Chapter 27 - Association

When Kaito finally spots the illuminated sign for an association office, hanging from a weathered facade, he is relieved, though breathless.

Before entering, he looks everywhere to make sure he hasn't been followed, and his heart races with anticipation as he approaches the entrance. He pushes open the door and enters, being greeted by a hushed environment full of people, who are solving all sorts of problems.

Inside, people of all shapes and sizes are lined up, waiting their turn to speak to the attendants. Voices overlap each other, creating a constant buzzing sound.

A few hologram screens display information about the services offered, and the costs associated with them, but nothing tells about the cost of the Duelist license.

He enters the service queue and, while he waits, Kaito observes the people around him. Some are imposing looking, wearing flashy and exuberant costumes, while others are more discreet, wearing ordinary clothes.

Kaito's turn finally comes after a few minutes of waiting. He steps forward and enters the view of the receptionist, an elderly woman with round glasses, gray hair, and a forward leaning spine.

"Good morning, kid. What can I do for you?"

"Hello, I would like to apply for a Duelist's license." says Kaito, nervously, in a low tone.

The receptionist looks him up and down, assessing him with a suspicious look. However, after so many years in this profession, she no longer even cares about the strange things that happen, after all she has witnessed millions of situations considered unusual. So she takes a form on yellowed and worn paper and hands it to Kaito.

"Fill this out and only bring it back when literally all the required fields are filled out. The application fee is 5000 credits." She says, without emotion. "Also, I already warn you that here you pay the fee first and then go through the test. If you don't pass the test, you won't get a refund."

Kaito raises his eyebrows. "Test?"

"Yes, of course there is a test to check if you are an Awakened and which rank you fit into. That test can only be replaced by a medical report from an Alliance licensed hospital. Do you have one?"

Immediately Kaito denies with his head.

"That being the case, take this form and fill it out outside the queue. There are other people who also need to solve problems and you are getting in the way." The woman replies rudely. "Next!" she calls out, without offering any more information about the test.

Kaito takes the form and moves away from the line, looking for a quieter corner to fill it out. He finds a vacant bench near a dusty window and sits down, concentrating on the questions on the form, which are basic and simple questions, such as the names of his parents, where he went to school, etc.

As Kaito writes down his personal information, he can't help but wonder about the test the receptionist mentioned. Although he is a fan of the Awakened, as everyone is these days, Kaito is more used to reading stories about their achievements, not the bureaucracies of the profession.

With the form filled out, Kaito returns to the line, holding it carefully in his hands.

"Ah... You're back already, kid..." The receptionist says as she sees him after a few minutes and sighs

"Yes, I'm ready to take the test too. By the way, about the test-"

"No, remember, you'll have to pay the registration fee first." The woman then drags across her desk a small circular machine and continues, "Approach the weblink on your wrist so I can make the debit."

Kaito nods and extends his right arm forward.

The woman holds the weblink from Kaito's wrist close to the circular machine and as the machine scans Kaito's bank account, she looks at him and thinks:

'He has a nice face, but 5,000 credits is a lot of money. If he had that amount in his account, he definitely wouldn't be dressed like that.'

However, contrary to the receptionist's thoughts, the system performed the transaction. A short beep indicates that the payment has been successfully completed.

"Okay, the payment has been made, right? So, where do I take this test?" Kaito promptly asks.

The receptionist is in shock for a moment, but then she thinks that there is no way that this boy whose file says he is from the Forgotten Zone is an Awakened, after all it has been more than five years since anyone from this place last became one. So she concludes that he must just be a son with rich parents who wants to attract attention, at least this wouldn't be the first time something like this happened.

"I will... call the manager. Please hold on a second." She says and stands up.

Kaito watches the receptionist walk away and back to a room backstage. As he waits, he feels a mixture of nervousness and curiosity.

After a few minutes of waiting, the receptionist returns accompanied by a middle-aged man wearing an elegant suit. He has black hair and a serious expression on his face. It is evident that he occupies a position of authority in the association, and therefore looks at Kaito from head to toe, and not because he looks poor, but because he is very young.

"Hello, young man." says the manager, looking at Kaito with a penetrating gaze. "My name is Mr. Fisher. My colleague informed me that you would like to take the test for the Duelist's license. Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir." replies Kaito, trying to maintain his composure in the face of the manager's imposing presence.

Mr. Fisher nods, seeming intrigued by Kaito's determination. He looks at the form completed by Kaito a moment before proceeding.

"Interesting... Come with me, please."

Kaito then follows Mr. Fisher into a small room for meetings and customer service. The room is simple, with one table and two couches, but sophisticated enough to impress Kaito.

On the coffee table, there is a shiny crystal positioned on a stand.

"Please take a seat," Mr. Fisher asks, pointing to one of the sofas. "I don't know if you know it, but the test consists of measuring your power by means of this crystal. When you rest your hand on it, if you are truly an Awakened, the crystal will glow and the color emitted from it will tell us which rank you fall into."