Chapter 51: Names on the Ledger
The gates of Karlune's Rest creaked open as Renall's caravan rolled forward. The outer palisade walls, built of thick, weathered timber, towered overhead. Guards in chainmail stood watch, eyeing incoming travelers with practiced suspicion.
"Stop and declare," one called out.
Renall raised a hand from his wagon. "Guild of Threefold Roads. Six wagons, fifteen passengers, two temporary hires." He nodded toward Isaac and Lira. "Picked these two up outside the pass. They've been helping with security."
The guards eyed them both, lingering on their strange eyes and worn cloaks. One stepped forward with a leather-bound ledger and a quill that shimmered faintly with detection runes.
"Names, races, origin."
Isaac hesitated. Lira looked at him briefly but said nothing.
"Isaac," he said finally. "Race: Human. Probably. Origin… unknown."
The guard squinted. "Unknown?"
"He hit his head," Renall said smoothly. "Poor lad's got the instincts of a swordarm but the memory of a spilled soup bowl."
The guards muttered among themselves. One shrugged. "Fine. Mark him as Unregistered Origin. He won't get full civic access until his background's cleared."
A faint red stamp seared itself onto the page. Isaac felt the symbol resonate faintly against his own system—an official seal locking in partial status. He said nothing.
Lira gave her name and was registered without issue, though her narrowed eyes suggested she was memorizing everything for later.
They were waved through.
Karlune's Rest was a frontier town, but it pulsed with a quiet sort of order.
The streets were packed dirt with patches of cobble, and the buildings ranged from simple wooden shops to tall, stone-trimmed halls near the center. Smells of leather, spice, and old parchment clung to the air. Merchants shouted from stalls, while blacksmiths hammered in rhythm near glowing forges.
Isaac took it in with calm detachment. Lira stayed close, her eyes flitting from every sigil to every posted sign.
They passed a shrine built into a corner alcove—half divine, half defaced. A statue of a radiant angel stood cracked and wingless beside a carved demon with chains broken at its feet.
Further ahead, a town board displayed job postings:
"Boar Pelts – 3 silver per head."
"Wanted: Spiral Cultist Sightings – Discreet Inquiry. Reward negotiable."
"Shrine Guard Needed: West Gate Chapel – Night Hours Dangerous."
Isaac felt his jaw tighten at the second.
They stopped outside a tall hall with green-and-black banners. The Adventurer's Guild. Inside, a mix of hardened fighters, robed casters, and beastkin lounged at long tables, turning in quests or boasting over mugs.
A registration desk waited at the back.
The clerk on duty was a sharp-eyed fox-eared woman in half-armor, quill twitching in her hand.
"Names?"
"Isaac and Lira," Lira said.
"First-timers?"
"Yes," Isaac said.
The clerk slid forward two thick forms, charmed to duplicate in triplicate. "Name, origin, race, class if applicable. Optional magic aptitude test. If you're non-citizens, we'll flag your status as 'Independent.' Adventuring license requires that you agree to abide by guild law. No cult ties, no bounty history, no undeclared contracts."
Isaac filled in what he could, careful not to mention anything unusual. When he paused at "Race," he wrote "Human(?)" and let the question mark linger.
The clerk glanced at it, then stamped a box that read:
Origin: Unverified – Field Authorization Required
She turned to Lira. "Magic user?"
Lira nodded.
"Place your hand on the crystal."
The orb shown her status
Level: 17
Race: Human
Class: None
STATS
HP:10 / 110
MP:130 / 130
Strength: 12
Agility: 14
Endurance: 11
Intelligence: 21 (higher than Isaac's current 16)
Willpower: 13
Charisma: 7
Luck: ??? (Not visible)
Unknown Stat: ???
SKILLS: Stormlash – Rank A
Unleash a focused strike of high-voltage lightning that arcs to nearby enemies.
Damage scales with Intelligence and Willpower.
Has a chance to apply Paralysis for 2–3 seconds.
Cooldown: 20 seconds
Lira quickly withdrew her hand, trying not to look as surprised as she felt.
The clerk stared for a second longer than normal before calmly jotting something additional on Lira's form.
"A-Rank. We'll make a note."
Lira stepped back, a little embarrassed. Isaac gave her a faint nod.
Then the clerk looked at him.
"Your turn."
Isaac hesitated. "Is this... mandatory?"
"Only if you want to receive quests that involve combat classification or relic permission. Otherwise, you'll be listed as 'Unranked.'"
Lira tilted her head. "You should. Just in case."
He sighed and walked to the orb. "Fine."
He placed his hand on the crystal.
At first—nothing.
Then—a pulse. A flare of silver-white light, brilliant and searing. The orb cracked with a sharp hiss.
CRACK!
With a sudden burst, the orb shattered, scattering shards across the desk and floor. The room froze.
Everyone turned.
Silence.
"…What the hell?" the clerk muttered.
A nearby scribe leaned in. "That's only happened once. Decades ago. Rumor was, to break the orb you'd need an… EX-rank skill."
Another added, "Or higher. But that's legend."
Someone scoffed nervously. "Come on. Even the vampire clans top out at S-rank. Ravynoks too."
Laughter spread—uneasy and relieved.
Isaac shrugged. "Guess I'll take the 'Unranked' option."
The clerk, after a long pause, swept the remains of the orb aside with a cloth and silently stamped his file.
They walked out together into the afternoon sun. The town bustled on. Lira said nothing for a while, until they were a few streets away.
"…You broke it."
"I barely touched it."
"You're lucky they think it's just a myth."
Isaac said nothing.
Unseen by them, a robed figure in a side corridor lowered a notebook and whispered to himself.
"He's not marked as undead," the scribe said. "But he doesn't belong."
He turned to a page labeled:
'Aberrant Records: Unregistered Origin – Possible Breach of System Authority.'
He dipped his quill again.
"Watch him."