Going to the Silver Hand guild

As he walked leisurely down No. 12 Etern Dawn Street, Kane wore a thigh-length white sweatshirt adorned with meticulously embroidered black crowns and matching black pants and shoes.

At that moment, he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. He looked at the screen: it was a private number. He looked at it for a moment before answering.

"Hello, who am I speaking to?"

—Are you Mr. Kane Jineman?

"Yes, that's me. Now, can you tell me who you are?"

—I'm Lys from MystTech Innovations. The reason for the call is to coordinate a small meeting, as he has purchased a large portion of the company's stock.

'They were pretty quick to contact me; what efficiency,' Kane thought as he hailed a cab to head to the Silver Hand guild.

"I see. What time would the meeting be?"

—Does 2:30 p.m. work for you?

Kane was silent for a moment and looked at the time: 1:28 p.m.

"Could it be a little later, like 7 or 8 p.m.?"

That time did not suit him, as he had to go to the Silver Hand guild and then to the Players' Administration to sign up and get the benefits of being one.

All this would take him most of the afternoon.

—I understand. Is it okay if we meet at 7:30 p.m.?

"Sure, sounds perfect to me."

After talking about where to meet and other things, Kane grabbed a cab and went straight to the Silver Hand guild for his pet.

...

After a few minutes, Kane arrived at the Silver Hand guild, where people were constantly coming and going. Among them, he saw someone with a symbol of a silver hand.

After paying the cab driver, Kane walked towards the building leisurely, not intending to linger long.

After a long line, he arrived at the reception desk, where a woman with brown hair, black eyes, and a professional smile attended him.

"How can I help you?" the receptionist asked politely.

"I'm here for my pet. A group in this guild has it," Kane replied calmly.

The receptionist frowned but quickly regained her professional expression and asked:

"Can you tell me who took your pet?"

Kane closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remember the faces of those who saw him fight the history-devouring monster of Fable rank.

At that instant, five people entered: three men and two women, whom Kane recognized immediately.

'Looks like fate is on my side today,' he thought contentedly. "That group has my pet," he said, pointing at them.

The receptionist frowned again as she looked in the direction Kane pointed. She stood up from her post and said:

"One moment, please, I won't be long."

"Sure, no problem," Kane replied.

The receptionist approached the group as Kane watched from the front desk. He watched as she pointed at him and spoke to them. The group looked at him and then approached him.

The one who appeared to be the leader looked at him momentarily and spoke.

"You are Merlin Hermes?"

Kane nodded.

"Yes, I'm Merlin Hermes. You were the ones who witnessed my fight, weren't you?"

"Yes, that's us. By the way, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Bert, and this is Xyla, Alice, Leon, and Edgar."

The man with short black hair and dark eyes introduced himself as Bert, while the others, somewhat awkwardly, smiled nervously.

Kane cracked a smile.

"Nice to meet you. Now, can you tell me where my pet is? I left him in your care before I passed out."

"Of course, follow me this way, Merlin," Bert said, leading the way.

Kane nodded and followed him.

As they rode up in the elevator, Bert broke the silence.

"This... Merlin, what was that creature you were fighting that day?"

"Didn't you read the news? It was a history gobbler," Kane replied without going into detail.

"History devourer... And, what exactly is this 'Historical Vacuum' thing they discussed in the interviews?"

"I don't know exactly what that '"Historical Void' thing is," Kane said, shaking his head.

Although he knew perfectly well what the "Historical Void" was and its importance to history. It was not simply a place where they would be brought to fulfill a scenario. The "Historic Void" was much more special than the people summoned to the stage could imagine.

'And when the Historical Void gets to that point, things will get a lot more interesting,' Kane thought, sketching a small smile.

He shook his head quickly; now, there was no time to think that far ahead. He had to prepare for the upcoming events in the city. Besides, he planned to recruit a character that would greatly help him.

Shortly after, amidst the silence, the elevator door opened. They found themselves in a huge room offering a beautiful city view.

In the center, seated on an elegant gray piece of furniture and gently caressing a wolf with attentive eyes, was a beautiful woman wrapped in a dark cloak that subtly revealed her beauty.

Her tight black dress enhanced her slender silhouette, while a delicate veil embroidered with flowers showed her serene face. A golden braid fell gracefully over her shoulder, and her deep gaze was captivating.

"Miss Ilya, Mr. Merlin Hermes has come for your pet," Bert said respectfully.

"I understand. You may leave," said the beautiful woman with golden hair and red eyes, Ilya.

Bert, without a word, left the place after bowing.

Ilya looked at Kane, standing, and she spoke to him with a small smile.

"What are you standing there for? Come, sit down, let's have a little chat."

Kane walked over and sat down next to Ilya, who was fondly petting the eight-legged wolf.

"What do you want to talk to me about?"

He got straight to the point; he had no intention of beating around the bush, as he had to go to the Players' Administrator to register as one.

"What's the hurry? Let's have a little chat. I'm curious about you, Your Majesty."

Ilya got up from the armchair, leaving the wolf, and walked to a table where an elegant tea set and some cakes were displayed.

"What kind of tea do you like?"

"Chamomile tea. Also, what do you mean by 'Majesty'?" asked Kane, confused by how she referred to him.

As she quietly brewed the chamomile tea, Ilya spoke softly.

"I heard from a member of my guild that you fought a devourer of stories. Your appearance was that of an emperor, and your aura was very commanding, but your presence was majestic. Also, you have a very interesting pet.

"At first glance, this creature looks like a monster, but it's anything but. How did you find something like this?"

Crossing his legs, Kane replied.

"In a forest, and I don't think you can find a creature like it in the world."

Ilya raised a surprised eyebrow and laughed softly, interested in Merlin Hermes. The way he spoke to her didn't seem like someone who would pretend to be calm in her presence.

'Interesting. Now I understand why Bert calls him Your Majesty,' she thought with a small smile.

Ilya finished preparing the tea and sat beside Kane as she handed him an elegant ceramic cup.

Kane took the tea, looked directly at Ilya, and said again:

"What do you want to talk to me about? I don't think it's just to drink tea."