Despite the late night, it was an early morning for Nova. Sunlight streamed through the thin curtains, painting warm patterns across the wooden floor. He opened his eyes to find Annelie curled around him like a cat seeking warmth.

Nova shifted away, raising an eyebrow at her. "Comfortable?"

Annelie blinked sleepily, then jumped away from him once she realized. "Sorry!" She rubbed her eyes, letting them adjust to the light. "The floor gets cold."

"Hmm… It's fine." Nova stretched his arms above his head, curving his back.

'Just don't make it a habit, I guess. Not that I mind much either way.'

"Dis ish sho good!" Millie squealed through a mouthful of bread topped with pale, flaky fish. Crumbs scattered across the table as she took another enthusiastic bite.

Quinn stood against the counter, arms crossed and face beaming with pride. His usual tired frown had vanished completely. "There's more where that came from, Millie. Eat up!"

Nova was also chewing on a piece, enjoying the rich flavor of the fish. The pale color of the fish didn't entice him, but after seeing Millie's reaction, he had to try. "Did you smoke this yourself, Quinn?"

Quinn nodded. "Yeah, I do it all in the basement. Good, right?"

"The flavor is very rich." Nova reached for another piece. "Do you sell this as well?"

"Nah, it's mostly for my own use." Quinn shrugged. "I've gotten a lot of good feedback, though. Maybe I'll increase production—especially with this hungry creature here!" He ruffled Millie's hair, making her giggle with delight.

The man was nearly unrecognizable from his usual uncaring self. 'That happened sooner than I expected. After just one day together with Millie, he's like a different man entirely!'

Annelie sat across from them, eyeing the fish with suspicion. "Can you pass the butter?" she asked Nova.

Nova slid the small dish toward her with a smirk. "You're not a fan of smoked fish, Princess?"

"Please don't make that a thing." Annelie spread butter thickly on her bread. "If I remember correctly, the only royal here is you, Your Majesty."

Nova's smile turned bitter. "I hoped you would forget that."

"Clearly, you hardly explained anything about it."

"It wasn't all that interesting. More frustrating." Nova stood from the table and glanced at Quinn. "We're heading upstairs. Thanks for the food."

"Don't mention it! I've got plenty!" Quinn called after them.

They climbed the creaky stairs, with Annelie pressing for more information. "Let me guess, you had neighboring countries treating peasants badly, slavery, corruption, and general injustice, forcing you to take action?" She took a bit of the buttered bread she brought along.

"I'm starting to feel predictable," Nova muttered.

"Oh, don't feel bad. Unchanging principles are a good thing." Annelie's voice softened, swallowing the bread before continuing. "If the kings I controlled were anything like you, I wouldn't have to do half as much work, if any. Only the king before them was worthy of the title."

Nova opened the door to the bedroom, eager to change the subject. "Hmm… I'll need some focus while I set up Tuck's teleportation formation."

"I should get going anyway." Annelie turned in the door. "I'll hire a room at the inn soon and try finding some caretakers later."

"It's not easy getting stuff done as a four-year-old," Nova warned. "I've been helped by this respect trait I have, but I'm guessing you don't have one."

Annelie smirked. "Give me a moment." She carefully removed her outer robe, folding it neatly before placing it on the nearby chair.

"What are you—"

"Just wait." Annelie closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

Her skin began to shimmer, then tiny red scales pushed through the surface like thousands of rubies catching the light. A soft crackling sound filled the room as her bones shifted beneath her skin. Her arms and legs stretched, muscles expanding and thickening. Her spine elongated, pushing her height upward until she nearly brushed the ceiling.

The thin fabric of her underclothes stretched tight across her expanding form. The material groaned but somehow held together, clinging to her scaled body. Her face changed last, nose and jaw pushing forward into a reptilian snout filled with sharp teeth.

When the transformation completed, a half-drake, half-human creature stood before Nova, nearly three times her previous size. Red scales glinted in the morning light, hard and flexible. Her form seemed supple and dexterous, but the muscles under her scales moved like steel.

"You think this will help?" Her voice had deepened into that of an adult, carrying a rumbling undertone while still being recognizable.

Nova craned his neck to look up at her. "...Yeah, that should at least make them pay attention. Uhm… Wow."

"I'm glad you like it." The transformed Annelie flexed her clawed hands. "This is a halfway transformation to my new Drake form. Easier to move around in, but slightly less powerful. Luckily it was a female drake."

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Nova circled her, studying the scales. "Now I'm kind of excited about a spar. What's the defensive power like?"

"The scales are stronger than steel, so pretty good." She tapped a claw against her armor-like chest. "I can't breathe fire, though. I guess that's due to your process."

"Oh, that's a shame. But I feel like the strength and durability is the important part."

"Exactly." Annelie ducked her elongated head under a ceiling beam. "So, when do you have time to spar?"

"Tomorrow, maybe?" Nova glanced at the floor where he needed to work. "I need to be ready for Larena's meeting with Morten this evening."

"It's a date!" Annelie winked at him as she walked through the door. "I'll see you later!"

With that, Annelie was gone, leaving Nova alone with his thoughts. The room felt suddenly quiet without her presence.

'That girl… Well, she knows when to stay serious. Now, for this formation, I need to…Oh, wait, I can just use the system to cast it again, right? I keep forgetting about that function…'

With a simple thought, Nova cast Tuck's Teleportation Formation on the floor, adjusting the coordinates to match approximately the ones in the Larena's office. The magical runes appeared instantly beneath his feet, glowing with faint blue energy that traced intricate patterns across the wooden planks. That was all he needed to do.

The formation came to life immediately, activating the link to its sister formation across the city. The signal portion remained dark, meaning Larena was either still sleeping or busy with other matters.

'Hmm… Maybe I should go pick up my money in the bank while I wait? It's basically nothing compared to everything else I've got, but gold is far easier to spend than souls.'

Nova drummed his fingers against his leg, weighing his options. But before he could think too much about it, the signal portion of the formation began to glow softly. She was ready.

Instead of stepping directly into the formation, Nova went back downstairs first. He found Quinn and Millie working together at the sink. Quinn stood with sleeves rolled up, washing dishes in soapy water, while Millie carefully dried each plate with a cloth. Her small face scrunched in concentration as she rubbed each dish until it gleamed.

"I'll be heading out now, you two," Nova announced from the doorway. "As I said earlier, there will be some traffic through the house today."

Quinn nodded without looking up from his task. "Sure, no problem. Millie here said she would help me sell fish today, so I have all the help I need."

"Yep! I will be a masott!" Millie declared proudly, nearly dropping the plate in her excitement.

"Mascot," Quinn corrected gently, handing her another freshly-washed plate.

"Right! People will come into the shop to see my cute smile." Millie flashed a practiced smile at Nova, only falling slightly short of her genuine smile.

Nova chuckled at Millie's enthusiasm. "You might need to buy more fish before opening, Quinn. People won't be able to resist buying with that smile in their face."

"Already taken into consideration," Quinn replied with a confident nod.

"Good, then. I'll be back soon enough." Nova gave a final wave before heading back upstairs.

The wooden steps creaked under his feet as he climbed back to the bedroom. The teleportation formation waited on the floor, glowing softly against the worn planks.

His last trip had gone well enough after his body had been improved, so he doubted this time would be any different. Besides, the distance was way shorter.

Nova stepped into the center of the formation and channeled his essence. The runes flared bright blue beneath his feet. Each symbol activated in sequence, spreading outward like ripples in a pond. And finally, the room disappeared around him.

Then the world snapped back into focus. Nova stood in Larena's office, morning light streaming through the tall windows.

"Good morning, Larena."

The redheaded captain jumped slightly in her chair. "Wow, it really worked. Morning!"

"You doubted me?" Nova raised an eyebrow.

"No, it's just weird having a teleportation portal right in my office." Larena tapped her fingers against a stack of papers. "Anyways, I've already informed the harvesters of the new system. They should be bringing the first child soon. Eight children will be brought today, since all of them reached five years of age while we halted."

"I understand." Nova nodded, already calculating logistics. "We can probably hire another room at the inn as the day goes on."

"You have it all sorted, then?" Larena asked.

"Yeah, Annelie is taking care of it."

Larena smiled at him. "I'm very glad you found someone from your past. It must be lonely, traveling through the worlds on your own."

"...It is." Nova stared out the window at the castle grounds. "I never gave it too much thought before now, but... it will be hard to go back to being alone. If I ever do."

"...But on the other side, there's always a chance for you to meet someone again."

"I doubt the heavens will be so kind to me." Nova shook his head. "Even this meeting seemed like an impossibility."

"Depends on how many lives you've got left to live, right?" Larena asked with gentle curiosity.

"...True enough."

'I always try to live each life like it's the last, but maybe I am stuck. Trapped in an endless spiral of resurrection… Maybe next time, I'll get to rest a bit.'

A long distance away, the goddess once again smiled apologetically in his direction. "I'm sorry, Nova… Whatever might happen, this is your final reincarnation."

The feeling of powerlessness that she had grown so used to reared its head, once again tearing at her heart. Her white hair drifted in the false wind she had created, rippling like a silver banner against the endless space around her.

"So you already know who he is, Goddess?" A short man asked, kneeling beside her. His clever eyes looked up at her with devotion. "Were my recordings of no use?"

"Don't worry, Tuck. You did an excellent job." She touched his shoulder with a gentle hand.

"I serve only to please you, My Goddess." Tuck bowed his head lower.

"I will take your recordings. But as you know by now, your memories of this place will vanish once you leave."

"I know… It is the most cruel curse that has been placed on you." His usually cheery voice was filled with bitterness.

"There are worse fates." The goddess gazed out into the swirling mists that separated her realm from all others. "Even if everyone forgets me, at least I can watch over them from here."

"...One day, we will find a way to free you."

Her blue eyes locked onto his. At that moment, her gaze conveyed more sadness and hopelessness than he could comprehend. The weight of it crushed him, causing him to collapse to the ground.

"My father placed me here to watch over everything." Her voice fell to a whisper. "Since then, I have learned more than anyone can comprehend. If there were a way, I would know."

"...B-But—" Tuck struggled to form words, crushed under the weight of her ancient sorrow.

"I know how devoted you are, Tuck. Better than even yourself, I know..." The goddess touched his forehead, leaving trails of starlight against his skin.

"I just don't want you to lose hope, Goddess…"

"There is always hope." A smile touched her lips, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Now, please enjoy your continued search for knowledge, Tuck."

He scrambled back to his knee, clasping his hands together. Light flared between his fingers as he bowed. "Always, Goddess. Please be well!"

And then he was gone in a burst of white light, leaving only fading motes that drifted like snow before dissolving.

The Goddess turned back in Nova's direction, standing perfectly still. Her gaze pierced the boundaries between realms. "...How I admire your courage, Nova. Whatever the world might throw at you, you never cower." Her expression darkened. "But be careful who you deal with. The Fool is not a character like any you've faced before."

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