“Joining a guild?” I shook my head in disgust as Conrad smiled at me and patted his newly restored chest. We were sat back at the dining room table and drinking the tea that Bella had prepared before we had our spar.

“Exactly my boy. The guilds are organizations that have presence throughout all of the continents, and signing up in the Azure Continent, for example, will allow you access to the guilds on the other continents.”

Bella tilted her head in confusion. “What are guilds?”

Conrad and I shot a look at Bella, then focused our gaze at her grandmother who was still reading her book off to the side.

Feeling our gaze, she looked up before shrugging and rolling her eyes. “Look, she’s been living in the countryside basically since she was born. Do you think with the law discriminating against demi-humans I’d let her go into a village for even a moment?”

Conrad sighed, “Jane, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t teach her about the outside world at all.” The demoness shrugged and went back to reading her book.

Conrad shook his head and turned back to Bella. “Well, I guess we can start from the top. Bella, do you know the creation mythos behind our world?”

Bella’s eyes lit up and she beamed at Conrad. “Of course! Those were my favorite stories to read growing up. The world was created by five major gods, who all ruled over different emotions and aspects of the human psyche.”

“You’re correct. Now, since Leon is unfamiliar with it, would you mind telling him?” I grimaced at the name. What part of me thought going by a fake name in a world where no one knew me was a smart idea? Oh well, I could just change it back when I registered for the guild.

“Hey, are you listening?” When I realized what had happened, Bella was in my face and shaking my shoulders.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I just got distracted. I’m listening now, please continue.” Bella frowned at my reaction and sat back in her seat across from me.

“You seem different Leon. Oh well.” She sighed and sat back up straight in her chair. “Legends say that the world was created from a black hole. From that rift in space and time, five beings with incredible powers appeared. Wearing a ruby cloak, Kershik, Eminence of Passion. Wearing an emerald scarf, Kidoro, Eminence of Serenity. Wearing a gold mask, Kinna, Eminence of Deception. Wearing a silver circlet, Gin, Eminence of forethought. Finally, wearing Azure bracelets, Aori, Eminence of Compassion.”

“What a mouthful.” Bella glared at me for interrupting her, but I needed some time to process. If that creation story is to be believed, then this world’s dimension was much less stable than I thought. It was possible that these “Gods” were just people with abilities that happened to slip into this dimension, like I had.

“Keep listening, Leon.” I frowned, but she paid it no heed and continued to run over my train of thought. “These beings each took on two disciples, and they created the guilds that work in tandem with the churches of each God. From Kershik, came the guilds of Lust and Love. Kidoro’s teachings split into Grace and Beauty. Kinna’s became the guilds of Vagabonds and Rogues. Gin’s guilds are those of Oracles and Inventors. Lastly, Aori’s Compassion became the guilds of Kindness and Sympathy.”

My head hit the table and Bella shrieked as she raced for my tea cup that I almost knocked over. “Leon, what are you doing!?” I picked up my face and Conrad laughed upon meeting my gaze.

“The boy’s brain is confused. It’s understandable given the sheer amount of information he just recieved. Ok, boy, listen to me now.”

I sat back up and looked Conrad straight on, causing another smile to well up on the old man’s face. “I like the look in your eye, boy. Alright, think about it this way. If all the different guild’s share the same resources and members, you create an…”

“Information network.” Why didn’t I see it before? If one of the guilds specializes in information gathering, then I can potentially know where Morning Glory landed, and who obtained it.

Conrad tapped the table with his forefinger to bring my attention back to him. “I can see you figured it out, but you still have another question to ask: which guild should you join?”

I heard a sigh from behind me. “The boy is clearly still confused, Conrad. Let me explain. I swear to the Gods, you never get to the point when you’re having fun.” Jane got up from her lawn chair and sat to my left, at the head of the dinner table.

“Listen Leon, you need to be careful when making the decision of which guild to choose. Take this from someone that served in the Guild of Oracles for most of my adult life, they won’t take haphazard decisions lightly.”

Jane pulled down the collar of her dress, causing Bella to shriek and cover my eyes, while Conrad chuckled at our display. “Let go of him you prude.” Jane scolded her granddaughter and she let go of my face. “Look here Leon.”

Jane’s sternum had a pale silver emblem engraved into her skin, with the surrounding veins becoming silver to accompany the mark. “The guilds were allegedly taught imprisonment magic by the Gods, and subsequently uses it to bind members to an oath specific to the guild which uses it. In my instance, if I so much as breathe a word of any secret that the guild deems inappropriate, my emblem will cause my lungs to explode.”

I looked at her with disinterest, then glanced to Bella who had a look of horror on her face. Being a former soldier, I was used to the mortal trappings and atrocities of war, but Bella, a child who had been sheltered her whole life, couldn’t even begin to imagine what that would look like.

“Grandma…” Bella started tearing up and clung to the woman who had raised her. Jane smiled sweetly, a look I seldom saw with the Demoness, who stroked Bella’s head before looking back at me.

“So, let’s talk about the guilds and what they entail, shall we?”