As luck would have it, crafting the gemstone necklace also passively triggered the effect of Truth Seeker, raising its physical quality by a full grade.
In addition to simply accelerating the wearer's natural mana recovery, it gained the magical ability to actively store mana.
It could now safely store roughly thirty percent of an A-Rank's total mana capacity within the blood gemstone, ready to be called upon at any time as an emergency reserve.
This little leather ornament, which just looked like a trendy goth choker, had now become the world's only known mana-charging treasure!
If this overpowered item were given to a high-ranking Mage-Knight, it might just completely change the existing balance of power in the global League.
But there probably wasn't enough time to make something new.
Just cutting and polishing this blood gemstone perfectly had taken him more than three days of constant work.
It wasn't that he couldn't just give her something ordinary—like making a simple, non-magical leather choker as Stella had originally requested.
With his blacksmithing skills, he could finish a mundane item like that in less than half an hour.
It was just that, in his eyes, giving a completely mundane gift felt a little too cheap and insignificant.
He wasn't just trying to give her a nice birthday present, he wanted to truly express his gratitude to that girl.
Beyond simply providing food, clothing, and shelter, all the highly expensive resources a Blazer needed to train had also been fully provided for him by the royal family and it was all because of Stella's protection.
'Tsk, forget it. Being too overly concerned about how an accessory looks isn't like me.'
This choker was undoubtedly a masterpiece of magical equipment and he was its proud creator, its smith.
His masterwork held absolutely no malicious or perverse intent!
'I will just give it to her quietly tomorrow.'
He turned off the lights in the room and lay down on his soft bed.
He murmured to himself in the dark, "It has been over a month since I arrived here. The first phase of my magic test is over. Next is the endurance test measured in years."
Yog-Sothoth.
This cosmic magic of his allowed him to have a completely independent timeline inside a projected universe.
In theory, even if he spent an entire, eighty-year lifetime growing old in this modern world, only a single night would pass for his physical body sleeping back in Orario.
Of course, theory was just theory.
He needed to actually test exactly how long his projection could remain stable in this world, and see whether any unexpected psychological problems would arise from living two lives.
...
The sun rose once more.
As soon as Noah woke up, he immediately noticed a massive change in the overall atmosphere of the capital.
Golden sunlight shone warmly upon the earth.
Although there was nothing magically special about the weather, he felt as if the very ground beneath his feet was rejoicing.
The entire Vermillion Empire had entered a state of massive, national "joy."
And there was only one reason for it.
Today was the Second Princess's 13th birthday!
This was also the very first time since Noah had moved into the royal palace that he hadn't been violently woken up for morning training by Stella's frantic knocking.
Because the energetic girl hadn't come to drag him out of bed, he lay comfortably under the covers, finding himself somewhat reluctant to get up.
The jubilant sounds of the cheering crowds from outside the palace didn't bother him; instead, they acted as a sort of pleasant "white noise," soothing his mind considerably.
As expected, the princess's schedule for today was packed to the absolute brim, as she would likely be parading through the main streets next.
And she would be doing it in one of those incredibly slow, open-air royal carriages.
Stella herself was not a naturally extravagant royal. She was a princess, but she wasn't arrogant, willful, or delicate like most nobles.
The reason for such a massive, expensive public fanfare was simply to inspire hope among the citizens of the struggling nation.
As a globally certified A-Rank Knight, her mere public appearance was more than enough to massively increase the people's trust and sense of security in their own country's military power.
Therefore, such a grand political act was necessary.
The city parade alone would last for the better part of the day.
Afterward, she would have to prepare for the royal banquet, spending hours on her hair and makeup before attending a grand, exhausting dinner with hundreds of corrupt nobles.
She probably wouldn't have any free time for him all day.
"But why..."
BAM! BAM! BAM!
"Get up, Noah! We are about to leave! Hurry up and put on the formal clothes I picked out for you!"
Out in the hallway, Stella pounded heavily on his bedroom door, causing the boy inside to groan and bury his head under his pillow.
Still not fully awake, he had completely forgotten he could set up a soundproofing barrier to block her out.
"Aaargh! Honestly! You are so slow!"
CRASH!
The princess outside, completely disregarding her elegant royal image, used a flying kick.
Under the terrifying A-Rank physical strength of the human-shaped tyrannosaur, the heavy oak door didn't even have time to creak before it was kicked clean off its metal hinges and sent flying violently into the room.
The huge commotion made Noah instinctively open a slit from under his pillow to observe the threat.
He was then greeted by the depressing sight of his wrecked bedroom.
"My door..." Noah sighed, looking at the splintered wood now embedded deeply into his plaster wall.
After breaking down the door, the girl confidently marched into his room.
Click-clack.
It was the sharp sound of high heels.
To prevent the hem of her incredibly expensive dress from dragging on the dusty floor, the girl held it up slightly with her fingers on both sides.
She looked very beautiful and elegant, but the stomping way she walked was not so graceful.
She stormed right up to the young man's bed.
"Stella?"
Noah looked up at the magnificently dressed princess, genuinely marveling at her beauty.
She wore a pure white gown, exquisite gold hair ornaments, and tasteful chiffon with flawless pearl jewelry as accents.
Because of the tight corset, the girl's unnaturally fine figure was further accentuated and the white lace added a mature touch of allure.
The tailor who designed this gown really knows their stuff.
"Noah, why the heck are you still sleeping?! We have to go!"
"Huh?"
"What do you mean, 'huh'?! Hurry up and change into this!"
The girl snatched a tailored man's formal suit from a terrified maid standing in the hallway and shoved it aggressively into his chest.
Noah looked down at the suit in his arms, utterly bewildered.
But the girl simply declared that she would wait for him outside, then quickly retreated out of the ruined room, holding her skirt.
Reluctantly changing into the highly expensive-looking black suit, Noah walked out into the hallway and stood before Stella.
The girl stared at him, her crimson gaze unwavering.
After a long moment, she suddenly smiled brightly and said, "Very good! It suits you perfectly!"
Noah was taken aback for a second. He subconsciously returned the compliment.
"Your dress today suits you too, Stella. It is very beautiful."
"I-Is that so...? W-Well, of course it is! Alright, everything is ready now! Let's hurry up and go!"
The blushing girl aggressively grabbed his hand.
A quick-witted maid rushed forward to help her lift her heavy skirt to prevent the white gown from touching the stone floor.
This was an outfit meant strictly for walking on a clean red carpet, it couldn't get dirty before the parade!
Being pulled into a light jog through the palace halls by the girl, Noah was still in a state of utter confusion, right up until they stepped outside and he saw a massive, open-air carriage drawn by four pure-white horses.
'Wait a minute.'
"Hey, Stella, don't tell me you are actually planning to have me ride with you in the parade?" Noah asked.
Shouldn't His Majesty the King or the Queen be sitting by her side at a highly political time like this?
"That's exactly right! Oh, wait, did I forget to tell you beforehand?" The thoughtless princess suddenly realized her massive oversight.
"..." Noah was utterly speechless.
Seeing his terrible deadpan expression, Stella quickly apologized.
"Haha, sorry! It is like this, see? It is really hot outside today, isn't it? This gown is beautiful, but the tight corset and all these other layers aren't very breathable, so—"
'Aren't you literally a fire mage?!'
'No, wait, that is not the main point!'
'She brought me along just because she was afraid of the summer heat?!'
"Stella... let me confirm this," Noah sighed. "Are you trying to make me your personal, magical air conditioner for a half-day city tour?"
"N-No! That is not it! I, I... right! It is because I actually wanted to ride in the parade with you! The air conditioning thing is just a convenient bonus!"
"You... should really learn how to lie better, okay? With an excuse that clumsy, I just feel like you are actively insulting my intelligence."
'Ugh!'
"So are you coming or not?! If you don't want to, then just forget it!"
The princess huffed angrily like a classic tsundere. She turned her back to him and raised a hand, signaling for a royal guard to help her onto the carriage.
Suddenly, Noah noticed that the gazes of all the surrounding palace servants and armed guards were focused entirely on him.
An invisible heavy pressure instantly descended upon his head.
He sighed softly.
He stepped up onto the carriage, turned around and gently took the princess's hand. With a slight pull, he chivalrously helped the beautiful princess aboard.
"Hehe! Let's go!"
The royal carriage departed from the palace gates, driven by a veteran coachman. It was an incredibly smooth, steady ride. For this massive national holiday, the palace had planned the route a full week in advance and made various physical optimizations to the cobblestone streets, so there would be almost no bumps.
Noah discreetly appraised the coachman and discovered the man was actually a registered Blazer.
He even possessed a unique Ability that could magically soothe the emotions of animals.
Although his combat stats were extremely weak and his Blazer Rank was only an E, as a professional royal coachman, very few people on earth could do a better job than him.
"Ahh, it is so perfectly cool!"
Stella sat primly in the open carriage, basking in the invisible, icy breeze Noah was generating with his Weaver skill.
If she didn't speak, she looked like the perfect elegant princess straight out of a classic fairy tale!
She smiled warmly at the young man sitting beside her. "It is so great having you here, Noah. Even outside in the sun, it is as comfortable as an air-conditioned room! I feel like if this keeps up, I really won't be able to live without you."
"It is fine, right? Maybe in a few years, some tech company will invent a portable battery-powered air conditioner."
"Eh? Really?"
"Probably. After all, no one knows what the future of technology holds."
"Mmm... well, even if that happens, I still think you are much better, Noah! You should be happy! This is my super high praise for you, you know! Even if there was a portable air conditioner like that, I wouldn't trade you for it."
'So, I'm at least more important than a household appliance, huh?'
Stella's bright smile today felt... exceptionally charming.
The old saying "clothes make the man" was really true.
The carriage slowly entered the bustling city streets.
The main roads, which had been heavily cordoned off by police in advance, were packed with massive crowds of cheering citizens on both sides.
The people of the Vermillion Empire excitedly called out, "Princess Stella!" while the girl maintained her flawless royal composure, smiling and waving gracefully to the crowds on either side.
These people's happy smiles were the precious things the girl wanted to protect.
This struggling country, which gave her infinite warmth and love, was something she would violently repay with all her might.
As the carriage was slowly crossing a large, open bridge over the main river, a sudden flash of intense light—like a reflection from a sniper's scope mirror—suddenly lit up Noah's peripheral vision.
He subconsciously glanced up toward the distant clock tower.
He abruptly realized exactly what that glint was.
He hastily threw himself sideways at the girl beside him, tackling her down to the floorboards.
"LOOK OUT!"
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