Okay, okay... just... report to Rogan, clock in, and...
And then what? What was I doing again?
I paused remembering now why I even bothered with all this. I'm down bad for Lina, I can't sugarcoat it, I just want to see her again. God fucking dammit Viel, the girl is nice to a fucking roomba, she does not see you that way, aaaaa-
"Viel?"
I looked up to see Diana walking toward me.
"Diana."
"I was looking for you! The Trailblazers said you were having a chat with..." She paused, her gaze falling on the box beside me. A bright grin lit up her face. "Wait, is that it? Congratulations, Viel! You passed the exam! I knew you had it in you!"
"Trust me, I have no clue why they let me pass." I opened the box and took out the sealed letter. "I haven't opened this yet. Do you want to read it with me?" I broke the seal, revealing a folded poster and a piece of glittery paper.
"Eh? Really? It might be private." Diana took the folded poster, tactfully averting her eyes from the letter. "This is the Trailblazer Style Guide, isn't it?" she asked, inspecting the paper.
"Yeah." I opened the glittery stationary to find a handwritten note filled with animal stickers. Strangely enough, the handwriting was perfectly legible despite being written in various colorful pens. I had been expecting a childish scrawl, but this was deliberate.
Dear Viel,
Congratulations on becoming a Trailblazer! Humu humu~
I wrote this letter in advance because I knew you would pass. And even if you didn't... well, you were going to pass either way. We made sure of that, so don't worry!
I paused and let out a long sigh. "So that's why they let me pass..." I muttered before continuing.
Anywho, since you are a certified Trailblazer, you can now take on Trailblazer Missions! Yay!
That'll be all. Ask Diana if you need help. I've also made sure she passed as well, since Eliza asked so nicely~
Have fun, you two!
Aion
Well, it seemed even in a utopia, one couldn't escape blatant nepotism. "Here, it's nothing private," I told Diana, sliding the note over. "You might want to see this."
Diana took the letter and read it. A soft smile grew on her face, though she let out a slight whine of embarrassment. "Awww... Lady Eliza, you shouldn't have," she whispered, setting the letter down. "She's way too nice to me."
"Yeah..." I tapped my fingers on the table. "Who is Eliza, anyway?"
"The Herald of Desire, Elizabeth," Diana replied. "She's the one who brought me here to get my Trailblazer certification." She looked up at the ceiling, where the white marble was dappled with a kaleidoscope of artificial colors. "I guess she really wanted me to pass."
Did either of us actually deserve it? It felt wrong. And what about Leo? That guy was an insufferable prick, but he was easily the most deserving of the title. He knew exactly what he was doing; he was skilled, prepared, and focused. He was the only one of us who actually earned the right to be a Trailblazer.
"I don't want this," I muttered. "This is cheating."
Diana raised an eyebrow, tucking the items back into the box. "Which part? The fact that Aion made sure we'd pass no matter what?"
"Yeah." I rested my chin in my hand, staring blankly into the distance. "It just... it demeans everyone else who got here through sheer grit and hard work. What if Leo failed? We both know he did more than I did."
"That's true." Diana leaned her head against my shoulder. "Do you think we can ask Aion? Convince him to let Leo pass, too?"
"Can we do that?"
"That's the whole point of nepotism, isn't it?" Diana offered a gentle smile. "It's about using your connections for leverage." She tilted her head. "You know Aion, and I know Aion. Maybe we can convince him." She stood up and took my hand. "Come on. Let's go talk to him."
The trek back to the Pandora Logistics HQ was short, and we headed straight for Aion's room.
"Excuse me, Aion?" Diana knocked softly on the door.
"Diana! Viel! Come on in!" Aion's voice chirped, welcoming us.
We opened the door to reveal the same sprawling pillow fort. Aion was busy assembling what looked like a clock tower out of LEGO blocks. Wait, are those actual LEGOs? I wondered if they were replicas or originals; either way, if I needed a new hobby, building with blocks didn't sound so bad.
"Did you run out of candy already?" Aion asked, peeking through a gap in his plastic tower. "Oh! Also, congratulations on becoming Trailblazers!" He stood up and gave us a round of applause. "I knew you guys could do it!"
He paused, his smile turning sheepish as he looked at me. "Why do you look so angry?" He gingerly picked up his clock tower and moved it to a safe corner, as if he were afraid I might smash it. I wasn't that mad, just... deeply disappointed.
"We were going to pass regardless," I muttered. "It wasn't actually a victory, was it?"
"A victory is a victory." Aion grabbed a couple of pillows and tossed them onto the floor in front of him, gesturing for us to sit. "The winning condition of the Trailblazer Exam is obtaining the certification, and you achieved it! Congratulations!"
I sat down, facing him. "What about the people who actually tried their best?" I thought about Leo, about Diana, and about how absolutely useless I had felt. "I barely put in any effort, while others risked their lives. How is that fair!?"
Beside me, Diana nudged my side, shooting me a silent warning.
"Isn't this exactly how it was in the Old World?" Aion tilted his head. "You either become someone because you are someone, or you become someone because someone else thinks you're someone." He paused, rubbing his chin. "Wait... did I mix up someone?"
Again with the word games. "Listen, just tell me why you think nepotism is okay," I muttered. "That's my question. Why was it so blatantly rigged? And if it was rigged, why did you tell us?"
Aion nodded slowly. "I see..." He tapped his fingers together. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize it would bother you this much; I thought you'd be more grateful." He slumped onto a pillow and rolled around. "Nyaa... how do I explain this? It's because..."
Well? I'm waiting.
"...Because trust is more valuable than skill or expertise."
"What?"
Aion produced a piece of paper—my answer sheet—and laid it out in front of us. "Tell me, why did you list Diana as the 'Best Player' on the team?" He grinned. "I'm not saying you're wrong—Diana is super cool! But I'd like to hear why you wrote her down instead of Leo."
I looked at my own writing. I had listed Diana's accomplishments, praising her swordsmanship, her composure, her bravery, and her kindness. Yet...
Compared to Leo, she was technically lacking. I just hadn't written that part down.
"Because Leo was a jerk," I admitted.
Aion giggled. "Ehehe... was he?" He turned to Diana. "What about you, Diana? Why did you name Viel as your best player, hmm?"
Diana scratched her cheek, blushing. "Well... I mean... Viel made it possible for me to enjoy good food on the surface. And I kind of like her..." her voice trailed off into an embarrassed mumble. "The static charge..."
What?
"And Viel," Aion said, turning back to me, "given the choice, would you rather have Diana beside you, or the more competent Leo?"
I averted my eyes. "Diana. She's nicer." I shook my head, trying to steer back to the point. "But that's not the issue! Sure, Leo is a jerk, but what if it wasn't him? What if it was someone like Lauron? Lauron isn't a jerk! He's cool—a bit creepy, but nice! He deserved to pass."
Aion hummed softly, watching me with those wide, purple eyes. For a moment, he didn't look like a child at all. In fact, I was the one who felt small—like a student shouting at a teacher for being unfair.
But it was unfair.
"Trustworthiness is the single most valuable attribute a person can possess," Aion began. "In Ingenuity—and I assume in the City of Love—everyone is taught that to be successful, they must become trustworthy. They must make friends, prove themselves reliable, and be amiable." He turned to Diana. "I trust Diana because I trust Eliza. I trust you, Viel, because I trust your creator."
"Wait, you know my—"
"Not now!" Aion cut me off, clearing his throat. "As I was saying, trust is the most valuable attribute. People will trade expertise for trust any day." He hummed again, looking up in deep thought. "Just like you, I prefer to have people I can trust as Trailblazers."
Is that it? Is that what nepotism really is? Choosing character over raw skill? The idea that if you're trustworthy, you can go anywhere, regardless of expertise?
"But... wouldn't that result in people being in positions they don't belong in?" I asked. "It would put people in danger!"
Aion nodded slowly. "That's true. But then again, I wouldn't have helped you if I didn't trust your expertise, too." He grinned. "Once the required baseline skills are met, you should stop judging the skills and start judging the characters!"
I lowered my gaze, clenching my fists. "I don't understand. Why is this world so different?"
"It isn't." Aion closed his eyes and sighed. For a second, I saw him as he truly was: ancient beyond comprehension. "This is how it has always been." He opened his eyes again. "Since your ancestors climbed down from the trees—making fire, building huts, creating monuments—civilization has always valued trust over expertise. It isn't always the wisest who takes the throne; it's the most trustworthy."
The most trustworthy? Politicians? Rulers? "What are you talking about?"
Aion smiled gently. "Mmm... in time, you will learn. It's a very complicated topic." He grinned. "All I can do is show you a new perspective on this thing you call 'nepotism.' It's up to you to observe the world with an open mind full of wonder!"
The Herald of Wonder, indeed. He was making me question things I hadn't even considered.
Beside me, Diana raised her hand. "Lord Pu... if you trust us," she began, "and I trust Leo... will you let him pass, too?"
Aion giggled, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "Ehehe... sure! If you can convince him to come here and ask me nicely, I'll give him another shot!"
A bright grin broke across Diana's face. "Thank you so much, Lord Pu!"
Aion pouted slightly. "Nyaa! What did I tell you? Just call me Aion! No need for the titles!"
Diana giggled. "Sorry, force of habit." She bowed to him and patted my shoulder. "Come on, Viel! let's go find Leo."
CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE VIOLATION
Oh, for fuck's sake.
"Wait, I can't!" I shook my head. "I... I have these safeguards. My body locks up if it detects me violating Kantian deontology."
Aion's eyes widened. "Oh nyo! The ghost of Immanuel Kant is haunting you!" He walked closer, looking thoughtful. "Okay, okay... Dear Mister Immanuel Kant: Viel will go and summon Leo for... a second chance! Yes! A brand new test that he'll have to pass if he wishes to be a Trailblazer!"
I blinked. "No. The error is still there."
The boy rubbed his chin. "Oh! And Viel, you actually passed because Inata and Sally calculated your performance. You earned a passing grade! Just barely, but you earned it!"
The red flashing text disappeared.
"Oh... that worked," I said, surprised.
"Ehehe... yay! Good luck, you two!"
"Wait." I held up my hand. "Deva mentioned that Leo made an 'unforgivable mistake.' What was it? Was it just because he's a jerk?"
Aion went silent. "Nyaa... that's a heavy question," he pouted. "I guess you should know." He cleared his throat. "He tricked you. He risked your lives because he wanted to see the stars. That's very dangerous, did you know that?" He sounded genuinely sad. "It would be a different story if he had told you both, but he didn't. He took charge and chose the most dangerous path without your consent. I can't let him pass without a serious chat."
Huh. It hit me then. Leo was the one who insisted we camp for the night. He knew exactly what he was doing.
Diana bowed. "Okay. We'll see you later, Aion! Thanks for everything!"
"Humu humu! See you guys later!"