Chapter 11: The Extraordinary Profession Guild

Ian returned to the hall and, with Mirtha in tow, found a corner table. Ignoring his protests, Ian ordered two of the restaurant's signature meals: charcoal-grilled tiger fish, honey bread, and a rich vegetable soup. He also ordered two large mugs of ale. The total came to 4.2 small silver coins.

"Eat up, it's on me," Ian said with a grin, noticing that Mirtha seemed hesitant to pick up her utensils.

"Sir, this…" Mirtha began, but Ian cut him off.

"Just eat! We've got business to attend to later."

As Ian ate, his attention drifted toward the various conversations around the restaurant. Some of the topics were of little consequence to the islanders but were crucial to Ian.

"Hey, did you hear? South of Devil's Island, someone's found a new landmass," one voice said.

"Pfft~~, every year they say that. A new land? Anyone seen it?" another replied, dismissive.

"No, seriously! The Adventurers' Guild has already sent out a call for expeditions. This one's the real deal…"

"Hmm…"

"The Whale Hunter Guild's about to strike it rich…" another voice chimed in.

"Yeah, it's crazy! They're talking about sea beasts over fifty meters long. Word is, they've already been pre-ordered before they even reached port…"

"But they've taken a hit too. They're recruiting a lot of people at the docks today."

"…"

"The bounty on Blackbeard just went up again. The Bounty Hunter Guild issued a new warrant."

"Why this time?"

"Reliable sources say Blackbeard slipped out of the Lucia Islands and showed up in the Storm Sea. He even plundered a Royal Niger Shipping Company vessel…"

"Is he really that bold?"

"Who knows? Maybe he's lost his mind…"

'Blackbeard,' Ian's thoughts clicked.

The largest pirate faction in the raid on Stormpoint had been Blackbeard's crew. While many of the other pirate ships had lowered their black flags—after all, attacking an official port city was practically an act of rebellion against the kingdom—Blackbeard had boldly flown his flag, showing no signs of hesitation.

Ian listened for a while longer, but the chatter was mostly trivial. He finished his ale in a few gulps, gestured for Mirtha to take his time, and stood up to walk across the hall to the bulletin board.

The bulletin board was a specially designed whiteboard, with messages scrawled in charcoal.

Unfortunately, most of the messages were about hiring, hunting, buying, or selling—mainly related to the Whale Hunter Guild.

Ian didn't feel disappointed. In the Age of Exploration, without the aid of supernatural means, information moved slowly. Information was money. The big event would be tomorrow at the Extraordinary Profession Guild.

As Ian finished his meal, the night deepened. But the road that led directly to the port area remained bustling.

He didn't wander, letting Mirtha guide him to purchase a sharkskin backpack and boots, two sets of swordsman attire, and cloaks. The tattered clothes he'd been wearing were destroyed with a flick of his magic. In a world where supernatural powers existed, it never hurt to be cautious.

"Ding—" A large silver coin was flicked toward Mirtha. "This is for you. Head back early, and stay safe."

"Sir, I… I can't accept your money!"

Without a word, Ian turned and left, leaving Mirtha staring at the coin, unsure what to do.

Ian liked the young deckhand. Honestly, keeping him around as a messenger wouldn't be a bad idea. Unfortunately, with so many things uncertain, he wasn't in a rush to form any factions just yet.

His primary goal was to figure out what had really happened during the attack on Stormpoint. What had happened to his family? Were there any further reprisals? And why had pirates attacked the castle on the Windward Cliffs, which was well-guarded by both supernatural beings and a private army, yet left the bustling port area untouched?

If the pirates were only after loot, why were survivors being chased for miles after escaping?

And why was the Royal Second Fleet, which stationed ships at both Stormport and Heavenport, conveniently absent?

'This all looks like a conspiracy… but what's the motive?'

Ian's grandfather was a man of great wisdom and decisiveness. In the early days of the Age of Exploration, he leased the best docks and lands to the royal family and the Seven Major Churches at a price that would last a century. For years, the Calvin family had nominally been the lords of Stormpoint, but in reality, they acted as tax collectors—everything about them reeked of submission.

The Kingdom of Podaria was a feudal monarchy, where even a simple lordship could only be granted by the royal family. The nobility directly pledged their allegiance to the crown, and apart from the distant Duke of the Enclave in the far north, the largest noble titles were earls. The royal family's power was absolute. If they wanted Stormpoint, they could take it with a single word.

Ian couldn't make sense of it, so he decided to stop thinking about it for the time being. After locking the door and setting up defenses back at the inn, he began meditating.

…

The next morning, Ian packed up and set off for the Extraordinary Profession Guild.

Why not the Alchemist's Consortium? Nearly every alchemist was trained by them, and their monopoly on alchemical knowledge had left little room for independent practitioners. The Consortium was essentially a membership-only club, and registering would expose one's identity.

On the other hand, the Extraordinary Profession Guild was a loose, vast organization where anyone with supernatural abilities could register, though there were no promises of perks.

Today was the 15th of November, 2635 in the Fifth Era, seven days since the attack on Stormpoint. The Breaking Wind had set sail from Stormpoint on November 8th, and it had just arrived yesterday.

Heavenport had always relied on Stormpoint for its food shipments. If the news of the pirate attack had gotten out, Heavenport would be in turmoil. Yet, so far, everything remained eerily calm.

…

Central Avenue was the busiest commercial street in Heavenport, lined with the headquarters of various extraordinary guilds and major religious orders.

The street wasn't straight; it curved gently along the shoreline, with roads like tentacles extending out to the central avenue from the docks. Surrounding it were districts for commoners, nobles, the docks, and trading areas.

As Ian walked deeper into the street, he understood why this area was called Central Avenue. The road suddenly widened three times its normal size, stretching nearly thirty meters. The pavement was made of massive ivory-colored stones, carved with intricate patterns.

The buildings on either side were similarly grand, made of stone, imposing and majestic. Beneath the surface, wide sewer tunnels were cleverly hidden. Everything was clean and well-maintained.

They were capable of making the city beautiful and pristine; it wasn't that they couldn't, but simply that they didn't want to.

The Extraordinary Profession Guild sat at the south entrance of Central Avenue, housed in a dark gray, three-story stone building with a pointed roof. As soon as Ian stepped inside, he was struck by the solemn atmosphere.

The hall was vast, and to his right, he was immediately captivated by a twenty-meter-tall, ten-meter-wide holographic projection wall. The images on it were far clearer than anything from the past, even more vivid than 4K ultra-high-definition screens. It was a 3D, interactive display, constantly shifting between images and text.

'Wait… This isn't supposed to be a fantasy world?! Is this some sort of sci-fi holographic tech?!' Ian couldn't help but internally voice his amazement.