The journeyman’s guild was a convention of the masses, individuals from all over seeking to make a living off of being a salvager or post requests would flock here to express their wishes. A hub for technological wonders with funding from very wealthy patrons, its halls were equipped with the most intuitive technology the old world had to offer. Mounted upon the walls were various monitors hooked up to display current events such as the discovery of a new network passage or the political climate of the many ruling nations. The monitors also detailed various missions that were still available as well as the prices of common artifacts or ‘salvage in demand’ that were allowed to be traded in for monetary compensation.

“Sir, please follow us this way.” The guard insisted.

I was escorted past the numerous mercenaries and salvagers that loitered the guild, cramming the building as they took up all the available space. Still weary from the injuries I received from that old man, I obediently followed the soldiers to wherever it was they were taking me. Seemingly bypassing those who were awaiting their acceptance into the exploratory mission, I felt that I would attract unwanted attention.

“Why the hell is this guy getting special treatment? We’ve been waiting here all day, he should be waiting his turn just like the rest of us for qualifications!” A man shouted.

“Sir, i’m going to need to ask you to calm down.”

“Hell no, this shit ain’t fair.”

“Sir, should you continue to cause a commotion, we will escort you off the premises personally, is that clear?”

“Are you threatening me? Who the hell do you guys think you are?”

“Hey pal, those are chassis soldiers you’re talking to. If they’re giving that guy special treatment, it's probably for good reason, It’s best not to get involved.” Another man chimed in.

“You better listen to his advice, pal.” The chassis guard mocked.

“Tch, this is fucking bullshit.” He submitted.

Had he continued to rant to the guards, he would have compromised his opportunity to participate in the mission. Despite the deescalation of the situation, I could feel the eyes of the other participants taking interest in me. I was quickly brought to the counter in the back where several staff members were taking information from several participants in line, seeing if they met the qualifications to join the mission. Ignoring the lines, I was brought to a closed off section which was seemingly empty. The guard’s stopped there, asking me to take a seat as it might be a while before they could convince whoever was in charge of letting me skip the procedures for registration.

“Wait here, I’ll call for the taskmaster in charge of this branch.” The guard instructed.

The guard proceeded to interrupt one of the recruitment officers who had been conversing with one of the participants. They seemed to be in a heated argument as the guard insisted that he meet with the individual in charge of this facility, though the recruitment officer seemed reluctant to comply. Examining the area of employment, they appeared to have their own set of monitors set up behind the counter indicating the Eitr density measured by the modified aerometer’s and barometers hooked up to the roof.

“As I’ve told you before, I’m afraid our manager isn’t available right now. So please, come back at a later time, you are holding up the line.” The recruitment officer explained, her words failing to dissuade the guard.

“And as I’ve told you, this is an urgent request from a chassis elite. If you wish you to keep your job, then I urge you to contact your supervisor, understand?”

“And as I’ve told you before, sir, he does not want to be disturbed.”

“Ah, quite the distinction you’ve made, are you implying that your supervisor is in fact in the building as we speak?”

“Ah, no. I shouldn’t have said that, our supervisor, he’s-”

“Now, that's enough! I can hear you guys arguing from the other room!” A voice yelled out. A rather scruffy man came walking in from a room beyond the counter. “Think you guys could stop harassing my workers? They get enough shit from all these wanna-be salvagers looking to make it big.”

“Ah, you must be the manager in charge of this branch. I’m afraid there was a misunderstanding, this lady refused to cooperate and continued to lie to us in regards to whether you were absent from the workplace.”

“Yeah, well that’s no excuse to threaten my staff.” He retorted. “Besides, she was lying on my behalf.” He motioned toward the recruitment officer. “Sweetie, go take a break, I’ll deal with these guys. And for all you participants waiting in line, I’m afraid you’ll have to take your place by getting behind the other lines!”

The participants were visibly upset and annoyed at the idea of having to stay here any longer than they should, all thanks to my involvement in the matter.

“We apologize for making a commotion, but we’re here to fulfill a favor given to him on behalf of our commander. Would you kindly add him to the roster for those participating in the mission?”

“I’m gonna stop you right there, is he registered to the guild?”

The guard paused a moment, looking at me. “Are you?” I shook my head. “No, I don’t believe so.”

“Then I’m afraid we have nothing to talk about.”

“Wha- why not? Is it money? We will gladly cover the expenses needed for his registration.”

“Yeah, that’s not gonna cut it. We’re looking for somebody with at least 2 years of experience in the field, so it seems you’ve done nothing but waste both our time I'm afraid. Now if you don’t mind, I’ve got other things to take care of.”

“Those circumstances are irrelevant regarding the conditions for joining the exploratory mission. Please do not be so quick to disregard the criteria and parameters our client has kindly arranged for the qualifications needed to join the mission, master.” A voice rang out.

“Tch, why do you have to go against everything I say.”

“Simple, you are not always in the correct state of mind to enact rational decisions regarding the situation at hand. After all, it was you who gave me permission to oversee who is and who isn’t qualified to join this mission.” The voice rang out again.

“Excuse me, but who exactly are you talking to?” The guard questioned.

“Ah, don’t worry about it, it’s really none of your business…”

“That’s no good, if you wish to get along with others it’s best you make an attempt to explain your situation. It’s not good for your mental health if you continue to isolate yourself from others.”

“Ah, damn it. Alright, fine. That voice belongs to my wife, but our situation is a little complicated.” He explained.

The manager began to reach into his pocket, pulling out a small circular disc of metal with what appeared to have some form of reflective lens centered on its core. Placing it on the table, its glassy core began to erupt with light revealing what appeared to be a representation of a small and young yet beautiful girl.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, I am Yaren. I am a virtual companion designed to accommodate the needs of my proprietor. Disregarding my original design, I have been repurposed to suit the needs of this establishment and better serve as a companion.”

“There you go using that word again, ‘proprietor’, the hell does that even mean? I’m your husband, why won’t you respond to my feelings, huh?”

“I do not wish to tarnish our relationship, it is unhealthy for you to grow attached to a inanimate existence such as myself, If it is love you desire, it would be best for you to find a human counterpart that matches your personal preferences, I would be more than happy to find a suitable candidate that would be compatible for you.”

“No woman can do what you can do though, honey.”

“Please refrain from calling me that, we have discussed this, it is not good for your mental health to identify me as a suitable mate.”

“This is truly a sight to behold. I never expected to see a Disir here in Rinsaad of all places.” The guard seemed baffled, so was I.

Disir, believed to spiritual beings recognized by the people of faith and religion. Though this one appears to the spiritual protector of this establishment, they are fickle beings who have been rumoured to be quite aggressive and antagonistic whereas other times they are seen as beneficial and protective. It would appear, however, the alignment of this Disir in particular seems to fall in the latter category.

“Please do not feel alarmed by my appearance, I only serve to help those in need of assistance. You wish to register the individual known as ‘Grit’ to join the mission on behalf of your commander, correct?”

“Ah yes, that is correct. Though he is not registered to the guild, as far as I am aware. We do not mind paying for his admission though.”

“That won’t be necessary, as per the conditions for applying to join the mission, those without a salvager permit will be eligible to receive one at the end of the mission, regardless of your experience.”

“I see, so that would mean he can join the mission, yes?”

“That is correct. Though I require that you answer some questions so that I may have a record of your credentials in order to process your permit at a later date.”

“Ah, yeah…. Sure, I don’t mind.” I winced, the pain in my arm still apparent.

“Very good. As for you two, I do hope you can forgive this foolish manager and our staff, we did not wish to cause a disturbance with officers of the law.”

“Ah, all is forgiven, I suppose we were at fault as well. But now that we’ve confirmed that the favor has been fulfilled, we will be returning to our duties.”

“I see. Do take care, officers.” Yaren responded.

“Ah, hold on.” I stalled. “Tell that old man, thanks.”

“Hmph, we’ll be sure to pass the message along.” He said, departing from the guild.

“Now then, shall we begin your registration and application for the mission?”

“Yeah, let’s do it.”

The next half-hour was spent filling out various forms and answering questions, despite other participants finishing up before me, Yaren wished to gather enough information to properly fill her database. Before I knew it, the evening had come and the day had passed me up. Curious about how exactly these guilds functioned, I asked Yaren about the details. She explained that much of the journeyman guilds are funded by the Journeyman's committee. Typically run by the wealthiest or most experienced salvagers in the industry. They manage flow of commerce and have the most detailed archives and collection of artifacts in the region. They catalogue most of it for research purposes and report their findings to the general public. It would explain how technologically advanced this guild was compared to the rest of the town.

“Now, I have finished conducting the exam. You have provided sufficient data for me to compile, I appreciate your patience and understanding.”

“Ah, no, I’d rather everything is done properly than having to redo the entire process again.”

“Can’t believe we’re wasting time here, we could have been doing more important things, honey.” The manager complained.

“I disagree, this was not a waste of time. Just like we were asked, we are recruiting individuals that meet the needs for the mission. Also, I thought I made it clear that you would not call me ‘honey’.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just I can't stand to see you spend time with another man.”

“Do not feel upset, there is no need for you to feel worried. I am in service to you and no other. Regardless, seeing as we are just about finished, we’ll have the rest of the evening to spend time with one another.”

“Uh, so am I cleared to join the mission tomorrow?” I interrupted

“Correct, you have been cleared to join tomorrow's mission. We apologize for the time it took to get this situation under control.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it. Just glad we could sort everything out.”

“Indeed, and in regards to the incident from before, I did not wish to escalate the situation as it would only cause trouble for my proprietor. After all, I do not wish to see him get hurt.”

“Aw, so you really do care for me honey.”

“Please, refrain from calling me ‘honey’. It is only natural I take into consideration the well being of my companion. Regardless, there is one last thing we need to take care of, we need image verification.”

“Ah, the image device, I almost forgot.” The manager exclaimed. Rummaging around under the desk, the manager pulled out some form of mechanical artifact with a circular glass lens.

“Please look into the reflective lens so we may take your picture.”

“Ah, alright, sur-?” A bright flash blinded my vision.

“Very good, now we have completed all the steps for verification.”

“Ough, what was that... well I’m glad it’s over.” I rubbed my eyes. “You know, you seem to take care of a lot of things for this guild, seems like if it weren’t for you this place wouldn’t be running in the first place.”

“Of course, I manage the guild's bounty board, registry and database. I operate to ensure that this facility functions as intended and continue to provide support to those within our community. But most importantly, I do this out of consideration for my proprietor.“

“Heh, so you show your affection for the manager in your own way.”

“But of course, he is after all, my companion.”

“So you really do love me then, hon-?”

“Please refrain from speaking any further.”

“Aw! Why not? You just said-”

“I insist you stop right there. We shall discuss this matter at home, understand?”

“Tch, why you gotta embarrass me.”

“Would you like to repeat that?”

“No. I understand.” He sighed.

“Very good, now then, it is about that time. I do hope to have your permit ready for you by the time you return from your mission. The session concludes here.”

“I appreciate it, and yeah it’s about time I head out. Also, it was nice meeting you both.”

“Yeah, yeah, now get the hell out of here. I gotta close up shop.”

“Your satisfaction is our primary concern, thank you for coming, please do take care.”

With that, I had finally gotten permission to join the mission tomorrow morning. With everyone having already left the guild, it was time for me to head out. Coming out the doors, I was surprised to see there was still night life as mercenaries and salvagers were still loitering about discussing whether they were accepted to join the mission tomorrow. However one conversation in particular caught my attention.

“Sorry hun, not interested, go look elsewhere for someone to pester.”

“You sure? I can show you a real good time…”

“I said, I’m not interested, can’t you see I'm uninjured? Go find an invalid to leech off of!”

“Alright, well… if you change your mind, here’s my calling card…”

“Yeah, yeah, just get the hell outta here.” The man waved her off.

A rather sultry woman had begun striking up conversation with the local men, likely trying to attract them to her place of work. Seeing as no one was willing to give her the time of day, she turned her attention toward me.

“Hey handsome. Perhaps I could show you a good time unlike that brute over there.”

“Heh, as much as I’d like to, I’m afraid I need to be heading home to get some rest.”

“I see. Well if you change your mind, you can find me at the ‘Hungry Heart’ in the southern district. Should you require our services, the ladies would love to have you.” She sullenly smiled.

“I’ll be sure to stop by then.”

“Oh? Well, I’ll be sure to keep the sheets warm then, try not to keep a lady waiting.”

“Hmph, have a good night, miss.” I replied.

She smiled, as she wandered off to attract another customer. Having to wait another day till the exploration mission would begin, I felt it would be best to get some rest and wake up early, however the thought of returning to the inn from the previous night made my stomach sink. The thought of having to stay elsewhere wouldn’t have been ideal either as I was running low on funds, this town has drained me. Thinking of alternatives, there was only one place left to go.