After the announcement by Vanguard Serena, all the new Warlords could be seen heading to the square. They were outfitted with new armor, weapons, and clothes, as most had blown their initial allowance already. As the shop owner stated, most did not know anything about gear and bought items that went completely against their fighting style or due to the price, as some equated higher prices with better gear when the reality was that most had been scammed by sleazy shop owners. The new Warlord status was akin to hitting the lottery for some, as there were many commoners who had struggled growing up and were now reaping instant benefits. It was a sudden come-up.
The square where they had their Initiation was now filled with people moving about as gazebo-type structures had been set up like a job fair. Each gazebo had representatives from each major guild and even some smaller, lesser-known ones.
Most of the smaller guilds usually waited for the processing to be over and would try to recruit whoever was left or hadn't decided on a guild. They knew they couldn't compete with what was known as The Big Five offered, but some tried anyway just in case there were some unusual candidates.
As the trio arrived, they realized they were early yet late in terms of attendance as the square was already packed with new and current Warlords. Current Warlords would try to scope out who could potentially be a threat and gauge where newer recruits were leaning. As they all walked around looking at various stations, Vanguard Serena arrived and made her way to a stage that had been assembled. As she walked up, the place quieted immediately.
"First, let me congratulate you on making it past the initiation process. I am Vanguard Serena! I am Mordell's Warmaster and will explain how this will work..." As she spoke, four new Warlords immediately arrived, trying to sneak into the crowd. She noticed their arrival even in the mass group of people.
"You four in the back! Who just arrived."
Everyone immediately turned to see who she was referring to.
"I remember giving clear instructions to not be late. I do not care for excuses! It doesn't matter if you overslept, were taking a shit, buying a new wardrobe, or with your lover! Since you all decided to show up late, as of today, you are hereby stripped of your Warlord titles! Remove yourselves from my sight before I kill you!" Instantly the armbands disappeared from the four. It actually happened! They were no longer Warlords.
There was dead silence. People were shocked! All the four did was show up late and just like that, they had lost their title of Warlord not even a day after gaining them. "I do not repeat myself and will only speak once!!"
You could hear the gulps in the crowd as everyone quickly stiffened and started to focus, not wanting to miss anything.
"Now there will be two phases of processing. The first phase is your magic tested to identify your awakening stone's grade and potential. I will give a brief description of each, as some of you will likely be clueless. It's not that common, but it still occurs." This shocked many, as they thought, 'Who would be dumb enough not to be aware of their own ability?' Your stone's potential will also help identify you for potential roles: leader, support, or damage dealer.
"As most of you are already aware, stones follow the usual item grade scale...."
Everyone had the same thought... 'That's it?'
Normally Serena would allow for questions as there usually would be, but this bunch seemed smarter, so she figured she'd continue.
"Now the stone's potential can directly affect your ranking within your guild. For those of you whose magic is already maxed, you will never potentially rank below 100. That's just how it is. This can only change if your stone undergoes a reawakening. In that situation, you can get a reevaluation."
"What?"
"Aww man, that isn't fair. I wanted to become a guild leader."
The trio could hear the complaints as many had no idea such a stipulation existed. Immediately Haruto could see how some Warlords already felt a sense of superiority over others.
Serena scanned the area and could see the nervousness of each, but three she keyed on weren't nervous: Haruto, Bane, and Sylvie, as well as a few others.
'I see that little scuffle has given rise to some little tigers,' she thought as she continued.
"The second phase is the selection of a guild. Just because you pick a guild does not mean they will accept you. They can decline. As you can see, we have the Big 5 in attendance. Each Guild Master is present here, as well as some of our smaller guilds."
The crowd buzzed with anticipation and whispers as the new Warlords absorbed the information. The atmosphere was thick with tension and excitement, each recruit considering their options and future prospects.