings, the former primarchs of this world. Curiosity got to me at this point, as it was clear this guy grew up in a place where the Origin God faith was less prevalent.

You dont seem like a follower of any Origin or Subordinate god, I brought up to Ghorush, causing him to frown.

Hmm. Curious, priestess? I thought you were more a fighter-at-heart with how you fought with us, but I guess blesseds of Aurena arent that interesting. He shrugged, but his words didnt match his posture. He looked like he was willing to talk, instead of brushing me off with a bored look.

This guy really is curious, huh? More to him than a berserker.

My master is a follower of Istari, so I cant help it. Also, not often you meet somebody like you around in this part of the continent, I replied, earning me another shrug from him.

Hmm. If were talking, then not here. Too stuffy. His mouth then turned into a fat grin, even drooling a bit. Ha! The best way to celebrate a victory is with food and booze! Treat me, and Ill speak, old comrade-in-arms!

H-Huh, food?! Now? I flinched, not expecting that answer.

Of course, now! Stomachs empty!

Hmm, sounds good! Neill immediately agreed with him while rubbing her tummy, before attempting to persuade me. Come on, it's lunch break now! Its two bells worth of time. Well eat, have some good time, and you can then go do your whole noble shtick. Come on, lets invite the others, too! More the merrier!

Ghuhaha! Glad to hear you agree, fellow warrior! After battle feasts are the best! Best time to remember how youre alive, while your foes arent!

I was really tempted. I havent eaten anything yet after my match, so maybe this was as good of a time as ever. Honestly, with Neills lion mane-like hair, she looked a bit like a leonid when I compared Ghorush with her. Acted like him, at least.

I technically had a meeting with Prince Markvals mother and also Duke Alberstien, so I was a bit nervous to delay it any further. I had my responsibility and I was sure Tasianna would be angry at me if I delayed it but learning about this lion guy? It was very hard to choose in the end

but, I already made a promise to attend.

Well, your word is your reputation. Neill nodded understandably, while the leonid groaned in dissatisfaction. The break is long, though, yeah? End it quickly and come join us! Ill take everybody else while you and Tasianna make pleasantries with those humans.

I was lucky to have an understanding sister, knowing what I wanted to do instead of being a princess. Of course, since I outranked every noble in this country by a mile, I technically could act like the spoiled, unruly imperial princess, but that was a cliche I wasnt willing to do. My parents raised me better than that.

Besides

This will be a good chance to speak with them about the impending attack.The roots of this story extend from novell bìn origin.

I had already talked to Jethro and Alistar about my fear of an invasion, and hopefully they also informed the others about it. However, to make sure, I had to speak with them personally. We didnt know who we were up against, so it would be better to deal with everything now.

So, with Neill taking everybody out for some lunch, Tasianna and I went over to a separate section of the arena, after she helped me get into a dress. If this were a normal building, you would think the arena was linked with another place through a long hallway, but this was a dungeon. Just like my subspace, the interior could be changed however you wanted, disregarding its outside appearance.

After I presented myself, the knights bowed and an attendant dressed like a butler came over to greet me. He bowed deeply before addressing me properly. I asked him why there wasnt a queue for the banquet, which he answered was cause another entrance was at the audience area for the nobles. Naturally. I should have guessed that part.

Princess Anasthasia had anticipated you coming this way, he told me. I nodded and thanked Anasthasia for predicting my obvious path.

Going through the doors, my eyes widened a bit as the hallway looked more like a castles garden path. Beautifully maintained shrubbery, flower beds aplenty, and an area so beautiful and peaceful you wouldnt believe it was placed next to a blood sport arena. Just seeing the artificial sky was a clear reminder this place was a dungeon.

My lady, may I ask you a few questions? Instead of me, the butler began speaking with Tasianna. Due to our rank difference, the butler knew he couldnt address me directly and had to go through Tasianna first. Her Grace had informed me to ask for Her Imperial Highnesss title and spot in her houses hierarchy. If I may, could I ask you for them?

I presume to int

HOW DARE YOU!

Ooooooh, here comes the drama popcorn

Tasianna, interrupted by a loud yell, immediately darted her head towards a mostly-enclosed area with a silver status of Yeostar, large enough for me to see it over the shrubbery walls. The attendant next to us instantly flinched, looking like cold sweat was forming on his forehead. Unfortunately for me, I recognized that voice, and was already imagining something bad about to happen.

With a weary mind, we walked over to the local, only to suddenly hear glass splintering, causing us to move faster. Once there, I saw Prince Markval forced behind his mother by the woman herself, while the four princes of the Divide stared her down. Next to them stood Duke Alberstien and Alistar, both looking mortified.

And, I get it. Loyalty is something important and how you speak about fighting with the Empire instead of shirking your responsibilities does sound brave, but have you tried to take a step back and observe how your country is operating?

What do you mean by that? Alberstien asked me suspiciously, unsure what I was talking about.

I mean, come on, your very capital isnt acting anywhere close to these ideals youve set for yourself. Ive heard from many people in the city how many commoners despise beastmen due to the war with Carmaniate. Their sons and daughters were conscripted before being sent to die for the Empire. None of these people are knights, but you send them out anyway.

A war cannot be won with quality alone. We humans cannot afford such an advantage compared to you dragons or the elves. We need numbers; high quantities of levies to protect us from the beastmen, while the Empires elite forces take on the demonkins. We humans fight wars on two fronts, so we must make drastic decisions.

He had his argument ready, despite how he sounded like he didnt care much about the commoners who fight in these wars.

Then what about all the gambling your people are doing during these matches? Despite being a knight country, you sure put in a lot of effort to make your blood sport very entertaining for the common man and woman. Blood enjoyers, yeah? Revel in gore and viscerals! I imitated the announcers voice but made it extremely heroic to joke about what I said.

Yes, well, we cannot control the masses, right? Our people are happy, and that is what makes a good country, in my opinion. Gambling? What are we to do? Outlaw it? It will still be performed underground, far away from our reach. At least right now, we can prevent outside manipulations.

Yeah, but internal cheating is okay, because its there to make things more exciting, right? Sure, I have no evidence, but come on, what have been my matches?

Urgh, you arent understanding what I am telling you, I massaged my temple, a bit fed up with how he was trying to skip over the implications. Your people need you here. Not out there, fighting for a war while you are weakened! That is what I am trying to tell you here in the Goddesss stead!

Are those Her Holinesss own words, or your opinions? He stared me down, leaving me literally no choice to wiggle around.

Mine, of course. Dont presume the Goddess has time for every single problem in this world! Those words accidentally caused Alberstien to raise an eyebrow, looking at me as if I was heathen or something, but I was simply speaking the truth! See, what I am trying to tell you is that you should focus on your countrys problems, first! Bandits, those grimgarians, pirates, and not to mention all that damn money you need!

Hmph, so you have joined the Princesss camp, huh?

Stop trying to be pedantic about it! I bashed the table with my fist, angrily staring at him at how unwilling he was to take on advice. Sure, I might be a naive young girl, but this little girl has been inside your damn city. Walking around with the normal folks and also went out to fight grimgarians for your country. I have spoken with people who express complaints and those worried about pirates attacking your incoming merchants!

I scratched my head to calm myself down, before standing up from my seat. Here is the thing, I didnt backstab you, I was already trying to help Anasthasia. She knows full well the coffers are empty and wishes me to help, similar to you. You even admitted the money is tight. I brought over help from Artorias, helping me prepare for the concert in the city right at this moment!

Hmph, I had figured the Princess had spoken with you earlier than I expected from how everything was resolved. During our first meeting?

I nodded. Yes, but if you call trying to help another country joining a faction, then do just that. You have plenty of problems on your plate, as I could see. Not only domestically with a young prince and his unbalanced mother but also with foreign politics. However, even if you dont trust women because of your countrys ill-perceived views, at least, trust Anasthasia. Shes really trying her best for this country she loves. And I a woman, too am trying my best to find out who the enemy is, despite how much I want to cancel my Divine Quest and leave this place.

The duke remained silent, looking at me as if believing I wasnt done talking. Taking it as a hint, I let out a deep sigh.

You, Jethro, and Anasthasia. Three factions, all wishing well for your country, but none of you can work together. The pen, the sword, and the heart. You cant advance or grow as you are, right now.

He drank his wine glass empty when I ended, looking pensive as he stared at it. Then, what do you expect me to do, Your Grace?

Communication. You need to do your job as a seneschal and help Prince Markval finally spread his wings, instead of having his mother chain him down. Im not saying get rid of her, but help her see the errors of her ways, otherwise, I will believe you are pulling the strings. Using the poor kid as a puppet. If you really want your country to survive, with threats within and outside, then start helping those who care to make a change.

And with that said, I left him alone, hoping my words would help both Anasthasia and Renee in their goals. Jethro and Duke Alberstien were pivotal players in this countrys government. I had spoken my piece to them. Now, it was time to see if Yeos can transform into a place where I would wish to come back for a summer vacation or not.

I then left the arena without changing my dress, finding it too cumbersome to ask Tasianna about it. Strangely enough, we quickly found Neill and the others, as we noticed Ghorush, Sis, and Mother having an eating contest.

Those fools

I shook my head as Ghorush and Neill had to forfeit before Mother showed any signs of giving up. I also smacked Neill on her head, as she allowed Mother to pay for everything. That meant, it came from my wallet!

Mine! I stole away Mothers food after the contest was done and began devouring it like a post-hibernation bear. Talking with that duke made me sooooooooo hungry, and if I had to pay for all this food, then I sure would have a bit from it!

H-Hey, Hestia! I like that one! Sis complained, but I was a voracious being made from pure hunger, desiring everything she paid for with my damn credit card!

Then again, I could also just use the sun and feed myself with solar energy to fill myself up, but, eh.

In any case, after our meal was over, we went back to the arena where the remaining matches of the day began.

Naemon vs. Random Yeosian Noble

Joek vs. Renee

Random adventurer vs. Alistar

Random Yeosian knight vs. Larent

Were the last matches of the day. Naemon won his match pretty handedly as the noble couldnt compete with the sandstorm he could conjure up, while Renee only narrowly won her match against Joek. He, from what I knew, seemed mute, so her silence field was practically useless to him. He could chant his spells in his head. Renee only won against him after using her wind constructs to overturn his sandstorm onto himself.

For the last two matches, Alistar was the winner while, as he mentioned, Larent forfeited his match completely, angering sooooo many people in the arena. Some even called for his head. Others, like Alistar, were disappointed.

With the tournament done for today, I attended some meetings with the people Tasianna made appointments with me. Mostly clothiers and armorers, which Neill loved so much, she didnt even complain about coming. She was very interested in the clothes, wanting to see how the nobles clothes would change with an ocean next to them.

Renee and Rita said their goodbyes here, while Mother, Tasianna, and the twins joined us, making this pretty much a family outing. Strangely enough, freaking Ghorush kept following us around despite where we were going. It seemed like he and Neill actually became good friends after their food match.

Well, not like it harmed anybody.

Anyways, after all that fun, the next day came to us. The schedule was a bit more lenient as only four matches were being held today. As such, the tournament ended earlier than yesterday, which was great since I had plans elsewhere.

Me vs. A random merc from Neills round

Empire knight vs. Fargryneill

Naemon vs. Renee

Alistar vs. Random Yeosian Knight

And that was it, really. Arlond died, so I swept his opponent in less than five seconds and so did Neill with her opponent. Naemon and Renee was another extremely competitive match, since both were normal humans, using their abilities to beat each other. This time, however, Renee was actually able to use her silence field well, defeating Naemon with a surprise attack with it. Ending the day, was a very chivalrous match between the Knight-Commander and one of his comrades, ending in Alistars win.

And that was how the fourth day of the bracket stage ended. And since we ended early, I could finally take the nexus back to Griffonpeak to pick up a very special object I had paid big bucks for.

Our partys very own [Crystal of the Divine System].