novelraw Vol. 12 - Chapter 684 - Tremble at the Truth - The lolis can grow?!
Vol. 12 - Chapter 684 - Tremble at the Truth - The lolis can grow?!
At last, after going through many hoops... wait, did we? Mhm, maybe it's more like so much had happened? Or nothing at all? I don't know how to put it out—anyway, the exhausting situation was over, and we'd at last gained the second plushie in our hand.
Finally, We had both!
With these treasures, we could now summon an Angel and a Devil. ...Now then, the next question was in whom?
For this, I enlisted the help of our trustable comrade Misato.
Having delivered the answer to Muscle-senpai—they did ask us to join them in their so-called pre-celebration, remarking "Would you like to join us on a special training course?", or "The training would be perfect finishing touch for your lean muscles!" or "You seeing these muscles? Yours will get just like them" but we politely turned them down—I messaged Misato, and set the lounge as our meeting point.
"Hmm, I searched far and wide, and there really isn't a single mention of an «Angel» or «Devil» category job. It might be a problem to seek students who have already confirmed their high-ranking job."
"I concur."
The pen in Misato's hand glided as she checked the profile of interview candidates.
We'd excluded students with high-ranking job prospects from the search list. After all, why would one try out a risky path when they're finally closing in to their dreams? It wasn't worth chasing with meaningless expectations.
"We need to look for students who hope to have a better job, but haven't found one yet. And they must have the motivation, will, and strength to keep their stride with us on our journey to S-rank guild."
The pen moved non-stop as Misato screened the candidates. After the filter, we were left with six potential candidates.
"Uh-huh, only 6 out of the entire 140 candidates~."
As a fact, we'd five times the interview applications. But after the first screening, we're left with 140 candidates.
The selected six students were what we ended up with after sorting out various requirements like they should have no problem in acquiring the «Angel» or «Devil» jobs. They must be determined to join us, and most of all, they must have the character to keep up with us.
There was no one from Class-51. They'd all discovered their high-ranking job of their dreams. Besides, there were few jobs with healer roles among the noble category, so there really weren't that many candidates that I sought at present.
Seriously, healers were what became our biggest headache. Just give me the healers!
I should've announced our interview before I picked up the role as guide for Class-51. I fumbled the order here. And obviously, I was regretting it now because there wasn't a single healer among the members of Class-51.
After the announcement, I had then informed our guild members that if they'd any healer in mind, I hope they can introduce us. Well, it was more or less a futile call though. There was none, except Sierra apparently had a guess. She said she would ask around.
Oh well, we shall see then.
"I can't believe there's barely any healers among all these candidates. Just why?"
"There aren't that many healer jobs who can be active in the dungeon to begin with, and whatever number we have right now, they're extremely well taken in their respective guilds. Unless they've a problem with their current guilds, I say you can count the people who would be willing to leave their guild for «Eden» on one hand."
"Ah, hearing this from you sounds quite persuasive."
Misato was a healer as well. And she had often run important errands for the guilds, making her a valuable guild member.
More often than not, I would end up nodding at her words. Indeed, she was right. The lack of healers who could be active in the dungeon was surprisingly a grave issue.
Recalling back, saving Lana, no one had expressed their wish to become a healer. And even for Lana, what she had wanted to become was «Saintess». Healing was just a part of her job.
I wonder why. Was it because people dislike being a healer...? Or perhaps, there was another underlying reason? Regardless, I see. Healers were taken care of well in this world.
Well then, as someone once quoted, sometimes it's better to take the matter in your hand. If we lack one, I could just train one!
"I will contact them separately first. Oh, and I need Celestine-san's opinion on them."
Mhm. Celestine's investigation never turned out wrong.
He was pinpoint about Mert. And with so many nobles, and even a royalty in the «Eden», I guess we just couldn’t act nilly-willy. Celestine himself had said that 'unqualified' aen't fit to join Eden. In fact, some of the candidates I had been contemplating, like «Dark Alchemist» Selma-senpai, were rejected by him.
I wonder why Selma-senpai was unqualified?
"You heard it, Celestine. What do you think about these six people?"
I turned the direction of the question to Celestine next, passing him the profiles of candidates I received from Misato. Celestine's eyes promptly took a sharp glint.
"Understood. In that case... I think this, and this candidate are better off left aside. I believe they'd been the cause of discord in their guilds."
Oh, that certainly was a good enough reason. It would be awful if the guild was caught in a pungent atmosphere. I put aside the two boy's profiles.
But aside from that, how in the world did he manage to gather all that information? I mean, these candidates were just freshly picked by Misato. Just how many people's profile he had crammed in his hand.
"I believe these two will also be a hindrance. They're not particularly good in studies, and they should've failed in the first-term exam, so they'd spent their summer vacation in supplementary lessons."
"Uh-huh, scoring red points and sticking in lessons can't be done. But we do hold study sessions in Eden. Do you think their marks can be improved if we make an effort?"
"At present, they've yet to reach that standard. Please think as if they'd never given an interview."
Woah, he slashed out four candidates in one breath.
Wait, this is bad. Like, if they all turned out to be unqualified, the plushies I had so painstakingly collected would become Lulu's playmat—... Hmm? On another thought, that doesn't sound ba... n-no. Focus, me. Do not lose your grip, Zephyr!
"...Ahem, so what about these two then?"
With my heartbeat erratic, I quietly waited for Celestine's judgement.
"The other two... I don't remember any particular problem with them. They are good to go."
Finally! Celestine finally approved someone!
Hurray!!
"Ookie~, then I will probe around them first."
"Sounds right to me. Yup, let's do that. I will make sure to train them plenty since the job transfer is going to begin soon."
"Tahaha~. Just don't go overboard, alright?"
I couldn't describe why, but I was feeling so emotional right now. It was as if a heavy stone had been lifted from me.
"Let me see who are the qualified candidates."
I ran my glance across the survivor's profile.
Ah... I remember them. They're the twin sisters I bumped into during my first day as Zephyr-sensei for the 2nd term.
"—! I didn't know they're Viscount Princesses?!"
My attention dropped to the race section. It had «Viscount» and «Princess» in its name, and they're 3rd year students. ...Ugh, now I felt it would be a huge waste to have the two «Viscount Princess» change into Angel and Devil. But then, we're out of any other candidate. We're also running out of time. Seriously, I have to do it? Really?
Wait a minute. They're twins! Holy hell, there are twins!? («—Lost in confusion)
I had never heard of twins in the game.
In the «Dungeon Activity», you just make your own characters with various parameters available to adjust the look. There was that one player who copied his character's appearance profile for all the other 49 members of the guild «Android Squad».
However, aside from character creation, I never came across twins or triplets. Though if I had to say, the Android Squad was quit impressive. The owner of that guild had created his character in the appearance of a commander. Now imagine a whole squad of characters with that appearance? Overwhelming, ain’t it? The last I knew, that screenshot was one of the most shared posts. Wow, it sure brings back memories, huh.
...Oops. I derailed from the topic. Wait, what were we doing again?
"Hey, Zephyr-kun. It's those blonde twins from Class 2."
"I know, I remember them. I mean, they're my students."
I nodded firmly at Misato's reminder.
I honestly saw them as sisters who were quite alike during our first encounters. It was only now did it click to me they're twins. There were bona-fide twins in this world! I wonder if this was another 'reality correction'?
I should’ve realised it then. The certainly shared the features of «Youngling», but I didn’t immediately pick on it since they’re not that young, unlike Lulu.
And It was only now that I learnt that they're «Viscount». I must’ve felt that unconsciously so I vividly remember them and also why I was able to recognise them immediately.
"I see, I didn't know they're Viscount. I mean, they looked around ten years old."
The «Youngling» I know were far younger. Plus, loli characters were quite normal to not warrant another look, even if they're not Viscount.
Just as I was confused, Misato casually tossed that aside with her next word.
"Well, they're in senior grade. Of course, they will be older than others"
"THEY CAN GROW?!"
I swear the shock I just received was enough to knock the eyeballs out of my skull.
What do you mean the younglings can grow up?! I never heard of it!
In the «Dungeon Activity» that I knew, the characters don't grow up! Even if they're in senior grade, they would still appear the same as Day 1st!
It was like someone picked me from pre-historic age and tossed me into the 21st century. That’s how chaotic my mind was right now. .Wait! Wouldn't that mean... our adorable-as-angel Lulu would grow up one day too? She wouldn't stay smol for her whole life?
It was something I heard later—it appeared the «Viscount» category people would retain their 'youngling' appearance until they're 16, and starting then, they would enter their growth phase. At the end, their appearance would settle somewhere between a 12 year old teenage kid to an 18 year old adult. ...I was really into a fantasy world, ain't I?
Furthermore, the «Lolita» or «Shota» job holders were more susceptible to their race features. Their respective jobs could affect their growth phase or control their appearance change too. In case of extreme examples, the adults would still appear like a kid. Was this also a job correction? ...It ran far deeper than I had expected.
Hold on a minute. Lulu's «Lolita Hero» couldn't be any more pivotal to their race. Wouldn't that mean... even after going through the growth phase, she would still appear like a 12 year old? Phew, I guess I can say my peace was protected. («—Still in shock)
"Amazing, this is the first time Zephyr-kun didn’t know something… but that’s strange. It is a common sense thoug—ah. I think I get it why Sierra-san once told me Zephyr-kun is quite far behind in the game of common sense. So that's what she meant."
I felt like I was experiencing deja vu. Didn't Sierra once tell me the same thing? ...I hope it's just me.
Misato leaned closer to me as I finally felt shock subsiding down, and remarked.
"Well then, I am off to contact the twins then. Alright?"
I nodded at that, leaving her to handle the situation.