The Bookkeeper-Chapter 76: Day of Ceremony

Raiden positioned himself on the central landing of the bifurcated staircase, Ash resting on his shoulder. From there, he could see King Hannes and Alora making their way down the left branch.

Raiden was dressed in a black suit with white inner sleeves, the black cravat at his throat pressed snugly against his neck. His dark hair, gently brushed back, gave him a sharp, formal appearance that contrasted with his usual look.

The nervousness that had plagued him during the day paled in comparison to what he felt now, and he couldn’t help but fidget with his fingers while staring down at the royals and nobles who gazed up at him from the hall below.

Seeking to distract himself, he glanced left again, and this second look at Alora made him question her identity.

She wore a deep green gown, its bodice adorned with intricate gold embroidery. A heart-shaped necklace with an embedded gemstone lay at her throat, and the skirt flowed to the floor in rich emerald and deep teal hues, her white hair flickering behind her.

This was the first time Raiden had seen her dressed this way, and he had to admit she looked elegant, though he still couldn’t see her as anything other than a manipulative prick.

King Hannes, however, barely caught his attention. The only difference in the king’s appearance was a deep purple half-cape sweeping from one shoulder and a ceremonial sash worn across his chest.

"Hey, birthday boy, don’t hog all the beauty," Alora teased, giving Raiden a rehearsed smile. "I think those below want a piece of me, too."

Raiden simply shook his head in disbelief. King Hannes smiled at them and took the front row, positioning himself between Raiden and Alora.

He began to wonder if this was his ceremony or Alora’s, but maybe that was for the best. At least he didn’t have to worry about the crowd.

"It’s time to descend, Raiden," King Hannes whispered. "You must meet the visitors."

Raiden took a deep breath and braced himself. Before he could take a step, Alora extended her hand toward him. "Come on, be a gentleman."

Raiden clenched his fist in irritation, but King Hannes was already a few steps ahead. If he delayed any longer, the attention would be more than he could handle.

With an obvious sneer across his face, he placed Alora’s hand in his, and they descended the stairs together. The audience’s admiring glances made Raiden’s face twitch with irritation.

The moment they reached the bottom of the stairs, he immediately let go of Alora’s hand, while she giggled in amusement and covered her mouth gently.

King Hannes took a glass of wine, cleared his throat, and commanded the attention of everyone present.

"Tonight, we gather not just in celebration, but in gratitude—for life, for peace, and for those who carry the quiet weight of duty with grace."

A servant offered a tray of wine to Raiden, but he declined, while Alora graciously accepted a glass, though she didn’t drink from it.

"To the one who has kept our histories safe, our secrets guarded, and our future steady—"

King Hannes continued. "To the Bookkeeper, Raiden Night, may your years be many and your burdens light."

Raiden forced a practiced smile as he looked at the visitors’ faces.

"Let us raise our glass in honor—to wisdom, to service, and to you."

The moment they raised their glasses, Raiden understood why Alora had taken the wine. It was too late now, so he tucked his hands into his pockets to avoid any awkwardness.

"To the Bookkeeper!" King Hannes announced, and the others joined in.

Raiden had to quickly pull his hands from his pockets the moment they finished the toast, as people began approaching to shake hands with him.

For a moment, he actually enjoyed it since all he had to do was shake hands and offer a rehearsed response. His uneasiness disappeared before he knew it.

As it turned out, most of the people there hadn’t come because of him at all—they had their own agendas and began networking with one another, while the few who actually approached him either thanked him for his service or wished him a happy birthday.

He took a deep breath and smiled as he stood there. His first-ever birthday wasn’t as bad as he had imagined. All he had to do was stand still and smile.

But clearly his peace was short-lived. Just as he stood there, Alora grabbed his hand and led him as they maneuvered through the crowd to the center of the hall.

Confusion washed over Raiden. For the second time, he seemed to have caught everyone’s attention as they all turned to look at him and Alora.

The lights in the hall instantly dimmed, leaving only a spotlight trained on them. Raiden’s heart immediately began to race as sweat formed on his forehead. He knew what was coming: a dance. And he couldn’t dance, not that he could remember.

Music began playing immediately, and Alora wrapped him in her arms, leading the dance. She seemed completely absorbed in it, and Raiden’s fear started to fade as he realized he could actually dance.

Thank you, Raiden—he thought with a pretend sad expression.

Whatever Alora was planning, he wasn’t going to make it easy for her. From the faces around them, everyone seemed to see Alora’s actions as genuine—the smiles, the sparkles, the confident expression she wore—but Raiden knew what was really happening. She was up to something.

But he didn’t let it bother him much as he started enjoying it more than he should, chills surging through his body as they danced through the cold wind.

Everything was going well as their dance encouraged many others to start dancing, but Raiden’s expression shifted to confusion as he suddenly stepped away from Alora. She nearly fell but managed to keep her balance.

His heart began racing, chills shooting down his spine as he stared directly at an elderly woman dressed in a white and blue maid’s uniform.

They locked eyes, staring at each other while the woman wore a faint, sarcastic smile. It was her—the woman from his last mission as an assassin.

However, just as he was lost in his daze, Alora tapped him on the shoulder, snapping him back to reality. All it took was a blink, and the woman was gone.

He ran toward where she had been, completely ignoring Alora as he searched for her. Each second that passed filled him with mixed emotions. He didn’t know whether to be happy or confused.

However, his mixed feelings shifted to disappointment as he failed to find the woman, encountering his mother, Yara, in the crowd instead.

"Hey, Raiden," Yara said awkwardly. "Happy Birthday... I wasn’t sure I’d catch you since you were so busy, but I couldn’t miss your eighteenth birthday for the world."

She kept rambling, her blue aura fluctuating from nervousness, but all Raiden felt was disgust. She had interrupted his search just to act like a caring mother?

Even though he had manipulated her into abandoning the Night family name, she had still done it willingly. She had suggested it herself—she was no different from his previous mother, Jane.

Just as she spoke, Raiden turned and started walking away. She tried to stop him, but Raiden glanced back at her with a menacing expression before slipping on a masked smile.

"Don’t draw too much attention to us, Mother... otherwise, you might have to leave," he said with polite menace. "Don’t push your luck..."

Yara instantly released him, her mouth falling open in shock.

Raiden then tucked his hands into his pockets and began walking out of the hall. His mind raced over what he had seen—was the woman real, or had he imagined her?

His eyes stayed on the floor until he almost accidentally collided with someone, nearly causing Ash to tumble from his shoulder. He glanced up to see a gold crest bearer who had activated his domain, his aura forming a sphere around him.

He looked around in confusion because it seemed like no one else could see the domain. Anyone who walked through it emerged with their jewelry dropping to the ground. He was a thief.

Just as he stood there, a gentleman in a black suit with gray hair approached, his yellow aura flowing around him. He brought three guards who restrained the thief and stripped him of all the stolen goods.

He moved toward Raiden, who remained frozen in bewilderment.

"You are the bookkeeper, right?" he asked with an offered handshake, but Raiden caught the smirk playing on his lips and refused to take it.

He let his hand fall. "You can see auras, can’t you?"

Raiden looked at him curiously, wondering why this man was approaching him so familiarly when he’d already met everyone who mattered.

"Not everyone can see that, including the domains, so don’t be surprised by their obliviousness."

He turned back to Raiden. "By the way, my name is Alex, and I’m a Dawnbringer."

Raiden instinctively put distance between them, his thoughts spiraling. Had they killed Leo and Levi? Otherwise, what would make his family’s greatest enemies speak to him so casually?

Alex raised his hands in a calming gesture. "I may be a Dawnbringer, but I’m not your enemy." Raiden’s expression told him everything.

He let out a sigh. "Okay, you enjoy your day. We’ll talk later." He smiled and walked away.

Raiden let out a sigh too, confusion clouding his thoughts. Minutes ago, he had supposedly seen the woman who might have killed and transmigrated him, yet when he searched for her, he met his mother—and now a Dawnbringer approaches him?

He stood there briefly, then finally made his way outside the hall as he had first planned. He needed space to think.

Once he got to the corridor, he began wandering, trying to find solace in the quiet around him.

After thinking it through, he dismissed seeing the elderly woman as one of Alora’s manipulations. Perhaps that was her goal all along: to play with his mind.

He hadn’t even spent half a year in this world, but he had experienced things that would take others a lifetime to encounter.

There had been so many problems: adapting to this world, his duties, and even understanding his familiar, Ash.

Though what weighed on him most was going back home, the others still couldn’t be ignored while he lived in this world.

But now that peace had finally come to the kingdom, he would enjoy it while it lasted and try to find a way back home, just like he’d always wanted.

It was his birthday, after all—something he’d never celebrated before. It would be worth enjoying for once.

He started back toward the ceremonial hall, and right at the entrance, he encountered Freya, who was stuffing cakes into her mouth.

"Hey, Bookkeeper," she said through a mouthful, walking toward him.

Raiden stared at her in disbelief. She didn’t look like she was here for a royal event at all, dressed in her usual black suit.

"I’ve been looking for you... go get me some beer. They say they won’t give me any more."

Raiden couldn’t say a word before she began pulling him inside. He smiled as he tried to let the moment settle in. Maybe it was better that way.

"Maybe it’s okay... just for tonight." He smiled, a genuine smile that warmed his heart.

[End of Volume 1: Keeper of Ashes.]

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