Queen is still Queen (4)

Honkai Impact 3rd World

At this moment, Kiana was eating lunch in her room, but Rin and Sirin suddenly appeared.

“Hm? Why are you two here?”

“To hang out. By the way, where’s the other me?”

“She’s with Agata and the others, but Bella and Agata seem to prefer staying with me.”

“That’s probably because of my image. After all, they’d rather see me happy.”

Rin walked over to the window and looked outside.

“Looks like it’s raining hard. Hey K-Kiana, did you check with your sister’s side?”

“I did, but now everyone has memories of the future. And Otto seems pretty quiet… did you guys do something?”

“Nothing much. Oh, by the way, Her Majesty and I are going to Belarus later.”

“What for?”

“Is your brain a paramecium? It’s Her Majesty’s hometown village.”

“Sorry, that memory is a bit blurry for me.”

“It’s fine, Rin. Anyway, who knows if anyone from the old hometown is still there. After all these years, they’ve probably moved out or the place was demolished.”

“That’s true. But I couldn’t sense Iya’s presence.”

“Maybe it’s just too far? Kiana, do you still remember Iya?”

“I think so? Was she the one with black hair?”

“Yeah. Something happened in the village of the other world, so I came here to confirm the future situation.”

“What do you mean?”

“For example, imagine you invented a time machine, went to the past, and changed the future. Even though you successfully changed the future, your own world doesn’t change — instead, a new parallel universe is created.”

“So you’re saying someone here changed history?”

“I prayed to God. It’s about me and Mom — we didn’t misunderstand each other. We lived happily as one family. And now, the me standing here is the fusion of me from this timeline and me from that timeline. Even though we’re basically friends now, the fusion only lasts three hours. The fusion earrings are just for fun. If you want to see Mom, I can take you.”

“Sure! But… do you know where my dad is?”

“That, I don’t know. By the way, where are Bella and the others?”

“They’re having lunch. I told them to get along well with everyone. So far, it seems pretty good.”

“That’s good. Do you still remember the way I used to talk? You know, before I got taken away?”

“I do. It was that really innocent style, and you sometimes liked to refer to yourself by name, right?”

“Yeah… I really miss that little angel version of me. But if I asked God to make another one, it wouldn’t be hard. But then there’d be too many ‘mes.’ Not that I’d mind, though.”

“If everything had gone normally, you probably would’ve grown up to be a seamstress, right? That was your dream, wasn’t it?”

“Pretty much. But for that, you’ll need to ask that little ‘winter melon’ Theresa.”

“What?”

“Our old family property. I want to give you all the money from selling it. You can buy a nice house in the future and live happily with Dad after you find him. As for Mom, God said we need to wait a while. That includes Himeko and some people you don’t know — I’ll take care of all of that.”

“Alright, I’ll talk about it later today when I have time.”

“Okay. Rin, I’m heading back to my old home now. Wait here for me.”

“Got it!”

After saying that, Sirin disappeared through the Herrscher of the Void’s portal.

♢

“Wow, this tastes amazing.”

At that moment, Elea was in the kitchen eating spring rolls, and Agata looked pretty happy.

“Rin, I made these. Good, right?”

“Yeah, looks like you learn pretty fast. But don’t call me Rin — I’m not her.”

“Sorry, but don’t you want to be Rin?”

“I was never softened by a mother’s love, and I don’t have a mom. Where would I get a human personality from?”

“So what about now?”

“If I had to say, I have memories of the future and was influenced by my future self, that’s all. But I’m not completely the same person. You can think of it that way.”

“But in the end, you’re still Rin’s past. After all, you were Rin’s past self, even if now you don’t represent Rin’s future.”

“This topic is getting confusing. Let’s drop it. Eileen, how are you planning to cook those ribs?”

“Braised pork ribs and sweet-and-sour ribs, with my secret water added.”

“What’s that?”

“You could say it brings out the perfect flavor of the ingredients. With me as a top chef, the dishes will reach an even higher level.”

“Impressive. Did you learn cooking while wandering around the universe?”

“Pretty much. I had to cook for myself, after all. So I made sure any ingredient could taste great. Back when I first came into existence, I ate awful stuff just to fill my stomach.”

“Speaking of food, I just got an idea.”

“Idea?”

“Shira, have you seen Cooking Master Boy?”

“Yeah, it’s a cooking anime.”

“Right. About those legendary utensils — maybe I can find a way to make them. That way, we could take our cooking to the next level.”

“No need. Magic can handle that level.”

“But using magic burns through your mana. Better to save that for combat.”

“My power is only a bit stronger than a normal person. I can’t really fight. Maybe bullying regular humans, sure. But against people like you? I wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“Well, at least on Earth you’d still be fine. Anyway, where’s Lin?”

“She went back to her room to play games. By the way, your house is huge. If my house were this big, I’d completely redecorate it in my own style.”

“What style do you like?”

“I like a dark theme, with a deep abyss vibe. Lots of gargoyle statues and dragons.”

“Sounds nice, but that makes you sound more like a demon king. I prefer a witchy style.”

“Depends on what kind of witch you are. There are good and bad witches, after all.”

“I’m a witch of the abyss, so of course I like abyssal aesthetics. What about you, Eileen? What style do you like?”

“Gaming style. I’d turn it into a gaming room, full of consoles and shelves packed with games and figures.”

“Why is someone as positive as you such a hardcore gamer?”

“Because games make people happy! Don’t let my bright personality fool you — I love violent and bloody games too.”

“Don’t tell me you used your gamer-style violence when fighting bad guys?”

“Not really. I usually try to talk them down first. If I go for the kill, it’s only when I have no choice. Even with enemies, I try to give them a chance. That’s just normal.”

“So you’re a softie who wants to give them a shot at redemption, right?”

“Yep. If someone truly repents and is powerful, that’s good for the future of the world. Plus, I’ve heard from some gods of other worlds that most low-tier worlds now don’t have any real strong people anymore.”

“Everyone’s too weak these days. At most, I could only do petty stuff.”

“Anyway, I’ve thought of writing a novel about myself. I’d be the protagonist — a hero who helps humanity fight evil, only to be betrayed and hunted by humans. Then I escape to the demon king’s side and work for her. The demon king is a super cute girl. And as the hero, I can also do housework and cook…”

“…Sounds good. With your looks, you’d make the perfect heroine — like Ninym.”

“Thanks for the compliment. Too bad I don’t know how to write. I’ve imagined the plot, but I’ve never done it.”

“It’s fine…”

“Big sis…”

Rin-on walked over.

“Hm?”

“I finished.”

“Finished what?”

“I turned Honkai Impact 3rd into an offline game. Copied it to a USB stick, so other worlds can play it. It only has the main story, side stories, and Elysian Realm.”

“Nice job.”

“Also, I copied the entire set of comics and thousands of billions of copies. They’re all stored in my special space.”

“I remember my controller is the Betop Asura 3, right?”

“Yeah. Anyway, I’m leaving for now.”

“Where to?”

“To Sis. By the way, if we add another person to the house, I can expand it.”

“You sure nobody outside will notice?”

“I’ll just tweak causality. Even without that, I’ve got plenty of ways.”

After saying that, Rin-on disappeared.

When she arrived in the Honkai Impact 3rd world, she found Rin and Kiana playing on a console.

“Big sis! I’m here!”

“Mm.”

“Where’s Her Majesty?”

“She went back to her hometown in this world. Why are you here?”

“I finished the game. Kiana, I turned your stories into comics and even made a game about your future. It’s all on this USB stick.”

“What kind of game?”

“Action. I even set up controller support and tutorials. The comics have some made-up parts, so don’t mind the inconsistencies.”

“Got it.”

Rin-on placed the USB stick and comics on the table. Rin looked a little annoyed.

“You didn’t move all this from home, did you?”

“I mass-copied it. Also, Sis’s hard drive is still downloading anime — it’ll take a while to finish.”

“You didn’t have to tell me that. Just make sure to give Kiana a copy of the hard drive later too. I’ve already told her about the anime.”

“Sure.”

“I’m back.”

Sirin suddenly appeared, but she seemed a little upset.

“Your Majesty, what happened?”

“I checked things out. The people from my old hometown have been relocated to the city, but Iya… is no longer in this world.”

“Huh?”

“I specifically teleported to find the elders in the village, and then learned that Iya passed away less than two years after the bandit attack on the village.”

“What illness? The last time we met she was full of life.”

“A car accident. She died in the hospital at that time. As for the details, I don’t know.”

But at this moment, Kiana felt a sense of heartache and put down the controller.

“Is there any way to ask the gods to resurrect her?”

“I’ll talk about it. But for now, we’re leaving first, because I need to deal with something concerning the Iya in my world.”

“Alright.”

After saying that, Sirin and the two others went to a village in another Honkai Impact 3rd world. However, Sirin immediately ran to Iya’s house.

When she reached the door, she gently knocked. Iya opened it and noticed a sense of sadness in Sirin.

“…….It’s been a long time. What’s wrong?”

“Do you want to live with me? Just now, I used magic to confirm your future.”

“The future? Did something happen to my future self?”

“……How should I say this? You accidentally passed away, within two years.”

“Was it a car accident?”

“Huh?! How did you know?”

“Looks like that guy’s words came true. Do you remember when we were about ten, a fortune teller came to the village?”

“I remember. Could it be that the fortune teller already knew your future back then?”

“More or less. He said I would die in a car accident. I thought it was nonsense, but it seems it was accurate.”

“Then how about living with me? Actually, I live in another world now. I won’t let the tragedy happen.”

“Alright, but will I understand the language where you live?”

“That’s easy. We’ll directly input some basic knowledge of that world into your mind. That way you’ll understand immediately. You’ll be able to speak and understand everything.”

“Sounds convenient.”

“So, shall we leave now?”

“Let me tell everyone first, so they don’t worry. I’ll be right back.”

After saying that, Iya ran off.

“Rin, I’ll leave things to you later.”

“Leave it to me. Also, I enlarged the house. The first floor now has an extra room. And due to causal isolation, ordinary people or even gods outside won’t notice it.”

“That’s a scary ability.”

Rin felt a little afraid.

“Don’t worry, I won’t use my power recklessly on anyone, so there’s no need to fear.”

“Hehe, but if your power is omniscient and omnipotent, it must be pretty boring, right?”

“Exactly, that’s why I look for fun. By the way, Your Majesty, Iya’s attitude toward you is practically like that of an older sister, isn’t it?”

“Yes, she’s always been very good to me since childhood. Even though we’re the same age, she treated me like a real younger sister. We even used to sleep and bathe together.”

“That’s a close relationship.”

“Rin, do you know why human malice is so strong?”

“Of course—it’s because of boring ambitions and desires. But I have desires too, so I’m in no position to criticize others. And don’t be fooled by how I look; I’ve had a cruel side, even scarier than my sister.”

“Does Xiaofeng know?” Rin asked curiously.

“Those who knew are long gone. I do have plenty of dark history, but they were all obstacles I overcame in my path to growth.”

“Overcame? Why not just do whatever you want? If you created all the worlds, you could do as you please, couldn’t you?”

“That’s my sister’s mindset. And would my sister dare say I created all worlds? Especially this Honkai Impact 3rd world we’re in now.”

“Who cares? Anyway, you created the most, that’s for sure.”

“Sirin!”

Iya ran back.

“All settled?”

“Yes, but Sirin, can you teach me magic?”

“Of course. But the world I live in isn’t much different from this one, and I learned magic from somewhere else. After I teach you, don’t use it in front of ordinary people—don’t let anyone see. Like a magical girl hiding her identity.”

“Don’t worry. But Sirin, you’re still stronger than me in terms of strength and stamina, right?”

“To be precise, my body is no longer human. Also, do you want me to fully awaken your body’s potential? That way you’ll be slightly stronger than ordinary people.”

“Sure.”

“Rin, help me out, then we’ll go back.”

“Okay.”

Rin placed her hand on Iya’s chest, and her hand emitted a white light. After seven seconds, she let go.

“Done.”

Iya clenched her fists.

“I feel so full of energy. Maybe I could beat a karate master now.”

“Don’t get cocky. You’re only slightly stronger than a normal person. Someone skilled in karate or Jeet Kune Do could still beat you easily with technique.”

“But if I fight someone my age, I won’t lose, right?”

“If they’re ordinary people, probably not. Normal humans can’t fully unlock their potential in their lifetime. And besides awakening your potential, I also gave your body some extra perks.”

“What perks?”

“The same ability as Her Majesty: regeneration. As long as you’re not dead, you’ll heal. You won’t get sick, won’t get fat, won’t be nearsighted, you’ll be immortal, and you can also heal others’ injuries and illnesses.”

“Wow! Did you graduate from a magic academy or something?”

“Sort of. My sister and I are both witches. And just now, I also gave your body the ability to produce magic power on its own.”

“Thanks!”

“No problem.”

After that, Rin snapped her fingers, and everyone instantly returned to the living room in the original world.

“Huh? Why does it feel much bigger than before?”

Sirin noticed that the house wasn’t just a little bigger, as Rin mentioned, but about 20% bigger.

“Your Majesty, is this size good enough?”

“It’s fine, but nothing weird outside, right?”

“Don’t worry, I handled it. I also telepathically informed Anya.”

“And all the room furnishings are ready?”

“Of course—beds, computers, wardrobes, game consoles, everything. Iya, let me show you.”

“Okay.”

After they left, Sirin smiled.

“Still the same as always.”

“Your Majesty, Iya must’ve had the same super-close relationship with you as I do, right?”

“Yes. When her family bought new anime DVDs, she’d always call me to watch together.”

“Makes sense—you’ve known each other since childhood. If I’d grown up with you, I’d feel the same way.”

“……Talking about this, I suddenly regret it. After falling, I wanted to destroy the world, but that would’ve dragged my best friend down with me. I didn’t think of that back then.”

“Considering what you went through, how could you stay calm? You can’t blame yourself.”

“Sigh…”

But just then, Iya walked over.

“Sirin, can you take me out for a walk?”

“Sure, but the outside here isn’t much different from our world. I live in a city, though. You can understand foreign languages now, right?”

“Yes, Rin’s magic is amazing. She said she was going shopping and then teleported away.”

“Shopping?”

“Don’t know what for. But Sirin, how do you feel living in the city?”

“Pretty good. But from now on, I’ll protect you—just like you used to protect me when we were kids.”

“You seem different now. And it seems like a lot of people call you ‘Your Majesty’?”

“That’s just because they like calling me that. I never forced them. And I’m fine with them using my real name too. But habits are hard to change.”

“True. But to me, Sirin will always be a little princess. To be a queen, you have to learn a lot.”

“You’re still the same as ever. If I hadn’t been taken away, I’d still be that innocent girl.”

“Anyway, the past is past. I believe justice will eventually punish those bad people.”

“You’re really optimistic. I wish I had your personality.”

“If you did, Sirin wouldn’t be cute anymore. Back then you wouldn’t even kill a quail.”

“But now I can kill anything—even bad people.”

“……So you’ve already killed someone…”

“Yes.”

“When you said you were captured for experiments, I suspected something was wrong. But to me, Sirin is still Sirin. We’re friends after all.”

“Yeah. Let’s go shopping. Rin, you too.”

“Okay!”

On the way, Sirin introduced everyone in her household but kept some things hidden.

“Sirin, this city looks nice. Where do you get your money from?”

“I can create it myself, so I don’t bother anyone. But I’m not the type to waste money recklessly, you know. Most of the stuff I buy is just ordinary things.”

“That’s the same as before. And you can use magic for chores now, right?”

“Of course. And speaking of quails, I suddenly feel like eating some. Too bad they’re not sold nearby.”

“I haven’t had any in years either. But do you remember the quail barbecue I made back then?”

“Are you sure you want to bring that up? It tasted okay, but we both had diarrhea.”

“Sorry, I don’t know if it was the fire or undercooking. But now I’d definitely get it right—I’ve done plenty of barbecues since then.”

“It’s fine. That was childhood. But how’s your heart now?”

“Same as before. I’m fine even if I ignore what they said, right?”

“What’s wrong with your heart?” Rin asked curiously.

“Severe congenital heart disease. The doctor strongly warned me against strenuous exercise, but I hardly listened. I even fought a lot.”

“Do you have a death wish? If you get hit in the heart during a fight, what then?”

“It’s just me being stubborn. But can your magic heal it?”

“Of course. Rin already gave you that ability—you should’ve healed by now.”

“So now I can move my body as much as I want?”

“Pretty much. But you’re still basically a normal person. Though you seem to love fighting, huh?”

“Yeah. At first, it was to protect kids my age. And people kept saying girls are weak and need protection, which annoyed me. So I started fighting too.”

“Have you ever lost?”

“Usually it was just play fights. But once, I was dead serious. Sirin and I were playing in a small forest when a wild boar bit Sirin. She cried so hard, and I lost it.”

Sirin chuckled.

“You really scared me back then. I didn’t think you could get that angry.”

“What did you do?”

“I fought it. Hit its head with a brick and gouged out its eyes. I was covered in blood. Sirin was terrified too.”

“A wild boar is tough even for an adult. You’re amazing.”

“I told you—I hit its head with a brick. Probably concussed it. By the way, I’ve hit people too. If not for Sirin, it would’ve been worse.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know her name. Just a dead brat. Back then, Xilin and I were only ten years old. That girl was fifteen. But she loved bullying little kids. Once, she even stole Xilin’s pocket money.”

“How could she fight when there’s a five-year difference?”

“Sorry, that brat was a shorty, only two centimeters taller than me. Plus, she always mocked our chests. And she knocked me to the ground, stomped on my chest and head. Then Xilin was so scared she sat paralyzed on the ground, and she got kicked too.”

“If it were me, I’d have slaughtered her.”

“I wanted to do that too. But then, the situation reversed. I grabbed some sand from the ground and threw it into her eyes, then tackled her and started beating her up like crazy.”

“And then you two just ended the fight like that?”

“No, it didn’t end there. For some reason, the sand I threw made her unable to open her eyes. Then a small knife fell out of her pocket. I took the chance to saw off one of her little fingers. And since she always mocked our chests, I even thought of cutting off those two fat lumps of hers. But Xilin pulled me away with all her strength, so I didn’t manage to cut them. Still, I was satisfied. I stood up and threw the knife at her calf—didn’t expect it to actually stick in.”

“Then her scream must have sounded beautiful?”

“Mm. But in the end, it was my family who paid compensation. I got beaten up, and my allowance was gone for a whole six months. If it were the current Xilin, would you still stop me?”

“Probably not… or maybe I would. And now, anyone who pisses me off probably won’t end well. But what you did back then was really too much, especially when we were just normal people.”

“That’s just my nature. But if you hadn’t stopped me, that brat would’ve definitely had a mental breakdown.”

“Sigh. After you learn magic, remember not to go overboard. I don’t like hatred anymore. Same goes for you, Rin. If someone messes with me, at most you can beat them up, but no heavy injuries. And don’t mess around in mental space either.”

“Understood.”

“Also, Iya, I have a few powers given by gods. When you meet me, just call me by name. No need to add honorifics. Treat me like an ordinary person.”

“Mm. But gods… don’t they have absolute power?”

“If we have to talk about ‘absolute,’ then our family has one.”

“Who?”

“Rin-ne.”

“She’s a god?”

“Or something higher. But she can call herself whatever race she likes. If I’m not mistaken, she can easily change her race at will.”

“Wow. So Xilin became a magical girl because of this?”

“My powers come from other gods. And I really like their personalities. Plus, it’s thanks to these gods that I am who I am today. Even Rin’s existence is because of them.”

“So many benefits. Any price to pay?”

“At least for now, no. Just normal friends. Although I’m kind of like a magical girl now, our relationship will always be the same—we’re friends.”

“You’ll probably never change on that point. But I’m the same. Unlike some people who gain status and abandon their friends.”

“I don’t want to understand the adult world, nor those power struggles. I just want to live an ordinary life.”

“Me too. But being with Xilin might lead to something good. After all, Xilin is like a lucky charm to me.”

“Same here.”

Rin smiled and said,

“After all, Xilin is like a little angel. Super popular in the village. If you were born in our village, maybe you’d understand even more.”

“No need to say it, I get it. I like little angels like that too. But now, the Queen herself is like that—kind to everyone.”

“Are you also the type who doesn’t care if others hurt you, but gets mad when they hurt someone else?”

“Mm. But ordinary people can’t hurt us now. Most things we can handle ourselves. Especially since I’m the strongest among us.”

“Stronger than Xilin?”

“Mm. And I really admire strength. Some people hate strength and refuse to become stronger. But here’s the problem: if an enemy wants to hurt your companions, how do you protect everyone without strength? So, to avoid that, I make myself as strong as possible.”

“I feel the same. But if it were me, I’d also take precautions—like making sure I don’t go too far.”

“That takes time to change. My nature isn’t that good to begin with. Peaceful life only softens it a little. If the Queen gets hurt, I’d probably explode.”

“Rin, do you think I’m a child?”

“Not at all. But there really are many people above the Queen in this world. So I can’t help but worry.”

“No need to worry. Just get stronger. And I don’t want to rely on Rin-ne and the gods forever. If they offer training, fine. But just being handed power feels a little uncomfortable.”

“Over-reliance can cause problems. But sometimes you have to accept help.”

“True. Iya! Want some milk tea?”

“Sure.”

“Perfect. There’s a shop less than 100 meters ahead. I’ve bought from there before—it’s really good.”

“Your call. By the way, since everyone calls you Queen Xilin, can I be your assistant?”

“No need. I’m not set on being Queen. I just want an ordinary life.”

“Ordinary life? After you were taken away and escaped, didn’t you return to normal?”

“Just kept throwing tantrums everywhere. Details? Read the manga.”

“You turned yourself into a manga?”

“It’s complicated. But let’s buy milk tea first.”

“Mm.”

When they found the milk tea shop, they saw Anya, around twenty years old. Rin greeted her.

“Anya, you’re buying milk tea too?”

“It’s you guys. Lier went home to play games. I came out alone for a walk. But who’s the black-haired one?”

“Hi, I’m Iya. A childhood friend from the same village as Xilin.”

“From another world?”

“Mm.”

“I see. Rin, didn’t Rin-ne come?”

“She’s at home.”

“Too bad. I wanted to chat with her. Didn’t expect she’s the one who created all worlds. Lier and I only learned through Feng Lei-yin.”

“Feng came to this world?”

“No, more like remote magic. But is Rin-ne happy with her current home? Doesn’t seem fitting for her status.”

“Even if you gave her the whole Earth, it’d be the same. But from what you’re saying, are there better houses?”

“Countless. But based on your current numbers, I just thought of a better one. I’ll prepare it for you tonight.”

“Thanks. By the way, you look gorgeous now. Totally like a big sister.”

“Of course. My beauty is second to none…”

“But An Yue is cuter. If you were the same age, your daughter would outshine you—especially without makeup.”

“Normal. She has my excellent genes.”

“Haha, you two are pretty fun sometimes.”

“Not really. So, what milk tea do you want? My treat.”

“Pearl milk tea for me.”

“Same for me.”

“Me too.”

“Okay. Clerk, four large pearl milk teas, standard sugar, warm.”

“Got it!”

After everyone got their drinks, Iya took a sip and found it super tasty.

“City milk tea really is the best. Right, Xilin?”

“Mm. And there’s plenty of other delicious stuff. Anya, do you know where to get roasted lamb leg?”

“About 4 km from here. But even if I go, no guarantee we’ll get one.”

“Huh?”

“They only sell two per day. The taste is great, but two a day? Unless I use tricks, no chance.”

“What about regular ones?”

“I haven’t paid attention to those. But if you really want some, order through delivery. It’ll just be a little cold.”

“That’s fine. Mentioning lamb leg just reminded me of childhood taste.”

“Pufferfish with lamb sounds nice.”

“I’m not a pufferfish.”

“But when you puff up like that, you’re really cute.”

“Geez.”

“Anyway, I’ll head out now.”

Anya left after saying that.

“Xilin, is she your friend?”

“Probably. But she’s a god, so be careful with your tone sometimes.”

“Got it.”

“Don’t worry. I can tell when it’s a joke. Unlike that brat who bullied you.”

“Speaking of which, what happened to her?”

“Seriously? You forgot?”

“All I remember is how much I hated her. So, what happened?”

“Heard she ran away from home. Haven’t seen her in years, kinda miss her. If I meet her, I might want revenge.”

“Revenge? Wasn’t cutting off her finger enough?”

“She bullied you. But now that Xilin can use magic, wanna play a revenge game and see her?”

“Are you trying to corrupt me? I worked hard to fix my mindset. I don’t want to go back to being scary.”

“Sorry. But I meant like a prank-level revenge. Back then, I was just angry. Don’t take it seriously.”

“Good. Stop bringing up negative stuff in front of me.”

But the tone scared Iya, making her feel like she was facing a queen, not an old friend.

“Scary…”

“Sorry, I really hate revenge and hatred now. It was because of those things that I once became a demon. Compared to your impulsiveness back then, this is nothing.”

“It’s okay, but just now, that feeling really had a queen-like aura. No wonder so many people call you Queen.”

“Sigh, let’s head to the supermarket now. I happen to need to buy a few things to make sandwiches.”

“You still remember how to make them?”

“Of course.”

“Queen, what condiments do you usually need for sandwiches?”

“Bread, ham, lettuce, mayonnaise, and miso. As for how to make it, you’ll see tomorrow morning when I make breakfast. After all, when it comes to things I know how to make, it’s never a problem.”

“Mm.”

“Iya, after we buy the stuff and go home, you just play games or watch TV at home. Rin, Rinyin, and I will go to mom’s place for a meal. Then, on our side, we’ll be back around dinner time.”

“Sure. But can I grab some snacks I like at the supermarket?”

“No problem. I also want to get some spicy noodles.”

“You like spicy noodles too?”

“Yeah, the fragrant and spicy kind. Rin likes them too, right?”

“Sort of, but I recommend pairing spicy noodles with milk tea. Compared to cola, I prefer that combo.”

“Then let’s try that. Let’s go.”

After that, they arrived at the supermarket. Xilin bought some things for sandwiches, while Iya grabbed a lot of cookies and drinks.

“Xilin, do you guys usually find a deserted place after buying a lot of stuff and just use magic to go home?”

“Depends on my mood. Normally, I like taking the bus.”

“A sports car or one of those super-long limos?”

“You’re overthinking. I take the bus or a taxi. Nobody in our house drives. I don’t know if those new guys do, but I doubt it…”

“Queen.”

“Mm?”

“Rinyin telepathically asked me to buy some burger meals and toss them into a stasis space so she can copy them infinitely whenever she wants to eat. They’ll stay fresh and hot because time is frozen there.”

“That spell is in Xiaofeng’s magic book too, but I prefer buying food outside. Still, now that I think about convenience, I might stock up too.”

“As you command.”

“But don’t misunderstand. There are tons of snack shops, and I’ll still check out new ones. Eating the same thing all the time gets boring.”

“As Queen commands. When we have time, let’s try every shop we haven’t been to, so we have a reference.”

“But for cooked dishes, it’s usually better to make them yourself. So I’ll leave that to Ailin and the others.”

“Same here. Let’s finish shopping and go.”

“Mm.”

♢

“Rinyin, can you conjure some oyster sauce?”

“Sure.”

At this moment, Rinyin and Bella were in the kitchen, watching two people cook.

“Shira, you usually cook for yourself at home, right?”

“Yeah. By the way, Ailin, when you were on other planets, did you ever eat any high-class meat dishes?”

“Dragon meat. But those were just ordinary animals. I even hunted them myself.”

“Dinosaurs?”

“Similar to the Tyrannosaurus in Earth books. In your money, buying one of those giant dinosaurs would cost about the same as an egg.”

“That cheap?”

“I’ll explain. That planet’s name I forgot, but it was ten times the size of Earth. Lots of creatures resembled Earth’s. Like 30-meter-long octopuses.”

“How big were the people?”

“They looked just like Earthlings, but were 2–3 meters tall. Luckily, I know the Giant Body Technique. Growing to 2–3 meters is no problem.”

“How big can you grow at most?”

“With my current energy, 168 meters. But enlarging the body boosts energy for fighting too. I can last about an hour.”

“If you don’t use energy blasts and just fight physically, can you last longer?”

“Yes, but I rarely do that. Sometimes my pants would tear, which is embarrassing unless they’re shorts.”

“So you could probably crush me with one kick.”

“Pretty much. I’ve even seen 100-meter-long cows on that planet, and they tasted just like Earth beef.”

“That would feed a lot of people. Wait—could you make that now?”

“Anytime. But watch your pan, don’t burn the food.”

“Sorry.”

Rinyin smiled.

“Bella, you remembered the dishes we made earlier, right?”

“Of course. How much salt, sugar, everything—I’ve memorized it all. I have an excellent memory.”

“That’s good, better than my sister.”

“But Rin makes really good curry rice.”

“That’s just some dishes. I know you want to learn to cook for everyone. That takes effort, definitely more than my sister. Plus, she and Queen sometimes prefer cooking themselves instead of conjuring food.”

“I understand. But I heard humans had famine in history. If you can conjure food like this, you could help everyone.”

“But that doesn’t solve the root problem. The real issue is food shortage.”

“So what’s the ultimate solution?”

“Better grain distribution, storage, and production. For me, changing a dry planet is no big deal—it’s instant. But the climate? That’s up to humans to manage.”

“Like using animals or fish with high reproduction rates to increase food supply? Then every region has them?”

“Something like that. I also like crayfish. Xiaofeng’s world has them too. Even if a pile isn’t enough, I have a trick—one is enough.”

“One? I don’t get it.”

“Just enlarge the object. How big depends on what I want. But too big, and it won’t fit on the table.”

“Good idea. Can you teach me?”

“What do you want to enlarge?”

“Any small food. Bigger means I’ll be full.”

“Speaking of full, if you transformed into your normal dragon size, you’d never get full.”

“If I were my old self, I’d just eat humans. Now I just replace that with human food. Tastes fine, I’m not picky.”

“Because you want to understand Queen, so in many ways you lean toward humans…”

“Bella, Rinyin, here—”

Ailin handed each of them a small bowl with two or three pieces of braised pork.

“Try it.”

They ate with chopsticks, and Bella was stunned. She didn’t expect it to be so good.

“This tastes amazing. All Earth seasonings, right?”

“Mm. The key to braised pork is heat control and meat quality—must be neither too fat nor too lean.”

“Wow.”

“Thanks to Shira for bringing high-quality meat.”

Shira smiled.

“Of course. Later, I’ll fry some cutlets. Rinyin, please conjure some flour.”

“No problem. But Ailin, your braised pork is really good. With special tools, it might be even better.”

“I don’t think so. My cooking skills are already high, and I’d rather improve through my own effort.”

“You’re like a friend of mine. Forget it, I’m going back to play games.”

Just as she was leaving, Rinyin’s phone rang. She took it out—it was Rin calling.

“Hello.”

“Rinyin, the chicken burger sets are sold out. Switch to beef burgers?”

“Sure. And make the milk tea chocolate-flavored with pearls. By the way, does sis eat cutlets?”

“Yes! Also remind the two chefs to make pork cutlets.”

“Got it.”

Rin hung up.

“Shira, Ailin, sis wants you to make pork cutlets.”

“Understood.”

“Okay!”

Rinyin went back to her room to play games. But she created a clone there.

“Main body, any orders?”

“Go to the Demon Realm. I’ve picked someone for the next Dark Demon King. Take care of the old one.”

“Easy. But who’s the candidate?”

“A certain vampire princess. Then transplant my cells into her to boost her power.”

“What’s the point? Even if you want to introduce her to sis, why bother?”

“It’s not just about introductions. It’s so someone here can gain Dark King power—fully unleashing destructive force.”

“But isn’t that dangerous for the human world? Evil things might come.”

“Silly, my sister is the most evil being alive. You think she’s scared of some random stuff? With me here too? Curses or whatever—they won’t even get past her.”

“Got it. But can you give me a 100-billion-day vacation? I want to eat and play everywhere.”

“No problem. One more thing—check on my second clone. I could use a crystal ball, but I don’t feel like looking back. We haven’t seen each other for 300 million years.”

“Okay. I’m off.”

“Mm. Say hi for me.”