“Next, please.”
Recently, a rumor had been circulating among the townsfolk of Goldfull Valley: if one worked at the Somerset family’s factory, they could earn a fortune.
Hearing this, artisans from the southern regions, who were jobless and broke, began flocking to the Somerset family.
Jensen was among them, having submitted his resume and even come for an interview, but he was filled with worry.
“Haa… I’ve only just stepped out as a mere apprentice; would they even consider someone like me?”
The source of all his troubles lay in the fact that during his training under his master, who was a famous blacksmith in the capital, he had ended up seducing the master’s daughter.
Upon discovering this, his master had promptly kicked him out, and Jensen, without the skills he needed, absolutely dreaded the thought of returning home empty-handed.
Thus, he had come here carrying his last flicker of hope, but he soon realized that the number of applicants was greater than he had anticipated.
“Waiting number 13, Mr. Jensen, please come in.”
As he anxiously waited, it was finally his turn, and he steadied his trembling heart as he stepped into the reception room.
Inside, several individuals who appeared to be interviewers were seated.
“What’s with their complexions? They all look so gaunt.”
Except for one young man with blonde hair sitting in the center, everyone else looked like they had severe dark circles under their eyes, their gazes resembling the lifeless eyes of dead fish.
“Mr. Jensen, I see from your resume that your family is in another region and you’re not married?”
“Yes, that’s correct!”
As soon as he sat down, the questions came crashing in.
It was the young man in the center asking the question. He looked to be of a high status, and Jensen couldn’t help but feel a sense of urgency in his response.
‘Could that be Rupert, the Heir?’
He was the author behind the fairy tale and comic book that had been the talk of the Empire, someone reputed for even receiving a commendation from the imperial family.
Rumor had it he was a heartless figure.
It was said that he had reduced his father, Count Somerset, to a mere old man in the back room just to seize the family.
‘There’s even talk that his missing eldest brother was a scheme of his.’
Seeing the infamous figure in person, Jensen’s concerns about the rumors seemed to be justified.
Though he had a calm, bespectacled face, it appeared far too cold.
The way he was gazing at Jensen felt almost predatory, like a beast eyeing its prey.
“Hmmm… do you have a girlfriend?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Then what’s your relationship with your family like?”
“…Not very good.”
“Ah, I see. Is there any part of your body that’s in bad condition?”
“…No, I’m not in pain, but….”
The questions were starting to feel strange.
Why was he being asked only about his personal life rather than his skills?
Jensen felt a chill run down his spine.
Suddenly, a haunting tale he had heard in the capital came back to him.
[Jensen, do you know? Those dark wizards need live humans for sacrifices, and they lure in people by offering them a good job before abducting them.
When selecting a victim, they are very meticulous, asking if you have family, a girlfriend, or if there’s any part of you that’s weak—]
As his senior had jokingly warned him, cold sweat began to trickle down Jensen’s back.
“Damn it, I somehow thought the salary was too good to be true. There’s no way such a job actually exists.”
He felt frustrated at himself for failing to make a wise judgment, blinded by the prospect of money.
The gaze of the true master of Somerset, looking down at him as if he were a delicious meal, filled Jensen with dread.
However, the one casting that gaze had entirely different thoughts.
Wow, this is perfect. He has no girlfriend, so he won’t whine about working late, and his family relations are strained, meaning he has no place to run away to when things get tough.
Plus, he was young and healthy with no illnesses? Wow, that’s a guaranteed hire!
Rupert was simply thrilled to have found a worker with such ideal conditions.
The production volume of their books had skyrocketed recently, and they were short-staffed with the goods factory up and running.
Also, they had been dealing with people who tended to run away, which had been a constant headache. Finding someone as perfect as Jensen made Rupert feel like he wanted to give him a peck on the cheek.
“With a talent like this, I bet he’ll drink vitality potions like it’s nothing.”
Rupert briefly considered giving Jensen a vitality potion to see how he’d react, but decided to take it slowly and happily marked his resume with a big “Accepted”.
*
“O Mother Goddess in the heavens, your descendant is desperately praying, grant us your grace. Heal!”
Even though a bright light enveloped his body like the sun, it didn’t blind him at all.
‘Is this divine power?’
Energy began to surge back into his body, which had just moments ago been weary and drowsy.
“Brother, your faith is so strong that I could provide this special healing, but usually…”
“Is it even right that there isn’t a proper church of the Goddess Church in our territory? I’m planning to build one this time!”
“Visiting brothers of such strong faith is indeed the role of our monks, so please feel free to summon us.”
The monk, whose head shone as brightly as the divine power, left with a satisfied smile.
‘I’ve heard it costs money, but since it’s a church that needed to be built anyway…’
The fact that there wasn’t even a church of the Goddess Church in the Count’s territory was simply unacceptable.
However, when their finances plummeted a few years back, the Somerset branch of the Goddess Church withdrew without receiving any donations from their family.
When they were poor, it didn’t matter because there was nothing to take, but now that the family’s finances had recovered, failing to make donations to the Goddess Church could turn into a severe weakness later on.
‘They’ll stir up rumors claiming we’re demon worshippers or dark wizards, shaking our family’s reputation.’
What a bothersome world. Everyone should just mind their own territories and live peacefully, but why are they so interested in others’ affairs?
Anyway, now that the financial situation of the territory had stabilized somewhat, I decided to rebuild the church while I was at it.
Initially, it felt painful to throw money out like this.
But since it was money I had to spend regardless, making the most out of it seemed like the right thing to do. So I invited the monk, and receiving this divine power proved to be incredibly effective.
At this rate, I might be able to speed up the writing process for a new comic book volume.
Actually, the hardest part about reading comics is just having to wait.
Most comics take months to release a single volume, so readers are bound to feel anxious.
However,
“I already have the story all figured out, and my drawing skills are insane; with this setup, one volume a month is definitely doable.”
With such a great concept, inspiration flowed abundantly, and the story came together so quickly that from the initial outlines to the drafts, everything was progressing like a well-oiled machine.
The only thing lacking was stamina, but that was a breeze to fix thanks to the vitality potions and divine power – nothing could stand in the way now.
Even the artisans, who had been worn out, were recovering their energy after receiving healing from the monk, albeit in a daze.
As I glanced at those artisans and sat back at my desk, I felt as fresh as someone who had just woken up from a good nap.
“Alright, everyone! We’ve had enough rest, let’s get back to work!”
At my words, whispers filled the workshop.
“Back to work? Wait, is it night or day right now?”
“Damn it, those blackout curtains are messing with my sense of time!”
“Are we really done resting? Is that for real?”
In reality, it was nighttime.
I had just returned from the reception room after welcoming the monk, which made me aware that dinner had already passed.
However, the artisans trapped inside the workshop seemed completely unaware of the time.
*
In the Sylvania Continent, dark wizards were widely detested beings.
First of all, they were considered evil entities for calling upon the powers of demon races, which were public enemy number one to all surface races.
Secondly, their magic required living beings to create spells.
Not only that, but they also dug up corpses from graveyards and battlefields, engaging in heinous acts; as a result, they were hunted across the Empire and the entire continent.
“Hehe… filthy Empire bastards, it’s your turn now to scream and wail.”
Among those dark wizards was Venom, who chuckled wickedly as he slowly bled a pouch full of blood onto the ground, drawing strange lines.
After enduring relentless pursuit, most dark wizards had already been eradicated and vanished, but one organization still remained: the ‘Abyss Cult.’
Venom was a member of that organization, currently on an important mission.
On March 14th – just three months left until their grand operation.
Thinking about the new dark magic the organization had painstakingly developed, his heart raced with anticipation.
Once they completed the magic circle that would manifest this dark magic, the capital of the Empire would be engulfed in a true nightmare.
The wicked Empire that had forced them into a beggar’s life by indiscriminately slaughtering his brothers and comrades.
Although they had sacrificed a few innocent villages and plundered a couple of church crypts, how could they be so cruel to drive them to such extremes?
Soon enough, they would learn that blood begets blood.
While they had poured all remaining resources of the organization into preparing this magic circle, if they succeeded, it would surely herald the return of the dark wizards’ era.
Just thinking about that made hiding at the borders of the capital like a rat evading the watchful eyes of the people bearable.
“Wait for us! Empire, the Abyss Cult is back!!!”
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