As we left the castle, Yuna was obsessing over the miso... so I started to feel like I'd opened a can of Giant Worms.

"You know, how about this: I'll let you eat more miso, among other things from Japan, if you let me stay in your house... I got here late enough that all of the inns are full, so I have been sleeping outside the city. I don't really mind the monster attacks... I feel that the more monsters attack me, the fewer are alive near the city, so the citizens are safer. And I don't particularly care about losing sleep when they approach, as I don't really need all that much sleep, thanks to my Dragon blood" (Nene)

I said that without thinking, so someone nearby was able to overhear the last sentence or so.

"What? Drinking Dragon's blood reduces the need for sleep? I didn't know that... besides, it's so rare, how would a little girl like you have gotten your hands on it?" (Person who overheard me)

"No, drinking it doesn't do it, so far as I know... and I should know, as I'm part Dragon" (Nene)

"Part Dragon, she says. Look, a Dragon wouldn't fi-" (Person who overheard me)

"You idiot, shut your mouth, she's probably about eight years old" (Person's companion)

"I'm twelve... and no, normally that pairing wouldn't work, but... there are exceptions to everything" (Nene)

After I said that, Yuna and I left them behind and returned to our original conversation.

"I guess I could let you stay in my house, if you are fine with staying in the same house as someone else I have there. Actually, I would have done much more than given you a place to sleep to get miso" (Yuna)

"Well, I guess I could ask for a discount when I go to eat at your store... maybe 20 percent?" (Nene)

"... 50 percent" (Yuna)

"Wow... You must really have been missing miso, huh. I'll take 50 percent, but that will also cover for other things I recreate from Japan. My family's 37th motto is 'honest billing' so I'd feel bad if I got more than 20 percent for just the miso. Huh... what else do I have... Oh yeah, I have ramen and udon, and I know how to make those too. Do you have any other things you've - Yuna?" (Nene)

I noticed that she had stopped, and so went back to wave my hand in front of her face.

"Hello... Earth to Yuna... wait, that's a joke in poor taste, isn't it... uh... Yuna? No? Looks like I'll have to carry you to your house... now, let's see if I remember where it is... actually, I can get there with {Gate}" (Nene)

"No, you don't have to carry me, and I'd like to stop by the market to get the ingredients for miso, ramen, and udon so you can teach me how to make them" (Yuna)

"Why don't I teach you at the same time as I teach the people working at your shop?" (Nene)

"Because... OK, fine, I just wanted to be able to eat them before we went back to Crimonia" (Yuna)

"I have enough to have an imperial banquet with nothing but ramen, udon, and miso dishes. Actually, the reason is that I had been planning to hold one to celebrate my 13th birthday, but... well, we all know how that went... wait, you don't know that, actually. We only met this morning, and... yeah, let's go back to your place and I'll tell you over some udon" (Nene)

"So... You've been here for longer than you'd been alive on earth, and unlike me, who was just transported here in my original body, you had to go through a second childhood, but that meant you got to be a princess, and you can transform into a Dragon. Not only that, but you have several Dragons under your command that you can summon... in other words, you're a high-level summoner, a job that, on this planet, doesn't get seen more than every few decades, though there are items that can use limited summoning magic. You have the skill to use magic that I could never have dreamed of using, magic that had been lost to time. You also... You know what, I give up. You're just way too high-spec. I wish I had gotten what you'd gotten" (Yuna)

"No, you don't. Imagine getting fed as an infant, while having memories of having normal food... and, I'd like to point out that your Bear magic is as powerful as melded S rank magic, despite being monoelemental, and that you have more mana and mana regen than I do... though it is thanks to the bear suit. I guess your Bear magic is like my Draconic magic in terms of monoelemental power, but you have a higher max output, I think" (Nene)

"So, basically, our gifts have pros and cons that more or less balance out. I guess I can see that. Also, unlike me, you like showing off. If I wanted to, I could probably be an A or S rank too, but... you are a S rank who wants to lay low with a second card at rank D by... eliminating a giant monster horde? Contradictory doesn't even scratch the surface of that" (Yuna)

"You're one to talk, you lay low by eliminating giant monster hordes and beating up everyone in every adventurer's guild you come across" (Nene)

"That was only twice..." (Yuna)

"Two times, two guilds. I rest my case" (Nene)

"Would you please shut up about that? You did the same the first time you registered" (Yuna)

"Yeah, but that was to make people understand how strong I am so that I could register. It was a calculated move, and I haven't done so in any other guilds. Though, it was because I had beaten up an A rank and a B rank before I had even registered, and then because I was an A rank, and a bit later, I had gotten to S rank, so... I guess nobody wanted to pick a fight with me then" (Nene)

"Fair enough, but what about after you left the Empire? You didn't have an S rank card that you wanted to use, as you are trying to be just a strong D rank, right?" (Yuna)

"After that, it was either because I had killed a Kraken, or had brought loads of Wolves and Goblins, as well as several Tiger Wolves, Black Tigers, Orcs, Ogres, and a Blood Ogre, three Goblin Kings, and six Wyverns, or because I pushed past them and got the guildmaster to vouch for my strength after showing my S rank card to the receptionist. I should probably tell you that story, it was pretty funny" (Nene)

"Yuna, I'm back, and I brought Noa and Shia... Wait, who's this?" (Girl)

"Ah, Fina, this is Nene, an adventurer and someone you could call my childhood rival... who I only learned was on this continent today. Nene, this is Fina, the girl who saved me when I was lost in the woods, who is also the one I said has been living with me here. Next to her are Noa and Shia, nobles who are friends of mine" (Yuna)

"Ah, I see. It's a pleasure to meet you all. I hope we can get along going forward" (Nene)

"... You talk like a noble. Also, you look far too young to be an adventurer" (Fina)

"I get that a lot... both of those, actually. By the rules of this country, I am too young, but where I registered, there are... were... no age restrictions, just minimum standards of strength you had to meet. I'm twelve years old, and I've been an adventurer for six and a half years. For the point of talking like a noble, there's a reason for that, but it's complicated, and a long story. However, I'm not a noble, nor have I ever been one. I do know someone - several someones, actually - who know the Empress quite well, though I've never met her myself. I have met both the previous Empress and her husband, but one of the reasons for that was my exploits as an adventurer. Besides, even if I was a noble, that wouldn't really matter, the Empire is no more. So far as I know, there are only a few survivors of the disaster that destroyed it a few months ago" (Nene)

"Ouch... I'm sorry to hear that. Still, an adventurer from the age of five... and one who managed to get the attention of the rulers of the Empire at that... you must be really strong" (Fina)

"[Hey, Yuna? Do they know about you dealing with the monster horde, and do they know about you coming from Japan?]" (Nene)

"They know about the monster horde, but they don't know about the other part" (Yuna)

"What was that language, and what do you mean by the other part?" (Shia)

"The language was Japanese, and what Nene asked was a two part question as to what kinds of information she could talk about with you here, the first part was about the monster horde I dealt with, the other part... it's in regards to a sore topic for me at least, I don't know about how Nene feels about it" (Yuna)

"It's a topic I only talk about with those I trust... which has been a grand total of three people so far, excluding you, who already know about it. I don't find it unpleasant, but... Anyways, back on topic. Yes, I am strong. The monster horde that Yuna took out half of? I was the one who took out the other half of it" (Nene)

"Wait, you're the anonymous S rank? You're an S rank?!?!" (Noa)

"Noa, remember, the part that Yuna took out was dealt with by a mysterious A rank party, but Yuna is neither an A rank, nor is she an entire adventurer party" (Shia)

"Oh right... So, what is your rank? C? B?" (Noa)

"As of a bit before my seventh birthday, S. As of a few weeks ago, I have a second card at D" (Nene)

Nothing happened for the first few seconds after I said that, until Shia fainted, closely followed by Noa, leaving Fina standing looking dazed and confused, and I felt like she might have been wishing she could have fainted too.

"Forgi-" (Fina)

"Stop that" (Nene)

"I'm sor-" (Fina)

"Please, you don't have anything to apologize for. You didn't have any way of knowing that I'm an S rank, so you can't be blamed for not showing me the respect that an S rank deserves. Besides, one of the reasons I got a second card was that I don't care for the bowing and scraping that it induces... the other reasons are that it's easier to believe that someone like me is a D or even a B rank than it is to believe that I'm an S rank, as well as the fact that, as I have been on a journey to explore other countries and also to find Yuna, I didn't want to be with governments trying to have me stay there permanently... though, now that I've found Yuna, I'm probably going to stay in Erufanica for a while to reminisce about our past, and to compete a bit. Besides, if her shop sells food from Japan such as pizza, I'm going to have some major trouble with leaving it behind" (Nene)

"Oh... Well, would you like some tea? Juice? Anything like that?" (Fina)

"Fina... Please, I don't want you to act like a servant or anything like that... I would like it if you treated me like an ordinary adventurer like Yuna... Ok, fine, Yuna isn't ordinary, but... treat me the way you'd treat Yuna or any of your peers. I want to be your friend, but that'd be hard if you are always acting humble around me. Besides, as a guest here, I should be the one asking if you want a drink, right?" (Nene)

"Nene, technically, you are also going to be living here for a while, right? Therefore, you aren't a guest" (Yuna)

"Wait, what? You're going to be li-" (Fina)

"I'm going to stop you right there, you were about to act humble again, weren't you?" (Nene)

"I... yeah, sorry" (Fina)

"So, should we wake those two up?" (Yuna)

"Probably... should we let Hugging Bear and Swaying Bear do it?" (Fina)

"Why don't you let Lapis and Rubel do it?" (Nene)

"Huh? Lapis and Rubel? Are those your summons?" (Yuna)

"Yeah. They were the ones I talked to when I was feeling lonely, when I couldn't talk to Douglas" (Nene)

"Will they fit in this room?" (Fina)

"Well, they can be the size of a large housecat if need be. Just a moment" (Nene)

I held out my hands, palms facing up, and summoned two miniature Dragons, one Red, one Blue, both with Gold-bordered scales, and each was about half a meter long, including their tails.

"Are those... GOD DRAGONS?!?!" (Fina)

"I knew you were strong, but this? You have two God Dragons as your summons?" (Yuna)

"37, actually, ranging from Gold-bordered Red through a single Gold-bordered Black. I have others, ranging from a few Greens to the aforementioned Gold-bordered Black Dragon" (Nene)

"Ok, those two should wake up Noa and Shia, I want to see their faces when they see those two... Lapis and Rubel, was it? I take it Lapis is the Blue one, and Rubel is the Red?" (Yuna)

"Indeed. Lapis Lazuli and Rubellite are their full names" (Nene)

"Gemstones, huh. Makes sense" (Yuna)

"Lapis? Rubel? Could you wake those two up? Gently, please. You can sit on them, but don't hurt them" (Nene)

Lapis moved to lie down on Noa's chest, batting at her nose like a cat might, while Rubel took the approach of breathing hot air in Shia's face. The two girls both started to stir, then they remembered what caused them to faint, or perhaps they just remembered that they had fainted, so they both sat bolt upright at almost the same time.

"Oh my. Sorry about showing you such an undignified sight, please fo-" (Shia)

"Don't mind it. Please, don't start talking to me in such a humble manner, you're nobility, I'm an immigrant from a non-existent country, and I'm trying to live as an adventurer. A D ranked adventurer, to be exact. In terms of current social positions, you are at the same or higher than my position. Heck, even the Empress of the Empire is someone you'd outrank due to her only having a whole five subjects... Ok, fine, seven, but still. I may be an S rank, but I don't want to be treated like a goddess because of it... I hate that sort of thing. As I said to Fina while you were asleep, I'd like us to be friends, and friends who are peers, at that" (Nene)

"Oh... Okay... Wait, are these miniature Dragons? A Red and a Blue. Your summons, I assume? To have them obey you is impressive, unless they are magical constructs made to obey you" (Shia)

"No, they're Dragons who once lived out in the wild, and still do, actually, who have been bound by contract to serve my family for generations. Honestly, besides things like striking fear into the hearts of my enemies and keeping me from getting lonely, summoning them is harder than doing whatever it is myself in most situations, so they don't get much use, sadly. Once I get to B rank, I might start having one of them fly next to me or perched on my shoulder at all times, just so that I can have them with me whenever I need them" (Nene)

"Oh... Wow, that's pretty... Huh. So, I guess that your ancestor was strong enough to tame them and make them want to serve him or her of their own free will? Does that mean that you might not be as-" (Noa)

"I wouldn't go that far. I am stronger than, like, the entirety of my summons put together, actually. By the way, they are fully-grown adults, they just are able to be whatever size they need to be thanks to the contract, so don't think that they are weaker than other Dragons... they are stronger than any of the ones that have shown up on this continent in the last several decades" (Nene)

"How so? There was a Gold Dragon that showed up about three years ago, and I heard there was an Ancient Dragon in the horde that you took out... oh. If you were able to kill an Ancient Dragon by yourself, you are definitely stronger than most Dragons are... Anyways, there was an Ancient Dragon that showed up a week ago, and yet you say that a Red and a Blue are stronger than it was? They are both -" (Shia)

"Look closely at their scales. They are both Gold-bordered, and due to being Gold-bordered Red and Gold-bordered Blue, they would be classified as God Dragons, right?" (Nene)

"Wait... God Dragons are real? And you control two of them? I... I don't know what to say, honestly" (Noa)

"You know, I might want to, once I get to rank B or rank A, show them to a guild to prove that they exist. Also, to be exact, I control 37 God Dragons, among over a thousand Dragons under my wing, so to speak" (Nene)

"I think that should wait until you reach rank S... Also, over a thousand? Good grief" (Yuna)

"So... anyone want some soup?" (Nene)