The Story Of The People In Tempest

by Bisel13

Join me through my various OC perspectives on how living looks like in the Jura Tempest Federation. We will see how the people doing their job and live their life in the nation ruled by our favorite king, Rimuru Tempest.

My name is Gil, I'm a human and I'm a resident of Rimuru City. I'm a former adventurer, and my rank when I was still an active adventurer was B. It's a pretty long hardship to ascend from F-rank to B-rank. I enjoy adventuring and traveling around, but I'm not a belligerent who enjoys a hard fight. That's why I'm one of the rare kind of adventurers who didn't take many monster subjugation quests. Mostly, I take an escort request or gather materials.

Because I tended to avoid monster subjugation, mostly I had to deal with humans. A bandit, to be precise. And I didn't mean to brag, but I've gotten pretty good at dealing with human-against-human situations. It's all of because my experience for the past 20 years working as an adventurer who specialized in escort missions.

I admit there's always a monster attack during escort requests, but a bandit is more frequent. But those are starting to decrease pretty significantly when Tempest Nation rises. Their attention to security on their roads is marvelous. They built smooth paving stones on their road, installed a water source, and provided various inns at the strategic resting spot. I was a bit panicked since it made escort requests decrease, and my income reduced significantly.

But I knew I couldn't blame Tempest Nation for this. I'm well aware it is for their growth in the economy, and that's why they improve their security for merchants to come without any danger. In my logical sense, they have done the right thing. But as you know, I can't live without any money. And besides, I actually have a family to support.

But that's when good news comes.

Tempest had held a Founding Festival. I don't know about these kinds of events, but they piqued my interest. And I decided to come as a visitor.

And I'm glad I made that decision.

It was so grand. I can't describe it any better than a huge party. Food is around, stalls everywhere, beautiful decoration is in every corner of the city, and many people are around. I guess, "many" isn't the right word to describe it, it's much more than that. It's no end to humans, demi-humans, and monsters walking around the city. It's a sight to behold.

The good news I receive is the King of this nation, Rimuru Tempest-sama, is welcoming everyone to migrate to this nation. He said something about lacking manpower, and welcomed anyone, even a human, to reside in this country and work. It's fresh air for me.

I'm not too old to work, but I guess I can't take a job for young'un people. I'm actually already 39 years old. It's not old, but not young. But I guess, at this age, I've searching for more stability rather than an exciting adventure. That's why I'm glad I could find a stable job rather than sticking to an adventure job.

The moment the festival ended, I immediately asked around about the available jobs and living conditions in this nation. I asked a local resident, who is a monster, all about the terms for migrating.

I never hate a monster, but I am a bit scared of them. That makes me a bit awkward when I first try to talk with them. But turns out, they are humble people, and mostly cheerful when I ask about the excess of this nation.

And luck is still on my side. There's a vacant job as a security force. It's mainly to maintain public order and keep security in the city. But moreover, there seems to be an option about where I want to be placed.

The option was:

City Guards Unit. The job is to maintain security and prevent any crimes inside the city.

Entrance Guards Unit. The job is to check every visitor who wants to enter the city, or otherwise. Anyone who didn't fulfill the criteria to enter the city is forbidden.

Road Patrol Unit. The job is to patrol the road to Tempest from various other nations. The purpose is to maintain road security from any kind of danger such as unintelligent monsters, bandits, etc. It also has a side job as a guide.

From these 3 options, I chose the Road Patrol Unit.

So, I brought my family and moved to Tempest as a legitimate citizen. I was able to purchase a house at an affordable price. Although it wasn't large, the facility provided is excellent. We have 3 rooms including a kitchen, living room, a small attic, and one bathroom. It's a luxury for someone like me, who was born in the commoner class. My wife seems to be happy living in our new home, including my two little children.

I started my job after a month of training with other new security guard recruits. It was rather exhausting, but it did manage to hone my skills better. I was working in shifts. One week I took a night shift, and in the next week, I did the otherwise. Each shift lasts for 12 hours. It was a bit exhausting, but I have a good salary. And also, I have one day off for each week.

It's a paradise for me. I have a stable job, and I have time to spend with my family. Even my children could have an education in the school since it's free.

The only unique part of my life is the various kinds of people in this nation. My neighbor, for example, is a family of Hobgoblins. The store where my wife became regular is run by High Orc. My children's friends are various kinds of living beings such as elves, dwarfs, monsters, and humans.

The days of peace have finally come to me.

The peaceful days, however, got a bit disturbed when the Eastern Empire attacked. The whole citizen in this nation has to take refuge, and the nation is in a war state. The whole war was taken care of by the main military unit, and at first, I thought I had to serve as well because of my job. But as it turns out, Rimuru-sama didn't like the idea of conscription, and it's supported by Army Chief General Benimaru-sama who chose only a handful of units to take arms in the war.

I was a bit embarrassed if it meant that I was not strong enough, but given the situation, I was relieved not to have to join the war. I don't want to die yet, I want to live my life in peace with family.

But nonetheless, I want to help this nation. To protect this paradise of mine, I can't stand to just sit and do nothing. Even my wife thinks the same. And for that, I decided to join the Volunteer Corps under Masayuki-sama.

I wish with the little power I have, somehow I could be useful. I have a great debt to this nation after all. Perhaps my loyalty to Rimuru-sama is not as high as my fellow countrymen's, but I do want to repay for what he made for my life. Even though he's not knowing my existence, he has done a lot for me by providing this beautiful living environment.

And so, during the war, I served to maintain the morale of the refugees.

It's not a difficult task since I have a good experience in socializing. During my time when I work as an adventurer, I have to socialize with many kinds of people. And as my specialty in escort requests, making sure the person whom I guarded feels safe, is already a part of my abilities. As many of you know, it is important to stay calm while keeping your guard up when the situation isn't safe. To let yourself in distress even when the danger hasn't appeared, is already a step to disaster. And with my experience, I manage to fulfill my duty pretty well.

It's a bit funny since I think I was overthinking my duty to calm many people, since in reality, most of the refugees didn't feel anxious at all. They have complete faith in Rimuru-sama's protection. The people who still felt anxious were the newcomers or people who only got recently resided in Tempest.

And just after some days, Tempest emerges as the victor of this war.

No casualties on Tempest's side, not even our army. On the other hand, the Empire had lost more than a hundred thousand of its soldiers. And 700,000 Empire soldiers are taken as prisoners. It's such an overwhelming victory. Pride and relief filled my heart.

But the damage was pretty severe.

In the last battle of the war, a catastrophic threat emerges. I don't really understand what's going on, but all I know is there were suddenly multiple strong individuals attacking the labyrinth and the vicinity of the city. I only see them for a glimpse, but I can see none of them are humans. They were all different beings I had never seen. Because of them, the surroundings were in huge flames, and the labyrinth was damaged. However, those powerful beings were able to be driven back by our armies.

Luckily, there seems no damage was dealt to the city. So everyone's home is safe, including the public facility. The damage was mostly on the outskirts of the city, such as the forest, roads and railroads, and outposts.

But even so, the recovery of the city surrounding will take time. And it was my job to secure and protect the workers for the rebuilding process.

Tempest has many allies. And every allied country seems eager to help. I thought so since I always find a lot of carriages bring a necessity for the rebuilding process. Those carriages were coming from various nations, starting from Dwargon, Blumund, and other Western Countries.

This is surely a great help. I was sure Rimuru-sama would receive those help with open arms.

But as it turns out this situation created a new problem.

The road was now congested with many carriages bringing precious materials. I only knew this, but turns out, Tempest was also importing a lot of provisions from other countries. This situation made the road become congested by not just ordinary carriages bringing daily necessities, but also a ton of money.

And there's one thing I need to mention. Not all the carriages are coming for bilateral purposes. There are also a lot of carriages coming for individual purposes, such as merchants who want to restore their stock and family members from other nations.

The railroad hasn't been repaired yet, and that's why the transportation has to be done by carriages.

This situation, by no means, attracts criminals.

My job has got a lot more pressure. My shift is still the same, but the workload has risen up. On normal days, I can have a relaxing time while patrolling. And now, I have to be full-on guard during my patrols. I believe that one day, I will face some trouble.

And speaking of the devil, that day was today.

I was patrolling on the road toward Farmenas Kingdom with my group for this week. Coincidently, all of my group members are human. And we all ride horses. My group consisted of 4 guards including myself, and I was appointed as the group leader. As their leader, I kept warning them that these days, we all have to keep our guards up. The traffic volume has risen 3 times more than usual, and most of them are carrying valuable cargo. And I'm not making that up. During this post-war situation, even the food shipment would be valuable.

"Leader, do you really think there will be a stupid person doing reckless things such as robbery? I mean, this is Tempest. The strongest nation in the whole world. Everybody knew that causing trouble in this nation would only cause failure."

My colleague, Frans, was suddenly asked. He's one of the new members of the unit, and still very young. His innocent attitude shows how experienced he is. Nevertheless, he's well-educated and just recently graduated from school. And by that, you can guess how old is he.

"Of course, Frans. It's unfortunate, but no matter where you are, there will be always bad people lurking to strike you down"

"Even with the protection from Rimuru-sama?"

"Unfortunately, yes. But you know Frans," I stared at him, giving a smile to make sure I didn't mean to say bad things about Rimuru-sama, "we are the protection that Rimuru-sama gives to his people. Rimuru-sama entrusts us as one of the protectors of this nation. And therefore, that is the protection from Rimuru-sama, by giving the role of the guards to us. We were responsible for the security. And that's why, if we failed, that means Rimuru-sama has failed too. I'm sure none of us wanted to fail Rimuru-sama's trust. Right?"

"Of course! I won't fail Rimuru-sama's trust!"

He immediately fired up and remained vigilant from then on. The rest of the group were snickering seeing Frans's reaction. Well, I actually want to laugh a bit, but I keep it inside. On the other hand, I too have to remain vigilant for the rest of the patrol.

And after a few hundred meters, Ceres, one of the members of this group, gave a warning in a whisper.

"Everyone, I see some suspicious people ahead. What should we do?"

"What makes them suspicious?" I asked.

"There are 6 of them, and they seemed to surround one carriage"

"Perhaps they guarding it?"

"It might be so, but the driver seems uncomfortable"

"Hmm… Well, let's check it out then. Just in case, all of you, ready your weapons"

"' Got it '"

So we rode to them casually. They seem to haven't noticed us. That's pretty reasonable since we are pretty far from them. The only reason we can see them is because Ceres has a skill, [Farsight] that allows him to see kilometers away.

And when we have closed our distance, they start to act more suspiciously. One of them drew out their sword, and the rest of them were in full attention to us. I immediately knew something was not right.

"Let's go"

I ordered my group to ride faster toward them.

And just when we were only several meters away from them,

"Shit! It's a patrol unit! Retreat!"

One of them shouting. And they started to run away to the forest.

"Chase them!"

In response, I immediately shouted my order. We gallop our horses and chase them. Without order, we intend to capture them.

I chased one of them who shouted before. He looks pretty tall, but his body is thin. Nevertheless, he runs very fast. But sadly for him, my horse is faster.

I pounced him from my horse and immediately disarmed him. I hold both of his hands and put a handcuff on it. He still trying to fight, but with both of his hands being handcuffed, he's almost not a threat to me. But he still could run away if I didn't hold his leg.

After a few seconds, he started to understand his struggle was futile. And by that, he surrendered. I successfully caught one bandit.

The others meanwhile, didn't so lucky. Frans and Ceres didn't manage to capture a single one of them, while Yolan, my other group member, managed to capture one bandit. Although he seems to have it pretty rough since I saw him being injured in the face, while the bandit he captured was screaming in pain. And when I looked for the cause, it turned out one of his arms was broken.

Frans immediately put on a potion to Yolan and gave it to the bandit he caught.

And so, we succeeded in catching 2 of the 6 bandits we saw.

Our action has drawn attention to other trespassers. And many of them are trying to help.

"Thank you, they have been threatening me. I can't ask for help since I've been surrounded by them. If I do anything against them, I'm sure I'll be killed right away"

One young man speaks to us. He's a driver who has been tailed by these bandits before. I'm glad he's safe.

But still, it's pretty new to me. Normally, a robbery didn't work out like this. Bandit attacks are usually done by ambush, or direct attack by blocking the way as a start.

Threatening people without drawing attention, is new. I'll have to get as much information about how they work as soon as possible. And luckily, we managed to capture two bandits and save the driver. These people could provide the information I needed.

"Don't mention it, sir. It is our job to make sure everyone is safe. But if you don't mind, could you spare your time to come with us to the security office? We would like to make a report about this incident, and your testify would be a huge help for us"

"Ohhh I don't mind, please just ask me anything"

"That's very helpful, thank you. If so, please join with us"

Ceres and Frans had already tied the bandit together, and we forced them to walk by dragging them with our horses and taking them away to the city.

Once we arrived at the city gate, we handed them over to the Entrance Guard Unit, including the young man who was the victim.

"Well well well, look what we have here"

One of the guards spoke to me while taking the bandits.

"They are bandits. Please take them away. And this young man, he's the victim. Please take care of him"

I respond to the guard who spoke to me.

"Of course, no problem. Thank you for your work. We'll handle them from here. Do you want to make a report about this? Or do you want to let us handle it as well?"

"No thank you, I'll make the report. I'm the one who catches them anyway"

"Hahaha of course, then come this way, Gil-san"

Oh, what a surprise. Turns out he knew who I was. But it doesn't matter.

I leave my group for a while and enter a room to make a report. It isn't difficult, since the paper already has a format on it. I only have to write the time, place, and some other details about the incident.

After I finished writing my report, I came back to my group and continued the patrol. This time, however, my comrades have more vigilance than before. Our shift has still about 4 hours left.

We take patrol on the route to Farmenas Kingdom again. We were worried about the rest of the bandits whom we failed to capture. They shouldn't be attacking again, but the possibilities aren't zero.

But fortunately, at the end of our shift, we didn't encounter any bandits again.

"Phew, I'm glad today is over. Want to grab something before we home, guys?"

I invite my group today to have some drinks. Today must be pretty exhausting for them. Especially for Frans. It was actually his first day as a security guard. It's important to make him comfortable with his job. Besides, it's my habit to invite my group to have a drink on the first day of work.

"Okay"

"Sounds good"

"Uhh… Should we take a rest?"

As it turns out, Frans was worried he couldn't get a proper rest. Welp, 12 hours of rest is indeed pretty short. But we were provided with a healing potion that could erase our exhaustion every day. For someone like me who is already accustomed to long day activity, today was just a piece of cake.

"Nahh don't sweat it, Frans. It should be fun"

Ceres is now persuading Frans.

"Really?"

"Well, alcohol might be still too early for you. But we can order some light drinks for him, right Gil?"

"Yeah right. Some potato chips are good enough. But I want to order some cold beer though"

"Me too. Are you okay with alcohol, Yolan?"

"Mm-hmm."

Yolan seems to be a man with few words. But he showed us a smile and nodded. That makes me certain he's okay.

"Then it's settled, let's head to the bar, Gil"

"Wait, should I really come?"

"Of course, we should know each other. We're gonna work together for a whole week"

"Well… Okay"

Frans is still reluctant to join, but in the end, I and Ceres drag him out to join. Ceres is right after all, we should know each other.

We arrived at the nearby bar. As anyone could guess, I ordered a cold beer together with Ceres. Yolan ordered an ordinary beer, while Frans seemed to order nothing except snacks. He's not underage, but it might be too much for him to have his first alcohol after work. Ceres is teasing because of it, but Frans seems undisturbed by it.

We also ordered food for our dinner.

And after we finished our drink, Ceres started to get drunk.

"Hahhh… Sorry guys, I've failed to catch the baddies today…"

"Yeah, I also failed to capture the one I have chased"

Although Frans didn't get drunk, he also joined Ceres in grumbling around. And this is what I had expected.

"Don't sweat it guys, at least we manage to catch two of them. But it might be a good experience for us, especially you Frans"

"But it's still annoying. I thought I had a good ability for that"

"Hmm? Are you experienced in this kind of thing?"

"Well, I entered the Battle Departement when I was in school. So I thought I could handle a battle"

"Hoo… What exactly did you learn from that?"

"I learn swordsmanship, archery, and some elemental magic. But my forte is swordsmanship. The others are just additions."

"Woah, that seems to be a pretty big deal. I haven't seen how you fight, but if you are trained in swordsmanship, I believe you're pretty strong"

"Well, I hope I was. But unlike you, Leader, I don't have any single skill"

"Huh? Wait, how did you know I have a skill, Frans?"

"You drink pretty heavy alcohol but didn't get drunk. I'm certain you have something like [Poison Resistance], right?"

"Damn right, you got good eyes, Frans"

"Well, at least that's what I've been taught at school. To observe your opponent, and figure out your next move"

"That's impressive. When I was your age, I've never had anyone to teach me. I've done anything by myself, but I don't know why I can get a skill. Although it is just a common one".

"But because of it, I felt pretty bad about myself. I see them, I try to figure out their ability. But in return, I failed to capture them. Hahhh…"

Well, he seems to be a promising man. I'm glad that the school in Tempest teaches great stuff to their students, but I knew experience is an important part of education. In the first place, this is his first day.

"Don't worry Frans. It's your first day, just use this as your learning experience"

"Mm-hmm, I promise I'll do better for tomorrow. Sorry, Leader"

"Me too, let's work together from now on. And by the way, just call me Gil. I'm not really good with superiority"

"Really? Then is it okay to call you Gil-san?"

"All right, that's better. I'll call you Frans-kun then"

We both had a little laugh after that. And then we chug our drink, even though he just drinking juice. Meanwhile, I saw Ceres had already passed out due to the drinks. Oh man, it's gonna be a hassle.

"I'll take care of him"

Suddenly Yolan speaks up. He might saw my troubled look. But I'm pretty surprised to see him willing to take care of him. I'm pretty curious about it. But the one who asks first turns out to be Frans-kun.

"Are you perhaps already know him, Yolan-san?"

"Yes"

"Oh, so I assume you know where he lives?"

"Sure"

Short as always. Yolan really is a man with few words. But in all honesty, I like that kind of person. But Frans seems to have more curiosity about him.

"Are you both friends?"

"Nope"

"But it seems you already knew him. How?"

"We both have been in the same group before"

"So that's why. Hey, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Sorry, I just got a bit interested. But are you perhaps a holder of unique skill?"

Yolan's eyes widened, and he immediately leaned forward on his seat.

"What makes you think like that?"

"Well, it's actually just a hunch. But I saw your fight with the bandit earlier. From what I saw is you clearly holding back. You broke his arm accidentally, and when I give you the healing potion, your wound has been healed partially. I think you have several abilities under one skill, and that's why I thought it might be a unique skill"

Frans explains all those things casually. I was very impressed. Again, I praised the school of Tempest for being able to make this man of caliber. He really has good deductive thinking, and his attention to detail is very impressive. I guess it's also because of his own talent, but I don't think the talent alone could be this good.

But Yolan seems to be very surprised by this. He kept silent for a few seconds and then changed his whole expression into an impressed look. He smiles brightly and leans his back again to the seat.

"You're right. I have a unique skill. But I won't tell you unless both of you tell me the skills you have"

"That's fair"

I agreed with him. Surely, telling your skill can be dangerous regarding whom you tell it. When I was still an adventurer, there was an unwritten rule to never open up about your skill except to your party members. And that's because we never knew what would happen to every adventurer. In the worst case, we might have to fight each other.

But right now, we are not an adventurer. We are comrades in the same unit. I don't see any reason for us to fight each other on another day. That's why I think telling everyone about my skills is okay. Besides, I have told some of my other colleagues in the unit.

"Ceres only have [Farsight], I already knew it. Gil-san, I want to know more about yours. And for Frans, I want to know what other abilities that you've been taught at school"

"All right. I'll tell you mine first," I reply, "I have [Poison Resistance], [Body Hardening], and [Weapon Restoration]"

"Woahh… So Gil-san has 3 skills. From what I learned, skill is acquired through particular circumstances. That means you have been through many things, Gil-san. It's very impressive."

I thought Yolan was the one who was going to respond about my skills, but turns out it was Frans. Well, he seems to be enthusiastic about others' skills since earlier.

"Yeah, my time when I was an adventurer had put me in a lot of different kinds of situations. Anyway, it's your turn now Frans-kun"

"Well… As I said before I learned about swordsmanship, archery, and some elemental magic. But I'm actually below average on magic, and my archery is mediocre. My swordsmanship is my best ability, even though I'm not the best among my classmates. Besides those abilities, I also learned about how to do survival, make edible food, how to assess an opponent's strength, basic strategy in battle, and mental training"

"Mental training?" Yolan asked.

"They called it like that. It's one of the toughest lessons in the department. And it's also a special lesson. We're taken to the labyrinth, and we cannot go back for 1 month. I don't know which floor we were heading to, but it seems it's different from the normal floors. Because what we faced was not just a monster, but also a bunch of homunculus creatures. If we died, we were going to be resurrected in the exact place we died. And worst, the pain nullification was disabled. So we repeatedly feel pain when we die. It's pretty horrible, but if someone has got too much of it, they are allowed to withdraw and try it again next semester. Many of my human classmates were acquiring skills after this special lesson, but I didn't. Even so, I managed to pass this lesson. My homeroom teacher said the purpose of that training is not to acquire skills, but to prepare our readiness for the brutality of war. So I don't have to worry about the fact that I didn't manage to acquire skills. And with that, I manage to graduate"

I and Yolan were pretty surprised at what this so-called "mental training" was about. It's more than just the training for the regular army in other nations. But these student has been taught this kind of thing. No wonder a former adventurer like me was unable to be counted in the army during the war with the Eastern Empire. I can't think how harsh it would be to become a regular army in this Tempest.

"You're very strong, Frans"

Yolan's first reply was his praise for what Frans has been through. His praise sounds very genuine.

"Thanks, but I'm not that strong you know? There's a junior in my department who is already able to withstand one of Ten Great Saints. While I still cannot take down a B-rank monster in the labyrinth"

"Do you mean, The Ten Great Saints from Western Holy Church?"

"Yes. It's Sir Arnaud to be exact. The name of the junior I talked about is Kenya. There's also Alice, Ryota, and Gale who are strong enough to withstand Sir Arnaud, but Kenya is the one who stands out the most."

"Unbelievable"

"At first, I don't believe it either. Until I saw it with my own eyes"

Yolan didn't respond to anything about it. And I chose the same since I can't find any words to say anymore.

But after a few seconds, Yolan finally spoke.

"Well, as promised, I'd tell you now. My unique skill is [Breaker]. As far as I can understand, it gives me corrosion, rot, power blow, physical enhancement, regeneration, and pain resistance ability"

"' Huh?! '"

Both of me and Frans were stunned by this. Seriously, that's a very dangerous skill. If he's not careful enough, he'll break anything.

"That's why I holding back like before. It can be out of control"

"I-I see… You clearly have to be careful"

"And more than that, you're very special. There are very few who have unique skills. Not to mention a unique skill of this caliber"

"I'll appreciate it if you didn't blab anything"

"Sure, don't worry about that"

"Mm-hmm, I swear I won't tell anyone else"

Yolan showed a gentle smile on his face. I and Frans nodded along.

Later on, we continued to talk about more trivial things and finished our snacks and drinks. We also held a little discussion about what would we do if we encountered another attack from a bandit. But we cannot discuss it too much since Ceres was already knocked out from alcohol. Although Yolan already said Ceres is more like a goofy man and didn't have a proficient analysis ability, I still didn't want to cast him outside.

We also talked about our weaknesses to find out the way out of them together. It started with me pestering about how much control Yolan has over his skill. He got a bit reluctant to tell it, but eventually, he let us know that he still cannot fully use his skill perfectly. He emphasizes his [Power Blow]. For some reason, he cannot control its power, and eventually always out of control whenever he throws punches. As for his other scary abilities such as [Corrosion] and [Rot], he can fully control them as long he doesn't have any desire to let them out. And the rest of it, he didn't have any intention to control it since it was good for him.

Frans on the other hand, didn't have any skill but he had a lot of knowledge about combat ability. Personally, I didn't see any weakness in him. Just because he didn't have any skill, he's not weak at all. He can analyze his opponent's strengths, various Art techniques, trained in both mental and physique, and has vast knowledge. Even I started to think my experience was just a piece of paper compared to his knowledge. His personality is also decent. He might always start to lose heart when anything doesn't work out as he expected, but he is always willing to learn more and accept others' opinions. The only thing lacking from him is just an experience.

"That's too much flattery for me, Gil-san. But I guess the strongest one here is you. You have a good amount of experience and useful skills. Your action before when you immediately disarm the bandit is definite proof of your combat ability"

Frans commented on my judgment about him. In return, he started to overestimate me. Well, it's a good chance to tell them about one of my weaknesses.

"I'm worried you're overestimating me Frans-kun. Well, I do have more experience in battle rather than all of you. But to think all of my skills are useful, that's a wrong conclusion"

"Why?"

"For example, my [Weapon Restoration] could only work on normal-grade equipment. So it will be useless for us, who were provided with special grade and rare grade equipment. And my [Body Hardening] has drawbacks. It's not like a [Body Armor] which protects the skin, my [Body Hardening] literally makes my skin become thick as metal. It makes me almost impossible to move, and it's still possible to be pierced by a powerful weapon or advanced technique."

Frans-kun seemed to be a bit surprised and got zoning out a bit. Yolan on the other hand, just nodded along showing that he understood what I was saying.

This kind of talk might have been very strange when I was still an adventurer. Exposing our cards and drawbacks is equally a step closer to our death. But, this time, we all are on the same side, and opposing each other someday seems to be impossible for me. Well, at least if someday we fight each other, there's always a stronger one who could stop us with such ease. In that sense, making each other as enemy in this nation is such a stupid thing to do.

"So that's it, everyone. I think it's already pretty late. Let's go home for now"

"O-Oh… Right, it's already late at night"

"Mm-hmm"

We bid our farewell, and head straight home. Except for Yolan who has to take Ceres out.

I walked to my home and arrived with my wife welcomed me in the living room. She washed some dishes when I arrived, but immediately stopped and brought me some change clothes. I'm taking off my equipment such as my armor and weapons. I'm heading to the bathroom and cleaning myself. I change my clothes with the one my wife prepared and head to my kid's bedroom. They both have already slept.

After that, I headed straight to my bed and saw my wife already waiting for me. When I lay down my body on the bed, she started to ask me, "How is your day?"

"Well, I met with some bandits. This is pretty new"

"Bandit? So some of the people really think they have a chance to do those things here"

"It's a shame, yes. But well, it's my job to fend them off"

"Then, you have done a good job today"

"Thank you. Maybe tomorrow I'll find some more of them"

"Please be careful. And don't be late again. The kids have been asking you"

"I'm sorry. Before I just invited my new group to have a drink. You know, to know them better"

"I understand. I just tell them that you have something more to be done"

"Thank you. Tomorrow I won't be late at home"

"That's good. Now, let's get some rest. You need it"

"You're right. Goodnight"

"Goodnight"

She kissed me on the cheek, and then she turned off the light. Well, that light is also a very convenient thing. It's basically a small ball of glass with light magic engravement in it. After she turned it off, the room became dark. And I immediately sleep.

…

The next morning, after having breakfast and preparing my equipment, I went straight to the security headquarters. Each unit had a different headquarters, but sometimes we gathered in the main headquarters when something emergency erupted. But right now, there's no emergency happening. So right now, I am headed to the Road Patrol Unit headquarters.

I arrived rather early since not many other people in there. But nonetheless, Frans already came before me and immediately walked towards me. He looks rather sleepy but still energetic. We talked a bit to kill some time, and a few moments later, Yolan arrived.

We waited for Ceres, but the night shift groups had already finished and arrived at the headquarters. They look fine, but some groups seemed to have been involved in a fight. They got some dirt on their bodies, and their equipment also appeared to be dirty.

It's not a pretty unusual scene actually. Sometimes we also encountered monsters and had to deal with them. Although there's a magic device that reduces the magicule density on the road, some powerful monsters manage to approach the roads and terrorize the travelers. But I have a feeling that it's not a monster this time. Perhaps, some bandits tried to strike again.

"Sorry, I'm late!"

Suddenly my attention got shattered by the sudden voice from Ceres. Well, he's right. He's late. When the night shift guards have returned, then it's our turn to take patrols. But fortunately, he can still catch up before we depart. So I reprimanded him a bit, but I also think that it's also a part of my fault. Ceres got overslept because of last night's drinking, and I was the one who invited him out. So I only gave him a warning.

After the four of us already set up, it was time to take patrols.

"Hold up, gather around everyone!"

Suddenly, a loud voice halted our departure. When I looked at the voice's source, I saw a young hobgoblin in good equipment standing in front of the headquarters.

"Everyone, gather around, please. We have some information that you all need to hear"

We all gathered in a perfect line without even needing a third order. We lined up in good order and waited for the announcement.

A few seconds later, another Hobgoblin appeared in front of us along with a human-looking female. There's a little commotion erupted since they arrived. And the cause is the hobgoblin one is none other than Captain Rigur.

Captain Rigur was rarely coming to inspect the security guards, not even the City Guards Unit in the city. He's more busy assisting our Prime Minister, Sir Rigurd. But the responsibilities as the head of security are still held by Captain Rigur. And to have him coming here privately, it must be a very important matter.

Usually, having just a chief of the Road Patrol Unit coming over is already a big deal. And now, Captain Rigur as the head of the security forces coming over, it must be more than a big deal.

"Attention everyone" Captain Rigur suddenly shouted. We all fell into silence immediately. And after we kept our silence, he started to speak in a loud voice.

"Since yesterday, a bandit attack has been happening. Recently, there are two bandit attacks are happening last night. The security force has managed to drive them away, but most of the bandits have managed to escape. We've been gathering intelligence about their hideout from the bandits who have been captured, and the other intelligence member is tailing the running bandits. Before we can take their base, I order you to be more vigilant.

These bandits didn't use any ordinary tactics as they used to, because this time they would hop onto the wagon and threaten the driver or the passenger. And in another case, they would disguise themselves as normal bodyguards and surround the carriage and threaten the driver in silence. And because these bandits are human, they could easily come down to the road and leave again to the forest because they wouldn't be affected by the magicule reducer device. So remain vigilant, and watch over every carriage you pass by. I have asked permission to add more guards from the army, so there will be more guards on the road. That's all. I wish you a good day"

Hee…

For some reason, I find this announcement is something I already anticipated. And it's kind of true since yesterday I encountered the bandits. Well, I guess today it would be no different.

But I do wonder if they would use the same tactic. To be honest, I would prefer they do it like yesterday since it's making it less deadly than the usual bandit attack.

"All right everyone, let's go to work," I said to my team.

They all nodded and we went to the horse stable to get our horses.

As you may know, Tempest has given a lot of fine equipment to every kind of job they provided. For example, this job of mine.

I was given a full set of special-grade equipment, from the armor and the weapons, 5 high-grade healing potions given every day, a magical torch, a horse or Tempest Wolf for monsters, 2 full-packed meals every day, and many more useful tools. All of these were given for free.

It's a paradise.

But of course, it means we have to do our job perfectly. I don't know if the rules were created by Rimuru-sama himself, but there are many detailed rules. For example, we were not allowed to sell or give to others our given equipment, the unused high-grade potion that was given every day must be returned, and the maintenance of our equipment was our responsibility.

If we break those rules, we could be fired or worse, get jailed.

Personally, I don't mind. I mean, what kind of idiot would break the rules in Tempest?

…

After we took our horses, we rode out to the road heading to Blumund. After the announcement from Rigur-sama, we were assigned to take patrol on the road heading to Blumund.

Unlike yesterday, the four of us were more vigilant and didn't talk too much.

But after about two hours, our seriousness might be gone too far and I sense the tension is too high. Luckily, I was not the only one who felt that.

"Yo everyone, can we… you know? A little bit more relaxed? To be honest, I almost felt like you guys were mute or something." Ceres spoke up.

"Was it?" Frans is the one who responded.

"Yeah for real. It's a bit awkward with you guys giving me a silent treatment like that."

"We didn't just stop talking for you, Ceres-san. But I have to be focused on my surroundings more than yesterday."

"Yeah okay, whatever. Hey Gil, can I stop to eat my packed meal?"

"Nah, we just had gone for two hours. It's not a time for a meal."

"Sorry, but to be honest, I was waking up so late this morning that I didn't get any breakfast."

"Really?"

"Yeah, no lie."

"All right, at least you can eat some easy-to-swallow food so we don't have to stop."

"Wait wait wait, who said I want you guys to stop? I can stop by myself and eat the meal then catch up with you guys later."

"Nope, we have to stick together. So if you stop, then we do. And don't ask me to allow that."

"*sigh… Fine."

"Be grateful for Gil's consideration, Ceres." Yolan suddenly joined the talks.

"Ahhh man… not you too Yolan…"

Ceres grumbles around, noticing that nobody is on his side. I noticed that Frans and Yolan had a grin after that, and thankfully it made the tension ease up a bit.

I guess I have to thank Ceres for that.

We continue patrolling the road headed to Blumund back and forth. There were still many carts carrying various kinds of goods and people. For many carts that carry valuables, mostly they brought bodyguards with them. Especially the carts carrying money from Tempest, they have all been guarded by 3 or 4 kijin and pulled by 4 Tempest Wolf. It's impossible to rob these guys out.

But that doesn't mean there is no cart that hard to be prey. There are still some carts that carry valuables without any protection from bodyguards. These carts belonged to small merchants or some families who were unaware of the danger from bandits. Some of them could be carrying something valuable like a family heirloom or some kind of that.

And so, my focus is on those kinds of carts and carriages. If I saw some carts without bodyguards, they would be my primary attention. And even if the carts have bodyguards, I still going to inspect those bodyguards.

After another two hours of patrolling, I stopped my team and had a short break for a meal.

Actually, there is no rule about when we can take a break. It all depends on the team leader, as well as the responsibilities upon our wasted time for taking a break. And I have a habit of taking a break for half an hour after 4 hours of work, and at that time I can enjoy a packed meal. This habit of mine had become my rule for determining the time for taking a break whenever I was appointed as team leader.

"All right, let's fill our stomachs enough to continue the work. Don't get too full because it will hinder our performance. Ceres, you can eat peacefully now."

"Yeah, thanks, I can only eat biscuits before. I can't eat the bread or rice when I ride the horse."

"Gil-san, thanks for taking a break. Actually, I didn't get a proper breakfast as well, and now my stomachs already growling." Surprisingly, Frans also seems to be in a hungry state.

I nodded, and said, "Right, we will also have another break after the next 4 hours. So don't worry, I wouldn't make you guys work non-stop. If anything happens during the break, it's none of you guys' fault."

"Nice…"

"Understood."

"Mm-hmm."

And with that, I also open my packed meals and fill my stomachs in.

After 30 minutes, I ordered my team to get up and mounted our horse, and back on patrol again. This time, both Ceres and Frans have a better state than before.

Incidentally, after we rode for some kilometers, we got ourselves into a potential problem.

"Gil, I saw something's not right in front." Ceres spoke.

"What is it?"

"I don't know, but there is one broken cart and many people gather around it."

"They might be just helping. Is there any other patrol team there?"

"Yeah, I saw about 3 patrol teams there."

"Then it should be okay. We don't need to rush, but we will head there just in case."

"Okay."

We rode our horses to the place where the broken carts were and met the other patrol team who were present. And to be honest, I felt that something was off since it's too many people gathering for just a broken cart. I suspect something got stolen or something.

One of the patrol team waved his hand upon seeing us approaching them. We dismounted from our horses and immediately walked toward that man. He's not actually a human, rather he is an elf with a bow on his back. And I know this guy.

"Yo Leindim," I gave my hands out to shakehands.

"Hou, it's been a while, Gil." He reaches my hand and we handshaking.

"Me too. Hey, mind if you explain what's going on? Seems to be more crowded to just helping one broken cart."

"Yes, because it's not just about a broken cart."

"What happened?"

"I don't know the details as well since I have arrived not too long before you, but I heard the cart was sabotaged and somehow the goods on it were gone."

"Woah! That's serious. Can I check it?"

"Sure, the other team is still inspecting it. Might be good to give them some hands."

"Then why you didn't help them, huh?"

"Ahaha, you know me, Gil. My only good trait was my ability with bow and arrow."

"Haha, I guess you're right. Okay, hey Frans-kun! Come with me."

I called out to Frans since I thought I could use his deductive ability at this time.

"Okay!" he ran straight to me.

After that, together we walked towards the broken cart and were welcomed by one of the members of the patrol team. It seems he's the leader.

"Is there anything we can help with?" I asked him.

"Well, it's good to have more hands in this, but we need a better brain to figure out what happened. Want to try?"

"Yeah, what are the details in this?"

"All right, I tell you."

Then he explained what happened. It's a pretty long explanation, but basically, this accident happened not too long ago, not even an hour ago. This cart belonged to a merchant who sold cheap accessories from Blumund, and in this place, the wheels suddenly off. And when the owner of this cart checks the goods on it, it all vanishes.

"Hmmm… what do you think, Frans-kun?"

"There are many ways to sabotage a cart's wheel, but to quickly steal the cargo, I wonder how it's happened. Are you sure there is no one nearby the cart when the wheel is off?"

"The owner says no. And well, he's pretty upset about it. He's angry to us."

"Well, it can't be blamed. It's our job to protect these people. But can we talk with the owner?" I thought maybe talking with the owner would help ease his anger a bit.

"Sure, I'll take you to him."

The man led us to a middle-aged man with a white short beard on his chin. He looks grumpy but manages to hold his emotion, so he shows us a cold and cynical look in his eyes.

"Good afternoon, good sir. I'm sorry for what happened to you."

"Good afternoon. Well, I guess it's my unfortunate day. Can't help it since I expect too much about this nation's security."

"On behalf of my colleagues, I sincerely apologize for this incident. I promised to help you as much as possible."

"Sure, sure. Do whatever you want, I just want my valuable goods back."

"Certainly. We will do our best to find your missing cargo. In the meantime, let me escort you to the city for rest. I'm sure you're exhausted because of this incident."

"Heh, at least you guys still can be polite. I can go by myself, but I need someone to look after my cart. It's old but it's my valuable thing I have."

"We can do that for you. After fixing the wheel, we can bring it back for you."

"Good. Then let me take my horse and ride to the city. I leave my cart on your watch."

"Leave it to us. But sir, are you sure you don't need any of us to accompany you to the city?"

"As if! My valuable good is gone because your security is lacking, I won't let my life entrusted to you lot."

"A-All right, please be careful, good sir."

He didn't answer back and walked toward his horse and rode it toward Rimuru City. He surely looks upset.

Hahh… this day might be one of my worst days, since not just I failed doing my job but also deliberately letting him indirectly mock Rimuru-sama. I was lucky there was no other monster who heard what he said. I just hope he doesn't submit any complaint about this.

"What a rude old man. It's hardly our fault for this incident." Suddenly, Leindim and the leader of the other team walked to me.

"Well, I guess it's just his personality. By the looks of it, he's not a citizen of Tempest." I responded.

"Yeah, if he said those words in the capital city, I doubt the people would let it be," Leindim replied.

"Luckily he didn't. For now, let's fix this cart and take it to the city entrance's post. And while we fixing it, we investigate it as well."

"Gil-san," Frans suddenly spoke with a concerned face. Oh man, I guess he heard what the old man said and he felt very uncomfortable because of it. I have to say something to lift his mood.

"Oh, Frans-kun. Don't worry, failures is something that always bound to happen. Don't let it make you down that-"

"No, not that. But, I have a very bad idea about this."

Oh? I guess I misunderstood something, and his face is dead serious. Something must be very wrong, my guts told me that.

"What is it, Frans-kun?"

"Let's check the other carts right now!"

"Huh? Sure?"

"Let's go, Gil-san."

He walked towards the other carts that stopped, followed by my teammates and several other patrol units.

I also followed behind.

We headed toward the closest cart, and after we asked permission to check the cargo, we opened the cover and then we look at it with stunned faces.

The cargo… It's gone. Empty.

"What the?!"

"Wha?! Hey, did you bring anything on this wagon?"

"Huh? What do you mean, I came here to bring my-ohhhhh what the hell?!"

The owner of this cart has become panicking and pale on his face. But after seeing that, Frans-kun didn't seem surprised. Instead, he looked horrified and walked towards another cart.

I accompanied him with my teammates, and together we inspected this new cart.

Sadly, this cart was also empty. Anything inside this wagon has gone.

The owner was in shock.

I decided, to immediately check all of the cart that were present nearby.

"Check out how many carts lose their cargo. And Frans-kun, focus more on figuring out how the hell this could be happening."

"I-I… Okay!" He looks a bit hesitant.

"What is it? Want to say something?"

"A-Actually… Yes, there is something I want to say."

"Then say it."

"Yes, I actually have an idea about what happened. But, but, it might be wrong."

"Are you sure?"

"W-Well, after observing everything I can, I can only draw one conclusion, but there's a chance that I missed something."

"Hmm, then say it. Maybe I can help to figure out what's happening after I hear your conclusion."

"Thank you, Gil-san. Well, then I explain."

Frans-kun started with a suspicion that there was no one nearby the cart when the wheel was off. There are only two explanations that would make sense about it. Which is first, the thief has some sort of ability to make himself invisible or two, there was no thief from the beginning.

The first one is possible since there are many ways to achieve it. One of them is by using art to erase a presence. But Frans-kun found that it was not the case. After investigating the cart for a while, he found that there was no trace of any forced steal on it. Something like dented parts of the carts, ropes that got cut, or a cover that got flipped in a rush. The thief could erase his presence, but it's impossible to erase those trails in a short time.

So the conclusion is, that there was no thief from the beginning. And there's no cargo that got stolen.

Then, the fact that the owner didn't immediately repair the wheel and only made a ruckus about his stolen goods, there must be something to it.

The only possible thing is, to gather anyone's attention. In other words, distraction.

The question is, a distraction for what?

"To steal the other cart's cargo" I concluded.

"And that means, he's not alone."

"Damnit! We have to chase that old man!"

"Wait a minute, Gil-san!"

"What is it Frans-kun? We have to hurry!"

"I'm not very sure, but I thought something else."

"Okay, you can say it, but wait for a second. Hey! Leindim! Come here!"

I asked Leindim to come, and after he came I explained a brief of Frans-kun's conclusion. He understood right away and rode out with his teammates to chase the old man.

"Now, what is your idea, Frans-kun?"

"I think the thief is more than one, but I guess they're not out of our reach."

"Makes sense, this incident just happened not too long ago. We can still chase them."

"And I guess they must realize this. And for that, they should be doing something to stall us."

"You right, but what could possibly they use… Oh my lord!" I suddenly remember that old man's cart.

Oh, my foolishness!

Didn't he just say that he want us to take care of his cart?! Didn't he say that his cart was valuable but at the same time, he didn't want us to escort him to the city because he didn't believe in us?

What a contradictive statement! How can someone deliberately hand over their valuables to someone he doesn't trust?

Oh my word, I must have gone stupid.

"There must be something in that cart. Come on, let's inspect it carefully. I'm afraid it has something dangerous if we carelessly tinkering it."

"Let's go, Gil-san."

We both ran towards the cart and with the help of one other patrol unit, we carefully inspected the cart.

We checked every part of it, and my fear turned into reality.

Under the cart, the wood plank has a magic rune written on it. And that magic rune was an activation for an explosion.

"Don't come near this cart!" I shouted to the other trespassers nearby. And they quickly moved away from it.

At this time, we making a scene pretty loud so we attract another 5 more patrol unit teams. And to be honest, I was glad that we got more hands to take care of this problem.

We gather together and divide our jobs.

Some of us would keep this cart on guard to prevent anyone from coming near it, some were tasked to immediately inform the HQ about this incident, some were chasing the thief that got away, and some were consoling and gathering every information from the victims to be reported later.

At this moment, we divide the task based on ability and not on the team. So right now, my teammates were dispersed. Yolan and Frans-kun were chasing the thief, Ceres was going to the HQ, and I stayed here consoling the victims.

The total number of carts that become victims of this robbery is 21, with various kinds of goods in them. There are jewels, precious metals, and even foods.

I tried my best to console them, saying that Rimuru-sama wouldn't turn a blind eye to this incident. And I'm 100% sure he won't.

Fortunately, the name of Rimuru-sama is almost magical until just hearing his name calms them down significantly. What makes it more amazing is the victims were mostly humans from another country.

My task to console the victims has gone easier than I thought.

After several hours, a dozen wyvern is visible in the sky above us. They didn't seem threatening, so I didn't put my guard up, thinking it must be our nation's wyvern riders.

And my guess is correct, those are people sent from HQ and bring some additional manpower to support us. I can confirm it when they descend from the sky and land nearby.

Apparently, there's no human among them, but it's only natural since this is the monster country. Even though I saw someone who really looked like a human, I don't believe he's a human.

Around 50 people came from HQ, and they were dragonewts, kijin, and some other kind of majin. Each Wyvern carries at least two of them.

One of them who looks almost exactly like a human is approaching me.

"Excuse me, are you the one who named Gil-san?"

I'm not gonna lie, I'm kind of surprised he suddenly knows my name.

"Yes, it's me. May I help you?"

He smiled happily and shook my hand.

"Then thank you so much for your work. My name is Nansou, I was tasked to take over from here. Don't worry, I will not messing around. You can go home now and take a rest."

"E-Eh?! Go home? But, my shift hasn't done yet."

"Ah, it's no problem. You have done a splendid job. Please take this opportunity to take a rest. This is a direct order from Rigur-sama."

"R-Rigur-sama?!"

"Yes, it is, Gil-san. Oh, by the way, Ceres-san has already given the order to rest as well. So he must be already going home and wouldn't come back here. And we actually deploy more than 30 Wyvern riders, and as you can see there are only 25 Wyverns here. Can you guess where are the rest?"

"Umm… I don't know?"

"It's to search for the thief that got runaway. After escorting the victim to the city, we would also join the hunt. Your other teammates who chase the thief could also be going home after this information is delivered."

"My… that's good to hear. Then, I'll gladly take the order. I leave the rest to you, Nansou-san."

"Yes, please rest assured."

I was a bit reluctant to go home straight away, but after seeing Nansou-san and his entourage doing their work at a staggering speed, I'm sure I would only hindering their job. So I mounted my horse and rode my way back home.

I'm surely going home earlier since it's probably still around 3 p.m. Normally I should have 4 hours more to finish my shift, but it seems today is my good day.

And as a bonus, I still have my packed meal. There's no rule to forbid bringing back home the packed meal that was given to me that day, so I guess there should be no problem giving this to my children.

I unconsciously smile all the way back to my home.

But just when I arrive at the city entrance,

"Ohh it's Gil-san. Perfect, please come here for a moment."

The guard suddenly called out to me. I do not know him but he acts very friendly. I don't think anything bad would happen, but I have a feeling something big is going to happen.

So without saying anything, I followed him and being led to a room that gave me a bit chilly sensation. He knocked on the door, and we both heard "Come in" from inside the room. He opened the door and entered first before me. And after I got in, I saw the one who sitting inside this room.

It's Rigur-sama.

I got cold sweat very suddenly. I'm pretty sure I didn't do anything wrong, but why am I here? Something must be wrong, right?

"Oh you finally arrived, Gil-san."

Rigur-sama spoke to me very casually. His face is smiling happily, but I don't know why I felt the pressure. Maybe, I just got too nervous.

"Ah, yes! What can I help you with, Rigur-sama?"

"It's nothing really. In fact, I want to thank you, Gil-san."

"Thank… me?"

"Yes, a very sincere gratitude after your splendid job today."

"Ohh, please don't mind it, Rigur-sama. It's because of my team, especially Frans-kun."

"Right! There are also your teammates. You all have done a very good job. Is there anything you want for the reward?"

"E-Eh! Rigur-sama, I'm very honored to be acknowledged for my work. It's more than enough for me. Besides, being given an opportunity to live in this nation and have a good job is already a paradise for me, Rigur-sama. So please, I don't need any rewards. It will be wasted on me."

"Really? But I thought you deserved more reward. How about a unique grade weapon from the Kurobee-dono workshop?"

My word! That grade of weapon used to be an heirloom for nobles! Not for a common person like me… Not good, I have to decline.

"I-I'm very pleased to hear the offer. But I am simply satisfied with everything I have right now. So I'm very sorry, but I can't accept the offer, Rigur-sama."

"Hmm… I felt like I was indebted to you, Gil-san. Is there really nothing you want?"

I swear I don't have any desire to have anything more than I have right now. But… this opportunity wouldn't come twice. I have to use this chance wisely. Okay… but what should I ask?

Ah! I know!

"Umm… Then, may I ask for something?"

"Yes of course! Tell me your reward, Gil-san."

"Then, may I ask to reward my teammates instead? Especially the one named Frans-kun. He is a very promising young warrior."

Rigur-sama looks a bit surprised. But moments later, he smiled again.

"Ahahaha… Gil-san, even without you asking for it, I was planning to give them a reward as well. So don't worry about your teammates, they would also rewarded."

"O-Oh… I'm glad to hear that. But, I just want them to receive the best."

"Certainly, I would give them a proper reward. It's unfortunate, but are you really sure you don't want any reward?"

"Please don't, Rigur-sama. What I have right now is more than enough. If I receive anything more than this, I would consider myself as a greedy person."

Rigur-sama smiled upon hearing my answer and laughed a bit at the response. But after that, he didn't pursue the matter any longer, and we moved on to another topic.

For the next couple of minutes, he asked me to explain what happened to that broken cart and I explained it to him without missing any details. He looks very satisfied upon hearing the story.

"I'm sure Rimuru-sama would be very pleased to hear your work."

"It would be my utmost pleasure."

"And you deserve it, Gil-san. Oh by the way, may I ask you something?"

"Sure, Rigur-sama. What can I help?"

"Here, please take a look at this."

He brought a map to the table and showed it to me. It's a map of the whole Jura Tempest Federation, and there are marks around it. There are at least some 4 marks on it. I wonder what it is.

"These dots are the base of the bandits that attacked us recently."

"Impressive! So we already know where are their hideout?"

"Yes, fortunately, it's not a difficult thing to do because our intelligence department works fast. In less than a day, we already know their places."

"That's a remarkable feat. But, what can I do about this, Rigur-sama?"

"Currently the intelligence department is still investigating them. We knew where they were but we still needed to assess their strength and how many they were. Are these four bases connected to each other, are they independent bandits, Do they actually have an ultimate goal, well we still investigating those questions. The intelligence department intended to finish its investigation in 2 days. And after that, it's time to exterminate them."

"Exterminate… who's going to be sent to do it?"

"The army, of course. But, in case you want to join, I could arrange it for you, Gil-san."

Well, I do have experience dealing with bandits, but as I said before, I'm not a belligerent who enjoys fighting. Without thinking twice, I resolved myself to reject the offer.

"Thank you very much for the offer, Rigur-sama. But, I have to decline. I'm not the type that enjoys fighting."

Rigur-sama smiled at me again.

"I understand. I won't pry into it anymore. But once again, you did a splendid job today Gil-san. And I still think you need to be rewarded."

I let out a small laugh and again, I politely decline. I mean, I seriously already have everything I want. I cannot ask for more.

"All right, I understand. But say, Gil-san, you said you are not someone who enjoys a fight. But here you are, working as security who possibly faces a fight every day. Do you find it exhausting?"

"Well, it's true that I do not enjoy a fight, but I like this job. It suited me too because I like socializing with people, and I enjoy the fact that every day I can help many people. It makes me feel like someone who has done a good deed."

"You are one of the nicest people I ever met, Gil-san. All right, I hope you don't mind if I do something about your job."

"Eh? What do you mean, Rigur-sama?"

"I tell you when it's done. Sorry for taking your time, Gil-san. You can go home now." Rigur-sama said it with some mysterious smile.

"Umm, then excuse me, Rigur-sama."

I walked out of the room and led by the guard earlier to the exit. When I exit the place, I felt some joy to be able to come home very early.

I dropped by some food stalls in the commercial district to buy some food at home. I thought it would be nice if I could enjoy some tasty foods with my family once in a while. It's already evening, I guess my kids have come home from school.

So I bought some skewers, a hot bun, iced fruit juice, and a box of ice cream. To be honest, it's a bit pricey but it's okay for once in a while.

I came back home and was welcomed by my wife. She was surprised by how early I came home, so after I changed my clothes and dropped off my equipment, I explained everything to her. The explanation though, it's more like a story since there are my kids also present with me.

All of them smile after hearing that I manage to prevent anyone from getting close to the cart that has a magic rune for an explosion.

"Good work today, Papa"

"Yes, thank you, my little angel."

"Dear, here's your reward from me." My wife kissed me on the cheek and leaned her body to my shoulders.

I patted her head and then both of my kids ran to me. I hugged them all.

We do that for several minutes, and later on, we have a feast with the food I bought.

…

The next morning, I came back to work just like usual. I arrived early since I got to have a better sleep last night, and my fatigue now is gone. I'm perfectly in good shape.

I arrived at the Road Patrol Unit headquarters and found a few colleagues. My teammates haven't arrived yet, so I spend my time waiting for them while talking with other patrol guards.

And only several minutes later, Frans-kun arrived. And I saw something new in him.

"Good morning, Gil-san."

"Yo, good morning Frans-kun. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm in a very good shape, Gil-san! Look at this! I got a new sword!"

That's it. I already noticed he got a new sword. And not just ordinary sword. It must be a high-level one.

"Mm-hmm, I notice. Good for you, Frans-kun. You really deserve it. Good job!"

I stroke his head. I can't hold it to stroke his head since he's still very young, not even in his twenties. So in my eyes, he still looks like a kid.

"It looks cool, right? This is a unique grade sword from Kurobee-dono's workshop. Rigur-sama gave it to me yesterday."

"Splendid as always. I'm sure you will take care of it with a great care."

"Of course, I will! Thank you for your kind words, Gil-san."

"No no, I didn't do anything so you can stop with that. By the way, how was it going yesterday? Did you manage to catch the thief that was running?"

"Oh yeah, I haven't told you. Yes, fortunately, we managed to intercept them. But they were pretty smart by dispersing themselves so we had to divide our man as well to chase a different group of bandits. It's a bit difficult at the start, but after the wyvern riders come to help, it is all done in just less than an hour. We managed to secure the stolen goods, and the wyvern riders took care of the rest while we were told to come back home and rest."

"I see. I'm glad the victims can get their stuff back."

"Yes, it is. I'm happy for them."

We both continued our conversation and moments later, Yolan and Ceres arrived. Yolan doesn't seem to have anything new, instead, he looks like he has something in his mind. Ceres meanwhile, looks happy since he's smiling all around. I guess it has something to do with the reward we received yesterday.

After some talks, I figured that Ceres was given a good chunk of money and he's very happy since he can take a holiday to travel for vacation with that money.

Meanwhile for Yolan,

"Sorry, I don't want to talk about it right now. But perhaps later after work, I can tell you with some drinks."

Hmm? It's obviously strange to see Yolan inviting us to drinks, but I don't mind at all. All right, after work, I'll go to the bar for a while.

And so, after being briefed about the current situation and receiving an assignment to take patrol on the road towards Sarion, we took our horses on the stable and rode out to do our job.

This day, however, after many hours, it looks like there's nothing will happen. And there's a good reason for it.

The security in this way is better since Tempest has a good relationship with the Tengu Clan nearby. They live relatively close to us, and they are the guardians of the mountain. Only a fool would stay in there for doing criminals. So for the most part, the existence of Tengu Clan in the area is already a guaranteed security.

And before we knew it, the 12-hour shift had already finished and we rode back home.

We parked our horses in the stable and headed straight to the nearby bar. I ordered some light beer with snacks, Ceres ordered a pretty heavy cold beer, while Yolan and Frans only bought some light drinks and a simple meal.

"So, what happened to you, Yolan?" I asked while chewing my snacks.

"Right. Actually, yesterday I got an offer as the reward."

"Offer? What is it?"

"To be enlisted in the new army corps in Tempest."

Me, Frans-kun, and Ceres stopped our eating and looked at him intently. I mean, new army corps?

"New corps? What is that Yolan-san?" Frans-kun was the one who asked.

"I was told that The Army Chief-General, Benimaru-sama intended to not waste the already formed Volounteer Corps. After some selection, it will be formed into a new corps. The Fifth Corps, White Numbers."

Whoaa… Wait a minute, I was enlisted to Volounteer Corps when the war was happening, Am I enlisted as well?

"Is it a corps consisting of humans only?" Frans-kun asked.

"Probably. I don't know, since the process of selection is still underway."

"And you were offered to join?"

"Yes."

"That's amazing! That's a great offer for you, Yolan-san!"

"Really?"

"Yeah! I mean, look at you. You're certainly strong!"

"Well, I was still thinking about it."

"Hold on a minute," I interrupted, "I was enlisted in the Volunteer Corps when the war broke out. Am I enlisted as well?"

"I don't know. The selection process was done by military executives. But I guess you can be enlisted if you want."

"Well, if it was me, I wouldn't take it." I deliberately speak the truth without hesitation.

"Why?"

"I have no interest in joining a fight. I didn't mean it in a bad way. I would fight if necessary, but not to the extent of joining an army."

"I see."

"But don't mind about me. What would you do, Yolan? Will you take the offer?"

"I don't know."

"What's holding you?" this time, it was Ceres who asked.

"I'm the type who does a job half-heartedly. I'm not sure this attitude would fit in the army. Especially under the banner of Rimuru-sama."

"So basically, you want an easy job?"

"Maybe. But I'm glad they thought of me highly until Rigur-sama offered me to join the corps without any test."

"Well if you have been trusted that much, you have to accept it, I guess," Ceres commented.

"Why?"

"This country is amazing. Even a good-for-nothing like me can still have a stable life. If I can be trusted that much by this country, I would take it without hesitation."

This comment from Ceres made me surprised, in all honesty. I never thought he would think that way. But I guess he has a point. This nation is a free place for us to live happily, and getting valued highly by them would be a pleasure thing to happen.

"I think Ceres has a point. Perhaps they know your unique skill and want you to join the army for better use. On the other hand, I believe wholeheartedly that Rimuru-sama wouldn't treat you as a meat shield."

"Yeah, His Majesty Rimuru-sama is the ultimate kind of being. No way you would be sent into a meaningless war." This time, Frans-kun also joined.

Yolan let out a small laugh. It was my first time seeing it. He then smiled a bit and looked at us with a relieved look.

"I always thought it that way. But I still got hesitant for some unknown reason. I guess, my only way is to try it out."

"So I take that as you will take the offer?"

"Yes."

"Then, enjoy your remaining time as patrol guard unit with us now."

"Don't worry. I still have time about a week to finish my job as security."

"So after a week, you would start your job in the army?"

"Yes."

"Then, I hope you weren't disappointed that we're your last team as patrol guard unit."

"No way, I was glad to have you all as my teammates."

"That's good to hear."

We all cheered our drinks and finished our meals. We talked for about an hour before heading home.

…

For the rest of the week, our job is still done without any hitch.

Especially the day after we talked about Yolan's decision to join the army.

Before I and my teammates rode out to take patrol, we were informed that the operation to take down the bandit base was underway. We were told to remain on vigilant since we wouldn't know for sure what would happen during the crackdown.

And although Tempest sent the elite members from Wyvern Riders and Goblin Riders to take over their base, the possibility of an unknown event could still pose a threat.

But as it turns out, the only thing different that day, was the sight of Wyvern soaring in the sky and some Goblin Riders were spotted in the outskirt. As a result, the road has gotten more secure.

The peace has returned since that day.

We bid our farewell to each other, especially to Yolan who would quit the patrolling unit and start his new career as a soldier. As for Ceres and Frans-kun, as long as they would still be in the patrol unit, we would see each other again although not as teammates.

But to my surprise, when it was time to have a day off, I was called to the headquarters. It would be a lie if I said I didn't get annoyed by it, but I could not refuse the order so I came.

By the time I arrived at the headquarters, a young-looking elf woman came to me with an apologetic face.

"Excuse me, are you perhaps Gil-san?"

"Yes, I was told to come here. Is there something wrong?"

"Oh no, not exactly. But please, let's move to my office."

I nodded along and she led me to her office. There is a sofa inside the room, and I was asked to take a sit. Later on, a merfolk came in serving us a warm tea with some cookies. I don't have any idea what's going on.

"I'm very sorry, it seems we have to wait a bit. There's gonna be someone who would come here. And in the meantime, please enjoy the cookies. It's from Yoshida-san's shop."

"O-Ohh… Thank you. Then I will take some."

I enjoyed the cookies and the tea. Both of them were delicious. But it didn't help my curiosity.

While I'm enjoying the tea and cookies, the young-looking elf woman in front of me is holding a bundle of paper and checking them one by one. I guess that is what it looks like to be an officer or civil servant. Although I don't have any idea who she is.

And to my surprise, she seems aware of what I've been thinking. She suddenly stopped and looked at me with apologetic looks.

"Oh, I'm very sorry once again. I haven't introduced myself, have I? My name is Ilya, I'm the secretary of the head Patrol Guard Unit. I still didn't get used to communicating with people, I'm very sorry for your uncomfortable circumstance."

"No, not at all Ilya-san. I see, so you're the secretary. No need to apologize, Ilya-san. I'm just curious about what is going on."

"I see, the report of Gil-san being a polite person is accurate. And no need to worry Gil-san, there wouldn't be any trouble coming for you. Instead, it's the otherwise."

"Pardon?"

"Consider it as a reward for your splendid deeds for all this time, Gil-san."

"What do you mea-"

"Sorry for making you wait. The paperwork is taking much longer than I thought."

When I was trying to ask what Ilya-san meant, a tall lycanthrope was entering the room all sudden.

"I told you to leave the paperwork to me, Galan-sama. You made Gil-san wait. And not to mention you call him out during his day off." Ilya-san reprimanded him without any second to waste. It's amazing to scold your superior without any concern.

On the other hand, Galan-sama, the head of the patrol unit, just let out a small laugh while scratching the back of his head. He apologized for making me wait, and I said to him that it was no big deal and they didn't have to worry about that. My annoyance for being called on my day off has been long gone, so relax.

"Thanks a lot for your understanding, it saves me a lot I tell ya. So, let me introduce myself. My name is Galan, the head of the Patrol Guard Unit. Nice to meet you, Gil-san."

"It's my pleasure, Galan-sama." I actually already know his name since he's my superior. But indeed this is the first time I ever met him personally.

"So, let's cut to the chase. I've been ordered to promote you."

I was immediately almost choked the cookies that I ate. Promote? I get a promotion?"

"Pardon?"

"You heard it. It's good news. Rigur-sama, and we as well, have seen your dedication and your splendid job during your time as the patrol guard. So by the proper standard, we offered you to promote your position to become the officer in the office."

"Officer?"

"Yes, Rigur-sama told me that you are actually not fond of fighting. But you still splendidly doing your job. So, the position of becoming an officer is something we could think of as your reward for all this time. How does that sound to you?"

"W-Well…"

This is too sudden. I mean, I do enjoy my job. But to be promoted to an officer? Did they trust me for that?

"I… Am I qualified for this promotion?"

"Of course you are. We were thinking you might be suited as the officer in charge of public relations. I heard you are amazing with your social skills."

"Well, I do like to talk with various people. But…"

"What is it?"

As I thought harder and harder, I couldn't find any more reason to decline the offer. Instead, I was getting excited about that. Man… If so, I couldn't reject it. I could do my work without having to face a fight. The paperwork might be a hassle, but it's safer. I think I could enjoy this new role.

"No, nothing. My apologies."

"So then, would you take our offer?"

"Yes, with my pleasure."