I am Carmina Johnston.
A beauty queen in the real world, and a princess in this fantasy world.
When I first landed here in this world named Daig'digaia...
I carried nothing.
Nothing but my name, my still-whole body, my staff, and my luxurious gown – the same one I wore in that beauty pageant where I was abducted by a loony fan but was later rescued by Nolan.
Even in this fertile-looking world, monsters prowl every corner of this continent called Dillingtonlandia.
But I knew I wouldn't act so defenseless.
My best kind of offense at that time... was to retreat to a building that stands proudly nearby.
The fictional version of the high school I and 49 of my classmates graduated from.
The first thing I heard when I set foot here in this fantasy version of Dillington High School...
...was the soothing yet emotional piano rendition of the school anthem.
It set the tone for what I would be experiencing here.
The main quadrangle was teeming with students and their own little activities.
Even though they would not recognize me due to my costume, I still had the instinct to talk to them.
After all, I'm a sociable person – and that is part and parcel of becoming a beauty queen in the first place.
One student was singing "I want your body, your body, not you~"...
...to which I corrected, "Shouldn't that be 'I want nobody, nobody but you~'?"
He explained, "Nah. I prefer this spoof of mine. I just want to sing this at karaoke bars for the lulz."
Another student was pondering on which type of MMORPG she should play.
She was especially frustrated at the always-packed servers of a certain critically-acclaimed MMORPG due to its well-deserved hype.
Yet another student commented, "If I could have 5 of the most beautiful, youngest, and wackiest teachers here, distance education would take on a whole new meaning."
Content with what the students are up to after class, I headed towards the computer room, even though I'm not part of the computer club myself.
All the PCs here were open, and they were being used by various students for various purposes – casual browsing, programming, gaming, or ethical hacking.
I found an empty cubicle carrying a still-open PC, and I chose to browse the web to find out more about the world I'm currently in.
I first checked out the bookmarks on the browser.
You access http://himekawa.blogplace.com/.
THE PURPLE-HAIRED PSYCHIC
A blog full of predictions.
Posted on 2002/4/21 at 8:21 DST
THIS SITE IS HACKED!
ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US!
By Onel de Guzman
I hate to go to school.
I don't need no education.
I don't need no false control!
Oh no! This is definitely not good!
Onto another site.
You access http://www.smile-smile-trigger.com/.
A message from Kengo Manaka
Days are made special with a smile.
So smile at everyone.
Smile at everything.
Smile anywhere.
Smile anytime.
Smile, smile!
A friendly reminder from the TPU Mental Hospital.
Was this a red herring or what?
With my fill of browsing accomplished, I set out for other places here in this fictional version of my alma mater to see what has changed... and what has not.
I headed towards the multi-floored main building next.
Once I got there, I could hear some squees from two nearby female students.
"Hey, did you hear this rumor?"
"Yeah! That... that... famous pop star! He's studying here! Wow! I can't wait for his autograph!"
I could even spot the second student blushing heavily.
Maybe... they were referring to... Gershwin?
I just hoped it's true.
I headed towards the library; and indeed, nothing had changed.
Maybe I could learn something more about this fantasy world here.
Amidst the sea of books and students studying at their own pace, I could spot some helpful books that should have all the information I need.
No sooner did I read them meticulously.
THE WORLD CALLED DAIG'DIGAIA
by Maximiano dela Serra
Daig'digaia is a world consisting of six main continents.
The continents are Dillingtonlandia, Shurilesia, Sarbacutta, Vigorozon, The Scyphiphora Kingdom, and The Unchartered Continent.
Each continent has its share of unique towns and natural resources.
The reason is, according to legend, six supernatural beings wanted to wrest control of Daig'digaia.
They used all of their powers; and one day, they vanished into thin air.
The spoils of their fight ended up as towns, lush natural landscapes, and other places.
THE GUIDE TO NATURAL PLACES ALL OVER THE WORLD
by Chifuyu Milambiling
A waterfall near a dungeon in Dillingtonlandia is a place of gushing, falling water. Enjoy your swim or practice your meditation there.
A violet river somewhere in The Scyphiphora Kingdom is a great boating spot. And the violet water's not poisonous, according to scientific tests.
Discover the wonders of an old shrine on The Unchartered Continent!
At last, some much-needed knowledge!
I knew there was a much larger world to explore; and we, the fifty, are fated to explore it ever since we're sent into this game!
With that in mind, I set out for the next destination – the old classroom located on the main building's fourth floor.
And in that very classroom, I encountered a friendly elderly figure wearing a crown.
"Good day to you, my successor."
I was naturally surprised.
"Me. Your successor?"
"If you want to learn more about your destiny, please follow me through the portal."
"Y-Yes, if you say so... Your Highness."
As if driven by impulse, I followed the king-like figure through the portal that manifested in this classroom.
And then...
I ended up in an interior full of white marble, with an equally opulent throne to match.
On that throne sat the king-like figure.
"Well, it would be a waste if I did not introduce myself. I am His Highness King Tristram Sotnas of the Kingdom of Dillingtonlandia."
"I see. Well then... pleased to make your acquaintance, Your Highness!"
I'd made my curtsy, but it seemed he wasn't finished yet.
"And you, Miss Carmina Johnston, are named as the Crown Princess and the immediate successor to the throne of the Kingdom of Dillingtonlandia. Please kneel."
I immediately followed his instructions as he proceeded to tap his ceremonial sword onto my shoulders to solidify the succession rite.
"Thank you, Princess. I named you as such because of an urgent emergency."
"What is it?"
"That matter will be discussed tomorrow. For now, you must get enough rest. Food will also be provided for you by my trusted servants."
"Yes, Your Highness."
So there. My childhood dream of becoming a princess... became real.
The next day.
Over breakfast, His Highness discussed the salient points of his "urgent emergency" with me.
"The reason I have nominated you as my successor is because... a group called The Movement is making its way towards Dillingtonlandia."
"The what?"
"It is a tyrannical organization, nothing more, nothing less. They want total control of Daig'digaia, no bones about it."
"And you, Your Highness?"
"In recent days, I have always received threatening messages that all come from the so-called 'Great Leader'. I know not why I always get antagonized by The Movement. The words I say are not that critical to their cause. I am here as the king because I want to improve this kingdom's economy, that's all."
So... a threat is coming, huh?
I guess... it's time to show what noblesse oblige is all about.
The day after...
...the inevitable came.
Armed people began storming their way through the castle, using the western shores of the continent as an entry point.
We all knew what to do: Deploy fortifications.
The next few hours put a strain on my body; but that was nothing compared to protecting the second place I now call home.
However...
The enemy's numbers were just overwhelming, as if there was an endless stream of them.
No matter what we did, we couldn't hold all of them off.
And thus, I left everything to God...
...and hoped I would survive this trial.
What stung me more was that once the fortifications fell...
...the so-called leader of the invaders, who introduced herself as Carmealla Gonzalvo, offered some negotiations to His Highness.
Simply put, in exchange for us remaining members of the royal family relinquishing our royal statuses, she would afford us all protection.
But I knew that offer was just a dud...
...as I have witnessed with my own two eyes...
...how that woman, that leader, fatally wounded His Highness in cold blood after he didn't accept her terms.
It was no time for anger.
Seeing my face drowned in tears as I held His Highness, she ordered her men to evict me out of the castle for good.
Once I got out of the castle, I witnessed firsthand how it was converted into a dungeon so infernal...
...that only the vilest of magic was apparently used.
Just then, His Highness imparted his last words.
"We... may have lost... our kingdom... our home... but fortunately... everything else... is not lost. Please... take this ring... It will be the key to your destiny... Now... I can rest... for good..."
And thus, he finally perished.
It was no time to cry.
I had to give him an honorable burial first, even if I had to soil my flawless hands for that.
His final resting place was Yasis Forest, on the northeastern side of this continent.
Once I was done giving His Highness his well-deserved last respects...
I saw a burly man carrying an equally huge hammer and four armored men with shotguns.
They all saluted me, before their leader introduced himself.
"I am Lieutenant Christian Eamon Rhames, an officer of the paramilitary organization Ishi-shiro; and I have been tasked to protect you, Your Highness."
And thus, the rest was history.