Chapter 3
[Thibault]
Another day, another pitiful job, and another pitiful pay.
Such was the life of all members of Twilight Ogre.
They had existed for a whole year and they were still in as pitiful a state as any other new Guild in Fiore was. That was depressing, but it was also inevitable, really. There wasn't much room for growth when you shared a home city with the biggest, strongest Guild in the country. The top Guild, Fairy Tail, would always be the giant with a foot on their neck.
Jobs were few and they paid even less. Why send anything towards Twilight Ogre when fucking Fairy Tail was around the corner? Thus, they only got the scraps. The jobs that people at the top Guild wouldn't take, or at least wouldn't take quickly. Small jobs, pitiful jobs…
"As expected, at least you can do this much."
"Well, Fairy Tail was taking its sweet time, so I guess you are fine."
"Surprisingly reliable of you, huh?"
"You are that excited about this job? Ha!"
"Well, someone's better than no one."
Gripping his beer mug tightly, Thibault brought it to his lips and let the bitter drink wash down his thoughts. It wasn't the first time they plagued his mind and it wouldn't be the last, he knew. He hated it though, just as much as he hated their situation. It was just a job though. It wasn't worth getting angry over.
He was still earning enough to get by and even had some savings, so it was fine…
He took another gulp of his drink.
'It's going to be one of those days, isn't it?' he thought. He sighed as he set down his mug once more, just his luck. Twilight Ogre mages couldn't have nice things, after all. Slumping a little, he noticed that he'd run out of beer. He should leave things there, he knew, but his mood was a little down so-
His thoughts were interrupted as the door to the Guild opened.
Other Guilds might be used to that, their mages not even reacting to such a thing. Twilight Ogre though? They didn't have enough members for the doors opening to be unremarkable. If nothing else, it always called attention, be it a passing glance to check who it was or actual looks.
So, when Thibault's eyes found the new arrivals, he paused once more.
Walking slightly forward came a young man with blond hair, blue eyes, fancy clothes, and a slight smile. Thibault's eye twitched because he was just the kind of pretty boy that he couldn't help but hate on instinct. Idly, a corner of his mind still observing things noticed how he flicked a coin in the air with his right hand and caught it back a second later.
Behind him, although almost unnoticeably so, came an older man with a serious expression and his dark hair slicked back. He looked more like… a lawyer, or an accountant, if Thibault had to guess. His expression seemed carved in stone as he stopped for a second, adjusted his suit, and then started walking towards the job boards at the center of their humble – read, poor – Guild Hall.
Not the pretty boy though, he kept walking, a confidence in his steps that clashed horribly with how out of place he seemed in their frankly shabby building. It didn't take long for Thibault to decipher where he was going though, considering he was all but making a beeline in his direction. Or, more specifically, in the direction of the bar counter.
"Good night," he said, his smile widening the smallest bit and turning just as slightly more friendly. "First things first, could I have a beer?" he asked the bartender, who grunted something and got to it without much else. "I also had a question, but I'm unsure who I should speak to for Guild-related things."
"New jobs need to be brought up with the Master," the bartender grumbled, being the social butterfly he usually was. Thibault considered the man and his companion — who was checking over the job boards by them — for a moment. It seemed to be one of those clients, by the look of things.
Only two kinds of clients brought jobs to them personally. Those that needed to be discreet – and needed unknown faces too – for whatever they needed and… those that were a little under the table. Twilight Ogre might not be a Dark Guild and they had no intention of crossing that line either — as far as Thibault knew at least — but they were… desperate enough that their bar for accepting jobs was pretty low.
Needs must.
"No, no," the young man replied with an easy chuckle, waving off the comment. "Here," he said, placing the payment for the beer. Twice as much, actually, from what Thibault could see. "No, Zev and I – I'm Randall, by the way –, we are here to join your Guild."
There was a moment of silence from everyone close enough to hear that.
'What?' Thibault thought, looking at the two once more. They were… nothing like any of the members they had at the moment… or had ever had, really. There was a reason why people thought of them as thugs and it wasn't because of their Guild name.
There were few reasons for someone not to go for Fairy Tail, after all. Most of them were because they weren't good enough though. Some of them might not be strong enough, or good looking enough, or smart enough, or any such reason. Fairy Tail might admit anyone who walked through their doors, but that didn't mean they immediately fit in. Tehet had been a Fairy Tail member for all of three months before he dropped out and joined Twilight Ogre.
Nobody expected anything from them, after all, contrary to the fairies. When clients heard Fairy Tail, they expected someone strong, someone cool, and not everyone could be Sorcerer magazine material. The pressure had been too much for Tehet and a few others.
And that was just one example. There were others, like Ace, who had-
"Joining?" Abe, the bartender, asked as if he couldn't make sense of what the blonde had said either.
"Yup," the young man – 'Randall, was it?' – answered with a grin. "Do we need to fill out a form, pass a test, or talk to someone in particular?"
"... No, nothing of the sort," Abe replied slowly, blinking confusedly. "You have to talk with the Master too. He's the one that decides."
"Got it," Randall said. "So, how do I talk with the Master then?" he asked and there was a slight shift in his expression, in his eyes, that made Thibault feel on edge.
Just who had just walked into their Guild?
[}-o-{]
[Banaboster]
Banaboster took another drag off his cigar as he stared at the two men who had just entered his office. The backseat of his chair squeaked as he tapped his finger impatiently on his desk. He savored the smoke inside his mouth, before letting it out.
With a gesture, he signaled to the chairs in front of him. Normally, he would have just used the sofa at the side of the office to do business. It wasn't every day that someone forwent sending quests and came personally. Those kinds of people usually paid enough to make the small amenities worth it. However, these two weren't clients if what Abe said was correct.
The two of them entered the office and took the offered seats at the front of his desk. Neither of them said anything as they continued to stare at Banaboster, and him at them.
A blonde man, with an expensive white suit, filled with intricate designs and accessories. It was the kind of clothes Banaboster wasn't sure he could buy even if he used the guild's monthly income. The kid – for that is what he was, he doubted he was a day over 23 – continued to play around with an intricate gold coin, rolling it over his knuckles with a placid smile. Banaboster pushed down the need to go and grab it. He was sure it would sell well. It certainly didn't look like a normal coin, after all.
The other man was rather unremarkable, compared to the boy, at least at first glance. Immaculate gray suit. Slicked back hair with some hints of graying already showing. Hard, yet average face framed with slight slender features. Banaboster would say the man was around his late 30s to early 40s, most likely.
Weren't it for the suit and the no-nonsense hawk-like focused eyes on the man's face as he continued to scrutinize him, the guild master of Twilight Ogre would have thought of him as the most average-looking person he had ever met.
The man with the gray suit pushed down a frown at the smell of tobacco that filled the room. An action Banaboster had already gotten used to whenever he visited his office. He could air it by just opening the window if he wanted, but this was his office and he liked the saturated misty air. So, anyone who wasn't a client ready to cough up their wallet to him would just have to deal with it.
Banaboster took another drag off his cigar before extinguishing it inside the ashtray next to the rest. He shifted his weight, making his old leather chair squeak once more as he pulled another from the box at the side of his desk. A simple application of fire magic produced with his thumb lit up the new cheroot.
"So," he said now that formalities were over. 'He who moves first, wins,' wasn't a rule during business. If anything, it was the opposite. Eagerness to get to the point was a set mark on someone being desperate enough to want to get things done quickly, and those were always the ones that had to pay the most.
Alas, this wasn't a money-related issue, so he guessed it was better to get the ball rolling and get these two out of his hair already. He'd rather go back to his break. If the two of them had nothing important to say or offer, Banaboster guessed their belongings and a small courtesy beating would suffice before they kicked their asses back into the streets.
"Abe tells me you want to join. I'll be blunt with you two. Tell me why, and why I should care about it and I might consider it. Lie to me, or make me lose my time, and I'll show you why that is not a good idea," he inquired, as he inhaled from his cigar and exhaled, the cloud of smoke drifting through the room.
The blonde's smile widened, becoming a touch predatory.
"Oh, but we aren't here just to join, Guild Master," the kid continued, a sarcastic tone added as he referred to his title, making him narrow his eyes in annoyance as the previously serene smile on the kid took a different tinge. "Or at least, not in the way you think. No, we are here with a proposition. We want a… partnership, if you will."
"Partnership?" Banaboster scoffed, though his guard went up a notch at the dangerous glint in the kid's eyes. "What kind of partnership could a brat that looks like he hasn't had to lift a finger in his life and a middle-aged office worker offer to a Guild like Twilight Ogre?"
It was true that they weren't a first-rate guild, but that didn't mean he would take any stray animal that decided to show itself at his doorstep. Not only would that increase the taxes he needed to pay to account for the growing number of members. Any new addition took from the ever-so-small pool of missions too. Something that could lead to infighting among the Guild members, among other problems.
"You underestimate us, Guild Master," the man in the dark suit said, making him pay attention to him this time. His face and expression were the same, not undergoing as radical a shift as his younger companion. "While you're busy judging appearances, you miss the bigger picture we represent."
Banaboster had been in the game long enough to recognize the sharp look in the man's eyes. It spoke of ambition and hunger for something. It sent a shudder through his body. At that moment, he realized that these two might not be the kind to dismiss as he initially thought. At the same time, his instincts spoke to him again. Years of business pointed out the one thing that truly mattered in this world.
Profit.
"And pray tell, what is this bigger picture you are talking about?" he asked with a drawl and a touch of impatience.
He would admit he was already interested, but he didn't let that show either on his tone or face. Negotiations were as much of a fight as the ones fought with your fists. An unmoved target would force the opponent to reveal their next card. All he had to do was let them play their hand to him and then he would reel them in.
"Let us introduce ourselves first," the kid stated, making a show of standing up, smiling a little wider and extending his hand towards Banaboster as he took the spotlight once again. "My name is Randall Campbell." Something in his mind rang bells at the last name, but before he could think what it was, his attention was pulled back into the conversation. Then the blonde's remaining hand moved towards his companion while Banaboster shook the other almost on instinct. "-And this is Zev Journey. We represent a force you've never dreamed of. A force that could make Twilight Ogre a true power in this city, even beyond your wildest ambitions. We are a chance for your guild to finally come out of the shadow of the Fairies, an opportunity to stop surviving through the crumbs and wastes they wouldn't bother to pick up."
"... I'd be careful with the next thing that comes out of your mouth, boy," Banaboster warned through gritted teeth, seething in anger at the jab to his guild and his person. For emphasis, a puff of smoke came out of his mouth. Immediately afterward, the small cloud coalesced and writhed unnaturally into a ball that rapidly gathered the room's smoke into one place.
He felt it with his magic. He shaped it to his will. It was a simple thing to use that spell even without a chant of any kind. It was weak after all, a mere show, a spectacle. The ball transformed into a barrel-like torse and huge tree-trunk-like arms and legs. A kanabo mace as big as the creature was carried by the smoke hands of his creation.
Sculpture Magic: Ogre.
His magic, the magic that had given name to his Guild.
He had half a mind to just lash out against this fool who had decided to insult all his and his boys' work and dedication as they survived in the same city as the strongest guild in the country. However, he managed to contain himself. Between his anger and his ambition, he knew which one he would listen to. The latter had been stoked enough to stay his hand and let the insult slide.
The threat of violence would have to suffice.
And if the infuriating smile on the brat's face as he raised his hands in mock surrender was any indication, he knew that very well.
"Ahem."
A voice said from his side, pulling his attention from the kid to the older man; Zev, if he remembered correctly.
"If we would all be so kind as to return to the matter at hand. I'd like to showcase just a hint of what we can offer you and your guild, in case you decide to make use of our services." If the man feared or even cared about his creation, it wasn't shown either in his face or voice.
His older 'guest' waved his hand and from the gesture came dozens of golden screens filled with information, effortlessly conjured by his magic. He recognized the magic very well. Archive Magic was rare, not because of the virtue of being one of those fancy lost magics, but because a certain particular type of mind was needed to use it as anything else than a glorified notebook.
"These reports analyze the market trends for enchanted goods, outlining potential investments and minimizing losses. All of them are chances that Twilight Ogre can profit from," the man continued.
Banaboster huffed as he mentally ordered his creation to stand by his side before he started to read through the documents. The previous anger for the disrespect was forgotten as his eyes continued to skim over the information presented. His lips parted into a grin wide enough to cause his cigar to almost fall.
He couldn't quite make sense of everything stated in the graphics and complex formulas presented to him, but what he did understand, painted a rather beautiful picture. Numbers and time schedules that would maximize both expenses and the reputation of Twilight Ogre. Half a dozen ideas that he hadn't even considered that would make his guild not be on the verge of bankruptcy every passing month.
There was information on the most likely places to frequent for a bigger influx of missions, taking into account towns and villages in which bigger guilds didn't usually bother to make their presence known. What he had in front of him were basically hidden gold mines that everyone had overlooked and how to make the most out of them. There was even blackmail on certain under-the-table deals concerning other small Guilds that he knew, from experience, would be more than enough to get them by the balls.
This information was worth its very letter count in gold coins. It was the kind of information any non-first class Guild would scramble and fight each other to obtain.
And it was being offered for free as a mere sample.
The Guild Master's eyes moved from the floating screens to the man who continued to stare at him with a neutral, yet fully focused gaze, gauging his every action.
It made Banaboster's skin crawl, to consider what this man could know about him.
He wasn't daft enough to not understand the implied threat. If they could get this information, then they could easily offer it to everyone else. Banaboster wasn't sure the next person wouldn't use whatever information these two had on him to their advantage.
As it was, he found himself with very little chance of rejecting them if he didn't want to risk a massive information leak to reach another guild that would want his piece of the cake. Attacking them now didn't guarantee that he would win. He didn't know if they were strong enough to fight him off. He couldn't discard the possibility given that they walked into his office without a hint of care. As it was they had both forcefully defanged him with just information.
They knew everything about him and he knew nothing about them.
Banaboster shuddered at the slick play against his person. If it was in fear, rage or excitement, he didn't know anymore.
The kid, Randall, leaned against the backrest, taking control of the conversation for himself once more.
"Imagine, Banaboster, a world where you don't have to rely on shady deals and backroom bribes. Imagine being able to command the respect of every power broker in the city, where you can control the flow of information, the flow of wealth, the flow of power itself." He flicked the coin in his hand again, catching it and turning it over in his hand. "This," he said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "is a key. A key to a world beyond your wildest imagination."
"A… coin?" he said, leaning backward and putting on a disinterested expression and a hint of skepticism in his tone, despite how on edge he felt. "We are Mage Guild. You'll need more than that to impress me, boy."
Then Randall flicked the coin again, but it didn't move up and down. Instead, it shot towards Banaboster. However, its movement was slow, as if the thing was moving in water instead of air. The coin floated towards him slowly and stopped a short distance away from his face.
No, it wasn't towards him but towards his left, where his Ogre stood waiting at attention.
"Purchase," Randall chanted while the coin moved towards the smoke ogre that loomed next to Banaboster. Instantly, he felt his magic disappear, his connection cut off. "Fancy," the boy said, flexing his fingers and making the coin shoot back to his hand as he smiled. "Thanks for that," he continued, his smile turning mocking as he gestured with his fingers.
The air in the room grew thick with something other than the smoke, something unseen. Suddenly, it was difficult to breathe, as if someone had dropped a weight on Banaboster's shoulders and chest. He felt the presence of magic, strong, heavy, and oppressing. It wasn't the coin, he realized quickly. No, the blond man was staring straight at him with the same predatory smile, as if the pressure he was exuding was nothing.
Slowly, the coin appeared in front of his face once more, but it wasn't gold anymore. Now, it was a dull gray and it had an ogre's face engraved on it. Banaboster stared at it, feeling the already strong pressure grow even heavier, stronger.
He was… admittedly, a little scared and a little angry. The audacity of these two to come to his Guild and act as they did. However, they – or Randall, at least – seemed to have the power to back it up. Hell, if he went by magic power alone, the boy was almost as strong as Banaboster himself. It was true that he would still probably win given his years of experience and work put into his magic, but the single fact that a kid who didn't look like it had seen a day of hard work in his life could almost match him in power output was telling.
It was just how the world was. Some people couldn't even use magic at all. Some others were born with barely any talent and had to work all their lives to achieve something. And then some just got there just by existing.
Banaboster himself was no slouch. He would even consider himself above average, even if he'd never quite reached S rank. There was a time that he had fought Macao Conbolt head to head, even if he ended up losing by a hair. Not a feat many could claim to have achieved if he did say so himself.
And this brat… Randall, had so much power at his disposal, nevermind Zev's information and skills.
He had to imagine it, couldn't help it, really. Banaboster pictured what he could do with that, a mage just as strong as him and a man just as shrewd as him. With these two, he might actually be able to do what they said. He might actually get his Guild to rise in the latter instead of struggling to stay where they were and not fall down.
And it was all right there, right within arm's reach.
Banaboster stared at the coin, mesmerized.
"Tell me more," he rasped, a sudden surge of excitement warring with the lingering fear. The prospect of such power, of such control, was intoxicating. It was a gamble, a leap into the unknown, but the potential reward was too tempting to ignore.
The blonde man leaned back, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"We'll tell you everything, Banaboster," Randall said, his voice barely above a whisper, and yet it sounded to him as if he were shouting. "But first, you have to make a choice. Will you remain a rat fighting for crumbs, or will you join us and become something… more?"
The room fell silent once more, the only sound breaking through being the soft hum of the coin as it rotated in the air, right in front of him. Banaboster's mind raced, the weight of the decision pressing down on him. He knew this was a turning point, a crossroads where his destiny hung in the balance. The choice was clear and as he looked into the eyes of the mages in front of him, he knew there was no turning back.
He took the coin and the two men's smiles widened.
[} Chapter End {]
Adrian: … am sleepy…
Arc: That message was brought to you by a rare 2:00 am Adrian. It is late, but we finally managed to get this done! Back to the chapter though. Our guys are finally in the guild of their dreams!... kind of.
Adrian: Let's be real here, these two might be the best thing that could ever happen to this Guild. I'm not sure they'll think of it that way though… but who cares about them anyway?
Arc: I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Make sure to leave a comment if you did… or if you didn't, we are open to hearing what you think. See you all next time!
Random Arc Question: Other than FT did you guys have a favorite Guild from the ones shown in the series?
I personally liked SaberTooth. They were a bit too elitist, sure. But there is no denying all their members were really cool.
Adrian: Sabertooth are, indeed, pretty interesting. However, in the spirit of picking something else other than Arc's choice, I'll say… Hm… Lamia Scale? I think they were the most normal-ish of the bunch… Which isn't saying much, but still.
Discord Link: discord .gg/UTDransjJZ
