White light flooded Dia’s eyes, and a feeling of being suspended in mid-air filled her senses. She couldn’t see anything around here, just a pure white world, but for some reason, she was utterly calm.

It was as if she belonged here.

As that thought darted through her mind, a new set of words unfolded in front of her. Floating in a white box, black words danced into order, and for some reason, Dia could feel a mild exuberance.

[Checking qualifications. Qualification of being alive has been met. Qualification of a calm mind has been met. Qualification of an unperturbed heart has been met. Qualification of having mana circuits has been met. Qualification of having four mana circuits has been met.]

[All qualifications have been met.]

[Second Tutorial initialising.]

The world around her glittered and shimmered as each word danced around happily, and Dia smiled. Colours bled through the white canvas, dyeing the white world around her in their own unique way, and a warm wind caressed her face.

[ detected.]

[The blessings of the world swirls around you. A miracle has been created.]

[Personal Quest available: Deliverance of the Past]

Dia glanced at the last bit, which persisted for a few seconds, before being carried away by the wind. By now, a vast field of green had taken form in front of her, and with a jolt, she realised that the enormous amount of mana she had gotten used to at some point had vanished. There was only enough for one mana-circuit, and when she thought about it…

“It’s rather familiar, this place.” Dia took a deep breath. The Lustre Dukedom was a beautiful territory, with lush greenery near the dukedom capital itself. While it didn’t administer much territory, like most dukedoms and sovereignties, every capital city always had a similar sight. Put simply, counties were where businesses and other, not-so-clean things happened.

Dukedom and sovereignty capitals was where one went to if they wanted to relax and forget about things as a whole. This field, for instance, was one of the many secret gardens reserved for nobles only.

“I’m here…I’m back,” Dia whispered, looking at herself. Nothing much had changed physically in the two years or so with the Moon Lords. She was still Dia, and Princess Dia was still very much her.

“Back?” a voice asked from behind her. “Milady, what’s wrong? Do you need a massage?”

Dia jumped, and then turned around to look at the person behind her. She stared at the little maid that was standing two metres away from her, and then grimaced.

While she didn’t have a personal maid — her father wanted her to be very independent — that didn’t stop the palace from sending a few escorts with her when she went out back then. This little maid was probably one of them.

“Uh, yeah. It hurts somewhat,” Dia lied, before looking at the Field of Flowers and Fruits. The last time she came here was a month before the Thief of Time struck, but this Second Tutorial…

She shook her head and looked at the new mission that had popped up.

[Personal Quest: Deliverance of the Past

Quest Introduction: As the Prime Salvation Star, it is imperative that you are content with yourself. Relive your past with the eyes of the future, and observe what comes next.

Quest Requirements: Observe the onset of entropy and perfect your past.

Quest Rewards: 150 years of lifespan.

Additional Remarks: Depending on your choices and your will, your actions may change the established past. Be aware that going against karmically significant events that have been established will result in you in completing the Second Tutorial without making any alterations. This mission cannot fail.]

Dia’s eyes went round as she looked at the additional remarks tacked at the end of the mission’s introduction. In other words, this…

She gulped. The Second Tutorial — no, her Second Tutorial — could affect even the past. In other words, she was almost certainly in the past right now, in the one month before the Thief of Time struck. Whatever actions she did in this one month would really happen in reality, overwriting certain parts of history.

“Milady?” the little maid prompted, and Dia rubbed her head.

“I’m fine,” Dia replied. “It’s just that…I’m a bit shaken, you see? I haven’t seen a place like this for a long time. One so replete with beauty and nature. This is a place of peace, of tranquillity…one day, when all my troubles are gone, I will return here and live in a small house.”

“Here, milady?”

“Yes.” Dia paused, before squaring up the little maid. Her eyes drifted over to the badge on her chest, which read ‘Lucy’. “Come on, let’s go back for now.”

Dia turned around and left the fenced park, which was always guarded by knights of the Lustre Dukedom. The two knights standing at the sides of the gate saluted once as she left, and she nodded at them once each in response.

“I’ve forgotten my schedule,” Dia said. “What’s the rest of today supposed to be like?”

“Uh, uh!” Lucy fumbled with a small book. “Lunch with your father and brother, milady. After that, a small tea party with Countess Nia and her clique.”

“Hmm.” Dia thought for a moment. What did she hope to achieve in this Second Tutorial? Certainly, this trial was meant for her to perfect the past, but what was the definition of perfect? In addition, there was one last bit about how her mission cannot fail. Rather than a warning for her to do it right, Dia felt that this message was trying to convey that she would get past the Second Tutorial, no matter what.

In other words, she would definitely become a mid-ranked folder. If she used this assumption as the basis for her actions here, there were a few rules that could be derived for her Second Tutorial.

First, whatever that had transpired so far cannot be changed. She could not, for instance, choose to leave Lustre before the event of Tot stealing that last lifestone or whatever occurred. Second, she could not change events that had already occurred, or induce new events that would contradict her memory. In other words, this tea party…was probably something she still had to go to.

However, there were some actions that were probably permissible. For instance, gathering information about things that she didn’t, by making use of her father’s library. Secondly, creating things like emergency stashes for herself to use in the future. Third, and most crucially, was using as many lifestones as humanly possible.

After all, she had an entire treasury. A few words here and there, a few hugs for her father, and they would probably open up the place for her. The Lustre Dukedom was filthy rich; a treasury was nothing.

“Something wrong, milady?”

Dia patted Lucy’s head. “Nothing much, but do you also have my schedule for the rest of this month?”

“The Duke has prepared them for all the maids and servants, milady.”

Dia nodded, and then looked around. A cold shiver ran down her back as the feeling of being spied on rolled down her spine, and with a jolt, Dia realised that this sensation probably came from freaking Risti of all people. Risti, that idiot, had been spying on her using her observation skills on her for a very long time, right up to her disappearance.

The Dia back then hadn’t noticed, but now?

“Open a parasol,” Dia instructed.

“Yes, milady.” Lucy opened a parasol, and Dia promptly slid into the shade, blocking herself from that damned Skyward Eye. “Still, I thought you liked the sun.”

“I suddenly hate it.” Dia paused. “Also, when you get back, never open the curtains to my room again. Like, ever.”

“Milady?”

“I’m intending to increase my lifespan, so I’ll be staying at home where possible. Other than important events, cancel all other plans,” Dia added. “Are there any events like a tea party in the next month?”

“Only the one I mentioned earlier, milady.”

“Excellent.” Dia rubbed her head. “Also, send me a copy of my own timetable for this month. I’ve forgotten most of it.”

“I think you need to sleep more, milady.” The maid had a proud look on her face, and Dia rolled her eyes. Extending a wicked little finger, she flicked the little maid’s forehead.

“I’ll think about it,” Dia replied. “Right now, though, we have something tiresome to do…send me the dossier on Countess Nia again. I seem to have forgotten quite a few things today.”

“Yes, milady.”

Dia let out a sigh as they trod on the pavement. While she had come up with these rules as a guide for herself, they were by no means the most correct way of navigating this Second Tutorial. Sure, she couldn’t fail it, but that didn’t mean that it couldn’t end prematurely if she screwed up somewhere.

Right now, knowing what she knew, Dia’s foremost desire right now was to pave the way for her to grow stronger, and that would include taking in lifestones. She also needed to prepare other things too, like a warning that she herself would heed when it came to improving her mana circuits.

The established events of significance must still occur, but Dia knew that if she had over a thousand years of lifespan at the start…certain things would definitely change. At the same time, she couldn’t give herself too much information either…

A weird expression crossed her face. Just what kind of Second Tutorial was this?

Shaking her head, she continued on the familiar path back to Lustre.