Warm golden sunlight poured downward onto Aaron's pale white neck as he walked through the streets, limping.
From the directions he had received from Cam, the Sea of Dreams Hunters' Headquarters was not more than fifty meters away from the hospital.
So, after walking for what felt like thirty minutes, the boy slowly came to the realization that the brown-haired woman had deceived him.
Fifty meters, my ass! This reminds me of Sea Fallen…
Memories of following confusing signs through the old city haunted him in his normal nightmares, disturbing the rarely peaceful sleep he occasionally had.
Every time he shut his eyes, the terrifying vision of the humanoid creature that appeared within his dream flashed past his vision.
It was something ancient and of a completely different caliber than even the Apex lurking within his mind.
Since earlier that day when the higher being inside his head had acted strangely, its voice had disappeared completely, as if it retreated from the threat of the iced creature.
It was a sign that made even Aaron uneasy, and any attempted conversation with Penelope ended swiftly as she entered deep hibernation to recover even a sliver of her former power.
She estimated that without any further increases to his mana, it would take four years to regain such strength, leaving only one option left for the blond boy.
I need to get stronger.
And it was with those thoughts that, as he turned the corner of the masterfully paved road, the sight of the Hunters' Headquarters was shown before him.
It was situated within a massive town square littered with many tourists and salesmen who bought and sold goods from their make-shift stands.
Some offered food, others weaponry, and even out of the furthest reaches of his sight, the boy noticed a newspaper stand giving away papers with the 'Angel of Waves' covering the front.
Don't spread false rumors…
His inward lampoons were accompanied by a scoff as he faced the building that stood above the rest.
Similar to the Sea Fallen regional outpost, the design was a mix of modern and medieval structures, yet this one lacked the so-called 'electricity' that the building in the other city had.
The doorway was a large golden archway that could easily fit a carriage inside.
From the outside, he could barely see any promotions for the exam; however, with one glance at the person hovering around the entrance, he knew he was at the right place.
With a slight grin, the boy hobbled forward, making his way to the doors right as the square bell chimed noon.
"You made it here faster than I thought. Perhaps you truly can take the exam."
The woman's voice chided at him lightly as her glistening brown-eyes reflected the midday sun off her pupils.
Her sheer presence had been reduced as he had expected, with all the civilians around and the exam so soon.
"Fifty meters…"
Aaron's speech made the youthful woman chuckle as she pulled a small badge from her clothing that marked her as an exam proctor.
Her white shirt and brown pants had been replaced with a thick black-leather trench coat that drooped down to her ankles.
The once-hidden badge that marked her as a Marshal had been pinned to her upper left chest, closest to the heart, and very visible to anyone who passed.
With the sign of a Marshal in sight, the moving crowd naturally shifted away, weaving around them and leaving the powerhouse and the blond boy standing in a small pocket of emptiness.
Whispers about the casino incident echoed out through the crowd, leaving Cam to only sigh and turn away.
"You still need to officially sign up. You have twenty-eight minutes until registration closes. This is also the last time I will casually speak to you until the exam is finished, so this is goodbye."
Turning her head around, she winked lightly while raising her hand to wave towards the boy and then disappeared into the building.
Her words left Aaron frozen in confusion as he pondered the one question that stood out among the rest.
She calls that talking casually?
…
"Hello, sir! What can I help you with today?"
The receptionist's voice was quiet yet enthusiastic as she stared at the boy curiously.
Her silver nametag read one simple name, Tiana, reflecting the lamplight off it, nearly blinding the boy as he spoke.
"I'm here to sign up for the official guild reevaluation."
Aaron's voice was loud and commanding as Cam had taught him, leaving the woman to only nod and write something down.
Her nails were painted white but cut short, allowing her to easily hold the pen and write at a fast speed.
"Name and sea of origin?"
She tilted her head upward, looking at him flat-faced, awaiting his answer.
"Aaron Grimstall, Sea of Dreams' native."
With the carefully rehearsed list of items that he had prepared, locked, and ready to go in his mind, the woman stopped writing, instead looking up at him in bewilderment.
"Y-You were the recommendation?"
Furrowing his brows in confusion, Aaron could only blink twice and open his mouth quietly.
"Recommendation?"
Placing her pen down, the receptionist looked up at him with surprise and awe while reading from a small note taped to the desk.
"Aaron Grimstall. Male. 15 years old. Expected rank… Lieutenant."
After reading the last words, she paused for a moment, looking for any bit of recollection across his face; however, she saw none, prompting her to continue.
"Recommended to the Hunters' Guild by Her Highness, Camilla Buckley."
Shock exploded on the blond boy's face as the entire name of his mentor, friend, and observer was revealed to him for the first time.
He had always believed that, like many people who had rough upbringings, Cam had never been given a surname, yet, for some reason, her full name reminded him of a distant memory lurking beneath his sealed memories.
"Camilla Buckley?"
His words were spoken as a question, causing the woman behind the desk to gasp in surprise as her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Y-You don't know her? Really not even at all?"
Her complete and utter shock confused Aaron even more, as her reaction seemed like something that one might garner from a Sea King, not just a Marshal.
"S-She is the sole ruler who watches over the Sea of the Ancients in the absence of the Great First King… For someone to not know such a thing is preposterous!"
The woman's stammered response was said with a certain level of firmness that showed that she believed the boy was simply joking with her.
Aaron himself stood there flabbergasted and utterly frozen as a long-lost memory wedged its way to the forefront of his mind.
He was only twelve when the newspaper had appeared before him at the docks as he moved cargo back and forth between Strava and Stone Haven.
It was a special edition, an unforgettable announcement that would send shockwaves throughout the world.
Throughout the history of the world, no human could rival any of the Sea Kings, with even the masked swordsman of the south only able to match one at his fullest of strength.
That was until the former King of Wishes was killed by one girl, someone who was only sixteen years old.
The murder itself was excused as self-defense, with the King having lost his mind after an encounter with something divine.
It was an unprecedented scenario, and the only one to date where a Sea King was slain by someone of a separate status to themselves.
This one accomplishment by that one girl skyrocketed her to the very top of the world, where she was instantly granted the title of Marshal after hasty deliberation.
As she had been deemed a force equal to that of a Sea King, she was granted authority over the only sea that was unoccupied by any force.
The Sea of the Ancients.
After that incident, she had vanished from the public eye with only brief appearances at the Conference of the Seas every year.
Each time she refused portraits, interviews, and even stories of her life, leaving her a total mystery to the world.
It was for this reason that the image of the brown-haired woman whom Aaron had always seen drunken, sprawled out across the floor, was instantly shattered.
His dazed expression made the receptionist pause her work, looking up at him worriedly.
"You weren't being serious, right…?"
Quickly nodding his head, barely even listening to her, his thoughts were a mess of dizzying information.
Every day he had spent training suddenly clicked inside his head, including her reasoning for her distaste of the Kings.
Her entire island was massacred by the King of Wishes… No wonder she despises the Ghostships and their wielders… Yet… She trained me…
As the scenes of her smile flashed through his mind, he felt a tap on his shoulder snapping him back to the present.
"Sir? You are free to go to the waiting area now. Payments were settled by the proctor herself, so there should be no issues there."
She stopped for a moment, allowing Aaron to collect himself and nod calmly, listening to her final comment.
"I wish you luck… Hell, you don't even need it if you've been recommended by her…"
Sighing gently to herself, she leaned backwards in her chair, eyeing a small picture of her surrounded by many kids.
Aaron watched this quietly while attempting to remember anything meaningful about his family, to no avail.
Slowly turning around, he followed the woman's finger as she pointed towards a room in the east wing of the building.
His mind was clouded with Cam's hidden identity; however, he continued forward, as he always had.
No matter the circumstance or the challenge, he would pass this exam.
For it was the first step in his goal of becoming someone truly strong, who could protect the weak.