Unique Student

Gilbert crossed his arms and looked at Solvyr with a firm expression. "I'll take you as my student."

The hall fell silent for a moment before murmurs spread among the crowd. The registrar, still baffled by Gilbert's decision, scoffed. "Are you serious, Sir Gil? This kid is practically useless."

Solvyr clenched his fists, holding back the urge to respond. 'Shut your mouth, you imbecile woman,' he thought, his dead-serious gaze locked onto the registrar. Finally, he took a deep breath and spoke. "Sure, but... what's your name, Master?" He forced a small smile, trying to mask his nervousness.

Gilbert smirked. "Gilbert Solderet. That's my name."

'Should I call him Master Gil, then?' Solvyr wondered. "I see. Nice to meet you, Master Gil."

The hall buzzed with whispers. Some students and guild recruiters questioned Gilbert's decision, while others assumed he was joking. Then, a red-haired man with a mischievous glint in his eye stepped forward, a smug grin on his face.

"How far have you fallen, you unkillable explorer?" The man's tone was laced with mockery.

Gilbert turned to face him, his expression unreadable. "Far from what you've achieved so far outside, Oplier… or should I say, Cunning Hunter?"

Oplier raised an eyebrow. "You never told me you were building a guild."

"Not really," Gilbert replied casually. "I'm just interested in this unique kid—no, my unique student, to be precise."

Oplier scoffed. "Really? Your student? Didn't you hear? He has no Art and can't even level up."

"Yeah," Gilbert said simply, unfazed.

Oplier frowned, as if expecting Gilbert to second-guess his choice. But instead, Gilbert turned away. "Well, me and my student are leaving. Have fun finding a guildmate, Oplier."

Without another word, Gilbert led Solvyr out of the hall. They traveled in silence, leaving the bustling city behind. As they approached a dense forest, Solvyr took in his surroundings. His master's home was deep in the woods, a wooden house seamlessly blending into nature. It was almost as if the house was part of the forest itself.

While they walked, Gilbert suddenly spoke. "What do you think is my way of hunting?"

Solvyr looked up, scanning the environment carefully. "The way your home is hidden among the trees, far from civilization... I'd say you're an assassin?"

Gilbert chuckled. "Impressive. You've got good intuition, kid. Did the streets teach you that?"

Solvyr glanced down. "Not just that. They taught me a lot..."

Gilbert patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, kid. I'll teach you my ways of hunting so you can survive outside and explore the world."

Solvyr hesitated before asking, "Master Gilbert, out of all the participants there, why did you choose me?"

Gilbert raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "Because I liked your answer. You want to enlist so you can explore the outside world—not for money, not for fame, but to help humanity reclaim its home."

Solvyr's expression darkened. "What if I just want to leave because I despise humanity? What if I refuse to stay here inside?"

Gilbert studied him for a moment before finally responding. "You remind me of my younger self."

They arrived at the house, and Solvyr took in its quiet, almost eerie atmosphere. It felt lifeless, lonely. He had a dozen questions about it but decided against asking. Gilbert had his reasons.

Gilbert stepped inside and, without turning, said, "Rest for now. We start tomorrow."

As he cooked dinner, the silence stretched between them. Then, just before they ate, Gilbert turned to Solvyr, his gaze deadly serious. "I'm going to train you for two years straight. No breaks. No mercy. So that when you enlist, you'll be able to survive outside."

Solvyr met his gaze and nodded. He understood.

'I guess it's better to suffer like this rather than rot away in slumber.'