The Director's Office was nothing like the ceremony hall.
Where the hall had been vast and echoing, built to impress and intimidate, this place felt deliberately contained. Smaller. Quieter. It was tucked deep within the academy's upper spire, far from the student dorms and training grounds, in a section of the tower most graduates would never return to.
Hikari stood before the heavy door, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Geminar wobbled gently atop his head, its silvery surface rippling as it peered around with lazy curiosity, a small pseudopod stretching towards the door before retracting again.
A brass plate read:
MONSTER DIRECTOR — RON ARCHIE
Hikari raised a hand.
"…Do I knock?"
He knocked. The sound vanished into the thick wood.
"Wait," A woman's voice answered from inside.
A moment later, the door swung open.
The woman who greeted him was tall and composed. Her white uniform was immaculate, an "AD" insignia pinned at her collar. Round glasses framed sharp eyes, and a polished nameplate on her chest read:
Michelle Conor
Her gaze swept over Hikari's rumpled uniform. Then the silver slime on his head.
"Graduate Hikari." She said. "Come in. Do not touch anything."
She stepped aside.
The office beyond was a study in organized chaos.
One entire wall was covered in maps layered over one another and held in place by pins, clips, and crystal weights. Notes had been scrawled in the margins in tight handwriting, arrows connecting locations that Hikari couldn't begin to recognize. Some areas were circled in red. Others had been crossed out entirely.
The shelves lining the room bowed slightly under the weight of specimen jars, preserved monster fragments, cracked Crystal Cores, strange artifacts humming faintly with sealed energy, and towering stacks of reports tied together with color-coded string.
"Please pick the equipment you want to defend yourself, and place your Crystal Core within it." Michelle said evenly.
She pressed a hidden panel. The floor beside the table slid open.
Three pedestals rose smoothly.
The first held a sword, sleek and balanced, forged from dull grey alloy that absorbed light rather than reflecting it. Just above the guard were three empty slots, each precisely shaped to house a Crystal Core.
The second pedestal bore a gauntlet. It was heavier, more imposing, the same alloy layered in articulated plates that suggested flexibility without sacrificing strength. Three Core slots were embedded across the knuckles, faintly glowing as if waiting.
The third held a plain metal box.
It was unremarkable at first glance. No blade, no obvious grip, no threatening silhouette. Just a solid cube of reinforced alloy, its surface smooth except for three Core slots arranged neatly on top.
"One of these are going to be your Bond-Conduit." Michelle explained. "The sword emphasizes offense. The gauntlet supports defense and utility. The box is versatile, but weak in direct combat. Choose wisely."
Hikari leaned forward, eyes shining. Geminar leaned with him.
He glanced up at the slime.
"I've thought about this for a long time." He said seriously. "The gauntlet looks the coolest."
Before Michelle could respond, Hikari gently scooped Geminar into his hands and pressed the Crystal Core into the gauntlet's central slot.
"Let's see if this works!"
The gauntlet slid onto his arm, heavier than expected. He flexed. The metal moved smoothly, as if molded for him.
"Whoa! Perfect fit!" Hikari laughed. "Look, Geminar! We match!"
He threw a few experimental jabs into the empty air, the gauntlet cutting through it with a faint whistle.
"Please don't do that here." Michelle said, already rubbing the bridge of her nose.
Hikari didn't hear her.
He struck a dramatic pose, gauntleted fist raised high.
"Defender of the world!"
Silently, Michelle turned away.
She retrieved a duffel bag from beneath one of the shelves and dropped it onto the table with a dull thud.
"This is your starter field kit." She said flatly. "Monster nutrients. Blank Crystal Cores. Emergency supplies. Please, in any way, do not lose it."
Hikari slung the bag over his shoulder, nearly stumbling under the weight. Geminar seized the moment to plop back onto his head.
"All set! Thank you so much!" Hikari said brightly.
He was gone before she could reply.
The door shut.
Michelle stood still for a long moment. Then she adjusted her glasses and stared out the window.
***
Warm sunlight greeted Hikari as he stepped beyond the academy gates for the final time.
Hikari's gaze locked onto a building across the square with light brown stone walls, and a vivid violet roof. Above the door is an insignia: a paw beneath a star.
The Tamer Association.
"That's it!" Hikari breathed.
He ran.
He reached the square and the Tamer Association building loomed larger.
Taking a deep breath, Hikari pushed the door open.
Inside, the Association hall was cool and quiet. Notices filled a board to the left, and a long counter stretched to the right.
A massive emblem of the paw beneath a star was inlaid in the floor.
Hikari strolled inside, heading for the long counter and the clerk behind it.
"Heya!" Hikari said cheerfully. "Where do I sign up to be a Monster Tamer?"
Behind the counter was a young woman with pale, nervous-looking features and hair pulled into a tight bun. She startled, pen skidding across her paperwork. Her eyes jumped from Hikari's grin to the silver slime on his head.
"Y-you're a graduate?" She asked.
"Yep! Today!"
"Right. Okay." She said, her voice dropping to a murmur. She slid a form across the counter. "Fill it out."
Hikari scribbled enthusiastically until he paused.
"Uh—what's this part?" He pointed at the last line.
The clerk blinked at the interruption. She leaned forward, peering at the messy form. Her eyes widened slightly at the blank line.
"Desired guild to join... Oh, stars, I forgot to explain that part." She pushed her glasses up her nose, a mask of professionalism forming on her face. "You can join a guild, or register temporarily as independent. Temporary membership lasts a month."
Hikari's eyes lit up.
"I'll take that!"
"Independent?" She blinked.
"Yep!" Hikari grinned. "I'll make my own guild."
"Oh, okay... It'll take 500 bronze coins for the temporary membership." She slid Hikari a card and a box.
Hikari swung his duffel bag off his shoulder and rummaged inside. He pulled out a worn leather pouch. It jingled pleasantly. He upended it over the small wooden box the clerk had provided.
"Four hundred eighty-seven bronze, and... twelve silver. More than enough." She separated the exact amount, sliding 500 bronze coins into a slot in her side of the counter. She pushed the changed back to Hikari along with the pouch.
She then stamped his form with a brisk thump and handed him a card. It was plain white with black lettering.
"Keep this with you at all times." The clerk instructed. "It's your proof of membership. The quest board is there. Read the notices carefully. Take only what you're sure you can handle."
Hikari took the card, staring at his name printed officially.
"Got it! Thanks so much, Miss Clerk!" He gave her a bright, two-fingered salute that made Geminar wobble precariously.
He tucked it into an inner pocket of his jacket, then scooped his remaining coins back into the pouch and stowed it away.
He turned and skipped towards the mission board.
"Now... what mission should I take?" He said, rubbing his chin.
"First time picking, kid?" A low, gravelly voice spoke up just to his right.
Hikari turned. A man was leaning against the wall beside the board, arms crossed.
"Yep! Just got my license!" Hikari replied, puffing out his chest slightly.
The man gave a short nod, his eyes flicking to Geminar and then to the fresh gauntlet on Hikari's arm.
"I can tell. You're staring at the F-ranks. Good for pocket change, but..." He uncrossed his arms and pointed a finger towards a section of the board marked with orange tacks. "If you want more pay, look at the D-Ranks."
Hikari followed his gesture. The notices there looked more serious.
One in particular caught his eye, pinned neatly in the center of the D-rank section.
URGENT: Cactye incursion in Balleyfoot Farm, Western Slope. Reward: 75 silver coins.
"Seventy-five silver..." Hikari breathed. "Are Cactye tough?"
The man snorted.
"Annoying, not tough. Like walking pincushions with bad attitudes. Your... friend there," he nodded at Geminar, "might actually be useful. Just don't get swarmed."
"Perfect! That's the one!" Hikari reached up and carefully unpinned the Cactye notice. "Thanks, mister!"
He hurried back to the counter where the clerk looked up with a weary expression.
"I'd like to take this one, please!" He announced, sliding the notice across to her.
The clerk picked it up, her eyebrows rising.
"A D-rank... alright." She stamped the back of the notice with a "CLAIMED" seal and wrote Hikari's temporary ID number on it.
"Thanks! We'll be back before sundown!" Hikari declared, tucking the paper into his pocket.
He stepped back into the sunlight of the square.
"Western Slope... Balleyfoot Farm." He looked at Geminar, his expression set with excitement. "Alright, partner. Let's go... our first real mission!"