Tenya and the others were naturally confused at the Princess' shift in behavior. Whatever had happened in the past day?

However, they weren't complaining. Jisha was already 13 years old, yet she often acted like a young child. In many metrics, even the 10-year-old Niyo was already more mature than her.

Indeed, after turning 10, the etiquette the royal children learned should have been put into practice. How to be a leader, how to act in front of others in public, how you treat subordinates... This, among other things like basic management skills, should have been hammered into them by this age.

Of course, no one was perfect starting out. This was why the "apprenticeship" started at such an early age. By the time they were 18, they should be prepared for official duties.

For better or for worse, no royal staffers expected anything from Jisha when she turned 18, so most of them had pretty much given up on her and shifted their focus towards Niyo. Hopefully, Nina took after her brother's behaviours rather than her sister's.

The fact that she legitimately ordered them to enter the vehicle was a huge boost to their morale, even if she still refused to speak.

But... the DMV?

This was a dangerous location for multiple reasons. Aside from the obvious risk of physical injury, there was potential for reputation damage as well. To be fair, it was unlikely for Jisha's reputation among the public to slide lower, even if there were outliers who cherished her whimsical behavior...

So maybe it wasn't *that* bad of an idea? After all, most people who visited the DMV never actually tested for a license. As long as Jisha was leaving her room, they would take responsibility for keeping her safe.

Tenya and the others looked at each other. They could only imagine the news cycle after Jisha's appearance at the DMV was known...

The pod slowed into its stop, and Tenya felt a tug on his sleeve.

"Uncle Tenya..."

What a relief. She hadn't lost all of her childlike nature, at least. The popsicle stick she enjoyed on the way here was only further evidence of this.

Wait, a relief? No! She needed to grow up! This was bad!

"Yes, Princess?" he said with complicated feelings.

"Clear the building."

This... was a controversial order. On one hand, no other people in the building would improve the chances of safety. On the other hand, the Slykers were not an authoritarian family unlike the previous dynasty. Flaunting their power for something so trivial and selfish was not a good idea.

"Princess, that would be rather authoritarian. Are you sure?"

"Hm... You're right. Let's proceed as normal."

Tenya nodded, relieved. "Very well, Princess. Please do not be concerned - this does not mean we will abandon our duties of protecting you.

Jisha nodded.

 

---

 

*Close call.*

Jisha had been so accustomed to using force to solve minor inconveniences like this that she'd forgotten that one of her family's tenets was to not impose any more force than absolutely necessary on civilians.

In the present day, cultivation was not widely recognized. Only after Synergy became mainstream did ordinary people recognize that cultivators were not to be messed with. Sending a warning message was only polite and customary.

On top of this, it was best to avoid any more eyes on Slyker than necessary. Especially with their ASI agent active, other countries could suspect foul play and try to throw them under the bus in the name of preserving the Oasis Treaty. However, on the topic of cultivation, the driver's license was necessary in order to reach a place ripe with mana. Only during this time of year, when snow was absent from the ground, was travel to and from this place simple.

The three bodyguards entered the building with Jisha following close behind. It wasn't a surprise that the lobby wasn't empty, though it wasn't bustling, either. She scanned the clean white surfaces with a strange sense of nostalgia - though it wasn't a particularly important location in her childhood, the way people conducted themselves was reminiscent of a bygone era.

Several families were visiting with their excited kids who were swiping at interactive screens displaying technology, history, minigames, and more.

A few citizens, likely of the upper class, discussed some matters around a sleek red concept car on display.

A group of junkies were sitting on the comfortable couches nearby discussing outcomes of recent events.

*Are they gamblers? I wonder if there's any tests scheduled for today.*

Gambling on the outcome of drivers' exams was nothing new. Ever since the probability of actually achieving a license dipped below 1%, the participants became somewhat like horses in a race for others to bet on.

Who was here to take the test? What were the odds they'd succeed? How would they fare compared to past and future applicants?

Unsurprisingly, the ones sitting on the couches were the first to take notice of the four new entrants. In a place like this, an individual entering surrounded by bodyguards wasn't something special. Jisha was well-hidden by her bodyguards and robe, so she drew minimal attention.

As they walked towards the reception desk, she couldn't help but eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Is that him?"

"No, their principal appears to be a girl."

"Dammit, is he flaking out?"

"That wouldn't surprise me..."

*So there is one scheduled for today?*

Jisha walked up to the receptionist, a young man with sleek black hair, to find out for sure.

"Hello, miss. How can I help you today?" the man, wearing a blank name tag, said.

*It's not a human?*

Normally, in luxurious lobbies like this one, the receptionist or concierge would be a human. The problem with humans, however, was that they needed days off; it wasn't odd that every so often there wasn't a human in charge of running the front desk. In the current day, there weren't many good ways to tell humans and robots apart with the naked eye.

*I miss mana so much... and it hasn't even been a day.*

"I want to schedule a preliminary exam for today," she said without hesitation.

Tenya sighed and the two others shook their heads. The preliminary exam for a driver's permit wasn't physically dangerous, but to them, it was insane that the young lady who'd spend all her time alone in her room would want to attempt something as adventurous as this.

"Very well," the receptionist bot said. "We can schedule your appointment after a payment of 40,000 rupees."

Jisha nodded and paid with her smartwatch. Naturally, to her, this was nothing. However, for the ordinary citizen, this was a rather large sum, even more than the average salary for a Northeasterner.

After efficient nuclear fusion was solved, the use of money by the common man fell out of favor as more and more things were available for free. The fact that this service cost any money at all was a testament to its prestige.

"Payment received," the bot said. "The next available time is 14:30. Will this work for you?"

Jisha checked the time.

 

*>14:08*

 

"Can we not start any sooner?"

The bot shook its head. "Unfortunately, the schedule is set in fixed blocks of half hours."

*That sucks. I suppose the technology for scheduling such complicated appointments just isn't here yet.*

This wasn't a huge problem, though. There was some time to explore the massive museum known as the DMV.

Meanwhile, her bodyguards looked a bit relieved that the test didn't begin immediately...

"Okay... 14:30 it is, then."

"Please be ready at the designated time."

Jisha nodded and turned away from the desk.

"Don't stray too far away from us," Tenya said.

Jisha looked at him curiously and nodded to placate his worries.

*Is he worried I've grown up too quickly, or will I still be treated like a child?*

She looked over at a family nearby - a mother and two kids.

"Mom, it's the first cars! Let's go in there please?"

The eldest, probably around Niyo's age, excitedly gestured towards a dark room with flashing lights.

"Of course. No running!"

They made their way inside.

Jisha approached the hollow doorway and read the sign outside.

"Automotive History Exhibit..."

She peeked inside - the room was unsurprisingly very large, and countless holograms of cars of old were stationed on the floor. Full cars, half cars, interactive cross sections, and much, much more was available. The kids were having a blast throwing the holographic parts around.

She stepped away and bit her lip in jealousy. Would it ever be possible for her to run around like that, without a care in the world, ever again? The best she could do was lose herself in games...

"Speaking of games..."

She glanced over at a teenage boy furiously tapping away at the wall - what sort of minigame was this?

A few seconds later, the screen flashed signaling the end of the game.

 

*>New High Score:...*

 

Curiosity piqued, Jisha walked over.

"Whatcha playin'?" she said, hiding her face with her robe.

"Huh?" he jumped. He clearly never expected anyone to bother him.

"It's my first time here," she continued. "What's this?"

"It's..."

The boy hesitated. Instead of speaking any further, he swiped along the screen and restarted the game.

 

*>Level 1:*

 

On the bottom of the screen was a car, and all over the screen were several obstacles. At the top of the screen was a finish line.

With his index finger, the boy drew a green line from the car. His hand nimbly darted around the obstacles, and he lifted his finger at the finish line. In the bottom right corner was a play button - after finishing drawing the line, he pressed it.

The car smoothly drove itself along the line the boy had drawn. It cleanly dodged everything in its path and rolled across the finish line.

 

*>Level clear!*

*>Level 2:*

 

The boy stepped back and looked inquisitively at Jisha.

"You... want to try?"

"Of course!"