Aiden entered the building, and he quickly noticed a key detail about this new job of his. To his left was a wall filled with all sorts of images of trees, nature and such, and the entire place was green in color, from the walls, to the chairs in the waiting area. He was lost in thought, thinking about what this job could be about, but his concentration was broken by a tap on the shoulder. Looking behind him he saw a young woman with long curly white hair and eyes that shined a beautiful green, a large smile spread across her face. Aiden was startled by this abrupt interaction, so he flinched a little. The young woman immediately began apologizing, thinking she scared Aiden.
"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to startle you like that." The young woman was clearly feeling awkward about this, as she tried to start apologizing again, but Aiden stopped her before she began speaking.
"N-no, it's alright. I was just a bit lost in thought, looking around this place." Said Aiden, his eyes still circling around the room he was now in.
"Yeah, it can be quite mesmerizing at first." A warm smile spread across her face. "The whole eco-friendly, naturalistic vibe takes some getting used to." She extended her hand. "I'm Midori, by the way. Midori Hilten." And with nothing but her extended hand, Aiden could immediately tell Midori is a woman that is obsessed with fashion. On her wrist were multiple bracelets, and her nails were painted too.
Aiden shook her offered hand, returning the smile. "Aiden Silvius. It's nice to meet you, Midori."
"Likewise! You must be the new hire Olek mentioned. Welcome to Sylvanwood Commerce." Midori gestured broadly around the green-hued lobby. "As you can probably tell, we're really big on sustainable forestry and celebrating the gifts of nature. I know, it's often a bore, but that's the way things are around here."
"Yeah, I gathered as much from the decor," Aiden replied. "It's... definitely different from what I'm used to back in Emberfell."
Midori's eyes widened. "You're from Emberfell? Yeah, I can only imagine… That place always seemed so crowded and smog-choked from my few visits. Sylvanwood is a breath of fresh air, isn't it?"
A small chuckle escaped Aiden's lips. "You could say that. Going to be an adjustment, but a welcomed one I think."
"Well, I'm excited to show you the ropes around here!" Midori said eagerly. "We may deal with lumber, but it's all about nurturing the forests, not reckless deforestation. Sustainable practices are our core value." Aiden nodded slowly, taking in her passionate words.
"That's good to hear. I'm looking forward to learning a new way of working in harmony with nature."
"You're probably supposed to meet with Olek, right? Follow me, I'll show you to his office." She immediately started walking, and Aiden almost didn't notice her leaving, having to rush behind her to catch up. Midori opened a door that led to a long hallway. Along the walls were many plaques and certificates, a testament to how professional everyone here is and how seriously they take their job. And it's clearly not a short lived one at that, since the pictures framed here go so far back in history, even Aiden was surprised.
"You guys clearly aren't a new company, no? I'm pretty sure most of these photos are older than me." Said Aiden as he stopped in the middle of the hallway, noticing a picture of Olek and Aldegar, in front of this building they were in now. It seemed like a grand opening ceremony.
"Yea, these guys have been doing this for years. After the War, lots of people resorted to wood to make basically everything, but never replanted, which wasn't really sustainable. And so this company was born." Midori was talking as she kept strolling down the hallway, but hearing no response from Aiden, she looked back only to see him still analyzing the photo of Olek and his father. "That one really caught your attention, huh? From what I've heard, that Aldegar person donated loads of money to help build this place. And he never asked of us to pay it back."
As Aiden finally steered away from the photo, he burst into laughter. "So that's why that geezer sent me here, to help his friend out. Probably called in a favor, didn't he?" Now turned towards Midori, and with a large grin, he said "By the way, Aldegar is my father. Probably the only reason I even got hired, to be honest."
"Wait, Aldegar is your father? Doesn't he work for the Oracle? I'm surprised you're here, then. Shouldn't you be in Dawnvale with him? Oh, I get it, this has to be some secret infiltration mission, so you need to fit in. Or maybe…" Midori kept talking, listing of numerous crazy ideas why Aiden would be in Sylvanwood. Aiden was amused by what a vast imagination she had, and so he listened in. Finally, when she stopped, he began talking.
"Although all that would've been much cooler than the truth, sadly no. Sorry to burst your bubble but, I'm just a normal guy. I was born powerless, so Oracle training would make no sense for me." Aiden said this, expecting a thousand different questions about his powerlessness. But however, Midori didn't at all seem weirded out by the prospect of a powerless man from such a family. Instead, she just continued the conversation, paying no mind to Aiden's words. Pleasantly surprised by this, Aiden decided not to comment.
"Well, that's kind of unfortunate, but me personally, I prefer the civilian lifestyle. I love peace and tranquility, I even purposefully bought a house as far away from the town as possible, to be in nature. It's by Lake Zenith, you should visit sometime." Midori said with a bright smile across her face. "Alright, here's Olek's office. You have a bathroom over there if you wanna freshen up, but I think there's no need, Olek is always relaxed and easygoing. See you later Aiden, good luck!" She said as she hurriedly fast-walked back to where she came from. "Seems like she works the front desk, makes sense she wouldn't want to leave it empty for long." Thought Aiden to himself as he waved her goodbye.
Aiden approached the door to Olek's office, taking a deep breath before knocking lightly. "Come in!" a gruff voice called out. Slowly pushing the door inwards, Aiden was quite surprised by just how heavy this door is. It was clearly made from a different material than the rest, with a notable green tint. He stepped inside to find a burly, weathered man with a thick beard and callused hands rising from behind a cluttered desk. His bushy eyebrows raised in recognition.
"Well I'll be damned... If it isn't little Aiden Silvius, all grown up." Olek broke into a wide grin. "Last time I saw you, you were still runnin' around your dad's house causin' all sorts of trouble."
Aiden couldn't help but return the smile, memories of the family friend coming back. "It's been a while, Mr. Ivanov. Thankfully, I don't cause quite as much trouble these days."
Olek waved a dismissive hand. "Ah, enough with that 'Mr. Ivanov' stuff. We're well past those formalities, son." He gestured to the vacant chair. "Have a seat. Let me get a look at the man Aldegar says is perfect for this gig." As Aiden settled in, Olek leaned back, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "You know, when your dad first told me he was sendin' you my way, I'll admit I had my doubts. This whole forestry and lumber thing ain't exactly a cakewalk." He gazed at Aiden with an appraising look. "But if you're anything like him, I reckon you'll take to it like a fish to water."
"I'm always ready to give it my all, si- Olek," Aiden said, correcting himself. "A job rooted in nature is something I can get behind, especially after getting out of the city life of Emberfell. I never truly noticed just how heavy the air is there, so if its a job to protect nature, it's a philosophy I can appreciate."
"That's what I like to hear!" Olek boomed with a hearty laugh. "We'll make a good worker of you, kid... Aldegar ought to be proud."
Olek looked down and reached somewhere beneath his desk, before throwing a can of soda at Aiden. One quick glance at the label, and Aiden realized its an energy drink. He rarely drinks coffee and soda, but the trip made him so tired, he opened the can and started drinking without a second thought.
"Yeah, I figured you were tired. Your face is so red, you look like you dropped a suitcase on your foot." Olek was absolutely roaring with laughter. "Now, let me explain to 'ya how our operation works. We've got two main teams, yeah? Team 1 handles the timber harvesting itself. Fellers take down the marked trees with surgical precision." He said, as he made a chopping motion with his arm. "After they're done clearing a section, Team 2 moves in - that's the replanting crew. You'll be overseeing them as shift manager, if you're anything like Aldegar, leadership is in your blood."
Aiden nodded slowly, taking it in. "I see. So Team 1 cuts, Team 2 replants in a cycle."
"Exactly!" Olek grinned, knocking his fist on the desk. "Sustainable through and through. Two sides of the same coin."
"To be honest..." Aiden began carefully. "I think I'd much prefer being on Team 2 if given the choice. The replanting side of things."
Olek threw back his head with a booming laugh. Aiden was worried he would injure his neck just how hard he flew back in his chair. "What, you don't want to get those soft hands dirty, city boy?" He teased. "But I get it, a kid like you shouldn't be getting his hands beaten up this early in life. Trust me, you'll have plenty of time for that kind of hard labor down the road."
Aiden couldn't help but smirk at the good-natured ribbing. It was a nice change of pace, as his mind was now completely looking forward. "I just have a feeling I'll take more to the nurturing side of this operation. But I'm ready to pull my weight wherever needed."
"That's the spirit!" Olek reached over the crowded desk, tapping him on the shoulder heartily. "You're a good kid, Silvius, I'm glad Aldegar sent 'ya down. It's hard to find a person of trust for an overseer, so this is much appreciated. Welcome to Sylvanwood Commerce!"