After walking for several more blocks, the families passed by a neat and tidy commercial district. It was occupied by supermarkets, department stores, and high-end restaurants. Floor-to-ceiling glass display windows on both sides of the street showcased the latest merchandises. Mana-powered lights illuminated the stores and their bright colorful banners, with each store competing for attention. The area was very crowded. As the families navigated the streets, they had to work to stay together. Fortunately, the commercial district was only two blocks wide. Before long, the families emerged into the area that hosted the three guilds.
The three guilds surrounded the East Gate of the capital from its inside. This strategic placement streamlined workflow and trade operations. First, since Adventurer's Guild was right next to the gate, adventurers could quickly leave the city for any quests and quickly come back to the guild to report their work. Furthermore, the Craftsman's Guild could conveniently source materials from the adjacent Adventurer's Guild to their left. The Craftsman's Guild also enjoyed easy access to the neighboring Merchant's Guild, where they could efficiently distribute their products. Lastly, the Merchant's Guild's proximity to the gate facilitated seamless import and export operations.
Each of the three guilds had a dual entrance setup, with one entrance facing the capital’s East Gate and another facing the city to the west. Because of their grandeur buildings, manicured front yards, and ample parking, it would take at least five minutes to walk from the East Gate to the entrances of the three guilds.
Patrick led the families to the Merchant's Guild, situated at the edge of the commercial district, as their first destination. The guild's main offices were housed in a majestic, ten-story Gothic Revival building. The families went inside from its west entrance. Upon entering, the families found the post office to their right, a shop to their left, and the main office directly ahead. Adjacent to the main office, a staircase and elevator provided access to the upper levels. Enticed by its colorful display items and banners advertising deals, the families went into the shop, where an array of souvenirs further caught their attention. Examples of the souvenirs included a postcard bearing the message "Welcome to Silverlake City", a t-shirt emblazoned with "I love Silverlake", and a refrigerator magnet proudly displaying "Silverlake City Merchant's Guild".
As they entered the shop, both Patrick and Maya cautioned the children, "Let's just browse; we're not making any purchases today." As frugal individuals, they strived to instill this value in their children as well. Consequently, they held themselves back from buying anything.
"Look at this!" Chana exclaimed, holding up a yellow chicken hugging pillow to show Thomas. Its big cute eyes, fat stuffed cheeks, and cute little wings were begging the children to take it home. Unable to put it down, Thomas and Chana quickly showed it to Maya.
Correction: The families lost a fierce battle against their urge to spend. Before departing the shop, Maya couldn't resist purchasing the yellow chicken hugging pillow, while Patrick picked up today's newspapers from various publishers.
Next, with Chana hugging the yellow chicken hugging pillow, they proceeded to the main office. Inside the main office, the families found a job board, a notice board, and a crowded waiting area.
"This is where people take the exams to register for a business, get a real estate agent's license or the driver's license." Patrick explained to the children.
Without stopping, they swiftly exited the office from the Merchant's Guild's eastern entrance. In the distance, the families caught sight of the imposing East Gate, which bore a striking resemblance to the North Gate they had passed through the previous day. Next to the Merchant's Guild on its south side was a bustling freight terminal. A steady stream of freight wagons, each drawn by a team of four horses, flowed in and out of the terminal. The sheer scale of the horses' Mana output hinted at the substantial weight of the cargo they were transporting.
The families then made their way to the Craftsman's Guild. In contrast to the other two guilds, which boasted a single grandeur main building, the Craftsman's Guild was a campus of multiple structures. The eastern entrance opened onto a serene park, where visitors could consult maps to navigate the various buildings dedicated to different crafts. The main building, a modest, single-story wooden structure, featured an impressively high vaulted ceiling. Following Maya, the families promptly proceeded to the Weaver's department, without tarrying. Similar to the other disciplines, the Weaver's building rose an impressive ten stories into the air. Its front entrance, with a well-manicured lawn, faced the pedestrian path. Its rear entrance opened onto the main road, where freight deliveries were received. Inside, Maya quickly took a look at the job board and registered for a quest. The receptionist then handed Maya a backpack containing garments to be worked on at home.
Stolen story; please report.
The families then made their way to the Adventurer's Guild, the final destination on their tour. Situated on the northern flank of the gate, the Adventurer's Guild dominated the landscape with its colossal, crimson-hued Romanesque Revival architecture. The eastern entrance was a monumental gate that rivaled the grandeur of the capital's East Gate, towering over its occupants at seventy-five meters. This grand entrance accommodated even the most massive creatures, which high-ranking adventurers would occasionally bring in after a successful hunt. By the same design, the lobby's cavernous interior could also comfortably accommodate even the most gargantuan of creatures. Nevertheless, giant monsters were very rare. On a typical bustling day, the area would be efficiently managed by retractable belt barriers, which would channel adventurers into orderly queues, guiding them to one of the fifty reception desks. The western entrance featured a walkway that gently guided adventurers to the building's eastern flank, where the expansive lobby awaited. The side of the building was a wing that held many rooms and halls.
The children's eyes widened in awe as they took in the grandeur of the city's guilds. In stark contrast, the countryside guild was a humble, small wooden house with a single job board and a handful of reception desks.
First, they visited the job board. The countryside guild's job board was literally a single board, roughly six square feet in size. Conversely, the city guild's job board comprised multiple, meticulously organized boards, categorized by discipline, rank, hazard level, and more. The wooden boards, arranged in neat rows by discipline in alphabetical order, evoked the appearance of a library's bookshelves. Nathan and his sisters swiftly located the Botanist job boards, then rejoined Patrick, who was intently studying the combat discipline job postings.
The families then turned their attention to the lobby, seeking to understand the process for queuing up for a job assignment. The queues were neatly segregated by discipline and rank, utilizing retractable belt barriers. At the entrance to each queue, a clear sign indicated the specific purpose of that particular line. The majority of full-time workers followed a routine of arriving at the guild in the morning and returning in the evening to submit their reports. Now, at around 5 pm. Many workers were starting to report back; but the lines were still relatively short.
"While it is still early, let's order take out at the cafeteria before going home. Any later and it will become very crowded." Patrick said, "The prices here are much more reasonable than the restaurants in the commercial district."
There was a corridor behind the job boards. In contrast to the lobby's soaring ceiling, which matched the gate's height, the corridor's ceiling was unremarkably standard, at just one floor high. At the end of the short corridor was a set of open glass doors, through which the enticing aromas invited the families into a spacious, rectangular food court. The food court was packed with tables and chairs, prioritizing efficiency over comfort, while its three sides featured a diverse array of food stalls. It was a self-served food court.
The families took a ten-minute stroll along the food stalls. After deciding what to get, the children sat down at a large table to take a break while Patrick and Maya went to order take out.
"There are really no young girls around." Chana said with a tilt of her head, looking at several children dressed as boys ordering food.
"Right," Arielle said before stealing a peek at Nathan.
"Must I get a haircut as well?" Ashley asked Arielle, her lips puckering. Grandpa never asked for her opinion.
"Do you want to have a haircut and go to school with me and Nathan? Or do you want to keep your hair and go with Thomas and Chana?" Arielle asked her back.
Ashley then lowered her head without saying anything.
Only last Sunday, Nathan, Arielle, and Ashley had shared a carefree picnic with their parents and Henry. Who could have foreseen that, just a week later, only three of them would remain?
Nathan and Arielle, not being in the mood to liven up Ashley, stared into the emptiness without saying a word.
Thomas and Chana exchanged a knowing glance and kept quiet.
Patrick and Maya soon came back with their dinner and they headed home. On the way, they passed by the majestic lobby again. "So, our new life begins," Nathan thought, gazing up at the soaring ceiling.