A giant wall stood before us, more than fifty meters tall. A wide door was in the middle of the wall. Behind that door stood Sephoria City.
Guards were stationed at the level of the door, and could be seen all along the wall—more than one hundred were present.
There were plenty of roads leading to Sephoria City, and many convoys coming toward it. There were also roads that bypassed Sephoria entirely, continuing toward Jade City and the northern regions.
The convoy would take one of those roads too—they would just stop briefly to let me enter Sephoria before continuing their journey.
"Do you really need to leave, Sirius?"
"Yes, Aurelia. I have to. But don't worry too much. Once I've done what I need to do, I'll head to Jade City and find both of you!"
Caelan tapped me on the back and smiled as he looked toward the wall.
"Then I hope it'll be soon. But you must send us a letter every three months, alright? If we don't receive anything in six months, we'll come find you."
Sirius nodded.
"Yes. My friends… I was happy to be with you for a whole month. We'll definitely meet again as soon as we can! And I hope you'll both achieve your goals too!"
"And Saelira, I hope you'll join the group as well. Caelan will ask you when I find them if you want to come."
"I'll be there."
"Fine then."
Sirius smiled at Aurelia.
"Next time I see you, I hope you'll have convinced your parents to let you become a florist! I'll truly miss you all."
Sirius started to hug his friends—even Marn, who had somehow become close to him too. Then he smiled at the convoy and jumped out, heading toward Sephoria City.
He would truly miss them all, especially Caelan and Aurelia. He hadn't yet become strong enough to find them again. If he had stayed with them, he might've lived his best life—yet, he believed he wouldn't have reached the power he needed. The power required to revive Aurelius.
He arrived at what looked like a queue. Guards were inspecting everyone before letting them enter Sephoria.
In probably half an hour—or at best, one hour—Sirius would finally enter Sephoria City.
Behind him, Caelan and Aurelia were saddened by his departure. They didn't have many friends, or at least not friends who were there for them, and not for their prestige.
They even considered Sirius as more than a friend—as a brother. A single month usually wasn't enough to become so close, yet they naturally grew closer with each passing day, reaching that point.
So they would wait for him in Jade City, and pursue their goals. In fact, maybe it was even better that Sirius left now.
They would be busy the moment they stepped into Jade City.
After all, they had to fight their own brothers and sisters for the family's leadership, and engage in political battles with other noble families to maintain their power.
Such was the burden of a noble.
Once someone became a noble, they did everything to build relationships with other houses—but at some point, when one becomes strong enough, they must grow wary of the others, who in their jealousy, may try to take what has been built.
As for Saelira, she felt both sad and relieved that Sirius had left. He was her friend, yet… someone with red hair. His very existence was a sin in the eyes of many. She was still convinced that he was the reason they had been attacked.
She remained conflicted about him—unsure whether she truly wanted to be his friend, or whether she should stay away forever. Because he seemed fated to bring death.
Marn too was sad that the boy had left, yet he was certain Sirius would succeed in life. So he saw him off with a wide smile. The others didn't care that much about Sirius, but they still said goodbye. After all, he had either protected them or helped protect others.
And so, the journey with the convoy ended for Sirius, and his path in Sephoria City was about to begin.
He was still waiting in the queue—only around ten people remained in front of him. His turn would come soon.
Around one-third of the people bore weapons. Caelan and Marn had told him that martial artists were everywhere in the cities, all gathering for fame and fortune.
In fact, they'd even said that over ninety percent of martial artists lived in the twenty major cities, while fewer than ten percent remained in villages or seclusion.
Guards were letting people pass after checking them, mostly just for formality. They didn't really care what people were carrying.
And finally, it was my turn.
The two guards saw me. Their eyes were full of disdain, as if I were nothing more than a bug.
"Why are you coming to Sephoria City?"
"I'm here to become a mercenary."
"What realm and stage are you?"
"I'm in the mid stage of the Self Vision realm."
Both guards burst into laughter.
"A mere mid-stage Self Vision martial artist wants to become a mercenary? How funny! You'll die as soon as you take your first mission!"
The second guard added:
"Trust me, you shouldn't come to Sephoria at all. You'll just die like a bug—and probably get your companions killed too, red-haired brat."
Again, someone judged Sirius solely for his hair color—as if that were the only thing that mattered.
"Whether I die or not, I want to become a mercenary. So please, let me through."
"You think you can speak to us like that? How dare you!"
"We were just advising you because you're a junior, and you talk back to us like this? Do you want to die?"
The guards lost patience. They no longer wanted to speak. They drew their bastard swords from their scabbards, ready to kill him.
Sirius drew his saber too—but he didn't want to use it. Marn had warned him: attacking a guard was the worst thing one could do. He would be labeled a criminal.
"Brat, get out of our sight now! Or we'll kill you. We've already shown you too much sympathy!"
The situation was… complicated. He couldn't attack, nor could he defend himself. Yet he had no choice—they were pointing their swords right at him.
How pitiful it was, to be treated like that… just because of his hair.
But he still had a solution.