Chapter 243: The Kingdom of Nellis

The morning turned out cool and quiet. Iron stepped out of the Main Building, stretching as he swept his gaze across the camp.

​The coordinates Lumon had given him yesterday kept replaying in his mind.

​"Look at you, up so early..." a quiet voice drifted from behind him.

​Iron turned around.

​"Yeah," Iron replied curtly, keeping his eyes on Elyria. "Got a reason for it. I'm heading to another kingdom."

​Elyria froze, her eyes widening.

​"What?! A kingdom? Where to?!"

​"Ah, right..." Iron gave a slightly apologetic smile. "I haven't told you yet. I've got business in a neighboring kingdom. And by the way, Noah won't be around either."

​Elyria frowned:

​"What? But why? Why are you both leaving? What about me?!"

​Iron stepped closer, dropping his voice.

​"Elyria, listen. If I had to choose between you and Noah, I'd pick you every single time. You're the only one I can trust with this place without worrying about a thing."

​The spirit flushed with embarrassment. She floated back a bit, covering her face with a hand.

​"Well... yeah... that's true," she muttered, squaring her shoulders slightly. "I really... I really am."

​Iron pressed on, feeding her enthusiasm:

​"You're the only one who can actually run this camp and help it grow. People believe in you, and not just them. That's why I'm leaving you in charge. But I don't want this camp just standing still—I want it developing. Who knows," he spread his hands, "maybe when I come back and see that the camp has grown bigger, better, and cozier, I'll bring you a really great gift... and share some incredible news."

​Elyria shot forward, hovering inches from Iron's face and staring straight into his eyes.

​"What gift? What news? Are you serious?!"

​"Yep," Iron nodded calmly.

​Elyria zipped back, her confidence soaring by the second. She pumped her fist victoriously into the air, then pressed her thumb against her chest like taking a solemn oath.

​"Then I'll handle it! Count on me, Iron. Just count on me!"

​"Of course I'm counting on you, Elyria," he replied sincerely. "Good luck."

​Iron focused on the coordinates Lumon had provided, and a split second later, he was standing somewhere else entirely, far from the familiar forest.

​The colossal stone walls of the Kingdom of Nellis towered before him. Iron looked up, taking in the tops of the fortifications, and gave a low grunt to himself:

​"Impressive."

​He adjusted his clothes and strode toward the main entrance with confident steps.

​Two guards in plate armor stood watch at the main entrance. Their spears were crossed, blocking the passage, their gazes cold and evaluating. As Iron approached within a few paces, one of them, a broad-shouldered man, stepped forward.

​"Halt!" the guard barked. "Entry for outsiders is restricted. Who are you, where are you from, and what business do you have in Nellis?"

​Iron stopped, keeping his expression completely serene.

​"Hello," he nodded politely. "I'm Iron Everfall. Just a traveler passing through neighboring lands."

​The guards exchanged a quick glance. The one who had spoken made no move to lower his spear.

​"A traveler, huh?" he grunted, keeping a suspicious eye on Iron. "Travelers come in all kinds these days. Show your ID card."

​Iron casually checked his pockets, feigning surprise.

​"ID card?" he echoed, frowning slightly. "Ah, right... I lost it just recently. Must've dropped it somewhere. My memory isn't the best, unfortunately, which is why I came back here—hoping someone could point me toward where I can get it replaced."

​The guards exchanged another look, though this time their eyes showed less suspicion and more boredom.

​"Lost it, he says," the second guard grumbled.

​The first guard sighed and lowered his spear, but didn't move out of the way.

​"Fine, Everfall. The registry office is straight ahead, first right—you can't miss it, there's a sign hanging outside."

​Iron gave a thankful nod and was about to step past them when the guard blocked his path again.

"Sorry, traveler. But we can't just let you inside without checking you first. We'll have to escort you to the registry."

​Iron paused for a fraction of a second.

​"An escort? Oh, there's really no need for that," Iron objected smoothly, playing the part of a law-abiding citizen. "It's not like I'm a criminal. As soon as I get a new card, I'll come right back here and show it to you. Promise."

​The guard shook his head firmly, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

​"Orders are orders. Either you come with us, or you turn around and head back into the forest."

​Iron narrowed his eyes slightly, weighing the situation. Making a scene was unnecessary. In fact, this actually made things easier.

​"Fair enough," Iron smiled, raising his hands in a conciliatory gesture.

​One of the guards nodded to his partner staying at the gate and stepped forward, gesturing for Iron to follow. They began walking into the bustling city. Iron walked confidently, scanning his surroundings from the corner of his eye as he mentally prepared his next move.

​The guard walked slightly ahead, keeping an eye on the road.

​Lumon, lock onto the exact coordinates of the registry hall and give me a spot with minimal line of sight, Iron commanded mentally.

​"Coordinates locked. Room is fifty meters ahead on the right. Area outside direct civilian line of sight highlighted."

​Iron folded space. In his place beside the guard remained a thin, condensed light illusion perfectly mirroring his gait and silhouette. Meanwhile, the real Iron materialized inside the cool hall of the registry office, right behind a massive stone column.

Putting on a casual expression, he stepped out from behind the pillar and walked up to an open counter where a young woman in a sharp blue robe was sitting.

​"Hello," Iron said politely. "I'd like to get my ID card replaced."

​The clerk looked up from her paperwork and gave a friendly smile:

​"Good day! Of course. Please state your unique ID number, and we'll issue a duplicate right away."

​Unique ID number...? Iron chuckled silently.

"Sorry, I don't remember it at all. Is there any other way to get it back?"

​"Unfortunately, without the unique number, finding your record in the archive is impossible," the clerk shook her head. "However, if you'd like, we can issue you a brand-new card right now."

​"Will there be any visual differences?" Iron asked, narrowing his eyes slightly. "It won't look too 'brand-new' or differ from standard issue, will it?"

​"Oh, not at all," the girl reassured him. "The design and processing magic are identical. The only difference will be the universal code assigned by the system."

​"Then let's go ahead and make a new one," Iron nodded.

​"Alright. Please state your name and occupation."

​"Iron Everfall. Traveler."

​The clerk pulled a rectangular plate made of a dense, pale alloy from a holder. Taking a slender magical stylus, she pressed it against the metal. Neat runic lines flared to life. She glided the tool across the surface, engraving his name, status, and universal code onto the front in a matter of seconds. Then she flipped the plate over and traced the back—the metal instantly coated itself in a black layer of protective magic.

​"Here you go, your card is ready," she said, handing over the completed document.

"Thanks a lot!" Iron took the plate, moved to a safe spot, and folded space once again. At the exact moment the guard turned the corner and approached the entrance to the registry, Iron silently materialized right where his light illusion stood. The illusion dissolved, seamlessly merging with his real body.

​Iron froze, dramatically patted his sides, reached into an inner pocket, and let out a loud sigh of relief:

​"Oh! Well, look at that! Here it is! And here I thought I lost it!"

​The guard stopped dead in his tracks, staring incredulously at Iron, then down at the fresh metal card held out to him.

​"Gimme that..." the guard grumbled, snatching the document. He scrutinized the runes, ran a finger along the black backside, and said suspiciously:

​"Hey, Everfall... This was made just now! The magic seal is still warm!"

​"Well, naturally!" Iron chuckled with the most innocent expression. "Like I said, I was just here a couple of hours ago. I registered, walked out the gate, reached into my pocket—and it was gone! Thought I dropped it on the road. Turns out it had slipped behind the lining of my pants! Just felt it in there right now."

​The guard stared at the card for a few more seconds, but couldn't find anything wrong with the magic seal itself.

​"You're an idiot, traveler," the guard sighed heavily, handing the plate back. "Be more careful next time."

​"I definitely will, thanks!" Iron waved cheerfully as a farewell.

​Turning around, he stashed the card in his pocket and stepped deeper into the streets of Nellis.

​Taking in every detail, he noted that despite the early hour, the streets of Nellis were already packed with people. Merchants were lifting the wooden shutters of their shops, the rich scent of freshly baked bread drifted from bakeries, and sellers at crossroads were setting up stalls with wild berries and fresh milk.

​After walking just a couple of blocks, Iron stopped in front of a massive two-story building made of dark stone. A huge notice board stood near the entrance, surrounded by armed adventurers. Judging by the distinctive emblem and the commotion around it, this was the local Hunters' Guild.

​Iron strolled closer and began scanning the posted quest sheets. Certain details caught his eye immediately.

​The rewards are noticeably different, he mused, comparing the numbers. And the rank system here is different too... B, A, S...

​Interesting. That means the economy here is far more active, Iron noted to himself and pushed open the guild's heavy oak door.

​Inside, a wall of noise hit him. Dozens of oak tables were packed with all sorts of people: swordsmen clad in heavy plate armor, eager young party-seekers, gloomy mages in dusty robes, and silent trackers counting copper coins. The air smelled of ale, roasted meat, and weapon oil.

​Iron lingered by the entrance for a couple of minutes, calmly scanning the room.

​"Similar, but on a much grander scale..." Iron muttered under his breath.

​Not wanting to draw unnecessary attention, he turned around and walked back out onto the street to resume his route. Taking various turns, he glanced at small shops along the way: a vendor on the right called out to passersby, with wheels of fresh cheese displayed on his stall, while on the left, stalls displayed ripe fruit. But Iron's main focus was locked on the structure looming in the very center of the realm.

​Ahead stood a colossal castle. Its spires bore a silvery-turquoise tint, capped with white stone at the very peak. Iron adjusted his collar and headed straight toward it.

​The closer Iron got to the castle, the narrower the streets grew. Suddenly, muffled thuds and aggressive shouting echoed from a damp, dark alleyway:

​"So what, are you gonna give it up or not?! Speak, you bastard!"

​Iron paused, turned into the side street, and activated his internal scanner. Deep in the alley, three men in well-kept robes were kicking a young man who was cornered against a wall. The mana flowing through the attackers' bodies glowed brightly on his interface.

​"Hey," Iron's calm voice cut in. He approached without rushing, slowing his pace slightly. "You guys look like mages, and judging by your mana density, decent ones at that. Why pick on a regular guy?"

​The leader turned sharply, his face twisting with irritation:

​"Who the hell are you? Get lost before you end up on the ground right next to him!"

​Iron merely smirked and snapped his fingers.

​In that exact instant, the mages were slammed into the ground. With a dry crunch and muffled groans, all three collapsed, pinned to the cobblestones by the crushing weight of their own bodies. They couldn't even lift their heads, frantically gasping for air.

​Iron walked over unhurriedly and squatted down beside them:

​"So, are you going to tell me why you were beating him up?"

​Forcing himself against the brutal pressure, the mage barely managed to turn his head and spit through gritted teeth:

​"Y-you bastard..."

​"Not very constructive," Iron sighed.

​He tapped his finger lightly on the ground, instantly resetting the gravity field back to normal. The sudden release of pressure and rapid drop in blood pressure triggered acute hypoxia and nervous system shock. Before they could even make a move, all three passed out in unison.

​Iron stood up and walked over to the beaten guy.

​"So why were they messing with you?"

​Still struggling to catch his breath as he rubbed his scrapes, the guy shook his head in confusion:

​"I... I don't know myself. I honestly have no idea what they wanted..."

​Damn it, does anyone in this world actually know anything? Iron thought to himself.

​"Alright," he said aloud, turning around to leave.

​Impulsively, the guy reached out and lightly brushed the edge of Iron's clothes, only to snatch his fingers back in fear as soon as he realized what he'd done:

​"Sorry... And thanks for saving me."

"Yeah," Iron replied over his shoulder without turning around, stepping out of the alley.

​Once back on the street, he quietly commanded in his mind:

​Lumon. Show me where it is.

​At that exact moment, a scan appeared before Iron's eyes: his view shifted to a bird's-eye perspective, revealing a 3D map of Nellis. Lumon highlighted several points across the city projection.

​"Great," Iron said, making his way toward the first marker.