Chapter 31: Colonel Lalanta

  Nitaan opened the door to a blandly decorated room, a stark contrast to its luxurious exterior. There was only a wooden table against the wall, a leather chair, a large window, and a few pictures on the wall. On the wooden table sat a small photograph of a family—two women cradling a small boy, all three smiling happily.

  On the table sat a middle-aged woman with her legs crossed, leaning against the wall, leaving the expensive leather chair alone and unoccupied.

  This middle-aged woman was beautiful, with sharp, slender eyebrows. Despite her beauty, her face held a hint of ferocity, as if she had witnessed too much fight and war. Age did not diminish her beauty in the slightest. Her well-proportioned figure and curves showed the result of years of training and meticulous self-care.

  She was dressed in a khaki uniform like the other officers. The khaki jacket adorned with numerous medals hung loosely on her shoulders. The lack of pride in those medals shows clearly in how she just hung them. She did not even bother pinning them on her uniform.

  She wore only a simple black shirt tucked into her trousers, fastened with an army belt. Her ponytail, though longer, resembled Nitaan’s, giving her a more energetic and practical look.

  Colonel Lalanta, head of the City Guard unit in the capital.

  Colonel Lalanta glanced briefly at the two guards beside Nitaan. They nodded knowingly and quickly withdrew from the room.

  Once the door closed, Colonel Lalanta's stern face softened slightly. A gentle smile appeared on her face, her eyes filled with affection as if she were seeing a grandchild.

  "You've grown so much. Back then you were such a shy kid," Colonel Lalanta said, smiling and chuckling.

  "I was only 12 then," Nitaan retorted.

  "That's true. Back then you only read a book, holed up in your room, refusing to go anywhere. Now you're so much more outgoing," Colonel Lalanta teased.

  "Maybe," Nitaan laughed.

  Seeing Nitaan's good-natured laughter, Colonel Lalanta compared him to a young boy in the past. His eyes were empty, his cheeks stained with dried tears, as if he had cried until he had no more tears left to shed.

  The boy had grown up so well. He now has a beautiful, vibrant smile. Colonel Lalanta's face softened into a gentle smile.

  Colonel Lalanta was silent for a moment. Guilt and sadness flickered in her gentle eyes.

  "Your parents... I... I’m very sor..." Colonel paused for a moment before speaking in a trembling voice.

  "It's alright, Colonel. I've heard it a hundred times," Nitaan said, gesturing to stop her with a laugh.

  "But..." Colonel continued to struggle.

  "It's not your fault, Colonel. You protected thousands of people in Silalai town," Nitaan said with a faint smile.

  "But your parents..."

  "They were just unlucky," Nitaan interrupted, as if he didn't want to discuss the subject further.

  He didn't want to dwell on the past too much. His parents were gone long ago. The past was the past, nothing could be changed.

  Even though Nitaan spoke as if he had overcome it, the Colonel knew that he still had nightmares about the event. He clearly remembers how Nitaan always had a sleeping problem.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  He wasn't saying that only to comfort her. In his heart, Nitaan didn't blame her at all. In fact, it was she who kept blaming herself.

  "Oh, I almost forgot. This is Kiita. He's my companion and also my family." Nitaan changed the subject before picking up the giant dog from his side.

  "NitaanKiita? That's a wonderful name. A fun story accompanied by a beautiful melody—what could be better for a good night's sleep?" Colonel shook her head, trying to hide her guilt, and laughed cheerfully to ease the tension of their meeting.

  Since Nitaan didn't want to talk about it, she would respect his decision.

  Family… Thinking of Nitaan saying the word "family" with a smile again, Colonel Lalanta couldn't help but smile.

  "You're the first person who guessed the origin of the name on the first try." Nitaan raised his eyes slightly. He was sure she had never told Colonel about the origin of the name. It must have been her thoughtfulness that remembered what Nitaan liked.

  Colonel Lalanta's eyes sparkled as she walked over and lifted the giant dog with one hand. Kiita, sensing the gentleness of the woman in front of him, didn't retaliate. Although he felt a little awkward under the Colonel's gaze, he still allowed Colonel to pick him up and hold him.

  “Good name” She patted Kiita's head gently. Kiita’s fluffy fur made it so much fun to play with him.

  "NitaanKiita, a perfect name!" Nitaan nodded vigorously.

  "Woof woof!"

  NitaanKiita! NitaanKiita!

  "You've improved a lot. I guess you've already discovered the third word?" Colonel raised an eyebrow, one hand affectionately stroking Kiita's head as she placed him on the ground. A look of regret crossed his face as Kiita walked back to his master's side.

  "Your talent is really outstanding. If you had moved in with me at that time, you'd be famous throughout the capital by now." Colonel Lalanta shook her head regretfully.

  "I kind of miss my hometown, but from today on I will leave here in the capital." Nitaan replied.

  "So that's why you're here to see me?" Colonel Lalanta suddenly frowned.

  "You should try to keep a low profile. People love to make fun of others' misfortunes. Especially when that person is a genius who was forced to perform Engraving Ceremony prematurely.”

  "I don’t really care. Kiita is my family and my only family left. I regret nothing." Nitaan replied. He had long since stopped caring about those who talk badly about him.

  "Just as expected of you," Colonel laughed.

  "You perform Engraving Ceremony prematurely. Now you're 21. You suddenly decide to move to the capital, and you've also come to see me immediately. Hmm..." Colonel Lalanta pondered for a moment.

  "Let me guess, you have heard about next year's Malakai Empire Tournament, where the prize is Moonlight Dew, a natural treasure that is able to refill Spirit Root’s Great River, from somewhere. So you thought that since you're still just a Learner, you wouldn't have a chance to win, so you came to the capital to gain more experience, hoping to become a First word Engraver before the tournament, right?" Colonel rattled off.

  Nitaan choked. All the plans he'd devised in his head had been read through by this woman in just a few minutes after not seeing him for so many years.

  "I really can't hide anything from you, Colonel." Nitaan grumbled.

  "You're still as naggy as ever. Be careful, nagging that much will make you age faster," Colonel Lalanta laughed.

  "Well, let me give you some advice. Moonlight Dew does increase the chance of performing a second Ceremony, but not by much.”

  “The main goal of the tournament is actually to find a talented individual like you who was forced to perform Ceremony prematurely," Colonel Lalanta said.

  "If you are able to catch strong individual eyes, that person will give you even more than a single drop.”

  “That single drop of Moonlight Dew is just a lure to attract talented individuals from rural areas like you," Colonel continued.

  Nitaan listened attentively. Now he understands why the age limit is 40. At that age most people will only be Learner, yet there are always Engraver in the tournament.

  He didn't need to win the competition to receive the dew. Just demonstrating enough potential would be sufficient.

  Then everything will be much easier. But we also need Kiita’s treasure.

  "Don't get too excited. If it's a past tournament, there's a high chance that a strong individual would be interested in you. But this year is different," Colonel shook her head.

  "From what I know, this competition will have two Enlightened participating and also four Second word Engravers," the Colonel said with a neutral expression.

  Nitaan's mouth dropped open.

  Two Enlightened who aren’t even 40? Is it that easy to become an Enlightened these days? Nitaan grumbled inwardly.

  Colonel Lalanta seeing Nitaan’s face, suddenly burst into laughter.

  "What? Do you think the Empire-organized tournament will be easy? No way! Let me tell you, for many years, no one has caught the eye of a strong individual. To be fair, catching the eye of a strong individual is even harder than winning the tournament." Colonel Lalanta smirked.

  "You should wait and participate in the next tournament. By then you'll be 31 and will have the opportunity to become an Engraver. The chances will be much better than this time." Colonel advised.

  "Why are there so many Enlightened and Engravers participating this time?" Nitaan grumbled.

  "How would I know? Maybe it's fate. Let's just say, unless you have a trump card or talent surpassing those geniuses, it'll be difficult to catch the eye of these top-tier Fate Scripters." She shrugged.

  Nitaan didn't reply. Perhaps setting his sights on winning would be easier. And along the way, he might catch their eyes if he were lucky.

  "Since you are here, I guess you are looking for a job. Got it. Welcome to the City Guard unit." Colonel Lalanta easily guessed his purpose of coming here.

  "We'll discuss salary and benefits later. First, you'll take the entrance exam so we can determine which department you belong to: Core officers, field unit, or the general unit."

  "I thought I had a better connection." Nitaan laughed.

  "Hmph. Just being able to come to see me and immediately getting you through to the exam ARE connections. Do you know how many people are waiting to take the exam to join the unit? Let me tell you, I won't go easy on the test. If your performance is terrible, you'll be sitting at the desk signing documents all day." Colonel grinned.