“Sir please don’t resist arrest.”

“Please, stay calm sir. We wouldn’t dare violate your rights.”

At least I get VIP treatment. Being a citizen is not so bad after all. Beating up that dragon was definitely worth it.

I was being escorted by six military slaves and a single sage. Because of my status as a citizen it's actually illegal for them to point their weapons at me. I would have simply ignored them if the sage hadn't come with them.

I inspected the man in question. Neatly trimmed black facial hair. A long blue hood and golden epaulets. He was an Enforcer.

Sumeria has no such thing as a separation of government branches. The king is the supreme authority. Sumeria has not had a legitimate king for the last four hundred years since the founder had disappeared. The duke of Sumeria is the local authority but he is not the highest authority. The highest authority is vested in the council of sages. These Akkadian scholars vote on all important choices that impact the kingdom as a whole. They act as a central government of sorts. They have the power to do anything, even rewrite the founder’s commandments upon which the law is based on.

In practice they are too torn on most political issues so they just uphold the status quo.

The only way to acquire political power is to become a dragon lord or a sage.

Dragon lords are immune to all laws since it makes no sense to try to control somebody who is capable of burning your settlement to the ground in the span of a single meal.

Dragon lords usually feel more loyalty towards their squadron than the government.

Sages on the other hand are most loyal to their department. Because the requirements for becoming a sage are so harsh it's almost impossible to become one without the support of your community. However, once you're a sage you get to enjoy direct political representation by joining the council and you get immunity to ‘slave laws’ as a part of the royal family.

The Enforcers are directly below the council. Their job is to make sure nobles follow the council’s orders. They wear blue hoods instead of the mortarboard hats the normal sages wear.

Since I am not a part of the royal family the sage assigned to me has a lot of leeway when it comes to restricting me. That's why being nice might pay off…

I looked at the skull floating by his side. It had glowing blue eyes, clenched in its jaw was a metal chain that suspended a heavy tome below the skull. These skulls are very common among members of the Department Of Spirit Communion. They are semi-autonomous assistants. Spirits bound by a slave contract. These spirits possess a skull and then use it to serve their masters. Other departments use the servitors made by the mana department. Those look like floating balls of metal and they are in every way inferior. From price to practicality.

I scanned the book suspended by the metal chain and used [Re:Remember] to recall everything I’ve ever read about such items. I acquired this skill while in Thornburg Castle Ruin and have been using it since. It allows you to recall anything you’ve ever experienced.

“So you specialise in possessed items?”

The sage looked genuinely surprised to see me ask a question.

“You’re sharp for someone your age. Yes, I do specialise in item possession. What about you?”

“I’ve only learned about a few spirit communion rituals. However, I soon realised that rituals can be wildly inconsistent. Especially when it comes to undocumented spirits. How do you balance this out?”

The sage’s eyes shined at the mention of ritual inconsistency.

“If you’re doing well documented rituals like communion with the Spirit King or if you’re asking for a Boon from the Merchant Of Sublime Vares you should stick to the official doctrine. The classic ‘reward and punishment’ scheme won’t fail you. However, if you’re dealing with a more unorthodox existence then I recommend you check out his family doctrine. For example I mostly deal with spirits that are related to the family of ice. They have quite a few peculiarities and unusual temperaments not found in other spirits.”

“Wait, I remember it now…” I pretended to notice something.

“You wrote: An Improved and Revised Doctrine Pertaining to Ice-Related Spirits!”

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Haha, you only noticed now!” the sage shamelessly replied.

Of course, I knew it from the start. His book was in the corner of the library on the highest shelf, right next to the “Inquiry into the Mystery of Spiritflame.”

In the last few days I have skimmed every book I could get my hands on. I don’t remember a single thing I’ve read but I can always use [Re:Remember] to recall it and [Predictive Linguistics] to read it instantly.

“It seems like we have arrived at Her place already. Time flies so fast when you’re having a good conversation. Well, let’s talk another time. I’ll give you a friendly warning: the Mistress has been in a bad mood for a while now.”

The guards opened the heavy metal doors inviting me into the Citadel of Wisdom, the central palace where all political affairs take place.

After one hourglass flip I finally arrived in front of the chamber where I headed. The guards nervously opened the doors, allowing me entry.

The office had two storeys. The walls were lined with bookshelves, ascending toward the half open ceiling. In the middle of the office stood a deserted study table. There were yellow parchments scattered all over the table.

After skimming them from a distance I focused on the bent stairway. The second storey was filled with stacks of books, obscuring my view. However, I still managed to notice an enormous telescope sitting right next to a round window.

“Ah, you're finally here,” a fair female voice resounded from behind a stack of books.

The books promptly collapsed and a girl of small stature jumped over the balcony rail. She floated onto the table, her sleeves fluttering in the wind.

Her outfit, while skimpy by the standards of my previous world, was within the acceptable limits of Akkadian culture. Her collarbone was completely exposed, her pale white skin glistened in the sun rays. She had a silver choker with a cracked gem locked around her neck. The tight lacy black shirt she was wearing showed a significant amount of cleavage and ended slightly above her belly button. Most women tie a fabric around their waists and then change it when it gets dirty. Wearing a one-piece is very impractical if you have to actually leave the house like most women do. In contrast, she was wearing a short skirt that allowed for ease of movement. On her feet was the most common footwear: sandals. After all, I am the only maniac in the kingdom who wears heavy duty steel-toe boots.

Still the most scandalous was her headwear. She was wearing a black witch’s hat. A woman of a high position, wearing something on her head! That would be absolutely scandalous. But a witch’s hat…

The girl sat on the edge of her office table and asked: “Hanging or decapitation?”

Say what?

“Um, who are you to decide my fate?”

“I am the secretary of the Council of Sages,” she smiled at me.

“That is… Who exactly?”

She stood up and slowly circled around me, like a shark savouring the horror of its prey.

“There are 401 Akkadian laws that give me a degree of control over the council. As a matter of fact: if I don’t show up the council cannot convene.”

“There is no way the council would let you kill an honorary citizen without any proof of wrongdoing!”

“Hahaha!” the girl wiped the tears from her eyes.

“You are so funny. Don’t you get it? The council has been trying to kill you all along. You think your title protects you? It only serves to isolate you from the noble families that would have otherwise stood behind you. That department you received was a trap. The very moment you entered the dragon list you painted a target on your back!”

“Why?” I solemnly replied.

“Because you’re a usurper and a traitor.”

The girl held a small lantern next to my face. The lantern shone with a blueish unnatural light. Under the blue radiance my skin shone with blue spots, like a UV marking.

“You went to a Weldian ruin. I assume Thornburg as it’s the closest. Did you know that the Council has already written a new budget restructuring bill? Did you read the fine print? Of course you don’t even have access to such information. See they are going to make your position of department head illegal. Then ‘chop’.“

The girl did a decapitating motion with her hand.

I stared at my feet.

So I never had a chance. Well, whatever. I’ll just move back to the Seaside Dukedom, get married. Maybe pick up a hobby…

Suddenly the girl’s eyes shone with a dreary blue light. As if she had read my thoughts she replied: “Weldians are those who precede our Akkadian dynasty. To be associated with them is no small crime. The only reason you're alive is because of your competency. However, there is no need to despair. There is a very simple way you can prove your loyalty.”

The girl observed my top hat. Smiling mischievously into the air.

I took my hat off and replied: “What may that be?”

She handed me an old parchment scroll as if she had been preparing for this moment.

“You will travel north, through Ovenor’s Pass. Your mission is to find the Manor of Endless Nights. There is located the last group of Weldian rebels. They have managed to cast a veil of darkness over the entire sky which prevents my dragon lords from stamping them out.”

The girl pushed a golden medallion, adorned with many gems, into my hands.

“Once you destroy the veil you can come back as a hero, washed of all guilt. I even promise to accept you as my apprentice so that you can begin to practice magic in earnest like your peers. Under the guidance of Athena of Akkad, my guidance, you will reach new heights! I promise you that.”

So that was the plan all along, huh?