Savior! Redemption in Another World! - Chapter 40

Stepping through the door of the Union Hall, it was exactly as you’d imagine an adventurers guild to be. Rough and interesting-looking people, parties of various sizes and ages discussing different jobs, and what looks to be a board of quests to take, separated by color.

Some parties are drinking what is obviously alcohol, others are staring at different colored metal cards. However, the biggest collection of adventurers is around the expansive quest board. Each staring at a different metal block about the size of a sheet of paper.

Instead of the expected paper sheets to list quests, there are instead thin metal plates. Interesting, I’m sure those will be explained.

Before we’re able to make heads or tails of the place, a beautiful woman approaches Teresa and I.

“Welcome to the Continental Adventurers Union located within Sanmara. Anything I can help you with?” She says, an extremely professional and slightly seductive voice leaving her lips. Maybe I made up that last part.

“How do you know we’re not already registered?” Teresa speaks up before I’m able to embarrass myself.

“Well, your partner there is looking around the Union Hall as if he’s never been in a building before and neither of you went to the rewards or quest board, choosing instead to look around. Once you’ve been in the business as long as I have, you know what a greenhorn looks like.” The Union Worker said, keeping her calm smile and demeanor the entire time. There might have been a bit of a condescending tone within there since Teresa looks visibly annoyed, but I don’t think I noticed anything beyond her lips moving.

“That’s a bit rude, but yes we are new. I’d like some information about joining the Union please.” I say as I could almost see the veins on Teresa’s head popping.

“Of course, come into the new member reception area and everything will be explained.” The hot receptionist said, leading me and Teresa into a smaller waiting room through a door on the right.

After waiting about five minutes, the receptionist comes back with a second, less hot, Union worker to explain things.

“Our lovely city of Sanmara, as well as the Magic Kingdom are homes to hundreds of different organizations known as guilds. You can find guilds in basically any country of the world outside of a very select few, and they specialize in any number of things. One thing all of the guilds have in common, however, is that any guild that employs adventurers must go through the Continental Adventurer Union. It’s an organization that employs every legally operating adventurer, supplying them with identification, licenses, and everything in between. From there, an adventurer is free to join any guild or organization and take any amount of work. Once a person joins the Union, they’re a member until their contract expires, and can then choose to re-sign it or leave adventuring behind them.” The less hot receptionist explained, handing both Teresa and me a contract.

“These are the contracts for new adventurers to sign and join the Union with. Are you planning on registering today?” She asks. Well, the contract is right in front of me. Might as well give it a read and maybe sign it.

No, you’re letting your ego and second head get the better of you. Just read it for now, and then we can come back with Real Teresa and get signed up under her sponsorship.

But do I really want that?

I kinda wanna see what the exams are like, and if they’re easy enough, I could just sign up today.

That way I could get the reward for guarding Teresa right away. Then again, at this point I don’t think I’m gonna abandon Teresa here, I might as well escort her to her destination.

“You are correct, I actually plan to register today. Does it cost anything upfront?” I say, taking the contract and picking up a pen. Worst case scenario, I’ll just leave and deactivate Alter Ego.

The spell should be easy to cancel since I can feel the transformation mana in my network, I just have to stop it.

“Nope! Just sign our union agreement, take our two examinations and you’ll be all set! I can help you look over the contract if need be.” The hotter receptionist said, smiling with a warm, gentle smile.

“Are the terms negotiable?” I should not have said that.

“If you find any terms you disagree with, I’d be happy with setting up a meeting with my supervisor given you pass the exams at a high enough proficiency.” I am now suddenly very glad I said that.

“Thank you,” I say, grabbing a pen and sitting down to read the contract.

It’s obvious who they made these contracts for, idiots. Absolute, meathead, braindead idiots.

Or reasonably smart yet lazy people.

It’s front-loaded with legal jargon and term switching, so if you read on you can’t make heads or tails of anything.

There are clauses in here about giving upwards of 50% of any rewards or loot gained from any quests, a term signing off your right to a funeral and instead giving the Union permission to use your corpse as they see fit, and even a term in here about the forced sharing of magical techniques and spells under the right circumstances.

Yep. A scam contract made I’m assuming to weed out the idiots from those who are literate enough to understand how raw of a deal this is.

Thank God I had a minor in law or my brain would not be able to handle a fourth of this info, let alone decipher the shockingly sleazy legal jargon and tactics.

Also, that’s funny, apparently, the Union also goes by the name Cloudinary Holdings Unlimited. I wonder where I’ve heard that name before? No idea.

After around five minutes of reading this absolute pile of dog shit, I stand up and walk over to the hotter receptionist, who I recognize as Vanessa based on her nametag, and hand her the unsigned contract.

“I think I’d like to take those exams now and start setting up that meeting with your supervisor,” I said, as she wordlessly took the contract back and walked towards a large metal door.

After pulling a card from her waist and tapping it against the door, it opened.

With a calm smile, she turned back towards me.

“Step right through here to head to your first examination if you’re ready.” She said, a calm smile still permeating her lips.

Before stepping through the door, I turn back and whisper into Teresa’s ear, “If the exams are too hard, we can just come back after I drop Alter Ego and go with the sponsorship idea. I wanna see if I can make it on my own first.”

After getting a nod in approval, I follow Vanessa through the metal door.