He woke up. As he opened his eyes, he knew that he had survived the night.

Last night, before he slept, he heard a cacophony of banging and scratching on the walls and windows. The whole night, his body was frozen in fear before he fell asleep. He didn't want to see another one of those gigantic bugs again. Groggily standing up from his bed and looked outside the window, he saw the people were cleaning up debris from the streets. The [Guardsmen] and the citizens helped haul the bodies of the slain monsters and the citizens.

Finally, that night was over. The boy opened his door and stepped down from the stairs.

"Huh?" The boy blurted out as he saw a humanoid catfish in red clerical robes, a merman hugging his staff, and Lascze lying down on the cracked wooden floors of the store. The shutters of the windows were shattered to smithereens. But, strangely, the goods inside the store were unaffected, without a scratch.

Lascze stood up from his slumber. He sighed.

"Sorry 'bout that." He scratched his head in embarrassment. "We were tired after slaying some monsters. You know what it is." He explained.

"So that's what you did..." The boy uttered, realizing that they had participated in the subjugation of monster surge.

"The shirtless merman holding a staff of coral matter stood up, his skin dry. And so, the moisture on the air formed into water droplets, and his skin absorbed it.

"Who is that Las? Your son, or something?" He asked Lascze, still groggy.

"Just a Lost One that Vonn brought me, looking for a job."

The Catfish Seafolk that Colarbo and the boy had met yesterday stood up.

"Oh, hello, kiddo." He waved.

They stood up from the floor, dusting their clothes off.

"Anyways," Orbetto uttered. "We're going to go now. Going to fix my shop and everything." He headed out of the shop.

"Me too, going to check if my restaurant is alright." The merman, leaning on his staff, stood up and conjured a skin of water on his tail, slithering out of the store.

The two visitors had left the room.

Lascze held the boy's shoulder. "I will come with you to the city hall."

"City hall?" The boy asked.

"Yeah, where when will you obtain your citizenship. And officially work here."

The boy understood. His mind traced back from yesternight when a single part of his old memories resurfaced—a single name.

And so, they set off to meet Vonn in the early morning. The citizens of this city were still busy hauling the corpses to wagons manned by people in charge of disposing of the dead. Many guardsmen also help dispose of the bodies floating on the deep canals in the middle of the streets. [Carpenters] mended the city's brick and wood houses supplemented by Skills, their hard work sweats as they hammer on. [Guardsmen] patrolled the streets beside the canals. But strangely, they tipped their helmets as the two passed.

The boy noticed this. It was strange to him.

"Why do the [Guardsmen] tip their helmets whenever they pass us by?" The boy asked.

"Probably because I helped in the subjugation yesterday." He answered.

Vonn appeared within a troop of [Guardsmen]. "Not only that, but he was a Famed Adventurer, and the honorary [Royal Champion] of the K-" Lascze, in a blistering speed, shut him up with his pointer finger.

"Gosh, just gloat about your victories and stop being so humble, will ya'?" Vonn jester. "You are the Leviathan's Bane, after all!" He curls his arm around Lascze's shoulder.

"It's just a title, nothing else." Lascze dismissed.

"Anyways, let's get the boy an official letter of citizenship, shall we?" Vonn reminded.

"Yeah."

They traveled to the nearest rickshaw station, a brick building with peristyles. Within it are rickshaws, with people of different species waiting on benches, fanning themselves with fans made of wood and cloth. Vonn approached a dull fish-headed Seafolk, leaning on a red rickshaw. The [Rickshaw Puller] stood up in attention.

"To where?" He succinctly asked.

"Aqui," Vonn answered back.

"That will be 7 silver." The fish-man charged.

Lascze handed him exactly 7 silver. The [Rickshaw Puller] seems satisfied with it and placed himself in front of the rickshaw, holding the reins. The trio hopped on the red wooden rickshaw. With a push, the [Rickshaw Puller] accelerated and turned towards a corner, narrowly avoiding a group of people.

The [Rickshaw Puller] sped through the streets with [Lesser Speed] and [Evasive Manuvering], narrowly avoiding crowds of people and other rickshaws with these Skills. They passed by numerous shops and buildings. They had given entire districts within minutes. The landscape beside them gradually turned into a blur.

From an outsider's perspective, they were a blur passing by quickly within the streets.

Until they were heading to a district. A district that is more fanciful than the others. Instead of simple brick and wood, the buildings in this district were made out of smooth stone, marble, and granite, and instead of wooden shutters and iron bars, the windows were made out of glass, thick or thin. The design of these buildings exudes a sense of superiority among the other districts. The people here seemed to wear fanciful garb. Marble and stone statues of fish and men and fountains decorated with coral seemed to be at every plaza center.

The flurry of activity halted the [Rickshaw Puller]'s dash. Servants raced behind their masters. Shoes were shined, merchants were selling goods, food stalls were selling street food. The [Rickshaw Puller] walked, swerving left and right among the crowd.

"To the City Hall." He pointed towards a large building made out of white marble. The stairs led up to a rounded portico, with sculpted pillars resembling corals of different shapes and sizes. The windows were tall, as tall as the building itself, except for its slate roofs.

They stopped in front of the white marble stairs, guarded by two [Royal Guards] in long azure coats and black berets. The fish-man nod towards them before pulling the rickshaw at a regular pace.

The Crocodile-headed Seafolk and the blue-haired Half-Elf were armed with enchanted halberds.

The boy, with a childlike gleam, stared at the building in awe. The boy inadvertently walked closer while staring at the white building until he was blocked by a halberd's blade. The long-haired half-elf gave a disproving look.

Lascze abruptly pulled the boy back protectively.

"State your business!" The crocodilian [Royal Guard] halted them.

Vonn presented his badge as a [Guardsman Captain] and letters of recommendation.

"Go in." The crocodilian [Royal Guard] allowed them to progress further.

"Let's go." Vonn patted him on the back.

The trio walked up the stairs, heading towards the beautiful and well-kept marble portico. They faced the thick glass doors that lead towards the inside. Vonn grabbed the metal handle of the glass doors and opened them. They were in a vestibule made out of granite tiles on the walls and floor. The pillar inside was also shaped like coral. [Scribes] and [Secretaries] milled around with their parchments, delivering them to their respective places. The glass and wooden counters were at the far side of the vestibule. There was a short line of people also applying for citizenship in the city-state of Aquinox.

Even if the two individuals were one of the highest-leveled in the city-state of Aquinox, they still have to wait in line with the boy.

"I'm hungry." The boy's stomach rumbled.

"Let's eat something later," Lascze reassured. "We'll go to Gemmeni's restaurant for breakfast."

"Restaurant?" He uttered, seeking clarification.

"Yeah. It's a good one."

A few minutes later, they were next in line. The black-haired [Receptionist] immediately recognized them. The Red Captain of the Guard. The Leviathan's Bane.

"Ah! Sorry for the inconvenience-"

"No, it's alright," Lascze reassured the woman. "We are just here to apply him for citizenship." He pointed towards the boy. "He is a Lost One, so we had him apply to Lascze's."

"Understandable, understandable, so please wait for a moment." The [Receptionist] grabbed a roll of parchment from behind a counter and a small but sharp knife.

The [Receptionist] walked out of the counter, knife and paper in hand, and approached the nervous boy, wary of his blade.

"It's okay," Vonn reassured. "Just hold out your hand, and the [Receptionist] will make a teeny-tiny little cut on your finger after you read the text on the parchment."

"Okay, so I need you to read the text on the parchment and mean every word you say." The [Receptionist] gently instructed.

"Okay." The boy agreed, faithfully following the instruction because he knew no better.

"I swear fealty to the [King] of Aquinox. I will live and do everything in my power to serve the country. I will not betray the trust of Aquinox nor commit sabotage or savagery within these lands and waters. This is my blood oath, and if I break it, I shall suffer."

He was apprehensive, but nevertheless, he extended his hand. The [Receptionist] place the parchment on the floor, and she held the boy's pointer finger tightly. With her knife, in a single slash, had lightly wounded the boy's finger, leaving a tiny wound. Before the blood dries or falls to the ground, the [Receptionist] immediately pressed his finger on the parchment.

The parchment's letters glowed blue, and the light dissipated.

"What was that?" Lascze protectively held the boy close.

"His Majesty made us all [Royal Receptionists], and we are now allowed to use [Blood Contract] on potentially dangerous people."

"So, you're saying that my employee here is a dangerous person-"

"Calm down." Vonn touched Lascze's shoulders. "Remember the Lost One year ago?"

"Right." Lascze lowered his head.

Vonn playfully slapped Lascze's back. "You sure look like a father back there."

"Shut up." Lascze playfully punched Vonn on the arm.

"Now, your name." The [Royal Receptionist] faced the boy, handing him a quill dripping with a bit of ink.

"But he doesn't have a name-"

"I remembered." The boy succinctly answered, grabbing the quill.

"What?" Both Vonn and Lascze gasped.

Then he signed the contract with his name.

"So, what is your name?" Lascze asked.

"Lewis. That's all I can remember." The boy answered. The [Royal Receptionist] was surprised, despite hearing the names of other Otherworlders before.

"What a strange surname," Vonn remarked.

"Anyways, let's go to the restaurant." Lascze led them towards the outside of the building.

They stepped on the portico, and below the stairs facing the cobblestone streets, the same guy who pulled their rickshaw earlier waited for them.

"Hey!" Vonn waved towards the fish-man. "It's you again!"

The fish-man waved back. The three hopped on the rickshaw.

"So, mind if I ask your name?" Vonn asked.

"Hizui. I'm the best [Rickshaw Puller] in this city." He smugly bragged.

"So what level are you then?" Vonn asked.

"Level 90. Anyways, where shall we go?"

"To the Withering Fish."

"1 Silver. Grab the railings." He warned. The three grabbed the railings after Vonn gave him a single silver coin.

Then, they accelerated.

Everything was a blur at these speeds. The trees, canals, roads, buildings; it all faded into a blur as long as Hizui pulled the rickshaw.

Then they arrived at a building that seemed to be sculpted out of a gigantic granite boulder. Like the sign says, The Withering Fish, a comically lousy name for a restaurant, it is shaped like a fish, only it seems to have holes on it, revealing the "skeleton." The caves were covered with glass that appears to glow a vibrant gleam. Inadvertently, they have walked inside the restaurant. They got their shoes wet due to the floor partially underwater. The inside was shaped like, well, a fish's insides, with the "skeleton" as the support beams. The people were sitting on comfy sofas and eating on granite tables, eating the famous alchemical seafood that this restaurant has been known for.

A familiar face faced them from the counter. Gemmeni, the [Alchemical Chef], and [Liquidmancer] of Aquinox, former Gold-ranked adventurer, entered the scene.

"Good mornin' gents." Gemmeni greeted. "Fancy seeing you all here."

"Yes." Lascze nodded. "Still doing fine, I see."

"Orbetto is on the table near the edge of the restaurant, by the way," Gemmeni informed them.

"And we shall keep him company then," Vonn replied.

"I will be eating with you shortly," Gemmeni informed them excitedly.

"Here's the menu, by the way." he handed them a menu, made out of bonded parchment, with tasteful illustrations of Gemmeni's cooking. They waltz towards Orbetto's table, where he ate a plate of Ruby Crab with Magma Sauce. The crab is literally coated in a sauce that resembles magma. Even if it is hot, the humanoid catfish still ate it with gusto.

"Oh, hello," Orbetto spoke as he slurped the juicy innards of the expensive crab.

They sat with him candidly.

"Boy's got a name now?" He asked.

"I'm Lewis." The boy answered.

"Well, Lascze, I would have never thought that you have to take care of a child." Orbetto chuckled. "Anyways, boy, order what you want; I'll pay for it."

"What about us?" Vonn asked.

"Well, this is the boy's citizenship party, after all. So, only free food for him."

"Aww." They sighed in disappointment.

"Well, let's order then." Vonn turned the pages of the menu while Lascze and Lewis stared at the life-like illustrations of food. A Mermaid wearing a [Waitress]' blouse slithered towards them.

"I'll order Cleansing Shrimp Scampi Linguini, please." Lewis requested.

"Strengthening Tuna Steak, please," Lascze ordered.

"Uhh...Soothing Stuffed Squid, I guess," Vonn ordered.

"And tell Gemmeni to bring some ale here!" He playfully ordered.

The waitress mentally noted the order and slid away towards the kitchen.

After a few minutes, the food and drinks had arrived on a tray. Served by Gemmeni himself.

It is Gemmeni's famous alchemical cooking. He was hardly the first to cook with potions, but he refined the art. Now, several people that can afford to board a ship, especially [Merchants], [Lords], and even [Gourmands], traveled through the waves to get a taste of his cooking.

Lewis ordered pasta, covered in melted butter and cheese, Glimmering Shrimp, Tulip Shallots, and Sea Garlic, with a sprinkling of dried chili flakes. Unlike traditional shrimp scampi, instead of olive oil, it was mixed with a Potion of Cleansing, a potion that expels all impurities and potions within the body. Then, the cast-iron plate arrived. On it is Lascze's order, a sizzling, thick tuna steak with crisscross burn marks on its crust. It sat upon a lake of brown sauce, infused with a minor Strength Potion. A roasted lemon sat with it for a different, tangy taste.

Another cast-iron plate was placed on the table, containing a barbequed squid stuffed with scallions, onions, tomato, ginger, salt, and ground black pepper. It was partially submerged in a black sauce that was infused with a Soothing Potion.

"Ah, this helps with my back pain." Vonn rubbed his hands together. Gemmeni sat beside Orbetto. Thankfully, the chairs were designed to accommodate mermen like him.

"Now, let's celebrate Lewis' citizenship!" Vonn cheered.

"To Lewis." Lascze raised his mug of ale.

"To Lewis!" They followed suit.

They cheered, clashing their mugs together.

An hour passed, and they ordered more drinks. On a whim, the restaurant was declared closed after the initial guests have left. It has hurt Gemmeni's profits, but he paid it no heed.

After all, it's been so long since they talked. It has been years since these veterans had retired from adventuring. The Azure Depthslayers, with its members, The Bloody Harpoon, The Poisontide Mage, The Molten Priest, and the Famed Adventurer of their team, the Leviathan's Bane, sat at one table once again. Only the Waverending Sword had been missing from the group.

"Oi, what's His Majesty doing, Las?" Orbetto drunkenly called Lascze.

"Umm...sitting on his throne..." Lascze swayed, threatening to fall down. But the little boy supported him.

"Tell his fat arse to come here and take a swig with us!" Orbetto laughed.

"Wait, I remember..." Lascze mouthed. "He came back from abroad."

"Really?" Orbetto chugged another mug of ale. "Tell em' to come here fast then!"

"Well," Gemmeni gently spoke, as he always did when drunk. "He has work to do..."

"Work? Pah!" Orbetto dismissed. "All he does is shit on his fucking throne."

"You mean...sit?" Vonn drunkenly corrected.

"Shit, sit, whatever," Orbetto dismissed. "They all sound the same."

Gemmeni kept an Anti-Hangover potion earlier just in case they get too drunk. Thankfully, he has his senses intact, despite the alcohol. But he was starting to get tipsy.

"Are priests allowed to get drunk?" Lewis asked, still sober because the ale he had been given has no alcohol.

"Yeah!" Orbetto defended himself.

And so, they continue to talk. Then, after that small talk, the group of retired adventurers reminisced about their pasts as adventurers. And so, the conversation continued.

"Remember when we have to hunt our first Dragonshark?" Gemmeni reminisced.

"It was...eh...when is that again?" Vonn asked.

"Ten years ago," Lascze remembered.

"Ah, yes, when your giant crossbow-"

"Ballista." Orbetto corrected Vonn. "I made that, you know?"

"Ahem." Gemmeni coughed.

"My ballista didn't work back then, and the fucking shark just jumped at me as I aimed! Our boat was almost eaten!" Lascze exclaimed.

"Gee, I wonder why?" Orbetto sarcastically asked. "It was because you tried to use it as a hammer!"

"I thought it was enchanted."

"Well, it isn't enchanted to whack an Ocean Serpent or your stupidity!"

"My bad." Lascze scratched his head.

"Well, at least we all defeated it in the end." Gemmeni dissipated a potential drunken fight.

"Barely." Vonn clarified. "Fucking water-proof Dragonfire."

Already, it was noon. It feels like time has passed by, as transient as the sea breeze. The seventh bell of the day rang. And they were still drunk.

Gemmeni splashed them with the anti-hangover potion. They were wet and visibly miffed.

"Drinking time is over!" Gemmeni announced. "Get back to work, you three." He kicked them on the shins.

"Alright then." Lascze stood up.

"One more drink!” Orbetto asked.

After a bit of friendly argument, they walked out of the establishment sober, and they walked to the nearest rickshaw station. They paid five silver to transport them towards their home.

They waded through the crowds and passed by buildings. Without the blistering speed of the Level 90 [Rickshaw Puller], Lewis can appreciate the city's view. They have left the vicinity of the fanciful buildings of Aqui and into a district that Lewis didn't know its name. The contrast between Aqui and the other district was made clear. Unlike the stone, marble, and granite buildings of Aqui, this district is lined with brick and wood and wattle and daub buildings, painted with different paint colors. The people there wore simple garb too.

But Lewis had a feeling that he only explored the tip of the iceberg that is the district of Aqui.

And they arrived at Lascze's General Store. The humble stone and wood building. Lewis' first home in this world.

"Let's go to work." Lascze held the boy on his shoulders. "I'll teach you the tricks of the trade."