A Job Offer

"Rina may be experienced, but her powers have reached their peak. Meanwhile, Bryan still has the potential to overtake me if he'd like. So when he didn't initiate a fight with you, I was disappointed. But to be fair, it was your first day. And the battle with the Husks was indeed interesting."

"You have not used my feather on your weapon, yet you were able to kill off all those Husks. Your weapon is unique. I've never seen such a thing before," explained Mavislin, pointing to the blade I had in my hands.

I jumped as I didn't realize that my blade was out. The Words Of the World must've thought that she was an enemy and acted accordingly.

"An extension of your body. Your weapon is a part of you to store excess Elemental Energy since humans cannot take too much power. My Slayer as the same situation and his weapons are as such. I created the weapon for him, so I'm interested to know where'd you get your weapon from."

I hesitated for a bit, with images appearing in my vision. They described the blade's original state and the place that created such a beautiful piece. When the silence became deafening, Mavislin sighed and stretched.

"Not to worry, if you are not comfortable to tell about your weapon now, I'm sure someday the truth will come out. Now then, you said that you wanted to join an Ark... Which one would you like to join?"

Now, that was relatively straightforward. Ideally, Baldwin's Ark would be the best, but I have second thoughts about working with that guy. I haven't met him yet, but he sounds like a severe boss who only focuses on work and nothing else.

Mavislin, on the other hand, sounds like a good and safe choice. I don't fancy going around for intelligence, and working under Raiyen sounds a bit too relaxed for me. I don't particularly appreciate flying, and I can't, so being with the Air defense would be meaningless.

And I haven't met the leader for the Blizzard Faction yet, so there's that. But if Mavislin wants me to join hers, I'd gladly do so. I wouldn't say I like marching up to solid people and asking them for a fight so that I can advance. I hate doing that. But dueling the Valkyrie might be a tough one.

Her kick was able to shatter a bit of my longsword. I can't imagine a spell of her caliber.

"I'm looking for a good Swordsman... A master of the blade and good command in short distanced fights. The Mage can use any Element they'd like, but their main weapon should always be a sword. You think you can fit the bill?" asked Mavislin, staring right into my soul.

Why was she throwing me a job offer? I heaved in a deep breath. If she's going to sound like an employer, I'll do my best to play the part of the scouted employee.

"I'm quite sure that I can. But why should I choose your Ark? You are known to be the attacking piece of the Arks. The Barren Pillars specialize in being active when war arises against Mages. They are essentially the frontline soldiers, at ground zero of the battlefield."

"With work hazards on the high side, why should I choose to be your Swordsman? What's in it for me?" I shot back, giving Mavislin a reason to know that I won't just blindly accept offers.

To my surprise, the Valkyrie smiled as she closed her eyes and nodded.

"I see... It looks like you are well aware of the dangers of joining the Barren Pillars. All of the Arks have their dangers and work hazards. For instance, the Vigilante might be laid-back to you, but they are constantly in the shadows."

"They can only work under cover of night and are enemies in most areas. So they have to interrogate some nasty people, and they are not allowed to kill them. In comparison, the Pillars are the ones who make the killing. And Raiyen is quite strict about that policy as well."

"I'm inviting you into my PIllars because I see the potential in you. Your command of the blade is swift and strong. The way you faced my Spearman Pillar without getting hurt was remarkable. I wished I'd been there in person. Ah, but you don't want to hear this. You want to make a fair deal."

She was bang on the money, right there and then. If I hadn't known better, I would've thought she was a mind-reader. Either that or she is pretty street smart and knows how to read the situation quickly and accurately. I wished people during my previous life were like her, straight to the point.