Four post apocalyptic, men in black wanna-bes, sat on tatami mats right in front of Dean in the sitting room.
His eyes grew duller with the intention of making them notice he was tired and didn't want to do this.
But that didn't dissuade the woman amongst the three other men. She was the one who spear-headed the interrogation.
After a few minutes of soft ball opening questions, she adjusted her grey uniform almost like she was flaunting the crest of the World Summoners Authority that was stitched to her front pocket.
Or maybe it was something else entirely. After all, her voluptuous chest was threatening the durability of her shirt's buttons.
Dean did his best not to be locked in the same cage with her supposedly professional companions that haven't stopped sneaking her looks since they arrived.
"Dean Gray," she said after pushing back her short brunette hair from entering her eyes.
"The next question is about your familiar," she continued. "It remained an unclassified familiar even after the re-evaluation. Do you understand what that means?"
Dean could feel the stiffness in the room increasing immediately after the question. But Ash…. The menace didn't even care. It was sliding up and down from his head to his shoulders and vice versa.
"No.." Dean answered without any real expression on his face. The system had registered it as a paradox and these people were calling it unclassified.
In all honesty.. he absolutely had no clue what that meant and he wasn't going to pretend that he did.
The woman nodded slightly and began scribbling something on a note while she asked another question.
"Have you noticed anything unusual about this familiar?"
"It simply replicates abilities from creatures it encounters," Dean answered flatly.
"We know that. Anything else?" One of the men with a grey beard jumped in. His voice coarse and trying to be authoritative.
Dean tilted his head slightly and scratched his jet-black hair. "Like what?"
The woman raised her head for a moment and then went back to her notes.
The man with the gray beard leaned forward with a humming device in hand, it looked like the one Mr Cruff used during the summoning ceremony but just a tad bigger.
"We need to take a reading," he said while pointing the black device forward.
Dean wanted to flinch but managed to control his muscles just in time to stay still.
The man pointed the device at Ash and the faint glow on the device increased with the humming growing louder.
After about a minute of symbols Dean couldn't recognize appearing on the screens, the man withdrew the device from Ash who was now intently staring at him like he was prey.
"Still inconclusive," the bearded man muttered and leaned back.
The woman who had been watching, looked at the man for a second like their eyes were sending messages.
"...umm.. Are we done?" Dean asked with an uneasy expression.
The woman looked back at Dean. Shook her head. And continued. "During the draft hunt, you entered into a restricted zone. Why?"
Dean had been waiting for this set of questions and had made a template in his mind on how to answer.
"I didn't know, " he answered simply.
"The markers were quite clear," the brunette argued.
"Clear...? I don't know about that...! I just didn't see them." Dean answered without breaking a breath. This people were entering his zone. Lies and truths were one and the same here.
She stared at him with purple eyes for a long moment. Looked down at her notes and then back to him.
"You also confronted a new born Mag Titan. How did you survive as an Aspirant?"
'New-born? That thing was an infant?' Dean's mind was in shock but he still kept a straight face.
"Just lucky I guess. Leona was the real hero," Dean spoke as he placed his hand on his chest like he was recalling the ordeal.
"She saved my life."
The agents were rather unimpressed by his sudden melo-drama. The woman continued immediately.
"Before Lady Leona arrived. You and the other participant were engaged with the Titan for up to a minute and you held your ground. How may I ask?"
Dean's face twisted for the first time as his jaw tightened. "We didn't die. What else do you want?"
The brunette's eyes narrowed but she didn't push further.
The questioning continued for another twenty more minutes. The same questions was asked from different angles and sentiments.
But Dean answered with exactly the same template. He didn't say anything they didn't already know.
Finally, the brunette closed her notes. She stood alongside the men. Bowed to Ying who was at the door watching all this while.
"We'll be in touch." She concluded and they left.
Ying followed them out, leaving just Dean and Ash In the sitting room.
The slime slid across his shoulder with big round eyes looking at Dean.
"Yeah," Dean muttered. " I know."
"Pressure... Right!…"
<><><>
Two weeks passed…
There was no other official visits to Dean especially after he sent his decision to the appropriate bodies.
Now all he did with his mornings, was training with Ying, who gave him a few lessons on sword play.
There wasn't much slashing and cutting. Just basic forms and stern corrections on his posture.
His afternoons were in the forge where he learned first hand the family trade from Ying.
For the last two weeks, he had been hammering a particular sword non-stop. He now understood why the family prided themselves in making [Jōjin].
From what Yuki told him. It meant unbreakable blades or something around that angle.
He had even gotten a few experience points from the system for this mundane objectives. And was now about three thousand experience points away from ranking up his Channeling skill and reaching Elite tier 2.
The Life was quiet and simple. Two things he didn't believe could exist especially for someone like him.
It was good when it lasted. In the end, he had to pick from the weight of the Black or White envelopes that stared at him every day he entered his bedroom.
He'd made his decision about two days after the meetings with the Vermiths and W.S.A and was leaving soon. To be thrown into chaos again.
Into something uncertain. Something dangerous. Something that felt… right. Something he was familiar with.
Yeah, something that was more Dean.
Ying had accepted his decision reluctantly or acted like it.
Yuki had been packing his bags like he was going to another country. And Nessa? Well… she pouted for three whole days when he told her that she couldn't come with him to the academy.
When it was all said and done. Dean stood before a set of massive gates in a district he wouldn't believe existed if he wasn't standing in it.
There was also the casing from Yin hidden in his bag, that carried a secret the system called an imperfect shard and a familiar that made sure eyes never left his side.
They were quite the weight to bare but nothing he couldn't handle.
Dean took a deep proverbial breath and stepped forward.
A/N: This is the end of Volume 1 of the story. It has been a journey of discovery not just for our transmigrator but also for me as an Author.
Please I can't stop emphasizing how your support is important not just to the story but for me.
P.S: This has been contracted. Would this be the start of Webnovel love? I don't know… what I know is I want to tell a story and I hope you can enjoy it with me and support this journey.
Thank you!