After the small meeting, Damian pulled Royce and Mira aside to ask the question he had on his mind about the second job. They reacted a bit strangely, as though he'd asked to borrow their gold instead, but after the initial awkwardness, they answered his questions. Damian got the answers he needed.
He could enter his astral plane to explore his options without triggering the trial, and there was no penalty for doing so. In fact, high-level second-rankers and top-tier first-rankers on their third job often did this to choose the most optimal path for themselves. This was possible because only they could afford to buy ascension stones without going broke. However, this was usually sponsored by a prominent house they served or by a temporary employer.
