Log 10:
Date: July 6th, 2190 I.C.
Time: 11:02
Location: Royal Court
>>>
After finishing my conversation with the Emperor, I headed straight home, which lasted longer than I thought because he went on a tangent about the good ol' days. The Guild had already been informed of my leave, so I could get packing without much worry.
However, my trip back was extremely awkward because Blank was hitching with me. He didn't even speak a single word. However, from this trip, I learned a few things about him.
His combat ability was equivalent to a 7-Star Adventurer despite only being a 5-Star. Second, he's a member of Parliament, which meant he was most likely a Noble, but I also couldn't rule out the low possibility of him being a Commoner. Furthermore, he was a Uncials Expert, quite rare in Imperium City. Also, judging from his physique and movements, he shouldn't be much older than me, if not the same age and at most his mid-twenties. Plus, if the Emperor puts him in high regard, Blank is someone the Emperor must trust a lot, especially with my safety.
If I put all these pieces together, I can deduce that Blank is probably someone I'm acquainted with.
The question was, who?
I had a ton of male acquaintances back in the Academy, but only a handful I was close with. It couldn't be Alistar or the Duke, even though they're both members of Parliament since they are heading out to deal with other Dungeons. Trevor faints at the sight of blood, plus his specialty is topography, not Uncials, so I can take him out of the picture. Then that would mean Blank was not a part of my main circle but someone else I'm close to. However, I couldn't eliminate the possibility that someone was lying. Argh, I don't know! There are so many guys I know! I need more evidence…
As the grand doors of the Peralia palace opened up, I looked at a different Hackney instead of the one the Duke escorted me in. It was still a sleek black, but it was much smaller in comparison and had the Imperium City Emblem plastered. Leaning against the passenger side of the Hackney was a driver wearing a blue messenger's hat with the three shards of Imperium City embroidered on its front.
"Ms. Rai," The driver hollered. "It's such a pleasure to see you again!"
"And you are?"
"My apologies. I guess you don't remember me, Vaisite*."
*Vaisite: The equivalent of "Senior" or "Upperclassman" in Oriar.
The driver took off his cap. His striking green hair and golden eyes were not something one could forget.
"Thomas! It's been a long time! I see you've accomplished your dream."
>>>
Thomas was my underclassman back at the Academy. He always wanted to become a Royal Court Driver, but the problem was that he had to take an Academic Exam. Though his scores were sufficient to get him through the Academy, he needed someone to tutor him so he could pass the exam because it was more difficult. I was a tutor at the Academy tutoring clinic during my last two years since I needed extra cash to buy a new Gleafaver. On my first day on the job, I tutored Thomas, and he's been a recurring student until I graduated.
>>>
"It's thanks to you, Vaisite." He replied bashfully, "Without your teachings, I wouldn't have passed."
"I'm glad to have helped you. So it seems like you're the one escorting me back."
"That's correct. But wow, who would've thought?!"
"Right. Hey, by the way, how are things going with Lillie?"
"She keeps friend-zoning me." He cried. "Reality is harsh!"
"Have patience, my friend. We are all young, so there's no need to rush!"
Thomas gives me a crestfallen look. I could tell he hoped that Lillie would accept him for who he was one day.
"Enough of that. Time is of the essence. I'll take you back to Souk Agora. As for Mr. Blank," Thomas tilted his head to peek at the masked figure behind me. "I believe Naruk Agora, if I'm not mistaken?"
Blank nodded, confirming Thomas's question.
Thomas smiled, popping open the trunk of the Hackney.
"Perfect. Pack your things, and we'll be on our way."
>>>
The first few minutes of the ride back were just as awkward as the walk out of the Royal Court. However, I couldn't just sit still. If I were working with Blank, I would take this as an opportunity to know him better.
"You were a member of Parliament. How come I never knew that?"
He shrugged.
His face, concealed by his mask, made it difficult for me to read his emotions.
"You never asked."
He's got a point. I always assumed he was just some savage who became an Adventurer to satisfy his killer instincts, but with all this new information, it didn't seem like the case.
"Why did you become an Adventurer in the first place? You're already a member of Parliament, so there's no need to do that kind of work."
"To make an actual change."
"Actual change?"
"Modern Parliament makes it hard to accomplish anything with all the bureaucracy. The politicians talk, but nothing ever gets done even though it appears we are pumping out policies and reforms." Then he paused. It was the first time I've heard him say more than he's used to. I had asked the right questions. "I became an Adventurer so I could make a visible change. Provide security to the people so a monster invasion won't destroy their homes. People don't exactly favor Parliament members as much as the Emperor."
"So that's why you always take on extermination Requests. How selfless of you."
A smile formed on my face. People like Blank were one in a million.
"What about you, Ms. Rai? Why did you become a Receptionist?"
I fold my legs together, thinking about how to answer his question.
"Put simply, I didn't want to work in the field anymore. I just...had enough of it. Seen too much of it over the years. Now the Emperor wants me to head back out, and I can't refuse."
"Were you an Investigator before?"
I shook my head from side to side.
"No, though I did do something similar."
Noticing how reluctant I was to answer, Blank quickly switched the topic.
"If I may ask, how much field experience do you have?"
"Ten years." As a reference, the average Imperium City Academy graduates like myself would have approximately five to six years by now, about the same as an average 4-Star Adventurer. "What about you, Blank?"
"Fifteen."
"How did you start?"
"Parent threw me into monster-infested woods. Told me to survive for three days. You?"
"Monster butchering. It was mostly boars, snakes, and other low-level monster corpses. Nothing compared to what you experienced."
"Is that so?"
I shrugged.
"Yes, that's all there is to it."
We kept talking for a bit, but it was mostly about how Parliament is in an uproar due to the Dungeon Outbreak. Another twenty Dungeons had formed when I was distracted from talking with the Emperor. Nothing like this happened in Oriar's history and could be considered a black swan event. What made it all the more strange was the timing at which all these Dungeons were spawning. Throughout history, whenever there is a Dungeon Outbreak, all the Dungeons involved in the outbreak would appear at the same time. However, these Dungeons were forming at all different times, plus it all seemed quite sporadic. Blank also caught onto this and wondered if there was some hidden correlation, but there was only one way we could tell. That would be to see the Dungeons ourselves.
Soon, we arrived at one of Naruk Agora's cable car stations. Blank left the cabin, giving me a nod before turning away to handle the rest of his business for the day. Then, Thomas sent me back to Souk Agora station before returning to the Royal Court. We didn't talk much after Blank left since he was taking a call from his superior. He just dropped me off, and I was alone on my way home.
>>>
A few minutes later, I push open the door to the cafe. The morning crowd that was there when I left was gone. Shelves and display cases were devoid of items. Behind the counter, my parents and employees prepared tons of plain bread dough for the afternoon wave. People went crazy about stocking up on supplies.
My parents glanced over at me as I shut the door behind me.
"Ari," My father hollered. "What are you doing home so early?"
I bit down on my lip, not wanting to break the bad news, but I had no choice. One way or another, my parents would find out.
"Imperial Decree."
Clatter.
A metal bowl fell to the ground.
The eggs my mom had just cracked into it spilled all over the tile floor. Their orange yolks shattered upon impact.
"What?!"
"They're sending me to investigate some of the Dungeons in the outbreak since they're short-handed. I'll be gone for a month, assuming I make it out alive."
My mom rushed over to me, hugging me tightly in her embrace. Her body smelled like flour and sugar.
The case containing my expensive Gleafaver dropped as I hugged her.
She whispered, "I don't know what Tobias is thinking, but come home in one piece. You're strong, Arian. Mom and Dad have passed down everything we know to you. Use it well. Survive."
My eyes grew watery, but I couldn't cry.
Farewells were common in any field-related profession.
It was painful.
It tugged at my heartstrings.
I gave her a warm but sad smile.
"I will."
Then, my dad walked over, embracing my mother and I.
"Our baby girl will be okay. Be optimistic, Sheila. She's one of the best Supporters Imperium City has. Let's place our trust in her."
"Okay," My mom clutched onto my jacket even harder. "When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow at six. First thing in the morning. I'm taking the Warp Sation to Jannad."
"Such a shame," my dad glanced at me. "Mason's Warp has been delayed, so he won't be home till tomorrow."
I sighed.
"I'll miss him. A shame that I can't bid him farewell in person. I'll give him a call later. But I gotta get packing."
"Alright." My Dad agreed, moving his arms away so Mom and I could move. "We'll let you get to that. Stay safe, kiddo."
"You always know I will."
>>>
It took me little time to pack what I needed for the excursion. Everything I needed was neatly organized in my bedroom and downstairs storage closet. A compact tent, sleeping bag, a month's worth of freeze-dried rations, extra clothes, my other Gleafaver, the list went on. Before I knew it, it was almost five.
I press the button on the Ether box, its large body, which I had to put in the hallway, compressing down to the size of my palm. I tossed the box in my backpack but didn't compress the new Gleafaver I received from the Emperor. Compressing weapons all the time could make them brittle. Unfortunately, there is no way to completely eliminate this side effect, and if I was going to use this as my main weapon, I had to keep it in its best condition, and I say that as I dropped it on the ground not too long ago.
Suddenly, my Laisier rings. It was my brother, Mason Rai.
Pressing the flashing green answer button on the screen, I'm met with a loud greeting in his obnoxious voice.
"Yo, dinggus!"
Yup. That was my brother, alright.
"Hey, Mason."
"Woah, you're calling me by my first name?! Thought you'd call me 'man-child' like you usually do? Must be doing some really serious stuff to address me 'normally.'"
"Don't play dumb," I spat. "You already know what's going on."
"Jokes aside, are you okay? I mean, going back out into the field after what happened?"
This time his voice was filled with genuine concern. As much of an idiot, my brother acts with me, he still cares.
"I'm fine. What's passed has passed. What about you? How's it at the Warp Station?"
"Absolute mayhem. A lot of people here are from the neighboring Duchies or Imperium City. Now with the Dungeon Outbreak fiasco, they're all trying to get back. Because of that, some Portals have broken down, and I'm stranded in Lengeheim till tomorrow."
I snickered, trying to lighten the mood.
"I know. The parental units informed me. You okay?"
"Yeah, we booked a night at a local hostel. Lucked out since everyone else had the same thoughts. I'm sitting in the hostel, but they have an amazing signal here. Kinda crowded, though. Oh- I gotta go. I'm about to check in. Listen, as Mom and Dad told you, you'll be okay. You remember all those tricks I taught you when were younger?"
I nodded.
"Of course."
"Use them to escape. There is no shame in running away from something you can't handle now. What makes you the asshole is if you let someone be the scapegoat. At that point, you have no pride as an Adventurer. Save your butt when necessary but don't try to abandon anyone. You hear me, dinggus?"
"Loud and clear."
"Perfect!" Mason laughed. "Go, young one! Make sure those Monsters don't take you before I do."
"I will, jerko!" I retorted, hanging up on him, slumping my back against the bedframe.
I was going to miss my exchanges with him.
>>>
I walked to the bakery area, grabbing a failed pastry from the back. This time, I selected a deformed cookie that had merged with several others from the same batch. The supposedly circular pastry had clear signs of being ripped off the baking sheet. I sat in an isolated corner of the bakery. The glass light hangs over my plate as I stare at the bustling street.
As I was about to take a bit of my cookie, a figure pulled out the seat across from me. I glance up, smiling at the figure like an idiot.
"Fancy seeing you here at this time. I thought you'd left?"
With his immaculate strawberry blonde hair and Jackmansi green eyes, Trevor grinned at me.
"Not quite."
"Dungeon Outbreak halted stuff in Lengeheim?"
"Yeah. We already discussed it over text earlier but didn't finish our conversation. And I've got some bad news." Trevor began with a crestfallen expression, his eyes averting away from mine. "Because of the Dungeon Outbreak, I've been assigned to analyze the topography in a different part of Lengeheim. With Oriar's forces scattered around the continent, there's even less protection for non-combatants like myself. I'm afraid my chances of coming home alive have decreased exponentially."
I hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell him. Ultimately, I decided to tell him since I might not return either.
"Hey, Trev. I'm in a similar situation. I've been sent to investigate some Dungeons too. I don't know if I'll make it out alive either."
"When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow. I'm heading to Jannad."
"The Oasis City."
I nodded.
"Mmh."
"Why?" He asked me, concern welled in his eyes.
"I might as well tell you now if we might end up dead. Before I became a Receptionist, I worked for the Royal Court as a Specialist, an independent contractor hired by the Royal Court for my knowledge. More specifically, my knowledge of Veins."
"Geez," Trevor scratched the back of his head. "I knew you were smart, but not this smart. Imperium City Academy graduates are built differently. I figured you went down some Arcmagia route, but I'd never thought it would be in Vein studies. If I had gone to the Academy, I probably would've been at the bottom of the barrel."
I rolled my eyes.
"Don't beat yourself over that. Come on, at least you have a decent-paying job."
"And I'm about to get killed doing my job. Well, it was bound to happen, but who am I to complain? The world's dangerous, and someone needs to take that risk, especially if it might come to its end."
"Wow," I scoffed. "That's a depressing way to put it. Does your family know?"
Suddenly, Trevor's face paled.
"I don't have a family."
"Shit, I'm sorry I asked."
Trevor shook his head.
"It's fine. I just never told you. Well, now you know."
I didn't think happy-go-lucky Trevor had a past like that. It never even crossed my mind, but now it was clear why he never talked about his family. Perhaps I'm making a bold assumption; however, I had a gut feeling that there's something else going on. Who knows, I might be interpreting things incorrectly."
"That doesn't change anything. Just know that we care for you here at Do It Rai Cafe. You're family to us at this point."
"Thank you," Trevor beamed.
"Anyhow, when are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow, as well. Won't be back for a month."
"Same time," I smiled bitterly, taking a bit from my cookie. "In the meantime, let's be sure to stay alive. Care for the usual?"
Trevor grinned, snapping his fingers together.
"You know me well, Arian."
I winked, knowing this might be the last time we might laugh happily like this.
"Gotcha'. It's on the house."
"Even sweeter."