Magi arrived at the Guild Training Center five minutes early, as was his habit.

  The building's utilitarian design. Gray walls, reinforced windows, and the ever-present blue Guild emblem. Matched his preference for functionality over aesthetics.

  He nodded to the security guard, who checked his credentials with a quick scan.

  "Conference Room B, Level Two," the guard said. "Orientation starts in fifteen minutes."

  Magi thanked him and headed for the elevators. The building hummed with the activity of Raiders preparing for missions, administrators processing paperwork, and tech specialists monitoring the city's Rifts.

  It was organized chaos, but chaos nonetheless. Magi preferred his apartment's quiet.

  The elevator doors opened to reveal Eli already inside.

  "Morning," she said, looking up from her tablet. "Sleep well?"

  "Adequately." Magi pressed the button for Level Two.

  Eli studied him for a moment. "You know, most people would have been too excited to sleep after getting promoted."

  "Sleep is a biological necessity, not an optional activity."

  "Right." Eli returned to her tablet with a small smile. "I forgot who I was talking to."

  The elevator doors opened again, and they walked together down the hallway. Conference Room B was easy to find, a line of C-rank Raiders waited outside its doors.

  Marc and Layla stood near the entrance, deep in conversation. Jax leaned against the wall nearby, fidgeting with one of his daggers. When they spotted Magi and Eli approaching, Layla waved enthusiastically.

  "There they are!" she called out. "Mr. Basic Skills himself and our wind witch."

  "Please don't call me that," Eli sighed.

  Marc nodded in greeting. "Everyone ready for three hours of bureaucratic torture?"

  "Three hours?" Magi frowned. "The schedule said two."

  "They always run over," Jax said, still flipping his dagger. "Something about 'questions and clarifications' at the end."

  "Inefficient," Magi muttered.

  The conference room doors opened, and a Guild administrator gestured for everyone to enter.

  The room contained rows of chairs facing a podium, with screens mounted on the walls. Echo Squad found seats together in the middle row.

  As Raiders filled the room, Magi scanned the faces. Most were strangers. C-rank teams he'd seen in passing at the Guild Hall but never interacted with. Then his gaze landed on a group entering from the side door.

  Golden Lions. All five of them, including Keller.

  "Unexpected," Magi said.

  Marc followed his gaze and tensed. "Why would they be at C-rank orientation? They're A-rank."

  "Demotion?" Layla suggested hopefully.

  Eli shook her head. "Not possible. Even with the penalty for falsified reports, they wouldn't drop three ranks."

  "Observation, then," Jax said quietly. "They're watching us."

  Keller caught Magi's eye and held it for a moment before turning away with a scowl. The Lions took seats at the back of the room.

  A woman in a crisp Guild uniform approached the podium. Her badge identified her as Senior Administrator Rhea Kendall. She tapped the microphone twice, bringing the room to attention.

  "Good morning, Raiders. Welcome to your C-rank orientation." Her voice was precise, her posture military. "Congratulations on your advancement. With higher rank comes greater responsibility, which is why we're here today."

  She gestured to the screens, which displayed the Guild's hierarchical structure. "As C-rank Raiders, you now have access to more dangerous Rifts, better equipment subsidies, and higher-paying contracts. You also have increased liability."

  The screens switched to show spreadsheets of numbers. Magi straightened in his chair, suddenly interested.

  "C-rank teams must maintain comprehensive insurance policies," Rhea continued. "Collateral damage exceeding fifty thousand credits requires team contribution to restoration funds. Civilian casualties resulting from negligence may result in criminal charges in addition to Guild penalties."

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  For the next forty-five minutes, Rhea detailed the financial responsibilities of C-rank teams. Magi took careful notes, calculating potential expenses against projected income. The math was straightforward: higher rank meant higher risk, both physical and financial.

  "Why aren't you looking bored like everyone else?" Layla whispered.

  "This is important information," Magi replied without looking up. "It affects our bottom line."

  "Our what now?"

  "Our profitability," Magi clarified. "Higher rank means higher taxes but also better contracts. The optimal balance point is—"

  "Please hold questions until the end," Rhea interrupted, looking directly at them.

  Layla sank lower in her seat. Magi returned to his notes.

  The presentation shifted to operational protocols. Rhea explained the new requirements for C-rank Rift assessment, including mandatory preliminary scans, environmental hazard documentation, and escalation procedures.

  "Unlike D-rank operations, you now have the authority to call for backup without prior approval," Rhea said. "However, unnecessary escalations that waste Guild resources will result in penalties. Your judgment must be sound."

  Magi glanced back at the Golden Lions. Keller was watching him, not the presentation. Their eyes met briefly before Magi turned away.

  The Lions' presence made no sense unless they were specifically monitoring Echo Squad… or him.

  Rhea moved on to equipment regulations and communication protocols. The minutiae of Guild operations filled another hour. Around him, Raiders shifted in their seats, checked their phones, or whispered to teammates. Magi continued taking notes, calculating efficiency metrics and operational costs.

  Finally, Rhea reached the section titled "New Protocols."

  "Effective immediately, all C-rank and above operations will include mandatory drone oversight." She gestured to a small hovering device that entered through a side door. It was spherical, approximately fifteen centimeters in diameter, with multiple camera lenses and the Guild emblem emblazoned on its surface.

  "Each team will be assigned a Guild Observer drone that will accompany you on all official missions," Rhea explained. "These drones will record your operations for quality control, training purposes, and liability documentation."

  Murmurs spread through the room. Marc leaned forward, frowning.

  "The drones feature enhanced scanning capabilities," Rhea continued over the whispers. "They can detect environmental hazards, monitor team vital signs, and transmit real-time data to Guild Command. In emergency situations, they can also deploy basic medical countermeasures and signal for extraction."

  "They're watching us," Jax muttered. "That's what this is about."

  Magi studied the drone as it hovered near Rhea. Its cameras rotated slowly, scanning the room. The technology wasn't new. Guild Command had used observation drones for years, but deploying them with every team was unprecedented.

  "The drones are equipped with secure communication channels," Rhea said. "In the event of team incapacitation, Guild Command can provide direct instructions through the drone's speaker system."

  "Can they be turned off?" someone called from the back.

  Rhea's expression hardened. "Tampering with Guild Observer drones is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate rank reduction and possible license suspension. The drones are Guild property and essential safety equipment."

  More murmurs filled the room. Magi calculated the implications. Permanent observation meant no more hiding his capabilities.

  Every use of his attributes would be recorded and analyzed. The simplicity of anonymity was evaporating.

  "Each drone has a designated team identifier," Rhea continued. "Your assigned drone will activate when you accept a contract and deactivate upon mission completion. The data is encrypted and stored in Guild archives for a minimum of five years."

  She paused, looking around the room. "This is not negotiable. The Guild Council has determined that increased oversight is necessary for Raider safety and public confidence."

  Eli leaned close to Magi. "Isn't this because of us?" she whispered. "The bone dragon incident?"

  Magi considered it. The timing aligned. Echo Squad had dealt with an unprecedented threat that should have required A-rank intervention. The Guild would want to understand how a newly-formed team managed such a feat, and would be particularly interested in monitoring him.

  "Possibly," he replied quietly. "Or it's a broader policy change that coincidentally affects us."

  Rhea continued explaining the drone protocols while demonstrating the device's capabilities.

  It could pass through Rifts without disruption, operate for seventy-two hours without charging, and withstand significant environmental hazards.

  It was also equipped with emergency beacons and basic defensive measures.

  Finally, after nearly three hours, Rhea concluded the orientation. "Your team leaders will receive your Observer drone assignments by end of day. Remember, these measures exist to protect you as much as to monitor you. Dismissed."

  As the Raiders began to file out, Magi noticed the Golden Lions remaining seated. Keller was speaking with a Guild official, gesturing occasionally toward Echo Squad.

  "Let's go," Marc said, noticing Magi's attention. "Nothing good comes from engaging with them."

  Echo Squad left the conference room and headed for the elevators. As they waited, Eli turned to Marc.

  "The drones are because of us, aren't they?"

  Marc sighed. "I got a heads-up from Whitehall last night. The bone dragon incident raised questions about proper Rift classification and response protocols. Some Council members pushed for increased oversight."

  "Great," Layla groaned. "Now we've got a flying babysitter watching our every move."

  "It's worse than that," Jax added. "Everything gets recorded and analyzed. Every technique, every skill, every decision."

  The elevator arrived, and they stepped inside. As the doors closed, Magi considered the implications.

  The drone would record his attributes in action, creating a permanent record of his capabilities. The anonymity he'd cultivated was ending.

  "More paperwork," he muttered.

  "What?" Layla looked at him.

  "The drones create data. Data requires analysis. Analysis requires reports." Magi adjusted his hoodie. "More paperwork."

  Marc chuckled. "Only you would reduce constant surveillance to an administrative inconvenience."

  The elevator descended to the lobby. As they exited, Magi glanced up at the security cameras mounted in the corners. One more observer made little difference in a world already full of watching eyes. The Guild, the Syndicate, the Golden Lions… everyone wanted something from him now.

  All he wanted was less noise and more control over his time. Instead, he was getting drones, attention, and complications.

  The quiet life of a porter seemed increasingly distant.