10:10 AM On a chilly Monday morning:
"This... is a lot of people." Jun was taken aback by the sheer number of applicants that had come to join the Silvermane. Numbered in the 100's, it looked more like a festival than a recruitment drive.
"I'm impressed my young apprentice." Eren stood in his biker jacket, frequent use in travelling with his bike; it was prudent to just wear it as casual wear.
"How many do you think came?"
"I don't know? 200, 200+?" The younger man answered, his voice filled with a mix of awe and uncertainty. It was far too many people, and he wasn't sure how his master was going to challenge them all.
"Eren." Haruto called out; he was pushed through the crowds of people. Each trying to get to the table set up in the front yard of the Silvermane.
Dressed in a fine tailored suit; black with a silver trim, insignia of a lion's roar imprinted on his blazer pocket. His hair combed back; his face looked fresh. A look which he hadn't seen in the old healer.
"This is something." He said, his voice filled with amazement at the sheer size of the crowd that had gathered outside.
"Yes, it is. How are the Silvermane's treating you, Haruto?" Eren asked the man.
"Like royalty. I'm the new head of training for the Silvermane. They are paying me an 8-digit salary, health plan and free school for Maya too. Why didn't you mention this when you asked me to join." He inquired with a tone that was more than a little curious. His eyebrows were raised and his eyes were searching.
"I didn't know about any of that. I knew you would be paid well, but not that much."
"Dam man; you really were un-prepared huh? You should really learn about the guild you are in. It would do you wonders." He gave a coy laugh.
Eren was too distracted by the numbers that had showed up to care. "We need to get this underway. Everyone is getting restless." The white-haired man stated, his eyes scanning the crowd.
A diverse crowd from all walks of life; young and hungry to old and seasoned. Men and women adorned in a multicolour of polychromatic and variegated garb. Some in armour fit for battle, others in suits and dresses for office work. Both of Japanese descent and from international shores, the Silvermane were truly a guild that had global reach.
"Eren!" A loud but calm voice of Baelor called out to the young man. Approached with elegant steps, the head of the Silvermane stood tall and proud. Although his normally protruding elven ears were covered up, prismatic robes draped over him, the insignia of a silver lion's roar embroidered into the fabric of his garb.
'Why is he hiding his ears?' Eren pondered.
"Please explain why my front courtyard is full of... people." He asked with a tone that was not demanding or angry, but maybe a little annoyed.
"They came because of this." Handing him the poster.
"Silvermane recruitment cup." His golden eyes traced over the paper. "Instead of going out into the world, you brought the world here to you. I see..."
"Was it well made Mr. Baelor?" Jun questioned eagerly.
"Yes Jun, your design skills are of the highest quality." He gave the man a nod of approval, Jun was a being that thrived on praise, like the shadow knights; he was an emotional creature.
"However, an oversight with this competition of yours. Minami."
An oversight? Jun, Eren and Haruto gave each other curious looks.
"Yes Baelor." Like always she appeared out of nowhere. Standing behind Eren. Once more he jumped in surprise at the sudden appearance of the mysterious woman. Even Haruto gave a slight start as she appeared.
"Hello Minami." Jun greeted with a warm smile on his face. The man was unfazed by her strange quirks. He would make friends with the devil himself if he could.
"You know what to do." With a nod she began with the closest heavily armoured man. Doing her signature stare.
"You are Gorou, a B-rank member of the Yokohama doves, you are here to infiltrate us. Please leave."
"What? How did you know?"
"Please excuse yourself now."
He wanted to protest but her eyes, they told him everything. He left without another word.
Onto the next ranker.
"You are Kim Shi-Woo, S-Rank member of the Golden tigers, you are here to infiltrate us. Please leave."
Kim who had hidden his face behind a mask; hoping to go unnoticed by the crowd. But Minami's gaze was on him like a falcon.
"What?" He spoke; the voice was filled with confusion as to how the woman had found him out. He was sure that his disguise had been fool proof, even his friends hadn't recognised him on his way in.
"What?" "Kim Shi-Woo is here?" "They asked him to leave?" "...They know."
The crowd was in a furore; a top ranker from the golden tigers. The man was infamous in the Tokyo district. A member of the 13 that many belivied he didn't belong with those rankers. Yet, he was asked to leave. Many others began to doubt their chances, if such a powerful ranker was given the boot, who else was going to follow him?
"You are Yuto Morimoto, an Ex-rank member of the Valiant sevens, you are here to infiltrate us, please leave."
"What? Hey-" Any protests was stopped by the cold gaze of Minami, quickly running off into the depths of the crowd.
"Your oversight was that other guilds build their own power by climbing on others. They would send their spies to infiltrate us and learn of all our secrets." Baelor was not pleased nor upset; a lesson learned is a lesson earned.
The crowd dwindled quicker and quicker; Minami having exposed intentions scared away others without a cold sentence spoken. It was an impressive sight; Eren wouldn't admit it, but her presence was intimidating even to him. A commanding aura of dread.
All that remained of the 200+ was a mere 20, dredges from the bottom of the barrel. Scraped together armoury and mismatched attire. Many looking underfed and barley fit for combat. Others looked like normal office workers; some old and some far too young to be doing such work.
"Alright then... Let's go." Eren was not impressed by the remaining numbers, most would make the cut based on solely showing up. Alas, they were here, might as well show what they got.
***
Gate Info:
Location: Fields of the endless sky.
Opening time: Once every 32 days, for 17 days
Rank: F+
Owners: Silvermane
Last clear: 5 years ago
Rewards: N/A
Gate closing time: 12: 15: 45: 23
---
The party arrived through the gate in the fields of an endless sky. A peaceful gate that moved with the slow pace of a gentle breeze. Blue skies with small puffs of white clouds dotted the landscape. A field of neatly manicured green grass, the sun shone warm and bright overhead, whilst a gentle breeze carried the scent of fresh cut grass to their noses.
A single dirt road that stretched across the horizon, to the left was hills of grass, to the right was a light forest of green. The wind danced with the leaves of the trees and sung a melodious tune, as birds chirped and sang their songs of merriment. This place was not a gate, but a place of tranquillity. A world that moved at its own pace, one that would never falter.
"Damn this is beautiful." Eren looked around in awe at the serene landscape. He could not believe his eyes; he thought that the worlds inside the gates would be hellish or dark and gloomy, full of monsters and danger. Yet, here he was in a world that looked like it could be from a picture book. He had heard of the peaceful gates, but this was the first time seeing it.
"Yes, this is one of my favourite gates. At great peace I find myself in this place." Baelor smiled; taking in a deep breath, letting the fresh air fill his lungs. The breeze gently swayed his robe as he walked across the grassy plains.
"I'll leave you to it, Eren." Taking a meditative pose. Minami not too far behind, also taking a seat in silence.
"Line up at the start of forest!" Eren ordered the group, his voice loud and clear. Everyone did so without question or complaint, forming neat orderly lines.
"Um... Well thank you for coming..." Eren was never a good public speaker and it showed. His words were clumsy and awkward. He was a man of action, not of words.
"Today you will be taking part in our guilds recruitment cup. The first round will be an obstacle race in the woods." He gestured to the dense trees behind him. The dirt path snaked and winded through them.
"Really? I thought we would fight something." A younger man snarkily said. Eren recognized the boy and his two friends that stood beside him. Yuri; the boy from Kaname Boys high school, one that was under the crimson bandit's thumb until now.
"Yeah." Some of the crowd agreed with the loud-mouthed boy. Some others gave a nod of their heads, all wanting a fight.
"You have two more challenges after this. Now; 3,2,1 GO!" Eren's voice boomed, startling the contestants. They ran off into the forest, each eager to be the first to the end. The ones who would win were the first to cross the finish line; and that was it.
"How long did it take you to build?" Haruto asked Eren. They stood side by side; watching the group slowly disappear off into the forest.
"About half a day." A lie. In fact, having shadow soldiers that obeyed his every command was a great tool for manual labour. Only a couple hours labour was needed, in between orders and soldiers' mental breakdowns from their master's scorn; it was a long 2 hours. But, the fruits of his effort were a work of art.
Two hours later:
The first of the competitors came bursting through the tree line. Haggard and gasping, bodies covered in dirt and grime. Many had been beaten, bruised, and battered. Yuri and his friends were the first, they were in the worst state out of them all.
"Have fun?" Eren asked without a smile on his face, knowing that their trials were anything but.
"What... What was that?" Yuri was breathless, his body had been beaten and battered. Scrapes on his arms, gashes on his legs. His body covered in dirt and debris.
"I can tell by your bodies that you brute forced your way through my obstacle course. Well done."
"Fuck you." The boy's vulgar mouth had no effect on Eren. He just gave the boy a sly look. A look that spoke volumes about the older man's disdain for him.
"Watch it." Haruto came up to the younger man, towering over him, he loomed like a shadow.
"Don't let me catch you speaking to your senior like that again." Haruto had a serious tone to his voice. He was a man that commanded respect and he would make sure he got it. No wonder he got the head of training for the Silvermane.
"Haruto, leave him." Eren ordered his friend, who obeyed and stood back.
"You're the first, but in no way the winner. Wait for the rest, and we can start round two."
Next a blob of a group; many of the competitors. All covered from head to toe in slime and bruises. However, one that stood amongst them. Not covered in anything but his tight armour.
'Luca Romano?' A junior detective of the RCU managed to slip into the pool of applicants. Information he would keep to himself for the moment. How far could a regular human take it in a group of rankers?
"Eren... What's in there?" Jun questioned him as he watched on with a mixture of horror and awe. As a member of the guild; he was not allowed to participate.
He kept quiet; the mystery would remain. He wanted to watch as the last few trickled out; beaten and bloodied. The last couple however, not a scratch on them.
An elder woman clad in heavy armour; walking arm in hand with a big black man. Dressed in a tank top that matched the forest behind them.
"Thank you dear, that was a very pleasant experience." The old lady smiled at the man; her wrinkled face filled with joy.
"Oh no, thank you. You were really helpful." They spoke like friends that had gone through many a battle together. A bond that was forged in a single afternoon.
"I guess this will be more fun than I first thought." Eren said, his gaze shifting from the duo to the rest of the crowd.
"Now let us begin the second round."