Chapter 37
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: 9. Viola. (2)
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Viola Raiza—
A named character you could never leave out when talking about the Guild Master.
The leader of the Viola Mercenary Corps, one of the top ten powerhouses.
A genius swordsman and a master at scouting talent.
Especially since she was the kind of strong woman who perfectly embodied that conquering desire to break the mighty, she enjoyed massive popularity in the community too. Naturally, her micro bikini outfit was practically her default look, showing up everywhere. And her appearances in fan doujinshi ranked her in the top five among all named characters.
Honestly, even Allen couldn't help but be inwardly stunned by Viola's figure. ...She was far more beautiful than he'd imagined.
Allen couldn't help but marvel at those insane stats and traits.
...With just one squad member like this, he'd feel full without even eating.
Especially eye-catching was that [Keen Eye] trait—
There were only three named characters with this trait fixed on them: the top ten leader Viola, the Blind Saintess of the Holy Kingdom, and the Bloodthirsty Arpen.
In Guild Master, once you raised Viola's favorability to a certain level, she'd start revealing characters' potential as numerical values—and that was thanks to this [Keen Eye]. For reference, the Blind Saintess saw potential as colors instead of numbers. Meaning [Keen Eye] manifested differently depending on the character.
Thanks to that ability, Viola earned the moniker of "genius talent scout." After all, the success rate of the talents she discovered was overwhelmingly higher than anyone else's.
Of course, Kalim's squad leader introducing Allen to Viola wasn't mere coincidence. She was the best in the continent at spotting talent....
However, this was all just "potential." It didn't mean the person would definitely grow that much. There were plenty of cases where they fell short of expectations.
And sometimes, potential changed due to traits. Traits could evolve or be added, after all.
Honestly, it was a trait Allen coveted badly. It meant you could gauge an opponent's potential—something a status window couldn't show—with [Keen Eye].
But recruiting Viola was the kind of thing that might happen someday—far in the future—so he immediately gave up on it. She was just as difficult to clear as Agnes Neptune to begin with. The type where life became easier the moment you stopped trying.
Just steadily raising her favorability and asking favors when truly needed would be the most efficient. And today would be the first step in that favorability grind.
"I'm Allen Dwight Pomwell. Currently the leader of the Allen Mercenary Corps."
He gave a light nod.
"It's an honor to meet you."
There was a sharp gaze. Allen waited. She was probably appraising his potential with [Keen Eye].
Still, he held no expectations. His pathetic body's potential was surely abysmal anyway.
...Or maybe it was so bad she didn't even feel it worth responding to.
Allen's stats were pretty lousy to begin with, and his traits weren't much either. The only ones he had were trash like [Perversion], [Womanizer], [King of the Night], and so on.
There was one weird trait called [Rebirth], but he'd never heard of it, so pass. It probably wasn't as good as [Genius] anyway.
After quite a while, Viola finally spoke.
"Allen Mercenary Corps... leader, was it?"
"Yes."
"......Right......"
Allen's worry spiked at her even more lukewarm reaction than expected. Maybe it wasn't the face stamp, but he'd botched the first impression instead.
...But contrary to Allen's thoughts, Viola was inwardly shocked beyond belief at the unimaginable number.
The figure in her eyes was unmistakably 522.
There was no way her perfectly functioning eyes had suddenly broken. She double- and triple-checked just in case, but the number didn't change. ...Which meant it was undoubtedly real.
For someone who rarely got surprised, her panic stemmed from how this shattered all previous records by a full tier.
Before seeing the man in front of her, the highest she'd ever seen was 433—from the continent's strongest, "Sword Emperor Magnus." Next was 409 from "the Immortal Grenjo."
Anything over 300 was a renowned powerhouse on the continent. And 400 meant transcending human limits. ......But 500?
...Does that even make sense? Did I misunderstand something? No, that's not it.... What? Who? Why...?
He didn't look like he'd ever swung a weapon. So it probably wasn't combat potential. Maybe he was a mage?
"Are you perhaps... a mage?"
Her tone shifted from informal to polite. ...She couldn't speak casually to him. At least by her standards.
"No."
"...Really not?"
"I know nothing about magic."
He didn't seem to be lying. And not a mage either.
Of course, there was one case of someone exceeding 300 who wasn't a warrior or mage. That crazy woman, Yedna.
Viola's mouth suddenly went dry. She licked her red lips with her tongue. ......It felt like her long-stagnant heart was beating again.
Of course, she knew the visible number wasn't an absolute truth. But she couldn't just ignore it either.
Having that much growth potential meant—even if they fell a bit short—they could reach the pinnacle. That alone made him a historic monster in the making.
Only then did Viola understand why Kalim's squad leader had suddenly sent him her way. He'd seen something special too.
...Experience in the field really can't be dismissed.
Viola was thrilled. She couldn't contain her excitement. Her instinct to get fired up over talent hit its absolute peak right now.
...But she couldn't show it. Plenty of fools had gotten cocky after she let slip a high score and ruined themselves. And not a few had been targeted by jealous bastards and destroyed. High scores often brought more harm than good.
After losing several such precious prodigies, she'd learned not to blab about the numbers. If it seemed high, she'd lowball it.
Especially this time. Telling anyone it was over 500? Those damn bastards wouldn't leave him alone. They'd bully him mercilessly until he shattered pathetically in the end.
Viola donned a mask. To hide her excitement. ...To protect him.
There was goodwill, sure... but no small amount of greed too.
"I read the letter. It said you did great work.... Kalim's squad leader had lots of praise."
"Ah, it wasn't that big a deal."
"Kalim's squad leader doesn't mince words. I worked under him once, you know. He must've seen your potential."
"...Thank you for saying so."
The conversation paused briefly. Viola licked her dry lips again and continued.
"When did you arrive in Vermandua?"
"Ah, just now."
"Got a place to stay?"
"Yes, somewhere with my comrades."
"I see.... How long are you planning to stay here?"
"...Haven't decided yet."
"So no work lined up then."
"Yes."
Allen suddenly recalled his one overseas trip back on old Earth—the immigration interview. This felt exactly like that.
Still, it was a relief that Viola's attitude had turned more positive than before. ...He'd nearly gotten a "reject" stamp instead of just a face one.
He wanted to bail before showing his hand. He'd stamped the face already; no need to linger.
Perfect timing with the stretching silence—he'd play it smooth and dip.
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
Viola raised her index finger, stopping him.
"Ah, wait a sec."
She pulled something from a drawer, plunked it on the desk, and slid it slightly toward Allen.
"If you're interested, give it a shot. I'll recommend you."
Allen approached the desk slowly. ...A faint floral scent wafted.
He picked up the paper on the desk and skimmed it quickly. ...A major commission. Open to applications from various mercenary corps.
Definite good news. Just fill the headcount right, and fame plus cash were his.
But Allen couldn't shake the feeling it was overly generous. Even with Kalim's squad leader's good words, offering a major commission felt a tad much.
Experienced Viola couldn't miss that look in his eyes.
"Just think of it as me making you one of my own. You know how it is—gotta sow to reap, right?"
Allen pondered briefly. This was picking sides. Like sucking up to section chiefs or directors at a company.
Should he align with Viola's line? The moment he questioned it, Allen inwardly chuckled bitterly. A puny nobody with jack shit, daring to nitpick a top ten powerhouse's offer?
...Yeah, take it first. Eat and grow. Think big later. He could check if the rope was sturdy or rotten afterward—
"I'll do it."
Honestly, sturdy or rotten aside, a major commission was too juicy to pass. In a place overflowing with mercenaries, gigs weren't easy to snag. How could he turn down something this good rolling in?
To bulk up, you had to stuff yourself no matter what. Unless it was suicide-level risk, who cared if it gave him indigestion?
"...Good call. I'll add you to the recommendation list then."
"Yes, thank you."
"You can go now."
Allen bowed a bit deeper than before and left the leader's office. Kallisman hurried after him right away.
"Good work out there. ...How'd it go?"
Allen clicked his tongue and shook his head lightly.
"Whew. Thought I'd die of nerves. Let's grab a beer quick."