Part one:
Four months have passed since Zafer became a Temper candidate.
During that time he learned and trained like never before, as far as he could remember at least.
In the past, Zafer was so weak that every activation of his Almighty Eye was spontaneous and uncontrollable.
Due to that, he faced difficult symptoms of amnesia and unconsciousness almost every time his anomaly would activate.
His memory would practically reset each time.
It was only around the time when people started counting years when an adult paladin saw Zafer’s curse and decided to help him and teach him how to control his anomaly.
That was the beginning of his love for paladins and training. Semi was the first freelancer who wanted to team up with Zafer and form a small gang. They cultivated some cheap magic flowers together and tried to overcome every issue they faced together.
It was hard, but they both managed to survive; and now, they have successfully integrated themselves into the world of the paladins, each creating their own network of people.
However, never could have Zafer imagined that the same people he became friends with could die so early.
That worry never even crossed his mind.
This was maybe due to his personality, but even if he considered something scary like that, it would have never prepared him for the loss of that day.
The loss of Skil.
He took some time to reflect on their first meeting, never imagining that such a profound friendship could have grown from it.
As mentioned, Zafer had no friends other than Semi before, so he didn’t really know what a friendship looked like.
However, Skil really did a great job at showing him what a true friend was, and as Zafer’s journey goes on, the more he will understand just how good of a friend Skil was.
Compared to others.
“Isn’t it weird that only paladins bury people instead of igniting their bodies?”, someone whispered.
“It isn’t, because when a paladin dies, there is usually no body to be ignited”, another man answered.
This was true and mostly due to the Vestige rune.
When someone was killed with a weapon that bore said curse, their body would get turned into an artifact.
This was probably what happened to Skil since his body couldn’t be found.
Zafer approached the red gravestone and placed his bouquet of flowers as well as his half of the S-mail pair which he shared with Skil.
He won’t need it anymore.
Since the two of them were mostly apart from each other, S-mail was the only way they communicated. It astonished Zafer that Skil always responded to his mails in a matter of minutes.
Some of their “texting” sessions would even last for several hours.
As mentioned, Zafer had too little experience to know what a true friendship looked like, but if this wasn’t it, then he didn’t know what was.
Skil’s funeral was located near Razihelnor, on a small hill with a beautiful view.
It was called the Passy Valley, and it was a place where Temper buried its paladins.
Only a handful of gravestones resided here since Temper was a relatively new faction.
After the ceremony was over, most of the people left, but Zafer was one of the few who stayed.
Simra approached him.
“You don’t need to do this. People die, that’s how it is. These other gravestones were also my friends”.
Zafer remained calm, “I’m doing it because I don’t want to cause a conflict between you and the 2nd officer. He is right anyways. I’m too weak. I don’t deserve to be a candidate or a member of Temper. Yet”.
A small woman hastily approached Skil’s gravestone with tiny strides. She placed an envelope against the stone.
It was sealed with a heart-shaped wax.
Simra didn’t comment on Zafer’s statement.
After he rescued Zafer from Jean and Zlatko, he had to explain what happened to the others.
When the 2nd officer heard that Zafer was still alive despite facing Jean, he accused him of being a traitor.
There was no way that Zafer could last even 2 minutes against him.
It was a sort of public humiliation since other Temper paladins were also present when he exclaimed that.
Nevertheless, Zafer was too broken about Skil at the time, trying to figure out if everything was only a dream.
This resulted in a very heated argument between the 2nd officer and Simra.
The two would probably start a fight if not for the fact that Simra was a lot stronger.
This left the 2nd officer with no choice but to make some disgusting threats, and at that point, Zafer just decided to swallow the reality.
He wasn’t strong enough to kill Skank when he had a chance.
He wasn’t strong enough to fight the random candidate of the Nubis faction.
He wasn’t strong enough to save Skil.
It wasn’t even the argument between the two Temper officers that made him step down from being a candidate.
It was the grief that was eating him from the inside.
The 2nd officer disliked him for a specific reason, and instead of getting mad, Zafer decided to do something about it.
He had to get stronger.
In the beginning, Zafer thought that being a Temper province candidate would be enough of a challenge to make him grow, but that wasn’t the case.
For unknown reasons, he was never called to assist with any mission (aside from the one at the beginning of the novel).
It perplexed him, keeping his mind awake on multiple nights. His performance on that day was spectacular, even trapping and killing one enemy in the avalanche.
What could have been the problem with him? Why wasn’t he good enough?
He didn’t want to sound ungrateful for everything that Simra did for him, but he couldn’t neglect the fact that he wasn’t getting the same treatment Skil used to get from the Priest.
Nevertheless, Zafer was still training regularly, pushing his mind and body to failure every time in hopes that someone might recognize it.
Well, now he knew why that never happened.
His very best wasn’t enough.
He was getting stronger, but not fast enough.
Officer Uk was one of the strongest paladins in the Temper province, and he was the same age as Zafer!
His improvement rate had to be unbelievable since there was no way he started training at the age of 4 or such.
How were some people able to become so strong in such a short period of time?
Zafer was obviously doing something wrong, and he was slowly starting to realize what it was.
Although he was training the exercises like Mio told him and even spared against some young freelancers at Koth, that wasn’t enough to push him beyond his limits.
He just couldn’t push himself beyond his limits. It was impossible.
Someone else had to do it for him.
Ideally, someone who was stronger than Zafer, but not strong enough to knock him out in a matter of minutes.
Of course, he could not just go around and pick a fight with paladins who were stronger than him. That wouldn’t have a good ending.
Instead, what he wanted to do was to join an organization that was actually going to put his limits to the test.
The National Security.
He didn’t know what preconditions he had to fulfill to join, but he was determined to do it.
He talked to Knuckles about this, and the latter advised him to directly ask someone who was a high-ranked member like Wabler or Mio.
He believed they could employ him right away.
After several minutes of standing together in silence, Simra inhaled and then deeply exhaled.
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“I want to give you something”.
Zafer looked at him only now, his expression changing to a mildly surprised and curious one.
Is this going to be a departure gift or one out of pity? Either way, he dared not to decline.
Simra was after all, as the 3rd officer, always cold and distant from everyone.
“I know that your secondary anomaly A-11 is stuck and can’t advance further, however, I accidentally caught a glimpse of something within it. I believe it’s an ability well within your reach, but training by yourself will take years to unlock it, since your anomaly is an euclid”.
Simra gently placed both of his palms against Zafer’s cheeks, all while staring deep into his eyes.
Into his soul, where the anomalies were believed to reside.
Simra’s eyes turned blue and quickly started to leak a few drops of blood.
He was already starting to overheat!
Meanwhile, the only thing Zafer felt was a weird warmth in between his organs, but not the one one would feel under stress or depression.
This was a very pleasant feeling.
Simra took a step back, pulling out a napkin and wiping off the few drops of blood.
Zafer felt no difference aside from the pleasant warmth going away.
He wasn’t sure if Simra even succeeded or not.
“Did you overheat?”
Simra slowly turned around walking away.
“It’s done. You will know by instinct”.
Zafer’s glance bid farewell to Simra before returning back to the sky.
It had such a beautiful golden color.
He wondered if Skil could still see him from the Gathering Hub.
The Simple Physiology of Anomalies: Paragraph 14:
The Soot, is a 10th out of 11 Anomalies…
It is similar to Synthesis and Alchemy anomalies; however, the Soot can only materialize virtual particles out of thin air into a solid black material. The material is tougher than Miyalin and is known under its trivial name-
Part two:
Zafer stood in front of the door, his gaze fixed on it with a blank expression.
Even days after the funeral, his thoughts remained a tangled mess. With a long exhale, he dragged his hands down his face, steeling himself.
Finally, he knocked.
The silence that followed stretched uncomfortably, broken only after a full minute by the soft shuffle of approaching footsteps.
The door creaked open to reveal Ika, standing in her usual crisp uniform, hat perfectly in place—a typical look for her.
“Sorry for the wait”, she said, stepping back to let him in with a subtle gesture.
As the door closed behind him, Zafer’s eyes lingered on the locks.
“Why do you always lock your doors? You live in the most secure area, surrounded by the strongest Temperans”, he commented, his voice tinged with curiosity.
If someone made it to her doorstep, a locked door wouldn’t stop them.
Ika shrugged; her tone casual. “I value my privacy”, she replied, then abruptly changed the topic with a sly smile, “I couldn’t help but notice you came empty-handed”.
Zafer blinked, caught off guard. “But you were the one who invited me”.
It wasn’t as if he couldn’t afford a gift. Still, he found the idea puzzling—what could he possibly bring to someone as wealthy as Ika?
Even if he were to devote a whole year to only cultivating flower plants at Knuckles grinder, he wouldn’t be able to accumulate such wealth.
“So?” she said, her grin widening. “A bit of attention is always appreciated”.
The two settled at the table in the center of the living room. Zafer took a moment to glance around, noting how little the space had changed since his last visit.
“Well, what kind of gift would you like?” he asked showing concern to his senior. “Some pretty flowers?”
Ika wrinkled her nose, sticking out her tongue for a moment. “Ew, no. What do I do with flowers?”
Zafer faltered, clearly not expecting that reaction. “You can… smell them? Or just enjoy how pretty they look?”
Her steady, unimpressed gaze made him shift uncomfortably. Was that such a strange suggestion?
“I already enjoy plenty of prettiness every time I look in the mirror”, she quipped, a mischievous glint in her eye. “If you’re serious about a gift, I’d prefer a bar of chocolate”,
Zafer blinked, processing her words. “Right”, he muttered, somewhat defeated.
“Exactly!” Ika exclaimed, slapping her hands on the table with dramatic flair. “Now, would you like something to drink? I have some excellent quality beverages!”
Zafer was about to decline, but the brightness in her expression caught him off guard. Had she always looked this… radiant?
He used to drink cheap pub beer very often with Skil. It helped him brighten up and engage in the conversation smoothly, but… he wasn’t in any mood for such.
“Could you make me some tea instead?” he asked, his voice softening.
Ika tilted her head, her lips parting in mild disbelief. Tea? Over fine spirits offered by her? What a strange guy.
“Well…” she said, drawing out the word, “I guess I could make some tea… if you boil the water, that is”.
Zafer frowned slightly, “But if I’m boiling the water, I might as well just make the tea myself.”
Leaning forward, she pressed her weight onto her hands against the table, a playful smile curling her lips. “Go make it then”.
The air hung between them for a moment, charged with unspoken amusement. Zafer sighed, already resigning himself to the task as a smug smile lingered on her lips.
This was one of the rare moments when Ika was not being sarcastic.
After a couple of minutes, they sat at the same table, enjoying the tea.
“So, why did you want to see me so suddenly?”, Zafer asked.
If not for Ika’s wish to meet him today, Zafer would have left Razihelnor several days ago.
Nevertheless, he put his sorrow and drive for improvement to the side, lingering in Temper just to pay respect to Ika on this agreed day.
Despite being the same age and 20 cm taller than her, Ika was still way out of Zafer’s league, and her playful personality never deceived him to think otherwise.
Her rank and fame were something Zafer couldn’t even dream of, and her wisdom seemed to originate from a place out of this world.
“Dominion will be separating from Temper”, Ika took a sip.
Zafer’s eyes widened, and eyebrows rose “The whole Dominion? Why?”
“Well”, she exhaled, “Nubis used my white hair to convince the senate to exclude me”.
Zafer’s facial expression was frozen in shock, thinking how something like that was possible to pull off.
“But how? You were born with white hair!”
“It doesn’t matter. Nubians have people in the senate. Their former leader and founder is the president”.
Zafer knew this already but still couldn’t understand how it came to this. How could the National Security allow such a thing?
Was this what politics was all about?
Ika’s leave would cause a huge blow to the Temper faction and economy, but the leave of the whole Dominion? That included the 1st officer and Zer Ox as well!
Nevertheless, Zafer already knew why they all decided to resign. Dominion existed before Temper. They were like a family.
“In that case, I should be excluded as well!”, Zafer argued, and this sentence made Ika curl her lips into a smile.
“Well, as for the reason I wanted to meet you; What do you think about becoming a fully privileged member of the Dominion province?
Zafer’s heart skipped a beat. She was offering him to become what he always desired. A paladin!
But how was that possible? Even before Dominion was never an official faction.
“You are asking me to join Dominion as an official faction?”
Ika nodded with a raised nose.
“But you just told me that you are excluded. Who will lead the faction?”
“Well, Zer Ox, of course. Me being excluded doesn’t really mean anything. I must only resign for Temper not to lose a good relationship with the NS, but who Dominion recruits is no one’s business”.
“But…”, Zafer was still somewhat perplexed, “Dominion will remain an ally of the Temper, right?”
Ika’s glance got redirected towards the ceiling. She spoke with a nervous smile, “Well, Banana and Zer Ox had a little argument… But are just kids! They will get back together like always!”
She rubbed her hands against each other, intertwining the fingers.
If the Priest heard what she just called him regarding such a serious matter, she would be facing a scolding session on how not to behave.
“So, what do you think?”
Zafer pondered for what seemed to be an eternity for him, but in reality, he decided quite swiftly.
“Actually I was about to go to the capital to become a guard of the National Security”.
Ika’s smile transformed into a surprised O-shape with a soft inhale through her mouth as if she didn’t know this already.
“Oooh, really? That sounds way more fun!”, she the last sip of the tea.
It was way tastier when someone else made it for you.
Zafer barely managed to swallow his saliva. He knew that he made the right decision, but what kind of future did he just decline in reality?
A faction required, among else, a minimum number of 10 sealed members to become official.
Dominion counted 4 original members, and it would sure take a lot of endeavor to find and recruit 6 more who were worthy of trust.
Of course, not anybody could be assigned to become a new member. Being a paladin had a purpose and a meaning. It couldn’t be a regular person or someone who could be bribed.
It couldn’t be any young freelancer, it had to be someone serious and devoted to his duty and the seal. The faction was at a much higher risk than the recruited member.
There was no way that Zer Ox would be aiming for more than the minimum number of 10 paladins, which meant that there would be a lot of work.
If Zafer joined, he would be exposed to improvement and knowledge like never before, and he would have all the attention he needed from the more experienced paladins.
Nevertheless, all of this meant nothing.
Yes, being a paladin would be amazing, as well as learning about scripts, architecture, magic flowers, and politics, but all of that was nothing without strength.
And although he devoted all of these months to training, the strength was what Zafer currently lacked the most.
He must join the National Security to become at least a Threat Level 4. He had to do it not for himself, but for those he cared about.
Only then he will be able to repay everyone as they deserve. Ika included.
Part three:
The two of them switched to brighter topics quickly after, enjoying the company of each other.
It was one of those conversations after which one could not recall what the talk was exactly about. It was a road between many topics and laughs, and in the end, the only thing that lingered was the feeling of satisfaction and joy.
Ika was indeed a very clever and interesting person. This was weird for Zafer since he never got along so well with someone of the opposite gender.
She had the potential to become his close friend just like Skil used to be, only differing in the subjects they could talk about.
“Anyways, I’ll be going now”, Zafer stood up.
Ika leaned back supporting her wispy weight with her hands against the floor, “Alright! Just go then. You know that I hate to see people off”.
Her voice traveled through the room as Zafer approached the door, but then she added something else with a smug smile.
“Aren’t you going to ask me to exchange S-mails?”
Zafer pondered for a moment. S-mails were relatively a new thing for him, so he wasn’t used to collecting contacts of people.
Nevertheless, it seemed as if he understood that question rather wrong.
“Don’t worry Ika. You will see me again”.
He smiled and left without turning around again.
In the capital of Pashtrik were located two very important institutions.
One of them was the National Security headquarters and the other one was the building of the parliament.
Nevertheless, Zafer was first heading to the City of Koth.
There were also a lot of National Security paladins in Koth, and he could just ask them about joining, without having to travel to the capital.
The National Security was low on members anyway, so Zafer was confident of being accepted.
As already explained, there were many different units within the National Security.
Some members could freely choose which unit they wanted to join, but most of the time that wasn’t the case.
Given Zafer’s strength level, he was probably going to be placed in a weak unit.
The two strongest units were the anti-paladin unit and the anti-apparition unit.
The names were self-explanatory and there was only one reason why the anti-apparition unit was more safe than the anti-paladin unit.
Despite apparitions being dangerous in general, regular citizens were most likely to go inverse which made them easy to deal with. Arcanie was a rare exception.
The most popular unit was the Guards of the Miyalin Mine unit.
There was only one known mine for Miyalin and it was within the neutral territory of course.
The country and National Security were taxing the regular citizens, but the Miyalin Mine was its main source of income.
Interestingly, the Miyalin mine was at the same time the only prison for paladins.
This seemed like a stupid idea, but that was actually due to the shortage of staff and guards, as well as there not being many arrested paladin criminals.
Most of the paladins were too focused on killing each other anyway.
Another interesting unit within the NS was the exploration unit, which was a group of people with a clearance to go beyond the Pashtrik mountains.
Well, it wasn’t a clearance, but just a TP.
The Pashtrik mountains were extremely tall and dangerous to climb, even for paladins.
The exploration unit had a rather safe job.
They were going outside only from time to time, to restock some of the rare resources that could not be cultivated within the Pashtrik.
Like unicorns for example.
Finally, there were individuals within the National Security who were part of no unit but had a unique status instead.
Some of these were Wabler, the head chef of the NS, the assistant chef, the Rangers and so on.
Zafer had no specific wishes regarding the unit he wanted to work for.
He was more curious about the resources he might gain access to. Skil wasn’t the only thing he lost during the last battle.
He also lost his Miyalin axe, assuming that Jean took it after he went unconscious.
This made him feel somewhat unsafe, but the good thing was that he didn’t have to travel to Koth City.
Thanks to the TPs he received from Knuckles, Zafer could now teleport to both Koth City and the flower plant grinder.
He won’t be able to teleport back to the Razihelnor however, and something told him that he won’t be visiting this city for a long time.