Day-9
...
In the end, I couldn't fall asleep at all. The nervousness I felt left me restless.
I decided to gear myself up, then left the inn. Walking toward the west gate of the city.
Manato told me to go there—he said he would be waiting with his party members. But it seems like I'll be the one waiting for them instead.
The streets were still very quiet. There wasn't much to be seen.
Looking up, I could see the sun beginning to rise, even though the sky was still dark.
My heart was still pounding like before. It hadn't calmed down at all.
It even made me feel nauseous.
Thinking about things didn't help either. If anything, it only made my nervousness worse.
Every time, thoughts of acceptance and rejection surfaced in my mind. Various scenarios played out, as if they were bound to happen.
Seriously… I feel like an idiot right now.
After walking for a while, I finally arrived at the west gate. As usual, a few guards could be seen standing watch there.
I approached them and showed my Crimson Moon membership tag. They allowed me to pass through the gate.
It was a simple process, in my opinion.
After that, all I did was wait outside the gate, leaning against the wall.
Letting out a sigh every few minutes.
Trying to get rid of this nervousness. But in reality, it was completely useless.
Maybe once I get through this, it'll go away. That's what I thought.
I've never really minded being the one who waits. But that doesn't mean I like it.
Sometimes, the thing I'm waiting for never comes.
It's like hope—appearing suddenly, and disappearing just as suddenly.
That's why I try not to expect too much.
Even so, coming to this new world… made me start hoping, just a little, for this uncertain future.
At the very least, I want things to go the way I want… even though they never really do.
So… is this what they call "fate"?
I don't know. I don't really understand it either.
-
Sitting on the ground, staring blankly ahead. The boredom was clear on my face.
It felt like I'd been waiting here for quite a long time.
And just as I expected—
The bell suddenly rang, signaling that it was now 6 in the morning.
As far as I know, that bell only rings from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
That's something I learned after hearing it for over a week.
It might seem useless, but that sound marks the time for volunteer soldiers like us to start working… even if I'm still just an apprentice.
If I remember correctly, I need a few silver coins to rank up from apprentice.
For now, that's my goal… I guess.
This is taking so long…
Huh… how long do I have to wait?
"Hey, Sirus. Have you been waiting long?"
A voice suddenly came from behind me.
I quickly stood up and turned around to see Manato and his group standing there.
A smile formed on my face.
"…Not that long. I just got here too," I said—completely opposite of the truth.
"I see. By the way, these are my party members. Don't worry, I've already told them about you," Manato said with a smile, making me feel a little more at ease.
Then I looked at all of them.
At first, it felt fine. But the longer I looked, the nervousness returned.
Damn it.
Even though I wanted to say something, I felt like I'd stutter because of how nervous I was.
So in my head, I tried to calm myself as quickly as possible… but that only made it worse.
Damn, damn… is this what happens when you've been alone for too long?
Huh… I let out a sigh.
I forced a smile again, though it was slightly stiff.
"Hello, nice to meet all of you. My name is Sirus… and yeah, it looks like I'll be joining you from now on."
Even though I felt awkward, I managed to say it properly.
Now all that's left is their response.
Well… it wouldn't be surprising if they rejected me.
Without realizing it, out of habit, I lowered my gaze.
"Welcome! Yume already heard about you from Manato. He said you're a good person, so Yume doesn't mind if Sirus joins!"
A cheerful voice reached my ears. I raised my head to see who it was.
A girl. From that alone, I knew she must be "Yume." Just like Manato said—she's cheerful.
Behind her stood another girl.
She could be called beautiful… though honestly, I'm not really sure how to judge that.
She stepped forward slightly.
"N-nice to meet you…" she said. She seemed shy.
I remember Manato mentioning her—if I'm not mistaken, "Shihoru." Well, there are only two girls in the party, so it has to be her.
"Even though I'm not too happy that Manato decided this on his own, whatever. My name's Ranta. But you should call me Lord Ranta, since I allowed you to join. You should be grateful,"
The guy who called himself "Lord"… yeah, I'm not calling him that.
"You don't need to listen to that nonsense. Welcome, I guess. I'm Haruhiro—let's work well together," said the young man named Haruhiro.
…I don't really feel the similarity Manato mentioned.
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean, Haruhiro!?" Ranta shouted, but Haruhiro ignored him.
"Don't ignore me!!"
My gaze shifted to someone I recognized—his name should be Mogzo.
"Ah… th-thank you… for yesterday…" he said, stuttering.
I shook my head. "It's nothing."
"So, Sirus, what do you think? Pretty good party, right?" Manato chimed in suddenly.
I looked at him.
Then nodded. "Yeah… I think it's a good party."
Everyone seemed to complement each other. There might be some conflicts due to their personalities, but that's probably normal.
"Alright everyone, let's get going!" Manato said loudly enough for all to hear.
And with that, my first hunt with this party began.
...
After walking for a while, we finally arrived at our destination.
What I saw were ruins—what used to be a city.
From Manato, I learned that its name was "Damroww."
It used to be the second largest city in the Aravakia Kingdom, even surpassing Ortana.
But everything changed when the Deathless King and his army attacked. The city became one of the undead.
However, things are different now. After the Deathless King died, the enslaved goblins rebelled, drove out the undead, and claimed the city for themselves.
Now… it's a goblin city.
So yeah, there should be plenty of goblins wandering around here.
After arriving, Haruhiro, as the thief, was tasked with scouting and finding prey.
While waiting for him to return, the rest of us stayed inside one of the ruined buildings.
Not long after, he came back.
"One of the goblins seems to be asleep," Haruhiro reported.
"Alright. Let's go kill it," Manato said, his expression tightening before continuing.
"Mogzo's armor will make noise no matter how quietly he moves. So Haruhiro, Ranta, Sirus, and I will move in first. Mogzo, Yume, and Shihoru follow after we go. We'll try to get close and kill it in one strike without waking it. But if it wakes up—Yume, shoot it with your bow. Shihoru, attack with magic. Mogzo, come support us as quickly as you can. If it turns into a serious fight, use the same formation as before. Surround the goblin. Don't let it escape."
Everyone—including me—just nodded.
Then Haruhiro, Ranta, Manato, and I moved ahead. Manato led the way.
After some time, we reached a ruined structure filled with debris. One wrong step could wake the sleeping goblin.
Getting close took longer than I expected.
But eventually, we were within striking range.
We exchanged glances. Then Ranta pointed at himself, signaling he'd go first.
I wasn't sure if this would end well… but Manato let him take the chance.
Ranta moved closer, preparing to stab the goblin in the head—
But something unexpected happened.
The goblin suddenly woke up and screamed.
It reached out to grab Ranta's head. He ducked and shouted,
"Watch out!"
Manato immediately struck with his staff, hitting the goblin's head and arm in quick succession.
"Damn it!" Ranta thrust his sword forward, stabbing repeatedly.
The goblin staggered back, already badly wounded at the start.
I decided to act—charging forward and swinging my sword.
Because of its injuries, it couldn't dodge. My strike hit its head, knocking it onto its back.
Then Ranta delivered the final blow.
"…Did we kill it?" Ranta asked, leaning forward to look.
"Yeah… looks like it," I replied, staring at the lifeless goblin.
Soon after, Mogzo, Yume, and Shihoru arrived.
Manato took something from the goblin—a pouch. Inside… silver coins.
Not just one. Four.
That was completely unexpected.
"Wow… this is a record. And we got it from just one goblin…" Yume said.
"Not yet. We move on. This was easy, but it won't always be. This isn't the time to relax. We need to find the next target," Manato said.
He seemed… a bit too serious.
"Manato," Ranta said, patting his shoulder, "don't be so tense. This is our first big win! And it's all thanks to me! Why don't we celebrate?"
Manato suddenly smiled.
"You're right. I don't mind celebrating. And you did well today, Ranta."
"Of course! That's because I'm amazing! Especially when I stabbed that goblin with a cruel smile—I looked like a super dark knight!!"
"You were just swinging your sword in desperation," Haruhiro replied.
"Idiot! I crushed its head easily! What were you even looking at?! Oh right—you didn't see anything because you're always half-asleep!!"
"You keep saying the same thing over and over. Sorry, but I'm not taking the bait this time."
"No! Please take the bait… or I'll… be sad…"
I could only sigh, smiling at their interaction.
It's not like I can't adapt…
I just haven't fully decided to yet.
But… I think I'll try.
Even if it still feels a little lonely—especially since I'm the newest member.
If I don't want to mess things up… I have to endure it until I get used to it.
Maybe… just maybe…
My life will start to change from here.
Yeah… hopefully.
...