"Ahem! Quiet, please! We are on the final review of your Rancher licenses, and as such we need to go over the material one last time with you all individually! To start, Hildegarde, please make your way to the room 1!"
I stood up nervously from my seat, staring at the mature, busty woman at the front of the class and following her pointed finger, where a door painted with the number '1' could be seen; nodding to her, I made my way around the auditorium and knocked on the door, entering it a second later when I heard a grunt come from within.
'Come on Hildegarde... come on now... we're right there! We got this!'
Psyching myself up, I pushed the door open and walked inside, revealing the beautiful wooden desk and lavish armchair, which was where one of the many Government Officials overseeing the Rancher licenses was currently seated, twirling her pen around and smiling softly at me as I froze.
Long golden locks spilled down onto the navy blue velvet suit she wore, complimented by the golden buttons and epaulettes, whilst the rope chain around her neck held her symbol of office; the gold medallion, upon which an Ankh was embossed with small runic lettering trailing around its edges.
Rich didn't even begin to describe the woman in front of me, and likely sensing that I was stunned by the sight of such a high ranking Official being the one to do my final test, the woman snickered and leaned into her armchair, her golden eyes landing on my face and flashing with... something.
Recognition, perhaps?
Even though I had never seen her before..?
"Hildegarde Serani, correct? Applicant 429-3A?"
Her silky voice caressed my ears closely, and I blinked before hastily nodding, only to have my heart drop as I realized I forgot to bow, which I did a moment later... only to have the woman snicker again.
"No need for that, dear. We are here for business. Business that needs to be completed quickly, so please, sit. Ah, and don't mind Regina here; she's just a cautious kitty~!"
As I looked back up, I saw a frowning Catkin leaning against the side of the woman's armchair, her pink fur and heterochromatic eyes making it rather obvious she was a prized Catkin at that; they were typically orange, black, brown or gray furred, but there were other colors that they could be... if they had a higher innate mana capacity, that is.
And considering the gold and black eye that stared at me, I... wasn't confident that she wasn't an extremely thoroughbred Catkin with both Light and Dark Mana, something that would easily make her worth 1,000 gold at the minimum...
Gulping, I stepped forwards and sat down in the less lavish, yet still comfortable armchair that was across from the woman, who smiled at me and said "No need to be nervous, dear. You passed everything else with flying colors; all I need you to do is answer my questions to re verify that you know what you're talking about, and that you understand the importance of your potential position. Now, that aside, I am Nera Von Goldiue, and I shall be your Proctor for today."
Nodding, I gulped again and forced myself to meet her golden gaze, which felt heavy with power as she continued to smile at me...
"Question one. What is a Demi Human, Miss Serani?"
I was slightly surprised by the simplicity of the question, but that was clearly the reason it was asked; simple didn't mean easy, and this was one way to verify how someone thought about Demi Humans as a whole, which made me relax slightly as I nodded and answered her question.
"Demi Humans are part human, part monster. Separate from Humans, they have a higher physical ability range, latent mana abilities, and produce various materials that are... simply put, better than what their monster and animal counterparts can produce. Intelligent, sentient, clever and strong, Demi Human's are valuable and irreplaceable partners in this harsh world of ours, able to protect and provide things that make it all the better to live in. They are in some instances better than Humans, and in others lesser, but that is what makes them so fascinating and unique! We can do things they can't and vice versa, so working together we can accomplish great things!"
My lips curled into a grin as I leaned forwards, only to wither slightly as the smiling face of Lady Von Goldiue remained the same, making me realize I was still being tested... I just... couldn't help myself though when it came to these wonderful and amazing people!
"Question two. What is the difference between a Demi Human and a Monster?"
"Oh... Like I said before, a Demi Human is sentient and aware of themselves, but a Monster isn't. Monster's are mindless beasts that run on instincts and desires alone. Additionally, a Monster has the ability to utilize its mana and cast spells, whilst a Demi Human can only formulate its mana into Crystals that are then used by Humans to cast spells."
"Question three. What constitutes committing a crime against a Demi Human, and how severe are the sentences?"
That one made me blink, the sudden shift towards something darker - paired with the way that Lady Von Goldiue was no longer smiling - sending a shiver down my spine as I gulped once more, though I answered the same as before; with confidence that came with knowing this like the back of my hand.
"The same as committing a crime against a Human. Humans and Demi Humans are equally protected beneath the law, and any crime against them is treated the same. The most common crimes committed... well, forgive me, Lady Von Goldiue, but... the common crimes committed are kidnapping and rape, which then turns into forced breeding and enslavement."
"What is the sentence?"
"Loss of Government licenses, a fine upwards of 10,000 Gold, a minimum of 5 years in jail, and a minimum of 3 years of forced labor if you are charged with any of the aforementioned crimes."
Lady Von Goldiue smiled at me once more, her eyes laden with power as she nodded and said "You would do well to remember that, Miss Serani. For decades now Demi Humans have been equal to us, as they should. Any act that demeans them and tries to treat them as lesser will be punished, especially here on the Frontier. The last thing we want is another uprising... especially in an area where the military won't reach for a week at the minimum. Understood?"