That evening, Abel went to the Anomaly Investigator Guild. There, he was greeted by Huskar, the man who had helped him move into his current house.
"Mr. Huskar, I didn't know you worked as an investigator too?" Abel asked.
"Well, your grandmother and I used to work together. She never told you?" said Huskar.
"No, Grandma never said anything about her past," replied Abel.
Huskar then led Abel to the receptionist. As they walked, Huskar explained, "She was one of my juniors, along with my younger sister. We were both investigators for magical anomalies at sea. However, one day, I fell in love with my dearest one. I decided to move to the Fonta Aria branch and become a supervisor here since this place was safer for me and my wife to raise a family."
"Wait, Whiteford? Grandma was from Whiteford?" Abel asked, surprised.
"All of your father's side of the family is from Whiteford. Didn't you know? Your grandmother was one hell of a stubborn woman. Thankfully, your father was more open to feedback and advice. Your grandfather couldn't persuade Ruri, but your father—her only son—could. That's how they ended up buying the house you live in now. Well, that didn't stop Ruri from being an investigator. So your grandfather took a drastic measure: he bought a plot of land in Lagu City as a retirement plan and left the house in the capital to your father," explained Huskar.
"Wow, I never knew Grandma was such a rock," Abel thought aloud.
"Uh, Mr. Huskar… I've never really known my parents personally. They've been missing ever since I was three, I guess. But the local Paladins and officials claim they're okay and alive," Abel said hesitantly.
Huskar's eyes widened in surprise, and he looked worried for a moment. After taking a deep breath, he replied, "Well… they were both great businesspeople."
"What kind of business did they run?" Abel asked, not noticing Huskar's nervousness.
"Well, I guess… fishing. They ran a fishing business. Anyway, here we are. Go ahead and register," Huskar said quickly as they reached the receptionist's desk. Then, he left Abel.
"Welcome to the Investigator Guild! Are you here to submit a commission or report an anomaly?" the female receptionist asked.
"Uh… no, I'm here to join the Investigator Guild," said Abel.
"Oh, let me check… well, there's no open vacancy for the Fonta Aria branch of investigators right now," the receptionist replied.
"What? For real?" Abel's face showed a mix of surprise and disappointment.
"Yes, I'm terribly sorry, but all our seats are full. Although…"
"Although?" Abel questioned, hope lighting up his face.
"There's a Guide Investigator position," said the receptionist.
"Guide Investigator? What's that?" Abel asked eagerly, his eyes filled with hope at the prospect of an opportunity.
"Well, an investigator's main job is to find, investigate, and record anomalies that occur, right?" she began. "A Guide Investigator's job is usually to guide certain activities or groups to areas already recorded by investigators. In short, you'll be given investigation records regarding anomalies in specific areas, and your job will be to guide the group and help them survive using your knowledge and the records."
Abel paused, thinking it over. "Isn't it technically dangerous for someone like me who lacks experience?"
"Well, it usually is. But Guide Investigators only take on jobs alone if the threat is deemed non-lethal. If it's a lethal or more significant threat, a group of Paladins or Loyal Swords is involved," the receptionist explained.
"Well… I guess I'll give it a shot. It can't hurt to learn new things, right?" Abel said with a determined smile.
"Yeah, don't worry. Fonta Aria rarely has dangerous anomalies. This program used to be part of an investigator's job, but as the Guild grew, it became a separate role. Of course, most people would choose to be investigators over Guide Investigators. At first, we collaborated with groups like the Paladins, Mage Society, and Mage Guild, but this role didn't gain much popularity, despite its simplicity. In fact, it's more crucial than most people give it credit for—how many people actually read investigation records unless it directly impacts their jobs?"
"Now I'm even more convinced to join. Very well, I'd like to register as a Guide Investigator, ma'am," Abel said loudly, a big happy smile on his face.
"Okay, please fill out this form," said the receptionist as she handed a form to Abel.
Ten minutes passed, and Abel returned the form along with a copy of his identity card.
"Abel… Stains…" the receptionist said, reading his name aloud.
"That's right—that's me," Abel replied, pride evident on his face.
The receptionist noticed Huskar standing not far behind Abel and discreetly signaled to him with a hand gesture.
"Uh… Mr. Abel, there's… a rule you'll need to follow. You have to hide your last name from clients, okay?" she said hesitantly.
"Huh? Why?" Abel asked, confused by the strange rule.
"Well… uh… professionalism. I mean, being an investigator is a risky job. It's a custom here to keep investigators' last names private for their personal security. So, when meeting clients, just refer to yourself as Investigator Abel or Guide Investigator Abel," the receptionist explained, worry clear on her face.
Abel accepted the rule without overthinking it. After signing the forms, he was given a set of investigator uniforms. Proudly, he put one on immediately. With a bright smile, he walked around the building, shaking hands with everyone he met, his happiness radiating from him.
Some senior investigators approached Huskar.
"I don't even need to know his name to tell who his father is," one of them remarked.
"Yeah, no doubt about it," Huskar replied.
Abel was allowed to leave for the day and was told he'd be contacted later with his first assignment. As he walked home, still wearing his new uniform, a big smile lit up his face. Many people noticed him and commented on the young, enthusiastic investigator.
When he arrived home, Abel immediately contacted his family in Lagu Village to share the good news. His house filled with joy as his family celebrated his achievement—one of their own had become an investigator.
Later that night, as Abel prepared to sleep, he once again noticed the wonderful scent lingering throughout the house.
"Has this house always smelled this good? Is there an automatic spray installed?" Abel wondered. However, he didn't dwell on it too much.
That night, Abel dreamed of being hugged by a beautiful angel. Her skin was as white as milk, soft as silk, and her long hair flowed down to her legs. The angel embraced him, burying his face in her chest.
Suddenly, Abel woke up with a jolt.
"Whoa!" he shouted. "Why does every great dream have to end so soon?"
Glancing at his alarm clock, he realized it was already 7 a.m.
"Oh, come on!" Abel groaned, realizing he was about to be late for his first day of work.
Without taking a bath, he changed into his uniform at lightning speed. He ran out the door with the speed and agility of a cat, weaving through the streets and narrowly avoiding collisions with several pedestrians.
However, as Abel crossed a bridge, he lost control and was about to fall.
Suddenly, Arieta appeared and grabbed him just in time, saving him from the fall.
"Hey! You alright?" Arieta asked as she pulled Abel back from the edge.
"Ouch! Oh, sorry about that—I'm almost late!" Abel exclaimed before bolting off again. Just a few minutes away from being late, he still spared a moment to glance back and shout, "Thanks! I promise I'll repay you!"
Arieta chuckled softly, watching Abel rush away.
At exactly 7:28 a.m., Abel reached the Investigator Guild. Out of breath but relieved, he approached the counter and was promptly led to a room filled with junior investigators and guide investigators.
"All right, everyone," Huskar announced. "This is Abel. He's our new member, joining the Investigator Guild as a guide."
"Nice to meet you all!" Abel greeted them with a confident smile, radiating positivity.
While some members had been skeptical about him, a few couldn't help but smile back at his enthusiasm.
"Abel, from today until you're ready to become an investigator on your own, you'll be mentored by Investigator Betham," Huskar continued.
From the leftmost seat, a man in his 30s with fiery red hair raised his hand.
"Yo, over here," said the man, who was revealed to be Investigator Betham.
Abel approached his mentor and sat beside his team, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement.
The room's attention shifted back to Huskar, who began briefing them on their next operation.
"We have an expedition to Karvish'yal Plain in Merk Continent," Huskar announced. "Something's brewing there. Many Whiteford soldiers have gone missing after a strange storm occurred. What's odd is that no mana activity was detected during the storm."
An investigator raised their hand.
"Doesn't that mean it's just a natural storm?" they asked.
"No way it's just a natural storm," another investigator chimed in.
Betham raised his hand to speak. "Well… Merk Continent has been plagued by mana anomalies for over 4,000 years now. If something happens there and doesn't involve mana, that is the anomaly."
A female orc investigator raised her hand next.
"So you're saying the storm is an anomaly because it appears natural, despite happening in the middle of lands infected by anomalies?" she asked.
"That's one possibility," Betham replied. "But we should prepare for worse. Anomalies are evolving rapidly in Merk, and the Holy Pylon can no longer contain the fog."
"Do you think this is Artam Country's doing?" asked the previous investigator.
"Probably. A country run by cultists of an Outer God is bound to stir trouble, and anomalies and cultists are two things that are hard to separate," Betham said.
"What Betham says makes sense," Huskar interjected. "For now, I need 30 teams ready. Renstelar Corporation has prepared new gear for this operation. I need at least 100 investigators to get accustomed to it."