"But don't get me wrong!"

The Knight shook his hands.

"I'm not inviting you to join the Knights Association itself, because from what I see, you're a [Mage]."

The Knight then straightened his back.

"The Knights Association has branches, these branches have their own specialty. The Knight branch, as the name implies it is full of [Knights]. The Magic branch, full of spellcasters, any kind from regular ones to forbidden ones."

He looked at Kai.

"The Magic branch is the one we want you to join. Although there are also branches like the Support branch and the Vanguard."

He then faced Kanako.

"You little lady can't join but once you grow up a bit, we'd welcome you with open arms."

Not sparing Kanako another glance, he focused on Kai.

"So what do you say?"

Kai first looked at him then glanced behind him and saw his men with their disapproval.

That was natural, seeing how old Kai actually was.

"I thank you for the offer but I have things to do."

He didn't give them a proper answer, he didn't want to involve himself in this kind of business.

The Knights murmured right after his answer.

"Who does this kid think he is? Just because he got scouted instead of joining himself, he thinks he's all that?"

One of the Knights sneered at Kai's attitude.

"Yeah, acting all high-and-mighty as if he doesn't even put us in his eyes."

"I bet any of us could beat him."

"He's only got potential in magic, what else? I don't think he's anything special."

The Knights all had mocking comments worse than the one before.

The person who led the Knights had no idea on what his men were saying but how could it escape Kai's ears? He heard it all.

Looks like their true nature shows themselves, they mock me if I decline but if I accept, they'd mock me even more for kissing up. Kai sneered.

"Kanako, let's go."

Kai glanced at Kanako who was standing behind him and gestured her to follow.

"Nn."

Kanako was still speechless but followed Kai with her lowered head as if she was afraid of the Knights.

When they walked a good distance away went closer to Kai.

"Those people were very strong, any of them could take me on."

Kanako shuddered.

"From your carefree tone, they must've been pretty angry when you left just like that."

"I already got scouted by Kane himself and still refused, what makes them think I'd put them in my eyes?"

Kai's expression was that of coldness.

"You're really cold, y'know."

Kanako smiled a bit.

Before they even arrived at the Blue Waters guild to turn their quest in, they had to deal with countless amount of gazes filled with envy, awe, and fear.

Carrying the Legendary Golden Tiger said to be the strongest beast in the whole village was no simple feat.

If it was one of the Knights, they'd rejoice but when two children did it, of course they'd be speechless.

I should've just put it in my dimensional storage... Kai had a face full of regret.

He wanted to keep a low profile but it kept on shattering because of the events that have happened.

"Move out of the way!"

Some men in cloaks were walking quite fast on the road.

It looked like they were preparing for something.

"Isn't that the group who wants to eradicate the Dark Guild?"

Kai's ears twitched.

The whispers of the crowd could all be heard by him.

One conversation in particular made him very interested.

"Their leader is a man in his forties right?"

"Yeah yeah, I've also heard that the man is also very strong."

"I also heard that he's the strongest [Human] [Mage] on this continent!"

"I heard that as well! I also heard his name was: Shiro."

Kai stopped moving.

"Kai?"

Kanako went up to Kai and looked at his face.

"Kai, what's wrong?"

Kai's face was blank, his eyes were void.

He stood still not moving.

The people around who were looking at him before also noticed his strange movements.

"Kai, you're scaring me."

Kanako was scared that Kai had suddenly broken.

"Kanako.."

Kai finally talked but in a low voice.

"Kai, what is it?"

Kanako was as close as possible.

"I have to go."

He gave Kanako the tiger and turned around.

"Eh? Kai, what's wrong?!"

But he paid no heed to Kanako and ran towards the cloaked men.

Everyone was looking at his figure but he vanished.

Just like that, his body vanished.

"Eh? Where did that boy go?"

Everyone was amazed, if he could disappear in front of everyone like that, he had to be very strong.

"Eh..?"

Kanako was staring at the direction Kai fled.

"What just happened..?"

Kanako was confused as could be.

........

On top of a building, a kid was standing atop surveying the ground like a hawk.

Naturally that kid was Kai.

"They went over to that small building and their auras just disappeared."

Kai placed his hand on his chin.

"There must be some teleportation formation of some sort there."

Kai jumped down whilst concealing his aura.

........

Kai arrived at the door of said building.

"I don't think there are any concealment formations on the teleporter."

I hope.

Kai opened the door and met with nothing.

"I knew it."

Nobody's here, a teleportation formation is definitely located in here.

The room Kai had entered was nearly empty. Other than some boxes and a carpet on the floor, nothing was there.

"[Scan]"

Kai's eyes swept across the room and landed on the carpet.

Typical..

Kai walked towards the carpet and pulled it.

A symbol was on the floor. It looked like flowers and stars molded together. It shone in a translucent blue.

"So I guess I just have to walk up to it?"

Kai stood on the center of the formation.

"Hm?"

Kai furrowed his brows.

"Don't tell me there's an activation key?"

Kai looked around but to no avail, he found nothing.

"This must've been to prevent people from entering, other than the ones who know the code."

They've taken proper preparations..

"I'll try imbuing it with mana."

Kai closed his eyes and began breathing slowly.

He pointed his hands toward the formation.

"Open!"

...

...

"Nothing happened."

Kai sat down cross-legged and sighed.

"Maybe a password?"

Kai stood up again.

"Open sesame!"

..

"Alakazam!"

"Abracadabra!"

"Hocus Pocus?"

..

"Of course none of those would work..!"

Kai fell down on his butt and sighed heavily.

"Gramps has a variety of spells, I doubt I can discover it easily."

He sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.

A few hours later.

Kai, still sitting cross-legged opened his eyes which glew a faint blue.

"I've relaxed my body, time to search for clues."

His eyes scanned nearly everywhere in the room.

Nothing.

"This is frustrating."

Kai vigorously searched again for an hour only to find nothing.

"I rested my body for hours, searched for an hour. Yet, I still find nothing."

Kai sighed and laid down on the floor.

He closed his eyes for a bit.

Hope.

He opened them as fast as it was closed and looked up.

Hope?

"Is that the code? And why is it written on the ceiling?"

But he spent no time thinking about it, he immediately leapt up and straightened himself.

"Hope!"

....

"Nothing.."

Kai said dejectedly.

Kai sighed heavily once more.

But being dejected was being dejected.

He never stopped searching for clues.

"If 'hope' wasn't the code, then does that mean their 'hope' is the the code?"

But what could they classify as 'hope'?

Kai pondered for awhile.

"Shiro."

Nothing.

"Yeah, I guess that'd be too easy."

Kai sighed again.

If it isn't the force's hope, does that mean it's ..gramps' hope?

This is gonna be embarassing.

"Kai."

The teleporter's marking suddenly had a cyan line passing through.

It kept going and going until it reached the middle of the teleporter's formation.

Sigh.

"He really had to make my name the rebellion's portal code. So much for 'secrecy'."

He stepped onto the portal and his body disappeared.

.........

Blue Waters Guild Hall

"What did you say?! Kai disappeared!?"

Ryo was shouting as Kanako informed him of the events.

"Yeah! He just turned around and fled after he gave me the tiger's carcass."

-Kanako was worryingly biting her thumb.

"Now now, don't worry. Kai must've had a good reason."

Kane was also there and had been informed of everything.

"I would've thought that as well! But..Once I saw the look on his face, I couldn't stop worrying. His face was just like my father when he left for mother."

The room went silent as worry grew in their hearts.

"Now now, everyone calm down."

A woman in her late-teens talked first.

The woman was Kanako's big sister, Kyoko.

"Kyoko, what're you doing here?"

Kane was surprised.

"I heard you had been defeated."

Kyoko glared at Kane.

Kane gulped.

She paid no more heed to Kane and looked at Kanako.

"Do not worry, from what I've heard, there's nothing in this village that can threaten him if he can defeat Kane in an overwhelming manner."

Kyoko's comforting only made Kanako more worried.

"Yeah but...what if it isn't from the village..?"

The others were shocked.

"Could it be some external force?"

Kane immediately asked.

Kanako shook her head.

"I don't know, but he started acting strange when he saw people from that group."

Kyoko's expression shifted.

"You're talking about that group? The one who wants to destroy the Dark Guild entirely?"

Kanako looked down with a solemn expression.

"Yes.."

Kyoko immediately charged out of the room.

"This is bad, if he's doing what I think he's doing, he's in great danger. Especially with that name."

Kai. I do hope that you're not the one the leader is protecting, if you are, you'll have to stay away from my sister.