Chapter 10: Bureau
"You were successful, I see," Raimund said as Mercedes joined him in the hallway. The albino held up the Bank Voucher in confirmation, and the ginger Mystic's gaze narrowed in on her new accessory. "Looks like you're all finished here. Follow me. We have one last stop to make."
The Sparrow nodded, far too distracted by the crumpled wad of paper in her right pocket to pay much attention to anything else. They returned to the teleportation circle, where one of the banking staff kindly input a fresh set of rune coordinates for their next destination.
No sooner had they landed than Mercedes was startled by the sight of a woman with long violet hair held back in a loose single braid, dressed in black robes trimmed in purple, who greeted them with a mock bow and smirk that seemed directed at her ginger companion.
"Well, hello there, Disciple Raimund. Are you here for a social visit or Academy business?"
"Ahh, Disciple Estella," Raimund said with a hint of discomfort. "Academy business, I'm afraid." He tapped the Sparrow's shoulder as if to clarify his statement. "A last-minute addition to Master Nicodemus’s class, which starts tomorrow morning."
"Oh, I see," Estella replied, placing a hand on one hip as she examined the Initiate with pursed lips. Her dark brows furrowed. "Wait—isn't this the albino that got caught up in the Nexus Collapse earlier this morning?" She scoffed, blue eyes narrowing in on the startled Sparrow. "You've got your work cut out for you, Disciple Raimund. Your Initiate is pretty lucky not to be sitting in one of the Bureau's holding cells answering questions related to the incident. And now you're telling me the Academy—Master Nicodemus is going out of his way to recruit her?"
Raimund raised his hands in a placating manner as he offered the violet-haired Apprentice his usual charismatic smile. "Estella, I am acting on Master Nicodemus's instructions. As for Initiate Mercedes, she is not even capable of teleporting around the city, let alone disrupting something as complex as the Arcane Transit Nexus System."
"Tell that to the Bureau's Deputy Director!" The female Mystic rolled her eyes and spun on her heels, motioning for them to follow her. "You might as well come inside. But Deputy Director Thelma won't allow us to process your Initiate's request until after she answers a few necessary questions first."
The Sparrow and ginger Disciple exchanged matching nervous glances before Raimund followed the rapidly moving Estella, dragging a reluctant albino beside him. The teleportation room they appeared in connected to a long hallway of shimmering violet glass windows streaked with what the Sparrow suspected was arcane magic.
'Not a single part of this effing quest has been easy,' Mercedes lamented as she adjusted her pace to the Disciples' brisk stride. 'And I have a feeling things are about to get worse.' Her anxious thoughts stuttered to a halt as they reached the end of the hallway that connected to a sizeable, circular dome of stars.
The polished marble floor at their feet was designed like an archaic compass centered around a pillar of arcane light covered in runes that connected to a curved ceiling decorated with what the Sparrow could only assume were tiny moving planets or perhaps realms of various shapes and colors that hung suspended in the air like a living planetarium.
"Welcome to the Nexalith Chamber," Estella called back with a glance over her shoulder in their direction. "Don’t touch anything, Initiate.”
Raimund let out a half-restrained sigh as he moved his hand from the albino’s left elbow to her right shoulder, pulling the Sparrow closer as he spoke in a lowered voice, “Don’t speak or answer any questions unless I give you a nod. The Bureau is looking for someone to pin this mess on because they can’t explain how or why the entire system shut down yesterday.”
“And they think it was me?” Mercedes murmured tensely.
“The timing of your arrival was—less than optimal,” he hissed, then straightened abruptly as their guide turned to give them a suspicious glare. “If things get complicated, let me handle it. I would prefer not to invoke the authority of the Academy, but if the Deputy Director thinks she can pull rank just because I’m a Disciple, she had better realign her planar sextant.”
The Sparrow raised her brows, somewhere between confusion and panic, as she accessed the Mystic’s clenched jaw. ‘Just how much authority does the Academy hold anyway?’
They passed beneath the revolving miniaturized realms to the other side of the grand room, where Estella waited in front of a metallic-looking door with a golden nameplate the albino couldn’t read, though the five stars above it implied importance.
‘Something tells me I’m about to be interrogated whether Raimund approves or not.’
When the door opened, a woman well past middle age greeted them with a sour expression that implied she did not welcome this disturbance. “What is it, Disciple Estella? I’m rather busy at the moment.”
“Apologies, Deputy Director, but you asked me to notify you when a certain individual showed their face here.”
Mercedes didn’t miss Estella's pointed look in her direction or the way Raimund’s hand on her shoulder tightened ever so slightly as the Deputy Director stooped her head beneath the door frame to join them.
“So, this is the albino that slipped through our cracks shortly after taking the ATNS down,” the towering woman boomed.
The Sparrow offered what she hoped was a convincingly, timid smile as she examined the imposing woman's two-toned hair of black and silver and matching heterochromia eyes. The Deputy Director's silver eye glowed faintly as her gaze combed over the much smaller albino as if examining her immediate person for evidence of a crime.
Mercedes shivered as a familiar, creepy sensation prickled across her skin.
“As you can see, Deputy Director Thelma, this Initiate is hardly capable of causing the trouble the Nexus system encountered earlier today,” Raimund interjected in a diplomatic tone.
“I shall be the judge of that Disciple.” The towering woman stepped to one side and gestured to the open door behind her. “Why don’t the both of you step into my office for a quick chat.”
“Just a moment, Deputy Director—”
“Save it, Disciple,” Thelma snapped back with a confident glint in her silver eye. “We both know you’re here as part of the Academy’s registration. If you want me to grant your Initiate a Nexus bracelet, then both of you had better come in, sit down, and start answering some questions.”
“Fine,” Raimund growled, ignoring Estella’s smug expression. “As long as the questions are reasonable, and this won’t take up too much of our time.” He glanced down at the Sparrow and nodded toward the waiting office in a signal of defeat.
‘Not sure how much faith I have in his ability to get me out once we go inside.’
Mercedes didn't bother to hide her uncertainty as she eyed the open door before entering reluctantly.
Another circular room, smaller than the Nexalith Chamber but still impressively large, awaited with a half-moon desk at its center. Three tables with different stationary model planetariums stood at even intervals around the office walls that contained a giant mural that appeared to be a schematic of the runed arcane pillar from the dome outside.
The Deputy Director ducked through the door, which Disciple Stella closed behind them, and then headed for her office desk. The silver-eyed woman pressed a button on the verdant green surface that spawned two chairs from the tiled floor below, which she gestured toward with a commanding nod.
The Sparrow eyed the circular seats with their dark metal half-moon back and wondered if these Mystics could summon handcuffs and chains as readily as they could chairs and pocket watches.
‘At the rate things are going, I'll probably find out soon enough,' Mercedes thought as she took a seat while Raimund settled into the chair beside her.
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The Deputy Director took her time, arranging a series of charts and folders neatly into a basket on the corner of her desk before opening a lower desk drawer that she shifted through until she found an empty file and the specific document she was looking for. The imposing Mystic then placed both items on the desk and plucked a ballpoint pen from her jacket pocket, which she unscrewed while assessing the albino.
“Let’s start with something simple,” Thelma suggested, all pleasantness evaporating from her voice as she narrowed her silver eye on the Sparrow. “Like your name.”
“It’s—Mercedes.”
“Last name?”
“None. I’m an orphan.”
Thelma raised a brow but continued down whatever form she was reading from. “Your entry into the Arcane Realm was either the result of—or in some way connected with—a hostile source of malevolent energy strong enough to break through our realm’s highly complex magical barriers, which were put in place by the Guardian of Mystical Bridges himself, Titan Veridius.”
‘Veridius? I feel like I've heard that name before.’ The Sparrow blinked hesitantly as the Deputy Director allowed her statement to linger in the awkward silence for a moment.
“Do you know anything about this hostile attack on our barrier?”
The albino’s pink eyes widened as she glanced from the Deputy Director to the Disciple beside her with an expression of baffled surprise before responding, “Do I—No! I know nothing about it. I barely remember arriving here half-dead, then being revived right before I passed out—”
“Then you tell me where your journey into the Mystic Realms began?” Thelma interjected.
“Pardon?”
“Your home world of origin, let’s start there, shall we?”
“Oh, well—I don’t know what you would have called it,” Mercedes said as her pale fingers tightened around the loose fabric of her cotton trousers. “But the kingdom I originated from is called Elysian.”
“I see.” The Deputy Director made a note before continuing. “And how were you able to make the passage? Did you open the portal yourself—or did someone open the door for you?”
“Someone else did. A High Priestess from my world.”
“What was her name?”
“Primula. High Priestess Primula.”
“A High Priestess of which discipline?”
The Sparrow's brows furrowed in confusion.
“Which Temple or Deity did she serve?” Thelma clarified sternly.
“Oh, the Temple of Serenitus!”
The Deputy made another note. “And her reason for opening this portal?”
“We were under attack. Elysian has long been at war with a nameless Lich King, and our fortress keep, Eldermoor, was overrun by necromancers and their undead. The High Priestess’s Acolytes and Ravens fought bravely while she opened a portal to escape—but a demon broke through her barrier and—” Mercedes clutched her chest with a painful grimace, “—I only caught a glimpse of the demonic creature before its attack pushed me into the portal, and then I was here.”
Thelma’s black and silver eyes narrowed into slits that matched the thin line of her mouth before she resumed making notes on the document before her. “So, you belong to either the Temple of Serenitus or Seraphelios.”
“What? No—I am just a soldier,” Mercedes protested with a hint of embarrassment. “I was a Sparrow who served at the Keep. Nothing more.”
“A Sparrow?” The Deputy Director’s gray brows furrowed as she finished adding more information to her document before raising her gaze to the albino once more. “I will pass this information to the Temple of Serenitus. They will no doubt wish to investigate further. It shouldn’t take us long to determine who this High Priestess was, which Mundane world she had been sent to, and if she managed to return safely. Until then—” she paused, tapping the ballpoint pen against the medals pinned above her left breast pocket. “Since you have been so cooperative, Initiate. I shall proceed with your registration and grant you a Nexus bracelet.”
“Excellent!” Raimund declared with a faint exhale of relief.
“It will be a temporary bracelet with restricted access constrained to the city's boundary with an exception for the Citadel’s Academy, of course,” Thelma added with a faint smirk as she signed the document before slipping it inside a folder. “Don’t expect to leave our realm any time soon until the Bureau and Seraphelios’s Temple are satisfied with the results of this ongoing investigation.”
“Deputy Director—”
“A mere soldier manages to escape from some unknown world right before not only our barrier but the Divine Realm’s barrier came under attack,” Thelma commented cynically, speaking over the protesting Mystic with little effort. “Until we trace your Initiate’s footsteps back to her original world and confirm her statement to be either true or false, this is as accommodating as I can be, Disciple Raimund. While I trust that Master Nicodemus knows what he’s doing, his opinion in no way invalidates the steps I must take to fulfill my duty as Deputy Director of BATNR.”
Raimund clenched his jaw and nodded stiffly before rising from his chair. “In that case, we will wait outside for the Initiate's temporary Nexus bracelet.”
“By all means,” Thelma said with a dismissive wave.
The Sparrow left her seat and hurried after the Disciple as they moved with subtle urgency to the office door, only to be halted when it refused to open beneath the Mystic’s impatient grasp.
“Ahh, one moment, Disciple!” The Deputy Director offered them a faint smirk as she pushed another button on her desk, releasing the door lock that imprisoned them. “That should do it.”
Estella’s irksome grin that mirrored her superior’s awaited them as the door opened. Raimund brushed past the violet-haired Mystic as he pulled Mercedes toward a counter between the Deputy Director’s door and the hallway they had entered through.
“Leaving with your tail tucked between your legs, Raimund? That’s so unlike you!” Estella taunted as she shadowed them.
“Aren’t you supposed to be working?” the ginger Disciple shot back.
“Oh, but I am! You get to enjoy the pleasure of my company while you await your Initiate’s bracelet!”
“Wonderful…”
“So, what exactly are you?”
The Sparrow blinked as their escort’s attention shifted suddenly to her.
“The hair, the eyes, let me guess—”
“I’d rather you didn’t,” Mercedes cut in coldly, resisting the urge to place a hand over the document crumpled in her pocket.
“—you don’t look powerful enough to be a vampire, but you’re also a bit too weak to be a dhampir, so that leaves…. Ah, perhaps a—”
“Just stop it, will you,” Raimund cut in as he physically inserted himself between the violet-haired Apprentice and the Sparrow. “Maybe think before you speak. The Initiate has been through more than enough for one day, yet here you are, piling on like a stray dog lucky enough to have a bone tossed in its lap.”
“Oh my! Aren’t you being overly sensitive, Rai—”
“If you’re that bored, why don’t we readdress the particulars of your lineage? Tell me, Estella, have you narrowed down which of your mother’s partners you get to call daddy yet?”
“You bastard!”
“Try again. I think you’re getting our parentage confused.”
“You—” Estella seethed as a faint purple aura washed down her left shoulder towards her clenched fist. “Didn’t have to be so cruel!”
The Sparrow blinked as their escort stormed off, leaving them in peace. Raimund let out an aggravated breath before muttering, “Women.” He turned, chuckled awkwardly as he released the albino’s hand, and said, “Present company excluded. Let's get that bracelet and clear out of here before we get dragged into another interrogation.”
Mercedes shook her head as she trailed close behind him. ‘Humans.’
The friendly Bureau receptionist who greeted them at the counter was a stark contrast to Estella and the Deputy Director. After Raimund filled out a short form that Mercedes was asked to sign, the cheerful receptionist presented the Sparrow with a shimmering silver cloth bag containing her temporary Nexus bracelet.
The albino opened the glimmering pouch and drew out the thick band made of a curious, ethereal, dark, transparent metal contained within a golden frame and clasp. The cool, twilight-colored surface thrummed alive with star-like runes and sigils that flickered beneath its transparent exterior as Mercedes held it between her fingers.
[Quest Update! Arcane Mystic Academy Registration]
Obtain a Nexus Registration Bracelet 1/1
“This device will allow you to teleport directly to the main Nexus hub or between any of the smaller Nexus portals throughout the city,” the receptionist explained as she helped the Sparrow secure the piece around her wrist. “Just inject mana into the bracelet and tap this sigil here.” She indicated the largest circular swirl of blue starlight along the dark transparent frame. “The bracelet comes with two more sigils here and here that you can use to save two other locations within the city for fast travel. Most Mystics choose their place of residence and jobs, but only the Academy can grant you access to the Citadel.”
‘This will make traveling more convenient,’ Mercedes thought as she marveled at the dazzling and surprisingly light bracelet. “What’s it made of?”
“Astrumite, from the Celestial Realm,” Raimund answered, pulling down the sleeves of his robe to reveal a much thicker and more intricately designed bracelet of the same metal. The receptionist smiled as she excused herself to file the paperwork. “Let’s get you back to the Enchanted Inn so I can give you your quest reward and take those vouchers to finish up your registration at the Academy.”
“Alright,” Mercedes replied, just as eager to leave behind the Bureau of Batty Nexus Mystics. Her mesmerized gaze remained fastened on the bracelet as she trailed her finger across its dark surface, which reminded her of a night sky filled with stars.
The pair turned down the familiar arcane-lit hallway that echoed with the soft tread of their footsteps before a sudden flash of electric blue light ran across the walls, chasing away its original violet hue.
“Shit,” Raimund muttered, his footsteps faltering, which resulted in the Sparrow walking straight into him.
Mercedes braced herself against the wall as she recovered her balance. Her pink eyes widened as the Disciple spun towards her, summoning a green cloak from thin air, which he hastily wrapped around the baffled albino’s shoulders. The Mystic secured the garment snuggly beneath her neck before pulling its hood down low over her eyes.
“Stay close beside me,” Raimund whispered as he stepped back with a nervous glance toward the teleportation chamber. “We don’t want the Soul Reavers to notice you.”