Chapter 280. After the Setup (1) (1/2)
It was too early to celebrate with just winning custody over the Neutral Zone.
'There’s a reason the auction opened 2 months in advance.’
They were hit with a storm of work.
While they didn’t know how many would enter, they still had to prepare for a maximum of 525 people, so there weren’t just one or two things they had to procure.
The problem was that they couldn’t only worry about the Neutral Zone.
Step 1. Personnel Recruitment
This was the first on the list of things Valhalla had to urgently resolve, which Kim Hannah emphasized as a ‘must’.
Actually, Seol Jihu didn’t want to recruit more people at the moment. Rather, it was correct to say he didn’t have the time or energy to do so.
While he acknowledged the need for it, he was so swamped with work that the thought of, ‘Do I really have to do it now?’ was inevitable.
However, Kim Hannah was adamant about Step 1, even if they couldn’t do Step 2 or 3. Her reason was that they were unable to leave the Neutral Zone for at least three months once they entered.
”Representative. We will not be able to do anything for three months once we enter the Neutral Zone. We can’t, even if we want to. Were you thinking of remotely working from inside the place? You know that all forms of communications with the outside world will be blocked, don’t you?”
”…”
”You’ll have to work when you come out too. You know this. The more work you finish now, the easier it’ll be later.”
”…”
”That’s not all either. We’d be able to form contracts that are more advantageous to us with the condition of allowing them to enter the Neutral Zone with us. Also, the new members would be able to bond with the existing members during the three months in the Neutral Zone.”
”…”
”I know it’s hard for you, but there’s not much time left. Let’s work a little harder, okay?”
”Alright, alright. I got it.”
In the end, he couldn’t endure Kim Hannah’s imploring and reluctantly nodded his head. These were all correct words, so Seol Jihu didn’t have anything to say against them.
Even so, his cooperative relationship with the Assassination Guild was a stroke of fortune amid misfortunes.
After a discussion with the other members, Seol Jihu sent a registration notice to the Assassination Guild branch. The notice beckoned people that wished to join Valhalla to come for an interview at the specified date and time.
Tong Chai immediately contacted the headquarters and the Assassination Guild posted the recruitment notice throughout the entire city on that very day.
As Valhalla was a newly founded organization that also represented an entire city, it received a lot of interest.
A lot of people thought, ‘Should I try taking the interview?’ when they read that Valhalla would recruit regardless of their class, but everyone became dumbstruck when they got to the minimum job requirements.
—Level 4, awaiting to be a High Ranker.—Level 5+ preferred.
In other words, it was saying Level 4s should only come if they were confident in their abilities while Level 5s were unconditionally accepted.
”Damn. What’s this? Isn’t it saying only those who are almost High Rankers or are already High Rankers should come?”
”I guess they’re going for a small group of elites for now.”
”Well, there’s no way I’m qualified. I don’t know if there is anyone who’ll go.”
”They're that confident of providing treatment of that level, huh. Then again, they do represent a city.”
The people who were looking at the announcement board began to leave one by one while complaining.
However, not everyone left. Although it was only one person, there was definitely a person who was carefully reading the recruitment notice.
*
The day of the interview came.
Seol Jihu received a call from Kim Hannah while he was having a conversation with Charlotte Aria.
She told him to quickly come and conduct the interviews as the applicants had arrived.
Seol Jihu looked at Charlotte Aria, who was busy chattering away with a look that said, ‘I’m saved.’
He had rushed to the palace, hearing that something big happened, but… It turned out to be an excuse to call him since he was so busy nowadays… Using the authority of a queen.
In any case, now that he had a perfect reason, Seol Jihu politely asked to be excused and left the palace.
Well. That’s what he tried to do.
”Hmm. Alright. Then I shall go too.”
Because Charlotte Aria started following him like it was only natural, he could only leave the palace after finding Sorg Kühne.
*
Marcel Ghionea was waiting at the entrance.
”Let's go. They're waiting for you in the meeting room.”
”How many came?”
”Three people.”
”That’s odd. We even included Level 4’s. Fewer people came than I expected…”
Seol Jihu wistfully began walking. Marcel Ghionea gave a bitter smile, but didn’t comment.
*
Several people were in front of the meeting room, peering inside. It was natural for an interest to build since there were new faces.
”Hehe, there are two girls, hehe.”
He walked past the giggling Hugo…
”That’s surprising. I never expected those two would come.”
”That means Valhalla’s class is just this high. Anyways, who’s the other one? Her eyes are quite something.”
”Ah. That snake eyes? She was once my slave. She’s a bitch that sure knows how to shake her ass.”
”W-What?”
…And squeezed past Chohong and Phi Sora who were whispering to each other to enter the room.
He saw a total of four people. The backs of the three individuals sitting in front of Kim Hannah looked strangely familiar.
Kim Hannah, who found Seol Jihu entering the room, rose up from her seat to greet him.
”You came?”
The three turned around at the same time, causing Seol Jihu to stop in his steps. His eyes slightly widened after seeing their faces.
”Ooh. You’re looking more handsome in the short while we’ve haven’t seen each other.”
The playfully giggling snake eyes, Audrey Basler.
”Hnng.”
A curtly nodding emotionless face, Oh Rahee.
”…”
And a silently observing Ayase Kazuki.
”Representative Seol, please take a seat.”
Seol Jihu sat down first, barely coming back to his senses. He then scanned the people in front of him with an awkward gaze.
”All three people here wish to become a member of Valhalla.”
'I know that, but…'
It was just that the three individuals who visited Valhalla were rather unexpected.
There wasn’t any need for a customary introduction as he’d met all of them before. Thinking he should first hear their stories, Seol Jihu began to talk.
”I'm surprised. I didn’t expect to see the three of you in this place.”
He started with the only man.
”Mister Kazuki, Didn’t you say you’ll form a new team?”
”That’s right.”
Kazuki nodded his head.
”I wanted to make a team of my own. That still hasn’t changed.”
That was why it was questionable.
Not all affiliates were the same. It might have been different if it was in the form of external cooperation like the relationship between Sicilia and Carpe Diem back in their times at Haramark.
Kazuki’s objective of joining Valhalla could be viewed as him intending to create a team within the organization by borrowing Valhalla’s help. However, this would inevitably put Kazuki beneath Seol Jihu…
The Kazuki that Seol Jihu knew was a man who would not go under anyone. He had even once told him he wanted to become his own leader.
Nevertheless, he could only think of one reason that made him come here.
”Is it because…”
”…Yes. It’s because of the Japan Business Federation.”
”Still?”
”I’d rather not speak ill of them since there was a time we shared the same bowl, but they’re persistent enough to make my teeth clatter.”
Seol Jihu stuck out his tongue.
”Did they come to harass you or something?”
”No, they didn’t. Perhaps it’s because they're conscious of the Triads, but they haven’t directly approached me. However…”
Kazuki clenched his teeth.
”I couldn’t make a team.”
”?”
”Well, I probably could have if I forced it. But making a ragtag group isn’t any better than not making one at all.”
Then again, as the leader of Haramark’s once greatest team, Umi Tsubame, Kazuki probably had high standards.
”It wasn’t that there wasn’t a single person that met my requirements. Some even positively reacted to my proposal. However, every single one of them suddenly changed their minds, saying they were too exhausted to join.”
Kazuki spoke calmly, but his eyes emitted a chill.
He didn’t have to even guess why they all acted like that. It was obvious that the Japan Business Federation had interfered.
”So I wanted to at least try to look for a Warrior that could pair up with me. But the results were the same despite reaching out to everyone I knew. Who knew there were things that couldn’t be solved with money?”
Kazuki let out a sigh and turned to look at Seol Jihu.
”There was nothing I could do once the situation became like this. Then I happened to see Valhalla’s recruitment notice.”
In other words, he was saying he wanted to form a team using Valhalla’s might since his own power was lacking. While they may still be a hollow shell, they were still an organization that took out the giant coalition called the Eva Alliance.
Unless the Japan Business Federation went crazy, they wouldn’t bother him again. Especially since it might result in a war between cities…
”You could have borrowed the Triad’s help, couldn’t you?”
Kim Hannah who was silently listening suddenly threw in a question.
”The Triads…”
Kazuki smacked his lips. He had an expression that said he didn’t want to speak ill of a place that he owed a favor to.
”…Have a strong tendency to look out for their own first. Valhalla seemed to be a better choice if I was going to become a member anyways. It’s better suited for fulfilling my dreams as well.”
”What do you plan to do after the contract duration ends?”
Valhalla was also thinking of forming a new team, but they were worried that Kazuki would leave with a part of their team when his contract ended.
”Don’t worry. I don’t take you guys lightly enough to do shameless things without hesitation. Neither do I expect Valhalla to be that generous.”
Kazuki shook his head.
”Only, I’m hoping that if I work really hard, Valhalla would share a part of its territory in the future. That much I have hopes for.”
Kazuki revealed his true, sincere thoughts without hiding anything.
”The contract…”
”I have no issues with it.”
He then lifted a piece of paper he received from Kim Hannah and spoke.
”I don’t mind starting from the bottom. I’ll never forget this favor if you help me.”
It was a speech full of confidence.
'If it’s Mister Kazuki.’
Ayase Kazuki, the elite Archer hailing from Haramark, would join Valhalla. Seol Jihu wanted to shout in joy, marveling at his ridiculous luck, but there were still two people left.
Oh Rahee was fidgeting with her hair with an indifferent face.
”Wasn’t Miss Oh Rahee the leader of the Bloodline Mercenaries?”
”It disbanded.”
”Excuse me?”
”It disbanded. We lacked members. Four members died during the war in Haramark.”