Ch.94[Chapter 94] License

“So, you’re saying this isn’t a bug?”

Sir Dominic, who had visited the Executive branch’s public communication channel, the so-called customer service center, heard these words from the indifferent employee sitting there.

“For detailed information, please check the FAQ section. I’ve only been told from above that it’s not a bug. Next customer!”

The Executive branch employee, seeing Sir Dominic’s puzzled expression, thought this might become troublesome.

Not wanting to deal with the hassle, the employee ignored Sir Dominic and called for the next customer.

As the employee predicted, Sir Dominic had many questions, but with the next customer behind him giving impatient looks, he left without getting any answers.

“If it’s not a bug, then what exactly is it?”

Alice, who had been eating cotton candy while sitting in the waiting area during Sir Dominic’s complaint, asked.

“Well. I suppose our first priority is to check the FAQ section.”

Sir Dominic took comfort in the fact that he had at least discovered some useful information and looked around.

Fortunately, there was a section on the wall with large letters reading ‘Frequently Asked Questions,’ so it didn’t take long to find.

Dozens of people were flipping through dozens of books at that wall, searching for something. They looked like seekers trying to find meaning in books, or perhaps nobles with burning eyes searching for weaknesses of rival nobles.

As Sir Dominic approached the wall, a book flew toward him and opened itself automatically.

This magical effect was perfectly normal in Gachaland.

Sir Dominic, now somewhat accustomed to Gachaland as a citizen, was no longer surprised by such things.

“Let’s see… the table of contents…”

Sir Dominic examined the table of contents first.

About Citizens. About Parties. About Clans. About Love. About World Truths. And About Equipment.

Sir Dominic’s gaze stopped at About Equipment. He would probably find his answer there.

Sir Dominic scanned the small listings under ‘About Equipment.’

Personal Equipment. Mount Equipment. Accessories. Couple Equipment.

After going through numerous listings, it seemed Sir Dominic couldn’t find what he was looking for.

Perhaps it would be in the remaining ‘Exceptions’ and ‘Rare Cases.’

Sir Dominic opened the book to the page indicated in the contents.

After reading through the exceptions and cases for quite some time, he finally found the information he wanted.

[Rare Case #177]

[A human being equipped in an accessory slot is not a bug but rather a gimmick similar to spirit equipment or ego weapons. Surprisingly, this gimmick has been openly present since the early days of Gachaland.]

[This gimmick activates when one person has high trust in another, has a strong will to be subordinate to that person, and fulfills this through a contract. At this time, the person who becomes an accessory transitions to an ethereal state where they neither inflict nor receive damage.]

[The equipped person maintains a bound state that cannot be released during the period specified in the contract. If the equipped person no longer wishes to continue life as an accessory, the bound state can be removed through mutual agreement.]

[The options of a person in accessory state reflect the abilities of their original form. Additionally, they can support you in various ways.]

Sir Dominic closed the book. He felt he had gathered almost all the information he wanted.

“What does it say?”

Alice looked at Sir Dominic with bright eyes, stomping her feet impatiently, unable to contain her childlike curiosity.

“It’s not a bug. It seems to be some kind of contract…”

Some sage once said that true knowledge isn’t just what you understand in your head, but what you can explain to others.

Sir Dominic thought he understood, but found it extremely difficult to explain.

However, Alice seemed uninterested in the details and simply nodded at the mention of a contract.

“If it’s not a bug, then it’s fine. I’m happy with any state as long as I can help Sir Dominic!”

“Excuse me, but if you’re done, could I have that spot…”

Just then, someone spoke to Sir Dominic and Alice from behind.

A short scholar wearing thick glasses had apparently been waiting for the spot and was looking up at them with a slightly irritated expression.

“I apologize. We’ll move right away.”

Sir Dominic took Alice and vacated the spot.

They then left the Executive branch’s complaint center and began walking through the park.

“Um, Master. Speaking of what was in the storage—”

Alice suddenly seemed to remember something and spoke to Sir Dominic.

“Are you going to get a license? Or just leave it as is?”

Alice’s question was extremely personal and impulsive.

With the biggest problem resolved, Alice had started thinking according to her stream of consciousness.

Since Alice’s logic was still developing, her thoughts wandered in odd directions until finally landing on the topic of vehicles.

Sir Dominic was momentarily confused by this question that seemed out of context.

But Alice’s words seemed somewhat important.

How long did he plan to just walk around Gachaland?

Wouldn’t a knight look most gallant riding something?

Just thinking about it… was a happy thought.

Even if one wasn’t a knight.

In truth, Sir Dominic’s thought structure wasn’t much different from Alice’s.

Though he had developed some common sense since coming to Gachaland, he was originally a man who knew nothing but war.

It wasn’t strange at all for such childlike aspects to emerge occasionally.

“Let’s go get a license.”

“What?”

Sir Dominic began striding forward purposefully.

He took out his phone from his pocket and searched for the nearest license testing center.

Sir Dominic moved forward without even knowing how the test would be conducted.

He was the type of person who found action more comfortable than deliberation.

…

At the license testing center, a 20-minute walk from the Executive branch.

In the lobby, an employee on a boat pulled by three ducks near the lakeside asked Sir Dominic who was standing on shore.

“Um… so you want to take the test?”

“That’s right.”

Sir Dominic confidently told the employee in the test center lobby.

A duck quacked. The employee felt that Sir Dominic, who had come without following any procedures, seemed like a difficult customer.

But with a customer right in front of him, explanations were necessary. The employee turned his head, sighed inaudibly, and then spoke to Sir Dominic.

“First, you need to choose between ground, underground, surface water, underwater, sky, or mirror world licenses.”

“And you also need to choose whether it’s large, medium, or small.”

“Then you need to confirm if it’s automatic, manual, or self-driving.”

The licensing process was incredibly complicated.

Sir Dominic stroked his chin as he listened to these instructions that seemed like a code to unlock a lock.

The employee, judging that it would take Sir Dominic a while to understand, handed him a form in a businesslike manner.

“Let’s start with the paperwork. Your name?”

“Master is Sir Dominic! Don’t you know Sir Dominic of Feralant?”

Alice suddenly stepped forward.

One of a disciple’s duties was to elevate their master’s name, and Alice remembered this duty, but in this situation, it actually had the opposite effect.

Definitely a difficult customer, thought the employee with a frown, but still a customer. Customers are kings, he muttered to himself as he pointed to a section of the paper.

“Write your name here, and fill in the simple personal information below. Then we’re done… Oh. You’re not planning to take the sky route test, are you? That requires additional paperwork and testing.”

In fact, Sir Dominic did own a steampunk-style airship, so he was somewhat conflicted.

But at a crossroads between doing something or not, doing it usually leads to fewer regrets.

Sir Dominic decided to take the sky route test as well while he was at it.

Even though he knew absolutely nothing about the test.

“I’ll take that too. I have a flying vehicle.”

The reckless Sir Dominic checked off everything on one form and then received and began filling out a new form.

When Sir Dominic completed all the fields, one of the ducks approached him and quacked loudly.

“When you’re finished, submit the forms to the duck.”

Sir Dominic handed the two forms to the duck.

The duck took the forms with its broad bill, swam across the lake, and delivered them to the employee.

The employee took a deep breath, almost like a sigh, and carefully examined the forms.

There didn’t seem to be any problematic areas.

“One is for a spider carriage, and one is for an airship. I heard both are new models that just came out. I guess you bought those.”

The employee’s mood improved a bit.

In fact, this employee, who worked at the license testing center because of his fascination with vehicles, thought Sir Dominic was a person full of romance.

Recently, people in Gachaland considered three main factors when choosing vehicles.

Special abilities, mobility, and cost-effectiveness.

Those who looked at special abilities typically belonged to the group that could fight alongside their vehicles.

Those who valued mobility purchased vehicles for fast travel, and those seeking cost-effectiveness were the fanatics known as “performance maniacs” in Gachaland.

However, Sir Dominic’s vehicles were the opposite of these three factors.

Ordinary, slow, and not cost-effective.

But they had a style that stirred people’s hearts.

The employee glanced at Sir Dominic.

It was the employee’s belief that there were no bad people among those who pursued the style of vehicles, and by this belief, Sir Dominic was deemed a good person.

“Let’s start with the spider carriage test. Get on.”

The employee brought the boat closer to the shore and helped Sir Dominic and Alice board.

The now much gentler employee lightly pulled the strings connected to the ducks, and they began swimming across the foggy lake.