Volume 2: Chapter 14 Recruitment
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"Excuse me, you are part of the blacksmithing course, right? Do you want to join our blacksmith union? We can help you locate a job easier and have discounts on different kinds of ores. Joining us can also help you obtain knowledge from our seniors and if you set up shop somewhere they can send some excess projects they have your way! Very useful, right? You only need to pay a small fee every month and follow our rules and regulations that mostly consist on doing the same when you have a big enough name and income."
"NO, NO!, join our union instead. We offer discounts too and we also have connections to the guards to help boost your security, especially when transporting products to other towns."
"Don't believe their flattery. Ignore those silver tongued bastards and join us instead, we are a branch of a large union that span towards different towns. We can help you contact customers from whichever part of the territory."

As soon as we finish class there are already a group of people ambushing us near the stairs. I assume it's the same on the other staircases, this is recruiting season after all. Nothing like picking up clueless chicks who just entered school and sweet talking them into signing a contract that would force them to pay money to avail resources that you can't use until after you graduate.

Since I'm on the first floor I don't really have to make my way towards the stairs but the bulk of the recruiters are on the main entrance. I'll just take the exit out the window and go home to eat something. Unions are great and all but I don't have to choose one right now.

"You are the first one to escape using the windows. You must be a good thinker and a great leader. How about it, want to join our union? If you join now we can even prepare a starter executive position."
"No thanks"

To think there are even some who guards the windows. It should be obvious seeing as the first time I got to the dorm, I saw someone jumping out the window from the third floor.

"Wait, one moment. At the very least hear me out. You don't have anything to lose, right? Classes are over so you have a lot of time, you have nothing but time. You have a lot to gain from joining us and there aren't any demerits."
"Not interested. Excuse me."
"Wait right there. I'll have you listen to me until you agree. You can't get pass me."

How persistent, how should I deal with this. I don't think I can knock him out easily. If we attract more attention then I would be trapped by the other recruiters. Oh, I got an interesting idea.

"How about I refer you to someone and you let me go?"
"Oh, ho. Keep talking."
"In my class it's full of guys but we have one girl among us. She is the object of affection by almost all of the class. The flower blooming beautifully on a high cliff if you will. If I can get her here, you can talk her into joining your union. If she joins then there is a high chance that the rest of the class will join too, right?"
"Hmm, interesting. Okay, I'll agree. As long as you can deliver her here then I would let you go, if not then you will join us. Go ahead, I'll watch over you from here."

Step one done. Now where has that she-dwarf gone to. The whole first floor is full of people now and there are mixed up a lot so I can't find my classmates. Never mind, I'll just find some random female dwarf and bring her close enough here. There is one, perfect.

"Ah, excuse me. Can you come over here for a bit. I need a bit of help."
"Oh, if it isn't mighty spear. How can I help you? Want to sneak off somewhere and do some practice thrust."
"No, not that. Just wait here for a bit."

I thought that they forgot about that incident. I mean it has been a whole week since that happened and I wore clothes every time I hang clothes. I didn't hear any kind of teasing since then. Is it because they didn't notice me by the clothes, even still how did they know what I look like from seeing me from such a far distance? I'l let it go for now, step two, done.

"Mr. Recruiter, I brought her here. She won't go over the window because she is wearing a skirt. Can you do your business talk over the window?"
"Oh, her huh. She's a looker, I guess what you said is the truth. Okay, go ahead and leave. I'll take it from here."
"Thank you."
"Hello there new student. Are you interested in joi--"

Step three, done. I'm sure that he would notice that I played him for the fool after talking with her for a bit. He might come after me once he notice that so while his attention is on her.

[Earth Shoes]

A simple spell the princess made to prank others, especially me, that creates an earthen shoe to clad the feet of the target. The thing about this is how hard it is to notice it was cast since you can't feel it envelop your feel, you will only notice it when you try to walk only to find out you can't lift your foot trapped by solidified dirt. Since it's a low level spell, the strength of the compacted dirt is low. You can destroy it with moderate strength but this should give me enough time to make it all the way to the dormitory. If he still tries to recruit me there then I will borrow some bombs from that annoying alchemist to make trouble for him.

A diversion, leaving a bait, enclosing the trap and finally preparing the kill zone. This completes a mundane aspect of me trying to make escaping an annoying salesman, look really cool. If he is really that persistent that he pursue me all the way to my room then I would collect all of his money and valuables as part of a nuisance fee.

"Welcome back! Looks like you are the first one who returned. Did your group got released earlier?"
"I'm back Dorm manager Gau. The principal's speech went on for too long so the class only consisted of the introductions. The teacher said that there was a planned demonstration but, since there wasn't enough time, we were released earlier. I think most of the students are bogged down by the recruiters barricading every entry way of the school."
"That happens every start of the year, hahaha. The new students are corralled together while the old student's work together to make sure no one escapes the net. There are a few who break loose from the net and escape but pursuers should come soon. To tell you the truth, there are also some recruiters inside the dormitory. They are mostly seniors who skipped the introduction."
"I'm surprised you let them come back for skipping like that."
"Huh, Of course not, I gave them a little bonk on the head. I'm tolerant for that since it's mostly a formality, those introductions are the same for every school level. They only introduce you to the tools and equipment. All the teachers petitioned to just remove the introduction and jump straight to teaching but they needed the first day for the principals speech. The principal vehemently protested the need for the speech, even going as far as bawling his eyes out and screaming like someone is butchering him. In the end it was determined by his closing line of 'If you were the principal, you would want to give a long and boring speech to annoy everyone else and flex your power too, right?'."
"I see, the chance to torture everyone with the same weapon that tortured you during your student days is very tempting indeed. Well then I will hide in my room until this whole recruiting thing is done. Bye"
"Ok, get going. This whole thing would be done by sun down, since it would get annoying and I would start bashing heads that annoy me at that time."

So there are still ambushes even here.

"Fire in---"
"Just what I need right now."
"eek!?"

*throw* *thunk*

It looks like he also skipped introduction and stayed at the dorm. I only lightly hit him since I want some info on those bombs he has, I need to charge at him before he hides into his room.

"Hello annoying alchemist. What kind of bombs do you have?"
"Ah, please let me go. I just got my allowance today, don't take it away."
"I won't, I won't. Just give me some of your bombs. The kind that could put someone out for a couple of hours."
"Eh?, ah! Yes I have some sleepy smoke bombs if you want."
"No, that smoke would be hard to clear inside a hallway."
"Then I have this shock wave bomb that could knock someone out but it only works on direct contact."
"Hmm, that would be hard to use. Ah, do you have a liquid type potion for that sleep bomb?"
"Yes, here."
"Okay, give me that shock wave bomb too."
"Here, so can I go now."
"Go."

This would be perfect. I just have to ask permission from the dorm manager for the explosion. I found this after a dozen explosions but apparently, every time they drop bombs it is imperative that they shout 'fire in the hole'. A part of the reason is to warn other and avoid accidental deaths, another and more importantly, is to let the dorm manager know some damage to the dormitory might appear. If you don't shout it, it would be taken as a deliberate attack to the dormitory which he is here to protect. Dorm manager would then charge at you, arrest you and send you to the school office to be punished. The dorm manager explained it to me while asking me to keep me taking money too much from the poor guy, I relented and said that I won't take money if he attacked me outside the dorm. That was a big step back on my part since it's more wide outside and he is able to arrange bigger and more bombs, and the biggest point is that he no longer needs to shout 'fire in the hole' outside. He does have to keep it to a non-lethal level though.

"Dorm manager gau, I have something I need to talk about."

Permission granted, now to set up the trap. I need some pieces of wood, a saw, nails and a rag. There aren't any clean rags so this dirty used one will be fine.

That recruiter should have found out that I tricked him, he won't come here so soon since he is probably trying to recruit the lady dwarf from before. I need to do the finishing touches to my trap now. Using the saw, shape the piece of wood into a door knocker and hollow out the part where you are supposed to knock onto so I can hide the shock wave bomb inside there. I made the knocker a bit thin so the explosion would easily destroy it, this way more force would be directed to the one who knocked on it. Trap complete.

Now I just need to wait for that recruiter to find me, while soaking the rag with the sleeping potion. Come and fine me, I am ready for you.

"...is this the room?..."
"....yes, i'm sure..."
"....Ok, good job..."
"...watch out, he took some bombs from me..."
"...I got it, he won't have the time to throw it to me, I am confident in dodging..."

Looks like they are here, I can here you whispering outside the door. To be honest, it's not their fault since I have strong hearing. It looks like the one who sold me out is the annoying alchemist. I'll let it slide since he might be near the blast zone outside. Now, Knock!

*Knock* *BOOM!*

My door is busted but the replacement door I made while waiting for them to come is almost done, I'm just drying the paint. Now then to seal their fate.

"Hello, Mr. recruiter and annoying alchemist. Ah, sorry for the noise neighbors. I already informed the dorm manager so don't worry and go back to your rooms."

The blast isn't as strong as the alchemist said, he must have given me the inferior products that he has. This is what the sleeping potion is for. As an added bonus, this dirty rag from who knows where and smells really disgusting mixed with sleeping potion will surely knock you out until tomorrow.

Good night!

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