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I Reincarnated as My Waifu, What Do? 2
🕑 Added 2021-07-14 17:38:59 +0000 UTC"You're looking a bit flushed, your highness, are you feeling quite alright?"
Knowing my face was as red as the petals of roses, I shook my head, trying to clear it a bit. "I assure you, I am perfectly okay, and ready to proceed."
In this world, it appears as if people are granted special abilities by the rules that govern their existence. Not unlike many an isekai anime I've watched, they took the form of "skills", in a very game-like fashion.
Almost nobody is born with a skill, only the messianic figure of the religion that most of the world followed, the Hero, was born with a skill marking him as such. There were whispers that demons were born with skills as well, but based on what little knowledge I'd managed to decipher from the castle's library... that was mostly because demons were made, not born.
I am no different, in this regard. I was born without skills, and I went through most of my life, without skills. It would only be when I started entering my teen years that I would obtain my first skill, Charisma, at a measly Rank F.
I could get people to pay attention to me, but at this rank, it really was no different than just being prettier than the norm. With F rank, you'd draw the eye, but not much further. I could not get people to truly listen to me, not as a young lass, barely into my teens.
Skills went from F to A, and certain skills could further evolve into the coveted Rank S, and in fact Charisma did grow, from F to E, where I had found myself the center of attention in conversations, and finally to D, when people would quiet down when I spoke. Not quite hang on my every word, but at least listen when I spoke.
That was roughly two weeks ago, and now, it was time to undertake the ritual that would have me officially recognized as an adult. Though it has been months postponed, for my birthday was simply too early in the year, and father wished to make a spectacle of me being granted my 'rightful' skills.
Everyone underwent this ritual, at the temple closest to their land of birth. In my case, it was the Grand Temple at the Kingdom's capital city, within the same district of the Castle, and a minute's walk from my home's front door.
The plaza before the Grand Temple was full of hopeful and adoring people, all of them either looking to learn of my fate and what skills I would obtain, and others patiently waiting for their family's turn.
That said, I was almost embarrassed at the spectacle father made, and how he'd delayed the opportunity of others who could've gone in and finished in the time he made his speech about the greatness of ,y bloodline, and my accomplishments, as well as how intelligent he thought I was... it almost made me want to shrink, but it felt quite nice to hear the cheers of the people.
I had a leg up, considering I had the memories of modern previous life in a modern world, but obviously, I had told no one this.
"It is time, my little lion," father said, "go forth without falter, chin up and shoulders square! Undertake the ritual, and show everyone the blood that runs through your veins breeds true!"
I nodded. "Yes, father, I will!"
Fortunately, I had always been someone who could go with the flow, and father's cheer and confidence were infectious. I even did a little fist pump, and he gave me a wide grin.
The ornate gates of the Grand Temple opened, and the Archbishop smiled upon myself and the crowd behind me, his kindly old face a mess of wrinkles and facial hair. "Ah, princess Noire," he said. "We've been expecting you."
I smiled. "I am ready to go through the Ritual of Awakening," I said. "Please- guide me!"
He nodded and bowed. "Certainly. All those who would be awakened," he said, his voice booming powerfully and quieting down the crowd, as all witnessed the power of B ranked Charisma in action, "follow myself! It is time for all of you to truly become adults, and receive the means to reach your true potential!"
There was a raucous cheer, a riot of well wishes and prayers for success, and we followed the Archbishop, behind me dozens of boys and girls my same age, each of them hungry to discover what life they would be most suited to.
With help from the temple workers, clerks and clerics, and even the janitorial staff, everyone was quickly separated, four lines, two of boys, two of girls, into the ritual rooms. The great hall of the temple contained the grand altar, access to the confessionary rooms, and access to four different ritual rooms, originally meant for different purposes, all repurposed for this one special day.
I, alone, however, were taken to the grand altar, and in fact, was in full view of everyone else as the Archbishop took position before the statue that depicted the visage of the Great God Juve, Ruler of Gods and God of the Heavens, the patron deity of the Kingdom of Trom, Father of Heroes.
Also well known for literally fathering dozens of heroes - but that was secret stuff only known to people like myself, who had access to the royal archives and the ability to trace their lineage back to Juve.
"Princess Noire Amoretta, daughter of King Duvan the Third," the Archbishop intoned, as all chitchat and conversation was instantly ended.
I nodded, and stepped forward.
"It is by the will of the Gods that we are granted power!" the Archbishop lectured. "It is by their kindness that we men of the cloth lay hands and restore the injured, cure the diseased, and bring back the fallen," the holy man intoned. "It is by their strength that our brave warriors and soldiers defend us from those who would do us harm!"
I took a deep breath.
"And it is by their wisdom, that our rulers are chosen. You, descendant of the Gods, stand alone amidst the rest, for today it is when you receive your birthright, the gods' own seal of your divine right to rule!"
Nobility as a whole had a particular skill that they always received, as long as their blood was thick enough.
A child of nobles, upon this ritual's performance, would invariably receive the Noblesse Oblige skill. A dual edged sword, in my opinion. It gave you and your lands prosperity, but in return, it gave you an equal obligation to those under your protection. The better you cared for them, the more who sought your aegis, the more effective the Skill in increasing your bounty. But if you were greedy, or cruel, or simply lazy, you would be penalized by having your lands become impoverished and unable to grow.
And men and women of all sorts were greedy and power hungry by nature.
Royals, however...
The highest of aristocrats would not get the Noblesse Oblige skill.
Instead, as the Archbishop intoned the words in a long dead tongue, thought and believed to be the language of the gods, I had already prepared yourself.
The ritual reached a crescendo and light flooded from the Archbishop's form, first illuminating me, and then the room, almost blindingly brilliant, yet not truly stinging me. Warm, yet not smotheringly so.
For some reason, in my ears ran a giggle, a strangely familiar voice said something I couldn't quite understand, and then...
My eyes opened, and I blinked myself back to awareness.
"It is complete," the Archbishop said. "Tell me child, did you hear the voice of Great Juve, telling you of your great destiny?"
I wobbled a bit in place, as the world came back into focus. "A voice..?" I asked. "Yes, I heard a voice say something, but I didn't- I couldn't really hear what it said."
"A common result," the Archbishop said. "It is an overwhelming ritual, and it is trying on your constitution merely to remain awake. Your royal highness, may I confirm that you have received your birthright?"
It was the most important part of the ritual. The reason why everyone else had been made to witness. A show that I am truly who I say I am, that I am the daughter of King Duvan, lord of Trom and King of His People.
"Certainly," I answered.
The holy man nodded, and pointed his hand at you. "Then excuse me, your Royal Highness... Reveal all secrets to me, Analysis!"
The spell took effect, and you saw the floating, very videogame resembling screen, white borders on a dark, only slightly transparent, 'screen'. The writing on it was glowing white, and it listed a few things you already knew.
Your name, your age, your gender, your current physical state - all to be expected, and all normal.
It also listed your skills, however.
Unsurprisingly, your first few skills were somewhat common.
Perfect Body, which you'd inherited from your father. E to his A, however. It would keep you healthy and physically in good shape. The ritual had merely unlocked a skill you already had the potential to have.
Charisma, D rank. That one, you knew you had, of course. you had used it before after all.
Mental Fortitude, at a staggering A rank. Despite the name, it didn't help against regular psychological attacks, although at A rank, it would effectively grant me almost complete immunity to all harmful mental magic.
The Archbishop hummed appreciatively. "Always a good thing to see on the heir," he said, chuckling, as his hand swiped the screen and revealed the last of my skills. "Hoh? What is this?"
The last skill was... not the expected one. I- all royals were supposed to have Royal Privilege, a skill that symbolized your divine right to Rule, as granted to you by the Gods themselves, and more importantly, a skill that would grant you a greater awareness of the state of your kingdom at all times. Even at F rank, it would already make me worthy as a ruler just by its mere existence!
Having a rank of C or above was considered a blessing, and the greatest King in recent memory of any Kingdom had B ranked Royal Privilege.
But I didn't, in fact, have Royal Privilege.
"How curious," the Priest said.
And suddenly, the words that I had heard rang clearly in my head.
"Enjoy your cheat skill!" the voice of a clearly amused goddess repeated itself.
Indeed, the skill list did not read Royal Privilege, rank F as I, as father, had expected, as everyone had expected really.
Instead, it read Imperial Privilege, Rank S, and the description that the Archbishop's Analysis skill gave him as he read, stunned into silence, sent shivers down my spine.
Absolute dominion over all who swore fealty and loyalty, and expanded and absolute awareness of all the lands I could call my own.
With only a moment's concentration, the skill became 'active', and just as suddenly, I was seeing the stunned Archbishop in front of me, and from a bird's eye perspective, the pervy maids back at the castle, somehow able to see them and their surroundings clearly through the several floors and walls, as well as a numeric representation of the resources currently at my disposal - mostly just a whole bunch of money - and what I could conceivably achieve with said resources and the people at my beck and call.
"Marvelous, simply marvelous. I cannot read this at all!" the Archbishop said, and it finally brought me back to reality. "Such complicated wording and verbiage, this skill- it truly is the favor of the gods, a step beyond even Royal Privilege! Let it be heard, let it be known, the Princess of Trom has the greatest favor amongst mortals!"
For a moment, I thought of his words.
He... he didn't even know how right he was, was he?
This... I think I get it now. The view, the resource awareness, the thoughts of buildings, monuments, purchases and such?
That goddess... she had made me see the world as if it was a real time strategy videogame!
