"Baralyn Rajendra Chandra Mahendra!" Aliana whispered the name as cold shower water cascaded down her body. The name was so long that it could be challenging to write without making a single mistake in spelling. The peculiar name had stuck with Aliana since the first time she heard it, though she wished she had heard it for the first time in this world.
She remembered the name from a previous life, from a different place entirely. Yes, Aliana knew Baralyn Rajendra Chandra Mahendra when she was the Lady Boss. That mouthful of a name belonged to an NPC in a game she had once attempted to play, "The Chronicle of Terra Galaxy." It was a galactical RPG where players assumed the role of a Celestial Knight on a quest to save the world.
Terra Galaxy, in the game, was vast, with tens of star clusters and millions of star systems. What made it even more interesting was the game's inclusion of cross-dimensions, allowing characters to travel to demon dimensions.
However, Aliana didn't recall much about "The Chronicle of Terra Galaxy." She had only heard the beginning of the game as her ex-otaku boyfriend enthusiastically explained every detail from A to Z. Unfortunately, Lady Boss was not one to dive into a fantasy world that had no bearing on her real life.
All she remembered was the early stages of the game when the character was still in the starting town. If she remembered correctly, the game started with a tutorial where the character became a student at the Celestial Knight's academy. Aliana couldn't even recall the academy's name, but she remembered the name of the starting planet: Morrowind.
To the best of Aliana's recollection, Baralyn was the main NPC on the Morrowind planet, serving as a guide for the main quest chain to complete all the missions there. Whether Baralyn remained the main NPC after the player left Morrowind, Aliana couldn't say. She had broken up with her ex-otaku boyfriend before he had a chance to complete all the main quests on the Morrowind planet.
Aliana let out a deep sigh and turned off the shower faucet. She dried her body with a body dryer, a device capable of quickly drying her skin. She dressed in her attire for the evening. It was her birthday celebration, so she had to look a bit excited to avoid hurting Aslan, who had gone through the trouble of preparing the party. Thus, she had to wear her best outfit.
Aliana walked towards the kitchen to find Aslan. Her father was busy preparing the birthday cake while humming a tune. Gazing at her handsome father with his well-built body, Aliana couldn't help but think that Aslan could have been a famous idol in her previous world.
However, Aliana sought out Aslan not to admire his appearance but to ask him something. Based on her observations, Aslan was the most knowledgeable person she had ever met in this world. He might even have more knowledge than the district mayor. Aslan likely had an unusual background, and that's how Aliana assessed her father. She never made a wrong judgment about people, which allowed her to reach the pinnacle of her previous life and earn the title of Lady Boss.
"Dad—" Before Aliana could finish her sentence, a ringing bell followed by a robotic voice echoed in her ears once more.
*DING!
[Main Quest: Reach Your Stasis Point]
>> The biggest fist in this world is the absolute truth. There is no mercy for the weak. Therefore, you need to sharpen your claws and fangs to face this harsh world. Train your body until it reaches its limit.
Reward: 10 EXP, Open Character Profile, Open Class System]
"What?" Aliana's forehead furrowed as another main quest appeared before she could finish the first one. Aliana didn't fully grasp the game and its quest system, but it felt odd to her that a new quest would pop up before she completed the previous one.
Before she could dwell on it further, Aslan, who had noticed her arrival, looked up and smiled warmly at Aliana.
"What's up, honey? Oh, you look so beautiful! Hehehe... can't wait to taste your birthday cake? Just wait for a moment, okay? You can't have it until I finish decorating this cake, and soon your mom will get home," Aslan said with an indulgent tone.
'Ugh,' Aliana just couldn't get used to Aslan's overly affectionate manner of speaking. Maybe it was just her perception, but for some reason, she felt that men in this world were a bit... too feminine.
Putting aside the new main quest and Aslan's gentleness, Aliana focused on her initial question.
"Dad, do you know who Baralyn Rajendra Chandra Mahendra is?"
The moment Aliana finished her question, Aslan's smile froze, and his face suddenly turned grim. Unusual seriousness appeared in Aslan's eyes, and Aliana, who had never seen her father like this, was taken aback. For some reason, she felt a sense of dread when she looked into Aslan's narrowed, yellow eyes.
"Aliana, where did you hear that name?" There was no trace of gentleness in Aslan's tone. He looked at Aliana as if she were his enemy, causing her to step back, hunched over like a frightened animal.
"D-Dad...?"
Perhaps it was the fear in Aliana's voice that made Aslan's serious expression freeze, and he closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened them again, and his gaze showed remorse. Aslan turned away, unfastened his apron, washed his hands, then approached Aliana and knelt in front of her.
"Aliana, I'm sorry," Aslan said with deep regret and embraced Aliana tightly.
Aliana was a bit startled but understood what had just happened. She had just seen the true face of Aslan. It was a fierce and intimidating face, a look she had only seen on her war-veteran bodyguard. As she suspected, Aslan had an unusual background.
"It's okay, Dad," Aliana said as she gently stroked Aslan's trembling back.
Aliana couldn't fully comprehend Aslan's overwhelming regret for scaring his daughter. She could empathize with it to some extent, but she would never fully understand it. This was the difference between knowledge and experience. The experience of being a parent was something that couldn't be gained by reading hundreds of books alone. It was an experience that Aliana regretted not having in her previous life.
A few moments later, Aslan calmed down, released his embrace, and gazed at Aliana with the familiar warmth in his smile. However, he didn't explain why he had acted so excessively earlier and instead repeated the same question to Aliana with a much gentler tone.
"Aliana, where did you hear that name?"
Aliana took a moment to think before responding. She had to decide whether to be honest or make an excuse that was believable. To make that choice, she needed to understand how significant and influential Baralyn's name was in this world.
"Dad, who is this Baralyn?" Aliana asked.
Aslan didn't respond immediately. He looked deep into Aliana's eyes and realized that she wouldn't answer his question until he answered hers. It was an unusual level of cleverness for a seven-year-old child.
Smiling and feeling proud of his daughter's cleverness, Aslan replied, "I don't know who the Baralyn you're referring to is. However, I know what Mahendra is. At first, I thought that you didn't mean the Mahendra that I know, but Rajendra and Chandra are not common middle names."
"Mahendra is one of the six noble families that rule the Gunepolt Empire. Ah... maybe you don't know what the Gunepolt Empire is. I'll start from the beginning: We currently live on one of the planets in the Gunepolt Star Cluster, which is ruled by the Gunepolt Empire. This planet is called Morrowind, and the Mahendra Family rules over Morrowind.
As you've learned in school, the name of our city is Mine City. Mine City is the center of Morrowind, and there are three districts in this city."
Aliana wasn't particularly surprised when she learned she lived in Morrowind, which was governed by the Mahendra Family. The appearance of the main quest to become Baralyn's husband was a clue for Aliana that something was happening around her. She wasn't someone who could accept something for free without considering the intentions of the person giving it. Obtaining a "golden finger" was something Aliana had eagerly anticipated while keeping a close watch on it.
"Three districts? But there are only two districts, aren't there?" Aliana asked. A seven-year-old child's knowledge usually extends to knowing their neighbors and the location of the nearest candy store.
"Hmm? You're really smart and curious, hahaha... Unfortunately, you're mistaken, my dear. There are three districts in Mine City. Miner District is where we currently live, and Slum is a very dangerous place, so you must not go near it. But there's something even more dangerous than Slum. That's the last district in Mine City, Noble District but more known as Noble Garden. That's where the nobles who rule over Morrowind live, and I forbid you from going there! Do you understand?" Aslan said sternly.
It seemed that despite technological advancements in this world, social equality hadn't been achieved and had, in fact, grown more pronounced. Aliana wasn't particularly concerned about it because, as long as someone had the desire, social inequalities would persist.
"Do the Mahendras live in the Noble Garden?" Aliana asked.
Aslan narrowed his eyes, but he still answered his daughter's question. "No. Although Morrowind is very important to the Mahendras, they have a vast domain of power. As such, Morrowind is typically governed by subordinate noble families of the Mahendras. I don't know whether there will be Mahendras who settle in Morrowind, but it seems likely to happen." Aslan fell silent for a moment, recalling the rumors he had heard from his 'brother.'
Shaking his head to dispel the memories resurfacing, Aslan turned back to Aliana with a serious look. "In any case, you must never approach or have any dealings with the Noble Garden. The name Mahendra Family is not to be uttered lightly, and it can bring danger to you and your family. Do you understand what I mean?"
"I understand, Dad," Aliana nodded. It seemed that becoming Baralyn's wife was far more significant than she had initially thought. Perhaps that was why her "golden finger" had presented her with a new quest.
Ensuring that Aliana truly understood his warning, Aslan took a deep breath. "Now it's your turn to answer my question. Where did you hear that name?" he asked with a serious expression.
Aliana had to think on her feet once more. Now, she needed to decide whether to be honest with Aslan or keep her golden finger a secret.
"Hmm…"