Chapter 28

Hina and I entered the hotel, and much to our surprise, Aedric was waiting at the reception desk.

"You certainly took your time. It's nearly dinner now," he said, seeming more annoyed at having to wait for us than curious about where we'd been. "Let's head to the dining hall," he said without asking us any questions about our absence.

We began to eat as if nothing had happened. No one spoke. We ate in silence.

"Navnlos, I hope you're ready for tomorrow," Aedric said, breaking the silence.

"Tomorrow? What happens tomorrow?" I asked, confused.

"You can't be serious. Have you forgotten why we came to this city?"

"Ah, to sell your potions and—" In that moment, it struck me. "My identification."

"Exactly. It's tomorrow."

"I'd completely forgotten."

"After everything that has happened, is it really safe for him to go? We’ve drawn a lot of attention, especially Navnlos,” Hina said.

"All we can do is go and hope nothing goes wrong. But just in case, prepare yourself for the worst," Aedric said.

"I don't think I have the energy for any more fights like that. Can't you give me a break?"

"When we get back home, I'll give you a few days of rest."

"A few days? I'm afraid of whatever Spartan training you'll put me through after that."

"You're tougher than you think. You'll handle it just fine."

"That doesn't exactly give me confidence."

The three of us finished eating and headed to our rooms. We said goodbye to Hina at the reception, and Aedric and I made our way to our quarters.

"Your robe," I said, beginning to remove the garment that had covered me for most of the day. "I should return it."

"Don't worry. Keep it. I have more," Aedric replied, waving off my gesture. "Has it been useful?"

"I think without it, that first blow would have knocked me out cold."

"You're tougher than you realize. Have a bit more confidence in yourself."

We parted ways in the hallway, and I entered my room. Sapir was waiting there, and the moment I stepped inside, she began circling me anxiously.

I didn't have the energy to recount everything that had happened. She didn't push me to explain, but I could see the relief in her eyes that I was safe.

I decided to take a shower before heading to bed. When I entered the bathroom, I remembered the Azuris and realized there were no conventional faucets here. In that moment, I cursed the entire system, as exhaustion was beginning to overwhelm me. But this was the only system available, and I had no choice but to accept it, however reluctantly.

After managing to shower, I collapsed onto the bed, completely spent.

The next morning, Sapir had to wake me, as I was completely knocked out. Even when I went down to the reception area for breakfast, I was still half asleep. Hina was already waiting, looking as elegant as always. It seemed that no matter the situation, she always looked perfect. Aedric appeared a few minutes later with his usual carefree demeanor. The three of us ate breakfast calmly.

When we finished, it was time to depart. The administration building was quite far away, and I was nervous the entire journey. My heart felt like it was about to burst from my chest. The building was visible from a distance—it was enormous, with a grand entrance. People were coming and going in vast numbers. My nerves were growing worse with each step.

"Hina, stay here. I'll go in alone with Navnlos," Aedric said.

"I'll wait for you here and pray it goes well for you, Navnlos," Hina said warmly.

"Thank you."

Aedric and I entered the grand building. The reception area was enormous, filled with numerous counters, tables, chairs, and articles whose purpose I couldn't even guess. There were beings of every species imaginable here, both working and simply passing through as citizens.

Aedric made a gesture for me to wait while he approached a counter to ask for directions. After a few minutes, he returned.

"From here on, you'll have to go alone. They want to conduct an individual interview," he said, handing me a ticket. "This is your room number."

"An individual interview?" I said nervously.

"It's the first time I've heard of something like this, but it's normal given your situation. A member of a practically extinct clan has suddenly appeared—anyone would find that strange."

"What if I can't answer?"

"Trust in yourself. That's all you can do in this situation. There's no guide to correct or incorrect answers. You'll have to find your own way through this," he said, giving me an encouraging pat on the back.

If I continued to hesitate, I would lose my nerve entirely. So I began to walk without thinking too much about it. I made my way to the third floor, which was filled with hallways. I got lost for a few minutes before finding the correct room. When I finally located it, I knocked twice to check if anyone was inside.

"Come in," I heard from within.

I opened the door to find a small, poorly decorated room with a window overlooking the street. There was a wooden desk with two chairs and some furniture with drawers along the walls. Compared to the impressive reception hall, this was quite disappointing.

Sitting in one of the chairs was a young man with blonde hair, wearing a black suit with several medals pinned to his chest.

"Please, sit down," he said with a smile.

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you. Your name is Navnlos, if I'm not mistaken?" His tone was pleasant and agreeable.

"Yes, that's my name."

"I'm Astor Hrimvald. I just have a few questions for you."

In that instant, my entire body froze. That surname—it was Hina's surname. What was a member of her family doing here? And worse, he was from one of the most powerful houses. What did he want from me?

"Are you an apprentice of Aester?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Then you must know my sister. Her name is Estela, though I believe she now goes by Hina," his tone remained pleasant, which somehow made me even more nervous. It was as if he were toying with me.

"Yes, she's my companion, so to speak."

"Thank you for looking after her. Since I joined the Judges of Walpurgis, I don't see her very often."

My heart nearly stopped. The Judges of Walpurgis? I had never heard that organization's name before, but a noble and the title of judges—it was like the group Grandmother Isobel had warned me about. She'd told me to stay far away from them. If they discovered who I was, they would hunt me down.

"Don't be so tense. I haven't come to talk to you about your incident with the nobles."

He knew what had happened. I could feel my heart about to burst from my chest.

"What do you want with someone like me?"

"I came to punish the Aithmuir family. Although he is a noble, he involved civilians in something entirely personal. Not to mention the battle against a chimera in the middle of the city—that's something we cannot permit. To my surprise, when I learned about my sister's involvement, I knew I had to come here and investigate. But something caught my attention. There was a boy who seemed to also be Aedric's apprentice, and he had somehow survived an encounter with a chimera. How could I not be interested in someone like that?"

To my surprise, he began speaking without letting me interrupt, and given what he was discussing, I didn't think this was something he should be telling a civilian. He seemed to be the type who, once he starts talking, pours everything out easily—the complete opposite of Hina.

"When I went to look up your identification, I discovered you didn't have one. And on top of that, you were from a clan that was believed to be extinct. I had to take this opportunity to speak with you. By the way, don't tell anyone that I've told you this. It's confidential."

His carefree attitude surprised me greatly. I had imagined the nobles to be far more intimidating, though I couldn't let my guard down—I was still under threat.

"What do you want to know about me?" I said, maintaining my guard.

"How is it that you don't have an identification at your age?"

"Because my grandmother hid me due to what happened to our clan, I didn't have much contact with the outside world until I was old enough," I said, improvising with the context I had.

"Considering how the old Isobel is, that's exactly something she would do. Next question: How did you meet Aedric?"

"A witch introduced us. Her name was Ailith, I believe."

"You know Ailith?" he suddenly exclaimed.

"Is there something wrong with her?"

"We've been searching for her. She's one of the Judges of Walpurgis, but one day she left a letter saying she was taking a trip and disappeared. We've been looking for her ever since."

He really does let all the information slip out, I thought.

"Do you know where she is now?"

"No. After introducing me to Aedric, she left, and I haven't heard from her since."

Who would have thought that the person who brought me here was part of the same organization that hunts me? I couldn't remember her, nor how she'd brought me here, but when I saw her again, I wouldn't be able to hold back my feelings about her abandoning me like that.

"That slippery woman," he said, complaining. "Well, your story makes sense. Take this."

He tossed something toward me—a kind of seal.

"What is this?" I asked, surprised.

"Isn't this what you wanted? Your identification," he said casually.

In that moment, I felt an urge to scream. Had I really obtained it so easily?

"This seal is my identification?"

"No, man. You have to place it over the insignia of your clan, and then it will become your identification. Having lived isolated your entire life, it seems you don't even know the basics," he said with a slight laugh.

If I continued like this, he might grow suspicious. I couldn't afford to relax my guard.

I removed my shirt. On my shoulder was the insignia of the Cu Sith that Isobel had given me. I placed the seal over it, and the insignia began to glow—this time it didn't burn like when it was first placed on me. To my surprise, the mark began to transform. It was no longer several Cu Sith; it was now a single one, holding a sword in its mouth and bearing pieces of armor across its body.

"That's a fine insignia," Astor commented. "You now officially have your identification."

At last, I had it. After everything that had happened, I was finally an official citizen of this world.

Astor extended his hand. "It's been a pleasure meeting you. I hope you continue to take care of my sister."

"The pleasure has been mine," I said, shaking his hand.

After that, he said goodbye and left the room. I also exited and made my way back to the reception area. I didn't see Aedric anywhere, so I decided to go outside and find where we'd parted ways with Hina.

There I saw them both. When they spotted me, they raised their hands to greet me. I ran toward them.

"I got it," I said with a smile.

"Really?" Hina asked, excited.

I rolled up my sleeve to show them the mark on my shoulder.

The moment Hina saw it, she was overcome with emotion and threw herself at me, embracing me tightly.

"Congratulations," Aedric said. "This is the fruit of your work. It's through your effort that you've earned the right to stay here. To celebrate, I have a gift for you."

Aedric unhooked something from his back. He hadn't had it when we arrived, but he handed it to me.

It was the katana we had seen in Helena's shop.

"That sword seems to have chosen you. Use it well," he said.

I hadn't expected a gift like this. I nearly shed tears from the emotion of it all.

"Navnlos, welcome to this world," both Hina and Aedric said in unison.

Volume 1 - End