22 Arrival at Bristol (2)

Astonishment showed on the man's face, and in his voice, "A mage's familiar? Truly?" A brief silence passed before he continued, "I can't let you into the city without a familiar mark, but I will find a guild official to potentially do it out here. Do you mind waiting a few minutes?"

"I know the laws for dangerous familiars, so I understand very well. Take your time. However, may I come closer? I will stop at 20 paces." Familiars of C-grade or higher required detailed processing before being admitted to a new city. This was done to protect the city and keep the citizens from descending into a panic and was considered standard practice.

"That's fine, but no further." A guardsman ran into the city as the guard leader spoke. He then said, "I'll come out to you since we need to get your identity."

Upon reaching the agreed 20 paces, the travelling trio and the guard leader met, with the latter's eyes swiftly moving between the boy and the beast. Awkwardly clearing his throat, he said, "I am Riser, Captain under the 3rd Lieutenant of the Grens Provincial Army. As the commander of the eastern gate, following due process of the Familiar Inspection Codes, I must ask for your identity, and proof of it should you have it."

Luca shook his head with a wry smile, "I don't have anything to prove my identity other than this letter, but it is for the City Lord's eyes only. However, as he entrusted me with this missive, Lord Sheridan can vouch for my identity. If need be, a heavenly vow can be made."

Riser, initially suspicious of the boy, saw Luca preparing to make a heavenly vow, "Ah, that's more than enough. We'll have to get you some identification. The Mages Guild branch should be able to help. Now, a brief introduction would be helpful."

"My name is Luca, ten years of age, Lv. 1 Mage under the tutelage of Greenfield Town's Lv. 4 Mage Ysmir, and the junior brother of the town's previous mayor Darius Bradley. I am also capable of C-grade magecrafting. My horse here was entrusted by Lord Sheridan, his retired warhorse Thunder. My partner is Arcturus, a B-grade pureblood dragonkin, and we are bound by life and soul via the Dragon King's Pact." Luca at first planned to hide the specifics, but he quickly remembered a reason not to. The guilds would have no difficulty investigating his past, and the information networks of the 4 Guilds were unparalleled, especially those of the Thieves Guild.

Twenty minutes of silence fluttered by as a shocked-stiff Riser gaped at Luca, who could only sheepishly scratch his head. Only the sound of a guardsman shouting broke the quiet as a pair of the aforementioned guard and a middle-aged female walked over. Luca noticed that the latter carried herself as if she'd seen constant combat, her every move poised for immediate action if needed. She was certainly an expert, enough for the guardsmen to be respectful towards her.

After returning to reality, and still a bit confused, Riser coughed, "This is the Bristol Adventurers Guild's Vice Guildmaster, former B-grade Swordmaster, Lydia Satel. She's currently the strongest person in the city, that we are aware of, so we thought it best to have her present."

Luca bowed as respectfully as he could from Thunder's saddle, "My apologies for having caused you some trouble, ma'am. I am Luca, and my part is Arcturus."

Lydia stared at the boy mage, appearing to size him and his dragon companion. "A Lv. 1 Mage and a B-grade dragon companion. Quite a rare choice for a messenger, I see."

"For various reasons I cannot say, I was the fastest person Lord Sheridan had at his disposal. With Thunder's help, we managed to arrive at dawn on the third day." The boy patted the warhorse, who snorted with confidence.

"He even sent Thunder? Thunder hasn't left the estate in nearly 4 years. This must be very urgent if Gerald felt the need to send his partner." Lydia stepped forward and smiled to the horse, giving Thunder a soft stroke, to which it responded with a soft huff and what seemed to be a nod.

"I know I can't enter without a familiar mark, but as you have verified the identity of this noble steed at the very least, you can see I'm not a potential threat. That said, Arc is still a newborn and he can't stop shaking." Luca chuckled, only to get hit with a Water Ball to the face by the now embarrassed dragon, who was not keen on being teased in front of strangers. Wiping the water off his face, the boy continued, "I do need to visit both the Mages Guild and the Adventurers Guild, but my missive is more important. I am sorry if I sound rude, but it's a matter of critical status."

Lydia had a mild frown, but she passively stated, "I can agree that with me here, you are not a potential threat. However, we must still go to the Mages Guild first so we can make the familiar mark and fully confirm your identity. Therefore, I will accompany you to appease the people on the way. Captain Riser, send word to the guild to begin preparations for the mobile certification. If your Lieutenant or Commander asks, tell them that I am personally escorting these two."

"Yes, ma'am." He nodded to Luca before heading back to the gates to end the state of alert.

As Luca, Arcturus and Lydia made their way into the city, the young mage smiled, "I'm sure you're curious, so I'll tell you some of the things Riser didn't get to mention. My mentor is the Lv. 4 Mage Ysmir, who is also the mentor to the Greenwood Town's former mayor, Darius Bradley."

"Ysmir? Still kicking around, is he? Before he retired, he was the strongest mage in the entire province, standing even above the current Mages Guildmaster," Lydia said as she listened, her eyes constantly watching the small dragon that was nervously padding along close to Luca's steed.

"Ah, I'm also a C-Grade Magecrafter, since my first creation is C-Grade."

This finally got a genuine reaction, of surprise, from the retired warrior, "C-Grade? Impossible. You can't be, you're haven't even started growing."

Luca shrugged, "Believe it or don't. The Mages Guild will verify my words and determine their truth."