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After the week ended, at night, he was finally permitted to meet Melisa and Selene, who had been kept in the VPI. Apparently, the reason they remained underground was not only his father's paranoia, though he was still somewhat paranoid, but to ensure they were healthy.
Both girls had suffered from starvation and anorexia. His father had insisted on feeding them plenty of food and nutritional supplements while thoroughly examining and scanning them for any Fantasium-related diseases before allowing them to leave.
Though Selene could not yet shift into her humanoid form, she was gentle and kind toward Melisa. If Melisa asked, she would behave... well, not exactly nicely, but at least not threateningly toward others.
"Your majesty!" Melisa ran toward Louis and hugged him tightly. "It has been a while...! How have you been?"
"I am alright," Louis said with a faint smile. "I am happy to see you two are alright as well... Has my father bothered you too much? I hope not."
"Oh, well, it has been bothersome doing all these tests and things..." Melisa sighed. "But I also learned how to read...! And I like painting!"
"Is that so?" Louis patted her head and glanced at Selene, who hid behind a chair in the room where both girls stayed together.
"Selene, it's okay. This is Prince Louis, don't you remember him?" Melisa asked. "He's the prince of our kingdom! You have to show respect and act with good manners in front of him."
"Grrr..." Selene groaned at Louis, mostly because he had been the one who ambushed and captured her in the first place.
"I suppose she doesn't like me..." Louis smiled bitterly. "I cannot blame her. I was the one who threw her into this place after all, right Selene? You must resent me."
"Graarr!" Selene roared and hissed, baring her sharp teeth.
"S-Selene! Don't be like this!" Melisa ran to her and hugged her, slowly calming her down.
"But... Meli... Melisa... he... he's bad... evil..." Selene remained convinced Louis was some evil person.
"He's not evil! He did it for your safety. There was someone really, really bad who wanted to kidnap you!" Melisa explained. "If it wasn't for what he did, we wouldn't even be here anymore..."
"Grrr... Uuuh..." Selene cried, still afraid of Louis.
The prince slowly approached and offered the girls two gifts: boxes filled with candies, chocolate, and toys to play with.
"Wooow! So many things!"
"Aeeeehhh!"
Melisa happily played with her new dolls while Selene devoured everything with a grin, until she noticed Louis' calm smile and quickly hid behind the chair again.
"Thank you for coming to see them, Louis. Melisa has been asking for you since she arrived," Louis' aunt Helena giggled along with the children. "I heard tomorrow is the Funeral for all those we lost... I'll be attending as well."
"Well, I'm glad," Louis nodded. "I will be waiting for you there, Aunt Helena."
"Hm, how have you been? Have you been processing things well?" Helena asked. "I heard you and your father gave a big speech. Since then, people haven't complained as much."
"Yeah, we did," Louis nodded. "It wasn't the most extraordinary speech, but I guess we simply addressed all the issues people had with our country and earned their favor, as long as we follow through on those promises."
"Well, why don't you stay a bit longer? I think Selene is starting to warm up to you," Helena suggested.
"Ugh... well, if you insist..."
Louis disliked children and had to exert considerable effort to act kindly toward them. Yet perhaps because he still hated himself for failing to save them in his previous regression, it was not too difficult to be gentle.
He spent another hour with Melisa and Selene. The little wolf girl grew slightly less fearful of the prince after he gave her plenty of snacks and allowed her to lower her guard.
"Next year there will be an academy for people like us, Selene, Melisa," Louis said. "I want you two to come with me and become students. I am fairly sure there is no age restriction, even children your age can participate if you wish."
"An academy? Like a school?" Melisa asked in surprise. "Woow! I want to go!"
"Yes, it's kind of like that," Louis nodded. "The people at the academy will help you grow stronger and learn to control your abilities properly."
"I have abilities?" Melisa asked, shocked by the revelation.
"Every Sinner does," Louis replied. "And most likely, you could also become the recipient of a Spiral of Incarnations, becoming a Spiralwalker."
"Like you?!" Melisa asked excitedly.
"Indeed, like me and others of my caliber," Louis confirmed. "That academy will be full of powerful people like us. They will all compete for resources, attention, and opportunities... it will be a highly competitive place. I am telling you this now so you can decide carefully. Don't answer yet. Think about it."
"Um, okay..." Melisa nodded, tilting her head as she wondered whether she could ever refuse such an incredible offer. "Selene, do you want to go?"
"Grar?" Selene looked confused. She did not really understand what a school or academy was like.
"Well, an academy is..." Louis sat down and patiently explained it to her.
"Hmm..." Selene groaned. She really did not like the idea.
"Come on, we should go together!" Melisa urged. "Won't you come with me? I'll feel lonely without friends..."
"Aeh..." Selene let out a small growl, then nodded before licking Melisa's face. "Melisa goes... I go..."
"Heheh, thank you!" Melisa giggled, hugging her friend.
"However, if possible, Selene has to learn how to return to her original human-like form," Louis added.
"...?!" Selene looked shocked.
"She can?" Melisa asked. "I-I thought Selene was stuck in her current form?"
"She is not," Louis shook his head. "The form she is in now is her transformed state. Every Sinner manifests unique Innate Abilities unrelated to the System, Spirals, Magic, or Cultivation. These Innate Abilities can be almost anything, from transformation, flight, shooting fireballs from the mouth, and more. Most manifest as mutations, such as my horns and reptilian eyes, or Selene's current form. However, this is not her base appearance. She simply does not know she has another form within her."
"S-She has?!" Melisa exclaimed. "S-Selene! You can turn into a girl like me!"
"Aeehh?! Really?!" Selene wondered. Her big fluffy tail began to wag. "Can I? Can I? Auntie...! Can I?" She turned to Helena, who was nearby checking her computer.
"Ah... well, we've been working on that, but we aren't sure..." Helena replied. "How are you so certain about that, Louis?"
"I just know," Louis smiled. "And there is a perfect way for her to return to that form."
"What way?" Helena asked. "It better not involve fighting or beating her down, okay? I am not going to let you bully a little girl, even if she looks a little... well, feral."
"I was not implying I would harm her," Louis sighed. "You are my aunt, yet it seems you do not trust me much. Have I not already earned your trust after proving there was indeed a threat capable of destroying our country hiding in the Nameless Streets?"
"I suppose you are right... Ah, sorry. I am still on edge... a lot has happened, Louis," Helena sighed, apologizing. "I'm nervous about tomorrow. I just cannot believe so many people died... a lot of people I knew, friends even... Tisha..."
"...It is fine," Louis said, turning to Selene. "The method I suggest is emotional connections and learning to be human. Selene has to learn how to speak and read. She has to learn history, math, and science. Then, once she learns a great deal and forms many connections, her true form will awaken."
It had been the same in the Sinners Academy game. Only after Selene's Intelligence Stat increased to a high enough level and she forged bonds with at least three more characters would she awaken her true human form.
"Selene, I will not treat you like a beast," Louis said. "You are a girl, a human girl, and that is how I will treat you. Would you forgive me for tricking you earlier? I only did it because I wanted you to survive and not be captured by that man."
"Uuhh..." Selene still hesitated but nodded anyway. "Okay..."
"Thank you," Louis nodded. "Now, Auntie, can you help me teach them a few words?"
"Me? Ah, well, sure..." Helena sighed.
Though she remained depressed, spending time with the children and talking with Louis slowly helped her regain her smile and relax a little more.
Once dinner time arrived, Louis asked the girls whether they wished to return to their rooms in the VPI or be given new, luxurious rooms inside the castle. They would each receive a personal servant, most likely a kind maid under Catrise's command, along with plenty of new clothes and more.
"Hmm..." Melisa scratched her head. "Our room down there isn't bad at all but... Wow, living inside a castle is like a dream come true, hehe... What do you think, Selene?"
"Wherever Melisa goes... I go..." Selene replied, licking her face.
"Well, if you insist, we can stay here then, your majesty...!" Melisa smiled. Her little featherless wings flapped happily. "But we need to retrieve our stuff..."
"Don't worry about that. The VPI's machines are bringing everything as we speak," Louis assured them.
After waiting ten minutes, several machines arrived carrying all the girls' belongings from below and helped them settle into their new rooms. Both chose to sleep in the same room for now because Melisa worried Selene might feel lonely and run away if left alone.
"Alright then, good night," Louis smiled, patting their heads before walking away.
His hand glowed with Mana. The girls' heads glowed as well, marked with Ashen Runes, specifically designed not to explode but for tracking.
Louis had perfected this Rune and created a Spell called Tracking Ashes. By merely touching someone physically, he could imprint undetectable, invisible Ashen Runes capable of tracking any person no matter how far they went.
This was to ensure he could locate Selene if she ever escaped and caused problems.
While walking back to his room, Louis noticed Mirai waiting beside his door. She wore pajamas and looked quite adorable.
"Mirai? What is wrong? Shouldn't you be sleeping by now?"
"Yeah... sorry. I just couldn't hold on any longer... Prince Louis..."
"What is it this time?"
Louis had considerable patience, but it still had limits. He showed clear irritation, until what Mirai said next quickly dissolved it.
"You promised we would have a date together if we won... and even if we lost so many... we still won, right? So... um, what about your promise? I was being considerate but... I just want to know if you want to go on a date with me?"
"You are very bold to ask this of a prince of a nation, you know? You could be imprisoned for such boldness. It is a crime to try to seduce the prince, especially to ask him on a date when you are only a citizen."
"Eh?! I-I had no idea...!"
Mirai became flustered, her face turning as red as a tomato as Louis stepped closer and closer.
"A date, huh? I am not really interested in the prospects of building any romance, first things first."
"I-I wasn't implying any of that... Just... as friends."
"..."
Louis looked down at her for a moment. His sharp eyes felt as though they pierced her soul.
But then he nodded.
"Fine. Pick a date and tell me later. I will go to sleep now. Tomorrow will be an important day. Be prepared."
"Thank you, your majesty!"
Mirai smiled, relieved things had turned out well and hurried back to her room.
Louis yawned.
"Once we go to the academy, there will be dozens of new faces. She will probably forget about me with all the new friends she makes," he thought, smiling as he lay on the bed. "Maybe once that happens... she will leave me alone."
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