....my name. What was it?
Right. It is Allen.
Allen Carolen.
Atleast, for now. Until I figure out my real name and my real family.
I do not have any memories about my past. I only remember the scene that comes after the moment I opened my eyes.
But it seems like I still retained my knowledge, so that's good.
Morning came, and the loud blaring sound of the alarm clock woke me up.
I walked out of the guest room and headed downstairs.
Mr. Carolen were burying his face in the newspaper.
Ms. Carolen on the other hand, is prepping the kitchen ingredients.
Though, there's already food on the table. A toast with eggs on top of each plate. I sat down at the table.
"Morning, Allen. How was your sleep?" Ms. Carolen asked.
"It's the first good sleep I'll remember." I replied. She giggled lightly at the ironic answer I gave.
Then, I looked at Mr. Carolen's face.
Or more precisely, the newspaper that was blocking his face from my view.
"Sir, did you hear about the walnut at the cashew party? It was nuts."
He laughed, though I can't see his face.
"A good one, that was. A potential, you do have."
After a little exchange, the twins came down.
One looked like he's attending a funeral. The other looked like she's about to go partying.
I stayed silent for most of it.
A few hours later, here I am, serving two men, both with matching shirt with the same symbol engraved and swords at their sides.
They didn't look like soldiers, but they didn't look like a police officer either.
Wait, since when does soldiers or police officers carry swords?
The twins had long gone to their school, while the parents are working around the restaurant.
Now that I think about it, I do knew a little bit about cooking. Like the correct method of handling knives, multiple methods of cutting vegetable and meat, butchering technique and probably some more.
To me, it was simple tasks. Repetitive, methodical even. Perhaps it's muscle memory.
I had no memories of cooking, yet my motions were precise. Could I have been a homecook, or even a chef in the past?
"Hey, kid. Never seen you before. You new?" One of them asked.
"Yes," I said. "I started about two weeks ago."
He nodded, picking up his cup. "Thought so."
The other one leaned back slightly, scanning me up and down. "How old are you, kid?"
"I'm around the twins' age," I said. "Maybe."
"Hmm," he said with a small grin. "Still young then. Work hard, alright? It'll pay off eventually."
"I will," I replied. I was about to walk away, but my eyes caught the sword by his chair again.
"Can I ask you gentlemen something?"
"Go ahead."
"Um.. well, why do you carry a sword around?" I asked. "If you don't mind answering."
Both of them paused for a moment, exchanging looks.
Then one chuckled. "You really don't know, huh?"
I shook my head. "No."
"Well, we are what you'd call Agents," he said simply.
I blinked. "Agents?"
"Yeah. You don't know what an Agent is?"
"I don't, sir." I shook my head.
He smirked. "And here I thought everyone knew what we were."
"My bad, sir." I said.
He laughed lightly. "Don't worry about it, kid. Honest people like you will go far."
I gave a small nod and turned to leave.
Their conversation continued behind me. Terms that I don't understand, words that I don't know...
I knew about cooking, but not what Agents are.
Since they carry swords, does that mean they fight monsters?
Agents. That is the first term that I didn't know, ever since opening my eyes.
Maybe I'd ask the twins later.
Before I realized it, the restaurant had closed, and it's nighttime.
I pushed open the twins' door without knocking.
The first thing I noticed was the tape on the floor.
A thin line of yellow running down the middle of the floor, perfectly dividing it in two. Runa's side on the left, Luis's on the right.
Runa's side looked like a cheerful disaster: stacks of clothes in impossible colors, posters of Agents and celebrities, and stuffed animals propped up like some soft army. The smell of strawberry shampoo hung in the air.
Luis's side looked like he lived in a different house entirely. His bed was neatly made, a few books were piled up on the nightstand, and a single poster — faded and half-torn — hung crooked on the wall. It was quiet there. Clean. Boring.
I stood at the door for a bit.
They both looked up from whatever they were doing.
Runa was sitting cross-legged on her bed, brushing her hair, humming something cheerful. Luis was reading, or at least pretending to. The book was upside down.
"Hey," I said.
"Hi, Allen!" Runa chirped. "You look less robotic than usual!"
"Is that so?" I replied.
Luis smirked. "That's his face, Runa. He always looks like that."
She giggled. "Still! You actually came in here on your own. That's new!"
"I was bored," I said, stepping in. "Also, what are Agents?"
Both of them blinked.
Runa tilted her head. "Huh? You mean like, Agents-Agents?"
"Yeah. The people with swords," I said. "I met some customers yesterday. They said they were Agents."
Luis closed his book with a thud and gave me a look like he couldn't believe what he just heard.
"You really don't know?"
"No."
Runa let out a small laugh. "You're serious?"
"I am."
Luis sighed, leaning back against the wall.
"Alright, listen carefully, little brother. Agents are basically people who do everything. Dangerous stuff like combat, assassination, expeditions, and less exciting things like finding lost kittens."
Runa nodded enthusiastically. "They're like real-life heroes! The Alliance Agency oversees them, and everyone wants to be one! They're super famous!"
Luis rolled his eyes. "Yeah, famous. But that's just the story people like to tell. It's not all rainbows. You take requests, get paid per job, and if you're lucky, you don't die in the process."
He glanced at me, half-grinning. "To become one, you just need to pass the Agency's physical test. Easy part. After that, life gets expensive. Gear, augments, weapon upkeeps... Everything costs more than it's worth."
"Sounds troublesome," I said.
"Exactly," Luis replied. "And despite what people think, Agents don't actually have much freedom. Agencies control most of their work. Independent ones without Agency barely survive because who would hire a no-name Agents? It's all competition."
"So they're not really heroes?" I asked.
Luis gave a dry chuckle. "They are… if you're watching from a safe distance."
Runa puffed her cheeks. "Hey, not all of them are bad! There are Agents who save people every day, Luis!"
"Sure," he said. "And there are some who make more paperwork than miracles."
They bickered for a bit. Runa waving her brush like a sword, Luis lazily deflecting with sarcasm.
I just stood there, watching.
They were noisy, but… kind of comforting. Is this what siblings are?
I still didn't really get what made someone want to be an Agent, though. Maybe I didn't have to.
At least now, I knew what the swords were for.
Then, a thought slipped out.
"Do they get insurance?" I asked.
Luis froze, halfway through brushing his hair back. "...Insurance?"
"Yes. If their job is dangerous, they should have one, right?"
Runa perked up immediately. "Oh, that's a good point! I never thought about that!"
Luis sighed. "You two really don't keep up with the world, huh?"
He leaned back against his chair. "In the Capital, Agent insurance plans are a thing. But, they're in a league of their own. Most of them are scams."
I blinked. "Scams?"
"Yeah. They sound nice on paper, but the benefits only kick in when you're on the verge of death. And if you die, well, congratulations. Dead Agents can't spend money."
Runa gasped. "That's awful!"
"Pretty much," Luis said with a shrug. "To make it worse, if you ever cancel your plan, the company keeps all the money you paid."
I frowned slightly. "That sounds unfair."
Luis smirked. "Welcome to adulthood, Allen."
Runa puffed her cheeks. "Still, there are some cases where insurance helped, right?"
Luis nodded reluctantly.
"Yeah. There was that one famous Agent. Karla, I think. She took a job hunting those cave-dwelling beasts. Lost her arm, but she had this rare 'biological hand-recovery' insurance plan. The company actually covered the cost for it and recovered her arm to a normal, flesh and organic arm."
Runa's eyes sparkled. "See? That's amazing!"
"Sure," Luis said dryly. "One success story out of a thousand failures."
Runa tossed a pillow at him. "You're such a mood killer!"
"I'm just a realist," he corrected.
I watched them bicker quietly, then looked at the floor. "So... most Agents live risking their lives... and their savings?"
"Pretty much." Luis said. "They fight monsters, climb ruins, chase criminals—just to afford rent."
Runa tilted her head. "It's still kind of cool, though. To live like that."
I thought for a moment.
"I think I prefer the restaurant," I said.
Luis snorted. "Smart choice. I do too."
I looked at him. "Also, what did you mean when you said 'famous Agent'?"
Before Luis could answer, Runa jumped in, already excited.
"Oh! That's because Agents have rankings! Like, official ones! It's how people measure their skill and reputation!"
Luis leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "Ah, shit. Here we go again."
Runa ignored him and began counting on her fingers.
"So the ranks go from F, E, D, C, B, A, and S. Pretty simple, right? Each rank also has a minus and plus version. Minus means you're at the lower end of that rank, and plus means you're close to the next one. Like, an A-minus Agent is almost A, but not quite."
I nodded slowly. "So… F-minus is the worst."
"Exactly!" Runa said proudly. "And beyond S-plus, there's something called a Title. It's super rare! Only the best of the best get them. People like national heroes, or the living legends. Like, the Duo Legends, Sword Delegate, and... and..."
Luis added lazily, "You could count those Agents on one hand. Most die before even reaching S-rank."
Runa frowned at him again, then brightened. "Anyway! Karla—you remember her? The hand-regrowing Agent? She's an A-minus rookie right now. People say she's rising through the ranks super fast because of her Time Reversal ability."
I tilted my head a little. "Ability?"
The twins both looked at me. The same look people give when you ask what water is.
Luis was the first to speak. "Wait. Don't tell me you don't know what an ability is."
"I don't," I said plainly.
Runa leaned forward, her eyes wide. "Allen, everybody has one! Well… most people. Some just end up with abilities that are kind of… useless." She pointed her thumb toward herself. "Like me!"
Luis chuckled. "Yeah, hers lets her change the color of small objects. Super handy when you want your pencil to match your notebook."
Runa puffed her cheeks. "At least it's cute! Yours is worse!"
Luis smirked. "Says the girl who failed to turn her hair pink." Then he turned to me.
"Mine just makes food taste bitter if I touch it. Useless for cooking, annoying for eating. Unless if the food was cooked by Runa."
I stared at them quietly. "So… I might have one too?"
"Probably," Runa said. "Everyone does. You might just not know what yours is yet."
Luis leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "You can be an Agent without an ability, sure. But you'll have a hard time. It's like… trying to fight with one arm tied behind your back. Agencies don't usually hire people without one."
"Is it really that important?" I asked.
"It is," Luis said simply. "Especially when people like Karla exist. The one with the Time Reversal ability. She can rewind time for a few seconds. If that doesn't make her an A-minus, nothing will."
Runa nodded. "Abilities make a huge difference. Some people use them for healing, fighting, crafting, or even investigation. They define what kind of Agent you can become."
I thought for a moment.
Then I asked, "What about… someone who can steal or erase memories?"
That made them both pause.
Runa frowned. "I don't think I've ever heard of that."
Luis shook his head. "Me neither. No records of that kind of ability, at least not officially. But hey, anything's possible. People have weird powers out there."
Runa nodded slowly. "Yeah… there are so many abilities that even the Alliance can't keep track of them all."
I looked down at the line of tape dividing their room — her side colorful and messy, his side clean and dull.
If there really were people who could erase memories… then maybe I'd find answers out there. My true origin.
"I think," I said finally, "I'll try becoming an Agent."
Runa blinked. "Wait, really?"
Luis sighed. "Haaah... I figured you'd said that, even after you said you'd prefer helping around the restaurant."
I looked down on the tape again. "I'm sorry."
Luis put his book back on the shelf. "Whatever shall I do with this guy..."
Runa smiled anyway. "No worries. We'll support you, Allen! Who knows, maybe your ability will be something amazing!"
"Or something stupid like his sister." Luis muttered.
"Luis!" she snapped.
Luis leaned back after my declaration about becoming an Agent, arms crossed and an amused grin on his face.
"Well, if you're serious about that, you'll definitely need to join an Agency."
"Agency…" I repeated. "That's like… an organization an Agent belongs to, right?"
"Mhm. Correct." Luis said, nodding.
Runa added cheerfully, "It's the first step of the Agent's hierarchy! Every Agent starts with an Agency. Well, unless if they're crazy enough to go solo."
Luis pointed a finger at her. "Yeah, but the moment you're not under an Agency, you're on your own. No salary, no backing, no help if something goes wrong."
I tilted my head slightly. "There's a salary?"
"There is," Runa said. "But only if you're part of a Branch Agency! Those are the ones officially under the Alliance's control."
Luis picked up where she left off, his tone dry and explanatory.
"Branch Agencies are basically subsidiaries of the Alliance. The Alliance pays them based on how much they contribute. Monster subjugations, rescue jobs, successful missions, that sort of thing. But the catch is that all the profit they earn goes straight to the Alliance. In exchange, the Agency gets stable funding."
"So… they're the safe option," I said.
"Exactly," Luis said. "Then there's the other kind. Independent Agencies. They don't get paid by the Alliance. They rely on jobs and requests. Sometimes they make good money, sometimes they don't get a single request for months."
Runa nodded. "But! Independent Agencies get to keep everything they earn. They just have to survive long enough to enjoy it."
Luis snorted. "And most of them don't. By most, I mean like 95 percent of them."
I leaned slightly against the wall, thinking. "So, to become an Agent, I need to find an Agency first."
"Right," Luis said. "They're the ones who'll sponsor your license and handle your contract paperwork with the Alliance."
Runa smiled. "Oh! And Agencies are ranked too! From Grade 10 to Grade 1, with Grade 10 being the weakest, Grade 1 being the strongest. Higher-grade Agencies have better resources, connections, and reputation."
Luis smirked. "Ranking one up is a nightmare. It's harder than raising your own Agent rank. Agencies have to prove themselves through results, which is mission completion, client satisfaction, contribution to the Alliance and all that. Not an easy climb."
Runa nodded again, as if teaching a class. "They also vary a lot in style! Some Agencies are like big families where everyone helps each other. Totally like us. And others are just… well, business. Cold, serious, and competitive. Totally not like us."
Luis shrugged. "And then there are the greedy ones. Agencies that'll lie, cheat, and overcharge clients just to stay alive in the market. It's a tough world. Everyone's fighting for contracts."
I remembered the two men from the restaurant — their identical cloaks, the same pattern on the hilts of their swords.
"They were wearing the same clothes," I said quietly. "The Agents who came earlier."
Luis nodded. "Yeah, that's another thing. Agency image is a big deal. They care about branding, such as uniforms, logos, even how their Agents walk and talk. Formality sells. Clients trust professionalism."
Runa giggled. "While may seem otherwise, Agent's apparel does not sacrifice protection for style! They pay close attention to the fabric used in their outfits, because the fabric is what makes them practical! Depending on its characteristics and quality, fabric can provide as much protection as plate armor if not more, as well as other tactical advantages such as increased mobility. High-quality fabric can even replace an augmentation procedure in terms of protection, making such textiles the ideal armor for Agents! They will work closely with tailors in order to obtain clothing with their desired specification!"
I blinked. "Oh, so that's why nobody is walking around with huge armors."
Luis smirked. "It's beneficial for an Agent, despite having a higher cost than a normal cloth and a normal armor. You can't put prices on the life of a person."
Runa went on. "Agencies get their work from client requests! Every request comes with a contract, signed and sealed so no one can cheat. Those contracts are also used to measure performance. To figure out how reliable the Agency is, or how often they succeed."
Luis added, "That's actually what the Alliance is for. They handle all the legal paperwork between Agencies and clients. Keeps everyone from stabbing each other over money."
Runa laughed softly. "Though some still try and do. Definitely don't do that, yeah, Allen!"
I listened quietly as they spoke, half of it slipping past me, half of it sinking in.
Agencies sounded… complicated. Structured. Competitive.
I could already tell that surviving in one wouldn't be easy for me.
Luis stretched, his voice growing quieter.
"Still, it's not all bad. If you find a good Agency... one that treats its people right... you might just make it."
Runa smiled warmly. "And we'll cheer for you, Allen! You'll be great. Even when your ability's dormant."
I wasn't sure if I would.
But it was the first time in a long while that something sounded worth trying.
If becoming an Agent could lead me to what I'd lost…
Then maybe it is worth the trouble.