I could feel their aurae. The twin wyverns Mom took under her wings as her retainers were ready to fight. The lung-burning air of these magma cavern tunnels was slowly disappearing under the power of icy white mists exuding out of the twins’ bodies like the opening of an ice cooler.
My initial thought was that this was a mere joke, or perhaps some kind of intimidation towards some fire wyverns. Shay was usually quite dutiful and conservative, always keeping a frown on his face when he was nervous or whenever he had to keep a watch over his highly-energetic younger twin sister. I did remember a few times when he was aggressive and angered, but it was usually in a defensive manner.
During our first meeting, he used his body to save his sister’s life from my lightning spells, and despite my mistake, he didn’t really condemn me for it. Sure, back then, his former boss Asterios kept him on a tight leash, and it didn’t help that wyverns have this toxic mentality that they had to serve true dragonkin with respect, but it did make me feel sympathetic towards the wyverns.
I guess that was when our “relationship” began. I felt guilty for hurting them when they were trying to not kill their supposed escortee. I felt flabbergasted when we reunited in Griffonpeak, only this time, they were serving under Mom. After some months together, the awkwardness disappeared, but I still couldn’t say that I was close to either of them, unlike with my party or with the students, or even Master Kush and the saurians.
To me, they were still “friendly acquaintances.” I would consider ourselves friends, aside from our relationship as their liege’s child and them being my mother’s retainers, but it was the sorta respectful and inclusive type of friendship you would make inside a forum or chat room over an interest or experience.
… Which could explain why their loyalty hadn’t resulted in them acquiring [Hestia’s Imperial Guard], unlike Tasianna. They were working under Mom’s orders to keep me safe and we weren’t close enough. Then again, the requirements for the title was still a total mystery to me, since Saori, my best friend and first party member, hadn’t received it either.
… So, why are they acting like this?
Why were the twins acting so hostile towards these fire wyverns after they asked to serve me? Was there something suspicious about them?
[“Uh, you can deal with this,”] Ryra said to quickly escape from the situation, charging deeper into the tunnel with a floating earth discus. [“I’ll wait for you at the entrance!”]
You damn brat …
Unlike Neill, who was the best big sister ever, Ryra was a sorry excuse for an older brother … I believe I was starting to understand why some people were saying how having siblings wasn’t always sunshine and sparkles.
In any case, I should—
[“Donut, let’s let this develop, first,”] Vifi stopped me.
Turning on [Telepathy], I said, [“Why? This looks like it will escalate into a fight.”]
[“It will, but I don’t think this is the time for you to intervene. Sometimes you have to get involved and those words will change the outcome, but I also know you have to know when to do that. Not everything said will always be helpful, right?”] Vifi explained. [“Trust them like you do with the rest of Aurora. Trust them like how you did me. This conflict is theirs alone to solve; your job is to encourage them afterwards, General.”]
Hearing Vifi seriously shoot my planned intervention down gave me some whiplash. I knew I shouldn’t always interrupt my friends from dealing with their own business, but this felt like something I should contribute to. Six wyverns versus two? Each side was weak to each other, so a fight erupting from this would be an issue for both sides.
‘Four rank B and two rank C,’ Hikari reported. ‘I know they’re training under Mom, but this feels a bit one-sided.’
Yeah, let’s just hope for no fight.
I have chosen the third choice—silence.
“Krrgh? Kiiesha—” The leading wyvern, the one who prompted the proposal to join me as a retainer, was growling in Draconic, only for Shay to interrupt him.
[“Speak with telepathy. If you wish for Princess Hestia to become your lady, you speak so she may understand!”]
Thank you, Shay.
With how weak my grasp of Draconic still is, it would be best to convey everybody’s words through their minds to avoid misunderstandings.
[“Ahem, I apologize, Princess Hestia,”] the spoken wyvern bowed his head. [“Please, allow me to speak with your guards. It seems I may have caused a misunderstanding.”]
[“Your name?”]
[“I am a no-name, your highness. Like the rest here. Like the many master-less wyverns,”] he said. [“However, all six of us have been training under faithful wyverns who have served clan Kargryxmor and the many other fire dragon clans of Inferno Nest since the beginning of Emperor Eltharion’s rule.”]
No-names? Right, right, the wyverns did express excitement about their names. As well as Asterios.
[“We may only be fledglings compared to dragons, but we have the ability to protect you from most threats on Miononbolax, your highness. We can adapt and survive on Frozen Nest, as well! Allow us to show you our potential as guards!”] he pleaded.
Huh? Wait, this isn’t that bad. Some extra help here wouldn’t hurt anybody.
Yet, the moment I thought of this, Vifi spoke to me, [“There is a procedure to decide on the next Warbringer whenever one dies or steps down. The Prince of Wrath—who generally becomes Bole’Taria’s supreme commander—may decide on candidates and, ultimately, is the sole person with the right to promote someone to become a Warbringer. Yet, it is expected of them to ask their other Warbringers for their opinion if the candidate will contribute and synergize with the rest of them.”]
[“What are you trying to say?”]
[“This is similar to how you invited me into your party despite your party’s begrudging acceptance. You have the ultimate deciding vote, but my inclusion still made people like Tatsuya and Nishio uncomfortable. Now, I personally think their opinions don’t matter a bit compared to yours, but I know you think differently,”] she explained. [“These wyverns are not here to become part of your party, though they are here as potential imperial guard candidates. They are here to become your retainers. Aurora serves as your imperial guards, all things considered, and four of them aren’t here. I am, and I wish to voice my opinion as to how you should conduct yourself here, if I am allowed to be so bold, General.”]
[“And this ties together with what you told me just now, right?”]
[“Astute, General. To know when to put on your different personas is something I admire about you; you know when to switch from your bubbly self to your princess side, yet you still hold onto your core values. Something I still find hard,”] she mumbled that last part, a neat trick when we’re speaking telepathically, although I disagreed with her there. [“Every person has some sort of pride in them, whether a hobby or responsibility. To slight this would cause an emotional response. I believe it is paramount for Shayatierus and Bethlieranha to solve this situation. Even if they are your mother’s retainers, they are assigned to be your guards. There must be some wyvern-specific cultural thinking we are not aware of which I believe you should watch first before speaking your mind. ”]
In other words, I should commit to my choice to stay silent for now. Vifi could be lackadaisical in private, but I knew I should listen to her advice whenever her eyes started “looking alive.” Not to mention, she had a point. I wasn’t sure why the twins were acting so aggressively here.
While Vifi and I had this discussion, the argument between the wyverns kept escalating.
[“We only wish to prove ourselves! Serve her as many other wyverns do for her siblings, and you would deny us for no apparent reason? Is this how you treat your elder scales, scale-kin?”] the “no-name” snapped. I wasn’t sure how this argument began, as my talks with Vifi had occupied my mind just a moment ago.
[“Age matters not here. This is about your origins. We need no spies within our midst. Begone!”] Shay rebuked, snarling even louder than before.
[“Her Highness is the one who chooses her companions, not you! Do not think you can just slither your way in with some excuse when we don’t know you!”] Beth growled. [“She is our mistress’s daughter. We will protect her! She is our —Aurora’s—duty, not yours!”]
[“What is this insolence and arrogance? You receive names and are bestowed the honor to serve even an empress, and now you act as if you are true dragonkin?”] the fire wyvern snapped. [“Your youth is showing, fledglings!”]
… The two of them are 59 years old; 60 in about a week, even. This guy just said he isn’t an adult in dragon terms either, but he calls somebody else a fledgling? How old is he exactly?
While I was confused with how dragonkin viewed age, the argument continued.
[“This is Inferno Nest!”] the fire wyvern emphasized. [“You are ice wyverns who have entered our lands; not to mention, you are foreigners from outside Miononbolax. You have been in the empire for only a year, and only been in Frozen Nest for that entire time. This is tradition; for lesser dragonkin and dragonewts to serve true dragonkin. It is our honor, it is expected. We only wish to show her we have the potential to do so, yet you deny us even a trial?”]
[“Because we cannot trust strangers around our princess,”] Shay argued.
Beth slammed her tail, roaring, [“We shall protect her. We do not need help from fire wyverns!”]
[“Protect her how? Your ice armor is melting from the heat,”] the fire wyvern sneered, prompting me to notice some water droplets forming around the flash frozen armor on the twins. The moment they notice this, though, the droplets were instantly frozen again, causing the fire wyvern to scoff at them. [“Keep wasting your mana to keep yourself from overheating. Inferno Nest is not your place to be in, ice wyverns. Similar to how Her Highness must have issues in the cold of Frozen Nest.”]
This statement silenced the twins, groaning a bit as they probably remembered how troublesome my [Ice Resistance] training was.
[“You will protect her in Frozen Nest, we shall do so here, on the mainland. Inside Inferno Nest,”] he stated. It was logical and I couldn’t find fault in it. [“Why can we not come to a compromise? It is our duty as wyvern retainers to serve the true dragonkin, and we wish to do so for her.”]
[“… Why are you choosing now?”] Shay mounted one last defense. [“You smell older than us, although some of you are younger. Yet, you still do not have a master? Why?”]
[“Because we fire wyverns are trained to serve, yet we did not become ready when a whelpling required retainers. When we did, we heard news of Empress Melloxtressa marriage and had hoped our failure to gain a master was actually a boon. We had heard Her Highness’s egg being lost, but we had hope until this moment finally came,”] he admitted, pulling my heartstrings. [“The rank Cs amongst us are young, around 20. They are weaker than Her Highness, but they might be able companions for the young princess due to their similar age gap.”]
Beth was about to speak up again, only for her brother to stop her, telling the wyverns to step forward as the two of them dispelled their armor and moved aside. Shay couldn’t continue arguing with all these arguments.
I turned to Vifi. [“What is your opinion?”]
[“Thanks for asking. Accept them. For now, at least. You still have suspicions, seeing how you’re asking so cautiously, right?”]
[“Well, I wouldn’t say Shay’s and Beth’s intuition isn’t wrong in that they may be spies. Sure, their story did make me sympathetic, but I can’t deny the fact that somebody might have tipped them off to follow me as retainers. Could be one of my siblings, could be their supporters and vassals. It’s like with Rhek; there should be an ulterior motive.”]
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Vifi nodded. [“Good thinking … but, I wouldn’t say no to some subordinates, right, General? Give ya little soldier here a treat, catch me drift?”]
I tittered unconsciously to her response, feeling a bit exasperated at her motives. [“Ahaha … I see your horns slowly forming there. Your usual accent really betrays how excited you are.”]
[“Don’t sweat it. I’ll beat the traitor out of them if they have any.”]
Shrugging, I accepted Vifi’s proposal and turned to the wyverns, accepting them as trial retainers.
[“Thank you very much, Princess Hestia! May you dominate the land and skies and allow us the honor to serve you!”]
6 wyverns followers gained
Total follower count updated. Total followers of [Young Sunfang Dragon, Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor]: 47885
Still, as this was a temporary employment, I didn’t give them [Hestia’s Retainer] as a title. I didn’t know if I could forcibly revoke the title from others, as I have never tried it, so I decided to be careful for now. Hearing Shay and Beth speak helped me think this through better.
In addition, the wyverns were about to rip a scale off their bodies to present to me, as it was tradition for dragons and drakes to do once they pledged their loyalty to another. I had to make it clear that I wouldn’t accept it until their probation period was over, as it would be awkward if I had to say goodbye to them.
Also, they didn’t have any names yet, so it would be better after they received one for me to formalize this relationship. Speaking of which, they were looking at me in anticipation for this honor, but I couldn’t think of names on the fly like this.
[“Names should mean something, but I don’t know you well enough to give you one yet, so, please give me a moment to think about it.”] I turned to Vifi on my back, prompting her to jump down, slowly walking up to the wyverns with all her emotional levels at 25%. Meaning, her demonic features were showing, including her red lightning horns and tail. [“This is Vifi’Yok. A wrath demonkin. A part of my adventurer party, Aurora, meaning she is one of my five closest retainers. You will take your orders from her for the time being.”]
[“Your orders have been received!”] the wyverns shouted before they growled the same in Draconic. They bowed their heads and lowered their tails, even in the presence of Vifi.
“… Oh yeah, this will be fun, hehe.” Vifi gestured for me to go away. “We’ll catch up. Meet up with your brother first.”
With a quick nod, the twins and I left, allowing me to talk to them. After we made it deep enough for my [Detection Sensor] to not detect them, Shay suddenly bowed his head, flustering his sister and me.
[“Princess Hestia, please, forgive me. I failed you.”]
[“Huh? What are you talking about, Shay?”] I raised a brow.
[“It is exactly as I said, Lady Hestia. That … poor display of our authority, even as your guards, allowed those wyverns inside our group. I couldn’t speak up. His words were correct; even if I wanted to stubbornly refuse, when it comes to your safety, I cannot just proudly declare that I may be useful in Inferno Nest with my severe weakness to this insane heat,”] Shay stated, sounding ashamed of himself. [“I am not delusional enough to reject help if it would help you.”]
[“It’s fine! Don’t worry about it, not everybody is perfect for every situation. I can’t handle the cold, so I rely on you. It isn’t something to be ashamed of.”]
[“I vehemently disagree, your highness!”] Shay slammed his tail, eyes closed in pain. [“There is a difference between the impossibility and simply being underprepared. It is not impossible for either of us to gain the resistances to survive our unpreferred environments, especially not when we both possess increased skill leveling capabilities. Can’t you see the issue, my lady? I … once again remembered this feebleness inside me.”]
Shay raised his head, eyes trembling as he looked at me and his sister. [“Once again, I have realized just how narrow-minded I am. Demeaning humanoids when I first joined you and Her Majesty, unable to adapt to humanoid society despite the need to do so to serve you, and then that embarrassing moment when I nearly lost my only sister to that damn leonid! I thought I was aware of my weakness and managed to overcome it, but I missed the point again. It isn’t about becoming better at protecting you in the cold, I also have to protect you from the other elemental dragons! I … didn’t once think about training my fire resistance until now.”]
[“B-Brother, don’t worry, I also forgot about it, too!”] Beth argued, only for Shay to snap at her.
[“That is because I forgot to tell you about it!”] he shouted, causing the former to jerk back. [“I am the elder! I should know how to defend us, just like I always did. You nearly died again in Estralia! I nearly lost you because I was underprepared, underestimated the scale of battle we were heading into. I told myself to be better but it was all a farce.”]
[“Shay, stop it!”] I took a step forward. [“I know the feeling of being weak, but you can’t just snap at your sis—”]
[“If I was stronger, your friend Akasht wouldn’t have died. You wouldn’t have been so depressed, your highness. Your mood changed when it all happened and I failed to prevent it,”] he said, shocking me into silence. [“My incompetence hurt you emotionally and allowed those demonkin to sever one of your bonds. Something you need for your gluttony … This is my fault, and yet, I cannot overcome this mental block.”]
Akasht … Speaking about him just reopens the wound, you idiot … Haaa.
The anger I felt for the second Warbringer and Prince of Envy once again resurfaced, despite my wish to bury it after the Aureolis’s fight. Of all places for it to reappear, I hadn’t thought it would be here, inside an Inferno Nest mine while trying to get some ore and rocks for Grimnir. If I were to compare my pain from back then to Shay’s self-deprecation, then I could sympathize with him better, but it still gave him no right to act like this.
‘He’s putting his anger in the wrong places,’ Hikari agreed, prickly just as I was. ‘Why is he still talking about himself? Getting tunnel vision isn’t something only he is plagued with …’
I guess, to Hikari and me, this hit a bit at home. This felt like a certain young girl’s rant …
[“I had an entire year to prepare for your awakening, your majesty, but never—not even once—did I think of visiting Inferno Nest to simply train my fire weakness away. I always thought about staying close to you, waiting for you to awaken so I could greet you. I thought I was a faithful guard as such, but it only made me weak,”] he grumbled. [“Is leveling enough to evolve truly the only way to train? It seems that becoming only rank A will not make me strong enough to defend you or Bet—”]
‘Enough! Switch position, now!’
Huh! Wai—Waaaaah! Hikari! I snapped my mental body up as I felt my control over our body being overtaken by Hikari. I looked forward, seeing my other half in control. She slapped the air, grimacing at the elder twin.
[“Shay!”] I—well, Hikari—shouted in anger. [“Stop talking about YOURSELF! Stop talking as if you have to bear all this weight and how you have to protect your sister as if she was some porcelain trinket! You are not alone in all of this!”]
Fire came out of my mouth as I charged forward, casting a shadow down at Shay. [“You, you, you; it’s always the yourself part that you should be looking at, not just the fact that it's you that has to protect everybody. Your sister is her own person as well, but you keep harping about yourself as if you are the only problem on the table. In fact, maybe you are, but it isn’t because you can’t get better yourself. It’s because you tunnel vision in this thought that you have to get better with your method and ideas, instead of accepting somebody else’s viewpoint! Did you ever think about asking your sister for her opinion? Did you think about sitting down and talking with her more seriously?”]
[“L-Lady—”]
[“I’m not fucking done!”] Hikari snapped. Why was she speaking like this? [“Stop keeping everything to yourself. Why did you never speak about this to us? You merely talked about being weak before the Aureolis fight and that’s about it. How is that supposed to help you? Do you think training under Mom will solve every issue you might have? No, even if you train with the best, you cannot become the best unless you stop thinking this is the only way to become the best! … Sometimes, accepting a ‘lesser’ method could change your life for the better.”]
Hearing that made me understand why Hikari especially was triggered by this. While I was busy reeling from how Shay brought up Akasht, hearing all of this probably made Hikari relive that one moment when we shouted at Papa when he suggested to us to “stop being an idol.” To pursue our musical career in a different manner for our own happiness.
That memory stung so badly. I personally cringed when I remembered it, annoyed at how my past self acted. Papa suggested it ‘cause he loved me and hated seeing me suffer through all my failed auditions, yet I felt too invested in my path and couldn’t change my ways. Maybe it was the same for Shay.
[“Brother,”] Beth interjected, stepping forward, pushing me a bit back due to how close her head was. She was making space for her older brother, blocking my gaze and shadow with hers. [“I know I am not the smartest wyvern. I do not act my age as you wish, and I can’t stop acting on my instincts, unlike you. I will always be thankful that you spoke Asterios into bringing me along, otherwise, I might have never gotten to meet Princess Hestia.”]
That’s how it happened?
[“I’ve been causing you trouble ever since we were born, I know. Your weaker egg-sister. Your less thoughtful sister, that forced you to act strong so we could survive. Your little sister you found the heart to protect, despite her being a runt that even our parents disliked. I’ll always be thankful for that, and maybe that is why you can’t become stronger. Because of me.”]
[“Bethlieranha, please, no—”] Shay was about to object, but Beth kept speaking.
[“You have always decided on things on your own. You decided to speak with Yorshka about the letter, you decided to become messengers to speak with the empress to atone for our failure to escort Princess Hestia, you were the one who bravely accepted Empress Melloxtressa’s offer to become her retainers.”] She sighed, lowering her head. [“Even if we aren’t worthy. We were taken in to protect Her Highness, yet we are still so weak. You could have monopolized everything to yourself to become stronger. I am holding you back. Just admit it, Brother.”]
[“I am not trying to say that! You are my family—my sister—I need to make sure we su—”]
[“It’s as Princess Hestia said, you always think about what you have to do. I have been a fool. I always rely on you. I don’t think … I’ve ever chosen anything myself outside of my wish to be a ‘humanoid woman.’ I follow you everywhere, never thinking about it seriously. What am I but a leech on my proud, strong brother? Am I even worthy of serving a dragon?”]
[“If you are a leech, then what am I? An incompetent brother that could not teach his sister how to survive on her own. I only taught you how to fight and train, not how to think. Do I even have the right to speak up to those wyverns when I can’t even educate you? Am I worthy of any of this?”]
Siblings were still siblings, especially so with twins.
Hikari.
‘Yes. Sorry about that; it hasn’t even been a month yet and I already broke our first rule. I didn’t mean to take control like that.’
Eh, happens. Sorta thing we have to deal with since, you know, we kinda live together. Let’s just keep the rules in mind for the future, and ask me before taking over. That was a real shocker, you know?
‘Yes … I guess, I myself have some maturing to do despite my ranting.’
She might have broken our rules, but I didn’t feel too bad about it this time. I think her feeling bad about it now, in this situation, was better than in a more precarious one.
[“You both are worthy, considering you stayed with me until now. I trust you two,”] I said, finally in control of our body. [“I understand you both have misgivings with these wyverns, but I think we should set it aside first to see how they act.”]
[“Yes, my lady,”] both said. That little heart to heart seemed to have helped them cool down.
[“Honestly, I probably should have approached this topic earlier, but I don’t think we talk enough about matters other than whatever the current plot or plan we have going on is,”] I admitted.
[“I have not acted very warmly, myself, my lady.”] Shay sighed. [“I did not wish to bother you with my issues, nor could I possibly give you the image that I was unworthy of this position.”]
[“You do not have to feel threatened by them. I don’t think Mom would kick you out.”]
[“How could I not?”] he asked, eyes filled with confusion. [“Even if the empress won’t, I have my own pride in serving her as a wyvern, my lady.”]
Is this what Vifi meant by ‘pride?’
He continued, [“I will remove myself if I feel as if I am a burden to you, my lady. That I swear. You heard the wyvern and you’ve seen what the wyverns under Prince Kahalameet could do. If these six can show years of proper training, then they will beat us two wild born wyverns. We’ve only had two years of servitude under Empress Melloxtressa. Yes, I feel threatened, that I am unworthy and they might take away my honor to guard you.”]
[“You are a friend. I won’t kick you out, you know that.”]
[“Yet, I would insist you do,”] Shay shook his head, followed by Beth agreeing with him. [“We grew up with knowledge of God Kargryxmor, with wyvern priestesses worshipping him and spreading his name in the Avitor Peaks. We knew serving a dragon was the greatest honor a lesser wyvern may receive. Asterios was an ill egg, but he too worshiped strong dragons.”]
[“We do not take offense to other wyverns serving you, my lady. I think the two of us understood instinctively that those six would be better servants than the two of us …”] Beth added. [“Despite a year of training, the two of us still are unable to turn our aura into a Territory. We can’t mentally do it, according to the Empress, and neither of us understand why. What else would this be but weakness?”]
[“Neither has Tasianna.”]
[“She has no issue with it mentally,”] Shay denied. [“Her issue is that she can’t think of a Territory that would synergize with her abilities, especially her [Tor Eiclere’s Finulaflei]. It is a creative block, similar to being unable to create a custom spell. She can still expel her aura to create a Territory-like effect, unlike us.”]
Hmm … this is hard.
Sadly, we were unable to resolve the matter here, as I noticed the seven signals approaching us. Vifi and the wyvern soon arrived, rejoining us on our way to meet Ryra. The fire wyverns seemed quite obedient as they were quietly walking behind the twins, looking neither annoyed or bothered by the fact I was helping the two stay cool with my temperature manipulation.
Eventually, we made it to the end of the tunnel where the view of bright, bubbly magma came into view. A humongous lake blocked our way forward, requiring us to fly over it as we explored this place.
When we did, we noticed the magma lake led off a cliff, revealing the lake to be a giant fiery waterfall, part of the actual magma chamber. A wild area so expansive, it should put Cedaraille dungeon’s chambers into shame. Imagine that same ecosystem I witnessed back then, but with its mushroom forests, large brown-rock prairies, and magma swamps increased in size by 100% and have actual dragons roaming the place.
Where is Ryra?
I looked around, unable to find my brother. Sure, the place was large, but Ryra was too conspicuous in his dragon form.
Sadly, we have to deal with something else, first.
[“Lady Hestia!”] Shay shouted just as I noticed multiple signals coming at us.
[“Fly! Protect the princess!”] the “no-name” added as they began to fly into position around me.
Meanwhile, Vifi and I eyed the approaching opposition, noticing something very strange.
Aren’t those … hippogryphs and griffons?
It seemed, even under a mountain, the mortal enemies of wyverns would still make their appearance.