*Speaking of freedom, let's get out of these restraining clothes.*

The place she planned to go was not dress-friendly, so it was time to slip into something more athletic.

She stared into her endless wardrobe, and her ignorance of current fashion wasn't the only issue.

*Analysis paralysis...*

"Eia..."

"Yes, Princess?"

"I'm going to go... do something athletic. Can you pick something out for me?"

*Not sure if I should tell her where I'm really going.*

Would Eia forcibly restrain her from leaving if Jisha told the truth? ASIs could easily detect lies, and "something athletic" wasn't a lie.

"Of course," Eia said, bowing her head. "I'm not sure what your intentions are, but this should suffice."

It was already odd that Jisha was requesting aid with physical activity, so Eia was naturally suspicious. However, exercise was healthy, so at the end of the day, everything was alright.

Eia selected several articles of clothing from the massive conveyor wardrobe and helped Jisha put them on one by one.

The first was a pair of leggings, and after looking into its information online, it was manufactured with some modern nanomaterials that helped with joint stability and compression, similar to knee braces.

Next was a biometric sports bra, and Jisha could do nothing but stare at it.

"... It's that small?"

"Don't complain, Princess. You are malnou-"

"OKAY, that's enough," Jisha said as she swiped the bra from Eia's hands and put it on herself. As soon as she did, her heart rate, blood pressure, electrolyte levels, and much more information flooded the UI of her contact computer.

 

*>Pulse: 91*

 

Jisha's mouth twitched. A resting heart rate of 91 beats per minute? Some exercise was definitely in order.

Eia further handed her a breathable t-shirt, socks, sneakers, hair ties, and...

"What's this?"

"Your robe, naturally."

"..."

*That animation is out of control.*

If she were to wear this "regal" robe in public, she'd attract as much attention as an epilepsy-inducing LED billboard.

"Eia, I'm not wearing that."

"Princess, you must wear this on all public summer outings."

*Oh my gosh...*

This was the complete opposite of her style! How was she supposed to stay low-key outside? If this were a normal society, someone would definitely make fun of her for it...

"Can't I just wear a hoodie instead? I want to hide my face."

"No, that is unacceptable."

"Unacceptable? Do I *have* to wear that thing?"

"You must wear it in the summer, Princess. You do not have Imperial clearance."

"What??? That doesn't even make sense!"

"I did not write the rules, Princess. For your information, it is not necessary to wear it during sporting events. If you like, you may also disable the animation."

"Why didn't you just tell me that to begin with..."

Jisha, finally acquiescing, allowed Eia to dress her with the "robe" - now a sleek black and red design.

*Is this fashionable?*

What person in their right mind would wear something like this on top of what was essentially workout clothes? She had to chalk it up to another of the summertime fashion's eccentricities.

At the very least, the fabric was extremely light and barely hindered her movement.

"Alright, Eia, I'm leaving."

"See you soon, Princess."

Before she set foot out the door, though, the Epicuria drew her eyes in like a magnet.

*Surely one more stick of Sand can't hurt?*

Without looking back, Jisha unapologetically swiped a stick of Blue Sand and sat back in her pod. For the second time today, the pod accelerated towards the main hall. This time, to pick up her bodyguard entourage.

*Tenya, huh?*

Like Niyo, he died tragically at the beginning of the war. His death, unlike Niyo's, didn't feel nearly as personal. In this life, she hadn't even interacted with him yet. The only time she'd seen him was in the morning assembly, and even then, all he really did was take Nina to her room.

Personality-wise, there wasn't much to say about him. He was diligent and loyal, and was there any more one could ask of a head butler/bodyguard?

*I hope it won't be a problem.*

The only thing was... he might be *too* diligent and loyal. Not only was Jisha a minor, but she was under academy age.

*At least the latter will change next week.*

Currently, the restrictions on her autonomy would be very high. And who other than the diligent Uncle Tenya could enforce such restrictions so effectively?

The pod pulled up to the main hall's entrance. The doors slid open to reveal a gargantuan room with regal white pillars, marble flooring, lavish red-and-black patterned carpeting, and waterfalls on the walls. This was only beginning to describe the ostentatiousness of it all.

This was not the same hall in which they'd filmed their morning assembly. Though it was a "main hall" in a central location, the countless pod stops varied in permissions and purpose. This was the general purpose public hall, one reserved for any functions, parties, or any other meetings requiring a large number of guests. In other words, like any ordinary palace, this place was a display of national wealth and strength.

Standing not too far away was a trio wearing dark clothes hemmed with red and gold. Their clothes weren't form-fitting, but they weren't baggy, either. Their broadness exuded some sense of authority and strength.

The most striking thing was their eyes - their irises, and even most of their sclerae, were pitch-black. The dark contact lenses helped them avoid being recognized, as well as adding an extra layer of protection against non consensual retina scanning.

The man in the middle had a cut akin to a mohawk, and the two on either side of him had clean buzz cuts. They were all middle-aged, but no white hairs had sprouted on their heads yet.

*Tenya was around 107, I think? As for Asimai and Volos... I don't remember.*

Regardless, these three men's ages were not nearly high enough to justify their deaths.

Jisha didn't even bother disembarking. As much as she wanted to walk out and greet them, it was important to show that she knew how to handle herself like an adult. Her status was higher, and any behavior unbefitting of such was childlike and unworthy of respect.

Rather, she waved towards them, signaling for them to enter.

Tenya and the two others looked at each other, confused.

*Yep, you're going to have to get used to the "new" me.*

Despite their confusion, the three followed orders and took their seats inside the pod. Tenya took his seat right next to her, and Asimai and Volos sat across from them. As the pod could comfortably fit 6, there was more than enough arm and leg room for the four of them.

"Where shall we go, Princess?" Tenya asked curtly.

Without saying a word, Jisha pulled up a holographic screen in the middle of the pod.

"That's..."

The three of them nearly voiced their complaints but uncomfortably pursed their lips instead. Though Jisha hadn't spoken, this *was* technically an order. The question was... did the order her father provided overrule hers?

*There shouldn't be a reason to refuse.*

"Princess... Are you certain?"

Jisha nodded.

*Their orders should just be protecting me, and if that's the case...*

"... Very well," Tenya acceded.

Where were they going?

 

*>Departure: "sand castle (Home)" (13:57)*

*>Destination: "DMV" (14:05) (25 km) (8 min)*

*>Advanced Details:*

*>Type: Taxi*

*>Speed (m/s) / Accel (m/s^2) / Jerk (m/s^3): 30/10/0*

*>Direction: W (Vector 180)*

*>Map: ...*

 

DMV - a boring acronym for a once-boring place.

A motor vehicle department was the place to get access to another important item for freedom - a driver's license!

Over the many years since its inception, the concept of DMVs underwent numerous changes. However, the reason for its existence remained the same. In the beginning, when the first automobiles were invented, there was no such thing as a driver's license. Eventually, they became fast and dangerous enough for unskilled users to pose serious threats to the general public, so authorities instated restrictions for such vehicles.

Most humans continued to operate vehicles for approximately two centuries after the invention of the automobile, and by that point, the ordinary license was insufficient. With the advent of full self-driving (FSD) in the Intelligence Age, commercial bots could out-perform ordinary humans on the road. An old problem resurfaced once more - the vast majority of accidents were caused by unskilled users.

So, the restrictions tightened. Manual users of automobiles dwindled. Eventually, by the Mirage Age, even the most mediocre bots out-performed the best humans. There was no longer any need for an ordinary citizen to possess a driver's license, and by this point, the tests were so stringent that they were no longer worth it.

Thus, the driver's license became somewhat of a status symbol. Driving on public roads was still possible for humans, but as stoplights and human-legible traffic signs were phased out of existence during the Mirage Age, it was exponentially more difficult than anyone was willing to try. Not to mention, the risk of injury and death during examinations increased as well.

As time passed, less and less people owned a license due to the lack of interest as well as increasing test difficulty. The ownership of a driver's license was a symbol of talent and dedication for some, and a laughable waste of time for others.

 

Regardless, there were still cases in which a driver's license was important. Sections of road existed where FSD cars did not go. Sometimes, they were prohibited by private enterprises or government enforcement. Other times, the roads did not meet the FSD regulations in which the safety of bot driving decreased drastically.

*Not to mention off-roading...*

These days, DMVs were void of citizens genuinely interested in obtaining a license. There were even days where zero members of the public set foot inside. However, there were select obsessed fans that visited on days that a driver's exam was scheduled. For these people, DMVs were like museums or amphitheaters...

What would the situation be like today? It was time to find out.

The pod decelerated and depressurized - they'd arrived.