The man bowed to me as well and left. I watched him as he disappeared into the streets and thought to myself that he would make a good employee. If we could have a hundred people just like him we would be set for years to come.
The next applicants only arrived a few hours later. They came in a group and consisted of various apprentices from different trades. It would seem that they had lacked the courage to come by themselves and had therefore met up and come as a group.
The twenty-three young men entered through the gate with the braver ones in the front. They saw me and the one closest to me asked a tentative question.
"Is this the grey merchant guild's branch?"
"Not quite but this is where the interviews are held. I am Portly Bonnefoy of the grey merchant guild. I act as an aid for the interviews so please follow me to the waiting room."
I brought them to one of the waiting rooms and asked which one of them wanted to go first. Unsurprisingly, no one wanted to. All of them probably hoped that someone else would go first and come back to tell them about how it went.
It was funny how much trust they put into each other when it came to believing what they were told about something they knew nothing of. After all, the person going before you could tell you anything and even if you experienced something else he could just say that there were different tests.
While I was thinking that the young men were outright glaring at each other trying to pressure someone into stepping forward and taking the bullet for the rest.
"We do not condone the practice of pressuring others to get yourself an advantage. You won't be allowed contact with people who have already completed the interview and if we find out you did you won't be employed."
An empty threat meant as nothing more than a deterrent. Neither I nor Aurelia would go as far as to check if someone did that. Unless it was obvious to the point that we couldn't ignore it we would let almost anything slide. But the threat worked wonders on these inexperienced apprentices.
All of them sat down and avoided eye contact with each other. They still didn't want to go first but had given up on getting the others to go first. Only one of them approached me and based on his shrewd grin I could tell he had the makings of a merchant.
"I'll go first then. No point in waiting if I won't gain anything from it."
His thoughts were clear. If he could have waited and gotten some additional information he would have done so but with that being unattainable he wouldn't want to waste time. Since he volunteered to go first I guided him out of the room and let the others stew in the silence.
"So mister Bonnefoy, any advice for the interview?"
"Did you read the note in the waiting room?"
"I did."
"That's good then. Also, don't fabricate a personality that isn't you just to get the job. Getting kicked out because you don't meet the expectations you set during the interview is one of the most bitter experiences you can have."
The young man nodded but said nothing as we arrived before the interview room's door. After he entered I returned to the waiting room while observing what happened in the interview room.
Aurelia greeted the young man, offered him some tea, and told him to take a seat across the table from her. After he'd taken a seat, Aurelia introduced herself and asked the young man to do the same.
"I'm Joshua an apprentice at the largest store here in the capital. I already have some sales experience and would like to apply for the position of the branch guild master."
Aurelia frowned a little. I hadn't expected him to be this bold. To ask for the highest possible position as an apprentice.
"Well then, Joshua, if you are so talented and have so much experience why not just take over the store you're working at and make it a merchant guild?"
Tricky question.
"I would never be able to take over in that store. To even get the chance to get to the top would require years of effort and after that, it would still be impossible to make our store a merchant guild due to the other kingdoms suppressing us."
"So what makes you think that you as an apprentice could just take the highest position here without investing years of effort?"
"The position was written so you have to give me a chance! I haven't even been asked any questions regarding this subject yet and you have already decided that I'm not suitable! That isn't what an interview should be like!"
"Yelling won't make your point stronger. Also, I have been testing you all this while and you have failed spectacularly."
"That's not true!"
"It is. The first mistake you made, when I asked you to introduce yourself you instantly added a nonsensical qualification and what position you wanted. During negotiations, you should never lay all your cards on the table at the beginning. The second mistake, you presented the situation as if you only came here because you didn't want to put in the effort to get such a position. I could go on and on but need I continue?"
Joshua looked very shaken. He had talent and the shrewdness needed to succeed in this place but his lack of experience limited him greatly. After a few moments, he regained his bearings and his expression turned desolate. Now that he had been slammed into the ground of reality it was time to lift him back up.
"There's no need to be so down. What you lack is experience or in your words those years of effort. I suggest you instead apply to become a secretary. If you can pass the test and do well you might get the position of branch guild master in a year or two."