Everything having to do with Sleepers was situated in the same building. Reinhard followed the instructions sent to his communicator and quickly found the dormitories, which were situated on one of the lowest levels.
He had a whole room to himself.
It had a bed with a soft mattress, a table, a dresser, and even a separate bathroom! The materials were new and aesthetically pleasing, the air crisp and sterile. It was warm inside, and the outer wall was equipped with a hidden screen that seamlessly imitated a wide window, opening to a picturesque vista of a snowy park.
There were even several sets of clothes with the Academy emblem provided to him for free.
For someone who had been from the outskirts all this was like living in a palace to him.
___
Reinhard had just realized something — the moment he got his Flaw, he'd been royally screwed.
"Cannot lie. Cannot deceive. Cannot manipulate. Cannot kill…" he muttered under his breath. Then, louder in his head:'What the FUCK?! This isn't FAIR!'
He raged internally, pacing circles in his mind.
'Gilded Saint? More like Gilded fucking slave!'
Sure, he'd been thrilled to have a Divine-ranked aspect. But now, that excitement was crumbling fast.
'This isn't even a flaw — it's five or six glued together!' he groaned, rubbing his temples.
It took a while, but [Calm Mind] eventually kicked in, dulling the sharp edge of his frustration. When the anger finally ebbed, all that remained was a heavy, exhausted sigh.
Food seemed like the only good idea left.
He changed into the Academy-issued uniform and made his way to the cafeteria, still muttering curses under his breath.
The moment he walked in, though, his nose was hit by the smell of actual, real food — not the synthetic trash from the outskirts. For a brief second, he forgot about everything else.
Reinhard's stomach growled.
He filled his tray to the brim and found an empty table in the corner. As he ate, some of the tension in his shoulders eased.
He nearly switched his [Gloom Veil] out for [Flavour Grace], but the thought of people suddenly noticing him mid-meal killed the idea fast.
So, he just kept eating, focusing on each bite until the frustration in his chest melted into quiet resignation.
By the time he got to dessert, the emotional turmoil had almost dissapeared.
___
Reinhard was done eating by the time his appointment neared.
Soon, he found himself in a small office. In front of him sat a woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties.
The interview began right away.
Since Reinhard couldn't lie or deceive for personal benefit, he had no choice but to answer truthfully. Half-truths were out of the question too — they counted as deception.
The first thing she offered him was psychological counseling. He refused.
"Alright then," she said, still smiling. "Let's formally begin the interview. Are you ready?"
Reinhard almost gulped. 'What dreadful questions is she going to throw at me?'
'Fuck it, we ball,' he thought. There wasn't much he could hide anyway. The only things off-limits were his Aspect's rank, his Flaw, and the full details of his ability. Everything else — even his true name — was fair game.
Part of him wanted to shock her. Reinhard wasn't above showing off, especially if it meant watching someone's expression twist in disbelief. But it had to be on his terms.
He nodded.
The barrage of questions began.
"Would you mind telling me about the type of Aspect Ability you received — combat, sorcery, or utility?"
"Combat and utility," Reinhard answered.
Her eyebrows shot up. The little flicker of surprise on her face almost made him smile.
'Maybe this won't be so bad after all.'
"Uh… alright," she continued, trying to regain composure. "Are you able to deal direct damage with your ability?"
"No."
One question followed another. By the end of it, Reinhard had refused to answer only a handful. Everything else, he'd answered cleanly.
By now, the interviewer had been shocked one too many times. Her expression had gone from polite curiosity to polite numbness.
"Alright," she finally said, voice a little mechanical. "Is there anything else you'd like to inform me about?"
Reinhard paused, pretending to think. He had already revealed plenty, Atleast enough to secure one of the highest evaluation ranks.
But he hadn't mentioned that yet.
'Well… I've already said this much,' he thought, feeling a spark of excitement bloom inside him. He felt like a kid about to show his parents a perfect report card.
Outwardly, though, his face stayed calm.
"Yes," he said. "I also have a true name."
Silence.
The woman froze. For a few seconds, her expression went through an entire storm — confusion, disbelief, awe. Then, slowly, she turned toward the machine on the desk beside her — a lie detector, from what Reinhard had guessed earlier.
It didn't beep.
"O–oh, I… see." She stammered, trying to keep her professional tone.
Ever since humans began Awakening, only one person — the Smile of Heaven — had ever received a true name during their First Nightmare.
And now, Reinhard was the second.
"My true name is Gilded Saint," he said before she could even ask.
The silence that followed was almost satisfying.
That night, Reinhard sank into the softest bed he had ever laid on, a faint smile still lingering on his lips.
'This sure was a good day,' he thought.
After revealing his true name and selecting his classes — well, class — he'd left the hall.
He only picked combat training, The rest of the knowledge which he might need of the dream realme could easily be studied from the library, and that was what he was planning to do.