Keep lying… or tell the truth.

  I don’t think this is a now-or-never moment, but it feels like the right time to tell the truth. With both of them. Everything. Even about Earth. I’m tired of keeping secrets. Maybe I should even tell Mary about the contract with the seed of darkness.

  They’re my friends, right? And my beloved, my partner, my life companion. It’s not right to not be honest.

  A part of me, the one speaking from fear, screams that I could end up alone and that they’ll send an army, along with the divine beast of light, to finish me off—along with the pup and all members of Convergence.

  Yes, I’m risking a lot.

  But good relationships were never built on fear and lies, but rather on love.

  “Vincent, Ronan, I have many things to tell you. I ask that you please let me speak until the end, without judging me, interrupting me, or leaving before I’m finished. And I apologize, especially to you, my prince, for not having had the courage to tell you this before. It wasn’t intentional. I’ve been caught up in events that were too big for me. And they still are too big for me. But I think it’s time to grow as a person, to give everything I can, to be the solution this world needs.”

  What I just said sounds totally self-centered, but neither of them looks at me strangely for it. That makes sense. Ronan already knows about the contract with the seed of darkness, and Vincent thinks I’m some kind of champion of good because of my five elemental affinities plus light.

  “I’m listening, my lady.”

  “I don’t know what you’re hiding from me, Bianca, but it’s very brave of you to tell me. I promise I’ll stay until the end and won’t interrupt you. And before you start, remember that I love you.”

  Oh... he’s so sweet!

  “And I love you too. Thank you.”

  He takes my hand and squeezes it, giving me strength. Then he releases it.

  Better.

  I take a breath. I breathe. It’s hard, honestly—this is tough.

  So I start.

  “You see, I’m not from this world. I was born in a place called Earth, far more advanced in science and craftsmanship than this one. There are machines that do amazing things, like transporting us faster than a horse or letting us play in invented worlds. One of those games was called Ilisea Kingdom and Hearth. I was playing one night, and the next morning I woke up in Bianca L’Crom’s body.”

  Vincent’s eyes open wide, and I hear Ronan’s voice, happy, in my head.

  You are the chosen one, my friend chose you and brought you. My lady, how can you say you do not want to fulfill your destiny?

  I glare at him.

  I only said I would listen to you.

  I keep glaring at him. Vincent watches us, puzzled—still somewhat in shock about my original body not being Bianca’s, and now also confused by our silent exchange.

  “It’s just that Ronan here, who can communicate mentally with me, is interrupting me.”

  Vincent opens his mouth, surprised, as if he can’t stay silent any longer—then closes it when he remembers his promise.

  “Very well, my lady,” Ronan tells me out loud. “I will not interrupt you anymore.”

  “Thank you. As for us communicating mentally, I’ll get to that. It’s a long story.”

  And I tell them. Everything.

  My initial confusion, my denial, my excitement about being in a world from a video game, my exploit of the beginner dungeon that hadn’t been discovered yet, the magic object I got, the naive little black wolf pup I saved on impulse, how he trolled me in the dungeon, making it look like an innocent “accident”, the contract I was forced to sign, and the legendary magic object I got that could be my salvation.

  When I talk about the contract, Vincent’s face darkens considerably. I see worry and sorrow. When I talk about the seal, Ronan’s turns thoughtful and Vincent’s relaxes.

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

  I keep telling them everything. Well, Ronan already knows everything, so Vincent is really the main recipient of my words. Hearing that there’s a great threat looming over all human kingdoms makes him tense up even more. He believes me, and that’s a great relief.

  Oh, when I get to Sol and the darkness affinity, Ronan looks at me with a smile like “I’d already noticed something.” Look, I’d forgotten to tell him that little detail. Vincent frowns, more worried.

  And when I finally reach today and finish, the first to speak is Ronan.

  “Do not worry, my lady. An unwanted destiny does not have to be becoming the Demon Queen. There are worse fates.”

  Okay, he just completely threw me off my train of thought. Since I got that ring, I haven’t associated it with any other purpose. How could it be meant to keep me from another kind of destiny?

  “Bianca, everything you’ve told me is very serious. What’s more, I didn’t know about Ronan either. It’s clear the dark god has chosen both of you, and that worries me, because the gods withdrew from the world and forbade us from worshiping them. And now he has a secret acolyte and a chosen one he brought from another world? Because you—with your ability to wield all magics, all of them—being the soul brought to this world... he had to choose you from millions of people. That makes you very special, Bianca.”

  “Oh no—please don’t turn me into a Mary Sue.”

  “Huh?”

  “Ah, I said that out loud. In my world, it was when a girl believed she was the chosen one because she was special and was going to save the world. I’m not special—I’m very normal. And I have flaws.”

  “So normal...” Vincent says dryly.

  “No one denies the flaws, my lady.”

  “Yeah.” I frown.

  I shouldn’t, because what I’m seeing here is whether my beloved forgives me, accepts and supports me, or turns me in. But I don’t like what he’s implying with that “so normal”. I’m not weird. I’ve had enough of finding out on Earth that some fake friend said it behind my back.

  “Bianca, do you realize you’re taking vassals as if you were going to be the next Demon Queen?”

  “Vincent, I’m just helping them survive. I don’t want to attack humans, and I don’t plan to. And if a great threat comes to us, the goblins, orcs, and Ronan’s undead can help us defend your parents’ subjects.”

  “You don’t know what kind of threat it could be, right?”

  “No.”

  He sighs. He takes my hand. It’s not a sweet hold like other times—it’s loaded with tension, possibly reflecting his emotions—but it’s better than not holding it.

  “Bianca, I...”

  My heart races.

  “I’m the second heir to the throne of Alverdan, which means it could be considered treason for me to support you. The normal thing would be to break our engagement and even notify my parents, but I...”

  He falls silent and looks at the deer hide he’s sitting on.

  Come on, please! Say it already—you’re going to kill me with the wait.

  “I believe you. I love you. I know how you are. You didn’t do right by keeping all this quiet, but I understand why you couldn’t tell the headmaster or me when you met me. In fact, if the headmaster or my mother—who think you’re some kind of chosen one of the god of light—found out... they’d have a fit. They always say that if great evil approaches, great good will also arise to face it. And it turns out the future Demon Queen is you.”

  “Vincent, I can refuse.”

  He tightens his grip on my hand and raises his gaze. Our eyes meet. I read worry and suffering in his—but also love and determination.

  “Relax, Bianca. I’m with you.”

  He takes a deep breath.

  “This isn’t going to be easy, and now I’m the one who won’t like lying to my family. Especially my mother, who’s so understanding. But your secret is too dangerous to go spreading around. Tell Mary, like you said you’ve thought about, but make sure it stays between the four of us. I’m going to try to get you a legal human kingdom in these border lands—maybe have them hand over part of the Eastwatch marquisate, since in Clearhaven village they’re total fans of Ronan after he saved them. Make your utopia of humans, animals, and dungeon creatures living in peace and harmony. Do you know how much time we have?”

  Clearhaven does indeed belong to the Eastwatch marquisate.

  “No. But I do know that when the pup reaches level 20, he won’t be able to keep hiding from the other divine beasts anymore.”

  “Speaking of which, where is he?”

  “I left him in the kitchen. Should we ask them to bring him?”

  “No, leave him. He’s got that spell—or whatever it is—that makes him look like a normal dog working perfectly. I honestly don’t feel anything strange in his presence.”

  “I do see him as he is. The goblins do too,” Ronan interjects.

  “Good to know. Anyway, in two years and two terms we can fight in the games. We’ll go on the same team, and we have to win. There you’ll ask for lands from this marquisate. My parents will compensate the marquis some other way. And we’ll take the opportunity to request an independent kingdom in the border lands—the no-man’s land of the mountain pass. Sound good?”

  “Would that work?”

  “I see it as the simplest option.”

  “Me too, my lady. It’s elegant.”

  “And you, as the future king’s brother? Won’t they give you some duchy or something?”

  “My plan was to keep living at the palace with you as my wife and support my brother. If you become queen of a new nation, I’ll go with you. But we have to help the people of Alverdan when that threat appears.”

  I can’t take it anymore. It’s too much. I burst into tears. I babble “yes, of course”, and he stands up, crouches beside me, and hugs me.

  He believes me, forgives me, supports me. He’s willing to leave his kingdom for me and asks for help protecting it from the outside.

  I... I’d say I must have been an angel in my past life to find a betrothed who treats me so well. But the truth is I was Elisa, an ordinary girl.

  I feel so blessed to have him, so grateful…

  I feel a powerful emotion in my chest that makes me feel part of something bigger, of life itself.

  Then something happens that I didn’t expect.

  Congratulations. Your Transcendence skill has leveled up. It is now Low Level Transcendence.

  Transcendence. Low Level. Passive.

  When in balance, as you cease being just yourself, your soul, spirit, and body become one. If you reach that state of perfection while casting a spell, you won’t spend any mana. Effect: 1 to 12% chance to not spend mana when casting a spell. The percentage depends on the degree of transcendence achieved during the spell’s preparation and casting.