Chapter 2: Rumours

Asahi walks outside and hails taxi....

“Where to?” Asked the driver.

“Merchant guild headquarters” Asahi replied.

The driver while taking Asahi to his destination asks “Are you attending an interview in the merchant guild?”. To this Asahi replied “No. Just heading there to meet an associate of a friend of mine”.

“Your friend must be quite the man if he has contacts with the merchant guild!” Exclaimed the taxi driver with a astonished expression.

“ You can say that again. He has his ways to get contacts in places one would not even think about.” Replied Asahi with respectful expression.

The taxi arrives at the merchant guild head quarters. Asahi heads in after paying the driver.

The motion sensor doors open as Asahi enters the building, heads towards the reception...

Asahi enquires where the guild master’s office was, to which the receptionist questioned whether he had an appointment or not.

“Appointment? I don’t think i have one” Asahi exclaimed a little confused.

The receptionist replied “I am sorry sir, we cannot allow you to meet the guild master without a appointment”. Also she thought to herself “ huh! Look at this guy. Thinks he can just walk into to merchant guild and ask to meet the master, whose does he think Kirima, the war demon is?”

Asahi tries to explain the situation “ I think there some kind of misunderstanding. Could you call him up check with him. He is the one that invited me here”.

“ Wait a minute” says the receptionist and dials the phone to the guild master.

Ring....Ring...Ring...clank...

“hello”

“hello, guild master this is the ground floor reception, there is man here saying you invited him”

“ Ah! Yes send him up”

“yes sir”

Clank

“I am sorry sir, please take the first right across the hallway and take the second elevator and ask the operator for the top floor” Said the receptionist with a glimmer of fear in hear voice.

“Okay. Thanks” replied Asahi with a kind smile.

Asahi heads towards the elevator... The floor attendant swings by the reception.

“Yo! Why do you look like someone who saw a ghost?” asked the attendant. “ I just disrespected someone war demon personally invited.” Replied the receptionist.

“wow! Someone who Kirima personally invited, must some amazing, don’t you think?” exclaimed the attendant.

“ I know that’s why I am terrified. I don’t know what kind of monster I disrespected you idiot” in a frantic voice the receptionist replied.

“Don’t worry Kirima is not the kind to let someone hurt his employees and I don’t think even cared enough to take notice of your disrespect, so don’t worry” said the attendant trying to consolidate the receptionist.

Asahi enters the elevator, gets off at the top floor and enters kirima’s office.

“Ah! Asahi sorry about the receptionist. Looks like information didn’t reach them in time” siad kirima while apologizing.

.....Silence....

Asahi walks and sits on the couch in the office

“So, What kind of favour would make one of the most powerful person on the planet ask for my help in particular.” Asked Asahi with a condescending look.

Kirima responded “ Straight to the point I see. Well actually i need two favours. One. I need you to lead a team of mine for a ruin raid. I know about your current situation, I just need you as the strategist”

Asahi asks “ A ruin raid, why?”

Kirima explains “ well the ruins have very powerful equipment which we the merchant guild use to equalize the delicate balance between the Senshi imperium and the Empire of Arlisia”

“Not the equipment bit, I want to know why you need me to lead your team while you are more than capable of doing so yourself” asks Asahi with an intimidating voice.

“ About that, I need to urgently travel to Senshi imperium to check some disturbing rumours and this ruin is also connected to the rumour. I didn’t want to miss the lead in the imperium so I figured you are the only who could replace me and the second favour would come after I confirmed the rumours in the imperium” explained Kirima.

Asahi asked what kind of rumours made think he would require Asahi’s help to solve.

Kirima explains “ As you know the Senshi imperium from where you and I originally belong and the Empire of Arlisia where we currently reside are at odds and are only working together because of the danger the fiends in the uncharted Territory pose to humanity. Fiends are carnivores and animal like that crave to kill and nothing else. Their might be powerful and intelligent beings among them, but nothing the united front of the eastern and western empires cannot handle.”

“Get to the point” Asahi remarks.

Kirima continues “ the rumours of fiend that escaped into the main city spread, but something about the description did not sit well with me. And soon after this rumour the ruin guardians, the entities that protect the treasures became powerful.”

“ Big deal! Fiends often sneak into cities and wreak havoc. And about the guardians, your equipment that measure the ruins could be at fault.” Asahi comments trying to brush it off as nothing.

“No. I personally confirmed the equipment quality and the class of B-class ruin recently. The difficulty did go up. It would equal an A-class ruin. So if all the ruins have gone up by one class it take all the 5 of the council to clear an s-class ruin and at least 1 to clear an A-class. The ruin raid I requested you to lead is an A-class.” Kirima replied to Asahi’s comment concerned.

“I think you are still taking this too seriously” Asahi said still trying to brush it off.

“Asahi, a rumour of a fiend that barely looks like like one and the ruin level through the board going up by a class tell me you don’t have a any experience like the situation that I just described” asked Kirima with a serious look.

“ Oi! Hold your horses. Do you know what you are saying. Even if Avarice trained you for a bit you can’t go and decide on this kind of a situation.” Said Asahi suddenly getting serious.

“ That’s right. I don’t have the authority nor the  experience to decide on that, that’s why i want you check for yourself.” Said Kirima with a humbled look.

“ Fine I’ll accept your requests. Send me the details of the team, the time, location and a report saying I don’t any mana” Asahi said with frustrated look.

Kirima replied “ It’ll be done. But about the Senshi imperium”

Asahi cuts him and said “ Don’t worry my past will not effect my decision and evaluation”

Kirima humbly thanked Asahi.

Asahi returns to his house frustrated at what he heard from Kirima thinking to himself “ Please let not be Kirima is thinking about.”

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