Chapter 47

It had been a while since I visited the guild in the capital, and I noticed that new counters had been added.

In addition to the quest reception counter, two counters for skill consultations were set up.

Between these two counters, a new counter for new guild registrants was installed.

Finally, the day had come to publicly use this skill.

At the skill consultation counters, Eugene and another girl were seated.

Since their eyes met, I decided to greet them.

"Good morning, Noah!"

"Eugene, good morning. And..."

"Good morning! I'm Renji! My real name is longer, but please call me Renji. This is the first time we've properly talked, right?"

That's right.

I didn't have much time and hadn't spoken to all the appraisers who had been gathered.

If she says so, I'll call her Renji.

"I heard you got all the answers right on the test. That's impressive."

To acquire the ability score, the appraiser candidates were first given data analyzed by Rava and her assistants to memorize.

Then, a test was conducted to check their understanding, and the top performers were chosen to sit at the counters.

There were appraisers with higher levels than these two, but what was needed now was their understanding of the skills and communication skills.

"Hehe! I got praised! I don't have any experience at the counter, but I'm good at talking to people, so I'll do my best!"

Renji, who smiled brightly, seemed to already have the potential to be a good counter worker, even though she was a beginner. She would surely get used to the job soon.

Every time Renji changed her expression, her ponytail swayed with it.

Her hair looked deep blue, but it had a purple tint at certain angles.

"Eugene, let's work hard together. It's reassuring to see a familiar face."

"Y-Yes! I'll do my best!"

Unlike Renji, who had a carefree atmosphere, Eugene seemed nervous.

I encouraged him to work hard, but maybe it had the opposite effect?

I'll think he's determined. Yeah.

Rava and her assistants were not here because they were analyzing the data of new registrants.

They said they were organizing the data stored in the crystals in the office behind the counter and would focus on their work.

Quincy, the guard, was not visible among the staff preparing for the start of the day.

I wasn't sure if he was intentionally hiding or really not here, but he said he would appear when needed, so I wasn't worried.

"Well, it's almost time to start."

The view from the counter, which I was familiar with, felt somehow wider.

I lightly tapped my tense cheeks with both hands.

People started to gather in front of the counter, one after another.

...Gather?

"Could all these people be new registrants or here for the consultation counters?"

The guild entrance was quickly filled with people.

Sure, the guild had put up notices about the new service, but I didn't expect so many people on the first day.

It seems my expectations were too low.

In front of the counter, other staff were frantically organizing the queue, and entry restrictions were being implemented at the guild entrance.

Some people had heard about the new service through word of mouth and didn't fully understand it.

I could hear complaints from those who realized they wouldn't be able to receive the service today, both inside and outside the guild.

But I had no time to worry about such things.

A long queue had formed in front of my counter.

The risks associated with scanning statuses were explained by other staff at the front of the queue.

They obtained consent for the information to be registered in the guild, and new registrants came to me.

Like when I experimented with Rava, I kept activating the skill to burn the status onto cards.

I processed dozens of people from morning to noon, but the queue showed no signs of ending.

New registrants were mostly young men, with some teenagers and merchants who had heard rumors while traveling.

Still, the majority were men in their late teens to mid-twenties.

While I was burning the status, I quickly glanced at the occupation fields.

Rava and her team would identify those with high base stats, special abilities, or skills, so I checked the names of those who caught my attention on the list in front of me.

The growth process of occupations was displayed in a simplified form, so there were things only I could understand.

The information on the cards would be updated as the person grew, by placing the card on a dedicated crystal at the guild.

Rava had mentioned something about the wavelength of individual magic, but the technical details of the crystal were too complex for me to follow.

If I asked Rava about the crystal, she would get excited and talk about logic, which I had to nod along to with a strained smile.

So far, there haven't been many people with particularly rare skills.

I directed those whose status had been burned to the consultation queue.

Eugene and Renji seemed to be doing their best.

Eugene, who was initially nervous, now looked lively despite the busyness.

I noticed this during a brief moment.

"Just a little more until noon... Please, next!"

I called out with a smile and placed my hand on the crystal.

"Haah... I'm tired..."

We retreated to the office behind the counter and slumped into the chairs.

The regular counter services were being conducted outside.

The new registrant counter, which usually also handled beginner quests, was handling urgent requests.

"Good work. Here, I prepared some drinks."

"Ah, thank you."

I took the glass Rava offered and drank it all at once.

My throat was dry from talking all morning, and my mouth was parched.

Eugene and Renji, sitting next to me, were also quenching their thirst.

"Wow, the response was beyond expectations. The data is being collected smoothly."

Rava looked pleased.

Her assistants were already analyzing the data.

"Eugene, how about your side?"

"So far, there have been no consultations for rare skills."

"Everyone is asking how to acquire skills."

That's right.

Those who are struggling. Those who want to get stronger quickly to become adventurers.

The reasons for consultation are mostly these two.

Those who already have skills and don't want them known probably wouldn't come for consultation.

The opportunity to collect data on rare skills might come in the afternoon.

After the lunch break, we were scheduled to see the statuses of pre-booked users.

"By the way, I had a consultation that caught my attention!"

Renji stood up, as if she had just remembered.

"What kind of consultation was it?"

When Rava asked, Renji tilted her head and said:

"He wanted to know how to acquire a skill to detect lies. He seemed quite desperate."

I was a bit startled.

If there was a skill to read thoughts, it would be a big problem for me.

Such a skill has not been reported yet.

If it exists, no one has said anything about it.

Everyone thought for a moment but, not having any leads, shook their heads.

"That's very specific."

"Right? So, I explained that such a skill hasn't been confirmed yet."

She seemed disappointed that she couldn't properly handle the consultation.

"...Well, if there's a skill called 'Insight,' it might be able to tell if someone is telling the truth or lying."

The skill 'Insight' is an advanced skill Eugene has, which can detect danger.

It can detect traps in dungeons and the sudden appearance of monsters, making it a valuable skill for adventurers.

I thought it could be applied, but first, one would need to acquire the basic 'Danger Sense,' which is a long and difficult process.

Especially since 'Danger Sense' is often a innate skill, it might be hard to acquire.

The young man seemed to be in a hurry, so this advice might not be helpful.

By the time I finished explaining, I noticed everyone in the office was looking at me.

"Haah... As expected, Noah! I didn't think of that at all."

"Me too! Oh, there's such an application method!"

Rava and her assistants had stopped their data sorting to listen.

"Should we hear more from Noah? His thinking is different."

"N-No, I'm not sure if it's possible. It might depend on the type of lie, etc."

Being so admired made me a bit uneasy. It's one of my bad habits.

"Noah! I'll try to acquire an advanced skill!"

"Eugene..."

"Then, I can contribute to the skill data, right? Well, not immediately, but..."

His voice became small and uncertain at the end, but I heard it clearly.

"Sure. I'm sure Eugene can do it."

I smiled and patted Eugene's shoulder.

"Come on, let's eat. It's going to be busy in the afternoon."