Soon, I was back to my old ghostly self. During the time I was in a muddled state(pun intended), I had been watching the director fiddling with the cat on his lap. Why fiddling with a cat instead of playing patting or anything else?
Because he kept poking it all over repeatedly! It looked odd irrespective of how you look at it. The poking looked similar to be how a modern person would play with their phones, and the cat didn't seem to mind either.
After I was done staring, the director looked back at me.
"Oh! You are back to normal again! I thought you were going to stain my carpet…. it looks clean though!" He let out a hearty laugh afterwards.
"...... "
I could only let out a hollow laugh in reply to the poorly made joke.
"While you were…. Busy. I had Marina talk with the academy and.... Congratulations! You are all set now. Just take the documents from her. You can find her in the reception area you met before!" The director said as he waved a jolly goodbye.
"Thank you for everything Director!" I said as I moved towards the door. This weird old man just kept igniting my killing instincts. Who plays with a cat like that. Cats are to be loved… not poked.
"Oh right!" He exclaimed as I was halfway through the door." Your results can be sent to your familiar. So get one and get it registered with the guild. Marina will help you out."
"Familiar?" I asked him with confusion filling my voice
The director pointed towards the golden fluffy tabby cat who looked towards me too and, "Meoooow!!!!"
"Oh, lord!" I almost melted.
"This is my familiar, Genesis! There is a shop selling them downstairs. They are mostly used for communication and some can also be used for fighting. They have a mental link which helps them connect in a specific range. Just go downstairs to the familiar shop and ask for a familiar, they will give you an already registered one. There are other forms available too since this one's too ferocious!" The director explained seriously.
"Ferocious? But its a kitty…." I interjected lost in the logic.
"No… this is not a cat... Its a.." Right then the kitty changed into a lion and growled at me…..
My eyes have been opened and my worldview has been shattered again and again in a single day! What a day it has been. I mumbled to myself.
"There… there Genesis! … She is just a weakling! No need to bother with her!" The director consoled the kitty turned lion.
My heart! Oh, my poor heart!
After he completely stomped all over my pride, the director gestured for me to leave.
I turned around and just passed through the door. I was a ghost. Might as well take full advantage and save time.
I leisurely floated back to the reception area where Marina was while cussing at the black-hearted director in my mind. I reached the area only to see marina buried in a pile of paperwork.
"Umm… Marina?" I inquired cautiously.
"WHAT?" She answered back hurriedly.
…. Wow! How her attitude changes.
"Oh. It's you?" She then took a look at me and replied blandly. "I put all your paperwork into this envelope. Go to the Familiar shop and get one for yourself… also buy a storage device, you will be in trouble if you lose stuff. And remember, when you get on the main continent make sure you join the guild. It will be helpful for you in the future."
Then she got back to whatever she was doing.
I took the paper and thought. What she said was indeed true. I am just a ghost/ invisible person carrying around stuff. Everyone can see what I am carrying. A storage device would be so convenient!
"Thank you, Marina!" I thanked and went out of the room. I followed her direction and found a Familiar shop. He shop looked like the small showrooms one wold see on airports.
There were various kinds of pets displayed. Cats, puppies, alligators and even butterflies all put in small cages and put on display. Unlike what one would see in a pet shop, they were not in the least bit afraid of humans or anything else in particular.
The sat proudly in their little cages looking at others with contempt.
"Are you here to buy a new familiar? Sir?" A shop assistant who found me gawking outside the window had apparently come out to inquire.
"Yes … I was here for that...." I answer back to her flustered.
"I see… Is it your first time?" The shop assistant asked as she led the way.
"Yes. I've never had a familiar before." I truthfully replied.
The shop assistant stood before a shelf full of glass jars and continued. "Since you are not used to controlling familiar, starting small would be better for you. We have the highest quality frost-fire flies here for just 20 Silvers, and out Dream Butterflies are only 50 Silvers. Our shop provides the cheapest and highest quality familiars in the middle world….."
The shop assistant continued to ramble on. But the thing that I realised was…. I had no money!!!!!!
"Sir! What is your choice?" The shop assistant had finished her introductions while I was lost in my predicament.
"Well…" I hesitated. How am I supposed to say I have no money after entering a shop.
"You see.." I steeled my mind and continued.
"I have no money!"
....
....
The shop assistant looked at me utterly speechless. And I looked back at her. How shameful. I didn't have the will to say that I am not a sir. There was no way to identify either since I had nobody and my voice was just vibrations of spiritual energy and it was more androgynous.
"You are one of those freeloaders huh?" Her smiling facial expression drastically changed to that of contempt and she turned her back to me and went to the deeper parts of the store.
But I heard her mumble," Those daMN RESEARCH DEPARTMENT JERKS!!! Tssss~~~~~~"
She came back after a while as I was wallowing in my own misfortune. She was holding a jar in her hand with a butterfly inside it. The butterfly seemed to have dimer colour and was completely blue. It didn't have the same vibrant glow as other insects on the shelf. She came to the counter and put it down with a bang and looked at me with the same contempt in her eyes.
"Look here!" She said like a thug.
…" Yes!" I replied obediently.
"This is the last one in the stock… so don't ask me to bring another one. This is free stuff you get what you get! Understood?" She said mockingly.
"Yes!" I replied again.
"Bind it with your spiritual energy. Go ahead and be fast." She said, showing me the lid of the glass jar.
"...." I looked at the jar than at her. I had no idea how to bind with spiritual energy.
After seeing that I had not yet moved despite her clear instructions, she asked in impatience.
"What happened, why are you just standing there? Don't you know how to use spiritual energy?"
"No mam"
"What?"
She seemed angry then sighed… "Where did a country bumpkin like you come from? "
A wise man/woman/ghost keeps mum when things are not in their favour. I repeated this line to myself.
Then she continued to explain, "Put your hand….. Or whatever, on the top of this jar and then try to sense it. Things will happen instinctively from then on."
I followed these instructions with a grain of salt and put my hand on top of the jar. I felt the same sucking sensation I felt from the paper earlier this day, but this time I didn't resist. Soon a sweet melodious voice akin to that of a young girl ringed in my mind
"Ancient Reality bending butterfly is requesting to be your familiar. Do you accept?"
I was a little taken aback…. Ancient what?"
Yes!? I replied instinctively and the butterfly disappeared from the jar!
I heard the same voice again in my mind, but this time it was much clearer. The voice said in contempt, " Those useless creatures don't know what Our value is. Little ghost you better not call me unless you're dying!"
"..."
A voice suddenly popped up in my mind ridiculing me. Why is everyone so bent on making me feel inferior?
"Ask the familiar to link and register you to the World Link…. You can then go to the shop over there and get a linked storage device. It's also available for free." The shop assistant said as she took a cloth and started cleaning the counter table.
"Thank you very much." I thanked her sincerely since she did help me out. Albeit making me feel inferior.
I followed her directions and went to the other shop and got the so-called linked storage device. It was basically just a storage pouch but, authorised mails could be sent directly into them.
How convenient. The one I got looked like a small grey silk embroidered pouch. And when I linked it with my spiritual energy it too disappeared. I hurriedly put my important documents in them, then asked the shopkeeper for further instructions. This time it was an amicable middle-aged man instead of the previous grumpy one. He told me I needed to go to the transportation are and get a shared ride.
I followed his instruction and went to the transportation area.