Moving through the streets of Crocus with purpose, Ambrose sought the nearest recruitment center for the Rune Knights. Among the crowded streets, the recluse mage would find himself awkwardly doing his best to navigate the new environment. Since this was his first time in the capital, he was struggling just to not get lost. Ahh, if only he had bought the map that kind lady had encouraged him to buy. Unfortunately, the boy didn't have much money, in fact, he'd spent the last of it on his breakfast. If the recruitment office turned him away, then he'd quickly find himself going hungry and in search of other work. For now, he would cast aside that concern.

With some trial and error, following whatever signs he could as he navigated the streets, Ambrose would eventually find one of the Rune Knight's recruitment buildings. Letting himself calm down, the boy would take steady breaths as he checked his surroundings. Am I really ready for this? he thought to himself. While he had faith in the spirits he'd contracted with, but when it came to himself, he was frequently self-deprecating. At the very least, he hoped they'd offer him a paying job.

Upon entering the recruitment office, he'd be met with a queue of people as they stood in line. On closer inspection, he'd see that there were at least five different recruiters actively talking with potential recruits as they pitched all the benefits that'd come with joining the knights. Before he could even consider leaving, he'd find himself awkwardly moved into the queue as several more people would enter the room. Anxious, the boy would look around to see men twice his size and several years his senior looking down on him.

Finding that the queue was moving along pretty slow, Ambrose would start to feel the stares of his fellow applicants. Where are they judging him because he seemed so weak? Trying his best to ignore what he perceived to be their judgment, he did his best to rationalize his discomfort. No one was probably paying much attention to him, after all, why would they care? Calming down, Ambrose would suddenly find himself moved even further up the queue. Looking down the isle of recruiters, he would notice that he was only a few people away from being called over to one of them. What would the recruiter think of him? Would they deny his application outright? Would they even care if he could use magic? Ambrose didn't know much about the process, so he could only think of the worst.

Shen sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes, leaning back slightly in his chair before opening them anew and directing his gaze towards the entrance, watching the blonde girl, she must've been no older than 18 years old, perhaps younger than that, leave the recruitment office in a state of apparent haste and some visible distress. It was better this way, but still, that did not prevent the young Rune Knight from wishing to be spared these kinds of emotional outbursts. Of course, Shen had followed the procedure initially, asking the girl her name and the reason she wanted to join the Rune Knights, but when the answer to his question came, Shen couldn't help but speak his mind. Perhaps "Are you an idiot?" wasn't the most appropriate thing to say to a potential new recruit, but when her answer to his question had reached his ears, his mouth had moved reflexively, and although his tone had portrayed no specific emotion other than cold neutrality, it was motivated by a small burst of anger hidden behind a facade of unmoving stoicism. "Well, I want to finance my college education by joining the Knights" was simply too idiotic a reason for him to not retort in such a manner. Had she not used her brain at all before coming here?

Of course, Shen knew why he himself was here, and he knew why the other recruiters beside him were here, too. The Magic Council undoubtedly had ordered a massive increase in troops from the Rune Knight in light of the conflict brewing far away from Fiore, but so close in his mind. Consequently, he reckoned that the Rune Knights would go on a recruitment drive of unprecedented scale all over the country. Not just here in Crocus, but in every city, every town, recruiters would try to entice oblivious young men and women into joining the Knights, these same men and women completely unaware of what exactly they were signing up for. It was clear that war was on the horizon, and the people that were accepted into the organization now would undoubtedly end up being the first wave of cannon fodder to be thrown into the meat grinder when the senseless spat between Bellum and Pergrande would inevitably heat up and become a full-blown conflict.

Thousands, tens of thousands, perhaps even more than that would shed their blood and die, and for what reason? For glory? In order to honor the defensive pact with Bellum? It was simply idiotic. On who's behest would they lose their lives? The Magic Council's? Well, those damned bureaucrats would gladly sacrifice whatever it took to gain significant political leverage. They knew nothing of war. And neither did the people that swarmed to the recruitment center en masse. Shen could really only pity them. That, and try to turn as many of them away as possible in an attempt to save lives. It allowed him a little bit of influence over the recruitment process, at the least, so he was glad that he had been assigned this task, in a sense. Still, he wondered what opinion the Field Marshal had about this borderline negligent circumstance. Probably a dutifully compliant one. Well, she probably didn't have much of a choice in her position. It was understandable, so he couldn't hold it against her.

He looked over to the rest of the recruiters. He had no idea who they were. Well, they were all Rune Knights, but they must've belonged to different branches or different locations, he had never seen them before, after all. As such, Shen made no mystery of his contempt for them. They probably only cared about the fact that fulfilling their quotas was a breeze with the new additional funding by the Council and the fact that they would all reap a fat bonus to their usual salary. In contrast, Shen had not recruited a single soul today. It would probably make him stand out a fair bit, but he didn't care. Judging by their rank insignia, the Staff Sergeant of the Rune Knight's Combat Corps was higher in rank than all of them, meaning that he was technically their superior. None of them would dare reprimand him for his actions, and the young man relied on that fact to get him through this incredibly draining task.

Well, it was really no use. All he could do was try to get it all over with. With an almost bored expression, he would turn his attention back to the queue some distance away from himself, beckoning the closest applicant to the unoccupied chair on the other side of the sturdy oak desk before him with a swift gesture and a stern "Next". When that applicant had taken their seat, he would simply continue as he had before, pen at the ready to note things down, should this one not also run out of the recruitment office with tears in their eyes.

"My name is Staff Sergeant Kadokawa and I'll handle your recruitment process. Please state your full name and the reason why you wish to join the Rune Knights".

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Word Count: 860
Personal Word Count Total: 860
Thread Word Count Total: 1,287

While it would take some time and observation from the line of recruits, Ambrose noticed there was a distinct lack of applicants progressing beyond one recruiter in particular. Not one of the people who ended up at his desk made it onto the next stage of the interviews, so from what Ambrose would gather, getting him was probably a rejection waiting to be delivered. Compared to the others who'd been let go, Ambrose wasn't all intimating as he'd lacked any sort of soldier aesthetic. With his eyes skating across the room, it seemed that even among all of the recruiters, his mean streak was pretty unique. With the process out of his control, all Ambrose could hope for, was that he didn't end up with the auburn man. By the time he reached the front of the line, he was faced with rows of recruiters, and only one had his attention. With tears in her eyes, the latest applicant who was at that red-haired recruiter's table stormed towards the exit. Another bites the dust...

Unfortunately for Ambrose, it seemed that the fates had no intention of letting him off easy. While his intentions for joining the Rune Knights were for the good of the people, it wouldn't mean much if he could get past a seemingly immovable recruiter. Hesitantly, as the man sternly called for the next in line, Ambrose could feel the pitiful stares of his fellow applicants, and even among some of the other recruiters. Letting out a sigh as he approached the desk, Ambrose would take his seat across from the man. Staff Sergeant? Was that a high rank? Ambrose did not have the faintest clue as to what that'd entail. He simply wished to join the Rune Knights, simply because it was in his nature to protect. In reality, the boy knew little to nothing about what he was truly signing up for, and this ignorance would lead to an awfully casual response. "Oh, uh. My name is Ambrose Vermilion, and I want to join the knights so that I can protect people."

After that statement, there'd be a drawn-out silence, making it clear that was all the boy had to say. The delivery was not only sudden but utterly devoid of honorifics. Even though the man had a clear track record of sending people off, the boy would not try to deceive the man with colorful words or some sort of over-the-top speech. Ambrose was honest in his intentions, which would be reflected in his words. On the other hand, his behavior could just as easily be read as aloof and uncaring. Not only did he not address the Staff Sergeant in a way befitting of his rank, but he'd also have a dumb innocent look on his face as he awaited some sort of response.

The red-haired recruiter let his gaze wander up and down the other's form as he sat down, and though his face portrayed no visible emotion, his eyes carried with them a hint of curiosity. The black-haired youth, he was probably in his teens and just barely at the right age where one would be allowed to join the Knights without raising eyebrows, who had sat down before him was nothing the regular recruiters would expect, Shen had no doubt. Still, what followed, Shen had to admit that he had not expected, either. The young Staff Sergeant was by no means an expert at reading people, their emotions, their intentions, or anything of that sort, though most people could be interpreted with careful observation. His trained senses aided in this matter, but the other's intent would still elude him as he spoke, introducing himself as a certain "Ambrose Vermillion", which was not what got Shen's immediate attention, of course. Rather, the question he asked applicants, "the reason why you wish to join the Rune Knights" or something to similar effect, was designed for Shen to discern some of the applicant's personality, though this boy, for the lack of a better word, had baffled him somewhat. His eyes narrowed a fraction as he leaned forward slightly, keeping his eyes on the dark-haired youth expectingly, though the other didn't seem to wish to expand on his reply to Shen's original question.

"Protect people?", the question would echo through the Staff Sergeant's mind. Was that ... was that really all there was to it? Was it really that simple? If that was the case, that would certainly be heroic, admirable even, but it struck Shen as awfully naive, though this revelation brought back some old memories. Memories of a young man who had just joined the Rune Knights, without any perspective or abilities to boast about, magical or otherwise. The young man in Shen's memory, too, was naive, he had been weak, unassuming, some would go as far as say hopeless and utterly unsuited to be a Rune Knight. Of course, Shen wasn't the type to judge according to appearances, acknowledging that he would have to apply any judgment to himself as well. He was, after all, not exactly the most threatening appearance, and his physique could be described as wiry at best and somewhat lacking in the muscle mass one would expect from a fully-fledged Rune Knight at worst. Well, that was only half the truth. Shen, after all, had had a thing that had helped him go forward, that had put him where he was today: Determination. The youth before him reminded the Rune Knight of himself. Still ... was that really a good thing?

That was all the more reason to try and send the young applicant away at once, though the Rune Knight's curiosity stopped him from following up on that impulse without delay. Instead, he wanted to get to the bottom of the youth's words. Why he couldn't tell exactly, though he was sure he would find that out as well if he only would understand. "Protect people, huh?", the Rune Knight would repeat, this time aloud after a few seconds of continued silence. Was the young man really that confident that he could afford to be carefree like this, or was he perhaps not aware of the implications that his words carried altogether? It was of no matter. All in due time. "Tell me, Ambrose, how old are you?". Like the young applicant, Shen, too, would disregard any honorifics. The Rune Knight did not care much for excessively formal behavior, he never had, practically ignoring the fact that his official title had been absent from the youth's reply. His question was, of course, not only part of the recruitment process, he had to know if he was at least 16, after all, the minimum age at which one was legally allowed to enlist in the Knights, but it would tie into his next question perfectly.

Shen assumed that, given the applicant's age, he was inexperienced, and applying that principle to his magical potential, if he even possessed any, he would try to shine a light on this aspect of Ambrose's response. "Do you think you have what it takes to protect people? Do you even know what protecting people really entails?". The questions were asked in the same monotonous voice as before, entirely devoid of any emotion, though the second question was spoken with a little more tempo, to the observant beholder being an indicator for at least some form of agitation. It wasn't out of malice, of course, but he could hardly state so directly. After all, Shen knew best that, in order to fulfill one's mission, a mission that was supposed to "protect people", casualties, collateral damage, and "sacrifices" would not only be tolerated, they would be expected, the young Rune Knight recruiter swallowing a rising feeling of guilt that slowly but surely tightened his chest with every low, imperceivable breath he took. His eyes still firmly locked on the young man, however, he seemed to be eagerly awaiting a response.

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Word Count: 855
Personal Word Count Total: 1,715
Thread Word Count Total: 2,611

After sharing with the recruiter his motivation, Ambrose would watch with a curious gaze. Was his reason for joining the Rune Knights not enough? Surely with so many people being turned away, the expectations must have been high. After all, wouldn't anyone who applied to join the Rune Knights have the same motivation as himself? When asked for his age, he'd give a candid reply, "Sixteen." Did he believe him? Ambrose knew he looked pretty young given his age, but they had some way of verifying it...right? The boy didn't have any official documentation as he'd lived out in the woods for most of his life. It was also because of this that finding a job that didn't care about his background, made it difficult to find honest work.

The boy would grow a little nervous as the man seemed to seriously consider his words. Was he about to get rejected too? It was then, that he'd be met with a somewhat critical question. Did he really know what it meant to protect? Was he able to protect anyone? Ambrose would at first appear a bit confused before furrowing his brows, "Alone? No. I'm not very strong." There'd be an awkward silence, but then the boy would follow up with, "...but, if I join the Rune Knights, won't I be able to get stronger?" There was a mixture of sincerity and naivete in his voice. Though Ambrose, with his magic, was more than capable of being a useful asset, that wasn't how the boy saw his question. When asked about himself, there was no doubt he wasn't all that strong. Even if he were to know Ambrose was a Celestial Wizard, the truth remained the same. Ambrose Vermilion couldn't even protect himself if not for the contract he'd made at a young age, which he believed made him weak.

"Protecting people means you need to be strong, right?" Though the boy's heart was in the right place, his views were very black and white. To protect one must be strong, to be evil, one must hurt others out of selfishness. Liars can never be trusted, and those who are honest always can. It was a dangerous mindset to have, yet it would take a lot to crack this mindset the boy had developed. Loyalty was a valuable asset to the Hell Pack, so it was a given he'd adopted some of their beliefs over the years. After all, had he been anything less than honest and trustworthy himself, the Alpha would have severed their contract long ago.