My Hermes System

Months ago in the Newer York System Academy, right after Beatrice and the others were unsuccessfully interrogated by the City Guards if they knew where Van would be hiding, Chris, the direct assistant of the Chairman of the Explorer Association was looking at the files of Van's friends.

"Tch," a breath of disdain could not help but come out from his mouth as he reviewed the files, "I was right, this boy truly is a leech. He is friends with a Lauder as well as the granddaughter of Madam Charlotte?"

Chris started flipping on the files, trying to find if they missed something that they could use. His friends were obviously trying to help him by not cooperating with the City Guards. They could just force them by threatening to imprison them for obstruction, but since he was still in the Academy, it would be bad for the Association's image if the people were to discover that they were forcing students to cooperate with them.

"Wait… this," Chris then squinted his eyes as he looked at one of the files of the students, "Who interrogated this girl, Beatrice Williams?"

"I… I did, sir!" One of the guards stuttered as he approached Chris respectfully. He wanted to look him in the face, but the huge scar adorning his face quickly caused his eyes to stray away, "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Is she still in the room?"

"Yes, sir," the guard said with a regretful sigh, "I couldn't even get her to talk… it would seem she knows more about the law than I do, ha… haha," the guard awkwardly chuckled as he slightly looked to the side.

"Take me to her."

***

In one of the Academy's classrooms, Beatrice was busy fiddling with her glasses, trying to clean them with her skirt. Her skirt, however, fluttered uncontrollably as her hands were trembling due to the erratic beating of her heart. This was the first time she was ever being questioned by a City Guard. If ever people found out, she might trouble her parents, she thought.

"Van… what are you doing right--"

"Coming in."

"!!!"

As soon as the door of the room opened, Beatrice quickly stood up from her seat and wore her glasses, "Do you have any probable cause to retain me here!? Am I under arrest!? If so, I invoke my right to the fif--"

"Nothing of the sort."

Before Beatrice could even finish her words, she could not help but shut her mouth. She was expecting another guard to interrogate her, but it turns out it was someone else… someone she knows only from the papers she has read.

"I would just like to talk to you about your family's guild," Chris said as he closed the door behind him, "Please, take a seat, this won't be long."

"T… that…" Beatrice's nervous gulp did not escape Chris' ears as she sat down, "Why… why is my parent's guild relevant in this situation?"

"Situation?" Chris slightly tilted his head to the side as he sat in front of Beatrice, "Oh, you mean about your criminal friend. You don't have to worry, I am here as a representative of the Explorer Association…

...completely unrelated," Chris breathed as he leaned closer towards Beatrice, placing his arms on the table in between them.

"If… if this isn't official business, may I request to go--"

"No," Chris quickly answered as he gestured to Beatrice to sit back down, "It has come to our attention that you, Beatrice Williams, have been going into Portals incognito as a rogue Explorer."

Hearing Chris' words, Beatrice's breath almost faltered as she slowly sat back down once again, "I… I… There's nothing wrong with that!" Beatrice quickly rebuked, "There aren't any laws disallowing students of the Academy to go into Portals, we are free to do so!"

Although she was perturbed and shocked at first, she calmed down a bit. She had already researched the law surrounding rogue and free Explorers thoroughly, what she was doing was completely legal.

"Maybe… But you're part of your parent's guild, are you not?" Chris said as he flipped through Beatrice's file, "The Twin Hydra, such an original name."

Beatrice let out a sigh of relief as soon as she heard Chris' words, "Perhaps you should check again, sir. I am not part of my parent's guild yet."

"You are," Chris said as he slid a piece of paper towards Beatrice.

"What? No," Beatrice muttered as she slowly looked at the piece of paper that Chris presented to her.

"!!!"

Once again, she could not help but stand up, her glasses almost slipping from the bridge of her nose, "This… this isn't…"

She stuttered as her eyes trembled, scanning through the paper with her name on it. And it wasn't only her name, it was a file that proved that she was, indeed, a part of the Twin Hydra now.

"But this isn't possible… We've already discussed that I won't join until… until I graduate," Beatrice lifted up the paper as she thoroughly read the contents, only to find that she had been registered in her parent's guild for 5 years now. "This… isn't right. I did not even sign anything… I haven't even properly unlocked my System 5 years ago!"

"Is that so?" Chris placed his hand on his chin, "Well, we can change that later." He then chuckled as he retrieved the paper from Beatrice's hand.

"Change? What do you mean--" Beatrice's eyes then widened as soon as she realized what Chris meant, "You… you falsified my registration!?"

"Of course not," Chris once again chuckled, "I have enough authority, this is all completely legal and went through the process. You should be happy, you didn't even need to do the paperwork."

Beatrice's breathing once again became unstable as she once again sat back on her seat, "You… you're blackmailing me?"

"What? Of course not," Chris quickly shook his head, "I am here to help you and the Twin Hydra."

"..."

"Based on the reports I have read just now, your family's guild is not doing very well," Chris said as he let out a small smile on his face, "Help us apprehend this… little criminal and we will make sure that your guild becomes known throughout not only Newer York, but also the other major cities."

"I… I won't--"

"But of course, if it were to be known that a member of the Twin Hydra is going into Portals unregistered… What would the Association say? Not to mention… Twin Hydra is allowing a child who only just turned 15 to go to Portals unsupervised," Chris said as he stood up,

"Oh wait, I am part of the Association…

...care to hear what I have to say about this?"

"..."

"Not to mention… Twin Hydra helping out a criminal," Chris clicked his tongue several times while shaking his head, "That would not only revoke their permit, but we can also kick them out of Newer York."

With Chris' words slithering through her words like a corrugated blade, Beatrice could not help but bite her lip, her hands gripping the seat to the point that her fingers were already making a hole in it.

"If… If I tell you where Van might be…

...you will not tell my activities to anyone?"