New in castle town

I just left the cave using my wagon.
So I get out of it and walk around.
Technically I'm still inside the cave, but I'm on a wide ascending rough stone plane, leading up to a huge meadow.
It's almost a smooth transition.

I just go uphill.
There isn't a real exit. Left and right I don't see any walls. And the ceiling above me just gets steeper and steeper.
And suddenly I'm already outside on the meadow.

There I see a huge building in the distance. It's almost rectangular.
This must be my goal, the castle town.

I'm already excited. I'm so close to my goal already.
I'm approaching the building. The town is enclosed in a huge wall.
I walk around a bit. It's not obvious where I can go in.
But when I finally find the entry, I can get in without problems. No guards are protecting the town.

Inside the castle town, there are a lot of buildings.
They look more professional than the buildings in the villages. They seem functional but still aesthetically pleasing. No space is wasted. They are close to each other, but it looks like there's enough area behind most of them for a garden or something. I really like them.

Not much is going on on the streets, though.
Most people are just getting out of their houses.
It must be early in the morning.

I keep walking around and the streets fill with people.
Most of them are adults. It's nice to see so many of them for once.
In my village, there basically weren't any.

Some people are selling some stuff at the streets.
But I don't have any money. We didn't need it in my village.

I probably should ask someone for help.
In order to learn something and get money, I need to get a job.

So I go to some middle aged woman.

Hello, may I...

What is it, little guy? Can I help you?

Yeah, I'm new in town and want to get a job.
Do you know where I can find one?

Uhm..., you should probably head for the castle.
I'm sure there should be people who can help you.
It's in this direction.

She points along the street.

Thanks a lot. Bye!

After going down the street, I already see a large and magnificent building in the middle of the town.
This must be it! This must be the castle!

I slowly increase my walking speed.
I'm getting faster and faster until I'm basically running.
I'm really getting excited to finally enter the castle.
Technically the castle is my real goal after all.

It doesn't take long until I reach it.
In front of the castle, there are guards. But they don't move and just let me in.

I enter a huge hall. It's a beautifully decorated hall.
Statues are standing around and multiple stairs lead to a higher floor.

I look around and see a bunch of signs.
I'm really confused by them. Where do I have to go for a job?

Suddenly some slim guy comes to me from the side.

Hello! May I help you?

He has a high pitched, slightly insecure male voice.

Uhm..., I was hoping to get some education here and maybe find a place to sleep.

Oh, you're totally right here.
Would you like to join an association?

What does that mean?

We have different associations here, where multiple people of the same field of expertise gather.
You'll get some education and will be able to help with projects.
And when you're ready you will be able to work there regularly or use your skill in the villages.

That's basically what I want.
But first I need a place to sleep.
I don't have any money yet, though.
Where I come from-

We will provide free housing to you.
But you have to join an association.
You'll even get a small wage.

Doesn't sound bad.
So... what's the catch?

You have to finish your education at one of the associations.

And how long does the education take?

It depends. Most people need one or two years. But some also need even a few years longer, while others finish in just a few months.

Oh, that's long. I was hoping to visit my friends regularly.

If you want free housing, there's no way around it.
You might get a few days off, but that would probably not be enough time to go back to your village.

Oh, without experience, I might have to stay for a very long time.
Besides basic reading and calculation skills, there's not much useful I learned in my home village.

What if I cancel my education?

That's difficult. In that case you have to pay back your housing costs.
From the wage you get during education, it's possible to pay it, but it might be difficult.
So you would have to-

I get it. If I do it, I should be sure. I still have to think about it.

Yeah, you should always be sure about your decisions.
If you decide to join, just go over there.

He points to a door.

Thanks a lot!

I sit down on a bench at the wall and think what I should do.
I came here to learn something. Going back isn't an option.
I just have to finish the education quickly.

If I learn all day and night, I might be able to finish it at a normal rate. There's not much else I want to do here anyway, so I have time.
And if I do a really good job, maybe I could pay my housing and leave earlier. But that's probably just a fantasy.

And what would they do if I just go away?
Are they even able to check this?
I can't imagine, that's possible. So in the worst case, I'll just leave without telling anyone.

I keep sitting there for a while and look around.
Many people are standing in the hall or walking around.

I notice some adorable girl walking around.
She looks different than other girls. Much better.
She might be just a few years older than me.

Only a few guards are in her range, but also keep a distance to her and she wears elegant clothes.
I would be surprised if she isn't the princess.
The princess has a lot of say here.

She looks towards me and smiles.
I almost lose my mind. As in reflex, I try to smile back.
She looks back forward and keeps walking away.
I must have looked very awkward when smiling at her.

When she's gone, I finally get up and go to the room.
Inside there's an old woman sitting at a desk.

Please sit down. What do you want?

She speaks pretty slow and monotonously.

I'd like to join some association and get some place to sleep.

That's no problem. Let me have a look. I guess you want a flat for free?

I nod.

Your name?

Luka.

Where are you from?

From my village.

Which village?

The one where almost no adults are living.

Okay, I know that one.

She looks through some files and writes down some stuff.
After a while she puts out some key and gives it to me.
She also gives me some money.

Here's the key to your new home.
And you also get your money for today.

Oh, nice. Already? Thanks!

I have no idea how much I can buy from that.
But I'm very happy about that.

Then she also hands me some paper.

If you visit an association, show them this paper, so they know you registered.

Okay.

You are obliged to visit your association everyday.
Do you already know which association you want to join?

I didn't decide it yet. Which associations are there?

You don't have to decide for one now.
You can visit multiple before you decide.
I also got a list of all associations here.
Feel free to take it with you.

She hands another paper to me.
I take it and look at it. There must be multiple dozens.
How will I ever be able to choose one?

You look clueless.
If you have problems to decide, just pick one.
After visiting a few you should know what you like.

Okay, thanks. So am I free to go to my new home already?

Let me just explain the rules to you.
Then you have to sign this paper and it's settled.

She basically repeats what the man told me before.
Then I sign the paper.

So do you still have any questions?

I shake my head.

Then you're free to go now. I wish you luck and a nice time in castle town.

That was pretty easy. Do they really just trust me?

I leave the castle again and keep exploring the town for a while. Once in a while, I even see some creatures. Even plate humans like in the cave. But thankfully it's still mostly humans.
And there are a lot of stores. I've already seen multiple bakeries, a smith, a tailor, and more.

But it's already afternoon, so I only take some goodies from a bakery and still have a bunch of money left.

And then I decide to look for my home.
The number on the key should also be the same as the number of this district.

I ask a few people and they help me to find my place.
And when I finally find it, I open the door and get in.

I'm already tired. I have no idea how much sleep I got in the cave. So I look for the bed, only take off my shoes and immediately lie down to sleep.