Chapter 17.5

“What was with that guy?”

Not long after the meeting, Syr was making her frustrations known as she, Soren, and Sellen had a table in the upper wing of the main lobby of the guild.

“You mean Rickard?” Sellen tapped at her Deck, the Alf nodding as her face went taut in expressing her mood. “Don’t mind him. He’s just an old vet with a bone to pick against us newcomers. Acts that way because he’s one of the only Grand Ranks here in the Dawn.”

“Huh?” Syr’s ears dropped, her eyes going wide. She spluttered just as quickly as the realization set in. “H-He’s a Grand?! You mean the ranking only a handful of Freelancers ever get?!”

“One of two here in Amber Dawn. The other’s Sharzok himself,” said Soren. “The two of ‘em are old war buddies who fought together during the Second Great War twenty years ago. A lot of Freelancers who participated got given Grand ranks, especially the guys who participated in the last battle at Langard. Heard about it?”