*** Fifty-six days after arriving in Luminosa ***

Today was a rare day of rest, with no training scheduled. For once, I could walk the castle grounds freely, without supervision. As the kingdom's supposed hope, I found this strange freedom unsettling, given how strictly I was usually monitored. The kingdom seemed oddly confident—either in their magical barriers and guards preventing any escape attempts or in their ability to protect me from potential demon assassins. Perhaps they simply didn’t yet place much faith in me or my importance. After all, what were the chances their enemies would target such an unproven "hero"?

Usually, I would have spent this free time trying to learn the local language. I still hoped to one day read their books perfectly and maybe even write down my experiences here. But today was different. In one of the most secluded spots of the Castle's Garden—really more of a small forest within the castle grounds—I sat in meditation, focusing my energy.

I tried to feel my Mana clearly, to become one with the air and wind itself. The promise I’d made to myself about surprising Lia on her birthday drove me forward. I wanted to prove I was a hero worth following. While everyone else treated me with skepticism or disdain, she believed in me, and she deserved to see my true potential.

After nearly an hour of deep meditation, I finally felt that elusive sensation of unity with the wind. I grasped it with all my willpower, feeling it resonate with both my condensed and free Mana. Almost half of my total Mana capacity stirred in response to this communion. Opening my eyes, I stood and faced a particularly thick oak tree.

I commanded my Air Mana to strike the tree. The attack landed with a thunderous crack, wind blades exploding chaotically against the trunk. After hundreds of attempts to perfect this technique, I had finally achieved enough control to use it effectively in combat. The tree's trunk was completely dissected where my ability hit, leaving a roughly shaped hole through its center that you could see straight through. In fact, I could probably pass through it and was a bit worried that the tree would fall, but it seemed sturdy enough to withstand such a "wound," at least for now.

As I laughed to myself, anticipating the shocked faces of tomorrow, I heard the distinctive sound of slow, deliberate clapping from behind me. For a brief, hopeful moment, my heart leaped—could Lia have somehow snuck in to watch my practice? Part of me felt both frightened and excited at the prospect. But I quickly dismissed the thought; no one except the Royal Family was permitted to roam these particular grounds, and only they would dare announce their presence so boldly. Besides, Lia would never be so dramatic in her approach.

The clapping continued, each strike of palm against palm echoing with practiced precision—the kind of applause meant to command attention rather than show genuine appreciation. I turned to face my observer, already dreading who I would find.

Princess Saella approached with characteristic grace, and my heart immediately sank. To say I wasn't fond of the princess would be an understatement. Though we hadn’t known each other long or interacted much, I already despised her. She might be as beautiful and elegant as any fairy tale princess, but she was also utterly cruel.

"It seems everyone here underestimated you," she said, sizing me up with an appraising smile that never reached her eyes. "Just like a fighting dog, I should say. But perhaps you truly are the hero our kingdom needs." Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Look at yourself—when you arrived, you were so dumb and ugly. Now... well, you're still not particularly handsome, but at least looking at your face doesn't make me want to vomit." She laughed delicately. "Don't be sad; that's actually a compliment. You see, I hate most people. They're all so disgusting. But when I see someone worthwhile, I treat them well."

Princess Saella's words made my skin crawl, but I forced myself to bow respectfully. "Your Highness honors me with such... generous compliments."

"Oh? You've learned some manners too." She stepped closer, her perfume carrying notes of night-blooming flowers. "You know, traditionally, a Chosen Hero would be considered a suitable match for a princess. When you first arrived, the very thought made me laugh." Her fingers traced patterns in the air, leaving faint trails of Mana. "But now... if you continue to prove your worth..."

"Your Highness is too kind," I said carefully, maintaining my polite facade. "But I must return to my world once my mission is complete."

She laughed, the sound like breaking crystal. "That's not a problem at all. As long as you leave behind a strong heir... someone to carry on your heroic bloodline."

"Surely Your Highness could find someone more worthy—"

The temperature dropped suddenly as her Mana flared. "Are you refusing me?" The princess's beautiful features twisted slightly, her eyes flickering with barely contained power. "Do you think yourself too good for a princess of the realm?"

"Not at all, Your Highness. Quite the opposite—"

"Ah, I see the problem now." Her smile returned, sharper than before. "You've been spending an awful lot of time with that peasant girl. Lia, isn't it?" She practically spat the name. "How unfitting for a hero to associate with such... common stock. Though I suppose even dogs need someone to play with."

I kept my expression neutral, even as my hands clenched at my sides. "She's my training partner, nothing more."

Even as I said those words, I realized how close in age Lia and I were, and how her fierce determination made her quite attractive in her own way. But I quickly pushed those thoughts aside—she reminded me too much of my little sister back home. Still, hearing the princess speak of her with such contempt made my blood boil.

"See that it stays that way." Princess Saella's Mana pressed down like a physical weight. "It would be a shame if something happened to disturb her... training."

Just you wait until I'm strong enough... strong enough to not bow to anyone. The thoughts burned in my mind, even as I maintained my submissive posture.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

One day, I wouldn't have to pretend anymore.

***

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The moment I saw the message, I checked the map. Sure enough, one of the dots had vanished—one of the pair at the roller coaster zone. While not entirely unexpected, given they still had revival points left, this was far from pleasant news. The one who died had only possessed a single revival point, which was now gone.

Damn, don't die before I even meet you, I thought, shaking my head. Before I could fully process this, another message appeared:

[WARNING: Hey, one more of your geese have died. You really are a bad mama goose. Shouldn't you take this more seriously?]

Again, it was a dot at the roller coaster. Then, as if on cue, another dot at the Ferris wheel—the one with only one revival—disappeared, leaving only one there with three revivals. Another message notified me of their demise.

[WARNING: Wow, you really don't care about your children, do you? Now three of them have died, and you did nothing to protect or avenge them. Is this how you want things to be done? Get a hold of yourself, you lazy ass.]

I clenched my fists, fury building inside me. Now I regretted listening to the clown. While Barry had seemed nice enough—if you ignored how creepy his mere existence was—he hadn't appeared to be an enemy. But now I couldn't help but question his motives for delaying me. It was strange... strange that only now did I truly understand the gravity of the situation.

Was it the cartoon, huh? I thought suddenly. Somehow I feel it's to blame. Even if I seemingly got out of its initial influence, it affected my thoughts and actions, making me more... optimistic? Less cautious? I don't know... I mean, there's no guarantee that the so-called revival is perfect, so there's a risk that I'd lose Leah and Jimmy for real... or just lost them. Damn it, pucking chipmunk... If I really lose my sister or friend... I won't forgive anyone responsible. Including myself.

"What happened?" Marcus asked, noticing the discomfort on my face and perhaps sensing the stirring of my Mana.

"Nothing. Just that some of the people under my care... they just died."

"Oh..." the three gangsters sighed.

"Sergio," I turned to the vampire, "I need an explanation about Revival. You didn't actually die when you lost your bet, right?"

"No," he replied. "I only bet my Revival Point rather than my actual life. So I wasn't killed or revived, just lost the point."

"And what happens when you actually die?" I pressed.

"It was like a dream," Alisa said quietly. "One moment my body was torn to pieces, the pain driving me mad... and the next, I was standing in the restroom at the entrance to the attraction where we had died."

"The restroom?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Sergio added. "The System said it was the Revival Point assigned for this location."

"And what about when our glorious trio was dying?" I asked, glancing at the former gangsters.

"What? We lost Revival Points, but I don't remember dying," José said, confused.

"Yeah, must be a bug in the System," Kusogaki chimed in. "Though maybe I'm glad to forget my deaths."

I frowned. "So, did your actual body regenerate?" I asked Sergio. "Or did it disappear only to be recreated from scratch?" The implications of the latter possibility troubled me.

"I'm not sure," Sergio admitted. "But from what I saw, the bodies of dead users were indeed dissipating. I have no idea if they teleport to the revival zone or just... cease to exist."

"Oh, I see what you're thinking about, Boss!" Kusogaki perked up. "If our previous body just disappears, then perhaps revival doesn't actually revive us, but just creates a complete copy."

"What's the difference?" Marcus asked, scratching his smooth head.

Kusogaki looked at his friend as if he were asking the most obvious question in the world. "If it's just a copy, then it means you've already died. The real you is gone—it's just an alternate version continuing on. Think about it: if you're being replicated, it could happen even without you dying. Would that other you still be you?"

"Of course not," I nodded. "A part of what makes you yourself is continuity. Even a perfect replica wouldn't truly be you. But there's one more thing to consider—the soul."

"The soul?" Kusogaki raised his brows.

"Yeah. It's not as bad as it sounds, even if the body is recreated from scratch. I don't think it's possible to make an exact copy unless the soul is recreated as well, which I doubt even the System could do. Realistically, even in the worst-case scenario, only the body is made from scratch, while the soul remains the same during revival."

"So you're telling me souls are real?"

"Yeah, I can even perceive them with my Mana Sense if I focus deeply enough. On another topic, how long did it take for you to revive?" I asked the vampire couple.

"The System message said you revive after one hour plus ten minutes per level," Alisa answered. "It seems to apply even for deaths in the safe zones."

"Oh yeah, some nun-looking psycho just randomly killed me while I was standing in line to buy ice cream for Alisa..." Sergio added awkwardly. "Thankfully, it didn't take any Revival Points from me. So I can confirm that the revival works the same in the safe zones."

One hour minimum. Even so, that didn't mean I had to wait that long—not when there was still one more person on the Ferris wheel. And there was a very real chance that this would be Leah—if the mysterious girl's "fortune-telling" meant anything. I also didn't know if the people under my care would revive inside the attractions and be forced to continue them. Would they still be safe afterward, or die again like the gangsters? The one thing I couldn't let happen was for any of them to waste all of their Revival Points and die for real. That would be game over—for them and for me.

"Were you safe after reviving?" I asked Sergio.

"Well, yeah. We appeared in the restroom, and with our attraction quest failed, we left its zone and continued our normal lives—if you can even call it that," he shared a look with Alisa.

Of course, I hadn't forgotten that the gangsters had most likely revived inside their cage and died multiple times without the ability to escape. Just because Sergio and Alisa revived at a safe point didn't mean the same applied to every situation.

In this case, I couldn't waste time. First, I didn't know how easy it would be to enter the attractions before they officially opened or what consequences that might bring. But did I have any other choice? No. Whatever the clown had said, I now knew that I couldn't afford to wait.

"Are you certain you're safe in the attraction areas?" I asked Sergio and Alisa.

"Well, the System and the clown both said that even if we die, we can freely revive in the city," Alisa replied hesitantly.

"Is that so?" I mused thoughtfully. "But if someone drags you into an attraction against your will, you'll probably still die. That's what I learned from the gangsters' situation."

Both Sergio and Alisa nodded grimly, understanding the implications. At the same time, I had an idea... but I didn't like it much, and I believed they would like it even less. In either case, there was one more matter for us to solve before I could hurry to the Ferris wheel.

The people outside the Happiest Chicken had been bugging me with their presence for some time already.