Yenna leaned against the wall outside the guild entrance with her arms crossed, watching the morning foot traffic move through the district while her thoughts were else where.
"I still can't believe Allen actually approved it," she muttered, her jaw tight. "A royal recommendation from some nobody who showed up out of thin air with zero credentials, and Allen just stamps it and schedules the exam like it's nothing."
Mila stood next to her, holding a small pastry she had bought from a street vendor on the way over. She took a bite, chewed slowly, then glanced at Yenna from the corner of her eye.
"You're still on this?"
"Of course I'm still on this," she snapped, pushing off the wall and turning to face her. "This kid walks into the guild hall, drops a core on the counter like he owns the place, flashes a royal seal, and suddenly the Guildmaster himself is rolling out the red carpet? Meanwhile, people like us spent years grinding through the system the proper way."
