abcnovels
Chapter 44: Of Planning and Detailing (3)
Chapter 44: Of Planning and Detailing (3)
Chapter 44: Of Planning and Detailing (3)
Henry’s strategy had worked perfectly. Seeing this, Vant and Ten could only clap their hands in awe.
‘This guy is the real deal.’
At this point, they were not even surprised to see that everything was going according to Henry’s will. They had initially thought of Henry as some kind of con artist, but now, he seemed like an innovative and bold strategist in their eyes.
Then, a few more days passed. It had now been ten days since the exam began, yet there was still not a single person who could pass the first test. Even Ten, who was an insider, was beginning to doubt that there would be any applicants that could successfully pass the first round of tests.
“Uh… Sir Henry?”
“What is it?”
“Regarding the first test… can it really be passed?”
Henry responded as if it was a bizarre question to ask. “Of course it can. Why are you questioning it all of a sudden?”
“There is a strange rumor circulating among the applicants that the mercenary corps is just bait, and the real purpose of these tests is the revival of the Sword Clash arenas.”
“I wouldn’t say ‘revival,’ but it’s true that we’re aiming for additional income. Anyway, there’s such a rumor circulating around, is there?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then I guess it’s time I slowly step in.”
“Sorry? What do you mean by that?”
“This is when showmanship is needed. People will believe anything if you clear their doubts.”
The applicants still did not know that Henry was the interviewer for the second test, as not a single person had made it through the first. However, Henry was already quite the celebrity in other areas, and he decided to use that to instill hope in the applicants once again.
“Now, now. Everyone, may we have your attention please?”
Upon Henry’s appearance, the assistants—who had been informed beforehand—gathered the attention of the waiting applicants.
“We have heard strange rumors going around. Is that true?”
“Yeah! Is this test even passable?”
“Is this really all just bait? If not, how is it that no one has passed it yet?”
Most of those who shouted out were long-time applicants who had taken on the test several times. Many were at least intermediate-level Sword Experts, and yet, none of them had been able to reach the exit, despite coming so close.
“Now, now! Everyone, please calm down! That’s why we’ve specially invited someone. To prove that there are no tricks in our first test, we’ve invited the current Sword Clash champion here, with great difficulty. Everyone, please put your hands together for Sir Henry!”
“Wait, what? Henry?”
“You mean the?Henry whose name is listed on the high scoreboard?”
“My God, is Henry really that young?”
“That’s not what’s important. He is a Learner-class swordsman who hasn’t even mastered Aura.”
“A Learner-class is the champion? What kind of bullshit is that?”
“That’s what was listed in the database!”
Since most of the mercenaries were also registered as Sword Clash players, Henry was already a celebrity to them. There wasn’t a single person in the city who hadn’t seen his name at the top of the board.
The assistant’s explanation continued.
“As you know, Sir Henry hasn’t mastered his Aura yet. So, what if someone like him were to pass the first test?”
Seeing Henry pass the test would undoubtedly hurt the applicants’ pride, and in turn, their fighting spirits would ignite once more. It wouldn’t make sense that they, as Aura users, were inferior to a Learner-class swordsman, after all.
However, no one responded. They all had a strange feeling that Henry would be able to pull off something that they couldn’t. Looking at the challengers afraid of having their pride damaged, Henry eventually spoke up himself.
“Incompetent bastards.”
“W-what did you just say!”
“Why? Am I wrong? If not, why is everyone keeping their mouths shut like damn mutes?”
“T-that guy thinks he’s so tough with his talk!” shouted one of the applicants.
“Hey! You! Let’s see how good you really are,” shouted another applicant, gesturing toward Henry and the test room.
Henry had ignited a fire within those who hesitated. With their wills fired up, Henry’s test began with countless eyes watching him.
“Then we’ll begin the test.”
All the doors opened, and the test began with an audience of long-time challengers. Some even claimed that they were going to stick right behind Henry and move together with him to prevent any possible attempts at cheating.
Thud.
Henry stomped his foot and cast his magic buffs. One of them was meant specifically to offset the heavy gravity spell. Everyone watched Henry, waiting with bated breath. Then…
“Move.”
“Wha—?”
Henry walked down the short passage without even blinking an eye, pushing away the onlookers who were waiting on the other side. It was a perfect demonstration.
“I-I can’t…”
The long-time challengers who had followed closely behind Henry surrendered right before reaching the exit.
Having already passed the exit, Henry turned toward them and said, “You pitiful bastards. You don’t even have the skills to back yourselves up, and yet you cast so much doubt on others.”
The show was over. Henry’s demonstration instantly put to rest the rumors that had been floating around, and at the same time, served as a hot opportunity to awaken the fire inside of the challengers once again.
‘Stupid fools.’
Another ten days passed.
* * *
‘Is it time for this to come to an end?’
Henry’s show had ignited a fire within the challengers. However, its effect did not last even another ten days. No matter how much stimulation the challengers had received, they simply couldn’t overcome the Strainer.
As Henry looked down on the street from the Vivaldi Tower, he wondered, “Should we have made it a bit easier?”
He had expected the testing process to take a long time. However, he had never dreamed that there would not be a single person who could pass the first test after more than twenty days.
Vant replied, “That’s not it.”
“Then what is it?”
“Those who are equivalent to top-level Sword Expert users have already been scouted by large institutions. Either that, or they have been recruited by the imperial army and are now Knights.”
“But don’t mercenaries value money the most? As far as I know, there are none who value money as much as them.”
“No matter how important money is, it’s normal for everyone to value their business partners more once they rise to a certain level of worth.”
Vant was right. If someone was a famous talent, there was a high possibility that they already had a deep relationship with the organization they belonged to. That meant they were unlikely to move, even if more favorable conditions were put forward.
‘Tsk, I don’t need these low-level street punks yet, though.’?Henry thought to himself.
Of course, it wasn’t that he didn’t need them at all. Once the mercenary corps grew, they would also need lower-level mercenaries to handle miscellaneous requests. However, Henry didn’t feel the need for them right away because he couldn’t even find any founding members yet.
‘In the end, it looks like there’s no choice but for me to personally step in.’
He had a strong hunch that waiting any longer would be a waste of time. However, since he had set aside a month for this exam, he felt that he might as well utilize all of his time.
“Sir Vant, there’s ten more days to go. After earning money for the remaining ten days, let’s return everything back to normal.”
“Understood.”
“Then I’ll see you in ten days. If something urgent happens, find Ten from Million Gold.”
“Are you leaving?”
“I’m going to check things out myself. If this goes on, I think this will end with just monetary profits alone.”
* * *
Having returned to Million Gold, Henry immediately made his way to Ten.
“What’s the matter?” Ten asked.
“I’m going to be away for a while, but in the meantime, there’s something I need you to do.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’d like you to gather information on some rumors.”
“Rumors?” Ten said quizzically as he tilted his head slightly in confusion.
“Originally, I was going to randomly select a few from the pool of applicants, but none of them have caught my eye. I think it would be much better if I just looked for suitable applicants myself. That’s why, if you hear any rumors of highly skilled mercenaries in any region, try to find out more.”
“Highly skilled mercenaries? Perhaps you intend to meet them all in person?”
“Of course, you will have to filter them out to some extent. In the meantime, I’m going to visit Enkelmann for a bit.”
“By Enkelmann, do you mean the southern port city? Why are you headed there?”
“There’s someone I need to bring back. Anyway, consolidate all the information as you gather it. I’ll be back in ten days.”
“Understood.”
Located in the south of the continent, Enkelmann was one of the autonomous cities that did not fall under the control of the nobility, same as Vivaldi. In addition, it was not an exaggeration to say that all the goods in the world eventually found their way to Enkelmann, because trade in the port city was highly developed.
‘It would be nice if he was still in Enkelmann.’
The reason why Henry was headed to Enkelmann was that there was a Sword Master named Von who lived there, and had followed Henry till the end in his past life.
‘Not sure if my words would work against that stubbornness, however.’
After giving out his orders, Henry immediately began preparations to leave. There wasn’t much to pack. His sleeping quarters were a non-issue thanks to the Mage’s Camp, so all he had to do was bring some food with him. Suddenly, however, just as Henry was about to leave his residence…
“Sir Henry! Wait!” one of the attendants shouted as they ran after him.
“What now?”
“I just received notice that someone has passed the first test!”
“What?”
A smile spread across Henry’s face.
* * *
A rare sense of liveliness lingered at the first test site, which had previously been as dead as a graveyard. The first successful applicant had finally appeared.
“Congratulations on passing the first test,” said Henry.
The applicant was a burly man. Henry greeted him warmly, but the man was definitely very tired, as he responded with a simple nod.
“What is your name?”
“...I’m Hagler.”
“Nice to meet you. My name is Henry Morris, and I’m in charge of the newly established Million Corps,” Henry said as he held out his hand for a handshake.
Before Hagler grabbed Henry’s hand, he looked at Henry with tired, weary eyes.
“A-are you really going to give anyone who joins the mercenary corps a house, and provide for their kids’ education?” he asked.
“Of course. A skilled mercenary deserves that much at least.”
“...Then I’ll be in your care.”
Hagler then held Henry’s hand tightly with both his hands. Henry felt an indescribable sense of urgency emanating from Hagler’s touch.
‘What’s this?’
Hagler had a shabby appearance. If someone was strong enough to pass through the Strainer, it was likely that they had been trained well and treated even better throughout their life. Yet, this man’s clothes were basically rags.
‘He must have had a rough past.’
But no matter what had happened in Hagler’s past, Henry was ready to accept him. So long as he had the necessary skills, of course.
“What’s the second test?” Hagler asked.
“Have you ever heard of Sword Clash?”
“No… this is the first time I’m hearing of it.”
“I see. The second test will be Sword Clash.”
Henry briefly explained the rules of Sword Clash. Fortunately, Hagler was quick to catch on, and as soon as he fully understood the rules, he was given an iron sword to use in the Sword Clash bout.
“Then let’s begin the second test. Please, just do your best from the beginning.”
The test began. Hagler infused his Aura into the iron sword he had received.
Sssss.
‘Mm?’
The size of his Aura was considerable, not far from that of a Sword Master. The moment Henry saw Hagler’s impressive Aura, a pleasant feeling filled him.
“After you,” said Henry.
“Understood.”
Thud.
Enchanting his whole body with magic buffs, Henry immediately took up a defensive posture. Then, Hagler’s sword fell upon him.
Clang!
As Henry’s magic and Hagler’s Aura collided, a crushing sound echoed across the test site. Henry once again couldn’t help but let out a smile. Hagler’s sword contained a power formidable enough to make Henry’s hand go numb.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Hagler’s attack continued. The more he swung his sword, the stronger his Aura seemed to become, almost like steel being forged.
‘He’s so much better than Hugo.’
No, Hagler was so much more powerful than Hugo that the two could not even be compared. At the same time, Henry could feel that same urgency he had felt earlier from Hagler with each strike.
Clang!
After maintaining a defensive stance for a bit longer, Henry pushed away Hagler’s sword.
“Now, it’s my turn.”
The positions were now reversed. Understanding the rules, Hagler immediately took a defensive stance. However…
Swoosh!
Hagler’s sword split in two in one move. As the broken blade soared into the air, Hagler’s expression sunk into one of deep despair.
“N-no…”
Cling-clang!
His blade fell to the floor. The test was over. Hagler slowly collapsed to his knees.
“N-no…. My… my last hope…”
Anyone who saw could sense his despair, despite him covering his face with both hands.
However, Henry approached him and said quietly, “You passed.”
“...Excuse me?”
“Mr. Hagler, please join me. I don’t think you need the third test.”
“W-what? W-what do you…”
There was visible confusion on Hagler’s face, to which Henry responded with a calm smile. “No need to be so surprised. The third test is just a simple personality interview. However, for you, Mr. Hagler, it seems that such a test is not needed.”
“D-do you really mean that?”
Hagler clearly understood the rules that Henry had explained to him. He didn’t understand how he could have passed, when his blade had clearly been broken. In response, Henry looked at Hagler with the same calm look on his face.
“Mr. Hagler.”
“Yes, yes…?”
“Do you perhaps have a family to support in this city?”
“Yes, yes! I have a wife and a daughter.”
“I don’t know what your story is, but we will definitely take care of your family. So from now on, please be at ease.”
“Is that true?”
“Of course. We welcome you, Mr. Hagler.”
“Thank you! Thank you very much!” exclaimed Hagler, clearly relieved.
Despite not revealing his inner thoughts, Henry had clearly put to rest what had been disturbing Hagler on the inside. With the tension within him finally relieved, Hagler burst into tears and grabbed Henry’s outstretched hand with both of his.