An emergency entry

-21st day of AC, 21.04.1052-

-Time: 7:15-

-Location: 5 km west of Lodiz-

Before the sun had decided to rise above the horizon, they already had set off. Without even caring to hunt much for breakfast, the two travelers ran closer to Lodiz under a gray sky. Eventually, the stars flickering above them started diminishing into nothingness, signaling that a new day had begun in full.

Now, as they were walking on a beaten path once more, their stride became much faster, and within just half an hour, they were bound to reach the city's walls.

Some people came by here and there. The closer the duo got, the more they saw the path split into several branches leading down to valleys and other peaks. Some Mages, Soldiers, Warriors, and all the classes in between were going about their business, some to hunt, others to explore nearby terrains. There were even signs of some small groups, guilds perhaps, setting off on the quests they were given by the guildhalls.

The sight suddenly sparked an idea in Travis' head.

"Maybe reporting to authorities themselves is not that great of an idea. I'd advise going to a guildhall and telling the people in there."

"I'm aware," Violet riposted immediately. "That is my plan."

'And suddenly, I feel dumb.'

"...are you sure you will be alright?" she glanced at him, her blue eye emanating a bit of uncertainty. It was something he seldom saw in her.

"I'm positive," he nodded reassuringly.

Her heterochromatic eyes turned to the side of the path, looking down the steep stony surface. Not that there was much to witness there: some gravel littered places where tiny shelves of rock were formed, their gray-brown shade mundane and uninteresting.

Looking forward, she could only see more of the same ahead. The barely beaten path, some grass here and there, a forest down in the valley they were slowly descending. Though she had to admit, the places nearer to Lodiz were more packed with all manners of people.

Warriors in shiny armor, Mages with staffs and wands, Archers, and the like attacking monsters in groups. Even without releasing any bloodlust to measure their power, Violet realized that their levels were at most two-thirds of hers.

For a long moment, she stared blankly at one group in particular. Two Warrior-type classes in front were tackling a few small boars while a trio of Ranger-types was covering them from the sides. A singular Mage class stood next to the three other people, their dark palms gripping a long staff with a gemstone on top. The person was surely waiting for an opening to cast a spell, nervously stepping from one leg to the other, glancing around in search of anything out of place.

When the situation appeared to become a clear victory, the duo in the vanguard backpedaled a little and shouted a signal to the ones behind. Using this chance, the Mage quickly cast a skill. Mana welled up around them and gathered at the gemstone of their staff, enveloping their person in a veil of blue that appeared to form a barrier. Like a living being, the surface formed was shifting around, creating rigid waves, constricting and stretching around. After a long few seconds, the person holding the staff struck the ground with their tool and pointed a hand at the boars.

In an instant, all the mana got sucked up into the gemstone, and then shot far into the blue sky. A split second later, a white lightning bolt descended, striking the beasts and causing an explosion.

In the aftermath of the skirmish, a total of eight boar corpses were lying, all finished off in a single blow. The ninth one that survived was promptly struck by an arrow through its head, which finished the hunt.

All in all, Violet had to admit this was not a bad team strategy. Two stronger melee fighters were dispatched to suppress the enemy while ranged units wiggled their HP down. In the end, a powerful magic strike finished the fight. That was, most of the time, how small, diverse groups would hunt. However, it didn't mean that she was impressed. She had fought in groups before, and Violet could see some problems with the adventurers's way.

'The rangers should've split to cover the boars from sides as well. Moreover, the Mage attacked too hastily. Had the Warriors been any slower, they likely would've been caught up in the explosion. And the melee fighters themselves were doing too little besides taking the boars head-on. They used tower shields but didn't utilize any polearms to stab whilst defending. Overall, it's a strategy that works on boars, but would fail against something stronger or more coordinated.'

She let out a sigh. Analysis of previous encounters was always an imperative part of the growth in class. Without it, only the body would become stronger while the mind would constantly rely on the same old tactics. It would create an inability to respond to unexpected situations.

...

Which only brought out the unpleasant memories of the last few days into her mind.

...

-About 3 hours later, in Lodiz-

Getting inside the city was surprisingly easy. Despite looking a little intimidating and strict, the guards around Lodiz hardly cared for anything but the monsters. It didn't mean they normally would allow either Travis or Violet in without a MID. However, it did allow for a pretty unusual workaround.

They started roughly 500 meters from the nearest gate. Going off the path, the duo searched for a while before finding a nest of wargs. Those beasts were top predators of the surrounding acres, only ever fighting for dominance against bears or naturally occurring golems. However, being this close to the city, their levels were much lower than in other parts of the mountain chain. Level 30, maybe 35 - that was what Violet determined quickly.

But wargs had two things that Travis knew could be used. Firstly, they were pack animals, and the size of their groups could reach as many as 10 individual members. Secondly, they were relentless in their chase, sometimes going on for kilometers before deciding to give up.

The process was very simple: All it took was a couple <Mana Bolts> to disturb them, and the rest was to rush to the gates. Using bursts of speed from <Sprint> to dodge their attacks, he could avoid getting caught. Violet skittered near him, throwing an occasional knife at a warg she judged the man couldn't see. A fool's solution, perhaps, or possibly a genius's one, to divert the attention of the guards like this.

A priest of the Church was also present, standing under the arch of the gate. He was an aged man, perhaps as old as sixty, wearing immaculate gray robes with golden emblems on his arms and chest. Despite not engaging in combat directly, he was hardly a problem to get by. As his eyes nervously scanned over the battle that was unfolding between the guards and the beasts, the fact that the two travelers slipped into the city completely elapsed his judgment.

"I'm not sure how good it was to just leave them be like that," Travis commented, taking his shirt off in a side alley and putting on a different one.

"They'll be alright," he heard Violet's response. The woman was standing a few meters away, behind a larger piece of wood, and was hastily changing her clothes as well. "Their levels are around the 70 mark. Adding to that their equipment and support from archers on the walls, it's unlikely that anything will happen to them."

"I suppose. Are you finished?"

"...yes," she came out, now dressed in a long gray shirt and dark beige pants. Having removed the string holding her hair in a ponytail, Violet let it roam freely on her shoulders.

"Alright then. I'll be at the marketplace. Good luck at the guildhall."

She nodded lightly before the two of them went out of the alley and onto the main road.

Lodiz was a small city, yet full of life and activity beyond what Silvana could ever display. The streets were crowded with people going about their daily business. A few guards could be seen patrolling the avenues with a watchful eye. The sound of hooves echoed loudly against the cobblestone streets as some horses pulled small carts. Others were straddled by people, making their way through the narrow pathways. The atmosphere was somewhat cloudy, casting a mix of light and shadow that danced on the walls and ground alike. As they strolled toward the marketplace, Violet went off in another direction to find the guildhall. Travis took a moment to glance around, taking in the sights and sounds of the busy marketplace.

Behind their tables, numerous merchants were constantly advertising their products, ranging from simple food items to exquisite weaponry that could not be found easily. The aroma of freshly baked bread and roasted meats filled the air, making his stomach growl quietly with hunger. All around him, people moved like schools of fish, some stopping to admire the unique and exotic items on display, while others hurriedly made their way through the crowds to complete their errands.

Other than humans, there were also some smaller figures scurrying about, their broad shoulders and stocky builds signaling that they were dwarves, perhaps from a clan south of Lodiz. Some more elegant individuals caught his eye as well, with spiky ears and long faces that marked them as elves. They moved in a small group on the edge of Travis' vision, quickly disappearing in between some buildings. It was a fascinating sight, and Travis couldn't help but take it all in, especially since this was the first time he had seen any elves since he had bid farewell to Leaf.

He had to admit, he missed seeing a bustling city. The densely vocal atmosphere was only made even more voice-filled as Travis picked up some sounds of children's chatter and laughter coming from nearby.

A small smile entered his face.

After a short while of standing on the edge, the man decided to find himself a spot to sit down. Quickly, he slumped down on a nearby barrel of knee height. A deep sigh of relief escaped his mouth.

'Isolde will not dare come in here, I'm sure of that. It doesn't mean I'm safe for long, but at least I can take a breath. Now, let's just hope that Violet does what I asked of her.'

...and then, he felt his stomach constrict slightly again.

'Alright, dammit. I'm starving for some bread. Meat's all fine and all, but it's stale by now, especially without Leaf's herbs.'

-Meanwhile, at the guildhall of Lodiz-

Violet walked through the streets quickly and silently, not caring much for any sounds or people around. With quiet and refined steps she was outspending most of the pedestrians around without significant effort. Eventually, however, she stood against a large structure in the southern part of the city.

At least 15 meters tall, this building dwarfed every other around, standing like an ominous guardian of the streets around. Its thick walls were supported by tree-thick frames, giving it a look reminiscent of old architecture and somehow making it appear even more imposing. Almost every window below the third floor had iron crates installed in them, and from the rooftop descended long pipe sections to drive out any water into the underground. The walls of the guildhall were already worn by time, but their light gray color did not fade, and the innumerable cracks made the entirety look like it withstood a war.

In most cities, those buildings would be much smaller. However, in the case of outpost cities or ones that were difficult to reach by foot, the guildhall was a three-in-one building: a guildhall, an armory, and the governor's office. In a way, it begged to be called by another word altogether.

'A stronghold...' the word bounced around in Violet's head. This building could be used as a city's last line of defense. Such a title was befitting for it.

But the woman quickly shook the thought out of her mind. She wasn't here to wonder. She had three objectives to accomplish in this very building.

Coming closer to the main door, she glanced to her side, immediately noticing a small group of mercenaries standing idly yet looking back at her suspiciously.

It appeared that they didn't take nicely to strangers on their grounds...

...was what she thought until she felt somebody bump into her. Or rather, they both walked into each other.

"Wah!" a girly voice could be heard. Violet nearly instantly took a half-jump back, focusing on its source.

The person who bumped into her fell to the floor, a few papers in her hands dropping as she let out a slightly pained sound. Her bright green eyes closed momentarily before shooting open again and looking around, searching for the documents she'd dropped.

"...I apologize," the black-haired Rogue said, bowing her head slightly. 'An Inspector...' she thought, noticing the khaki-colored jacket and long pants that had a slightly more brown tonation. Her boots were black and sleek, their surface gleaming a little.

"Ah, no, no, I'm sorry," the woman replied, quickly gathering her papers and getting up. "I got lost in thought..." she added, looking forward at Violet. "...what are you doing here, Miss?" she asked, her green eyes betraying a sense of curiosity and surprise.

"...?" Violet frowned momentarily, unsure what to respond. "...have we met before?" looking at the girl's face, she failed to recall seeing her before. With slight blemishes on the back of her cheeks and a small, circular imprint of red on her forehead, this authority officer definitely would've left a mark in Violet's memory.

"...haven't we?" the girl replied, slightly hesitant. "I'm sure I remember meeting you...?" suddenly, she shook her head a little. "I'm sorry, my memory's all over the place. I must've mistaken you for someone else. Have a nice day," then, without waiting for Violet's response, the Inspector hastily trekked away north toward the marketplace.

'...bizarre.' Violet sighed at the thought. She took in the girl's details and easily conceded not seeing her anywhere before. Especially considering the white hair she sported, that girl couldn't have been forgotten by her.

'No matter. I should continue with this.'

As Violet stepped into the guildhall, she was immediately struck by the weight of the wooden door. She pushed it aside with a quiet grunt, revealing a very spacious room. The sound of chatter and clinking glasses filled the air as patrons of all shapes and sizes sat at the numerous tables that lined the walls. Chandeliers filled with small, shining orbs illuminated the area quite nicely. Similar balls of light were hanging in small lanterns on the walls, granting further visibility.

Violet's eyes were drawn to the counter at the far end of the room, where several accountants and guildhall representatives were busy attending to customers. The counters were built directly into the walls and were cluttered with various tools and stacks of parchment.

As she made her way toward the quest board, Violet couldn't help but notice the diverse group of adventurers that filled the room. Some were huddled together in small groups, deep in conversation, while others sat alone, lost in thought. Most of them had some drinks, the stench of ale filling the air, much to her dismay.

Finally, she reached the quest board, larger than she anticipated. Dozens of papers were tacked to the board, each one detailing a different quest that could be taken on. Some were simple, like exploring the surrounding terrain or mapping the nearby mountains while others were more dangerous, such as escorting important cargo through bandit-infested territory or hunting bosses that started going out of their territories in field dungeons.

However, she had no interest in the assignments. Instead, her feet quickly walked on the wooden surface toward the nearest available counter. Feeling the planks under her creak slightly, Violet could only confirm that this building was very old. As old as the city itself, perhaps, with little to no renovation done on it.

"Hello, welcome to Lodiz's guildhall!" a young woman called out to her as she stepped closer, her ginger hair of elbow length made into a braid. "What business do you have with us?" she continued, her blue eyes gleaming with genuine curiosity. This accountant appeared to be a people person.

Violet nodded before speaking, "Three things. First: I'd like a map detailing nearby dungeons. Preferably south of Lodiz, and toward Haliz."

"Alright, but that information is available only for mercenaries or authorities. Do you happen to have your card?"

"Is a galian mercenary card sufficient?"

"Oh, of course!" the woman beamed almost immediately with a bit of a cheer.

With a swipe of a hand, Violet used the storage ring on her hand, and a small card of a bronze color appeared. It was slightly smaller than an MID and had some engravings on its surface, forming into small letters and numbers. Quickly, the Rogue passed her possession to the lady behind the counter, who immediately read what was on its surface. Having done that, she inputted it into some kind of a device (which Violet couldn't see). In just a few seconds, she nodded whilst returning the card.

"Alright, Miss Violet. Can I also have your MID?"

"...why?"

"It's a verification step, nothing much," the lady shrugged lightly, her wavy, orange hair flowing onto the counter slightly. "You might've not heard of it since it was only passed two weeks ago. Don't worry, it won't take long."

"..."

"...Miss Violet?" the redhead formed a questioning expression, looking at the black-haired woman expectantly.

"*Sigh* My MID is broken. I was going to report it as well," Violet said slowly, feeling a strange sense of uneasiness crawl up her spine.

"But without an MID... how did you get into Lodiz?" the receptionist asked with a bit of reserve, her sky-blue eyes dimmed slightly by a frown.

"..."

"Miss Violet... I think you have some explaining to do."

-Meanwhile-

It didn't take long to finish his errands. The only thing Travis was at all interested in was the food stand. He instantly noticed a variety of bread that only a traveling merchant could present. He didn't even know what half of those were. Wholemeal bread, rye bread, and so, so many other types he'd never heard of, kept as fresh as just baked with the help of an enchanted tablecloth, all equally made him salivate. After coming to his senses, he was promptly **** to take one of the cheaper ones by his monetary state. On top of that, he took a few small loaves of plain bread and stuffed them into his backpack (after all, he wasn't going to hunt on only meat, no matter how good it tasted).

Travis slowly got back to the barrel he previously sat on. Planting his butt on it, he leaned on the wall behind. He raised the bread closer to his mouth and sniffed it. Its rich scent flowed through his nostrils, and its hard yet yielding surface made a nice, crunchy sound when he squeezed it.

'...wait, let's try this again.' a thought entered the man's head as he slowly lowered the loaf and focused his gaze on it. Within just a short second, he was greeted by a fresh (pun intended) panel.

[Wholemeal bread

Rating: Rare

*Keeps freshness for a long duration.

*There is a minimal probability of increasing stamina regeneration for 10 minutes.

A loaf of bread made from good-quality grain. Its freshness was kept untouched thanks to an enchanted tablecloth. However, its taste became stale due to lying around for a long time.

Weight: 277 g]

'So this works nicely. The taste is... indeed, a little stale, but the smell makes up for it.' the man conceded, discarding the notification. 'This means that those are accurate, as far as I know.'

The man's gaze, however, started shifting to the people he could see in the marketplace. 'When I used my Sense on Isolde, I did it purely out of **** hope for it to do something at all... I didn't expect it to work. But does it work on humans, I wonder?' he thought before selecting a target for his staring. Deciding to not pick a moving target, he settled for a nearby merchant.

'Hmm... it does work. But I'm seeing strong differences. With Isolde, the only stat I could see was her Strength. Meanwhile, I can see every stat of this man. Why is that?' Travis asked himself while shifting his attention to another person.

'On that woman, I cannot see her Intelligence or level. Immediately, her MP and WP became question marks as well... I need to test this a bit more.'

After scanning a couple more people, he started drawing some conclusions.

'First of all, the stats I can see with numbers appear to be lower than my Sense. Secondly, if Endurance, Wisdom, or Intelligence cannot be seen, then their respective gauges are not clear, either. Thirdly, their class becomes invisible when I can't see at least four of their stats, but it sometimes requires five. Fourthly, some people can somehow feel my stare at them if I do it for too long...' he reminded himself of a few glares that were shot at him. 'Lastly, I'm not sure what controls when I can see their levels. Sometimes, I can only see half of their stats and their level, other times I see everything but one stat and can't see it. Is it tied to my own?' he pondered, taking a bite out of the loaf. Nodding lightly to himself, he decided to stop his train of thought. For now, he was satisfied with his findings.

For a long minute or so, he didn't move from his position, deciding to slowly munch on the tasty food he'd bought. Taking a sip from his waterskin, he felt the refreshingly cool water from a river's stream travel down his esophagus. A relieved sigh was all he responded with.

...

Suddenly, he felt something prod his leg a little. Slightly startled, the man looked down and immediately noticed a duo of small children, perhaps 6 or 7, looking at him with large eyes. The tattered clothes on both of them seemed just barely wearable, with large imprints of dirt and other filth.

"Mister..." one of them, a boy, started speaking. "W-Would you please s-spare us a bite?"

"P-Please..." the small girl added, her dark green eyes looking pleadingly at him.

Momentarily, Travis focused his vision on the boy.

The boy appeared to shrink as he took a tentative step back. He surely felt Travis scanning him. The man, feeling his heart become heavier, said, "Alright, here," he nodded, breaking the piece of food he had remaining.

As the kids accepted the bread, Travis could see their mouths watering. Surprisingly, however, the boy looked back at him.

"T-Thank you, mister..." and then, he skittered away, quickly followed by the girl.

Travis felt his heartbeat echo in his veins for a long moment. 'Poverty hits hard.' he frowned glumly at the thought. 'It feels unfair. The way you are born decides what class you can achieve... this world really likes to kick its inhabitants in the ass, doesn't it...'

He looked to the sky for a moment, the silver linings of the clouds overlapping one on another, creating a huge mess that would likely send down rain sometime soon.

'I wonder how Crystal and Maxim are doing. Now that I know that the Apostle of Light really is in Poiri, it makes me uneasy. I don't know if the Church's priests can detect psionic barriers... since it's magic, they might. But if it's done with solely Willpower, they shouldn't... right?'

But there was no way for him to know.

He let out a defeated sigh and lowered his gaze. This place, teeming with life... would it still be the same next month? Next year? He wasn't sure.

Violet's words, no matter how much he tried to dismiss them, were true. Apostles were a change in the world beyond anything yet seen. It was only a matter of time before the public would catch up on the news. What would their reaction be, however? Awe? Ire? Disdain? Who would they help, and in what way?

Travis knew the answer well: he would not receive many supporters if any at all. Psions were feared and hated. Even though his attributes were somewhat different, the man did use that part of his skill set the most. But then...

'Will my family turn on me as well?' a thought entered his mind. An image of Crystal holding a pitchfork, telling him to get lost, or worse yet, attacking him with a furious expression, appeared in his mind momentarily. His heart ached briefly. '...why did I even accept this class at all? It's brought nothing but suffering to me. Why do I keep going?'

...

'No. Without this class, I would've lived in obliviousness to the fact that Kanya died of someone's hand. Had I not picked up this fight, I would not have been able to help Norbert. Maybe not everything's great, but there are things I'm glad for occurring.'

...

Isolde Ashthorn. The case of Holia. Violet and her group. The Apostle Competition. The problems Travis had to deal with were seemingly only mounting on and on, but he also felt a bit of hope rise in his chest.

'Whoever you are.' he thought, almost as if sending a mental message. 'Wherever you hide. I don't care what I'll have to do. I'll find you, and I'll make you pay.' he made a declaration deep inside his heart. 'And I'll make sure to protect those I hold dear.' he clenched his fist. A fire started burning in him as a smile appeared on his face.

Suddenly, he felt his heartbeat lighten somewhat. Like the stillness that comes after a storm, Travis felt his worries melt away, even if only partially. For now, he had a clear goal. All that was left to do was to wait for Violet.

But suddenly, a familiar voice entered his ears, coming from his right.

"Found you."

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