Hal found himself back in his assigned room, although this time it was much brighter. He lifted his shirt in a panic, shaking where he had been previously stabbed and to his relief, there was no wound.
His head was pounding as a subtle dizziness was overtaking him. He struggled and made his way to the bathroom, where he leaned against the mirror, struggling to open his eyes, and when he did, he backed up and crushed down on the floor, his headache intensifying.
He rose with a painful groan and gazed at the mirror again, stunned by his reflection. His eyes seemed filled with countless stars, with a bright one at the centre. His hair had transformed into something else, resembling a starry nebula resting on his head.
He stepped back again, mouth open in shock, and asked, "Why do I look like this?" As he looked at his reflection in the mirror with a blank expression, something strange occurred. The mirror suddenly seemed to stare back at him, accompanied by a pounding headache. It felt as if his mind was being torn apart.
Two images battled for his perception in his mind: one looking into the mirror, and the other gazing back. He held his head, closed his eyes, and shouted, with the voice echoing inside his head as if two sets of ears struggled to process their sounds.
He closed his ears and shut his eyes as he felt his lips tremble, as his brain calmed down, but he could still see and hear, just not from his eyes and ears instead, it felt like he was in the mirror staring back at himself.
He moved closer and touched the mirror, and again he felt like he was touching himself. Was this the ability that he received from the lord? If so, then this duke needed to rethink his ability distribution.
But how was he supposed to get through the day like this? He had to keep his eyes closed to avoid that bombarding headache, and his mind started to search for a solution until it struck him that it was wild but worth giving a try. He focused on the mirror and imagined closing his eyes, blocking his ears and ignoring all skin sensation.
And just like that, the sensory input from the mirror ceased, allowing him to open his eyes and gaze at the weird mirror and embedded in it were two stars that glowed brightly with an entrancing shimmer.
He reached out for them as if entranced by them, his hand fazed through the mirror and touched the dazzling stars glowing in its embrace, held them and brought them out, admiring their glow in his palm as they disappeared, turning into a shimmering vapour that entered his eyes, turning into two of the many stars embedded in his eyes.
"So, the power he gave me must have granted me the ability to transfer my consciousness into whatever object I put these stars into, but how do I do that again, though?"
Hal flinched as he heard a loud banging sound on the door. He scrambled as he rushed towards the door, "Ummm, who is it?" There was a bit of hesitation right before a smooth, masculine voice sounded from the other side.
"Just a fellow hunter here to check on the rookie", Hal carefully opened the door to witness a man with smooth purple hair and green eyes who wore a mischievous smile as he raised his hand to greet him "So, what's up, newbie? You sure did scare us when we found you lying unconscious in front of the company building".
Hal backed up slightly as a thought flew into his mind, "So he didn't just toss me into my bed, that scoundrel just threw at the door." The man walked through the door, bringing with him a sense of subtle mystery and resolve.
"Anyway, I'd like you to join us in the lobby so we can welcome you as part of the Silversword Hunter Company, you and your fellow rookie. So, come and follow me".
Hal followed the man down the stairs, moving at a steady pace as the man guided him down to the lobby of the company building, his chatter flowing past Hal like water over a rock, only to pay attention to the last statement of the man.
"Well, we don't have that many members apart from you two rookies, we only have ten members, and from those, Lady Tiffane, Lady Roxanne and Nanny Leya rarely engage in any jobs, reducing our combat-capable members to seven, and of those, Elizabeth was sent on a long mission, so we only have six available members so yeah we really needed more members".
Just as he finished that statement, they reached the lobby, where a rowdy crowd of people were gathered, all clad in armour with wide smiles on their faces. The man next to him waved his hand as he approached the group of people.
"Hey guys, look, I brought our new rookie". The group turned to face them, and their smiles widened as they waved back to the two of them. The man walked forward to the group, a mischievous smile spreading across his face.
"It's time to introduce you to the Silversword Hunter Company", the man then continued and pointed to the person furthest to his right, introducing each person from right to left.
The first person was a young lady with blonde hair with deep blue eyes. She wore a brilliant gown with a light blue colour, but at this point, he was questioning whether gowns were really suitable for battle. She had an aura of pride and royalty and smiled faintly as the man quickly introduced her, "This is Joset Tensia, she acts all noble but is she was a common folk wearing rags till Lady Roxanne brought her in".
The lady almost threw the cup of tea she was holding, but held back at the last moment, an arrogant voice following soon after, "You idiot, keep your opinions to yourself"
The next person he pointed to was a stern-looking man he had a muscular body and clad in bronze armour. Among the group, his hair was a very light tone of brown, but his eyes were a darker shade, emanating a sense of seriousness from the man.
"This guy over here is Grim Athos, and he may seem like a tough guy, but he's a softie deep down, just not the monsters, he kills them as brutally as he can"
His gaze shifted again, this time landing on a man with black hair and eyes, though his character seemed a bit distracted as his gaze fell instead to the food that was placed them. He wore a long robe that seemed to have simple armour underneath.
"This goofball is simply that, a goofball and his name is Keil Vanders still. Don't take him lightly, he still proves useful in battle". His finger moved again, this time landing on someone's familiar face "You already know Tai, so I won't go into detail about him"
Next up was a lady looking to be in her thirties, who had bright orange hair and green eyes. She wore a simple brown dress, complete with a simple hat to finish off her outfit. She gave off an aura of leadership that washed over Hal immediately as soon as she laid eyes on her.
"This is our cohort leader, Miss Lina Ambrosia, a little softie but dedicated to her job nonetheless. I would have said more, but she would kill me or wait, I almost forgot to introduce myself, I'm Velto Nelson, and it's nice to see you"
To Hal's surprise, the man's finger shifted again and pointed to a girl who looked about the same age as him. She had reddish pink hair with dazzling blue eyes and an innocent look on her face.
"This is your fellow rookie, Lyrrah White, and don't let her good looks fool you, she is dangerous, so be careful anyway, you two will be joining Elizabeth's cohort, but for now, you will be hanging out with Tai till then".
The girl gave him a simple glimpse before turning back to her own business. Hal smiled as he approached the table to appreciate the party they had thrown for them, "Nice to meet you all, and thanks for the welcome party".
There was a loud burst of noise as the entire group erupted into laughter, with Velto's voice sounding soon after, "This is not a welcome party, this is just what we normally eat after a mission. We have a different way of welcoming our rookies".
A wave of fear slowly took hold of Hal as he cautiously asked, "And what would that be?" Velto smiled mischievously before replying, "It's simple. The Silversword welcomes new members by having them prove themselves through escorting and assisting us in a monster eradication mission."
Hal sighed, feeling the fear fully take over him. So much had happened in the short time he'd been here that it felt almost unreal. Yet, the thought that the life he was living was not truly his also left him feeling numb, prompting him to question, "Who are you really, Lord Ermond Varrant Grand Fernis?"