Having seen so other doors which couldn’t be opened, or could only be opened at specific tis, Nero assud that the Administrator door was also like that. When he tried to open the door, and it actually opened, he was surprised, but he didn’t pause, or stop.
He was not worrying about his appearance being revealed. In the room which recorded his details, there was a mirror which showed that all his features were blurred.
In fact, there was also an option to use rits to change even the other details about how he appeared, aning that he could make himself appear taller, shorter, fatter, or even change his gender. Considering that all these changes would only be limited to the illusory realm of the Unity Network, most of it seed like Nero to be a great waste of rit, but he supposed there were so advantages to it.
As long as one did not intend to et in person, or through dreams like Flintlock, changing the appearance of the alias avatar might better help his identity. Nero made up his mind to alter his physique when he had rits to make him appear more like one would expect from a scholar.
The point, for now, was that Nero was not afraid of appearing in front of anyone, so he opened the door without worry.
It led to a cozy office, filled with wooden cabinets, rugs, a fireplace and countless stacks of files and papers. Behind a massive, rectangular wooden table, which sat right in the center of the room, sat soone studying sothing.
His appearance - not that such things mattered in the Unity Network - was not one that Nero would have expected upon thinking of an administrator. He was wearing a full sleeve, white linen shirt with a grey, tweed blazer. Black gloves covered his hands, a scarf hid his neck, and a mask and goggles hid his face and eyes, revealing not a speck of skin. A bowler hat ensured that even his hair was not visible.
When Nero entered, the Administrator seed to be reading through so kind of ledger, and hadn’t noticed Nero’s arrival at all.
Taking advantage of that, Nero took his ti looking around the room. The shelves contained endless files and books, but also decorations. There was an old, silver monoscope placed in front of a stack of books that probably wouldn’t be getting much use, and an old, wooden smokers pipe in front of another stack.
There were marble sculptures of soldiers, and replicas of weapons. There were paintings of cities, and old maps recorded on so kind of leather. In one corner of the room, Nero noticed a grandfather clock that wasn’t working, and in another he saw a flute.
The room was completely filled, yet it was not ssy. Everything was arranged perfectly, giving the office a very holy, and even lived-in feeling.
Besides that, Nero was impressed with the amount of knowledge that was packed into this room. The books were not re decorations, for he could read their nas on their spines. Encyclopedias on various topics, historical records, books on philosophy, psychology, literature and so many more filled the room, giving one the impression that the Administrator spent all his ti reading.
Eventually, once Nero took everything in, he knocked on the door, finally attracting the Administrators attention.
"Ah, pardon my manners," the Administrator said, closing the book with a relaxed hand and standing up. "I was engrossed in my work and didn’t notice your arrival. Please, co in."
The Administrator actually moved from behind the desk, revealing thick, brown boots and pants matching his blazer. The man ca up and firmly shook Nero’s hand before welcoming him to sit on a sofa that seed to materialise out of thin air.
"Not at all. Please excuse for arriving without prior notification," Nero responded, talking in a soft and relaxed voice. Since he was going to create a divide between himself and his alias, then even their talking habits and styles would be different.
"Nonsense, my door is always open, there is no notification needed," the Administrator said as he took a seat opposite to Nero. "I don’t get many guests so I often even forget that mbers can co in here. It’s usually just new mbers, like yourself I’m imagining."
The Administrator’s tone did not betray any disappointnt or reluctance at the lack of guests, and instead he seed like a man entirely content with his situation.
"What makes you think I am a new mber?" Nero asked, not giving away any actual information. He wanted to see if this Administrator could see his details.
"Oh? Are you not?" he asked with mild surprise. "I just assud you were. It is quite common for many new mbers to venture in here while exploring the network the first few tis. In most cases, that is usually their last visit as well. Since this is our first eting, and I am not sure if you know about , allow to introduce myself properly.
"As you can probably tell from my title, I am the administrator of the Unity Network. I keep it running, fix any issues, and make sure that no one manages to interfere with the network’s functions. So people dream of interfering with the network and stealing so rits or intel, but such things are all but impossible while I am here.
"I do not, however, grant user requests or give anyone special privileges, so over ti most people stop visiting. Since there is nothing to gain by coming here, and nothing to lose by skipping, many users of the network eventually stop coming. That allows to continue working in peace."
Nero nodded slightly while listening. If what the man was saying was true, he could see how it would be pointless to visit, however Nero didn’t think so just yet. Even if the Administrator could not grant any special requests, chatting with him alone might be a good way to learn about Unity. Even if he might be conservative about what he did or did not reveal, it couldn’t hurt to try.
"I go by the na Historian," Nero said, introducing himself. "As you can probably tell by the na, my primary interest lies in history. I like to study the world, and how we ca to the situation we are in today, and so I have great interest in history. Unfortunately, so much of the history that is actually taught is unreliable, or altered to suit the purposes of the powers that be."
The Administrator seed most pleased to hear Nero’s introduction.
"Ah, a fellow academic," the Administrator said. "There are few who join Unity for such noble purposes, unfortunately. With the wealth of knowledge we have accumulated, Unity could serve as a fine educational institute. Unfortunately, the state of the world does not really allow for such things."
"Are you also interested in academic subjects?" Nero asked. In truth, this was a calculated question. If he asked things like how long the Administrator had been working there, or anything else that might reveal more than the question suggested, their newfound relationship might co to an end. Instead, Nero would probe slowly, taking his ti with such things. There was no need to be impatient, nor was there any need to jump the gun.
"A few of them, not just one," the Administrator said. "My favourite subject is the relationship between aether and cursed energy. I’ve also been studying the nature of the mists that surround our small countries. But, as it happens, ancient history is also one of the subjects I enjoy studying, but for that I’ve had to study so many languages. Truly the pleasure of acquiring knowledge is never ending."
"Ancient history? Really? Do you have any recomndations for any books I should read? Or maybe so pieces of intel I should redeem? Excuse if I seem forward - it’s rare to find soone who shares my interests."
The Administrator only chuckled, as if he understood Historians struggles.
"My suggestion is The Study and Speculation of Eldrim Society by Baron Harriot. Although much of that book is filled with speculation and conjecture, the supporting evidence is great, and it’s a good place to get started. Through it, you will be able to understand the relationships between the Eldrim and the other races that used to inhabit this world of ours."
"Is there really enough evidence to speculate the relationship between Eldrim and others..."
Nero sat and had a long conversation with the Administrator about history, as if it truly was the most interesting subject in the world. In truth, Nero really was curious about such things, especially considering his encounter with the Primal Exarch. But they didn’t take priority since such things were already ancient history, and he needed to deal with the current reality of the world.
While the Administrator did not reveal anything about himself, nor did Nero ask, he seed like a genuinely knowledgeable person about every topic Nero touched upon. He was also surprisingly anable, which made Nero wonder if there was more than one Administrator, and if not, then what was the relationship between the Administrator and the founders of Unity.
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