Felix notes this, tries to look his best with used-but-magically-cleaned-clothes and follows Kaede's instructions.

Kaede's Token starts glowing as they approach, then blinking. "Oh look, here's the ping," he says, raising an eyebrow. "So much advance notice they give us."

"You think it's on purpose?"

"No, I think they're probably just disorganised. Or, at least, I can't think of a reason why they'd do it on purpose."

"Okay, any last minute tips?"

"No, don't think so."

The carriages approach, and from a distance they can see the pimply boy that manned the counter when they visited the Guild chapter—Naoh—chattering excitedly with someone else.

Felix fidgets uncomfortably and revises his mental notes on "I am for real from another world, no kidding! And here is why you shouldn't consider my magic evil."

And eventually they get there.

"May Bezana shine your mornings," says a man with glowing tattoos covering his face and a lot of his mostly exposed skin.

"And yours," replies Kaede.

"I understand there has been a remarkable finding?"

Felix echoes the "And yours."

"Yes, there was," Felix says gravely because part of it is that he's stuck in Galatea. "There was a portal to another world, my world and I came through it with Kaede."

"With Kaede? I'd been under the impression she was from our world?" he says, apparently not connecting the boy by Felix with the girl Naoh described.

"Oh, sorry, Kaede is from your world," Felix agrees waving at Kaede, "he is genderfluid."

"My apologies," says the man.

"Do not worry about it. So my finding was, ah, a portal to another world... except it's gone."

The man raises an eyebrow.

Well, they discussed what to do.

"As far we can tell, Kaede activated some sort of ancient magical effect that transports people between worlds. He met me and my brothers there. My own world is a hub of worlds connected to others. We used magic to create portals between worlds to create a portal to here, assuming it would work normally, but... it did not."

Felix's face looks very obviously controlled in a way that is about as telling as if he was sobbing over the fact that he is stranded in another universe.

One of the people accompanying the man—a woman wearing long, dark robes with blue-green lines—looks at Naoh suspiciously, and he shrinks under her gaze. The man doesn't seem to notice or care, though. "I see. You'll understand if I'm somewhat sceptical of this claim, Mr....? Oh, and I seem to have forgotten to introduce myself, I am Baleo phe Bez," he says, and the translation spell helpfully explains this is a name taken by high priests of Bezana.

"Mr. Felix Vaesteri, grandson of Dal-Jaon and Dal-Yora of honorable patrons of Milirevi." Hopefully the translation spell will also translate that 'Dal' is vaguely equivalent to a priest. "It is a blessed honor to make your acquaintance. Your skepticism is entirely justified. We were originally going to back our claims by actually taking you to another world. Our current best evidence is one of my world's native magic."

The translation spell actually consists in Kaede bouncing the meanings between them telepathically so only to the extent he knows who the Dal are.

"And I presume this magic is not going to be fakeable by forbidden magic?"

"I am not entirely clear on how the forbidden magic would be able to fake it. The test we devised would require cooperation from people I never had contact with to cast a simple spell ritual."

"And the effects of this ritual would be unfakeable?" he repeats.

"Oh, yes. It's costly, but this kind of magic can make permanent effects that require no 'mana' maintenance after the initial casting."

"Interesting."

"We can make an artefact and then you could have an enchanter verify that it is not our kind," Kaede suggests.

"That... should be sufficient for the purposes of the Explorers' Guild and I'm sure scholars all over the world would be excited about it but I don't see that you need a delegation for it. This sounds quite frankly like a waste of our time."

"It's relevant to you because sorcery rituals are not... personal like the other kinds of magic. Once a sorcery discipline is established, anyone that understands it can use it, much like anyone can use an enchanter artifact. And as far we know the effect has spread to your world already."

"Even nonmages have it now?"

"It would be more accurate to say that your world has it now. But using sorcery rituals is not really obvious or straightforward like your other kinds of magic."

Kaede looks at him. "I must have completely failed to explain our magic to you if you're under the impression it's obvious or straightforward."

The lady in robes steps forward. "That's all very interesting but we'd still like a demonstration."

"Comparatively straightforward," Felix corrects himself. "And we do have a demonstration prepared. If you don't mind watching me casting a ritual for a few minutes."