Chapter 21: job request.

Within the shimmering Azurai clan palace Okimodo entered the shang rokai job collection room. Within the room were a few other shang rokai who were all splayed out on large luxurious couches all facing towards the right side of the room. It was there were Okimodo saw a long table behind which was sat an old man who was reading a job description out loud. Behind him was a large black board that took up most of the wall on which was written all of the names of the shang rokai that were currently active.

In total there were one thousand and twenty five names written down in ranked order. In the top left Okimodo recognised many names such as Guyus who was ranked sixteenth with a total of five hundred and eight contribution points. just below Huyutan who had Eight hundred and ninety five contribution points at rank fifteen. At rank one with four thousand eight hundred and fourteen contribution points was the class nine Dorodo, a strange and mysterious individual that Okimodo didn’t know to well personally but knew many bizarre stories and rumours about. It was said that he could be often seen attending the red light district and that he had nineteen children by thirteen different women, most of whom were commoners. Many of the older clan elders often discussed how they saw him performing demonic rituals and his true god of worship is Zezi, the most evil of the pseudo archetypes who over a hundred years ago slaughtered a billion people around the eastern continent. Okimodo himself didn’t know if these things were true or false but still didn’t particularly like Dorodo. Every time Okimodo saw the man in person he was always grinning in an uncanny manner, never even blinking. Something about the guy really rubbed Okimodo the wrong way, it was one of those instances in life when you instantly dislike a person without even knowing them or giving them a fair chance. In life some people just had that kind of stink to them and Dorodo was one such a person. Okimodo followed the names, recognising many people including Helious who was in nine hundred and sixty sixth place and Okimodo’s own name in nine hundred and seventy third place, both with a total of zero contribution points. Dead last at the one thousand and twenty fifth place was some complete random named Butane, a person Okimodo didn’t know at all.

“An emergency request has come in from Buchai bank, apparently Helious is having some trouble dealing with the two class three super resonators.” The old man whose name was Jibel said.

“Isn’t that one of the kids who passed yesterday?” The closest shang rokai stroked his chin in intrigue. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to give him a hand. What’s the pay going to be for me if I help him.”

Upon hearing the man’s question, Jibel’s eyes moved up and down as he searched the job request for the information needed to answer the gentleman’s question.

Okimodo who had been listening on silently fell into deep contemplation. If he wasn’t mistaken it was around five days ago when the two super resonators attempted to rob Buchai bank. They appeared suddenly without warning and got into a drawn out battle against the bank’s security forces. The police quickly appeared and locked down the area around the bank but they were unable to arrest the super resonators. This was largely because the police force had no resonators available at the time. Because of that the stand off continued to persist up until the present. But what Okimodo couldn’t understand is why Helious needed help just to deal with two class three resonators. Him being an Azurai meant that his strength was already vastly superior to most resonators of the same class.

Jibel’s ancient head rose above the piece of stone paper in his hand as his eyes fixed on to the shang rokai who had asked him about the job. “It says that Helious will offer half of his own pay to whoever helps.”

“What?” The shang rokai raised an eyebrow. “So the bank itself won’t offer any extra money for receiving twice the shang rokai it requested. That’s bullshit I guess that kid is screwed then because I ain’t moving.”

“That’s fine I’ll be the one who takes it.” Okimodo paid no mind to the lampooning shang rokai to his left and took the Job request from Jibel.

He glanced back at the black board where he observed that all of the first year shang rokai such as himself have zero points, meaning that none of the first years who came earlier had returned from their jobs. A plan brewed in his mind as he looked down at the piece of stone paper he was holding.

Okimodo himself wasn’t particularly interested in doing the job request for the time being so he stuffed it into the large pouch on the inside of his red silk robe. Due to the job reward being split between himself and Helious Okimodo would only receive five contribution points as opposed to ten and half the money. Okimodo’s plan was to wait for the next job request preferably a class three or four one which he would complete after helping Helious. After all of that was done Okimodo would hand his two job requests back in and receive fifteen contribution points in total, giving him a five point lead over all of the first years. This was because it generally took an hour or two to complete a class one or two job request which were the only job request first years chose to do generally. The boy’s who went out before him would likely return within an hour or so provided they left within an hour of him coming. They would all likely receive ten contribution points for their completed jobs before either quitting for the day or doing a second job. If Okimodo could complete the next job request within an hour then he’d have a five point advantage. After that he planned on doing jobs all day until deep into the night. Most shang rokai only did about three to four jobs a day with frequent days off. Okimodo planned on doing at least four jobs a day with no days off. By doing so he could possibly reach rank thirty or so within a year, landing him a spot in the MFF.

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Okimodo’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he sat on the nearest couch to Jibel waiting for the next job request to be printed. After about fifteen minutes the message printer that resembled a typewriter but bulkier began to print out the next job.

Jibel jolted out of his daze and let out a dry cough before he quickly retrieved it and read the job description. “This Job request is from the virticilian imperial railway, they are requesting a shang rokai who is at least a class three. The job is to guard the Crimson Duchess that leaves at three minutes past four for the city of Balboa in the neighbouring country of Corone. The journey will take ten hours. The pay for this job is thirty eight thousand greater coronation shekels and eighty contribution points.”

“Thirty eight thousand dollars?” The shang rokai from earlier stood up from his couch.

“Eighty points.” Okimodo lunged at jibel turning in mid air just in time to spin kick the other shang rokai who had jumped just before him in the jaw. The older man was sent tumbling across the floor as Okimodo retrieved the job request from Jibel before using spectrum dash to escape having to face retribution. In a flash he was outside of the palace standing right under Heshea’s statue.

He stuffed the job request from the imperial railway company in his pouch before retrieving the one from Helious. By helping Helious and completing the imperial railway’s job request he could get an entire week’s worth of contribution points in just one day. This would easily land him at around rank five hundred or so giving him an enormous lead on his first year peers. He gazed over towards a nearby lamppost with a clock on it. Observing that the time was currently one minute past two o clock, he noted that he had two hours to help Helious and catch the crimson duchess.

Okimodo directed his gaze towards the city in the distance. Buchai bank was in the heart of the Buchai city centre on ambrosia street. Okimodo could get there within a minute if he flew there. Normally members of the Azurai clan preferred not to fly long distances. This was because doing so put an extreme tax on a person’s proto atom reserves crippling their ability to use resonance. Okimodo was not concerned by this however, as Buchai bank was only a few blocks away from Buchai central railway station where the crimson duchess would be departing from. This meant Okimodo would not have to tax his reserves too severely as the distance to his next job was small.

Okimodo blinked as the view of Buchai city gleaming in the sun was obscured by two silhouettes climbing up from the staircase ahead of him. The taller silhouette called out to him and he recognised the voice immediately.

“Okimodo!” Guyus ran towards Okimodo with an ecstatic grin.

Running behind him was a brown haired woman with a larger than normal rosette on her right cheek. Their robes both fluttered in the air as they ran to greet the youth.

“Congratulations.” Guyus cheered as he slapped Okimodo hard on the shoulder. It stung.

“I don’t see why you’re so happy.” Okimodo tried his best not to rub his shoulder as he spoke. “It was to be expected for me to pass in one go. Surely you don’t think so lowly of me as to celebrate as if it were a surprise.”

Guyus threw his hands in the air gesticulating as if he were an imperial jester. “Hey relax young one.”

“It’s not that big of a deal.” The Ionoon school woman, whose name was Veeto said punching Okimodo in the shoulder.

“Don’t call me young one.” Okimodo scowled. Guyus had always taken great pleasure in getting on his nerves. It had been like this ever since he first met him.

“I mean lord Azurai.” Guyus corrected himself before going on to say. “You’re a big boy now after all young one.”

Okimodo swung his right leg forward, aiming for the older shang rokai’s groin.

Guyus naturally dodged to the left and swept his right leg forward hooking it around Okimodo’s left foot and pulling it away spreading Okimodo’s legs into a painful split.

Okimodo immediately began to clutch his groin in pain as he rolled around on the floor, occasionally gazing up at the other two vindictively.

“Would you consider tagging along for our next job?” Guyus asked as he sat down on Okimodo’s chest.

“It will be fun.” Veeto said squatting down and playing with Okimodo’s hair.

“Get lost.” Okimodo sighed. “I’m already doing my own thing, and I don’t intend on sharing any of the points with you or anyone.”

Guyus stood up before helping Okimodo up and asking. “Do you really still intend on making it into the MFF within a year? Do you not think it’s best if you take it slow.”

“No.” Okimodo laughed as if Guyus words were insane. “That’s not how Azurai Batari Okimodo does things.”

“Okimodo…” Guyus’s eyes drifted across the area as if he was searching for the right words to say. “Okimodo, the MFF is not what they say it is. It’s easy to be seduced by the glamorous image the clan head has crafted, but once you see what it really means to be a member of the MFF.” Guyus leaned in towards Okimodo before speaking in an overly dramatic voice. “It Shook me to my core Okimodo, I’m never going to be the same again and neither will y-“

His words were cut off as Okimodo started to laugh in his face, as if he had heard the funniest and most outlandish of fables. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Guyus took a step back before looking over his shoulder towards Veeto.

The woman shrugged before a slightly blue expression came over her. “Maybe it’s better if he sees it for himself.”

Okimodo wanted to ask what they meant but stopped himself as he remembered that Helious needed his help. “I’m off. I’ll see you two around I guess.”

They both nodded as a pair of eagle wings sprouted from Okimodo’s back. At the next second he was off hurdling across the blazing sky.

End of chapter 21.