Senior Adjudicator Yenna leaned her shoulder against the sunlit stone facade outside the main guildhall entrance, her arms tightly folded across her chest.
She observed the early morning market traffic surging past the plaza without absorbing a single detail of the colorful produce carts or shouting drovers.
"I still cannot fathom why Guildmaster Allen ratified that outrageous petition," Yenna grumbled, clicking her tongue in sharp irritation.
"An unrecognized stranger materialized from the wilderness without an accredited guild pedigree or a proper mentor," she added, her eyes flashing with resentment.
"He simply deposited a royal recommendation upon the counter and walked away with a confirmed testing slot for this morning," Yenna pointed out, shaking her head in disgust.
Mila took a deliberate bite of the warm honeyed pastry she acquired from a street baker, chewing thoughtfully before offering her counter-argument.
