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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: The Count's Daughter
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Clang! Clang!
As I walked toward the shop, lost in all sorts of thoughts, I spotted a crowd gathering in the middle of the street amid a racket of loud noises.
"Wealth and honor await you! Why not become a hero in this chaotic continent?"
A man dressed in a sharp uniform was shouting energetically amid the crowd. From the looks of it, he was recruiting for the Count's family. But the people's reaction was ice-cold.
"Crazy bastard... I heard the Count's family is starting a territorial war these days. Guess it's true."
"Joining as a soldier right now? You'd come back half-crippled for sure."
"Mom! I wanna be a soldier!"
Smack!
"Who told you to say crap like that? You wanna drive your mom insane?"
The clueless kid who had been babbling got smacked on the back and burst into tears. People tossed insults at the recruiter and dispersed. The recruiter didn't seem like a regular soldier—more like a sergeant major or something. Even as people cursed him out, he steadfastly kept calling for recruits.
Then, as he was fervently urging people to enlist, his gaze landed on me. His mouth dropped open, and his eyes went wide as saucers. He rushed over to me in a fluster.
"You there! Are you a mercenary?"
"...Not yet."
I hadn't registered yet, after all. At my words, the man's lips curled up to his ears.
"In that case, how about joining the Count's soldiers?"
A soldier for the Count's family. It wasn't a bad deal, really. Mercenaries and soldiers each had their pros and cons. The advantages of being a mercenary were freedom and high pay, while a soldier's perks included steady pay even without wars.
On the flip side, soldiers got less pay than mercenaries during wartime. And from what I'd heard, the Count's family was gearing up for a territorial war. Fighting for that kind of pay didn't sound appealing...
"I get what you're thinking, but war won't break out right away! And even if it does, so what? You'd rack up huge merits for sure! Don't you want to become like those knights up there?"
As if reading my mind, the recruiter started listing the upsides of soldier life. Sure, racking up merits as a soldier might get you knighted faster than as a mercenary, but that assumed you could actually earn those merits. My head wasn't full of flowers.
"I'll think it over some more. Anyway..."
"Wait!"
The recruiter's hand grabbed me again.
"I've never seen talent like yours before. How about just coming to the camp once?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Hey, you worthless shits! What the hell did I tell you to do? Clean your barracks and rest up for combat, didn't I?"
"We did!"
"Do I look like a fucking joke to you?"
"No, sir!"
"Then why the fuck are you lazing around like it's your dick? Don't you know who I am? I'm not telling you not to have fun. Do your jobs and follow the rules, and I won't say shit. Right?"
"Yes, sir!"
This was the scene that greeted me the moment I arrived at the camp. Soldiers were bowing their heads before a man who looked strict as hell at first glance. The recruiter hurried over to the sergeant major, whispering something in his ear.
In an instant, the sergeant's gaze flicked to me. His fierce expression vanished, replaced by a gentle smile as he helped the soldiers up from kowtowing on the dirt ground.
"Whoa there! Guess I got too worked up. You lot! Don't just bow your heads like that at everything~ A sergeant major's orders might be tough sometimes—you gotta know when to push back a little! Now get inside and rest up~"
The soldiers looked baffled by the sudden change, but they soon lit up like it was Christmas and scampered into the barracks.
Once they were all inside, the sergeant major approached me with a warm smile and extended his hand.
"Impressive build you've got! Here to enlist?"
"Nah, just came to check it out since he invited me."
"Is that right? Haha! No matter. Take a look around as much as you like."
He clapped me on the back and gave me a sly look.
"Not just saying this 'cause it's you, but that sword you're carrying—isn't that a two-hander? Looks bigger than the usual ones."
"Yeah."
"If you can handle a two-hander, you could start as a vanguard swordsman right away. Take a tour and think it over. Vanguard swordsmen get three times the regular soldier's pay, you know."
Three times a regular soldier's pay. How much was that, anyway? He grinned and told me.
"Two crowns a month. Up to four in wartime."
That meant vanguard swordsmen pulled in nearly six crowns a month, or a pound plus two crowns during war. One gold coin and two large silvers. Prices here weren't like on Earth— in Korean terms, that was like a cool million won a month.
At first glance, you might think, "Whoa, god-tier job?" But there was a catch. Even the lowliest mercenaries made six crowns in wartime, and veterans often got paid in pounds.
Nobles didn't go bankrupt from territorial wars for nothing. They shelled out fortunes hiring soldiers and mercenaries to uphold their honor, only to cough up defeat reparations and wages on top. That's why even the swaggering "I've got money to burn" nobles ended up with their finances in the toilet.
"It's good money and all... but I'd rather go mercenary. I heard war's coming soon."
I hesitated but decided to turn it down. If there were no wars and no demand for mercenaries, maybe—but with war brewing, joining as a soldier was pure idiocy.
But right then, a commotion erupted at the front of the camp. A soldier came sprinting up, panting so hard he could barely speak before the sergeant major.
"S-Sergeant Major, sir! Big trouble!"
"Regillon! What's got you running like that?"
"Th-the Lady! I mean, the Lady's coming to the camp!"
"The Lady?"
"Lady Lenia! She's here in person!"
The sergeant's eyes bulged so wide I worried they'd pop out.
"Company, emergency assembly! Emergency assembly!"
His roar boomed like thunder, and soldiers poured out of the barracks half-dressed. The sergeant major slapped his forehead.
"You idiots! Emergency assembly means full gear! Get your asses back in there!"
The soldiers scrambled back inside. When they emerged again, they looked like utter wrecks—no defeated army had it this bad. Some couldn't find their helmets or boots and had just thrown on gambesons. Others wore helmets but dragged their gambesons and boots in their hands.
A massive brawl must've broken out in the barracks. These were the survivors. The sergeant major's face turned beet red as he hopped mad. Who the hell was this Lady Lenia to cause such chaos? I was clicking my tongue at the thought when a chilling voice rang out from the barracks entrance.
"What is the meaning of this?!"
"..."
I turned and lost my words. She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. Her soft golden hair, like it was spun from gold thread, gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight, and her blue eyes sparkled like the finest turquoise.
In the tense atmosphere, I discreetly bowed my head and slipped to the side.
"I asked what this is."
Her beautiful golden hair cascaded like a waterfall with every step. And her skin—snow-white and translucent, yet not pale, but radiantly healthy. It was captivating enough to steal anyone's gaze.
The only flaw was her icy face and eyes, but with such stunning beauty backing it up, it came off as an alluring charm point. Chilly voice, cold expression—perfect match.
"Sir!"
As the woman approached, the sergeant major—who'd been bellowing at the soldiers moments ago—froze up and snapped a salute.
"I'm not here for salutes. What is this mess? Why are the soldiers in such a state?"
"W-Well... we didn't get any notice..."
The golden-haired Lady grilled the sergeant major in a frosty voice, her face expressionless. What was scarier was how high her status must be for a grizzled vet like him to be utterly speechless.
Woman, noble, Lady. I quickly pieced together her position. I had no idea why someone like her was gracing this camp... but she had to be the daughter of Cligrove's ruler, Count Cligrove.
I couldn't fathom why the noble Lady had come to a place like this, but I figured it was time to slip away. No good getting caught in a whale fight as a shrimp—especially with the pissed-off Count's daughter.
But life doesn't go as planned, does it? As she verbally flayed the sergeant major, her eyes turned toward me.
"Are you a soldier too?"