Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Prophecy (1)
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I opened my eyes to see an unfamiliar ceiling.
No, upon closer inspection, it was a ceiling I'd seen once before.
I just hadn't been able to get a good look at it then, thanks to a certain massive pair of breasts blocking the view.
"The clinic...?"
I turned my head left and right, eyes wide open, scanning my surroundings.
A fountain in the center, surrounded by beds.
I was lying on one of those beds.
This time, no one was kindly giving me a lap pillow.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ancestor 'Eternal Teacher of the Fairies' smiles happily!] At that moment, a familiar chime rang out, followed by a message from Elisis.
"Haa... so I made it here properly..."
I must have passed out midway, because my memories were a blank.
I remembered barely making it out of the forest and catching sight of Parion's walls.
But nothing after that.
Someone must have found me in the meantime and brought me here for treatment.
"I really thought I was a goner..."
I covered my eyes with my arm and let out a sigh of lament.
Right after receiving power from Rahart and turning into a berserker.
The backlash from being unqualified had been pain beyond imagination.
They say the worst pain a man can endure is kidney stones...
I'd never experienced them myself, but I could say with confidence.
This was worse.
Pain like my soul was being torn apart.
I never wanted to go through that again.
'Well... at least I met a new ancestor. I can think of it as a badge of honor.'
Rahart was a dangerous guy, but he was an ancestor as powerful as Arkan.
I didn't know what abilities he'd grant later.
But having him was better than not.
"Alright, since he's on my mind, maybe I should try talking to him right away...!"
Rahart didn't send friendly messages like the other ancestors, probably because of his betrayal by a close comrade.
Even the gruffest one, Morduin, messaged occasionally.
It was probably due to my playstyle back then, leaning into a lone-wolf personality.
Still, since he'd given me his power, he'd respond if I called, right?
"O great ancestor of mine..."
I sat up on the bed, knelt before the fountain, and assumed a prayer pose.
The clinic was a place people came and went.
Praying looked more normal than talking to myself.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Your voice echoes through the Feast of the Stars...] As I began to pray, the familiar message appeared before my eyes.
But.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Responding Ancestors: 3] "...Huh?"
The message was too familiar. Even the number matched my memory exactly.
No, this was the exact same message, unchanged.
The number should have been 4, but it said 3.
"What? What's going on? Huh? Why?"
My mind swirled with questions as I muttered to myself in confusion.
I had definitely met Rahart.
He'd even personally given me his power when I was in crisis, ripping my soul in the process.
"But why...? Doesn't he like me or something...?"
Not responding to my prayer meant he had no intention of talking.
It was like opening my body and soul thinking we were starting a relationship, only for her to treat me like a one-night stand.
...I never thought I'd understand how a woman feels being discarded after a one-nighter.
"No, there's a limit to being selfish...!!"
I straightened my posture and resumed praying.
Fine, if he was ignoring me.
I'd keep calling until he picked up.
That lizard was about to learn what a jilted woman's yandere wrath was like.
Not that I was a woman, of course.
"O supremely great and pridefully dogged ancestor of mine...!!"
I began praying with the intent to spam him with dozens of missed calls.
And then a voice came from behind.
"Hee hee, starting with a prayer of thanks right after waking up... You're the first mongrel I've seen like you."
"Uh, y-yes...?"
It was a gentle, delicate voice, like a lullaby from a mother.
I turned to look.
——There stood an angel.
"......"
"Ah, sorry for being late with introductions. I'm Tiriel. Director of the Colosseum clinic. First time meeting, right?"
She looked like an angel, but she wasn't one.
Platinum blonde hair and emerald eyes.
Pure white wings on her back.
She matched the image perfectly, but she was no angel.
Seraphim, or as some called them, the Winged Folk.
"Hee hee, no need to be so tense. I'm not pureblood—just a regular Winged Folk. See how my hair has a subtle golden tint? People often mistake it for silver."
Her angelic looks matched her personality.
Since getting isekai'd into this game.
She was the first to speak politely to a mongrel like me, treating me like a person.
I was momentarily speechless.
"How's your body feeling?"
"Y-yes?"
"You were in really bad shape when you got here."
"Ah... so you treated me...?"
"Yes, I did."
Tiriel smiled kindly and approached me gently.
She placed her hand lightly on my chest.
"Your physical wounds were minor, but your very existence was scarred all over. What on earth happened?"
"Uh, w-well..."
"No normal battle leaves soul wounds like that... Did you get hit by a pureblood elder's magic or something?"
"That’s..."
Tiriel murmured as she continued examining my body.
For the record, my shirt was off.
I didn't know why, but probably for treatment.
So.
She was touching my bare upper body skin-to-skin, up close.
'Damn, they're huge...'
And at the same time, a certain large part of her pressed against my chest.
To put it bluntly... her breasts were touching me.
She was that close.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ancestor 'Eternal Teacher of the Fairies' grins lecherously!] ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ancestor 'First King of the Beastkin' grins lecherously!] My two pervert ancestors reacted swiftly to the lucky perv situation.
Of course, I felt the same.
"......"
"Are you listening...? ...Huh? Oh...!"
As I stared silently.
Tiriel finally realized how close she was, blushed, and pulled back.
The warm, soft comfort that had filled my heart vanished, leaving regret.
"Sorry... I got too close without realizing..."
"No, it was pure concern for your patient. It's fine."
Of course, impure intentions were welcome too.
But.
"Pure intentions..."
For some reason, Tiriel murmured softly.
Then she looked up at me gently.
"Well, actually... it wasn't just that..."
"...Yes?"
I'd thought she got close unconsciously while checking me.
But blushing faintly, she smiled seductively and stepped closer again.
This time, deliberately.
"Hee hee, did you know? While treating you... embarrassingly, your scent kept distracting me."
"Ah."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ancestor 'First King of the Beastkin' clenches his fist!] Then I remembered, amid the Rahart distraction.
I had the trait 'Male Pheromone' from that horny wolf, always active.
"What is this scent? I've never smelled anything like it treating any other patient..."
"Uh, um...! Lady Tiriel?"
"A mongrel shouldn't have a scent like this... It's sweet, and once you smell it, you want to keep smelling... It stirs the heart in a strange way..."
Tiriel brought her face to my neck, her white wings fluttering lightly.
She was about to bury her nose and inhale deeply.
And that bountiful softness pressed against me again.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ancestor 'Eternal Teacher of the Fairies' peers at you through splayed fingers!] ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ancestor 'First King of the Beastkin' eyes sparkle as his tail wags!] The atmosphere screamed that things could go south fast if I wasn't careful.
"Lady Tiriel...! This is a bit much...!"
"It's fine... haa, just smelling your scent...? Nothing else..."
No, something was definitely happening.
Tiriel's eyes were already glazing over from the Male Pheromone.
'Should I go for it?! No, she's initiating...! But I'm a combat slave...! If things go wrong...!'
I was torn between instinct and reason in an epic internal debate.
——"What are you doing, Number 17?"
"Ah."
"Oh my."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ancestor 'Eternal Teacher of the Fairies' facepalms!] ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ancestor 'First King of the Beastkin' facepalms!] A familiar voice stopped us at the perfect moment.
But it sounded sharper than usual lately.
Like the first time I woke up here.
When she saw me as nothing but a worthless mongrel slave.
No, it held even fiercer emotion.
"This mongrel slave——!! I thought you were hurt, but it was all a fake!! You trash!!"
"S-sorry—!!"
"Follow me!! It's been too long—time to straighten out that head of yours!!"
"Eek!"
The pain of her whip was still fresh.
But I couldn't escape.
Karga was my owner.
She dragged me by the collar like a cow to slaughter.
I got a thorough thrashing after that.
...But thanks to her, I avoided a major disaster.
Regrettable, but.
It could've really killed me if I'd gone through with it.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Haa... what on earth is it... Lady Astril..."
Tiriel gazed at the clinic door where Number 17 had left, blushing as she touched her lips wistfully.
As he vanished, the sweet scent filling the clinic faded.
The heat burning in her chest cooled as well.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ancestor 'Eternal Teacher of the Fairies' bows her head regretfully.] ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ancestor 'First King of the Beastkin' lets his tail droop.] The two heroes watching her felt the same.
The fire had blazed high, only for a poorly timed intruder to leave nothing but regret.
And then.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ancestor 'Eternal Teacher of the Fairies' eyes sparkle!] Elisis thought of a familiar friend and found a way to resolve the regret.
Naturally, she went to her friend.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ancestor 'Eternal Teacher of the Fairies' clings to Ancestor 'Star Prophet'!] The great saintess of the Seraphim who divined the future gazing at the Milky Way.
Star Prophet, Astril.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ancestor 'Eternal Teacher of the Fairies' flails on the floor!] ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ancestor 'Star Prophet' sighs softly.] Astril shook her head at Elisis's usual antics.
She knew refusing wouldn't stop the clinging.
Just peeking at one mixed-blood descendant's future.
A Winged Folk with her own blood, no less.
No big burden for Astril.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ancestor 'Star Prophet' gazes at the Milky Way.] So Astril peeked into the future at her friend's request once more.
Aiming for the lewd, steamy future she wanted.
But.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ancestor 'Star Prophet' parts her lips slightly.] The mongrel's future seen through her descendant wasn't the lewd one Elisis craved.
'Don't die... please don't die yet... I still don't know anything about you... I have so many questions for you... If you die like this...' The future Astril witnessed was a brutal bloodbath.
A mongrel slave with a pierced chest in some unknown place.
Tiriel desperately casting healing magic to save him.
That was the last future Astril could see.