We began the search for new Guard Corps recruits in order to bolster our forces.
“Do any of us even know anyone who’s any good, though?” Spinoza grumbled, her hands locked behind her head.
“You go to the pub a lot, don’t you? What about your drinking buddies?” I asked.
“Nah, those guys’d be duds. They can’t do a damn thing unless they’ve got booze in ’em at all times. They’d just be a buncha useless staggerin’ morons on the battlefield.”
“Seira, Alma, what about you two? I figured you in particular would know a few people, Seira.”
“I do know a lot of people, but not when it comes to skilled combatants... I think anyone I know would have a difficult time battling out there as a guard.”
“I’m in the same boat as my lady. There isn’t even an Adventurers’ Guild in this city, is there? In that case, there won’t be too many citizens who can handle actual combat.”
“You’re probably right,” I admitted. “Fam, what about you?”
“Why on earth would you think I have any acquaintances?” Fam chuckled. “I can introduce you to a few stray cat friends, though, if you think that would help.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I think I’ll pass,” I muttered.
Our party had been utterly defeated.
There just weren’t that many people among the general populace who could battle monsters. That was the whole reason fighters like us were able to earn our keep as guards.
“So what about you, Sieg?” Spinoza asked.
“Is there anyone you know who would be capable?” Seira’s interest was piqued as well.
“Yeah, I guess you could say I do,” I responded, to everyone’s surprise.
“Nice!” Spinoza grinned. “Been holding out on us, huh?”
“This whole time I had thought you were almost as antisocial as I am, but I guess you’re actually the cheery type who just looks like the gloomy type. I feel a bit betrayed,” Fam mourned.
“Some of the only people I know just so happen to meet the criteria, that’s all. That doesn’t make me a social person,” I corrected her. “Whether they’re even interested is another matter, though. They have their own lives to live, after all. But if nothing else, I can at least talk to them about it.”
✦ ✦ ✦
We decided to go ahead and try out my contacts right away.
“You want me to join the Guard Corps?”
Upon hearing our rundown of the situation, Haruna’s eyes widened in surprise. She was a mage for the party I used to be in, the Crimson Fangs. Her most memorable traits were her fiery scarlet hair and her haughty, catlike eyes.
“Yeah. Interested at all?” I asked.
“Well...I’d definitely love to help you out—I owe you, after all—but I still have my work here at the magic academy.”
Ever since Haruna had made the royal capital her home base, she had been working as an instructor at the magic academy. She had always had a rather nurturing personality, and from what I had heard, her students thought quite highly of her as well.
It had also been thanks to that same trait of hers that I had ended up able to fit in with the others back when I had first joined the Crimson Fangs.
We were speaking with Haruna in one of the school buildings on the magic academy grounds; she had ended up squeezing in some time for us during a break between classes.
“They finally brought me on as a full-time lecturer not too long ago, so I’m usually booked solid during the days now. I feel bad, but I really can’t...”
“That’s okay. It’s not a big deal,” I said. “Congratulations on your promotion to full-time, though!”
“You’re not upset about that? If I had still been part-time, I could’ve helped the guards out.”
“My friend’s hard work paid off. Why would I be anything other than happy?”
“That part of you hasn’t changed a bit, Sieg.” Haruna gave a sudden soft smile. “Thank you. Hearing that from a friend really makes me happy.”
We exchanged smiles. There had been some misunderstandings and strained relations between us in the past, but our lingering issues had been cleared up, and our relationship was back to how it had been originally. Even though we were in different lines of work, the bond between us remained strong.
“Do you have any other connections, though?” she asked.
“You know me, Haruna. I don’t know that many people.”
“True—you’re the silent type, so you’re not much for starting conversations. Well, that’s a lot more likable than people who flap their gums constantly, if you ask me,” she said, then added, “though it seems like you’ve gotten better at holding normal conversations since you became a guard, don’t you think?”
“It’s part of the job. I can’t be an effective squad sergeant if I avoid communicating with my team members. Any failure to communicate will end up hindering our work.”
“You really are serious to a fault—just like you always were back in our party. Always trying to play your part properly, no matter what.”
“Though a lot of the time I never say a single word on my days off.”
“That’s a bit excessive, don’t you think?”
“Once I was given three days off in a row. When I went back to work, I had forgotten how to speak,” I admitted.
“Next time you get a block of time off like that, you need to stop by and say hi, okay?” Haruna said, a smile plastered over her disbelief. “By the way, if you’re looking for people to reach out to, why not try Irene? By now she’s probably starting to get nervous about her funds running out.”
“Good point... Last time I saw her, she still hadn’t had any luck finding a job. If I offered, she might well take me up on it.”
“You should head over to the inn where she’s staying.”