Can Someone (Anyone!) Please Turn Off the Auto-Skill Setting?! - Chapter 22
Then Aaron took the sword from her hand and vanished like the wind. From outside the shop, the sounds of clashing and grunts echoed—bang, crash, ugh! Moments later, Aaron calmly walked back through the door, holding a broken sword.
“It broke after just a few swings…” he complained, shaking his head as if the sword was far too weak.
Rivel, the blacksmith, who took great pride in crafting durable weapons, felt wronged and protested,
“No way that’s my fault!”
“But more importantly, it seems like this place is no longer safe for you,” Aaron said gravely. “Now that your location’s been discovered, the demons will keep coming.”
A chill ran down Nancy’s spine. More demons? That meant her shop was as good as dust. She agreed with Aaron—they had to leave immediately. But she knew that if she ventured out on her own, she’d be a goner.
The Four Great Kings? She couldn’t even handle a small fry like Arma.
And there was another problem.
【 Required power level to set out: 30,000 】
【 Nancy’s current power level: 3 】
Until her party’s power level reached the required amount, Nancy couldn’t leave. That’s why she had been so desperate during the interviews. Yet, here she was, dealing with muscle pain that had lowered her power level even more.
She glanced hopefully at Aaron. When she first met him, he hadn’t been equipped with a weapon. But now, even though the sword he held was broken, maybe his power level would be higher? Probably. It had to be.
【 Hiring Cost: 0 Gold (*Special Conditions Apply)
— *Condition for Aaron joining the party: Make him feel trusted. 】
The moment she saw that “35,000,” Nancy practically crawled over to him.
“Please join my party!” she begged.
“…I’m not qualified,” Aaron said with a sigh.
“No! You’re more than qualified! Honestly, you’re way more suitable for the role of hero than I am!”
What? Why? Isn’t that a compliment? Nancy inwardly argued with the system, her eyes wide in disbelief.
Determined, she tried again to convince him.
“Look, we can negotiate your salary generously—”
Why does it keep going down whenever I say anything?
Despite the temptation of a zero-gold hiring fee, it wasn’t working. What did trust even mean to Aaron?
“I’m not doing this for money. This is a noble duty that can’t be measured in gold,” he said sternly.
“Right, a noble duty, of course,” Nancy agreed, trying to think quickly. “But, uh…”
“Besides, I don’t even have a proper weapon. A weak sword like this won’t hold up against the constant attacks,” Aaron said bitterly, examining the broken blade.
Rivel, nearby, immediately bristled, “Weak? That sword’s fine!”
As Nancy tried to figure out how to convince Aaron, an idea popped into her head.
“I’ll lend you the hero’s sword.”
She had no idea how roughly he treated swords, but the hero’s sword was blessed by God—it wouldn’t break. That would solve the weapon issue, at least.
Nancy was convinced this was a brilliant idea.
“Are you serious?”
Aaron asked, startled, as if he’d just heard something outrageous. But at least his affection didn’t drop this time.
This is it, Nancy thought, feeling a surge of hope.
“My main weapon isn’t actually a sword, so someone with your skills would use it better than I could!” she said, pretending she had another weapon of choice.
In reality, she had no weapon she was good at using, but desperate times called for creative solutions.
Aaron tilted his head, clearly skeptical.
“Your skill didn’t seem too bad, though.”
“Can’t you see I’m so worn out I can’t even stand? I couldn’t possibly use something as heavy as the hero’s sword!”
That, at least, was the absolute truth. If she struggled to hold a lighter sword for 30 seconds, she’d be lucky to last five with the hero’s blade.
“But you could handle it,” she added with conviction.
【 〈Momentum〉: A strong voice enhances the effect of persuasion. 】
Without even meaning to, Nancy’s voice grew louder. But it didn’t matter—convincing Aaron was all that mattered.
As Nancy’s eyes sparkled with determination, Aaron hesitated.
Though he found Nancy’s trust in him a bit overwhelming, it wasn’t unpleasant.
“If you insist… I’ll borrow it for a while,” he finally agreed, offering a hand to help her up.
【 The required power level has been met—set out on your adventure! 】
Nancy beamed, relieved beyond words. She could hardly imagine lugging around that sword on her own. Thank goodness Aaron agreed to join.
With her new, dependable companion by her side, Nancy hastily patched the hole in the ceiling and set off before another demon attack could destroy her shop for good.
