D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

”Oh? I’m surprised that wasn’t covered when you first arrived in the Hub” said Kamiko. ”It’s pretty standard information and everyone just sort of knows it. That’s why when you first come it’s… I think I was told it’s the second thing on the information packet? Something like that. It’s also covered again in education, which, I know you said you didn’t do, but I just… well I was under the impression it was somewhat clear” said Kamiko.

”I think I can get the idea of it just from the name, but no, the first time I was in the Hub was for a medical emergency” said Kat

Kamiko’s eyes went wide. ”What? That’s not good at all. What could you have possibly come down with? You have such good regeneration, immunity to hot and cold attacks, a demon, so most diseases on worlds ranked low enough for young demons like us to be summoned to… seriously how?”

”Um… well, I was stabbed in the heart repeatedly while being low on demonic energy, and then that still wasn’t enough, so I finished the job and got stabbed a bit more for my trouble” said Kat.

”Oh yes. I mean, Oh no. I mean… sorry. When I said Oh yes, I meant that would probably do it. I’m not happy at all something like that happened to you, but it’s good to know that you can take extreme trauma like that anyway. I mean, no that isn’t something you want to know… er um… I’m glad you’re ok?” stammered Kamiko, who was now sweating somewhat and moving her arms around in a panic.

Kat just gave the poor girl a hug. ”It’s ok. I know what you mean, and I’m glad that you care” said Kat while pulling Kamiko in tightly.

”But you still didn’t tell me about the Section Overseer” said Kat

Kamiko’s blush was hidden by the fact her face was pressed into Kat’s neck. She was certainly tempted to just keep it there and prevent her embarrassment showing, but quickly decided it couldn’t have been worse than what she’d already said.

”Right, so um… I’m really not sure what to compare it to Kat. The Section Overseer just sort of… is? I mean they look after an area, and people take their serious problems to them, and they report to someone else, but I don’t rightly remember what those guys are called. Um… sometimes the Section Overseer is elected by everyone in the section, other times it’s some sort of contest?

”No, I’m pretty sure that’s right. I believe I remember once that when an old district near where I live had their overseer step down, they had an art contest that decided who was replacing him. I… I think I went to it? I’m not sure it was over ten years ago now and I was very young.

”Um… I know Wrath pretty much always has a tournament for it, but I’m not sure when exactly it happens or how often because well… they just have those all the time. Also… I’m not sure if the Wrath compound has multiple Overseers or not… I think they should, the land is certainly large enough. But because it’s a compound maybe not.” Said Kamiko trailing off as she started to consider the exact boundaries of each section.

Kat mulled over that information in her head before asking. ”So, you said they are around to settle disputes right? What is to stop people just… coming to them for every little thing?”

”Oh, well um… it actually costs… a large percentage? I’m pretty sure it is a percentage, of any currency you have if you lose the dispute. The more often you come in for disputes and the more serious the dispute is, the more it costs, except, the Overseer is the one who sets the fee, and they set it before the verdict, so sometimes if the claim is really frivolous they make the fine much larger to account for that and BOTH people have to pay.

”Now, of course, if the Overseer actually does that there is the option to appeal to D.E.M.O.N.S for it to get overruled if you feel they were excessively cruel, but it’s not particularly often that gets overturned because most Overseers like the job, and they don’t actually get the currency from their verdicts so… there isn’t really much of a point to being cruel about it unless you enjoy that sort of thing I suppose” said Kamiko finishing off with a shrug.

”So do they get paid?” asked Kat

Kamiko nodded. ”Yup. They get paid a fixed fee I think, as well as a bonus when they get reviewed at the end of the year if they do well on the section wide survey. Additionally, they don’t have to ever accept a summoning no matter what Rank.

”Now, most Overseers are higher ranked because that means they can enforce their verdicts when they need to if people are being unreasonable. Oh D.E.M.O.N.S can do it, but I know that costs the Overseer part of their salary, and damages their end of year score when the surveys come in so yeah, it’s more of an older demon thing.” Explained Kamiko.

*Well, I suppose that makes sense. It really does sound like a mayoral position or something similar. They also seem to be a bit of a counsellor as well though. Still it does seem like an interesting job. I just wonder how many people they have to look over. I can’t quite decide what sized group it would be. 

On the one hand, it seems like you’d want to be good at it, you’d need to make sure you had time for people to always come see you so you’re always on the clock… but how many people have problems on the regular? Like… if it was entirely houses for example, there would probably be a number of families that make almost no problems so you’d need a few hundred, maybe even a thousand houses, before you were busy on any consisted basis.*

”Hey Kamiko, how many people are in a Section?” asked Kat

”Well, that sort of thing changes semi-regularly. I think it’s once a decade? I’d have to check, but once a decade, if that is correct, all of sections get looked over, and if there are too many reports it gets separated into two or spread out into neighbouring sections if that’s possible. The same is true for the other way around. Not enough complaints and they get more people to look after.

”Some places, like the compounds, don’t really change size for obvious reasons but I believe they potentially get other jobs, like visiting high complaint areas during the next ten-year span and things like that.” Said Kamiko.

*Huh… that actually sounds like a well put together system. It does make me wonder who decides on housing and zone laws or roads and such… actually probably THE system. It seems like the type of thing that would be more easily automated.* 

”Does the system, er I mean, D.E.M.O.N.S manage the like zoning districts and stuff?” asked Kat.

Kamiko shrugged. ”It really depends. So, from what I know, you can petition the system for it to zone land for you. You give it a list of people interested in living in a particular area and it sorts the whole thing out, mostly free of charge. It’s a few embers per person, but that’s basically nothing for the work D.E.M.O.N.S is doing. Then you all get a chance to buy plots in an auction after they have been assigned their type. D.E.M.O.N.S does outline all available property, so you know what you want to chase after.

”The other way you can do it, is personally buy a bunch of land yourself and rent it to people. Or, buy the land and sell it, but most people don’t do that second one. It’s… well it’s not actually that popular of a decision unless you are building a new compound if I’m honest. My parents said it’s really common when Hubs are founded because the people who discover and clear it all out get massive discounts on buying the land, but once things settle down it really just isn’t worth it.

”Still, I know there are quite a few sections that started off that way, and they are part of some of the largest cities now, so, it’s not like there are NO reasons at all to do it. Just that it isn’t really something that comes up much now” said Kamiko happily chatting to Kat.

*Well, that has been rather enlightening. But… what are we still doing on the road.* ”Hey Kamiko, exactly why are we walking along for? Do we… like finish for the day? Go home? Go to some holding facility?” asked Kat.

”I’m… actually I have no idea.” Said Kamiko, finally out of words for Kat. *Hmm, well I guess I’ll just have to ask.*