Chapter 296: An Accord.

Chapter 296: An Accord.

Huh? Who are you? This is the residence of House Resclave, state your busi!

Tasianna!

Yes, my lady. Out of the way!

Woah?!

Grimnir!

After Tasianna blew the two beastmen guards standing before the gate away with wind magic, the ones behind it became agitated and fled towards the mansion while calling for reinforcements. I noticed the mana barrier surrounding the place with [Mana Eyes], realizing it probably protected the place from outside attacks as well as fortified its gate and walls.

Still, I kept moving forward after calling for Grimnir. With a loud Got it, lass, he activated parts of his unfinished Manatech armor prototype. From his sabatons, wind blasted out of them, shooting Grimnir forward as he readied his blasthammer. With flames bursting out from it, a single swing was all that was needed to blow the gates wide open.

Halt!

Beastmen guards equipped in decent armor and weapons, similar to a soldiers not a towns guard, rushed out. They were ready to attack us. Despite yelling out for us to Halt, they didnt leave us a second to actually respond before their archers shot at us.Ñ00v€l--ß1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.

Saori. Ellaine, I calmly ordered.

Ellaine conjured up multiple brown magic circles, materializing [Terra Wall]s to block their attacks from reaching us, whilst Saori whistled, summoning her shadow pack to capture all the soldiers with mana threads.

[Master! We are done!] Rajah came sprinting over with his siblings after the job was done, looking up at me with the wish to be praised. I used [Unheiliger Angel] to create a floating platform for them to stand on, petting them once they were high enough where I could do it.

As we walked up the stairs, Tatsuya and Kyouya rushed in front of us to open the mansions doors, causing the five of us to look at them in confusion. They looked at each other awkwardly for a second, before we thanked them for it and continued forwards. It did seem as if they were acting like my servants for a moment.

With the members of Aurora and The Misfits trailing behind me, excluding Haruka who decided to stay in the RV, we ventured through the mansion. The servants and guards tried to stop us, but Tasianna was actively making it hard for them to even move by freezing their legs to the ground.

Now that I look at it, most of them are beastmen, huh? I noted, only seeing a few human servants, although all of them were female and fiercely loyal. It really seemed like they were willing to risk their lives for their mistress.

Stop. After a while, a familiar foxian man in black armor appeared before us, his lifeless eyes turned into a scowl. He had his sword ready to strike us down, but lowered it in shock after he saw me. P-Princess Hestia?! And You?!

He darted his eyes over to Asaka, slack-jawed as she and I walked past him.

We will see your mother and have a talk. Come, show us the way, Mister Parilostro, I demanded without even looking into his eyes.

Halt! However, he was still adamant about resisting. You are intruding into our home! Even if you are part of the imperial

Do not make me repeat myself! I snarled at him, causing him to shiver as I released my [Draconic Aura]. The others of Aurora also gave him the stink eye, finally persuading him to act, otherwise this might become violent, and not in his favor.

As we barged into Reajaen Resclaves office, the surprised foxian woman looked nervous for a second before widening her eyes in shock at our appearance. The guards probably informed her there were intruders, but not who they were, leading her to react just like Parilostro. Like mother, like son, I guess.

P-Princess Hestia?! W-Welcome. She tried to stay calm but I could see the anxiousness and confusion in her eyes. To what do I owe you the honor of

Cut the crap, Ms. Reajaen! I silenced her attempt for small talk before talking out an item from my storage. What the hell is this?

I slammed the item on her desk, revealing it to be a weirdly-shaped manatech. Four mana batteries could be seen on it with an empty slot for a fifth. It had multiple tube openings on it and looked a bit like a heart to me, although only slightly.

Whe you? Ahem, what is this? Finally having the time to settle down, the veteran merchants agitation vanished as she assumed her poker face demeanor.

Dont try to talk yourself out of this, foxian! Grimnir blurted out with a massive frown, anger clear to see. How and where the hell did you manage to build this, huh? I know the designs and techniques used on this thing. I would always with this type of mana wiring! They were the signature style of the artificer Broggart Luedbrumdar!

Grimnir then pulled out the mana battery we got from the Layavete cartel, displaying it for everybody to see. This, however, was not made with my cousin Broggis techniques. This is a failed imitation! The others were definitely made by a dwarf, but not this one. Speak!

Grimnir slammed the desk, causing it to crack as he neglected to take off his manatech gauntlets. Reajaens son quickly grabbed him on the shoulder, but Saori pulled off his arm. Sit back and watch, she warned him before releasing him.

Reajaen remained silent, trying to assess the situation. However, this wasnt the time for that.

We know all about it, Asaka came forward and allowed her fenrir onnikais to come out and create a purple shield around her. The beastmen village in the east and your involvement with them. About you being the true leader of the Resurrection, and also the secret you hold there. You cant hide onnikais that easily when someone can speak with them.

Faemancer Parilostro mumbled under his breath, prompting Asaka to glare at him. She was still holding a grudge on how he almost killed her.

We also know the secret with your son, Lady Reajaen. Or, should I say, the puppet your son is controlling, Ellaine pointed at the armored foxian man. The Sin of Sloth. The ability for a demonkin to control bodies like a puppet. We saw them. Two Parilostros in two different locations at the same time.

One tried to kill me. Asaka scowled.

And the other burned down the slave auction at the docks with members of the Resurrection. The one they attacked was owned and operated by Senator OBloom, wasnt it? Daichi added.

Tatsuya nodded. And those beastmen slaves, you sent them to Eshreen Village, correct? We saw your hidden village where you kept those slaves.

You freed them from slavery, Kyouya then took over. But you were keeping the onnikais you created hidden in the back, guarded by your son and members of the Resurrection.

In the face of all our accusations, the foxian woman remained silent, letting not an emotion escape her facade. This was a departure from our first meeting.

If you want evidence I took out a thick book from my storage. It was one of the many things we got from the Resurrection loot Saori and the others recovered from Senator OBlooms hidden bandit base.

It and the heart-shaped manatech were the reasons why we immediately rushed over here to confront Reajaen Resclave about her connection with the Resurrection.

Then this should suffice, right? Lady Reajaen, I ask you to explain yourself right this instance. I want the entire picture and why you did all of this.

Reajaen took the book I handed to her calmly, opening it up and inspecting the first page. My dearest Haven, this is the first page of many containing my plan for vengeance for the death of my dear Resclave! was the first sentence. This was a dairy.

She closed it.

I didnt read any further Who is this Resclave and why does he share your last name? I asked reservedly, noticing a change in her mood.

My love eternal. She placed the book in an empty spot in her bookshelf, perfectly sliding it in with her other books. So you know about our plans? Members of Aurora?

Why is your son a demonkin contractor and why are you fighting against OBloom and the Church of the Edjurl? I asked, hoping she would finally be cooperative.

Revenge. Was her only answer.

I nodded, already knowing this from her diary. When I asked her to continue, she shook her head and sat back down on her seat after cleaning up her bookshelf.

That is a private matter, Princess Hestia. I understand you wish to know what is going on, but even then, I cannot give you answers I would dislike to give.

But you will. Tasianna stomped the floor as she approached Reajaen from the sides, glaring at her as she pulled out the four mana batteries from the manatech item. You are at fault You sent those fae hunters! You killed Princess Schuri, foxian!

Mana clouds began to stream out of Tasiannas body. It seemed she used [Elvenize] as when the cloud dissipated, Tasianna assumed her [Elvenize Lv. 6] form. She became shorter and now was showing her fairy features like her wings and shortened ears.

Enough, my son. It is better this way. If we can have an ally for this, then we can save the lives of our fellow Resurrection. They will hand down their lives for you and me. That is the goal of the Resurrection, after all. However, let us not, and hear them out for now.

But if we accept them, you will die! That blue-haired fairy has a bloodthirsty aura. She seeks revenge just as much as you do. He continued arguing but his mother only shook his head.

And I deserve it For your life, I would sacrifice even my soul. Every action has a consequence, and this will simply be my reward for everything.

She then turned around to me, finally ready to spill the beans.

Now, where was I? Ahh, your question. No, my son isnt the demonkin contractor.

I raised an eyebrow.

I am, she admitted. I spoke with the demonkin Prince of Sloth on the night I was to give birth to Parilostro after managing to escape one of OBlooms nightly pleasures when he was still young enough to visit the Empire at his leisure. I was still a slave, so I didnt have a midwife to help me nor was there a stranger kind enough to lend a hand for a beastman slave. I gave birth, and, from it, Parilostro was born. However, he was small and fragile. My dear Resclaves only memento was about to die on the same night he was born.

I felt my chest tighten.

Do you need aid? was the first thing I heard as I wept for my sad, pathetic life and how my only son would soon die before I could spend any of my years with him. I looked up. The silvery-white moon of winter shone on the horned person, revealing the hand he offered me. I took his hand. He freed me. Strangely, I never asked his name once, always calling him Master out of habit.

The Prince of Sloth was supposedly a talented artificer and alchemist according to Reajaen. He brought her to a rundown shack he was using as a base while he stayed in one of the Empires cities.

There, he forcibly removed the slave tattoo without harming her manapaths. A feat even experienced runic tattooists couldnt do - the only known safe way they knew was to destroy the slave contract binding the tattoo.

He gave us shelter. Fed my son and I without expecting any compensation. All he asked me was to never disturb him while he worked or slept. He did all of that, and when Parilostro experienced complications that would lead to his death, I made a contract with him to save my son. The Prince of Sloth created an artificial heart for my boy, which pumped a demonkins blood through his veins.

Hold on, but that would mean your son is a demonkin now, no? Its been too long. Ellaine blurted out.

That is correct. As you guessed, this body is simply a puppet, a puppet my son made for himself to move around while his real body was trapped in his bed. He is a demonkin in the form of a foxian, with the power to control puppets within a certain distance. Reajaen smiled while her son frowned in pain. But, the prince warned me. My son was still young, and the heart would deteriorate in quality as he grew. A heart made for a toddler wasnt adequate for an adult. His skin is always pale as a ghost, and his real body sleeps almost for the entire day.

And this is why you have this heart? Grimnir wondered. But you didnt make this. This was made by tazongn hands.

Correct. I asked a dwarf for help. While I only learned alchemy from the Prince of Sloth, he left the blueprints for the artificial heart for me to use. She then pulled out the blueprints, letting a shocked Grimnir and Ellaine read them. As you can see, they are very hard to read, even for an experienced artificer.

Ellaine nodded slowly, still flabbergasted at what she was seeing.T-True I can make the intentions of the plans out, but some of these techniques I cannot replicate them.

You arent even a year in your training, lass, Grimnir comforted her. Then, who was the artificer you called upon?

The local head locomotive engineer of the train station, Jadhund Heimhunter.

Heimhunter, huh?

Do you know him, Grimnir? I asked.

Aye, I do, lass. One of the top members of the train guild. He used to train under one of the original manatech engineers who worked with the Revolution Queen on the train. Hes that mans successor, which also makes him one of the best artificers you could find in the Ankor-Nazta. Grimnir then scoffed, shaking his head in disappointment. And you are telling me that man is helping you? Ha! He more of a zuekluk than I am.

Maybe. Reajaen nodded. But Master Jadhund was our savior. He made the foundation of the heart for us in addition to creating the batteries. He even taught my son the art of manatech. And this saved us, as the heart wasnt finished and we even broke one of the batteries during a test. Despite knowing our predicament, he still hadnt told anybody about our secret.

The honor of a tazong, foxian. Grimnir crossed his arms, keeping his eyes shut as he continued. But I could guess the one your son made. It was a feeble attempt to copy my cousins technique Heh, the famous Jadhund Heimhunter used Broggis techniques, huh? If only you were still here to hear it, cousin

It was a touching moment, but there was still something I didnt understand. The same something that Tasianna wanted to know.

Then why did you need to hunt down my people? If you needed mana, hire a mage. You had enough money.

I have no excuse there. Once again, I apologize.

But every additional apology only caused Tasianna to become more agitated. As such, Reajaen just continued to talk.

The Prince of Sloth told me I needed a good base for the batteries. They would continuously refill themselves within my sons body, but to make him healthy, we needed to fill the batteries with quality mana. He suggested elementals or fairies.

Reajaen knew as an alchemist she couldnt do this, as draining a fairy of their mana would mean their death. Something Reajaen initially wanted to avoid. As such, when she first became a member of Estralias alchemist guild and established the foundations of the Resurrection, she employed Davison. A known fanatic on evolving the human race.

With Reajaens wealth and Davisons ideas, the two made a good duo trying to find a better, accessible mana source for the batteries. Dragons were out of the question, leviathans as well, and many high ranked monsters werent enough for them. They even tested on lesser faefolk, but the amount of mana a spirit had compared to a fairy meant they had to use more spirits to fill a single mana battery.

After many tests and out of patience, Reajaen finally listened to Davison and employed fae hunters. And, before the first test could be completed, she stopped it. For the fae hunters never returned.

Tasianna was silent. This was probably when she and Princess Schuri were captured.

Afterwards, Reajaen fired Davison when they got into an argument about it. Davison joined OBloom after the Resurrection began making moves, where Davison was given full leeway on all of his abominable experiments. Advancing the technology of implanting bombs inside a person something he worked with Parilostro with and also mutating monsters and people.

But, most importantly, this was when Davison joined the Church of the Edjurl. He became one of their pawns and was tasked to further the demonkins goals to take over Artorias. He was also tasked to free the demon trapped inside a ruin dedicated to the fenrir Belzac. As we know, this demon was KleaHatma.

When I mentioned the black liquid potion to her, Reajaen shook her head. Apparently, this was a personal project for Davison, as Reajaen never heard that OBloom knew about it. I couldnt help but let a sigh of relief out. Davisons demonification potion was far superior to the ones the troll shaman and the demonkin of envy I killed in Artorias used.

And all of that was for my revenge and the survival of my son, Reajaen ended. I chose a new name and even had the Prince of Sloth change my appearance with the help of a demonkin of envy just so OBloom wouldnt recognize me. I came to Estralia, bringing my knowledge of alchemy to kickstart my wealth. Afterwards, I used the conversations I overheard from OBloom to become a successful merchant in this city. My greatest enemy was also my greatest mentor

She became silent after that, laying in her chair as she stared up at the manatech chandelier.

Now, I believe I have spoken enough. What is your judgement, Princess Hestia? May I accept your accord? Am I worthy enough to help you, help me?

What is your end goal after OBloom is dead? What is your goal as the president?

To abolish slavery. To abolish the Olden Money system. To make Estralia a place where beastmen can live safely.

I closed my eyes.

Not every demonkin is like that. Fuck you, you fucktard, Eithalr. You are a major reason for everything that happened in Artorias, so dont come at me with your self-righteousness. Next time I see you, I will kill you but, you were right, at least for this.

At least some demonkins have some compassion.

I stood up.

OBloom will attack you in a week. He will come for what is his. Call your people, Lady Reajaen. Get them ready. I then snatched the heart and the mana battery her son made. Until we deal with them, I will keep them with me. You have no complaints?

Do I even have a choice? Nonchalant, that she was.

Turning around, all of us began to leave the room.

Aurora, its time to hunt down our enemy.

Yes, Princess Hestia!

Holy crap, can you guys not all be so cringy?