Leona wins

I had already expected Leona to be amongst those that would score the highest and I was proven right. I must admit, this training technique was the most chaotic of them all. But I feel that’s the point. There will likely be moments where we fight chaotic battles like this after we join a guild.

At the end of the day, when we are about to have dinner, Syvis calls me aside. Once the others have left, she crosses her arms in front of her chest, smirks at me and then Syvis says, “You owe me a payment.”

I cock my head in confusion and reply, “Wha?”

All of a sudden, the stern Syvis from training disappears and gets replaced by a more relaxed Syvis who is not afraid to laugh.

“You must have forgotten.” The dark elf says. “It’s not surprising, it’s been a while since we last met.”

Wait. We have met before?

“I do remember having a feeling like I knew you from somewhere when I first saw you.” I explain. “But I was not able to figure out from when or where.”

“Ahh, so you remember something.” Syvis replies. “Try thinking back about … 10 years or so. And think about a giant spider.” She suggests.

A giant spider? The only giant spider I remember from so long ago is the one that almost killed Oliver and me. But then we got saved when a fireball struck the spider and it was cast by a red haired …

“Oh my god!” I say when I realize where I remember Syvis from. “That was you!”

“I’m glad you remember.” Syvis smiles. “And that you grew up into such a fine young man.” While studying my physique. “Though my greatest joy is that you ended up as an adventurer. We could definitely use a few more in these times. Especially some with rare skills.”

“Thanks. But, how did you remember me? You barely changed anything, maybe even didn’t change at all while I have aged so much. How come you recognized me?” I ask.

“It is not every day I meet someone with red eyes.” Syvis replies. “I went to ask Harold and he told me you were from Merton. Same place as the little kid with red eyes I saw there a long time ago. Didn’t take me much to put the pieces together.”

I see. So, it’s my eyes again. I guess the people in my village have seen me so many times that they have gotten used to it. But here, I’m likely going to get called out for my eye color by everyone. Better start getting used to it.

“Right. So, how much do I owe you for saving my life?” I ask Syvis.

“How about you join my guild?” Syvis suggests. “It’s a pretty big and famous one.”

Syvis then reaches into her pocket and shows me a golden ring with the symbol of a shield pierced by 2 swords as its signet.

“So, you’re with Oblivion.” I say.

“I would highly advise you to join. We even have 2 S ranks. One of them is the guild leader and a good friend of mine. The other is the newly discovered Kase.”

As soon as she mentions the name of the second S rank, my excitement for having been invited drops away.

“I’m sorry, Syvis. But I won’t be able to join your guild.”

“Why not?” She asks.

I then tell Syvis about my past with Kase. Mostly the part where he decided to **** me and the resulting trial afterward.

“I see.” Syvis says after hearing my story. “In that case, I would advise you to stay away from Oblivion. Don’t even join any of the smaller guilds that are allied with it. Having an S rank as your enemy is really something to avoid.”

She is telling me to actively avoid the guild she is recruiting for? That is not what recruiters are supposed to do. Unless, she is legitimately more concerned about me than her own guild.

“Syvis, what guild do you think I should join?”

“Dark Dragons would be a good bet.” Syvis immediately replies. "They are on the other side of the city, they take public safety seriously and they have the most powerful S rank as their guild leader. Even more powerful than Kase. There is also Midnight Dawn. They are pretty chill, though they lack an S rank. If you can’t get an invite into those guilds, you will want to get into one of their allied guilds. You’re better of staying out of independent guilds in the north of the city. All Kase has to do is put out a bounty on you and every adventurer there will be out to get you, including your own guild members. Other than that, you can always try and avoid Kase by traveling to one of the other big cities, like Tristanis for example. Most adventurers stay here, but Tristanis needs them too.”

I am surprised with how honest Syvis is. But I am also greatful. If Dark Dragons or Midnight Dawn were not good guilds to join, there is no way Kiara or Dante would tell me. Syvis might have a reason to lie about them if she thought it might convince me to join her guild. But since that is not a possibility, she has no reason to lie.

“Is there another way that I can pay you back then?”

Syvis thinks for a moment, then she says, “Promise me you won’t use your skills to commit any crimes. That is all the payment I need.”

I was already planning on not using my skills that way, so I promise Syvis I won’t. After that I join my friends in the dining hall.