Chapter 12
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: 2. Got a Job at the General Store
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Adventurer Academy was holding a test to recruit a general store merchant and alchemist
About three days after the day Mureos Avantredin personally punished Hero Claude and his party.
Naturally, an official document had come down from Adventurer Guild headquarters.
"Hmph. Bunch of old fogeys."
The contents of the document were predictable.
It condemned them for daring to impose severe punishment on an adventurer with the Hero title and his party.
Claiming it was an act that crossed the line.
Of course, it wasn't their concern.
The very fact that they'd only sent a letter of condemnation meant they couldn't do anything more.
If they had any intention of acting, they would have sent someone or issued an official punishment via document.
The elders knew it too.
Even if the punishment was a bit excessive, it had been justly applied to criminals caught red-handed, so there was nothing they could do.
Still, they couldn't ignore the pressure from the church and the Blaze Family, so they sent this condemnation letter as a formality.
"What can you even do about it?"
Mureos laughed derisively and crumpled the paper before tossing it into the trash.
Right on cue, the director's secretary entered the office.
"Director, it's almost time to send notices to the first-round general store merchant test passers."
"Ah, already?"
Come to think of it, three days had already passed.
Now they needed to conduct second-round interviews and select the final hire.
But Mureos already had someone in mind.
'Edin.'
Naturally, that candidate was Edin.
His skills were overwhelmingly superior.
Honestly, who else could it be?
He'd shown the best performance by far.
'Healing Potion, Sticky Potion, Poison Potion. All B-rank. And top-tier B-rank at that.'
Even if they were sold for gold each, no one would bat an eye.
The E- to D-rank stuff sold at local general stores went for a few dozen bronze to a few silver per unit.
Considering an inn stay cost 2-3 silver and a meal about 30-40 bronze.
That was already quite pricey for a consumable.
Yet B-rank potions being worth gold units?
Sure, prices skyrocketed with rank, but still.
100 bronze made 1 silver, 100 silver made 1 gold.
Even 2-3 gold per potion was enough to cover several months' living expenses for an average commoner on a single consumable.
And the real shock? Made from cheap mid-to-low-grade materials costing just a few bronze each.
A rough calculation showed nearly 1,000 times the value added.
That was the level of his skill.
'Looked like the Alchemist Guild had their eyes on him. Gotta snag him before they do.'
She'd already assigned a watcher to where he was staying.
To block any approaches from the Alchemist Guild.
'That spy from before... maybe I should've locked him up after all.'
The Alchemist Guild spy caught during the test.
He'd clearly spotted Edin's talent, so they'd nabbed him, but he hadn't done anything warranting imprisonment or execution.
So they'd erased his memories of Edin with memory wipe magic, warned him to stay away, and let him go.
But now she was second-guessing it.
If they detected the magic's traces and dispelled it, info on Edin would flow to the Alchemist Guild.
Of course, a dispel wouldn't be easy since Grand Mage Mureos Avantredin had cast it personally.
But it was only a matter of time.
'Whatever. By then, he'll be part of our academy anyway.'
No matter how good the Alchemist Guild was, they couldn't match Adventurer Academy's perks and environment.
She was certain of it.
If he wanted Alchemist Guild-level facilities?
She'd build them at her own expense if needed.
Anyway, Edin was essentially the final hire.
'Can't make the others come all this way for nothing.'
With that thought, she told her secretary.
"Send notice to just one first-round passer. Fail the rest."
"...Pardon? Just one?"
The secretary stared at her in surprise.
Three people had passed the first round.
Two others besides Edin.
They were skilled alchemists.
By Alchemist Guild standards, upper-class alchemists.
"Yes. Just one."
Of course, they'd all been outscored by Edin anyway.
And with the academy's top authority, Director Mureos, set on him, they had no chance barring a miracle.
So better to call only Edin from the start.
"...Haa. Understood."
The secretary sighed deeply and nodded.
She knew arguing would just lead to the director digging in her heels.
'A 70-year-old granny with the stubbornness of a mule.'
"I can see what you're thinking. Careful, or you might need multiple lives."
"......"
The secretary shut her mouth at the warning.
Of course, she knew.
The director talked tough, but as long as she didn't seriously cross the line, she wouldn't get fired or killed.
Mureos Avantredin.
One of the continent's top five grand mages, founder of Adventurer Academy, and its director.
Impressive titles aside, she was just a kind old lady with a bit of stubbornness once you got to know her.
Though her appearance was that of a glamorous 30-something beauty.
"...Thinking 'granny' again, huh?"
"......"
...Maybe a slightly nasty personality too.
The secretary thought wryly.
"Aaaah! Aaaaaaah!"
Bam! Thwack! Crunch!
In the Solte Kingdom's Blaze Marquis territory.
Screams like a madwoman had echoed through the Blaze Family mansion since last night.
"M-Miss...! Please calm down!"
"Fuck!! Do I look fucking calm right now?!"
The source of those screams was none other than the Blaze Marquis Family's youngest daughter, Mary Blaze.
Three days ago, she'd been hit with an insomnia curse that made sleep absolutely impossible.
Naturally, she'd tried every method to lift it right away.
Visited the church with Sophia, tried pushing it out with her own magic.
Since she was under house arrest, she'd returned to the marquisate and sought help from the far more powerful family head... her father, Marquis Draco.
But the caster was none other than 'Mureos Avantredin'.
Almost no one in the world surpassed her as a mage.
The gold dragon lord, most versed in magic among dragons; the 'Wanderer Sen,' who roamed the world with even the gods unaware of his location; the Mage Guild master... only two or three came to mind.
And even they weren't clearly superior—just top mages on her level.
In short, no one present could lift a curse she'd cast in earnest.
"Aaaah!"
Three days of helplessness.
Mary was already irritated by her month-long house arrest, and three sleepless days had sharpened her nerves to a razor's edge.
It finally erupted last night when everyone else was asleep.
And she was still raging into the morning.
"Calm yourself, Mary!"
Only after Marquis Draco arrived did the outburst finally stop.
Though her nerves hadn't settled.
"Hiss... Hiss..."
A ticking time bomb, ready to blow at any moment.
The servants were terrified.
One had been badly burned trying to restrain her, hit by a flame spell.
"To dare do this to my daughter... Mureos Avantredin..."
Marquis Draco ground his teeth, watching his suffering youngest daughter.
Of course, she wasn't blameless.
But the wyvern incident had already been punished by the Adventurer Guild, and the guild branch assault attempt? He'd just been there.
Yet this horrific punishment!
Draco vowed revenge on Director Mureos as he activated a communication orb to contact someone.
"Good day. You must be Edin, correct?"
"...Ah, yes."
The scheduled notification day for first-round passers arrived—10 a.m.
As I left my room and descended to the inn's first floor, a neatly dressed person awaited me.
Neat navy bob haircut, and what looked like a tailcoat? Or formal suit? Immaculately proper attire.
Even her greeting movements were precise and disciplined.
Like a highly competent butler.
Though her figure and looks suggested a woman.
Anyway, she'd come to fetch me.
Oh... so I passed the first round after all.
Good thing.
I'd been a bit worried, but my condition that day must've been spot on.
"Shall we go, then?"
Escorted by this elegant butler-like woman, I left the inn.
Getting such upscale service at a place where the cheapest room was 2 silver a night... felt surreal.
Is this how nobles live...?
But that was just the beginning.
Outside...
"Whoa..."
A carriage so luxurious it drew an involuntary gasp waited for me.
Silver, pulled by two muscular horses with glossy, well-groomed coats.
Glinting in the sunlight.
The real noble carriage...
No way... I don't have to ride that, right?
Anxiety suddenly flooded me.
This level of luxury was a bit overwhelming.
"Please, hop in."
"......"
But my anxious premonitions never failed.
The elegant butler-woman's guiding gesture pointed straight at the silver carriage.
Ah... uh... if I say I'll walk, will she get mad...?