Glenn stood outside the Cold Beer Inn, staring at the dark sky while holding his bruised waist.
“I swear I won’t ever touch any Fiery Spirit again…” He muttered while shaking his head. That night had been everything but productive. He lost money, gained no valuable information, and to top it all off, the queue to the Magic Identification Bureau hadn’t decreased at all.
‘What’s wrong with releasing some stress, even if it's by breaking a few tables and ribs?’ Diamanes asked with a candid tone, before laughing mockingly at its host. Glenn sighed and glanced at his surroundings, his eyes stopping on the guard post limiting the entry into King’s Rise.
Perhaps he could try to enter without having to suffer through the unending queue to the Bureau? Maybe he could try to bluff the guards with the crested ring and the ornate sword? Glenn considered that option for an instant, before deciding against it. What if they suspected him of killing and stealing the original owner of the ring and sword? He would probably get captured, put in prison, and maybe executed. This was a medieval world, so it did feel more probable to be put to the blade.
…Having thought that this wouldn’t stop him from simply trying to pass the guard post shamelessly. Glenn approached the halberds-wielding knights gauntly, stopping before them. They blocked the way while clenching their weapons intimidately, looking down on Glenn as if he were some disgusting piece of meat.
“Halt! State your purpose and identity!” ordered one of them as he looked up and down at him with judgemental eyes. Glenn smiled as innocently as he could and rubbed his hands together. He almost chuckled, wondering if he should tell them that his purpose for coming here was to find a way to go back to his world and get rid of the parasite in his left hand.
‘Fuck you, Glenn.’
Glenn ignored Diamanes’ irritated voice and concentrated on the guards in front of him.
“Good evening sirs. I came from Eari to visit a friend, my name is Glenn, no last name.”
The guards exchanged a look until one of them frowned.
“I heard there was a war between Eari and Satidipug broiling. How are things there? I have a cousin living in Eari.”
A bead of sweat pearled down Glenn’s forehead and he shook his head, earning himself a few seconds to think.
“...The war…” Glenn muttered while drawing a deep breath, recalling the horror of the battlefield he woke up in.
“...There was a battle in Retni’s Plains. Countless deaths…”
One of the knights cursed, turning away with worry and fear. Glenn shook his head, trying to rid himself of the horrible memory.
“To tell the truth, I wanted to get away from there while I still could. I’m sure I can find work in King’s Rise, and my friend should be able to give me a place to live in.”
The knights nodded with understanding. The oldest of them rubbed the back of his neck with a steel-clad hand, “We’ll hope King’s Rise will be up to your hopes. Nonetheless, we will still need to have you receive the official identification mark. Go to the Bureau over there, and come back with the identification. I’d be glad to lead you past the wall then.”
Glenn cursed mentally while bowing politely at the guards.
“Thank you for the information, sirs…” He glanced back and grimaced, “...I won’t tell you later, haha…”
The guards laughed and went back to the guard post, discussing the war between Satidipug and Eari, how it was expected, and how they hoped their close ones wouldn’t be caught in the crossfire.
Glenn walked back, his arms crossed and his thoughts deepening.
‘This was a little disappointing, but still…Satidipug and Eari… I probably made a good choice lying about coming from Eari. Thank the gods I looked at that map yesterday…’
Diamanes sighed with boredom, ‘Whatever. Isn’t it funny how they were expecting the war between Satidipug and Eari? It’s like the cities share a feud of some sort.’
Glenn shrugged, grimacing at the sight of the incredibly long queue waiting in front of the Magic Identification Bureau. ‘Perhaps the Retni’s Plains contain some important resources. Who knows?’
The queue stretched for a dozen meters, so long it almost spilled onto the other side of the road, disrupting the flow of traffic. The line shifted from time to time, when carts and carriages passed by, which happened quite frequently considering the late hour.
‘Alright, Diamanes,’ Glenn sighed as he stretched while waiting in the queue, ‘Don’t you have anything entertaining to share? Some funny stories, jokes, I don’t know?’
Diamanes snickered, ‘I do, but sorry, too busy watching your high-school years. Pure comedy gold, by the way. Most entertaining.’
Glenn grimaced and hissed through his teeth, “...Good for you, Diamanes. Good for you…”
Disheartened, he stood in line patiently, watching as the sun rose and bathed all the people in the queue with pink and orange light. Eventually, after dozing off more than once and struggling to keep his eyes open, Glenn reached the door of the Bureau. Uncertain, he waited for an invitation or something telling him to come in. After several minutes of waiting, a monotonous voice spoke from behind the door, “Neeeext.”
Glenn flinched and happily obliged, pushing the door open. The interior revealed first a yawning guard, then an odd mechanical contraption built from bronze and brass gears, occasionally releasing hissing steam. A white crystal was embedded in the center of the contraption, the heart of the machine. It wasn’t as mystical as Diamanes’ crystal; no magical, enlightening pulse, no, instead it only gleamed with a gentle hue that hinted at its magic. From time to time, the light of the crystal intensified, an event which was followed by the release of steam from the machine.
“Please come to the counter,” the previous monotonous voice called out on Glenn’s side. He turned his head to find a table with a tired woman sitting at it, her hair disheveled and her skin pale. She looked at Glenn with empty eyes and indescribable weariness, her voice emerging laboriously as if from a great distance.
“An identification costs one silver coin, while the full package is worth twice that price.”
Glenn’s eyebrows rose in puzzlement. The full package? Could he get some bonus out of this? A starting kit for his life in King’s Rise?
Opting for more than less, he produced two silver coins and offered an empathetic smile, “The full package, please.”
The woman moved sluggishly, grabbing the two coins and pushing them into a jar next to the table. She retrieved a document from under the desk and glanced up at Glenn.
“Can you read and write?” She asked while judging his clothes and overall style. Glenn nodded without hesitation. The clerk handed him the document as well as a pen, before leaning back in her seat.
“Please fill this form first, after which we’ll proceed with the Convergence process.”
Glenn complied and gave the document a quick read. He almost sneered at some of them due to their absurdity.
‘“Am I a terrorist?” What? Do they expect terrorists to answer yes?’ thought Glenn before replying negatively. There were also more common questions, such as name, place of residence, and date of birth. He frowned and moistened his lips. He couldn’t put his birthday on Earth, could he? What even was the date here? Luckily, the date was printed in the top right corner of the document; 17/05/3032. It struck him as quite peculiar for this world to also use the Gregorian calendar, but perhaps it simply was the most practical system and the most efficient.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
The form also inquired about his purpose for coming to King’s Rise, which Glenn settled with his fabricated excuse of visiting a friend and avoiding the war between Satidipug and Eari. Once completed, he signed it and handed the document back to the clerk. She collected the form and stood up, sliding the paper into a slit in the machine. After a few minutes’ wait, a hand-shaped container emerged from the contraption, shrouded in steam.
The clerk gestured at the contained and bowed, her hair falling messily and hiding her tired face. They did not succeed in hiding the dark circles under her eyes, giving her quite a terrifying appearance all things considered.
“Please press your hand in the contained to begin the Convergence.”
Glenn complied cautiously, wondering what that “Convergence” was about. The metal mold was surprisingly soft and warm to the touch, almost like a living thing. The clerk triggered various mechanisms under the silent guard’s watch, and the contraption emitted a mechanical voice reminiscent of a human’s.
“PLEASE SWEAR THAT YOU HAVE NO INTENTION OF OPPOSING HIS MAJESTY, THE ROYAL FAMILY AND THEIR RELATIVES.”
Glenn complied instinctively, completely fascinated by the enigmatic machine. The clerk who was watching on the side triggered another mechanism, and claws suddenly shot out of the machine and restrained him, holding him in place.
“Have a safe Convergence, Sir.”
A bright flash of light shot out of the machine and blinded Glenn. At the same time, his limbs suddenly jolted uncontrollably, as if they were being electrocuted. Only his left, purple hand which was resting on his side, was left untouched. Perhaps Diamanes’ presence was a deterrent for whatever shenanigan was going on at the moment.
‘Wow, what is that?’ Diamanes blurted out with an alarmed tone, ‘They’re putting a seal on you. Huh, maybe…yeah, I can just get rid of it, they won’t notice.’
Glenn grimaced as pain rang through his entire body, making him struggle to comprehend the entity’s words.
‘Argh—what? A seal?!? Fu—Argh, damn it!’ Glenn’s eyes widened as he tried his hardest to escape from the machine’s hold, to no avail.
‘Get this over with first. We’ll talk later,’ Diamanes tsked as he waited for the torture to be done. After a few minutes that felt like day, the pain finally stopped and the mechanical voice from earlier spoke again;
“GLENN, 21 YEARS OLD, HUMAN, INITIATE. PURPOSE FOR COMING TO KING’S RISE: VISIT AND REFUGEE. TIME OF RESIDENCE ALLOWED: ONE. YEAR. PLEASE RENEW YOUR LICENSE BEFORE THE END OF THE SPECIFIED PERIOD OR UPGRADE IT. THE MAGI BROTHERHOOD THANKS YOU FOR YOUR SPONSORSHIP AND WELCOMES YOU TO THE PATH.”
The metal claws finally let Glenn go, at last, freeing him from the torture machine. He gasped and fell to his knees, his heart beating and throbbing with a strange sensation, something he never felt before, something bizarre.
The guard helped him up while the clerk bowed not so graciously, struggling not to collapse out of exhaustion.
“Thank you, sir. The Convergence is over. Have a pleasant stay in King’s Rise.”
Glenn looked at her like she was crazy and left the Bureau by a backdoor, avoiding the unending queue. He sat nearby and looked at his right hand, watching as a tattoo gleaming with white mystical light slowly faded away into his skin. He still had the time to observe its design; a rune, similar to a trident, enclosed in a simple circle. Glenn felt like he could have understood something had he been able to study the rune closer, but the tattoo faded entirely, leaving no trace of its existence.
“...So now, I have strange shit in both of my hands, then…fuck…” Glenn sighed as he rubbed his tired eyes. He forced himself up and went to find a more secluded place, a small grove that would allow him to enjoy some peace alone. He took off the bandages covering his left hand, revealing the purple skin under them and the grinning mouth waiting there.
“Ahhh, the air still tastes delicious. I know you might have some strange unrealized kinks, but could you still not muffle me next time? I’m not into these kinds of things.” Diamanes jeered as Glenn tried to clear his head. He found a fallen tree to use as a seat and stared down at his left hand.
“Alright, then…” He drew a deep breath and concentrated, “In order, what did they do to me? I thought I’d obtain an identification card, a document, or something like that.”
Diamanes cleared his throat and moistened his plump lips, still grinning as wickedly as ever. “The identification you speak of is in your right hand currently. This is a magical ID of some sort, printed on your soul.”
Glenn frowned. Printed on his soul? That didn’t sound too good. How could things be printed on a soul? Was a soul an actual tangible thing? He shook his head and dismissed these useless thoughts. It wasn’t like he was going to get an answer after all.
“What about that seal you said you got rid of? And what the fuck was that torture machine?”
“I’m guessing that’s a security thing, to make sure you won’t kill the King and his family, which is quite reasonable. Well, I still got rid of it, just in case, since the consequences of breaking the seal would be quite bad.”
Glenn’s eyes widened, “Like what?”
Diamanes smirked, “Remember Father Albenas?”
“...Oh.”
“Oh indeed. As for the machine, it seemed to possess a Convergence function, meaning it created the First Circle around your Mana Heart, an organ one human or two possess. The others are suited to Aura, which is another thing altogether. But, let’s skip that and go straight to the congratulations! You officially became what is universally known as a Mage, a being that can harness mystical powers. No idea of how they rank it in this world, though.”
The influx of information short-circuited Glenn’s brain for a moment, forcing him to remain silent to come to terms with all of it.
“...That’s a lot. So, I’m a…a magician now?” He asked doubtfully, looking at his hands like they weren’t his.
Diamanes sighed, “Yes you are. A level one Mage, if you wish. You’ll have to learn new spells and try to rank up as many Circles as you can, which will probably be a very, not boring time of your life.”
“But seeing how tough it is for you to even understand my words, I feel like you’re going to stay at the lowest level for quite a while. Who trapped me with this fucking loser, I swear…”
Glenn smiled fakely with his teeth clenched, “...You’re the one who trapped yourself in my hand, remember.”
Diamanes blew raspberries dismissively, “Whatever. Can’t we go kill something? That’d be fun.”
Glenn drew a deep breath, his right hand sinking into the dimensional pouch and pulling out the ornate sword.
“Maybe I really should cut off my hand. Perhaps it’ll at least shut you up?” Glenn suggested with cold eyes, unsheathing the sword and contemplating the gleaming metal. Diamanes laughed mockingly, not taking him seriously, “You’ve already threatened me once with that. Sorry, as I said before, I’ll just grow back!”
Glenn stabbed the sword into the ground and hid his face in his hands, exhausted.
“Anyway, now you have to admit that I am useful. I got rid of that seal, meaning you’ll be able to oppose the King and the Royal Family of King’s Rise as much as you’d like!” Diamanes happily exclaimed, earning another sigh out of his host.
“...Why would I want to oppose anyone, though?”
Diamanes grunted, “Use your imagination. Anyway, about me, there’s still a power I couldn’t tell you how to use. We didn’t have the occasion after all. It’s very simple; first, you need to—”
Thwip!
Something shot through the air, whistling as it went for Glenn’s head. Instinctively, he protected his face with his left hand, just in time for an arrow to lodge itself right in Diamanes’ mouth and shut him up. The arrow’s tip was mere inches away from Glenn’s right eye, threatening to blind him.
“Argh! FUCK!” Glenn rolled on the ground, holding his hand in pain, his teeth clenched. Blood flowed out of the wound, dropping on the mud and tainting it red.
Glenn gasped and hurriedly reached for his sword with his unharmed hand. Each movement he took made the wound throb painfully, the wooden shaft twisting the muscles and flesh.
A group of individuals wrapped in black hooded robes approached him, One of them was holding a bow; probably the one who shot him.
“FUCK! WHO ARE YOU FUCKERS?!?” Glenn shouted at them, struggling to hold his sword as the pain in his left hand kept on throbbing. They didn’t answer him, instead choosing to slowly approach him with their swords drawn out. The individual in the center, someone with a robe that was dark red instead of entirely black like the others, spat on the ground.
“You fool…How dare you mess with our plans, and believe you can continue to live?”
He lunged at Glenn, the latter trying the best he could to defend himself. A sharp movement from the robed man made Glenn’s sword fly away, while vines shot out of the ground to wrap around him. The vines were thorny, piercing through his skin and feeding on his blood.
Glenn desperately tried to free himself from the vines, but the more he forced, the harder it was to escape, the vines tightening around his chest and limbs. He opened his mouth to scream for help, but no sound came out of his mouth.
“May you see our God’s light and repent in agony, maggot,” the hooded man spat, before swinging his pommel into Glenn’s head with brutal force. Glenn blinked in pain, stars, and echoes of laughter dancing in front of his eyes.
Without another chance to fight back, Glenn’s consciousness faded away and he slumped to the ground, his forehead bleeding profusely.