Sometimes, I became emotional without realizing it. I found myself smiling as memories surfaced—days spent playing at the orphanage, and Sister Mariya nagging me whenever I broke something. Those moments felt distant now, yet painfully warm.
I was lost in those thoughts when Tev spoke, snapping me back to reality.
"We're about to reach the government office," he said. "Take this identity card and show it when asked. And put on the glasses I gave you."
He handed me my ID. I nodded and pulled the spectacles from my pocket, placing them on my face. Tev glanced at me and gave a small nod of approval.
I checked the card—my name, age, and other details were neatly inscribed.
The carriage came to a halt. Tev stepped down immediately and headed toward the building, while I stayed behind for a moment to gather my luggage. Unlike me, Tev didn't need to carry anything—his storage ring handled all of that effortlessly.
Inside the building, the atmosphere buzzed with activity. Clerks worked behind counters, while merchants, hunters, and even a few nobles moved about. We approached a desk where Tev spoke to a young attendant.
"We'd like to use the portal to Ashford City for two people," he said.
"May I see your IDs, sir?" the attendant asked politely.
Tev handed his over, followed by mine. She examined them using an artifact that looked eerily similar to a computer—though I wasn't sure what else to call it.
"Please wait ten minutes," she said. "You'll be notified when the portal is ready. Payment can be made at the next counter."
We moved to another desk where Tev casually placed fifty gold coins on the table.
I nearly froze.
From Tyler's memories, I knew the value of money here—one hundred copper coins equaled one silver, and one hundred silver made a single gold coin. Above that were platinum coins, used only by Marquesses, Dukes, and royalty. And he'd just handed over fifty gold like it was nothing.
We sat in the waiting area.
Ten minutes passed. Then thirty. Then an hour.
Suddenly, loud shouting erupted outside. A crowd had gathered around someone, though I couldn't see clearly. What I did notice were knights in uniform, each bearing a leaf-shaped emblem on their chest.
"They're from the Willow family," Tev said calmly. "Looks like they're guarding someone important."
"You know them?" I asked.
"Of course. The Willow family is an alchemist house—Marquis of the West."
As I watched, a boy around my age came into view. He was yelling at the same attendant we'd spoken to earlier.
"Who is he?" I asked. "Why's he so angry?"
"That's Nen Walt Willow, the successor of the Willow family," Tev replied. "Judging by the number of A-rank knights around him, he's likely here to hunt monsters for experience. He's angry for the same reason we are."
I frowned. "I don't understand."
"The government offices exist to reduce the empire's workload," Tev explained. "They handle most administrative matters, but they answer only to the empire itself. Even nobles aren't treated differently here."
He smiled faintly. "After seeing my name, they tried to delay us a bit—just to test me. I stayed quiet. He didn't."
"But isn't that wrong? Discriminating like that… and against nobles?" I asked.
"Yes," Tev said simply. "But they don't care. To them, only the Empire stands above all else. Even the most prestigious academy on this continent is run by the government. That's why they have no respect for nobles—they've wanted to dismantle the noble system for a long time. The only reason it still exists is because the Empire itself created it. And with the government's powerful officials backing them, no one can easily oppose their authority."
Nen's anger continued to grow, but we couldn't hear a thing—the waiting area was enclosed by soundproof glass.
I found myself enjoying it, despite everything.
Then everything froze.
A slender hand grabbed Nen's arm.
For a second, it felt like time itself had stopped....like a paused video.
A girl stepped into view. Long green hair flowed down her back, matching her vivid emerald eyes. Her figure was lean and perfectly balanced, and her presence alone drew attention from everyone nearby.
"Aelina Faewyn Moonveil…" Tev murmured, even he sounding momentarily stunned.
"I'm not surprised to see her here," he continued. "She was also heading to the city for the knight selection in the Dukedom."
"Why is she with him?" I asked.
"Her house serves the Willows. They also sponsor her," Tev replied. "She's here to hunt monsters in the forest as well."
Before I could say more, our turn for the portal was announced.
We entered a large chamber where a massive, open portal shimmered with deep purple light, mana swirling violently within it. Nen, his guards, and Aelina were there too.
Nen glanced around—his gaze briefly met mine, then shifted to Tev. Tev met his stare calmly.
"Sir, I think he recognizes you," I whispered.
"Behave properly, Tyler," Tev said. "Of course he knows me. I'm one of the Duke's knights."
I immediately turned my attention back to the portal.
Then I froze again.
A pair of green eyes looked directly at me.
Aelina.
Her gaze shifted from me to Tev, and she gave him a slight nod before stepping into the portal with her group.
"Your first time, right?" Tev said as it became our turn. "Try not to lose consciousness."
I swallowed. As someone who'd read countless novels and manhwa, I knew exactly what he meant.
The moment I stepped into the portal, I braced myself.....
but nothing happened.
No dizziness. No nausea.
When I opened my eyes, we were already in another room.
Tev stared at me strangely. "You're fine? Are you sure this was your first time?"
"Why would I lie?" I replied.
Behind us, Nen was violently throwing up in a corner while his guards rushed to help him. Aelina was nowhere in sight.
We exited the government building, and my breath caught.
Towering, majestic structures stretched toward the sky. Air balloons floated above the city, drifting lazily through the clouds.
"If you're amazed by this," Tev said, "I can't imagine your reaction when you see the capital."
Just then, knights in gray and red uniforms approached us.
"Welcome to Ashford City."