Chapter 96

They are excellent.

One is a Dwarf with an Elf-like physique, and when given a shield, no one can surpass her as a flirt. The other is a petite Human, a weapon enthusiast with unparalleled sword skills.

There's something very unbalanced about them... What is it...?

Egnacio von Desilgem.

Standing at 2 meters tall, he is a Dwarf, a sage with unparalleled sword skills, and an incorrigible flirt.

He is already set to become my vassal... Yes, he has the Gift of "Strong Sage."

The abilities of this Strong Sage are [Physical Enhancement], [Wise Thinker], and [Lover of Heroes].

The physical characteristics that make him seem unlike a Dwarf are likely due to Physical Enhancement.

The effect of Wise Thinker allows him to see things objectively, not only increasing his thinking speed but also accumulating and utilizing a vast amount of knowledge.

And the interesting one is Lover of Heroes.

This ability, Lover of Heroes, means he is a flirt, but the number of wives he has can boost the power of Wise Thinker, and he is apparently strong in the bedroom... a bit envious... No, never mind.

He seems to be unaware of this Strong Sage.

Dragan von Gajes.

A promising young man who I have asked to serve the Brutois family.

He tried to become a blacksmith due to his obsession with weapons and armor.

Naturally, his father, Baron Gajes, opposed it, and he then considered joining the royal knights, where the latest and best weapons and armor are gathered.

What touched his heart was the opportunity to be a tester for the prototype items developed by the Brutois Company.

A tester is someone who verifies the performance and usability of prototype magic items and is involved in their production.

If a tester points out any issues or deems them unusable, they will be modified, development will be halted, or sales will be stopped.

He desired such a position and eventually pleaded with me to become a tester.

Just as I planned.

"You're quite the devil, sir."

"Don't say that, I'll be embarrassed."

In the carriage on the way back, I brush off Gail's light-hearted comment.

This time, I interviewed seven other students besides Dragan.

They were students Gail had his eye on, so their skills were solid, but I rejected three of them because they had a high sense of nobility and their speech was unbearable.

Before boasting about their noble status or bloodline to me, they should have researched my character.

I remember there was such a fool... What happened to him?

Well, never mind.

"By the way, do you remember Baron Veres, who used bandits to block the road to Sejaka town?"

Gail suddenly spoke.

"Hmm... Ah, I remember. I think he was placed under house arrest, right?"

After that, I was called to the court of law for questioning once.

"Yes, his son begged everyone to avoid the dissolution, but a few days ago, it was decided that Baron Veres would be sentenced to death and his family name would be extinguished, and the fief would be confiscated."

The Veres family will be stripped of their family name and noble status, and their land and property will be confiscated.

With this confiscation, Baron Veres and his family's assets will be seized, so his son must have been pale.

This is the harshest punishment among dissolutions.

"So what?"

I think it's only natural that he received such a punishment for using bandits to harm innocent travelers and merchants just to harass the Brutois family.

I don't feel any sympathy for him.

"His son, Berg, apparently has a grudge against you, so I thought I should let you know."

Revenge, huh.

I think he should blame his foolish father, but is the son of a fool also a fool?

No, that's not the case. I believe a person's personality is formed by the environment in which they grow up.

Even if the father is a scoundrel, if the mother and those around him are good, there is a high possibility that a good child will grow up, and this can change depending on who is involved in the child's personality formation.

Of course, I don't think it's just that.

"Hmm, let's say this son, Berg, has a grudge against me. Do you think he will do something?"

"I don't know, but I have my people watching him."

"Make sure he doesn't act without evidence."

"Understood."

Really, this is troublesome at such a busy time.

Speaking of which, it's about time to proceed with that personnel matter.

Here we are at the Royal Magic Academy.

As you can guess, it's for securing talent.

The Royal Magic Academy is my alma mater, so I have some influence.

"It's been a while, Professor Bloom."

"It's been a while, Professor Bloom."

"It's an honor to meet you, Lord Brutois. Should I call you that? And it's been a while, Lady Carla."

Besides Gail, I also brought Carla for the interviews of mages.

"Please don't. If you talk like that, I'll be skewered."

"Alright, I'll speak as usual. But, you've grown up nicely since the last time I saw you, that problem child."

Problem child, me?

No way, I've never caused any problems.

Professor Bloom still has that smirking face and looks at me with a scrutinizing gaze.

"By the way, how about that matter we discussed?"

"I thought I refused?"

"Is that so? But if you change your mind, let me know. I'll always welcome and use you, Professor Bloom."

"That's why I don't want to go. I don't think I can survive being used by you."

I am trying to recruit Professor Bloom to the Brutois family.

I think he would be a good person to entrust the mages to.

It might be a bit awkward for him to work under his former student, so I'll take my time with the recruitment.

Recruiting students is a higher priority, so I'll focus on that.

There are six students to interview this time.

Carla will conduct the interviews, and Gail will also assess their character and atmosphere.

I will evaluate the students' potential and personality.

While high potential is not absolutely necessary, I will reject those who flaunt their family status, even if they are competent.

Actually, there are few competent people who flaunt their family status; they flaunt it because they are incompetent.

We wait in the conference room, and six students enter.

"Please state your name and your strongest attribute."

Starting with the student on the left, they answer Carla's question.

"I am Henry Kudo Endeburg, the third son of the Endeburg family. It is a great honor to meet Lord Brutois, and I look forward to a good relationship."

"You don't need to say anything more than what you were asked."

"Wha... My attribute is Fire, at the Advanced level..."

Carla gently but firmly cut off the unnecessary talk.

I don't like such people either.

Originally, Carla had her eye on six students, and one of them, the eldest son, declined the interview to inherit the family estate, so we planned to interview five.

However, Henry insisted on being interviewed.

I did the interview to give Professor Bloom face, but he seems to be the type who flaunts his family status, which I dislike.

Using family status in the wrong way makes one look incompetent, so it's important to use it wisely.

"I am Hermes Kudo Crimson. My attributes are Wood at the Master level and Wind at the Advanced level."

Hermes is a beautiful Elf.

Her chest is flat due to her race, but she is a very attractive girl otherwise.

"I am... Fourier. My... attribute is... Light at the Master level..."

Ha ha, the third student, Fourier, is so nervous she stutters.

She looks younger than her age... actually, she looks like a little girl.

However, her developed areas are very appealing, and in that regard, she is in my strike zone, but her appearance is too young...

She is also short for her age, so if she continues to grow... a lolita might not be out of the question!

As we proceed, Henry is definitely not suitable.

The other five are fine, as expected of the students Professor Bloom recommended.

Now, I just need to hear Carla and Gail's opinions.

"Hermes is good, but Henry is not. Fourier is a bit iffy. Can someone with such a timid personality handle monster hunting or interpersonal negotiations?"

"I felt potential in Fourier... although I don't have concrete evidence..."

Indeed, Fourier has abilities she hasn't mentioned.

She might not even be aware of them herself.

"If Gail says so, it must be true. Let's proceed with hiring the five students, excluding Henry."

I leave the rest to Carla and Professor Bloom and take a stroll around the campus.

I know the place well, but there wasn't much to see.

It's a bit disappointing, but I don't have much time, so I return to the room.

There, Professor Bloom and the five students I decided to hire are waiting, and they immediately thank me as I enter.

"See you next year. And I'm the same age as you five, so don't be so formal, just relax."

"Thank you! Ah, thank you... very much..."

Fourier, a bit late, stutters her thanks, and I can't help but laugh, making her teary-eyed.

As a result, I get a subtle scolding from Professor Bloom, but it can't be helped.