Chương 26: The Weight of New Beginnings

The events with Mister Phenomena lingered in our minds like a half-remembered dream, fuzzy, fragmented, and strangely distant. We knew we had met him or someone with that name. We knew an entity had helped us. We knew we had fought together, laughed together, and grown close in a short time. A strong bond and good chemistry had formed between the three of us, yet the exact details refused to sharpen.

It felt as if something had gently blurred the memory, making the place we had been and the goals we once chased feel… gone. We couldn't go back even if we wanted to. The path simply wasn't there anymore in our minds. Galer broke the silence first, his voice low and filled with quiet awe.

"That man… that Entity. He didn't just heal us. He brought your arm back... fully formed, trained, as if you had never lost it. The way he restored everything… the cave, the satyrs, even our weapons… it was perplexing. Undeniably magical. A man like that… I can't even put words together to describe him or it." I nodded slowly, flexing my newly restored arm. The familiar strength flowed through it as though it had never been gone.

"I'm thankful. Deeply thankful," I murmured.

"But I'm also curious. Part of me wants to go back and demand answers. Yet its warning echoes in my mind, flashing alongside that blurry, distorted image:'Next time I will fight, not help.' That alone settles it. Every fiber of my being tells me I am still far too weak. Whatever happened back there, we had absolutely no chance." Galer's expression darkened.

"And aside from him… there's Simon. What a name for a monster like that. It all feels like a hallucination. A dream-like state. As if it didn't happen… and yet it did or did it truly?" We stood in silence for a moment, the weight of the encounter pressing down on each of us. Before we entered the city, Larina suddenly grabbed the back of my tunic, stopping me.

"Wait… before we go in," she said softly, her voice small but determined, "I want a safer set of clothes. Something that can actually protect me… and also conceal my race. I don't want anyone to see what I am." Galer nodded without argument.

"I'll go alone and find something suitable. Wait here." While Galer disappeared into the bustling streets of Athenae, Larina and I sat on a quiet stone bench near the city gate. She looked up at me with wide, grey eyes.

"That man…my mind is so blurry," she whispered.

"It was unfair. He or it healed all our pain, restored everything, made us whole again… but he or it didn't tell us anything. Not who they really are, not why they helped us, nothing." I let out a slow breath also struggling still to recall anything aside the blurry image with distorting sounds of someone speaking a warning.

"Yeah… it feels like he played with time itself. Scary, isn't it? We can remember distorted certain situations, like him touching our foreheads, the feeling of the world shifting, and the blue-horned monster named Simon, but everything else is blurry. Why is it so weird and distorted in our minds? It's like parts of the memory are locked away on purpose." Larina shuddered visibly, pulling her knees closer to her chest.

"He was terrifying. The way his mask changed… the smile turning neutral in an instant. And the power he had… I don't even know how anyone could ever fight someone like that." I placed a gentle hand on her small shoulder"We can't. Not yet. That's why we have to get stronger. Much stronger." A short while later, Galer returned carrying a wide, heavy set of armor. It was clearly designed for a female wearer, sleek yet incredibly sturdy, with clever weight distribution that adapted perfectly to the user's body.

The color was a deep brown-black, almost like forged osmium mixed with earth tones. Most importantly, it had carefully placed hole lines and flexible panels along the back and shoulders to allow her membranous wings to extend freely for flight when needed, while also featuring high collars, full coverage, and subtle enchantments that helped conceal her grey skin and Damp features, making her appear as a normal human warrior at first glance. The density felt incredibly high, this was no ordinary armor.

Larina's eyes widened as she put it on. Once fully equipped, she looked completely different, no longer a fragile little girl, but a hidden warrior. The armor covered her body and most of her face, giving her an air of mystery and protection while successfully hiding her true race. She tried to spread her wings and fly… but nothing happened. The weight was simply too much. Galer smirked slightly, exchanging a knowing look with me. I leaned in and whispered, "How much does it weigh?"

"Two thousand three hundred kilograms," he replied quietly.

"Ohhh… yeah," I muttered.

"She's going to need to train hard until she can fly in that." This time, Larina didn't cry about the mishap. Instead, she clenched her small fists inside the gauntlets, a spark of stubborn determination lighting up in her eyes. She wanted to improve, not only her strength, but her mental state as well. She had made her choice. We ventured into the city. The moment we passed the grand gates, Athenae unfolded before us in breathtaking scale.

White marble and limestone buildings gleamed under the sun, their blue-tiled roofs stretching as far as the eye could see. The city was a massive, living organism, a huge mass of humans bustling through wide streets lined with columns, markets, and fountains. Over a million souls called this place home, making it one of the greatest metropolises of the known world. The air hummed with voices, the clatter of carts, the shouts of merchants, and the scent of fresh bread, spices, and sea salt from the nearby harbor.

It felt alive with energy, a true wonder of the 11th century. The guards gave us some strange looks when they saw the heavy armor clearly made for a small female frame, but after paying the entry fee of 2 silver each (Galer had already paid for himself), we were allowed inside. We found a modest tavern to eat and rest. Larina opened the face helm of her new armor and ate with us. After everything that had happened, we were all lost in thought about the unbelievable situation. That night, nightmares consumed us all.

Galer dreamed of thorns erupting from inside his body, morphing him into a living tree. Coiled on a branch above, a white snake stared down at its prey, leaving him alive but eternally paralyzed as it slowly closed in. Larina's nightmare was an endless void of absolute darkness, a trap where she was relentlessly attacked with no hope of escape. My own nightmare found me under the gaze of Siegfried's green eyes, watching from the shadows atop a hill while Mister Phenomena whispered with Simon. I was still weak.

I received no approval, only pity. And pity felt far worse than being hated. We all awoke at the same time, around 3 in the morning. We sat in silence, not talking about anything, each of us lost in our own thoughts on the matter. The next day, after a lavish breakfast that left us well-fed, we trotted around the metropolis. We found a big building with a grand inscription: Historia Magistra Vitae - "History is the Teacher of Life".

Galer explained that there were other occupations besides mercenaries, each with their own rank system.

"The ranks are Remonian numerals, I, II, III, IV, V… all the way up to X, the highest. They go out and do what we saw with Gordin, they find artifacts or legendary treasures and get judged by their ranks. It's not just about discovering something rare. The guild evaluates what you bring back: its historical value, its power, its danger, and how well you protected it during the journey. The higher the rank you aim for, the more important and powerful the item must be.

And that means you also have to be strong enough to safekeep it. Many promising historians have died because they found something far beyond their ability to protect. Rank isn't just a title, it's proof that you can handle the responsibility that comes with it." I interrupted curiously.

"But he didn't have a rank sigil with him. Was he truly…?" Galer nodded.

"Naturally, such a high-level mission wasn't given to a low rank like him. I assume he did this one privately. His goal was to go further than his peers. That's why he searched for this power…"

"Ahhh…" I muttered. Larina's eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

"Historian? Okay, I want to do that!" Galer and I looked at each other and shrugged.

"If you want that… okay." We went inside. The registrar was a big, white-haired Helenia man named Heloso, a Rank 6 Historian. He stood at 1. 76 meters tall with a broad, solid build that spoke of both scholarly life and the physical demands of fieldwork. His hair was a striking color of aged white, styled in thick, wavy curls that fell to his shoulders in the classic fashion of learned men.

A pair of copper-framed glasses rested pushed up on top of his head, ready to be pulled down for close inspection of ancient texts or inscriptions. He wore heavy, well-worn leather attire reinforced with metal studs and ornate buckles, practical yet dignified, the kind of gear suited for someone who spent as much time trekking through dangerous ruins as judging priceless artifacts in quiet halls. You could feel his strong Animo the moment you stepped near him.

Larina stepped forward and placed 2 silver coins on the counter.

"I would like to take the two tests for Historian rank, please.". Heloso looked her up and down, his gaze lingering on the fully enclosed armor. He raised an eyebrow.

"Full armor for the tests? Unusual. Take off your helmet, girl. I need to see the face of whoever is applying." Larina froze for a second, then shook her head inside the helm.

"I… I can't. I have a condition. My skin is sensitive to light and air. Please… let me keep it on. I promise it won't affect the tests." Heloso's eyes narrowed in clear suspicion. He studied her for a long moment, as if trying to decide whether this was a trick or something more serious. Finally, he let out a low chuckle and shrugged.

"Fine. Keep it on if you must. Honestly, I doubt you'll even pass the written portion in that clunky thing. Most don't make it past Rank I anyway." He waved a hand dismissively.

"Two tests it is... one written on history, one physical against the dummy. I take the 2 silver coins for payment and we'll begin." The first test was history-based, focused on Illyricum. She struggled with some questions but got the majority right... an impressive 80 out of 100. I was completely shocked. Galer just smiled and said, "As a fellow noble, I know exactly how many hours you must study every day to meet the standards of your private tutor."

I still looked scared thinking about how many hours that must have been. Luckily, I'm not a noble child was my ending thought. The next test was a physical battle against a robotic dummy loaded with coal and electric charges. It was calibrated to a Woldrian level to gauge every test taker's performance in finding weaknesses or right away beating it. The maximum rank would be IV, the lowest I. Larina tried her hardest, but the heavy armor drastically lowered her aerial momentum and speed.

She had to adapt on the fly and ultimately failed to beat it after three intense minutes. However, the judges noticed one particular attack where she first reached the leg, one of the dummy's weaknesses... and gave her 30 out of 100. Heloso, the registrar who had been so suspicious of her earlier, stared at the results with genuine surprise. He leaned back in his chair, stroking his silver-streaked beard as he reread the scores.

"Well… I'll be damned," he muttered, a rare smile breaking across his face.

"I thought you were joking when you refused to remove the helmet. But you actually performed quite well in that clunky thing. The way you moved against the dummy... nimble, adaptive, almost graceful despite all that weight. Most applicants in full armor trip over their own feet. You reached the leg joint on your second attempt. Impressive." He glanced down at the written test again, shaking his head in quiet approval.

"And 80 out of 100 on the history section? That's no small feat for someone your age. You carry more knowledge than most Rank I applicants I've seen in years. Alright, girl. The Rank II it is. You've earned it." As she received the Rank II emblem, her joy was palpable. Still she quickly turned a little sad about not getting a higher Rank, but she quickly said she needed proper weapons before advancing. We celebrated the small victory anyway.

We went and got her what she wanted: gauntlets with claws built into them, since she was most familiar with that style. While paying, I thought briefly of Husher. Galer must have done the same, because his expression softened for a moment.

"Carry them well," the blacksmith said. As we left, I told her with a smile, "Make it big in the world, new Historian Seeker." The registrar had already given her a beginner mission: she needed to go to a nearby mountain and find a simple artifact to finalize her ordination into the guild. Saying goodbye was harder than expected. We couldn't join her, we were mercenaries, not Historian Seekers, and we had our own path to follow as recent vagrants. Larina hugged us tightly, tears in her eyes.

I held her shoulders with both hands... still feeling surreal that I had two arms again, and said, "If you keep rising, we will see each other again. I know it. I wish you the best on your path. May Michaelanius be a great guide to you." She nodded, wiped her tears, and walked off with her mission scroll toward her goal, looking small but determined. We turned around and talked about checking our own registry.

The moment we stepped inside, a man named Heruko, 1, 78 meters tall, mid-40s with a groomed grey mid-length beard, approached us.

"You newlings? Perfect. We need more of you for our mission. That's our commission... 2 Osmium." Galer wanted nothing to do with it, knowing it would likely be another way-too-dangerous job. But after buying all the equipment for Larina, we were basically beggars. As the realization hit him, he knew we had no choice but to accept. We took the job. Heruko smiled.

"Good. Prepare yourselves. A new mission with new challenges has begun."