The Discarded Son's Skill Market

"Young Gio, it’s so good to see you again. Is it really true, as Finn said, that you’re interested in joining?" Lord Frank came out to greet him at the Dagger Department.

The group naturally drew the attention of those present. One of the six Emissaries was there, as well as one of the two Masters—all just to welcome a new member. What on earth was going on? Who was this kid?

Some people began to whisper around them, though the three paid no attention. In a way, they were used to the attention—though not for the same reason.

Zaid nodded with a laugh and joked, "I heard they might want me around here."

"I think it’s always good to have someone talented around."

"Although your disciple considers me an outcast," Zaid joked.

Finn glared at him.

Frank burst out laughing. "Don’t blame him. Our department doesn’t usually accept people with ranks that are too low. But follow me inside—the Grand Master is busy right now, but he’ll be here in a little while."

As soon as they walked through the department’s doors, a variety of young women—some pretty, some not so pretty—set their sights on the group.

Those who looked at Frank regarded him with a certain wariness... They wanted to approach him, but they feared him.

Those who looked at Zaid (Gio, the masked man) simply wondered who he was.

Finn, on the other hand, was viewed differently. A strange fire ignited in the eyes of several of them, and they smiled as they walked toward him.

"Emissary Finn, I’ve been practicing what you taught me..."

"Dear Finn, I’ve managed to perfect that art..."

"Finn, I did it!"

They all expressed different feelings, but they were all trying to speak as femininely as possible, trying to turn on the charm.

In an instant, Finn was surrounded by beautiful young ladies, bringing a satisfied smile to his face. All of his "students" were like that.

Women.

There wasn’t a single man there.

For him, that was heaven.

’He’s a really likable guy.’ Zaid was genuinely surprised.

However, seeing that they were all beautiful but didn’t even come close to Alice, he somehow understood why Finn had been captivated by Alice’s beauty the moment he saw her. He was used to being surrounded by bold women. Seeing a woman of extraordinary beauty with a personality that was the complete opposite would naturally draw him in.

"You’re late." Zaid grumbled to himself and kept walking behind Frank.

"If you notice that Finn hates you, it’s because he’s afraid my teacher will put you in his group." Frank laughed, glancing back at the scene behind them. "You’d ruin his wonderful harem."

Zaid raised his eyebrows. "Harem? Does he actually have one, or is that just a figure of speech?"

"It’s true. That guy is really bold." Frank laughed modestly. "The status of an Emissary attracts a lot of girls, even if it doesn’t seem like it. They’re the closest thing to disciples, and they also have a good chance of making it to a Grand Guild as a rising star or something like that."

"Money and power attract more money, power, and women, too." Zaid nodded, remembering that he’d heard that saying at least once before.

"Hahaha, that’s true. Just ignore him—he’ll catch up with us once he’s done with his girls. By the way, I heard you brought a friend along to join us. Does she use daggers, too?"

"She was my contractor, but we want to form a group. She doesn’t use daggers. She uses a scepter and is also a martial artist."

"I see. A scepter and martial arts, huh. What a strange combination."

"You’re right. I thought it was strange, too, when I first saw her." Zaid replied with a chuckle.

For several minutes, there was nothing but silence between the two of them. Zaid wasn’t sociable enough to try to strike up a conversation with anyone else, and Frank seemed lost in his thoughts.

After a moment of silence, Frank asked, "Did Finn come up to you to warn you about something?"

Zaid had nothing to hide, so he nodded.

"Anything about the high mortality rate among the lower ranks?"

"Well, something like that." Zaid nodded.

"Hmm, that guy’s actually pretty right about some things. The mercenary guild is constantly sticking its nose into every aspect of life—from small jobs like cleaning a bathroom to major plots that involve the entire kingdom and all its inhabitants. It’s not a place where you can just walk around peacefully."

Zaid nodded; he understood all that. However, he replied, "But you can’t force anyone not to belong to what they want to belong to. The Principle of Autonomy."

"Haha, that’s partly true. But that’s not the whole reason." Frank took a few steps forward until he reached the door to the department’s main office. "The main reason is that my teacher isn’t just anyone, you know? He’s interested in you. Genuinely. Why? It’s not easy to hide behind a mask from someone who can see right through it."

As the door opened, a powerful sensation swept over Zaid’s shoulders like a whirlwind. It pressed him down as if someone were trying to slam him into the floor.

This overwhelming sensation stirred strange feelings within him. It was as if his organs were shifting or moving out of place. His blood froze for a moment before resuming its natural flow.

He got goosebumps.

However, it didn’t take him long to realize that everything he’d just felt was nothing more than his own Sense telling him that he was being scrutinized in a terrifying and meticulous way.

If Zaid were with Alice, he would notice that she didn’t feel anything because she lacked an S-Rank Sense.

Earlier, that aura had been upon him... but he hadn’t noticed it.

"This is... a true S-Rank." Zaid swallowed hard and froze.

This was a level of supreme power.

"Young Gio, come on in. Don’t just stand there." Lodrey’s voice came from inside, inviting him in.

However, that feeling didn’t go away. Because it simply wasn’t going to go away. It was the natural sensation of an S-Rank resting on his shoulders, and now he could sense it thanks to his own S-Rank Sense.

Zaid swallowed about three times before resuming his walk behind Frank.

As they entered, the door closed.

"Have you decided to join us, Young Gio?" Lodrey greeted him with a smile. "Our department is your best option. Your Talent shouldn’t be wasted on martial arts, right?"

He had no idea how many times he’d swallowed hard, but Zaid did it again before answering.

"You’re right, Mr. Lodrey. It’s just that this time I came all the way here and was warned over and over again about joining. It seems I’ll have to think twice about it." Zaid laughed, trying to ignore that feeling.

Lodrey burst out laughing. Then he stared at him intently for a full minute. Zaid felt as if his entire body were being scrutinized from head to toe—muscle by muscle.

"Actually, I don’t think you need to think about it that much. You’re growing pretty fast anyway—so fast that I’m amazed."

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