Chapter 139: The Pale Child.

Chapter 139: The Pale Child.

Good morning, High Bishop Theodore. Uhm, I hope this auspicious RestDay has found you well. It is an honor to meet you once again in the Goddess blessed land.'' Standing inside the temples altar room, I was surrounded on all sides by men and women dressed in glamorous white robes. In front of me stood the High Bishop himself, along with a man and woman behind him. I did not know their identities but, seeing as they were the only ones on the altar with him, I guess they must assume important positions inside the temple.

Yesterdays message from the High Bishop suggested that we meet inside the temple in order to appease the angered priests and priestesses, especially since it was my duty to bless and be blessed by all the priests in the Goddess name. Or, as Ellaine interpreted what was being said in between the lines, they were jealous that the High Bishop and the attendees at the tea party knew me more than the humble servants of the Goddess. I accepted my role as an impromptu priestess, so their excuse kinda makes sense.

The High Bishop did mention that clergymen still act in favor of their families, so it wouldnt be surprising if these priests and priestesses wanted to meet me due to the rumors floating around Firwood. Both inside the noble and commoner districts of the town.

After showing a curtsy, the High Bishop bowed slightly in response. I welcome you back to this humble temple dedicated to the holy Goddess, Priestess Hestia Atsuko. I pray your stay in Firwood has been a memorable one?

Yes, I thank you for asking, High Bishop Theodore. House Helvas has been a wonderful host, accommodating me and my retainers with whatever my heart desired. I could comfortably and freely perform my duties as a humble priestess in Firwood, and for that, I thank you, Lord Sirius, and the Goddess for this opportunity, I responded, using the rehearsed lines I learned from Manuela.

Lord Sirius? Does the priestess know of Artorian etiquette?

If she does, then...By the Goddess.

There were a few short whispers after what I said, but most of the priests and priestess were disciplined and stayed quiet. Ellaine told me the High Bishop wanted me to flaunt my status but, at this point, it might be more efficient to plainly say my family name Kargryxmor. Thankfully, everybody who knew my secret wasnt interested in revealing I was a dragon, and we were simply taking advantage of the fact that the majority of nobles had zero information on dragonewt society. The isolationism of Loatryx worked in my favor.

After that, the High Bishop gave me a [Prayer] to officially welcome me here as a guest and pilgrim. The priests, priestesses, and shrine maidens sang the [Prayer] song in unison, and I was basked in light as the spell was cast.

Once that was finished, Theodore announced to everybody in attendance that he and I were to leave together for priest duties. All but the shrine maidens frowned as they heard this. It was to be expected when your chance to network with somebody important was being snatched away from you by your boss. They were clearly displeased with Theodore, but he ignored it without blinking an eye and showed me to his carriage. Theodores grey-robed attendant boarded the carriage from the outside bench, and once it began to move, he spoke.

Thank you for playing along, Lady Hestia. That should be enough to appease most of the white robes, the High Bishop said so casually after making everybody angry.

Unable to understand how the showing was supposed to appease anybody, I asked him to clarify.

When they requested me to invite you to the temple, they said, We wish to meet the dragonewt priestess. That I have fulfilled, yes? They might have meant meeting as in getting to know you better, but that is none of my concern when I never gave them my word. Our task today is more important than the she has no obligation to come reply I gave them. In other words, he was being pedantic about it. He continued, Besides, Lady Hestia, did you not ask me to give you a tour around the church? They will have plenty of opportunities to speak with you then. For now, let us concentrate on the plot.

Plot is such a bad way to address the plan. I would like to call it bringing the villains to justice.

Shrugging, I asked him about something that was concerning me since I read the letter he sent me. Okay, then I have a question. How and why are we doing this? Wouldnt Lord Chezaic be wary if you suddenly found out about his son and forbade you from coming to his home? As a noble with a high rank, he has enough reason to deny you access if he really wanted to. This is a private matter.

Theodore nodded, understanding my question. It is true, there is no obligation for a noble to reveal one of their offsprings to the public if they so wished. Also, as the only way for you to be remembered is to attend social gatherings, it made sense why even I wasnt aware that Lord Chezaic hid his eldest child. It is an anomaly but an understandable one due to the childs sickness. If I were to question Lord Chezaic about it now, after nearly 18 years, he would undoubtedly be cautious.

I expected a but here and a but I received. But that would only happen if I were to do it directly. When I heard from the reports that Lord Chezaic asked a priest to heal his son, I was naturally curious, as I wasnt part of the church back then. After some searching through my fathers files, I found out he did not ask the Firwood temple, but actually went to the holy capital for aid. The blessing of well-organized documents.

The priest in question was an elderly man who managed to unlock [Major Heal] just like me. For reference, [Major Heal] was the level five spell of [Sacred Magic], which meant this old priest was an especially skilled one. When Lord Chezaic went to the Holy Capital Aureolis, which was the south-west neighbor of the Kingdom of Artorias, he asked this priest to heal his son.

However, it didnt work out. According to Theodore, the condition was a birth curse, an abnormal status effect that didnt show itself in the profile. Healing magic accelerated the regeneration speed of a person with mana, returning their injured form to their uninjured form a concept I managed to understand by my lonesome. There were also debilitating effects that hindered healing for example, Farrons mysterious [Crystallized(Lungs)] and my [Dread Burn] if I were to use the [Scale-Dust User] Job so it wasnt surprising to find out that there were other restrictions to healing magic.

The priest in question is a kind and compassionate one. Nonetheless, from the way he wrote in his letter, he seemed to have been wary of me when I initially asked him. Still, in the end, I managed to persuade him to help us when I told him I might have a way to heal Lord Chezaics son. He sent a letter of introduction to Lord Chezaic and I received an invitation a few days ago to heal his son.

And that solution is supposed to be me? Let me make it clear to you now, High Bishop, but my healing isnt anywhere as special as you think it would be. I might heal faster and more efficiently, but Im still restricted by the Divine Systems rules. Although, saying it now might be too late but that is all your fault for not asking me first, I stated with a frown.

I thought I gave a pretty convincing argument, but the High Bishop simply shook his head. Please, do not act so modestly, Lady Hestia. I was able to analyze your profile, do you remember? Besides, I also learned that you were blessed by two origin gods and one subordinate god, making you far more powerful than an ordinary person.

He then leaned forward, resting his head on his hands, bringing his lilac eyes closer to view. Lady Hestia, I bid you to try it at the very least. If you are successful, then I am sure Lord Chezaic will be willing to confess everything without causing any trouble. Even if you arent successful, the amount of information I received from the priests you annoyed with your presence in the commoner district should be enough to confine Lord and Lady Chezaic long enough for your party to infiltrate the alchemy guild and allow Davison an audience with her holiness. As my brothers substitute, I wish to try every method out before we enact the plan. As one of the Goddess champions, I believe you should, too.

I had little confidence that I could heal the son when another priest with [Major Heal] already failed. The thing is, my healing wasnt anything special, my flames were. [White Flames] and [Corrosive Fire] had special properties that I could use to create spells others wouldnt be able to copy, since they were my unique skills, but that didnt apply to any of my healing methods. If I couldnt heal my damaged mana paths, then how could you expect me to heal somebody else of an unhealable condition?

Still reluctant, I kept complaining about it to Theodore, but he simply waved my concerns away. He wasnt interested in hearing what I had to say, implying sometimes we had to clench our teeth and do what was right. Since I began calling myself a priestess of Aurena, I had to take responsibility for that action and do my duty.

B-But I really cant do it.

Whether I was afraid of embarrassing myself or failing in general, I didnt want to go in, tell him I was a priestess of Aurena and that I would heal him. What kinda fucked up hope-giving situation is that. Why is the High Bishop pulling me into this mess? I wanted to scream into his face and bust out of the carriage door, but I was only barely able to hold in this desire. I knew it was immature.

After a while, we arrived at House Chezaics mansion and were invited in by the houses staff. Inside I managed to meet up with the Chezaic twins again, but they simply greeted me before walking away, stating they had an appointment. Considering the frantic look on their faces, they probably werent so thrilled to see me.

Lord Amadeus room is under the mansion. Please, follow me, a female wolfkin servant said, before opening a door and descending a staircase with us behind her. The basement of the mansion was as fancy and well-decorated as above, contrary to House Helvas more simple design of their basement and training room. Since the first child of an Arcanuess is living here, the hallways had to look like the upper floors, correct?

We stopped at a single door, but before we went in, the servant spoke softly, High Bishop Theodore. Lady Priestess Hestia. Lord Amadeus hearing is very sensitive so I would like to humbly ask you to speak in whispers.

We nodded and the door was opened for us by the servant. Once inside, we were greeted with a soft, I thank the Goddess for this meeting. It is an honor to be visited by the High Bishop of Firwood himself and his esteemed companion.

Sitting in the middle of a king-sized bed, a young man showed us a warm smile, showing no hint of an illness or weakness. However, when my eyes moved up a bit, I came to understand why he was living inside the basement. His skin was pale like a ghost, his eyes red as blood, and his medium-long hair was as white and devoid of color as a senior citizen. He had albinism.

Hie hie, did I scare you, my Lady? I apologize profusely for not warning you. Lily, you should have warned them, the feminine looking boy chided his servant.

With her dog-like ears slumped like a sad puppy, she bowed in forgiveness to us and her master, I apologize. I have sinned as a servant. Lord Amadeus state has become so normal to me that I forgot to mention it to visitors.

NO, no! Oh, I apologize for raising my voice...and also for my rude behavior, I replied, covering my mouth in the process.

Amadeus, the boy in the bed, then laughed, making me feel a bit flustered at the situation. Theodore then coughed to break the moment and allow us to return to reality. Lord Amadeus, may the Goddess bless our meeting on this auspicious RestDay. I hope you have had a peaceful day. As you have already guessed, I am Theodore Samuel Sirius, the High Bishop of Firwoods temple.

He then moved his arm to the side to introduce me, prompting me to curtsy. This is Lady Hestia Atsuko, a dragonewt noble from Loatryx. As mentioned in the letter, she will be your healer for today.

She is? Please excuse me for doubting you, Lord High Bishop, but will she be able to heal me? My last healer was able to cast [Major Heal] and even he wasnt able to, the boy asked.

Lady Hestia also can cast [Major Heal]; in addition, she seems to be favored by the Goddess. She possesses increased healing powers and a special custom spell, Theodore stated with a blank face, completely ignoring the fact that I was trembling at him hyping me up like this.

When Amadeus inspected me to see if Theodores words were true, I immediately recomposed myself and gave him a forced smile. When the smiling boy agreed to let me try, my heart couldnt help but feel like it was burning, pounding so hard against my chest that it wanted to burst open to tell the young man the truth. The hope he was showing me made my head heavy, as I was being stricken with guilt.

I understand. If it is the High Bishops words, then I would like to accept Lady Hestias hospitality. It would only be right- AHURGH! Kack, gurgh, gurgh, ahack! He suddenly started to cough up blood like crazy.

The first to respond was his maid, who rushed to his side with a loud Lord Amadeus! She then opened the drawer next to him and took out a pink potion before helping him drink it. She then wiped away the blood on his face and bedsheets before running out the room, asking us to watch him while she got water.

I-I apologize, it seems like I couldnt hold it in. I got a bit too excited and my mana went rampant, he told us.

Too excited? I-Is it cause of me?

Can I do it? and I must do it were floating inside my mind, agitating me to the point I couldnt move forwards. I was scared, overwhelmed that I couldnt be the saving light for this bed-ridden boy.

When the High Bishop saw me like this, he patted me on the back and spoke to his attendant, who came with us, to pull two chairs to the side of the bed. He showed me to my seat and then went onto the other side where he continued speaking.

If you are having trouble with mana, can I presume you were born with an unbearably large amount, Lord Amadeus? Theodore asked.

Yes, unfortunately. Not only was I born with the Pale Blight but also a fragile body with immense mana. The sun burns my skin without any protection and I am too weak to move around for too long, in addition, any emotional increase will cause my mana to rampage inside me.

The Pale Blight'' was the name Peolyncians gave albinism, while Amadeus second issue was called Raffarsons Debilitation. Named after an archmage who suffered it, the disease was caused by a weakening of his mana paths, where they became too fragile to transport mana correctly through your body, making them prone to exploding. Coupled with the fact that he was born with a nobles amount of mana, it made it hard for him to do anything related to mana out of fear of injuries like before.

Not only that but he also admitted he was born with a naturally weak body. In other words, it was like the universe looked at him and said fuck you before giving him all the debilitations it could to ruin his life. He had to be careful of the sun, had a weak body, and his mana was out to kill him. Talk about a terrible life.

I see, the High Bishop frowned. I guess he didnt expect it to be this bad. Lady Hestia, I will prepare the holy water and inspect where you will target your healing spell. In the meantime, please, give Lord Amadeus some social experience. It will take some time.

Was the High Bishop being considerate or was this his plan all along? In any case, I was glad to have some time to think about it. But...talk with him? What exactly?

Uhm, Lord Amadeus? I drew his attention, but I think a few seconds of finger twiddling to figure out a conversation topic. Uhm, your servant, Lily, said something about your hearing? That it was sensitive? Were you also born with it?

Oh, yes, that is correct. However, it isnt as terrible with the help of mana tools. He pointed at the drawer next to his bed and asked me if I could help him. I pulled out a pair of earbuds and gave them to him. These are sound blocking mana tools that allow me to dampen the sounds around me. Whispers become inaudible but I dont have to inconvenience people around me anymore, as I wont receive a headache when they speak loudly. However, they require my mana to be used, so it is a bit of a double-edged sword.

He was about to put them on to demonstrate, but I stopped him by saying that it wasnt a problem.

Hie hie, thank you very much for your consideration Lady Hestia, he giggled. However, with how sensitive my hearing is, it makes it far easier to recognize each note when playing an instrument.

Oh, you play?

With a self-deprecating laugh, he answered, Well, which self-respecting noble doesnt? I cannot fight, I cannot create magic tools nor spells, and making potions is too strenuous. I can play different instruments on my bed and I guess it has become a valuable hobby. Do you play, Lady Hestia?

The geigler and I guess...uhm, the piano? I am not sure what you Artorians call it. Maybe there was a harpsichord version in Peolynca, but I havent asked Ellaine about it. Oh, and I also enjoy singing. You could say that music is part of my life and that I live for it.

Is that true? Then, would you like to play with me? he asked. I was worried it would put too much pressure on his hearing but he assured me his hearing was alright if I played correctly. I dont know why, but if it comes to perfect tunes, I can endure it even if its ear-splitting for others. However, the moment a tune goes offbeat, I can feel a piercing headache. Thats how I can tell if somebody is playing correctly or not.

He then continued, giving me his version of the puppy eyes, Please, Lady Hestia. I do not have many chances to play with others. Lily is tone-deaf, my half-sisters rarely visit me, and my father is, well, occupied and I dont want to bother him. I know its selfish, but I would like to request to hear your music. Considering how excited he looked, the memory of before came back to mind, so I told him to calm down if I were to accept it. I couldnt have my patient bleed out in front of me.

Once I agreed, the High Bishop told his grey-robed attendant to bring us the two instruments sitting in the corner. A geigler and something that looked like a harp guitar with enough strings to rival a zither. It was called the Zentier.

He asked once he had his instrument in hand, Lady Hestia, if I may ask, what is your [Musician] level? to which I answered that I had a unique skill which it merged into. He was surprised to hear this but smiled pleasantly, before saying he couldnt help waiting anymore.

And then, we let our instruments do the talking for us. First I played, then he played, then I played, and then it was him again. I used my bow to create music while he plucked each string to create an assortment of tunes. Once we got a feel of each other, we stopped soloing and began a duo. Nobles were taught how to play instruments to facilitate their education, but it astounds me how good they were. That reminded me, I should probably do this with Ellaine, too.

.

As I walk on the ground now The debut release of this chapter happened at Ñòv€l-B1n.

Striding through lands of lush greens

How can I forget

I used to see it, from up there.

Feel the wind stream around me

Like a butterfly riding on high winds

But now Im down here

Looking up, longing for my fleeting past.

Why was it like, wow wow wow wow wow?

Stranded down here, all my hopes are crushed.

However, wow wow wow wow wow

Must I really accept this unfair world, or not?

Dont let your light flicker and dim.

Put up a smile and never give up.

Hope will not die this soon.

Amadeus then pointed at the spot where we got his instruments and spoke, The documents are in the inside of my instrument box. I managed to copy a few documents inside my fathers study while he wasnt looking. I accidentally learned of the truth of these potions. What was used to make them His face then contorted as if he was in pain again, but it looked more like he was frustrated. I-I wanted to see the outside world, I wanted to walk and...live. I also didnt want my father to be convicted, I didnt want the last member of my family to be gone. I apologize for my negligence, Lord Theodore.

Theodore looked at the downcast eyes of the young albino boy and sighed, ...You managed to copy this? When you cannot even move?

...Yes. Please. Also, my sisters didnt know anything about this. They had no idea about my fathers or step-mothers dealings, nor what my step-mother actually did. They are innocent in all of this, Amadeus declared. ...I really thought I could go outside. Drink the potion and then let a surgeon fix my mana paths once they grew thick enough. My father was so hopeful...and he looked so depressed whenever he talked about it. I wonder if he ever realized his new wife was the cause of all his suffering...

...Why do I feel like this was an omen? This should just be a usual beat the bad guy and bring happiness to everybody move just like in those movies and shows. Why am I feeling like something bad will happen?

Also, please be careful when you arrest the people from the alchemy guild. The experiments that were done there also mentioned something about combining catalysts with monsters, but I couldnt understand all the technical details and words.

With those words, the High Bishop bid me to the door. We were leaving.

Lady Hestia...if you had the time...could you write down the notes for the song you sang? My broken wings, set yourself free. I love this sentence.

We werent friends. We were only acquaintances with an affinity for music. I would love a musically inclined friend to jam with, but I guess the current plan held precedent. I needed to fulfill my promise to Kiiro, after all. However, as fellow musicians, I accepted his request.

Sure, Ill have it ready for the next time we meet.

With those last words, we left the mansion. Inside the carriage, the High Bishop looked through the document we got from Amadeus. Unlike the ones Saori found, which mostly showed how Lord Chezaic supported the Alchemy guild and where his bribe money went to, the one we got today detailed his agreement to the fae hunts.

One was a contract that obligated Davison to supply Lord Chezaic with potions to help his sons life and also a final curative to fully heal Amadeus. In return, he would provide tools and money and tools to Davison, including his influence as a noble, to help pave his way forward. There was also mention of Lady Chezaic, who invited Davison to Firwood in an attempt to help her take over House Chezaic and also build a platform for her family to receive ingredients from the Belzac forest for a reduced price.

It seemed Lady Chezaic wasnt directly involved in the fae hunt like her husband, but it mentioned she knew about it. There was also the fact that a foreign noble was willing to bring down a house of the Greenveil Duchy to strengthen her own. It was not unusual for this to happen, but her intention to let Amadeus die with the last curative was a crime. The murder of other nobles was strictly forbidden if a proper cause wasnt there.

This is a casus belli, Theodore murmured. Casus belli translated into cause for war.

He then continued, It was unfortunate that we couldnt heal Amadeus, but we received a lot in return. I will need to inform my brother and Lord Greenveil about this, so be prepared to act at any time, Lady Hestia...Lady Hestia?

Oh, Im sorry...Im just a bit overwhelmed. I never had this happen to me before. I had a feeling I couldnt heal him but...it felt bad when the light in his eyes just vanished and he admitted to everything. Lord Theodore...was that...was that like the confession of a criminal? W-Will he be- I attempted to say but Theodore laid his hand on my shoulder to calm me down.

Dont think too much about it now, Lady Hestia. Think of what is the right thing to do. Everything has been set into motion, so you must steel yourself, he said gently. This was also a lesson for you, that any hopeful priestess must learn one day. Lady Aurena, the Origin Goddess of Light, has given us mortals her miraculous power, but we are human still. The domain of miracles belongs to the Goddess herself and her chosen champions and saints. We cannot heal everybody, and this is something we must accept. Most nobles join the church knowing this, but commoners are different. You are a noble, but your attitude reminds me of white-robed commoners hopeful and naive. I wanted to make you aware of this.

...To drive me forward?

He nodded, I said I will teach you everything about the church, correct? To make you understand the Goddess and your role as her champion better. Your dragon blood is blessed by Kargyrxmor, and dragon blood potions are extremely potent, although sacrilegious among dragonewts. Your white flames also astounded me how they easily healed your finger. You have the potential to step into the domain of miracles like many other saints and champions.

...Thank you.

Was Aurena thinking the same thing? That praying to the gods every single time you had a problem wont solve your problems? If thats so, then doesnt it kinda validate the fact that I wasnt interested in praying to gods until now? Regardless, whatever she was planning, it would be better for me to continue developing my own abilities and not focus on stuff like this. If she doesnt want to cuddle me, then she achieved it alright.

It is a pleasure. I understand what it feels like to be forced to learn to adapt to your new situation. I cannot teach you everything in Firwood, but you mentioned you needed to go to the capital, correct? The cathedral in Griffonpeak will reveal more information about the Church of Aurena.

After we talked a bit more, I managed to persuade Theodore to put the attack on hold until LightDay, which is in five days. This was to solve the second problem that Amadeus mentioned, the one with the monsters.

At first, Theodore said my plan was a waste of money, but eventually, he caved in as I could promise him that the towns people could be kept safe. Commoners were commoners to the nobles, but without an able workforce, the town couldnt keep flourishing. Somebody had to lure people away from the alchemy guild.

And for that reason, I was here.

My second concert. This LightDay will become a festival for the people to celebrate.

Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor the Idol is ready to perform.

A note from AbyssRaven

So, this chapter once again points out the flaws of healing magic, as it isn't perfect enough to heal every single disease and illness, especially congenital. It isn't miracle or god-like tier for Hestia.

If you guys want to support me, Hestia and "A Dragon Idol's Reincarnation Tale" (or just read up to 15 advance chapters + any Patreon-only chapters) please check out my Patreon: Rawr!

If you guys enjoyed this chapter then, please follow the story. If you guys want the story to grow, then giving it a rating or a favorite will do wonders: Rawr

Thank you for reading this chapter.

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About the author

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Saturday, March 13, 2021 5:21:41 AM Germany [Member of Zard Skwad]

Bio: Hey there, AbyssRaven here. I'm just an avid Light Novel and Fantasy story reader who randomly thought of a story and began writing about it.

I eventually found out that I've been spending a bit too much time with building, planning, and researching for the story, that I've decided to just share it with others.

Writing is mostly a hobby for me, but I would still love any kind of criticism to improve on it.

I'm also german, so please excuse anything that sounds a bit weird...I wouldn't mind you pointing it out though.

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