Picture a handsome boy, his hair like golden silk, with his arm wrapped around a silver-haired girl’s back, supporting her. Our audience observed this pastoral image in amazement, as if admiring a work of art. As for me, one of the parties involved...
Ummmm! Oh my gosh, what do I do?! If I push him away, I’m gonna blow the prince into a wall! The way I am now, I totally, definitely, one hundred percent have zero control over my strength!
...I was in a complete and total state of panic.
“You’re shivering... No need to be afraid, lovely white princess.”
...Huh?
“Now, take my hand... I’ll turn all your nervousness into sweet heartthrobs.”
What is this sappy mush coming out of your mouth, you seven-year-old dork! How can you say all this embarrassing stuff without cringing?!
All my panic got washed away by the awkwardness of the sappy lines I’d just heard, and I nearly burst out laughing. I hurriedly looked away, stifling my laughter.
✦ ✦ ✦
“No need to be so shy, my darling brambling.”
I’m begging you, just stoooop! I’m in stitches here! Stitches! I’m gonna laugh in your face and get executed for lèse-majesté! I can’t believe this seven-year-old. Is he for real?! Is he trying to get me to laugh at him?!
I hung my head, shivering as I tried to restrain my laughter. Trying to keep myself from laughing probably made my face go red.
“Your Highness, it’s time...” one of the knights standing behind the prince came to his senses and spoke up.
“Right you are. As much as it pains me to part with her...” the prince said, wistfully stepping away from me, but not before brushing a tuft of my hair, as if he wished to hold onto me just a second longer.
No one wants your theatrics!
I suppose it may have looked dashing from the sidelines, but since I was (mentally) over twenty years old, he only looked like a kid standing on tiptoe to look mature. I had to keep my face down the whole time, lest my expression betray the rude impressions I had of him.
I felt sure everyone else was as grossed out as I was. But when I glanced around as the prince walked away, I could see all the other girls staring at him with entranced eyes.
No waaaay! Am I the crazy one here for thinking he was a dork?
Slightly shocked, I wobbled backward again, only for Tutte to catch me this time.
“Are you all right, my lady?” she asked.
“Y-Yes, I’m fine... Still, I did something very discourteous to His Highness. What shall I do? I hope I haven’t offended him.”
“You did? The way I saw it, the two of you looked glamorous, and I was under the impression you were sharing a sweet moment... I couldn’t help but watch in fascination, my lady,” Tutte admitted, looking as charmed as the other girls in the room.
No way... I thought you’d feel the same way I did, Tutte!
“Whoooa!”
While I was reeling from this second shocking revelation, everyone around us suddenly cheered. I looked around until my eyes settled on the pedestal, where the prince was glowing—or, to be more exact, the crystal in front of him was, but the light was so intense it cast a glow over him too.
It seemed that the prince was making the crystal glow more intensely than any other child before him had. Not unexpected, given his status. Still, he looked very much like God’s chosen one, an impression that matched his handsome appearance. I found myself acknowledging, despite myself, that he did look quite cool.
After a few moments, the prince turned on his heels and stepped down from the pedestal. This time, I moved to the corner so as to not get in his way. The prince glanced around the room once like he was looking for someone, but I hurriedly hid behind Tutte’s back, afraid he might say something to me about my blunder earlier.
A few seconds later, he ended up leaving, spurred along by his attendants, and the tension that hung over the room lifted.
“Now, once again. Lady Mary, step forward!” The moment I sighed with relief, my name got called again.
“Y-Yeees!” I replied shrilly.
I could hear a few chuckles from the onlookers, but I hurried for the pedestal, too tense to care.
I’m going after the prince, huh? It’s not fun going after someone one-upped everyone else like that. If the crystal ends up hardly glowing for me, I’ll just end up crying.
Hanging my head in disappointment, I raised my hand over the crystal pedestal. Suddenly, a white glow flashed in my eyes, intense enough for me to lose sight of everything around me.
✦ ✦ ✦
“It’s been some time, girl from another world,” a voice boomed through the vast expanse of white.
Wait, that’s the voice I heard back then! So that really was God!
“Indeed, it was I. How are you enjoying life in your new world?”
I was a bit surprised at the fact he answered my thoughts without me speaking them aloud, but then again, it was God I was speaking to... That was a good enough explanation for me.
I looked around again. I was standing in a boundless expanse of white, and other than me and the presence standing before me, I couldn’t feel anyone else around us.
“It’s great! This world is a lot like the games I liked to play, so I’m enjoying it here.”
“I see, I see. I did well to grant your wish, then.”
“My wish? Hmm, did I ask to go to a world of swords and sorcery?”
I didn’t remember asking for that. I sifted through my memories of my past life, but I didn’t remember ever wishing to go to a world that’s like my video games...
“No, that much I did on my own discretion. I was under the impression you liked such worlds in your past life.”
“Oh, yes, thank you very much for that. So, what did I wish for?”
It felt like asking what my wish was might have been a bit rude of me, but I really had no clue.
“You wished to be born with a strong body that will never lose to anyone or anything.”
Hearing this, I felt my breath catch in my throat as I remembered. Yes, I did ask for that.
“However, since this is a dangerous world of swords and sorcery, where monsters prowl and heroic sagas are forged, making it so you wouldn’t lose to anyone or anything was a rather difficult task.”
“Huh?” I went very pale as I felt myself break into a cold sweat.
“Since I had no way of knowing what might befall you in such a world, I went ahead and adjusted all your basic parameters to their maximum values in this world to make sure you wouldn’t lose to anything. Your offense, defense, agility, and all other physical attributes are thus without peer.”
“Ah... Yes... Thank you very much.”
“However, since this world also has magic, I had to eliminate it as an avenue to your potential defeat, so I made your magical abilities unmatched too. Since sorcery in this world is divided into tiers based on your mana reserves, this means you are capable of casting spells of all levels.”
“Uh... Erm... Thank you...so much...”
“Of course, all that alone still left me concerned, so I also created a passive skill that nullifies all offensive physical and magical damage for you, and it is always active. With this, your body is completely invincible and impervious to any calamity, even a dragon or the Dark Lord.”
“Hm... Er... Thanks...a lot...”
My mind was struggling to keep up with all this shocking information, and I could only repeat vague, absentminded responses.
“Mmhmm. Good, good. And with that, I hope you spend your life well. Wherever your path takes you, you have my blessing.”
God’s voice grew distant. I, meanwhile, was the very image of slack-jawed and dumbfounded.
The white void soon faded away. I returned to reality, my mind struggling to process the absurd amount of information I’d just received, and I passed out.
This is unbelievable! My body is completely and utterly invincible. Absolutely nothing can deal damage to me!