“So, do you happen to know where we are?” The girl asked, sitting on a bench.


    After collapsing, she had stood up and found that her legs were still shaking so she moved to a nearby bench. The bench is marked with familiar lines of shifting color between the panels of wood.


    “Sorry, I don''t know either.”


    “Oh… It’s alright, there must be someone around here that can tell us.”


    The girl looks around. We had run without direction, winding up in the middle of a park. The park, a pocket of trees in a seemingly urban area, was big enough to block the view of the streets around it. The trees, whose leaves are a faint yellow color, blow in the wind. The park was empty, no one walked by or near us. Maybe on account of the explosion.


    “Ah, Here, I''m looking for this place.” the girl says as she hands me a piece of paper she retrieved from her pocket, after separating it from a separate piece of paper. The piece of paper that had separated, which now was shoved back into her pocket, interests me, but if the other is what I believe, then I don''t need to ask about it.


    The paper reads:


    University Of Yuuna Applicant Entrance Test- Group C


    Meeting spot: Pastdown Inn- Yildon. (Near the Left Gate)


    -Satomi Ceres


    The card was identical to the one I had been given. Denoting a meeting place and group of which a potential student of the University has been assigned.


    “Oh uh, actually me too.” I awkwardly reply, showing her my ticket.


    “Oh! I see, that makes a lot of sense with that spell back there.” she exclaimed, standing from the bench. “So, you must be aiming for the Magus course, yeah?”


    “I guess, you too then, I saw that you had the pass.” The piece of paper she had taken out with her ticket had been the pass to the higher course.


    “Oh… yeah” the girl, or rather, Ceres says. “I’m not sure yet, as you saw… I''m not in the best shape when it comes to my control over the spirits. Or, really, any situation like that…”


    It was true that the alleyway scene was confusing. By all means, Satomi Ceres was stronger than that man.


    The “Pressure” was a giveaway of a Magus’s strength and power, which is why it is  more commonly known as a “tell”. Whether someone specialized in martial arts or Magic, it didn''t matter, as long as one''s “tell” was perceivable, it was a clear giveaway to their abilities. So, it was a given that the elf should have been in a better position than the harasser, so why had things gone the way it did. It''s probably best I don''t ask.


    “Well, just do whatever you think is best but you really should try to hide your ‘tell’”


    “Huh?! It’s out?! Crap, is that why...>?”


    ‘Yeah, I’d guess that''s why that guy was so stubborn about asking you” Seemed like the type of guy to be intrigued by someone stronger than him.


    “I’ve tried everything, but it just won’t go away. Haah”


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    The way to hide a tell is actually quite simple, you simply control your emotions. “Magic is simply burdening the world with your issues.” as a famous quote from a book on magic says. If this much mana was stirred well Ceres was controlling her emotions, then…


    “Well, let''s worry about that later, for now we need to figure out where we are.”


    “Y-yeah, that''s a good idea.”


    The “pressure” wouldn’t be perceived by anyone who couldn’t use magic, so as long as we stick to main roads we should be fine.


    “So, a weird question… Is this Yildon?” I ask Ceres.


    “I was actually gonna ask you that…”


    “How do you not know?!”


    “I could ask you the same thing!”


    We walk away from the alley and towards the exit from the park. I was transported to a weird liminal tunnel, and wound up here. How does she not know where this is? Is it possible that she also went through that..?


    “So… we may be in the completely wrong town? On the day we’re supposed to meet up?” Ceres began. “Isn''t this really bad?!”


    “We may have to rush to the train station, are you able to run again?” At least we know we''re on Cynosure.


    “Yeah, I can.” Ceres says as we reach the exit to the park. Looking back at it from the street, it really looks like a forest that has gotten lost in a city.


    The view of a street filled our vision. Both of us understood that our situation couldn’t be any worse. In the worst case we may have to rush across the continent in hopes of being let in late. Both of us readied ourselves for a grueling race back to Yildon.


    “Um, excuse me!” I call out as soon as I see a person.


    A middle aged woman, opening the windows and sweeping in front of a shop, looked back at me. Seemingly her morning routine, she didn''t wear anything too striking, just a simple skirt and shirt, the only thing sticking out about her the 2 rings on her fingers.


    “Yes, how may I help you?” The woman responds.


    “I was just wondering if you know a “Pastdown Inn” around here?” I ask. I specifically avoided asking about the town''s name, after all, it''s not as if someone can actually just walk into a town without knowing its name. Bringing needless suspicion would be bad, especially when this country was so heavily policed.


    “Why yes, It''s just on the other side of the park there, just back the way you came.”


    “...”


    “...’


    We had run past it.


    ▽ ▼ ▽ ▼ ▽ ▼ ▽


    The inn is just what one would think an inn would look like.


    Walking in we are greeted by a man behind the front desk. He’s older, a scar across the right side of his face. A cat-like ear protruding from the left side of his head, whereas the right only has the scar. He looks back at us for a moment before clicking his tongue.


    “You two need a room? Rooms? A room is 10 red.” The old man says grouchily.


    “Um.. No, we''re actually here for the university.” I say, extending my hand out with the ticket.


    “Ah, you''re over there.” the old man says, pointing to the left.


    To the left of the old man is an opening leading to several tables and chairs. A couple people sit at the tables with food in front of them. A restaurant to his left, and to his right were stairs, supposedly leading to the rooms of the inn.


    Ceres didn''t look at the old man as we walked into the restaurant. The sounds of pots and pans being used resonate from deeper in the restaurant.


    Booths line the two side walls. 3 rows of tables occupy the majority of the floor space. On the back wall is a counter, with the kitchen behind it. The booth next to the counter was marked by a sign. It reads- Yuuna University, Group C.


    We both walk over to the booth. Once we get in front of the booth, we are greeted by three people.


    Sitting on the left side is a girl with dark black hair. She looks back at us with deep blue eyes and a condescending look. She wears an extravagant dress covered in frills and jewellery.


    On the right side, a girl with glasses wearing the uniform of the university.


    sitting next to her is a rugged man with an unlit cigarette in his mouth, looking at us suspiciously.


    “Hello, are you guys potential students?”


    “Yeah.”  I respond as Ceres nods.


    “It’s nice to meet you, I''m Clara Fay, the leader of this group.” The girl, Clara, says as she sticks out her hand.


    “I-I''m Satomi Ceres” Ceres says as she shakes her hand.


    “...” For a moment the words don’t leave my mouth. I should be used to this by now…


    “I… I’m N-”


    “Wha-!”


    A noise from behind me interrupts my introduction.


    Instinctively, I turn around to see the interloper, A feeling of Déjà vu hitting me.


    A girl is standing in the entrance to the restaurant. Her hair a light pink, she holds her head in her hands. Though her presence was new, she was not the one to have called out.


    In front of that girl stood a boy. He was filthy, as if a ball of dust had exploded in front of his face. Actually, that’s exactly what happened.


    “It’s you two!” The boy yelled as he pointed at me and Ceres.


    The “Hero” had arrived.