"Thank you for waiting."
As I sat in the reception room, Mr. Moulton returned, accompanied by the man he had recommended—Ox Road—and nine other slave candidates. Likely as a safety precaution for the clients, all of them were unarmed and wore thin clothing that left no room to hide weapons.
The group consisted of humans and beast-kin. There was one other man who appeared to be an ox-kin, but the aura surrounding Ox Road was so distinct that I could tell which one was the recommendation at a glance.
His well-built frame was covered in a mesh of faint, lingering scars, and his sharp, piercing gaze emitted a natural pressure. He probably wasn’t doing it on purpose, but a faint-hearted person would likely have shrunk away in his presence.
The horns on his head were smaller than I had imagined, protruding only slightly from hair that had been cropped short to stay out of the way during combat. Combined with his muscular physique and that intense stare, he looked less like a "bull" and more like an "oni."
I felt bad for the others, but they truly paled in comparison to him.
The process was a group interview, with the candidates seated five at a time. Ox Road was the tenth man, placing him in the second row. While the first five took their seats, he sat on a chair against the wall that looked a bit too small for his large frame.
"Please, feel free to speak," Mr. Moulton prompted.
Following his lead, I started with the basics, asking for their names.
The candidates respected the turn order, but a fierce competition for self-promotion erupted immediately. Being purchased here represented a significant step toward freedom for them. Moreover, I suspected the handsome chairman watching the scene with such amusement might have whispered something into their ears beforehand to stir them up.
As the conversation continued, a thought occurred to me. This was technically the second time I had conducted an interview in this world, but in practical terms, it was the first. When I hired Fei and the others, the other candidates had all mysteriously withdrawn. Since then, I had only hired people through personal introductions, so I had never actually faced a large group like this.
I had been involved in corporate interviews a few times in my previous life, but the atmosphere here was worlds apart.
The ongoing battle for my attention was one thing, but their appeals were quite raw.
"I entered the dojo founded by the famous adventurer Belvios in his later years. I was only ten. I hold a certificate for the third rank in Belvios-style Swordsmanship—"
"Well, as for me, my status board is the only proof I have of my skills, but I’ve survived the front lines as an adventurer. I know how to stay alive, so—"
"I definitely won't be a waste of money! Please, buy me!"
The gap in their individual eloquence was staggering.
Back on Earth, seventy to eighty percent of the answers I heard in interviews were "model answers" the candidates had memorized. Another ten percent were people trying so hard to show "individuality" that they just ended up spinning their wheels or fundamentally misunderstanding what the word meant. You were lucky if one out of ten felt like a real person.
Because everyone from new graduates to mid-career hires spent so much time studying techniques and etiquette at job-hunting seminars, the interviews were just a barrage of the same rehearsed scripts. Even those who were poor communicators—or perhaps especially them—relied entirely on those techniques. Everyone practiced so thoroughly that their claims all sounded identical.
It didn't help that my old company was a nondescript place where no job was truly unique; it was never anyone’s first choice. I often felt there was no point in even asking why they wanted to work there.
In that regard, the people in front of me now probably didn't have a specific motive for wanting to work for me, either. Since they lacked the freedom to choose their professions, they were only here because they had been told a potential buyer was looking at them. Their enthusiasm was for the prospect of being employed, not for my shop specifically.
However, there was no internet in this world. While someone might be teaching interview skills somewhere, you couldn't learn them nearly as easily as you could on Earth.
Perhaps that was why they didn't rely on canned techniques. Instead, they spoke of their passion in their own words. The difference between the articulate and the inarticulate was painfully obvious, but I actually preferred it this way. It was far better than someone putting on a fake performance.
"Thank you very much," I said.
Once we finished with the first group, the next five took their places. The self-promotion began anew, but Ox Road was different.
He was a man of few words, and he met our gazes head-on with eyes that seemed to be sizing us up in return. He clearly had drive, but his focus was entirely different from the others.
"Do you have any questions for us?" I asked.
"...If it’s a job where I can swing a blade, I’m satisfied," he replied. "But as you can see, I’m missing my left hand. Beyond that, my debts make me an expensive purchase. Do you still intend to buy me?"
"You certainly seem to have enough skill to guard a shop," I said. "As for the price, I’ll make my decision after seeing what you can do. You’re prepared for that, I assume?"
"Of course."
Mr. Moulton informed us that they used the courtyard for such tests. If I told him which candidates I wanted to see in action after the interview, he would have them prepare and gather there.
We agreed to discuss the specifics of the test once the slaves had left. As soon as the matter was settled, Ox Road fell silent, as if he had already said everything he needed to say. He was likely already focusing his mind for the practical exam.
"Thank you all."
The interview was over. Once the ten candidates had filed out, I turned to the others for their impressions.
"The man named Ox Road certainly stood out," Reinhardt noted.
"Judging by the dossiers, his skill is likely the highest of the lot," Serge added.
"He definitely had presence," Pioro said. "But he looks like he could be incredibly stubborn, doesn't he?"
"Ah... I don't know how to put it exactly," Fei said. "But he felt like a high-ranking military officer. Loyal to his blade and to the fight. I think he is someone you can trust."
I generally agreed with everyone. He seemed a bit prickly, but he clearly had talent and felt sincere. I had initially taken him for the "artisan" type, but I could see why Fei compared him to a general.
"The fact that I’m already thinking he’s 'not bad' makes me wonder if I'm being danced in the palm of your hand," I said to Moulton.
"I have simply introduced high-quality slaves with the utmost sincerity to ensure my client is satisfied," the handsome chairman replied with a smile so perfect it was almost suspicious.
Still, looking back on the interview, it really did feel like the others were only there to act as foils to make Ox Road look better.
"That aside, Master Ryoma," Moulton continued. "How shall we conduct the skill assessment?"
"How is it usually done?" I asked.
"Typically, the slaves spar with each other, or with someone the client has provided. Occasionally, we are asked to have them fight monsters."
In that case, I wondered how an idea like this would go over. I voiced the plan I had come up with.
"That sounds fascinating!" the human-observation enthusiast agreed immediately.
The other adults were a bit more measured.
"I see. In a sense, it would be a continuation of the interview," Reinhardt said.
"It will certainly reveal their true abilities," Serge noted. "Why not let Ryoma have his way?"
Pioro and Fei, however, looked less convinced.
"I understand the logic," Pioro said. "But I have a feeling this isn't going to end as a simple match..."
"I have a bad feeling about this," Fei muttered. "Or rather, I have a premonition the shopkeeper is about to pull one of his 'stunts' again..."
Despite their hesitation, the chairman's enthusiasm carried the day. It was decided that my idea would be executed exactly as I had proposed.
"By the way," Moulton added, "our company has practitioners of healing magic on standby, so please, do not hold back."