1st of Ash, 122
Location: Gel’ Grandal
Leon took a deep breath and lifted his head upward. It could go as high as the sky if they wanted to. He thought to himself, basking in awe of the tallest skyscraper in the Imperium. The Imperial State Building stories didn’t do it justice. It is something that has to be seen with one’s own eyes. Despite passing by the magnificent building for eight years, it never ceased to amaze him—an architectural marvel, as the experts would say.
With his medal of valor still warm in his pocket, he wasted no time looking for ways to secure his future. Sure enough, his time in the Special Unit’s Jaeger Corps was the most profitable time in his life. It was good while it lasted. And he wasn’t foolish enough to go skirt chasing with death on the frontline the third time. As the famous saying goes, the third’s time the charm.
Having to balance his time between the clusterfuck of what was called the Ministry of War’s Special Unit and serving as an engineer in the Imperial Army Logistic Corps, he hadn’t put much thought into what came after. All good things come to an end. Going back home wasn’t an option that he wanted to revisit, especially after the incident at his grandfather’s funeral. And here he was, fresh from his discharge ceremony, with no money to his name.
He remembered one of his bunkmates talking about how Artificers are the future of the Imperium. True enough, with the rise of the megacorporations such as GIM Co and SMILE Inc., the future seemed to be headed that way. He witnessed first-hand the amount of LAFs (Liquefied Artheric Fuel) used in almost every military and non-military vehicle. Especially those gargantuan carrier airships.
Leon took a deep breath and walked inside the Imperial State Building, greeted with marble floors and high ceiling. He scanned the room and made his way to one of the receptionist desks located nearby.
“Guten Morgen”, he nodded courteously at the receptionist.
“Guten Morgen. How can I help you?” the receptionist replied as she adjusted her eyeglasses.
“I would like to inquire further about working as an Artificer.”
“Ah, Artificer.” She flipped through the little notebook in her hand. “That would be the Magitek Engineer’s Guild. Take the magitek elevator number four to the tenth floor.”
“Thank you”
Leon followed the signs and ended up in front of the magitek elevator number four. He entered the elevator and was greeted by a well-dressed man.
“Guten Morgen. Which floor would it be?” the person asked.
“The tenth floor please. The Magitek Engineer’s Guild. Thanks.”
As the elevator began its ascent, Leon turned around and took in the sight that was made possible because of the glass wall. The lobby looked more magnificent the higher they went.
“Elevator number one would have the best view of the city. It faces outward instead of inward.” The man commented when he saw Leon's awestruck face.
“Thanks for the info.”
After quite a while, the elevator stopped, and the indicator indicated they had arrived on the tenth floor. Leon thanked the man before making his way down the hallway. He exited into a hallway just as grand as the architectural design of the lobby. As he made his way, he noticed a slight change in the interior design. A magitek decoration or two pops up. The further down the hallway, the more magitek-style furnishing could be seen. He stopped in front of a half-circle desk. The clerk looked at him and pointed at the stacks of colored papers in front of her.
“Red for SMILE Inc., blue for GIM Co, green for the Engineerium, grey for government services, yellow for public services, white for unaffiliated.” The clerk explained as she pointed at each stack of colored paper.
Leon took the white-colored paper and skimmed through the form. “Hmm, what’s the Id number and the Vex number?” he asked, puzzled.
The clerk stopped tapping on the typewriter and stared at him for a few seconds. “The last four digits of the certification.” She looked at him, hoping he would understand. “Certification…..the artificer certification examination by the academy…..” she paused. “Have you taken the certification yet?”
Leon chuckled awkwardly, “Do the certification test from the Logistic Corps counts?”
The clerk took a deep breath and then sighed. “That certification is only valid during your enlistment and only within the military. To open up a business or practice artificing in public setting, you need to take the certification test from the Imperial Academy. After receiving the certification from the Imperial Academy, then apply for licensure. When you have your licenses, then and only then you could register with the Guild.”
“Thanks for the information.” Leon thanked the clerk.
The clerk nodded and resumed tapping on the typewriter.
“Oh, and one more thing. Could a licensed artificer practice artificing without being registered with the Guild?”
The tapping paused, and the clerk looked up at him. “Technically, you could, but you’ll miss out on the perks the Guild has to offer.” She resumed tapping on the typewriter.
“Thanks” Leon turned around and returned to the elevator. Just like in the military, huh? No matter what kind of fucked up shit we did, we got our asses covered. As long as we say the magic words: It’s a matter of national security. He chuckled to himself.
Leon exited the building. He had debated taking the carriage or walking and chose the latter. Taking in the sights of the city, the hustle and bustle of the Wintergarten Circle and the Imperial Plaza never cease to amaze him. It took him quite a while before arriving at the Imperial Academy. Leon sighed at the familiar sight in front of him, the Imperial Officer Academy. He had planned on enrolling in the Imperial Officer Academy when he first enlisted. But, after learning that commissioned officers had longer serve time despite the higher wage, he decided to take the enlisted route instead. Perhaps if I didn’t meet that sly bastard of a CO, I would have enrolled in the Academy and probably be a Captain or Major by now. Instead of running around the Imperium playing tag with other foreign intelligence factions. He sighed. I should’ve gone the Inquisitor route if I knew things would turn out this way. At least with them, I don’t have to worry about retirement.
Making his way to the receptionist’s desk. The receptionist gave him a quick nod before motioning him to the chair.
“Guten Morgen. How can I help you, Herr….” The receptionist paused
“Guten Morgen. Welker, Leon Welker.” Leon greeted. “I would like to inquire regarding the Artificer licensure exam.”
“Ah, yes. The Artificer licensure exam.” The receptionist nodded and began flipping through the pile of brochures underneath his desk. “One moment please, Herr Welker.”
Leon took out the medal from his pocket and began rolling it across his fingers while waiting for the receptionist. After a few minutes, the receptionist emerged with several brochures and paused when he saw the medal that Leon was rolling across his fingers.
“The Logistic Corps, right? Which company do you served in?” the receptionist asked.
Leon stopped rolling the medal halfway across his fingers. “I served in the 79th under Major Gunther.”
“So, you’ve taken the Logistic Corps certification test, right?” the receptionist flipped through his binder, picked out a form, and placed it on the desk. “So, it’s quite similar with the Corps’ certification test, but mostly geared toward general use of Artificing. Just need to fill out this form and once it is verified, you’ll be given restricted access to first-level resources in the Imperium Library. Which is valid for two seasons or until you’re officially licensed.” The receptionist explained.
“So how long will the verification process be?” Leon asked as he began filling out the form.
“It depends, usually it’ll take three to five days. But it could be a bit longer for you guys, since there would be two verifications. From the Academy and from the Ministry of War. You could come back in three days to check on the status of your verifications.”
“Well then, thank you for the information, and I’ll come back in three days to check on the status of my verification.” He said as he handed the form back to the receptionist.
Damn, what a headache, with all these red tapes and stuff. I’m sure the geezer expunged all records pertaining to the Special Unit. Let’s hope it’s just some low-ranked pencil pusher that’d be doing the verification and not that infamous witch from Internal Affairs. Leon thought to himself as he made his way outside. Might as well take a stroll down Rosenholz Park. It’s been quite a while since I got to go sightseeing properly.
Location: Gel’ Grandal
Leon took a deep breath and lifted his head upward. It could go as high as the sky if they wanted to. He thought to himself, basking in awe of the tallest skyscraper in the Imperium. The Imperial State Building stories didn’t do it justice. It is something that has to be seen with one’s own eyes. Despite passing by the magnificent building for eight years, it never ceased to amaze him—an architectural marvel, as the experts would say.
With his medal of valor still warm in his pocket, he wasted no time looking for ways to secure his future. Sure enough, his time in the Special Unit’s Jaeger Corps was the most profitable time in his life. It was good while it lasted. And he wasn’t foolish enough to go skirt chasing with death on the frontline the third time. As the famous saying goes, the third’s time the charm.
Having to balance his time between the clusterfuck of what was called the Ministry of War’s Special Unit and serving as an engineer in the Imperial Army Logistic Corps, he hadn’t put much thought into what came after. All good things come to an end. Going back home wasn’t an option that he wanted to revisit, especially after the incident at his grandfather’s funeral. And here he was, fresh from his discharge ceremony, with no money to his name.
He remembered one of his bunkmates talking about how Artificers are the future of the Imperium. True enough, with the rise of the megacorporations such as GIM Co and SMILE Inc., the future seemed to be headed that way. He witnessed first-hand the amount of LAFs (Liquefied Artheric Fuel) used in almost every military and non-military vehicle. Especially those gargantuan carrier airships.
Leon took a deep breath and walked inside the Imperial State Building, greeted with marble floors and high ceiling. He scanned the room and made his way to one of the receptionist desks located nearby.
“Guten Morgen”, he nodded courteously at the receptionist.
“Guten Morgen. How can I help you?” the receptionist replied as she adjusted her eyeglasses.
“I would like to inquire further about working as an Artificer.”
“Ah, Artificer.” She flipped through the little notebook in her hand. “That would be the Magitek Engineer’s Guild. Take the magitek elevator number four to the tenth floor.”
“Thank you”
Leon followed the signs and ended up in front of the magitek elevator number four. He entered the elevator and was greeted by a well-dressed man.
“Guten Morgen. Which floor would it be?” the person asked.
“The tenth floor please. The Magitek Engineer’s Guild. Thanks.”
As the elevator began its ascent, Leon turned around and took in the sight that was made possible because of the glass wall. The lobby looked more magnificent the higher they went.
“Elevator number one would have the best view of the city. It faces outward instead of inward.” The man commented when he saw Leon's awestruck face.
“Thanks for the info.”
After quite a while, the elevator stopped, and the indicator indicated they had arrived on the tenth floor. Leon thanked the man before making his way down the hallway. He exited into a hallway just as grand as the architectural design of the lobby. As he made his way, he noticed a slight change in the interior design. A magitek decoration or two pops up. The further down the hallway, the more magitek-style furnishing could be seen. He stopped in front of a half-circle desk. The clerk looked at him and pointed at the stacks of colored papers in front of her.
“Red for SMILE Inc., blue for GIM Co, green for the Engineerium, grey for government services, yellow for public services, white for unaffiliated.” The clerk explained as she pointed at each stack of colored paper.
Leon took the white-colored paper and skimmed through the form. “Hmm, what’s the Id number and the Vex number?” he asked, puzzled.
The clerk stopped tapping on the typewriter and stared at him for a few seconds. “The last four digits of the certification.” She looked at him, hoping he would understand. “Certification…..the artificer certification examination by the academy…..” she paused. “Have you taken the certification yet?”
Leon chuckled awkwardly, “Do the certification test from the Logistic Corps counts?”
The clerk took a deep breath and then sighed. “That certification is only valid during your enlistment and only within the military. To open up a business or practice artificing in public setting, you need to take the certification test from the Imperial Academy. After receiving the certification from the Imperial Academy, then apply for licensure. When you have your licenses, then and only then you could register with the Guild.”
“Thanks for the information.” Leon thanked the clerk.
The clerk nodded and resumed tapping on the typewriter.
“Oh, and one more thing. Could a licensed artificer practice artificing without being registered with the Guild?”
The tapping paused, and the clerk looked up at him. “Technically, you could, but you’ll miss out on the perks the Guild has to offer.” She resumed tapping on the typewriter.
“Thanks” Leon turned around and returned to the elevator. Just like in the military, huh? No matter what kind of fucked up shit we did, we got our asses covered. As long as we say the magic words: It’s a matter of national security. He chuckled to himself.
Leon exited the building. He had debated taking the carriage or walking and chose the latter. Taking in the sights of the city, the hustle and bustle of the Wintergarten Circle and the Imperial Plaza never cease to amaze him. It took him quite a while before arriving at the Imperial Academy. Leon sighed at the familiar sight in front of him, the Imperial Officer Academy. He had planned on enrolling in the Imperial Officer Academy when he first enlisted. But, after learning that commissioned officers had longer serve time despite the higher wage, he decided to take the enlisted route instead. Perhaps if I didn’t meet that sly bastard of a CO, I would have enrolled in the Academy and probably be a Captain or Major by now. Instead of running around the Imperium playing tag with other foreign intelligence factions. He sighed. I should’ve gone the Inquisitor route if I knew things would turn out this way. At least with them, I don’t have to worry about retirement.
Making his way to the receptionist’s desk. The receptionist gave him a quick nod before motioning him to the chair.
“Guten Morgen. How can I help you, Herr….” The receptionist paused
“Guten Morgen. Welker, Leon Welker.” Leon greeted. “I would like to inquire regarding the Artificer licensure exam.”
“Ah, yes. The Artificer licensure exam.” The receptionist nodded and began flipping through the pile of brochures underneath his desk. “One moment please, Herr Welker.”
Leon took out the medal from his pocket and began rolling it across his fingers while waiting for the receptionist. After a few minutes, the receptionist emerged with several brochures and paused when he saw the medal that Leon was rolling across his fingers.
“The Logistic Corps, right? Which company do you served in?” the receptionist asked.
Leon stopped rolling the medal halfway across his fingers. “I served in the 79th under Major Gunther.”
“So, you’ve taken the Logistic Corps certification test, right?” the receptionist flipped through his binder, picked out a form, and placed it on the desk. “So, it’s quite similar with the Corps’ certification test, but mostly geared toward general use of Artificing. Just need to fill out this form and once it is verified, you’ll be given restricted access to first-level resources in the Imperium Library. Which is valid for two seasons or until you’re officially licensed.” The receptionist explained.
“So how long will the verification process be?” Leon asked as he began filling out the form.
“It depends, usually it’ll take three to five days. But it could be a bit longer for you guys, since there would be two verifications. From the Academy and from the Ministry of War. You could come back in three days to check on the status of your verifications.”
“Well then, thank you for the information, and I’ll come back in three days to check on the status of my verification.” He said as he handed the form back to the receptionist.
Damn, what a headache, with all these red tapes and stuff. I’m sure the geezer expunged all records pertaining to the Special Unit. Let’s hope it’s just some low-ranked pencil pusher that’d be doing the verification and not that infamous witch from Internal Affairs. Leon thought to himself as he made his way outside. Might as well take a stroll down Rosenholz Park. It’s been quite a while since I got to go sightseeing properly.
