CHAPTER 27: RESOLUTE DECLARATIONS

A tumultuous cyclone of blazing wind encroached upon the trio. Hot air rushed into their pores, as they continued to lose bodily liquids to defend against the sizzling atmosphere. The old man broke the silence in a mellow voice that sliced through the sultry air.

"... It's because it's almost useless without its cartridges..."

Hermes, whose sweat began to pierce through his linen shirt furrowed his eyebrows.

"It's cartridges? What's wrong with them?"

The old man sighed. "My great-grandfather created the gunblade for the sole purpose of embedding magic into its shells, allowing for the wielder to have an assortment of different spells to utilize during combat."

"The only problem, however, is that his magic engraving formula for creating the shells was entirely wrong. It took him so long, but he could never come up with a solution."

"Because of this setback, Even though he put his soul into creating the gunblade itself, without its bullets, The Dawnbreaker ranks lower than most other Ecliptic tier Stellar Artifacts."

Listening to his explanation, Hermes began to frown. 'So not only is it missing a sword art, but its magical abilities are locked away due to a lack of ammunition...'

The old man stroked his beard once more and looked into Hermes' eyes. A look of melancholy permeated across his gaze.

"Because of this reason, many people look down at the gunblade as a gimmick weapon. A sword that tries to be something it can never be... This is why it was allocated to the cadet armory. The person who placed it there probably assumed it would be useless even if someone stole it."

"..."

Charles who had been listening to the conversation the entire time grinned joyfully. 'What a showoff... I bet he will swap to another weapon now like a coward.'

Hermes looked at the ground, his thoughts in turmoil. Although he never showed it on his face, anger was swelling inside his chest.

'A gimmick weapon? A fake? Something it was never meant to be? My entire conscious is telling me they are wrong. I refuse to accept such an insult.'

Lifting his chin, Hermes looked directly at the old man before him with glimmers of rage. A tumultuous flame ignited inside him, rising high and mighty like a pillar, proclaiming its existence to even the gods. Even though he had never wielded a gunblade in his life, he for whatever reason knew that those declarations were wrong. How could he allow these people to talk badly about the weapon he chose? He couldn't allow that to happen.

Hermes lifted the gunblade and mounted it on his shoulder.

"That magic engraving formula, I'll find the solution to it as well."

The old man's eyes expanded rapidly like a balloon as he clenched his beard tightly. Charles on the other hand was also shocked, but those feelings quickly turned into anger. He couldn't believe that the peasant before him not only wanted to create a sword art for a weapon no one had any experience or history with but he also wanted to fix the biggest issue the weapon had by himself? 'Arrogant!' That was the only word that echoed in his mind.

Oblivious to their thoughts, Hermes turned around to face the exit. With only one step away from approaching the door handle, he tilted his head back towards the old man who was quietly staring at his figure.

"As a stage 1 Celestial, I have yet to attain the abilities to work with magic. My initial focus will be on crafting a Sword Art that is fitting for the glory of a gunblade. Oh yeah, what's your name by the way? I have a feeling I'll be visiting this place a lot."

The old man's eyes twinkled in deep illustrious emotions that no one in the room could ever peer into. Stroking his olive-colored beard, a vibrant smile plastered his face, warming the already warm room even more so than before.

"Dorian Fabbro..."

Hearing his answer, Hermes nodded his head and stepped out of the room valiantly. Every step he took echoed out into the hallway.

...

After leaving the forge, Hermes decided to change course back to his dorm room to take a shower. He had underestimated the heat inside, causing the stench of his sweat to float freely around him.

After five or more minutes of walking, he approached Section C. The corridor he had been moving through opened before him, causing him to gasp in awe. Although he had visited Section C beforehand to obtain his uniform from Sophia, he had only reached the periphery of it.

The space he was currently in was wider than a basketball court, with couches, tables, and other lounging areas scattered around. At the far back was a minibar with a bartender patiently wiping a cup in his hand.

Hermes shifted his gaze to the center of the lobby area. Positioned there was a ring-shaped desk with glass covering its circumference. At the top, a sign that read 'Service Desk' reflected off of the lens of his glasses.

Hermes walked forward towards it while holding the cardboard box that housed his uniform and his gunblade in his other arm. Unlike before, he felt he could hold it perfectly without feeling the significance of its weight. Although he still struggled to swing it in any swift manner, he knew that with enough training, wielding it properly would not take long at all.

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Stepping in front of the counter, Hermes looked inside the 'Service Desk' booth and spotted a man in a grey military uniform similar to the one Sophia wore. The man radiated a smile towards Hermes.

"Greetings sir. How may I assist you?"

He smiled back at him and politely forwarded his demands.

"Hello, my name is Hermes Wilson. I am a newly enlisted Guardian Cadet. I would like to know where I can find my assigned dorm room?"

"No problem sir. Could I please see your badge first though?"

Hermes tilted his head to the side. "Badge? What badge?"

The man reaffirmed. "Yes, your Guardian Badge? You should have received one with your uniform?"

"Ah..."

Hermes shifted his gaze toward the cardboard box in his arm. Lowering the gunblade to the floor, he opened the box quickly. What met his eyes was a small emblem that radiated the hue of the sun. It was situated atop the black military garments that were folded neatly. The smell of new clothes danced in the air as he slowly picked up the badge.

It was shaped like a large castle wall with a sword vertically piercing through it. This was the symbol of the Guardian Regiments. Grooves and markings lined across its golden surface. One would need a microscope to peer into its pattern.

After admiring the badge for a bit, Hermes quickly handed it to the man behind the glass booth. The man received it and immediately placed it into a machine that was on his desk.

-Beep!

A green LED light flashed, indicating a successful scan. The man smiled and handed the badge back to Hermes.

"Alright, Mister Hermes. You are all set. Your dorm room is on the second floor and is labeled 'B-233'. Here is your magnetic key card."

He handed him a silver-colored card. On it, lines spread out like a circuit. Crushing his curiosity to study it further, Hermes made his way to the elevator that was placed on the left side of the lobby.

After reaching the second floor, he scoured through the different doors to find the correct one. Soon, the label, 'B-233', presented itself before him. Scanning the card, Hermes quickly stepped inside.

Flicking the light switch, a scene he had never expected came into view. A cozy room with wooden flooring became apparent. Due to his skewed understanding of the army back when he lived in the United States, he had expected a simple bunk bed and bathroom. Instead, what met his eyes was a king-sized bed you would see in any 3 or 4-star hotel back on Earth.

The bed, which was adorned with two fluffy pillows, a thick flat sheet decorated in grey stripes, and a beautifully configured flat sheet oozed comfort and warmth into the surrounding space.

The bedside table on the left was dark-oak in texture. On it stood a lamp with its shade snow white in color. It was adorned in gilded curved lines that formed a pattern around its circumference. On the right side of the bed was a simple wooden desk and chair. It had nothing on its surface. Hermes enjoyed its simplicity and how it was positioned in the room.

On the other side of the bed and desk pair, was a sliding door that led to the shower and bathroom. To say Hermes was satisfied was an understatement. He had finally understood why the competition for people to become Guardians was so fierce. These amenities might be normal to someone like Hermes who had lived a middle-class life on Earth, but to the inhabitants of this world, they are things that only the rich could enjoy.

The one thing he did find disappointing however was the lack of windows. Because the room was entirely underground, the rays of the sun never reached where he slept. He had grown fond of the temporary apartment that Angelica recommended to him and the rocking chair that he would sit in to enjoy the view from the balcony.

'Speaking of which, that apartment still belongs to me for the next two weeks. I should be able to visit it someday I hope… I can always just spend the salary I gain as a Guardian to keep it under my name.'

Hermes did not waste any time and placed the cardboard box, gunblade, and the items in his pocket on the bed, creasing the sheets slightly. Taking his clothes off, Hermes headed for the sliding door to enter the bathroom. Immediately, the reflection of his body colored his vision. What followed was shock.

Progressing beyond his jet-black hair, brown eyes, and a well-defined nose bridge supporting his glasses, his torso, and limbs had undergone a noticeable transformation. His once lean frame had evolved into a more defined physique. Musculature now defined his biceps and arms, replacing the appearance of slender limbs with a robust vigor.

Although the changes didn't include anything drastic like a six-pack or a completely chiseled-out chest, the discernible shift in his physique was a testament to his newfound strength. The added inch in height left him pleasantly mystified, as he believed his growth spurt had long since concluded.

'When did I change so much? Maybe my use of the Nano-biotic machine had these effects? Or could it be an accumulation of all my past encounters since my awakening in the coffin?'

Hermes didn't have an answer, but it's not like the transformation concerned him. In fact, he felt quite ecstatic about it. He used to get made fun of in high school for being too skinny. Although he wanted to work out and craft a better body image for himself after getting into college, his circumstances didn't afford him any time or money to spend on such endeavors.

Of course, his situation eventually got better after landing a job in a research facility, but his abnormal kidnapping and the eventful time travel he went through destroyed all his future plans.

'Hehe, I wonder how Ariana would react to this change? Would she find it more attractive?... I wish I could see her again...'

Throughout his shower, thoughts of her rang through his mind. Their dates, escapades at the park, their texts, their first kiss, their first hug, their first... Pictures of her smiling, others pouting. Visages of her being angry at him, another of her being happy for him. They all came and gone, each bringing soreness to his heart. It was impossible to tell if tears fell during that brief moment because of the water dripping down his face.

After stepping out and drying his hair, Hermes decided to put on his new uniform. It was a combination of black trousers, a military vest with gilded, golden buttons, an army cap with a black gold insignia of the Guardian Regiment, and a pair of black oxford shoes.

Looking at the mirror, one could see a single, polished golden star on each shoulder pad of the vest, denoting his rank as a cadet. After straightening the collar of his vest and tightening the belt around his waist, he gave one more look towards his visage.

'Hm? I was honestly afraid that the uniform wouldn't fit me because of the changes to my body, but it seems they are already accounted for. Weird... Wait... No way!'

A shiver ran down his spine. An image of Angelica smiling sinisterly as she studied his body's proportions while being unconscious presented itself in his mind. He quickly shook his head, trying his best to remove the depressing thoughts...

'Seriously, that woman really doesn't know the concept of boundaries... But she did save me time by re-measuring everything, so I guess I'll let it slide...'

What surprised him the most about the uniform, however, was the strap on the back of his vest that was meant to hold a weapon. After discovering such a feature, he was able to strap the gunblade to his back. The gun handle which visibly protruded over his shoulder length was easy enough to reach.

Taking a deep breath, Hermes stepped out of the dorm room resolutely, giving weight to the honor and valor of the elegant uniform he was adorning.

'Finally, I can visit the library... There is so much I need to know about this world.'

End of Chapter