“This position here, ‘Caretaker of Institute Side Branch - Number 1’, what can you tell me about this?” I asked the grouchy old man.

The old man took the book back and looked at where the job was listed on the register. After that he skipped through the book to the end and then flipped through a few more pages until he found the job description.

“Caretaker of Institute Side Branch - Number 1: The position requires the worker to tend to the upkeep and cleaning of the First Institute Side Branch of Mellawin, ensuring the stateliness that all Institute facilities must maintain while also performing other miscellaneous tasks and duties if and when required.”

A Side Branch!

I knew what that was!

I knew it better than anything!

Elde’s previous job before he came to this city had been working as an Associate Head at a side branch in his hometown.

Basically, a side branch was a subsidiary of a city’s main branch. A main branch couldn’t cater to the needs of everybody in an entire city so side branches were set up to be responsible for specific sections of the city all by themselves. Their role was two fold. Firstly, to act as a school/library for all those being educated by the Institute as well as those who aren’t to keep in accordance with their core value of spreading knowledge to everyone by making said knowledge accessible. Secondly, they also provided facilities for scholars to perform less critical duties such as light administrative work and low value research on topics such as local history and demographics.

Elde’s job specifically had been running the schooling side of his branch and teaching mostly Cali and some other things to the students that lived within his jurisdiction and were selected to be taught by the Institute. Obviously I couldn’t take on that role but I knew the ins and outs of a side branch from what Elde had told me and it seemed as good a place as any for me to work.

“Where is Side Branch 1 located?” I asked the clerk.

He looked down again at the job description, searching through some of the finer details that were written before he answered

“It’s over near the docks, close to the slums.”

…Well. At least I know the area.

“How much is the pay?”

“10 Cobits a week.” he replied.

Almost double what I made as a beggar. The Institute sure does take care of its own people.

“I’ll take it. When do I start?” I asked enthusiastically

“That’s not up to us.” he denied me flatly, “That’s up to your potential employer.”

With that he took out a piece of paper and wrote down some stuff before he finally stamped it and handed it to me.

“The address is listed there. What you need to do is go down to Side Branch 1 and meet with the Branch Head there. If they agree to hire you, you get them to sign this and bring it back here so that the job can be taken off the register and the Trade Guild can confirm with your employer that you have indeed been hired.”

Everything being straightforward enough I took the piece of paper, said my thanks to the booth attendant, and made my way out of The Bank. The Sun had passed the point for mid afternoon when I got outside again so I decided to check out the side branch tomorrow and simply head back to the inn for the night.

When I got back, the inn was in full swing so I grabbed some dinner and a few drinks before I headed up to my room to take a bath (gotta make up for lost time) and settle down for bed.

***************************************************************************************************************

The next morning after waking up on the floor (exhaustion had helped the first night but after decades of sleeping on solid ground the bed was keeping me awake rather than helping me sleep) I went downstairs, got some breakfast and asked the barkeep for some directions again before I headed off to interview for my first ever job in this world.

After walking for about an hour I found the place …and found myself very unsettled.

I had seen the grandeur of the Institute main branch from afar and had expected some of it to have trickled down to this side branch here but I found myself sorely disappointed. The building was big enough, sure. The biggest in the surrounding area, about the same proportions as a good sized library back home, but like the surrounding slum outskirts it was ramshackle, dirty and poorly maintained. It was made from steely brick but covered in moss and grime and the surrounding dirt patches were littered with weeds and rubbish.

Ensure the Institute’s stateliness was what the job description said. Well, it was going to be a lot of work.

The entrance was simple enough. A big set of thick wooden doors with the Scholar Guild plaque hanging overhead which I soon pushed open, to be accompanied by a loud and steady creak.

Something to put down on the list of things to work on if the interview pans out.

I walked in on hardwood floors through rows of dark dusty bookshelves. There were tens of them lined up, filled to the brim with books that I could just see in the dim light and all covered in dust and cobwebs. It wasn't hard to figure out where to go from there though because there was only one source of light in the whole place coming from what appeared to be the centre of the room. So I made my way towards it, keeping my footsteps quiet so as not to upset the heavy silence of the dark and dusty library.

Moving between the rows and columns I finally found the source of light. It was a big desk setted in the middle of the library lit by lanterns and candles that were intermingled amongst piles of books, all circling one solitary figure that was leaning over and working on something in front of them.

Getting closer I could make out that it was an elderly woman. She seemed to be doing something with an old book that was lying in front of her that just happened to be falling apart, the pages between the covers at angles and all over the place. I was just about to call out to her when… the floor creaked beneath my feet.

The old woman jerked her head up to see me standing there. A tired and thin gaunt spector of a man with no hair standing very tall and emerging from the dark and quiet shadows of her solitary abode.

“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!”

“OH JESUS! CALM DOWN. Calm down. It’s alright. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m sorry that I scared you. You are going to be fine. Just. Breathe.” I quickly exclaimed while trying to console her.

The old woman was still shocked, but seeing that I was a person and not some otherworldly apparition, she took my advice and started breathing in and out very hard as she gripped at her chest, heaving in the air as she tried to settle and compose herself.

Only when she caught her breath did she let me know how she felt.

“What the fuck are you doing?! Sneaking in here like that and scaring me almost to death. Didn’t your parents teach you better? By the Source. I don’t think I’ve ever been scared like that ever in my life, you insensitive bastard!”

I let her ramble on for a bit and get out what she had to say. I was feeling guilty for scaring her that badly and I didn’t want to further my already bad first impression to my potential employer any more than I already had.

“...what are you doing here?” she finally managed to get out after screaming a tirade of obscenities and denunciations at me.

“Again, I am so sorry for scaring you ma’am. I’ve just arrived here in Mellawin and yesterday I went to the Trade Guild to check their open employment register and I saw that there was an opening for a caretaker position here with this branch. I came here today to apply for it with the Branch Head, you I presume ma’am?” I apologise while explaining myself.

“Caretaker position? I’ve been trying for years to get a caretaker here and the only ones to show up were some of the criminals that surround this place who were bold enough to try and think they could steal from this branch without anyone noticing. But I shoved them right off. No place for bottom feeders here in an Institute branch, no matter how desperate it appears.” she went off shifting into another personal tirade at some point.

“Well, like I said ma’am I’m not from around here being newly arrived in the city and I’m in need of work and I would like to work here. If that would be agreeable with you ma’am.” reiterating my point.

“Where are you from?”

“Welle, ma’am.” I answer. Elde’s hometown automatically springing to my lips.

“Why do you want to work here?”

“I need work ma’am, and working for the Scholar Guild in any position is good money and I’m not averse to the type of work required here. Plus, the books would be a bonus.”

“You can read?” she asked suspiciously.

“I can ma’am. Not the best certainly, but I can read.”

Looking at me questionly for a moment she then takes out a book beside her and opens it up to the first page. She looks down at it for a moment before she turns it around and hands it to me.

“Read for me.”

I take the book and look down at my first test, before I start dictating what it said.

“This book is a detailed overview of the events leading up to the Great Schism, and will primarily focus on the actions and movements of Zhorr Balelight, or as he also came to be known Zhorr the First or Zhorr the Conqueror. It will also entail…”

“Alright that’s enough now,” she interrupted. “At the very least it seems you are somewhat civilised and educated and are for now, not a liar.”

She paused for a moment as she examined me, calculating something in her head, before she continued.

“Though you're completely incorrigible for scaring me like that, you aren’t at least a criminal like the rest of the scum that surrounds this place and seem to have some civility. …Very well, this place has been sorely lacking some upkeep for a long time and seeing as you have been the only suitable candidate to walk through those doors and apply here it seems that I have no other recourse other than to hire you.”

A smile is already starting to make its way onto my face and even what comes next does nothing to dampen it.

“You will report directly to me and will do all the chores I prescribe to you and if I find your work or attitude in any way wanting I will send you packing without hesitation young man. Do you understand?” she commanded.

“Yes ma’am. Transparently.” I reply with a scarce solemnity barely masking my joy.

“Very well. We might as well introduce ourselves to each other as we will be working together from now on. My name is Kara Morts and I am the branch head of this side branch. And you are?”

“I’m Barde ma’am. Barde… Eldeson.” I answer, introducing myself with a bit of a stumble.

She doesn’t seem to take much heed of it though as she places her hand in front of her chest and lowers her head towards me. Which I then follow in suit.

“It’s very nice to meet you Mr Eldeson.”

“It’s very nice to meet you too ma’am. I’m very looking forward to working with you.”

And I was.