New Hires

It didn't take long for people to notice the sign and approach Nathan about it. Several were just curious since Anita's restaurant was flourishing. Others truly wanted and needed a job.

But Nathan took a glance at everyone that wanted an interview and denied them. That was all he needed to tell whether they were someone he wanted to hire or not. A lot of the people he rejected would probably work hard and do their jobs well. But that wasn't what Nathan wanted.

He wanted someone who could keep his parents safe when he was out exacting vengeance. 

Meeting Nathan's stringent requirements was almost impossible. Almost.

Even with how strict he was, Nathan still ended up with three candidates at the end of the day. None had awakened a skill or worked as a hero of any kind. They were ordinary people through and through. But two of them had the potential to awaken useful skills.

And the third…The third was a member of the Vijang Syndicate.

After the restaurant closed, Nathan sat down with Sillia, Julian, and Lark.

Nathan took his time looking at each of them, peering deeper into their beings with the help of Peerless Perception.

All three felt like Nathan saw through them, and they couldn't help the chills that crept up their spines. It was slightly unsettling. But all three of them had reasons why they needed or wanted the job.

Nathan's gaze wasn't enough to make them think twice, not when they were the only three out of several dozen applicants to have been granted an interview.

Nathan eventually pointed at the person to the left, the short-haired girl with worn clothes and a nervous expression.

"Let's begin with you. Name and reason for applying to this job."

The girl gulped audibly.

"I-I…My name is Sillia. I want this job because I've always loved food and want to—"

"You need the money?"

Nathan interrupted Sillia before she could finish. She looked at Nathan slightly stunned. After a moment or two, she meekly nodded.

"It's not just the money, but…"

Nathan nodded.

"That's a good reason. Money is still useful, after all."

'Still?'

Sillia and the other two wondered about Nathan's choice of words. But they didn't voice their doubts since Nathan pointed at the tall guy in the middle.

"Your turn."

"I'm Julian Annerson. I want to become a chef and cook good food for my little brother. I figured beginning as a server in a restaurant with food as good as this is a decent start."

"It's not just decent. It's the best start. But flattery will get you nowhere."

Nathan paused as he looked at Sillia and Julian.

"You two are aboard. Come back at six tomorrow morning."

Sillia and Julian turned to each other with smiles to share their excitement before remembering the third person who didn't even get to say his name. But he wasn't kicked out, so maybe Nathan had something else in store for him.

Sillia and Julian left together, curiously looking back at Nathan and the guy with messy hair and a rough expression.

Nathan waited with a smile on his face until Sillia and Julian were gone. He turned to the remaining person with an expression as cold as the icy depths of Hell.

"You have one chance."

Instantly, Lark sat up straight, spurred on by an instinctive fear he had never felt before in his life. It was like he was standing in front of a mountain-sized tiger with blood dripping from its fangs.

Lark didn't even dare to try and think of lying.

"I-I'm sorry! The others asked me to try and infiltrate the store when they heard you were looking for workers! I couldn't say no!"

Nathan looked at Lark in silence for a few moments before retrieving his killing intent.

"Get up."

Without looking at Lark, Nathan got up and headed toward the door.

"W-where are we going?" Lark hesitantly asked.

Nathan continued walking.

"Somewhere I won't need to clean up."

Lark felt chills run down his spine. His hands grew clammy, and his back was damp with cold sweat. He couldn't even understand why he was so scared of a person who looked younger than him. Not even the more powerful villains of the Vijang Syndicate he had encountered had given him such an overwhelming feeling of dread.

Lark considered running. But only for a moment.

It was like Nathan could read his thoughts. As soon as Lark considered it, Nathan stopped walking and glanced at the Lark, who appeared no different from a lamb headed to slaughter.

Nathan led the way to the same alley he had brought Linus, the barber.

'Oh, right. What happened to that guy?'

Nathan frowned for a moment as he looked at the dried bloodstains from where he had stomped on Linus' legs. It wasn't enough to be from a man who bled to death, so Linus was probably alive. But he hadn't come back to the restaurant.

'Did he run away?'

After failing the mission the Syndicate gave him and offending Nathan even further, Linus didn't have much of a place left in Avalio.

Nathan set that matter aside for the moment as he focused on Lark.

"Can you tell me anything useful about the Syndicate?"

Lark froze.

"I-I know some of the members…?"

"So that's a no."

Nathan sighed.

"Why did you even join the Syndicate in the first place when you have the blood of a coward running through your veins?"

Nathan patted Lark's shoulder with his head bowed. He could tell that Lark hadn't killed a person. There wasn't any blood on his hands. But he was a member of the Syndicate.

Nathan moved his hand closer to Lark's neck.

"...They picked me up from the gutter. I would have died if not for the Syndicate."

Nathan had a wry smile on his face as he grabbed Lark by the throat and began squeezing.

"Then you should have just died."