The Kingmaker System

There were various sounds around me which started to pound in my ears and I was forced to open my eyes but instantly closed them back because of the strong light that seemed to burn my retinas.

"Ugh..." I groaned and opened my eyes again, seeing a figure instantly perk up.

"Reina? Reina, are you awake?" It was Rune's voice.

"Does it hurt anywhere? Wait, I'll call the doctor!"

I gripped his hand before he could run off and he leaned closer to me with a worried expression on his face.

"A..." I croaked feeling my dry throat scratch, "Are you all right?"

His amber eyes grew teary as he held my hand in his, for some reason, I couldn't feel any pain in my body and even his arms which were supposed to be in bandages were clear.

"I-I'm all right. I'm so sorry, Reina. I failed to protect you." He sniffled and I frowned.

He failed to protect me? I almost got us both killed!

"Don't say that," I spoke as I pushed myself up to the sitting position and he helped put a pillow at my back before I faced him properly.

"Do-Does it hurt anywhere?" He asked and I shook my head.

I noticed that I was back in my room so, maybe Rune got us out of that cave or help arrived for us.

"How are your injuries?" I asked as I reached out and brushed his hair away to look at the gash which was the most serious one.

But to my surprise or rather utter shock, there was nothing. His wound had disappeared without a trace.

"Reina-"

"Wait, what happened to your wound?" I asked as I looked at his hands and then at mine, nothing but clear, flawless skin.

"What the hell happened?" I wondered aloud.

"We were in that mine and then how did we get out?"

Was that all a dream? That mine, the fall, the cave, the dragon?

"Reina, listen to me," Rune said and my eyes focused on him.

"You have awoken after three days and..."

"And?"

"Father found out, he's really worried. Shall I call him?" He said and I gave him a nod.

[Task Complete.

{Investigate the mine with Rune Aurelius.}

Rewards Received: Complete knowledge of the skill of Mana Eyes.]

There was a sudden dizziness that made me close my eyes before I felt as if I had received a revelation. I could somehow feel as if I knew everything about the Mana Eyes.

The knowledge of the Mana Eyes was directly transferred to my brain.

"Now that's cool!" I smiled.

[Acquired skills: Underwater Diver, Breathing Technique, Superior Endurance, Supreme Strength.]

[Magic Unlocked: Frost.

Class: Apprentice.]

"Unlocked!" I was slightly suspicious, though my level of usage of this magic was at the basic level yet, I had awakened it when I wasn't even having it as a reward.

[Defender of Divine Glory assures you that there is no need to be suspicious, the attribute of Frost is the magic passed down in the Aurelius lineage and since you have the blood of the Aurelius it expressed itself.]

"So, I basically just unlocked it without any criteria?"

[Goddess of Wisdom explains that due to the extreme condition that you were in your magic was triggered.]

So, it was like the time when in a fight and flight situation a person could gain superhuman strength.

I was happy with my haul, getting some superior skills and my magic unlocked was the thing to be celebrated.

There were other notifications which before I could open the doors of my room opened and I looked at Duke Aurelius, Rune, the Butler Tobias and the doctor entering my room.

"Reina!" The Duke hurried over and hugged me making me grow stiff.

He released me and held my face in his hands looking at me with glistening eyes, I avoided looking directly into them not because they were blindingly beautiful but because I felt guilty for the dislike that I had for him.

I pretended to be a good and loving daughter to him while I hid my discomfort when he was behaving like a father to me. I wasn't his daughter, nor did I want a father figure in my life.

"How could you do this to me?" He cried as he looked at me and Rune.

"You know how dangerous it could have been?" He started scolding us and I kept quiet.

"Fa-Father, stop, please... Reina just woke up." Rune said and the Duke heaved a sigh.

"You two..." He groaned as he massaged his temples.

"Your Grace, allow me to look after Young Master and Young Miss. You have kept the guests waiting, you must return for now." Tobias said bowing and the Duke reluctantly left.

The doctor diagnosed me and after concluding that I was fine he left me with Rune and Tobias.

"Tobias, I'm hungry, Can you get me something to eat?"

"I understand, Princess. I will bring you something right away."

Tobias bowed and left and I looked at Rune.

"What happened?" I asked and he licked his lips.

"When... I came to consciousness I found us in a different cave, there were a lot of magic stones around us but I couldn't see you anywhere." He said and I kept quiet listening to him.

"I looked around for you and found you at the bottom of the crater, unconscious."

"Crater?"

"Yes, it seemed like a dried-up lake and your clothes and hair were drenched as well."

"Dried-up lake?" I frowned but let him go ahead.

"I tried to wake you but you weren't waking up so, I carried you out. It was almost like a miracle that I found a way out and we were found by our knights who were looking for us."

"What about our wounds?" I asked and he shook his head.

"I didn't notice it until later but it seems like our wounds were healed."

"Healed?"

"I know, right? Even I couldn't understand how our injuries were healed so quickly!" Rune's eyes glinted with curiosity.

"But, that's not all!" He said, "I told Father about the cave with magic stones but even though I took them to that place we couldn't find the cave. We always ended up getting lost."

I was confused slightly but then I remembered something.

"I am grateful for thy help and in return, I grant thou this lair and whatever remains of mine power. You shall be regarded as my progeny."

The dragon's last words echoed in my head and I couldn't help but open the notifications to confirm it.

[Congratulations you have acquired the lair of the dragon.]

[Congratulations you have acquired the magic of Supreme Aqua Dragon.]

He was a Supreme Dragon?

[Congratulations you have been entitled as the "Supreme Dragon's Scion."]

My head almost spun as I read something completely unexpected.

"Unbelievable..." I gasped.

"That's what I'm saying!" Rune spoke up making me focus on him.

"What?"

"How could we not find that place again?"

I frowned at that, was it because I was given ownership of the lair that no one could find it?

"I will go with you this time," I announced.

"Huh? But you're not well."

"I'm all right now."

Rune looked at me with a slightly hesitant expression and I frowned.

"What's wrong? I told you I'm all right. If it's about father then I'll talk to him."

"No, it's... it's not like that."

"Then what?" He pursed his lips holding my hands in his.

"There's another problem."