ã€ŠMoving Up in the Worldã€‹


 1 - Long Distance Travel

    The old geezer froze as he sat, he wouldn¡¯t take such disrespect from a child playing at being a man. Faintly, he heard someone asking him to stand, so they could get to their place, but he didn¡¯t move¨C just stared across rows of seats at the arrogant whelp. They both knew what this was.

    After a few too many tense moments, his old eyes collapsed in defeat, they weren¡¯t what they used to be. The young man, having won, smiled inappropriately wide. Oliver, barely twenty, had decided to test his skills against unsuspecting strangers.

    This wasn¡¯t unusual, or rather, out of character. He regularly challenged people for petty reasons, just so that - if and when possible - he could win. He needed to win at least a few times a day, or¡­ well, it was important.

    Eyes watering, he opened his notes app and tallied his fourth victory for the day. (Staring contest: IIII)

    The passenger behind him cleared their throat, bringing Oliver back to reality. He was holding up the plane. He got to his seat and chucked his suitcase in the overhead storage, keeping his backpack on him. It was time to fly back home, Melbourne to Perth.

    Before he sat, he noticed the side-eye he was getting from other passengers. He thought maybe he should lock in his next victory. But¡­ no matter how long he reciprocated, three times longer than the old man, they didn¡¯t blink. He struggled, but he failed, and his mood took a nosedive. He looked back at the passenger, expecting a contemptuous smile¨C they were still staring. ¡°Hey- I get it, alright. Stop.¡±

    They didn¡¯t even twitch, it was like they weren¡¯t breathing¨Cwait. Suddenly, Oliver noticed the pervasive silence. Not even a hiss of air conditioning or rumble of the engines. Not a shuffle, nor a breath, the whole length of the cabin.

    The temperature seemed to drop. Whether it was the environment, or just an instinctual fear, goosebumps covered Oliver''s arms. He stumbled into the woman behind him, but the woman was solid as a stone statue, and just as cold. ¡°Huh?¡± and as if heeded, starting from the far end of the plane, a wave of darkness swallowed everything; seats, passengers, even sunlight from the windows.

    As he was swallowed by the void, Oliver spun around, or he tried. His stomach dropped, he couldn¡¯t push his feet against the ground, there wasn¡¯t one anymore, a breeze picked up from below him.

    ¡°What thaaaaAAAAAAAHHH¡±

    He fell into the darkness.

    ¡ª

    A cacophony of shuffling sounds, like that of paperwork in a busy office, brought Oliver¡¯s consciousness up from the depths. Eyes closed, his first thoughts drew around the dull pain in the back of his skull.

    ¡°Uuugghh..wh¡­¡±

    Shifting his weight on the uneven surface, Oliver felt a sudden prick on his arm. ¡°AH!¡± Startled, he flailed, and pricked himself again in confused urgency, then he tumbled to a hard surface, face first.

    Confused, tasting dirt, and definitely awake, his hands felt around what seemed to be slightly damp, compacted earth. A warm breeze fluttered the back of his shirt and rustled what now he assumed to be leaves.

    He spoke, voice muffled by the dirt below him, as his brain started turning. ¡°What the¡­ Who¡­ What?¡± Did someone put something funny in the air conditioning? And dump me¡­ somewhere?

    After a moment of hesitation, Oliver pushed himself shakily from the unfamiliar ground, and felt the dirt cling to his pastel green t-shirt and baggy cream canvas pants. He cracked open his hazel green eyes, which had little trouble adjusting to the dark environment. He found short stubby trees, densely grown, and only about a foot taller than he was - Oliver being six feet tall.

    Somehow, short though they were, they were thick enough that he could barely wrap his arms around them if he tried. They sported a thin canopy he needed to duck under to stand. Peaking through the leaves, mountains were hazy in the distance, a moon nestled between peaks. He looked up further, at the sky, and ran a hand through his wavy orange hair, removing some plant debris.

    ¡°Woah¡­¡± Above, a beautiful expanse of stars cut the sky, forming numerous colourful swirls, more stars than he could ever remember seeing in or near a city¡­ And a bit different.

    At the least, he realised that meant there was probably no city nearby. Oliver remembered his phone, and pulled it out. ¡°None. No reception.¡± He sighed.

    Even in the low light of the stars, the plant life looked desaturated and listless as it was brushed by the wind. So weird, if this is natural it¡¯s not in Australia. Not that Oliver knew much about forestry anyway.

    ¡°Uuuuh.¡±

    You can navigate with the stars right? Actually, if I had a cardinal direction, would it even help all that much? I don¡¯t know constellations.

    Oliver mumbled to himself. ¡°Didn¡¯t think The Milky Way had that big green part¡­ Oh, where¡¯s the southern cross?¡±

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Has someone transported me halfway around the globe!? Why?

    He didn¡¯t feel particularly hungry or like he¡¯d been unconscious for particularly long. An impressive operation if so.

    Putting that revelation aside, Oliver considered his surroundings. He bent down and picked a little berry off of the thorny bush he¡¯d tumbled from. It was a dull pink, which wasn¡¯t a colour of berry he¡¯d seen in a grocery store. Probably too dangerous to try.

    At least he had his backpack. Holding his laptop, a small water bottle, and two bags of chips. If he was stranded, he would need more supplies than that, but hopefully it would buy him time to figure that out.

    Though strange and unsettling, Oliver thought it was a bit exciting to be in this kind of situation. He was always a fan of survival videos. He¡¯d need to cut down a bunch of trees if he had hopes of being found from above, which was unrealistic. Even if he did manage it, would anyone know where to search? His captors had gone to all the effort of putting him here.

    The sneakers he was wearing made easy footprints in the impressionable dirt, and there were no signs of anyone else having left any in the vicinity, so whoever put him here probably airdropped him. It would¡¯ve been a helicopter or something. So waiting for help wasn¡¯t really something to count on.

    Oliver found the biggest star in the sky, as to not walk in circles, and started picking his way through the low hanging branches, ducking as needed.

    ¡ª

    What felt like half an hour later, light streamed over the horizon. Oliver had decided to shut down his phone for battery conservation, so he was just guessing the time. With the sun, the strange environment was illuminated better. The thin and low forest cover provided altogether too much access to the blinding sunlight. The galaxy was still slightly visible in the day, and something about the leaves¡­

    ¡°This place really is strange...¡±

    After closing and opening his eyes a few times, he plucked a small branch from a tree, and turned the wide leaves over with his other hand. ¡°Yeah. No, yeah that¡¯s blue alright.¡± All of the leaves were quite desaturated, which was unusual by itself, but a few of them tended toward blue. Confirming his eyes were functioning, Oliver reconsidered whether he was conscious at all.

    Notably, as Oliver made his way ever forward, the terrain did not noticeably incline or decline. It was a steady slog, tree roots jutting out from the forest floor, the only animals he¡¯d glimpsed being rabbits, at least, he assumed they were rabbits. They darted out of sight faster than he could properly see them. A few more berry bushes here and there, some thick climbing vines spanning multiple trees, and the occasional cluster of suspicious mushrooms.

    Oliver was not hungry enough to try hunting yet, but he was dreading it. Maybe he should try while he had food security? He could be out here for weeks. Although, that¡¯s a bit grim considering it had been less than an hour.

    Interrupting his worst case scenario, Oliver¡¯s ears detected faint laughter. Uncontrolled, slightly shrill laughter at that, somewhere deeper in the forest. It sounded a bit sinister¡­ Still, people are people, this meant he could stop worrying about surviving here at least.

    Straining his voice, he started shouting. ¡°Hey... HEEEYY!!¡± It was surprising how much relief he felt, he thought he had been fine.

    The distant sound went quiet. Oliver kept shouting out, beginning to work his way toward what he thought he heard, ¡°ANYONE THERE?!¡±

    There wasn¡¯t any response as he navigated in their direction. What if they''re dangerous?.. Well whatever, I already called out. He kept walking for about five minutes. Eventually, Oliver came across a crooked glade which encircled the remains of a campfire, embers glowing. There were trashy rugs around it, which Oliver assumed was bedding, along with some simple bags of supplies and a pot. It seemed to be the dwelling of four homeless people.

    Somehow, the glade was even less colourful than the rest of the forest, which provoked a chill in Oliver. Even the sunlight lost some of its lustre, it made for an eerie vibe. Twigs snapped and conspiratorial whispering came from trees to the left and right. People were hiding nearby, unsuccessfully.

    ¡°Hey, I can hear you all, I¡¯m friendly¡­ Speak English?¡± Realising that might be an issue, Oliver scratched his head. He was monolingual, despite the best efforts of his French teacher.

    From behind the fat mini-trees, four darkly robed, pale figures slinked into view. One notably older than the rest. In their hands, they gripped various wooden sticks of the magical persuasion. It was convincing wizard cosplay. Must be Europe or America.

    The oldest one, the one with the biggest stick, a staff, looked the most put together. He was a visibly dirty, scraggle-chinned fellow. Silver embroidery on stained grey vestments reaching down to just above the ground, platinum blonde hair, dulled with grease and dirt. The group looked like they needed some health intervention. A bit unsettling, hopefully it was makeup. Oliver thought it best to cut straight to business.

    ¡°Hello, I am sorry to interrupt whatever this lovely activity is,¡± gesturing vaguely at their getups, ¡°I¡¯ll get out of your hair, but¨C I would appreciate it if you pointed me to¡­ town?¡± He made a leaving gesture with his thumb.

    The robed figures looked at him. To the left, one in a mossy green hood smiled, ¡°Fool!¡± the teenage boy sniggered; ¡°We are the circle of desecration and shadow! Kneel before us!¡± His voice was slightly shrill, picturesque of a dark sorcerer¡­¡¯s apprentice.

    To the right, the most plain looking one, whose simple black robe floated behind as he turned, loudly whispered at the green hooded boy, ¡°I didn¡¯t agree to that! Nobody will take that seriously!¡±

    Oliver looked bemusedly at the group, but he was annoyed, not really in the state of mind to roleplay with them at the moment.

    ¡°You¡¯re all having good fun, but I really would like to find out where I am. I¡¯m not really in the mood to play games.¡±

    They looked genuinely indignant, that he might dare belittle their hobby as a ¡®game¡¯. This was especially true for the smaller one, a small teenage girl beside the plain one, whose robe was more a navy blue hooded poncho. She snarled at Oliver audibly.

    ¡°Enough.¡± The leader - master of shadow, ha! - planted his staff in front of him, raspy voice weighed heavily with deep emotion, ¡°It seems you misunderstand your place!¡± The surroundings grew marginally darker as sickly green runic workings resembling computer circuitry glowed their way down along the staff, and into the ground. The light pooled into an uneven circle about one and a half metres in diameter.

    The others looked on excitedly, the poncho girl squealed in delight.

    Taking a step back, Oliver widened his eyes, ¡°Woah, that¡¯s sick, how are you doing that?¡± Then he nearly burst out laughing as the other three spread out around Oliver, boxing him in, each sporting huge smirks.

    Internally cracking up at the pomposity, Oliver nearly missed something truly extraordinary. What he thought was a neat trick of the light - began consolidating into a singular point in front of the staff.

    A skeletal finger broke the ground.

 2 - Necromancers

    Oliver did a double take. ¡°WHATSAT?¡±

    The ground cracked, revealing a skeletal hand, then an arm. The poncho-wearing girl shouted. ¡°You will perish for your insults!¡± She sneered. ¡°Fear us! Be sorry yo-¡±

    In a pure state of reflex, Oliver took a preparatory step toward the emerging horror, then kicked the unnatural phenomenon¡¯s head clean off its body. Like a soccer ball, the skull bounced off a nearby tree.

    The three junior wizards gaped at Oliver.

    ¡°Oh. Sorry, scared the shit outta me. If it¡¯s any consolation, that was definitely impressive¡­ What was it?¡±

    The diabolical leader collapsed to his knees, seemingly pilfered of energy, then fell forwards, unconscious. Rather than catch him, Oliver sidestepped the man since he was filthy. ¡°Um, you good? Was it that expensive?¡±

    The rest of the group stood around for a second, a bit lost.

    Poncho girl spoke in a small voice, "Isn¡¯t it bad manners to interrupt a spell?¡±

    The green robed youth complained. ¡°Tch, his mana just spilled out. We should have raided a graveyard.¡±

    Disappointed, the black robed youth sighed, "It would have been a simpler working if we¡¯d had bodies prepared¡­¡±

    What are these guys on about? His experience on the plane¡­ this strange forest¡­ the sky¡­ It was a silly thought, but¡­

    ¡°Say¡­ this is Earth, right?¡° Oliver pointed down.

    They all looked at Oliver like he was an idiot. I¡¯m not the one saying things like ¡®circle of desecration and shadow¡¯!

    The green robed one, seeing his offended expression, mocked. ¡°Is your head injured?¡± He bent to scoop some soil with his hand, before holding it out in front of him and spilling it. ¡°Yes, this is earth.¡±

    ¡°No, like, the planet.¡±

    The black robed one cut in, ¡°The.. what?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± they must be joking, but- what if they aren¡¯t¡­ A different¡­ That can¡¯t be right, it¡¯s surely a misunderstanding¡­ I¡¯ll ask a more straightforward question. ¡°Where are we?¡±

    Black-robe replied somewhat amusedly. ¡°The Lamenting Woods.¡± He waited for Oliver to react, but Oliver didn¡¯t, so with raised eyebrows- ¡°The Lamenting Woods, Western frontier of the Empire.¡±

    During the exchange, the green one blinked, looked down at the fallen leader, thought for a second, and started slipping something out of a sleeve.

    Oliver spluttered, ¡°¡®Empire¡¯?¡±

    ¡°That''s enough talking.¡± Green-robe declared before Oliver could get a satisfactory answer. He nodded at the other two, and the three of them started sizing Oliver up.

    Surrounded on all sides, alarm bells tolled as the one in green produced a carving knife and the one in black wielded his wand. It was clear to Oliver that this was not some dress up game anymore¨C it never had been, but it was dawning on Oliver that there weren¡¯t exactly police around. Green-robe looked manic.

    In this predicament, though it wasn''t very chivalrous, there was a noticeable weak link in the formation. Oliver had no reservations for chivalry, so he bulldozed the ill-prepared poncho-girl. He stumbled as she hit the ground and started wheezing, winded. It was well timed¨C green-robe had launched into the space he¡¯d been just a second before, knife first.

    A glob of dark light whistled past his face, hitting one of the nearby plants. Oliver watched as the organism lost the rest of its colour and disintegrated. Let¡¯s avoid that. He ducked into the surrounding trees, limiting the green hoodlum¡¯s ability to swing as erratically.

    The spellcaster in black robes struggled for an angle, especially with his companion doggedly on Oliver¡¯s tail. He tsked. ¡°Hey idiot! I can¡¯t hit him if you keep getting in the way!¡±

    The one trying to stab Oliver just grunted, scoring a slice on his backpack.

    An orb hit Oliver''s left leg, it went numb. Catching the next tree root, he tumbled to the ground with momentum, ending half sat-up in the nook of a tree - facing his assailants.

    Catching up, "Got you now, idiot.¡± The teenager dove toward Oliver, knife first.

    Not willing to die, Oliver whipped his right arm in front of him, managing to shift the trajectory of the murder weapon so it only slashed the left side of his torso. ¡®Only¡¯ was a strong word, being cut was very painful.

    ¡°Arrrggh FUCK¡­ GET¡­ OFF.¡± Oliver wrestled for the knife with his right hand, pushing at the youth¡¯s gaunt face with his left.

    Being stronger and more well fed, Oliver managed to throw the haggard teen off, winning the knife in the process. He pushed on the ground with trembling limbs, bruised and weak after his tumble, he staggered on his now half-asleep leg, thankful the effect was wearing off.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    The teenager in black hadn¡¯t been firing while his companion was in the way, but had a clear shot as Oliver got to his feet. The orb hit Oliver¡¯s right arm, and the knife slipped from his fingers.

    Oliver was running again, and as he held his limp arm while narrowly avoiding tree branches - more than ever before in his life - he forgot the plane, forgot the magic, forgot even his family waiting at the airport.

    He was simply running.

    It was no exaggeration to say that this was the most danger he had ever been in. Chased by two homeless teens. It would have been embarrassing if he had the capacity to feel embarrassed at that moment.

    Run.

    Duck.

    Swerve.

    Those stories of what adrenaline could do to people in times of crisis. Of inhuman feats like lifting a car or fighting a bear.

    Dodge.

    Turn.

    It was like dancing.

    Hysterical strength. He felt power well up within him, and, mind blank¨C

    Green-robe rounded the tree which Oliver had disappeared behind.

    Like a charged piston, Oliver¡¯s arm extended in a single motion, his fist connecting with the youth¡¯s shoulder. The impact, combined with green-robe¡¯s momentum, sent him straight to the ground.

    Oliver felt the intoxicating energy dissipate, he felt¡­ motion sick.

    He took the opportunity he¡¯d created though, Oliver continued clearing tree roots and ducking branches like a man running for his life, which he was. His pursuers, malnourished and exhausted, seemed to think he was no longer worth the trouble.

    He continued for a while longer.

    ¡ª

    Oliver was feeling the aftershocks of working his body so hard. It turned out, your body limited your capacity to move for a reason, surpassing those limits was only for life and death situations. Not healthy.

    He took his backpack off and tried to lower himself to sit against a tree. His knees buckled and his backside hit the ground faster than he would have liked, but he wasn¡¯t going to be moving for a while. No longer focused on staying upright, overwhelming emotions he couldn¡¯t name hit him like the G-force of slowing down a high speed vehicle.

    He started breathing short, shallow breaths, his muscles tensed uncontrollably, and he couldn¡¯t think properly. This turned into hiccuping sobs. He couldn¡¯t stop himself, though he tried.

    Stop crying. I need to get moving, find a way home¡­ Since rescue isn¡¯t coming.

    Oliver touched a hand to his stinging side, it came away crimson.

    Over the pain signals coming from his injuries, both external and self inflicted from his exertion, Oliver managed to think retrospectively on what he¡¯d learned. He was pretty sure it wasn¡¯t some elaborate ruse. That was magic. Real magic. He¡¯d felt it. He wasn¡¯t anywhere in the world he knew, as he had wrongly assumed. He was in some¨C some empire?

    Before, Oliver had been - if not happy - not that stressed about his situation. After all, the shows he¡¯d watched, the experiences he¡¯d heard about, were all from survivors who had returned to comfortable society after their trials.

    Even studying across the country, he was among fellow Australians. His family was a call away. He could get the same fast food, chat about the same cultural references.

    Even trips across the ocean were only a relatively short flight away¡­ Flight¡­ He put his head in his hands. Getting blood on his face.

    No government, no police, no search and rescue. What did Oliver have to defend himself? Maybe the Americans had a point, carrying those guns around.

    He chuckled, then grimaced at the sting it caused, but his breathing steadied, and he began feeling heavy.

    He looked down at his ruined shirt, it didn¡¯t seem like he was still bleeding, but his blood was still wet in the fabric around the cut. He pulled out his water bottle and used a bit of it to clean the wound, not sure if it was too late. Who knows what was on that knife. He felt like lead by the time he screwed the cap back on.

    His eyelids drooped, and he decided it was fine to rest his eyes for a bit.

    ¡ª

    *Scratch*

    Oliver heard squeaks over the rustle of nature, he felt a pressure on his chest. He slowly cracked open his eyes.

    In the declining afternoon light, bare centimetres from his face, two beady black eyes were staring at him. The furry brown creature was lean with a rounded face, it had a button nose and a small mouth. It wasn¡¯t very heavy, but Oliver didn¡¯t move as it probed around his shirt.

    After a bit, it seemed to lose interest in him. It pushed its long feet into his stomach and leapt away at high speed, causing Oliver to splutter from the force it exerted.

    After pushing himself shakily up from the ground, he looked in the direction it had sped off to. ¡°Su-¡± He coughed, voice raspy from disuse, ¡°-super quokka.¡± He wasn¡¯t going to be able to hunt that.

    He picked up his backpack, noticing the long slash across its front. He exhaled. He still felt terrible, but it was time to get moving.

    Sweaty, marred with dirt and evidence of violence, Oliver had decided that even if it was some strange otherworldly government, it must surely be better than trying to tough it out with wild bush magicians.

    He stumbled through the forest, annoyed that he still felt tired after sleeping away most of the day. He tried to push away any stressful thoughts that surfaced, they weren¡¯t productive.

    At one point, he tried to think about empires of the past. He had read somewhere that the average Roman soldier lived pretty comfortably and was able to raise a family on their pay. He thought, maybe it¡¯s not so bad? Then he remembered that the Roman Empire also had slaves.

    That was the type of thought he pushed away.

    He rounded the thousandth tree, and suddenly, he was looking at a winding dirt road.

    ¡°A road.¡± He couldn¡¯t muster a smile.

    Oliver looked at the packed dirt parting the trees, two lines where wheels would travel. The road was parallel to the mountains, and there was nothing particularly special in either direction - just more mini-trees. He was torn on what way to follow it.

    ¡­ My body hurts.

    He delayed the decision. He sat against a tree on the side of the road. The sky was turning pink as the sun sank below the mountains. A good time for dinner. He pulled out a bag of salt and vinegar chips - less concerned about food security than he had been in the morning.

    The savoury taste was welcome, he hadn¡¯t eaten all day, and he was reminded of the adage ¡®hunger is the best seasoning¡¯.

    He sat there for at least a few minutes after finishing his meal, mustering up the energy to keep going.

    Jangling, creaking, and the rhythmic beating of impacts to the ground grew audible from around the road¡¯s curve.

 3 - Pleasure Doing Business

    A dark wooden wagon came into view, pulled by a pair of horses. Two men in leather armour escorted it, one on each side.

    Sat on the front, a driver was manipulating the reins with seeming ease for the turn, dressed neatly in simple black tunic and pants.

    Next to him sat a gentleman with a straight back and a good spattering of grey in his hair. He was adorned in deep red pigmented garments, long sleeves trimmed excessively in gold.

    Still sitting, Oliver stuffed his empty chip bag in his backpack. He went to stand up, and as he did so, the well-to-do man called for his wagon to stop.

    ¡°Quite an interesting fellow you are, sitting out here of all places.¡± The sumptuous golden-red individual shifted his position to look at Oliver curiously. Oliver went with simplicity.

    ¡°... Hello, mind if I catch a ride?¡±

    ¡°What interesting clothes¡­ Though they are certainly not in the most pristine condition¡­ Say, are you highborn?¡±

    Oliver wasn¡¯t sure what to say. He could tell the exact truth, but from the reactions of those crazy forest people, who didn¡¯t know what a planet was, he assumed his situation wasn¡¯t exactly common.

    He decided to avoid the question, if only to smooth over the interaction. There was also the fact he didn¡¯t like being ignored. ¡°If I was, would you give me a ride?¡±

    The old man gave Oliver a strange look before chuckling good naturedly. ¡°Good of you to stay cautious, but I don¡¯t aim to seek your ransom¡­ So be it then, we are heading to the Willow¡¯s city project. Excellent business or so my associates say, I imagine they were exaggerating.¡±

    Oliver scratched his head, lost. ¡°Sorry, a city project?¡±

    Surprise overtook amusement, "Oh, to not know of¡­.¡± He looked Oliver up and down, noting his injuries. Gravitas entered the merchant¡¯s tone, "You poor man, I¡¯ll get you to town. How much do you remember?¡±

    Oh, this is convenient ¡°... Nothing before waking up.¡± Oliver hoped that fit with the merchant¡¯s assumptions.

    Suspicions confirmed, the merchant nodded solemnly. ¡°Unfortunate, so very unfortunate. Very well, I will give you some information and help you to the city, free of charge. You are likely from this city, seeing as we are so close, so I imagine your family will find you when we are there.¡±

    Oliver nodded along, ¡°Does this sort of thing happen much?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, people often lose their memories after some kind of mana accident. Whether it be in a fight with a monster, a mistake in an experiment, or due to some natural phenomena,¡± It was common enough that the merchant simply assumed it to be the case for Oliver. Oliver definitely looked like he¡¯d been the recipient of some kind of event.

    ¡°I recall one story I heard, an adventurer of sorts¨C he saw fit to challenge a stray gryphon, minding its own business in the wild. Not even a violent one. In any case, he replenished his mana a few too many times and came out of it a less audacious man, to say the least!¡° Olaric chuckled deeply.

    Man, this guy talks too much. Oliver raised an eyebrow, ¡°Do people usually go and do experiments out here? Picked up anyone else before?¡±

    The merchant hmmed, ¡°Not this forest, there¡¯s not really much reason for people to be out here. It is quite uniquely unresourceful as forests go, to the extent it¡¯s notable.¡±

    Olaric stroked his chin, ¡°I suppose an introduction is in order,¡± rising to stand on the wagon, the merchant raised his arms, heralding the horizon, "This is Astruvel, Empire of Merit! Land of opportunity!¡±

    He turned back to Oliver with a smile. ¡°Olaric Ravenscott is the name, you?¡±

    Oliver smiled back, disingenuously. ¡°My name is Oliver. Oliver Crest¡±

    And so the game began.

    ¡ª

    Over the sounds of clanking metals, glasses, and ceramics, Oliver and Olaric conversed as they made way toward a city called Willowhaven. Supposedly, a middle-ranked settlement of the Empire, the enterprise of House Willowen.

    ¡°So¡­ the rank of nobility is based around the prosperity of a settlement?¡±

    Oliver was chewing some dry travel rations with effort, sitting across from Olaric in the clattering wagon next to crates of various goods.

    Looking concerned at the ¡®memory loss¡¯, Olaric responded. ¡°That¡¯s precisely right. They get together at the end of every year and reevaluate the rankings in the capital. The magical capacity of a city also plays a substantial part.¡±

    Oliver sat forward, elbows resting on his knees, ¡°That is pretty meritocratic.¡±

    Olaric glanced at Oliver¡¯s clothes, "You know, I do sell tunics and the like¡­¡±

    Oliver was reminded of his dishevelled state and looked down at himself. ¡°I don¡¯t really have money.¡±

    ¡°You seem to have a few interesting items. That.. shiny pillow surely is worth an amount.¡± The old-timer looked innocently at Oliver¡¯s bag as he probed the subject he was clearly waiting to get to.

    The remaining bag of chips was showing through the backpack¡¯s knife wound. ¡°Oh, this is, uh-¡± flavoured potato chips. He didn¡¯t say that, he was supposed to not know anything.

    Olaric sighed, a bit vexed at Oliver¡¯s inability to answer, ¡°I suppose you wouldn¡¯t know, can I have a look at it?¡±

    Oliver hesitated, he assumed there was nothing like it in this world, considering he was in a wooden wagon. To be fair, it¡¯s a fancy wooden wagon. I would have thought it would be a less smooth ride than it is.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Anyway, holding back the bag of chips would have raised more questions, so he handed it over.

    The merchant turned it over, analysing every inch - as he was shaking it next to his ear, he noticed Oliver¡¯s stare, ¡°Ahem, well, simply put, I have never seen anything of the like in all my years. It looks like steel, but it bends and crumples like paper? Airtight too, I would assume there is food inside, seeing as there are various ingredients listed on it.¡±

    Oliver was falling asleep. Olaric looked at him. Oliver jumped, "Oh, that¡¯s interesting?¡±

    Another sigh, "Do you mind if I test for magic? I assume it was used in its making, I could potentially get it analysed at the local Scholarium, replicate the technique.¡±

    Oliver, despite his traumatic magic experience, perked up at the mention of magic. ¡°Oh, for sure go ahead.¡±

    The merchant grumbled something about Oliver being more excited about ¡®damn magic¡¯ than the ¡®potentially revolutionary packaging¡¯ while searching around for a measurement tool.

    He produced an engraved box lined in fine fabric, it held a metallic magnifying glass with a thick rim, excessively engraved in the same sort of patterns that were on the shadow master¡¯s staff, although smaller and more compact.

    ¡°I paid way too much for this, it takes an excessive amount of mana to use. I don¡¯t see why people still don''t use simple magic sensor rods.¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Simply because I paid so much for it.¡± Olaric held the magic sensor glass up to the bag of chips. ¡°Not magical at all? Not even as part of the crafting of such an item? Fascinating.¡±

    Oliver looked interested, so Olaric passed the items over, "Go on then, it¡¯s your item. See how no part of it glows with mana?¡±

    Holding the sensor-glass, Oliver couldn¡¯t really tell the difference between looking through it and looking through normal glass.

    ¡°Well? Aren¡¯t you going to imbue it with your mana?¡±

    I have mana?

    Olaric slumped, seeing the confusion all over Oliver¡¯s face.

    ¡°How is it that you can speak and breathe, but not imbue mana.¡± Olaric rubbed his forehead, ¡°I did say I would give you some information, so here¡¯s a quick exercise.¡± He took back his magical tool and set it aside. ¡°Hold out an arm.¡±

    Oliver did as he was told.

    Olaric hovered his hand above Oliver¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯m going to try to push my mana into your arm like it¡¯s a magical item, it won¡¯t work, but focus on the feeling of it.¡±

    The merchant lowered his palm, and when it came in contact with Oliver¡¯s forearm, it was like he had two senses of touch. Aside from just the skin contact¨C it felt like carpet rubbing against carpet, it happened in pulses twice a second. Oliver shivered and moved his arm away.

    ¡°That should help with the awareness of it at least.¡± He handed Oliver the tool. Oliver tried to remember the feeling of the carpet, concentrating on it.

    Still, nothing happened.

    ¡°No matter if it¡¯s too tough at the moment, in any case, would you accept 10 silver pieces for the bag?¡± Olaric spread his arms while putting his proposal forward, smiling kindly. He was a man of his trade.

    The driver, seated on the front of the wagon and methodically attending this task until now, twisted to look at the pair through the viewing slot. ¡°10 silver?¡± His voice slipped.

    Oliver hesitated, ¡°Is that a lot?¡±

    The merchant¡¯s brows furrowed with concern again. ¡°Oh dear, really?... One silver, equivalent to ten copper.¡±

    At Oliver¡¯s blank look, he continued with a cadence of worry, ¡°A common sit-down meal can go for about one to two silver, a night¡¯s stay at a decent place perhaps three silver.

    Olaric¡¯s aura was making it easy to trust him at his word, but Oliver turned to the driver, who shrugged before turning back to the road.

    ¡°Uh. I s¡¯pose 10 silver will do. I have an opened bag as well¡­¡± Oliver pulled it out and displayed its contents, crumbs clinging to the sides.

    ¡°Used.. Let¡¯s call it 14 silver for all? I believe that to be more than fair.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Good enough for me.¡±

    As Oliver held onto the two bags, Olaric climbed over to a small chest near the front of the moving wagon. Upon returning to his seat, he handed a small sack of fat unadorned silver coins to Oliver. They were hefty - each roughly circular, about a centimetre thick and five centimetres wide, rounded at the edges.

    ¡°There you go, you can keep the pouch.¡± He patted it in Oliver¡¯s hands.

    Something about Olaric¡¯s behaviour and the steep value of Oliver¡¯s chips made it clear that this merchant was consciously trying to make a good impression.

    Olaric¡¯s wizened lips parted amusedly, ¡°Now, with newly acquired wealth, perhaps some clothing is in order?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right.¡±

    ¡ª

    Olaric had pulled out a few different pieces of clothing for Oliver to choose from¨C those in his price range. If his price comparisons were to be believed, even these were all a bit on the nose.

    To be frugal, Oliver picked out a nice lime green linen tunic, in honour of his old shirt. It cost him 3 silver. Like a tunic does, it reached halfway down his thighs, and had strings on the sleeves and neck to adjust.

    Oliver chatted with Olaric, and they got to the topic of the Lamenting Woods, apparently named as such because its flora contained very little natural mana.

    Olaric recounted, ¡°Some say that because the many pioneers that tried to settle amongst the woods were unsuccessful, that they lament due to not being part of the Empire. Or that they simply caught the tears of those who failed.¡±

    Supposedly the Lamenting Woods encircled the entire mountain range that split the continent, making nearly the entire western border of the Astruvel Empire.

    ¡°Why are there roads through it, then.¡±

    ¡°The forest reaches into the Empire in places, it does not simply end in a flat line. We are travelling through such an outreach.¡±

    Eventually, the road opened up into grasslands, spotted with the same trees, but more sporadic, the grass a more vibrant green swirled with light blue, running into the distance.

    Plonked far away at the end of the road was a large circular city wall. It probably would have been nicer if they could see it from above, but since the land was flat, it just looked like a big wall.

    As they continued approaching, Oliver saw the yellow and blue striped banners hanging intermittently over the sides and on the gate.

    Olaric¡¯s wagon and it''s escort eventually joined a queue behind some other wagons, guards proceeded to inspect them, then wave them through after some short questioning.

    Pulling forward, Olaric was again sitting on the front with the driver, and he seemed annoyed as the guards approached. Man and woman, wearing leather for protection.

    ¡°What¡¯s this about, what happened to free commerce?¡±

    The guard adopted a monotonous expression, indicating he¡¯d answered this too many times today, ¡°Sorry sir, but we¡¯re to check for uniquely clothed individuals. Or those who speak in foreign tongues¨C a recent directive from the capital, wide sweeping.¡±

    ¡°Why would there be any this far inland?¡±

    Oliver stood in the wagon, and placed his hand on the flap, to step out and ask for more information¨C

    ¡°I don¡¯t know sir, it seems to be some kind of advanced teleportation attack.¡±

    The other guard elbowed him.

    Oliver paused.

    Olaric questioned, ¡°Attack?¡±

    The guardsman looked guilty, ¡°Uh, I shouldn¡¯t say more,¡± he opened the flap to check the inside of the wagon, finding a wealthy looking red haired young man in a green tunic and cream coloured pants. He had even taken his shoes off to relax.

    The guardsman frowned. Some people just had it too good.

    The wagon was waved through the gate.

    It had been the right decision.

 4 - Espionage

    The wagon rumbled along the cobblestones, the wide street alive to greet it in the late afternoon. Contrasted to the dull pallor of the forest and outer walls, paper decorations covered storefronts and the stalls of street vendors. Yellow and blue did seem to be the overarching theme, matching the banners hanging from the walls.

    Olaric sat contemplatively silent from his perch on the front of his wagon, Oliver rode on in the back, somewhat shell-shocked at the gate interaction. He didn¡¯t get much of a look outside the wagon, only a narrow view through the opening on each side, too cautious to exit for the moment. Enough, though, to tell the city was alive with activity. People dressed in simple clothes, hauling bags of produce or pushing wooden approximations of wheelbarrows around the carriages and wagons making their way down the main road.

    Oliver didn¡¯t get time to linger on any particular detail as they continued along the thoroughfare a fair way into the city. They passed dense constructions, reminiscent of old German houses, until they slowed. They reached a large building, one that exuded wealth in its showy stone exterior, accentuated by it¡¯s engraved ornamentations and varnished wooden trims. It crowded the eye where it sat between smaller buildings on the main road.

    The entrance, a large set of doors twice as high as a person, set ajar for the near constant traffic passing through. A stylised engraving of a chest full of gold prominently displayed above them.

    The wagon made its way down the side of the building in a proprietary driveway which led to a large lot, filled with other wagons. Olaric stepped down from the front of the wagon spryly for his age as the driver began tying up the horses and getting organised. The security detail had split off when entering the city.

    Rounding the back of the wagon, Olaric¡¯s wizened eyes found Oliver. ¡°Well, I would like to preface that my impression of you isn¡¯t consistent with that of an enemy to the Empire.¡±

    Oliver paused for a second, then replied. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m glad you think so.¡±

    Olaric kept standing there.

    Oliver shifted awkwardly. Where is this going? ¡°Er¡­.¡±

    ¡°Which is why I didn¡¯t immediately hand you over to the guards, however I would rather not risk further association. Our business is at an end.¡±

    ¡°Hey, wait a minute. You¡¯re not going to help me anymore?¡± Oliver was incredulous. ¡°I don¡¯t have anywhere to stay! I don¡¯t know anything about the city! What am I supposed to do?¡±

    Olaric¡¯s expression softened a bit, but he clearly wasn¡¯t going to change his mind. ¡°Go find an inn, you have some coin for it. Go ask around the Scholarium for people who might know you in the morning. You will figure something out. I¡¯m afraid I have other business. Farewell, Oliver.¡± And with a stony expression, he walked through one of the back entrances to the large building.

    At the end of the day, business was the same in any world, a cold game of calculated risks.

    Oliver, slightly shocked and upset at the merchant''s change in demeanour, started walking mechanically out of the wagon parking lot, desecrated backpack in his arms.

    Entering the main street again, Oliver didn¡¯t feel much of a sense of wonder or excitement as he might have assumed he would. Actually being in an unknown place, with the wind in your face and the knowledge that you were all you had to rely on. He simply felt alone.

    Of course, horse-drawn carts and the lack of artificial materials were interesting, but ultimately a city was a city¨C bustling with people getting where they needed to go. He was more occupied with thoughts of gaining some stability and maybe a quick way home if possible.

    ¡°Quit gawking in the middle of the street!¡± a passerby shoved Oliver, pushing him to the ground. He sprung back up nearly as fast, but the perpetrator was already lost in the crowd.

    ¡°Bastard.¡± He glared at everyone who looked at him after that. Oliver was of a mind to organise somewhere to rest, he¡¯d had a long day, even if he slept for part of it.

    Not one for shyness or inaction, but not smiling, he stopped the next person he saw. ¡°Hey, miss, any chance you could recommend a place to sleep for the night?¡±

    The woman slowed as Oliver called out to her.

    ¡°-Oh, yes? Sorry, what was that?¡±

    She fluttered her eyes at the strange man with oddly intricate clothes, particularly the unique bag he held. He transitioned from carrying it to hugging it, trying to conceal the zipper.

    She lifted her arms out of her cloak, adjusting her leather armguards.

    Oliver rephrased. ¡°Places to sleep for the night?¡±

    The brown haired woman warrior looked him up and down. ¡°Not interested.¡±

    Oliver paused, then bristled, ¡°You¡¯re also not my type.¡±

    The woman¡¯s face quirked. ¡°Just recommendations then? I assume you have coin to spend?¡± He looked wealthy at the very least. Unusual shoes.

    Oliver frowned. ¡°The cheaper the better.¡±

    Scandalously amused, the woman told him of a common retreat often used by adventurers and the like.

    ¡ª

    Oliver slinked through the unfamiliar streets with exhaustion in his legs until he¡¯d come to a sandwiched double story building. Flaking yellow paint coated the wooden exterior. A sign hung into the street.

    He muttered, ¡°Explorer¡¯s Rest, I better get a damn rest¡­¡± and went inside. The light from the front windows filtered down the long wooden room, spotted with simple tables, chairs, and a bar. Quiet at this time of day.

    A portly woman sporting an apron called from behind said bar; ¡°Mara. Innkeeper. What can I do for you?¡±

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    ¡°Just a room. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Two silver and five copper a night.¡±

    Oliver put down three silver and got change.

    Mara, searching for a key, continued. ¡°You can have the second room on the right, just up the stairs. Be out by midday.¡±

    He took the key, squeezed past a huge muscleman heading down the stairs, and after locking the door behind him, dropped his bag before collapsing on the stiff bed in the windowless room.

    ¡ª

    In the morning, Oliver was sitting in the common room of the establishment, feeling at his bruises and injuries as he absently dipped bread into the mysterious breakfast soup. There was him, one other patron, and the innkeeper awake. The bed wasn¡¯t so comfortable as to allow for a good sleep-in. The sun was barely up.

    As he worked through his meal, a thought occurred to him.

    ¡°... Hey, uhh¨C innkeep, know much about the restrictions at the gate?¡±

    Innkeeper Mara looked up from where she was leaning on the inside of the small bar. ¡°The name was Mara. I¡¯m not too familiar, just some checks or something.¡±

    ¡°I ¡®eard som¡¯thin ¡®bout it!¡± The other patron, a grisly fellow, piped up from across the room.

    Oliver raised an eyebrow, ¡°What¡¯s it you heard?¡±

    The grisly man smiled cruelly, ¡°Fella¡¯s gotta eat, trav¡¯ler.¡±

    Oliver tsked, ¡°How much, then?¡±

    The broker held his cup in his fingertips, turning it. ¡°Depends, ¡®ow much ya wanna know?¡±

    ¡°Whatever there is to tell.¡±

    ¡°Hoho, alright moneybags, three gold.¡±

    Oliver winced.

    ¡°Thought not. HA!¡± The broker slapped his knee.

    Oliver glanced over for the innkeeper¡¯s reaction, but she was neutrally polishing a glass. Oh, of course, she¡¯s hosting the guy. He sighed, ¡°Could you tell me anything for¡­¡± He thought about the little amount of money he had, ¡°Two- no, three silver.¡±

    The man actually looked concerned.

    ¡°Forget it.¡± Oliver pushed his chair back, went upstairs to get his bag, and exited the building.

    ¡ª

    I have¡­ Enough money for a couple days, no friends, and no home.

    Without anything else of substance to do, Oliver started heading back to the gate to find out what he wanted to know. Partly since the information broker had spurned him. If he wanted it done, he¡¯d do it himself.

    He tripped and nearly dropped his backpack, which he had to hold in both arms to prevent anything modern from showing. Maybe I should look for a replacement along the way.

    Walking the streets, he felt itchy and unclean. There hadn¡¯t exactly been a bath at the inn he¡¯d stayed at. One of a few modern conveniences he was already missing.

    The city was actually quite nice. Generally clean. You could have fooled Oliver that he was just in a culturally preserved German town or something, were it not for all the people actually wearing tunics and leading horses. He also hadn¡¯t been to Germany.

    The houses were all built on stone foundation, upper floors supported by wooden lattices. Many were built shoulder to shoulder, but some had thin alleyways leading to other streets or small courtyards.

    He kept walking until coming to a more commercial looking street. Already bustling in the early morning as these people went about their lives.

    Awkwardly strutting with his bag along the lines of stalls and shops selling anything from jewellery to vegetables, he eventually came to a clothing store.

    The door opened with a chime. Oliver didn¡¯t hesitate to steam through, he checked the items on offer, found no bag, and asked the young shopkeeper.

    ¡°Hey, looking for a bag, got any?¡±

    A teenage boy looked up with annoyance, which quickly turned into a salesman¡¯s smile. ¡°No, we primarily do clothing, we¡¯re known for our hats. There¡¯s a sale actually, only 10 copper for any two items!¡±

    Oliver spoke quickly. ¡°Not really looking for a hat right now thanks, know where I can get a bag?¡±

    The teenager lost his salesman facade, and spoke tiredly. ¡°Just go a bit further down the street in that direction, plenty of satchels and the like on display.¡± He raised his voice as Oliver was already halfway out the door.  ¡°Just remember here for when you need a hat!¡±

    Oliver continued walking down the street and sure enough found leather belt pouches and shoulder satchels. He went up to a stall with decent looking bags hanging from various wooden holders. The stall attendant was a stout and gruff man with a full wiry black beard and stained apron.

    ¡°This. How much?¡± Oliver pointed up at one of the nicer satchels, black, varnished, with fine buckles holding it firmly closed. Nicer than ones from home to be honest. The man looked Oliver up and down, and grunted.

    ¡°Huurgh, my best work, 10 silver.¡±

    Oliver¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°Er. How about this one?¡± A decidedly less intricate brown satchel with a single buckle - which was still very functional, if less impressive.

    ¡°Six silver.¡±

    Damn, I guess this stuff comes at a premium?

    Well, Oliver wasn¡¯t really keen to settle for less, the worse looking shoulder satchels didn¡¯t look like they would accommodate his laptop. He tried haggling.

    Oliver clasped his hands, ¡°Could you do four silver?¡±

    The shopkeeper sighed, then languidly replied, denying the challenge. ¡°The materials themselves cost four silver, I already sell these at a low price.¡±

    Oliver tsked. The shopkeeper looked askance, but continued in good faith.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what, the price is still six silver, but take this belt, since it¡¯s just lying around and nobody needs it except probably you.¡± Oliver¡¯s tunic was not secured around the waist like most others walking around, he didn¡¯t see that as a problem, but maybe it was strange? He shrugged.

    Free is free.

    ¡°I¡­ I guess that will be acceptable.¡± He handed over the coins and pulled the satchel over his shoulder, still holding his backpack in his other arm. He was poor now, down to 2 silver and 5 copper. That was concerning.

    He hurried down the street until he found one of the more secluded alleyways to transfer his belongings into the satchel. The laptop was pretty snug, which was what he was aiming for, but he was relieved he was able to eyeball the size. He secured the belt and attached the coin pouch from Olaric to it. He kept his phone in his pocket though, hidden away under the hem of his tunic.

    He folded up his backpack and stored it with his laptop, he could probably harvest the zipper or something.

    Now more properly equipped, and less conspicuous, he made headway for the gate he had entered through. Entering the wide thoroughfare which began at the gate, he noticed a crowd to the left of it. Out the front of a building built into the wall.

    Something must be happening.

    Interested, Oliver pushed his way through the gathering, and he was just in time.

    The woman had blonde hair, wore a bright yellow plastic raincoat, and had clearly been roughing it for a short while, not too different from how Oliver looked before he changed clothes. He smiled, he wasn¡¯t alone!

    She was crying.

    A guardsman pushed her into a kneeling position, ¡°BY ORDER OF THE EMPIRE, YOU ARE SENTENCED TO DEATH.¡±

    Her head left her body.

 5 - Jobseeker

    If only I hadn¡¯t gone shopping.

    If only I had the coin to pay the broker.

    If only I hadn¡¯t slept, and looked for answers sooner.

    If only, if only, if only.

    A woman from Earth was dead.

    Oliver was shaking uncontrollably, still surrounded by the crowd.

    A public beheading. Cheering spectators.

    ¡°IN THE NAME OF THE EMPIRE!¡±

    Everyone pumped their fists and cheered.

    Oliver looked down at his feet¡­ he was wearing¡­ sneakers¡­

    Oliver started hyperventilating, the colourful blue and yellow banners blurred in his vision.

    Yesterday, he had felt real danger.

    Today, he felt dread. It was sickening.

    He stumbled out of the crowd, shell-shocked.

    Don¡¯t cry, keep moving.

    Nobody can know.

    Careless, so careless.

    It¡¯s my fault. It happened again.

    I failed, I lost.

    Don¡¯t cry, get out of sight.

    Someone bumped into Oliver, he barely noticed.

    He started down one alley, down the next, further and further into darker and darker parts of the city. He fell to his hands and knees and vomited. He scraped at the ground, rubbing the dirt on his shoes. He didn¡¯t want to stay still, he couldn¡¯t.

    ¡ª

    Some time later, Oliver stumbled into a bar.

    Fell into a seat, ¡°A drink, please.¡±

    ¡°You look terrible, boy. What are you looking for?¡±

    ¡°Something strong.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll set you back 9 copper.¡±

    Oliver reached for his money pouch, and found only air. He attempted to absently feel around for about five seconds, then looked down. ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, boy, no coin, no drink.¡±

    ¡°Can I just¡­ Sit here a while.¡±

    Now I¡¯m really screwed¡­

    Oliver replayed the execution in his head. His knuckles were white.

    He started getting angry. Not at himself, not at the guardsman. He was distracting himself.

    He thought about his coin pouch. Someone took my fucking money.

    The barkeeper noticed Oliver¡¯s increasingly violent expression, ¡°Boy, that¡¯s time enough, I have a business, move along.¡±

    Oliver¡¯s eyes were quivering with intensity as he looked into the barkeeper¡¯s. The barkeeper was not impressed, ¡°Move along.¡±

    Oliver did as he was told, and as he opened the door-

    ¡°-eed to get to the ministry now. The entrance test starts in an hour.¡±

    A young man, lanky, dressed in some of the cleaner robes Oliver had seen around the city. One of those expensive looking bags. I would know about bags.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯ve got it, you¡¯ve been talking about it for the last seven days. Calm down, you studied properly.¡±

    The two were sitting in one of the booths near the back of the establishment.

    ¡°It won¡¯t matter if I''m late. The finance ministry only accepts the best of the best.¡±

    The best of the best.

    Oliver¡¯s mind was numb.

    ¡ª

    Oliver shadowed the lanky young man, who was too preoccupied with being late to notice, all the way to the inner part of the city.

    The whole way, the execution practically flashed across Oliver¡¯s vision. He wasn¡¯t safe in this city, he had been careless. I am nobody here. That needs to change.

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    The applicant was right to be stressed, it took 45 minutes to get there through the bustle of citizenry.

    There had to be as many as a hundred other people in front of the imposing stone building facade, ¡®Finance Ministry¡¯ carved simply above each of its numerous entryways.

    The crowd was an array of all demographics, tall, small, young, old. If there was any difference to the rest of the population meandering the streets or going about their work, many wore formal looking clothes, like they were dressing up for a medieval interview¨C which they were.

    A fanciful voice spoke over the crowd, quieting the mass. Sporting a tailored blue coat, a middle aged fellow with a long face, spindly body, and handlebar moustache made his appearance.

    ¡°Applicants, the time has come again for some of you to be inducted into the prestigious Finance Ministry. I know many of you have waited for this day, but be reminded, we can only accept one of you into our ranks. For a government position such as this, we will not accept anything less than the utmost of you. If you would please organise yourselves in front of the officials holding signs.¡±

    Out of the open doors, adjusting their navy waistcoats and peaked caps, ten men and women of the finance ministry made an appearance, each holding a written number up on paper signs.

    The paper seemed exceptionally high quality for what Oliver might have expected of the equivalent time period. That seemed to be the case for quite a few things in this city.

    ¡°Please line up behind the official holding the number you were given when you submitted your application.¡±

    Oliver hesitated, ¡°Mmmm.¡± The mass of bodies started shuffling forwards.

    There were ten Officials with signs. Oliver had come here with the scent of opportunity. Opportunity was another word for safety, safety in stability, safety in power. Each Official had something like ten to fifteen people gathering around them.

    One of them had marginally less, there was nothing else for it.

    He lined up behind number seven, the smell of ink and paper accompanied the other eleven people doing the same. Each with a bag not dissimilar to his.

    Oliver hadn¡¯t made preparations, given he didn¡¯t even know what this was - he wasn¡¯t even sure he was able to take this test anyway.

    The tidy young woman with long dark hair spoke. ¡°I am Official Emilia¡± Her eyes swept across the group.

    ¡°The test which you will be sitting involves advanced mathematics and logical deduction exercises. When we reach the assessment area for this grouping, and you are set up, I will begin announcing problems aloud. You are to solve these without the assistance of magical tools.¡±

    A few of the assembled people murmured, but most didn¡¯t seem surprised. Some people, caught off guard, one tried to hand theirs over. Oliver was taken aback that there were even magical tools for maths, the ones that he saw looked like little panels of sliding switches.

    The Official looked at the visibly confused ones, noted something down, and waved the tool away, ¡°Even if you have them, we will be testing in a magic suppression environment. If you have adverse reactions to that kind of thing, tell me now.¡±

    She waited, ¡°Alright¡­ It seems like we have one extra, one of you has the wrong number.¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, I have something to point out in that respect.¡± The guy Oliver had followed spoke up. He pointed at Oliver, ¡°This fellow tailed me here. I doubt he¡¯s applied.¡±

    I¡¯m not as sneaky as I thought.

    All gathered turned to Oliver. Not wanting the situation to get away from him, and partly absent minded due to the traumatic events of the day, he told the best kind of lie.

    The truth. ¡°Uh. Well, I think I¡¯m quite good at maths, organisation, that sorta thing. I am new to the city- and, uh, overheard you at a bar. Assumed I might be a good fit.¡±

    Official Emilia didn¡¯t seem amused.

    The young scholar scoffed at him, ¡°I doubt you are more than a hobbyist playing addition and subtraction, please spare us your presence, the other groups are already moving.¡±

    A¡­ A challenge.

    Oliver¡¯s demeanour changed, previously withdrawn¨C there was now a sort of intensity.

    Some of that¡­ energy, ¡°Try me, buddy.¡±

    Was it an overreaction? Certainly. But Oliver was bottled up, and in need of distraction.

    The Official narrowed her eyes. Some of the peanut gallery picked up on the change.

    Not the young scholar, ¡°Pfft, this will be amusing. Alright, here¡¯s an easy one.¡± He spread his hands, ¡°If a merchant with six gold pieces were to hire the services of an adventuring team for four nights, at eight silver and two copper a night, how much would the merchant be left with afterw-?¡±

    It was by no means a difficult calculation, but Oliver felt the energy, the mana, helping him along, speeding up his thoughts. He answered it before the scholar finished speaking. ¡°272 copper. Two gold, seven silver, and two copper.¡±

    The young scholar paused. ¡°... Correct.¡±

    The last group other than theirs was departing down the street. Where? Isn¡¯t this the Finance Ministry?

    Official Emilia spoke after the short silence, ¡°Come, then. We have wasted time, follow me.¡±

    She led the group away from the Ministry, and as they went even further into the city, Oliver thought about what he had just done. He wasn¡¯t usually capable of that. He knew other people were, after practice, but he hadn¡¯t practised.

    When he was being chased, when Olaric had done that magical exercise, and now this. It was mana, magical power¡­ Cheating? No, Oliver felt a bit less sharp than before. He¡¯d felt more tired than he maybe should have in the forest. There was a cost. Reminded, he checked his side, ¡°Hmmm,¡± it was just a scab, didn¡¯t look infected.

    He got some funny looks for lifting his shirt, but he ignored them.

    He looked up, and found their destination. Larger than that building Olaric had taken him to by multiple magnitudes, or the ministry, a large domed building sat at the crossroads of the city¡¯s main arteries. It was like some kind of roman structure, at least in its foundation. It may have been symmetrical in the past, but now it was a patchwork of extensions and different building materials.

    It had various entrances, some more official looking than others. They passed through one of the bigger ones. The smooth wooden hallway was intermittently lit with warm ceiling lights, which was natural to Oliver, so it took him a few seconds to single them out.

    He looked at them, then at the people walking with him, one of them was smiling. They probably thought Oliver was some country schmuck, little did they know.

    Occasionally letting some robed people squeeze past, they navigated further into the structure, passing doors and offshoot hallways which had little regularity or pattern. A confusing building.

    The group came to a particular door, they had lost sight of the other groups by this point, but Official Emilia directed everyone into the room. Oliver glanced around, benches stretched from end to end, split down the middle by a simple walkway. Pretty simple as classrooms went. It was also artificially lit, although more by the glow of circuit-like engravings on the walls.

    The sensation of magic surprised Oliver, like the test Olaric had done, it was like being smothered by imaginary carpet. The Official handed everyone a piece of paper as they passed.

    ¡°Everybody, please spread yourselves among the desks evenly. Trust that even if you do manage to cheat your way into the ministry, you will not survive long, I suggest against it.¡± She smiled.

    Oliver slid into a seat near the back of the room, remembered he had nothing to write with, and turned to ask the person next to him.

    It was the young scholar.

    Oliver turned back and searched his belongings. He did have a ballpoint pen, but as he looked around, everyone else was holding some manner of quill.

    The execution replayed itself in his head. He tensed.

    My pants are passable, and nobody has noticed my shoes¡­

    ¡°It looks like everyone is prepared, let¡¯s begin.¡±

    Nobody¡¯s supposed to look at my work anyway.

    Oliver hunched over his paper, trying to hide his modern pen.

    The test began.

 6 - Examination

    Oliver glanced around.

    Carved magical circuits glowed on the edges of the wooden room, faintly with purple light. The clicking of beads being pushed back and forth overlapped the scratching of pen to paper. While their magical implements were non-functional, they still made use of conventional tools.

    Oliver assumed his phone or laptop would work just fine, but obviously that was too large of a risk to take. Not that he needed them¡­

    Official Emilia called out the third question, most people were still working on the last.

    From the looks on the faces of the other examiness, you might assume this was an extremely difficult test. The sweat dripped from shaking arms as they nervously awaited the next near-impossible task.

    ¡°Consider the construction of infrastructure worth 2000 gold coins. If the estimated revenue this creates is 18 gold per month, how many years would it take for the project to earn more than the amount invested?¡±

    Oliver would give that these questions weren¡¯t exactly simple addition and subtraction, but the leisurely five minute gap between questions was more than enough to work out and write his answer down. The additional time allowed for perhaps more specific answers than were needed.

    Nine years, three months, and four days. Ten years if I¡¯m not meant to be specific.

    Given the question he was given by the young scholar, he thought maybe the others had at least some mathematical knowledge. Or could it be¡­

    *snap*

    One of the test-takers, who seemed pretty shaken, looked down at the ink spilled on her test paper. Her face turned red, and she spoke. ¡°I-I-I-I-I¡¯m leaving, I can¡¯t think. This is too hard.¡± She was pretty much vibrating, holding a palm to her head.

    Official Emilia looked up, unsurprised. ¡°Go ahead then, please keep quiet as you make your way out.¡±

    The examinee practically made a break for the door as everyone besides Oliver shot an envious glance. Even through the closed door, her loud sigh of relief was audible.

    What¡¯s so physically stressful? Could it be that¨Cmana? Isn¡¯t that overly reliant? Although, considering they don¡¯t usually have it suppressed, maybe that¡¯s fair. I had all this information drilled into me in a well designed curriculum.

    Official Emilia cleared her throat, it was time again for the next question. ¡°Assume the city¡¯s annual budget is 250 000 gold coins. If you allocate 35% to defence, 30% to government institutions, 20% to magic research, 10% to healthcare, and the remaining to education, how much is allocated to education?

    This one is just too easy. 5% of 250 000 is 12 500 gold.

    ¡ª

    Over the course of the test, three more broke under the pressure. Leaving eight in the room, not including the Official. Oliver was feeling pretty good about the test, aside from the questions about guild taxes or magical contracts, which he pretty much had to guess at.

    Official Emilia collected all the test papers and started marking them. She shuffled through, ticking answers until she was done. It only took a couple minutes. Guess that¡¯s a professional for you.

    The whole group waited nervously, Oliver was only half present, spinning his pen in his hand as he kept replaying the morning over in his head.

    Oh shit, my pen. He quickly shoved it into his pocket.

    Young scholar looked over at the sudden movement.

    The Official adjusted her waistcoat before opening her mouth to speak. ¡°The highest performer of you all, 26/30, Frederick Hazen.¡± She handed him his test paper back, stamped with a seal. ¡°Make your way back to the Finance Ministry, you will be considered against the top candidates of other groups.¡±

    Most of the group looked distraught. Frederick, a portly fellow sporting a green trench coat, had more expensive looking implements than everyone else. His face was sweaty, but he wore a calm smile as he exited the room. The other¡¯s started streaming out.

    Oliver slumped in his seat, it had been a long shot anyway.

    I need somewhere to stay, then I need information. The guards might know something, but it¡¯s too risky to go up to them and ask, much less join. Not that Oliver could much stand the sight of a guard.

    This is that scholarium place Olaric had mentioned, maybe they have dorms. Oliver stood to leave the room. Noticing he was the last person remaining.

    ¡°Interloper. Please stay behind for a moment.¡±

    Official Emilia stood across the desk from Oliver, pushing hair behind her ear as she placed Oliver¡¯s test back in front of him.

    It¡¯s over.

    She slid the test around to the side so they could both read it. ¡°22/30. Out of town, you said?¡±

    It took all of Oliver¡¯s willpower not to recoil, and to keep eye contact. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    The Official hmmed, ¡°Where exactly is that?¡±

    Oliver thought this was it. Too fucking soon. Olaric had given him a decent excuse, whether it worked with someone in government was not a bet Oliver enjoyed taking.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    I don¡¯t know enough about this place, I can¡¯t come up with anything I¡¯m confident isn¡¯t completely stupid.

    ¡°I¡­ woke up in the forest. I remember my name and little else. I came here with the help of a merchant, and I¡¯ve been told it¡¯s a condition that can result from mana exertion.¡±

    Emilia raised her eyebrows, ¡°In the Lamenting Woods? You must have at least visited other cities in the empire before ending up there. You haven¡¯t tried looking into your origins?¡±

    Oliver was silent. This isn¡¯t the same as with Olaric, he didn¡¯t find out I had no trails to follow since we separated as soon as I made it to the city.

    ¡°Your mathematical notation is very strange. You¡¯re not from around here at least.¡±

    It¡¯s strange?

    Oliver looked between his work and one of the other papers the Official was holding. The other applicants¡¯ tests looked more like sentences of logical reasoning than mathematical equations. Oliver was so distracted doing this that the Official prompted him. ¡°Well?¡±

    ¡°No. No idea, it just came naturally I guess..¡±

    Official Emilia paused and squared her shoulders. Eyes narrowed, but letting it slide for the moment. ¡°What¡¯s your name, interloper?¡±

    I¡¯m cooked.

    Oliver made a showing of correcting his posture. ¡°Oliver. Oliver Crest.¡±

    ¡°Well, Oliver Crest, you weren¡¯t registered so you couldn¡¯t have passed this exam anyway.¡±

    Why am I even here then? Oliver frowned at the revelation.

    The Official¡¯s face was impassive, but she betrayed some satisfaction. ¡°Would you like to work as my personal assistant?¡±

    Oliver blinked, what? ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pay you to help me with my work.¡±

    Like a broken watch, Oliver¡¯s mind kept trying to tick forward, struggling against the sudden turn in where he thought this conversation was going. Isn¡¯t this big? This is big, isn¡¯t it?

    Oliver hesitated to ask, since he wanted this opportunity, but. ¡°I accept, but why not that Frederick guy?¡±

    ¡°He got the highest overall score, but you got all the maths questions correct. Besides, he might be one of my peers come tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t start in a lower position?¡±

    Official Emilia exhaled through her nose, ¡°I¡¯m a Lower Tax Official overseeing 21st and 22nd Street. I¡¯m as low as it gets when it comes to sanctioned positions.¡±

    They were both silent for a moment. Oliver fidgeted. ¡°Right¡­ I might need some guidance when it comes to these things. What even is a ¡®Lower Tax Official¡¯?¡±

    ¡ª

    ¡°My name is Emilia Steel, by the way.¡±

    They were walking back through the halls, Oliver following Emilia¡¯s lead.

    ¡°Nice meeting you, Emilia. I have a few questions. First of which, what is a scholarium?¡±

    Oliver, with a keen sense of mortality, having someone who seemed willing to share information, was eager to fill in whatever gaps he had in his knowledge.

    I want to get out of here, I want to get back on my plane. This place sucks. But I¡¯ll be executed if I give myself away.

    I need authority, I need to be able to find answers without scrutiny, and I need to be unassuming.

    ¡°Scholarium¡­ Well, it¡¯s just a standardised place of learning. There¡¯s one in each city.¡±

    ¡°Everyone learns in one?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not.¡± They passed some hurrying mages, both wearing simple robes, ¡°Only those who have the money to support the lifestyle. Usually successful business people will send their kid after getting them tutored in the basics. Many people also come for specific courses, to improve in their trades.¡±

    Oliver found this interesting, ¡°So it¡¯s not just magic?¡±

    Emilia responded, somewhat tiredly, ¡°It¡¯s mostly magic. Magic as it pertains to convenience. Other conventional skills are best learned as an apprentice.¡±

    ¡°Will I be using any magic?¡±

    ¡°Not really. There are magical implements that could be used for speeding up certain tasks, but in the amount of work we need to do, it¡¯s an inefficient use of mana.¡±

    ¡°When do I start?¡±

    ¡°... If it¡¯s alright with you, we¡¯ll get to work right away, administering this test was an unwelcome assignment that put me behind.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ back to the ministry?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    They walked in silence, reaching the exit, looking back at the Scholarium.

    Magic school, how strange.

    They crossed the street.

    ¡°What will I be doing?¡±

    Emilia half turned her head, but didn¡¯t quite look back as she answered. ¡°It¡¯s not a recognised position at the ministry, but I can pay you to do part of my workload. Which is common for ministry officials, and most do it.¡±

    Oliver adjusted his belt and pouch, ¡°So I¡¯m not the only one?¡±

    She turned around with a bit of an awkward expression. ¡°You¡¯re the first person I''ve managed to recruit.¡±

    ¡°...There were quite a few people taking the test. I assumed they¡¯d be eager?¡±

    They slowed to let a wagon pass. Emilia answered, as if it were obvious. ¡°Most of them apply for the prestige of the title, and not the work that comes with it. Most overestimate their skills, or find the education required beyond their reach.¡± The wagon had finished passing, they kept walking.

    Oliver hesitated, so I¡¯m getting work without the prestige, am I going to be a slave? Emilia saw his expression, and¨Csomewhat desperately¨Cclarified, ¡°I assure you, it¡¯s not an unrespectable position to take, you¡¯ll be paid reasonably.¡±

    Oliver would have found it amusing if he had amusement in him today. He saw a hint of uncertainty in Emilia¡¯s eyes. ¡°Let me make one thing clear though. Mathematically gifted though you may be, your performance in other areas was beyond lacklustre. Try to learn fast.¡±

    Oliver scuffed the ground, ¡°Sure, well and good, but you still haven¡¯t told me what kind of work I¡¯ll be doing.¡±

    ¡°Mostly managing and verifying the fees paid by the people I¡¯m overseeing.¡°

    ¡°Is that such a substantial amount of work?¡±

    Emilia pursed her lips, ¡°Well, I also need to do anything that gets assigned to me by my superiors, which is all manner of things.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°Literally any tasks they don¡¯t want to do, you¡¯ll see once we¡¯re working.¡±

    Oliver looked up at¡­ the finance ministry.

    Emilia looked sidelong at him, ¡°Lots to do.¡±

    ¡°When will we finish?¡± In the back of Oliver¡¯s mind, alarm bells were ringing.

    All she did was smile, but Oliver wanted to be back in his comfortable home in his comfortable world. His world, with labour laws and ethical work practices.

 7 - Workplace Culture

    Six hours later, at a small desk in a small corner of Emilia¡¯s small office, the last strands of sunlight meekly illuminated the twelfth tax claim to grace Oliver¡¯s workstation. Which, after exhaustedly reviewing the guidelines, and searching for other information on this individual¡¯s finances, had been declined. Declined, just like most of Oliver¡¯s mental state. I¡¯m soo tired.

    Just as Oliver was about to drift away to a happier place, his drooping head hit the desk and he jerked back upright. Emilia looked up at the sound, and sighed. ¡°I suppose that will do for now, I¡¯m surprised we met my quota this fast. I was prepared to work into the night.¡±

    In horror, Oliver looked at the monster sitting behind her organised documents. She had done twenty two in the same amount of time. No way she beat him by such a margin, he was setting good pace!

    ¡°My desk is smaller, so I was at a disadvantage.¡± Oliver mumbled, a sore loser.

    ¡°You¡¯re annoying. I¡¯ll see what I can do about the desk - but this is your first day here, so why would you expect to be better than me.¡± Emilia rolled her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you on the midpoint, you can go home.¡±

    ¡°Midpoint?¡±

    ¡°The 15th day of the month.¡±

    ¡°... What day is it today?¡±

    ¡°The eighth.¡±

    ¡°Uuh. I don¡¯t have enough money to stay anywhere for a whole week.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a week?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know? - Whatever, I have nowhere to stay until then¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. Just sleep in the office then, plenty of officials do that anyway. I¡¯ll be back tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°Uh. What. Like, just lock the door?¡± If Oliver¡¯s brain was a power plant, he was out of coal and burning anything he could find at this point. He looked around the cramped room, ¡°Sleep in a chair?¡±

    Emilia, as she organised her belongings in her bag, and placed her cap on her head, "Well yeah, better than nothing right? See you tomorrow.¡± And with that, she closed the door behind her.

    Stomach rumbling, splayed between furniture on the hard floor, Oliver dreamt of home. He hadn¡¯t been home in two years since studying away. He imagined himself picnicking with his older brother, overlooking the beautiful city skyline from King¡¯s Park. One of the last times¡­

    The quiet capital from which he came, the most isolated in the world. Built on the backs of convicts, gold prospectors, and hardy travellers. One of the quiet paradises of the world, or at least, that¡¯s how Oliver saw it. He would like to see it again.

    He had been about to. He¡¯d processed his grievances. He¡¯d stayed away long enough.

    The decision had been snatched away from him.

    That made him angry most of all.

    ¡ª

    The increasing temperature and light from the window elevated Oliver out of his light slumber. He rolled his head on the hardwood floor, and the pressure headache he¡¯d developed ignited. Why am I getting so many headaches these days?

    He made an inarticulate grumble. There was nobody around for him to complain at, so that would be a waste of effort in itself.

    He pushed himself up onto his knees, and waddled over to the windowsill. The sun was already high in the sky, which of course meant¡­

    The rattle of the doorknob didn¡¯t turn Oliver around, he just sunk his head in defeat. He¡¯d slept right up until Emilia came back.

    An unfamiliar, smooth, and undeniably deep voice. ¡°Hmmm. How interesting!¡±

    Oliver¡¯s head whipped around, to the detriment of his headache. But the tall, slender figure in a Finance Official¡¯s uniform was already ducking back through the doorway to leave. And as he was shutting the door behind him, he paused.

    ¡°Tell your employer, this won¡¯t change a thing.¡±

    Click, the door closed.

    ¡ª

    When Emilia made it to her office soon after, she saw Oliver sitting at her desk, starting at his second tax claim. She turned her head away, such that Oliver couldn¡¯t see her expression. However, when she turned back to him, there was fire in her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s double our workload today.¡±

    ¡°Do I get double the pay?¡± Oliver asked her deadpan.

    She faltered for a second, then replied. ¡°Any pay increases I get from increased performance will in turn increase your share of my pay.¡±

    Oliver raised an eyebrow, "Half?¡±

    ¡°A quarter.¡±

    ¡°A third?¡±

    ¡°A quarter, and get out of my chair.¡±

    ¡°Fine, whatever.¡± Oliver pushed himself up, and trotted over to his little plank in the corner. Hardly a desk.

    ¡°Some guy came in this morning. Said to tell you ¡®this won¡¯t change a thing¡¯.¡±

    Emilia looked Oliver in the eye, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±

    They worked until about two thirds through the day. Which translated to maybe four pm? It was hard to measure, apparently clocks existed, but they were¨Cas with everything¨Ca waste of mana.

    ¡ª

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Stiff from sitting so long, Oliver stretched as he got up. Emilia told him she had some other things to attend to, and that he was free to go until tomorrow. So Oliver picked up his things - he still wasn¡¯t confident about leaving them anywhere.

    He¡¯d been thinking throughout the course of the day about his goals. He had stability of a kind now, and he wouldn¡¯t waste whatever this foothold granted him. He needed to start looking out for people from home, to stop them before¡­ He straightened his posture.

    Walking out of the Finance ministry for the first time that day, hefting all his worldly possessions, he made his way toward the front gates of the town. He wore his pants low, so his shoes were less identifiable. As he got closer, he felt his stomach twist more and more. What if he¡¯d missed someone while he was working?

    He walked past the place it had happened, a stone with a groove in it. It didn¡¯t look very sinister, and it had been cleaned. He still shivered as he passed it. There was nothing else for it, he started through the gate itself. He heard a shout. ¡°HEY! YOU!¡±

    Oliver kept moving.

    Do not stop.

    He was mortally afraid, a hand landed on his shoulder and he flinched uncontrollably. The guardsman held a clipboard. ¡°You haven¡¯t registered your leave, idiot.¡±

    ¡°Uh, um - sorry. I was a bit lost in the clouds.¡± Oliver had the least realistic smile anyone had ever seen.

    The guardsman just sighed. ¡°Whatever, just give me your name and reason for leaving.¡± He pulled out a quill and placed it to a new line of the sheet.

    ¡°Oliver Crest, I¡¯m just going for a bit of a jog around the walls.¡±

    The guard stopped writing and looked at Oliver strangely. ¡°The next gate along is something like a two hour jog¡± He eyed Oliver¡¯s bags, which hung over his shoulder and at his waist. ¡°Bit over-equipped for a jog, no?¡±

    Oliver¡¯s smile twitched, and he adjusted his reasoning. ¡°Well, I want to do a bit of analysis and some calculations on the way.¡±

    The guard just looked him up and down, then sighed. ¡°Just say that, you academic types¡­¡± He mumbled off toward the end.

    And with that scare, Oliver was outside the walls. But after thinking about what the guard said, a jog around the walls did not seem all that productive. It''s not like he was going to find anyone offroad.

    So, Oliver started walking up the road, with the guise of surveying its condition, should anyone ask. He passed a couple groups in caravans or on horseback. From what he could tell, none of them were wearing anything from home. He walked for about an hour, sat for a bit on the grass nearby, then started walking back. He went back through the gate, and continued on to the ministry.

    Disheartened and starving, he hadn¡¯t eaten all day.

    ¡ª

    After wiping himself down at the well in the courtyard, putting the same clothes on again the fourth day in a row, some cloth hit him in the face.

    ¡°How do you expect to sleep in that? Wear these, they¡¯re available to staff.¡± One of the other fellows who was evidently getting ready for bed himself gave Oliver a thumbs-up. He pointed Oliver over to the linen room, which also contained bedrolls.

    ¡°There¡¯s also some food in the break room, if you¡¯ve not eaten.¡±

    Oliver was able to do his laundry that night, and he slept much more soundly, with a full stomach and separated from the hard ground.

    There was kindness here, it gave Oliver the strength to keep going.

    ¡ª

    He repeated his same routine over the next three days and nights, not once getting any luck when it came to finding his worldly compatriots, but he settled into his unofficial position in the Finance ministry.

    ¡°Hey, Oliver. Go fetch the summary for 21st street¡¯s gross tax revenue, from last year.¡± Emilia said without looking up from her work.

    ¡°Can do.¡± Oliver exited the room, and went over to a room that was filled with wooden filing cabinets. Some of the other Official¡¯s helpers were reorganising it.

    He found the document he needed and started to walk away, when another guy in there spoke up. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re going to achieve? Working for her, I mean.¡±

    There were a few people in the room, so after confirming the question was directed at him, Oliver turned, and responded to the young man. ¡°I don¡¯t really know what you mean. What are you trying to say?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ the other officials aren¡¯t very happy about her sudden performance increase.¡± He smiled nervously, there was something he wasn¡¯t saying.

    Oliver wasn¡¯t really sure what this was all about, but he wasn¡¯t too happy about being told what was and wasn¡¯t good for him. He didn¡¯t quite snap back, but he wasn¡¯t polite. ¡°This arrangement is working for me at the moment.¡±

    The other guy looked pained for a second, but let Oliver leave without saying another word. Thrown off a bit, Oliver returned with the documents, and brought it up with Emilia.

    She looked resigned, but not surprised. ¡°There are evaluations coming up soon, and I¡¯m not especially well liked among my colleagues. It shouldn¡¯t be an issue, but maybe it¡¯s best to keep your head down.¡±

    With that, Oliver went about the rest of his day.

    ¡ª

    ¡°Did you hear? They found another one.¡±

    It was the talk of the morning, Oliver was grabbing some extra stationary from one of the supply rooms, at least he had been. But he hadn¡¯t moved for half a minute.

    ¡°They could be walking among us, it¡¯s a scary thought.¡±

    Fear, frustration, anger. Just steps away from Oliver, they were talking about the ¡®terrorist¡¯ that had been caught and executed this morning. He¡¯d missed another one.

    ¡°At least the guards are good for something. Want to go get breakfast?¡± The pair walked out of the room, and their conversation became inaudible.

    Face controlled, Oliver¡¯s fingers trembled as he finished collecting the ink and paper he¡¯d need for the day. He was not calm, but he was keeping it together externally. He droned his way back to the office on autopilot.

    Not. My. Fault.

    ¡°-re you listening, Oliver.¡± Emilia¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I said, we¡¯re going to finish earlier today. I have family business to attend to.¡±

    ¡°Right. Alright.¡± He half smiled as he half listened.

    They both went back to work for a minute, but Emilia looked up. ¡°You¡¯re not working as fast today. Why.¡±

    ¡°I just had a bad sleep is all.¡±

    Emilia waited a second, then put her pen back to paper.

    ¡ª

    He went straight toward the gate. His heart was beating faster than his feet hitting the cobbled road. There were some stragglers around the guardhouse, discussing the serious implications of foreign terrorists, and expressions of relief at their capture.

    The execution stone.. Was recently used.

    Oliver looked at it for a moment, but forced himself to look away just as fast. It wasn¡¯t productive.

    In his lapsed attention, he¡¯d bumped into a kid, who fell to the ground silently.

    Absently, Oliver mumbled ¡°Oh, sorry.¡±

    He held out a hand to help them up, but the kid just laid there. He must¡¯ve been only nine or so. Oliver looked down at the small boy for a second longer, and spotted a detail he was glad not to have overlooked. The kid was clutching a branded black leather handbag. From Earth.

    Before any of the spectators nearby could turn absent interest into conspiratorial concern, Oliver quickly squatted down to obscure the exotic bag from sight. Maybe the kid had just picked it up, but¡­

    ¡°Young man, what¡¯s your name?¡±

    The boy, blonde, was wearing plain but dirty clothes. To less knowledgeable observers, he could have been from here. He widened his eyes, and took a second before speaking. ¡°I¡¯m Levi.¡±

    From the way he shifted to cover the brand on the bag, Oliver could tell he was from home. ¡°I¡¯m Oliver, is there anyone with you?¡±

    The boy¡­ looked over at the stone. ¡°No.¡±

    Oliver felt a tide of emotions, but now wasn¡¯t the time. ¡°I¡¯m from home too,¡± He showed Levi his shoes, ¡°Is there anybody after you?¡±

    Levi looked up hopefully and widened his eyes. ¡°C-can you take me home?¡±

    He looked so very lost.

 8 - Real Estate

    ¡°C-can you take me home?¡±

    The words were like being punched in the gut, but he helped Levi onto his feet. He didn¡¯t have anywhere for the boy to stay, but he would figure that out.

    ¡°Not quite, I am¡­ I am searching for a way.¡± Oliver stood closer as somebody walked past, trying to conceal the bag.

    ¡±Tell me, does anyone else know where you¡¯re from?¡±

    Levi looked apprehensive, but he nodded. ¡°The guards that took my dad¡­¡±

    His face scrunched up, Oliver somewhat insensitively shushed him before he could start crying and draw attention.

    Levi continued, whispering. ¡±T-they thought there were two of us, but they didn¡¯t see me.¡±

    ¡°Do they know what you look like?¡±

    The boy shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡±

    ¡°Also, please hide that.¡± Oliver pointed at the handbag. Levi stuffed it under his shirt.

    ¡°Stay with me.¡±

    They went to an inconspicuous alleyway where they had more privacy.

    Oliver turned Levi around by the shoulder, so they were facing each other. ¡°How old are you?¡±

    ¡°Nine.¡±

    Oliver thought for a second, ¡°I¡¯m living at the place I found work for the moment, I don¡¯t have money to pay for a place to stay until tomorrow, so you have two options.¡±

    Oliver held up one finger, ¡°The first is that you come in with me, sneakily. People might ask questions.¡±

    Levi looked hesitant.

    Oliver held up a second finger, ¡°Otherwise, we can both try to sleep outside on the streets.¡±

    Levi spoke up, ¡°... I do have some money.¡±

    Oliver shook his head, ¡°Money from home doesn¡¯t work here.¡±

    Levi frowned, ¡°No, I mean I have coins. I¡¯m not stupid.¡±

    Oliver raised an eyebrow.

    ¡ª

    They entered Explorer¡¯s Rest and asked for a room. Levi¡¯s dad had beaten someone up on the road, and had come away wealthier for it.

    Levi¡¯s dad sounds like an impressive guy. Oliver¡¯s eyes darkened.

    The kid seemed autonomous. Enough that Oliver assumed he didn¡¯t need constant attention, which was good, because that was impossible. Even if his eyes were glazed over half of the time, Oliver was surprised he was holding up.

    Being with Levi was a big enough distraction that Oliver only thought about his new failure half as much as the last. Every execution was a failure. He didn¡¯t have time to rest.

    It was nearly time for the dinner rush when they sat down in the common room. There were a few people about, including a certain young scholar, who shot Oliver looks, which he ignored for the moment.

    The pair of otherworlders ate a simple meal without saying much of anything, after which Levi looked quite exhausted. Oliver led him to the room to sleep in, the kid curled up on the bed around the handbag, hopefully he could sleep at all.

    Oliver locked the room from the outside with the key, and went back to sit in the common room. He could have gone back out searching, but obviously wasn¡¯t too comfortable leaving Levi alone. He muttered, "Hopefully, my job won¡¯t be a problem¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey. You¡¯re lucky to be working under that official, but I¡¯m going to be an official myself in the next round of exams. Just you wait.¡± Oliver was brought out of his thoughts by the (as yet unnamed) young scholar that stood across the table from Oliver.

    Oliver didn¡¯t know what this guy¡¯s deal was, but he had less and less reason to be cordial with people these days. He was able to put on a show, but just because he was able didn¡¯t mean he thought it was necessary.

    ¡°Yeah, I expect I¡¯ll be waiting a while.¡± Oliver didn¡¯t actually know how well young scholar did, but it seemed to be impactful.

    Young scholar spluttered, ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to¨C¡±

    Oliver cut him off. ¡°Have you ever tried to do anything?¡±

    Young scholar¡¯s face was dismayed and hurt, rather than angry. Oliver felt a bit bad. Then, Oliver felt his chair disappear below him, and saw the whole room lower.

    Oliver was hooked under the shoulders from behind and lifted out of his seat. He flailed his legs. ¡°Hey hey HEY!¡± Oliver wasn¡¯t a small guy, but he was useless against whatever this new entrant was doing.

    A gravelly voice cascaded from behind him. ¡°Don¡¯t insult Edward again, if you know what¡¯s good for you.¡± Then dropped Oliver back into his seat.

    Oliver, free, turned around to find the musclebound behemoth he¡¯d passed on the stairs the first day, he loomed over Oliver from above. Oliver swallowed. ¡°Right, I apologise.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± The muscle-man spun young scholar Edward around and guided him to a far table, where they both sat down. Oliver just put his head in his hands, he wondered if mana enhanced muscle growth was a thing.

    Eventually, he went up to Levi¡¯s room and slept on the floor.

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    ¡ª

    As Oliver got up, he saw Levi was already awake.

    Oliver decided he was going to have to take Levi to work. He didn¡¯t have a good excuse to give Emilia, but he wasn¡¯t about to leave a nine year old to fend for himself. Especially with monster sized people around.

    With Levi¡¯s remaining funds, they walked through a market and bought him a simple change of clothes; a mini tunic and pants, both yellow, weathered and most likely second hand. Slightly oversized, but nothing egregious.

    The large amount of yellow and blue products was somewhat restricting, but Oliver guessed they were popular due to them being the ruling family¡¯s colours. Oliver also picked up a light blue sack with strings so it could secure to Levi''s back. Levi shoved his handbag in.

    Freshly dressed, they entered the ministry. They got looks, but nobody really said anything. Levi was despondent, and didn¡¯t seem entirely trusting of Oliver, but he followed.

    When Oliver swung open the door to Emilia¡¯s office, she looked up from a conversation with another Official and frowned. Said Official seemed jubilated.

    ¡°Oh. This must be your assistant of recent days, yes?¡± His sharp black goatee cut the air as his big head turned.

    Oliver held out a hand for a handshake. ¡°Oliver¡¯s the name. I¡¯ve been helping out.¡±

    The Official gripped it firmly ¡°Yes, yes I¡¯ve seen the reports. Middle Official Terique. A pleasure.¡±

    Terique was a hefty man, and had a bureaucratic air to him¨C not efficient, mind, just bureaucratic. The Middle Official looked down at Levi, behind Oliver. ¡°Younger brother, perhaps?¡±

    Oliver and Levi didn¡¯t have a whole lot of resemblance, but it was a possibility. ¡°Something to that effect.¡± Levi didn¡¯t seem to mind.

    ¡°I see, I see. Well Mr. Crest, I have something of a proposition for you!¡± Terique smiled broadly. Emilia looked inconvenienced.

    ¡°Go on?¡± Oliver replied. He hadn¡¯t told this man his surname.

    ¡°I¡¯ve evaluated your work, and I will say I am quite interested in your methods. To get to brass tacks, I want you in my team! I will give you five gold a month, what do you say?¡± Terique waggled his eyebrows.

    Shameless. Right in front of his current employer, Oliver wasn¡¯t impressed.

    Not that Oliver particularly knew the market, but one night in the Explorer¡¯s rest was two silver and five copper. Obviously an apartment would be cheaper per night by some degree, hopefully, but five gold didn¡¯t seem realistic.

    Oliver peeked at Emilia¡¯s expression behind the Middle Official. She went neutral quickly as Terique followed Olvier¡¯s eyes, but Oliver had glimpsed a smile.

    Employee loyalty would hopefully give him some leverage.

    ¡°Middle Official, thanks for the offer, but I¡¯ll have to decline. I¡¯m quite happy with my arrangement as it is.¡± Oliver was cordial¨C if things fell through with Emilia, he didn¡¯t want to burn any bridges, money was money.

    Terique didn¡¯t seem to expect that, but he didn¡¯t negotiate. ¡°Quite so?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Oliver nodded.

    The Middle Official stood straight, and smiled. ¡°Well, it seems there¡¯s nothing more to discuss.¡± He walked out past Oliver and Levi without another word.

    ¡°So, what do I get for turning that down? It¡¯s payday today right?¡± Oliver rubbed his hands together and grinned villainously.

    Emilia crossed her arms. ¡°Yeah, I get paid twice a month. You get seven gold, four silver this time.¡± She held out a small sack. It weighed his arm down when he took it.

    He hefted it, turns out gold is heavy, and peeked inside to count.

    Emilia looked at Oliver like he was an idiot. ¡°You do realise my whole job is to count money.¡°

    Oliver didn¡¯t glance up. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get underpaid.¡±

    Unsurprisingly, the entire amount was there.

    As Emilia sighed, Oliver followed up with a new question. ¡°In terms of housing, I can¡¯t exactly keep staying in the ministry,¡± he glanced down at Levi, "Any advice on places to stay?¡±

    Emilia eyed Levi. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t remember anything. Who is this?¡±

    Oliver added the pouch to his belt, then reconsidered, and put it in his laptop bag. ¡°This young man is just recently out of a place to stay.¡± Oliver smiled wanly. ¡°If you know a place, we¡¯d like recommendations.¡±

    Emilia looked at the pair for over ten seconds, ¡°There are orphanages, government funde-¡±

    Oliver shook his head, serious. ¡°I¡¯ve taken it upon myself.¡±

    Emilia thought for a moment. Then spoke, ¡°... Are things like these going to keep happening?¡± which sounded more like ¡®Don¡¯t drag me into any scandals.¡¯

    Oliver knew it was sketchy, but he put the conversation back on track. ¡°We stayed in an inn last night, I didn¡¯t want to leave him alone there. Hopefully an apartment would be more secure.¡±

    Emilia dropped into her chair, and massaged her temples. ¡°Alright¡­ Alright, well, there¡¯s a few things to think about. Such as proximity to the ministry, insulation, security, whether or not the toilet¡¯s shared¡­¡± She glanced at Levi.

    Oliver baulked, some apartments don¡¯t have private bathrooms? The inn had a single shared toilet, but he thought that might¡¯ve just been an inn thing. The ministry had excellent toilet cubicles, granite! No flush mechanism mind you, so just holes leading into the primitive sewer, but still granite.

    The Lower Tax Official laced her fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it as we work, we do have records on all the places in town, so I¡¯ll compile some after we go through today¡¯s workload. The little man can stay here as long as he¡¯s quiet.¡± She gave Levi a stern look, then passed him a sheet of paper and a stick of charcoal. ¡°You can draw if you¡¯d like. Just be careful how much paper you use.¡±

    Levi brightened up a bit, and Oliver was glad to see it. They went about their workday.

    ¡ª

    At around five in the afternoon, Emilia gathered some records of current rental properties and tenants, how many each place had, how much they were paying, et cetera. It was convenient to work in the finance ministry when it came to things like this. In Oliver¡¯s pay range, and in reasonable distance of the Finance Ministry, there were only a few.

    ¡°We are near the centre of town after all. The further districts are less well served by the sewers, these would have the best amenities.¡± Emilia presented her list to Oliver. ¡°These places have openings as far as I can tell from financial documents. It might be hard to get your foot in the door at such short notice, so I¡¯ll come with you.¡± She adorned her peaked cap, brandished with the ministry¡¯s symbol.

    Oliver signalled Levi to get up, and all three of them left together, down the stairs, and past busy ministry workers. At least a few turned their heads for reasons unknown to Oliver.

    They started with the closest place, which was a two story block of four apartments. It looked gaudy which gave Oliver a bad impression, but he didn¡¯t have to worry, because it was apparently only open for short term stays to wealthy merchants.

    ¡°Of course, for a finance official, we could make an exception!¡± the plump man rubbed his clammy hands together. He reeked of tax evasion, alas, this was not the place.

    Oliver spoke to Emilia as the three continued on to the next place. ¡°Should we get whoever¡¯s in charge of this area to look into that guy?¡±

    Emilia shrugged. ¡°Not my purview.¡±

    Such was workplace competition.

    The second place looked much more promising, at least, in the context of the town.

    It looked like most of the other buildings in the street, which was residential.

    Rows and rows of townhouses, some had external access to each level, one of which being what the three were standing in front of. A freestanding wooden staircase connected each balcony to the other, with front doors leading in.

    According to their documents, the owner lived on the ground floor.

    Oliver knocked on the door and waited alongside Levi and Emilia.

    And waited¡­

 9 - Sabotage

    A Finance Ministry Official, a tall young man with orange hair, and a boy dressed in yellow stood at the door of a townhouse as the sun approached the horizon.

    ¡°Oh, hello. Are you here on ministry business?¡±

    A little old lady in a yellow pinafore dress questioned the congregation.

    Emilia stepped forward. ¡°Hello, would you happen to be Ursula Joan?¡±

    The lady came to a stop and curtsied while carrying a basket of groceries. ¡°Yes I am indeed, have I made trouble?¡±

    Emilia shook her head, "Not at all, my name is Emilia SteeI, Lower Tax Official. I was actually going to ask if you had a residential vacancy. My friends, Oliver and Levi, need somewhere at short notice.¡±

    Ursula raised an eyebrow, then looked at Oliver and Levi. ¡°I haven¡¯t been advertising it.¡±

    Oliver frowned, ¡±We can get out of your hair then.¡±

    ¡°No, no, you¡¯re free to stay so long as you have the coin.¡±

    ¡°And how much would that be?¡± Emilia asked.

    ¡°Five gold per month. It¡¯s a bit dusty, but if you pay for and take care of it, it¡¯s yours.¡± The old lady smiled.

    Oliver shrugged, this was in acceptable range. ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind, could we have a look inside?¡±

    ¡°Of course, right this way.¡± Ursula led the three younguns up the steep staircase on the right with no trouble, despite her frail appearance.

    After heaving open the thick wooden door, the three spilled into the third floor apartment. They were greeted with an open living room, a kitchen in the back right, and a hallway leading further inside. The floorboards were coated in a thin layer of dust, which they kicked up as they walked past a pair of heavy set couches adjacent to the window.

    A wooden dining table adorned the back left corner of the room, bringing a purpose to every part of the room. Oliver thought it was more accommodating than many living spaces in large cities on Earth, certainly those for students.

    Levi looked around interestedly, Oliver hoped he would be content staying here for extended periods.

    Ursula gestured deeper inside, "Further along are two bedrooms, and a bathroom on the right. Even water pumps! Although those are more common by the year.¡±

    The four continued into the back area. Spying the aforementioned simple bedrooms each containing a bed, freestanding wardrobe, and nightstand. The bathroom floor was tiled with simple brown squares, assumedly terracotta.

    ¡°This really is quite the place.¡± Emilia remarked.

    The crude tap over a wooden bucket basin was not accompanied by a handle, but instead by a small button inscribed with simple runes, when activated it sourced just one temperature of water; cold.

    Oliver was going to need to practice his mana control if he wanted anything to drink.

    Right beside, against the wall was a box with a hole.

    The toilet.

    ¡°Technological marvel, that is.¡± Oliver gestured to the whole bathroom, wearing a slightly forced smile.

    The landlady was chuffed. ¡°Yes, well, take good care of it!¡±

    ¡°Looks decent to me.¡± Emilia seemed unimpressed.

    ¡°Levi, have any thoughts?¡± Oliver turned to the one who¡¯d be spending the most time here.

    Levi squirmed a bit, but he managed to ask, ¡°How good are the locks on the front door?¡±

    Ursula seemed troubled by the question, but she answered. ¡°You would need a decent bit of force to take that door off its hinges.¡±

    ¡°... Ok.¡± Levi relaxed a bit. Emilia and Ursula looked concerned, but Oliver just went ahead with the transaction, which involved a contract.

    If he didn¡¯t work at a finance ministry, he¡¯d be surprised at the level of bureaucracy.

    ¡ª

    The next morning, Oliver woke up in his new apartment. For a second, he¡¯d thought he was back in his dorm. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

    Oliver didn¡¯t consider himself to be an early riser, but did believe in the practicality of it, so he forced himself up. He probably had about an hour to get to the ministry, so he knocked on Levi¡¯s door.

    ¡°Hey, Levi, I have to leave in about an hour, want to get breakfast with me?¡±

    Levi spoke from the front area, ¡±I¡¯m already up.¡±

    Oliver paused, looked at his knocking hand, and lowered it. ¡°You have your shoes and such on?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been up for a while.¡±

    Oliver walked into the front area, seeing Levi, dressed and prepared for the day. ¡°You¡¯re way too responsible.¡±

    Levi cocked his head. ¡°Is that bad?¡±

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    Oliver opened his mouth, hesitated, then closed it again. ¡°Whatever. Hungry?¡± He shouldered his bag, he wasn¡¯t comfortable leaving any modern technology off his person.

    The two walked down the exposed staircase, waving to Ursula as they went. They got some strange flatbread from a street stall.

    Levi looked like he was ready to follow Oliver around for the day.

    Oliver grimaced, ¡°Levi, can you stay behind?¡±

    Levi scrunched his face in thought, then looked apprehensive. ¡°Mmmmmmmm¡±

    ¡°Look, I need to keep a low profile. I can¡¯t have anybody looking into why there¡¯s a kid following me around. Not if i¡¯m going to be looking for the answers that we need.¡±

    Levi already understood, which is why he hadn¡¯t said anything. He just wasn¡¯t happy about being made to do nothing.

    Levi sighed, ¡°I want to help.¡±

    Oliver¡¯s face twisted, ¡°You¡¯re not really able.¡±

    Levi looked offended.

    It was Oliver¡¯s turn to sigh, ¡°I¡¯ll figure out something for you to do tomorrow.¡±

    Oliver thought Levi was secure enough there, but told him to go to the old lady if he had any trouble, hopefully she¡¯d be alright with that.

    ¡ª

    When Oliver arrived at the ministry, he found Emilia¡¯s office in ruins. He stood in the entrance, holding the door open. He wasn¡¯t upset, more just inconvenienced and confused. He was there before Emilia, and so got to work picking up scattered papers and upturned chairs.

    He was halfway finished when Emilia turned up, and she seemed upset. Rather than saying anything though, she helped Oliver get everything back in order.

    Oliver asked, ¡°Should we check for missing documents? Maybe they were looking for something.¡±

    Emilia sighed. ¡°We certainly can, but that¡¯s probably what they want us to do anyway.¡±

    Oliver was confused. ¡°What. To catch them out?¡±

    ¡°No, to make us use our workday less productively. Evaluations are at the end of the month.¡±

    Oliver thought about it. ¡°So it was other officials?¡±

    ¡°Their helpers most likely.¡± Emilia said, but that was essentially the same thing.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be, like, a disqualifying factor?¡±

    ¡°It would be if we could trace it back to the source, and be able to prove it beyond reasonable doubt. Assuming a higher official cares enough to give their time without favours, which they most likely won¡¯t in my case.¡±

    Interesting.

    ¡°So, what can we do?¡± Oliver said as he straightened a stack of papers.

    ¡°Since both of us have obligations, there¡¯s not much we can do. Just be efficient with your work.¡±

    It took them until midday to finish getting everything back to how it was. Their options were to stay later, or to take the productivity hit. Oliver was planning to search outside the walls again, and he didn¡¯t want to leave Levi alone for longer than necessary, so he left at the usual time, to Emilia¡¯s dismay.

    He would arrive earlier tomorrow.

    ¡ª

    Of course, finding Levi and a place to stay had been a tangent¨C a necessary one ¨Cbut Oliver was set on his search and discovery routine outside town walls, so he did that until the sky turned orange.

    On the way back to the apartment, Oliver detoured back to the ministry just to see if he could catch someone in the act. Outside the door to Emilia¡¯s office, one of the guys he¡¯d seen around was peeking in.

    The unscrupulous chap tsked and continued down the hall.

    Hardly evidence of anything, but note taken.

    Oliver went up to the door himself. Inside, he saw Emilia asleep at her desk, pen still in hand. Guilty for leaving her all the work, he went and draped her coat over her back, then removed the pen from her hand.

    As he left, he closed the door, so hopefully if anyone came in she would wake up from the sound of it opening. He bought dinner for Levi and himself, and they ate it in the apartment before going to sleep.

    ¡ª

    ¡°Oliver, get up!¡±

    Obligation accomplished, Levi went back to the living room after doing what Oliver had asked the night before.

    He was the closest thing Oliver had to an alarm. The two went out for breakfast again, and Levi asked Oliver a question at their outdoor table. ¡°Can I hold onto the key? I want to go out.¡±

    An eager question from a kid who¡¯d just lost his dad¡­ Perhaps that was why.

    Oliver felt responsible for Levi to a certain extent, and he advised Levi that he thought it was a bad idea.

    Levi was adamant though, ¡°You¡¯re working all day, even when you check for people, you can only check one gate.¡±

    Oliver retorted, ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯d be let out the gates anyway, better not to draw attention.¡± There was a real chance that they¡¯d connect the dots with his dad, and put him down.

    ¡°I know! I won¡¯t go outside the gates!¡± Levi furrowed his brow fiercely, it¡¯s not like Oliver really knew him that well, so he couldn¡¯t force Levi to do anything.

    ¡°Then¡­ why do you need to go out?¡±

    ¡°Well if you got into the city, and I¡­ Thanks to dad, but¡­ I got in¡­ T-There must be other people!¡± Levi went from contemplative, to distraught, to determined within the space of his answer.

    He wasn¡¯t necessarily wrong, and Oliver saw where this was going. If Levi wasn¡¯t a small and vulnerable child, he¡¯d be pushing Levi to go do reconnaissance himself.

    ¡°How do you expect to stay safe? There¡¯d be more criminals and stuff lurking around than at home by far, we don¡¯t know this town.¡± Oliver rested his chin on his hand.

    ¡°Besides, the people¡¯ll be hiding if they know what¡¯s good for them.¡± Oliver recognised that he was being pessimistic, but when you considered that this whole situation was pessimistic, it wasn¡¯t unwarranted.

    ¡°I¡¯m fast! And there are other kids around! And it¡¯s daytime!¡± Levi emphasised each point with a finger, and waved them in Oliver¡¯s face.

    Oliver sighed, he wasn¡¯t a parent. If this was going to happen, better to make it happen on safer terms.

    ¡°...Fine. Avoid sketchy alleyways, avoid sketchy people, avoid attracting attention. Talk as little as possible. You know what the consequences are.¡±

    Oliver reached for his money bag, and placed two silver coins in Levi¡¯s hands, along with the key.

    ¡°If you get into any trouble, you know I''m at the Ministry. If you find another person from home, and they seem nice, you can take them back to the apartment.¡±

    Levi nodded, seriously.

    ¡°Be back before people start heading home for work. Be careful.¡±

    Jeez, is this what my dad felt like? Oliver shivered, but he left Levi to his own devices.

    Then Oliver headed to the ministry. He couldn¡¯t help but feel he¡¯d made a bad decision, given Levi¡¯s age and recent trauma.

    Or maybe the boy needed the distraction.

    The competitive part of Oliver didn¡¯t see any downsides.

    To find out how he got here, why his people were hunted, who had the answers, he would take any advantage.

    The odds were stacked against them.

 10 - Home Visit

    Turns out, Emilia had slept at the ministry overnight.

    So, while she was noticeably less neat than usual, the Office itself was in good order.

    Oliver was there an hour or so early, he had planned to clean up had there been another mess, but they were able to get straight to work.

    Chatting with Emilia, Oliver found out about the upcoming evaluations, where certain Lower Officials were elevated to Middle Officials, Middle to High, or the reverse in the cases of poor performance.

    Apparently, the rankings were not a direct power structure, but more the magnitude of responsibility that was allocated.

    As a Lower Tax Official, Emilia had responsibilities pertaining to the taxes paid by two streets in the city.

    There were less independent Lower Officials who manned desks or directly assisted High Officials, but the takeaway was that they did more mathematical grunt work, where Middle or High were more supervisory.

    A Middle Tax Official would be responsible for a larger area, or an area that otherwise included complicated economics¨C such as a market street. All Middle Officials had a team of unofficial people like Oliver working under them, with no exceptions.

    High Officials were somewhat different, as they moved into more of an overseer role, making sure numbers added up on a more broad scale, rather than in a specific area.

    This seemed like a simpler workload on the surface, but the High Officials did miscellaneous tasks for the ruling family and in coordination with other institutions. Whether it was important domestic work, inter-city trade, or tithes to the capital city.

    Suffice it to say, you work well, you move up, get more work and more pay.

    Emilia seemed pretty keen to hurry up the corporate ladder, Oliver had a suspicion there was more to it than career ambition, but he wasn¡¯t about to pry.

    Actually, he was. ¡±Why would you want to be a Middle Official, considering it¡¯s just harder work?¡±

    ¡°Do I pay you to ask questions?¡± She responded flatly while comparing legers.

    ¡°No ma¡¯am.¡± Guess that topic is off limits.

    And with that, they stopped talking. Getting there earlier, Oliver was able to work for longer, Emilia had already made up for their missed work the day before, so today¡¯s work was purely excess. They were able to finish at a normal time.

    Oliver shouldered his bag, and held out a closed fist to Emilia rather than go straight for the door. She looked up from the last document she was finishing.

    ¡°... What?¡±

    ¡°Fist bump.¡± If she didn¡¯t fist bump, maybe he should have gone to Terique after all.

    She raised her fist, and bumped it. ¡°Like that?¡±

    Oliver smiled, did the fist bump explosion, and walked out the door happier than he would have. It was easy to forget his troubles, but he still went on patrol.

    ¡ª

    Oliver got home around sunset with some food, Levi was already back.

    Neither had found anything, and Levi didn¡¯t seem to have gotten into any trouble.

    With a home and a job, it seemed as if Oliver finally had some semblance of stability, which he found both terrifying and comforting.

    Terrifying in the sense that he could probably live out his whole life in this place.

    He wasn¡¯t going to settle for that as long as he had the drive to see his family again, but how long would that last.

    If Oliver was here for 30 years, would he give up?

    ¡°... N-naaah.¡±

    Across the dining table, Levi looked up, ¡°What?¡±

    Oliver didn¡¯t want to share this depressing thought with a nine year old boy, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    As unproductive as it was, they didn¡¯t talk about getting home.

    Levi didn¡¯t need that.

    ¡ª

    Two days passed, It was now the 20th, and they¡¯d had to deal with a couple more events of sabotage.

    According to Emilia, the evaluation was 10 days away, and internal politics at the ministry was picking up.

    Oliver made his way back from another unsuccessful patrol, arriving at the apartment around sunset.

    He tried to push away poisonous thoughts of how many people he was unable to watch for. At least there hadn¡¯t been any executions since he found Levi.

    He swung his way up the staircase, carrying food for him and Levi in a paper bag.

    He knocked for Levi to let him in, but his fist moved the door.

    It was ajar.

    Oliver dropped the food.

    He pushed the door open.

    ¡°Oliver Crest, is it? I am here for a little home visit.¡±

    Oliver flinched in the doorway, face darkening. ¡°Why?¡±

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    The man had the same smooth and deep voice as the one that had intruded on him his first morning at the ministry. The blonde Official was sat comfortably in one of the dining table chairs, lithe elbows rested on long slender legs.

    The man was practically a giraffe. Levi was tensed up on the chair next to him, shooting pleading looks at Oliver. He didn¡¯t seem to be harmed.

    The Official offered Oliver a seat, as if it wasn¡¯t Oliver¡¯s apartment, but Oliver was not in a cooperative mood.

    ¡°To whom and what do I owe the¡­ inconvenience?¡±

    The Official frowned, but shrugged as he spoke. ¡°I am High Official Curtis Ledrein, I have come with an offer of employment.¡±

    As if he was presenting the most appealing opportunity in the world, Curtis beamed, ¡°You seem skilled enough, so I have come personally to scout you for my team.¡±

    Again? And a High Official this time? Oliver didn¡¯t need to consider this offer though, how could he work for someone with no regard for personal boundaries?

    Oliver, still in the doorway, said simply, ¡°Leave.¡±

    Curtis raised an eyebrow, ¡°What if I double your pay?¡±

    Oliver¡¯s eye twitched, ¡°Leave.¡±

    Curtis narrowed his eyes, and stood.

    After doing so, he patted a shivering Levi on the head, and turned with the most fake smile Oliver had ever seen. ¡°It seems Official Steel is quite the personality.¡±

    Curtis walked right up to Oliver, unsettlingly close, ¡°We¡¯ll have to come to a different arrangement. What compels you to work for the girl? What could compel you to do the opposite?¡±

    Oliver had thought that not taking a step back might show his confidence, but feeling Curtis¡¯ breath on his forehead was gross, so he sidestepped the lanky man.

    ¡°Leave. My. Apartment. Now.¡± Oliver was keeping it together.

    Curtis frowned, not concerned with Oliver¡¯s insistent request.

    ¡°How about¡­ Ah! Stop working for her, or there will be consequences!¡± The Official smiled smugly.

    Consequences?

    ¡°Hmmm.¡± Curtis glanced sidelong at Levi. ¡°I have something in mind.¡±

    Oliver was becoming more and more¡­ angry¡­

    ¡°What part of ¡®leave¡¯ is so difficult to understand?¡±

    Curtis smiled, too wide, "Very well. Let me just say, if you don¡¯t make some changes quite soon, there¡¯ll be more to regret than some sullied documents.¡±

    However goofy Curtis¡¯ countenance, a threat was a threat.

    Oliver struggled against good reason, which was to de-escalate. He could even give in to Curtis¡¯ demands without much trouble, he¡¯d only been working for just under two weeks, he didn¡¯t hold much loyalty to Emilia.

    But Curtis wasn¡¯t offering a negotiation, he was offering a threat. Oliver didn¡¯t do well with submitting or admitting defeat. If the Official knew that, they were riling Oliver up on purpose.

    Giving in to his impulses, Oliver bared his teeth. ¡°Regret? If you so much as inconvenience a hair on mine or Levi¡¯s head, you¡¯ll learn the meaning of the word.¡±

    Oliver reached for the Official¡¯s navy collar, but Curtis grabbed Oliver¡¯s arm in an iron grip, and bent over him, filling his field of view.

    Oliver didn¡¯t back down, but Curtis seemed to enjoy this. ¡°Think about my offer, I will see you around.¡± He released Oliver¡¯s arm and walked out of the apartment.

    The click of the door resumed the passage of time in the room. Oliver was awash in anger, mostly because of Curtis, partly because of his own actions.

    He glanced at Levi, who was watching, scared.

    Oliver had made things more dangerous for Levi, without taking his opinions into account.

    Adults are supposed to be responsible.

    Oliver averted his eyes, and started taking some deep breaths. After a couple minutes, feeling calm enough to act normally, Oliver asked, ¡°Levi, did that man say anything to you that I should know?¡±

    Levi, now conscious of Oliver¡¯s temper, hesitated for a few seconds, but answered, ¡°He¡­ I was trying to keep out of sight, but he spotted me as I was listening to people walking down the street. I didn¡¯t know he was there, but he followed me all the way to our apartment, and appeared when I unlocked the door.¡±

    ¡°He told you this?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I should have- should have been more careful.¡± Levi started hiccuping, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I said I was going to be careful.¡± His voice wobbled.

    Oliver felt the oppressive air as Levi struggled to hold back tears, ¡°I¡¯m sorry too, I made it worse, so don¡¯t feel bad.¡±

    He walked up to the boy, still curled on the wooden chair, and hesitated, because he didn¡¯t know Levi, but kneeled so they were eye to eye. ¡°I made a mistake, I will try to fix it, we¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Levi kept trying to be strong, to not cry, but he became overwhelmed with the emotion he¡¯d been holding back, ¡°I jus¡­ I wanmy daaad.¡±

    And it all flooded out.

    Oliver knit his eyebrows, almost crying himself. He sat there, useless, ineffective, a failure. Who was he to comfort Levi? Levi had kept it together so far.

    Levi kept crying, trying to wipe the tears out of his eyes, but it was useless. They just kept coming.

    He clearly didn¡¯t think he could rely on Oliver.

    Stone-faced, Oliver went out to pick up the dinner he¡¯d dropped, which was cold by that point.

    Both of them began eating, Levi between hiccups.

    ¡°Well, we might have to rethink you going out by yourself.¡±

    Levi looked up at Oliver, visibly shaken. Nodding seriously like an adult, when any boy his age should be given reprieve.

    They sat in silence for a while, thinking. Levi sniffling.

    Oliver raised his head, as if he¡¯d decided something, ¡°... Look, we can go information gathering together, every second day. I¡¯ll cut back on excursions outside the walls, they haven¡¯t turned anything up.¡±

    Levi nodded at that, firming, becoming less dejected.

    ¡°How long had you been in this world by the time I found you?¡±

    ¡°Um, more than a week.¡±

    ¡°... That¨C I¡¯ve been thinking, maybe people aren¡¯t still appearing. Maybe it was a one time event. That lines up with when I appeared.¡±

    Levi considered this, ¡°That must be why nobody else has shown up.¡±

    Oliver snapped his fingers, ¡°Exactly. I¡¯ll still go, but by this point, people are either in a city or otherwise stable.¡±

    Both of them sat straighter. Some direction, at last.

    ¡°... That still means you¡¯ll need to stay in the apartment, pretty much most of the time.¡±

    Now that he thought of it, how did parents manage to work full time jobs with children at home¡­ Levi was a primary school student.

    School, community, information.

    Oliver thought. Are there schools for children in Willowhaven? No, even if there was, Levi¡¯s capable of more than that. Not schools for children¨C something helpful, a weak point in Oliver¡¯s understanding that needs shoring up.

    If not schools for children¨C The Scholarium, a seeming cornerstone of this society. Magic, culture, government.

    ¡°Levi, I have an idea, maybe you¡¯ll be able to do more than simply go around listening to people.¡±

    Levi raised his head, ¡°What?¡±

    Oliver, inappropriately given the bleak atmosphere, developed something of a mischievous glint, ¡°... Would you like to learn magic?¡±

    Levi widened his eyes. ¡°The Scholarium?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve heard of it?¡±

    ¡°I know that only rich people go there.¡±

    ¡°Anybody your age?¡±

    ¡°Y- yeah there is. Rich people, like I said. Do we have enough money though?¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess we''ll figure that out.¡±

    They had new problems to navigate, but that was fine.

    Call it improper, but neither could help but grin.

    Now we¡¯re getting somewhere.

 11 - Preparation

    ¡ª 10 days until evaluation ¡ª

    It was now the 21st of the month. Which month?

    According to the paperwork Oliver dealt with, it was the fourth month of a ten month year. Every month was thirty days.

    Did the months have names? If they did, Oliver hadn¡¯t heard them.

    Oliver had woken up feeling a bit differently; a bit more tense, with fresh challenges and expectations.

    The constant threat of discovery and execution, somehow both more and less prevalent in his mind.

    Oliver was going to power through, there simply wasn¡¯t another possibility to him. Oliver was going to ¡®win¡¯.

    He drilled a simple self defence routine into Levi. Simple, because simple was best when it came to high octane situations, but also, because Oliver didn¡¯t have the requisite knowledge for anything more.

    ¡°Keep this big knife nearby, and if anybody comes a-knocking.¡± Oliver showed him the best spot to hide, ¡°Under the bed is useless, the first place they¡¯ll check¨C and compromising. Hide behind the open bathroom door, since it conceals this whole corner.¡±

    Levi furrowed his brows, ¡°Still not very good.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why you have a big knife. All else fails, go for the legs.¡±

    Levi looked up at Oliver, and raised one eyebrow. ¡°Have you ever fought with a knife?¡±

    Oliver barked a laugh, ¡°I¡¯ll do you one better, I was on the receiving end.¡±

    That didn¡¯t seem to find Levi¡¯s confidence, but Levi didn¡¯t have a better plan.

    It certainly wouldn¡¯t have won Oliver any awards¨C but Levi couldn¡¯t be caught.

    Arguably it was better if he died swinging a knife around, since if it got to questioning¡­ He would die anyway.

    With Levi¡¯s moral development sufficiently skewed, Oliver left the apartment with all the electronics on his person, just to be safe. Even if they were all useless and dead by now.

    He had some ideas about that, but one thing at a time.

    He was also wary on his way to work, holding his head high as if he could fight off most aggressors, though he¡¯d never been in anything more than a light scrap.

    It was something of an act, but looking confident was more valuable than anything, so he did.

    Oliver strutted up to Emilia¡¯s office, internally celebrating his lack of incident on the way there. He swung open the door, and his smile faltered.

    Emilia was standing amidst it, inconvenienced, "Yep. It might be like this until the evaluation.¡±

    Scanning the room, not only were the papers scattered around as usual, but this time there were also swathes of ink strewn across them, making much of it wet and illegible.

    Not to be discouraged, Oliver simply pulled up his sleeves and got to work.

    They were probably 50% as efficient as usual that day, which was actually impressive, considering they spent more than half the day cleaning up. Neither of them could stay late, so Oliver actually left a bucket of water propped on the ajar door in hopes it might catch someone walking in.

    He went on his excursion outside the walls, now familiar with the guards who were murdering his Earthen compatriots. He could barely keep the smile on his face as he interacted with them.

    But as with so many other things, he did.

    Though they hadn¡¯t actually gotten more than three, the last being Levi¡¯s dad.

    Three was too many.

    On the whole, the day was relatively uneventful.

    More a change in attitude than anything.

    ¡ª 9 days until evaluation ¡ª

    He was up before dawn.

    Oliver raced through the streets, not because he was being chased, but because he hoped to catch whoever was messing with the office¨C if they were doing it in the mornings.

    He clambered through the quiet ministry, probably waking some people.

    Oliver swung open the door with Emilia¡¯s nameplate.

    Good news, the office was fine.

    Bad news, Oliver was an idiot.

    Emilia got to the office an hour later, pleased to find it untouched, and confused to find Oliver wearing finance ministry standard pyjamas.

    Hair still damp, Oliver refused to explain why.

    And just like that, they had a standard day, not very efficient, because Emilia was pulled into miscellaneous tasks by a certain high official whom Oliver was not glad to see.

    Curtis grinned at him with each new distraction. Ultimately though, the workday ended and they achieved about as much as usual.

    ¡ª

    Oliver went with Levi into one of the many entrances to the Scholarium, getting strange looks. After being redirected at least three times, they found a receptionist desk.

    Oliver approached with a friendly smile, Levi trailed along with some apprehension.

    ¡°G¡¯day, we just have some questions about-¡±

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    ¡°Whaat.¡± The miserly looking wizard lifted his drooping hat, slumped behind his workstation, Clearly not very motivated to work.

    ¡°-about enrolment or entry requirements, could you give us a rundown?¡±

    The magic receptionist rolled his eyes methodically, and breathed a looong sigh.

    Touch overdramatic?

    The wizard drawled in a rehearsed manner, ¡°Any person of any age may enrol, given that they pay the monthly fee and meet our standardised test requirements. The Magus hopeful must provide their own study materials and equipment. Here is a pamphlet outlining supplies and some recommended stores at which to acquire them.¡±

    He handed Oliver a pamphlet, listing exactly what they were looking for.

    Robe, paper, ink, all expected. Magical crystals? All a bit pricey, including the fee,

    Oliver hmmed thoughtfully. It was doable. If Levi was going to start now, they¡¯d be eating slim, but it was doable.

    ¡°The next intake test is three days from now, just come back here. Don¡¯t bother buying the equipment until after you pass, but do bring a pen and the testing fee.¡±

    Oliver nodded, he considered the wizard who¡¯d been strangely helpful. Makes me recall the saying about hiring lazy people for efficient solutions.

    Oliver and Levi left the Scholarium, and opted to find a bar trying to listen for any interesting news, and finding a place was easy enough, but as Levi already partly knew, people didn¡¯t simply talk about sensitive information all the time.

    ¡°Sheryl¡¯s finished her apprenticeship at the 10th street forge, competition just keeps getting more fierce. Good prices for normal folk, but she¡¯s going to have a hard time getting her own base of customers with such little profit.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re all young too, it¡¯s not going to get easier. Seems they all jumped into it with the war shortages a few years back. Too late now.¡±

    Well, at least that was something. Metalworking was cheap, and there was a war a few years back.

    That was pretty much all they got out of it though, aside from some drama among the ruling families. A broken engagement with a neighbouring city or some such.

    On the way back to the apartment, they stopped past a bookstore and picked up one called ¡®magic for the uninitiated¡¯, hopefully Levi could read through it.

    Scratch that, he would. He was a driven kid, and it¡¯s not like he had much else to do.

    They ate, they slept.

    *BANG*, *BANG*, *BANG*

    Oliver leapt out of bed and scrambled to the front door, grabbing a cooking pot off the kitchen counter as he went.

    He swung open the door and found¡­

    Nothing. He looked around, nobody, had he dreamt it?

    He could see Levi peeking out at him, probably not.

    Oliver huffed and went back inside. He told Levi to go back to bed and that he¡¯d sit out in the lounge for a while.

    He didn¡¯t have the time, but it was too long in the middle of the night.

    He eventually went back to bed, getting tired again, he¡¯d need his sleep for the next-

    *BANG*, *BANG*, *BANG*

    ¡°AAAAAAAALLLRIGHT, SHOW YOURSELF!¡±

    He swung the door open angrily, again finding nothing.

    He closed it again, and stood there for an hour and a half.

    The first *BANG* rattled the door.

    Oliver swung the door open instantly. He didn¡¯t see anything at first, but the second rock hit him in the stomach, and the third skimmed past his leg.

    He doubled over in pain, but managed to spot a figure on a roof nearby as they ducked behind a chimney.

    ¡°GET DOWN HERE AND FACE ME, ASSHAT.¡±

    No response.

    What am I supposed to do to stop some idiot throwing rocks.

    He closed the door again and told Levi, who¡¯d woken up again, to go back to sleep and ignore the noise.

    ¡ª 8 days until evaluation ¡ª

    Tired, Oliver arrived to work later than usual. Many of Emilia¡¯s documents were destroyed overnight. Somehow, even taking much of the day replacing what was lost, they were still as efficient as usual.

    ¡°Hehehehehe.¡± Oliver, dark under the eyes, chuckled as he loaded a pile of documents into his bag.

    Was it illegal to take ministry documents home? Sure, but did Oliver or Emilia care?

    Not at all.

    When Oliver turned up at the gate for his daily excursion, he was practically a zombie, but he still went.

    Even in his state, he managed to buy some scrap fabric on his way home to the apartment. Delirious, he chuckled all the while.

    The woman selling sixth hand clothing saw much of the bottom rungs of society, but Oliver was unsettling.

    He mumbled throughout the whole purchasing process, smiling weakly. ¡°...ehehe your rocks aint shit-¡±

    ¡°One silver? Sir?¡±

    Oliver handed it over. Barely present. ¡°Oho, didn¡¯t think of that, didya buddy, hehehe¡­¡±

    ¡ª

    Oliver got home and realised he had nothing to secure the cloth to the walls with.

    He and Levi slept with cotton in their ears.

    ¡ª 7 days until evaluation ¡ª

    ¡°Good morning Mr. Crest.¡±

    Oliver snapped awake.

    Where am I? Who is this?

    He pulled cotton out of an ear, but still didn¡¯t catch all of what the person said.

    ¡°Mr Crest, you weren¡¯t ¨C the door, so we had ¨C landlord let us in. There have ¨C noise complaints.¡±

    Oliver¡¯s vision swirled into focus, and he saw a guardsman in his bedroom doorway. ¡°Huh, wah.¡±

    ¡°Bangings in the night, and occasional yelling. Whatever is it that you are doing up here Mr. Crest. You are in fact Oliver Crest, correct?¡±

    In the subsequent time it took to talk down the guardsman, and write a report of his own, he¡¯d missed some hours of the workday.

    These saboteurs of Emilia were starting to wear Oliver down, but was he going to stop?

    No.

    ¡ª

    Emilia wouldn¡¯t say why she was unable to arrive earlier in the morning, or stay later at night.

    She hadn¡¯t done so for the past week or so. Oliver was under the impression she was under pressure from her family, given that she had so many ¡®family matters¡¯ to attend to.

    That could just be an excuse too, but Oliver couldn¡¯t complain outwardly given his own blatant facade about his background or personal details.

    What he was certain of, though, was that it was restricting their capacity to work.

    The constant sabotage meant Oliver worked on pillaged documents into the night, and spent most mornings cleaning an office.

    Emilia had tried to weakly raise the issue with certain Officials she had interactions with, but seemed to know it was pointless. It never went further than small sympathies.

    If Oliver was caught taking government documents home, he wasn¡¯t even sure of the consequences, but he would probably have his background looked into.

    After work, along with general information gathering, Oliver and Levi spent some more time listening around ¨C but also went shopping for some more general supplies.

    However inconvenient their lives were at this moment, nothing had stopped the two Earthers.

    They weren¡¯t getting too comfortable.

    Levi sat on the couch, rereading the magic book again. Sweating.

    Tomorrow, six days until the evaluation, the entrance test for the Scholarium.

 12 - Conspiracy

    ¡ª 6 days until evaluation ¡ª

    Oliver slouched in his chair. ¡°So there aren¡¯t any spoken spells? Just magic tools and diagrams?¡±

    Levi nodded emphatically, ¡°Magic spells are done by putting mana into the symbols, but that¡¯s not the only way to use mana!¡±

    Oliver raised an eyebrow.

    Levi opened the magic book to another page, ¡°Through training, people use it to get stronger or make their eyes better. Stuff like that.¡±

    The book was fairly simplistic and fairly short, if still efficient and quite helpful in elaborating on the systems of the world.

    Mana seemed to be a personal energy which could be shaped in certain ways to produce supernatural effects¨C or, it seemed, could be directly used to enhance certain physical functions such as senses or muscular capacity.

    The example image for ¡®external¡¯ magic consisted of a stereotypical mage the likes of which Oliver had seen around the Scholarium and occasionally on the street.

    Long and layered robes covered in all kinds of patterns and symbols, with a big hat or hood, and often a wooden implement. The more surface area for magical circuits, the better, it seemed.

    For ¡®internal¡¯ magic, a more rough looking fellow¨C rough compared to normal folk, not just to academics. He wore somewhat patchwork armour, and wielded some kind of mace. The images caption; ¡®adventurer¡¯.

    Hopefully what Levi had managed to cobble together qualified him for entrance into the school.

    The test was in the middle of the day, so Levi would need to spend some time at the Ministry in the morning.

    ¡ª

    Upon opening the office door, Levi jumped, frightened by the apocalyptic mess.

    ¡°Why is the room trashed?¡±

    Levi looked like he wanted no part of what Oliver had to deal with on a daily basis.

    Oliver might have left, had circumstances been different, but he¡¯d made his bed. He¡¯d lie in it.

    Oliver shook his head theatrically, ¡°Politics, young man, politics.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Oliver sighed.

    ¡ª

    The people taking the test were mostly older than Levi, with the exception of a little redheaded girl wearing quite noticeably better clothing than everyone in the vicinity. She was escorted by a maid¡­

    Maid?

    For some reason, the discovery of a maid was more impactful than the magic school, which is strange given that maids do exist on Earth.

    Somehow, the uncanny familiarity made the maid seem more fictional than actual fiction.

    Somewhere between fantastical and not.

    Whatever the case, most of the attendees were older teenagers, with the exception of a couple working aged people.

    Oliver joined a line with Levi, who was carrying a small leather bag containing some stationary they¡¯d bought preemptively.

    Although they hadn¡¯t had the time to source a robe or magic crystals, which might need to wait until Oliver¡¯s next payday, they¡¯d figured that the chances of failing were low enough not to worry about waiting to get everything else Levi needed.

    If he failed, they¡¯d have to resell the gear or use it for something else.

    They reached the front of the line, and the same lazy wizard receptionist¨Cfrom three days prior¨Caccepted the fee.

    Oliver let Levi follow the other test takers into the building.

    He began to turn around to leave, then realised he didn¡¯t know when to pick Levi back up, he reversed his turn and faced the receptionist. "How long is the test, by the way?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re to be given thirty minutes, results will be available immediately afterward.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± That sounded fast, although his exam had been much the same.

    So many exams in this place.

    ¡ª

    A wiry old man wearing standard grey magical robes waited in a hall adjacent to the new Scholarium applicants.

    He scanned them with his eyes as they made their way into a testing room¨C as had been his routine for the last couple weeks.

    The man himself, while no recent pursuer of knowledge, was a new addition to the ranks of the Scholarium.

    He had little to no access to the bureaucratic elements of the institution, even if he was making record time in the progression of his magical study, it wasn¡¯t as impressive due to his advanced age, so it afforded him little notoriety.

    He contented himself with watching over new arrivals, watching for the way they wrote their words, the way they added their numbers.

    ¡ª

    As the test-takers finished streaming out, Oliver grew increasingly concerned.

    When the last person left the building, Oliver marched up to the lazy wizard who was about to slip away.

    ¡°Hold on, hold on. Where¡¯s Levi?¡±

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    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°One of the two young kids, you saw the rich brat leave already, it¡¯s the other one.¡±

    ¡°Not that it¡¯s my business sir, but that rich¡­ child happens to be part of the city¡¯s ruling family.¡±

    Oliver spoke through gritted teeth, "Tell me what I want to know, now.¡±

    ¡°Point taken, sir, you¡¯re free to enter if you wish to search for him, he may have taken a wrong turn.¡± The miser gestured to the hallway, and Oliver marched past him, paused, and turned back.

    ¡°How am I supposed to know what turns he took.¡±

    The man sighed. ¡°Something about this gives me the feeling it¡¯ll be a long day.¡±

    But he led the way.

    Oliver¡¯s heart started beating faster as they meandered through the modest halls.

    He called out, receiving upset looks from disrupted scholars and practitioners

    ¡°Levi! Where¡¯ve you gone!?¡±

    They traced the short distance pretty fast, Levi nowhere to be found.

    He questioned people, gave Levi¡¯s description.

    Everyone shook their heads.

    He kept looking, inside rooms, a perimeter around the building, some nearby alleyways¡­

    It was increasingly obvious to Oliver. This was intentional.

    Most likely the fault of Emilia¡¯s detractors, this was personal.

    Reluctantly leaving the area Levi had gone missing, Oliver began sprinting toward the ministry, arriving in record time.

    Oliver was a man on a mission, spotting one of the helpers who had warned Oliver off working for Emilia, he grabbed the man roughly by the shoulders.

    ¡°Where is he? This isn¡¯t a joke.¡±

    The flustered and slightly frightened man stammered out. ¡°W-what. What are you talking about, I have no idea what you mean.¡±

    Oliver gritted his teeth, and released the unofficial finance worker. ¡°Take me to your official, take me to him immediately.¡±

    Just then, ¡°Oliver?¡±

    Emilia appeared holding a stack of documents, she¡¯d had to get them herself due to Oliver¡¯s tardiness. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    As the helper started leading Oliver away, he responded hastily, ¡°Levi never came out of his entrance test. Somewhere between the test room and the exit, he must have been taken.¡±

    Emilia looked extremely confused, and set her stack of papers on the floor.

    ¡°What? What if he¡¯s just lost.¡±

    Oliver exhaled, strides lengthening, ¡°Just a few days ago, a higher official tried to buy me away from your service, some Curtis.¡± Emilia blanched, Oliver continued.

    ¡°He told me I would regret working for you.¡±

    That was all she needed to know, apparently.

    They reached an office, and Oliver swung open the door.

    It was a much larger room than Emilia got to use, in a different section of the building.

    There must have been six or so people at various desks, and overlooking them all,

    ¡°Middle Official Terique, I have questions.¡±

    Terique looked up from his desk, which didn¡¯t seem very heavy with paperwork.

    There was a fancy nameplate, and a cute little puzzle cube on the corner.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you, Lower Official Emilia, Oliver.¡± He smiled greasily.

    Oliver assumed Terique already knew, but explained the circumstance anyway.

    After listening, Terique laced his fingers.

    Emilia spoke up, "This is further across the line than you¡¯ve gone before.¡±

    So Emilia knew something¨C it wasn¡¯t the time. Oliver took a step forward.

    ¡°Now, what needs to happen so I can see him again.¡±

    Terique was silent for a few more seconds, averting his eyes.

    After that though, he focused back on Oliver, and grinned.

    ¡°If you want to see the boy again, stop working for Emilia this second¨C no, actually, keep working for her. Just testify against her in the presence of three High Officials.¡±

    Satisfied with his scheming, Terique sat back and placed his hands on his belly.

    Emilia looked horrified, but Oliver just twitched. ¡°Ok, sure, now tell me where Levi is.¡±

    Terique paused. ¡°No, testify first.¡±

    Oliver was shaking in anger, in urgency. ¡°How long will it take to do that?¡±

    ¡°About¡­ three days to coordinate it-¡±

    Oliver¡¯s thoughts went¨C white.

    Oliver snapped, Oliver didn¡¯t snap often or for little reason.

    The last time it had happened was something of a major event Oliver would rather forget.

    He leapt across the desk at Terique, pushing him and his chair flat on their backs, he straddled the Middle Official, holding his collar in both fists.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a FUCKING JOKE. WHERE IS HE.¡±

    Terique¡¯s face went pale, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll find out where he is right now, don¡¯t hit me.¡±

    Oliver snapped out of the worst of it just as fast as he¡¯d snapped into it.

    Dammit, it happened again.

    He climbed off of the mountainous Official, and Terique scrambled to his feet.

    Then- Terique started running toward the door, spitting invectives all the while.

    ¡°-YOUDARETOUCHMEI¡¯MAMIDDLEOFFICIALYOU¡¯LLBESORRY-¡±

    Oliver stood there, stunned. In a daze, he picked up the Official¡¯s chair, and then sat in it, and put his head in his hands.

    Emilia spoke again, ¡°There¡¯ll be trouble for that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡±

    Emilia dropped the subject. ¡°What¡¯ll we do now, we still have to find Levi.¡±

    ¡°We can go straight to¡­ You said ¡®we¡¯?¡± Oliver looked up, confused.

    She crossed her arms. ¡°Yes, ¡®we¡¯, you¡¯ve been caught up in my troubles, of course it¡¯s ¡®we¡¯.¡±

    Oliver shook his head. ¡°We can head to Curtis Ledrein¡¯s office, he¡¯s the one who made the threat in the first place.¡±

    Oliver got up, and clenched his fists. ¡°Somebody will answer for this.¡±

    Emilia had a pained look.

    ¡ª

    - As Oliver was scouring the Scholarium -

    In a secluded dorm room, on the third floor where students could stay - if they had the requisite coin - Levi sat down on the simple bed, across from him, the strange wizard man who¡¯d asked about Levi¡¯s math.

    The only people who would know about his math were from Earth, According to Oliver.

    Oliver wasn¡¯t perfect, but Levi knew he was trying his best.

    ¡°Young man, might I ask, do you know what this is?¡±

    The thin wizard pulled out a modern glasses case, and showed Levi the brand on his spectacles.

    ¡°My name is Stephen Millard, or Professor Millard. I worked at a university, teaching physics. I¡¯m from Canada.¡±

    Levi widened his eyes, so it was true! ¡°You¡¯re from Canada? I¡¯m from America!¡±

    Then Levi cocked his head. ¡°What¡¯s physics?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the science of how things move and interact with each-other. The building blocks of the world. But that¡¯s not a concern right now, of course.¡±

    The old man leaned in, with care, but clearly eager to talk to someone from home. ¡±What¡¯s your name, young man? It must have been especially hard for you.¡±

    ¡°My name is Levi, I came to this world with my¡­ dad.¡± He said, averting his eyes.

    The Professor perked up. ¡°Oh? Where is he?¡±

    ¡°They got him.¡± Levi looked down at his lap and scrunched his hands up.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± The old man wasn¡¯t as surprised as Levi might have expected.

    The professor tentatively continued, ¡°You must have worked really hard to get enough gold to take this test by yourself, then?¡±

    Levi¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Oliver is waiting for me.¡±

 13 - Consequence

    Oliver would get answers.

    He couldn¡¯t go to the guards, obviously. They would want information Oliver didn¡¯t want to give.

    He strode along the hallway, following Emilia who was more familiar with this part of the building.

    She knew where High Official Ledrein¡¯s office was, but whether he was in it was another question.

    High Officials often went to help with inter-city trade, or met with influential people in order to come to deals. Of course, they could also just be out socialising, leaving work to their subordinates.

    There were only five High Officials of the Finance Ministry in the city, they each had a fancy office, larger than a Low Officials, but smaller than a Middle Officials.

    They had plenty of people working for them indirectly, but they didn¡¯t need to directly oversee them.

    Their offices were decorated such that wealthy visitors could drink tea and discuss their finances in comfort.

    In one such office, the door slammed open.

    Emilia was the one doing the slamming, but she stopped in her tracks.

    The occupants of the room, a panting Middle Official, a befuddled High Official, and a third person who stood with excellent posture, who seemed unpleasantly surprised.

    The latter, a man Oliver hadn¡¯t seen before, wore butler¡¯s finery.

    His long black tailcoat seemed exceptionally well maintained. He had a full, curly black beard and short cropped hair. He looked to be in his forties.

    The butler sighed, ¡°Daughter. I¡¯ve just heard something quite disturbing.¡±

    Oliver edged around the frozen Lower Official, eyebrow raised to apex.

    Connecting some dots. ¡°Hold on a minute, what¡¯s this about?¡±

    The butler, Emilia¡¯s father, looked from Emilia to Oliver, "So this is the one, is it? Young man, you¡¯ve been quite helpful to my daughter, but you¡¯re dismissed.¡±

    Emilia turned from ice to thunder quickly, and she put an arm out in front of Oliver. ¡°Oliver, you¡¯re not dismissed, and don¡¯t talk¨Clet me talk.¡±

    Terique fidgeted, he seemed like he knew what was going on, but was uncomfortable to be there.

    Curtis just settled into his chair, intent to watch the show.

    Emilia¡¯s father exhaled. ¡°We¡¯ve been over this.¡±

    ¡°We certainly have, but kidnapping is way over the line. Where is the boy.¡±

    ¡°Terique got a bit ahead of himself, we don¡¯t have the boy.¡± Emilia¡¯s father folded his arms, ¡°I don¡¯t need to resort to that, to get what I want.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Oliver was, fed up with the charade, "He wouldn¡¯t just disappear, in the middle of the scholarium, no less.¡±

    ¡°If the boy truly did ¡®disappear¡¯, go call on the city guard. Don¡¯t assault one of my associates.¡± The butler frowned. ¡°Distasteful. Distasteful, distasteful, distasteful. There will be consequences for your behaviour, I¡¯ll see to it.¡±

    Emilia shot Oliver an annoyed look for talking, then spoke to her father, ¡°Oliver claims to have been threatened by High Official Ledrein.¡±

    The butler paused, then glanced at Curtis.

    Curtis shrugged.

    "That was one thing, this is another.¡±

    Oliver was having none of it. ¡°Why should I take your word? You¡¯re a weasel.¡± He took a step forward, glaring. ¡°Mighty coincidence, Levi disappearing right before the evaluation.¡±

    Oliver didn¡¯t know what sort of moral standards people had in this world. But he sure didn¡¯t have reason to suspect they were very high.

    Between getting attacked by bush wizards and avoiding the death sentence, Oliver thought it was perfectly possible that these people would organise a kidnapping over petty workplace issues.

    Nay, Oliver thought it was likely.

    At least, to the extent he was thinking at all.

    Emilia¡¯s father leaned forward and stared Oliver in the eyes. ¡°Yes. A coincidence is exactly what it is.¡±

    Emilia¡¯s eyes widened, and she watched the event in slow motion. Unable to prevent what was about to happen.

    Before anyone could stop him, Oliver¡¯s arm came a-swinging.

    The loud *SMACK* silenced the room.

    The butler stumbled, then, in perfect silence, with perfect grace, straightened up as if nothing had happened.

    Emilia was pale white, Terique was frowning, Curtis looked excited.

    There wasn¡¯t even a mark where Oliver had hit Emilia¡¯s father¡¯s cheek.

    The middle aged butler smiled calmly. ¡°That was a mistake.¡±

    Oliver just stuttered, looking at his hand which had gone red from the impact.

    ¡°W-w-what¡±

    What is this guy made of ¨C is he gonna hit me back!?

    Emilia¡¯s father nodded at Terique, "Go, fetch the guardsmen, tell them the Willowen family¡¯s head butler has just been assaulted.¡±

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Oliver just got¡­ confused.

    ¡ª

    Levi and Stephen stood across the road from the ministry, watching a group of guardsmen escorting Oliver away, a bag over his head.

    Stephen exhaled, pained. ¡°That was him?¡±

    Levi nodded, solemn. He knew better than to run over and intervene.

    Someone must have found out that Oliver was from Earth?

    The professor placed a hand on Levi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s best we leave.¡±

    Levi looked up at him. ¡°W-what about Oliver¡­¡±

    Stephen grimaced, "Consider him lost, lad. We should probably hide you away for the tim-¡±

    Emilia, arguing with what seemed to be a butler across the street, spotted Levi.

    She did a double take.

    She started trying to cut off the conversation, and after doing so, started speed-walking in Levi¡¯s direction.

    Levi saw her, noticed she had Oliver¡¯s bags, and tugged urgently on the Professor¡¯s robe.

    Stephen saw her and assumed the worst, he scooped up Levi and started running down the nearest alleyway.

    ¡ª

    Emilia was running through side-streets, her official uniform drawing eyes.

    It was a status symbol, especially to those in the poorer parts of town, where they were now headed.

    She had said she would help find Levi, after Oliver had stuck with her under the pressure of her father¡¯s schemes, she was not going to be made a liar.

    Not if she had any say in the matter.

    ¡ª

    She was catching up, and while Stephen was exceptionally fit for a fifty-two year old, there was something about the inhuman ability of people in this world.

    Something just under the surface, something that made people exceptionally good at what they did, the longer they spent on it, the harder they worked at it.

    Something that made people fitter, stronger, better, than on Earth.

    Stephen, manoeuvring around a crate in a thin alley, stumbled and tripped.

    Levi went tumbling in front of him. Emilia rounded the corner, panting, but not exhausted. She said ¡°Levi¨C get behind me. Who is this?.¡±

    Levi was confused for a second, wasn¡¯t she trying to catch me?

    He didn¡¯t move for a second, despite the prompting from both sides.

    Then his eyes lit up. ¡°It¡¯s a mistake!¡±

    Emilia paused, gears turning behind her eyes.

    Professor Millard got up off his hands and knees, skeptically, he looked between Levi and Emilia. ¡°A mistake?¡±

    Levi looked up innocently, ¡°Miss Emilia, are you chasing us because Oliver is in trouble?¡±

    Emilia shifted her weight, ¡°Wait hold on, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Can you just say?¡±

    ¡°...No, Oliver was looking for you, so I thought¡­ Are you safe?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m safe, it was a mistake!¡±

    They stood in a secluded alley. In a nondescript part of the dank, lower class area of the city. Nobody was around.

    Levi introduced Emilia to Stephen, obviously not mentioning anything sensitive.

    ¡°After my test, we were having a chat.¡±

    Realisation dawned on Emilia¡¯s face. ¡°Oliver couldn¡¯t find you!?¡±

    Stephen interjected, ¡°It was in my room.¡±

    Levi spoke regretfully, ¡°We were just chatting after my test, I forgot Oliver was waiting for me¡­ wait¡­ why was Oliver taken away then?¡±

    Emilia had the pained look of someone who¡¯d just realised their understanding. ¡°So it was all pointless then¡­¡±

    Stephen spoke, "Pointless?¡±

    It was probably a result of the adrenaline rush, but Emilia spilled out a summary of events.

    ¡°My father¡¯s been trying to stop me from getting promoted.¡±

    The professor scratched his head, ¡°Your¡­ Sorry you¡¯re going to have to be more specific.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s been interfering with my work¨C mine and Oliver¡¯s work now, but for a while before that too. Oliver thought this was part of it.¡±

    Levi tilted his head, ¡°Why would he do that?¡±

    Emilia folded her arms, ¡°To keep it so that he holds the legal right to marry me off.¡±

    Stephen looked affronted, ¡°What.¡±

    She blushed a little, somewhat in anger, somewhat in embarrassment.

    ¡°He¡¯s happy for me to be where I am, since it improves my ¡®value¡¯, he would rather I don¡¯t move too high up the food chain. My father¡¯s rather influential, but if I reach the upper echelons of society, I have much more say in my own affairs.¡±

    The professor, exhausted, hands on his knees. ¡°My condolences, can you hurry on to the point by chance?¡±

    Emilia averted her eyes, ¡°The men under father¡¯s influence have been making incendiary remarks to Oliver, since he¡¯s been such a help in improving my prospects. When Oliver couldn¡¯t find Levi¡­ He went on something of a rampage.¡±

    Levi could believe it, "Oh no.¡± It was better than what they thought before, but still.

    ¡°What did he do to get taken away?¡±

    ¡°Hit my father.¡±

    Both Stephen and Levi looked at Emilia, then looked at each other, then looked back at Emilia. Levi said "Is that really bad?¡±

    ¡ª

    ¡°MOVE FORWARD!¡±

    Oliver moved forward, they started undoing the rope binding his wrists, keeping his arms in a steely grip.

    ¡°SIT!¡±

    He was shoved backward onto a full-body chair, not the comfortable kind, and he felt straps being pulled over his arms and legs. When they finished, the bag was pulled off of his head.

    Oliver squinted, the sudden light blinding him.

    They were in a strange stone room, a long barred window to Oliver¡¯s left.

    The room was clean and smooth, painted in glowing magical circuits.

    There were two guardsmen in the room, along with one smart looking fellow wearing some formal outfit. A big puffy cravat in place of a tie. A lawyer?

    ¡°Hello Mr. Crest, I have a few questions for you.¡±

    ¡°Questions?¡±

    The questioner pulled out a simple clipboard, and a fancy quill. ¡°Indeed Mr. Crest, I¡¯ll begin right away. Did you or did you not harm the Head Butler of the Willow household, Marland Steel?¡±

    The magical circuits shone.

    ¡°That butle-rrssderrr¡­¡± Oliver¡¯s mind hummed with interference, he couldn¡¯t think properly, only the answer to the question came to mind.

    ¡°I did.¡±

    The questioner¨C interrogator made a small smile. ¡°Now that¡¯s verified, are there any other crimes you¡¯ve committed in this city that I should know about.¡±

    ¡°Not that I know of.¡±

    ¡°Very good, very good. There¡¯s not much information on you here, I take it you¡¯re a traveller?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Oliver felt dread.

    The interrogator put his fancy quill to some of Willowhaven¡¯s finest paper.

    ¡°I need this just for formality¡¯s sake of course.¡±

    The interrogator sat forward in his seat.

    ¡°Would you be so kind as to tell me where you hail from?¡±

 14 - Lock and Key

    *HUMMMMMM* [The answer is simple, give the simple answer, answer the question, answeransweransweranswer]

    ¡°I dididdddon¡¯t knnnoww¡±

    The interrogator lifted an eyebrow, ¡°It¡¯s no good to resist it, boy.¡±

    ¡°I-I d-don¡¯t know, I dunno, I don¡¯t know. I woke up in a forest, I don¡¯t know why.¡± Oliver was sweating profusely, shivering in his bindings.

    The interrogator glanced at something behind Oliver.

    He paused for a few seconds, it felt like an eternity to Oliver.

    ¡°...Not a lie¡­ Very well, you can go sit in a cell and await trial! Do have fun.¡±

    The bag lowered.

    ¡ª

    A Lower Official, a professor, and a child sat in an inn.

    The lunch rush had finished some time ago, so they had the place to themselves¨C still, the innkeeper was happy to oblige them with her leftovers.

    ¡°This is quite good, what do you think¡¯s in it?¡± Stephen managed while chewing his food, going in for another spoonful of the ¡®soup special¡¯.

    ¡°Wild Megarat, they probably caught it today.¡± Emilia was having some as well, eating at a more casual pace.

    Levi stopped eating. ¡°What¡­¡±

    Stephen looked at his soup sceptically ¡°... Anyway, back on topic, what is the usual punishment for something like what Oliver did?¡±

    Emilia hmmed thoughtfully, considering. ¡°You know, I¡¯m not really that familiar with the standard punishment for dealing with people as powerful as my father.¡±

    She frowned, "The usual remediation for assaulting a guard is something like five lashes?¡±

    Levi didn¡¯t know what that was, so he just raised his eyebrow, but Stephen grimaced, ¡°I knew this city was harsh, but the continuous confirmation pains me.¡±

    ¡°... I was under the assumption we¡¯re in one of the more lenient areas of the Empire.¡± Emilia stated innocently, but looked away when Stephen met her eyes.

    After a moment of silence, she dropped it. ¡°Well, in either case, Oliver¡¯s not going to be out until after the ministry evaluation. My father will make sure of that.¡±

    She looked down at the table, ¡°¡­ We might have a good enough track record up until today to make up for any shortcomings in the next five.¡± She sunk a bit in her seat. ¡°Still¡­¡±

    Stephen hesitated, "Is this¡­ mathematical work?¡±

    Emilia looked up at him, and blinked. "Yes, I am a Finance Official.¡±

    ¡°... I may be able to help.¡±

    ¡ª

    Oliver sat on the floor of his stone cell, because there wasn¡¯t anything else to sit on, or much of anything at all.

    There was a¡­ hole¡­ in the corner, for the reason you might expect, but Oliver hadn¡¯t used it.

    The bars were inscribed with magical runes, which¨C according to Oliver¡¯s financial knowledge¨C were probably expensive enough that they could have given him ten toilets.

    It¡¯s not like he was going to bend steel.

    That monster of a person he¡¯d seen in Explorer¡¯s Rest might have been able to, but still, surely his imprisoners could tell he couldn¡¯t.

    It was scary, waiting for the unknown. Was his punishment just going to be time spent in this cell? If so, how long?

    Oliver somehow doubted that was the case, although this city seemed quite modern in its functions, they still cut off people¡¯s heads¡­

    Oliver started shaking again, with anger.

    He said it quietly.

    ¡°Where is Levi.¡±

    Somebody has Levi. Is he dead?

    It was Oliver¡¯s mess. Levi had disappeared because of Oliver¡¯s mistake.

    ¡°Where is Levi.¡±

    I shouldn¡¯t have left him alone. Why did I do that?

    Levi had nobody else. Maybe Emilia was able to pry him away from her father.

    Oliver suddenly had his hands on the bars.

    ¡°Where is Levi.¡±

    Oliver couldn¡¯t hear anything, his blood was roaring too loudly in his ears.

    From his core, the energy, the mana, made its way into his arms.

    Not extraordinarily fast, at a steady rate, feeding into his muscles.

    ¡°Where is Levi.¡±

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    The metal bars¡­ did not budge.

    The light coming off their inscribed circuits flashed.

    The mana was sucked out of him forcefully. It was like being winded.

    What.

    That was the last thing Oliver managed to think before he fell unconscious, empty.

    ¡ª

    Levi thought he was perfectly capable of going back to Oliver¡¯s apartment by himself, but both Stephen and Emilia were against the idea.

    The problem came in where he should have gone instead.

    Emilia began, ¡°You¡¯ve known this professor for all of a few hours at most.¡± She nodded to Stephen, ¡°With respect, we¡¯re both strangers to Levi in some sense, but I know him better than you do.¡±

    Emilia wasn¡¯t entirely wrong, even if she didn¡¯t have the whole picture, Levi wasn¡¯t as familiar with the Professor as with the Lower Official. Still¡­

    Stephen struggled to come up with a counterargument that didn''t include his and Levi¡¯s ¡®shared background¡¯. ¡°There are¨C look, Levi¡¯s passed his entrance test to the Scholarium, I¡¯m a student there, it would be more convenient.¡±

    Emilia raised her eyebrows. ¡°You understand that¡¯s not really much to go on.¡±

    Stephen sighed.

    Emilia gestured, ¡°Levi, we¡¯re going back to my house.¡±

    And it seemed that was the end of that.

    Stephen looked forlorn, but Levi gave him a nod, he assumed it would be fine. Emilia was Oliver¡¯s friend.

    Emilia held out a hand for the professor to shake. ¡°Stephen, I¡¯ll pay for any help you can give me.¡±

    He shook it, but also shook his head, ¡°No, no, I¡¯ll do it anyway, just take care of the boy and help your assistant out of his predicament if possible...¡±

    He averted his eyes, ¡°Can¡¯t have Levi all alone.¡±

    ¡ª

    Levi and Emilia walked toward the wealthier part of town, in the northeastern segment, where the streets were cleaner and the clothes were more refined.

    Levi was out of place

    Over the ten or so days that Levi had been staying with Oliver, they had gone and bought some simple changes of clothes, but on the whole they weren¡¯t very flashy.

    Mostly second hand works in simple colours, nothing too scruffy¨Cthe two had modern sensibilities¨Cbut not the type of clothes you would wear in this part of town.

    Emilia, noticing the looks Levi was getting, hmmed. ¡°Had Oliver bought you robes or anything?¡±

    Levi shook his head, ¡°We were waiting until after the test.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go buy some then, you¡¯ll need to start and stay the whole day tomorrow, since I have work to do.¡±

    Levi looked back at Emilia, eyes wide, ¡°You¡¯ll take me there?¡±

    Emilia nodded.

    They approached a clothing store significantly more fancy than what Levi had seen before, with a full glass storefront displaying a variety of upper class casual wear.

    *ding-a-ling*

    A short man with combed hair approached his customers, ¡°Afternoon, Official. What brings you here today?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to purchase some robes for this boy here.¡±

    The man looked intrigued as to what a common looking boy would be doing shopping in this part of town, but he was in the business of clothes, not information.

    They picked out a fair few articles of clothing for Levi, not just robes, and it was enough such that Emilia also purchased a large trunk to contain it all.

    ¡°Um, Miss Emilia, thanks for buying me all this stuff, but isn¡¯t that going to be a bit heavy?¡±

    The shop attendant chuckled, ¡°Dear boy, delivery is no problem at all. Official, where would you like this taken?¡±

    ¡°The Steel household on Portende Street.¡±

    The attendant looked approvingly at Emilia, who rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go Levi.¡±

    ¡°Huh? But we didn¡¯t pay?¡±

    ¡°Things don¡¯t work like that around here.¡±

    They passed increasingly wealthy houses until they were most of the way to the northwestern segment of the city.

    Not so far away, an interior wall enclosed the biggest house Levi had ever seen, with tons of windows and exquisite detailing¨C a manor, if Levi knew the term.

    Not the tallest, but it was quite long and wide, with a nice looking garden.

    As Levi was getting his hopes up, they turned down one of the streets closest to the large building, which was lined with houses modest by comparison, but substantial in their own right.

    ¡°Miss Emilia, what was that building that had its own wall?¡±

    ¡°Oh that, that was the Lord¡¯s Manor. We live close to it because my father works there.¡±

    Levi hmmed. He didn¡¯t quite get the implication.

    They walked up the steps onto the patio, Emilia pulled out a key and slid it into the lock, twisting it to open.

    ¡°Emilia dear, you are quite late again. It will further the rumours.¡±

    Emilia sighed, ¡°There aren¡¯t any¨C¡° She sighed, ¡°Mother, I have a guest who needs a place to stay.¡±

    ¡°A guest? Have you picked someone off the street?¡±

    In the entryway, a woman appeared, she didn¡¯t look too different from Emilia.

    That was, if you ignored her lighter hair colour. And smile lines.

    ¡°A boy?¡± She looked dissaprovingly at Levi.

    Emilia put her hand on Levi¡¯s head, ¡°Yes, a boy who is currently homeless due to father¡¯s meddling.¡±

    ¡°You know what your father does is for the good of the family.¡±

    Emilia sighed again, ¡°I¡¯ve offered for him to stay in the guest room.¡±

    ¡°... It¡¯s fine, I suppose. How long?¡±

    ¡°Six days at my estimation.¡±

    Emilia¡¯s mother looked irked, ¡°I¡¯ll speak to Marland later.¡±

    ¡°Please.¡±

    ¡°Come in then, eat.¡±

    They crossed the threshold of the house, escaping the darkening outdoors.

    The inside of the house was lit with the same lights as in the scholarium, and the wooden floors were polished enough to see your reflection in them.

    Levi was led through to a decent sized dining table, which had it¡¯s own room.

    A man was already sitting there, a male approximation of Emilia. Taller, broader, and with shorter hair.

    ¡°Who is this then?¡± the young man said.

    Emilia introduced the man, ¡°Levi, this is my older brother, Benjamin. Brother, Levi was in the care of my employee, but my employee is currently indisposed.¡±

    Benjamin looked puzzled for a second, then seemed to put it together, ¡°Emilia, you do realise things like this happen due to your own stubbornness.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not having this discussion.¡±

    They ate dinner in awkward silence, Emilia¡¯s father didn¡¯t appear for it, and Levi ended up in a bed more comfortable than the one he had on Earth.

    He wasn¡¯t very nervous, or all that afraid.

    He was mostly just lost.

    First in the broader sense that he didn¡¯t have his dad¨Che cried alone every night¨Cbut he was lost in the sense that he didn¡¯t have much direction.

    He wanted Oliver back, but Oliver hadn¡¯t made much progress himself.

    Emilia¡¯s family seems pretty important.

    Levi would have a look around.

 15 - Introductions

    Levi lay awake as the light streamed in through the windows.

    The blurry blue ceiling looked like the sky had, at that time.

    The final words of his father, who he loved so very much, rung again in his head.

    As they did over and over. Every day, without fail.

    ¡°Levi, you can find kindness in all places.¡±

    Then he had left Levi, hidden behind a barrel.

    Watching the guards run past.

    Hearing the yells.

    Levi¡¯s eyes swum into focus. He climbed out of bed, and put his clothes on. He wouldn¡¯t complain, he wouldn¡¯t cause trouble, he would try his best to get home.

    So come back.

    Levi didn¡¯t cry, he just went to his door, opened it, and looked around the dim hallway.

    Usually, nobody was awake around this time, he had found.

    But Levi couldn¡¯t go back to sleep.

    He began down the stairs, and stopped halfway as he saw two people in the entryway.

    Emilia¡¯s mother straightened the butler¡¯s collar.

    ¡­ Is that? That was the man Emilia was talking to before she chased us.

    Marland looked in his direction, ¡°Boy, come here.¡±

    Levi flinched, gulped, then finished descending the stairs slowly.

    ¡°So you¡¯re awake.¡±

    Levi looked up at the gruff butler, who wore a seemingly perpetual frown under his curly black beard.

    Marland looked at his wife. ¡°He¡¯s gotten into the Scholarium, Cathryn?¡±

    Emilia¡¯s mother¨CCathryn¨Cfolded her arms. ¡°That¡¯s what Emilia said, dear.¡±

    Marland thought for a moment. ¡°Mmm. Ok, boy, put on your robes. You¡¯ll be coming with me.¡±

    Levi, confused, didn¡¯t budge.

    ¡°Hurry it up, boy.¡±

    Levi did as he was told.

    ¡ª

    Levi trailed behind Marland as they approached the wall enclosing the city¡¯s manor, like a bubble attached to the inside of the city wall, securely protecting the building from the public.

    Levi had been separated from Emilia, following the man who had apparently taken Oliver away. But he was about to enter the place most likely to hold the answers that he, Oliver, and Stephen needed. A big responsibility.

    Levi felt terrified.

    They approached a small gate, one of a few, manned by guards wearing pieces of plate armour. Generally more well equipped than the normal city guards Levi had seen around.

    He kept his head down, hiding his trembling hands in his conveniently large robes.

    ¡°Morning, Head Butler.¡± They recited.

    Marland raised a hand in a half-hearted wave as he and Levi crossed without any trouble. They continued up a path, until coming to an entrance on the side of the large building.

    Marland pushed open the door. ¡°Come, boy.¡±

    They entered a hallway not too different from those at the Scholarium. Wooden, plain, lit with strange lights.

    Turning a corner, they found maids and butlers standing at attention outside doors along the hallway, mostly younger people.

    Marland clapped once, and they all started moving.

    Then he called out, shortly. ¡°Jessica.¡±

    A maid appeared, tall and with freckled features, ¡°Head Butler?¡±

    ¡°Take this boy to the lobby and wait with him there, he¡¯ll be travelling with the young Lady.¡±

    The maid looked surprised, but just nodded. She held out a hand for Levi to hold.

    Levi, having been handed off (again), looked at Marland with that mix of caution and inquisitiveness he¡¯d been wearing all day. He took the maid¡¯s hand, she seemed nicer.

    Levi was led through some more corridors, until going through one of the doors, which opened into what seemed to be the main building. The ceilings were double as high as anywhere else Levi had been in this city so far.

    ¡°You must be quite the smart young man, going to the Scholarium at your age.¡±

    The maid whispered to him as they made their way into a room with a small indoor fountain and a big door.

    ¡°What family are you from?¡±

    Levi looked into the maid¡¯s expectant eyes. ¡°Um¡­¡±

    He hadn¡¯t thought about what to say if someone asked him for his last name. Levi¡¯s last name was Owen, but that information felt surprisingly private.

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    ¡°My name is Levi Crest.¡±

    The maid frowned, not recognising the name, ¡°Crest¡­ Do you live in the upper or lower part of the city?¡±

    ¡°... Near the Finance Ministry?¡±

    The maid raised her eyebrows. ¡°So you¡¯re common?¡±

    Levi wasn¡¯t sure what that meant, so he kept silent.

    ¡°I suppose that means you¡¯re quite skilled.¡± She smiled.

    Levi and Jessica had idle small talk for some time, waiting for the ¡®young lady¡¯ Marland had mentioned. He was just trying to come up with a reason for his good education when a high pitched voice sounded from across the room.

    ¡°Hello, Jessica.¡±

    The small girl with bright red hair entered. She was about as tall as Levi was, and wore robes similar to his. Though she sported a wide brimmed witch¡¯s hat, and her robes seemed even nicer than the nice ones Emilia had bought him.

    ¡°Good morning, Lady Mia.¡± Jessica curtsied and bowed her head.

    The small lady, taking this in stride, turned toward Levi, inquisitively. ¡°Never seen you before. Name?¡±

    She¡¯s a bit rude. Levi thought, but he was well behaved, so he just answered.

    ¡°Levi Crest.¡±

    She kept looking at him, like she was expecting him to do something. His eyes flickered from person to person, confused.

    This lasted only a few seconds, until Marland came into the room. ¡°Good morning, Lady Mia. I see you¡¯ve found the boy.¡±

    Lady Mia turned to Marland, ¡°Sir Marland, might I ask why there¡¯s a boy of his age wearing robes?¡±

    Marland turned to Levi, ¡°How old are you, boy?¡±

    ¡°Nine.¡±

    Marland turned back to the young lady, ¡°He¡¯s your age, Lady Mia.¡±

    The young lady just paused. ¡°Yes¡­ But why is he¡­¡± She thought for a second, then placed a fist in her palm with realisation, ¡°You were the boy in the test. You passed?¡±

    Levi cocked his head. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re nine?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    Levi furrowed his brows. ¡°You can¡¯t be much older than me.¡±

    Jessica interjected with a teasing grin, ¡°It seems you¡¯ll have company at school after all, Mia.¡±

    Both of the children looked at Jessica, then at each other.

    Levi shrugged, Mia raised an eyebrow.

    ¡ª

    Levi sat across from ¡®Lady Mia¡¯ in a carriage, as it made its way through town. He was mostly silent, not sure how he ended up there.

    Mia asked him, seemingly tired of the silence. ¡°Who taught you how to read and write?¡±

    Levi scratched his head. ¡°Um. My¡­ brother, Oliver?¡±

    ¡°Oh? And what does he do?¡±

    ¡°He works at the ministry with Miss Emilia.¡±

    Lady Mia grinned, ¡°Sir Marland¡¯s daughter? So he¡¯s an Official then?¡±

    Levi shook his head, ¡°No, he works for her.¡±

    The young lady pursed her lips, and they didn¡¯t speak for another few seconds.

    ¡°I assume he didn¡¯t take you due to his work?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly¡­¡± Levi averted his eyes. Not wanting to mention something like Oliver being in prison.

    A woman¡¯s deep voice called as the carriage came to a stop. ¡°Milady, we have arrived.¡±

    Levi heard the clanking steps of metal make their way from the front of the carriage to the side door. Upon opening it, the Knight he¡¯d been told was accompanying them¨Cwearing a mix of plate and chainmail armour¨Cheld out her hand for Mia.

    Mia stepped down with the Knight¡¯s help. ¡°Thank you, Diana.¡±

    They were outside the Scholarium, and Levi opted to jump out of the wagon rather than step down, robes fluttering behind him.

    Mia looked at him, and crossed her arms. ¡°Rather dramatic. Unnecessary.¡±

    Levi, thinking he had done something cool, blushed. ¡°It was just easier.¡±

    The Knight looked between the two and chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡±

    And so they set forth. They drew eyes from the various citizenry as they made way toward one of the larger entrances to the Scholarium.

    ¡ª

    Emilia sat in her office, thoughts of the dramatic situation she found herself in distracting her from the work she needed to get done.

    She had woken up, ready to take Levi to the Scholarium, only to find her mother, who told her he¡¯d been stolen away by her father. Apparently he¡¯d been dressed and ready to go to the Scholarium, but how that was going to work was beyond Emilia.

    Her employee, the strange, suspicious employee who had turned down offers so he could continue to work under her¨C behind bars for hitting her annoyingly important father. She looked down at Oliver¡¯s bags again, wondering what secrets he was keeping.

    She wasn¡¯t stupid. Oliver, Levi, and Stephen all seemed to share above average intelligence, strange assumptions, and obscure backgrounds. Memory loss wasn¡¯t a good enough reason for all the inconsistencies.

    Her running theory was that they were the insurgents being hunted down by the big shots in the capital. Her father had gone on something of a rant about the ¡®overstep¡¯.

    But if that was even the case¡­ Maybe Oliver could be a foreign agent, but why a child and an old man? Better cover?

    She didn¡¯t have enough information, and¨Cperhaps due to their origins¨Cthey were less susceptible to the pressure she was under, so they were a big help.

    Something seemed¡­ off¡­ about the whole situation.

    Across the room, her stand-in employee was making ground on Oliver¡¯s workload.

    He hadn¡¯t been able to help with the mess as much, being old, but he was certainly an intelligent guy.

    She didn¡¯t quite trust him. He clearly didn¡¯t know Oliver, but his rapport with Levi¡­

    He didn¡¯t use the same strange mathematical system as Oliver did, using standard written notation instead. But something about it spoke of a different internal thought process, as if he was only writing it down that way after the fact.

    Emilia suspected he was taught in the same method as Oliver.

    Stephen, noticing Emilia¡¯s look from across the room, decided it was appropriate to ask.

    ¡°You really should let me hold on to the bag.¡± He said, still concentrating at Oliver¡¯s desk.

    ¡°You are being helpful, I¡¯ll admit. The answer is still no, it will go back to Oliver when he gets out.¡±

    Stephen grumbled, but didn¡¯t reply.

    Emilia looked back at the bag.

    What could possibly be inside?

    ¡ª

    This was the second day he would be spending behind bars, he had barely gotten any sleep.

    Oliver rolled around the cold hard floor, it seemed pillows weren¡¯t something they accommodated prisoners with. Well, at least he wasn¡¯t curled around various articles of office furniture¡­ it was good to stay positive.

    Something that wasn¡¯t positive, the food. Some brown slop which was certainly bereft of any health standards. If there were any health standards.

    They didn¡¯t even give it to Oliver on a metal platter like in most depictions of prisons and American schools. Just a wooden cup full of slop, pushed through by a guardswoman with a pole.

    If you wanted to know what it tasted like, Oliver didn¡¯t, so it was still sitting there at the edge of the cell. Hopefully he wasn¡¯t in this place too long.

    Surely holding prisoners this long cost them resources.

    He looked back at the slop. Not that many resources.

 16 - Scholarium

    ¡°My Lady, and.. Uh¡­ My Lord?¡±

    The lazy wizard receptionist nervously wrung his hands as he saw a young boy he only vaguely recognised accompanying the youngest daughter of the city¡¯s Lord.

    Mia¡¯s knight¨CDame Diana¨Cshook her head firmly. ¡°He¡¯s not a Lord.¡±

    The lazy wizard cleared his throat, ¡°ahem, right. Lady Mia, congratulations on your passing at such a young age. I am here to guide you to the introductory lecture.¡±

    Lady Mia nodded. ¡°Thankyou, you may lead the way.¡±

    Levi shot the wizard an irked look. Upset he was being ignored, but not wanting to make a problem of it.

    I passed at the same age!

    The young lady did keep shooting Levi glances as they walked next to each other.

    She kept speeding up a bit until she was in front of him, then going back to normal pace. Levi kept increasing his pace to match her, but she just kept doing it.

    Eventually, the Knight and Wizard were jogging to keep up with the children, weakly attempting to direct them where they needed to go.

    The wizard, between breaths, ¡°My Lady, left!! Go left!¡±

    When they ended up at the classroom, neither the kids nor Dame Diana showed signs of tiredness, but the wizard was a mess.

    Levi was trying to suppress a grin as Lady Mia was trying to look upset with him.

    The wizard opened the door for them before saying his goodbyes. Muttering as he made his way down the hall.

    The room was similar to the room Levi had taken his test in, if a bit smaller.

    A staggered wooden classroom with a blackboard up the front and ceiling lights not too different from LED lights on Earth.

    The classroom was about half filled, reflecting the ages of those who had taken the test - anywhere between older teenager and late middle age. The youngest besides Levi and Mia being a girl who could have been 15 or 16.

    A navy blue robed woman up the front of the room, behind a lectern, noticed their arrival and turned with a large smile.

    Almost too large. Levi thought.

    It was weirding him out, but he assumed the woman was looking at Mia. He wasn¡¯t sure why Mia deserved so much attention, she was just rich. They also kept calling her a ¡°Lady¡± when she was only his age.

    ¡±Lady Mia! I am Magus Ventrissa, I will be conducting today¡¯s induction lecture. Congratulations on your entry to our Scholarium, I will try to live up to expectations!¡±

    ¡°Well met.¡± Lady Mia nodded, as if such attention was normal.

    Levi didn¡¯t understand some of those words, but he nodded too. He understood he was being looked over again.

    Mia walked up to the desk at the front left of the room, and Levi opted to sit two seats away ¨C not knowing Mia all that well and assuming she didn¡¯t really like his presence.

    Mia blinked at him, and the Knight gave Levi a pointed look.

    What am I doing wrong now?

    This continued until the young lady crossed her arms and turned away from him, saying nothing. Dame Diana took position behind her.

    The lecturer began speaking after a few more people entered the room.

    ¡°I believe that to be everyone who passed this month¡¯s entrance test.¡± She clapped her hands, and the lights dimmed.

    ¡®Oooh¡¯s and ¡®Aaaah¡¯s could be heard. Levi was surprised but not impressed. Mia made a show of keeping her expression even.

    Then, some magical circuits started glowing white at the front of the room, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

    ¡°I thought it might be best to celebrate some of the high performers of the entrance test.¡±

    The lecturer slid a piece of paper onto a spot on her lectern, and the words begun to shine across the blackboard in bright white letters.

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">1st. Magical Theory: Lady Mia Willow</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">1st. Written word: Samantha Glory</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">1st. Mathematics: Levi</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°Excellent performances. Especially for Lady Mia, being only nine years old.¡± The lecturer smiled again, and clapped her hands - eliciting enthusiastic clapping from most others in the room.

    Levi rolled his eyes, then he noticed Mia looking at him again, upset. He just sighed.

    The lecturer turned the lights back up, and began the actual induction.

    ¡ª

    To summarize, the institution didn¡¯t work the same as a school or a university. It was more a hodgepodge of various scholars, wizards, mages, adventurers, and various common folk who wanted to pick up a bit of knowledge to further their trade.

    Dedicated magic users came in two main varieties.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    Wizards differentiated from mages in that wizards focused more on magical theory, study, and exploration, whereas Mages focused more on acquisition of existing spells, efficiency, and output.

    Mages were generally more well known and regarded, due to their exploits, but Wizards were the ones doing the real work behind the scenes.

    Suffice it to say, adventurer magic users were most often Mages. There were wizard adventurers, but they often only went out to do academic experiments during easy contracts.

    At least, this was how the lecturer put it. Levi was smart for his age, but the most he got out of it was that Wizards were boring, Mages were cool, and that if he was going to protect himself or his friends, find his way home, and see his mother again.

    He was going to have to be a Mage.

    The lecturer then went over what classes were available to take, the cost of dorm living, and various other formalities. This all took a couple hours, and by the end of it, Levi¡¯s brain was pretty much cotton.

    Too much information.

    He went to stand up, and saw Mia doing the same. ¡°Mia?¡±

    Mia hmphed and didn¡¯t turn to look at him.

    Levi found Mia very confusing. ¡°... What did I do wrong?¡±

    Mia started moving to leave, so he grabbed her arm. ¡°Why are yo-¡±

    A big metal hand grabbed his arm, the one he was holding Mia¡¯s with. He released Mia in surprside, looked at the metal hand, then traced it up to the big Knight.

    Uh oh.

    Dame Diana, face visor lifted, was a young woman with black hair and hard features. She had an authoritative tone. ¡°Hands off the young Lady.¡±

    Levi gulped, terrified. "Um, sorry.¡±

    Lady Mia looked exasperated at her knight. ¡°Diana, stop it.¡±

    ¡°He grabbed you, Lady Mia. That¡¯s not acceptable.¡±

    Mia put her hands on her hips. ¡°Yeah. But I can tell him that myself. He¡¯s still a child.¡±

    You¡¯re a child too¡­ Levi was still hesitant to speak.

    The knight looked sceptically at Levi. ¡°Still, Lady Mia, it¡¯s my job.¡±

    ¡°Diana! I said it¡¯s fine, let him go.¡±

    The steel claw unlatched from Levi¡¯s nine-year-old arm, and he lowered it back to his side.

    Lady Mia turned to him, and grabbed his hand herself. ¡°This way, we¡¯re going to eat lunch.¡±

    ¡ª

    In an outdoor cafe, one of many surrounding the Scholarium, capitalising on the foot traffic of its wealthy students and staff, Levi and Mia sat.

    They were enjoying some strange bread dish under the watch of Mia¡¯s Knight.

    Mia began, ¡°Let¡¯s do introductions again. My name is Mia Willowen, I¡¯m not a proper Lady yet, but I will be when I turn 15.¡±

    ¡°Uh. Well I know you¡¯re not a lady yet, you¡¯re the same age as me.¡±

    ¡°No, not lady - Lady, like a noble Lady.¡±

    ¡°Um. What¡¯s a noble?¡±

    Mia paused. ¡°My father is in charge of the whole city! That¡¯s what it means.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is he the mayor?¡±

    ¡°No, he¡¯s a Viscount.¡±

    ¡°... Is that like a mayor?¡±

    Mia pinched her nose, which Dame Diana seemed to find quite funny, since Levi heard a chuckle which she tried to play off as a cough.

    ¡°Nevermind my family, what about yours?¡±

    Levi¡¯s face fell, and he struggled to find the words at the sudden change in topic.

    Sudden for him, at least. ¡°Uh. Um. My uh, my mum lives far away and my dad is, um.¡±

    Lady Mia, adept in socialising¨Cfor her age¨Cpicked up on Levi¡¯s tone and moved the conversation away from that.

    ¡°You were the highest performer in maths? You must have spent a lot of time studying?¡±

    Levi, still hung up on the previous question, shrugged. ¡°Not really.¡±

    ¡°Not really? Then how did you get first place?¡±

    Levi shrugged again, ¡°It was pretty easy.¡±

    It really had been pretty easy. Even for a nine year old. The hardest question had been simple multiplication.

    Mia leaned forward, ¡°So you¡¯re just a genius?¡±

    Levi had been like third best in his class, so maybe? ¡°I guess so?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not very insightful, Levi.¡±

    ¡°Not sure what that means.¡±

    The young Lady sighed, lunch untouched, having one of the more engaging conversations she¡¯d have all week.

    ¡ª

    While Oliver sat behind bars, Levi attended school, and the professor helped cover for Oliver.

    Emilia¡¯s father was meeting with Lord Willowen

    ¡°Marland.¡±

    The Lord sat in a large seat, it was red, silk, and seemed quite soft.

    To an Earther, it might seem like a throne.

    It sat behind a large wooden desk, exceptionally smooth.

    The head butler bowed at the waist, ¡°Yes, my Lord?¡±

    The Lord, violet hair half grey in his advanced age, made his distaste clear.

    ¡°How is it, Marland, that I come to hear of your petty political games from any source but you. I have a report here about a prisoner in extended custody at your request. What is going on, I don¡¯t have time for these games.¡±

    Marland Steel, Emilia¡¯s father, spoke exasperatedly. ¡°My Lord, it is a small matter.¡±

    Lord Jason Willowen pounded the desk with a fist. ¡°If it¡¯s a small matter, why is it still a matter at all!¡±

    ¡°There are extenuating circumstances, my Lord. My daughter-¡±

    ¡°Put an end to it, Marland. The city has a reputation to uphold. Stop meddling!¡±

    ¡°This involves a criminal act, my Lord¨C¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Marland!¡±

    The Lord¡¯s black robes began to shine in swirls of yellow and blue, complicated magical diagrams embroidered into the clothing, highly detailed patterns and stylistic arrangement.

    The shining lights were beautiful, and, to those knowledgeable, somewhat inefficient. For show.

    But Jason Willowen was a Lord of the Empire, his father had built this city. Even if his robes were inefficient, he had large stores of power he could personally access at any point he wished. Inefficiency was no problem at all.

    ¡°Marland, I hear of an attack on a merchant caravan, not two day¡¯s ride from the city. A group of bandits, Marland.¡±

    ¡°I am familiar with the matter, Lord Jason. The guardsmen are preparing to set out as we speak.¡±

    ¡°Send the prisoners Marland, all of them.¡±

    ¡°... Why?¡±

    Lord Jason Willowen plucked the ink pot off his desk and threw it at his head butler, only for it to be deftly sidestepped.

    ¡°To save city resources, Marland! Just do it, I¡¯m in a bad mood.¡±

 17 - Trial

    The process of waking up was not one that could be so easily defined today. Oliver himself wasn¡¯t sure at what point he¡¯d shifted from unconsciousness to consciousness.

    Just the constant, dull pain of bruises from sleeping on the cold hard floor, the sickness from lack of sleep, and the intense hunger of not having eaten for over a day.

    Oliver army crawled over to the cup of slop, which he had dismissed the day prior.

    He propped himself up against the wall, feeling his empty stomach turn as he did so. It wasn¡¯t enough to dissuade him from picking up the mysterious substance.

    His hands trembled. If he wasn¡¯t so inebriated, he would have been embarrassed at what a day and a half in prison had done to him.

    The brown slop, as consistent as thin mud, slid into his mouth like a landslide.

    Oliver, unprepared, started spluttering. It tasted about how it looked, like dirt.

    At least it¡¯s not actively bad. Just unpleasant.

    Oliver¡¯s dry throat regained some of it¡¯s moisture as he managed to get the whole thing down. And he sat there in a sort of unpleasant afterglow of having eaten something.

    As he sat there, the feelings of sickness and pain seemed to get worse. Oliver held back from throwing up, but he felt eternally off balance. The rocking of his vision just got worse and worse.

    *CLANG*

    ¡°PRISONER, GET UP¡±

    *CLANG* *CLANG*

    Oliver tried to get to his feet but kept falling over sideways. Something was very wrong.

    ¡°Ohohoh, ate it did ya?¡±

    Oliver heard the cell door opening, but couldn¡¯t tell from which direction.

    He got yanked up by the arm. ¡°C¡¯mon, time for a trial. The Lord insists.¡±

    Oliver tried to support himself on his weak legs, he could barely coordinate himself at all, which was terrifying. What was in that slop!?

    ¡°Whbl maas ibl deble lop.¡±

    The guard chuckled, ¡°Pfft, just stand up will ya.¡±

    Then he yelled, ¡°OI, SOME HELP HERE?¡±

    Oliver heard another voice in the spinning room.

    ¡°Yeah yeah, comin¡¯.¡±

    Oliver was hoisted up by two men under his shoulders, and they began to drag him out of the cell

    ¡°Pshaaww, he stinks.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the slop, mate.¡±

    It was like being on one of those spinning rides at the royal show, but instead of it being set to speeds safe for humans, it was about four times higher than that.

    Oliver was so sick he didn¡¯t even feel his stomach. He was still able to make out words, it was like some kind of weird paralysis. What was the point in making a prisoner eat that?

    Oliver had been in a mana-safe cell, what the hell would he need sedating for? How strong could people possibly be?

    It didn¡¯t matter how much muscle mass you had, the bars were steel and enchanted.

    Oliver could feel his leg twist as they turned a corner without regard to his positioning, and he let out a cry of pain.

    Then he got punched in the stomach and heard ¡°SHUT UP.¡±

    How was it that Oliver was this extremely unlucky?

    Sure, he had gotten that job and not died yet, but why would that be the metric for lucky?

    If Oliver got any more emotionally susceptible he could be convinced to join some cult. The tribulations of his past seemed, if not insignificant, to take on a different light.

    Oliver had lost most sensation of what was going on around him, but he felt his jaw be forced open, and a liquid drain down his throat.

    Half a minute later, when the world seemed to stabilise, he found himself on his knees alongside more than a dozen other people. He was on the flat side of a large semicircular stone room with a raised platform holding some¡­ officials, but not of the finance ministry ¨C these ones wore dark red.

    If Oliver recalled correctly¡­ They were officials of law, but Emilia had only mentioned them in passing, he didn¡¯t know what they did.

    One of them, older and more decorated, took centre stage.

    Oliver would bet money that this man had not once worn a smile since birth.

    ¡°Hello, prisoners. I have instructions from the Lord of the city, so I¡¯ll make this quick. Regardless of your crimes, I, Primary Official of Law in this matter, conscript you all to temporary service with the guardsmen of the city.¡±

    He swept his eyes across the whole group sternly, ¡°If you should desert, hinder, or otherwise cause trouble for the guardsmen, they withhold the right to cut you down.¡±

    One of Oliver¡¯s fellow prisoners, a studious looking man, spoke up hopefully, ¡°So we¡¯ll be patrolling city walls, then?¡±

    The next thing Oliver heard was the thud of that man being kicked in the back and being told to remain silent.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    The Official continued, ¡°Your primary goal in this service to the city will be the extermination of a group of bandits which has been causing trouble.¡±

    Oliver shivered, along with most of the collected prisoners. We¡¯re cannon fodder.

    ¡°You shall be departing immediately.¡± He clapped his hands once, and the guardsmen began guiding everyone away again.

    Oliver, now limping due to his twisted leg, had to ask just one thing. He turned to his guard.

    ¡°W-what weapons will we be using?¡±

    All he got in reply was a wide smile, ¡°Weapons?¡±

    And that was the moment that Oliver started thinking overdrive. His willpower at that moment was strong enough that mana was devoted to the task.

    Current problems:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Imminent combat.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Threat of exposure of identity.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Levi is alone.</li>

    </ul>

    Most Immediate:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Imminent combat.</li>

    </ul>

    How to improve survival chances:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Obtain weapon.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Obtain allies.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Convince guards to let me go (unlikely).</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Escape the battleground?</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Just as bad as exposing my identity, not ideal.</li>

    </ul>

    Oliver rounded a corner in the single file line of prisoners, they were approaching an exit.

    Plan (Draft 1):

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Make friends with my fellow prisoners, coordinate action.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Find a rock or stick, swap it for a fallen combatant¡¯s weapon when the opportunity arises.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Avoid combat, but if necessary, never try attacking directly, fight dirty, as much as I am capable at least.</li>

    </ul>

    Oliver stepped up onto a cramped cart alongside about seven other prisoners, about three of which looked like they were capable in a fight by evidence of their scars and the looks on their faces.

    Three more looked like normal people, perhaps in prison for less violent offences like Oliver¡¯s¡­ Oliver was in for assault but it hardly counted.

    The last was¡­

    Oliver pointed, hands bound, ¡°You. You¡¯re poncho girl.¡±

    The young teenage girl, still wearing her signature blue poncho, scrutinised him for a second. Then she widened her eyes. ¡°A-a-a-a-a-a-I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    Confused, Oliver just paused. ¡°Sorry? No, I knocked you into the dirt, you didn¡¯t really do anything. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°P-Paige. I really promise I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Paige, why are you here and not out in the forest?¡±

    Oliver was already off his plan, but he assumedly had some time. Even if it¡¯s with the least combat capable person in the congregation, she might count as an ally.

    The idea came to his head that she might be good as a sacrificial pawn, but then he thought about it for a second and couldn¡¯t really stand the idea in good conscience. That would be an absolute last resort.

    ¡°W-well, our¨Cum, our leader made us join up with another group. I¨Cuh, I annoyed one of them and¨Cum, yeah.¡±

    Oliver, seeing where this was going, just slowly slipped his head into his hands.

    That¡¯s probably what we¨C wait a minute, this is great! Oliver looked up with a smile.

    Luck swings like a pendulum.

    ¡°That group! Tell me about it. How big, how strong, whatever!¡±

    Poncho girl, quivering and frail, stopped darting her eyes around and held them on Oliver for a few seconds too long. ¡°T-They¡¯re those people. There are a bunch of them.¡±

    ¡°What people? What are you saying?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re those people the cities are hunting down. The ones from far away.¡±

    The plan shattered in Oliver¡¯s mind.

    Oh.

    ¡°How many?¡±

    ¡°T-Thirty or something? I don¡¯t know, it was a week ago.¡±

    Oliver was tired of getting emotional, he was emotioned out. All he had in him at that moment was a solidifying dread.

    ¡°Have you told the guards this?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Then they¡¯re already dead.

    Oliver¡¯s tone had become dead serious by this point, ¡°Did they have weapons?¡±

    ¡°N-Not many, but they were attacking merchant caravans for them.¡±

    Problems:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Thirty or so Earthers, identity revealed, attacking caravans.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Imminent combat with said compatriots.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Can¡¯t reveal own identity.</li>

    </ul>

    I take back what I thought about luck.

    Oliver prepared to speak, to somehow say something that would convince them not to attack, but¡­ That would give me away.

    Thirty people were about to be slaughtered.

    Take as much control of the situation as possible.

    Oliver squared his shoulders. He spoke to the whole cart. ¡°Everyone, you¡¯ve obviously heard about our threat just now, and we know they¡¯re armed and dangerous. A national level threat.¡±

    The man who¡¯d been kicked in the back earlier looked at Oliver intently, another man spoke up, ¡°Get on with it then.¡±

    Good, they¡¯re receptive.

    ¡°We can assume the guards are just going to throw us into the fray, and I can¡¯t really see that being too good for us, so I would like to coordinate¨C¡±

    One of the fighters, bald, ¡°I aint looking out for yous. Every man for themselves¨C¡±

    Oliver cut in, ¡°Of course not, that wouldn¡¯t be fair. And getting too complicated will just mess us up. But if we¡¯re coordinated, that will make everybody safer, including you.¡±

    The cart was passing through the gate, and a company of soldiers about forty strong accompanied the prison cart.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯ll take point since this is my plan, but can I have two of the stronger guys at my side, and one at back?¡±

    ¡°Thought we were making a fair plan, mate.¡±

    ¡°Just hear me out. Three of us at the front, and the rest spread out on either side. We won¡¯t have to worry about out backs, and if anyone else in the formation starts flagging, the person in back can support them.¡±

    One of the non-combat people spoke up. ¡°The person in the back seems to have it easy then!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll swap them out whenever one of you gets too tired, do we know who¡¯s strongest of you three?¡±

    The bald one grumbled. ¡°It¡¯s a toss up, but for this kinda thing. Me.¡±

    ¡°Cool, you start off in the back.¡±

    One of the other fighters spoke up, ¡°This is a shit plan.¡±

    ¡°Better than nothing, right?¡± Oliver wore a strained smile.

    Nobody else said anything.

    Of course, Oliver was trying to win, but win at what?

    Win at the preservation of human lives, of course.

    Rather than leave these criminals to wreak havoc, I have assembled them into one mechanism. A spear formation.

    A dull spear formation.

 18 - Ministry

    It had never been this bad before.

    Up until a week ago, the problems between Emilia and her father had only escalated to little things, like trashing her office and ostracising any and all potential friends and employees.

    Enough to slow her momentum, but still allowed her some agency.

    Every time she got presented with a list of marriage candidates, it was like she was being mocked. This didn¡¯t even happen in most families, but her father was particularly power hungry.

    Everything is an asset. And when you¡¯re as high up the ladder as Marland Steel, anything you say goes.

    Recent events had brought to Emilia¡¯s side a unique kind of employee. One with extraordinary bookkeeping skills that wasn¡¯t already saddled with requests for work. Below the surface, Emilia was extremely relieved he hadn¡¯t been the top performer in his exam. He would have been difficult competition.

    No matter his dubious origins, he was the administrative support that Emilia needed to reach the next milestone. Middle Official. Right around the corner at this point, and yet.

    Oliver was being conscripted to fight against bandits. For the crime of hitting a man who had provoked him. Emilia understood, of course, that it was a significant crime.

    She understood that it was, but she didn¡¯t believe it should have been.

    Whatever lingering respect she had for her father, and the things he had built¡­

    Whatever dedication to furthering the goals of the family to be inherited by her brother, which was vanishingly little as evidenced by her efforts.

    Whatever was left, was now gone. If her heart was a filing cabinet, you would not find a note on the prestige of the family. Emilia honestly believed from the bottom of her heart that, had she been born to a commoner family, she would have achieved more than in her current position.

    Shouting matches against her father led to a stonefaced look of disappointment.

    Arguments with her mother went nowhere.

    They were both waiting for her to ¡®give in¡¯.

    So after she had heard the news about Oliver being conscripted, and seeing Levi off to his second day at the scholarium¨Cvery impressive¨Cshe didn¡¯t bother so much as exchanging dissatisfaction with her parents.

    She just went to work.

    ¡ª

    Upon arrival, pushing past the latest and greatest sabotage, she found a notification from High Official Curtis on her desk.

    ¡®Hello Emilia,

    Someone seems to have gotten into the room and messed it up, quite troublesome I expect.

    I would like it if you could come to my office to provide your perspective on this incident. Posthaste, if at all possible. I believe the Secretary of Finance would like a word.

    Sincerely, Curtis¡¯

    Emilia looked down at the neat letter, around the room, and back at the neat letter.

    She exhaled through her nose.

    She scribbled something down of her own, letting Stephen know where she was in case she wasn¡¯t back by the time he arrived.

    She really did appreciate his assistance, but without Oliver¡¯s physical help, they were still behind on their daily duties. At least enough such that she wouldn¡¯t get promoted.

    She left the note on Oliver¡¯s desk, at which Stephen had been working. He might have been able to do a few things with her not there, but it would really be best to get this over with.

    As she walked, she considered her current standing.

    No recommendations, only slightly above average performance, and a small workforce.

    Taking charge of two streets, rather than one, was my ticket to success ¨C I thought.

    The usual tasks of a lower official being well within her abilities, she had assumed this would put her ahead of all the other candidates for promotion, however new she was.

    But alas, she did not have the connections to bring merit to any of her achievements. The only way was to have an exemplary record as far as the data went, which she wasn¡¯t sure if she had. It was her only chance at getting considered despite a perceived ¡®bad personality¡¯.

    Emilia swung open the door to Curtis¡¯ office, entering the presence of him and the Secretary of Finance. Both seated.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    The moustachioed man, who¡¯d directed applicants on the day of the last induction examination, greeted her with something of a stern expression.

    ¡°Lower Official, we haven¡¯t spoken since you were inducted not a year ago.¡±

    Emilia nodded to him, expression even, ¡°Secretary Jameson, indeed we have not.¡±

    The Secretary sighed, and gestured for her to take a seat.

    He inhaled, ¡°Young Curtis, could you repeat what you just told me?¡±

    Curtis Ledrein smiled, ¡°Of course. Ahem, there have been a few incidents surrounding Official Emilia here which had escaped my notice until recently. But after the incident of violence involving her employee¨C¡±

    Emilia began simmering beneath the surface. Both hot and extremely cold.

    If she had to name a specialty when it came to her use of mana, it was emotional control. She was thankful for it.

    But she saw where this was going.

    ¡°¨C I have picked up on some strange activity involving drama between Lower Officials. An unfriendly comment here and there, a stray remark, nothing too drastic ¨C but cause for concern.¡±

    Emilia was of course aware of the ¡®drama¡¯¨C most of it was directed at her.

    Curtis continued, ¡°That was, at least, until I noticed the state some of their offices were in. Documents littered all over the floors. And I had heard none of it.¡±

    Emilia¡¯s expression had not changed.

    ¡°Unreported. That¡¯s what I would like to discuss, Secretary. I daresay¨Ceven beyond the inefficiency¨Cthat is just an unacceptable culture for the ministry.¡±

    The secretary, having heard this already, didn¡¯t look very pleased. Now Emilia knew why.

    ¡°Lower Official, anything to say for yourself?¡±

    It was her word against Curtis¡¯. She didn¡¯t know the political affiliations of the Secretary, who was of the second highest station in the Ministry, but if the Minister himself was anything to go by¡­ There was nothing else for it.

    ¡°I believe the sabotage all happens to my office, Secretary. And I certainly have reported it.¡±

    Curtis, feigning offence, ¡°Emilia, you would accuse me of ignoring those reports?! Secretary, isn¡¯t this shameful?¡±

    The Secretary rolled his eyes, clearly wanting to get this over with.

    Before he could speak, Emilia continued.

    ¡°All the harassment is directed at me. All the sabotage is directed at me. All of the most inconvenient tasks are assigned to me. I can¡¯t fathom any of the rest of the Low Officials having anything but a smooth ride. Secretary, I am being directly targeted as a matter of conspiracy.¡±

    Curtis began to cut in, ¡°Lower Official, this is shamefu-¡±

    Secretary Jameson raised a hand to silence Curtis, who frowned uncertainly. ¡°Whom would conspire against you, young woman?¡±

    Emilia hesitated, but decided to show her metaphorical hand.

    ¡°My father, the Head Butler of the Lord¡¯s family, is pressuring me indirectly.¡±

    The Secretary quirked a smile, ¡°Marland, suppressing his own daughter? What for? Why am I to take your word?¡±

    Emilia was taking a big gamble here. It was likely already over. She would have to find another way. But she finished what she was saying. ¡°Well, he taunted my assistant to the point of violence, and has now locked him away. Can¡¯t say that shows his support of me.¡±

    The Secretary was all of a sudden more interested in this discussion.

    ¡ª

    Levi and Mia sat next to each other in the shadow of Mia¡¯s knight. They were in a different sort of classroom today, with big stone blocks for desks. The wizard lecturing was favouring Mia about as much as anybody else. Levi just gave him side-eye.

    But at least they were learning something interesting. He hadn¡¯t really learned anything yesterday, so it was a pleasant change.

    The lecturer went on, ¡°Such is why I believe it better you each do it yourselves, rather than just see it done. I expect most of you have used a magical tool before, yes? It is the same kind of action, but you must manually direct it into the pencil.¡±

    In front of Levi, a simple piece of paper. In his hand, a strangely heavy purple pencil. Levi was surprised there were pencils, he had expected to be using a feather pen! He was slightly disappointed.

    The lecturer had drawn a strange symbol on the board, like a fat stickman but with too many arms and no legs. Levi was good at drawing, so it was going to be easy to copy. Apparently this was what magic was, but he didn¡¯t understand what made it magic really.

    Mia finished before him, and her paper started curling up and turning brown. He didn¡¯t want to be spoiled on what it did, so he turned back to his own.

    But upon completion¡­ It didn¡¯t do anything.

    Mia looked over, ¡°Levi, put mana into it!¡±

    ¡°Uuum.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, fine, give me your hand.¡±

    Mia grabbed Levi¡¯s hand and Levi felt the strange feeling of his mana brushing against someone else¡¯s.

    He tried to feel that feeling again, and when he touched his drawing with it¡­

    It did nothing.

    ¡°You have to draw the whole thing with mana! Were you listening?¡±

    Mia¡¯s Knight Diana, ever helpful, replaced Levi¡¯s paper.

    Upon his second attempt, the paper curled up like Mia¡¯s had. Levi reached for it, it was supposed to make heat.

    Diana grabbed his hand before it could be lit on fire.

    Mia looked at him, smug, ¡°Levi, obviously a heat rune on paper would make fire.¡±

    The attendees that hadn¡¯t yet managed to make the rune before the two small children lowered their heads.

    ¡ª

    They began disembarking the wagons, and Oliver¡¯s heart was beating in his chest. His eyes were wide.

    They were just outside the Lamenting Woods, from which Oliver had arrived. The carriages could go no further. They would be moving forward on foot.

    The scouts began to head in, and Oliver and his fellow prisoners were next, performing the role of human shields ¨C even though the bandits weren¡¯t expected to be this close to the edge.

    Oliver arranged everyone as best he could. To the extent that they cooperated, it was enough. Oliver would try to avoid bloodshed. He would lead the way, and in doing so, prevent anyone else from doing so.

    ¡°FORWARD, MARCH.¡±

    The shout prompted Oliver and company to begin moving into the low trees.

    Back again, into the shadows.

 19 - Encounter

    The crunch of leaves underfoot was somehow nostalgic. He ducked another low branch as they loosely navigated between the low trees.

    Oliver had stressed about many things in his time, probably more than most had--and he didn''t think that was a big indicator of maturity or anything.

    Most people that Oliver had known wouldn¡¯t count him among those considered ¡®mature¡¯. One of his weaknesses, he recognised.

    Oliver simply had a lot to stress about over the course of his life, it hadn¡¯t necessarily left him stronger.

    However, there was something about being bound by the wrists in magical restraints. Something about being prodded forward at sword-point. Oliver was somewhat more stressed than usual today.

    It turned out that the guards didn¡¯t have much interest in what the prisoners had planned for themselves. Oliver¡¯s formation had been preserved, but rather than being a separate collection of combatants, they were practically a two-body thick meat shield.

    Oliver had earned himself the spot as the foremost meat shield. How courageous was he. The best fighter was furthest from the fighting. Hopefully, that was a good decision.

    He didn¡¯t claim to be some sort of strategic mastermind, his combat experience was limited to after his entrance to this world. Very little, to say the least.

    If anything else, he didn¡¯t feel more or less confident about winning than he might have before a fight. He hadn¡¯t had the gusto beaten out of him, which is what he had been led to believe might happen.

    Credit to himself; he had scored a pretty good punch that one time. Too bad he wasn¡¯t able to use any of his mana stuff. Would be quite handy.

    What truly stressed him out was his complete lack of control over coming events. If these bandits were random people he didn¡¯t have any connection to¨Cpure criminals¨Che would still baulk at the idea of that kind of violence¡­ But he would be concentrating simply on his own survival.

    Stress came from uncertainty, what actions could he take that would create the most benefit. Self-given authority with very little means to execute it.

    This wasn¡¯t a game, this wasn¡¯t a choice, and Oliver wasn¡¯t a volunteer.

    This time, winning wasn¡¯t just a personal promise to himself, something meaningful to him.

    Winning, this time, was his moral obligation.

    The consequences of his actions in the near future¡­

    They were unimaginably high.

    ¡°Hey. Paige.¡±

    I need to be doing something. To be doing nothing is a failure.

    Paige, a diagonal step behind him, looked up from under her poncho. An uncertain girl, unfortunate looking.

    Oliver didn¡¯t know her story.

    She spoke, a wobble in her voice. ¡°What.¡±

    Thinkthinkthinkthinkthinkthink¨C

    ¡°... Are these people murderers?¡±

    Paige flinched away from the question, the look she gave Oliver¡­ He hesitated.

    ¡°What kind of¡­ people are in this group?¡±

    Oliver was poked in the back by a sword, he upped the pace.

    Paige seemed to pale. It was strange, Oliver thought, that the girl who had once been championing his fear was now this reserved.

    She answered, almost too quiet to hear. ¡°T-they. They were enjoying it.¡±

    Oliver, not looking back as to not get poked again, prompted her further.

    ¡°Enjoying what?¡±

    ¡°T-the s-stronger ones, they took what they w-wanted from the weak.¡± She left the rest unsaid.

    Yet another angle to this moral FUCKING MESS¡­ Stay calm.

    Oliver was silent for a long moment.

    Now, Oliver wasn¡¯t one to give different value to people¡¯s lives.

    But he sure hoped the ¡®stronger ones¡® would meet this attack head-on.

    Oliver didn¡¯t have the makings of a plan, but maybe the inklings of an approach to one.

    Even with the most consequential things, if you didn¡¯t decide to do something, then nothing happened. The intensity in Oliver¡¯s eyes grew, he made something like a decision in this moment.

    First, remove his bindings.

    Mana won¡¯t work on these, nor pure muscular strength. A sword might do the trick. I¡¯ll have to wait until we engage.

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    Second, escape the core of the battle. Leave sight.

    Third¡­ make contact with those being suppressed?

    He didn¡¯t claim to have it all figured out. Lots of assumptions going around.

    It was a good start, nonetheless.

    An arrow whizzed over Oliver¡¯s head. He heard the thump of it hitting a tree.

    In the instant of realisation, more were already flying.

    Oliver heard the shouts of alarm from expeditionary guardsmen as they were caught off guard.

    ¡°What happened to the scout!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hit! I¡¯m hit!¡±

    Oliver hit the ground as fast as possible, and began worming off to the side as best he could. For some reason he hadn¡¯t considered ranged weaponry.

    The prisoners had been standing up front, those who had been too slow were already hit.

    Something terrifying about arrows, even if you were hit in a non-vital location, you couldn¡¯t just remove it. It was going to be an active hindrance to your movement for as long as the fight went.

    Oliver, in his scramble across the ground, saw a a flash of blue pulling itself along too.

    An authoritative voice sounded, only seconds having passed by this stage.

    ¡°GUARDSMEN - EVASIVE POSITIONING! PRISONERS, FORWARD!¡±

    Shut up idiot.

    Oliver reached a tree to cover behind, but he might not be able to stay, a guard was rapidly approaching his position. The blood was roaring in his ears.

    How could Oliver have forgotten, there is no planning when you¡¯re in a life or death situation.

    None of the guardsmen were down yet. Paige was drawing closer slowly, so Oliver pulled her in quickly. Upon inspection, he found she was struck in the leg.

    There wasn¡¯t room for two of them, so Oliver¨Cin the heat of the moment¨Cpositioned her where he had been seated. Before sprinting off, he said only one thing.

    ¡°Play dead.¡±

    The poncho girl closed her eyes.

    Oliver had a thought. He leapt up, conscious of the less-frequent arrows.

    Then he sprinted at the approaching guard.

    ¡°CUT THESE!¡± Oliver held up his restraints. The guard was younger than most of the other guards on the battlefield and seemed just about ready to piss his pants.

    Oliver¡¯s order was followed almost automatically, before the guard even had time to process what it was he was doing.

    Oliver, back to the enemy, heard what he could only describe as desperate cries of war. It seemed the real thing was about to begin.

    Oliver began running off to the side. He should probably think about that next part of his plan.

    Whatever, just get there first.

    As he was leaving, he glimpsed people break through the trees.

    And he nearly threw up. They were wearing modern clothes but¨Cragged, hanging off their thin frames.

    Children, elderly people, not a single able bodied person.

    It was something of a clich¨¦ when it came to Oliver, but.

    If nothing else in the world had ever had before. If Oliver was the calmest man to walk the Earth.

    This filled him with pure indignation.

    He was already clear of the battlefield by something like ten metres, but he spun on his heel. And that familiar energy welled up in him once again.

    It might have been better used in his head, coming up with some kind of strategy or best course of action. But where it went was his legs.

    It wasn¡¯t superhuman or anything like that, but if Oliver had a ¡°fastest speed¡± he could reach in a sprint, he got there faster than usual.

    Still, he wasn¡¯t fast enough for some.

    The guardsmen had, of course, formed a line. Shields up, swords pointed as if they were spears. These were guardsmen, with the equipment of guardsmen, not pikemen in an army.

    Unfortunately, they seemed to know what they were doing.

    A bow fired over the line of shields, hitting one of the scantily armed old people.

    Another arrow fired. Then another.

    The attackers did not turn back, however terrified they seemed. Something was wrong.

    Oliver barreled into their lines from the side, an idiot in the line of fire. He grabbed a shortspear out of the hands of a small child wearing what used to be a spiderman shirt.

    The guardsmen didn¡¯t pause, they didn¡¯t care.

    The attackers turned to Oliver in vague fear, but Oliver pointed off to the side.

    ¡°RUN. GO. MOVE!¡±

    They looked at him uncertainly, momentum lost.

    They¡¯re not moving.

    Another arrow struck a child.

    Tears spilled from Oliver¡¯s eyes, he looked into the unfocused eyes of his brethren.

    People from home.

    It was overwhelming, nobody was moving, what could he do?

    They were dying.

    He turned to the guards, still firing arrows, still moving forward.

    ¡°STOP. STOP. HOLD. HALT. AAAARRGGHH¡±

    Oliver grabbed two children under his arms and started running. They were unusually light, but he couldn¡¯t do it.

    He saw the flash of silver on grey though the trees.

    A staff hit the ground, the people from Earth turned back to the guards and continued running forward. The boy wriggled from his arm and ran into the fray.

    Oliver managed to keep hold of the girl, but she was trying to get free. Oliver couldn¡¯t bear to see his people impale themselves on swords.

    He didn¡¯t have any rope to tie this girl up with, something was wrong with her eyes.

    It had to be magic or something, maybe like the magic that had compelled him to tell the truth? That had seemed awfully intricate.

    Oliver was running out of lives, and time. He tried putting his forehead to hers, trying to force his mana there, it didn¡¯t really do anything.

    He still had the binding rope in his pocket, cut though it was, it was long enough.

    Oliver took the girl to a tree off the battlefield, found a branch within her arm¡¯s reach that she couldn¡¯t slide off, and painstakingly tied her hands together around it.

    ¡°Stay there, I¡¯ll be back!¡±

    He ran back into the fray, but half of the Earthers were already dead.

    The guards themselves didn¡¯t seem very enthusiastic, if a child got to the front, they wouldn¡¯t behead them the same way they were doing for the old people.

    And the next group came through the trees.

 20 - Slaughter

    The guardsmen were arrayed in two lines, trained men and women of the city¡¯s defence forces. Forty-some, allocated to take down a small criminal contingent that had been terrorising some merchants. Thought to be related to the recent insurgent crackdown.

    It had been somewhat easy so far, no guards dead. The prisoners they had been told to take had served some kind of purpose in their sacrifices ¨C perhaps some redemption for their crimes.

    Though, the people they had been attacked by up to this point were unusually weak and frail, which didn¡¯t really sit very well with them, their scout evidently having been done in.

    One of the surviving prisoners had gone somewhat rogue, the tall business looking one with red hair. Presumably one of those spoiled types who hadn¡¯t seen much violence. If an arrow hit him from either side, nobody would bat an eye. What an idiot.

    They continued to cut down the folk running onto their swords. There had only been about a dozen, so presumably more were hiding away. The bandit¡¯s strategy seemed comparable to their own, worryingly. Throwing worthless people at the other side.

    What was worrying about it was that they must have enough people to do that.

    ¡ª

    Oliver watched as more people made themselves seen, but these were not the same as the people who had been sent to die. No.

    These were more decrepit. Some of them seemed relatively fine, if a bit pale. Others had really begun to decay. A majority of them were not wearing clothing from Earth, but some were.

    Oliver took a step back.

    The arrivals approached from all sides, outnumbering the guards two to one.

    The guards changed their formation accordingly, but didn¡¯t raise much alarm.

    Just a short series of directives. ¡°Dead walking! All sides! Form a circle!¡±

    And they did so like a well oiled machine.

    Oliver looked into the black eyes of the dead walking. The second time he¡¯d seen necromancy done. Perhaps this is what was meant when the green robed wizard had said to prepare bodies in advance.

    Oliver didn¡¯t have much time to take all the information in, as not long after the zombies appeared, they sped up.

    Oliver and the remaining sacrificial Earthers were caught between a wall of shields and a horde of zombies, not that the Earthers seemed very able to change what they were doing.

    Action. MOVE MOVE MOVE!

    Oliver already considered himself as having lost, he was distraught.

    But Oliver did not have time to sulk, did not have time to mope about, to berate himself for bad decisions.

    Oliver would protect what he could.

    He grabbed the wrist of an old lady who hadn¡¯t yet died, and collected a weapon off the ground. The girl he¡¯d tied to a tree was disturbingly close to the zombie perimeter. Oliver had no idea if these undead operated on the same impulses as he might assume, but he was sure as hell they were here for violence.

    Oliver pulled the old lady along, against her efforts to go in the other direction.

    They arrived at the tree with the girl attached to it, there were zombies mere metres away. Oliver pushed the old lady to the ground, not having the time to feel guilty¨C hopefully she would stay down and not wander back into the battlefield.

    Oliver thought about the people he had left behind, and directed the anger he had for himself outward.

    He knew the short spear he had picked up was probably the only weapon he had much of a chance using effectively. Or at least that¡¯s what he had heard, he at least knew that was generally the case for inexperienced people, but it probably depended on the situation.

    Stop thinking¨C

    The first zombie came into range, all the ones nearby facing Oliver and his two inebriated charges. Oliver held the spear on his right, with his right hand on the back, and left hand on the front.

    He pointed it at the zombie¡¯s head, and hesitated for a moment at committing such violence¡­ But the adrenaline of the situation won over.

    He thrust the tip of the spear into the zombie¡¯s head, burying it in the dead person¡¯s skull. A spray of liquids came out as he removed it, but the second and third were already upon them.

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    He managed to skewer one of them, but the other was just about touching the girl on the tree, and the old lady had gotten up and started walking away.

    Oliver, not having time to adjust the angle of his long weapon, swung it around at the other zombie like a club. He didn¡¯t manage to hurt it, but it fell over, so he was able to finish the job.

    Another one touched his back, he elbowed it, feeling the collapsing ribcage through the decaying clothes.

    And they kept coming, one after another. They bit with their remaining teeth and clawed with their nails, but they weren¡¯t all that strong. They were simply suffocating in numbers.

    Thankfully, the zombies were not so numerous. The majority of them had gone toward the guards, and only the section of the circle near Oliver had really shown him any attention.

    The sizeable hole in the circle of zombies had also allowed the old lady some leeway, none were close enough to turn to her.

    And when they met the guards, they were swiftly cut down, even more easily than the sacrificial soldiers.

    Oliver was looking around at all the bodies afterward. Some of which belonged to those that had been alive not even three minutes ago.

    What took Oliver a bit long to notice was that the guards had not eased. They still had their shields up and their swords pointed through the gaps.

    Then the ground trembled.

    Oliver heard shouting from the guards. ¡°BRAAACE!¡±

    The guards dropped to their knees and locked shields against the ground.

    The trembling stopped, and all at once, the zombies came back to life, scrambling forward with unusual speed.

    The ten or so Oliver had beaten back came at his ankles as he was still registering what was happening.

    Holding his spear in one hand, ill prepared for such a sudden attack, his arm flooded with mana, and he swept the spear across the ground¨Ccutting three in half.

    ¡°AAARRGGHH.¡± MY ARM FUCKING HURTS!

    His eyes went white with pain for a moment, but in the next he was already jumping at two zombies heading for the girl, bulldozing them to the ground.

    They went inactive with the impact, already damaged from being taken down once.

    The last five were too damaged to do much attacking, so Oliver went ahead and stepped on them.

    And then he heard the familiar laughter. The very same he had heard on his first day here. His first time in the forest.

    A green cloud emanated from within the guard¡¯s tight shell formation. Oliver heard spluttering, even as far away as he was. And they were breaking up.

    If any of them were trying to shout commands, they weren¡¯t having much success.

    Oliver noticed a strange light between the trees off to the side, then a few more.

    And the flaming arrows flew into the cloud, setting it alight.

    Suddenly, the guards who had been put together, who had seemed organised and prepared¨Cwere now burning alive in their hot, unwieldy metal armour.

    Oliver had a healthy dislike for the guards for obvious reasons, but he didn¡¯t consider himself insane enough to enjoy the shrieking sounds which he could hardly identify as human.

    The people were alight, the trees were alight, and the necromancer was laughing. There seemed to be a few people laughing actually, or was it crying?

    Oliver couldn¡¯t tell at this stage. In all honesty, Oliver was too tired to be sick, too weak to be righteously furious, a loser in every definition of the word when it mattered. Again. Again and again and again and again and again. The story of his life.

    Oliver felt disconnected as he stood, twisted arm dangling at his side.

    He wanted to go home. Everything felt so silly.

    Eventually, the only noise left was the crackling coming from the shrinking fire. Oliver just looked into it, entranced.

    ¡°Owowowowow¡±

    Oliver snapped out of it,, turning to look at the girl he¡¯d tied up.

    He just looked at her.

    The girl looked afraid, but she was looking at him. In the real sense of the word. It seemed her controller had released their hold for the moment.

    She asked Oliver, in a rasping, unconfident voice. ¡°Can you help me?¡±

    Oliver untied her wrists, and held her by the shoulders. She was a bit taller than Levi had been. ¡°I want you to follow me, alright?¡±

    It seemed it was time again to take responsibility.

    The fire, having failed to take proper hold in the strange, low forest, had receded enough that Oliver could walk through the remains.

    It¡¯s not like people had disintegrated, but everything was black, and nobody was breathing.

    Oliver heard voices in the distance, he hurried up. He did not want to meet the people that did this, whether any of them were from home or not. If there were any to be saved¡­

    He guessed that they had already died by now.

    In his rush through burnt trees, going back the way he came, he noticed a dusty blue poncho against a tree. The only thing he¡¯d seen that wasn¡¯t black, perhaps resistant.

    Oliver rounded the tree, hope blooming on his face for a strange girl he hadn¡¯t really liked. But alas.

    She was very much burnt underneath.

    Oliver¡¯s feelings were confusing. A jumbled mess. He didn¡¯t feel particularly strongly about her at this point.

    Oliver made a split second judgement, not having the time to spend. Avoiding those murders, sure, but also fearing he¡¯d collapse the moment he stopped.

    This girl with him would need entry to the city. He couldn¡¯t really just bring back a strange girl.

    And so he took the fireproof blue poncho. He handed it to the girl, who flinched away.

    ¡°Your name, if anybody asks, is Paige.¡±

 21 - Man of Significance

    Levi was beginning to understand how this Scholarium thing went.

    Back when he went to a normal school, he would wake up, get ready, get driven there, and be led through whatever the teachers wanted to get the kids to do that day.

    It didn¡¯t take Levi very long to realise that this was very different to school. Not even because everyone was older than him.

    It wasn¡¯t that the teachers were particularly nice or mean. They just¨C didn¡¯t even agree what to teach. Which was quite confusing.

    ¡°And such is what I believe to be the mechanism of¨C¡±

    ¡°YOU CAN¡¯T JUST TEACH YOUR STRANGE THEORY AS IF IT WERE FACT. ESTABLISHED THOUGHT DICTATES THAT¨C¡±

    ¡°Would you lower your damned tone already? It¡¯s people like you propagating those falsities that halted the progress of magic!¡±

    Levi, alongside much of the rest of the room, wore a flat look. The two scholars continued to argue¨C having forgotten the lesson altogether.

    Lady Mia stretched, ¡°Well, this lesson¡¯s not going anywhere, I might go to the library¡­ Levi?¡±

    Levi blinked. ¡°Um, yeah, I¡¯ll come too.¡±

    Levi was making pretty much all of his own decisions these days, there was something nice about it, but sometimes all it meant was that he forgot to eat, and had to stay hungry until lunchtime¡­ unless he just ate¡­ outside lunchtime¡­

    He smiled to himself at this new revelation.

    HIm, Mia, and Mia¡¯s Knight walked through the deceptively disorderly wooden halls, Levi tracking the lights with his eyes as he got within range of each one. ¡°I thought the wizard¡¯s theory was making sense, but after the older one told him off¨C I don¡¯t know which one is right.¡±

    Mia hmmed, ¡°The one who cut him off is probably right. That¡¯s how it was taught to me.¡±

    Levi nearly nodded, then paused. ¡°Probably? Isn¡¯t there a right and a wrong answer?¡±

    Mia opened her mouth to answer, then hesitated. She turned a confused look up at her knight, Luna.

    The Knight, following close behind, was wearing as much armour as could be worn without clattering. She lifted her visor to speak.

    ¡°The root cause behind people¡¯s ability to increase in mana capacity is not something that can be defined so easily. Although, as the older wizard was trying to say, scholars of the past seemed more certain than we. It is possible we forgot the reason and just remembered the answer.¡±

    Levi furrowed his brows. ¡°So the scholars said people get stronger by achieving great things, not by feeling great emotions?¡±

    The Knight answered patiently, though she had no obligation to anybody but her assigned charge. ¡°Such a question is better asked of scholars in the larger cities of the empire. What is left here are either those who couldn¡¯t find opportunity elsewhere, or a few with confidence this city will continue to grow.¡±

    Mia frowned at the implication about her city, but continued the magical discussion. ¡°It¡¯s not like what the younger wizard said was all that different anyway. People would be feeling extreme emotions during a great event. It¡¯s interchangeable.¡±

    Levi crossed his arms, thinking. ¡°Yeah. But it made more sense to be about what the person is feeling. Who decides what a ¡®great event¡¯ even is?¡±

    Mia considered Levi¡¯s point, then made a measured response. ¡°If a person¡¯s mana capacity improved every time they felt desperate, poor people would be super strong, though?¡±

    The Knight looked between the two debating nine year olds, and slid her visor back over her face. She was here to guard.

    ¡ª

    Oliver and ¡®Paige¡¯ made their way through the low trees, climbing over roots carefully, moving in such a way that they would not agitate their wounds. By ¡®their wounds¡¯, it was mostly just Oliver¡¯s arm, which he had hurt by way of overexertion

    The girl trailed after him, her blonde hair and gaunt features hidden by her new hood. She didn¡¯t look at all similar to how Paige had, but Oliver would have to come up with something else if that was a problem.

    Oliver sucked air through his teeth as he misjudged a step. To distract himself from his arm, and from his emotions¨Che spoke hastily. ¡°Hey- uh, what¡¯s your name?¡±

    The girl in Paige¡¯s blue poncho looked up. ¡°P-Paige?¡±

    ¡°No¨C that wasn¡¯t a test. Argh-¡± His arm shifted again. ¡°I mean, what¡¯s your real name?¡±

    ¡°... River.¡±

    Oliver ducked a branch.

    ¡°Hello River, I haven¡¯t introduced myself, have I?¡±

    ¡°No..¡± River seemed exhausted, taking her time to breathe. It was fair enough, after what she seemed to have been through, but Oliver suspected¨C

    ¡°Well, my name is Oliver. I¡¯m from Earth.¡±

    River nearly tripped and caught herself. She looked at him¨C eyes wide.

    ¡°From Earth? But you were with¡­¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    She suddenly looked even more anxious. ¡°So everybody was¡­ We were fighting¡­¡± She started breathing faster.

    Oliver hurriedly clarified, ¡°Nonono, I¡¯m pretty sure I was the only one. The rest were criminals, I¡¯m way more concerned about the guys from your side.¡±

    Oliver thought about what he¡¯d just said. Stopped in his tracks. The moment he had begun to think of how strange it was to be walking away from the battle so normally, a different kind of dread overwhelmed him.

    He brought his hand to his face.

    What did I just say?

    And, differently to all his other emotional outbursts, he went cold.

    What¡­ did I just say?

    Oliver sunk to a knee, allowing himself this moment. ¡°River, disregard what I just said. I¡¯m¡­ not thinking straight. It was¡­ so many people at once¡­ How am I¨C¡±

    Oliver vomited, shivered, and just looked at the ground for a second.

    And then he felt¡­ normal-ish again.

    It was frightening.

    But, he was not some kind of psychopath. Oliver wasn¡¯t exactly a level-headed guy, so this strange kind of¡­ apathy¡­ was new.

    Oliver collected his energy¨Cnot his mana, just his energy¨Cand made a conscious effort to feel some kind of emotion. He was confused, but he decided¡­ he decided to be angry.

    Maybe the right brain chemicals weren¡¯t going around for him to feel it within, but intellectually, he was angry.

    So, Oliver decided, that is what he would act on.

    Oliver wore an upset expression, not exactly a mask, but partly. Maybe he would be more normal after some rest, but he wouldn¡¯t rest yet.

    He stood.

    ¡°River¨C¡± Then he remembered.

    The old lady he¡¯d dragged with him to the tree. Had she burned?

    She might be alive.

    ¡­ We can¡¯t go back.

    ¡°River, did you see where the old lady went? The one I brought to the tree?¡±

    She shook her head.

    They would keep an eye out, he decided.

    Oliver recalled what he was about to say.

    ¡°River, I¡¯ll get you to safety, I¡¯m going to need you to stay with me.¡±

    River¡¯s eyes looked hopeful and guilty in turn, as if she didn¡¯t want to let herself believe it. They continued in silence.

    Oliver spoke again after they had walked a short distance, they were getting closer to the edge of the forest. There were things they would need to talk about later, but Oliver was not in the right state of mind¨C he needed to escape all the heavy events of the day.

    ¡°What¡¯s your favourite colour?¡±

    She looked surprised by the question. She looked down at her poncho, dusty but untouched by fire. She looked back up. And her earnest expression managed to defrost some of Oliver¡¯s emotions.

    ¡°Blue.¡±

    ¡ª

    Curtis was paling. It¡¯s not like this was the first time he had pulled this kind of manoeuvre with the Secretary of Finance.

    Curtis wasn¡¯t so dull as to present such a weak argument to just any man. Secretary Jameson was as corrupt as they came, but for some reason¡­

    Somehow¡­

    Things were not going in the usual direction.

    Curtis was just keeping Marland¡¯s daughter in line, as requested. A favour he hoped would be repaid. He had a deal with Secretary Jameson. He thought Marland did too?!

    What is he doing!? What changed??

    ¡ª

    Emilia raised an eyebrow at Curtis¡¯ expression, the High Official looked incredulous.

    If she was being honest, she felt similarly. When did this become so easy?

    She continued recounting each and every incident. Every slight against her, every slight against Oliver that she knew of.

    The Secretarys¡¯ creepy smile just extended further and further across his face. By the end, he was grinning like an idiot, teeth bared. Emilia wasn¡¯t even sure he was listening.

    ¡°How scandalous!¡± He chuckled. His eyes, wide with some kind of ecstatic joy, alighted on Curtis.

    ¡°High Official, I should like to take this issue to the Minister, do stay put!¡±

    And with that, Curtis went from incredulous to furious, but only for an instant. Looking into the Secretary¡¯s eyes¨C

    The High Official became frustrated.

    Then afraid.

    Emilia was just sitting there, somewhat relieved at the idea things were in motion. She didn¡¯t feel stuck anymore, even though she was unsure what the Secretary was doing. It was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders.

    Secretary Jameson swiftly left the room, leaving the two Officials in opposite moods to how they had entered.

    ¡ª

    The Minister of Finance, by all accounts, was a very honorable man. What one might call a model citizen of the Empire. He espoused meritocracy, having risen through the ranks from the very bottom himself, he was an inspiration to many.

    Of course, there were many powerful people who found his ideals troublesome, given their unscrupulous practices. Remaining in the top brass of this city for as long as he had, the sixty year old had to possess a decent amount of cunning of his own.

    He sat behind his desk in the large corner office, on the fourth and highest level of the ministry. The bustling street visible through the windows behind him. His ministerial peers were hardly as present as he at their respective posts, but the Minister of Finance kept the city¡¯s money flowing.

    Arguably, the Finance Ministry was the most important Ministry in the city, everybody and everything needed money, after all.

    He tapped his foot as he waited for the results of his latest maneuver. Trimming the rot out of his Ministry was something he was happy to do, especially whenever it was beginning to inconvenience him.

    Secretary Jameson entered the room, wringing his hands with glee. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure this will do the trick. Blatant, straightforward, and plenty of people to cross-reference¡±

    The Minister heard his secretary efficiently relay the relevant information, stonefaced all the while.

    At the end of it, he peered at the secretary for a long second.

    ¡°... That headache of a man¡­ I recognise he never had any sense, but that is just plain unproductive. I suppose it¡¯s time enough, Curtis is becoming less useful as an idiot.¡±

    Minister George Theowill of Finance, a very honourable man.

    ¡°He¡¯ll make a fine example. You know how this goes from here, Jameson.¡±

    The Secretary of Finance grinned.

    ¡°George, this is my favourite part of the job.¡±

 22 - Eyes Open

    Vague thoughts swirled through the haze of River¡¯s mind as she was pushed through the trees. The weeks of her situation steadily declining, the cruelty creeping into people she thought were normal.

    They had collected themselves together, seeking safety in numbers.

    Numbers. Power in numbers. Who holds the power?

    <i>Those with the desire to take it. Those with the will to hold it.</i>

    River couldn¡¯t¡­ think properly. The buzzing noise, fluctuating in the back of her mind.

    She was hungry too, thirsty, dirty, withering.

    Weak.

    She felt compelled to move forwards, so she did. She didn¡¯t have the willpower to resist it. She had given in, it hadn¡¯t taken much.

    She saw the vague line of silver people in front, and felt the crude wood pole in her fingers.

    She marched forward.

    She was single minded in her intentions, not by choice.

    There was a commotion to her left, and she turned that way, curiosity overpowering the force compelling her for a moment.

    ¡°...RU..G...MO..!¡±

    She hears something, but her mind was so addled she has no idea what was said.

    She turned back to the line of silver, not too far now. She just had to¡­ point¡­

    Suddenly she left the ground, and the rhythmic impacts remind her of¡­ running.

    <i>I am being¡­ carried?</i>

    It was relieving, she was tired.

    She instantly started drifting to sleep.

    *WUMPH*

    Like electrocution, the compulsion to move came back in force. The mental shockwave left a stinging pain in her consciousness. She reflexively struggled against her captor, until the compulsion faded again.

    She was still being carried, more securely now. Emotion welled up from within her, she was helpless, held completely at the whims of others.

    Her captor bent down.

    The fizz of mana sounded against her forehead, clearing up some of the suffocating mental fog, like loosening a tight grip over her mind.

    It was still there, but it was infinitely more comfortable.

    She was put down, tied to a tree.

    And then she waited. She was aware there were things happening all around her, but she was satisfied in the fact that she was unable to move for the moment, and hence, was not obligated to do anything else. She had been doing so, so much.

    She heard the sickening noises.

    Felt the heat shockwave.

    And after a while, she felt the compulsion dissipate from her head.

    Everything came into focus.

    ¡ª

    A token amount of guards waited with the carts and wagons. Rookies, older members of the force, those less fit for combat. Five of them.

    Say what you would about Willowhaven, they didn¡¯t often engage in conflict. There were, of course, criminal elements in the city. But anything you could find in Willowhaven paled in comparison to the underground powers in a true metropolis like the old cities of the Empire. Not to mention the Imperial Capital.

    Willowhaven had perfectly competent guards, but, that was about the extent of it.

    They were not exemplary.

    ¡°Takin¡¯ their damned time.¡± One of the older guardsmen remarked, disapproving.

    The single captain left behind was the youngest, recently promoted and new to the position. Hence left with the least responsibility. He replied, ¡°I¡¯m not liking the lack of communication. They should have sent us a messenger.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Another guardsman piped up, ¡°Could they be compromised?.¡±

    The same older guardsman from before barked a laugh. ¡°Compromised enough that nobody could get to us? Please, they¡¯re just lazy.¡±

    If the Willowhaven guardsmen had the magical implements available to more advanced forces, they would have been able to keep in contact through a spool of cord. But they were materially expensive and a pain to use anyway, so they relied on human messengers.

    Not that this was a particularly pressing issue a majority of the time, as again, the forces of Willowhaven rarely expected to face anybody too competent. Even adventurers in this part of the empire were less frequent. The lamenting forest was naturally devoid of enough mana to cause any threat.

    Any bandits staying there had little chance of replenishing their supplies, much less come across anyone worth stealing from. So the forces of the city had come to the conclusion that this was not some well established group.

    Something was nagging at the young captain¡¯s mind. Something that he had heard.

    <i>Where had they gotten intel on the bandit group again? One of the prisoners?</i>

    His peers and superiors had been discussing the information, but under the assumption the numbers were inflated. As was wont of informants who were forced to give information against their will, even when compelled by magic to tell the truth. Many overestimated the strength of their own group subconsciously.

    They did of course consider that the numbers could be accurate, the guards sent would still handily defeat such a force, but¡­

    What if the force was¡­ <i>larger¡­</i>

    What if they had met enemies more well equipped than expected?

    There was speculation this group was composed of foreign invaders, though his compatriots thought that too was a stretch. All of the foreign invaders they had been ordered to put down thus far were strange, but none seemed particularly malicious.

    The young captain tightened his grip.

    <i>Orders are orders, you mustn''t think like that. There are reasons for everything.</i>

    But in any case, a good guardsman considered all possibilities.

    After mulling it over for a second, he nodded to one of the recruits. ¡°You. Lighten your armor, I want you to avoid drawing attention, find out what¡¯s going on¨C¡±

    The older guardsman sighed, ¡°This is unnecessary.¡±

    The captain ignored him. He was a captain for a reason.

    He continued, ¡°Find out what¡¯s going on and report back. If there is combat, stay away and do not engage. Information is all I want from you, do not be a hero.¡±

    One of the other guards snorted, ¡°Hero, he says,¡± elbowing another guard.

    The captain didn¡¯t begrudge them that, they were likely right.

    It would, however, be better to act than not.

    And so the captain waited with three guardsmen and a weight on his mind, sent the fourth off to gather information.

    He thought about taking his fianc¨¦ out to dinner that night, he was feeling sentimental.

    ¡ª

    The walk away from the battle was both longer and shorter that Oliver had remembered. He did so much thinking, but arrived in such a small amount of time.

    They could have avoided meeting the remaining guards. Their situation was suspicious, after all.

    They could have gone back to the city themselves, they could have made a run for it to someplace else. But that would have left too many loose threads.

    Of course, Oliver was loathe to return to captivity. However, Levi was still unaccounted for. He had a good foothold in public office, a place to sleep.

    Start¨C again?

    There was also the fact that Oliver was simply¡­ tired.

    And so, after telling River to keep her face obscured under her hood, they emerged from the trees.

    The first guard to see them took a moment before standing. ¡°You¡­ HEY, DON¡¯T MOVE!¡±

    Oliver and River paused just outside the forest.

    The guards rushed up to them with swords in hand. A younger one with a different helmet than the rest took centre. There were four of them in all. They were surrounded.

    The young leader was measured in his tone, but his words implied alarm, ¡°Prisoners, how in the name of demons did you get free?¡±

    Oliver broke the news, a grimace on his face¨C not one for the tragedy of slain guardsmen, but one out of situational frustration. Not that the guardsmen could tell.

    ¡°Your force was defeated by the bandits. They are all gone.¡±

    ¡ª

    One of the guardsmen chuckled. The captain assumed it might have been the older guard, considering his earlier statements. But the older guardsman was taking this seriously. The one who made the outburst quieted, seeing the looks in everybody¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°... That was a joke, right?¡±

    The redheaded prisoner responded. ¡°Go and see for yourself.¡±

    The captain kept his face even, he didn¡¯t take this criminal at face value, but he <i>would </i>wait for his impromptu scout to get back.

    ¡ª

    The leader nodded after a second, directing the guards to tie the prisoners back up.

    ¡°Hold up, before that.¡± Oliver held up a hand.

    The guards did not stop for him until the leader signaled them to stop.

    Oliver nodded at him. ¡°Could I apply some bandages before I¡¯m restricted?¡±

    The leader frowned, ¡°You¡¯re not injured?¡±

    Oliver nodded again, signalling at River, ¡°Not for me, for her. Her face.¡±

    One of the guards approached her, and Oliver stepped between them. ¡°Best not to look if you¡¯d like to eat tonight.¡± He managed a wry grimace.

    They looked each other in the eyes for a still moment. The guard backed off. The Leader handed Oliver some bandages. ¡°Go do it over behind the wagon if it¡¯s that bad. If you run, we¡¯ll shoot you down.¡± A guard produced a bow.

    Oliver led River over to the spot, and removed her hood after making sure she was obscured, he wanted this done fast. River gave him a strange look, but stayed silent as he wrapped the bandages around her face in a hurry.

    Whether or not it was medically accurate, they looked good enough to Oliver. As long as nobody looked too closely or remembered Paige too well, this would do just fine.

    Oliver replaced the hood. ¡°Best pretend you can¡¯t speak.¡± She nodded.

    They returned, got tied up, and played the waiting game.

    ¡ª

    The recruit found the remains of the battle. He would remember the sight for all his days. People called him soft, kind, weak. It was why he had joined the ranks of guardsmen in the first place. He wanted to prove himself in the eyes of his peers.

    Never would he have imagined being faced with such a sight. He stumbled away in a daze, if there were any survivors, they were surely prisoners. He lost track of direction and wandered on for a short time.

    He had training of course, he could orient himself with the stars in the sky, ever visible. He just didn¡¯t think of it in the moment. He didn¡¯t have any particular thoughts either.

    It was as if his senses were simply dulled, as with his capacity to think.

    An old lady caught his arm.

 23 - Coalesce

    They waited by the wagons for the scout to return, the atmosphere was tense.

    At least. The guards were tense.

    Oliver was falling asleep, River was already asleep, it had been over an hour.

    The two rested against the wagon, in full sight of the guards.

    When the scout became visible through the trees wearing a complicated expression, he was immediately asked the question.

    The young captain stood, a bit too fast. ¡°What is the status of our forces?¡± He spoke hurriedly across the small distance

    The scout snapped out of his stupor, and the weight of knowledge slumped his posture. He kept approaching, though slower now.

    ¡°C-Captain¡­¡±

    The captain was fighting reality with every breath, but no matter what he wanted the case to be, things were playing out in that dreaded direction. He waited for the words.

    The scout, about to continue, noticed the two prisoners and stopped.

    The captain snapped, ¡°Recruit, spit it out!¡±

    But the recruit was in his own world now, he reached out a desperate hand toward Oliver, who was watching him with uncomfortable eyes.

    ¡°Did you see? Did anybody¡­ ?¡±

    Did any guardsmen get away. Oliver could tell what he was asking.

    ¡°As far as I can tell, all the guardsmen died¡­ As a matter of fact¨C¡±

    Oliver turned to the captain, who took this as confirmation of what Oliver had already recounted prior, and seemed to be processing the information himself.

    Oliver opined, ¡°Now that everybody¡¯s here, we really should get going.¡±

    The captain¡¯s eyes flicked toward Oliver, then over the guards and wagons. The situation dawned on him. His hand shook for a moment, but he steadied, and steel entered his eyes. ¡°Break camp immediately, we¡¯re hightailing it back to the city.¡±

    Nobody moved, confused at the rapidly changing situation. The young captain adjusted his posture, feet shoulder width apart. Oliver felt something radiating off him, some small amount of¡­ authority. The captain inhaled all the way in, and shouted.

    ¡°NOW!¡±

    The guards sprung into action, nearly tripping over themselves as the captain approached Oliver and River, grabbing one of each of their arms, and shoving them into one of the guard wagons, rather than the prisoner cart they had come on.

    There was simply no need for so many transports now, and driving them would take all the guards they had left. Who cared if they lost some assets, so long as some arrived back at all ¨C separating like that when they were practically on the run was a death sentence.

    They returned to the city, Oliver surrounded by intense eyes¨C not accusing in the sense that he was an enemy, but insinuating it was a waste prisoners had survived and not guardsmen. The captain wasn¡¯t focused on the idea though, he was too busy writing up the beginnings of a report with Oliver¡¯s and the scout¡¯s input.

    Though the scout seemed to have trouble staying cognizant.

    ¡ª

    The guardsmen at the gate awaited the return of their most combat oriented expeditionary members, and as day became night, when only two transports approached¨Cwhere five had set out¨Csomething seemed amiss.

    Two guardsmen went out to meet the small convoy, and they were allowed through the wall. The Gate Commander sent an urgent letter to the Minister of Defence, defacto commander of the city¡¯s armed forces.

    Once the wagons were parked by the gate¡¯s adjoining guard building, Oliver and River were pulled out by several unnerved guardsmen, and they were led into separate rooms.

    Minutes passed, then the Gate Commander entered the room swiftly, followed by a string of guards and scholars, one of which being the interrogator from days prior.

    Gate Commander and interrogator sat side by side, other scholars arrayed behind¨C taking notes.

    The Gate Commander begins, ¡°I want to hear the whole thing, from the beginning.¡±

    Oliver was wont not to cooperate, however he didn¡¯t think he had much of a choice. If he showed resistance, they might see it necessary taking him to that truth-telling room. There was too much to hide. Best to be selectively forthcoming while he had the chance.

    ¡°Well¡­ we entered the forest, prisoners in front.¡±

    Quills and pens started scratching.

    ¡°And suddenly, about ten to twenty minutes in, we had arrows rain down on us from ahead.¡±

    Oliver continued like that, unsure of what or how to make a report. Detaching himself from his motivations, glossing over his positioning and reasoning for certain actions. Objectively recounting the events as they happened otherwise.

    He received the occasional question throughout, clarifying certain details, but they seemed content to have Oliver give them his version of events without their influence or direction.

    The real questions came after.

    One of the scholars in the background spoke, ¡°You mentioned sacrificial¡­ armed noncombatants?¡±

    It was how he had put it. Oliver nodded.

    The scholar spoke again, ¡°Would you call them slaves?¡±

    Just the word made Oliver grimace. It was degrading, and Oliver didn¡¯t want to use it, but to him¨C unfortunately, that was probably the best word for it. He could say refugees who were taken advantage of, but then he would need to say from where.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Oliver hesitated, but nodded at that. ¡°Yes, I think so.¡±

    The Gate Commander remarked, ¡°Not a fan of slavery, I¡¯m guessing?¡±

    Oliver rested his eyes on the Gate Commander. ¡°Can¡¯t say I am.¡±

    ¡°What if they deserved it?¡±

    Numb to emotion, Oliver had thought he was for the moment. But after seeing what he had just seen, and hearing that¡­

    Deserved? The fuck does whether they deserved slavery or not matter to this investigation anyway?!

    Oliver¡¯s eyes widened with anger, and he managed to avoid flipping the table. He was restrained, it would have been a terrible idea.

    ¡°They were children and elderly folk.¡± He managed with gritted teeth.

    Before the situation could derail further, the interrogator asked what Oliver found to be a fairly chilling question.

    ¡°What were the attackers wearing, slaves and not. Any hooded upper body garments, with a line down the middle? Any headwear that protruded from the front? Extravagant colours, strange materials, anything?¡±

    Oliver¡¯s disgruntled state gradually cooled down over the course of the question, in which Oliver held eye contact with the interrogator. They were learning things, the signs of modernity. Or did they already know? Have people appeared in the past?

    Oliver spoke again, ¡°All the slave¡¯s clothing was too¡­ ragged, for me to say.¡±

    But rather than play into what the interrogator was asking for, Oliver took this opportunity to report certain people he wouldn¡¯t mind identifying. Derailing this risky line of questioning.

    ¡°There were a few wearing distinct magical robes, however.¡±

    The Gate Commander raised an eyebrow. ¡°Robes? That¡¯s not consistent with¨C¡±

    He winced in pain, but he shut up with side-eye at the interrogator.

    The interrogator prompted Oliver to continue. ¡°Go on.¡±

    Consistent with what?

    ¡°Three individuals. One wore black hair and robes, he wielded a wand. Another guy with blonde hair and green robes who seemed to prefer a knife.¡±

    Oliver grimaced as he recounted them, ¡°And a man with shimmery green hair and grey robes, accented in silver. He wielded a staff, and I believe controlled the aforementioned undead.¡±

    Everybody in the room considered this, and started scratching down notes¨Cexcept one of the scholars in the back, who whispered to the next. They looked at each other for a moment, then came forward with a note for the Gate Commander.

    The Gate Commander plucked the note out of their hands, and gave it a quick read. Becoming increasingly concerned as he did so.

    ¡°... He can¡¯t have come that far¡­¡±

    Oliver guessed they knew something about the rogue cabal leader.

    They seemed to have all they wanted out of Oliver for the moment, so they filed out of the room.

    Oliver, finally in ¡®safety,¡¯ couldn¡¯t resist the temptation of unconsciousness, and slipped away right there in his chair.

    He didn¡¯t dream at all.

    ¡ª

    There were many occasions with which the convening of ministers was a necessary part. Often, not all of them showed up ¨C much to the dismay of Lord Willowen and his entourage.

    Perhaps, though, this time ¨C the message was worded more convincingly. All four Ministers had shown. Defence, Finance, Law, Resources.

    One might have assumed all meetings needed a big round table or some such¨Ca hall or a throne room. That might have been the case in other cities, but Lord Willowen didn¡¯t much care for such places, he believed the best kind of discussions were held in a less formal setting. Of course, security of important individuals provided that walking about in the sunshine in a big collection was not a particularly bright idea.

    And so, rather than a formal gathering at some meeting room or office¡­

    The Minister of Defence was splayed across the couch, exhibiting her dismay at the situation. Her untidy black hair was peppered with grey strands, her black military dress clothes exuding practicality.

    ¡°... How could they possibly¡­¡± She held up a clenched fist, and released it.

    The Minister of Resources sat against the wall, cross-legged. Thoughtful. He sported curly light brown hair and round glasses, and wore a scholar¡¯s garb themed orange.

    He spoke in a monotone fashion, meeting nobody¡¯s eyes. ¡°I bid we take action to protect the outlying farmsteads, this is clearly a significant force.¡±

    The Minister of Law sat in a couch-chair with her hands in her lap. A stylized peaked cap in red, not dissimilar to those worn by officials, sat atop her blonde head. She wore a high collared white coat which was accented in red, and cinched at the waist by a belt.

    ¡°I imagine this falls within the requirements for capital reinforcement.¡± Her eyes darted from face to face, as if trying to capture their reactions to the statement.

    The Minister of Finance sat in an adjacent couch-chair, hunched over, his elbows on his knees. His face was neutral. His grey hair was combed, and he wore a navy blue suit, accented in a lighter blue.

    ¡°To my knowledge, the capital¡¯s forces are doubtful even on this side of the Empire.¡±

    Lord Jason Willowen stood amongst his advisors, his extravagant black, blue, and yellow robes haphazardly worn, though that was as much a style choice as an indicator of the Lord¡¯s personality.

    ¡°... Is that so?¡±

    The Ministers all looked at their Lord for a moment, before avoiding his glare.

    The Defence Minister sat up to address the question, rubbing at her forehead. ¡°Yes my Lord, as far as I¡¯m aware. They¡¯re weeks away, if they decided to come at all.¡±

    The frown that played across the Lord¡¯s face was one that all present were familiar enough with. He had clearly been banking on some such help. He let the silence play out for a few moments before he nodded to the Defence Minister.

    ¡°We were already short on forces before this, so I¡¯ll venture that sending a larger force is out of the question?¡±

    The Minister of defence gave the Lord a half smile. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct¡±

    The Minister of Finance raised a hand, ¡°If I may, adventurers are an option. Though we would need to extend the recruitment to our neighbors¡¯ guilds if we want a substantial enough force¨C we at least have the funds.¡±

    Lord Jason considered this, and pursed his lips. He shot a glance at the remaining two Ministers.

    The Minister of Law remarked, ¡°A mercenary force like that shouldn¡¯t be hired in such numbers as to outnumber the city garrison. There is too high a chance for complication.¡±

    The Minister of Resources bit his lip, ¡°I have an alternative approach regarding adventurers.¡± He met Lord Willowen¡¯s eyes.

    The Lord waited for him to continue, but after a few seconds¨Clost patience. ¡°Well? Out with it.¡±

    The Resources Minister frowned. ¡°Well, considering our supposed funds,¡± He glanced at the Finance Minister, ¡°We simply offer a high enough reward for their capture or defeat. Let the adventurers decide how to approach it, and leave the problem in their hands.¡±

    Lord Jason smiled, ¡°Sounds straightforward enough.¡±

    The Defence Minister voiced an objection, ¡°If I may, our adventurers are not equipped enough for such a task. We¡¯re not exactly a hotspot for adventurer work.¡±

    The Lord considered her words for half a moment, but dismissed them. Having found a solution he was personally happy with.

    ¡°No, no. Set the award at a quarter what you might have been willing to pay for an army, George. I¡¯ll leave this in your hands.¡±

    The Minister of Finance nodded, but decided to ask something before Lord Willowen escaped the room. A little self indulgence, a curiosity.

    ¡°My Lord, I will be happy to do so. I have just one more question.¡±

    Lord Jason Willowen turned an annoyed expression back to the Finance Minister, ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°The prisoners that survived the encounter, the ones conscripted to fight¨Chave they earned their freedom? They are not violent and have been cooperative.¡±

    The Minister of Law tried to speak up¨C

    Lord Willowen waved a hand dismissively, ¡°I pardon them in my magnanimity. I truly need to get to other business, so please send any other matters requiring my attention by way of Marland.¡±

    And the meeting was over.

 24 - Normality

    <b>¡ª 3 days until evaluation ¡ª</b>

    <b> </b>

    Oliver wakes in the course of being dragged out of the chair by an annoyed guard. He stumbles as he passes through the doorway to join with River and another guard. They¡¯re led to the building¡¯s entrance, and their restraints are removed.

    ¡°You¡¯re free to go.¡± Oliver¡¯s belongings are shoved back into his arms, and River was given Paige¡¯s.

    The guard gave them a final disdainful look before closing the door.

    Oliver thought he was still asleep if he was being honest. He stood there in a daze for a solid thirty seconds before River tugged on his sleeve.

    He blinked a few times, shook his head, shrugged.

    They began walking through the morning crowds toward Oliver¡¯s apartment. River¡¯s head was on a swivel, taking in the fantasy city she had yet to see since she had entered this world. She still took care not to speak, wary of being discovered even after having been released.

    Oliver noticed some food being sold by the road, flatbread. He picked some up. The normalness of what he was doing felt¡­ wrong. But what else were they to do?

    They kept going all the way to Oliver¡¯s apartment. He fished out the key, unlocked the door.

    And then they were at the dining table, flatbread in hand, eating.

    Neither of them spoke.

    Then, Oliver¡¯s eyes went wide as his brain caught up to the situation. He smiled, then frowned ¨C then became intensely thoughtful. River was more concentrated on the food than him.

    Oliver cleared his throat. ¡°Alright, so there¡¯s a few things we have to do.¡±

    River looked up.

    Oliver put down his flatbread, reminded of the first time he¡¯d eaten it. With Levi.

    ¡°First of all, we¡¯re both atrociously filthy. You¡¯ll need some new clothes if we don¡¯t want to draw any attention.¡±

    River scrunched the poncho in her fists, holding on to it.

    Oliver noticed, ¡°... Well, sure. But you need new clothes other than that¡­ Oh, and some kind of mask.¡±

    <i>Wait¡­ is there much point to continue hiding her identity? Saves the trouble of building a new one, but who knows what connections Paige had¡­</i>

    Thinking of Paige, the gear that had been returned to River was spread on the table. Oliver continued, ¡°Secondly, we need to figure out what to do with all of this.¡±

    A wooden bottle with a cork, a simple knife, a money pouch which held only a few silver coins and a ring with an emblem ¨C possibly magical? And finally, a fancy looking wand.

    Oliver picked up the wand, and directed some magic into it. One of the few patterns lit up, and a pellet of ice launched at the wall, impaling itself there. ¡°... This might sell for a lot, but I think I¡¯ll keep it.¡±

    Oliver noticed River patiently waiting for him to continue. He sighed.

    ¡°Last and most importantly... There¡¯s a boy I was¨C am taking care of. I would like to get back to looking for him as soon as possible, but¡­¡± Oliver looked the frail girl up and down. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been through a lot.¡±

    Both of them shared a moment of silence over the events of the previous day.

    ¡°Would you rather stay here while I go, come with me, or do you need me here?¡±

    River continued to be silent. Oliver looked at her bandaged face. ¡°You can talk now, by the way.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll-¡± She coughed, not having spoken in a while. ¡°I-I¡¯ll come with you.¡±

    Oliver nodded, and walked over to his room, before coming out with a small bundle in his arms. ¡°Well, here¡¯s some of my clothes for the moment, though they¡¯re too big for you. We¡¯ll buy some while we¡¯re out. Bathroom¡¯s there.¡±

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡ª

    Emilia makes her way to the Ministry in the early morning, as she usually does.

    Emilia passes through the front doors, as she usually does.

    She walks through the corridors, passing other Officials without trouble. Receiving less hostile looks than she had previously. Upon opening the door to her office, she finds it in perfect condition. She can¡¯t help but grow a little smile at the sight.

    Stephen comes by a bit later in the morning, and stays for about an hour¨C helping out as he had promised. He seemed to have something else on his mind, as he left without saying much. But overall, the day was quite smooth so far.

    The door to her office opened, Emilia looked up, wondering who it might be.

    Oliver looked Emilia in the eyes.

    Emilia¡¯s steady face faltered, ¡°O-Oliver?¡±

    Oliver, before asking about anything else, had one question locked and loaded.

    ¡°Emilia. Have you found Levi?¡±

    Emilia was taken aback for a second, momentarily surprised by the question. ¡°Levi? Yes he¡¯s alright as far as I know. What about you?¡±

    Oliver slumped in relief, looked around the office. Then grew concerned, ¡°If he¡¯s not here then where is he?¡±

    Emilia remembered that Oliver knew nothing of what had happened the past few days. ¡°I would imagine he¡¯s at the Scholarium now, alongside his new friend.¡±

    Oliver blinked a few times.

    Emilia continued, ¡°Nevermind him for the moment, it turned out he never was in any real trouble. How did you get out of the guardhouse? Are you alright? And who¡¯s that?¡±

    A short figure was peeking into the room, they wore a blue poncho and a wooden bunny-shaped mask, the kind one might wear during some kind of festival event.

    Oliver waved the figure in. ¡°This is Paige, she¡¯s a fellow survivor¡­ I haven¡¯t thought to describe it like that before now, but it¡¯s right enough. We were both prisoners. If you¡¯re asking why they just let us leave, I would also like to know.¡±

    Emilia looked at Paige skeptically, but turned back to Oliver, ¡°So are you alright or not?¡±

    Oliver averted his eyes, ¡°Can¡¯t say that I am. Nothing else to do but continue though, right?¡±

    They left it at that for a second, until Oliver met Emilia¡¯s eyes again. Now, a certain conviction behind them that she hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°Can I still work for you?¡±

    His answer was a wide smile, uncharacteristic of Emilia. She picked up Oliver¡¯s bag that she had been keeping with her, and handed it to him.

    ¡°Rest today, come tomorrow. There have been some pleasant changes.¡±

    Emilia really was having a good day today.

    ¡ª

    Levi was distracted. He¡¯d been distracted since morning. He had woken for the third time in the esteemed Steel family home. Talk around the breakfast table was of the expedition that had returned¨Cwhat was left of it, anyway.

    He wanted to go check. To go find out if Oliver was one of the two survivors. But he was afraid. Afraid that Oliver wasn¡¯t going to be there, but also that if he approached Oliver, and Oliver had been <i>¡®found out¡¯...</i>

    It was dangerous. He had been considering it all throughout the first lecture of the day, and he was still thinking about it as the lecturer wrapped up and lunchtime approached.

    Mia stabbed him with a fork.

    ¡°OW!¡± Levi jumped.

    ¡°Can you hear me now?¡± Lady Mia waved a hand in Levi¡¯s face, he pushed it aside.

    ¡°Yes! What?!¡± Levi was annoyed, though he was in the wrong, having been spaced out the whole day.

    Lady Mia gave him a contemptuous look, but shrugged. ¡°I heard something interesting about the returned expedition this morning.¡±

    Levi¡¯s annoyance faded in a moment. ¡°What did you hear?¡±

    She smiled, ¡°Intrigued, are you?¡±

    The look on Levi¡¯s face was earnest enough that Mia didn¡¯t keep it from him long. ¡°The two survivors have been pardoned by my father.¡±

    Levi was shocked, but soon schooled his expression. There was only so much a nine-year-old could do to hide their feelings, though. Not that it seemed to matter.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been told their names. Say, Levi, your brother was called ¡®Oliver Crest¡±, right?¡±

    Levi just stared, waiting for her to elaborate.

    ¡°He¡¯s one of them.¡±

    He began trembling. Mia looked on, at something of a loss.

    He couldn¡¯t hold back the tears¨Che was in public, too! He was too old to cry! (Well, maybe not. But he had decided to grow up faster.)

    Lady Mia looked on worriedly. Her guard knight oversaw the whole interaction, allowing this learning experience to shape Mia¡¯s understanding of people¡¯s emotional reactions.

    They decided to find somewhere to eat lunch.

    ¡ª

    Professor Stephen didn¡¯t need to attend lectures, he would prefer to read all of the information himself. It had always been that way, to take in the information in its most objective form.

    That¡¯s not to say that information is written objectively, but in a way, it was easier to parse.

    Unfortunately, books were harder to come by than back home. Sure, paper had a certain level of abundance ¨C but there wasn¡¯t much of an industry for books. Or much standardised industry at all, since this society wasn¡¯t industrialised. Not that they needed to be, with all the magic and so-on, but it meant more personalised products rather than standardised, which wasn¡¯t an amazing combination for books.

    Books were not formulaically put together for teaching purposes, they were old notebooks, certain famous guides hand-copied from geniuses who lived previously. Some recipe books and such, but often hyper specific and unhelpful.

    All that was to say, learning was a slow burn.

    Add on to that, Professor Stephen was a man of science. Hence, he had a certain perspective when it came to new information. How did it connect to the information he already had? Does this new information further any current understandings of the world, does it shatter them? Is this world even consistent with the last? Perhaps these were bigger questions than he could answer for the moment, but the gravity, the weight of science was on his shoulders.

    Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if he could watch a movie he¡¯d saved on his phone, listen to some music, and relax. Too much shit had been going on. Rest was an important ingredient to efficiency, and all that.

    Well, it has been said that laziness is a key part of innovation.

    Stephen tinkered with a little mechanism he had thrown together. Simple, incomplete.

    The Scholarium provides all kinds of resources to its students for their studies and experiments. Enough for most magic and alchemy. Don¡¯t get Stephen started on alchemy.

    Anyway, annoyingly, they didn¡¯t seem to have any magnets.

 25 - Bequest

    River trailed along behind Oliver, who was walking assuredly through the streets he knew, a kind of relief in his features. It wasn¡¯t his home, but it was at least familiar by this point.

    His smile didn¡¯t seem very enthusiastic, but he was trying. At least, so far as River could tell.

    River couldn¡¯t see amazingly well in her mask, and she was <i>tired.</i>

    It took more than a night¡¯s sleep and a small meal to eliminate the effects of weeks of abuse.

    Looking into the faces of strangers passing by, at the red-headed man who said he was from Earth. Trust was a hard thing. She didn¡¯t flinch or back away from the shadows between buildings, that¡¯s not where horrors lay.

    Horrors lay in the hearts of the desperate. Horrors lay in the absence of empathy. In self-centred desire.

    Eat or be eaten¡­

    It was a cruel system that imprinted itself on those it afflicted, like a disease. One who is mistreated is more likely to mistreat others. River was not immune to that, though she was vaguely aware of it.

    A hand reached out for her, and she was yanked away. She made not a sound, as she was told to do.

    ¡ª

    ¡°Stop struggling, you ingrate.¡±

    The thug said that, but River was hardly resisting at all. She knew better.

    She was dragged into the alleyways, where a man was stood ¨C waiting for her.

    A neat, well-groomed man with slicked black hair and a slim-fitting cream tailcoat, accented in red. Juxtaposed to the thug, he was not fit for the alley he was standing in.

    Not cowering, but not in opposition, River stood in front of him.

    But who the man saw was¡­

    ¡°Paige. Brazen of you to keep me waiting. You would do well to remember, though your crimes against the city have been forgiven¡­¡±

    He bent forwards, looking into the slits of River¡¯s mask. He whispered.

    ¡°Your debts have not.¡±

    He placed a hand on her shoulder, and held out another. He was holding something.

    ¡°Here, a reminder.¡±

    River took it. The weight of it, more and less significant given her experience.

    If she had seen it weeks prior, she would have screamed. But she just looked at it.

    ¡°I collect all sorts of payment. Money, labor, personal assets¨C but since you seem to lack much of the former, here¡¯s the task you need to complete by next week¡­¡±

    After outlining her task, they left. Sinking deeper into the shadows, as their ilk was wont to do.

    River stood there for a few more minutes, still looking at it.

    The finger.

    ¡ª

    Oliver wasn¡¯t being incautious, he was checking that River was following him almost too often. Who knows if or when she would just collapse. He would have insisted she stay home if he trusted his apartment enough.

    But it only took one moment where he was distracted by his thoughts. One second she was there, the next she was gone.

    <i>Not again¡­</i>

    Rather than freak out, Oliver gave everybody nearby the eye. He thought of the amount of things that he would have liked to be able to do but couldn¡¯t, such as calling the police.

    When River emerged from the nearby alley, Oliver felt a bit stupid, but a bit relieved he hadn¡¯t done any freaking out. Still¡­

    ¡°Ri- Uh, Paige!¡±

    River walked back up to Oliver. She couldn¡¯t talk in public, which wasn¡¯t helpful at this moment.

    ¡°Can you, uh, not go and disappear without letting me know?¡±

    She nodded.

    Oliver eyed her a second longer, before letting it go. <i>I¡¯ll ask her what that was about later.</i>

    They arrived at the Scholarium shortly after that.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡ª

    Shuffling of files, receptionists running around. Finally Oliver got to the front of the line.

    ¡°Hey. Tell me where a boy called Levi is at this moment. About ye high, brown hair. Nine years old.¡±

    The scholar tilted her head, then started shuffling through files. ¡°U-uh, any last n-name?¡±

    Oliver raised an eyebrow. <i>Damn it, had we discussed that? </i>¡°No¡­¡±

    The scholar gave him a weird look, then continued shuffling through her papers.

    Oliver grumbled, ¡°This place is so disorganised.¡±

    He tapped the counter as he waited for the idiot scholar behind it to tell him what class Levi was in, if he was in a class, where it was, et cetera.

    The young woman shakily adjusted her round glasses, as if unsure why this man was being so randomly aggressive. ¡°E-Er d-do you have p-permission to be a-asking for such i-information?¡±

    Oliver looked blankly into the scholar¡¯s eyes.

    <i>Why is this woman in customer service?</i>

    ¡°Yes. I do.¡±

    The scholar doesn¡¯t seem confident enough to question him further, and found the information that Oliver had wanted. Levi wasn¡¯t scheduled for anything within the next hour or so.

    ¡ª

    Oliver and River spotted Levi outside the Scholarium. He was walking with a girl of similar age to him, and being trailed by some armoured woman. They were being given a wide enough berth by their surrounding students that it was honestly strange.

    ¡°Levi!¡±

    Levi turned, which made his companions turn as well.

    ¡ª

    Levi forgot any reservations about seeing Oliver again. Who knew how comforting it would be to see someone familiar again. If he needed to see someone from Earth, he had the professor to go to ¨C but having his comfort stripped away from him, time after time¡­

    Levi was committed to acting as a grown-up would, that wasn¡¯t going to change. And he had made some companions in Mia and her protective Knight. He had some level of trust in Emilia. He was familiar with people.

    But.

    When Levi hugged Oliver, as he had been hesitant to do in the beginning, he hugged Oliver as if he was getting the chance to hug his dad again. Slightly longer, slightly harder, and with an ounce more respect. Not so much that Levi would seem weak and in need of protection, that would only lead to disaster. It was meaningful.

    When Levi drew back from Oliver, he raised his chin¡­

    And couldn¡¯t think of anything in particular to say.

    ¡ª

    <i>My arm still hurts.</i>

    Oliver looked down at the young boy. Wearing magical robes, painted in certainty and confidence¡­

    <i>I mean, it¡¯s good that he¡¯s safe. Nice to see him happy. But what the hell is all this?</i>

    Oliver glanced around at the second peanut gallery he had witnessed since his ministry exam, except this one was bigger. Spectating scholars of various seniority taking interest in the dramatic events playing out. He decided to ignore them for the moment.

    Oliver looked at the young girl and the accompanying bodyguard. As good a starting point as any.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Oliver nodded to the girl, meaning for Levi to introduce her. However, Levi didn¡¯t get the chance. The armoured woman stepped forward, nodding at Oliver and River as she did.

    ¡°I present Lady Mia of House Willowen, junior Scholar of the Scholarium. I am her Knight and protector, Luna.¡±

    Oliver took all of that in with only a slight amount of surprise.

    <i>Right, there was one other kid in the entrance test. I remember getting a hard time for calling her a brat.</i>

    Oliver stuck out his hand for a shake. ¡°Oliver¡¯s the name, I help out at the Ministry of Finance. Levi is my¡­¡± <i>She¡¯s not shaking my hand.</i>

    After putting his hand back down, Oliver heard the little Lady in question speak. ¡°He¡¯s your brother, I have heard. Well met. Levi and myself are fellow scholars who share certain qualities that make it easier to get along.¡±

    <i>Fancy words for someone as small as you, but yeah it seems you¡¯re the only two kids around.</i>

    Levi found his opportunity to speak. ¡°So who¡¯s that, then?¡± He pointed to the figure who was about halfway between him and Oliver in height. River stepped forward and waved timidly, though she still pretended she couldn¡¯t speak.

    Oliver gestured to her, ¡°This is Paige, she can¡¯t talk. She¡¯s one of the prisoners I was¡­ fighting with¡­ Anyway, I¡¯ll get further into my situation whenever we get a chance to relax a bit. I gather you¡¯re off to class but, could you tell me why I couldn¡¯t find you after your test?¡±

    ¡ª

    Levi, reminded of the impending lecture he had been heading to, gave Oliver the short version. He couldn¡¯t say the whole thing in public anyway. ¡°I was talking with someone in private. You missed me. You probably will want to meet him, but we can talk about that later, too.¡±

    Oliver groaned at the simple mistake he¡¯d made.

    Levi turned to leave, as Mia and her Knight had done, but remembered something. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve been staying at Emilia¡¯s house while you were gone. Do you want to come pick me up from there around dinner time?¡±

    Oliver paused, but decided Levi staying there was the only realistic outcome of him being gone. ¡°... Sure, a bit before sunset. See you later.¡±

    ¡ª

    <i>Now, what to do in the next five or so hours.</i>

    Oliver hadn¡¯t asked where Emilia¡¯s house was, so he would have to go to the ministry to head back with her¨C but other than that, Oliver felt at his sore arm.

    River was standing beside Oliver, but she was swaying from side to side.

    They had addressed the most urgent thing rather easily, and much as Oliver had renewed will to go on, they did need more rest.

    They picked up yet more food on their way to the apartment. Oliver considered stocking up the cupboards at some point instead of eating out all the time, and wondered if there were some magical fridge equivalent to keep perishables in.

    But that was an idea for another day. Oliver and River sat and ate their food, both tired, but River was practically falling asleep. Before she could, Oliver asked what he had been meaning to while she could speak.

    ¡°Why did you disappear on the way to the Scholarium?¡±

    River lifted her head, which had almost dipped into the food. ¡°Some people who knew Paige pulled me aside.¡±

    Oliver narrowed his eyes in concern. ¡°Did they suspect anything?¡±

    River, drooping, managed; ¡°Don¡¯t think so.¡±

    <i>I guess that¡¯s fine then.</i>

    Oliver donated his bed to River, opting for the couch whenever he would sleep later that night, leaving Levi¡¯s bed for his return. The couches were nice enough.

    When the time came to leave, Oliver decided it would be better to leave River there asleep for a couple hours, rather than wake her up for this errand.

    ¡ª

    Oliver turned up at the ministry around the time Emilia would usually finish up, but found she had already left. He scratched his head, and decided to see if anyone else knew where she lived.

    He didn¡¯t have much luck, but when he stumbled upon High Official Curtis, he did a double take. The man looked worse for wear than Oliver, which was interesting since Oliver assumed his job consisted of light walking at most.

    Oliver gave him a bit of a glare, but when Curtis saw him¨Che flinched away. It was barely noticeable, but it was a big enough difference in behaviour that it stood out to Oliver.

    The clock was ticking, and Curtis was Emilia¡¯s superior, so Oliver decided to ask.

    ¡°Any chance you know Emilia¡¯s home address?¡±

    Curtis did in fact know her address. He gave it to Oliver without a fuss. Trying to get Oliver to leave as soon as possible, even.

 26 - Sneaky

    River heard the door close as Oliver left to get Levi in the afternoon.

    She carefully stepped out of bed and got changed, preparing to get done what needed to be done.

    River had decided not to tell Oliver about the task she had been given. After all, this was her cover now.

    Oliver, if he were to know, would likely have ¡®Paige¡¯ disappear, one way or another. Which, aside from River¡¯s growing attachment to the mechanism of her survival, might be fine.

    However, the task wasn¡¯t all that unreasonable itself. Add to that, if River stopped being Paige, some other poor soul would have to take her place.

    She knew from experience. River was able to step out of the role at any time. However, even if she avoided punishment, the onus would be handed across to the next available subject.

    A prison for the empathetic.

    These people would <i>always</i> be able to find someone else to order around at their whim.

    River tensed¨Cinvoking that familiar power in her system. She felt her fatigue fading slightly, her injuries shrinking. Her mana encouraging her body''s natural recovery process.

    It only did a little, but it was significant. She didn''t want anybody to know about it.

    It was a convenient talent to have, she had been told.

    <i>¡®For a slave.¡¯</i>

    River put a hand against her pocket, feeling at the burden she had been given.

    One couldn¡¯t exactly throw away a finger, it seemed wrong.

    <i>Bury it? Burn it?</i>

    River found a clean napkin in the living area, and wrapped the finger in it. She placed it back in her pocket. She would sort something out later.

    <i>I may be weak, tired, small. Not very efficient.</i>

    But above all that.

    <i>I was the only one to survive, I''m the luckiest one. </i>

    <i>My situation is privileged. I </i><b><i>must</i></b><i> preserve it.</i>

    <i>I¡¯ll do as I am told.</i>

    <i> </i>

    ¡ª

    Oliver knocked on the door of the Steel family home. He was dressed to such a standard that he shouldn¡¯t be embarrassed, and he wasn¡¯t. He used to wear ¡®better clothes¡¯ on a daily basis. However, something about this neighborhood, the pomposity of it¡­

    Oliver didn¡¯t really like it. Didn¡¯t really want to see Emilia¡¯s father, either.

    Get Levi, go home. That¡¯s all that needed to happen.

    The door swung open, and Oliver came face to face with a young man.

    His hair a similar colour to Emilia¡¯s, and his tone was emphatic, ¡°... Who are you?¡±

    Oliver nodded to the young man uncertainly, ¡°Uh, Levi¡¯s.. older brother. Oliver. Levi''s here, right?¡±

    The man ignored Oliver''s question, but instead widened his eyes and smiled a bit giddily. ¡°The convict warrior?¡±

    Oliver looked at the man deadpan. Not even because the man was invoking painful experiences. At this moment, those experiences were more confusing for Oliver than anything.

    Oliver was more concerned with how it was that he had somehow earned any iota of notoriety.

    Oliver believed he had done the right things in the moment, but ultimately achieved very little ¨C doubly so from an outsider''s perspective.

    This thought process manifested itself in the form of his blank facial expression. But Oliver tried to get back on topic rather than engaging this excitable man''s curiosity.

    They hadn''t even spoken much yet, and still¨COliver had a strong feeling this guy was the product of too many comforts.

    Because, wealth ¨C this man had, that was for sure. If Emilia was well dressed in a high quality uniform which she kept exceptionally neat, this man was more¡­ gaudy.

    His clothing, while not frilly, was layered and patterned in such a way that the complexity seemed to be the main feature.

    Oliver cut to the chase, ignoring the ¡®convict warrior¡¯ comment for now. ¡°Can I speak to Levi?¡±

    The man''s face went slack, as if he had lost all interest. ¡°Come in.¡±

    Oliver considered this reaction as he was allowed through the doorway. Stepping into the entrance hall, and following the man through the house.

    Upon walking through a doorway, he encountered the tense post-dinner environment of the dining room, the dishes being collected up for cleaning.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Oliver made eye contact with too many members of this well-to-do family at once. Emilia, her (assumed) mother, and her father all paused for a moment.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    <i>Forget this. Where is Levi?</i>

    ¡°Uh, hi. Where is Levi?¡±

    Emilia''s mother was about to open her mouth, but Emilia just stood to show Oliver the way. ¡°Up here.¡±

    Oliver nodded to Emilia, thankful for the save. There was something so¡­ normal, about coming to a friend''s house on an errand.

    ¡­ Normal¡­

    Oliver''s head swirled.

    He was dizzy, hit by a whiplash realisation as he ascended the stairs.

    He tripped, caught himself. Emilia looked down at him.

    Oliver mentally zoomed out of the whole situation. Maybe this was not an appropriate time for this kind of epiphany, but it was because this was such a normal moment.

    <i>I am in a fantasy world.</i>

    <i>I am undercover as a local. I have a job and self imposed responsibility to provide for a teenage girl and a young boy.</i>

    <i>Even if it was the only good option, I chose to do that.</i>

    <i>¡­</i>

    <i>I haven''t seen my family in weeks.</i>

    <i>I have seen¡­ too much. Dozens of people burn.</i>

    <i>Why don''t I feel more upset about that? That''s¡­ I''m more guilty about not being upset than I am upset!</i>

    <i>How¡­ How much closer am I to finding a way home?</i>

    Oliver didn''t grasp at his hair or clench his fists. He looked at his hands.

    Stood, in the middle of the stairs of his fantasy world boss''s house. On an errand.

    <i>An errand?</i>

    <i>Since when did getting home¨Cto Earth¨Cbecome such a secondary priority?</i>

    Oliver lowered his hands to his sides.

    It really hadn''t, actually. All of this was toward that end. But the scope of the problem was just so unfathomable that the steps forward were each large commitments by themselves.

    <i>How does one gather information about why Earthers are executed, without arousing suspicion.</i>

    Perhaps Oliver could be sneaking into guard buildings at night, or coming up with clever leading questions for high ranking guardsmen. Easily more accessible to him now than at the beginning, But both were still not worth the risk¡­

    <i>Pah, risk¡­ I nearly died just yesterday.</i>

    Oliver shivered.

    Then he did put his head in his hands.

    Oliver¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when he felt his arm being grabbed by Emilia. She pulled him to the top of the stairs, saying something Oliver didn''t quite catch.

    Oliver blinked. ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± She looked concerned, and Oliver realised how it might have looked, having just come back from the experience that he had.

    <i>She''s not too far off the mark, really.</i>

    Oliver coughed, ¡°Yeah, Levi¡¯s up here?¡±

    Emilia gave him that suspicious look she usually did whenever it was clear she wasn''t getting the whole truth. But still, even standing here in her family home, they hadn¡¯t the closeness to push each other for answers.

    Quite unfair really, Oliver likely understood more of Emilia''s problems than she did his.

    Emilia knocked on a door, and after a moment, Levi was standing in an open doorway with a pensive expression.

    The boy had more of a presence now than before, weighed by responsibilities he likely shouldn''t carry at his age.

    Whether that would help or harm him in the long term, Oliver didn''t know. Oliver was quite young himself. He needed more of a partnership in Levi than a dependent, so¡­

    Oliver looked Levi up and down, before nodding. Acknowledging Levi in the way he might have wanted to be acknowledged. No unnecessary words, or empty platitudes. For all intents and purposes, Levi deserved the respect of an adult.

    Oliver got down on a knee, and opened his arms.

    ¡­ Adults still hugged.

    Oliver asked. ¡°Got all you need?¡±

    At which point Levi presented at least triple as much stuff as he used to have.

    Oliver twisted around to Emilia.

    ¡°Uuuhhh.¡±

    <i>Levi didn¡¯t have any money.</i>

    Emilia twitched a smile in the way that a rich person might when offered change for their shopping.

    ¡°Don''t worry about it.¡±

    Oliver nodded, not one who only reluctantly took the goodwill of others. He only even checked out of courtesy, really. ¡°Righto. Levi, let''s go.¡±

    Levi handed Oliver one of the three cases containing his new belongings. Oliver nearly tried to take a second case, but held back for the moment.

    Oliver walked down the stairs, then watched with a barely contained smile as Levi struggled down them, looked down on by a concerned Emilia.

    When Levi made it to the bottom and put one case down to straighten his lopsided shirt, Oliver grabbed it up quickly.

    Levi and Oliver shared a long look.

    Oliver opened the door, before turning his head to Emilia. ¡°See you at work tomorrow.¡±

    Him and Levi had some talking to do, and hopefully, some scheming too.

    They walked into the night.

    ¡ª

    ¡®Paige¡¯ was moving along the edges of the wealhy area of the city. It was night time, but these hangers-on of the upper class knew little rest in their wealth hoarding activities.

    This was not exactly a stealth mission, but people did not notice much as River zigzagged her way through the streets experimentally. She was no social manipulator, no infiltrator. She had days to complete the task she was given.

    But there were some things simple enough for anyone to do. Plausible deniability was enough.

    She spotted the name she had been searching for. Set into the side of a rickety wagon.

    Business was not flourishing for this merchant, but the few customers that did approach seemed all to be merchants themselves, rather than the nighttime clientele roaming around.

    They each came with money, and away with less. But they all seemed satisfied enough.

    River didn''t stop walking as she was checking out the wagon, and so it was now leaving her vision. She wouldn''t be completing her task today, since a job such as this one could only be attempted once.

    She didn''t know that from experience, she just knew that from common sense. Maybe if she <i>were</i> some kind of shadow on the wall, she might have done it then and there.

    For an incident to have the desired effect, it must happen at the right time.

    But¡­ yes, this was going to be effective.

    A small amount of relief trickled through River''s chest. Insidious medicine, potentially.

    River was comfortable with what she had to do.

    ¡ª

    The scout from the expedition had been questioned by everyone, and said all he had to say.

    All he had to say¡­ to them, at least.

    He had no remaining close family members, none he would consider close anyway.

    He did some grocery shopping, packing a bunch of necessities into a decently large pack before strapping it to his back.

    He didn''t get paid all that much, aside from the little bonus he had just been given. So no, he wasn''t quitting and running away. He needed a job to survive.

    Though, there were some things he was frustrated about when it came to working in the guard force. They recieved certain instructions every now and then, wanted or missing persons, changes in procedure.

    Recently, the order to kill any and all people sporting certain features had shaken a few men, but a job was a job. The scout treated the topic much the same.

    No rebel was he.

    He entered a gate building, passing by closed doors and turned backs, hoping to go unnoticed as he left the city for a little bit.

    The scout had not personally executed anyone¡­ yet. That was a hazing process of sorts, apparently. He wasn''t excited, but he expected to do it one of these days.

    Before he needed to end one of these lives, though. He wanted to know a little more.

    It was a dangerous game he was playing, but if some of his fellow guardsmen had their families or careers to consider¡­

    He had little to lose.

    And so he went to go have a chat.

    Earn some goodwill.

    And, hey, if she was dangerous ¨C he had a sword, and she¡­

    She was just an old lady.

 27 - Incendiary

    Oliver and Levi spoke little over the course of their walk home. Glancing at each other. They had been apart for under a week. It didn¡¯t feel longer than that, but it was too long, somehow.

    There would be talking to do when they got to the apartment. There wasn''t much to hold back, each were the other¡¯s most trusted confidant in the place they found themselves.

    A decade between them, but almost a relationship of equals. Still strangers, but they were without a doubt on the same team.

    If someone were to ask, had they changed since coming to this world? The answer to that was a bit hard to articulate.

    Oliver believed himself to be very much the same man who had entered the world a month prior, having only accentuated his features along the way.

    An outsider might have much else to say, but a person is only who they were in the moment. Did it matter all that much, the change?

    Levi believed he had become more resilient, or at least resolved to act as such.

    He certainly had been holding it all together, but how much pressure he could stand was still anyone''s guess. Resolve is only judged after it is acted upon.

    Neither of them thought they had changed very significantly, but when they casually made their way through the streets. When they gave the right of way for a man on horseback. When they dipped their heads at elderly passers-by.

    They did not look at all foreign.

    ¡ª

    Under the not-so-dark starry sky, they arrived back at the apartment.

    Oliver set down the two cases of Levi''s stuff, but when he sat down on the couch, the release of weight wasn''t the relief he felt the most keenly.

    Back on track. That''s how he felt, subconsciously. He knew, to an extent, how tomorrow would go.

    Who would be where, et cetera.

    Levi sat next to him.

    Oliver turned his eyes to Levi, ¡°Who were you chatting to? Why would you go chat in some private area¡­ Ever heard of stranger danger?¡±

    Levi bristled, but then became guilty as he responded. ¡°He was a good kind of stranger. He noticed the way I did math and pulled me aside.¡±

    Oliver started, but Levi held up a hand. ¡°It was an old man called Stephen, he is from home¡­ I forgot you were waiting.¡±

    Oliver stared for a little bit.

    <i>Of all the reasons¡­</i>

    ¡°Uh, fair enough¡­ I''ll have to meet him, where is he staying?¡±

    <i>I feel like I should be reacting more strongly.</i>

    Levi nodded, ¡°He''s in the student dorm at the Scholarium. I think he wants to meet you too.¡±

    Oliver nodded back, filing that away. ¡°Alright, what were you doing with the little Lady then?¡±

    Levi brightened, ¡°Well, when you were taken away to jail and I stayed at Emilia''s place, Emilia''s dad took me to the uh, the Lord''s house.¡±

    ¡°Why would¡­ he do that?¡±

    <i>What a strange and random thing to do. That man is an odd character.</i>

    Levi shook his head knowingly, ¡°Something to do with my age I think¡­ But, yeah, since then I''ve been going to the Scholarium with Lady Mia.¡±

    Oliver sat forward, keen for a lighter subject. ¡°What kind of stuff do you learn at the Scholarium?¡±

    Levi grinned for the first time in a while, ¡°Well, it¡¯s pretty funny actually. We¡¯ll do practice exercises by copying the teacher, but Mia and I always seem to finish before everyone else¡­¡±

    ¡ª

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    Her voice was scratchy, parched. ¡°This is terribly uncomfortable.¡±

    The soldier sat across from the old lady, legs crossed.

    She had slept between the trees the night before. Rubbing her back, she gratefully accepted the food, seeming only a little bothered by her circumstances. Maybe he should have brought a pillow.

    She saw his suspicious expression and huffed. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you want to hear more about it.¡±

    He looked at her levelly. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t really wrap my mind around you being a terrorist, so I¡¯m giving you this chance. Otherwise¡­¡±

    ¡°Ha! I wouldn¡¯t think you could just turn me in, you¡¯d probably lose your head!¡±

    He frowned, ¡°I can stop bringing you food if you like.¡±

    She rested her elbows on her knees, ¡°Yeah, yeah. Well, what¡¯s confusing about what I said. I¡¯m from another world.¡±

    He sat forward, ¡°What¡¯s <i>not </i>confusing about that?!¡±

    She shrugged, ¡°Shit happens.¡±

    He groaned.

    <b>¡ª 2 days until evaluation ¡ª</b>

    <b></b>

    Oliver and Levi had talked well into the night, enough such that Oliver struggled to heave himself off the couch as the sun lasered directly into the back of his eyes.

    ¡°Uuughh¡±

    He blinked blearily at the sight of Levi and River sitting across from each other at the breakfast table. How long they¡¯d been awake, Oliver had no clue. He¡¯d explained to Levi about River, but they were seeing each other without a mask between them for the first time.

    Not¡­ talking though.

    Oliver cleared his throat, ¡°Morning, I see you¡¯ve, uh, met¡­¡±

    They both looked at him, then behind him. Oliver turned to look out the window, the sun was getting pretty high in the sky.

    ¡°Oh, shit. Give me a second and we¡¯ll get moving.¡±

    Levi gave River a look that said. <i>This is what he¡¯s like.</i>

    River pressed her lips together.

    Levi questioned Oliver loudly as he disappeared into his former room to get his work gear together. ¡°What¡¯s River going to do while we¡¯re out?¡±

    Oliver replied through the door. ¡°Uuuh. Hold on, gimme a sec.¡±

    After a minute, he appeared.

    ¡°Alright, this is what I have in mind. I¡¯ve thought a bit about what needs doing when it comes to our ultimate goal of finding a way back.¡±

    He looked the boy and the teenage girl in the eye, ¡°Obviously, we¡¯re in considerable danger, I think both of you understand that. But this recent situation has really¡­ put things in perspective.¡±

    He opened his hand, and closed it tighter.

    River shifted her eyes, she asked, ¡°... What did you have in mind?¡±

    Oliver faced her. ¡°We¡¯ve been picking things up as we go. I¡¯ve got a job, a foot in the proverbial door. Levi¡¯s learning things at the Scholarium, magic and the way this society works. But we still know very little. So, how would you feel looking into the history of this world. Great balls of fire, I don¡¯t even know what it¡¯s <i>called</i>.¡°

    Levi raised a hand. ¡°Why¡¯d you say ¡®great balls of fire,¡¯ that was so out of place.¡±

    Oliver waved dismissively, ¡°Levi, is there a library in the Scholarium?¡±

    ¡°Not a public one.¡±

    Oliver tsked. ¡°We¡¯ll buy books then. Would you mind studying some alternate world history, River?¡±

    ¡ª

    River felt very lost ¨C that¡¯s not to say that she was the only one, but she was more new to this environment than the other two, even if she had been in the world for the same amount of time. She felt her only real choice was to go with the flow, go where the current took her.

    She wasn¡¯t a fan of the feeling, it¡¯s just what she had been doing. The behavioural pattern bared it¡¯s face in her commitment to the undercover act, but to some extent, that felt more like a personal choice than this. This felt more trivial, like an assigned chore.

    She had free will, but she didn¡¯t have any better ideas. She nodded, although begrudgingly.

    ¡ª

    They walked through the streets like a group of stacking dolls.

    Large, medium, small. A professional young man heading to work, a masked teenager up to no good, and a bright little boy unknowingly debuting in high society.

    They drew eyes, to say the least. Nothing Oliver could do about it, but he wasn¡¯t unaware of how they looked. Their differences somehow cemented their image as a group.

    After giving Levi and River some money for food, he had little left. They would save the book shopping for whenever he next got paid. River had wanted to come out from the apartment, though. Who was he to stop her, Levi was doing just fine¨C and he was nine.

    Oliver left Levi at the Scholarium, gave River the key so she could get back into the apartment whenever she wanted, and made his way to the department of finance.

    When Oliver entered through the doors of the building, it was not with a smile. He looked pointedly at people he recognised and disliked. They avoided his eyes, now.

    He was late, but Emilia didn¡¯t look troubled when he entered. There was little of their usual work left to do, but as it turned out¡­

    Emilia laced her fingers on her desk as she sat forward, ¡°This grunt work is all part of the job description, but there¡¯s always been additional responsibilities.¡±

    Oliver made a blank face.

    Emilia smirked, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s a reason they¡¯re not exactly compulsory. But it¡¯s my opinion that it might help me in a couple days¡¯ time.¡±

    <i>Oh right, the performance evaluation. The cause of much of my suffering, a small event blown out of proportion.</i>

    Oliver exhaled through his nose, ¡°Alright, so what are we doing?¡±

    Emilia stood, ¡°Officiating some disputes, I volunteered today.¡±

    ¡ª

    River didn¡¯t buy lunch. She bought flint, steel, and some of the city¡¯s prime export ¨C paper.

    You guessed it.

    The market street was busier in the daytime, ironically it became better cover than the darkness of night. She folded the paper shakily around a rock as she leaned against the wall, but steadied herself. She wasn¡¯t hurting anybody ¨C if anybody was smart.

    She was in an alleyway nearby the target, which saw some but not very much traffic. Not ideal, but she had to be within a certain distance. Discreetly, she fumbled with the flint and steel until the paper-rock had the barest of embers.

    Instantly, she was among the masses. Not the only hooded person on the street by a long shot, not suspicious at all if you didn¡¯t have any reason to suspect her. Everybody was going about their own business.

    River clutched the rock through her fireproof sleeve, close to her body, out of sight. She gave it room enough to breathe and grow, affecting her not at all, not yet conspicuous in its early stages.

    She walked by the wagon, tripped, and kept walking.

    People noticed the trip, they didn¡¯t notice the object rolling below the wagon and into the covered boxes stacked on the other side.

    Five minutes later, as she was exiting the street, she heard the shouting.

    Saw the smoke.

    And kept walking.

    <i>That wasn¡¯t so hard.</i>

 28 - Headway

    Oliver entered a room similar to the one where he had been held for trial. A smaller one, with a line of people going from the centre, all the way out of the building. Dozens of people, waiting.

    There was already a seated Official seeing each of them, one by one. Two assistants running to and fro with documents and the like. The Official looked up and smiled with relief. She called over to Emilia, ¡°Emilia, hi. Can I have you set up over there? I¡¯ll have my assistants sort out the ones with less serious concerns for you.¡±

    As her assistants gave their employer an irked look, the Official indicated a second desk on the right-hand side of the elevated platform. Emilia and Oliver made their way over to it. Oliver wasn¡¯t keen to do as much work as the other two assistants, but he waited for directions nonetheless.

    Tomorrow was payday, after all. The 30th and last day of the 4th month.

    Oliver had his legs again, <i>let¡¯s not get them swept out from under me</i>.

    Emilia sat at the extra desk, Oliver stood to the side, arms crossed.

    The first lady approached, hat in her hands.

    ¡°I-I¡¯d like to request an extension. I don¡¯t have enough money to pay taxes this month. I will in a week¡¯s time.¡±

    Emilia sighed, ¡°It¡¯s a bit late to be asking isn¡¯t it? Why didn¡¯t you come in days ago?¡±

    ¡°My son needed urgent medical attention just recently, please.¡±

    <i>Sounds reasonable. </i>Oliver watched Emilia¡¯s unchanging expression.

    She thought for a second. ¡°Could you give me your name and address? Some identification?¡±

    Upon receiving the document, Emilia handed it over to Oliver. ¡°Could you go get this person¡¯s records?¡±

    Oliver looked down at the document, then up again at Emilia.

    <i>Right. So this is how today was going to go.</i>

    <i>

    </i>

    <i> </i>

    ¡ª

    Levi practiced his handwriting during his break time, listening to one of Mia¡¯s stories while he did so. He was trying to make it look fancy in the same way that everyone else wrote. He knew his was recognisable in comparison, and that that wasn¡¯t a good thing.

    They were approached by a young man in some decorated robes, some member of the local upper class if Levi was any judge. He didn¡¯t seem very magical.

    Levi could tell, a little bit. The people who seriously dedicated themselves to the study of magic had a different presence. There was more money in the air around this guy than Mia, though Mia was surely richer.

    Regardless, this young man approached the two children with humility. ¡°Lady Mia, Mr. Crest, ¨C¡±

    <i>How does this guy know my name?</i>

    ¡°¨C My name is Roger Bourniquet, and I don¡¯t mean to overstep, but I have sent invitations around for my upcoming event ¨C I couldn¡¯t find an address to send yours, Mr. Crest. I saw this opportunity to present it in person.¡±

    He handed Levi an envelope, fancily sealed and everything. Levi shot Mia a look.

    She noticed, ¡°I¡¯ve confirmed my attendance already.¡±

    Roger smiled, ¡°Feel free to come or not, It¡¯s on the tenth of next month.¡±

    With that, he left Levi with an envelope in his hands and a confused expression.

    Levi looked down at the envelope.

    <i>What?</i>

    ¡°Is this your first time being invited to something?¡± Mia looked bemused.

    Levi exhaled through his nose, ¡°No, but I don¡¯t get why I¡¯m invited. Obviously you¡¯re invited. What even is the event?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a social event for networking, Roger is the son of one of the more important merchants in Willowhaven.¡±

    Levi nodded, ¡°Sure, but what¡¯s the point in networking with me?¡±

    Mia and her guard knight both gave him a flat look. Mia raised a finger, ¡°One; your association with me.¡± She raised a second, ¡°Two; you¡¯re a genius.¡±

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°I¡¯m not that smart, I just already know how to read, write, and do maths.¡±

    Mia¡¯s guard knight shook her head, ¡°Anyone can be tutored. That¡¯s not why you¡¯re a genius.¡±

    Levi was skeptical, ¡°Why then?¡±

    Mia answered that one, ¡°Similar to me, you pick things up really fast¨C and not stuff you already know, either. That¡¯s usually clear based on your questions.¡±

    Levi pursed his lips, this was high praise.

    ¡°Is this a prank?¡±

    Mia looked tired of the subject, ¡°Believe me if you want, can I continue my story?¡±

    They sat in silence for a few seconds.

    ¡°... Sure.¡±

    ¡ª

    River felt more and more dizzy as she approached and then entered the apartment. Increasingly conflicting thoughts clouded her consciousness as she sat on the couch.

    <i>Did I hurt anyone?</i>

    <i>Was I thorough enough?</i>

    <i>Was this necessary?</i>

    <i>What do I need to do next?</i>

    <i>Am I really helping anybody by doing this?</i>

    These questions seemed harder to her than they would to most people. Was she a bad person for her actions? It¡¯s a hard question to approach. To tell the truth, she didn¡¯t really understand the significance of what she had done. It could be a bigger or smaller deal than what she had imagined.

    She started breathing quicker, keenly felt the blood pumping through her veins.

    Overwhelmed, she started making monotone sounds, like humming with your mouth open. ¡°Aaah.. Aaaah.¡± She had her head in her hands, but she couldn¡¯t feel them there.

    She collapsed.

    ¡ª

    Oliver had worked up a good sweat, running back and forth with documents. The line thankfully got shorter as they approached the time Oliver had meant to go pick Levi up, which was impressive since they were addressing the financial concerns of everybody in a whole city.

    The difference in speed between Emilia and the Official in charge of this duty was noticeable, but clearly not as substantial as the Official had expected.	 Well, according to Emilia. Oliver had not been paying attention, being preoccupied.

    Emilia turned to him with a hint of victory on her face as they walked out of the room, ¡°She kept giving me more work to do, which is a good sign. We¡¯ll be going there tomorrow as well.¡±

    Oliver, still breathing heavily, asked ¡°Why is that such a good sign?¡±

    Emilia grinned, ¡°I¡¯m hoping for her recommendation.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡ª

    Levi and Oliver met at their designated meeting point.

    Oliver snapped his fingers, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Wait, hold on. Want to meet Stephen?¡± Levi pointed back at the Scholarium.

    ¡°... Now is as good a time as any.¡± He spun on his heels, and Levi led him into the building.

    They passed the lecture and experiment rooms, then some personal studies, before arriving near the centre of the Scholarium. There, there were rows of small single person rooms. They reminded Oliver of shared student accommodation at his university, the cheap kind where your bed took up 80% of the space in your room.

    Levi knocked on a door, ¡°Stephen, it¡¯s Levi!¡±

    And they waited. They heard something fall over and thunk on the floor, followed by a groan. The door opened, and the professor stood before the boy he had known and the man he had only known by proxy.

    Oliver had a nonplussed look, feeling it was a bit of an anticlimactic meeting ¨C but he stuck out a hand. ¡°Oliver. Well met.¡±

    Stephen looked at the hand, then smiled deeply. ¡°Stephen, likewise. Come in¨C ah, give me a second.¡±

    Stephen had a clean and well kept little room, but across his bed were meticulously placed components. He did have a small desk, but it was already as crowded as it could be in any sensible way. Regardless, he hurried to shift some of the pieces so that there was room to sit.

    ¡°I apologise, I would be using a workshop but I¡¯m not quite skilled enough for that yet, according to my peers.¡± He frowned, but it went just as fast.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you, professor.¡± Oliver and Levi placed themselves in the room.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve been little to no help, haven¡¯t I. Young man, I hear you¡¯ve gone through much. So has Levi ¨C I want you both to know we¡¯re all in this together.¡±

    Oliver looked around the dorm room.

    Stephen waved a hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about bugging or the like. They don¡¯t have any recording equipment, if there is any around, it¡¯s a bygone artefact.¡±

    Levi twisted half a smile, ¡°They have such a strange mix of modern and old technology.¡±

    Stephen chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s magic for you I suppose. Does some things well and other things not whatsoever¡­ Speaking of¨C¡±

    He plucked a mechanism with some kind of mounted disk that had magical engravings on it off his desk, ¡°It¡¯s silly to ask, but neither of you happen to have a motor, do you? Bar that, a magnet?¡±

    Oliver leaned on his knees, getting a closer look at the mechanism. Then into Stephen¡¯s eyes. ¡°... Phones have magnets in them, but I don¡¯t know about pulling them apart for this¡­¡±

    Stephen nodded with a frown, ¡°Yes, it would defeat the point.¡±

    Levi interjected himself, ¡°I¡¯m very confused.¡±

    Oliver put a hand on his shoulder and grinned. ¡°Electricity, Levi.¡±

    Stephen sat straight, ¡°Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves, strange world and all, but it¡¯s definitely a possibility. I could think of a few uses for a charged phone, however deadly it is to be caught with one.¡±

    Oliver nodded, ¡°Laptop, too. Some comfort from home if nothing else.¡±

    Stephen shook his head, ¡°Think of the logistical applications. Spreadsheets, organisation. It would halve the research time of most things I see around here.¡±

    Oliver¡¯s eyes opened slightly wide, then a more sinister smirk slowly appeared across his features, he placed a hand on the bag he always carried over his shoulder. ¡°Yes, organisation. Databases. Programming. I can think of some uses.¡±

    A ticket to the big leagues. Man stepped on the moon with determination and a couple big calculators.

    The professor saw Oliver¡¯s expression and narrowed his own eyes with a smile, ¡°I take it you¡¯re a computer buff?¡±

    Levi looked between the two, and at last¡­ Something seemed to be happening.

    ¡ª

    Everybody likes information. Everybody collects it in some form or another. People trade it, sometimes too willingly. For other information, for money, for nothing at all.

    A commodity as common as commodities came. Of course, in this particular Empire ¨C the trade of information was as competitive as could be.

    Even people in places of power could not simply rely on the information reported to them by their subordinates, there was a conflict of interest. Not everybody had staunch loyalists working under them, and even if they did ¨C where did those staunch loyalists collect the relevant information.

    The Minister of Finance crumpled the report in his hands.

    ¡°Touch¨¦.¡±

 29 - The Calm

    <b>¡ª 1 day until evaluation ¡ª</b>

    <b> </b>

    Morning.

    There was nothing left to eat for breakfast, if you hadn¡¯t known ¨C you would after reading Oliver¡¯s expression.

    ¡°...¡±

    Levi was less pressed. He would just eat a big lunch, indirectly sponsored by the city. No, he wasn¡¯t ashamed of it.

    River¡­ didn¡¯t seem to be completely present. Physically, she was. But her head was in the clouds. Levi and Oliver could tell something was wrong ¨C of course, there were many things that were wrong.

    Oliver sat up, summoning his morning energy. ¡°You were asleep when we got back, we went to visit the professor Levi mentioned yesterday, by the way. Are you interested in meeting him too? After we buy a couple books, maybe?¡±

    She clearly needed something to do. Purpose was the cornerstone of stability, being left without any was clearly digging into her mental health. That was Oliver¡¯s interpretation, anyway.

    River sank a bit in her seat, but she mustered a reply. ¡°Yeah. I think I¡¯ll spend the day out today again.¡±

    ¡ª

    Time came around for Levi to start heading to the Scholarium, which was now also Oliver¡¯s work hours due to a short conversation with Emilia.

    And so the three musketeers were off into the streets again, and after making plans to meet back up later for books, River broke from them sooner than she had yesterday, seeming keen to explore. <i>Hopefully she would cheer up from the experience¡­</i>

    Oliver dropped Levi off next, and headed to the ministry.

    He and Emilia managed to get pretty much everything done in record time. This workload clearly below below their skill level after the trials they had gone through.

    No wonder Emilia had coped by herself before Oliver had arrived.

    They went to volunteer for the rest of the day, and so Oliver had some room to think while performing his menial tasks.

    He was living paycheck to paycheck in a city as far away from home as you could possibly get. Oliver had already had some independence from his family, but sheesh.

    <i>Life and death conflict really gives you some perspective.</i>

    Oliver would have liked to claim he had it harder than most people, but that would be dishonest. Compared to historical living standards in his home world¡­ Suffice it to say he was still living better than pretty much all of his ancestors, even under threat of execution.

    He acknowledged he was traumatised, and felt he should be angry.

    Acknowledgement was all he allowed himself though, at this moment. Progress had to be made ¨C and he <i>was </i>angry. But crashing out would be unproductive.

    That¡¯s how many people must have felt, or were feeling. There was something about that idea, that so many people are suppressed in that way, that was souring to realise. Part of being a new adult.

    Nobody to fall back on, nobody to guide you along and tell you when you were falling behind.

    Oliver was aware there was a single thing that needed to happen no matter what. It just had some complicated steps and conditions he hadn¡¯t figured out yet. He needed to find a way home, and to do that he first needed his feet under him.

    With a tentative check in that box, now it was time to start looking for answers. Answers are easier to see in high places, especially if someone in a high place was trying to cover them up.

    So the best course was to climb. Climb upwards, climb fast.

    Stopping was tantamount to death at the hands of those more capable of action.

    It was too easy to procrastinate or to get lost in pedantry.

    And so Oliver kept moving his feet, one step, two. Collect documents, take back. Faster. New instruction. Faster.. New requirement. <i>Faster¡­</i>

    <i>

    </i>

    <i> </i>

    <i> </i>

    ¡ª

    Emilia watched her strange but dedicated worker ¨C <i>accelerate. </i>

    A phenomenon she was aware of, had experienced not too long ago in fact.

    A result of emotion and mana and often a <i>lack of control.</i>

    Everybody noticed. The official in charge, another official helping out on the other side of the room from Emilia. The people in line.

    It wasn¡¯t exactly a harmful thing in most circumstances. In fact, everybody seemed impressed ¨C but Emilia had been around Oliver enough to know that this wasn¡¯t something normal.

    There was sweat on his blank face, he began to do the work equivalent to that of two assistants. Emilia was now matching the pace of the Official in charge because of it.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    She maybe should have pulled Oliver aside¡­ But this was her big break, in a sense. Or at least the first step down the path.

    She had a feeling she would get promoted regardless. The shenanigans with the Secretary of Finance, her father¡¯s negative relationship with the Ministers of the city ¨C her goals aligned with those of the Finance Minister in a small way.

    She knew they knew she was a political piece of some value. Her independence would be a blow to her father¡¯s political capital.

    Letting Oliver run a bit overdrive was¡­ fine, it wasn¡¯t going to be especially harmful to him ¨C and it would improve her reputation.

    She could just see it in their eyes, <i>how could she get such a skilled worker</i> ¨C her employee was using magically enhanced movement for something as trivial as this.

    He would just be quite tired afterwards¡­

    She would pay him a bit more.

    ¡ª

    River walked through the streets, short enough to go relatively unnoticed, though that wasn¡¯t the goal today. There wasn¡¯t really a goal today at all.

    She just wanted to be distracted. She kept walking and walking, seeing the people of the city go about their days. A relatively small but dense city, with less homeless people than she might have imagined. Less smell, too.

    Hygiene was decent, generally people seemed to be prospering.

    She walked through a poorer district, saw children running through the streets, a small square with couples out and about on dates.

    She went from area to area, people watching. Strange people in a strange world, doing normal things.

    The slightly wealthier people lived around the markets, lines and lines of stores offering goods, competing with their neighbors for customers. Less familiar to River, but strangely a comforting sight.

    Community, belonging, banter. All desirable. She kept going.

    The wealthiest areas were quieter, nobody was forced to interact with each other ¨C and when they did, they hid their mouths and said nothing interesting.

    This was familiar to River, but not at all comforting. She had never been rich, but she knew narcissists when she saw them.

    She decided she didn¡¯t like the wealthy area.

    She walked down another street, toward the administrative areas, but stopped when she heard the sounds of a distressed cat.

    <i>Stray cats fighting?</i>

    When she found the source of the noise, her good mood faltered.

    Through the slits of a fenced garden, she watched as the child mishandled the animal in its arms. The cat was clearly uncomfortable.

    ¡°...¡±

    River was also uncomfortable watching it. She jumped the fence, which spooked the kid enough for the cat to wiggle free.

    The kid just looked at the strange masked individual in their garden. River crouched down and held a finger to her mask.

    The cat, with nowhere to go (possibly by design), was huddled in a corner. The kid wasn¡¯t doing anything, so River slowly moved over to it, and managed to help it over the fence.

    When the kid noticed where the cat was going¡­

    ¡°... aaaaAAAH MOTHER, MOOTHERRR!!¡±

    <i>Time to go.</i>

    River jumped the fence and started running. A bit less empty inside than before, for her actions.

    Was that cat the kid¡¯s property? <i>Probably</i>.

    Was it going to have a better life outside their grasp? <i>Who knows to be honest</i>.

    Change had been affected, though. River had affected the change.

    Or rather, <i>Paige </i>had. River could dissociate with problematic actions, while still doing what she wanted or felt was necessary.

    Still, if Paige became too notorious, it would also be a problem.

    Best to stay inconspicuous.

    ¡ª

    Oliver was aware of his exertion, he wasn¡¯t stuck in a concerning internal monologue for so long as to get all the work done, after a minute he had realised what he was doing.

    The feeling was familiar. He knew he would likely be tired after this, but hey. He had managed before, and this was speeding things along.

    He wasn¡¯t superhumanly fast, but he was quite above par for a document retrieving assistant as it stood. He felt like when he stopped, though, the fun would be over.

    This hadn¡¯t been fun before, to be clear. Exhilarating? ¨C sure.

    He could feel his willpower burning. Maybe it wasn¡¯t such a healthy thing to be doing. For sure, he hadn¡¯t seen anyone else doing similar ¨C there had to be some tradeoff.

    Time passed as he thought like that, and he put an end to it. He felt the wash of exhaustion ¨C but by then it was already time to finish.

    Emilia gave him his much desired pay, and he shuffled his way out of the Ministry.

    He had been going for a while. He was very tired.

    ¡ª

    Oliver arrived at the Scholarium, which is where he found Levi. River had agreed to meet them there around this time ¨C but as he looked around, she hadn¡¯t kept her word.

    Probably late.

    ¡­ About twenty minutes passed.

    <i>Would it be best to wait here¡­ Or go looking?</i>

    The time old conundrum. If they moved and she turned up, he would be worsening the problem.

    <i>But if she¡¯s in some kind of trouble¡­</i>

    As a stranger walked mere paces away, a blue poncho¡¯d individual appeared in their wake, causing both Oliver and Levi to startle. It was like she had appeared from nowhere.

    They stood there, the three of them, in silence for a few seconds.

    ¡­ River didn¡¯t really stick out among the crowd, so Oliver put it down to a fluke of misdirected attention.

    ¡°Paige¡­ I¡¯d ask what the hold up was¡­ maybe we should get you a notepad.¡±

    They stood around for a moment, Oliver struggling to do much contemplation after his exertion today.

    Levi took charge. ¡°Let¡¯s go find some books.¡±

    They were moving by the time Oliver¡¯s tired brain caught up. ¡°Mmm, down this way. I think I remember¡­ aha.¡±

    They stopped in front of a bookstore, not the same one where Levi had gotten his magic study book, but the most clean and polished wooden building the whole length of the street.

    The customers walking in and out of it were not rabble, that was for sure.

    A normal citizen of the city would have seen it as above their station to go into a store like that, but these three modern people didn¡¯t give it a second thought, and at least they did look the part.

    The store was long and narrow on the inside, like many other stores, but had a spiral staircase in the middle for floors further above. Oliver stopped one of the staff. ¡°Hi, I was wondering where to find, uhh¡­¡±

    Levi broke in. ¡°History books, and maps.¡±

    The staff member looked from Oliver in his business attire to Levi in his robes before smiling. ¡°Studying, are you? I¡¯ll see what I can find.¡±

    ¡ª

    Another member of staff came up to River, ¡°Excuse me, we have a policy that masked individuals must present identification upon entering the store. Regardless of your reasons for wearing it.¡±

    River was silent.

    ¡°... If not, you will need to remove yourself.¡±

    Oliver had already lost track of River, focused on finding the books in his semi-dilapidated state. Levi wasn¡¯t so tunnel visioned though, and walked back over to River. ¡°It¡¯s alright, she¡¯s with me. She can¡¯t talk.¡±

    River nodded.

    The staff member turned to Levi, ¡°If she does not have any identification on her, you will need to provide yours by proxy. Just a security precaution.¡±

    Levi did in fact have ID, and he presented it proudly and with a flourish. His student card had some simple magical inscriptions on the back, though they did little more than prove the authenticity of the card itself. The front listed his name and student number, along with a simple written description of his appearance.

    The staff member took a close look at it, then Levi. She pulled out a notepad and noted down his student number.

    ¡°Sorry for the inconvenience.¡±

    ¡ª

    Oliver walked back over to Levi and River, who hadn¡¯t followed him to find the books.

    It was fine, though, he found something suitable. Pricey as it was.

    He opined to the two as he forked out money at the front counter. ¡°This seems pretty all-encompassing. Should do the trick to begin with.¡± He smiled.

    ¡ª

    That night, Oliver was too tired to do any reading himself and so fell asleep, but River and Levi sat up together, going over the history of the world according to this book.

    Lots of it was boring, hard to follow, and completely foreign to the two of them.

    Interesting, nonetheless. River had forgotten yesterday¡¯s discomfort.

    <i>Today was¡­ good.</i>

 30 - Catenation

    <b>¡ª Evaluation ¡ª</b>

    <b> </b>

    They stood in a semi-organised congregation. The date was 01/05.

    First day of the new month.

    The Finance ministry only had one room with enough space to give this kind of address, so the Officials had assembled there. The same room used for hearing the people¡¯s financial requests was now filled to the brim with Officials and their helpers.

    Oliver had nearly been turned away at the entrance along with the excessive groups other Officials had tried to get into the room, but being Emilia¡¯s only helper, he was eventually let in.

    This was a monthly occurrence, a recap of the previous thirty days. An organisation such as this one avoided corruption and inefficiency by keeping the spotlight on everybody. The values of meritocracy ensured those who would otherwise coast along under the radar had to at least get the work done.

    Jameson, the Secretary of Finance took the stage, which was already lined with High Officials. ¡°If everybody could be silent?¡±

    He didn¡¯t speak in a particularly loud tone of voice, if you weren¡¯t paying attention you wouldn¡¯t have heard him. But the culture of this place wasn¡¯t like your usual congregation of people ¨C in no time at all, you could hear a pin drop.

    The Secretary blinked, not impressed in the slightest. ¡°You¡¯ll all have to settle in for a long day, there is much to go over. The recent inter-city trade regulations introduced and that fiasco with those dead merchants has complicated some of our obligations, but we¡¯ll get to that.¡±

    Oliver twitched, and Emilia looked sidelong at him.

    Secretary Jameson continued, ¡°To begin, I¡¯ll go over some shifts in roles. That way you¡¯ll be able to listen to the subsequent discussions with an idea of where you fall into them. Beginning from the top¨C¡±

    Oliver thought it was a bit strange how the Minister himself wasn¡¯t leading this review, but didn¡¯t dwell on it. These happened every month, not exactly a special occasion.

    There were only a couple movements among the High Officials; one retirement and one person ascending from Middle to High as a replacement. Oliver had heard of neither, and didn¡¯t expect he would need to.

    Among the middle Officials, there was more going on. A few of them were congratulated on good performance, there were just over a dozen of them in all. Which was why, when three of them were demoted to Lower Officials, there was a minor susurration among the crowd. Three demotions potentially meant three promotions.

    The Officials demoted had to make their way to the stage to go swap their two-star peaked caps for single-star ones, not making any fuss but clearly unhappy. Terique was not among them, which Oliver found unfortunate.

    Next was the Lower Officials, which made up the majority of the crowd by a significant margin. Oliver saw many people tensing up, not including Emilia herself, who seemed unnaturally calm. Oliver expected she was nervous anyway.

    Two Lower Officials were chosen for their contributions, far and away the highest of any of the rest of them. One was a serious looking man, who stood out from the crowd with his stone-faced expression, literally grey in complexion. He got some looks, but no extraordinary reaction. Oliver hadn¡¯t ever seen the like, but kept silent.

    His performance had been the more extraordinary of the two, a golden record with no miscalculations, mistakes, or delays. He received approving nods from the High Officials as he collected his new ranking cap.

    The second, a man Oliver had seen once before already. Frederick Hazen. He had gotten his position in the round of exams Oliver had participated in, in the same test even ¨C meaning his rise was exceptionally fast through the ranks. It was an unusual thing, as performance usually improved with experience. One needed to either be a genius, or¡­

    Frederick¡¯s toolbelt, stacked with magical items, was prominent around his waist as he ascended the stage. Carrying around one¡¯s tools was not an uncommon feature among Officials, but this man was just excessive. Emilia for example didn¡¯t need nearly as many tools, and the ones she used she kept in her office ¨C but if someone was willing to spend more money on the job than they earned, they could basically make up the difference in skill.

    Given the value of his set, no wonder he carried them around. He didn¡¯t get the same nods from the High Officials as the stone-faced guy, but seemed happy nonetheless.

    Emilia, having been calm the whole time, sunk visibly as the larger districts the three demoted Middle Officials had presided over were split among the two new Middle Officials.

    Oliver couldn¡¯t help but be disappointed too, as¨C

    ¡°I would also like to assign another Official a position more fitting their peculiarities. Emilia Steel, if you would come forward.¡±

    Oliver stayed behind as Emilia made her way to the front, a strange expression on her face. As she squeezed through, Secretary Jameson continued. ¡°As I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware, our High Officials perform duties outside the direct financial management of areas. Between them, they manage inter-city trade, oversee other Officials, and appease the upper class of the city. It has worked fine so far, or until recently.¡±

    The Secretary shot a look at High Official Curtis. ¡°To ease the burden on our High Officials, I¡¯ll task you with the responsibility of keeping our Lower and Middle Officials accountable. Similar to other specialised roles, you will get special authority in certain areas over your peers, as well as be elevated to Middle Official yourself.¡±

    Emilia was on the stage at this point with raised eyebrows as she confusedly accepted the promotion and swapped her cap.

    ¡°Congratulations on your promotion, Finance Official of Accountability.¡±

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    About half of the High Officials seemed positive about the promotion, the other half shifty.

    Emilia had ascended the steps with a standard position at the Ministry, little protection to weather the political currents of the city.

    She descended as a nonidentical Official of Finance, more than she had honestly hoped for. She assumed her particular skillset did make her suitable for the role, but this amount of authority was unusual to be given so simply.

    Regardless, a win. While Emilia¡¯s expression was just a simple dignified smile as she made her way back through the crowd, Oliver could imagine a grin bursting at the seams. In fact, <i>he </i>was doing just that.

    Oliver was invested. Not just because his career had advanced, <i>who gave a shit about that?</i>

    This was an <b>EXCELLENT </b>development, because how were they going to keep people accountable? They would go around and <i>ask questions.</i>

    Ask questions of everybody under the authority of all the Middle and Lower Officials in the entire Ministry. Which meant <b>practically everyone in the city</b>, aside from those who dealt exclusively with High Officials.

    Oliver hadn¡¯t even heard the details, but he assumed the details were for them to decide. New position and all.

    On the other hand, that much responsibility sounded like an astronomical amount of work¡­

    Perhaps that was why Emilia had been the one chosen for such a position.

    ¡ª

    The review concluded, and the congregation broke up with more annoyed faces than those happy or chagrined. The attack on the merchant caravan that Oliver had been part of the response operation for, had really disrupted the flow of goods to the city, it was not looking very good.

    Not to mention, the Ministry of Defence was sweeping up a bunch of official funds to train and equip new recruits, more than they had lost even. This still left a somewhat substantial treasury in the city, but windfalls for the people of the city were going to be unrealistic. All of this likely meant more tax evasion, more discontent, more complaints, more disputes.

    Realistically, the only people leaving the room happy were the four officials with a promotion, and even they knew they would need to earn their pay in sweat.

    Oliver followed Emilia through the halls, she was going to report to the Secretary¡¯s office for more details, such as where her new office would be, and more details on what exactly she was going to be allowed to do.

    Oliver was practically skipping along behind her. Even he was surprised, he had just had some low lows. But low lows made for high highs, and Oliver wasn¡¯t exactly emotionally regulated.

    He sobered a bit before they entered, though they had likely beat the Secretary to his own office. Unexpectedly, sitting in the Secretary¡¯s chair, was the Minister of Finance himself ¨C though Oliver didn¡¯t know that for sure.

    Emilia paused in the doorway. <i>Talk about escalation.</i>

    ¡°Come take a seat. Both of you.¡± He indicated the two chairs in front of the desk.

    Her hesitation did not last long, and she did so. Oliver did the same, uncertain, but with an inkling of who this guy might be.

    Emilia didn¡¯t have any doubts.

    The Minister of Finance looked mainly at Emilia, but did give Oliver a few glances. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time to discuss this, but I want to distill in you the significance of this role you have been given. Suffice it to say I am of course aware of your family and potential obligations to them.¡±

    The Minister raised his chin imperiously, ¡°Par for the course of Accountability is your access to information. You¡¯ll be given a higher level of security clearance than your peers, I expect it not to be exploited irresponsibly. I will know¡­¡±

    He let that sink in, Emilia just nodded.

    He continued, ¡°Aside from official records, you will need to have an idea of the situation on the streets. Certain problems can¡¯t be ascertained through documents alone. How you gather such information I don¡¯t particularly care as long as it is mostly kept within the bounds of the law, but I¡¯m expecting results.¡±

    The Minister, a man who bore much of the city¡¯s burdens, stood and leaned over the desk, exceptionally serious. ¡°I can see it in your faces, you think you¡¯re taking this seriously. I expect you¡¯re trying your best. You both have personal interests that don¡¯t necessarily conflict with those of your position.¡±

    He lowered his voice, eyeing the two with laser focus, and the ambient noise seemed to <i>lower</i>. ¡°I have high expectations.¡±

    Oliver shivered violently and the colour drained from his face, he resisted the urge to jump out of his seat right that instant.

    <i>People are still moving. Not statues</i>

    <i>It¡¯s not the same. It felt similar.</i>

    <i>It was probably just magic. Mana in the air¡­</i>

    <i>Mana in the air¡­ </i>Mana¡­ in the air?

    Well¡­ of course, nothing about his experience in the plane had been explainable by anything but magic in the first place.

    Fingers <b>snapped </b>directly in front of Oliver¡¯s face. Emilia¡¯s fingers. Oliver was back in the present. She gave him a look that said <i>not the time.</i>

    Oliver would be talking to Stephen later, as well as Levi and River. He never did think to ask about what it <i>had been like</i> when they were swept to this world.

    The Minister of Finance looked at him, cogs turning behind his eyes. ¡°The strike force, the one that got obliterated. Was the magic that significant?¡±

    Oliver realised the Minister thought he had some kind of PTSD. He gave no response, better to have that misunderstanding than come up with some other explanation.

    ¡°... Hm. Alright, I¡¯ll be off then.¡± The Minister patted Oliver on the shoulder firmly as he circled the desk. Emilia looked ready to say something, but the Finance Minister held up a hand. ¡°Jameson will go over the details. I just wanted to impress the importance of your position, I will do the same for the new High Official waiting in my own office.¡±

    Secretary Jameson was already in the room. He must have entered while Emilia and Oliver were distracted. He nodded to the Minister with a strange expression as the Minister left. He then went to sit in his own chair, somewhat less intimidatingly.

    ¡°Congratulations on the promotion again, Middle Official Emilia. Here¡¯s some specifics on your position in the short term¡­¡±

    The Secretary had a sheet of paper listing all the things that Emilia was authorised to do; how to go about it, proper procedure, et cetera.

    Oliver listened in to all of it, missing certain aspects merely because of his unfamiliarity with the city and lack of local education. Grasping most of it though.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you a badge or something at some point. But for the time being, if anybody asks for proof of access, show them this document.¡±

    It was signed by the Secretary and had a magical circuit in the top right. Simple enough.

    ¡°That aside, you are mostly acting at your own discretion. We are trusting you to work in good faith. Oh, I have this as well.¡±

    Jameson produced a few rectangular patches, blue and inscribed with the Finance Ministry¡¯s insignia in gold. ¡°Some time ago, we used these for Lower Officials. Now, they¡¯re given to helpers who need to act in proxy of Officials. Be warned that actions taken with these will reflect on the Official that hands them out. Consider it basically as a way to lend authority.¡±

    The Secretary handed it to Emilia. ¡°It¡¯s up to your discretion to hand these out to whomever you wish, but with the magnitude of your role, you won¡¯t have much choice. I can assign one or two Lower Officials to you as well, but that might produce too much of a conflict of interest.¡±

    Emilia asked one of the few questions of the whole discussion. Everything was being covered quite succinctly. ¡°Will I need to find more workers?¡±

    Jameson sighed, ¡°To be frank, you were chosen for you and your helper¡¯s efficiency and capacity to overcome challenges. I would recommend you build a small team of such people if at all possible,¡± A twinkle entered the eyes of the Secretary, ¡°this position is as relevant or effectual as you make it.¡±

    Oliver decided to ask a question now, as it seemed the briefing was wrapping up. ¡°Are we moving offices?¡±

    For some reason, the Secretary chuckled. ¡°Follow me.¡±

    They passed the other two new Middle Officials waiting outside the door, and Jameson led them in a familiar direction. They stopped outside High Official Curtis¡¯ office. Though the nameplate now read ¡®Emilia Steel¡¯.

    Oliver pursed his lips, Emilia raised her eyebrows. ¡°Where is Curtis working, then?¡±

    The Secretary of Finance smiled. ¡°Somewhere more suitable.¡±

 31 - Reconcile

    River sat on the couch with the book in her hands. She was struggling, not because she couldn¡¯t read ¨C it was just¡­ It was just hard to focus. The beginning of this Empire, 400 years prior, sounded similar to the beginnings of any nation state. A revolution, a conquest, morally grey feats. Mentions of the fantastical, but none of Earth as far as she could tell.

    She was still there, reading, though. There was this one guy who caught her attention, a Knight, who the book paid heed to. The person who had been against all of it from the beginning, not a righteous man. He had fought on the side of the corrupt, named the ¡®Final Knight of Tyranny¡¯ by his enemies. He defended his corrupt leadership ¨C who had indirectly killed millions in their negligence and avarice.

    A man who had held armies at bay, who¡¯s defeat marked the end of the long war.

    What stood out to River was just how dedicated he had seemed. What a strange, twisted sense of honor, what purpose he must have felt. A bad person. A consistently bad person, who told no lies, who betrayed not his friends. A good Knight, a bad person.

    River swallowed. She looked up from the book, hungry.

    ¡ª

    Oliver had a much nicer desk, and he was not sitting behind it. Emilia had done a couple numbers and found that auditing was going to be an absolute nightmare.

    <i>No shit. No offence.</i>

    ¡°Here¡¯s your patch. Go find someone to help out, someone with an education of some kind. Stephen if he wants to, though I¡¯m not sure he does. Regardless, make use of my authority, we¡¯re going to be swamped.¡±

    That¡¯s what she had said. Though she had said it with a barely contained smile. That was partly the reason he hadn¡¯t refused.

    He knew Stephen wasn¡¯t going to, not because he knew him so well or knew what he would respond with ¨C simply because Oliver wasn¡¯t going to ask. The professor had to focus on what he was doing. In Oliver¡¯s opinion.

    And so Oliver, now with the patch on his shoulder, had to somehow find someone that was a suitable fit. But he didn¡¯t know ANYONE¨C

    No, he did¡­

    Oliver sunk visibly, still obstructing one of the doors to the Ministry, he got some looks.

    <i>Oh well, it has to be done.</i>

    Oliver took a deep breath, a step forward, and made way for Explorer¡¯s Rest. He was in search of someone young.

    Someone¡­ scholarly.

    He opened the door with a sense of confidence he hadn¡¯t had last time he entered, finding the place entirely full. He scoured the tables with narrowed eyes, finding no sign of Edward, the man who he had insulted not too long ago.

    Hope was not lost, for at a far table, a large and rather muscly individual was sat talking with a more average sized person. Oliver only hesitated for a second before crossing the distance.

    Before Oliver even opened his mouth, he was already rejected by the gravelly voice. ¡°I know you. I¡¯m not interested.¡±

    That drew Oliver up short. ¡°... Interested? Why not?¡±

    <i>Interested in what?</i>

    ¡°I already know your character, I¡¯m not going to work with you.¡±

    Oliver blinked a few times. <i>What?</i> ¡°Actually, I¡¯m here as a representative of the Finance Ministry¨C¡±

    The other person sitting with the big guy turned a hooded head, revealing her thin features. Voice husky with overuse, ¡°Even worse, ask through the guild.¡±

    This runaround was exhausting so Oliver just cut to the point, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to get anything from you guys. I just want to know where uhh¡­ what¡¯s-his-name uhh¡­ Edward. Where¡¯s Edward?¡±

    A glint of anger entered the eyes of both of them. The muscle guy started to rise from his seat. ¡°I suggest you scram, right now.¡±

    <i>They seem protective of the guy.</i>

    There was no way Oliver was winning a fight with this man, and he suspected the lady with the hood either ¨C if it was assumed they were both adventurers. But Oliver didn¡¯t back down, he just frowned¡­ And spread his feet apart a bit more on the ground.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting ahead of yourselves.¡± No martial arts master was Oliver ¨C but he didn¡¯t move.

    This did <i>not </i>make either of them any happier. The muscle guy spoke one last time. ¡°I¡¯ll give you this one warning. Leave. Now.¡±

    As the volume of their exchange escalated, the volume of others went down as they listened in.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Oliver tried to set the record straight, ¡°I¡¯m trying to offer¨C¡± <i>He ducked the swinging fist and saw the hooded woman about to collide with his midsection.</i>

    <i>He turned side-on, taking the tackle by the woman, but managing not to topple over.</i>

    The rest of the inn was completely silent by that point.

    <i>Oliver smiled in that small moment, not because he liked pain, but because he had secretly been waiting for an opportunity like this. </i>His hand was already pulling the object out of his pocket as he shouted, ¡°STEP BACK!¡±

    Brandished in Oliver¡¯s fingertips, an intricate work which held power not usually accessible to the average person.

    Paige¡¯s wand, he held it to the back of the hooded woman¡¯s head as she froze.

    And now Oliver had control over the situation. He was annoyed, but he couldn¡¯t help from showing a smirk as he shouted. ¡°I¡¯M NOT LOOKING FOR A FIGHT, BUT I WILL USE FORCE IF NECESSARY.¡±

    The innkeeper was nearby, not at all happy with the commotion.

    Muscle guy was smoldering, not daring to move from where he was standing. He choked, ¡°Coward.¡±

    Oliver narrowed his eyes, ¡°You¡¯re one to talk.¡±

    It was at that convenient moment that Edward entered the inn. Oliver faltered. ¡°Fuck.¡±

    He could see Edward processing the situation as his eyes inched wider.

    Everyone was stock-still.

    Oliver wasn¡¯t smirking anymore, he breathed through his nose. ¡°Just the man I was looking for. Edward!¡±

    Muscle man¡¯s eye twitched, ¡°Edward, leave now.¡±

    Oliver kept talking before the situation could get worse than it was. ¡°I¡¯m here to offer you a job, Edward.¡±

    Edward spoke incredulously, ¡°A job doing what? Burying people?¡±

    Oliver lowered the wand and stepped back as the room let out a collective sigh. ¡°Check out this shoulder patch.¡±

    One of the crowd members muttered, ¡°Is that¡­¡±

    Edward recognised it too, but he just raised his eyebrows. ¡°They don¡¯t use those for Officials anymore.¡±

    Oliver explained the patch to the interested inn as the two adventurers who had been attacking him prior just waited, dumbfounded that the atmosphere had changed so much multiple times within the last couple minutes.

    And while everything had become much more calm ¨C the innkeeper snapped her fingers, ¡°Regardless of your business, take it OUT of MY INN!¡±

    Awkwardly, Oliver, the two adventurers, and Edward filed out together.

    As soon as they were outside, muscle-man gave Edward marching orders. ¡°Leave this guy to us. He¡¯s dangerous.¡±

    Oliver waved both his hands, ¡°Woah woah woah, peace! Peace I tell you! I know you don¡¯t trust me so I¡¯ll just make my pitch, okay?¡±

    All three of them said a harmonious ¡°No.¡±

    <i>Fuck you, here it is anyway. </i>Oliver began following Edward to the dismay of all of them. ¡°So. Official Emilia who is my boss and who was our test administrator has just been given a special role¨C¡±

    Oliver explained the details of the position as he knew them, at the end of it, they had all stopped and were listening.

    Edward looked scornfully at Oliver, ¡°It¡¯s still below me, I will become an Official in my own right.¡±

    Oliver rubbed his hands together, not sure if he was going to be able to tolerate this guy anyway. ¡°And what better way than to act in proxy of an Official until then! A Middle Official with special authority! Work experience! Money!¡±

    Edward wavered. Opening his mouth again. The adventurers were mouthing ¡®no¡¯.

    Oliver ended his pitch before anything could be finalised ¨C ¡°Besides, you can quit any time exactly because of the informality. Literally no risk!¡±

    The adventurers both sunk as Edward went from dismissive to contemplative.

    While Edward processed that, Oliver turned to the adventurers with momentum behind his eyes. ¡°And you? Mr. Muscle, Ms. Hood ¨C you¡¯re adventurers right?¡±

    Ms. Hood spluttered, ¡°Ms. Wha¨C NO! I¡¯m an adventurer because I hate paperwork. My name is Carmen.¡±

    Oliver stepped toward her as she stepped backward, ¡°I think I might have a job for you after all.¡±

    Mr. Muscle stepped between Oliver and Carmen. ¡°Again, that¡¯s a no¡­ and my name is Markus.¡±

    Oliver took a deep breath, and slowed down. ¡°Alright can I at least ask you a question then?¡± Their animosity toward him was still there, but the sequence of events and Oliver¡¯s hold over the conversation had them off guard. ¡°Have either of you ever heard of metal that attracts other metal?¡±

    Markus crossed his arms. ¡°Sounds like a question for the Scholarium.¡±

    Oliver made a thin smile. ¡°I¡¯m just looking for personal anecdotes. Hmm, how about a compass?¡±

    Markus. ¡°No.¡± Carmen. ¡°Neither.¡±

    Oliver tsked and began walking away. ¡°Alright Edward, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, a bit after the sun comes up.¡±

    Edward shouted after him. ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet!¡±

    Oliver kept walking. <i>Task achieved.</i>

    <i> </i>

    ¡ª

    Alleyways weren¡¯t the only places criminals thrived.

    The man in the cream tailcoat sat on a crate, elbows on knees, hands clasped.

    The sound of his tapping foot echoed around the empty stone room.

    River stood in front of him, saying nothing. ¡®Paige¡¯ here, to this man.

    The woman tied up on the floor in front of her, she didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°You are permitted to hug.¡±

    No guessing who had said that.

    The man had found her again, after River had gone outside to get some food. Being dragged to this underground¡­ place. Thugs stood guard outside.

    If River had Paige¡¯s voice¡­ perhaps it could have been similar enough, she didn¡¯t know ¨C but if she did, she would like to ask some questions right about now.

    Potentially, <i>who is this woman? What am I going to be tasked with next?</i>

    She was ready to do things like she¡¯d done, for the reasons she had described. That hadn¡¯t changed, it was just¡­ interesting, being someone else.

    The man¡¯s face twitched with impatience. ¡°Go on, this is your reward. I¡¯m rewarding you. HUG!¡±

    River knelt down to the figure, spotting the bandaged hand and shivering for a second. She gathered this person into her arms and heard her weak breathing.

    This person was in a bad state, worse than River had been not long ago. Her thoughts spun as she embraced this random person, some kind of acquaintance of Paige.

    ¡°Enough, enough.¡±

    River let the woman back down carefully.

    ¡°You¡¯ve made certain people quite happy with me, and so I am quite happy with you. If you keep this up, maybe we can work something out?¡±

    River considered this, nodded.

    ¡°You¡¯re a clever one, which was never apparent to me before. I suppose struggle changes people.¡±

    <i>Regardless of his inaccuracies, certain things were just true.</i>

    <i> </i>

    ¡ª

    Common people around the city weren¡¯t very comfortable with increased scrutiny at the gates, almost an entire month had passed and they hadn¡¯t lightened up. A posse of merchants at the guild were complaining about just that, when a discreet individual sidled up to them.

    ¡°Have you lot ever thought ¡®bout the lot they¡¯re searching for? If they¡¯re enemy spies or whatever ¨C why kill them and not take them prisoner?¡± He shifted, producing a small card. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ heard some things. Best keep it on the low, but it might be in your interest to learn more.¡±

    He placed the card in one of the concerned merchants¡¯ hands and tapped it with a finger. ¡°No pressure, but this is where you can find the people looking into this stuff.¡±

    The merchants looked at the individual with narrowed eyes, completely devoid of trust. The individual nodded to them and went on his way.

    Olaric looked down at the card.

 32 - Quicken

    The Scholarium taught everything that might be relevant to the city. Mercantilism, Law, Mathematics, Magical Theory, Practical Magic, Magical History, et cetera ¨C even basic courses on etiquette, martial arts and cooking. Though for those you were most likely better off with a tutor.

    Being mostly autonomous in his studies, Levi had not put serious thought into his curriculum ¨C there was a recommended set of beginner lectures that he ended up taking. It was fine, Lady Mia had been taking the same ¨C but now she was telling him that might not have been the best decision.

    Mia rolled her eyes. ¡°Levi, you accepted that invitation and you don¡¯t even own any party clothes?¡±

    He didn¡¯t really feel she was being fair. Also, she could just answer the question. ¡°I will after somebody tells me what they are and where to get them.¡± The party still wasn¡¯t for another eight days, after all. Plenty of time.

    Mia didn¡¯t know what to say, she was flabbergasted¡­ or perhaps she just also didn¡¯t know where her clothes came from.

    Her Knight, Luna, brought things back in perspective. ¡°My Lady, his student robes will do fine. It¡¯s not the <i>most </i>formal of events.¡±

    Mia narrowed her eyes, but changed the subject. ¡°Regardless, Levi should take etiquette lessons. He¡¯s hopeless.¡±

    This time it was Levi¡¯s turn to narrow eyes, ¡°What¡¯s etiquette?¡±

    Mia frowned and her Knight hid a smile.

    ¡ª

    The next day, Levi came to the door which he had been directed to by a scholar receptionist. He had taken on etiquette as a subject without consulting anyone.

    Well, without consulting anyone other than the rich person he¡¯d ended up hanging out with, who was not an adult and so didn¡¯t count. He¡¯d been told these were expensive, but Oliver would be able to handle it.

    <i>Pretty sure he got a promotion or something.</i>

    Levi pushed the door open, finding a room set with round standing tables and various mirrors. He was alongside older students ¨C all guys in their late teens. The ladies must have had a separate class. Levi was a bit intimidated, it would sure be handy to have a knight backing him up ¨C but he didn¡¯t shy away as he entered.

    Even though most of the people there were looking at him¡­

    The resident professor clapped his hands. He looked different from the students and scholars, a middle aged man with a thin coat that went down to his knees. ¡°We¡¯ll be having a mock dinner party, so assume your positions.¡±

    The professor¡¯s eyes stole over to Levi, who was standing on the edge of the classroom. ¡°Boy, come.¡± He waved Levi over.

    He pulled Levi to the side, ¡°Welcome to the class young man. It¡¯s more about practice here than any sort of structured program. Just imitate the others as best you can.¡±

    He nodded to Levi, then gave him a push on the back, and Levi went off to join the tables.

    People meandered around from table to table, Levi watched the way that they walked, their hand gestures, the way they smiled and covered their mouths as they ate the small snacks situated around the place.

    Aside from not being able to reach the standing tables, Levi watched everyone with fascination. People approached him and spoke to him like an adult, like someone deserving of respect.

    Similar to the cool and spectacular tricks of magic, he burned it all into his mind. He tried to embody the kind but austere presence of the type of man he ought to be. Of course, this kind of thing had levels to it and couldn¡¯t be mastered in a day.

    It was not unenjoyable, and the merchant¡¯s sons around him shared the topics of high society over the course of the time before the party. Much of it trends and speculations, the recent fiasco with the expeditionary guard unit, and rumoured happenings in the capital of the empire.

    Unrest among some of the high houses.

    ¡ª

    <b> </b>

    Oliver¡¯s metaphorical plate was loaded with work.

    Anticlimactic, but as he went through pages upon pages upon pages of work done by Lower Officials. Checking the numbers against each other, finding barely anything of note ¨C he did keep another piece of paper on his desk.

    The trouble with conspiring to find answers about something they preemptively behead you for, is that if you write any of it down, you¡¯re cooked.

    The scribblings on the paper were indecipherable, more just absent pen movement while thinking than any actual document.

    You couldn¡¯t keep notes, you couldn¡¯t orient yourself, and if you had a prospective idea ¨C you might lose it by the time you woke up the next day. Especially if it was only half baked and you had all these side concerns. So. Notes, plans, ways to keep ideas.

    Codes would be perfect. Oliver didn¡¯t know any. Pig-latin didn¡¯t count.

    He shifted his stack of work, blinking as he frustrated himself with his own tepid thoughts.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    He had some influence, reach enough to do something. None of it was really in the convenient places it would be useful.

    He needed authority over somebody with information he didn¡¯t have. People in the city¡¯s defence ministry, in high places of government. He needed to get answers out of them, uncover their secrets.

    Uncover their secrets¡­ Oliver wasn¡¯t a conspiracy theorist. But he <i>was </i>a conspiracy. Real life conspiracy theorists were often searching for baseless things, but not always. <i>How did conspiracy theorists get information?</i>

    <i>Leaks, whistleblowers, discrepancies in documents.</i>

    Oliver looked down at the piles and piles of paper on his nice desk. But it wasn¡¯t like he could follow the money¡­ Right?

    <i>Who profited from government information like this?</i>

    Of course, political adversaries and the like were probably out of Oliver¡¯s reach too.

    <i>But political adversaries were just customers in a market of information.</i>

    Oliver leant back in his chair¡­ and fell backwards, eliciting a snort from Edward, his new coworker. Emilia was out for the moment, interviewing people.

    ¡°Edward. Do you think there are people that might already know about malpractice that we can just pay for the info?¡±

    Edward gave Oliver a disappointed look which was unnecessary, but answered in good faith. ¡°Probably, but not anything substantial. Besides, that¡¯s tantamount to outsourcing our job to criminals¨C who have a harder time getting access than us anyway.¡±

    Oliver sat up cross-legged on the ground next to his fallen chair. ¡°Still, it would give us some perspective on where to look¡­ Perhaps it¡¯s best to get a more expedient view on any corruption already evident to the public.¡±

    Edward sat there, looking down at Oliver for a solid few seconds.

    Oliver raised his hands and struggled not to smile. ¡°Just wondering. We can be systematic as we are, but it¡¯s good to stamp out any obvious examples as proof of our value to the Ministry.¡±

    Edward narrowed his eyes, ¡°You¡¯re making a pretty thorough case for yourself here¡­¡±

    Oliver¡¯s expression wavered, he was getting ahead of himself. He would look into it alone. ¡°... Just an idea.¡±

    They worked through the rest of that day.

    And the next.

    On the third day, Edward looked up from another stack of paper, bored out of his mind. ¡°... I don¡¯t know any information brokers. Why would I?¡±

    Oliver¡¯s drooping head hit the desk which shocked him awake. ¡°What?¡±

    Emilia was in the room this time, rather than doing the fun part of interrogating people, she was joining them in the grunt work for once. She seemed confused by the comment.

    Edward summarised the idea they had spoken about ¨C then continued, ¡°I keep thinking about the optics of what we¡¯re doing. It¡¯s not such a bad idea to set that example¡­¡±

    Oliver blinked a couple times, ¡°Yeah. Emilia, do you know information brokers?¡±

    Emilia narrowed her eyes and lifted her eyebrows, ¡°... No.¡±

    <i>How useful.</i>

    Oliver thought for a moment, then raised his hand. ¡°Permission to search on ministry time?¡±

    They were about halfway through the workday. Emilia sighed. ¡°You have the day, we can¡¯t spend too much time on it.¡±

    And so he was off¡­ Oliver hadn¡¯t managed to find the time to search, even having said he¡¯d do it alone. Obligations got in the way, but he had brainstormed a bit on where he might find what he was looking for.

    When one thinks of ¡®information brokers¡¯, one might think of alleyways, locked doors, connections. All might well be accurate, but when the city government came-a-snooping, there usually wouldn¡¯t be a trace to be found of such individuals without some underground intermediary. Oliver was literally a government worker on a government task.

    Realistically, Oliver wasn¡¯t going to delve into the underworld. As threatening as even the guardsmen of the city were, they still abided by a structure.

    The best place to go was, when you thought about it, the most obvious.

    The Scholarium, that beacon of education in this city of Willowhaven. Oliver couldn¡¯t be sure how or where to find the information he wanted, but one thing he did know was students and their insatiable appetite for gossip.

    So that was where he went, opting not to talk to the front desk in favour of just asking Stephen instead ¨C and so Oliver ended up outside Stephen¡¯s door, knocking again.

    And knocking¡­

    Oliver stopped a robed teenage guy walking down the hallway. ¡°Do you know if the guy staying here is out?¡±

    The teen shrugged and continued on their way. Oliver knocked one more time before jogging after the teen. ¡°Uh, any chance you could answer a couple questions?¡±

    The robed teen stopped with a huff, looking like he was about to say no¨C until he thought about it more, and decided to nod. ¡°... Why not.¡±

    Oliver cleared his throat and looked around before asking. ¡°Where do I go to find¡­ information? What I¡¯m trying to say is, does anyone around here trade in secrets?¡±

    The young wizard looked him up and down. Turned away¨C stopped. Looked back, gave Oliver side-eye, then tsked. ¡°Lots of people around here do that sort of thing, it depends what you¡¯re looking for.¡±

    Oliver lifted his chin in thought, breathing in through his nose. ¡°Discontentment with the system¨C¡±

    The wizard scowled. Oliver quickly added¨C ¡°Trying to fix it. I am in a position to do that in¡­ a couple ways.¡± Oliver stuck out a hand. ¡°Oliver. I was a prisoner soldier in the recent battle.¡±

    The young wizard¡¯s eyes widened. But they still darted around in thought. Eventually, they rested back on Oliver, and he shook the outstretched hand. ¡°Yona. Secrets are not usually my business, but I can pass things along for you.¡±

    Oliver made a strained smile. ¡°That should do. I actually¨C¡± Oliver opened his pouch and plucked the curled piece of paper from it. ¡°The questions I¡¯d like answered are written here.¡±

    He placed the paper in Yona¡¯s hand, it had questions relating to their finance audit, but Oliver wasn¡¯t done. He glanced around again, not sure if he could trust this person, but he would keep it vague regardless.

    Yona leaned in, seemingly more interested in this bonus question. Oliver breathed out. <i>Fuck it.</i>

    ¡°What¡¯s with all the executions? Having fought, I understand it even less. The uh¡­¡±

    The two of them stood, talking in the thin hallway that held the dorms of students living in the Scholarium.

    A hint of a smile pulled at Yona¡¯s face. ¡°The ¡®foreigners¡¯. I¡¯ll see if anybody knows anything, but none of this will be free, believe me.¡±

    Oliver felt around for his coin pouch. Yona shook his head. ¡°Money works but secrets are a surer bet. Knowledge for knowledge is usually how it goes, and you have a story to tell that not many have heard.¡±

    This guy sure was business savvy for not being a broker himself¡­<i> He probably is, or at least, there¡¯s probably a network he¡¯s tapped into. Maybe Finding Stephen might have been the surer bet.</i>

    Whatever, as long as the information he wanted ended up in his hands.

    Oliver nodded to Yona, ¡°I¡¯ll recount it for you. Might take a bit though, is there anywhere to sit?¡±

    Yona smiled. ¡°Just write it down, we¡¯ll trade later. How about the tenth of the month?¡±

    ¡ª

    River had not been a troublemaker back home, she had been pretty academic all things considered. She still didn¡¯t think she was a troublemaker, really. Well, what it really came down to was ¨C living was a bit ethereal at the moment.

    Things mattered less. Relatively.

    One of the biggest stressors in River¡¯s life used to be social pressure. Attend more parties, wear this and that. It just seemed so far away as she stood on the tips of her toes, making symbols on the wall with paint she had bought.

    The building¡¯s owner rounded the corner with thunder in his expression, and she was gone.

    River flitted from place to place.

    Read history at night, run around the city by day. More tasks to complete, but she added her own twist to it. If she could keep playing this game of hide and seek, completing quests in exchange for the safety of a woman she didn¡¯t know, maybe the practice would mean that horrors wouldn¡¯t reach her.

    On the edge of the Merchant¡¯s Guild, River watched as a person left the room, and slid the ornate window open before slipping inside. She rustled through the desk drawers before finding the document, some deed to land. She folded it and put it in her pocket, then left and continued her escapades.

    She was thinking about smiling. Why and how people did it. Why was she, now?

 33 - Fraternise

    Levi, River, and Oliver stood outside the Ministry of Resources. Oliver couldn¡¯t stick around ¨C if he was even welcome, but he¡¯d walked Levi here rather than the Scholarium today.

    Levi looked up from the invite.

    ¡°Why is it at a ministry?¡±

    Oliver shrugged. ¡°I honestly couldn¡¯t say,¡± he peered around, ¡°but it looks like the entrance is probably over there.¡±

    Levi saw carriages lining up on the side of the large building. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay from here.¡±

    River shifted from foot to foot. Oliver glanced at her, ¡°if you say so. We¡¯ll be off then, I¡¯ll tell you if we find anything out.¡±

    And so Levi was left there on the street, watching as carriages piled up in the line. Levi smiled as he walked past them, all of them were expensive looking and probably held expensive looking people ¨C but they all had to wait and he didn¡¯t.

    He rounded the corner and saw the ornate doors were being held open by people wearing orange berets. He approached them from the side as others descended their carriages. ¡°Excuse me!¡±

    The beret wearing woman looked down. She wore robes which resembled a scholar¡¯s, though they were simpler and had less volume to them, ¡°to whom do I owe the pleasure?¡±

    ¡°Levi Ow- Uh, Crest. I was invited.¡± He handed her the invite.

    She gave him a skeptical look, likely because he was a child. She poured over the invite though, and nodded. ¡°Go on through, another Official will show you to the function room.¡±

    ¡°Thankyou,¡± Levi attempted a half-bow in thanks before hurrying on through.

    An older gentleman wearing similar clothes to the lady outside waved him over. ¡°Just this way young sir.¡±

    Levi guessed all the people dressed like this must have been Officials of Resources. Which was a bit confusing, since, wouldn¡¯t they be mining or something instead of throwing parties?

    The Official led him down a corridor before showing him an open door to the event. <i>Why did I even need an escort for that?</i> He asked the old Official, who responded.

    ¡°Hospitality, young sir. Hospitality. Enjoy yourself now.¡± The Official swept a half bow similar to the one Levi had attempted, except it was so perfect it made Levi shiver. He returned it as best he could.

    Then he turned to the room he¡¯d been led to, which seemed to be two stories tall¨C

    An alarm went off behind him. The lighting in the hallway flashed as the old Official stopped the person behind Levi. ¡°Adventurer, this is a social event. You¡¯re carrying too many magical items.¡±

    Levi¡¯s eyes widened as he watched the Adventurer grimace, she tousled her untidy short grey hair. ¡°Yeah yeah, I¡¯ll show them to you but I can¡¯t hand them over.¡± She began untying one of her two¡­ shin guards? It was the only metal armour on her body.

    At that moment, man of the hour¨C Roger Bourniquet jogged up to the door. ¡°Hello, Levi.¡± He turned, ¡°Official! Could you allow her to pass uninspected?¡±

    The Adventurer paused in untying her gear. The old Official nodded, ¡°go on then.¡±

    Levi just stood there as the Adventurer passed him, shooting him an inquisitive look¨C but Levi just looked at all the interesting gear she had. She hung vials on her belt, each a bright shade of blue, and had some kind of large brush holstered at her side. Across her back, a kind of hammer-pickaxe with a long thin handle, the head of the weapon blunt on one side, and sharp on the other.

    He had seen adventurers around. Big rough looking people, or more often just mages who practiced in the Scholarium practice rooms¨C but usually they all carried the same variety of stuff. Sword, dagger, bow, wand, whatever.

    <i>A big brush?</i>

    The adventurer had gone off into the room to join the event, so Levi just shook his head and entered. There were quite a few people here. Levi knew none of them. Mia was presumably here, but he couldn¡¯t see¨C ah.

    Levi approached the large congregation of people surrounding Lady Mia and a guy dressed equally as fancy. Levi assumed this was one of her brothers, who she had mentioned. Which one? Levi had no idea, but he went up to say hi.

    Except, he couldn¡¯t make it close enough to them. There were too many others fighting to speak to the two most important people at this event. The only reason the young nobility weren¡¯t completely overrun was the small squad of Knights stood at attention.

    It was as close to a mob you could get in polite society, Levi assumed. If he wanted, he could shove people aside or yell to get attention, but that was¡­ uncouth.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Uncouth was a good word.

    Levi tapped the side of someone on the edge of the group. ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    The look he got was so flat Levi nearly tripped over himself. ¡°If you want to speak to them, you can wai¨C Why are you a child?¡±

    Levi ignored that question. ¡°I just wanna go say hi. She probably doesn¡¯t even know I¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    The young merchant opened his mouth in outrage, then slowly closed it as he remembered something. ¡°Ah. Aaaaaaah, right. You¡¯re <i>that </i>one. Well, I¡¯m not sure you¡¯ll be able to get through these people, much the same as I.¡± The merchant started rubbing his hands together like he¡¯d found some kind of opportunity. ¡°Say, why don¡¯t we have a bit of a chat?¡±

    ¡ª

    Levi didn¡¯t want to talk about falafel economics anymore. But more to the point, he <i>wasn¡¯t</i> going to go and tell Mia about falafel economics either.

    <i>Jeez, is this what she has to deal with?</i>

    Levi shivered as he walked away. Also, the guy had kept treating him like an idiot¨C he was nearly ten years old!

    Anyway, talking to Mia at this social function was going to be impossible, so he¡¯d have to go find something else to do.

    Of the people here, half of them were surrounding the lordlings and the other were either too important or not important enough to care. The merchants with good heads on their shoulders were discussing things with ministry officials from a variety of ministries. A High Official of Finance, Law, and Defence respectively representing their interests to small gatherings of interested parties.

    Levi looked over all of them, not really interested in talking about business. He could ask the Defence Official about people from Earth¡­ But that was a scary prospect. Oliver had told him not to rush into danger.

    One corner of the room was strangely barren, though. Three people stood there, each looked interesting and important enough to gather a crowd of their own¨C but everybody seemed to be giving them space.

    The orchestrator of the gathering, Roger Bourniquet.

    The strange adventurer with a hammer-pick and a brush.

    A man with curly brown hair, round glasses, and gold-trimmed orange scholar¡¯s robes in the same hue as the ministry he was standing in. Some kind of important person, Levi could tell at a glance.

    He found himself breaking through the perimeter of less brave souls, approaching the trio with imitated grace. They were in some kind of discussion that Levi caught the tail end of¨C

    The important looking orange scholar hesitated. ¡°We do need all the help we can get, to be frank. But the method¡­¡±

    Roger spread his hands, ¡°Minister, arguably Reine is the best adventurer for the job. Effective in action as well as a deterrent. She¡¯s as effective as the best adventurers of Willowhaven put together and not nearly at the same cost.¡±

    The adventurer, Reine, crossed her arms. ¡°I¡¯ll take fair compensation when that¡¯s decided upon.¡±

    This was when Levi decided to break in, ¡°I hope it¡¯s been a good day to you all.¡± He swept a proper bow, these people were all higher status than him.

    Levi raised his head to meet the eyes of the three. He started from the left. ¡°Adventurer Reine, we passed one another earlier.¡± He continued, ¡°Mr. Bourniquet, thankyou for the invite.¡±

    He didn¡¯t have the name of the orange robed man, but he expected it was enough to say¨C ¡°Minister, well met.¡±

    Levi was quite proud as he introduced himself. ¡°My name is Levi Crest, a learner of magic and friend of Lady Mia Willowen.¡± He treated this like it was any other gathering of near-equals, which was the way he had practiced.

    The Minister of Resources turned an amused expression to Roger, who seemed politely surprised. The adventurer, though¡­

    Reine grinned, she ruffled Levi¡¯s blonde hair with a gloved hand. ¡°Nice to meet you, Levi. Aren¡¯t you quite young to be at a party like this?¡±

    Levi let his hair be ruffled, but he narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m ¡®quite young¡¯ to be studying magic too, apparently. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that strange.¡±

    Reine smiled even wider, she turned her head to the Minister, ¡°He¡¯s not scared of me at all, this is wonderful!¡±

    The Minister prompted Roger, ¡°care to explain?¡±

    Roger nodded, ¡°Levi¡¯s something of a recent peculiarity. A hot topic in some circles for his magical penchant and friendship with the young Lady who shares similar abilities. I thought he might make for an interesting guest.¡±

    The Minister adjusted his glasses, ¡°he¡¯s certainly that.¡± He turned to Levi, ¡°well met, Levi Crest. I am the Minister of Resources, Alexander Wilson.¡±

    Minister Alexander looked between Reine and Roger, ¡°I¡¯d imagine our current topic of conversation isn¡¯t very appropriate for polite company, if that¡¯s alright.¡±

    Levi felt like that was a hint he wasn¡¯t welcome, but he was too interested. ¡°That¡¯s alright. What¡¯s adventurer Reine being hired to do?¡±

    The adventurer in question¡¯s expression fell. Roger strained, ¡°well, we¡¯re not yet sure she is being hired.¡±

    Minister Alexander waved a hand, something of an inquisitive expression on his face. ¡°If you¡¯re keen to know, Levi, she¡¯s being considered to apprehend a group who¡¯s been causing trouble for our merchants and defence forces.¡±

    Levi¡¯s visual curiosity wavered with recognition, then strengthened with determination. ¡°One adventurer for a group that killed so many guards?¡±

    Roger¡¯s expression went from strained to concerned. ¡°That information is not supposed to be entirely public, is it common knowledge already?¡±

    Levi scanned all three of them before responding. ¡°My older brother was one of the only two survivors.¡±

    ¡°Little man.¡± Reine squatted down to Levi¡¯s eye level, they had a moment of eye contact that conveyed the seriousness of the exchange. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine there¡¯s any single person in this city, ¡®sides maybe the Lord, that could stand in my way.¡±

    The Minister of Finance broke in, ¡°if you were to ignore the law, adventurer.¡±

    Reine returned to standing. ¡°I¡¯ll negotiate the contract later, I think I want to meet your brother, little man. Where can I find him?¡±

    ¡°I think he¡¯s at the Scholarium right about now.¡±

    The adventurer turned to Roger, ¡°your city¡¯s Scholarium is that big building in the middle, right?¡±

    Roger raised a hand, ¡°hold on just a moment, Reine. It was hard to pull this together¨C you¡¯re going to need some support regardless of whether you get the contract.¡±

    Reine spread her arms, acknowledging the large empty space they were standing in despite the amount of attendees. ¡°Roger, clearly it isn¡¯t going to work this way. My reputation unfortunately precedes me, even out here on the edge of the empire. I¡¯d have more luck at the guild than in this congregation of local elites.¡±

    The Minister of Finance sighed, ¡°your reputation does precede you¡­ I¡¯ll have a discussion with the Minister of Finance. We¡¯ll organise a more private meeting. I¡¯m not keen on your usual methods, but perhaps we could work out a way to manage the difficulties.¡±

    Levi began to think Reine might be a big deal.

    She picked him up. ¡°I¡¯m gonna need you to point your brother out for me. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Levi squawked. ¡°Eh? What? Now?¡±

    ¡°Why wait?¡±

    Reine took off with Levi. At speed.