The mage player communities were in an uproar.

—Link: Kim Yusin is recruiting direct disciples!

—If you get in, does he teach you himself? That's insane.

—It's not gonna be easy, though. The requirements are brutal.

—Two 1st-Circle spells? I'm still just trying to get my Circle spinning.

—(Question) Practicing Shield. Should I focus on Mana Arrow or Gauntlet next?

The attention of every aspiring mage was now fixed on my recruitment announcement. I supplemented my video series, focusing on the intricacies of creating magic circles, and the view counts continued to break records daily.

Time flew by, and soon, the day to interview the mages who would be trained under me arrived. We rented the floor below the Alchemia office to serve as our interview hall.

"Alright, there are three areas we need to evaluate," I explained to my panel of interviewers—Seojin, Bora, and Eunsol—who stood before me, papers in hand.

"First, the standard we announced: perfect casting of at least two of the three basic spells. This is non-negotiable. Anyone who falls short is disqualified, no exceptions."

"Yes, sir!" they replied in unison.

Everyone nodded.

"Second, accuracy and speed. We'll be observing how quickly and precisely they can draw the magic circles."

"So anyone who can use the Stamp Method is pretty much a shoo-in?" Bora asked, raising her hand.

"Essentially. But it's unlikely anyone can use the Stamp Method perfectly at this stage."

"Yusin! Is speed more important, or is accuracy more important?"

A good question. Eunsol had a way of cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

"Accuracy," I stated firmly. "Accuracy is paramount. In a real battle, a single flawed magic circle can be fatal. Speed comes second. That said, we can't have someone sitting there drawing a single circle all day. That's zero practical application. We'll just filter out anyone who seems excessively slow."

"Okay! I got it!" Eunsol chirped.

The other two nodded in agreement.

"And third, individuality. I know they've been busy just mastering the basics, but we're looking for people who have added their own unique touch. You know what I mean."

"Yes!"

I finished and looked at Seojin. He pushed up his glasses and began.

"The three points the Tower Master just outlined cover the magic assessment. I will now address the personnel and character aspects we must consider."

"Go ahead."

"First, loyalty."

Bora offered a faint smile. "Is this the army?"

"Given the insular nature of the Magic Tower, it is a critical issue," Seojin countered coolly. "We have no need for anyone who will not offer the Tower Master their absolute obedience. Second, a mindset of constant innovation and self-confidence…"

I decided to leave that part entirely to him.

"Aaaah, I'm so excited!" Bora exclaimed, taking a bite of a honey cookie to refuel. "Me, an interviewer! I'm actually in a position to judge other people!"

"Have you ever been on the other side of the table?"

"Of course! We all had to for the Academy entrance exams!"

I scratched my head. I vaguely remembered an interview, but it had gone so smoothly that nothing stood out. Bora, however, shuddered as if recalling a nightmare.

"When I applied, the stress interview was brutal! The professor looked at my application and said, 'Your father only has an elementary school education. Isn't that a problem?'"

"Seriously? That's…"

"He looked at another girl's application photo and said, 'Your face is so different from this picture. Are you sure you're the same person?' She just burst into tears and ran out!"

"…That sounds less like a stress interview and more like a personal attack."

Just then, Eunsol, who had been gazing out the window, shouted, "Yusin! Look! So many people came!"

I followed her gaze. Bora and I both gasped. A massive crowd had gathered.

'…Haha. This is going to take all day.'

* * *

I assessed the situation. Far more applicants had shown up than anticipated. The line was blocking the public walkway, so we rented the large auditorium in the building's basement and directed everyone there. The Alchemia staff was mobilized to help manage the crowd. The auditorium filled in an instant, and latecomers were left standing in the aisles or sitting on the floor.

"Applicants, this way! This way, please! And no pushing!"

Bora seemed to be having the time of her life, personally directing the lines. I met with Seojin backstage to figure out a plan.

"Seojin, this is just the morning group, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"There are far too many. We need to thin the herd."

Seojin blinked. "What do you have in mind, sir?"

"Do you really think every single person here meets the qualifications?"

With that, I walked onto the stage. From this vantage point, the sheer number of people was staggering. The crowd, which had been buzzing with nervous energy as they practiced their Circles, fell silent and turned toward me in surprise.

"Look!"

"I-It's Kim Yusin!"

A deafening roar erupted.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaah!"

I honestly had no idea I was this popular. From outside, it must have sounded like a bomb had gone off. I switched on the wireless microphone and waited for the chants of my name to subside.

"Thank you all for coming. I'm Kim Yusin."

Once the auditorium quieted, I scanned the sea of faces. They were a diverse group, a mix of out-of-service and provisional players, officially ranked hunters, and even a surprising number of foreigners.

"I'll be honest with you," I said, adjusting the mic. "I admit the conditions I set were demanding. Please don't be too discouraged if you don't make it this time. I plan to continue recruiting new mages long after today."

A murmur swept through the crowd, punctuated by a few scattered cheers.

"Therefore, I must ask anyone who does not meet the requirements to please leave now."

The lively auditorium fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.

"Let me repeat myself. Completion of the First Circle and the ability to cast at least two of the three basic spells. If you have not met this bare minimum, I ask that you please excuse yourselves."

The murmuring started again.

"If we discover during the interview that you do not meet the standard, we will note it, and you will be ineligible for future recruitment. This is a matter of trust."

I understood their desperation. Some had likely come on a blind hope, trying to seize what they saw as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I admired their drive. But there would be other chances. Falsifying your qualifications, no matter how desperate you were, was unacceptable. I wouldn't hire someone only to be betrayed later.

I continued, my eyes sweeping over the hesitant crowd. "With magic, building a solid foundation is the most important thing. It's perfectly normal to still be working on your First Circle. Failing to make it through this interview does not mean you are falling behind as a mage."

They were still hesitating. I took a shallow breath.

"There's no need to be anxious. For those of you who feel you aren't ready, please go home. I urge you to polish your fundamentals and try again at the next opportunity."

A rustle went through the crowd.

One by one, people began to rise from their seats, glancing around sheepishly. Like a receding tide, nearly half of the applicants filed out of the auditorium. I could finally breathe a little easier.

"Alright, for those remaining, the interviews will begin at nine o'clock."

I lowered the schedule in my hand and smiled.

"I'll see you upstairs."

* * *

"Group 1, please come in!"

The interviews began. They entered in groups of five. The first group consisted of four men and one woman, all of them sitting ramrod straight, their nervousness palpable. The first name was called.

"Mr. Yeongho Kang?"

"Yes! Applicant number 32, Yeongho Kang, present! It is an honor to meet you, Hunter Kim Yusin!"

"The pleasure is mine."

I glanced at his resume. "Impressive specs. Five years as a provisional player, member of a fixed party, experience hunting Irregulars, and three attempts at the official certification exam."

"Yes! I'm confident in my experience."

Beside me, Bora tossed her hair back. "Your Unique Ability is Mana Condensation? A mana manipulation type. What kind of synergy does that have with magic?"

"It allows me to concentrate mana to an extreme degree at a single point. Used in conjunction with the Circle, it can greatly increase a spell's power."

"Ooh."

Bora and I exchanged a nod. 'A strong candidate right out of the gate.'

Our interest piqued, we asked several more questions. Yeongho answered smoothly, his confidence growing with each response. The expressions of the other applicants darkened.

"Alright, please demonstrate your magic."

"Yes!"

He had prepared two spells: Mana Arrow and Shield. I had him fire the arrow at a shield I conjured, and for his shield, I tossed a Mana Arrow with its power minimized.

'Brings back memories.'

Beginner mages, unfamiliar with the Stamp Method, had to painstakingly trace the magic circles in the air with their fingers. Still, Yeongho's tension eased as he went on, and his speed wasn't bad. After he finished, I offered a brief critique.

"Your use of your Unique Ability with the Mana Arrow was good. However, while your output is strong, your ability to sustain it is lacking. Poor sustain drastically shortens a spell's range."

"Ah…!"

"Instead of forcing your condensation ability, I suggest you solidify your fundamentals before practicing synergy."

"Thank you for the invaluable advice!" he said, bowing a full ninety degrees. The other applicants watched him with a mixture of envy and anxiety.

I turned to Seojin. "Anything to add?"

Seojin nodded, spreading out his documents. He seemed to have more information than the rest of us.

"Mr. Kang. You've been affiliated with seven different guilds so far."

Yeongho's expression tightened. "Ah, that was because the guild cultures didn't suit me…"

"Is that so? And after leaving the guild system, you joined parties, which you have changed a staggering twenty times."

"N-No, that's! Isn't that what everyone does these days? Changing affiliations frequently…"

"Mr. Kang."

Seojin's face was a mask of indifference, but his gaze was chilling. "I'm not interested in 'everyone' or 'these days.' I am curious about the reason 'you' had to change affiliations so frequently."

The friendly atmosphere in the room instantly turned ice-cold.

"And next," Seojin said, looking at a new document. "You attempted the official certification exam three times. Records show you were disqualified for cheating on one of those attempts."

The color drained from Yeongho's face.

"The reason for disqualification… is quite something. You laced a competitor's drinking water with a banned substance. May I ask why?"

Yeongho's face turned a shade of red I didn't think was possible. The other applicants stared at him with undisguised contempt.

"If you do not wish to answer, you may return to your seat."

In the end, Yeongho couldn't utter a single word. He bowed stiffly and returned to his chair, his face burning with shame.

"Well then," Seojin said calmly. "Will the next applicant please come forward."

The fearful gazes of the remaining applicants were now fixed on Seojin.

* * *

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