As we approached the great hall, from the top of the stairs I could see dad standing alongside Aldric, with guards stationed in their usual positions. They appeared to be discussing something near the entrance doors, still in shut.

  We descended the staircase slowly and moved toward them.

  “Are you ready—” Dad asked as soon as we stopped before him. His gaze met mine, and for a brief moment, he hesitated, his mouth slightly open, as if searching for the right words.

  “ —Aseria?”

  “Dear, that’s not what you should be asking right now, isn’t it?” Tapping his shoulder lightly with the hand fan, mom teased.

  I couldn’t help but feel eager to hear what he would say about my ceremonial regalia—the attire that would mark my official status as ruler from this day forward. I glanced at him expectantly, a faint excitement bubbling in my chest.

  The royal maids chuckled softly at his flustered reaction—except Yukari, of course.

  “Ugh… you know well that I have no talent for complimenting females on their appearance.” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck in mild embarrassment.

  “But if I must say something… You look lovely, yet there’s a newfound maturity and elegance about you—befitting of the First Princess of Vēru.”

  His words were simple, yet coming from him, they felt meaningful. Probably the best attempt at praise he had ever given me.

  “I was considering giving you another failing grade, but this time, I’ll give you a seven out of ten.” I teased, stepping forward to embrace him lightly.

  He let out a small chuckle, returning the hug. “That puts me at ease, Aseria.”

  “By the way, about the Dragon’s Blessing—”

  “Oh, I’ll give you the details later in the carriage, alright? Sorry for the last-minute explanation.”

  I pouted slightly.

  “Alright then.”

  “Is everything in place? Are you ready, Aseria?” Dad asked again as he stepped backward.

  “Big Sister, you’re wearing the hairpin, right? Make sure you don’t drop it!” Elysia’s childlike, high-pitched voice chimed in.

  I bent down slightly and turned my head to show her.

  “Yes, I’m wearing it. See?” I brushed my long hair aside so she could get a clear view.

  She giggled, reaching out to grasp my hand tightly as if urging me to hurry.

  I hesitated before answering dad. “If I had to say… is there no tiara? My head feels oddly empty, even with the other ornaments.”

  “Oh, I’ll place the new tiara on you during the ceremony. It’s one of the moments everyone will be anticipating.”

  Satisfied with his response, I gave a slight nod. At his signal, the guards stationed at the entrance stepped forward, pushing the grand doors open.

  A ray of light spilled into the palace, illuminating the space as the sky outside cleared slightly. From beyond the entrance, a thunderous wave of cheers erupted. Among the crowd, I could faintly hear voices calling out, “Princess Aseria! It is Princess Aseria!”

  Standing at the top of the grand staircase leading down to the road connecting the palace gate, I took in the sight before me—countless people gathered along the road from the downstairs to the palace gate, waiting for this moment.

  Golden streamers shot through the air, confetti rained down in a dazzling display, and the royal musicians stationed near the grand carriage downstairs struck up a triumphant tune upon seeing us.

  As I waved with a gentle smile at the crowd, the cheers grew even louder.

  Descending the stairs, we approached the waiting carriage, while the royal maids took their positions at its sides. It was a rare sight—such a large procession for a single carriage. The escort included the general, elite royal guards, cavalry troops, the musicians, and four royal maids, two stationed on each side of the carriage. Some guards carried banners bearing the royal emblem, their presence adding to the magnificence of the occasion.

  Upon passing through the palace gate, I peered through the window of the carriage, observing the lively streets as we passed.

  The roads were lined with cheering citizens, some waving from the windows of their homes. Street vendors and shopkeepers paused their work to offer greetings as we made our way toward the main plaza. Occasionally, I waved back through the window, meeting their enthusiasm with my own gratitude.

  After some time, Aldric rode up beside the carriage, through the window, informing dad, “Your Majesty, we will be arriving at the plaza in about an hour.”

  Peering outside again, I noticed that despite having traveled a considerable distance, the density of people barely thinned. Just how many came to see me today? The overwhelming enthusiasm left me both touched and slightly overwhelmed.

  To avoid disappointing them, I even asked Aldric to halt the procession twice, so I could step out and personally greet the people. The cheers were so intense that it made me feel taken aback.

  The second time I stepped out, a group of children rushed toward me. Though the guards moved to block them, I signaled for them to stand down. Smiling, I approached the eager children—Misaki and Yukari followed, standing close by for security, despite my reassurance that they had nothing to fear.

  “It’s Princess Aseria!”

  “Oh my goodness, she came out to see us!”

  “Mama, mama, look! It’s really Princess Aseria!”

  Among them, a small girl beamed up at me, her bright eyes sparkling.

  “Princess Aseria, you look so lovely!” she declared enthusiastically.

  Nghh… Her expression reminded me so much of Elysia. If there weren’t so many children around, I might have scooped her up and twirled her in the air. But I held back—I knew that if I indulged one, the rest would surely swarm me.

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  Aseria, you must resist! I told myself firmly, steeling my resolve.

  The adults, probably their parents, quickly came in and pulled the children back, some bowing their heads apologetically.

  “Princess Aseria, please forgive our children. We meant no disrespect. We’ll make sure to lecture them later.”

  “No—no, it’s completely fine! Please don’t feel bad about it.” I reassured them with a smile, hoping to ease their worries.

  “Thank you, Princess Aseria. You truly have a kind heart. No wonder so many have gathered just to see you today” one of the parents said gratefully.

  I understood their concern. In any other situation, approaching royalty so freely could result in severe punishment for security reasons. I was glad to ease their fears.

  After exchanging a few more words with them, I returned to the carriage.

  “Are you feeling tired?” Mom asked, noticing the heavy breath I released as I sat down.

  “Oh, not really. The crowd is just so energetic… I didn’t expect it to be this overwhelming.”

  “Hahaha! That just means the people love you that much, Aseria.” Dad laughed.

  “Big Sister was so cool! I should have gone with you!” Elysia pouted while sitting on my lap, looking up at me with her usual tilt of the head.

  “If I’d brought you with me, I might have been exhausted by now.” I claimed.

  Aldric rode up once more. “Your Majesty, we should reach the main plaza in about thirty more minutes.”

  “I see, let’s continue.” Dad nodded.

  Upon giving a nod to dad’s order, Aldric rode forward and resumed leading the royal procession.

  “Dear, why not tell Aseria about the transfer of the Dragon’s Blessing now? We still have time before the ceremony,” Mom suggested, sitting next to dad in front of me.

  “Mhm, if I recall correctly, I have never actually shown you the power of the Dragon’s Blessing, have I?” Dad mused.

  “Right, that’s true. I’ve only heard about it from you or mom,” I replied.

  “Showing you might be the easiest way for you to understand.” With that, a golden-white aura visibly formed around him, and a crest resembling the Dragon’s Blessing appeared on his right hand. Thin, crest-like marks emerged at the corners of his eyes, stretching slightly across his face.

  “Wow… That mana pool is so dense, I can feel it clearly just by being near you, without even needing to see it.” I remarked after reopening my eyes.

  “Princess Aseria!”

  Misaki suddenly burst into the carriage, as if responding to an emergency, only to find us calmly chatting. She froze, her gaze shifting to dad with a bewildered expression. The other royal maids had also tensed for a moment, their hands reflectively reaching for the weapons hidden beneath their uniforms.

  Aldric rushed over after her. “Is there anything wrong, Your Majesty?” He must have sensed dad’s aura from afar—as expected of our general, able to detect the sudden shift in his mana as if preparing for battle, even from the front of the procession.

  It seemed that aside from Aldric and the four royal maids, the rest of the escort hadn’t noticed anything until Misaki’s abrupt entry.

  “Oh my, I’m sorry for the confusion. It’s nothing. I was just showing Aseria the power of Dragon’s Blessing for a bit, I didn’t even activate it at its fullest,” Dad explained.

  “Ah… I see. It’s been so long since I last saw you in that state. For a moment, I thought a monster or enemy had appeared out of nowhere,” Aldric admitted, wiping cold sweat from his forehead.

  “To think that you all are as alert as usual, that’s impressive hahaha” Dad awkwardly commented as if hiding his sorry for the confusion.

  “Don’t worry, Lady Misaki. Return to your position too.”

  “Understood, Your Majesty.”

  Both Aldric and Misaki returned to their respective positions in the procession.

  “Papa is so strong~ Right, Big Sister?” Elysia chirped, looking up at me.

  I patted her head in agreement.

  “Of course our Papa is.”

  “Look at my muscles, Elysia~” Dad joked, flexing exaggeratedly.

  “Well, that was quite a mess. Anyways, let’s get back to the topic.” mom reminded him.

  “Yeah,” I nodded, refocusing on dad.

  “For every royal who receives the blessing, the aura manifests slightly differently.” He was acting like a teacher in the classroom now.

  “What do you mean by ‘differently’?” Playing along with his act, I raised my hand and asked.

  “You noticed that my aura was golden-white right?”

  I responded with a nod.

  Only royalty and a few high-ranking nobles possess mana pools that are high enough for their aura to be seen physically when channeling magic. However, maids granted the “royal” title—like these four—are exceptions, especially Misaya.

  The remaining people either can’t use magic or their mana pools are just too low.

  “But a pure golden aura is the strongest. To my knowledge, only the first generation, who received the blessing directly from the Guardian Dragon summoned by Goddess Lianna, had a pure golden aura,” he explained.

  “Even so, it’s still impressive that you can use its power to nearly its full potential,” I commented.

  “I’m just lucky I guess. The world is at peace now, so there hasn’t been much need for me to use its power—or even my own magic. However, we still make sure our abilities don’t become rusty, maintaining the balance between our empire and the Kouzu Empire.”

  “We’ve had a good relationship with the Kouzu Empire for a long time, though.” I pointed out.

  “That’s true.”

  “But peace doesn’t always last forever. Both our empire and theirs must remain prepared for any future threats. I sincerely hope an event like the ‘Great Stampede’ from fifty years ago never happens again.”

  The air between us suddenly grew heavy at the mention of that event, except for Elysia, who was too busy playing with my hair on my lap to notice. Sensing the shift, she raised her head and looked at me curiously. Smiling softly, I ran my fingers through her hair to reassure her that it was nothing.

  The ‘Great Stampede’ was a catastrophic event that nearly wiped out all races, including elves and demihumans. It resulted in the physical fading of the Guardian Dragon, which existed to balance the positive and negative emotions of both the living and the dead. When it could no longer maintain that balance, its spirit remained only as a blessing passed to two royals, ensuring its power lived on.

  The undead legion, born from the ‘Black Storm’—a manifestation of centuries of hatred, greed, and resentment from the dead—massacred countless lives. The dwarves were never seen again after that, likely wiped out, with only their lifeless ruins left behind, closest to the heart of the storm.

  Perhaps sensing the heavy atmosphere, dad quickly spoke up to lighten the mood.

  “In the end, it depends on the person receiving the blessing. The abilities granted by it vary slightly from one heir to another. We won’t know how it will manifest for you until you receive it. For me, it’s more attuned to destructive and defensive.”

  “Dear, you’re forgetting something important.” Mom interjected.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “Oh, there will be some side effects right after you receive the blessing.”

  “Eh—You’re not telling me I’m going to get sick forever with that side effect, right?” I protested.

  I hate getting sick, especially fevers. The discomfort is unbearable, and worst of all… I will not be able to eat what I want.

  'My dessert!' I screamed internally.

  “Well… I don’t know?” Dad shrugged.

  “Dad!” I shot him a sharp look.

  "Okay—okay. So, the nature of the blessing’s mana is different from our own. It will take time to fuse with your natural mana, which puts stress on the body, and you’ll also need time to adjust. With your absurdly dense mana pool, you might face some difficulties at the beginning," he admitted.

  “That’s not what I wanted to hear right now… Wait, is that why you decided to transfer it to me earlier?”

  “Yup, that’s why your dad made the decision after careful consideration. If he had waited any longer, letting your mana pool grow even denser before the transfer, you would have faced even greater difficulties in merging with the blessing. That’s why he didn’t follow tradition this time,” mom explained.

  “If it’s our Aseria, she’ll be fine anyway—I guess?” Dad added.

  'Dad, you didn’t have to add that last part.' I smirked at him in response.

  “Big sister will be fine!”

  Elysia remained quiet up until now, still sitting on my lap like a well-behaved child—probably because she had no interest in following our conversation.

  I patted her head again when she looked up at me. Her innocent presence was comforting, even amid discussions of past tragedies and uncertain futures.

  xxx