LET ME GO!

Let you go? Heh, we've spent years trying to catch you and you want us to let go?

Funny.

Chapter 5: Identities

Wait.

Yes, dad?

Jeyn.. I have something to tell you.

wait you finally called me da-

13 years ago..

My name is Verjis Dracrias, and I was an adventurer, but a beginner one at that. I still remember when I went to go horned rabbit hunting because of a quest.

This is the story of our life.

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!

Haa..

it's good that this cave was near here.

Damned Rabbits, I'll kill them next time.

Those villagers gave me false information this time.

I thought there was only 3 of them.

"Though that false information gave me the key to unlimited happiness."

Anyways, look at this cave.

Wow.

This is amazing..

Hehe, I wonder how much that ore would cost..

Hmm.. THERE'S LOTS OF THEM!?

Seems like I've hit the jackpot!

I followed all the dropped ores until it led me to the inner cave.

"little did I know that the real jackpot was inside of there."

Ha! i got a big haul this time.

"Standing there was a box"

What's this?

A box of treasures?

"as young as I was, i opened it"

Hic.. Hic..

"there were crying noises inside the box so I was definitely creeped out, until.. "

Hey are you ok?

"I met Ruby inside there"

No! I'm not!

you can clearly see that I'm inside a box in a random cave crying!

Uh, sorry...

"That wasn't the kind of first encounter I expected"

"I pulled her out, and we talked for a while"

"She told me her name was Ruby and nothing else"

"i was definitely curious but I'm not shameless enough to ask for her private life as she was in pain"

We went to the Night Owl's inn to rest.

We decided to sleep in different rooms.

when I heard footsteps I immediately went on guard.

but there she was, asking if I were mom and dad.

Even before i could answer, Ruby had already smuggled next to me.

I was really embarrassed, but looking at her. It looked like she was having a nightmare.

The next day, I left early.

I went to the adventurer's guild to take on some quests.

Ruby woke up and asked where I was going. I told her that I was going to pick some herbs.

She told me "with full body armour?"

"Thinking back, she was always clever"

Stuttering, I said "Y-yes.."

Hmm.. she looked at my face with a serious glare.

I said goodbye to the situation and ran away.

I went back to hunt some horned rabbits but, I heard loud noises towards me and saw many Orcs running in my direction.

the bushes rustled in my back, and out came Ruby.

I asked her what she was doing here.

she told me she was still suspicious so she followed me all the way here.

Wh-

My voice got cut by a loud noise

and I knew there was no time to argue, OR to run when I saw..

The orcs was running from another monster.

"A Wyvern"

The orcs in front of me got torn into pieces and my body froze in fear.

Still, Ruby went to protect me and spread out her arms while making a fearless face.

I told her to run away, but she didn't.

All she did was stay there and glanced at me while smiling.

She told me in a gentle manner,

"It's fine and.... sorry for keeping this from you."

Suddenly, her arms started to release blue flames, Her eyes lit up like pure blood rubies, and a tornado made from blue flames covered the wyvern.

"Causing it to get completely disintegrated"

I read from books that there was a type of monster in the legendary class.

Phoenix

Though only seen from legends and myths. This monster was not even a monster but a demigod. There was also a race from beastmen that are the followers of this race because of a blessing that one of the humans there got.

The powers of a beastmen phoenix was enormous. Multiple countries were scared so, beastmen Phoenixes were forced to live in seclusion.

In the book it said theoretically, the beastmen Phoenixes lived in seclusion for so long that they've been passed on as legends and myths.

I don't know who wrote that book but the words on the last page was written by the words,

there was only one type of Phoenix and that was..

A Blue flamed one.

I removed all thoughts on that book and looked at the fire Ruby was emitting and saw.. it was blue flame.

As the book said, Ruby was indeed a beastmen Phoenix.

A thought crossed my mind.

It wasn't normal for a girl about my age to be in a cave trapped in box in the middle of nowhere.

I looked at her while feeling frightened.

She looked back at me like she was used to people being scared and frightened of her.

Even if we only shared a few days of memories together. She wasn't a monster.

She was bright and beautiful.

I gathered all strength to stand up.

I replaced my frightened face with a amazed face.

Getting ready to shout at full strength.

and i said

NI-

The loud noise was immediately removed because the wyvern was already over killed.

That being said,

the last letters that I was going to say was

CE..

My voice was heard throughout the forest and my face turned bright red.

Ruby saw my new expression and went with the mood.

We laughed it off, and went home.

We got along better because of many other journeys after learning Ruby's true identity.

Then,

"We fell in love"

WHAT?

Mother was a beastmen phoenix!?!

YES JEYN!

WERE EVEN LISTENING AFTER WE FINISHED THAT?

So father, doesn't that mean I'm half phoenix?

yes.. forgive me for not telling Jeyn, father said with a sad tone.

It's fine father...

Recalling earlier, doesn't what Xylephious said make sense now?

Wait.. with the blessing that Xylephious gave me...

doesn't this make me a three fourth phoenix?