Y/n L/n's POV
I was warned...
"Queen can be pretty cruel"
Jeongyeon warned me clearly that day...
And yet, I feel like I wasn't warned enough...
"AAAAHHHH!!"
"Keep it up, kids. You're doing great" Queen nonchalantly said before rolling another boulder down the mountain we were forced to climb.
Although there was a wide pathway leading to the top, the road was cold and slippery no thanks to the ice Queen covered it in.
That made it all the more difficult to dodge the giant rocks she was sending our way. Even though I'm a skilled and powerful woman, I couldn't deny the fact that I was having a hard time climbing this stupid mountain. And seeing me struggle seems to be boosting Dahyun's determination to get to the top before I do.
But unfortunately, Queen wasn't giving us any chances to move forward. "KYAAAAAH!" Chaeyoung let out a girly scream as Dahyun quickly jumped on her to prevent her from being squashed by the boulder coming their way.
"Damn it..." The pale girl mumbled after sliding back to the bottom, head spinning from the shock. Tzuyu laughed while Momo teasingly stuck her tongue out at them, glad that there was less competition to deal with.
Queen saw this and hummed in displeasure, not liking how the 2 were mocking the short girls even though they were also struggling.
I gulped when I saw how she was aiming 2 boulders at their direction, glaring down at them. "Good luck girls" I quickly distanced myself from them while praying for their lives in my head.
"Eh?" The elf turned her eyes up ahead and paled when extra large rocks came rolling to them.
The 2 of them hastily but carefully moved away, glaring at the elite after dodging her attack. "Are you trying to kills us!?"
"What nonsense are you speaking? As if I'd ever try to kill Lady Lee's beloved niece" Queen replied, casually sending Tzuyu another boulder.
"Your actions say otherwise!!" The tall girl yelled, jumping away.
However, that was a rather foolish move. The moment her foot touched the ground, she slipped. "Fwack!" She quickly took hold of Momo's ankle and dragged the innocent girl down to the bottom where they suffered together.
"That's what you get for being tall!" Chae yelled, making me laugh as MoTzu argued below us.
"Why'd you take me with you!?"
"If I'm going down, then you're going down with me. Those are the rules"
"Says who?!" The elf smacked Tzuyu's head.
I averted my eyes back to the top and took cautious steps forward. This may sound rude, but this kind of training is just outrageous─ yes, it does kind of helps us get stronger, but that doesn't make it any less outrageous.
Who in their right mind would make a bunch of rookies climb a slippery mountain and expect them to reach the top in half a day?!
If you think about it, Ms. Boss would definitely do this. That woman is pretty twisted for someone with such an innocent face, but I never expected Queen would be the same. They're both strict and cruel, it's no wonder they get along.
"Granbell, just now... you thought of something really rude, didn't you?" Queen said while looking down at me.
HOW THE HELL DOES SHE NOW?
"N- No, ma'am!"
"The look you've been giving me says otherwise" She pushed a boulder my way and got another one ready.
I was barely able to dodge that but she's already rolling down one more. She's reminding me exactly of that merciless aunt of mine, are those 2 related or some shit? I wouldn't be surprised if they were.
"You thought of something rude again"
"ARE YOU READING MY MIND!?"
"No, you're just super easy to read" This time she picked up a pebble and used her inhuman strength to sweep me off my feet by aiming for my legs.
"OOF!" I landed face first before sliding off the mountain, accidentally taking a few people down with me. "That was just cruel..."
"Very cruel..." Chaeyoung added, staring down at me from where she was.
"If you can't work harder, then work smarter" Queen advised while tapping the side of her head. "In this test, your body isn't what you need in order to pass, it's your brain. Do not underestimate the power of ideas"
The power of ideas? How can that possibly help us in this si─
"Ah..." My eyes landed on the various weapons my classmates left all over the place as a bulb lit over my head. "AH!" I immediately grabbed 2 spears and plunged them into the icy pathway, grinning from ear to ear at my brilliant plan.
With these, I can easily make it to the peak by using them as trekking poles for support. I moved forward, passing by everyone in a much faster pace as Tzuyu angrily pointed at me.
"Hey, isn't that cheating!?"
"It is certainly not" Queen replied, seeming to be impressed with my idea. "Y/n Granbell took my advice and used her brain to think of a good plan, there's nothing wrong with the method she's using"
"You should've said that sooner!" Tzuyu and the rest quickly slid back down and grabbed their own weapons before following after me.
This wasn't even a competition but the way they're pushing the person next to them made it obvious they had the wrong idea. The test was only to reach the top, it wasn't about who gets there first.
And I hate to be the person who bursts their bubble but I was already standing beside Queen, so there was really no point in competing at this point.
"Although it took a while, you did good job realizing you could use those spears to help you climb"
"Is that why you had us bring them?"
"Yes, but all of you left them behind" Queen sighed in disappointment while I awkwardly chuckled, feeling a little ashamed of myself for not figuring things out sooner.
"That was because we thought they'd get in our way. It turns out they were actually the key to passing, my apologies for not noticing your intentions" I placed the spears down and bowed my head.
"As long as you don't do it again then it's fine. I refuse to let any meatheads graduate and embarrass us like that imbecile who attacked you back at my domain" She rolled her eyes at the memory and went back to observing the others.
"I know strength and speed is your specialty, but make sure to rely on your intelligence and knowledge once in a while"
"Yes, ma'am!"
-
Chaeyoung let out a tired sigh. She was laid on the ground, completely drained from the first test while I sat beside her, glaring at the 3 who were still climbing.
I was expecting Tzuyu to come in second place, but that tall yoda was too busy arguing with Momo. They were getting in each other's way and refused to let the other get pass them.
Dahyun got dragged into the mess after she tried to stop them and now the 3 of them were yelling below us like brats, throwing kicks and pinches.
"Those idiots..." I pinched the bridge of my nose as I witnessed Dahyun almost fall off, Momo elbowing Tzuyu's side and Tzuyu pulling the elf's ear.
"I swear Dahyun isn't an aggressive person" Chaeyoung tried defending her but the way the pale girl was currently biting Tzuyu's arm said otherwise. "She's usually very nice, so please don't misunderstand her because of the way she treats you"
I hummed softly and turned my head to her direction. "How long have you known Dahyun? You two seem like you've been together for a long time"
"Not at all" Chaeyoung sat up and looked down at her friend with a smile on her lips. "In fact, we've only known each other for a couple of years, 3 years to be exact"
"Is that so?"
She nodded. "When I was 15 my parents wanted to get me a personal assistant who can also act as my guard, Dahyun was among the applicants and got the job. Since we were the same age, we got along really well"
"Guard? Are you a noble?"
"Something like that" She chuckled while rubbing the back of her neck.
"So you 3 finally decided to stop messing around and climb the damn mountain?" Queen's strict voice entered our ears as we looked at her, seeing her with the panting trio who were laying next to her feet.
"My deepest apologies..."
"I'm starving..."
"This is the most tiring shit I've ever done..."
You can already tell who said what...
Queen sighed and grabbed the back of their shirt before dragging them away as if they were a sack of potatoes. "Come on, everyone! Let's have lunch and relax, all of you did a good job"
A sense of relief and joy surged within us as we scrambled to our feet and followed after the elite. If I remember correctly, Ms. Boss was the one who prepared lunch for us─ it was honestly surprising since she usually leaves all the cooking to Minari.
Even though she looked like a serial killer in the kitchen earlier, I look forward to eating her homemade food for the first time.
"Hey, this is pretty good" I said, chewing on the chicken tenders she made. It was still hot and crunchy thanks to the spell she casted to keep it that way.
"Mina's cooking is better" Tzuyu said despite eating her aunt's food like a vacuum cleaner, sucking up everything in her lunchbox without stopping.
She obviously likes it more than any of Mina's best dishes, so what's she lying for? She really needs to be more honest with herself, everyone knows she loves and admires her aunt more than anyone else.
Dahyun immediately felt like all her energy was restored after I fed her a piece. She'd usually refuse to eat anything I give her but since this was Ms. Boss's cooking, there was no way she would decline.
Momo casually stole one from Tzuyu when the latter wasn't looking while I also fed Chaeyoung one. The elf quickly shoved the chicken tender in her mouth when Tzuyu looked back, not noticing how a piece was gone from her lunchbox.
"By the way, Y/n" Chaeyoung wiped her mouth and looked at me curiously, very interested in what she was seeing. "How are you doing that?" She was referring to how I was eating with a mask on.
It was simple really, whenever food comes near my mask it immediately gets transported into my mouth. It was Ms. Boss's idea, she casted another spell on my mask so I wouldn't have to eat alone whenever I'm outside the house.
"My mask is special"
That fake aunt of mine is seriously great, if only she'd show more affection then she'd be the best aunt in the 6 worlds. Sad to say, she's just like her niece who absolutely loves hiding her true feelings and pretending she doesn't care.
"Lady Queen, aren't you going to eat?" I looked back at the knight who was leaning on a tree while keeping an eye on all of us.
"I can survive several days without food" She said and gestured me to continue eating. "Skipping a meal or two won't affect m─" The sound of her stomach rumbling echoed all over the training grounds.
Everyone's eyes fell onto her as an awkward silence floated around us. At the corner of my eye, I could see Tzuyu trying to hold in her laughter but as the silence continued, she couldn't stop herself from snorting. Momo also gave in and giggled beside her.
I cleared my throat and offered some of my food to her. "Would you like some?"
Just by looking, anyone could tell she was flustered by the sudden sound her stomach made as she scoffed. "I- I said I don't need any, just eat there and mind your own business like a good girl!"
"I was just trying to be nice..." I sadly munched on my food while Chaeyoung rubbed my back in attempt to comfort me, saying I did a good job.
"You know," Tzuyu placed her utensils down and crossed her arms. "I'm starting to get really curious about who's under that helmet"
My eyes widened in shock as I quickly slapped her shoulder, telling her to keep her voice down since Queen might hear us. Unlike me, the others weren't as frantic and nodded along to the tall girl's statement, throwing in their own opinions on the matter.
Yes, I was curious, probably even more curious than them. But as someone who hides my face too, I knew Queen's reason for keeping her identity a secret was important─ it was classified information that must never be leaked, that's why I never tried guessing who she could be.
But the way they kept discussing it made me want to join in as well. I've been keeping my mouth shut about it since the first day we met but the more I look at her, the more curious I get.
"I think she might be a noble or something"
"Nobility? Don't you mean royalty? Her codename is literally Queen" Dahyun quickly denied Momo's guess.
"As if a member of the royal family would ever waste their time on fighting danger beasts" Tzuyu looked at the pale girl as if she was stupid as Chaeyoung shared her thoughts too.
"It can also be royalty from other words, y'know" The small girl spoke. "World 3's royal family has lots of members. They aren't really close, so one of them might have become a knight without her relatives knowing"
"So, you're saying Queen Sana's relative is working as an elite knight without her knowing?" Momo's brow shot up.
"Now that's just ridiculous, Queen Sana knows practically everything that goes on in the 5th world. There's no way she wouldn't know" Dahyun shook her head to express her disagreement.
"Or it could be Queen Sana herself"
"Queen Sana!?" I accidentally yelled after hearing Tzuyu said the impossible. At the corner of my eye, I could see Queen look at us when she heard a familiar name being shouted.
Hold up, why did she turn her head when I mentioned Sana? Is it actually her?!
"Keep your voice down, idiot!" Dahyun pinched my side, shooting me a death glare.
"What makes you say it's Queen Sana?" Momo leaned closer to her, asking for answers as we all huddled closer to each other.
"I mean, the codename itself is already a clue. Didn't Dahyun say Queen Sana knows practically everything that goes on around here? Being an active elite knight who covers her face might be the reason behind her knowledge of this world" She explained.
Now that I think about it, it does kind of makes sense. Since Sana had no friends when she was younger, she might have applied for a different job in secret to know more about the 6 worlds and acquire comrades along the way.
Her loneliness got the best of her and drove her into making decisions she shouldn't have. But since she hadn't been caught, she continued on with what she did and enjoyed the outside world with Jeongyeon and Nayeon.
But Sana's personality didn't match Queen's at all. One was loveable and kind while the other was strict and cruel─ but it could've been because she had to hide the fact she was the first fairy queen, so the chances weren't low.
"Queen is the brains of the Midnight Death Roses, and Queen Sana is known to be a highly intelligent individual. Since she's wingless, she doesn't have to worry about hiding them and she could be using a spell to make her voice unrecognizable" The more Tzuyu talked, the more I began to believe it was actually Sana.
"So, that means..." I trailed off with a nervous look on my face as all 5 of us slowly turned around to stare at Queen. "We've been in the presence of real queen this whole time?..."
"And I've been yelling and speaking to her so rudely this whole time..." Tzuyu broke out in cold sweat, hands shaking and voice fading.
Momo awkwardly cleared her throat and patted the taller girl's shoulder. "I- It's fine! Your aunt is the great holy knight, right? I'm sure she can save you if you ever get punished. And it's not like it's the first time you've spoken rudely to a member of the royal family, you'll be okay!"
"What's the last part supposed to mean? Are you trying to say I'm shameless enough to go randomly dissing royalty?!" Tzuyu grabbed her by the collar as the elf quickly tried to escape.
"That's not what I meant!"
-
Magic training was the next event for the day, and now we were dodging all the spells everyone was throwing. This time it was a competition and the last person standing wins.
I dodged the ball of water coming my way before summoning a lightning bolt and threw it at the dude who dared to attack me. He was immediately down for the count after getting electrocuted. Thank goodness it didn't fry his brain, I would've been in huge trouble if it did.
I was getting better at holding back, so participating without causing too much destruction wasn't much of a struggle. "Duck if you don't want to become a fried elf, Momoring"
Momo wasted no time in diving to the ground as I casted Blaze at the girl behind her. "Thank the gods you told me" She shivered when my target was already unconscious.
"There won't be a heads up next time, so be on your guard"
"Please go easy on me if we're the only ones left..."
"What are you talking about? I've been going easy on everyone from the sta─ woah!" I let out a surprised yelped when I was suddenly lifted from the ground by the wind magic Dahyun casted on me.
"And here I thought you only knew ice magic" I pointed my finger at her before creating quicksand below her feet.
Her spell was immediately stopped after her body began to sink while I swiftly landed back on the ground. "When the hell did you learn that spell!? That wasn't taught to us yet!" She yelled, stopping her movements so she wouldn't sink any lower.
Simple, I scanned through my memories and remembered some of the spells I used in the past. In world 1, characters from fantasy animes or books require chants for the spells to work, and I was told it was like that in world 5 back then.
But after someone discovered we could still cast spells without chants, all of the trainees from that era were taught how to do it and that method was passed down from generation to generation. Imagination was the key, they said.
"It's a secret" I winked then put her to sleep with magic, hurting her would hurt me too so I went with that instead. I'll do the same for the other 3 as well.
"Maybe I should try that thing she did earlier" Copying Dahyun's spell, I lifted a random dude off his feet and used him to knock the others out of the ring. I continued to make use of him for the next 2 minutes while he kept flailing his limbs everywhere, begging me to stop.
I eventually took pity on him after seeing how dizzy he was getting, then carefully placed him back on the ground outside the ring. It's a good thing he wasn't too upset about it, I didn't want to make enemies in my class since I might kill them by accident if they pick a fight.
Now it was just me, Tzuyu, Chaeyoung and Momo left. They all seemed determined to beat me, so I kind of felt bad since it was clear there was no way they could possibly win.
Although I've been weakened, they were nowhere near my current level. It'd take them a thousand─ no, a million more years of training to ever catch up to me. The chances of them winning against me now were zero.
If only I could seal half of my power then maybe they'll be able to knock me out of this ring. I dramatically sighed, too indulged in myself to notice them circling me. "My greatness is too much, it can literally shatter hopes and dreams"
I flipped my hair back and closed my eyes to prevent myself from crying out if pity for them. "Why do I have to be so amazing? So wonderful, so majestic, so talented and so powerfu─"
I didn't get to finish my sentence when feet suddenly kicked my stomach, sending me flying out of the ring before landing next to Queen.
The 3 girls immediately cheered, celebrating there as if they had just saved the 6 worlds while fist bumping each other. "We did it!"
Pushing myself up to a sitting position, I pressed my lips together in a thin line as I hummed in disbelief. "Hm, I seem to have lost..."
"No shit, Sherlock" Queen slapped the back of my head and sighed deeply. "Only idiots would stand there and not notice they were about to be attacked because of praising themselves. Not even Nayeon does that!"
"She doesn't?!"
While we continued to talk, the other 3 stopped celebrating and went back to attacking each other. Tzuyu was the first one out after Momo froze the ground she was running on, as a result, she slipped and slid out the ring.
The elf had a hard time with Chaeyoung since the latter could predict her every move, but their battle eventually ended with Momo being victorious after Chae also slipped on the ice.
"I still can't believe you lost because of that stupid cockiness of yours" Dahyun eyed me in a judging way and shook her head.
"Cut me some slack" I groaned while pulling her out of the quicksand after she woke up. "It's not like I did it on purpose"
"That's what makes it bad! What's your aunt gonna say if she finds out about this?!"
"She won't" Dusting off the excess sand on her clothes, I took her to where Momo and the other 2 were waiting.
The elf couldn't stop doing her victory dance with a proud smirk on her lips as she jumped into my arms the moment I arrived. "Y/n, I won! Praise me! Compliment me! Admire me!"
I patted the top of her head, chuckling at her silliness. "Great job out there, you finally showed Tzuyu you two are on equal footing!"
Momo made eye contact with Tzuyu and smirked even wider. "You can't look down on me now that Y/n has approved of my strength! From this day onward, Tzuyu and I are officially rivals!"
A vein popped on Tzuyu's forehead as she listened to whatever nonsense the elf was saying, finding every word absolutely ridiculous. "You annoying little shit!" She immediately pounced on her and there began another round of their pointless fighting.
-
The seemingly neverending sky was now painted in black, the stars looked brighter than usual and the moon was full. Night had fallen upon us and everyone was fast asleep in their own tents, tired from all the training Queen had put us through.
I, on the other hand, couldn't sleep. While everyone else was comfortably laid inside their temporary homes, I was sitting outside, admiring the view above me.
It was cold, very cold─ but it wasn't something I couldn't handle. I liked the feeling anyway, it was way better than being under the scorching sun for hours.
The scenery reminded me of when I met Sana that fateful evening. The moon was as beautiful as the one I was seeing right now, and it was very chilly that time as well.
She was very charming and talking to her was like resting on a cloud. Her reactions were amusing and the way she speaks puts me at ease. Her voice was calming and her smile was prettier than any star in the universe.
Being with her felt like standing in a field of flowers on one sunny day as her lovely scent coated the entire area. Which reminds me, maybe I should take her out on a picnic if she ever asks for my company─
However, something like that was close to impossible. Sana is a queen, the woman who represents and rules over the 3rd World. I doubt I'll be able to speak with her again.
I sighed. "I want to see her..."
"See who?"
I flinched at the unexpected voice entering my ears. "Lady Queen!" Standing up, I dusted myself and greeted her.
"Why aren't you asleep? Are you not tired from all the training you did?" She gestured me to follow her somewhere else to avoid waking the others.
"I'm exhausted, but I couldn't sleep for some reason" I sat next to her on the large rock she was sitting on, putting some distance between us just in case she feels uncomfortable with the lack of space.
But it seems like I had the wrong idea when she scooted closer. I was honestly glad, Queen clearly didn't like hanging around people who weren't part of her knight order, and I could tell she wasn't the type to socialize.
But since she was fine being this close to me, that means I was something like a friend to her. It was only natural for me to be happy. "What about you, why are you still awake, Lady Queen?"
"I have a lot on my mind at the moment, so I couldn't fall asleep. I wanted to get some fresh air, but then I saw you" She released a yawn and leaned back, using her arms to support her. "Not like it's a bad thing, I'm glad I have someone to accompany me on this fine evening"
Although I couldn't see it, I knew she was hiding a smile under that helmet of hers. "Aren't you uncomfortable being in your armor all the time?"
"Of course I am, but I have no other choice. My identity is to be kept a secret no matter what" She explained before turning to me, gently tapping my mask. "What about you, doesn't that press against your nose? I'm surprised you can still breathe properly"
"It used to, but aunt Jieun fixed it for me with a spell. Now it feels like I'm not wearing a mask at all"
"Lady Lee is amazing, isn't she? You're lucky to have her" She said, looking back up at the moon.
Am I lucky? I mean, she's helpful and all but... her yelling is a bit annoying...
Come to think of it, she reminds me of a character in a K-drama I watched back in world 1. Jang Man Wol, was it? I don't really remember but I think that was the name.
Speaking of which, Queen also reminds me of a certain someone. My mind immediately drifted back to the conversation I had with the others during lunch.
If you think about it, Sana might really be the one sitting next to me right now. I didn't have much proof, but that doesn't mean Tzuyu's assumptions were impossible.
Unlike Queen Jihyo, Sana has lots of free time since she usually leaves all her work to her subordinates. And if she does need to work, she can easily solve any problem that comes her way thanks to her intelligence.
That means, she has all the time in the world to go outside her palace and secretly work as an elite knight. Based on her backstory, it would make sense for her to try and sneak out once in a while to experience a little freedom.
That could also be the reason why Sana and Ms. Boss are very familiar with each other. Queen seems to be close with my fake aunt, and my guess is Jieun probably knows her real identity, that's why Sana was able to become an elite knight.
I could be overthinking all of this, but there was still a chance I was right. Was I though? There's only one way to find out─
"I'm getting sleepy, I'll head back first" But before I could even start interrogating her, she already got on her feet and turned to leave.
"Wa- Wait, hold on a minute!" When I tried to stand, my legs suddenly gave up on me as I fell over and dragged her along with me.
The sound of armor crashing on the ground was loud enough to echo all throughout the area as I rubbed my aching head. "Sor- Sorry, I didn't mean to─"
The moment I looked up, my gaze landed on her helmet that was rolling to the side while she was still wincing in pain. "God, that hurts..."
Almost immediately, my jaw dropped in absolute shock as I moved my eyes back at her, staring at the face she's been desperately trying to hide for years.
"Holy shit..."
-