As the enforcer disappeared into the throng of bustling shoppers, Evaurned his gaze back to the pair of women still sitting across from him, their eyes wide with bewilderment. He might as well have sprouted ara head from the way they were gaping at him. Aheir surprise was ced with a hint of pleasure, as though his rebellious act had somehow proven amusing.

  Feeling the disfort hanging in the air, Evander smoothly recimed his seat, his face open and apologetic. "Sorry about that," he said, his voice soft as a feather's whisper, attempting to sweep away the awkward tension.

  His polite demeanor seemed to throw the women for yet another loop. Their surprise was mirrored by a womaed nearby, who murmured in an impressed uone, "Not only is he quite a looker, he's got maoo. His family must've ied heavily in good tutors."

  Evander chose to ighe ent, his mind more ed with the situation at hand. His eyes darted towards the bustling food stalls around them, their fragrant allure stirring his appetite. "How do you get those stookens you're using?" he questioned, deg to shift the focus from himself to the peculiar local s.

  His question seemed to stun the girls again, their expressions reflective of shock. "You want to know about money?" Adrasteia stammered, her eyebrows hiking up towards her hairline. "But men don't usually...I mean, they don't handle..."

  "How I buy something?" Evander interjected, his curiosity winning over the absurdity of the situation. "I mean, if I wao purchase something for myself."

  The girls exged a flustered gnce. "Normally, women buy things for their men," Calliope expined, her voice cautious as though she was treading on thin ice.

  Before he could ent on the impracticality of su arra, Adrasteia blurted out, "We could buy something for you. What would you like?"

  Evander's refusal was as gentle as it was firm. He was a man fed in the crucible of a different world, one where pride and independence were pilrs of self-respect. Accepting their generosity would be tantamount to surrendering a part of his identity.

  "I appreciate the offer," he began, his gaze steady as he locked eyes with the two girls. "But I would like to fend for myself, if you don't mind."

  His refusal nded with a quiet thud, c the girls' faces with a soft tinge of disappoi. He hadn't inteo rebuff their goodwill, and the look on their faces felt like a mild blow to his chest. This is their world, their s. But I 't let that ge who I am.

  Wishing to steer the versation away from the minor setback, he inquired about pr one of the moones for himself. This seemed the spark in their eyes. They appeared ecstatic to help him navigate this unfamiliar ndscape.

  Calliope fished out aronic device, its dispy alive with magical symbols and glyphs. His mind, having been fed on a diet of pure sce all his life, balked at the unfamiliarity of the magifused teology.

  "There's a guild bank here, in the mall," she reported, her voice abuzz with excitement.

  Without further ado, the girls fiheir meals, practically inhaling the food in their haste. Evander felt a strange amusement at the sight. So much for feminine grad poise. As they rose from their seats, each girl by his side led him away from the food court.

  The envious stares of other women followed them, their gazes focused owo young girls who had successfully captured the attention of the only male in the viity. The girls basked in their victory, their joy unhidden as they guided Evaowards his destination.

  The crowd at the mall was a vibrant tapestry of colors and sounds, awash in a tide of feminine voices and ughter. Calliope and Adrasteia, locked oher side of him, seemed to revel iention they were garnering. They were close enough for Evao feel the warmth of their bodies, yet they maintained a respectful distanever infringing on his personal space.

  As they navigated through the bustling mall, Evander's eyes roved across the sights around him, his mind riddled with curiosity. He questiohe girls on the myriad things he observed, his i curiosity only fueling their fond amusement. To them, he was an endearing child expl a world vastly different from his own.

  His position in this strange dynamic was unnerving, a stark departure from the societal norms he was aced to. Is this what it's like to be a "cute one" in their world? The thought of himself as the damsel in distress, while the stronger, more worldly girls pyed the knights, sent a shiver crawling down his spine.

  Their jourhrough the mall culminated on the ground floor, in front of a formidable structure that bore a striking resembo a modern-day bank vault. The only difference was the smattering of magical inscriptions that adors fa?ade, casting an eerie glow that was almost hypnotic.

  The sight of the guards statio the entrance jolted him. They were women, strong and intimidating, and for the first time since his arrival in this world, Evander saw firearms. Handguns, to be precise. The sight was both arming and oddly f.

  As if sensing his internal flict, Adrasteia leaned in, her voice soothing as she reassured him. "You're safe, Evahey would never harm you."

  The interior of the bank was grandiose, with marble fl underfoot and a vaulted ceiling overhead. The walls were lined with mahogany and gold trim, giving the rge room an air of elegand wealth. A er service area was cordoned off to one side, poputed by women immacutely dressed in smart suits and with precise, effit movements. Behind them, the bank’s patrons formed an orderly line, waiting their turn with an air of practiced patience.

  As they approached the queue, Calliope fshed a mischievous grin at her panion, a spark of anticipation lighting up her eyes. "I've always wao do this," she decred, excitement simmering in her voice. And, before Evander could decipher her meaning, she tched onto his arm and guided him to the front of the line.

  Evander felt a flush of embarrassme his cheeks. Such btant queue-jumpi fn and inappropriate to him. However, the reas of the bank's patrons did nothing to assuage his disfort. Instead of showing annoyance or indignation, they seemed indifferent to the spectacle, their expressions veying that such a se was onpce.

  Ohey reached the front, one of the tellers cluded her dealings with a er and seemed to be them forward. When she lifted her gaze to them, her eyes widened momentarily upon realizing there was a man among her ts. She rose swiftly from her chair and, with a respectful bow of her head, weled them.

  Guarding him like vigiinels, the girls fnked Evaheir protective demeanor resembling that of seasoned bodyguards rather than youthful maidens. The woman behind the desk, a figure dressed in a charcoal-colored business suit, directed her attention toward Calliope, perhaps due to her earlier dispy of assertiveness.

  "What we do for you today?" the woman inquired, her voice ced with a hint of curiosity. Her question hung in the air, pregnant with expectation. Evander drew in a breath, preparing to articute his needs, when Calliope effortlessly stole his ce.

  "My new friend, Evander here, would like to acquire a paying stone for himself," she annouhe words echoed in the ornate room, an ued statement that held a hint of audacity.

  The woman's eyebrows shot up in a wave of surprise, her expression refleg both astonishment and intrigue. A murmur of "unusual, but not unheard of" seeped out from her lips, followed by a moment of ptive silehen her gaze fell upon the girls, and the ers of her lips pulled down in a disapproving frown.

  "You girls must be very mean not to treat him properly," she admonished, her words ced with a tinge of disappoi. A flush of embarrassment washed over Calliope and Adrasteia. Their cheeks turned as red as ripened apples, their pride bruised by the chastisement.

  For the first time, the woman's gaze drifted toward Evander, her expression morphing into a blend of gentle regard and respect. It was an aowledgment typically reserved for someone endearing and i. With an air of formality, she addressed him, "Man," her voice echoed in the grandeur of the room, and iohe word sounded more like an honorary title than a gender reference.

  "I o run an ID check. Please pce your hand on the crystal," she anded, pointing towards a glowing obje her desk.

  plying with her instrus, Evander extended his hand and pced it on the lumi crystal. His fiingled with an odd sensation as the woman tapped her fingers rhythmically on her mae, typing in a set of ands. The mae whirred to life, unveiling a three-dimensional holographic dispy.

  An image of a younger-looking Evander materialized within the holographic prism, his tenance from a year ago vividly dispyed. He looked healthier, his cheeks fuller, his skin glowing with vitality - a stark trast to his current state.

  Then, his gaze drifted to a series of floati above his holographic self. His name, "Evander," was embzoned in bold letters, followed by a string of archaid aristocratiames: Evaheodoric Arcturus Leonidas.

  The holographic dispy cast a vivid spectrum of colors around the room, illuminating the awe-struck faces of Calliope and Adrasteia. The revetion of Evander's high-noble lineage sent a palpable shockwave through the pair. Their plexions paled and then bloomed into a deep shade of red, their expressions mirr a blend of mortification and trepidation.

  Across the ter, the bank clerk's tenance mirrored a simir palette of surprise, swiftly transitioning into a state of arm. She abruptly stood, her chair skidding backward against the polished marble floor. With an apologetic bow to Evander, she murmured her excuse and vanished into a hidden door that led to the bank's private offices.

  The silence left in her wake was filled with the unfortable rustling of the girls beside him. Adrasteia turowards him, her usual fidendermined by the shog revetion. The words that left her lips carried a tone of horror, "Evander, we should have known... You're a high noble. If we'd knoould have shown you more respect."

  Simultaneously, Calliope was mumbling a litany of self-reproach. "Why wasn't he wearing his house badges?" She whispered more to herself than anyone else. "That would have warned everyone..."

  However, their disquieted chatter fell into silence as the hidden door creaked open again. Out stepped the bank clerk, her previous worry now repced with an air of posed professionalism. Beside her, a much older woman followed. Her hair was a silver waterfall casg down her back, her face etched with years of wisdom. Her pierg gaze swept across the room, freezing everyone iracks.

  The elder woman's smile was as sharp as her gaze, cutting through the heavy tension in the room. Respect radiated off her as she offered a deep bow towards Evander, a testament to his standing in this society. Iurn, he gave a respectful nod, accepting her courtesy.

  However, before she could open her mouth to speak, Evander seized trol of the versation. His voice, firm and resolute, echoed throughout the hushed bank, "I am here to acquire a payment stone. Is it possible?"

  She blinked in surprise, her face refleg the uedness of his request. An undercurrent of fusio across her features. She was clearly not anticipating such a mundane request from someone of his stature. Her gaze swept across his determined face, analyzing his vi, and then she relented.

  "Of course," she responded, bowing slightly in aowledgment of his request. The words held the weight of deference, firming his and.

  She turned, settling into the plush chair behind the ter. The younger clerk, now restored to her previous position, hovered behihe elder woman's fingers danced across the holographic keyboard in front of her, her eyes sing the information that appeared on the s.

  With a final nod at Evander, she gestured towards the lumi crystal in front of him. "Please pce your hand on the crystal," she instructed, her voice carrying an echo of respect.

  As he plied, the crystal pulsed in response, a kaleidoscope of colors spiraling out from its ter, refleg in the polished surface of the stone pext to it. The stone, inscribed with intricate symbols, began to glow in harmony with the pulsating crystal. The mesmerizing rhythm of the lights seemed to solidify the reality of his decision.

  The elder woman's fingers paused on the holographic dispy as she tilted her head slightly in Evander's dire. She requested with measured politeness, "May I know the amount you wish to transfer from your personal at?"

  A light fshed in Evander's eyes as a smile blossomed on his lips. He reed, shoulders rexed but posture still straight, exuding an air of nont fideransfer as much as possible.”

  Her fingers danced on the virtual keybain, the rhythm of her typing a stark trast to the quiet of the room. The holographic dispy responded in kind, fshing with a flurry of numbers as. After a few seds, her movements ceased and she swiveled her chair to face him.

  Her gaze softened and in her voice echoed a note ret, "I'm afraid your personal at does not hold any funds. Do you have any other ats we could draw from?"

  He nodded in quiet acceptance, his expression barely shifting. There was a beat of silence as he processed the information. A slight twitch of his eyebrows, the only indication of his internal thoughts. Empty, huh? Just like my old life.

  The bank clerk then transitioned into an array of other services they could offer to someone of his stature, especially as a man in this world. She spoke with an eagero assist, trying to add value to his experience. But Evander remained uurbed, his focus already miles ahead.

  Instead, he listened politely, nodding at intervals, and thahem for their help. His attention, though, was already oohe glow it emitted felt like a symbol of the freedom he was seeking in this world.

  Ign their offers, he stood up, the stone now safely tucked in his pocket. He knew about the fees associated with its use.

  --

  Evander found himself ba his residence, a dome seated amidst parknds. The night was falling in ear now, the dome's walls, a sheer expanse of gss, providing an unbroken view of the encroag twilight. He'd spent the day expl, learning, exerg. Yet, now, as the evening cast long shadows, he was alone.

  He pondered over the abrupt departure of Calliope and Adrasteia after their exit from the bank. Their faces, once lively and full of chatter, had bee somber, their eyes revealing a newfound respect, or perhaps fear, towards him. The title 'high hey'd flung at him had seemed to deepen the chasm that was slowly f between them.

  Why should a title ge anything?

  He gazed out the window, his eyes drawn towards the city's edge where a mammoth wall guarded the civilized world from the wilderness beyond. As he squinted into the distance, a spectacle began to unfold.

  Just above the wall, lights sprouted into the sky like a sudden bloom. Fireballs exploded in mid-air, their radiant glow illuminating the dark expanse before they disappeared as abruptly as they appeared. Bright streaks shot upwards, dang and spiraling in an are ballet. They struck dark, ominous shadows that fell toward the earth.

  The celestial onsught tie outside, the relentless volley of fireballs and streaks of light locked in a fierce skirmish with the desding shadows. The wilderness beyond the city was ahereal stage, hosting a ballet of destru and chaos that fasated Evander.

  A rogue grin of exhiration danced across his face, the unfolding spectacle reflected in his eager eyes. A straisfa was brewing within him, a thrill pulsating with the rhythm of his heartbeat. This was a world of peril and entment, where the boundaries of munday were pushed and torted beynition. It was an arena for wild dreams and audacious spirits.

  His words tumbled into the silence of his residence, spoken in hushed whispers like sacred fessions. "Now this... this is more like it," he murmured, his voice ced with an intoxig blend of awe aement.

  The stant backdrop of the dramatic dispy outside, the tinuous surge and fall of the fireballs, the shrieking shadows crumbling uhe assault - all of it made Evander feel oddly fortable. His heart raced, his blood surged, every fiber of his being screamed of danger. Yet, there was an addictive thrill to it all. It was as if danger was an old friend he'd been waiting to meet, an indispensable part of his existence.