"Name and age?"

"Dagnir an Uruloki, thirteen."

The burly immigration officer looked up at Uru wholly unamused, almost rolling his eyes.

"Kid, I'm tired, and I was supposed to have lunch now. Tell me your real name," he said impatiently. "And show me your documents," he promptly added.

He was only responsible for handling the minors coming to New Earth. Officially. But he had a long day of arduous work behind him, courtesy of his direct superior, whom he'd lost a stupid bet to. And the blasted jerk demanded he comes 6 hours early to help him with preparations for the gate opening. At 2 in the bloody morning!

Antonio Gonzaga was at the beginning stage of 7th circle of the origin core realm, not even an archmage yet, despite advanced age, but his comprehensive management skills, indisputable integrity, and deep understanding of science had made him a great leader. He was also a very kind and humorous man, generally liked and respected by everyone on the project.

They were good friends, but Bernard really hated the guy now.

Though he probably should have known better than to try asking Eleanor out. Of course he stumbled and awkwardly changed the topic, blabbering some gibberish about a local restaurant, how he never learned to cook, and maybe he was due to tackle it. Why wouldn't he? Naturally, she realized what was going on, only an idiot wouldn't. She just smiled gorgeously, expressing her support for his efforts to be more self-reliant.

"Damned moron!"

He wanted to bang his head against the desk in self-abasement every time he remembered his embarrassment. Anton even called up his colleagues to watch from afar, and they were giggling like little imps. That scoundrel.

And now some teenager was making a fool of him, as if to add insult to injury.

"Dagnir an Uruloki is my real name, Mister … ?"

"Hughes. Officer Bernard Hughes. It says so right here on my ID. Documents please."

"Ah yes, Mr Hughes. I was just looking at it," stated Uru, very matter-of-factly, trying to imitate an English gentleman's demeanor and accent.

"What the hell, kid?! Stop putting on an act!" Barnard's restraint was weakening at this point. He liked to play with the youth under his care, but this boy was too much. Maybe in different circumstances he would bite. But as it was, he was agitated, exhausted and hungry. "Just give me your documents and let's get this over with."

"But I don't have any, Mr Hughes … " Uru was slowly starting to sweat at this point, his original confidence waning. Old auntie Anna told him it was going to be easy as pie, since they can't do a thing to a child, who poses no threat anyway. They'll have to issue him new documents with the name he wanted, they'd be breaking the law otherwise.

Just keep a jovial attitude, and maybe approach them with a joke to disarm them with laughs. Reeeal great idea, it was.

Bernard's brows creased visibly, and he looked up from his monitor with exasperation.

"You're kidding me, right?" he asked with genuine hope. "That's why they ought to have group leaders and proper structure when sending ALL new waves. Why on earth are they making exceptions?!" he complained to himself.

"Nope," Uru deadpanned. He then though it might be prudent to give a bright smile, so he did just that.

They just stared at each other, Uru unflinchingly beaming, and the poor officer steadily deflating, until he eventually lost all his spirit.

"Fine. Have it your way."

Uru relaxed thinking the guy finally relented, but he then saw his new custodian theatrically drop his electronic pen and stand up, knowing he was in trouble.

"Well then, my good sir, if I may beg your pardon, I will now go and have myself a jolly good dinner, and some tee," Bernard's posh impersonation really put Uru's to shame and noticeably startled him, for the guy was speaking with clean, distinct English all the way up to this point. "Please excuse my bad manners, and enjoy the comfort of our luxurious guest lounge. I shall be with you shortly."

Bernard couldn't care less any more, and his comical riposte actually lifted his mood a little. Moreover, the thought of the little punk sweltering in the harsh, empty room for an hour only enhanced his relief. But the boy, very surprisingly, quickly regained his composure, smiled warmly and continued with the same accent in a kind, carefree manner.

"That's no problem at all, Mr Hughes, I realize the hour is late. Please, take your break without hurry. I'll also go and eat something, I'm starving. There's a canteen, or a shop for the visitors around, yes?" He was also quite fatigued, after all he was the last youth in the long queue, generously letting everyone else go in front of him so that his peculiar case didn't slow them and incite irritation.

Shocked, Bernard stopped midway and looked at Uru with astonishment.

"No, by luxurious I meant … eh, never mind. Just wait here until I return. And think things through while you're at it."

At last, this elicited the reaction he was expecting. The boy was momentarily dejected, evidently catching the drift.

"Oh, I see. That's fine as well. No worries, I'll wait," his reply ever courteous, but this time with a discernible sign of sadness. After that he quietly sat down on a chair at the back of the room and put his hands in the pockets of his blazer, trailing off into thoughts with a rueful expression.

Bernard was satisfied at first, but then something stung in his heart. He shook it off and went for the door, yet it prevented him from stepping through. He was unable to place what he was feeling right now. He looked back at the bizarre newcomer.

"For heaven's sake!"

He could clearly see it was a very good young fellow. But then why did he come with no documents and say this nonsensical name? Whatever the case was, he couldn't just leave him here, he wasn't a cruel man. He sighed audibly.

"Come on, let's go," he urged while holding the door open. Took him a while, but he eventually convinced himself.

"Huh?" Uru only responded a few seconds after lifting his pitiful eyes to Bernard, who was initially facing the corridor, but then turned to look at Uru.

"Chop chop. Do you see anyone else here?" he gestured at the empty office.

"Oh, sorry," said Uru apologetically and with renewed vigor, immediately standing up and rushing behind the officer, smile returning to his face.

"And don't even think about running, I'll track you down in a blink of an eye," the man declared harshly.

"Why would I run? I need new documents," Uru replied innocently and with a hint of bewilderment.

Bernard sighed yet again, his head and shoulders drooping down.

…

"So, you're not a fluxer?" Bernard asked casually, while taking a bite of his cutlet. He didn't even bother cutting it into smaller pieces, just pierced it with his fork and ate like an apple. They were both sitting in a cozy cafeteria right outside the dimensional port. He normally dined at the canteen for the staff, but he wouldn't dare do so today. His colleagues wouldn't leave him alone if he did, and worst of all, he might run into Eleanor there. Not to mention Uru was technically an illegal immigrant at this point, and Bernard wanted no more inconveniences before he was done with him.

"How did you know?!" Uru questioned with amazement. He didn't go through any scans or tests yet.

"Please, I'm an archmage," the man stated in an imploring tone.

"An arch … !" Uru took a deep breath. "Woah!" He now looked at Bernard with evident admiration. He never saw an archmage in person back on Earth, not even close. He saw a few mage officials, and they were already monumental existences to him. But despite being 2nd or 4th circle masters, they were like toddlers in front of a real monster, not enough to even count as a warmup. Imagine an adult warrior in a kindergarten, that's how big the difference was.

And now he was having a friendly chat with an apex powerhouse! Well, he deemed it friendly.

"I thought all archmages on New Earth were combatants. Why are you dealing with children?" Uru interrogated, not considering the fact it might be inappropriate.

Bernard was stumped for a moment, almost dropping his jaw, but he composed himself on the spot. "I am one, when there's a need. But all archmages need to do some administrative work from time to time, since the few warlords we have here cannot be bothered. And right now I'm responsible for taking care of the bright, young people that come every few years to this dimension. After all, on their fragile shoulders rest the hopes of mankind," he declared in a dignified manner, while holding his fork like a scepter. But before he managed to sink his teeth back into the meat, he added a sharp retort, "Well, most of them, anyway," and went back to eating with unconcealed satisfaction.

"Ouch," only now did Uru realize his blunder, and gave a subdued smile. "Nice comeback."

"Thanks. So? What's the story? How did a young delinquent with no magic manage to go through the gate, and why? I'm intrigued." As he was, indeed. For that had never happened before as far as he knew. This was the most important endeavor that humans had ever undertaken. Each wave of arrivals was just a handful of people gathered from the entire world. Smartest, bravest, most ambitious, holding unlimited potential, and properly vetted. "Are you some billionaire's son, coming here in hopes of achieving flux sense? That would explain a lot. But then you shouldn't be alone. So tell me, if I may know, are you in some kind of trouble?" That last query he issued with detectable suspicion. Taking into account the boy's noble poise, weird case and striking appearance – which arrested even Bernard's eyes – he could already predict some grand conspiracy. After all, he was handling Earth's peak geniuses on a regular basis.

"Nah, no trouble at all, no billionaire parents either," Uru laughed. "And excuse me, but I'm no delinquent. I take grate pride in my beliefs," he defended in an amiable fashion.

"Alright then, if you say so. Then what's the history behind that scar?" the man pointed to Uru's forehead, where on the right side were multiple large marks, going more or less parallel to each other, crossing his right brow and eye, also covering a part of the temple, and ending on the cheekbone. Each of the boy's profiles painted an entirely different character. And although it might be considered a tragic blemish on an elegant or otherwise gentle person's face, a fighter would certainly find it incredibly imposing and cool.

"That's … a very old memento. One of my first memories," Uru confessed hesitantly after briefly touching the scar and then went into deep thought.

"Oh? How riveting. I hope I'll get to hear the story one day." Bernard felt the discomfort he caused and didn't dwell on the subject.

"Are you implying that we'll see each other again?" Uru asked with confusion.

"It's likely. I stay in touch with many of the new arrivals, mostly to ward off trouble and provide general guidance. If they're not coming here to rejoin their cliques, they often need a lot of help to find themselves in this dangerous world, and too much has been invested in them to just leave them on their own. You don't look very self-dependent, either."

"Ah, that's what you meant," Uru exhaled with relief. "Well, I don't want to be a burden, so I'll try to get by on my own. I have some money." He then went on to unconsciously caress the scar, still brooding.

"If it bothers you, why didn't you remove it?" the man asked suddenly.

Uru immediately retracted his hand and looked down at his plate. "It … costs too much," he admitted after a while.

Bernard's eyebrows raised significantly. "Didn't you just say you have money to survive on your own? How much can a cosmetic surgery cost?" He kept scrutinizing the boy with fascination. "You're that kind of person, huh?"

"So why did they let you go?" he finally asked.

"Hmm?"

"Through the gate."

"Oh. I won gold at the Science Olympics in my age group."

"You?!" Bernard was about to put a pickle in his mouth, but stopped midway and let this out uncontrollably. Uru just looked at him with a restrained smile and continued his meal.

"I'm sorry, that was very mean," the man quickly reprimanded himself. "I meant no offense. You just don't look like the scholarly type. Not with your brawn... and that impressive trophy," he explained.

"Ah, that. I only tried to bulk up a bit before coming here. Every little bit helps, after all, and it feels good to be stronger. A healthy mind in a healthy body," Uru said humbly. "Though my innate constitution isn't that good at all, and I'm terrible at sports," he divulged as much without revealing that it made him feel self-conscious. On more than one occasion did his caretakers try bolstering his confidence by telling him he was going to command great respect when he grows up and puts on some muscles.

Bernard waited off the awkwardness before he resumed. "You do realize that we'll easily find out your real personal data when the gate opens again? Especially with the piece of information you just gave me. So you better not lie to me," he warned.

"I don't mind. And I'm not lying. I'm simply trying to begin a new life," Uru was unperturbed, his response very placid.

Bernard laughed heartily. "Fair enough, you have a right to do so. But why didn't you pick some normal name? Are you vying for attention?"

That was a good question. Old Anna also wondered why would he want a new name, but whenever she mentioned it, the kid somehow seemed happy at the thought of it, so she didn't try fishing for answers, chalking it up to a caprice. Though she was surprised the boy wouldn't tell her what it was. "Next time we meet, I'll introduce myself to you," was his only comment, given with a wide grin.

"No-no. It's the opposite, actually. I was told many times to keep a low profile once I step through. But there are people from all countries and languages of the world here – well, not literally, but most of them, anyway – so odd names are common and completely normal, right? And so I picked one that I liked," Uru clarified with candor.

"Dagnir, was it?" Bernard remembered.

"Dagnir an Uruloki," Uru reminded distinctly, with two hard 'r'. "But you can call me Uru, for short. In fact, I'd prefer that."

"Well, Uru, you're certainly very quick-witted and eloquent for a thirteen year old, I'll give you that. Many of the kids I deal with are so terrified upon arrival they can barely utter a few words. Yet you seem like you just took a bus to school. You've got some guts." Bernard was totally right, Uru's composure was unusual. There was no trace of anxiety in him and his every action was casual.

"It's not like I'm in any danger," Uru shrugged. "What's there to be afraid of?"

"Okay," the man pressed his lips together and backed off a little, a bit dumbfounded for a moment. "Must have been a rough upbringing."

"It wasn't so bad," Uru explained. "It's not that I'm brave – quite the contrary, I'm definitely unsuitable for battle. I'm an intellectual, a coward. I struggle whenever there's a prospect of pain or suffering. It's just that I don't care about mundane things and so I don't fear them, I guess. I only consider them boring."

"Ha, good one! Excuse me, can I have a refill?"

"Right away, Mr Casanova!" the waiter replied hastily, grabbed a jug of refreshing herbal tee, and practically flew towards their table.

Barnard's consternation lasted the entire time the guy approached them and replenished his glass. "What did you just say?"

"I said it's not a problem at all, Mr Hughes. You're very welcome," the waiter corrected himself with a radiant countenance. "We're all in great support of your efforts, sir. Go get her!" he gave his thumbs up animatedly with the only free hand that he had, and left as swiftly as he appeared.

"Great. Bloody fantastic. He said 'we'. Everyone knows by now. I'm gonna kill that blabbermouth!" Bernard despaired with a sour expression.

"Trouble in paradise?" asked Uru out of the blue.

Bernard jerked at this inquiry. "None of your business," he rebuked angrily. Uru dropped his cutlery, lifted his hands up in surrender, and then continued eating quietly for a while, while the miserable suitor sipped his tee in anguish.

"So what circle are you?" Uru was still extremely interested in the man's power, and he would beat himself up if he didn't take this opportunity to find out what he could from the experienced mage.

"Ninth," Bernard answered eventually, after sighing lightly and stilling himself.

"Grandmaster!" Uru opened his mouth so wide that food almost fell out of it.

"Not yet. I'm still a bit off. I only broke through a few months ago."

"How big is your core?" Uru just couldn't relent.

"That's confidential information," Bernard stopped him in his tracks and picked up another cutlet, eating it in the same barbaric way as the first one.

"Oh, right." Uru then started thinking of all the possible non-sensitive questions he could ask.

But he didn't even get a chance.

A charming young lady walked in while Uru was still deliberating on the best course of interrogation, and since he could see the entrance right over his companion's shoulder, he noticed her straight away. He only looked at her briefly and was about to avert his gaze, however the new customer turned to their table instantly, a soothing smile appearing on her caring face, when she saw his old injuries. She waved to Uru before he managed to look away, so he also smiled shyly and waved back. Automatically, without thinking, because it just felt logical to do so when greeted.

That drew Bernard's attention, who was admiring the texture of his prize lifted high, while chewing on a bite. He was about to turn around to see who might the person be, that Uru knew. Did he have someone here to pick him up? Why didn't he say so? But before he did, he heard a beautifully melodic, cheerful voice.

"Bon appetit, gentlemen!"

He instantly dropped the fork, sat properly and froze. "You have got to be kidding me! Why is she here?! Did those rascals call her over? What in the world?! Is she the boy's relative? Impossible!" he panicked while his mind raced.

"Thank you," said Uru meekly after a short delay, easily putting two and two together after he saw Bernard's reaction.

"Yes, thank you," the officer quickly followed, prompted by Uru's words. "Fancy meeting you here, Miss Bell."

"What are you talking about, Bernard? This is my go-to spot, didn't you know?" she laughed cordially, while moving a chair at an empty table right next to them.

The poor guy jumped up from his own as if burned. "You blithering idiot, you hardly ever saw her at the canteen before, why didn't you just go there?" he thought to himself in retrospect, while very awkwardly sitting down at the same time she did.

"And please, start calling me by my first name already, as I do you. You're my senior, and we've been colleagues for weeks!" She was loud, but it didn't feel bothersome at all. Her joyful tone was very gentle in nature.

"Oh, I didn't know. Great taste. I mean good taste, yes. Great place!" Bernard stumbled with embarrassment. Uru had to fight with himself to prevent a grin appearing on his face.

"Welcome, Miss Bell, what may I get you today?" the waiter asked courtly, the same one that previously helped Bernard out. It was a small diner, after all.

"Ah, hello Pablo. I haven't seen you in a while. I'll let you surprise me today," she responded ever pleasantly.

"Very well, Miss Bell, I won't dare to disappoint you. Drink as well?"

"Tea, please, same as he has," she pointed gracefully at Bernard. "How's Nina, are you treating her well?" she inquired of waiter Pablo.

"Always, Miss Bell," he answered with a smile. "Ephemeral tea, coming right up."

A dreadful juncture appeared for the anxious officer, because the waiter now left, and the girl had nothing to do. He forgot to eat and just sat there, sweating, watching his own glass of tea so intently, as if he was trying to boil it, rotating it left and right between his fingers. Eleanor looked at Uru, who couldn't hide his grin any longer, then at Bernard, who seemed like he was trying to evade her with all his might, then back at Uru, who kept eating to avoid getting mixed in. She finally pulled out her holo device and begun operating it in private mode, alleviating some of Bernard's stress. That, however, still wasn't enough. He stood up eventually.

"Uru, I have to go back to the office now, I need to prepare the forms and documents for you. Come see me when you're done. You remember the route we took? Tell the guards outside to call me," he then placed his cutlery over the rest of his meal, put the chair back, and scanned his ID through the wireless access to pay for them both, adding an adequate tip. "If you'll excuse me now, Uru, Miss Bell," he stopped, flustered yet again, "I'm sorry, Eleanor. Have an enjoyable meal." He didn't even care that the boy he released on the outside was a liability for him. He just wanted to escape this suffocating situation.

"You're going already? But you haven't finished your meal yet! Are you going to let it go to waste?" the young woman pleaded with a tinge of regret. That only served to mash Bernard further into the ground. He would look like a fool if he agreed and sat back down, or like an ingrate if he left anyway. But he couldn't bare it any more.

"My apologies, Miss … Eleanor. Uru's case is very particular, and there's a lot I need to do to solve it for him." He wanted to say something else, but he didn't know what, so he just bowed in the end, and left. Eleanor also seemed like she wanted to talk some more, but she realized that it would probably make things worse.

"Until next time, then. I hope you liked it here," she said simply.

"Until next time. Yes. Thank you," he replied from the door and nodded to the waiter, who just now appeared with the girl's order.

"Thank you, Mr Hughes, we hope to see you again!" the waiter shouted at him as well, while giving a wink. But Bernard wouldn't have it, it was too much. He didn't want to see the guy ever again.

…

Eleanor looked on sorrily for a good while.

Eventually, she remembered where she was and smiled at Uru with veiled grief, before putting her browser away and preparing to eat.

"Bon appetit," Uru returned the courtesy.

"Thank you as well," she replied neatly.

Uru knew that Bernard's explanation was just a ruse to get out of there and that he shouldn't keep the man waiting, so he tried to consume his meal hastily.

"Don't rush, it's not healthy!" she warned protectively.

"Oh, right." Though he initially slowed down, he gradually picked up the pace again. And then he stopped. He wasn't a meddlesome person, on the contrary, he didn't really like to talk at all! But he just came to an entirely new world, opened a new chapter in his life, and met awe-inspiring people.

"Are you also involved in the project, Miss Bell? What are you working on?"

"Ah, not any more," she hesitated, before adding, "well, yes actually, but I only have some minor assignments now that you all arrived, nothing important. I'll be returning to my studies soon."

"Then what were you doing before the swap?" Uru continued without pause.

"I helped with the calibration of the gate," she stated humbly, before digging in. But there was nothing humble about it, this was the critical part of the whole process, without it there would be a cataclysmic explosion on both ends and a horrific loss of lives. Critical, and extremely complex, involving lots of higher mathematics and dimensional physics. The top minds of mankind were ensuring nothing went wrong on Earth, and they obviously had to have a contingent on this side. Understandably, Uru gaped yet again. She was too young!

She laughed boisterously before clarifying.

"No, not like that! Not at all! I was merely an assistant and my only duty was double-checking. The real scientists responsible for establishing the gate are always swamped with work and thus are prone to simple mistakes, so they need many young, inquisitive eyes to look for them." She was content with herself at first, but then she admitted the objective truth. "Ah, who am I kidding, everyone revising the data is also a top academic, there's so many of them here. I'm just lucky that my grandma is one of the project leaders and holds great influence, so she brought me on board to do supplementary checks and gain some experience. They would be perfectly fine without me. Actually, my mum works here, too. She was born without flux sense, so she compensated for it with her intellectual achievements. She's key personnel." Eleanor was very eager to explain everything in detail. And she was very proud of her mother, who was now part of the top scientific echelon on New Earth.

"Oh, wow, what a family!" Uru was thoroughly impressed. Three generations of women working at the single most important facility in this world? That was incredible.

"Oh, thank you, they are rally great, nana and mum! I'm very lucky to have them," Eleanor expressed her gratitude.

"But I meant you as well," Uru added kindly, "you're also a mage and a scholar, right? You must have taken after them!"

"Ah, don't even mention me. I'm a measly 1st circle, no talent for magic, really. And I'm far behind mum in studies, too." She returned to eating after discrediting herself and Uru realized that he stopped her for too long, so he quieted down, not knowing whether to comfort her, or just let it go. She seemed genuinely happy with her life. Since he wasn't going to get much out of her anyway, he decided to wrap things up.

But this time she was the one interrupting him. "Are you interested in dimensionalism?"

"Mhm. I'm here on an academic scholarship," he revealed after swallowing. "I tried to understand Conti's theory, but it's just too difficult, I'm still lacking in all the basics. Seems like magic to me. I mostly just memorized it from reading it so many times, but not much more."

"Oh, that's rare! We don't often get young scientists from Earth, much less teenagers. Even my mum moved when she was over 20, and I was already born here. You must be pretty good!" It was her turn to be intrigued.

Uru just smiled while chewing. He couldn't really deny that. Although the real reason was the uncertainty involved – very few children would dare request a transfer to a different world, away from their friends, family, and comfort zone. Possibly never to return, due to transport costs.

"I better go now, Miss Bell, I don't want to keep Mr Hughes waiting." He was finally done with his lunch.

"Ah, please tell him, that I'm sorry for what I said, it was so insensitive of me. I didn't mean to make him feel bad about the unfinished food," she requested with a remorseful tone.

"I will." Uru was about to leave, but then he decided to address the elephant in the room. "Mr Hughes is a very good man, Miss Bell. I mean he's very … righteous. Though I admit he's also pretty helpless," here Uru made a sympathetic face. "I'll try to encourage him a bit, though I don't really know how …"

Eleanor blushed for a moment, then acceded. "Well, I suppose you're right …"

…

Uru quickly found Bernard, who told the guard to bring him over through the staff access. He was already organizing the necessary documents on his computer.

"Thank you for treating me, Mr Hughes. Miss Bell also wanted to apologize for making you feel bad about your food," the boy stated right off the bat. The officer scowled, visibly dissatisfied.

"Fill those in," he gave Uru a tablet with some application forms, and looked like he didn't want to talk any more.

"Origin, right here. Where are you from?" he asked when he saw Uru skip a bracket. He picked up on Uru's lack of accent, and his clean English diction – a standard on this side, but unnatural back on Earth – meant he probably wasn't a native speaker.

"I'm a citizen of the world, I really dislike such classification. It's unnecessary, and quite frankly, detrimental," Uru refused to budge.

"Kid, if you don't state your nationality, you won't be protected by your country," Bernard warned and waited for Uru to react, which didn't happen, "and put down your old residence and contact information, this won't do! You're here alone as a minor and we are obligated to notify your family if anything happens to you."

"That's fine, Mr Hughes, there's no residence or contact, really." The boy then proceeded to clarify, seeing the officer's bewilderment, "I spent the last few years in a science camp for talented children, and before that I was in public care. I don't have a family, or a guardian," he said in a neutral tone.

Bernard looked on at Uru's unconcerned demeanor for a good while.

"If you were the state's responsibility, why didn't they finance your surgery?" he remembered.

"I had to make a choice, and there are much more important things to me," Uru's voice held no indecision.

The archmage kept on trying to understand the boy. He rarely met anyone so resolute, and they were all grown men. Real men. How does one get so mature at this age?

"The psychologist said there's nothing wrong with my reasoning," Uru quickly cleared up any misconceptions the man might have had, when he recognized his doubtful look. Naturally, every single immigrant had to go through a health check.

"And you have this on paper?" Bernard already knew the answer, but he made an attempt anyway. The youngster's awkward response didn't fail his expectations.

"There was private data on it …"

"Of course there was." The man started sighing, while trying to judge the situation. His resigned attitude after an awful day helped Uru out a lot. "Fine, I'll apply for native citizenship for you ahead of time," he capitulated in the end, which finally put Uru at ease, "but I still need to know where will you be staying. Remember though, I'm going out on a limb here, if this ever comes back to bite me – I'll find you," he cautioned in a non-threatening way, but the message was unequivocal.

"Thank you, Mr Hughes, I'll do my best. And I'll be staying at Periculum University campus for now."

"Periculum?" Bernard was startled yet again. "Boy, you don't mess around, do you? I'm sure you were already told everything about it, so I won't repeat it. But as a local, let me tell you this – it's probably more dangerous, than you realize. Don't let the rumors of endless opportunities delude you, there's plenty of shady elements who scoop all the cream. They are strong, shrewd and resourceful, and they often don't play by the rules. That attitude permeates the whole city. It's focused on combat and conquest, not scientific advancement. Do you think you will stand a chance, whatever it is you plan to do there?"

"I reckon I'll do just fine," Uru seemed completely unafraid.

"Why not any other major university? With your accomplishments, they'd be killing each other to get you. You could just go to the capital, and I would even have a chance to keep an eye on you there, since I stay at the port a lot. The Goddard's Straight is the fastest vactube in the world, less than 10 minutes if one is qualified to take an express cargo pod," the officer offered.

"Knowledge isn't the end I pursue, it's just a means. Otherwise, I wouldn't have taken the journey at all."

Bernard was thoroughly stunned at this point. He just stared at the youngster with amazement. "Quite the philosopher, are you? Fancy yourself another Conti?"

"Heh, nothing like that. I already know the truth. I'm just trying to face it now. That's the real challenge," Uru answered mysteriously.

"Oh? Do tell me, I'd very much like to know as well," Bernard was slowly getting amused by the boy. Who didn't want to know the truth? Only the ignorant.

Uru smiled. "You already do, Mr Hughes. It's written in your heart. Keep exploring, you can't miss it!"

"Haha, you're a fun one!" For a moment, the unfortunate man forgot about his own predicament. "Let's see how long will you maintain this belief once you step into adulthood. Life can be a joke. It can also be very ugly, you better be prepared."

"I know that as well. I've read and heard a lot. Not just the facts, but people's feelings, too. I only haven't seen or experienced much yet, that's the scary part." Uru's wisdom perplexed the archmage for a long time. He felt it would be a perfect closure to their conversation.

"Good. Sign these. They will be you provisional ID until you settle in Periculum, you will then be issued a real one at the local municipality. Simply request them to send it to the university's office. And now you should go to the orientation, you were all supposed to go to lunch together and then to the welcome party."

"Huh? Why didn't we–"

"Hurry now, everyone has already made friends and learned some vital information, while you're being left out, and I need some well deserved rest," Bernard obviously didn't want to explain himself. His job for today was done, and he could really use some relaxation. He could also go to the training hall and see if any of the migrants wanted to test the waters of their new abode. With his prowess, he could take them all at once and give them some 'pointers'. "Yes, great idea!" He only wished Anton would be there, but the man hardly ever practiced combat, and he was going to oversee the party anyway. Technically, Bernard was invited as well, but that was not an option – Eleanor was surely going to participate.

"Yes, thank you for everything, Mr Hughes!" Uru showed appreciation, but was reluctant to go. The soon-to-be grandmaster was a rare beast, and a treasure trove of hard to come by insights, much more valuable than anything he was going to learn at orientation, plus he abhorred parties. Though he was being sent away, there was still something he needed to know. "Before I go, how's your progress on grasping the manipulation of matter?"

This question immediately attracted the man's attention. "Why are you asking?" he inquired curiously. After all, that was his prime interest at this point in his cultivation.

"Who else am I going to ask?"

Bernard smiled, his pride titillated a little. "You just want to know how far am I from reaching the immortal realm?" Since the boy didn't say anything, he continued, "I'll spell it out for you. You have the wrong idea, as almost all people do. Cellular manipulation is just a basic skill one needs to break through, a foundation, and anyone can achieve it, even the average Joe, assuming sufficient resources. But building on it requires a man with a vision. Because making the leap takes willpower. That's why you will find all warlords to be stark people with distinct, memorable characters." By the end he was reclining back on his ergonomic chair and gesticulating, as if giving a lecture. Seeing his enthusiasm, Uru took a chance – he went back and sat down, expecting to hear more. And he gambled well – the man didn't shoo him away.

"There's many experts who mastered the skill, but lack the conviction. They keep postponing it until the next year, and another, and so on, while repairing the damage done by old age, fooling themselves that they will make it one day. Most will just tire of living and give up. Some will gather the courage to try. And most of those will fail and cripple themselves or die, that's a given. That's why there's a separate rank for grandmasters, even though it's such a narrow class. There's just that many of them nowadays, more than ten times the number of warmages." Bernard paused here, and recalled the old times.

"Almost all the prominent warlords in history made it in the first attempt. To a various degree of success, of course. And they all did it on their own. No AI assistance, no implants, no medication," he stressed. "All those warmages you remember from the history of the third world war, they were soldiers, grunts, nobodies. They didn't deserve the title of a warlord. They were given a crash course, pumped full of drugs, their brains stuffed with hardware and constantly monitored. Many weren't even allowed to fall asleep, because their brain activity couldn't deviate, or their flux frames would fall apart. They were then entirely reliant on the programming to do all the calculations and stabilize their frames for them. And if they failed at any point, the war machine didn't care. It threw them out to the garbage can and started a new batch. They were basically damaged goods from the get-go. Their potential stifled or capped, their brains debilitated, their psyche ruined. And even in their prime they weren't very strong – I could beat them with one hand behind my back," he said without hubris.

"As to immortality? They could forget about that. If they couldn't manipulate the cells themselves, no amount of computing power would do it for them. Not without grisly results. The saying that a warmage dies a million deaths is there for a reason. Nobody had the time or resources to research it anyway. Those two are a prime commodity in war. And even if they survived it, they were wrecks. Dangerous wrecks, so they were treated accordingly," he halted for a moment, to let it sink in. Uru was listening with undivided attention, which Bernard found very satisfying.

"In this day and age it's all about quality over quantity. And people have the time. Grandmasters oftentimes live past 200, despite their hectic lifestyle. But establishing and binding a flux stabilization frame to one's body and subsequently linking it to the cellular processes is an arduous task demanding full commitment. One needs to dive deep into their psyche, to accept the imminent discomfort and suffering before it arrives, and to have steel nerves. Once it begins, it's only going to get harder to revert the changes, so one has to be determined to see it through. And it can be hell. One can lose himself in the pain, or simply panic. And if they stop, well – you know what a botched frame can do." Here he made a small interval to lean on his desk, put his hands together to form a triangle and conclude the lecture.

"Don't let the apparent fool you, boy. Being a grandmaster is actually all about maturing to the next level." He smiled, very contented, and waited to see the response. He was never a teacher, and even though he was supervising many prospective teenage mages, they were mostly promoted by various factions, thus already had formed opinions and were often bratty and full of themselves, so he found this little experience quite enjoyable.

"But you don't seem to be lacking in that regard at all, Mr Hughes. Am I wrong?" Uru didn't even flinch, as if everything he just heard was obvious. Bernard didn't foresee this, but now he realized that maybe he should have. He burst out laughing.

"Neither do you, my boy, neither do you. You would have made a great warlord!"

"Heh, I wish. I've tried the test multiple times. The results are clear," Uru admitted regretfully.

"Many wise people said 'impossible' in the past, and they were proven wrong time and time again. So who knows?" the man reassured with a wink. Though the chances were slim, in theory everything was feasible. "Now run, or I might get flogged for delaying group activities." He expected Uru to rush off, yet the boy still remained seated, weighing something in his head. He was about to urge him, when Uru finally asked a profound question.

"What will you do once your loved ones get old, senile and decrepit?"

Bernard instantly silenced. He looked at the mysterious youth deeply for a good while.

"We will all die one day, no exceptions. The universe itself will fall apart," the man shrugged, his demeanor carefree. Seemingly that was all, but Uru knew he wasn't finished. "Why would I ever stop loving them?"

Uru smiled smugly, and Bernard felt a jolt of shock looking at him. Those confident eyes, imposing scar, enigmatic smile, and the suddenly solemn atmosphere had given him such a dignified aura, that the mighty archmage couldn't help but feel reverence. "Who is he?!"

"Thank you, Mr Hughes, that was a valuable lesson." Uru stood up to leave without any more unnecessary words of praise or gratitude. "Oh, and by the way, you should be ready for tonight's evening."

Uru's statement further stunned Bernard. "Ready for what?" he racked his brain for a possible answer.

"Eleanor will be expecting you to pick her up at 10 …"

"You little–!"

"… she said there's something you might like to see. Goodbye, Mr Hughes!" Uru continued without interruption, already going through the door and closing it.

Bernard just sat there like an idiot, with his heart almost jumping out of his chest. But then he gradually gave up on fear, and a peaceful smile appeared on his face.