NOVEL NEXT Chapter 97: Jake
"Aren Meredica…"
The interviewer checked the signed papers, didn't sense any lies coming from his mouth, and then asked a few more questions.
"Is your Pathway really Outlaw?"
"It indeed is."
"Your current residence is where at?"
"Temptation Avenue, I rent a place there."
Aren said.
"Are you currently wanted by the authorities?"
Candy asked.
"I hope not."
Aren said with a wry smile.
"…Mhm."
After sensing no lies, Candy signed off on the papers and handed them back into Aren's hands before saying.
"Take these papers to the receptionist desk, and they shall hand you the official Guild card."
"Oh, it's done? Just like that?"
Aren asked as he stood up with the papers in hand.
"Yes, that's it."
Candy said, then took off into a walk, and headed out of the interview room as he clearly had some place to go to.
'That was easy enough.'
Aren, with a smile on his face, went back to the receptionist desk and handed the papers off to the receptionist.
She told Aren to put his hand on top of some strange-looking stone tablet—which he did without asking why—and some information regarding him showed up on the stone tablet.
It was about his pathway, such as his level, and how long he'd been a Blessed One.
She disappeared to the backroom and, after five minutes, came back with Aren's very own guild card.
[Name: Aren Meredica]
[Residence: Kornacis]
[Association: None]
[Pathway: Outlaw]
[Level: 2]
[Guild Rank: White]
"With this, you can go into any Guild branch in the Whitesky and request missions from the mission board.
"When you level up, come to the Guild to update the card, and if you happen to be associated with some subsidiary guild or party, you can also request a card update to add that information to your card."
The cute-faced receptionist said.
"What's with this Guild Rank?"
Aren asked, as this was his first time hearing about the Guild Ranks, and then the receptionist pointed to the wall behind her.
There was a sign above the backroom doors.
***
[GUILD RANKS]
[1. White]
[2. Green]
[3. Blue]
[4. Purple]
[5. Yellow]
[6. Red]
[7. Black]
[8. Gold]
***
"The higher your Guild Rank, the more privileges you have within the guild. There are some missions that are locked behind higher ranks as well."
The receptionist said.
With a nod, Aren thanked her and headed to the door, but before officially leaving, he took a quick look at the mission board.
There was a crowd around the mission board, so he had to push through to the front, where he saw so many missions that he didn't even know where to begin.
'Corpse Collectors are swamped with work, but it looks like so is the Guild. There are so many missing person cases that need investigating.
'They aren't locked behind any ranks, as most of the missing person missions are only about investigating and relaying that information back to the Guild.'
Aren rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then headed out to the smoggy streets and had to lift his collar to shield his face from the smog.
With now the Guild card acquired, there was a little skip in Aren's step, as the hard part was done.
While it wasn't sure whether changing the name was actually necessary, it was going to work in the long term.
While officially, his name was Aren Meredica—but only in the Kornacis population registry—and in other places, he was still registered as Kael Mizuchi.
He had two names, and that could help him to confuse the Leader abilities. It was going to be useful in the long term.
'Aren Meredica is here to conquer, to dominate, and to rule.'
With a slight smile, he whistled for a carriage, and once one four-wheeled vehicle pulled up, he boarded it confidently.
With his left leg crossed over his right, he closed the window because of the smog and took a deep breath.
"Where to, sir?"
The carriage driver asked.
"Temptation Avenue, please."
…
Kornacis, Lantern District, 32 Temptation Avenue.
In the living room, with brown walls, a grand piano stood in the corner next to a crackling fireplace, and gas lamps flickered on the walls.
A rug covered the hardwood floor, and a chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminating the old room that could belong in an antique shop.
"Grandmother, I received a word from mother that you finally found a tenant. That is good. Has he paid already?"
A brown-haired Jake asked, his glasses pressing against the bridge of his nose, and his brown overcoat hung haphazardly over the back of a chair.
"Not yet, dear grandson…"
Agnes said while sitting on the reclining chair, feeling the warmth of the fireplace on her face.
Since she saw nothing but blackness because of Smog Blindness, she couldn't see the darkening expression of her grandson.
"Could you ask him today to pay? You wouldn't want someone to take advantage of you, would you?"
Jake asked.
"Haha, Aren is a good child. He wouldn't do that to me. I'll ask him once he comes back. You can count on that."
"Good…"
Jake rubbed his fist, and then they heard a key twist in the front door.
There were only two other people that should have the key—Jake's mother, who is Agnes' daughter, and the new tenant.
Jake believed that his mother was currently visiting the beauty salon over on Wells Street, so he suspected that it was the new tenant who had arrived.
"Is it you, Aren?"
Agnes asked with a smile on her elderly face.
"It's me, Madam Agnes."
Aren walked over, taking off his hat and shrugging off the coat from his shoulders. In that moment, he saw an unfamiliar face.
Jake rose from the chair, slung his brown coat over his left arm, and extended his hand for a quick shake.
"My name is Jake Meredica, it is nice to meet you. I heard that you're renting one of the rooms over here."
There was a smile on his face—a very much forced one—and Aren was able to see that, as he had also been pretending to smile lately.
"Aren."
He shook the hand and then let go. When Jake pulled his hand back, he wiped his hand on his pants.
It was rather rude, which was what Aren thought about that gesture.
"No last name? Oh well. I should get going now. It was nice seeing you, grandmother, and you… Aren."
With a fake smile, Jake pressed the top hat over his brown hair, slung the coat back on, and then left.