New start and introductions!

It was early morning, and dawn was still in process.1 The skies were partially clouded, but the glow was still visible through them. As the sun was rising, people already moved through the streets, possibly headed for their offices, or maybe to get a meal along the way, or whatever else they might be planning at around 6. Be it by walking, in carriages, buses or the city's tram lines, it felt like the city's buzz was picking up as the streetlights slowly turned off. Since it was the weekend, maybe not as many people as normally, though considering how close to the center of that place we were, there were still quite a few around. As a result, while walking you could still occasionally hear the voices of people pacing by, or signs of conversations people might be having inside their choice of vehicles, as they passed by. Kinda made it easier to feel livelier, you know? Seeing so many people showing off some spark, despite how early it was. Walking by those streets never really felt lonely and all. This was the seventh day of the second month of the year 4273 since the first contact. 

"Spring is already looking good, huh? Barely started and I can already feel it growing warmer." I've always enjoyed spring and autumn over winter and summer. None of the extremes are all that pleasant, right? So the midpoints typically feel more relaxing. More convenient for work too. I prefer to avoid needing heat control devices while walking, and snow makes almost anywhere in the Wild World twice as much of a pain to go through. It made me want to learn how to float just for the convenience of it sometimes. That winter had less than three weeks of snow fortunately, so not a lot of chance to interfere in that sense. Especially since I was kind of on a break through most of it. 

And as I just brought me up, why not place myself in the scene as of then? So, through those streets I marched to the local HQ of my workplace with my new pair. To start describing with her, my partner liked sticking somewhat close by, as if to say she was still getting used to the layout of the place. She wasn't dressed like locals usually do either, so combined with some differences in appearance it made it pretty clear she wasn't from that region, and was most likely a recent arrival based on the way she watched her surroundings still. And I mean, I didn't blame her for keeping the choice of get up from her region mainly up to that point. My girl looked really stylish on that kind of thing right? I figured it would take a while for her sense for this kind of thing to adapt to a different region. She looked incredible as a whole too, so that style only made her all the more striking. 

Other noteworthy traits were a weirdly shaped wand and a small flute around her neck, as well as some accessories though I think most people would pick up on those two things first. They basically shouted "I am a wind caster", after all, so most other mages would pick up on that immediately. Civvies wouldn't have a hard time to identify her as a spellcaster either. This girl's name is Chiaisei Liengchi Zuhen, and had arrived in the country five days ago, by that point. She is originally from Xarzin Lawqzarch, and I had met her as a guide and tutor, charged with introducing her to this region and our craft. I guess I haven't brought that up, but we were in Zainlastris, one of the cities in the country of Rasdwinvhyr at that point. Way easier to spot people from different regions there compared to the rest of the country too, since it more or less was the city that most easily connected Gujimatsuki and Ortabilhak to Galecirnan. Humans tend to have an easier time touristing around other human regions in my time, so in spots like that it wasn't that uncommon to see visitors from other corners of the globe. 

As for the impression I had of her, at first she seemed a bit… frigid, yeah? Well, maybe not a bit. Like, ever met someone who is so good at keeping up a fake smile, that you can kinda just immediately tell it is fake due to how consistent and rigid it feels? Chiaisei is the girl who has that smile, knows you realized it isn't honest, and will still do it. For her, it doesn't matter if the smile is convincing, so long as whoever looks at it doesn't know what the head wearing it is thinking. And personally, I was friends with high nobility, and it still felt like she was better at this whole social play thing than those two, which was made a bit weirder considering where she was from*. Not that they were bad at it either, by the way. I also got the feeling she was using magic to track my heartbeat and breathing occasionally, but I decided to never point that out. 

(*Always thought that kind of act only came about with politicians or when nobles were talking noble with each other, so I found it kind of surprising to see someone from a country that didn't do nobility for almost 4000 years pulling it off. I mean, she was too young to be a politician, right? Thus I had no clue in which box to fit her, though since the start I doubted the intent ever was to do noble talk.)*

(*Hey, just a head's up. These * will mainly be used to signify small bits of optional context that will be placed in the text itself, usually right below. As for these ¹, don't expect their counting to go up, since they are our signal for a term in the glossary. Generally the stuff there are things we imagine anyone vaguely in context would be able to figure out, so think of them as a mechanism for the future.) 

Still, since meeting her I always got the feeling she was a nice girl underneath the frost. And by that point, I felt like I was kind of right. She had already warmed up to me quite a lot by that point, and though the ice queen still put her mask on when dealing with others, it did seem like she was acting somewhat genuinely when we were on our own. And I mean, for someone who appeared to be completely frigid at first to warm up to me in five days did surprise me a bit. I had a suspicion as to what caused it, but no exact confirmation, and by that point it just sort of felt like the ice mask was her way of being awkward around people she just met. 

As for what I saw beneath that, the first word that would come to mind is calm, I guess. She is the patient sort, and even after melting part of the chill off, her laughter wasn't loud, and most of the time the same applied to her voice. If I hadn't seen her doing it a few times (And if the flute she even carried during training wasn't a dead give away), I wouldn't have guessed she could use sound casting, as she is about the last person I would expect to know how to blow up people's eardrums, based on her usual behavior. Ticking her off seemed extremely hard, and despite not really knowing much about our work as of then, it was pretty easy to tell she was very serious about it. If you didn't pay close attention to her, it was hard to tell when she was smiling sincerely, seeing as even those were typically very subtle. 

She seemed to spend a lot of effort thinking about others as well, be it me or her partner. And speaking of thinking, I was pretty confident in saying she was way smarter than I was in most fields, though she had the slight tendency to overthink some things. And both before and after the mask was dropped, there were some clear signs of emotional scarring, but I'll leave that detail for later, both in her behavior and some of the talks we had shared along the way. I wasn't quite sure about that at that moment, either way. I've always been good at spotting the pain of others, yet that didn't mean I was necessarily good at understanding it and I'm not really supposed to talk about my future knowledge too much by this point. To preserve the narrative integrity and all, or something like that. 

And as I am talking about me, let's continue from there. Hello, I am me, and you are you. There are probably more of you than there are of me, but hey, details. I'll be writing a lot of BS for your sake if you're up to that, so nice to meetcha! If I had to describe myself physically, for one I was pretty tall for a girl. Barely had to punch up to hit most guys I knew and all, and I was even slightly taller than some. Walking side by side with Chiaisei made me feel like a giant as well seeing as she barely even reached my shoulders, so there is that. As for what else… I always thought I probably looked really normal. Just your run of the mill wizard, you know? I mean, I had heard before that my shade of hair was kind of rare, but for the most part, I kind of just assumed I was sort of good looking, though not to any point where I would stand out because of it. Compared to Chiaisei or other girls I knew, I figured I probably looked pretty average. 

As for my choice to get up that morning, it was a chilly-casual-but-kind-of-practical style of clothing yeah? Personally, practicality is always a bit of a worry for me with clothing as a whole. Not like I expected to suddenly have to break out into a sprint or anything, though if the clothes can't work on a run or a fight at all, I just sort of figured I would be better off going for something that could be used on more parts of my days. Mages are busy people, you know? If I had the time for a drink maybe twice a week or so, that would be another matter, though if most of what I do involves loads of walking, training or staring at a Guiding Eye, might as well focus my expenses on clothing that helps with that. Having two or three sets of decent streetwear was more than enough, and since I had spent a good chunk of my early work life hotel hopping it helped to keep a smaller luggage. 

Speaking off, if Chiaisei made it obvious she was a mage with her gear, I might as well have been shouting it out loud, you know? The daggers I carried visibly, the bag beneath my shoulder showing small steel spheres, along the spell conduit¹ in my right wrist, which kinda looked like some sort of bracelet like amulet, as well as the staff I carried. This all made the other dwellers of the city somewhat attentive of me, though not necessarily cautious. I mean, no uniform and blatant possession of weapons, many of which appeared to be magical in nature, that practically meant no one around us had to even glance at my identification to figure out what I did (Despite the fact I carried it with me in a pretty easy spot to check too). Pact Wardens¹ had a good rep around that area, so the fact it was so easy to identify me as one kind meant a lot of the people passing us by would greet or at least nod at us, upon noticing where we were headed. Feels nice to be valued! 

Besides the visible gear, I usually wore a few accessories on me at any time. Usually in the shape of bracelets, necklaces or earrings I chose to remember the places I had been to before, as well as the people I met over my life. There was also this definitely not suspicious ball-like thing tying part of my hair, but let's pretend it isn't a magical item as well for now. Anyways, as I mentioned before, we were headed to the HQ of our job at that point, strolling along the road. We weren't going by that fast, despite having left an Internal Line not that long ago since we had been doing loads of walking the previous days, and my pal Chiaisei wasn't as ready as she could be for those. Both of us could heal the soreness in her legs either way, though it's best not to go around throwing healing needlessly, especially not at girls with our level of resistance to infusing. But based on the scenery, I could tell it wouldn't be long before we reached our current goal. More or less had memorized what the path between our HQ and of the Lines closest to it by then. Oh, and my name is Fasnilthar Lanphzeis! Maybe I should have started with that? Who knows, I'm new at this. If the bosses are fine with it, so am I!

—Hey, Fasnilthar. — We had spent some minutes in silence, but Chiaisei reignited the conversation at around that point. We had talked about a lot the previous days, so we had been slowing down on that front a bit by then. Not to say there wasn't anything else to speak of - especially since yours truly had a gift in her ability to never shut up - but by then the occasional moment of silence was already feeling somewhat comfortable between us. 

—What's up? Ask away. 

—About unit formation. Shouldn't we be talking about that by now? 

—Oh, that again. Don't worry, we can think about it later. 

—Right… Has this been the third or fourth time you pushed that ahead of us? — The sas was visible in her face as she asked that question. 

—You were counting? I mean, we still have plenty of time before worrying about that. 

—Really? I thought we were only a few blocks away from association headquarters by now? Aren't we literally about to start with this process? — She seemed amused by my delaying of the topic to that point, but looking at her then I figured she was getting a bit worried. 

"Gotta act a bit more like an instructor again then, I guess." Tilteded letters and quotation signs, that's how we're gonna mark thought from now on. Memorize it and stuff! 

—Yeah, but honestly, we don't really do a whole lot on our end. We submit our intent, mention the fact we want to start the searching process together and wait. After that point, the guild will occasionally ask us to meet up with potential teammates, until we find ones we're comfortable working with. That's mostly it. 

—Is it? Since they normally suggest the members, is there any issue in approaching them as three in the first place? 

—Not really. And as far as the admins are concerned, you and Finarkzir count as a single mage for the sake of looking for teammates. Not like the two of you can be separated by them. — In case you're wondering, Finarkzir is Chiaisei's bonded companion. My girl practices Yealmyrn, and she shared a Soul Bond with Finarkzir for quite some time. And as Finarkzir is a magical beast, - the colloquial name for her kind being "Wind Caller Eagle" - the guild considers her a part of Chiaisei's strength when analyzing this kind of thing, as by the association's rules magical beasts and the mages they're bound to should never be separated when forming units. 

—Perhaps. Won't Finarkzir cause potential issues in this process, though? She has almost a full level of skill above us as of now, even if we don't count her corporal magic as additional strength for her as well. 

—Maybe so. Magical birds also come with the boon of flight, so Finarkzir probably has a lot of potential, as far as the analysts are concerned. Still, this kind of power gap isn't that unusual. My old unit had multiple adept levels, and they still allowed them to hang around a group that was half initiate just fine. — Flight is really helpful on the field, so a magical bird was seen as a pretty valuable resource to any unit by the guild's standards. Both in and out of combat, having access to someone capable of flight in early levels can make a massive difference in some occasions. 

—I suppose you're right. And the meetings for potential coworkers? How do they usually go? 

—We're offered some space, either in or out of the HQ. We talk for some time, and decide whether or not the people we met are people we can see ourselves working with. — After speaking for a moment, I pondered on how to better explain this kind of thing. — Our units spend a lot of time together, so it's important to check if that time won't be volatile or problematic for anyone involved as soon as possible. Would be kind of tough to work as a team with people you can barely stand, right? 

—Probably. And how much time is it normal to wait for this? How many meetings should we expect before finding a group that we're fine with? — As she continued with the questions, I started wondering how deep would that go. 

—Hey Chiaisei, what's up with all the questions suddenly? You were rarely that curious even during the actual instructions period. 

—Oh, I wonder why? Maybe because you've left all of the questions concerning this for the last minute? — She said that while smiling, though it kind of felt like a direct hit. There wasn't much I could say to defend myself in that end, despite still thinking leaving that talk for this point was fine. 

—Besides, ignoring a few details you might have forgotten about, I would say I had an excellent introduction* to our job with you. Who better to ask than my lovable and somewhat reliable instructor as of now? — She shifted tone after a pause in her talk, all the while leaning closer to me and resting her head against me, even if we were still walking. Nothing quite like a hug and sweet words just after taking a metaphorical punch to the face, and it seemed to me she liked this combination a lot while dealing with me. I still found it hard to get used to how quickly this girl would flip her stance. Not that I thought it was a case of acting, though. 

(*I've said before I acted as one of her instructors, yeah? To be exact, its what the association normally calls an introductory period to the job. The main goal is to verify if the preparations for work and combat the Pact Warden has been going through can be relied on outside of training, and the task is usually handled by their seniors in the association. That's how I got to meet Chiaisei. Our work isn't usually that dangerous, but throwing someone unprepared into it is almost a guaranteed way to make it scarier.)

Despite making it clear for most people around her that most of the time she was faking her apparent emotions, Chiaisei was pretty clear and consistent about what she aimed for. Always extremely polite and distant. It felt less like her fake smile was supposed to display happiness and more contentment with a situation, as well as to show whatever was happening she was greeting it with composure. For as long as she remained closed off from me, there rarely had been any display of emotions outside of that limited spectrum, and any slight signs of affection, care or sweetness only after the mask started melting. Hence why I was pretty sure that any sign of warmth she showed was honest, despite knowing she probably had the skill to pretend that much as well. 

—Okay then. When it was with me, it took about 16 days to find my group, and I got in it on the fourth try. Depending on the area the mage is starting out on, it could take up to a month, but Zainlastris is a pretty popular spot for people starting this job out. There is a lot of infrastructure meant for low level mages in this city, as I mentioned, and it gives its inhabitants pretty easy access to a large patch of the nation's borders with the Wild World¹. That should speed up the process quite a bit, still, expect a week of waiting at the very least. — Says the younger me, unaware that day would many years later become the content of a book. I am guessing that as audience members you might be expecting either for us to skip the searching process or for it to happen pretty soon, though. 

—Got it. Though I must say, even without meeting them, I have trouble imagining what led to the first three groups you met to reject you, or for the contrary to happen. You seem so easy to grow fond of. I must say that I would judge someone rather harshly for being incapable of getting along with you. — That kind of comment also counts as things Chiaisei would never say before warming up to me. Anything she had said on the first few days that appeared even slightly like a compliment was still totally impersonal in nature. She has a weird way of complimenting others too, doesn't she? 

—Oh, I was the one rejecting most of them. For the most part, it happened due to different expectations, or at least different plans going forward or for the job as a whole. One or two idiots thinking they could get declared as Heroes or Saints while still in initiate or intermediate stage, a few people hoping to move to civilian magical work as soon as their levels in enchantment or other similar areas got high enough, and one or two dumbasses who thought buying your way through success would also work once they joined the guild. — I took a brief pause to organize my thoughts before continuing. 

—One of them even offered to pay me extra if I stuck around them, seeing as that kind typically sees high affinities like us as a good investment for a coworker. Regardless of whether or not each of them had some kind of good intention, these aren't people I would put much faith in during a serious battle. Sticking around them would be a risk in the long term, and it might even get in the way of my progression in the field. Honestly, meeting a girl that is as rich as you and is actually well adapted to reality was really a shocker at first, in part because of those and a few other previous experiences. 

Guess it just kind of came to show that in Gujimatsuki they're way better at educating brats. But in Galecirnan, my general impression was that with the exception of high nobles (Who are basically bred to do their job and emphatically taught that since the moment they are born) you really shouldn't have very high expectations for this sort, especially not if they're trying to live as some kind of warrior. The Wild World doesn't care about money, after all, so anyone who lives relying on it too much might have a hard time surviving within it. Hence why I always feared a bit for the occasional little shit who was clearly a novice yet was entering the association with enchanted gear from the start. 

Like, it improved their odds, sure, but can enchanted gear protect someone completely incompetent on itself? Nope, it definitively can't. Unless it is something like the sisterhood's Artifact¹ gear sets, equipment can't win a battle by itself. And the sisterhood would never accept the vows of someone they considered incompetent in the first place, so that exception would never normally factor in either way. Still, Chiaisei got curious enough about those stories to continue asking about them, so I tried recalling and retelling them as we grew closer to our destination. 

We continued on that note for some time, however it didn't take that long before we reached the HQ, or at least it started getting into sight. Both in length and height, it was pretty massive compared to everything else around us, so spotting it wasn't really difficult. That, and as with almost every HQ for the guild, that building looked extremely flashy from the outside. Since the social peoples have been starting getting better at using enchantment in construction, it kind of became a norm for the mages association to try to put that to use, even if at this point this kind of application was still really small in scale. Especially when compared to the temples for the Greater Aspects, since it was still considered an unsafe practice to try to work with enchanting to create something as gravity defyingly huge as the Earth Towers or the Temples of Will. 

The trick to altering the reflection and refraction of light against a surface was simple enough to where it was being applied in architecture and engineering at increasing rates during my time, though. Some of the stuff I had seen people trying with that looked really questionable, but inside most guild HQs it was applied simply enough, while combined with nice glasswork, of course. This style was also made easier since the halls of the office tend to adopt white, gray or silver as their main colors - since otherwise the application of the colors associated to each Greater Area spread throughout the exterior and interior of the building likely would be harder to balance - almost making it look like the interior of the office had its natural glow. Be it due to the effects of the mentioned spells on the windows leading to the front of the place, which sometimes appeared to change in tone slightly in their frame, or how the same sort of spell also applied to the glass in the lighting both inside and outside the building, the impression that place left could be both welcoming and inspiring at once. 

Combined with the mixture of colors present on the garden in front of the place and the glass panes* visible from the front, it almost made it feel like the place was alive, in a sense. Maybe the intent at some point had been to imitate the appearance of elemental domains¹, with the whole attempt at imitating a sentient environment. And despite representing quite a lot of colors, it all still felt very even and sort of balanced, in a way. Even with the colors sort of connected to more than a single Greater One, it still felt like this harmony between each set of colors had been pretty meticulously calculated, despite the fact that almost every main association HQ uses a different pattern from the others. And though the higher floors of the building weren't quite in this same sort of pattern, they still carried on part of this variation, something that could also be spotted in parts of the auxiliary complexes to the main office for this guild hall. 

(*Fun fact, for those who never tried it or heard from people who did. Not only are those windows surprisingly sturdy - as part of the glasswork used on the windows of the headquarters for the association are usually provided by the sisterhood - if any attack against them is attempted, a layer of barrier spells would also reveal itself. Sort of like how some of the temples that have most of their facilities in open air use barriers to ward off rain or snow. And in case you're wondering how I heard this, a few friends from basic school told me at some point a story from when they were a kid and accidently hit those windows with a ball while playing in part of the garden for the HQ closest to where I lived, only for it to bounce of without even making any noise against it. A mage watching the scene then proceeded to console the kids for the mistake while saying they wouldn't break regardless of how tough the throw was, before throwing himself against the window only to again show he didn't even manage to make it sway. That mage was a dwarf, by the way. The fact the windows barely appeared to react to the tackle made me think this had likely been the result of a barrier as I heard the story back then, since I was already starting to study magical theory by that point, and at some point after I started working I did manage to confirm this detail with a clerk.)

"And back here again we come. It's not too often I head here immediately after reporting in a job, is it?" I thought to myself while continuing the conversation, as I spotted the building officially coming into our view. "Wasn't expecting to come back like this either. I might have made a bit bigger of a mess than I am used to this time. Hopefully I won't give them too much work if someone else needs to fix the situation for me again." As we neared the entrance and I took the occasional glance on the inside of the building, I could feel a lot of thoughts concerning recent matters piling up in my head. 

Almost as if in response, I felt as if the world around me was slowing down a little. Or rather, that my mind was speeding up to the point things felt a bit slower. Seeing as I couldn't use any method of cognitive infusing, there was still a limit to how quick my thinking could be, but you know, a mage at initiate stage 5 can still run a few laps on a normal person in this sense. Thus, as it felt like each of my steps grew slower, the torrent of information I was considering also appeared to grow faster, in a way. This might seem strange to normal people, yet over time it sort of becomes a really natural part of learning magic, to the point our cognitive enhancements will start activating on their own whenever we might find a use for them. 

"Then again, thinking back on it, I still feel like leaving her alone back then would have been rough, if not just strictly irresponsible. Chiaisei doesn't seem to be in the best of places, judging by how desperate she seemed to be yesterday, and me and Finarkzir are among the few people in the region she knows. No offense to Finarkzir, though she doesn't seem to be the greatest of counselors, which might apply to me too, to be blunt. At least Finarkzir has the excuse of being an eagle, seeing as I doubt those are normally very knowledgeable about whatever matter Chiaisei is living through." As I recalled a lot of what I learned about my girl the previous days we continued walking, yet barely a step had been finished by the point that first wave of thoughts got done. 

"Not the best time for such a big move in the first place, but she is smart enough to know that, so she likely had her reasons. Can't exactly expect her to just turn back by this point either, I imagined. Besides, based on what she already told me I imagine there probably aren't a whole lot of people for her to confide in around her home either. And if the sisters have brought her and her mom around through teleportation before, a visit from that mother over here might not be too unlikely, or at least nowhere near as much as it would have been for anyone else. I doubt even they can move people between regions casually, though just a few leaps should already make the journey not even last a day. That might be an option to keep track of if there is any sudden need. That would likely burn through an unimaginable amount of essence from the sisterhood, but hey, if they themselves can say their source can't dry, who am I to say what they can or can't handle. Especially when it was one of them saying all of that." My mind still quite sped up, I had taken about three steps since the start of the thoughts written above. 

"Still, we have a time limit to do this. I don't plan on leaving the gang behind for her sake, and I'll eventually have to get back to them. I doubt I can accomplish much towards solving her issues myself. My track record with this kind of situation is not the brightest in the first place. Maybe if I just stick around and be supportive for long enough she will slowly figure things out herself, seeing as she doesn't seem to be lacking on this kind of smarts either. That said, I ideally should be looking for someone who can help her out with her troubles during unit search. If not that, then I should at least stick around to see if she is making any such contacts in her other surroundings. Maybe the guild can help out in their own ways, seeing as they might know far more about her situation than I do. She looks up to the sisterhood a lot too, so maybe she'll find someone through them that can handle this kind of thing better than I can. That's not a big hole to fit in the first place, so it might not be that unlikely." As this line of thought reached its current conclusion, my head started getting back to normal functioning. As I did, all it took was an instant from what I could perceive until my steps started to feel normally paced again. 

I noticed then Chiaisei had been glancing at me from the sides through part of that inner monologue. Personally, I doubted she could sense the activation of my cognitive enhancements, so I wasn't really worried about that, or at least not from that angle. Still, even if the conversation had slowed down quite a bit as we reached our destination, I did take a moment or two of silence all of a sudden. And as I said before, most people who know me are well aware I don't shut up very frequently. That, and seeing as she was also a mage - and one who was pretty skilled at interpreting other people too - it was possible she could catch glimpses from my behavior that I had been under the effect of accelerated thinking. That didn't mean she could instantly figure out that she was the topic herself, but still, I wondered for a moment if there would be any need to acknowledge that suspicion or anything of the sort. Yet before I decided to act on that possibility, Chiaisei's walking halted and she glanced up, towards a symbol beside the door to the HQ we were about to enter. 

—I suppose this marks the official start of work life for me, then? Quite a weird realization to come to. — She said while looking at the banner to the association, which stood a bit from the side to the path headed to the entrance, at a board made from various materials. 

The way it was placed almost made it look like it was just floating there, seeing as both the supports beneath it looked pretty small compared to the piece itself. Alongside information concerning the location, there stood written "The Zainlastris Head Office for the International Mages Guild"*. And just above the name stood the mark used by the guild, consisting of a pair of hands, which were made of a kind of glass normally, making each somewhat transparent. One of which appeared to be reaching for something to the right of the frame they were placed on, as magic seemingly produced from it extended in that direction (Though what kind of spell it would form, it generally wasn't left clear). The other was fully opened, and had its palm facing forward to the viewer of the symbol. There appeared to be a kind of barrier being shaped by that hand. Each hand had three rings on it, all of which carried one of the Emblems of the Six. The reaching hand's rings showed the Emblems of Iscathnerin, Favighea and Nairsylvir, whereas the protecting hand showed Laenixir, Yealmyrn and Thalgignir, and they were known as the Hands that Ward and Reach. 

(*The term guild isn't used outside of Galecirnan, so some of the others will occasionally refer to it differently. It is mostly referred to as the Union or Association by the others. Since most of the dialogue had originally been spoken in the Galecirnan tongues, we respected the unique name we gave the association through the story, though. The term guild was otherwise not used outside of historic context by then, however, as in many ways guilds were just an archaic method of organizing workers inside our region. As for why it stuck around, I guess the "guild" just likes embracing the idea of being called slightly different things at each corner of the world.)

—I guess. But you've technically already been over your first job, at least. — I said as we observed that emblem. 

—That may be so, though to me it felt like you had done most of the work, that time. From now on, I am assuming simply following along with my seniors won't be enough. 

—You say so, but I think you did good enough. Besides, it was a training task. That really isn't the kind of thing you should expect to do well on your first try. — While saying so I took one of her hands, and softly pulled her towards the entrance. Seeing this, she got back to walking, and I went alongside her. As the entrance to the building was pretty wide we got through it side by side without much issue, and were faced with the inside of the lobby space for that HQ. 

Like always, that place was neat and orderly during our entrance. There weren't that many people there at that point. Though even while it was at maximum capacity it typically worked pretty well, considering how well prepared that system was for visitors. The Guild was still starting its morning by this point, and weekends usually meant less civilian traffic on it. That said, associates don't really have normal breaks in that regard. Right from the door, you could more or less separate this floor in three different sections. One, the part of the front desk dedicated to receiving civilians in, where usually they would go to ask for the assistance of the guild with various matters. 

Most of the time these were jobs that could be done in city space, though every so often a civilian would require a full blown task of the guild, which would then be brought to the analysts working inside the office so that they could start their part of the work. There were indications for where a line should be formed, if there was a need for it. However if it grew too much, there was also a waiting space there, with a mixture of benches and simple tables for the requesters to wait in, as the line would progress based on the point each civilian would place themselves on the line. The amount of receptionists dedicated to this part of the office would vary based on the number of visitors the association had at any given point, too. 

A second part of this desk was reserved solely for matters concerning associated mages. It served as the initial contact point between us and the association's organizers. And not only was this the initial spot where we would be informed of assignments, accept them and report them once they were done, but the place where we would discuss the management of our units. Behind it were a group of rooms dedicated to explain those matters in detail, once the basic facts of a given job or situation were passed through the main desk. Also, tasks connected to other magical orders or the government weren't reported in through the civilian section. Instead they were delivered directly onto this part of the hall. This was also the point of contact with the union for civilian mages, however since their relationship with the guild was much different than ours, the process was typically quite different for them, and it sometimes would take place in the civilian desks. 

The third section of note was a bit of a living space, for the associates and other visitors alike. There was a cafeteria there, which mostly served snacks and drinks. Not a good option for lunch or other bigger meals, and there weren't a whole lot of choices with alcohol there either. Though it still was more or less considered the default location for meetings between potential unit members, as well as the place mages might seek others like them without much else intervening. It was also usually the location for breakfast for those inhabiting the dormitories inside or connected to the HQ. Speaking off, between the front desks and the eating space, there were stairs and an elevator to the upper floors, as well as a corridor leading to some facilities outside the building and the restrooms. (A similar one was also present at the end of the section devoted to matters concerning guild members.) Elevators weren't needed too often back in my days, so I've never been too used to them either way. Regardless, it was a pretty massive office considering the whole building contained guild staff. 

I looked under my feet as the floor on this office reflected the people within it almost as well as any mirror, as to glance over my appearance and confirm if my hair and looks were in relatively decent order. Gotta take some care over these things when taking part in official meetings and all. Breathing in the air on the inside, which was currently being regulated through a temperature control device, I made sure to take an additional look at the living space on that floor. I already had identified from the outside there weren't many people in it by then, yet still, it was easier to observe the details from within, or at least to try to spot which ones were also spellcasters. It was likely we would be indicated towards some of them in the following days, so I figured I might as well try to discover if many had been looking for unit mates at that point. That, and seeing if I could spot any people I knew from that city there, as that could help with both of the goals I had in mind for that point. 

With that out of the way, we headed towards the lines matters concerning unit formation would be handled. There wasn't anyone using it at that point, so there was no need for wait time in this case. That, and though the search would only officially start then, it had been warned the previous day the two of us would be starting it then so some of the paper work both from ours and the guild's end likely would be ready by that point. There were multiple clerks standing in waiting at that point, and though I was familiar with all of them, I ended up choosing the one that I considered the closest to me. This was because she had been one of the few I had ever met outside of the office. She was one year younger than me, and had been working as a clerk for the association for less than a year by that point as well. I also knew she was among the receptionists currently training in magic as well, mostly for the sake of cognitive enhancements and infusing, since she planned on trying to reach the post of a internal analyst* at some point. We greeted each other briefly, and from then moved on to start the discussion concerning the job. 

(*The clerks and attendants inside of the buildings can be chosen among normal people, but the posts concerning analysis, the organization and many other points within the association were all occupied by mages, as required by the institution. In parts as a means of the guild living up to its name, yet also in parts because they considered that other than for simple goals, it was best to aim to run the office fully with people capable of accelerating their minds. That, and having a team mostly full of mages but with a couple of normal humans around likely would end up bringing down the pace for everyone involved. There is only so much an Aura of Clarity can accomplish to help out with this issue.) 

—We've been told to expect the two of you today. Am I to assume this has to do with the formation of a unit? — After the greetings, the clerk asked politely. This didn't go both ways, though it was kind of the norm for clerks to address field associates like this, even if they knew each other outside the office. Over time, most started to crack up on this performance, but the fact this receptionist was used to speaking to me didn't mean the same applied between her and Chiaisei. 

—Yep. I guess that's one way to end an introduction, huh? Not the expected way, but it will end up creating more time to learn at least. — I said in a bit of a jest. She replied with a smile, yet a part of me felt like she must have been thinking of something else while hearing this too. Like if she had been curious about parts of this situation as well. 

—Indeed it is. We've seen in the report you've been pleased with the introduction, Chiaisei, and seeing this now only makes us more assured of that. 

—But of course. Fasnilthar was really pleasant as company over these days, just as she had been as a mentor. After the fact, I could have hardly believed she never worked as an instructor without assistance before. — Chiaisei spoke, taking up that pleasant smile I had described earlier. She was way better at this kind of formality of the job than I was, looking back. 

—It pleases us greatly that the start of your time as a Pact Warden has been so pleasant, then. I am sure we're all happy to know one of our most capable associates on the initiate level will be returning to her main field by this point as well, though I am certain the City Front will miss your assistance, Fasnilthar. — She complimented me with a smile. It didn't feel like just flattery, but I didn't think it was that high of a compliment. Up until intermediate level, most human mages are still getting used to whatever field of work they've chosen for that point. That I excelled among initiates just meant I got my bearings quicker than most, and that more or less had been something I always knew about myself. 

—That said, this also begs the question. Will this unit be a temporary one, or are you officially severing your ties to your original group, Fasnilthar? If so, it might be best to warn the rest of the infrastructure of the association and your previous companions as soon as possible. 

—For now, let's just say my stay in this unit we're making will be temporary. I'll be telling this to everyone who joins it as it starts, though, so no need to worry about that. — While saying so, I took the occasional glance at Chiaisei, to make sure she wasn't visibly bothered by hearing this. We were in agreement that I wouldn't be sticking around this new group for too long, though I wasn't really sure how well she took that proposal. 

"We'll see how she'll think of it over time. If that doesn't work, I try bringing her and the bird to the old gang, but if I mention that now, it might make this new unit sound too unstable to last for long. Gotta hope one of our coworkers will be able to help out, more than anything. Hopefully the prophecy will work out this time as well." I thought as I stated my position. 

—Very well. If you don't want to contact them directly, you can also go through us to speak to your other coworkers at any point, if you like. 

—I'll keep that in mind, but I should be able to handle that much. Thanks either way. — Moving on from that topic, I thought back to the order of priorities we would need in order to move on with unit creation. 

—Either way, you all know the address of our current stay, right? It should be in reach for boosted thought communicators. Chiaisei doesn't have hers yet, so we'll be relying only on mine. Still, should we be waiting for news at a given time or…? 

While trying to figure out how the guild would warn us about potential meetings, I started asking about this topic. These things usually were arranged at the start of unit searching, to facilitate contacting the guild. The protocol was to be at a place where the thought communicators and the text transmitter¹ of the Pact Warden could reach the HQ, regardless of whether or not the boost was needed. This way, regardless of the type of message that needed delivering, it would reach us the quicker the possible. I figured the process would be similar that time, though as I spoke about it, I noticed the clerk in front of us was acting a bit nervous before these questions. Like there was something about the topic bothering her, yet she couldn't quite figure out how to state it. Hence why I interrupted my questioning before I got to finish it. Still, it was clear that whatever she might have been thinking about, she was having a hard time figuring out how to address it. "Maybe she doesn't know how to operate the devices herself?" I thought, as no better explanation would come to my mind. 

—Is something wrong? — Chiaisei asked before I could. It seemed she had realized the reaction of the receptionist far before I had stopped talking, based on the fact Chiaisei apparently had been waiting for me to notice it as well. The clerk seemed to grow anxious upon seeing my friend's reaction. 

—Well… Not wrong per se, but… Well, since the warning you gave us yesterday, we had already started considering potential pairs. And there is a particular group that would be rather difficult to match just anyone up with, so upon noticing the two of you might work well with them, we decided it might be helpful for both sides to try to have a meeting between you as soon as possible. — The early stuttering and hesitation seemed to reflect that anxiety. As she continued explaining, she slowly started regaining confidence, but one glance at Chiaisei near the end almost brought her to shivering for an instant. At that point, it felt like my girl was completely focused on observing the way this clerk had been acting, down to every move she made from head to toe. 

—Really now? But why exactly are these colleagues of ours difficult to find a group for in the first place? — Chiaisei said with her usual polite smile. The question felt less like simple curiosity and plain old blatant suspicion, though. The clerk seemed intimidated by her tone, even if personally I didn't think Chiaisei's attitude changed too much from one sentence to the next. 

—Well, this pair consists of a pretty odd combination so far, between a sister and a knight temporarily working with us. Not all of our associates have close enough an understanding of the Sisterhood to work alongside them without causing any potential issue. Yet since Fasnilthar has worked with multiple path tracers in the past and you seem to have a good relationship with the Sisterhood, Chiaisei, it was decided the two of you likely would be a good match for them. 

—Makes sense. The rules they work under are different from ours. 

Pact Wardens need to follow a series of regulations, but compared to an Emblem Bearer, these were really different in nature. We follow rules and laws, they work under the vows they made. And sometimes, those vows keep them from doing things our type might occasionally be pressured into doing, as well as resisting any such thing if it happens with their awareness of it. So, working with a sister or brother effectively meant giving up on your right to accept slightly dubious work, or to apply some tactics they would consider cruel. But over all, I didn't think there was a whole lot that changed by working with one. Or rather, it is not like they would force you to follow them along in anything too unreasonable about their vows. That, and the vows of the sisterhood tend to be rather flexible and personalized in the first place. They didn't mesh well with the purely pragmatic type, seeing as the sisterhood was the textbook example of what it meant to fight for a mission, though for the most part, the things they defend are pretty hard to argue against. Protect and mend those in need, strive to better yourself and the world, don't screw over other people for no reason. Just the basic stuff you wouldn't expect most people to find a problem with. 

—Is that so? Are associates who can deal with sisters even that rare in the first place? Speaking of, which path does this one follow? — Chiaisei wasn't as convinced by that reasoning as I was back then. The talk kind of fit with my experiences, even if I still understood the need the guild had to warn people of this. 

—She is a Seeker of Will. Why do you ask? 

—One of Lady Melynaris' followers, then. Personally, I can't see why her vows would be against the normal practices for the Association. The basic grounds for the vows of those following on the path of the Watchful Will is to devote oneself to the protection of life, after all. If I had to guess, there is a lot of common ground between the baseline for the vows of sisters of will and the law towards working as a Pact Warden through the union. There may be some words this sister chose that could enter in conflict with some freedoms allowed to associates, but if that is the case, shouldn't we be allowed to verify that in her vows directly? I do believe it is the norm among the Sisterhood to share your vows with those outside of the Path if there is a need to work together with them, isn't it? — She barely took any time to breathe while stating her points. 

—Oh… Wouldn't it be best to check her vows in the presence of this sister, then? I am not sure if I should be reading them as of now. 

—If not, then can't you tell us more about this pair? I am quite surprised we've found potential coworkers on the first day of search, after all. Why is a knight working with the Association, also? Especially so while alongside a sister. I didn't believe it was common for our merged units to include knights. What do you say, Fasnilthar? 

—I haven't seen them often, at least. Knights occasionally help us out, but mostly to apprehend people we don't have the means or authority to take in. Never seen one team up with a guild unit before directly, much less with a sister in the middle as well. I'm guessing he is a champion*, at least? 

(*What is a champion, you might ask? Or at least you might have if you don't live in Galecirnan, seeing as this habit isn't really globally put to practice. Basically, a knight that doesn't get trained like other knights do. Normally, knights are trained under the assumption they'll be acting within large units, of anything between 15 to 40 members. As a result, most of the time each individual knight hyper-specializes in their magical practice, so that it is easier to coordinate collective actions. Champion knights usually are selected between the ones with most potential within a batch, and unlike the others they get to practice magic like other people normally do. So, there are fewer of them, but champions are much better at fighting at an individual level or at least in battles of smaller scale, like the ones Pact Wardens usually would go through.) 

—He is, but personally I don't know much else about their situation. 

—Is that so… For curiosity's sake at least, can you tell me for how long they've been waiting for partners, at least? It might be good to learn things like that when starting the conversation. — A part of me sort of doubted that anything Chiaisei was asking at that point was solely because of curiosity. 

—When… I suppose there should be no issue with that. I believe they started the search eight days ago. The sister herself had arrived here some days before that, if I recall correctly. You will be the first batch of potential colleagues we will be sending her way. 

—Really? And from where was she coming from? 

—Wikininsatir. She is a scarlet elf from Althnalmir, but up until recently she had been finishing her first period of the great wander*, being that spending some years, or maybe even decades working inside of Galecirnan appears to be her plan to finish this first half. I believe the others mentioned she spoke about making the trip back last as well, if she got the chance, though with elves it is hard to say what counts as a solid plan or just a random idea. 

(*It's the term used for an elven habit. Basically, once a young elf reaches the first floor of their adulthood, usually at 110 they are sent on decades-long travels to get to know what the world is like outside their growing environment.)

—So she's Althnalmirian. I'm guessing the knight is a local, however? 

—Yes. Most knights operate solely in their country of origin in Galecirnan, and I suspect-. Never mind. — I didn't know where she was going with the rest of that sentence, but at the point she interrupted herself, it looked like she started panicking for a brief moment. 

—Alright. It's good to hear that much information, though that still doesn't answer why the association is treating this sister with preference. Or why a knight is accompanying her. Can I ask that once before we're sent their way, at least? Or is this not a matter connected to her, but to a different person pushing in a favor or two? — Chiaisei's eyes narrowed a bit as she threw the accusation onto the clerk in front of us. The girl receiving the words seemed to panic a bit, and was occasionally stealing glances at her coworkers nearby. The lines were mostly empty back then, but the other receptionists around us seemed unsure of what to say as well. Personally, I didn't know what Chiaisei was trying to get to, or why this interrogation had been allowed to continue, but I figured it might be best to interrupt it at any given moment. 

—Preference…? I don't think this situation is abnormal for our operat-.

—Really now? Eight days without sending a single group of mages their way. In a city as populated by low level mages as Zainlastris, I would think there would be many people available for this sort of meeting. And how old is she, if her great wander has found a longer stay? Likely over a hundred and thirteen, at the very least, thus she is probably already an adept level. I've always been close to the sisterhood, so maybe my view of this is biased, though I have a feeling most people would be willing to go through some issues in order to join in a unit with someone already at this point if they had the same level as the two of us. Especially when you take into account her access to sisterhood artifacts, and their many other boons. 

—Yeah, but… This doesn't really prove a whole lot. The deal sounds good enough to me as well, so maybe we don't really need all of the details now? — I tapped Chiaisei on one of her shoulders before saying as much. This seemed to make her feel a bit conflicted before answering me, and for the first time since the talk started, the face she was putting up flinched a bit. 

—Maybe, but… If something is happening, we should learn their motivation before agreeing to anything. She has clearly been ordered to hide information from us. — She then softened her voice a little before saying just to me. 

—She hasn't slipped enough information for me to confirm this as of now, but whatever the association might be trying, they seem to consider it really relevant. Just look at her and the others around her. If they're that scared of information leaking, the order likely has come from far up above. Whoever we may be getting involved with, the union clearly is dancing to their tune as of now. That, and they might have been waiting for us, or other specified groups of people to send to this meeting. I don't know what the cause could be, but if a unit has complications like this from the start, wouldn't it be better to at least have some clues to the story before following this lead? — As she drew closer to me and spoke, I felt as if Chiaisei had been using magic, a kind I had seen her use before a few times. 

Basically, she was controlling the wind in such a way that the sound of our voices couldn't escape a small perimeter around us. As she turned away from where the clerk and those near her could see, I could also see the cold interrogating glance soften a bit, as she positioned her face in an angle the others around us wouldn't be able to view. She seemed a bit displeased or at least regretful of the situation. She was quite good at forcing people into bad spots through words, and that was a side of her I hadn't seen much of up until then. Still, it looked like she felt bad about doing things like that, even if she was still willing to try it. No idea what was motivating her, but between the guilt Chiaisei might have to deal with and the stress this clerk was going through in trying to keep up with someone she wasn't ready for made me feel all the harder that this couldn't continue. 

—Maybe but is this even worth it? Think of this girl for a moment. You're treating her so roughly even her coworkers are getting scared. What if her job gets affected because you pushed her to slip up something we aren't allowed to know? — It seemed like that possibility hadn't escaped Chiaisei. She seemed more conflicted by the situation as a result. 

—I know, but… I doubt they will punish her too badly for this, if that does happen. They were aware of what they asked of her, after all. That's besides the point, though. I know that asking this kind of thing is among our rights, yet still, had there been more people in the vicinity, my actions likely would have drawn a warning or two by now, right? And they wouldn't let a newly joined associate try something like this on their first day normally. Especially since… Never mind. That must mean we have an edge as of this point. We should use it, since we have the chance to, and since we have this edge, it shouldn't be that hard to keep this from damaging her position. — It was clear she had been considering a lot of things surrounding this, but still, I felt like she was putting her focus in a few wrong places. 

"Sometimes really smart people manage to think up complications to a problem that don't exist, huh? I guess it falls to me to point out the simpler points for her, then." 

—But Chiaisei, advantages or whatever aside, you realize the deal they're currently presenting us with is pretty good in itself, right? 

—In a sense, but… 

[—I've mentioned my prior unit had two Path Seekers on it, right? I've seen plenty of what each can do, as a result. It was almost difficult to compare either to the rest of us around their level. Some of it because of their training, but getting access to Divine Artifacts probably helped with that as well. Do I need to explain why? 

—There shouldn't be a need. I am partially aware of that power. 

—So I'll keep it short. Because it felt like a full set of Divine Armaments pushed those Path Seekers two or three stages above their punching range. I don't know how strong this sister is on her own, or if the gear they offer Path Tracers is that much more advanced than that for those who haven't finished their vows yet, but if my math is accurate, we're being offered someone who is effectively late into the adept stage as a colleague. That sounds like quite the deal for us, doesn't it? — She didn't respond to my argument. Chiaisei was too logical not to notice my argument that the lead on that front. 

—You'll be getting a chance to gain experience without facing all the dangers of the job, and we'll be getting paid to accomplish difficult work in which the sister will be doing most of the work regardless. That's quite the perk there. Besides, at this point we aren't being asked to join them yet, just to try to talk. We can get to decide if we want to commit later, and unlike the clerk in front of us, the sister likely doesn't have a reason to keep some of those questions silent, right? I get you're being cautious for the two of us, but that solution sounds far simpler at this point. — As I said, my girl sometimes goes straight for the most complicated answer to a problem. Simple answers are really convenient when they fit, however, and in that case I didn't think there was a comparison between these options. 

—Alright. That plan does sound more effective. Sorry if I got caught up in my worries. It's just that it felt like the analysts and leadership at the association might have been trying to manipulate our movements too directly just now. That might have clouded my view from the easier solution, and I might have stressed out someone uninvolved with that as a result. — She said, looking somewhat frustrated for missing out on the straight answer. That, and it seemed she regretted the show she had just put on already, which caused her to turn to apologize to the clerk, waiting from the sidelines for our conversation to end. That fit with what I knew about her. 

"Chiaisei can seem cold, but she isn't inconsiderate at all. I wonder what has got her so worried she would try to dig the answers to this matter out of someone else." That was the first time I had seen her act like that. Still, I didn't think she would try anything that could pressure someone else without any reason, or at least without feeling like she had been attacked first. I imagined she just hated the feeling of getting tricked by others, back then. 

—There is no need to apologize. This situation is quite irregular, but normally all of your questions would have been perfectly reasonable, Chiaisei. Do you two agree to the meeting then? If so, I would like to warn this sister beforehand. Their thought communicators don't even need a conduit to reach at this distance, so as soon as you wish to leave, we can deliver her the message. 

—Yeah. It can be really handy to have a sister with you, even if just because of that. And I think we'll be going, then. Can you tell us their names and the meeting's location? And some hints to make it easier to identify them. — I figured identifying them wouldn't be that difficult. Not everyday you find a sister and knight hanging out, much less multiple of them in the same place. Add to the fact this sister was probably red, and spotting her shouldn't be that difficult. 

—Right. The sister is named Nalfimiria, and the knight Sowanarcistvir. This elf is a 116, by the way, so if you have your ways of interacting with them, keep this in mind. Both asked not to mention their family names too often, though. As for location, they're in a dwarven bar close by. From here, it would be no more than 20 minutes of walking to reach it. As for hints, Nalfimiria is actually a pink variety of scarlet, so she should be even easier to find than a normal scarlet elf is. — After saying so, she spent a second or two in thought, as if considering whether to say something else or not. 

—And if even that level of coincidence happens, I would say you can probably identify her based on whichever knight-adjacent pink elven sister you find more attractive. I've met plenty of elven women before due to training and work here, and many times I have wondered just what constitutes as common for a kind as beautiful as theirs. With her, though, I could immediately tell she had a few steps above even most elves. Had we not met during my work shift, I might have lost my composure for a moment. 

—Ok then. Doubt we'll need that hint, but I'll keep it in mind. — While stating so, I silently declared to myself. 

"I wonder if this one is also my type. Then again, as of now I feel like my type simply consists of any elfish young woman who can pretend to be responsible in public. A third one though, huh? Wish I could celebrate, but… Always having someone around to cover for my occasional idiocies seems to be catching up to me. Damn adult life for expecting me to act responsibly!" For someone who feels reckless abandon is the preferable default in most situations, having someone around who can handle the consequences has always been so comforting and convenient. And fortunately it seems my stupidities are well within the range of a grown elves' coverage. I did have an ideal age limit, though. The two I've known were fine with the older sister kind of role during their turns of adulting, but an older elf would make it clearer she was old enough to be my grandma's grandma way more frequently. Or even my grandma's grandma's grandma*. 

(*Since they only get fertile at around 95, the elves I mentioned are really only just barely old enough to be my mothers, and one of them isn't even old enough for that. But you get me. Unless you're a mage or can identify them based on the lines, they basically look the same from the moment they reach 90 to the point they get to 1000.) 

—Good. Now then, may I ask for a final favor from the association for now? This one will involve nowhere near as many secrets, I promise you. — The clerk said, while writing us a note with the address and name of the spot we would be looking for. As she used a conjured piece of paper to do so, I took a particular type of spell vessel¹ from my bag, which registered the contents of the paper while absorbing it. So long as I kept directing life essence towards it, the contents of the note would remain there. 

—Ask away. If it sounds too difficult, we might refuse, but I doubt simply hearing it will be an issue. — Chiaisei offered, more openly than she had at first. Maybe this was her way of compensating for the initial suspicion she directed over the start of this talk. 

—Thank you, then. There is someone else I would like you to meet, if possible. Some days from now, another mage arrived from the Gujimatsuki. One or two days before Chiaisei, I believe? He has been having trouble finding coworkers, and based on our suspicions this might continue to be the case unless we send people skilled at dealing with others like him. Some of us believed you two might be the best pair for this job as of now, and if this suggested meeting turns out well, that might make things all the easier for him. Would you mind briefly talking to him? Preferably before I warn the sister of your departure, of course. 

—Not at all. But before anything else, what has been causing him trouble up to this point? — Better to check up before anything else. It never hurts to know what you're dealing with. 

—Of course. This boy is a little too quiet, and awkward, in a way. Perhaps awkward might be a light way of putting it. Personally, I believe he seems to be very unsociable. Talking to him appeared to be next to impossible in the attempts that I made, as he rarely will say anything that isn't yes or no. And while he isn't necessarily rude, he appears to be quite unaware of how conversations or interactions normally go. He is completely blunt with almost every word he says, won't spare who he speaks of from whatever he is thinking on the rare occasions he won't end a topic immediately and he hardly ever seems to carry an expression of any kind. — She took a short break from her talk while verifying a few papers briefly. 

—We have confirmed he has no psychic disorders, or any kind of disability, be it social or intellectual. Still, the other associates who met him have been struggling to sustain a conversation for more than five minutes with him, and he had plenty of meetings this last week. Most of which barely lasted longer than the introductions. Considering Fasnilthar is known for being quite… Talkative? That, and that Chiaisei is described as very socially skilled, we imagined the two of you might have the tools to deal with someone this reclusive better than most others around here. So, do you think you can try this for us? — As she asked this, I considered the case I was being described.

All things considered, one week of trying to find a unit wasn't that long, so if the guild was asking for people to talk to this guy like this, they might have been losing their faith in him. I preferred to stay optimistic until I knew what I was dealing with, but the situation almost made me question if my usual deal would work well in this case. Not to say that I couldn't sustain a talk with someone uninterested and all, just that I wasn't confident I could reach him in the process. So, instead of answering immediately, I looked over to my current partner, to check if she could have handled some of this weight herself. Returning my glance, Chiaisei thought over this situation for a second, before giving me a question of her own.