Looking for Guild Members

The Hunter Gallery — a place that had never known a quiet day — had just exploded into the greatest uproar in its history.

It got so bad the gallery actually crashed, locking everyone out for several minutes straight.

The reason for this nuclear reaction was, of course, that girl.

It was an ordinary enough guild promo — except the conditions didn't care about rank at all. That single, seismic detail turned it into gallery bait in a heartbeat.

Most of the gallery's recommended posts were about my guild recruitment notice.

Every last reaction was entertaining. The final thread in particular almost made me seriously consider changing the terms.

"...What."

Figuring enough applications had piled up by now, I opened my private messages — and the words slipped out of me in shock.

"Why are there this many applications?!"

I scrolled and scrolled and the documents just kept coming. No end in sight.

These blacksmiths. What kind of lives had they even been living?

"It is because the mere privilege of serving at Princess's side is more than sufficient."

"Okay, but even so..."

I was a blacksmith in name only. Aside from Exclusive Weapons, I couldn't actually craft a thing.

"Ohohoho! 'Tis because they all wish to behold this Lord Angel!"

Corneline shoved her phone in my face as she said it.

"O Savior, look upon this! This body's worshippers number beyond measure!"

She was showing off her follower count. After the negotiations with the Bureau wrapped up, I'd gotten each of my familiars their own phone — and Corneline was the only one who actually knew how to use hers.

"Lord Angel's popularity soars this high, so of course the applications overfloweth!"

"They are applying because they wish to serve Princess. Not thee."

Mitsu and Corneline's opinions split, and the two of them launched into an argument. Unddung tossed in a single remark.

"Ain't it just 'cause the terms are real good, maybe?"

Mitsu and Corneline both turned and stared at him with genuinely frightening eyes.

"W-why're y'all lookin' at me like that?!"

I actually agreed with Unddung, but the kids' faces made me keep that to myself.

I stepped in before they could jump him as a group.

"Alright, settle down. So who should we pick?"

Every familiar offered a completely different answer.

"Naturally, we must select those skilled enough to protect Princess."

"We must choose those whose appearance shall not diminish this Lord Angel's dignity!"

"I wouldn't rightly know, myself."

Hmm. When opinions split like this, there was a surefire method.

"Alright then. Let's go through them one by one."

"All of these, Master...?"

"We'll just stay up all night."

"......"

My familiars' faces turned grim, but what was I supposed to do? If I handled this alone, three days wouldn't be enough to finish.

The silver lining was that the blacksmith track went by easily. Anyone who could make a D-Rank or higher artifact got a passing grade from me.

"Why did this person even apply?"

A few people who'd already set up workshops in top-tier guilds had thrown their names in, which was awkward — but only a little.

"No reason not to take them. Let's keep them."

We accepted as many blacksmiths as the budget we'd been given would cover. That left only the combat track...

"Why did so many people apply here?"

Hundreds of application messages sat stacked in a mountain. And we were only planning to take five.

We tore through them one by one.

"Princess. What of this one?"

Mitsu held out the application sitting at the very top.

The resume was packed with glittering credentials. By my standards, it still wasn't enough.

"Mm... rejected."

"O Savior! Thou must take this one!!"

This time Corneline brought over a different message.

"This one's appearance is most excellent!"

The skill was solid, and the looks were genuinely striking. Still not satisfied.

"Rejected."

"Hueh?"

Corneline stared at me like she couldn't begin to understand why.

"Kids. What do you think is the most important thing in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠our guild?"

"Strength enough that Princess's honor shall never be tarnished."

"Appearance that shows well on stream, naturally!"

I shook my head, and my familiars went quiet for a moment.

"Um..."

Unddung raised a hand, very carefully.

"Loyalty, maybe?"

"Correct."

What I wanted wasn't a powerful hunter. My enhancement ability could turn even a weak hunter into a strong one.

But if there was no loyalty? They could take every artifact I'd poured my heart into enhancing and just... run.

Not that Mitsu would let anyone who tried that walk away in one piece.

Still. People stop thinking straight the second greed kicks in. Better to lock that door before it ever opened.

"And how does Princess intend to confirm such loyalty?"

Mitsu tilted her head as she asked.

"We pick people who have no choice but to be desperate for our guild, right?"

I said it with total confidence. In reality, I had no real plan.

"For now, let's filter for people who've been operating solo. No affiliation."

"Why's that, Master?"

"Someone who's already gotten attached to another guild is riskier. I'd rather take someone whose first affiliation is us."

"Indeed! One's first experience is of the utmost importance!"

Corneline agreed first, surprisingly.

"And ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠while we're at it, desperate people would be better."

We started digging through the messages again.

"How about this one?"

This time Unddung carefully held out a single message.

"...F-Rank?"

Even for us, that was way too low.

"R-right, figured as much..."

Unddung reached to take the papers back, his voice completely deflated. I caught his hand.

"No. Wait."

I read the application all the way to the bottom — and my hand stopped on the last line.

"Copy...?"

Someone with a broken ability like this — how the hell were they only F-Rank?!