Luke fought the urge to smile. The two officers watched him with an almost desperate anticipation, as if every word leaving his mouth could confirm or crush the latest rumors circulating through the village.

  “I was on the front line, yeah. I saw some of the main group moving.”

  “See?” Amit shot Judith a triumphant look.

  Luke leaned in, just enough for both of them to read the seriousness in his expression.

  “There was no kaiju. That much I can guarantee. If something massive had shown up, I would’ve seen it.”

  Amit let out a long sigh, the kind that suggested an argument had finally been put to rest after way too many hours.

  “I told you,” Judith murmured, not the least bit surprised.

  Amit lifted both hands in surrender. “All right, fine, I lose the bet. An army of zombies and a kaiju really don’t match the vibe.”

  Luke realized that those people really didn’t seem to know much, and he wasn’t about to tell them anything about what he had dealt with in the castle. Like it or not, everyone there feared the wrath of the World Government and was walking on eggshells, carefully trying to figure things out. Thanks to Erza Grimhart, they wouldn’t dare push him for anything.

  “And a demon?” Amit asked, suddenly hopeful.

  “Demon?” Luke echoed, narrowing his eyes. “I don’t think so. If I had to guess, whatever was in that castle was just a super-zombie.”

  The conversation wandered aimlessly after that until Luke politely asked them to get to the point. He’d had enough of the speculation.

  Judith nodded and pulled a form from a stack, sliding it across the table toward him.

  “Luke, this is the authorization card for using the teleport gate in the city of Camlann. You’re free to head there whenever you want. If you prefer to stay in the village a bit longer, that’s fine. We don’t have many horses right now, but more wagons should arrive soon. If you want to travel on foot, someone from the staff will guide you. I recommend going in a large group with our guide. Even if you’ve already survived a medieval world, this city is huge, and the last thing you want right now is getting lost on your way to the teleport hub.”

  Her words carried that tired, automatic cadence of someone who had repeated the same speech at least a hundred times today.

  “Thanks,” Luke said, taking the card. It looked more like a small badge embedded with coded information. The destination printed on it made his chest warm instantly:

  State of Maine. He barely contained the way it hit him. Finally… I’m going home.

  Amit seized the moment to add, “There are some recruiters from other Orders a bit ahead, outside the village. They’ll greet everyone in the city. A lot of them are interested in new members, in case you haven’t joined one yet.”

  Before Luke could answer, Judith raised a hand.

  “Before you go, I need to run you through a few protocols.” She drew in a breath, the kind someone takes before reciting a practiced speech. “As a Rank E, you have certain responsibilities and precautions to follow in society.”

  While she explained, Luke learned that his documents in the United States would be updated to identify him as a system user with the corresponding Rank. To the law, that meant he carried potential military force — and because of that, he’d be evaluated by standards different from those applied to ordinary civilians. It was a safety measure: existing was one thing, existing with enough power to wreak havoc was another.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  She even mentioned hunter groups specialized in tracking system users who abused their abilities.

  “As a Rank E you can do real damage, so I hope you stay a good citizen. Back in Maine they’ll probably offer you a spot in the government faction, maybe the faction of some deity, and psychological support. Accepting or not is your choice.”

  Luke stood, eager to be done.

  “One last thing,” Judith added.

  Impatience was already rising in him, but he turned to listen.

  “I recommend trimming those nails,” she said, half teasing. “They look like claws.”

  “I’ll cut them, don’t worry,” he replied as he stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him.

  Crossing the cafeteria, he kept his posture calm, almost apathetic. But inside… inside he was a contained detonation.

  I did it. It’s over. I’m going back to my family.

  ***

  Luke followed the dirt path back through the village toward the house he was staying in. As he approached the house, he immediately noticed several Haven members scattered outside. They were clearly acting as guards but pretending not to be. The moment they saw Luke getting close to the house, they quickly turned away, pretending to be busy with other things.

  These guys actually think they’re subtle?

  Their suspicions that Allison was inside that house were strong, and for good reason. But when Luke walked out of there, it would be him standing next to Allison’s male form. There was a small chance that some of them might remember the face of Allison’s male version, even after so much time had passed. But it didn’t matter anymore. They would be leaving through the portal soon, and Maine awaited them.

  ‘My lord.’ Angie’s voice slipped into his mind. ‘It seems Charlie is close to completing her regeneration.’

  Thanks, Angie.

  She was trying hard to be helpful. Luke could feel it clearly through the bond… maybe too clearly. Above him, Jerry the crow circled lazily, a personal little sentinel watching over everything Luke couldn’t see.

  When he stepped inside, he found an argument already in progress in the cramped living room.

  “We can’t go back to the modern world yet. Let’s go drink at a medieval brothel. It might be our only chance in life!” Evangeline announced, waving her hands as if she were offering them some once-in-a-lifetime treasure.

  “Are you insane? Stop bringing that up,” Eleanor replied.

  Jack sat slumped in a fragile wooden chair that looked ready to collapse, shaking his head without even giving Evangeline a glance.

  “Cinderella has arrived,” Evangeline declared as soon as she spotted Luke. She leaned against the couch with a smug smile. “So, what do you think? For lunch, should we go somewhere boring, a tavern with sad soup… or somewhere a little more exciting, where beautiful women serve us food?”

  “I heard the idea. I’m rejecting the brothel,” Luke said immediately.

  “Oh, come on. It’s like a local tourist spot. I asked the soldiers. They said there’s a whole district for that. It’s literally called the Red District, and it’s an entire neighborhood dedicated to it,”

  ‘Luke, perhaps we should go there,’ Artemis whispered in his mind, in a tone that absolutely didn’t help.

  “I veto that idea. Places like that are indecent,” Jack countered immediately.

  “Agreed,” Eleanor added. “I don’t want to have lunch anywhere like that.”

  Evangeline yanked a map with theatrical annoyance and unfolded it on the coffee table. “Look. It’s an entire entertainment district. There are plenty of taverns, the theme is just… spicier. That’s all.”

  The idea died before it even had a chance to live.

  Luke headed up the stairs, relieved to escape the conversation. His mind raced through the list of things he still needed to handle before they left. Charlie was finishing her regeneration after the Midnight King’s attack, and once she recovered she could walk through the city with him. He also needed to buy clothes for Angie.

  And how do you even buy clothes for a woman with wings?

  Naturally, his gaze drifted back downstairs to Evangeline, still arguing with Eleanor. At least she can fix some clothes for Angie.

  But the moment he stepped onto the second floor, everything shifted. A cold puff escaped his mouth, visible like mist. The air thickened, heavy and suffocating, and the temperature dropped so fast the house itself groaned as the wood contracted.

  “Hey!” Evangeline shouted from below. “I think Little Princess is a bit cranky about our discussion!”

  Rushed footsteps echoed down the hallway. Allison appeared running, her face tight with fear, her eyes wide.

  “It’s not me doing this,” she stammered. “T-they’re here.”

  “Who?” Eleanor called from downstairs.

  But Luke already knew. The cold told him before she even said it.

  “My family… they came… to take me home,” Allison whispered.

  https://discord.gg/znGSjCxhkR