Kiara could not hold back her laughter when they exited Edithmont, having opened their accounts and met the Skyian they wanted to see.
Just as Keith had told them, she was quite a beautiful girl, and her wings were even more stunning, their silvery feathers shimmering faintly under the crystal lamps of the bank.
The girls remembered from the stories that Skyians were the servants of Angels, and every Skyian naturally felt attracted to, and a little envious of, pure white and red hair colours. And it proved true. They caught her stealing glances at Ingrid and Ingvild's hair from time to time, her pale fingers nervously tapping the desk whenever their eyes met hers.
However, what happened next was the true highlight of their meeting.
Enid was simply stunned when she saw the Crystals light up in a blinding radiance. The sudden glow filled the marble chamber like the flare of a miniature sun, casting rainbow reflections across polished floors and gilded walls. How could she be blamed? It was not every day that one came across people who possessed such a pure Bloodline and such a ridiculously high Talent.
By the time they finished their business, the Skyian had become extremely respectful towards them, and also quite nervous. Even her wings had drooped slightly in deference, the faint sound of feathers brushing against her chair audible when she bowed her head.
She could instinctively tell that even her Bloodline was no match for theirs, and that was telling, considering the Skyians were among the most noble races in the Heavens.
But as curious as she was, she never asked them any questions or pried into their details. How could she? Their Crystals had been taken away by her Seniors in the Heavens, and their details were protected even from the Skyians who worked in the Bank of Ariel.
These people who sat across the table were undeniably noble existences, and before them, her own nobility simply paled.
After they finished opening their Individual Accounts, Enid asked if she could help them with anything else. And there was indeed something that Kiara wanted her assistance with.
Since the girls planned on creating their own Guild, they applied for a Business Account too, but because they had not registered their Guild yet, they could not have an account under the Guild's name.
Ordinarily, people were required to register their Guild first and then return to the Bank to create an account for it, and several verifications were involved.
However, the Skyian made an exception for them and created an account for a Guild that did not even exist yet. Her only request was that they register the Guild as soon as possible and link it to this Business Account. Otherwise, she could end up in a great deal of trouble.
The girls thanked her for her help and assured her that they were going to register the Guild right away. Since the Skyian had spared them another visit, they were quite grateful to her.
"Where are Rebecca and Avriel?" Ingvild curiously asked as she tried to sense the presence of her sisters.
However, since nearly all the buildings here had Isolation Barriers, it was hard to locate people.
A while ago, she could still make out their presence even through the Barriers, but ever since they entered the Bank, the connection was lost.
"They are in the Tower of Loki."
"Oh." She curiously looked at the Tower, the most eye-catching building in the entire city, its silver spires gleaming in the sun and faint traces of runes glimmering along its walls. An excited smile bloomed on her face.
They had all read a great deal about the Tower of Loki in the storybooks, and it would not be wrong to say that their desire to become Adventurers stemmed from everything they had read about this organisation.
"Let's go!" Kiara happily said as she started walking towards the Tower, and her sisters rushed up to follow her.
Seeing their excitement, Keith could only smile, though the truth was that he too was eager to explore the world and visit all these famous places.
The Tower of Loki was created by none other than the Norse God famous for his Mischief, but those who knew better understood how truly powerful he was.
Belonging to one of the most noble races, Loki was not just the God of Mischief and Fun, but also the God of Destiny, Judgement, Stories, Fire, and Magic.
He was among the most powerful Gods in existence, and his influence was no less than that of Ariel or the Devil God, Lucifer, who was also his best friend.
It was Loki who created the concept of Guilds and spread it throughout the Heavens, making the lives of people far more exciting.
And it was also Loki who loved playing with the people of the Isolated Worlds like Gaia, forcing them into playful Apocalyptic Games, where his friends picked their Champions and made their bets on the Survival Games he arranged.
For his actions, he was viewed as evil by many, but Keith did not think so. He knew better.
Loki mostly arranged his survival games in Worlds that were already on the brink of destruction, the Judgement Day. And his actions helped countless Mortals gain more karma before entering the river of Reincarnation. As for the survivors of his games, they carried many blessings that would aid them in the Lower Heaven and even in the Heavens.
He was simply being himself and creating interesting stories, as a God of Stories should. And as a God of Judgement as well, it was his right to judge Mortals as he pleased.
From a God's perspective, his actions were rather generous. But of course, Mortals could not see the entire truth of the matter, and they could not be blamed for mistaking him as evil.
Then again, their view of Loki had given rise to some ridiculous myths, which the God of Mischief could not be bothered to correct.
He was generous to his ill-wishers as well, allowing them to run propaganda against him and speak ill as they pleased.
Though the Tower of Loki did not seem very far from Central Square, it took the five of them several minutes to finally reach it.
Flying within the City of Sin was not permitted, so the streets were always full. The smell of roasted meat and sweet fruit wine drifted from stalls as merchants called out their wares. Hundreds of people milled around the Tower, their chatter blending into a constant hum, making the whole place feel alive.
There was also an open restaurant and a garden that belonged to the Tower of Loki, where people sat under leafy trees and chatted over their meals. The faint clink of goblets and the fragrance of spiced bread added warmth to the lively atmosphere. Most of these people were associated with the Guild Hall.
Inside the Tower, where the lobby seemed to stretch endlessly, there were even more people. The air was cool with a faint trace of incense. Adventurers and Mercenaries lounged on couches or stood in orderly queues, waiting to approach the booths that were being run mostly by Lesser Elves.
Keith even noticed a few Dwarves in some booths, along with people from the Barbarian Races. The sound of quills scratching across parchment and the soft hum of holographic screens filled the air.
This lobby was, in fact, the main Guild Hall, and where Adventurers and Mercenaries sat with their friends and Guild members, dozens of Holographic Screens displayed different feeds as well as the Mission Desk.
"They are not here." Ingvild quickly looked around, searching for her sisters, then glanced at the doors labelled with the floor numbers.
"They should be on the fourth floor." Keith guessed when he saw what the fourth floor was about, and the girls smiled as they walked towards it.
As expected, behind the door was a space curtain, and as soon as they passed through it, they arrived on their desired floor.
The fourth floor was dedicated to Guild Registrations and Tests, which included Medicinal and Alchemy certifications.
The Guilds were not just limited to Adventurers and Mercenaries either. There were also Alchemy and Medical Guilds for those who loved more freedom, as well as Artificer Guilds and several others dedicated to particular crafts and skills.
"Hey!" The five of them heard a cheerful call, and looking at the source, they found Avriel, Rebecca, Daim, and Safa sitting in the lounge, listening to a small Dwarven girl who looked quite adorable as she innocently stared at them.
"How was the meal?" Keith asked as he approached them and sat next to Avriel, planting a kiss on her cheek.
"It was delicious!" She informed him with a smile. "We wanted to eat more, but we decided to wait for you to have a second meal."
"You can still eat more?!" Daim exclaimed, only to earn a smack on the back of his head.
"Behave." Safa admonished her younger brother. "Don't you know that the more powerful someone is, the more food they require and can consume?"
"My bad." The green-haired boy immediately blushed, and his antics made the girls giggle.
"Hi! I am Iris, but you can call me Lunastasia." Kiara extended her hand to the girl who stood up to greet them, and Safa tried her best to stifle her giggle when everyone around her started laughing.
"I am Safa," she said, and then smiled at her younger brother. "And he is Daim, my little brother."
"Hello." The rest of the girls greeted them, and then Rebecca started teasing Kiara about the alias she had chosen.
"I thought you were joking when you picked that name." Even Avriel was amused that Kiara had chosen to stick to the name she had come up with on a whim when they had discussed their plans for Amaya.
"It's a pretty name, right?" The little Miss turned to her husband, who smiled at her and nodded.
"I like it."
"See!" She grinned at her sisters and then leaned closer to the Dwarven girl, looking right into her innocent, wide brown eyes. "You are beautiful!" she complimented, and the dwarf blushed at her words.
"Thank you." She timidly said. "My name is Beena. I serve as a Guide in the Tower."
"Then guide us, please. We want to create our Adventurer Guild." Kiara said as she sat right next to the girl.
Everyone was quite impressed by how quickly Beena turned serious, giving them a professional introduction and guidance on opening a Guild.
She might have been a little shy, but she was an excellent professional, and by the time she finished speaking, everyone was smiling at her.
Of course, finding them staring at her, her fair cheeks burned with another blush.
"You are awesome!" Ingvild honestly complimented, and perhaps the Dwarven girl sensed her sincerity, as she subconsciously smiled at her words.
"Thank you, Miss."