67. Getting a Job Is Hard Here Too (4)
67. Getting a Job Is Hard Here Too (4)
"...Is this even possible?"
Whose voice was that?
Even the examiner, who normally would have scolded them for making noise, could only stare blankly at the structure that had appeared in the testing ground, his mouth hanging open from the sheer shock. The building had materialized the instant the exam began. It looked like an ordinary three-pyeong house, yet it had taken less than a minute to construct.
"It hasn't even been three minutes since the exam started... and you're already done?"
A hollow voice from someone no one could identify.
But it was a voice that spoke for everyone's feelings.
While everyone stared slack-jawed, the person responsible for the building was unconcernedly tapping its walls with the back of his hand, checking its sturdiness.
'A Skill? Even with a Skill, was something like that possible?'
The executives of the Construction Guild who had been watching the scene stared vacantly at the building erected in one corner of the testing ground.
'This was absurd.'
It was a shocking experience that utterly invalidated the decades they had spent erecting buildings throughout the city.
The executives could not speak as they stared at the building, which seemed to mock all the theory and experience they had accumulated.
"...Huh."
It wasn't that there were no people with useful Skills well-suited for construction. Right now, most of the people who held respectable positions in the Construction Guild were those who had spent years honing such Skills.
A water creation Skill, a telekinesis Skill, earth magic...
They were veterans who had polished their own unique strengths over long years. People who had piled effort upon effort to climb to the rank of guild executive. They took pride in their abilities.
And so the executives who, just moments before, had been observing the exam with composure all rose from their seats at once and shouted.
"He's mine!"
Hearing the outcry behind him, the examiner pressed his fingers firmly against his brow. The devastated examinees and the executives making a disgraceful scene were enough to give him a headache.
"Look here, Henry! You owe me, don't you? I'll wipe the debt clean, so back off!"
"Ha! Even if the debt were doubled, I couldn't give up a talent like that!"
"What nonsense! You lot already have apprentices, don't you! He should go to me, since I haven't got one yet!"
"The reason you haven't got an apprentice is your god-awful personality! A talent like that will leave if you treat him like shit! He needs a gentle man like me to nurture him, I tell you!"
"Don't talk shit! I can see your filthy ulterior motives clear as day, you bastard!"
"What? You little dwarf fuck..."
'What a mess.'
The examiner forced himself to recover his composure. Whether the executives were brawling behind him or the examinees were still reeling from the building that had appeared out of nowhere, the exam had to continue. Like a professional, he steadied his voice and shouted with all his might.
"All of you! Do you want to fail?! Resume the exam!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the startled examinees resumed their assignments. But what could mere humans do in the face of an unimaginable monster? Their faces were already dark with inescapable gloom.
Resentment, terror, awe, jealousy, rage.
Countless emotions filled the testing ground. Some examinees abandoned the exam altogether, trudging out and returning their exam badges to the examiner. The situation left him sweating. He tried to stop them from leaving, but soon had to give up.
How was he supposed to stop people who no longer had even a spark of hope?
'They were bound to fail anyway. No need to worry about them.'
The examiner rationalized the situation as best he could and shouted again.
"Do you intend to kneel to something of this level?! Think of the time you've spent working so hard! Do not be cowed by a result that is merely fast!"
'This was awkward.'
Yohan, the exam terrorist who had been watching the situation, just scratched his head, feeling awkward.
'I wanted to get out of here quickly.'
Feeling sheepish for no reason, Yohan leaned against the already-completed house and closed his eyes.
'I'd just kill some time and leave.'
Pass or fail, he was going to take the next exam. That was his only thought.
-------------------
"You want to take our exam? Hmm..."
A bald man with impressive bulging muscles glared at me.
"Our guild doesn't even accept random riffraff. And some bum who brought a woman along dares to try our exam?"
"You sure talk a lot. Just hand over the exam badge."
I wanted to take three exams before lunch. If only I hadn't been held up at the Construction Guild.
What did those old men like so much about me that they clung on so creepily? One of them had even grabbed my ankle and refused to let go, so escaping had taken ages.
I placed the recommendation letter on the reception desk with an attitude that said take it or leave it. The bald man bobbed his shiny head as he read it, then snorted.
"Greenhorn. Let's see how good you are. Hey! I'm taking this greenhorn in for his exam, so someone cover my post!"
"Greenhorn, huh..."
"That man really seems to like the word greenhorn."
Yes, yes. I was truly envious of that innocence.
"I'll finish up and be right back."
"Got it!"
"Stop dawdling and hurry up!"
I followed the bald man inside the testing ground.
This time, ten minutes.
I finished the exam in ten minutes—thirty minutes faster than at the Construction Guild—then peeled the bald man's hand off my shoulder when he tried to act friendly.
"Hey, my friend! You're remarkably skilled! You're the first man I've ever seen dig a drainage ditch that fast! Are you sure you don't want to learn this trade properly?"
"I have no intention of doing that."
Did he think I learned these techniques to do manual labor?
"Now, now, don't be like that. Try learning it seriously! You could become the god of civil engineering!"
"Send the acceptance notice to Dawn Hall. Let's go, Millia."
"Okay!"
"Let me know if you change your mind! I'll be waiting!"
I heard him smack his lips behind me. Being singled out by a bald man felt unpleasant. I would collect the license and never come back.
We quickly slipped out of the Civil Engineering Guild.
"Where to next?"
"The Woodworking Guild is the closest, so we'll go there."
"Woodworking, you mean making things out of wood?"
"That's right."
"You know woodworking too?"
"Millia, what was the boat made of?"
"Wood! Oh!"
Only then did Millia look up at me with wide eyes, as if she'd finally realized it. Every little thing she did was like a puppy. I absently stroked her head, and she welcomed my touch like an affectionate puppy.
"That's what we're going to do now."
And then I was grabbed by the ankle by the Woodworking Guild master.
"Listen here, young man! Where are you going? You've the talent to succeed me! You could become the greatest woodworking artisan on the continent! What do you need? Money? Fame? I'll give you anything!"
"I need to go take the next exam... Please let go of my ankle."
Coming from a country that taught respect for one's elders, I could hardly kick an old man away. Good grief. I gently pried his hands off and escaped the Woodworking Guild. One nuisance after another from the very beginning—I hadn't expected this to be so exhausting. Surely the next guild would not be the same.
"Yohan, what are we eating?"
"Pick what you want to eat."
"Then let's eat that!"
The place Millia pointed to was a fairly upscale restaurant. Judging by the sign, it served pasta. So this world had pasta too. Then again, the academy cafeteria even served Korean food, so there was nothing strange about that.
We went straight into the quiet restaurant and took a table with a fine view of the city through the window. Seats like this usually went first, so we were lucky.
Fortunately, the food was as satisfying as the view. After emptying about half my plate, I glanced at Millia and found her devouring bright red pasta with sauce smeared around her mouth. She really did act like a child. I picked up a tissue and held it out to her.
"Wipe the sauce from around your mouth while you eat."
"You wipe it for me!"
"You're not a child."
"Wipe it for me~"
"Alright, just hold still."
I carefully wiped the sauce from Millia's mouth. She smiled in satisfaction, then resumed twirling pasta around her fork and putting it into her mouth.
She ate well.
It was nice to see her with such a healthy appetite.
There was something more endearing about someone eating heartily than picking at their food while pretending to be demure. I watched Millia eat at my leisure until I felt gazes from around us and turned my head.
...Why were those people there?
The men coughed awkwardly and looked away when our eyes met. I recognized them from the Construction and Woodworking Guilds.
Had I been followed?
I'd clearly refused them. All I needed were the licenses. Perhaps I'd been looking away too long, because Millia also tilted her head and stared at the suspicious old men.
"Did those misters come to eat too?"
"...Looks like they followed us here."
"Why?"
"Who knows..."
It was obviously about recruitment, just as they had said earlier. But I was an aspiring Escort Knight, first and foremost. Having decided that much, I had no intention of pursuing another profession.
If I could not become an Escort Knight, this world was doomed!
I had to get out of there before those old men latched onto us.
"Hey, waiter!"
"Did you call for me?"
"Keep the change."
I quietly took a gold coin from my money pouch and handed it to the waiter. It was excessive for the price of the meal, but it also served as compensation for what I was about to do.
"Excuse me?"
"Millia!"
"Yeah!"
Millia immediately rose from her seat and threw herself into my arms. After catching her, I opened the window at once and jumped outside.
"I hope the Warrior Guild won't make such a fuss..."