By the Grace of the Gods (LN) - Volume 7 - Chapter 22

Chapter 5 Episode 22: The Interview

“Thank you for your patience.”

Moulton had returned to the room with Ox Roade and the nine other candidates we had selected. Perhaps out of consideration for our safety, no one was carrying a weapon, or wearing any clothing thick enough to conceal one. The other nine candidates consisted of some humans and beastkin. One of them was another ox beastkin, but Roade exuded an aura distinct from the rest; his numerous faint scars all over his well-built physique, coupled with his glinting eyes, completed a perfectly intimidating look...

While I doubted that this was his intention, I would have expected the faint of heart to be terrified by his presence. The horns protruding from his head were smaller than I had expected, only slightly peeking out of his hair that had been kept short for visibility. Combined with his intimidating presence, he looked more like a Japanese horned devil than an ox right now. I felt bad for the rest of the lot... But they already couldn’t match up to Ox.

The interview was conducted in two groups of five, Ox being in the second group. He was seated toward the back of the second group on a chair that seemed a bit too small for him.

“Please, ask them whatever you like,” Moulton encouraged.

We started by just asking their names, but they were already eager to sell themselves at every chance while still waiting for their turn. Being “bought” was their first step toward freedom, after all. Seeing how entertained the CEO looked in the corner of the room, he might have whispered something in their ears before leading them in.

After a while, I realized that this was basically my first time conducting an interview in this world. When I first hired Fay and the others, all of the other applicants had resigned for some reason. After that, all of my new hires were through some sort of connection, so I’d pretty much never dealt with a group of interviewees. I had some experience in corporate interviews in my previous life at the office, but this seemed like a different game altogether. The furious sales pitches were one thing, but...

“I entered the training center established by the famous adventurer Berveos on his dying year, and have earned the third rank of Bervean swordcraft...”

“Right... I only have my status board to show for any skill or prowess, but I’ve always adventured on the frontlines and survived this far. So...”

“I will not let you down! Pick me, please!”

There was no hiding anyone’s eloquence in this style of interview. Back in Japan, three-quarters of the interviewees sounded like they were reciting a how-to book verbatim, and about one in ten tried too hard to stand out, or stood out in the wrong way. It was a good day if 10% of the interviewees felt distinct from the rest. Everyone from kids straight out of college to the middle-aged career changer tended to hammer out interview do’s and don’ts at workshops, so their tactics were nearly identical. Even those who weren’t as eloquent fit the bill. Maybe the less eloquent they were, the more they relied on by-the-book tactics?

Anyway, everyone had practiced their spiel to death, so even their ideas were one and the same. It didn’t help that the company I worked for was thoroughly run-of-the-mill without a single unique thing about any of the job openings, nor a reason to compel any applicant to make it their first choice. I’d felt no point in asking questions like “what made you apply?”

In that sense, none of the candidates currently in front of me had any special reason for wanting to be bought by me. Without a choice in their career, they might have been enthusiastic about gaining a job, but not about working for my shop in particular. The big difference was that this world had no internet. Even if they’d had some sort of workshop or class for prospective interviewees, it wasn’t as easy to learn how to interview in this world. Maybe that was why they mostly used their own words to express how much they wanted it. It really did show how well some could talk compared to others, but I personally liked this method better. Much more clear-cut than trying to filter out the riffraff.

“Thank you,” I announced, having them switch with the second group of five after a while. They too erupted in a battle of sales pitches, but Ox Roade... He spoke the least out of all of them, and unabashedly stared at us like he was evaluating his potential master. While he did seem eager to be chosen, he had a different approach from the others. “Are there any questions?” I asked him.

“I want a position that lets me use my sword. But you might have noticed that I don’t have my left hand. What’s more, I’m not cheap, thanks to my debt. Would you still buy me?”

“You would be more than adequate as a guard for my shop, I’m sure. As for your price, I would like to see how well you can swing your sword first...” I turned to Moulton. “We can do that, right?”

“Of course.” Apparently, he had reserved the courtyard for precisely that purpose. I only had to tell him which candidates I wanted to see in action, and he would gather them in the courtyard, their weapon of choice in hand.

We decided to talk over what the try-out would consist of after the slaves left the room. Once I sorted it out with Moulton, Ox fell silent, as if he had said everything he needed to... Maybe he was already starting to mentally prepare for the try-out.

“Thank you again.” I dismissed them from the interview. After the ten candidates left the room, I asked around for input.

“That Ox Roade certainly grabbed my attention.”

“I think the papers aren’t lying; he’s almost certainly the best fighter of them all.”

“He sure looked the part... But he’s one stubborn bull.”

“How to put this... He’s like a general; loyal to strength and combat. I think you can trust him.”

I pretty much agreed with that. While he seemed a bit stoic, I was sure that he had the prowess to make up for it. My first impression of him was that he was rather like an artisan who dedicated his life to a single craft, but I could understand Fay’s impression of a military general too.

And so...

“Are we playing right into your hands if we’re seriously considering him?”

Orest smiled so brightly his teeth seemed to sparkle. “I simply showcased the best of my slaves.” Despite this reassurance, I couldn’t help but feel like the other nine candidates were there to prop Ox up. “Speaking of, Mr. Takebayashi, what did you have in mind for the trial?”

“What do you normally do?”

“Usually, customers request an exhibition between the slaves or against someone they had brought with them. I’ve been requested on occasion to have them fight some sort of monster.”

I had a light bulb moment. When I shared it with the group, the CEO with a passion for people-watching jumped right in with an exclamation of “Ooh, how fun!”

The other adults chimed in.

“Hm. That will be a continuation of the interview, in a sense.”

“We’ll see how they handle themselves. Do what you want, Ryoma.”

“I understand what you’re trying to say. I feel like it won’t wrap up as cleanly as you think...”

“I have a bad feeling about this...”

The CEO swooped in to convince the two who were skeptical of the idea, and we settled on implementing my idea.

“We do have staff on deck ready with recovery magic, so don’t worry about any injuries,” he added.