The Administrator Faction Hall was less of a building and more of a monument to the very concept of order. The spire shot into the sky, a gleaming spear of white stone and crystal that seemed to hold the clouds at bay. As we approached the massive, ornate entrance, the chaotic, lively sounds of the central plaza faded away, replaced by a profound, humming silence. It felt like stepping into a grand library or a cathedral dedicated to the god of bureaucracy.
"Deep breaths, Kael," Erina whispered, though her voice sounded unnaturally loud in the sudden quiet. "Try to look like you're not about to be audited for your entire life's inventory."
"Easy for you to say," I mumbled back. "You're not the one carrying a potentially world-ending cursed item in your pocket."
The interior was even more intimidating than the outside. The floors were polished white marble that reflected the cold, ambient light from enchanted crystals floating near the impossibly high ceiling. Endless rows of dark wood desks stretched out across a cavernous hall, each occupied by a person diligently shuffling through stacks of parchment. The only sounds were the soft rustle of paper, the quiet murmur of hushed conversations, and the rhythmic, definitive thud of official stamps hitting ink pads. It was the complete opposite of the Builder's functional workshop and the Adventurers' rowdy, chaotic hall. This place was sterile, silent, and suffocatingly organized.
Erina, however, seemed completely unfazed. She walked with a confident stride toward a large, central reception desk, her vibrant orange hair a splash of defiant color in the otherwise monochrome environment. I followed in her wake, feeling like a scruffy stray that had wandered into a pristine art gallery.
A young woman sat behind the desk, her head bowed as she scribbled something onto a form. She had a neat bob of mint-green hair and wore a pair of thin-rimmed glasses perched on her nose. She didn't look up as we approached.
"Name, affiliation, and purpose of visit," she said in a clear, professional monotone, her pen never ceasing its scratching.
"Erina, Adventurer Faction, here on a diplomatic mission of the heart," Erina announced cheerfully.
The pen stopped.
The woman looked up slowly. Her eyes, a sharp and intelligent shade of emerald green behind her glasses, widened in recognition. A slow, mischievous grin spread across her face, instantly transforming her from a stern bureaucrat into someone warm and familiar.
"Erina! You actually came!" she exclaimed, her voice a pleasant, melodic chime that was a stark contrast to the hall's oppressive silence. "I was starting to think you'd gotten eaten by a Slime Mold."
"You wish, Miyuri," Erina shot back, leaning casually on the desk. "You'd be lost without me to spice up your dreadfully boring life of paper-pushing."
"My life is not boring," the girl—Miyuri—countered, pushing her glasses up her nose. "It's structured. There's a difference." Her gaze then shifted from Erina to me, and her grin widened. She looked me up and down with a comically analytical stare. "And who's this? Don't tell me… is this the one you were telling me about?"
I blinked, completely lost. The one? What was she talking about?
Erina, instead of looking flustered, positively beamed. She suddenly latched onto my arm, her grip surprisingly strong, and leaned her head against my shoulder with a dramatic sigh. "Oh, Miyuri, I couldn't keep it a secret from you any longer! You're my best friend, after all."
My brain, which was already struggling to process the intimidating environment, promptly short-circuited. What was happening?
"We're here on official business," Erina continued, her voice taking on a wavering, emotional tremor. She squeezed my arm tighter, looking up at my face with wide, adoring eyes that were filled with… were those tears?! "Kael and I… we've decided to make it official! We're getting married!"
The words hit the silent hall like a physical explosion. My entire thought process crashed. A dial-up modem sound effect would not have been out of place inside my head.
Miyuri gasped, covering her mouth with her hands in a perfect imitation of shocked delight. "No! Really? Oh, Erina, I'm so happy for you!"
"Yes!" Erina sniffled, dabbing a fake tear from the corner of her eye. "We've been through so much, you know? The danger, the adventure… it brought us together! And now, we need the paperwork from the Administrator Faction to formally register our union. We want everything to be proper."
I could feel the blood rushing to my face, a tidal wave of heat that started in my chest and exploded across my cheeks and ears. I was pretty sure my entire head was the color of Erina's scarlet coat. I tried to form a word, any word—"no," "wait," "what"—but my throat had seized up. I just stood there, a statue of pure, unadulterated mortification, while Erina clung to my arm like we were the star-crossed lovers in some grand romance.
I glanced at her and saw, to my utter astonishment, that she was blushing too. A faint pink dusted her cheeks, a stark contrast to her confident performance. She was enjoying this, but it wasn't entirely an act for her, either. That realization only made my own blush deepen.
"We… uh… no, that's…" I finally managed to stammer, my voice cracking embarrassingly.
Erina finally let go of my arm, the theatrical tears vanishing as she burst into a fit of laughter. "Oh, wow, Kael, your face! I wish I had a recording crystal!"
Miyuri was laughing too, a bright, genuine sound that drew a few disapproving glares from the nearby desks. "Oh, you are terrible, Erina! I almost believed you!" She wiped a tear of actual laughter from her eye and then looked at me, her expression softening into one of amusement and sympathy. "Sorry about that. She does this. It's her way of showing affection."
"It's okay," I managed to choke out, though my heart was still hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird.
"He's just a friend," Erina clarified, playfully nudging me with her elbow. "We're here on an actual errand. An important one, from the Builder Faction."
At the mention of the Builder, Miyuri's professional demeanor snapped back into place, but the playful smirk lingered on her lips. She gave the two of us a knowing look, a silent "I see what's going on here" that made my blush flare up all over again.
"An errand from the Builder, you say?" she said, her tone now crisp and efficient. "That is a rare occasion. He usually keeps to himself."
Feeling a desperate need to steer the conversation onto solid, non-romantic ground, I stepped forward. "I'm Kael. The Builder asked me to deliver this to one of your senior officials." I held up the wooden case, my hand still trembling slightly.
Miyuri's eyes fell on the case, and her expression grew serious as she recognized the pulsing blue rune. "I see. That is the Master Builder's official seal." She nodded. "In that case, I'm glad I was the one at the desk today." She stood up, smoothing out her uniform. "My name is Miyuri, of the Records and Protocol Division. It's a pleasure to meet you properly, Kael."
"You too," I said, finally feeling like I could breathe again.
"Come with me," she instructed, waving us past the reception desk. "Deliveries of this importance must be handled by the Section Chief directly. I'll take you to her office."
As we followed her into the labyrinthine corridors of the faction hall, I couldn't help but feel the lingering heat in my cheeks. The city was a place of monsters, glitches, and factions, but right now, all I could think about was the ridiculous, heart-pounding prank and the surprisingly warm feeling of Erina's hand on my arm. This simple errand was already proving to be far more complicated than I could have ever imagined.