Help Wanted: One or Two Companions
Did I make a mistake by adding the requirement of having completed at least a Grade 2 solo quest? I frowned as I stared down at the recruitment flyer I had spent all of last night agonizing over. I wasn't tired, though. Perhaps it was because he was still a Hero, but Elroy's body didn't feel a shred of fatigue from pulling a mere single night shift.
I had no idea how many applicants would actually show up, but surely a couple of interested souls would bite. If I could just fish out one "decent" person from the bunch, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"He did find people this way in the original story, after all."
Well, it wasn't as if I was acting without a plan. Plastering a recruitment poster right in the middle of the Adventurers' Guild was the exact method Elroy had used to find new party members in I Will Never Go Back. And I knew the fatal mistake Elroy had made back then. Of course, I also knew exactly how to rectify it.
I folded the flyer and set it on the table. Just as I began to wonder how Georg would react when he saw it—
Crash! Thud, thud, thud, thud.
How does he always manage to match my thoughts so perfectly? I let out a dry chuckle as I sensed Georg's rapidly approaching presence. To someone like me, who had only ever known the phrase "sensing a presence" from the pages of novels, actually feeling a person's aura was a deeply surreal experience.
"Elroy!"
Calling out for me so desperately from outside the door. Did he miss me that much? I didn't even need to look to know Georg had arrived. Before I could even prepare to greet him, the door to our hideout was flung open with a deafening bang.
Seeing the giant of a man standing in the doorway, I felt an oppressive weight far heavier than I had imagined. Forcing myself to ignore the cold sweat trickling down my spine, I casually crossed my legs, feigning composure.
"You're going to break the door. What's the rush?"
"How can you speak so casually after what you've just done?"
I thought my voice would tremble, but my response came out surprisingly calm. Was this a trait ingrained in the original Hero Elroy's body? At least I didn't sound like a coward.
"What exactly did I do?"
"That notice folded on your table right there! The flyer plastered all over the Adventurers' Guild! It hasn't even been a day since I warned you to stop acting so recklessly, and you pull a stunt like this?"
Georg unleashed his aura in earnest. His glaring eyes looked ready to swallow me whole. I swallowed hard. Even without mentioning Georg's formidable strength, anyone would shrink back when a mountain of a man glared at them in sheer fury.
But I had to play it cool. If things didn't go according to my plan anyway, I was as good as dead. Whether I was beaten to death by this mass of muscle right now, killed while fighting the Seven Calamities, or assassinated by the kingdom's and Holy Kingdom's killers because we failed to stop them... Getting beaten to death by Georg would probably hurt the most, but at least dying on my own terms would leave me with fewer regrets.
"I simply decided we didn't have time to waste. We only have a three-month break. We need to move as quickly as possible to fill the empty spots. You were the one who told me to take responsibility for my actions."
Georg's face contorted at my words.
"Taking responsibility doesn't mean doing whatever the hell you want. You could have at least spared a single day to discuss this with me."
As Georg growled, I stood my ground, refusing to back down.
"I highly doubt that discussion would have ended in a single day. Besides, we do need to find new members. You can't say my method is wrong."
"It's not just about the method! Are you trying to advertise to the entire world that the Hero's party has fractured? The adventurers will spread rumors in no time—that there's discord, that something is wrong. Do you want to stir up unnecessary noise?"
I shrugged.
"It would have come to light eventually, even without this. And if rumors spread before the truth does, people will ignore the truth and only flock to the rumors. It's much better to let it out now than to keep it under wraps only for it to blow up in our faces later. By the time we set out for the next subjugation, the noise will have died down."
"The truth? The truth is that you unilaterally kicked them out."
"Exactly. Rumors are stronger than the truth. Since we can't unspill the milk, shouldn't we at least wipe it up? We can't let the name of this party be dragged through the mud."
"You..."
Georg shook his head, his brow furrowing deeply. He wouldn't be able to argue against that logic.
"...Still, there must have been a better way than plastering flyers at the Adventurers' Guild. Did you not even think of asking the Kingdom for assistance?"
A long sigh escaped my lips. Arguing really was exhausting.
"And what kind of 'great talent' would the Kingdom send us? They'd jump at the chance, engage in a bloody political struggle internally, and finally send us someone a week before our break ends. Some no-name chosen through their corrupt selection process."
I pressed on without pausing. Georg might look like a brute, but he was a reasonable man. Even if I didn't use flawless logic, as long as I laid out my points as clearly and systematically as possible, he wouldn't be able to object too strongly.
"Even if we ignore all of that, let's say the Kingdom sends us a 5th Circle or 6th Circle mage. Do you think they could build proper teamwork with us in a single week? Could they adapt to the grueling journey ahead? Absolutely not."
Georg's frown slowly began to ease. I didn't miss the opening.
"Trying to perfectly fill the shoes of Aryen or Isis is a fool's errand. Our goal should be to find people who can replace their roles as much as possible, and then maximize our party's synergy."
I tapped the recruitment flyer as I spoke. Well, I had a very specific reason for putting out this ad right now, but I couldn't reveal that to Georg.
Georg seemed to fall into deep thought. Calming his anger was a major victory in itself. I leaned back in my chair, letting out a silent sigh of relief.
After a long silence, Georg scratched the back of his head and let out a heavy, earth-shattering sigh. He looked somewhat annoyed that he had been forced to agree with me.
"...Fine. I'll go along with your plan this time. But at the very least, let me accompany you during the interviews. As a party member, I have the right to see who we're bringing in and help choose."
Georg's voice sounded utterly exhausted. It seemed that exhausting his mental energy first thing in the morning was taxing, even for the heavily armored knight with the greatest defense in the kingdom.
"Of course. I'm not that thoughtless."
Even after hearing my answer, Georg stood there awkwardly for a moment. I wanted to tell him to leave, but I didn't quite have the courage to push my luck. Only after giving me one last glare did Georg finally exit the room.
I opened the window at the back of the office and took a deep breath of fresh air. The room still felt suffocating, as if the oppressive aura Georg had exuded was lingering in the air.
"Now I can breathe."
I leaned lazily against the windowsill and glanced back at the office door Georg had just walked through. Strictly speaking, I hadn't lied to him, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I had ultimately deceived him. The look in my eyes wasn't one of guilt, but rather the anxious gaze of someone terrified of getting caught.
I pushed myself off the sill and sat back down at the table.
"Well, I can just show him the results later."
Sorry, Georg. I'll let you sit in on the interviews, but you won't have any say in choosing the new member. I unfolded the flyer I had picked up from the table and muttered to myself. Because I already have a pre-selected candidate in mind.
The announcement that the Hero's party was recruiting new members became a massive sensation among adventurers. Once it was confirmed that the flyer wasn't some elaborate prank but a genuine recruitment drive, the news spread like wildfire to every adventurer inside and outside the Royal Capital.
"Do you think the pay is good?"
"Of course it is. Should I apply?"
"Forget it. You don't stand a chance."
"...But seriously, is there anyone who actually meets the requirements?"
"It's the Hero's party, so if anything, aren't the requirements a bit too low? Just because you can't do it doesn't mean everyone else is as useless as you."
"Why, you little...!"
...Such bickering became a common sight within the Adventurers' Guild.
"But why recruit now of all times? Didn't they just defeat the third Calamity? Things should be going great. Did something happen?"
"Who knows? But the Hero's personality looks pretty rotten from what I've seen. Maybe it has something to do with that?"
"Hey, come on. He's still the Hero who defeated a Calamity. Don't talk about him like that."
"I'm just saying, he does look a bit arrogant."
"There must be a reason."
Just as Elroy had predicted, rumors regarding the Hero's party spread far and wide. Because the rumors took on so many different shapes, people couldn't agree on a single story. Instead, their eyes and footsteps converged, drawing them in droves toward the Adventurers' Guild in the Royal Capital.
A week had passed since Elroy posted the flyer that threw the Royal Capital into a frenzy. From Elroy's office at the top of the hideout—the designated interview venue—both Elroy and Georg were looking out the window.
"...It's more crowded than I expected," Georg remarked, looking down at the crowd gathered in front of the Hero's headquarters.
There were easily thirty or forty people. Far more applicants than expected had shown up claiming to meet Elroy's requirements. While many didn't meet Georg's standards, a select few possessed skills that made even him raise an eyebrow in interest.
"That mage in the blue robes over there looks quite strong. Looks like they're from the Magic Tower. The one with the greatsword on their back seems decent too. Above all, they look highly experienced. Quite a few capable fighters have shown up."
Georg grunted in approval.
"Of course, they're nowhere near enough to fill the void left by Aryen and Isis, but there are a few who could certainly pull their own weight as adventurers."
Over the past few days, Elroy had been remarkably quiet. He hadn't done anything attention-grabbing, and his reckless behavior, as Georg called it, had subsided. Of course, this didn't mean Georg had suddenly begun to trust Elroy. His assessment of the Hero remained unchanged: a man whose skill and talent weren't particularly outstanding, who lacked leadership to guide others, and who possessed no political savvy to read the room—a man whose very title of 'Hero' remained a mystery. Georg simply placed his faith in himself and the potential of the adventurers they would select today.
...He's probably just still in shock that Isis stormed out of the party. Watching Elroy stare out the window with a deeply solemn expression, Georg clicked his tongue. He assumed Elroy's mind was completely blank behind that serious facade.
Right then, the corners of Elroy's lips twitched upward as he squinted, staring intently at a specific spot outside.
"...Found you."
His voice was barely a whisper, filled with quiet satisfaction. Georg, who had been watching Elroy, followed his gaze out the window, but saw nothing that particularly stood out.
"What did you find?"
At Georg's puzzled question, Elroy merely shrugged.
"You'll see soon enough. For now, let's get these interviews started."
Georg's eyes followed Elroy as the young man stretched and walked back to his desk. Glaring at him with lingering skepticism, Georg retreated to a corner near a full-length mirror and crossed his arms. At the very least, if they chose someone based on Georg's judgment, they wouldn't fail. And when it came to recruiting, the Hero would have no choice but to listen to Georg's advice. Probably.
"Elroy. This mage's skills aren't half bad. Let's put them on the shortlist for now..." Georg whispered to Elroy as the first applicant walked out. Elroy gave a brief nod.
"It's a pity, but we will have to pass. Better luck next time."
"You crazy bastard," Georg muttered under his breath.