"We should go register today!" Isabela announced, watching Haru come down, stumbling, hand on his head.

"We received a letter... we should go fill out the academy paperwork."

"By the way..." she looked at him, "...how are you?"

"Hungover..." Haru replied. "Can’t we do it tomorrow? Can’t you do it for me? I just want to sleep..." he paused, confused. "Have the days passed already? Are you sure it’s time?"

"No..." Isabela replied. "Not to mention you’re still my personal bodyguard..."

"You only want me there, nothing more..." Haru grumbled, sitting down to eat.

He had woken up late, the only one who hadn’t eaten yet.

The table had leftover coffee, bread, and fruit.

"By the way, Kira..." Haru said, grabbing some food, "...where’s that form to fill out your information? You asked me for help and I haven’t helped you since..."

"Nooo, master! I don’t want to go to school!" Kira complained, ears down, tail still. "I know how to survive..."

Kira’s good mood completely vanished.

"That’s not fair..."

She went and came back with the form, handing it over grumbling.

Haru took it and began to fill it out:

"Name?"

"Kirathia..."

Haru stopped, pen in the air.

"Wait... your name is Kirathia? And Kira is short for Kirathia!?"

"Yes..." she confirmed.

"Oh, right! I thought Kira was a nickname, you know?"

He spoke aloud:

"In English, Killer... but in Japanese, because we don’t have an ’L’, it’s Kira. I thought that..."

Isabela interrupted: "What is English!? A code?"

Haru oriented herself, remembering where she was. "Aethelgard is a time-space where certain things haven’t been invented yet..."

"Master speaks Japanese!?" Kira asked, amazed.

"I thought that was a Japanese name..." Isabela said, "...but you don’t look Japanese..."

"Yeah, I am Japanese..."

"Dad knows how to write in Japanese!" Yukihime said, coming down all ready to go out, dress neatly arranged, hair combed. "He even taught me how to write my name!"

"That’s great!" Everyone exclaimed, curious about what it would be like.

Haru sighed, took a piece of paper and wrote:

Haru (春)

Mizuki (水木)

Everyone looked in amazement, strange, beautiful, mysterious symbols.

...

Moments later they were in the coachman going to the academy’s information desk.

They passed by the Cathedral.

It was under reconstruction, scaffolding erected, workers climbing, stones being replaced.

Out of curiosity for everyone passing by, the coachman slowed down.

Today Haru was lying inside the carriage, on the floor, his arm over his eyes.

"Dad, look! The Cathedral is being rebuilt!" Yukihime said excitedly.

Murmurs from outside:

"It seems there was an invasion... a group of evildoers invaded it..."

"Evildoers my foot! This is the work of those so-called Gamers!"

"I couldn’t sleep last night... until the emperor sent guards, thanks to the emperor everything is alright for now."

"The hospital is full of saints..."

"I wonder if Lilithine is alright?" Yukihime asked innocently.

Haru, lying in the carriage, didn’t even get up to see the state of the cathedral.

He remained there.

"Even if I saw... it wouldn’t change anything. Besides, I’ve seen enough."

"So it wasn’t a dream..." he sighed. "I hope Lilithine is alright..."

"You were here yesterday, weren’t you, master?" Kira asked.

"No, woman... I was drinking."

"The master can’t lie..."

"I was here during the day, not at night! Yukihime, your spy, is a witness!"

"Then who brought you home?" Isabela asked. "Who were you drinking with?"

"It’s true! I don’t know how I got home or who dropped me off... Could it have been Genius? Because he was the last person I saw..."

"I don’t know..." Haru replied.

"What do you mean you don’t know who you were drinking with!?"

"Well, I only know that I went to the guild with a friend... and when I woke up I was home. I don’t know who brought me..."

He sighed heavily. "My God, I just wanted to stay home..."

Somehow, everyone in the carriage looked like they were sure Haru had been there.

But nobody said anything.

Moments later they were at the location, a huge building, Gothic architecture, tall towers, perfect gardens.

There was a huge line to register, hundreds of people, nobles and commoners mixed together.

But thanks to the privilege of House Valtherion, they arrived and went straight through the process.

Kira and Yukihime’s registration, forms signed, seals applied.

Registration for boarding school for everyone, rooms reserved, beds assigned.

Payment for uniforms, measurements taken, fabrics chosen.

First counter: "Student’s vocation?"

No one knew what to answer, but they answered anyway...

Isabela: "Weapons and elemental magic?"

Kira: "Survival... hunting... I don’t want to study..."

Yukihime: "I want to be strong like Dad!"

Haru: "...I just want to sleep."

Second counter: "Accommodation preferences?"

Haru: "As far away from classes as possible."

Attendant: "...that doesn’t exist, sir."

Third counter: "Extracurricular activities?"

Huge list: Fencing, Etiquette, Dance, Horseback Riding, Alchemy, Enchantments...

Haru looked at the list.

"Does ’sleep’ have that?"

Isabela hit him on the head.

Fourth counter: Uniform being measured.

Seamstress: "Arms open, please."

Haru with arms open, eyes closed, almost asleep standing up. Seamstress: "...are you alright, sir?"

Isabela: "Hangover."

Seamstress: "Ah... normal in the Capital."

"Everyone should be here tomorrow." The attendant said, stamping papers.

"What!? Soon...?" Haru grumbled.

"You’re being very grumpy today..." Isabela retorted.

The attendant continued: "It’s normal for things like this to happen in the Capital. Tomorrow we’ll have: opening, preliminary tests for those entering and leaving, and a preliminary tour of the boarding school. Anyone who wants to can apply now, it’s more recommended before the academy starts..."

"I’m going to get some water..." Haru said, getting up.

He left, went to look for a water fountain. He didn’t even know how it worked when someone wanted to get water there.

Haru walked here and there, entering rooms, corridors, courtyards. Until he got tired.

He went to sit in a chair in the courtyard of that place.

"Where are the water fountains in this world...?" He thought, tilting his head. "Genius hasn’t invented it yet...?" He smiled wearily.

"I’m very thirsty..."

"Here..."

"Hmm...?" Haru looked.

It was an Elf, beautiful, blonde, with light blue eyes, dressed like nobility (a white dress with gold embroidery...).

Beside her, a guard in light armor, sword at his waist.

She was handing him a water canteen, engraved silver, with inlaid blue stones.

"You said you were very thirsty..."

Haru took the canteen.

"Thank you..." he said before drinking.

Fresh water, better than anything he had drunk today.

Someone called the Elf, a distant, urgent voice.

"Ah, I have to go!" She said, hurrying away.

Haru wanted to return the canteen, but she was already gone.

He looked at the canteen, beautiful, noble, expensive.

"What a pity..." he thought. "There are still people who are worth it..."

Isabela arrived to pick up Haru.

"Let’s go home! Everything’s ready..."

"Beautiful canteen!" Isabela complimented, picking it up to admire it. "It looks familiar... where did you buy it?"

"I didn’t buy it. Some random Elf gave me water."

Isabela was astonished. "House Asteriel!?"

She looked at the engraved coat of arms.

"This is the coat of arms of House Orphéne..."

(//Asteriel Orphéne)

"I’ve heard that name before!?" Haru was also astonished.

"You know them?"

Haru processed, memories of the game returning.

"Orphéne... one of the Spawn Points in the original game."

"Unlike Spawn Point Valtherion, where you’re Isabela’s bodyguard to fend for yourself, in Orphéne you’re just a random guy with no connection to the nobility."

"However, it’s easier to survive there than in the Valtherion region. Precisely because you’re born in their capital..."

"...when I was a slave, I passed through there once..." Haru said, standing up.

"What slave?!" Isabela smiled. "You’re a Gamer..."

"Oh, no! Me!? No!" Haru smiled. "I’m a normal citizen! Not one of those evil, wholesale races from Catedral!"

Isabela smiled, finding it funny how Haru pretended so naturally. In some way, it was funny to her.

"Gamer..."

"Shut up, woman! What if people hear? Are you trying to sell me?"

"Sell me how? But you’re not a gamer..." they continued towards the cart where the others were waiting.

Haru stopped. He shouted loudly:

"THIS WOMAN HERE IS A GAMER!"

People turned to Isabela, curious looks, some frightened.

"No..."

Haru ran off, laughing loudly.

"Kid! Your hangover ends now!" Isabela followed him to the cart.

...

On the other side, Flavius was making rings in his workshop.

He mixed this and that in a cauldron, a bright, steaming liquid, smelling of metal and magic.

He took the Tactys, the three stones, and placed them in the mini cauldron.

with the grimoire open beside him, pages turning by themselves, runes glowing.

He pronounced words in an ancient tongue:

"Per ignem et ferrum...

Per spiritum et vinculum...

Per pactum aeternum..."

He made the preparations, drawing a magic circle, lighting candles, adjusting the temperature.

Then he immersed the rings, three bands of pure silver, in the liquid.

Vapor rose, light exploded, runes appeared on the rings.

Later he removed them, holding them with tweezers, dripping golden liquid.

Then he consecrated them, one by one; it was a long, meticulous process.

Each ring gained inscriptions, symbols engraving themselves, shining, then permanently fading.

Until everything was finished, three perfect rings, shining softly.

"Rings of the Spiritual Pact!" Flavius said, laughing, admiring the work.

"Fantastic!"

He placed them in a velvet box and closed it carefully.

He would deliver them to Haru tomorrow.

And then... the real test would begin.