Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 73 Magical Girls and Witches

"Hello, fellow human."

"I am Magical Girl Purple Rose, it's nice to meet you."

A faint floral fragrance followed the words, and despite the strong aroma, Rean didn't find it cloying.

The elegantly dressed girl removed the magical defense, revealing a pretty face that was young enough to be called childish.

The girl, with a sweet smile and a snake-like tongue, exhaled a fragrant breath and had an innocent look on her face.

This combination of three parts innocence and seven parts allure makes her the type that men find hardest to resist.

"Same kind. Are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else?"

But all she got in return was a smile and a shake of her head from the woman.

How could I be mistaken? They're clearly from the same source and share the same bloodline. But let's confirm it anyway.

“Heh, how could I be wrong? You have the scent of beasts on you, a very pure scent (Ancient Elvish: Mári, ní Múraisa).”

Instantly, Rean's hair stood on end; this was a rather serious accusation.

“I am just an ordinary person, you must have misunderstood! (Ancient Elvish: Le suilon, i-'wen Murthorn!)”

Rean suspected he had been set up. Was this retaliation from the Order of the Beast? He even suspected that there were axemen lying in ambush outside the door!

“Sorry, I may have mistaken you for someone else. (Gromm dm-az, zund-kharag-nok.)”

The other party's sudden softening of attitude made Rean breathe a sigh of relief.

Could it be merely a test? How could a true cultist be so easily frightened out?

"It's all a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding (Ash Dwarf proverb: harn-ruk vorn-ak, tharn-ruk vorn-ak! (The unknown and the misunderstanding are unforged ore, the hammer and the furnace are destined to refine the gold of truth!)"

Upon hearing this, Purple Rose also showed a surprised expression. "Your bloodline is quite pure, you even have dwarven proverbs."

However, she was too lazy to tease her own kind anymore, so she just said it directly.

"You still say you're not a beast? Think carefully, what language did you just speak? (Common language)"

"What language? It's just the kingdom's common language. Uh."

Rean then noticed that his tongue had gone numb from rolling his tongue so much, and what he had just said was clearly not the common language!
[Beastialization: 2.5%, Awakened Bloodline Ability: Language Compatibility (Understands Human Speech).]

[Language Proficiency (Legendary): As the inheritor of %&#, in addition to the nine divine languages ​​of this world, you can instantly understand the languages ​​of most lower races.]

"Holy crap, this isn't a 'cheat code' after all?! It's a huge trap!"

With his bloodline abilities and beast transformation, what else could Rean not understand at this moment, having grasped everything?

Since this isn't a perk for time travelers, it must have some origin.

The universal translator I've always used is "Beast Power"!
"Hello, fellow human (hiss hiss hiss hiss hiss.)"

The words, spoken as if they were just meeting, sounded like a series of hissing sounds.

Its meaning was entirely contained in the echo of its breath; ordinary people could only hear the hiss of the snake, but Rean understood it.
"I... I meant it was a misunderstanding, do you believe me? (hiss hiss hiss)"

He opened his mouth to respond, but it wasn't in the common language.

Now, even the snake language came out, and Rean was truly dumbfounded; there was no need for further explanation.

"Stop teasing the little guy. He must have awakened naturally; his blood is still very diluted. He has no bloodline memories, so he probably doesn't know anything. Heh, little guy, look up, look up, your sister is talking to you."

Suddenly, another woman's soft voice came from above.

Rean looked up and saw the giant snake speaking. This time, it was clearly the true Common Language.

"Little one, don't rush. We are different from other 'beasts.' We 'snakes' are allies of civilization, members of the Seven Beasts Alliance, and the most benevolent and least fond of fighting among all the beasts."

Rean breathed a sigh of relief and stopped the dragon speech spell that was being triggered.

As long as it doesn't cause me trouble, I'll wait and see.

With the explanations from the human and the beast, Rean gradually understood what was going on.

Not all "beasts" are enemies. In fact, in ancient times, the ancient beasts had disagreements about whether the "beast pack" should have human hearts and feelings, due to their goals for the future of their tribe.

The final result was an epic war that completely destroyed the Age of Beasts, and also marked the beginning of this current Age of Beastmen.
"We, the 'Serpents,' have always stood with the Innovators; we were the ones who spearheaded the initial alliance of the Lawful Seven."

The seven beasts, represented by the snake, accepted human nature, order, and emotions, ultimately leading to that extremely brutal civil war.

"In the end, did the Seven Beasts win, and thus the Orcs came into being?" Now, Rean understood a little.

"We lost, we lost badly." But the serpent's cold response was quite cruel.

"How could we possibly win? How could we win against hundreds of opponents? The original reformers were almost completely wiped out in the civil war, and three ancient beasts have yet to be resurrected, including our progenitor, the 'Ancient Serpent'."

Purple Rose added that this is "taboo knowledge" that can absolutely not be shared with ordinary people.

But for those who have awakened the beasts, this is a history they must know, because they will have to make a choice sooner or later.

"But with the help of other ethnic groups and an increasing number of beastmen with human hearts, after a thousand years of bitter fighting, the heartless beast hordes were wiped out, and the ancient beasts of the opposition were sealed away one by one."

This was the "Ancient Beast War" that ended the Age of Beasts, but the true victors were not the reformist beastmen, but the beast-human hybrids who possessed human hearts, the true ancestors of today's various beastman races.

This can be considered the origin of "modern civilization".

As for the other races who came to help, considering the hatred from the previous battle, Rean estimated that they definitely had dragons, and they should be the main force.

"In other words, the orcs defeated their own ancestor, then pinned him to the ground, never to rise again." Rean said coldly, "Aren't the orcs being a bit underhanded?"

"Well, you could say that. Currently, the only ones who can legally operate on the continent are the descendants of the Seven Beasts. News of other beasts must be strictly blocked. When we act outside, we call ourselves magical girls, and the names of the beasts cannot be mentioned."

Each beast possesses different abilities and authority, but their existence would be a catastrophe for modern civilization.

They can create endless beast tides simply by sharing their own beast blood, not to mention their powerful physical bodies.

It is said that the "deer," which is not good at fighting, has the power to divide the sky and the sea (gravity is only one part of it). Historical records show that it once created several "floating cities," causing the tragic deaths of millions of people.

The "elephant" is not a fighting type of beast. More than a decade ago, it caused a devastating world disaster, destroying several small countries and causing countless casualties.

Consider the fates of these ancestors. They would not hesitate to slaughter without hesitation when they came out. Perhaps in their minds, they were just moving their bodies slightly and incidentally helping their "descendants" return to antiquity.

However, if we were to truly return to the Age of Beasts, it would be a catastrophe for the current beastmen.

The seven beasts and their descendants and relatives have completely sided with the orcs in this regard; to be precise, they have long since been completely integrated into the orc civilization.

Some of them even have their own organizations and forces, as well as kingdoms belonging to the Seven Beasts.

Among them, the "snake" is the most low-key. They understand people's hearts and words, and their most basic bloodline ability is their ability to comprehend language.

"Don't worry, child. Your scent is very faint. It just so happens that we are both descendants of snakes, so even if we were face to face, I wouldn't notice."

The large snake leaped onto Rean, its tongue lightly licking his cheek. Rean, who didn't usually like reptiles, didn't feel uncomfortable at all. Instead, he felt genuinely relaxed and comfortable, as if an elder were gently kissing his forehead.

"I am Merul. I am the contract beast and teacher of the magical girl Purple Rose, and also a special envoy of the Magical Girl Club. I have been entrusted by the royal family of Aiselin to handle this incident and to check on the situation of you on the front lines." There are too many flaws in this statement, but the other party seems to be speaking very seriously.

Those who choose to wield the power of the beast in civilization are undoubtedly experts in handling matters related to the "beast," and are also honored guests of royal families and churches around the world.

Their Magical Girl Club is a well-known official organization that often sends out young magical girls on a nominal basis to gain experience. Rean had heard of them before and even questioned the worldview because of it (as mentioned in Chapter 2).

When faced with crises related to animals, they will not hesitate to rush to the front line.

Those who come into contact with beasts are easily corrupted and assimilated, and Rean has directly fought to the death with "beast relatives with high awakening levels".

Naturally, the royal family sent experts to examine him to see if he had been corrupted, transformed into a puppet of the beast, or become a bomb lurking in civilization. Considering the previous "examples," this was absolutely necessary.

“The other children are all fine. I was quite startled when I smelled the animal scent on you. Fortunately, you are one of our kind who awakened naturally.” Purple Rose seemed very happy, her beautiful eyes fixed on Rean, sparkling constantly.

It seems she has some additional ideas.

"Don't worry, I'll tell Her Highness that you're perfectly fine. I'll tell her that you have natural resistance to beastly instincts and can be completely trusted." Since they were of the same kind, there was no need to hesitate to hide.

"So, what can I do, what do I need to do, should I seal my bloodline or something?" Looking at "2.5% beast transformation," Rean felt a little uneasy; this seemed to be a ticking time bomb.

"Do nothing, continue on your professional path, and it will help you control the source of your bloodline. Even if the power of the 'serpent' is the gentlest and most stable, do not respond. It is, after all, a beast." Those who approach the flames are destined to be ignited or melted.

The snake witches, however, advised the men not to use the snake's power.

"Unless, you also want to become like me," the great serpent Merul said, seemingly implying that she was once a beastman herself?!

"What a pity. If you were a woman, I would have taken you back to the association without hesitation."

Purple Rose is a little disappointed; "magical girls" need a stable group of awakened beasts.

The corresponding stable beast blood holder (snake) is too rare, and I have long wanted a successor!

Rean was also quite curious about "magical girls," so he asked a couple of questions directly.

"Magical Girl? Actually, we were originally called Beast Shrine Maidens. After all, we are basically female users of beast powers. And it's best not to say the name 'Beast' at all. Someone suggested changing the name to 'Girls who use beast magic', and at some point, we all started using that name."

The two women didn't care about the name; whether it was Beast Maiden or Magical Girl, it was just a name.

Moreover, the term "magical girl" is quite fitting, as she will maintain her girlish state for a long time due to the existence of the contract and the power of the beast.

Using the power of beasts directly will inevitably lead to their assimilation and corruption.

This has nothing to do with the beast itself; it's simply because the stream encountered the river and sea due to its excessive proximity to the "source," and was directly assimilated and integrated into them.

For professions like priestesses and saintesses who serve high-ranking beings, young and pure women are often chosen, and "restraint" is always the first priority when using this overly powerful force.

"Male users of the Beast Power...they have a hard time controlling their instincts and desires, they're too prone to losing control. There are quite a few Beast Orders, but they're basically all insane." Okay, this power is sexist!

But magical girls are naturally powerful; even the weakest can easily surpass the basic strength of an ordinary great knight or archmage, and their potential is ridiculously high.

"I've trained my whole life, and I can't even beat a village girl." This is a famous quote from a legendary spellcaster after his defeat.

The village girl he was talking about was a pure, extraordinary newcomer who had just become a magical girl three months ago!

No effort is needed, no real combat experience is required, no spells need to be learned; just by growing through experience and bloodline, fighting in accordance with instinct, one becomes utterly incomprehensible and powerful.

Compared to warlocks, this is the real way to become stronger while lying down; the only thing needed is to restrain the excessively powerful energy within one's bloodline.

"You can't even beat a little girl!" This unreasonable miracle is also the origin of this self-deprecating name.

"In a sense, we are also a different kind of sorcerers, except that we do not contract with high-ranking beings from other planes, but with our own blood relatives." Seeing that Rean seemed interested, Purple Rose explained briefly.

To avoid being excessively corrupted, magical girls indirectly use the power of beasts by using contracted beasts (some of whom are witches, and some are descendants of beasts with human hearts) as filters.

For them, power is not so important; what matters is maintaining mental stability after gaining power. This is why Rean is valued and given the opportunity to answer questions.

He doesn't have a contracted beast to share the burden, but he possesses bloodline abilities that remain quite stable, suggesting he has a very high-quality serpent bloodline.

Rean's attention became increasingly focused on strange things: magical girls who could be corrupted, and perhaps even witches.

"A witch? Of course there is, and I am one." The great serpent Meruru proudly flicked her tongue. This was the magical girl's coming of age and graduation, and the fact that she could still maintain her rationality at this stage proved her strength.

This form of witch, however, requires a new magical girl to form a contract, in order to share humanity and suppress bestiality.

This tradition is passed down from generation to generation, with partners paired up in pairs, such as sisters, mothers and daughters, or master and apprentice.

There aren't many male magical boys, mainly because it's harder for men to control their instinctive desires; once they step on the gas, they might not be able to stop.

There are "magical boys" among them, but they make up less than one percent of the magical girls.

Magical girls eventually become Beast Witches, and after removing the "beast" that cannot be called casually, they are naturally called witches. There are other kinds of witches in this world, so Beast Witches usually refer to themselves as "contracted beasts".

“Contract beasts, magical girls, and witches.” Rean felt a bit numb; he sensed a distinctly wicked sense of humor, especially the tradition of naming magical girls after “flower names.”

There's no doubt about it anymore, it must be the work of someone named Lee Eun-suk!

"Awakened a bloodline ability, with such a high concentration of beast blood and such a stable mind—that's incredibly rare. How about you change your personality? I can help you collect potions. Don't be nervous, don't back away, I'm just kidding." But magical girl, your eyes are quite serious!

If this Purple Rose reaches the point of "retirement" but still wants to run around outside as a witch, she will need a junior "Snake Magical Girl".

Upon hearing this, Rean had no more doubts. This power was definitely a Thunderbolt, and he absolutely must never use it again.
"Gah! Nonsense! Others can't, but you can use it however you want!" But Kuku, who had been listening in, had a different opinion.

When Rean pressed for details, the other party refused to answer, only saying, "You'll know later," and "Forbidden knowledge, I can't say!"

A contracted beast and a magical girl seemed very busy; they had only been there a short time before being dragged to a meeting.

After a brief chat, the exhausted women exchanged contact information, agreed to meet again later, and then prepared to leave.

Rean also learned that Purple Rose's real name was "Lillian Winthyr," and she warned him not to tell anyone, as magical girls don't seem to reveal their real names to outsiders.

"Uh, then why did you tell me?" Rean's question only earned him a sweet smile.

But in the end, just as Lillian of Purple Rose stepped out the door, she suddenly turned back.

"Oh, by the way, just a reminder, don't get too close to the female snake people."

In an instant, Rean thought of Suliman. He hesitated for a moment before asking.

"Um, why is that?"

"It's nothing. Your stable snake origin will naturally attract other female snake people at the bloodline level. If you don't want to be tied up for marriage early, stay away from female snake people."

But seeing Rean's mouth agape, seemingly startled, Purple Rose quickly added.

"Cough, don't rush, it'll only increase your favorability, not to the point of being an aphrodisiac. It'll just mean that someone who already found you pleasing to the eye will think you're actually quite suitable for marriage, and something that would normally increase your favorability a little will inexplicably increase it by a lot." It's roughly the level of snake mint.

But this made Rean even more frozen! He was completely petrified!

"Uh, looks like you've already fallen for it?" Purple Rose clicked her tongue, realizing she was too late. Which little brat acted so quickly!

(End of this chapter)