《Reverse Villainess》


 The Heroine, The Villainess and Their Reverse Reverse Roles.

    The girl woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. She opened her eyes and rubbed her face, still feeling groggy from playing her favorite dating sim game all night.


    She sat up in her bed and looked around her room, expecting to see her poster-covered walls and her desk covered in anime figures. But instead, she was met with unfamiliar surroundings.


    Panic set in as she realized that she was not in her own room, but in a grand bedroom with high ceilings and ornate furniture. She looked down at herself and saw that she was dressed in a flowing, medieval-style gown.


    She jumped out of bed, her heart racing as she ran to the mirror. She stared at her reflection, seeing a face that was familiar but not her own.


    Her long, flowing hair is a striking shade of blue that cascades down her back, like a waterfall of sapphires. Her eyes are equally striking, a deep blue that seems to sparkle like starlight. She wears a white, flowing gown that shimmers in the sunlight, adorned with intricate patterns of blue thread.


    This is not her, but she know who this girl is.


    She remembered the game she had been playing the night before - "The Wicked Villainess of Ruin" - and the heroine of the game, Aurora Starlight.


    "No way..." She murmured. Even her voice change into Aurora Starlight voice.


    Cold shivers ran down her body.


    She had been transported into the world of a game. That part, she surprisingly doesn''t surprised. The real problem was that she had become the heroine.


    In this day and age, becoming a heroine was the worst thing that could happen to you. Being a heroine didn''t mean being the main character, because in this game, the main character was the villainess.


    The game revolved around Nova Wilder, a villainess who was originally evil, but was killed by her own fianc¨¦, the first prince Casper Grey. But instead of dying, she ended up regressing to her younger self. And then, before the magic academy even began, she managed to make all of her capture targets fall for her.


    It all sounded great, except for one thing: the heroine ends up becoming the bad guy and dies in the end.


    "What should I do...?" she muttered to herself.


    Thinking about death flag, she though about herself. Did she died before transfered to this body? Is she dead when she sleeping?


    The reality of her situation hadn''t fully sunk in before, but now it hit her hard. She wouldn''t be able to see her parents or friends again.


    As much as being transferred into the world of a game was a dream come true for many gamers, she couldn''t shake off the feeling of sadness.


    "No, I shouldn''t act like this," she told herself, trying to shake off the negative thoughts. She knew that it had already happened and she needed to accept it.


    Right now, her focus had to be on her survival in this world. She obviously didn''t want to die again and had to think about how to prevent it.


    Sudden knock on her door.


    "Miss, are you already awake?" a voice called out from the other side.


    She recognized the voice as belonging to her maid, Lyra.


    "Yes," Aurora replied weakly, trying to compose herself.


    Lyra entered the room. Aurora immediately looked at a girl around her age wearing maid outfits. Stared at her maid appearance that identical to the game, she couldn''t help but reach out and touch Lyra''s blonde hair.


    Lyra looked embarrassed and confused. "What is it miss?"


    "Nothing, I just wanted to touch you," Aurora smiled.


    Lyra look confused.


    Her reaction seemed natural. That Make Aurora thinking. Is she now real human and not NPC anymore?


    The maid asked, "Are you ready, miss?"


    Aurora surprised and responded with a simple, "Ready?"


    Lyra continued, "Isn''t today the day you''re going to the magic academy?"


    Aurora''s expression changed to one of shock.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Today...?" Aurora croaked. "Nonononono. It''s too soon. I''m not ready to deal with the villainess and capture target."


    Lyra looked at Aurora with concern, "What''s wrong, miss? Are you not feeling well? Do you need some more time to prepare?"


    Aurora shook her head, "No, it''s not that. I thought I had more time."


    Lyra smiled reassuringly, "Don''t worry, miss. I have everything you need here. We can leave whenever you''re ready. And remember, you''ve been preparing for this for years. You have the skills and knowledge to succeed."


    Aurora took a deep breath and nodded, trying her best to appear as confident and collected as the real Aurora would be.


    "You''re right," she said. "I''m ready."


    She lied.


    Lyra nodded, "Of course, miss. I''ll gather your things and meet you at the carriage outside."


    Aurora watched as Lyra left the room. Then slowly she turned to change her clothes.


    She was dressed in her school uniform, a navy blue dress with a white collar and cuffs. She wore a matching navy blue cape and a pair of black boots. She looked like a proper magic academy student, but she couldn''t shake the feeling of unease.


    "I can do this," she whispered to herself. "I have to do this. I will survive no matter what."


    With that, Aurora turned and left her room, ready to begin her journey at the magic academy.


    ***


    Aurora walked up to the grand gates of the magic academy, her heart beating wildly in her chest. This was it, the moment of truth. Soon she must deal with he villainess and capture target.


    As she passed through the gates, she couldn''t help but feel a sense of awe at the towering buildings and lush gardens that made up the academy. Familiar scenery, yet feel fresh. She once again reminded that she living on the world of game.


    As she made her way to the main hall, she caught sight of a striking woman with dark hair and piercing eyes. She was surrounded by a group of admirers, but Aurora couldn''t help but feel a sense of unease at the woman''s cold, calculating gaze.


    As it turned out, the woman was Nova Wilder, the villainess of this game, the top student at the academy and the daughter of the Duke. Beside her stand the first prince, Casper.


    Aurora gulped.


    The moment their eyes met, Aurora knew they would be enemies.


    Nova Wilder glared at her with such intensity that it felt like a physical force. It didn''t make sense for Nova to hate her so much, since it was their first meeting. But then, Aurora realized that Nova Wilder had regressed and remembered their past life where she, as the heroine, had been responsible for Nova''s death. Even though it was technically her fianc¨¦ who killed her, everyone knew that the villainess death usually because of the heroine.


    And now the heroine is her.


    And now nova wants her dead.


    And Aurora doesn''t want that.


    "What''s wrong?" Casper asked, noticing Aurora''s discomfort. "Do you know her?"


    "Yes," Nova Wilder said, her voice cold and full of malice. "I believe she is the only daughter of Viscount Starlight, the rumored only light magic user."


    Aurora smiled bitterly. Her enemy seems like knew her well.


    "I see," Casper said. "So she''s the one."


    Nova Wilder stepped closer to Aurora and whispered in her ear, "Don''t think you will win this time. Now nobody is on your side."


    Aurora sighed. Really? Aren''t you supposed to be the protagonist?


    Well, to be fair Aurora heard about the secret ending. About how the villainess Nova actually didn''t really change. She actually still evil but after regressed, she learn to hide it and make everyone her ally.


    Aurora said, "I don''t want to rain on your parade, but if you insist on making me your enemies, I''m more than happy to play along."


    Nova was taken aback by Aurora''s response. She hadn''t expected her to understand the implications of her words so soon in their first meeting.


    "You..." Nova said, her voice full of anger. "Are you a regressor too?"


    Aurora smiled sweetly. "Better than that, I''m a gamer."


    ***


    Aurora cringed internally when she remembered referring to herself as a "gamer." She was relieved that Nova Wilder didn''t understand the term, otherwise it might have given her another way to bully her.


    Still, the most important thing was that it was now clear that Nova Wilder considered her an enemy, even though Aurora had done nothing to provoke her.


    Before this, Aurora had entertained the idea of living in peace by avoiding contact with the villainess and all the other capture targets. But now, this plan was no longer viable. Nova Wilder would make her life difficult whether she did anything or not.


    The first class of the day began and, with luck, Aurora found herself in the same class as Nova Wilder.


    Nova Wilder, of course, took a seat in the front row, while Aurora sat at the back of the class. Even so, Nova stared at her relentlessly, not paying attention to the teacher who was explaining the lesson in front of the class.


    Aurora holding a smile. Come on, you''re supposed to be acting nice. What''s with this overwhelming animosity?


    "Understand?" the teacher said. "Since ancient times, there have been six basic elements of magic in this world: fire, water, earth, wind, darkness, and light. The last two are pretty rare. Fortunately, in this class, we actually have students who possess those elements.


    "First, Miss Nova Wilder, with her darkness magic," everyone looked at her, and she just sat there arrogantly. "And Aurora Starlight, the only light magic user right now."


    The gaze turned to Aurora. She wasn''t used to getting that much attention, so she stared down with a blush on her face.


    The class continued with more theories of magic. Aurora was obviously interested in magic, but the theory and long explanations bored her. She wanted to try it out herself, but she would have to wait until the practical class.


    As class ended, Aurora was putting her book in her bag when a girl approached her. At first, she thought it was Nova and she felt a bit anxious, thinking that Nova might confront her again. But when she looked closer, she saw that it was actually a petite girl with twin tails.


    She knew who it was.


    "Hey," the girl said. "Do you mind if we talk for a bit?"


    "Sure," Aurora smiled.


    "It seems like you didn''t get along with Nova," the girl said.


    "I guess," Aurora replied.


    The girl''s name was Ruby, one of the rival capture targets, specifically for Finnick, the son of the Knight Captain, and best friend of Prince Casper.


    Originally, they should have been enemies, after all, as a heroine, Aurora would have been a rival. But not anymore. Since Nova had regressed, she already had a harem of capture targets.


    If they weren''t rivals anymore, that meant...


    "Let''s be friends," Ruby said. "If you''re an enemy with her, I think it''s best for us to become allies."


    "Sure," Aurora said with a smile. "I''d love to be your friend."


    The two girls chatted for a bit longer before parting ways.


    Aurora stared at the figure of Ruby as she walked away, and she made up her mind.


    "I should look for allies first," Aurora murmured to herself.


    She knew that Nova already had four capture targets as her allies. It would be impossible for her to win alone. It would be better for her to have some help.


    The simplest solution would be to form alliances with the rival characters.


    And while Ruby making the first move, it''s not like she was royal to her. Not yet anyway.


    Ruby like her name, love gems.


    Aurora walked back to her room. Inside her room, her maid, Lyra, greeted her. "Welcome back, miss. You must be tired. Do you want to drink some tea or do you want to take a bath first?"


    Aurora shook her head, "No, I need you to do something for me."


    Lyra looked at her expectantly, "Yes?"


    Aurora walked over to her bookshelf and pulled out a map. She brought it over to the table and began marking it with a pen. "See this mine? I need you to go and tell my father to buy it. And please hire around ten or so people to start mining there."


    Lyra looked at the map, confusion etched on her face "You want to buy that mine?"


    "That''s what I said."


    "But miss," Lyra hesitated. "That mine has been abandoned for years and is known to be dangerous. Are you sure this is a good idea?"


    Aurora nodded confidently. "I know it may seem risky, but I truly believe this will be worth it in the end. Trust me, Lyra."


    Lyra was still not entirely convinced, but she knew that when Aurora had made up her mind about something, there was no stopping her. "If that''s what you want, miss. I''ll inform your father right away."


    "Thank you, Lyra," Aurora said.


    Lyra left the room. Aurora sat down, deep in thought. Nova should know about that mine too. She knew that in the future, Ruby''s family would find out that the abandoned mine was actually rich with gems, but she didn''t do anything about it.


    Aurora could guess why. As the daughter of a duke, money was never a problem for her. There was no reason for her to invest in this. Which was lucky for her, because now she had something to appease Ruby and gain some extra money at the same time.


    Of course, as the daughter of a viscount, she had some pocket money. Compared to how she lived in the modern day, it was a lot. She remembered back then, she had to save for three months to be able to buy the pocket console of her choice. Compared to that, she could buy anything relatively easily here. Even if it was too expensive like that mine, she could just ask her father to buy it.


    But still, gaining a way to have extra money was valuable. Especially for the future plans she had devised.


    ***

 Transmigrator vs Regressor.

    For Viscount Starlight, his daughter Aurora is the best daughter he could ask for. She is cute, with beautiful blue hair, a nice personality, and gifted with the rarest magic element, light.


    But despite all the good things, sometimes she can be pretty odd too, like today. His daughter''s personal maid came to him with the news that Aurora had suddenly expressed interest in buying an abandoned mine. This was completely out of the blue, as she had never shown any interest in mining or anything related to it.


    He couldn''t help but wonder if this sudden interest was because of her friend''s influence or if there was something else at play.


    "But, isn''t this mine abandoned?" the Viscount asked.


    "That''s correct, my lord," the butler replied.


    "Then why?" the Viscount scratched his head. "She''s specifically asking for this."


    "I''m afraid I don''t know either, my lord," the butler said.


    Despite the potential dangers and lack of profit the mine may bring, the Viscount knew that if his daughter had her heart set on it, he would make it happen.


    "Doesn''t matter," the Viscount said. "We will follow her wish. I will buy that mine and immediately recruit some people to do some mining."


    "Yes, my lord," the butler replied, bowing respectfully.


    ***


    The next day.


    "Miss, as you wished, your father has already bought the mine and the mining process will start today," Lyra said as she combed Aurora''s hair.


    "Is that so?" Aurora said. "Great."


    "But, miss," Lyra looked worried. "Are you sure they will find something?"


    "Stop worrying, geez," Aurora said. "Just trust me."


    "Right, sorry." Lyra apologized. "Anyway, isn''t your practical magic class starting today?"


    "Yes, I''m so excited," Aurora smiled widely.


    Magic, of course she''s excited. Before she get engrossed in dating Sims, she used to like magical girls a lot. And now she finally can using magic. Her childhood dreams come true.


    Aurora and all of her classmates were making their way to the practice area behind the main building. The teacher had already set up some practice dummies for them to use.


    Suddenly, Ruby appeared behind Aurora.


    "You look excited," she said.


    "Oh, hey Ruby," Aurora said with a smile. "I''m really looking forward to this. I can''t wait to try out some magic."


    "I see," Ruby said. "I''m also excited to see light magic for the first time."


    "I''ll do my best," Aurora said, her smile growing. "By the way, what element is your magic?"


    "Earth," Ruby replied briefly.


    Aurora nodded. "That makes sense. I heard you''re into gems."


    "Well, yeah," Ruby said, looking a bit embarrassed. "What about you? What do you like?"


    Dating Sims games was what Aurora wanted to say, but she knew that didn''t exist in this world. "Probably reading books," she said instead.


    "Hmph, sounds boring," Ruby said.


    "Why do you say that?" Aurora asked.


    "I mean, I''m already reading enough boring stuff in class. Why would anyone want to read more outside of class?"


    "No, I didn''t mean boring stuff like that," Aurora said.


    Before they could continue their conversation, the teacher clapped his hands, calling for their attention.


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    "Alright class, let''s get started. For those of you who are unsure of your magic element compatibility, please raise your hand and come see my assistant. We''ll use the Compatibility Crystal to check. For those who already know, let''s begin the lesson.


    Aurora had already discovered her magic element when she was 5 years old, or at least that''s what she remembers. Despite not having manifested her light magic yet, rumors about her element were already circulating.


    The teacher began explaining how to manifest our magic by accessing our mana core and other things she didn''t quite understand. Aurora couldn''t keep up and looked around in confusion.


    Some of her classmates picked it up quickly, like the villainous Nova who created a floating ball of darkness. Ruby also successfully manifested her magic, creating a piece of earth floating above her hand.


    Aurora felt a sense of panic as more and more of her classmates demonstrated their abilities.


    She closed her eyes and tried once again to feel it. But nothing really happened.


    What on earth is a mana core anyway?


    Doubts crept in - did she even have a mana core? Could someone like her even use magic?


    Her doubts only fueled her frustration. If this was a game, she could easily use magic by pushing a few buttons.


    Suddenly, Aurora felt a warmth in front of her and opened her eyes to see a blinding ball of light floating before her.


    "It''s light magic!" someone exclaimed.


    Everyone turned to look at her.


    "It''s warm," Ruby said, smiling beside her.


    Magic. Aurora almost couldn''t believe it.


    But how? She didn''t understand the whole mana core thing and all she did was just imagine pushing buttons.


    Don''t tell me...


    She released her magic and the ball of light disappeared. She gulped, then tried it once again. She imagined pushing a certain combination of buttons in her mind.


    Light particles started to appear and formed some sort of spear made of light.


    It''s works!


    "You can manifest two forms already?" Ruby said in disbelief. "So unfair."


    Aurora forced a smile. "Sorry."


    "Miss Starlight," the teacher said, walking toward her. "Consider you have successfully manifested attack magic. Do you want to try releasing it?"


    He pointed at the dummies.


    Aurora nodded. "Okay."


    She wasn''t sure what to do, but let her instincts take over. She made a throwing motion and threw the magic spear at the dummies.


    A blinding light and a strong sound could be heard. It was a hit, not in the middle but still a hit.


    Her attack left a mark on the dummies.


    "Fantastic," the teacher said. "Alright, continue practicing."


    Aurora smiled in satisfaction. Ruby tapped her hand, still dissatisfied but accepted. Some other students talked to her too.


    But behind her, Nova stared at her with disdain.


    Two hours later, everyone was starting to get the hang of using their magic. Most of them were only using one form, but some, like Ruby, already had a second and even a third form.


    Aurora herself stuck to just using two forms. She knew other button combinations, but refrained from using them. Making herself stand out too much could be dangerous, especially with Nova watching her.


    "Alright, you guys are doing great," the teacher said. "Let''s wrap this up--"


    "Teacher," Nova interrupted. "I have something to say."


    The teacher obviously didn''t like being interrupted, but knowing it was Nova Wilder, he held back. "Alright, what is it?"


    "I''m asking permission for a duel," she said.


    "Duel?" the other students immediately started chattering.


    "I heard you can ask for a duel at the end of the practical class," Ruby said. "But isn''t it too soon?"


    Aurora had a bad feeling about it.


    "Shouldn''t you wait for a bit?" the teacher said. "You''ve just learned it."


    "I want to do it now," Nova said, not seeming willing to go back on her word.


    The teacher sighed. High-rank students were always a pain to deal with.


    "Fine," he said. "Who are you challenging to a duel?"


    "Her," Nova pointed at Aurora.


    Aurora smiled bitterly. Of course.


    "How about it, Miss Starlight?" the teacher said. "Do you accept the duel?"


    Beside her, Ruby grabbed her hand. "If you''re not ready, just reject it," she whispered. "We don''t really need to deal with her right now."


    "Come on, hurry up and answer," Nova said. "Or are you too much of a coward, exactly like your friend?" Nova looked at Ruby with a smirk.


    Ruby gritted her teeth.


    Aurora sighed. She understood that a conflict with Nova was unavoidable. There was no point in backing down.


    "Okay, I accept," Aurora said.


    Everyone immediately emptied the middle of the practice ground. They watched from the sides while Nova and Aurora stared at each other in the middle.


    "Alright, when I give the sign, the duel starts," The teacher said. "And the duel ends when I say so. Understand?"


    Aurora nodded.


    Nova calmly replied, "Yes."


    "Okay," The teacher said. "The duel begins!"


    "I don''t know what you are," Nova said, as she and the other girl stood facing each other. "But before I regressed, I had already mastered my magic. Let''s see how far you can go with that weak light magic of yours."


    With that, Nova made the first move. Suddenly, more than ten blades made of darkness appeared, floating around her menacingly.


    Okay, that''s scary. Aurora admitted.


    "Creating just one is hard," said one student. "Yet, she makes so many!"


    "Indeed," said the teacher. "That''s not the level of a first-year student."


    When Nova released all of her blades, Aurora immediately ran and jumped to dodge the attack.


    But Nova was not done yet. She called more blades of darkness and instantly flung them in the direction of Aurora.


    Aurora kept running and dodging, with so many blades flying around, she didn''t have a chance to pull off her own attack.


    "I admit, you can really dodge," Nova said. "But is that all you can do?"


    Nova pushed her hand forward and immediately, tentacle-like things appeared from her shadow, instantly catching Aurora''s leg. This was her second form.


    Aurora fell to the ground, grunting in pain.


    One last blade was flung at Aurora. Ruby from the side yelled, "Dodge!"


    Aurora tried, but her leg couldn''t move and it ended up cutting her hand. Thankfully, it was only a shallow cut.


    In terms of elements, light is stronger than darkness. So Aurora created a spear of light and hit the tentacle that caught her, immediately destroying the darkness and freeing herself.


    "Not bad," Nova said.


    Aurora ignore her, she wasn''t out of danger yet. Nova sent a flying ball of darkness,. Nova third form. It flew slower than the daggers, but when Aurora tried to hit it with her spear, it exploded.


    Aurora stood there, stunned.


    "Is-isn''t that''s too extreme?" Aurora said, taken aback. "I won''t die if I touch it, right...?"


    "Why don''t you try it!" Nova called more daggers and floating balls of darkness.


    Thing starting to look really dangerous.


    "Shouldn''t you stop it, teacher?" one student said, scared.


    The teacher seemed unsure.


    "Aurora, it''s dangerous," Ruby yelled. "You should just give up!"


    Nova laughed. "Right, why don''t you listen to your cowardly friend and just give up?"


    So far, Nova has always been annoying. But mocking someone who was worried about her, that made Aurora pissed.


    She can try to use another form of her magic, but that might not make much difference. So she decided to try something else.


    Cheat code.


    Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, A, B.


    She suddenly feels as light as a feather. Aurora smiled.


    That code activated a hidden form.


    "You talk so much for someone who hits nothing," Aurora said. "It''s embarrassing. Why don''t you try harder?"


    That hit a nerve.


    "You''re asking for it! I don''t care even if you die!" Nova called more blades and balls and immediately threw them at Aurora.


    "Dodge!" Ruby screamed.


    The amount of projectiles reminded Aurora of bullet hell games. But with her speed, she could dodge them easily.


    With her speed, all of Nova''s attacks almost seemed like they stopped in time. She could afford to dodge them as closely as possible while she walked toward her enemy.


    She had never done this before. In her past life, she had been a frail girl. But with so much adrenaline, she felt like she could do it. She clenched her hand into a fist and then with all her might, she threw a punch at Nova''s belly, making her fall to her knees. Then Aurora created a spear of light, pointed at Nova''s head.


    "Checkmate."


    "So fast," Ruby said, stunned.


    Everyone else couldn''t even react. Even the teacher was in disbelief.


    "What...happened?"


    "I blinked and I missed everything."


    "That''s crazy."


    The teacher finally realized what had happened. He walked up and cleared his throat.


    "Duel ends!" he yelled. "The winner is Aurora Starlight."


    ***

 Ruby.

    Aurora still blushed when she accidentally overheard people talking about her duel.


    After the news of her winning the duel with Nova Wilder, she became more and more famous. At first, people were curious about her because of her light magic. But now, it was more like respect, or even fear.


    Aurora wasn''t sure if she liked it or not.


    "Cute and can kick your ass, that''s totally my type," she heard her classmate say.


    "How can she move so fast?" said another.


    "I thought light magic was just a joke. Rare didn''t mean strong, right? I guess I was wrong," said another.


    And then, some time later, Nova approached her.


    "I''ve mastered seven forms of my magic," Nova said, angry. "I was just a little careless. If I had used all my power, you would have turned into dust. Don''t get ahead of yourself."


    "Sore loser," Ruby interjected. "Stop making excuses, you lost."


    "Shut up, midget!"


    "Can''t even handle losing. Pathetic." Ruby retorted.


    "Don''t push it!" Nova warned.


    "So what? What can you do about it?" Ruby taunted.


    Aurora finally stepped in, grabbing her friend. "Okay, that''s enough," she said. "Let''s go."


    "Wait, I''m not done rubbing it in her face," Ruby complained.


    "Enough with that already," Aurora sighed, as she pulled her friend along down the hall.


    Ruby pouted. "Why? I thought you hated her too."


    "She wasn''t just boasting," Aurora said. "Let''s not anger her too much."


    "What?"


    "She really has seven forms."


    "That''s not funny," Ruby snorted. "Most graduates aren''t even able to go that far. And you said she already had it in her first year?"


    "Yes," Aurora said simply.


    Ruby stared at her friend. She noticed that Aurora was completely serious.


    "What the heck?" Ruby said. "She''s a monster."


    Aurora nodded.


    "But you''re a monster too," Ruby said.


    "What?"


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    "What''s up with the speed then?" Ruby continued. "I''ve never seen someone that fast before."


    Aurora smiled mischievously. "That''s a secret."


    "Oh, come on!" Ruby pouted again.


    Aurora just laughed.


    ***


    Lyra entered the room in a hurry.


    "Miss," she said. "Miss, big news!"


    Aurora, who was sitting on the bed while reading a book, looked at her.


    "What happened?" she asked.


    Lyra was out of breath. "It''s... It''s the mine! They found a huge amount of gems there!"


    "Oh, finally," Aurora smiled.


    "You''re not surprised, miss?" Lyra said, confused. "Did you already know?"


    "Well, I had already predicted it," Aurora said, going back to reading her book.


    "But... how?"


    "I know stuff. I''m just that amazing." Aurora trying to wave off the explanation.


    Lyra smiled. "You really are amazing."


    "Oh, right," Aurora said. "If you find any rubies, especially ones of great quality, bring them to me."


    "Are you going to use them?" Lyra asked.


    "Yes, and go to town," Aurora said. "Look for the best artisans around here. I might need their help to make a necklace or something. Everything else, I''ll let my father handle it."


    Lyra nodded.


    "And..." Aurora said, sound unsure.


    "Yes?" Lyra waited.


    Aurora put down her book. She seemed to be contemplating something.


    "I wonder if I should start with that plan too," she murmured to herself.


    "Something wrong, miss?" Lyra said.


    Aurora let out her breath. "I guess there''s no point in waiting. Alright, Lyra, when you''re in town, I need you to do an extra thing."


    Lyra nodded. "And that is?"


    "Try to ask around about the information guild," Aurora said.


    Lyra raised her brows. "The information guild...?"


    "Yes, but make sure you don''t end up in trouble," Aurora said. "You don''t even need to actually find them. Just make sure people around town know you''re looking for them."


    "I understand, miss," she looked at Aurora in concern. "But why are you looking for them? I don''t think it''s a good idea to get in contact with them."


    "I can''t tell you yet," Aurora said. "I know about their bad reputation. Don''t worry, I will be careful."


    Lyra still wasn''t convinced.


    Aurora walked toward her maid and patted her shoulder. "Thank you for worrying about me, but trust me. I know what I''m doing."


    Lyra nodded. "Sorry if I overstepped the boundaries."


    "Not at all," Aurora smiled. "You''re important to me. I''m happy you care for me that much. But I will let you know early, in the future I will ask you all kinds of things you might not understand. I hope you can trust me and help me with that."


    Once again, Lyra nodded. "I understand, miss. I will do my best."


    ***


    Aurora decided to take a walk to pass the time. She had just finished her book and was feeling bored. Her maid was out, so she didn''t even have anyone to talk to.


    She really wanted to meet up with Ruby, but she didn''t know where she was at the moment. In times like this, Aurora missed having modern technology like cellphones.


    As she strolled around aimlessly, she heard some commotion coming from the practice area. Curious, she made her way over to investigate. To her surprise, she found a group of students earnestly training with swords.


    Knight practice? Aurora guessed.


    As Aurora got closer, she spotted a familiar face. It was Ruby, a petite girl with twin tails, standing alone and watching the practice session. Correction--she was actually only watching one person, Finnick Hunter, her childhood friend.


    That reminded Aurora that she was a rival character and that she was in love with him.


    Finnick Hunter, a big buff guy, was sweating profusely. He was swinging a big sword again and again. According to the game''s description, he was the best swordsman at the magic academy.


    It was no surprise to Aurora that Finnick was the best swordsman at the academy. After all, he was the only son of the Knight Captain. The only weakness he had was that he wasn''t very good at using magic. His element was wind.


    Personally, Finnick wasn''t really Aurora''s favorite character. She respected his hard work, but she wasn''t particularly interested in physical power, and found him a bit too buff.


    Not that she had a problem with Ruby liking him, everyone has different preferences.


    Aurora walked toward her.


    Ruby noticed her. "Hey, I didn''t think I would see you here at this time."


    "Me neither," Aurora smiled. "I had nothing to do."


    "What about your book?"


    "I''ve already finished it."


    "Oh, okay."


    They ran out of things to say and went back to looking at the students practicing swordmanship.


    Ruby stared at Finnick without blinking.


    "Do you have someone you like?" Ruby suddenly asked.


    "What? Me? No, not really," Aurora said, surprised.


    Ruby smiled in pain. "I hope I haven''t fallen in love too."


    Far in front of them, Finnick finished training. Nova gave him a drink and they talked and laughed together. Aurora understood, looking at that must have hurt.


    "Why does she keep pestering him?" Ruby said, her voice cracking, "when she already has a fianc¨¦? There''s no way I can get in between them."


    She grabbed her skirt in frustration. "Even though we''ve known each other for so long, I''m not special to him."


    "But aren''t you the one who appreciates his hard work the most?" Aurora said quickly. "You''re the reason he keeps working hard."


    Ruby looked at her friend in confusion. "What are you talking about?"


    What...?


    That was when it finally hit her: not only had Nova successfully made all capture targets her allies, but she had actually stolen the event from the rival character?


    In the world before Nova regressed, Ruby was the one who made Finnick keep chasing the position of Knight despite his weakness at magic. That connection, that was the reason why she became a rival character. But if that event got stolen by Nova, doesn''t that mean Ruby isn''t even a rival character anymore?


    So all that was left was just one-sided love?


    "Anyway, I''m tired," Ruby said. "I''m going back to my room."


    She messed up. Without knowing what actually happened, she said all those stupid things.


    Ruby is hurt. She must do something.


    Without thinking, Aurora quickly catches up with her and grabs her hand.


    "Wait a second," Aurora said.


    Ruby looks back, crying.


    "Why... You stop me? I don''t want you to see..." Ruby tries to hide her crying face with her hand.


    Aurora immediately hug that small girl, trying to make her feel better, even just for a little.


    ***

 Bookworm.

    That night, Aurora couldn''t sleep. She stared at the ceiling, but her mind was somewhere else. She closed her eyes deeply. The image of Ruby crying still stuck in her mind.


    It bothered her so much because she now realized how little she actually cared about other people in that world. Her priority had been her own survival. But even after figuring out that NPCs like Lyra were normal humans in this world, she had glossed over that.


    In the back of her mind, she still treated them as NPCs, thinking that her existence was more important than theirs, just because she was a player. That''s why she hadn''t really looked carefully at Ruby''s situation.


    Aurora sighed heavily.


    No.


    Probably she was wrong. Probably this wasn''t about NPCs or not. Even in her previous life, it wasn''t like she valued everyone''s life the same.


    At first, she only wanted to use Ruby as a tool for her survival. But without her knowing, she started to actually feel that they were real friends.


    That''s simple.


    She felt bad because she didn''t care enough about her friend, their problems, and their feelings.


    "So stupid," she murmured to herself.


    She woke up, feeling like she wasn''t going to be able to sleep. She walked toward the bookshelf. There was a small collection of books that the original Aurora had. She had planned to indulge herself with books, but nothing really caught her eye.


    Probably they had different taste? Aurora found that most of the books there were pretty boring.


    Now she stuck. with an urge to read something, but nothing seemed to catch her interest. At that point she willing to putting in some extra work to satisfy her urge.


    So, she got up from her room and made her way to the library. As she approached the library door, a thought crossed her mind, "If she comes this late, isn''t it going to be locked?"


    Despite her doubts, she continued forward and tried the handle.


    The door was open.


    She couldn''t help but wonder, "Does the library never lock at night?"


    She stepped inside and took in the nighttime scenery of the library, which always gave her a mysterious feeling. Especially because she was alone, it felt like she had the entire place to herself.


    She walked towards the shelves, looking at the books. The moonlight still hit that place so it wasn''t completely dark. However, it was still a bit hard to read without a source of light, like how her room was decorated with magic candles.


    Aurora used her power, creating a ball of light that floated from her hand. The sudden appearance of light surprised someone so much that they screamed.


    Aurora looked in the direction of the scream and saw a big girl with short red hair standing nervously and staring at her. It turns out she wasn''t the only one there.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "Sorry, I didn''t mean to surprise you," Aurora said.


    "No, no, it''s not your fault," she quickly replied. "I''m just a little scaredy-cat, so don''t mind me."


    Aurora nodded.


    She knew her. Another rival character named Sera Marlow. She was the daughter of Duke Marlow. Her position should be on par with Nova Wilder, but because of her personality, she didn''t really stand out.


    "Um... You''re the first-year everyone''s talking about, right?" She said, staring at the ball of light that was floating around.


    "Yes, my name is Aurora Starlight. Nice to meet you, senior."


    "Um... senior?" Sera said, with a confused look on her face.


    "I believe you''re Sera Morlow, right? Second-year?" Aurora asked.


    "Y-you know me...?" Sera stammered, surprised.


    "I like reading books, so naturally, I know fellow book lovers," Aurora explained with a smile.


    "I see, that makes sense," Sera said, nodding.


    Aurora smiled. "Are you doing a night-time reading session, senior?"


    "Ye-yes, usually if I have a hard time sleeping, I''ll come here. And please don''t call me senior. Just call me by my name," Sera said.


    "Are you sure? I don''t want to disrespect you," Aurora said, with a concerned look.


    "It''s fine, really. Just call me Sera."


    "If you insist," Aurora said, "Sera."


    She smiled. "S-so, are you looking for something?"


    "Yes, about that," Aurora said. "I can''t sleep and I want to read something. Do you have any recommendations?"


    "Oh... I-I''m not sure what I read will interest you," Sera replied.


    "Why is that?" Aurora smiled playfully. "Are you reading weird books?"


    "Wha-nononono, that''s not what I mean..." Sera blushing hard.


    "Really? Then what kind of book do you usually read, senior--I mean, Sera?"


    "We-well, I like mysteries the most," Sera replied.


    "Oh, I didn''t expect that," Aurora said, kinda surprised.


    "Wha-what did you expect then? What''s your impression of me...?" Sera asked.


    Aurora looked at her. She was at least one head taller than her. She was big yet acted meekly. The contrast made her pretty cute.


    "You seem fluffy," Aurora said. "So maybe romance? Sorry if that''s too generic of a guess."


    "Nonono, I like romance too," Sera replied.


    "Really? I bet you would say that to whatever genre I guessed," Aurora grinned.


    "Well, I do read everything..." Sera blushed.


    "That''s cheating."


    "S-sorry..."


    Aurora smiled. "So any recommendations?"


    "If you''re okay with mystery," Sera said, "I will recommend this book."


    She pulled out a book with a black cover and offered it to Aurora. Aurora carefully examined the book in her hand. It''s thin, she can finish it quickly. The book was titled "A Murder Mystery in Lake Alpha".


    "I-if you don''t like it, I can recommend something else..."


    "It''s fine, I''ll give it a read," Aurora said as she settled into her seat and began to flip through the pages. The ball of light that followed her made it easy for her to read in the dimly lit room. Sera too picked up a book and sat across from Aurora.


    They read in silence.


    As Aurora read, her mind kept working.


    Did I make a good impression? I don''t think I offended her or anything, Aurora thought.


    As planned before, she was going to befriend all rival characters. That part of her plan hadn''t changed. After all, it was an important plan to make sure she survived.


    She still felt bad about Ruby, but she couldn''t let this chance go either. She would think everything through properly later.


    Time flew by and no one said a word. The only sound was the occasional rustling of pages being flipped, filling the air.


    Aurora noticed that Sera kept stealing glances at her. For a few times, Aurora decided to ignore it. But after the fourth or fifth time, she looked up.


    Sera immediately looked at her book in panic.


    Aurora smiled and asked, "What''s up, Sera? Is there something you want to say?"


    Sera blushed and stammered, "It''s nothing. I just... Do you enjoy that book?"


    Is she worried about her recommendation choice?


    "It''s been great so far," Aurora assured her, "don''t worry about it."


    Sera nodded, relieved, and they returned to their reading.


    Sometimes later Aurora finished her book.


    "Okay," she said. "That was an interesting read. I never would have guessed that he was the culprit until the very end."


    "I know, right?" Sera said with a gleam in her eyes. "When I first read it, I was amazed at how cleverly the author hid such obvious clues!"


    "Yes, and I love stories that have a proper ending," Aurora said. "Everything tied together neatly. I''ve read a lot of stories that just go on forever, it can be tiring sometimes."


    Sera nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean. A lot of popular books written by commoners, they need to keep writing to earn a living. So it might be unfair for me to say, but sometimes stories that keep going endlessly lose their soul. And I don''t mean to say I turn to hate it, but I definitely like it less and less."


    "Yes," Aurora agreed. "It''s a complex problem. There''s no clear answer for that. Personally, I prefer when they write new books, new stories. But there''s no guarantee that their new work will be as successful as their previous one."


    They kept talking back and forth for half an hour.


    "Ah, I think I need to head back," Aurora said. "I''m starting to feel sleepy."


    "I see." Sera sounded disappointed.


    "But I really enjoyed our conversation," Aurora said. "And thank you for the recommendation."


    Sera smiled. "You''re welcome."


    As Aurora got up and prepared to walk out of the library, Sera stood up too.


    "Um... Aurora, wait," she called out.


    Aurora stopped and looked back. "Yes?"


    "Will... Will you come here again?" she asked, fidgeting.


    Aurora smiled. "Sure, if you don''t mind."


    She already planned to do it anyway.


    "Of course, I don''t mind," Sera said quickly. "After all, sometimes reading alone can be kind of lonely - Uh, I mean, I want to discuss books with you again sometime." She panicked and her cheeks turned red.


    "Yes, I''d like that," Aurora said, smiling. "Goodnight, Sera."


    Sera looked relieved. "Good night."


    ***

 Plan, Love and Potion.

    "Good morning, miss," Lyra entered the room with a big smile. The maid looked happy, full of energy, and ready to deal with whatever will happened today.


    In contrast, Aurora woke up with a headache. She was tired, sleepy, and overall didn''t feel too good.


    "Are you okay, miss?" Lyra walked toward her, worried.


    "Yes," Aurora said with her morning voice. "Just a little headache..."


    "Want me to massage you?" asked Lyra.


    "Sure." Aurora yawned as the maid sat on the bed beside her. The maid placed her small hand on Aurora''s forehead and began to softly massage her.


    Aurora closed her eyes, feeling a little better.


    She said, "Anyway, how about what I asked you yesterday?"


    "Right," Lyra said. "I took care of it. I met an old artisan who is said to be the best in town by the townspeople. I already spoke with him and he agreed to accept your request."


    "That''s pretty good," Aurora said. "What about the information guild? Did you find out anything about them?"


    "I''ve already been asking around," Lyra said, "but unfortunately, no one seems to know about them. Some people suggested I go to a specific tavern and said someone there might know something. But when I checked it out, the building and the people coming and going from there looked suspicious, so I decided not to go in."


    "Good decision," Aurora said.


    "But miss, I didn''t bring back any useful information," Lyra said, sounding a bit discouraged.


    "It''s fine," Aurora said. "And you''ll keep doing that for about a week. Don''t worry even if you found nothing."


    "Is there a point in doing that?" Lyra asked, not sounding too enthusiastic.


    "Of course," Aurora opened her eyes and smiled. "In time, they''ll come looking for us on their own."


    ***


    As Aurora walked towards her class, she was suddenly stopped in her tracks as a small hand grabbed her. She turned her head to see who the hand belonged to and saw a petite girl with twintails, Ruby, standing there.


    Ruby seemed nervous.


    "Before class started," Ruby said, "Can we talk for a bit?"


    Aurora nodded. "Sure."


    They walked a bit to the corner.


    "So, about yesterday," Ruby said, avoiding Aurora''s eyes. "I don''t know what happened to me. I didn''t think I would...I mean, suddenly like that." She bit her lips. "Sorry for breaking down like that. It''s so embarrassing."


    Aurora smiled, "It''s fine. I didn''t mind."


    Ruby pouted, "What do you mean you didn''t mind? That''s really unsightly for a lady like me."


    Aurora blinked, "I don''t think feeling sad is wrong though?"


    "I mean, still..." Ruby sighed, "I''m pathetic, huh? Hating Nova for no reason, getting angry and sad by myself. No wonder he never noticed me. I have nothing to be proud of."


    "No, you''re wrong," Aurora said, starting to dislike where this conversation was going. "You don''t need to console me," she smiled bitterly. "I mean, I''m breaking down like this even though we''re not even a couple. I can''t believe I''m this pathetic."


    "No," Aurora said. "Don''t be like this. There''s nothing wrong with you. There''s nothing wrong with holding strong feelings toward someone."


    "Then... why does this hurt so much?" Ruby said, almost crying.


    Aurora hugged her. "I''m sorry."


    "Why are you apologizing, stupid." Ruby whispered, tears falling to her cheeks.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Aurora let out a small laugh. "Yes, I am stupid. I can''t even help you when you need it."


    They stayed like that for a while.


    After calming down, Ruby broke off from Aurora''s hug. Her cheeks were wet with tears.


    "I''m fine now," Ruby said.


    Aurora''s fingers softly removed the tears from Ruby''s cheeks. "It''s his loss to ignore such a cute girl like you," Aurora said.


    "Cute? Me? Are you stupid?" Ruby said.


    Aurora smiled. "I''m just saying what I see."


    "I''m small and annoying," Ruby pouted again. "If you''re going to lie, at least make it more believable."


    Aurora took her hand. "So what? I still think you''re cute."


    Ruby''s cheeks started to feel hot. Something was wrong with her. A moment ago she felt extremely sad, but now, getting praised by Aurora was turning her feelings into something else.


    Embarrassed? She guessed.


    She had a hard time looking at Aurora''s face. Those annoying, clear blue eyes.


    "I''m not," Ruby said.


    "You''re cute," Aurora said. "And I like you."


    Ruby''s heart felt like it was jumping, as if a string had pulled it.


    "Enough, geez!" She pulled her hand away, her face getting redder. "I''m done with this talk."


    She hurriedly walked toward class. Her heart was beating fast.


    ***


    After spending several boring hours in theory of magic and history class, Aurora exited into the potion-making class. After all, she was the type that liked more practical things than theory, especially when it came to magic.


    This time, they were going to make a simple health potion. The effect only worked on small wounds like small paper cuts or scratches, but it was still not easy to make.


    Everyone was given one small glass bottle, a burner-like thing that created fire, some water, and a bunch of herbs and leaves.


    Aurora grabbed the white coloring herb in front of her and twirled it. She smiled. She knew exactly what it was. The herb was called Kroma Herb. It was a cheap herb that could be used to mend mosquito bites.


    But she wouldn''t be using it today.


    As far as Aurora knew, making potions was similar to cooking. She needed to know the recipes and use the right amount of ingredients.


    Except for one thing: to make it magical, they needed to add mana into the process.


    It was needed in the right amount and at the right time.


    If not, the result wouldn''t be much different from a soup.


    While everyone was busy flipping and reading their potion book, Aurora was already focused on picking ingredients. She still remembered the recipe for the potion from the game.


    She easily picked up the five ingredients she needed. The problem was the amount. In the game, sometimes it was vague how much one herb or one bottle was.


    She could check the book, but she felt adventurous today.


    She smiled widely while putting random amounts of herbs into the glass bottle, adding water, and starting a fire.


    When making potions, what she needed was pure mana. Unlike when she used it in practical class, she didn''t need to turn the mana into her element. So, in theory, anyone could make potions as long as they had the knowledge and could pull out their mana.


    Aurora tried to remember the combination button from the potion-making mini-game. After imagining pushing a button, something came out of her hand. It was floating, almost weightless, white, almost transparent, and kinda like fog too.


    She didn''t know when the best time to add mana into the potion was, so she just did it randomly.


    After ten minutes, the potion was done.


    The color was kinda blue, but more on the lighter side. Unlike professionally created potions, which were dark blue.


    She wasn''t sure if it was successful, but at least her potion didn''t explode like what happened to some other students.


    She glanced at Ruby, her potion color was black. And she was absentmindedly adding stuff, making her potion darker.


    The whole heartbreak thing obviously still bothered her.


    "Alright," the teacher said. "We will begin evaluating your work. Bring your potion, starting from the front row."


    Aurora got an A for ingredients but an F and F for amount and control of mana. She just smiled, kind of expecting that to happen.


    Ruby got all Fs.


    Then, the teacher made an announcement for the best potion.


    First place was Marina River, a white-haired girl who was another rival character.


    Second place was Oliver Blackwell, a short, black-haired boy. He was one of four capture targets.


    And third place was obviously Nova Wilder. Even though she most likely wasn''t interested in making potions, she was still one of the best students in the whole school.


    "This is the potions they made," the teacher said, showing off their potions in front of the class. He even pulled out potions that were created by professionals. They were identical.


    "This is a fantastic result," the teacher said. "But remember you three, don''t get too arrogant. In the end, these are still low-level potions. Greater potions, with more amazing effects, will be a lot harder to make."


    After those final words, class ended.


    Aurora walked toward Ruby.


    "Are you okay?" she asked.


    "Ah, ye-yes, I''m fine," Ruby forced a smile. She grabbed her bag and they got out of the room. But before they could continue, a voice came.


    "Hey," Nova Wilder said.


    She was alone, crossing her arms, waiting for them.


    "I want to talk to you," she stared at Aurora, "alone."


    "If you want to talk," Ruby said. "Just talk."


    "Go away, midget," Nova said. "I didn''t talk to you."


    That made Ruby angry. "Shut up! I''m not going to leave."


    Aurora nodded. "She stays."


    "Don''t make me repeat myself," Nova said. "Tell your little friend to go."


    "No!" Ruby said.


    "I want to talk about the abandoned mine," Nova said. "Are you sure you want to let her hear it?"


    Aurora was stunned, understand what she mean.


    "Your choice," Nova added.


    "What are you talking about--"


    "Ruby," Aurora cut her off. "Can you go first?"


    Ruby stared at Aurora in disbelief. "What--?"


    "Please," Aurora said.


    From her expression, it was clear that Ruby was hurt by that decision. But Aurora didn''t have a choice.


    "I''m sorry," Aurora said. "I will explain it later."


    Ruby bit her lips. "Fine."


    She turned and ran. Aurora could only watch her helplessly.


    "For a moment I''m sure she will cry," Nova said. "Pathetic."


    Aurora glared at her. "What do you want?"


    Nova grinned. "You always get aggressive when we talk about your friend. Isn''t that ironic?"


    "Stop wasting time and tell me what you want," Aurora said.


    "I heard news about how your family is starting to sell a high amount of gems," Nova said. "That abandoned mine, isn''t it supposed to be owned by your little friend in the future? Stealing from your friend, I almost can''t believe it."


    "It''s not stealing if she doesn''t own it yet," Aurora said.


    "Is that your justification?" Nova asked.


    "You have done something worse," Aurora said. "You stole her childhood friend and her position as a rival. You don''t have the right to talk about stealing."


    "Fair enough," Nova said. "I just have one question for you, what are you planning?"


    "Plan?" Aurora asked.


    "What are you trying to do by taking over that mine?" Nova asked.


    Aurora blinked. She understood now. Nova must be confused by her actions. And after failing to understand her intention, she decided to confront Aurora directly.


    Aurora smiled. "So even the great Nova Wilder can''t read my actions."


    Nova gritted her teeth. "Don''t anger me. I can still kill you anytime I want."


    "You know that''s not true," Aurora said. "You would have killed me already if it were. Unless you have clear justifications, you''ll just be a killer. All your hard work will be in vain."


    "Don''t act as if you know me," Nova said, holding her voice to not scream. "I''m a villainess, I can throw everything away anytime."


    Aurora doubted it. Still, she didn''t want to push her too much.


    "It''s money," Aurora said.


    "What?" Nova said, confused.


    "Why I bought the mine? It''s for money."


    "That''s it?" Nova asked.


    "Yes. Is that too hard for you to understand? I guess that makes sense. You''re the daughter of a Duke, money is not a problem for you."


    "You betrayed your friend just for money?" Nova asked.


    "I didn''t betray Ruby," Aurora said, annoyed. "And I need money soon. A lot of it. So yes, I needed money. Satisfied?"


    "What do you mean you will need money soon?" Nova asked.


    "Why would I tell you that," Aurora said. "And aren''t you a regressor? You should already know what will happen in the future. Think about it yourself."


    And then Aurora left.


    ***

 Confusing Feeling.

    Ruby''s feelings were a mess.


    She was angry, she felt betrayed, she was sad. And she had all kinds of feelings she didn''t quite understand.


    When Aurora told her to go, she almost cried. She almost cried! Which made her feel even more frustrated.


    "That annoying blue girl," Ruby thought. "What''s wrong with her? Isn''t she said she likes me?"


    Again, her heart hurt. Why did thinking about her make her heart feel so painful?


    After the talk they had before class, she become weird. She couldn''t concentrate in class, she randomly blushed when she looked at Aurora, and she got flustered when their gaze met.


    Ruby was out of breath after running for a while. She looked back, but nobody followed her.


    Ruby bit her lips. "Traitor."


    She felt like crying again. She leaned against the wall and let her legs fall. Her skirt would be dirty sitting on the floor, but she didn''t care.


    Aurora.


    At first, she was just a random girl who could use light magic. Ruby didn''t really care.


    Only when she saw Aurora have bad relationships with Nova, she started to be interested. She might be a potential ally. So she went to her and offered her friendship.


    That should be all. They were only friends for convenience.


    They''re friends now, so she worried when she almost got hurt badly when she dueled with Nova.


    She was annoyed when Aurora was hiding her speed from her.


    She hates her book-reading hobby.


    Still, even if they started to be close, it''s just friendship. After all, she loved Finnick.


    The first time she broke down and cried in front of Aurora, deep down she had already given up. Finnick couldn''t be reached. Everything was pointless. That''s why she cried, wasn''t it?


    Ruby stared at her hand. She still remembered how warm Aurora''s body was when she hugged her, trying to calm her.


    At that time, all she could do was cry.


    So embarrassing.


    "Ruby?" a voice called out.


    She looked back and saw the blue girl. That stupid blue girl was staring at her.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "What happened?" Aurora rushed to her in panic. "Are you hurt?"


    Ruby couldn''t answer.


    Pain in her chest. Why was she happy when Aurora was worried about her?


    "Can you wake up?" Aurora asked. "Should I look for help?"


    "No," Ruby finally managed to talk. "No, I''m fine."


    "Really? Don''t force yourself. If you''re hurt somewhere, just tell me."


    "You''re the one who hurt me, stupid," Ruby murmured.


    "What?" Aurora asked.


    "Nothing. I''m fine," Ruby said as she stood up. "Stop touching me," she slapped Aurora''s hand that was holding her.


    "Oh, sorry," Aurora said, looking sad.


    Looking at Aurora''s sad face, Ruby''s anger evaporated.


    "No, it''s fine," Ruby said. "I just... Feel annoyed. Somehow."


    "Sorry for telling you to go first," Aurora said.


    "It''s fine. I don''t care." She lied, starting to walk.


    "Come on, I''m really sorry," Aurora said, following her.


    "I said I don''t care," Ruby repeated.


    "Then why are you avoiding looking at me?" Aurora asked.


    "No reason."


    "Come on, look at me," Aurora said.


    "Enough!" Ruby said. "I don''t want to talk about it anymore."


    After that, whatever Aurora said, Ruby just ignored her.


    ***


    That afternoon, Ruby came to the practice area again. She stared at Finnick, the big guy, who was swinging his sword again and again.


    She didn''t really want to see him, especially when he was with Nova. They annoyed her. But she felt like she needed to do it, to figure out her own feelings.


    Looking at his face, something just didn''t click anymore.


    It''s not like she didn''t like him anymore, it still hurt to see him interact with Nova. But something just didn''t sit right with her.


    Suddenly, Aurora''s face flashed in her mind.


    She quickly shook her head. "Stop thinking about her," she thought to herself. "That stupid blue girl."


    "Are you stressed because they''re together?" a boy''s voice came from her side.


    Ruby turned her head to him, annoyed. "Do you need something, prince?"


    "No need to be hostile," Casper smiled. "I just want to talk a little."


    "Well, I don''t," Ruby replied.


    The prince laughed. "You''re quite interesting."


    She snorted, looking back at Finnick and Nova.


    "You said I''m interesting," Ruby said. "But what about yourself? You''re weird."


    The prince smiled, amused. "This is the first time someone has called me weird. Why is that?"


    "What else then?" Ruby said. "You see your fiance flirting with another guy, and all you do is smile stupidly."


    "You''re quite sharp with your words," Casper said.


    "Well, I''m sorry then," Ruby said, not seeming to care.


    "It''s quite alright," he said. "Actually, that''s rather refreshing. I''m tired of listening to people praising me when they didn''t really mean it."


    "So you like being badmouthed? You''re really weird then," Ruby said.


    The prince just laughed. "Anyway, to answer your question, I definitely don''t like her talking with other guys. I''m not just smiling stupidly. It''s just... I don''t feel right limiting her."


    "Wow," Ruby said. "You''re the type that will get cheated on a lot."


    "Don''t say that," Casper said, finally looking unhappy. "If she goes overboard, I will get angry too. I just don''t feel like interfering with all little things."


    That''s what he considers as a little thing? Ruby thought.


    "You feel safe just because she''s your fiance, huh?" Ruby said.


    That''s hit the nail. The prince smiled and said, "Probably."


    But that doesn''t mean someone can''t steal her from you.


    Ruby want to tell him, but refrained from saying it. Instead, she said, "And anyway, I have a complaint to you."


    "Yes?"


    "Why don''t you do something when your fiance keeps bullying Aurora?" Ruby asked.


    "That''s... just friendly rivalry," Casper said.


    She stared at him. "You don''t really believe that, do you?"


    The prince winced, her stare stabbed him like a dagger.


    "Well, fine," Casper sighed. "She did have some animosity toward Aurora but I can''t just jump in between them. They must have some history."


    "That''s just your assumption," Ruby said. "The first day when your fiance said disrespectful things to her, it was their first time meeting. Isn''t she just jealous because Aurora has light magic element? After all, it''s more rare than her darkness magic."


    "I do admit that''s possible," the prince said. "But that''s out of character for her. That''s not how she usually acts. I mean, she lost at making potions last time, right? But she didn''t do anything toward Marina or Oliver."


    "Oh, I don''t know," Ruby said. "Probably because she didn''t care about making potions?"


    The prince struggled to find an answer.


    "Okay," he said. "That might be true, but..."


    "You''re just going to defend her no matter what she does, huh?" Ruby said, looked upset. "Is that really the right thing to do as the future king of this kingdom?"


    "Ah, you got me there," Casper smiled, in pain. "I''m sorry, but I just don''t want to make her angry. I don''t want to make her hate me."


    Ruby just couldn''t understand it. How could an annoying girl like Nova make him act like this?


    "I guess she''s really important to you, huh?" Ruby said.


    The prince nodded.


    "Yeah, I feel like she''s the only ally I have," Casper replied weakly.


    Ruby stared at him as he looked at Nova. She had heard about the second prince, the genius everyone was talking about. She had never really thought about it, but their situation must be worse than the rumors, if he feels like nobody is on his side except Nova.


    She wondered how it feels to have a little brother who surpasses you in everything.


    She already felt bad about herself because of all her weaknesses, but it must be worse when people keep comparing you with other people, especially with someone who is younger than you.


    ***

 Information.

    The next morning, Lyra came with a box in her hand. She carefully held it and entered Aurora''s room with a smile.


    "Miss," Lyra said, "they found what you were looking for!"


    She passed the box over to Aurora, who carefully opened it. Inside, the ruby sparkled in the light, its deep red hue radiating a warm glow.


    "It''s beautiful," Lyra said, peeking behind her.


    "Just in time," Aurora smiled. Yesterday she had messed up and made Ruby angry. With this, hopefully it will fix their problem.


    "Alright," Aurora closed the box. "Take this to the artisan you met before. Make sure he makes a beautiful necklace with this."


    Lyra nodded full of energy. "Leave it to me, miss."


    "I believe I haven''t given you the money for the payment yet," Aurora opened her wardrobe.


    "No, it''s fine, miss," Lyra said. "Your father already gave me enough funds for whatever sudden needs you have. And that reminds me, your father told me that the mine and gems business is doing great. So he wondered what you want to do with the money? Are you interested in buying something?"


    "Oh, finally," Aurora said. "Then please tell my father to buy Rona herb as much as possible."


    "Rona herb?" Lyra said, confused. "Isn''t that a cheap herb that''s usually used for mosquito bites?"


    "Yes," Aurora smiled. "Buy as much as possible."


    "But...why?"


    "Why not? It''s my money, right? So I can use it however I want."


    "Well, that''s true, but..."


    "And not just from this area," Aurora continued. "Buy all Kroma herb from all over the kingdom. I want every last one of them."


    Lyra looked at her in disbelief. "Miss..."


    "That''s it," Aurora said, all smiles. "Please inform my father about it."


    "I understand," Lyra said, finally giving up.


    ***


    On the way to class, Aurora bumped into Ruby. They looked at each other in surprise.


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    "Good morning--" Aurora tried to greet her, but Ruby just took off, leaving her alone.


    Aurora sighed. She was still angry.


    With heavy steps, she entered the classroom.


    Before the lesson began, the teacher had some announcements.


    "Yesterday''s potion results caught the interest of the Magic Associations," the teacher said. "The top three were invited to their lab to gain more experience. That''s why Marina and Oliver are absent today. The same offer was given to Nova, but unfortunately she declined."


    "I''m just not interested," Nova said, didn''t care.


    The teacher cleared his throat. "The point is, your results can catch the attention of high-ranking people. It will help your future. So take them as an example and try your best in your studies."


    And with that, the lesson began.


    ***


    "Kroma herb," Viscount Starlight muttered to himself in confusion.


    For the last few days, he was happy. A random request from his daughter to buy an abandoned mine turned into a huge win. Aurora seemed to be loved by the goddess of fortune. He now owned one of the biggest gem mines in the kingdom.


    Still, in the end, that mine was Aurora''s idea. So he was going to give her most of the money he got from it. With that, he told her personal maid, Lyra, to ask his daughter what she wanted and what she would do with that money.


    He was ready for unreasonable demands, even something like buying a castle or something. But she told him to buy Kroma herb.


    Viscount Starlight scratches his head. "Kroma herb? If I remember correctly, isn''t that a name for a cheap herb that is usually used for mosquito bites?"


    "That''s right, my lord," the butler said.


    "Are you sure that''s what she asked for?"


    "Yes, that''s exactly what Lyra said," the butler replied. "There''s no mistake, she swore that was the young miss''s request."


    "But why?"


    "I''m afraid I don''t know."


    Is it just another odd, random request from her daughter, the Viscont though, or is there a hidden meaning?


    "And she wants a lot of it?" The Viscount asked.


    "That''s right," the butler said. "She wants all of them."


    "Is she thinking of doing business with it?" The Viscount muttered. "But that doesn''t make sense. They are cheap, abundant in numbers, and not really useful. The demand is low too. Or is there anything special about them that I''m not aware of?"


    "I can''t really say for sure," the butler said. "After all, the usefulness of herbs depends on the researcher. They might find new uses for them in the future. But so far, that''s all there is to it."


    "Didn''t she say anything about it? The reason?"


    The butler sighed. "She said, ''It''s my money, right? So I can do anything with it''."


    Viscount Starlight laughed. "My girl is something. Sure, if that''s what she wants, just do it. If there''s no more room to store it, we just need to make more room. If worst comes to worst, we still can sell it back."


    "I understand, my lord," the butler said.


    ***


    West side of town, inside a normal-looking building, a lot of important information being traded there. Unlike the outside, which is unremarkable, the interior is different. It is not inferior to a noble house, full of valuable books, paintings, and much more.


    This is not surprising because it is the secret office of the infamous Information Guild.


    A young man with purple hair, around twenty years old, sits in a chair. He is shuffling through a bunch of papers, checking reports from his subordinates.


    "Anyway," said a bald guy who sit on a sofa not far from him, "that little maid appeared again today."


    "Hm...? The one looking for us?" the purple-haired guy named Dante said.


    "Right," the bald guy said. "She''s looking for us because she wants to do business with us, right? Shouldn''t we just invite her here?"


    "Have you already figured out who she is?" Dante asked.


    The bald guy nodded. "Her name is Lyra. She''s a personal maid of Aurora Starlight, the only daughter of Viscount Starlight. It''s unlikely that she herself is looking for us, so..."


    "The little lady of Starlight must be behind this," Dante guessed.


    "Right, and didn''t their family just find a hidden gem mine? They obviously don''t lack money. It could lead to big opportunities. So shouldn''t we get in contact with her?"


    "Don''t get too excited," Dante said, putting a bunch of papers on the table. "We still don''t know what she wants. Not to mention the weird actions."


    "Weird?"


    "That maid didn''t bite when we laid a trap to make her come to a suspicious place, and she didn''t bite when you tried to send clues, right? She''s too careful and uncommitted to find us."


    The bald guy nodded. "True, that feels half-assed. But isn''t that just because the maid is lazy?"


    "Probably," Dante said. "But then why didn''t she send other people? As you said, they shouldn''t lack money, she could hire more people to look for us."


    "Then why?"


    "Most likely just to get our attention. It''s basically saying she''s interested in making contact with us, but wanting us to make the first move."


    "What''s the point of doing that?" The bald guy was confused.


    "To me, the message is clear," Dante said, smirking. "She''s trying to say, ''You will need me more than I need you''."


    The bald guy gulped. "Then... What are you going to do?"


    "Isn''t it obvious?" Dante said. "There''s no way I will reject such an interesting invitation."


    ***

 Gift and Herb.

    A week had passed.


    Aurora woke up with a smile on her face. It had been a week since Marina and Oliver had been absent from class, which meant that today they would be back with that news.


    Things were finally starting to pick up.


    She sat down with a cup of warm tea and some sweets on the table. She couldn''t wait to hear the news.


    "Miss, I''m back," Lyra said as she opened the door, holding a box in her hands.


    Aurora looked at her with a curious expression, "So, how did it go?"


    "It''s done!" Lyra exclaimed with a sense of accomplishment as she approached her employer.


    She passed the box over to Aurora, who opened it and took a quick glance inside before closing it again. "Good job," Aurora praised her with a smile.


    "Thank you, miss," Lyra replied with a warm smile of her own.


    "Why don''t you sit down and have some tea with me?" Aurora suggested, gesturing to the table where a pot of tea and a plate of sweets were laid out. "These sweets are really nice."


    Lyra nodded in agreement and took a seat, pouring herself a cup of tea to enjoy while they chatted.


    ***


    Aurora spotted Ruby on her way to class and was about to call out to her, but decided against it. She figured that it wasn''t the right moment to give her a gift.


    So, she silently followed her into the class.


    Marina and Oliver were already there, talking with several students who were interested in what they had experienced at the lab of the Magic Association. From their conversation, it seemed like they were still holding onto the news.


    Aurora took a seat and cast a quick glance towards Ruby. She too was looking at her. For a moment their eyes locked, but Ruby quickly blinked, realizing what had happened, and avoided Aurora''s gaze once again.


    The potion-making teacher walked into the class and Aurora could tell from his expression that he was in a good mood, which was a good thing for her as well, since it meant that the news was finally here.


    She glanced towards the front row, at Nova Wilder. She didn''t seem to have done anything to change the future either. Which is again a good thing for her.


    The teacher began by pulling out a potion from his pocket. It was the same type of potion they had made around a week ago, a weak health potion with a dark blue color.


    But something different in the middle of the potion. It looks kind of glowing.


    "This is the result of Marina and Oliver''s journey at the Lab of Magic Association," the teacher said. "Turns out, both of them are more than qualified at creating amazing potions, even more so than a professional."


    Marina and Oliver both blushed in embarrassment.


    "As you can see," the teacher continued. "this potion is a little different than the normal weak potion we made last time. This glow was successfully created by them using unexpected ingredients, making it 10 times stronger than an ordinary weak potion."


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    "That''s insane," one student said.


    "That''s great and all," another student said. "But is that really a big deal?"


    "Yeah, isn''t calling it insane overdoing it?"


    "Hey, stop mocking other people''s achievements!"


    "I''m just saying..."


    "Shut up, you don''t know anything!"


    The teacher clapped his hand, pulling attention back to him. "I understand that some of you may not understand why this is a big deal. That''s normal, you''re all still learning. So let me explain why this is important."


    The teacher pulled out a normal potion from his pocket. "If you''ve already mastered the potion-making process, you can try to improve it by adding or changing some of the ingredients. Professionals do it all the time. I used to do it before I decided to become a teacher."


    He put the potion on the table. "The change can be small, sometimes it''s big. But here''s the thing, what people consider a big improvement is usually around two times better than the original. An improvement of just ten percent is already a good thing."


    "I see," one of the students who had complained said, "If it''s compared to that, I can see how it''s amazing."


    The other student nodded in agreement.


    The teacher smiled. "And that''s not the end of it. A master from the Magic Association theorized that using the same ingredient, this effect can be recreated in other types of potions, like anti-venom potions for example. Making it ten times more potent."


    "So does that mean all potions will be a few times better soon?" someone asked.


    The teacher nodded. "Possibly. That''s why the Magic Association made an exception and will let both Marina and Oliver work part-time there. It''s their finding after all. It''s only fair for them to continue researching their finding and keep making improvements. So in the future, they might be absent a lot."


    "A break from studying, I''m jealous," a random student said.


    "They didn''t go there just for fun, stupid," Ruby said.


    Aurora immediately looked at her. Ruby noticed and reflexively looked away.


    "Anyway, that''s the end of the announcement," the teacher said. "Now let''s begin the class."


    ***


    Class is over.


    Aurora walked over to Ruby and stood beside her, trapping her against the wall.


    Ruby squirmed in her seat, avoiding Aurora''s gaze.


    "W-what?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.


    Aurora let out a deep sigh. "Are you still upset about what happened that day?" she asked, "I''m sorry."


    "It''s okay," Ruby replied quickly. "I''m not mad anymore. So... Can you please let me go now?"


    "No!" Aurora exclaimed, her voice firm. "We''re not done yet. Please, look at me."


    Ruby let out a sigh, but obliged and met Aurora''s gaze. Her blue eyes were intense, and Ruby felt a warmth creep onto her cheeks.


    "Wh-what now...?" Ruby stammered, trying to hide her embarrassment.


    Aurora smiled. "Finally, you''re looking at me. I can''t do this if you don''t pay attention properly."


    "Do what--" Ruby started to ask, but was interrupted as Aurora pushed a box into her chest, letting go and allowing Ruby to reflexively grab it before it fell.


    "What is it...?" Ruby stared at the box, confused.


    Aurora smiled and answered, "It''s a gift from me."


    "Gift?" Ruby asked.


    "Why don''t you try to open it?" Aurora encouraged her.


    Glancing nervously at Aurora, Ruby slowly opened the box. The first thing she noticed was something red inside. Then her gaze settled. She knew exactly what it was because she had a huge collection of that gemstone at home. It was a necklace, with a ruby in it, like her name.


    "You like gemstones, right? So, I hope you like it," Aurora said with a little smile. "So, about what happened that day, Aurora nervously looked at her own hand. Nova wanted to talk about the abandoned mine, right? My family bought that mine, and it''s actually full of gems. I had this idea that I want to gift you gems from there. That''s why I told you to go first. I was worried if you stayed, it would ruin the surprise."


    Aurora looked up, nervous about what reaction Ruby would show. Would she be happy? Would she be angry? But what she saw was Ruby''s crying face.


    "I''m sorry..." Ruby sobbed, tears streaming down her face.


    "Why are you apologizing?" Aurora reached out and gently wiped Ruby''s tears with her finger. "You really are a crybaby."


    Ruby quickly wiped her own tears, pouting slightly.


    "I''m not," she insisted.


    "Sorry," Aurora smiled, her expression softening.


    Ruby looked down at the box, taking in the sight of the beautiful ruby nestled inside. She hugged the box tightly.


    "Thank you," she said, her voice choked with emotion.


    Aurora''s face broke out into a relieved smile. "Sure, anytime."


    ***


    As the man walked into the Magic Association office, he was greeted by an old man with a long white beard sitting behind a desk.


    The man cleared his throat and said, "I have some bad news, Director. We''re running low on Kroma herb. The stock in the market is pretty limited and the price has gone up more than a hundred percent. When our finding becomes more widely known, things will get worse."


    The old man let out a sigh and said, "Yes, unfortunately. Have you found out why this widely available herb is suddenly disappearing?"


    "Well, around a week ago, someone started hiring people to buy huge amounts of Kroma herb all over the kingdom, but for no clear reason," the man replied.


    The old man''s eyes widened, "Is it possible that our research leaked?"


    "I''d like to think so, but no," the man said. "They started buying the herb a few days before we found out about its hidden functions. It might not be connected."


    The old man nodded, "But the timing is suspicious. Does that mean someone already knows about this? Or maybe..."


    The man interrupted, "What should we do, Director?"


    The old man thought for a moment before asking, "Have you found out who bought the herb?"


    "We''re still not sure, but some people say it was a noble family," the man replied.


    The old man grumbled, "Just our luck. They''re planning to monopolize the herb, eh?"


    The man nodded, "Even if we found out who bought it, we might not be able to do anything if it''s a noble."


    The old man let out a sigh, "At this point, we can only wait for their next move. Hopefully, this won''t be a hindrance to the our development of new potions."


    ***

 Clairvoyance.

    Viscount Starlight has been busy all day. When the fact that he bought all of the Kroma herb out became known, everyone suddenly became interested in meeting and talking to him.


    Even though he is a noble, he has never received this kind of attention before. Everything feels unreal, especially the reason why this is happening in the first place.


    To address this problem, he is already calling her back home; the one responsible, her own daughter, Aurora Starlight.


    "This can''t be a coincidence," he murmured to himself, while waiting in his office.


    Once? Sure. You could say she was just lucky. But twice? And not only that, causing this much of a ruckus all over the kingdom?


    No, something is wrong.


    He heard the sound of a horse-drawn carriage and immediately stood up to look out the window.


    It''s been what? A few weeks? A month? Since he saw his daughter. All these problems have made him forget how much he misses her.


    The sight of her blue hair immediately caught his eye as she walked gracefully, followed by her personal maid, Lyra.


    After he couldn''t see her figure anymore, obscured by the wall, he quickly made his way back to his chair. He straightened his tie and waited.


    Soon, there was a knock on the door.


    "Father," Aurora said. "It''s me."


    He cleared his throat. "Yes, please come in."


    The door opened and she walked in. She had a calm expression on her face as she made her way inside.


    "Long time no see, father," she smiled.


    "Yes, how has the magic academy been? I hope you''re enjoying your time there," he asked.


    "I am, quite a lot," she replied.


    He nodded. "Okay, let''s sit down first. I need to talk to you about something important."


    Aurora sat down and said, "It''s about the herb, right?"


    Their eyes met. "It''s not just that. It''s about the mine too. It''s not a coincidence, I assume?"


    "Yes," Aurora said hesitantly. "I''m not sure how I should tell you about this. The first time it happened, I thought it was just my imagination. Just a coincidence. But the more it kept happening, the more I knew that it wasn''t just my imagination."


    Aurora recited her prepared speech, lying through her teeth without skipping a beat.


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    "I think I have a power to see the future," Aurora said, her voice barely above a whisper.


    Her father gulped. "Clairvoyance?"


    Aurora nodded. "Something like that."


    The viscount tried to calm himself down.


    A light magic user and then clairvoyance? That''s too much, he thought.


    "Have you told anyone about it?" he asked.


    "No," Aurora said.


    "Not even Lyra? Or your friends?"


    "I didn''t tell anyone," Aurora said. "I''m aware of the danger."


    "That''s... That''s good," her father said, trying to process the information.


    "Is that all? Can I go now? I''m kinda tired," Aurora asked.


    "No, wait," her father said. "Even if you''re getting imagery from the future, why did you decide to buy that mine and these herbs?"


    "It''s...important for my safety," Aurora said, choosing her words carefully.


    "What do you mean?" her father pressed.


    "I can''t really tell you the details," Aurora said. "It''s not like what I saw is a perfect image. But according to my vision, this needs to be done."


    "I see," her father said, still trying to make sense of it all.


    "I''m sorry," Aurora said, trying to smile. "I should have told you everything from the beginning."


    "No, it''s fine," her father said. "It''s something unbelievable anyway. It''s not like I would have believed it easily."


    Aurora nodded.


    "Anyway, why don''t you go and rest?" her father suggested. "We can continue this discussion later."


    "Alright, thank you father," Aurora said, standing up and walking toward the door. But before she reached the door handle, she paused and looked back.


    "Ah, one more thing," she said. "Please don''t sell the Kroma herb to anyone but Nicholas Wolf. Not even the Magic Association. Make him our exclusive merchant."


    ***


    Ruby had been eagerly looking forward to spending the day with Aurora. She had planned out all sorts of fun activities, but things never go as planned.


    Now she sits alone in her classroom, feeling let down.


    Everything fell apart when Aurora suddenly had to go home. It seems like something big is happening with her family, something about a stupid herb or something, she doesn''t care. All she wants is Aurora by her side.


    It sucks.


    Especially because yesterday everything just great. She still feel giddy thinking about it.


    For the past few days, Ruby has been avoiding Aurora. Aurora thinks she''s angry, but that''s not it at all. Ruby is embarrassed.


    She''s been thinking about her feelings a lot and she''s finally come to admit the truth: she''s in love with Aurora.


    It''s embarrassing to fall in love with your friend, but the most embarrassing thing is how easily she break down and then easily moves on.


    Every time she remembers about it, she just wants to hide her head somewhere.


    How embarrassing.


    She let out a long sigh.


    Maybe this is some sort of punishment. The way Ruby has been avoiding Aurora for the past few days must have hurt her, even if it didn''t seem to affect her much. And now, when Ruby wants nothing more than to spend time with Aurora, her wish is denied.


    "I don''t have the right to complain then," she whispers to herself.


    She touches the ruby necklace she''s wearing around her neck. Usually, she doesn''t like wearing gems, she just likes collecting and admiring them. But this necklace is special.


    Probably because of her name, she likes red. But recently she thinks blue is not bad either. That stupid blue girl.


    A white-haired girl walked into the classroom, looking around for a moment until her eyes landed on Ruby.


    "Hey," she said. "You''re Ruby, right?"


    Ruby nodded. "Do you need something?" she said. "Potion genius."


    The white-haired girl''s face flushed red, "Eh, I''m not good enough to be called a genius."


    "I didn''t mean to praise you," Ruby said. "Whatever. So what do you want, Marina?"


    "I saw you''re close with Aurora," the white-haired girl, Marina said.


    "Well, I guess," Ruby said, blushing. "So what about that?"


    "I would love to talk to her directly, but alas, she''s absent. So I thought I could talk to you instead," Marina said.


    "What are you talking about?" Ruby asked.


    "Ah, sorry. I thought everyone already knew. But I guess you didn''t really care about it?" Marina said.


    "Just get to the point. What do you want?" Ruby said, her patience wearing thin.


    "Okay, okay. You see, Aurora''s family has been collecting a huge amount of herbs that everyone needs right now. So I thought you might be able to put in a word for me with her. Right now in the market, it''s just too expensive. So if you could..." she said, trailing off.


    "So basically, you''re asking me for a favor?" Ruby said.


    "Yes," Marina said.


    "Hm..." Ruby is trying to think about it. She can try to help her, but why would she? There''s no real reason, except...


    "What do you think about Nova?" Ruby asked.


    "Nova Wilder?" Marina said. "Well, we barely interact directly, so this is a one-sided opinion from an outsider''s perspective."


    "And?" Ruby asked impatiently.


    "I''m going to admit, I don''t really like her," Marina said. "Especially because Oliver said she is the reason he keeps chasing potion making, yet she doesn''t seem to care about potions."


    "Alright, you pass. We can be allies. I mean, friends," Ruby said.


    "Does that mean... you''ll help me?" Marina asked.


    "I get it," Ruby said. "I''ll try to talk to Aurora about it later."


    "Wah, thank you!" Marina said, smiling widely. She trying to hug Ruby, but that small girl reject it.


    "It''s fine," Ruby said. "And we''re fellow Nova haters anyway."


    "Ri-Right," Marina said, not feeling too comfortable forming a friendship based on hating, but she couldn''t be picky at the moment. It was for her research.


    Behind the door, Oliver was peeking. "That''s unfair, Marina," he grumbled. "You know I''m not good with girls."


    ***

 Contact.

    Lyra has noticed from the beginning that there is something strange with her master.


    Okay, probably not from the beginning. It began to happen when she entered the magic academy.


    It''s not like she has become a totally different person, but she can tell the subtle difference. And her orders are a lot weirder than usual.


    At first, she didn''t really think about it, but now she knows why.


    It happened by total coincidence. She wasn''t purposely trying to eavesdrop or anything. She wasn''t randomly wandering around the Viscount''s office for no reason. She wasn''t curious about what actually happened.


    And then she heard it. From behind the door her master said, "I think I have a power to see the future."


    It all makes sense now. All her strange actions, all her odd requests must be because she knows something about the future.


    Still, discovering her master''s big secret in such a way made Lyra feel bad.


    What a terrible maid she was.


    Aurora didn''t tell her because she didn''t trust her enough, and that thought made her feel sad. But the fact that she had been eavesdropping and found out her secret like this made her realize that her master was right; she wasn''t trustworthy.


    Lyra walked through the garden of the Viscount''s family with a defeated feeling. She couldn''t forgive herself for what she had done.


    Why couldn''t she have just waited for her master to tell her herself? she thought. Why couldn''t she have controlled her curiosity better? What if her master found out what she had done? Would she... throw her away?


    The thought terrified her.


    It''s been many years since she has served as her maid. She''s already a part of her life. If she lost that...


    Lyra snapped back to reality when she suddenly felt something dark watching her, like a wild beast eyeing its prey. She immediately looked in the direction the feeling came from, but there was nothing there, just an empty garden of flowers.


    Is she imagining it? She wondered. Or...


    She pushed aside her fear and slowly walked in that direction. There should have been guards around that area, so someone or something shouldn''t have been able to enter so easily, but...


    "Don''t look back," a sudden whisper came from behind her. Lyra was stunned.


    "You''re Lyra, correct?" whispered the man behind her.


    Lyra nodded in fear.


    "I have a message for your master," he said, putting something in her hand. "Don''t drop it."


    Lyra immediately grabbed it tightly. The man''s voice was calm, but she felt danger in every word he said.


    "Tell your master I accept her invitation," he said. "I''m looking forward to talking with her directly."


    Suddenly a strong wind pushed her back and the feeling of someone watching her disappeared. She looked back and there was no one there.


    She looked at her hand and saw a white envelope there.


    She immediately ran inside.


    "Lyra, don''t run inside," an older maid scolded her, but she ignored it. She hurried to her master''s room.


    She knocked on the door with heavy breath.


    "Miss," she said. "It''s me."


    "Come in, Lyra."


    She entered and saw her master lying on the bed. A blanket covered half of her body and she had a book on her lap.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Aurora looked at her. "What''s wrong, Lyra?" she said, worried. "You don''t look so good."


    "I-I''m fine," she stammered. "Someone gave this to me for you."


    She held out the envelope to Aurora.


    "Oh," Aurora''s eyes opened wider, "so they''ve finally made a move."


    "Y-you know who this is from...?" Lyra asked.


    Aurora smiled. "The one I''ve been asking you to find for a while now, the Information Guild."


    ***


    The next day, Aurora stood beside her horse and carriage, ready to head back to the magic academy. Her father gave her a hug and said, "Don''t worry about what happened. Just enjoy your time at the academy. I''ll take care of everything." Aurora nodded and smiled in return, feeling reassured by her father''s words.


    Her maid, Lyra, quietly entered the carriage with Aurora''s belongings.


    "I love you, Father," Aurora said, turning to her father. "I''ll see you later."


    She gave him one last smile before climbing into the carriage and setting off for the academy.


    The carriage began to move and Aurora settled in, trying to find a comfortable position. The carriage jostled along the uneven road, and Aurora let out a sigh. No matter how well-made the carriage was, it couldn''t compare to the comfort of a car.


    Lyra sat across from her, looking down at her hands, fidgeting nervously.


    "What is it, Lyra?" Aurora asked, noticing her maid''s unease.


    "Wha-nothing, Miss," Lyra replied, surprised by the question.


    "I''ve known you for a long time," Aurora said. "I can tell when something is on your mind."


    Lyra let out a sigh. "I''m sorry, Miss," she apologized.


    "So, what is it?" Aurora asked, looking at her intently.


    "About that guild," Lyra said slowly, "they are dangerous. Are you sure you want to be in contact with them?"


    "Hm," Aurora mused. "I believe you asked me this question before."


    "Yes... but after meeting them, I''ve realized just how dangerous they can be," Lyra added with concern.


    Looking at her worried maid, Aurora placed her hand on top of Lyra''s. "Just trust me, okay? I know it''s dangerous, but I can''t gain anything without taking risks."


    Lyra understood. She knew Aurora''s interest in the guild must have something to do with her future sight abilities. All she could do was nod in agreement.


    The rest of the journey passed without any issues. They arrived at the magic academy about two hours later.


    As Aurora stepped out of the carriage, a familiar small figure came into view. "Aurora!" the small girl with twintails exclaimed as she hugged her. "I missed you!"


    Aurora laughed. "I''ve only been gone for a day though. But I missed you too, Ruby." She hugged her back.


    Behind her, her maid stepped out of the carriage. "Miss, I will go ahead and unpack in your room," Lyra said, carrying Aurora''s belongings.


    "Oh, right. Thank you, Lyra," Aurora said.


    Lyra nodded and headed off to take care of Aurora''s things.


    "So," Aurora said, "how long are you going to keep hugging me?"


    "Just a little bit more," Ruby replied, hugging her tighter.


    "Fine," Aurora said, patting Ruby''s head.


    "Okay, I''m done," Ruby said as she finally let go.


    "Your face is so red," Aurora said, touching her forehead. "Are you sick?"


    "Yes," Ruby said. "love sick."


    "Don''t joke around," Aurora said.


    "I''m fine, really," Ruby replied. "Let''s get inside."


    "Yes," Aurora said, as they walked towards the academy. "And by the way, Ruby, that necklace suits you."


    Ruby''s face reddened even more. "Thanks," she said.


    "Are you sure you''re not sick?" Aurora asked again.


    "I''m fine, geez!" Ruby said, trying to hide her blushing face. "Anyway, how have things been? I heard you were called home because there was a problem?"


    "Yes," Aurora replied. "But it''s fine. My father will handle it."


    "So, no problem then?" Ruby asked.


    "I guess not," Aurora said.


    "If you need any help," Ruby said. "Just tell me. I''ll force my dad to do something about it."


    Aurora smiled, "Thank you."


    Sometimes she forgets that Ruby''s family is higher ranked than hers. A marquis family.


    "Oh, speaking of that," Ruby said. "I remember Marina came to me yesterday."


    "Ah, the potion making genius?" Aurora asked.


    Did she take the bait? Aurora wondered.


    Ruby nodded. "She asked if you could help her with something about the herb. It''s fine if you don''t want to though, I''m not trying to force you to do anything."


    "It''s fine, I don''t mind helping my classmate," Aurora said. "Though I can''t promise anything, at least I''m willing to hear her out first."


    "Thank you," Ruby said. "And she dislikes Nova too, so she can join our alliance."


    "Oh, that would be great," Aurora said, smiling at the thought of gaining another ally in their little group.


    ***


    The Viscount Starlight is in turmoil.


    Rejecting a business deal with people who have a higher rank than him is not easy, especially when it''s an offer from the Magic Association. They even sent their director to speak with him.


    But that''s all not his biggest problem.


    Nicholas Wolf is a young man with green hair, around twenty years old, of unknown origin. He''s a rising young merchant whose reputation is quite good, so he have no problem working with him, but...


    The door knocked, and the butler entered the room with a polite announcement, "My lord, Nicholas Wolf has arrived."


    "Alright," the Viscount replied, "Please send him in."


    Moments later, Nicholas walked into the room with a friendly expression on his face.


    "Good day, my lord," he greeted, "My name is Nicholas Wolf, thank you for inviting me here."


    The Viscount nodded in response. "Please, have a seat," he gestured towards a comfortable chair.


    "Thank you," Nicholas smiled as he sat down.


    "Listen," The Viscount said, his tone serious, "I''ve done my research on you, and I''m willing to work with you, but I need to ask you something."


    Nicholas nodded, looking relieved. "Of course, my lord. What is it?"


    The Viscount''s gaze turned harsh. "What is your relationship with my daughter?"


    "W-What?" Nicholas stammered, confused and terrified. "Where did you meet her? What do you do with her? Why does she trust you?"


    The Viscount''s glare was intense.


    "S-sorry, my lord," Nicholas said, his voice trembling. "But, what is this about?"


    The butler cleared his throat. "My lord, we''ve already done a thorough check on everything. I don''t think there''s any hidden connection."


    The Viscount calmed down and said, "Alright, let''s start from there. Do you know my daughter?"


    "Y-yes, my lord," Nicholas replied. "I have heard of her, Aurora Starlight. I heard she is quite a charming young lady."


    The Viscount approved of the description but remained hostile towards Nicholas. "And, what is your relationship with her?"


    "I-I think you''ve got the wrong person, my lord," Nicholas said. "We''ve never even met before. There are a lot of merchants in this kingdom, you might be confusing me with someone else."


    The Viscount remained suspicious. "Really? But your name is Nicholas Wolf, right?"


    "That''s true, my lord," Nicholas confirmed.


    "But you claim you don''t know my daughter?"


    "That''s right, my lord. I''ve never met her," Nicholas said.


    "Then why is she specifically asking me to work with you?" The Viscount asked, confusion etched on his face.


    "Pardon? She is?" Nicholas said, surprised. "I... I don''t know, my lord."


    "Are you sure?" The Viscount said, his tone serious. "I won''t forgive you if I find out that you forced my daughter to recommend you."


    "I swear, my lord," Nicholas said, his voice panicked. "I didn''t do anything like that."


    The Viscount stared at him, studying his expression.


    "What do you think?" The Viscount addressed the butler.


    "I think he truly doesn''t know the young lady, my lord," the butler said.


    "Then why would she specifically pick him?" The Viscount asked.


    "I believe she might have heard of him through rumors," the butler said. "His growth as a merchant is quite impressive, after all. Or maybe..." the butler stopped, his gaze meeting the Viscount''s. The Viscount nodded, understanding.


    The Viscount had already confided in his trusty butler about his daughter''s powers. His family had been loyal to the Viscount''s family for generations, so he trusted his judgement.


    The message was clear, his daughter might have seen this man through her clairvoyance ability, even though they had never met in person.


    The Viscount let out a long breath. "Fine, I will trust you for now. Then let''s talk about business."


    ***

 Connected.

    Oliver never imagined that his inability to communicating with girls would hold him back like this.


    Yesterday, the Director of the Magic Association summoned Oliver and Marina to his office. It was regarding the Kroma herb. Oliver knew exactly what this was about, the sudden shortage of stock and the spike in prices.


    "I''ve already spoken with Viscount Starlight," the Director said. "But unfortunately, he''s not willing to make a deal with us."


    Oliver swallowed hard. He had a pretty good idea where this conversation was headed.


    He had not yet interacted with her--probably never would, but he was in the same class as the Viscount''s daughter, Aurora.


    "Why don''t you try talking to her?" the Director suggested. "Maybe she can convince her father to be more reasonable. I know it might not be what either of you want, but it would really help us out. Our research will ultimately benefit a lot of people."


    Oliver groaned in pain. Next to him, a cute girl with white hair named Marina seemed okay with the idea.


    "I''m not the best at communicating," Marina admitted. "But I''ll give it a try."


    And so, the mission given by the director led to the current situation. Oliver found himself secretly watching three girls meeting in the garden.


    He saw Marina, his fellow potion-making enthusiast, talking with a blue-haired girl named Aurora and a small girl named Ruby.


    He couldn''t hear their conversation clearly, but he was certain they were discussing the herb.


    This is so unfair, he thought. There''s no way he could compete with Marina when it came to talking to girls.


    Throughout his life, besides his mother, the only girls he had ever had proper conversations with were Nova and Marina.


    He still remembered it clearly. Because his magic element turned out to be darkness, his family had encouraged him to become a magic warrior. After all, darkness magic was known to be the most offensive of the six elements.


    But he disliked fighting. What he wanted to do was make potions.


    But his parents didn''t care about what he wanted, they kept pushing him to train in magic and sword fighting.


    At one point, he was forced to join training with the Wilder family. They were well-known for their expertise in darkness magic, so his family thought he could learn something from them.


    At first, he didn''t really interact with Nova Wilder, the daughter of the family. To be honest, she scared him. All he wanted was for the training to end quickly.


    But after long hours of training, when he was resting alone, Nova approached him.


    "The training is harsh," Nova said, "But I can tell your heart isn''t really into it."


    He could only nod in agreement.


    She suddenly sat down next to him and his heart began to race.


    "I heard you''re good at making potions," she said.


    "Um...a little," he replied nervously.


    "Is that what you really want to do?"


    He reluctantly nodded.


    "Then go for it," she said. "Just because you have a talent for darkness magic doesn''t mean you have to pursue it. It''s important to follow your own interests."


    "But..." he began to protest.


    She gave him a light punch on his arm. "You''re too weak anyway. No way you''ll be able to master darkness magic with such half-assed effort."


    And with that, she got up and left.


    Oliver smiled to himself. That was the moment he decided to ignore everything else and chase after what he truly wanted.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Getting attention from the Magic Association is great, but it''s the findings that have him most excited.


    With Marina, his interests align and it''s easy for him to talk to her. Especially during that one week they spent at the lab, surrounded by adults and professionals, they had no one else to talk to except each other.


    And then they were given a chance to experiment with rare tools said to be relics from ancient times. Through their experimentation, they somehow discovered the special properties of the Kroma herb.


    At that time, he and Marina had a conversation.


    "Hey," Marina said, "I''m not really happy they praised me as a genius because of this."


    "Yeah, I know what you mean," Oliver agreed. "It feels wrong somehow."


    "But I won''t reject it," Marina said. "I''ll just think of it as an opportunity. This time my accomplishments were just because of luck, but next time it will be from my own skill."


    Oliver smiled. "Yeah, me too. I won''t lose to you."


    And from there they promised to be rivals, competing to see who would make the next breakthrough first.


    But then there he is, secretly watching three girls talking. He feels like a creep.


    If he had some sort of skill to talk to a girl, he might be able to join their conversation. But that just impossible, a hurdle too high for a guy like him.


    He was about to leave when a voice called out to him, "What are you doing here?"


    He looked back. Marina, the girl with white hair, was staring at him.


    "I-it''s nothing," he stammered.


    "Watching us secretly is creepy, you know," she said.


    So she noticed. His face turned pale.


    "Well, I can guess why you did it," she said. "It''s fine. We already have an agreement."


    "Meaning...?"


    "Aurora will sell Kroma herb to us at a low price."


    ***


    Today, Aurora and Lyra walked through the busy town streets, taking in the sights and sounds around them.


    "So, where are we headed?" Aurora asked, turning to Lyra.


    Lyra looked at the paper she was holding. "Um... Based on this message they sent you, it looks like we''re headed to that tavern over there," she said, pointing to a nearby building.


    Aurora took a closer look at the place Lyra had pointed out. It was more like a cafe in the modern world, with a few chairs and tables set up outside.


    Aurora picked a table that was shaded by a nearby building and sat down. Lyra stood behind her.


    A young tavern worker approached them, around the same age as Aurora. "Welcome to our tavern," she said with a smile. "What can I get for you?"


    "I''d like a cold drink," Aurora said. "And we were waiting for..." she looked at Lyra. "What''s his name again?"


    Lyra looked back at the paper.


    "Dante," she replied.


    Aurora nodded. "Dante. If he''s coming, please make sure he finds us," she said to the tavern worker.


    "No need," Before the worker could respond, a purple-haired young man appeared beside Aurora, catching everyone off guard. "I''m already here," he said nonchalantly.


    Lyra and the tavern worker were surprised, but Aurora looked at him calmly, as if she had expected him to arrive at any moment.


    "That''s fast," Aurora said with a hint of amusement.


    Dante grinned, "Maybe I was here before you even arrived," he said as he took a seat across from her.


    "I''ll have the same as this lady," he said to the tavern worker, who nodded and quickly went to fulfill the order.


    Finally, Aurora met Dante Raven, the leader of the Information Guild and the secret capture target.


    "Let''s talk," Dante said.


    Aurora replied, "Sure."


    Lyra looked at the man with careful eyes. She was certain that this was the man who had given her the envelope. That mean he could be a threat to her master.


    "So," Dante began, "I heard you''re looking for us."


    "Yes," Aurora said, getting straight to the point.


    Dante leaned back in his chair and smiled. "I wonder what a noble lady like yourself wants from us. I hope you''re not looking for any bad information, right?"


    Aurora rolled her eyes. "Stop playing around. We both know why we''re here."


    "Fine," Dante said. "Usually, I don''t meet with clients directly, but I made an exception for you. I bit into your invitation and met you here. So, you think you have something we want? But what can you really offer us?"


    Aurora let out a sigh. "You already know that, don''t you? If not, it might not be worth making a deal with you."


    His expression becoming serious. "So it''s true? About you being able to see the future?"


    Lyra gasped.


    "Yes," Aurora simply replied, "as expected you already know."


    Aurora then gave a short glance towards her maid, Lyra. Lyra''s face turned pale and she lowered her head.


    Dante stared at Aurora, trying to read her expressions as she spoke. The blue-haired lady seemed confident in her words, and Dante couldn''t help but believe that she was telling the truth.


    "Then I will tell you my offer," Aurora said. "Your guild is currently dealing with a big mission, right? And from all people, it''s come from the king himself."


    Dante was taken aback. "How... How much do you know?"


    "I believe he''s worried about the rising of a group of rebels that call themselves the Black Knights," Aurora continued. "He''s asking your guild to find information about them. But even as amazing as your Information Guild is, you guys are stuck."


    Dante sat there in silence, seemingly afraid to speak and reveal any unnecessary information.


    "Lyra," Aurora said, "Give me the map."


    The maid quickly reached into her bag and handed the bundled paper to her master.


    Aurora unfurled the map on the table and, using a pen, marked three spots on it.


    "These are the first three locations of their secret hideout," Aurora said. "Why don''t you confirm this information first and we can make the real contracts later?"


    She slid the map over to Dante, who eagerly took it and began studying it closely.


    Aurora stood up from her chair, "That''s all for today," she said. "Have a good day."


    She left and her maid quickly following her behind.


    Dante, still in shock, couldn''t even bring himself to try and stop her. He pocketed the map and couldn''t help but smile to himself.


    "What an interesting girl."


    The tavern worker came back over with two glasses of drinks, breaking Dante out of his thoughts.


    ***


    Lyra timidly followed her master, her heart pounding with fear. She kept her eyes fixed on the ground, trying to steady her breathing as she walked behind her master.


    A quick glance from Aurora was all it took for Lyra to realize that she had been caught. Aurora knew she had been eavesdropping and was aware of her big secret.


    At the tavern she couldn''t help but be surprised at how the information guild knew about it. After all, the only people who were supposed to know were Aurora and his father. But her gasp gave away that she knew too.


    "Lyra," Aurora said, stopping in her tracks.


    "Ye-yes?" Lyra stammered.


    "Don''t you have something you should say?" Aurora said without looking at her.


    Lyra blinked. Aurora was giving her the opportunity to admit her mistakes. At first, her weak heart was planning to make excuses, that she was accidentally listening or that she didn''t mean to.


    But before she could open her mouth and start babbling a lie, she could feel it. Her master, in some way, already knew everything. How angry would she be if she added lies on top of that?


    She shuddered.


    "I...," Lyra started, "I''m sorry miss... I, I eavesdropped on your talk with your father..."


    Her tears fell. "I''m sorry..."


    Aurora turned around, her hand touching Lyra''s cheeks. But not out of kindness.


    "Is that all you did?" Aurora asked.


    "Ye-yes," Lyra said, "I''m sorry..."


    "Did you sell that information to someone?" Aurora asked. "Like that Dante guy from before?"


    "N-no, I never told anyone..."


    "You''re not lying, right?" Aurora asked.


    "Of course not," Lyra said.


    "Okay then," Aurora said, releasing her cheeks. Lyra still looked down, too scared to look at her master''s face.


    "But Lyra," Aurora said, "you know you''ve disappointed me, right?"


    "Y-yes, I''m sorry. Please punish me. I''ll do anything you want," Lyra replied, lowering her head. She expected her master to hit her or something, but to her surprise, her master didn''t do such a thing.


    "For now," Aurora said, "go back home. Tell my father that information about my ability leaked. Someone betrayed our family."


    ***

 Book.

    Aurora felt that her talk with Dante went extremely well. She managed to get him to reveal all of his cards.


    At first, she had planned on telling Dante about her power to see the future, but it turned out he already knew? She didn''t expect that.


    She was equally surprised to learn that her maid, Lyra, knew about it too.


    At first, she suspected Lyra as a traitor, but looking at her past behavior, she didn''t seem like the type to scheme behind someone''s back.


    The maid was probably just curious and ended up eavesdropping, but there was no ill intent behind it, just for her own amusement.


    That means the information is being leaked by someone else, possibly back in her home.


    Lyra knocked on the door and said, "Miss, it''s me."


    "Come in," Aurora replied.


    The maid entered the room, her expression looking terrible. She didn''t dare to look Aurora in the face.


    "How did it go?" Aurora asked.


    "As instructed," Lyra said, "I already told your father what you asked me to."


    "Did you tell him about my meeting with Dante?" Aurora asked.


    "No," the maid replied, "I didn''t mention anything unnecessary."


    "Good," Aurora said, "now come here, Lyra."


    Her voice and tone sounding soft and kind. But Lyra was still terrified.


    "What''s wrong?" Aurora asked, "I won''t hurt you."


    That''s exactly what people who are going to hurt you say, Lyra thought to herself.


    But she obliged and approached Aurora, who was sitting on her bed. Anxiety filled her mind.


    Aurora gave her a hug.


    "You silly maid," Aurora said, "you better reflect on your mistake and never do it again."


    Lyra cried. "Yes... I''m sorry, miss."


    "I have plenty of other secrets you don''t know," Aurora said. "Are you going to try and sneakily find out?"


    "No, I won''t," Lyra replied. "Unless you tell me yourself."


    "And when I do," Aurora said, "you better hold that secret to yourself."


    "I will," Lyra promised.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "I won''t stop you from fooling around," Aurora said, "but know your limits, okay?"


    "Yes," Lyra said.


    "Good girl," Aurora said as she released her hug.


    "Now stop crying," Aurora said as she wiped the tears from her maid''s cheeks. "I have something you need to do."


    The maid nodded. "What is it, miss?"


    "Go meet a guy named Nicholas Wolf," Aurora said. "He is a merchant our family works with. I want him to look for a book titled ''Cheerful Mysteries''. It''s a rare children''s book that''s hard to find. I believe it comes from the other side of the land."


    "Cheerful Mysteries," Lyra repeated. "Understood, miss."


    "Tell him I need it soon," Aurora said. "If he can''t find it in less than a week, I will cut off business deals between him and my family."


    ***


    Viscount Starlight stood in his office, his face an unreadable mask. He had just received some devastating news from his daughter''s maid. It seemed that information about his daughter''s clairvoyant powers had been leaked, and someone within his household had betrayed them.


    He couldn''t believe it. Everyone in his house was like family to him. How could someone be willing to betray him and his daughter in such a way? He clenched his teeth in anger and frustration.


    He was already swamped with other responsibilities, and now this had to happen? He couldn''t help but wonder if the traitor had taken advantage of his busy schedule. Maybe they thought he was too preoccupied to pay attention and that''s how they were able to pull it off.


    A knock on the door interrupted Viscount Starlight''s thoughts.


    "My lord, are you calling for me?" the butler''s voice called from the other side.


    Viscount Starlight tried to compose himself, "Yes, come in," he said.


    The butler entered the room, "Is there a problem, my lord? I noticed that Lyra had returned not long ago. Is this somehow connected?"


    "Yes," Viscount Starlight said, "She brought some bad news."


    "What news?" the butler looked curious and worried.


    "Aurora''s power has been leaked," the Viscount said, his expression grim.


    "Leaked...?" the butler repeated.


    The Viscount laughed bitterly. "Yes, my daughter has been carefully keeping it a secret, she didn''t even tell her closest friends or her maid. I''m the only one she told, the only one she trusted. And now I''ve gone and messed it up by telling you,"


    "My lord..." the butler started to panic, "What are we going to do? This is a disaster!"


    "Get out!" The Viscount screamed, "Get out of my house!"


    "Please, let me explain--"


    "Shut up! I don''t care about your reasoning! I gave you my trust and this is how you repay me? Get out of my sight right now!" the Viscount shouted, the anger and betrayal clear in his voice.


    In a fit of rage, the Viscount threw his glass at the butler, but it missed and shattered loudly against the wall.


    The commotion caught the attention of the nearby maids, and they quickly opened the office door to investigate. Inside, they saw the butler lying on his back, with shattered glass scattered around him. The butler looked pale.


    "Wha-what happened...?" one of the maids asked, looking startled.


    "Is everything alright, my lord...?" another one asked, looking worried.


    The Viscount tried to compose himself, but his expression remained stern. "Call everyone. If I find out that any of you were working with this traitorous butler and betraying this family, I won''t let you live in peace."


    ***


    Ruby sat alone in the academy garden, feeling bored. She had nobody to keep her company.


    She obviously doesn''t want to watch Finnick train, she''s done with that. Meanwhile her new ally and friend, Marina, was not yet back from the Magic Association lab and would possibly be absent for a few days.


    And then, the most important one, Aurora, said she had something to do in town and rejected her when Ruby asked her to join. That made her sad, but she had learned from experience that getting offended over something small like that was stupid.


    And who knows? She might bring her another gift. Ruby smiled as she touched her necklace.


    "You seem to like that necklace a lot," Nova said.


    Ruby was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn''t notice Nova was around. She immediately looked at her, annoyed. She might be bored and want some company, but that didn''t mean she wanted to spend her time with THIS girl.


    "That''s weird," Nova said, looking at her closely. "I thought you didn''t like wearing them."


    Ruby didn''t like how Nova acted like she knew her. They weren''t friends, of course not, they were enemies. Nova''s friendly act just irritated her.


    "So what?" Ruby said, not hiding her displeasure. "It''s special, Aurora gave it to me."


    "Oh, is that so?" Nova said. Ruby could tell by her expression that this information seemed to give her an idea.


    "What?" Ruby said, confused.


    Nova smirked. "You''re so happy just because of one piece of gem when she stole from you a whole mine?"


    "What nonsense are you talking about?" Ruby said, her annoyance growing.


    "As far as I can see, it seems you consider her a close friend?" Nova said. "But she''s hiding a lot of secrets from you."


    "Can you not talk about Aurora like that?" Ruby''s anger was now clearly evident. "You don''t know anything about her!"


    Nova smiled as if she had heard something funny. "Oh, you''re such an innocent girl, it almost makes you cute. I know a lot more than you might think. Probably more than anyone else."


    "Lies!" Ruby yelled, her frustration boiling over.


    "I did not. I know her a lot, even if I don''t want to." Nova walked forward and plucked a rose flower. "I didn''t plan to tell this to anyone but it might be interesting to tell you. After all, we used to be friends."


    "Friends? Is that a joke? Because I''m not laughing."


    "It''s true," Nova said. "We used to hate Aurora together. After all, you''re the one who came to me and asked to be an ally."


    Ruby stared at her in disbelief. "Are you crazy? There''s no way something like that happened! Not even in your dreams."


    "I believe you noticed too," Nova said. "You''re not that dense. You could tell that me and Aurora have a history."


    Ruby hesitated. Their relationship did confuse her. Like they knew each other, even though they had just met and were supposed to have no connection whatsoever.


    Nova threw the flower up in the air. "I and that girl have been regressed," she said. "It means we''re going back a few years to the past."


    "What--?"


    ***

 Liar.

    "Going back in time?" Ruby laughed. "This is so stupid."


    Even with her mockery, Nova remained calm. They stared at each other.


    "So," Nova said. "Do you really think that''s impossible?"


    Her confidence worried Ruby, but she knew this talk was just ridiculous. Why had she even bothered listening to her mad rambling?


    "I''ve never heard of such magic, and I''m done with you," Ruby said, trying to leave.


    "Are you sure you want to leave things hanging like this?" Nova said. "Don''t you want to learn more about Aurora and me?"


    Ruby knew that whatever Nova said, she couldn''t just believe it. Nova could easily be lying and messing with her, but... but she wanted to know more about it. She wanted to know more about Aurora.


    "Fine," Ruby said. "Let''s say I believe you two are back in time, then what?"


    "A lot," Nova said. "In the world before I was regressed, Aurora was basically bewitching all the boys. That includes my fianc¨¦, Finnick, Oliver, and all the others."


    Aurora being popular among boys, Ruby could believe it. Even right now she had heard rumors that some boys from noble families were planning to ask her to be their fianc¨¦. But her hogging Casper, Finnick, and Oliver? The image just felt wrong somehow.


    "Aurora''s not that kind of girl," Ruby said.


    "Well, I''ll admit she''s changed," Nova said. "Before this, she was more active in chasing guys. But anyway, because she stole Finnick''s attention from you, we ended up becoming friends."


    If the situation were different and it was Aurora who had stolen Finnick from her, Ruby couldn''t help but admit that she might have been willing to become friends with Nova.


    The idea of being friends with Nova disgusted her though.


    "We tried to get back at her with... a little pranks and stuff," Nova continued. "I over did it, angering Casper and almost getting killed by him. Instead, I regressed to my younger years."


    "So... you got a second chance?" Ruby tried to make sense of things.


    "I guess I wanted revenge," Nova said. "So after I regressed, I tried my best to be in friendly relationships with all the boys. So I wouldn''t get killed again. Though in the process, it seems I made you an enemy."


    Ruby was stunned. She had never seen Nova this vulnerable before. Was she really telling the truth?


    "Anyway," Nova said. "The mine that Aurora''s family bought, originally it was going to be yours. So isn''t that mean she''s stealing from you?"


    "What are you trying to say?" Ruby said, her mind trying to process all this new information.


    Nova smiled. "Are you and Aurora really friends?"


    ***


    Aurora noticed that over the past few days, Ruby has been acting a bit off. She hasn''t been avoiding Aurora like she did before, but she seems more distracted and not quite herself. Aurora can''t help but wonder what might be going on with her.


    Like today, after they finished their lesson, Aurora and Ruby were walking down the hall together.


    "Today''s lesson was pretty boring, huh?" Aurora said, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "I prefer something more hands-on."


    "Yeah," Ruby replied absentmindedly.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Really? What class do you like the best?" Aurora asked, curious.


    "Yeah," Ruby said, still not fully present in the conversation.


    Aurora sighed. "Again with this, you''re not even listening to me, are you?"


    "Yeah."


    "Do you like eating rocks?" Aurora asked.


    "Yeah--wait, what?" Ruby''s mind snapped back, looking at Aurora in confusion.


    "So, you''re finally paying attention to me now?" Aurora said, pouting.


    Ruby was stunned. She had never seen Aurora pout like that before.


    "Cute... I mean, I''m sorry," Ruby said, flustered. "I just... have a lot on my mind."


    "Okay," Aurora said, her tone a bit hurt. "I guess you don''t want to share it with me?"


    Ruby let out a sigh. "It''s not that I don''t want to tell you... "


    In fact, Ruby really want to talk about it with Aurora. After all, it''s about her. She think it''s better to find out stuff directly from her. But... She was scared.


    If what Nova said was true...


    "I get it," Aurora said, looking disappointed. "I guess I''m not the most reliable person."


    "No, no, no, that''s not what I mean," Ruby panicked.


    "Then what do you mean?" Aurora asked.


    "I-I mean... " Ruby didn''t have excuses prepared and her mind just wasn''t working right now. She struggled to find the right words to explain herself.


    "See? I''m just useless, right?" Aurora said. "I remember you asked me to tell you when I need help, but you don''t want the same from me?"


    "Y-you''re overthinking it, that''s not what I mean!" Ruby exclaimed.


    "Whatever," Aurora said, her tone dismissive, as she began to walk faster, leaving Ruby behind.


    "Wait!" Ruby called out, hurrying to catch up. "It''s my fault, please don''t be mad at me!"


    But Aurora didn''t listen and kept walking quickly. Ruby reached out and grabbed her hand, which ended up stopping her.


    "I get it," Ruby said, her voice softening. "Let''s talk."


    Ruby was taken by Aurora to her room, and she couldn''t help but feel a little excited. After all, it was Aurora''s room. As she looked around, she noticed that the room had a consistent blue theme throughout. She glanced over at her bed and noticed a couple of books lying on it.


    "Sorry," Aurora said. "My maid isn''t here today, so my room is a bit of a mess."


    "No, I don''t mind," Ruby quickly replied.


    "Please feel free to take a seat wherever you like," Aurora said, as she dropped her bag."Would you like some tea? I have some cookies too if you''d like."


    "Sure," Ruby said nervously. She couldn''t help but glance at the bed, the white sheets and soft pillows calling out to her. But she forced herself to sit in the chair near the windows instead.


    Aurora poured tea into Ruby''s cup, the warm liquid steaming as she handed it to her, even though it hadn''t been warmed up. Aurora knew that the game''s description mentioned everyday things working automatically using magic crystals, but she hadn''t had the time to study it to know how exactly it worked.


    "Thank you," Ruby said, taking her cup from Aurora.


    Aurora sat across from her and said, "So, tell me what''s bothering you."


    At first, Ruby looked unsure, but as she took a sip of her tea, she began to open up. "A few days ago, I talked with Nova," she said.


    Ruby began speaking, her words tumbling out of her mouth as she told her everything. She discussed their conversations about regressing, how Nova used to be her friend, and even the abandoned mine. Everything.


    Aurora was stunned, the information she just heard taking her by surprise. She couldn''t believe that something so significant had occurred without her knowledge.


    Her face went pale as she said, "I''m sorry..."


    What a blunder, Aurora thought to herself. She had been so preoccupied with other things that she had failed to notice such a major mistake. She should have known better.


    The reason Nova was keeping the mine a secret was because she wasn''t sure what Aurora''s plans were. It was likely that she was holding back the information in case she could use it as leverage or material for blackmailing her later on.


    But now that it was clear that all the money from the mine had been used to purchase a large amount of Kroma herb, Nova no longer had any reason to keep the mine a secret.


    There is no reason for Nova not to tell Ruby about it.


    Did she subconsciously still think that it was a game? Thinking that just because Ruby was already her ally, she thought it would stay like that permanently?


    But with this, their relationship will change.


    "I''m sorry," Aurora said. "I should have told you first."


    "So... does that mean," Ruby said, carefully looking at Aurora''s face, "all of that is true?"


    Aurora nodded. "I''m sorry I kept it a secret."


    "I-it''s fine," Ruby said. "Such an absurd thing... I would have a hard time believing it anyway."


    "Still," Aurora continued, her voice laced with a hint of sadness. "I should have told you first. You''re my friend now, not her."


    "Did we though?" Ruby responded.


    Aurora felt a sharp pain in her chest. Ruby''s words hurt more than she had anticipated.


    "Do-do you want me to give that mine back...?" Aurora stammered, her voice trembling. "I will give it back. I''ll give everything back. I''ll even pay back all the gem earnings too."


    "Aurora," Ruby called out. Aurora looked up and saw Ruby standing right next to her, her expression filled with worry.


    "Sorry... I didn''t mean to make you cry," Ruby said, gently holding Aurora''s hand.


    Aurora didn''t realize what Ruby meant until she felt wetness on her cheeks. Without her noticing, she had been crying.


    "Eh? Tha-that''s weird... Why am I crying...?" Aurora immediately tried wiping away her tears, confused.


    "Now who''s the crybaby again?" Ruby grinned, trying to lighten the mood.


    "Don''t tease me..." Aurora pouted, still feeling embarrassed.


    "You know," Ruby said, her tone growing serious. "All this time I''ve been worried. If it''s true that we used to be enemies, then what kind of relationship do we actually have? What do you actually think about me? These questions have been bothering me ever since."


    "Are you and Aurora really friends?" Nova''s words still echoed in Ruby''s mind.


    Ruby smiled, "But looking at you right now, that question seems so stupid."


    "But... I stole that mine from you," Aurora said, her voice filled with guilt.


    "Who cares about that stupid mine!" Ruby exclaimed quickly. "This necklace you gave me is worth a million times more than that."


    "But... I got it from that mine. Isn''t that like giving you a gift from your own money?" Aurora said.


    "Geez! Who cares about all these small details!"


    Ruby hugged her tightly. This silly, stupid blue girl is just impossible, she thought to herself with a hint of fondness. She couldn''t help but smile.


    "You''re... not angry?" Aurora asked, her voice filled with uncertainty.


    "Why would I be?" Ruby replied, her voice filled with warmth.


    "But..." Aurora''s voice trailed off.


    "I just noticed," Ruby said. "How silly it is to get all frustrated over something that I didn''t even do."


    "But, Ruby..." Aurora started to say, but she was interrupted.


    "Except, does it actually bother you for me to be by your side?" Ruby asked, breaking away from the hug.


    "No, no, not at all," Aurora reassured her.


    "Then isn''t it fine?" Ruby asked, with a hint of a smile.


    Is it really fine? Aurora wondered to herself. Because even now, she hadn''t told her everything. At the end of the day, she was still a liar.


    ***

 Fragile.

    "Anyway, you really like reading books, huh?" Ruby said, as she picked up a book lying next to Aurora. She still couldn''t understand the appeal.


    "It''s fun," Aurora said. "Trust me. You just need to find the book that suits your taste. If you''re willing to try, I can recommend--"


    "No thank you," Ruby cut her off, putting the book back.


    "I see," Aurora said, her voice tinged with disappointment.


    "I want to compare notes," Ruby said, trying to lighten the mood. "Is that okay?"


    Aurora simply nodded and replied, "Okay."


    "I heard that Nova and I were pranking you or something. What exactly did we do?" Ruby asked, curious.


    "Ah, things like pouring freezing water on me, purposely hurting me in training, vandalizing my stuff, stuff like that," Aurora replied, trying to keep her tone light.


    "What the--weren''t we total jerks?" Ruby exclaimed, shocked.


    "Well..." Aurora hesitated.


    That''s just what being a villainess is all about, Aurora thought to herself.


    "And she said she went too far?" Ruby said. "What exactly did she do?"


    "Nova tried to poison me," Aurora replied. "It ended up making Casper furious and she ended up getting stabbed to death."


    "What''s up with that girl?" Ruby exclaimed. "She deserved it."


    Aurora smiled, "I guess."


    "And what about Casper and the other boys?" Ruby asked. "I heard you were close with them?"


    Aurora panicked, she knew she was the heroine of the dating sim and it automatically makes it easy for Aurora and the capture targets to interact. Even though, she can imagine that from the in-game characters'' perspective, she looked like a bad girl trying to get all the boys'' attention.


    "Tha-that''s just a mistake," Aurora said, trying to explain. "It just happened."


    Ruby didn''t seem to believe it one bit. But now that Nova had them all, she felt like it didn''t matter.


    "Anyway," Ruby said, changing the subject. "Nova was mentioning something about revenge."


    "I believe Nova thinks I''m the reason she''s dead," Aurora said, her voice filled with concern. "So most likely she will try to kill me."


    "That''s just stupid," Ruby said, annoyed. "Isn''t that her own fault?"


    "I don''t think she cares that much about logic," Aurora said with a smile.


    Ruby tightly held Aurora''s hand and said, "I understand now. Your relationship with Nova and why she''s been harassing you so much. If you''ll let me, I''ll do whatever I can to help you. Please, rely on me more."


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Thank you," Aurora said, tears fell from her eyes.


    "Geez, you cried a lot today," Ruby said, wiping away her tears.


    Aurora laughed. "Sorry, I thought I would lose you. It scared me."


    "You''re being so unfair," Ruby whispered.


    "What?"


    "If you''re going to say something like that," Ruby said with a smile, "don''t blame me if I''m not willing to let you go."


    ***


    Aurora was surprised by how fragile she actually felt. She only realized it when she found herself crying in front of Ruby. All this time, she thought she had everything figured out. She had always believed she was strong, that even in the face of death, she wouldn''t falter.


    Turn out that wasn''t the case.


    She pretended not to notice. After all, if she thought about it too deeply, she feared she might fall apart.


    Unfortunately, the reality that she was just an ordinary girl who loved playing games finally caught up to her. All her plans, her schemes, the way she confidently acted in front of everyone - it was all just an act.


    That''s why when the possibility of losing her friend like that came up, she couldn''t handle it. She realized how alone she felt in this strange world.


    Right now she sat silently, holding her cup of tea that was almost cold. She just sat there, not feeling like doing anything.


    "Is something wrong, miss?" Lyra said, looking worried. "You got the book you wanted, but you don''t seem happy about it."


    Aurora looked at the book Lyra had mentioned. It was an old, rare book with a thick cover and a nice illustration of a boy and girl on it, with the title "Cheerful Mysteries" at the top.


    "No, I''m happy with this," Aurora said as she touched the book. "I just... have a lot on my mind. Don''t worry about it."


    "If you say so, miss," Lyra replied.


    Aurora tried to shake off her thoughts and focus on the book in front of her. She opened it to the first page and started to read, trying to lose herself in the story.


    The book tells a story about teenage boy and girl who went on fun adventures, uncovering all kinds of mysteries. As a children book, it''s successfully depicting the two friends exploring different locations, solving puzzles and uncovering secrets.


    Based on the game description, the story seems to match. This is likely the book she is looking for.


    "Lyra," Aurora said as she closed the book, "bring me my bag, please."


    "Are you going somewhere, miss?" Lyra asked as she brought the bag to her master. "But it''s already late."


    "It''s fine," Aurora said, placing the book in the bag. "I''m just going to the library for a bit."


    "I understand," Lyra replied. "Shall I prepare dinner for when you come back?"


    "Sure," Aurora said, opening the door. "See you later."


    Aurora walked toward the tall building, the area already empty of people. Not surprising, as only those who were going to use the library would be hanging around here and not that many people use the library anyway.


    She opened the door slowly and the empty library greeted her. She walked deeper, looking around.


    Unless she had something else to do, Aurora thought to herself, Sera should be somewhere here.


    As Aurora walked through the rows of bookshelves, she searched for the girl she was looking for. She scanned the shelves, but she couldn''t spot her. She decided to check the corner of the building and finally, there she was - a big girl sitting alone and reading a book.


    "Sera," Aurora said softly as she approached her, patting her shoulders.


    The big girl jumped in surprise, causing the book she was holding to fall to the ground.


    "Oh, I''m sorry," Aurora said as she picked up the book and handed it back to her.


    "You surprised me," Sera said, taking the book from Aurora.


    Aurora smiled, "Yes, that''s the idea."


    Sera stared at Aurora for a moment, her expression one of disbelief. "I thought you weren''t going to come again," she said, quickly adding, "I-I mean..."


    "Yes, sorry," Aurora said. "Even though I promised, I ended up not keeping it. A lot of things happened."


    "Oh, i-it''s fine if you''re busy," Sera said quickly. "I wouldn''t want you to feel forced to come here because of me."


    "No, not at all," Aurora said, sitting down beside Sera. "Next time, I''ll try harder to come here. After all, when I''m surrounded by books, I feel more relaxed somehow."


    "Oh, I know the feeling," Sera said with a smile. "That''s why I spend most of my time in here."


    "Are you the librarian?" Aurora asked. "I mean, I didn''t see anybody else here."


    "Unofficially," Sera replied. "In my first year, I spent a lot of time here, so my teacher decided to give me a duplicate key so I could use it anytime. In my second year, he make me unofficial librarian."


    "So that''s why I met you that night?" Aurora asked.


    "Yes," Sera said. "If I didn''t use it, the library would be locked at night."


    That makes sense, Aurora thought.


    "S-so," Sera stammered. "Are you looking for more novels, or maybe some references for your studies? I... I can help you out, if you want."


    "No," Aurora said, setting her bag down on the table. "This time, I''m actually here to see you."


    "M-me?" Sera asked, surprised.


    "I don''t know if you''ve heard," Aurora continued, "but my family is currently working with a merchant named Nicholas. And he found this book. As soon as I saw it, I immediately thought of you."


    She pulled out a book and showed it out to Sera.


    "You''re a fan of mystery books, right?" Aurora said with a smile.


    In the game, the book is a special item that only appears if you choose James Winchester''s route, but don''t successfully romance him. At the end of this route, James gives the book to Sera. The story is a bit unclear, but it seems like the book is important to Sera. That''s why Aurora is trying so hard to find it.


    And since James has already fallen for Nova, he doesn''t need it anymore, right? Aurora thought to herself. It''s a win-win situation.


    Aurora looked at Sera, expecting her to be happy or excited when she saw the book. But instead, Sera was crying.


    Why? Aurora negative though immediately rushing in. Have I messed something up again? I thought... I was sure...


    "So-sorry," Aurora said quickly, putting the book back in her bag. "I didn''t mean to upset you."


    Sera reached out and took hold of Aurora hand, her voice trembling as she spoke. "That book," she said, wiping away her tears. "Can I borrow it?"


    ***

 Worth.

    Aurora sat beside Sera with unease, as Sera delved deeply into the book she was reading. Glancing at her, Aurora felt a bit more relaxed. In the end, her negative thoughts were wrong. Sera was clearly interested in the book.


    However, Aurora couldn''t help but wonder if all her efforts were worth it if it ended up making Sera cry. Was the book causing her sadness or something?


    Aurora couldn''t help but hate herself in this moment. Not only had she been feeling down for too long, but her mind kept drifting towards negative thoughts. She wasn''t the most optimistic person she knew, but she usually had better control over her mind.


    I guess I''m tired, Aurora thought to herself.


    She didn''t feel like reading at the moment, so she sat silently, watching as Sera flipped through the pages of her book, the sound of the paper rustling filling the room.


    Sera closed the book, having finished reading it quickly. It wasn''t surprising, considering the book wasn''t particularly thick and it was targeted towards children, with lots of illustrations inside.


    Sera looked satisfied and said, "Thank you for showing me this. I thought I would never be able to read it again."


    Aurora smiled, "No problem. Does that mean it''s not your first time reading it?"


    "Yes," Sera said, smiling reminiscently of her past. A tear fell from her eye, which she quickly wiped away.


    "Do you mind if I ramble for a bit?" Sera asked.


    "Sure," Aurora said simply.


    "I believe this is the reason I like mystery books a lot," Sera continued. "My grandpa owned a copy and he used to read it to me. He then taught me to read it myself, and it became a habit for us to read it together every week."


    "I see," Aurora said, wondering why such a backstory wasn''t included in the game.


    "I guess my grandpa is the reason I love books too," Sera continued. "But unfortunately, he passed away when I was eight."


    "Oh," Aurora said, feeling unsure of what to say. "I''m sorry to hear that."


    Aurora was always confused about what to say when someone told her news about someone''s death, especially if she didn''t know the person who died. It never felt right to say sorry.


    "It''s fine," Sera said. "I do miss him though."


    Sera looked like she was going to cry again, but then she said, "My grandpa left that book for me. It was my memento from him. But around two years ago, an accident happened in my place, burning most of my stuff..."


    Aurora gulped. "So the book...burned?"


    Sera nodded. "When I tried to find another copy, it turned out it was a rare book. I tried my best to find it, but I never did. Until today. It''s almost like a miracle."


    Sure, Aurora thought. If miracle means threatening a famous merchant who has a lot of connections to find it.


    "If you''re going to call it a miracle," Aurora said. "Then why don''t you keep it?"


    "Wait--you''re giving it to me?" Sera said in disbelief.


    "Yes," Aurora said.


    "But this is a rare book...and it must be expensive..."


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "That''s what makes it a worthy gift then," Aurora said.


    "No, no, no, I don''t think I can accept this," Sera said in panic.


    "I''ve already read it," Aurora said. "Even if I keep it, I''ll most likely just put it on the bookshelf and forget about it. Isn''t it better for you to keep it? You''re the one who actually cares."


    "But..." Sera began to protest.


    Aurora picked up the book and pushed it towards Sera. "Just take it."


    Sera hesitantly took the book from Aurora, still unsure if she should accept it. "A-are you sure about this?" she asked, looking at Aurora with a mix of gratitude and guilt.


    "Yes," Aurora said with a smile. "I want you to have it."


    "Thank you," Sera said, her voice filled with emotion. "I''ll treasure it forever." She hugged the book close to her chest, a tear rolling down her cheek.


    ***


    The following day, Ruby was absent. Aurora didn''t get the full story, but it seemed like Ruby had something important to do and needed to head home. Luckily, Marina had returned from the Magic Association lab, so Aurora had someone to chat with.


    After class, Aurora invited Marina to join her for a cup of tea.


    "Tea, huh? Sure," Marina said with a smile. "And I''m guessing you''ve got something you want to talk about, right?"


    "Well, a bit, I suppose."


    Aurora admitted.


    A few days ago, Aurora and Marina had made a deal: Aurora would provide Marina and the Magic Association with a steady supply of cheap Kroma herbs, and Marina would act as Aurora''s personal potion maker.


    When they reached Aurora''s room, Lyra, Aurora''s maid, quickly set everything up. In no time at all, Aurora and Marina were sitting with warm tea in hand.


    "So, what do you want to talk about?" Marina asked as she took a sip of tea.


    "So, I was going through some old notes at home the other day and I came across this recipe for a potion," Aurora said. "I was wondering if you could give it a try and see if it works?"


    Of course, that was a lie. In the game, there was a mini-game for potion-making, and it would be pretty boring if the only potions you could make were the ones that could already be bought easily in the shops. So, the mini-game included a lot of unique potions that didn''t yet exist in this world.


    This is one of them.


    "What kind of recipe are we talking about here?" Marina asked, curious.


    "Hold on a sec," Aurora said as she reached for a pen and a book. She quickly scribbled down some notes and drew a rough sketch. "I''m not exactly sure of the exact measurements or how much mana is needed, but these are the ingredients."


    Aurora tore out the page and handed it to Marina, who quickly picked it up and read through the list.


    "What? " Marina exclaimed. "Most of these ingredients are pretty rare, you know! I''m not even sure the Magic Association lab has all of them. And even if they do, I wouldn''t be allowed to use them."


    "Relax," Aurora said with a reassuring smile. "Of course, I''ll provide you with the ingredients. Lyra, bring that box over here."


    The maid nodded and quickly brought over a box, placing it on the table in front of Marina.


    "If you need more, just let me know," Aurora added.


    Marina opened the box and found it filled with herbs of all shapes and colors.


    "Wow," Marina said, her eyes wide. "Where did you even get all of this stuff from?"


    "I know a merchant who''s really good at finding things for me," Aurora replied.


    Marina let out a nervous laugh. "You really are something. So, do you even know what kind of potion this is going to become?"


    Aurora smiled. "An invisibility potion."


    ***


    Aurora walked into the library, planning to borrow a book to read later. But for now, she wanted to greet Sera first.


    Aurora scanned the table where she last met Sera, but to her surprise, her friend was nowhere to be found. But since the library was not locked, she figured Sera must be around somewhere.


    As she walked around, looking for her friend, she spotted a girl taller than her tip-toeing and trying to put a book on the top shelf of a bookcase.


    "If I were taller, I would offer to help you," Aurora said.


    "Aurora!" Sera exclaimed, almost dropping the book in surprise. "You came!"


    "I''m trying to keeping my word," Aurora said with a smile.


    "P-please wait a second," Sera said. "I''ll finish this quickly."


    "It''s fine," Aurora said. "Take your time."


    As she watched her friend finish putting the book on the top shelf, Aurora noticed that Sera was also holding a few more books in her other hand.


    Just as Aurora was waiting for her friend to finish her task, she jumped in surprise, as if something had startled her. She looked around confused.


    "Anyway, I just remembered something urgent I need to do," Aurora said in a hurry. "Don''t worry, I''ll come back soon."


    Aurora quickly left the library, leaving Sera behind, looking dumbfounded.


    "But you just came," Sera said, disappointed.


    Meanwhile, Aurora was running towards the academy garden. She had just heard someone whispering, a voice that was familiar, telling her to meet him in the garden.


    It must be magic, Aurora thought to herself. Specifically, wind magic.


    As she reached the garden, Aurora tried to catch her breath.


    She then said, "Dante."


    Suddenly, a whirlwind appeared behind her, and when she turned around, she saw a young man with purple hair standing there.


    "So it was really you," Aurora said.


    "Nice to meet you again, Miss Starlight," Dante smiled, bowing at her.


    "I thought it was impossible for outsiders to enter the academy, with the magic barrier and all," Aurora said. "But I guess those things don''t matter to you."


    "Not at all," Dante said. "Even for me, I needed a high-grade item to be able to infiltrate. That thing was expensive. Not to mention if I show any killing intent, I would be punished automatically. But all these pains in the butt are worth it if it means I can meet you directly."


    So this place is still the safest, at least as far as outsider attacks go, Aurora thought to herself. No wonder they only allow students to bring one person to accompany them, and usually it''s a maid. A knight isn''t really needed.


    "If you''re going to such lengths for me," Aurora said. "Does that mean you fully believe me now?"


    "Do you even need to ask?" Dante grinned. "Anyway, I didn''t expect you to make a move so fast. Thanks to you, I lost all my informants around your house."


    "It might be surprising," Aurora said. "But I don''t like spies hanging around my house."


    "Fair enough," Dante said. "Let''s talk business then."


    "You brought a map?" Aurora asked.


    "Of course," Dante said as he pulled out a folded map and pen, tossing it to Aurora. "But what do you want from us for payment? I doubt it''s money, considering your family''s business is doing great."


    Aurora caught the map and pen perfectly, and then began marking the map with the positions of the remaining secret hideouts of The Black Knight.


    "I want you to keep an eye on Nova Wilder," Aurora replied. "And give me a report every week."


    "Nova Wilder, eh?" Dante said. "The daughter of the duke. Sure, that can be done. But why?"


    Aurora finished and tossed the map and pen back to Dante.


    "You''ll figure it out anyway, so I don''t mind telling you," Aurora said. "Nova hates me. One way or another, she will try to kill me."


    ***

 Switch.

    Ruby stepped out of her carriage, accompanied by a tall girl with short hair. Aurora noticed that this was not Ruby''s usual maid, as the girl was wearing a uniform and had a sword on her hip.


    "Aurora!" Ruby exclaimed, running over to her friend and giving her a warm hug. "I''ve missed you!"


    Aurora laughed. "Are we going to keep doing this every time we don''t meet for a day?"


    "Why not?" Ruby snuggled into Aurora''s warmth.


    "Anyways," Aurora said, turning to the young woman who had approached them calmly. "Is she the reason you''re going home?"


    "Yeah," Ruby said, releasing her embrace. "I switched my maid with her. She''s one of the strongest knights in the kingdom. Her name is Rita."


    "Nice to meet you, Miss Starlight," Rita said, turning to the blue girl. "I''ve heard a lot about you from my master."


    "Is that so?" Aurora said with a smile. "I hope she didn''t tell you something embarrassing about me."


    "Well--"


    "That''s enough," Ruby cut her off, blushing a bit.


    "So," Aurora said, turning back to Ruby. "Why do you suddenly need a knight?"


    "About that," Ruby said quickly. "I''ve been interested in coming to town. So, a knight is needed, right?"


    "I see," Aurora nodded.


    Last time Aurora came to town, she only had her maid, but that''s probably not normal. It makes sense for an important daughter of a noble family to have a knight or two to accompany them in town. After all, you never know what might happen.


    "So," Ruby suddenly looked nervous. "Do you want to come with me?"


    "Sure," Aurora said. Last time she didn''t get to go sightseeing, so it could be fun.


    "Great!" Ruby can''t help but smile widely. "I can''t wait!"


    Seeing ruby that excited make Aurora smiled too. "You really want to go to town, huh? Have something specific you want to go to?"


    "I had a plan," Ruby said. "You better cooperate."


    "Huh?"


    ***


    That evening, Aurora was feeling bored once again. She had already done most of the things she had planned for the day, and now she had some free time on her hands. She wanted to take a break, but wasn''t sure what to do with her time.


    At times like these, Aurora missed the modern world. There were so many things she wished she could do, but there were no ways to do them in her current world. She longed for things like surfing the internet, listening to music, watching movies, and most importantly, playing games.


    It''s kind of ironic, Aurora thought, that so many people longed to enter the world of a game, but when it actually happens, it''s not really like a game at all.


    She stared at her hands and thought about how this world, despite being based on a game, seemed so real. She had been thinking about it before, how the NPCs in this world were now more like real people.


    Not that she will do it, but if it''s still a game, she can just slaughter everyone. NPCs don''t matter anyway. But again, it''s not like she will do it.


    Aurora shook her head. She needed to stop thinking about that.


    She tried to distract herself by looking around her room for something to do, but unfortunately, she couldn''t find anything that caught her interest aside from her books.


    Fine, reading another book it is, she thought as she woke up from her bed. But again, her book collection didn''t interest her.


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    Library then.


    As Aurora walked through the corridor, she made a mental note to find some entertainment besides reading later. Especially because her friend Ruby was against this hobby. It would be great if they could find something to do together.


    As Aurora entered the library, she saw Sera sleeping with a book in front of her. A small flame from a candle flickered beside her.


    Aurora gently tapped Sera on the shoulder. "Sera," she said softly. "If you''re going to sleep, maybe you should head back to your room?"


    "Mmm... What?" Sera mumbled groggily, her eyes still half closed.


    "Sorry to wake you up," Aurora said. "But I don''t think it''s a good idea to sleep here."


    Sera struggled to focus on the girl in front of her. "Aurora...?" she muttered sleepily.


    "Yes, it''s me," Aurora confirmed.


    "Sorry, I''m feeling a bit tired," Sera said, trying to push away her drowsiness.


    "Maybe you should take a break," Aurora suggested.


    "I''m okay," Sera said quickly. "Anyway, are you looking for something?"


    "Just looking for something to read," Aurora replied. "But it''s not urgent, so if you''re tired..."


    "Don''t worry," Sera said. "I-I''m not doing this for you--I mean... at least not completely. I have an assignment, you see," Sera gestured to her book on the table. "I need to finish it soon. I can''t go back now."


    "That sounds rough," Aurora said.


    Sera smiled. "Yep."


    "Then I won''t bother you," Aurora said. "The faster you finish that assignment, the faster you can rest."


    "No, no, I don''t mind helping you," Sera said, reassuringly. "Plus, I think I''ll be able to find the book you''re looking for faster anyway."


    Aurora sighed. "Okay, forget it. I''ll just watch you work then," she said, giving in.


    Aurora took a seat in front of Sera.


    "Oh no..." Sera said, regretfully. "I-I can''t work on my assignment properly when I''m being watched..."


    "Too bad," Aurora grinned. "I won''t change my mind. Go ahead and work on your assignment."


    "Please, Aurora..." Sera begged, hanging her head down.


    Aurora just smiled, resting her chin on her hand.


    With no other choice, Sera picked up her book and tried to work.


    "A-at least, do you want to talk about something?" Sera said, trying to distract herself from Aurora''s stare.


    "Sure," Aurora replied, happy to chat.


    "T-then... What do you want to talk about?" Sera asked, trying to steer the conversation.


    "I just remembered," Aurora said, "I''ve been looking for something to fill my boredom aside from reading books."


    "What''s wrong with reading books?" Sera said, her voice sounding a little hurt, as she looked at Aurora.


    "Don''t get me wrong," Aurora said quickly, "I have nothing against reading. But I had this friend, she didn''t really like reading. So I thought I needed to find something else to do."


    "She needs to learn to love reading then," Sera said.


    "Uh... You know, forcing something on someone will just make them hate it, right?" Aurora reminded her.


    "But reading a book is a good thing!" Sera said.


    "I know--"


    "And as a noble lady," Sera continued, "it''s her duty to have more knowledge than commoners."


    "That''s true--wait a second," Aurora said. "How do you know she is a noble?"


    When it comes to attending a magic academy, it''s not just for the nobility. While many noble sons and daughters do attend, there are also plenty of commoners there as well, as long as they have the talent and resources. So when someone mentions their friends, it''s not safe to assume they''re all nobility.


    Granted, Aurora didn''t have commoner friends. While some seemed interested in her because of her light magic, they also seemed to avoid her. It''s not uncommon for commoners to be wary of nobles, but Aurora suspected that it had something to do with Nova. She wondered if Nova might have threatened them in some way.


    After all, becoming an enemy of the Duke''s daughter would be a nightmare for a commoner.


    "We-well, I mean..." Sera panicked. "U-um, I don''t know how to say this without sounding creepy or something... I didn''t mean to investigate you or anything--I mean..."


    "Yes?" Aurora waiting.


    Sera gulped. "I heard you were close to the daughter of the marquis, Ruby," she said.


    "Well, yes," Aurora replied. "I see. That''s why."


    Sera looked nervous--at least more than before. With a small, timid voice, she asked, "D-do you like small girls like her more than big girls like me?"


    "What?" Aurora responded, confused.


    "N-nothing," Sera stammered, blushed and hid her face behind her book. "A-anyway, how about chess? I heard some people enjoy playing it. Even though it''s often said to be more of a training tool for developing strategies."


    Chess, huh? Aurora thought to herself.


    It was a two player game, so it was possible. But even Aurora didn''t really know the rules of playing it. And considering Ruby''s lack of patience for reading, Aurora doubted that Ruby would be willing to learn chess.


    "It''s not a bad idea," Aurora said. "But it would be better if we found something more simple."


    "More simple?" Sera said, looking unsure. "I don''t know then..."


    Aurora tried to think more. Ideally, she was looking for something easy to pick up for a novice, something that could be understood instinctively alone. Probably something like Tetris? But no, that game was too advanced in terms of technology. It would be impossible for her to recreate.


    Simple game. Something like Tic Tac Toe then? But no, that was too simplistic. It might be fun for a few minutes, but it would quickly become boring. Similar to Rock-Paper-Scissors.


    In front of her, Sera flipped her book. Aurora saw this and something clicked in her head.


    Paper, Aurora thought. Something created with paper... Like cards?


    Do they even have playing cards here, Aurora wondered. She knew there was a casino in this world, but she had never seen it herself. And in the game, small details like that didn''t really exist or were explained.


    "In a casino," Aurora said, "what do they play there?"


    "Wha--no, no, no, don''t do it!" Sera said in panic. "No matter how bored you are, gambling is a bad idea!"


    "I know," Aurora said. "That''s not what I mean--"


    "Please don''t!" Sera begged. "Just stick with reading!"


    "Like I said--"


    "I don''t want you to destroy yourself! I can''t... You don''t know how bad gambling can mess with your life! Like my uncle for example!"


    "Sera--"


    "Please, don''t do it! My uncle used to be a good man, but after he became addicted to gambling, he became a useless man who--"


    "Sera, listen to me!" Aurora said, a little bit angry.


    Sera flinched. "S-sorry, I''m talking too much, aren''t I...?"


    Aurora sighed. "No, I''m sorry too. Thank you for worrying about me, but I didn''t plan to gamble. I just need it for reference."


    "I... I still think it''s a bad idea to play it even if you''re not using money..."


    "Really? Is it gambling if you''re not betting anything?"


    "Well... I''m not sure, but..."


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be careful."


    Sera didn''t seem too convinced, but she said, "Mostly they use dice. You know, guessing the number. Or something."


    "I see," Aurora said.


    That kind of game didn''t sound fun to Aurora. Probably because that kind of game is only ''fun'' if there''s a stake.


    "Oh, what about cards?" Aurora asked.


    "Cards?" Sera said, confused. "I''ve never heard of a game using cards. I mean, I know people use tarot cards for fortune telling, but does that even count as a game?"


    Aurora wasn''t sure what time period this world was based on, but it seemed like card games weren''t very popular here.


    Card games, that''s great, Aurora thought, feeling excited about the possibilities. It should be easy to recreate. And there''s a lot of variations they can play with just one type of cards. She can even come up with new types of card games if it''s needed.


    "Thank you, Sera, you''re giving me inspiration," Aurora said, turning to her friend.


    "That''s great," Sera said, not sounding very happy.


    Aurora smiled. "Relax, it''s not gambling. I''ll show you when I''m done making it."


    ***

 Adventurers Guild.

    The next day, after class ended, a girl with white hair, Marina walked over to Aurora''s seat. Aurora noticed that Marina looked a bit stressed and as if she hadn''t been getting enough sleep, judging by the bags under her eyes.


    "Hey," Aurora said. "Is something wrong?"


    Marina let out a sigh. "I''m sorry," she said.


    "Why?" Aurora asked. "What are you sorry for?"


    "Actually..." Marina said, "I used up all the ingredients you gave me, but..." Marina sighed again. "I didn''t really get the result I wanted. They all turned out weird. Somehow."


    "Weird how?" Aurora asked.


    "The point is," Marina said, "I don''t think I can do it. I''m sorry."


    "It''s fine," Aurora said. "I didn''t expect you to succeed right away. That''s just unreasonable, no matter how genius you are."


    "But still--" Marina started to say, but she was cut off by Ruby, who had just walked over to the two of them.


    "Hey, what are you guys talking about?" Ruby asked.


    Both Aurora and Marina looked at Ruby.


    "I asked Marina to make a potion for me," Aurora replied.


    "Cool," Ruby said. "What kind of potion?"


    "That''s... a secret," Aurora smiled. Beside her, Marina didn''t say a word. If Aurora herself wasn''t willing to say it, there was no reason for Marina to say anything.


    "Not this again," Ruby pouted. "You didn''t even explain to me what you did at that duel yet, and now this."


    Marina remembered the duel Ruby mentioned. It felt like so long ago. She too was curious to know what Aurora did that day. But if Aurora wasn''t willing to tell Ruby, there was no way Aurora would tell her.


    "Sorry, sorry," Aurora said. "I''ll tell you when the potion is ready, okay?"


    "Why not now?" Ruby asked.


    "Come on, it''s more fun that way," Aurora said.


    "Fine," Ruby said. "But you better explain it later. About that duel too. Promise me."


    "Okay, okay," Aurora said with a smile.


    Aurora turned to Marina and said, "Anyway, it''s fine if you failed. If you need more ingredients, I will have my maid bring them to you."


    Marina replied, "Ah, thank you." She paused for a moment, then added, "Wait, that''s not what I''m trying to say..."


    Aurora interrupted, "Marina, I understand. You''re worried that even if you continue this, nothing will come out of it. It''s fine. That''s the risk I''m willing to take."


    Marina still hesitated, "But--"


    Aurora cut her off, "Whatever you were going to say, I won''t take back what I asked."


    Marina let out a sigh, "I understand."


    "So Marina, do you accept commissions to make potions for me too?" Ruby asked with a curious look on her face.


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    Marina felt a little uneasy with the way Ruby was looking at her. "Well, sure," she said, "we''re friends, I can try. As long as it''s not too hard or weird," she quickly added.


    "What''s that? You think I would ask for something weird?" Ruby said, obviously offended.


    "Tha-that''s not what I mean..." Marina stammered.


    "Whatever," Ruby said, brushing off Marina''s comment. "Let''s talk again after you finish with Aurora''s potion. That should be your priority."


    Marina blinked, surprised by Ruby''s response. "Sure," she said.


    Aurora interjected, "So do you need something else, Marina?"


    Marina shook her head, "No, that''s enough. If you''re willing to go this far, I will try my best too."


    "Alright, it''s done then?" Ruby said, grabbing Aurora''s hand and pulling her closer with both her hands. "I have some business with Aurora, so can I take her with me now?"


    "Hey Ruby--" Aurora began to protest.


    "It''s fine," Marina smiled.


    "Then see you later," said Ruby, pulling Aurora along with her.


    "Right, bye," Aurora said, being pulled away by Ruby.


    Marina couldn''t help but laugh at the sight of her friends leaving together.


    "She really treats you well," said someone, making Marina jump. She turned to see the owner of the voice, feeling irritated. "Hey, don''t tell me you were secretly listening?"


    "Not on purpose!" Oliver said, sounding defensive. "I just happened to be here."


    "You should stop that, it''s creepy," Marina said.


    "As I said..." Oliver sighed. "Whatever, that''s not the point."


    "Yeah," Marina said. "I was ready for her to get angry or something, but instead she acted reasonably and ended up cheering me up. She is too nice, it almost makes me scared."


    "Isn''t that a good thing?" Oliver asked. "To be able to experiment with rare and expensive ingredients, that''s makes me jealous."


    "Of course it''s good," Marina said. "I just... don''t want to disappoint her."


    "I don''t think you need to worry about that, after all you''re a genius potion maker," Oliver grinned.


    "Don''t call me that," she elbowed him playfully.


    "Okay, sorry," Oliver laughed. "Anyway, what kind of potion are you actually trying to make? I''m curious."


    "Why would I tell you that?" Marina said.


    "Oh, come on. Aren''t we rivals?" Oliver said.


    "Why would I tell my rival then?" Marina said, with a hint of teasing.


    Oliver blinked, feeling stupid. "Right, I didn''t really think about what I said."


    ***


    As planned, Aurora, Ruby, the maid, and the knight set out for the town today. They disembarked from the carriage one by one, ready to explore the bustling streets and shops.


    "So, where are we going today?" Aurora asked, looking around at their surroundings.


    "I heard about a shop around here that I want to check out," Ruby said as she scanned the area. "But I think we should just explore and see what we can find."


    "Sounds good to me," Aurora replied.


    Ruby grinned and immediately grabbed Aurora''s hand. "Alright, let''s check that one out first!"


    "Okay, okay," Aurora said as she was being dragged by Ruby, forced to walk quickly. "But please, don''t run. We might fall."


    Behind them, Lyra and Rita followed closely.


    "Ah, sorry," Ruby said immediately slowing down as they entered the first shop. The shop was filled with flowers everywhere.


    "Do you like flowers?" Aurora asked, reaching out to gently touch one of the blooming roses.


    "I do, I really like their smell," Ruby replied. "But I prefer them in a vase, taking care of live plants can be such a hassle."


    "Oh, okay." Aurora will remember that.


    Aurora gazed with interest at the flower with a strange shape in the corner of the shop. She couldn''t quite place whether it existed in the modern world or not, but it was certainly unique. The leaves on the plant seemed to be of different shapes and sizes, almost as if they had been randomly plucked from other plants and placed on this one. It was like a chimera plant, a strange and intriguing sight.


    "Is any of these plants catching your interest, Miss?" asked her maid, Lyra.


    "They''re interesting," Aurora admitted. "But I''m not sure if I want to buy one yet."


    "I see," Lyra nodded. "If you find something you like, just let me know."


    Aurora didn''t bring much money with her, as in this world they still use coins instead of paper money. Carrying a large amount of gold coins can be a hassle.


    However, Lyra, on the other hand, always carries a large amount of gold coins from Aurora father, in case Aurora has a sudden urge to buy something. Lyra is always ready.


    Even though she wasn''t sure where Lyra kept them.


    Aurora turned to look at her maid, trying to figure out where she could be hiding such a large amount of gold coins.


    "What is it, miss?" Lyra noticed her stare.


    "It''s nothing," Aurora said.


    In the end, Aurora decided to buy that strange chimera plant, the small one. She didn''t know the exact price, but by the surprised look on her maid''s face when she was about to pay, she knew it must have been quite expensive.


    And Ruby, she offered to buy the bigger one for her, but Aurora declined the offer.


    After that, they continued their walk and picked up some street food to munch on as they strolled.


    "Is it really okay to eat this?" Ruby asked, looking at the skewers she held, warily.


    "I think it''s fine," Aurora reassured her.


    "It''s not going to be poisonous or something, right...?" Ruby double-checked.


    Although her overly cautiousness was a bit funny, Aurora understood that people could easily die if they ate something strange. So, it was understandable.


    "You don''t have to eat it, you know," Aurora reminded her.


    "But, but it looks delicious!" Ruby said.


    Aurora giggled. "Then just give it a try."


    "Excuse me, miss," Lyra said to Aurora. "I can try it first to make sure it''s safe."


    It was obvious by the drooling look on her maid''s face that she was just hungry.


    "Sure," Aurora said. "You can try it."


    "Thank you, miss--I mean, leave it to me!" Lyra said as she went to the vendor and bought more skewers.


    Aurora turned back to Ruby, "Even if it makes your belly hurt or something, it will be fine. I''m here, I can cure it with my magic."


    "What? Doesn''t that mean you''ve mastered another form of your magic?"


    "Well, yes," Aurora admitted.


    "That''s unfair," Ruby said, pouting. "If you''re growing so fast, I can''t keep up! How many forms of your magic have you mastered already? Fourth? Fifth?"


    Actually, because the way she uses magic is different than the way people from this world do, Aurora can already use all seven forms of her magic, plus an additional secret form. So, she can use eight forms, one more than Nova can.


    Still, if she were to fight for real with Nova, she is not confident she would win. After all, most of her magic isn''t suited for fighting. And her secret form, LightSpeed, has a bothersome weakness.


    Lyra returned, happily munching on skewers. Seeing how content she was, Ruby finally decided to give it a try. She ended up enjoying it so much that she decided to buy more. Even Aurora and Rita, who initially didn''t seem interested in trying it, decided to give it a go.


    While eating, Aurora''s eyes caught something interesting. A group of tough-looking guys entered a big building not too far from them.


    "They are Adventurers," Ruby said, looking in the same direction. "Are you interested in the Adventurers Guild?"


    ***

 Sword.

    Adventurers Guild, Aurora gazed at the towering building. In a typical isekai game, this location is often the main setting of the story.


    "Adventurers," Aurora said. "Don''t they hunt monsters for a living?"


    "Yep," Ruby replied. "More specifically, they hunt for magic crystals found inside monster bodies."


    Magic crystals, Aurora thought. She had been studying them for a while. By infusing them with magic would result in the crystals releasing the same element. For instance, if she infused her magic into the crystals, they would emit light.


    The same concept applied to other elements as well. Take a kettle filled with magic crystals infused with the fire element, for example. The water inside would stay warm as long as the mana within the crystals didn''t run out.


    Hunting monsters for magic crystals might be their main source of income," Rita added, "but their work is more diverse than that. They''ll take on a variety of tasks, like escorting a convoy, gathering herbs, and more - whatever is posted on the bulletin board."


    Basically, they will do anything as long as you pay them," Ruby said.


    "While that''s true, Miss," Rita said. "They won''t be happy if you put it that way."


    "Who cares what they think," Ruby said.


    "Miss..." Rita sighed.


    "Let''s check it out for a bit," Aurora said, sounding curious. "I''m interested to see what''s inside."


    Ruby wasn''t as excited. "I doubt we''ll find anything interesting," she said, but agreed to go along anyway.


    As they entered the guild building, they were met with a crowded room filled with people. Most were big, burly men sporting scars and wielding weapons like swords, lances, and axes. But there were also smaller folks dressed in robes, who were likely magic users.


    Aurora scanned the room, but didn''t spot anyone who looked like a healer.


    It makes sense, she thought to herself. Healing magic is a specialty of light magic users, and since she''s the only one with that kind of magic, there are no healers here.


    This meant that the only way to heal wounds was through potions. Being an adventurer in this world was a high-risk, high-reward job, with no support from healers and the permanent death if one were to fall. There was no magic for raising the dead, after all.


    "Oh ho, what''s this?" said one of the adventurers, surveying the group of girls. "Don''t just roam around here, this isn''t a place for weak-looking girls like you all."


    "Aww, a bunch of cute girls!" exclaimed the other.


    "And they smell nice too. Why don''t you stay and play with us?" they added with a laugh.


    Ruby sneered. "They''re disgusting."


    "Hey, that''s not very nice, princess," said one of the adventurers, trying to grab Ruby. But Rita quickly drew her sword and swung it, the tip of the sword touching the skin on his neck. The cold, sharp metal made him freeze in fear.


    "Don''t you dare touch my Master," warned Rita.


    "Whoa, isn''t she that famous female knight?" whispered one of the adventurers in amazement.


    The other nodded. "You''re right! That''s Rita!"


    "Damn, what''s she doing here?" another asked, taken aback.


    Rita promptly kicked the adventurer, sending him flying into a table and chairs.


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    "Stay back and watch your tongue," Rita warned, sheathing her sword.


    The room fell silent.


    "That was so awesome!" Lyra exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement. "Did you see that, Miss?"


    "Yes, yes," Aurora replied, impressed.


    "That''s my knight, all right," Ruby boasted, a proud grin on her face.


    Despite the harassment stopping, all eyes were still on them and whispers echoed throughout the room.


    Aurora ignored the stares and walked over to the bulletin board, which was full of requests. From escort missions to herb collection, each request was listed with details such as who made the request, the time limit, and the payment.


    Ruby was also looking at the board while Rita stood guard, ready to jump into action if anyone dared to interrupt again. The maid, Lyra, looked at Rita with respect and awe.


    "Excuse me," Aurora said to the woman behind a table. "Can I post a request too?"


    "Of course," the woman replied. "But you''ll need to deposit one gold coin per request, separate from the payment you''ll make to the adventurer who picks it up."


    "Isn''t one gold coin per request a bit too expensive?" Aurora asked.


    "No, it''s for security," the woman explained. "Sometimes, after the request is completed, the requester doesn''t pay. So, we require a deposit to ensure that doesn''t happen. Don''t worry, we''ll return it once your request is successfully paid."


    "I see," Aurora nodded. "But where does the guild get its money from?"


    "Adventurers in the guild have to pay a monthly fee, or they''ll be kicked out," the woman said.


    Makes sense, Aurora thought.


    She then turned to the maid. "Lyra," she said.


    The maid nodded in understanding, quickly placing a gold coin on the table.


    "Okay, one request accepted," the woman said, pocketing the money and grabbing a blank request form. "Just fill out what you need on this paper."


    "Can I put anything in here?" Aurora asked.


    "Of course," the woman replied. "Just keep it within the law. And make sure to offer a fair reward, or else no one will take on your request."


    Ruby snuggled up next to Aurora, trying to get a glimpse at the request form. "What are you planning to request?" she asked.


    In the game, there is an item based on the legendary sword Excalibur named the Holy Sword of Wind. This was supposed to be the solution to Finnick''s problem. With this sword, his inability to use his wind magic will disappear.


    The problem with this is that if his problem is fixed by an item, the Heroine or Villainess roles become obsolete. That''s why the item was removed from the game.


    Aurora wondered, will the items that were removed from the game still exist in this world?


    "I want them to look for a sword for me," Aurora said as she Aurora wrote on the paper. "If my memory is correct, it should be in this forest." She added a map to the paper.


    "A sword?" Ruby asked. "What sword?"


    "I read about it somewhere," Aurora whispered. "It''s sort of like a legendary sword. It would be useful if we could find it."


    "In case we have to fight Nova?" Ruby whispered back.


    Aurora nodded.


    "But... do you even know how to use a sword?" Ruby muttered.


    Aurora smiled. "I don''t need to use it myself, do I?"


    "Oh, of course," Ruby said, glancing at her knight, Rita.


    "But still," Ruby continued, "can you really trust these adventurers? What if they find it, but choose to keep it for themselves?"


    "It''s fine," Aurora replied, handing back the paper to the woman. "Right now, I just want to confirm if the sword actually exists. It''s legendary for a reason, after all. Only the worthy can wield it, and I doubt a normal person could even remove it from the sealed stone. Probably."


    "You don''t sound so sure," Ruby said.


    "Yes, it''s an impulsive plan," Aurora giggled. "But we''re already here anyway, so why not, right?"


    Ruby shrugged. "If you say so. Are we done here? I saw a clothing shop across the way. Want to check that out next?"


    "Sure," Aurora agreed as they left the guild building.


    Ruby quickly approached the shop owner and requested to see their best clothing options. As the shopkeeper displayed their collection, Ruby sought Aurora''s thoughts and opinions, frequently asking, "What do you think of this one?" Despite being shown several pieces, Aurora could only muster a simple "good" or "great".


    Aurora was unsure about the latest fashion trends in this world, so usually she relied on Lyra to make clothing choices for her. Despite the friendly attitude of the shop owner and employees, being in this store was a painful experience for Aurora compared to the Adventurers Guild.


    "Nothing catching your eye?" Ruby asked. "What about that one?" she pointed to a dress adorned with ribbons.


    It looked nice enough to Aurora, but she still wasn''t really sure.


    "Can you just pick for me?" Aurora said, feeling defeated.


    "Can I?" Ruby''s excitement suddenly spiked.


    Her enthusiasm made Aurora feel uneasy, but she had already given her consent. She swallowed hard and nodded in response.


    Thankfully her worries proved to be unfounded. Ruby had picked out something beautiful for her. The blue dress was made of a soft and luxurious fabric, elegantly draping over her curves. The full and long skirt flowed gracefully in beautiful folds, while a blue ribbon was tied at the waist, accenting the narrowest part of her figure.


    "How is it?" asked Ruby. "Do you like it?"


    "Yes," replied Aurora. "Thank you."


    Lyra eagerly said in agreement. "You look absolutely stunning, miss!"


    Rita, who was standing at the back, simply nodded silently in approval.


    Ruby smiled, pleased with the positive feedback.


    "I''m glad you like it," she said. "Let''s pick a few more outfits and then head over to our next stop."


    They spent a few more hours picking clothes and then Ruby hurriedly pulled Aurora to her original destination: the jewelry shop.


    "As promised," Ruby smiled, "You''ll do what I said, right?"


    "Okay," Aurora said. "But what exactly are we going to do?"


    Ruby touched her necklace. "You gave me a gift before," Ruby said. "Now it''s my turn. Let''s buy something matching for the two of us."


    Like before, Ruby asked the shopkeeper to show her their best products.


    As they sat and checked all kinds of jewelry, Aurora noticed something.


    "Don''t most of these have a couple theme?" Aurora said as she picked one, with a heart shape.


    "D-do you have a problem with that?" Ruby asked nervously. "Are you questioning my taste?"


    "No, no, that''s not what I meant," Aurora said quickly. "If you like it, then it''s fine by me."


    Trying to hide her expression, Ruby picked up a bracelet adorned with beautiful sapphires.


    "Stay still for a moment," Ruby said. She then put it on Aurora''s wrist.


    Aurora gazed at the bracelet. The silver metal band was crafted with care, each link designed to enhance the sparkling sapphires. The rich blue hue of the gems was reminiscent of a midnight sky.


    "It''s beautiful," Aurora said as she touched the gems.


    Ruby offered her hand, and for a second, Aurora was confused.


    "My turn now, silly," Ruby murmured, blushing slightly.


    Aurora smiled. "Sure."


    She took Ruby''s small hand and put on the bracelet.


    Ruby smiled, happy to see the bracelet on her wrist.


    "Actually, I wanted a matching ring, but that might be too much," Ruby murmured.


    "What?" Aurora asked.


    "Nothing," Ruby said, hiding her face. "It''s my gift, you better treasure it."


    "Of course." Aurora said, smiled.


    ***

 Death.

    That night Lyra come back to Aurora room with pack of cards.


    "Miss," she said as she entered the room, "your cards have arrived."


    "Oh, finally," Aurora said as she set aside the book she was reading. "Let me see them."


    As she examined the deck, the first card she laid her eyes on was the Joker. The quality was decent, but Aurora wasn''t particularly fond of the illustration. Nevertheless, the most important thing was that the deck was complete, with the right number of cards and symbols she had requested.


    These were made by Nicolas'' friend, the tarot card maker.


    "What are you going to do with it?" Lyra asked, looking at the deck of cards.


    "Play with it," Aurora replied with a smile.


    "How?"


    "I''ll teach you later. But first, I have a promise to keep," she said as she got off the bed. "Oh, I should return these books I''ve finished reading too."


    "Allow me to carry those for you, miss," Lyra offered as she stepped closer to her master.


    "It''s fine," Aurora said, hugging the three thick books with one arm. "Why don''t you rest first? I won''t be gone for long."


    "Okay, miss," Lyra said as she watched Aurora leave the room with books and cards in hand.


    Aurora made her way to the magic academy library, her usual destination. The door proved to be a bit of a challenge to open with her hands full, but after some maneuvering, she finally succeeded.


    The sound of the door opening caught the attention of a big girl who carefully peered out from behind a bookshelf. Upon realizing it was Aurora, she quickly approached her.


    "Let me help you with that," the big girl, Sera, offered as she took the books from Aurora.


    "Thanks," Aurora said, smiling gratefully.


    Aurora followed Sera as she walked towards the bookshelf. With a quick glance at the books, Sera made sure she was putting them back in the correct place.


    They then made their way to a table around the corner. The candle on top of the table cast a warm, flickering light as they sat down.


    Aurora bring up her cards.


    "Alright, so this is the result of what we discussed last time," Aurora said as she pulled out her deck of cards.


    Sera didn''t looked too happy. "Gambling?"


    "No, no, it''s just a card game," Aurora smiled, shuffling the deck. "I''m going to teach you how to play Old Maid."


    Aurora then proceeded to explain the rules to Sera, carefully guiding her through each step.


    "Got it?" Aurora asked, once she was finished. "Let''s give it a try!"


    "W-wait, let me review the rule once again, Sera said nervously.


    " Don''t worry," Aurora reassured her. "It''s easier to understand by playing."


    Sera protested but Aurora ignore her and start distributed the card. There''s a hiccups few times at the beginning, but Sera soon got the hang of it and ended up winning the game.


    "See? It wasn''t that hard, was it?" Aurora said with a smile.


    "Ca-can we play again?" Sera asked, looking excited. Enjoying the thrill of victory.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    They played a few more rounds, and then Sera noticed a bracelet on Aurora''s right hand. She was so focused on the game that she had missed such a noticeable detail.


    Ah, this? Aurora noticed "Oh, this?" Aurora noticed Sera''s gaze on her bracelet. "Ruby gave it to me when we went to town. Isn''t it pretty?"


    "You two seem pretty close," Sera said with a hint of sadness in her voice.


    "Yeah, she''s my first friend here after all," Aurora replied, completely unaware of Sera''s feelings.


    "That''s... that''s great," Sera said, not sounding like she thought it was great. Her words were followed by an awkward silence.


    Sera mustered up her courage and said, "Aurora."


    "Yes...?" Aurora replied, looking confused.


    "I would find something for you too," Sera said.


    "Eh? No, you don''t need to do that," Aurora replied.


    "But you gave me that precious book. Isn''t it good manners to return the favor?" Sera said, trying to convince her friend.


    "No, don''t worry about it," Aurora replied. "I''m happy you like it, but there''s no need to pay me back."


    "But you accepted a gift from Ruby!" Sera said, raising her voice.


    Aurora was a little surprised by Sera''s agitation. "Yes, but--"


    Sera cut her off. "Do you mean... you don''t want a gift from me?"


    "Of course not!" Aurora quickly rejected that idea. "It''s just..."


    "Just what?" Sera asked, her voice tinged with pain. "If Ruby can, why can''t I? Don''t... don''t tell me you don''t even consider me as your friend?"


    "That''s not true!" Aurora protested with a hint of frustration in her voice.


    Aurora sighed. She didn''t want to hurt Sera''s feelings, but she also don''t want to make it sound like she only doing this for profit.


    "Fine," Aurora finally said, "just do what you want. Can we continue our game now?"


    Sera smiled. "Yes!"


    A few hours had passed as they continued playing, much longer than Aurora had expected. Sera kept asking to play one more round.


    "Looks like this card game was a great idea, huh?" Aurora teased. "It''s a lot more fun than you thought, isn''t it?"


    Sera tried to hide her embarrassment. "Uh, yeah. A little bit."


    Aurora laughed. "And it''ll be even more fun with more people. How about next time I invite Ruby to join us?"


    "Oh." Sera couldn''t hide her disappointment.


    "Come on, she''s actually a nice person," Aurora said. "You don''t have to treat her like an enemy."


    "But she is an enemy," Sera muttered.


    "What?"


    "I said, I prefer it if it''s just the two of us playing," Sera said.


    "Okay, if that''s what you want. I won''t make you do something you''re not comfortable with," Aurora said, gathering her cards. "Anyway I need to go now. I''ve been out longer than I planned and my maid is waiting for me."


    As Aurora was about to leave, Sera reflexively grabbed onto her clothing.


    Aurora turned around. "Is something wrong?"


    Sera swallowed hard.


    Could you stay a bit longer?


    Sera couldn''t bring herself to say the words she wanted to. Instead, she mumbled, "Goodnight."


    "Okay," Aurora replied with a smile. "Goodnight."


    ***


    Aurora felt sick as she opened her eyes. Her maid, Lyra, was angry because she was late to come back to her room last night. Aurora tried to reason with her using cards, saying that if she started playing, she would forget about time too.


    Unfortunately, that''s exactly what happened. She was forced to keep playing until the early hours of the morning, leaving her with only a few hours of sleep and feeling terrible.


    "I''m sorry, miss," Lyra said as she helped Aurora change into her academy uniform.


    "It''s fine," Aurora said, but the headache is killing her. All she can do is gently rubbing her temples to soothe her headache.


    "Can''t your magic do anything about it, miss?" Lyra asked.


    Aurora glanced at her maid, who appeared just as energetic as usual. Despite not getting much sleep the previous night, she still radiated vitality.


    It wasn''t fair, she thought, considering it was Lyra who caused her headache and lack of sleep.


    "I''ve tried it," Aurora said with a shrug. "It didn''t work. I''m not sure why. Maybe my magic only works for things like poison or maybe my mastery is still lacking. I don''t know."


    "I see," Lyra said. "I always thought light magic could cure everything."


    Probably that''s how it is, Aurora thought. The game makes light magic super rare, so there must be a reason. There must be something special about it. After all, her special form, LightSpeed, is just a cheat form, not necessarily a special attribute of light magic. She might be missing something.


    "Anyway, miss," Lyra said as she combed Aurora''s hair. "What about your cards? Are you not going to sell them? I''m sure everyone will want to play with them."


    "Hm..." Aurora pondered. She had originally created the cards just to pass the time, but this idea was worth considering. The monopoly on Kroma herb was also set to end soon with the new crops blooming, and having a new item to monopolize could be beneficial.


    "Good idea," Aurora said. "Can you go to Nicholas''s office later and explain it to him? Show him how to play, I''m sure he''ll understand the value once he gets hooked."


    "Understood, miss," Lyra replied.


    "Well, even if he doesn''t want to, I''ll make him do it," Aurora said with a smile.


    "You''re so evil, miss," Lyra replied with a grin.


    For some reason, Lyra looked excited. Aurora feels like the cards and her idea being approved didn''t seem to be the source of her excitement. Was it because she would get to meet Nicholas? Aurora was sure she saw a slight blush on her maid''s face.


    Aurora isn''t sure how she''s supposed to deal with it. Nicholas is one of two secret capture targets, but she''s not interested in building a relationship outside of business with him. So, it''s not like she wouldn''t approve of their relationship. But that''s assuming her feelings are returned. She doubted Lyra had the skill to capture a target.


    Should she lend a hand? Aurora pondered.


    Aurora shook her head. No, getting involved in other people''s love stories can be problematic. Unless it''s obvious that Lyra needs help, she should just let her do things herself. At best, she can give them a chance to meet.


    Thinking about it, Aurora feeling a little embarrassed. Why did she act like she was an expert on romance? Sure, she understood how romance worked in dating sims games, but she had no real-life experience.


    As she finished changing and began walking to her classroom, her headache mostly subsided, but she still didn''t feel great.


    "Are you okay?" Ruby asked.


    Aurora was a little surprised that she hadn''t noticed the small girl with twintails already walking beside her.


    "Yes, just a little headache," Aurora said, trying to smile. "And I''m a little tired, I guess."


    "Lack of sleep?" Ruby asked. "Don''t tell me you spent your night with that girl in the library again?"


    "What? Oh, you mean Sera?"


    "I don''t care what her name is," Ruby said, looking unhappy. "Why do you spend so much time with her anyway?"


    "Uh, because we''re friends? And we have similar interests in books, I guess?"


    "Whatever," Ruby said, walking faster.


    "Hey, wait Ruby! What are you angry about?"


    But Ruby didn''t wait. She failed to make Ruby talk to her and the class began.


    "Before we start the class," the teacher said, "I have some bad news."


    All eyes looked at him. That''s when Aurora noticed that Nova was absent from class.


    "Last night," the teacher began, "the knights of our kingdom fought with a group of rebels calling themselves the Black Knights. At that fight, our knights won, but at a great cost. The Knight Captain passed away in that fight."


    Aurora gulped. Did the Knight Captain get killed?


    "Many of you might be familiar with his son, Finnick Hunter, who is in his second year," the teacher continued. "Since this shocking news reached his ears, he has vanished without a trace. If any of you have any clues as to his whereabouts, please let us know."


    ***

 Sera.

    Even Aurora was taken aback by the unexpected bad news.


    Aurora''s mind was racing as she sat in the history lesson. It was supposed to be just another day at the academy, but with the news of the Knight Captain''s untimely death, everything had changed.


    In the game, Aurora thought, the Knight Captain was never said to be dead in either of the routes. Could her actions have played a role in the Captain''s death? The thought made her feel sick. On top of that, Finnick''s absence only added to the unease.


    She then remembered Ruby''s connection with Finnick and turned towards her. Ruby hung her head, her hair shielding her face from view, making it difficult for Aurora to gauge her expression.


    At that moment, Aurora felt the urge to go to her and give her a hug, but with class already in session, she was stuck in her seat.


    Aurora sighed as she struggled to focus on the history lesson. Despite the fantastical world she lived in, the subject matter was dry and dull. The endless lists of dates and events blurred together in her mind, and her thoughts wandered to darker places.


    As she ruminated on the events, a heavy weight settled in her chest. The full magnitude of her actions was hitting her, and she couldn''t ignore the fact that she had contributed, however indirectly, to someone''s death.


    It''s fine, it''s just an NPC, she thought, trying to justify it. The most important thing is her own survival. It''s either her or them.


    It''s not like she did it on purpose, another thought appears.


    Who cares if she acts a little selfish? She never asked to be in this situation either.


    Her mind keeps making excuses, making her less and less like a heroine and more and more like a villainess. And with that, the class ended.


    Aurora stood and walked toward Ruby. The small girl sat there in silence, not even glancing at her.


    "Can I hug you?" Aurora asked.


    Ruby looked at her, confusion written all over her face. "Huh?"


    "Can I?" Aurora repeated, her voice soft and gentle.


    "I don''t need it," Ruby replied, her tone uncertain.


    "I know," Aurora said. No matter how much she tried to justify it, she couldn''t shake the feeling of unease that lingered in her heart. She felt like she needed this more than Ruby did. "But... can I?"


    Ruby hesitated for a moment before mumbling, "We-well, if you insist."


    Aurora enveloped her in a warm embrace. The feel of Ruby''s small, warm body against hers eased her heart just a little. Ruby blushed, looking a little embarrassed, but Aurora could feel the tension in her shoulders beginning to relax.


    Aurora asked, "Do you want to look for Finnick?"


    "No," Ruby replied, her voice small and defeated.


    "You don''t need to lie to me," Aurora said, her tone gentle but firm.


    Ruby bit her lip. "I don''t have feelings for him anymore," she whispered.


    Lied again, Aurora said.


    "I''m not!" Ruby said, with frustration. "It doesn''t matter anyway. Even if I could find him, he wouldn''t want me. He doesn''t need me."


    "That''s not true," Aurora said, her voice filled with conviction.


    Ruby let out a laugh. "Didn''t you notice?" she asked, looking up at her friend. "Nova isn''t here. It''s not just a coincidence, I''m sure she''s with Finnick right now."


    "But still..." she started, but was cut off as Ruby buried her face in Aurora''s chest.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Can we just stay like this?" Ruby whispered. "So I can give up on him."


    Aurora wrapped her arms around Ruby, holding her close.


    "Okay," she said softly, offering her friend the comfort and support she needed.


    ***


    Aurora had been trying to focus on her book for the past few minutes, but her mind just wouldn''t settle. She kept rereading the same line over and over again, unable to concentrate. She sighed and closed the book, placing it on the table beside her empty cup.


    "Do you want to drink more tea, miss?" Lyra asked, noticing her frustration.


    "Sure," Aurora replied, absentmindedly.


    Lyra refilled her cup with hot tea and Aurora took it, the warm aroma helping to relax her a bit.


    Just as she was about to take a sip, she heard a whisper in her ear. She put down the cup and stood up.


    "Something wrong, miss?" Lyra asked, concern in her voice.


    "Someone''s waiting for me outside," Aurora replied, before making her way to the door.


    "Who?" Lyra asked.


    "Stay here," Aurora said firmly, before making her way out.


    As she walked towards the academy garden, she saw a man with purple hair. He looked at her and smiled.


    "Nice to see you again," the man, Dante, said. "You''re as beautiful as ever."


    "Sure," Aurora replied, her tone uninterested.


    Dante sighed. "You''re so apathetic, it makes me sad. Should I remind you that being directly in contact with me is special? Most clients from the information guild are usually handled by my subordinates, you know?"


    Aurora listened to Dante''s words, but she remained unfazed.


    "If you let most things be handled by your subordinates, don''t you have a lot of free time?" Aurora asked. "Are you bored, that''s why you''re willing to go to such lengths for me?"


    Dante chuckled. "You got me there. Well, partially. You''re still a pretty valuable client after all. I can''t let my subordinates mess it up."


    "So," Aurora continued, "what brings you here today?"


    He nodded. "I''m sure you''ve already heard. As always, your information is accurate. The king sent his best knight to put an end to the rebels once and for all. But he underestimated the rebels and trusted his knight too much, and now the raid has failed. The knight captain died in the process."


    "Wait, failed?" Aurora exclaimed. "I heard about the knight captain, but nobody mentioned the raid failing."


    Dante shrugged. "They''re probably trying to save face. It''s quite embarrassing if people find out not only did the knight captain die, but the raid failed as well." He paused, then asked, "You didn''t see this outcome with your powers?"


    Aurora sighed. "That''s not how it works. I don''t have control over what I see with my future sight."


    "Fair enough," Dante said, understanding.


    "But why did the raid fail?" Aurora asked, trying to piece the information together.


    Dante smiled bitterly. "They had traitors within the kingdom''s knights. That''s why even the knight captain, who was the strongest in terms of skill, couldn''t handle a stabbing from the back by someone he considered a comrade. And based on this, it''s likely that the rebels are being supported by nobles."


    Aurora''s mind raced. Supported by nobles? She thought. That didn''t happen in the game. Not at this time, at least.


    "We''re already trying to figure out who they are," Dante continued. "It''s still too early, but so far we suspect that James Winchester may have connections to this."


    Aurora was shocked. "What? You mean the son of the Prime Minister?"


    One of the capture target.


    Dante nodded. "We''re not completely sure yet, but our investigation hit a roadblock. Duke Wilder seems to be getting in our way."


    "Nova Wilder," Aurora murmured.


    "Yes," Dante agreed. "Nova seems to be helping James hide. We wouldn''t have found out about it if you didn''t ask us to keep an eye on her. In a way, your request also helped us."


    Aurora looked confused. What exactly happened here?


    Aurora then turned to Dante. There''s no point in keeping this information a secret, she thought.


    "I know who''s actually behind the rebels," Aurora said. "Do you want to hear it?"


    Dante eagerly replied, "Of course! Why wouldn''t I?"


    "It was the second prince," Aurora revealed. "The reason... Well, it should be obvious."


    "The second prince?" Dante said, sounding intrigued. "That makes sense. If things continue as they are, Prince Casper will be the next king, even though people keep praising the second prince as a genius. But there''s still no concrete evidence linking the rebels to him. Are you sure about this?"


    Aurora nodded firmly. "Of course I''m sure. I''d be dead if the king found out my information was false. After all, I''m accusing a prince of leading criminals."


    Dante agreed. "Our necks are on the line too. So I''ll try my best to find some proof before telling the king about this."


    "That''s probably for the best," Aurora said.


    What bothers her the most is why James is siding with the second prince. In the game, James always criticized Prince Casper for his weak-willedness and inferior complex, but he still would never go so far as to switch sides to the second prince.


    That means Nova must have something to do with it. But that doesn''t make sense. Why would she help the rival of her own fianc¨¦?


    Aurora felt frustrated. Nova has finally made her move, and yet Aurora can''t even understand what she''s trying to do.


    "Well, I guess that''s it for today," Dante said.


    "Wait," Aurora said. "Can you find Finnick for me? Where is he and what''s he doing?"


    Right. If Nova is with James right now, then Finnick is moving alone. Thinking about this just makes Aurora more confused. Finnick and Prince Casper were supposed to be Nova''s ally. But why is she antagonizing them? If Nova has something to do with this, doesn''t that mean she indirectly killed Finnick''s dad too? More than Aurora did, at least.


    "Finnick?" Dante grumbled. "The son of the knight captain, huh? It seems like after hearing the news of his father''s death, he decided to take matters into his own hands and try to get revenge. Although his exact location is unknown."


    "So he''s hunting the rebels?" Aurora asked. "Can you find him?"


    "Sure," Dante said. "I''ll see what we can do. Is that all?"


    Aurora nodded.


    ***


    It was a quiet night at the library, and Sera was lost in her book, the only sound in the room the soft rustling of pages.


    A sudden sound caught Sera''s attention, causing her to turn towards its source in the other side of the room. At first, she thought it might be her friend Aurora, who often came to the library, but as she looked up she saw that it was someone she hadn''t interact in years--James, her former childhood friend.


    Sera''s heart skipped a beat as she saw he walk toward her.


    "Sera," James said, a smile spreading across his face. "As I thought, it was you."


    "Ja-james," Sera replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "It''s... been a long time since we talk, right?"


    "It has," James agreed, getting closer to where she was sitting. "What are you reading?"


    Sera held up the book, feeling suddenly self-conscious.


    "It''s a mystery novel," she said, hoping he wouldn''t judge her.


    "I love mysteries," James said, taking the book from her and flipping through the pages. "I used to read them all the time when we were kids."


    Sera smiled, feeling a warmth spread through her. She and James had always shared a love of books and stories, and it was comforting to know that some things never changed.


    "I didn''t think you still read," she said.


    "Of course I still read," James replied, handing the book back to her. "I just don''t have as much time for it as I used to."


    Sera was taken aback as she looked into James''s eyes behind his glasses. He had a look of desperation and urgency in them, which made her heart skip a beat.


    "So why are you here?" she asked, her voice shaky. "I-I mean I''m happy you came here, but... "


    James took a deep breath before speaking. "I''m looking for you," he said firmly.


    Sera''s eyes widened in surprise. "M-me? Why?"


    James gazed into her eyes, his expression serious. "I need some help. Can you hear me out?" he asked.


    ***

 Request and Demand.

    Since childhood, Sera was a shy girl who had trouble making friends. She found comfort in reading books, but few others shared her interest. Her body was bigger than the average girl, which made socializing even more difficult for her. She felt even more lonely after the death of her grandfather, the only person who understood her and taught her to love books.


    One day, she met James, a boy with glasses who shared her love for reading. They bonded over their shared interests and spent hours talking about books. Sera felt a small spark of love for James, but she soon realized that he was spending less and less time with her.


    "James, where have you been? I haven''t... seen you around lately," Sera asked one day, trying to hide the pain in her voice.


    "Oh, I''ve just been hanging out with Nova. She''s really cool," James replied with a shrug.


    Sera felt a pang in her heart, but she tried to be understanding. "That''s great, I''m happy for you," she said, forcing a smile.


    However, as the days went by, James stopped talking to Sera completely, even when they ended up in the same magic academy class. Sera felt lost and alone, and she didn''t understand what had gone wrong.


    To ease her loneliness, Sera buried herself in books and spent her days in the library. But even that wasn''t enough, and she still felt lonely.


    One night, she met a beautiful girl named Aurora with mesmerizing blue hair. And her light magic is cool too. Sera felt a connection with Aurora, and they promised to meet again.


    However, as the days went by, Aurora did not reappear, and Sera became restless. She realized that she was still lonely and that Aurora might leave her just like James had in the past. Sera''s heart ached at the thought of losing another friend, and she was left to wonder if she would ever find someone who would stay by her side.


    "I thought I had finally found a friend," she whispered to herself, almost crying. Looking at the empty library shelves. "But maybe I''m meant to be alone forever."


    But Sera was wrong. Aurora not only returned, she gifted her an incredible present--a rare copy of her favorite book. Every time she looked at the book, she couldn''t help but smile. She adored that mesmerizing blue girl.


    Not only that, true to her word, Aurora visited more often and they spent more time together. Sera was finally happy again.


    As a second-year student, Sera struggled to see Aurora outside of the library. She would often try to catch a glimpse of her by walking past her classroom, but it made her feel like a stalker. How embarrassing.


    She can''t help feeling a tinge of regret, especially when she sees Aurora with the small girl named Ruby. If only she had enrolled in this academy a year earlier, she might have been in Ruby''s position.


    However, the more she saw them together, the more jealous she felt, and her hatred towards Ruby grew stronger with each passing moment.


    Nononononono, bad girl.


    Getting jealous by herself, getting angry by herself, Sera was feeling a mix of jealousy and anger, and she couldn''t understand why she was acting this way. She was never like this, even when James was stolen by Nova. It was as if she was in love with the blue girl.


    "I''m so stupid," she shook her head, reminding herself that they were both girls.


    But she couldn''t help the way her heart raced every time she thought about her, or the blush that crept onto her cheeks.


    "Stop it!" she scolded herself. "We''re just friends, nothing more than that."


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    "And even if Aurora is willing to get into a relationship with a girl, she''s probably going to choose someone like Ruby--small and cute, unlike her.


    Sera groans as her intrusive thoughts keep heading in this weird direction, causing her to feel depressed about herself.


    Suddenly, an old face appeared in front of Sera. It was someone who used to be a close friend.


    James.


    There''s a pain in her heart. Despite the years that have passed, it seems her feelings for him still have not completely disappeared.


    "I need your help," James said. "Will you hear me out?"


    Sera was disappointed. Was he only reaching out to her because he needed something? How annoying. Did he not think about her feelings at all?


    "Why are you asking me?" she said. "Why don''t you go to Nova?"


    "You''re still angry about that?" James said in disbelief.


    Sera couldn''t believe what she was hearing. Did he really think everything was okay between them? It hurt her deeply. She felt stupid for being so kind to him.


    "What''s so great about her anyway?" Sera asked.


    "Hey, don''t talk bad about her," James said. "She''s the best student in the first year. You should have heard it yourself."


    Sera rolled her eyes. "People aren''t just about accomplishments. And Aurora is hundreds of times better than her anyway."


    "Don''t joke around," James said. "She might be special with that light magic and whatnot, but she''s nowhere near Nova."


    "So if she''s so great, why are you coming to me?" Sera asked. "Just go to her like you always do."


    Sera realized that she felt braver and more confident when she was angry. But she didn''t like that she needed negative emotions to be able to do things better.


    "I can''t," James said. "That''s why I need your help."


    Sera felt like James was treating it like an honor that he was asking for her help, but to her it felt like an insult.


    "Why?" Sera said.


    "Nova can''t help me with this," James said. "And I came to you because you''re the only one I trust to help me with this problem."


    Sera sighed. She didn''t want to be put in this position, but at the same time she couldn''t turn her back on James. They were friends, once upon a time, and she knew he wouldn''t come to her if it wasn''t important.


    "What''s the problem then?" Sera asked.


    "Molten Forest," James said. "It''s owned by your family, right?"


    Sera looked at him, confused. Molten Forest is a magical forest that can''t be easily entered by outsiders. If you force your way in, everything inside will become hostile and will likely kill you.


    "What do you want with it?" Sera asked.


    "Please give me access to it," James said.


    "Why? What are you going to do there?" Sera asked again.


    "That was...," James started to say, but then trailed off. "Anyway, that''s not important. Please just give me access."


    "What do you mean it''s not important?" Sera stepped back. She willing to help him, but this feels suspicious. Something doesn''t feel right.


    "If you''re asking for a favor, doesn''t it make sense to tell me what you''re going to do with it?" Sera said.


    "It''s better for you not to know," James said. "Believe me."


    What is he saying? Sera thought.


    "Then forget it," Sera said. "Why would I help you if you''re not willing to tell me anything?"


    "As I said before, it''s better for you not to know!" James insisted. "But trust me, it''s for the good of a lot of people!"


    "Such empty words don''t mean anything to me," Sera replied, her instincts telling her that whatever James was planning, it couldn''t be good.


    "You just don''t get it!" James exclaimed. "Nova was right. If things continue like this, the kingdom won''t last."


    Hearing Nova''s name made Sera even more uncomfortable.


    "I... I don''t know what Nova told you," Sera said. "But I''m not going to follow vague words. If you''re not willing to explain better, I won''t cooperate."


    "Don''t be stubborn! Just help me!" James yelled.


    "No!" Sera replied.


    "Stupid!" James growled. "Don''t make me force you--"


    "Isn''t that enough?" Aurora interrupted as she walked towards them.


    "Aurora!" Sera smiled with happiness at the sight of her. She looked beautiful even in these circumstances.


    "You!" James stared daggers at Aurora, anger evident on his face.


    "I''ve been listening for a while now," Aurora said. "And Sera has already made it clear that she won''t help you. So, sir, you better back off."


    "Don''t get involved," James spat. "It has nothing to do with you."


    "I disagree," Aurora said, turning to Sera. "Good job rejecting him. You should not listen to criminals."


    Sera blinked. "Criminals...?"


    "I just received information," Aurora said, "that some nobles are involved with the rebels and the first name that popped up was James Winchester."


    Sera''s eyes widened. "What...?"


    "That''s a lie!" James shouted. "Where''s your proof!?"


    Aurora shrugged. "Of course, it hasn''t been confirmed yet," she said. "But it''s a good idea to not get involved with you in this kind of situation, right? Not to mention your request is suspicious too."


    James glared, but he didn''t reply.


    Aurora stood between Sera and James. Although the blue-haired girl was smaller than Sera, her stance looked strong, protecting Sera.


    "Why don''t you just go," Aurora said. "Don''t bother Sera again."


    "I won''t leave before she helps me!" James shouted, fire appearing around him.


    "Stop!" Sera said reflexively. "You will burn the book!"


    "Shut up!" James growled. Sera had never seen James like this. He was always calm and collected, but now he was filled with a rage she''d never witnessed before. Flames danced wildly around him. "You will help me or--"


    Before he could finish his threat, a blur of motion caught Sera''s eye. It was Aurora, moving at high speed, and before James could even react, she was right in front of him. With a powerful punch, she sent him flying to his knees, coughing and gasping for air.


    The fire that had surrounded James vanished instantly, and Aurora stood over him, triumphant.


    "Miss!" Lyra shouted from the door, followed by a few teachers, Ruby, and her knight, Rita.


    "Remember I said I was listening for a while?" Aurora said with a smile. "At that time, I asked my maid to call for help."


    Outmatched and defeated, James was quickly captured by the teachers. Sera could hardly believe what had just happened. She heard about duel between Aurora and Nova and she know Aurora was powerful, but she had never seen someone move so fast.


    As James was taken away, Sera couldn''t help but feel a sense of relief. She knew now that James was dangerous, and it was a good thing that he was finally under control. She also felt a newfound respect for Aurora and her incredible abilities.


    Not only beautiful, she strong too. Plus she younger than her. Sera felt more inferior more than ever.


    ***

 Dislike.

    "My hand hurts," Aurora said as she, Ruby and Sera sat in the library. While Rita and Lyra, were guarding the door.


    "Is it broken?" Ruby asked, taking Aurora''s hand in hers.


    "I think I punched him a bit too hard," Aurora said with a sheepish smile. "But I don''t think it''s broken."


    "You should have let my knights handle it, silly," Ruby said. "What''s the point of calling for help then?"


    "Sorry," Aurora apologized. "He was about to burn down the whole library, I had to stop him."


    Across from Aurora, Sera kept quiet. She was fidgeting, looking visibly frustrated.


    "Are you okay, Sera?" Aurora asked.


    "I-I''m fine," Sera replied, hanging her head in sadness. "But it''s all my fault."


    "No, it''s not," Aurora comforted her. "It''s all James'' fault. Don''t worry about it."


    Aurora felt relieved that she had decided to check on Sera. She knew that Sera was the only one who had a connection to James, but she couldn''t imagine why he would approach Sera. They didn''t seem close anymore, especially if he was supposed to be hiding.


    Is Nova up to her tricks again? Aurora wondered. It was odd for James to suddenly ask for help from Sera. And the forest he mentioned, Aurora guessed that he and the rebels needed a place to hide.


    After all, Aurora had already uncovered all of their hiding places.


    The king and the Information Guild were closely watching the Winchester and Wilder families, so maybe Nova was trying to get help from Sera''s family instead. But the plan seemed so crude. It was Nova herself who had ruined the relationship between Sera and James.


    Still, there could be something else going on, Aurora thought. Something she had failed to notice.


    As Aurora was lost in thought, Sera and Ruby''s eyes finally met directly.


    Each of them keep glancing with hostility.


    Ruby, still holding Aurora''s hand, smirked, rubbing her cheek with Aurora''s hand as if to signal her victory. However, Sera wasn''t giving up that easily and tried to grab Aurora''s other hand, causing Aurora to snap out of her thoughts.


    The air was charged with tension between the two of them, and Aurora felt it bearing down on her. She tried to pull her hand away from Ruby''s grip, but Ruby held tight. And the same happen on Sera side.


    "Can we just be friends?" Aurora asked, breaking the silence.


    "No!" Ruby and Sera replied in unison.


    Aurora chuckled. "Well, at least we agree on something," she said, trying to lighten the mood.


    Ruby pouted. "The problem''s already solved, right? So let''s just go." She tried to pull Aurora along with her.


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    "No, stay here," Sera said, holding onto Aurora''s other hand. "Let''s read a book together again or chat."


    "Are you stupid?" Ruby retorted. "It''s already this late. Aurora needs to rest. Pulling all-nighters is bad for her health."


    "Well, that''s true, but...it''s fine once in a while," Sera replied, a little uncertain.


    "You''ve already made Aurora stay up all night a lot, haven''t you?" Ruby challenged. "How are you going to make it up to her if it ruins her health?"


    "That''s not going to happen!" Sera said, becoming defensive. "It''s just one or two hours at most."


    "Whatever," Ruby said, determined. "I''m taking Aurora with me."


    "No!" Sera protested.


    "Uh... Girls?" Aurora interjected, trying to diffuse the situation.


    "Can we just compromise and do something else together?" Aurora suggested.


    "No way!" Ruby responded. "I don''t want to have to share you with anyone else."


    "Me neither," Sera chimed in. "I don''t want that either."


    Aurora let out a sigh. "Alright, I''ll do what I want to then." She turned to her maid, Lyra. "Are you still carrying that new deck of cards?"


    "Yes, miss," Lyra replied, pulling the deck out of her pocket. Aurora smiled as she took the deck, pleased to see that the illustrations had been changed as she had requested.


    Ruby and Sera exchanged glances, watching as Aurora began shuffling the cards. "Lyra, why don''t you sit down too?" Aurora invited. "Let''s all play together. What about you, Miss Knight?" she added, gesturing to Rita who was standing by the door.


    Rita was taken aback. "Me?" she asked.


    "Yes," Aurora nodded. "It''ll be more fun with more people."


    Reluctantly, Rita walked over and took a seat next to Ruby.


    "Let me explain the rules first," Aurora said, distributing the cards to everyone. Sera and Lyra were already familiar with the game, so Aurora focused her explanation on Ruby and Rita. And with that, the game began.


    Ruby picked up her cards. "I''m not really sure I understand," she said.


    "Me neither," Rita echoed.


    Aurora smiled. "You''ll get it as we play," she said reassuringly.


    "That''s right," Lyra added. "It''s not as complicated as it seems. You''ll get the hang of it after a few rounds."


    Sera picked up her cards, looking disappointed. "I told you I didn''t want to play with Ruby," she muttered under her breath.


    Ruby''s eyes narrowed in anger. "What was that?" she asked.


    "That''s enough," Aurora interjected. "Let''s just play."


    They played for a few rounds, with Lyra emerging as the winner yet again.


    Yes, I won again!" Lyra exclaimed, as she ran out of cards.


    On the other hand, despite losing, Rita was surprisingly taking it well.


    "That was fun," she said. "I had no idea cards could be played like this."


    "That''s because Aurora invented them," Sera said, puffing out her chest with pride.


    Not really invented, Aurora wanted to say, but she kept silent. It was hard to explain, after all.


    "Why are you the one bragging about it?" Ruby asked, her tone irritated. "It''s Aurora''s accomplishment, not yours."


    "Why not?" Sera countered. "I was the inspiration."


    "What? Really?" Ruby asked, surprised.


    "That''s right," Aurora said. "But if I recall correctly, you didn''t seem too thrilled about the idea at first." Aurora playfully poked fun at her.


    Sera felt a warm blush spread across her cheeks.


    "I-I mean, I didn''t expect it to be this much fun. And you made it sound like it was going to be some sort of gambling."


    "I never said it was gambling," Aurora replied with a smile.


    "Yes, but--I''m sorry for making such a silly assumption!" Sera apologized, feeling embarrassed.


    "I was just joking," Aurora said, glancing at the cards in her hand.


    Soon, these cards will go on sale. Preparations are taking some time as they are figuring out the best way to teach everyone how to play. In the end, they decided that every package will come with instructions on at least three different ways to play: playing solo like in solitaire, with two people like in blackjack, and with a group like in Old Maid.


    Aurora isn''t sure if people will understand from written instructions, so they will try to sell them first. If the written instructions fail, they will need to come up with a new approach.


    At the end of the day, Aurora knows this entertainment product is a hit based on how much fun her friend had with it.


    They played a few more rounds before deciding it was time to head back. Sera stayed behind at the library to do a final check and lock up, while the others walked together.


    Aurora noticed that Ruby was in a bad mood, especially after finding out the card game was inspired by Sera. She wasn''t sure what to say, so she walked in silence, followed by her maid Lyra and Rita, both of whom were also quiet.


    Aurora and Ruby''s room was in opposite directions, so Aurora said, "Well then, see you tomorrow?"


    But Ruby grabbed her hand. "Uh... What is it, Ruby?" Aurora asked.


    Ruby didn''t say anything, instead she dragged Aurora along. "Wait, wait, where are we going?" Aurora asked, feeling forced to follow. Behind them, Lyra and Rita followed in confusion.


    "Ruby, hey!" Aurora complained, but Ruby didn''t respond. They arrived in front of Ruby''s room, and Ruby pushed Aurora inside. She then looked at Lyra and her knight and said, "Stay here," before entering and closing the door.


    "Um... What is this all about?" Aurora asked, confused.


    "What do you think?" Ruby replied.


    "I''m not sure, but I don''t think there''s any point in being competitive with Sera," Aurora said.


    Ruby sighed. "Are you really not getting it?"


    "What?" Aurora asked, confused.


    "Never mind," Ruby said dismissively. "Just stay here with me tonight."


    "If you wanted a sleepover, you should have just told me," Aurora said.


    Ruby stared at the blue girl, who seemed nervous and was looking at her carefully, as if she didn''t want to make Ruby angry. But Ruby was already angry to begin with.


    Ruby doesn''t get it either. Ruby doesn''t understand why she finds this blue girl so cute. The desire to possess her is similar to her desire to collect gems, but even stronger.


    Ruby sighed and opened her room doors. Rita and Lyra were still standing there, unsure of what to do.


    "We''ve decided to have a sleepover," Ruby announced. "Get everything prepared quickly."


    ***

 Secret and Mission.

    Ruby lay in bed, her eyes wide open as she gazed at the ceiling. It was all her own doing. She had let her emotions get the best of her and now, she was lying in bed next to Aurora, not being able to fall asleep.


    The blue girl didn''t move, her warmth radiating towards Ruby. They were so close, almost touching, and Ruby couldn''t help but feel a mixture of nervousness and excitement at their proximity.


    Suddenly, Aurora stirred and turned to face Ruby.


    "Are you asleep yet?" Aurora asked, her bright blue eyes shining in the moonlight.


    "No, not yet," Ruby replied, her voice barely above a whisper.


    "You know you don''t need to be jealous because Sera inspired me to create that card game," Aurora said.


    "Why not?" Ruby pouted, feeling a bit childish.


    Aurora chuckled. "I just remembered why I came up with this in the first place. You hate reading, right? So I thought it would be fun if we could find something to do together besides reading. So, in a way, that card game was created for you."


    "That''s unfair," Ruby said, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks.


    Aurora giggled and shut her eyes, letting the peaceful silence surround her. She felt herself drifting closer and closer to sleep.


    "Hey, Aurora," Ruby said, breaking the silence in the cozy room.


    "Yes?" Aurora answered, still keeping her eyes closed.


    "Will you tell me already? About your secret. You promised me, right?" Ruby asked, her voice filled with anticipation.


    "Oh, right," Aurora said, as if she just remembered. "Where should I start?"


    Surrounded by fluffy pillows and warm blankets, Aurora felt at ease.


    "I call it LightSpeed," Aurora said, finally opening her eyes to look at Ruby. "Basically, it turns my body into light. That''s why I can move so fast."


    "I see," Ruby said, looking at Aurora in awe. "Isn''t that mean you''re unbeatable?"


    Aurora smiled. "Not really. As you saw before, I lack a way to attack people using magic. That forces me to use physical attacks, which aren''t really my best suit."


    "Oh, right," Ruby said, remembered their previous encounter with James. "How''s your hand?"


    "It''s okay," Aurora said. "It''s not hurting anymore. Anyway, LightSpeed has a big weakness. I can only use it for around five minutes. After that, there''s a five-hour cooldown."


    "Cooldown?" Ruby asked.


    "It means I need to wait five hours before I can use it again," Aurora explained. "So, I can''t use it continuously."


    "Well, that sucks," Ruby said, her tone filled with disappointment.


    Aurora chuckled, "Yes, it is. It''s more like a last resort thing. But I don''t have any other way to do stuff, so I end up relying on it too much."


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    Ruby turned to her, "So even you have weaknesses, huh?"


    "Of course," Aurora said. "If I can''t beat up my enemies in less than five minutes, I''m not sure what I should do," Ruby can feel a hint of frustration in her voice. "That''s why if I''m fighting seriously with Nova..."


    "Don''t worry. I''ll protect you," Ruby said.


    Aurora smiled. "Thank you."


    A few minutes later, Aurora was sound asleep. Ruby was a bit annoyed. She couldn''t believe that Aurora wasn''t nervous at all. Meanwhile, Ruby was strangely more aware and just being close to Aurora already made her feel embarrassed. But, Aurora didn''t seem to be affected at all.


    Ruby felt a pain in her chest. Her feelings were unrequited once again, huh?


    Ruby sighed and tried to calm herself down, knowing that there was no point in dwelling on her one-sided feelings. She decided to close her eyes and try to get some rest, hoping that when she woke up, she would feel better and more at peace.


    Just as she was about to drift off, Aurora suddenly turned and grabbed her hand, jolting Ruby and making her eyes snap open. Aurora was now incredibly close, eyes still closed, their faces only inches apart, and Ruby could feel Aurora''s breath brushing against her cheeks.


    Ruby''s heart skipped a beat and she felt her cheeks flush. She was happy, but... she couldn''t help but think to herself, Don''t torture me like this!


    The morning came and Aurora woke up feeling full of energy. On the other hand, Ruby was still lying in bed, looking tired with dark circles under her eyes.


    "Good morning," Aurora greeted However, she noticed that Ruby looked tired. "You don''t look so good, did you sleep at all?"


    "Do you think I could''ve...?" Ruby grumbled.


    "Oh, sorry. Did my sleeping posture bother you?" Aurora asked.


    "No, I mean...never mind." Ruby yawned and reached her hand out to Aurora. "Help me wake up."


    Aurora smiled and grabbed Ruby''s hand, pulling her up. Ruby, now sitting next to Aurora on the bed, rubbing her eyes.


    "That was fun," Aurora said. "Maybe we can do it again sometime."


    Ruby stared at her.


    "Wh-what? Did I say something wrong?" Aurora asked, panicking. "It''s fine if you don''t want to."


    Ruby grabbed her hand and said, "Let''s do it every day!"


    "Eh...? Everyday was a bit..." Aurora said, trailing off.


    Lyra then came to take Aurora back to her own room. After that, everything continued as usual.


    Before class started, Marina approached Aurora. The white-haired girl seemed both excited and tired, but her excitement was palpable.


    "I made some progress!" Marina said, beaming.


    "Oh, that''s great!" Aurora replied, smiling.


    "I''ll show you later," Marina said. "But it''s still not the final version yet, far from it. The effect isn''t that great yet..." Her voice trailed off, and her excitement slowly died. She started to lose confidence. "I mean, I have made progress but..."


    Aurora grabbed her hand and forced her to look at her.


    "Stop that," Aurora said gently. "It''s okay to be excited about your progress, and I would be sad if you held back your excitement just because it''s not perfect yet."


    "You''re really kind, huh?" Marina said. "To the point where I started doubting it..."


    "What?" Aurora asked, confused.


    Marina shook her head. "Never mind," Marina said. "Let''s talk about it after class."


    She pulled her hand away and went back to her seat. Aurora was stunned and looked down at her hand.


    She didn''t feel like she was pretending. She wasn''t lying when she said she didn''t mind if Marina took her time and could be happy with her creation. But the way Marina said it somehow hurt her heart. Being doubted was of course not a nice feeling, but she felt like Marina had seen her dark side, her lies, her scheming nature.


    The lesson began, and Aurora tried to dismiss her sudden feeling of depression. She looked at the front and noticed that Nova was absent again today.


    Aurora still couldn''t read that girl. What was she planning, and where was she right now?


    So far, her only lead was her own unease about James. She felt that there was something more to his actions. She must have a more in-depth conversation with Sera later.


    Looking at the other side of the room, Aurora saw Ruby sleeping at her seat. Ruby must be tired. After all, it seems like she didn''t get any sleep at all when she was with her. Aurora never knew her sleeping posture was that bad, but if it was, why would Ruby want to do it again?


    An idea came to Aurora''s mind. She had actually had this nagging feeling for some time, but she immediately pushed that thought away.


    No, forget it.


    The class ended without incident.


    Aurora walked over to Ruby, who was still fast asleep in her seat. Gently, she shook her shoulder.


    "Ruby, class is over," Aurora said softly.


    Ruby stirred, rubbing her eyes as she woke up. When she realized she had fallen asleep in class, a blush spread across her cheeks.


    "Did I... Uh, how embarrassing. That''s so unladylike," Ruby muttered.


    "It''s okay," Aurora reassured her. "You were just tired."


    "But still," Ruby said, looking worried. "I didn''t drool, did I?"


    Aurora giggled. "No, you didn''t. And even if you did, it wouldn''t change how cute you are."


    Ruby''s blush deepened.


    "Aurora," someone called from behind her. Aurora turned to see a white-haired girl.


    "Oh, right," Aurora nodded. As she gazed at Marina''s face, an uneasy feeling came over her, but she quickly tried to shake it off. "Let''s discuss it over some tea," Aurora suggested.


    "I''m okay," Marina replied. "Let''s just get it done quickly here."


    "I insist," Aurora said, clearly not accepting the rejection.


    "What are you guys talking about?" Ruby asked.


    "Marina finished my potion," Aurora said with a smile. "You''re curious about it too, right? Would you like to join us?"


    "Of course!" Ruby immediately stood up.


    "Wait," Marina said, panicked. "Are we really doing this?"


    "Come on, at least you can celebrate your success with some tea and sweets," encouraged Aurora.


    "Fine," Marina said, giving in.


    The three of them stepped out of the room and made their way down the corridor. Suddenly, a young girl dressed as a maid came running towards them. It was Lyra.


    "Miss," she said, panting slightly.


    "Oh, perfect timing," Aurora said with a smile. "We were just about to have some tea. Can you prepare it for us?"


    "Of course, Miss," Lyra replied. "But before that, while you were in class, someone from the adventurer''s guild came by and left this for you."


    With that, Lyra handed a letter over to Aurora.


    ***

 Change Plan and Night Talk.

    Aurora sat comfortably as Lyra poured tea into her cup. The aroma of the tea was relaxing and tempted her to drink it right away, but she had something to do first. She looked at the letter she held and opened it.


    Lyra then poured tea into a ruby cup and then into Marina''s cup.


    "Is that about the sword from the other day?" Ruby asked, picking up a cookie and taking a bite.


    Aurora nodded as she quickly read the letter. "It says the mission was a success. They found a sword stuck on a big rock, but no matter what they do, they can''t pull it out," she said.


    "Oh, so it''s really legendary!" Ruby said, looking interested. "So, what are you going to do with it?"


    Aurora was thinking in silence. The original plan was to send Finnick to retrieve the sword, as it would eliminate his weakness in using wind magic and hopefully reduce his dependence on Nova. However, this may no longer be necessary.


    Finnick has great respect for his father, which is why he trains so hard to become a knight in the first place. If Nova ends up killing his father, indirectly or not, their relationship will be over.


    If Finnick doesn''t find out by himself soon, Aurora planned to ask the Information Guild to pass the information to him, indirectly of course.


    However, because of this, the whole legendary sword has become meaningless.


    "Should I send Rita there to try and pull it out?" Ruby offered. "She''s been nagging me for a while. Since nothing has really happened, she''s ended up doing some maid work and she doesn''t like that. She says she wants to move her body and fight something. In that forest, there should be a lot of monsters she can fight, right?"


    Aurora nodded. "That might not be a bad idea. What is her magic element again?"


    "It''s wind," Ruby said, "if I remember correctly."


    Aurora can''t help but smile. Isn''t she lucky?


    "Lyra," Aurora said. "It seems like I don''t need to go in person, according to this letter. Could you handle it for me? Pay the adventurers for the previous request, and then go with Rita to post a new request for someone to accompany her back to the sword?"


    "Of course, miss," Lyra replied.


    As the conversation continued, Marina sat quietly, sipping her tea. She found the conversation interesting enough, so she wasn''t bored. However, she struggled to join in and ask more about what they were talking about.


    Noticing this, Aurora said, "Oh, I''m sorry. I got carried away and ended up talking about something else. This was supposed to be a celebration for you."


    "It''s fine," Marina said. "Can we talk about potions now?"


    "Sure," Aurora said.


    Marina then brought her bag to the table and pulled out two small bottles of potion. The color was transparent, almost exactly like normal water, but sometimes they could see something really small blinking in it.


    "I was able to make three bottles," Marina said. "I drank one to test it. These are the remaining two."


    She offered them to Aurora, who immediately picked it up. She passed one to Ruby and looked more closely at the one she was holding.


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    "So," Ruby said. "What kind of potion is this?"


    "You can tell by the color of the potion," Aurora said. "It''s an invisibility potion."


    "What?" Ruby exclaimed in disbelief.


    Aurora chuckled. "If you drink it, you''ll disappear."


    "Wha--really?" Ruby asked, looking at Marina. The white-haired girl nodded in confirmation.


    "It''s still not very effective though," Marina said. "One bottle only works for about a minute, it won''t be enough for anything."


    "No, no, no," Ruby said. "Before this, I didn''t even know this kind of potion existed!"


    "Of course not," Aurora said. "That''s why Marina had a hard time creating it, right?"


    "How come you guys are so calm?" Ruby asked, frustrated. "Don''t you realize how dangerous this is?"


    "That''s why it''s better that I''m the one who has it, right?" Aurora said.


    "But what if information about this potion leaked...?" Ruby asked.


    "Don''t worry," Marina said. "I worked on it alone, secretly. I didn''t even tell Oliver about it."


    Oliver, one of the capture targets who is good at making potions. It seems he was the least affected by Nova, probably because he is still somewhat of a rival with Marina, despite Nova''s attempts to get close to him.


    "Anyway," Marina said, "I''ll do my best to improve it."


    Aurora was about to give her a compliment and reassure her that she didn''t need to force herself too hard. But remembering what happened in the classroom, the words got stuck in her throat.


    She shouldn''t be too kind.


    "Okay," Aurora said instead, "if you need more ingredients, just let Lyra know and she''ll bring more."


    Marina nodded in response.


    Ruby noticed that, even though Aurora was smiling, she seemed a bit off. But she couldn''t tell why.


    "Anyway," Aurora said, looking at Ruby. "Do you want to try drinking it?"


    "What?" Ruby replied. "Isn''t that such a waste?"


    "Fair enough," Aurora said. "I trust Marina, so we don''t really need to test it anyway. Why don''t you keep it? It might be useful for something."


    "Are you sure?" Ruby asked.


    Aurora smiled and nodded. But again, Ruby felt something was off about her.


    ***


    That night, Aurora walked to the library with a heavy heart. She didn''t look too happy as she opened the library door. She wasn''t in the mood to come here, or to do anything for that matter, but she forced herself to do it. She needed to talk about James with Sera as soon as possible.


    As usual, Sera was there. When she saw Aurora, Sera''s expression brightened up, which made Aurora feel a little better and she smiled.


    "Hey," Aurora said.


    "I''ve been waiting for you," Sera said. "I-I mean..."


    "What are you reading?" Aurora asked, getting closer and looking at the book Sera was holding.


    "Oh, this is a new novel that just arrived," Sera said.


    "Is it another mystery book?" Aurora asked.


    Sera blushed a little and shook her head. "Romance," she whispered.


    Aurora smiled. "Why are you embarrassed just because you''re reading romance?"


    "I-I mean it''s not my usual read..." Sera stammered.


    "What''s wrong with that?" Aurora asked. "It''s good to read a variety of books."


    Sera nodded, but she still looked nervous.


    "But why the sudden interest in romance?" Aurora asked. "Don''t tell me you''ve just fallen in love?" Aurora teased, but when she saw Sera''s face redden, she knew her guess was right.


    "O-oh, there''s nothing wrong with that," Aurora said, feeling a little panicked. "I mean, it''s normal. I mean..."


    Aurora wasn''t sure what she should say. She knew what she wanted to ask. "Who is it? Why?" But Aurora wasn''t sure she should pry about something like that.


    Still, one nagging question was bothering her.


    "It''s not James, right?" Aurora asked, worried.


    It would be a disaster if she still ended up falling for him. He''s a criminal now after all, Aurora thought.


    "No, no, no," Sera said. "Of course not! Please believe me!"


    "Okay," Aurora said, relieved. Looking at how desperate Sera was, Aurora felt she could trust her. Hopefully, Sera was disillusioned with him after what had happened.


    "Talking about that," Aurora said, "can I ask you something?"


    "Ye-yes?" Sera said, looking nervous.


    "Can you tell me more about that forest James wants to enter? The Molten Forest or something?" Aurora asked.


    "Oh, about that," Sera said, looking disappointed.


    "What? You want to talk more about love?" Aurora asked.


    "No, no, let''s talk about that forest," Sera said, panicked.


    Aurora giggled, "Okay, but if you want to talk about love, just tell me."


    Sera shook her head. "Forest good. Let''s talk about that."


    "Alright," Aurora said. "So what can you tell me about it? Like, what kind of trees grow there?"


    "I believe most of the forest contains corrupted trees," Sera said. "Do you know that tree? It''s twisted and crooked, with no leaves or fruit. Normal animals have a hard time living there, but it''s full of mana, so many monsters make their homes there instead."


    "I see," Aurora said. "What kind of monsters usually live there?"


    "The most dangerous ones are mostly things like giant wolves or bears with four arms," Sera said.


    "And they won''t attack you?" Aurora asked.


    Sera nodded. "Since we own the land, for some reason the monsters don''t attack us. I''m not sure why, though. And if you think it''s a good place to hide, that might not be entirely true."


    "Why?"


    "As I said, most of the trees in the forest are corrupted tree, right?" Sera said


    "So it''s impossible to find food. Sure, it will protect us from outside attacks, but if we don''t have a way to find food, we won''t last a week there."


    "That makes sense," Aurora said.


    But does that mean James or Nova''s goal was not to use it as a hiding place? Aurora thought. Then why do they want to enter it?


    "Is there anything special about it?" Aurora asked. "Compared to other forests. Anything is fine."


    Sera thought for a moment. "Well, there is a unique monster that only lives there," Sera said. "But I''m not really sure about that."


    "What is it?" Aurora asked eagerly.


    "It''s called the Crystal Muncher," Sera said. "It''s a weird snail-like creature with really sharp teeth. It can hurt you, but it''s slow, so it''s mostly not dangerous. But it has a special ability."


    "And what is that?" Aurora asked.


    "It can eat magic crystals and become stronger and faster," Sera said. "Although, even if it eats some crystals from other monsters'' dead bodies, it is still an easy prey. Usually it never becomes strong enough to be a predator."


    Aurora nodded. Some ideas are starting to form in her mind.


    "So... is that what you wanted to know?" Sera asked. "Or do you want to know something else?"


    "I''m not sure yet," Aurora said. "Is there anything else you can tell me?"


    ***

 Jealously.

    Aurora kept asking for more details about her family''s forest, and Sera happily told her anything she wanted to know. But why was Aurora so interested in it? Sera wasn''t sure.


    Sera had a guess though. It must have something to do with James. After all, he was so adamant about wanting to enter that forest for some reason. And because he was so eager, Aurora seemed to get interested too.


    Anyway, talking with Aurora was nice for Sera, even though the topic was the creepy forest full of monsters. Sera felt good. That was until her eyes went to Aurora''s hand.


    There was a beautiful bracelet with blue gems all over it. A gift from Ruby. It pained Sera''s heart a bit.


    Now she remembered. Sera had been planning to give Aurora a gift. That''s right. After receiving that rare book, Sera had thought about giving Aurora a gift in return, but because she had been busy and a lot of things had been happening, she had forgotten about it.


    No, probably the best way to put it was that she had been running away. After all, she couldn''t think of anything to give to Aurora.


    Aside from books, Sera is not sure what Aurora likes. She was almost giving up and considering just giving her a book, but she felt like she wasn''t being creative. It felt like she was just copying what Aurora does.


    Jewelry might not be bad. But again, she feels uncreative because isn''t that just copying Ruby? Not to mention, unlike Ruby who knows a lot about stuff like that, Sera wasn''t really interested. It would be embarrassing if she picked something bad and forced Aurora to wear it.


    "Are you okay?" Aurora asked. "You look stressed. Are you tired of talking about the forest?"


    "No, no, I''m fine," Sera said, trying to smile.


    "Okay," Aurora said, still observing her for a moment. "So, there''s nothing more? Even if it''s something small or something that sounds unimportant?"


    Sera shook her head. "Sorry, but I think that''s all. I can ask my parents or family if you want to be sure..."


    "Will you do that for me?" Aurora said. "Thank you."


    I will do anything for you, Sera thought, but of course she didn''t say that. That would be embarrassing.


    "You''re welcome," Sera said instead, trying to smile.


    Aurora nodded. And then they were silent.


    A sudden awkward atmosphere filled the room. Sera got nervous, thinking of something more to talk about, but she couldn''t find anything that sounded interesting.


    Meanwhile, after Aurora accomplished her goal there, she suddenly looked depressed.


    "What''s wrong?" Sera asked. "Is something bothering you?"


    Aurora tried to smile. "Nothing, it''s just..."


    "Yes?" Sera said.


    "Am I too kind?" Aurora asked. "I mean, does my kindness seem suspicious to you?"


    "What?" Sera said.


    "Never mind," Aurora said. "I''m just a little tired. I''m going to head back for now."


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    "Wait..."


    Aurora stood up from her seat and smiled. "Good night, Sera," she said.


    "Good... good night," Sera forced to say as she watched Aurora leave the room.


    Sera was stunned there. She knew she messed up. Something was clearly wrong with Aurora, but she failed to stop her. She failed to find out what was bothering her. And she still didn''t know what gift to give her.


    "Ah... I''m so stupid," Sera murmured to herself.


    While Sera regretted her inaction, Aurora was going back to her room. She opened the door and entered it. Her maid, Lyra, was there waiting.


    "Welcome back, miss," Lyra said.


    "Yes," Aurora replied.


    "Is something wrong, miss?" Lyra asked.


    Aurora shook her head. "Nothing. Anyway, tomorrow can you go meet Nicholas?"


    Lyra was surprised, and a blush crept up a little. "Yes," she said. "Is it about the cards?"


    "I want to know the progress about that too," Aurora said. "But no. Please ask him to check about magic crystals. Is there anyone who bought them in a huge amount?"


    Lyra gasped. "Miss, are you going to do business in that too?"


    "No," Aurora said. "Not this time. Anyway, try to get as much information as possible."


    Lyra nodded.


    "Anyway, I''m tired," Aurora said. "I''m going to sleep now. Good night, Lyra."


    "Okay, good night, miss."


    ***


    Ruby was taking a walk when she saw Aurora dragging herself in the direction of the library. Ruby stomped her feet in frustration. Aurora was going to meet Sera again, so annoying.


    Ruby then followed her in secret. Looking at Aurora, it turned out her feelings from before were right. Aurora didn''t seem to be in a good mood right now.


    What''s bothering her? Ruby wondered. Aside from the obvious thing, like Nova of course, she thought.


    Aurora entered the library. Ruby peeked through the window and saw Aurora''s mood improve as she met Sera. This annoyed her. If Aurora wanted someone to talk to, why didn''t she come to her?


    Probably because she wasn''t good at anything, the negative part of Ruby surfaced.


    She knew that was just her being negative, but there was truth in it. There was nothing she could do for Aurora. She was small, weak, her magic mastery was still bad and hadn''t improved. Her personality wasn''t great either.


    The only good thing about her was that she was born into a marquis family. But that didn''t matter when Aurora''s enemy came from a duke family.


    The voices of Aurora and Sera chatting jolted Ruby from her thoughts. She wasn''t sure what they were talking about, it was too hard to hear from outside the room. But listening to them made her feel jealous and lonely. In the end, she ran from there.


    With nowhere to go, she ended up outside of Aurora''s room. Lyra was there, sweeping.


    "Are you looking for my master?" Lyra asked. "She''s at the library."


    "I know," Ruby said.


    "You''re not looking for my master then?" Lyra asked, giving her a questioning look.


    Ruby didn''t answer, she ran again and ended up back in her own room.


    In the end, she tried to forget everything and just sleep.


    Morning came. Ruby woke up feeling fresh and full of energy. She slept a lot, but her mind was still a mess.


    Taking a bath, she felt annoyed. Changing clothes, she felt annoyed. Eating breakfast, she felt annoyed. Even when she walking to her classroom, she felt annoyed.


    Everything was annoying, and she didn''t even run into Aurora on the way to her class.


    Aurora came almost late, so she didn''t get a chance to talk to her. Annoying.


    Ruby shot a intense stare towards the blue-haired girl, but Aurora replied with a smile. She looked like her usual self.


    Has Sera been successful in making her feel better? Ruby thought, feeling annoyed.


    Today was filled with boring lessons. Time felt like it was moving at a snail''s pace, so slow. Ruby''s feelings of annoyance started to fade, and boredom set in.


    Until the class ended.


    Ruby was too lazy to move, so she remained seated. She didn''t even glance in Aurora''s direction. Thinking, will Aurora come to her?


    It would be great if she did, but what if she just left?


    Ruby felt annoyed again.


    "You''re not sleeping again, right?" Aurora asked suddenly. "The class had already ended."


    Ruby almost smiled. She came! But she held back.


    Ruby wants to reassure her that nothing is wrong. She just feels like trash right now. It happens once in a while. But instead, she said, "You spend the night with that girl again, huh?"


    Come on, don''t say it like that. We''re just chatting," Aurora giggled. "Why are you acting like a jealous boyfriend?"


    Ruby pouted and said, "So what if I am?"


    "Okay, I get it," Aurora said, patting Ruby''s head. "You just want me to spend some time with you, right?"


    Ruby likes it when Aurora pats her, but the way Aurora treats her, Ruby can tell that Aurora sees her as a little sister or something.


    That''s annoying.


    But it''s not Aurora''s fault. After all, what she knows is that Ruby likes Finnick. There''s no way she could know that Ruby''s feelings have already changed.


    Not to mention they''re friends, it''s weird to have special feelings towards a friend like this.


    "So, what do you want to do?" Aurora asked.


    "A lot of things," Ruby replied.


    "You''re acting so spoiled," Aurora smiled.


    "Can''t I?" Ruby asked.


    "Fine. I have nothing to do anyway," Aurora said. "Let''s do whatever you want today."


    Whatever she wants? Ruby thought.


    Ruby quickly glanced at Aurora''s lips.


    I want a kiss, Ruby thought.


    Her face turning red. There was no way she could ask for that.


    Then, something else. Something else she wants to do.


    "Then... Can we talk?" Ruby finally said. "Yesterday, something was bothering you. I''m not sure what it is, but it probably has something to do with Nova or Marina. I don''t know. I just... hope you''ll talk to me more. About yourself. About your problems. I... I might not be able to help, but..."


    I want you to rely on me, Ruby thought. Even a little.


    Aurora smiled, looked relieved.


    "Okay," she said. "Then let''s talk."


    Aurora sat beside Ruby and started to talk about her worries. She talked about the nagging feeling she had about James, her inability to figure out what Nova was doing, and most importantly, her own feelings right now. Why he was depressed since she talked with Marina.


    "Well, if she doesn''t want you to be kind to her, just don''t," Ruby said. "Give all that kindness to me instead."


    Aurora giggled. "Okay."


    Ruby smiled. It''s not like she didn''t notice either. She knows even now that Aurora is hiding something from her. But that''s fine.


    Ruby grabbed Aurora''s hand and hugged it. No matter what happens, she still likes this blue girl.


    ***

 Bad News.

    For a last few days, Aurora has been hit with a string of bad news.


    First, James, who had been temporarily locked in the tower, ran away. Unfortunately, the information provided was vague. In the first place, his violent actions were not revealed to the public, so it''s not surprising that information was limited. But Aurora feels there is more to it.


    While blaming everything on Nova may seem unfair, Aurora''s instincts still told her that Nova was behind James'' release. This makes sense because James might be the only ally she has now, setting aside any connections she may have with the second prince.


    After that, Bad news arrived from Lyra. Upon checking the situation, Nicholas discovered that a large number of magic crystals had been purchased by an unknown individual. As Aurora had predicted.


    I''m sorry, but Nicholas failed to find out who bought it," Lyra said. "Or why."


    "It''s fine," Aurora said.


    While more information is always better, this much is enough to confirm Aurora''s suspicions.


    It''s possible she bought it indirectly, using someone as a proxy. But since magic crystals are expensive, that was a huge lead. Only someone with wealth like the Duke family, such as Nova, would be able to purchase so many of them.


    Still, while Aurora found out this much with little information, it''s unfortunate that she failed to notice it sooner, so she failed to intervene. That''s annoyed her a little.


    And then, the reason why Nova bought a lot of magic crystals is probably connected to the next piece of bad news that came from Sera.


    Sera had been in contact with her parents and family as promised. Although there is no new information about the forest itself, something has happened there. The day after James was rejected by Sera, a group of mysterious people was seen entering the Molten Forest several times. Sera''s parents even found several corpses, half-eaten by monsters, all over the forest.


    "And my parents said they caught a glimpse of a young man who looks like the knight captain," Sera said. "I believe that was Finnick. But I don''t know why he would be there."


    Aurora knows why.


    Most likely because this mysterious group is the remains of rebels, the Black Knight. Finnick is there because he is hunting them for revenge.


    This makes Aurora wonder, has Finnick already figured out that Nova is in cahoots with these rebels? Or not?


    "I... I don''t get it," Sera said. "Why have suddenly a lot of people become interested in that creepy forest?"


    "Probably because of the Cristal Muncher you told me about before," Aurora said. "That unique monster only lived in the molten forest. I believe they are going there to catch these monsters."


    "What? Why?" Sera asked, confused.


    "I''m not sure yet, but this can''t be good for us," Aurora replied.


    All of this is just Aurora predictions. The progress of things has already diverged so much from how they were going in the game, so she can''t be sure what will happen. That''s why she is hesitant.


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    If she makes a wrong move, she will lose a lot of money and trust.


    Aurora returned to her room and sat in frustration. She was uncertain about what she should do: take the risk or not.


    "Are you okay, miss?" Lyra asked.


    "Yes," Aurora replied. "I just..."


    Aurora still feel uncomfortable. This might end up being a huge mistake, but if she can''t make a decision now, it might be too late.


    Aurora took a deep breath, trying to release her hesitation and gather her courage.


    "Lyra," she said.


    "Yes, miss?" Lyra replied.


    "I have important messages for my father," Aurora continued. "Please told him to hire all knights, ex-knights, mercenaries, adventurers, ex-adventurers, and anyone who can fight, and send them near the Magic Academy."


    Lyra gulped. "All of them, miss?"


    Aurora nodded. "As many as possible," she said.


    "W-why...?" Lyra asked, trembling. "Has your foresight shown you something?" The maid was obviously terrified by the possibility.


    "I''m not completely sure yet," Aurora said. "But it''s better for us to be prepared."


    "Prepared... for what?" Lyra asked.


    "Just do it," Aurora said.


    Lyra nodded hurriedly. "Of course, miss," she said. "I will go immediately."


    Aurora realized that she should have thought more simply. Nova''s target was her, and the second prince''s target was Prince Casper. Both of them were currently at the magic academy.


    So whatever plan they had, it would happen at the magic academy.


    ***


    Later on, Aurora met with Ruby and asked about Rita.


    "She''s still not back from that mission," Ruby said. "But don''t worry, I''m sure she''ll be back soon with the sword you want."


    "That''s not what I mean," Aurora said. "If she''s not here, then who will protect you?"


    Ruby blinked, confused. "We''re safe inside the academy, right? So what do you mean?"


    "I mean in case something happens," Aurora said.


    "Why the sudden worry?" Ruby asked. "What will happen?"


    "Well... I didn''t mean to say that something will definitely happen, but..."


    "Hey," Ruby said, grabbing her hand. "Just tell me already."


    Aurora sighed. "Okay."


    Aurora then shared her thoughts with Ruby. She told her about her predictions regarding what Nova and her friends were doing and planning, including the magic crystals and the monster.


    By the look on her face, it was clear that Ruby found it difficult to accept Aurora''s ideas.


    "Assuming that''s really what Nova planned," Ruby said. "Is that... even going to happen?"


    "Nobody''s tried it yet, so I''m not sure," Aurora said. "But if it does work, it will be too late if we don''t prepare now."


    "That''s true," Ruby said, "but... wait, did this happen before you and Nova regressed?"


    "No," Aurora said. "It''s her new plan, at least as far as I know."


    "Well, it does sound suspicious," Ruby said. "And there''s nothing wrong with preparing for the worst. I''ll try to contact my father and see what I can do."


    Aurora nodded. "That''s great. Anyway, I need to talk to Marina next--"


    Ruby grabbed Aurora''s clothes, stopping her from leaving.


    "Ruby?" Aurora said.


    "How about yourself?" Ruby asked.


    "What?"


    "Nova''s target is you," Ruby said. "You''d better not be silly and neglect your own safety."


    Aurora smiled. "Of course."


    As Aurora left, Ruby sighed in regret.


    "I shouldn''t have let Rita go on that mission," Ruby murmured.


    The real reason she kept holding Rita at her side was in case Nova attacked Aurora. She probably couldn''t help Aurora by herself, but with Rita, who was one of the best knights right now, even Nova, who was supposed to be a regressor and had already mastered seven forms, would have a hard time dealing with her.


    Should she ask for other knights? Or just tell Rita to come back? Ruby thought. But that mission is important too.


    If there really was a legendary sword out there and if Rita got hold of that sword, it would obviously boost her skills a lot, right? So it would be useful. But would she come back in time?


    Ruby didn''t really like thinking too much, but right now, she must make a decision.


    While Ruby was lost in her own thoughts, Aurora walked towards Marina and Oliver who were discussing something on the other side of the room. Aurora didn''t want to disturb them, but as soon as they noticed her, they stopped talking.


    "Sorry, I interrupted your discussion," Aurora said.


    "No, it''s fine," Marina replied. "Do you want to talk about something? Do we need to find a more private place?" She looked at Oliver.


    "No, that''s not necessary. It''s a different matter, and it''s fine if Oliver hears it," Aurora responded.


    "Oh... so I can stay?" Oliver asked, about to walk away, looking awkward.


    Aurora nodded. "I have a sudden need for a large amount of healing potion," she said. "I was wondering if you can do something about it."


    Marina blinked and traded a confused glance with Oliver.


    "Well, I can ask the director," Marina said eventually. "But how much do you need?"


    "As much as possible," Aurora replied.


    "What...?" Marina asked, taken aback.


    "I don''t know how much I will need, so having as much as possible is the best option, right?" Aurora explained.


    "I don''t think you understand," Marina said. "The Magic Association creates a huge amount of potions every day to be distributed throughout the kingdom. If you''re asking for as much as possible, that''s going to be a lot."


    "That''s exactly what I mean," Aurora replied.


    "Really?" Marina asked, not convinced. "What are you even planning to do with all that?"


    "To heal wounds, of course," Aurora said.


    "If you''re planning to resell them--" Marina began.


    "No, no," Aurora interrupted. "I don''t care about business or money right now. I just need them for personal use."


    "All of them?" Marina asked.


    Aurora nodded. "All of them."


    Marina stared at her in disbelief, while Oliver laughed nervously. "You really are one strange lady," he said.


    ***

 Uneasiness.

    Marina, the girl with white hair, let out a sigh. "Why don''t you just say something like a hundred?" she suggested. "It''ll be easier to understand."


    Aurora smiled in response. "Okay, that sounds good. For now, let''s just say I need a thousand potions sent here as soon as possible."


    Marina raised an eyebrow. "A thousand? Seriously what do you plan on doing with all of those?"


    Aurora closed her eyes for a moment. It''s hard to explain without telling them about Nova and her predictions about what she''s going to do. But she don''t have enough confidence or trust in them to reveal that information.


    "It''s just in case," Aurora continued. "The world might end tomorrow, who knows?"


    "I... don''t know what you''re talking about," Marina said, looking a little worried. Oliver, who was beside her, simply nodded in confusion.


    Aurora smiled. "So you understand. Anyway, that''s my request, and I''ll send Lyra over later to discuss the details with you. Thank you for your help."


    Marina seemed to give up, simply saying, "Fine."


    "Great," Aurora said, clapping her hands softly. "I guess that''s it for today. Please be safe, you two."


    Marina blinked, looking even more confused. "Safe from what...?"


    Aurora just smiled and didn''t say anything more. She simply left.


    "That... was the strangest Aurora has ever been," Marina said, still dumbfounded.


    "Agreed," Oliver said.


    "But I kind of liked it," Marina said.


    "What?" Oliver asked, disbelief in his voice.


    Marina giggled. "Sorry, that sounded wrong. But wasn''t she kind of cute when she acted like that?"


    "I don''t get it," Oliver replied. "I guess you''re a little weird too."


    "Hey!" Marina protested.


    ***


    Aurora walked towards the academy garden. Someone had been sending whispers to her again, and she wasn''t sure if she liked it. It always made her jump in surprise every time it happened, but she knew it might be the only way to call for her without being noticed.


    In a part of the garden that was a little hidden, Aurora saw the man with purple hair.


    "I have been waiting," Dante said, smiling.


    Aurora nodded in response. "So what is it? I don''t think it''s time yet for your weekly report."


    Dante laughed. "True," he said. "So, are you not going to tell me?"


    "Tell you what?" Aurora asked.


    "You saw something from the future, right? Something big," Dante said.


    Aurora cast her gaze far out to the horizon. Her father, Lyra, and this man still believed her lie about her ability to see the future. At this point, all she could do was continue with this charade.


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    "It''s too vague to share," Aurora said. "And it might be nothing."


    "Nothing?" Dante laughed again. "Your family has been in a hurry to hire knights and adventurers left and right, as if they''re planning to go to war, and you said it''s nothing?"


    Aurora smiled. "Well, if I didn''t trust it myself, then who would?"


    Dante looked frustrated. "Why don''t you just tell me?"


    "I''m not going to share something that I''m not sure about," Aurora said. "Especially if it''s a deal with people like you. I won''t risk my reputation by giving you half-assed information."


    "Fair enough," Dante said. "But I''ll still be looking into this closely."


    "That''s fine," Aurora said. "So, since you''re here, what can you tell me?"


    "James appearing at this academy was a surprise," Dante said. "But thanks to that, it''s clear that he has a strong connection with the rebels. When he managed to escape from this academy, some of my people saw him with a group of mysterious individuals that we believe are remnants of the Black Knights."


    Aurora nodded in response. This was in line with her prediction.


    "What about Nova?" Aurora asked.


    "The last time we checked," Dante said, "she was staying at the Wilder house in the west area. We can''t really get close to her. She is very strict at the moment. Anyone who doesn''t have clearance from her will be immediately executed if they get too close. But even from a distance, my subordinates can tell that she has been meeting with several nobles. Unfortunately, we can''t tell what they discussed."


    Aurora was surprised at how extreme Nova''s actions were. With such actions, it was as if Nova was telling the world that she was hiding something.


    Was she so desperate that she had to dismiss subtlety? Aurora thought. That makes her even more convinced that they are going to do something big soon.


    "What about the second prince?" Aurora asked again.


    "No movement," Dante said. "He has been acting like a good kid for a while now. Unfortunately, I still can''t find any connections between him and the rebels."


    That makes sense, Aurora thought. Another hint. The second prince won''t do anything before their big plan happens.


    "Last thing," Aurora said. "Can I ask you for a little favor?"


    "Of course," Dante said with a smile. "What is it?"


    "Can you spread a rumor among people around Finnick about Nova siding with the rebels and having a connection to the death of the knight captain?" Aurora asked.


    Dante blinked. "Are you going to make them fight each other? Aren''t you evil?" Dante grinned.


    "It will happen anyway," Aurora said. "When the truth is revealed, they will become enemies whether I want it or not. I just want to speed up the process. And fine, I admit that it will help me."


    "Dante laughed. "How can you be such an honest girl and yet such a pretty scary schemer?"


    "I''m not scary," Aurora said.


    "Okay, sorry," Dante said with a grin. "You''re an adorable schemer."


    "Enough with your jokes," Aurora said, pouting. "That''s it for now."


    "Alright," Dante said. "We''ll talk again soon."


    ***


    Aurora immediately sat down when she entered the library. She hadn''t done anything physically demanding, yet she felt more tired than ever. She had already done what she could, but she still felt worried, the stress slowly eating away at her and now all she could feel was uneasiness.


    That was actually reasonable, she thought. If things continue as she predicted, this might be the most important moment in her life since she transmigrated to this world. The moment when Nova will actually try to take her life. It will decide who will end up victorious, her or Nova.


    "Uh... What''s wrong, Aurora?" Sera asked, sitting across from her. She was worried with how stressed and pale Aurora looked.


    "Just a little tired," Aurora said, trying to smile. "Anyway, I have something I need to tell you."


    "Oh, okay," Sera said. "What is it?"


    "This is just my prediction," Aurora said. "So don''t freak out just yet."


    Sera gulped. "Wh-what are you talking about?"


    Aurora smiled. "Didn''t I say not to freak out just yet?"


    "B-but that''s exactly why I suddenly worried!" Sera exclaimed. "This can''t be about a good thing, right?"


    "Well, yes, I guess not," Aurora chuckled. "I guess bad news will still be bad news no matter how you spin it. Anyway, what I want to say is I had a prediction about why James and those mysterious guys are so interested in your family forest."


    "So you finally figured something out?" Sera asked.


    Aurora nodded. "You know that my family had a connection with a famous merchant called Nicholas, right? I heard from him that a huge amount of magic crystals have been secretly bought by mysterious individuals. It started to happen around the same time people started to get interested in Molten Forest."


    "You think they''re connected?" Sera said. "But how?"


    "Didn''t you tell me about a unique little monster that only lives in your forest before?" Aurora said.


    "Oh." The idea finally connected in Sera''s mind. "Wa-wait a second, do you mean they''re going to feed the monster with these magic crystals?"


    "Probably," Aurora said.


    "B-but, what are they going to do with that...?" Sera asked.


    "Your parents said they saw Finnick, right?" Aurora said. "He has been absent from the academy since his father''s death. I heard he''s going around the kingdom looking for the remnants of the rebels his father fought against. For revenge..." Aurora''s voice trailed off.


    Sera''s eyes widened. "Do you mean... the group that has been entering my family forest are rebels? And they''re hunting for these monsters to feed them with crystals? Why...?"


    "These rebels, the Black Knight, want to take down those currently in power," Aurora said. "It''s obvious what they''re going to do with it, isn''t it?"


    "They''re going to create chaos using these monsters? But... can it even be done?" Sera asked.


    "Who knows," Aurora said. "I don''t think anyone has ever tried it before, right? Force-feeding these monsters, making them stronger and more dangerous. As you said before, they usually die before reaching their potential. But if humans force them to grow..."


    Sera gulped. "Wh-what should we do then?" she asked. "We must tell someone about it!"


    "Tell who?" Aurora said. "And it''s only my prediction. It''s not like I have proof. If we tell the wrong people about it and it turns out they''re part of the rebels, we might end up erased."


    "Then...?" Sera asked.


    "My father has hired a lot of people in case it''s really happening," Aurora said. "But the reason I told you this was so you can be prepared. Anything is fine, but try to find a way to protect yourself."


    Sera nervously nodded. But talking about protecting herself reminded her of something.


    "Um, Aurora," Sera said. "I don''t know if this is the right moment, but..." Sera grabbed her bag and pulled out a box from inside.


    She gave it to Aurora. "Talking about protection, I remembered I bought this for you," she said.


    Aurora opened the box, and there was a beautiful black knife inside.


    "You''re strong," Sera said. "I saw it myself. But if you end up hurting yourself when you use your punch, I thought there should be another way. A weapon. But a sword might be a little too much, so I thought you might be able to use this."


    Aurora grabbed the knife. The handle felt nice in her hand. The size was perfect. It looked sharp and sturdy.


    "Um... what do you think?" Sera asked, worried. "Am I overstepping the line? You must have your own way of protecting yourself. I''m sorry..."


    "No, I like it," Aurora said as she put the knife back into its sheath. "Thank you, Sera. I will use it."


    Sera smiled widely. "Yes!"


    ***

 Its begin.

    The strong looking old man named Aran sat in the corner of the biggest inn in town, his eyes scanning the bustling crowd.


    Just a few days ago, the inn was nearly empty, with only a handful of people passing through. But now, it was packed with people from all walks of life, all of them looking tough and ready for action.


    It was immediately apparent to anyone that the current occupants of the inn were knights, adventurers, and mercenaries. His attention was drawn to a group of men chatting nearby.


    "I wonder why Viscount Starlight suddenly hired all of us like this," one of the adventurers mused. "He didn''t explain what we''re supposed to do."


    "Who knows," replied another. "Nobody understands how rich people think."


    "Well, isn''t his business currently a huge success?" chimed in another adventurer. "I bet he''s worried that his rival will try to sabotage it. One way to do that is by abducting his daughter. That''s why he sent us here, near the magic academy."


    The other adventurers murmured in agreement and nodded in response.


    "But how paranoid do you need to be," one of the adventurers said, "to hire this many people just to protect his daughter? What an idiot!"


    The others joined in with the laughter, but Aran didn''t find it funny. He didn''t like the way they were talking about their employer, the Viscount. It was one thing to be cynical, but to openly mock the person who was paying their wages was disrespectful.


    "Well, I don''t care as long as I get paid," another one said, and the group laughed again.


    Aran sighed to himself. He had seen it all before, mercenaries who cared only for the coin in their pocket. But that wasn''t what was bothering him the most. He had a gut feeling that this situation was not as simple as it seemed.


    A young man with spiky hair approached the old man, Aran, who seemed to be lost in thought.


    "What are you thinking about, Captain? You look stressed," the young man said. He was the leader of the popular adventurer party that had recently gained fame, Dwan.


    "Don''t call me Captain. I''m not in that position anymore," Aran replied curtly.


    "But aren''t you the one who got elected to talk directly with the Viscount? You''re basically our leader," Dwan pressed.


    "They just pushed a pain in the ass job onto me. That''s all," Aran replied, clearly irritated.


    "Oh, come on. No need to be so negative," Dwan said, trying to lighten the mood. "Aren''t you an S class adventurer?"


    "Former," Aran corrected him.


    "Details, details," Dwan waved a hand dismissively. "But doesn''t this scenery feel like a dream? We''ve got famous knights, ex-knights, adventurers, former adventurers, and mercenaries, all in one place. You can''t help but think big things are going to happen."


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    Aran couldn''t help but nod in agreement. He knew that something big was brewing, but he couldn''t quite put his finger on what it was.


    "What do you think will happen?" he asked Dwan. "Hopefully we won''t be forced to rebel against the kingdom or get into a war or something," Aran added.


    "Aren''t you already making sure that''s not the case when you talked to the Viscount?" Dwan asked.


    "Yeah, I already told him that if it turns out to be like that, we''ll back off from this job," Aran replied. "But when I see them all like this, I start to worry. A lot of them don''t really care what job they do as long as they get paid."


    "So it''s possible that they''ll still follow orders even if the Viscount''s orders break the contract?" Dwan guessed. "Well, that''s possible. Though I doubt it."


    "Why?" Aran asked.


    "The way Viscount Starlight hired us is too open. If he''s planning something shady, he''ll act more secretly, right? And what''s the point of letting us idle like this anyway? If he had a clear


    plan, he should have already told us what to do," Dwan explained.


    "That''s true," Aran said. "But still..." He trailed off, lost in thought once again.


    The uncertainty of their situation weighed heavily on his mind, and he couldn''t shake the feeling that something was about to happen, something big and dangerous.


    Dwan smiled. "I didn''t say I believe him completely, but his track record isn''t bad. I sincerely thought he didn''t really plan something like that. I just didn''t see the point."


    "But then why?" Aran asked. "What does he need us for?"


    "That''s the mystery, isn''t it," Dwan replied. "I want to know too."


    "Is it possible because of what they say?" Aran asked. "He simply wants to keep his daughter safe?"


    "Hm... It is possible," Dwan said. "But isn''t the magic academy protected by a magic barrier? I''m not sure how it works, but since it was created a hundred years ago, I''ve never heard of a student from there being kidnapped. So it shows how strong the barrier is, right?"


    "But it doesn''t mean it''s impenetrable," Aran said.


    "Fair enough," Dwan said. "But even if someone managed to break the barrier, it will alert everyone. I just can''t see a kidnapper making such a huge scene, right? Normally, they will do it as secretly as possible to ensure a higher possibility of success."


    "You''re right," the old man replied. "I guess that''s not it then."


    Dwan nodded. "We can only wait at this point," he said.


    Aran could only sigh in disappointment. Continuing this conversation might be pointless unless they get more information. So he tried to change the subject.


    "Anyway, where''s your party?" Aran asked, looking around. "I didn''t see those girls who are always with you."


    "They''re doing a separate quest right now," Dwan said. "Something about a legendary sword or something? I''m not sure myself."


    "Legendary sword?" Aran said.


    "Yeah, I guess you''re out of the loop with what happened around the adventurer''s guild?" Dwan said, grinning. "Doesn''t that mean your edge has become dull? Then let me enlighten you this time."


    The old man Aran sighed. "Yeah, I''m old. So what happened?"


    Dwan laughed. "Alright, some time ago there was a quest from a noble lady called Aurora to check around the forest of Wind for a legendary sword," Dwan said. "At first, people just thought it was only a delusion of a noble girl, but when some adventurers decided to check it out, they found a sword stuck in a huge rock in the middle of the forest. Obviously, they couldn''t pick up the sword. They said only someone worthy can have it."


    "Oh, I never heard of it," Aran said, interested. "Then what happened next?"


    "Later on, there was a follow-up request," Dwan said. "Do you know Rita?"


    "I have heard that name before," the old man Aran said, stroking his beard. "Isn''t she the famous knight lady who is said to be one of the strongest in this generation?"


    Dwan nodded. "Pretty impressive lady, that one," he said. "And that''s where the request comes in. Rita has been tasked with bringing that sword back, and to do that, they''re making a request for adventurers to lead the way. For some reason, she only accepts female companions. Not that I don''t understand why, but because of that, I got booted out from the team."


    Aran laughed. "I see, that makes sense," he said. "And that Aurora girl was the one making the request?"


    "Most likely," Dwan said. "But I''m not too sure. As far as I know, Rita was supposed to be a knight from the Marquis family. I don''t know why she would follow that lady''s wishes."


    "Aurora," Aran murmured. "That name sounds familiar. Wait a second, isn''t that the name of Viscount Starlight''s daughter? Is that the same lady?"


    "I''m not sure," Dwan said. "Now that you mention it, that''s probably true. Since I didn''t get included in the team, I didn''t get detailed information. Still, I should have looked into it more."


    Aran''s mind was racing as he tried to make sense of the situation. "Then isn''t it possible that it''s connected--"


    Aran word was cut off by a big explosion from outside the inn. The deafening blast shook the entire inn, causing everyone inside to look at each other in confusion and fear.


    "What''s that sound...?" one of the adventurers said.


    A short silence followed, and then panicked screams and crying could be heard all over the outside of the inn.


    Aran and Dwan quickly made their way outside, trying to figure out what had happened. As they emerged from the inn, they were greeted by a scene of chaos. People were running in every direction, their faces etched with fear and confusion.


    Looking up, Aran''s heart sank as he saw an ominous creature covering the sky. Its hundreds of huge teeth glistened in the sunlight, its gigantic distinctive spiral green shell looked as strong as steel, and it glided slowly along the ground, eating and destroying anything in its path.


    Dwan stood frozen in place, clearly stunned by the sight before them.


    "What... is that?" he managed to stammer out.


    Aran''s voice trembled as he replied, "I don''t know. I''ve never seen something like this before..."


    ***

 Chaos.

    Lyra thought she was prepared for anything, but when a loud explosion was heard, she hurried outside and saw that thing... Immediately, she felt her legs turn to jelly.


    Throughout her life, Lyra had never seen a monster before. Starlight Manor, where she lived, was close to the capital, and the possibility of encountering a monster was almost non-existent. All she knew about them came from the stories she heard from other maids.


    So, she never expected it to be this terrifying.


    "Are you okay?" Aurora asked, appearing behind her.


    "Miss!" Lyra said, snapped out of her dread.


    Aurora looked at the monster that had been halted by a magic barrier. Its sharp, gigantic teeth were biting on the barrier, and cracks were starting to appear on the glass-like dome.


    "So, it''s actually happening," Aurora said, her tone still surprisingly composed. Lyra couldn''t help but stare at her in disbelief, wondering how her master could remain so calm despite the piercing screams echoing in every direction.


    "What should we do, miss?" Lyra asked in a panic.


    "Can you go and meet the people that my father hired?" Aurora said. "Tell them it''s time. Their job is to defeat these monsters and the group of rebels behind it."


    Lyra gulped, looking at the monster. She was frozen with an overwhelming sense of terror. Forget using her legs for walking or running; she felt like she was going to fall to the ground if she didn''t consciously hold onto her leg to keep standing.


    "It''s fine if you can''t," Aurora said.


    No, miss," Lyra said, her face pale. "I will do it."


    Aurora looked at her and nodded. "Okay, but remember to keep yourself safe first," she said. "That''s the priority."


    "Yes, miss," Lyra said.


    She took a deep breath, pushed herself to focus, and then started running towards the gate. She glanced back a bit at her master. Aurora was still standing there, looking at the monster. But a moment later, Aurora started to walk.


    Where is she going? Lyra thought. But she held that question in her mind. First, she needed to do what Aurora had told her to do.


    Even in the town, panic had spread all around. Buildings were burning and destroyed, while people ran, screamed, and cried. A little further from where she stood, Lyra saw another gigantic monster laying waste to everything in its path. It was the same type of monster as the previous one, with a snail-like appearance, a green shell, and hundreds of teeth.


    She gulped. If this was the second monster, how many of these things exist?


    There was no time to think about that. Lyra''s gaze moved to the large inn where the hired group was staying, and she noticed a familiar face outside. It was Aran, an old man who was a representative of the group that the Viscount had hired. At that moment, he was busy helping a woman who had been buried by a collapsed building.


    Lyra recognized Aran because she had been there when the recruiting had taken place. It had been on Aurora''s orders, of course.


    Lyra called out, "Mr. Aran!"


    The old man shifted his gaze to her. "You''re... the maid from the Starlight family," he said, recognized her


    Lyra nodded, her breaths heavy. "Yes, I have a message from my master."


    "Sorry, but this isn''t the right time for that," Aran said as he turned his attention back to the woman he had been helping, who was thanking him.


    "This is connected!" Lyra insisted. "My master said the time has come. Your job is finally here."


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    Aran looked stunned. "What? Do you mean...?"


    Lyra nodded. "Please tell everyone," she said. "Your job is to defeat those monsters and the rebels behind them."


    "What the--?" A young man with spiky hair suddenly appeared behind Lyra, making the maid jump. "Do you mean we hired him to deal with this mess?"


    "I just told you what my master told me," Lyra replied, trying to avoid saying anything unnecessary.


    "I can''t believe it," the man, Dwan, said. "So the Viscount foresaw this event? I was expecting something big, but not like this."


    Aran laughed. "I''m fine with this," the old man said as he cracked his knuckles. "After all, I won''t just sit down when something like this happens. Having a job that''s exactly what I want to do just makes things easier. Anyway, miss maid, I got the message. You should go to a safe place now."


    Lyra nodded, relieved.


    "What about you?" Aran asked his young friend. "Are you guys going to follow the order?"


    Dwan smiled. "Do you need to ask?" he said, unsheathing his sword. "Fighting monsters was my main job anyway."


    "It''s a big one," Aran said, looking at the monster.


    "What the heck, old man?" Dwan said. "Do you think I''ll get scared just because it''s big?"


    Aran laughed. Dwan laughed too before they both ran toward the monster.


    ***


    "Aurora!" Ruby said, running towards the blue-haired girl. "Where are you going? We need to evacuate!"


    "I''m fine," Aurora replied. "You go first."


    "What are you talking about?" Ruby asked.


    "I''m Nova''s target," Aurora explained. "I can''t be where a lot of people gather."


    "What the--" Ruby interrupted. "You''re planning to sacrifice yourself?"


    "No," Aurora shook her head. "But I need to deal with Nova myself."


    "I won''t let you!" Ruby grabbed Aurora''s hand, stopping her from walking.


    Aurora sighed. "Fine, you can come with me. But I won''t go back," she said.


    Ruby nodded.


    As they walked in the opposite direction of the panicked crowd, a huge cracking sound echoed from the direction of the monster. The magic barrier had been destroyed and the gigantic snail monster had entered the academy.


    Students screamed even louder, running in panic.


    "I don''t want to die! I don''t want to die!" some screamed in terror.


    "Help! Mommy!" a large young man cried out.


    "Everyone, calm down!" the teacher yelled. "Don''t push each other. Go to the evacuation area!"


    While everyone else was running and panicking, Aurora and Ruby moved slowly, hiding behind a wall.


    "Are you sure you want to do this?" Ruby whispered.


    Aurora didn''t reply, instead, she moved into the shadows, getting further away from the crowd. Ruby followed behind.


    "I should have forced Rita to come back," Ruby murmured to herself, but her words were loud enough for Aurora to hear.


    "You didn''t call another knight?" Aurora asked.


    "You didn''t specify that it would happen so soon," Ruby said. "I thought there was still time."


    "Sorry, but I didn''t know it would really happen," Aurora replied.


    "Yeah, I didn''t mean to blame you anyway," Ruby said.


    Their conversation was interrupted by a loud sound. The snail, with its super sharp teeth, started eating the academy building. They could see a few teachers trying to stop it, throwing magic attacks, but neither water, fire, sharp wind, nor even huge pieces of earth hitting it had any effect.


    That''s already bad enough, but to make matters worse, a group of people dressed in black suddenly appeared and attacked the teachers with swords and magic.


    "Those are the rebels," Aurora added. "Nova should be showing up soon."


    Ruby nodded and asked, "Will you help them?"


    Aurora shook her head. "No, we''ll wait and see what happens."


    The two of them then hid behind some nearby bushes, watching intently while trying to remain as quiet as possible.


    As the battle raged on, more teachers and academy staff emerged to aid their colleagues in the fight against the rebels. Spells of all kinds were hurled back and forth, wreaking havoc on the surroundings by destroying buildings, setting trees ablaze, and cutting through walls and floors.


    In an attempt to stop the colossal snail, some of the teachers conjured up earth walls, but the monster effortlessly demolished them. It seemed that nothing could stand in its way.


    A snail-like monster was supposed to be a soft creature, but after consuming a lot of magic crystals, even its skin had become stronger. Aurora noticed that the only weakness of the monster was its speed, which had not improved even after it had become that big.


    Ruby gripped Aurora''s clothes tightly, her hands trembling with fear. Aurora noticed this and understood her reaction was normal. Aurora was frightened too. While Aurora had expected something like this to happen, experiencing it firsthand was a different matter altogether.


    The monstrous creature continued its rampage, obliterating everything in its path like an unstoppable force of nature. It moved slowly, devouring everything in its way. Fortunately, the monster wasn''t moving directly towards Aurora and Ruby.


    The teachers'' voices could be heard in the background, screaming for someone to stop the creature. "Stop it! Someone do something! Stop that thing!" they shouted in desperation.


    If they could combine their magic, they might be able to stop the monster, but the rebels had forced them to split into two teams: one to deal with the rebels, and one to deal with the monster. Obviously, this strategy was not very effective.


    Aurora and Ruby slowly moved closer to the intense battle between the academy staff and the rebels. They hid behind the remains of a destroyed building, but even there, they were not completely safe. The fight was intense, with fireballs flying in all directions, some of which even hit the wall near them, almost burning them.


    "Ow, that''s hot!" Ruby murmured in fear. "Isn''t this dangerous? Aren''t we too close?" she asked Aurora, her voice shaking.


    "I can''t help it, I still can''t see Nova anywhere!" Aurora replied, her concern evident in her voice.


    "Are you sure she''ll appear here?" Ruby asked, sounding uncertain.


    Not really, Aurora thought to herself, but where else would she appear?


    Suddenly, Ruby pulled at Aurora''s clothes. "Hey, Aurora," she said, "isn''t that Prince Casper over there?"


    Aurora immediately shifted her gaze to where Ruby was pointing. Sure enough, there was a blonde young man hiding behind a wall, just like them. Even though from their position, his figure was clear as day.


    "What''s he doing here?" Aurora wondered to herself, feeling a mix of confusion and surprise.


    "Doesn''t he know his position?" Ruby said. "He''s the last person who should be this close to a monster attack."


    "Well, we''re doing the same thing, so we don''t really have the right to complain," Aurora replied.


    "I know, but..." Ruby trailed off.


    Aurora looked back at the ongoing fight between the academy staff and the rebels. Nova didn''t seem like she was going to appear anytime soon. Meanwhile, the monster was slowly moving farther away from them.


    Aurora''s gaze shifted back to the prince, who had started to move and was now hiding behind a destroyed faculty office.


    "Let''s follow him," Aurora whispered.


    "Huh? Why?" Ruby asked, sounding confused. "Aren''t we trying to find Nova?"


    "I know," Aurora said, "but I have a feeling that we need to follow him. Nova doesn''t seem like she''s going to appear here anyway."


    "If you say so," Ruby said. "It should be better than staying here, at least."


    The ongoing fight between the academy staff and the rebels continued, with each side creating earth walls to protect their respective groups. Despite this, magic projectiles were flying all over the place.


    Aurora nodded, and the two of them immediately started to follow the prince''s footsteps.


    ***

 Revenge.

    It might not be love; he''s not sure. But since he was 10, Prince Casper has followed Nova everywhere. That black-haired girl with sharp-looking eyes always appeared confident, unlike him. She was a blessed girl; it seemed like she could do everything perfectly, again unlike him.


    That fact should make Casper hate her. After all, he has hated himself because he isn''t talented enough, confident enough, or good enough, especially compared to the current king, his dad, who has many accomplishments. He had nothing.


    Yet, instead of hating or envying her, this super-talented little girl actually captivated him. Probably because she was the only one who saw him as he is.


    The first time they met, when their parents decided they would be engaged, Casper said, "I''m sorry if I disappointed you. I''m not like the prince you might think." Nova looked right into his eyes and said, "What are you even talking about? Why are you randomly deciding what I think about you?"


    "We-well, I mean... everyone always has an idea of how I should act or what I should do. So I''m sure you had one too," the little prince said.


    So what?" Nova said. "You think you need to match yourself to other people''s delusions? How stupid."


    "B-but if I didn''t match your accomplishments, people would say bad things about us," Casper said.


    "Who are these people you''re talking about?" Nova said. "If someone badmouthed me, I would make them pay."


    "I didn''t mean someone specific," Casper said. "That''s just an example."


    "So, just your imagination?" Nova snorted. "If it''s not someone real, why even bother?"


    Casper was stunned. It was obvious, yet he had failed to figure it out himself. That''s true. People might whisper bad things about him, but the most cruel one was himself.


    He kept imagining what people said about him and what they expected from him.


    This should be it, Casper thought to himself. He had found the answer. He didn''t need to follow other people''s expectations. He just needed to do what he wanted to do. And he did. Since then, he had been spending a lot of time visiting Nova.


    The time he spent with her was fun. She could be harsh at times, but Casper found her cute enough. Everything seemed like it was going to be fine.


    But then his brother started to show how exceptional he was. The second prince was the exact opposite of Casper - he could do everything better and faster.


    Unlike before, this was a real threat. Everyone thought the second prince was the prince that Casper should be. His anxiety grew worse as he found out that some nobles were starting to form factions in favor of his brother.


    The only way he could calm himself was by constantly visiting Nova. He became overly cautious, scared that she would leave him behind for his brother. To the point where it annoyed Nova.


    "Prince," she said, "I know you''re my fiance, but isn''t it too much to come every day? And please stop giving me gifts unless something special has happened. I don''t need them."


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    "Sorry," Casper could only say.


    All his efforts ended up making things worse, yet he didn''t know what he should do.


    Nova sighed. "I think I know why you act like this. After all, I''ve heard all over the place how great your brother is."


    Casper gulped.


    "But don''t worry," Nova said. "Others might turn to him, but I will always be by your side."


    That was the promise, something that Casper had held onto for years. But then why...?


    For some time now, Casper had noticed that Nova had been busy doing things he wasn''t allowed to know. Not only had he tolerated Finnick, but now Nova was getting close to James, the son of the Prime Minister.


    He didn''t want to interfere with whatever Nova was doing, but he was getting more and more anxious, not just about Nova but also because his younger brother was catching up fast. Despite being too young according to the rules, his brother was promised to be accepted as a student at the magic academy next year as an exception.


    His only hope was Nova.


    He overlooked her bad attitude and her unfair treatment of Aurora, for example. He let her do whatever she wanted, including being in contact with a lot of other boys, even though she was supposed to be his fianc¨¦. But then why?


    Nova, she suddenly disappeared, at the same time James did. She didn''t tell him anything or contact him.


    He was trying hard to keep his mind in check, but his intrusive thoughts made him feel like he had been abandoned. He thought she had chosen James over him.


    Every single day felt miserable without Nova, and Casper felt as though he had nothing. He didn''t put any effort into his studies, which only made him feel worse as he was falling further behind his brother. However, that wasn''t the worst part. Later on, he met with Dante, the leader of the mysterious information guild who had been contracted by his father, and he discovered the truth about everything.


    Casper yelled in disbelief, "That''s impossible!" as he punched the table hard. "There''s no way Nova was in cahoots with my brother! Not to mention, she was close with Finnick! There''s no way she''s connected to his father''s death!"


    Dante calmly sipped his tea. "My job was to tell you the truth," Dante said. "That''s what the king asked of me. How you deal with that information, that''s not my business. And please, I''m a professional. Information is my selling point. If I give people wrong information, it would heavily damage my reputation, wouldn''t it?"


    "But why...?" Casper asked.


    "That''s something you should ask her yourself," Dante replied. "Because even for me, I can''t figure out what''s inside someone''s heart."


    Casper groaned. "This can''t be real..."


    Dante put his cup down and pushed a bunch of papers toward the prince. "You''re going to be king in the future," Dante said. "I hope you can think and make decisions based on sound logic, not just emotion. Read this. All of this is proof of the connection between Nova, James, and the rebels. Unfortunately, we still can''t find proof showing that their activity is connected to your brother. But I believe it''s just a matter of time."


    "Why..." Casper murmured in disbelief as he read the papers, struggling to hold back tears.


    Why my brother? he thought. If she was on his side, would she not only abandon me, but also try to kill me for him?


    The revelation was too difficult for him to accept, and every night he struggled to sleep. Even when he did manage to sleep, he was plagued by nightmares.


    Casper could only laugh bitterly at himself. How pathetic am I? he thought. This is the future king of the kingdom? What a joke.


    But then, a few days ago, a letter came from Nova. The message was simple. She asked him to meet her and even specified the time and place.


    This is what he needed - closure. He felt like there were a million questions he wanted to ask Nova. The letter gave him a glimmer of hope, but he quickly pushed that idea aside, remembering his conversation with Dante. Yes, he thought, even if... in the end Nova really decided to abandon him, at least he wanted to know the reason.


    And then the day arrived. The prince had been anxiously waiting for this moment, but then an explosion ruined everything. He saw a gigantic snail-like monster, trying to break the academy barrier.


    "Prince! What are you doing? Hurry, evacuate!" his classmates said.


    The prince touched the letter from Nova in his pocket. Could this be a coincidence? Was Nova still waiting for him? He wondered if this was a test. Despite the chaos, should he try to meet her?


    It might be the worst idea. The rebels, his brother, and Nova meant business. They were willing to go this far. If he decided to meet Nova, it would be the same as giving her his life. He might be killed on the spot without the chance to talk.


    But Casper didn''t care. Despite the yelling of his classmates and the teachers trying to hold him down, Casper ran away, heading towards the place where Nova was waiting for him.


    Ignoring the giant monster that was destroying every building around the academy, and the teachers and staff who were fighting with the black-clothed rebels, Casper carefully moved from shadow to shadow, trying to hide himself.


    He arrived at the side of a small pond and kept walking towards a small area to the north. There he saw that familiar girl, sitting and drinking her tea.


    Nova Wilder, the black-haired girl, noticed him, but she didn''t say anything, nor did she even look at him.


    As he walked towards her, hundreds of questions filled his mind. What was he going to say first? What was he going to ask?


    But before he had a chance to say anything, a voice came from behind him.


    "Explain what happened here, Nova," Aurora said.


    The prince reflexively looked back and saw a blue girl standing there, with a small girl with twintails behind her.


    "Why are you doing all this?" Aurora continued. "I thought I was your target, but why are you antagonizing Finnick and Casper? Why are you cooperating with the second prince?"


    A smile slowly appeared on Nova''s lips. She put down her cup and her sharp eyes looked directly at Aurora.


    "Why do you ask?" Nova replied, her voice calm. "I believe I told Ruby over there before. It''s for revenge, of course."


    ***

 Nova Wilder.

    "That didn''t explain anything," Aurora said.


    "Really now?" Nova replied. "What''s so hard to understand? Casper killed me, of course, I want to pay him back."


    "What?" Casper said, confused.


    Aurora blinked.


    That... actually makes sense, Aurora thought. It''s more logical than Nova''s hatred toward her, at least. After all, Aurora only indirectly caused Nova''s death. Casper was actually the one who stabbed her with a sword.


    Yet, for some reason, Aurora didn''t really believe her. Something is off about this situation.


    "What do you mean I killed you?" Casper said, desperately trying to understand. "What actually happened here...?"


    Nova sighed. "You came as I asked, so I guess I owe you an explanation at the very least," she said. "As you heard, in a previous life, in another timeline, you killed me. But instead of dying, I actually regressed to my younger self. I''m well and alive now, but the fact that you killed me won''t change."


    Casper looked at Nova in disbelief, obviously not sure how to take all of that.


    "Is this a joke...?" he said. "It must be, right? This just doesn''t make sense!"


    Aurora could feel the frustration in every word Casper said. She felt bad for him; out of everyone there, he was the only one in the dark about this. It made sense for him to have a hard time accepting it. Even Ruby, who had fewer connections to this, knew about it.


    As Aurora thought about Ruby, she glanced at her. Ruby was nervously holding onto Aurora''s clothes. that''s normal. Aurora herself felt a bit nervous too. The sound of destruction could still be heard not far from them. Things could get really bad really fast.


    "I don''t care if you don''t believe me," Nova continued, starting to stand up. "I will end everything today anyway."


    Aurora carefully watched Nova''s every move. A fight with her might be inevitable, but she needed to figure out what Nova was actually thinking.


    "I thought you were working with James and the second prince," Aurora said, trying to stall. "But why are you here alone?"


    Aurora looked around, half-expecting that they would get ambushed, but nobody came.


    "Ah, about them? On the way here, Finnick got in my way," Nova said, glancing at Ruby. "So James is not here because he is dealing with him somewhere. And the second prince, he was a little busy at the palace. You know the plan, right? He will try to kill his own father."


    That explains it, Aurora thought, or at least some of it.


    "But don''t worry," Nova said, smiling devilishly. "Even if it''s three versus one, I will still win."


    Nova immediately summoned her darkness magic, making Aurora and Ruby react in defense.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "Is this it?" Aurora thought. "Nova''s plan is just to kill us all? That''s it?"


    Aurora still couldn''t accept it. Nova had been working hard to gain favor from all the capture targets for years. Why would she throw all that away just for this simple plan of murder?


    It felt like something had happened to Nova halfway through. A trigger, something that had changed her mind. Was it because the second prince had threatened her?


    "No," Aurora thought, "it''s Nova Wilder we''re talking about. There''s no way she can be controlled simply by a threat. Then why? Not to mention, what''s the point of working with the second prince if this is the plan all along?"


    Does that mean Nova just wants the second prince to become king? So much that she''s willing to throw away all her hard work? But why?


    In the game, there shouldn''t be any connection between Nova and the second prince to begin with. This just confused Aurora even more.


    "This is all wrong!" Casper yelled. "Is my brother doing something to you? Is he forcing you to do this?"


    "I''m done talking," Nova said.


    "No! I''m not done talking!" Casper said. "I believe in you! There must be something--"


    Nova threw a ball of darkness at Casper. The moment it touched him, it exploded, making the prince scream in pain.


    "Did you get it yet?" Nova asked.


    Casper stared at her. "This doesn''t mean anything to me!"


    "Have it your way," Nova said, throwing several darkness balls at him.


    As the darkness balls exploded, Casper screamed again in pain. His body was full of wounds and blood, but he was still standing.


    "Wha-what should we do?" Ruby said, panicked. "Should we attack her together?"


    Aurora stared at Nova without blinking. As she thought, something was off. If Nova was planning to kill Casper as revenge, as she told them, then why didn''t she use a deadly attack? She didn''t look like she was enjoying torturing him either.


    "Aurora!" Ruby grabbed her hand, making Aurora look at her.


    "Ah, sorry--let''s go," Aurora said.


    Aurora immediately ran towards the prince and started to heal him, while Ruby created a wall with her earth magic, protecting them from the explosions.


    "Get a grip, Prince!" Ruby said, creating another wall. "Nova is your enemy!"


    "NO!" Casper yelled, gritting his teeth. "She was lying!"


    "She isn''t!" Ruby said. "It might be hard to believe, but what Nova said was true!"


    "Shut up! I don''t believe it!" Casper said as he pushed Aurora, who was trying to heal him, aside.


    "Prince!" Ruby yelled.


    But he didn''t listen. He rushed toward Nova, but another explosion threw him back.


    "That idiot!" Ruby said.


    "It''s no use," Aurora said, peeking from the wall Ruby created. "He just won''t accept the truth. Not that I don''t get it, but if we keep covering for him, we will run out of mana sooner or later."


    "What should we do then?" Ruby asked.


    Aurora thought for a moment. She got an idea but didn''t really want to do it. Things could be problematic if people found out what she was going to do. But Casper was a burden right now, and there was no way she could deal with Nova while covering for him. Besides, she could probably force Ruby to go somewhere safer at the same time. Considering the situation, it was a relatively good plan.


    So, as she saw Casper stumbling and trying to stand after receiving Nova''s attack, Aurora quickly ran toward him. Before he could react, Aurora hit him on the neck with her spear of light, causing him to fall and lose consciousness.


    "Wha-What are you doing, Aurora?" Ruby said in panic as she ran toward them. She immediately created another wall to cover them.


    "He is being stubborn," Aurora said calmly, as if she hadn''t just done something crazy. "There''s no other choice."


    "I know, but still..." Ruby''s voice trailed off.


    "Don''t worry, I''m going to heal him," Aurora said as she used her light magic.


    "That''s not the problem!" Ruby said. "You''re attacking a prince!"


    "We will deal with that later," Aurora said. "So can I leave the rest to you?"


    Ruby blinked in confusion. "What?"


    "Please take him back to safety for me," Aurora asked.


    "Wait--you don''t mean..."


    Aurora smiled. "Sorry, but please do it for me."


    "No!" Ruby yelled. "I want to help you! I want to stay with you!"


    "Ruby..."


    "What are you guys doing there?" Nova said as she hurled another darkness ball, creating an explosion that was enough to make the wall Ruby created crack and start to crumble.


    "There''s no time," Aurora said. "Go!"


    It''s clear that Ruby hates this idea, so much that she started to cry. But she quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks and said, "You better win, you hear me?"


    Aurora nodded. "Of course."


    She watched as Ruby awkwardly picked up the unconscious Casper, who was much bigger than her, and started to run away from the battle.


    The wall behind Aurora crumbled completely, and Nova spoke up. "Ah, I see what happened. So you decided to get rid of that annoying guy? Good plan. But what now? You don''t seriously think that you can win against me alone, right?"


    Aurora gulped as she saw Nova begin her preparations. Nova created a bunch of floating black daggers for long-range attacks, and then black balls that would explode upon contact. She spread them around the area, limiting Aurora''s movement. A tentacle-like thing appeared below Nova, acting as an extension of her hand, ready to grab Aurora at any time.


    That''s already hard enough to deal with, but it''s not that surprising because Nova already showed it back then when they dueled. But now, she has more precise control. And she have a few other forms of her darkness magic that she is still keeping hidden.


    What an unfair advantage, Aurora thought. Nova''s power was truly suited for fighting, especially compared to Aurora''s light magic that mostly good for healing.


    But despite all of this, Aurora smiled confidently as she pulled out the knife that was gifted to her by Sera.


    "I won before," Aurora said. "And I will win again this time."


    Nova grinned and created a sharp, ominous sword made of darkness in her right hand.


    "We''ll see," she said.


    ***

 The End.

    "You''re such a giant pain in the butt," Ruby complained as she dragged Casper''s body from the small pond area to behind the destroyed building. He was still unconscious because Aurora had hit him hard on the head.


    Truthfully, she wanted to ditch him and go back. Even if she couldn''t help much, Ruby wanted to be there with Aurora. But she knew that if she stayed there, she would just be a burden, not so different from this pathetic prince guy.


    Ruby sighed. Not to mention, things might end up badly if she didn''t properly take Casper to safety. The fact that Aurora had hit him made things even worse.


    "But this isn''t a lady''s job," Ruby said.


    And it''s not like out here is safe either. The sound of fighting can still be heard all over the place. If one of the rebels saw her with the unconscious prince, their biggest target, she wouldn''t be able to outrun them.


    And the monster, Ruby looked at it with horror as it moved closer to where she was. It seemed like nobody could stop it yet.


    Ruby gulped. If that thing started to come her way, she didn''t know what she must do.


    And as if mocking her thoughts, the monster stopped for a moment and then suddenly changed direction towards her.


    "Why?!" Ruby wanted to yell, but she suppressed it so the monster wouldn''t become even more attracted to her.


    It was slow. She still had time. But still, she had to carry this heavy luggage called the unconscious prince.


    Her evil thoughts made her consider just leaving Casper there. This was his fault anyway. If he wasn''t so weak against Nova, things wouldn''t have gone this way.


    But then she heard a familiar voice.


    "Miss!"


    Ruby immediately shifted her gaze to where the voice came from. A tall girl with a white sword ran towards her, followed by a group of three Adventurer girls.


    "Rita!" Ruby said, feeling relieved. "You''re finally back! Why were you so slow?"


    "I''m sorry, miss," Rita said, looking ashamed.


    "How did you find me anyway?" Ruby asked. "It was chaos around there. It''s kind of weird you could find me that easily."


    "This sword," Rita said. "It makes me able to use wind magic a lot more freely. Using it, I can tell where you''re from the air and wind around you--"


    "Um, sorry to interrupt," a girl with dark skin said, "but we have a bigger problem right now."


    She pointed at the snail monster that was getting closer.


    "What is that thing anyway?" another girl with a pink cloak commented. "I''ve never seen a monster like that before."


    "Neither have I," a girl with glasses replied. "It''s kind of cute."


    "Cute?" the girl with the pink cloak said in confusion. "How?"


    "They''re adventurers who helped me," Rita said. "I will introduce them to you later."


    "Okay," Ruby said.


    "Um... and miss?" Rita said, seeming unsure about bringing this up.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Yes?" Ruby said.


    "What''s that?" Rita pointed to the body beside her master.


    "Oh, nothing," Ruby said. "Just an unconscious prince."


    "What the-? So that''s really Prince Casper?" Rita said in disbelief.


    "What? A prince? What is it about a prince?" the girl with the pink cloak said, getting interested.


    "Not now! The monster is getting closer!" the dark-skinned girl said. "Can you guys take this more seriously?"


    "Miss, please stay back. We will handle it," Rita said.


    "We? This isn''t part of the job you gave us," the dark-skinned girl said. "You better pay us extra."


    Rita smiled. "Okay, let''s talk about that later."


    "Can you guys even handle it?" Ruby said, kind of doubtful. "It barely gets hurt even after getting attacked by a lot of people."


    "We won''t know until we try," the girl with glasses said as she and her fellow Adventurers ran towards the monster.


    "Please distract it while I prepare my attack," Rita asked as she followed them behind.


    "Okay!" The adventurer girls replied at the same time.


    They launched some fire attacks, water attacks, and threw several knife-like weapons, but like before, failed to seriously damage the monster.


    Stopping the monster seemed impossible until Rita swung her sword, creating a gigantic, sharp wind that cut through the air. For the first time, an attack successfully cut the snail monster, making it bleed and causing it to writhe in pain.


    Rita grinned at Ruby. "Don''t worry, I''ve got it, miss."


    ***


    It''s clear that Aurora had no chance of winning against Nova without her cheat skill, LightSpeed. So the logical thing to do was to use it right away. Yet, for a moment, Aurora hesitated. She could only use that skill for 5 minutes, so if she couldn''t maximize that time, everything would be over.


    But with how difficult she felt when parrying Nova''s sword swing, while dodging Nova''s other attacks, she knew that she couldn''t hesitate anymore.


    "Come on, use your speed, that''s your best magic, right?" Nova said as she swung her sword, cutting into Aurora''s clothes a little. "I won''t wait forever."


    "Oh, shut it," Aurora said.


    She was going to use it anyway, but now, because Nova said that, she didn''t feel like doing it anymore.


    But whatever, she had no other choice. Putting aside what she felt right now, Aurora activated her LightSpeed.


    Aurora barely dodged a tentacle-like attack that almost grabbed her ankle. She then ran toward Nova''s left side while carefully not touching the floating darkness balls around her.


    Aurora swung her knife.


    It was the first damage Aurora had done, yet it was shallow. Nova succeeded in dodging even against her super speed.


    Not wasting time, Aurora started moving again. This time she attacked the side of Nova that was holding the sword, trying to make her drop her weapon. But again it was a shallow attack. Nova''s hand was bleeding, but it wasn''t deep enough to affect her.


    To actually dodge her speed twice, this couldn''t be a coincidence.


    Aurora stopped.


    "What''s wrong?" Nova said, smiling. "Surprised I can react at all against your speed? You shouldn''t show off your secret ability on a stupid duel then. Because it will be useless in a real fight later."


    Aurora gritted her teeth. Of course, Nova wasn''t going to just sit down after getting humiliated by losing to her. It turned out that this whole time, she was prepared to deal with her speed.


    And Aurora was frustrated because Nova was right. She didn''t really regret it, but it was a fact that the duel from the other day was not really important. She didn''t really plan for the future when she used LightSpeed against Nova that time.


    Aurora shook her head. Doesn''t matter. It''s already happened. Stop thinking about it. She couldn''t hesitate now; the clock was ticking. She had less than five minutes left.


    Aurora started moving again, trying to attack from all sides, from behind, and even from below. But she could barely damage Nova.


    How could she predict that? Aurora wondered.


    Aurora kept trying, yet Nova kept dodging, and even almost did a counterattack. Thankfully, it was too slow for Aurora, making it easy for her to dodge.


    Aurora stopped, trying to calm herself down. This wasn''t working.


    "I''m going to admit, that speed of yours was fantastic," Nova said.


    Aurora was stunned. She didn''t expect Nova to compliment her. It was stupid, especially in that situation, yet Aurora was kind of happy to be acknowledged.


    "But it''s clear that you''re not used to fighting, right?" Nova continued. "Your movements were so obvious; it''s almost pathetic."


    That stung, but it was true. Aurora couldn''t help it. She was the indoor type who liked playing games or reading books. Of course, she couldn''t fight. She never learned martial arts either.


    "And that speed of yours," Nova said. "You can''t keep using it forever, can you? I can''t feel any anxiety from your attacks, as if you had a time limit."


    Aurora gulped. Nova read her perfectly.


    "But enough talking," Nova said. "Come, give me your best shot."


    A little annoyed, Aurora started moving again, but Nova wasn''t just all talk. She could really read Aurora''s movements, and despite her best efforts, Aurora''s attacks just kept missing. She tried varying her movements, throwing a fake attack, and attacking with both her knife and spear of light, but nothing seemed to work.


    Finally, Aurora jumped back, realizing she was running out of time. She estimated that she only had about a minute left for LightSpeed to remain activated. Now, she had to make a decision: use the remaining time to run away, or...


    She reached into her pocket and grabbed a potion, her last hope.


    "A healing potion?" Nova guessed. "No, you didn''t get hurt. Then..."


    Without hesitating, Aurora opened the bottle and drank the potion.


    Nova rubbed her eyes, thinking that something was wrong with them. But that wasn''t the case. Aurora had faded away and then... disappeared.


    Suddenly, Nova felt danger approaching and jumped back, but it was too late. Something cut her deeply on her arm, and blood started dripping from the wound.


    "Interesting," Nova said, trying to stop the bleeding. "So, you still have some tricks up your sleeve. Super speed and invisibility? What a nasty combination."


    Aurora''s attack had connected, but Nova''s calm demeanor worried her. Aurora needed to finish this quickly, before Nova found out more of her weaknesses.


    With one, two, and three cuts, Aurora kept moving and swinging her knife, and it was working. Nova was barely able to dodge her attacks. Nova cursed, and the wounds that Aurora gave her started to affect her movement.


    Finally, the last swing from Aurora brought Nova to her knees and made her drop her darkness sword. It fell behind Aurora.


    Aurora pointed her knife at Nova, who stared back at her with cuts all over her body. The effect of invisibility from Marina''s potion had completely disappeared, as had the effect of LightSpeed. But Aurora couldn''t waver. It would be the end if Nova realized she didn''t have any weapon left.


    "Give up now," Aurora said, trying to act as confidently as possible.


    She hoped to intimidate Nova, but instead, Nova laughed. "You''re still naive, I see," she said. "This is a real fight. You shouldn''t assume the fight will end until one of us is dead."


    The meaning behind Nova''s words was too late for Aurora to understand. Suddenly, Aurora dropped her knife as she felt a pain in her chest. She looked down and saw a black sword stabbed into her. Using her tentacle darkness, Nova had grabbed the sword and attacked Aurora from behind.


    ***

 Endless Nightmare.

    Aurora woke up with cold sweat all over her body. Her breathing was heavy, and she reflexively touched her chest. However, she didn''t feel any pain. There was no wound.


    Was it just a dream?


    She then noticed that something was wrong. Her hand felt smaller than she remembered. She stared at her hand in confusion.


    "What happened...?" Aurora whispered.


    She surprised even more. Even her voice sounded different. It was still Aurora voice, but it sounded more childish.


    Aurora looked around the room. It was the same room she first woke up in this world, not her academy room.


    She gulped.


    An idea came to her mind, but she didn''t want it to be true. She got up from her bed and looked in the mirror.


    "No..." Aurora murmured.


    In the mirror, she saw a little girl with blue hair. It was still Aurora, but she looked so much younger.


    "No, no, no, no, this can''t be happening!" she wailed.


    The only explanation she could come up with was that she had died by Nova''s hand and had now regressed to an earlier version of herself.


    "All my progress..." Aurora said in pain. "I don''t want to redo everything again..."


    This was worse than accidentally deleting your save file. And it was one of a gamer''s worst nightmares.


    All the connections she had built with Ruby, Sera, and the others, everything she had worked hard for all this time, had now disappeared.


    Aurora lost all her energy and ended up sitting on the floor.


    "Why is this happening...?"


    She let out a long sigh, trying to accept whatever was happening right now.


    "Okay," Aurora thought to herself. "If this is how it is, then I will take it. Just think of the positive side. I get more time to prepare--"


    Her thoughts were interrupted by an eerie feeling of how quiet the place was. There was no sound other than what she created. Why had she just noticed this now? In fact, outside the window was pitch black.


    "Is it the middle of the night?" she wondered. Still, something felt off.


    Aurora slowly opened her room door and went outside.


    "Lyra, are you there?" she called out to her maid, but nobody answered.


    "Weird," she thought. "Even if it''s the middle of the night, this place should not be that quiet." She didn''t see any maids, or anyone at all for that matter.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    She walked quietly around the corridors, feeling more and more uneasy. She then checked her father''s office, but nobody was there.


    "Maybe he''s already asleep," she thought. So she went to the Viscount''s bedroom, but again, nobody was there.


    Aurora started to panic.


    "Hello, anybody here?" she said, her voice wavering.


    But there was no reply.


    "Please answer me," Aurora said.


    But nobody answered.


    Things weren''t as simple as she thought. She immediately checked all the rooms around her, but all she found were empty rooms.


    Scared, she ran outside and then she just noticed that everything besides her home was pitch black.


    "What is this?" Aurora said, barely above a whisper. "What happened to me...?"


    And then the darkness engulfed her.


    Aurora woke up with cold sweat covering her body, her breath uneven.


    "A dream?" she said, looking at her hands, which were now normal size. Looking around, she realized she was back in her room at the magic academy. So all of that was just a dream? She couldn''t be sure yet.


    "Lyra," Aurora called out. "Lyra, are you there?"


    "Yes, miss," a familiar voice could be heard behind her room door. "What''s the matter? Do you need something?"


    Aurora breathed a sigh of relief. "No, it''s nothing," she said. "I just had a nightmare. Anyway, why don''t you come in?"


    "I can''t," Lyra replied.


    "Why?" Aurora asked.


    "Have you forgotten?" Lyra said, her tone somehow ominous.


    "Forgotten what...?" Aurora asked, but the maid didn''t answer.


    Aurora was confused; something was definitely wrong. She got out of bed and walked towards the door. She hesitated for a moment but then opened it. Aurora was shocked as she saw what was behind the door. A rotting corpse wearing Lyra''s maid outfit fell towards her.


    She reflexively caught the body but immediately regretted it and pushed it aside. The smell of rotting meat stabbed Aurora''s nose, and a bunch of disgusting maggots were moving on it.


    "Miss..." the corpse said in a distorted Lyra''s voice.


    Aurora woke up with cold sweat all over her body.


    "What... again?" Aurora said.


    The image of rotting Lyra still bothered her mind. After calming herself down, she looked around the room. This time, she was in her room before she had transmigrated, with familiar posters on the wall, novels and manga placed randomly on the bookshelf, her laptop on the table, and some anime figures.


    "I''m back to my original world...?" Aurora said to herself. "No, this can''t be real. Am I still dreaming?"


    This whole thing feels like a never-ending nightmare.


    And then something clicked in Aurora''s head.


    Never-ending nightmares? Of course! In the game Wicked Villainess of Ruin, you played as Nova. So the cheat code Aurora has been using all this time, the thing that allows her to use LightSpeed, Nova could use it too.


    In the game, if you use the cheat code as Nova, it enables her to use a unique skill called Endless Nightmare. It''s a skill that traps her enemy''s mind in an endless, dark, twisted dream. The exact description of what happened to her right now.


    How and why Nova could use cheats like her, Aurora didn''t know. But she was sure about one thing, she wasn''t dead yet. This was all just a long, continuous dream - a nightmare that Nova forced her to experience.


    Aurora clenched her hand.


    Nova really beat me this time, huh? she thought. That sucks.


    But it''s fine; she will get out of this prison sooner or later. She will make Nova pay.


    ***


    The giant snail-like monster was rampaging and roaring in anger because Rita had successfully hurt it.


    "Be careful!" the Adventurer girl said to her fellow teammate. "Don''t get too close!"


    "Are you ready yet?" the girl with the pink cloak asked as she jumped back, standing close to the tall girl with the white sword.


    "On it," Rita said as she put more and more mana into the sword. She kept refining her wind magic on the edge of the sword, making it as sharp as possible.


    They attacked with more magic, obviously failing to make any real damage towards the monster, but it was enough to distract it from Rita.


    Then Rita started to run and jump, prepared to throw her best attack yet.


    With a huge swing, Rita created wind so strong that everything around her was blown away, and she successfully cut the monster into two, killing it instantly.


    Rita sheathed her sword and walked towards Ruby with a proud look on her face.


    "Wow, that sword is really something, huh?" Ruby said, impressed.


    "Miss... Please praise me, not the sword..." Rita said, disappointed.


    "But isn''t all this thanks to that legendary sword?" Ruby said.


    Rita sighed. "That''s true, but..."


    "Ah," Ruby remembered about Aurora. "Forget about that! Hurry, follow me," Ruby said.


    "Where?" Rita asked.


    "Just follow me!" Ruby said.


    Ruby forced Rita to follow her back to the small pond where Aurora and Nova were fighting, while the rest of the adventurer group took Prince Casper to safety - which the girl with the pink cloak happily agreed to.


    "Please slow down, miss," Rita said as she saw how hurried Ruby was.


    "No," Ruby said.


    It was clear that she was hoping to be in time to help Aurora, but what she found was a weird scene where both Aurora and Nova were lying on the ground, unconscious.


    Based on the wounds on their bodies, it was easy to assume that Aurora had won the fight. On Nova''s body, they could see all kinds of cuts, both deep and shallow, while on Aurora, there were no wounds at all, just a few cuts on her clothes.


    Ruby immediately picked up Aurora from the ground. She noticed that Aurora was breathing normally, which made her sigh in relief. However, when Aurora didn''t react to her at all, it made Ruby anxious.


    "Aurora, please wake up..." Ruby begged as she held Aurora, who was still unconscious in her arms. "Aurora, can you hear me?"


    Yet, Aurora didn''t wake up at all, no matter what Ruby tried.


    "What happened to her, Rita?" Ruby asked her knight with a pitiful expression.


    "I''m sorry, miss, I don''t know either," Rita said, looking at Aurora more closely. "She doesn''t look hurt, and her breathing is normal. Maybe she just got tired and lost consciousness?"


    "Really?" Ruby said. "Is it really just that...?"


    Looking at her master on the brink of tears, Rita hesitated. She didn''t want to say something thoughtless.


    "I... I''m not sure," Rita said. "For now, let''s take her back and check on her."


    "No," Ruby said, tears starting to fall down her cheeks. "What should I do if she never wakes up again...?"


    ***

 The Truth.

    Aurora felt grateful for the first time that she had transmigrated as Aurora, who owned light magic, instead of other characters. This was because light magic was the only element stronger than darkness magic, at least in terms of basic elemental interactions.


    If she had transmigrated into someone other than Aurora, she would have been forever stuck in this never-ending nightmare, unless Nova decided to release her herself. Just the thought made Aurora feel terrible. However, with light magic, she should be able to destroy the darkness magic that was affecting her right now, in theory.


    Of course, if she hadn''t become Aurora, she might not have had this problem in the first place. But that was just a possibility. As an unknown object in this world, she would attract attention either way, and attention meant trouble.


    And of course, Aurora didn''t really need to think about all of this. The "what-if" scenario was pointless anyway. She would be better off just thinking about her actual situation. But she needed to think of something else; she needed to distract herself from the creepy imagery in front of her right now.


    She now knew that whatever was happening around her right now was nothing more than just a dream. But still, she couldn''t pretend that she didn''t care when she looked at all the dead bodies around her. They had died in a pretty grotesque manner. This obviously bothered Aurora, especially because some of them were familiar faces.


    Aurora sighed.


    Ignore it, Aurora told herself. Even the foul smell bothering her nose, ignore it. Even if her feet felt cold and disgusting because she stepped on flesh and blood, ignore it.


    She closed her eyes, trying to summon her light magic. This was easy to do before she was stuck inside this endless dream, but for some reason, she had been failing at it for some time now.


    Every time her light magic started to resurface, she felt a pain in her chest, right in her heart. Her focus was broken, and her magic disappeared. The same thing was happening right now.


    Aurora sighed in pain. Was this because of Nova''s last attack? Had she really stabbed her in the heart?


    Aurora was obviously angry with Nova, yet she wondered why she had trapped her inside this endless nightmare. Why hadn''t she just killed her once and for all? Did she just want to make her suffer?


    Maybe.


    Once again, Aurora was thinking about pointless things. She should ask Nova herself to find out the answer. Thinking about it alone wouldn''t take her anywhere.


    "Forget it, I should try again instead," Aurora reminded herself.


    And once again, she tried to summon her light magic.


    ***


    Ruby refused to leave Aurora''s side even for a second. She sat beside Aurora''s bed, staring at the blue girl, hoping for her to wake up.


    Even after several check-ups by different people, nobody really knew why Aurora had been unconscious for so long.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Ruby believed that this was Nova''s doing. Unfortunately, she had no proof that darkness magic could cause something like this. And the problem was that even Nova had experienced the same thing. She had been unconscious and had not yet woken up for some reason.


    Did that mean Nova had done it to herself? No, Ruby didn''t think Nova was stupid enough to use some magic that would end up hurting herself, but thinking that someone or something had attacked them didn''t make sense either. Who could do that and why?


    Ruby had no idea.


    Right now, Ruby deeply regretted leaving Aurora''s side that time. If only she had stayed behind, she might have had a clue as to what had actually happened. Even better, if she had stayed, she might have been able to prevent this from happening in the first place. Although that was a bit of wishful thinking, she might not have been able to do anything even if she had stayed. Still, staying sounded better than what had actually happened. Probably that''s why she stubbornly didn''t want to leave Aurora''s side, because of the guilt eating away at her.


    Or probably she was just too scared to leave, thinking that if she failed to keep watching, something worse would happen to Aurora.


    Outside the room, people were buzzing. Lyra and Marina were busy distributing potions that Aurora had prepared to anyone who was hurt. Sera was holed up inside the library trying to figure out what might have happened to Aurora. And after bringing back Aurora and Nova, Ruby let Rita and the group of adventurers help the teachers to defeat and capture the remaining rebels.


    Ruby also heard people talking about the news that the snail monster that had attacked the town was finally defeated by a group of adventurers hired by Viscount Starlight. Although they took a lot of time compared to how Rita had handled it, they didn''t have the luxury of a super powerful sword, so it was all fair and good.


    And the same attack that had happened at the palace was successfully stopped too. All the rebels were captured except for the leader himself, the second prince. That guy was crafty enough to still be able to run away, it seemed.


    But neither of those things was important to Ruby. Sure, it was good that things were mostly resolved. But what did any of that matter if the most important person ended up in this situation?


    Ruby had heard some suggestions that if Aurora was really affected by darkness magic, then the best way to handle it was with light magic. Ruby wanted to scream. But nobody else had light magic besides Aurora, not even her father!


    So it all depended on Aurora herself? That just made Ruby feel even more useless.


    Ruby was so deep in her own thoughts that at first, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. But that wasn''t the case. Inside the dimly lit room, she saw a small light coming from Aurora''s chest.


    She jumped from her seat and immediately looked at Aurora''s face, but unfortunately, she was still unconscious.


    Ruby then immediately grabbed Aurora''s hand and started calling her name.


    "Aurora," Ruby said, "Hey Aurora, can you hear me? Please wake up! Please!"


    The light around Aurora''s chest grew bigger, and Ruby started to feel the warmth from it.


    Ruby wasn''t sure what was happening, but this should be a good thing, right? Yes, it should be a good sign.


    Yet, Ruby wasn''t sure what she should do with it. All she could do was keep calling Aurora''s name, hoping that it would help somehow.


    But then, the light suddenly disappeared.


    "No, no, no, no," Ruby said. "Please come back!"


    But the light just disappeared completely.


    "No..." Ruby could only manage to say.


    When all hope seemed lost, Aurora''s body suddenly jolted as if she had been punched hard in the chest, surprising even Ruby. Aurora''s eyes opened wide, her breath was uneven, and she looked around confused.


    "Am I back...?" Aurora said, barely above a whisper. "Or... am I still dreaming?"


    Unable to contain her emotions, Ruby immediately hugged Aurora and cried.


    "Ruby...?" Aurora said.


    The warm hug from the small girl made Aurora feel truly awake. She must have already succeeded in getting out of that nightmare prison. After all, it didn''t make sense to let her feel this warmth and comfort if she was supposed to be suffering from nightmares.


    "Thank God, you''re finally awake," Ruby said, still crying. "You really scared me, you stupid."


    "I''m sorry for worrying you," Aurora said, wiping away Ruby''s tears. "But I''m fine. See?"


    Ruby nodded and their eyes met. Her eyes were still wet, but Ruby was no longer crying. Aurora smiled in response, but for some reason, Ruby kept staring at her without blinking.


    "What?" Aurora asked. "Something on my face--"


    Suddenly, Ruby kissed Aurora. Their soft lips intertwined with each other. It was so sudden that for a second, Aurora didn''t register what had happened. But then she immediately pulled back.


    Realizing what she had just done, in a panic, Ruby quickly apologized, "I''m sorry! That was... I just..."


    Ruby''s head was blank. She didn''t plan to do that, of course. It just... happened.


    Her head was spinning as she tried to find an excuse. Something, anything, to explain what had just happened. But nothing came to her mind, and in the end, all she could do was run away from there.


    "I''m sorry!" Ruby said before fleeing.


    Meanwhile, Aurora remained stunned, her face burning hot. After a while, she looked towards the door and realized that Ruby was already gone.


    Aurora slowly touched her own lips, the sensation still lingering.


    "What was that...?" she murmured.


    Aurora said that, but she kind of had an idea. It''s not like she was stupid. Of course, she noticed Ruby''s affection toward her a little too much for a friend. She just refused to acknowledge it and pretended that she didn''t notice.


    That''s because she didn''t want to deal with what might happen next. She was scared.


    ***

 Consequence

    What will happen to Aurora once she passes the moment when the story in the game ends? This is a question that has been bothering Aurora in the back of her mind.


    Will she be sent back to her original world? Or will she be stuck in this world forever? What even happened to her original body anyway? Did she die or just simply enter a coma?


    She didn''t know.


    That''s why it''s scary to create a bond too deep with anyone in this world. It will hurt so much when she is forced to go back. She has no control over anything that might happen. She doesn''t even know how and why she was transmigrated to this world in the first place.


    Being alone in this world is scary, so she is happy to let people into her life. But she isn''t ready to go further than that.


    Aurora sighed.


    How is she going to act when she sees Ruby again?


    The door to that room opened, and a familiar maid entered the room. This time she looked pretty much alive, thankfully.


    "Miss! You''re finally awake!" Lyra said with a huge smile on her face.


    Aurora nodded and forced a smile. "Yeah, how are things going?"


    "Everything is alright now," Lyra said. "Sorry I didn''t stay by your side."


    "It''s fine," Aurora replied.


    Lyra looked around. "I thought Miss Ruby was with you?" she said.


    "Ah, about Ruby," Aurora said. "She just left."


    "Really? Right after you woke up?" Lyra blinked, obviously confused.


    "That''s what I said," Aurora replied.


    "Why?" Lyra said, still confused.


    "I... Don''t know," Aurora said. "She just did."


    "But she was so adamant about not leaving your side this whole time," Lyra said. "So why did she suddenly change her mind when you''re awake?"


    "Probably that''s why," Aurora said. "She knows I''m okay now, so she can do something else. Can we stop talking about this? You should ask her yourself if you still want to make sure."


    Lyra didn''t seem too convinced, but she let it go. "Right, sorry miss," she said. "I''m just a little bit curious. Oh, right, your father was here. At the moment, he was talking with the teachers and some of the adventurers he hired. He will come here soon."


    "That''s great," Aurora said with a weak smile.


    "You still look tired, Miss," Lyra noticed. "You should rest more. Anyway, do you need something? Anything?"


    "Aah, I want something to drink," Aurora said, just noticing how parched she actually was.


    "Sure, wait a moment," Lyra said as she prepared tea for her master.


    While Lyra was working, Aurora stared at her from atop her bed.


    "So, is the potion I prepared being used properly?" Aurora asked.


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    "Yes, of course!" Lyra said. "I make sure that they know it''s prepared by you! Everyone is grateful!"


    Aurora blushed. "You don''t need to go that far..."


    "Why not?" Lyra said. "You have been working hard trying to stop this madness, right? At least you deserve this much!"


    Aurora smiled. "Thank you."


    "No, we should be thanking you, Miss!"


    Aurora laughed. "Okay."


    The door to the room opened for the second time. This time Sera was there, her breath uneven.


    Aurora and Lyra reflexively looked at her. When Sera noticed that she was being stared at and remembered what she did, she immediately apologized.


    "I-I''m sorry, I should have knocked first... And, um, I just saw Ruby running for some reason. So, I was scared something happened to you and immediately came here and, um..."


    Aurora smiled. "It''s fine," she said. "And I''m okay, see?"


    Sera looked at Aurora for a moment, but when their eyes met, she immediately looked away.


    "Right," she said.


    "Would you like some tea too, Miss Sera?" Lyra asked after she finished making tea for Aurora.


    "I-If that''s okay...?" Sera replied.


    They spent around an hour talking and drinking tea when Aurora''s father finally came to her room.


    Upon seeing him, Sera immediately excused herself and ran somewhere. Lyra also left the room so that Aurora could talk more freely with her father.


    "Sorry I was held up by some people, so I couldn''t come immediately," the Viscount said.


    "It''s fine," Aurora said.


    "How are you? I heard you were unconscious for some time," the Viscount asked.


    "I''m okay," Aurora said. "I''m just tired, maybe?" She lied.


    "Is that so? Then you should rest more," her father said.


    "I did," Aurora said, smiling.


    "That''s good." The Viscount smiled too. "If you need anything, just ask. No matter what it is, I will get it for you."


    "Okay," Aurora said. "But are you sure telling me something like that? I might be asking for something unreasonable."


    "Sure, I''m used to it now," the Viscount said.


    Aurora giggled. "Okay, I will keep that in mind."


    "Anyway, I already talked with the teacher," the Viscount said. "It seems like the class will be stopped for a moment. So what are you going to do? Will you come home with me?"


    Aurora thought for a bit. "I''m not sure yet. I will see the situation first before deciding. Is that okay?"


    The Viscount sighed. "If that''s what you want. I would prefer it if you just came home, though. Anyway, I have been summoned by the king. Officially, he is going to give us an award for our contribution in stopping the rebels and the monsters, but it''s not that simple."


    "He''s suspicious of us?" Aurora guessed.


    Her father nodded. "After all, we acted as if we knew this was going to happen."


    "That''s bad, isn''t it?" Aurora said.


    "But don''t worry," her father said. "I will handle it no matter what. Even with our king, I don''t want to tell him what you''re really capable of doing. You just focus on getting better."


    Aurora nodded. "Thank you."


    "Oh, right, on the way here I met Prince Casper," the Viscount said. "He heard that you already woke up and was wondering if he could meet you."


    "Oh." Aurora had completely forgotten about the fact that she had hit the prince.


    "Is something wrong?" her father asked.


    Aurora shook her head. "It''s... nothing. I will talk to him later."


    It seemed that it was time for her to deal with the consequences of her actions.


    ***


    Aurora took a deep breath before knocking on the door.


    "Who is it?" Casper''s voice could be heard from inside the room.


    "It''s me, Aurora," she said. "I heard you wanted to meet me, prince. Can I come in?"


    "Of course," Casper replied. "I''ve been waiting for you."


    Aurora opened the door and saw a weak-looking prince standing there. Nova was lying on the bed behind him. Aurora had heard from Lyra that Casper had been staying by Nova''s side this whole time, the same way Ruby had for her.


    Casper in this world really likes Nova, huh? Aurora thought to herself, but she pushed the thought aside. That''s not important right now. Aurora gulped.


    "I''m sorry for what I did," Aurora said. "For hitting you, I''m prepared to accept whatever punishment you want, prince."


    "Ah, that''s okay," he said, as if he didn''t even think about it. "I realized now how unreasonable my actions were at that time. So it''s fine. Don''t worry about it."


    Aurora nodded in relief. "Thank you," she said. "But if that''s not the problem..."


    "Let''s sit first," the prince said, gesturing toward chairs and a table near the windows. They walked over, and Aurora sat across from Casper.


    "Okay, then...?" Aurora asked.


    "Can I ask you something?" the prince said.


    "Sure, what is it?" Aurora replied.


    "About what Nova said before..." Casper''s expression didn''t seem like he wanted to talk about it, but he kept going. "I remember the first time you and Nova met, you guys seemed like old friends or enemies, might be more appropriate? And I have been thinking. Maybe you''re a regressor too?"


    That''s not exactly right but...


    "Yes," Aurora said. "I know what happened in the previous life."


    "Is that so?" the prince said. "Then can you tell me what actually happened there? Why did Nova decide to do this?"


    Aurora sighed. "This might be hard to believe considering that we barely interacted with each other, but in that timeline we were close. Nova, as your fianc¨¦, didn''t like that. So she decided to hurt me. You couldn''t accept that and ended up stabbing her with a sword. But as she said before, instead of dying, she ended up regressing."


    "I see," Casper said, in pain. "So I did kill her then...?"


    "I don''t think it''s your fault. Nova''s actions were the trigger in the first place," Aurora said. "Especially not you in this timeline. You shouldn''t blame yourself for this."


    But Casper didn''t seem to be listening to Aurora''s words. The room was silent. Aurora felt uncomfortable and wasn''t sure what she should do. While the prince stared at his own hand.


    He then clenched it into a fist, as if he had decided something.


    "You regained consciousness because of your light magic, right?" Casper asked suddenly. "Can you try to wake Nova up?"


    Aurora stared at the prince and then shifted her gaze to the unconscious Nova.


    "I can try," Aurora said. "But what are you going to do about her? Are you going to forgive her?"


    That question seemed to make Casper uneasy. "I''m... not sure yet, but I must talk to her. Properly this time. We don''t really know how much she''s involved with the second prince--my brother''s plan anyway."


    Aurora sighed. It was clear enough from his answer that he would give Nova as much leniency as possible. Not that Aurora wanted Nova to be executed or anything, but she hoped this was the end of whatever problem Nova had created for her. If she got forgiven just like that, it would mean more problems for Aurora to deal with later.


    "You don''t need to worry," Prince Casper said. "I know now that letting her do whatever she wants, despite it hurting others, was wrong of me. At the very least, I can promise you that I won''t let her bother you again."


    Their eyes met, and Aurora nodded.


    "So be it then. I will hold on to that promise, Prince," Aurora said as she stood up from her seat and walked towards Nova.


    ***

 Novas Nightmare.

    Aurora failed to wake Nova up. That was embarrassing. She was sure she had done it right. She touched Nova''s chest, approximately where her heart is, and then summoned her light magic to it. Her magic was working normally. Light came from her hand, and she felt the warmth. But nothing happened. Nova was still unconscious.


    She tried again several times, but still, nothing happened. Her magic didn''t have any effect. That confused her. Maybe the problem was not in her heart? Aurora then tried the same thing on Nova''s head, but it was the same. Nothing happened. Even as a last resort, Aurora decided to use her light magic on Nova''s entire body, but it was all meaningless. Her magic had no effect.


    In the end, she could only admit defeat and tell the prince, who was staring at her full of hope, that she couldn''t do it. The disappointed expression on Casper''s face felt like physical damage to her. But nothing else could be done. She apologized and left the room.


    In the empty corridors, she stared at her own hand. "Why isn''t it working?" Aurora wondered.


    "Because I put myself in that condition on purpose, stupid," Nova said.


    Aurora jumped in surprise, looking around. She was sure she had just heard Nova''s voice, yet there was nobody around.


    "What...?" Aurora said in confusion.


    Nova laughed. "You won''t find me like that. I''m not talking to you using a physical body."


    Aurora gulped. Again. She didn''t hear wrong, Nova did talk to her. But not using a physical body, she said? So... she was inside her head or something?


    "What''s going on...?" Aurora asked. "How can you talk to me like this? Are you a ghost...?"


    "You wish," Nova snorted. "Obviously I''m not dead yet. That time near the pond, I found out that the plan wasn''t working. The monster got defeated, the second prince failed, James lost to Finnick, nothing was working out. So I decided to make myself unconscious."


    "Why...?" Aurora asked.


    "They won''t execute me if I''m unconscious, right?" Nova said.


    Well, that''s true, Aurora thought to herself. That''s pretty cunning of her. But then again, that''s actually mean...


    "So you''re running away," Aurora said.


    "Yes," Nova said, irritated. "What? Want to mock me?"


    "Not really," Aurora said. She felt like teasing her a little, but that might not be a good idea to do with someone who''s not your friend. So instead, Aurora asked, "But why can you talk to me like this?"


    "When I stabbed you," Nova said, "I injected my darkness magic into you. It''s mostly disappeared now that you''re cleansing it using your light magic. But not completely. I''m using the remaining darkness inside your heart to make this connection. Pretty neat, huh?"


    "Yeah, except for the part where you stab me," Aurora said.


    "That part''s pretty neat too for me," Nova said.


    "Good for you," Aurora said, a little annoyed. "So why are you doing this? What do you want from me?"


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    "Let''s talk," Nova said.


    "Huh? So now you feel like talking, now that you can''t use your body?" Aurora said.


    "Yes," Nova said. "Problem?"


    "Not really," Aurora said. If Nova didn''t resort to violence first, she wouldn''t either.


    "Then let''s talk," Nova said.


    "Okay."


    Aurora had a lot of questions herself, so she didn''t mind either way.


    "First," Nova said. "You''re not really Aurora, are you?"


    Aurora was a little stunned by that question, but she managed to stay calm and asked, "What are you talking about?"


    "No need to pretend," Nova continued. "I can tell."


    Aurora snorted, "Yeah, right. We''re not even friends, and yet you act as if you know me well."


    "If we were friends, I would act like the others," Nova said. "Thinking that you just changed and moved on. But I''m more than that. I know how you acted in another timeline. You and the Aurora I know are different. You can''t be the same person."


    "Is that so?" Aurora said. "Like how?"


    "Aurora I know was the type that acted weak, making people around her want to protect her. But not you," Nova explained. "From the beginning, you handled things on your own. When I pushed you, you pushed me back."


    "Well, thank you," Aurora said.


    "I''m not complimenting you," Nova said. "I''m just saying!"


    "Okay," Aurora said, smiling. "If I''m not the real Aurora, does that mean we''re not enemies anymore?"


    "So, you''re really a completely different person?" Nova asked. "I figured that if regressing was possible, something like this was possible too."


    "Maybe," Aurora said. While the possibility of not having to deal with Nova anymore was great, she wasn''t really sure if she could tell her the truth. Even though Nova clearly believing that she wasn''t the real Aurora.


    "Answer properly!" Nova complained.


    "What about yourself, then?" Aurora asked. "Are you going to tell me why you do what you do properly this time? That revenge thing was a little silly."


    "What''s wrong with that? I do want revenge," Nova said.


    "Fine," Aurora said, "but what''s up with allying yourself with the second prince? It just feels unnecessary."


    Nova sighed. "This is going to be hard to explain, but this is what I want to talk to you about."


    "Okay," Aurora said, intrigued. "I''m listening."


    "Let''s see. Do you know the magic I use to trap you inside a dream?" Nova asked.


    The cheat? Aurora thought.


    "You mean Endless Nightmare?" Aurora said.


    "So you even know the name," Nova said. "Well, I figured as much considering you can use ancient magic too."


    Aurora blinked. "Ancient magic? What''s that?"


    "That speed of yours, that''s ancient magic, right?" Nova said.


    Huh. So the cheat code was considered ancient magic in this world?


    Aurora had considered that Nova might also be a transmigrator because she could use the cheat code, but that might not be true if ancient magic existed.


    "I don''t know," Aurora said. "I know it was unusual magic at least, but it''s the first time I''ve heard of ancient magic."


    "To be fair, I don''t know much about it either," Nova said. "I just found it in the old tomb of my ancestors and decided to learn it."


    "Okay," Aurora said. "So what then?"


    "Well, you get how it works, I guess?" Nova said. "When I used it, it shows you nightmares. After I learned it, I figured I should test it out myself to see how effective it is."


    "Huh? I was kinda expecting you to use other people as test subjects, not doing it yourself."


    "I did eventually," Nova said. "Like when I used it on James once. But that''s not the point. What do you think a nightmare is?"


    Aurora wasn''t quite sure what Nova was trying to say, but she followed along for now.


    "Uh... A bad dream? Scary stuff?"


    "Yeah, but the scariest ones are the ones that are actually possible," Nova said. "So I saw this nightmare where I successfully got rid of you and got everything I wanted, but my happiness was short-lived. Something big was happening to this world, outside of our little conflict, and no matter what I did, I couldn''t stop it. In the end, everyone was dead."


    "Well, that sounds like generic nightmares. Everyone dies. The end," Aurora said.


    "I thought the same too, until I checked all the things that were happening in that dream. Every little hint, every little detail. It turned out a nightmare can be a prediction for the future too."


    Aurora gulped. She wasn''t really sure about this talk, but Nova''s voice sounded genuine.


    "Okay, so you can predict the future, cool. But what does that have to do with the second prince?" Aurora asked.


    "Casper can''t handle such a problem," Nova explained. "Neither can the current king. They''re just... too nice. You know what I mean? Even if they know something bad is going to happen, they won''t be willing to make sacrifices. But it''s different with the second prince. He is ambitious. And even if he becomes king, he won''t be satisfied. I believe he will eventually attack neighboring kingdoms."


    "That sounds just like he''s going to be a bad king," Aurora said, not understanding where this conversation was going.


    "In a normal situation, yes," Nova said. "But the fact that he will put a lot of focus and effort on the military will give us a better chance for survival when the attack from that... thing happens. In fact, when I made a deal with him, I made him promise to double down on that and raise taxes if necessary. He happily agreed."


    "What...?" Aurora said, feeling lost. "So you''re saying that what you have been doing was to prepare for war with this... thing? To survive future massacres?"


    "Yes," Nova said, sounding tired. "That''s what I''m trying to say. Don''t get me wrong, I''m not saying I want to save the kingdom and become a hero or something. But I definitely want to survive, especially after dying once. That''s not hard to understand, is it?"


    Aurora still wasn''t sure if she could believe what Nova was saying, but her reasoning was more logical than when she said she wanted simple revenge. Assuming her nightmare was really a prediction of the future, of course.


    And then Aurora arrived at the question she had been wondering from the beginning.


    "Why are you telling me all of this?" she asked.


    "Well, you''re ruining my plan," Nova said. "Whatever happens in the future, it''s your responsibility now."


    "Hey!" protested Aurora.


    Nova laughed for the last time, and her voice then disappeared.


    ***

 The Big World.

    Aurora doesn''t think that she can tell anyone about her talk with Nova just now. Even in a world where magic exists, people might still think she is crazy. If someone saw her just now, from their point of view, she must have looked like she was talking to herself.


    All of this makes her feel tired. There''s a lot to unpack from that talk. She has decided to take a rest for now.


    While she is walking towards her room, she looks around. The sun has already set, yet she sees people still busy. Teachers and workers are moving and working quickly, fixing broken buildings. Sometimes with magic, sometimes directly using their hands.


    Some people even greet her when they notice Aurora passing by. It seems like she is getting more popular because of Lyra''s actions.


    Looking at the broken building, Aurora wonders about Nova. Were her nightmares so bad that she decided creating destruction like this was acceptable?


    That still sounds like a stupid decision, but Aurora feels like she must be prepared for the worst, whatever that nightmare was about.


    Nightmares, predictions. That''s kind of funny because Aurora has faked having the power of future sight before. Then who knows, this might end up becoming one of her future sights too.


    But even if Aurora believes her, Nova barely told her anything about it. She left out so many details, especially what is going to attack them, which makes it hard to prepare for anything.


    "You look like you have a lot on your mind," someone said. "Did I come at the wrong time?"


    Aurora looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Dante.


    Aurora weakly smiled and said, "Yes, and I hope you didn''t add more to it."


    Dante laughed and replied, "Sorry, but that''s outside my control."


    Aurora sighed. "I guess so. Then what happened? What can you tell me today?"


    "It''s about the second prince," Dante said. "After his plan failed, the royal knights chased him to the border of the elf kingdom. When he crossed the border, he was protected by the elves, and it seems like he successfully made an ally there. The problem is, the elves used a weird weapon on us."


    "A weird weapon?" Aurora asked. "Like what?"


    "It wasn''t a bow or anything like that," Dante explained. "It creates a loud explosive noise, can be fired from a distance, and is super fast. It shoots some sort of metal balls and forced our knights to retreat and abandon the chase."


    Aurora blinked in disbelief. "What?"


    She wasn''t sure yet, but that... sounded like a description of a gun.


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    A gun in a medieval fantasy world? That wasn''t possible, right? Aurora thought. But if it really exists somehow...


    "Is that normal?" Aurora asked, looking worried. "Does elf technology always have something like this?"


    "As far as I know, not really," Dante said. "This was definitely weird. Not to mention, the elves are supposed to be really proud of their archery skills. While that new weapon is still a ranged weapon, I thought their pride would get in the way of innovation like that."


    Aurora''s mind was racing. Not only about this weird weapon, but even the concept of elves was bothering her. In the game "The Wicked Villainess of Ruin," there were monsters, but other fantasy races like elves and demons didn''t really exist.


    The focus of the game was on the interaction between a small circle of characters, mostly inside the Magic Academy, and the world outside the kingdom of Avalonera was never properly explained.


    Obviously, an elf kingdom was never mentioned in the game, not even in leaks or datamining.


    "What''s the name of the elf kingdom again?" Aurora asked.


    "You don''t know?" Dante looked at Aurora weirdly.


    "What?" Aurora said.


    "Sorry, I always feel like you know everything," Dante said. "So it''s kinda weird for you to not know something."


    "That''s just normal," Aurora pouted. "I''m not a freak. Of course, I don''t know everything."


    "Okay, sorry, sorry," Dante said as he laughed. "It''s the kingdom of the elves, Evermist."


    Aurora was stunned. The name was familiar to her. Not exactly from "The Wicked Villainess of Ruin," but from somewhere else.


    Dante finished his report, and Aurora then hurried back to her room.


    "Welcome back, miss," Lyra said as she saw her master was back.


    "Lyra, bring me the world map right now!" Aurora said.


    A little surprised, Lyra replied, "Okay, miss. The world map, right? Please wait a moment."


    Lyra has learned not to ask too many questions when her master suddenly asks for something unusual, especially when she looks like she''s in a hurry. She will find out herself later anyway, or better yet, Aurora will explain it herself.


    Lyra quickly gets out of the room while Aurora sits on her chair, looking anxious.


    Aurora''s reaction to the news was reasonable because it meant someone else had transmigrated to this world besides her. Not only that, but this person had decided to use their knowledge from the modern world to bring guns, of all things. Plus, the name of the Elf Kingdom couldn''t be a coincidence.


    Why guns though? Aurora wondered. Does this person want to create a war or something?


    Aurora remembered Nova''s prediction. Does this mean the danger that Nova was worried about is coming from this?


    Lyra came back with the map in her hand.


    "Here it is, miss," Lyra said as she put the map on the table.


    "Okay, thanks," Aurora said, immediately studying the map.


    The kingdom she was in, the setting of "The Wicked Villainess of Ruin," was called Kingdom Avalonera, and it was right in the middle of the continent. To the north, where the second prince had run away, was supposedly the Elf Kingdom of Evermist. Surprisingly, it was smaller than she anticipated.


    "What do you know about this?" Aurora asked.


    Lyra looked at where her master was pointing.


    "The Elf Kingdom?" Lyra said. "Not much, I''m sorry. All I know is that the kingdom has been in conflict with a human kingdom called Salamanra for over a hundred years."


    To the left, Aurora saw the kingdom Lyra was talking about. Salamanra, that name is familiar too.


    Aurora gulped.


    Aurora''s favorite genre of games might be dating sims and visual novels, but it doesn''t mean she hasn''t played any other types of games. And that name... That was the setting, the name of the kingdom, from another game she had played before.


    It was an FPS game called [GG: Gunslinger Goddess]. You played as a female army member who dominated the battlefield with her gun expertise. It wasn''t a super unique FPS, but it was a good one. Until later, the developer released a weird DLC based on an April Fools'' joke. Instead of the modern world, the setting was changed to a medieval fantasy world. Instead of guns, you had to use a bow. And your job was as a human knight, to eliminate all the elves with their own specialties.


    The kingdom of the Elf Evermist and its enemy Kingdom Salamanra came from that DLC.


    This meant Aurora''s assumptions were wrong all this time. This world wasn''t just from [The Wicked Villainess of Ruin] game; it was actually a mashup of several games. And people from this world, like Dante and Lyra, found this fact to be natural. They thought this world was always like this.


    This deeply troubled Aurora because, besides those two kingdoms, she noticed several familiar names on the world map from different games.


    She counted and it seemed there were seven game settings on the world map:


    Her dating Sim game, [The Wicked Villainess of Ruin]


    The DLC from the FPS game, [GG: Gunslinger Goddess]


    A tactical RPG similar to Fire Emblem, [Demoness Monarch of the Eternal Night]


    A stealth and thief game, [The Phantom Huntress]


    A fighting game, [Martial Arts Maiden]


    A puzzle-making game, [Puzzle Empress]


    A fantasy racing game, [Speed Freak Uta]


    Judging from the appearance of guns inside the elf kingdom, Aurora predicted that there was a transmigrator for every game setting.


    So seven games and seven transmigrators, including herself.


    With so many unknown factors, it wasn''t surprising that the future could be extremely bleak and chaotic.


    "This is... going to be hard," Aurora said unhappily.


    ***

 Elf Princess.

    A beautiful elf with long blonde hair sighed as she looked out of the window. If she didn''t do something, this beautiful scenery would be destroyed, and everyone here would be killed, including herself. The clock was ticking.


    Her name was Serena Frostleaf, the only daughter of the most important person in that kingdom. Simply put, she was an elf Princess.


    But she was also a transmigrator.


    She still remembered her last day on earth as if it had happened yesterday. It was her break time from school, so she went all out playing games all day. The last game she played was a weird DLC from a game she had been playing for about a year now, [GG: Gunslinger Goddess]. It was fun, but she might have overdone it. At the end of the day, she felt so tired that she immediately went to bed, only to find herself in this new world the next day.


    She even did the usual stupid stuff to make sure that she was not dreaming, pinching her own face. And it hurt, obviously.


    Suddenly living in this strange world wasn''t easy. There were plenty of problems she had to deal with, especially because she noticed that this world was based on the DLC she had played before. And not as a player character, but as the last boss.


    It meant that her fate had been decided from the beginning that she would lose eventually, which was not ideal because it just meant that she would die. And dying was bad, as far as she knew.


    There was a knock on the door. Serena, who had been lost in thought, was jolted back to reality. She glanced at the door.


    "Can I enter, Princess?" a small, cute voice came from outside her room. She knew whose voice it was.


    "Sure," Serena said. "You may enter."


    "Thank you, Princess," an elf maid said as she entered her room.


    Serena gulped as she saw the beautiful silver-haired maid with blue eyes staring at her.


    Every elf had this unnatural beauty about them, and since she had transmigrated to this world, Serena had been feeling inferior in front of them. Her sense was still that of a normal human girl from a normal human family, so they all looked so gorgeous to her, even though her face should be above them. After all, she was an elf Princess.


    Ha, Elf Princess. That fact still pretty funny to her.


    "So what''s up?" Serena asked.


    "It''s about what you asked me before, Princess," the maid said. "The merchant has arrived with the material you requested."


    "Really? That''s great!" Serena said enthusiastically. "And didn''t I tell you not to call me Princess? Just call me by my name."


    "I''m sorry, Princess, but I cannot do that."


    "But we''ve been friends for a long time, haven''t we?" Serena said. At least, that''s what it seemed like to her. As a transmigrator, she didn''t know much about their relationship before she taking over this body.


    In the game, the enemy last boss called Serena obviously had a named henchman and followers, but when she was playing the game, she didn''t really pay attention to it.


    That included this elf maid, which was kind of weird, because Serena now felt a strong interest in her. Was it simply because she was now a real person and not just a 3D crappy model?


    "I''m sorry, Princess," the maid named Altea said. "I really can''t do that."


    "Boo, you''re not fun."


    "Please don''t make my job harder, princess," Altea said, looking troubled.


    While she enjoyed teasing this elf maid, she didn''t like making her make that expression.


    "Fine," Serena sighed. "Then let''s go take a look at my purchases."


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    Serena walked out of her room quickly, followed by Altea.


    "We can just ask them to come and bring them here," Altea said.


    Serena kept walking. "Nah, I''m in the mood to go outside anyway."


    Then let''s ask some guards to come with us," Altea suggested.


    "I''m just going to the nearby town," Serena said. "That''s not necessary."


    "Still..." Altea''s voice trailed off.


    Serena understood her worries, though. This Elf kingdom had been in conflict with their neighboring human kingdom called Samalanra. While no humans were living here, it''s still possible that some Elves would betray them for safety.


    That''s why she had been so frustrated. For a while now, she had been trying to find a way to survive this. Her choices were limited, so she was stuck for a while, but then she found out that she still had a skill [Weapon Crafting] from the game.


    With guns, she would definitely win this conflict, right? Unfortunately, things weren''t as simple as that.


    The elves didn''t take it well when she showed off her creation.


    They thought that her gun was against nature and against their pride as masters of archery.


    These old ways of thinking pissed Serena off the most. Sure, skill was the most important thing, but rejecting her gun was like keep using a cheap, beaten-up mouse when you had a choice to swap it with a high-quality mouse with high DPI.


    That''s just stupid.


    And did these guys not want to survive or something?


    Not to mention, for the last 100 years, the elf kingdom has lost more than 80% of its land to the kingdom of Samalanra. Yet they think if they keep doing things as they are, they will eventually win?


    Serena looked back at the maid who was trying hard to match her step. Altea was not an athletic type, which made her easily get tired. Few of her weaknesses, but that just made her cuter.


    "Let''s pick them up on the way out then," Serena said as her maid reached her.


    What she meant were the twin sisters who were currently working towards becoming her guards. They were supposed to be Serena''s childhood friends besides Altea, and they were the only elves who accepted her weapon with an open mind.


    "I would prefer you to take real guards with you," Altea said. "But I guess that is better than nothing."


    Serena nodded and continued walking. She would most likely find them around the garden close to the gate, where they usually hang out.


    As they reached that place, she saw two girls with a similar appearance.


    "Oh hey, princess!" One of the twins noticed her and immediately waved at her energetically.


    Her name was Talia. Her hair was short, light brown, and put into a sidetails hairstyle. Her sidetails was on the left side.


    Meanwhile, the calmer one, Salia, was looking at her and nodding her head in respect. Her sidetails were on her right side.


    "Are you going to do something fun again?" Talia asked as she approached Serena.


    "Yes, I will show you something interesting," Serena said jokingly.


    "Let''s go then, princess!" Talia said.


    "Hey, you''re going to act as her guards. You better do it properly," Altea said.


    "Yes, Mom," Talia replied.


    "Don''t call me that!" Altea said irritably.


    Serena giggled as she saw that. The other twin approached from her side, making Serena glance at her.


    "So where are we going today? The border again?" Salia asked.


    "No, not this time," Serena said. "I''m going to town to pick up some stuff from the merchant."


    "What are you buying, princess?" Talia asked, looking interested.


    "You will see," Serena said.


    They then started to walk, passing by the palace gate and following the way north to the nearby town.


    "Anyway, can we make a quick trip to eat something later?" Talia asked.


    "Hey, didn''t I tell you to do your guard job properly?" Altea complained.


    "I''m just asking," Talia said.


    Serena laughed. "Sure, after I pick up my stuff, we can do that."


    "No, don''t pamper her, Princess! Or she will keep being useless!" Altea said.


    "I''m not!" Talia protested.


    "Really? Then why didn''t you bring your bow with you? How do you plan on protecting Princess Serena without it?" Altea challenged.


    "I don''t need it. I still have the gun that Princess Serena lent me yesterday," Talia said, patting her bag.


    Salia nodded in agreement.


    "Fine," Altea said. "But I don''t think it''s a good idea to use it in town."


    They arrived at the merchant''s shop. The moment Serena entered the shop, the bald owner immediately brought a box that Serena had purchased.


    "I apologize I didn''t bring this to you immediately, Princess," he said. "I was kind of busy, you see?"


    "It''s fine," Serena said.


    She opened the box. Inside, there were several metals, woods, and stones filled up inside.


    "Oh... New material? Are you going to make something again?" Talia asked.


    "Yes," Selena smiled.


    She summoned her [Weapon Crafting] skill, which made her see a floating menu in front of her that only she could interact with. She selected the crafting menu for a weapon she had been eager to create.


    Finally, she could make it.


    She clicked the create button, and then the materials she brought started to shine and quickly molded into the weapon she picked.


    "It still amazes me how that happens," Altea said. "I''ve never seen magic like this before."


    "Yes, it''s pretty interesting," Salia said.


    "Wow, that''s a lot bigger than before!" Talia said excitedly. "What is that, Princess?"


    It''s kind of heavy, but Serena holding it in her hand with a wide smile. It was her favorite weapon in the game.


    "It''s called a sniper rifle," she said. "Let''s go to an empty area. I want to try it out."


    They found an empty space near the forest and on a tree stump, Serena asked Altea to drop a few apples there. Then they moved a few hundred meters away.


    "Uh, princess?" Talia said. "How far are you planning on going?"


    "It''s fine," Serena said. "This weapon''s specialty is range."


    "Still, this is already twice as far as the maximum range of a longbow!" Talia exclaimed.


    "Around 500 meters, then?" Serena said. "Well, this was a quick test, so this should be enough."


    Serena immediately prepared to shoot. Obviously, using a real gun and playing with it on the PC was so different it might have been like night and day. But for some reason, Serena could instinctively do it with no problem.


    Probably because of magic? Serena thought to herself. I love magic.


    Serena pulled the trigger and boom! One of the apples exploded.


    "Wha--you really hit it from this far...?" Altea said, stunned.


    "That''s amazing, princess!" Talia said. "Can I try it too?"


    Salia nodded, also excited but trying to hold back.


    Looking at how surprised they were, Serena knew that her weapon was good. Obviously. There was a reason why weapons like swords were obsolete in the modern world. But because of the rejection, sometimes she felt like she was wrong.


    Serena passed the gun to Talia, who got so excited that she almost dropped it.


    "Careful now," Serena said. "It''s a real weapon. You might accidentally hurt someone."


    "Right, sorry, princess," Talia said.


    Talia and Salia then carefully observed the gun.


    Serena smiled. If she could make both of them able to use the gun properly, she might still have a chance of surviving. Like what happened yesterday, when they successfully drove out a bunch of human knights using a couple of her handguns and saved the human prince in the process.


    "Princess," Altea called her. Serena glanced at her maid, who gestured toward an elf woman running toward them.


    "I''m sorry to bother you, princess," she said. "But the king has been expecting you to come to the meeting. They will decide the fate of that human prince you took in."


    ***

 Running Away.

    Ruby was busy putting her face on the pillow and then screaming in embarrassment. Yeah, pretty productive activity.


    "What are you doing, miss?" Rita asked as she saw what her master was doing.


    Ruby jumped in shock, immediately sit down on her bed.


    "Nothing," Ruby said, trying to act normal. "I''m just... admiring this pillow. And you should knock before entering my room!"


    "Right, sorry miss," Rita said, smiling. She walked toward her master. "Anyway, I saw you running in a hurry just now. That''s why I hurried here. Is something wrong?"


    Ruby avoided Rita''s analytical gaze.


    "Nothing''s wrong," Ruby said. "I just... feel like running."


    "Ah, I see," Rita said. "Yes, I get it miss. Sometimes I feel like running too."


    "Uh-huh," Ruby said.


    "But what about miss Aurora?" Rita asked.


    "Wha-what about her?" Ruby said, nervous.


    "Well, you refused to leave her side before," Rita said, "but now not anymore? Why?"


    "Ah, she''s awake already," Ruby said. "So it''s fine now."


    "Really?" Rita asked, obviously not believing her.


    "I said it''s fine!" Ruby pouted.


    "Miss..."


    Ruby sighed. "Okay, fine, I admit it. I made a stupid mistake..."


    "What mistake?" Rita asked.


    "I... That was... Uh... Um..." Ruby''s face was burning. She tried to hide it with her pillow. "I just made a mistake, okay? No need to go into details!"


    "Alright, then why don''t you just apologize?"


    "Forget it. I don''t think I can even see her right now."


    "But Miss, I heard that class activities will be stopped for now," Rita said. "Isn''t it possible for Miss Aurora to go home soon? In fact, someone sent me a message from your father asking if you''re going to go home too."


    "What....? Then... How long will it be stopped?"


    "I don''t know," Rita said. "Probably until they fix most of the academy''s facilities."


    "That doesn''t mean anything!" Ruby exclaimed. "Make it clear, is it going to be long or short?"


    "Sorry, Miss, I can''t tell," Rita replied. "It all depends on the situation. The point is, you might not be able to see her soon. So if you have unfinished business with her, I don''t think you can wait."


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    "That''s unfair," Ruby said. "I need time to prepare."


    "It''s just how it is, Miss."


    Ruby buried her face into the pillow she hugged in frustration, making small sounds of "pomf."


    ***


    The next day inside the library, Ruby peeked at Aurora, who was busy looking around the bookshelves. Sera was there too, seeming to help her pick several thick books. Ruby still didn''t understand how they could be so happy reading books with so many words. They usually didn''t even have drawings in them, making them even less appealing to her.


    After picking up the books, they settled at a table in the corner of the room. On the table, a huge map was spread out, and they seemed to be trying to match the books with the map.


    "What are they doing?" Ruby murmured.


    "It seems like Miss Aurora is trying to learn about neighboring kingdoms," Rita, who was standing behind her, said. "Based on the books they''re picking," she added.


    Ruby was wondering how Rita could tell from that far, but then she remembered that Rita had exceptional eyesight.


    "I see," Ruby said. "But why is she suddenly interested in that?"


    "Ah, I heard the rumors," Rita said. "The second prince ran away to the elf kingdom. So maybe she''s trying to learn about it because of that?"


    "That makes sense," Ruby said. "She''s always so busy. She doesn''t even need to care about it anymore."


    "Yes, that''s admirable," Rita said.


    "Of course it is," Ruby said. But for some reason, she felt disappointed and even irritated. Maybe because Aurora seemed unaffected by what happened yesterday and was already busy with other things, while Ruby couldn''t stop thinking about it. Did that mean Aurora didn''t care? Was that why she could move on so easily?


    "So, are you going to talk to her or not, miss?" Rita asked.


    "Uh, um... She''s clearly busy, so I don''t want to bother her," Ruby said, making excuses.


    "Miss..." Rita looked at her master in disbelief.


    "I''m not running away, I promise!" Ruby said.


    "Miss, I haven''t even said anything yet..." Rita sighed.


    Ruby looked even more nervous. "A-and Sera is there too. I don''t think... I can do it."


    "Fine, then you can just wait here, but I won''t," Rita said as she walked toward them.


    Panicking, Ruby grabbed Rita''s hand to stop her. "Wha-what are you doing?"


    "I have some business with Miss Aurora too," Rita replied.


    "You''re lying!"


    "I''m not. Did you see this, miss?" Rita showed Ruby her sword. "While I''d love to keep this for myself, the one who actually owns it is the one who put the request at the adventurers Guild, right? That was Miss Aurora."


    "Oh, right," Ruby said, already forgetting about it.


    "Then can I go now?" Rita asked.


    "B-but don''t say anything about me!" Ruby pleaded.


    Rita sighed. "Of course, miss."


    "Promise me!" Ruby said, not realizing she was raising her voice too much.


    "Ruby?" Suddenly, Aurora''s voice interrupted, making Ruby''s heart jump. Of course, Aurora had heard her, as Ruby had raised her voice in a quiet place like a library.


    "Are you there?" Aurora asked. Her voice was getting closer.


    "Wha-what should I do?" Ruby panicked.


    "You should just give up and meet her, miss," Rita suggested.


    "But..."


    It''s too late, the blue girl was standing there, looking at her. They stared at each other for just a moment before both shifted their gaze.


    "Um... Hi?" Aurora said.


    "H-hi..." Ruby replied.


    It was so awkward. Both of them were blushing and unable to look at each other directly.


    "Well, good luck miss," Rita whispered as she pushed Ruby forward. Rita''s push was a little too much, and Ruby stumbled, almost falling.


    But nothing could be done anymore. Aurora was there, right in front of her.


    Still, she wasn''t prepared. What should she do? What should she say? What was the first thing she must say so she wouldn''t screw things up even more?


    "Um, anyway," Aurora said, finally breaking the ice, "want to join us? I''m trying to learn--"


    "No!" Ruby quickly said. "I want to talk to you alone... If that''s okay?"


    Ruby didn''t know where her sudden bravery came from, but she didn''t want to talk about this in front of Sera.


    "Oh, okay," Aurora said. "Actually... I had something I needed to tell you too. So it worked out just fine."


    "Huh?" Aurora had something she wanted to tell her? Ruby''s heart immediately went into panic.


    "Let''s try to look for a place where nobody''s around," Aurora said as she started to walk toward the door. "How about the academy garden? Thankfully, it didn''t get destroyed by the rebels'' attack."


    Ruby didn''t reply; she just followed her without words.


    They walked in silence, every step giving Ruby more and more anxiety.


    The way Aurora said it, whatever she wanted to tell her, it wasn''t a happy thing.


    "No way... is she going to reject me? Is she planning to end our relationship?" Ruby knew that all of this was just her own negative thinking, but yet, she couldn''t be sure that it wouldn''t happen.


    Ruby couldn''t take it anymore. She grabbed Aurora''s clothes, stopping her step.


    "Wait, about yesterday," Ruby said, "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have done that. I don''t know what I was thinking... I was just overwhelmed by my emotions and I--"


    "So... it was nothing?" Aurora asked without looking at her.


    "Yes," Ruby said. "I mean no! I mean..."


    Ruby was at a loss. How could she explain it without telling Aurora how she felt? Was that even possible?


    She tried hard to think, but nothing came to her mind. Aurora was waiting. She couldn''t keep hesitating forever, so she decided to just come clean and be honest with herself.


    "I think I like you," she said.


    After saying that, nothing else mattered anymore. She just said whatever was on her mind.


    "I really like you. I''m sorry about yesterday, but to be honest, I didn''t really regret it. I had been wanting to do that all this time. I just... don''t know why I feel this way. We were supposed to be just friends, but I want more."


    Aurora didn''t react. All Ruby could see was her back; she couldn''t see what expression Aurora was having right now. Was she shocked? Angry? Disappointed?


    She did it. She finally admitted her feelings towards Aurora. Part of her felt relieved that she had successfully put her feelings into words, but the uneasiness grew the longer Aurora didn''t show any reaction.


    "I see," Aurora finally said. "So that''s how it is... But before that, I have something I need to tell you first."


    Ruby gulped. "Okay."


    It''s going to be bad news, right? Of course, it''s going to be bad news. Ruby wasn''t really ready for this but then Aurora opened her mouth.


    "What are you going to do if I''m not who you think I am?" Aurora asked.


    "What?" Ruby blinked in confusion.


    "What if..." Aurora continued, "I''m not the real Aurora?"


    ***

 Real or Not?

    The whole time, Ruby''s mind has been trying to predict what Aurora might want to tell her, but not in a million years did she expect this question: What if she wasn''t the real Aurora? What does that even mean?


    Ruby can''t understand, yet she feels scared.


    If Aurora wasn''t real, then what is she?


    "Sorry, that might sound confusing," Aurora said. "But yes, I really mean what I said. What do you think if I''m not the real Aurora?"


    Ruby still doesn''t get it and prefers not to continue talking about this. What she wants to know is the simple answer of whether Aurora likes her back or not, not this existential dreadful thing.


    But if this is what Aurora wants to talk about, then she will talk about it.


    "What exactly do you mean by that...?" Ruby asked.


    "I guess it''s easier to understand if I explain it from the beginning," Aurora said. "Before I came to this world, I was living as a different person. Different name, different family. I wasn''t always Aurora Starlight. It''s just... one day, I don''t know how and why, but I just woke up as her."


    "You mean you possessed her body...?" Ruby said.


    "Yes, that''s probably what happened," Aurora said. "But I''m not sure if I died before this or not."


    "But what about Nova?" Ruby asked. "About the regression? How could that happen if you''re not Aurora?"


    "It didn''t happen. I just lied," Aurora admitted.


    "What...?"


    "It''s hard to explain," Aurora said. "The point is, I''m not the real Aurora. I''m sorry. I think you need to reevaluate your feelings toward me because I''m a fake. I''m just a liar.


    Ruby was stunned. She wasn''t sure what she should think or how she should feel right now. Ruby always had this feeling that Aurora was hiding something from her, something big. But this...?


    That''s weird, though, Ruby thought. She never found anything off about Aurora. She never saw Aurora suddenly act like a different person. She liked her a lot and had been watching her a lot. There was no way she could have missed the moment that Aurora changed into a different person.


    "When... did this happen?" Ruby asked.


    "Ah, it was right before we started studying in this academy," Aurora said.


    A smile crept on Ruby''s lips. This whole thing was still confusing, but Aurora should have told her that first!


    Ruby immediately hugged her.


    "You stupid!" Ruby said, almost crying. "You really scared me!"


    "Wha-what?" Now Aurora was the one that was confused.


    "I don''t know about real or not," Ruby said, "but doesn''t that mean that since the beginning, the one that interacted with me was you, right?"


    "Well, yes. But..."


    "I don''t care then," Ruby said. "I still like you."


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    "No, let''s think about this more calmly," Aurora said, panicked. "I was a different person, from a different world!"


    "Yes please, tell me more about yourself," Ruby said.


    Aurora sighed as if she found Ruby was broken in the head.


    "It''s my fault. I''m sorry," Aurora said. "All this must be so shocking to you that you can''t react properly. Let''s take things slowly, okay?"


    "I''m fine," Ruby said.


    "No, you''re not," Aurora insisted.


    "I''m fine, though?" Ruby said.


    While what Aurora told her was quite surprising, the one who would be bothered by it the most was the one who actually knew Aurora before she went to Magic Academy. Like her maid Lyra or her father. As for Ruby, she felt it was better not to overthink this.


    It might sound mean, but she didn''t mind even if she wasn''t the real Aurora. As long as she was the person she had liked this whole time. Ruby felt like even Sera wouldn''t mind either, not that she would share this secret with her.


    That''s assuming Aurora hasn''t told anyone yet though.


    "No, you''re not fine!" Aurora said. "Sorry to mess with your head so much!"


    Ruby was happy Aurora was worried about her, but first, she asked, "Did you tell anyone about this? Besides me?"


    "No, not really," Aurora said.


    Nova kinda found out herself, but she didn''t really tell her anything.


    "Not even your father?" Ruby asked.


    "No," Aurora said, looking terrified at the idea. "I''m not sure how he will react if he knows I''m not his real daughter. He might even kick me out."


    "If he decides to do that," Ruby said, "you can always come live with me."


    Aurora blinked. "That''s... Thanks, I guess?"


    "Yes, in fact, you can do that even if he doesn''t kick you out," Ruby said, smiling as if she had found a brilliant idea.


    "I know it," Aurora said. "You keep jumping to weird conclusions because you''re still confused, right? I''m sorry, let''s stop talking about it for now."


    "I''m fine! Geez!" Ruby said. "I get what you mean, I''m not that stupid."


    "Are you sure?" Aurora asked, looking at her carefully. "I mean, you get it, right? I''m not Aurora. I''ve been lying to you this whole time."


    "Humph, if you know, then you better apologize to me!" Ruby retorted.


    "I... I''m sorry?" Aurora automatically said.


    "More sincerely!" Ruby demanded.


    "I''m truly sorry," Aurora said. "But that''s not the point!"


    Ruby sighed. "I get it already. Maybe I didn''t get it a hundred percent, but I know my feelings for you are still the same. And that''s enough for me. But what about you?"


    "I... I don''t know," Aurora said hesitantly.


    "You... don''t like me?" Ruby looked a little hurt by just saying that herself.


    "No, that''s not it! It''s just... It''s not that simple," Aurora said.


    "It''s that simple for me," Ruby said.


    "Do I really need to answer you right away...?" Aurora asked.


    "Well..." Ruby was unsure. If she was going to get rejected, she preferred not to hear the answer at all.


    "Do you mind if I take some time to think it through?" Aurora asked. "I don''t think... I can make good decisions right now."


    Ruby pouted. "What''s so hard about it? You can just say you like me."


    "I do like you," Aurora admitted.


    Ruby blushed. "Don''t say that if you didn''t mean it!"


    "Sorry."


    "Whatever," Ruby said. "If that''s what you want, then I can wait."


    "Thank you," Aurora said, looking relieved.


    Ruby had mixed feelings. It seemed kind of unfair that she was being pushed to make a decision as soon as possible, but Aurora didn''t have to. It almost made her want to take back her words.


    Ruby shook her head. "So what have you been doing with Sera just now?" she asked, trying to change the subject.


    "Well, if you''re okay with what I just told you," Aurora said, "I guess you''ll be okay if I tell you about my conversation with Nova."


    Ruby blinked in confusion. "What do you mean, conversation with Nova? Isn''t she still unconscious?"


    Aurora told her everything: about how she had failed to wake Nova up, about ancient magic, the endless Nightmares, Nova''s predictions, and ultimately her own situation.


    "What''s up with that?" Ruby said. "So after her stupid plan failed, she decided to dump everything on you?"


    Aurora smiled. "Pretty much."


    "So, until the end, she was still bullying you?" Ruby said. "You shouldn''t just accept it! We should make her get executed!"


    "Eh, that might not be a good idea..." Aurora said.


    "Why not?" Ruby asked. "That talk about ancient magic was interesting though."


    "Yup," Aurora said.


    "But can we actually trust her?" Ruby asked. "I mean, both of you aren''t friends. There''s no reason for her to tell you the truth. She might just be messing with your head."


    "If that''s all there is to it, then it''s fine," Aurora said. "But I do have some vague ideas about where this kind of problem can come from."


    "It comes from the elf kingdom?" Ruby guessed based on what Rita had told her.


    "So you know? Yes, that''s one possibility," Aurora said. "And the thing is, even if Nova''s prediction was wrong, big changes will happen around the world. At least, that''s what I''m sure of."


    As Ruby thought about Rita, she noticed someone watching them in secret.


    "What do you think you''re doing?" Ruby said, staring at something behind a wall. At first, Aurora was confused about who Ruby was talking to, but then she looked in the same direction and understood.


    "Um, I''m sorry to interrupt your conversation," Rita said as she appeared from behind the wall.


    Ruby replied, "Whatever, we''re done talking anyway."


    "Oh, that''s great, miss!" Rita exclaimed.


    "Yes, yes. Now, don''t you have something you must do?" Ruby said, gestured towards Aurora.


    "Oh, right," Rita said. She stood in front of Aurora, picked up her sword, and offered it to her.


    Aurora blinked in surprise. "What...?"


    "This was yours, Miss Aurora. I''m giving it back," Rita said.


    Aurora understood and replied, "Ah, it''s fine. You can keep it."


    "Are you sure...?" Rita asked, looking a little confused.


    Aurora nodded in response.


    "But isn''t that some kind of legendary sword or something?" Ruby asked.


    "It is, but I can''t use it anyway," Aurora replied. "So you can keep it."


    "But you could still use it as decoration or something," Ruby suggested.


    Aurora giggled. "That''s an interesting idea, but it would be such a waste. I believe it''s better being used by an amazing knight like Rita."


    "Thank you for recognizing my ability, Miss Aurora, unlike my master," Rita said.


    "Hey!" Ruby interjected. "If that''s how it is, you can ask her anything, Aurora. Work this silly knight to the bone!"


    Aurora smiled. "I can''t do that."


    "It''s fine, I don''t mind, Miss Aurora," Rita said. "If you''re really giving this to me, that''s at least what I can do to pay back. My master already gave her consent too, so you can ask me anything."


    "I see," Aurora said. "Okay, I will keep that in mind."


    ***

 Ancient Magic.

    Aurora thought that Nova was actually a softie.


    Nova said that Casper couldn''t handle it, but was that really true? As far as Aurora could see, Casper was not a super righteous guy. He wasn''t exactly kind or forgiving either. After all, he ended up killing Nova in the previous timeline, right?


    So asking him to focus on the military and even raising taxes was not impossible for him. Yes, he may have rejected it the first time she asked, but knowing how much Casper liked Nova right now, if she kept pushing him, he would eventually do it.


    Yet she didn''t do that.


    The whole revenge thing was just an act in the end. She never planned to kill him. Maybe she resented him for a bit, but why would she stick with him for several years if she actually hated him?


    The answer was obvious. She was still in love with Casper, and she didn''t want Casper to shoulder her plan. If her plan was being carried out, people would hate Casper, thinking of him as a terrible king.


    On the other hand, she wouldn''t care if the same hatred was thrown at the second prince.


    Now, Aurora wasn''t really trying to criticize her or anything. People do stupid stuff for love all the time. What Aurora cared about was that this could be used as a weapon. And she would.


    Nova thought she could just pretend to sleep until everything was done? No way would Aurora let her do that. Nova dragged her into this mess, so Aurora would drag her back.


    That''s why she was sitting near the pond, the same place where she was fighting with Nova, waiting for Prince Casper.


    She drank some tea while waiting. From afar, she could see a prince walking toward her.


    "Hey," Casper said as he reached her. "Your maid said you''re looking for me?"


    "Yes, sorry to make you come here," Aurora said. "But I don''t want Nova to hear what we will be talking about."


    "What do you mean?" Casper looked confused. "Nova is still unconscious. How can she hear us?"


    "Yes, I will explain that too," Aurora said. "But first, why didn''t you sit down? Want some tea?"


    Casper took a seat. "No need, but what is all this about?"


    "Okay, let''s make one thing clear first," Aurora said. "Nova wasn''t really unconscious."


    "But..." Prince Casper was going to interrupt, but Aurora continued.


    "I mean she IS unconscious," Aurora said. "But she''s doing it to herself. She''s doing it on purpose."


    "What...?" The prince was obviously confused.


    "Until now, you must still be confused with her actions, right?" Aurora said as she stirred her tea with a small spoon. "What''s her connection between her and the second prince? I know everything now. And I can tell you."


    Casper gulped. "Really?"


    Aurora nodded. "But for that, I want to make a deal with you, Prince. Nova is leaving a heavy burden on me, and I don''t think I can handle it alone. So I need help. If you promise to support me, I will tell you everything."


    "What do you mean by that?" Casper said.


    "Promise me," Aurora said. "I can even wake Nova up. For real this time."


    Casper sighed. "I''m still not sure what you''re talking about, but you''re not trying to give me false hope, right?"


    "Of course not," Aurora said. "You can trust me."


    "Fine," Casper said. "I don''t know what to do anymore. If you really can wake her up, I will give you full support on whatever you want."


    Aurora smiled. "Good decision. You won''t regret it."


    ***


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Ruby regretted her decision. Sure, it wasn''t all bad; at least she didn''t get rejected right away. But she still regretted agreeing to wait. That alone wasn''t so bad, but for how long? Who knows! She should have given Aurora a time limit!


    Ruby threw her head into the pillow in frustration. She should have thought about it. Why was she so stupid?


    "What is it this time, miss?" Rita asked looking at her master with concern. "Didn''t you say your business with Miss Aurora was already done?"


    "It did! But it isn''t! It''s just... complicated!" Ruby said.


    "Really now?" Rita said.


    Ruby sat, suddenly calming down. Aurora clearly had a lot on her mind right now, so maybe not pressuring her was a good thing. Yes, it was a good thing. She should be a good girl and wait patiently.


    No, even better, she needed to do something else. After all, something had caught her interest. Who knows? With this, she might become more useful. And that''s bound to make Aurora appreciate her more.


    "Hey, Rita," Ruby said. "What do you know about ancient magic?"


    "Ancient magic?" Rita said. "I''m not sure... Why are you suddenly interested in that?"


    "Just answer me!" Ruby said.


    "Well, not much, really. But I believe this sword right here was created by ancient magic," Rita said as she picked up her sword.


    "What? Really?" Ruby''s eyes immediately lit up.


    "I can''t tell you why," Rita said. "But I just feel it. This sword holds magic from the past, and it''s pretty strong."


    "Can I give it a try?" Ruby said, interested.


    "Sure, but I doubt you can feel it," Rita said.


    "Are you looking down on me?" Ruby pouted.


    "No, that''s not what I mean," Rita said. "It''s just that this sword was specifically created for wind magic users, so your earth magic won''t be compatible."


    "But we won''t know until I try it myself!" Ruby insisted.


    "Okay, but be careful. You might hurt yourself," Rita said as she passed her sword to her master.


    Ruby grabbed the sword with excitement. But that excitement quickly evaporated when she found out the sword didn''t react at all.


    "Huh, nothing happened," Ruby said, disappointed.


    "I told you already," Rita said.


    "Useless then," Ruby said, passing it back to her knight.


    "It''s not useless," Rita sighed. "You''re just incompatible."


    "Exactly! It''s useless for me!" Ruby exclaimed.


    "As you said, miss," Rita replied, giving up.


    Having already moved on from the sword, Ruby looked like she was thinking about something else.


    "I don''t have any other choice then," Ruby murmured.


    Rita looked at her with a questioning look, but Ruby ignored her. Instead, she walked toward the door.


    "Where are you going, miss?" Rita asked. "Do I need to accompany you?"


    "I''m going to meet someone," Ruby said before she stepped out. "And no, you just stay here."


    She walked toward the building farthest from her gaze. If she had told herself in the past that she would come to this building so many times, she wouldn''t have believed it because she didn''t have a reason to come.


    Ruby opened the library door. The place was quiet, especially right now because a lot of students had decided to go home, so even fewer people were there.


    She walked inside and spotted a familiar girl sitting at a desk. The girl noticed Ruby and gasped.


    "Ruby?" she said in disbelief. "Wh-what are you doing here? Aurora isn''t here!"


    "I know," Ruby said. "I''m not looking for her, I''m looking for you."


    "M-me?" Sera pointed at herself.


    "It pains me to ask," Ruby said, "but you''re the one who most likely knows what I''m looking for. So I need your help."


    "My help...?" Sera asked, still looking like she didn''t believe this was happening.


    "Yes," Ruby said. "You don''t want to help me?"


    "No-no, of course not," Sera hurriedly replied. "I''m just surprised..."


    "Yes, I''m surprised too," Ruby said. "But this is what it is. So, are you going to help me or not?"


    "S-sure," Sera said, standing up. "So... what can I help you with?"


    "Alright, what do you know about ancient magic?" Ruby asked.


    Sera blinked. "Ancient magic? That''s a rare subject..."


    "So you know something about it?" Ruby said.


    Sera nodded. "But just a little."


    "Then tell me."


    "Umm... I read about it some time ago," Sera said, walking towards the bookshelves. "I''m not sure I can find it quickly, but it''s said that in the past, we could actually use more than seven forms of magic. Originally, these ancient magics were created to win a war against demons. But after defeating the demons, they noticed that it was too strong and dangerous. If we weren''t careful, we might end up destroying ourselves. So our ancestors decided to seal it. They wouldn''t teach that form of magic to the next generation, and that''s how we ended up with just seven forms of magic."


    "I see," Ruby said. "But the way you said it, that means anybody can learn it? Even I can learn it?"


    Sera nodded. "While the way of doing it is lost in time, I believe it is possible to learn it. But as I said before, because the information was sealed, ancient magic is basically extinct now. So nobody can use it anymore."


    "Really?" Ruby said. "But Aurora can."


    Sera immediately looked at Ruby. "Wha--She can?"


    "You saw it yourself before, right?" Ruby said. "Her speed."


    Sera''s eyes widened. "Oh, so that''s why! No wonder she was so strong!"


    "Yep, and it would be great if I could be that strong too. So where do you think I can learn it?"


    "You want to learn it...?" Sera asked in disbelief.


    "That''s what I said!"


    "We-well, I''m not sure," Sera said. "But you might find something from old documents, old books, or anything that your ancestor left behind. I can''t say they will be there, but that should be your best chance."


    "Is that so?" Ruby asked.


    Sera nodded, but Ruby kept staring at her.


    "Wh-what?" Sera said, feeling uncomfortable being stared at.


    "You can''t use ancient Magic too, right?" Ruby asked.


    "Of course not!" Sera said.


    "Really? Even after you''ve read so many books?" Ruby pointed out.


    "I didn''t read to learn something like that..."


    "What? So you read so much just for nothing?"


    "It''s not for nothing!" Sera said, displeased. "I might not have learned much about ancient Magic, but I''ve learned a lot!"


    "Like what?"


    "Uh... Um... It was... Uh..." Sera''s mind went blank. She couldn''t find something worthy as an example. She could say something like experiencing other people''s point of view or learning more about the human mind, but she felt like that was impractical.


    "It''s fine," Ruby said. "I don''t really care--"


    "No! I told you, I''ve learned a lot!" Sera said, feeling a bit desperate. "I just can''t think properly if I''m nervous!"


    "Alright already," Ruby sighed. "Can you tell me more about ancient Magic then? Anything?"


    "Uh... Let''s see," Sera said, trying hard to think. "Well, this isn''t exactly connected directly, but the language in the past was a little different from how we use it today. So even if you find some sort of hint, you might not be able to read it. So I recommend studying about ancient language like this." Sera picked a book from the bookshelves and gave it to Ruby.


    Ruby opened the book unenthusiastically. She saw the last person who borrowed the book''s name on the paper in the back of the book cover. It was Nova.


    Ruby''s interest immediately peaked. It''s a fact that Nova had learned about Ancient Magic and she borrowed that book. It was a small connection, but Sera might be right. This book could possibly help her.


    "Alright, I will borrow this book," Ruby said. "And do you have any other recommendations?"


    "Ah, yes. I have finally found the book that contains information about ancient magic," Sera said, picking up a thick book with a golden cover from the bookshelves. "I have already told you the summary, but it might still be worth it for you to read it yourself."


    "Alright," Ruby said, picking up the book that Sera offered her. "Is there more?"


    "I think that should be enough for now," Sera said. "I don''t think it''s a good idea to pick too many books at once, especially if you''re not used to reading. Usually, you will end up procrastinating and not reading any of it at all."


    "Fair enough," Ruby said. In fact, she was kind of surprised that Sera was willing to use her perspective as someone who didn''t read much. She expected Sera to force her to pack as many books as possible.


    "Anyway, um... thank you," Ruby said, a little embarrassed.


    "Ah, sure. Anytime," Sera smiled.


    "But that doesn''t mean I will let you get close to Aurora!" Ruby declared.


    "You don''t need to say that!" Sera retorted.


    ***

 Traitor.

    When Serena still didn''t know about her [Weapon Crafting] skill, she found a secret letter from a prince from a neighboring kingdom.


    His name was Damian Grey, the second prince from Avalonera kingdom. He was looking for support, promising appropriate rewards if they were willing to help him become the next king.


    Serena saw this as a good opportunity. If she played her cards right, she could make both the human kingdom of Samalanra and this prince''s kingdom fight each other. It didn''t matter who won. If they both lost their military power, it would be a win for her.


    So, even though his father wasn''t interested in corresponding with this prince, Serena secretly tried to make a connection with him. This led to the moment when she saved him from a group of knights chasing him, which led to the problem she was facing right now.


    She was invited to a private meeting with her father, the king of the elves, and an elder named Galadriel something something. The elder''s name was hard to remember, and Serena didn''t care enough to look it up.


    He was supposed to be a few hundred years old, yet he still looked young. Well, young for his age at least. His appearance was probably around 40 years old for a human, but he was grumpy exactly like an old man.


    "Don''t you know what you have done?" the elder said. "You''re helping a traitor, a rebel leader! Our hands are already full dealing with Samalanra''s attack. What if Avalonera decides to attack us too because of this?"


    Serena was already prepared. She had predicted that her actions would be questioned, so she had some counterarguments ready.


    "Well, we can use him to make a deal with the Avalonera kingdom, right?" Serena said. "If we return him to his kingdom, we can ask for a reward or something. It''s not like we''re openly saying that we''re supporting their second prince."


    "You already attacked their knight!" the elder said.


    "You would have attacked them too if I didn''t do anything," Serena said. "I believe that''s the rule, right? Any human that enters our land without permission will get attacked right away."


    "Well, that''s true," the king said.


    "But you saved the prince!" the elder said. "They already know that you and he were allies!"


    "We can just say that we recognized him, so we decided to take him as a prisoner instead or something like that?" Serena said. "I mean you can''t just kill a prince from a neighboring kingdom, right? Even if they are criminals."


    The elf king nodded his head. "That could work," he said.


    "No, my king. Don''t get swayed by this crazy girl''s idea," the elder said.


    "Elder," the king said, "while I admit Serena is a little eccentric, she''s still my daughter. You''d better watch what you say."


    " I''m sorry, my king," the elder lowered his head.


    Serena smiled. Finally, some justice.


    "But if we''re going with this plan, you must be the one responsible for it," the king said. "I will send a message to the Avalonera king, explaining the situation. After we get their reply, you will escort the prince back to his own kingdom."


    "I get it -- I mean, I understand, father," Serena said.


    The king then said, "Good, then go and prepare now."


    Serena nodded and left the room. But before she walked away, she could still hear their voices.


    "I still think this was a bad idea, my king," the elder said.


    "I know," the king replied. "But we will see."


    So her father didn''t really believe her either? That''s annoying. But whatever. She just needed to show him a stunning result, and then he would finally realize how brilliant she is.


    She walked out of the building and saw her friends waiting outside.


    "Hey, look, the princess is finally out!" Talia said, grabbing her twin sister''s arm.


    "I know, stop grabbing my hand," Salia complained. "It hurts."


    Serena smiled and walked toward them.


    "Princess, are you okay?" Talia asked.


    Serena nodded. "I''m okay, don''t worry."


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "So what did they decide?" Altea asked, still looking worried. "They didn''t punish you or anything like that, right?"


    Serena shook her head. "Even better," Serena said. "My father told me to escort the human prince back to his kingdom."


    "You will come personally?" Altea asked.


    "Yes, that''s what my father decided."


    "Oh, can we come too?" Talia asked.


    "If you want to," Serena replied.


    Talia and Salia traded glances with each other, nodded, and said, "Of course, if you''re going, we will be going too, princess!"


    "I''m relieved then," Serena said. "I don''t think I can handle it alone."


    Altea smiled. "When are we going, princess?"


    "I''m not sure yet," Serena replied, "but it could be as soon as tomorrow."


    "Then we better prepare," Altea said.


    "Yes, let''s bring a lot of food!" Talia said.


    "We''re not going for a walk. Take it more seriously!" Altea scolded her.


    "I know," Talia pouted. "But food is important, right? I mean, it''s going to take some time to reach there, right?"


    Altea sighed. "Fine, let''s pick up some food then. Are you coming too, princess?"


    "Yes, but wait for a moment."


    Serena went back to her room, picked up her bag, which was a special bag that had been expanded 100x times using elf magic, a perfect companion''s tool for her skill [Weapon Crafting].


    The only problem was she was lacking more variety of materials. If only she had a chance to go to the dwarf kingdom and buy materials there, she could craft whatever weapon she wanted.


    She pushed that thought away and went back to her friends. She might not be able to make more variations of guns right now, but at the very least, she needed to stockpile material to create bullets for her guns.


    ***


    Few days later, Serena walked towards the green carriage parked outside the gate. Talia looked excited, while her sister kept an eye on the human prince beside her. Altea was already there too.


    "Are you ready to go, Princess?" Altea asked.


    Serena nodded and glanced at the two guards on horses beside the carriage. Due to the conflict with the Kingdom of Samalanra, they could only afford two guards for her.


    She sighed, a little disappointed. Even if they lacked manpower, she was still a princess, wasn''t she?


    "Is something wrong, Princess?" Altea asked.


    "Nothing," Serena said. "Alright, let''s go."


    She entered the carriage, followed by Altea, then the prince and finally the twin.


    Serena sat with Altea on her side, while the twins sat on the opposite side, with the prince in between them. Their job was to keep an eye on him.


    The carriage started moving.


    Talia looked outside and seemed excited. Probably because this was the first time for her to go out to another kingdom.


    "Don''t get distracted," Altea reminded her.


    "I know," Talia said, pouted.


    The prince laughed, "Don''t worry, I won''t do anything."


    "Yeah, right," Altea said, "As if we can trust you."


    "Hey, I''m not the one betraying my ally," he replied. "Unlike you guys. I thought you guys were on my side."


    "Don''t blame us. I had no problem working with you," Serena said. "But you''re just a burden now. There''s no benefit at all in being your ally."


    "Burden, huh? Fair enough," he said.


    Serena stared at the tired-looking prince. She kind of felt bad for him, but right now, her kingdom''s survival was more important.


    Their first day passed quite smoothly. There were no real problems on the road and when night fell, they decided to set up camp near a clear-looking river.


    "I will get us some fish!" Talia said, running towards the river with excitement.


    "Hey, that''s dangerous..." Altea sighed.


    "Just let her be," Serena said. "She must be bored after sitting in the carriage for so long."


    "But she''s forgotten about her job already," Altea complained.


    "I''m still here," Talia said. "I will make sure I won''t let him out of my sight." She promised as she glanced at Prince Damian.


    "I told you guys already, I won''t do anything," the prince said. He sounded genuine, but the more he said it, the more Serena became suspicious.


    Unfortunately, she didn''t really see how he could run away from them. Serena had heard that humans can use magic too, and it was different from the magic used by elves. So, he might use magic then?


    Still, they outnumbered him. It wouldn''t be that easy.


    "Please watch him properly," Altea said. "Your sister was useless, so I can only rely on you."


    Salia blushed a little. "Okay," she said, looking happy.


    Altea then started to prepare dinner. Not long after, Talia came back, with a huge grin and some fish in her hand. She was wet too, probably because she hadn''t used a fishing rod and instead caught them by hand. "That''s kind of impressive, actually," Serena noted.


    Talia sat close to the bonfire, trying to warm her body. While Serena picked up her small handgun and looked over the menu, there was an option to modify it, but she was lacking materials. That was really frustrating her.


    "I have been wondering," Prince Damian said, "what is that thing you''re holding? That''s the same weapon that pushed back the knights that were chasing me, right?"


    Serena put her gun back into her bag. "You don''t need to know," she said.


    "Oh come on," the prince said, "I''m just curious. It won''t hurt telling me a little, right?"


    "Shut up, prince," Altea said. "We''re not your friends."


    "Ow, what sharp words," the prince said. "That hurts my feelings."


    "If you won''t stop talking, I won''t give you dinner," Altea said. The dinner was ready, and it smelled nice.


    The prince''s stomach rumbled. "Alright, you win."


    Serena smiled, as usual, Altea''s cooking was amazing. Thankfully, even though it was a fantasy world, most of the food they served was normal. So Serena didn''t need to worry about eating something weird.


    Monsters exist in this world, and some people have eaten them, but that is not the norm. Thank God, she thought.


    "Hey, princess," one of the guards said, "would you like to try this drink? It tastes great with this food."


    "Really?" Serena said. "Let me try it then."


    That was Serena''s last memory before she woke up with a painful headache. She looked around in confusion, not registering what had happened yet. And then her eyes widened.


    "Hey, wake up!" she shook Altea''s shoulder. "Altea, wake up! Talia, Salia, wake up!"


    "Uhm... What...? It''s morning already?" Salia said.


    "Huh? Since when was I sleeping...?" Altea said, still looking sleepy, while Talia hadn''t woken up at all.


    They were the only ones left in the camp. The prince had disappeared along with two guards and their coachman.


    "I''m screwed," Serena said weakly.


    It was supposed to be a simple task, just bring back the second prince to his kingdom, and that''s it. It should have been easy, but they messed up anyway. The prince successfully ran away, along with the three elven traitors.


    "That drink..." Altea said, finally realizing what had happened. "I''m sorry, princess. Even though they were our guards, I should have been more careful..."


    "Sis, wake up!" Salia shook her twin sister''s body violently. "It''s not time to sleep!"


    "What...what happened?" Talia asked, still not fully awake.


    "Wake up already! The prince was running away!" Salia exclaimed.


    "What?"


    After finally waking up fully, Talia immediately checked around and used her magic to find the prince''s footprints.


    "He went this way," Talia said. "We can try to follow him, but this footprint is from last night. He has been running since then. Even if we followed his steps..."


    "He''s already far gone," Salia continued her twin''s words. "I''m afraid we''re already too late..."


    Serena sighed. "Great..."


    "I''m sorry, princess," Salia said, looking like she was almost crying. "Even though I promised to watch him properly..."


    "No, it''s my fault!" Talia said. "I''m sorry I didn''t take this more seriously!"


    "Forget it," Serena said. "There''s no point in blaming ourselves. Anyway, what about the traitors?"


    Talia used her magic once again and immediately found their footprints.


    "They ran with horses in the other direction," Talia said. "I don''t think they''re going back to the elf kingdom."


    That''s weird, Serena thought. She had assumed that they were working together with the second prince, but maybe that assumption was wrong. After all, when she thought about it more, they shouldn''t have had a chance to talk to him at all.


    Not to mention they must have been preparing that sleeping drug from the beginning...


    "What are we going to do now, princess?" Altea asked.


    "No, we can''t just go back," Serena said. "If we do that, it''s no different than saying that we let the second prince run away on purpose."


    "What should we do then?" Talia asked.


    "We continue to the Avalonera kingdom," Serena said, "and ask for forgiveness for this mistake."


    "But will they accept it just like that?" Altea asked.


    "It''s better than making them think we let him run away," Serena said. "If they decide to attack our kingdom seriously because of this..."


    "Princess!" Talia interrupted. "You should just go back! Let us do it! It''s our fault anyway!"


    "As if I could do that!" Serena replied. "This is my responsibility!"


    "But princess..." Salia started crying.


    "Enough, let''s continue our journey," Serena said, already made a decision.


    ***

 Promises.

    "Hey Marina, thanks for the potion the other day!" someone said as he bumped into Marina in the corridor.


    "Oh, that wasn''t from me," Marina replied.


    "But you made it, right?" the guy asked.


    "Yes, but..." Marina started to explain.


    "Then thanks anyways," the guy said, cutting her off.


    "I told you, that wasn''t from me. I didn''t pay for it," Marina clarified, but the person had already left.


    Marina sighed.


    It''s been a few days since this kind of thing started happening to her. All she did was what Aurora asked her to do, but people kept misunderstanding it just because she was well-known as a genius potion maker.


    She hated it. She didn''t deserve the thanks and recognition she received. Even after Aurora''s maid, Lyra, made sure that everyone knew that Aurora was the one paying for the potions they received, her name was still somehow attached to it.


    "Thanks to Aurora and Marina," they said.


    It was so frustrating.


    It''s not that she hated praise, but taking credit for other people''s achievements was never okay for her. Especially because she was sometimes critical of Aurora''s kindness.


    Marina entered the empty classroom. She stared down at her own table, looking for the notebook she had forgotten to take.


    "I need to apologize,"she murmured to herself, still thinking about Aurora.


    "Apologize to whom?" someone asked, making her jump.


    The room was empty, so she wasn''t expecting anyone to have overheard what she said.


    "Oh, sorry. Did I startle you?" the same person asked.


    "Of course, you did--oh, Aurora?" Her anger immediately evaporated when she noticed who it was.


    "Yes, it''s me," Aurora grinned. "I hope you didn''t forget about me already."


    "There''s no way I could forget about you," Marina snorted. It''s the exact opposite; she was just thinking about her. "So... what are you doing here anyway?" Marina asked.


    "Ah, I was wondering if you were going to go home," Aurora said. "You know, because class is temporarily paused at the moment."


    "Nah, I won''t," Marina said. "I have nothing to do at home anyway. So I''m either stuck here or going back to the Magic Association. But enough about me, were you looking for me because you need something, right?"


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    "Yes, sorry," Aurora admitted. "Am I bothering you with my request?"


    "No, it''s fine," Marina replied. "I''m the one who should be apologizing to you."


    Aurora blinked. "Why?"


    "Nothing," Marina said. She didn''t feel like explaining it. "So, what is it you need me for?"


    "Can I ask you to make more of the invisibility potion?" Aurora said. "I already used the one from before and it worked great, but I need more."


    "Ah, that potion? Alright, no problem," Marina said. "And I believe I can improve it now. Maybe increase its time limit a little bit? But I won''t promise you it''s going to be a big improvement though."


    "It''s fine," Aurora replied. "I will tell Lyra to bring the ingredients to you later. Oh, and did she already pay for the potions I bought from you last time?"


    "Yes, there''s no problem," Marina said.


    "Great," Aurora looked relieved.


    "How do you know that''s going to happen anyway?" Marina asked, bothered by this the whole time. "Not only that, why are you doing that? It''s not like it''s your responsibility to fix what happened, right?"


    "I just happen to know," Aurora said without explaining anything. "And, well, I just feel like doing it. You know? And I can do it, so why not?"


    "No, I don''t know what you mean," Marina said. "So, is that how you usually make your decisions?"


    "Not always. But, did I disappoint you?" Aurora asked.


    Marina smiled. "Forget it. So, is that all? Or do you have another weird request for me?"


    "That''s all for now," Aurora said, smiling too. "But if you''re ready for another challenge, I still have something in mind."


    "Really? Then bring it on!" Marina suddenly got pumped up.


    "Alright, I will bring it next time," Aurora promised.


    "Okay, I will be done with your request in a couple of days," Marina said, make a calculation on her mind. "Just come back to me then."


    "Okay, thank you," Aurora said. "See you later then?"


    Marina nodded.


    Aurora was about to walk to the door when Marina decided to call her name.


    "Aurora," she said.


    "Yes?" Aurora stopped in her tracks, looking back at the white-haired girl.


    "I''m sorry and thank you," Marina finally said. "I think you''re a wonderful person."


    Aurora blushed in embarrassment. "That... What are you even talking about?" she said. "Where did that come from?"


    "I''m just saying," Marina said. "Just keep being yourself."


    "Alright, you too," Aurora said. She smiled for the last time and then left the room.


    "No, I''m not good," Marina murmured. "I need to improve myself."


    Outside the room, Aurora walked in a daze. What was that about? she thought to herself.


    She shook her head. No time to think about that, she reminded herself and walked quicker. She had already made a promise.


    A few minutes later, she arrived at the promised place.


    "You''re late," a purple guy said, sitting on top of a broken wall. He didn''t look at her but noticed her arrival anyway.


    "Sorry," Aurora said. "I had to talk to my friend for a little bit."


    "I''m busy, you know?" he jumped down and stood in front of Aurora. "Don''t forget that I was a guild master. Just because I give you special treatment doesn''t mean you can waste my time."


    "Really?" Aurora said. "You looked free to me."


    "Hey, you just don''t know my schedule!" he replied.


    "Fine," Aurora sighed. "Then I won''t waste more of your time. As an information guild, you must have some eyes on other kingdoms, right?"


    "Of course," he replied. "Why do you ask?"


    Aurora picked up a folded paper from her pocket and passed it to him.


    "I want you to keep an eye on these people," Aurora said. "I want to know where they are, what they are doing right now, and what they might do in the future."


    "Huh? I recognize some of the names," Dante said, looking at the paper. "And they are not just ordinary people. What do you plan to do with them?"


    "That depends on what they are doing," Aurora replied.


    "Did you see the future again?" Dante asked. "And with so many people involved, and from different places, this will be big, I suppose?"


    Aurora smiled. "It''s nothing. Just some kind of nightmare where people died. A lot. You know, the usual. Doomsday thing, the end of the world kind of event."


    "Sounds fun," Dante said.


    "Exactly," Aurora said. "That''s why I want to share this fun with as many people as possible. I''m not an egoist. I won''t hog everything by myself."


    "Such an admirable girl you are," Dante laughed. "But seriously though, is it going to be that bad?"


    Aurora sighed. "I''m not sure either. But it seems like we will be attacked by some sort of creatures. And killed horribly."


    "And these people are...?" Dante trailed off.


    "They might be the key to stopping it," Aurora said.


    "Interesting," Dante said. "Alright, I will send my people to monitor them. But about this girl, the elf Princess..."


    "What about her?" Aurora asked.


    "She was on her way here," Dante said. "It seems like the elves had a change of heart. They are offering to bring the second prince back to us. They even sent their princess to do that."


    "Is that so?" Aurora said, with a happy look on her face. "That makes things easier for me."


    "It''s good that you''re having fun, but don''t bully the elf Princess too much," Dante said, grinned.


    "Why would I do that? I''m nice," Aurora said, pouted.


    "People who call themselves nice usually are not." Dante smirked.


    Aurora stared angrily at him. "Want me to show you how nice I can be?"


    "No thanks," Dante said, jumping back to the top of the broken wall. "Don''t worry about this." He flapped the paper in his hand. "I will make sure my subordinates do a good job of monitoring them."


    Aurora crossed her arms. "I expected as much."


    "See you later," Dante said, followed by a strong gust of wind that obstructed Aurora''s view. A moment later, the wind stopped and Dante had already disappeared.


    "What a show off," Aurora muttered.


    ***

 Danger.

    "Princess, we will soon arrive at the town!" Talia said from the front of the carriage.


    Serena noticed that Talia''s mood was better when she became the replacement coachman. Probably because she had something to do? Or maybe because she didn''t get stuck inside the carriage? Either way, that was a good thing.


    "Alright," Serena replied, "can you slow down? Let''s be more careful now. It won''t be funny if we end up crashing or something."


    "Got it!" Talia replied.


    As Serena requested, the carriage moved slower. She looked outside. The town was getting closer, but she noticed that a huge part of the town was destroyed.


    "What happened to them...?" Serena murmured. "Was it a natural disaster?"


    Altea glanced at where the princess was looking. "Um... didn''t you know about the second prince being the leader of rebels?" she said. "This is his doing. I heard he''s using monsters to wreak havoc while he tries to kill his own father. It failed, of course."


    Serena gulped. "He was that evil? I didn''t know... I thought it was just a conflict between successors, between princes. I didn''t think he would involve civilians like this."


    "This was actually considered a great result," Altea said. "I heard some nobles successfully prepared for this, so the destruction and the victims were minimal. If not, the whole town would have been completely destroyed, and who knows how many people would have died in the process."


    "You make me feel even worse for ever thinking of being an ally with him!" Serena said.


    "Well, I always thought it was a bad idea," Altea said.


    "You should have told me sooner!" Serena said.


    "Why are you blaming me, Princess?" Altea said. "Aren''t you the one that forced me to send messages to him despite my disagreement?"


    Saria, who sat in front of them, looked worried, seeing them fighting like this. But she didn''t know what to say.


    "But... you didn''t explain why!" Serena said.


    "I thought you knew," Altea said.


    Serena sighed. "Fair enought, it was my fault. But next time, you better explain stuff to me. I''m kind of stupid."


    Altea smiled. "Sure, Princess."


    They arrived at the Magic Academy. This place, too, was in bad condition. Probably about half the buildings around were destroyed in all kinds of conditions, but the rebuilding process seemed to have already happened everywhere.


    They got out of the carriage, and then Serena saw someone who looked like Prince Damian, but older, with several knights behind him.


    "Welcome," he said. "I''m the first prince, Casper Grey. I''m sorry to have made you come here instead of the palace, but my father is currently ill, so I will be the one to handle your situation."


    "No, it''s fine. Thank you for greeting us personally, Prince," Serena said. "I''m Serena Frostleaf, an elf Princess."


    "Alright," Casper said, nodding his head. "Are you all here, or will some more be coming? What about my brother?"


    "Uh... Um... On the way here, we got into a little trouble," Serena said nervously. "So... This is all of us now."


    The three elves behind her didn''t say anything but looked nervous and worried.


    "Hm... Is that so?" Prince Casper said, still acting calm. "Alright, let''s get inside first before we continue talking."


    Serena nodded, didn''t say anything more. Casper started walking and they followed him towards the biggest building there.


    Inside, they arrived at a room with plenty of chairs and a big table in the middle.


    "This is the meeting room of the teachers and staffs here," Casper explained. "But the academy''s activity is paused right now because of the destruction you see outside, so we can use it instead. Please sit down."


    Serena and the others sat quietly, feeling uncomfortable.


    "Alright, let''s continue our talk," Casper said. "Can you tell me what happened?"


    Serena gulped.


    Finally, the time had come. "First, let me apologize," Serena said, lowering her head. "On the way here, the second prince successfully ran away from us."


    "Running away, you say?" Prince Casper said, sounding doubtful.


    "It''s because of my incompetency! I''m really sorry!" Serena said, lowering her head even more.


    "Really now? Are you sure you''re not letting him go on purpose?" Prince Casper said. By the look on his face, he didn''t even try to hide the fact that he was disgusted with the idea.


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    "No, please believe me!" Serena said. "That''s not the case! It was a mistake!"


    "But you guys helped him before when our knights were chasing him, right?" Casper said. "It seems to me that you guys were in a good relationship with my traitor brother."


    "No--"


    Serena was about to respond, but her words were cut short by the sound of the door opening and another knight entering the room.


    "I''m sorry, Prince," he said. "But I have an important message for you."


    "That''s okay," Casper said. "Tell me, then."


    The knight approached the prince and whispered something to him in a low voice, making it impossible for Serena to hear.


    "Is that so...?" the prince sighed. He then stood up. "I''m sorry, let''s continue this talk later. I have something urgent to attend to."


    "But--" Serena began, but the prince cut her off.


    "Bring drinks and food for them," Prince Casper said to his knight. "And just guard the door outside. They must be tired after a long journey. Let them rest."


    The knight nodded, and then the prince left the room. Not long after, a few maids entered as instructed, bringing drinks and food before leaving them alone.


    "So, they just leave us here?" Serena said.


    "We should just be happy that they didn''t throw us immediately into prison," Altea said.


    Serena sighed. "Yes, you''re right."


    Meanwhile Tania picked up an apple from the table and sniffed it. "The food seems okay. She said. Can I eat it?"


    "Sis..." Salia said, looking sad.


    "Don''t blame me, I''m starving," Tania replied.


    "It''s fine," Serena said. "They wouldn''t poison us. Probably."


    "Still, if it tastes weird, you better puke it out," Altea said. "Better to be careful than die."


    "Okay!" Tania said, happily gobbled an apple in her hand.


    "How is it?" her twin sister asked.


    "It''s fine... I guess?" Tania said. She didn''t feel anything wrong with the apple. "Why don''t you try it yourself?"


    Sania looked like she hated the idea, but the juicy-looking grapes were winking at her.


    "Alright..." Sania gulped. "I''m going to try one."


    Her hand was about to pick one big, juicy green grape when her sister took them all in one wild swoop.


    "Hey!" Sania complained.


    "It''s your own fault for being so slow," Tania said, running away. Sania pouted and chased after her in anger.


    "How can they act like that in this situation...?" Altea said in disbelief.


    Serena plopped her head on the table, feeling tired. "I don''t know. I kind of envy them."


    Altea smiled and patted Serena''s head. Serena closed her eyes, enjoying the touch of her maid. The sound of Tania and Sania bickering grew quieter and quieter, and she might end up sleeping.


    It feels like just a few moments, but she must have been sleeping for some time until woken up by a knock on the door. She opened her eyes and shifted her gaze toward the door. Three girls entered the room.


    "What''s happened...?" Serena asked tried to push her sleepiness out of her body.


    "I don''t know either," Altea said beside her.


    The twins had already sat properly in their seats, keeping their mouths closed.


    "I''m sorry to bother your resting time," the blue-haired girl said. "My name is Aurora. Don''t worry, I''m here just to talk."


    "Really?" Serena said, obviously not trusting her. "You said you just want to talk, yet you had somebody ready to cut us off anytime?"


    Aurora glanced at the tall girl beside her, who had her hand firmly holding a sword.


    "Well, we can''t be too prepared, right?" Aurora said. "Especially against someone who can make a weapon like a gun."


    Serena was surprised.


    "You know what a gun is?" Serena said, standing up. "Wait, don''t tell me you''re...?"


    Aurora smiled. It wasn''t an unpleasant smile, yet Serena felt uneasy seeing it. She felt like she was in danger.


    "I''m sorry, but I will be the one asking questions if you don''t mind," Aurora said.


    "O-okay," Serena said.


    "Alright, let''s sit down first," Aurora said.


    Before the small girl with twintails sat down, she whispered to Aurora, "What''s a gun?"


    Aurora smiled and put her index finger to her lips.


    Noticing that Serena was looking at her, the small girl glared back, forcing the elf princess to look the other way.


    "Okay," Aurora said. "Prince Casper gave me the authority, so I will ask you questions. Please answer me truthfully. You will only make yourself look bad if you try to lie to me. Are you all aware that you''re already in an unfavorable situation? Let''s not make it worse."


    Serena nodded, but her feeling of unease grew.


    "Good," Aurora said. "First question, are you allied with the second prince?"


    Serena gulped. She knew she must deny it. There was no benefit in admitting it. But...


    "Yes," Serena said. "We became allies for some time."


    "Princess!" Altea whispered.


    Clearly, this was a bad move, but Serena trusted her instincts. She couldn''t lie to this blue-haired girl, so she ignored her maid.


    "I see," Aurora clapped her hands. "You admitted it right away, that''s admirable. I respect your honesty. With this, I believe we can finish this quickly."


    "Thank you," Serena said. "But that''s just the beginning. We changed our minds right away when we found out that there''s no benefit in being an ally with him."


    "So you''re cutting him off?" Aurora asked. "Isn''t that mean you guys are betraying him?"


    "Well, yes, but..." Serena''s voice trailed off.


    "While that was a good thing for us," Aurora said, "you had a negative point in trustworthiness. You admitted it yourself, so you''re okay with that, right?"


    "That was..." Serena wasn''t sure how she was supposed to answer that. Aurora''s message was clear; just because their action was good for them, it didn''t change the fact that they were untrustworthy as possible allies for them.


    Serena gulped.


    "Yes," she finally said. Nothing else can be said about that afterall.


    Aurora nodded. "Next question," she said. "Prince Casper told me that you claimed that you didn''t let the second prince run away on purpose. But how exactly did that happen? I want to know the more detailed version."


    Serena then told her everything. She explained how they were drugged by their own guards and how they ran away somewhere that wasn''t in the same direction as Prince Damian and didn''t lead back to the elves kingdom.


    "Hm... Sounds like they''re Kingdom of Samalanra''s spies then," Aurora concluded.


    Serena blinked, surprised. "Why do you think so?" she asked.


    Serena had this idea that they might be the elder''s lackey, even though she had no proof.


    "Well, they had no connection towards the second prince, they had prepared the drug from the beginning, it''s obvious that they''re not doing this because of Prince Damian himself," Aurora said. "He just got lucky that his running away suited their plan."


    "Are you thinking that they''re spies because they didn''t go back to the elf kingdom?" Serena asked.


    "No, not really," Aurora said. "The reason was why they drugged you with a simple sleeping drug? Why not poison you instead? If this plan was from someone from the elf kingdom that hates you, it''s better for you to die, right? We can''t complain about the second prince running away if the escorts died on the way here."


    Serena gulped. "That''s true..."


    "So the only reason why they let you live was to make sure that we keep suspicion of you. Make sure we don''t become allies, or even better, make sure our kingdom becomes an enemy. With that, the elf kingdom will be easier to conquer," Aurora said.


    Serena was already suspicious that someone might be a spy for the Kingdom of Samalanra, but for it to happen at this moment was frustrating.


    "Okay, I guess I got the grasp of what happened to you and the prince," Aurora said. "Now, the last question, what''s your goal here? What do you want from us?"


    Serena stared at her hands, clenching them hard, feeling frustrated. "You know about our long conflict with the Kingdom of Samalanra, right? I thought we could get some help from your kingdom. If things continue like this, we will get wiped out soon."


    Silence fell in the room for a few moments as Aurora thought about it.


    "Well, I mostly understand your position on this," Aurora said. "I get your desperation, and while I don''t want to be a pawn of the Kingdom of Samalanra''s plan, still, there''s no reason why we would want to be allies with your kingdom."


    "That''s..." Serena said, but she had no strength to continue. What else could she say in this situation?


    "But," Aurora said, making Serena suddenly looking up, "there''s still one thing that we can talk about. I''m interested in your gun."


    "My gun...?" Serena said.


    "If you want our help, then think of that as your only bargaining chip," Aurora said.


    Serena could guess what Aurora wanted. She knew about the gun and obviously knew how strong it could be if used properly. So she wanted to trade their help with Serena giving them gun supply?


    "Okay, that''s it for now," Aurora said, making Serena surprised.


    "What...?" she said, confused. She was sure that Aurora would pressure her more to accept her proposal. But she just stopped it like that?


    Aurora stood up. "Please rest well, Princess," she said. "Think carefully about what you''re going to do."


    And then the three girls were gone.


    The tense atmosphere slowly disappeared from that room, making Serena exhale a long breath of relief.


    "Princess, are you sure it''s okay to tell them all that?" Altea said, worried.


    "I don''t have a choice," Serena said. "That blue-haired girl was kind of scary. I feel like if I lied, she could see through me. So I believe the best way was just to tell her the truth."


    Altea unwillingly nodded. "I know what you mean," she said, looking hopeless.


    "Really?" Talia said. "She looked nice to me, though?"


    "Yes, compared to that small girl who was glaring at us nonstop," Salia said. "And the tall girl was making me uneasy..."


    "True, that one is dangerous too, in a more traditional way," Serena said. "I feel like if I pulled out my gun, she would cut it in half before I could even touch the trigger."


    "Will we be okay then?" Talia asked.


    "You''re asking me that now?" Serena said, sighing.


    "Sorry..." Talia said.


    "No, my bad," Serena said. "I shouldn''t push my frustration onto you. Just... let me think for a moment."


    ***

 Behind the Scenes.

    Prince Casper was in a good mood. His talk with Aurora was giving him hope. Not only that, it was also justifying his beliefs and making him unbelievably happy. It made him feel that he wasn''t just being stubborn for nothing, especially after all the bad things that had happened in the last few days.


    However, he knew he should hold down his expectations. All he had heard from Aurora was still unconfirmed. She had reassured him that what she told him was 100% true, and her expression looked genuine, but unless he saw for himself that Nova was waking up, all this was still nothing.


    Thinking about Nova, he walked faster. He wanted to hurry up and see that girl again.


    Aurora told him everything. The real reason for Nova''s actions. He got mixed feelings after hearing it. On one hand, the fact that Nova was doing all this to protect him obviously made him happy. But on the other hand, the damage Nova helped to create was pretty real - buildings were destroyed, people were hurt, and some even lost their lives, including important figures like the Knight Captain. Whatever the reason may be, it was still a big incident.


    This was exactly what he needed to decide soon. when Nova wakes up, what is he going to do with her?


    A part of him wanted to just forgive her completely, but he knew that was wrong. He wouldn''t forgive James, and obviously wouldn''t forgive his brother either, so giving Nova such unfair treatment didn''t sit right with him.


    He sighed and said to himself, "Let''s think about it after Nova actually wakes up."


    The prince arrived at his room and suddenly became nervous. His hand reached for the door handle, but he froze. This was the moment. Would Nova actually wake up or not? He didn''t think he would be able to handle it if Aurora was wrong. A sudden feeling of wanting to run away filled his chest, but he pushed it back and opened the door.


    He saw Nova on the bed, still the same, still unconscious.


    "Hey, I''m back," Prince Casper said, but there was no reaction.


    He walked closer and sat on the chair beside the bed, staring at the unconscious girl.


    His fingers reached her face, caressing her cheeks softly.


    He remembered what Aurora had said.


    "Hey, if you wake up, I will make sure that you won''t be executed," Casper said. "I can''t promise you I will let you off the hook completely, but I will try my best to lighten your punishment as much as I can."


    Nova still didn''t react.


    "Are you really okay with continuing to stay like this?" Casper asked. "This is nothing but running away. I know you''re better than this."


    Still no reaction.


    Casper sighed. No other choice then.


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    "Last chance," Casper said. "Please wake up by yourself or else..."


    As he expected, Nova still didn''t react. So he did it. He kissed the unconscious girl, who immediately woke up and slapped him.


    "What are you doing...?!" Nova said, her face blushing red.


    Casper, who was surprised at getting slapped suddenly, just burst into laughter.


    "What...? Why are you laughing?" Nova said, confused.


    "Sorry, but I didn''t think it would actually work," Casper said. "I''m just happy, but this feels absurd."


    Nova stared angrily at him. "Is that a proper reaction after forcing a kiss on a lady?"


    "Right, sorry," Casper said.


    Nova sighed. "Nothing is working out for me. So annoying..."


    After muttering to herself, Nova stared sharply right at Casper.


    "Alright, I''m finally awake," Nova said. "What do you want from me now? You''re not going to take back what you promised me just now, right?"


    "So you were listening," Casper said. Aurora was right. She really knows what she''s talking about.


    "Yes, so?" Nova said.


    "Nothing," Casper said. "It''s good that you''re listening. Then you know what I feel, right?"


    "Well, kinda..." Nova said, looking uncomfortable.


    Casper smiled. "We don''t really need to talk about heavy stuff immediately, but at least can we just talk? I have been missing hearing your voice."


    Nova snorted. "What''s so fun about listening to my voice?"


    "Still," Casper said. "Can we?"


    Nova sighed. "Fine. I want to know what I missed since I deliberately made myself unconscious. So let''s talk."


    ***


    The next day, after getting the information from Dante, Aurora immediately looked for Prince Casper. After asking one of his knights, she found out that he had been in his room all day.


    Aurora got to his room and knocked on the door. She vaguely heard a girl''s voice from inside.


    "Wh-who is that?" Prince Casper asked, sounding worried.


    "It''s me, Aurora," she said.


    "Oh, thank God, you scared me," Casper said. "Wait a moment."


    The door opened. First, she saw the prince, but then she saw Nova wide awake behind him.


    "Oh, welcome back," Aurora said, grinning. "Seems like a kiss from Prince Charming was working like a charm."


    "Oh, shut it," Nova blushed but tried to act tough by crossing her arms. "As I expected, you''re the one behind it."


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about," Aurora said.


    "Don''t pretend!" Nova snapped.


    "Fine, but why do you like sleeping so much anyway?" Aurora asked.


    "I''m not just sleeping, silly. I''m trying to delve deeper into my nightmares, trying to find more information," Nova replied.


    Aurora blinked. "Oh, so you''re feeling like working together now?" she said.


    "Who said that? I won''t share my findings with you," Nova pouted.


    Aurora shrugged. "Sure, I had my own plan anyway," she said. "Talking about plans, Prince Casper..."


    "Yes?" Casper said, surprised to be suddenly dragged into the conversation.


    "It''s about the elf princess that''s on her way," Aurora said. "Can you make her come here instead? And I want you to give me a chance to talk to her too."


    "Oh, them?" Casper said. "Okay, coincidentally my father is ill right now. I was supposed to handle it in the first place, so it''s no trouble for me."


    "That''s great," Aurora said. "Let''s talk more in detail later. Then I will excuse myself. I don''t want to interrupt your time together."


    "Hey! We didn''t do anything!" Nova complained, while the prince was blushing.


    "I didn''t say you did," Aurora smirked as she left.


    Nova was still saying something, but Aurora didn''t pay attention and just kept walking.


    One thing is done, she thought to herself.


    She then walking around the academy trying to find the next person she needed to talk to.


    After a while, she finally found her. She was sitting in the shade, drinking tea and... reading a book? That was kind of weird, but Aurora ignored it and walked towards her.


    "There you are, I''ve been looking for you," Aurora said.


    Ruby perked up, immediately looking at her. "Aurora! Are you going to give me the answer?" she asked.


    "Uh... no, not yet," Aurora said, not expecting to get that question immediately.


    "Oh..." Ruby looked disappointed.


    Feeling bad for giving her a false alarm, Aurora whispered to her, "Can we talk about it when we''re alone...?" She glanced towards Rita, who was standing behind her.


    Ruby smiled. "Okay."


    Aurora smiled too, blushing a little and feeling embarrassed.


    "So, do you need something from me?" Ruby asked, putting down her book.


    "Ahh, yes, I have a little favor to ask you," Aurora said. "Can I borrow Rita for a bit?"


    "Rita?" Ruby reflexively looked at her knight. "Why?"


    "Not much, really. I just need a little protection," Aurora said.


    "Protection, you say?" Ruby said. "Rita?"


    "Yes, miss?" the tall girl who had been observing them in silence replied.


    "You heard it yourself," Ruby said. "Want to help Aurora?"


    "Sure," Rita said. "As I said before, you can ask me anything. So, Miss Aurora, what can I do for you?"


    Aurora nodded to her. "I''m not sure when exactly, but later I will meet with some elves. They might be dangerous, so I want you to come with me."


    "What about me?" Ruby asked.


    Aurora blinked. "You don''t really need to come."


    "No way, don''t exclude me!" Ruby protested.


    "Alright, but I don''t think this will be fun though. I just planned to talk to them," Aurora said.


    "I still want to join you!" Ruby insisted.


    "Okay, okay, if you insist," Aurora said.


    ***

 Best Friend.

    Aurora, Ruby, and Rita walked out of the room after the meeting with the elves.


    "So, what''s a gun?" Ruby asked as they continued walking.


    "I actually want to know too," Rita said. "If you don''t mind."


    Of course, they were curious, Aurora thought.


    "It''s a new type of weapon," she said. "Think of it like a bow, but better."


    "Oh! Now that I think about it," Rita said. "I did hear about the rumor of an unknown weapon being used by elves when our knights were chasing the second prince. So, that was a gun?"


    Aurora nodded.


    "I see," Ruby said. "But is it worth the effort if it''s just a slightly better bow?"


    "No, the improvement will be massive," Aurora said. "Like it''ll be stronger, have longer range, and much more."


    "Oh, okay," Ruby said. "But if they''re as powerful as you mentioned, are you sure they will willingly give us these weapons?"


    "Don''t you wonder why they''re looking for help when they have such a great weapon?" Aurora asked.


    "They refuse to use it?" Rita guessed.


    "Huh? Why?" Ruby asked. "Are they idiots?"


    Aurora smiled. "Pretty much. Some people, or in this case, elves, put much more importance on their traditions and pride. They''re not willing to change no matter what."


    "Even if that kills them?" Ruby said. "How dumb."


    Not far from them, Prince Casper was waiting. They approached him.


    "How was it?" Casper asked.


    "I believe we''re doing well," Aurora said. "And can I ask you one more thing?"


    "What is it?" Prince Casper asked.


    "Don''t let Serena, the Elf Princess, leave this place no matter what," Aurora said. "Even if that means using force."


    "Why?" Casper asked.


    "She will be the key to strengthening our military force without adding more soldiers and knights," Aurora said. "Isn''t that what Nova wants too?"


    "Really?" Casper said, a little doubtful.


    "Everything I told you so far was true, right? Just trust me," Aurora said.


    "Okay," Casper said. "I promised that I will support you with anything. So I won''t go back on my words."


    "Great," Aurora said, smiled. "I will talk to them a few more times. I will try to persuade them with words first, vut if they still aren''t willing to work with us, we will persuade them with other means."


    "Aren''t you... getting a little too extreme?" Ruby asked, a bit worried.


    "No," Aurora said. "A gun is THAT important. For example, if you''re inside that tower over there, can you kill us over here with magic?"


    Ruby looked at the tower Aurora pointed to.


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    "No way, that''s too far."


    "That''s right," Aurora said. "Most magic only works in short or medium range. The farther away you are, the harder it is to control. But a gun can do it. Not only that, it can kill you in one attack."


    "What?" Ruby exclaimed. Rita and Casper were shocked too.


    "Now do you understand why it''s important?" Aurora asked.


    "Well, kinda, but..." Ruby''s voice trailed off.


    "I get it, my words alone might be hard to believe," Aurora said, "but you guys will see it for yourselves later, and then you can decide whether my words were true or not."


    ***


    The next day, Aurora and the others came back to meet with the elves. Inside the room Serena and the rest had already been waiting for some time. They seemed less tense than yesterday, but still looked uneasy.


    They all sat down and Aurora began to speak. "Okay, let''s continue our conversation from yesterday," she said.


    The plan was to convince Serena to give them a gun, but it''s seems like the elf Princess had another plan.


    "Before that," Serena interrupted. "I want to talk to you privately. Just you and me."


    Aurora blinked, not expecting that.


    "Princess?" Altea said confused. While the twins looked at each other, not understanding what was going to happen. It seemed like they didn''t know about this either.


    "Don''t do it," Ruby said, worried. "You don''t know what she might do."


    Rita nodding in agreement.


    That''s true, Aurora thought. There''s no need to agree with this, but...


    "Don''t worry, I just want to talk," Serena said, copying what Aurora had said yesterday.


    Aurora wondered if Serena was trying to insult her, but she felt like it was just a friendly jab. So, Aurora ignored it and said, "Okay, let''s do it."


    "Aurora!" Ruby snapped, immediately standing up.


    Aurora raised her hand. "It''s okay, don''t worry," she said.


    "But..." Ruby''s voice trailed off.


    "You believe me, right?" Aurora asked.


    "That''s an unfair question," Ruby said.


    "But still, you did it, right?" Aurora insisted.


    Ruby sighed and unwillingly said, "Okay."


    "You guys too," Serena said to her friends. "Please leave the room for a moment."


    "Are you sure about this, Princess?" Altea asked, looking uneasy.


    Serena nodded.


    "If that''s what you want, Princess," Talia said. Salia looked worried too, but she could just follow along.


    They all left the room, leaving only Aurora and Serena.


    "Okay," Aurora said, breaking the silence. "We are alone now. What do you want to say to me?"


    "I''m going to go straight to it then," Serena said. "Are you a transmigrator too? You must be, right? Or else everything wouldn''t make sense."


    Aurora didn''t answer immediately. She just observed the elf princess.


    "I''m sure you''re keeping it a secret," Serena continued. "I did too. I didn''t tell anyone, not even my friends. So I get it if you don''t want to talk about it. But right now, it''s just us. It would be easier to talk if we had the same understanding."


    "If you''re going that far," Aurora said. "Fine, I admit it. I''m a transmigrator too."


    "So you did! I''m relieved," Serena said excitedly. "You know what? I feel really alone in this world. Even after living here for several weeks or months? Getting to know some people--or elves, and being friends with them. I still feel alone sometimes. Knowing that I''m not the only one from the modern world, I''m feeling better already!"


    "Well, I get what you mean," Aurora said, "but just because we''re from the same world doesn''t mean anything."


    "Oh, come on!" Serena said. "We''re practically best friends now. Anyway, where are you from? America? Japan?"


    "No, we''re not," Aurora said. "And forget about that. We''re not here to talk about that."


    "Boo! Boring," Serena pouted. "I''m tired of acting like an elf princess. Can''t you let me be me for a second? You''re lucky to transmigrate to a human body. It must be easier to adapt. Though I never knew there was another kingdom in the game, let alone someone named Aurora."


    "Can''t you tell already?" Aurora said, surprised. "I came into a different game. It''s a dating sim game called ''The Wicked Villainess of Ruin.'' This world was a mixture of several games."


    "Oh... so that''s why!" Serena said. "Sorry, I didn''t really play games that had a lot of text in them, so I wouldn''t know. I mostly play shooter games. One of my favorites back then was RE4. I''m so frustrated I got transmigrated before the remake version was released. It''s impossible for me to play it now!"


    "About that," Aurora said, "do you know what exactly happened to us? Why and how are we transmigrated?"


    "Uh... not much, sorry," Serena said. "I remember going to bed pretty sleepy, and then the next day I woke up here. I''m not sure how and why... I mean, I get that I played ''Gunslinger Goddess'' right before I transmigrated, so that might be why I''m inside that game, but that''s pretty much it."


    "I see, same with me then," Aurora said. "I too just woke up here. I''m not sure if I''m dead or not in the original world."


    "Are you thinking about wanting to go back?" Serena asked.


    Aurora sighed. "I don''t know. Is that even possible? Or is that the end goal all along? Are we supposed to hit certain events before we get booted out back to our world? Or what? I don''t know..."


    "So, you''re worried about it too?" Serena said, smiling. "Turns out you''re more normal than I thought."


    "That''s rude," Aurora said, displeased.


    "Sorry, sorry," Serena laughed. "But yesterday, you were kind of scary to me, you know? I thought you would kill me if I was lying."


    "Well, someone decided to bring a modern weapon to a medieval fantasy world," Aurora said. "What kind of image do you think I had for that kind of person?"


    "I''m not a warmonger, I promise!" Serena said. "I''m just desperate!"


    "Do you understand how much something like a gun can change this world?" Aurora asked.


    "I know, but I had no other choice!" Serena said. "You know the DLC, right? If things continue like this, I will be dead and the Elf Kingdom will be destroyed!"


    "So you''re okay as long as you survive? Even if your actions have the potential to start an endless war all over the world?" Aurora asked.


    "Don''t put it that way," Serena sighed. "I''m just... a stupid teenager who likes playing FPS games. What do I know about stuff like that? I just want to keep living."


    "Right, sorry," Aurora said, feeling bad. "I might have been too harsh. Anyway, what are you going to do now?"


    "I don''t know," Serena said. "If you think my weapon is dangerous, why do you want it anyway?"


    "If it''s going to exist in this world, I prefer it to be on my side," Aurora said. "And there''s another reason too, but I can''t tell you. We''re not allies yet."


    "Oh, come on!" Serena said. "We''re best friends already! No need to hold back."


    "We''re not," Aurora said. "And let''s just get to the point. We''ve already talked too much, and everyone is waiting for too long."


    Aurora gestured toward the door. It was slightly open, and someone was peeking, but they couldn''t tell who it was.


    "Fine," Serena said. "About the gun, right? Okay, I''ve decided you can take it. I think I can trust you now. After all, we''re best friends already--"


    "We''re not," Aurora cut her off.


    "Stop being stingy," Serena said. "Anyway, as long as you''re helping us survive, then I''m okay with it. I''m sure you''re not going to backstab your own best friend, right?"


    "We''re not--whatever," Aurora said. "And backstabbing was more of your thing than mine anyway."


    "Ah, right," Serena remembered the second prince they betrayed. "Then I promise I won''t backstab you, my best friend."


    "Great," Aurora sighed.


    ***

 Demonstration.

    "Miss Ruby, stop it," Rita said when Ruby started peeking through the small opening in the door. "We agreed to give them some time alone, right?"


    "I know, but I''m curious!" Ruby said, getting her eyes closer to the door opening.


    Tania looked interested too, but Altea held her clothes. "Stop it," she warned her. Her twin sister Sania also held her clothes.


    "Sorry," Tania said, disappointed.


    "Miss Ruby!" Rita said, more desperately. "Please..."


    "Okay, okay, geez!" Ruby said, finally giving up. "I can''t see or hear anything anyway."


    "Good," Rita said, relieved.


    Then they waited. While waiting, each of them stole glances at the other group. Curious, and sometimes when their gaze met each other, they either looked away or glared in hostility.


    "If your princess hurts Aurora, I won''t forgive any of you," Ruby said.


    "Miss, you don''t really need to say that," Rita hurriedly whispered. "The goal was to become allies with them! Remember?"


    "I''m just giving them a warning," Ruby said.


    Altea said sharply, "Why don''t you look in the mirror? You guys are the ones who are always one step away from using violence."


    "What did you say?" Ruby said, angry.


    "Miss, calm down," Rita tried to defuse the situation, but both girls were staring at each other, looking like they were going to attack each other at any time.


    But then the door opened.


    "Sorry to make you guys wait," Aurora said. "We have already made a decision."


    "That''s right," Serena grinned, getting closer to Aurora. "Aurora and I are best friends now--"


    "No, we''re not," Aurora said, pushing her away. "We have decided to formalize our cooperation as allies--what exactly are you guys doing?"


    Aurora finally noticed Ruby and Altea''s standoff.


    "It''s...nothing," Ruby said, backing down.


    "Yes, it''s just...it''s nothing," Altea said. "Anyway, Princess, is that true?"


    "Of course! We''re best friends--"


    "No, we''re not," Aurora said.


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    "That''s not it," Altea said. "Are you really forming an alliance with them?"


    "Yes, well, we still need to discuss more details, but yeah," Serena said. "I''m already in agreement with Aurora that we will be working together. In exchange for my guns, they will help us survive against the Kingdom of Samalanra."


    "It''s kind of regretful that you need to sell your ability like that," Altea said. "But if that''s what you decided, Princess. But...can we really trust them?"


    "Of course," Serena said. "Aurora and I have reached a better understanding. We''re practically best friends now."


    "Just from that short talk...?" Altea asked, unable to believe her.


    "Hey, time is irrelevant," Serena said.


    "But best friend? That''s just..." Altea''s voice trailed off, looking disappointed.


    "Yes, what about us, Princess?" Talia said, looking displeased.


    Salia nodded, looking sad.


    Serena blinked. "What are you guys talking about? To me, you guys were already more like family than anything. Are you guys jealous? You guys are jealous, right?"


    "You should have told us that sooner!" Talia hugged her with a huge smile on her face.


    "Eh, I thought you guys already knew," Serena said.


    Surprisingly, Salia did the same, hugging her from the other side but didn''t say a word.


    Serena then glanced at Altea. When their eyes met, Altea immediately looked away, a little blushed.


    "Come on, you can hug me too," Serena offered, smiling at her.


    "No, I''m fine," Altea said, embarrassed.


    "Boo, you''re no fun," Serena said.


    On the other side, Ruby grabbed Aurora''s clothes.


    "Aurora," Ruby said. "Is it true? Did you successfully convince her to join us?"


    "I''m not really convinced her or anything," Aurora said. "But yes."


    "Oh, come on, no need to be humble," Ruby smiled.


    Rita nodded.


    "No, I really mean it," Aurora said, not comfortable with the praise. "Anyway, there''s plenty of things to prepare now."


    Ruby looked at Aurora, confused. "Prepared for what?"


    "A demonstration," Aurora said. "I told you yesterday that you would see it yourself, right? Whether this gun thing will be useful or not."


    "Okay," Ruby said. "What do we need then?"


    "First, let''s talk to Prince Casper to prepare the location, and then the materials," Aurora murmured.


    A few hours later, they gathered in an area close to the pond. The day was quite hot, so Aurora and the others decided to have some cold drinks while waiting. Prince Casper prepared a few test dummies and brought a few of his trusted knights who were going to be trained on using guns. Even though it didn''t seem like he explained it to them because they looked confused.


    "Miss," Lyra said, running toward Aurora full of energy. "I got all the materials you asked for!"


    "Great job," Aurora praised her maid.


    "Thank you," Lyra said, looking happy. "But this bag is really amazing! It can fit so much stuff and yet it doesn''t feel heavy at all," she said while putting the bag she held on top of the table.


    "Well, of course, that''s because that bag is a rare item that utilizes elf magic," Serena said proudly.


    "Still, to lend it away just like that..." Altea said.


    "Stop it," Serena said. "What''s the point of being allies if you can''t even trust them that much?"


    "Right, sorry princess," Altea said.


    Aurora checked the contents of the bag and, after making sure that all the materials were there, passed the bag back to its original owner.


    "Alright, let''s begin the demonstration," Serena said, opening up her bag. "First, let me line up the materials on the table. For now, I''m going to create four types of guns."


    Everyone moved closer, and Serena looked excited. Aurora had heard that the elf kingdom was lacking the materials Serena needed, which limited her abilities, but she seemed to be having fun now.


    Aurora noticed that Serena was starting to move her hand as if touching something in the air, but there was nothing there.


    "Are you using some kind of status panel?" Aurora asked.


    "Oh, you can see it?" Serena said, surprised.


    Aurora shook her head. "No, not really, but-"


    Serena smiled. "This is my skill: [weapon crafting]."


    Serena touched the air, and the materials on the table started to shine. They looked like they were melting together and changing shape. In no time, there were four guns on the table.


    Aurora was not an expert on guns, but she knew a little bit about the basic types of guns thanks to some games she had played.


    She first looked at the twin-barrel shotgun on the left side. It was useful for spread and close-range encounters. The sniper rifle was for long-range, the submachine gun was for fast fire rate and high capacity, and the simple handgun was weaker overall but more easy to carry?


    "Oh, so this is a gun?" Prince Casper said, getting closer. "It''s the first time I''ve seen something like this, and they have pretty different shapes from one another."


    "That''s because they have different purposes," Serena said. She then excitedly explained the differences and specialties of each gun.


    While Serena was busy, Altea had already stood beside Aurora.


    "Do you need something?" Aurora asked without looking at the silver-haired elf.


    "What did you do to our princess?" Altea asked.


    "What''s up with that question?" Aurora said. "I didn''t do anything to her."


    "Liar," Altea said. "There''s no way she accepted you that easily. You must be brainwashing her or something."


    "Brainwash, huh?" Aurora said, amused by the idea. "If I could do something like that, why would I bother talking with you guys?"


    "Probably... you need to be alone with your victim to activate it," Altea said, giving a random guess.


    "Your princess was the one who suggested for us to be alone," Aurora said. "Doesn''t it seem more likely that your princess had a secret plan instead of me?"


    Altea couldn''t argue with that.


    "But..." she said. "But I still don''t trust you."


    The elf maid then left.


    ***

 Dwarf Kingdom.

    Out of the four elves there, Altea was the only one who still showed obvious hostility.


    The Elf Princess, Serena ended up becoming more friendly when she found out that Aurora was a fellow transmigrator. While the twins were cautious at first, especially Salia, after getting a little push from Serena to show Prince Casper and the others how to use the gun, they started to warm up too.


    Altea, on the other hand, seemed to be in an argument with Ruby. Aurora couldn''t hear what they were talking about, but she just hoped they wouldn''t end up fighting for real.


    "Look at them, they love my weapon," Serena said, looking happy.


    Aurora was confused for a second because what she saw was two girls arguing with each other. But she immediately noticed that Serena was talking about the other group, Prince Casper and the twins. They did seem like they were having fun with their guns.


    "Uh-huh," Aurora said, giving her simple acknowledgment.


    "Still, I kinda feel bad because it''s not my real skill," Serena said. "It''s just magic."


    "I have the opposite opinion," Aurora said to Serena. "It''s a good thing that your gun was actually created using magic."


    "Huh? Why?" Serena said.


    "If you''re someone who knows the ins and outs of guns to the point where you can manually recreate them in a fantasy world, I won''t trust you no matter what," Aurora said.


    "Ah, yeah, someone who''s obsessed with guns to that point can''t be normal," Serena said. "I mean, I like FPS, but I never touched a real gun in our original world."


    Aurora nodded, "And there''s no danger of the blueprint falling into enemy hands," she continued, "They could still try to reverse-engineer it if they get their hands on your gun, I suppose, but that won''t be easy."


    "Oh, you''re right," Serena said, "You really think of everything, huh? As expected of my best friend."


    "Are you sure about that?" Aurora asked, finally asking the thing that she had been wanting to.


    "About what?" Serena asked.


    "Being friendly with me," Aurora said. "The thing is, you''re the only one who can create a gun like this. I might not let you go back to the Elf Kingdom, even if our deal ends."


    "Eh? What''s that?" Serena said, full of smiles, "Are you trying to keep me? Don''t tell me, are you actually falling in love with me?"


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    "Forget it," Aurora sighed.


    "Come on, don''t be shy," Serena said, getting closer. "Aren''t I cute?"


    "Stop it," Aurora said, pushing her back. "I''m serious, you know."


    Serena giggled. "Alright, sorry," she said. "If I''m being honest, I didn''t really mind staying here. I feel bad for Altea and the twins, but for me, I''m just barely living there. As a transmigrator, the Elf Kingdom doesn''t feel like home yet. I don''t really have that much attachment."


    "I see," Aurora said. "That makes sense."


    Serena smirked. "So, if you want to keep me, you can."


    "Stop saying it like that," Aurora said uncomfortably. "Anyway, I didn''t play ''Gunslinger Goddess'' much, but I believe in the game you can modify your gun, right? Can you do it?"


    "Yes," Serena said. "As long as I have the materials, I can change the shape, color, weight, and more."


    "What about the bullets?" Aurora asked. "Can you modify them so they use magic as bullets? So they won''t need to stock up physical bullets on them."


    "Oh, that''s an interesting idea," Serena said, swiping her hand through the air. "Hm... Yeah, I can! Look at this!"


    Serena pointed at the empty air.


    "I can''t see it," Aurora said.


    "Oh, right," Serena said. "But why can''t you though? I mean, I get why others can''t see it, but you''re a transmigrator too."


    "Most likely because we entered a different game," Aurora said. "We''re probably using different systems."


    "I see," Serena said. "Anyway, your idea before can be done. I''m not sure why I had a modification choice that didn''t exist in the game, but as long as we have enough materials, we have more choices to pick. The only problem is..."


    "The materials it needs are rare?" Aurora guessed.


    Serena nodded. "Ugh, it feels so annoying to have a choice but can''t use it," she said, mashing a button in frustration.


    "Tell me what you need then," Aurora said. "I will try to look for it."


    "You will? Thank you!" Serena said. "But I still doubt you can find it. In the material description, not only is it rare, but a lot of it is from the Dwarf Kingdom. And they don''t sell it. I heard you need to visit them yourself if you want something."


    "Dwarf Kingdom, huh?" Aurora said. That place should be where the game ''Puzzle Empress'' was set. "I need to look into it more closely then."


    ***


    Later that day, Aurora was drinking tea with the purple guy.


    Yes, Dante has come again today. They sat under some trees behind the building, not too far from Aurora''s room. People rarely came there, so nobody would interrupt them.


    Lyra was the one that prepared the tea, but Aurora dismissed her, so she didn''t listen to what they were going to talk about.


    "I''m impressed," Dante said, putting sugar in his tea. "I know you''re something else, but to be able to gain favor from both Prince Casper and Princess Serena at the same time? And it only took a few days? I still underestimated you, it seems."


    Aurora sighed. "It''s nothing fancy," she said. "Things just worked out by themselves."


    "Sure," Dante said, smirking. "That''s obviously what happened. If only things could work out just like that, everyone would be happy."


    "Whatever," Aurora said, not feeling like arguing with him. "Anyway, tell me what you know about the Dwarf Kingdom."


    "The Dwarf Kingdom?" Dante said, drinking his tea. "It''s a weird place where they live inside a gigantic maze underground. You will find puzzles all over the place. And if you succeed in solving them, you will get a prize. Money doesn''t work there. If you want something, you either need to solve a puzzle or do some trading with the residents there."


    "Sounds like a pain living there," Aurora said.


    "Exactly," Dante agreed. "Unfortunately, my subordinates stationed there still haven''t contacted me, so I''m not sure about the current situation," he said.


    "So, no news about Gaia and Lumi?" Aurora asked. She had put those names on the list she gave Dante a few days ago.


    Dante nodded. "Gaia, the empress, right? To be honest, even if I heard something from my subordinates, I doubt they can find out anything about her. She''s stayed at the heart of the labyrinth. Normal people won''t be able to reach her. On the other hand, about a girl named Lumi, they might find out something, but I''m personally not familiar with that name. Is she an important person?"


    "She should be," Aurora said, "but I''m not sure either."


    If she was a decent transmigrator, she should be making a name for herself right now, Aurora thought. But if Dante hasn''t received any news yet, Aurora can''t really confirm it.


    "I see," Dante said. "Then we can only wait until the report comes in."


    Aurora nodded. "But that''s not what you wanted to talk about, right?"


    "Yes," Dante said, pulling out a few pages of paper. "A full report about what happened in the Valoria Kingdom has arrived. I thought you would want to know it as soon as possible. A big event happened there, after all."


    The Valoria Kingdom? Aurora thought. That should be a setting for the game called ''The Phantom Huntress.'' It''s a stealth-thief game where you play as an assassin''s group that punishes corrupt figures by eliminating them and stealing their riches.


    "Alright," Aurora said. "Let''s hear it."


    ***

 The Huntress Was Being Hunted.

    There were two names inside the game ''The Phantom Huntress'' that Aurora had asked Dante to look out for: Celestia Reiren, a talented assassin who the player controlled. And Princess Catherina Vil Valoria, a corrupt princess. The last assassination target.


    If things continued the same way as Aurora and Serena had experienced, then the transmigrator from that game was going to be the antagonist of the story - the corrupt Princess Catherina Vil Valoria.


    Dante cleared his throat.


    "First, the Valoria kingdom was one of the worst places to live," Dante said. "It wasn''t exactly a rich kingdom, yet corruption almost happened on every level. People were starving to death everywhere. Despite that, the noble and royal families lived glamorous lifestyles. The princess was especially fond of creating unnecessary parties and wasting money by buying pointless stuff."


    Dante looked at another page of his papers." But in the shadow," he said, "a group of assassins made a move all over the kingdom. They killed corrupt nobles, stole their riches to be shared with people."


    Aurora nodded. So far, what had happened was still the same with her knowledge from the game.


    "But things quickly changed for the last few weeks," Dante said. "Princess Catherina suddenly sent her knights to all over the kingdom, finding these assassins'' hideouts and massacring them one after another."


    Going straight for a killing, huh? How scary. That must have been when the transmigrator possessed the princess''s body, Aurora guessed.


    "All seven hideouts of these assassins were destroyed without a trace," Dante said. "This assassins'' group was basically over at this point. Of course, there were still some that survived from each hideout, but because the fact that their hideouts were found by the princess so easily, they distrusted themselves. Thinking that one of them was a traitor. I think soon even the ones that survived will end up killing each other."


    What a nasty tactic, Aurora thought. Most likely Princess Catherina was doing it on purpose. Reiren as the main character was unlikely to die from that sudden attack. Main characters always had that kind of luck. So Princess Catherina purposely made some assassins survive from each branch so they would be the ones that hunted Reiren themselves.


    Dante looked at his papers. "Oh, and the girl named Reiren," he said. "Fortunately, it seems like she and one of her friends were the only two that survived from the north hideout. She was moving from place to place, so I don''t know her exact position, but she was one of the most talented assassins. I''m sure she was still alive, at least."


    "What about the princess?" Aurora asked. "Did she suddenly become a better person?"


    Dante looked at Aurora with a confused look. "No, what are you talking about?" he said. "It''s the opposite. She''s getting worse, especially after she successfully shut down the assassins'' group. She became more open to abusing her power."


    "I see," Aurora said.


    Aurora kind of expected it. Not all transmigrators were going to be good people. In fact, she expected Serena to be a warmonger at first, so she was not exactly surprised that Princess Catherina turned out to be evil, even though it was obviously a shame.


    Still, if she only made damage in her own kingdom, Aurora didn''t need to get involved. And Princess Catherina didn''t look like she had anything to do with the threat Nova was predicted anyway. But Aurora couldn''t ignore this. This was a great chance to get an assassin on her side. That would definitely be useful later.


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    Not to mention, Aurora had something that she could offer to an assassin that they wouldn''t be able to reject. She just needed to pick it up from Marina later.


    The problem was, she couldn''t ask other people to do it. They might mess up and end up getting killed instead. Dealing with assassins on the edge was dangerous no matter what. Not to mention, Aurora might be one of the few people who could still recognize the Huntress''s appearance even if she tried to hide it. She needed to go herself.


    Though going alone would be scary.


    "What are you thinking?" Dante asked. "You''re not planning on going there yourself, are you?"


    Aurora smiled. "Don''t worry about me," she said. "Was that all you could tell me? What about the others?"


    ***


    Ruby hugged her pillow with a smile on her face. Aurora had promised to give her an answer when they were alone, and that made Ruby excited. Now it was clear what needed to happen, and she couldn''t wait until it did.


    However, she knew it was still possible that Aurora would reject her. Ruby shook her head, tried to banish any negative thoughts.


    Creating a chance for them to be alone was proving to be difficult. Dealing with the elves left them with no opportunity for privacy, and even if they did manage to find a moment alone, Rita was usually around.


    Ruby considered forcing the issue by dismissing Rita or by taking Aurora somewhere secluded, but that didn''t feel right either.


    It would be great if they could end up alone without Ruby having to try too hard.


    A sudden knock on her room door made Ruby glance over.


    "Rita?" Ruby said. "Are you done already?"


    Her knight had gone to meet the adventurer girls from before. Rita thought they might be interested in guns and could be hired to help with future fights against the Kingdom of Salamanra. Ruby was fine with it, so she let her go.


    But she just left, Ruby thought. Isn''t this a little too fast?


    "No, it''s me," the voice from behind the door replied. "Aurora. Can we talk for a moment?"


    Ruby''s heart jumped in her chest.


    "Uh, um, wait a second..." Ruby panicked.


    She got down from her bed, trying to tidy her hair a little before opening the door.


    "Um, hey," Ruby said, her face starting to feel hot.


    "Sorry, did I come at the wrong time?" Aurora asked.


    "No, no, please come in."


    Aurora nodded and came in. Ruby closed the door, her hand trembling a little. She had wished for this to happen, but when it actually did, Ruby felt more anxious than excited.


    "Ruby, are you okay?" Aurora asked.


    "Eh, yes! I-I''m fine," Ruby said, unable to look at her. Her face was blushing hard, and she was fidgety.


    "Why are you so anxious--oh?"


    Aurora finally noticed that they were alone in that room. Her own face started to turn red too.


    "Ah, right! Did you want to drink something...?" Ruby asked as she tried to pick up the pot, but ended up knocking it over.


    "Ah..." Ruby said, as the tea spilled all over the floor.


    Aurora giggled.


    "I''m sorry," Ruby said, her expression resembling that of a sad cat.


    "It''s fine. Why don''t you sit down with me?" Aurora said.


    Ruby sat down, followed by a few moments of awkward silence. Unable to take it anymore, Ruby collected her courage and asked, "So... what was your answer?"


    Aurora closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again. She looked as though she had made a decision.


    "Before that, can I tell you something first?" Aurora asked.


    "Not again," Ruby said, disappointed.


    Aurora smiled. "Sorry."


    Ruby sighed, kind of giving up at this point.


    "Fine," she said. "Whatever surprising thing you might tell me, I''m used to it now."


    "It''s not something surprising," Aurora said. "But more like my worries..."


    "Oh, okay," Ruby said, a little more interested. "Let me hear your worries then."


    Aurora nodded. "Now you know that I''m not the real Aurora, right?" she said. "I was somebody else using her body. But I don''t exactly know how or why that happened. My worry was, what if this stops one day? What if I go back to my original world, to my original body?"


    "Oh," Ruby froze. She finally understood the worst scenario that Aurora was worried about.


    "You get it, right? I like you, but..." Aurora started to say.


    "No, don''t go!" Ruby cried as she held Aurora''s hand as hard as she could. "Please stay here forever!"


    "Ruby... I will if I can, but--"


    "No buts!" Ruby said forcefully.


    Aurora sighed. "I don''t have control over this, you know? So getting closer was kind of scary to me..."


    "Are you stupid? Isn''t that more reason for us to stick together even more?" Ruby asked.


    "But it will hurt even more when that happens," Aurora explained.


    "Then don''t let it happen!" Ruby said.


    "But how...?" Aurora said.


    "We will find a way, somehow," Ruby said, her voice quieter but still full of determination.


    Aurora smiled. "I didn''t know you were the type that optimistic like that."


    "Don''t make fun of me," Ruby pouted. "I just don''t want to give up. And you better not either!"


    "Alright," Aurora smiled. "Just because you asked."


    Ruby snorted. "You talk as if you''ll do whatever I ask you to."


    "What makes you think I won''t?" Aurora jokingly said.


    "Really? Then try to kiss me," Ruby said, deciding to play along.


    "Okay," Aurora said, getting closer.


    "Wha--"


    ***

 Trip.

    Their lips were softly touching each other, which made Ruby panic and fall from her chair.


    "Are you okay? You shouldn''t have asked if you''re not ready," Aurora said as she helped Ruby stand up.


    "Sh-shut up," Ruby said. Her face was red as a tomato. "I''m just a little surprised. And you were blushing too!"


    "I''m not," Aurora said.


    "Why you..." Ruby said, annoyed, as she playfully pinched Aurora''s cheeks.


    Aurora giggled. "Sorry. Anyway, that wasn''t the reason I came here," Aurora said.


    "Oh?" Ruby said, looking disappointed. "So why did you come here then?"


    "I was planning on going somewhere," Aurora said. "It was going to be a trip to another kingdom. I hoped this would help us prepare for the future. So I was wondering if you were interested in coming with me."


    Ruby blinked. "What?"


    "If you couldn''t, then it''s fine," Aurora said. "I guess I can just go alone."


    "Waitwaitwait, so we''re going on a trip together?" Ruby asked.


    "Yes, but it''s not for fun," Aurora reminded her.


    "Let''s do it then!" Ruby said excitedly. "This will be fun!"


    "I told you it''s not for fun! Our goal was to meet the huntress," Aurora said. "And it was dangerous."


    But Ruby just didn''t listen. She was already planning on what she was going to bring with her and thinking about what fun activities they might be able to do. Aurora sighed. As long as she was happy.


    "Oh, but I need to talk to my father first," Ruby suddenly said. "To ask for permission and... I had some questions I wanted to ask him too."


    "Of course," Aurora said. Later, she would go home and do the same thing anyway.


    "Don''t worry, I will still come with you even if he doesn''t let me go," Ruby said, trying to reassure Aurora.


    "No, no, let''s not do that," Aurora said, worried.


    "Why not?" Ruby said. "He couldn''t tell me what to do."


    "Well, yes, but he was still your father," Aurora said. "Didn''t you need to respect his opinion, even a little?"


    "Oh, don''t worry about it," Ruby replied. "I respected him if he did as I said."


    "That''s not how it worked..." Aurora sighed, feeling uneasy.


    "It''s fine, it''s fine," Ruby said, making Aurora think this wouldn''t be fine.


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    "Geez, believe me a little already," Ruby pouted. "I knew how to deal with my own father."


    Aurora smiled. "Okay then."


    "Now that''s out of the way," Ruby said, suddenly getting nervous again. "Um, can you make things clear already?"


    Aurora blinked. "About what?"


    "You still need to ask?" Ruby said, annoyed.


    Aurora sighed. "I want to ask the same thing now. Was that kiss not enough for you as an answer? Do you really think I''m the type to do something like that just for a joke?"


    "We-well, no, but..."


    "Humph! I''m done. See you later, Ruby," Aurora said, walking away.


    "Wait--" Ruby tried to stop her, but Aurora got out of the room and closed the door.


    Aurora''s face was hot. It was weird. After going this far, there was no point in getting flustered anymore. She understood what Ruby wanted. Yet, to say something like "I love you" to Ruby felt so embarrassing for her.


    The door behind her was opened. Before Ruby could catch up to her, Aurora hurriedly ran away from there. While walking, she fanned her burning face with her hand.


    Aurora still had two things to do before going home and asking for permission from her father.


    "Let''s focus on that," Aurora thought, trying to calm her mind.


    She walked toward a new building near the library. The elves were given that building as their temporary house when they were here.


    She then saw the elves in front of the building. Serena sat behind the table, casting her magic and creating several guns on top of the table. Then the twins and Altea picked up the gun and left somewhere.


    Aurora guessed they were going to bring it to the practice area, either for their own practice or for Prince Casper''s knights.


    The plan was to create an elite army that could handle modern weapons and then send it to help fight with the Kingdom of Samalanra. And it seemed things were working just fine.


    Aurora approached the Elf Princess, who looked tired.


    "Hey, Serena, can we talk for a bit?" Aurora asked.


    "Oh hey Aurora," Serena said, smiling. "Sure, what''s up?"


    "Soon I went somewhere, and while at it, I might check the dwarf kingdom too. I will try to get as many materials as I can, so can I borrow your bag?" Aurora asked.


    "What? You''re going to travel to another kingdom?" Serena said. "I''m so jealous! I want to do that too!"


    Aurora blinked.


    "What are you talking about? You already do that," Aurora said. "This is not your kingdom."


    "Oh right, I forgot," Serena said, embarrassed. "Anyway! My bag, huh? Okay, take it."


    Serena passed her bag to Aurora, trying to hide her embarrassment.


    "Thank you," Aurora said, checking the bag. "Is there stuff you want to take out first before I take it?"


    "Nah, nothing," Serena said. "Just take it already."


    Aurora nodded. "Anyways, if you need anything, just ask my maid, Lyra. I will leave her here."


    "Sure," Serena said. "Still, I''m kind of jealous. I want to visit the dwarf kingdom too. A trip sounds like fun. Hey, Aurora, can I come too? Please?"


    "I didn''t go to have fun," Aurora said. "And you had a job to do here. Isn''t your kingdom and your survival riding on this? You better not slack off."


    "I know," Serena said weakly. "But I''m so tired. I want to have fun, even just a little."


    "You can always go on a trip after things calm down," Aurora said. "Don''t start complaining now just because you get a little tired."


    "Boo, you''re so strict," Serena complained.


    "Whatever," Aurora said, "I had another place I needed to go--"


    "Wait, wait, I''m sorry! You should stay here a little longer!" Serena said.


    "No, good luck with your work," Aurora smirked.


    "Oh, come on," Serena said. "Aren''t you my best friend?"


    "Yes, and as your best friend, I think you need to work harder," Aurora said.


    "That''s unfair, Aurora," Serena said with no energy, her body flopping onto the table.


    "Sorry," Aurora smiled before she left.


    Last stop before Aurora went home. She passed several empty classrooms before arriving at the last room on that corridor. Since a few days ago, this room had been used as a potion-making room, mostly by Marina and Oliver. She knocked on the door.


    A shriek came from inside the room. Aurora immediately opened the door and saw two teenagers on the floor, Oliver on top of Marina.


    Aurora knew that it might just be a silly misunderstanding, something she had read a lot about in manga before. Still, she said it for fun.


    "Oh, sorry to interrupt you guys," she said and closed the door again.


    "Wait, you got it wrong!" Marina and Oliver said at the same time.


    I know, Aurora thought, smiling.


    They forced Aurora to get inside the room.


    "Look, i-it''s just an accident!" Oliver said in panic. "Because of your knock, I was surprised and fell toward Marina!"


    "I get it," Aurora said. "Two teenagers in an empty room, I can guess what happened."


    "I told you! You got it wrong!" they both said.


    Aurora giggled. "I get it, I''m sorry. I''m just joking."


    "Really now?" Marina said, still flustered. "That''s an unfunny way of joking."


    "I guess not," Aurora said. "Anyway, I came for the potion. You''re already finished it, right?"


    "Of course," Marina said proudly. She picked up three bottles of invisibility potion and passed them to Aurora.


    "Hopefully, that''s enough for whatever you''re planning to do," Marina continued.


    "Thank you, I hope so too," Aurora smiled. "Oh, right."


    Aurora picked up a folded paper from her pocket and then gave it to Marina.


    "Your next challenge," Aurora grinned. "And while you''re here, Oliver, are you interested in working with Marina to make this new potion?"


    "Me?" Oliver said, surprised. "Can I?"


    "Only if Marina is okay with it," Aurora said.


    Marina looked at the paper. It was a complex, unknown potion again.


    Meanwhile, Oliver eagerly stared at her, waiting for her response.


    Marina sighed. "Well, collaboration can be fun too," she said.


    Hearing that, Oliver got even more excited. "Okay, let''s do it then!" he said.


    "Okay, then I will leave you two," Aurora said, ready to leave.


    "And hey," Aurora said before she opened the door, "don''t let me witness you guys doing something weird again next time."


    "Just go already!" both of them said.


    ***

 Finnick.

    Finnick didn''t have a goal anymore. After all the wounds he had received from fighting with James had healed, he didn''t know what to do anymore. Finnick was losing his reason for life.


    He didn''t feel like chasing after his father anymore, to become a knight Captain. Just thinking about that made him sad and angry. That position''s name became synonymous with nothing but pain for him.


    Meanwhile, his revenge didn''t go well either. At the beginning, he was determined to repay anyone connected with his father''s death with death itself. All the rebel group members, people connected with it like Nova, James, or the second prince, Damian. But after he defeated James, he didn''t have the guts to actually kill him off.


    From that, he realized the same thing would happen when he confronted the others. No matter how angry he was, he wouldn''t be able to take that next step. It was a good thing; killing wasn''t exactly something that someone could be proud of, but that meant his quest for revenge was basically meaningless.


    That''s assuming he could even confront them now. Because things became more problematic when he found out that Nova was unconscious for who knows how long and the second prince was running away.


    Would he pointlessly wait until Nova woke up? Or would he try to chase the second prince?


    He figured he had no motivation to do any of that.


    His dad was gone, and no matter what he did, nothing would change that.


    He couldn''t take it anymore, so he just ran until he reached a quiet spot in the woods around the academy. Then he started screaming at the top of his lungs while crying. He felt frustrated and empty.


    After that, a few days passed with his mind lost in a fog. He couldn''t really remember what he did. All he knew was that he was wet from the rain, his body was dirty, and he was starving.


    He suddenly decided he wanted to meet Nova. Even if she was unconscious, he might find something if he did that.


    When he asked around, it seemed like Nova was being kept in Prince Casper''s room.


    So, he still cares about her despite what happened? Finnick thought. That kind of made him jealous because he himself didn''t really know what he actually felt about Nova anymore.


    When he tried to go to Prince Casper''s room, he was stopped by some of Prince Casper''s knights.


    "I''m sorry, but Prince Casper told us not to let anyone come close to his room," the knight said, "especially when he was not around?"


    "Where is he right now?" Finnick asked.


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    "He was dealing with a visitor from the Elven Kingdom. If you have any business with him, you should wait until he''s back."


    "No," Finnick said. "I have no business with him. I just want to see Nova. Move."


    The knight didn''t budge. "I respect your late father," he said. "But that doesn''t mean you can do whatever you want."


    "Don''t bring my father into this and just move," Finnick said.


    "No, you should have the prince''s permission to do so," the knight said.


    "Then bring him here right now, or I will force my way in!" Finnick said.


    The knights glanced at each other. The older one said, "Go, bring Prince Casper here. Tell him it''s urgent."


    The younger knight nodded and ran.


    Not long after, the knight returned with Prince Casper.


    "I was handling an important matter my father gave me," Casper said to Finnick. "You better have a good excuse to make me come here."


    "Let me meet Nova," Finnick demanded.


    Prince Casper gave him a sharp look. "What are you planning to do with her?" he asked.


    "I just want to see her," Finnick said.


    "And then what?" Casper asked. "I won''t allow you to hurt her."


    "I... don''t know yet, but I must see her!" Finnick said. "She was a traitor, why are you even protecting her?"


    "With such an unclear answer, I won''t let you see her," Casper said. "Even if she was wrong, I won''t give her punishment while she''s still unconscious. Just give up and go."


    "When she''s still unconscious? Really?" Finnick said. "So you will give her fitting punishment when she wakes up?"


    Prince Casper didn''t answer. Finnick understood. He would stand beside Nova no matter what. He wouldn''t let anyone meet her either.


    "Fine," Finnick said. "Forget it."


    He walked away, feeling more unsure about what he had to do. He could feel a gaze following him, even after he had gone farther. He even noticed some knights following him.


    He''s willing to go this far? Finnick thought to himself.


    He kept walking, planning to just leave the academy completely. While on the way, he saw Aurora, Ruby, and a lady knight he recognized as Rita. Seeing them, he felt more and more disconnected with anything there.


    He kept walking until the knights that had followed him stopped.


    He didn''t look back. He then decided to leave that kingdom completely and keep going aimlessly. Perhaps he would find something. Maybe he would find a new meaning for his life.


    Finnick kept going until he reached the Beastman kingdom. He started to notice that the people around him had animal properties on their bodies, such as cat ears or fur.


    They were buzzing, hyped up about something.


    Finnick entered one of the taverns and ordered a drink.


    When the tavern owner gave him his drink, he said, "Your body is well-developed for a human," he said. "Are you here to enter the tournament?"


    "Tournament?" Finnick said, absentmindedly.


    "Yes, soon our yearly martial arts tournament will begin," he said. "That''s why everyone is hyped."


    "Hahaha, there''s no way he will enter the tournament," a Beastman who sat near Finnick said. "Don''t joke around. There''s no way a human''s physical body can match ours."


    "Eh, I think he is strong enough," the tavern owner said. "I can tell you''re training a lot. Even if you lose, it''s still a good idea to at least try."


    Finnick stared at his own hand. He wasn''t sure why, but the idea kind of interested him.


    "Hey now, you shouldn''t give him unrealistic expectations," the Beastman from before said. "Our tournament was for the strong only! What will you do if he is beaten in his first fight and ends up crying?"


    Finnick didn''t pay attention to him and just started to drink.


    A few days later, at the same tavern, the beastmen were getting even more hyped. The tournament had already started, and they began to pick their favorites to win.


    "This year''s tournament is going to be fun!" one of them said. "There are three newcomers that are worth watching!"


    "Oh, do you mean that human kid?" the other said. "He was surprisingly strong, wasn''t he?"


    "I knew that he had potential when he was drinking here the other day," the tavern owner said, reminiscing about what had happened.


    "Yes, he was definitely an interesting addition," the other replied. "But I''m betting on the other two. These two girls were something else! Who would have thought that with such a cute appearance, they too could be so strong!"


    "Well, I''m not surprised," the tavern owner said. "One of them was the daughter of the winner from last year, right? The other one, though, is kind of mysterious."


    "Ah, I heard a rumor," someone said. "She was actually the daughter of a tournament participant who got killed last year. Kind of tragic, huh? Makes me want to support her."


    "Hey, that might be tragic, but this tournament is all about strength!" a drunk Beastman said. "Don''t get swayed by a sad backstory!"


    "What kind of heartless bastard are you?" the other snorted.


    "Why, you!" And then they started to fight.


    Instead of stopping them, the tavern owner just laughed it off.


    ***

 The Second Prince, Damian.

    Damian felt like an idiot.


    Since he was small, he did everything better than his brother. That gave him a sense of superiority. And from that, he always felt like he deserved more, he deserved better. Not that he was experiencing any shortcomings, his life as a second prince was perfectly fine. Yet, he couldn''t help but want more.


    Every time he got something, he thought he deserved more. Every time his brother got something, he thought he was the one that deserved it more.


    That''s why he wanted Casper''s position as a crown prince--no, scratch that. He wanted the position of his father, the king immediately.


    But now, he had been humbled several times. Despite his carefully planned actions, he kept failing. He even got help from Nova, the daughter of a Duke, yet he still failed miserably. Everything wasn''t working, and now he had nothing left. To the point when he was betrayed by the elves, he could only laugh.


    It turned out that he was nothing. Yes, he was slightly better than his brother, but that didn''t mean anything. He was blind. Casper never made any accomplishments, after all. Being better than him was nothing amazing.


    Yet he never noticed and his ego kept growing bigger every day.


    What an idiot he was.


    Still, when he thought all hope was lost, the elves betrayed themselves. Serena, the elf Princess, and her followers were being drugged by their own guards.


    "Go!" The elf guard told him. "We give you a chance to run away, so stop spacing out and go!"


    Damian didn''t really understand what had happened. But he knew that if he returned to his kingdom, he would most likely be executed.


    In the end, he still feared death. So he started to run from there. He looked back, half expecting the elf guards to follow him, but instead, they ran away in the opposite direction. They didn''t even go back to the elf kingdom. That confused him. But he didn''t stop. He kept running all night. His life depended on this after all.


    And after so long running away, nestled amidst rolling hills, he found a small village. He stared at its thatched roofs, adorned with twining vines and moss, and cobblestone streets.


    Prince Damian got closer to one of the villager''s houses. That''s when an old man from the village saw him.


    "Oh, my lord, what happened to you?" he asked, worried.


    "Ah, I''m... a merchant''s son," Damian said, telling a blatant lie. "Our carriage was attacked by bandits and I have been running from them since then. I''m... not sure what happened to my father and the others. I''m not sure where I am either."


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    The villager willingly accepted his made-up story and gave him a place to rest and food to eat. Everyone was nice to him. Their warmth made him feel bad for lying. It kind of surprised him. He had lied a lot before, but it was the first time he had felt bad like this.


    At night, Damian was unable to sleep, so he decided to walk around the village until he became sleepy.


    "Hey, grandpa, are you sure you want to help that kid?" someone said. "He''s obviously lying. His clothes are too good for a merchant''s son. Not to mention, even though he''s dirty, I can tell that he was at least a noble kid."


    Damian hid in a hurry, his heart racing as he sharpened his hearing. "They found out about his lie already?" he thought. "What are they going to do with him now?"


    The grandpa''s expression did not change. "He needs help, doesn''t he?" he said. "That''s why I''m helping him. It doesn''t matter who he actually is. If he needs help and I can give it, I will do it."


    "I see," the villager said. "Well, if you''re sure about that, then I won''t say anything anymore."


    The grandpa smiled. "Don''t worry, he''s a good kid. I can tell."


    For the first time, Damian felt grateful to someone to the point that he almost cried. He felt so bad that he was nothing like what the grandpa thought. He wasn''t a good kid, far from it.


    Damian shook his head and promised himself that he would pay him back for all the kindness he had received, a hundred times--no, a thousand times over!


    Since then, Damian lived in that village in peace. He started getting to know most of the people there. If he were still in his original position, their existence would be unimportant to him, nothing more than a number. Yet, he never thought he would care enough to want to know them all.


    He even started to consider continuing his life there.


    But that night, things drastically changed. He was woken up by a loud noise, and then he heard screams from all over the village.


    Damian then ran outside and was surprised by the destruction that had happened. Because of the darkness of the night, he couldn''t see it clearly, but something was attacking the village. And it was not humans.


    Damian saw panic and chaos everywhere as the villagers ran for their lives, screaming and shouting.


    The air was thick with the acrid stench of smoke. The once peaceful village had been transformed into a scene of destruction and devastation. Buildings lay in ruins, their wooden frames and thatched roofs ablaze.


    Despite the chaos, some brave villagers had gathered weapons.


    "Protect the women and children!" yelled one of the villagers, followed by the same yell from others.


    Damian was hiding behind wreckage, watching the villagers fighting with the attackers. And to his horror, he finally saw what was attacking them: a bunch of six-legged creatures, a combination of bones and darkness, tearing people apart.


    Damian recognized those creatures. He had never seen them before, but Nova had described them to him once. He had dismissed it at the time as nothing but crazy talk because Nova had told him that she saw them in her nightmare. But now...


    "No way..." he murmured in fear.


    It was a one-sided battle. Ordinary villagers like them usually couldn''t use magic, so they could only fight with normal weapons like spears and swords. However, those weapons proved to be ineffective against the creatures.


    Damian was scared. He knew that he should run away. These creatures were not normal. Even if he used magic, it might still not be effective. Yet he didn''t move from there.


    Instead, his hand started emitting fireballs, making him easy to spot in the darkness of the night. He instantly became a target for these monsters.


    When the monsters started to run towards him, Damian summoned several more fireballs and immediately flung them towards the monsters. They fell back, hurt.


    His attack was working. That made Damian more confident and he started to summon more and more fire, flinging it at the monsters.


    He then summoned several rings of fire around the villagers who were still alive, making these monsters hesitate to attack them.


    When a bigger monster appeared, Damian summoned a laser-like continuous fire with both of his hands, forcing the monster to back down.


    "That was surprising," a girl''s voice came from behind those monsters. "I didn''t expect a strong magic user to exist in this kind of unknown small village."


    The silhouette of the girl raised her hand. Suddenly, darkness appeared from below the corpse of the villager. It ate the skin and meat of the corpse until only darkness and bones remained. Slowly, the bones and darkness created a new creature with six legs.


    The girl walked closer and started caressing the new monster. Her nails were black, long, and sharp. She had shoulder-length, curly black hair, eyes as black as night, and a horn on top of her head.


    Damian held his breath. That was a race known as a demon.


    The demon girl smirked, showing her sharp teeth.


    "But it seems like you''re the only one who can use magic," she said. "Lucky me."


    ***

 Two Fathers.

    Ruby was all smiles while the carriage she rode was going back to her home. On the other hand, her knight, Rita, who sat in front of her, looked troubled.


    "Let me make things clear, Miss," Rita said. "Are you and Miss Aurora planning to go on a trip to another kingdom?"


    "Yes," Ruby said.


    "But this was so sudden!" Rita exclaimed. "And I''m included in it somehow?"


    "Well, duh," Ruby said, as if that was the most natural thing. "I personally wanted to go with just the two of us. But who else was going to protect us if things got dangerous?"


    Rita sighed. "I get it, miss," she said. "But such a decision, I think you should discuss this with your father first."


    "That''s why I''m going home," Ruby said.


    "No, you already made that decision," Rita said. "Even if he said no, you would do it anyway."


    Ruby smiled. "As expected of my dependable knight, you know me so well."


    "I''m not happy," Rita said, though she was obviously happy, "but I will do what I can for you, Miss."


    "Yes," Ruby said. "That''s what I expected from you."


    Soon, they arrived at Stoneheart Mansion. The building was beautiful, with walls made of sturdy stone decorated with elaborate carvings, and the windows adorned with colorful stained glass that glowed in the sunlight. The mansion''s vast grounds were well-manicured, with beautiful gardens, fountains, and statues that added to its luxurious atmosphere.


    But Ruby ignored them all and immediately entered the mansion, followed by Rita.


    "Welcome back, my cute daughter!" Marquess Stoneheart said as he saw his daughter enter his room.


    "Hey, Dad!" Ruby said. They hugged each other. "Anyway, I planning to go on a trip to another kingdom with a friend, so give me money," Ruby said.


    "Oh, that sounds like fun--wait, what?" Her father was confused.


    "Oh, right, I had some questions," Ruby said, ignoring her father''s confusion. "Do you know about ancient magic?"


    "Yes, I know about it," Marquess Stoneheart said, "but let''s slow down a little. What is it about going to another kingdom?"


    "Nothing much," Ruby said. "Magic academy''s classes were on pause right now, so it''s a good time to do it, right?"


    "I see, that might be true but--"


    "Anyway, Dad, ancient magic," Ruby said. "Tell me about ancient magic."


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    "Alright, but why do you suddenly want to know about it?" Marquess Stoneheart asked.


    "Why not? It sounds cool. Just tell me already!" Ruby pouted.


    "Well, it was magic that was already extinct," Ruby''s father said. "Or so people thought. But I believe my father, your grandfather, could use it."


    "Really?" Ruby said, excited. "Tell me more!"


    Marquess Stoneheart nodded with a smile. "Your grandfather, when he was alive, was well known for having skin as hard as diamond. Only a few people could actually hurt him. It''s kind of unfortunate how such a tough guy like him passed away because of sickness."


    "Then you know how to do it?" Ruby asked.


    "Unfortunately, no," he replied. "I only heard him talk about it once. When he was young, your grandfather took a trip to the Dwarf Kingdom and found the lost Earth Magic there. That''s when he learned the ancient magic that makes you invulnerable."


    Ruby was pretty excited. A skin as tough as diamond? If she could learn it, she could be Aurora''s shield, while Rita could be their sword. It was just perfect!


    While this trip was supposed to go to the Valoria Kingdom, the Dwarf Kingdom was nearby. So Ruby might be able to convince Aurora to take a quick side trip there. She just needed to ask her later.


    "Now let''s talk about you going to another kingdom--" her father tried to say, but Ruby cut him off.


    "Don''t worry, Dad, I''ve already planned everything," Ruby said. "You don''t need to do anything. Just give me some money."


    "But--" her father started, but Ruby cut him off.


    "I''m tired, I want to rest in my room for now. Talk to you later," Ruby said.


    Her father sighed. "Alright, you can rest for now. Let''s talk again later at dinner."


    ***


    At the same time, Aurora was also going home, riding in a carriage with Lyra.


    "So why did you suddenly want to go home, miss?" Lyra asked. "I mean, there''s nothing wrong with that, but it seems like you have a lot to do at the academy, so it''s kind of weird that you decided suddenly to go home."


    "I guess I didn''t tell you yet," Aurora said. "I was planning to go to the Valoria Kingdom with Ruby. I''m going home to ask my father for permission."


    "What? You''re going on a trip?" Lyra said, looking excited.


    Why are they all so excited about the idea of a trip? Aurora thought. It''s not even for fun.


    "Before you get the wrong idea," Aurora said, "I won''t take you with us."


    Lyra immediately looked disappointed. "Why not?" she asked. "Did I... make a mistake somewhere?"


    "No, that''s not it," Aurora replied.


    "Then why...?" Lyra asked, with teary eyes.


    Aurora sighed. "It was for your own good," she said.


    "What does that mean?" Lyra asked, clearly not accepting that reason.


    Aurora looked out of the carriage, thinking for a moment before making a decision.


    "If you really want to know," Aurora said, "we weren''t going there for fun. It was actually a dangerous place--please keep it a secret from my father. And anyway, if I take you there..."


    "Yes?" Lyra said.


    Aurora just gave her a smile.


    "What?" Lyra said, confused. "Why are you just smiling at me?"


    "Do I really need to say it?" Aurora suddenly looked sad.


    "Oh." Lyra''s face turned pale. "You didn''t mean...?"


    "Please just stay here and support Serena, okay?" Aurora said. "You''re important to me."


    Lyra gulped. "I... I understand, miss."


    Aurora looked relieved. "That''s great."


    Aurora didn''t exactly lie to Lyra, so it should be fine. Technically, at least. And to begin with, she was worried about her if she took her along. If things went wrong, Lyra was the most likely one to end up dead.


    So in a way, it was a prediction of the future.


    A few moments later, Aurora reached her home. She immediately met her father in his office.


    "You''re back," Viscount Starlight said, standing near the window and looking back at her.


    "Yes, I''m back," Aurora said with a smile.


    "Great, let''s have a little chat," Viscount Starlight said, sitting back in his seat.


    Aurora nodded, walked closer, and grabbed a nearby chair before sitting on it gracefully.


    "So how was the academy?" her father asked. "I heard that you started to get close to Prince Casper since that time he asked to meet you."


    "Yes, a little," Aurora said. "But it was strictly just business. It was nothing more than that. I just needed his help for the future I saw."


    Her father nodded. "So that''s how it is," he said, kind of happy. "Anyway, my talk with the king turned out to be easier than expected. Probably because he was sick. I can''t really blame him, finding his own son trying to kill him must have hurt him mentally a lot. But thanks to that, he didn''t ask too many questions."


    "That''s great," Aurora said.


    Her father nodded. "Enough with that. There must be a reason why you decided to go home suddenly. What is it? What happened?"


    Aurora then started telling her father about Nova''s nightmare. But she modified it so it sounded like she was the one seeing it. Then she told him about some characters from the game she needed to meet, especially the huntress, making it sound like they were the key to stopping the nightmare. Even though Aurora couldn''t be sure of anything she said.


    Aurora smiled bitterly. She was getting so good at lying that it was starting to scare her.


    Her father nodded his head with a concerned look. "If that''s what you need to do, then I have no reason to stop you. But it could be dangerous--"


    "Don''t worry, we will take Rita with us," Aurora said. "I believe she was the best knight around, we will be safe."


    "Indeed, her reputation seems amazing," Viscount Starlight said. "But if you need help, just remember to ask."


    Aurora nodded. "Thank you, I will. But right now, I just need your permission to go there."


    Viscount Starlight sighed. "Alright, you can go. But please be careful."


    ***

 Speed.

    Aurora had hoped that teleportation magic existed so they could reach Valoria kingdom in the blink of an eye. But as far as ordinary human magic went, it was not possible.


    They had been on their way to Valoria kingdom, as planned. While Ruby looked outside the carriage and Rita calmly sat in front of them, Aurora was busy thinking.


    Ordinary magic may be impossible, but what about ancient Magic? Aurora thought. Well, the closest thing to teleportation is her own magic, LightSpeed. But she can only use it on herself, not to mention its limitations.


    "What have you been thinking about for a while now?" Ruby asked, interrupting Aurora''s thoughts.


    "It''s nothing," Aurora said. "I just feel like if we move this slowly, we might be too late."


    She wasn''t just talking about the huntress; she meant the whole situation. Nova hadn''t told her how much time they had to prepare. It wouldn''t be funny if she ended up wasting that limited time on the way like this.


    "Well, this is pretty much the usual," Ruby said. "Though I wonder if there''s a way to go around faster? I never really looked into it. Do you know something, Rita?"


    The knight thought for a bit. "What about Casiopia?" she said.


    "The home of the harpy?" Ruby asked.


    "Harpy as in bird girl?" Aurora asked.


    Rita nodded. "They were infamous for their obsession with speed. And if we picked the route to the west, it was on the way to Valoria kingdom. We could make a quick stop there. They might have a faster way to go around."


    That was the setting for the game ''Speed Freak Uta'', if Aurora remembered correctly. Unfortunately, she wasn''t a big fan of racing games, so she didn''t know much about it. That was the reason she hadn''t really thought about it either.


    "Let''s try it then," Aurora said.


    If it could help them move faster, it was always worth trying. Even if nothing came out of it, at the very least, she would figure out the situation in that game. That was always a good thing.


    In a few hours, they reached Casiopia, the city of harpies. They were immediately greeted by a scene where bird girls were flying all over the place.


    Aurora noticed that they were using some sort of magic device in the shape of a bag. They wore it like a backpack or hip bag, which made them fly faster.


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    The cityscape itself was full of high ground that was hard to reach, making it a pain for normal humans to go from one place to another. Some were even impossible to reach without flying.


    "Oh hey!" One harpy flew down in front of them. "What are you group of humans doing here?"


    "We''re looking for something that can take us faster than a carriage," Aurora said.


    "Aha! So you''re interested in speed too?" she said. "Pretty good, human. I don''t know what might help you, but why don''t you check out some of our shops? Something might catch your eye."


    "Alright, thank--" The bird girl had already flown away. "--you," Aurora said.


    "How rude, just leaving like that," Ruby said.


    They then tried to go to the shopping district. Some of the shops had several floors, and the top floor was inaccessible without flying.


    "I bet not many humans come here," Ruby said. "So which one do we go to first?"


    "Let''s check out the first floor for now," Aurora said. "We will think about how to check the higher floors later if necessary."


    They checked several shops with no luck until one of the shops they visited gave them some direction.


    "Why don''t you check Grandma Sachi?" she said. "She is the oldest shop owner here, and she is your best bet if you''re looking for unconventional items."


    They then followed her advice, arrived at an old-looking shop, but it was clean and tidy, giving them the feeling of an experienced shop. They entered.


    "Excuse me, do you have a way for us to move faster than a regular carriage?" Ruby asked.


    "Ho, a human interested in speed? Pretty good," the old lady shop owner said. "Our device was created with our unique technology and deep understanding of Wind itself."


    "We know," Ruby said. "We already heard the same thing from another shop."


    "Is that so? Then please follow me," the old lady harpy said as she started to walk toward the door at the back of the shop. "For us, flying was second nature. So usually we just strapped the device to ourselves if we wanted to go somewhere fast. But we did sometimes create prototypes like this."


    The old lady Sachi opened the door and entered. Aurora and the others followed behind.


    "A carriage that could move faster than being dragged by a horse," she said, showing off her product. "But to be able to use it, at least you needed to be able to use wind magic."


    Aurora and Ruby immediately looked at Rita.


    "Uh, I guess I will do it?" Rita said.


    "Good," the old lady said. "This thing was old and unmaintained. It will take some time to fix it. And you stay here, we will need you to calibrate this device with your wind magic so it will be a smoother experience overall."


    Rita nodded.


    "While you two," the old lady addressed Ruby and Aurora. "Why don''t you go sightseeing in our city? It''s a waste to just sit around doing nothing, after all."


    Ruby was excited with the idea. So Aurora had no other choice but to say, "Sure."


    Not that she hated the idea either. While sightseeing, she could try to look for Uta and the other characters from the game.


    Except for one thing...


    "Wait, what if we get lost?" Aurora asked.


    "Don''t worry, Miss Aurora," Rita said. "With my magic, I think I can track both of you. But do try not to go too far."


    "Alright, let''s go then!" Ruby said excitedly.


    They got out of the shop and started adventuring. Probably because harpies could just fly away, a lot of paths ended up taking them to dead ends, forcing them to backtrack.


    "It''s kind of fascinating for a few times," Ruby said as they got to the dead end again. "But now it''s just a pain."


    Aurora giggled. "Yes, I think they''re kind of doing it on purpose at this point."


    They had then tried to check out the city garden, which seemed to be a hangout place for a few young harpies. These harpies had been sitting on top of the huge trees, eating and chatting, and looked like they were having fun, which Aurora and Ruby couldn''t really join.


    Besides that, there were a lot of food stalls around that garden that they could try. Aurora tried one that looked like candy on a stick.


    "How is it?" Ruby asked.


    Aurora gave it a bite. "They tasted okay, I guess?"


    "Really?" Ruby got closer and took a bite too.


    "Hey!" Aurora said.


    Ruby grinned. "Want to try some more?"


    They bought some more food before leaving that area, and then they had arrived at the racing area. There stood the biggest building in that city. It seemed like the most popular place there, with harpies flying in and out of that place nonstop.


    "They were so obsessed with speed, huh?" Ruby said. "How pointless. The moment you join the race, they will lose anyway."


    "Hey, what did you say, jerkface?" a bird girl with bad temperament overheard Ruby and got close to them. "Even though you were just a tourist, I wouldn''t forgive you for looking down on us, especially about speed!"


    ***

 Bet.

    They encountered an angry harpy. But instead of being unhappy or worried, Aurora smiled. That''s because she had planned to do something to make the harpies interested in her. They only had a little time, and there was no way she could find Uta in a normal way.


    Still, she didn''t expect Ruby''s random comment to get them attention from a big fish like her. Aurora might be unfamiliar with the game "Speed Freak Uta," but she had seen the cover of the game a few times. And this girl was one of the characters on the cover. She might not have known her name, but she must have been one of the playable characters, not just a random NPC. She must have a direct connection with Uta.


    "So what?" Ruby said fearlessly. "I''m just telling you the truth! Aurora can beat your speed with her eyes closed!"


    "Um, that might not be true, Ruby," Aurora said.


    "Ha! Look, even your friend doesn''t agree with you!" the harpy said.


    "Unless... maybe when the track is straight?" Aurora continued.


    "See?" Ruby said proudly. "She can do it!"


    "Both of you, brats!" the bird girl snorted in disgust. "You''d better back up that big mouth of yours with actual speed! Let''s have a race!"


    "Of course!" Ruby said. "I guess a simple fact can''t get inside your stupid bird brain unless you see it for yourself, huh?"


    "That''s it, stupid human!" the bird girl said. "Don''t think I''ll forgive you even if you beg me to!"


    "Yeah, yeah, do that after you win," Ruby said. "And you better not cheat by using a race track where flying will make you faster reaching the goal."


    "Don''t look down on me, human," the harpy stomped her legs. "Why would I use such a pathetic dirty trick? It''s not the first time other races think they''re faster than us. We have prepared several race tracks that are better suited to your silly legs."


    "Oh... I guess I can respect your fairness then," Ruby said, kind of surprised.


    Aurora nodded. "But if we''re going to do this," she said, "I won''t do it with just random people. Or harpies. Bring someone that''s worth the effort. I want someone with the best speed you have."


    "Don''t joke around! There''s no way I will let you race with our Uta--"


    "What''s going on here? Why the ruckus?" a tall harpy asked as she walked toward them. Her eyes were sharp and her hair was green.


    That was Uta. Aurora remembered her as the most dominant character on the cover art of the game. But what surprised her the most was a small harpy girl that followed her. She wore big circled glasses and had short braided pink hair. Aurora was sure that she was supposed to be the rival character, the antagonist Hina Clockwinder, in other words, the transmigrator.


    Yet they were obviously on the same team. Were they friends? Partners? What was going on here?


    Aurora could ask her directly. If she revealed that she was a transmigrator too, Hina would most likely be willing to talk. But Aurora didn''t feel like taking such an unnecessary risk. She had a guess of what might have happened. In a racing game, the normal one at least, there was usually no risk of dying. If you lost the race, you just lost. There was no danger of being killed by the winner. So ending up being friendly didn''t really surprise Aurora when she thought about it this way.


    The temperamental harpy from before tried to explain the situation. Uta nodded her head, starting to understand what had happened.


    "So she wants the fastest of us?" Uta smiled. "Interesting. I won''t back down from a challenge."


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    "But Uta, they''re not on your level--"


    "Enough, I said I accept the challenge," Uta said, as she shifted her gaze to Aurora and Ruby, and walked over to them.


    "Hey, Hina! Stop her!" the temperamental harpy said to the small harpy.


    The small harpy, Hina, sighed. "There''s no way I can. She has been bored for a whole week now. No way she''s willing to back down from a race."


    Uta observed Aurora and Ruby. "So both of you, who is going to race with me?" she asked.


    "Me, I guess," Aurora said.


    "Oh, cool. What''s your name? I''m Uta, by the way," she said.


    Aurora nodded. "I''m Aurora."


    "Alright, follow me!" the tall harpy said.


    They reached the race track. It was straight, with a smooth track, without any obstacles. The length was approximately around 500 meters.


    "What happened here?" some random harpy asked.


    "A human challenged us to a race."


    "Oh, another one of those kinds of fools, huh? Wait-- isn''t that Uta?"


    "Wait, really? She''s going to race with a human? What a waste."


    "Everyone, shut up!" the temperamental harpy from before said, silencing everyone.


    Uta ignored them and talked to Aurora. "The first one to reach the goal wins. It''s simple enough, right?" the tall harpy said.


    "Okay," Aurora said.


    "Hina, give the signal!" Uta said.


    "A-alright, on the count of three," the small harpy said.


    Aurora and Uta stood on the starting line.


    "LightSpeed," Aurora murmured.


    Uta blinked. "What''s that? A magic chant?" she asked.


    Aurora smiled. "Maybe."


    "One!" Hina yelled. "Two. Three. Begin!"


    Aurora ran, and she reached the finish line. Everyone was freezing, unable to comprehend what had happened.


    The first one to react was Ruby. "Amazing speed as usual, Aurora!" she cheered.


    That''s when the harpies started to react too.


    "What...?" some said.


    "What happened?" the others said.


    Even Uta was in confusion. "What''s up with that speed...?" she said.


    She was stunned in place. She was lost, yet Uta didn''t seem upset. In fact, she looked excited.


    "So it exists," she said, her smile getting wider. "Speed that''s far better than mine..."


    "You must be cheating!" the temperamental harpy yelled at Aurora. "There''s no way you were that fast!"


    "Are you an idiot?" Ruby said. "She cleared my winning, fair and square. Like I said from the beginning."


    "Shut up!" the harpy yelled back. "I don''t believe--"


    "Stop it," Uta said. "I can only see it vaguely, but her speed was genuine. If you keep that up, you will just embarrass me and disrespect speed itself."


    The temperamental bird girl gasped. "I-I''m sorry."


    "All of you, too," Uta addressed all the harpies that were watching. "I lost. That''s it. Don''t dare to make up stories besides that."


    "Yes, of course," they all nodded in unison.


    Meanwhile, Ruby ran towards Aurora and hugged her. "I knew you would obviously win, but congrats anyway!" she said.


    Aurora smiled. "Thank you."


    Uta walked towards them. "Anyway, your name was Aurora, right? I apologize," Uta said. "I guess we became a little arrogant just because we were getting a little faster. Even me. With such speed, ours must be like child''s play to you."


    "No, it''s fine," Aurora said.


    Uta nodded and smiled. "Anyway, can I make a request?" she said. "Please race with me once again."


    Aurora actually didn''t mind. Her 5-minute limit was still not up yet, but she felt it was a waste to just agree like that. "I''m not sure," Aurora said. "That was quite tiring for me, you know?"


    "Please!" Uta said. "I beg you. Just once more."


    "Hm... Alright, how about if we do it like this?" Aurora said. "If I win, I want you to do one thing for me."


    "Eh? She already knows how fast you are," Ruby said. "She won''t just accept it--"


    "Sure," Uta said. "Let''s do that."


    "What? You know you will lose again, right?" Ruby asked, confused.


    Uta smiled. "I know. This wasn''t a bet, it was a payment. I am willing to do anything to see that speed again."


    Aurora nodded. "So you get it."


    As expected of someone that even in a game called ''speed freak'', Uta''s eyes were twinkling with excitement. Of course, she will be obsessed with Aurora''s skill.


    Aurora then once again ran back to the starting line, stopped for a moment, and then went back to the finish line. Uta didn''t even try to move this time. She just watched.


    "Ah... Even after I prepared myself, my eyes still can barely keep up..." Uta said as she trembled with excitement. Her face flushed red, and she even drooled a little, no longer trying to hide her actual feelings.


    "Probably she wasn''t just obsessed, probably she was a pervert," Ruby whispered to Aurora.


    Well, probably, Aurora thought.


    After calming herself down, Uta looked at Aurora.


    "That was a beautiful run," she said.


    "Thank you," Aurora replied.


    "So what are you going to ask me?" Uta asked.


    "I wonder if you will agree with this," Aurora said, doubtful.


    "A promise is a promise. I will do what I can. So just tell me already," Uta said.


    Aurora nodded. "I want you to bring at least 30 harpies to our kingdom, Avalonera, and help us in future fights with... certain enemies."


    "Fight? What do you mean?" Uta asked.


    "In the future, we will fight with certain creatures," Aurora said. "It''s a little bit hard to explain. But I want you to help me against them. Well, if you don''t want to, I won''t force you."


    Uta was confused and seemed to be against the idea. "Look," she said. "We like competition. We like physical activity, but fighting was a bit..."


    "But of course, if you come, I''m willing to race against you as much as you want," Aurora continued, betting on their love of speed.


    That''s immediately sparked a light in Uta''s eyes. "Alright, deal!" she said.


    "That''s... a quick change of mind," Ruby said, distrusting. "Do you even really mean it?"


    "Well, I''m planning to follow you anyway the moment I saw your speed," Uta admitted. "There''s no way I will let go of a source of amazing speed like that. So if you''re giving me the chance to formally continue racing with you like that, of course I won''t say no!"


    "Wait, you''re planning to stalk us?" Ruby said, grabbing Aurora''s hand and getting defensive.


    "No, no, that was...a slip of the tongue? I didn''t really mean it," Uta laughed it off.


    "We can''t trust her, Aurora," Ruby said.


    "Oh, come on, everyone makes a mistake," Uta said. "Anyway, I don''t know what fight you''re talking about, but you won''t regret having me on your side!"


    "Alright then, I''m looking forward to working with you," Aurora said.


    "Aurora!" Ruby exclaimed.


    "It''s fine," Aurora said. "Oh, and I want you to take her too."


    The small harpy was shocked when Aurora pointed at her.


    "M-me?" Hina said, her face pale.


    ***

 Partner.

    Uta had promised to go to the Avalonera kingdom in a few days after she picked up the best harpies she could.


    Aurora accepted her words. So, after they gave a quick goodbye to each other, Aurora and Ruby went back to the shopping area.


    "I still can''t trust that perverted bird girl," Ruby murmured.


    "It''s fine, it''s fine," Aurora said. "They will be useful."


    "They better be!" Ruby said.


    "Welcome back, Miss Ruby and Miss Aurora," Rita said, standing in front of the old shop. "The carriage was ready."


    Rita held her sword with her right hand and then touched the carriage with her left hand. For a moment, nothing happened, but the wind started to move around the carriage. From the device attached to the bottom part of the carriage, a strong wind pushed it, making it float a little bit from the ground.


    "That''s cool," Aurora said. "It''s kind of like a hoverboard or a flying car in science fiction. It almost doesn''t feel like a magic-related thing."


    "Is it safe...?" Ruby said, worried.


    "Don''t worry, miss," Rita said. "Thanks to this sword, my control over wind magic even surpassed any harpies around. I will make sure we arrive safely."


    "Yes, even I''m surprised," the old lady harpy said. "Since I opened this shop, it''s the first time I''ve seen such refined control of Wind magic. So don''t worry, it''s safe."


    Aurora and Ruby then got inside while Rita needed to sit outside to control it.


    "Good luck with your trip," the old lady said.


    "Yes, thank you," Aurora said.


    The carriage then started to move. At the beginning, it moved slowly, slower than a normal carriage.


    "What is this?" Ruby said. "It doesn''t feel fast at all."


    But soon the carriage started to gain speed.


    "So fast!" Ruby said, kind of scared. She reflexively held onto Aurora''s hand. "I''m not sure about this! Will we be okay...?"


    Aurora, on the other hand, just giggled. Thanks to LightSpeed, she was used to moving fast, so this was nothing for her.


    "If you''re scared, just hold onto me," Aurora offered.


    "Well, this wasn''t so bad then," Ruby said, happily grabbing onto Aurora more.


    The trip to Valoria kingdom usually took several days, even weeks sometimes, but they reached it in less than a day.


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    "The side trip was worth it," Aurora said as she got out of the carriage.


    "Yes, but... I''m kind of feeling sick..."


    Car sickness? Aurora thought. Or maybe, more accurately, super carriage sickness?


    "Sorry miss! Are you okay?" Rita asked.


    Aurora picked up a drink from Serena''s bag and gave it to Ruby while she tried to remember how to relieve car sickness.


    "Thank you," Ruby said weakly as she started to drink a little.


    Aurora blinked a few times; she felt stupid. She had light magic that was mostly for curing things. She should have used it instead.


    "Ah! So much better! Thank you!" Ruby said as Aurora cast her light magic.


    They then started walking. Around them, the mood was depressing. The town was bleak and somber, with its dilapidated buildings and cobbled streets worn down by time. The gray sky seemed to mirror the inhabitants'' melancholic mood, as they went about their dreary lives. The air was thick with the smell of rotting food and sewage, and the sound of coughing and groaning echoed through the narrow alleys.


    "Did we get in from the worst part of town or...?" Ruby''s voice trailed off.


    "Or was this how things usually were in this kingdom?" Aurora said, guessing what Ruby was trying to say.


    Ruby had nodded.


    "I don''t know either," Aurora said. "I hope not, but--"


    They had stopped by a small girl with a really thin body. She had looked pretty weak, with her long hair a mess and dirty and her clothes equally dirty and full of holes.


    She started begging. "Please kind stranger, give me something to eat..."


    Ruby quickly picked up a pouch from her pocket, immediately alerting people around.


    "Umm, I''m feeling generous today, so here, take it," Ruby said, as she pulled out a golden coin and gave it to the girl.


    That was a mistake because immediately people around them suddenly became full of energy and started to surround them. Kids, men, women, old people, all kinds of people swarmed them instantly.


    "Me too!" they said.


    "Me too!" the others said.


    "Please, me too!" a bunch of teenagers said.


    "Please! I haven''t eaten for a week!"


    "Please!"


    They started grabbing their clothes, making Ruby panic. Aurora quickly grabbed Ruby''s pouch and threw it away. The coins inside immediately poured out, falling on the ground. Noticing this, the people immediately pushed and shoved each other, trying to pick up the falling coins.


    "Let''s go!" Aurora said, grabbing Ruby''s hand and quickly leaving that place. Rita followed behind.


    "That was scary," Ruby said, calming her breath.


    "I''m sorry, miss," Rita said. "They seemed like ordinary town''s people, and I wasn''t sure if I should attack them or not."


    "It''s fine," Ruby said. "They didn''t really hurt me, but..."


    Aurora nodded. "They''re all desperate. Let''s be more careful in here."


    To avoid drawing attention because of their clean and high-quality clothes, they wore a cheap-looking cloak on top of them.


    They then settled in at an inn not too far from where they had hidden their carriage.


    Ruby immediately jumped into bed.


    "Ah, I''m tired," she said, hugging the pillow. "Anyway, what are we going to do next?"


    "Let''s plan things out properly," Rita suggested. "I heard from Miss Ruby that you want to meet with the huntress, an assassin?"


    Aurora nodded.


    "Well, I''m not going to ask why," Rita said. "But it''s not only going to be dangerous, people like them are hard to find too. I mean, they''re used to hunting people, they know how to protect themselves from being hunted."


    Aurora nodded, knowing that. She even knew specifically how Reiren did that. In the game "The Phantom Huntress," you could pick a buddy as your partner to help you on missions. There were a few choices you could make: a dog that could help with smelling where the treasure and target were, a bird to get the full map of the specific mission, or a girl, her best friend named Eliphia Rosabeth, who was a great support that could hear from far away. It was almost impossible to get a jump on them. Eliphia would hear them before they could even get close. Especially since other assassins were hunting them too, they would be super careful every time someone got close to them.


    "Yes, I''m expecting that," Aurora said. "So my plan is, if we can''t chase them, we will make them come to us instead."


    "How?" Ruby asked.


    "Well, even assassins are still just human, right?" Aurora said. "They still need to eat, sleep, and do all the normal things humans do. So instead of looking for them, we will pick some places where they might come to and wait there. And the fact that all their hideouts were destroyed, they won''t have a choice but to pick a public place to do just that."


    "I see," Ruby said. "That''s simple enough. I like that!"


    Aurora smiled. And she had actually already picked a place based on the game event. It was no longer about whether they would come or not, but more about when.


    ***


    A week later, Aurora, Ruby, and Rita sat in the tavern. The air was thick with the smell of smoke from the fireplace and the aroma of ale, mead, and roasted meats. The tavern keeper, a huge man with a bushy beard, served tea and food to them.


    "Are you sure this is going to work?" Ruby asked as she drank her tea. "They haven''t appeared here for the past few days."


    "Be patient," Aurora said. "They will come eventually."


    "Okay," Ruby sighed. "I''m just kind of tired of this place''s depressing mood. I want to go to the Dwarf kingdom already."


    "I''m sorry, but we can''t leave until I finish my business here," Aurora said.


    Ruby shook her head. "No, don''t apologize. I''m just being selfish," Ruby hurriedly said. "I know this is where we were going to go from the beginning. I shouldn''t complain."


    Aurora smiled. "I will try to finish this as quickly as possible, I promise," she said. "But why do you want to go to the Dwarf kingdom? I mean, I want to go there too, but--"


    "Miss," Rita said, interrupting Aurora. "Someone''s coming."


    Two girls with cloaks entered the tavern.


    ***

 Reiren and Eliphia.

    Since she was small, Reiren noticed that she could see the colors of sound. Every time something made a noise, she could see colors coming from it. Red, green, blue, like a rainbow. It was beautiful, yet quite strange, because when she told people around her, they just stared at her in confusion. Some thought that she was joking, some even thought she was crazy.


    Until she met her. Eliphia Rosabeth, a little girl with golden hair and cute buns hairstyles.


    When Reiren told her about the colors of sound, she didn''t look surprised. She didn''t look at her as if she was crazy either. Instead, it was an understanding look.


    "Don''t tell me, you can see the colors too?" Reiren asked.


    But Eliphia shook her head, almost making Reiren disappointed. Until she said, "I can''t see the color, but I can feel it."


    "What do you mean?" Reiren asked.


    "It was hard to explain, but if it was within a certain radius from me, I could feel it when something made a sound," Eliphia said.


    "So, you feel the sound?" Reiren said, trying to understand. "Not hearing it?"


    Eliphia nodded. "I knew even when my ears didn''t really hear it. For example, behind this building, there was an apple tree there. And one of the fruits fell just now. I couldn''t see it, I didn''t really hear it, but I knew an apple had just made a falling sound."


    Reiren immediately checked it and as Eliphia said, there was an apple that had fallen not far from the tree.


    Since then, they often spent time together. And their meeting was not an accident because they were part of a secret assassins organization called Silent Sentinel, a group that had been protecting the land from darkness for hundreds of years.


    Naturally, later on, they were taught to become future assassins. Reiren was mentored by an old man named Baal. She didn''t know who her parents were, so she always thought of him as a father, even though she never said it out loud.


    Meanwhile, Eliphia was mentored by a woman named Morrigan. Reiren didn''t know much about her, but she knew that Eliphia didn''t like her that much, probably because she was strict and always looked angry.


    Thankfully, Eliphia''s ability turned out to be super useful for this job. With just her sound detection, she could tell what was happening inside a building without even seeing or hearing directly, making her perfect for stealth missions. This made Morrigan less annoying towards her.


    On the other hand, Reiren discovered something about her own ability too. If she touched the floating colors that appeared from sound, they would turn black and the sound would suddenly disappear. It turned out her ability was more than just seeing colors of sound; she could also mute it.


    While honing her assassin''s abilities, she also made sure to improve this special skill. Soon she could mute her own walking sound. A few months later, she could mute the sound when she swung her knife. And in a few years, she could even mute the screams of her target, making her one of the most promising assassins in their group.


    This was important because the royalty and nobles in that kingdom started to become more and more corrupt, especially the princess Catherina Vil Valoria, someone who looked beautiful on the outside but was really rotten on the inside. Their works were becoming more and more needed.


    Still, even if their skills were great, they weren''t yet great assassins. After all, killing people, even if it was for the greater good, was still hard for the younger generation. Especially Eliphia, who was strongly against the idea.


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    The first time Eliphia stabbed a target, her attack was too shallow. She got scared and ended up abandoning the mission, going straight to Reiren and starting to cry. She then became sick with a fever for a week.


    After that, no matter what people around her said, Eliphia didn''t want to continue. This made Morrigan angry, but Eliphia didn''t change her mind. Killing or hurting someone was too much for her. However, the assassins'' organization didn''t want to let go of such talent, so they kept pestering her to continue. This made Eliphia even more scared.


    When Eliphia locked herself in her room, Reiren came. She stood right in front of her home and started asking for the door to be opened. She didn''t even knock or yell. She talked as if Eliphia was right in front of her, even though her room was on the second floor.


    Reiren knew that Eliphia could hear her, which was why she kept asking to be let in.


    After a few hours, Eliphia finally opened the door.


    "You''re so noisy," she said, her eyes puffed from crying so much.


    Reiren just smiled.


    Eliphia then let Reiren enter her home. They just sat in silence for a while until Reiren decided to speak.


    "Do you think what we do is wrong?" Reiren asked. This was something that she had been asking herself too. She understood the philosophy of her mentor and the people around them. The whole organization even. They were doing a bad thing for a good reason. Someone had to do it. They were walking on the dark path for the betterment of people.


    It sounded good when people said it, but truthfully, it wasn''t easy for her either, even though she didn''t take it as badly as Eliphia.


    "I''m... not sure," Eliphia said, looking uneasy. "But I just can''t do it. I''m sorry..."


    "Even if they were bad people?" Reiren asked.


    Eliphia nodded. "Even if they were bad people."


    "Even if they hurt you?" Reiren asked. "Or even hurt someone important to you?"


    "I... I didn''t know. If, for example, they hurt you, I might have been really angry," Eliphia said, looking hurt for real, "but... I still wouldn''t have liked to hurt them."


    "I see," Reiren said, putting her hand on top of her friend''s hand. "Then, want to be my partner?"


    Eliphia blinked in surprise. "What?"


    "You just need to support me," Reiren said, "while I can do the dirty job for the two of us. It''s a win-win solution, right?"


    Eliphia gulped. "Are... are you really okay with that?"


    Reiren smiled. "Of course," she said. "You can depend on me!"


    Reiren wasn''t sure about anything, if she was being honest. To sacrifice herself for the greater good, sometimes she thought it was unfair. She never chose this, and one part of her actually wanted to live as a normal girl.


    But if it meant she could help her best friend too, she didn''t mind doing it anymore.


    After that, things started to get better. The combination of their skills made them stand out, even compared to the most talented members of the group. They began to be trusted with bigger missions, which gave them more freedom and less work.


    A few months continued like this. Things seemed to be going great for both of them, until that night came.


    Reiren and Eliphia had just returned from a big mission to eliminate a Viscount from the east area. They were tired and all they wanted was to rest and have a good sleep. But then Eliphia stopped, grabbing Reiren''s hand. Her face was pale.


    "Something... happened to our hideout," she said. "They''re all... dead."


    "Wait here!" Reiren said, understanding that something big was happening. She immediately used her power to hide their sounds and rushed toward their hideout.


    As Eliphia said, that place was destroyed. The remaining building was being burned by the attackers, knights of the Valoria kingdom. They were numerous, hundreds even, and they had slaughtered everyone there.


    Even her mentor, Baal, was tortured and tied to the floor, not moving anymore.


    Looking at this disturbing scene made Reiren''s heart sink and made her careless. She failed to mute her surroundings, so when her leg hit something, it immediately alerted the whole army of knights.


    Reiren immediately jumped back and ran toward where Eliphia was waiting. She grabbed her hand and then both of them ran away. A few knights tried to catch up to them, but they were quickly melted into the night and disappeared without any sound.


    The next day, Reiren found out that not only their hideout had been found, but all the other branches as well. They were all destroyed by knights ordered by Princess Catherina.


    "But how?" Eliphia said, holding back her tears. "How could she know? Haven''t we been hidden for hundreds of years? Why did this suddenly happen?"


    Reiren punched the wall in frustration. "There must be a traitor among us," she said.


    Eliphia wiped her tears. "But..."


    "What else could it be?" Reiren asked. "There''s no way Princess Catherina could have known about it if she didn''t hear it from one of the members. Or do you have another idea?"


    "I... I don''t know," Eliphia said. "But suspecting our own members after this happened was..."


    "I know!" Reiren interrupted. "I don''t want to either! But what other explanation is there?"


    "I think..." Eliphia suddenly stopped and looked back, her expression one of panic. "Assassins that survived from other branches are here," she said, gulping. "And they don''t have good intentions towards us. They think the same, they thought we were the traitor--"


    Reiren grabbed her friend''s hand. "Let''s go then! I''m not going to fight with them. Not unless I find out for sure who the traitor is."


    Eliphia nodded, and they ran away.


    That''s all they could do at that time, keep running away, yet unable to find an answer while the situation around the kingdom was getting worse, especially because Princess Catherina became more daring in her exploits.


    "Let''s just leave this kingdom," Eliphia suggested. "There''s nothing we can do here anymore."


    From the top of the building, Reiren stared at the condition of the commoners. Poverty and starvation, the smell of death everywhere.


    "We can''t," Reiren said. "I want revenge, but most of all, I now understand they need to be stopped. At the very least that princess... Too many people are suffering for nothing. I want to help them, even a little."


    Eliphia sighed. "If that''s what you want, then so be it," she said. "I will always support you."


    Reiren nodded, and they disappeared without a sound.


    ***

 Trap.

    Reiren was getting more and more frustrated. Her fellow assassins had been restlessly killing each other, with some even trying to hunting them down. They were just trying to satisfy their anger, and no one was trying to figure out who exactly the traitor was anymore.


    Meanwhile, the actual culprit was happily continuing with her extravagant life. Princess Catherina Vil Valoria was always protected by a bunch of knights wherever she went. Even with her and Eliphia''s ability to pass by them and assassinate the princess, it was still a tall order.


    "So it''s impossible?" Eliphia asked as they walked in town. "Then what about just leaving to another kingdom?"


    "Stop trying to make me give up," Reiren said. "Didn''t you say you would support me?"


    "Yes, but you didn''t exactly have a plan, right?" Eliphia said. "We were just keep running away from our fellow assassins, and we never had a chance to get close to the princess either. So what was I supposed to support you with?"


    Reiren sighed. "Yeah, I didn''t know either..."


    "Then let''s go to another kingdom?" Eliphia asked with a smile.


    "Stop that," Reiren said. "I can''t..."


    "Fine," Eliphia said. "I just need to make sure."


    "Sorry, but I won''t change my mind," Reiren said. "Anyway, did you check inside the tavern yet?" She asked as they got closer to the tavern.


    "I''m doing it right now," Eliphia said, using her ability. "The tavern was almost full. I heard... a group of girls waiting for someone. And then they were talking about the dwarf kingdom. The others were the usual tavern customers that lived around here."


    "No assassins or knights then?" Reiren asked.


    "I don''t think so," Eliphia said.


    "Alright, let''s get in then--" Reiren''s words were cut off by Eliphia suddenly grabbing her hand.


    "One of the girls noticed us," she said, even before we got inside.


    "Targeting us?" Reiren asked.


    "I''m... not sure," Eliphia said.


    "Well, someone skilled was bound to exist around," Reiren said. "Let''s just ignore it. We will be more suspicious if we suddenly go back. Unless...are you sure they were enemies?"


    "I don''t know," Eliphia said.


    "Then let''s go inside," Reiren said. "There''s no need to be overly cautious."


    Eliphia nodded, although her expression was still uneasy.


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    They entered the tavern. From the middle of the room, the blue-haired girl looked at them.


    "It''s just two girls, maybe travelers like us? No need to be cautious," the blue-haired girl said to the tall girl that looked like a knight.


    "Yes, don''t surprise us like that," a small girl with twin tails said.


    "You''re right, I''m sorry, miss," the tall girl said.


    They then continued talking about the dwarf kingdom.


    Reiren and Eliphia continued to walk toward the tavern owner.


    "Oh, welcome back," the tavern owner with a huge body and bushy beard said, smiling.


    Reiren nodded. "The usual," she said.


    "Me too," Eliphia said, seeming still uneasy.


    "Alright, wait a moment, I will bring your order soon," the tavern owner said.


    Reiren and Eliphia then walked to the only empty table, in the middle, close to the group of girls from before.


    They sat down, yet Eliphia was getting more uneasy. Reiren held her hand, making Eliphia''s eyes meet hers directly.


    "What''s wrong?" Reiren asked. "Did you hear something?"


    Eliphia shook her head. "It''s the opposite."


    "What?"Reiren blinked in confusion.


    Eliphia gulped. "Since we entered, most of the customers here suddenly didn''t say anything. That''s weird..."


    "That''s indeed weird," Reiren said, noticing that some of them were stealing glances at her.


    Then the blue-haired girl said something that surprised her.


    "So, are you Reiren and Eliphia, I presume?" she said.


    Reflexively, they stood and brought out their weapons, staring at the blue-haired girl cautiously. At the same time, all the customers suddenly moved. Some moved to the door, some to the windows, blocking their way out with their bodies.


    "I''m sorry, Reiren, but we need money," the huge tavern owner said.


    Reiren cursed, finally understanding what happened. The whole tavern was bought by the blue-haired girl. They were all enemies.


    "No need to be alarmed," the blue-haired girl said. "Please put down your weapon, I just want to talk."


    "As if!" Reiren said. "I''m sorry, Eliphia. I should have listened to you."


    "Don''t worry about it. I''m not sure either," Eliphia said. "But what do we do now?"


    Reiren glanced toward the door. She could try to run there and stab them, but their bodies would still block the door.


    The same with the windows. They were completely trapped.


    "My name is Aurora," the blue-haired girl said. "Please sit down. As I said before, I just want to talk."


    Reiren stared at the blue-haired girl. They seemed calm and didn''t seem to be going to attack them. Yet, there was no way she could trust them. Her mind was still trying to find a way to run.


    "I told you to sit down," Aurora said. "Don''t make me force you to do it."


    The tall girl beside her pulled out her sword, and wind appeared inside that closed room, gathering around her.


    The wind was pretty sharp. Reiren could tell that if she wanted, she could already cut both of their heads even without her sword directly touching them. That''s how dangerous that lady knight with the sword was.


    She grabbed Eliphia''s hand, forcing her to sit down. Eliphia didn''t protest. She could feel it, the danger of disobeying them.


    "Much better," Aurora said, smiling as she clapped her hands. "Now let''s talk."


    "So who are you?" Reiren asked, still feeling intimidated. "What do you want from us?"


    "I already told you my name," Aurora said. "But I guess that didn''t really mean anything to you. And you asked me what I want from you? It''s the opposite. I''m here to offer you my help."


    "Help...?" Eliphia said, confused.


    "That''s right," Aurora said. "I can help you two fulfill what you want, with a price. Well, basically, you can even call it a contract if you want."


    "Help? Contract? What are you talking about?" Reiren said.


    "To put it simply," Aurora said, "I will help you, but not for free."


    "You think we will believe you after you do this?" Reiren said. "Forget it. Let us go!"


    "Well, I don''t want to come off as being too forceful or anything, but there''s no way you guys will listen if I didn''t do this, right?" Aurora said. "And don''t worry, I won''t keep you here if you don''t want to."


    Aurora gave a gesture toward the people around the door. They understood and moved out of the way.


    "But before you take your leave," Aurora said, "please remember my offer. I could give you a chance to assassinate the princess. I believe that''s what you wanted, right?"


    Reiren froze in her seat, but she tried to make it less obvious. That shouldn''t have shocked her. If she had thought about it, that would not have been a surprising conclusion. Their assassin''s group was destroyed because of the princess''s actions. Of course, people could predict that the remaining assassins would want to take revenge.


    "And as a bonus," Aurora said, "I could tell you how she found out about your group''s hideout. Spoiler alert, there was no traitor in your group."


    "What...?" Reiren immediately stood up.


    Aurora smiled. "We will be around here for a few more days. If you change your mind, you can always come to me anytime. We can talk more about this in detail."


    Reiren stood there, staring at Aurora who was still smiling. She couldn''t help but wonder what was up with this girl. She couldn''t read her at all.


    Eliphia, on the other hand, couldn''t wait to leave that place. She grabbed Reiren''s hand and pulled her.


    "Let''s go!" she urged Reiren. "Before they change their minds!"


    Reiren nodded and quickly walked to the door, half expecting they would be attacked from behind. But nothing happened. After all that, they had really left them free just like that.


    "What''s up with them?" Reiren said as they left the tavern, confused.


    "I don''t know," Eliphia said. "They didn''t follow us either, but let''s just go for now."


    Reiren used her ability to mute their sound before disappearing completely behind the building.


    ***

 Nothing Is Certain.

    Resting on top of the building, Reiren''s mind couldn''t stop thinking about the blue-haired girl named Aurora. The encounter at the tavern had left her feeling uneasy, and she couldn''t shake the feeling that something wasn''t quite right.


    She had never seen anyone quite like Aurora before. Her confidence and poise were unmatched, and she seemed to know things that she shouldn''t have known.


    As she gazed out over the town, she felt a sense of restlessness wash over her.


    "Is she Princess Catharina''s ally or something?" she muttered.


    "I don''t know," Eliphia, who was standing behind her, replied. "But I doubt it. I never heard her name before, and naturally, there is no information about her having a connection with the princess. Not to mention, if she was the princess''s ally and wanted to kill us..."


    "They would have already done it at that tavern?" Reiren guessed. "Yeah, in a direct confrontation, we would have had no chance of winning against that knight lady. Still, what does she want exactly?"


    "I can''t tell either," Eliphia said. "But it''s better for us not to get involved with them."


    "But what if they can really help us?" Reiren said. "And what about there being no traitor?"


    "If that''s true, then it''s a relief," Eliphia said. "But either way, we can''t trust her. We don''t know her at all! All that she said could be a lie!"


    "That''s true, but... it''s kind of unfair, though," Reiren said. "She appeared and offered us help right when we needed it the most."


    "That''s exactly why it''s suspicious," Eliphia said, her tone wary. "It''s as if she could tell the future. Remember when I said earlier that they were waiting for someone before we entered the tavern? I think they were waiting for us."


    Reiren stared at her friend in disbelief.


    "You mean that Aurora girl knew beforehand that we would come there?" Reiren said. "But how? We didn''t even plan to come there at all! It just happened."


    "I don''t know," Eliphia said. "And if you were observing her carefully, she didn''t seem like she was from this kingdom in the first place."


    "Do you mean she came here especially for us?" Reiren asked.


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    "That''s a scary possibility, but maybe," Eliphia said. "After all, they seem to want to go to the dwarf kingdom. The only reason they stick around here is that they are waiting for certain people, in other words, us."


    "Why?" Reiren said. "To begin with, how could an outsider like her know so much anyway?"


    "I... don''t know," Eliphia said, troubled. "That''s the problem. She is a huge mystery. I admit she didn''t seem to be an enemy at the moment, at least, but it''s better for us not to get involved with her at all--"


    "Let''s go meet them again, then," Reiren said, cutting her off. "Let''s just ask them directly."


    "Rei!" Eliphia said. "Don''t you hear what I said?"


    "Yeah, but weren''t you interested at all?" Reiren asked. "To specifically come here to offer us help, right when we needed it. Not to mention how much she knew. There must have been something bigger in play here."


    Eliphia looked uneasy. "Of course, I was interested," she said. "There were a lot of questions I wanted to ask, but..."


    "Then let''s do it," Reiren said. "As you said, I was stuck. This might be the answer. Even if it''s not, I''m willing to make it our last try. If it doesn''t work out, we can do what you want, leaving this kingdom behind or whatever it is you plan to do."


    Eliphia sighed. If Reiren was willing to go that far, she couldn''t reject it anymore.


    "Fine, but we still need to be careful," Eliphia said. "Just because they didn''t plan to kill us doesn''t mean they can be trusted."


    ***


    "Are you sure letting them go just like that will work?" Ruby asked as they drank tea outside the tavern. It had been a day since their encounter with Reiren and Eliphia. They were the only three drinking outside, a request from Ruby. She didn''t like being inside the stuffy tavern, so the tavern owner hurried to prepare the area for her.


    "I mean, what if they don''t come back?" Ruby continued. "I don''t like waiting like this."


    "Well, if they don''t appear again after a week, then we can give up and go to the Dwarf Kingdom," Aurora said.


    "So, you''re not even sure they will come back?" Ruby asked.


    "I think they will," Aurora said. "But nothing is certain until it happens."


    "Okay then," Ruby said, lazily putting her body on the table. "I''ll just take it easy."


    Aurora looked at her and smiled. "Yes, no need to overthink this," she said. "It either happened or not."


    "Still," Rita said, finally joining the conversation, "was it fine to talk about something like that around so many people yesterday, Miss Aurora? I mean, they might sell us out to Princess Catharina or something. I''m sure they were willing to betray anyone for a couple of gold coins."


    "It was fine," Aurora said. "I doubt any of them could meet a princess that easily. And even if by chance they could, what information could they actually sell? That a group of girls was planning to kill her? She already knew that. That''s why she massacred the whole assassins group in the first place, right? And even if she somehow took it seriously, what do you think she would do?"


    Rita blinked. "What would she do?"


    "It depends on how detailed the information she got, of course," Aurora said, "but she should have known already that catching Reiren and Eliphia would be impossible."


    "Oh, maybe she would go into defense instead?" Ruby guessed. "Like she would just hire more guards around her?"


    Aurora nodded. "Most likely," she said, "but we won''t get close to her, so it won''t matter to us anyway."


    "True," Ruby grinned.


    "And even if I''m wrong and Princess Catharina decided to send her knights to us," Aurora said, "I doubt she would send enough of them to trouble you." Aurora glanced at Rita.


    Rita blushed. "You''re flattering me."


    "Right," Ruby said. "As someone who was strong enough to beat a giant monster, you''re practically a monster yourself."


    "I... don''t like how you put it, Miss," Rita said and sighed.


    Ruby giggled. "Sorry, sorry."


    They then continued to drink tea in peace until approximately an hour later when Rita noticed something.


    "As you predicted, Miss Aurora," she said, "they''re coming back."


    Aurora nodded as she looked at the approaching figures. The taller girl with the purple hair was Reiren, and the shorter girl with the golden bun hairstyle was Eliphia.


    As they drew closer, Aurora could see that they both looked wary and uneasy. She understood their caution, but she still felt a mixed feeling about being treated as a dangerous being.


    "I''m... not going as far as agreed with your offer yet," Reiren said, "but can we at least discuss it first?"


    "Sure," Aurora said, smiling. "Why don''t both of you sit down first? Let''s have a proper talk this time."


    ***

 Corrupt Princess.

    Princess Catherina stood in front of her giant mirror, admiring herself in her expensive medieval dress, complete with a plethora of shiny jewelry. She was breathtakingly beautiful, as always, and had everything she could ever want. This moment felt perfect, and she relished in the luxury of it all.


    But things had not always been this way. In fact, her previous life had been incredibly difficult.


    She was born into a poor family, and was always considered an ugly and unpopular girl. She was constantly reminded of how unlikely it was that she would ever succeed in life. As if that wasn''t enough, her parents could only afford to send her to a crappy school, filled with delinquents and the worst of teenagers.


    Her school days were a nightmare. She was bullied mercilessly, and she could never seem to fit in with the popular crowd. It didn''t help that she was always dressed in hand-me-down clothes and could never afford the latest fashion trends. Even after she finished school and started working, things didn''t get any easier for Catherina.


    She could only get the lowest position, and she was disrespected by everyone around her. She had to work the hardest, for the least amount of pay. At the end of a long day, she would come home to her cheap apartment, exhausted and defeated.


    But Catherina had one escape from the harsh realities of her life. On her second-hand old laptop, she loved to play a game called "The Phantom Huntress". In the game, she could fight against the unfairness of the world, taking on the rich and powerful and stealing their wealth. She would then distribute the stolen wealth to the poor and weak, giving them a fighting chance in a world that didn''t seem to care about them.


    But even that couldn''t help her forever. One day, she ran out of money, and the landlord kept bugging her about the rent. Her boss was angry and lecturing her for hours for a mistake that she didn''t even make. Everything was going wrong. Nothing was going her way. She was so angry at the world. The last thing she remembered was chugging a bottle of sleeping pills. She knew it wasn''t a good idea, but she was so frustrated that she didn''t care. She wanted to sleep and forget everything. And then she woke up in this world.


    Did she reincarnate? Or transmigrate? She might have died from an overdose in her sleep. Who knows? But she didn''t care. Her life was good now. She stared at her perfect figure, more beautiful than any actresses or models she had seen in her previous life.


    Her happy mood was interrupted when Princess Catherina heard something from the corner of her room. There was a small creak from the windows, and she immediately glanced over there.


    Weird, she thought. I don''t remember opening it.


    She walked over and checked, but there was no one there. Why was she on edge just from a simple sound? She laughed a little and then closed it.


    Yes, forget about that, she thought to herself, trying to go back to what she was thinking before. Right, she reminisced about her past.


    The moment she found out that she had turned into the antagonist of her favorite game, "The Phantom Huntress," she immediately became worried.


    Her life had been perfect. She was a princess¡ªbeautiful, rich, and powerful. She couldn''t have hoped for a better new life than this. But, in the end, there was always a catch. Soon, she was going to lose it all if she didn''t stop Reiren from killing her.


    "No, calm down," she said to herself. She knew a lot about "The Phantom Huntress" game. If she could kill Reiren and the assassins'' organization before they killed her, everything would be okay. That was right. She knew where all their hideouts were. And they should have been significantly weaker this early in the game.


    She could win this.


    Princess Catherina then called all her knights and began giving them this mission: to completely wipe out the assassins'' group.


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    After she had heard the news that her knights had successfully destroyed all the hideouts of the assassins'' group, she smiled widely. There was nothing to worry about anymore. Yes, no matter how good Reiren had been, she had lost all possibilities to grow. She didn''t have any support anymore. And her little tactic of leaving some assassins alive so they would suspect each other as a traitor, had sealed her victory. They would be hunting each other, and hopefully, end up killing each other even without her needing to do more.


    She was free now. She could actually enjoy her new life now. Nothing could stop her anymore.


    Especially because her action had been in line with most nobles. They had all been scared of that assassins group, so now that it had been destroyed by her, everyone celebrated by sending a lot of expensive stuff to the princess, making her even happier.


    And Princess Catherina didn''t need any more reasons to create more parties, spending more money, having fun with other noble ladies and handsome noble sons. She had won, she was happy, she deserved all this.


    Still, sometimes a part of her felt bad that all this luxury had come from the pain and suffering of commoners outside. But she tried to argue that nobody cared when she was suffering before, why should she care about them now?


    That''s right, she thought to herself, this is just how things are. For people to enjoy such luxury, someone needs to suffer. This time she just got lucky that she was at the top. It''s not her fault.


    Princess Catherina shook her head, annoyed with that thought. Tonight she only wanted to think about happy things, not worry about people she didn''t know or feel bad about her actions.


    She wasn''t wrong.


    Even if she was, her own happiness was the most important. She had to forget about anything else.


    She then picked up her box full of jewelry, wanting to quiet her mind by looking at all these expensive accessories, but then something fell behind her, making her jump in surprise.


    A book from the table fell on the floor. But it was quite strange for the book to just fall by itself like that.


    "Is someone there?" she asked as she looked in the direction of the book, starting to get scared. "Hello?"


    It was a fantasy world, so maybe ghosts existed? she thought to herself.


    She closed her jewelry box and threw it toward where the sound direction was. It didn''t hit anything, just fell normally to the floor.


    When she was about to sigh in relief, a voice came from behind her.


    "You missed," the voice said.


    Princess Catherina froze in fear.


    "W-who...?" she said, looking behind her. But nobody was there.


    So it''s really a ghost? she thought, getting more scared. N-no way! That''s just silly!


    She laughed awkwardly. "I must be tired," she murmured. "To think I''m starting to hear things..."


    "No, I''m really here," the voice said, right beside her.


    Princess Catherina jumped in shock, almost making herself fall. She then panickedly ran toward the door, but something grabbed her hand.


    "Help!!" she started screaming. "Someone help--"


    Her scream was interrupted, followed by a muffled, pained groan as something stabbed her chest. In pain, she sat down on the floor with blood starting to rush out of her body, painting her expensive dress red.


    Princess Catherina was hurt, confused, and scared. Her consciousness started to fade away. That''s when she noticed someone standing in front of her.


    "This was for my mentor and my colleagues you killed," Reiren said, the purple-haired assassin girl appearing from thin air.


    Princess Catherina''s eyes widened. "Re-Reiren...?" she said, coughing in pain. "W-why...? How...? You shouldn''t have invisibility..."


    "Huh? You know my name? And you even know I can''t use invisibility?" Reiren said. "Seems like Aurora was right. Do you really see the future?"


    But Princess Catherina collapsed on the floor, gasping for air. Soon, her body stopped moving, and she lay on the floor, bathed in her own blood.


    "Ah, probably I shouldn''t have stabbed her in the vital organs if I wanted to talk to her more," Reiren murmured nonchalantly. "Well, as long as she''s dead, it''s all good."


    The sound of guards rushing could be heard from the corridors outside.


    "They were here already?" Reiren murmured, disappointed. "This is kind of a waste, but there''s no other choice then."


    She picked up a potion from her bag, drank it, and her body started to fade away before disappearing completely. Unlike before, she used her ability to mute herself. She enjoyed scaring Princess Catherina, so she didn''t mute herself before, but now there was no point.


    The guards then entered the room. The moment they saw the princess''s condition, they panicked even more.


    "Intruder!" one of them screamed. "Someone attacked Princess Catherina!"


    "Hurry, call a healer! Inform His Majesty immediately!" the more respected guard said to the others. "And you, stop spacing out! The intruder might still be here! Hurry, check the whole room!"


    Reiren calmly walked towards the windows while around her guards hurriedly opened the door to the dress room, checked the wardrobe, and more. Using her ability to completely mute herself and the Aurora potion, she truly became like a ghost.


    She then got out of there. The duration of the invisibility potion was short, so she couldn''t waste time. After getting out of the palace building, she immediately ran past the garden toward the gate.


    She passed by the guards there without a problem and kept running towards an area with trees not far from there.


    A girl with golden hair was waiting there, hiding behind the trees, looking worried. She glanced towards the palace, noticing panic starting to happen all over there.


    "Rei," she murmured, worried.


    "Yes? You''re calling me?" Reiren said, making her jump.


    "Wha-what...? You''re back already...?" Eliphia said, looking around confused. She still couldn''t see Reiren at all. "You should have told me sooner, you dummy! I can''t track you at all because you muted yourself!"


    "Ah, right, sorry," Reiren said. "Anyway, let''s go first. You can scold me later."


    "I still can''t see you," Eliphia said.


    Reiren held her hand. "If like this, you can feel me at least?" she asked.


    Eliphia nodded.


    And they silently left that place, contrasting with the loud panic coming from the palace behind them.


    ***

 Next Destination.

    Now that Reiren and Eliphia were willing to listen, Aurora needed to find a way to convince them to work with her. It wasn''t that easy.


    They asked a lot of things that she was forced to tell them the truth, mostly.


    First, who she was, and who her companions were.


    "My name was Aurora Starlight, the only daughter of Viscount Starlight from the kingdom of Avalonera," Aurora said.


    "My name is Ruby," Ruby said.


    "And I''m her knight, Rita," Rita said.


    Reiren and Eliphia nodded.


    "That sounds normal enough so far," Reiren said.


    Aurora smiled. "What were you expecting exactly?"


    "Something that explained why you came here, why you know us, and other stuff," Reiren said, not holding back anymore.


    "I see," Aurora said. "Fair enough."


    "This is where things started to become a little tricky. She could tell them about the transmigrator, but the concept was hard enough to understand, let alone believe. So Aurora went with her usual lie.


    "Princess Catherina and I were kind of similar," Aurora said. "Not long ago, we were suddenly gifted with an unusual ability, something that helped us know the future."


    Eliphia looked concerned. "You mean clairvoyance?" she asked.


    Aurora nodded. "Something like that."


    Reiren blinked. "Wait, clairvoyance as future sight? You can see the future?"


    "That''s right," Aurora smiled. "Princess Catherina knew all your hideouts because she saw what happened in the future. And I knew because of this too."


    "This is hard to believe," Eliphia said, looking doubtful.


    "Future sight," Reiren murmured. Unlike her companion, she looked excited. "Does that mean you know what will happen today? Like, can you tell what kind of person will pass by us or something?"


    "No, sorry," Aurora said. "I don''t have control over this, so my knowledge of the future is limited. And it doesn''t happen all the time."


    "Oh," Reiren said, disappointed.


    "So, it only works on big events or something?" Eliphia guessed.


    "Yes, but not always," Aurora replied.


    Eliphia looked at Aurora. "So the reason you know us was...?"


    Aurora nodded. "If Princess Catherina didn''t do what she did, both of you would have grown into the best assassins in the world, eliminating all the corrupt people in this kingdom and making it a better place. You guys were going to be really influential people."


    "That...I can believe," Eliphia said.


    "Huh? So you think you''re the best?" Reiren said.


    Eliphia blushed. "That''s not what I meant!"


    Aurora giggled. "Anyway, the point is, I noticed that Princess Catherina was using her knowledge to do terrible things, so I felt compelled to offer my help. But, well, I have my agenda too, so unfortunately, not for free."


    Reiren looked at Aurora and said, "I get it, but look. What you wanted was our service, right? I might be an assassin, but don''t get me wrong. Just because you help us doesn''t mean I will follow your order and kill someone for you."


    "Yes, I know," Aurora said, smiling. "You didn''t do this for money or fame."


    "Then...?" Reiren said, still confused.


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    "So I can promise you this," Aurora continued. "When I give you the name of my target, and you don''t want to kill her, I''m fine with it. You don''t need to do it."


    "Really...?" Reiren said, still unsure.


    Aurora nodded. "I promise."


    "But you clearly said you didn''t do this for free!" Reiren said.


    "Yes, but I didn''t like forcing people to do something they didn''t want to do either," Aurora explained. "So it''s fine if you don''t want to do it."


    "You just make things confusing," Eliphia said. "Can you just make it clear? Are you going to use us or not?"


    "Hey, Aurora is giving you guys a huge benefit," Ruby said, annoyed. "And you guys are complaining about it?"


    "But this makes her offer sound suspicious!" Eliphia said.


    "Yeah, you''re confusing me," Reiren said. "You talked about a contract before, but this seems like it''s not binding us at all."


    Ruby nudged Aurora who was sitting beside her.


    "You should just ask them for complete cooperation," Ruby said. "No need to act nice to them."


    Aurora smiled. "I guess, but I don''t want to do that."


    And with that, their discussion ended for the day.


    The next day, Reiren and Eliphia came to Aurora with clear annoyance on their faces. They were sitting with warm tea and sweet Aurora had brought in Serena''s bag but the mood was not good.


    "We''re not sure yet about the future sight stuff," Eliphia said. "Whether we believe it or not. But we think we figured out why you''re giving us such an advantageous offer."


    "You talk as if my actions had hidden meaning or something," Aurora said.


    "It does!" Reiren said.


    "Really?" Ruby said. "Isn''t it just because Aurora was nice?"


    "That''s too, but that''s not all, right?" Reiren said. "You know a lot about us, so we start to think, does that mean you know about our childhood experiences? How we grew up? That we didn''t choose to be assassins. That we didn''t have a choice."


    Eliphia nodded. "You know about me... That I can''t hurt people. The reason why I ended up as Reiren''s support."


    "You guys are just overthinking this," Aurora said.


    "Stop pretending!" Both of them said.


    Aurora sighed. "Fine," she said. "So what then? You guys are pissed because I intruded into your personal lives? I apologize then."


    "That''s not it," Reiren said, her eyes welling up. "It''s unfair to act so considerate towards us. We''re not good people, why are you considerate towards our feelings? It''s just... never happened before."


    Reiren started crying. So did Eliphia.


    Even Aurora didn''t expect this development. She didn''t know how to handle the situation. Of course, Ruby and Rita were even more confused than her.


    "Uh... Um... Please don''t cry," Aurora said, panicked. "I... I didn''t do anything! Why are you crying? Please!"


    Reiren had wiped her tears. "Sorry... We got a little emotional there," she said.


    "That''s more than just a little," Ruby said, sighing.


    "Anyway," Reiren said, purposely ignoring Ruby''s comment, "we decided we would follow you."


    "Oh, okay," Aurora said, unsure how to respond. "That''s great..."


    "Sorry to make things a little awkward," Reiren said, "but we felt we could trust you now. So please help us, and we will follow you."


    Aurora calmed down and nodded. "Alright, you guys want to eliminate Princess Catherina, right? But I believe she is hard to approach, with lots of knights and guards protecting her. So I have a perfect solution for that."


    Aurora grabbed Serena''s bag and pulled out three bottles of potions. They were transparent potions that almost looked like normal water, but sometimes a small blinking light would appear.


    "That wasn''t a healing potion, right?" Reiren said, observing it.


    "I''ve never seen this kind of potion before," Eliphia said. "What kind of potions are these?"


    Ruby smiled, recognizing the potion. In fact, she still had it in her bag.


    "It''s an invisibility potion," she said.


    "What?" Not only Reiren and Eliphia, but Rita was surprised too.


    "You don''t know too?" Ruby said to her knight.


    "It''s my first time hearing it!" she said.


    "Oh right, the only people who knew were me, Aurora, and Marina," Ruby said, counting on her fingers.


    "And Nova," Aurora added.


    "Wait, are you serious, miss? Invisibility potion?" Rita asked.


    Aurora nodded. "The duration was short, but I believe this will be useful for assassins like you." She pushed the potions towards Reiren.


    "Is... This for real?" Reiren said, picking one up and staring at it.


    "You can try drinking one to test it out," Aurora said.


    "If it''s true, isn''t that a waste?" Eliphia said, staring with interest at the bottle that Reiren held.


    "Well, that''s true. I only have three bottles at the moment," Aurora said. "It is kind of a waste, but you need proof, right?"


    "Oh, how about I drink the potion I have? It''s been stuck in my bag since forever anyway. This should be a good time to use it," Ruby suggested.


    "Is that okay?" Aurora asked.


    "Of course!" Ruby immediately rummaged inside her bag and then pulled out a similar-looking potion.


    "Miss, if it''s just a test, can I be the one to drink that?" Rita asked in a hurry.


    "What? Aurora gave this to me. Are you questioning it? Do you think it''s possible to hurt me or something?" Ruby said, offended.


    "No, I mean... It''s kind of a weird potion, so my job was..." Rita''s voice trailed off.


    Ruby ignored her knight and opened the bottle and drank it.


    "Miss!" Rita exclaimed.


    "Don''t worry about it. Geez," Ruby said as her body started to fade away and then disappeared.


    Reiren and Eliphia gasped.


    "It worked!" they exclaimed.


    "Miss, are you okay?" Rita asked, looking towards an empty seat in front of her.


    "I''m fine," Ruby said. "See? The potion worked as intended."


    Aurora nodded. "The potion you''re holding is the improved version," she said to Reiren. "It will have a longer duration, but not that much. So make sure you use it at the right time."


    Reiren gulped. Her hand was trembling. With these potions, she did indeed have a chance at assassinating Princess Catherina.


    "We... Can really use this?" Reiren asked, feeling the need to make sure.


    "Yes," Aurora said. "Feel free to use it however you want. While I told you to use it carefully, don''t feel burdened to use it. I can still make more if necessary."


    Reiren nodded.


    The next day, news about Princess Catherina''s assassination was spreading fast. And of course, it reached Aurora''s group that morning. Aurora knew it was going to happen, but she still felt surprised and kind of bad.


    "So, a transmigrator still dies normally if killed," she murmured.


    "What?" Ruby asked.


    "It''s nothing," Aurora tried to smile. She was still not sure how she felt about it. Not to mention, it meant that she officially helped Reiren kill Princess Catherina. She indirectly made someone lose their life. Sure, Princess Catherina was evil, but Aurora still had mixed feelings about it.


    Later that day, they met up with Reiren and Eliphia.


    "Thank you for your help," Reiren said. "We finally managed to get revenge."


    "You don''t look too happy for someone who succeeded in getting revenge," Ruby said.


    Reiren tiredly smiled. "Yeah, after it''s done, it''s not as fun as I imagined," she said. "But forget about that! Miss Aurora, no, master, as promised we will follow you."


    "Uh, no need to call me that," Aurora said, feeling uneasy.


    "But you''re our master now, right?" Reiren said.


    "Yes, master!" Eliphia said.


    While Reiren clearly meant it, Aurora couldn''t tell if Eliphia was serious or just playing around.


    "Ah, but before we follow you," Reiren said. "Can we have a couple more days to do some stuff?"


    Eliphia nodded. "We want to try to talk to the remaining members of the assassin''s group. Now that they know we are the ones who eliminated Princess Catherina, they won''t suspect us as traitors anymore."


    "We want to explain the mistake," Reiren said. "And if possible, recreate the group. Just because Princess Catherina isn''t here anymore doesn''t mean this kingdom is safe. There are still a lot of problematic people here. So if we leave, we want to at least have someone who will deal with them in our place."


    "So if we can have a couple of days..." Eliphia''s voice trailed off.


    Aurora smiled. "Sure, take as much time as you need," she said. "We will visit the dwarf kingdom first, after all. Just come to our kingdom, Avalonera, later when you''re done with your business."


    "Thank you!" Both of them hugged Aurora. Aurora just giggled, while Ruby was surprised, followed by a look of jealousy.


    "I will hug her a lot later," she murmured.


    They said their goodbyes, and then Aurora, Ruby, and Rita rode in their special carriage to the dwarf kingdom.


    ***

 Viola Drewn.

    Serena just received a letter from her kingdom. It was about the news that the Samalanra kingdom had just announced that they would launch an all-out attack on the Elf Kingdom Evermist. They had finally decided to end it all in this final attack.


    But of course, no matter how outnumbered and outperformed, the elves wouldn''t just give up like that. They would fight until their last breath.


    In other words, they all would die.


    Serena sat inside her room, holding the letter with trembling hands. She knew that her peaceful days wouldn''t last forever, but she still wasn''t ready for this to happen now.


    "Are you okay, Princess?" Altea asked. The silver-haired elf looked at her, worried.


    "Yes--no, I''m not," Serena said. At first, she wanted to act tough, but in the end, she just didn''t feel like doing that. She wasn''t okay, this whole situation wasn''t okay, and she was scared.


    Altea came closer to her and suddenly hugged her.


    "I''m sorry, that was a stupid question," Altea said.


    Serena let out a small laugh. "Sorry, I can''t act more like a princess," she said, still in her maid''s embrace, feeling terrible.


    "Not at all," Altea said. "You do what you can. I''m pretty proud of you."


    "Really?" Serena said.


    "Really," Altea replied.


    "Even if I decide I won''t join the fight?" Serena asked.


    "I will support you whatever you decide," Altea said, releasing her hug. "But I know you won''t just run away."


    "But what if I actually do, though?" Serena thought to herself. After all, she wasn''t the real Princess Serena. She didn''t need to die with her kingdom.


    But even so, she couldn''t really say that.


    Serena sighed. "It was just around two weeks since we taught Prince Casper''s knights how to use guns. I didn''t think they were ready to use them in a real fight yet, but..."


    Altea nodded. "There was no other choice," she said. "At first, I wasn''t sure how things would go with this alliance, but now I know that their help was the only way we could win this fight."


    "So, my decision to work with Aurora was a good one, right?" Serena said, a little excited that she had done something right for once.


    "Yes," Altea said. "Unfortunately."


    "What do you mean, unfortunately?" Serena pouted her cheeks.


    "Why are you so fond of her?" Altea said. "I just don''t get it."


    "What is it?" Serena grinned. "Are you jealous?"


    "Forget it," Altea said, a little annoyed.


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    Serena giggled.


    Joking aside, she hoped that Aurora was there. Aurora was the only one with whom she could talk freely about anything. Not to mention, she seemed smart, she might have given her a solution to this problem.


    But there was no point in thinking about that. To begin with, one of the reasons Aurora had gone was to collect materials for her. So she would be ungrateful if she hoped for more.


    Serena stood up. "Let''s talk with Prince Casper first," she said. "We have an agreement, but still, that doesn''t mean he will help us send his knights to fight with us."


    "You''re right," Altea said, looking uneasy. "If he deemed that this fight was unwinnable, it''s possible he won''t want to get involved with our fight at all."


    Serena gulped. That was the worst possibility. She obviously hoped that it wouldn''t happen, but if it did, what would she do?


    "Princess?" Altea said.


    Serena shook her head. "Nothing, let''s go."


    They got out of the building and walked around, asking where Prince Casper was.


    "I believe he was in his room," one of the guards said.


    So they walked there.


    "Anyway, where are the twins?" Serena asked while they walked. "I haven''t seen them yet."


    "I believe for the last few days, Salia has been getting close to a girl from the library named Sera," Altea said. "So I assume she''s in the library. Talia, she might be tagging along."


    "Talia and a book?" Serena said. "I can''t picture that."


    Altea giggled. "Yes, me too."


    When they got close to Prince Casper''s room, there were a lot of knights guarding, and they stopped them.


    "I''m sorry, I know you''re special guests, but we can''t let anyone pass here without Prince Casper''s direct order," one of the knights said.


    "Then can I ask you to tell Prince Casper we want to talk? It''s urgent," Serena said.


    "Alright, please wait here," the knight talked to his colleague for a moment before his colleague ran to Prince Casper''s room.


    "Guarding his room this much?" Altea said. "Isn''t this a little too excessive?"


    "I''m not sure, but I heard his fianc¨¦e was sick or something?" Serena said. "And she didn''t wake up for a long time. This was for protecting her, so nobody gets close to her when she''s unconscious."


    "I see," Altea said. "That makes sense then."


    Not long after, Casper appeared. "I heard you had urgent business?" Casper said. "Then please follow me."


    Prince Casper took them to a room not far from there. After they comfortably sat, Casper then asked, "So, what urgent business do you have with me?"


    Serena picked up the letter she got from her pocket and gave it to Prince Casper.


    "What is it?" Prince Casper asked as he received the letter.


    "I got news from my father," Serena said. "Samalanra kingdom is about to launch an all-out attack on our kingdom."


    Casper read the letter and understood. "So you''re wondering if we will help you or not?" he guessed.


    Serena nodded. "Yeah, pretty much."


    The elf princess and her maid looked uneasy.


    Prince Casper smiled. "No need to make that face," he said. "Of course, we will. You and Aurora already made an agreement, right? I will do what I can to fulfill it."


    "Thank you," Serena said, a bit confused.


    He agrees because of Aurora? Serena thought. As expected of her best friend. Though she''s not quite sure why.


    ***


    The next day, they were already prepared to start moving. It wasn''t clear when the fight would begin, but it was better for them to move as soon as possible.


    Close to where Prince Casper''s carriage was, a bunch of knights whispered with each other, glancing at Prince Casper and his companion.


    "Hey, who do you think that girl was?" one of the knights whispered.


    "Maybe his lover?" the other said.


    "There''s no way. He was obsessed with that Nova girl, right?" another knight replied.


    "The one that''s still unconscious?" another knight said. "But isn''t she a criminal? She was involved with the rebel attack the other day, right?"


    "Yeah, but nobody really knows how much her role was," the first knight said.


    "But look at them, they''re obviously close. I hope he just forgets about that Nova girl and goes with this one instead," the other replied.


    "But who is she exactly?" one of the knights asked.


    "I heard that she was an ex-adventurer who had already retired," one of them answered. "Do you see that she wears a mask? I heard she was attacked by a monster so badly that her face was ruined."


    "That''s right. I heard some adventurers will be joining us," one of the knights said, excited. "So she was one of them?"


    "Probably."


    "Hey, enough chit-chat!" a senior knight suddenly appeared near them. "Hurry up and get back to your own posts!"


    The knights disbanded while the prince looked like he was having a serious talk with the girl.


    "Were you sure about this, Nova?" Prince Casper asked the girl wearing a cloak and mask.


    The girl kicked his leg. "Don''t call me Nova when I look like this," she said.


    "Right, sorry," Casper said. "You''re... Viola Drewn."


    "That''s right," the girl said. "You better not make that mistake again."


    "Okay, but were you sure about this?" Casper asked again.


    The girl, who called herself Viola, sighed. "I didn''t want to admit it, but Aurora''s plan was great," she said. "But where was she when an important thing like this happened? She just randomly went on vacation without a care in the world! How stupid!"


    "Well, I don''t think she was going on vacation," Casper said. "She told me she was going to collect some materials for Serena--"


    "Whatever," Viola cut him off. "The point is, she wasn''t here. And someone had to do her job of commanding our knights. That''s why I''m doing this."


    "I can do it," Casper said.


    "Are you stupid?" Viola said. "You''re the only prince now, and your father is ill. There''s no way I will let the future king command the knights from the front line. In fact, you shouldn''t even come to the fighting ground at all!"


    "I won''t let you go if I''m not going too," Casper said.


    "You''re so stubborn," said Viola.


    "You should say that to yourself," Prince Casper said, sighed. "I''m sorry, I guess in the end, the middle ground was that we come together. But were you sure nobody would find out? What if the body double got out of my room?"


    "It''s fine. I used my magic to put her in an endless night--I mean dream. She won''t wake up until I decide she can," Viola said. "Except if she can use light magic, which she obviously can''t. Unlike someone else."


    She looked annoyed again, but this time, it was because she remembered Aurora.


    "Prince," a knight said as he approached him. "Sorry to bother you, but we''re all ready to go. Anytime you want."


    Casper nodded. "Alright then," he said. "Tell everyone we will go immediately."


    ***

 Useless Dwarf.

    Aurora, Ruby, and Rita arrived at the dwarf kingdom. After hiding their carriage, they walked down the huge stairs, getting deep inside the ground, feeling the temperature gradually dropping. They kept going until they arrived at the entrance of the giant maze.


    Aurora saw two dwarves guarding the entrance, in front of a giant stone door. The dwarves were holding spears, wearing iron helmets, and had long bushy beards. They were short, but looked tough. They stood motionless, but their eyes were alert, scanning the newcomers.


    They stopped Aurora and the others.


    "I''m sorry, strangers," the guard said. "We can''t let you in unless you solve this entrance puzzle. Solving puzzles was the absolute rule in this place. If you can''t respect that, we have no choice but to ask you to leave."


    Aurora exchanged a glance with Ruby and Rita, and they all nodded in agreement. They were ready for any challenge.


    "Alright," Aurora said. "Give me the puzzle."


    The dwarf handed her a piece of paper. On it was a maze puzzle that seemed deceptively simple.


    To enter the labyrinth, you need to solve a maze puzzle? Aurora thought. Kinda fitting.


    "What is this?" Ruby asked, looking at the paper too.


    "It''s a maze puzzle," Aurora replied. "We need to find the way out of the maze to enter the labyrinth."


    Ruby squinted at the paper. "It looks easy enough. We should be able to solve it quickly."


    "Really? Then why didn''t you give it a try?" Aurora said, handing the paper to Ruby.


    It turned out that it wasn''t that easy for Ruby. She stared hard at the paper, trying to find the exit. Aurora stood beside her, just smiling. With a quick glance, she knew the answer already, but she didn''t feel like spoiling it for Ruby. Behind them, Rita seemed to be trying to solve the puzzle too.


    After a while Finally, Ruby saw the solution.


    "I think I found it!" she exclaimed, pointing to the path that led to the center of the maze.


    The dwarves looked impressed. "You have solved the puzzle," one of them said. "You may enter the labyrinth."


    Aurora, Ruby, and Rita stepped inside the giant door. The bustling town of dwarves spread out before them, with the buildings carved out of the stone with intricate carvings, trees and flowers lining the streets. The air was filled with the sound of hammers and chisels, as the dwarves went about their business.


    As they made their way deeper into the city, Aurora, Ruby, and Rita couldn''t help but feel a sense of excitement building within them. This was a weird kingdom, and they could see a bunch of puzzle stations spread across the town, but that meant things were different. And that could be fun. Sometimes.


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    "I guess this was the first layer of the town?" Rita said. "I heard this labyrinth has five layers."


    "So the dwarf empress was in the middle of the labyrinth then? In the fifth layer?" Aurora said, trying to remember her conversation with the purple guy.


    "Alright, let''s go there then!" Ruby said, excited.


    "Not so fast," Aurora said. "Let''s ask around about Lumi first."


    "Who is Lumi?" Ruby asked.


    "A special dwarf girl," Aurora said started to walk again. "Hopefully, she''s willing to help us."


    "What''s so special about her?" Ruby asked, walking beside her.


    "I''m not sure," Aurora said. "But at least she should have more knowledge about this place than me."


    "I see! We will reach the fifth layer faster with her help then?" Ruby said, finally showing full interest.


    Aurora nodded. "That''s the idea. Anyway, excuse me." Aurora stopped a dwarf woman. "Sorry to bother you, but I want to ask you something."


    "Oh, hello there. You''re a human girl, I see," she said. "Are you taking a vacation here?"


    "Yes," Aurora said. "Anyway, we''re looking for a dwarf girl named Lumi. Lumi Melody. Do you know her?"


    "Hm... I''m sorry, but I''m not familiar with that name," the dwarf said. "Who is she? Your friend?"


    "Yes, something like that," Aurora said, smiling. "Anyway, thank you and sorry to bother you."


    The dwarf lady nodded and continued on her way, while Aurora sighed in disappointment.


    "Want me to ask around too?" Ruby asked.


    "Sure, if you don''t mind," Aurora said.


    "Of course! Come on, Rita, you''re helping too," Ruby said.


    "Alright, miss," Rita said.


    As her friends asked around, Aurora stood there lost in thought. She had something on her mind.


    She had expected Lumi to be well known around there.


    Someone who got here from a puzzle game should be smart, right? Aurora thought. Probably a lot smarter than me. So it''s kind of weird that her name isn''t well known.


    Is she not in this layer? Aurora thought some more. Still, that''s even more weird. If she managed to go to a higher layer, for example, if she got to the fifth layer quickly, she would be treated as a legendary dwarf, right?


    This made Aurora even more confused.


    After a while, Ruby and Rita came back.


    "I''m sorry, Aurora, but nobody knows that name for some reason," Ruby said. "Are you sure she was special?"


    "It''s the same for me too, miss," Rita said. "Nobody recognizes that name."


    "This is really weird," Aurora said, didn''t get it. "Is she hiding her identity or something...?"


    "Excuse me," A dirty dwarf said, came close to them. His beard was so long it was touching the ground.


    "Oh, hello there sir," Aurora said. "What could we do for you?"


    "It seems like you were looking for someone," the dwarf said. "Someone called Lumi, I think? I am willing to tell you where she is."


    "Really?" Ruby said. "You know her?"


    "Sure do," the dwarf said, nodding his head. "But for this information, you need to pay me some food. And drinks if you can. Some ale will be great."


    The dwarf in front of her was kind of suspicious, but Aurora didn''t have any other hint for where Lumi was. So she pulled out some bread and drinks from Serena''s bag.


    "Here," Aurora said, giving the food and drink to the dwarf. "Tell me then."


    "Oh, thank you!" the dwarf said, immediately eating the bread and drinking the ale.


    "Hey, tell us already," Ruby said, a little annoyed.


    "Ah, right, sorry," the dwarf said, while his mouth was full. "That useless Dwarf was living in the slump area. Just go straight from here, and you will find a small house she''s living in."


    "Useless?" Aurora blinked, confused. "Are you sure she was who we were looking for?"


    "You said Lumi, right?" the dwarf said. "Lumi Melody? That''s her. Or are you looking for a different dwarf?"


    "No, that''s her, but..." Aurora shook her head. "Anyway, thank you. We will check it ourselves then."


    They followed the dwarf''s direction and soon found themselves in the slump area. It was a stark contrast to the bustling streets they had just walked through. The buildings here were in disrepair, and the streets were littered with garbage.


    "Hey, Aurora," Ruby said. "He called her useless. Are you sure she was the one you were looking for?"


    "I don''t know," Aurora said, looking confused too.


    Lumi should have been a transmigrator like her, so she should have had vast knowledge about the game "Puzzle Empress." Not to mention she should have known about the modern world too. So this situation was pretty weird.


    Not only was she not well-known, but she was being called useless? Why? Aurora thought. What does that even mean? What actually happened here?


    They eventually found the small house the dwarf had mentioned. It was by far the worst house around. The door was not fitted correctly, and the windows were broken.


    "This place looks abandoned," Ruby said, frowning. "This might be a bad idea."


    "I knew," Aurora said. "But let''s check it out anyway."


    She then knocked on the door. There was no reaction. Aurora knocked again. Finally, someone reacted from inside.


    "Who is it?" a small girl''s voice came from the house.


    "Are you Lumi?" Aurora asked. "Can we talk for a little?"


    There was a moment of silence, and then a sound of someone moving could be heard inside followed by the opening of the door.


    A small girl, smaller than Ruby with dirty red hair appeared behind the door.


    "Yes...?" she said. "You''re looking for me?"


    ***

 First Shot.

    Serena''s face was pale, and she stared at her hand the whole time they were inside the carriage. They were going to war, it was normal to be nervous, but she didn''t like feeling like this.


    Altea put her hand on top of Serena''s hand and asked the obvious question, "Are you okay, princess?"


    "No, I feel sick," Serena replied honestly.


    Altea hugged her and said, "I''m sorry I can''t do anything to help you, princess."


    This actually make her feel a little better. But on the other side, she embarrassed too because the twins was watching.


    "It''s fine, princess. We''re here! We won''t let them hurt you!" Talia said trying to reassure serena.


    Salia beside her nodded her head and added, "We will do our best!"


    Serena tried to smile and said, "Thank you."


    She was happy they were here with her, but still, the uneasy feeling didn''t disappear.


    The carriage suddenly stopped, jolting Serena out of her thoughts. She looked around, confusion etched on her face.


    "What happened?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.


    "Let me check," Altea said, reaching for the door handle. She pulled it open, revealing a girl standing there, her face obscured by a cloak and mask. Serena felt a chill run down her spine as she remembered the girl''s name. Viola Drewn.


    "We will move by foot starting here," Viola said, her voice muffled by the mask.


    Serena nodded, she grabbed her sniper rifle and jumped out of the carriage, Altea and the twins following close behind.


    Serena looking around, she saw they started set up a camp and preparing for defense. It seemed like Prince Casper would stay around here.


    Suddenly, Serena saw smoke rising in the distance. Her heart raced as she realized what it meant. The fight had already started. She could hear the distant sounds of weapons clashing, and her fingers tightened around her rifle.


    "Alright, follow me," Viola said.


    Serena hugged her sniper rifle and started following Viola and the knights. They would go to higher ground. Their strength was range, so they would obviously use that.


    Serena gulped. "Talia, can you go first?" she said. "You''re the best at noticing small things. That will be helpful."


    Talia''s ears perked, she looked excited but her expression quickly turned to one of concern. "But I''m supposed to protect you," she said.


    "It''s fine," Serena reassured her. "I still have Altea and Salia here."


    "Just go already," Altea said. "You were never suited for defense anyway."


    Her twin sister Salia nodded in agreement. "I''ll do your part too," she said.


    "But be careful," Serena reminded Talia, a note of worry in her voice.


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    Talia smiled bravely. "Okay, princess," she said before leaping onto a nearby tree branch and disappearing into the shadows.


    Serena watched Talia disappear into the trees, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew Talia was strong when she was serious, but the danger that lay ahead was undeniable. Hopefully, she wouldn''t make a stupid mistake.


    They continued walking in silence, the only sound being the rustle of leaves beneath their feet. Serena couldn''t shake off the feeling of unease that had settled in her stomach since they left. It was too quiet, too still, and she knew that it couldn''t last forever. She glanced around, taking in the dense forest around them, searching for any sign of danger.


    And then, as if on cue, Talia''s voice broke through the silence.


    "Enemy spotted!" she said, her voice urgent.


    Serena''s heart started racing at Talia''s words. She knew that this was it. The moment she had been preparing for, the moment she had been dreading. It was time to face their enemy.


    "Where are they?" Viola asked.


    Talia pointed to the east, towards a group of trees. The group moved towards the trees, their footsteps silent as they approached. As they got closer to the trees, they could see movement in the shadows. The Samalanra army was there, and their numbers were quite small. They might have been splitting from the main army and about to attack from the side.


    "Alright, everyone, prepare to attack," Viola said.


    They prepared their guns in silence.


    "Princess," Viola said to Serena, "do you want to take the first shot?"


    Serena was a bit surprised by the offer, but it made sense. This was her fight. She nodded, took a deep breath, and then held it. She tried to calm her heart, carefully took aim, and then pulled the trigger.


    A gunshot sound followed, and one enemy fell to the ground with their head bleeding.


    "Enemy attack!" screamed one of the Samalanra army.


    As the Samalanra army realized that they were under attack, they started to panic. They were not expecting an ambush. The enemy soldiers were running in all directions, trying to find cover, but it was too late.


    The twins and Prince Casper''s knights had also started shooting, quickly dwindling the enemy''s number.


    Serena''s heart was pounding in her chest as she continued to fire her gun. She had never killed anyone before, and the reality of what she was doing was starting to sink in. But she also knew that this wasn''t the time to hesitate. She forced herself to focus, blocking out the chaos around her and focusing only on her targets.


    "Don''t let any of them run away!" Viola demanded.


    Gunshots followed her words, quickly demolishing the Samalanra army.


    "No more enemies," Talia said. "We successfully destroyed their army!"


    Serena felt a sense of relief wash over her as she watched the Samalanra army crumble beneath the relentless barrage of gunfire.


    "That''s great," Serena said, sighing out of relief. "But if they can spare to split their army like this, that means their main army was winning against our elven kingdom."


    Viola nodded grimly. "That''s right, this is not the time to celebrate. Keep moving. We have no time to waste."


    Serena knew that Viola was right. They had won this battle, but the war was far from over.


    The group quickly made their way through the trees, their eyes scanning the surrounding area for any signs of danger. The tension in the air was palpable as they moved forward, each step taking them closer to the enemy.


    As they continued walking, Serena couldn''t help but glance over at Viola from time to time. The masked girl had an air of mystery around her, Serena wasn''t sure who this Viola girl was. From how Prince Casper had treated her--he had even let her inside his carriage--Serena assumed she was someone special to him. Yet before that day, she had never seen Viola at all, even though she met with Prince Casper every day.


    There''s no way she was his lover, right? Serena thought to herself. What about his fianc¨¦e, Nova? Did he decide to discard her because she was unconscious? Is he cheating?


    Serena shook her head, her thoughts started to go to weird places.


    Soon they saw a huge fight near the stronghold. Serena''s heart sank as she watched the battle unfold before her eyes. The elves were fighting fiercely, but they were outnumbered by the Samalanra army. The enemy soldiers were getting dangerously close to the stronghold, and the elves were struggling to push them back.


    But then, she saw her. A girl with a huge body like a bodybuilder with bulging muscles. She was the unnamed protagonist of the game that people called Gunslinger Girl.


    The gunslinger girl was a force to be reckoned with. Her muscles bulged as she drew back her bow, firing arrow after arrow with unparalleled precision. The elves tried to fight back with their own archery skills, but they were no match for her. She was too quick, too accurate, too deadly.


    And it wasn''t just her archery that was impressive. When the elves managed to get close to her, she wielded a blunt weapon with ease, knocking them out one by one. And when arrows flew her way, she used earth magic to create a shield, protecting herself from long-range attacks.


    Serena got into position and started aiming at the gunslinger girl, pulling the trigger. But as if she could feel it, the gunslinger girl ducked, making Serena''s shot miss.


    Following her attack, Talia and the knights started shooting too, which worked better. They successfully hit the enemy, some in vital areas like the head, immediately eliminating them, and some just scratching their hands or legs.


    Noticing the arrival of reinforcements, the Samalanra army split their attack. Led by the gunslinger girl, they planned to attack Serena''s group with a close-range attack.


    "Keep shooting!" Viola shouted. "Don''t get scared! My group won''t let them get close!"


    Viola then created a sword from darkness magic. Viola''s group of knights sprang into action, engaging the enemy in close combat. The sound of clashing swords filled the air as they fought with all their might.


    Serena gritted her teeth as she reloaded her gun. The gunslinger girl was proving to be a difficult target to hit. She was agile and quick, and seemed to have a sixth sense about incoming attacks.


    As Talia and the knights continued to fire, they managed to take out several of the enemy soldiers. But the gunslinger girl was still standing.


    "Princess, watch out!" Altea said.


    The gunslinger girl shot her arrow towards her. Thankfully, Serena successfully dodged it.


    "Are you okay, princess?" Altea asked.


    Serena nodded, but her eyes were fixed on the muscular girl. Even though Viola was the most important figure for her group right now, the gunslinger girl was still aiming for her.


    As characters from "GG: Gunslinger Goddess," it seemed they were destined to fight each other.


    Serena understood that she wouldn''t have a peaceful life unless she eliminated that girl herself.


    With renewed determination, Serena prepared her gun once more, ready to face her opponent head-on.


    ***

 Lumi Melody.

    Lumi welcomed Aurora and the others into her home. Lumi gestured for Aurora and her companions to follow her deeper into the building. The interior was even more dilapidated than the exterior, with cracked walls and creaky floorboards that threatened to give way under their weight. Aurora couldn''t help but feel a pang of sympathy for Lumi as she led them into what seemed to be the only room in the entire home that was somewhat intact.


    The room was sparsely furnished, with only a few chairs and small table at the middle. They then sat on the beaten-up chair. Sitting on it felt like it was not going to hold Aurora''s weight and would break any second. But as she sat down, she was surprised to find that it was sturdier than it looked.


    Aurora looked at the red-haired dwarf. "Let me clarify first," Aurora said. "Are you Lumi? Lumi Melody?"


    "Yes, that''s my name," the dwarf replied. "Do you need something from me?"


    Aurora glanced at Ruby. Their eyes met. Aurora tried to give her a message with a simple gesture of her head movement. Ruby nodded as if she got it.


    "Rita," Ruby said. "Can you guard outside? Don''t let anyone get close to here."


    "I get it, miss," Rita said as she walked out of the room.


    Aurora felt bad excluding that knight after this far, but she didn''t tell Rita about the transmigrator yet. Letting her listen to what they were going to talk about might just create unnecessary problems.


    "Alright," Aurora said. "I will just ask this straight. Are you a transmigrator? Someone from another world?"


    Lumi''s eyes widened in disbelief. "Wha--How...? Don''t tell me..."


    Aurora nodded. "I''m a transmigrator too."


    Lumi leaned back in her chair, still trying to process what she had just heard.


    Aurora watched as Lumi''s expression slowly changed from shock to curiosity. She could see the dwarf''s mind racing with questions and possibilities.


    Aurora then began a brief explanation of her side of the story. She told Lumi about the game "The Wicked Villainess of Ruin," about the other transmigrators she had met, and about other games.


    Still in disbelief, Lumi said, "I know that I can''t be the only one, but other games? I never expected that."


    Aurora smiled. "Yes, quite confusing, huh?"


    Lumi sat back in her chair and sighed. "It''s hard to believe, but I guess anything is possible in this world."


    "That''s for sure," Aurora said. "But we''re not alone in this. We have each other now."


    Lumi nodded. "You''re right. It''ll be great if we can help each other."


    "So can you tell me what happened to you?" Aurora asked. "I mean, sorry if I offend you, but you didn''t look like you were doing great here." Aurora looked around the house.


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    Lumi laughed in embarrassment. "No, don''t worry. I know I''m not doing well."


    Aurora nodded. "Can you tell me what happened?"


    "It''s not my fault," Lumi said, sighing. "It''s just... I hate puzzle games."


    Aurora blinked in confusion.


    "Hate?" she said. "Did I hear it wrong?"


    "That might be confusing, huh?" Lumi said, smiling bitterly. "Because you usually experience something like transmigration to a game you love. But that''s not how it was with me. I hate puzzle games. I can''t deal with them."


    "Then how...?" Aurora asked.


    Based on her conversation with Serena, Lumi should have been transmigrated to the last game she played. If she hated it, why did she play "Puzzle Empress" in the first place?


    "I have a friend who liked puzzle games a lot, you see," Lumi said. "Then one day, she got hooked on this game called ''Puzzle Empress.'' It''s a game where you play as a dwarf empress who loves to make puzzles. You know Mario Maker? It''s kind of like that but for a puzzle game."


    "Well, I do play it a little," Aurora said. And from her experience playing it, Lumi was supposed to be the bad guy of that game. You could say she was the Bowser of the game.


    "My friend was so proud of her creation that she often forced me to play it, even though she knew I sucked at puzzle games," Lumi said, sighing. "And that night, she sent me her new puzzle. Honestly, I didn''t feel like playing it, but she mocked me, saying that even I could solve this one, or else she might think too highly of my intelligence. That made me play it all night until I fell asleep without realizing it. I shouldn''t have gotten worked up over that. If I had just ignored it..."


    Aurora listened intently, her heart going out to Lumi. She knew how it felt to be forced into something you didn''t enjoy, just to please someone else.


    "I''m sorry," Aurora said softly. "That must have been tough."


    Lumi nodded. "It was. And then when I woke up, I was here, in this game."


    Aurora noticed that the same had happened to Lumi too. Lumi had gotten transmigrated after she fell asleep, just like Aurora and Serena. Did this mean that sleeping was the key? Aurora needed to look more closely into that later.


    "Well, I think you can guess what happened next," Lumi said. "Living in this kingdom where puzzle solving was your way of life was a hell for me. In the end, I was forced to live in this area where dwarfs who couldn''t solve puzzles lived."


    Aurora remembered thinking that Serena was a bit incompetent when she met her for the first time. But after she met the other transmigrator, she realized she might have been a little harsh to the elf princess. Hina, the meek harpy, had become a follower of Uta. Princess Catherina turned out to be evil. And now, Lumi was basically useless in this setting.


    Aurora glanced at Ruby, wondering if Ruby could follow their conversation at all. Aurora had told her about being from another world and stuff, but that didn''t mean Ruby would get what they were talking about right then. Yet, Ruby just smiled when she noticed Aurora glance at her.


    Lumi then continued her story. At first, she had tried to fit in. She had thrown herself into solving puzzles, spending hours working on puzzles around the town in the hope that she would be able to do it too. But no matter how hard she tried, she could never seem to solve them.


    In the end, she had been forced to give up and accept her fate. She had been relegated to the fringes of society, living in a small area on the outskirts of the kingdom where other "useless" dwarfs like her resided.


    "I couldn''t even get food," Lumi said, frustrated.


    "But then how did you survive?" Aurora asked.


    "Ah, fortunately, I gained this ability." She picked up an iron ore from the shelf. "Everyday, I can copy things I touch three times. Thanks to that, I can at least trade stuff for food and keep surviving."


    She then demonstrated it by holding the ore on her right hand, and then her left hand started to shine, slowly forming another ore with the same shape.


    Aurora blinked in awe. "That works on everything?" she asked.


    "Not exactly," Lumi said, putting both of the ores on the table. "Only things that are small enough that I can hold them in my hand."


    Aurora gulped. That could solve the lack of materials problem that she and Serena had faced. After all, if they couldn''t buy materials from this place, no matter how much Aurora filled Serena''s bag right now, they would still have the same problem if they needed more.


    "Hey, please join us," Aurora said, holding Lumi''s hand. "If you hated it here, you didn''t need to stay in this kingdom anymore. I can promise you that you won''t have to worry about something like money, food, and stuff like that again."


    "Really?" Lumi asked, she looked hopeful yet worried.


    Ruby pinched Aurora''s arm and looked annoyed. Aurora immediately released her grip from Lumi''s hand.


    "Like you said before," Aurora said as if she hadn''t been interrupted at all. "Let''s help each other. We each have problems, but if we work together, we''ll be able to solve them."


    "Really...?" Lumi said still can''t believe it. "For a while now, I had been feeling hopeless. I thought there was no way out of this situation..."


    "I was happy to give you this opportunity then," Aurora said, a smile on her lips. "So how was it? Will you follow me?"


    Lumi fell into silence. She couldn''t believe that this was really happening.


    "What else did you need to think about?" Ruby asked. "Just accept it already."


    Lumi knew that Ruby was right. This might have been her only opportunity to get out of this situation, but she couldn''t help feeling nervous. They had been strangers just a few minutes ago, so she couldn''t trust them completely yet. However, they had come specifically for her, and the fact that Aurora was like her, a transmigrator too, made her want to believe.


    "Sorry, this feels too good to be true," Lumi finally said, her voice shaking. "But if you really meant it, then please..."


    ***

 Layers of Labyrinth.

    Aurora, Ruby, and Lumi got out of that small house. Rita, who had been keeping watch outside, glanced at them.


    "Are you done, miss?" she asked.


    "Yup, we have an agreement," Ruby said. "Lumi will come with us now."


    Lumi nodded. "Yes, as she said."


    "Alright," Rita said. "Then what are we going to do now?"


    "First, let''s collect some materials," Aurora said, her eyes scanning the area. "That was one of the reasons we came here, after all."


    "Yup, and I had something I wanted to look for too," Ruby said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.


    "Now that you mention it," Aurora said, turning to Ruby with a quizzical expression. "You never told me what you were looking for."


    "Well, it''s a secret!" Ruby said.


    "Why though? Wouldn''t it be easier to find if you told me?" Aurora asked.


    "No, it''s a secret!" Ruby insisted.


    "Fine," Aurora sighed. "Then let''s go to the second layer."


    They made their way north, their steps light and purposeful. As they approached another giant door, guarded by two fierce-looking dwarves, the group slowed to a stop.


    "Halt," one of the dwarves said, his voice gruff. "If you want to pass this door, you must solve a puzzle."


    "Alright," Aurora said, her eyes flicking to the other members of her group. "What puzzle do we need to solve this time?"


    The guard handed them a puzzle, a jigsaw with intricate pieces that looked daunting at first glance.


    "What is it this time?" Ruby asked, her eyes lighting up with curiosity.


    "Here, why don''t you try it," Aurora said, handing the puzzle to Ruby. Rita looked at it with interest while Lumi looked at it with disdain.


    As Ruby began sorting through the pieces, her mind raced with excitement, and the rest of the group watched her with varying levels of interest.


    "Miss Ruby, that piece was going in this part," Rita said.


    "Oh, you''re right," Ruby said.


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    After a few moments, Ruby finished the puzzle.


    "Well, that was kind of fun," Ruby said.


    Rita nodded in agreement, and Aurora smiled, while Lumi looked disbelieving that Ruby could have enjoyed such a task.


    "Congratulations," the guards said. "You can go in now."


    The guards opened the door, leading them into a long hallway. They walked until they reached a junction.


    "Left or right?" Ruby said. "Do we need to choose?"


    "Well, this was a labyrinth," Aurora said. "We wouldn''t be going straight to the second layer."


    "That''s right," Lumi said. "You needed to pick the right way to reach it. If you weren''t careful, you could get stuck in this place for days. Or so I heard."


    "Then what do we do?" Ruby asked.


    "Hmm... I heard you could solve a labyrinth if you picked one side of a wall and kept following it," Aurora said. "We would reach the exit eventually."


    "Alright! Which way do we pick then?" Ruby said.


    "Let''s go left," Aurora said.


    "Why?" Lumi asked.


    Aurora smiled. "No reason really. Just feel like it."


    "Alright, left it is," Ruby said, and they started walking again. Unfortunately, they hit their first dead end.


    "No luck, huh?" Aurora said.


    "Wait, what was that?" Ruby noticed something on the side. There was a small chest with a puzzle as a lock.


    Aurora looked at it more closely.


    "It''s a sliding puzzle," Aurora noted.


    Hearing that Lumi was stepping back in disgusted, while Ruby''s curiosity was piqued.


    "Can I try?" she asked, looking up at Aurora.


    "Sure," Aurora replied with a smile.


    Ruby got to work, sliding the pieces around until they fit together perfectly. Behind her, Rita watched in silence. It took her a few minutes, but eventually, she heard a satisfying click and the lock popped open.


    Ruby opened the chest and inside found some metallic materials.


    "Huh, just this?" Ruby said, kind of disappointed.


    "Well, you shouldn''t expect something amazing from something easy to do," Aurora said as she opened Serena''s bag and put the materials inside.


    "Fair enough," Ruby said, pushing her feeling of disappointment aside. "Let''s continue then."


    They went back to the junction and chose the right path. Not long after, they arrived at a small room with two new paths.


    In between the two paths, another chest with a puzzle in it lay on the ground.


    "Another one!" Ruby exclaimed, excitedly getting close to it. Rita followed her.


    "I can''t believe she loves it," Lumi said, looking sick.


    Aurora giggled. "Yes, but mostly because it''s still easy though," she said. "When she gets hit by a harder puzzle, I wonder if she will stay that excited."


    "Aurora, come here," Ruby called. "What do you think it is?"


    Aurora came close. On the chest, she saw three rows with numbers. The first row had 8, 1, and an empty space. The second row was empty, 5, and 7. The third row was empty, 9, and an empty space.


    "Magic Square?" Aurora said.


    "What''s that?" Ruby asked.


    "You need math to solve it," Aurora said. "In a magic square, every row, column, and diagonal adds up to the same constant. So in this case, you can see that the second column has the numbers 1, 5, and 9. In other words, it''s the number 15."


    "I see!" Ruby said. She then immediately tried to solve it.


    While Ruby was trying to solve the puzzle, Aurora noticed that so far the puzzles they found were classic puzzles that could be played without an electronic device. It was quite different from how it was in the "Puzzle Empress" game. That made her think that probably the puzzles in this kingdom were adapting to the technology in this world. So there wouldn''t be a puzzle that needed advanced technology like a game console or something. That made things easier.


    "I''m done!" Ruby said as the puzzle made a clicking sound. The chest opened up. Inside was a stone with blue colors. Aurora put it inside Serena''s bag.


    "Alright, now which one should we try next?" Ruby asked as she looked at the two paths.


    "Left," Aurora said.


    "You really like the left, huh?" Ruby said.


    Aurora smiled. "Maybe."


    They continued their journey. Like before, at the end of the path was another junction, and they chose left again. They kept doing this until they reached a dead end.


    As Lumi said, they spent hours trying to find the right path. While they found more and more dead end, They found more chests with similar puzzles but with harder difficulties. Ruby happily solved them. Until at the end of the day, they finally reached the second layer - the second town of the dwarf kingdom.


    "Finally!" Lumi said. "I thought we would never find the exit."


    "You''re over-exaggerating," Ruby said. "We were only inside there for a couple of hours."


    "You think that because you''re having fun!" Lumi retorted.


    "Did I really?" Ruby grinned. "I do admit, though, I''m tired after walking so much."


    "Want me to carry you, miss?" Rita offered.


    "Don''t even joke about that!" Ruby snorted.


    Aurora smiled. "Then let''s look for an inn first."


    As they looked around trying to find a place to rest, Aurora noticed that someone was keeping an eye on them. Not only her, but Rita noticed it too. They looked at each other and nodded.


    Ruby noticed their exchanged glance. "What? Did something happen?" she asked.


    "It''s nothing," Aurora said. "Anyway, how about that? I believe that building was an inn, right?"


    Lumi looked at the same place. "You''re right," she said.


    "Okay, let''s check it out then!" Ruby said, pulling Aurora along.


    ***

 Waiting.

    As they entered the inn, they were greeted by the friendly innkeeper.


    "Welcome, welcome," the innkeeper said. "What can I do for you?"


    "Do you have an empty room?" Ruby asked.


    The dwarf innkeeper nodded. "Fortunately, we had two empty rooms," she said. "But if you want to use one, you''ll either need to exchange it for your stuff or solve this puzzle."


    Lumi groaned in pain. "Another puzzle..."


    "The puzzle, please!" Ruby said.


    The innkeeper brought out a bunch of disks and three pegs. Aurora immediately recognized it. It was a puzzle called Tower of Hanoi. The disks started off stacked on one peg, with the biggest disk on the bottom and the smallest disk on top.


    "Okay, how do you play it?" Ruby asked.


    "The goal was to move the entire stack of disks to another peg," the innkeeper said.


    Aurora nodded. "But you could only move one disk at a time," she said, "and you could never put a bigger disk on top of a smaller one."


    "Oh, okay. Let me try it for now," Ruby said.


    Aurora watched with amusement as Ruby eagerly tackled the puzzle, her mind working feverishly to find a solution. Like before, Rita sometimes offered her help. Aurora just smiled, while Lumi didn''t even want to look at it.


    After some time, Ruby finally solved the puzzle. As promised, the innkeeper gave them their rooms. Ruby and Aurora shared a room, while Lumi and Rita shared another.


    As soon as they entered their room, Ruby flopped onto the bed. "Ah, this feels nice," she sighed.


    Aurora chuckled. "You like to laze around on the bed, don''t you?"


    "Hey, don''t judge me," Ruby said, hugging a pillow. "I like the bed."


    Suddenly, Ruby noticed that it had been a while since she was alone with Aurora. Her face started to blush.


    "Is something wrong?" Aurora asked as she noticed that Ruby had suddenly become quiet.


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    "No, nothing," Ruby replied, trying to remain calm.


    "Really now?" Aurora said, sitting on the bed too. "I was sure you would ask me to kiss you again."


    "Wha--" Ruby blushed even harder.


    "Just joking," Aurora giggled.


    "That wasn''t funny," Ruby said, pouting.


    "Sorry, sorry," Aurora said. "If you really wanted though, I would do it. Or did you have something else in mind?"


    "A hug then," Ruby said, a little embarrassed. "A hug is enough. For now."


    "Okay," Aurora said.


    She hugged Ruby, and both of them laughed. They spent the rest of the evening resting, side by side, and chatting. Ruby''s tiredness bested her, because without her noticing it, she fell asleep. But Aurora was not ready to sleep yet. As the night drew on, Aurora got out of the room.


    She found that Rita was also awake, standing in the corridor and looking out of the windows.


    "Are they still following us?" Aurora asked.


    "Oh, good night miss Aurora," Rita said. "And no, after they saw us enter this inn, they seemed to have stopped following us."


    "Any idea who they are?" Aurora asked.


    "Unfortunately, I didn''t know yet," Rita said. "But I could feel from their movement that they were dwarves. I couldn''t tell yet what their intention was, but we better be careful. They might be a criminal group targeting tourists."


    Aurora nodded. "But it''s also possible they were specifically aiming for us."


    "That''s true, but don''t worry," Rita said, smiling reassuringly. "Trust me, I kept watching. Why don''t you just rest for now, miss Aurora? I''m sure tomorrow will be a long day."


    "Alright," Aurora said. "Anyway, I know you''re strong, but don''t overdo it, okay?"


    "I know," Rita said with a chuckle.


    Aurora thanked Rita and went back to her room. She found Ruby sleeping soundly, snuggled up with her pillow. Aurora smiled and gently covered her with a blanket before settling in for the night.


    The next morning, they had breakfast at the inn''s dining hall. Again, they needed to solve a puzzle to get the food. This time, Aurora did it to not waste time.


    "But I want to do it," protested Ruby.


    Aurora smiled apologetically. "Sorry," she said.


    Lumi seemed more relaxed now that they were safe in the inn and even joined in on the conversation. They discussed their plans for the day and decided to explore the town and visit some of the local shops before continuing to the next layer.


    As they walked through the town, Aurora could feel that they were being watched again. Aurora glanced at Rita, and she nodded.


    "Should we just confront them?" Aurora whispered.


    "Let''s just wait for a bit more," Rita replied. "They''re familiar with this town. I''m worried they will run away before we find out anything."


    Aurora nodded.


    They then entered one of the shops. Like before, they were given a choice; they could trade stuff for anything in the shop or solve a puzzle. Ruby, of course, asked for a puzzle.


    While in theory, they could take everything inside that shop for free as long as they solved more puzzles, they didn''t have time for that. Not to mention Aurora felt bad for the shop owner if she did that. So while Ruby was busy working on the puzzle, she traded some food and stuff she had purposely brought inside Serena''s bag for things like materials that Serena would be able to use.


    "I''m done!" Ruby said.


    "You''re still so excited about this?" Lumi said. "I don''t get it at all."


    Ruby ignored her and picked her prize and put it in Serena''s bag that Aurora held.


    They got out of the shop, and Aurora asked Rita, "Are they still following us?"


    "Yes," Rita said.


    "Probably, they won''t make a move until we get to a quiet place," Aurora mumbled. "Alright, let''s just go to the next layer. They will most likely make a move in the labyrinth. Or is that too dangerous?"


    Rita shook her head. "I''m confident I can deal with them no matter how much they come. So it''s fine."


    "Okay," Aurora said.


    They then went north until they reached another giant door protected by a couple of dwarves.


    "This is the way to the next layer," one of them said. "If you want to pass this door, you must solve a puzzle."


    "Yes, yes," Aurora said. "Give us the puzzle, please."


    One of the dwarves picked up something from their pocket. It was a small box of matches. The other brought a table to them, and they arranged the matchsticks into 9 minus 5 equals 8.


    "It''s a Matchstick Puzzle. Move one match to fix the equation," the dwarf guard said.


    That was easy enough, but solving puzzles was the least of Aurora''s worries. While Ruby was busy messing with the matchsticks, Aurora and Rita noticed that they were still being watched.


    As planned, they will most likely follow them into the labyrinth.


    ***

 Dont Move.

    Ruby successfully solved the puzzle.


    "That''s a lot simpler than I thought," Ruby said. "I feel stupid that I needed so much time to find out."


    Aurora smiled. "That''s just how puzzles are."


    "Nah, you''re good," Lumi said. "I don''t think I could have solved it no matter how much time I spent on it."


    "Congratulations," the dwarf guard said. "You can enter now."


    The dwarves guards opened the door.


    "But just a warning," one of them said. "Unlike the labyrinth between layer one and two, starting from here, you might encounter monsters inside. That means you might get hurt or even die."


    "What?" Lumi said, worried. "Isn''t that bad?"


    "Don''t worry," Aurora said. "We can handle it."


    "But..." Lumi still looked worried.


    "Come on, it''s just a monster," Ruby said. "Not a big deal."


    "But it''s called a monster for a reason, right?" Lumi said with concern.


    Rita stepped forward and patted Lumi''s shoulder. "Relax, I will protect you," she promised.


    "Um, thank you, but..." Lumi hesitated.


    "That''s right," Ruby said, with a playful smile. "We have our own monster, so everything''s fine."


    Rita let out a sigh. "Miss, please don''t call me that."


    Ruby chuckled. "Okay, okay," she said, as they passed through the door.


    After passing through the giant door, the group entered a new layer of the labyrinth. The walls were made of stone, and the air was thick with the smell of damp earth. The path ahead was dimly lit, and they could hear the sound of something moving in the distance.


    "That''s... Not a monster, right?" Lumi said, scared.


    "Do you want to check it out?" Ruby said playfully. "It seems like the path ahead is split in two--"


    "Please don''t joke around," Lumi interrupted. "I don''t know how strong you are, but I think taking things lightly is a bad idea!"


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    Aurora poked Ruby. "She''s right. Don''t bully her too much."


    "Okay, okay, sorry," Ruby said, pouting. "But it''s fine, right? We could go down the path with that sound."


    "No, let''s take the other one," Rita said.


    "Why?" Ruby said, diasapointed.


    "Rita was right." Aurora pushed Ruby towards the safer path. "Let''s not make reckless decisions like that. The safe path is always better."


    "Fine," Ruby said, although she looked disappointed, while Lumi sighed in relief.


    They got deeper into the labyrinth, with more paths to choose from. Another weird sound came from one of the paths.


    "Let''s check it out," Ruby suggested.


    "No," Aurora said firmly.


    "Why?" Ruby said. "There''s no way you''re scared, right?"


    Aurora sighed and leaned in close to Ruby. "Someone''s following us," she whispered.


    "What?" Ruby said, her eyes widening in surprise.


    "If they saw how strong Rita is, they might be running away," Aurora continued whispering. "So it''s a bad idea to let her fight a monster now."


    Ruby gulped.


    Aurora smiled gently. "So what''s wrong with being scared?"


    "N-nothing''s wrong, ehehe," Ruby said, finally understanding. "I''m just joking."


    They continued to get deeper, picking paths that looked safe. While walking, Ruby reflexively looked behind her.


    "Don''t do that, don''t try to locate them," Aurora whispered.


    "Sorry..." Ruby said.


    Ruby still had the urge to look behind her, but she heeded Aurora''s warning and kept her eyes forward. At the next intersection, they chose the left path. But it turned out to be a bad decision because at the end of the path stood a huge monster.


    They saw a huge troll wielding a club with deadly intent. Its eyes locked onto the group, and it let out a roar that shook the very ground beneath their feet.


    "Everyone get back!" Rita said as she pulled out her sword. Ruby gulped in panic, while Lumi was so scared her leg gave up and she fell to the ground. Even though a monster was right in front of them, Rita glanced back, worried.


    Aurora picked up her knife. "Just focus on fighting with that," she said. "I will deal with the watchers."


    Rita nodded and summoned her wind magic, making wind spin around her.


    "LightSpeed," Aurora whispered.


    At the same time as Rita jumped to attack, Aurora ran toward the path they had just passed, looking for someone following them.


    Rita slashed the troll''s hand that was holding the club, easily cutting it off. The monster growled in pain.


    Aurora found two dwarves watching behind a wall. Before they could react, she put her knife to one of their necks.


    "Don''t move," she warned them. "Or I will cut you up."


    "Wait!" they hurriedly put their hands up. "We''re not enemies! Don''t hurt us!"


    Aurora''s eyes narrowed as she considered their words. "I will judge your words later," she said, her voice firm. "Now put your hands to your back."


    The dwarves did as they were told, and Aurora quickly bound them tightly with rope she had taken from Serena''s bag.


    The time Aurora needed to capture both of the dwarves was enough for Rita to end her fight.


    After the troll hand got cut off, the troll entered a raging mode. The troll roared and charged at Rita, swinging its remaining arm wildly.


    Rita dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the troll''s massive fist. She rolled out of the way and jumped back, keeping a safe distance from the raging creature.


    The troll continued to attack, lashing out with its hand in every direction. Rita watched carefully, waiting for her chance to strike.


    As the troll swung again, Rita saw her opening. She gathered her wind magic to her sword, channeling all of her strength into the blade. With a quick slash, she severed the troll''s head from its body. Beheading him completely.


    The troll fall to the ground. Rita sighed, sheathed back her sword.


    "She... She just cut off that monster''s head like it was nothing," Lumi said in disbelief.


    Ruby beside her smiled. "You see now?"


    Lumi looked at Ruby. "So that''s why you were not worried at all."


    Ruby nodded and offered her hand. Lumi grabbed it and stood up.


    "Nice work," Aurora said as she pushed the dwarves toward them.


    "You too, Miss Aurora," Rita said with a smile.


    Lumi''s eyes stared at Aurora and unknown dwarves she had caught. She blinked, couldn''t help but wonder what actually happened.


    "They had been following us for a while now," Rita explained, stepping closer to the group.


    Lumi''s eyes widened in surprise. "Really? I didn''t notice at all."


    "You should be more wary about your surroundings," Ruby said.


    "You wouldn''t have noticed either if Aurora hadn''t told you, miss," Rita said.


    "Oh, you don''t need to say that!" Ruby pouted.


    Aurora couldn''t help but smile as she watched her friends bantering.


    The playful mood quickly changed as the tall girl began glaring fiercely at two dwarves. "Who were you? What did you want from us?" Rita asked. "You guys better answer truthfully before I pull out my sword again."


    The dwarves cowered in fear.


    "We get it! Please don''t hurt us!" one of the dwarves said. "We will tell you everything!"


    "Okay," Aurora said. "Start talking then."


    ***

 No Time.

    The dwarves, who had been trembling in fear, began to explain their intentions.


    "We were part of a group called Ursus Underground," one of them said. "Basically, we were a group created from dwarves who couldn''t adapt to the puzzle rule and tried to get by doing other things."


    Lumi nodded in understanding. As a dwarf who couldn''t handle puzzles, she seemed to resonate with their situation.


    "Sometimes we did dirty things, like stealing and stuff--"


    "But not this time!" the other dwarf interrupted. "We were asked by our newest member to look out for you guys! We didn''t plan to do anything bad! It''s the opposite, if something bad happened to you, we would help you!"


    "Really?" Rita said, clearly not believing him. "Sounds like an excuse to me."


    Ruby nodded in agreement. "We can''t trust them. Let''s just end them quickly so we can continue our journey."


    "No! Please! We''re really not lying!" the trembling dwarf pleaded.


    Lumi felt bad for them, but the others were not so easily convinced. Aurora eyed the dwarves suspiciously, while Rita began to unsheathe her sword.


    The dwarves became even more scared, but Lumi spoke up.


    "Wait," she said. "Let''s hear them out. They might be telling the truth."


    "Fine," Aurora said. "So who was this new member you were talking about?"


    "He was a human called Ace," the dwarf said. "He was the one who suggested making a shortcut too."


    Ace? Aurora thought. She had never heard that name before, whether in the game or someone she met directly in this world.


    "Yes, that was our newest project!" the other dwarf said excitedly. "Shortcut project! Now you can go to any layers quickly, as long as you trade something! It''s a hundred times better than using the normal way like this!"


    "Shortcut?" Aurora said. "Do you know anything about that, Lumi?"


    "No, I don''t think so," Lumi said, thinking about it.


    "It''s because that was a new project!" the dwarf said. "We just finished digging a few days ago! Of course, words had not yet gone around!"


    "Okay, that sounds interesting, but more importantly, tell us more about that human," Aurora said. "He specifically asked you to watch over us?"


    "Yes," the dwarf with a longer beard said. "He asked us to find a group of human girls. One with long blue hair, accompanied by a tall knight girl and a small girl with twintails. He didn''t say anything about the dwarf girl that followed you, but I believe he was talking about you."


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    That description was indeed specific to them, which made Aurora even more suspicious.


    "Why?" she said. "Why did he ask you to watch us? What did he want from us?"


    "I''m sorry, but he didn''t tell us anything," the dwarf with the longer beard said. "Even though he was a new member, he immediately got a high position. We couldn''t ask too many questions."


    "We were the bottom of the barrel members," the other dwarf said. "We just followed orders."


    Aurora glanced at Rita, and the knight girl nodded.


    "I think they were honest," Rita said. "Not that it means much though. Just because these guys believe they didn''t do it to harm us, that human who asked this might have a different idea. I mean, do you know that Ace guy?"


    "Never heard of him," Aurora said.


    "Neither did I," Ruby said.


    All of them glanced at Lumi.


    "No, I don''t know him either," the small dwarf girl said quickly.


    "So it''s weird that someone we know nothing about is trying to protect us," Rita said. "If he did it because we were fellow humans, that might be reasonable enough. But..."


    Aurora nodded. "He knows exactly how we look like," she said. "He specifically knows us from someone, and he knows we will come here. Though again, that doesn''t explain why."


    "We should just ask them to bring us to that Ace guy," Ruby said. "There''s no point in thinking too much about it if we know nothing about him, right?"


    Aurora smiled. "Well, that''s true."


    "Alright, where is this Ace person you were talking about?" Rita said, pointing her sword at the dwarves.


    "O-okay, we will do what you want but please put that thing away," the longer bearded dwarf said in fear. "H-he was staying at the town in the layer three. We can lead the way of this Labyrinth so you can arrive there quickly."


    "That''s right!" the other dwarf said. "We know a way where you don''t need to encounter monsters too!" He gulped. "Even though... I guess you guys didn''t really need it."


    "Okay, lead the way then," Aurora said.


    "But if any of you try something funny," Rita warned, "you know what will happen, right?"


    "O-of course," the dwarves said. "We''re not stupid enough to do that. But please, will you let us go when this is all done?"


    "What? You dare to demand something from us?" Ruby said. "As I thought, let''s just end them here and now!"


    "No, please! I''m sorry! I''m being foolish!" the dwarves pleaded. "I will shut up now!"


    They looked at Lumi, begging for help. But the small dwarf just looked down, as she didn''t have the power to decide something like that.


    "Let''s not do that," Aurora said. "At least before we meet that Ace guy and figure out what his deal is."


    "Okay," Ruby said, looking at Aurora.


    "Then please lead the way," Aurora smiled.


    "W-we get it!" the two dwarves said in unison.


    The dwarves then led the way. They both worked efficiently, quickly finding the right path to the exit. Finally, they reached the third town without any monster encounters.


    "So where is that Ace most likely right now?" Aurora asked.


    "Probably in our group meeting place," the dwarf with the longer beard said. "Please follow us there."


    They passed a few buildings until they reached the building in the shape of a U. The two dwarves showed a dwarf who seemed to work as security for that place some cards before they were allowed to enter.


    "That''s him," the dwarf said. "That''s the human called Ace."


    He pointed at a purple-haired young man who smiled at them. He looked kind of like Dante, but younger.


    "Oh, welcome," he said. "I heard a lot about you from my brother, Miss Aurora."


    Aurora couldn''t help but feel a little surprised.


    "I see, so you''re Dante''s spy in this kingdom?" Aurora guessed. "Everything makes sense now."


    "Please don''t call me a spy, but yes, I''m part of the Information Guild that he sent here," he said. "Fascinating place, isn''t it?"


    "Indeed," Aurora said. "But why do this?"


    "Come on, you''re a very important person. I was just doing my job, miss. As part of the Information Guild, it was my duty to protect our clients," Ace said. "Of course, I didn''t want anything bad to happen to you when you were in my territory."


    "Well, thanks, I guess," Aurora said. "But nothing like this happened when we visited other kingdoms."


    "That''s because I''m better than them," Ace said. "I act accordingly without the need to receive orders from my brother, I mean, the guild master. Talking about him, it''s a good thing that you decided to come here yourself. He sent you a letter."


    Ace pulled out a letter from his pocket and offered it to Aurora. Aurora took the letter and opened it, her eyes scanning the words quickly. When she finished, her expression shifted from curiosity to worry.


    "Something wrong?" Ruby asked, noticing Aurora''s change in demeanor.


    Aurora nodded, passing the letter to Ruby. "Dante told me that the Kingdom of Samalanra is making a move sooner than I expected. Serena and the others are forced to fight them now, while I''m still here."


    "What do we do then?" Ruby asked.


    "I don''t know," Aurora said. "Even if we decided to go back now, will we arrive in time?"


    "This is where my genius comes in," Ace said, clapping his hands. "You see, when my brother asked me to collect information about Dwarf Empress Gaia, I had a hard time doing it. Because so far, I''m stuck here. I haven''t even reached the deepest layer yet, where she is staying. So this gave me an idea."


    "What are you talking about?" Aurora asked.


    "A shortcut," Ace said, grinning. "I''m joining hands with these guys to create a shortcut. I realized that not just me, but a lot of people¡ªor dwarves¡ªwant access to all the layers. So I thought this would be a convenient thing and a potential business project."


    Aurora''s eyes widened in realization. "You mean..."


    "Ding-dong," Ace said with a wide smile. "I can take you quickly to the fifth layer and meet the Empress, or you can get out of this kingdom fast. So what are you going to do?"


    ***

 Impossible Puzzle.

    Given two choices, Aurora didn''t hesitate.


    "We''ll check out the fifth layer first," she said. "I didn''t think we would have another chance to come here again soon, so at least I wanted some materials from the deepest layer of this Labyrinth. After that, we quickly got out of there. Could you do that, Dante--I mean, Ace?"


    "Sure thing," Ace said.


    "What about us?" the two dwarves who had been silent this whole time asked.


    All eyes were on them now. They looked scared, but Aurora smiled. "You guys are free now," she said.


    "Really?" they said.


    "That''s what she said," Ruby said. "Now go, or would you prefer being cut?"


    "No, thank you!" Both of them hurriedly ran away.


    Ace blinked in confusion. "What was that?"


    "Nothing," Aurora said. "Now hurry up."


    "Alright, follow me," Ace said, going to the stairs behind the wall. "Deep below this building, there''s an underground tunnel."


    Aurora and the others followed him, descending the stairs. After going down for a while, they finally reached the tunnel.


    The tunnel was massive, with high ceilings and rough stone walls that glimmered in the dim light.


    "Right now, we just managed to create these minecart-like things," Ace said. "They''re not really fancy, but they get the job done. Please hop in."


    They entered the minecart, trying to sit comfortably, and it started moving.


    "It would be faster if we had a skilled wind magic user to push it forward," Ace said. I had been eyeing the device that the harpy used. "If we stick it to this minecart, I think it will make it even faster. But dwarves have a different kind of magic and mostly have earth elements. And I''m not a wind magic user either."


    Aurora and Ruby looked at Rita.


    The Knight girl sighed. "I get it," she said. "I will do it."


    Rita unsheathed her sword. As she closed her eyes and focused on her magic, a gust of air swirled around them. She harnessed it and used it to propel the cart forward, making them move several times faster.


    Aurora and Ruby were used to these kinds of speeds, but Lumi, the newest addition to their group, wasn''t. She screamed in fear, grabbing Rita''s hand. Even Ace was stunned by the speed they were moving at.


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    "Relax, all under my control," Rita said, keeping the minecart stable, but Lumi still clung to her in fear.


    In a few minutes, they arrived at the end of the tunnel. They thenvget off the minecart.


    Lumi looked sick. "I thought... I was going to die," she said.


    Aurora could only smile and offer her some drink to calm her down.


    "That was amazing control of wind magic," Ace said, impressed. "If you''re looking for a job--"


    "Hey, I''m not going to give my knight to anyone!" Ruby interrupted, grabbing Rita''s hand.


    Rita smiled. "You heard my master."


    "Okay, okay, I got it," Ace said. "I was just saying."


    They climbed the stairs and as they stepped out of the building, the group was greeted with the stunning view of the dwarf city.


    "This is where most of the dwarves live," Ace said.


    They looked around in awe, taking in the impressive sights before them. That place was well-lit, almost not feeling like they were underground. The ceiling was high, the buildings were tall and big, mostly made of stone.


    "Anyway, if you''re looking for materials, I can take you to a certain shop that sells almost anything," Ace offered.


    "Let''s check it out then," Aurora said.


    As they made their way through the city, the group was greeted with curious glances from the passing dwarves.


    "I guess humans don''t often come here," Aurora said.


    "Yeah, unfortunately," Ace replied.


    Then something caught Ruby''s eye.


    "Wait, what was that?" she asked, pointing at a huge poster drawing that had been plastered on the wall. It depicted a dwarf woman with long hair, giving off a mysterious feeling.


    "Ah, the Empress gives anyone a chance to challenge her special puzzle," Ace said. "If you can solve it, you can pick super rare things as the prize. But nobody has ever solved it, I heard. Not worth it."


    Aurora stared at the poster, interested.


    "Aurora, let''s try it!" Ruby said. "What I''m looking for might be one of the prizes!"


    "Aren''t you out of time?" Ace asked. "Are you sure you want to waste your time doing an impossible puzzle?"


    Aurora thought about it for a moment. Then she made a decision. She pushed Serena''s bag to Ace.


    "Can you trade as much materials as possible using all things inside this bag while we try that impossible puzzle?" Aurora asked.


    "You can''t be serious," Ace said.


    "Please," Aurora pleaded.


    He sighed. "Fine, give it to me," he said, grabbing the bag from Aurora.


    As he rummaged through it, Aurora walked towards Ruby, but before she got too far, she stopped and turned back to Ace.


    "Oh, and be careful with that bag," Aurora said. "It was an important item I borrowed from my friend. If you lost it, you would lose your head."


    "What?" Ace said in disbelief.


    "Thanks, see you later," Aurora said with a smile.


    Ace was stunned in place, dumbfounded, as the group of girls ran toward the palace where the empress stayed.


    As they approached the palace, Aurora and her friends couldn''t help but be awed by its imposing structure. The stone walls towered above them, intricate carvings and designs etched into every inch of the surface. The palace seemed to glow with a regal aura.


    As they drew closer, they noticed four dwarves guarding the entrance. They wore fancy helmets, and their eyes were sharp as they scanned the approaching group.


    The guard stopped them and asked, "What''s your name? And what are your plans here?"


    "I''m Aurora and we want to challenge the Empress''s puzzle," Aurora replied.


    "Foolish humans," the other dwarf muttered quietly, but everyone could hear him clearly.


    Ruby glared at him.


    "Ahem, alright, please follow me," the dwarf guard said. "No weapons are allowed at the palace, so if you want to enter, we will store them somewhere safe."


    Rita hesitated. She couldn''t part with her sword - it was too valuable, and she needed it to protect her master and her companions.


    Aurora sensing her hesitation, stepped forward and spoke up. "I think it''s better for you to wait here," she said to Rita. "And can I leave my knife with you? I don''t trust them at all."


    Rita nodded, grateful for the offer.


    Aurora handed over her knife, and Ruby approached them.


    "Sorry, Miss. I can''t enter with you," Rita said to Ruby.


    "It''s fine," Ruby said, though her expression said otherwise. "We''ll finish it quickly and go home."


    Some of the dwarf guards snickered, obviously looking down on her. Ruby angrily glanced at them.


    "So annoying," she muttered.


    "Anyway, Miss," Rita said. "If something happens, just call me."


    "I get it. We''re off," Ruby said, following Aurora and Lumi, who had already entered the palace.


    As they walked through the palace, the girls couldn''t help but look around at the intricate stone carvings that adorned the walls and floors.


    As they walked, Ruby looked at Aurora and asked, "Any idea what kind of puzzle is considered impossible?"


    "I''m not sure either," Aurora said. "Not to mention if it''s really impossible, then it''s not exactly a puzzle, is it?"


    "Just thinking about it makes me feel sick," Lumi groaned. "I want to hurry up and leave this place."


    "You can wait with Rita outside, you know?" Ruby said.


    "That''s true, but..." Lumi sighed. "I guess as much as this was a pain for me, I feel like I need to do this as a final thing I do before I leave this place for good."


    The dwarf guard led them to a grand hall with a fancy, big door. They stopped there.


    "Behind this door is the empress," the guard said. "Make sure to behave yourself."


    Aurora nodded. "We understand."


    Then the guard opened the door.


    ***

 That Cube.

    As the group entered the room behind the door, they couldn''t help but marvel at the sight before them. Puzzles of all shapes and sizes were scattered about, each one seeming more challenging than the last. And at the end of the room, sitting on a magnificent throne, was the woman they had been searching for - the dwarf Empress Gaia.


    Her size was astounding, easily double that of a normal human. Even the dwarf guards surrounding her looked small in comparison. But what caught their attention the most was her hair - it flowed down her back in waves of shimmering gold, just like the woman on the poster they had seen before.


    "Welcome," Gaia''s voice boomed across the room, "Three challengers this time, I see. Two humans and one dwarf--an interesting group this time around. I am Gaia, the empress of this kingdom."


    Aurora, Ruby, and Lumi stepped forward and introduced themselves, trying to hide their nervousness.


    Gaia studied them carefully, her eyes piercing through them as if she could see straight into their souls.


    "You have come seeking a challenge," she said finally. "So I expect all of you to be ready for it."


    Without another word, Gaia waved her hand, and the dwarves appeared, carrying tables and chairs. They placed them at the center of the room and gestured for Aurora and the others to sit down.


    "Prepare the puzzle," Gaia said, and the dwarves bowed before disappearing.


    Not long after some dwarves come back with something hidden behind black cloths. They then put it on the table, right in front of Aurora, ruby and Lumi. The black cloths was lifted, and they saw something small on the table.


    Aurora blinked in confusion.


    This was the impossible puzzle? Are they joking? she thought to herself.


    Aurora grabbed the cube in front of her. It was exactly what she had thought, a 3x3 Rubik''s cube with randomly scrambled colors.


    She glanced at Ruby, who looked confused, and then at Lumi, who groaned in pain. Unlike Ruby, Lumi obviously knew what it was.


    Watching Lumi frustrated like that made Aurora understand the situation.


    That''s right. Aurora was thinking in a modern human way. She remembered that in the past, people believed that someone who could solve a Rubik''s cube was a genius.


    That actually made sense. If you gave someone a Rubik''s cube and told them to solve it blindly, like if she had told Lumi to do it, it was almost impossible to do, unless you were smart enough to come up with your own algorithm.


    In modern-day, being able to solve a Rubik''s cube was trivial. Even kids could do it. But that was only because the manufacturer noticed that their customers actually wanted to be able to solve it. So they started to pack their product with instructions on how to solve it.


    Even if that was not the case, you could just search on Google or YouTube, and you would find how to do it in a couple of hours.


    In this world though, these kinds of information must have been hard to get. That meant indeed for most people--or dwarves, it was impossible to solve.


    Luckily for Aurora, she learned it when she was in middle school. In her school, there was a sudden trend of speedcubing, making everyone suddenly interested in Rubik''s cube, including her. Though the trend was short-lived, the skill to solve it was still in her mind.


    Still though, it had been a while since she played with a Rubik''s cube. She messed with it for some time. And then with a final twist, the colors clicked into place, and the cube let out a satisfying click. She needed around three minutes to actually solve it. Pathetically slow in modern world standard, but in that world, everyone in the room was shocked, including the empress.


    Aurora looked up, her eyes meeting the Empress''s surprised gaze. For a moment, there was silence, as the Empress studied her carefully. But then, a smile spread across her face.


    "Well done!" she said, her voice filled with delight. "To not only solve it, but this quickly? What an amazing accomplishment!"


    "Thank you," Aurora said, a little embarrassed.


    "As expected," Ruby said, smiling widely. "Of course, you solved it easily."


    Lumi sighed. "No kidding."


    "This was such a surprise," the Empress said. "Because you put me in a good mood, I will let you pick two prizes for your successful attempt!"


    "Really? Thank you very much!" Aurora said.


    "Give her the catalogue of the prize pool I have," the Empress said.


    The dwarves sprang into action, swiftly delivering a massive, thick book and put it on Aurora''s table.


    "Ruby, why don''t you look at it with me?" Aurora said as she picked up the book. "You can pick one of the things you want from it."


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    "Can I really?" Ruby said, immediately interested.


    They then looked at the catalogue. While they did that, the Empress was discussing something with elderly dwarf. They whispered intentionally, making it so Aurora couldn''t hear them. And then sometimes they glanced at her. Aurora felt uneasy, but she tried to focus on finding what she wanted. Ruby picked a mysterious manuscript, and Aurora picked a material called star essence--a super rare material with extraordinary properties.


    "Done choosing?" Empress Gaia said. "Alright, bring their prizes."


    Aurora and Ruby received their prizes. They smiled at each other, pocketed their prizes, and everything seemed to be working smoothly. Until the Empress dropped a bombshell on them.


    "Now you say your name was Aurora?" The Empress said, her voice laced with curiosity. "I was truly impressed with your exceptional skill, so I have a proposition for you. I will offer you a position as my puzzle-solving expert. Consider yourself fortunate, my dear."


    Aurora blinked. "What?"


    That didn''t sound too good.


    "What does that mean?" Ruby asked.


    "Simply put, your friend Aurora will work for me as an expert in puzzle solving," the Empress clapped her hands happily. "Isn''t that wonderful?"


    "Uh, um, I''m sorry, Empress," Aurora said, her words carefully chosen. "But I had already made plans to return home. I appreciate the offer, but I don''t think I can accept."


    The Empress''s smile faded, replaced by a momentary flicker of disappointment. She composed herself, and when she smiled again, it was not a warm smile. Aurora felt a shiver run down her spine as an unsettling sensation washed over her.


    "I think you''re mistaken about something," the Empress said, her voice now devoid of its previous warmth. "I''m not asking for your permission. If I say it''s going to happen, it''s going to happen. Guard! Capture them!"


    In an instant, a group of dwarven guards encircled Aurora, Ruby, and Lumi, their sharp lances pointed menacingly in their direction. Fear gripped their hearts as they huddled close to one another, sensing the imminent danger.


    "Just accept my offer, and nobody will be hurt," Empress Gaia declared, her voice laced with an air of authority.


    Aurora''s panic surged within her. She knew she could activate her LightSpeed ability, but the enemy forces were overwhelming, and her priority was to ensure the safety of Ruby and Lumi. Would she have enough time to execute her plan within the next five minutes?


    Lost in contemplation, Aurora was startled when Ruby inhaled a deep breath and let out a piercing scream.


    "RITA!!"


    The sudden outburst caught even the dwarven guards off guard, momentarily freezing them in confusion. Moments later, an explosion reverberated from outside the palace, leaving everyone in the room bewildered. Aurora and Ruby felt a rush of wind sweeping toward them.


    "What happened?" the Empress demanded. "Hurry, go and check!"


    "Yes, Your Highness!" the guard replied, ready to investigate.


    Before they could move, a swift sword swing cleaved through the massive doors, reducing them to scattered pieces. Standing tall in the doorway was a formidable woman, brandishing her sword.


    When Rita witnessed her master and companions being threatened by a group of guards wielding spears, a surge of determination coursed through her. "Don''t you dare touch my master!" she exclaimed, swinging her swords with precision. As her blades sliced through the air, a powerful tornado erupted, sending the surrounding guards flying in all directions.


    Understanding the gravity of the situation, the Empress let out a furious roar. "Hurry up and stop her! Don''t let them get away!"


    Aurora, Ruby, and Lumi wasted no time, swiftly making their way toward Rita. Some of the dwarves who had managed to evade Rita''s initial attack tried to seize them, but another gust of wind swept them off their feet, causing them to crash onto the floor with a resounding thud.


    As they closed in on Rita, Ruby instinctively summoned an earthen wall, shielding them from projectile attacks. Meanwhile, Aurora called upon her light magic, summoning several spears that she hurled at the dwarves who approached from the right side.


    "S-sorry, I can''t help," Lumi said weakly.


    "Forget it, just stick close to me!" Rita exclaimed, swinging her sword once again, unleashing more wind and furthering the chaos.


    "Miss Aurora, catch!" Rita shouted, throwing a knife towards Aurora.


    Aurora caught it skillfully. "Thanks," she replied with a smile. Then, murmuring her magic words, she invoked her power. "LightSpeed."


    "Don''t let them get away!" the Empress screamed.


    "Your Highness, step back. Let me handle this. Magic Corps, ready!" commanded the elder dwarf.


    A group of dwarves armed with staffs appeared before the elder dwarf. They struck the ground with their staffs, causing gigantic stone hands to emerge from the floor, attacking Ruby''s protective wall.


    "My wall can''t hold much longer!" Ruby exclaimed, exerting all her effort to prevent the wall from crumbling. "Do something!"


    Rita summoned her winds once more, swinging her sword with precision to slice the stone hands into pieces. However, the threat was far from over. Another set of stone hands emerged, repeating the relentless assault.


    Not content with the current threat, another group of dwarves emerged from the other side, momentarily distracting Rita.


    "Just focus on what you''re doing!" Aurora commanded. "I will handle the front!"


    Rita nodded, preparing herself to launch another attack.


    Aurora dashed forward, swiftly assessing the weaknesses of the dwarven guards. She exploited the gaps in their armor, swiftly striking their legs, disarming them, and delivering forceful blows to their vulnerable spots.


    As the intense battle raged on, Ruby''s protective wall trembled under the relentless assault, cracks appearing under the strain. Her strength waned.


    "I can''t hold it any longer!" Ruby exclaimed, her voice laced with desperation.


    "Miss, step back!" Rita called out.


    Ruby released her magic, swiftly retreating behind Rita. As Rita swung her sword, powerful wind slashes sliced through the air, obliterating the remaining stone hands.


    "I''ve cleared our way out!" Aurora announced triumphantly, swiftly eliminated the last dwarf standing before her. "Let''s go!"


    On the other side of the city, Ace sighed heavily as he sat on the stairs in front of his group''s building. As Aurora had requested, he had already traded all the items inside the bag he was holding. However, the girl and her little group were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they were still happily engrossed in solving puzzles at the Empress''s palace?


    Suddenly, a loud noise erupted, jolting Ace from his thoughts. He strained his eyes in the direction of the sound, but the view was obscured by the surrounding buildings. Nonetheless, it was evident that something significant was unfolding.


    Standing up, Ace contemplated whether he should investigate the commotion or wait for Aurora and the others where he was.


    Before he could reach a decision, a sight caught his attention¡ªAurora, Ruby, Rita, and Lumi hurriedly emerged from behind a nearby building and began running towards him.


    "Ruby, keep creating dust to ensure they don''t see us!" Aurora commanded urgently.


    "Got it!" Ruby responded, tapping into her earth magic. She shattered the ground into minuscule particles, creating a cloud of dust. Rita lent her support, employing her wind magic to carry the dust farther away, effectively concealing them from their pursuers.


    They reached where Ace was standing, their expressions filled with urgency and determination.


    "What happened?" Ace asked, his voice tinged with concern.


    "No time to explain!" Aurora exclaimed, swiftly snatching Serena''s bag from Ace''s grasp. "We need to leave this place now!"


    Ace swallowed hard, sensing the gravity of the situation. Without hesitation, they entered the building and descended the stairs, making their way to the hidden tunnel.


    Once they reached the tunnel, they wasted no time. They leaped into the waiting minecart, and Rita immediately propelled it to its highest speed. Lumi tightly gripped onto Rita, while Ruby and Aurora clung to each other. Ace instinctively held onto the sides of the minecart, bracing himself for the exhilarating ride.


    As the minecart''s speed stabilized, Rita let out a heavy sigh.


    "I''m sorry, miss," she began, addressing Ruby. "When you called my name, without thinking, I destroyed their palace. I''m not sure what happened exactly, but things escalated to this extent because of my impulsive actions. I don''t think this will end just by us running away from here."


    "It''s fine," Ruby said. "They tried to take Aurora away, and I won''t forgive them for that."


    Aurora nodded, a mixture of regret and disappointment in her eyes. "Yes, it''s my fault. I should have known that the Empress would take an interest in someone capable of solving her impossible puzzles."


    "No, it''s not!" Ruby said, gripping Aurora''s hand firmly. "You did nothing wrong!"


    Ace, who had been listening attentively, spoke up. "So... are you guys going to tell me what happened now?"


    Aurora sighed. "As you know, we attempted to challenge the Empress''s puzzle. I managed to solve it, and that should have been the end of it. But it turned out the Empress wanted to keep me by her side."


    "I see," Ace nodded. "So you guys decided to run away by fighting her guards or something? Well, considering how she forced the entire kingdom to become obsessed with puzzles, I suppose it''s not surprising for her to resort to such measures."


    Aurora nodded, her gaze shifting to Lumi. "Sorry," she said softly. "With this, you won''t be able to come back here at all."


    Lumi smiled warmly. "Don''t worry about it," she reassured. "I never wanted to return here anyway."


    "That''s right!" Ruby chimed in. "I''m done with this place too! Let''s go home!"


    Aurora couldn''t help but smile, feeling a sense of camaraderie among them. "Okay," she agreed. "The Empress is unlikely to give up that easily, but we''ll deal with that when the time comes. For now, let''s focus on getting back home."


    ***

 Retreat.

    Several days had passed since Serena and her group engaged in battle against the army of the kingdom of Samalanra. Despite being outnumbered, Serena''s group possessed superior strength and weaponry, allowing them to successfully repel their adversaries.


    However, the substantial size of the opposing army made it challenging to achieve a decisive victory. As a result, both sides found themselves in a state of stalemate.


    But for how long? Her group started to get tired. Some of her comrades--her fellow elves and prince Casper knights, had suffered severe injuries, and a few had tragically lost their lives. And their supplies were getting drained, especially the materials for her [weapon crafting]. She couldn''t help but long for her bag, which contained precious materials she desperate need. Yet, dwelling on such thoughts now was meaningless.


    Serena sat behind trees, she took a moment to catch her breath. A sigh escaped her lips, carrying with it a mix of weariness and determination. She could feel it. If things kept continuing like this, they would eventually lose.


    "Are you okay, princess?" Altea asked, looking worried.


    Serena tried to smile. "I''m okay," she said. "Has anything happened yet?"


    Altea shook her head.


    They had been waiting for Viola. In a direct confrontation, their numbers posed a problem, so they opted for different tactics. They formed several smaller groups. Her group consisting of Serena, altea and the twins. The masked girl Viola was tasked with luring the enemies towards them, allowing them to unleash devastating attacks from a safe distance. They would then relocate to another area, enticing another group of enemies and eliminating them, and so forth.


    However, Viola had been absent for some time now.


    "There''s no way she has been captured, right?" Altea said, echoing the very thought that plagued Serena''s mind.


    Serena shook her head, trying to dispel the rising anxiety. "Let''s not jump to conclusions," she said softly. She turned her attention to the twins perched atop the tree. "What about you guys?" she asked. "Have you seen anything yet?"


    Talia, gazing in the direction Viola had gone, shook her head. "No, nothing," she replied, her voice tinged with worry. Salia nodded in agreement. "We haven''t seen or heard anything," she added. "And I highly doubt she would go down without a fight. Viola is strong, so I believe she''s alright."


    Serena nodded, acknowledging the twins'' perspective. She had witnessed the masked girl''s formidable skills firsthand. As Talia had rightly pointed out, Viola was a force to be reckoned with. It seemed unlikely that she would be defeated without causing some commotion.


    "Should I go there myself to check?" Talia offered.


    "No," Serena replied, gulped. "No, let''s just wait. Viola is resourceful, and if she needs our help, she''ll find a way to reach out to us."


    She knew Talia was reliable when it came to situations like this, but there was no reason to take unnecessary risks. Their group was already small, and fragmenting it further would only expose everyone to greater danger.


    So they continued to wait, minutes stretching into an eternity, until Talia''s voice broke the silence.


    "Viola is coming back!" Talia exclaimed, her tone a mix of relief and confusion.


    "But... she''s alone," Salia added, her eyes fixed on the same direction as her twin sister. "I didn''t see any Samalanra army."


    "Alone?" Serena stood up, her gaze locked on the figure approaching them. Just as Talia had described, Viola walked towards them with an unusual calmness. It was strange. Even if she had failed to lure the enemies, she wouldn''t simply walk back so composed.


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    "Stay alert!" Serena commanded, her voice laced with a hint of suspicion. "She might be an imposter!"


    "That''s right," Altea agreed, her voice tense. "Viola, with her face hidden behind a mask, could easily be replicated."


    Every member of the group snapped into a state of heightened vigilance. They raised their weapons, pointing them at the masked girl making her way toward them. The air crackled with tension as uncertainty mingled with relief. In that moment, they couldn''t afford to let their guard down.


    "Stop!" Serena''s voice cut through the tension. "Don''t move! Who are you?"


    The girl with the mask raised her hands in a gesture of surrender.


    "Don''t worry, it''s me," the masked girl replied. Serena detected a hint of familiarity in her voice, possibly Viola, but uncertainty lingered.


    "What happened?" Serena asked. "Why did you come alone?"


    The girl with the mask let out a sigh. "I don''t understand it either," she confessed. "Just as I was about to approach them, it seemed like the entire Samalanra''s army halted their attack and began preparing to retreat."


    "What?" Serena exclaimed, disbelief etched across her face. "There''s no way they would give up."


    "I don''t think so either," the masked girl responded. "They might be trying to deceive us. For now, let''s regroup with the prince. We can unravel this mystery later."


    Serena nodded, a mix of caution and hope swirling within her. Still not entirely convinced that the masked girl was truly Viola, she turned to Altea and asked, "What do you think? Is she really Viola?"


    Altea''s gaze met Serena''s, and she replied with a firm conviction, "I believe she is."


    Serena let out a heavy sigh, acknowledging Altea''s trust in the situation. "Alright," she said. "Let''s go back for now. We must gather our strength and uncover the truth."


    ***


    As Serena returned to their Basecamp, her eyes were drawn to a familiar figure with striking blue hair. The girl emanated a radiant aura, casting healing magic that enveloped and mended the wounds of those who had been hurt in battle.


    "Thank you," expressed a knight who had been injured, awe evident in his voice as his wounds miraculously disappeared.


    Beside Serena, a small dwarf girl marveled at the scene. "That''s amazing!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with admiration. "You''re able to heal so many people instantly. I wish I could possess a gift like that."


    The blue-haired girl laughed, her voice musical and warm. "Your skills will be invaluable too, you know," she reassured the dwarf girl.


    The small dwarf girl pouted. "I highly doubt it," she muttered, her voice tinged with self-doubt.


    Serena swiftly approached them, her group trailing behind her.


    "Aurora!" Serena exclaimed, a mixture of joy and relief evident in her voice. "My best friend, you''re back!"


    Aurora turned to face Serena, a warm smile gracing her lips. "Yes," she replied. "I just arrived."


    "You''re late!" Viola interjected, her displeasure evident in her tone.


    Aurora looked at Viola, a hint of confusion flickering in her eyes. "Who...?" she began, her voice trailing off.


    Serena stepped in, providing a quick explanation. "Ah, she was our commander or something," she clarified. "Her name was Viola Drewn."


    "Viola?" Aurora murmured, her brow furrowing. "That name and her voice... it feels strangely familiar."


    A realization dawned on Aurora, and a mischievous grin played on her lips. "Oh, I see," she chuckled. "An anagram, huh? So, in the end, you decided to lend a hand, Nova--I mean Viola?"


    A brief moment of silence followed, punctuated by the realization that Aurora had uncovered the truth behind Viola''s concealed identity. The tension in the air dissolved into a mix of amusement and curiosity, as everyone''s eyes turned towards Viola, awaiting her response.


    "Humph!" The masked girl strode away, making her way toward Prince Casper, who was engaged in a conversation with Ruby and Rita.


    Serena turned to Aurora, curiosity piqued. "What''s that about? Do you know her?"


    Aurora nodded, her expression thoughtful. "A little," she replied cryptically. "Anyway, here''s your bag," she added, passing the bag she had been carrying to Serena.


    "Oh, thank you!" Serena exclaimed, relief flooding her voice as she embraced her bag. "I''ve missed it."


    Aurora smiled warmly. "I''ve already filled it with a variety of materials," she said. "I''m not entirely sure which ones will be most useful to you, though."


    Serena''s eyes sparkled with gratitude. "Right! We''ve been running low on supplies, so this will be a tremendous help," she said, eagerly beginning to rummage through the contents of her bag.


    Aurora cast a brief glance to her side, remembering her earlier intention. "Oh, right. And I want to introduce you to her," she stated, gesturing towards the small dwarf girl standing beside her. "This is Lumi. She has the ability to create duplicates of materials, so theoretically, we won''t run out of resources now."


    "Hello," Lumi greeted, her voice filled with modesty. "And no, she was wrong! I can only duplicate things up to three times a day. It''s not as fantastic as it sounds."


    "Hi, Lumi," Serena, the Elf Princess, greeted warmly. "Nice to meet you. I''m Serena. So you have the power to create duplicates? Isn''t that amazing already?"


    "No, it''s not!" Lumi protested, her voice tinged with self-deprecation.


    Serena laughed. "There was no need to be so defensive. Anyway, those were my friends, Altea, and the twins."


    Altea, with a gentle smile, offered a subtle nod in acknowledgment.


    Talia, one of the twins, beamed with uncontainable excitement. "I''m Talia!" she declared, her voice bubbling with energy.


    Salia, the other twin, chimed in more calmly. "I''m Salia," she said, her voice carrying a soothing tone. "Nice to meet you."


    Lumi returned their greetings with a nod. The twins stepped closer.


    "Come on, there''s no need to be stiff," Talia said, her mischievous grin widening as she lightly smacked Lumi''s back in a friendly gesture. "You''re a dwarf, right? I have plenty of things I want to ask about the dwarves'' kingdom. Is it true that your entire kingdom was inside a maze?"


    "Sis, you''re annoying her," Salia said.


    While they were talking about the dwarf kingdom, Aurora glanced at Serena. "Anyway, how is the situation right now?" she asked.


    "That''s the problem," Serena sighed. "As you see, the Kingdom of Samalanra''s army was quite hard to deal with, even with my guns," she said. "We weren''t prepared to deal with them, so this is actually pretty great already. In fact, I''m already pessimistic that we would lose soon enough."


    "Okay, and?"


    "But the problem is," Serena said, "they seemed to be retreating."


    ***

 Letter.

    Back at the dwarf kingdom, after they got out of the labyrinth, Aurora talked to Ace for the last time.


    "Thank you for your help," Aurora said. "I really appreciate it."


    "You''re welcome," Ace said with a grin. "Just told my brother I did a decent job."


    "I will," Aurora nodded. "Sorry for leaving you with all this mess."


    Ace laughed. "Don''t worry, what we were doing didn''t exactly align with the empress to begin with."


    Aurora giggled. "I guess not."


    As they exchanged parting words, Aurora made her way towards the waiting carriage. Ruby and Lumi already enter the carriage while Rita was waiting outside.


    "Miss Aurora," Rita said. "Are we going to stop somewhere else, or should we head directly to where the fight happened?"


    Aurora''s gaze fixed upon the distant horizon, her resolve unwavering. "Let''s go directly there," she said. "Even if we''re late, we might still be able to help with something."


    Rita nodded. "Understood."


    With graceful movements, Aurora stepped into the carriage and settled onto the seat beside Ruby.


    Rita wasted no time, pulling her sword and immediately using her magic to move the carriage at high speed.


    As the carriage gained more and more speed, Aurora said, "We might be joining a fight later, so try to rest if you can."


    "Okay," Ruby replied.


    Lumi nodded, her expression implying that she didn''t believe she could help with the fight even if it happened.


    After what felt like an eternity of relentless riding, the carriage finally slowed down. The basecamp sprawled before them, bustling with activity. A guard, adorned in Prince Casper''s emblem, approached Rita and guided her and the carriage to a designated area.


    Aurora and the others get out of the carriage and immediately followed the guard. Rita soon joined them. In the heart of the basecamp, a figure emerged from the sea of guards. Prince Casper greeted them with a warm smile.


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    "Welcome," Casper said, "you finally come back." He glanced at Ruby and Lumi, a mixture of familiarity and curiosity flickering in his eyes.


    Aurora returned his smile with a nod of acknowledgment. "Long time no see, Prince Casper," she said. "How are things going?"


    "Not too bad," Casper replied. "But it would certainly help if this lady knight joined us." He glanced at Rita.


    Rita stood tall, her eyes meeting Casper''s unwaveringly.


    While ruby and Rita talk with prince Casper, Aurora interest shifted to where she heard several groan of pain. she immediately going after the injured and heal them. Lumi who didn''t feel comfortable dealing with royalty, decided to followed Aurora.


    That''s when she meet with Serena.


    "Retreated?" Aurora asked. "Really?"


    "Yeah, that was kind of weird, right?" Serena said. "They might have been planning something. I mean, they had already made a decision to destroy us once and for all. I doubt that they would back down now."


    Aurora nodded. "Indeed, that''s weird. Now that they knew our kingdom had become an ally and we had secret weapons¡ªa gun. If they retreated now, they would just be giving us more time to prepare for the fight with them under better conditions. Why would they do that?"


    "That''s why I believed they were planning something," Serena said. "But I wasn''t sure what."


    Aurora agreed. However, their suspicions were soon put to rest when Prince Casper dispatched a group of his most trusted knights to gather intelligence on the enemy''s movements and they have returned.


    "Prince Casper," one of the knights reported, his voice filled with urgency. "They really retreated all their armies back to their kingdom."


    Casper''s eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you sure?" he asked.


    The knight nodded, his face etched with the certainty of what he had witnessed. "We''re sure, Prince," he said. "Their forces are retreating, leaving our lands."


    A wave of bewilderment washed over Casper as he tried to make sense of the enemy''s sudden change in strategy.


    "Weird. So they really gave up? But why?" he pondered aloud, his mind racing to uncover the hidden motives behind this unexpected turn of events.


    The fact that they successfully stopped the attack from Samalanra kingdom could be counted as a win, but they couldn''t really be happy with this. Everyone ended up feeling confused. The news of their supposed victory should have brought relief and celebration, but instead, it left an unsettling taste in everyone''s mouth.


    Prince Casper and Serena''s group followed the elves to discuss matters further. They will engage in discussions that would shape the fate of their kingdoms. However, Aurora didn''t feel the need to join them, so she decided to return to the academy. After all, there was nothing else she could do at the moment.


    "Well, things ended quite absurdly," Ruby remarked from inside the carriage. "But at least we can finally get some rest, right?"


    Aurora nodded, attempting to smile. "You''re right. We''ve already done so much. Perhaps this might be exactly what we need."


    Her gaze fixed on the passing scenery outside the carriage window as the academy''s grand entrance came into view.


    Still, even as they arrived at the academy, Aurora''s mind couldn''t find peace. It wasn''t just the peculiar actions of the Samalanra kingdom''s armies that troubled her. She was also bothered by the fact that Reiren, Eliphia, and the group of harpies still hadn''t made their way to this kingdom.


    Setting aside Reiren and Eliphia for a moment, Uta had promised to join them within a few days, but now more than a week had passed, and there was no trace of their arrival.


    Aurora had actually expected them to be there upon her return, but it seemed luck was not on her side. Anxiety settled within Aurora as she realized that nothing was unfolding as she had anticipated.


    A few hours later, Aurora found herself seated in her room, let out a weary sigh as she cradled her cup of tea, which had grown cold in her hands. The liquid offered little comfort as she mulled over the uncertainties that plagued her mind. Just as she began to delve deeper into her thoughts, the door swung open, and Lyra, her trusted maid, entered the room.


    "Miss, there''s a letter for you," Lyra announced, holding out a sealed envelope.


    Aurora''s curiosity stirred, momentarily diverting her attention from her concerns.


    "Oh, from whom?" she asked.


    "Nyx Graveshade," Lyra replied, handing over the letter. "Do you know her, miss?"


    "No," Aurora replied, examining the letter. "Not personally."


    Her fingers traced the embossed seal, a wave of familiarity washing over her as she recognized the name. Nyx Graveshade¡ªit was a name she had encountered before, not in this world, but from a game called ''Demoness Monarch of the Eternal Night.'' With anticipation building, she carefully broke the seal and opened the letter.


    ***

 Half Ghost.

    Inside the carriage Nyx stared at her own hand. Her hand occasionally flickering, almost make her body transparent. The strangeness of being half ghost still unsettled her. She couldn''t quite grasp how it worked. If she were half elf or half dwarf, it would be easier to understand¡ªher parents would likely be a human and an elf, or some something like that. But half ghost? What did that even mean? Was she half-dead or something? Nyx wasn''t sure.


    What she sure was she somehow transmigrated into the world of game. Before she wake up in this world, she was enjoying a long nice sleep after finished playing the strategy role-playing game called ''Demoness Monarch of the Eternal Night'' on her Steam Deck.


    Now, she found herself trapped in the role of the game''s villainess¡ªNyx Graveshade. She had become the leader of a group known as the Knights of the Silver Blade, tasked with protecting the lands from demonic forces.


    On the surface, it didn''t sound so bad¡ªa leader of knights, protecting the people. It was akin to being a police officer. However, things will never be that simple.


    This world setting is a little different than what she remember from the game. It seemed that hundreds of years ago, the demons race had sought to conquer the world, sparking wars across the continent in their belief of superiority. However, humans had discovered a way to defend themselves using ancient magic, effectively neutralizing the demons. In the process, most demons were massacred, leaving behind only a small remnant that was banished to the fringes of the continents.


    The Knights of the Silver Blade were formed to ensure the demons didn''t regroup and resume their activities. Over the centuries, the demon population dwindled, and they became marginalized by the other races, suffering harsh treatment. This was especially true for members of the Knights of the Silver Blade, who could easily kill demons without consequence.


    Some argued that the demons deserved their mistreatment. After all it was the price they had to pay for their grand crimes. However, Nyx couldn''t shake off her unease.


    Particularly because she knew what would happen next.


    In the game ''Demoness Monarch of the Eternal Night'', players assumed the role of Lilith Bloodmoon, a demon girl. The story began with her being a part of small group¡ªthe last remnants of the demon race. Living peacefully with her grandmother deep within the crooked forest, inside small demons village. But Lilith''s life was shattered when a power-hungry group of knights attacked the demon village, slaughtering everyone except her.


    Fueled by rage, Lilith awakened her true power¡ªan inheritance from the demon queen herself. She possessed the ability to summon monsters from the remains of the deceased. Monsters created from bones and essence of the night, creating nightmare creatures who would do whatever she asked.


    Consumed by anger and a burning desire for revenge, she vowed to make everyone pay, even if it meant destroying everything in her path.


    And that''s exactly what happened at the end of the game. Lilith end up killing every living being and turn them into nightmare bone monsters. A dark and empty ending. And it was a fate this world would experience if Nyx didn''t stop her.


    Fortunately, Nyx was an antagonist of the game, make her far more powerful compared to early Lilith who had just awakened her power. That''s why she was in a hurry to immediately confront her. Unlike later on, the odds still tilted in her favor.


    "Do you really need to go yourself, leader?" a girl who sit in front of her said. "If you asked us, we could deal with any demons that bother you easily."


    Nyx smiled. The naivety of the girl made Nyx a little bit relaxed.


    "Don''t be too sure of yourself," Nyx said.


    "Right, I''m sorry, leader," the girl said a little embarrassed.


    "It''s fine. I know we haven''t had any trouble for years," Nyx said. "So naturally, everyone is starting to get arrogant. But things are going to be different now."


    Lissa Windrider, the girl, swallowed hard, her throat tightening with unease. This was the first time she saw Nyx act like this. Someone who stronger than anyone she knows. Obviously that''s make her worried.


    Not long after They reached the crooked forest. Its gnarled branches reaching out like skeletal fingers.


    "Alright, follow me," Nyx said, "and be careful."


    "Come on, leader," laughed one of her subordinates. "There''s nothing to worry about."


    Nyx didn''t reply but gestured to her left. Her subordinates turned their attention to the direction she indicated, their breath catching in their throats. A macabre scene unfolded before them, a bunch of knight''s armor scattered across the forest floor, the metallic plates tainted with blood.


    "What... what happened to them?" one of them stammered, his voice laced with fear.


    "Soon you would see it yourself," Nyx replied. With a swift motion, she unsealed her sword, its silver blade gleaming in the fading sunlight. "Now follow me and be alert."


    This time, her subordinates took her order seriously. Their hands trembled as they unsheathed their swords, the metallic ring echoing through the desolate air. They immediately fell into formation, their eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.


    As they approached the remains of the demon village, Nyx''s heart pounded in her chest. Amidst the rubble, Nyx caught a glimpse of a silhouette emerging from one of the dilapidated buildings.


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    "Ah, a follow-up group?" the girl said. "That was quicker than I expected."


    Nyx stared at the girl. Her eyes were as dark as the night. Her curly black hair fell to her shoulders. There was a horn on her head. That was the player character, Lilith Bloodmoon.


    Nyx gulped as Lilith extended her hand to them. A bunch of black monsters with bones jumping out around them. One of them attacked Nyx, who immediately cut it with her sword, making it fall to the ground. The dog-like creature got up, and the cut on its black body fixed itself as if it had never been hurt in the first place.


    "It didn''t work...?" Lissa said in disbelief.


    "Calm down and listen carefully," Nyx said. "Unless we cut all the bones on their bodies, they will keep regenerating."


    Lilith''s intense gaze bore into Nyx. "How do you know that? Who are you?"


    Nyx ignored Lilith''s question and continued attacked the creatures, swinging her sword several times to cut the bones from the monsters'' bodies. Lisa and all her subordinates followed her movements and attacked other monsters.


    As Nyx said, the moment all the bones were cut, the creatures lost their energy and broke down into piles of darkness and bones.


    Before long, all the creatures were killed.


    Lilith stood there, looking disappointed. "Do you know how much effort I need to create them? How annoying."


    "Shut up, demon!" the subordinates of Nyx exclaimed. "Leader, let''s attack her together!"


    "No, back down. Let me talk to her first," Nyx said, walking toward the girl.


    "Talk to me? That''s new," Lilith said with a hint of mockery. "I thought you guys were the type to kill first and ask questions later."


    Nyx didn''t particularly get offended by that because it was true to some extent.


    Nyx sighed. "Look, I knew there was no reason for you to act friendly toward me, Lilith, but please, just hear me out for a bit."


    Lilith startled. "How... Did you know my name?" The demon girl was clearly shocked. She wasn''t particulary famous or Anything, especially among other race. "Who are you? Something was off about you..."


    Nyx smiled. "Well, would you listen to me then? My name is Nyx Graveshade."


    "Nyx...?" Lilith still puzzled.


    "My name might not have meant anything to you, but I knew stuff," Nyx continued.


    Lilith couldn''t argue with that. She could see clearly that this girl was different. At the very least, she was more knowledgeable about this situation than anyone. Maybe even more than herself. That made Lilith uneasy.


    "Please give it up," Nyx said. "I knew what you were planning to do, and I knew why you did this, but continuing on this path was meaningless. You wouldn''t gain anything from it."


    Nyx tried to be as sincere as possible, but Lilith just laughed.


    "What exactly do you know?" Lilith snorted. "You surprised me for a moment, but if that''s all you can say, I''m done with it," Lilith said, starting to look pissed.


    "No," Nyx said. "Believe me, I knew more than you think. About you and what you felt. About what would happen if you continued like this."


    "My feeling?" Anger boiled in Lilith''s chest. "As if you could understand...!"


    Their eyes met. Lilith''s expression softened. For some reason, she didn''t feel like Nyx was lying, but why? Even though she was sure they had never met before.


    "I know you wouldn''t want to hear this from me," Nyx said, "but extending your revenge won''t make things better."


    Those words felt like a stab in Lilith''s chest. So Nyx really knew? Impossible!


    "Shut up!" Lilith said, gritting her teeth.


    "The people who hurt you directly, you already killed them all, right? You already got your revenge," Nyx said. "Did that make you happy? No, right?"


    "Shut up!" Lilith screamed.


    "I''m sorry for all the bad things that happened to you," Nyx continued. "But you can stop now. There''s no need to escalate this more."


    "Shut up!" Lilith yelled. "This isn''t enough! This all happened because we were treated unfairly!"


    "You''re right," Nyx said. "Hatred toward demons after so many generations later was unfair. But as I said before, even if you extended your revenge to all of us, you won''t get anything."


    Lilith bit her lip. She had known. She had known it, but... The pain in her chest, the loss of everything¡ªit was overwhelming. There was nothing else she could do.


    "I don''t want this either, but it''s too late!" Lilith yelled as she swing her hand quickly to the side. Unknown to Nyx, Lilith was actually preparing some trap.


    A huge creature suddenly fell from the top, as big as a bus and shaped like a giant spider. The ground quaked beneath the weight of its arrival. Its form covered in bones, with more than twelve legs.


    "What is that...?" Lissa''s voice trembled, barely escaping her quivering lips.


    The Night Spider moved with a terrifying swiftness, grabbed several of Nyx''s subordinates and mercilessly crushed them to the ground.


    "Goodbye," Lilith said as she ran from there.


    Nyx contemplated for a second, but she decided to help her subordinate rather than chase Lilith. She slashed at the bone on the spider leg, causing the creature to writhe in pain.


    Looking at her leader Nyx, Lissa snapped out of her shock, immediately joining the fray by attacking another leg. She rallied the others to join the fight. They heeded her call, fear replaced by a burning resolve to protect their leader and bring down the nightmarish creature that threatened their existence. The clash of steel against bone echoed through the air as they launched their assault on another leg of the spider creature.


    With their combined efforts, the creature struggled under the relentless barrage of attacks. With a final, thunderous crash, the creature succumbed to the relentless assault, its colossal form collapsing to the ground.


    However, this was where things started to go from bad to worse.


    Nyx discovered that after her confrontation with Lilith, the demon girl began behaving in a completely different manner than in the game. In the game, there were numerous encounters between Lilith and Nyx''s group, filled with intense battles and confrontations.


    But now, none of that happened. It seemed as though Lilith was purposefully avoiding any direct interaction with Nyx. Perhaps she had come to understand that she was being hunted by a powerful group of knights, and as a result, she became more cautious. Instead of engaging Nyx''s group directly, Lilith chose to attack small, unprotected villages, ruthlessly massacring the inhabitants in a single night and transforming their lifeless bodies into her own army of controlled monsters.


    Nyx was left frustrated and unable to act swiftly enough to stop Lilith''s rampage. Each time she received news of Lilith''s attack and rushed to the scene, she arrived only to find the village already decimated. She was always one step behind, constantly witnessing the aftermath of destruction.


    To make matters worse, there were no corpses to be found. This meant that Lilith''s power and army were growing stronger with each passing day, while Nyx''s efforts to thwart her seemed increasingly futile.


    "Damn it!" Nyx yelled in frustration as she surveyed yet another ravaged village. Overwhelmed by guilt, she felt a heavy weight on her shoulders. Whether she liked it or not, this was partly her fault.


    Regret gnawed at her. Engaging in conversation with Lilith had been a mistake. She should have seized the opportunity to strike her down when she had the chance.


    As a player of ''Demoness Monarch of the Eternal Night'', Nyx had a soft spot for Lilith. She understood the pain that drove her. That''s why Nyx wanted to find a way to stop her without resorting to killing. However, now she realized that such thinking was naive.


    Lilith wouldn''t simply stop. Nyx had to accept that the deaths of innocent people caused by Lilith were partly her fault. If only she hadn''t hesitated...


    But that wasn''t even the worst part. When Lilith''s sudden attacks on small villages ceased for a couple of weeks, Nyx grew suspicious. There was no way Lilith would stop without a reason. Her plan had been successful, so why the sudden halt?


    Was Lilith taking a break, or was she plotting something else? Nyx didn''t have the answers, and that uncertainty weighed heavily on her, making her feel uneasy.


    It was then that Nyx heard about the deteriorating situation in a neighboring kingdom. The Kingdom of Samalanra had launched an all-out attack on the Elf Kingdom. Upon hearing this news, Nyx''s instincts kicked in, and she immediately had a foreboding feeling. It didn''t take long for her worries to be justified.


    As the armies of the Kingdom of Samalanra marched off to war, their defenses were lowered. Seizing the opportunity, Lilith and her monstrous Legion of the Night launched a surprise attack, swiftly capturing the kingdom''s main city.


    Although Lilith hadn''t completely conquered the kingdom yet, and the news of her attack caused the Samalanra armies to quickly retreat, Nyx felt as if she had already failed. The situation had escalated to such an extent that she believed Lilith couldn''t be stopped anymore. It was already too big for her to handle.


    But when she looked at the map, she noticed that it was different from the game. In fact, now that she thought about it, there was never a kingdom called Samalanra in the game ''Demoness Monarch of the Eternal Night.''


    She then noticed familiar kingdom names all over the place, but not from the game she was playing.


    "Wait, Evermist?" Nyx said to herself, her mind racing. "Wasn''t this a DLC from that first-person shooter game...?"


    Soon, she noticed that this world was a mix of several games she knew.


    "There was still hope," she murmured to herself.


    If things got too big and she couldn''t handle it alone, then all she needed to do was ask for help. Nyx hurriedly tried to contact characters from those other games. If she was lucky, someone from those games might have been a transmigrator like her.


    ***