Chapter 33: Recruitment (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 33: Recruitment (6)
It was just as expected.
When the very first turn resulted in an injury, cowards like Morrison quickly turned back.
"I won't take part in such a barbaric test!"
"Enduring an arrow to the body? If I end up crippled because of this, can you take responsibility for my life? I don't know what you're thinking running a test like this, but I'm giving up right here."
"I'm giving up too. He's not even a noble of the Central Government. I have no desire to risk my life for Roman Dmitry."
One after another, people declared their withdrawal.
Even as people grumbled and threw tantrums about wasting their time, Chris did not interfere.
Before the test, Roman had told him not to force anyone.
He didn't need a crowd of opportunists only interested in the rewards Kevin had received; he needed people who would show genuine loyalty. Even after filtering them out like this, humans were still prone to betrayal. But by checking their basic qualities in this first stage, they could at least quickly identify those worth investing time in.
The test continued.
Although over a hundred people had left the testing ground, it didn't mean everyone had given up.
"I'm Henderson."
A man who said he came from Lawrence stepped forward with a solemn look on his face.
As a mere commoner, he hadn't had many occasions to risk his life. He gritted his teeth, his face trembling with fear. Honestly, he wanted to give up right now, just like the others. But every time he recalled Roman punishing Blood Fang—making an example out of them for tormenting his fellow townspeople—Henderson reminded himself of the resolve that had brought him to this test.
Just once, as a man, he wanted to swear loyalty to someone like Roman.
It wasn't about achieving something grand; simply hearing the stories about Roman made his blood boil with passion.
"First shot."
The archer nocked an arrow.
Despite having witnessed bloodshed just moments ago, he calmly aimed his bow as if it were nothing.
Henderson widened his eyes.
He was visibly trembling.
The archer smirked and released the arrow.
Thud!
"...Gasp."
He took a sharp breath.
Right next to him, the arrow had struck the board just five centimeters away from his face.
His heart pounded wildly. Just as he was debating whether he should give up even now, the archer nocked the next arrow.
"Second shot."
It was too late.
He couldn't bring himself to speak.
It wasn't that he possessed some great courage to continue; rather, while he was hesitating, the next arrow was already flying.
Thud!
"Third shot."
Thud!
Time flew by in an instant.
Once he confirmed that the final arrow had safely embedded itself in the board, Henderson's legs gave out. He collapsed to the ground, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. As the pale-faced Henderson looked up, Chris spoke indifferently.
"Henderson, pass."
Truly, it was a test he never wanted to attempt again.
*
There were more successful candidates than expected.
Four hundred applicants.
Out of them, one hundred and twenty passed the 1st Test.
Although most were trembling men like Henderson, a few had passed the test with confident attitudes.
The successful candidates gathered in one place.
Roman stepped forward.
"You have passed the 1st Test. Through it, you have proven your worth as warriors. However, the number of people I intend to recruit is thirty. Therefore, I will test you once more through the 2nd Test."
In truth, Roman had already judged who was more useful while watching the test.
Lucas, who had taken the test with a smile, was of higher value than Henderson, who had trembled with a pale face. In fact, there was already a clear difference in their martial prowess. However, by Roman's standards, the gap between the two was not particularly significant. Henderson had felt fear, yet he had not fled while the three arrows were fired. What Roman wanted to verify through the 1st Test was the courage to suppress one's own fear.
Everyone feels fear.
Rather than those who were so battle-worn that they had grown numb to it, the sight of someone actively enduring their fear was far more impressive.
And...
Everyone gathered here must have their own reasons.
The Fool of Dmitry.
These were people who had gathered even after hearing his infamous reputation.
Their reasons for applying varied. Some, like Henderson, had witnessed Roman in Lawrence and been deeply impacted; others, like Lucas, were drawn by rumors and curiosity; and some simply liked the terms offered to his private soldiers.
Everyone had their own purpose.
Roman wanted to pick out the rough diamonds among them, regardless of their motives, and regardless of their current level of martial prowess.
He needed those who were born with the Heart of a Beast—those who would feel awe rather than fear when facing him.
Therefore, martial prowess was not an absolute criterion for evaluation.
Lucas might possess outstanding skills, enough to earn the rank of a B-Rank Mercenary, but Roman was confident he could train soldiers like Lucas at any time with his teachings. Thus, it was a matter of choice: whether to accept Lucas and make him a stronger soldier, or to accept Henderson and gradually nurture him.
Roman looked around at the applicants.
While skilled individuals like Lucas showed confidence in passing, others lacked it.
What I want to verify from them from now on is their attitude toward me. Only those who, after seeing firsthand what kind of person I am, feel awe instead of fear can dream of a future with me.
When he met Kevin, and when he met Chris, Roman had always proven his worth in the exact same way.
A world where the strong preyed on the weak.
In that fierce world, reigning over someone required visible power, not sweet words.
Absolute dominion.
Roman, as always, desired blind loyalty.
"From now on, we will proceed with the 2nd Test in order. The method is simple. Prove your worth by sparring with me. I do not expect you to win. If anyone can last even one minute against me, they will pass regardless of any other factors, and their contract terms will be upgraded from the original offer."
Roman's statement was arrogant beyond belief.
At first, everyone was bewildered.
There were as many as one hundred and twenty people taking the 2nd Test.
They knew Roman was skilled, but even if he faced them for just one minute each, the test would take a total of two hours.
Yet, passing just by lasting one minute?
The crowd reacted with disbelief.
Roman was arrogant. If his words just now were nothing but an empty boast, they wouldn't be able to hide their disappointment in him.
"I'll go first."
A man presumed to be a mercenary stepped forward confidently.
Standing nearly two meters tall with a robust build, his scar-covered face showed that he had weathered many battles on the field.
He was the type who had passed the 1st Test with pride. Confident as he was, he was piqued by Roman's statement.
To pass just by lasting one minute. Roman Dmitry's confidence truly pierces the heavens. If Roman truly subjugated Blood Fang all by himself, it means he possesses that level of martial power. But even so, defeating me in under a minute is impossible. I will prove my worth by passing the test as the very first challenger.
Step.
He stood before Roman.
With such a stark difference in physical build, the onlookers looked back and forth between Roman and the man.
"Take a sword."
Chris tossed him a weapon.
It was a wooden sword with low lethality, looking so small compared to the man's massive frame that it resembled a toy.
Soon, the signal was given.
"Begin."
The man, who had been waiting for the signal with his massive muscles twitching, kicked off the ground the moment Chris spoke. He had no intention of passing the test merely by surviving for a minute. Though this was the man he might serve in the future, he felt the need to use this opportunity to leave a clear imprint of who he was.
Therefore, there was no mercy in his hands.
As the sword swung toward Roman's neck, the onlookers naturally assumed Roman would be overwhelmed by the sheer force.
However—
Whoosh.
A gust of wind blew.
Roman's hair fluttered from the wind of the man's swing, but he evaded the sword with movements so light they felt almost unnatural.
In that instant, Chris flinched. Having faced Roman himself, he knew just how terrifying a movement that neutralized an attack in a single step could be.
Instantly, the man's face was painted with panic.
He hurriedly tried to pull back his sword to strike Roman again, but before he could even react, his vision spun.
Tap.
Crash!
"Ugh."
Roman had tripped him.
The man's balance shattered, and his massive frame crashed straight onto the ground.
There was nothing more to see.
The moment the man tried to lift his head to look at Roman, Roman was already pointing his sword at his neck.
"Next."
Only then did the onlookers realize that this test might be far more difficult than the 1st Test.
They thought: Even if Roman is strong, by the time the sixtieth turn comes around, his stamina will be depleted, and successful candidates will inevitably emerge in droves.
So, people delayed their turns. They wanted to stall for time by any means necessary to claim the title of a successful candidate.
However, the result was vastly different from their expectations.
"...This is impossible."
The sixtieth challenger.
He, too, was struck down in a single blow.
Watching the challenger fall helplessly, the onlookers rubbed their eyes with both hands to check if this was reality.
Is Roman a monster?
Sixty matches.
Sixty defeats.
None of them could last thirty seconds, let alone a minute.
People who had earned their living by the sword charged in with spite, but by the time they came to their senses, they were staring up at the sky.
Goosebumps broke out on their skin.
The rumors were true.
Roman Dmitry was indeed a powerhouse strong enough to subjugate Blood Fang single-handedly. There was not a single trace of the Fool of Dmitry left in him. His attitude of looking down on others, his overwhelming martial prowess, and the charisma in his voice that gripped people's hearts showed exactly what kind of man Roman was.
Just as he had said at the beginning, Roman was a predator.
A predator who could dictate his own life at will in a world where the strong preyed on the weak.
The onlookers' hearts raced. Looking at Roman, they felt that the words he had spoken would truly become reality.
"If you pass the test and become my people, you will be able to live as predators who can decide your own lives. I, Roman Dmitry, promise you at least that much."
Being allowed to live independently. In this world, those were sweeter words than any other.
People faced reality. From that moment on, the look in their eyes turned serious.
I must pass this test no matter what. Becoming Roman's man might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Instinct told them to grab the lifeline dropped from the heavens.
Now, while Roman was still evaluated as the Fool of Dmitry, was the golden opportunity to ride on the back of a Hidden Dragon.
It was then.
"Next."
"Yes, yes, I'm coming."
The sixty-first turn.
Lucas stepped onto the stage.