66. Getting a Job Is Hard Here Too (3)
66. Getting a Job Is Hard Here Too (3)
"Licenses, huh..."
"Let's start tomorrow. Lucky for us, this city has all kinds of guilds crammed together, so if we plan the schedule right, we can probably hit about twenty places."
"Twenty?"
Wasn't that far too many?
That meant applying everywhere that would accept an application. In a situation like this, sending a résumé to every possible employer was probably the best method. Reni bent down, removed a horrifying stack of forms from a desk drawer, then pulled a pen from her cleavage and offered it to me.
Why had she kept it there?
"...What're you staring at?"
"...Nothing."
I dragged my gaze from her cleavage to her face. It couldn't be helped. How was I supposed not to look when she pulled a pen from there? I'd never imagined anyone actually kept a pen there.
"Don't give me that look. I do it because it's convenient. If I put it anywhere else, I keep forgetting and can't find it, okay? One time I forgot and ended up sticking two pens in there..."
That was unexpectedly interesting TMI.
"Anyway, moving on. That's not what matters right now. We're filling out paperwork, so get ready to sign. You're not leaving this room until you've signed every form here."
"Got it."
An acquaintance was offering to help me find employment. There was no reason to refuse. I pulled over a chair, sat opposite Reni, and took the pen.
...Except I didn't know how to write this world's script.
Would Auto-Translate compensate for writing as well?
How was I supposed to sign?
It had been more than ten years since I last held a pen, and I had no idea what to write. My name, perhaps? Yohan Quartz? What had my name been before the transmigration?
My head spun.
My vision blurred.
What had my name been?
"Yohan? What's wrong?"
"I haven't written a single letter in ten years."
"Ah... I'll write it for you, so try to copy it."
Reni reopened the drawer, took out a sheet of paper, wrote the letters in large strokes, turned the sheet halfway around, and slid it toward me.
"Practice a few times and copy it."
"...This is Hangul."
"What?"
"Nothing."
Apparently whoever transmigrated me had possessed enough conscience to extend the language patch to writing. I copied the long-missed letters several times in a crooked scrawl, then began writing them in the signature fields.
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"Yohan, Yohan! Look at that! He's breathing fire from his mouth!"
"So he is..."
That was pretty amazing.
We paused to watch the man breathe fire. Other people also found the spectacle interesting and had gathered around him in a circle. Apparently it was unusual even here. After watching him breathe flames like a wyvern, I turned to the woman beside him, who rolled a floating droplet of water through the air.
Was that a Skill?
Or magic?
Did traveling performers use magic in their acts because this was a fantasy world? Impressive. A Skill like that would eliminate concerns about drinking water and washing. It could extinguish fires in an emergency or clean a wound. But how was the water created? Did it gather moisture from the air?
Judging by how it flickered in and out of existence, did mana convert directly into water?
"Yohan?"
"Mm, sorry. It was pretty interesting."
"We should get going! You said you're busy today!"
"Thank you."
"Hehe. Who else has your back but me?"
"Yeah, yeah..."
I stroked Millia's head as she clung to my arm and rubbed against it. She really was like a puppy. We resumed walking and arrived at the first guild where I'd take a license exam.
The Construction Guild.
It was the first destination I'd chosen.
The list included construction, civil engineering, sewing, carpentry, stonemasonry, blacksmithing, combat, magic, medicine, exploration, excavation, archaeology, minstrelsy, theater, and more—some sensible choices and others that made me wonder why they were included. The Construction Guild seemed the most promising.
"Whoa..."
True to a construction guild, the building looked bizarre. Its twisted shape resembled a wrung-out rag. We admired it and stepped inside. The Construction Guild was crowded. Had so many people come to find work because it was morning, or were they applicants like me?
Looking around, I saw people clutching papers and muttering, others praying with their hands clasped, and still others staring holes through a board that appeared to list requests. It felt more like a labor office than a construction guild.
"Yohan, I think that's the line over there!"
I looked where Millia—the genius who had learned to read in only a few days—was pointing. A sign read, “Construction Guild Third-Class Craftsman License Exam.” That was the place. We went straight to the end of the line, where roughly fifteen people were waiting. Every one of them was a man.
Of course a guild like this would not have women... except it did. At the edge of my vision, I noticed a female applicant near the front of the line. The ratio was overwhelmingly male, but women were not entirely absent.
"Who're you looking at?"
"I was surprised to see a woman here."
Ow, that stung. I looked down at Millia, who had pinched the back of my hand. Millia was glaring up at me with obvious displeasure.
"No looking around."
Her eyes, unusually dark, bored into me as if they could see right through. I immediately stroked Millia's head and spoke.
"That won't happen, so don't worry."
"You mean it?"
"Yeah."
"Really, really?"
"I said so."
"Hehe."
The stares prickled. Everyone seemed to be asking why we were flirting here. I wanted to leave, but I had come to take an exam and couldn't walk out. I glared around deliberately. The stares vanished amid a chorus of awkward coughs.
A threatening face was useful at times like this.
"When's our turn?"
"It'll come if we wait."
"Can I go look around the guild?"
The line had shrunk by about a third, but Millia was already bored.
"Just don't go anywhere they tell you not to."
"Got it!"
I hoped she would not cause trouble. Still, she was thoughtful in her own way, so she probably would not.
"Next applicant, please step forward!"
Ah, it was my turn.
I pulled out the recommendation letter and placed it in front of the receptionist. The receptionist read my letter carefully, gave me a once-over like she was scanning me, handed me a small badge from her desk, and said,
"Your exam number is 7, so you can go straight into the testing hall. Once inside, show your exam badge to the man wearing the yellow armband."
"Where is the testing hall?"
"Over there."
Ah, that door. I gave the other exam-takers a light nod and stepped out of line.
Where had Millia gone? Looking around, I found her surrounded by several young men. They were smiling as they talked, so it did not appear serious, but I was still concerned. I strode over and addressed her.
"Millia. I got my exam badge."
"Really? So when's the test?"
"They said to go in right now."
What were those bastards staring at? They'd better lower their eyes before I gouged them out. One glare sent the cowards scattering with awkward coughs.
They had better not even think about touching her.
"Can I watch too?"
"Not sure."
"But I wanna see~"
"I can ask, I guess."
I opened the door to the testing hall. Beyond it was an enormous space that looked capable of holding several thousand people. Chairs and something resembling spectator stands lined the area, so perhaps observers were allowed. I approached a man who was stroking his mustache and striking a pose.
"I'm here to take the exam."
"Hm. You're here to take the exam, are you?"
The man looked me over, then turned his gaze to Millia at my side. His condescension irritated me. Still, he was the examiner, so I couldn't split his head in half. I moved Millia slightly behind me and asked,
"Would it be possible to watch?"
"Ah, I don't mind. So long as you don't cause a ruckus."
"Millia. Go sit over there. I'll finish this quickly and come get you."
As I sent Millia off, a curt voice, clearly displeased, sounded from beside me.
"Hah, do you think this is a child's game? Think you can finish it quickly? With that mindset, you won't pass."
"We'll see once I'm done."
"Hah..."
I really didn't like this by-the-book jackass.
I opened and closed my fists several times and swallowed my irritation. On the island, I'd already have severed his limbs and buried him alive.
"Spot number 7 is over there."
I moved to the spot the examiner indicated. People standing roughly fifteen meters apart watched me with curiosity. Perhaps I did not look like someone connected to construction.
Not that it mattered either way...
For now, I needed to check out this strange flooring material first.
I immediately crouched and felt the dirt covering the floor—or rather, the unidentified material that resembled dirt.
"So it's not ordinary dirt..."
"It's mana-infused soil, commonly used in modern construction. It's highly viscous, and once it hardens, it's stronger than rock, so it's a widely favored material."
"Thanks for the explanation."
"Haha. Isn't this the sort of thing where people ought to help each other out?"
A rare, upstanding young man. Meanwhile, the guy on the other side was too scared to say a word. Anyway, the man who'd spoken to me wore a friendly smile and began chatting away.
"This is already my third try. I hope I pass this time."
"...Is it that hard?"
"This must be your first attempt. Of course it's difficult. This is the headquarters, so they mainly select exceptional talent. Last time we had to draft blueprints, and the requirements were extremely demanding. This time they changed the format and spread mana-infused soil so we could build small structures. Honestly, this may be even harder."
That was good news for me. If the test had required blueprints, I'd have been eliminated immediately.
I built things based on gut feeling. I didn't exactly draw up blueprints.
I was in the middle of making small talk when it happened.
"Everyone, attention!"
Was it finally starting?
"Exam-takers pursuing the Third-Class Construction License! Welcome to the testing hall!"
I could hear applause. Looking closely, I saw a bunch of older gentlemen gathered in the spectator seats behind the examiner. Guild members, maybe? Millia, sitting on the opposite side, stood out like a sore thumb. Millia was waving vigorously in my direction.
"For this exam, following Guild Master Norman's view that theory alone only produces book-smart fools, we've decided to hold a practical test: you'll construct a three-pyeong building within half a day!"
So I could just build anything?
Fine by me. I let the examiner's explanation drift in one ear and out the other as I waited for the exam to begin.
"This is boring..."
"He says the exact same thing every time."
After passing the tedious wait with a little conversation, the examiner finally announced the start.
"Well then, the exam will now begin!"
"Craft."