Chapter 135: The Badge on the Counter

"So someone could be high-Level and have a low Guild Rank?" Zishan asked.

"If they only joined recently, yes. But they could crawl their way out of the lower ranks faster than those who joined with low levels."

Zishan nodded slowly.

Ernest then continued, "Cyrune has more Guilds than you would ever bother memorizing. Some specialize in combat. Others focus on exploration, healing, research, trade, Magic Beasts, Fold expeditions, and whatever other work people are willing to organize themselves around."

"Fold expeditions?"

"You will learn it in another time," Ernest said without slowing down. "And before you complain, it will be sooner than you’d expect."

Zishan gave him a suspicious look.

Ernest glanced at him before continuing toward the deeper part of the hall. He then continued, "Anyway, those nine Ranks are the standard used by most major Guilds. Their specialties, rules, and promotion requirements can differ, though. A combat Guild might care more about completed hunts and battle records, while a research Guild could value discoveries or contributions instead."

Zishan listened while looking at the different badges around the hall again. Iron, Steel, Spark... now that he knew what they meant, they stood out much more easily.

"So the Rank is more about how much the Guild trusts the person and what they’re capable of doing."

"More or less."

"Hmm," Zishan pondered and understood.

An Iron-Rank healer and an Iron-Rank fighter could belong to entirely different Guilds and have completely different skills, but their respective organizations had judged them to be around the same general standing within the wider Guild system.

Zishan nodded to himself. "Okay. I can work with that."

Then, Ernest said, "Most major Guilds follow this ranking. Smaller organizations sometimes make their own system, although those usually become inconvenient once they start dealing with larger guilds."

Zishan looked toward the man wearing the Steel badge again. "So, an Iron member and an Apex member can belong to this exact same Guild?"

"Of course." Ernest nodded.

"And the Guild itself isn’t Iron or Apex?"

"No. The Rank belongs to the member. Not the guild itself."

Zishan rubbed his chin. ’So joining some famous Guild doesn’t automatically make you impressive, huh. That’s quite nice, actually. It will kind of, maybe... hinder people from underestimating everyone they encounter, especially if they came from a smaller guild.’

Someone could walk around announcing that he belonged to the most famous Guild in Cyrune and still be standing at the bottom of its ranking system.

It reminded him a little too much of people back on Earth bragging about what university they attended while barely passing their classes. Zishan’s mouth twitched.

Ernest noticed. "What are you thinking about?"

"People who use the reputation of whatever they’re associated with as their entire personality," Zishan blurted out without thinking.

Ernest stared at him for a moment and ignored the kid again.

They reached the long counter at the opposite side of the hall while Zishan was still looking around at the different badges.

Several employees were working behind it, although the woman closest to them noticed the group first.

She looked somewhere in her late twenties or early thirties and wore a dark uniform with the Thousand Echoes crest stitched near one shoulder. Her expression carried the practiced calm of someone who had probably spent years dealing with guild members returning from dangerous places while bleeding on the floor.

"Welcome to the Thousand Echoes Guild. How may I—"

Ernest placed his badge on the counter, and the woman reached for it with the same routine expression she had worn since they approached.

The moment she saw the markings across its surface, however, that expression changed.

Her hand paused above the badge before she picked it up and looked over it more carefully. The shift was subtle, but Zishan still noticed the way her posture straightened and how the casual professionalism in her face gave way to something far more respectful.

Ernest slid the badge a little closer to her. "I need some assistance."

The woman examined it once more before looking back at him.

"Of course, Esteemed Sir."

Her face remained composed enough that someone standing farther away might not have noticed anything strange. But Zishan was directly in front of her, and he noticed. Her fingers were trembling, and even her lips would twitch from time to time.

Zishan tilted his head.

The woman looked at Ernest, then back at the badge.

Her throat moved. ’What is this?’

She had encountered high-ranking members before. Though not often, especially in this branch. But she knew what their badges looked like. Crown members occasionally visited. There had even been a Star member several years ago who stayed for three days while passing through the region.

This badge was different.

The markings along the edge—

Her fingers tightened. ’You’re going to get me killed, oh Gods! That man might not even be from this branch! Gods, why is someone like him here?!’

Her eyes shifted toward the others accompanying him. A white-haired young man carrying a child on his shoulders, and a young woman standing beside them.

The employee’s attention remained on Elinox for a little longer. ’Why does she look so familiar? I think I’ve seen here before?’

Zishan was also studying the employee.

Her hands had started trembling more.

He leaned toward Ernest.

"Why is she shivering so much? Is she cold or something?" His voice was not nearly as quiet as he thought. "Wait... is she afraid of you? An old man?"

The woman’s fingers tightened around the badge. ’PLEASE STOP TALKING!’

Ernest stared at Zishan.

Then, his mouth opened. A booming laugh rolled through the hall. Several conversations around them faltered as people turned toward the counter, while Zishan felt Ollie grab his head to keep himself balanced.

"Kid!" Ernest laughed again. "Your mouth really doesn’t know how to zip itself, does it?"

Zishan blinked and looked around.

Far too many people were staring at them now.

"Oops, sorry..." He lowered his voice before his eyes moved across the hall. "It seems like we disturbed so many people just now..."

He looked back at Ernest and thought about it. He then frowned. "Old man, that’s because you laughed so hard that the whole place even shook!"