What I submitted at the guild reception was a quest form for adventurers.
I paid the guild's commission fees and deposits, and set about gathering manpower.
However, Hawkins, who received the forms, kept glancing back and forth between the documents and my face.
"L-Lyle... is this amount correct? The duration is four days. Two silver coins just for participating. And the job description says all you have to do is stand at the destination?"
His suspicion was only natural.
The pay and the job description didn't match at all.
"That's correct. Also, regarding the number of recruits—"
"Y-yes...!"
Hawkins looked troubled, but checked the recruitment number on the form.
"A hundred!?"
"We can recruit up to two hundred, actually. Basically, it's just having people stand around the destination — the abandoned mine ruins. Also, I'll be paying the rewards separately, so I'll be looking for people who can actually work, too."
Hearing that, Hawkins checked the forms over and over again.
*'If the intel's right, the bandits number around twenty. It's excessive, sure, but the only ones who'll actually fight are Lyle and the rest. Well, if you think of it as participating in a war, it's not bad pay.'*
When the Third Generation said that, I had to agree.
*(Working a full day earns about six to ten large copper coins. Yet here I'm offering two silver coins for two days. But without something like this, applicants won't exactly come flooding in.)*
*'Money-grubbers will come running for sure. Shall we make it flashy then?'*
As a foolish young master, that is.
The sight of me leading hundreds to take down a bandit gang of a few dozen must look absolutely ridiculous to the residents of Darion.
And it would let House Walt — my family — know where I am. Though the chances were they already knew.
But what would they think if I did something this foolish?
They might even send an assassin someday.
*(If it's Ceres's whim, something like that wouldn't be out of the question.)*
Then what if I appeared ridiculous — a fool of a young master flailing about?
*(Basically, everything comes down to a gamble.)*
While Hawkins was checking the documents for errors, I decided to bring something up.
"Oh, right. There was something I wanted to ask you, Hawkins. May I ask a question?"
"Of course, if it's something I can answer."
With that, I confirmed my question with Hawkins.
Though, Zelphy hadn't raised any objections either.
I didn't think the guild would object, either.
*(The more cards you have in hand, the better.)*
In front of the guild's ground floor.
In a high-traffic area, I delivered a speech at the top of my lungs.
"I am the heir of House Walt — formerly an earl's family! I have decided to stand up and eliminate the bandit gang lurking near the city of Darion! Those who believe themselves worthy, step forward!"
*'Your voice is too quiet. It's fine if people laugh — let's go all out here.'*
Following the Fourth Generation's instructions, I advertised the bandit extermination at the top of my lungs.
Ridiculously.
And in a way that invited laughter.
"A noble is going after bandits?"
"More like, he got kicked out, so..."
"Isn't he a good-for-nothing?"
"Just leave the bandits to the lord."
"He'll come back as soon as the dungeon purge is over. Why not just put up with it until then?"
Chuckles and snickers — the adventurers walked right past me.
Among them were passersby who laughed out loud.
"Now I stand, as a knight, to fulfill my duty — (Th-this is just desperation!)"
Enduring the humiliation, I called out to the adventurers at the top of my lungs.
Once the speech was over and I reunited with Novem, I returned to our rented house.
There, standing in front of the entrance with her arms crossed in an imposing stance, was a red-haired woman — Aria Lockwood.
Her crossed arms pushed her chest up.
It was unusual, but my mind was already wrecked for the day. I glanced at her chest for just a moment before addressing Lockwood.
"Um, is there something you need here?"
"Is there something I need? That's not what this is about! What on earth was that today?!"
"That" likely referred to my over-the-top promotion.
"Well, I was recruiting for the bandit extermination—"
"Lyle, that was wonderful."
I was blushing at Novem's flattery when Lockwood strode toward me.
With wide, aggressive steps — nothing like a former noble lady.
"All you had to do was lend me Zelphy! Then we could have used the transmission to slip in with a small elite team and get the jewel back... If you advertise that loudly, even the bandits will hear about it!"
Then Novem spoke to Lockwood.
"Might you be under some kind of misunderstanding?"
"Wh-what do you mean? Everyone was clearly laughing at that!"
That was exactly why I did it.
So it wasn't a mistake, yet... somehow, I felt sad.
"We are acting because we have our own reasons to do so. Or are you suggesting... we're doing this for your sake?"
At Novem's sharp words, Lockwood flinched.
I heard the First Generation's voice.
*(Uh, um, Novem-chan... I was kinda hoping you'd let it go, you know? Come on, let's get along, okay?)*
Then the Second Generation spoke up.
*(Who's this guy even on our side for? There's no need to suck up to her. We're doing the same thing regardless.)*
My goal was undoubtedly to retrieve the Lockwood family's jewel.
Because that was also the condition for gaining the First Generation's help.
That said, there was no small part of me that wanted to help her on a personal level.
This time, my ancestors were cooperating in order to make the First Generation acknowledge me. And to ensure my safety.
"B-but if that lets the bandits escape, it'll all be for nothing!"
"...Then why don't you take action yourself?"
"Huh?"
Novem delivered her words coldly to Lockwood. At the same time, it was a perfectly valid point.
"Zelphy has taken on the role of our instructor through a guild commission. Of course, we paid compensation in return. She's currently working on a different job for us, but the commission fees have been paid."
"Y-yes, I feel terrible about that. But I don't have that kind of money..."
The Lockwood family was in decline. No — they had already fallen.
If they could afford that kind of money, they wouldn't have had to rely on their old acquaintance Zelphy.
"How can you criticize Lyle's actions when you won't do what you're capable of yourself? Or were you planning to demand the jewel back if Lyle succeeded? Just how selfish can you be?"
"I-I was going to..."
Seeing the frustrated look on Lockwood's face, I was about to step in. But the Third Generation stopped me.
*(Lyle, let's leave this to Novem-chan. It'll be better for Aria that way.)*
When I held back from intervening, Novem confirmed it and continued speaking to Lockwood.
"I have no intention of mocking those who try, even if they're laughed at or humiliated. Those who only stand and watch have no right to say anything."
Lockwood shot back.
"That's why I tried asking for help properly... What am I supposed to do alone?! What can a girl like me even do?!"
I watched the two of them.
The Third Generation had advised me.
*(Novem-chan took on the bad-guy role in your place. Really, it should be you saying these things to her.)*
The First Generation also spoke to me.
*(That's right! Get it together, you damn brat!)*
The Second Generation gave the First Generation a warning.
*(Do you even understand that we're only going through all this trouble because of you? Actually, why don't you look in a mirror and say those words again?)*
I looked down, then raised my head.
There stood Lockwood, tears streaming down her face. The strong-willed woman from moments before was gone.
She wanted to get something precious back.
But doing it alone was impossible.
She must have agonized over it, and she must have been desperate.
I decided to take Novem inside. And as we passed Lockwood, I said.
"We depart tomorrow morning. If you see me among the group waiting at the entrance, that's the bandit extermination party. After that, do as you please."
"Huh?"
With that, I took Novem by the hand and went inside.
The next morning.
I looked at the wooden sticks and planks packed into the wagon and nodded.
"If you see these from a distance, you'd mistake them for the real thing."
*(Hmm, quite impressive that they managed to gather this much in such a short time. The merchants seem to have been pretty concerned about it too.)*
The Seventh Generation looked at the loaded wagon and confirmed that preparations were complete.
If I distributed these to the hundred and thirty adventurers who had gathered, they'd look like soldiers from a distance.
*(The other supplies are ready too.)*
*(— That girl Aria is here too.)*
When I shifted my gaze, there stood the red-haired Lockwood.
Seeing that, Novem said nothing. She didn't say anything, but she seemed a little relieved.
"Wouldn't it be better for her not to come?"
When I said that, Novem shook her head.
"That's just her personality. I think she'd end up regretting not coming. I'm worried that regret might cause her to lose her way down the line... It's just speculation on my part, though."
Most of the personnel had no actual job. They were literally hired just to head to the destination. Less than a tenth of them had real work to do.
It truly was a job where you just stood at the destination. That was how I'd advertised it, and how I'd gathered so many people.
However, due to time constraints, fewer people had gathered than I'd hoped.
*(You understand, don't you, Lyle? The battle has already begun.)*
At the Seventh Generation's words, I nodded silently.
"Now then — let's move out."
At my words, Novem nodded.
Near Darion, at the abandoned mine ruins —
There, a man sat atop a wooden crate, all the treasure he'd accumulated piled behind him.
In his hand, he held a red jewel.
Holding it in his right hand and gazing at it, the man was smiling.
"Got my hands on something good. Thanks to this thing, I managed to wipe out the monsters that had taken up residence around here."
A burly man with a thick beard, standing over two meters tall.
He had founded a bandit gang and wreaked havoc across the land.
His twenty-three subordinates bowed and scraped before their leader.
"As expected of the boss. Still, who would have thought the noble's little lordling would be completely transparent?"
When one of his men said that, the big man let out a booming laugh.
In front of his twenty-three subordinates, he revealed what he knew about the extermination party.
"If you plaster it all over the guild, of course it's gonna leak. And they don't even know my boys have infiltrated their ranks. Let them bring their little army of fake soldiers for all I care."
Lyle's plans were completely exposed.
He had a total of twenty-six subordinates. Of those, three had been posing as adventurers in the city of Darion.
While stockpiling supplies and preparing to accommodate the entire band, they had obtained intelligence on Lyle and his group.
From the intelligence he'd gathered, the big man had deduced that most of their forces were just adventurers armed with wooden sticks and shields — and not particularly skilled ones at that.
"They're probably planning to make us surrender when we're shocked by their numbers... But that's not gonna happen. We can't end things somewhere like this."
The big man had ambitions.
To rise above the station of a bandit and lead a mercenary company.
And to one day claim a kingdom of his own.
He harbored the ambition of joining the ranks of legendary men who rose from mercenary companies to become lords.
He had washed up in Darion and built connections with the city's residents. Gradually infiltrating his subordinates, he sold off the treasure he'd collected to fund his independence.
The reason they hadn't plundered Darion was because they planned to live on as a mercenary company.
And the card he needed to achieve that was now in his possession.
"With this jewel, there's nothing left to fear. When that noble brat shows up, I'll take his head."
"Boss! The woman that noble brat is with is a real looker!"
When one of his men said that, the big man laughed.
"Is that so? Once I've had a taste, I'll let you guys have a go."
"Hehehe, thanks, boss. I've had my eye on her since I saw her at the guild."
Part of the bandit gang that had infiltrated the adventurer's guild had been feeding information about Lyle's movements.
They planned to use this to make a name for themselves.
"The chance to make our name has come right to us! You bastards, get your heads in the game!"
"BOSS!"
The bandits' morale was high.
The reason lay in the red jewel in the big man's grip.
The jewel had Skills specializing in close combat recorded within it.
It was a precious jewel passed down through the Lockwood family for generations.
— The bandits awaited Lyle and his party at the abandoned mine ruins.