“Yasmin?” That’s all I managed to say.

There were so many questions trying to get the spotlight. Why is Yasmin here? How has Yasmin got here faster than me? How did she know I was coming here? Has she come to bring me back?

She was looking straight at me. Neither of us was moving; we were in a standoff.

“You wish!” She finally broke the silent. “Man! You almost blew it up!”

“I-what?”

What did I almost blow up? And why was I supposed to wish she was Yasmin?

“Come, sit. This is going to take a while and I’m in no mood to waste time.”

I did as I-wish-she-was-Yasmin told me and sat on the other office chair in that room.

“I’m also in no mood to be interrupted.” I was starting to see why I wish she was the soft, lovely, and charming Yasmin. “I will start with the big reveal—Light Shaper is not a real class.”

“Bu-”

“I thought I said I was in no mood?” If looks killed, I’d be dead, buried, and on my way to the next life. “Light Shaper is our code for something fucked up happened and someone needs protection.

“You met someone affiliated with us, and somehow you managed to convince them that you were worthy of being saved. I don’t know who it was. I don’t want to know. Hell, I don’t care.“

Who is us? I was quiet, as instructed, but mentally taking notes of everything.

“Yasmin, my younger sister, was setting our gear on Fixun in action. But, oh, the boy had to play hero! Your actions in the dungeons were… notorious. So much that Lebil reported you to his higher ups, and that managed to catch the ears of The Order. See where this is going?

“You brought the [Oracle] onto yourself. You, and only you, single-handedly undid all of Yasmin’s plans. We have a single rule, play by the Order’s laws and rules. We are part of them. As soon as the [Oracle] was involved, we gave up on you.

“You were going to be a Saint. Live like a Saint. And be discarded like a Saint.“

It was hitting me hard, to the point that I was thankful that she told me to sit. Why didn’t Yasmin tell me? If I had known… It would have been much different.

“When the [Oracle] saw you were evolving he went crazy. His golden chicken was about to turn into an ornamental turd. At all effects, you had manage to kill yourself. But then you go and, Gods know how, manage to evolve and obtain a second class at the same time.

“Shut up! Yasmin calls me all worked up that all of a sudden you show as [? | Divinator] and that she had a plan. Just summon him! Just. Summon. Him. Do you fucking know how much that costs!?

Stolen novel; please report.

“A lot?”

“A fucking metric ton lot.” She breathed heavily, letting out a huge puff of air as her eyes rolled. “But I did, I summoned you, because my little sister begged me and I couldn’t say no. So, at leas tell me it was worth it.“

“The [Oracle]‘s face when I was force-summoned should pay for that and mo-”

“Shut your mouth,” her eyes were round and scanning me from head to toes. “You were force-summoned here? And in a single peace?”

“Yes? I mean, you did summon me for me increased corruption resistance.”

“I-Yes. Whatever. The plan had so many holes. I had to find you among all anonymous candidates that somehow fit the bill, and I failed a few times at that. You can be thankful that the job was as unappealing as it could get and all of them refused; this was a one shot thing.

“You had to accept, which relied too much on you being smart enough to realize it was your only exit. And the [Oracle] had to be kind enough to bring you to a summoning site, which apparently didn’t happen at all.

“Maybe Yasmin was not wrong about you.“

I was still trying to process all that information. My life with the System had been, so far, not my own. I had been played since the very moment where Charlotte told me she was a [Farmer].

Yasmin had listened to me bullshit about my fake master without batting an eye. Although she probably believed that was true, and maybe even the reason I needed help so desperately—not to become a Saint like him.

When I said I had been summoned, and when she tried to make the [Oracle] bring me to the summoning site, she risked their position in the Order.

“I have so many questions,” I finally said.

“And I am so, so eager to answer them.” The sarcasm was so clear that it almost hit me on the face.

“Clearly, you are not Yasmin. So, what should I call you?”

There was an awkward pause.

“Claudia. You can call me Claudia.”

“Good! And Claudia, while I get I almost managed to dig my own grave, why the hell didn't Yasmin, you, or whoever else tell me what was going on?”

“I will assume you are tired from the force-summoning and that, normally, you are brighter than this,” she answered in what I believed was her normal tone. “What if you were our enemy? Or a spy?”

“That… Okay, Sai-”

“No.” All traces of sarcasm and lighthearted jokes were gone. “You won't say that in my presence.”

“Understood,” I readjusted my back to make sure I was sitting straight. “You keep saying us and being affiliated to you. What exactly are we talking about?”

“The Alliance of the System—as the planets with access to the System like to call themselves—is far from united. Perhaps the surface looks still, but that's because it's deep enough that the boiling waters have not surfaced yet.

“Fixun follows the Sanctum, and everything that falls in there; Order and Church included. You are now in Velmar Six—far enough to cost me a fuckton—free of their influence.“

“Whats the plan then? I just stay here?”

“Here? No. This is just a stopgap measure. Summoners are required to return to their origin once the job is done.”

“What am I supposed to do, then?”

“Right now?” She smiled. “You'll start by repaying me every Lup I spent to summon you. Or did you think you wouldn't have to work?”

“My life so far has been one big lie. This might be the very first time I know exactly what is expected of me and what I have to do,” I tilted my head as I saw her furrowed brows. “Right?”

“Yeah, sure.” She waved her hand. “You’ll find my assistant outside, he’ll tell you exactly what you want to know.”

She waved once more, turned her chair, and proceeded to ignore me.

I was about to open the door, when she spoke one more time.

“I don't think I need to say that this conversation stays here. If a single word gets out, you know what will happen.”

The conversation was over.