Savior! Redemption in Another World! - Chapter 56

After having come clean about my apparently abnormal mana perception, the walk back to the union hall was one filled with awkward silence from Ivy and Teresa, whilst Flare was pestering me with a renewed interest.

“What color are all the different mana types? Is cloak a certain color? Why do you cast silently sometimes but not all the time?” She went on and on and eventually my two-word answers were getting annoying to even me.

“I don’t know! I don’t know how much mana I have, I don’t know why I can perceive mana so well, I don’t know how I stole your stuff, and for the last time I can’t sense another person’s mana!” I say, nearly yelling at Flare.

“How can you be so certain? I’ve heard of some mages being able to guess the mana capacity of another based solely on mana perception.” Teresa said, breaking her nearly hour-long streak of silence.

“Like I’ve said thirty times now, I’ve never honed nor trained nor practiced mana perception. I’ve just always been able to tell the difference, and I’ve never been able to tell how much mana another person had. I don’t know how to train it, since apparently, I’m already able to do what people train to do.” I say sighing and shrugging my shoulders. “It’s like asking a fish how it trained itself to swim so well. It was just born able to do so, so there’s no way a fish could tell you. I’m the exact same, I was just born able to tell the difference, so I can’t tell you how I did it. Take it up with my parents.”

“On the subject, what exactly are you?” Flare asks, looking at me with the same quizzical look she’s had for the last hour of questioning.

“To my knowledge? Human. I look human, my birth parents looked human, and I have no obvious signs of being not human.” I reply, but that answer doesn’t seem to satisfy.

“I look human, but I’m neither full nor half-human. Humans just look super generic.” Flare says frowning before following up, “Besides, didn’t you say you were a Tiamat?”

“I was raised by Tiamat’s since I was a toddler, I had a Tiamat family, I have a Tiamat last name, and everyone I really developed a bond with family-wise was a Tiamat,” I reply, being completely truthful.

Actually, do I even remember what Damien looks like?

I know what Hot Maid looks like, I have a rough idea of what my mother looks like, and I know their names.

Hmmm, I can’t seem to recall Damien’s.

“Wait, if you were raised by Tiamat’s since you were a toddler, how do you know what your parents looked like?” Flare asks as Ivy looks back in interest as well.

“I don’t really wanna get into that right now. Family stuff is heavy, also hey look! The union hall!” Thank god we got here when we did.

I really need to work on a cover story for how I’m this capable as a child.

Alter Ego is a band-aid that can’t last forever.

Stepping into the union hall, Teresa had long assumed her normal royal form, and walked directly towards the counter labeled ‘important personnel’.

Damn, they really don’t try to hide the whole class system thing, do they?

“Evening. I would like to issue an official quest for those three, they will be serving as my official escorts for the duration of my stay within the Magic Kingdom.” Teresa said with a dignified smile, whilst presenting a badge of identification to the union rep working at the counter.

The poor sap looks like a deer in headlights. Completely caught off guard.

“We’d be happy to oblige, Lady Delarus,” Severus said, appearing behind the man with a gentle smile. “It’ll be marked as an A-rank quest due to your status, and your chosen three will automatically be registered as participants.”

Turning his attention towards us, Severus gives a small smile and nods.

“What party do the three of you fall under?” He asks, never breaking eye contact with me.

“The party is known as Ice and Fire, recently registered, and has a ranking of B-rank,” Flare speaks up, most likely annoyed by Severus ignoring her.

“Wonderful. I was worried I would have to make an exception, it appears I was mistaken. I deeply apologize for doubting your capabilities, Lady Delarus.” Severus said, bowing towards Teresa and taking the union rep’s place. “That quest can be sent through and authorized without the presence of the issuing party, so you may take your leave if that is everything. Unless of course, you’re planning on issuing another quest.”

“No, that should be all. I’m assuming my guards have to stay behind and wait for the approval process?” Teresa said, gesturing towards us.

“Indeed, the employed party must remain and have their identities verified. After verification, and quest processing, they will be free to return to your side.” Severus said as a door opened into a waiting room for Flare, Ivy, and me.

Great, I need to think of an excuse right this moment, because the whole party is going to hear my true age when they verify my identity.

///

After nearly two hours of waiting and making small talk, Vanessa, the union representative who handled me and Teresa before, stepped into the waiting room.

“I take it you three are the members of Ice and Fire?” She said in a calm voice, before locking eyes with me.

“Yep, that’s us. It’s a pleasure to see you again,” I say, standing up and gesturing Ivy and Flare to follow.

“The pleasure’s all mine, Mr. Icefield, apologies for the inconvenience. I understand you three have been chosen by the Princess by hand, this is merely a formality.” Vanessa assured us, as she walked us towards a small chamber that almost looked like an interrogation room from the police stations back on Earth.

Almost being the keyword, as instead of cold steel chairs and stone walls, it was comfortable leather and warm wood and carpet.

Taking a seat across from Vanessa and one other union worker, Vanessa gave us the rundown.

“This is all a formality, but still an important step in the vetting process. You’ll each hand over your union identification, and we’ll ask you each a series of questions. All you have to do is answer honestly and truthfully, and there should be no issue. This simply vets anyone from using a bit of magic and a stolen I.D from getting too close to important figures.” Vanessa said with her signature calm smile and tone, before sitting down next to her partner.

“Uh, do we have to answer in front of our party members?” I ask, getting weird glances just about everyone in the room.

“Yes, obviously. The questions will be nothing secret, simply previous employment, race, etc. They’re also here as an alibi in case there’s any missing information on the union’s behalf.” Vanessa said in a calm, yet obviously confused tone.

There goes my last-ditch attempt before my poorly constructed lie.

Handing our cards over to the union officers, the interview and interrogation began.