Chapter 4: Buzz Words

"We are from the CED. The division tasked to investigate Catalysts and cull all Abberants we encounter. All for the purpose to pave an easier way to expand The Known World. And for why Director William decided to have you join us.. Perhaps it's because of your unique magic."

Kouki explained their basic roles to the oblivious Rhian whose face was washed with cobfusion. The words used were familiar but she could tell none of them meant what she thought. "What is.. so unique about my magic?" She decides to knock down a question.

They were walking through the market, where Kouki decided he should buy something for her as a welcome gift. "You possess two different Runes." He stated, as he quickly diverts Rhian's attention towards a stall with his finger. "Dyeus comes here every time." It was the old Avian's stall.

"Oh! Kouki! How wondrous to see you're back!" She greets the Chimaera with a wide smile as the crest on her head perks up.

Kouki smiles and nods his head, greeting the woman. "Good morning, Maria."

'Japanese.. and what? Romanian?' Rhian was stood behind Kouki who was in an engaging conversation with the woman and seeing how she was.. ignored. A look around the marketplace.

'Beasts.. Chimaeras and Avians... No Dragoons and Livyatens?' A quick scan around was enough to see how this civilization worked and it had no difference to how yours worked. An Avian man diligently trying to drive down the absurd prices of some vegetables, a coincidental meeting between friends.. 'Are they not just.. humans?'

"This is Rhian Smyra, our new recruit for the First Squadron." Rhian suddenly hears her name being called, turning around to find herself in between the Chimaera and Avian.

"Ah! What a beautiful young lady!" The lady's feathers perks up.

Rhian nods. "Miss."

"My name is Maria, dear."

"Miss Maria." 

"Why was she recruited, Kouki?" The Avian had turned towards Kouki after a brief scan of Rhian.

"That's.. Classified, Maria." Smiling mischievously after, he followed up with an explanation. "The director saw something in her." To which Maria just sighed and panned towards Rhian.

"At least you'll be safe with Kouki." She turns to Kouki. "Now, what do you want to buy?"

'Hm.' Rhian wore a deadpan expression, unsure whether to trust her words. So she continues to observe.

'Looks like the currency here uses those discs.' She was staring at an exchange in a butcher stall, seeing a Beast woman taking out five bronze-colored discs and one silver disc before handing it to the butcher. "Here's the portion of Titan Boar, thanks for the purchase." She watches as the butcher, in turn, hands over a package.

'Copper, silver and gold? That's a pretty simple system. Although.. why are they made of Earth's metals?' Mentions of Cupper, Argent and Aurum made it to Rhian as she stood by a family discussing budget on the fly.

"Here you are, Smyra." Turning around, Kouki had his cane to the side while handing a plastic bag with some sort of food inside to Smyra. "From how Dyeus described your situation, I take it you have no money. Thus, food." He wore a comforting face, forwarding his hand closer to Rhian as she quietly accepts the food.

"So.. What is my job here?" Rhian peeked into the bag, seeing some skewers before putting it aside. It was currently noon, though it didn't feel that way.

"Investigate Catalysts and eliminating Abberants." Kouki spoke as he ate, walking away from the stall as Rhian closely trailed beside him.

"Then, what are Catalysts and Abberants." Rhian questioned curiously.

"Hm... I'll explain briefly what they are now, but you should have a more hands on experience with them." Kouki suggested as they walked, urging Rhian to eat the skewers which she respectfully refuses. 

"Catalysts are entities, things or objects that possess magic capable of affecting space and time. To give an example, the person who united the five races had Restoration Magic which allowed him to restore any and all things to a previous point in time." They were riding on the conveyers, heading towards the far right side of the Main Hall, Kouki noticed a bewildered Rhian.

"Hehe.. After all, Magic is a glorious gift from the deity." Kouki stated with a sense of admiration, but Rhian 's mind was just continuously flooded with more and more questions.

"Now, Abberants. They are derived from the word' Aberrations'. Chaotic, unpredictable and plainly illogical."

'I shouldn' t have asked. ' Imagination failed as she only thought of the adjectives with no apparent noun she could apply it on.

And so commences a tiring back and forth between the two about the same two terms which resulted in nothing being attained as they made their way to the far right side.

'I don' t understand how they built this place.' Staring at the archway, she noticed a giant sign with the words 'Catalyst and Exploration Division' in neon colors placed at the very top of the archway.

"How long did it take to build this place?"

"Hm.." His hands now empty after finishing the skewers, he had it carressing his chin, thinking.

"Possibly a little over a decade. I am unsu-"

"WHAT?!" The association is the size of a large city, the free lot in front of the building she lived in took five years to finish constructing a simple house, but a mere decade too build an entire city?

Kouki laughed. "Magic exists! Duplication of materials, summoning of workers and even Catalysts helped build this place." He exclaimed proudly, pointing a finger at Rhian as something shoots out of it.

"Wha-" Rhian tries to dodge it, but she was hit by a soft yellow line is injected into her. Frantic, her head kept darting from her chest and Kouki with widened eyes. "Even Magic that manipulates emotions exist!" He exclaimed once again as Rhian suddenly felt a jolt of joy. She wanted to smile and she did. Her body felt light and she didn't feel the need to worry anymore.

"W-What did you do to me?!" She shouted, questioning Kouki with a happy and concerned tone.

Kouki smirks as the yellow line dims and returns to his finger. "I possess Sensory Magic. The ability to manipulate perception and perspective." Rhian felt normal now. Though she was still worried about what the hell just happened to her.

"And from Dyeus's words, you possess Vibration Magic." He said as he stopped in front of a door with a label that stated 'Squadron 1'. "This is our dorm and we have a built in simulation system, thanks to Sorin." He swings a key chain out of his pocket, easily finding the correct one before stabbing it into the keyhole.

"I am sorry.. for what I did to you, but! I wanted to prove a point." The door swings open as he allows Rhian in, who has a hint of distrust. "Magic is a blessing by that deity. A true blessing that we need to appreciate." He closes the door and met with a skeptical Rhian, to which he just smiles at before leading her further into the dorm.

The door led into a hallway, which splits into the usual rooms of a household. To the left, a kitchen; to the right was the dining and living room, coupled with a tv. Further down was the men's bedroom and to the right was the women's bedroom. And now, the last room at the very end of the hallway: the simulation room.

Kouki opened the door to reveal an intriguing room.

'This looks like cockpit of a Jaeger.' A perfect connection, she walks inside and looks at Kouki who was beside a sort of station, tinkering with it.

"Alright.." Kouki presses a button on a panel situated at the top of the station, which caused a suit to fall down. "This-" He dusts his hands, looking towards Rhian. "-is called a RAN unit."

'... Good lord in Heaven.'