I was born in this country as the only daughter of a first-generation knight.
A first-generation knight is nothing more than a noble in name only, without even a piece of land to their name.
Being the daughter of such a man means that unless I achieve something remarkable, I’ll just end up as an ordinary town girl.
The most I can do is read a few words, and with no connections as the daughter of a first-generation knight, it’s nearly impossible to earn a living on my own in the city.
And besides, with this plain body of mine that doesn’t attract men, no decent man would marry me, and I doubt I’d even be hired by a relatively “decent” night establishment.
If I just keep living like this, the only thing waiting for me is being used up in some “indecent” place.
This country isn’t that forgiving.
So, I decided to take a gamble.
Today, on my fifteenth birthday, I’m going to use all the money I’ve been saving and earning little by little since I was a child.
That’s why I came to this tavern, even though I can’t drink alcohol.
All around me are rough-looking adult men.
Many of them look at me with mocking eyes.
But I don’t care.
Today is the day I’m going to change my life!
Alright… alright.
I’m going to talk to him…
The person glaring behind the counter must be the master here, right?
“Master, I want to hire someone.”
“…Huh?”
Oh, he’s scary!
His voice is so low, and he’s glaring at me…
I am technically a customer, you know…
“I said, I want to hire someone!”
“…Why?”
“Huh?”
“How can I recommend anyone without knowing the purpose of your hiring?”
Ugh…
W-well, that’s true, but you don’t have to glare at me like that…!
“I-I want to hire them as soldiers!”
“Huh?”
Yes, I’ve come here today to hire soldiers.
My father became a first-generation knight, so I want to follow in his footsteps.
In fact, there’s no other path for me.
To become a first-generation knight, I need to accomplish something significant.
And to do that, I need soldiers.
“There’s going to be a bandit-hunting expedition soon, right? I want to volunteer for that unit.”
“And you’re hiring people for that? Why would you go through all this trouble?”
“Because I can’t survive otherwise! I’m the daughter of a knight, you know!”
My father, his colleagues, even his superiors have always told me I have military talent.
I’ve never lost a game of chess to anyone, and I’ve learned the basics of swordsmanship.
This is the only way I can live properly.
“…What’s your budget?”
“Three silver coins.”
“Then you can hire at most two people.”
Two people…
Including me, that makes three.
It’s too few, but still…
“Alright, please find the strongest people you can.”
“Hold on a moment.”
Good, maybe this will work out…
If I can make a decent showing during the bandit hunt, I’ll try to join the knights.
My father is a first-generation knight, so I think I can become one too…
Probably.
After waiting at the counter for a while, the master returned with a man and a woman.
One of them is a woman who looks incredibly strong.
The other is probably around fifteen, like me—a boy.
He doesn’t seem very strong, though…
“Hey, I’ve brought them.”
“Ah, thank you!”
I thanked the master and stood up from my seat.
I’m shorter than both of them, so I feel like I lack… authority.
“Um, um… Have you already heard about this from the master?”
“Yes, something about hiring us as soldiers, right?”
“That’s right! I want to join the bandit hunt.”
As I spoke, I moved away from the counter to a table where we could sit and talk more comfortably.
I wanted to have this conversation in as calm a setting as possible.
I had already asked the master to bring us some beer, so I figured sitting down wouldn’t cause any problems.
“A bandit hunt, huh? Why would you want to do that?”
“My father is a first-generation knight. So, I want to become one too… or rather, I have to, or I won’t be able to make a proper living.”
“Ah, well, that’s true…”
Being the daughter of a first-generation knight probably puts me at the lowest level in this town, with a bleak future ahead.
Villagers have farmland, and townsfolk have some kind of job connections.
But first-generation knights have neither.
We’re a sad breed—neither commoners nor nobles…
“So, I absolutely have to accomplish something.”
“You’re really desperate, huh…”
The boy sighed as he said that.
“Three silver coins for the two of you. Can I count on your help?”
“Sure, but won’t it be pretty hard to get promoted to a first-generation knight even if you do accomplish something during the bandit hunt?”
“One of my father’s superiors said they’d put in a good word for me if I achieved something noteworthy.”
“Oh, really…? Wait, your father’s superior?”
The boy looked puzzled.
Did I say something strange?
“Yeah, what about it…?”
“Oh, sorry, I forgot to ask—what’s your name?”
“Huh? It’s Luise Knef, but…”
“What!?”
What?
Why is he suddenly staring at me wide-eyed…?
“Is something wrong?”
“N-no… Alright, I’ll accept the job for now.”
“Really!?”
Yes!
I don’t know why he suddenly agreed, but at least now I can participate in the bandit hunt!
“Um, does that go for the woman too?”
“…I’ll go wherever Phil goes.”
“Phil?”
This was the first time the woman spoke.
Is “Phil” the boy’s name?
Hmm, are they lovers or something?
“Oh, sorry, my name’s Phil. And this is Rize.”
“Got it! Nice to meet you!”
“Yeah, nice to meet you.”
“…Nice to meet you.”
I held out my hand to both of them and shook theirs.
Though there are only two of them, they’re my precious soldiers.
No matter what, I have to accomplish something great.
