It wasn't an easy decision.

In fact, that's not even the right way to describe the next steps Branch 53 should take. Any move they made would be based only on stretched threads of evidence. It could spell disaster if they made the wrong choice and caused the downfall of a world.

"Well, what are we going to even do about this?" Dylan blurted out in frustration. "There's barely anything to go on! We'll be doomed if this goes terribly wrong! I could get fired!"

"It's not that big of a deal," Victoria shook her head. "The requirements here are pretty low-stakes. I don't think the problem is really that big."

Marsh spoke up. "Well, I'd have to agree with Dylan's earlier statement for the most part. It sounds like for that request, ******* is expected to be the wizard's apprentice, and it's possible that she may have to succeed him should he die. We can't let another, new heavy weight replace the one which currently exists."

"So, I suppose we could remove one option." Victoria crossed it off of her list. "Personally, I'm not a big fan of the arranged marriage one. She has a fiancee. I doubt she'd react well to 'Hey, here's your new husband now, goodbye'."

"I suppose that does make sense."

"I'm not opposed to removing the arranged marriage option," Marsh said, "but that leaves us with two different versions of the same thing. The worlds with open borders that are looking for inhabitants."

"We could just pick one randomly and hope that it works" offered Dylan.

"You said a few moments ago that the wrong choice 'would doom us all' and now you want to leave it up to chance?" Marsh sighed. "We can discuss this later. I'll figure out how we get ******** to her new home."

It was a difficult job for Marshall- as he was creating the deaths or disappearances of each reincarnated soul. And all of the friends and family in grief... he wished there was some form of comfort that he could give, to say "It's alright, they chose to move on". But it wasn't possible. Who would believe him? And if someone did, wouldn't they become angry at this stranger for sending their loved one to another world? Not to mention the simple fact that Marsh almost never had a reason to visit anyone's funeral- he didn't have any other connection to them, how was he supposed to explain his presence?

So he would press on, finding a way to extend the applicant's life as long as possible, hoping to give them as much life as he could possibly spare. It was not easy, but it was the best Marsh could do.

After mulling over the issue for several hours, Marsh reluctantly came to a decision. Cardiac arrest-specifically cardiomyothapy- often lead to a swift death, an unfortunate genetic disease that many people aren't aware of. It was rare, but not strange enough to be questioned. A thick heart, that stops- is finished beating. No end is a good end, but Marsh hoped that it was the least painful for the dying one. This one was a strange default, where there shouldn't be anything to fall back on, where nature should just take its course. 

"Have you decided on the world yet?" Marsh finally gathered up the strength to speak. 

"Huh? No, you made it seem like you wanted us to wait," answered Dylan. "I thought it might be good to let you think in silence."

There was a brief moment of silence before Victoria spoke. "Well, I did some research into the two realms, and while they do share similarities, there are a few differences."

"Such as...?"

"To start, here we have World 1. Society has started to develop, and it's in the stages of early civilization, and also has a writing system. World 2 has very primitive tribes, but they have explored a greater percentage of the continent as a result. It's your classic hunter-gatherers system."

"World 2 would be perfect! The exploration, the finding of new creatures- it sounds like it may tie in very well to *******'s requests," Dylan paused before adding, "I mean, that's just my opinion."

"While you do make a point, I honestly feel like the first world is a better fit," Marsh argued. "There's less worry about survival in a stationary city. They also have a reliable source of food."

"Yeah, I agree." Victoria said, collecting her thoughts. "Plus, they tend to stick in one area- so while they won't be seeing many exotic monsters and creatures, there's still a whole world to explore and new things to discover."

"So, you two think it would be a better idea to send ******* to World 1?" Dylan asked.

"Definitely. They can write as well, so that may improve the quality of living and become less of a shock. It may be hard for someone to adjust to a world without writing, like the second one," Marsh confirmed. "Any objections?"

The others were silent.

"I'll take that as a no. Alright, Victoria- if you'd be so kind as to send me the world details, I'll have the files written up shortly."

In a small village, with houses made of dried clay, a young girl stood in a small coop, tossing seeds to birds that resembled turkeys. "Ma, when will Da get back from the expedition?"

A middle aged woman looked up from sculpting a pot, towards her daughter. "Honey, I don't know. It's possible that he may not even return. Who knows what sort of beasts live in the far corners of the land?"

"Who knows?" A loud voice boomed from a few meters away. A tall man holding a spear and a bundle of cloth grinned as he walked towards them. "I think I would!"

The little girl's eyes shone. "Da!" she cried, running up and giving her father a hug. "You're back!"

"Of course I'm back," he smiled, putting down the spear and the bundle of cloth to hug his daughter. "I'd never desert my wonderful daughter and lovely wife." He walked over, bending down to give his wife a kiss on the forehead. "I missed you, Maira."

"I missed you too, Arden. You better not be leaving anytime soon, because you were away for far too long."

The young girl ran oved and plopped down on the ground next to her parents, sitting up with wide eyes. "Da, what did you see? Did you find anything cool? Did you fight a monster? Was there-"

Her mother laughed. "Sweet child, always poking her nose into everyone's business and asking questions."

The father grinned. "And you should know where she got it from. Little Maira, always chasing after the adults to see what they were doing."

"Oh, shut up!" the mother laughed. "Besides, she gets her adventurous streak from you. I wouldn't be surprised if she followed your steps as an explorer."

"Ma! Does that mean I can go on adventures too?" The girl asked excitedly. "I want to see all of the animals and find all of the monsters and be famous like Da!"

The couple laughed. The father spoke gently, "I'm not famous, silly. I'm just doing my job." He smiled, pulling the two others into a hug. "But I have plenty of new stories to tell you, so wait to explore until you're older, okay? You're still my little girl."

"Da, I'm not that little anymore..." she pouted. "I've grown a lot!"

The family sat together, laughing and talking, happy to be spending time with each other once more.