Chapter 118 - The Past of the Beastmen

After a pleasant conversation with Sylvia during lunch, time seemed to fly, and before I knew it, it was already night. Now, I found myself in Sylvia's palace bathroom, but calling this place just a 'bathroom' would be a huge understatement. In fact, it resembled more of a luxurious bathhouse than anything else. 

I was surprised when Rena led me here and explained that, although it was called a bathroom, it was still smaller compared to the castle's bathroom, where the king and queen reside. This revelation made me reflect on the different perspective that wealthy people have on life.

While the hot water from the two tiger-shaped showers eased all the stress from my body, my mind began to be flooded with various thoughts, especially about the Beastmen. Since Sylvia told me about their characteristics, I have constantly wondered why they are so sensitive to mana, yet unable to use it. As these questions filled my mind, Aurora-sama's voice echoed in my thoughts.

"Oh, you're curious about the people of Felrotha?"

Aurora-sama said. Hearing her words, I raised an eyebrow and asked.

(Who?)

Upon hearing my question, Aurora-sama let out a sweet laugh. As always, she seemed lively and maintained her own pace, which I found fascinating in her personality.

"Well, thank you for the compliments"

She replied, once again showing that she could grasp my thoughts, as she always did.

"I was referring to the god of the Beastmen, her name is Felrotha"

Aurora-sama spoke with a strange excitement, which made me wonder if she and this goddess had any special connection or history. In fact, I knew very little about Aurora-sama, as she rarely spoke about herself. When she did, it was usually in moments of slip of the tongue. 

It seemed that there was a mystery surrounding Aurora-sama, and I wondered what she was hiding behind that intriguing and reserved personality. Perhaps one day she would reveal more about herself, but until then, I was content to appreciate her presence.

(What does she have to do with the current state of the Beastmen?)

I asked mentally, and Aurora-sama began to explain the situation.

"Basically, in Felrotha, there has always been a great love for martial arts but, at the same time, a strong hatred for magic. For them, a victory would only be true if achieved through their own body, without the use of external powers, such as magic. This belief also contributed to their popularity in Celestia"

Upon hearing Aurora-sama's words, another eyebrow raised, intrigued by the mentioned name.

(Celestia?)

I asked mentally, and shortly after, Aurora-sama replied with an enthusiastic voice.

"Yes, Celestia is the realm of the gods"

As several other additional pieces of information were shared during my conversation with Aurora-sama, I decided to return to the initial topic. After all, discovering the existence of a realm where gods live probably would not change my situation. With that in mind, I brought the question back to Aurora-sama once again.

(Returning to the previous question, what does Felrotha have to do with the Beastmen's inability to use mana?)

After my question, Aurora-sama's voice remained absent for a few seconds before echoing again with her thoughtful response.

"The fact that Felrotha has renounced the use of magic ended up becoming a kind of learning for the people throughout the ages, which resulted in an inability to manipulate mana. One can think that the bodies of the Beastmen, in a way, reject any attempt to interact with mana, making them unable to use it. That's the reason why they can't cast magic and, at the same time, it makes them extremely resistant to it"

Aurora-sama explained. Upon hearing her explanation, I realized it made a lot of sense. With their bodies unable to gather mana, the Beastmen couldn't form magic circles like other beings. However, this only increased my admiration for them. Despite this disadvantage in a world filled with magic, they managed to develop incredible strength and physical abilities, standing out remarkably.

(Alright, thank you for the information, Aurora-sama. I'm sure it will be of great help in the future) 

I thought, while a smile adorned my lips.

"Fufufu, you're welcome" 

Replied Aurora-sama, enthusiastically. After the bath, I put on my clothes and headed towards my room. Upon opening the door, I was faced with a luxurious room that presented itself before my eyes. Honestly, it was still hard to believe that I would be sleeping there for some time. Sylvia didn't specify how long she would need our help, but she assured it wouldn't be for long. With that in mind, I supposed it would be around a month, or maybe even less.

With that thought in mind, I walked up to the bed and started looking around the room. As I examined the surroundings, my eyes stopped at a large wardrobe, big enough to fit a person inside. Determined to investigate, I got up from the bed and approached the wardrobe. I placed my hands on the door and opened it, and to my surprise, I came face to face with pink hair, along with the embarrassed figure of Aoi-sensei.

"What are you doing here, Aoi-sensei?" 

I asked, raising an eyebrow. Hearing my words, Aoi-sensei's cheeks turned red.

"I thought this was my room, so the door suddenly opened, and before I knew it, I was inside the wardrobe" 

Explained Aoi-sensei, looking embarrassed and ashamed of her own words. At that moment, a memory came to mind.

(I had forgotten about this, but Aoi-sensei is really bad with directions. She would often be late because she got lost)

With a sigh, I looked back at Aoi-sensei. Before I could say or do anything, two knocks echoed on my room's door, followed by two familiar voices.

"Makoto, are you there?" 

Said Saemi from the other side of the door.

"We'll take your silence as a yes. Excuse us" 

Added Fujiwara. The door was opened, revealing Fujiwara and Saemi, both looking at me with raised eyebrows.