- Job Details:
- Job Name: A Veteran's Plot, Mischief's Draught
Job Rank: B
Job Location: Reim
Job Rewards: 200 XP and 15,000 Huang
Job Overview:
As the Spymaster of Reim, you are expected to run a vast network of operatives and ensure overall operations are handled appropriately. Your rapid ascent to your position has caused you to skip various levels of the system, leaving you grossly unprepared to understand everyday operational procedures throughout the entire system. Knowing your own weakness, you have worked on learning more about the various departments and how they operate, starting from the bottom up. Your steps have taken you from the Inquisitor Maximus Cypriatus, to the Physical Instructors Kawahara Akiho and Murata Fusao, to the Troubleshooter Marinus Nerva, and now to the Treasurer Quintus Titus.
After teaching you the basics of accounting, Quintus Titus requests you check up on the books of an outpost. When you arrive, after some work and looking into matters, you find that the veteran operative has been 'cooking' the books, a term Quintus had mentioned, and has stolen from the Kou operations over his time in his position. Upon confrontation, the veteran operative attacks...- Enemies:
- Enemy Name: Operative Janus
Rank: A
Needed damage to take down: Omega
Abilities:
Operative Janus moves at 9 m/s.
Operative Janus uses a short sword to deliver A-Tier damage.
Janus Blade: An attack that moves at 25 m/s, Janus Blade swings at a diagonal angle and imparts A-Tier damage to his opponent.
Janus Boost: Using Magoi Manipulation, Janus is able to allow himself to move at a constant speed of 20 m/s.
Janus Parry: Janus is able to defend against a single A-Tier attack, moving his blade to redirect it at 20 m/s.
Janus Thrust: Janus strikes forward, thrusting his blade forward and delivering A-Tier damage to his opponent at a speed of 25 m/s.
Garret's most recent mission had taken him to the forest that was to be partially cleared down for the construction of the new Port City, Portsmouth. While on that mission, he had spoken with Marinus Nerva; their 'Troubleshooter'. For the past month, Garret had been working and doing the best he could in his position, but he had no formal training and did not understand all areas of operations. He was extremely grateful for being blessed with staff that knew what they were doing, which could only be a testament to the groundwork that Acius had laid down in the years before Garret's arrival. During that very same mission, Garret expressed his desire to learn more about the capabilities of his subordinates, as well as how to operate in their positions.
His beliefs were that his better understanding of the inner working of the individual departments would allow him to make more informed decisions that had a higher positive impact than similar decisions made without that fore-knowledge. Furthermore, due to his careful considerations of things he did not have complete knowledge of, learning these things would allow meetings to go on for a smaller amount of time, thus saving each department a certain amount of time through such a training regimen. Garret was familiar with some of the departments and their tasks already, especially the instructor's classes, and as such his decision was to approach Quintus Titus first in order to learn about the accounting side of their operations.
Garret walked through the main HQ building in their Villa, hunting down the accounting head, Treasurer Quintus Titus. As Garret expected, he was watching over the various individuals he was in charge of and signing off on funding requests or refusing such requests as was necessary. Garret approached the man, who looked up from the desk as he came close and stood. Clasping his hands together and bowing slightly, Quintus Titus spoke. "To what do we owe this visit, Sir?
Garret returned the bow, showing the man a return of respect, before looking around at those that were hard at work. "To tell you the truth, I'm here to learn how the department works. What kind of things our operatives handle and deal with on a daily basis." Garret did not explain the reasoning behind it. At this time, he believed the most important part of his day would be to completely sink himself in the work around him and the sooner he could get to that the better. As always, Acius filled in for Garret while he worked on other things.
Quintus had understood the gist of Garret's thoughts, and called out to one of the individuals who was working the books. "Take the Spymaster here and teach him how to read the books, and how to determine if anything is inappropriate." The man bowed to the two of them, and Garret followed him back to his desk. They sat down, and the man began to go over what the various columns, rows and items represented. Garret did his best to pay attention as the man worked on the book in front of him and transcribed documents from a communication letter onto the book.
It was explained to Garret that the updated financial information was sent via their secure communications network and updated inside the HQ in order to keep an account on all of their various outposts. Each book represented a different outpost, and each outpost had quite a backlog of information. Various items for different outposts were not uncommon, either, as different places had need for different equipment depending not only on their environment but also on the types of buildings and the level of security that was there. The first day was simply spent learning the terminology and how the process worked.
The next day, Garret as sure to get up early and go back to the books. The same man that was teaching him yesterday would begin teaching him again today. In order to be productive, Garret began writing down and transcribing information into a book. His work was much slower than the other man's, having not had much experience in it, but he eventually got his book finished and transcribed while the other man had just finished his third book. He handed the book over for review, and the operative looked over it. The operative explained that when you write the information in, it is imperative to check the prior months and prior activity in order to make sure the numbers on the expenses conformed and did not deviate too greatly with past expenses, and were within the expected guidelines of projected expenses. Garret was shown common ways to detect inconsistencies, such as the techniques called 'vertical and horizontal analysis', as well as ratio analyses for trends of sales. Some common means of the crime were to show higher inventory on paper than what was actually physically owned, and by inflating prices on paper which gave off the appearance of high expenses while the individual reporting said expenses pocketed the difference.
While he didn't understand everything said, Garret had the basics down. He left the analyzing to the more skilled operative at the job, and continued to transcribe the information over. Occasionally, Garret would take the time to analyze the work he did. After a long day of work, he stretched out and turned in for the night. He felt like he had the hang of it fairly well. When he awoke the next day and went to the treasurer's section for accounting, the man continued alongside Garret where they had left off the prior day. Before he knew it, they were finished transcribing the notes, and Garret asked the man what else needed to be done in the time from then on. It was three quarters into the month, and there were no more updates to transcribe, so it was up to them to go over the work of the other operatives and make sure that the information checked out. Garret could not help but bury his head in his palm. So, the tedious process of cross checking everything is unavoidable, huh?
And thus they began the work of cross-referencing other operative's work, while their work was also cross-referenced and reviewed. Five books in, Garret came across something strange. The price of a particular material that he had seen in the previous four books was off by about 25% in this book. He brought it to the attention of the other man, who shrugged. "We found it strange as well. About seven months ago we sent an auditor out to check on things, and when he returned he showed the market fluctuated over there due to a sudden increase in demand and a lowering of supply. The prices aren't projected to lower for another three months, but it looks like its on target for getting there."
Garret grunted, looking at it again. He was confused, and for some reason it continued to eat at him. He didn't want to leave it just at that, so he asked the next question that came to mind. "Who was the auditor?" He would speak to the auditor directly and see what was going on. Perhaps I am just being paranoid? The brief thought flickered across his mind, but it soon solidified into a heavier feeling in the pit of his stomach due to the words the accountant said next.
"Well, truth be told, he died about two months back. Bandits got him on the road, took him for all he had. The operatives didn't find a single Huang on his body." He shook his head, and then looked at Garret. "We did manage to wipe them out afterwards, though, according to the reports from the field."
The auditor was killed. His gut twisted and the thought left a bad taste in his mouth. Garret knew he may have been worried beyond what he should have been, but it was something that he would have to confirm for himself, least he always wonder about it. "Thank you for your time in teaching me. I think I'll take my leave now." He bid Quintus a good day as well, and made off for the city north of Remano, the first city that held his favorite restaurant; The Huang Place To Be.
When Garret arrived at the safe house, it was without advance notice. He was granted access to the location by a novice operative after confirming the correct countersigns. Garret began inspecting the location, asking the novice various questions. Their Cell leader, Janus, he learned, was a man who held a tight shift there. He demanded absolute respect and the following of the rules to the 't'. Garret's worries began to lower, and he realized he may have just been imagining things. Garret asked the operative where Janus' primary room of operations was, and the operative lead the way. Garret entered the office and looked through the room, noting the books on various topics shelved on book cases that lined the walls. A scholarly man, then? Garret approved of a man who taught himself and continued to improve himself. That was the sign of a successful individual. Before he began searching for the expenses book, Garret requested the operative bring him something to drink from downstairs. The operative bowed and left the room for Garret to wait in, as the operative assumed that Garret was awaiting Janus' return. Instead, after he sat down in Janus' desk chair, Garret began to leisurely look through the desk until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out the sheet of paper that had the latest financial information written on it and compared it to the book he found in the desk.
OOC:
Word Count: 1646/1500
Last edited by Garret on 15/10/14, 11:04 am; edited 1 time in total