(Jason, 17)

"Happy birthday to the greatest dragon in the world," I softly sing to myself in an ancient tongue no mortal would know. "Seventeen years in this life, nearly eighteen if on Earth, nearly eight hundred when counting all mortal years, and billions in truuuuuth."

It takes seventeen years and forty-six days on Midlaris for eighteen Earth years when factoring in four leap days. Forty-seven days if factoring in five leap days. It all depends on the 'when' of the birth. A year on Midlaris is nineteen days longer than a year on Earth.

"Lots of cake and lots of goodies, and looks it's some onigiri," I skip over to the stall. "Happy birthday to the greatest dragon in the world!"

"Hello!" I speak in Lapuran, the language of Lapura, the main country of the eastern islands. "May please I have one of each flavor?"

Lapura is basically Japan, I learned after doing some research. I also plucked the knowledge of their language out of the heads of some of the locals to make it easier to communicate. I didn't remove their knowledge, but basically just looked at it and memorized it with a bit of mind magic, so that I can talk.

I probably should have come later, it's pretty early in the morning, so most of the shops are closed. Most of the people here wear what looks like traditional Japanese clothes to me, probably because we're still far behind Earth's civilization time. They haven't adjusted to the more western style yet, but they don't have to, so it doesn't matter.

I've wanted to visit Lapura for awhile, ever since finding out it's Midlaris's version of Japan, because of my failed dream of visiting Japan in my last life. I really, really wanted to go there and experience a lot of its culture.

Sadly, the Queen of the Gods decided it was time for me to come here, probably because it would be awhile before the next time a perfect host for me would come to exist, beyond the next Gathering of Power.

However, I can still experience a sort-of Japanese experience here, such as authentic onigiri. The shopkeeper who decided to open his stall early happily packages one of each for me, and hands it to me after I pay. He thanks me for my patronage, then I leave.

I begin eating them as I resume walking down the street, looking around. These are so good. The closest I had to an authentic Japanese experience on Earth was a Japanese ramen shop I went to when I was nineteen in that life.

That's on my list for lunch, I want to find out the difference between the two ramen styles here.

After finishing my onigiri, I resume singing my happy birthday song. This is definitely an awesome birthday present, and I'm already seeing people preparing for the Festival of the Dragon or wearing the proper colors for it, in reds and blacks.

Just to be on the safe side and not receive looks of disrespect, I'm wearing black with some red, but to be true to my real self, I'm also wearing some grey, but those are just my hairpins.

What would Mama Elena say if she found out I made some out of isivinite?

Well, it doesn't matter! I'm having a happy birthday!

I visit a few of the temples, looking at their art of their gods and spirits, and visit their historic spots. Everyone has some once history has happened, not just 'modern' places. For lunch, I enjoy some ramen at a stall, then I resume my walk of their streets. The ramen was pretty good. Hard to compare to ramen I had nineteen years ago, though. I mean, I wasn't even born yet.

Having two past lives is so weird. I'm me even before I'm me.

Something catches my eye, and I approach, examining the kimonos for sale. Professor Ruren hasn't returned to Lapura since she left, and I'm sure she's missing a taste of home, as much as she claims she doesn't. Her words might say one thing, but her emotions say something else.

After looking through the kimonos, I buy one I feel Professor Ruren would like, then tuck it away in my spatial storage. I buy a few more items because they interest me, enjoy a few more of their treats, and then it's time to head bac.

My first stop is to the Shattered Isle, where Dragon Alpha is napping again. I wake him up, and he gives me a groggy look.

"Back already, Boss?"

"I've been gone for almost twelve hours, Dragon Alpha."

"You have?" He gives me a confused look. "My internal clock says it's been shorter than that."

I frown.

"How long ago did Niko visit?"

"Hm," he thinks. "About an hour or so before you?"

"Your internal clock's broken," I tell him. "I had a feeling some of your functions might start failing, it's been too long since I updated you, since there's nothing here that could warrant the necessity of it, other than, well, the thing causing the failures. Ready for an upgrade?"

"Sure," he stretches. "The ambient mana in the air messes with my fur."

"And your functions."

I disable Dragon Alpha, then take him into the new workroom here, where I disassemble him and open up my spatial storage, pulling out the supplies for making the stuffie golems. Specifically, the ones I'll need to make Dragon Alpha.

"Happy birthday to the greatest dragon in the world," I softly sing as I work. "First was the dragon, next will be the gargoyle, after comes the phoenix, followed by the thunderbird. Following are the leviathan and the griffin, then will come the hippogriff, who is followed by the kraken. Finally come the elementals of earth, air, water, and fire. The twelve stand in harmony, gods in their own rights, so happy birthday to the greatest dragon in the world. Alone he may be, but even still he's with his friends and family."

I continue my song as I remove some of the enchantments from Dragon Alpha's core, the rhythm helping me to do this well. Thankfully, the true core isn't eroded that easily, it would probably take tossing it into a massive ley line to actually damage it.

Everything else needs pitched, though, but that's fine. It will only take me a few hours to create the rest of the upgraded core, then maybe an hour finish creating the new body for Dragon Alpha, complete with the enchantments imbued into it.

"Happy birthday to the greatest dragon in the world, with friends and family at his birthday party-"

I cut off off there as I remember something. I take a look at the clock I put in here, then sigh.

"They're gonna be maaaaaaaaad."

I resume working on Dragon Alpha, taking another half-hour to finish making him. Once he's finished, I activate the stuffie, who stretches and tries out his new body, promptly flying straight into a wall.

"I optimized your magic control," I inform the stuffie golem. "You no longer have to put unnecessarily high effort into simpler things."

"I noticed," he returns to his feet. "That was quite unexpected."

"Anyway," I stand. "I should probably head back home for a shower, before going to the party. Were there any messages for me?"

"No," he answers. "I'm going to go take a nap now."

"Okay," I pat him on the head. "Later, Dragon Alpha."

I open up a gate to my home in the Unwild Lands, where I take a shower and get dressed in nice clothes. It seems that Mama Elena already took Cody to the Varilsy mansion, so after saying hello to Badger Alpha, I head back to the house in Varilsy.

"There you are!" Mama Elena exclaims as soon as I step through the gate. "Where have you been, Jason?"

"Giving myself a birthday present!" I answer. "I lost track of time."

"Jason!" She exclaims. "It's the Festival of the Dragon, we are making sure you're celebrating it, too!"

"I made a stuffie dragon," I say. "Doesn't that count?"

"No!"

"I killed a dragon, does that count?"

"No!" She exclaims, then frowns. "When did you kill a dragon?"

"Before I gave myself a birthday present," I tell her. "I then went and said hello to another dragon, does that count?"

"Jason, that's not a festival."

"I the Divine Dragon, does that count?"

Mama Elena groans.

"I thought we were having the party here?" I ask. "It's just you, me, Cody, Zevenas, Rufus, and the staff. Aren't we doing some small celebrations, then heading out into town for the festival stuff?"

"No," she answers. "We're heading over to the palace, to do festival stuff there. Along with your birthday celebration. You're adopted royalty, so they're turning it into a big deal."

"Oh, okay!" I say, then teleport directly to Jacob's room at the palace.

"Jason!" Jacob exclaims, startled, then he stomps over to me and attempts to thump me on the back of the head.

I block it and throw him onto his bed.

"Hi, Jacob!" I wave. "Dragon Alpha said you left a message, but he forgot what it was."

"I feel certain he told you," Jacob groans, sitting upright. "I stopped in here to pick up my birthday present for you to add to all of the others."

"Are there many?" I ask.

"Jason," he sighs. "You have forty students, connections with many nobles and companies due to your family's company, are the son of the Sages, and adopted royalty. Yes, there are a lot of them."

"Why was your present in here instead of in your spatial storage?" I ask.

"I forgot to place it in there," he answers. "So many things fill my time lately, I have begun to forget more minor things."

"You need to take a break," I tell him.

"I will be fine," he tells me. "Once-"

"Jacob," I interrupt. "Seriously, take a break. Not just a day-long break, but a week-long one. You need it, or you're going to worsen your health."

"It is just some minor things," he tells me. "I need a little more time to adjust to my duties."

"It's been a few months," I tell him. "You barely have any time at all now. I will speak with Uncle Zach and inform him you're taking a break."

"Are you really allowed to talk?" Jacob gives me a pointed look. "Did you not end your break early?"

"My break," I say. "Was an overreaction on the part of my mamas and papas and fael. That was a response to an immediate issue that only last a couple of days. That was for a physical health issue. Yours is for a mental health issue. You must allow your mind to rest, Jacob. If you continue pushing yourself the way you are, you'll make yourself physically sick. This isn't just a case of getting used to it. Even your Papa takes breaks, that's why he used to visit us out in Jeshema all the time."

"But-"

"No buts!" I interrupt him. "You're taking a break starting tomorrow. Clear your schedule before then. It will last through next Sunday. You are forbidden from performing any of your princely duties until next Monday. In fact, you are not allowed here in Varisly or any other official location you would ordinarily be. Go somewhere quiet, without many people around."

"Jason, I must perform my duties," Jacob insists. "Otherwise-"

"By the authority within me," I intone, tracing in the air. "As the Divine Dragon and master of this universe, I hereby place a binding upon your power. Starting at midnight tonight and lasting through the end of next Monday, you will be incapable of using any magics to travel around as well as any magics to train. This I hereby place as the god I truly am."

I finish tracing in the air, then a grey rune glows from where I traced, then floats over and hits Jacob, who promptly glows grey, and I can tell by his expression that he's feeling the curse implant itself upon him. His eyes widen, and he looks at me in horror.

"Jason, you-"

"We Magi are gods," I state. "Even if in mortal forms, a fraction of that power remains. We have the power to exert some of our godly power upon beings weaker than us. Even Niko could have placed such a curse on you."

Niko even figured this out on his own, too. He's realized that for all intents and purposes, we're still gods. He discovered this because of a simple tell.

If a Magus harms someone with hostile intent, it leaves a curse of that ill intent upon the wound, preventing it from healing properly, even with magic. The exact same thing which happens if a god attacks someone with ill intent.

"If you are still here at midnight," I tell Jacob. "I am dropping you off on a remote island and blocking all of your magic. Get some rest, I don't want to see you tear yourself apart with your work. Those who still support your line won't lessen their view of you, they'll see that you're caring about your health as well. A prince who cares about his health turns into a king who will only burden himself extra when necessary, which is a king who can rule properly."

Jacob sighs, then gives me a stern look.

"You need to take a break, too," he tells me. "Have you any clue how worried Alex grows over you any time you start to deal with a major event, Jason? You still have yet to properly explain how you defeated the god during the incident recently, and you passed out. As usual."

"Every physical body," I say. "Possesses a limit for how much raw magical power it can have at a given point in time. As the bodies age and mature, that limit increases, even if someone turns grey and stops actually aging. I ate a World Bean, which results in an immediate and temporary increase to one's magical power. To be specific, it raises it to the current maximum for up to four minutes, though it could be as little as a few seconds. In that one, singular moment upon eating the bean, I become the second-most powerful I have ever been in mortal form. The first time was another time I ate a World Bean, back when I was Nolan. Due to my heritage then and having been grey longer, my limit was even higher at the time, my body much more capable of holding that much magical power.

"If grey has seven levels of magical power," I say. "Then you could say that my magical power limit is is in the color beyond the color past grey, at the second or third level of that. Yet it's still nowhere near even the Divine Elementals' magical power level when it comes to our true selves. That would be several colors beyond what my current limit is."

Jacob stares at me, eyes wide with shock at finding out just how powerful I have the potential to be.

"Wh-what is mine?" He asks.

"Right now?" I ask. "Indigo, probably around middle or upper. When we met, it was middle green. Part of what determines the cap is your natural magical power level, part of it is your age and how used to magic your body is, and part of it is how resilient your body is. The tougher the body, the more magical power it can hold. That's part of why my training group focuses on increasing physical attributes as well as magical."

"Because your magical power," Jacob says. "Affects how much your body can grow. If you train hard, it can make your body even stronger and tougher. You've always said it's partly to give the mages stamina, partly so they have a way of fighting if their mana runs out, and partly so that they can take hits that make it through their barriers better."

"Part of it was to increase magical power caps," I say.

He thinks for a few moments.

"What is Alex's?"

"The same as yours," I answer, then snort. "The exact same as yours."

"What is Niko's?"

"The second or third level of the magical power color beyond grey," I answer. "Though if you want to know what his was when we met, it was only the first level of grey."

"I see," he nods, thinking for several more moments, then gasps slightly. "That is why you refrain from teaching us the more advanced training methods, but allow Niko to! If we attempted to increase our magical power as quickly as he increases his, we would hit that cap!"

"Indeed," I nod. "My focus this last year and next year is on increasing your magical power caps to the point where it no longer matters. Once I have done that, then I will return to you the memories I removed during the last Gathering of Power."

"Removed?" He asks.

"Yes," I smile. "I removed the memories of most of the training I put each of you through. It's why other than Niko, all of you have yet to recover the same memories of training."

"So you returned them to Niko," he nods. "Once he had a firmer control of his magical power. That makes sense."

"I didn't return it," I shrug. "He figured out that I'd removed them and where I'd stored them all. He went and retrieved his own."

Jacob stares at me for a few moments, then cracks up laughing, doubling over after a moment. Once he calms down, turning his full-on laughter to just chuckles, he shakes his head.

"I always new Niko would be the first of us other than you to really do something absurd," he says. "Finding out where memories stolen three thousand years ago were stored? That definitely qualifies."

He takes a few deeps breaths, then smiles at me.

"Okay, Jason," he says. "I will take that break you are requiring me to take. As long as you do something for me."

"You do realize that taking a break when I'm not actively over-burdening myself won't really do anything, right?" I ask, and he sighs.

"Jason," Jacob says. "You fill your time up with things as well. If someone checks on you, you are either working on that skyship project of yours, training, teaching Cody something, crafting something, or inventing something new."

"You… do realize I actually find most of that fun, right?" I ask. "I actually get stressed out if I'm not doing that stuff for too long. Well, unless I'm doing stuff with Alex, like reading him stories. Plus, I visit somewhere around Ikarix at least once a week, just for fun or to experience something new. It's quite different from you, Jacob. You don't do anything for fun anymore, and you barely have time to relax. Go somewhere without many people. I even have another house in the Unwild Lands, if you want to use that and just be alone."

Jacob gives me a strange look.

"Oh! But don't tell my mamas and papas, they don't know about it."

"When did you build another house?" He asks.

"Over the last few years," I answer. "It took a lot of work to do it in secret."

I actually built two, but I'm not going to mention that.

"In fact," I say. "Go somewhere no one knows who you are, and act a normal person, even. If you go somewhere with people, Jacob. Seriously. Enjoy the break, then when your return, take a look at your obligations, what's required of you, and what you can decrease your participation in."

"I still want you to promise me something," he says. "That you don't track me where I go, and Griffin Alpha doesn't come, either."

"That's fine," I tell him. "I take it you have somewhere in mind?"

"I do," he nods.

Probably the temple his grandpapa lives in. I sensed some gods there recently, the last time Jacob visit. I was finally able to pinpoint the gods, and confirm that they are the twin gods who are also the patrons of the temple. While I didn't approach them, I'm of the belief that they're the ones who protected Reid until the plague ended in that region. Since they seem harmless for now, I'm leaving them be.

"I also wish that you promise something else," Jacob says.

"What?" I ask.

"The next time there is something major," he tells me. "You do not deal with it by yourself. Even if you do not take the rest of us, take Niko."

"Will do," I answer. "Now, let's go to the party. I want to see what this festival is like."

"You would experience it better in the streets," he tells me. "Though I believe you will enjoy what we do in the palace, too."

"Let's go!"

Jacob and I make our way to the ballroom where the festival is taking place, and people are dressed in reds and blacks, we Magi dressed with grey as well, because of the color of the true Divine Dragon.

Zevenas sticks near my feet as we walk through the crowds, and more than a few people greet me and wish me a happy birthday. It feels so weird, having everyone know it's my birthday like this. I suppose it's only natural, though, considering that it's apparently a big deal.

"There is Tasha," I tap Jacob on the air, using magic to ensure that my words reach him.

It's quite noisy, to the point that we would need to put our mouths to ears in order to be heard. Or use magic to ensure our words reach the intended person or people.

"I see her," Jacob dips his head to me. "I will see you later, Jason."

"Remember to be gone by midnight," I tell him.

"I will," he nods. "I need to inform my Papa as well. Goodbye."

He walks towards Tasha, and I continue wandering around the crowd, eventually finding myself at the giant pile of present. Whoa. That is huge. I can tell which ones came from those dear to me and which ones didn't. Most of the ones that are sweets? Definitely from Magi or other students of mine. The gifts Niko got me are nice, and I teleport them out of the box and into my hands, then put them on. I'm guessing the other one is from the Moon Folk. It's nice, too, so I teleport it out of the box and put it on as well.

"Jason," Uncle Zach puts a hand on my shoulder. "Normally, you wait until you return home, then open the presents. You are skipping several steps there."

"As long as no one too fussy realizes I'm teleporting the presents out and putting them on, it's okay."

"It really is not," I teleport a brownie out of a present and begin eating it.

"Jason, please try to limit your food consumption to what I have here," Uncle Zach says. "I made sure there were plenty of sweets for you to snack on."

"I already took some."

"When?"

"Why do you think the servants are scrambling to refill the platters?"

Uncle Zach turns his head to look at the platters of refreshments, most of which are mostly empty, apart from ones the servants are refilling or contain foods I don't like.

"Jason," Zach says. "Did you use magic to swiftly send them all into your spatial storage?"

"I thank you for the delicious treats."

"Did you at least try them?" He asks.

"Yes," I answer. "That's how I know which ones I liked and which ones I didn't. Apart from the ones I knew I wouldn't like, so didn't bother trying."

I did contemplate burning those ones, but decided not to. There are people here who would enjoy them.

"Anyway!" I say. "Time to go find my boyfriend! He's probably upset that I didn't, ah, hang out with him today."

"Where were you, anyway?" Uncle Zach asks.

"Giving myself a birthday present!" I answer. "See you later!"

I leave the presents and start making my way towards where Alex is. At least, where my scanning spell says he is, since I can't actually see him through the crowd. On the way, I see Niko and Lina dancing, Lina wearing the new necklace Niko made for her, as a gift to wear for today's festival. I'm glad it finished it time, he wasn't sure if it would.

A few people attempt to give their gifts directly to me, and I direct them to the table with the gifts. It's bad social etiquette to give the gifts directly to me here, since there's an actual table set up for it and I'm nobility. This is a public event, gifts aren't given personally for stuff like this.

I reach Alex, who's busy dancing with Hailey, Connor watching in amusement from where he's dancing with Sarah, who's doing a better job at the more formal dance than Alex is.

"May I have this dance?" I ask, interrupting them.

"You may," Hailey passes Alex off to me.

"Where were you?" Alex looks a little annoyed, but also curious.

"No 'ya'?" I ask.

"I am trying my hardest to speak the way nobles do during events such as this," he tells me, and I can hear the strain in his voice. "It bothers me greatly, Jason."

"Well," I tell him. "No one bothers me 'bout talking normally."

"Yes," he says. "But not only are you royalty of here, even if adopted, but you are the son of the Sages and a prince of what was once thought to be a mythical clan and one of the owners of the company which produces most of the products improving the lives of people. I am a former street rat who was claimed by his papa. The two of us are held to different standards. If I wish to be taken seriously, I must change how I talk and how I move and act. You could probably streak through Varilsy, and people would think you were eccentric. If I did it, I would receive a warning from King Zachary, and possibly lose contracts from suppliers, possibly lose the few nobles I have befriended."

"Want me to teach you how to turn invisible?"

Alex gives me a strange look.

"Even if teaching people how to use that spell was not a terrible idea, Jason," he says. "I would need to decline the offer."

"Why?"

"I am not going to bother answering that," he says. "What were you doing? Why did you silence the stuffies and give your Magus comm plate to Dragon Alpha?"

"I was giving myself a birthday present," I tell him. "And if I talked with you before I finished, I'd be tempted to return, and then I'd have to deal with the Mad Witch."

"You have to deal with me now instead," Mama Elena says from behind me.

"Hmmmmm nope!" I spin so that Alex's back is to her and I'm facing her. "How about after we go home? Let me enjoy this dance with my boyfriend. Oh, and I got you a present. I got all of my mamas and papas a present. Alex, I'll give you yours after the party."

"Jason, why did you disappear today?"

"To give myself a birthday present."

"Yes, I heard that," she says. "And you did so without wanting to interact with any of us."

"You already heard the reason why."

"Jason," she says firmly.

"Mama Elena," I say. "I'm dancing with my boyfriend, go bother Papa Harold. You two will be spending a lot of time with each other soon, anyway."

"What do you mean by that?" She asks.

"Have you checked your belly lately?" I ask. "It hasn't started to show yet, but it's clear the present from the god worked."

Mama Elena freezes up, then hurries off.

"The present?" Alex asks. "Wait, you mean that thingy that would let her-"

"Yep."

"And she-"

"Yep."

"So what's my present for the Festival of the Dragon?" He asks.

"It's not a vest with flame designs on the sides, that's for sure," I tell him, and his face reddens.

"You already looked at the presents?"

"Leviathan Alpha told me about it before realizing it wasn't part of your planned outfit," I tell him. "I do like it, though. It's wyvern leather, right? You had Pine make it?"

"I did," he answers. "Using some of the money I made through a job for the Royal Slayers. So how did you like your birthday present to yourself?"

"A lot!" I answer with a grin, then spot Professor Ruren. "Hey, why don't you go out to the garden? You look like you could use a short break from this, and I wish to give some gifts to some of the other people here."

"Thank you," he breathes, then separates from me.

I approach Professor Ruren.

"Hello, Jason," she says. "I will miss teaching you and the other Magi. Your explanations on some of the historic events were quite useful."

"If you ever need more information," I tell her as we start moving to the side of the room. "Feel free to contact me. I've been building up knowledge about what happened after we left, too. The spirits of the land are more willing to talk with me than a random, normal person."

"I might call you soon, then," she smiles. "It will prove most useful when university resumes."

"I have a present for you," I open up my spatial storage, then pull out the kimono. "I know you miss your home country, and while I was there, I saw this and thought of you."

Professor Ruren examines the kimono, then stores it away in her own dimensional space, a strange look on her face.

"Why did you pick that kimono?" She asks.

"Was it bad?" I ask. "I saw it while walking down the street, and thought you'd like it."

"No," she answers. "I like it very much, Jason."

"Oh," I say. "That makes me happy, then. I wasn't sure what to get you, but when I saw the shop, you came to my mind."

Should I push out with empathy magic? I turned it off earlier.

"I recognize the style," she tells me. "It comes from my mama's store."

"Well," I smile. "They say the world is a small place. I suppose the chances of me running into someone from your family were not slim, I did pick Runako to visit due to you mentioning when we pried about your home that you had lived there. It's a beautiful place."

"Thank you," she says. "The gift was wonderful. You enjoy the rest of your birthday."

"You enjoy the rest of your festival," I tell her.

We part ways, and I go off in search of some of my students, so that I can pull them to the side and give them their gifts, too. I want to hurry up and get back to dancing with Alex, and maybe delay going home as long as possible.

Mostly so that Mama Elena won't grill me too hard about my disappearance.