"By the way, girl, I can't actually see you," Malus continued, her tone now lighter—almost amused. "Neither you nor the world outside. I only have access to your darker thoughts, your magic, and your powers. And, of course, when you invoke me. So relax—I'm not some pervert watching you sleep, haha."
Lilith's shoulders eased; the relief was almost physical. A faint blush rose to her cheeks—a warmth she hadn't felt since leaving the Continent of Aether. She let out a small sigh and finally slipped out of the rest of her clothes.
"Good," Lilith thought, returning to herself. "That's a relief."
Lilith stepped out of the shack renewed. She had incinerated the swamp-stained cloak and now wore the spare outfit the innkeeper had sold her: simple beige trousers and a clean white shirt. The faint scent of her own skin, mixed with the cheap soap's aroma, was a small but welcome relief.
She headed toward the city gates of Ernas, where security was tight. Two guards, clad in the heavy armor of the Kingdom of Ernas, stood watch by the blue basalt passage.
The first guard—a man with a braided beard and battle scars—held out his hand.
"You don't carry the city's insignia," he said, his voice firm with military authority. "I'll need to see your identification."
Lilith was prepared. She had no intention of lying about her identity—only of bending the truth.
With a calm motion, she drew a small, worn leather ID card and handed it over. The card had been forged long ago by her adoptive father, Elara, in case something ever happened to her.
"He may have kept secrets from me," she thought, allowing a faint smile, "but he was a good adoptive father."
The guard examined the sigil and the runes engraved on the card. The name matched—"Lilith"—but the emblem displayed a crescent moon and stars. She had no idea what realm it truly belonged to, but assumed it was from some distant kingdom.
The guard raised an eyebrow. "The Sultanate? What's a... scholar... doing so far from home?" It was common to people of other reigns come here to study at the Academy, but the guards needed to make these question in case of someone with bad intentions apear.
"I'm here for the Academy," Lilith replied, her tone perfectly balanced between polite and formal. "I was transferred for the new term. My family said I'd grow far more as a mage here."
The second guard, younger and less confident, entered the details into a small arcane tablet. Lilith watched, tense but composed.
The device emitted a soft beep of approval. The Sultanate, after all, was a recognized trade ally.
The first guard returned the card. "Very well, Lilith. Welcome to Ernas. Stay clear of the Foci."
Lilith accepted the ID. "Thank you. I will."
She passed through the gates, leaving the guards behind and stepping officially into the city of Ernas—toward the Academy of Arcana.
Behind her, the two guards watched as her figure vanished into the crowd.
The older one — the man with the braided beard — was the first to break the silence. He turned to his younger partner.
"Did you see her eyes? I nearly forgot to check the Sultanate seal's validity."
The younger guard, still staring in the direction she'd gone, let out a long sigh.
"Man, that's one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen."
The older guard gave a weary grin, adjusting his iron armor.
Lilith moved through the outer streets of Ernas. She quickly realized the city's scale — immense, vibrant, chaotic. The streets were alive with adventurers, merchants trading monster loot, and mages draped in colorful robes. It was a new world — a whirlwind of unfiltered energy.
She marched toward the city's center, though it was far ahead, hidden behind layers of towering walls. At the heart of it all, where one might expect a royal citadel or palace, stood a vast complex resembling a castle — tall towers, elegant spires, and sweeping bridges of marble and glass.
"Maybe that's the Academy?" she wondered.
Realizing she needed to blend in, Lilith stopped by a street stall selling fruit. She loved the sweet, simple taste of apples.
"Good morning," she said to the merchant, handing him a silver coin. "Can you tell me what that grand building in the center is?"
The merchant — a round, cheerful man — accepted the payment and followed her gaze.
"That one, miss? That's the Grand Academy of Arcana! The heart of Ernas itself! You here to study?"
Lilith took the apples and nodded curtly. The merchant smiled wide, puffed up with pride for his city.