A New Day

After The Voice had given me the low down, instead of taking me back to The Gallant's Rest, it drives towards a large gated compound. The large gates that bar entry open as the black cab approaches and the cab continues its journey through what appears to be the very generously sized grounds of a stately home. The cab does not stop at the main building however. It follows the narrow path and winds its way deeper into the compound.

I see several smaller buildings that dot the area and the cab finally drops me off at a whitewashed two story building. Each floor of the building has been divided into a number residential units with some of them clearly occupied. I realize that its a small apartment complex. The glove compartment of the cab opens to reveal a key card with a room number printed on it. The Voice tells me to get some rest and the black cab drives off into the night, back to wherever The Voice has it parked when not in use.

Referring to the key card, I climb the steps to the second floor of the building and swiped the card at the relevant door. The door opens with a click and I step in. The first thing I do is look around for a place to dump my wet clothes and dry myself off. Finding an en suite bathroom, I strip off my clothes and pile them in a corner. I find myself too tired to bother with a proper shower so I just dry myself off with a towel and put on the provided bathrobe. I then collapse on to the bed (A proper bed! At last!) and fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.

.....

The sound of an alarm clock rouses me from my slumber. I blink my eyes and stretch my stiff body. Morning light streams through a slit in the drawn curtains. I follow the noise of the alarm and find a digital clock sitting on the bedside table with a familiar looking earpiece lying beside it. I turn off the alarm before putting the earpiece on. The Voice does not bother with pleasantries.

"Your body has been restored from last night's ordeal." The Voice rasps, "Go clean yourself up. You will find a suitable set of clothes in the wardrobe. I need you to be ready by 8 am."

No rest for the wicked eh? Not even for a near death experience? From the time on the clock I have an hour to prepare. I shake my head ruefully. It was good to know that no matter how outlandish the situation became, there were some things that did not change. Not wasting any time, I head for the bathroom to begin my morning ritual.

....

After showering, I inspect the clothes that The Voice had prepared for me. White shirt, brown slacks, brown jacket and black leather shoes. It was the kind of inexpensive office wear you could find anywhere. No weapons. I breathe a sigh of relief. At least The Voice was not throwing me directly back into the fire. Putting the clothes on I look for a mirror to check my appearance but give up on the idea when I remember the nature of my condition. I instead use the time remaining to take a look around the apartment.

The apartment was functional and nothing fancy, though its increased size alone made it a huge improvement over the room. The bedroom itself was around the size of the original room I awoke in, but it had the benefit of a proper bed. The only other furnishings in it were the bedside table, the wardrobe and a small reading table with a chair by the window.

The apartment also had a small kitchen that connected with the living cum dining area. The kitchen had both an induction heater and a microwave for cooking. A small fridge was set up in the corner and on a rack above the aluminium sink was a sparse selection of plates, bowls and eating utensils.

The furnishings of the living and dining areas were what you would expect from a motel. The dining area comprised of a wooden table and four chairs that probably came as a set from the store. The living area was dominated by a rectangular glass table surrounded by old cushioned chairs. There was a laptop left unattended on the glass table, its blinking power indicator showing that it was in standby mode.

Well, at least I got an upgrade to my lodgings. I grab the key card and head out.

....

"Hey. Where am I anyway?" I ask The Voice as I survey my surroundings. The apartment building is built under the shadow of an ancient looking spire that looms overhead from a distance. Looking about a bit more, I see small groups of people entering the large weathered looking building at the center of the grounds, some of whom are wearing stylized school uniforms. Another spire also extends from the old, stately building, reaching towards the clear blue sky.

"Unity Academy, right in the heart of the Dreaming Spires District." The Voice rasps. "An escalator institution that was created by The City to school the post Millennium War generation and to bring about the vision of co-existence. The Academy was built on the ruins of some historically significant school or other in an attempt to grant it increased provenance. That aside, it is also widely regarded as one of the finest educational institutes in the world today."

"Escalator what now?" I quiz. Peering at the small groups of students that are walking towards the building, I see a fair number of animal people among them as well as students that give off a sparkly halo in addition to the regular humans. Almost all the students I see also seem to have developed their spirituality, their bodies surrounded by a gentle nimbus of power.

"Escalator institution. Graduates from Unity Academy are given preference in admission to Unity College." The Voice explains. "Unity College is famed worldwide for its faculty of magical sciences and the influence of its alumni. Several talents currently in the service of the Legion, Host and UN P5 graduated from Unity College. That makes getting into Unity Academy an incredibly competitive affair. The students you see here either have great raw talent or powerful family connections."

"Not all the students have trained spirituality though." I point out to The Voice.

"Magic and wealth are not mutually exclusive. Unity Academy understands this and makes provision for any future leaders in business or politics that may not possess magic. The families of such students in turn recognize the value of their children building ties with the power houses of the next generation." The Voice pauses for a moment. "Its time. Head for the administration wing of the main building."

"You still haven't explained what am I supposed to be doing here." I tell The Voice as I begin to make my way across the immaculately kept grounds.

"As you have probably already guessed, the Hero is a student here. I have procured lodging for you at the staff quarters partly for that reason."

Bingo. "And the other reason?" I ask The Voice.

"The increased difficulty of the task before you necessitates that I provide you with access to allies." The Voice continues. "I have arranged an appointment for you with one of my operatives working in the Academy's faculty. She will provide you with the authorizations and identity papers that will allow you to undertake your tasks free from harassment."

"Wait a minute." I say to The Voice. "You told me before that the people of this world cannot hear you. How then can you have operatives?"

"It is difficult to explain. You will understand once you interact with her. At any rate, this particular operative has started to forget her obligations to me. I plan to provide her with a refresher course on the importance of gratitude during your meeting."

I suppress a shudder upon hearing The Voice's reply. Whatever is coming up will probably not be pretty. Still, does this mean I am finally going to be getting a waifu?

"Are you going to be making her my waifu?" I ask The Voice.

"She is already married." Damn.

"Is she at least cute?" I am not giving up in my rights as a transmigrator you hear me?

"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder." The Voice answers with amusement as I enter the main building.