《Lilies Over Roses, Spring Over Autumn》 Prologue My last moments were spent feeling the cold steel of a sword piercing through my heart. As much as I feared death, I also understood that it was necessary. Someone had to take the fall and it had to be me, as part of the responsibility lied with me. There¡¯s nothing I could say about it except that it was unfortunate. It was a failed campaign; the waragainstthe humans was doomed from the start. They were too favored by the gods. Fighting against divine favor never worked. It all started with myabductionat age 15. My father was forced to take action and executed the initiators, causing a sparked response from the humans. The demon race was never meant to co-exist with the humans. Despite having no physical differences, we were prosecuted purely due to the fact that we possessed immense magical powers with an affinity for dark magic. As opposed to the humans who possessed affinity for holy magic, dark magic was considered taboo and was feared by humankind. A non-aggression pact was established by the monarchs of the world,as a means of temporarily maintaining balance. Now everything went up in flames, because of me. The humans proclaimed that we were an enemy of the human race and declared genocide. Negotiations were offered, however the humans never considered diplomacy an option. Because of that, our diplomat, who was a dear friend of my father¡¯s, was killed. It had reached a point of no return. Thus, with rage consuming both sides, a war broke out. It waged on for many years, with both sides taking heavy casualties. However, due to the natural biological and magical advantages that came with being a demon, we were winning despite the overwhelming number of humans. The war would have been considered won, if not for divine interventions. On that fateful day, a group of humans made their names known to the world. Through great valor and determination, they earned the favor of the gods. Equipped with divine enchantments, they quickly slaughtered through our troops. It was defeat of the highest magnitude. At that time that we finally understood; we never had a chance.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. The retreat order was sent out and all our soldiers were recalled. Our army was in shambles and our settlements were destroyed. With nowhere left to run my mother, the strongest mage in existence, created a portal to another realm at the cost of her life. My father, the great demon king, took up arms and raced out to the battlefield. He held the rearguard, as our final line of defense. Against the might of a ten thousand troops alongside the heroes, my father alone stood his ground, buying crucial time for the evacuation of the capital. As my father fell, the last members of our race escaped through the portal that my mother built. When I became the only one left to cross over, I hesitated. I knew it was my duty to lead the surviving demons in a foreign land, as my parents had expected me to. However, I refused to escape with my tail between my legs. I held responsibility for the war, it was not fair for my parents and the members of the demon race to take the fall. I needed to pay my dues. I closed the portal that my mother had created and returned to the castle, awaiting the heroes and my eventual death. Although I had mentally prepared myself, the fear of death never diminished. As I sat on the throne, my hands shook uncontrollably. Fortunately, the heroes quickly made their way to the throne room. Bruised and battered, I could see that the battle with my father took its toll on them. Nevertheless, I fought back, without mercy. However, there was one thing that I lacked that my father and the heroes had: the will to kill. With the heroes being exhausted, I had the upper hand in combat, despite having zero combat experience. I cornered the party through sheer magical prowess bestowed by my mother. But without any true killing blows, I was caught off guard. The magician, whom I had incapacitated at the beginning of the fight, recovered and pierced through my magical barriers. With the unexpected turn of events, the party quickly took advantage of my stunned state and turned the tides of the battle. It wasn¡¯t long before I was cornered and overpowered. As I laid on the ground, exhausted and thoroughly defeated, I began to cry. Not out of fear but out of frustration. Why couldn¡¯t humans and demons just get along with each other? Why fight? Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw the human holding the sword heading towards me. With both his hands on the handle, he plunged the weapon into my body, piercing my heart. With the remnants of my fleeting consciousness, I peeked at the faces of the victor¡¯s party. Instead of faces of triumph, sorrow covered every member. I never did understand the expression but it didn¡¯t matter. Everything¡¯s coming to an end now. With my last thoughts drifting into the winds, I fell into an eternal slumber. Chapter 1: Awakening Waking up with a sudden jolt, I opened my eyes. I blinked a few times but my vision stayed blurry. I tried to turn around and push myself up but my body didn¡¯t move at all. I appear to be stuck. The first thing I realized after opening my eyes is the softness surrounding me. It appears to be some kind of blanket. I looked to the side, looking for clues to determine where I was. I squinted a bit and recognized columns of bars surrounding me. It reminded me of the prison cells of a dungeon, however the ceiling seems to be open. Am I in a prison somewhere? It makes little sense for the humans to take prisoners. Or maybe, I¡¯ll be used as an example. Public humiliation and execution. I grimaced and closed my eyes again. If that¡¯s the way it will be then let it be so. I no longer have the will nor ability to fight back. It didn¡¯t take long for me to drift back into sleep. .. Only to be woken up by hunger soon after. I sighed and opened my eyes again. A tall shadow loomed over me and I panicked. What is this, a giant? I thought I was captured by humans. What¡¯s going on? The giant reached down into my cell and grabbed me by my body, lifting me in a cradle position. It pulled me towards its body and tilted its head down at me. I looked up, finally getting a good look at the giant manhandling me. Beautiful, is the first thing that came to my mind. Her large dark blue eyes sparkled like a flawless lapis, expressive and serene. Joyousness and tenderness filled her eyes as she gazed over me. Surprised, I blinked and looked back at her. A warm and nostalgic feeling filled my stomach, and I looked away, in embarrassment. It was rude to stare after all. ¡°???? ??????? ??????, ??? ???? ?? ??????.¡± .. ¡­What? The woman spoke in a language I had never heard of. Despite learning all 14 languages that was used by each race, the words coming out of her mouth was unrecognizable. She slowly lowered my body and moved my head towards her chest. Wait. Wait. Wait! What¡¯s this woman doing!? I let out a voice of complaint but it sounded like a kitten¡¯s meowing. I tried to form words but nothing coherent left my mouth. ¡°????''? ?????, ??? ??? ??????? ?????¡± Once again, the woman said something incomprehensible and pushed my head into her breast. I let out another complaint and tried to push back with whatever strength I had left. After a solid minute of fighting back, the woman finally released me and put me back into the cell. She said a few words and walked out of the room. I sighed and tried to compose myself. What, just happened¡­? I was held, like a baby. I sounded¡­like a baby. This¡­place, looks more like a crib than a prison, like I originally thought. I can¡¯t move my body, like a newborn¡­ ¡­ Realization hit me like a brick and my eyes widened. I¡¯m a baby. I turned into a baby. What!? How!!? Why!!!? As I was lost in my inner turmoil, my stomach rumbled again. That woman, she was probably trying to feed me. I read about this, breastfeeding. A practice often used by humans. The act of transferring mana into a newborn through the milk of the mother produced by giving birth. Does that mean she gave birth to me? By using the practices of a human, does that mean she¡¯s a human? Am I a human now? I had so many questions left unanswered. Suddenly, I heard the sound of a door opening and in walked the woman again. She walked over to my crib and sat down. She reached in and held a piece of cotton in front of my mouth. It¡¯s probably milk from a domesticated animal, considering I accepted none from her. I opened my mouth and sucking on the piece of cotton. A sweet taste filled my mouth. I obediently drank from the cotton as she repeatedly wetted it with milk, until it was finished. She put down the piece of cotton and smiled at me, from the top of the crib. Her hands reached down and petted my head softly and slowly.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. It¡¯s not that bad, being her child. If it¡¯s this person, I might be able to call her mother. After all, my mother is no longer here nor is my father. I have no family left. Even if it¡¯s make-believe, if she¡¯s willing to call me her child than I¡¯m willing to call her mother. Tears welled up in my eyes as I drifted to sleep under the gentle caress of my mother. .. .. Thus started my daily life, of sleeping, eating and more sleeping. Occasionally, I would try to move around, trying to get up but it would appear that my body¡¯s muscles have not yet developed to that point. Months after my first awakening, I started learning words. With the frequent visit of my mother, she would talk and sing to me. Periodically, she would bring me books to read. Not that I understood the contents as I had no understanding of the language they speak. Little by little, I started to pick up on the words. They seem to be a very primitive version of the human¡¯s language. I still remember the day my mother cried out in joy when I first called her ¡°Mama¡±. My mother¡¯s name is Abigail Gwillyms, the first name I learned in this new language. Soon after, I learned my given name, Hilda. It must be the universe¡¯s way of playing tricks on me. It¡¯s too frightening of a coincidence. .. Many more months passed and I could finally sit up and support myself. The first time I supported myself on two legs, my mother dropped my meal in shock and ran over to check if I had hurt myself. ¡°Mama I¡¯m fine¡± I would reassure her but she would never let me stand by myself until much later. .. A few more months passed and the date of my birth had arrived. My mother brought a small cake into my room with a single candle in the middle. It would appear that a celebration of the date of your birth was common practice in human societies. ¡°Happy birthday Hilda!¡± My mother cheered happily, bringing the cake closer to my face. ¡°Now, blow out the candle and make a wish!¡± I looked up at my mother with her sparkling eyes and back at the cake. What a strange tradition. I gathered air in my lungs and blew out the candle. ¡°Yayy~! Now, don¡¯t tell anyone about the wish or it won¡¯t come true!¡± My mother¡¯s awfully excited for such a weird superstition. Humans really are weird. .. A few months after my first birthday, my mother stopped feeding me milk and allowed me to sit with her at the table. I still can¡¯t eat solid foods yet so my mother would prepare for me, soup. Years passed and I finally graduated from the baby crib and into a real bed. At this point, I found it strange that there was only me and my mother in the house. My father did not appear, at all. Not for the celebration of the new year nor the birthday of my mother. I decided to ask my mother one day. ¡°Mama, where¡¯s daddy?" ¡°¡­¡± My mom froze and looked down at me from her chair. She bit her lip and had a pained expression. She put down her pen and kneeled in front of me, matching my eye level. ¡°Daddy¡¯s¡­not here. He¡¯s busy¡­¡± She then hugged me, while crying ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± repeatedly. I didn¡¯t know what to do or what to say so I hugged her back. Later, I found out that my mother was a mistress of a powerful noble and I was born from that man. My mother was forced to abort me when he found out but she refused. She got kicked out shortly after. With no one to rely on, my mother turned to her parents who were minor nobles. Unfortunately, they refused to take care of her either and left her with a good amount of coins. With the money she received and the money she got after pawning off her fancy dresses, she bought a store and opened a bakery. With her beauty and delicious pastries, she quickly attracted many customers and profits bloomed. Many men tried to solicit my mother but most were turned away as soon as they realized that she had a child. .. As I grew up, I started noticing many quirks and oddities of humans. Many humans tend to display signs of an inferiority complex, especially when it comes to the other races. They boast about their beauty but elves tend to be more beautiful. They boast about their strength but beastmen tend to overpower most humans. They boast about their intellect but demons were far superior scholars. In comparison to others, humans are just a jack of all trades. Yet, they proclaim to be the superior race. Of course, there are many nice and warm humans as well. After many, many months of begging, my mother finally caved and allowed me to help her with the bakery. I worked at the front, in charge of sales and customer interactions. Through those interactions, I learned that individuality was important when judging beings. In my heart, deep down, I still held a grudge for the murder of my people. When I first started working, I treated strangers with contempt. Despite that, people returned my cold attitude with a warm smile. I didn¡¯t understand that. Everyone said kind words to me despite being a stranger. It was the opposite of how I viewed humans. I always thought humans were a selfish, narrow-minded, and poor mannered race. Upon meeting others, I found that many humans had a kind heart. I wondered if this was the reason that the gods favored humans so much. They really are a strange race. .. Many more years passed and I am now age 14, on the verge of 15. I stood in front of the mirror in my room. Silky black hair reached down to my waist, brushed in a tidy fashion. Big, black, and sparkly eyes looked back at me from the mirror. With full lips and rosy cheeks, I turned out to be abnormally beautiful. My mother had always used that as a topic to brag to her friends. It really is awfully embarrassing. But with the soul made by my previous mother and the body born from my current mother, it would be shameful if I wasn¡¯t. I sighed and adjusted the uniform I was wearing. A white cotton blouse with a black corset vest over it. A frilled black skirt reached down to my knees. It¡¯s a very extravagant uniform, which is much more expensive than the dresses that my mother owns. It must have costed a fortune. My mother wished for me to enter the education facility called "School". The uniform is mandatory. I already possessed knowledge that is far beyond any human had known, but my mother didn¡¯t listen and signed me up anyways. The uniform makes me feel restless. Soft knocking sounded from the door as my mother slowly pushed open the door. She saw me and squealed, rushing over, holding me in a tight embrace. ¡°Oh, my, god! You look so adorable!¡± ¡°Mother, please stop, I¡¯m no longer a child.¡± ¡°Poppycock! In my eyes, you¡¯ll always be a child of mine!¡± ¡°...¡± I blushed and looked away. ¡°Please stop treating me like a child, I¡¯m almost 15.¡± ¡°15. Who still cries in her mother¡¯s arms at night. Yes, of course, what a grown up you are~.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­different¡­¡± Interactions with my mother always bring up memories of my previous mother. That¡¯s all. That¡¯s the only reason. ¡°Fine, fine. Take off your uniform and go to bed. You have a long day tomorrow. I¡¯ll miss you, sweetie.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll miss you too mother. Good night.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± My mother kissed me on the forehead and walked out of my room. I looked longingly at the door and sighed again, for the nth time today. I quickly took off my uniform and dressed in my sleeping wear. I slipped into my bed and turned off the lights. Tomorrow¡­is just another day. I sighed a final time as I closed my eyes, trying to sleep. Chapter 2: The First Steps of Many (Unedited) The chirps of early morning birds echoed out as I rolled off of my bed and onto the ground. I know it¡¯s unsightly to laze around in such a position but I¡¯m too tired to care. Slowly, I pushed myself off of the ground and waddled to the bathroom. The thing I miss the most at the moment is not having to do my morning routine by myself. Back when I was still a demon, I had servants taking care of everything. It¡¯s hard to appreciate what you have until it¡¯s gone. After freshening up I made my way towards the kitchen, where my mother is preparing breakfast. I plopped down on the chair and hunched over the table. ¡°It¡¯s times like this where you actually act your age, huh?¡± My mother walked over, bringing plates of food. ¡°Mmm?¡± ¡°Nothing, now wake up.¡± She brought down her hand, lightly chopping my head. ¡°¡­Ow.¡± I rubbed the top of my head and pushed myself upright. ¡°Morning¡­¡± ¡°Yes, yes, morning. Now finish your food and get your luggage. The coach is coming to pick you up in an hour.¡± Groaning, I picked up the spoon, sipping away at the soup that my mother prepared. .. I got dressed in the school uniform and collected my luggage, which only comprises a few change of clothing and daily necessities. I grabbed the handle and stepped into the living room. My mother, who was baking pastries, walked over. She took off her apron and hugged me, saying nothing. Blushing a little, I hugged her back, basking in her warmth. We stayed in this position for a long while, interrupted only by the sounds of horses outside our house. ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± I nodded and reluctantly separated from my mother. ¡°Whatever you do from now on, remember this. I will always be proud of you.¡± She gave me a bright smile and pushed me towards the door. I looked back and returned the smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± I opened the door and exited my home. ¡°If only that child smiled more, she¡¯d be so much cuter.¡± ¡­I¡¯ll just pretend I never heard that. .. A luxurious golden coach stood right outside my door. Following the golden exterior is a crimson interior. Red velvet curtains decorated the windows with two sets of red seats on each side. In the center, an oak table separated the seats. With four horses pulling the box, the coach is massive. The wheels alone almost exceeded my height. The box itself almost doubled my height. It¡¯s flashy in a very tacky way. The coachmen stepped forward and beckoned me towards the door. He took my luggage and strapped it to the back, alongside others. I entered the coach and took the seat right next to the door. Three pairs of eyes were following me, even before I entered the carriage. ¡°Greetings.¡± I gave a small curtsy. Silence. ¡­ Mentally sighing, I looked across, at the 3 people who are openly and very rudely staring at me. Beside me sat a ragged young woman, distinguishing herself from the other two. With a short and uneven cut, she gave a rough and rowdy impression. Despite having a mannish face, her body is anything but. With well-defined legs, rounded bosom, and a small waist, her body is the definition of feminine. The difference between her face and the rest of her body is jarring. Despite the masculine impressive she gives, she¡¯s not bad looking at all. Charming, even. The two other girls sitting on the opposite side appear to be twins. They share the same face. With the same clothing, it was difficult to distinguish between the two, if not for the different haircuts. One sprouted a short perm while the other wore a long ponytail. Even with the hairstyle differences, their physique was identical. Both having a short and childish body and rounded face, they were like dolls.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Despite calling them short, I am the shortest one in this carriage. That very much irks me. Getting another good look at the others, it appears that they all brought some peculiar items with them. The rough girl had a sword to her side while the twins had daggers attached to a belt they wore on their waists. Why do they have weapons? What kind of learning facility am I going to? The way my mother described it, I thought it was an academic establishment. Growing more and more uncomfortable with the silence, I glanced over at the other girls. However, as my eyes matched theirs, they all looked away. My eye twitched. How are these girls raised!? Do they not know of common social manners!? Even when I was little, I never acted like this! I took a deep breath and composed myself. ¡°What is it? Do I have something on my face?¡± ¡­ More silence. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°Ahhh, sorry. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± The girl next to me trailed off, which the ponytailed twin picked up. ¡°You¡¯re so pretty!¡± ¡°Wha-!?¡± With the unexpected answer, my face turned blazing red. ¡°And cute, right sis?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I looked to the side, meeting with her eyes again. She snapped away, breaking the line of sight. Again, what is with these people? I sighed in exasperation. My head is hurting already. ¡°Ahem. Shall we introduce ourselves? It¡¯s much overdue.¡± The ponytailed twin straightened up and smiled. ¡°Oh, sure! I¡¯m Olivia and she¡¯s Sophia. Nice to meetcha!¡± The perm twin, Sophia, wave a small wave. I looked to the side, at the last person, awaiting her introduction. ¡°¡­Leona.¡± ¡°Oh, Come on! That¡¯s so boring! Here, this is what you do. Take her by the waist and be like ¡®Won¡¯t you become mine?¡¯ and then take her lips! That would be the perfect first impression!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Sis, your delusions are leaking again.¡± ¡°Oh, hehe~.¡± ¡°Sorry ''bout my idiot sister.¡± ¡°I¡­see.¡± Overwhelmed by the antics of a single person, it was all I managed to mutter out. The sound of a whip lashed out and the horses neighed and the carriage moved down the road and towards the gate. It¡¯s time to depart. ¡°So how about you? What¡¯s your name?¡± Olivia leaned over the table, eyes sparkling. ¡°Ah, please excuse the late introduction. My name is Hilda Gwillyms, the child of a simple baker. ¡°So, you¡¯re not a noble?¡± ¡°No. What insinuated that I was?¡± ¡°Everything! The way you talk, the way you move, that sparkle that noble people have. Oh, and that snobby tone. That like ¡®I¡¯m totally better than you¡¯ tone!¡± ¡°Sis, that¡¯s rude.¡± ¡°Well, now there¡¯s no point in seducing you. If you were rich, all Leona had to do was to just lay on the moves a little and she¡¯d be set for life!¡± ¡°Sis, that¡¯s really rude.¡± ¡°Oh well, we¡¯ll get another chance at it when we get there!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Thus, started our carriage ride towards the school. Unlike what I imagined, the learning facility wasn¡¯t for nobles only. Tons of commoners attended too. According to Leona, the head of the school desired diversity. Due to that decision, tons of commoners entered, hoping to find love with an upper member of society. Obviously, it¡¯s not that easy, as nobility cared about status too much. The action of letting in a commoner into the family is shameful. I wonder if my mother had intended that for me. Back on topic, Sophia informed me everything about the school. The school¡¯s name is ¡°Lux Aeterna¡±. It¡¯s a multi-service learning facility, aimed at cultivating talents of various fields. From knighthood to mercenary to scholar, the school covered almost every subject under the sun. That¡¯s the reason they all carried weapons on them. Since the school¡¯s location is very far away from any nearby city or village, it was constructed as a live-in school. Over time, the school kept developing and expanding its territory. Nowadays, it¡¯s less of a school in the middle of nowhere but rather a bustling city. Merchants from all over gathered, finding opportunities to settle down. With a constant supply of trade and a stable internal infrastructure, the school grew to become a commercial hub that rivals even the capital. However, unlike the capital, everything is managed and run by the school¡¯s staff instead of the reigning monarchy and nobility. ¡°To be able to free themselves from the kingdom and establish themselves as an independent territory, how amazing¡­¡± ¡°Quite. It¡¯s only because the headmaster of the school doesn¡¯t discriminate that people like me and my idiot sister over there can enroll.¡± .. .. Mindless gossip filled the carriage for the remaining way to the school. Turns out Olivia and Sophia are childhood friends with Leona. They all decided to enroll together, trying to make a living by themselves after they graduate. They aimed to be adventurers, as a party. ¡°You should join us!¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± ¡°Join us! Become an adventurer with us! Hmm¡­it doesn¡¯t look like you can fight, but I¡¯m sure you can do something. Oh, I know, you can be our attendant! Cook for us, patch us up after a fight, take care of us. Stuff like that! Ohhhh I bet all the other groups would be so jealous, having such a beauty looking after us. Ehehehehehe.¡± ¡°...First, those tasks are relegated to that of a servant. I hope, for your sake, that you can fix your attitude before we enter the school. If you happen to offend a noble, I wouldn¡¯t know what will happen to you.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine sweetcakes, I know you find me charming!¡± ¡°Second, I¡¯ve had real combat experience, unlike you three. Even without that, my combat prowess surpasses all of you.¡± ¡°With those flimsy arms of yours, I don¡¯t think you can even lift a sword, never mind fighting with one. Just leave the fighting to us, sweetie.¡± ¡°You¡­! I¡­! UGH!¡± This must be the single most infuriating person I¡¯ve ever dealt with in all my two lives. ¡°Sis, enough is enough.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry ¡®bout that.¡± ¡°¡­You¡­ugh, fine.¡± I sighed and buried my face in my arms on the table. My head hurts. ¡°Sorry! I¡¯m really sorry! Forgive me? I won¡¯t do it again! Promise!¡± ¡°Sis, when was the last time you actually kept your promises?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­well. Don¡¯t worry about it!¡± I sighed again and pushed myself up. Despite everything, I can¡¯t stay mad at her for some reason. She really is a strange and interesting person. ¡°Apology accepted.¡± ¡°Yay~ Oh hey look, we¡¯re here!¡± With the notification, all four of us looked outside. A giant castle wall loomed over us, with a moat surrounding it. Down the road stood a tall and decorated archway, operating as the entrance to the school. As we slowly arrived at the doorway, I looked around. Faces of excitement and nervousness covered everyone¡¯s faces. I looked back at the gate. A human learning facility. It might be interesting to partake in its lectures. I leaned backwards on the seat, looking outside, as I entered Lux Aeterna for the very first time. Chapter 3: Troubles Brewing(Unedited) Stepping off of the carriage, we arrived in the center of the so-called school. Rows and rows of buildings decorated the streets. Vendors and pedestrians flooded the space, many looking much older than the students attending. Despite the massive amounts of people, it was easy to tell who was a student and who wasn¡¯t. Students were all required to wear the uniforms issued by the school. As such, you can spot students mingling with the crowd. ¡°Oh a cute girl, and another one over there! There too! Cute girls everywhere! I¡¯m so glad I came, this is heaven!¡± ¡°Did you come here to find a lover or learn? Let¡¯s go already.¡± All of a sudden, Olivia tackled into me, bringing her arms around me in a tight squeeze. ¡°Awww, don¡¯t be jealous, you¡¯re still my number one!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s jealous!? And when did I become your number one!?¡± ¡°Sis, stop fooling around and let¡¯s go. Registration¡¯s already full of people.¡± ¡°Ok-ay~¡± Removing her arms around me at last, she hopped forwards, joining her twin. I sighed and looked over to Leona who was walking alongside me. ¡°How do you put up with her?¡± ¡°We¡¯re used to it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± An awkward silence befell us as the conversation died out. Letting another sigh out, the four of us proceeded to the main building for registration. A tall silver tower stretched into the sky, reaching the clouds. At the base, a large palace-like building stretched across the center of the area. Mosaics and gemstones decorated the windows, sending bright lines of light scattering across the place. It¡¯s blinding and very flashy, literally. From the front, a large line stretched out into the streets. ¡°That¡¯s¡­quite a line.¡± ¡°Oh well, the sooner we line up, the sooner we finish.¡± Olivia dashed to the end of the line, waving at the rest of us to hurry. We made our way over. I¡¯m almost jealous of that never-ending optimism. Too bad her personality is like that. The four of us took our place in the line and waited. And waited. And waited. .. ¡°I¡¯m bored!¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s only been 20 minutes.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m bored!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take my sister around town. We¡¯ll be back in an hour or so. Can you two hold the line? When we get back, you two can go.¡± ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Leona opened her mouth and looked like she wanted to complain but decided against it. I wonder if she hates me. ¡°Thanks. We¡¯ll be back soon and¡­well, good luck.¡± Sophia gave a sad smile towards Leona and walked away with her sister. What was that all about? I looked over at Leona but she looked away. This is really awkward. .. An hour passed in silence as the twins made their way back. ¡°We¡¯re back!¡± ¡°You two should go now. There¡¯s a lot of interesting stuff.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m f-¡° ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Suddenly, Leona spoke up. Surprised, I looked over at her who was still avoiding my eyes. ¡°Oh. Well, if you say so.¡± ¡°Have fun you two~!¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Leona and I left the line, walking towards the commercial district. We traveled in silence, with me in front and her in the back. Rows and rows of stalls and shops stretched through the streets. Temporarily forgetting about the awkwardness of the situation, the various shops drew my attention. They sold knickknacks, tools, tomes, clothes, and even weapons. There was quite a selection. Naturally, as the child of a commoner, I never had the luxury of going to a market. I rarely left the house, always helping out my mother in the bakery. Caught up in my excitement, I ended up visiting almost every shop in sight. .. .. (Leona PoV) Man, she¡¯s so cute. Strolling behind Hilda, I took a few glances at her while she¡¯s window shopping. Those adorable gestures she makes when she gets excited, her beautiful sparkling eyes, the elegant way she walks and moves. Even that arrogant tone she uses is cute. I didn¡¯t know someone like this existed in the lower class. None of my friends back home are like this. Is this the difference between a country pumpkin and city girl? Coming to a halt, Hilda turned and looked straight at me. My heart skipped a beat and I looked away. What¡¯s wrong with me? I can¡¯t even look her in the eyes. I¡¯ve never felt like this before. ¡°Is there a place you would like to visit? I never gave you a chance to visit the shops you want.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Damn it! I didn¡¯t mean to say that so harshly! ¡°Oh, I¡­see.¡± Crap, did I scare her? I didn¡¯t mean it in that way! I should say something but I don¡¯t know what to say! What do I do!? She¡¯s gonna hate me at this rate! ¡°Would you like something to drink?¡± This is it! ¡°Are you thirsty?¡± ¡°Oh, me? I¡¯m slightly parched I supposed, but how about yo-¡° ¡°I¡¯ll go grab something.¡± I dashed off, towards the nearest drink store. Wait, I didn¡¯t ask what she wanted. I didn¡¯t think this through, did I? .. After securing the drinks, I walked back. Soon after, I noticed something was wrong. A huge crowd surrounded the place where I left Hilda. Squeezing through the waves of people, I spotted her in the center with three large muscular men surrounding her. ¡°¡­and?¡± ¡°¡¯And?¡¯ what, you bitch! You deaf or somethin¡¯?!¡± ¡°Ah, apologies. I don¡¯t think I can understand the rumblings of monkeys such as yourselves.¡± ¡°HUH!?¡± ¡°Was human speak that too complicated for you? Allow me to simplify it, just for you. I. Don¡¯t. Need. To. Listen. To. The. Likes. Of. You. Did you understand all of that? If not then you don¡¯t need to use what little brain power you have left. I¡¯ll happily repeat it again.¡± What¡¯s she doing!? Why¡¯s she picking a fight with three people at the same time!? Or rather, why is she picking a fight at all!? She gonna get beat up or raped or both! Why¡¯s anyone just watching!? Visibly frustrated, the men in the middle grabbed Hilda¡¯s arm. ¡°Aite boys, let¡¯s teach this wrench what happens when someone messes with the royal guards.¡± ¡°The royal guards? I didn¡¯t realize they allowed animals to join. I¡¯m seriously questioning the dignity and integrity of the royal family.¡± ¡°Yer¡¯ one cheeky bitch aren¡¯t cha? I¡¯m gonna enjoy breaking ya.¡± The man raised his fist and punched Hilda in the gut, but as his fist connected, he reeled back, holding his fist and yelling in pain. ¡°Hm. It¡¯s weaker than I thought.¡± Hilda said out loud, thinking to herself. ¡°What did ya do!?¡± The men on the sides took a step back, looking at their leader who¡¯s on the ground spazzing out in pain. ¡°Magic. What else?¡± ¡°Magic!? Quit lyin¡¯!¡± ¡°Why would I be lying?¡± Hilda blinked in confusion. The leader of the trio got back up. With bloodshot eyes, he stared at Hilda. ¡°She¡¯s obviously got some armor under that or somethin¡¯, let¡¯s get her!¡± All three men charged at Hilda, fists swinging. However, right before contact, the two other fists were stopped midair while the leader¡¯s fist was stopped by one finger, right in front of her face. ¡°I can¡¯t move my hand!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°You bitch, what did you do!?¡± ¡°This again? Are you three really this barbaric that you don¡¯t understand human language? It¡¯s magic.¡± Sighing, Hilda shook her head. She raised her other hand, pointing at the head of the leader. A light gathered at her fingertips and he was sent flying into the air, crashing into a stall on the other side of the street. ¡°Hmm¡­it really did get weaker. I wonder why¡­¡± ¡°Wha-?¡± ¡°Oh right, you two are still here. Run along now and go save that buddy of yours. He probably broke a few bones. You should get him to a hospital.¡± Hilda walked away and the two men lowered their fists slowly, staring at her. What¡­just happened? She just blasted him away without a weapon! Why did their attacks just stop in midair!? She said magic but that¡¯s unlike any magic I¡¯ve seen! Shaking my head, I snapped out of it and pushed my way towards Hilda. After waddling through pools of people, I finally spotted Hilda, walking away from the scene. I dashed forward, grabbed her arm, and brought her into an alleyway. .. .. (Hilda PoV) From the crowd, someone grabbed my arm and brought me into an alleyway. Panicking, thinking it was more of the goon¡¯s friends, I gathered magic in my hands again. ¡°Unhand me you- Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± Looking up, I spotted the face of Leona. I calmed myself and let the magic dissipate. I let out a sigh of relief. Leona shoved me against a wall and slammed her hand against the wall, cornering me. ¡°What was that!? What did you do!?¡± ¡°Magic. If you were there, you should have heard my explanation. I thought I explained it perfectly well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not any magic I¡¯ve seen! No incantations, no magic circles, and no staff! How was that magic!?¡± ¡°Why would I need any of that to cast magic?¡± I looked up at her, blinking in confusion. ¡°Because that¡¯s how magic works!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Realization hit me and I gave a small giggle. I always suspected that the humans understood nothing about magic and that confirmed it. They don¡¯t manipulate the mana around them but instead use a tool or a word of power as a proxy. A primitive but effective way of doing it. ¡°W-what¡¯s so funny?¡± Leona asked, slightly disturbed. ¡°Well. Let¡¯s just say that it¡¯s a special magic that only I can use.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± Visibly confused, Leona stepped back slowly. ¡°Just¡­what are you?¡± ¡°The child of a baker.¡± I¡¯m not going to go around telling people that I was a demon princess in my past life. Even I don¡¯t completely believe it myself. ¡°You¡­¡± Leona looked at me in exasperation and laughed. This time, I was the confused one. ¡°Ah, sorry, sorry. I¡¯m not gonna pry anymore. It¡¯s fine.¡± Relaxing, I smiled at her. ¡°Thank you.¡± Immediately, she turned red and looked away. ¡°O-oh yeah, I got your drink.¡± She grabbed the bottle on her belt and placed it in my hand. ¡°Thank you. Shall we head back now? The others are probably getting worried.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡± Turning around, Leona led the way out of the alleyway. A creeping chill crawled up my spine as I followed her. I stopped in my tracks and looked around. It felt like someone was watching me. After scanning the surroundings, I let out a sigh. Maybe I¡¯m just tired from using magic for the first time in this life. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Leona called from the street, waiting for me. I let out a wry smile and followed her, stepping into the sunlight.