[Name: Eldric Stormborne]
[Life Profession: Gardener(Tier I)]
[Skill: Nature's Embrace] +
[Nature's Embrace: Influence the growth of plants and form a symbiotic relationship with them.] +
Looking at the changes in the panel, Eldric couldn't help but nod. Like Brawler's profession, his Gardener's Profession has also entered the first tier. It was just like when he went through his first evolution... However the abilities this time were nowhere near the combat class.
"Like Ellina told me... I should probably buy some seeds." Thinking about how he could grow anything, he couldn't help but smile. Even though it took some of his strength when he used the skill to grow up that tree, it wasn't anything significant. He could probably do it thirty or so times in a single go.
Heading back to his apartment via the stairs, Eldric prepared the usual breakfast and lunch and then returned to his room.
He kept on trying out his newly gained skill, testing the range at which he could speed up the process and share damage with the trees. It wasn't until noon that a knock on the door disrupted him.
"Now who's this?" The first thought that came to his mind was that the old man Magnus was back, so furrowing his brows, Eldric opened the door, surprised by the middle-aged man standing there peacefully.
"Principal...?" Looking at the principal of the Atheria High School, Garric, standing in front of his door, Eldric was stunned. He couldn't guess why this man was here at this time.
"You must be Eldric." With a smile, Garric nodded in greeting while taking a peek inside the house. From the initial impressions, everything looked ordinary.
'This will certainly make things a bit easier.' With this thought in mind, Eldric let out a gentle smile before speaking softly to Eldric, "Aren't you going to invite me in?"
"Ah!" Eldric was surprised by the sudden appearance of Garric. So much so, that he even forgot the basic courtesy.
"Please." Opening the door, completely, he invited Garric inside.
"I heard about your situation..." As soon as Garric sat down, he spoke in a rather serious tone. "Must be tough to live all alone while taking care of your sister and losing your job."
As soon as Garric mentioned it, Eldric's hands which were pouring a cup of tea paused mid-air before resuming.
"Our respected principal seems pretty interested in the life of a nobody like me." Handing him the cup, there was a smile on Eldric's face, but the meaning behind his words was obvious.
This man never interacted with him or any other student while they were in school. But here he was, suddenly interested in his personal life... No matter how one views it, it seems suspicious.
"Oh! Haha." Understanding the meaning behind Eldric's words, Garric couldn't help but let out a burst of laughter.
"The thing is... Every year we will make a list of some hard-working students who we believe have some potential. And this group of people will serve directly under the City Lord."
"This year, you along with four others have been chosen."
Taking out a paper from his robe, Garric placed it on the table in front of him and glanced towards Eldric.
"....." Eldric only looked at the paper once before shaking his head.
"Sorry, not interested."
What a joke, with his abilities, he could perfectly take care of himself and Aria. There was no need to be the pet of someone influential. For others, it might be glory and an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime, but for him, it was nothing.
Garric wasn't expecting such a direct refusal. Before coming here, he thought the boy would beam with excitement and thank him constantly for such a chance. Never did he imagine such a scenario.
But after the initial surprise, came a sense of anger. How dare someone like him who couldn't even go into a college refuse the call from the City Lord? The smile on Garric's face was now gone, replaced by a cold expression.
He just looked silently at Eldric for a moment before uttering his next sentence.
"This is a direct order from the City Lord, and thus can not be refused. You will report tomorrow, whether you like it or not."
Since a polite request didn't work, Garric directly made a threat. Standing up he didn't even look at the tea cup placed in front of him. Instead, he looked at Eldric once more.
"And what if I insist on refusing?" There was a gentle smile on Eldric's face as he asked this question as if he was asking about dinner.
"Then I am afraid, you will be dealt with accordingly."
Garric didn't sugarcoat his words but directly stated the repercussions in case of refusal.
He had already given him enough face by coming to him personally. If the boy still insisted on refusing him, then one could not blame him for taking suitable measures.
Turning around, Garric walked towards the door and before he walked out, he paused, turned around, and spoke once again.
"Oh! And before I go, I must warn you.
Don't even think about going to any other city.
I mean... not like you will be able to go even if you try." With these final words, his figure disappeared, leaving behind Eldric who was silently looking at the empty hallway.
This sudden visit of Garric surprised him. Not only did the man come here by himself, but he even offered or should he say forced him to work under the city lord.
Eldric wasn't naive enough to think that it was all because of his hard work. After all, during his time at school, he was one of the least hard-working students. So, this talk of Garric about him being chosen because of how hard-working he was, was nothing but crap.
"Just what is he planning?" The first thought that came to his mind was that perhaps somehow his feat of clearing the nightmare difficulty trial had been revealed. But after thinking for a while, he realized it wasn't the case, otherwise, Garric wouldn't have been the only one arriving at his doorstep.
The second thought was that Garric was planning something. But even if he were, why would he come to a nobody like him? After all, in the eyes of the outsiders, Eldric was just a normal person who after failing to get into the university was now looking for a job.
"Forget it..." Since he couldn't come up with a conclusion, there was no need to worry about it. The only thing he needed to do was to decide his next course of action.
After thinking for a long time, Eldric finally chose to accept the so-called 'job' offer. And the reason was that he couldn't run and he certainly didn't want to take a risk to see whether he could or could not.
"Also, I need to be careful and avoid using any abilities here." Narrowing his eyes, Eldric thought about how Garric knew about him taking care of his sister and losing his job as a shopkeeper. This could only mean that the man has his eyes on him for a long time.
And since he knew so much about Eldric, then there was a certain possibility that the man was perhaps aware of Eldric's true combat capabilities. After all, Eldric usually ran to his shop.
The more he thought about it, the more Eldric realized how dire his situation might be. For a nobody with an Ordinary profession to advance so fast... Even a fool would realize there must be something extraordinary involved.
"....." Taking a deep breath, Eldric calmed his raging emotions. Whatever the case might be, he would know when the time comes. It was useless to worry about it.
With this in mind, he walked back to his room and sat there in silence... waiting for someone to show up.
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.
.
.
"How did it go?" A few miles away from Eldric's apartment, inside an inn, a figure sitting in the dark asked a middle-aged man kneeling on the ground.
The man seemed to be luxuriously clothed with a rosy face. If Eldric was here, he would definitely identify him as the principal of the Atheria high school whom he just met, Garric.
But who would have thought that an arrogant man like him was currently kneeling on the ground, like a faithful dog?
"There was some resistance, but I believe it was successful."
"Good." This was the only thing the person in the shadows said, after which the entire room went quiet.
Garric who was kneeling couldn't help but gather his courage. He didn't dare to raise his head and look at the person, but he couldn't contain his curiosity.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Shoot." The person replied in an emotionless voice.
"Why go through so much trouble?
I mean who even is this boy? Just a nobody. I checked his records and there was nothing outstanding about him. He is just a nobody... Not worthy of your effort and time."
Garric couldn't help but ask everything in a single breath. He was still confused as to why the person in front of him would go to such lengths instead of revealing themselves.
If they just announced their identity, he believed that the boy would come crawling to them. And if things could be solved with such ease, why go to such lengths?
"Heh..." Listening to his questions, the figure in the shadows couldn't help but chuckle.
"Even if I were to tell you, your puny brain wouldn't understand it.
So, instead, how about you just stop asking the goddamn question and focus on the things that I tell you to do."
As soon as the person in the shadow finished speaking, Garric could not help but sweat nervously. Cursing himself for a fool, he wanted to slap himself for not being able to contain his curiosity. Even if the person decided to tell him, it wasn't something that he could listen to, unless he had a death wish.
He just mashed his head on the floor as an apology for overstepping his boundaries.
"Go."
It was one word, but it was as if he had just gained a second life. Eldric slowly stood up with respect before walking out of the room, leaving behind the darkness that seemed to swallow everything.
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.
.
.
"Eldric?"
Two hours after Garric's departure, someone else knocked on Eldric's apartment. And the first thing they asked was the name.
"Umm..." Looking at their black uniform with the symbol of a knife on the chest, Eldric already knew their identity. These were the people responsible for order and security of the city. Basically, they were the so-called police or army of this city.
Eldric didn't need them to tell him why they were there. After his talk with Garric in the morning, he already knew these two were there to escort him to his new job.
With a nod, Eldric signaled them to stop before heading back to his room, wearing a long loose black robe and walking out leisurely.
"Please, after you." Raising his hand, he asked them to show him the way before locking his doors and following them to his new destination...