it's been 3 weeks since I joined the mage faction... although nothing much really does have a point over there... we're simply normal adventurers that compete against each other... the knight's faction seems to be a lot more joyful but when I asked sir Rugia, he just denied me from asking too much information about it...
"is there something wrong Ron? why don't I give you some quests to start off the day?"
"no thanks... I'm quite tired right now... I've been thinking a lot but ever since my friend left me, I've never had a conversation without thinking about him... I'm no homo! but just seeing him down before parting just..."
"I see... a death of someone important is... quite devastating, I understand him if there was something devastating happened to him and no one would be that down when someone important died..."
wait... how did she know?
"well, I've got no issues with that, the Malaysian network aka the portal to Malaysia is currently down so I can't make permit you to enter there without a word from our guild master"
"wait, how'd you-"
"an attendant needs to know its client, I'm not going to reveal any such fragile information like that Ron"
with a quirky smile, she returns to her usual post and manages the party she's currently held with
"what's wrong? something the matter?"
"a-ahh... nothing wrong Phoenix, it's just..."
well... I have no need to pry over there
"Wait! Ron, would you kindly get the guild master for us? there seems to be a message for him from the Chinese server"
"Chinese server? wait, why do I have to get him?"
"true... we don't really need you right now either... I'll go head to his office right now. Philia, kindly manage your own clients. nothing seems to be out of the place so there's nothing to worry right now"
jeez... I was just saying that I don't want to do it...
. . .
"I'm really sorry about that Ron... he's quite uptight when it's about orders but he doesn't mean any harm, I don't believe that he has any grudge towards you"
"I don't either... I'm just saying that I'm not needed for that and in the first place, weren't you attendants supposed to give that to him?"
"the guildmaster? no, everyone's free to visit him as long as it's a message from a client or a high ranking person. we don't really care who visits him so we have no troubles with it"
really?... doesn't that make him vulnerable to assassinations? well... I really don't have any reason to worry about that either, it's his call not mine
a man with a mask showed up... what's that? an opera mask or something?
「ara... so this is the guildhall?... it's just like back there...」
"ahh, welcome sir, do you have a request?"
"eh? ah, no I was just looking around. I gotta say, everything looks extravagant here"
he's just looking?... well... I guess if you haven't seen any mirrored worlds then everything here would be something like a game would be, it's basically a game in the first place, minus the reviving part
"one question sir, you seem new here, I've never seen anything like you, how'd you find our server?"
"hmm... well, I came from Russia and found something that felt off so I went inside and the next thing I know, I was here."
"I see... so you're not one of them... in that case, welcome to the Nationwide server of the mirrored worlds! I'm an attendant here, it's a pleasure for your first visit"
"hahaha, thanks for the welcome. can I get a guide around here? can I request something like that?"
Philia looked shocked for a second... looking at the computer quite frantically and sighed...
"I guess it's fine, but I don't expect anyone to accept that..."
"I see... then, why don't you accept it? I have quite some materials and money here so I'll just add that to the reward"
e-ehh? me!? wait wait wait, why me!?
"well... materials for rewards is acceptable... so? this is a personal request from a client, Ron, I assume that you'll accept it?"
"w-wait, WAIT! do I have a say in this?"
"well, of course, you do, it's up to you but denying a personal request is quite damaging to a reputation so I'm afraid that choosing no will just harm you more..."
she looks quite troubled... well... me too... that guy doesn't even faze... what the heck is with him?
"here, I'll give a dagger to you if you complete my request, it's made from diamond Obsidian so it's quite tough, sharp and can channel magic too, so? what'd you say?"
wait! that kind of reward will just-
"wow~ diamond obsidian... some of the quicksmiths here can create swords and spears from games but I've never heard of a diamond obsidian dagger... what do you say R-... on it, there's a signal on your 4 o'clock, around 100 meters. sorry Ron but I need to get to this"
an attendant's work is always busy I guess... unlike those old-timey guilds, they have the responsibilities of a life...
"so? are you going to accept my personal request?"
"haahhh... I really don't have any say to this in the first place... but at least the pay is good. fine, I'll be your escort for your request, as long as you'll give me that knife"
"haha! thanks! well then? shall we start then? where do you suppose the best place here in this world?"
the best place here... hmm...
. . .
. .
.
I lead him to the center of the server, it's just a few blocks away from the guildhall but this should be a great start
"I don't really know this place all too much, the central here is, like the name suggests, it's the center of the server, the ports are in the edge of the world but since the guildhall is nearby here, every single person here are adventurers, most of them are at least."
he's just gazing everywhere... not even paying attention to what I say...
. . .
place... place... I know!
"what about the grand trading hall? it's basically a mall since it's in modern style. you can buy everything you need here; weapons, armors, most of it are delivered and you can't order one here, you have to buy one of their already made items but if you need to order some, the central server is the way to go. sometimes, there are shops and stands there that sells high-quality stuff since that place doesn't really need a permit to sell and there are no taxes"
"ho? that's quite bold, but I guess the guildmaster doesn't really need money all that much"
"yeah... I can guess that since he lives outside the server unlike the rest of us."
the guildmaster... Nick... he was capable of fighting multiple opponents but why did he fake it when I was fighting those bloody things... did he even fake it in the first place?
"say? why don't we rest for now? I'm sure you're partially tired for guiding me"
"a-ahh, yeah, sure, why not"
I was thinking too much back there... that's not me...
. . .
. .
.
we sit in a nearby bench and I take some drinks in the vending machine
「ho?... so that's what it's made for...」
"hmm? did you say something?"
"ahh- no, sorry, just whispering to myself"
I don't get him that much but if the pay is good, then why not
"oh right, I haven't introduced myself haven't I? I'm... uhh... Phaedra, just call me Fei"
"Fei huh... isn't that some sort of a girl's name?"
"meh, aren't you all using nicknames anyway? well, besides that, I use magic like you lot but I prefer others to fight for me rather than me"
that's quite cowardly but... I guess I really don't have a say for what he can do. not fighting is also a strategy is what Mell said but... he's not really the right guy to ask for that...
"oh, I haven't introduced myself... I'-"
"you're Ron, right? I don't need a thorough introduction for you, I shouldn't even be introducing myself in the first place. so? why don't we continue this escort mission?"
. . .
. .
.
I guided him everywhere and finally...
"oh?! you're back? so how was the personal request?"
how should I put this... not really a fan of guiding a person but...
"I guess it's all fine, the reward is fine and I got this cool as dagger"
it's pitch black back and shining blade is beautiful, even the back has some designs, it's like a master's work
"is the client not with you?"
"oh, right, he immediately rented a room in a nearby hotel or inn here, why?"
"is that so? then I'll be taking 30 percent of the cut please"
wait... I didn't hear any of this
"it's the guild's policy for request and special or personal request, if it's a request, the cut will be 10-20 percent and personal requests will be 20-50 percent of the cut, depending on the request given"
"wha- wait, why didn't you tell me this sooner?"
"well, I thought you guys were coming back and since I was still guiding a team, my hands were full so I had to prioritize them since the dangers of your request was close to none"
I see... well, I guess I really don't have any reason to oppose her...
"fine, here, he did give me a hefty lot so I assume that the guild will be more profiting with this"
"ehh? what do you mean? the guild supports itself with its own magic, of course we help so that we don't gain any deaths but at the same time, the cut goes to the attendant who was the proxy and the operator, not the guild since we aren't quite related"
"ehh? not related? how so?"
"hmm... how should I point this... well, since I'm not operating anyone right now, why don't we start it off from the beginning?"
=the guildhall, in the first place was non-existent, the mirrored worlds across the planets was formed by multiple people who were believed to be acquaintances by the time the apocalypse happened. after that, the nationwide server, this mirrored world, became one of the leading and strongest of them all, guiding over 20 thousand adventurers and well over one thousand survivors, at first there was no problem until conversation became an important role in the industry, a few people started temporary link connections where people can converse with each other without leaving the area, kinda like the chat system in a guild from online games, although, the problem there is that even with conversations like that, the problem is still rising, deaths were too sudden and injuries were still frequent, the guild master himself gave some donations and gave us a place to further strengthen our management, computers that can display information, radar systems that have been used frequently. everything has been given to us as donations from the guild master=
"and that's the main reason as to why we're not technically related to the guild"
"uhh... what?"
Pheonix came in from the back of the table, I assume that he's finished with his own work?
"the guild master gave us this as a way to reduce future deaths. since we're freelancers in the first place, we don't want to be nailed in one job, I and Philia can be attendants and operators but that's not the only thing we're capable of"
"correct, the guild master gave us the freedom to do anything here in exchange for the future lives of these adventurers, we work for them and for the money so it's a win-win situation for us"
I see... oddly nice of him to give them freedom to do anything they want...
"the only bad side here is that attendants who don't work outside the field or as operators will be given a choice to organize the database and information around monster's people's equipment and data, of course, everything in the database is kept secret and every guild attendants know that, if an attendant ever breaks that rule then punishment will be given appropriately."
that sounds scary coming from him... I still don't get it that much but I get the picture...
"well then, I guess It's a pleasure working with you, though I understand phoenix, I don't get the others though, they can fight too?"
"some of them do, I can fight too you know, my weapon is the ranged glaive, although the name doesn't imply it much, the place where the top of the iron rod is where the blade is integrated into has another capsule inside, it's like a magic pencil from the kids where there's a lot of cartridge like graphite in a snake form but instead of snakes, it's shotgun bullets and the glaive's blade also has a meaning to it"
"to ignite the bullet in it... I get the theory around it... who made this?"
"some quicksmiths I met in the central, I heard this was a mix of a game and an anime so I kind of like it, don't know what the origin is but hey, as long as it's the same as my old naginata"
so she can also fight huh... I'd like to see her fight
not long after, a man entered the room and barged into the back of the guild
"H-hey! is he allowed?"
"I thought you knew him? ahh... he was injured last time... he's Orpheus, our old friend, he's also an attendant here but not much as an operator, he doesn't talk much like I said"
oh yeah... now I remember
「miss Philia! mind accepting a quest for us?」
「on it, please wait a moment」
"Sorry guys seems like chat break is over"
aww... that's too bad.
I wave goodbye to Philia and Phoenix and head back to the Inn here in the mirrored world, everything seems cheap compared to the hotels outside here...
the sun seems to be setting too... probably best to find a restaurant for dinner first... I heard the local restaurant here is top notch