The most effective way to recruit party members was to place a recruitment advertisement on the bulletin board in the central square. Another method was to publish it in the advertisement column of the newspapers.
Seekers who were looking for a party could examine the recruiter information, Job requisites, and working conditions from there, and head to the interview if they were happy with the terms stated.
The interview location that I had specified was the Orc’s Club.
It wasn’t because I wanted to enjoy eating and drinking while I was doing the interviews, but because Seeker bars had entry restrictions based on the Seeker’s achievements. It was a common way to filter the interviewees, and the implication was that having the qualifications to enter the specified bar was the minimum requirement.
It was 11 am. There were already many customers, but it wasn’t too noisy, so it shouldn’t be a problem to hold interviews. All that was left, was to wait for applicants to appear, but——
「Nobody’s going come anyways」
The person who had sat down at my table without permission, and was running his mouth arbitrarily, was Wolf, the leader of Lightning Bite.
「You’ve been making a lot of noise from a while ago. You’re interfering with the interview」
「What interview? Like I said, no one’s going to come. In the first place, everyone who is at the level where they can enter this bar, is already in a party or clan」
「That’s only among those you know, right?」
「Well, while the chances of a hidden talent appearing isn’t zero, it’s low, am I right? Even if one did appear, there’s definitely some sort of trouble involved. Typically, Seekers that work solo are mostly people like that. Can you form a decent party with those kinds of people?」
「It’s not something you have to worry about. It’s fine, so hurry up and get lost」
「Don’t say such cold-hearted things. Aren’t you lonely, being all by yourself, Noel?」
Wolf gave me a friendly smile as he put his hand over-familiarly around my shoulders.
「In that case, come over and join us. We’ll welcome you, you know?」
「……Haaa~」
How many times have I sighed like this already, I wonder?
In the end, the reason why Wolf kept interfering with the interview was because he wanted to headhunt me over to Lightning Bite. It had been like this ever since I came into the bar, and he had been persistently going at it despite my constant rejections.
I was sick and tired of it. I couldn’t even summon the will to brush off the hand that he had put around my shoulders.
「That’s enough, Wolf. You’re troubling Noel」
An exasperated voice came from the next table.
The owner of the voice was an elven woman. She, who had elf-like dignified features and blonde hair in a signature two-side-up hairstyle, was Wolf’s ally.
Perhaps she was very confident in her dodging ability, but she was lightly equipped, wearing only a sleeveless blouse and skirt, with a leather chest protector, which was the only piece of her outfit resembling armor of any kind. Leisha the Archer was a Seeker that was well known in the Orc’s Club.
Voices that agreed with Leisha popped up, one after another.
「Leave it to me, he said, so we left it to him, but isn’t he just harassing him rather than headhunting him? No one’s gonna join if you invite them like that」
「It’s because Wolf has a pitiful brain…… The only strategy he knows is to push through with force, isn’t it?」
「Noel, you poor thing~. Wolf, you’re gross~」
「It’s because he’s like that, that he got rejected by that girl working in the flower store」
They were all Wolf’s allies and members of Lightning Bite. It seemed like they had sat at the next table and had been watching over the process, but it appeared that they had realized that it was useless to leave it to Wolf any further. If possible, I wished that they had realized it much faster.
「Hey, you guys are too noisy! And, don’t expose the fact that I got rejected! The true power of my negotiating techniques only starts now!」
Eeh, it’s going to continue? Please spare me……
「……Wolf」
「Oh, what is it? Are you gonna join us?」
「I’ve changed my mind. I don’t mind becoming allies if you agree to my conditions」
「Ooh, are you serious!? Look, did you hear that, you guys! This is the power of my negotiating techniques!」
Leisha gave Wolf, who had stood up and was rejoicing, a swift kick.
「Ouch! What was that for!?」
「Wolf, you’re a hindrance, so sit over there」
After treating Wolf coldly, Leisha turned to me.
「So, what are your conditions? We really want Noel to join, so we’ll do our best to meet them. We’ll have nothing to fear if we add a capable control tower to our current members」
「It’s not a particularly difficult condition to meet. It’s a simple thing」
「What is it? Tell me, tell me」
Leisha bent at her waist and put her face close to mine.
Why are you putting your face so close? Is this some form of elven communication? Hey, you’re too close. Not only are you breathing on me, you’re so close that I can count your eyelashes.
「There is only one condition」
「Uh-huh」
「That is for me to be the leader of Lightning Bite」
「Eh, that’s okay, you know? Everyone, that’s fine, right?」
Everyone nodded at Leisha’s words.
「I’m fine with it」
「I’m okay too」
「Me too~」
「Me as well」
Wolf jumped up in a panic at everyone’s instant reply.
「What’s with the instant reply, you guys!? Wait, what about my opinion!? I’m the leader, are I!? Don’t make decisions as you all please!」
「I mean, Noel is smarter than Wolf. And we don’t particularly care who our leader is. See, there’s no problem, right?」
Wolf got pulled along by Leisha’s assertion and nodded.
「Now that you mention it… you’re right. …Wait, that’s not the problem! I’m the leader! The one who created Lightning Bite was me!」
At his retort, laughter erupted and Wolf got made fun of even more.
His allies weren’t making fun of Wolf because they looked down on him. If anything, they were made fun of him precisely because they trusted him. Not a single one of them was serious about replacing their leader.
But, to me, it wasn’t a joke, but an earnest condition.
However, I should have successfully conveyed to Wolf my intention of not being under anyone. As proof, Wolf didn’t come over to mess with me anymore, and was drinking and joking with his allies instead.
「What a shame. I really wanted to go adventuring with Noel」
Leisha, who had not returned to her seat at the next table, pouted while resting her chin on my table.
「But what are you going to do if you can’t gather any allies?」
「I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. I’ll just change from recruiting to headhunting」
「Headhunting? Do you have someone in mind?」
「Yeah, sort of」
There were problems that needed to be settled before I could recruit him, but if the headhunt was successful, he would be an enormous force. After all, he had strength that could only be called unprecedented and was strong enough to surpass Blue Beyond, even in its heyday, all by himself.
The Puppeteer — Hugo Coppelius
Even though I would have to leave him till later, he was a man I wanted no matter what.
「Hmm, what kind of person is it? Is it someone I know?」
「Trade secret」
「Ehhh~! What’s up with that! Isn’t it fine to tell me, you stingy man!」
It was not to Wolf’s level, but it appeared that this woman was also the type to annoyingly involve herself with people……
As I was thinking of ways to chase her away, there was an unexpected whisper-like voice.
「Are you Noel Stollen?」
「Woah!」「Hyaaa!」
The voice had been so unexpected that Leisha and me lifted off our seats a few inches in shock. We had felt no presence at all. It was as if the short person in a hooded robe standing before us had just appeared out of thin air together with the voice.
No, putting me aside, for even an Archer with presence sensing Skills like Leisha to not be able to notice her, she might have really appeared from another dimension.
「……I’m Noel. And you are?」
「I’m——」 (Boku is used by this person, which is a male pronoun)
When the hood was pull back, purple-tinted silver hair could be seen.
It was a woman. Glossy silver hair trimmed at the shoulder. Skin that was tanned brown by the sun. Orderly features like a Bisque doll. Heterochromia or odd eye with her left eye a sapphire color and her right eye an amethyst color.
Although she was not as short as a Halfling, she was short enough that she looked like a child at first glance. However, if you looked closely, she had the scent of an adult woman. The sharpness of her cheeks and her beautifully shaped nose were characteristics that wouldn’t be seen in children who had not yet grown up.
「——Alma. I came after seeing the recruitment ad in the central square」
As expected, she was an applicant. Based on the situation, I thought that would be the case.
But, a woman, huh…… Considering the previous incident, it’s not what I would have preferred. It would be troubling if problems caused by love happened yet again because a woman joined.
If possible, I would have liked to build the party’s foundation with men only. I had thought that it would only be after the party was already functioning properly that I would let women join, but to think my very first applicant is a woman.
I should have limited the recruitment requirements to only men. I had thought it unlikely that any women were going to apply because the low percentage of female Seekers, so I hadn’t put much thought into it.
Well, there’s nothing I could do now that she had come. It would also be a problem to turn her away now just because she is a woman. I probably ought to accept even women as new allies as long as both sides could come to mutually-agreeable terms.
In addition, not limiting it to men might conversely have been the right thing to do. I couldn’t confirm it yet, but whether it was how she appeared suddenly out of nowhere or her appearance itself, the air of a strong person wafted from this woman.
「Alma, thank you for coming today. Please take a seat」
「Got it」
At my urging, Alma sat across from me.
「Huh, you’re gonna start the interview?」
Leisha tilted her head and whispered into my ear.
「Isn’t she just a child? Children can’t be Seekers, right?」
「No, that is——」
「You’re mistaken. I’m not a child. I’m a proper adult」
Alma, who had heard Leisha’s whispers, shook her head to show denial. Then she raised two fingers in her right hand and one in her left.
「21 years old. A legitimate adult」
「Five years older, huh……」
I knew she was an adult, but I wasn’t expecting to hear that she was five years older. What could I say, this woman was full of surprises.
「Hey, at what age do humans become adults? Is it really true that you’re an adult at 21?」
I brushed aside Leisha’s very elf-like question.
「Is it okay if I ask you a few questions?」
「I don’t mind」
「Then, first of all——」
「What’s your favorite food?」
「Strawberries」
「Wolf! Don’t butt in for no good reason!」
I really couldn’t let my guard down. When I tried to ask a question, Wolf, who was supposed to be at the next table, had come back and had started asking questions over me for some reason.
「Aren’t you the leader of a different party? Why on earth are you asking questions? Besides, what exactly are you trying to accomplish by asking about her favorite food?」
「Now, now, don’t be so block-headed. Isn’t she an interesting applicant?」
「We’re not here to play games! Kennel! Wolf, go kennel!」
「Do you have a favorite book?」
「『100 techniques to make tough guys into girls』by Elizabeth Greze」
While I was busy chasing Wolf away, it was Leisha who asked her a question this time. Or rather, all the members of Lightning Bite had already joined in.
Now that things had turned out this way, I could only raise my hands in defeat……
「Your hobbies?」
「Gathering herbs」
「Are you the type who can save up money?」
「Moderately so」
「Three sizes?」
「90, 53, 82」
Why were they only asking such random questions… Alma too, she didn’t have to answer all of them so conscientiously. It was going to a pain to stop it, so I just went with the flow and asked my questions too.
「What’s your Job and Rank?」
「Scout. C Rank」
So she was a Scout. Not bad. For scouting Abysses, Scouts and Archers, who were skilled at detecting danger, were very useful. It was ironic that talent that we were missing back then, only came now.
「Are you interested in fashion?」
「As much as the next person」
「How much experience do you have? Have you been in other parties before?」
「No. I’ve only just finished registering as a Seeker. I had been receiving training from Grandpa in the mountains up until recently」
Zero experience as a Seeker, she said? It was troubling that she was a total beginner. But what I was intrigued about, was the fact that she had been training until recently. What kind of training was it, that you would need to train until you were 21 years old?
「What’s your motto?」
「What can be done tomorrow, shall be done tomorrow」
「Final question. Why do you aspire to be a Seeker?」
「I have no interest in being a Seeker. What I’m interested in is——」
Alma’s finger pointed straight at me.
「——only you, Over Death’s grandson」
「……Were you involved with my grandfather in some way?」
While Grandfather was famous as a hero, it was strange that someone who was not only not a Seeker, but had been secluded in the mountains, to have known of him. In that case, it was probably reasonable to think that either Alma herself, or one of her relatives had been involved with Grandfather.
「Not me, but my Grandpa said he had fought him in the past」
「Hmm……」
「Grandpa doesn’t have a right arm. It was cut off by Over Death」
Trying not to let Alma notice, I secretly put my hand on Silver-chan.
「Surely, you’re not going to say that your real goal is to take revenge for that, right?」
But it seemed like my worries were unfounded.
「You’re mistaken. I’m not going to do something so unproductive. I’m merely interested in what kind of Seeker that hero’s grandson is」
「I, I see…… Well, I’ll apologize on behalf of Grandfather. I’m sorry. Grandfather has already passed away so I hope that you’ll accept my apology as his own」
「Grandpa passed away peacefully last month, so there is nobody left who is holding a grudge. What’s past is past. No need to apologize」
Alma spoke as if she really didn’t mind at all.
But, a man who had fought Over Death, huh…… There were too many that I couldn’t narrow it down. Grandfather was quite a rowdy person when he was young after all.
「By the way, what was your grandfather’s name?」
「Alcor Iudikaray 」
I felt goosebumps the instant I heard that name. The members of Lightning Bite also had their eyes wide with shock.
Alcor Iudikaray, the name that couldn’t be uttered without absolute terror.
In the dark underbelly of society that was dominated by the Yakuza, a certain secret society existed. Assassin Order, as its name suggested, an organization that earned its living working as assassins.
They were thought to be even worse and more evil than the Yakuza because they ruthlessly killed anyone, even babies, as long as it was requested, and everyone feared going against them.
And the legendary assassin who created and served as the founding leader of the Order, was Alcor Iudikaray.
The story of how he single-handedly completed the request by the Pope at the time to eliminate all opposing religious organizations, was much too infamous. In all likelihood, the number of lives that he took at the time easily surpassed a thousand…
He was an untouchable existence in all aspects, and people feared to even utter his name in public. And yet, Alma claimed to be his granddaughter.
Is she really the granddaughter of that Alcor?
I also had the experience where I couldn’t quite get people to believe I was the grandson of Over Death because of how I looked, but even taking that into account, I couldn’t just believe her offhand.
But if her words were true, she was a talent that was hard to come by. I definitely wanted her as an ally.
I mean, what was Grandpa doing, picking a fight with the Assassin Order? It’s the first I’d heard of it. What the heck was he doing? What’s more, isn’t it far too ridiculous to have cut off the right arm of that Alcor?
……Oh no, I went on a tangent because the unexpected information was far too interesting.
「The granddaughter of that Alcor? For a joke, it isn’t funny」
In a deep voice, a big man with a crew cut stood up from the opposite table.
Here we go! The start of the next arc! wkwkwk
Yet somehow, I found myself googling for hairstyles… surprisingly could not find an English equivalent for two side up. And before anything else…
Two side up =/= Twin tails. A classic example of a two side up heroine would be Rin from the Fate series. Her hair is tied into tails on each side but the back of her hair still flows down. There, totally useless info rant over. (*´ω`*) (edit: and after all that effort, Leisha ended up a twin tails in the end lol)
What did you guys think of the interaction with Lightning Bite as well as Alma, the legend’s successor?
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login