Ch.44. Daphne Ephiphone (2)

“Please sit down.”

The hero’s voice was deeper than his appearance suggested. And he didn’t seem to have heard any rumors about Daphne. Daphne shook her creaking head and approached the chair. She still couldn’t believe that she hadn’t run away and had walked into this interview room in one piece. Well, maybe not completely in one piece. Daphne steadied herself in the chair, her mind still hazy as if yesterday’s intoxication hadn’t fully worn off.

Just apologize and leave right now.

It felt like someone else’s voice was speaking to her. But Daphne didn’t move. Those teal eyes across from her seemed to be telling her not to leave. She didn’t know why she felt that way, but she couldn’t look away from the hero who was staring directly at her.

‘It’s okay. Even if this is just a delusion, even if I get rejected without any twist…’

I’ll just go back to living the way I was before.

Daphne comforted herself with words that weren’t really comforting. It already seemed like they were going to reject her. She caught the eye of the giant man standing behind the hero with his arms crossed, staring at her, and Daphne bowed her head deeply. Probably the hero’s assistant, George was it? That man was simply terrifying in appearance.

“Don’t be too nervous.”

The hero’s words seemed to be playing tug-of-war between coldness and kindness. Was it genuine sincerity disguised as indifference, or just a facade? Somehow, Daphne thought this was truly befitting of a hero. Her constantly trembling eyes fixed on the hero’s eyes as a reference point. When Daphne regained her composure, the hero smiled slightly and interlaced his fingers.

“Are you ready?”

Daphne nodded at the hero’s question. Did the hero wait for me? Daphne was about to furrow her brows in confusion when she realized what she was doing and quickly widened her eyes.

“Daphne Ephiphone. From the Naia region. 4th Circle, Magic Tower graduate. Two years of adventuring experience.”

The hero muttered, reciting Daphne’s background. Her life sounded so insignificant when heard through someone else’s voice. Those two lines of experience written on that document. The small words that kept Daphne attached to this world.

“You haven’t been in the capital city for long. Did you live in the Naia region until you joined the Magic Tower?”

“Yes…”

The hero exhaled with an interested “hmm” and unfolded a piece of paper. The giant man, George, who had been standing behind the hero with his arms crossed, frowned and looked down at the hero. He seemed quite displeased with the hero’s actions. The hero calmly withstood that intimidating gaze and began his questions.

“What made you apply to join our party?”

“Ah, that… well…”

It was a typical question. Daphne stammered out the answer she had prepared.

“A sense of duty to save—no, to protect the world,”

Those teal eyes pierced through Daphne. They seemed to ask if that was really all she wanted to say. Daphne’s purple eyes wavered. She didn’t need to choose her words carefully. Daphne began to speak, one word at a time, despite her hesitation.

“…While I do have that sense of duty, I also want to use this opportunity to change myself.”

That’s right, the hero’s eyes seemed to say.

“So, I gathered my courage and applied.”

The corner of the hero’s mouth lifted slightly. Daphne couldn’t understand why the hero smiled at her answer. She could only desperately hope that it wasn’t mockery.

“What aspects of yourself did you want to change?”

“I want to overcome my fears.”

Fear, huh.

The hero seemed to be savoring that word in his mouth. Daphne expected to receive several more questions about this vague answer, but the hero just stared at her for a while before moving on.

“Good. Then, let me ask you something else. You’re from Naia. You started learning magic quite late. Is it correct that you only began learning proper magic when you entered the Magic Tower?”

Magic Tower and Naia. Words that made Daphne’s heart ache. Memories surfaced in her mind.

“…Yes, that’s correct.”

The hero let out a casual laugh. It felt as if there were shackles around her heart and the hero was holding the leash. Just one laugh with an unclear meaning made Daphne’s heart sink, and cold sweat ran down her back.

“Do you have any specialties? Like a magical attribute?”

“It hasn’t manifested yet, but…”

But at the same time, it was a strange feeling. She was trembling with fear as usual, but somehow she could answer all of the hero’s questions. The interview continued, seemingly smooth yet precarious. Just as Daphne’s face was turning pale from the continuous tension, and George was slowly contorting his expression, the hero put the paper down on the desk with a thud.

“That concludes the interview.”

Daphne was exhausted from the lengthy interview. But the two words—rejection and acceptance—were still weighing heavily on both her mind and heart. With a rustling sound, the hero rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a white paper. George’s expression, who had been watching the hero from behind, completely froze from what had been on the verge of contortion.

“Please go to the room next door and fill this out.”

It wasn’t ‘Unfortunately, we’ll see you next time.’ Daphne received the pen and paper the hero was holding out with a blank expression. The pen was a luxury item that Daphne had never touched before, and the paper was very crisp and of high quality. What is this? A contract? She looked at the paper with an expression that suggested she had become a fool.

“Um… what is this?”

“It’s a contract. Please understand that we’re notifying you of the results immediately due to the urgent situation.”

Daphne dazedly stood up and tried to open the office door to leave. The hero’s voice called out to her from behind. When Daphne stopped and turned around, the hero was pointing to the back of the bookshelf.

“Please exit through this door.”

Daphne nodded repeatedly and walked toward the door like a broken doll. Creeeeak. The hinges made a sound as they moved, and Daphne was pushed into a space that looked like a lounge next to the office. As the hinges creaked again, Daphne looked down at the paper in her hand.

“…Did I actually get accepted?”

Thud.

As if answering Daphne’s soliloquy, the lounge door closed behind her. Even after that, Daphne stood there for a long time, staring at the contract.

==

“…I’m tired of saying anything anymore.”

I shrugged at George’s words. I was feeling more relaxed now that I had finished one task. I conducted brief interviews with the remaining applicants and sent them home. In the end, Daphne was the only applicant who entered the lounge with a contract. After all the interviews were over, I negotiated the contract with Daphne and told her to come to work tomorrow. Perfect.

…No, come to think of it, I don’t know why I made such a big deal out of this when I could have just found her by asking around. I held this public interview to somehow persuade that muscle head, but George didn’t seem persuaded at all.

“I don’t understand what’s going on in your head.”

“Did you ever try to understand?”

I casually replied while organizing the applicants’ documents. Well, thankfully, George didn’t try to interfere during the interviews. He did show a few surprised expressions though.

“Alright, let me try to understand this time. After rejecting all those applicants, you choose to hire a 4th Circle female mage who has a bad reputation among adventurers?”

“I didn’t know you cared so much about rumors in the capital’s marketplace.”

George’s veins popped on his face. I was now somewhat used to this guy’s responses. The fact that he stays put even when I act like a jerk makes me think someone must be threatening him with a knife not to leave.

“If that rumor is that the 4th Circle mage has never been seen demonstrating her full abilities, then I should care. Not to mention the other scandals that follow her.”

I let out a deep sigh.

“Don’t you think it would be stranger not to hire someone who lived in a rural village without knowing even the basics of magic, then reached the 4th Circle within four years of discovering magic? At least, I’ve never seen or heard of such talent.”

“So that’s why you were unusually accommodating to her. I guess you forgot that we already have another mage in our party. It’s inefficient.”

The other mage in the party. I felt like vomiting. If I could have driven that person away too, I would have, but right now she’s probably enjoying her vacation on the western coast of the kingdom. Just wait until she comes back.

“It’s also inefficient not to take advantage of Daphne’s talent, George.”

The expression George showed in response seemed to ask, ‘You know that and yet you expelled two key members of the party?’

“Fine, let’s say her talent is truly remarkable. But if that mage can’t demonstrate her full abilities, it’s useless, isn’t it?”

Why does this guy keep objecting to decisions that have already been made? Is he a teenager going through puberty who just wants to contradict everything I say? I know well that Ilroy isn’t reliable, but at this rate, I thought George might become the biggest obstacle to my survival.

“Aren’t you curious about why Daphne can’t demonstrate her full abilities?”

“Would knowing that provide a way to fix it?”

“That’s what everyone who hasn’t even tried says.”

George raised his voice. In contrast, my voice was getting lower as I grew tired.

“Anyway, I’m against it. No matter how theoretically excellent a mage is, if she can’t use her skills in actual combat, I have no intention of forming a party with her. If you insist, I’ll report everything to the higher-ups, regardless of the consequences.”

I tapped the desk. This position gave me a subtle sense of stability. Thanks to that, I could remain calm even in front of George, who was speaking so angrily.

“So in the end, you’re dissatisfied with Daphne’s unstable abilities.”

“While I don’t think it’s that simple, yes, that’s the main reason.”

Did you think I would just say, “Alright, I’ll reconsider the recruitment”?

“What if I fix Daphne before we set out on another expedition? What if I make her contribute more than her fair share?”

George snorted and glared at me.

“Then not only will I accept Daphne Ephiphone into the party, but I’ll also stop objecting to your words and just follow you without question. I’ll even overlook your expulsion of Aryen and Isis.”

Oh, well said, George.

This might be an opportunity to resolve two of my concerns at once. I grinned. The hero’s smile reflected on the polished wooden desk looked quite vicious and malicious. Oops, I shouldn’t smile like this. I slightly covered my mouth to make my smile less vicious as I turned to look at George.

“You must keep that promise.”

George nodded vigorously, not noticing anything.

“Of course. You should prepare yourself. You need to feel the weight of the position you hold.”

Preparation, huh. I think you’re the one who needs to prepare.

I didn’t share that thought and started reading the contract Daphne had filled out again.