Volume 8 Chapter 14 Volunteers
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”So yeah,” Klock said, rubbing the back of his neck, “I decided we should hire some people.”
The inn room was cramped enough that their knees almost touched, the three of them squeezed around a crooked little table. Klock carried that buzz of someone who’d just come back from running errands all over town, shoulders still charged with leftover momentum. Cianie lounged opposite him with her usual cool, unreadable calm, like the whole world was happening somewhere far away. Across from them, Suzette frowned slightly, tilting her head, suspicion flickering in her eyes.
”There’s this guy who used to be in the Rushelora city guard,” Klock went on. “He offered to help. I told him to ask around for anyone else who might want to work with us. I figure… five or six people, maybe. I want them to handle scouting around town for us. Y’know, instead of Cianie.”
”You want to expand the team and run recon?” Suzette’s voice was crisp, polite but edged with doubt. “Is that… really necessary? Even we are sitting idle most of the time.”
She stood so properly when she said it—back straight, gaze fixed on Klock like she was answering an exam question—and it somehow made her skepticism feel sharper.
And to be fair, she wasn’t wrong to question it. Right now, the only one actually doing anything around town was Cianie. Klock had been drifting. Suzette too. Even Meina had mostly been lingering around without a clear mission. Bringing in new people when the ones they already had were half-idle… it did sound strange.
”If we’re gonna make this place our base, we need patrols and intel,” Klock said, leaning forward. “The city isn’t sending troops, and they’re not sharing info with us either. We gotta handle our own defenses. Right now Cianie’s been doing the scouting, but that’s not sustainable. Viola’s a pain, sure, but we can’t just sit back forever. One of our Hero party’s already been taken out. If we keep stalling, the whole situation might collapse.”
”Then you mean… to send Lady Cianie to the front.” Suzette’s tone softened slightly, as if confirming.
”Yeah. We’ll stop chasing Viola for now. Our actual goal’s to drive out the Demon Lord’s Army. Time to focus on that. I want Cianie to head west on campaign, and to do that, we need other people patrolling the surrounding area.”
They didn’t really know how the war was going anymore. Last they’d heard from Hermine, Humans were losing badly. Since then, no new intel. For all they knew, everything had already changed. The longer they stayed stuck here, the worse the dread got, like invisible hands tightening on their chests.
They had to get the Hero to the battlefield, fast. They couldn’t just sit here. But as long as Viola was hunting Klock specifically, they couldn’t send him out either. Keeping Cianie close had been the safest choice.
Still… if they stayed holed up waiting to spot Viola’s main body, they might end up watching the whole Human side lose from the sidelines. And that would be beyond pathetic. They had to push Cianie to the front soon, even if it meant taking risks.
”Cianie can’t fight near this town anyway,” Klock added, almost casually. “If she does, people’ll figure out where the Hero is. Then that vampire will be here in no time. Sure, we could just teleport away, but if we keep running every time she spots us, we’ll never get anywhere. Better to hit the Demon Lord’s Army hard and fast.”
”Why use these hires, though?” Suzette asked. “Are we not enough?”
”Not really. Just us three isn’t cutting it. If we spend a whole day just checking a tiny patch of land, that’s nothing. We need more eyes to cover a wider area. However many show up, I want you and Meina to lead the scout squads. Honestly, I know it should be me, but…”
”I understand.” Suzette inclined her head, voice settling into quiet resolve. “Sir Klock should not leave this town. If someone must go, it will be me. Ms. Meina should remain as your dedicated guard.”
Okay. At least she got what he was trying to say. Meina was actually good at stealth, so he’d thought of sending her with Suzette, but then Klock would be left with no one guarding him. That would be… a problem.
”Wait—no, hold on,” Cianie said suddenly, tension slipping into her voice. “Klock, I—”
”Cianie.” Klock cut her off gently. “Even if you go on campaign, it’ll just be during the day. You come back when the sun sets. We’ll set up a portal to Barreith, and you pop back every night like always. Just like your usual day trips.”
”…Right.” Her shoulders eased slightly. “Got it.”
”I want to go too, believe me,” Klock said with a wry smile, “but until we figure out how to deal with Viola, I can’t.”
He headed off her complaint before she could even form it. It made sense she’d be annoyed—she only agreed to fight if she could stay by his side, and now he was asking her to break that condition. But if it was just a quick out-and-back each day, it wasn’t so different from her normal outings.
Viola was only dangerous at night, under the moon. That was why it was considered fine for Klock to be alone in the daytime. They didn’t shadow him twenty-four-seven. The only reason that worked at all was because vampires were famously weak to sunlight.
”Anyway. So, uh… sorry, Cianie, but can you lend me some money?”
”…Sir Klock?”
He pressed his hands together like he was praying. The first to react, though, wasn’t Cianie—it was Suzette, eyes narrowing like a hunting cat who’d just caught the scent of something suspicious.
”It’s not for fun money,” Klock said quickly. “It’s to pay them. If we hire them, we have to pay them.”
”…I see.”
Her piercing stare softened, though a faint sigh escaped her. Apparently she’d thought he was asking for play money. Honestly, fair, given his reputation.
”How much do you need?”
”No clue. Depends how many show up. They’ll basically be guards, so… I’ll ask Boston about the going rate.”
”Alright. I’ll hand you ten gold coins for now.”
”…You just… casually pull out that much cash, huh.”
At least, for now, they had a plan. A temporary one, sure. They’d have to adjust fast if anything went wrong. But for the moment, it was something to push them forward, break the stalemate.
* * *
”…Boston?”
”Yes, sir?”
Klock squinted at him. When he voiced his doubt, the ex-captain of the Rushelora guard stood even straighter, answering with crisp dignity. The second he’d realized Klock wasn’t just some random traveler, his whole tone had shifted to deferential.
”Uh… isn’t this… a bit many people?”
”38, sir.”
Boston said it with a trace of pride. The row of faces behind him all fixed sharp gazes on Klock at once, and he instinctively looked away, throat tightening.
They had gathered in the old square at the edge of town, a quieter spot away from the crowded streets. In this packed town, even drifting apart a little could get you lost, so it had been the easiest place to meet.
The people Boston had gathered ranged from scary-looking to barely holding their swords right, but every one of them had once been Rushelora city guards—and every one had said they were willing to help the Hero.
”…Sir Klock,” Suzette murmured at his shoulder.
”Yeah. I know.”
He didn’t even have to look at her to know what she meant. There were way more than they could afford. Way more than they could pay. Somehow he’d have to turn most of them away. This was… way beyond their capacity. He was not ready for this.
”Wait, didn’t you just start asking yesterday?” Klock asked Boston. “How’d you gather this many?”
”We’ve had no homes to return to,” Boston said plainly. “We’ve been staying near here together. Safer this way, in times like these. Better to stick with people we know.”
”Ah. Makes sense.”
So they hadn’t been running around to gather recruits at all. They’d already been clustered here, just waiting for something to do.
They’d already all been clustered around the scruffy little bar that had turned into their unofficial camp—so the moment Boston passed along Klock’s idea, it had rippled through the whole bunch like spilled ale across a table.
Damn it. This had gone off the rails fast.
These guys didn’t have homes. Or jobs. Or even steady meals. They were probably wondering how they’d pay for tomorrow’s bread. Asking them to work without pay would be cruel—and flat-out rejecting them after they’d all shown up like this wasn’t exactly appealing either.
…And seriously, how had this blown up so fast? They were supposed to be keeping things low-key, not starting a parade.
Klock rubbed the back of his neck and forced himself to look them over slowly, like he was inspecting fruit at a market while his mind spun at full speed.
A few young men stood stiff-backed, nervous energy twitching in their fingers. More of them were older—weathered faces, sharp eyes quietly sizing Klock up like seasoned veterans who’d walk away without a word if he said something stupid.
*If they start talking about the Hero being here in Barreith, that’ll be a problem.* He chewed the thought like gristle. *Maybe I could borrow more from Cianie… She’d probably hand it over with zero questions, but Suzette’s gonna flip. She’d say the cost-benefit’s trash. Which… fair.*
If he wanted to cut labor costs, he either had to cut the headcount or cut the pay. But ten gold coins wouldn’t last long with this many people. And lowering the pay would probably backfire.
Food was already scarce. Prices were high. If their wages didn’t even cover their meals, resentment would start boiling. And if it boiled over, half-measures would only make it worse.
”Uh—sorry,” Klock said at last, voice awkward. “This is way more people than I expected. Honestly… I can’t afford to hire you all.”
”…Can’t afford…?” one of the men echoed, frowning.
”Yeah. I figured maybe five or six of you would come. Keeping up pay for this many isn’t exactly easy for us either.”
It felt better to be honest, even if it stung.
The words came out hesitant, almost sheepish. But instead of looking disappointed or angry, the men just looked… puzzled.
”Please wait,” said one of them. “You can’t deal with the Demon Lord’s Army with so few.”
”Huh? Oh—no, no. I was asking you guys to do scouting,” Klock said, waving a hand quickly. “Just patrol work. I wasn’t gonna throw you into fights.”
”What?” another said, brows shooting up. “You don’t need soldiers? We can fight! The Hero’s in trouble, right? We’ll swing our swords for her, gladly!”
Ah. So that was what they’d thought.
Boston stepped forward, voice firm, and several of the men behind him stood too, chairs scraping.
The air thickened with raw eagerness, the kind that prickled the back of Klock’s neck. They didn’t even need to say it—the way they stood said everything. They were ready to fight.
”Please wait,” Suzette’s voice cut cleanly through the rising heat.
She stepped between Klock and the ex-guards, posture straight, gaze cold enough to stop them mid-breath.
”Honored men of the Rushelora city guard,” she began, her tone carrying that sharp maid-like formality. “I am the attendant of Lady Hero Anna.
You have gathered to serve as her soldiers, yes. However, I must apologize—we cannot hire you in that way. The Hero is a warrior and an adventurer, not nobility or a wealthy patron. She may have more means than commoners, but she does not have the funds to keep private soldiers.”
She had clearly expected Klock to choke here and stepped in like a blade slipping through a gap.
Her words left no room for debate, her refusal crisp and final.
And when her piercing gaze swept across them, their heated momentum faltered like sparks in rain.
”Well sure, money’s an issue,” one man muttered, rubbing his neck. “But… couldn’t the Hero borrow from the guild or somethin’?”
”The adventurers’ guild in this town has already been shut down,” Suzette answered without pause.
”Then what about subsidies from the government?”
”The government has already fallen. And if you mean appealing to other cities, it would be far more efficient to request troops directly from them than to raise pay for individuals.”
That one landed like a dull thud.
Apparently they’d pinned way too much hope on the word “Hero.” A few of the men sagged, faces folding into awkward frowns as the weight of reality settled in.
”Sorry,” Klock said, scratching his cheek. “I’d love to hire you all after you went to the trouble of showing up…”
”Then what about… y’know, just taking it from the bandits?” someone called suddenly. “Those bastards must’ve hoarded piles by now. They even hit Rushelora’s evacuees. We got every right to take it back.”
”…Bandits?” Klock echoed.
The word sparked a faint memory.
That kid in the square had mentioned fighting bandits on the road to Barreith.
”I heard about it from one of the locals,” the man said, warming up. “There’s a bandit gang using this town as a base. I’m sure it was them who attacked us.”
”Yeah, I heard that too,” another chimed in. “They’re holed up near the old quarter, supposedly. Lately they’ve been targeting people fleeing here.”
”Let’s crush ’em and take back what’s ours!” a younger man barked. “Their gold’s ours by rights!”
One after another they started talking, like boys tattling on some playground bully.
The bitterness was real. Understandable, honestly—they’d been attacked.
Still, the way some of them were grinding their teeth, veins standing out at their temples, made Klock wonder just how bad the damage had been.
Bandit gangs usually didn’t roam far.
If they’d shown up, their base was probably nearby. Usually outside town, but if the place was chaotic enough, they might hole up right inside it.
And Barreith… yeah. Barreith was perfect for that. The rumor that they’d rooted themselves here was disturbingly plausible.
”Sir Brave Knight,” one of the men said suddenly, using the half-joking title they’d stuck on him. “Couldn’t you make something work? We’ve got the will, at least.”
”Everyone, calm down!” Boston barked, stepping forward. “I know you’re angry after being driven from your homes, but these people have their own circumstances!”
The men had gotten loud, voices bouncing off the square walls, and Boston’s sharp tone only just kept them from boiling over.
Klock stayed silent, weighing it. One wrong word could turn all their anger on him in an instant.
Yeah. They needed to leave before this got hotter.
”…Alright,” he said finally, forcing his voice even. “We’ll take the idea back with us. And we’ll talk with Anna about the bandit thing.”
That was enough to sound like a promise and get the air to ease.
Money would have to be sorted later—with Cianie and Suzette both, probably—but the bandits? That he could stall on.
They were about to fight the Demon Lord’s Army. They didn’t have time to go chasing thieves.
The refugees being attacked was awful, yeah… but that was the city’s problem.
Klock and the others had their own role to focus on.
”By the way,” someone piped up as they were turning to leave, “you’re the Brave Knight, huh? Hah. I figured it was an all-girl party.”
”What do you even do, anyway?” another asked. “You don’t seem like a knight. Or a mage.”
”Ah—shut it, shut it,” Klock shot back, flustered. “No questions for the Brave Knight! Alright, we’re leaving. Outta the way—go on, break it up!”
He shoved through the press of curious stares, grabbing Suzette’s sleeve as he dragged her away from the square.
Notes:
• Suzette – The older maid from Viscount Fennec. The head maid at the Viscount Fennec’s villa. She is confident, clear-spoken, and professional.
• Cianie – A noble girl with a fluffy white and light blue dress, indicating her high status. She has a hesitant and flustered personality but is kind and courteous. Her relationship with Klock begins as an accidental encounter and develops into a romantic interest. She has a fiancé but expresses feelings for Klock, complicating their relationship.
• Rushelora – A port where demons are allowed to stay at embassies under special circumstances. It is a location where humans and demons have trade relations.
• Meina – She is a golden-haired catgirl employee of the beastman (Larana the cat woman) Inn, appeared performing fellatio, desperate and tear-streaked, with an inexperienced yet earnest approach to her work.
• Hermine – Daughter of the Emperor of the Second Empire of Dusselhelm. A companion and friend of Anna. The mage. She is pragmatic and encourages Anna to focus on her duties as a hero rather than her personal revenge.
• Boston – Adelina’s father, who holds a position of power within the church hierarchy. He has a dark secret regarding the death of his wife, Adelina’s mother.
• Anna – The legendary Hero, chosen to defeat the Demon Lord. Her past life is Sylvia Croce. She is described as a heavenly being with overwhelming skill and a merciless attitude.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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