Chapter 58: Registration
Reinhard clutched the back of his head, where a rhythmic, throbbing pain refused to subside.
He struggled to a sitting position, his vision slowly finding focus amidst a swirling blur of green and brown.
First, he saw a man's face.
Second, he saw that the man's belt was half-unbuckled and his trousers were slipping.
Reinhard's brain ceased all rational function.
A split second later, fragments of memory came screaming back. The strange human. The strange Kobold. The moment he fell from the tree.
What were they planning to do to me?!
Reinhard's body reacted before his thoughts could catch up. He launched himself backward, tumbling through a pile of dead leaves to put distance between himself and the duo.
"DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!"
Reinhard let out a shriek, his voice cracking into a high-pitched note of pure terror. His right hand instinctively clamped down over his own backside, while his left hand snapped up, palm leveled at the bewildered man and dog-man.
The Fire elements in the atmosphere began to churn with agitated Od.
"Wait! Hold on! It's not what you think!" Bruce the Kobold yelped, the fur on his dog-like face standing on end at the sight of Reinhard's textbook casting stance.
Nick, now fully sobered from the plant's toxins, finally realized the source of the problem. He looked down at his open waistband, then up at Reinhard's mask of horrified revulsion. A crushing premonition of "Social Annihilation" washed over him.
It's over. This is a misunderstanding of apocalyptic proportions.
"It really is a mistake! Let me explain!" Nick shouted, frantically trying to hitch up his pants to prove his innocence.
But Reinhard wasn't hearing a word of it.
Explain? What explanation is there for a man unbuckling his trousers over an unconscious stranger?!
"Stay away from me! You irredeemable scumbags!"
An orange-red fireball condensed instantly in Reinhard's palm and went whistling through the air. The sphere of flame hissed past Nick's ear, scorching a black crater into the ground behind him. The searing heatwave licked at Nick's cheek.
Bruce and Nick scrambled in a blind panic, diving behind a tree trunk thick enough to hide them. Only half of their heads peeked out.
"I TOLD YOU IT'S A MISUNDERSTANDING!" Bruce howled, his voice bordering on tears.
"I HAVE ZERO INTEREST IN MEN! I SWEAR BY THE HOLY SWORD!" Nick added, his hands shaking as he finally managed to buckle his belt.
Behind the opposite tree, Reinhard's chest heaved. As his adrenaline began to level out, he noticed a slight change. The look in the man's eyes was no longer the glazed, predatory madness he had seen from the branches. Now, there was only raw, unfiltered panic.
Reinhard maintained his stance, his Od still coiled and ready. "Then what were you doing skulkng around here?! What did you want with me?!"
Nick shouted back frantically, "We were just passing through! Honest! I... I accidentally drank the sap of a plant nearby! My head was spinning! I was having hallucinations!"
Bruce nodded like a bobblehead. "Yes! Exactly! Nick is an idiot who puts everything in his mouth!"
Reinhard stared at them. Is this person actually mentally sound?
"Do you know the way to the Capital?" Reinhard asked, cutting to the most vital point. He was hopelessly lost. If he kept wandering alone, forget the Capital—he wouldn't even make it out of this forest alive.
At the mention of the Capital, Nick's eyes lit up. "Yes! Of course we do! That's exactly where we're going!"
Nick cautiously stepped from behind the tree, hands raised high to show he was unarmed. "We're heading to the Adventurer's Guild to register! We're going to become legendary adventurers and carve our names into history!"
Bruce chimed in, "That's right! Our goal is the top of the world!"
"If you're headed that way, we can travel together! Strength in numbers, right?"
Reinhard fell silent. Is a party consisting of a half-wit and a dog-man truly reliable?
But then, he had no other choice.
He pondered for a full minute before finally lowering his hand. He walked over slowly, extending his left hand.
"Reinhard."
Nick and Bruce shared a look of immense relief. Nick grabbed Reinhard's hand with gusto.
"I'm Nick!"
Bruce leaned in, gently tapping Reinhard's fingers with a claw. "Bruce."
Throughout the entire introduction and handshake, Reinhard's right hand never once left the small of his back.
Meanwhile.
The Gate of Iron Fortress.
Hans looked up at the two Skeleton Berserkers standing like grim reapers at the entrance. Beside him, the six children stared in awe and terror. The massive skeletal frames and the greatswords that towered over a grown man projected a silent, crushing pressure.
The children huddled behind Hans and Miguel, peeking out with wide, fearful eyes at the undead sentries. Lily, the youngest, tugged on Hans's coat.
"Hans... are they going to eat us?" she whispered.
Hans patted her head. "No. They're good skeletons. They're here to protect us."
Hans straightened his suit, adjusted his expression to one of bold confidence, and strode forward. The Soul Fire in the eye sockets of the Skeleton Berserkers pulsed. They recognized this human. They hadn't expected him to return so soon, and with a "litter" in tow.
One Berserker blocked his path, asking in a flat, monotone voice: "Name. Intent."
"Hans. Bringing my family to settle here," Hans replied with a winning smile. "I have received authorization from your Lord."
The Berserker was silent for a moment, seemingly verifying the data through the Soul Link. Very quickly, it stepped aside, clearing the path.
"Proceed. Register at the Logistics Management Bureau."
Hans led the group into the city. The children's curiosity quickly overrode their fear. They couldn't look around fast enough. A skeleton was using its own ribs as a percussion instrument, playing a jaunty, discordant tune. A Ghoul was running a roadside stall, selling charred-looking meat while a human resident haggled over the price.
Everything here defied the common sense of what a "Kingdom of the Dead" should be.
Hans found the large building marked with the Logistics Bureau sign. Inside, he approached a counter where a bespectacled Ghoul was buried under a mountain of paperwork.
The Ghoul didn't look up. "State your business."
"Greetings. We are here to process our residency permits," Hans said politely. "I have already spoken with your Lord."
The Ghoul's quill paused. The Lord? It lifted its head, squinting at Hans through thick lenses. "That Personage gave personal approval?"
"He did."
The Ghoul's expression turned a shade more serious. "Name."
"Hans."
"One moment."
After a brief pause, the Ghoul nodded, its gaze turning surprisingly warm—the look of one acknowledging a colleague. "Lord Greed has confirmed. Follow me."
The Ghoul led them to a back room and produced seven bone cards. "These are your Identity Cards. Drip a drop of blood onto them and sign your names."
The children were nervous, so Hans went first. The blood hit the bone and was absorbed instantly, causing a string of complex runes to glow on the surface. Miguel followed, then the other children.
When it was Lily's turn, she stared at the needle, her eyes welling up as she hid her hands. Hans knelt beside her. "Be a brave girl, Lily. It only stings for a second." As he spoke, he gave her finger a quick, expert prick.
Before Lily could even react, the blood had dropped.
The Ghoul spoke in a flat voice, "Next."
When it came time to sign, Lily—who couldn't write yet—carefully drew a shaky, lopsided sunflower on the card. The Ghoul looked at it, said nothing, and slammed a skull-shaped seal onto it.
With the paperwork finished, the Ghoul handed Hans a heavy, rusted iron key.
"East Sector 3, Row 7, Building 3. That is your residence." The Ghoul pointed a vague finger toward the city interior. "Find it yourself."
With that, it turned back to its desk to tackle the endless sea of documents. Hans took the key and led the children out of the bureau. Iron Fortress was finally starting to feel like home.
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you