“…Are we back on that again?” Tivya said in a grumble, glancing at the rest of the Star Seekers. “What about the rest of your teammates? Have they also agreed on disbanding your team?”

  “We have already discussed about it, Wanderer Tivya,” Alnea said, glancing back at his teammates. “It is true that though some of us have already fulfilled their goals, and plan to return to leave the city, there are also some who still have some unfinished business in the city, and may stay for a while longer. But after their performance in the Final Trial, I am sure their clans will welcome them back with honour, and give them the support they deserve.”

  “…It looks like nothing I say is going to change your mind,” Tivya said, and shook her head. “Whatever. It does not have anything to do with me anyway. My job is just to advice you. What you do with that advice is up to you. As for your team…”

  Tivya quickly scanned the Blood Cards on the black box, and fiddled with some buttons and levers, before putting all the Blood Cards back where they were.

  “Here,” Tivya said, gesturing to the Blood Cards. “All done. Your team has been officially disbanded.”

  “Thank you, Wanderer Tivya,” Alnea said, bowing slightly, before picking up the Blood Cards, and handing them back to his teammates—friends. To his friends. Even though it was his decision…

  Slashing through the hesitation and doubts in his Heart, Alnea glanced at the Blood Card in his hands.

  Alnea stared at his Blood Card for a few moments, before glancing towards Wanderer Tivya once again, ready to ask his doubts. But before he could say anything, the Wanderer smiled at him, and took the initiative to speak.

  “Are you confused about your identity number?”

  “…I can guess the new identity number. It is probably because we had to register our Blood Cards once again. But why is my name appearing on the Blood Card?”

  “Because you are now a Blood Commander, not a Blood Soldier. Unlike those Wanderers still struggling in the outer city, who have only a temporary residence permit, you have gained the right to live in the inner city for as long as you like. Of course, you will still have to pay to live in mansions. But if you live in individual rooms near the edge of the inner city, then you would not have to pay anything. Even your meals will be free.”

  “All meals?” Norren said, prompting everyone to glance at him. “What? I was just curious.”

  “…Only the ones available in canteen. But that should be enough for you. Unless you want to indulge in some luxuries. Then, you will have to pay. On another note, providing luxuries made with the ingredients that cannot be found within the Black Desert is another way of earning Contribution Points. And so is selling exotic resources. Though it generally comes at a discounted rate. So, unless people are in dire need of Contribution Points, only those heirs from some big clans sell resources and luxuries to the city.”

  “…So, we save a couple of Blood Coins a day?”

  “…It is not about saving Blood Coins,” Tivya said, rolling her eyes at the ignorant Wanderers. “Waving off the cost of your food and housing is just a gesture from the city’s part, telling you that it now counts you as one of its own. It does not matter whether you plan to live in the city or not. Even if you come back after centuries, it will still reserve a place for you. Only when you die, or move into the core city, will the city assign your identity number to someone else.”

  “Wait,” Karl said, glancing at his Blood Card, before turning back towards Tivya. “The inner city has more than twenty thousand Wanderers?”

  “That is just the number of Wanderers registered in this Blood Hall. The inner city has three more Blood Halls.”

  “…Around a hundred thousand then?”

  “Give or take. But most of those Wanderers do not actually live in the Lost City. They only come once in a while to exchange some resources. Though you can still find about ten to fifteen thousand Wanderers in the inner city at any given time.”

  “That’s…”

  “Still greater than you expected?” Tivya said, to which, the Sta—Wanderers before her responded with a nod. “Did you take everyone to be like you, leaving the city as soon as they become Blood Commanders? Most of the people who make it do inner city, stay for at least a couple of years. Some stay for even longer. Not to mention the people that the city retains after they violated its rules.

  “Like the stupid girl who stabbed someone in the Blood Hall a month ago. Or the even dumber people who were fooled by the Heterodoxies. Though you should already know about the latter. It was your former teammate who reported them, after all. Fortunately, not all of them had fallen to the Heterodoxies. Some of them were just being controlled. But that was still enough for the city to take away their freedom… What is it? Why are you making those faces?”

  “…That girl you were talking about,” Alnea said after some hesitation. “Do you happen to know which Blood Hall she made a scene in?”

  “…I did not pay attention, but it was somewhere in the Northern District.”

  Stolen story; please report.

  “…Was she from the Lotus clan?”

  “…Why are you asking?”

  “Because he is the one who got stabbed,” Norren said, letting out a loud laugh, as he patted Alnea’s shoulder, only to earn a glare from the latter. But he did not care. And neither did any of the other Star—any of their other friends.

  “…You got stabbed by an Initial Stage Wanderer inside of a Blood Hall?”

  “…It was an accident.”

  “I think it was more like a hug,” Ralph said, as the others also joined in with their chuckles.

  “A very close hug.”

  “I remember that he even bent down.”

  “And let her rest her head on his shoulders.”

  “…Pervert.”

  “Reckless.”

  “Fool.”

  “…What happened back then is not important,” Alnea said, as strange sensations surged within his chest. And they refused to listen to him, rushing towards his face despite all his tries to prevent their rise. For a moment, he even considered using his Aspects. But then, he recalled what he had decided after Clearing his Heart. Not to mention that urging his Aspects in front of True Wanderers was not a wise choice.

  In the end, he could only try to ignore the rising sense of dizziness, or the itching sensations at the back of his neck, as he shifted the topic away from himself.

  “We have already wasted enough of your time, Wanderer Tivya. We better—

  “It is alright,” Tivya said. “I can spare some time.”

  “There really is nothing to hear, Wanderer Tivya,” Alnea said, before the idiots around him could embarrass him even further. “I just let my guard down for a while. And I learned my lesson. Since we are already talking about her though… Has the city decided on her punishment?”

  “…The city has always had only one punishment. To deprive the violators of their freedom, and let them work for the city. But in doing so, it also grants them a permanent residence. And that is another reason why the number of Wanderers in the inner city is so high. Of the ten to fifteen thousand Wanderers that I mentioned earlier, only about a thousand or so have made it here through the Trials, and another couple hundred have come to the city as True Wanderers. The rest are just its prisoners.”

  “…That’s over ten thousand Wanderers!”

  “There is no need to be so surprised. Ten thousand is not that big of a number. Especially considering that we have to cater to the needs of over half a million people. All while ensuring that the city keeps running smoothly.”

  “Still… ten thousand people… all bound to the city…”

  “…Are you pitying us?”

  “No!” Alnea said, hurriedly shaking his head. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “…Then what were you trying to say?”

  “I…”

  “It is alright, Alnea,” Nubia said, with a wry smile on her face. “Our Hearts may be flawed, but we are not so fragile as to break down just from a look of pity from a boy decades our junior. Though you really do not need to pity us. Despite what you may think about the Lost City, it is surprisingly fair. Other than some exceptions, all those who were detained by the city deserved their punishment. Including the five of us.”

  “…But I cannot imagine you breaking the city’s rules.”

  “Yet, that is the truth.”

  “…Can I ask—

  “Let me stop you right there,” Nubia said in a solemn tone. “That is not a question that you can ask casually. And especially not in an open area like the Blood Hall.”

  “…My apologies.”

  “It is fine. You did not mean any harm,” Nubia said, losing the solemness from both, her voice, and her face, donning a grin instead. “Though, if you are really curious, then you can ask that question from Daes and Tia later. When they have become your Dependents.”

  “Hey, that is not fair!”

  “Indeed. Since he is going to ask, then he should ask all three of us.”

  “…No, it should be all five of us!”

  “…What are you two dragging us in for?”

  “There is no need to be shy.”

  “This is not even a question of being shy. We have nothing to do with him. Why should we tell him one of our darkest secrets?”

  “…Secrets? Really? Have you forgotten about his privilege level? As long as he is willing to pay some Blood Coins, he can easily get all our information.”

  “That is different. He can choose to do whatever he wants with his Blood Coins. But I am not going to voluntarily reveal my secrets.”

  “Come on. Just a hint. And he is going to leave the city soon anyway.”

  “But he will return. And even if he does not return, I still do not feel comfortable revealing my secrets to anyone.”

  “Tsk. Stingy,” Daes said, before turning towards Nubia. “We cannot do anything about them, but you have no excuses, Nubia.”

  “He did not know anything about the inner city, yet he still asked you to be his Dependent. But you rejected him without a moment’s thought,” Tia said. “Are you going to reject him once again?”

  “…Can you not let an old lady like me reserve my last dignity?”

  “…Who are you trying to fool?”

  “We have been in the city for over a decade, Nubia. We know everything about what happened back then.”

  “…When did you two learn how to use your head?”

  “What do you mean? I will have you know that I…”

  Seeing the chaos unfolding before him, Alnea tried to step in, and divert the topic, but no one listened to him. Fortunately, he was not the only sensible person around. And unlike him, the taciturn woman standing behind the counter was much more authoritative.

  “…That is enough,” Nanya said, unfurling part of her Spirit, bringing everyone back to their senses. “If you three have had enough fun, then stop making a scene.”

  “…We were indeed out of—

  “Stop. I do not want to listen to excuses. Just leave before I have you thrown out for disturbing normal operations of the Blood Hall.”

  “…At least let Tivya finish her explanations.”

  “She has already explained most of the things. You can fill in the details later. I am sure that they would not mind,” Nanya said, and turned towards Alnea. “Would you?”

  “…No.”

  “See?”

  “You are clearly threatening—

  “Forget it,” Tia said, reaching out to hold Daes’ shoulder. “We were the one in the wrong this time.”

  “But that does not give her the right to take her anger out on them!”

  “And who are you to decide what rights I have?”

  “You—

  “Leave it, Daes,” Nubia said, shaking her head. “You are about to leave the city. Try not to give those people any more excuses to hold you back.”

  “They dare!”

  “…You should know the best whether they dare or not.”

  “…I swear. One day…” Daes mumbled, as Nubia turned towards Alnea with an apologetic smile on her face.

  “…It looks like your lesson on the inner city may have to be cut short.”

  “It is fine,” Alnea said, responding with a smile of his own. “Like Wanderer Nanya said, Wanderer Tivya has already told us almost everything that we wanted to know. And what little she did not, I am sure that you will not mind sparing some time to expound on those details. Though, if you have something urgent to attend to, then you can just point us to the relevant counters. Given our privileges, it should not be difficult to find the information we need.”

  “Nonsense,” Daes said, answering for Nubia. “There is no need to go through so much trouble. Let us just go back to my mansion, and I will tell you whatever you want to know.”

  “…That is not a bad idea,” Nubia said. “But I think you are forgetting something.”

  “What?”

  Instead of answering Daes, Nubia turned towards Alnea, widening her smile into a grin.

  “When are you going to ask them to be your Dependents?”