(A few minutes earlier)
The second Prince Edwin is a righteous young man.
As per the examples of his forefathers, his father, and his brother Crown Prince Morris; Prince Edwin does his best to uphold the values and tenets of chivalry.
Ms Eumiella Dolkness is a stain upon their student society.
She is a lying cheater. She is arrogant. Worst still, she defies his authority as a Royalty.
Level 99 is an impossibility. No man nor beast ever reach such height. Myths may sang of legendary beings of yore, but all myths are just myths that rarely true in this current age.
She is just like her parents. House Dolkness is a Central-wannabe.
A poor frontier house pretending to be an important administrator of the Kingdom. They even limpet amongst the Radicals to justify their claim.
Fools, pompous lying fools them lot.
In his hand is the writ to end her folly. She shall be expelled and be humiliated for her transgression.
This is Just and Right.
(Present time)
The Prince just triumphantly arrived at the magic practical class, with the headmaster. He's a bit ragged for breath, and jubilantly holding a roll of official parchment.
"Miss Eumiella Dolkness, the writ for your expulsion from this esteemed institution is complete" said the Prince triumphantly.
"Miss Dolkness, someone who willingly lie to royalty is unworthy of attending the royal academy. With this writ, you shall be officially expelled" explains the headmaster authoritatively.
Hearing this distressing development, our magic teacher quickly plead for Eumiella's sake.
She tells how Eumiella destroyed the targeted armor with ease. The headmaster countered that armor was naturally destructible, hence proves little of her supposed level 99.
As a last resort, our teacher asks Eumiella to cast her best spell as proof.
Eumiella, with tact, asked the permission to perform a spell in His Highness' presence, to which the smug Prince granted with huff.
Our class flinched when she held her arms skywards.
Naturally, the class complies with my barked order "Get to the ground, everyone!" when I heard her intone "Black Hole".
Some shriek in fear as their response.
Immediately, a gigantic dark sphere appears menacingly above. Moments passed when it imploded into itself, vanishing silently.
In its place, a massive updraft occurs sucking unsuspecting victims upwards briefly before dropping them back on their back and ass. Prince Smug was one of them.
Some girls, once safe on the ground, cried loudly celebrating their survival. Our class was in their best shape since we were prepared for the spell's effect, mostly. Eumiella stolidly stood there, unharmed, unfazed.
Without missing a beat, she strolled towards Prince Edwin and asked if she met his expectations. Prince Edwin just shriek in horror for his answer.
"Miss Eumiella! Are you crazy! You could've killed us!" exclaimed a petite brunette girl.
"Dolkness! We get it! You're strong. Don't kill us. Please!" said a guy with moss-green hair. Several others chimed in.
I simply strode ahead to Eumiella, and karate-chopped her head playfully. I clearly vocalize:
"Eumiella Dolkness. That was both stupidly amazing and amazingly stupid.
We bear witness your overpowered capabilities.
We demand you control yourself better.
Finally, congratulations on remaining a student here. Welcome back!"
A few beats later, she countered. "But the headmaster hadn't decided that yet".
"True. True. But I'll bet that the King will call you for an audience soon enough.
The Palace is a stone throw that a way, and your Black Hole is too large to be kept hidden too.
His Majesty won't be the fool to waste His kingdom's greatest asset" was my counter to hers.
"But seriously. We both need to have a good talk about our True self. May I meet you at the cafeteria for tea?" I suggested.
At the cafeteria, after that scary ultimate spell done by Eumiella, the pair looked at each other as they sat drinking tea.
None said a word, but Adler breaks the ice.
"Eumiella-san, anata wa tensei(?) desu ka?"
"... Hai. Anata mo?" her short response.
"Hai…", Adler hold his palm up preventing Eumiella any further question.
Hesitantly he continued "Ei-go ii? Watashi no nihon-go wa… chiisai(?) desu", he mimed a pinch to symbolize his inability for more advanced Japanese.
"So desu ka. Atashi no ei-go janai da. Gomen ne" as Eumiella understand his linguistic problem.
"I guess our new common language should suffice then. I'll be frank to you.
Eumiella-san, I, since yesterday, suspected you are a transmigrator from Japan. I am also one, but from Malaysia instead"
"I see, Adler-san.
It is quite amazing to meet another transmigrator in this world.
How did you figure this out? I never thought another person from the former world exists" she said in clear unhurried monotone.
"Well, you could say it's a gut instinct of a 40 years old JRPG gamer. Your first appearance at the Level Test ceremony sparks it" he responded.
"How so, Adler-san? The student body fears me since. My black hair even more. That banquet sealed it" inquired Eumiella.
Adler spoke "Like I'd said. Your appearance are that only a fellow transmigrator would realize its significance.
You looked and acted similarly to what a Yamato Nadeshiko might be in this realm, despite your overwhelming power radiated.
Your form are familiar to me yet alien to them"
"Alien... I can't... I understand, but..." Eumiella's dejected monotone.
Surprised and apologetic, Adler embarrassingly responded "I'm sorry for my lack of tact. I meant it as you are nothing they ever seen before. They... could not easily understand you, prejudice and all"
"I understand, Adler-san. Thank you for your kind response"
"May I explain my reasons to my earlier conclusion?" Adler requested.
"You may. Please continue" Eumiella intrigued.
"Despite what the Prince and others may thought, arrogant you are not.
Your passive stance may appeared so; arrogant, haughty, condescending to the uninitiated, but it is direct polar opposite of it.
You are calm and composed. Well. Too eerily calm and composed I think.
It rubs people way wrong I seen"
Eumiella nodded as a sign for Adler to continue.
"Eliminate Arrogance as an answer, a properly astute hunter with an ounce of magical knowledge would realize you are a very strong opponent.
They'll accept that you do EARN that level 99 rank. I do, and I hope the others do" Adler explained.
Uninterrupted, he then adds "Unfortunately, most won't. You have dealt yourself an unintended disadvantage.
Our collective level gap is too significant, that unless a person actively seeking your magical presence, you are felt as nothing more than an average student.
As a result, you had been seen as an attention seeking liar, as it did happened these two days.
Simply said, your presence is humongous enough, it's like an ocean.
Like said ocean, we the regular people are like the fishes that swam around unaware of the water containing us.
They aren't aware of your true power, until the very spectacle you granted them mere hours ago"
"Adler-san. You brought clarity to my situation. I was ignorant of it, and it escaped my understanding. I thank you deeply"
"Thank you too for your compliment, Eumiella-san.
To be frank, I'm attracted to your power.
I believe we acknowledged that we're both Players. This world used to be a game we played, until we were reborn here.
Now, this is our new reality and life.
I once wished to reach the highest level, the very pinnacle I'd reached in this game once. You, however, had reached there.
With this, I request for your tutelage and guidance getting there" Adler plead with a respectable bow from his sitting posture.
Eumiella was taken aback by his request.
She was ready to be an outcast as fallout of her folly.
She meant to go through her student life with bare concern of things beyond education.
She had planned to run away once the Demon Lord resurrected... or maybe she'd help or something.
Unintended for few seconds, her stoic face slipped with looks of surprise, happiness, and gratitude.
She felt different, happy even.
Her Gamer blood simmer with giddiness as she found a new best friend.
Someone just like her;
Someone reincarnated from her old world;
Someone whom like, enjoys, endeavors the same things as her;
A kouhai whom looked up to her.
She was no longer alone at the Academy.
Ecstatic yet with a monotone, Eumiella began.
"Please let me re-introduce myself.
I am Eumiella Dolkness, a 15 years old student of the Royal Academy of Varschine Kingdom.
I was Aka Yume-san (Abundant Vermilion Sprouts) of Tokyo, Japan whom passed at the age of 20 in the year Heisei 29 or 2017."
"Likewise. Please let me re-introduce myself too.
I am Adler Dietrich, also a 15 years old student of the Royal Academy of Varschine Kingdom.
I was Azlan Naim (Calm Lion) of Melaka, Malaysia whom passed at the older age of 35 in the year 2025."
Upon hearing this new information, Eumiella state her curiosity.
"That is very unusual, Adler-san. You are both older and hailing from a later time than I did.
I started remembering my past life around 10 years ago when I was just 5 years old, quite suddenly in fact."
Adler thus replies "Yes. That is very unusual indeed, to meet someone younger yet also from an earlier time than I did.
I however start remembering my past life due to a hunting injury when I was 10 years old, around 5 years ago.
Hence considering myself as a 40 years old man today"
"Haha.. That makes me a 30 years old lady then" she said with slight mirth in her usual voice.
Such nostalgic feelings of friendship she last felt as she left her territory mere months ago.
(6 years ago)
Eumiella Dolkness is feeling down in a rut. She did her best today, as with yesterday, and the day before, and...
She had done her best to level up.
Good news, she felt her progress increases at a better rate than she initially expected.
Sad news, it's her 9th birthday today. Her birthday celebrated alone, again.
The manor celebrating it modestly, too modestly.
The maids and kitchen staff prepared a cake as usual, as usual... and that's it.
No one cheers the Black Haired Girl on her birthday.
Her parents shall send their obligatory birthday message, a month later as usual, as usual.
Until today, she still can't remember their face. Heck, the manor have none of their portraits since this is not their "Residence", just a house she inhabited in the territory belonging to the family.
Her adult soul accepted this... Negligence, even as it pains her.
She's helpless in this respect, for now...
Her level-chasing high is what drives her now.
And... Friends.
"Well. Well. Well. If it isn't our mighty princess Ashee" proclaimed Old Max from his counter as the ashen haired girl enters the guild hall/tavern.
Old Max manages the guild hall and tavern. Actually he's the tavern proprietor first, and secondary, an adventurer guild representative via franchising. The number of active adventurers, though numerous, are relatively small in this town here.
He first met Ashee two years ago; a waif-ish stoic ash-gray hair girl barely a preteen.
A skeptic of her initially, but she'd proven her ability to him and she paid her dues. The hides and subjugation proof she brought back was crude during her debut, but that improves henceforth.
She was a valuable guild member, often obtaining loot from creatures most adults have trouble dealing with.
Once, another member accused her of fraud and loot stealing.
She pushed back, Hard. Gained a reputation that day
But he knew who Ashee truly is. And he respects her for that, having such parents and the prejudice to live with.
Today's a happy occasion though.
Hope she likes her surprise.
Eumiella enters the guild hall as her Ashee persona.
Well.. not much of a change, just applied ash on the hair till it's consistently colored. And a twin braid in the back.
Old Max greeted her as usual.
Actually he sounded more cheerful today. And there's a lot more adventures today.
When she reaches the counter, they traded as usual.
She sells the loot she gained from the hunting, he pays her and writes down notes on her file. She believes she's due for a promotion soon enough. She also bought herself a meal to enjoy. The routine stuff.
But then, her sense is tingling. Everyone acts differently today. Everyone is less boisterous. Things are too quiet suddenly.
She's sort of conflicted.
Her instincts tells of an ambush, yet it's lacking any malice.
Why's the sudden feeling? What? Why now?
"Surprise Ashee!" shouted everybody behind her once they carefully stalked behind her line of sight.
"Happy birthday Ashee!", "Happy birthday Little Ashee!", "Happy birthday Baby Girl!" comes the chorus of birthday wishes.
In her panic response, Eumiella jumped up and out of her chair while throwing back her fork randomly as defense and a distraction.
Her eyes wide in pure shock as her conscious thoughts reassert itself.
It was rare for her to show shocked, as she rarely found herself in situations eliciting such response. Today of all days was such time.
Coupled with some of the repressed anguish and joy unleashed, tears began flowing down as her usual stoic face slowly turn into anguish before morphing into a glad teary face full of happiness.
She fell on her knees. Half-standing, and hands on her mouth, she cried in anguish happiness at the occasion and kind gesture.
The hall full of adventurers was as shocked to see her emotional transformation.
They weren't expecting this. Maybe some shock turning into happiness, laughter maybe, the usual reaction for a kid.
This was quite extreme however.
Old Max reacted first by kneeling down and hugging the 9 years old girl, consoling her by letting her cry on his shoulder.
His calming assurance including how he understands the pain this birthday represents.
The other members agree on this sentiment. Despite knowing little of the truth, they believe that there must be some complications forcing a small orphan girl of seven to hunt monsters for a living.
It had been two years since that debut, and only Old Max whom is privy to her history.
Most of them felt that the Dolkness Earl House is somehow to be blamed here, but they knew better to keep it to themselves.
Eumiella cried that evening unlike anything she ever did, on Old Max's shoulder.
On that birthday, she finally accepted the surrealistic nature of her life.
She may once an adult, looking on to this life as if it's still a game she once enjoyed. Detached yet eager to win.
But now, she's actually living it as a young 9 years old girl, alone and neglected; technically an orphan not unlike her Ashee persona.
That day is also the day she finally received presents from a real "family"; the friends she gained at the guild, and Old Max.
She granted them her most precious treasure: her smile and love.
She is now their Ashee, they are now her adventure-bound family.
No longer she be the distant and taciturn Ashee to them, Ashee now is calm, cool, and friendly.
She start joining some of them in their hunt, using both martial arts and magic.
Somehow, most didn't consider her Darkness magic any different from the 4 main elements.
Anything goes during a battle, an advantage IS an advantage.
Win; or lose limb or worse, your life.
Another 6 years passed by.
The week before the distant stoic Eumiella Dolkness depart for the Academy, Ashee instead come and said her teary goodbye to her guild family before embarking her journey to the capital on a personal quest.
[To be continue]
Author's note: Being years since I wrote something, it felt hard putting these snippets together into a coherent chapter. Anyhow, some more edits were made since.