The Leviathan, a top-tier luxury airship owned by the Fixer Association.

    Originally designed for military use, this 250-meter-long airship boasted monstrous performance.

    With a payload capacity of 200 tons, room for over a thousand passengers, a cruising speed of 250 km/h, and a flight endurance of up to 15 days!

    Thanks to the advanced and innovative technologies developed during the war with the Otherworlders, the Leviathan was considered one of humanity''s greatest masterpieces, having surpassed the limitations of airships by a wide margin.

    Even after being deployed in countless military operations, the Leviathan remained unscathed, proving its resilience. It was nothing short of a seasoned veteran in the form of an airship.

    Of course, the interior had since been refurbished, transforming it into a flying passenger ship. But if war were to break out again, all the lavish additions could be stripped away, allowing it to soar into battle once more.

    Perhaps, one day soon, it might regain its former powerful and glorious state.

    Make the Leviathan great again! Bring peace to a chaotic world!

    “....”

    “The view outside is nice, isn’t it? It’s not every day you get to relax and look down at the world from this height,” an old man’s voice reached my ears as I stared blankly, escaping reality.

    He was right. How many chances in life would I get to ride something like this?

    I nodded in agreement and turned my gaze towards the source of the voice.

    Standing there was an old man with a rather stern appearance.

    Though he appeared to have a slim, unassuming build, there was an undeniable sense of tightly coiled strength beneath the surface.

    I got the feeling he could probably fold a scrawny kid like me in half with just one hand.

    Well, he was only disguised as a human—his true form was that of a massive, winged lizard.

    The fact that he could quite literally crumple me up in his palm was both terrifying and humbling.

    “....”

    “Yeah, it must’ve been boring to wait. Your scores are pretty impressive. Nothing particularly notable in the third task, but 40th out of 1,600 in the first task and 1st out of 525 in the second task? It seems your mental fortitude is quite strong.”

    “...”

    “Oh, that’s right. I heard you couldn’t speak. My apologies for expecting an answer.”

    There was no need to ask who he was. The old man was none other than Tempest himself.

    The great Dragon Mayor of Nighthaven. A living deterrent to war.

    A global celebrity whose presence was as difficult to come by as a world-renowned superstar.

    Why was such an incredible person standing within arm’s reach?

    There was no need to overthink it.

    He was the judge for this task—or, to be precise, the interviewer.

    ‘In the original story, it was someone else... Is this because of Vespera?’

    If so, this situation couldn’t be more nerve-wracking.

    If it had been anyone else, fine. But to have the mayor of Nighthaven himself as the interviewer?

    If I acted suspiciously and he decided to look into me, my cover could be blown instantly.

    With that thought, I clenched my resolve and nodded calmly.

    There was nothing for him to find, so it was best to appear as composed as possible.

    Whatever he thought of my response, Tempest simply stroked his white beard, his sharp eyes quietly assessing me.

    “....”

    “The mask on your face—is it an artifact? Does it have any special functions?”

    “...”

    “Ah, unnecessary question. If it had any special features, the proctors would’ve noticed already. Hmm, no registered identity, huh? Then is the name ‘Yuria’ just an alias?”

    “...!”

    I shook my head at his serious question.

    I assumed what he meant was, “Did you enter the exam while hiding your identity?”

    I hadn’t really hidden anything, but I had no choice but to deny it.

    The name Greg had given me when I first arrived in this world.

    My name was Yuria—there was no other.

    Fortunately, it seemed he understood the intent behind my answer.

    With a slight furrow of his brow, he muttered as if piecing things together.

    “....”

    “So, you don’t have a clear identity. Well, that’s fine. A Fixer doesn’t need a registered status to qualify. Though, it is a bit unusual for a human to have no identity.”

    “...”

    He wasn’t wrong, but...

    I swallowed a bit of saliva, doing my best to maintain a calm demeanor.

    For Otherworlders, having no official status wasn’t all that strange.

    People from other worlds couldn’t exactly file birth certificates.

    The proper systems had only been established for about a decade or so.

    That’s probably why the Fixer Association didn’t make a big deal about an applicant’s status.

    But a human with no registered identity... That was suspicious, even to me.

    Thankfully, he didn’t seem too focused on it, smoothly moving on to the next topic.

    “....”

    “All right. Then let’s officially begin. I’m going to ask you a few questions. If the answer is yes, nod your head. If it’s no, shake it. Just make sure you don’t lie. It’s not too difficult, right?”

    “...!”

    He spoke with a tone that seemed almost too kind, as if he were going out of his way to accommodate me.

    Being told I only needed to nod or shake my head during the interview was quite the relief.

    I had prepared myself for significant disadvantages, so this unexpected courtesy caught me off guard.

    Then again, it probably wasn''t a special treatment just for me.

    After all, not every Otherworlder shared the same language or communication methods as humans.

    There were countless species, each with its own unique way of interacting with the world—expecting them all to speak human languages would be absurd.

    The Fixer Association likely wasn''t interested in whether or not someone could speak but rather in determining if they had clear cognitive abilities.

    There were even a few mute Fixers working in the field, so this wasn''t a unique situation.

    While it might be a slight disadvantage if I ended up being on the edge of passing, it wouldn’t be grounds for immediate disqualification.

    The Association was more open-minded than I’d expected.

    For someone in my situation, unable to speak, this was a small mercy.

    “....”

    “Heh, I like your spirit. Alright then, let’s move on to the first question...”

    I must have left a good impression with my overly enthusiastic nodding.

    Tempest’s expression softened, and he spoke in a much kinder tone than before.

    However, despite the warmer atmosphere, his questions were anything but easy.

    If you had to choose between the mission and your comrades, which would you prioritize?

    If a plan with minimal sacrifice could prevent a major catastrophe, would you proceed with it?

    If a harmless individual posed a potential future threat, would you eliminate them preemptively?

    These were not questions with right or wrong answers but rather questions designed to reveal my values and beliefs.

    It felt like he was trying to peel back layers and get a good look at my true thoughts.

    And I supposed it made sense. The Association couldn’t afford to pass someone dangerous as a Fixer, knowing they would bear the responsibility for the risk.

    But the difficult questions didn’t stop at just a few.

    They went on and on, over ten, twenty, even more.

    By the time the interview had passed the 30-minute mark, my mind was utterly exhausted.

    So, when Tempest finally reached his last question, I practically slumped into the cushioned chair.

    I hadn’t used my brain this much since becoming Yuria.

    It felt like the few brain cells I had were squeezed dry by the intense back-and-forth.

    “Heh, sorry, Yuria. I know it’s quite the time of day for this.”

    He chuckled as if he genuinely felt bad for putting me through this mental wringer.

    “Still, you didn’t seem to lie at any point, so I don’t think you need to worry too much about the results.”

    “Yes, that means you passed. Though, to be honest, failing the interview is rare—maybe one person a year, if that.”

    He let out a hearty laugh.

    Thankfully, I’d passed.

    Since the purpose of the interview was mainly to filter out those completely unfit for society, failing here would have been quite the feat.

    As long as I’d answered with common sense, I should’ve been fine.

    Now, the only thing left was the much-anticipated fourth task...

    As relief washed over me, I let my mind drift into thought.

    Vespera’s presence, the World Tree’s seed, and the potential threat of a third-party attack...

    Passing the interview was a small victory, but the road ahead still seemed overwhelmingly daunting.

    If only I could cling to this man’s coattails and beg for help.

    But given the circumstances, I’d probably end up looking more suspicious than anything.

    ‘It’s probably best to secure the seed first and destroy it before anyone else can get to it...’

    I was lost in thought, my legs swinging absentmindedly from the chair.

    Perhaps I’d let my guard down too much in front of the world’s strongest person.

    Because what Tempest said next hit me like a bolt from the blue.

    “Yuria, may I ask you something?”

    “...?”

    “Do you happen to know about the Nexus Project?”

    Thud.

    The unexpected question made my shoulder jolt uncontrollably.

    And in that instant, Tempest’s eyes narrowed as if he had expected my reaction.

    Why now? Why ask me that?

    My breath caught in my throat.

    I gaped like a fish, my mind spiraling into chaos.

    How did he know?

    Struggling to regain my composure, I met Tempest’s gaze.

    He tapped his temple with his finger, as if revealing a simple truth.

    “A skilled mage can see what is hidden. Coincidentally, I can see the souls of living beings...

    And I’ve encountered quite a few souls as unique as yours. Heh, I couldn’t be certain until you answered me with your body language just now, though.”

    “...”

    “Yuria—or should I say, Esper? Now, where exactly did you come from?”

    Oh no.

    I was in big trouble.

    If I could speak, I would’ve screamed.