The chairs were quickly removed from the hall, and rows of tables from various guilds took their place. Here, there were well-known guilds from all over the world seeking young talents, as well as those that had been in the Academy for no more than ten years. Three tables for newcomers were arranged closer to the stage.
I strolled peacefully along the rows, evaluating how different guilds treated the students. Well-known warrior guilds signed up anyone interested for a trial training session the next day, where they could assess the fighters' abilities and showcase their guild members' skills. A couple of times, I noticed representatives from those guilds approaching Asura's table and persistently offering something, but she refused them all. By the way, Asura's table was quite modest, though the poster with the guild's name was amusingly decorated with snowflakes, and the name itself was written in curling characters from her clan's language.
Alfred's table was better prepared; he even had a few brochures, and he already had two followers. Judging by the crosses on their cloaks, they were probably from families associated with the church.
Katrina's table was the most meager. It was evident that no one helped her, and she herself probably couldn't do much. Besides the sign with the name and a list for those interested, there was nothing there. The girl herself sat at some distance from the table, apparently afraid of accidentally striking someone among the interested or her neighbors.
I also walked past the guilds of magicians; they usually offered those interested to showcase their abilities on the spot and didn't shy away from showing a few tricks themselves. I am a mage, of course, but I doubt I can impress them with anything.
A shiver ran down my spine as I passed by one of the tables. No one stopped by it, and the students intentionally quickened their pace to get past it faster, but I dared to take a closer look at this accursed place. A couple in black-and-purple cloaks sat behind the modest table covered with black cloth, calmly playing cards. There was no guild name or list for those wishing to join; it seemed they were sitting there just to remind everyone of their presence. Even the light seemed to deliberately avoid that spot, leaving the table in shadows.
"Wanna join us?" Without looking up from the game, one of the pair, seemingly a girl but with a low voice, glanced at me.
"No, I just decided to see what's going on here."
"Heh," the other assassin in the cloak, a senior student, calmly defended against his opponent's move without even turning to me, "Sorry, but we only accept students of a certain specialty; mages don't fit us. Although I do approve of your choice of shirt, it doesn't draw attention, and you move quite stealthily."
Today, as always, I wore a black shirt, but I chose to leave the cloak in my room. Somehow, he still figured out I was from the mage course, even without looking at me.
"Is it just the two of you here? And what's this guild about?"
"We're from the Leran's Assassin Guild, though we're not official members yet, we're scouting promising newcomers. And yes, the other guilds don't like showing themselves here; you won't find any thieves either, though a third of those loitering around the trade guilds are from there," the guy attempted another move but lost to the pleasure of his opponent.
"Lost," the girl smiled and threw me another glance, "Well then? We don't give out brochures with completed tasks, you can find them in history textbooks under the section on assassinating state figures."
"Oh, come on, are all assassins so friendly?"
"Heh, he seems alright."
"Nah, mages are of little use; over time, they rely too much on their magic rather than strength."
"What a shame."
After that, I walked along the rows of trade guilds. Young trade guilds were not formed too often, as connections and starting capital were more crucial here, and not all students could boast of those. And then, I noticed that very petite girl who was pestering the young guild masters before.
"So, what are your terms for beginners? Starting capital, preferences, the possibility of hiring guild personnel to support trade ties? Can we invest money in production, or are you solely involved in trading?"
She took the matter seriously; I wonder who she is.
"Um," the guild representative awkwardly scratched the back of his head, "for newcomers, we provide starting capital, and you can use the guild's equipment and warehouses."
"And you don't even help with the actual implementation? You realize that it will take the students a lot of time, which they could spend on more useful activities at the Academy."
"But we stand for the independence of our guild members."
"What nonsense. There are far more opportunities for development here; you can establish vital connections and find wealthy individuals to extract some extra coins from in this prestigious school. You'd have a better chance recruiting newcomers after they graduate; I'm sure of that."
"Heh, so you don't want to join us?"
"Not with those conditions? Of course not! It's like predestining the burial of my talent, and I'm not interested in that."
The girl waved me off dissatisfiedly and went on to inspect other guilds. Such spirited newcomers one can find; after all, this guild wasn't cheap. I had even heard about their name in our city; they own numerous trade warehouses across the continent, and joining such a network would be highly advantageous for any merchant. However, who knows what this girl wanted to achieve; perhaps she sought riskier and more profitable ventures.
In the end, I decided to check on the newcomers, curious about how things were going for them. I heard that they needed at least four people to establish a guild.
First, there was Alfred's table. His list already had a dozen names, and he didn't seem too worried about his prospects. He gifted me with a disdainful glance and made a gesture for me not to bother him. As if I'd ever join him, that fool.
At Asura's table, there was less activity, but her list already had two names - Miriam and Vivienne Deterim, apparently sisters.
"Wanna join?" Asura gave me a cold look.
"No, just looking around. You still need one more person."
"Not really, there were a few others interested; we can always attract someone else after the trial combat."
"Don't you need four people?"
"No, two are enough, and if you manage to find more people within a month, the guild will be registered."
"Well, then I guess my help isn't needed."
"No, but if you ever decide to switch to the warrior course, you can come to me."
"I'll keep that in mind for the future, but let me see how others are doing."
With a final nod to Asura, I headed to the last table, where things seemed rather grim. The list had only one name - Katrina herself, and the girl sat on the sidelines looking forlorn.
"What do you want?" The sorceress didn't bother to raise her gaze.
"Just decided to see how others are doing."
"Don't think I'll be grateful to you for what you did at the guild presentation."
"I merely asked a couple of questions, nothing special about that."
"Hmph," the girl grumbled discontentedly.
"I assume things aren't going well?"
"There were some who wanted to join, but they went to check out other guilds; I think they'll come back," the princess's voice lacked confidence.
Indeed, I saw several students approaching Katrina's table, but I also noticed something unusual. After they left and went to other tables, some suspicious-looking students approached them and seemed to convince them of something, after which they didn't attempt to return to Katrina. Moreover, I recognized those students from Alfred's company; it seemed he deliberately sabotaged the princess's attempts to form a guild.
"They are unlikely to come back."
"No, they will come... I'll still create my guild," the girl clenched her fists, but it seemed she had already lost hope.
As much as I wanted to help her, I didn't want to play into the hands of that vile inquisitor even more. Besides, I had my plans to use someone from the high-ranking nobles for my own purposes, so why not?
"Well, alright, I'll help you," I wrote my name on the list of the aspiring guild with a quick stroke.
"Why?" Katrina asked.
"Let me be clear, I don't like you, not at all. But you can be useful to me, so I'll assist you for now, and then we'll see how you'll repay me."
"Heh, no noble intentions behind it?"
"Not at all, you won't get any kindness from me."
"But that's still not enough to create a guild."
"It's more than sufficient. Two people are enough, and if you can find more within a month, the guild will be registered."
"Hmm, well then, I'll accept your help. But what do you want from me?"
"I'll tell you later if you have the desire. For now, let's hurry with the application."
"Wait," Katrina stood up from her chair, stood up straight, and extended her hand towards me, "welcome to Storm Glaive guild."
"Heh, if you keep shaking hands with everyone like that, you might run out of candidates quickly."
"Hey, it won't kill you either."
"Alright, alright," reluctantly, I shook the girl's hand, "I hope for a beneficial cooperation."
"Ha-ha, it seems my charm works on you a bit."
"And where did you get that idea?"
"Your hair is as bristled as mine," and with a smile, our guild began.