Trinity: Omniverse Traveling Cat 79 Preemtive Strike

Making his way to one of the free booths with an employee in, he saw a pink-haired young woman going through some doc.u.ment. When a shadow was cast on them she raises her head, a smile drawing on her face, only to freeze for a moment when she sees Alex.

Still keeping thing professional, she rapidly recovers from her shock at seeing someone so young yet so tall. It must be known that other than dwarves and Pallum, the majority of the other race keep a human-size one, so seeing a young that didn't seem to have stopped his growth spurt already towering at two meters wasn't something you see every day in Orario.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, I was told to came to the guild for this." Say him while giving to her the tag. " And was wondering if one can obtain identification paper without being an adventurer."

She shakes her head negatively. "Without being in a Familia, one needs either an employment contract or being birth here to obtain them. For outsiders, you would need to either a Familia or work. Otherwise, the 20.000 fees need to be paid each week."

"I see, could I became an adventurer without a Familia?"

"You could but will not be recognized from the guild and won't be able to ask for the service we can offer other than core exchange."

"I see, do you have a list of the Familia?" She points behind him to a huge board spanning on the wall. "Thank you."

He goes to the board who happen to be divided by Familia, taking a free wooden board, sheet of paper and a sort of pencil, he looked at the different Familia. Most if not all wouldn't accept anyone below level 2, some, like Ephaistos Familia even ask for particular development skills. Even then, he rapidly wrote the different houses of the Familia on his map before slipping the sheet in his pocket and go for the core exchange point.

Taking a pouch out of his backpack, he pours its content in the exchange drawers. In those three days, he was able to hunt nothing more than goblins, even then their numbers weren't that high, only collecting 18 cores. Since he was an unaffiliate adventurer, the guild didn't collect fees for him, as they generally wouldn't be able to earn that much anyway.

He was surprised to see that the guild would take 5% of the earning of a level 1, 4.5% for level 2, 4% for level 3, 3.5% for level 4, 3% for level 5. After then, the Familia with level 6 and higher were on expedition duty, so it was another system of fees that apply for them.

Receiving 900 valis for them, he deduces that goblin cores wouldn't bring him more than 50 valis each, even from the dungeon. Taking his money, he exits the guild and starts its lap around the city for the different Familia. Even by starting with the lowest Familia, those with barely anything more than level 1, he didn't receive more than a fleeting glance before throwing away after they accept to sign something for him.

Some were interested, seeing his size, but when they see his frail body even with padded clothes, they discard him. Having toured all those low Familia, he starts with middle one after a quick bite (enough to feed three peoples.) The middle-ranking Familia where those having a core group of at least five levels 2 or a level 3 adventurers. But no avail, he receives the same treatment, even harsher than the low ones.

At 3 A.M he was only left with three Familia, Hephaistos, Loki, and Freya. Starting with the last, he enters the ground of the Familia under the instruction of the guards posted in front of the doors. Even at this hour, he didn't seem to be the only one to attempts to enter the Familia.

The near all of them where men at least older than 20 from a great diversity of races, some hiding their lewd expression better than others.

"Next!"

He made his way but before he could speak the man look once at his before saying.

"Your level 1 at least boy, otherwise scram, we don't have time to lost with the like of you!" He says nothing but takes a sheet of paper out of his bag before tending it at the man.

"What that?"

"Just a paper saying that I won't be welcome, if you sign it I will never attempt to bother you again, if I do, you could take it to the guild, they will deal with it."

Hearing that he could be free of any other attempt of the kid by just signing it, he rapidly take the pencil Alex to give him and sign the two forms.

"Here kiddo, now scram, next!"

Alex nods before signing it too and left a copy behind. What the two of them didn't see was that a certain Boaz was lurking in the hall, to see if any good recruit made it's way to them. When he sees that Alex takes a paper out of his backpack, he was confused about the uncommon sight. Making his way to the man, desk he takes the contract with him, to have a better look. When he sees the agreement, he put it away for later, even if it wasn't an official doc.u.ment, it still an agreement between the Freya Familia and the kid, thus worth keeping safe just in case.

While it was the same for the forging Familia, the wrapping was completely different, being explained by a recruiter of the Hephaistos Familia.

"It not that I don't want, but our Familia is more of a crafting one than explorer, without having sufficient skill, you would never be sent to the Dungeon. We don't have the staff to lead youngster outside of the forge."

"It's alright, thank, could you tell me if your Familia sell raw materials?"

"If it ores, it depends, for the basic one, if they're in small quant.i.ty, sure why not, but for the rest, it either for the youngsters to train or for the exclusive to crafts."

"Do you have rates or something like that?"

"Hum, no, I don't think, it not really common for us, you would need to see our G.o.dness for that. Want me to fix a date?"

"Yes, it would help, thanks to you."

"Not worry, it business, as long as your serious, your welcome, what would it be said of us if we start to send off business proposition, haha!"

Alex was sent to the reception and a meeting was made for the next week. This done he goes for the last Familia, but when he sees a certain Werewolf being the one to supervise it, he knows that it was another big no.

"What you look at, your shrimp, Ha?!" He let out a fed-up sigh before giving his form to the Were for him to sign. "Why should I sign that, Ha? You think where not enough to deal with you without the guild, did you look down on us?!" His ever-rising yell attracts the attention of a green-haired mother hen elf.

"What are you yelling at the poor boy, Bete?"

"Nothing!" He bolts away when he sees the exclusive, knowing that he would receive another lecture should he pursue this.

Now left with Riviera, Alex tends the form to her. When she takes it in hand, her brow raises, feeling the trace of magic inside the sheet.

"What is this?" Knowing that he wouldn't fool her like the other he responds truthfully.

"Magical contract, it will enforce the condition written down for the two parties, should a breach occur."

Reading the doc.u.ment, she sighs in relief when she sees that it was nothing more than a protection for the two sides. If they don't accept him in the Familia, they renounce to any right to ever claim him later, should he not accept.

They wouldn't be able to coerce directly or indirectly him to enter. On his side, he wouldn't be able to threaten the Familia by any means, direct or indirect. Seeing that at worst it would make them neutral was good in her book, so she sign, receiving her copy.

Once in hand, the vice-captain of the Loki Familia and one of the only 3 levels 6 of the Familia made her way to her G.o.d, the form in hand. Knocking at the door, she rapidly receives a response.

"Enter! Oh? Riviera, what do ya want?" Says the redhead when she enters.

"A kid came, asking to rejoin the Familia, but since it Bete..."

"...He yells at the poor kid." Sigh the G.o.ddess at the behavior of one of her children.

"Yes, but it wasn't for this that I came." She picks her interests at this.

"Oya? What does?" Her playful expression turn grave the moment she takes the paper in hand. Seeing this Riviera worries a little.

"Something wrong?"

Without responding, the G.o.ddess dash to her window, giving her a view on the gate of the manor to see when they came back from their expedition. She was just in time to catch a patch of red turn to the left, quitting her view.

"Call Bete, Finn, and Gareth." Hearing the still serious tone, the elf did so without more questions.

A few minutes later, the four enter the room, to found their G.o.ddess attentively examining a sheet of paper.

"Seat." The direct and serious tone of her surprise the three others.

"Bete, what the redhaired kid says?"

"Ha? He came to the recruitment area so, he surely wanted to join the Familia?" The Were was a little lost at the sudden interest on the boy he sends back.

"What would you say about he's level?"

" Feel weak to me, so 1 max, even then..."

"I see, could you tell me if you sent others odor on this?"

Would it had been someone else and in a different context, he would have said to f.u.c.k off, but it was his G.o.ddess and it wasn't her habitual playfulness. Taking a light sniff, he shakes his head negatively, only for her to give the paper to the elf.

It was only after she looks carefully that she found that it wasn't lines that frame the text, or rather, lines of runes, unknown runes for even her. All of them could see the diverse emotion playing on her face, puzzlement, confusion, astonishment.

"So?" Ask Loki after five minutes.

"I don't know."

"What?..."

"Those runes, they are completely different from any syllabary that I know..."

This shocks the others four greatly, after all, Riviera was one of the best magicians in Orario, for her to not know that script was as good as saying that no one in the city did. When Loki hears that, her eye opens a little, letting for all to see the intense gaze of the woman who whispers.

"I have been tricked, me?" Shaking out her stupor under seconds, she looks seriously at the four.

" I want you to bring the kid here the next time that you see him. No matter what!"

"I think it better not."

It was Riviera's turn to shock them.

"Why?"

"Because of the clause, should he be coerced, all those concerned would face harsh consequences, that would means for G.o.d to be sent back to heaven... Permanently."

"He can do that?!"

"I don't know but I don't want to see. If he had done the same for other Familia, then, one of them would make a move soon or later, it safer to let them try before doing anything. however, we could just ask him, there nothing inside concerning that."

Loki sigh in relief in the last part. Unknow magics are dangerous, while, she, like the other G.o.ds, where always in search of new entertainment, she would not risk being sent back without a chance to return.

"Try to found all you can on him, if you cross path with him, invite him here, otherwise don't confront him. Pa.s.s the words to level 4 and above, the rest didn't need to know for now."

The four nod grimly before exiting the room, leaving a pensive G.o.ddess while they go for their fellow Familia members.

-Was it a good thing to do?-

'I know that I would bring attention to me soon or later, better strike first and have some protection that let them found ways to strikes. All that is left is the shadiest Familia, those I can hunt them should they made a move.'

As the two share their worries concerning the future, Alex made his way toward the tower entrance, receiving a string of pop up the instant he pa.s.sed the doorstep.