CHAPTER 59: THE ORDER

The headquarters of the Order was located at the center of the continent, which made it extremely far from the Empire, which occupied the outer regions.

This meant a two-day journey between the two.

---

On the first day, most of the passengers took the opportunity to rest, relax, or share their own versions of past events.

Brad and Bell, who had joined the journey at the capital, had plenty to hear about the exploits of those they admired, as well as stories to tell about what had happened to the group of children left behind the way they had been treated, comforted, or simply questioned about the incident.

Brad and Bell hadn’t said a word despite the questions.

They still distrusted the other adults, whom they considered responsible for their parents’ deaths.

---

Sirius was more than happy that his cast could finally be removed, much to the dismay of the others, who had only just begun their drawings and doodles on it.

He still limped slightly, of course, but in three or four days, he was expected to regain full use of his body.

Thinking about it, Sirius wondered what new combat style he should adopt to compensate for the loss of his arm. He had imagined creating a prosthetic using his resonance, but that would simply mean controlling matter remotely it was impossible for him to reconnect the nerves in his body to inert material.

So he spent his free time shaping various weapons, trying to change their state as quickly as possible. If he was to join the Order, he would have to be just as effective if not more than he was before his awakening.

---

After a day of complete freedom, Sarah Harley invited everyone to dinner in a single carriage.

She addressed them all at once, sharing the plans she had made for them.

"We should arrive tomorrow. You won’t be allowed inside the headquarters, so you’ll be dropped off in the nearest city."

"The nearest city? Which one is it?" asked Iris.

Sarah, though reluctant to stand next to her, had finally forced herself to do so. She saw great potential in Iris; to make better use of her, she had to ensure that Iris saw her not as an enemy, but as a friend just like Carla did.

"The nearest city is the capital of the Republic of Palmeraie: City of Cards "

"When will we be able to join the Order?"

This time, it was Lucy who asked. Sarah smiled.

"Even though I would love to admit you right away, I don’t have the authority."

"Oh really? I thought you were pretty high up," Sirius mocked.

Sarah even dropped her fork, which clattered loudly onto the table, before a hostess quickly brought her a replacement.

One of the two Enforcers, also seated at the table, then answered:

"There’s only one person in the Order who has the authority to admit someone without an entrance exam: the Regent.

As for everyone else, they must pass a mandatory test. After all," he said, puffing out his chest, "we only accept the elite."

Sirius and Iris grew curious and each asked their question:

"What about the Absolutes?"

"Who is this Regent?"

Carried away by his enthusiasm, the Enforcer began to explain how the Order was structured:

"At the top of the Order sits the Throne: the supreme council composed solely of the five Absolutes.

Below the Throne is the Regent. She comes from a long lineage the Nova family. The heir to this family automatically becomes the Regent of the Order.

She manages the daily operations of the Order. Whether it’s the directors or the bureaus, they all answer to her."

Seeing that some still hadn’t grasped it fully, Sarah continued:

"The Absolutes rarely, if ever, intervene in the daily affairs of the Order. They’re like free agents who only meet when they have time, to establish the rules of this world. Those rules are then enforced by the Regent, who is the true leader of the Order even though she herself remains subject to the Absolutes."

"So even the Absolutes are bound by their own rules, and must go through the Regent if they want to interfere with the Order’s missions," concluded Sirius.

"You could say that. That’s even the reason why, despite the explosive rivalry between the Empire and the Republic, the Emperor hasn’t stepped in. He, too, is limited by the very rules he voted for.

And someone like me a simple Enforcer can impose sanctions on the Empire without the Emperor being able to react. Of course, if he gets annoyed, he can easily have me removed. The Regent wouldn’t mind granting him that favor."

Satisfied, Sirius and Iris continued their meal.

"Miss, what’s a bureau?" asked Bell innocently.

Sarah looked at the cute little girl, touched by her curiosity, and answered simply:

"The Order is divided into five bureaus. Each bureau is led by a director. I’m part of the Bureau of Internal Affairs."

"What game are you playing?" asked Brad this time.

"Protecting little children like you from bad Enforcers who abuse their power.

We’re the good cops. And guess what? Soon, your big brothers and sisters," she said, pointing to Sirius and the others, "will be part of this beautiful bureau."

Brad, though frustrated at being spoken to like a child, made no comment and enjoyed the meal even if it didn’t live up to Iris’s cooking.

Inside, Sirius wanted to scream: ("If that’s your role, why use blackmail instead of acting against that so-called Transcendent?")

Once the meal ended and everyone was about to part ways, Sarah asked:

"Do you have money for a hotel? In this city, everything is outrageously expensive."

"No," Sirius replied bluntly, immediately silencing Lucy.

"Alright. Then take this credit card. Use it for your expenses until the date of the exam is set.

And most importantly, use this time to get stronger because even though I believe you have a great chance of succeeding, you won’t be the only geniuses taking that exam. And the spots will be limited."

"Got it," replied Sirius as he left the room.

Time passed until the train finally stopped at the City of Cards station.

There, Sirius and the others disembarked, leaving Sarah and the two Enforcers to continue their journey toward the headquarters of the Order: Anthrapokentron.

---

Anthrapokentron was as vast as a city.

It was divided into five zones, each belonging to a different bureau, and a central area at its heart, which housed both the Supreme Council Chamber where the Absolutes gathered and the Regent’s castle, which served as both her residence and the coordination center for the bureaus.

The headquarters had more than one unique trait. One of the most striking: the entire city was built entirely from wood. Whether it was the castle, the towers, or the buildings everything was made from this material.

The headquarters was surrounded by a massive wooden wall resembling a gigantic palisade, encircling it in a perfect circle.

From above, it looked like a wooden ring with multiple railway lines branching out, connecting to all the nations of the world.

---

The train carrying Sarah and the two Enforcers, being a civilian train, stopped at one of the five entrances to the headquarters.

As soon as the delegation disembarked, the train and its crew turned back toward the Empire of Aurora.

"Here’s the mission report. Go drop it off at the bureau. I have to speak with the director."

"Yes," replied the two Enforcers. They were eager to finish the task and finally rest.

It was barely four in the morning, which meant Sarah encountered very few people.

According to the director’s habits, at this hour, she would find him at the Regent’s castle.

Once Sarah reached the majestic castle, she wasted no time and headed for a specific room. There, she found two men.

One of them was a young man, around 25 or 26 years old, with curly black hair, a gentle face, and wearing a black coat. He was speaking with the director.

The latter, despite being well into his forties, was still a handsome man. His long black hair, lightly shaved beard, and katana at his waist all gave him the look of a samurai. He wore a blue coat, the symbol of the Bureau of Internal Affairs.

"Your Eminence Rioken. Your Eminence Gramm," Sarah greeted without bowing.

The title of Your Eminence was reserved for Transcendents.

The one named Gramm gestured for Sarah to join them.

"Your Eminence Sarah, your disguises never fail to amaze me," joked Gramm.

Sarah sat down, pulling a hidden pin from her bun. Her blue strands of hair fell freely over her shoulders.

The next moment, she caught a blue coat thrown by Rioken and slipped it over her clothes.

Each of their coats bore the embroidered insignia of the Transcendents on the shoulder.

Once all three were seated, Rioken opened the conversation:

"You’re just in time. Young Gramm has just returned from his test. You’re looking at the new director of the Bureau of Archives and Exploration."

Sarah didn’t seem surprised before her departure, she had already been informed about the test Gramm was going to take.

What she didn’t know, however, was:

"Which of them gave you the test for you to still be in one piece?"

"You underestimate me. That said, it was His Excellency Aurore who made himself available for the occasion. He’s probably still at the headquarters right now."

("That explains the lack of serious attacks at the borders.") she thought, before being interrupted by Gramm.

"I’m not the only one celebrating a promotion.

Madam Deputy Director of the Bureau of Internal Affairs, I’m pleased to inform you that your promotion was approved by the Regent just yesterday."