"San..t..?"

The hefty man standing in front of the desk looked utterly bewildered. He scratched his head with his chubby hands, his cheeks jiggling as he stared at Sage, his nose scrunched up in confusion. He seemed completely at a loss, unsure of what to do or say.

Sage couldn't help but wear a strange expression as he observed this enormous figure before him. He was equally confused but struggled to suppress a laugh.

The sight of this rotund man was simply comical; if he had white hair and a beard, he would undeniably resemble Santa Claus.

The man's face radiated warmth rather than anger; it seemed more suited for someone who had been smiling all year round.

Shaking off his amusement, Sage focused on the man again. As he scrutinized him closely, he raised an eyebrow, this guy was dressed in expensive attire from head to toe.

His thick fingers were adorned with sparkling rings, and several emerald and gold bracelets glimmered on his fleshy wrists.

It quickly dawned on Sage that this man was wealthy, likely from a noble background. His envy bubbled up as he gazed at the mound of flesh before him.

Regaining composure, Sage cleared his throat. "Excuse me fat... I mean Mr., how can I assist you?"

"Are you here to commission a mission or..." Sage glanced him over with twitching lips and continued, "...to become an Adventurer?"

He fought hard not to laugh; this guy was just standing there looking ridiculous. For some reason, though, Sage felt an overwhelming urge to burst into laughter, but for the sake of professionalism and maintaining his image, he held back.

"Oh...I didn't come here for any of that..." The fat man shifted uncomfortably and spoke with an awkward expression, causing his cheeks to jiggle with every word.

Sage raised an eyebrow in surprise upon hearing this. Ever since the Guild's establishment, anyone who walked through those doors either sought to register as an Adventurer or post a mission, that was it.

This was the first time someone had entered without aiming for either purpose; it genuinely surprised him.

"So what brings you here then? You do realize this place is strictly for Adventurers or those wishing to post missions? We don't offer any other services," Sage said while organizing some scattered papers on the desk.

The fat man rubbed his large belly with thick fingers adorned with shiny rings that made Sage squint slightly.

"Um...well...I'm here to look for a job," the fat man finally admitted aloud.

When those words rolled off his tongue, Sage nearly toppled out of his chair in shock. Silence enveloped them as disbelief washed over him; it felt like witnessing something mind-blowing, he almost choked on his own saliva.

"Wha...what did you say?" Sage leaned forward with narrowed eyes and strained ears, seeking clarification.

The fat guy scratched his head in bewilderment and repeated. "I said I'm here to look for a job."

Sage fell silent as he gazed at the rotund figure of Santa Claus before him, his expression shifting back to calmness.

He was certain this man had come to mock him for his poverty or perhaps to stir up trouble. Maybe he was just a bored noble seeking entertainment.

"Yes, this must be it. This guy is here to cause trouble," Sage thought inwardly.

"Is what always happens in novels going to happen to me too? A wealthy noble jealous of my success, here to create chaos. Damn... the face-slapping trope is finally coming into play; I've been waiting for ages for this moment."

As he contemplated this, a thrill of exhilaration tugged at the corners of Sage's lips as he observed the fat man's flesh quivering in an unusual rhythm that could easily be turned into a musical score.

The overweight man shifted uncomfortably under Sage's gaze, feeling uneasy at how intently the skinny guy was watching him.

The heat in Sage's eyes and that peculiar smile, one that seemed more suited for admiring a beautiful woman, creeped him out.

"Why is this little guy looking at me like that? Or is he..." The fat man's beady eyes widened in horror as he took a few steps back, wrapping his thick arms around himself defensively while staring at Sage with fear.

"Hmm... why is this guy acting so weird?" Sage snapped back to reality upon witnessing the fat man's reaction. Initially confused, it dawned on him what was happening; his face began twitching uncontrollably as he struggled to find words.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he gestured toward a chair. "Okay, you can take a seat. No need to be scared; and just for the record, I'm only interested in big-breasted women, not corpulent dudes."

"That's a relief." The fat man let out a heavy sigh and lumbered over to sit down. The chair groaned loudly under his weight as if protesting against such an injustice.

Sage silently prayed that the repair costs for the chair wouldn't be exorbitant; after all, with the economy being what it was these days...

Taking a deep breath, he looked at the hefty man and asked, "So why do you want a job? You're practically walking money! Not everyone has the privilege of being such an affluent person wandering around. So why do you need work?"

The fat man's face fell as melancholy washed over him; sadness flickered in those tiny eyes as he met Sage's gaze with determination.

"I want to prove myself," he said earnestly. "I want my family to see that I'm not just some useless lump of fat, I can actually contribute something meaningful."

"Oh, that's quite surprising," Sage replied with raised eyebrows, intrigued by this unexpected revelation. It wasn't every day one encountered someone from nobility wanting a job simply to validate themselves.

Typically, individuals in this world must either outshine their peers or possess extraordinary talents to earn the approval of their stoic, cold-blooded fathers or patriarchs.

However, when Sage looks at the overweight man before him, he quickly realizes that this guy doesn't fit into either category.

He lacks both Mana talent and any remarkable skills that could benefit his family. As a result, he seems to be looked down upon and cast aside by them.

Sage may not know everything, but based on the reactions and expressions he has observed from this man, he feels confident enough to draw some conclusions, though he acknowledges they might not be entirely accurate. Still, he's fairly certain he's at least thirty percent correct.

"Why do you want to prove yourself?" Sage asked, resting his elbows on the desk with his chin cradled in his hands.

"No offense intended, but looking at you, I can tell you come from a prominent background. If you're trying to prove something to someone, surely finding a job in the city is one of the easiest ways to do so?"

The fat guy fell silent at Sage's words and lowered his head. After a moment of contemplation, he lifted it again; this time Sage noticed a glimmer of sadness in those innocent eyes.

"It's not like I have much choice," he replied softly. "When it comes to Mana talent, I'm worse than useless. In my family, if you lack Mana ability, you're seen as nothing but a liability. The truth is that even if I had skills in other areas that could help the family in different ways, my situation wouldn't be so dire."

He paused briefly before continuing. "But here's the kicker: I don't excel at anything else either. The only thing I'm good at is eating, I'm just a fat pig who consumes without contributing anything meaningful. I've tried helping with family matters; aside from eating, it's about all I'm slightly capable of doing, but for my family? That's simply not enough."

Sage listened calmly as the fat guy opened up about his struggles; he didn't interrupt because he wasn't one to take every story at face value. He understood well that people can lie, having learned through personal experience that deceit knows no bounds.

"So why do you think there's an opportunity for you at the Adventurer Guild?" Sage asked thoughtfully.

"You could search anywhere in the city for work! And honestly," he added after a pause for emphasis, "if you're wealthy enough to wear all these jewels, why not start your own business? That would surely make a stronger case for proving yourself than working for someone else for meager pay."

The fat guy shook his head slowly and replied with resignation: "First off, I've applied everywhere for jobs but nobody wants to hire me, they all say I'm unsuitable. Secondly, I have no idea how to start a business and most importantly? I don't have any money."

Sage stood there, utterly speechless, staring at the hefty man adorned in an array of jewelry. "How can you be broke when you're literally covered in money? Why not sell some of those flashy pieces you're wearing?"

He was genuinely puzzled by this guy. It didn't make sense to him how could someone so lavishly dressed be financially strapped?

And considering this man likely came from a noble background, Sage found it hard to believe he wouldn't have at least a little financial support from his family. Even if they didn't get along, surely they wouldn't go as far as to deny him the basic necessities of life.

Sure, nobles could be cruel at times, but denying your own flesh and blood even the essentials seemed extreme.

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