The lieutenant, feeling a bit awkward, lowered his head and coughed twice.
"It's nothing."
With that, he stood up and left the room, disappearing to who knows where.
Edwin walked behind his desk, took out a blank sheet of paper, and dipped a quill in ink.
"You must have had a bit of a run-in with the lieutenant just now. He's a man who values efficiency, and while he sometimes goes about things the wrong way, he's a good person overall."
"I wouldn't have gotten angry if he hadn't insulted my friend."
Edwin gave a wry smile. Colin's response was just what he'd expected.
He spoke as he scribbled on the paper on his desk.
"We're currently recruiting field personnel for the City Watchers.
Thousand Masts City has no intention of restricting your freedom. After you join, you can still accept commissions or quests from taverns, but you must report your movements before leaving the city.
When trouble arises, we will contact you via magic and have you respond. This is part of the job, so refusal is not an option. Of course, you will be compensated for it.
Your squad will receive a monthly stipend of four Gold Coins. Any loot obtained during a mission is yours to deal with as you see fit.
After a successful mission, we may also increase the stipend, depending on the circumstances."
Edwin turned the paper around and pushed it across to Colin.
Then he continued, "If you agree, you can go ahead and sign. Or do you need to ask Mr. Kase for his opinion first?"
'Sign?'
Colin, who had expected to hear more about the job's duties, was taken aback.
'Wait a minute,' he thought. 'Isn't this job just an extra way to get commissions, plus a few free Gold Coins every month?'
'Back when my old self was a dockworker, I only made six Gold Coins a month in total. After rent, living expenses, and protection fees, I was lucky to save a few Silver Coins.'
'And that was for working about ten hours a day.'
'Now I can earn free money just by signing a contract, and the only catch is having to handle some monster-slaying commissions.'
'Is a deal this good even possible?'
Colin blinked, making sure he wasn't dreaming.
He couldn't even imagine the look on Kase's face when he found out about this job.
'Speaking of which, I think there's an organization in Thousand Masts City called the Gray Hand.'
'They specialize in recruiting High-tier Adventurers to get things done.'
'The Gray Hand is very mysterious. Some say they're city spies, while others believe they're a group dedicated to fighting monsters. No one really knows what their actual purpose is.'
'Maybe this job is something like that.'
Colin asked, "So, I don't need to show you anything? Or prove myself somehow? You're just going to approve me this easily and pay me four Gold Coins a month?"
"Since you managed to kill a Winter Wolf, you must have some extraordinary skills."
Colin nodded and bent his head to examine the contract carefully.
The body's previous owner had grown up in an orphanage and learned to read, so Colin could understand the gist of the contract. Its terms were more or less what Edwin had just described.
'If I sign this, Kase and I will each get an extra two Gold Coins a month.'
'Slum gangs generally don't mess with Adventurers, let alone someone who's officially a City Watcher. That means these two Gold Coins would be mine, for real.'
'After paying the rent—one Gold Coin and two Silver Coins—the rest would be enough for a month's worth of food.'
'What working stiff could possibly refuse such a tempting offer?'
With that thought, Colin decisively signed his name.
"One more thing." Edwin tucked the paper away and asked, "When you killed that White Wolf, did anything unusual happen? Did you run into anyone suspicious, for instance?"
'He must have been on a mission around Flint Village at the time.'
As he thought this, Colin replied, "Right before it died, the White Wolf ran into a cave with a corpse inside. My Half-Orc friend is from the north, and he recognized the cave's owner as possibly being one of the Frostland Druids, also from the north."
"Hmm... your information is very useful to us, Colin."
After speaking, Edwin took out another slip of paper and began to write.
"Oh, right." He took out an Iron Ring and placed it on the desk. "This is to prove your identity. Remember to wear it next time you come by; the Guards will let you in."
"Alright. See you later."
With that, Colin walked out of the room.
The other applicants waiting outside saw the ring in his hand and stared at him with looks of envy and disbelief.
'To them, a guy in simple Leather Armor like me getting approved must look like a miracle.'
Just as he was thinking this, a couple of Adventurers walked up to him and asked, "Hey man, how much did you have to pay to get approved?"
"What? I didn't pay anything."
Colin replied, a little speechless.
Then he hurried out of Horn Castle and headed toward the Black Heart Tavern.
Along the way, he had to think of countless sad things just to keep the corners of his mouth from turning up into a grin, lest passersby think he was some kind of giggling lunatic.
He walked into the Black Heart Tavern.
The tavern was starting to get crowded by now. It was worth noting, however, that there were fewer familiar faces than before, and many of the patrons were now wrapped in bandages.
Colin made his way to the least crowded corner of the tavern.
Sure enough, Kase was sitting there.
He held a mug of beer, and several empty plates sat on the table.
"Bread and cheese, and a bowl of porridge," Colin called out to a passing waitress. Then, putting on a serious expression, he sat down across from the Half-Orc. "Find any commissions?"
"Don't even start." Kase took a gloomy swig of his beer. "I checked out a few recruitment spots in the city, but they kicked me out before I could even open my mouth."
Colin couldn't keep a straight face any longer.
He grinned. "My friend Kase, guess what kind of job I found?"
"What, a job to transport ten million Gold Coins into our own pockets?" Kase answered irritably.
"Nope."
"Then is it a job where all we have to do is eat and drink all day?" Kase said with a laugh. "I'm craving some northern Bear Meat. Raw chunks of Bear Fat, streaked with blood, you just pop 'em in your mouth and chew 'em slowly... Ah, that's the life!"
"Spare me, you're making me want to puke." Colin frowned, then recounted everything that had happened to him that afternoon.
When he finished, Kase burst out laughing.
"That story you spun is just as crazy as mine! Why don't you add that those... what's-it-called... Watchers are also planning to give us two horses? Then maybe next time we go out..."
The Half-Orc trailed off, because Colin, sitting across from him, had just slapped the ring onto the table with a deadpan expression.
Kase's mouth snapped shut. He smacked his lips a few times.
"You... you're telling the truth?"
"Would I really go out and buy a ring just to lie to you?"
"That's true. A cheapskate like you would never do that." Kase looked as though he'd just lost a major bet. "Fine. You can call me 'my friend Kase' today. But just for today, you hear?"
The waitress brought their food to the table. "No idea when we'll get a call for a job," Colin said as he ate. "We'll still need to find work for the next few days, but there's no need to rush. You could say we're salaried men now."
"I'll go look around for some commissions. Or maybe I'll see if I can find some other work."
"Just remember to stay away from the gangs," Colin reminded him.
After they finished eating, the two of them headed outside the city again to spar.
It wasn't until dusk that Colin returned to his little attic room, bringing his busy day to a close.