As they walked through the grand academy grounds, the late afternoon sun cast long, sweeping shadows across the stone pathways.
Students moved past them in lively groups, and professors traveled purposefully between the massive structures.
The academy felt more alive than ever before.
For a while, neither of them spoke a word.
Then, without warning, Minato suddenly tossed a small object over his shoulder toward him.
Shinazu caught it instinctively.
It was a sleek metallic card forged from black and gold.
Engraved clearly upon the surface in shimmering golden lettering was:
**[ Hinokami Kingdom: Personal Identification ]**
– **Photo:** [A magical imprint of his face]
– **Name:** Shinazu Tsukuyomi
– **Date of Birth:** 7th, Saar, 36th Year of 61st Sol
– **Height, Weight, Eye & Hair Color**
– **Attribute:** Fire Magic
He was in shock, Shinazu hadn’t realized he was actually being issued an official identification card.
But more than that he was dumbfounded by another thing.
“How did you know all this, I never told you all that about myself?
especially date of birth, Even I don’t know that myself..”
“You remember the Estate Office, where they asked you to stand on a podium.”
He nodded, “What about it?”
“The Estate Office has an ancient artifact that can determine a person’s exact age.
From your age, they calculated backward and determined your date of birth,” Minato explained.
“7th, Saar, 36th Year of 61st Sol….” The date felt heavy in his head.
For several long moments, he simply stared at the metallic card resting in his palm.
A strange, overwhelming feeling filled his chest.
The card itself wasn’t inherently valuable, nor was it magically powerful.
Yet, it meant more to him than almost anything he had ever owned.
For the very first time in his life…
he officially existed.
Not as a street stray.
Not as a nameless, disposable orphan.
Not as a cursed Devil Spawn.
He was recognized by the kingdom as a person.
As Shinazu Tsukuyomi.
And he came to know when he was born.
Minato quietly observed the shifting expressions on the boy’s face from the corner of his eye, the sudden spike of excitement, the disbelief, and the immense happiness that the kid was trying so desperately to hide behind a stoic facade.
Minato smiled warmly, pretending not to notice the emotional breakthrough.
“You don’t have to stare at it all day, It’s yours now!” Minato said, snapping the boy back to reality.
Shinazu blinked, quickly pocketing the card.
“Thank you.”
“Where is the ring I gave you earlier?” Minato asked, glancing down at his hands.
Shinazu reached into the inside pocket of his black robe, pulling out the silver storage ring to show him.
“Right here.”
Minato frowned slightly, his eyebrows knitting together.
“Why aren’t you actually wearing it?” You are reading on g.com, the official source.
“I thought someone might try to steal it from me,” Shinazu admitted, looking down.
“I know they are exceptionally expensive, and…
I’ve never actually used one before.”
Minato blinked twice in sheer surprise, before letting out a soft chuckle.
“Don’t worry, kid.
This isn’t the lawless streets of Hokuto, this is Himetsu and you are inside the Academy.
Nobody is going to rob you here.
Besides, to actually use a storage ring, you have to wear it.
You link your own consciousness to the internal space, visualize what is stored inside, and simply will the item to come out or go in.”
To demonstrate, Minato held up his own hand.
A sleek red ring on his middle finger suddenly came alive, glowing with intricate violet-blue runes as a crystal materialized in his hand.
Shinazu already understood the theoretical concept of spatial magic from observations, but he had never possessed the opportunity to handle one himself.
He slid the silver band onto the middle finger of his right hand.
He couldn’t help but notice how perfectly the silver metal matched the design of his hidden celestial bracelet.
Closing his eyes, he focused his thoughts and projected his mind into the ring.
Instantly, his consciousness linked seamlessly to a pocket dimension measuring exactly one cubic meter.
Resting quietly inside were the extra sets of fine clothes they had purchased at the parlor in Hokuto.
Deciding to test it, he focused on one of the folded garments and willed it to manifest.
The intricate runes etched along his silver ring immediately flared with a beautiful violet-blue gradient glow.
He had seen others utilize spatial items before, but experiencing the pull of dimensional magic firsthand was thoroughly intriguing.
However, the moment the magical glow faded, the piece of clothing popped out of thin air and smacked him directly in the face.
Minato burst out laughing.
“A vital piece of advice, Shinazu: before taking anything in or out of a spatial storage device, always make sure to visualize exactly where you intend to place it first!”
Shinazu flushed slightly, pulling the fabric off his face.
He nodded obediently at the instruction, focusing his mind once more to cleanly send the cloth back into the ring’s pocket dimension with a single thought.
As Minato turned to continue walking forward, Shinazu hurried to keep pace, a question crossing his mind.
“But…
Minato-sensei?”
“Hmm?”
“I am only fourteen years old.
To get a legal identification card and an academy registration for someone under sixteen, don’t you legally require an official adult guardian to sign off on the paperwork?
Where did you manage to find a guardian for me on such short notice?”
“I filled out that section myself,” Minato replied casually, keeping his eyes forward as he walked.
“I listed myself as your official guardian.”
Shinazu stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the professor’s back with a profound sense of awe and admiration.
He stood completely still on the pathway, the weight of what the man had done washing over him.
Several seconds later, Minato noticed the sudden absence of footsteps behind him.
He paused and looked back over his shoulder.
“Don’t just stand there gaping, Keep up.”
Shinazu quickly rushed forward, falling back into step right beside him.
Eventually, they arrived in front of a ten-story building.
It was a massive residential dormitory, with students constantly entering and exiting through the wide front doors.
Minato took out a sturdy bronze key etched with glowing rune inscriptions from his storage ring.
Engraved clearly upon the flat head of the key was: _F-520_. The source of this chapter is g.com.
They stepped inside the building, and Shinazu found himself gaping once more.
The interior looked less like a standard student dormitory and more like a high-end noble manor.
The polished walls, the elegant architecture, and the intricate, floating magical wall lamps and grand crystal chandeliers illuminated the massive main reception hall.
Minato confidently led the way up the grand central staircase, with Shinazu following closely behind under the curious gazes of several wealthy children loitering in the hall.
They reached the fifth floor and walked down to the very end of the long corridor, stopping in front of a single polished wooden door.
A black metallic plate stuck to the wall beside it bore the letters _F-520_ in elegant golden script.
Minato turned and handed him the bronze key.
Shinazu looked down at the key resting in his open palm, completely confused for a moment.
_Does he want me to open the door for him?_
Shaking off his hesitation, he stepped forward and inserted the key into the keyhole.
The moment the metal fully entered the lock, the etched runes along the bronze key lit up with a soft green glow.
_Click._
The distinct sound of the mechanism unlocking echoed softly.
Still entirely unsure of what was happening, Shinazu reached out and tilted the heavy brass door handle downward, pushing the door open.
He stepped inside and blinked.
The room was beautiful.
It featured a large, comfortable bed covered in rich red sheets, a matching plush red rug covering the hardwood floor, a sturdy study desk with a chair, a spacious clothes closet, and an empty wooden bookshelf, all perfectly arranged within a clean, 20-by-20-foot space.
While it wasn’t a sprawling royal suite, it was far more luxurious than any high-end inn.
He turned back to look at Minato, utterly baffled as to why they were standing in this room.
“This is your room from now on,” Minato stated smoothly.
“My room…?” Shinazu whispered, his voice cracking.
“Unless, you prefer the alternative of sleeping outside on the dirt,” Minato replied with a playful shrug.
The boy stared down at the bronze key in his hand.
Yet another incredible gift.
Yet another monumental first in his life.
First it was the expensive, tailored clothes.
Then admission to the greatest academy in the world.
Then an official identity card, a legal guardian, a rare storage ring, and now…
a room.
A clean, safe place that officially belonged to him, even if it was only temporary.
The sheer wave of emotion crashing over his chest was entirely difficult to describe.
The professor turned his head, noticing that the boy was standing completely still, staring up at him with wide, unblinking eyes.
Minato let out a soft sigh, crossing his arms.
“What is it now?”
“Why?”
There it was again.
That single, heavy question.
It was the exact same word Shinazu always used whenever something happened.
But this time, the tone felt completely different.
It wasn’t laced with deep suspicion, nor was it defensive or hostile.
He just sounded utterly confused.
Genuinely, profoundly confused.
Minato slowly approached the boy, his expression softening.
“Why what?”
“Why are you helping me like this?” Shinazu asked, his voice trembling slightly.
“Why are you doing all of this for a complete stranger?”