Sanctuary: Safe Haven

"There's just one problem, Guildmaster Yakane," Elira said with a hint of urgency in her voice. She had just finished reviewing the initial documents and was now scrolling through a shimmering artifact that seemed to contain a vast amount of information. Her violet eyes flicked up to meet Canna's calmly.

"It's in our rules that all clan members should be registered in the Adventurer's Guild," she explained, "but according to our records—" she gestured to the artifact in her hands—"none of your members are registered, meaning we have no information on them."

Canna raised an eyebrow, staying silent as Elira continued. "Another matter I'd like to bring up is the diversity of your group. Having non-human members in the guild isn't uncommon—beastmen, dwarves, and elves are normal enough—but your members are... how do I put this... extremely unique."

She scrolled through the artifact's data again and added, "You have minotaurs, dark and light elves, verdant wardens, and humans who are bonded with direwolves. Such a group has never been part of the guild before. For your request to proceed, all of them must be registered first. I'll need to call for additional staff from headquarters to handle the registrations. In the meantime, please come with me."

Canna stood up, following Elira out of the crowded guild hall and into a quieter meeting room at the back of the building. It was tastefully decorated, with a large table and chairs that looked more luxurious than the ones out front. The walls were lined with bookshelves, and an ornate chandelier cast a soft glow across the room.

Elira walked to the other end of the table, retrieving two parchment papers from her storage ring. She placed them carefully in front of Canna.

"This first document," she began, gesturing toward one of the parchments, "is a contract. By signing it, you swear an oath not to engage in any actions that would harm or threaten the interests of the Adventurer's Guild. We are a neutral organization, and this contract is important because it ensures that we don't get involved in conflicts between clans or kingdoms. In short, if your clan is ever attacked by another kingdom or clan, you can't ask for our help. That's a rule we uphold for all registered clans."

She paused to let that sink in, her eyes urging Canna to take the contract seriously. "I highly recommend reading the entire document carefully."

Canna picked up the contract, his gaze briefly scanning over the words. It outlined the guild's neutrality, explained the limitations of what the guild could offer, and stated the penalties for breaking the agreement. Canna skimmed through it quickly. None of it surprised him; he knew the adventurer's guild had no interest in picking sides in the politics of Sepra.

Satisfied, Canna signed the parchment with a quick flourish of his hand, and Elira took it back, nodding as she placed it into her storage ring. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire

"Now for the second document," she said, pushing another parchment toward him. "This is a binding agreement between you and the Adventurer's Guild regarding your clan, 'Hope Clan,' as you've named it. If there's ever an emergency or a large-scale disaster, the guild will send a request to your clan for assistance. In exchange, you'll receive priority when it comes to missions, especially ones that fit your clan's expertise."

Canna picked up the second parchment and skimmed it just as he had the first. The terms were straightforward, with nothing particularly concerning to him. He signed it, handed it back to Elira, and watched as she placed it alongside the first contract in her storage ring.

After reviewing both documents, Elira smiled and handed Canna a silver emblem engraved with the sigil of the Adventurer's Guild.

"This is your clan's emblem, and as the leader, I'm promoting you to a Silver rank representative of the guild," she explained, her tone more formal now. "To advance to Gold, you and your clan will need to complete at least 500 E-rank missions, 100 D-rank missions, and 75 C-rank missions. Each mission will contribute toward your clan's growth and reputation."

Canna nodded, accepting the emblem and tucking it into his pocket. It was a tangible step forward for the Hope Clan, a recognition that would open doors to more challenging missions and alliances in the future.

"Thank you for your cooperation," Elira said, standing up and preparing to leave. But before she could walk away, Canna asked one more question.

"That's it? No need to inspect my base or anything else?" he asked, curious about the simplicity of the process.

Elira turned back to face him, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she smiled, this time more playfully. She leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping to a sultry tone. "Unfortunately, Mister Yakane, I can only handle so many surprises in one day. Knowing you, wherever your base is, it's probably something mind-blowing and beyond the norm, isn't it?"

Canna shrugged nonchalantly, but Elira continued, "I'll trust you on this for now, but remember, the guild will eventually check in on your operations. Also, embedded in your clan's emblem is a communication device. You can use it to keep in contact with us, and once you reach Gold rank, you'll be assigned your own guild assistant to help with administrative matters."

With a final wink, Elira turned and headed out of the meeting room. "Looking forward to working with you, Guildmaster Yakane," she said, her tone still playful as she exited.

Canna stood there for a moment, the new emblem in his pocket, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He wasn't particularly concerned about the formalities. In his mind, everything was proceeding smoothly, and with his connection to Noctis, he was confident that the sanctuary warriors would be more than prepared for their first missions as a clan.

As he walked back out to the main hall of the adventurer's guild, he noticed the bustling crowd had grown even larger. It seemed news of his clan had spread quickly. Adventurers, villagers, and onlookers alike were staring at him, some whispering in hushed tones about the strange man who had formed a thousand-member clan with transcendent warriors.

He ignored the stares and made his way to the exit. Before stepping outside, he couldn't help but glance at the silver emblem again, the symbol of a new beginning for the Hope Clan. With this emblem, they were officially recognized, and soon enough, they would start rising through the ranks of the adventurer's guild.

The real journey was about to begin.