Spring has come to the Queens estate.

Many months have passed after the appearance of the Calamity Dragon.

The wounds had already been healed but the legends remained alive.

Merchants traveling from place to place told stories about the faceless hero who killed the beast with one strike.

The bards sang about how Goddess of Creation came down to save Seraiya.

The children played the game about the victory over the "Calamity Dragon".

Nobody knew the truth.

The truth was sitting on the blanket in the courtyard of the estate...

Trying to build a tower from the wooden blocks.

"..."

Jennie Queens was looking at the blocks.

"I united the kingdom once..."

She carefully put one more block on top.

The block started wobbling.

Then fell down.

The maids were laughing.

"Oh dear."

"Lady Jennie almost made it."

Jennie blinked.

"I was beaten by the gravity."

She dramatically drooped her shoulders.

The maids ran up to her.

"So cute!"

One of them pinched her cheeks.

Another gently stroke her head.

Jennie let them.

Not because she liked it.

Because there was no point in resisting.

---

Age One

Life of a little girl was much harder than life of the king.

People constantly took her up without asking.

When she needed some privacy...

They hugged her.

When she wanted to observe mana...

They kissed her forehead.

When she tried to meditate...

They made her sleep.

"This body has no authority at all."

One day Elena was carrying her little daughter through the estate gardens.

"My little angel..."

Jennie looked at her mother.

Elena Queens was not a mighty nobility woman.

She was not famous.

She could not use any advanced magic.

But she always smiled to her children with pure love in her eyes.

Leonis had seen many queens in his life.

Political marriages.

Strategy alliances.

Necessary relationships.

This...

Was different.

Elena just loved her family.

Jennie instinctively cuddled closer to her.

Elena smiled kindly.

"Tired?"

"No..."

"This is... comfortable."

Jennie did not expect this reaction.

During her previous life she had never felt this simple family warmth.

When she was a king...

Everyone bowed to her.

But few of them hugged her.

---

Arthur returned to his estate just before sunset.

His armor told about another long day spent protecting nearby territories.

The moment he entered the manor...

Jennie raised both her tiny hands.

Arthur laughed.

"Do you want your father?"

Jennie immediately nodded.

"Pick me up."

Arthur cautiously took her.

"My little snow princess."

Jennie blinked.

Snow princess?

Again?

She has heard this nickname many times lately.

Her snow-white hair became the pride of the estate.

Whenever the sunlight touched it...

It started shining like fresh snow.

Together with her crimson eyes...

She seemed almost unreal.

The maids were admiring it.

Lucas bragged about it to anyone.

Even Arthur was secretly proud of his daughter.

But...

Jennie...

"I miss my usual hair."

---

Several days later...

Jennie has found another frightening feature of rebirth.

Fashion.

More precisely...

Fashion of the little girls.

Three maids surrounded her.

"This white dress!"

"No, blue color fits her eyes!"

"Let’s braid her hair!"

Jennie stood motionless.

As a condemned prisoner.

Five minutes later...

She stood in front of the mirror.

White dress.

White stockings.

Tiny leather shoes.

Blue ribbon braided into her silky white hair.

Flowers.

There were flowers too.

She looked at herself.

Silence.

"I wore armor blessed by the archmages once..."

"Now I am sparkling."

One maid clapped hands joyfully.

"Our Lady is absolutely adorable!"

The second one agreed enthusiastically.

"She looks like a little princess!"

Jennie sighed internally.

"A wise old man must not underestimate women with nothing to do."

---

Age Two

Jennie started exploring the estate on her own.

Not because she wanted some adventures.

Just because she finally had enough of constant surveillance.

Well...

Until ten minutes.

The estate gardens became her refuge.

Stone paths led between bright-colored flowerbeds.

Small rivers reflected the sunlight.

The butterflies were flying around.

The birds were nesting in the ancient trees.

Most importantly...

Mana was everywhere.

Jennie sat under the ancient oak tree and closed her eyes.

Immediately the world became clearer.

Mana was invisible for the ordinary people.

It was something that was felt.

Something that was experienced.

Every living thing had it.

The grass.

The trees.

The animals.

Humans.

All of them.

"Interesting..."

One thousand years have changed the view on the mana.

During Leonis’ time...

People just gathered mana with their experience.

But now...

It has become a whole system.

Everyone is born with a Mana Core.

Spiritual organ containing the magical energy.

The size of the Mana Core determined the natural talent.

The mana circulates through the pathways called Mana Veins making body stronger or forming magic.

Generally there were two directions people usually followed.

The first direction...

Magic.

Using the precise control, the mages could transform the mana into the elemental magic.

Fire.

Water.

Wind.

Earth.

Lightning.

And more talented ones could use healing, barrier, illusions and even spatial magic.

The second way...

Swordsmanship.

With help of mana knights strengthened their muscles.

At the high level the mana starts covering the blade itself.

It becomes the Sword Aura.

The skillful swordsman could cut steel...

Or magic.

Jennie smiled faintly.

"Not bad."

"The system became much better developed."

She put one hand onto her chest.

"My turn..."

The consciousness entered her own body.

Inside...

She found it.

Her Mana Core.

It looked like a bright silver star.

Massive.

Enormous.

Almost infinite power was sleeping inside it.

But...

There were thick chains surrounding its surface.

Jennie understood it immediately.

"Not sealed..."

"Restricted."

The soul of Leonis KingHeart had its own experience.

But her body was only a two-year-old child.

They just could not synchronize yet.

If she released everything...

Her body could not withstand it.

"So..."

"Patience wins again."

The sword is useless without its scabbard.

The power becomes useless when the body cannot stand it.

She slowly circulated the mana inside her body.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Instead of gaining the strength...

She was strengthening her basis.

It was a slow process.

Painfully slow.

But it did not bother her.

The true swordsman respects the basis.

---

A butterfly landed on her finger.

Jennie opened her eyes.

The mana around it was softly shining.

Every living creature had its own rhythm.

Its own life.

Its own mana.

Maybe...

It was the lesson the Goddess wanted to give her.

Not the responsibility of the king.

Not constant wars.

Just...

Life.

For the first time after the rebirth...

Jennie smiled involuntarily.

Not politely like a king.

Not composed like a ruler.

Just sincerely like a little girl enjoying the warmth of the spring sunshine.

Far above the clouds, unseen by mortal eyes, Miasa quietly observed her.

The Goddess smiled to herself.

"Good."

"You have finally stopped living as Leonis."

"Little by little..."

"You are becoming Jennie."