Chapter 618: Battle Frenzy Training: Fifth Sin, Wrath.

“I have arranged on your behalf after your mother informed me of your success. You will be meeting the Abyssal Warden in a week. Depending on how Plesia answers, Caedhul will either support us properly or only with resources before the battle begins. The gods are whimsical, so I shall not expect much. Simply do what you must, daughter,” Father explained as we sat down after I produced a few chairs and tables for us.

Well… it seems like the time has finally come for me to meet Plesia. Did she predict it, or did she order the Water Pantheon to arrange the meeting? Bah, whatever. Well, no reason to reject it since Aurena asked me to attend.

I nodded along. “I’ll do it for you. At this point, I don’t really care what that pompous lizard has to say.”

“I understand your first meeting with her did not go so well, but diplomacy is still diplomacy. We must do what we must to maintain peace, and that includes letting bygones be bygones to prevent a catastrophic ending. Your mother still whispers her wish to turn the aquapolis into a grave, did you know?” Father said in a calm voice, as if none of this had anything to do with him.

“That goes a bit too far, but you get her intention.”

“I do. She cares. A lot. But as you saw during the meeting, it took willpower for the majority of us—including me—to prioritize national relations over emotions. Don’t worry. The leviathans will pay if they dare attack us. This won’t be a matter of succession alone any longer,” Father stated firmly, now putting some anger behind his words just like before. “However, for now, ensure the Shakaie-Narn’s stability, Hestia. This alliance will be the backbone of your battle with Bole’Taria. Nurture it well and keep their sights on those demonkin, not this conflict between you and Quasdrakeen.”

Fatherly advice coupled with some political tips. Good to hear.

“Haaa, well, I guess she had to do what she had to do as Caedhul’s pontiff,” I replied, speaking of the Abyssal Warden, Ashana. “Question: from your perspective, does the fault fall on her shoulders? You know, for my near assassination.”

“Yes.”

“And yet you didn’t make it difficult for her when she asked for a meeting with me?” I asked.

“My anger is directed at the person who nearly murdered you and Hikari, not the religious figurehead without a crumb of a divine blessing,” Father snapped, causing me to “Ooooh.” He then shook his head, chastising me for gloating. “Enough. Deal with it however you wish; just ensure you translate Plesia’s words carefully.”

“Fine, fiiiiine. Anyways, question. If we’re talking about all of this, why not just do it in the subspace? We can relax with some tea. Tasianna is gone, but Svena knows how to make a good brew,” I suggested, pulling out some pastries for us to snack on.

“Evening time. When you train, the environment you live in is important to maintain a certain mindset. As the focus for our time together will be on [Battle Frenzy], particularly the last three steps of wrath, envy, and pride, you need a certain amount of hardship,” Father said. “Ah, right, your mother did mention your holy training tutor. That holy dragon boy will not enter. You may train with him upstairs.”

“That’s inconvenient.”

“I have no intention of bringing him down here. Forminaxtrass isn’t the only one amongst us who has an ill opinion of Sacred Nest. As Emperor, I must remain neutral for the sake of peace, but that doesn’t mean I enjoy Sacred Nest’s attempts to integrate you into their flight,” he stated. “If you seek a mate, don’t look at how it benefits you or the clan. It is the same tip I gave to all your siblings. A peaceful and happy partnership is important, especially with how we dragonkin mate for life.”

“Heh, you don’t have to tell me that, Father,” I replied with the edge of my mouth twitching into a smile. “Uriahn and I understand why we have to interact. It’s part of the deal with Sacred Nest.”

“Galiladrak is as much of an opportunist as his sister. Unlike her, though, he understands antagonizing me will only grant him death. That is why he is attempting to have you care for his son. I cannot intervene if it were to happen,” he said, turning the goodwill I felt into slight bafflement. I probably should watch my interactions with Uriahn. “The concerns aren’t mine alone. They didn’t show on your stream, but some elder scales are worried about how often he appeared on it. The fact that Dusk Nest citizens are supportive of you must have surprised you.”

“Uh, right, right. Speaking of which, why exactly did that happen? I hadn’t asked Empress-Mother Forminaxtrass about that yet.”

“Equalizing the balance of power. Do you understand what that means in this context?” he answered, causing me to shake my head to the sides to say I had a vague idea. “Dusk Nest knows about the alliance between Sacred Nest and Frozen Nest. Dusk Nest citizens also know Taimatrak will never accept the throne. Their Dragon Ruler voted Taimatrak out of courtesy, while the votes determine the nest’s actual feeling, and that they prefer to act as an oppositional power towards Sacred Nest. One nest will fully support the ideal of the throne, the other supports itself, and another supports you.”

“Dusk, Sacred, and, lastly, Frozen, right?” I said, prompting him to nod.

“Don’t think too much about what others think about this preliminary poll, Hestia. I am rather neutral about the result. I do not wish for you to obtain the crown, not only because you were not trained to become the heir apparent, but it is also Kahalameet’s and Wendriosa’s duty to inspire confidence in others.” Father then went silent as he took a bite of my wine-jelly pastry, letting out a satisfied groan. “Do make sure to trademark this with the baker’s guild.”

I grinned, showing him a thumbs-up. “Already done when I was back in Artorias. Got the trademark done and was selling the recipe through a merchant company. It should be public information now, but I’m still the owner of it.”

“Yet we are not producing any of this?”

“Well, neither Tasianna nor Mom showed interest in selling it, and neither did Empress-Mother Gaistrus say anything. We produce it at the mansion, but in small amounts, and only because Vifi and Tasianna want it for themselves.”

“I know you shared plenty of your recipes with Frozen Nest, though. I heard you were selling more than just fish dishes at your stall during Fargryneill’s welcoming festival.”

“I mean, yeah, but Uncle Guyul isn’t making more since we’re not planning on mass production just yet,” I explained the current situation with my party recipes on Miononbolax. “There is a lot of demand, but Frozen Nest isn’t known for its bread. Our bakeries are small. The only reason we made so many was that I allowed the mansion servants access to the bakery inside my subspace. I kept them safe in my subspace and voilà.”

“Should I give you the order to sell the recipe to the bakers’ guild and start expanding the business? That means subsidies.”

“I think we imported the grain from the mainland for the festival batch, but I’m not too sure. I only know the grain we grow on Frozen Nest is hardier, so it isn’t tasty enough for the fluffier recipes I have,” I answered, remembering some numbers from all my city hall work, although they felt hazy at this point. “If we want to mass-produce them, it has to be done through a Marsh Nest guild, or in Loatryxian land.”

“I’ll have Gaistrus talk with Melloxtressa about this. It’ll stay with the clan and under your name. The ‘Berliner,’ you call it, is to my taste. The slight bitterness from the diluted wine offsets the sweetness of the bun.”

Huh, do all old men say the same thing about the wine-jelly Berliner? This is like the bajillionth time somebody gave the same critique about them.

“Your sister should arrive soon, so I’ll have her keep an eye on Uriahn,” Father said before he finished his pastry. After two more, he stood up. “I heard you may ‘bypass’ the natural restrictions on [Battle Frenzy] by having Hikari assist you. Am I correct?”

“Do you mean entering the major stage? Then yes. If both of us enter [Battle Frenzy (Moderate)], we can pretty much cheat the process and enter [Battle Frenzy (Major)], although one of us will have to endure the mental strain. Kramps taught me the idea, and we tested it when my body metamorphosed for the first time.”

“Your grandfather is the expert in the technique.”

<Heh.> Kramps, for some reason, had to laugh in my head.

“So, what is the cost for this ‘trick?’”

“Whoever endures the mental strain cannot take over the body before [Battle Frenzy] ends, as that would cause us to go berserk. Even in the backseat, that person also cannot cast any spells, which reduces my maximum number of spells to eleven, and is unable to play any music, so I cannot play any of my duet songs. Also, the aftereffect leaves that person completely exhausted. When I did it for Hikari, I could still unleash ‘simple’ attacks like releasing [Solar Overdrive] after taking back control over our body, but my head was throbbing like crazy,” I explained, remembering my battle with that mandril.

“A fitting consequence, though I must say that your situation truly does provide a special circumstance. The fact that you are even able to bypass the consequences enough to fight with [Battle Frenzy (Major)] is already miraculous,” Father nodded, giving me the same look Master would look at me whenever I did something crazy. “I am curious what would happen if you were to master your blood’s gift and use it with Hikari. Is there something beyond [Battle Frenzy (Critical)]?”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit NovelPhoenix for the authentic version.

“[Battle Frenzy (Divine)]!”

“… Let us not set foot in the divine realm this early.”

“I mean, there is a real chance for me to do it, considering how much of an anomaly I am in the eyes of the gods. The fact that I can usurp their control over the blessings they give to their blessed is a fact, and then you have to account for Kramps’s blessing for me, and that allows me to access abilities from blessings I own or have usurped. Maybe ‘Divine’ is the wrong name for it, but it probably will have some over-the-top result, right?”

“… Or your mind might actually collapse. Let us cross the bridge when it happens,” Father stated, almost as if he could see what would happen in the future. “Walk with me. Some exercise would do us good to digest the food.”

“You must burn calories like crazy, just like me, though.”

“It doesn’t hurt, unless you wish for your tail to grow too wide.”

No, no, no, it has a good size. Gotta keep it at that. I told myself and joined Father for his walk.

As we exited the cave, the scenery from the top of this cliff still enraptured my eyes despite how chaotic it was. Just like in music, with people sometimes enjoying songs that would descend into utter chaos with ear-gnawing sounds and structural disorder, some discord was a great palette cleanser. Instead of accepting this as the norm, it reminded me that there could be things even weirder than Miononbolax’s elementally-segregated land.

“I cannot teach you how to use your black flames. The organs responsible for our clan’s distinct flames are not inside you. You cannot imitate it, lest you evolve into a Kargryxmor dragon as your rank A decision,” Father said, which was already obvious to me. “Of course, I know you won’t choose it out of loyalty to the clan. At this point, commit to your solar core. A mutation, even if it branches from your parents, is a prime opportunity for unimaginable growth.”

“I figured. Though, don’t you feel a bit left out? Hikari and I figured out a way to make Mom happy with our grandparents’ artifact, so I can imagine how you feel that I’m not a ‘true Kargryxmor’ without my flames. That’s what people think. I know it.”

“Ooh, have you always had this feeling?”

I shrugged. “Honestly, Nong and the others told me not to worry about it. I was their sibling, no matter what others said, they said. Including, how ever you would treat me.”

“That is the correct answer from them, then. That is what I had taught them. The clan over everything else. That is one thing I had wished to ensure over my father,” he said, showing a slight smile. “Then, if you must know, my heart is at ease. It is fine if my traits aren’t passed down. As long as your mother is happy, then I am content.”

“You didn’t answer the question.”

“No, I did. I am fine, Hestia. Hikari. Whether you choose to become a black dragon or not, I will accept your decision, because you are your own woman. You do not need to have black flames to be a Kargryxmor dragonkin. Even if it is the proof of our lineage. After all, to us dragonkin, you smell like my child. That is all that is important to the flight and wake. Our pheronomones are that potent,” he answered.

From recognizing how old another dragon was or to which clan they belonged, the special scent we dragonkin emitted was quite peculiar. I had initially thought it was something like perfume for humans, but these invisible scents truly were like chemicals that altered the way we thought.

Admittedly, I did recognize these very pheromones myself. Feeling kinship for my siblings and parents was just one of many ways these scents altered my thoughts on somebody, but it was certainly extraordinary.

Father continued, seeing me pondering on his answer. “However, our black flames are only one part of being a Kargryxmor dragonkin. [Battle Frenzy] is something we all share, and even with your unique birth, you had to undergo its trials to control that feral bloodthirst. And for the path of wrath, that is exactly what we have to tap into.”

I turned my head away from the scenery, now fully immersed in Father’s lecture.

“I will not bore you by repeating the first four steps. I will learn your sloth, gluttony, lust, and greed as we spend time together. However, what I must teach you is why wrath is the fifth step, and why it is necessary to start the journey to [Battle Frenzy (Major)]. The first four steps taught you how to anchor yourself to reality, to build a foundation on which you can fly away from.”

To recap the first four stages: sloth, gluttony, lust, and greed. In Father’s words, these were the foundational stages, which contrasted with what Kramps said about how sloth was the foundation.

However, both agreed that sloth was the most important step, for it prevented the Kargryxmor dragon from going feral with [Battle Frenzy]. That was why it was where our “activational words” were determined. “Kriffiek kllk gaaung” for me, which translated into “I will protect my relationships.” Or “Ruthal mirsk gafuug’tal” for Hikari, which meant, “I wish for others to acknowledge me.”

Those words were our realization of what the most important aspect of life was for us. As Father said, they were our anchor. And from it, we expanded upwards like a plant, reflecting on our choices in life and what we would do to fulfill our sloth. A stronger determination ironed out one’s mind, and that was how [Battle Frenzy (Moderate)] would be unlocked.

So, what was needed for the major stage?

“The first four stages anchor you to the mortal realm. They remind you why you live and survive. The last three stages are where you must learn when to let go of those attachments to reality, and to float towards the clouds where we dragonkin belong.” He stopped, staring at the sky until he pointed at the artificial sun and clouds. “Wrath isn’t just anger, Hestia. Just like all other sins, it doesn’t only describe the raw emotion it is associated with. Wrath is more than simple anger, it is—”

“The reaction to the emotions.”

“Very good. Your association with a wrath demonkin seemed to help you figure out the meaning of the sin. Yes, wrath isn’t about feeling anger; it is what you do with the emotion. After all, mortals and divine alike feel anger, but to let it show or have it guide your action is the difference between ruling your empire with an iron fist or with a strict hand. If you cannot control your wrath, that is when you make our ‘tyrant’ moniker come true,” he explained. “Impatience, the need for gratification, the urge to possess, or even simple jealousy. All these reasons can lead to anger, and that anger leads to wrath if not contained. Doesn’t that sound familiar?”

“Quite on the nose, huh?”

“You should thank your grandfather. Wrath, in a way, is one of the easier steps to understand the philosophy behind it, even if it technically is hard to overcome. The reason is obvious: can you unfetter yourself from your anchor and act on nothing but logic and rationality? Like the Divine System? I shall answer it for you: that’s not possible,” he stated.

In other words, we’re not gonna turn into monks. Awww, too bad.

“Anger is essential for [Battle Frenzy] to activate because those turbulent emotions drives your body to go beyond its limit to grant you the stat increases in high-pressure moments. This is what the training is supposed to suppress. You increase your emotional tension and endure it, and in the process, suppress the urge to destroy everything to allow you to fight in a serene state of mind.” Father took in a deep breath and let it out, earnestly looking like a martial artist from a story as he repeated it a couple of times.

“… Are you circulating your chi, or something?” I bit the bullet and asked it in a joking manner, though Father only gave me this look as if I was not taking him seriously. “Sorry.”

Hearing me look away, he sighed, patting me on the back, gently, despite his large hands. “You don’t have to act so awkwardly around me, Hestia. You don’t need to make jokes or act cuter than you are, just to make our relationship work. We’re father and daughter. It will work out eventually, as long as we both strive for it. This moment is just one of many.”

Scratching my head, laughing with a warmed face, I nodded. “I’m not trying that hard. I do like making jokes here and there. It’s not like I’m trying to make fun of everything.”

“Hmm, then am I misconstruing your intent?”

“Acting like everybody can understand my jokes is my fault. The thing is, maybe we’re just not vibing well because our personalities conflict. Mom and I had a fight when we first met, and it took a while for us to actually become close, though that was more my fault. Still, it probably helped that our personalities clicked together, since we both like to tease and overdramatize stuff,” I explained, prompting Father to nod as if he understood exactly what I said. “… Oh.”

“If that is the case, then I can see where this is going. Some say that ‘scales fall at the same time amongst family,’ meaning we are all pretty similar personality-wise. I can see that. I’m more surprised you share so much in common with your mother, though. Was your human mother similar to Melloxtressa in personality?”

I shook my head. “According to Hikari, Mama was more the ‘child at heart’ type. Don’t get me wrong, she was quite motherly, but she was also a great friend. Mom is extremely motherly. She’s also very mature when it comes to business, and not to mention how much sassier she is to Mama. Mama was quite demure, since her upbringing in a strict, traditional family made her understand that causing trouble isn’t good for the family. Mom is rowdy.”

“Ah, then how did you not end up as such?”

I shrugged, feeling slightly ashamed. “Because, you know, my whole idol stuff. Actually, I haven’t spoken too much about myself back on Earth, right?”

“That is so.”

“Ooh, then no wonder we can’t vibe together.”

“You’re using that word again. What does it mean?”

“‘Vibe?’ Oh, sorry, that slang comes from Earth, but I managed to find something in Common that sounded similar, so I twisted it around a bit. Vibe means a person’s demeanor, or if they seem all right or not.”

“So… ‘vibe together’ means getting along?”

“Yup!”

“Then why don’t you just say that?”

“Well… the words sound better, no?”

“That’s subjective… Pah, I don’t even know if this is a generational difference, or just because we come from two different worlds.”

“Hey, just vibe with it, hehe,” I said, causing Father to groan. “Just kidding. See? I’m not trying hard. That’s just how I am. You just have to adapt to it, Father.”

“Pah, you should show some respect for your father here and not act so gutsy, brat. Hmph, if you’re so energetic, then we ought to start with the training.”

I punched the air to show off that “energy” he talked about. “All right, let’s go. So, how do we start?”

“What? No more snappy remarks? Shouldn’t it be obvious, my word-wise daughter? You and Hikari will be training it at the same time.”

Stunned, I turned to look at him with a frown, still holding my fist in the air. “We were planning on—”

“No, I meant it. This training is tailored towards you specifically, in thanks to your explanation of how you managed to skip your training to achieve [Battle Frenzy (Major)].”

“W-wait, you don’t mean that we—”

“Exactly. Both of you will activate [Battle Frenzy (Major)] and maintain that state as long as possible without trying to attack me. If you do, it’s a fail, and we start over. Congratulations, Hestia. You passed the rudimentary tests with the first four stages. Now, you will use what you learned to anchor yourself to the ground, while trying to unfetter yourself from that anger. Good luck. You managed to experience enlightenment this far, so let me see how long you will need for this?”

‘Fuck!’

Fuck!

Suffice to say, today was only the start of a weeklong headache that wouldn’t even disappear as I slept.