BXBX NOVEL Chapter 436: Recruitment (1)
As expected, the crowd stood up in applause, cheering after the passionate speech they had heard. However, equally as expected, there were several people sat still, some even with clear disgust upon their faces, after all, this crowd was filled with nobles and rich people alike.
The prospect of helping the weak had never once crossed their minds, some even could not help but cringe at the prospect. Many of them may have even been exploiting the weak for their own selfish gain to successfully run their businesses. What was most surprising was that there were equally as many supporters as haters in the stands, and the overwhelming cheers masked any words of disdain.
The reason was ambiguous, yet it was clear that the positivity and kindness in their hearts were still being siphoned by the angels, yet there they stood supporting a good cause. Even Moby did not expect such a turn of events. Had their hearts been swayed? Did they idolize him that much now? Or did they have an ulterior motive even he was not aware of?
The crowd\'s cheering seemed to have no limit, only when the supreme general raised his right hand up did the crowd suddenly calm itself and gaze once again in relative silence.
"That was quite a thorough answer you had there boy. If I didn\'t know any better, I\'d think you were trying to advertise your new guild on worldwide television."
"You caught me! Nothing seems to get past you supreme general sir! That might be part of the reason, but I truly believe in every word I spoke," He beamed, scratching the back of his head.
"Yes boy, that much was clear from the passion you possessed! And in that effort, I, supreme general Cade Walker shall aid you to create this new guild with all my power just as you wished! You can be most assured of that! You certainly have very unique and ambitious goals and motivations, I\'m very curious to see how you will accomplish all of this…" The supreme general commented.
"Thank you very much, supreme general! And don\'t worry, you won\'t be disappointed!" Moby grinned and lowered his head to show respect.
"Oho! I will look forward to that then!" He could not help but laugh. "In the meantime why don\'t we get started with the recruitment shall we?" He stood up out of his seat and raised his hands, and the crowd clamoured in ovation.
One by one, each of the judges grinned and smiled in anticipation. Each received a chance to advertise their own guilds and what benefits they would provide in general.
"I\'m very certain all of you must know the benefits of joining the military, but as tradition, I shall explain it anyways." Rayna Davis stood, addressing her former students.
"All of you will be given a rank of Lieutenant at the very least, and you will be considered a high-profile member of the force. Only when you have successfully proven both loyalty and worth will you be promoted accordingly. We the military will care for your wellbeing and that of your family to the utmost of our abilities in detail which I will later explain. Alongside that, depending on your rank and trust, we will provide you with secret intel and powerful items that would otherwise be unavailable. For example…"
Her voice was strong, vibrant, yet seriously tense at the same time. Her speech appeared as though she was reading a paper, yet she possessed no script to be seen. Despite her long-winded, professional and thorough explanations It was not at all boring to listen to, it was rather engaging for those present and those watching at home.
"Thank you for your time, on behalf of the world-wide military, I hope you remain with us!" She sat down to a flurry of cheers, only for the next person to stand and take her place.
"Hello everyone! It\'s me! Ashley Orbec, leader of the Flame Seekers guild!" She laughed heartily and gloated under the shining light that reflected off her mismatched hair.
"In my guild I like a lot of freedom! You wanna explore that distant planet because you heard a rumour about cool aliens? Go for it! You wanna take a day off to visit family? All power to ya! Just make sure to use your time wisely and do your weekly minimum quota! Yes, the guild is kinda small I do admit with only a few hundred members…"
"BUT! that\'s what makes it so tight-nit, filled with the best of the best! We here are all family! We are the Flame Seekers for a reason! We seek the unknown lighting it up with our flames! And the burning passion we bear is unbreakable!" There was no delay, as soon as she closed her mouth, the crowd opened theirs.
Her pitch was short, yet it delivered such a strong message, all that it needed to accomplish. It was such a contrast from the approach of methodical professionalism practiced by the military, but from the smile on her face, she was clearly proud and satisfied with herself as she sat down and handed control to her fellow female judge who slowly stood up and approached.
"Mhm Mhm… Greetings…" She subtly smiled, her hands sensually on her lips. "I\'m certain many of you know me very well… I am known by many names, "Queen of Shadows", "The Mother of Domination," and many others. But today, mistress Yuria Dark, leader of the Sellsword guild shall suffice…"
"We are no mere ordinary guild. As our name would suggest, we are a band of sellswords. Unlike others who explore, hunt, and mine, we are for hire by all those who possess the means to pay… We will accept anything from completely vanilla to morally gray. We, the guild will only take 20% of whatever you make, the rest is for you to decide. And when we do our own excursions, we will reign down terror and suck the life out of everything we see… Such is our guild…"
"Miss Orbec mentioned how her guild is considered rather small… Well, mine is even smaller… Only thirty members reside in my guild, and thirty is the maximum limit I have set and allowed. Even with such a small number, we stand here as one of the most powerful guilds in the world! I am a complex yet very simple woman…"
"Power is everything! If you catch my eye, you will be chosen! Many of you who participated are still far too meagre! And as such, you will not even be given the smallest offer! But even still, full entry is not guaranteed until you prove yourself worthy to take the spot of an already existing member! And until you do, you will remain in our sister guild..."
"These are but a few of the benefits I will provide… The rest you shall have to find out upon your initiation… I promise you that all will be worth your time…" She giggled and slightly licked her tongue underneath her covering hands before elegantly turning her head and strutting back from where she stood.
The reaction she received was the oddest out of the entire evening. A very few cheered loud enough to fill all the stands, yet many remained silent, deep in thought. Certainly, she was most bold of any of her colleagues simply by her sensual attire and demeanour, but many still did not expect such a showing.
The void she had left in the minds and hearts of the masses was clear, and such a void had to be filled by someone. And there was only one man present there good enough to reinvigorate the crowd.
"Greetings everyone! It is I! Vilhelm Ortiz, leader of the famed Hunters guild! And not only famed, but the biggest guild in the entire world! With over one hundred thousand members, we certainly have a wide array of talent! I\'m not sure why my fellow guild leaders made it seem like having a smaller guild is better, now let me sell you the other way around!"
"My guild is an entire community, a massive beehive of sorts working in harmony! It is very organized, yet at the same time very open! Out of all of these members, you are free to be a part of any team! Go on any mission depending on what has been posted for that day and be paid accordingly! Whatever effort you put in, that is how much you will make! I will not mandate you even work with me at all, simply when you need it!"
"Many of you will not be given the highest rank from me, but even I from all the way up here can see great potential! I look forward to you climbing the ranks and proving yourself worthy of praise!"
Indeed, the crowd was revitalized and regained their former vigour as they cheered towards the gleaming, charismatic man. And after spending several seconds gloating in the spotlight, he quickly turned his back leaving his cape flapping through the air as he left the stage for the only man who has yet to speak.
It was a man with long silver hair. His charm was evident beyond his looks, it was like an air of calmness and serenity took over as he spoke with his soft, soothing voice.
"Salutations to all my fellow brothers in arms. My name is Gray Osborne, leader of the Hunters guild— once a band of mercenaries, we now specialize in government aid. This guild has existed for many years, but only under my now recent leadership did it become what it now is today. We are rather close with the military, and as such, we have focused all our efforts entirely on the war."
"Where it be in combat, research or medicine, I can assure you we are always leading the charge. With but five thousand members, we have made an impact unlike any other. In fact, it was our very own research team that made such VR technologie even possible. If you aim to help get rid of the Shalker menace but hesitate on joining the strict military, I can guarantee you a home with me under my wing."
What he spoke was short, not very much detail, such as expected for a man known for his vagueness and mystery. Most out of everyone present, Gray Osborne and his Hawk guild have been the victim of various rumours. Some early disturbing while others mildly immoral or devious. Of course, no definitive proof was ever provided for such claims, yet many still lingered on them despite that.
Still, it was more than clear that the Hawks and their leader were very loved and cherished by the masses. The passion and support was clear from most of those who were present, which was identical to their public perception and die-hard supporter.
Even Moby could not help but keep an exceptionally closer eye. Still, even he could not admit that he possessed a certain charm that would draw people near and the eyes of a true leader.
It was surprisingly odd to see how differently each guild approached such a thing, but there was no clear, objective edge to who was better. Only time would tell which of the guilds the students would choose.
And only when that was finished did the recruitment officially begin.
Of course, everything began from the bottom. The military along with all of the other guilds gave their offers.
As previously advertised, Yuria Dark did not bother to speak nor acknowledge any of their presence, yet what was not was the fact that out of all offers, Moby Kane\'s was most generous of them all— He had offered them the rank of Duke, which was in his guild, directly below Arch Duke, Lord, and Sin.
But nevertheless, even after such generosity, none even considered joining him. They did not voice their disdain, yet it was clear from their albeit subtle demeanour as though they looked down on him or were jealous of his position.
Still, even after several rejections in a row, Moby did not bat an eye nor crumble. He kept the same air of confidence, especially now that he saw who it was.
"Elizabeth Elianora… Despite being a supporter and healer, you joined this tournament where power mattered most and displayed utmost mastery of your power… As such, I shall offer you the rank of lieutenant along with a swift promotion to general once you have proven yourself. Indeed, your skills will truly be used for a good cause." The supreme General gave his offer.
"For the Hunters, I offer you the rank of High Sentinel and allow you the privileged of leading your very own elite team as you so please!" Vilhelm reached his hands out and spoke, only to be quickly taken over by another voice.
"That\'s it!?" Ashley Orbec chuckled. "If you chose the Flameseekers! Not only will I offer you the rank of Flame Goddess, but I will also appoint you as the head of all support operations! What about that!"
"Yes, yes indeed, miss Ashley is correct. Support is imperative, a weak team and a single strong support could beat armies of powerful monsters. This young lady should be offered much higher than her rank. No mere support ability user could reach such rank. As such, I shall also appoint you as a protege to our current head support member until you feel comfortable to take over her role."
"Hmmm, yes, you caught my eyes very much Elizabeth dear… So, if you are willing to join, you might have a chance to replace one of our current support…" Yuria spoke for the first time, rubbing her long black nails on his cherry lips.