The mercenary recruitment hall isn’t hard to find. I have to ask for directions, but getting there is pretty straightforward. So now I’m looking around, trying to find a band that looks like it isn’t full of absolute asshats, which is not something I ever expected to be doing, but here we are.

  My best bet to figure out what’s going on is probably with the receptionist.

  At the desk, the middle-aged woman looks at me with a completely neutral face. Her appearance is pretty average for a human, with brown eyes and hair, which is tied up in a neat bun. Her skin has clearly seen better days, most likely from many years of sweltering hot summers. Yeah, not only do we get extremely low winter temperatures, we’re also stuck with scorching sunlight for several months!

  She clears her throat before speaking in an extremely nasally, high-pitched voice.

  “Name?”

  “Luck Vidadura.”

  So far, so good. This is easier than I thought it would be.

  “Take this, fill it out. After you bring it back to me, you’ll be taken into the back where you will have an interview. If you make a good impression, you will have to do a practical test to demonstrate your skill. Do you understand?”

  Ugh… paperwork.

  Groaning internally, my spoken words show no hint of my displeasure.

  “Yes, Ma’am!”

  Nodding, she hands me a form to fill out before sending me to an area with benches and tables. After finding a secluded spot in the corner, I sit down and begin to examine the parchment. The basics are there; name, race, age, etc. Then it goes into stuff about my skill.

  Much simpler than I expected this to be.

  Skill name: Box

  Skill primary function:

  Storage

  Skill secondary functions (please list all capabilities): There are thousands of available upgrades, so I really don’t know for sure. I can change most physical aspects of the containers, and I know that there are plenty of combat-applicable upgrades. I also have a map that updates based on where I’ve been. I will explain in more detail, if asked.

  Additional Comments:

  This skill has seemingly infinite possibilities, with more being unlocked with some of the purchases I make.

  I decided to be honest. I mean, I can’t trust the Mercenary Guild with everything, but that much should be fine, so I risk it. Once I’m done answering all of the questions, I take it back to the woman behind the desk.

  I hope I’m not making a huge mistake by doing this…

  The clerk scans my form briefly, eyes going wide before she shoots me a disbelieving look, one breath from calling me a liar. Instead of doing that, however, she simply stamps a golden arrow at the top left corner of the page. She calls over another woman to take her place as she leads me back through a hall.

  Okay… This doesn’t feel like standard procedure…

  “Please wait in here.”

  The room she deposits me in is quite nice, practical in design. There is a huge, beautiful wooden desk with two chairs; one on each side. I choose to stand, not knowing the proper decorum for the occasion.

  This is getting weird. Should I make a run for it?

  Thoughts aside, I don’t have to wait long before a humongous, leather clad bear of a man opens the door and steps inside. Upon seeing me standing there, he gives me an appraising look before giving a barely perceptible nod.

  “Luck, is it? My name is Jorbin Dallus. You may not address me as such. You may call me Sir. Nothing else, am I understood?”

  “Y-yes, Sir!”

  “Good. We’ll have to work on your backbone. If what you say is true, you’ll need it going forward. Please, sit.”

  Taking his own advice, he seats himself on the far side of the desk, leaving the only other padded chair for me.

  “Now, if you were telling the truth, young man, then you have a very bright future ahead of you. If you lied, I’ll beat you black and blue for wasting my time and toss you out back to sleep it off in the gutter. Clear?”

  Swallowing hard, I straighten my back and correct my posture before responding.

  “Crystal, Sir!”

  His guffaw fills the air for the brief instant it existed. Tone lighter than before, he continues with his explanation.

  “Hah. You’ve got a bit of spunk in you, after all. We can do this one of two ways. One: We can call in a truthseer to verify if what you’re saying is true. That could take days. Sometimes weeks. I’ve never seen one come in less than a day and a half. That was 17 years ago.”

  He gives me a pointed look, clearly emphasizing how much of a pain in the ass that would be.

  “Or, you show me your scroll. I know that’s rude to ask, but you’ve made some big claims. They need to be verified. Think it over for a few minutes. I’ll come back in a bit.”

  He stands, leaving me sitting alone. I try to relax back into the comfortable chair, but I can’t seem to lose the tension in my shoulders.

  This is something I should get advice on. It’s not a light decision to make. There is only one person I can rely on right now.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “Delilah? We need to talk.”

  An annoyed sigh hisses into my mind as the cat responds.

  “What is it now, Human? I’m kind of busy.”

  What could she possibly be doing?

  My curiosity briefly piques enough that I ask before realizing that I probably don’t want to know.

  “Busy with what? No, never mind. Forget I asked that. This guy wants to see my scroll. He seems alright, but I know nothing about him other than the fact that my instincts say he’s good. The only other option would be to wait for possible weeks.”

  Standing up, I start to pace back and forth in front of the desk.

  “Human… Does this affect your ability to join these mercenaries?”

  Seeing where this is going, I slow my pacing.

  “Yes. It completely depends on it.”

  I guess that’s a really good question, I’m glad I asked.

  “Then I say do it, Human. If you want to use this opportunity to get stronger, you’ll have to trust somebody. If you get a good feeling from the guy, then that’s probably the best information you’re going to get.”

  Her tone is soft, soothing my mind and easing my anxiety.

  “I might not know what’s going on, Father, but Meowy sounded more sincere than ever! Trust! Yay!”

  The support of my two companions unburdens my decision.

  Now I’m absolutely certain.

  “Alright. Thank you, you two.”

  I only wait about five minutes before the man comes back in. He begins to speak as soon as he sits down across from me. Leaning forward, he clasps his hands together on the desk.

  “Have you decided?”

  Nodding, I respond with conviction, trying to emulate confidence that I’m not sure is entirely real.

  “Yes, sir.”

  He gestures impatiently, urging me to continue with both his hand and his voice.

  “And…?”

  In response, I show him my Heart Scroll’s skill page, floating it over to him with a thought. His eyebrow lifts, mirroring my own surprise.

  I hadn’t realized I could move it like that. Huh.

  “I have to admit, son, that’s a neat trick. Don’t see it very often.”

  I openly gape at him, baffled by his last statement. My voice comes out slow and low, laced with incredulity.

  “So… you do see it? Just, not very often? … Sir?”

  He, in turn, looks at me like I’m a moron.

  Which I probably am.

  “You are.”

  “Shut up, Delilah! And stop reading my mind!”

  I ignore the cat’s mischievous snickering and return my focus to the man in front of me.

  “Of course I do, son! You think you’re the only one who has gotten a scroll Resonance? Hell, there are even other Resonances that could give you that ability. Plenty of them.”

  He harrumphs before turning his attention back to my skill. I watch as his eyes get wider and wider as he scrolls around my upgrade tree.

  “Son, I’ll tell you this one time, and one time only. Do not show this to anyone else. Not even if you trust them with your life. If anyone were to find out the scope of this skill, that would paint a massive target on your back for manipulation or elimination. Do you understand?”

  Both his tone, and the look he gives me, carry immense gravity. It feels as if the weight of his words could crush me. I nod, only now realizing how much I might have fucked up by being honest.

  Hopefully this guy is trustworthy. He seems alright. I don’t think I should be worried.

  “Now. I can clearly see that you were not lying on your application. There is no need to elaborate further to anyone outside of this room. I will, however, have to report to my superiors about this. Your skill would be wasted here, so I’m transferring you to the capital’s branch.”

  I don’t dare assume anything, even if his words paint a pretty clear picture that answers my question.

  “Um, Sir, does that mean I’ve been accepted?”

  Once more, he looks at me like I have a lump of moldy hay in my loft.

  This guy really thinks I’m an idiot.

  “Because you are.”

  “Shut up Delilah.”

  Jorbin Dallus’ words perfectly punctuate the visage his face presents.

  “What? Of course! That’s what I just said, isn’t it?”

  “Uh… no, Sir?”

  He looks briefly contemplative before visibly dismissing the thought from his mind.

  “Well, consider it said! Now, get out of my office. Shirley can give you a tour of the compound. You won’t be here long, but you shouldn’t waste that time piddly-fuckin’ around. Do some training! Now shoo! Shirley!”

  The same woman that had been assisting me the whole time pops her head in. Likely in response to the man’s summons.

  “Yes, Sir?”

  “Take this string bean and show him around. Give him one of the private quarters. End on the training grounds.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  …

  The compound is humble, but well-maintained. There are three buildings meant for housing mercenaries. Two of them are for locals and the other for out-of-towners. From there, we walked to a fenced-in area with five large houses. Each of the abodes are spaced a good distance apart with other fences separating them from one another. I am led to the one closest to the entrance.

  “This is where you will be staying for your time with us, Mr. Vidadura. We hope it’s to your liking.”

  She shows me each room of the house. Three bedrooms, a kitchen that the woman says has its own cook, a sitting room, and an office that has enough books to be considered a small library. After that small detour, we make our way down a path that curves into the woods in the corner of the compound. We don’t have to go far before I hear, and then see, a clearing full of dozens of training dummies, archery targets, and a plethora of other apparati for bettering one’s combat proficiency.

  “Alright! This is where I’m leaving you! If you have any questions, feel free to come find me!”

  I reach out and stop her, my hand touching her shoulder briefly before I let it fall to my side.

  There is definitely something I have to know.

  “Wait, I do have a question! I’ve been thinking about this the whole time and never got a chance to ask.”

  She turns back toward me, a smile still on her face.

  “Ask away! If I know the answer, I’ll tell you!”

  My voice fills with confusion as I look at her nose. I always find it difficult to look people in the eyes.

  “Yeah, um… Shirley… Who was that big guy?”