NameLess

The Aftermath Of Failure

"Are you sure you want to leave already?" Flora asked as she scribbled over a sheet of paper, glancing quickly up at Akino. "We still have plenty of paperwork that needs to be done."

"I'll come in early tomorrow," Akino responded as she walked towards the front door. "I need to take care of this. Its bothering me."

Only a little bit of time had passed since Jak had left the WGC, taking his massive debt with him after the receptionists ensured the youth was back to full strength. In that period, Akino and Flora had continued to do their jobs as receptionists such as filing reports, rescheduling exams, and helping out other adventurers and Rift Hunters who constantly roamed in and out of the WGC's main building. The work never stopped coming in and there was always something to keep the desk workers busy until they were finally able to switch out with the afternoon shift.

That being said, Akino hadn't been able to concentrate on her work nor had she been able to even think clearly. For the past hour or so, Akino's train of thought had been circling on repeat, running through the final few moments of Jak's trials like a broken record. Though the Elven woman had taken every action possible in ensuring the kid was alive and healthy, she couldn't help but feel largely unsatisfied with the final outcome, allowing the scumbag prick of a temp examiner to emerge unscathed while Jak had been the one to suffer.

The entire incident had been the fault of the stand in examiner Ceon Mapel, had been his and his alone. Akino had replayed the footage of the final trial over and over again and each time she felt that there was quite literally no way that the redhead should've failed. While she was aware that the agreement signed by the examinee Jak Yanda prevented Ceon from taking responsibility for nearly killing a newbie, giving the same examinee a failing score due to either bias or personal reasons wasn't something the WGC condoned. When Ceon had been given the title as temporary examiner, the WGC had only taken into account his ability and disregarded his personality altogether, which Akino believed to be a flawed part of the system. If they had taken the time to review his reputation like Akino had, they would've quickly found out that Ceon was a rude individual who never bothered taking orders.

"You do realize that there's not much else we can do right?" Flora asked rhetorically as she set down her pen. "I'm just as upset as you, but we're just receptionists and the rules written by the WGC are absolute. Our hands are tied."

"So you're saying I have to sit here and just accept it?!" Akino rebuttaled as she released her grip on the front doors handle.

"Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying." Flora leaned back in her seat, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she continued talking. "Ceon Mapel is a temporary examiner and will leave the WGC after today, allowing the original examiner to return once again. In addition, Jak Yanda is, by all accounts, a mere child in a sea full of individuals who try out for these trials. The WGC as a whole will simply write it off without giving it a second glance, even if it was the fault of the examiner."

"But thats just-"

"Idiotic? Retarded? Completely nonsensical? I agree. However, you have to realize that the WGC manages thousands of branches, including the ones that have been established inside the Rifts." Flora let out a sigh as she stared Akino dead in the face. "They're not gonna care about one measly kid, even if that kid does possess some immense physical talent. He's a mere drop in the ocean at the moment and the most the WGC will do is to fine the temp examinee, nothing more."

Everything that Flora was saying made perfect sense and Akino couldnt find a single point in which to argue. Sure she could bring up the fact that hiring Ceon was the WGC's fault and they should take responsibility, but she knew it wouldn't do any good. The World Guild Center hardly ever got hands on when it came down to things they could simply sweep under the rug, refraining from any interference as long as its reputation wasnt at stake. In this particular case, they wouldn't even bat an eye at the incident and would simply make Ceon a sort of scape goat if it came down to it. The young redheads verdict wouldn't change and Jak would still have to wait 3 years before he could try again along with still being saddled with an enormous debt.