"I need to stop being so easy…" I'd already told Susan the whole story, even about the night Brendu slept in my apartment—though I skipped a few personal details.

"Did you say something?" My words had come out as a whisper in the language of my old world.

"No, nothing." I'm way too easy to convince with this sweet wine, and Susan reminds me a lot of my grandmother Rita—the calm of talking with either of them is something I deeply appreciate. "So then… can I get permission to enter a grade-4 dungeon?"

I've been trying to convince Susan; I've given her plenty of reasons to let me go, but she keeps refusing.

"Maki, I already explained it to you. Grade-4 monsters are completely different. If you really want to venture out alone, you should first reinforce your Banner until you're almost ready to rank up. I can't risk losing you." Even though I understand her reasons, it's still disappointing not to be allowed in one.

"Don't look at me like that. I'll give you two options: you can either go with Areci's group or choose one of our two grade-3 dungeons that are currently evolving and contain some grade-4 monsters. I won't put you in unnecessary danger." After thinking about it for a moment, I accept without hesitation.

"For now, I'd rather take the second option. Areci's group is busy with too many things—it's their final year, after all." I don't want to bother them by forcing them to go with me. "One month. You have one month to prepare. The first test will be during your match with my daughter in the freshmen tournament finals, and the second one… is a mystery." Seeing Susan this serious is something new. If someone of her rank says that, I'd better take it seriously.

"Thank you for everything, Grandma." Susan always saves me. She truly cares about my growth and my life; someday I'll repay her for all her help.

"Don't even mention it. You're the strangest protégé I've ever had—you've barely asked for any help this whole time." Susan chuckles softly. I won't ask for it unless it's absolutely necessary. "Now go, your new girlfriend must be worried about you. The gossip about you has probably spread through the entire school by now." Rumors at the academy travel faster than lightning.

"She's not my girlfriend…" I roll my eyes; she already treats her like part of the family.

"Sure, sure, Maki, whatever you say. I just can't wait to see the faces of the other three when they find out about their new competition. When you go see them again, let me know—I'll make room in my schedule." Susan is clearly enjoying my social life like it's her favorite drama series.

"I'll think about it." I stand up to give her a hug. "I'll try to visit you more often these next few weeks, Grandma." She waves me off—it's time to head back to my apartment and get some rest.

"Susan was right." On the way, I've already received plenty of curious stares, and several groups of students have stopped mid-conversation just to look at me. I ignore them as naturally as possible.

They're all dressed to go somewhere—probably parties, drinks, or small gatherings. I've heard a lot about the big parties near the river; maybe I'll try going next weekend to relax a bit.

"I don't like all this attention." I've never known how to handle these situations, and saying no is hard enough for me. Along the way, a few daring groups approached me to invite me for drinks, and a couple of groups of girls almost dragged me by the arms to join their party by the river.

I politely declined each offer, making vague promises to go with them another time. I don't know if I'll ever keep those promises, and that makes me feel a little bad. Trying to draw as little attention as possible, I quietly step into the building's lobby.

A powerful wave of Imra hits me—I almost react by taking a defensive stance, but immediately notice something different. This Imra carries no hostility. I don't feel any malice; instead, it's conveying something else entirely. If someone were trying to attack me, they wouldn't let me read it this easily.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

I turn to see a girl sitting elegantly, one leg crossed, wearing a floral dress. Her perfectly brushed blond hair gleams under the light, and her sharp gray eyes meet mine. "Brendu? What are you doing here?"

She stands, uses some kind of movement skill to appear at my side, and wraps me in a strong hug. "I've been waiting for you. When the news reached me, I got worried. Why did you take so long?" She doesn't lift her head from my chest, and a few students nearby cover their mouths as they watch us. Brendu follows my gaze—when she looks directly at them, they quickly turn and rush away. The weight of being a princess outweighs mere curiosity.

"I was talking with Susan." Thinking about it, she might have predicted this moment—did she already know something? "I'm fine. I'm not hurt." Brendu scans me from head to toe several times before nodding. "A newly evolved grade-4 monster couldn't kill me even in its best dreams." I try to lighten the mood with a small joke, but judging by her serious face, it doesn't work.

"You've told me how strong you are, oh mighty breaker of limits, but one careless move in a dungeon could cost you your life—it doesn't matter if you have healing abilities." The shimmer in her eyes pierces straight into my mind. Her concern is real; she's genuinely sad just thinking about it.

"Don't worry, I'll never get overconfident—and I won't die that easily." I kiss her forehead to make my intentions clear. "Do you want to do something today?" I have to respond properly—she's truly worried about me.

She thinks for a moment. "Nothing in particular, I just wanted to make sure you're okay. Can I stay over tonight?" If that's all, I don't mind.

"You've never asked for permission before." I smile playfully; she's stayed over a few times and never asked.

"You're right. From now on, I'll come sleep at your apartment whenever I want—I don't need your permission." She turns the conversation around in an instant. Before I can answer, Brendu grabs my hand and drags me away.

She makes me recount every detail of what happened. When I try to move to the couch to sleep separately, she grabs my hand again. "Sleep with me tonight. I promise I won't bite." I hesitate for a moment but end up agreeing. Apparently, princesses can't do anything beyond kissing unless they're formally engaged—royal and imperial families have ways of knowing.

The warmth of sleeping beside someone again reminds me of the time during the last tournament, with Sol, Arisa, and Marga. Susan's laughter echoes in my head, teasing me. Just thinking about how they'll react when they find out makes me nervous—but that's a problem for future Maki.

"What will you do today?" I got up early to make breakfast for both of us. She has some kind of meeting with noble heirs from other kingdoms and the empire. I'm grateful I don't have to go through those boring gatherings.

"Train. I finally made progress with my new movement skill, and I want to replicate that feeling." The ever-present voice didn't send me any notification; I'll need to keep practicing to adjust every part of myself and perfect it.

"You're going to drive yourself insane one day. I'll take you to one of these meetings on a weekend. It's about time I introduce the best male prospect I've ever met." Brendu says it naturally, while I feel slightly terrified—not about being introduced, but about spending hours surrounded by people talking about things I couldn't care less about.

"You see me like that? Just a simple 'prospect'? Would you replace me if someone better shows up?" I joke to change the topic—I'll avoid those meetings as much as possible.

Brendu freezes mid-bite, looking startled. "Of course not! I'd never replace you, idiot." She moves her feet until they rest lightly over mine. "And I'm serious—I'll take you with me, whether you like it or not. You can't refuse." Her serious expression makes me swallow hard.

I walk her to her royal carriage before she departs for the city, then head straight to my favorite place in the academy after my apartment—the training dome.

"So now I officially have four stepmothers—or maybe I should say four sisters-in-law?" Glia's voice echoes in my mind.

"You woke up after several days just to make jokes?" Glia's personality has absorbed a bit from the three girls—and from my grandmother too. She loves teasing me like this.

"It's not my fault. You're a magnet for trouble—and for women. Being strong and good-looking is both your blessing and your curse." Her voice still sounds weak.

"Are you feeling okay? You don't sound fully recovered." I can't help but worry.

"I'm almost there. My core doesn't hurt anymore, and I can circulate mana normally again. I still need a few more days of rest, but now I can wake up whenever you need me."

"I'm really glad. I missed you these days." I let my emotions flow toward her, and Glia lets me feel hers in return. We're both happy to be almost back to normal.

"Do you want to meet her properly? I'm sure she'll love you. I already promised to explain my tattoos to her, but if you don't want to meet, I can just give her a simple version." Glia has the final say.

"Yes! Of course I want to meet her. She's a princess—maybe I can get good food or some gifts out of it." I fall silent for a moment. Who taught her that? "I'll keep resting so I can be back at 100% as soon as possible."

"Well… I'll introduce you when you're fully healed." She nods softly as she closes her eyes. "Welcome back, little sister. I'm so happy to have you with me again."

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