Prologue
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It was the busiest time of the year. That was the nicest way Margaret Anex could describe what it was like working as a receptionist in the moment.
As an acting worker for the World Guild Center (WGC), it was always bustling and crowded on normal days, the innards of the various branches constantly filled to the brim with adventurers, civilians, Rift Hunters, and a plethora of other individuals. However, come the 16th and final month of the calendar year, the number would, without fail, spike to unprecedented levels, to the point where lengthy lines would form and appointments had to be made weeks or even months in advance. Problems arose within separate branches, mistakes were made, and people with no common decency, patience, or manners would file complaints about things the workers could do nothing about. It would become almost impossible to manage and the vast majority of new WGC staff would quit before the end of their first year.
All of this and more was, mostly, due to the Adventurer Exam, or more commonly known as the Trials.
Those who aspired to be adventurers and earn the right to travel into the various worlds and explore the vast terrains and dungeons they held, they all needed to pass three major tests. If they succeeded, they would be registered with the WGC and be able to receive requests, earn money, create a guild, and be given the qualifications to venture into the 3000+ Rifts scattered through the world of Ornera. The benefits were so extensive that there was no end to the number of people who wanted to partake in the Exams, which is where the minimum requirements came into play.
In order to minimize the amount of people coming into the WGC specifically for the Trials, the WGC's core members instituted a policy.
In order to partake in the Trials, one must have been alive for a full thirteen years, fully able, and have no current diseases or illnesses. Those who were above the ages of 120 and below the ages of 13 were automatically excluded from the running unless they could prove their own worth, in which case they would be made an exception.
Another rule put into place in order to minimize crowding, and one that almost everyone admitted was ridiculous, was the Year End rule. It stated that even if one turned 13, they would have to wait for the last month of the calendar year in order to partake in any of the 3 Tests.
The 16th month of the year was the final. Which was the part Margaret found herself on, hence why she was currently beside herself with frustration and exhaustion. Wave after wave of rookies, both young and old, would come in and out of the #257 Branch, one after another, again and again, seemingly without end. On top of that, she still had to deal with the other adventurers who needed help in picking a quest, wanted to form a guild, or possessed a whole slew of other requests she had little to no patience for. Even now, despite the help of her co-workers Flora Symone and Junji Atwon, she was constantly shifting between running the Trials and being a "kind and upbeat" receptionist who looked like she had everything together. The work was draining, physically, mentally, magically, and she would've quit long ago had it not been for personal reasons.
"Ah, hello. How may I be of help today?" Margaret asked for the millionth time that day, a bright smile on her face. "I shall assist you as best I can."
The purple haired woman glanced behind the one currently standing before her counter, violet hues drifting down the long line queued up to see her. Just beyond the controlled chaos, she could see Flora's blonde hair as she closed the large twin oak doors, shutting them tightly and preventing anyone else from entering. Having been awake for more than 16 hours, she almost let out a sigh of relief as her eyes turned back to her present visitor.
"Um yeah. My name is Gingy Koper." The black haired teen smiled, revealing a set of slightly yellow teeth. "I registered for the Trials 2 months back. Today was the day I was supposed to come in."
(("At least this one will be easy to get out of the way,")) Margaret thought as she pulled out a small transparent orb from beneath the marble countertop. Rolling it to the front, she let it rest before Gingy. "It's a pleasure to have you. I'll get you situated right away. All you have to do to confirm is place your entire hand on this sphere and run your magic through it."
"Simple enough," Gingy said, reaching forward with an unusually large hand.
Placing his palm onto the orange sized orb, Gingy narrowed his brown hues, channeling as much magic as he could into it. After a few, seemingly long moments, the spherical object glowed dimly and a large, slightly see-through, light blue rectangle appeared in the air above it.
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Name: Gingy Koper
Age: 14
Height: 5'6 (167cm)
Weight: 140lbs (63.5kg)
Base Element: N/A
True Magic: N/A
Rank: N/A
Status: Alive
Information: Trial Examinee. Fee for current Exam has been paid. Qualifications met. Designated for Trial Group #34.
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"Alrighty. Seems that you're all set," Margaret said after glancing over everything quickly. "I assume you know the rules and regulations regarding the Trials. Though we'll be going over them at the start, it's generally best that you come in with the knowledge in mind."
"I do." Gingy answered immediately, clearly eager to move along. "May I join the group?"
"Please leave any outside items of any sort in the designated area before you depart." Margaret gestured to the far wall, where numerous crates were being guarded by two figures dressed similarly to the purple haired receptionist. "We can guarantee their safety. Should we happen to find any items on you, you'll be disqualified immediately."
"It's not a problem," Gingy said as he walked away. "I made sure to come with nothing but my outstanding talent."
(("Yeah. Whatever.")) The violet hued worker shook her head as she prepared to focus on her next customer, the previous youth already fading from her mind. (("Barely even worth my time."))
During her three years working for the WGC, Margaret had watched so many teens and adults pass through the area that she had eventually stopped keeping track of the vast majority. Even the ones who would come to her branch often were mere smudges in her memory, let alone the ones like Gingy whom she would likely never see again after that day. The only ones who ever stuck out to her were the ones almost everyone was already aware of.
"May I help whoever is next?" Margaret heard Junji say from a few feet beside her. The purple haired woman was quick to follow suit as she welcomed the newest person.
The next two arrivals were weird, and apparently plenty of others in the building thought so as well, the mutterings and gossip travelling all the way to front counter. Despite what she thought however, the young woman greeted the two newcomers with a smile on her face.
The one on the left was fully cloaked, covered from head to toe in a black material, and it was impossible to make out anything except the long white battle staff attached to the figures back.
The individual on the left was also cloaked, except his body was a lot more visible. Apart from hiding his own face and shoulders, he made no further attempt to hide anything else. Tufts of bright red hair peaked out from beneath the hood, his clothes were on full display, a white t-shirt and black pants that tightened around the calves and ankles, and the hilt of what looked like a katana peaked out from beneath the black cloak he was wearing. He definitely had the look of a warrior down pat, but Margaret had seen tons of wannabe figures just like the two before her so she was barely fazed by anything as the duo reached the counter.
"Hello there," The cloaked figure said, a slightly boyish voice emanating from beneath cloak. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I do hope your day hasn't been too stressful."
(("Oh?)) Margaret asked internally, pleasantly surprised. (("That's a rarity."))
"Let's just say that its been a long day. Hasn't exactly been the best one of my life." Margaret tilted her head slightly, eyes locked onto the cloaked individuals hood, as if staring at it longer would give her some sort of x-ray vision. "How about yourself?"
"Ehhhh, I'm gonna have to agree with you," the figure said, a small but pleasant laugh escaping the hood. "I've been so busy with myself that I haven't had time to catch a break. I'm a bit exhausted."
"Right??!!" Margaret exclaimed in a hushed tone. "I haven't even gotten a break yet. I would kill for a honey bun right now. I'm so damn hungr-"
"AHEM!!"
The purple haired receptionist immediately stiffened upon hearing Flora's overly loud throat clearing. Quickly shifting gears, Margaret stood up straight and attempted to shift the line of conversation. She normally never strayed from her professionalism but for some reason, the stranger had been able to strike up a conversation with her as fluidly as breathing.
"So, what brings you here today?" The young receptionist asked, smile back on her face.
"Oh. I'd like to have my friend reinstated as an adventurer if it's not too much trouble." The figure didn't seem to be bothered by the sudden change in direction, even sounding slightly amused. "My apologies if I caused you any sort of problems."
"You're fine. It isn't a big deal at all." Margaret waved her hand and rolled the orb from before her forward once again. "Before anything else though. I'd like you to state your name, rank, and element."
"Ummm. Do I personally have to do that?" The figure asked, nervousness seeping into his tone. "I'd prefer not to if I can help it."
"I'm sorry," Margaret said, one of the few times she was actually sincere. "But I really do need you to do this one small thing for me in order to move forward."
"Oi! Hurry the hell up!!" Someone near the back of Margaret's line yelled. "Some of us got things to do!!"
WHACK!!
The sound of someone getting punched followed by a thud could be heard throughout the whole room, causing everyone in the vicinity to go quiet, which in turn caused others nearby to follow suit.
"If you don't have the patience and don't wish to wait then maybe you'd be better off sleeping till it's over," Flora said aloud, head of blonde hair bobbing about as she dragged an unconscious body out a small door next to the large ones. "If anyone else has a problem, speak up."
No one else said a word as the woman disappeared through the door.
"Alright," the figure said, clearly unfazed by the small scene behind him. "Then here. This should be enough."
Pulling the hood back, the figure showed Margaret his face.
It took a few seconds for everything to register after he did it. Once she did however, she understood why he was wearing a hood in the first place as everyone began talking at once, those who could see him passing words along until the whole branch was ablaze with chatter and excitement.
Shaggy, bright blue hair that reached just above the shoulders, a fair complexion, red eyes, and a bright set of pearly whites. Even from far away, one could easily pick out Mako Kunzite from a large crowd, locating him purely by his unusually bright hair. Famously known for his colorful locks and kind disposition, Mako was recognized as the leader of the Water Wolves guild and a strong water magic user. He held the title of Elemental Rookie, the 11th of the current generation to hold the title, and was regarded as the Rookie with the most potential. There wasn't a person alive who didn't know who he was, having made his debut some 3 years prior.
"W-Well. I...g-guess we don't r-really need to do that after all," Margaret corrected, stammering her way through as she rolled the orb back towards her. It was rather difficult to speak over the noise but she managed. "My apologies Mr. Kunzite."
Mako merely shook his head, a smile on his face. "Think nothing of it. I'm just glad we managed to clear everything up.
"A-Anyways. On to the matter at hand," Margaret said as she glanced briefly at the hooded figure besides Mako. "You wanted me to reinstate your friend? Does he have an appointment? It'd be rather difficult to get it done without a prior engagement."
"Oh. No, he doesn't but I do have this." Mako placed a small golden card on the table. It was as thin as paper but looked oddly solid. "I heard that the payment for doing the reinstatement was a single gold coin. There's a thousand on that card."
((A thousand??!!")) Margaret questioned internally as she carefully took the card with a quivering hand. (("That more then I make in a decade."))
"Is it not enough?" Mako asked, a concerned look on his face. "I can give mo-"
"It's fine," Margaret said quickly, cutting him off. She carefully rolled the orb forward again, unable to even look at the blue haired individual anymore. "We'll take him. He can go in with the other group of Examinees. Just have him step up and place his hand on the orb."
"Jak. Its on you man." Mako said, patting the back of the cloaked guy next to him.
The redhead gave a simple nod as he moved closer, his hand moving from beneath the folds of his cloak to rest on the orb. It was hard to tell, but Margaret assumed he was channeling his magic as the orb quickly gave off a dim glow before the rectangle from before popped back up.
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Name: Jak Yanda
Age: 14
Height: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Base Element: N/A
True Magic: N/A
Rank: N/A
Status: Unknown
Information: Known as the 12th Elemental Rookie, Jak Yanda passed the Trials at the age of 10, becoming one of only 12 individuals to successfully pass the Trials before the age of 13. Closely following his Trials, he joined the Flaming Sparrows Guild and quickly rose through the ranks to make a name for himself. Eventually, showing enormous potential and a strong backer, he was noted as one to watch out for.
Unfortunately, following the events of the Bird Massacre, he disappeared from Ornera and the 3000+ worlds. Presumed dead.
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