What’s Your Name?

Zay'in didn't leave the room even as Vincel took off the casual wear he had on. The only bit of privacy she gave him was to turn around but he has a feeling she could still see him clearly despite that.

Vincel took out clothes from his Satchel and put them on. He was in the process of putting the satchel strap around his shoulder when Zay'in started walking out of the room.

"Come on, let's go."

Vincel hurried to follow after her.

"Where are we going?"

"A bunch of Active gates appeared in Boggs borough between yesterday evening to this morning. Adventuring Parties have already been diving into them. You will be going into one as well." Zay'in told him.

"I'm going into a Gate? Now?"

"Yes"

Now ordinarily, Vincel was happy to go into a Gate. He just found it a bit weird how Zay'in was acting and how she appeared to be in a hurry to get him out of the Estate.

'It's the crack of dawn for fuck's sake'

"Zay'in, what's wrong?" Vincel asked.

Zay'in shrugged.

"Nothing's wrong. What, you don't want to enter a Gate? You sounded very interested yesterday"

"I AM interested. It's just- This seems so sudden"

'She's acting strange. If I didn't know any better, I'd think she wanted to get me out of the Estate as fast as she could'

They were getting closer to the garage now.

"Get used to it. Gate-clearing can be a very sudden business. Take this"

Without slowing down her walk, Zay'in dipped her hand into her pouch and she brought out five vials which she handed to Vincel.

"D-grade Mana recovery Potions. You will need them" she said.

Vincel collected the vials and put them into his Satchel after which he was met with a notification.

[D-grade Mana Recovery Potions x5]

The notification left and Zay'in was already handing him a different vial. One that had a golden brown liquid inside.

"Take this as well. D-Grade healing Elixir. A drop will mend most injuries." she said.

"Thanks"

Vincel took it and put into his Satchel and received an Inventory notification immediately after.

[+1 D-Grade healing Elixir]

The garage door opened and Zay'in went straight for the Mana-powered Carriage they had used yesterday.

On top of the carriage, parcels were neatly wrapped and Zay'in directed Vincel to them with a gesture of her head.

"Rations. They'll help recover your energy" she said.

'And also help recover my HP' Vincel added in his mind.

There were ten parcels and he wasted no time stuffing them all into his Satchel while Zay'in got into the Carriage and start it up with her hand on top of its console.

Vincel got in and he had only just got the door closed that Zay'in was speeding out of the garage and heading straight for the Estate Gates.

Unlike yesterday when he had spent the majority of the ride looking at the scenery they passed, Vincel was staring at Zay'in instead.

The pretty black-haired lady just stared straight ahead with her expression screwed up in focus.

"Zay'in, How you're acting- Does- Does it have anything to do with yesterday?"

Zay'in raised a brow in genuine looking confusion.

"Yesterday?"

"Yes, the conversation you had with Agatha. After I was asked to leave?"

Zay'in opened her mouth to speak but then she paused and let out a sigh.

Eventually, she shook her head.

"Don't worry about that. Worry about surviving an Active Gate."

Vincel looked away from her and stared right ahead as they approached Stardy City.

The sun was not yet up and Vincel got the opportunity to see the last traces of the City's nightlife. It was as elegant as he had expected. Busy without appearing clustered.

Zay'in drove further into the City than she had done yesterday until they arrived at an area of the city that did not have the grandeur of the other parts he had seen so far.

The billboards and signs quickly told Vincel that this was 'Boggs borough' Zay'in had mentioned earlier.

'It says something about the incredible beauty of the City that the 'bad' areas are still better than the capital of most Cities on my Earth.'

As they drove through the streets, Vincel could feel the fluctuations in the air and whenever he paid attention to those fluctuations, he saw signs of portal openings. Multiple Gates all over the place.

"They are everywhere" he mumbled.

Zay'in nodded.

She drove just a bit longer and then stopped to look to the side and speak to Vincel.

"Every Adventuring Party that works for Lady Agatha is well past the D-rank and will not venture into a D-rank Gate with you."

Vincel looked a bit surprised and his mind went back to the last time he was in a Gate and how essential it had been for him to have a group with him.

'I know what I'm doing now and I'm better prepared but even then, I can't help but worry.'

"So I'll be going it alone?" he asked Zay'in who immediately shook her head.

"No, of course not. I have good enough connections to introduce you to a group that will welcome a helping hand. Come on."

As she spoke, Zay'in got out of the car and led the way through the street and past dilapidated buildings in the process of restoration toward an intense spatial fluctuation.

Vincel saw the portal first.

It was oval just like the one he had used to exit the Forest Gate but its instability was easy to detect.

Unlike the Forest Gate portal that had just swirled with otherworldly energy at a uniform rate, this portal had the habit of shifting from an oval shape to a circular one at random intervals always with a strange burst of spatial force. Like it was nearing a collapse.

'An Active Gate'

Only after Vincel had seen the portal, did he pay attention to the group camping out in front of it.

They were three. And they were all female.

They all turned around the moment they sensed Vincel and Zay'in's arrival.

The one farthest from the Gate, and closest to the arriving pair of Vincel and Zay'in, smiled.

She was beautiful. Her dark skin was smooth with no blemish in sight. She had silky, straight black hair that stretched down her back. Her pupils were an interesting shade of purple that not only stood out against her skin but also matched the purple robe she had on.

The robe was a Changsan, an ancient Chinese robe usually worn by men but this particular one was clearly designed to be worn by the lady as it fit her well and made all the necessary accommodations for her bust which protruded proudly despite being completely covered up.

There were slits on both sides of the robe that showed off her trouser-covered legs.

In the lady's left hand was a sheathed sword and the aura she exude was one of grace and nobility.

"Miss Zay'in," she called.

Zay'in returned the smile.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

The lady shook her head and waved Zay'in off.

"You are saving us a bit of Gold, so why would we complain?" she said and then looked at Vincel with attention, especially at his Satchel,

"This is him? The Mage? He certainly accessorizes like one"

'Mage?' Vincel thought, 'I thought I didn't think like a Mage?'

Zay'in nodded.

"He'll make a good addition to your party," she said and then she looked at Vincel,

"Goodluck"

It was just one word but the tone Zay'in used made it sound more like, 'Goodluck, you're going to need it'

As soon as she had wished him luck, Zay'in turned around and walked away. In seconds, she was inside the carriage and driving it away leaving Vincel alone before three beautiful ladies.

As soon as Zay'in's carriage(Car) pulled away, the purple-eyed lady began sizing Vincel up. Looking him up and down and spending most of her observation on his face.

She and Vincel were about the same height but she dwarfed him in aura which was not helped by the way she was looking at him.

She was looking at him politely but also with a hint of underestimation.

"So" she started,

"What's your name?"