I Became the Keeper of a Suspicious Forest - Chapter 89

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 89

The employment office that used to only kick up dust with just three employees as its entire staff.

Ponia looked around the packed waiting room with fresh eyes.

There appeared to be at least 50 people by rough estimate.

Whether it was because this was the last day of recruitment, or if it had been like this all along, it was bustling with people.

Everyone had come to get into the Mirban Forest exploration team.

Ponia checked her own appearance.

She looked unfamiliarly at her bronze-colored hair cascading down her shoulders.

No matter how much she was applying due to circumstances, maintaining her original hair color would be tantamount to openly getting caught by Sionel.

On top of this, she was even wearing glasses she had gotten from Chad.

For reference, they were the exact same design as Chad’s glasses.

She recalled Chad looking satisfied when he saw her wearing the glasses.

‘It’s like couple items, isn’t it nice?’

‘It just seems like there are now two suspicious people,’

“Applicant, Caron! Come in!”

When Max, the office employee, called from inside, a woman jumped up in surprise and went in.

The person right behind immediately sat in the vacant chair. People moved forward one by one like that.

The expressions of people coming out after their interviews were all different.

While one person came out confidently, another came out looking dejected.

In the chaotic atmosphere, voices of two people reached her from Ponia’s left side.

“I absolutely have to pass this time. If not now, it won’t work.”

“Why?”

“My parents are ill, but we don’t have enough money for medicine. They won’t be able to hold on like this.”

The man confided his situation with a gloomy expression, and the middle-aged man sitting next to him patted his back.

While there were people applying purely to become rich, there were also many like her who applied because they desperately needed money right away.

“This is already my third interview. Not just me, but you must be quite desperate too.”

The man who had been offering comfort briefly looked around.

He happened to make eye contact with Ponia.

“….”

She had only been looking quietly, but the man frowned and pulled the gloomy-faced man toward himself.

‘What’s that about.’

She didn’t know what important thing he was trying to say, but she wasn’t interested anyway.

As Ponia stared blankly ahead, the two people whispered.

“I was originally going to keep this to myself, but since your situation is pitiful, I’ll tell only you. I’m saying this because you’re like a son to me.”

The middle-aged man paused before speaking.

“I know how to pass this interview.”

“What?!”

The man in the pitiful situation shouted. The people in the waiting room stopped talking and looked at him.

“Sit down! How can you make it so obvious!”

He pulled the flustered man back down. People started chattering noisily again.

Those sitting next to Ponia whispered again.

“Are you planning to spread the secret to passing around the whole neighborhood? Just listen quietly!”

“Yes, yes!”

Their secret conversation had already failed long ago.

‘I can hear everything.’

Ponia had been listening to their conversation from beginning to end. She wasn’t even trying to eavesdrop.

The middle-aged man who claimed to know the method to pass continued speaking.

“First, when you go in, you absolutely can’t be intimidated by the employees.”

“Yees….”

At the completely unconfident response, the middle-aged man scolded him.

“Look at this, you’re already being intimidated! It says in the qualifications that they want people with high courage. Even if the employees look like thugs, endure it!”

“Yes!”

“Pfft!”

Ponia belatedly covered her mouth. She had been off guard and ended up laughing.

It was because when she imagined the office staff wearing clothes that thugs would wear instead of neat shirts, it suited them far too well.

After Ponia’s laughter, their conversation suddenly became inaudible.

She glanced to the side, and sure enough, the two men were looking at Ponia suspiciously.

Ponia covered her mouth even more.

“Pfft! Pffchoo! Achoo!”

“Ah, this cold just won’t go away….”

They stared at her persistently before turning their backs again.

“That woman is definitely going to fail. Having a cold in this weather.”

‘I can hear everything, you know.’

The middle-aged man said a few more things.

“Now, the most important thing.”

“You were planning to appeal to their sympathy if things don’t go well in the interview, weren’t you?”

“I thought so. If you do that, you’ll fail immediately.”

Ponia listened carefully. The man’s words seemed quite credible.

“The staff immediately reject people when they hear sob stories. That’s what people who’ve been interviewed said.”

“Why else? Because the staff are heartless people!”

“Anyway, remember everything I’ve told you so far! Especially that last part!”

The young man kept thanking the middle-aged man. Meanwhile, Ponia lost interest.

“Applicant, Poni! Poni? Come in!”

Ponia’s name was called.

It was a new name she had made up since she couldn’t use the alias ‘Nia.’

Chad had suggested she put a little more thought into the name, but since it was a fake name anyway, it didn’t really matter.

Ponia entered the office and sat down.

It was the exact same seat where she had interviewed before. Three staff members sat across from her.

Max spoke first.

“Your name is Poni? What kind of horse name is that?”

“Ahem…. I misspoke.”

‘These people are heartless?’

These were the same people who had shed tears of pity when she said she wanted to enter the forest.

The man’s words lost their credibility right there.

“But why are you rolling up your clothes like that? Are you hot?”

They were the people who shed tears, feeling sorry for her as she said she would enter the forest.

The man’s words lost credibility at that point.

“These were also bought for me by my parents….”

“But why are you rolling up your clothes like that? Are you hot?”

“Oh, just in case.”

The employee standing next to Max spoke up.

“I know.”

“I’m the type who can’t stand being indebted to others.”

“This was also something my parents bought for me….”

“Ah, enough! Don’t say another word! Just do the interview!”

Max mainly led the interview, and Ponia was surprised at times while answering.

“You know you’re going to that infamous forest, right? I heard some people never came back?”

“I know.”

“Don’t feel safe just because five of you are going together. You can only survive there if each person does their job.”

“I’m the type of person who can’t stand being indebted to others.”

“At night, it’s really scary because of all the animal sounds!”

‘How could the interview questions be exactly the same as last year’s.’

Since there are more applicants now, shouldn’t the level of questions be raised proportionally?

“A sibling?”

“You’re trying to go to the forest because of your sibling? Taking such risks.”

Ponia was asked the usual mundane questions. When Ponia didn’t seem to be taking the interview seriously, Max asked with some confusion.

“Any last words?”

Ponia was about to answer that there wasn’t any, but changed her mind.

“Actually, I have a younger sibling.”

“Little brother?”

“I need a lot of money to pay off the debt from the trouble I caused. Otherwise, I might end up in prison.”

“You’re going to the forest because of your younger sibling? Despite the danger.”

“That’s right.”

One of the employees began marking something on the paper they were holding.

‘They say that evoking pity is a negative factor.’

Even while coming to the office, she had continued to struggle with the decision, but no matter how much she thought about it, returning to the forest didn’t seem like a good idea.

Ponia muttered.

“Right, just send him to prison…”

It would be better to send Albio to prison and get the debt forgiven. At least while he’s in prison, he won’t be able to cause any trouble.

“Why should I risk danger and go because of him.”

Her thoughts were organized.

Max called out to Ponia, who was in her own world.

“So, do you want to pass, or do you want to fail?”

“I want to pass, but I also want to fail.”

“…What kind of crazy talk is that?”

“But, I just decided to fail. Goodbye.”

Ponia abruptly stood up and left the office.

The employees were suddenly left alone.

One employee said blankly.

“Who gave her permission to just leave like that…?”

* * *

“So I decided to just send Albio to prison.”

Ponia said to Kustin with a comfortable mind.

“That’s a good idea.”

‘I should tell the parents to say their farewells to Albio.’

As Ponia was getting up from her seat, there was a knocking sound from the window.

It was Chad.

Chad naturally came in and pulled out a paper from his chest. Ponia asked.

“What’s this?”

“The interview results came out today. By the way, I haven’t seen the results yet either.”

“Ah.”

Ponia carelessly unfolded the paper.

Congratulations on your acceptance!

You have been included in the Mirban Forest exploration team.

Ponia rubbed her eyes.

However, the letters didn’t disappear.

Chad, who saw the results, offered congratulations, and Kustin shook his head vigorously.

However, the actual protagonist of the acceptance, Ponia, couldn’t understand it at all.

“Why am I accepted?”

She had done so terribly in the interview.

* * *

Their acceptance criteria were clear.

First, anyone with pitiful circumstances was completely rejected.

No matter how many people had safely returned from the forest, until a year ago, it was a place where no one could return from.

Wouldn’t it be too cruel to send such people there?

The acceptance targets were definitely people without any circumstances, who would do anything for their own greed.

They were people who would ease their guilt.

The three employees spread papers widely on the desk.

Max said.

“Now, there’s one spot left. We’re putting this person in, right?”

“Of course.”

Name: Ponia

Gender: Female

Age: 24

.

.

.

Special Notes: Not in her right mind.

It would be even better if she was crazy to begin with.

The Unnamed Man who survived over 3 months in the forest was like that too, so surprisingly, her survival ability might be high.

This woman was definitely accepted.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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