"It's a normal occurrence around here," Dandrol said, his voice trembling as tears streamed freely down his weathered face. The bills were always a problem because of ruffian members like the twins.
Damien stood stiffly, unsure whether to look away comfort him. The raw emotion in Dandrol's expression wasn't something he'd ever seen from the normally composed man. Seems like paying for damages really made the old man cry.
"Master… will the other S-Class members be coming soon?"
Dandrol sniffed, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "Yes. A few will return soon, but the rest are still occupied."
"With missions?" Damien asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course," Dandrol replied, composing himself with a sigh. "Now that the twins are back, I'm sure they'll wrap up their missions quickly and head here too.."
_____
"Alright! You're all registered now!" Peppermint announced cheerfully, practically bouncing in place as she handed Odessa a paper and a slim metal card with her information on it. "That mark on your arm." Referring to an egg shape on Odessa's hand, "It shows you're officially a trainee. Now, complete a hundred ranked questions from E to D, and you'll earn your place as an official guild member!"
Odessa's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Thank you!"
"Tch. I bet this newbie won't even last three months," came a scoff from behind.
Odessa turned and spotted Vivy leaning against the wall, arms crossed and an unimpressed look on her face.
"Vivy, don't start," Peppermint sighed, though a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
"You always say that," she added.
"And I'm usually right," Vivy replied coolly, raising an eyebrow. "There were thirty recruits last season. Only four made it to full membership."
"It's still good, y'know?" Peppermint said, undeterred. "Quality over quantity. We don't need numbers—we need loyalty and strength. Most fail at the final test anyway."
Odessa shifted nervously. "Um… may I ask what that final test is?"
Peppermint winked. "Nope. You'll find out when it's your turn!"
Vivy pushed off the wall with a sigh. "You want me to give her the tour, right?"
Peppermint nodded. "If you don't mind."
"Fine, fine." Vivy turned to Odessa and gestured. "Follow me. Don't slow me down."
______
"Whoa… this is beautiful!" Odessa gasped as they walked past different sections of the guild. There were blooming lace vines decorating the healing area, gentle steam rising from the public bathhouse, glowing crystals pulsing in the magic research wing, and rows of gleaming bookshelves in the library. The sound of hammering metal echoed from the distant weapon smith's workshop.
Vivy glanced over her shoulder with a small smirk. "Impressed?"
"Very!" Odessa said, eyes wide with wonder. "How does it all look so… good?"
"It's all thanks to Peppermint's stone magic," Vivy said with a hint of pride. "We couldn't afford to make such big changes through money alone. Her magic reshapes the stone structures, and everyone contributes in some way."
"But… wait, you guys are kind of famous! I thought you'd be rolling in gold," Odessa said, baffled.
"Hah. 'Kinda famous' doesn't mean we're rich," Vivy muttered. "The Ministry of Magic taxes all guilds heavily. Ridiculously, even. Most of what we earn goes right into their greedy hands."
"That's insane!"
"Tell me about it," Vivy grumbled, her lip curling in irritation. "They're our current government of our entire continent, and I hate it."
Odessa's smile faded a bit. "Hm… I see." Her eyes flicked around the quiet corridors again, thoughtful. "Aren't you worried about people stealing from the library? The spells, the books…"
Vivy stopped and turned slightly, arching a brow. "You really like books, don't you?"
"They're precious," Odessa said firmly. "They hold knowledge, skills, history… it's terrible when they fall into the wrong hands."
"Well, you can relax," Vivy replied. "Unless you're a guild member or trainee, you can't take anything out of here. It's a form of barrier magic. The building itself reacts to our guild marks."
"Wow. That's… actually really smart."
"And people without a mark can't go beyond the request board area near the entrance. No wandering into the archives or storage areas," Vivy added.
Odessa let out a relieved sigh. "That makes things a lot safer."
"Worried?" Vivy asked, giving her a side glance.
"Yes," Odessa admitted. "Too many guilds lost irreplaceable spells because of careless security."
"Well," Vivy said, her tone softer than before, "you're not wrong."
They stepped back into the main hall, the warm scent of food wafting from the nearby canteen.
"Do you have somewhere to stay?" Vivy asked, brushing a speck of dust off her sleeve.
Odessa shook her head. "Not yet."
"Then you can use the guild dorms. That building just behind us."
Odessa's face lit up. "Really? Thank you so much!"
Before Vivy could walk away, Odessa hesitated, biting her lip. "Can I ask something else?"
"Go on."
"Why is the guild located behind the city? Aren't you worried about attacks? And I noticed there aren't any government buildings nearby…"
Vivy gave a small laugh. "You ask a lot of questions."
"I'm sorry—"
"No, it's fine," Vivy said, waving a hand. "The location works for us. There's a massive training ground behind the guild. And don't worry, one of our members cast a powerful protection barrier over the entire city and guild and it has lasted for years."
"As for the government," she continued with a shrug, "this isn't an official city. We registered our land for the guild's sake, but over the years, people started settling around us. It's been a hundred years since then."
"A hundred years?!" Odessa gasped. "Wait… how old are you?"
Vivy turned with a grin. "I'm 234."
Odessa blinked, speechless for a moment, before realizing aloud, "Right… strong magic can slow aging…'