Chapter 453: Beasts Unwanted.

Chapter 453: Beasts Unwanted.

I rarely got the chance to appreciate the fur on my arms and legs, but along with my coat and my red scarf made from Hestias mana, they really did make me feel warm and cozy despite the shivering temperatures. Looking up at the clear afternoon sky and then back down to the mud-stained snow blanket around me reminded me a bit of our stay in Carine village. Being able to meet the villagers again after one of Hestias concerts made me feel nostalgic, and I could only imagine how Lorena and Ruld must have felt.

Best part was the rice alcohol. Ahaha, greatest present ever, aside from some nice gear and clothes.

Wait, doesnt she look like a

Shut it. A wolfkin working for a Champion can hear even whispers.

People were always loud; no matter if they were a grey-robe, a white-robe, or a knight, they would gossip. Everybody was gawking at the lone ebony-haired wolfkinme. I wasnt wearing my amulet of Marsven, but I did have Belzacs vessel with me and, while it certainly looked ominous since it was a wolf skull pendant, I was hiding it under my clothes. Not to mention, aside from my white shirt and red scarf, my outfits color scheme was predominantly black with a few shades of purple here and there.

Considering that the stereotypical Marsven priest wore roughly the same color scheme, added on to the fact that I didnt look too much like a normal adventurer, people were already assuming I was affiliated with the Pantheon of Dark. Well, I was, but that was beside the point. Asaka, being a Saintess of Ilsaphone, and me, being a Champion of Edna, probably would cause Hestia some trouble down the road, but it was already made clear we shouldnt worry about it.

And I wouldnt. We could handle it after we reached that point, and before we did, I had to do my part of the work.

[Uno, Varya; have you found where Yorshka and the kids are?] I asked my shadow pack.

[Master Hestia went to the orphanage!] Rajah reported. [Shes currently waiting there, asking for a person called Amadeus. If I had his scent, I co]

[Rajah!] Varya raised her voice to scold her oldest son. [Your master is the Alpha. Master Hestia can take care of herself, but if you are called to act as a shadow pack member, you should act as such. Isnt that right, Vidia?]

[The pack is strong because we stick together,] Mom answered in a matter of fact tone.

Hearing the two mothers reply like that, Rajah couldnt help but pout, shrinking a bit within my shadow. Little guy really loved Hestia, and since he was separated from us when we went to Belzacs grave to train, he probably didnt feel as much as a member of the pack unlike his mother and younger siblings.

I didnt want to pull him away, but Varya did seem like she wanted her son, her pride and joy, to be with her and fight as a unit. I guess it was similar to Melloxtressa wanting to be with Hestia and my own garm mother wishing to spend time with me. A mothers bond; you couldnt deny nature like that.

In any case, ignoring Rajah, Uno gave me his report. [Yorshka led your students to the knights building, where I overheard them wishing to speak with the Knight-Commander. I did not try to enter the building to not risk anything.]

[Good decision. We are in enemy territory here. We do not know if the church has a way to stop [Shadow Dash] or [Umbral Skip],] I commented, prompting Belzac to speak up.

[The dragon girls ability to heavily weaken demonic influences as well as water and ice elemental attacks with her songs should already be evidence enough that its possible. If the Churches of Aurena and Marsven dislike each other, then both sides would have figured out a way to counter each others element,] he stated. [If you want an example, an easy way to counter [Shadow Dash] would be to simply ensure there are only small shadows. If you are too large, you cant dive in them, right?]

I also knew a far more effective case, when I fought that necromancer lich during the Griffonpeak attack. Someone who worshipped Ilsaphone and thought of me as a rival to garner the goddesss favor. She had a spell which could inflict necrosis on others, and similar to a virus, it would spread through your body. You could try healing it, but it spread too fast, requiring a [Cure] or another status-healing spell.

Kushlekzar had a catalyst which reduced the effectiveness of fire attacks, while Tasiannas [Fairy of Winter] could reduce the damage of fire attack by 5%. Being extra wary of the capabilities of our enemies was the minimum.

Regardless, thinking about this wasnt my problem for now. Knowing where they were now, I went over to the Knight of Aurenas headquarters to meet the kids, but when I got there, knights suddenly approached me, some even stopping training and following their comrades while still sweating and breathing heavily.

You arent welcomed here, dark mage. Leave. One of them scowled at me, blocking my path to the door.

You already stain our Goddess sanctified grounds; we dont need you to taint our orders light, abomination. Another adjusted her grip over her spear, ready to strike if I made a bad move. You think you can trick some blessed and come and spy on us, Carmanian? We arent fooled!

They think Im part of the alliance? What is with this prejudice?

Excuse me, but you are misunderstanding something. I am not from the Beastmen Alliance. My only allegiance is to Lady Hestia and our party; nobody else, I asserted. I am just here to talk to the Heroes of the Goddess.

Thats Goddess Aurena to you, beastman, a third scoffed. Do you see your kind amongst us? Beastmen arent allowed within our order.

Hello, Yorshka?

U-uh, Sir, we let Captain Yorshka inside, though. As if he had read my mind, he understood the irony in what was said.

Omit the damn title. Not only did she resign without any fanfare to the comrades she made here, but also how she hid the fact she was a dragonewt! Our Lord Commander didnt even know about it up until now! Shes a traitor and liar; we need not show respect to her. The only reason why the rest of us let her in is because no one could stop her, unless its the Commander himself.

I raised a brow. Seems to me like you respect her, though, and you are just taking your frustrations out on me.

Hearing me say that, the older-looking knights turned their heads to me, frowning in displeasure. With a loud Stay outside, civilian they then resumed what they were doing while two knights guarded the front door, literally screaming, We will arrest you if you come closer. I sighed through my nose; they were even more complicated than the grimgarians!

[Their factions animosity towards the dragon is strengthened around you, as you are far from their ideal image of a companion to one of Aurenas blessed. Knights embody the virtues and demerits of a nation; this is something you will have to learn how to deal with. We arent in a beastmen friendly area,] Belzac lectured me.

Mother sent me a mental image of her shaking her head. [Seems so foolish then Daughter, why not prove yourself to them then? If they let Yorshka in, then cant you do the same?]

[I am not here to stir up trouble.]

[You either engage or intimidate them away when you enter anothers territory, Saori,] Mom tried to change my mind, but in the end decided I understood humans in a societal environment better.

Deciding to just take the quiet route, I went over to a nearby bench and sat down after cleaning the snow off it. Watching priests roam around the area, listening to the knights grunting and sparring, and even just hearing the sounds of a church bell ringing made me wonder if my students experienced this every day.

Kidnapped and forced into a war they had no association with, robbed of their chance to choose what they wanted out of their future. Well, robed was a pretty strong word, considering some of the kids had parents who planned out their childrens future. Some appreciated and embraced it, while others, like Asaka, rebelled and turned their lives in both school and their home into a wreck just to experience a smidgen of freedom and choice. Then again, I also had Tatsuya who never really had much ambition outside of playing games, surfing the internet, and reading manga.

Would things be different now if I had been in the classroom earlier? That way, I would have been transported with them and I wouldnt have died.

Honestly, it was a conundrum. It made no sense to play make believe since the past was set in stone, and no matter how many what ifs I could imagine, my historian side knew it was meaningless. Still, I sought the catharsis of choice and consequences. To envision a brighter future, by going through how different actions could have shaped this reality.

Naturally, in that case, the most obvious change wouldve been Hestia. She had repeated herself often enough for me to understand that, if I hadnt been there for her, things could have changed for her, and rather drastically. Her loneliness affected her mental health, and even if I now knew the reason for her [Parallel Thoughts] was her split soul, it still scared me to know she was constantly speaking to herself. Would Hestia have met Tasianna without me? Would she have turned into the idol I knew today or would she have embraced her draconic side more, to the point she abandoned her dream.

It was harrowing. I thought of her as a younger sister at this point, and I couldnt allow such a fate to blossom. Then again, what about my students? They were separated into two groups with Franz now forcing himself to carry an empire-worth of pressure on his shoulder, all for the benefit of his beloved little cousin.

Saori, you fool.

I never noticed his stress. No, in fact, I did remember his hair turning grey and how his personality became even colder after what happened, but I never took an interest in helping him. I let him brood since I feared his father. Was it wrong of me to neglect him, despite being his homeroom teacher? For us Japanese, being a teacher was being a guide and a counselor for these young souls. I failed, no?

Regardless, there was also Asaka; if there was a student I could agree I failed with, then it was that delinquent. Could I really blame my perfectionistic nature on that, or was I just naturally more inclined into ignorance? All so I could scowl at her and her issues just to enjoy an easier job. After all, it was all for Mother. For her health, I threw away my dream and became a teacher.

And now, Ive only really been able to help Tatsuya and Kyouya get over their issue with each other. Allowing Kyouya to speak his mind, while prodding Tatsuya to release his pent-up anger and frustration for Franz.

Sadly, these were only two of my 25 students.

Therefore, could I have done anything if I had been transported with them, instead of dying and allowing my soul to be reincarnated into a wolf? No. My frustration probably would have gotten worse, especially with Asaka. I would have freaked out even further since the pressure of guiding my students would have amplified my dread over coming to this new world and leaving my mother, while traveling with Hestia allowed me to drop the former worries. All I needed to worry about was to stand next to Hestia as an equal in strength.

No, no, haha, no, no! The first two months were exactly what I feared! I couldnt kill anything, felt like baggage, and then nearly got killed by a chameleon and fell into a small existential crisis for being worthless! Haha, yeah! 100%. It would have been even worse if I hadnt heard Hestia give me the tips I needed.

My pride as an adult and teacher would have skewed my opinion if I had Tatsuya or Daichi speak up about my failures and what I should have focused on. I was the adult, I had to take the lead. Yet, in the Belzac forest, I had accepted Hestia as the more experienced individual when it came to surviving and battle since she had experienced death far more than I did.

Sensei, do you think you can put up the portal? Daichi asked as we entered an alleyway.

Why? Are you that antsy without Grimnir or a hammer in your hands? Seeing him smile gave me the answer I needed, so I sighed and smiled wryly. Not here. I do not want to risk them knowing about that place just yet. They know you guys are void-touched, so they might be aware of [Room]. Well do it once I transport you into the shadow world.

Thats possible? Kyouya asked.

[As long as you are connected with a [Shadow Dash] user, you will always, always end at your destination. Marsven had made that spell with that hidden function to assure his mages never wind up trapped by an accident. Bringing along others with [Shadow Armament] is an exception though,] Belzac explained, revealing more truths about Marsvens domain. [If you put the portal stones inside the slimes body, you can keep it safe without an issue. The slime is sentient enough to distinguish what it can consume and what not to.]

Shoyi is a smart blob, I stated, having already tested its intelligence inside Belzacs grave.

Wont we be totally wet when we enter him, then? Tatsuya asked, causing the other students to squirm, before I had to explain to them that itll feel like going inside a pool. It wasnt that bad!

Enough of your prattling! Yorshka interrupted us. Anyway, welcome to the second most delicious eatery in the town! No matter where you go within this place, you cannot find anybody else who can maybe rival the food the church makes in the cafeteria.

Wondering if she was exaggerating it a bit, I shrugged and entered a small house deep inside the back alley of the city. Unlike a normal slum, this place was relatively well maintained and I havent been able to detect a single street urchin anywhere. It also smelled decent enough, confirming there was a working sewer to remove all the filth.

I guess Fleindia was right about how this city shouldnt have any poor people. It was extremely well regulated and you could see soldiers patrolling even in the alleyway and making conversation with the slum people. There were even two inside the eatery, enjoying a meal.

Haaa, best decision ever to save up the money!

I told you it was a smart idea to speak with that knight! Extra coins for that Quest was really nice, and all we had to do was carry his stuff and cut the beast open.

Hearing this I asked Yorshka if there were any adventurer guilds around, but she denied it. Tatsuya told me everything was maintained by the military here, which included the knights. They wouldnt even hire any mercenaries; however, as we just heard, soldiers could be recruited to help knights with their duties as long as they were paid adequately.

Yorshka explained it was to ensure Aureolis was never in debt to another country to keep itself as an unbiased participant concerning human affairs. They didnt want nations to ask favors from them without being in the advantage in the negotiations.

Politics even within a theocracy, huh? Seems all too familiar. My mind wandered to what the Christian Papacy did during the medieval ages.

In any case, instead of taking some seats the moment we entered the eatery, Yorshka spoke with a nearby waiter and asked to go in deeper. The person recognized her, which was par for the course since she actually worked here as a holy knight before. Funnily enough, if this was the second best eatery in the city, then it sure wasnt full despite it being almost dinner time.

And my expectations were confirmed when we headed down a staircase to reach a lively place with a bar to the side and waiters quickly bringing out food to robed people and a few merc-looking people.

Welcome to the Nobles Secret. Great name, right? Yorshka smiled. You live too long as a pious clergy and youll sometimes want to eat some nostalgic food and get something nice, right? However, the priests dont want to be known by others, so its all hush-hush with people respecting each others privacy. An open secret most long-standing clergy members and knights know. Whatever happens here doesnt come out, no matter what. If you do, the actual manager of this place will straight up blacklist you, even if youre the Holy Emperor himself.

Well, now thats scary.

In any case, we all covered our faces with our hoods and sat at a nearby table. After Yorshka ordered some food, tankards full of mead were delivered for all seven of us.

I cannot believe I am actually drinking with my students, again I said. I honestly thought I would do it if you guys remembered me after your second year in uni.

After all, Japans drinking age was 20.

Probably not, Asaka said bluntly, before bumping her tankard against mine. So lets enjoy it now.

Ehe.

Ahh, dont listen to her! Tatsuya encouraged me with a wide grin. We probably would! You were lame as a teacher, but you always were our favorite!

Oh, shush, you! You were a terrible student, then!

Ahaha!

As we all held our tankards up, we clanked them together and cheered, kanpai with Yorshka. While Haruka declined to drink, we all still enjoyed a nice evening with good food and good company. The meals certainly lived up to Yorshkas hype, as they were extremely well seasoned, to the point I could smell out the salt, sugar, chili peppers, and even some saffron smell-alike.

Most of the dishes were from all over the Empire, so it certainly was a treat for Asaka and me, as we both brainstormed a bit about what we could make for the others, and if anything would interest Tamae. Okay, who was I kidding, Tamae would probably kick Yorshkas behind for this.

And that she did, once we returned and got our lodgings.

Once we settled down, Hestia gave us an update on her side of things, explaining she had met Amadeus and a High Bishop dissatisfied with the current leadership ever since the Pope started to show himself less and less. The cardinals and the vicar have been taking Aureolis in a more aggressive manner recently, urging the Empire to put more resources into the battle against the beastmen, with rumors even flowing around that Carmaniate might be working with BoleTaria.

Fleindia and Theodore also managed to get into contact with a few friends, allowing us to understand that Hestia was actually pretty well known amongst Aureolis for being the Champion who let Eshe die. In addition, although unplanned, this information somehow managed to reach Sarkarfiina.

Oh yeah. See, I met two Sarkarfiina mages in Elyonda for the tournament there. I told them what happened and so thats probably my fault, Hestia admitted.

I left them in Aleistunum, Renee continued, as she accompanied them to the Magical Capital during the siege. They wanted to avoid the siege, and it shouldve been enough time for them to reach Saltzwieder for a boat to the Evida desert.

That was unfortunate, but it was human behavior. To the people there, Eshe was like a celebrity, so losing somebody like her probably hurt them a lot. Meaning, in the future, Sarkafiina will probably be even worse to stay in than Aureolis. Eshe was their martyr now, and their hatred would be directed against both the demonkin and Hestia.

In any case, due to this fact, many members of the clergy were unsure how to treat Hestia. In fact, they werent sure why Fleindia didnt have any guards with her, and were assuming Hestia took over, as that was the duty of a Championto fulfill Divine Quests and protect Saints. In other words, Hestia had to prove herself to the people here.

Fleindia had planned for them to perform in tomorrows morning prayer. It was a chance for Hestia to show off more than just a [Prayer], which included her combat training.

Is that the case? Yorshka looked uneasy. Theeen, I might have some bad news. You know that I talked with the Knight-Commander, yes?

Oh oh.

Yeah, see. As I had told you guys already, we knew each other in the past and he hired me, his friend, to spy on things as he suspected a sudden change in the Popes behavior. As such, I reported everything to him and, the poor old man, seemed to have gotten the worst headache ever but also the most relieved laugh I had ever heard him give out. Yorshka smiled. As such, we will have his support in the matter. He is planning on nominating me as the new Knight-Commander.

Wow! the kids cheered with Hestia as they celebrated that things might become easier by having such a strong fighter on our side sadly, I had a terrible feeling. Yorshka did mention there was bad news.

When I prompted her on this, her smile twitched. You see, the old codger embodies Yeostars values like nobody else. He takes pride as the Knight-Commander, and as such, holds his oath close to his heart. He will defend Aureolis until his last breath before he gives up his mantle If you want me to translate that old farts words as a knight, he

He wants to see if we are worthy enough.

[He seeks his successor through combat.]

More than a few spoke up in unison. Looking around at their surprised faces, I noticed Renee, Neill, the twins, Midirn, and Kushlekzar uttering that answer.

Haha, thats right! Yorshka slapped her thigh.

That bastard! Tatsuya screamed, looking furious.

I looked over at Hestia and the both of us shrugged. It was just part of Auroras luck.