I Received System to Become Dragonborn-Chapter 1285: Consultation

The three Dragonborn remained seated beneath the young tree for another minute before rising calmly from the bench.

Without drawing attention, they walked in three separate directions immediately, each of them blending into the slow current of the city streets.

Within moments they disappeared into the movement of merchants, travelers, and wagons, their overwhelming presence concealed beneath the quiet spells they had maintained.

Far behind them, the knight who had felt that strange ripple in his senses finished the remainder of his patrol route.

His name was Garrick.

By the time the patrol returned to the inner district barracks, the sun had climbed higher and the stone courtyard bustled with soldiers finishing their own shifts.

Garrick removed his helmet and set it on a wooden rack near the entrance before loosening the straps of his armor.

Sweat clung lightly to his short brown hair, but his face remained calm and thoughtful.

The others moved toward the mess hall, and he followed them.

The long wooden tables inside were already half filled with guards eating their midday meal. Garrick collected a simple tray filled with thick vegetable stew, two slices of coarse bread, and roasted root vegetables drizzled with oil and herbs.

A mug of watered ale completed the meal.

He sat with the rest of his patrol unit.

The smell of food, the scrape of chairs, and the steady hum of conversation filled the hall. But Garrick barely noticed any of it.

His spoon moved through the stew almost automatically while his mind replayed that brief moment in the street.

That faint pull. That ripple against his senses. Garrick had trusted his instincts his entire life.

When he had been a boy in a small northern village those instincts had once saved him.

He still remembered that winter clearly. The forest outside the village had been buried under deep snow, its trees silent and heavy beneath frost.

His friends had begged him to join them for an afternoon of playing among the frozen hills.

But something inside him had screamed not to go.

He could not explain it. No danger had been visible and no adult had warned them.

Yet the feeling had been so strong that he refused.

His friends mocked him, calling him a coward as they ran laughing toward the woods.

Garrick had stayed home that day, sitting near the fire and feeling miserable as he imagined the cold shoulders he would receive the next morning.

Ten children had gone into the forest.

But only five returned.

The group had wandered into the territory of a magical beast that had been hibernating beneath the snow. Their shouting and laughter had woken it. The enraged creature attacked without mercy.

From that day forward, Garrick had never ignored the quiet warnings of his senses.

And today, something had brushed against them again.

Across the table, one of his patrol companions noticed the distant look on his face.

"You’re still thinking about earlier, aren’t you?" the man asked between bites of bread.

Garrick nodded slowly.

"I felt something," he said quietly.

The other knight shrugged. "Your instincts are sharper than most. Maybe they’re too sharp sometimes. Could just be your mind making trouble where there is none."

Garrick did not argue. It would have been pointless.

"Maybe," he replied.

But the other knight could clearly see that he was not convinced.

After a moment, the man leaned forward slightly.

"If it bothers you that much, go report it to Archmage Velrion," he suggested. "That’s what the Arcane Authority is for."

Garrick paused, considering the idea.

The Arcane Authority governed Magic matters within the city, and Archmage Velrion served as its chief overseer. If something unusual had truly occurred, he would be the one who should know.

After a few seconds, Garrick nodded.

"That... might be a good idea."

Once lunch ended and the patrol dispersed, Garrick left the barracks and headed toward the upper district.

The Arcane Authority’s headquarters stood near the center of the city, rising above the surrounding buildings like a tower of pale stone and blue crystal.

Sigils glowed faintly along its outer walls, forming slow-moving patterns of protection and detection.

Two robed guards stood at the entrance, their staffs etched with glowing runes.

They allowed Garrick inside after he identified himself.

The interior smelled faintly of parchment, ink, and lingering Magical energy.

Scholars moved through the halls carrying scrolls and crystal devices. Light filtered through tall stained-glass windows depicting ancient events.

Garrick followed a curved staircase to the upper floor before being guided to a circular chamber.

At the center of the room stood Archmage Velrion.

The man was tall and thin, with long silver hair tied neatly behind his back.

Deep blue robes embroidered with symbols that somehow were able to shift draped around him, and several floating crystal tablets hovered slowly near his shoulders as if awaiting instruction.

His sharp gray eyes lifted calmly as Garrick entered.

The archmage studied him for a moment.

"Yes?" Velrion said in a smooth, measured voice. "What brings you to my hall today, Garrick?

Archmage Velrion had known Garrick for many years.

The two of them had worked together more than once when matters involving both the city guard and the Arcane Authority required cooperation.

Garrick had escorted expeditions outside the city walls, guarded ritual sites when unstable phenomena appeared, and even fought alongside Velrion during a mission years ago when a rogue summoner had opened a rift beneath the eastern district.

Because of that, their relationship had long moved past the stiff formality that usually existed between a knight and an archmage.

They trusted each other.

Velrion studied Garrick for a moment longer, noticing the tight line in the knight’s expression.

"You look troubled," the archmage said calmly.

Garrick straightened slightly.

"Sorry to disturb you, Archmage," he said. "I wasn’t sure if this was worth reporting."

Velrion’s lips curved into a faint smile.

"If it truly wasn’t important, you would not have walked all the way here with that expression," he replied.

Garrick hesitated.

That was exactly the problem.

Because he was no longer sure whether what he had felt had been real or simply something his instincts had exaggerated.

"It might be nothing," Garrick admitted. "Just a feeling."

Velrion did not dismiss the statement.

Instead, he gestured toward a chair beside a circular table covered with floating crystal screens.

"Sit," the archmage said. "And tell me what happened."

Garrick sat slowly.

For a few seconds he remained silent, organizing his thoughts.

Part of him felt foolish even saying it aloud. After all, he had no concrete evidence. Just a feeling.

But he had already come this far.

"I was on patrol earlier today," Garrick began. "Near the transition between the lower district and the slum. There were many people in the street. Nothing unusual at first. But when three travelers passed our patrol... something happened."

The archmage’s eyes sharpened slightly.

"What kind of travelers?"

"I don’t know," Garrick admitted. "They looked ordinary. Just three strangers walking through the street."

He paused before continuing.

"But when they passed, something brushed against my senses. It wasn’t hostile. That’s the strange part. It didn’t feel like killing intent or malicious magic."

He frowned, struggling to describe it.

"It felt... big."

The word sounded almost inadequate.

"Like standing near something enormous that isn’t trying to hurt you," Garrick added. "But you still know it’s there."

Velrion remained silent, allowing him to continue.

"That’s all I have. Just a moment when something touched my senses. My friends said I was probably overthinking it."

The room grew quiet. Unlike the others in the barracks, however, Velrion did not dismiss the report.

The archmage’s expression had turned thoughtful.

He folded his hands slowly as his sharp gray eyes studied Garrick with renewed focus.

"You said three travelers," Velrion said at last.

"Yes."

"And the sensation felt large... but not hostile."

Garrick nodded.

Velrion remained silent for several seconds more. Then the faint smile on his face slowly disappeared.

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