“Rraaaghk grrrierk.”

“Kuuyyik fruiiik Herrstkrria.”

Uhhh … it’s so noisy. Come on, why are people growling inside my room? I just want to sle—Huh? Sleep?

The second my mind woke up, images and memories came rushing in, everything that had just happened to me coming back in a flash. Aureolis … My fight with one of the seven leaders of Bole’Taria—the Prince of Envy—had just concluded if I remembered correctly, concluding with not only the prince’s death but also a strange event where the sky was split open and a giant skeleton hand appeared from it.

Then, what happened afterwards? Right, the prince died and I was saved from being turned into a bomb by my mom. The raid was a success, but that was all I could remember. Having fractured and unclear memories was a common thing for me at this point, but it still felt annoying as heck.

My solution for that problem? Beat up a Prince of Envy to the point he would be forced to fix up my soul, which worked great, since it directly led to most of my childhood memories resurfacing. A great plan, of course, but the problem was that the guy was finally dead, so I can’t exactly trick him into helping with these new faulty memories. Frankly, good riddance. He and his damn cult and soldiers caused me more trauma than most of the enemies I’d fought up until now, so this feeling of finally having obtained vengeance was more that of relief.

Ahhh, Tasianna, please, forgive me for thinking like this. I feel like such a hypocrite … but I guess you wouldn’t think like that about me. You’re too good of a friend sometimes.

Just thinking about my friends chased away the last of the drowsiness. After all, it was pretty much tradition at this point for me to pass out after a big fight, and just the thought of people crowding around my bed, all worried, scared me.

Well, I couldn’t delay it any longer. The noises were getting louder and harder to ignore, as it began to sound like people arguing with each other. Like a bunch of growling lions.

As I opened my eyes, I raised my brows when I noticed the shiny, pristine blue ground I was laying on, only to notice small, black gravel flooring encased below. Light reflected off the surface, creating something similar to glossy mosaic tiles, as the outline of the gravel could be clearly seen through the clear blue ground.

It was ice. My scales could feel the chill emanating from them, but at the same time, I didn’t feel cold. How paradoxical; I would honestly question my own body if I didn’t know this world was Peolynca and that magic and mana was perfectly capable of creating such a phenomenon. After all, the frozen prison Mom put me in was exactly like that—ice that didn’t feel like ice.

[“Princess Hestia! Brother, she’s awake!”] A hyperactive woman’s voice trumpeted in my head.

Following this telepathic voice, a man quickly replied, [“Y-you’re right! Princess!”]

Blinking my eyes, I turned my head around towards the constant growling and stomping probably caused by these two familiar voices. Yet, when I did, it only became harder to focus on them, as the flashy icy ground below me was just the beginning.

Stalactites and stalagmites made from crystalline ice decorated the unnaturally smooth ceiling and walls, as small diamond-sparkling snow kept falling down like rain, dripping down my draconic face like water droplets before they were absorbed into the ground. Small, almost undetectable, ripples could be seen in the floor, making me feel like I was laying on a giant pond rather than on solid ground.

The beauty of this natural wonder was dreamlike. I thought all of this was ice, but I was starting to think it was more than that, as the evidence of it continued to pile on. In particular, the “bed” I was laying on made it clear everything might be more artificial than I had first believed. It was a nest in the form of a giant pudding!

The shape of a custard flan, in fact. When my legs pushed my body up due to the surprise at this revelation, I noticed it began to wobble around, showing off how springy and soft it was. Made from white mana fabric, it easily ripped apart but quickly healed itself by sapping some of my mana without my consent, yet the amount was so small, even a human commoner could probably feed it without emptying their mana reserves.

Golden nuggets and gemstones—ranging from rubies, emeralds, topaz, and others—were embedded onto its surface and placed inside the stuffing, making this seem almost like a … dragon’s treasure pile. It seemed almost like a joke, but here I was. My scales were so thick, laying on the nuggets and gems wasn’t even a hassle; in fact, it only made me want to doze off again.

So my head fell off the bed when I was sleeping? Was that the cause of me waking up?

I wanted to ask where I was so badly, as this wasn’t my room in my subspace. This was neither my Obsidian Orchestra nor my dragonewt room. Yet, I held it back, as the ones to answer it were right in front of me.

I recognized them. Two snow wyverns looked at me with agape jaws, their eyes betrayed their surprise and elation to see me, and I couldn’t help but to reciprocate them. Seeing them, so worried, only made my fear come true but I couldn’t help but be happy that they were okay. It meant nothing else happened after the raid was over.

[“Shay? Beth?”] I said.

[“Princess!”] Beth charged at me, rubbing her head against me as she growled with so much affection and enthusiasm, I felt awkward. It felt like a friend giving another a hug after meeting each other after a long time.

[“I-I will call Tasianna over! Sister, keep the princess company for now!”] Shay stated before quickly flying out of the room-cavern, showing me the exit to this place.

… Is it just me, or has he gotten faster? I noted. I was used to watching him and Beth spar with Tasianna, so it was surprising to see how much smoother he was gliding through the air. Did he level up a ton during the raid?

[“We’ve missed you so much. I’m so happy to see you again!”] Beth kept speaking, almost sounding like she was in tears. In fact, while her wyvern eyes weren’t shedding them, she was sending me images of her elven form crying like a heartbroken young adult with a face so red and puffy, I thought her eyes had turned into tomatoes!

[“Ah, come on, Beth! What are you doing—Ahrk!”] I yelped as I felt her wings wrapping around my neck and body. As I was larger, she couldn’t fully wrap her wings around me, but I felt her chilling scales against mine. [“Aahhhh! Stop, stop, stop! It’s cold! You’re exuding your chilling aura, Beth!”]

[“I apologize!”] she said, but she didn’t stop. [“But, please, just endure it a bit. Even Brother had to rush out to stop himself from ‘disgracing’ himself like me, but we’ve been waiting for so long. We trusted Her Majesty, but the days felt like an eternity despite her estimations.”]

[“H-huh? What are you talking about? You know I usually just fall asleep after a fight, I mean, it happened in Elyonda when I stayed asleep for nine days. Ah, no, sorry, sorry. That probably was insensitive of me to say. Nine days or longer would make everybody worried, so just forget it, okay?”] I slapped my face internally as I just realized how worried everybody had to be. [“Okay, I’m sorry! I ‘ll make—”]

[“No!”] Beth interrupted me and pushed herself off me. [“You don’t understand, my princess. You’ve been asleep for—”]

“Lady Hestia!” Another familiar voice echoed through these frozen walls, originating at the entrance when Shay returned.

A woman jumped off his back, flying over to me with her butterfly-like wings. Although elven in appearance and size, her mana-blue hair and witch-maid like robes quickly made me remember her identity. She might be a half-elf, half-fairy right now due to [Elvenize], but I could recognize the face of one of my best friends even amongst a crowd even with her hair and outfit having changed.

[“Tasianna!”] I replied only for my eyes to widen when she zoomed in and landed onto my face, weeping so fiercely as she gripped the carapace and spikes on my head, unwilling to let them go. She kept repeating, “Princess, I’m so happy you’re awake!” over and over again, where I noticed her trembling smile right in front of my left eye.

So this proved it. Beth’s and Shay’s reactions weren’t normal either, with the former even trying to explain to me how long I’ve actually been asleep. Tasianna kept watching every time I fell unconscious and it had happened too often at this point. She should have gotten used to it, yet she cried enough to fill buckets.

[“Tasianna … I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say to you, Shay, and Beth for how I’ve slept but … how long has it been?”] I asked, reluctantly. [“N-no, wait, did something happen during my sleep? Is there another reason for why you guys are like this?”]

Tasianna, noticing this, let me go and wiped her tears away with a handkerchief before she reformed a smile, bowing deeply in front of my head while standing in the air. She shook her head.

“My lady, first things first, I, Tasianna Marina Silverpond, greet you after your hibernation.”

[“Your royal guards as well, your highness.”] Shay and Beth both tucked their tails in between their legs and bowed their heads.

Once the formalities were over, Tasianna’s brows furrowed a bit but she kept her smile up. “To answer you, today, I believe, should be the fourth of SpringSun.”

… Eh?

[“S-SpringSun? W-wait, hold on, the raid started and ended in WinterSun, so it’s been three months? I’ve been asleep for three months!”] I howled in bafflement, but it only got worse.

Tasianna shook her head. “Today is the fourth of SpringSun in the year 2681, my lady. You’ve been asleep for a year and nearly three months.”

Profile!

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Age: 3 Years

… This isn’t sleeping … This was a coma.

[“M-my birthday was just a few days ago. I’ve missed two of them … How? How and why so long?”]

“The mana surgeons your mother, Her Majesty Empress Melloxtressa, had hired told us that the accumulated arcane corruption had bursted inside your body, destroying a number of your mana paths in the process. Your hind legs, in particular, were ready to explode due to the conclusion of your fight,” Tasianna explained, causing me to wince at the vivid pain I felt that night. “Another reason is due to Her Majesty’s spell she cast on you. A ‘hibernation ice’ magic that ice dragons use to help their children sleep or hibernate if needed, as the spell keeps an ideal temperature of the dragon inside as long as mana is supplied.”

Her voice. Sometimes I really curse my damn hearing, I thought, as it felt so unfamiliar how Tasianna kept addressing Mom. Not in the way she did it, but in the matter of her tone, as if she had gained far more respect for her during the time I was gone. A whole damn year’s worth of time!

[“I assume the operation was a success, since I don’t have any [Mana Path] related issues in my Profile,”] I asked, prompting Tasianna to nod.

“Her Majesty also commissioned Miss Saori to sew your bed as a dragon. Your mana paths are healthy once again, so you don’t have to fear, but your mother was worried how you lost a year of training due to your hibernation, so she had it made from mana threads to help you increase your mana capacity naturally overtime, even if it’s just a little.”

[“Haha … Yeah, with how much mana I already have in my pool, training it to become even larger is quite something.”]

“It’s still not enough compared to your mother’s!”

[“Krk! You don’t have to rub it in!”] I yelled, causing my three retainers to burst in giggles, enjoying my little outburst. Seeing them like this made me only feel more melancholic. [“… So it’s true then? A whole year? I’ve lost a whole year’s time with all of you? Frankly, even after I saw the evidence in my Profile, it still boggles my mind on how that is possible.”]

“Yet … sadly it is the truth, my lady,” Tasianna said with a sad smile. “A part of me wanted to keep it quiet, but I knew instantly it would be impossible once you saw your Profile. I understand how much this must be hurting you, as all of us from Aurora have been eagerly awaiting your awakening. Svena, Lorena, and Haati were especially anxious whenever I visited the subspace, forcing me to speak about you with the promise of tea. Please, we can catch up whenever you wish, but allow us to tell you how happy we are to see you like this. As energetic, as always, like the princess we swore our life to.”

Tasianna, unable to keep her tears from streaming down her face, turned away. Her shivering body as she attempted to control herself was painful to watch … yet it warmed me so much. How could I feel melancholic when people were worrying about me to the point of tears? Ahh, once again, why was I such a selfish person?

[“... I’m sorry once again. It felt like only a few seconds to me as I didn’t have the chance to dream at all, but I can’t believe how much you three must have suffered. How much everybody else had to do while watching me in such a state. A year … That is not a gulf that can be filled so easily, yet so are three months.”] I sighed. [“… Tasianna. My wings. I need help regrowing them.”]

Tasianna jerked her body up and snapped around, before her back bent into a deep 90 degrees bow. “It is my honor!” she screamed with all her might. Even after a year this part of hers hadn’t changed. A best friend was still a best friend.

With the twins’ help, the three created a giant ice scalpel and tweezers, while I arched my neck around to inspect my body. As expected, two deep scars could be seen where my wings should have been, while my right hind leg was mildly deformed like a bloated turkey leg. Thankfully, the rest of my body seemed okay and I didn’t really feel any pain from letting my mana course through my body.

Alright, time for Miraculous Grace. Manager Mind, I need you to inspect my mana paths, while #2 and #3 help me correct my bone and muscles. Gotta get rid of these scars. #4, let’s get ready to use [Unheiliger Engel] for some arms to … Why is nobody speaking? Hello?

And that was when my consciousness was sucked into a mental world inside my mind. I looked around, noticing the empty void and how nobody was around. All but one single girl sleeping on a bed peacefully. She looked exactly like my human self but had black hair and arms so thin they looked like they were just made of skin and bones. A figure unsuited to fight in close combat, unlike mine.

Hikari? I called out to my horror. That’s right … during that fight, I lost all my parallel minds. All of them are gone, just so Hikari and I could survive that fight. They … SHIT!

“Kraaagh!” I released a pain-filled scream from the top of my lungs before I slammed my head into the ground, leaving not even a scratch.. However, I didn’t stop then and continued to do it again and again, and even after the fifth time, nothing on the ground happened. It was so hard, I thought I was banging my head against an indestructible diamond!

Dammit, fuck you, Prince of Envy. Everything! Fuck you!

“My lady!” Tasianna yelled but I didn’t stop, unable to stop myself from releasing all this pent up emotions ravaging my brains. A year long coma? The fact I lost a friend and ten precious companions that have been with me forever—ten mes. And now the fact I have to fix up my body ‘cause I went all out to kill that bastard Prince of Envy.

Fuck you! I couldn’t get his face out of my head. Those devious slanted eyes, his changing appearance, and that calm, persuasive voice kept haunting me even after he was dead. The past he showed me made me empathize with him and the demonkin as a whole, and I hated how much more I disliked the Folschreck Empire afterwards.

I thought I was the master of my emotions, but all the pain was starting to resurface all over again. Instead of blaming myself for my incompetence as an entertainer or how my very existence was a danger to my friends and that I had to protect them, now I was going through this annoying phase of having the Prince of Envy living rent free in my head. I wanted him out, but I couldn’t. Why? He was dead! Gone, reduced to atoms! Even if he grew a new body, Vifi explicitly guaranteed he wouldn’t be able to reappear after all he did to sabotage Bole’Taria’s plans.

Maybe this was the actual cost of revenge. I considered myself a hypocrite, but I suddenly felt so glad Tasianna managed to stop her hand, even if she hadn’t forgiven her revenge target. She looked so at peace, but all I could feel was this continued fury.

So I continued banging my head on the ground, trying desperately to forget what happened. I wanted to celebrate my victory, but I couldn’t. Without that gratification from breaking the ground, it only made me feel more frustrated.

When I was about to hit my head for the eleventh time, I suddenly choked as water began to surround my head. The moment I hit the ground, the water dispersed the impact, reducing the damage to my head and horns, while choking on the water stopped me from continuing my tantrum.

As I was resting on the ground, trying to understand what happened, the water around me blew away, dragging some of it in my lungs around. I coughed the rest out, but was instantly overwhelmed when my skills didn’t inform me of the water spell appearing underneath me, blasting me up in the air before a strong wind current softened my landing.

As I laid there on the ground, I looked to the side, noticing Tasianna smiling so peacefully while the twins could only stare at her with their mouths agape.

[“… You learned [Aquakinesis] in the year I was asleep?”] I asked.

She nodded. “Her Majesty found it prudent that I continued training despite my worries for you, and … Saint Kushlek’zar made sure to visit us during that time. He taught me everything he could before he left.”

[“Master?”]

“Yes.” She nodded again. “After the raid, he returned to Caedhul with Krim-Slak and Grazlahta, willing to finalize his training and truly become a master mage of the mage’s guild. In addition, all three wanted to return to the Depth’s Guard to become stronger. Temporary, of course, as they still believe being Tide Watchers was for the best, but I think like us, they understood the threat of our future enemies.”

[“… Did he say anything?”]

“That he will continue praying to all the gods so that he can meet you again.”

I rolled to the side, staring at the mesmerizing ceiling. I managed to calm down my breathing now that my lungs were dry. [“Thank you for always being with me, even now, Tasianna. I couldn’t ask for a better friend.”]

“As I said, my lady. My life is dedicated to serving you, no matter what path you go down. I will follow you and trust you, similar to how much you placed your trust in me. You helped me resolve my past, so please remember I am here for you to carry your burdens, Lady Hestia. Do not harm yourself, my lady. Never.”

I closed my eyes. [“You know me too well. I’m calm, let’s restore my body back to normal.”]

Right … Manager Mind, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, I’m sorry you had to protect me. I know even if you are gone that you are still with me, somewhere. You guys are me, but also my friends. Thank you for being there for me even to the last moment.

Without waking Hikari up, I drew onto the knowledge stash my parallel minds had accumulated over nearly two years we’ve been together. Using the giant ice scalpel and tweezers with [Unheiliger Engel] as my hands, I began separating my scales and flesh from my bones, digging right through where I found the broken remains of my wings.

With [True Draconic Barrier] down and my crippling weakness to ice attacks, the ice scalpel made the operation easy. I knew my body’s bone and muscle structure from all the times my parallel minds inspected my body. Even if I didn’t know my anatomy and biology perfectly, it was enough to finish this operation without any issue.

Once I was done, I tested my fixed legs and wings, only to notice I needed physical therapy. Being asleep for over a year made my muscles sore, and since my limbs returned to their normal state, I couldn’t really make them stronger with [Miraculous Grace]. Well, as long as I was scarless, it was all good.

Now …

[“Thank you for waiting, Mom,”] I called out, causing something wet to slip outside my cavern.

In the next moment, a colossus head of a dragon, large enough to eat a whale whole, appeared from around the corner. Facial expressions were hard to show with our draconic faces, but that was different when it came to our eyes and mouth.

I had my suspicion she was eavesdropping on us purely ‘cause it was Mom, as when we first met after the Griffonpeak siege, she was sleeping inside my bed. She did the same during the Elyonda siege, only that she was hibernating then. As Kramps said, dragon moms were helicopter mothers and I couldn’t agree more when it came to Mom.

She would never leave my side on the off-chance I would wake up. Not to mention, Shay and Beth weren’t technically my retainers, they were Mom’s, and they would without doubt inform Mom before Tasianna.

[“I can’t get away with anything with how sharp my daughter is, can I?”] Mom giggled, causing emotions to well up in my chest.

[“Oh, shut it!”] I said before casting [Tailwind] and activating my rocket booster, blasting myself at her face to hug her, while she rubbed her face gainst mine.

[“Good morning, my little treasure,”] Mom said. [“Did you have a good sleep?”]

[“No, it was terrible!”] I complained. [“I didn’t get to dream at all, and when I woke up, I learned that a whole damn year passed! Also, I remember how you told me when we first met that I’m supposed to get used to getting into comas, but I still feel like a rock after sleeping for an entire year! Bla, bla, bla, complain, complain! Cry, cry, ahhhhhh! … I missed you so much, Mom.”]

[“And so did I, Hestia.”]

Mom’s words were full of warmth. Despite the slight chill inside this cavern, I couldn’t help but feel like I was burning up.

[“Come, I think we need to talk for a bit. I also have to tell you something about your new home, and I think you’ll like it more when we do so over some tea and breakfast. Don’t you think so, everybody?”]

Mana mist then escaped Mom’s and the twins’ body as they transformed into their elven dragonewt form, prompting me to do the same. Once I was on the ground, my body morphed and my bones cracked and shrunk me down.

[Humanize (Moderate)] inflicted on [Young Sunfang Dragon, Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor]

Yet, something felt different. I felt different.

“Oh my gosh, my lady!”

Why can I see my belly button … Why do my clothes feel so tight, and when did I grow out my hair?

The difference? About one year and two months ago, I was a teenager.

Now I am an adult.

Age: 18 Years

I’ve really grown everywhere, huh?