The Paper User: Exiled for a ‘Trash Skill,’ Awakens True Power and Rises with Two Unique Skills - Chapter 23

 The Holy Sword Guild

In a room on the fourth floor of a building along the main street of Tansa Town, the leader of the Holy Sword Guild, Kirsas, was in conversation with his executive officer, Elena.

Elena, a mid-twenties elven woman, was an A-rank mage. Her golden hair framed a serious expression, and she wore a dark green robe that accentuated her elegant figure.

“...Alright then. I’ll assign this team to handle the rescue mission for the survey group.”

She handed Kirsas a sheet of paper listing the members.

“The team leader will be Galdy, the new recruit, right?”

“Yeah. We’re paying him a hefty salary—he’d better earn it,” Kirsas said, brushing his golden hair back with an air of casual pride.

“It’s nice that we’ve got stronger members now, but man… payroll costs are going through the roof.”

“Well, what did you expect?” Elena shrugged. “Galdy’s A-rank, after all.”

“Don’t worry—I’m not about to tell you we can’t pay your salary,” Kirsas added, chuckling. “Especially since you’re handling these behind-the-scenes tasks, too.”

“I’d hope so.” Elena crossed her arms. “So… you said you kicked someone out of the guild?”

“Yeah. One of the newbies—Yakumo, the papermancer.”

“Yakumo...?”

Elena tilted her head slightly.

“Why him? Out of the four rookies, I thought he was the most promising.”

“What? You serious?”

Kirsas furrowed his perfectly shaped brows.

“Sure, Yakumo has a Unique Skill, but all he can do is manipulate paper—and it’s not even that impressive. The other three—Albel, Dazzle, and Camilla—have multiple combat skills. If you’re looking at long-term value, Yakumo’s the obvious choice to cut.”

“Oh… right. You never actually partied with them, did you?”

“Why, is that a problem?”

“I went on a monster-hunting job with them once,” Elena said, brushing a strand of hair behind one pointed ear. “Yakumo was the most reliable in battle.”

“He actually paid attention to the situation and supported his teammates when they were in trouble. His ability to manifest paper was surprisingly useful. With proper training to boost his mana reserves, I think he could become pretty strong.”

“…Elena, you’re a beautiful and powerful woman, but it seems your ability to judge people needs work.”

Kirsas gave a smug smile.

“Even if Yakumo did increase his mana, he can only manifest paper. He can’t use powerful offensive magic, and he doesn’t have any defensive spells either.”

He casually flicked the paper in his hand as if to mock the skill.

“Even if he could make more paper, so what? Paper tears, burns, and at best buys you a second or two. That’s it.”

“I think those seconds matter,” Elena replied, poking the paper with her index finger.

“If you can interrupt an enemy’s movement even for a moment, you get a huge advantage. And Yakumo’s skill is unique—it catches opponents off guard.”

“Hmph. Didn’t expect you to be such a fan of Yakumo.”

“He’s hardworking and serious. I saw potential in that.”

“And that’s exactly where you’re wrong.”

Kirsas raised a finger and wagged it side to side.

“A guy like Yakumo, with only one underwhelming skill, has no future. No matter how hard he tries, he’ll peak at D-rank, tops.”

“You think Albel and the others are different?”

“Absolutely. With proper training, I estimate they can reach B-rank or higher. So yes—Yakumo was the right one to cut.”

“If you say so…”

Elena sighed softly.

“Well, Albel and the others did pass their E-rank promotion test without any issues. So maybe your decision wasn’t wrong. I heard Albel even scored the second-highest in the test.”

“Oh? Second place?”

“Yeah. One of the guild staff told me.”

“Would’ve been nice if he got first… but I guess luck plays a part in these things.”

Kirsas smiled smugly.

“Well, when they make it to B-rank or higher, you’ll have to admit I made the right call.”

“…Maybe,” Elena replied after a short pause.

—Albel and the others aren’t weak. Kirsas is probably right that they could reach B-rank or more. But still… I can’t help but feel that Yakumo might surpass them one day.

“We’ve talked enough about that useless castoff.”

Kirsas stepped closer and touched Elena’s pale arm.

“Elena, how about dinner tonight? There’s a place I know—just got a shipment of golden ox meat. The chef says it’s divine. I’d love to savor that taste with someone as lovely as you.”

“…I’ll pass,” she said flatly. “Getting involved with a human like you would be pointless. You’ll be dead in under a hundred years anyway.”

Tossing her golden hair over her shoulder, Elena turned and walked out of the room.

“…Tch. Still playing hard to get, huh?”

Kirsas clicked his teeth.

—No matter. Once I become a hero, she’ll change her tune. Or maybe by then, I’ll have someone even better than some stuck-up elf.

Grinning, Kirsas licked his lips.

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