Chapter 5 - No low-key needed

Aurora rested in her mother's arms watching her intently while thinking about the future. While it's true that she decided to be a healer on a whim, there was deeper and darker desire to her decision: it is fun to experiment with test subjects. In her other world, she was a little child with only 60 years of experience split in two lives, so everyone expected her to be reckless and impulsive, so of course she never had the opportunity to learn what being in a position of power and responsibility was. For all uses and purposes she was on a vacation on this world that would last just a lifetime, and the obvious use of a vacation is to have fun.

Aurora's thoughts were disrupted when she felt a presence approaching her, it was a middle-aged man, about 1.85 meters, dark green eyes, wine red short hair, fully locked goatee and bronze skin. The uniformity of his tan and the thickness and toughness of his skin was strange, but what really took Aurora's attention was the material of the locket on his chest.

The best guess she could make was that it was the polished scale of a being that evolved to shield itself from anima attacks using a silver alloy. It was by no means an impressive anima shielding technique and it would be as flimsy as paper against a subspace bomb, however it may actually give some degree of protection against this world elemental-type attacks. The most important part was the existence of a being that could use it's own anima, even if it was instinctual, to change the properties of the materials in this world. That could mean that a species exists on this world that have a certain degree of control over the cycle of reincarnation, and may as well be higher on the food chain than her. "Damn, did I make a mistake reincarnating as this human-like species?".

While Sid and Aurora stays frozen for a few seconds while staring at each other, Gladys takes it on herself to break the awkward silence. "-Ahem-, greetings your Excellency. Thank you for your visit, I present you your beautiful daughter. As per agreed her name is Aurora Lionhearth the second, in honor of your late grandmother". Sid involuntarily reacts saying "A pleasure" while slightly nodding to the baby before he is finally forced out of his stupor and noting his stupid remark. Wait, did the baby just nodded too? Must have been his imagination.

"Gladys, I have told you several times to call me, in private as in public, just Sid. Your Excellency is just too distant" Sid says. Gladys just respond to this remark with a half smile and carry on with the conversation. "Con you feel it too Sid? The limitless possibilities withing this child?". Because Sid doesn't want to bring up the locket with Melissa's strand of hair to avoid an awkward moment with Gladys, he just nods and after a second says "She might have great affinity to magic". Gladys said with a tinge of surprise in her voice "Oh, you can tell? I was planning to spend some time with her showing off my old tricks to see if I can become her interested in the path of magic".

"I'm not sure that's the best path for a queen candidate" Sid says, alluding to the promise his father made with the king about marrying his first granddaughter to the first prince of the kingdom. "Well ... maybe in time she will challenge the decision made by the family". Sid almost choked at the words of his wife. Overturning the decision of the family head of the Lionhearth's house by fighting a duel? Was she mad? The last woman in the Lionhearth family that has ever used that ancient rule was ... her grandmother, Aurora the first, ... is this supposed to be a bad joke?

In the Lionhearth house, every man or woman has the right to forge their own destiny if, and only if, they are strong enough. Even the relative peaceful Sid was made to go though a spartan training, as all his brothers, not to shame the Lionhearth legacy and hold into power as the Duke. However, most women usually got engaged and practiced from young age the skills to make their ways in high-society, only the most outstanding of women on the most unusual circumstances avoided that destiny.

Sid decides to wait and see, so he just loudly blows some air out of his nose and says "Then you better train her harshly. As for now, the decision for the engagement can wait until she is five years old and we know a little more about her potential. For the time being I will assign Bertha as her wetnurse and to take care of Aurora, her daughter Rita will start training for the position of her personal maid."

Gladys says "Bertha's services as wetnurse will not be needed, I have decided to take the time needed to fulfill that role myself". Sid gives a weird look to his wife and says "Watching out your diet and taking time for breastfeeding is an unnecessary chore, are you planning to bond with Aurora through this? Luis may feel jealous"

"Well ... maybe. Have you noticed that I just gave birth and I'm far from the exhausted state I should be in? At the very least I think Aurora has been blessed by the Spirit of Light, naturally increasing the stamina of everyone around her, so my desire to be near her can also be considered selfish, but even I can't say exactly why I feel compelled to stay near her and help her pave her way though life. As for Luis, you know the former Duke has really strong opinions about the weakening effect a caring woman can have over the character of a man, so my occasional visits will have to do." Gladys says.

Sid: "I will bring Luis before going to sleep to meet his little sister. Father is not here, so you don't have to worry what he would say, he is an old man which feels the need to strongly voice his opinions about the state of affairs of this House even when he is no longer the Duke. In that regard he should probably arrive in about five weeks time to meet his granddaughter, when you see him please don't take to hearth if he makes a comment about the early birth of Aurora or her hair color".

Gladys: "What do you mean with her hair color? Her cherry blond color is gorgeous".

Sid: "Father thinks the fiery red color of the founder is a mark that symbolizes the blessing of the Spirit of Fire, and that is shameful is a trait that is being lose in the family".

Gladys: "The relation between an external trait and the favor of the Spirits is just a superstition. I'm sure Aurora is not only talented in light magic but fire magic as well. Aren't you Aurora?"

Aurora followed the whole conversation between Sid and Gladys with great interest, she was really glad that apparently every important issue could be ultimately solved through strength, such barbaric ways were appropriate for such a backward world and especially convenient for her circumstances. She was still contemplating if she should stay low-key to avoid earn the animosity of the individuals around her before she could even wipe her own butt. But now, their biological parents apparently wanted her to be as astounding as possible because this was a family where power was respected, and that was fine by her.

However, she still decided to be awesome within certain limits, so her first idea of creating a scorching mass of plasma where the electrons reached temperatures of 10,000 C° to impress these two hicks was scrapped as an overkill and in it's place she decided to create a simple 30 centimeters oxyhydrogen torch at a distance of about two meters from anyone, you know, for safety. Let's see what they think about it to test the waters.