The crowd fell silent as Desmond approached Kai, staring at him. Many began to whisper, trying to guess why the hero would speak directly to that strange-looking guy who didn't even seem like an adventurer. Was he a threat to the Kingdom?
"Do you two know each other?" the young woman beside him whispered quietly.
"No, definitely not," Kai whispered back. "Never seen him in my life."
"Then what's going on?"
"How should I know? I'm as lost as you are."
"Hey, what's your name, young man?" the hero asked.
"Ah, my name is Kai."
The answer made the hero's eyes widen. He looked Kai up and down, noticing his very peculiar outfit: a black tuxedo and a black hat. On top of that, his hair was extremely colorful. Nothing about him resembled a typical person in that world.
"Where are you from, Kai?"
"From a very distant place, haha," he tried to dodge the question.
"Could you be more specific?" Desmond replied seriously.
Crap, what's with this guy? Why is he picking on me? If I say anything, I'm going to die on the spot.
[WARNING: If anyone learns about your situation or your powers, you will die instantly.]
What do I do?
"He's my friend," the blonde girl beside him cut in, sensing the tension. "We're childhood friends."
"Oh, really?" Desmond looked at the two again. "Forgive my rudeness. I hope you enjoy the banquet that will take place soon."
"Absolutely, wouldn't miss it for anything," Kai replied nervously, as the hero climbed back onto the carriage and left.
"What the hell was that?" he muttered.
"I don't know, but you owe me one, Kai."
"I definitely do. What's your name again?"
"I'm Lysa, nice to meet you."
Lysa was the daughter of an elf and a human, which meant she wasn't fully accepted by either race in that world. Rarely did anyone engage in conversation with her. So, after the crowd dispersed, she cheerfully showed Kai the city's main points: the guilds, shops, plazas, and the royal family's castle.
"Wow, that's a lot."
"Yeah," she said, smiling. "Oh, there's one thing I forgot to mention."
"What?"
"The great hero Desmond recently founded Livia's Hope School, an academy to train the next generation of heroes, according to him."
"Interesting. Why did he name it Livia?"
"It's in honor of his late mother."
Suddenly, a notification appeared.
[You did not complete the Tutorial Quest and will be penalized with extreme fatigue.]
Kai nearly collapsed on the spot.
"Hey! What happened? Are you okay?"
[You will receive a new Tutorial Quest. This is your last chance.]
[Tutorial Quest:
Enter Livia's Hope School.Reward: 9 EXP.Time limit: 10 minutes.Failure penalty: death.]
"I'm fine, Lysa, don't worry. I just need some water."
"Oh, I have some with me," she said, pulling a container from her bag and handing it to Kai, who drank it all at once.
"How do I get into this Livia's Hope School?" he asked, wiping his mouth.
"They're accepting applications at a place nearby—I can take you there."
Nodding in gratitude, Kai followed Lysa to the registration site, which was packed with young people. The two of them joined a long line and waited their turn.
"Next in line."
"My name is Lysa, I'm here to enroll in Livia's Hope School."
"Do you have any documents, a crest, or a recommendation?"
Documents, crest, or recommendation? I didn't know I needed that. I'm screwed.
"I have a recommendation from my father," she said, pulling a letter from her bag and handing it to the receptionist, who read it carefully.
"Seems fine, Lysa. I just need you to place your hands on the artifact next to me."
She placed her hands on a crystal artifact that looked like a microscope. Letters materialized and a message appeared in the air for all to see.
"Lysa Ashford, I have analyzed your personality and power level and assign you to Class B," the receptionist read aloud, which made the half-elf quite happy.
"I did it! Now it's your turn, Kai."
He stepped up to the receptionist.
"Do you have any documents, crest, or recommendation?"
"Ah, see, I had them with me until recently, but they were stolen right when I arrived in the city. You know how it is, haha."
The receptionist looked at him with suspicion, thinking he was a terrible liar.
"Okay, what's your name?"
"Kai."
"Kai? I've never heard that name in my life, so you must not be from any noble family."
"It's a noble family from a very distant land."
She went silent.
He began to get nervous, worried about the possibility of failing the tutorial quest.
"Look, I know my situation is a bit... irregular, let's say, but is there any alternative test I can take? Some way to prove I'm fit to enter?"
"You came to me, lied about losing your documents, made up that awful name, then claimed to be from a noble family, and now you want another chance?"
"Yes, please."
"Listen, Kai—if that's even your real name—I'm sorry to tell you, but I have an excellent memory. And as long as I'm in charge of the admissions process at Livia's Hope School, you will never be accepted as a student here."
Those words hit Kai like lightning—but not as hard as the message he knew would come next from the System.
[You have failed the quest and will be eliminated in 120 seconds.]
Is this the end?