"All right, come on, come on. Hurry up, before he gets here," Mark urged the group.

Alex couldn't help but give his friend a questioning look as he entered the gym. "Before I get here?" Before Mark could respond, he paused just inside the space and looked around. "Wait, where did the gym go?"

The black, rubberized floor was still present, but almost all the weight-lifting equipment had been moved, leaving the room almost completely bare. The only things in the room now were a large table and chairs surrounding it.

"I asked Edwin to help with the funds I got from the Celestial Rift, and we're going to create a small addition on the new property to build a proper gym, one that we can actually use with our Awakened stats."

"Okay," he said, waiting for an explanation.

"This is going to be our team planning room!" Mark held out his arms with excitement. "When you said you wanted to do the titles today, I figured this would be the perfect place to do it."

Alex walked deeper into the room and rubbed his hand on the beautiful wooden table. It was at least fifteen feet in diameter and had a stone setting in the middle. "What's with this table?"

From his recent experience replacing the nice furniture in his office, he knew things like this were expensive, and this was larger than anything he'd contemplated purchasing. The outer ring of the table and the solid, matching chairs took up most of the space.

"It's our 'Round Table,'" Mark said with an infectious grin.

Alex face-palmed. "Now I see what's got you so giddy."

"Isn't it awesome?"

Sarah and Sam were snickering from their seats as they watched the interaction.

"How did you even get this thing? We've only been home for like three days."

"Oh, come on," Sarah said. "You know, since the moment you told us about this, he's been chomping at the bit. From the moment Sam said something about the Knights Round Table, he couldn't let it go."

Mark lowered his head guiltily. "I stepped out and asked Edwin to help. So it got here this morning."

Alex glanced at Edwin, who suddenly found the rafters fascinating, which made Gabby cover her mouth to stifle a laugh. Shaking his head, Alex motioned for Mark to join the others.

One chair was clearly higher-backed than the others. Alex intentionally avoided sitting in it, instead opting to sit next to Mark.

Edwin stepped up beside him and set his laptop on the table.

"Thanks. Everyone else, take a seat too, please."

Gabby, Edwin, and Lin sat down on the far side of Sam, the natural curve of the table allowing them to easily see Alex.

"Gabby, did Edwin fill you in on the titles?" When she nodded, he continued. "Okay, good. Look… since we joined the Guild, I've continually said I don't want to start a group of my own. Managing a group seems like a headache and a bunch of social stuff that I'd rather avoid. But it would be naïve to keep saying that. It's pretty clear that's where things are heading, even if it wasn't my purpose to begin with.

"There are just too many reasons not to join the HA or another newly formed guild. The biggest among them is my desire to chase my own goals and magic. My hope is to create a place that my friends can do the same." He looked around the table and saw several bobbing heads. "Without making this too long-winded, I want to start organizing things so that I don't have to deal with the management and interpersonal stuff that comes with management. So, before we get into positions and titles, there are two points to discuss. The first is that the oaths are binding. And I mean that in a more serious way than legally binding; they're enforced by the System itself. There's absolutely no pressure to take one of these oaths. You won't lose your position or any respect from me if you decide not to." This point was mainly for Edwin and Gabby, who hadn't yet seen the power of the oath like the others had.

"The second is something that Maelis has continued to try and drill into my head." He couldn't resist rolling his eyes a bit. Not because the advice was poor, just because of the grumpy mentor's insistence. "I need to give these appointments and titles with a strategic mindset. That means you guys might not be in the highest position possible, and it's not anything personal."

From the corner of his eye, he saw Sarah nodding her head.

"That's really it. Any questions?" he asked the table.

The faces looking back at him were serious, and he was glad to see Mark and Gabby taking it so seriously. Their natural tendency to be goofy and relieve tension wouldn't have a place in such an occasion.

When no one asked for more information, Alex stood and said, "Mark, you're up first, dude."

His friend moved to stand in front of him as everyone else turned in their seats to watch.

Alex activated the [Planetary Title] skill and pulled the glowing card from his chest. The golden light illuminated the room and lent a gravity to the situation that he felt settle on his shoulders. Mark's features were firm, and his face was serious as he watched the card.

"Mark Thompson, I give you this hand-made carving in offering of your service."

"I give you this card to represent my position," Mark said, proffering a hand-painted tarot card with the image of a king holding a sword on a throne.

Alex raised an eyebrow, but accepted it as he handed over the small statue he'd carved for each of his friends. He caught Mark's smile as he observed the carved crystal before giving his part of the oath.

"I, Alex Moore, holder of the Magician Title, give to you my word. I will treat you with the rights afforded to all who swear their allegiance to me.

"I swear not to harm you unless you break this oath or act in betrayal of its intent.

"I will not bind you beyond this oath, nor command you without purpose.

"I will protect you from those who would seek to bind, enslave, or destroy you for standing by my side."

He'd decided to give everyone the same oath, Lin's being an exception because of her prior circumstances.

Red tinted Mark's neck and cheeks as he said the returning lines.

"I swear to serve Alex Moore, bearer of the Magician's Title.

"I swear not to bring harm, sabotage, or betray him or those under his protection.

"I will carry out my duties to the best of my ability and will not act against his goals while in his service.

"I will not disobey a direct order that weighs the balance of a life."

Just as before, Alex felt something click into place within his chest, and a System window appeared.

Mark Thompson has sworn an oath of fealty to you.

Will they join your Court?

Yes/No?

He mentally accepted the prompt, and another window followed.

Select which role the vassal will hold.

Swords Wands Pentacles Cups

Alex mentally selected "Swords," prompting another window of options.

Select the rank that the vassal will hold.

King of Swords Queen of Swords Knight of Swords Page of Swords Ten of Swords Nine of Swords Eight of Swords Seven of Swords Six of Swords Five of Swords Four of Swords Three of Swords Two of Swords Ace of Swords

If it weren't for the advice Maelis had already given him, Alex was sure he would have been overwhelmed with the options given. Instead, he confidently selected the top choice, and the blue screens in his vision vanished.

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The room fell silent as Mark studied screens only he could see. After a moment, he looked up at Alex with a broad grin spreading across his face before pulling his best friend into a bear hug.

When they separated, Alex laughed and clapped his hand on the taller man's shoulder. "Man, this is awesome. Where did you get this?" he asked while looking down at the beautifully painted card in his hand. His inner artist marveled at the control in the brushstrokes and the unique way that the creator had used gold foil to accent small aspects of the border and sword.

"We got a whole deck," Mark answered. "We all thought we'd give you the card that you give us the title for. You already said you were going to give me this one, so I just knew ahead of time." He nodded to Edwin, who pulled a small box from the spatial pouch at his side.

"Well," Alex said, "sorry my offering isn't really that cool. I started making these out of that fake mana stone we found in the Rift. It doesn't really do much other than look pretty."

"What? Nah, dude! This thing is awesome!" He held up his small carving for the rest of the group to see.

"Wait," Sam said. "Is that a mini-Val?"

"Yeah," Mark and Alex said at the same time with a chuckle.

His large friend let the statuette rest on the table for the others to look at. The blue stone, which they had originally hoped to be a naturally occurring vein of mana stone, was carved into an inch-tall, detailed version of Valtherion. His companion's tail coiled tightly at the base while his upper body and head rose up, wings outstretched.

In the most practiced iterations of the statues, he'd tried to refine his detailing skills more to practice for carving wards. The one Mark held was one of the ones he was most proud of, and he felt like the mouth was perfectly open in the way that Valtherion liked to call for mana. Even though the little glutton had no idea what a smile was, his mouth was somehow curled into one every time.

"Well, who's next?" Alex asked, wanting to pull some of the attention away from his attempt at sculpting.

Sam stood first, and they repeated the process.

In the end, he gave out three king titles, a ten, and a nine. In addition to Mark, Sam received the King of Pentacles, while Edwin received the King of Cups. Sarah got the Ten of Cups, and Gabby got the Nine. It seemed like a huge step to take for his goals, and excitement filled the room by the time the last oath was finished.

Alex smiled warmly at the group as they spoke to each other, and Sarah approached him casually.

"I still think ten was too high," she said.

He shrugged in response, taking a sip of his drink. "Gabby thinks nine is too high for her, too. If I need to, I can always shift things around." He waved his hand at her when she started to say something. "Seriously, just let it go for now. Please?"

Sarah nodded and gave him a weak smile. "Liv is going to be pissed she missed this."

"I know. I wish she were here," he sighed.

"What will you give her? Queen of Swords?"

"I'm thinking one of the wands. She has a love of magic I've only seen Evan match, and I think once all of this stuff with Nox clears up, she'll be able to get back to her normal self. She's been… tense for what feels like a long time now."

Sarah agreed and took a sip of her own drink. "The boon we get to pick from these titles is pretty good. I got to choose between three options. They were my three highest stats, and the offered buff was a plus three to that stat. I'm sure if that was my option, the Kings got something even better."

Alex quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah, that's not bad. Maelis said that they'll only get better and better over time."

They watched the group for a bit before Sarah spoke about what was on her mind. "Did Mark tell you about my parents?"

He couldn't stop his eyebrows from climbing. "No. Are they okay?"

"Yes, they're fine. I just want to go visit them. They can't move because of my mom's position up there, but they've been constantly reaching out and offering to have someone come get me." She gave a small laugh. "I keep trying to tell her, but I don't think she really understands how far ahead of everyone else we are."

The corner of his mouth turned up. "Yeah, well, that's good. If you want to see them, I think you should go. Just remember what's coming."

"I think Jon is going to join me, and we're going to try and hit some Rifts on the way up there. I think she's going to force me to travel with a few other people that she hires from the Association."

"Ha. Jon isn't enough security for them? Can't you just name-drop him? I'm sure she knows who he is."

"I think he's trying to move away from that whole persona after his trait got him pushed out of the last crisis. The HA is still pushing some of his power as a boon for humanity, but they're starting to lean heavier into pushing group synergies and teamwork."

"I see… Well, I'm sure you and Jon can protect whatever poor saps are hired."

She bumped his shoulder with a smile and slowly floated back to the group as Gabby joined him.

"Hey, Boss."

"It's good to see you, Gabby. I feel like we haven't gotten to chat much since I got home," Alex said.

"No worries there. I know you're busy and got a lot goin' on. I, uh… I wanted to ask you something, though."

"Of course, what is it?"

"Well, do you remember the first Rift we went to?"

His thoughts drifted back to the underground slime Rift he'd taken Gabby and Edwin to so they could Awaken. "I do."

"You see, I was hoping I could go back to get one of those slimes as a pet now."

He tilted his head and scanned his chef, curious what may have changed.

Gabriella Cruz - Level 8 Class: None HP: 720/710 MP: 670/800

Physical Stats: Strength: 5 Agility: 14 Constitution: 8 Vitality: 6

Magical Stats: Intellect: 9 Willpower: 7 Mana: 12 Wisdom: 12

Active Skills: [Taste Test] (Level 8) [Chop] (Level 6) [Multitask] (Level 9) [Appraisal] (Level 7) [Tame Creature] (Level 1)

Passive Skills: [Heightened Smell] (Tier I) [Taste Refinement] (Tier I)

It had been a bit of time since he'd scanned someone as low level as Gabby, and he almost spit out his drink. It was almost like he was looking at his own status screen here. This was well beyond the usual glimpse he got.

He kept the conversation moving while his mind thought through the implications and which of the things from the Status Screen he was still unable to see, even with their huge gap in Willpower. "What makes you want one? Are you not enjoying your cooking?"

"Oh no, of course I am. Cooking is my passion, and I'm lucky to have it as my job, Boss. But… those slimes were so cute, and I've done some more research on them and what it takes to get a bonded pet. I already have the skill I need. I saved up what I needed from what you're paying me and bought the skill two weeks ago."

"That's great. What do you need from me, then?"

"Just to make sure it's all right to have it around the house. And maybe a bit of help from John or Ian to get in and out of the Rift safely."

"I don't have any issue with it, especially if it's bonded. Let me check with Edwin, and I'll have him coordinate someone to go with you." He paused and took in the excitement on her face. "And, I'm sorry I didn't let you do this sooner. I remember you asking early on to keep one of the slimes, but I didn't realize it was this serious."

She shook her head. "No problem, Boss. I tend to get a bit excited about things, and when I do, I fixate. Staying interested these last months showed me that I really do want one." She gave him a smile and another small hug before moving away with her small Valtherion in hand.

As the blue crystal caught the light, he pushed his mind toward his companion. The amphiptere was sleeping in the workshop with the three clones. He'd really wanted to give Val a title as well, but Maelis assured him that a bonded companion wouldn't be able to receive one, even if they could speak the oath. They were linked to Alex in a way that allowed them more benefits than an oath like the Planetary Title could provide.

"Master Moore," Edwin said from beside him.

He glanced at the suited man. "Yeah?"

"Thank you, sir," he said seriously, bowing low at the waist.

It was much lower than normal, and Alex could tell that this meant something to the older man. Unsure of how to respond, Alex shifted his weight and smiled with a nervous laugh. "Don't mention it. You do so much for me, I'd be lost in all of this without your help." The words felt inadequate. "I don't really know how to say what I'm feeling…"

When the butler stood, he straightened his vest and looked at Alex seriously. "The appointment itself says all that needs to be said, Master Moore."

They stood together in a more comfortable silence for a few moments before Alex spoke up.

"Did you know about this Gabby-slime thing?" He continued when he saw Edwin's nod. "Okay, let's make it happen. She said she has the skill she needs and just wants someone to help escort her. Can you work it out with John or Ian?"

"Indeed, sir. They will likely be busy for the time being with the new members of the Ashen Hand that decided to stay. They will require a lot of training and monitoring until they earn the trust of everyone else."

"Makes sense. Just don't let it fall to the side. I feel like I owe her this..." There was a pause as they both watched the group, but he spoke up when he remembered something. "Jake is going to come by tonight since I didn't meet up with him yesterday. I've got some stuff to go over in my office, so when he gets here, can you give him a quick tour and bring him up?"

"Of course, Master Moore."

Alex puffed up his cheeks and let the air drain out slowly. "I'm not looking forward to this talk… but it's better than having our parents involved in it."

Edwin didn't respond to the external thoughts. Soon, they engaged in more small talk, and as the event wound down, Alex thanked everyone again for their continued support and shared his next plans with them.

"I'm going to go and link up with Craig to finish up a few more tasks, but tomorrow I'm planning to head out. I know all of you are planning to do some different tasks to push the last leg to C-Rank. I'm okay with that, just make sure that it's a primary focus. We're out of the Rift, and a hell of a lot stronger than we were, but we still have a long way to go. Worse yet, we no longer have the benefit of time dilation.

"While you go on your quests-" He gave Mark a look when his friend made an excited noise. "- make sure to keep your eyes and ears peeled for any D-Ranks that are Rare or Epic rarity. If we can get something with time dilation just for us, that would be invaluable."

Mark spoke up, lifting his hand at the same time to signal his need for attention. "Are you sure it's okay to be out here at all? We've got a little less than eleven months until that Rift unlocks."

Alex shrugged. "I'm thinking about it like this: I'm at the peak of D Rank right now, and the best Rift I know of is a D Rank Epic Rift. I pushed myself pretty much day and night for the last few months in there, and only gained a few levels. Pushing the last couple to C Rank, and then even more after that? I think I'd be spinning my wheels. I ran this by Maelis, and he agrees that this is the best route forward. Take a bit of downtime, work on yourselves, and soon C Ranks should start spawning."

Mark nodded, and Sam spoke up. "What are you doing in the downtime?"

"I'm waiting to hear back from Director Matthews. He said they're spread thin and might need some help. I'm willing to help, but my main focus is going to be on trying to recreate the Elven ritual. If I can figure out how they used a ritual and runes to upgrade a Rift, it could change everything."

"Is-is that such a good idea?" Sarah asked. "Last time you found some sort of loophole, they took one of your skills."

Alex had to stop himself from frowning. That still stung, and it felt wholly unfair that the System had removed his skill, only to have the Overseer loosen the integration restrictions a short time later. It made him wonder who else the System referred to when it said that there were several other outliers. "The announcement said that the restrictions had been lifted, and the elves were clearly able to get away with it. I don't think recreating their magic is going to be an issue. Anyway, I'm a long way off from even having something working. Even if I can't do this, though, I'm hoping to learn more about how the Rift magic actually works. There's got to be something unique there between the space, teleportation, and time-dilation."

The group asked a couple more questions and tossed ideas back and forth on where they thought they'd go and how they'd try to progress in the next few weeks. The conversation ended with them making an agreement to keep in touch through phones, or failing that, to reconvene at the house in a month's time.

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