Jack was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure.

Atkins Medical Center was the largest and most well-funded hospital in Elway, and one of the best on the continent. The Tower of Magic, where arcane innovation was at its peak, ensured that the hospital had access to various sorts of medicines and technologies. Even the Church of Pernatia funded its construction, sensing its potential, and invested heavily in the medical center.

Exiting the luxurious hospital, the once-infamous information broker took a swig of the potion he'd been given. Because of its chronic nature, a permanent cure was ludicrously expensive and hard to make. He decided to stick with the cheaper alternative while he saved to afford a more permanent solution.

The now-retired criminal had moved away from his shady operations after encountering the Archmage, fearing they'd execute him after selling information that directly led to the events at the Lanes Auction House. He was in over his head and he knew it; going from a local mobster to an accomplice to one of the most infamous heists in recent history.

But nothing happened, and Jack Kellinton wasn't keen on wasting the opportunity and turned a new leaf with haste.

He transformed his small-time criminal business into a legitimate logistics company. Thanks to his numerous contacts in and out of the underworld, the clever adventurer had many clients and contracts to choose from and made a steady income. He even fulfilled contracts with different branches from the Tower of Magic and other empires looking to import or export goods.

None of his employees left and they all received a raise for their loyalty. They were good men that stuck with him through thick and thin, commenting just how nice it was to have a regular job for once. Many of them hadn't gotten the opportunity and turned to a life of crime from a young age and were happy to get into the workforce with much less dangerous work conditions.

'Who knew things would turn out like this? Maybe I should've done it from the start.'

With a small smile on his face, Jack opened the door to his headquarters to reveal a man sitting on the couch with several of his men looking down at the floor. They all breathed a collective sigh of relief upon seeing their boss.

"Boss, he was asking for information! But we tried to tell him you don't do that no more!" One of them said, sweating nervously while flitting glances between their employer and the man on the couch. Seeing his subordinates who had made a living intimidating and blackmailing people was quite concerning. They couldn't be called the elite of the elite, but it would be hard for them to get pushed around by a nobody.

Jack frowned. He had made it clear to everybody he knew that he had washed his hands off the information-dealing business. Even if it was perfectly legal or considered harmless, he erred on the side of caution and halted it completely.

"Sir, if you're here for information, I'm afraid I cannot help you. We now operate as a logistics company. If you'd like, I can refer you elsewhere."

"Is that so?" The man's head was obscured by a large helmet. Made from adamantium and with two half-moon eye sockets, Jack's skin turned white after realizing who he was talking to. "I suppose I'll have to let Cerebella know. What a shame..."

His voice was low and measured, and every move he made emitted a noise similar to gears turning in a complex machine. His eye sockets powered down slightly as if to signify his disappointment. Jack had only seen pictures and rumors of the man, but the descriptions were perfectly on-point.

'The man who made General Reinherz flee with his tail tucked between his legs, commanding an army of mysterious machines. An adamantium helmet that obscures his face completely...'

"W-wait! Let's not be hasty, your Majesty!" The former criminal said, shooing the grunts away and giving himself a few seconds to prepare himself. "You're the king of Metropolis, correct? The one where Stillwater once was?"

Elric, the enigmatic ruler of the newly-founded kingdom, Metropolis. His presence made waves when he first arrived in Elway alongside Pernatia's Senior Priest Engel. The public wasn't privy to much of the details, but Jack still maintained relationships with most of his informants for personal use and heard that Elway was officially acknowledging Metropolis as a sovereign state, souring their relations with the Idil Empire and the Ailach Kingdom in the process.

He hadn't seen the man for himself, but heard about him being heavily armored and wearing a certain adamantium helmet at all times. Fearing divine retribution from the Archmage, he tried to persuade the man to sit down and offered him some tea. Jack didn't even know the king was still present in the kingdom.

"...Yes, that is correct. It's a surprise hearing others know of me before I met them. Call me by my name. Elric."

"Of course, sir Elric! How could I not? know about you Your liberation of the Stillwater residents was inspiring! As a former peasant myself, I can't help but..."

Jack prattled on, giving himself time to calm his rapidly beating heart and think of a reason why Cerebella would recommend him.

'Is this some sort of test? What sort of information do I have to provide for him?'

The man had a keen insight; he was fully aware of the possibility it could be a way of seeing whether he truly turned a new leaf or not. But outright rejecting the man would spell instant death for Jack. He got goosebumps just from being near the armored man. Upon closer inspection, he noticed how there were very thin gaps in his adamantium armor. Instead of skin or clothing, all the retired criminal could see were wires that ran far past where human skin should've been.

'This guy is part machine?!'

"Enough chit-chat. Take this." Elric said, making the man flinch at his sudden movements. He dug through his pockets and took out a letter. It was signed and sealed with a red stamp in the middle. Holding the object like one would explosive material, Jack ripped open the top and read the letter within. "Cerebella said this would explain things."

Dear Jack Kellinton,

I am well aware that you've formally retired from your unscrupulous business practices, but I must request you provide Elric, the sovereign of Metropolis, with any information he requests. Due to his limited knowledge about our culture and the general happenings of Aetheria, I hope you can inform him without any bias or ulterior motives.

We will compensate you accordingly. Please speak to Marco for any further support and invoices.

Many thanks,

Cerebella

The symbol of a large circle and a diamond in the form of red ink was delicately placed beside the Archmage's signature, showing it was an official document of the prestigious organization. It was all the verification he needed to know that there was no consequence for providing the man with any information he needed.

The grunts looked worriedly at their employer, concerned he would suffer from an aneurysm or heart attack again.

But before any of them could preemptively make a run for the hospital, Jack gathered himself and put the letter in his coat pocket, giving Elric a resolute stare.

Jack Kellinton was a simple soldier in Idil when he witnessed the aftermath of Braham Rose's attack against Pearl Island. When he defected to Elway and became an adventurer, he discovered how profitable the underground criminal market was and started his own business. There was no need to risk his life outside in the wilderness when money could be made from his office.

Then his operations were trampled on by a passing duo his grunts had pissed off. Subsequently, he survived a confrontation with the Archmage and her right-hand man as a result of being partially responsible for the Lanes Auction Heist.

He was a well-traveled man and refused to let this task daunt him. Jack would use all his connections and skills to get whatever information King Elric desired. A bead of sweat dripped from his chin as he began to speak.

"What do you want to know from me?"

Elric stared at him passively. His helmet's design was monster-like and only served to make the sovereign more intimidating. The adamantium headgear's maw opened with every word the man spoke.

"I'd like to learn more about the surrounding lands of Metropolis. Any relevant information you could gather about the Ailach Kingdom and Idil Empire."

'...Hm?'

"Also, perhaps some sort of world map and information about Aetheria's notable figures and nations. That'd be great."

Jack couldn't believe the requests the man was making. Not because they were difficult or impossible to procure, but because they were laughably easy to obtain.

'The Archmage did mention he has limited knowledge about Aetheria...but this is information you could find at the local library!'

"I trust this is a doable request?"

"Uh- yes! Of course, I'll do it to the best of my ability. Just give me some time to collect it..." The information broker grabbed a piece of parchment and wrote down a list of books and keywords.

He pushed it to the grunts and urgently whispered to them with slightly bloodshot eyes.

"Go to the library and ask them to make a copy! Now!"

Jack sent all of them on various quests to gather books, aiming to fulfill his mission and leave no stone unturned.

"If you don't mind, sir Elric? Could you tell me more specifics about the sort of information you're looking for?"

And so, one of the greatest information brokers in Elway became a glorified tutor.

Inside the highest floor of the Tower of Magic, thousands of meters above ground and overseeing the massive urban kingdom. The window provided a mesmerizing view that touched the clouds. Trinkets, documents, and magical artifacts of all kinds lay around haphazardly the luxurious office.

"An otherworlder, huh?" Cerebella muttered. Her iridescent hair floated in the hair as she meditated quietly in her quarters. The Archmage had taken some time for herself to process all that she learned from Metropolis' ruler, Elric. He had spent days in the Tower, trading knowledge and establishing an alliance with Elway. The Archmage was given authority equal to the Royal Family's own and used it to ensure the process would go smoothly.

Despite his machine-like physique and intimidating voice, the ruler of Metropolis was a man she could relate to. He was an intelligent, slightly eccentric person who was awestruck by everything the Tower had to offer. Had it not been for his responsibility to his kingdom, she would've invited him to be an executive of the Tower herself.

'I want to make things clear; I require your help. A...friend of mine claimed you were acquaintances. Does Chester Everheart ring a bell?'

She was most definitely surprised when the suspected thief responsible for the Lanes Auction Heist popped up once more. But this time, his appearance was a boon for the kingdom. And if she was correct, it would be much more valuable than any amount of Attainium.

Unlike her previous experience with political delegates, Elric held no ulterior motives and presented himself honestly. It was refreshing to the Archmage, who found the most joy in interacting with intellectuals who saw no need for the contrived and often two-faced language of politicians. That was why she was so generous with the terms, establishing an alliance when she had the opportunity to make the kingdom of Metropolis a vassal state.

'They all seem to come from the same world...I wonder why?'

The half-elf had cross-referenced documented otherworlders with Elric's information and found a persistent connection with a world called Earth. It puzzled her; did they have some sort of connection? Was there a limited amount of dimensions capable of simultaneously existing? Or did someone forcefully rip a hole from Earth that directly led to their own?

'Everheart...Him being an otherworlder is no surprise. Remaining unknown up until this point would've been impossible unless he just appeared out of thin air.'

Cerebella was a scholar first and foremost; her pursuit of knowledge brought her power, not the other way around. The multiverse theory had always intrigued her but due to the lack of physical evidence she could get her hands on, it had always remained in the back of her mind until now.

It had been quite some time since she got the chance to pick the brains of a person who retained memories from another world. Despite them popping up with regular frequency, none had revealed themselves in Elway.

'Dimensional anomalies. Otherworlders retaining past memories of a different life or are physically transported to Aetheria. The rising mana densities, monster hordes, and dungeon formations...'

She created multiple theories in her mind trying to connect them, each with its individual points and flaws. But out of all of them, one stood out to her the most.

"...If I am correct, then the world is in danger," Cerebella said gravely. Her voice permeated throughout the room as her mana fluctuated slightly. She did her best to restrain her powers, knowing things often got messy when her emotions got the best of her. "That would explain a lot, actually."

'I'd like to contact Pernatia or Dracule Rose myself to confirm it. But leaving Elway during this time would be quite...dangerous.'

Sending a message to them would leave the chance of the letter being intercepted. Leaving Elway left them open to attacks. After all, she was the sole deterrent that prevented Idil and even Ailach from attacking their inferior military. It was why the kingdom managed to grow so significantly; diverting the funds that would've been used to invest in war potential instead went to the kingdom's operations and expansion. As it stood, she couldn't help but worry about the Omen and their recent movements.

'Marco. Please come to my office.'

It didn't even take ten seconds before a knocking sound on her door was made. She smiled. The chronomancer's punctuality had been a consistent character trait she relied on heavily. When she was engrossed in her experiments and research, Marco remained the most reliable subordinate that reminded her of scheduled meetings, appointments, and more.

Although many would claim using an all-powerful sorcerer with the ability to manipulate time as an alarm clock and secretary was ridiculous, the woman didn't care.

"Ma'am, you called for my presence?"

"I'll need you to head to Lordes in about a week's time. I need to send a message to Pope Pernatia."

He nodded, although the man's brows furrowed ever so slightly. His head was bowed slightly while he spoke in a questioning tone.

"Shall I inform the branch in our city? Showing myself without prior notice would be quite...impolite."

That was an understatement. A man of Marco's caliber going to the Church of Pernatia's headquarters unannounced would be extremely disrespectful, especially if it was not for an emergency. Although the subject matter she wanted to discuss was urgent, it was merely a confirmation of her thoughts and theories and didn't justify skipping proper procedure.

"Worry not, I will notify them about your presence. But this is a mission of utmost secrecy. If unsavory elements were to hear of your departure, your safety could not be guaranteed."

Marco, by all means, was the second strongest person in the kingdom. Having been tutored by the Archmage for all his life and surpassing expectations, he was adept in several magic arts, with a specialty in chronomancy. Time. One of the building blocks of existence alongside space, gravity, life, and death.

As it stood, less than a hundred people were publicly known to possess enough power to even threaten him.

But the chronomancer knew his master wasn't undermining his capabilities. He put great faith in her words and bowed his head submissively.

"I will ensure to take all precautions necessary, Master."

She glanced over at her lifelong aide and smiled. The half-elf was a beauty beyond comparison and her smile lit up the entire room and she reached out to give him a small pat on the head. The chronomancer didn't flinch but it was clear he felt some surprise due to the act.

His hair had become thin and grey, and his palms were now wrinkled and old. A vision of a small boy, devoid of wrinkles and with neatly-styled hair was overlaid on top of the venerable mage bowing before her.

'Thank you for giving me a chance, ma'am! You won't regret it!'

Seeing the blind boy whom she picked up from the streets transform into one of the greatest sorcerers of recent history, filled her heart with some measure of pride. He had surpassed all expectations and helped develop the Tower into what it was today as the vice-master.

He dealt with much of the bureaucracy and sacrificed his chance to hone his powers, claiming her time was more valuable than his. It had allowed her to grow and cultivate without being slowed by the responsibilities associated with the title of Archmage.

No matter how old he became, she would always see him as her most treasured student. No, even more than that. Although she never explicitly stated it, their relationship had already long crossed that boundary.

Out of all her innovations, discoveries, and achievements, Marco Solis was the one she took the most pride in.

'Stay safe, my child.'