Michael was finally out of the palace and into the city proper. He was sitting at a fountain in what looked like a park square where children were about playing.
Michael let out a relieved groan that he was away from Hana. He still had no idea whether or not she could check the info of others and didn’t want to ask as she might use him as an example to show him. It might also bring up questions from her why he knew of such a thing.
“Hey, mister.” A voice squeaked at him.
Michael looked up to see a few kids had got curious and stopped to check on him.
“Are you okay?” A little girl asked.
Michael gave them a wide grin, feeling warm inside.
“Yeah. I’m alright. Thank you all for checking on me.” Michael thanked them.
“You’re a demon, right?” A blunt boy asked.
Michael chuckled at the question, primarily because he was a human before he came to the world.
“That’s right,” Michael replied.
“If you’re bored, do you want to play with us?” One of the older boys asked.
Michael shrugged his shoulders, thinking, ‘Why not?’
“Sure, I have some time to spare,” Michael responded.
“Great! We’re playing Divine Heroes! You can be the Demon-Lord!” The blunt boy stated.
Michael about fell back into the fountain in surprise, but in the end, he began laughing.
After agreeing to play the role, the five children formed up.
Michael and a few other children played various roles for the five who were playing the heroes. They pretended to be different monsters until they got to the final confrontation.
“Muhahahahah! Pathetic Heroes! I will destroy this world, and there is nothing you can do to stop me!” Michael played up his role.
Various parents and onlookers watched the scene happily.
“Ergh. Foul Demon-Lord! We will defeat you for the future of our world!” The child playing the leader said.
“Hmph! Let’s see how you deal with my destruction magic!” Michael drew several tennis ball-sized globs of water from the fountain and sent them lazily floating toward the group.
“Ah! Beware the Demon-Lord’s magic!” One of the child heroes stepped forward with a lid and began bashing the water balls out of the air.
“We must use our blessed power!” A girl stated.
In unison, the children cried out, “Heroes Call!” while clapping their hands together.
“Ack! My power! What have you done to me!?” Michael knelt, pretending to be weak.
“Hah! Foul Demon-Lord! We shall prevail for the peace of our world! Blessed Strike!” The leader jumped forward and swung a toy sword at Michael, making sure to miss.
“Noooo! My ambition! Ugh!” Michael sprawled out on the ground, pretending to be dead.
“Hah, hah! Peace has prevailed! Glory to the gods!” The leader called out.
The children cheered, and several onlookers clapped.
Some kids jumped on Michael, thanking him for playing with them.
Michael pulled some candy from his Void Space and gave it to the kids.
The various parents began calling their kids to come home as it was getting into the evening.
“My, that was truly heartwarming.” A mother stated as she approached Michael.
One of the girls who played a hero stood up from Michael. “Mom!”
The girl hugged the woman.
“Thank you so much for playing with them.” The mother thanked Michael.
“It was no problem. They noticed I was feeling a bit down, so I appreciate their invitation.” Michael replied with a warm smile.
He felt warm and happy inside. Michael admitted to himself he had a lot of fun. He never really had the chance to interact with children like this in his old world, so it was a new experience for him.
“If you’re hungry, we run an inn nearby. We aren’t for nobles, but we are the best inn in the city.” The mother offered.
Michael felt hungry and decided to take her up on her offer. He also asked if they might have any rooms available for the night, and she said that her husband handled the rooms and to check with him once they arrived.
Michael asked the woman about the location of the bank and the mercenary guild, and she happily pointed out a tall building as the bank and informed him that the guild was just down the street from their inn.
The inn entrance led to a combination restaurant and bar. Many patrons were drinking, eating, or chatting amongst themselves.
Michael was not used to such lively environments, but he didn’t feel too bad.
The innkeeper lady directed Michael toward an open door opposite the bar to check for a room. She also said that once he checked in to head to the bar, she would have his complimentary meal for him. Being a businesswoman, she said he would have to pay for his drinks.
Michael chuckled and headed to the reception desk.
A burly demi-bear man, about half the size of Michael, welcomed him to the desk. After a short discussion, Michael rented the best room for 300 Tress for the night. The innkeeper decided to give Michael a deal by having his payment count for tomorrow since it was late in the day, and he heard about what happened at the park from some of his regulars.
After getting the keycard to his room, Michael headed to the bar.
Michael sat on a stool, and the inn lady welcomed him with a piping hot meal and a cup of iced water.
“So, were you able to get a room?” She asked.
Michael downed his glass of water, realizing just how thirsty he was. The inn lady laughed while refilling his cup.
“Thank you. And yes, I was able to get a room. Thank you.” Michael drank some more water and looked down at the plate of food.
It had a nice pile of mashed potatoes, pan-fried asparagus, and sliced meat with a dark sauce drizzled over it.
“What meat is this?” Michael asked as he popped a piece into his mouth.
The meat was juicy and well-seasoned. The flavor of the meat was a bit strong, but the smooth taste of the sauce worked well to balance it out.
The inn lady chuckled at his question. “It’s boar. Would you like to drink something other than water?”
Michael tried the mashed potatoes, which tasted like the perfect balance of butter, salt, and milk. “Um. What would you recommend with it?
“I would say a Golden Ram Bourbon.” The inn lady recommended it.
“Then I will go with that,” Michael answered.
“Are you sure? It costs 20 Tress for a glass.” The inn lady replied.
Michael smiled. “Cost ain’t an issue. But I do hope it goes well with the meal.”
“I promise it will. I will be right back.” The inn lady headed down to the bar to get his drink ready.
Michael reached into his pocket and used his Void Space to pull 100 Tress in 20 Tress coins.
The asparagus tasted fresh, and it was crispy.
The inn lady returned with a bourbon glass mostly full of a golden liquid.
“Here you are.” The inn lady placed the drink down.
Michael placed 20 Tress on the counter for her and picked up the glass.
Taking a sip of the bourbon, Michael had to agree with her recommendation. The smooth flavor and fragrance balanced exceptionally well with the strong taste of the boar.
“Oh, I’m Caeldaemos. Nice you meet you.” Michael introduced himself.
“Mary. Adam is my husband, and Lucy is our daughter.” Mary responded to him with a smile.
“Do you guys allow long-term stays?” Michael asked as he continued to enjoy his meal.
“We do. Our rooms have different designations. Some are for long-term residents, like mercenaries. Then we keep some for transitory guests like merchants. Are you a mercenary?” She asked, remembering him asking about the guild.
“Not yet. I plan to sign up in the morning. But I do have a stop I need to make before that.” Michael replied.
“Well, I sure hope you are strong like you look. I would hate to lose a great customer.” Mary gave him a wide grin.
“I look forward to working with you.” Michael raised his glass to her.
Michael ended up enjoying the Golden Ram Bourbon. He decided to buy what remained of the bottle and take it up to his room.
The room he was renting was sizeable, with a comfy-looking bed and the usual amenities one would find in a hotel room without a television.
Michael felt content from the bourbon and meal. He was thankful for his passive ability to not suffer from hangovers or reduced cognizance.
Undressing down to his underwear, he drank one final glass of bourbon and turned in for the night.
Feeling great after a good night’s sleep and a hot shower, Michael headed downstairs.
A young woman greeted him as he entered the dining area. “Good morning! You slept in kind of late.”
Michael chuckled. “The bed was just too comfortable. I couldn’t pull myself from it.”
“My uncle truly prides himself in his inn.” The young woman said with a bright smile.
Michael asked if he was too late for breakfast, which she said he was, but she could put something simple together for him. Michael thanked her for the offer but said he didn’t want to trouble her.
Michael headed out of the inn and headed in the direction of the Owtrelus World Bank.
Coming across a guard, he asked if it was okay to fly in the city limits, and he learned that flying was forbidden unless one had a specific marker. Curious about the reason, Michael discovered that there were several accidents and issues with spying or peeping. The only way to get the marker is to go through an in-depth interview at city hall and a flying test.
Michael thanked the guard and continued his way toward the bank.
Stepping past an alley, Michael saw the building and headed down the path.
To his misfortune, a few guys blocked his path, and others came from behind, trapping him.
Checking them with his info screen, they all had the ‘Criminal’ tag, and not even one was a threat to him.
“Hello, good sir, we-.” One took the lead, only to be interrupted by Michael.
“Stop. I gotta ask, are you boys really sure you want to do this?” He asked.
The leader got annoyed. “Listen here, you will-.”
“Stop. Really, are you guys absolutely sure you want to mess with a six-foot-eight, built-like fortress, demon?” Michael cut the man off again.
“Fuck this, get ’em!” The leader ordered.
The four men charged at him.
Michael raised his arms above his head, hammer-fisted the two in front of him in a single movement, and blew the other two away by expanding his wings behind him.
Michael sighed as the fight ended in a few seconds. “I warned you.” He said jokingly.
Michael dragged the four men out of the alley to the main road and got the attention of some passing guards.
After giving a statement and swearing to Io, the guards took the men away, and Michael continued to the bank.
As Michael walked through the city, he found it interesting that the building designs seemed to cross between medieval fantasy and the modern 2000s of his old world.
Michael arrived at the Owtrelus World Bank, which looked like an office building, but its framework was built out of chiseled stone bricks.
Heading inside the building, a guide at the door asked for his purpose today, which Michael said was to open an account.
The guide used a panel and called into a small crystal microphone, which, shortly after, one of the lights began to blink. The guide directed Michael to a lift, head to the third floor, and go to office 16.
Michael headed to the lift, informing the operator where to go.
On the third floor, Michael found office number 16 and knocked.
“Come in!” A cheery voice called out.
Michael entered the office.
“Greetings! Welcome OWB. My name is Roger. How may I be of service to you?” Roger asked.
The demi-wolf man wore a nice suit and shook Michael’s hand.
“Uh, well, I am looking to open an account and make a deposit,” Michael replied.
Stolen story; please report.
“Fantastic! Do you have an issued ID?” Roger asked.
Michael tensed and then palmed his face. “I’m sorry. I don’t.”
Roger chuckled. “It is fine. Many make this mistake. Other locations might not require an ID, but here at OWB, we do. If you want an ID, you can receive one from one of the guilds or have one issued at Central Hall. But honestly, Central Hall will be busy at this time, and you would be looking at around two hours before you would be seen.” He explained.
“So, a guild ID works too? I planned on signing up with the mercenary guild after this, but it seems I made a poor choice.” Michael said while shaking his head.
“Like I said, it is fine. That guild should not be too busy right now as the morning rush should be done.” Roger said with a smile.
Michael thanked Roger and said he would return. Roger replied, saying that when Michael came back, check to see if he was available, and he would get Michael’s account made.
Michael headed out of the bank and to the road where the inn was.
As Mary had informed him, the Mercenary Guild was about ten buildings down from the inn.
The building was much like the others, combining medieval and modern. The building, though, was wider than the bank and was only two stories tall.
Michael took a moment to run a few ideas of how things could go when entering from various tropes and stories he had read.
The first scenario. Enter the guild hall and find the place to be a massive bar with a counter to register. The missions would be posted up on a board. Registration would be completed with no issue.
Second scenario. Similar atmosphere. Only he would be harassed by guild members.
Third scenario. There was a similar atmosphere, but news of his achievement made it here, and he would be pulled into a mission he didn’t want to do.
Michael worked out a couple of others where the inside would be incredibly clean and organized, with a mix of modern styles. After taking and deep breath and exhaling, Michael entered the building.
The inside was modern and looked decently kept, with nice round tables and chairs for people to relax. There was a small bar at one end of the seating area. The seating area had a handful of groups relaxing and chatting amongst themselves.
There were about twenty kiosk-looking locations on one wall. Above them was a large screen that listed various jobs. At the end of the wall, toward the back, was a counter where a few uniform individuals chatted.
Michael headed to the back, where the counter was.
“Welcome. You seem to be a new face.” A man said, motioning Michael to his area.
“Yeah. I am looking to join up.” Michael sat down on the stool before the man.
“Excellent! My name is Martin. You look quite strong for a demon. Now before we begin,” The man set a bluish glowing orb on the counter he pulled from below, “I need you to place your hand on this to check your status.”
Michael started reaching out as Martin had instructed but stopped when he heard it checked a person’s status.
Martin noticed Michael’s discomfort and immediately became flustered. “Oh! My apologies! It does not show your status. It only checks to see if you have the ‘Criminal’ tag. We have to be careful not to let such individuals join us. It will merely change color.”
Michael was still hesitant to touch the orb. Would Demon-Lord be counted as a criminal? After wrestling with the choice in his mind, Michael placed his hand on the sphere.
The color changed from blue to white. Michael’s heart immediately sank.
“Excellent! You don’t have the ‘Criminal’ tag.” Martin filled out a few things on a document.
“Uh, but it changed….” Michael pointed out.
“Dear me, I am truly scattered brain today.” Martin knocked on his head while bashfully smiling. “If it changed to black, that would mean you are a criminal. White means it successfully checked and found no Criminal tag.” Martin explained while putting the orb away.
Michael sighed in relief. Causing Martin to laugh.
“Now. I only need some basic information from you. Name, race, and what do you want for your specialization?” Martin asked.
“Caeldaemos. Demon. As for specialization, I would say I am all-rounder combat based.” Michael answered.
From what Michael learned from the guidebook he got from Thomas, specializations dealt with what kind of jobs a person was best at. Jobs arriving at the guild could be anything from an escort, transportation, combat, gathering and retrieval, search and rescue, and even construction.
Combat was typically split between four types: Forwards, Operations, Support, and Artillery.
Forwards were your typical warrior classes at the front of the battle.
Operations were stealth, scouting, and crowd control. Thomas, as a ranger, was this type.
Support individuals whose purpose was to buff, help, or heal other party members.
Artillery were people who could do a lot of ranged damage.
Michael could fill every single role as a one-Demon-Lord party with his abilities.
“An all-rounder? How rare. Most people try not to do that as it makes a person less desirable than a specialist.” Martin filled out more information on the page.
“Really? Well, I will probably be fine on my own.” Michael thought.
“Okay! The next step is to test your abilities. If you head toward the seating area, a set of double doors will bring you to the testing area. I will meet you over there.” Martin stood and headed back into the office.
Michael stood and headed to the seating area, which triggered a trope.
“An all-rounder? Pretty pathetic if you ask me!” A man, short in comparison to Michael, said. The man’s three friends began laughing.
Michael had to deal with the idiots earlier. He didn’t want to deal with these guys too.
“What’s wrong? Heh, seems like the prissy demon is troubled!” The man garnered more laughs from his friends.
Michael snorted, pretended to look around in confusion, and leaned down to the five-foot-eight man’s height. “Oh! You were talking to me? I thought you were looking in a mirror.”
Some of the groups close enough to hear burst out in laughter.
“Wha-. You son-of-!”
Michael grabbed the man by the head and effortlessly lifted him, bringing his face up to his.
Michael gave the man a wide grin. “Look, buddy. You can either choose to shut your trap and mind your damn business. Or I take you outside and plant you like a tree in the cart across the street filled with horse shit. Your choice.”
The man was clearly regretting his decision.
There was a rule regarding mercenaries: do not maliciously attack others, especially on guild grounds.
What Michael promised would not be construed as an attack and more of… moving a piece of trash from one location to another.
Michael set the man down. “We good?”
The man nodded vigorously.
“Good. You don’t bother me. I won’t bother you.” Michael patted the pale man’s shoulder and headed to the doors to the testing area.
A bulky woman with adorable bear ears on her head awaited Michael at the first testing area.
“Alright, maggot. Do you claim to be an all-rounder? Pah! Let’s see how hard you hit first!” She ordered while pointing at the punching bag.
Michael wondered if he should hold back or not. After thinking, he felt it would be best to avoid drawing too much attention.
Swinging hard while twisting his body, Michael pulled his punch at the last second.
“Hmph. Not bad maggot. Rank 10. What is your preferred weapon?” She asked while noting some things down on his sheet.
Michael could use any weapon, but while looking through them, he found one that was a ridiculously large Jager Mace. He picked it up quickly and gave it a few skillful swings, liking the feel of it. Most other people would need to use two hands to wield it, but Michael did it easily with one.
“Jager Mace? Not a bad choice. I personally prefer the flanged mace.” The woman seemed to be slightly less aggressive. “Now hit the solid post there.” She pointed at a thick post that seemed beat up.
Stepping up to the post, Michael let out a bit of a battle cry and struck the post, pulling back at the end.
“Very good. Rank 12. Any other weapons you can use?” She asked.
“I’ve used swords and axes before, but I like the feel of this,” Michael answered.
“Good. You’re done here. Martin will take you to the next testing area.” The woman handed Michael the clipboard, a bit of a blush on her cheeks.
Michael gave her an awkward smile as he left. He felt his Lord of Debauchery passive skill might have had something to do with it.
Martin brought Michael to the test testing area where an older, demi-falcon man awaited them. The testing room was down a staircase and seemed to be a large area underground.
“Welcome to the Operations test. What would you say you are good with?” The test giver asked in a militaristic manner.
“Uh, stealth, scouting, spying, and ambushing,” Michael answered.
“Very well. Then you will be going through course number one.” The man pointed at a door to one side labeled with a 1.
The man brought Michael to the door and explained what the test entailed.
Michael would enter the dark area to test his various skills. His goal was to collect a minimum of three pieces of information while avoiding detection and traps. There were observer eyes all about the course that if he was seen by them, it would count against his grade. The information he was to find was specific words with numbers that were spread throughout the course. To test his ambushing skill, he was to take down a few golems that had marked vital points that would shut them down. If he did not shut down the golem in time, it would sound an alarm bringing others and would attack him.
“So, will you be watching?” Michael asked.
The man shook his head. “Not directly. This screen will show your location only if you are seen or trigger a trap.”
Michael liked that answer and entered the course.
The course seemed to be an overgrown ruin. Walking forward a bit, he heard a beep from above. When he looked, he saw a fully open eye staring at him.
“So that’s the observer. Okay.” Michael stepped back and sank into a shadow using One with Darkness.
Michael swam about the shadows, finding that the area had many observers, nine golems, twenty-seven simple traps, and twenty pieces of information.
The information was split into different difficulties. Five were obvious and well-lit. Five were engraved on top of pedestals one had to search for. Five were obscured by plants but could be seen with a keen eye. The last five were hidden under stones and behind bricks. One had to notice the subtle oddities that were near impossible to see.
Michael was lucky to find out about the last five, as one was hidden in a dark corner. After reexploring the area again, he was able to find the remaining four.
Ten golems were blocking off paths. They were simple, blocky, and about as big as an average human. Each one had glowing marks on the head, heart, and throat. Michael assumed that the shining points that coincided with vitals were what would shut them down.
Finishing his scouting in over twenty minutes, Michael began his plan.
Michael did not want to stand out too much and decided to collect all five obvious ones, the five pedestals and two obscured ones. Michael ambushed four out of the ten golems and made sure to be spotted by a handful of observer eyes. After triggering a couple more observers and relaxing for ten more minutes, Michael exited the course.
The test giver was standing outside the exit, his arms crossed across his chest and a slight smile on his face.
“Well done. You surprised me. I lost a bet to Martin, thanks to you.” The old man chuckled.
“Uh… Huh?” Michael was confused.
The test giver sighed while smiling. “I bet him 100 Tress that you would fail with that large frame, but you passed with flying colors.” The old man shook his head in amused resignation.
Michael sighed in relief and turned over his collected information.
“Alright. I will go over your results. Information collection: Five Rank 1, five Rank 3, and three Rank 6. Being spotted: Six times. Traps Triggered: Zero. Golems ambushed: Four without a single alarm. With all this, I would rate you at Stealth Rank 16, Scouting Rank 11, and Ambushing Rank 12. Well done, Caeldaemos.” The test giver shook Michael’s hand and handed the clipboard over to him to take the next test.
The final testing area was another level down, where Michael met an elderly demi-mouse woman.
“Welcome to the test of magic. As it can be quite a destructive force, we perform the test down here in this reinforced room. Please step into the arena.” The woman asked Michael with a pleasant smile.
Michael stepped into the arena and looked toward a large crystal.
“Launch your spells toward the crystal, please. It will reduce and absorb some of the magic to repair itself and the room. So, feel free to go wild.” The woman’s voice crackled through a magic speaker.
Michael shrugged and began charging up several small fire and earth spells. He fired several spells in succession, keeping up an unrelenting chain of attacks.
“Very good! Can you do a couple of large attacks, please?” The old woman asked.
Michael did as requested and had a significant earth spike extend from the ground and strike the crystal. He imagined he was trying to kill the ogre again. Michael then raised one of his arms, grew a large fireball as giant as his torso, and launched it at the crystal.
“Okay! That is enough. If you wish to display your strongest attack, please do.”
“Nah, that is the extent of my abilities,” Michael replied to the woman and exited the testing arena.
Martin was lightly clapping as Michael joined him and the woman.
“Well done. I have marked you down at Rank 14 for Pryo and Terra both.” The woman handed the clipboard over to Martin.
“Please follow me to the last testing area. We will be heading back up to the ground floor.” Martin said as he headed out the door.
Michael went to follow, but the old woman gently held his wrist.
He looked down at her questioningly.
“Sorry. I just had to ask. You held back, didn’t you?” The woman asked.
Michael started. “Um, no. That was the extent of my abilities.” He lied.
The old woman smiled and laughed lightly. “Now, now. No need to be on guard. Just a bit of advice for you. Next time, make it seem like you are straining to cast spells that large or someone as experienced as I will notice. Don’t worry; I swear by Tilra that your secret is safe with me.” The haze of light rolled over the woman.
Michael smiled at the woman and poked his head out the door, asking Martin to head upstairs, and he would follow in a few minutes.
Michael headed back into the area and charged up a volleyball-sized fireball, but this time, he continued to feed it magically and manipulate it. The color of the fire changed from red to orange, to blue, and then to white. Michael launched the ball at the crystal.
The moment the fireball struck the crystal, it exploded in extravagant splendor, shaking the whole room.
When the smoke cleared, Michael left the arena, where the woman awaited him in awe.
“Ah! Truly a splendor! Thank you so much for showing this old woman such an amazing show of power! Huhuhu. If I were a young lass, I would have dedicated my body and soul to you.” The old woman blushed while making her joke.
“So, about the crystal?” Michael asked. His spell had erased the upper half of the crystal.
“Oh, give it a few days, and it will return to normal. We don’t get the tests too often, and I am the only one who gives them. I will just take a short vacation to make sure.” She smiled while laughing.
Michael thanked the woman and headed out to catch up to Martin.
Martin led Michael to an open area in the backyard of the guild. There were multiple small training rings where mercenaries were training with each other. Most of the people were younger, in their early teens.
A bored, demi-fox woman with an artificial leg made from rigid plastic and metal sat on a bench, watching the various people train.
The woman noticed Martin and Michael approaching. “Hmm? What’s this about Martin?” She asked.
“Someone testing for healing magic,” Martin answered.
The woman stood and approached them, eyeing Michael up and down.
She smirked. “You expect me to believe that this massive hunk of a demon can use healing magic? I think he looks more like a smashing type, something I might be interested in later tonight.”
Michael caught her meaning easily, shifting his weight while looking away from her easily viewable cleavage.
Martin sighed. “Come now, Liara. The test?”
“Fine, fine. Hey, you lot! Are any of you injured? We have a test candidate here!” She yelled out to the trainees.
They stopped momentarily, and a few groups approached while the rest returned to training.
“Alright, big guy, let’s see what you can do.” Liara pulled Michael forward, bringing his hand close to her chest.
Michael tensed for a moment before pulling his hand away from the sultry warmth of the foxy woman.
Clearing his throat, Michael welcomed the first teenager, a demi-wolf boy. He had several bruises and a scar over his eye.
Michael knew that his healing magic, with the Savior skill, was strong enough to regrow Liara’s missing leg. Still not wanting to stand out too much, Michael focused his healing magic, controlling it to heal the boy’s bruises and aches.
Doing it slowly, the boy’s minor injuries healed after a minute. The boy thanked Michael and stepped away, waiting for his partner to heal.
“Hmm. Not bad. Does anyone have cuts? I’ll take care of those of you who just have bruises.” Liara asked the group.
The group split up, and three teens stepped up to Michael. Most of their open wounds were on their arms and legs, and a girl had a cut just above her eye.
Michael first healed the girl’s wounds, then the remaining two boys.
Liara finished performing a group healing of the ones remaining and turned to Michael.
“Not too shabby.” She commented while checking the one girl’s face.
“So, his rank?” Martin asked.
“I would put him at Rank 5 at best. Unless you can heal more than one person at a time?” Liara asked, cozying up to Michael. Martin shook his head while noting down the rank.
“Uh, nope,” Michael answered, trying not to let the fox woman’s warm softness and slightly sweet scent get to him.
She backed away from him with a knowing smile and sat back on her bench. “I didn’t catch your name, big guy.”
“Caeldaemos,” Michael answered.
“Nice to meet you, Caeldaemos. I hope we can get to know each other a bit more… intimately later.” She smiled at him with the eyes of a predator.
“Come along, Caeldaemos. We will finish up in the main hall.” Martin pulled at Michael’s arm, urging him to follow.
“Oh, uh, okay. Nice to meet you, Miss Liara.” Michael said as he followed.
She casually waved goodbye while being amused at Martin’s annoyance.
Michael met Martin at his counter in the main hall. One of Martin’s co-workers asked if the poor man had to deal with Liara again.
“Yes. I had to deal with that vixen again.” Martin answered and huffed.
“Is she, uh, troublesome?” Michael asked, curious if he should avoid the woman.
“Hmm? Well, not so much.” Martin sighed heavily. “I had a guy I was interested in, and I know it was not her intention. She just likes to flirt and have fun, but… the guy turned me down coldly, saying that he and Liara were together. Which turned out to be a lie.”
“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.” Michael replied, pain from his cheating ex welling up a bit.
Martin smiled and sighed once more. “I know it is completely unreasonable for me to be mad at her. But every time I see her being flirtatious, I just… sigh… I just want her to be clear that she is just having fun. Idiots may believe what she says and….”
“Cause trouble for her.” Michael finished for the flustered man.
“Yes. Though she may act aloof and flirtatious, she does care about people, especially children. She often volunteers to go to the government-sponsored orphanages to help care for the kids.” Martin said.
“I see. Are all orphanages government sponsored?” Michael asked.
Martin continued filling out the last bits of the paperwork. “Hmm? Oh, yes. Every orphanage is government-sponsored, protected by guards 24/7, and has government employees who go daily to teach them basic education. It was instituted by the last Hero of Io around a hundred years ago.”
Martin finished the paperwork and handed it over to Michael. “Please verify the paperwork, please.”
While Michael was going over the paperwork, Martin continued his standard explanation.
New mercenaries were expected to pay the processing and ID fees, which came to 120 Tress. The cost could be delivered using a percentage of wages earned from jobs over two months, but Michael just paid it outright.
Next was that mercenaries were expected to complete a certain number of jobs per yearly quarter. The number of jobs would change the higher your rank in the guild you were. The higher the rank, the lower the requirement. Martin explained that the higher the rank, the harder the jobs, which were fewer than lower-rank jobs.
Rank 1 jobs were typically within city limits, did not pay much, and were generally straightforward.
Rank 2 jobs were like Rank 1 but had small risks since many jobs involved cleaning garbage or other dirty jobs.
Rank 3 jobs were low-level hunting and gathering missions outside the city limits.
Rank 4 was outside city limits and had a decent risk of injury or potential death.
Rank 5 and up, the risks of death and injury continued to increase until you had to be of a high rank to take them on.
Other than some simple rules, using the kiosks to pick up jobs and where to go to ask questions, Martin wrapped up his explanation.
After posing for a photo, Martin printed Michael’s new ID and handed it to Michael. Michael looked over the ID and saw that his guild rank was blank.
“Uh, I think it missed a spot.” Michael pointed it out.
“Oh! No, sorry. We will need you to come back tomorrow to finish that. The Branch Head or his representative will review your paperwork to determine your starting rank. Just return here tomorrow afternoon, and you can pick up your first mission.”
Michael thanked and shook Martin’s hand, heading out to return to the bank.