I laughed. I couldn’t help it.

“Ha...aha...haha hahaha hahahahaha HAHAHAHAHAHA!”

No, the sound that escaped me could not be considered a laugh. It was more akin to the maniacal cackle of a deranged man.

“This thing wants to die?! What a coincidence! I’ll be happy to oblige!”

The irony was too much! Whatever entity it is that has dragged me through a hundred different lifetimes, that gave me the gift of multiple families and partners to love and be torn away from, that refused to let my soul rest in peace...that entity wants someone to kill it?!

Cornelius was taken aback, he looked at me as if I was insane...well, maybe I am at this point. I could feel the manacles around me tightening slightly, as if he was worried that I might break out and attack him at any moment. “What is wrong with you?” he demanded.

I managed to calm myself down enough to explain. “I’ve been searching for the longest time...searching for whatever it is that has been keeping me alive. Not just alive, re-iterated. Do you have any idea how much I want it to end? You say that this thing will only re-iterate you once? That after this life, there is nothing else? Oh how I wish I could have that! I have died so many times, loved and lost so many times, been denied my final rest so. Many. Times! If killing this...entity will give me what I want, then all the better! Even if it doesn’t, I’ll kill it for all the torment I should never have gone through!”

Somehow I surprised myself with that rant, breathing a bit heavily when I finished. Cornelius had a strange expression on his face, I didn’t bother trying to decipher it. I spent the next few moments centering myself, bring my emotions back under control again. One of the major disadvantages of a new body is the lack of emotional stability; it takes time for me to synchronize my control over my emotions, since they are both chemical and psychological. Not to mention, my mental stress is unimaginable, despite all the time I’ve had to master myself. It’s just...so...frustrating. I can’t...I just...I need to end this. I absolutely need to end this.

“...Okay then,” Cornelius slowly spoke. He appeared to have caught himself, after being surprised at my outburst. “Well, you have every opportunity to do so here, I think.”

We continued staring at each other for a while longer, unable to break the awkward tension that arose. Just as I was about to say something, anything really, a knock sounded at the door. Both of us jumped slightly, then smirked at our foolishness, and then scowled at each other for mirroring reactions. Finally, Cornelius got up and opened the door while I backtracked in my mind to see if I could figure out when exactly it closed.

Naturally, I failed.

“Is everything okay in here? It suddenly got quiet,” a voice said, the person behind it blocked from my sight.

“Yes, I think we’re okay for now,” Cornelius replied while gesturing behind him. The stone shackles around me quickly receded until only my feet were bound. Anyone looking in from most angles would only think that I am free to move around. What game is he playing? Is he trying to downplay my danger factor? Or is he trying to hide his abilities from his own companions?

Assuming they are truly comrades, that is.

Cornelius stepped aside in a moment, allowing the Captain and his Lieutenant to reenter the room. I actually forgot about those two for a bit. Captain Wulflame met my eyes with a mostly steady gaze, though I detected a bit more stress in his face. Lieutenant Strauss, on the other hand, was visibly trembling. Not so much that people would notice, but my perception of these things was relatively high.

They definitely felt my bloodlust. Oops.

Cornelius must have understood the situation even before I did, as he immediately began to explain. “Mr. Sindile here -”

“Please, call me Zareb, I never really liked the prefixes,” I said with a small smile, trying to ease the tension.

He frowned at the interruption, but nonetheless continued, “- Zareb here has been through a very difficult time, and after hearing his story I can somewhat understand his reaction. Forgive his outburst earlier, he means no harm to us or the general population.” He turned to me with a stern expression. “Isn’t that right, Zareb?”

Understanding what his intentions were, and appreciating him sticking his neck out for me, for what reason I don’t know, I calmly agreed with his words. “That is right Mr. Maize -” “Please, call me Cornelius, Zareb.” I could only hold back a laugh, he certainly has some bite! “- of course, Cornelius, you are absolutely right. I apologize for my...outburst, earlier, I’ve just had a very rough time re-iterating into this world, and my resentment is aimed only at the one responsible for it, no one else. In fact, I intended to spend my time here learning as much as possible in peace and quiet before heading out to search for answers. It seems that I might actually get them this time.”

Captain Wulflame and Lieutenant Strauss clearly didn’t understand what exactly was going on, but they at least relaxed once both Cornelius and I reassured them that I was not a threat. I might have even convinced Cornelius of my sincerity, as his shackles discreetly sank back into the ground, leaving me a free man. Or at least, as free as a man could be in an interrogation room.

“Alright, if Cornelius is vouching for you then I can place a bit of trust in you,” the Captain finally said. “However, if you break the law in any way, not only will you be persecuted with prejudice, but Cornelius will suffer in credibility and reputation amongst us Guards, which cannot be easily regained. Do you understand, Zareb? Your actions will not just reflect you, but the man who stands right beside me.”

“Yes, I understand Captain.” What am I, a rebellious youth? Been there, done that, far too many times. Wait, this body did go through puberty, right…?

One would think so, but I don’t want another one of those ‘surprise’ human variations that only sexually mature at the fresh young age of 60. I shuddered at the memory.

Everyone in the room threw me questioning looks, but I shrugged and said, “Unpleasant memory, let’s not talk about it. Anyways, what is going to happen now? I still need to be penalized for my Inventory ability, correct? Actually, could anyone please tell me why there has to be a punishment for that?”

The others decided not to press into my weird action and instead addressed my concerns. Lieutenant Strauss took the initiative, saying, “It would be better if you heard the explanation once instead of multiple times, so we will leave that to the Adventurer’s Guild. You will be taken there to have your identity processed and your Inventory registered, which will allow you to travel freely in and out of the city.”

Slightly annoyed that I still wasn’t getting a straight answer, I decided to try something else. “Do I necessarily have to register there or can I be associated with any other guild? I remember the clerk at the gate telling me that I can gain identification from any of the major Guilds.”

The Captain turned to Lieutenant Strauss to continue, as she started us down this path. “Yes, you can obtain identification from any of the Guilds, and you should try to register with as many of them as you are qualified for as a matter of fact, but these are not normal circumstances. First, you have an Inventory from an unknown core, which automatically falls under their purview. Second, you are unfamiliar with the laws of this world, and the Adventurer’s Guild is best equipped to teach you what you need to know to survive. Third, you are one of the Re-Iterated. Their existence is not widely publicized, and one of the main responsibilities of the Adventurer’s Guild is to ensure that this fact stays that way. Basically, no, you do not have much choice right now; the alternative is a lengthy stay in our hospitality.”

Wow. Well, when she puts it that way, I suppose I can only follow along for now. “Okay, I understand. Is there anything else we need to take care of here, or...actually, I’m assuming that I will be ‘escorted’ to the Guild to ensure proper processing?” I figured that having someone who understands the nature of the relationship between Re-Iterated and the Guild would be sent to make the whole process smooth and discreet. At the same time, that person would probably make sure that I actually get there and not run at the first chance.

Captain Wulflame took this chance to speak up, “As Cornelius is more familiar with the details than Lieutenant Strauss or myself, you will be placed in his care. While the presence of Guards is strong in the city, they cannot be everywhere at once. We are confident in his ability to bring you to the Adventurer’s Guild safely. You would be wise to rely on him.”

Translation, Cornelius is my babysitter and I better behave or else he will give me a time out. Even if I were to consider turning against him, which I wouldn’t because he saved me a lot of awkward explaining, but if I were to consider it I would still have second thoughts. Cornelius seems to be an earth mage of sorts, and in my experience, a good earth mage is not someone to mess with. As evidenced by the stone restraints that I could do nothing against.

Yet.

The man in question appeared to have been expecting this outcome and was ready to take us on our way, but the Captain held up his hand. Ugh, what now?

“Just one last thing before you go. While you may not have been intending to attack any of us, the fact that we felt this much aggression as bystanders tells us how powerful your bloodlust is. Those in the Guard can somewhat resist, having some experience in battle, but the general population is full of citizens that have never held a weapon in their lives. Please do what you can to refrain from unleashing such...savagery in public.” Oh great, a muzzle. Sigh. I understood his concern, and I agree with him, it’s just...I hate being told what to do. It gets under my skin, like I have to conform to society’s ideals for society’s sake. Why should I care? Society no longer holds as much meaning for me, after watching it collapse a couple of times. Maybe I’m just too jaded.

Sigh…

I guess it isn’t too much to ask for now. I gave my consent, and Captain Wulflame finally allowed Cornelius and I to leave.

With the two Guards left behind us, I followed Cornelius out of the guardhouse and onto the road leading to the city proper. The guardhouse was built in such a way that it was attached to, and extended from, the city wall, but the wall itself was separated from the actual city by an expanse of empty land. It may not have been as empty as it looked, however, as I assumed that there were additional unseen defenses there. Or the city planners could have simply left that land there for possible expansion, who knows. I could try to look it up later...if I remember. I have too many other things to look up first.

As a matter of fact, I could try to satisfy some of my curiosity right now, since we had a bit of a walk before reaching the genuine city of Rasenbur. “Cornelius?”

“Hm?”

Haha, a grunter. If not for my radical first impression I’m certain we would have gotten along well. In a few months, maybe. Probably with a random situation that holds no special significance to anyone else but one of us.

Yup, that’s just how introverts work. I’m just going to assume that he is one for now.

“That magic you used on me earlier...are you an earth mage by any chance?” I decided to get straight to the point.

He turned to look at me while we continued walking. I suppose gauging my words. “I wouldn’t say that I am an earth mage, exactly...but I am quite proficient with earth magic.”

Something about his response tickled my brain, and I’m not sure if it was good or bad. “Are you saying then that earth mage is not your class?”

“Ah,” he exclaimed in understanding. “No, my class is called Earth Guardian. It’s not what it sounds like though, don’t confuse it with Guardian of Earth or something like that.” So he does have a class! I won’t call it a strange one, because I have seen far weirder names...why anyone would want to be a Town Weeper I would never understand...but his class does not seem standard to me. “What’s the difference? You know what, why not just tell me the details of an Earth Guardian, no need to go into the differences yet,” I said.

Despite willingly telling me the name, Cornelius seemed reluctant to go into more detail and we suddenly entered an awkward silence again. Yeah, smooth going… Just as I was about to open my mouth, and probably shove my foot in it, Cornelius spoke up. “Look, We only just met, and while I have a responsibility to you for making sure you get registered, especially as a fellow Earthling, I don’t really feel comfortable sharing too much of my information just yet. For all I know, you could be a phenomenal actor and use this chance to learn about my weaknesses, only to turn on me at the most opportune time. Maybe in the future I can trust you more, but that trust needs to be built.”

I pondered his response for a bit in silence. It made sense, certainly, it was a valid fear. No one should just freely give information on their abilities to a complete stranger. All the times I’ve seen people do that in previous worlds, especially in the case of pick-up-groups entering dungeons for the first time, just made me think of how dumb they can be. Then again, I’ve long since stopped caring about trust. I will work with anyone and everyone, and give as much info as they might need, with the confidence that I can power through any betrayals directed my way. Confidence, or apathy, it alternates, really.

Still… “Okay, I can agree with your reasoning, but then why would you risk your reputation for me? I clearly made you uncomfortable with my outburst earlier, I mean, you had me in chains for crying out loud.” Did I sound whiny? Nah, I didn’t sound whiny. That was a perfectly reasonable complaint- I mean, response to my potential havoc-wreaking. Yeah. That.

“...Because I figured that you were the best chance I would ever get at achieving my own goals,” Cornelius eventually replied. “Someone with your drive and determination will definitely make it to the top of the Spire.”

The what now?

Before I could ask him any further, he stopped, and looked forward to see why. It seems that we made it.

Cornelius announced in a grand gesture, “Welcome to the true city of Rasenbur, one of the eight capitals of this continent.”