“Um, I’m Avril! My specialties are reciting scriptures and healing magic!”
Scripture recitation and healing magic…
Truth.
“Next.”
“I’m Kenneth! I’m going to work as an apprentice priest at the Arenal Temple, and my specialty is swordsmanship!”
Truth.
“Next.”
“I…”
Truth.
Is this why they do pressure interviews? I felt satisfied watching the students respond as quickly as newly inducted recruits to the God Unit every time I called “next.”
At this rate, it wouldn’t take long to narrow down the throng of students packed in this classroom.
“…That’s it! My specialty is doing odd jobs! I’m confident I can do anything, from cleaning to whatever!”
Checked for now.
“Got it. Next.”
I didn’t see anyone yet who seemed promising. Thankfully or unfortunately, it seemed there were no liars among them. I decided I needed to listen until the end to get a proper estimate.
“Um…”
“I’m confident with paperwork…”
“Next.”
“I have qualifications to be a paladin…”
“Next.”
“I graduated from a high-ranking family, so I’m good at math…”
Worrying how many useful ones would come out, contrary to my expectations, students with decent specialties began to appear little by little among the graduating class.
“Um, I’m Ted! My specialty is math!”
“What’s 438 times 358?”
“156804!”
Was that right? I quickly jotted the numbers on the blackboard right behind me.
156804.
Correct answer.
“What was your name again?”
“Ted!”
“Noted.”
“Thank you!”
So, this one passes.
“I’m Alma! I don’t have any particularly outstanding points, but I’ve done various jobs!”
“Specifically, what jobs?”
“Uh, I helped with errands at an inn, took care of kids at an orphanage, and was the secretary for the Theology student council!”
Why mention the most important part last? Student council secretary… noted.
As I noted down several standout candidates, as the introductions were wrapping up, it was getting perilously close to double digits on the small paper at the lectern.
More than I expected, but fewer than I expected overall.
And then, the last.
I looked at the last student… and thought, what the heck is that?
“Was it Harry? Wake him up.”
“Hey, hey… wake up…”
“Shit…”
Wha… what now?
With a voice thick with sleep, everyone’s attention focused on the guy who was still face down in a dreamy daze.
The guy who muttered curses in his sleep didn’t even realize what he said and buried his face deeper into his arms.
“Sigh… Jerico, you’re drunk again.”
“Does he drink a lot normally?”
“Yep. I wonder what he finds so appealing about alcohol… tsk.”
The head of the department with a crispy name also seemed displeased with the student’s antics. To be honest, I wouldn’t like a drunk student either. If it were me, I might have smashed his head in with a shovel.
Should I kick him out immediately?
No. I should at least hear him out. Usually, those types could be hidden talents.
“Harry. Give him a solid smack on the back of the head.”
“Wha?”
“Quick.”
As a good seminarian, Harry probably couldn’t just smack someone without warning. He closed his eyes tightly and raised his hand high. His sleeves fell down, revealing his thin arms, which moved slowly as he began to “massage” Jerico’s head.
“What are you doing?”
“Umm?”
“I didn’t say to pat him on the head.”
Is he trying to appeal to be some peace-loving religious person? As I glared at Harry with fury, he hesitantly raised his hand again.
“Use all your strength.”
Harry looked like he might tremble from my command, swinging his hand with all his power. It was a lot better speed than before. “Aah!” Jerico screamed as he bolted up, glaring at Harry like he wanted to kill him.
“Why are you hitting me?”
“I was told to hit you.”
“Who do you think you are?”
“I’m a knight protecting the Saint.”
“Ha…”
Is this guy really from the theology department? I looked over at Bishop Crispy, filled with doubt. He sighed, rubbing his temples. I guess there’s always one punk in every school. Better to just avoid him, right?
I asked him a question to figure out if he’s a “genius twisted by circumstances” or just a drunk.
“Page 36, line three of the Book of the Sun. Tell me.”
“Lord Kalon said, ‘Let the light shine upon the darkness.’”
“Is that correct?”
“Yep.”
“What’s 1732 times 127?”
“Am I obligated to answer that?”
Is he a masochist or something?
“I’ll go slap the back of your head directly myself.”
I tensed my arm purposefully. Even a punk like him would probably be intimidated by my flexing muscles, and Jerico hurriedly blurted out an answer.
“218964!”
Let’s see if he’s actually correct.
“Wrong. It’s 219964.”
“But I was fast, right?”
This punk?
“Answer me seriously. You signed up for this, didn’t you? Why’d you drink the night before?”
“I wasn’t planning to today, but I woke up and saw alcohol next to me, you know? So I had a little.”
“A little?”
“Maybe one bottle?”
…This guy is so out of his mind.
I pondered what to do about Jerico, who was already on the path to becoming an excellent alcoholic. He seemed somewhat useful even in a drunken state, so there might be potential.
But looking at him, he seems skilled in making people mad.
Is there really a need to test patience with guys like him?
But still, I kept a glimmer of hope and wrote down Jerico’s name on my notes.
“For now, the first round of interviews ends here. The results will be posted tomorrow on the theology department bulletin board, so you’re all dismissed.”
Now, the real game begins. I thought as I watched the seminarians flood out of the classroom.
—————-
“There are more useful ones than I expected…”
“About a third of them are out, huh?”
Bishop Crispy scrolled through my notes, pointing to some names.
“These kids are quite sharp, but they won’t end up in good places.”
“Surprising.”
“Unfortunately, there’s a lack of slots. The priesthood is overly crowded these days…”
It doesn’t seem like it’s easy to find a job after graduation. Even if it’s roughly akin to Seoul National University in Korea, it seems they still struggle to find good employment. It might be an individual issue, or maybe the whole world is on the verge of chaos.
Right now, the first year is relatively calm, but from the second year, both the academy and the entire continent…
“Got it.”
“Oh, and I recommend removing this student. He seems quite lazy.”
“He’s managing to graduate, huh.”
“Cunning folks always manage to grab their share, don’t they?”
There’s truth to that. There were always those who slacked off just to get grades in university group projects. If he’s doing that here, then I can understand. I crossed out the name the bishop pointed to with an X.
“What about this student? He seemed quite diligent.”
“Oh, this one? If you ignore his timidity and frailty, he’s fine.”
“And what about this one?”
“He’s slated to join the Templar Order as an apprentice. He’s a diligent worker, and pretty smart too. The thing is, I doubt he genuinely wants to work in Yeomyeong-gwan.”
“Is that so.”
“Serving the Saint is certainly an honorable job, but it’s not a great spot for fulfilling ambitions, is it? He probably came here under duress from a friend.”
So that’s why he looked lukewarm. I marked his name with an X.
As I filtered out names, only seven remained on the list. Frankly, if I dropped a few more, the list would be finalized. But I still couldn’t conclusively cut down the list yet.
“Do you have anything scheduled for tomorrow?”
“For graduating students, unless they already have a designated spot, they should have more than enough free time.”
“Then I’ll conduct personal interviews tomorrow.”
“Go ahead, I’ll inform my students.”
I handed my notes to Bishop Crispy. He received the paper filled with countless X marks and looked it over, then expressed concern to me.
“You want to interview this student? Are you sure it’s okay?”
“I’m fine.”
First impressions might be horrible, but I still need to press through the interview. Usually, those types end up being hidden geniuses or something cliché like that. I need to see if it’s a winning lottery ticket or not.
“How were Jerico’s grades?”
“He was the last in line.”
…Did I think wrong?
Yet, I still did not abandon hope and did not take back my words.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
“Thanks for your effort today. See you here tomorrow.”
What kind of display will the candidates show in the one-on-one interviews?
With a small flicker of anticipation, I exited the theology department.
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