As the introductions settled, Amukelo shifted his gaze around the room, his expression thoughtful. "Where are Lady Cressida and Lady Odette?" he asked. "Don't they want to meet Eliss?"
Berthold gave a soft chuckle, shaking his head. "They're quite busy with their duties today," he explained. "And truth be told, they don't really know Roland. This meeting is more personal than formal, so they decided to focus on their responsibilities."
Eliss tilted her head. "You know my father, Sir?" she asked.
Berthold laughed lightly. "If only 'know' were enough to describe it," he replied. "Your father is one of my dearest friends. He's helped me out in ways I can't even begin to count. I respect him a great deal, even though he's much younger than me."
Eliss's lips curled into a small smile. "What an accident," she said. "The world is really small."
Berthold nodded, his expression fond. "It truly is," he said. "And now, you'll get to experience just how small it can be as you travel. The people you meet, the paths you cross… it's all connected in ways you might not expect." And the conversation flowed, Berthold, asking Eliss some more and less personal questions.
Then Alaric said. "Well, we're not going to hold you any longer. It was a pleasure to meet you, young Eliss. You truly stand up to your family's standards."
Eliss responded with a laugh, but Amukelo could see that it was forced and hollow. It wasn't the awkward laugh she let out when she made a joke that fell flat or when she tried to cover up a mistake. This one was different. It felt distant, almost mechanical.
"It was a pleasure to meet you too," Eliss said.
Then they said their short farewells, with Berthold giving Amukelo a final handshake and a quiet word of encouragement before they left. Amukelo and Eliss stepped out of the mansion and began walking in silence toward their horse.
Amukelo broke it first. "You don't need to act so fake," he said, glancing at Eliss out of the corner of his eye. "Manners are one thing, sure, but you don't have to say things you don't mean."
Eliss let out another laugh, this one even hollower than before. "I don't like nobility that much," she said. "Because it's basically about who can hide their lies better. That's all it is—fake smiles, fake kind words, and endless layers of deception."
Eliss paused for a moment. "And I want to feel real life," she admitted. "Not this… this charade. I don't want to live behind the fake smiles or the polished words. I want to experience life as it is—raw, messy, and honest."
Amukelo stopped walking, turning to face her fully. "And that real life," he said with a sharp, ironic tone, "is calling the person who babysits you a pervert?"
Eliss's lips twitched into a dismissive smirk, her usual spark of mischief returning. "Hmm… I never asked you to babysit me!" she retorted.
Amukelo's eyebrow shot up, his expression shifting from disbelief to incredulity. "Yes, you did!" he shot back, his voice rising slightly in exasperation. "You ungrateful little brat!"
Eliss's smirk widened into a full grin, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she suddenly bolted, running ahead of him with a carefree laugh. Amukelo stood frozen for a moment, his mouth slightly open as he processed her antics. He let out a long, frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair as he started after her.
Then they left the town, on Eliss's horse. The journey to the border between Elandria and Ghorzaan had been relatively uneventful, but as Amukelo and Eliss approached the edge of the great canyon that divided the two nations, the sheer scale of it took Eliss's breath away. The Kanyon, as it was called, was a vast, jagged chasm that seemed to stretch endlessly in both directions. Its steep walls were a mix of red and orange stone, carved by centuries of wind and water. They approached a bridge connecting both nations.
The bridge was one of several that spanned the canyon, each heavily fortified on both sides. It was a marvel of engineering, a wide stone structure supported by thick, rune-inscribed pillars that descended deep into the canyon. At either end stood massive gates, one bearing the emblem of Elandria and the other the emblem of Ghorzaan. The gates were manned by soldiers: humans on one side, orcs on the other.
As Amukelo and Eliss approached the Elandrian gate, the human soldiers stationed there watched them closely. One of the guards, a tall man with a scar running across his cheek, stepped forward.
"You don't seem to be carrying any goods," the guard said, his tone gruff but not unfriendly. "You must be adventurers, huh?"
"Yes," Amukelo began. "We want to—"
Before he could finish, another soldier, a younger man standing off to the side, pointed at Eliss's badge, which she had proudly pinned to her chest. His eyes widened, and then he burst out laughing.
"Look at this!" he exclaimed, nudging the soldier beside him. "She's got a bronze rank, and she thinks she can cross the border."
The other soldiers joined in. Eliss's face turned bright red as she quickly unclipped the badge and stuffed it into her pocket, avoiding their mocking gazes. She glanced at Amukelo, who was already looking at her with an expression that clearly said, I told you so. She huffed and looked away, muttering under her breath.
The scarred soldier, who seemed to be the leader, turned back to Amukelo, his amusement fading into a more serious expression. "You'd better have a higher rank, or neither of you is crossing this border."
Amukelo reached into his pocket and pulled out his own badge, holding it up for the man to see. The scarred soldier took it, examining it closely. After a moment, he handed it back.
"I see you've got a high rank—silver, huh? But her badge is bronze, and it doesn't even look like it's seen any action. I'm afraid that's not enough."
Amukelo's eyes narrowed. "You're saying we can't cross because of her rank?" His tone was calm, but there was an edge to it.
The soldier shrugged. "Rules are rules," he said. "Both members of a group need to meet the minimum rank requirement to cross. If she were at least high silver, like you, we could consider it, but bronze? That doesn't cut it."
Eliss, who had been silently fuming, finally spoke up. "I'm not weak!" she said, her voice sharp. "I just became an adventurer recently. My badge doesn't reflect my actual strength."
The soldiers exchanged amused glances, and the scarred man gave her a faint smirk. "Maybe," he said. "But the rules are in place for a reason. Adventurers who can't handle themselves on the other side of this bridge end up dead, and we're not in the business of sending people to their deaths."
Amukelo sighed heavily. "Is there really nothing we can do?" he asked, his tone tinged with frustration. "I'm telling you, she's not weak. She just doesn't have the official recognition yet."
The soldier spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness. "Like I said, rules are rules. If she's really as strong as you say, it shouldn't take long to rank up. Maybe four or five months, if you're fast."
Amukelo muttered a curse under his breath. "Four or five months…"
The soldier nodded. "Come back when your guild is at least gold. With your current rank, she just needs to get to a similar level. Until then, there's nothing I can do."
Eliss opened her mouth to protest further, but before she could say anything, Amukelo grabbed her arm gently but firmly and began leading her away. "Let's go," he said curtly.
"But—" Eliss began, her voice indignant.
"Now," Amukelo said, his tone brooking no argument.
As they walked back down the path toward the town, Eliss pulled her arm free, her face a mix of embarrassment and frustration. "Why didn't you let me explain myself? I could have convinced them!"
Amukelo glanced at her. "Arguing with them wouldn't have changed anything. You heard what he said—rules are rules. We'll figure something else out."