"So, it’s finally come."
A few days after the incident with the Axe of the Thunder God, Rei muttered to himself as he scanned the request form posted on the guild’s request board.
The notice was a recruitment call for mercenaries to serve in the upcoming war. Although direct hostilities with the Bestia Empire had not yet broken out, everyone understood that conflict was now a foregone conclusion. Perhaps because of this shared realization, there was no outward sign of panic among the crowd.
The request was restricted to those above Rank E. The base pay was set at one silver coin per day, with bonuses added according to an adventurer’s rank, past achievements, or specific special abilities.
While one silver coin sounded meager, it would be paid even during the travel time from the City of Gilm to the battlefield. Furthermore, for the duration of the contract, the employer—in this case, Margrave Larcus—would provide for all basic needs, including food and lodging. Even weapon maintenance and repairs would be handled by military blacksmiths. Consequently, that one silver coin represented pure daily profit for anyone who signed on.
Of course, the alcohol distributed during meals was limited to a few cups, and the food was nothing more than standard military rations. Anyone wanting something better would have to pay out of their own pocket.
The adventurers surrounding Rei were already deep in consultation, debating whether to take the plunge.
"Well? What are we doing? There’ve been rumors about war since winter, but now..."
"I’m in. I’m not about to let those imperial bastards trample all over this country! I’ll give them a hell of a welcome, then squeeze every bit of compensation I can out of them."
"Hmm, I’m still on the fence. Monsters are one thing, but I’ve never been fond of killing people."
"...My rank’s too low, so I’m automatically benched."
"Why the hell is Rank E the cutoff?! I’m confident I could take a Rank D guy in a straight fight!"
"I’m staying behind. I can’t just watch the city’s defenses go to seed because everyone was drafted for the front."
"I’ll use my bow to ventilate the skulls of those imperial invaders. If I clear out their brains, maybe those imperial army types will finally get some fresh air in their heads."
As Rei listened to the chatter of the various parties, he suddenly felt a tug on his Dragon Robe. He turned his head to find Kenny, the cat beastman who worked as a guild receptionist.
Her eyes, usually shimmering with curiosity, were now clouded with worry as she looked up at him.
"What is it?"
"A nomination request came in for you, Rei-kun. Regarding the war."
"I see."
Rei had half-expected this. Given that his true strength was evaluated far higher than his rank suggested, a direct nomination was predictable. Even if one hadn't come, Rei had enough of a grudge against the Bestia Empire that he would have volunteered anyway.
Elena will be participating as the figurehead of the Noble's Faction, too, he thought. And then there’s...
The next image to cross his mind was that of a pleasure killer who delighted in murder—the traitor who had revealed his true colors at the final hour while serving in Elena's Escort Knight Order.
Vel Sails... It’s my fault he wasn't finished off then. If that’s the case, I’ll be the one to take his head.
"Rei-kun?"
"No, it’s nothing. You said it was a nomination request?"
Kenny looked at his face with lingering concern, but she performed her duties as a guild staff member and spoke.
"Yes. It’s a nomination request directly from Margrave Larcus. He said that if you accept, he wants you to come to the Lord's Mansion immediately. What do you want to do?"
Her tone made it clear she would prefer he didn't go. Rei understood her concern, but he met her gaze with eyes full of resolve and nodded.
"No problem. Of course I’ll accept."
"Are you sure? This is war, Rei-kun. It’s not like before. You won’t just be fighting monsters; you’ll be fighting people."
"Yeah, I know. But I’ve already killed thieves and their ilk. I’m not going to spout some hypocritical, pathetic nonsense about how I can’t kill a person. If I couldn't handle that, I wouldn't have become an adventurer in the first place."
Rei had already taken many lives since arriving in the world of Elgin. He certainly didn't share Vel’s twisted pleasure in the act, and he still felt a natural revulsion toward killing, but he had chosen this class with his eyes open. This world—and the frontier in particular—was not a place where one could survive while clinging to a sentiment that wavered between kindness and weakness.
"I see... I understand. I’ll send word to the mansion. When can you go for the briefing?"
"I’m ready whenever. If it suits them, I can go right now."
"Then right now it is."
"Are you serious?"
The other party was a high noble and the lord of the region. Rei had expected it to take a few days to coordinate a personal meeting with such a figure, and he looked taken aback by her promptness.
"Ahaha. That might be the first time I’ve seen you make a face like that, Rei-kun. But they were very insistent that you come as quickly as possible. I can pretty much guess what it's for, though."
"The Item Box, I take it."
"Exactly. Full marks."
Kenny’s words didn't surprise Rei. It was obvious that this war would require the full strength of the Kingdom of Mireana. In such a crisis, factional politics had to take a backseat. In fact, if they let internal strife get in the way, victory against the Bestia Empire would be impossible.
Knowing what he did of the empire's beast soldiers and the magic items they produced through alchemy, Rei had reached that conclusion instinctively.
However, while he was right, he was also in the minority. As the saying goes, "seeing is believing," and many who had not witnessed the Bestia Empire's power first-hand were still dismissing the threat and taking the reports lightly.
"The Neutral Faction is committing a massive force this time, and a lot of adventurers from Gilm are signing up. When that many people move at once..."
"They need rations, spare weapons, camping tents, and a mountain of other supplies."
"Correct. And that means a massive train of carriages. But if there’s an Item Box user present..."
"The logistical nightmare of transport vanishes. And the marching speed of the units leaving the city can be drastically increased."
"That’s the gist of it. Whether you accept this nomination request or not will likely change the entire pace of the army’s departure, so it’s only natural they want to settle the matter quickly. Plus, if you’re the one carrying the supplies, they don't have to worry as much about the quality or quantity being compromised."
"Fair enough. Understood. I’ll head to the Lord's Mansion now."
"Yes, please do... Rei-kun."
As Rei turned to leave the guild, Kenny called out to his back.
"...Please don't die, okay?"
"Yeah, leave it to me. I reached Rank C in record time for this guild, remember? And I did it here in Gilm. Besides, I have Seto. I’m not going to be careless, but I’m not going down that easily, either."
Rei kept his tone light as he answered her.
In truth, between the beast soldiers and the high-level alchemical magic items, there were no certainties when it came to safety. Even so, he had no desire to cause unnecessary worry for Kenny.
"Right... Yeah. You’ll be fine, Rei-kun. I’m sure of it. Your strength is practically cheating, anyway."
"I don't know if I should take that as a compliment... Well, I’ll be back as soon as the war is over. There’s still a little time before we move out, anyway. If you start worrying this early, you’ll wear yourself out."
With a smile, Rei left the guild, leaving behind a Kenny who was pretending to be huffy to hide her nerves.
"I’m Rei, a C-Rank adventurer. I’m here to see Lord Daskar regarding a nomination request."
"Yeah, we’ve been expecting you. Wait a moment."
Word from the guild must have already arrived. When Rei spoke to the gatekeeper in front of the Lord's Mansion, the man immediately went inside.
As Rei waited, another gatekeeper—one who had become a familiar face to him—spoke up.
"Coming here at a time like this... I assume it’s about the war?"
"I’ve been told there’s a nomination request."
"Ah, for the Item Box."
The gatekeeper correctly guessed the nature of the request before Rei could even finish his sentence.
"You figured it out fast."
"Hard not to. I’ve heard the knights in the supply department practically begging Lord Daskar to get you on board."
"That desperate, huh..."
"Guruuu?"
Seto, who had been listening to the conversation, tilted its head as if to ask what was wrong.
"No, it’s just that more supplies usually means a slower march. It won't be like when just you and I travel, Seto."
Normally, a carriage ride to the nearest city, Abuelo, took about half a day. From Abuelo to Sablusta took over a day. If they were encumbered by a massive supply train and marching infantry, those travel times would only get longer.
As Rei chatted with the gatekeeper and Seto, the man who had gone inside returned.
"Lord Daskar will see you. This maid will show you the way."
"Understood. Seto, you stay here as usual."
"Guruu."
Seto gave a short cry of acknowledgement and headed toward the Lord's Mansion stables.
Rei followed the maid through the mansion until a door that looked like a piece of fine art came into view.
No matter how many times I see it, that door is overwhelming, he thought.
The maid knocked with practiced grace.
"Master, I have brought Rei-sama."
"Yeah, come in."
At the sound of the voice from within, the maid glanced at Rei, asking with her eyes if he was ready. Rei gave a small nod.
The door opened, and...
"Hah! Good to see you, Rei!"
Daskar Larkus—Margrave Larkus, the lord of this region and a central figure of the Neutral Faction—welcomed Rei with a rugged smile from behind his desk, which was piled high with documents.
As always, he doesn't look much like a lord, Rei thought. He kept the sentiment to himself, however, and bowed respectfully.
"Lord Daskar, it’s been a while. I was told there was a nomination request."
"That’s right. I’ll give you the details, but have a seat first. You, bring some drinks and light snacks. And call Keo in here."
"Yes, immediately."
The maid who had guided Rei bowed and withdrew.
As the door closed, Rei took a seat on the sofa.
"I assume the nomination request is for transport using my Item Box?"
"Exactly. We have to use carriages to haul supplies, but they slow the march down to a crawl. I haven't decided on the exact number of adventurers we’re hiring yet, but between them and the army and knight orders we’re dispatching, the sheer volume of supplies will be massive. If we can store those carriages—entire frames and all—in your Item Box, the march will be significantly easier."
"My Item Box can't store living things. What happens to the horses?"
"It’d be a waste to just let them walk, so we’ll have the regular soldiers ride them to conserve their strength. Not the knights, of course—they all have their own mounts or tamed monsters."
"I see. That would definitely preserve their stamina and increase the overall marching speed."
Not every soldier departing from Gilm would be able to ride, so the army would still have to pace itself for the infantry. Even so, the overall efficiency would undoubtedly rise.
"One more thing. We’ll finalize the specifics once Keo—the manager of the supply plan—arrives, but you might be carrying more than just my army’s gear. You should be prepared to transport supplies for other nobles in the Neutral Faction, and potentially even for the Noble's Faction and the King's Faction."
"For the other factions as well?"
Rei’s eyes widened in surprise. To think Daskar would extend such a helping hand to his political rivals.
Daskar must have read the confusion on Rei’s face. He wore a bitter expression, but he didn't retract his statement. Instead, he gave a slow, deliberate nod.
"Yes. The Bestia Empire is likely to commit an overwhelming force to this war. If we spend our time bickering over factions in the middle of it, we’ll only make a bad situation worse. It’s up to the Neutral Faction—the one with the least to lose in these games—to step in and bridge the gap between the royals and the nobles... if we want the Kingdom of Mireana to survive."
Ruling a city like Gilm, which had been the constant target of imperial schemes, had given Daskar a deep sense of foreboding. He felt that this war was different from anything that had come before, and that sense of crisis had driven him to this decision.