"Phew. Finally finished," Maragret breathed as she slapped down her pen. "I thought the day would never end."
"Yeah, it's rough. This time of year is truly Acrasom on earth." Flora shook her head as she stretched out her arms, sitting up fully for the first time in a few hours. "It'll only get worse as the weeks go on too, what with the Year End festival and the ongoing Guild Wars. I don't see many breaks in our future."
"Ugh, don't say that," the purple haired receptionist groaned, leaning on the small stack of papers piled neatly on her desk. "I don't even wanna think about the coming events."
A full day had passed since Jak and Mako had passed through the WGC building and though the two youths had gotten some down time to gather themselves, it had been the exact opposite for those working at the World Guild Center. The Trials continued on a daily basis and the influx of people to and from Branch #257 never stopped, the flow of individuals only slightly decreasing with the passage of time. Margaret, Flora, Junji, and other staff members were constantly moving, filing paperwork, attending to visitors, arranging the Adventurer examiness, and a mishmash of other projects that required their attention. Even now as they wrapped up their paperwork, the job never truly ended.
"We have exactly two hours before the next wave of examinees comes in for the Trials," Junji reported, softly relaying the message to Flora as he passed by. "Until then, someone would like to see you."
"See us?" Flora frowned as she leaned back in her seat. Stretching over the rear rim of the chair, she managed to crack her back in a few places, her large bust pressing against her WGC uniform. "We have reservations and appointments for that sort of thing. Tell them to follow the standard protocol."
"That will be quite difficult I'm afriad," the black haired receptionist said apprehensively.
"Why?" Margaret asked, drawing Junji's attention.
"It involves matters dealing with House Raine. Sir Lugoh insists on an audience with the two WGC workers who helped run the Trials for the last few weeks."
Flora and Margaret perked up at this piece of news, glancing at each other as they rose up from their seats.
House Raine wasn't someone they could just push aside and tell to wait like the rest, even if it was fair to do so. Though the WGC claimed to pride itself on fairness regardless of status, there were exceptions, just like there were exceptions to every rule. In this particular scenario, the exceptions happened to be one of forty six noble families within the Eastern Continent that fully backed the WGC and provided a lump sum of its funding. Though not a written rule, it was common knowledge at most Branches that nobles such as the Raine's were given special exemptions from certain rules.
"What does Sir Lugoh want with the workers?" Flora questioned, still a bit skeptical. "I thought his last day as a Temp Examiner was yesterday."
"It was," Junji confirmed quietly. "I wasn't given details, only that he wishes to speak to you in the Third Trial."
"He doesn't want to be overheard," Margaret surmised as she pushed in her chair.
"Very well. Junji, stay and cover for us while we're gone," Flora nodded towards the few other adventurers whom had trickled in. "We won't be long. If anything, we'll be back before the next Trial gets underway."
"Yes ma'am."
Flora and Margaret made their way to the Trials large oak doors and pushed their way inside, closing it behind them.
"What do you think he needs us for?" Margaret asked her coworker.
"When he first signed up as a Temp Worker a month and a half ago, he claimed that he was doing a scouting," Flora mused as she waved her hand in the air. The metallic box shifted just like before and they once again found themselves in the room with the Goblin Guards. "The best I can get from it is that House Raine is planning something big but they don't want to use experienced Rift Hunters. Their 'scouting' is most likely them trying to pull new recruits."
"Because hiring them would be cheaper and more manageable."
"Precisely." Flora began the trek towards the door leading away from the Goblin Guards, where the 3rd Trial was normally held. "In a business sense, it's a perfect strategy. Only problem would be the danger level, though they won't care about that. They'll be expecting mass casualties but newbies wouldn't be able to figure out the risk since it'll be downplayed."
"Wouldn't that hurt their image though?" Margaret questioned, trying to wrap her head around the idea.
New adventurers being used as pawns for some unknown grand scheme. No matter what the bigger picture turned out to be, the purple haired receptionist couldn't see the benefits of leading so many innocent people to their death. If anything, doing such a thing would only bring about consequences and ramifications that couldn't readily be erased. House Raine had always had such an outstanding reputation amongst the normal day to day population, one that even non-adventurers could pick up on and respect. For them to do something so heinous, it didn't entirely fit their character nor did it offer them any satisfactory rewards.
"It would hurt their image but they would recover. They've been around for centuries and in that time have built up quite the resumé." Flora pushed open the door, revealing a long hallway. "I could also be completely wrong in my assumptions. As for your earlier questions, Lugoh probably needs us for picking out and contacting the candidates House Raine has picked out."
After that, the two of them fell silent, each lost in her own thoughts as they drew closer to the Training room, the same room where Jak and the others had done battle with Lugoha a day prior.
For Flora, she would be hard pressed to believe it was anything but the direction her assumptions were going. Though a righteous House, it wasn't uncommon for the purest factions to do some underhanded tasks for their own benefit, especially if they deemed it as something for the greater good. Like all places, they would do whatever suited them and try to control the consequences that followed. Only question that really bothered her is what they could be using the new recruits for and what reward would be offered to entice them into such a suicidal quest.
Eventually, the dual receptionists reached the end of the hallway and made their way into the Training room. Having seen that particular room many times prior, neither of them offered the space more than a quick glance before turning their attention to the table in the corner.
Steam curled up through the air as Lugoh casually poured a hot cup of brown liquid into a fancy looking porcelain cup. At first, he didn't acknowledge either one of the WGC workers, instead enjoying his unknown mixture as he inhaled the fumes, looking quite pleased with himself. After looking over it and admiring his creation, he carefully took a sip, a small amount of it leaving the cup before he once again set back onto the small saucer he had picked it up from. Only after he had finished this weird ritual did he acknowledge his two new visitors, inquisitive black eyes taking in Margaret and Flora with a single once over.
"Ah yes, Lady Flora and Lady Margaret. It's a pleasure." Lugoh nodded as he stood up to recieve the two of them, giving a light bow. "If I may be so bold, come and sit. I've prepared a fresh pot of Yellimin Tea. It's a treat you won't find anywhere else within Continent Eegalia."
Margaret opened her mouth to refuse but Flora was quick to cut her off before the words could leave her lips.
"Of course Sir Lugoh." Flora returned the bow, hands held at her side. "We'd be honored to accept."
Though having not said a word to her, the purple haired receptionist understood what Flora was trying to convey. Though they had their suspicions, they were still workers of the WGC and all emotions had to be left at the door.
This was business.
Margaret also bowed low. "Please excuse us for interrupting you."
"Nonsense," Lugoh stated as he sat back down into his seat. "The WGC workers are fully booked to the brim and the work never seems to stop. I should be the one thanking you for agreeing to this old man's request for an audience."
"House Raine has been close allies with the WGC for ages," Flora responded, gently picking up the tea cup that had been offered. It was still piping hot. "Serving you is only natural."
"Truly, I thank you."
Margaret picked up her own teacup and gazed at its contents. She had never had Yellimin Tea before, but she had definitely heard of it via adventurers and noblemen alike, having been regaled of its taste. It had accrued such a status that its value grew to proportions where only the rich and privileged could afford even a single bag of it.
The cup in her hand was worth its weight in gold.
Carefully taking a sip, Margaret savored it, mulling over its flavor. An explosion of honey and oat filled her mouth, a pleasant surprise since the smell had been completely different.
"It's good!!" She exclaimed, perhaps a bit too loudly, causing her to blush slightly.
Lugoh let out a soft chuckle. "Indeed. Help yourselves to as much as you like. I imagine it's been a hard day for you young ladies."
"As much as I would like to continue down the path of pleasantries, perhaps we should get to the crux of the matter at hand," Flora took a sip of her own tea, hues focused on Lugoh. "Why did you call us here? What's our purpose for House Raine?"
Lugoh's smile faded, replaced by a much more serious one. At first the butler said nothing, his own eyes glued to the cup of tea before him, hands wrapped around its contents. He seemed to be thinking of what to say, thoughtfully forming what he wanted to convey before he spoke up, something that one often mastered when speaking to any significant authority.
"You seem like someone who likes to get to the point so I'll get right to the heart of the matter." Lugoh stood up from his seat, towering over the two receptionists.
"I would like to recruit Jak Yanda on an expedition to the world of 'Ard Araml."
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Jak leaned forward on the bed, a serious expression appearing on his face, one Mako hadn't seen up until that point. It wasn't quite angry, but it made it all the more terrifying.
"What do you mean by that?" The redhead asked carefully. "Execution of Rookies?"
Mako let out a breath, already having been well aware of how delicate the topic was long before ever having brought it up. If he didn't want to trigger his friend with any severe negative emotions or trauma from his past, he couldn't just say anything and everything.
"It's just a hunch," the blue haired adolescent responded, glancing back at the board. "But it seems like someone is directly targeting the next generation of Elemental Rookies."
"Go on."
Mako nodded and hurriedly explained.
Ever since the beginning, Elemental Rookies were considered the top of the line adventurers in their generation, unmatched and unrivaled individuals who held the most potential. However, they weren't the strongest and most tended to get overconfident in their own abilities, prompting quite a number of them to die young. Over the past few decades, a few Rookies had met an untimely end this way, trying to hit far above their own weight class and more often than not dragging some other promising adventurers with them. Only this time, this wasn't like any of the other instances since these Rookies had all died on the world of Ornera.
"They died here?" Jak questioned.
"Correct."
Mako turned around and quickly wrote different things on the board.
Under Jaks name, he wrote the word 'BIRD MASSACRE' in big block letters. Under one named Simone Iglano, he wrote the words 'FAIRY FESTIVAL'. For every name that had been crossed out, he wrote one or two phrases onto the board.
Ones that Jak was immediately able to understand due to the significance of each event.
Slowly but surely, without any significant explanation, Jak was getting what his friend was trying to convey.
"I don't think I need to explain what the Bird Massacre is to you," Mako said as he finished up. "That one speaks for itself."
"Yeah." A myriad of events flickered through his head. Building sized explosions, a raging inferno, screams of pain and agony, fresh corpses. "We can skip that part."
"I'm not gonna go into full details on any of them but I just wanted to show you what I was referring to." Mako tapped the tip of the marker over Simone. "Simone Iglano, killed by a rogue pack of fairies that had been released at a monster festival in the South end of Continent Eegalia. A freak accident that also killed a few dozen others. Glacier Huter, another freak accident in which her and her entire Guild fell victim to some mushrooms that poisoned the lot of them during a party they planned. No survivors. See where the pattern starts?"
"You suspect foul play?" Jak stood up from his seat. "Sounds like you put a lot of thought into it."
"If it involves you, I have to." Mako circled the redheads name. "The Bird Massacre was a planned event if you piece everything together. Someone slaughtered tons of Guilds in order to target you directly and then used the other murders as a smokescreen. After they figured you perished they haven't slowed down in their quest to eliminate the rest of the Elemental Rookies. Thing is, I highly doubt that anyone truly suspects this since they dont know you personally or know you're still alive."
Jak said nothing as he readjusted his cape, listening as Mako explained his own thoughts on the matter at hand. Grabbing his sword from the bed, the young Rookie carefully positioned back onto his hip, before turning his attention back towards Mako.
"Well, come on then." Jak motioned for the blue haired Rookie to follow after he was good and ready.
"Where are we going?"
"To the WGC," was the reply as Jak made his way to the door. "If anyone is going to have a collection of data on the Bird Massacre or Fairy Festival, it'll be the World Guild Center."
"That's true. Unfortunately I can't go with you this time around." Mako quickly wiped off the board with a dry eraser and wheeled it towards the door.
Jak frowned as he moved out of his brothers way. "Why not?"
"I have to meet up with my Guild," Mako explained, pausing by the door. "We'll be leaving for the Desert World of 'Ard Araml in a couple of days and we need to make sure we have everything we need for when the time fully rolls around. It's a serious quest and I can't waltz in unprepared. We can't all wing it like you do Jak."
Ignoring the jab, Jak tilted his head. "'Ard Araml?"
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
"What're you guys doing at 'Ard Araml?" Margaret asked, completely bewildered. "And why do you need Jak?"
Lugoh picked up his cup of tea, no longer remaining within his seat as he walked towards the wall of weapons, his black eyes seeing but not seeing at the same time. Grabbing a rapier, the brown haired butler swung it a few times before stowing it back onto the wall from whence it was grabbed.
"Tell me Ladies, what do you know of House Mapel?"
Margaret glanced towards Flora, not bothering to give an answer since she hadn't a clue about all the nobles residing within Eegalia.
"Not much," Flor admitted. "Only that they're directly descended from one of the Eight Heroes during the war with the gods. Ragnarok"
"Yeah. In the world of nobility and royalty, they're held in high regards BECAUSE of that status." Lugoh sipped on his cup delicately, dark hues shifting back towards the receptionists. "They're given privileges that others could only dream of due to how much the Water Hero contributed during the war against those beings of pure magic. It isn't a stretch to say that the only reason they're still considered nobility is BECAUSE of their lineage rather than what they contribute or what they earn. With all due respect to that same status, they don't really do much aside from whatever they feel like."
"Okay, but what does that have to do with Jak?"
"I'm getting to that," Lugoh politely waved. "House Mapel has everything to do with it. Or rather one part of it."
"Can we skip to the part where you start making sense?" Flora questioned, no longer keeping up her business like tone. It was hard to say but Margaret could sense some underlying hostility in her vocals.
"A noble in House Mapel has been heavily involved in Slave Trading as of late and we're putting together a unit of adventurers to track and apprehend him," Lugoh stated, cutting right to the heart of the matter. "While normally Slave Trading would be overlooked due to the nature of their status, they don't even try to hide it from public viewing. Additionally, they've committed several crimes that even the WGC won't be able to overlook once the bounty request we put in goes through. Though protected by the Mapel name, this noble is one we can't afford to let run unchecked."
"And you want Jak to participate in the quest to apprehend this corrupt noble." Flora mused over the concept, head resting on folded hands.
"Do you really think we'd agree to-"
"We'll accept."
"Excellent," Lugoh stated, completely ignoring Margaret's initial complaint. "I look forward to the WGC's cooperation."
"Eheh, can you excuse me and Miss Symone for a second?" Margaret asked, shooting the butler a nervous smile.
"No no. By all means, take your time."
"Thank you," the purple haired receptionist replied as Lugoh walked away from them. After he was out of earshot, Margaret leaned towards Flora. "Excuse me, but what exactly is the game plan here?"
"Relax. It's fine." Flora gave her fellow receptionist a casual look, one that held a look of utmost confidence. "If theres anyone you don't have to worry about, it's Jak."
"But-"
"You've seen what he's capable of," Flora interjected. "Or at least the surface. Furthermore, he's been traveling by himself for the last 3 years and survived without anyone's knowledge. I'm pretty sure he knows his own limits more than anyone. He'll do fine."
"Even so, it isn't our call to make." Margaret frowned ever so slightly. "It's still up to Jak-"
"Nope. This has become a mandatory thing."
"I'm sorry?"
"It's Mandatory."
"How?"
"You'll see." Flora turned around and waved Lugoh back over. "Just call me over when you see Jak pop back in. I'll handle the situation."
"I still don't understand why you would MAKE him go on such a quest when we know absolutely nothing about it, especially when you know he probably wouldn't want to after just getting back into Intok. Do you actively hate the child?"
"No. I'm just selfish."
"Oh...."
Flora waved towards Lugoh once again, signaling for the butler to return to the conversation. Though it took a second for the lengthy individual to notice, he came walking back the moment he was aware.
"I do have some questions regarding the quest but we've agreed to allowing Jak and even convincing him to join on behalf of House Raine. It would be an honor."
Lugoh gave a slight bow. "I'll answer whatever questions you have."
"Good because you're gonna be laying out the finer details for me and my coworker." Flora fished into her pocket and pulled out a small orb. Giving it a tap, a keypad and large blue rectangle popped into existence. "Let's start with how many squads you've gathered and who exactly will be in them. Surely you would know this as the one doing the scouting."
The butler gave a slight nod. "Though it is a confidential mission due to fear of it being leaked to the rogue Mapel, it's safe to reveal it."
"Perfect."
"Before that however, let's backtrack. How about I start with the full extent of the mission and how we'll be going about the subjugation."
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