Chapter 56: CH. 56 | A Letter from Michelle

The passenger cart carrying them finally arrived in Aluric City. The driver let Theo know he couldn’t take them all the way into the city center, and Theo understood, not minding it at all.

They got off and walked along the city sidewalk. At the intersection, Aya and Lily said their goodbyes to Theo and Thalia. Both of their attention immediately shifted toward Aya.

Thalia tapped her inventory bag and handed over a pouch containing 50 copper, the party’s savings. Theo had no problem letting them use it, since they’d be earning more money soon enough anyway.

Aya and Lily headed off toward Lizzy’s shop while Theo and Thalia made their way to the city center.

Theo tilted his head up, eyes fixed carefully on the city clock. It read half past seven in the morning.

Even though the city looked busy, something felt off compared to usual. Thalia even brought it up to Theo.

"Haven’t the adventurers from the eastern front come back yet?" Thalia asked.

Theo went quiet for a moment, then shook his head slightly, "Doesn’t look like it."

The two of them decided to head to the city guild to check on the situation there. It was the same as the day before, the adventurers still hadn’t returned.

The guild doors opened, and the inside of the building was buzzing with activity, especially among the staff standing behind the front desk.

Usually there were two women handling the counter. Now there was only one, and it wasn’t Sara.

"Welcome to the Aluric City Guild," the woman said, "How can I help you?"

Theo pulled out the guild mission paper, already signed and stamped with Chief Jack’s seal, and handed it over to her.

"Give me a moment, sir."

The woman took Theo’s mission paper and scanned it with a device. Theo and Thalia stood there, watching her, waiting for their mission to be confirmed as complete.

"Theo...?"

"You’re Theo...?!" the woman said, startled.

Her expression clearly left Theo confused. He glanced briefly at Thalia, then turned back to confirm himself again.

"That’s right, I’m Theo," Theo said, "What’s wrong?"

The woman behind the counter turned and shouted toward the back, calling out for Sara loudly. Before long, Sara arrived, spotted Theo, and walked away from the front desk to stand in front of him.

Sara’s face was full of unease and worry. Her strange behavior left Theo completely thrown off, so much so that he took a step back.

"What is it? Why do you look so worried?"

"Something’s happened on the eastern front," Sara answered, "Can we talk somewhere else for a moment?"

"Sure, but Thalia has to come with me," Theo answered.

Sara glanced briefly at Thalia, then nodded in agreement. The two of them started walking away from the front desk area, heading up to the second floor, where the guild’s administrative offices were usually kept.

Theo saw plenty of staff at work up there, sorting and organizing missions for tomorrow and the days ahead. But Sara didn’t stop walking there.

Sara stood in front of a set of double doors, knocked softly, and let someone inside know they’d arrived. A man’s voice came through clearly, telling Sara to come in.

The door opened, and Sara motioned for Theo and Thalia to step inside. Once in, Theo found himself looking at a special room, clearly the guild’s main office.

Books lined up neatly along the shelves on the wall, and there was also a sofa and a work desk. What caught Theo off guard was the man sitting behind that desk.

"I heard you went out on a mission two days ago, a D rank one."

"Yeah," Theo said, "The mission was to collect ten pieces of Black Ink Lizard skin."

The man lifted his head and looked at Theo. He had a mature face with a thin beard, wore glasses, and had on the standard guild staff uniform.

His eyes were sharp, fixed intently on Theo.

He seemed to be reaching for something under the desk, apparently opening a drawer.

Before long, he produced a folded letter and handed it over to Theo, still unopened and sealed shut with a white stamp.

"Someone from the White Rose Army came from the eastern front. She brought a special message meant just for Theo, one you’re required to read yourself," the man said.

The White Rose Army? Isn’t that the unit Michelle leads?

Theo worked up the nerve to step closer to the desk, took the letter, and broke the seal.

The moment it opened, he began reading it, and it was clear Michelle had written it herself.

He went quiet for a moment as he read, then his expression shifted, his brow furrowing.

[I’m worried I might not make it back. We have to track down one of the seven Nether Generals to force the Nether Emperor into accepting a ceasefire]

[Yasa, my friends, and I are heading out on an expedition into the red zone. I think now’s an important time for me to tell you this]

[Before your awakening, I’d already guessed you wouldn’t end up with a class. I also knew your Authority would awaken!]

[I don’t know exactly why Lord Aslan chose to pass his power down to you. But one thing’s for certain, he saw something in the future that the rest of us couldn’t see!]

Theo’s eyes went wide, his heart pounding hard, his vision blurring at the edges.

He even lost his balance for a moment while reading, completely stunned by what Michelle had spelled out so directly.

What...?

What is she actually saying here?!

Thalia walked closer to Theo and tried to steady him. He glanced over at her, then turned back to read the last paragraph of Michelle’s message one more time.

"W-What’s wrong... Theo?"

This can’t be right. So this whole time, Michelle’s been under a direct order from Aslan to watch over me?

Was I right all along? Am I actually... Aslan and Hana’s son?

The unease kept creeping deeper into his thoughts, his chest tightening with everything now laid out before him, wrapped in a fog of mystery.

Theo tried to stay calm and process it all, but that attempt ended in nothing but failure.

"I don’t know what’s written in that message, but I can tell it means a lot to you," the man said, none other than the head of the city guild.

Theo crumpled the letter and committed the location mentioned in it to memory.

He tucked the letter away into his inventory bag, his breathing gradually steadying, the unease in his chest starting to ease.

"Thank you," Theo said.

Without saying goodbye, Theo walked out of the office, with Thalia following close behind. She was clearly desperate to know what was really going on with him, since his expression had changed so drastically while reading that letter.

"Did something happen? Maybe I can help ease whatever’s bothering you."

"I’m fine, Thalia. Really!"

"Once we get our mission reward, we’re taking the rest of today off," Theo added, "I just need some time alone!"