A Dragon Idol's Reincarnation Tale

“Yes! You’re getting the hang of it! But, stop being so stiff when you’re trying to learn the swift and precise rapier, Tasianna!” Vifi shouted as she struck Tasianna with a simple iron rapier, using her experience with the weapon to push the latter to the point she almost tripped. “The blade is narrower than a long sword. You can’t block with it. Use the flow and momentum to—” Vifi struck Tasianan’s rapier to the side and immediately followed up by raising the blade’s tip to her throat. “—go for a singular critical strike to a vital. Or, channel elemental magic through the blade and kill them with an Ability.”

“… You’re too sink or swim, Vifi,” Tasianna complained, prompting a chuckle next to me.

Looking to the side, I saw my clan’s dragoon commander holding back a laugh. The other dragoons were either sparring with each other inside our mansion’s training field, or were watching the spar between Tasianna and Vifi. They were clapping to show their respect, without getting too raucous, like what you would expect inside an adventurer guild.

“Oh, do I hear the sound of complaining?” Vifi scowled. “Fargryneill and Hestia never bothered saying anything when I sparred with them. No matter how hard I went. You want to learn how to wield a blade from the Voltaic Red, then you’d better put in the bells just like all of them. Or, join the idiots over there.”

“Even if you are a retainer under our princess, I suggest you not try our patience, Vifi,” Estranor growled, causing Vifi to smirk. “You want to fight?”

“Better you than this downer over here, so get on the field, you lizard!” she replied to the thunderous cheers of the dragoon.

Tasianna let out a small sigh before Vifi gave her a pat on the back, and then the former walked over to the audience to replace Estranor.

“It’s tiring…” Tasianna said, causing me to giggle as I could see how exhausted she was after sparring for a whole hour.

“This is your first time diligently working on your strength, vitality, and stamina. Muscle memory matters a lot when you’re straining yourself, and outside of your freestyling when you use your levitating swords, you’ve never attempted proper form, and so on. Vifi is probably the wrong trainer for a beginner, but she’s the best swordswoman we have available,” I said, unintentionally causing my dragoons to groan in shame. “… W-well, at least when you want to learn how to wield a polearm, we have a bunch of experts here.”

“No, I’d rather stick with one weapon like you, my lady. The wrath demonkin’s proficiency over multiple weapons is not my ideal,” Tasianna said, causing the dragoons to sigh now. Ignoring them, Tasianna pulled out her catalyst and molded an ice rapier around it. “Goddess Zephira blessed this catalyst, and now I own a blessing from her. It feels odd.”

“You deserve it,” I answered, leading Tasianna to nod.

“I know. As the Ice Elemental King of this generation, I am strong enough to be a Champion for a Goddess. Though that doesn’t mean I am worthy to be one of her spokespeople. The Wind Mother is the patron of all fae, so it feels like a weight has been placed on my shoulder, compared to how I was a simple maidservant.”

My lips curved up into a smile. “Hiehie, you know how I feel now. However, you might be worrying a bit more than you think. Remember Grimnir’s and Saori’s acceptance of their blessing? Both of them went right back to their usual routines, right? Just like I did. The stress you are thinking about is the fact that this is the first time you’re carving your own path, Tasianna. As a Champion of Zephira and the [Chronicler of Fae Tales], you now have your own goals outside of simply being an adventurer of Aurora.”

“Your goals are still my goals.”

“What of it? Saori, Grimni, Ellaine, and Vifi would share your opinion, yet all of them have been doing their own stuff. I mean, look at Vifi.” I pointed at the training field where a heated polearm battle between Vifi and Estranor was happening, with neither side looking like they had the advantage. “She already made the threat that if our goals didn’t align, she would leave us. Yet, as long as I kept Aurora on the correct path, she would lend me her arms. You aren’t any different, and as long as all six of us follow that same goal, Aurora would continue to exist as a party.”

“Because even our party has to end one day, yes?”

“I don’t like the idea of it, but that is the case… After all, I am a princess now. In body and mind. I have to put the empire over other things, but that doesn’t mean I won’t wander around and sing to people. When it’s time for me to leave on my adulthood pilgrimage, I’ll make sure I fulfill that dream then and there. Heh, good thing it doesn’t have a time limit,” I said.

It felt weird to say it, but the lifestyle of a vagabond wasn’t part of my future at this point. Back when I started out as an adventurer, being a dragon princess trapped on an island continent felt like the ultimate torture for me as an idol. However, the responsibilities and duties of my Peolyncian family had caught up to me.

… Not to mention, once I spread the PWW around the world, I wouldn’t even have to travel around all that much. Some online concerts, and I could plan a world tour every other year or something. Funny how becoming a princess and using that authority to establish my own enterprise would allow my idol dream to flourish even more.

‘Sieg has brainwashed us, huh?’ Hikari joked, but I couldn’t disagree. Being a bureaucrat while Sieg kept lecturing me on how to be a proper imperial member probably influenced me.

My imperial education was getting drilled into my head whether I liked it or not.

“Until then, the burden will only grow…” Tasianna sighed before she established a telepathic link with me. “In any case, you have waited a while, my lady. Allow me to elucidate to you.”