A portal appeared to the right of the entrance to the guild, startling some waiters and receptionists. Cain walked through and paused in front of the entrance, looking for a suitable table. During this moment, Dresil unmerged from his clothes and the portal closed. Cain decided to sit at the first table he saw; Dresil followed slightly behind him.
Cain sits down on the table and mulls over his experience during his first battle. A hesitant waiter attempts to greet Cain and Dresil, but Dresil directs the waiter's attention to herself so as to not disturb Cain's thoughts. She orders a few steaks and puts it on the Meal Ticket's tab; the waiter leaves shortly after.
'The strength I used on that punch was way more than intended. If I hadn't stopped it in time, then Diana's head would have exploded… I underestimated the pressure and adrenaline during battle, even if it's a one-sided one. Looks like I'll need a more definite way to limit my power until I can get used to it.' Cain thinks to himself as the waiter leaves.
Six magic circles appear in front of Cain in a cubic formation; disguising the area in front of him as an empty table. He attempts to create models of planes, tanks, and guns using mana within the disguised space while thinking about ways to limit his power in a definite manner, but would also still be easy to unseal in dire straits.
The mana models slowly began to take some form while Cain simulates a few possibilities in his head. Although doing both of these tasks at once seems to be faster than doing it one at a time, it is actually quite inefficient. The only reason why Cain continues to do so despite this fact though, is that he's just passing time doing it leisurely and not trying to actively complete the tasks. (Dresil's note: It's actually because he's lazy)
A few minutes pass by as Cain continues to toy with the models and plan an outline for different solutions to limit his physical enhancement. Two waiters walk up to the table, ferrying the plates of steak Dresil ordered shortly beforehand. Cain disperses the models and concealment magic circles moments before they set the plates of food in front of him. He makes note of the solution that'll most likely work and begins his feast. A minute passes and not a crumb is left on the plates.
---Dms: Cain and Dresil--- (5ms)
Cain: When are Maddison and the Dean coming?
Dresil: It's about a 10 minute walk from the arena to here.
Cain: ...so, soon?
Dresil: Yes, Master.
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Cain leaned back on his chair and sighed, taking the opportunity to thoroughly select the best solution and create a proper outline for it. He closed his eyes and envisioned the outline as if it were on a piece of paper, from which he began to "write" on. Cain completes the outline and sits up properly in the chair, stretching and yawning here and there. Roughly a minute passed while he was working on the outline; the only thing left to do was to create the needed magic circles and flesh out the details.
Cain looked around the guild, expecting to see the Dean or Maddison, yet none of them were present. 'Heck… I'm getting too impatient. Meh, nap time.' He lays his head down on the table after moving some of the plates away, preparing to think of some things to do after the meeting. Unfortunately Cain cannot fall asleep in less than 30 mins; not to mention, all of his naps are at least two hours long, averaging four hours. Thus it'd be more appropriate to call this action "zoning out comfortably."
The Dean and Maddison walk through the entrance and scour the first floor for Cain. Dresil only told Maddison that Cain would meet them at the guild, but didn't specify if he was on the first floor or was outside waiting for them. Luckily, Maddison found Dresil and guided the Dean to the table where she sat. A young lad lifted his head from the same table, parts of his hair waving in the air due to the movement; inducing a stifled giggle from Maddison.
---Dms: Cain and Dresil--- (3ms)
Cain: I still have bedhead, don't I?
Dresil: Yep.
Cain: ...I miss my hats.
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Cain stands up and attempts to prepare for interacting with people; stretching and yawning slightly. The Dean walks up to Cain and offers a handshake while saying, "I'm sorry for disturbing your nap. I don't believe we've officially met, I'm Alarick Johnson." Cain looks down at Alarick's hand, thinking of how this custom came to this world. 'Did someone get summoned and bring this custom with them or did it come about naturally?'
Shelving yet another thought for later, Cain accepts Alarick's handshake while introducing himself. "I'm Cain Dormer, nice to meet you. Where are we having the meeting at?" Alarick ends the handshake and directs Cain's eyesight towards the office behind the receptionist desk. Maddison turned her body towards the entrance of the guild and gestured to her left, "Please follow us to the main office."
Note: During this moment, Dresil merged into Cain's clothes.
Alarick takes the lead and heads inside the office, followed by Cain and Maddison. As Cain walked into the office, he noticed feedback from his mana zone stating that there was a hidden passage to the right, behind the bookshelf. He looked around the cluttered, yet organized office in search of what could be the trigger mechanism. However, all he saw was stacks upon stacks of papers, boxes, and files.
Once Cain was completely inside the room, Maddison closed the door to prevent any unwanted eyes. Alarick was staring at the bookshelf, seemingly searching for something. His eyes settle on a dusty, ordinary book; his hand reaches to pull it down. The worn out, brown, leather-bound book acted as a lever; the bottom corner of the binding served as an axis of rotation as it was pulled down.
{Author's note: This is a different book than the one Alarick pulled down in the mini drama.}
Gears turned and mechanisms shifted behind the bookshelf, sliding it towards the entrance of the office. Cain stared at the book that was pulled down, expecting to see some dust fall off; yet not a speck flew away. 'Interesting… To have the trigger be something old and ordinary to the point it's overlooked and assumed it hasn't been used in a long time. I should take notes for when I build my own man cave.' Alarick ascended the stone steps hidden in the passageway. After making sure nothing would pop out at him with his mana zone, Cain did the same; with Maddison close behind.
When Cain was halfway up the steep steps, Maddison turned around and pushed a stone brick in. The mechanisms within the walls shifted the bookshelf to its original position and pushed the brick out. Small blue lights moved in between the cracks, sealing what little space there was to make it appear as if the brick was never there.
The trio continued to ascend until a wooden door with a metal frame greeted them at the top. Based on the height and feedback from Cain's mana zone, their current position was on the third floor. Alarick grabbed a key from his storage ring, released the locks, and pushed the heavy door ajar, propping it open with a metal block that was behind it.
The room was roughly twice the size of the main office. There were two sofas to the left of the entrance while walking in; a table sat between them. The Dean's desk was behind the sofas, facing the wall that laid directly on the right of the entrance. The back of the chair cast small shadows across the room due to the windows behind it. Alarick asked Maddison to make some tea while directing Cain to the sofas. Cain followed him and occupied the one that had its back to the wall; Alarick took the one opposite of him.
---Dms: Cain and Bob--- (18ms)
Bob: For your information, there is another space overlaying this one.
Cain: As in a mirrored room? Does it physically occupy the same space or is it in another dimension?
Bob: Yes. It's more accurate to say it's in a pocket dimension. One that lies in the space between the dimensions we create and the physical realm.
Cain: Interesting… Who can make such a setup?
Bob: The minimum rank they would need is SS.
Bob: If we keep to the military ranking theme, they'd be called a Spirit General.
Cain: Noted.
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"So, why have you called for a meeting?" Cain asked once they were both seated. The Dean sighs softly and looks at him, "Straight to the point, I see. Do you know about the monster invasion?" Alarick's brows crease slightly; his face portraying how frustrating the situation is.
"I only know it's coming. What exactly is it?" Cain replies, leaning back some on the sofa, crossing his legs. Maddison comes by with the tea and sets it on the table in between them. She leaves immediately after and begins sorting the papers and files stacked on the Dean's desk.
"There is a magical barrier on the border of Hellion Forest. The church is tasked with maintaining the barrier to prevent our lands from being invaded. The border spans the entire length of our country, and thus requires an immense amount of mana to maintain every year." Alarick stops to take a breath; taking out a flask of alcohol and pouring it in his tea. He offers some to Cain; who merely shakes his head.
"The executives figured that if an invasion was inevitable, it'd be best if they could control where it would come from and concentrate our main fighting force there. Thus every year around this time, the church would dissipate the barrier and gather mana donations from the citizens while the adventurers and knights fight off the monsters.
"Every year the invasion happens, the guild will host an event to encourage adventurers to participate and do their best. Every D rank monster is worth 1 silver, C ranks are 10 silver, and so on and so forth with S rank being 100 gold. Those with debts will have their reward directly decrease their debt. We have 15 to 20 mages who monitor the battlefield and tally kills using the unique mana fluctuations of the adventurers. This also allows us to see if an invasion will go south and prepare accordingly.
"Usually the donations are gathered a day or two after the invasion, and sometimes during the invasion. But this year, the donations were gathered three days ago and there has yet to be an invasion, causing many citizens to worry. The worst part is, the church isn't giving the guild an answer to this situation."
The Dean takes a break from speaking, chugging down his alcoholic tea. Cain takes this moment to process the information and prepare questions accordingly. "So why doesn't the church just refill the barrier with the mana they get from every year instead of allowing an invasion to occur?" He asks once Alarick was done drinking.
"The monsters can tell when the barrier is weakened, and will occasionally try to break it. It takes more mana to patch the broken barrier than disabling a part of it and turning it back on later. The church can also direct the extra mana to any other weak spots on the barrier so that only the intended place stays open." Alarick peeks over his shoulder to check if Maddison was watching, then sneaked a sip of his flask.
"I see… so you want me to help end the invasion faster?" Cain asked after Alarick put his flask away.
"No, we want you to help us with your healing skills. You'll be paid 10x the rate for hunting the monsters. So healing a D rank adventurer is 100 silver, a C rank is 1 gold, etc. Although if you decide to join the invasion, you'll still be paid according to the event standards. This invasion is expected to be fiercer due to the delay." Alarick states while signaling Maddison to bring over the necessary papers. The contract stated everything exactly as the Dean said.
"How did you know I could heal others, and who else knows?" Cain responds after confirming the contents of the contract.
"It was inferred from the amount of damage to Jacob's armor compared to his physical state. Only the blacksmith next door, Maddison, and I know about this though. We're willing to pay any price for this infringement of privacy." Alarick replies, gulping his saliva. He knows that prying into others info will most likely offend said person, especially if they were as powerful as he thought Cain to be.
Cain uncrosses legs and sits up slightly, pondering for a moment on what to ask. "In that case, let's settle this with information. What are Maddison's glasses and why does she need them?"
Alarick lets out a sigh from Cain's response, a drop of his sweat hitting the wooden floor. Usually people in power like to display their power at any chance they're given; causing them to do nasty deeds. Some of these deeds Alarick had to reluctantly cover up a few times since the perpetrators were high ranking nobles.
"That's an artifact I recovered in some ruins some time ago and didn't have a use for it until I hired Maddison. The glasses allow her to see mana fluctuations and accurately determine what circle most people are at. Her mana sensitivity is very low, so it's perfect for her. It also allows her to see if a spell is being casted, thus enabling her to settle disputes before they get out of hand."
Alarick looks at Cain, confirming if that was all he wanted to know. Cain uses his mana zone to inspect the glasses in detail and commit the features to memory for later. "Oh? What does she see when she looks at me?" Cain responds roughly a minute after Alarick finished speaking; the time it took to inspect Maddison's glasses.
Alarick nods towards Maddison, signaling it's ok to tell him. She clears her throat then states what she sees. "Your entire body is faintly giving off traces of mana. I can't see any details other than that. Usually I can faintly see where mana travels in someone's body though." Maddison quickly looks away, worried her answer might have offended Cain.
'Huh… that should be due to the physical enhancement.' Cain thinks to himself after parsing through her answer. "Can you see natural mana?" He asks immediately after. Maddison just shakes her head; to which Cain responded with a nod. She then left the table and went back to her duties at Alarick's desk.
"Unless the invasion disturbs my sleep, I'll make sure that no one dies and teleport them to the backline to get healed." Cain replies while signing the contract. It was merely an official documentation of their deal and more so an assurance that the guild will honor their payment. He pushes the paper towards Alarick who collects them and sets it off to the side. Cain gets up from the sofa, preparing to leave.
---Dms: Cain and Bob--- (3ms)
Cain: Open a portal back to the mountains and place the mask setup in the same spots as last time.
Bob: Understood
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---Dms: Cain and Dresil--- (14ms)
Dresil: Master, someone left a note for you at the entrance of your room.
Cain: Oh? How did you find out?
Dresil: I did a sweep of the room in case someone was trying to interfere with the portals you made.
Dresil: ...you really neglected this, even though they're connected to your airways. It would have been easy for someone to suffocate you.
Cain: Well, heck. Thanks, guess the lack of sleep got to me.
Cain: Coordinate with Bob to teleport to us on the mountains. I'll take a look at it there.
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"What will happen if they do disturb your sleep?" The Dean inquires as a portal appeared in front of Cain. He looked back at Alarick with a slight smirk on his face. "I'll kill them all and save most of them to eat later."
After saying his piece, Cain exited through the portal which closed seconds after. Maddison collected the contract and refilled Alarick's tea while she was there. Alarick stared off into the distance, habitually putting alcohol in his tea. Maddison saw this action on her way back to the desk but decided against chiding him. It was a stressful time, and will be for the next few days after all.
After a moment of silence, Alarick chugged his spiked tea and let out a small chuckle; breathing out two words.
"Mad lad."