“Whoa, this is…”
“What do you think?”
“Principal Merlin! This is revolutionary! Just selling this to knights and mercenaries who can’t do their jobs because their arms got chopped off will make us tons of money!”
Wah wah wah, the excitement is a bit much. I watched Berne, the guildmaster, salivating over the prosthetic arm while sitting next to Principal Merlin.
It gave me chills to see his eyes filled with awe and inspiration as he examined the arm from every angle, but I tried to stay calm and waited for the guildmaster to speak.
“Let’s sign a contract right away! Exclusively!”
“Let’s discuss the deposit and profit sharing first.”
“How about 5,000 gold coins for the deposit? We can split profits 50-50!”
“Half-and-half, huh…”
“Exactly! This is quite generous! It’s rare for a guild to offer this kind of ratio!”
“What do you think?”
I glanced over at the principal, thinking it was wiser to seek advice from Merlin, who has more experience in these matters.
As expected from the head of Kalon Academy, Principal Merlin read the meaning in my eyes and immediately spoke up.
“It’s not a bad ratio. However, we’re the only ones who can produce this. How about 80-20?”
“Then we’d have to handle everything from transport to sales after receiving the goods, right? We want to provide, but that would lead to a loss. How about 60-40?”
“70-30. I can’t go higher than that.”
“Sigh… I’m offering this because Principal Merlin recommended you!”
Honestly, these kinds of negotiations should be left to the experts. I was satisfied watching the negotiations progress while calculating the time until the next appointment.
Morning negotiation. Afternoon briefing session for the graduating theology students at Yeomyeong-gwan… Am I security for hire? It’s not something I should be worrying about now, but suddenly realizing my schedule felt more entrepreneurial than bodyguard-like made me feel strange.
At this rate, I might end up starting a guild and becoming a guildmaster.
“Johann, why don’t you discuss the details? For instance, custom orders…”
“I’m willing to do custom orders if the materials and parties come in person.”
After all, if I could just set the estimate, crafting wouldn’t take long, so I wouldn’t mind receiving a hefty reward for custom orders. I should also consider going with a premium strategy.
“A custom order! That will be a nice way to earn money!”
I’m thrilled, really thrilled. The guildmaster couldn’t hide his joy anymore, his expression reflecting the dreams of hitting a money jackpot.
“Let’s sort out the details with Principal Merlin. I have another appointment to attend to, so I’ll leave first.”
“Go ahead.”
Now, he wouldn’t stab me in the back, right? I quietly left the guild building and moved to my next destination.
———-
“Here, right here!”
“It’s so lively.”
“Right? It’s famous for having great taste and generous portions, so a lot of people stop by! I heard it’s one of the top ten restaurants in Kalon!”
Did they have that kind of ranking? But top ten? Seems a bit lacking.
Five-star, three-star would sound better to me. But considering the size of this city, the top ten restaurants claim doesn’t sound entirely outrageous. This city is the largest, excluding the capital of the Empire.
That means there’s a high foot traffic, which leads to many shops.
So it makes sense for the local newspaper to promote the top ten restaurants. Anyway, what should I order? I’ve been eating spicy pork lately; I feel like something light…
“Sif, recommend a menu item.”
“They say the beef soup and steak set here are delicious!”
“Then I’ll go with that.”
“I’ll try the fish dish. Excuse me!”
Sif immediately called over a staff member to place the order. Seeing her call the staff with natural ease made it clear she’d been here before.
“Have you been here before?”
“I came here with my siblings. They really loved it. They often say they want to eat food like this every day…”
“You take good care of your siblings.”
“Well, they’re like my kids. I’ve been raising them since they were little.”
“How much younger are they than you?”
“About five or six years? Something like that.”
Sif seemed to be mixed up while staring down at the table, unsure about the precise ages.
But then again, since this place doesn’t have a system like Korea where everyone has a resident registration, it makes sense that knowing exact ages would be tough.
Especially for a girl who has to take care of her siblings.
“We, coming from the slums, don’t really care about age. We just gauge whether someone is a boy or a young man based on size.”
“Hm. That sounds tough.”
“I’m pretty lucky though. I found a good employer and turned my life around. But most aren’t. I need to get out of the slums soon…”
“Are you still living in the slums?”
“Do you know how expensive housing is here? Plus, homes don’t sell well for people from the slums…”
It seems that just having money doesn’t guarantee anything here. This world firmly has class distinctions. For someone like Sif, who doesn’t have a lot of experience or status, having money alone wouldn’t give her a free pass.
“If you need help, let me know. I can vouch for you.”
“Thanks. But I still need to save more money. One day, I’ll build a nice house and live with my siblings…”
“I hope that comes true.”
“…So! Is there anything money-making without too much risk?”
“If I find something, I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks… I won’t forget this kindness.”
“Just make sure to work harder.”
“Your orders are ready.”
It seemed we had talked longer than I realized, as the staff came with a tray in each hand. We quietly watched the food settle on the table before picking up our cutlery.
“Let’s eat well.”
The usual greeting was drowned in the clamor of the place.
——————–
“Don’t be surprised, but every student expected to graduate came here after seeing the official notice!”
“Really?”
“You don’t seem very surprised.”
Since I figured all the first-year students would show up, I wasn’t shocked. The real issue is filtering out the useful ones among them.
I had some preparation for how I would sift through them, but the effectiveness was still uncertain.
I’ve never acted as an interviewer before. At least Headmaster Crispy said he’d provide assistance, but how much help he would actually offer remains to be seen.
In the end, it means I have to sift through for potential talented recruits myself.
…Honestly, I need to find some talented candidates first.
Of course, since they are elites, they should have some competence, but I’m unsure if they’re fit to work at Yeomyeong-gwan. I need candidates who won’t freak out seeing Karina, just like the first-years.
Candidates who can also hold their own in emergencies.
That’s what I need.
“This is the classroom. They’ve probably been staring at the door waiting for you.”
“I’m a bit nervous.”
“Haha, you have a sense of humor, don’t you?”
No, I’m dead serious.
While I’m confident in many things, communication isn’t one of them. I’m not great with words, and I’ve survived by relying on my abilities until now. I’ll try my best, but it’s obvious I’ll end up using bait to reel them in.
I hope none of the graduates are overly proud.
If they act tough or disrespectfully, they might just get snatched up by someone else.
“Are you all set?”
“Ready when you are.”
“Then let’s get started.”
I didn’t really need to open the door, but nonetheless, I stepped into the bright space beyond it. Standing before the lectern where the professor usually leaves their belongings, I scanned my surroundings quietly.
Gazes. Gazes. Gazes. Gazes.
Have I ever received this many gazes in my life?
“Who is that guy…?”
“Oh— I’ve seen him! He’s the bodyguard that the Saint takes around.”
“Really? Just looking at him makes him seem like a mercenary who rolled in from the front lines…”
“Why isn’t he saying anything?”
Surrounded by whispers from the early-twenties students who were eying me, I picked my words carefully.
I should strike hard, right?
Going soft would only lead to more annoyances.
Wherever I go, I need to assert dominance right away.
I slammed my hand down on the lectern. The previously scattered gazes quickly converged on me. As almost all the attention was now on me, I furrowed my brow and quietly spoke up.
“Graduating theology students. Since I’m the one picking, I’ll be speaking informally from now on. Got it?”
No responses came back. No one’s objecting, huh? Then, let’s stick to the planned approach.
I pointed at a modestly dressed female student sitting in the front-right corner and declared, “You, start from the left and explain why you’re qualified to assist the Saint. If you exaggerate or lie, you’re out instantly.”
“Haha…”
Headmaster Crispy quietly observed while stroking his beard, clearly approving of my approach. I slipped a glance at Headmaster Crispy, who seemed to tacitly agree.
Rue, it’s time to shine.
I set Rue on the lectern. The sudden appearance of the magic book ruffled the atmosphere among the theology students, but when I warned everyone about being disqualified for making noise, silence quickly returned.
[Ugh, this unpleasant sacred power…]
Standing on the lectern, Rue complained while diligently rolling her eyes at the modest female student.
She looked a little scared, but that’s fine.
“All right, we’ll begin the first round of interviews.”
Let’s see how this goes.
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