William looks at his right forearm and even extends it forward. “Isn't it obvious? I don't like this change from the gem-like appearance. It's weird and destructive... It's just making my life more complicated since it's like this.” He tells, not knowing what Kaufman's question even asks.

“It is a Vector kind with some Element, isn't it?”

“I suppose. I was told that, while I am not sure what it means.”

“You are unsure? Didn't Mi-Yung tell you at least something?” Kaufman asks, guiding his eyes to rest on Mi-Yung to his right, who doesn't even glance at him. “Anyway, how about letting the Emblem out? I want to see it since I couldn't do so in the Conference Hall.”

“Y-you wasn't there... I noticed that.”

“That's because it's a bother, and I am no part of that. I am a free man after all so it goes without saying. Anyway, back to the topic. Every Emblem is rather special in its own way. Some can have distinct types which you must be aware of.”

“I know about them because of my research in the library, and Mi-Yung's explanations.”

”Hmmm... That's god then, but there isn't much about it before the Awakening. You should have already learned the method of switching the Emblem in and out after that, didn't you? It could be somewhat of a subconscious feeling, but it's nothing hard.”

“His System awakened as well. He figured it out after the Awakening and learned the motion of his Emblem with it too.” Mi-Yung shoots the news to Kaufman, but he didn't pay her any attention apart from a mocking question.

“I thought you aren't supposed to interfere?”

“What can I say? I like sweet little lies.”

“I know. So, William, do you have your System? How's so?”

“You are asking as if I am supposed to know?”

“It's integral to the source of Walkers. Hasn't your great guardian explained to you a thing or two about it? The System is a true power of any Walker, but fusing the System and the Emblem isn't supposed to happen very early.”

“Are you not questioning the possibility of my active System when I awakened?”

“No. While it's indeed rare considering the Accelerator, the proper way of reaching adulthood has more subdued, yet profound effects. Such as the System's awakening with the Emblem, which happens with it too. That's like one in 14 or 15 Walkers who awakens it with the Emblem.”

“Oh, I did not know that.”

“Now, you do. It's a more natural way, while yours isn't.” he pauses, and considers other words. “Have you discovered something interesting? Booting the System is hard, as every first step within it is seeping with the Mindless Eyes. Has Mi-Yung been throughout with the explanations? I wonder.”

William gulps down some saliva, while Mi-Yung is keeping herself shut, by clutching the innocent wood that makes the bench.

“She did. I make the contact with the Mindless Eyes, fused the System with the Emblem, and even saw the Status board. That's about it, while not much comprehension was done by me. If that's what you are curious about.”

“You figured that many things after undergoing the Accelerator? You did not rest at all. Impressive. Very good. So, what is the catch you two? You are being quite honest, but leaving much of the importance away.” Kaufman honestly tells, still leaning his back, and talking as if the matter of fast is much deeper.

“I am hesitant because of your goddamned emblem,” Mi-Yung tells.

“Truth for once, but what makes you so hesitant to trust me, Mi-Yung?”

“Because your practices are harsh... It is common knowledge in the Federation. You are hard to understand, while unrelenting Walkers of such caliber are... not ideal for William.”

“You think?”

“I think. That's my opinion, which won't change since you are obviously interested in him for whatever reason.”

“I missed out on his father, so I won't miss out on him,” Kaufman reveals his reasons, which stuns Mi-Yung for a few moments.

“W-what about some explaining already!” William shouts at last after hearing this conversation, which goes nowhere

“Yeah. Shut up, Mi-Yung. We have 1 on 1 discussion.” Kaufman snorts and turns his attention back to William.

“What's the deal about my father all the time? Is being Rank 6 in the 20ies so great?” William asks in much agitation while gazing forth towards both Walkers to his left.

“He... Your father. His Emblem was incredible, so to say. Quite offensive, and his ways quite relentless. Like yours, it was of crimson bloody color, with Vector type who he focused full attention on improving. He was a weapon master of quite a few martial weapons. Sword, spear, glaive, and so on.” Mi-Yung answers since it seems Kaufman would tell absolutely nothing himself.

“Then what makes it that special, that everyone is constantly making some claim about me and my father? Weapons, or whatnot, talent, or something else. It isn't enough for Dark age, isn't it?” William still argues for the sake of meaningless explanation.

“Because he had the potential to reach the stages beyond rank 8. Slaughtering about a dozen Rank 7s was managed by him already, and that was quite some time ago. That wasn't something common back then, while it remains unbeaten now.” Kaufman explains this time.

“So just the potential? Is that why you are interested in me? Because of my father alone?” William voices his strange wording. Everything about his father goes by the premise of awe, or whatnot. He doesn't care about it either way, but it was slowly getting on his nerves. Father this, and that. He was long gone, and he won't return. His lack of knowledge is the true reason why he has such feelings, but it may change.

“Let's say that's the case. Be it missions within the Yondu division, or his grace in the war for Korea. Your father's name was known in the Federation back then, while I have no doubt he would be Rank 8 by now if he was alive.”

“Rank 8? T-that much? J-just who was my father in the Federation? He wasn't that great as far as I know, or from Mi-Yung's words.” William blurts out, as Kaufman's claims are now, quite shocking to him. If he did tell him about it when they first met, it wouldn't do well for him because of his lack of context. Now, he could understand it much better, while the answers about his father are being revealed by Kaufman's obvious intentions. Rank 8? That was crazy potential, as far as he could tell from his research. There aren't that many of them, and that means he was close to Luke's age. That is at least from his recollections and calculations.

Mi-Yung grimaces with intentions of voicing something, but her strained neck and mouth remain shut through her sheer will alone.

“Indeed it was great. Nothing crazy by any means, but an interesting case of power nonetheless. Are you a bit more understanding about my interest in you? Your whole existence was kept out of the Federation for some reason or another. No one knew about some things, while the Walkers back then were weaker than now. Only a few were Rank 8, I included.”

Sighing, and rather intrigued by his word, William looks at Kaufman. “I get it now, but here stands something very clear, yet... interesting thing I have to say.”

“Go on.”

“I am not my father!” William says in a calm tone, but with a great amount of conviction. No matter what the past deal with his father was, it doesn't matter for the current him. Regardless of the people around him who found out about him, through the motion of his father. He is his own person, and that's important to him since that's how he grew up. Even though everything so far has been caused by the existence of his father, Victor Gale, it wasn't his doing.

While he doesn't dislike it per se, it makes it a bit sourer in his mouth. Hearing whatever results and things he wants to hear doesn't quench his worrisome future as a Walker. After all, whatever his parents were in the past, remains there. It no longer should matter, but people are often reminding him of his father, which irritated him, even though he rarely shows it on his face.

Kaufman scratches his chin and nods repeatedly to himself. “That is true. Maybe that is for the better, considering the choice that your father made. I will leave that be for now. I am not that knowledgeable about your father, but I am interested in your Emblem.”

“My Emblem?” William long backed with his hand, but still keeps it in sight on his lap. The pulsating, and ever-so-moving Vectors keep on swirling in the form inside his forearm.

“Activate it.” Kaufman insists.

“Here? In the public?”

“Are you seriously asking that question before me?” Kaufman asks with a doubtful gaze that makes the answer obvious. He even flickers his palms around, and towards the Institution of the Emblem's direction.

William shrugs his arms, “I don't care either way. Here it goes.”

Pointing with his hand forward, a fistful of focused will make the System appear, while the Emblem's Vectors explode around him.

“Hmmm... T-this is... a bit different from what I thought. Your Awakening wasn't so sublime. This is quite rough, but not in a bad way... These vectors have even an Annihilation element. That's why your shirt is tattered, since no matter what, it will seep out some form of Annihilation Law.”

“You noticed my shirt and even the Element?” William asks, quite surprised.

“I have my informant, but it's quite obvious to my eyes, and Mi-Yung's as well. The very same Annihilation Element that your father had is within your Emblem.”

“My father was the same?”

“Blood flow from father to son... It is indeed intriguing while interesting at the same time. I am wondering what are the strengths and weaknesses of your Emblem, but as I see it... It seems to be a quite harsh version of Vectors that are unyielding while flowing throughout your exoskeleton. It should be like armor, while your right arm will be your strongest weapon.” Kaufman explains, but it sounds like he thinks and talks to himself. Not once, he stops looking at William's wrist and the continuous flow of Vectors around the right side of his body.

At this point, many people who go from, and to the institution can see the play of the Emblem from the boy. Since they are still in proximity of the Institution, which is some distance from the public street, no one bats an eye towards them for more than a couple of moments.

“My hand, and even armor? It is still hectic for me to think about this. This whole flow of the Vectors makes my body heavy and hard to coordinate. There is even a motion of that call inside my mind.” William complains as he struggles to move too much with his right hand. It's the same as before, as he can't figure out much about it.

He never experimented with it so far, as this is indeed a little hard to move. He couldn't even make a fist with this claw of his. That's how brutal are the Vectors that form a claw that protrudes from his right hand. The Vectors do it straining work all the way to his shoulders and even flow around his back, but not so much to make it uncomfortable.

Alas, no one notices the deteriorating wood around the Annihilation Element. It is, after all, as its name suggests, an ability to annihilate matter. No price is there for it, as the sheer brutality keeps the cons out of its proximity.

“Since you are talking about things.. that are.. You know... complicated. How about your true reason for seeking me out? Does something matter?” William voices his second most important question, which means the reason why he came to him at all.

“Seeking you out is a rather ambiguous term. I guess Mi-Yung can guess that very easily. In the past, she had some mission regarding the Library, so that was the reason why I acted up in the Division Headquarters. It was a coincidence as I learned your full name and the corresponding things that Mi-Yung was trying to do. Since that day, it is a present that is left without discussion I don't want to see the repeat fate of your father. No...” Kaufman pauses to make a dramatic voice. ” WE don't need another death of a potential excellent Walker.”

“T-that is a rather simple reason, but I get it. A little.” William agrees. Feeling a little helpless, as his words are indeed quite harsh. Even his words about the death of his father, he mentioned, don't concern him. Not even the fact that he is more known to be missing, but it may as be the truth by this point. After all, he doesn't know if the truth of anything even matters.

Glancing down, and towards his right hand, he couldn't help but notice Kaufman, who moves his hand around his moving Vectors.

“What about the System?” He asks as his rubbing finger comes into contact with the swirling Vectors, which do nothing to him.

“What about it? He only awakened a while ago.” Mi-Yung let some of her words out.

“I still want to know, even when the unspeaking one just spoke,” Kaufman says in a tone of mockery.

Mi-Yung snort in displeasure, while her head leans to the right to not even look at him.

In a bit, William reveals the full System's screens that he knows about for now. Even includes the Bestiary, which makes the biggest and most mysterious thing in his System.

“Bestiary?”

“Does mister Kaufman heard of it before?”

“Not the name...They could differ a lot. It's quite an intriguing name. For a System that is. What about its effects?”

“No idea. Everything there is empty and shrouded in fog.”

“Then all you have to figure out are the effects, thanks for the Mindless Eyes. Figure out things from easiest, to hardest. Start with the Status sheet. The Emblem in a specific way should be most important in your case. It is one of the few things that could vary significantly from Walker to Walker.”

“Path of Upgrading, am I correct?”

“Indeed. Mi-Yung explained it to you well enough I see.”

“I didn't,” Mi-Yung comments as he heard it.

“6th floor has plenty of moments to learn,” William explains, while the term Path of Upgrading is only mentioned in some documents. It's a bigger part of the progression path of the Emblems, but it didn't go that far in those documents. Some forms of Dark beings are mentioned as well, but it isn't a thing that is well documented in the library. And that includes William's abundant use of Kaufman's card.

“You did... use my card. I will take it back soon, as you will get your own. Too bad for you.” Kaufman chuckles as the time that William feared is approaching.