A New Hido (1)

Unlike last time when they led me to a bar, this time they took me to a slightly fancy office building. Inside the building are a few adults bustling about, most of them shoot us curious looks but none ask anything. Charlotte leads the way to the receptionist, a professional-looking woman dressed in formal wear who is staring at us with an exasperated look on her face.

Before Charlotte even has a chance to speak, she does. "How many times do I have to tell you, this place is not like Jalone's. You need a certain level of strength to even begin to take missions. Strength, you don't have. Please, go home."

In reply, Charlotte shows her the Arcane Projector. The receptionist is not impressed, showing us the back of her hands in return. She has two Arcane Projectors, as well as something else.

"We won't be here if we weren't confident about our strength. At least give us a chance to prove ourselves." Charlotte doesn't back down.

In the end, the woman lets out a small sigh. "If you fail the test this time, then you are not to disturb me for the next two years. Deal, or no deal."

Charlotte turns to look at Trevor, who nods. "We agree. Give us this chance and if we fail, we won't come back for the next two years."

The receptionist lets out another sigh and then focuses on me. She pauses, then a look of recognition appears on her face. "Aren't you that guy who saved some people during the Rolling Hills concert? When that fire broke out?"

I nod. "I am."

She smiles. "That was a good thing you did. You know, it makes sense now, why you had the guts to rush into a fire. You know magic. How strong are you?"

"I'm passable," I reply. I am not exactly the strongest, but the Rankings have shown me that I am not the weakest either.

"Oh. How long do you think it'll take until you become a pseudo?" The receptionist asks, as she quickly types something on the computer in front of her.

"He's already one," Trevor answers before I have a chance to.

She looks at me again, but this time her expression is one of surprise. "So young? Is he going in with you?" Charlotte nods. "No wonder you're so confident. Okay, since you're new here I am going to need your name."

I glance at Trevor who nods at me. Ah, what the heck, it wouldn't hurt to give them my name. "Ian Walker."

She stops, and on the back of her hand the Arcane Projector flashes with light. She turns to look at me, no, at my forehead, where the mark of the Laen is. "You're that kid, one of those who banished the Majin. A Laen."

Her tone is a strange one. She stares at me for some seconds, her expression indecipherable and for a moment I think that she will send us away. She doesn't, choosing to continue typing on her computer. A moment later she is done. The Arcane Projector on her hand flashes again, and a door appears in front of her desk, she motions for us to go through.

Charlotte grabs the door handle and pulls it open before walking through. Trevor follows and I go last, glancing suspiciously at the receptionist before I enter. Something about her reaction to the fact that I am Laen doesn't quite sit well with me.

* * * * * *

Receptionist

I wait until they have all gone through the door before picking up a phone on my desk. A few rings later and my call is finally picked up. "What is it?" A lazy voice comes through the speaker.

"Sir, a Laen just entered the building."

There is silence on the other end for a few seconds, finally, the lazy voice comes back, sounding a bit more urgent. "Thanks for the heads up. Do you have an idea what the person's rank is?"

I try to remember everything I have ever heard about the boy and then give a rough estimate. "At most he should be a Protector, but it's more likely that he's below that rank."

The voice relaxes a bit after hearing that. "Alright. Is that all?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Hmm." The call is finally cut.

* * * * * *

Ian

On the other side of the door is what looks like a small court with only one exit which seems to be locked. On the opposite end of the court are two wooden puppets, which look up at us the moment we enter.

"Listen," Trevor says to me. "We know you can probably defeat those things with ease, but let us handle things, okay? This way if we truly aren't fit to take on the missions here, we will find out. Better to get beaten up by a puppet than for something far worse to happen to us during a mission."

"Oh, okay," I say taking a step back. To be honest the moment I saw those puppets look at us I had begun preparing to attack. But now, I realize Trevor is right. It is he and Charlotte who would have to face dangers during their missions, I can't follow them every time since I have my own life and responsibilities. Better they know if they are fit for it now than when it is too late.

After obtaining my word that I won't interfere, they attack the puppets. Not too long after, I get a good sense of their strength and it is… how do I put this nicely… it's not the best. Their strength is on par with the weakest in my class, and while that's not particularly too bad when you account for age, it becomes clear how low it is.

Those in my class got to where they are in about two years and are still very young. Trevor and Charlotte, however, I have the feeling that they have been Erhaz for many years, and if this is the best they can do after all that time… well. To be honest, I am not sure what to think, and I can't help but wonder. I became as strong as I am now due to the Laen: their teachers, facilities, books, and much more, all of those combined to make me as strong as I am now. If I were an Erhaz who had to learn magic on my own without all of that, how strong would I be right now?

In the end, they defeat the puppets and the door leading out of the court unlocks itself. We leave and find ourselves in a large hallway. The hallway is around twenty meters wide, its walls stretching really high up before giving way to clouds instead of a roof. Lining the hallway at regular intervals are large, frescoed pillars that are partially inset into the walls, and appearing between the pillars are sometimes doors and sometimes large glass cases.