Glenn and Sahro exchanged a dubious look as they followed Sir Reginald through the grand entrance of the Cleaner’s Workshop.

“As I’ve mentioned earlier, you have both received the maximum rank for the evaluation, Silver,” Reginald explained as he stopped in the middle of the main hall, “That means you will receive accommodations and access to special services that non-Fixers can’t have easily.”

Reginald played with his mustache for an instant, and smiled, “You have your high potential to thank as well. We are all truly impatient about what kind of Fixers you will become in the future…”

Glenn almost scoffed. For Sahro to be determined as having great potential, he could understand, but him? The only thing he did was conjure a magic drill. That seemed rather strange.

‘I’m not going to complain about receiving better treatment, though…’ Glenn thought. If the guild saw potential in him, who was he to argue?

After their encounter with the Corrupted Amalgam, a term they had collectively agreed upon for the menacing creature, Glenn's mind was abuzz with questions and uncertainties. First, their financial situation was terrible. Secondly, he was way too weak to continue strolling around this world like everything was fine. He wasn’t exactly trusting others to protect him, and a greater personal power meant that he would be able to do many more things.

Getting stronger. This was going to be the most important thing in his life, wasn’t it?

‘I’d place my bet on surviving, personally,’ Diamanes added with a mocking snort. Glenn rolled his eyes. What he had right now were the basic foundations to learn magic, which he gained thanks to his stop at the Black Heir’s camp and Redan’s tutelage. He had three spells in his arsenal, with Implosion being impressively powerful for his proficiency at using Mana, but that was it. Well, since he was touted as a “high-potential” mage, that meant he could probably leverage that to learn more about magic and create more spells. He wasn’t great right now, but later?

Something like the Corrupted Amalgam would only be like a pebble on the side of the road. Hopefully.

‘You sure do have great hopes, for someone who’s still not at the Third Circle,’ Diamanes mocked. Glenn continued to ignore the entity’s mocking laughter and clenched his fists tightly. The reinforced body he acquired after his stay in the Thorn’s Church prison was also a weapon he needed to learn how to use. With the support of the Cleaner's Workshop, Glenn could only hope he would have the time and resources needed to practice and test his abilities. He also had another item on his agenda – a visit to the Magi Brotherhood. Having two powerful organizations backing him seemed like a prudent move. The Brotherhood might hold information about the Fallen Pieces, the Moon Rift, and other mysteries that Glenn encountered after coming into this world.

As for Sahro, well, he could do as he pleased. Perhaps the idiot would be finally useful for something instead of eating through all the money Glenn had. Not that it would happen again any time soon, since they didn't have any money left anymore.

Sahro sneezed and scanned the surroundings with a suspicious gaze. "Who's bad-mouthing me..?"

Reginald guided them through a hallway branching off the lobby. Along the way, they passed a massive dining hall, where members streamed in and out without stopping.

Reginald stopped near the entry and straightened the fabric of his clothes before providing some insights. "This is the Dining Hall, where you can enjoy hearty meals. Depending on your Fixer rank, you'll have access to different qualities of food, for a price, of course. You can also opt for a monthly subscription, guaranteeing two meals a day. I'd recommend it, especially since you both are Silver ranks."

He chuckled and leaned back, “The chef is a genius at using spices.”

Sahro's eyes gleamed with interest, and he tried to discreetly wipe the drool from his chin, but Glenn's deadpan expression didn't miss the gesture. The Black Heir couldn't resist a quick peek inside the grand hall, where members were already satisfying their appetites. Reginald continued their tour, seemingly oblivious to Sahro’s hunger, or at least pretending to be.

The next stop was a room with only a few robed individuals entering and exiting. Reginald offered a brief explanation.

"Welcome to the Library, a tranquil haven filled with ancient tomes, maps, scrolls, and more. The dust doesn't particularly appeal to me, but perhaps you'll find it to your liking."

This time, it was Glenn who couldn't contain his excitement. A library! Finally, a place where he could fill in the gaps in his knowledge of this world.

‘I’ll have to come back here at some point. This place is a gold mine for me.’ He thought.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Afterward, Reginald led them to a serene courtyard bathed in natural light, a refreshing oasis in the heart of the fortress-like structure. The sun was setting, bathing the courtyard in the twilight light. "This is the Nexus," Reginald explained. "It connects to every area within the Workshop complex, as you can see from these archways."

He gestured toward several stone arches, each inscribed with names such as "Testing Hall," "Dormitories," "Infirmary," and more.

"Feel free to use it for relaxation or meditation. I often enjoy an afternoon tea here; it's quite soothing after a challenging day."

Reginald continued the tour, unveiling the well-organized and surprisingly expansive facilities within the Workshop. Glenn was impressed by the guild's comprehensive offerings; it was a self-contained fortress within the city.

Some places were out of bounds for non-official members of the Workshop, and could only be accessed by the Cleaners or the high-rank fixers. The last place the Senior Cleaner led them to was the Dormitories, a multi-story building divided into floors based on rank, with private rooms and access to better facilities for higher-ranked members.

Silver rank Fixers had access to private rooms, but they were bare, austere, possessing only a simple bed and a window, and were on the second floor. The Bronze Fixers shared rooms, or more like bunks on the first floor, and were cramped together.

Fate had it so that Glenn and Sahro’s room were neighbors, probably more out of design than chance. Both of them were very satisfied with this turn of events.

‘It will not harm to have my ally close at hand,’ Glenn moistened his lips, recalling the strange attendants in the main lobby as he looked at his barren room. This would do nicely to solve the housing problem.

Reginald dusted his gloved hands off and smiled, "That concludes the tour of the Cleaner's Workshop, at least the areas you are allowed to use and visit."

He searched his tuxedo's inner pockets, struggling for a few seconds, only to come up empty-handed. He cleared his throat awkwardly and nodded at them. "Well, if you need any information, don't hesitate to ask the attendants. Your Silver identifications will arrive tomorrow, so you have the evening to yourselves."

With a tip of his top hat, Reginald hurriedly left with a preoccupied expression.

Glenn turned to Sahro, a hint of relief on his face. "Well, it seems we're not homeless. That's something, at least."

Sahro nodded, savoring the idea of having a room to himself. Glenn thought back to their financial state and shook his head dejectedly.

"Sigh, tomorrow, we'll have to find a way to make some money. We can't rely solely on the guild. I hardly believe that they'll just accommodate two freeloaders forever for free. "

Sahro's expression darkened. They were still broke, and their shelter in the Cleaner's Workshop was a lifeline they couldn't take for granted.

"Anyway, let's rest for now. Tomorrow will be a new day," Glenn suggested as fatigue began to wash over him. The fight had been exhausting, and sleeping in a drugged state wasn’t great to recuperate. He couldn’t wait to collapse in his bed.

The Black Heir nodded and entered his room silently, his thoughts hidden.

"It must feel weird for him to rely on a human after hating them so much" scoffed Glenn after entering his personal room. He took the bandages off his left hand, leaving Diamanes free to speak out loud.

"Well, it's great and all that you're getting comfortable inside this Workshop or whatever, but it doesn't push us closer to our goal!" He exclaimed, his voice filled with annoyance.

Glenn looked at his hand strangely, "Our goal?"

Diamanes clicked his tongue annoyingly, "Well, yeah, you know. Getting to the Third Mana Circle, so I can tell you my secrets and all?"

Glenn’s lips curved upward as he felt a strange sense of urgency from the entity, “Diamanes… there's something you're not telling me, isn't there? You've been really insistent about this matter."

Diamanes remained tight-lipped, his silence speaking volumes. He sighed, before finally answering, "All I can say is that you really want to get to the Third Circle. Once you get there, I'll tell you all you want to know."

Glenn shook his head, understanding that pushing any further would be useless. He sat on his bed, enjoying the comfortable mattress. At least the bed was of good quality, even if the rest of the room was empty. He sighed and settled onto his comfortable bed. At least the accommodations were decent, even if there was barely any furniture beside the bed. He assumed a lotus position, finding it oddly comfortable for meditation. There was something about it that allowed him to connect more deeply with his body.

Perhaps there was a scientific, or magic reason to that, but he didn't know. Yet. Because he sure as hell was going to get as much information as he could out of this Library...

"You're salivating again. Weirdo."

Glenn wiped away the drool before diving into a meditative state, contemplating the mysteries of his magical abilities. He needed to refine his skills, especially Implosion, which had drained him on previous occasions. He couldn’t rely on a spell that emptied entirely his reserve of Mana. Maybe he could find a way to reduce the Mana consumption somehow, but he had no idea of how to tweak that…

‘I can only hope that a better Mana control will come the longer I use spells…I have no idea how to train that…’ Glenn thought. He also had to find new spells that implemented his specialty. More tools at his belt would never hurt. He opened his eyes, exiting his Meditation, and gazed through the window at the two moons shimmering in the night sky, momentarily obscured by a few fleeting clouds.

“...Sigh…Whatever I want to achieve, it’ll have to wait until tomorrow,” He decided as he threw away his dirty, bloodied clothes and jumped into the clean bed. This time, he was opting for an actual night of sleeping instead of Meditating the whole way. His mind needed to rest too.

Tomorrow will be a new day.