Time passed until the day of farewell finally arrived. Most of my friends would return to visit their families during these four short weeks of vacation. The cost of teleportation is high; for them, it is just a simple expense. Ogine, being the most humble among us, does not need it, as her family lives in this same city.

  Throughout all this time, I dedicated myself to training moderately in every aspect, from swordsmanship to the control and use of magic, and to improving my Banner by hunting grade 4 dungeons together with Glia. My little sister couldn’t keep up with me at the beginning, but she slowly improved over these days, and now she can hold her own against grade 4 monsters without much trouble.

  Cype never returned to school again. He waited a few days for me in case I came back, and in the end, he returned to where he lives. The Obsidian rank carries many responsibilities in his village. Although I couldn’t improve my gravity affinity, I was able to use my Banner for a few days. Lucio spent his time practicing—no, playing—with me using his Jurisdiction. I was a toy the entire time, receiving humiliation after humiliation, but in the end, it was worth it; my Banner improved quite a lot.

  I’m no longer that far from upgrading it—perhaps just a couple more weeks of hunting monsters or strengthening it through hard training. The only downside now is that I won’t have as much free time. It’s time to go to the Juka Kingdom and then to my territory, after a brief visit to the royal family.

  “See you in a month.” Areci is saying goodbye to everyone in the teleportation area. She will stay behind with her mother and Secretary Clari.

  “Each of you must bring a souvenir for the others from your region.” Shawu, as energetic as ever, points at each of us with her finger.

  When her finger points at Ogine, she hesitates a little, and the healer speaks up. “Areci and I are exempt from bringing gifts for you, but we can organize a proper welcome banquet.” Everyone nods immediately; no one opposes the idea.

  “Take care.” A robotic, feminine voice reaches all of us.

  “See you.” The twins, as always, say very little, speaking only what is necessary and complementing the rest with their Imra.

  “We must hurry; there’s little time left before the platforms activate. Enjoy the holidays with your families, and we’ll see each other in a few weeks.” Humyr throws his arms over the shoulders of the two twins. If they were normal people, they would have gone face-first into the ground; the giant is far too heavy compared to them.

  Before separating, each of us wishes the others a happy new year and shares a few brief words. Everyone hurries along; since none of us have luggage thanks to dimensional bracelets, we move quickly toward our respective teleportation platforms.

  It was comforting to know that all of them had been deeply worried about me. When they learned of my disappearance, each of them intended to contact their families to find a way to search for me. Being from powerful families, they all have methods to locate missing people, whether through a subordinate’s ability or some rare artifact.

  They even planned to organize search groups made up of Ruby-rank subordinates from their families to scour the territory. If Susan hadn’t stopped them just in time, dozens of powerful individuals would have swept through the entire region in search of me.

  Susan could somehow sense my condition, but she couldn’t locate me by any method. Her understanding of spatial affinity is vast, but not enough to pinpoint my exact location. That was precisely why Lucio came to find me. In the end, I returned just in time before causing a massive commotion among all of them.

  “Are you nervous about meeting your future father-in-law?” Brendu is pressed against my side, holding my hand tightly and resting her head on my shoulder. We have a few minutes left before teleporting directly to the capital of the Juka Kingdom.

  “It would be strange not to be… I’m about to meet one of the most talented and influential people on the entire continent.” The King is on another level. Susan is also very strong and talented, but she herself said it: I am only at a mid-level of power among the Obsidian ranks, and my influence is insignificant compared to the leaders of the largest territories.

  There are many conditions required to become a King, Emperor, or the head of a great noble house. One of them is reaching Obsidian rank and leaving your name engraved in the collective consciousness. It is a minimum requirement; people must feel respect or admiration simply upon hearing your name or title.

  Brendu’s father is the second son. The succession conflict against his older and younger brothers was complete chaos. The first son shared the same mother as him, while the third was the son of the second wife, who belonged to an important noble family. At first, the conflicts were political, but they gradually escalated.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  The third son had great talent for combat and earned a name for himself from a very young age. The problem was his hostile and aggressive personality—he wanted to resolve every conflict through fighting. The people feared him; many died, and entire villages vanished because of his outbursts.

  The first son was the weakest of the three. He chose the path of a scholar and tried to be transparent with the people, placing their benefit above that of the nobles. This angered the noble class of the kingdom, and he lost much of his influence by the end of the struggle.

  Brendu’s father was a balance between the two, though slightly inclined toward strength. He had many confrontations with his younger brother due to various incidents, and the tension was always high. The people never knew; many times, they were a single blow away from civil war, but the truth was always hidden to prevent uprisings.

  The fragile balance finally shattered when an assassin attempted to kill Brendu’s father. The assassination failed thanks to him and a very powerful mage who had come to visit the previous King. After several days of trying to navigate the assassin’s cube and mind, they extracted information that pointed directly to the third candidate.

  A fierce battle erupted in a desolate place, completely altering the geography of the area. Brendu’s father was at a disadvantage the entire time, constantly dancing between life and death. Everything would have ended in tragedy if the elder brother hadn’t intervened.

  Together, they managed to kill the third son after several days of fighting. In the final attempt, the third candidate took a desperate measure, using a near self-destructive ability in an attempt to take Brendu’s father with him. The first son had to sacrifice a leg and an arm, injuries that remain unhealed to this day, and his cube was severely damaged for many years.

  In the end, Brendu’s father inherited the title of King. Out of gratitude toward his older brother, he prioritized the will of the people in many matters, which angered many nobles. Years of headaches followed as he tried to appease both sides, until he finally found a balance.

  He wasn’t the strongest son, nor the kindest, but he was the most suitable for the role. A good combination of intelligence and power, his name is etched into history and will never be erased. He reminds me a lot of Marquis Timal—a powerful and feared man, yet deeply aware of the people’s situation and the balance among nobles. My uncle is following that same path; I’m sure he’s using the Juka Kingdom as a model.

  That’s everything Brendu told me. It was a thrilling and thought-provoking story. My territory doesn’t compare to a kingdom in any way, except for having three sons and a few similarities. There are also many differences; I don’t want to take the position of either of my two brothers—on the contrary, I want to grow stronger to support them.

  “He’s a bit rigid and serious at first, but once he gets to know you, his demeanor will change. Just don’t be intimidated at the beginning. You need to be brave and endure the stares—after all, you’re stealing the love of his most precious daughter.” Brendu says this with a laugh, clearly joking. On my side, I’ve frozen completely. She’s right; now I’m even more nervous.

  “That doesn’t help at all…” I say as we stand up and move to the center of the massive teleportation circle. I can see her satisfied smile; she said it with that exact intention. She definitely wanted this reaction.

  The gazes of the people around me make me feel even more uncomfortable. Everyone knows who she is, and likely who I am as well. Wearing such formal attire doesn’t help at all. She looks stunning in her violet dress, and I’m dressed far too formally for the occasion. I let out an internal sigh, trying to calm myself. This won’t be easy.

  We teleport. Space twists, and in less than a second, light returns to our eyes. In my Personal World, I already sense the presence of a group of very powerful individuals waiting for us. When my vision clears, I see a group of nine—eight Ruby-rank members and a Diamond-rank leader.

  They are all dressed in the uniform of the Juka Kingdom’s army, red and white, with the royal house insignia embroidered on the right side of their shirts. They stand in perfect formation, waiting. The leader approaches us with firm steps. Brendu takes a second to realize it and pulls me by the arm, guiding me toward them.

  “Welcome back, Princess. It is a pleasure to see you again.” The red-haired woman, her hair perfectly tied into a ponytail, kneels. “It is a pleasure to meet you, young Maki Vichag.” She greets me after standing again. Her green-black eyes are sharp and penetrating.

  “It’s good to see you after such a long time, Tiani. I see you’ve managed to advance in rank.” Brendu hugs her quickly after speaking. Do they have that kind of relationship? They must be very close. Tiani… Tiani… After searching my memory, I recall the name—she was Brendu’s guardian when she was a child. Now I understand why she was sent to pick us up today, and the embrace makes sense.

  When they separate, I step forward. “It’s a pleasure, Tiani. Brendu has told me a lot about you.” I offer my hand, and she accepts the handshake immediately. She also holds a noble position—the lowest rank, as far as I understand—but still far above a mere third baronet’s child. Regardless of rank, she deserves respect for being a Diamond-rank.

  Tiani leads us toward the exit of the teleportation area, where a massive carriage awaits us. It’s as long as a bus from my past life and adorned from wheels to roof, covered in runes. We take seats in the middle; Tiani rides one carriage ahead, while the other eight split between the front and rear escort.

  Along the way, Brendu points out streets, important locations, and—most importantly—the best restaurants in the area. After many minutes, she suddenly exclaims, “Look, you can already see the castle.” I lean toward the window with her and nearly fall backward.

  Susan’s residence is large enough for multiple families. Marquis Timal’s castle is immense. Neither compares to the gigantic castle before my eyes—hundreds of families could live there without ever crossing paths. The surrounding land is vast as well; I don’t even want to imagine how many gardeners or workers are needed to maintain it.

  “It’s beautiful, right?” She grins from ear to ear. “Welcome to Pajul City and welcome to the castle of the Qolud family—your future new family.” She kisses me on the lips. I remain frozen in place, trying to process everything and prepare myself to meet the royal family.