Resolve

Currently I'm sitting in a guild room with Naaza and Misha Frot my new advisor.

"Now Jack as your advisor it will be my job to answer any questions you have about the dungeon. Also if you need anything from the guild I'll be your contact. So is there anything you need today?"

"Ah yes, I need a loan for some armor and any maps or info for the first floors of the dungeon.". I could ask Naaza, but she'll be busy with the clinic in the future so better to go to the guild for the basics first."

"Okay the basics first. Here this is the rookie info packet and this is a voucher for the guild affiliated gear shop." She pulls out a small stack of papers before handing me a small slip. Taking a quick look through the papers there are four maps with descriptions if the floors on the back as well as info sheets on all the different monsters I might encounter in the upper zone.

"Wow this is pretty good. I was expecting something more like a personal lesson."

"What? Sad that you don't get to be taught by the pretty teacher?" Naaza takes that chance to rib me a little.

"Well maybe a little, but hey now I have more time to spend with my beautiful captain right?" Can't let her have all the fun.

*chuckle* "Well is there anything else you'd like to know before you go on your date?"

"Yes, actually is there any secure storage available. I have some personal items I don't feel safe leaving laying around." I mean the Pan'ku box would probably be safe back at the clinic, but a safe deposit box sounds a lot better.

"Unfortunately no, You see the guild does keep secure storage for quest rewards, but we don't have the space to provide storage facilities to all the adventurers."

*sigh* "Well that's a shame. Still if you don't do it does anybody else. I can't imagine that nobody else has tried to open up secure storage for money or valuables?"

"Yes there are some stores that provide such services; however most familias have a secure facility where they keep valuables. This is because they can't trust an outsider more than their own familia. As such these stores are mostly used by the shadier types so I can't recommend them over your own familia."

'Well I guess I'll just have to spend the money for a safe and bury it for now.' My shoulders slump as I had hoped I could make use of the guild's security but my own will have to do. Shaking off the disappointment I square my shoulders for what comes next.

"Alright then, lastly there is a familia I would like to know about. I don't know their name but I can describe their insignia." My fists tighten and my voice takes a hard edge to it as I talk. Naaza starts looking worriedly at me while Misha looks a little taken aback.

"I can give you their basic information, but nothing more than that as the guild is neutral. Also why do you want to know about them?" I can feel the anger rising as she asks why but try to keep it under control.

"You see I they cornered me and used me like a punching bag. Then when that wasn't enough they threw me to the ground and carved me up like a slab of meat. They even had the gall to say they were teaching me how to be an adventurer! If it wasn't for Lord Miach I'd probably be dead by now." I can see her face start to pale and now she looks like she's about to throw up.

"Ye.. yes." "I can see why you would want to know about them, but the guild can't control what happens in the dungeon."

"IT WASN'T IN THE DUNGEON!" I scream and start getting out of my seat before Naaza pulls me back down. Misha curls up at my yell like a wounded puppy.

"Ah, sorry, you see I went to join their familia before I had a status and they threw me in a back alley before having their 'fun'." Misha seems to have gotten a little better but that may be due to the sheer shock plastered on her face.

"This happened before you got a falna or a status? No familia. Just a civilian right?"

"Yes"

"That is highly prohibited by the guild and any who do so will be severely sanctioned by the guild. You see the guild can't control what happens between familias in the dungeon; but it has a major say in what goes on in Orario itself, especially when it affects civilians. I can send a report to my superiors and get them to sanction this familia. No one wants a familia going after the civilians after all. Oh, also any evidence you have could help." She seems to get some strength as she keeps talking and seems much better by the end of it.

"Unfortunately the only witness would be Lord Miach and Naaza here, and I don't have any evidence."

"But you should have some scars right? At the very least those would work as proof of accusation."

"No you see the scars are under a tattoo so they don't show up." Can't really tell her I healed so fast the scars are gone.

"This is a problem. You see with only your familia as witnesses and no evidence to back your claim any accusations you make won't get far. Especially if the familia you accuse is a large one."

"So your telling me the big guys can just roll over the little ones!" My voice starts rising again. You would think a world where the gods walk among us justice would be more prevalent, but then again the gods here don't act very godlike.

"No, no, you see a lot of the larger familias make enemies so the guild can't entertain all the accusations they would make to try to take down the larger familias."

As much as I hate to admit it she has a point. If everyone could accuse the larger familias willy nilly then people like those guys that beat me up would be accusing familias left and right.

I feel almost defeated. Two lives and I still can't get around people abusing their authority.

NO. I refuse to let this happen. I am not going to waste this life. Unlike before I have a chance at REAL power. Not petty authority, but the might to smash mountains and part oceans. I am going to reach the summit of this world and crush these pathetic, evil men into paste. For now though I'll need to start small.

"So what can I do for now?"

"Well for now we can file a report about your case which will cause the guild to keep an eye on the familia. With a few more similar cases, well not as severe as yours of course, the guild will have grounds to investigate the familia. Now what was that familia's insignia?"

"Alright then here let me draw it for you."

I take a blank paper and draw out a wine cup inside a crescent moon.