Chapter 37

One day.

At the guild hall of the guild I founded, "Heaven's Gift," a large number of people had gathered.

"Frederica, who are these people?"

I asked Frederica, the silver-haired maid with short hair.

"They are people who wish to join the guild."

"Hmm. Why are there so many?"

"Apparently, they've heard about the guild's recent success in defeating the demons."

Indeed, it even made the news.

They must have been drawn by the excitement and decided to knock on our door.

"Are you the guild master, Act?"

A burly man approached me and spoke.

"I'm Verin. I've heard you're a professional at developing talent. Can you make me stronger too?"

Verin and the other hopefuls approached me with grins on their faces.

"I don't specialize in talent development. This is a place for outcasts. Those with a guild, leave."

But no one left.

"Sorry, I was kicked out of my guild yesterday and have nowhere to go."

Verin said, and the others followed, saying, "Me too, me too."

"...Master, they're lying."

Frederica whispered in my ear.

She has excellent hearing and can detect lies from voices and heartbeats.

"...They're probably here for your appraisal eye and talent development skills. They'll likely return to their original guilds once they get stronger."

Sigh, being famous has its drawbacks.

"Alright, we'll conduct interviews."

"Interviews, you say?"

"Yes. I can't hire everyone with such a large number of applicants."

When Frederica counted, there were about fifty applicants.

"Well, that's true. Interviews, huh, Act? I'll go first!"

Verin stepped forward.

Then, with a thud, he pushed a child standing next to him.

"Hey...? What's with this scrawny kid?"

The one who fell was a blonde boy.

He still had a childish look.

He was probably under the age of fifteen.

"Do you want to join this guild too?"

"...Yes."

The scrawny boy nodded slightly.

"Hahaha! No way! A scrawny kid like you can't be an adventurer, you fool!"

Verin grabbed the boy's blonde hair roughly.

"Go back to your mom, kid."

He threw the boy, and I caught him.

"Are you hurt?"

"...No."

I set the boy down and glared at Verin.

"If you cause any more trouble, you won't get an interview."

"Sorry... Damn, a kid like you acting all high and mighty."

I heard Verin's words clearly.

Feeling ice magic from Frederica, I patted her shoulder.

"Stop it. It's a waste of time."

"...Yes."

I looked at the applicants and said,

"Alright, interviews will begin now."

"Yay! I'll go first, Act!"

Verin said in a hateful voice.

"No, the interview will be conducted here, with everyone at once."

"Huh?"

The applicants were confused.

I glanced at them and nodded.

"Everyone except that boy is disqualified. Leave."

"Huh? Me...?"

The scrawny blonde boy said, puzzled.

"Yes. The interviews are over. Dismissed."

"Hey! What the hell!?"

Verin lunged at me.

"What? Dissatisfied?"

"Of course! You're disqualifying us without an interview! You're treating us like fools!"

"The interviews have been conducted. I had your pasts investigated."

My appraisal eye, "Eyes of the Time King," can see everything from the past to the future.

I read their pasts from their eyes.

"Verin, you belong to the 'Native Hero' guild, don't you?"

"Wh-what...? How did you...?"

"My eyes don't lie. The same goes for the others here. You all have a place to return to."

I looked at the gathered applicants and said,

"You probably heard rumors that joining here will automatically unlock your potential. Isn't that right?"

The applicants were speechless.

"Still, I understand that many of you will be dissatisfied. So, I'll conduct a simple test."

"Test?"

"Yes. If you pass, you can join 'Heaven's Gift.' Whether you leave your current guild is up to you."

Frederica whispered in my ear.

"...Master, if we do this, people will just take the potential unlocking and leave."

"Don't worry. Leave it to me."

I looked at Verin and the other applicants.

"Alright, the test will begin. Everyone, move to another room."

★

"I can't do this anymore!"

A few hours later, at the training facility behind the guild hall.

Verin, drenched in sweat, slammed his wooden sword to the ground.

"How long are you going to make us swing this damn thing!?"

The test I gave the applicants was simple:

"Keep swinging the sword until I tell you to stop."

"I haven't said stop yet."

"Don't joke around! How many times have we swung this thing!?"

"I don't know. The test is to keep swinging until I say stop. The number of swings isn't a condition."

Several applicants had already collapsed on the spot.

"What's the point of this swinging!?"

"You don't need to know. Do what I say. If you can't, just stop."

"Damn it! This is a joke! I came here because I heard I could get stronger easily! This is different! I quit! I quit!"

Verin threw his wooden sword.

"I came here because I heard I could get stronger easily! This is different! I'm out of this scam guild!"

He spat and turned around.

"Are you sure? It'll be too late if you want to join later."

"Ha! Shut up, scammer! I'll spread the word and ruin your reputation! The guild master of 'Heaven's Gift' is a lying bastard!"

One by one, Verin and the others left.

The nearly fifty applicants were gone in an instant.

"Master, you played the villain perfectly."

Frederica brought a towel and a drink.

"This will prevent similar fools from coming. Only the true 'raw stones' who truly need help will remain."

She looked at the scrawny blonde boy who had been mocked.

He had continued swinging his sword even during the commotion.

"Hey, you. You're the last one. Why don't you stop?"

"Ha...! Ha...! B-because... you haven't... told me to stop..."

The boy continued swinging his sword stubbornly.

With each swing, his strikes became sharper.

"Frederica, cast ice magic on him."

"Huh? But..."

"Just do it."

Frederica, though hesitant, cast a basic ice spell, "Freeze."

A cold wind blew towards the boy.

"Relax your shoulders and swing... now!"

He swung his raised wooden sword at the moment I indicated.

The powerful strike split Frederica's magic in two.

"Amazing... Even with a reduced spell, he cut through Fenrir's magic with a wooden sword..."

I looked at the boy, who was still swinging his sword, despite the shock on Frederica's face.

"Sei! Ha! Sei!"

"Hey, you passed."

"Sei! Ha! Sei!"

"Hey, you passed."

"Sei! Ha! Sei!"

"...Could this kid keep swinging forever unless you tell him to stop?"

Frederica shuddered at the sight of the blonde boy.

"Stop."

At that moment, he fell forward.

"Ha...! Ha...! Ha...! Ha...!"

His muscles twitched, and he was drenched in sweat.

"What a stubborn kid. And... that last strike. He has exceptional talent. Master, this boy...?"

"Yes, he has the potential to become a hero."

"Really!?"

The blonde boy looked up, his eyes shining.

"What would I gain by lying to you?"

"Y-yes! You're right!"

I squatted down and asked,

"You passed. What's your name? It's not 'scrawny,' right?"

"Yes! I am..."

★

"That's how I first met Act!"

One day, at the guild "Heaven's Gift."

A drinking party called "Congratulations on the Demon Race Defeat" was being held.

"Lawrence, you used to be scrawny? That's surprising!"

The mage Irae said, genuinely surprised, to the blonde giant next to her.

"Yes! I didn't have good food back then! I was short and skinny!"

Lawrence stuffed his face with food.

"...Honestly, you were a real expense."

I recalled the "past."

The boy who cut through Frederica's magic was Lawrence before he became a hero.

"Your growth into a hero was undoubtedly due to Act's skills! Thank you for taking me in!"

Lawrence hugged me tightly.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I thought you'd bring great benefits to the guild. I cut those without potential."

Verin, for example, took on quests beyond his capabilities, causing the guild a lot of trouble, and eventually died somewhere.

"Master, you have a keen eye."

The long silver-haired maid Frederica refilled my drink.

"Yes! Act has the best eyes and is the best mentor in the world!"

I sighed and stood up.

"I'm going to sleep. Do as you please."

I threw a bag of gold coins to Lawrence.

"Good job on the high-level demon hunt. Thanks to you, the guild's reputation is soaring. Consider this a reward. Take it."

Lawrence smiled and said,

"Thank you! Everyone! The guild master is treating us today! Eat and drink to your heart's content!"

"Indeed, the guild master is generous!"

【To the Readers】

If you found this interesting and want to read more, please support me by giving a rating or bookmarking the story!