10 New Hires

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I walked into the store I owned with a smile on my face, eyes covered by the same masquerade mask I always wore when out of the castle. The front room of the store had been entirely refurbished, which repaired floors, re-painted walls, a paneled ceiling embedded with enchanted lights of my making,and wooden shelves crafted out of the Adult Ent husks by Pyarron, who apparently moonlighted as a carpenter. The counter had been polished smooth, and laid with drawers to contain money and paperwork.

All in all, my business was looking good.

I nodded contemplatively before jumping forward to avoid the slide-hug Siv almost got me with. She was noticeably shorter, which she put where you would expect. Who knows how her back remains straight with those things. "Ah, I almost gotcha~!" She winked at me. I smiled wryly in response, crossing my arms. "Anyways, I got a few of my friends in the back. You still want to meet them, no?"

"Yes, I do," I nodded, gesturing for her to lead me to them. She grinned and skipped over to the storage storage room, with me on her tail. In the room were six people - four girls, two boys. All of them looked to be young for their races, and they were indeed attractive. I recognized two of them as Dragonborn, two as Halflings, another as an Elf, and the last as a Gnome. It was my first time seeing three of those races, so I couldn't help but take them in. The Dragonborn, one man and one woman, were more than 2.5m tall with draconic eyes and scales. Their heads were shaped like those of lizards, with horns that stretched back beyond their empty scalps. The boy had green scales, while the girl had blue.

[Da'rak Vill]

Race: Dragonborn;

Titles: Dragon-Blood Sister;

Age: 29

Rank: Dragonkin (2x)

Affinities: Fire; Light;

Level: 96 (11%)

Health Status: 5760/5760

Mana Status: 1920/1920 (3.2/m) (4th)

Stamina Status: 5760/5760

Body: 576(288) (+3/)

Mind: 192(96) (+1/)

Spirit: 576(288) (+3/)

Status: Abashed, Hopeful, Fearful.

Thoughts On You: Curiosity; Hope; Platonic Infatuation (You are Cute); Fear;

[Da'rik Vill]

Race: Dragonborn;

Titles: Dragon-Blood Brother;

Age: 29

Rank: Dragonkin (2x)

Affinities: Nature; Dark;

Level: 97 (23%)

Health Status: 5820/5820

Mana Status: 1940/1940 (3.2/m) (4th)

Stamina Status: 5820/5830

Body: 582(291) (+3/)

Mind: 194(97) (+1/)

Spirit: 582(291) (+3/)

Status: Wary, Paranoia, Hope.

Thoughts On You: Curiosity; Hope; Wariness;

The Halflings were a few centimeters shorter than me, with sandy-blonde hair and black hair respectively. They eyed me strangely, smiles on their faces.

[Alisa Calli]

Race: Halfling;

Titles: Pants-Claimer;

Age: 24

Rank: Mortal (1x)

Affinities: Water;

Level: 20 (70%)

Health Status: 400/400

Mana Status: 400/400 (6/m) (2nd)

Stamina Status: 400/400

Body: 40(40) (+2/)

Mind: 40(40) (+2/)

Spirit: 20(20) (+1/)

Status: Shocked, Joyous.

Thoughts On You: Curiosity; Hope; Perverted Infatuation;

[Vara Moore]

Race: Halfling; Amazonian;

Titles: Half-Zonian;

Age: 19

Rank: Mortal* (1.2x)

Affinities: Wind;

Level: 27 (91%)

Health Status: 640/640

Mana Status: 640/640 (1/m) (3rd)

Stamina Status: 640/640

Body: 64(54) (+2/)

Mind: 64(54) (+2/)

Spirit: 32(27) (+1/)

Status: Curious, Hopeful.

Thoughts On You: Curiosity; Hope;

The elf woman stood at just over 2m in height, with silver-blonde hair that reached her waist, and large pointed ears. Her piercing green eyes stared into my own with unbridled curiosity.

[Riella Alla]

Race: Elf

Titles: Exiled Priestess of the Royal Woods;

Age: 208

Rank: Demi-Spirit (1.8x)

Affinities: Nature;

Level: 166 (33%)

Health Status: 2980/2980

Mana Status: 8960/8960 (+14.6/m) (7th)

Stamina Status: 2980/2980

Body: 298(166) (+1/)

Mind: 896(498) (+3/)

Spirit: 597(332) (+2/)

Status: Content, Curious.

Thoughts On You: Intense Curiosity; Hope; Platonic Infatuation (You are Cute);

Finally, the gnome was staring at me with a discerning eye. He was scratching his long, black beard with one hand while keeping his other behind him. Holding a knife, I could see through its impression in mana.

[Alan Vile]

Race: Gnome;

Titles: Vileblood;

Age: 68

Rank: Mortal (1x)

Affinities: Earth;

Level: 71 (85%)

Health Status: 710/710

Mana Status: 1420/1420 (2.3/m) (2nd)

Stamina Status: 710/710

Body: 71(71) (+1/)

Mind: 142(142) (+2/)

Spirit: 142(142) (+2/)

Status: Wary.

Thoughts On You: Curiosity; Hope; Intense Wariness;

"Guys, this is Sterling, the enchanter I told you about," Siv introduced me with a happy tone. "Sterling, these are my friends! The Dragonborn siblings Da'Rak and Da'Rik, the Elf Exile Riella, the Gnome Bandit Alan, and the Halfling Seductresses Alisa and Vara! Then you have me, the mercantile Shapeshifter, Siv!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," I nodded to them individually. "I understand it you are all looking for jobs, and struggle to do so because of certain prejudices. I asked Siv to gather you, so I could offer you jobs under me."

"What would you have us do?" Vara asked.

"Simple work. Three teams of two, one voice and one muscle, take a carriage and sell goods in strategic spots throughout the city," I smiled. "Pay is based off of commission, so you get fifteen out of every hundred silver's-worth of sold items."

"Fifteen percent?!" Da'Rik barked out in surprise. "That's a lot, for such easy work."

"Call it incentive to do a good job," I chuckled. "I like to consider myself a generous person. I take care of the people who work for me."

"And that's it, just get people to buy stuff~?" Alisa asked in a sultry voice.

"Yes. Maintaining the carriages and horses will be done by the drivers," I nodded. "All you have to do is either talk the crowd into buying the goods, and direct them here for better stuff, or protect the speaker and the goods."

"It seems too good to be true," Alan said simply, dagger shifting in his grip. "What are you playing at, pal?"

I frowned. "To put it lightly, I'm not a fan of discrimination. Especially for things someone can't change, such as their race or physical features - at least, for the most part." Siv giggled. "One of my goals with this company of mine is equal opportunity. Everyone gets a chance to prove their worth to the company, and gets rewarded accordingly. You six just happened to be the first to crop up on my radar, thanks to Siv."

"And how do we know we can trust you? You won't even show us your face!" Alan accused.

"Alan," Da'Rak groaned.

"I wear a mask for my own safety. You see, if people knew who I truly was, my life would be in danger," I sighed.

"So, what, you're some kinda nobleman? Don't know of any Halfling noblemen in Eilon - at least, none high enough on the hierarchy to be in danger in the merchant district," Alan mused.

"You could say that, and I'm no Halfling. As you can tell, by the ears and tail," I twitched my ears and flicked my tail.

"You're just a kid?!" Alisa exclaimed. "Damn…"

"Just a kid, and one of the best enchanters in the city," Da'Rik grumbled. "How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I said with a cheeky smirk. "So, will you take the jobs?"

"We don't have much else going on," Vara shrugged.

"Yeah, sounds like a good time~!" Alisa grinned.

"We have muscle," Va'Rik said, his sister nodding.

"Fine, I guess," Alan sheathed his dagger.

"Show me your magic, first, then I'll decide," Riella spoke up for the first time. I raised an eyebrow and nodded, checking my stats.

[Status]

-Identity-

Name: Alistair Eil

Race: Human; Beastfolk (Cat);

Age: 0 (17)

Class: Fire Elementalist(19/100)

Rank: Mortal* (1.2x)

Titles: Blessed;

Alignment: Lawful Good

Level: 19 (366/1000)

-Stats-

Health Status: 1438/1438 |1410+5%| (+14.1%/m)

Mana Status: 7725/7725 |6180+25%| (+21.1%/m)

Stamina Status: 1260/1260 |1050+20%| (+10.5%/m)

STR: 120(100) (+1*2/)

CON: 141(118) (+1*2/)

DEX: 115(96) (+1*2/)

END: 105(88) (+1*2/)

INT: 618(515) (+3*2/)

WIS: 211(176) (+2*2/)

CHA: 165(138) (+1*2/)

LCK: 285(238) (+1*2/)

Points: 0 (+5/)

I nodded and focused. Mana flooded through my stystem as I flared as much as I possibly could, consuming seven-thousand in a single second. The resulting blast of air pushed everyone back, and knocked the smaller people over. The door rattled, and the air became tense with mana.

I opened my eyes to find everyone staring at me wide-eyed. "B-brimming on your seventh awakening, so young?! How long has it been since you attained your first awakening?" Riella asked.

"Almost eleven months," I answered, acting innocent. "Why?"

"Stop messing with them," Ilyor accused from behind me. "You're a freak when it comes to magic. The least you could do is tell people that when you meet them."

I laughed. "You're right, but it's funny to see the look on their faces! I remember when you first found out about my magic~! My mother certainly showed you not to use those words in front of me, and yet here you are-"

"I get it! Sorry for calling you a freak," she sighed. "Gods above, you are insufferable sometimes."

"Getting very bold, Miss Ilyor," I smiled tensely, making her blanch.

"S-sorry, Your-" she stopped herself.

"What just happened?" Vara asked, confused.

"I think he's threatening the girl with a good time with his mother~," Alisa said. "If he's this cute, I can't imagine how cute his mother is~! I wouldn't mind a good time with her~!"

I almost choked on my tongue. ' What in the shit… I did not want that image in my head… ' I looked at Siv, who only shrugged with a minor blush.

"She's a pervert," she said simply. "One who likes little boys, apparently."

"Hey! Didn't you smother him with those toddler-sized bahoongas of yours?!" Alisa accused. At this, Siv didn't know what to say. She had done just that, after all, and now she regretted telling her friends that.

"Well at least I have boobs!" Siv shouted, hoisting hers up and sticking her tongue out at the Halfling, who held her own chest with an agape mouth.

"How dare you?!" She screeched and jumped at the Shapeshifter. Not wanting to deal with any of that, I saluted the other five new hires, and made my way up to the workshop with Vaquin and Ilyor, the latter of whom was blushing at the sight of whatever had been going on in that room after I turned my back. If anything, that only made me more glad that I hadn't seen it.

Sitting down in a chair by one of the windows, I took off the mask and watched the people passing by below, occasionally using <Observe > on a random person. Most of the common folk never breached level forty, while most adventurers stayed below one-hundred. The exceptions were powerful, really powerful. Mother and father were among the strongest in the kingdom. That I had seen, at least. From what I understood, there were several knights stronger than them, and a few recluse mages.

But Eilon was pretty low on the scale of power, in terms of the world at large. Sure, it was much more powerful in terms of military might than some of the more Eastern kingdoms, but compared to the likes of Axriel and the Collus Empire… It was a miracle Eilon had survived this long against such a powerful force. Aedon credited it fully to the heroes of past, blessed by spirits, who were capable of dealing demons within themselves and using their powers against the enemy.

One of those heroes was my great, great, great-grandfather, Aedon I. He had seven affinities, and fought on the front lines against Axriel's greatest generals, dying with honor to defeat what would've been a nation-ending force on the Pass of Axes. I knew that one day, I would stand before a similar force, fighting to save the kingdom I called home, with the power some god in the ether had given me. Why else would I be given this chance to be reborn? This power, that would allow me to grow in power so quickly?

Unless it was something even greater than that. No, I couldn't think about that. I had better things to worry about than some phantom menace in the distant future. Like finding a gift for my brother's upcoming birthday, and picking a second crafting skill.

Speaking of, I took out the crystal and looked at it, then crushed it in one hand.

[Select a Crafting Skill:]

{ Agriculture }

{ Alchemy }

{ Architecture }

{ Blacksmithing }

{ Calligraphy }

{ Carpentry }

{ Engineering }

{ Jewelry-Crafting }

{ Programming }

{ Runecrafting }

{ Textiles }

' What to choose… ' I hummed. ' I could pick up {Programming} for the SIVA drones… or {Engineering} to get started on manufacturing machinery… No, I have no real need for either of those, at the moment. Something else I can do, which can tie in to what I'm doing already… {Alchemy} or {Runecrafting}, then. '

' I have the human bones, which can be a reagent in most potions, but I also have a few ideas for magitek that can revolutionize this world, and work well with my enchantments… Having some potions to support my allies would be helpful, but I could also make more money, to get my plans along faster… ' In the end, I chose {Runecrafting}. I wanted the race change potion, but I didn't yet have access to the places where I'd need to buy the ingredients, let alone the money to pay for such things. {Runecrafting} would be helpful immediately.

[Skill <Runecrafting > Learned!]

<Runecrafting > (1/100)

You can inscribe runes and give them mana, allowing them to perform tasks on command.

"What was that?" Vaquin asked.

"Something to help me learn faster," I answered cryptically, taking out one of my six tokens and biting it. "Don't worry about it."

[Rolling 6x Gacha Token…]

[Rolling…]

[Entry 128, 97, 159, 110, 12, and 61 Rolled…]

[<Battlefield Tracker>, <Akashic Tome (25)>, <Summon Card: Father Pucci>, <Summon Card: Kirito>, <Refilling Flask>, and Skill Book: <Pain Transferral> Added to {Inventory}!]

A 3d hologram projector that uses magic to scan the area for ten kilometers and displays it topographically. All life is tracked via green dots for allies, blue dots for civilians, and red dots for enemies.

A book that can change its appearance, and can hold up to twenty-five other books within.

A summon card for Enrico Pucci, the Maker of Heaven. With his stand, Whitesnake, he can create illusions and remove/add characteristics from people such as memory and abilities.

A summon card for Kazuto Kirigaya, the Black Swordsman. Incredibly capable with the blade and programming, but also very compassionate and altruistic.

A sleek, metal flask that slowly refilled with whatever it was filled with last. Has a volume of 1L, refills at a rate of 100mL per hour. Stores the knowledge of any liquid it has reproduced, allowing it to swap what is created.

Skill Book: <Pain Transferral>

Allows the reader to, upon activation, transfer the pain of those they touch to themselves, and vice versa.

-5mp/s

"Why do you do that?" Ilyor asked.

"Because I can," I replied, taking out the Akashic Tome. "Do you think this would make a good gift for my brother?" I asked, throwing the book to Ilyor. She looked at the cover for a moment before opening it.

"It's empty. Is it a journal?" She asked.

"It can be," I answered. "That book can store twenty-five other books of any size in it. That could be twenty-five large journals. Or, it can be twenty-five textbooks. He'll need the space in a couple years, when he goes to the academy."

"I suppose it would be nice," Vaquin spoke up. "I'm not much of a reader, but only having to carry one book when I need a few sounds neat."

Ilyor handed the book back to me, and I put it away. "I'll try to get him another thing, just in case he doesn't like it," I said. "Maybe I can have Siv show me around some of the exotic markets."

Vaquin only sighed. "They'd recognize me, there, so that's a no-go." He saw the look I was giving him and shook his head. "Nope, you're not going there alone. Those places are shady. Back-alleys and tunnels. Easy to get lost, even easier to never come back out again."

I pulled out the skill of Prince Ri, allowing it to drop to the floor. "You see what we took down yesterday? Big guy, made of a hundred skeletons? I can handle a few thugs."

"To be fair, you couldn't escape Siv when she was smushing you between her huge breasts," Ilyor brought up the memory, blushing.

"I seem to recall you standing by and doing nothing while she molested me, you pervert," I glared at her.

"D-don't change the subject!" She turned even redder.

"Besides," I said, "if I can take a literal arrow to the brain, I can take a knife to the back."

"An arrow to the what now?!" They both exclaimed, eyes wide.

"I stabbed myself with an arrow to gain spirit powers," I said nonchalantly, standing and stepping towards Ilyor, suddenly appearing in front of her. "No magic, see? Mother and father did it, too. That's why there was all of that blood, a week ago."

"Oh…" Ilyor nodded. "…Did it hurt?"

"Yes," I nodded. "Took about ninety percent of my HP, according to the logs."

"What the f-" Vaquin caught himself, looking over his shoulder in search of a stone-wielding Anir. "Frick are you talking about?"

"Blessing stuff. Don't worry about it," I jumped up and patted his head. "Your little brain wouldn't be able to comprehend it. Leave that kind of stuff to the big boys, alright?" Ilyor stifled a laugh, and Vaquin looked more annoyed than usual. "Anyways, I'm headed to the markets. I'll see you guys later."

"W-wait!" Vaquin stood and moved to follow, but I glared at him. "Ugh, this brat has made me a pushover…"

"Welcome to my world," Ilyor sighed, glancing at the pile of paperwork on a nearby table. "He left us here with that on purpose, didn't he?"

"Why am I not surprised…" Vaquin cursed under his breath. A stone came from the curling and struck him on top of his head, making him flinch and look around for who had thrown it. "What the fuc-"

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