-----
"Louis, were you really testing our girl?" my mother sighed. "What else were you expecting her to say?"
My father shook his head gently. "Nothing too serious. I simply received the answer I was hoping for, and a little more besides. I was going to let her go regardless, but I wanted to hear her true intentions and dreams directly from her own mouth. Going outside carries many meanings, and we must not forget that she is still a child. She has only just turned seven, after all. Yet that answer… it was good. I am truly glad that, as our princess, you already possess such a strong sense of responsibility. It seems we have taught you well."
"So can I go?!" I asked happily, barely able to contain my excitement.
He nodded with a warm smile. "Yes. I have realized that if I continue to keep you locked away, you will only end up resenting me. I would ruin the first precious years of your childhood, years that should always be filled with whimsy and wonder. I was being overprotective, mostly because I could not… I could not bring myself to trust the people around me. I have deep trust issues, but I am slowly getting better. I know you are strong, so I will trust you. As long as you stay within the capital, it is fine."
"Nice!" I celebrated, pumping my small fist in the air with joy.
"I'll go with Gigantia. Is that okay?" I added quickly.
My father glanced back at her and nodded approvingly. "That is fine. I would prefer if Vlad accompanied you as well, but two bodyguards might draw too much unwanted attention."
Vlad, my vampire butler, stepped forward. He was always so reserved and professional, often acting as the straight man in our lively group. He bowed deeply with perfect elegance. "Your Majesty, there is no problem at all. I will watch over the young lady through her shadows."
In an instant, he shifted forms, dissolving into a swirling mass of shadows and darkness that featured a pair of glowing red eyes. He slipped seamlessly into my own shadow.
Then, a hand emerged smoothly from the darkness. "This way, I can protect her without anyone noticing a single thing."
"Excellent," my father said with a satisfied nod. "However, there is still one more issue. Your appearance, Elizabeth. Do you plan to go out as the princess of this kingdom? If you do, that will bring far more trouble than it is worth. People will gather around you, and some with ill intentions may try to kidnap or harm you. Even though we have worked hard to make this country better, the perfect kingdom does not exist. Bad people will always appear, even when poverty rates reach an all-time low. Sometimes the problems stem from more than just economic hardship. Resentment and old grudges can drive people to commit heinous acts. As beings who stand above mortals, getting involved in every small matter is not always wise, but you are different. You could become the bridge between us and the people."
"Yeah!" I nodded enthusiastically. "I understand, Father. I will try to help as many as I can, learn what pains our people, and then report back to you. I will be your informant! And about my appearance? Heh, I actually have that all figured out already!"
"Illusion magic?" my mother wondered aloud. "Hm, I have not taught you that yet."
"No, not that. It is body transformation," I replied confidently.
"Harmonious Chaos Reversal – Dragon Form Manifestation…"
"Human Form Transformation."
By reversing my Dragon Form Manifestation skill, my appearance transformed into its opposite instead of turning into a dragon. I became a normal human girl.
"Woah!" Gigantia gasped in amazement. "The young lady's appearance…! She looks fully human?!"
My draconic traits were now perfectly hidden. They had not disappeared, but I appeared completely human. My usual striking features, including my divided hair, had changed. I now had sleek black hair and bright yellow eyes.
"See? Now I can easily pass as a regular civilian!"
Both my father and mother stared in open shock at the sudden display of my new ability. Last week, I had been experimenting with my skills and how they interacted with Harmonious Chaos Reversal. This was one of the results I discovered while playing around with my Dragon Form Manifestation skill.
It also helped me understand my power more deeply. The reversal did not always create what would be considered the "correct" opposite for everyone. Instead, it took my own sense of self into consideration. To me, the opposite of being a dragon was simply my human side. That was how I gained the Human Form Transformation skill.
Pretty simple and interesting, right?
"This is incredible," my mother said, her voice full of genuine surprise and pride. "My girl, you can fully shapeshift into a human and you did not even tell us!"
"Well done," my father added with a proud smile. "It is quite funny when you think about it. When I was born, the only thing I wanted was to gain dragon traits and transform into one. I started fully human. You are the opposite. You were born with all the dragon traits already and later learned how to become human."
"Yeah!" I nodded eagerly. "So, do I pass? I just need to change into something a little more modest…"
"I guess she passes," my father said. "What do you think, Mirai?"
"Hm! It is alright," my mother replied. "Eventually, she was going to leave and explore the big world outside anyway. It cannot be helped. Though she is still very young, so let us limit her outings to this city for now, okay?"
"Sure," I agreed happily. "Okay, so can I finally go?!"
"Yes," my father confirmed. "Pack your things and get ready. Ah, right. What do you want to do first?"
"I want to go to the Adventurer Guild," I said. "I heard there is one in the city, right?"
"There are dozens of guilds," my father explained patiently. "Among them is the Adventurer Guild, built for free-spirited individuals who prefer not to have strong ties to any government or country. There is also the Hunters Guild, which operates in the opposite way. Hunters are paid and supported by the government. They handle official tasks assigned to them or their groups. The Adventurer Guild is mostly a tradition carried over from Yggdrasil rather than Earth. It is an independent organization created by adventurers themselves. These are people who love freedom and doing as they please while still earning money. Unlike the Hunters Guild, anyone can easily post requests at the Adventurer Guild. Tasks range from hunting monsters and retrieving rare materials to helping sick people and much more. Hunters probably would not accept a child like you into their ranks yet. Even though I am the king, forcing the issue would look like favoritism. Especially if we are trying to keep your identity secret. I do not want the nobles complaining that I am showing favoritism to some random girl who appeared out of nowhere."
"Yeah, you are right, Dad," I said.
Of course, I already knew about the Adventurer Guild from the game, so I understood how to navigate it. Hunters existed as well, and from what I remembered, the two organizations had always shared some tension. Adventurers and hunters did not get along well and often disliked each other.
Adventurers liked to call hunters "government lap dogs" or "glorified soldiers," while hunters labeled adventurers as "lazy good-for-nothings" or "one step away from becoming bandits." It was all rather hilarious.
However, this new world held countless fresh intricacies for me to discover. I would have to explore it myself and compare the reality to what I already knew.
"Alright. Adventurers tend to be much more lax with their rules, and they often break their own rules anyway," my father sighed. "But they represent an incredibly ancient tradition from Yggdrasil that appeared here only a few decades ago. People without many opportunities in life often become adventurers first as a way to climb the societal ladder. Even in this world where I am trying my hardest to build something good, there will always be problems. There will always be people suffering and those without opportunities. It is the harsh truth of reality and society. There is no perfect solution. I am simply doing my best to make things better. Flaws are simply part of how we all live and exist. Or at least, that is what I believe. Maybe others see it differently, and that is fair too. This is simply how I have chosen to lead."
"It is fine!" I reassured him warmly. "You work really hard, Dad, so do not worry. I understand that even in this peaceful country, there is always a darker side hidden beneath the surface. It is impossible to create a perfect society because people themselves are not perfect."
-----