TBAGM Vol. 1 Chapter 1 Part 2
“Next, please.”
The words were devoid of emotion; just a scripted phrase, accompanied by a manufactured smile.
As an Appraiser, I simply evaluated one adventurer after another in mechanical succession.
“Please have a seat over there.”
It had been about a week since I was expelled from Incarnation of the Sun.
Initially, I feared I wouldn’t be able to find new work. Fortunately, my 【Appraisal】 skill ranked at an exceptional Class S. That meant I bypassed any formal screening process and was allowed to work immediately as a temporary appraiser at the local evaluation office.
Dozens of adventurers came through the center each day. As long as I appraised at least ten of them, I’d be paid daily; a perfect stopgap until I found more permanent employment.
“Please remain perfectly still.”
Of course, I wanted to continue working as an Advisor.
But no one was hiring for some unheard-of profession. No one was even aware it existed, let alone willing to take a chance on it.
And so here I was—confined to this dim, narrow room, performing appraisals ceaselessly.
“I’ll begin the appraisal now.”
I activated 【Appraisal】 on the man seated across from me.
Immediately, his stats began to manifest around us, displayed as translucent characters suspended in space.
.
|
[Name] |
Rocks (35) |
|
[Title] |
Unaffiliated – D-Rank Adventurer |
|
[Stats] |
Vitality: D/B Magic: D/C Ambition: D/D Leadership: D/D Intelligence: C/B |
|
[Skill] |
Double-Edged Sword: D/C |
|
[Inherent Traits] |
None |
.
Following the name and age came the title and then the stats.
A title displayed a person’s guild and role within it, as well as any epithets.
The stats correspond to the five core attributes—standard across all professions—which indicate a person’s developmental trajectory: Vitality, Magic, Ambition, Leadership, and Intelligence.
Appraisal ranks were typically interpreted like this:
E meant hopeless. D suggested a weak point. C and B were average. A was excellent. S denoted a genius.
An S-rank appeared once in a thousand people; an exceptional rarity.
As for skills, everyone possessed at least one.
Mine was 【Appraisal】. For this man, it was 【Double-Edged Sword】—a skill that increases offensive power when the user is in danger.
Some, like Allen, possessed two skills. These were not innate but earned through tireless training or deep focus in a specific field.
“Here are your appraisal results.”
“Thank you very much.”
After handing over the printed summary, Rocks gave me a polite bow and left the room.
That kind of honest, gentle personality was rare among adventurers.
Usually, they got angry upon seeing their lackluster stats, or claimed there was a mistake; yet another reason the appraiser profession was so unpopular.
“…What a waste of potential.”
I murmured to myself in the now-empty room.
I possessed a second skill—【Insight】—an evolved form of 【Appraisal】. Think of it as its superior version.
【Insight】 revealed not just stats, but also finer details like profession and attributes. It was a reward for my relentless use of 【Appraisal】; a second skill I had gained through experience.
And it’s this ability that separated me from mere appraisers. It’s what allowed me to become an Advisor.
.
|
[Profession] |
Light Warrior |
|
[Attributes] |
Endurance: D/A Agility: E/E Strength: D/B |
.
These were Rocks’ readings when viewed through 【Insight】.
The listed “Profession” offered a more granular classification than the broad title shown earlier.
“Attributes” referred to an individual’s qualities. These differed from person to person.
One look was all it took to see the truth: Rocks had no aptitude for the Light Warrior class.
His Agility would never grow beyond what it was, whereas Endurance and Strength showed potential to reach higher ranks.
The fundamental difference between an Appraiser and an Advisor was whether or not one possessed 【Insight】.
With 【Insight】, I could assess someone’s potential and determine the most suitable career path for them.
Put simply, I could offer guidance rooted in empirical results.
To my knowledge, no one else possessed 【Insight】.
Kyros, ruthless as he was in his ambitions, might have exploited it if he had known. That’s why I never told him about it.
“He really should’ve become a Heavy Warrior…”
I muttered under my breath, though my words would never reach Rocks.
Right now, I was just an appraiser—not an Advisor.
Even if someone was headed straight into darkness, I had no authority to intervene.
That was the nature of the profession.
I suppressed my urge to offer advice and continued appraising in silence.
“Next, please.”
As I called out, a new female adventurer stepped into the room.
I gestured for her to sit—
“Please have a seat—”
But I never finished the sentence.
“W-Wait… It’s the real Lloyd…!”
The woman’s eyes sparkled like a child’s as she stared at me.
Golden hair cascaded past her shoulders. Her face was soft and symmetrical, exuding quiet grace. Her figure was lithe, with an ample, well-proportioned bust.
She was the embodiment of an ideal woman; perhaps the most beautiful I had ever seen.
“S-Sorry. And you are…?”
Having assessed hundreds—no, thousands—of individuals, I could tell instantly. There was nothing about her presence that felt like a first meeting. If anything, it felt as though she trusted me already. Her expression radiated ease.
And that only deepened my bewilderment.
“My name is Ellis. I’m terribly sorry for raising my voice. I just couldn’t contain my excitement after meeting you, Lord Lloyd.”
“Um… Miss Ellis, what brings you here today?”
The look in Ellis’s eyes resembled that of someone gazing at a hero; not at all like someone who simply came for an appraisal.
“Could I ask you to perform an appraisal first? I’ll explain everything based on those results.”
There were so many unknowns about Ellis.
Why did she know who I was? Why address me with such respect—adding “Lord,” no less? And what exactly had brought her to this appraisal office?
Well… maybe if I followed her request and performed the appraisal, I’d get some answers.
“Understood. Please remain still.”
I activated 【Appraisal】 on her as I always did.
.
|
[Name] |
Ellis (19) |
|
[Title] |
Unaffiliated – D-Rank Adventurer |
|
[Stats] |
Vitality: C/A Magic: S/D Ambition: E/E Leadership: D/B Intelligence: C/B |
|
[Skill] |
Swordsmanship Basics: E/D |
|
[Inherent Trait] |
Water Ball |
.
“…Huh?”
Was her magic stat actually surpassing its maximum limit? That had to be a mistake, right? I must have been using 【Appraisal】 too much lately—maybe it was malfunctioning.
“How did it turn out?”
Ellis asked, her voice tinged with concern.
“N-No… Sorry, could I appraise you once more?”
I took a moment to clear my head, then reactivated the skill.
.
|
[Name] |
Ellis (19) |
|
[Title] |
Unaffiliated – D-Rank Adventurer |
|
[Stats] |
Vitality: C/A Magic: S/D Ambition: E/E Leadership: D/B Intelligence: C/B |
|
[Skill] |
Swordsmanship Basics: E/D |
|
[Inherent Trait] |
Water Ball |
.
“Yep, still the same.”
Her maximum magic should have capped at D, and yet her actual value had surpassed S-class with ease. On top of that was the mysterious trait 【Water Ball】… It seemed familiar somehow, but I couldn’t recall from where.
I’d think about that later. For now, what stood out most was the fact that her “Inherent Trait” field wasn’t blank; something exceedingly rare. Individuals with inherent traits were on par with S-class talents in rarity.
Incidentally, while this field appeared under the 【Appraisal】 category, it only became visible after I acquired 【Insight】. Still, the fact that 【Appraisal】 alone could detect its presence had proven invaluable for someone like me who performed evaluations constantly.
“Is something wrong?”
Ellis, seeing my flustered expression, seemed apologetic and fell silent.
“N-No… It’s nothing, really.”
Well, that was a lie. It was nothing but anomalies. And I needed answers.
To resolve the growing storm of questions, I activated 【Insight】.
Characters began to overwrite the space where her previous results had floated—this time, data rendered through 【Insight】.
Surely even this skill wasn’t malfunctioning too… right?
.
|
[Profession] |
Mage |
|
[Attributes] |
Agility: D/A Durability: A/A Strength: E/C |
|
[Hidden Skill] |
Water Ball: S/S |
.
“W-Whhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!?”
I couldn’t help myself—I shouted aloud at the appraisal results.
From Ellis’s perspective, I must have looked like a lunatic, yelling out of nowhere.
“M-My apologies for suddenly raising my voice!”
I bowed deeply to her, then immediately returned my eyes to the glowing appraisal data before me.
“…?”
Ellis tilted her head in puzzlement at my erratic behavior.
“T-This is…!”
Now that I really thought about it—who exactly was Ellis?
Her magic stat alone should have tipped me off; it had blown past its listed maximum. And then there was that hidden skill, an appraisal category I had never seen before.
This wasn’t normal.
Unable to stop myself, I asked something absurd.
“May I ask something odd… Is this reality? Or am I dreaming?”
“What? So it was a dream!? I knew it! I thought it was too good to be true, being able to talk with Lord Lloyd like this!”
“Wait… huh? What!?”
Isn’t that the part where you’re supposed to deny it’s a dream?
Ellis was pinching her cheek, trying to test if this was real or not.
“Ow… that hurts…”
Tears welled in her eyes as she rubbed her reddened cheek.
So yeah—definitely reality.
Despite the unbelievable appraisal results in front of me, this world was real. Which honestly made me want to run away from it all.
I decided to set the appraisal discussion aside and start organizing my thoughts one step at a time.
—
“So then, Miss Ellis—what was it you wanted to speak with me about?”
“Oh, right. There’s something I absolutely had to tell you, Lord Lloyd.”
“To me?”
“Yes. If not for you, I don’t think I’d be here today; smiling, living my life.”
Ordinarily, I wouldn’t take such words seriously. It sounded too dramatic, too excessive.
Yet her expression was far too earnest to brush off with a laugh.
Which meant there was only one possible conclusion.
“Perhaps you’re mistaking me for someone else? I’m just an appraiser—”
I tried to reject her claim outright.
Even within the guild, I’d been all but forgotten.
Someone like me, receiving that kind of admiration? Impossible.
And yet, even as I attempted to deny it, Ellis responded with unwavering certainty:
“No. You are an Advisor, Lord Lloyd.”
“…Huh?”
Her voice pierced straight through me, her gaze unflinching. Her words slipped so naturally into my ears.
They felt… comforting.
And more than that: they were the words I had been yearning for.
“Three years ago, you gave me direction. You showed me the path forward.”
Please appraise me, look at my stats.
I’d been approached that way countless times before.
Begged for support, over and over again.
Eventually, it started to feel like I was just a convenient tool.
But deep down, what I really wanted—what I always wanted—was recognition like this.
“Lord Lloyd, no matter what anyone says… You’re the Advisor who saved me.”
“I… I see.”
That was all I could manage.
I couldn’t bring myself to affirm her claim. Nor could I reject it.
Because if I nodded now—if I accepted it—I might not be able to stop the part of me that longed to stay an Advisor.
“One of the reasons I came here today was to thank you in person!”
“To thank me?”
“Yes! Oh, and please—drop the formal speech. I’m younger than you, after all!”
“A-Alrigh—okay.”
Stumbling through unfamiliar, casual speech, I awkwardly adjusted my tone.
“I’m really sorry, but… where exactly did we meet three years ago?”
“At the One-Eyed Workshop!”
The One-Eyed Workshop: the dominant blacksmith guild, named after its one-eyed guildmaster. If I remembered correctly, it had over 500 smiths in its ranks.
Most of the Kingdom of Fereia’s arms and ornaments were produced by that guild. It held a position in the artisan world comparable to Incarnation of the Sun among adventurer guilds.
“So it was the One-Eyed Workshop, huh…”
I used to visit there frequently back when I was an executive.
Incarnation of the Sun had a direct contract with the workshop.
I’d even purchased high-end gear out of pocket for our First Unit’s training.
Thinking back on it now, I couldn’t help but feel an irrational wave of anger; though I knew the members themselves weren’t to blame.
“I hoped you’d remember through the appraisal, but… it’s understandable if you forgot. It’s been three years, and I only exchanged a single sentence with you…”
Despite her concern for me, she looked visibly disheartened.
And seeing that expression, there was no way I could just leave it at that.
I forced my memory into overdrive.
It wasn’t that guy. Or her. Or that time, either. Wait…
There was one possibility. Just one. But that woman, if I remembered correctly…
“Were you… a blacksmith, by any chance?”
“Yes! I was!”
Ellis’s face lit up instantly, and she leaned forward eagerly.
Because of her current adventurer attire, I had unconsciously assumed she was one.
That misconception had blocked the memory; though now that I had the right context, it came back vividly.
“Ehehe… I can still remember that scene perfectly!”
Ellis beamed with what could only be described as a… deviant grin.
It sent a shiver down my spine. She was practically drooling.
Where had that graceful beauty from earlier gone?
“But if that’s true, then…”
As I pieced together our conversation from three years ago, a chill ran down my back.
I remembered the exchange—no, I remembered the words I had flung at her without warning.
Ellis had been stuck doing menial labor at the One-Eyed Workshop.
I couldn’t ignore her plight, so I used 【Insight】.
The result: all her blacksmith-related stats were capped at E. Not a trace of potential.
And then, I gave her this “advice”:
‘Do you like 【Water Ball】? I think you have a natural talent for it. Maybe you should focus on mastering just one thing?’
Giving advice to someone from another guild was, in hindsight, reckless.
Her lack of ambition had been clearly reflected in the appraisal, but it could have just been temporary burnout.
And besides, 【Water Ball】 was a water-element magic; completely unrelated to blacksmithing.
I meant well, but I had acted too hastily.
Worse still, because of my suggestion, Ellis—who once aspired to be a blacksmith—had changed professions, as evidenced by the staff she now wore at her hip.
I slammed my forehead against the table and bowed my head deeply to her.
“I’m truly sorry.”
“Huh?”
Ellis stared in blank astonishment at my abrupt apology.
I knew it was far too late for apologies.
I had already changed the course of her life.
“Because of me, you had to undergo a profession change…”
If an Advisor gives faulty guidance, they risk leading someone’s life down the wrong path.
She had wanted to be a blacksmith—wait, hold on a second.
Her magic stat during that appraisal wasn’t D. It was S. And didn’t she say something about being grateful…?
I glanced at Ellis. She was beaming from ear to ear.
“No, I should be the one bowing to you.”
She gently lifted my head, then clasped my hand tightly.
There was such strength in her grip, and a warmth that felt like it could envelop me entirely.
“Lord Lloyd, thank you—thank you for finding me, and for showing me what I was meant to pursue.”
Ellis smiled with an untroubled expression, tears welling in her eyes.
Seeing that face made my own eyes sting. It was as if the hollow void in my heart was finally being filled.
“I’m truly glad I had the chance to express my gratitude to you.”
Her shy, satisfied smile swept away every trace of repressed emotion inside me.
I hadn’t been wrong to be an Advisor. My journey up until now wasn’t a mistake. That’s how it felt.
And in that moment, the time that had stood still inside me slowly began to move again.
†
