The palace courtyard was covered in a blanket of pale stone, decorated with low fountains and carefully trimmed trees.
Max walked alongside Elanor, still feeling out of place.
The princess glanced at him from the corner of her eye, clearly intrigued.
"Max… may I ask you something?"
'What does she want?'
"Uh, yeah. I guess."
She smiled, clasping her hands behind her back.
"Your race. You said you're human, right?"
"Yeah. Just a normal, ordinary human."
Elanor tilted her head, studying him.
"That's curious. I thought you'd be much more… different."
Max looked at himself, then back at her.
"I don't know. We're not that different physically either."
He made a vague gesture with his hand.
"I mean… you're basically the same, just a bit more pointy-eared."
Half a second of silence followed.
Elanor's eyebrows arched.
"Excuse me?"
Max realized it too late.
'Way too late.'
She stepped a little closer and raised a hand, pointing at her own ear.
"These are not big."
Then she extended her finger toward him.
"Yours are small."
Max blinked.
For a second, they stared at each other.
And then, both of them laughed.
Max rubbed the back of his neck, still smiling.
'I'm walking around with the red-haired elven princess from one of my favorite games.'
'If my friends from the server could see this…'
'They'd die of envy.'
As they walked on, a maid approached with soft steps and a slight bow.
"Princess Elanor, would you like something to drink or eat?"
Max turned his head to respond—
—and froze.
Cat ears.
A tail.
Moving.
He blinked once.
Twice.
'…okay.'
Elanor noticed his expression immediately.
"Is something wrong, Max?"
He reacted at once.
"Huh? No, no. Nothing."
The maid—Sophie, as she had introduced herself earlier—looked at them with a polite smile.
"I'll be nearby if you need anything."
She withdrew silently.
Max kept staring at her with a strange, stunned look.
Elanor frowned slightly.
"Why were you looking at Sophie like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like something bothered you."
Max quickly shook his head.
"No, no. Not at all. Just… culture shock."
She watched him for a moment, evaluating him, then nodded.
"I understand."
He used the pause to change the subject before things got worse.
"So… you. What do you do all day here in the palace?"
Elanor sighed softly.
"I read. I study. Basic magic."
She made a small pout.
"And I look out the window."
Max tilted his head.
"You can't go out?"
"Not without an escort. And not very far."
She smiled, though there was a hint of resignation in her expression.
"Being a princess has its limits."
Max nodded slowly.
'Okay.'
'Confirmed.'
'Being an important NPC isn't that fun either.'
Max walked on, glancing down at his own clothes, realizing he was still wearing his pajamas.
'This is bad.'
He cleared his throat.
"Uh… Princess."
She looked at him attentively.
"Yes?"
"Is there any chance that… I could change clothes?"
The princess stared at him.
Max lowered his gaze slightly.
"I don't really feel comfortable wearing this."
Elanor looked him up and down, as if noticing it for the first time.
Then it clicked.
"Oh."
She covered her mouth, holding back a soft laugh.
"You're right. That's not appropriate for someone who lives in the palace."
She turned her head.
"Sophie."
The cat maid appeared almost instantly.
"Yes, Princess?"
"Take measurements of my pet and prepare some comfortable clothes for him. Something simple that he can wear around the palace."
Max stiffened.
'Your what?'
"Pet…?"
Elanor ignored him with absolute elegance.
Sophie stepped toward Max—
—and pulled out a measuring tape.
Max took half a step back.
"Uh—wait—"
She was already close.
Sophie crouched slightly, focused, measuring him with absolute professionalism.
Max stood stiff as a statue.
'Okay.'
'Breathe.'
'This isn't weird.'
'It's just a cat girl measuring—'
Sophie's tail swayed.
Max swallowed.
Elanor watched him… then suddenly laughed.
"Why are you making that face?"
Max didn't answer.
Sophie measured his arms.
Then his torso.
Then his legs.
Every second felt eternal to him.
Elanor was openly laughing now.
"Relax, Max. She doesn't bite."
"I hope so."
Sophie looked up.
"I usually don't."
Max froze.
Elanor laughed even harder.
Finally, Sophie stepped back.
"All done."
She put away the tape.
"You'll have your clothes before dinner."
She withdrew with a small bow.
Max let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
'I survived.'
Elanor was still smiling.
"You're funny."
Before he could respond—
A flash appeared before his eyes.
[System notification]
Max blinked.
'…Now what?'
[A quest has been activated]
[Quest: What She Doesn't Say]
[Description: Princess Elanor smiles easily. That doesn't mean she's fine.]
[Objective: Identify the cause of Elanor's sadness]
[Conditions:
— Do not force a confession
— Do not use authority or pressure]
[Reward: ???]
Max stood still.
'Always the question marks...'
Suddenly, he felt curious.
'My skill.'
He remembered the ability he had ignored until now.
'Rank SSS.'
He opened the panel mentally.
[Skill — Rank SSS]
[Name: Absolute Amplification]
[Full description unlocked]
Max read carefully.
[All items the user consumes, uses, or equips have their effects amplified proportionally to the item's rank]
[Consumable items: enhanced effects]
[Equippable items: enhanced secondary effects]
[Learning items: enhanced effects]
[Limitation: the user's stats cannot increase through any item, level-up, consumable, or spell.]
A chill ran down Max's spine.
'…Wait.'
'Does that mean…?'
He remembered the book.
The languages.
The achievement.
'It wasn't a bug.'
'It was me. My skill'
He slowly lifted his gaze, looking at the palace, the princess, the world.
'Okay, system.'
'So we're playing for real.'
Elanor looked at him, curious.
"Max?"
He smiled faintly.
"Nothing."
"I was just thinking…"
'That this skill might be ridiculously broken.'