Despite what she’d said, there were numerous problems with the recruitment.
From the very outset, Patausche Kivia’s mission was doomed to fail. There were simply too many impossible aspects.
Norgalle, on the other hand, was beyond optimistic. “If I, the king, call out and raise my flag, surely all the brave men of my kingdom will gather before me. Therefore, the most difficult part of our task will be choosing our soldiers. We must seek out those with exceptional resolve and strategic talent. It will be your task to select the best of the best, Patausche Kivia.” Norgalle stroked his golden moustache. “Commoners will be too nervous to approach the royal palace, so we must choose a more suitable location.”
“…All right.”
Patausche wasn’t thrilled to be following Norgalle’s orders, but she knew he was right. They couldn’t just set up shop in a corner of the military camp. Civilians weren’t even allowed to enter, and rather than asking for special permission as a couple of penal heroes, it would be far easier to simply borrow a private facility in town.
In the end, Patausche set her sights on a multipurpose community building in the East Targano district. It was a popular public space open to all citizens of the First Capital and was used for a wide range of events including plays, concerts, guild meetings, and temporary flea markets. And today, it would serve as a recruitment facility for the penal heroes.
Naturally, its usage wasn’t free, but Venetim was able to pay the whole fee in cash—and with real money, not military notes. This took Patausche by surprise, but she decided not to pry. Still, how had he gotten his hands on so much money? Dotta had lost the tournament, hadn’t he? She got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach just thinking about it.
At any rate, everything seemed to be in order—or so they thought.
“This is the first I’m hearing about it.”
A man in a military uniform greeted them, his gaze as heavy as lead. Patausche suspected he was from some big shot noble’s unit. He had skin as pale as Venetim’s, untouched by the sun. He must have been on guard duty in the capital for some time.
“Me and my men have this place booked for at least the next ten days,” he said.
“Well, nobody told us about that.” Patausche pushed back as hard as she could. She couldn’t exactly issue the man orders, so she had to pinpoint where the misunderstanding had occurred instead. And besides, it was in her nature to root out the cause whenever she encountered something unreasonable.
“On whose authority are you using this building? Do you have proof of your claim? We’ve received explicit written permission.”
“On whose authority, you ask? Why, that would be Commander Dusan, leader of the royal capital’s Thirty-Seventh Heavy Assault Brigade.” Patausche showed him her documentation.
He gave it a cursory glance. “We’re throwing a feast to honor the brave souls in our unit who fought through the winter and the patriots who gave us their financial support. To do that, we needed a large facility in the city. And they’re all basically the same, right?”
Patausche was speechless with rage. “The brave souls in our unit who fought through the winter”? Is he serious?
The commanders of units guarding the capital were often backed by wealthy nobles. Many of them were called cavalry units or shock troops, but in Patausche’s estimation, the only ones guarding the capital who deserved her respect were a few elites in the Holy Knights, or those in the logistics and administrative departments.
The rest were mostly lazy, complacent bums who spent their days enjoying the relative peace afforded by proximity to the First Capital, far from the danger of the front lines. And they had only the vigorous efforts of their commanders to thank for such comfy positions.
“…But surely, you don’t need the entire facility for your party,” countered Patausche. She wasn’t too happy to be having this conversation, but she was determined to fulfill her duty. “We’ve already paid to use the building. We’ll simply set up a tent outside if necessary.”
“I’m afraid that’s not happening. You lot are penal heroes, right?” The man with the leaden gaze swung one hand as if swatting away in insect. “Just being near you might ruin our esteemed patriots’ moods.” He smiled thinly. “Though I guess we could make an exception if you offer to be our servers.”
“You—” Patausche unconsciously clenched her fist. But just then, someone shouted.
“What is wrong with you, you imbecile?!” It was Norgalle. He’d moved in front of Patausche at some point and fixed the man with his usual imposing expression. “I am personally recruiting soldiers for my royal guard! You fools call yourselves soldiers? The chain of command is the very foundation of the military. Without it, how can we ever expect to achieve victory?”
“…What’s with this guy?” The man glanced at Norgalle, clearly annoyed. “You’re startin’ to piss me off, old man. Get lost.”
“U-u-u-unforgivable!” Norgalle was so furious, he could barely speak. “Do you not know who I am?! I am Norgalle Zef-Zeal Meht Kioh! Bring me your commander! I shall have you punished for this insolence at once!”
“R-relax…Your Majesty.” Patausche had no choice but to address him with his royal title. His shouting had gotten the attention of everyone around them, and people were starting to gather. “There must have been some kind of miscommunication. Let’s step away for now and think of something el—”
“Silence, Patausche Kivia! We cannot allow such disrespect to go unpunished! The resulting chaos could bring down the nation! Arrest this buffoon at once!”
“Well, yes. I can see where you’re coming from…”
“Come on… What the heck is goin’ on here? This geezer is seriously off his rocker…”
The man began to retreat in the face of Norgalle’s menacing expression. He looked toward the other solders around him for help. It seemed Patausche had no choice.
“Sorry.”
Once she’d made her decision, Patausche swiftly took action. She elbowed Norgalle in the jaw, causing his head to snap back. She then locked her arm around his throat, putting him in a chokehold. Though Norgalle was physically imposing, he lacked combat experience. He quickly slumped over, unconscious.
“Huh?” The man took another step back, clearly shocked. Those around them began to stir.
“…I’m wasting my time here,” said Patausche. “I’ll find somewhere else.”
With those words, she left the building, dragging Norgalle along with her.
I’ll bet everyone is staring at us now, she thought.