I gave Damien a brief, sharp nod. Reaching down with my right hand, I gently took hold of Evelyn's small hand, anchoring her to my side. Together, we walked past the massive iron checkpoints and officially stepped through the grand gates of the 8th District's Bureau headquarters, leaving the suspicious guards behind as we headed straight into the belly of the beast to claim her true identity.
We stepped into the grand hall of the 8th District Bureau headquarters, our boots clicking sharply against the immaculate, pristine porcelain tiles.
The contrast between this place and the rest of Caria City was jarring. While the lower districts were choked with soot, desperate crowds, and chaotic market stalls, the 8th District was a sanctuary of sterile, absolute discipline. Only elite knights, high-ranking officials, and authorized personnel were permitted to walk these polished halls. The air smelled of clean linen, heavy parchment, and expensive floor wax, completely devoid of the sweat and smoke of the slums.
As we walked side-by-side, our physical similarities were striking despite our contrasting origins. In my true, tanned form, I stood at a compact 5'5", while my pale, brown-haired baby sister stood just a couple of inches shorter at 5'3". Looking at us, anyone would think we were twins, but the aura we carried was entirely different.
Evelyn's twin jade-green eyes darted around the grand hall, tracking the grand tapestries, the marble pillars, and the armed sentries with a chilling, pinpoint accuracy. Because the vast majority of the humans she had brutally killed and devoured in that deep ravine were elite Capital Knights, her brain was practically a living encyclopedia of the Bureau's internal infrastructure. She didn't just know the layout, she knew the names of the architects, the security patrol schedules, and the dirty secrets hidden behind the pristine walls.
She leaned closer to my shrouded flank, her voice dropping into a quiet, analytical whisper as she compared her live experience to the violent echoes in her head.
"It's fascinating, big sister, with Vice-Captain memories, this hall always looked so much bigger and more terrifying. He used to sweat through his gambeson just waiting outside the Commander's office over there, terrified of getting demoted. But standing here right now... it feels so small. And fragile." Evelyn murmured, her eyes locking onto a massive golden chandelier hanging from the vaulted ceiling.
She glanced down at the spotless porcelain tiles beneath her feet, a faint, eerie smile playing on her lips.
"Commander Vane remembered this floor vividly too, he always complained about how much the Bureau spent on importing these porcelain tiles from the eastern continents while the lower-tier guards had to buy their own sword oil. He sat right on that mahogany bench three years ago, plotting how to embezzle funds from the mine reclamation budget. Now, I'm walking on his memories." she continued softly, her tone a mix of childlike wonder and cold, tactical observation.
I squeezed her hand gently, a silent warning from an older sister to keep those dark, stolen thoughts locked away while we were surrounded by guards. Evelyn caught my drift instantly. She gave me a sweet, reassuring nod, masking her terrifying intellect behind the innocent face of a little girl as we approached the main registration desk to finally make her a legal citizen of the kingdom.
"I'm creeping out on your sister, Eirene. Too creepy." Plasma said through my thoughts
"Oh shut up Plasma. Do you have siblings in your life too?" I thought to Plasma
"Foolish Eirene, I'm a renowned only child. Don't take such expectations for yourself."
Huh? It seems that Plasma is a only child, better solve the mystery then, We finally arrived at the inner entrance of the main Bureau office, where two high-ranking gatekeepers were stationed by the massive oak doors.
The moment we stepped fully into the heavily shaded interior of the hall, away from the burning, lethal rays of the midday sun, I let out a soft sigh and lowered my heavy canvas hood. I revealed my tanned face, my single, sharp jade-green eye, and the unmistakable, jagged scars of my Glasgow smile.
These were the exact same two gatekeepers who, just last week, had arrogantly mistaken me for a commoner bounty hunter and tried to push me around. But today, their posture completely flipped. The second my face was exposed, they stood straight as iron rods, their eyes wide with immediate, sweating respect. They had finally discovered my true identity… I wasn't just a random mercenary, I was the legendary Shadow Walker, and more importantly, the feared little sister of Elias Rynd. They knew exactly how valuable… and dangerous, I was to the organization now.
"L-Lady Eirene! Welcome back from the mines. We greet you." the first gatekeeper stammered, quickly bowing his head.
As they bowed, their eyes naturally drifted to the figure standing quietly at my back. They noticed Evelyn instantly. With her hood completely off, the striking physical similarities between us were impossible to ignore. She had the exact same facial structure and matching deep brown hair. However, while my hair ended in distinct, silver tips, Evelyn's hair faded into a vibrant, pulsing bioluminescent color that softly glowed even in the shaded hall.
The second gatekeeper blinked, his curiosity overriding his fear for a split second.
"Wait... who is the young girl with you? She looks... remarkably like you, Lady Eirene."
Evelyn tilted her head, her twin jade-green eyes locking onto the guard with that flawless, innocent child act.
"I'm her sister," she replied smoothly.
The two gatekeepers swapped a frantic, deeply confused look.
"Sister? But the Rynd family records only list… "
They were starting to gossip, and I didn't have a single second to waste on their idle curiosity. My baby sister had been trapped in a dark, monstrous hellhole for six years, and I wanted her legal status sorted out immediately.
With a sharp, fluid motion of my right hand, I whipped out my notepad, aggressively scribbled a directive with my charcoal pencil, and ripped the page out, slapping it directly onto the first gatekeeper's chest plate.
The note read:
Stop wasting time. One of you lead me directly to Nautilus Cotton to report the mission's completion. The other, lead my sister to the measurement room immediately to establish her official status card. Do it now.
The guards read the messy, authoritative handwriting and practically jumped out of their boots. The sheer pressure of an S-rank executioner's aura radiating from my silent form made them turn pale.
"Y-Yes, ma'am! Right away, ma'am!" they chorused in unison.
The first gatekeeper immediately snapped to attention and gestured down the grand left corridor toward the high-ranking executive suites.
"Lady Eirene, please follow me to Director Nautilus's private office."
Simultaneously, the second gatekeeper bowed politely to Evelyn, gesturing toward the right wing of the fortress where the magical measurement crystals were kept.
"Young lady, if you follow me this way, we will get your magical signature and status card established immediately."
Evelyn glanced up at me one last time, her jade-green eyes reflecting absolute trust. I gave her a firm, reassuring nod, letting her know she was completely safe here. With our roles assigned, we split up in the polished halls… Evelyn headed to finally claim her rightful name in the eyes of the kingdom, while I marched off to deliver the head of the Slime King to Nautilus.
I followed the sweating gatekeeper down the pristine left corridor until we reached the grand, reinforced mahogany doors of the executive suite. Without bothering to knock, I pushed the heavy doors open and stepped inside, the cold steel barrel of my Death Chant Shotgun safely strapped across the back of my heavy canvas cloak.
Sitting behind a massive, polished obsidian desk was Nautilus Cotton.
He looked as effortlessly arrogant as ever. He was lounging deep in his leather high-back chair, his polished boots kicked up carelessly onto the smooth surface of the desk like he owned the entire Capital Knights Bureau Association. The ambient light from the large glass windows behind him caught his sharp features, casting a long shadow across the room. He didn't even flinch at my sudden, unannounced entry. Instead, a slow, calculated smirk spread across his face as his eyes locked onto my hooded, silent figure.
"Take a seat, Eirene, I've been expecting you. Tell me... did you bring me what I asked for, or did you just come back to paint my office?"