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"Welcome! This is Ice Heart Station, the place where countless people come and go from the city every single day!"
Ice Heart Station sprawled across a massive street lined with an impressive array of buildings. Hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of people moved constantly through the area, creating a vibrant and bustling atmosphere.
Humans, elves, dark elves, ice elves, mountain giants, ice giants, fire giants, lizardmen, beast folk, and many more races walked from one place to another. They chatted animatedly, sharing stories and exchanging goods from vastly different cultures.
Although Frostbane's population remained roughly seventy percent human, the city had grown far more diverse over the years. Increasing numbers of people from other planets such as Yggdrasil, Spiritias, and Zipangu had made their way here, bringing their unique traditions and perspectives with them.
Massive shops lined the streets, offering everything one could possibly dream of. Stylish clothing, elegant furniture, cutting-edge technology, the latest video games, delightful toys, and countless other treasures filled the brightly lit displays.
"Okay, let's go see the video games!" I exclaimed excitedly, dashing toward the nearest store without hesitation.
"Eh?! B-But the Adventurer Guild is right around the corner…" Gigantia muttered, hurrying after me with a worried expression.
I burst into the building and discovered both children and adults browsing the shelves with great interest. I had always wondered what kind of video game companies existed in this advanced world. To my pleasant surprise, several familiar names from my old world had survived and thrived here. Nintendo, Sega, Microsoft, and Sony had all adapted across decades and even endured a full apocalypse. It was truly impressive.
"Oh! The new Plumber Bros!" I gasped in delight. "But it requires the latest Nintendo Projector Switch? Whaaaaat? I don't have that. How much does it cost? Two thousand Frostbane Dollars…?! Wow, the inflation is through the roof, yet somehow it still isn't as bad as I expected."
"Huh? Young lady? Do you want to buy something?" Gigantia asked as she finally caught up to me. "Well, technically your bank account has been filled by your father, so you have a very generous allowance."
"I do?" I quickly checked my balance and nearly choked. "One hundred million?! Gah?!"
"Technology and video games are quite affordable compared to new weapons, rare materials, ingredients, armor, or magical accessories," Gigantia explained with a warm smile. "It is a decent allowance, but it can disappear quickly if you spend it on high-quality equipment. Not that you need anything urgent right now. Though you might want more materials soon."
"Hmm, yeah, I do," I replied, rubbing my chin thoughtfully. "Mongrel, Astraea, and Dryad still need to evolve. I am still gathering the right items for them."
"Why didn't you ask your father for those materials?" Gigantia sighed softly.
"I want to do it on my own!" I answered firmly. "It is a good excuse and motivator to get out and do some honest work, right?"
"I… I guess so," Gigantia nodded, shrugging her shoulders. "So? Are you buying anything? We should head to the Adventurer's Guild soon."
"Hmm, maybe later," I shrugged casually. "The games look cool, but real life feels much more interesting to me now."
"Now?" she tilted her head curiously.
Back on Earth, video games had been my only way to experience fantasy and adventure. Now that I was actually living in a real fantasy world, they felt somewhat redundant. Still, seeing how well they sold here proved that even in this magical realm, daily life could become routine for some people. Video games offered a much safer way to have fun without risking your life hunting monsters outside the city walls. That alone justified their popularity, especially since roughly seventy percent of the population consisted of ordinary civilians. Only the remaining thirty percent actively trained, hunted monsters, and explored the dangerous world beyond, according to my father.
We continued walking past several other lively shops until we reached a beautiful open area. A large park unfolded before us, revealing a vast natural space filled with soft grass, cute horned rabbits hopping around playfully, a lush forest, and a sparkling lake at its center.
The bustling city noise faded into the background as we strolled across the grass, enjoying the gentle breeze and peaceful scenery.
"It's so nice here!" I said happily, leaping around with pure joy.
"I'm glad you are enjoying yourself, young lady," Gigantia replied with a gentle smile. "Once we cross this park, we will reach the Adventurer's Guild."
As we moved forward, I spotted several robots selling ice cream to excited children. They had simple, rudimentary designs with thin can-like heads and glowing eyes, yet they worked enthusiastically.
"Buy one, get another for free!"
"Brand-new Spirit Fruit flavor!"
"Buy one and get another for free!"
They called out cheerfully to attract customers. The warm weather made me crave something cold, so I ran over to join the line. Gigantia followed closely behind, clearly stressed.
"Young lady, please don't run off all the time!" she cried out, sounding like she was having a small heart attack every time I left her sight.
"Hehehe, sorry!" I giggled, standing in line with the other children. "Wow, what flavor is that?" I asked, staring at a kid enjoying a striking blue and green ice cream.
"Hm? Are you new around the park?" a young elven boy asked. He had short red hair, bright green eyes, and wore a pair of cute glasses. He looked around my age, perhaps a year older, and seemed quite adorable. "Yeah, this is a new flavor: Cosmic Apple and Azure Star! It's really good! They say the ingredients come from outer space!"
"Cool!" I replied, jumping with excitement. "I'm Elizabeth! I'm new around here. I moved in with my big sis."
"I see," the boy said, growing a bit more interested now that he realized he had never seen me before. "I live in a neighborhood near these forests with my parents. We moved here from the countryside. Oh, right! I'm Alfie! U-Um, nice to meet you! Are you buying ice cream by yourself? Is your big sister not here?"
"A-Ah! Of course I am buying for her," Gigantia said, slightly caught off guard. "What flavor would you like, young la— I mean, young lass?"
"Hmmm… I want Azure Star and Popping Star!"
"Sure thing," she replied with a light smile. "Also…"
At my request, she ended up buying three ice creams. She chose a simple vanilla and chocolate for herself. The third one, wild berries with chocolate and pistachio, was meant for Vlad. Gigantia already knew exactly what flavors he preferred.
"Thank you," Vlad whispered softly from within my shadows as he accepted the treat. Alfie remained completely unaware of what had just happened.
"Wow, you really got the Popping Star flavor!" Alfie exclaimed in shock.
The ice cream was a vibrant mix of bright red, orange, and yellow, filled with large "star shards" — hard red candies that constantly emitted bright light and heat. They were clearly designed for races with high temperature resistance, such as young fire giants, rather than humans or elves.
"Yeah, I can eat it without any problem!" I said proudly before taking a big taste. "Hmm! It's so sweet, a little citric, and fruity. And the candy is hot, spicy, and super crunchy!"
"Woah, is your tongue okay?!" Alfie asked, genuinely surprised.
"I'm fine, hehe. Bleeeh!"
I stuck out my tongue, which was now painted in dramatic red, yellow, and orange flame patterns. "Phew!" I exhaled a small puff of fire from my mouth. "Hahaha! This is so much fun!"
"Are you really just a human?!" he asked, eyes wide with astonishment.
"I have a special class," I answered with a smile, winking at him playfully.
Alfie blushed for a moment before smiling back. "Hey, do you want to come play with my friends at the park?"
"Sure!" I nodded enthusiastically. "Gigantia, can we take a short break?"
"Ah… sure," she replied with a warm smile. "This is your first time interacting with normal children outside of noble circles, so you should enjoy it."
After that, I ran off with Alfie, quickly finishing my ice cream. We soon found his three other friends: two boys and one girl. One was a human boy with short black hair and gentle green eyes. The second was a tall fire giant boy with only a single small horn. The girl was an energetic cat beast folk.
"Alfie, who is she?" the cat girl asked, pointing at me. "New friend?"
"Yeah! We met at the ice cream stand, and she actually ate a whole Popping Star ice cream. Can you believe it?!" Alfie told them excitedly.
"No way! That thing always burns my tongue…" the human boy said in disbelief.
"Hahahah! You must be lying. That ice cream is made for us fire giants!" the fire giant boy laughed. "She probably tricked you somehow!"
"Fausto, she wasn't lying. I saw her— wow, you already ate it all?!" Alfie asked, stunned.
"Yep, it was really tasty," I replied with a giggle. "So what do you guys usually play? Oh, I know! Let's play catch!"
"With magic?" the fire giant boy asked with a big grin.
"Sure!" the rest of the kids agreed enthusiastically, and I decided to join in.
I quickly learned that children with magical abilities played on a completely different level. They ran at high speeds, flew through the air, launched fireballs at each other, and raised shields as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Wow. These kids really meant business.
Still, it felt incredibly fun to play with my abilities like this for once. Even though I was much older mentally, my current body wanted nothing more than to run around and enjoy being a little girl. This was my chance to experience the carefree childhood I had never gotten before.
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