Volume 4 Chapter 3 Job Interview Part Ii
"All 13 of these are magic tools. Look closely!"
Al raised his voice without showing any hesitation at Fitz's attitude.
"Which one of these is a magic tool?"
What Fitz pointed at looked like just a small leather pouch that hangs from the waist. But from Al's perspective, it was a magic tool shining with a strong blue light. Al couldn't understand why this wouldn't be considered a magic tool. After a while of arguing, a few people came out of the building.
"Fitz, what's all the noise about?"
The voice came from an older man who looked like he could be called an elder. He wore a calm, high-quality dark blue robe and was about 160 cm tall (� 5 feet 3 inches). He had a gentle expression.
"Sir Eric, I apologize. This person insists that this is a magic tool."
Since he was called Sir Eric, it seemed he was in charge of this request. He cast the Magic Sense spell and looked again at the small pouch that Fitz was pointing at. Then he tilted his head.
"Why do you say this is a magic tool?"
Eric took it from Fitz and held it in his hand, quietly asking Al.
"Can I prove it? It might break, though..."
At Al's words, Fitz shouted to be more polite, but Eric raised a hand to stop him and handed the pouch to Al.
"Alright, go ahead."
Al took the pouch and sat down on the spot. He pulled out a small knife-like object from his waist pouch and began to untie the thread that held the back of the pouch closed.
"From the structure, it should be around here..."
"What on earth are you doing?"
Fitz muttered in frustration, but since Eric was there, he didn't intervene and just watched Al closely. After a while, the thread that was tied up came undone, and the hard leather that was supposed to go through the small item holder's belt peeled off halfway. When Al peeled it away, inside was a metal plate covered in complex circles, symbols, and letters that looked a lot like a spellbook.
"This is?"
"It's a magic inscription for a magic tool. I need to investigate a bit more to find out what kind of magic tool it is. Here you go."
Al said this and handed the small item holder back to Eric. Eric looked at the metal plate with great interest.
"Fitz, what do you think? The moment he peeled off the leather, I could see a pale blue light with my own eyes. This is definitely a magic circuit."
"Yes, I suddenly saw it too. What could this be...?"
A magic circuit is a combination of magic symbols used in creating magic tools, written using special techniques. The two of them stared at the item holder for a while, but after some time, realizing they couldn't figure it out right away, they instructed another man, who seemed to be a servant, to find out where this item came from, then turned to Al.
"Fitz, who is he?"
"He is someone who received a recommendation from the Adventurers' Guild today to work as a guard for a caravan. I was checking his magic proficiency."
"My name is Al."
Hearing their exchange, Al hurriedly stood up and bowed politely. Eric nodded in response.
"Is that so, Al? The current phenomenon is very interesting. A magic tool placed inside a sturdy box may not be detected by the Magic Sense spell from the outside. I think the current situation is similar to that. However, in that case, the magic tool cannot be used unless it is taken out of the box. But you found the magic tool sewn into the back of the small item holder just as it is."
Al tilted his head and lightly shook it. He somewhat understood what Eric was saying, but he had no idea about the cause. If he had to say anything, it might be that he used the Sensory Boost spell. Still, he didn't think there would be such a difference in effectiveness that a magician with many disciples could sense something that was normally undetectable.
"I see, you don't understand either. For now, let's investigate this magic tool."
"Sir Eric, he also said that the magic tool with depleted mana reacted to the Magic Sense spell."
Fitz tilted his head while handing 2 spherical objects to Eric. Al had classified them as magic tools, but the remaining 2 did not shine under Fitz's Magic Sense spell. Eric recited the Magic Sense spell again, took one of the items Fitz offered, and examined it for a while.
"Fitz, it is a common belief that a magic tool with depleted mana does not react to the Magic Sense spell, and indeed, there is no reaction from my Magic Sense spell either."
"Is that so? Then..."
Fitz tried to continue speaking proudly, but Eric shook his head.
"That's not something to deny outright. This test is just to see what kind of ability he has and what roles he can take on because we need more hands. We can check his skills in actual work, right? He has a recommendation letter from the Adventurer's Guild, doesn't he?"
"Yes, I do. It's from Mrs. Quinta, and her trust level is A."
Hearing this, Eric smiled and turned to Al.
"Al, don't take it the wrong way. Fitz is just really dedicated to the job of guarding the caravan. He wants to know your spellcasting skills to divide the roles efficiently. Plus, there have been a lot of bandits trying to sneak into the guard lately, so things are a bit tense. I don't think there are any bandits who can use magic, though."
Al thought to himself that there seemed to be some bandits who could use magic, but he kept that to himself and nodded along with Eric's words. Eric then looked at Fitz. He lightly nodded in response to that gaze.
"It seems Fitz has decided he can hire you. The next guard job is in 3 days. The caravan plans to travel through the border villages for about 2 weeks, but the order and route will be kept secret for anti-bandit measures. The pay for a magician's apprentice for those 2 weeks, including meals, is 30 silver coins. I think that's low for a magician's pay, but to be officially hired, you need to have at least 5 achievements as an apprentice. Also, if you manage to fend off an attack, there might be a reward, and there could be special requests along the way. So, what do you think? Will you take it?"
In 2 weeks, earning 30 silver coins is something that can be done in about 2 days if he teams up with Orson. Considering hus recent earnings, it seemed like a low amount. However, since he is out and he can save on food and lodging, it's not a bad amount at all. First of all, compared to when he was in the capital, it's a much better amount. The possibility of a reward is also appealing.
"I understand. Please, count on me."
Eric nodded generously at Al's response.
"Make sure to ask Fitz for the details. Also, there might be a need to inquire separately about the Magic Sense spell. When that time comes, I'll be counting on you."
Al nodded and cheerfully replied that he would do his best.
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