My name is Ox.
I am a member of the demon race who immigrated to Village Five.
Contrary to its name, Village Five has developed into something far greater than a mere village. Since I moved here fully expecting a rural settlement, the scale of the place took me by complete surprise.
To be honest, I wish they would change the name. I want to be able to brag to everyone I know that the place I live is a magnificent city.
I’m not the only one who feels this way, either. It seems our voices eventually reached Lady Yoko, the Acting Village Head of Village Five, because rumors of a name change began to circulate.
However, Lady Yoko ultimately announced that the name would remain as it was. It was a disappointment, to be sure.
But there was a silver lining.
Village Five is spread across a small mountain. It was decided that while the summit would remain Village Five, the slopes and the base of the mountain would be called City Five. Individuals are perfectly welcome to refer to the place as City Five, and we are allowed to use that name when dealing with the outside world as well.
Oh! We did it!
Of course, the name Village Five is still used for formal rituals and the like. More importantly, the person at the very top of Village Five is the Village Head. That is absolute.
Yes, I understand that. I was told as much during my immigration briefing. It’s just a shame he rarely shows his face. But regardless, the Village Head is the leader. I have no complaints there.
By a stroke of good luck, I managed to join the Village Five Security Team. The Security Team is an organization led by Lady Pirika, and its primary duty is maintaining order within Village Five. Put simply, we crack down on violent offenders, criminals, and suspicious individuals.
It’s a dangerous job, but a proud one, and the pay is excellent. Most young men living in Village Five dream of joining the team at least once. However, you have to pass an entrance exam to get in, and it’s known for being quite a difficult hurdle. When I finally cleared it, I was so happy I dipped into my savings just to go out drinking.
The next day, I went in imagining myself performing heroic, flashy deeds as a guardsman.
In reality, every single day was training, training, and more training, mostly focused on physical conditioning. While on duty, we weren't even allowed to leave the empty lot near the barracks. The only saving grace was the food provided during our shifts. The portions were huge and the taste was incredible. We were worked so hard that we never gained weight regardless of how much we ate, though. After a month of that, I could feel my body becoming lean and hard.
It was only then that we were finally allowed out of that empty lot. Even so, we weren't assigned to actual security duty yet. Our destination was the base of the mountain—an area where adventurers usually train. That was where we began our combat training.
New recruits undergo training with a variety of weapons before choosing the one that suits them best. I originally wanted to use a sword, but I realized the spear was a better fit for me, so that’s what I chose.
Equipment is provided to every member. I was surprised when they handed me a brand-new, polished spear. I had expected some beat-up, second-hand thing like the ones we used in training. The words "Village Five" were deeply engraved into the shaft.
I told myself I’d never lose it, but then I noticed something else. My own name was engraved on it too.
Wait, why?
Ah, I see. It’s so they can identify the body if the worst happens. Hahaha. I certainly hope that day never comes.
Six months into my training, I was finally assigned to the Sixteenth Squad.
The squad has a fixed strength of fifty members. We are divided into five teams, and our primary job is to patrol the middle slopes of the mountain. To be honest, almost nothing ever happens on the middle slopes that requires a crackdown, so it’s considered a quiet post. That’s why new recruits are sent there first. The Fourteenth, Fifteenth, and Seventeenth Squads are in the same boat.
The busy units are the First Squad, which serves directly under Lady Pirika; the Second Squad, which guards the four gates of Village Five; and the Third Squad, which is responsible for exterminating monsters and magic beasts in the surrounding area. I hope to transfer to one of those someday.
Incidentally, the Second Squad is the largest unit with a fixed strength of five hundred members. Even with five hundred people, they always seem to be short-handed, so I should be able to transfer there if I work hard and keep my head down.
The Sixteenth Squad rotates through five shifts: Morning Duty, Day Duty, Night Duty, Holiday, and Standby.
Morning Duty begins at sunrise with the morning bell and ends at the noon bell. Day Duty starts at the noon bell and ends at the evening bell. Night Duty begins at dusk with the evening bell and ends at the morning bell. A Holiday is a full day off, while Standby is a day off where you are required to remain in the barracks.
While the individual shifts aren't long, the work itself is demanding. We’re expected to conduct ourselves with the dignity of guardsmen even when we're off the clock, so most of us spend our free time training. Well, some enviable people spend that time with their lovers, but...
I prefer to train my muscles. Yes. In the end, the only things that won't betray you are your own body and your muscles. Those people playing around with their significant others will definitely regret it later. No, I want them to regret it! I want them to cry!
An opportunity to prove myself arrived sooner than expected: a special training exercise. Ten people were selected from the Sixteenth Squad to participate in joint training with the First Squad. The objective was to hunt monsters and magic beasts in the forest.
Heh heh heh. This was dangerous work where a single lapse in judgment could mean death. It was also the perfect moment for my muscles to shine. During my normal duties, I usually did nothing more than greet residents or give directions to travelers. I was going to give it my all!
We gathered at the First Squad's barracks first. After joining thirty members from the First Squad, our group of forty began to move out. We hadn't walked far from the barracks when a group appeared to block our path.
They were children—boys and girls between the ages of ten and fifteen.
"We are the Village Five Youth Group! We challenge the Security Team to a duel!"
With that declaration, about forty children charged straight at us.
What in the world? No, I had to stay calm. Our numbers were equal. Their weapons were... wooden sticks? This would be no problem.
However, I recognized some of their faces. They were the children of high-ranking officials in Village Five. It would be bad if we actually hurt them, right? As I was agonizing over how to handle my weapon, Lady Pirika of the First Squad gave the order.
"I don't care who they are! Show no mercy to anyone who challenges the Security Team! All units, suppress them with everything you've got!"
Understood. I looked to my left and right, maintaining the formation. I readied my weapon and—wait. My weapon was gone?
What? Where did it go?
In the blink of an eye, a group of boys was holding my spear. It wasn't just mine, either. They were holding the weapons of several other members. They hadn't disarmed everyone, but half of the front line had been stripped of their gear. How did they even do that?
No, thinking about it wouldn't bring my spear back. What now? Don't panic! I’d been trained in unarmed combat. This was exactly what my muscles were for. I took a stance.
But the children stopped dead in their tracks right before they reached us, threw our weapons on the ground, and ran away.
Wait, what? I mean, we had to chase them! I lunged forward. I assumed the other members would do the same, but I was wrong. Only a few of us gave chase. The rest were a mess—some stayed frozen in their stances, some scrambled to pick up the discarded weapons, and others actually tried to run back to the barracks for replacements.
This was bad. The moment the thought crossed my mind, another group of children ambushed us from the flanks. Our formation collapsed instantly. We were dragged into a chaotic melee.
They were just kids, and the children of VIPs were among them. We couldn't exactly punch them with full force. They had declared a challenge, not an act of malice. It was fine to bruise them, but killing them was strictly forbidden.
What was the best course of action? Catch them and carry them to the rear. That was the plan. But these kids were incredibly difficult to catch. Even when I did grab one, the others would swarm in to rescue them. And then there were the arrows. The tips were blunted, but they were being fired with terrifying accuracy at our arms and legs.
Are these really just kids?
I noticed their ears were long. Elves. They might not be as young as they looked. No, even for elves, the rate of physical growth in childhood is the same as ours.
Guh! An arrow struck my shoulder. I lost my grip, and the child I had caught escaped. Dammit! What was I supposed to do?
As I grew increasingly frantic, an authoritative voice barked out instructions.
"Security Team! This is Nana, secretary to Lady Yoko! Due to the emergency situation, I am taking command in Lady Pirika's stead! Follow my orders! No, you will obey me!"
I didn't recognize her, but she claimed to be Lady Yoko's secretary. Falsifying that would be a capital crime, so I had to trust her. I had no choice.
"Everyone, disengage immediately and move back five paces! The children won't pursue you that far! Fall back and regroup!"
I stepped back five paces. Sure enough, the kids didn't press their advantage.
"Good! Reform the line! Not yet! Don't break rank! I will give the signal when—"
I looked to my left and right, reforming the line. It was a relief to see familiar faces nearby. That's right, there was no reason to rush. If we stayed calm, we would win. Now, where was the signal to charge?
The signal never came. I looked over just in time to see a volley of arrows raining down on the secretary. Then, several cylinders emitting thick smoke were tossed into our midst.
A smoke screen? These kids are ruthless!
In the haze, I was forced into individual combat again. The situation was even worse than before. I couldn't tell where I was. I thought I was following the voices of my comrades, but I realized too late that I had been tricked into following the voices of the children.
When the smoke finally cleared, I found myself completely isolated. I was the only one who had pushed forward. A chill ran down my spine.
Suddenly, the children threw several ropes. Were they trying to catch me? Why? How?
The ropes didn't catch me, though. They snared a squad member who had rushed in to help me—a colleague from the Sixteenth Squad. In an instant, he was dragged into the middle of the swarm of children.
"G-Give him back! Let my comrade go!"
I charged forward, but the sight that met my eyes stopped me cold. A young girl was using those ropes to corner my colleague and was currently in the middle of confessing her love to him.
...
And that was how the challenge from the Village Five Youth Group ended. It was a total defeat for the Security Team. We clearly need to train much harder.
The children eventually returned our weapons.
"Ah, Senior. We really lost today, didn't we? It's frustrating. We're going to get lectured and worked to the bone after this, aren't we? I know, I know."
"Eh? That guy? He's not my comrade. My only comrades are these muscles. I’m not crying. I’m definitely not crying. The only ones who cry are the people who waste their time with lovers."
My name is Ox. My hobby is training. I am currently looking for a girlfriend.
First Squad: Instructional Squad – 100 members (Supports other squads during manpower shortages) Second Squad: Gatekeeper Squad – 500 members (Guards the East, West, South, and North gates, plus a standby unit) Third Squad: Village Perimeter Guerrilla Squad – 100 people (Specializes in monster and magic beast extermination) Fourth to Seventeenth Squads: Security Squads – 50 members each (Divided into five teams of ten; responsible for general security within Village Five)