The food arrived moments later, and they slowly dug in, well all except Aren. He was scoffing it down like someone that was starved, and he didn’t care what the others thought.
"Since we are all eating now, I want to get into the next issue. The five of you are basically the hope of humanity, you along with everyone that got out of the other trials first, because it takes skill and smarts to be able to do that, and you were able to do that." Gordon said as he picked a piece of fries and tossed it into his mouth.
"And what this entails for you isn’t just the knowledge that you are the hope, but the fact that you have a responsibility," he said.
"Responsibility?" Aren paused after hearing that. He looked up, staring Gordon right in the eye.
Gordon met his gaze. "Indeed. Your responsibility is to grow stronger for what’s to come next, and also make the right connections now," Gordon said. "There are lots of organizations inside this city and the domain at large.
Normally, we would want you to choose your pick and go with what you want, but for you lot, we can’t allow you to make the wrong choices," Gordon said.
"Wait, are you trying to force us into an organization?" Aren asked.
"If that’s how you want to see it, then yes. We have top-level organizations that you can join and easily have the best level of training and resources, a team to help your growth, and more.
"I’m out," Aren said, still holding a fry in his hand.
The moment he spoke, Gordon was visibly surprised. He looked at him. "Excuse me?" Gordon asked.
"I’m not going to do any of that," Aren said. "You want to put us into organizations in the name of giving us a way to grow and get resources. But honestly, we’re the ones giving you more than you give to us. Our talents, and everything connected to us, will, in a way, be under you. And if we turn out to be the ones that defeat the trial, all the respect goes to you, right?"
He continued, his voice steady. "You get to train someone with the potential to become the top of their generation. And not only that, you gain more influence and respect from it. There’s no way you’d offer us such an olive branch if it didn’t benefit you more."
Aren had seen enough in his past life, corporate organizations, businesses, systems built on exploitation. He had learned one thing clearly. Nobody at the top ever gave anything for free. There was always a reason. An experiment. Something they wanted in return.
Gordon picked up a fry from the plate, his gaze locking onto Aren’s.
"And so?" he asked calmly. "If that’s the reason, what does it change?"
He smiled faintly. "You’re smart to notice that, but it doesn’t change the fact that you would still benefit. Carrying an organization’s name is just a badge. I don’t run any organization myself, and I can’t ask you to join the Black Knights. That’s a level you need to qualify for, and I would personally have to select you."
He paused briefly. "But there are other organizations already watching you. What I want is for you to choose the right one."
"What if we choose none?" Aren asked.
"That’s impossible," Gordon replied. "Especially for you, the ones who came out first from the trials. All eyes are on you. You’re seen as the group with the highest potential."
He leaned back slightly. "Before the trials, S-ranks and even A-ranks were considered to have peak potential. That perception has shifted. If your rank is decent, like you’re B-tier or above, and you still came out first, then you did something right in there."
He took a bite of his fry before continuing. "No one is going to let you roam freely and do whatever you want. You’ll have to choose an organization if you want to stay alive in God’s Domain. Otherwise, someone will come for you, and it might not be in a friendly way."
"So you’re saying there’s no way for us to live here without joining one of these organizations?" Aren asked.
"Of course there is."
Bam.
The door swung open violently.
Everyone’s heads snapped toward the entrance as heavy boots slammed against the marble floor. Legion walked in, each step echoing through the hall.
"Legion, what are you doing here?" Gordon asked.
"I came to see the top Awakened of this year," Legion replied. "I heard those under Elton finished their trials already. That’s pretty damn impressive."
His gaze shifted to the group seated nearby. "And I’m sure this old man already fed you the usual bullshit. You must choose an organization, preferably the big ones, right?"
"Legion, control your mouth," Gordon said sharply. "You know it’s for their own good."
"Sure," Legion replied calmly. "But if they join the Adventurers Guild, they won’t have to worry about any of that. I’ll protect them from anyone who tries to force them into an organization."
"You know you can’t do that," Gordon said. "The Adventurers Guild is neutral ground. This group must choose an organization. If they don’t, other leaders will come for them."
"Let them come," Legion said, his voice steady and proud. "I’ll cut every single one of them down where they stand."
"Legion, be serious for once," Gordon said, his tone grave.
"Adventurers Guild, what’s that?" Aren asked. His curiosity was piqued after he heard the name.
Legion stopped walking. Then he laughed softly and dropped onto a couch.
"Oh, you wanna know, kid?" he said, leaning back. "Since you asked, I’ll explain."
A grin spread across his face. "The Adventurers Guild is the best place to be in the domain. Let me put you on game," he said enthusiastically.
But before he could even begin to explain, the doors opened again and Louis walked in, a smile on his face.
"What do we have here.