“Eli, it’s time to wake up. Breakfast is almost ready.”
Huh? What? It’s already morning! “I’ll be ready soon.” I slept in? Despite going to sleep early? Huh, I must have been really tired.
I quickly got ready. “Oh, hi Rapunzel.” I greeted with a wave. “Were you sent to wake me up?”
“I was sent to fetch you, but I guess you were still sleeping. Sorry about that.”
“Nah, it’s fine. I’m surprised by how long I ended up sleeping for though.”
“Did you have trouble sleeping?” She asks in worry.
“That’s the odd part, I slept quite well, without any difficulties falling asleep at all.”
“I guess you were just tired.”
“Yeah. And I’m probably just going to get even more tired after today.” I sighed. “But first! Our FEAST!” I cheered.
“That’s right!” She agreed with a smile.
We hurried to the kitchen, and despite the fact that we were still early, we felt like we weren’t early enough. Ah true chefs, even just smelling their cooking is amazing.
After what felt like no time at all, the food started being brought out. Oddly, there was an enormous amount of food, far more than our party could eat on our own.
“I made sure to prepare extra, so eat to your heart’s content. The leftovers shall be given to those that butchered the dragon for us.” The Hero said. “So, let’s eat!” Oh, that was nice of him.
Haa, lovely as always. We once again were sent straight into a food coma, for who knows how long. Haa, this is bliss~.
After a while, the taskmaster Hero decided that we’d celebrated enough, so he woke us up from our haze.
“Time to deal with the dragon?” Melly asked while stretching.
“Yes, the sooner, the better after all.”
“Lead the way then.”
We reluctantly headed for the warehouse, but before we could enter, we were stopped by the massive crowd, um, crowding it. We tried to get through, but no one would let us. Even with our identities as heroes, we were stopped, as there were even some high-ranking nobles waiting, with more and more continuously arriving.
“Eli, we need your assistance.” The Hero says. Yeah, after trying everything else, including telling them that we were the ones that slayed the dragon, and only receiving laughs, I guess it’s time to use ‘force.’
I pull out my ID and declare. “Move out of the way! I, the Saintess, have official business in that warehouse!” Sadly I don’t know the saintess aura thing I’ve heard about. I’ve not even really been taught about that yet, as far as I can remember.
“Oh, sur- OH! I’m sorry, please.” Someone says while moving away. Though it seems to be more that I’m a part of the church than my specific position that allowed me passage.
Still, even with that, it still took us a while to get through everyone. Haa, I’m already tired, and it’s only going to get worse from here.
Finally though, we were able to get to the warehouse, and wouldn’t you know it, we had business here. I held back the urge to glare at the people who insulted us as I entered. Ah, peace. At least for now.
Or not, I realized as I looked at all of the excited people inside the warehouse. At least the Hero was the one dealing with everything. Also, it seems like something happened, but as I’m basically hiding in a corner to avoid dealing with, well, everything, I can’t tell what. Anyway, the Hero’s confident smile makes me think that he was prepared for this, and is somehow going to benefit from it.
Soon, he waved us over. “Hello, Cardinal Caitlyn.” I greeted.
“Saintess Elizabeth, I’ve heard that you’ve had a celebratory feast.”
“Yes, it was lovely.” I confirm.
“Speaking of, I brought extras for the workers.” The Hero offers, gesturing to the feast he set up.
“Oh, thank you.” Someone says as he grabs some food. “WHAT! THIS IS AMAZING!” He shouts.
“What? Let me try. OH!” Soon, cheers of excitement were coming from everyone. Even Cardinal Caitlyn was excited, asking me. “Is this!?”
“Shh.” I whisper. She nods in understanding.
After everyone calmed down from eating their snack, the Hero got to business. “So, now we need to distribute our loot.” He smiles.
“I don’t need anything from the dragon.” I quickly offered. “All long as my share helps slay the demon lord, I’m fine with you using it as you wish.”
Everyone just stared at me in astonishment. “Are you sure, Eli?” Melly asks.
“Positive.” I hear many people say ‘as expected of the Saintess’ and the like. Whatever, think what you want, I’m just devoted to my task. And, you know, just being the saintess has given me access to wealth beyond what I ever dreamed of.
“I knew you’d say that. Denied.” The Hero declares.
“Huh?” I… did not expect that.
“Even I am not giving up my share, though I do plan to use it as you suggested.”
“Then.” I start.
“No, I already have enough for my plans. You will keep your share, and you won’t selflessly use it. That’s an order.” I really don’t understand what’s going on. I thought my idea was pretty good. Mmm, I couldn’t help but pout.
“Ah, yeah. Eli, it’s yours, you’ve earned it, okay?” Melly, albeit hesitantly, agrees. I couldn't help laughing at her expression. Yeah, that’s a more normal response, considering how ludicrously valuable dragons are. Well, I guess it's pretty easy to not be greedy when you plan on returning to your own world. But still.
“Why? Wouldn’t my share be useful?” I couldn't help but ask.
“Not really.” He flatly denies. “Besides, your share will be the smallest one anyway.” He adds. Haa, our hero is odd. Whatever, let’s see how this goes.
“So.” The Hero shifts once I stop arguing. “I’ve already picked out what everyone needs in order to increase their power using monster ascension and to make new equipment.”
Monster ascension, I remember, is the ability to fuse a part of a powerful monster with yourself to increase some ‘stats.’ Sadly you can only have one at a time, and removing the used part is extremely difficult, sometimes even impossible. That’s the main reason why the dragon’s parts are so valuable, they can increase your potential.
“Equipment? Isn’t that a bit of a waste?” Melly asks.
“Usually, at least, for a dragon. Remember though, we need to kill the demon lord, for that we need to get as strong as possible. And, as dragon scales have the innate ability to reinforce themselves when infused with mana, they’ll make the best defensive gear we can get. Using the bones to make weapons is a bit much, but again, we need to defeat the demon lord, so some waste is justified.” The Hero explains. “You can, however, use the remaining parts however you wish.”
“Understood. So, how is everything being distributed?” Greg asks.
“I’ll get the wing muscles at its spine, Rapunzel gets its eye, Hansen gets its tongue, Melly gets its heart, Gregory gets its breath sack, and finally.” The Hero reaches into his bag. “Elizabeth gets the core!” He declares.
I was stunned as everyone else screamed in shock.
The core. Unlike regular mana crystals, monster crystals have a sort of spirit. As such, they are quite useful for magic formations, as those formations gain the ability to adapt and grow. So they are often used as the core of city protecting barriers.
You could effectively turn a town into a city with that core. This is beyond wasteful. I thought I’d get the liver, as that would increase my ability to heal, or part of the spine, one of the few ways to actually increase the power of my buffs. I never expected to receive the CORE!
I was so shocked that I didn’t even realize that I was now sitting on the floor, my legs having lost their strength. I just couldn’t even respond.
“Quiet!” Cardinal Caitlyn shouts. “What do you mean by this, Hero?”
“Exactly what I said.” He smiles with confidence. Haa, I’m not getting out of this, am I?
“Well, even if we ignore the fact that, other than the cores from demons, it is almost unheard of for someone to even attempt to fuse with a monster core, do you think she is even capable of such a feat? Even demons don't use natural cores, instead somehow artificially creating cores. As a result, their cores lack wills, making it quite simple to undergo monster ascension with them. True cores contain the full will of the monster they came from though, making them almost impossible to fuse with without losing your mind. And that’s not even considering the fact that you had to rely on a massive trap to deal with the dragon, further distancing your might.”
Oh, I didn’t know that. That’s not good. “I know.” Of course he does. “And I know she can do it.” Haa, I really want to cuss right now. I doubt Melly would even complain. Nor would Cardinal Caitlyn for that matter.
“What gives you the confidence for that? She even needed my present to deal with its presence, after all.”
“My confidence comes from Eli’s mana.” He smirks.
“What? I know the Gods increase the potency of the saintess’ mana, but even that won’t be even close to enough.” She affirms.
“Oh, but have you felt her mana? It’s quite… powerful.” His smirk grows.
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“No, I have not, but regardless-”
“Try it. You’ll understand.” I literally don’t think his smirk can grow anymore.
“Fine. Saintess Elizabeth, if you would?” She holds out her hand.
“Haa, fine. Be ready though, my mana hurts.” I advise as grab her hand and start to infuse.
“Hurts? How wou- AH! By the Gods, what did they do to you!” She shouts as she yanks her hand away.
“The Gods increased the intensity of my already aggressive mana. So much that you can easily tell even when you infuse your mana into me.”
“But, you’re a support! Even just regular aggressive mana would make your job difficult, much less when it’s enhanced so much!”
“Yeah, well, when I cast spells, my mana becomes surprisingly docile.” I answered with a shrug.
“So, do you believe me now?” The Hero asks. I stand corrected, his smirk can grow. He looks really arrogant now though.
“But… well.” Cardinal Caitlyn hesitates.
“Also, her mana has drive. When attacked by other mana, say when you make a barrier of dread mana that automatically infuses with targets, it retaliates.”
“That, that was because of her mana!” Oh, she heard about that. Wait, did she think I did that on purpose!? Haa, if it wasn’t for the dragon, I probably would be getting scolded for that.
“Correct. Also, you are all mistaken about Eli.” He faces me, an amused smile on his face. “She didn’t truly need to use the anklet.”
“What!?” Both me and Cardinal Caitlyn shout at the same time.
“You see, if the pressure had gone on too long, her mana would have retaliated to free her. Sadly, that would have drained her of a majority of her mana.”
“At her level!?”
“Yes, that’s just how aggressive her mana is. As you know, whenever the Gods enhance a saintess, their mana gains a unique effect based off of its primary trait. The previous saint could slowly heal people's minds with just his mana, as if he had actively cast spells. The one before could calm people’s emotions, letting them think calmly and rationally. Shall I continue?” He says with confidence.
“So, what is her ability then?”
“Being a thug.” He smiles with amusement.
“Thanks…” I mutter. Great, I’m the Thug Saintess.
“Specifically, it fights anything that gets in its way, and dominates whatever it beats.”
“And, how do you know that?” Cardinal Caitlyn questions. I nod as well.
“Easy, her mana counterattacked a mana barrier and she dominated a staff.”
“She dominated a staff? But it’s an…”
“Inanimate object. Yes, yes she did. In addition, that spell you gave her, Elise’s strength, when she casts it on Melly and then infuses her with mana, she gains complete control over Melly’s body. Another one increased Melly’s aggression similarly to a berserking effect. Such is Eli’s ability. So, with the assistance of a mana potion, I’m positive she can dominate even the dragon’s core.”
“Oh, that doesn’t sound fun. Or safe.” I responded.
“Oh, it is surprisingly safe, as long as you’ve eaten properly beforehand. The only way you’d fail, other than should you give up, is if you run out of mana. But running out of mana in the battle of wills would just knock you out, causing the fusing to fail safely.”
Cardinal Caitlyn thinks over that information, before nodding. “You are right, with how her mana works, that is likely the case. Understood, I won’t stop you. In fact, I’ll even deal with anyone else that tries to stop you.” She smiles as she holds out her hand.
“Thank you for your assistance.” He shakes her hand.
“Haa, whatever.” I hope it’s fine.
“So, this is why Eli’s share will be smaller, any complaints?” He asks.
“None.” Everyone responds.
“Okay, now I’ll explain my reasoning for everyone’s monster ascensions. Then we will distribute the rest of the parts.” He says. “So first, wings primarily increase agility, my primary means of combat.” He explained. “Rapunzel, you will get the eye as we will need your increased perception to avoid having too many battles on our way to the demon lord.”
“... Understood.” She responds. Understandably, she’s a bit disappointed that she won’t really be able to get stronger. Sadly, reducing our combat encounters would help us more than an increase in her strength.
“Hansen, the tongue should make you sound more appealing to spirits. I figure that would help you out the most.”
“Indeed.” Hansen agrees. Strengthening himself wouldn’t be particularly helpful after all.
“Melly, while a more focused path like with muscles or its skull would be useful, a general increase in all of your physical abilities will be more effective, especially since the heart is the second most powerful part.”
“Thank you. I won’t let it go to waste.” Melly responds. While the heart doesn’t increase her strength as much as proper muscles, nor her durability as much as the skull, it gives a large increase to every physical ‘stat.’
“Greg, the breath sack should help you be able to put more power into each individual spell while also increasing your mana capacity. I don’t think I need to explain more, right?”
“That is correct. I thank you for your generosity.” Not much to add there.
“And finally, Eli! The dragon core should give you a massive increase in every aspect of your magic, including your mana’s raw power. Look forward to it.” He smiles.
“Aye.” Haa, how fun. I’m just hoping everything will turn out fine.
“Now, for the rest of the parts, does anyone have any specific requests?”
What followed was several minutes of arguing over who gets what. Even Cardinal Caitlyn was negotiating. Others tried, but they couldn’t offer anything substantial, and they were already paid for their services, in addition to getting some food from a true chef, so they couldn’t really complain. Is that why he made extra? How scary…
Eventually though, everyone was, mostly, satisfied with what they got. Man, greed is scary. By the way, I just got some scraps. Some muscle, scales, and a small bone. I could even hold everything in my hands.
“Oh yeah, can we eat the meat?” I asked innocently. Truly! It was a simple question! Don’t stare at me in horror!
“Haa, I know you just asked that out of curiosity, but… While technically you can, it is fairly toxic and doesn’t taste good. Also, even a true chef would probably cook anything you wanted in order to stop you.”
“Okay, soo.”
“No.” Tch. Man, I never tch, today has been crazy.
“So, now that we’re done distributing, now we need to deal with the crowd outside.”
“Aw man! I forgot about that!”
“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. I’m the one who will be having difficulties.” He sighs.
I stare wide eyed at him. He sighed! I’m scared. There’s no way I can handle something even the Hero wants to avoid. I have to escape somehow!
“Well, let's get this over with.” Melly sighs. “This is going to suck.”
“Indeed.” Hansen agrees.
With a collective deep breath, we walked outside. Luckily the paladins were proficiently keeping order. Besides, you’d have to be insane to pick a fight with the church. Even after the inquisition was officially disbanded, enemies of the church still tend to just, disappear. It’s just far less common nowadays.
Anyway, before anyone even had the chance to say anything, people started shouting offers. Everyone only stopped when a woman shouted. “What is happening with the dragon core!”
That shut everyone up. Quite literally, that core is worth at least half of the dragon’s total value, and that is a reduced value caused by the required infrastructure to actually use it is prohibitively excessive. Aaand I’m expected to waste it. Fun, oh so fun. Honestly, the only reason there wasn’t a fight over what to do with it is because of how much everyone cares for me.
“The core belongs to the Saintess, in exchange for receiving nothing else!” The Hero announces, gesturing towards me. That’s a slight lie, but whatever. I just nodded.
“O-oh, w-well, about that.” The woman hesitates.
“We already have decided upon its use.” Cardinal Caitlyn firmly adds.
“Ah. What about the rest of the body?” She reluctantly relented. Good, that should get them to back off. Thanks church.
“Other than the parts we require for our quest to defeat the demon lord, everything has been distributed evenly. As such, any purchases will have to be negotiated individually. I, on the other hand, plan on selling most of my stock right now, as I have a few specific things I require.” The Hero announced with a smile. Oh, they are screwed, possibly. Depends on what he actually needs I guess. I have seen him pay way extra just to save time so...
“Um, what do I do now?” I whisper as the ‘negotiations’ continue.
“You can leave if you want, Eli.” Melly sighs.
“What?” I exclaim, shocked. “I can just… leave?”
“That is correct. As you do not have anything to sell, they have no reason to bother you. They likely also believe the core belongs to the church, as such only someone completely insane would even think about taking it from you, especially while we are still in the church. Should they even guess that you currently have it on you, that is.” Greg explains.
“Indeed.” Hansen adds. “Doing so is the same as declaring war on the church. Besides, you are the saintess, so even without our mission, you are effectively untouchable.”
“Ah, well.” I hesitated.
“It’s fine, Eli, we would do the same in your position.” Rapunzel pushes.
“Ah, thank you!” I bow, before nervously walking towards the crowd. Surprisingly, they parted ways, giving me a clear path to walk through. Ha, let’s go!
I was able to walk past uninterrupted, only getting some jealous stares. Ha, if they knew our plan, I doubt they’d be as calm. We’d probably have to mobilize some of the church’s forces if that was the case though.
Haa, this core feels like a bomb just waiting to go off. While I’m quite nervous about fusing with the core, I’m even more nervous about everyone finding out.
After I returned to my room, I just sat on my bed and let out a sigh. What am I going to do now? It’s not like I can leave or anything. Haa, maybe staying would have been better. Whatever, let’s just practice my spells. Hmm, maybe I can even achieve a similar state as Melly did. That could be useful, though I haven’t figured out how to, uh… free? Free my mana. Well, let's start with casting my three spells.
Hmm, I wonder if doing something similar to when I removed the excess energy in my mana? Well, no harm in trying I guess. I filled my thoughts with determination, but nothing happened. I tried various other intense emotions, but nothing worked. I even tried aggression and rage. Finally, I tried to dominate myself, but that just calmed my mana so much that I could notice it even casually. Cool, I can pacify my mana. *shrug*
That is interesting though, apparently I dominated my dominating mana. That’s, oddly fitting. Well, whatever, it’s probably for the best that I can’t berserk myself anyway. What now?
“Oh!” Why don’t I try getting used to the dragon’s pressure. That should be useful. Besides, the Hero probably would have told me if I shouldn’t do this.
After somehow predicting my actions…
Anyway, I’m sure it’ll be fine, I thought to myself as I cautiously pulled out the core.
Ah, I didn’t notice at the time, but the Hero wrapped the core in a cloth that seems to suppress its pressure. Ah, I should probably buff myself before trying this. With a deep breath, I slowly removed some of the cloth.
“Ah.” It, it's pretty intense, huh. Haa, even just partially released, it is suffocating. How did the Hero use this against the higher ups? Whatever, maybe he slept with it or something. That does sound like something he’d do…
Ah, that might be a good idea! Maybe I should as well?
Well, for now I’m just going to slowly release more of the core. It’s not so bad, surprisingly enough. Proper buffs and being prepared really make a difference, huh.
Hmm, I guess the next step will be to start removing my buffs. Haa, while this isn’t all too difficult, it sure is stressful and uncomfortable. I can feel my heartbeat throughout my entire body as I enter ‘battle mode.’ Haa, this isn’t exactly a healthy state to stay in for long periods of time, but whatever. I do wonder though, can I sleep like this? Hmmm
Well, as I likely don’t have anything else to do for the next few hours, I might as well take a nap. That is, if I even can, it’s not like being next to the core is comfortable. And, well, as I lay down, my heart is still beating heavily. Whatever.
As I closed my eyes, I couldn’t help but wonder about the fusion. Honestly, despite how nervous I am, I can’t help but be excited. Huh, guess I am looking forward to this, as long as I ignore all of the many problems with actually doing so.
Well, the Hero did say that everything would be fine, right? Haa, okay, I’ll believe in him. After all, he hasn’t let us down yet.
And, with that thought, I surprisingly started to fall asleep. As I drifted off, I thought about how much nicer it is to just sleep instead of dealing with the horde of traders. And that’s with the literal dragon core pressuring me! Man, what does that say about human greed that it’s scarier than a dragon?