The Western District of Orario was nothing like the bustling merchant quarter we'd entered through. With each step, the cobblestones beneath our feet grew more even, the buildings more uniform. Even the air felt different—cleaner, quieter, like we'd crossed some invisible boundary into a place where chaos simply wasn't tolerated.
"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Rumi asked, her crimson eyes darting around nervously. Her fingers tugged at the hem of her simple tunic, suddenly conscious of its worn edges.
I consulted the map. "Unless the Guild gave us intentionally bad directions, which would be a hilarious prank but terrible for business, we're heading straight for it."
The streets widened as we walked, lined with perfectly trimmed hedges and the occasional statue of figures engaged in what appeared to be philosophical debate. People moved with purpose here. No street vendors shouted their wares. No children darted between legs. Everyone walked as if they had an appointment they were exactly three minutes early for.
"It's so..." Rumi's voice trailed off.
"Sterile?" I offered.
"I was going to say 'orderly,'" she corrected, her ears twitching in mild irritation.
We passed what looked like a massive library, its columns rising three stories high, scholars and students filing in and out with armloads of books and scrolls. Next to it stood what could only be a training arena, the sounds of clashing steel occasionally drifting over its high walls.
"The Athena Familia values intelligence as much as combat prowess," Rumi said, reciting information from the Guild pamphlet she'd clearly memorized. "They believe that proper planning eliminates the need for heroics."
I snorted. "Sounds thrilling."
"It's sensible," she shot back. "They have the lowest casualty rate of any top-tier Familia."
"Because they probably spend six months planning how to tie their shoes."
Her ears flattened against her head. "Why are you so—"
She stopped mid-sentence, her whole body going rigid. I followed her gaze and there it was, looming at the end of a wide avenue.
Aegis Manor.
The headquarters of the Athena Familia wasn't a building. It was a statement written in stone and steel. Rising three imposing stories, it was constructed entirely of smooth gray marble that seemed to absorb the morning sunlight rather than reflect it. Every line was sharp, precise, and utterly without ornament. No decorative carvings. No unnecessary flourishes. Just clean, imposing geometry that declared its purpose through sheer presence rather than ostentation.
A high wall of the same gray marble surrounded the property, topped with what looked like subtle but undoubtedly effective defensive measures. The main gate was a masterwork of black wrought iron, the bars forming an intricate pattern that resolved into the silhouette of an owl with its wings partially spread—the Familia's emblem rendered in silver against the dark metal.
Behind the gate, I glimpsed a meticulously maintained courtyard where figures in slate-gray uniforms moved in perfect synchronization through what appeared to be training exercises. Every movement was efficient, controlled, and identical to the person next to them.
"It's perfect," Rumi whispered, her voice catching slightly.
I glanced at her. She stood frozen, her crimson eyes wide with naked awe, ears standing perfectly straight in attention. The look on her face was one I recognized from my previous life—the expression of someone seeing their wildest dream manifested in physical form.
"They're so..." she continued, searching for words. "So disciplined. So coordinated. Look at how they move!"
I was looking, but not with the stars in my eyes that Rumi had. What I saw was a corporation, nothing more or less.
I'd built and dismantled enough companies in my previous life to recognize the signs. The Athena Familia wasn't looking for innovation or unique talent. They were looking for compliance. For pieces that fit their predetermined mold.
They weren't looking for me.
And if I was being brutally honest, they probably weren't looking for Rumi either.
But one look at her face—the pure, unadulterated hope shining there—and I knew we'd be going through with this farce anyway.
The things I did for temporary business partners.
"Come on," I sighed. "Let's get this over with."
We approached the gate where two guards stood at perfect attention, their spears held exactly vertical, their posture so correct it had to be uncomfortable. They wore armor of cerulean steel plates over their slate-gray uniforms, the metal polished to a mirror shine. The owl emblem adorned their left shoulder pauldrons.
We stood there for an awkward thirty seconds.
Rumi shifted her weight from foot to foot, her ears drooping slightly. "So... what do we do?" she whispered. "Is there a bell or something? Do we just... knock?"
I stared at the guards. They stared at nothing in particular, their gaze fixed on some distant point above our heads.
"Maybe they're statues," I whispered back.
"They're not statues," she hissed. "They're elite guards of the Athena Familia!"
"Then why aren't they doing their job of, I don't know, guarding? Which generally includes acknowledging potential threats or visitors?"
Rumi's ears flattened in embarrassment. "There's probably a protocol—"
"Screw it," I muttered.
I stepped forward, directly in front of the gate. I cupped my hands around my mouth, took a deep breath, and did what I do best—cut through the bullshit.
"HEY! WE'RE HERE TO JOIN YOUR FANCY OWL CLUB! ARE YOU ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS OR NOT?"
My voice echoed down the quiet, respectable street like a thunderclap. A pigeon startled from a nearby roof, taking flight with an indignant fluttering of wings. A curtain twitched in a neighboring window, a face briefly appearing before quickly withdrawing.
Next to me, Rumi made a sound like she was being strangled.
The two guards, who until this point had been doing their best impression of particularly well-polished statues, slowly turned their heads in perfect unison to look at me.
"Rome!" Rumi squeaked, her voice barely audible. "What are you doing?"
"Getting results," I replied without breaking eye contact with the guards. "Watch and learn."
One of the guards finally moved. With crisp, military precision, he marched to the gate, each step exactly the same length as the one before it. He stopped exactly one foot from the bars.
He did not open the gate.
"The Athena Familia is not holding open recruitment at this time," he said. "We appreciate your... enthusiasm." The microscopic pause before 'enthusiasm' spoke volumes. "We will post any future opportunities at the Guild. Please have a pleasant day."
Translation: Go away, peasants. Your very existence offends our aesthetic.
I opened my mouth to respond, but at that moment, a soft mechanical hum broke the silence. The gate buzzed and began to swing open just enough to allow someone to exit.
The guard stepped back immediately, resuming his statue impression.
Two figures emerged from the courtyard beyond.
The first was a young man, probably around my age, with perpetually messy brown hair that fell into his eyes. He moved with a slight slouch, like someone who found standing up straight to be too much effort. Despite his relaxed posture, there was something sharp about his gaze—cool gray eyes that flicked over us in a single sweep, cataloging and dismissing us in the same instant. His uniform bore subtle marks of rank, and he carried a long spear so casually it might as well have been a walking stick.
The second figure caught and held my attention. She had dark skin which contrasted well with the slate colors of her modified Athena Familia uniform. Her black hair was tied in a high ponytail that swung with each step, and unlike her companion, there was nothing relaxed about her movements.
When her gaze met mine, something changed. She slowed her pace, head tilting slightly to one side as she took in my stark white hair and mismatched eyes. Her lips curved into a slow, amused smirk that held more than a hint of danger. There was recognition there—not of who I was, but of what I represented.
She gave me a final, lingering look, her smirk widening into something almost approving before she followed her companion down the street.
The gate closed with a soft but definitive click.
Rumi and I stood alone on the street. The rejection hung in the air between us, almost palpable.
"Well, that went exactly as expected," I said, already pulling out the map. I traced my finger along the streets until I found our next destination. "Hermes Familia is next on the list. It's on the other side of town, near the eastern gate. If we—"
"What is wrong with you?"
I looked up from the map. Rumi stood with her fists clenched at her sides, her ears drooping so low they nearly touched her shoulders. Her face was flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and anger, her crimson eyes swimming with unshed tears of frustration.
"You just..." she spluttered, "You just completely humiliated us! You screamed at the Athena Familia! The ATHENA Familia! One of the three great powers of Orario! What were you thinking?"
I folded the map carefully before replying. "I was thinking that we shouldn't waste time on a Familia that was never going to accept us in the first place."
"You don't know that! We could have—"
"What? Stood quietly at their gate until they deigned to notice us? Filled out seventeen forms in triplicate? Submitted our life histories for their consideration?" I gestured at the imposing manor behind us. "Look at this place, Rumi. Look at how they present themselves to the world. They want people who fit perfectly into their system."
"And you think I can't fit in?" Her voice caught slightly.
I softened my tone. "I think neither of us wants to. You're too independent. Too fierce. Too much yourself to be just another uniformed cog in their machine."
Her ears twitched, rising slightly from their drooped position. "And you?"
"I'm allergic to unnecessary structure. It gives me hives." I tucked the map into my pocket. "Besides, did you see that Amazoness? The way she looked at me?"
"Like you were insane?" Rumi crossed her arms.
"Like I was interesting." I grinned. "That's the advantage of making a scene. The drones filter you out, but the real players take notice."
Rumi shook her head, but the worst of her anger seemed to be fading. "You're unbelievable."
"I prefer 'strategic.'" I started walking, gesturing for her to follow. "Come on. Four more Familias to go. The day is young, and my throat is already warmed up for shouting at more fancy gates."
"If you do that at the Hermes Familia, I'm pretending I don't know you," she grumbled, falling into step beside me.
"Noted. I'll be sure to refer to you as 'my beautiful companion the Hume Bunny' very loudly and repeatedly."
She jabbed her elbow into my ribs, but there wasn't much force behind it. "You are the worst person I've ever met."
"Statistically unlikely," I replied cheerfully. "But I'm working on it."
As we navigated back through the pristine streets of the Western District, I found myself thinking about the Amazoness's smirk. It was the only genuine reaction we'd gotten from anyone associated with the Athena Familia.
Something told me we hadn't seen the last of her. Or perhaps more accurately, she hadn't seen the last of us.
But that was a problem for another day. Right now, we had more gates to shout at.