The hospital only gives a green light for her discharge later by the end of the week, and lots of paperwork is already waiting for her as she is back to the Guild.

Any Espers who’s out of commission will have to wait for a full week before they can receive a dispatch request or any other on-field mission, so Amara thinks of making use of her time to whittle down the amount of desk work.

She looks around that nothing changed from her desk, aside from the work pile. There’s a letter that’s likely from Fiona, but Amara tosses it aside, knowing it is just a written complaint (as their schedule doesn’t overlap, much to Fiona’s dismay) from what she had heard from Livia that she rejects on involving a Guide.

“Oh.”

When Amara pulls out her drawer to procure her pen, she spots a folded cloth that she placed there. She remembered to have put it there before she had to be out for defense skirmish, to think that she almost forgot about it as she was absorbed in planning out her work.

Sara’s handkerchief—right, she has yet to return it.

She pockets the handkerchief, making a mental note to return it today before beginning her desk work. Amara then decides to drop by the Guide Center as soon as most of her work wraps up.

 The Guide Center is located right across the National Guild building. Said to be the ‘bastion’ of humanity, these two facilities are vital to the Capital. Located at the heart of the busy commercial district, both towering skyscrapers never sleep. National Guild, part of the Ministry of Defense, is the one that manages the protection of the active cities from monsters and increasing Aether activities, as well as employs and trains Espers and Guides. Guide Center, as the name implies, is a facility built solely for Espers to turn in for Guiding. Different from the hospital located right beside it, any Espers who needed Guiding must go to the Center first, before receiving further treatment holistically or medically.

It is about as late as 5 PM when Amara finishes her work, thinking she may have missed Sara if she worked an early shift, but there’s no time like today. If she isn’t around, then, she will try again when she’s free.

Amara rarely goes to the Guide Center. She is only around when she is tagging along with Fiona, but usually Fiona and Livia will meet in the lobby, and they quickly leave the premises.

Glass walls surround most of the front area, with a metal floor that shines as though it is cleaned too frequently. A big receptionist desk sits at the middle area, and there are a few interactive floating screens to your right as you come in where Espers can access available Guide information. If one’s confused, you can ask the staff stationed near the waiting area on the left.

Amara lines up like others, then scanning her ID to bring out the Guide Center interface. She gives the list of active Guide duty a quick look, however, she doesn’t find Sara’s name on both early and late shifts.

She pulls away from the crowd, close to letting things be for the day, when someone calls her. A familiar stuttering.

“M-Miss Angkara!”

“Oh, Miss Penelope and—” with the Guide, an Esper that looks like she is fresh from the Center follows. Amara gives the blue-haired Esper a once-over. The red tie adorns her hair in one side tail, and the beauty mark on her lower left eye. She remembers her. “Miss Shura.”

The blue-haired Esper’s cheek colors as Amara mentions her name. She looks like a young trainee who wants to ask Amara for a handshake or something. “Ohh! It’s an honor to be remembered by The Tempest!”

“Now, now, I should be the one who thanked you. You were the one who helped me when I was unconscious, correct?”

“It’s merely a trifle for a Teleporter, ma’am!” When she salutes, Amara giggles.

Penelope elbows the overly-excited young lady on her stomach, “Shura!”

Amara doesn’t know whether Penelope and Sara are close, but it won’t hurt to ask.

“Do you happen to know where Miss Khalida is?”

Amara notices a minute frown on the black-haired Guide’s visage.

“I’m afraid she’s been a-away since yesterday,” Amara’s forehead crease deepens the more she talks. “She’s f-feeling unwell the day I worked with her in the C-Center.”

“Ah, Miss Khalida whom we met the last time, Pene?”

“Don’t call me t-that when we’re outside,” Penelope glares at the young Esper, who easily clams up. “Err, I-I’m sorry that you’ve come here for nothing, Miss Angkara.”

Amara offers them a smile, telling them that no moment was wasted. It will be evening soon, though Amara doesn’t have anything else to do after this.

“Then, how about the two of you accompany me for a meal? I think I haven’t thanked Miss Shura enough for her service.”

Both Penelope and Shura look at each other. Amara scrunches her forehead in wait, and she taps her chin. Asking someone for a meal is customary in the city-state she lived in. Nothing beats a conversation while enjoying good food, after all.

“Is … asking out people to meal a weird? Miss Khalida also rejected me last time.”

Shura comments, “Ouch,” and somehow Penelope steps on the poor woman’s shoes so hard that Shura winces. “Ouch!”

Are they in a comedy routine or something? Amara tilts her head in wonder.

“If—If it won’t be a hassle, then we’ll h-happily join you, M-Miss Angkara!” Penelope chimes.

Penelope brings the two Espers with her to one level underground, where half of the floor is a canteen.

National Guild’s eatery is not as spacious and as crowded as this, and Amara can’t be more elated. It’s no wonder that sometimes Fiona raves about this place and how she promises to take Amara here sometimes. The vibe reminds Amara of home, where people eat together at the same table, sometimes sharing food with someone they barely know, like a miner or a mason on their break after a tiring day of work. There is also a buffet section, in case you can’t choose from the extensive list of menu that spans as wide as the room to decide what to eat.

Penelope dutifully explains everything, saying that the buffet will cost you less than ordering from the menu, but she also said that the menu sometimes has its daily secret item. The method of payment is mostly cashless, you only have to scan your National Guild-issued ID, unless you’re a guest of the building.

“Just put it in my tab,” Amara says firstly before both of them waltzes to the buffet section. Her smile only grows wider when she adds, “I insist. Please.”

“A-Alright, Miss Angkara.”

The voices that Amara hears around them as they bring out the plate of ‘Employees Curry Set’ to the open table they can find, however, are nowhere as pleasant as the company, though.

“Did you hear, Bond Breaker is at it again.”

“What, did she turn you down?”

“I asked for Phase 2 and she ignored me!”

“I heard the last time she’s out, she’s getting buddy-buddy with upper echelon peeps. Is she going to report us?”

“Like how she possibly ratted one of the Guides that we asked for Phase 3?”

“Nah, as if. Guides won’t snitch. They’re afraid of us Espers. Meh, just bomb her rating if somehow you got her again.”

Amara notices that Penelope pales, and Shura, who likely only hears about this, tries not to comment.

“Does … Miss Khalida listen to this often?”

“A-Ah,” Penelope looks downward. “That’s … yeah. I-I only noticed more when I’m acquainted more with M-Miss Khalida. I never … really know before.”

Penelope tells in a small voice that usually Sara ignores it, as though it is a norm for her. While no one is resorting to physical bullying as Sara is ‘strong’ (to Penelope’s credit, though Amara can imagine how Sara will shut them off when she can, personally), the verbal abuse coming from passing Espers often happens. Penelope also says that usually when Sara does her Guiding, most of Espers are scowling.

Shura glances around them. The conversation is distinct, mostly Espers bemoaning about her, or fellow Guides trash talking her for being ‘gifted’ but ‘forsaking her place’. Amara can only say for now that it’s apparent that Sara is very biased, but this is too much.

As Amara is not exactly familiar with most of Espers and Guides' structural hierarchy, this already gives her a big picture about the Capital’s social norms as a whole.

Then again, you can’t do anything about it. Raising your voice only will get you in trouble that won't be worth it—Sara will also be affected.

Amara puts aside her spoon, slightly miffed, though an idea suddenly springs in her mind.

“Do you happen to know where she lived, Miss Penelope?”