The royal city of Astaroth...
　It was a city famous for its danger.
　All manner of demons attacked from all directions. Not only demons, but also bandits, thieves, and other villains are constantly coming.

　Why are they targeting us so much?
　The secret lies in the hidden treasure in the royal capital.
　The orb of light, the treasure needed to defeat the Demon King, is kept there, but it attracts demons and villains.
　The Demon Lord could not leave something that could destroy him alone. Because of this, he is trying to take it with all his might.
　From the perspective of the villains, they can make a huge fortune if they take the Orb of Light. Some of them want to take advantage of the demon attack to do evil.
　Because of this, the royal city of Astaroth was being chased by attacks from foreign enemies every day. One after another, they attacked, and inevitably, there was a shortage of knights and soldiers to guard the city. However, this did not mean that they could send in anyone and everyone. Even if you hire incompetent people, they will immediately fall prey to the demons.

　Guarding King's Landing is a job that involves a great deal of danger, and if you are capable of enduring it, you can make more money as an adventurer.
　If you don't have a sense of purpose or mission, it's not worth it. This was the perception of the guards of the royal city of Astaroth.
　But I decided to take the job.
　It wasn't for a good cause or a sense of duty, but now that I'd been fired from my party and lost my adventuring career, I was grateful for the opportunity to find a job.

　I'm already in my mid-twenties. Rather than learning new skills, it would be better to find a job where I can use the skills I've developed as an adventurer.
　So I got a letter of introduction from the guild and headed for the royal city of Astaroth.
　After about a week of travel, I arrived there.
　The capital was surrounded by a circular stone wall.
　The city was surrounded by a circular stone wall, probably due to repeated raids. The stone walls were all in tatters.
You move to the front gate.
　There were two gatekeepers standing there, checking the gate.

What are you doing in this city?
"I was offered a job by the Adventurers Guild.



　I took out a letter of introduction from my pocket and presented it to him.

"Hmm. This is a ...... letter of introduction and a pass.
I'll check to see if they're real. I'll have to check to see if they're real.
Oh.

　That's very thorough.
　That's how many people usually try to break into the city in various ways. I suppose this level of caution is necessary.

"This seal of approval is... definitely. It looks real.
Then it's good to go.

　I guess it's a good thing I wasn't turned away.

"If you've come to apply for a job in the city guard, I'll show you to the captain. You can follow me.
Thanks.

　One of the gatekeepers is going to show me the way.
　I follow him through the city.

"You're referring to the Adventurer's Guild in Esthar, right?　I heard that there's a famous party there called the Red Lotus Fang.
"What?　Oh, yeah. You know them?
Yeah, they're famous. They have an ultra-aggressive style, and no one can match their firepower. They're undisputed experts.

　The gatekeeper muttered softly.

If only one of them would become the city guard, it would be a great help. It would make things a little better.
"............

　I was part of that party, after all.


　Well, I got fired, but...

What's wrong with this town?
Repeated demon attacks have exhausted the buildings and the people. Merchants can't come here often, so there's always a shortage of supplies.

　The gatekeeper sighed.

I'm sure it would be a lot easier if we could just give up the orb of light. ...... This country has been dealt a poor hand.
"............
"Oops. I've told you a dark story. I'm about to work here. I'm sorry. Forget about it.

　The gatekeeper said.

"But you seem to be pretty good at what you do.
"...... What?
"This letter of introduction-- it's got rave reviews. They say you're as good as the guys from the Red Lotus Fang.

　Is that what they wrote about you?

If that's true, it's very reassuring from our point of view. I'd love to work with you to protect this city.
I'm willing to do that.

　The gatekeeper led me to the guardroom.
　The guards were waiting there.
　You are taken to a room in the back.

"Lord Commander Bolton. This is a volunteer for the Guard. I brought a letter of introduction from the Esthar Adventurer's Guild, so I let you in.

　From a desk at the back of the room, a large man known as Bolton stared at me.
　His hair was wild and all back.
　His forehead and cheeks were etched with old cuts.
　He had a dignity that only someone who had been through many battles could possess.



"Hmm. An introduction to the Adventurer's Guild. I'm sure you've heard of it.

　I'm not sure what to make of that.

"Zeke. You... Are you a B rank adventurer?
Yes. Yeah, sort of.
So you're a volunteer in the Guard. ....... Are you driven by a sense of duty?　You'd be better off feeding that to the dogs.

　Commander Bolton sniffed.

We're poorly paid, but we're always in danger. And unlike adventurers, we're not allowed to run away when we're in danger. It's the worst working environment. And on top of that, you're looked down upon by the Knights. Do you understand that?
"Yes.

　I nodded.

I have no other choice. I'm ready.
"Huh. Is there a reason you're here?　Otherwise, a B-rank adventurer wouldn't have come to this place.

　Commander Bolton stroked his beard with his hand.

"We're thirsty for useful people. But we can't just hire anyone and everyone. If we hire someone without skills, he'll die soon. This is not a morgue. And the food tastes bad when someone who has some compassion dies. That's why I'm giving you a recruitment test to see how good you are. There are some B-rank adventurers who are parasites on their party members and have no skills. Let me see how good you are. If you can pass the test, I'll hire you.


Yeah. Okay. I'm looking forward to it.

　That's how I ended up taking the recruitment test for the guards.