After exiting the rehabilitation building, Clyde and Casca walked behind Mary and Ryker, following them toward the mercenary guild in the city center. All along the way, Mary kept glancing back to keep an eye on Clyde and Casca right behind her, making sure they didn’t get lost among the dense crowd jostling past them. Clyde simply replied with a nod whenever Mary looked back at him and Casca. Once Mary turned her attention back to the front and engaged in conversation with Ryker beside her, Casca pressed closer to Clyde,
"Big Brother, is this really a good idea, following the guy who almost shot you when you woke up?" Casca asked in a whisper.
"What choice do we have? When Mary introduced us earlier... Commander Ryker didn’t say anything and just smiled," Clyde replied in a whisper.
"But... he was staring at you... and at me, too," Casca whispered back.
"True, but it was just a look while getting acquainted... he didn’t ask anything weird, either... So for now, let’s just go along and keep quiet. If we join his team, we’ll have to work with him whether we like it or not, right?" Clyde whispered in response.
"Ugh... I suppose so. Fine... I get it. If anything happens, I’m sure the two of us can handle it," Casca whispered back.
"Right. But don’t forget, our main objective is to find Craig, Corie, and then finally, Celes," Clyde whispered in response.
The two fell silent once more, not uttering another word. They simply walked behind Mary and Ryker, following their lead, until Casca glanced back once again,
"Big Brother... do you think Craig and Corie... are still alive? I’m sure about Big Sister Celes because I heard her voice... but what about them?" Casca asked in a soft, low voice, looking down in sorrow.
"I... can’t answer your question... I don’t know myself," Clyde replied, his hand gripping Casca’s until it trembled.
"My memories are hazy... I can’t remember their faces... even though I remembered them so clearly in the dream," Casca whispered, trembling.
"Same here... only Celes and you are clear in my mind... I can’t remember Craig and Corie’s faces... Besides, I still can’t forget what happened in the simulation... it’s all still deeply etched inside me," Clyde whispered, squeezing Casca’s hand.
Clyde and Casca realized that the fate of the other two children from their dream remained entirely unknown—whether they were still in this world or not, there wasn’t a single clue. On top of that, they desperately wanted to meet Celes, who had clearly called out to them through the repeating melody echoing inside their heads. The two continued walking in silence, their eyes fixed on the backs of Ryker and Mary ahead of them.
After walking for quite a while and traversing a considerable distance, they began heading toward the outskirts of the city. There weren’t many people on the street, but a vast array of GEMA suits, armored cars, and even tanks came into view, each customized to its owner’s liking and no longer resembling standard military issue.
Clyde and Casca kept looking left and right, many people appeared to be servicing their vehicles, chatting casually, or sitting around blankly staring at their surroundings. Almost everyone there wore tactical military-style uniforms that had been modified with vibrant colors, lending the atmosphere a bit of life, yet also making it feel eerie, like a den of gangsters.
Mary turned to look at Clyde and Casca behind her, who seemed bewildered and were taking in their surroundings as they walked,
"The people here are mercenaries, or reserved soldiers, like me. They’re all guild members," Mary explained.
"Oh... I see," Clyde replied, looking around.
"It’s like... a gangster gathering," Casca muttered.
"Well... for those of you who just came out of the simulation, of course they’d look like that," Mary said.
"But in truth, they aren’t. They’re simply people who want a better standard of living while defending humanity at the same time," she added.
"Hurry it up, the building is right ahead," Ryker chimed in.
"Yes, Commander," Mary replied.
They resumed walking. Ahead stood a fairly tall building, perhaps seven stories high, wide and blocky with four sides forming its own complex. The structure resembled a military operations building typically found inside a military base. As they passed through the front gate, where a neon sign reading "Mercenary Guild" was positioned, Clyde and Casca gasped in shock, on both sides of the front yard stood massive turrets with rotating gatling barrels capable of firing.
As they walked past them, the gatling barrels of the turrets tracked their movements until they could no longer follow, unable to rotate a full 180 degrees backward. The four of them climbed the steps toward the entrance porch; "psiuu," as they stood before the door, the glass door leaves slid open automatically. The four of them then stepped inside. Within, Clyde and Casca could see scores of soldiers dressed in diverse attire and carrying a wide array of weapons, ranging from firearms, carbines, and semi-automatics to swords, axes, and other melee weapons.
While Clyde and Casca stood stunned, taking in the vast lobby, the multiple counters with receptionists behind them, the crowd of people inside, and the interior of the building that looked both advanced and worn down, Mary and Ryker turned to face the two,
"Pick up your cards and dog tags... then we’ll talk in my office. There are a few things I want to ask you... Mary, please assist them," Ryker said.
"Yes, sir," Mary replied.
"Um... okay," Clyde’s face began to pale.
Casca didn’t answer; she simply squeezed Clyde’s hand and nodded, though her face clearly showed she was ready to do whatever it took if threatened. Having received their answer, Ryker nodded, his face remaining grim and unsmiling, his eyes sharp and firm. He then turned around and walked toward the glass tube elevator situated on the right side of the lobby area. Clyde and Casca stood frozen, watching Ryker’s back recede into the distance. Mary waved her hand in front of the two,
"Hey," she said.
Clyde and Casca turned to look at Mary, who was pointing toward one of the counters with her thumb.
"Oh... right," Clyde replied, understanding her intent.
They walked over to the counter. Mary spoke with the receptionist, who then looked at Clyde and Casca with a smile. She reached down to retrieve blank cards and blank dog tags, then requested Clyde and Casca’s ID cards. Naturally, both handed over the cards previously given to them by Julia. The receptionist took them and tapped each ID card against a guild card.
Clyde watched in awed fascination as the guild card emitted a light, scanning his ID card before his personal data was printed directly onto the guild card. After that, the receptionist picked up two dog tags attached to a single necklace and placed them atop the guild card; instantly, the metal plates of the dog tags were carved by fire, producing a wispy plume of smoke automatically. Once finished, the receptionist blew on the dog tags and handed the card and dog tags to Clyde,
"Here you go. As of today, you are registered with the guild as a reserved soldier and mercenary. Whenever you go out into the field and secure loot, if you wish to sell it, simply bring the items to the adjacent counter and present your card," she said warmly, offering an explanation.
"Th... thank you," Clyde replied as he took his card and dog tags, gazing at them in wonder.
After that, the receptionist also produced a guild card and a pair of dog tags for Casca, who was equally stunned. Once the business was concluded,
"Come on... let’s head to the commander’s office," Mary urged.
"Uh... yeah," Clyde replied, looking visibly reluctant to meet Ryker again.
"Okay," Casca replied briefly.
They walked to the elevator and stepped inside the glass tube. They rode up to the fifth floor, where the elevator doors slid open. Above lay a mezzanine overlooking the floor below, though most of the space was lined with doors leading to the offices of various teams registered with the guild,
"Mary, isn’t Commander Ryker supposed to be the vice head of the guild?" Clyde asked.
"That’s right, but from the military side, not the civilian side. Our guild master is also from the military," Mary answered.
"Then why is he still serving out in the field?" Clyde asked.
"Everyone here serves in the field, no exceptions, and no desk jockeys," Mary answered.
"Oh... I see," Clyde replied.
"Why do you ask? Do you actually know the commander?" Mary asked suspiciously.
"No, Mary, I don’t know him," Clyde answered.
"Um... sorry, but... why is someone following us?" Casca asked.
Mary and Clyde turned around. Sure enough, a middle-aged Black woman wearing a formal military uniform jacket was walking behind them, her expression serious and stern, her eyes fixed entirely on Clyde and Casca ahead. Seeing the woman, Mary halted,
"G... good afternoon, Guild Master. Is something the matter?" Mary asked.
"Huh... Guild Master?" Clyde and Casca asked under their breath.
"Indeed. My name is Amara Robinson... Hmm... so you’re the children Ryker mentioned on the phone just now. Interesting. Let’s head to Ryker’s office together," Amara answered with a smile and naturally, her smile made Clyde and Casca shudder just a bit.