Chapter 170.1
It didn’t take long for me to finish picking out the candidates .
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The documents have already been consolidated into an easy-to-read-form, so a glance was all it took for me to decide whether a candidate fit my requirements or not .
Unfortunately, even after counting only the people that fit my requirements, the total number of candidates still numbered more than fifty .
That’s still far too many . If possible I would like to narrow it down more .
“…I’m a bit hesitant to say this, but they all feel more or less the same…” [Ryouma]
Most of them have experience working as adventurers, and for one reason or another things didn’t turn out well for them . That or they ended up racking up a huge debt .
“Generally, most slaves that are able to fight are adventurers . From time to time, you do find some who have history working as guards, but even that is because they have experience working as adventurers . It’s precisely they have such experience that they are able to take on such jobs . ” [Orest]
“I see . ” [Ryouma]
But if they all have similar histories, then how am I suppose to pick them out?
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“Fei-san, do you have any ideas?” [Ryouma]
“It’s difficult…” [Fei]
“Did you have experience having subordinates of your own in the past?” [Ryouma]
“I do . But I’ve never had to choose them like this . I just trained whoever was sent my way . That’s all . People in my line of work then never really had to consider stuff like them not obeying orders or not being suited for the work . If they didn’t follow orders or weren’t effective, then they would simply vanish… Naturally . ” [Fei]
“Is that so?” [Ryouma]
By ‘vanish’… Does that mean those people were corrected during training? Or…
No . I should stop thinking about this . I need to focus on the issue at hand first .
The personalities of the slaves are probably being talked up because sales talk and all, but they’re probably not too far off the mark . After all, even if a store talks up its products a lot, the customer will still find out in the end anyway . And I don’t think Reinhart-san and the others will recommend a store like that .
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…I’m going to be purchasing these slaves to protect the store, so what I need from them the most is their ‘ability to fight’ . Right . Let’s make that the priority .
To narrow these candidates down, let’s pick out only those with at least level three battle-type skills .
With that I was able to reduce the number of candidates to just 12 . That’s basically down to a quarter of the original number .
“A difference of but one level, and yet it made such a big difference . ” [Ryouma]
“Fu fu fu…” [Orest]
…Did I say something strange?
“Excuse me . Skill levels take considerable training and experience to raise, so it’s not strange for an increase of even just one level to take many years . Moreover, the higher the level of a skill, the harder it is to raise . In cases of high levels, it is not at all strange to take decades just to raise it again .
That’s why it is often said that any difference in level is a clear difference in one’s actual abilities . At the very least, when two people are fighting using the same weapons, then the one most likely to win is the one with the higher skill level . ” [Orest]
Mr . Moulton continued, saying, ‘But of course—‘
For a moment, I could not understand what he was getting at .
“But of course, to you, Takebayashi-sama, the difference between level 2 and 3 is nothing to speak of . ” [Orest]
“What do you mean?” [Ryouma]
When I said that, he faintly smiled at me .
At the same time, I also felt Reinhart-san and the others become alert .
“You’re an adventurer, are you not, Takebayashi-sama? Moreover, the exceedingly powerful sort . I know nothing of martial arts, but… To be honest with you, I have had you investigated a long time ago . ” [Orest]
“You investigated me? I take it you didn’t just hear about me then . ” [Ryouma]
Since he’s talking about it so earnestly up front, I don’t think he’s planning on doing anything shady .
“Can I ask why?” [Ryouma]
“There are several reasons . One is because those three with you and Grisiersama have been shielding you from behind . I’m certain that merchants with some degree of power have already gotten word of this . After all, it has been indirectly spread through the intelligence network of the merchant guild .
The second reason is for the purposes of our preliminary survey . Although your laundromat that utilizes slimes is somewhat special, it’s not as if there has been no precedent . There’s also the risk that comes with starting a new business . There are many managers who – upon failing – come to our store . ” [Orest]
That’s why he gathers information on new stores, conspicuous stores, and stores that are in a slump . But I had four large shields behind me, so he didn’t really think I would end up in such dire straits .
“And the third reason: A mere interest… From me to you . ‘What kind of person is this man known as Ryouma Takebayashi, who happens to be so well-connected and has even started a new venture?'” [Orest]
Of the three reasons he gave, the third one was the most concise, but it also gave off the strongest pressure .
“And your investigations has led you to believe that I am too strong for people that bother with the likes of levels 2 and 3 to deal with?” [Ryouma]