Feeling less stressed all of a sudden leaves him a bit lightheaded, but he recovers soon enough as Mi-Yung touches his shoulder. As if assured, her smile gives him a somewhat better mood. Without further ado, she drags him towards another room, as Schults announces the end of this briefing.

This leaves him surprised as this was about everything that could even happen in the Examination. Usually, it would go more in the direction of the Schultz, but this hasn't been the case. Some people are left in displeasure, while Cloud leans around the table to Ray, who stabilized his headache.

“How was it?” he asks.

“Cloud... You shameless bastard. That brat has an Annihilation element for sure. Though, the motion is a bit odd. I made sure to act with my thin Arcanite, so Mi-Yung wouldn't notice it. She probably did but I am not sure. They were turned to dust... can you believe that? Isn't it fascinating? My Arcanite went through the 3rd evolution and it was turned to dust just like that? His Annihilation element seems stronger than the normal kind, even though I used very little.” Rey whispers as if he had already forgotten about the issue of Cloud, hitting his head for the second time.

And indeed he already forgot about it, as he finds more interesting things to wonder about.

Cloud nods in approval as if his own thoughts are indeed correct. It could be something about his knowledge that made him sure to act within this range of a price, or it could be something else. Perhaps he wants to be able to have the source of another powerful Walker. Like William's father in the past, who had huge potential. Although he remembers him very briefly.

He turns around to look at general Yondu, who is his company for this briefing.

“What do you think, Yondu? Sorry, I didn't make you a room to talk, but a lot of people were interested this time around.”

“That is fine, Cloud. Us, old folks are ready to move away for the newer generation. That kid Gale reminds me of his father, but in a very different way. It could be because of the... you know... the second person.”

“I know what you mean. A variable in the Emblem... or something entirely different.” Cloud wonders, as some special causes, spurs more thoughts. He doesn't know if the offer was excessive or not, but having a confirmation from Rey is at least a light that eases his mind.

A salary of 700 credits isn't that harsh, as there are some increases over time, but having a secure source of powerful Walker is worth the investment. After all, so much can be done with credits, considering the apocalypse and everything. Instead of that, the rewards of the military department's tools, information, and rank of a captain sound more interesting.

That, or the Hunter Association, which William found quite nice and easy to understand. Even though the lady who represents the associations offers only List C for him, it is better than the usual D list that is put forth for the majority of new recruits.

At this point, C acts as a detrimental form, while B is for elites. Any beginner Walker who is talented enough can still come there since the letters act as a basic structure. Lists depict the experience, while A, are elites of the elites. Usually, around rank 6, it consists of many hunters. B 4 or 5, while youth can join that in special programs so they could get a better experience and grew much faster. The motion of that is something Mi-Yung wanted, but expecting that from Nagoya was excessive on her part.

Although, this sort of listing holds some dangers as well. Hunts are, after all, dangerous and take place Outside into the many layers of the Dark age.

C what the Nagoya offered is a base offer that isn't shabby, nor bad at all. Benefits of information, lists of Walkers at the same listing, and so on are provided. While the basic salary is there to make things easier for them to stay, the mission put forth by the Hunter Association yields much better credits and other benefits.

William learned about it a little, but only monetary values, information, and the possibility of working with the other Walkers. The biggest source of the reward is the experience of hunting the Dark beings under the premise of the experienced members.

This is all going through William's head, while Mi-Yung, who seems quite haggard, drags him away as if a huge burden has been lifted from her shoulders. William feels the same way, but his shoulder doesn't feel that heavy.

“W-where are we going?” he asks.

“Home.”

“H-home?”

“I am tired. Aren't you too?” She sleepily asks, while walking past the walls and door alike. There is a staircase in the upcoming hallway, that leads outside of this building, while the other is towards the main path of the institution. Mi-Yung enters the former, as she has a new destination in mind.

She doesn't have a mind for anything else but a nice sleep, but something else piqued her interest. Something she remembers. William pulls his left hand up, and the watch tells him the bad news. 4:40 AM. It is soon to be the morning.

“We have been here for like 20 hours? That's crazy!” he let out, while it felt... right? It was a crazy day for sure, and he knows it.

“That is quite good. Poor folks who are around number 300 had to wait for additional hours and hours. Being below 100 is already enough.”

“Right... Right...” William nods to himself, while sighing, and jolts his back up.

Stopping his dragging movement, he shouts. “I can walk by myself!”

“Go on, then.” Mi-Yung tosses him toward a particularly open door in one branch of some lower floor that they long entered. Walking away before William could do anything, she leaves him alone.

“W-what the hell was that?” he mumbles upside down by a wall. Laying there for a minute, he watches as a familiar face enters his eyes. One, which he expects to see in some cases, but not this time around.

“What are you doing here?” Ellie asks while crouching down beside a haggard-looking William.

“I had a long day... What are you doing here?” he asks as well.

“I am pulling an all-nighter. You too?”

“All what? Oh god, hell no... that sounds like a recipe for torture. Never again. Never!” William complains, as he at least gets on his knees.

Before he knows it, a warm hug from Ellie embraces his being.

“Seriously. W-what are you doing this time?” he asks this time as this hug forces him to stand up.

“A hug.”

“... That's it?”

“Yes, or do you want something... more?”

“I am dead tired... Don't do this to me.”

“Y-you never learn... How did it go?” Ellie retracts herself from him and asks him while rubbing his messy hair.

“I've got a shot at the Academy,” William reveals while fighting over his hair.

“Academy? You scored beyond 70?” Ellie asks in surprise, leaving his hair alone.

“I did.”

“See? You had no need to be worried.” Ellie says in what appears as the biggest therapeutics that William could as for. Unlike Mi-Yung's tough acts, Ellie is indeed... different.

“What is going on here... what room is this?” he asks as he takes a look around himself.

“My part-time office as well as something... else.”

“Y-you... You've got the confirmation from the Institution already?”

“Well, a couple of days ago, actually. I wanted to surprise you in some way, but it seems someone doesn't feel that way. Hmph!” stomping the ground, she offers a hand to Willin to get up.

Looking around some more, William sees a regular teaching room, with about 10 rows of single-chair desks. It is something that he remembers from when he was little, but it's much bigger and nicer here.

Below him is a wooden flow, with many materials scattered around the walls. It's quite robust. Almost like a bunker. Furniture with robust chairs, tables, and decorations that he can't even guess the purpose of making the room's interior. Facing them is a single robust teacher's chair, while a big chalkboard is on the wall.

“Right... You are gonna be teaching young walkers...” William murmurs, as he watches it all.

“Yea. It starts next month. Miss Kaufman got everything approved, but with some retaliation from some people. Some involvement of the Institute and Federation was mandatory on her part, and she agreed. I am an instructor, a knowledge base teacher, or a so-called Institution mentor for young Walkers. It should involve around 10 to 15 years old Walkers, but I don't decide on anything. Not even the basic structure of the work, since there will be some... restrictions or whatnot. I expect a lot of work with this, but this kind of work will mean a lot to me. What do you think about this room? Feels cozy and nice?” Ellie tells as she does a pirouette in the middle of everything. Her uniform-like appearance which she used to have in the Library still has yet to change.

“This room feels fantastic. Very cozy indeed. Almost like the 3rd floor in the library and something along with the 4th or 5th floor.”

“Thank you. I designed it myself.” Ellie says while puffing her chest in the middle of the room. Awaiting more praises she expected to come, she moves towards William, who steps away.

“You... I wanted a reward.”

“Y-you are so needy... are relationships always like this?” William tells as he steps, and the end of his retreat is nearing.

“I don't know. I feel like they are.” Ellie shrugs her arms while knowing nothing but some things from books.

“Are you sure about that?”

“No...”

William sights, as his tired mind would trade anything for a long sleep.

He didn't even get an hour of nap in between the waiting rounds, since he wasn't in the mood for something like that. Yawning, Ellie feels he spread it to her.

“You... Why are you here anyway? How did you discover my classroom?” Ellie gazes closely at his face as if she is looking at every possible lie on his face.

“Well... that is a long story, I suppose,” William answers as he backs a few steps away until his back hit the wall.

It seems Mi-Yung planned this from the very beginning, while she got rid of him in a situation that was the easiest. That or they made some deals? Who knows? Not him for sure.

Pulling her stare back, instead, she looks at him as a whole. A tattered white shirt, with a visible Emblem that seems a bit different from before, enters her eyes.

“Wow! That's different.” she cries out, as she jolts his hand up for her to see. Grabbing his wrist, she examines the swirling element of deeper crimson Vectors.

“It no longer looks like a gem? Is your Emblem special like some people's?”

“How am I supposed to care?... wait. Know... Know?”

“Ehm. Ehm. Since you are here so suddenly, let me introduce a new Ellie to you.” Ellie clears her throat, while importantly looking at William.

“While I am coordinating teacher for the youth, Miss Kaufman got me a minor position in the institution where I was learning about Walkers, Emblem, and the System. I never thought they would let a non-Walker learn about it, but here I am. An Elementary Teacher of the Emblems, Ellie Scott. Sounds great, am I right?”

“C-congratulation, Ellie. You deserve it through your continuous struggle. How absolutely marvelous, isn't it?” William sarcastically says in a boring tone.

“Don't make fun of my achievement!” She pouts at him while still grasping his wrist.

“It is great that you can make a great day for young Walkers. This is the beginning of something new, for all we know.”

Instead of joking, William pulls his other hand around her back and gives her a warm hug. Ellie is a little surprised, but this is at least the... beginning of something different. She accepts it with an open heart, while tiredness gets a hold of her as well.

Though, unlike William, she can't afford to waste time, and working overtime seems like a new norm. Her new boss is no longer miss Kaufman from the library who is always lenient towards the workers. Instead, it is someone different for her new position, but she still hasn't heard of that someone.

“Wanna spend a night with me?” she asks, as if expecting an agreement.

“I...”

“You don't have to answer me. I know what the busy life of brand new Walkers looks like. I am not going to see you that often, won't I?” Ellie whispers in this hug, not letting go of William at all.

“I am sorry... I told you so...”

“I am not angry or disappointment.”

“You are angry and disappointed, and you have every right to be so.” William pulls her head away. Looking at her face, which wants to say something, William hesitates only for a moment before giving her a kiss. The kind that is a little awkward, but it melts Ellie's mind and heart with surprise and utmost care for her being.

She embraces it, as she least expected it...

“Phew... Bed. I've never looked forward to the bed before!” William unwillingly mumbles after forcing his bad... well... the brief notion of something? He still feels embarrassed, and so is Ellie who looks at his face in wonder as he backs away.