Chapter 125

125th Chapter

Portent

125 – Portent #2

“War! War!! It’s war!!!”

Knight Bayona, plunging her sword into the table, shouted the word ‘war’ three times. Her powerful voice momentarily filled the inn with an abnormal silence.

“War?”

“War, you say?”

Soon, a restless atmosphere engulfed the room as people muttered to their neighbors. However, no one dared to raise their voice too loudly. They merely murmured to themselves like a soft hum.

Myself, along with Luna and Malco, glanced at one another, wondering if this was some sort of joke.

“Hassan, they say it’s war.”

“Strange. There’s no place near Sodomora where a war could break out.”

I, not knowing much about war, remained silent and listened. Among the chattering people, someone rose from their seat out of curiosity.

“What war? Who against who? Which places are at war with each other?! sh*t, you should’ve told us that first!”

To this, cries of agreement like “Yeah” or “Right” grew louder.

As tavern patrons, their faces flushed red, they were unfazed even by the noble knights. It was both reassuring and unsettling at the same time.

Will the angry knights overturn everything?

Watching the situation with tense eyes, knight Bayona surprisingly answered calmly.

“Who’s asking who is fighting whom? Our opponents aren’t nearby cities nor enemies of the kingdom. This war is between the living and the dead…! And it’s a battle between humans and monsters!”

“Living and the dead? So, you mean a war against the Pluto cultists?”

“Yes! Tomorrow, we’ll organize a suppression force to raid their lair! I’ll now announce those subject to conscription. Unless you have valid reasons, all of you should rise from your seats!”

The knight unfurled a scroll and began to read aloud.

“Firstly, those above the age of puberty! Any man who can wield a weapon! Rise!”

Age of puberty meaning twenty? Any male over twenty? Terrifyingly, this included me as well.

Accurately speaking, most of the men drinking in the inn were included in this category.

Clank, Clatter.

So, men rose reluctantly from their seats all over the place, their expressions full of grievances. The idea of conscription was so horrifying it felt like I could throw up. sh*t…!

The inn quickly became chaotic with the standing people. The knight’s gaze swept over everyone beneath her helmet.

“Alright, most of you have stood up. Now, we’ll select those worthy enough to participate in the glorious suppression. Those who fit the criteria I announce now can remain seated! First, those without citizenship!”

Citizenship?

Are they talking about Sodomora’s citizenship?

In that case, it doesn’t apply to me.

I am Hassan, an illegal immigrant from a different place than this Gaia continent, without proper identity! sh*t, living as a foreign worker!

“Hassan, it’s good you don’t have to go to war!”

Luna flashed me a high-five as I sat down confidently. The sound of our palms clapping echoed between us.

However, Malco, who was still standing, remained anxious, glancing around.

“sh*t, it’s serious.”

“Secondly, independent grandsons! Thirdly, those heads of families with eight or more dependents -!”

Thus, around fifteen reasons were listed for exemptions. Most of the inn’s patrons, standing earlier, were now seated except for four or five.

But Malco still couldn’t sit down.

Soldiers approached Malco.

“Name?”

“Malco Ioman…”

“Malco Ioman? Was there such a name on the list?”

“No, it’s just Malco.”

“Ah, Malco… Let me see… Ah, here it is. Good, Malco. You’re selected to participate in the glorious city defense operation! Everyone, give him a round of applause!”

People started cheering and clapping for the conscripted Malco. I, too, clapped heartily for my friend joining the army.

“Malco, this guy is gonna have it tough.”

sh*t, a wandering musician being drafted into the army—pretty funny. But Malco himself seemed to doubt its reality as he asked the soldiers.

“But, sir, I’ve never even held a weapon.”

“Well, then you’re lucky. You’ll get practical combat training from the very start!”

“No, but it’s not just like combat, it’s actual combat!”

“Be quiet!”

The man struck Malco’s head with something like a cudgel. With a short cry, Malco collapsed onto the ground.

Soon several soldiers began dragging Malco’s body away. The suddenness of the situation left all of us stunned, unsure whether to draw our weapons or just sit there in tension.

“Alright, does anyone else want to ask questions and end up like him?”

Knight Bayona’s voice steadied the atmosphere. Seeing Malco being dragged away mercilessly by authority, none of us dared to open our mouths.

“Good, it’s getting quieter. Though, citizens interested in volunteering are more than welcome.”

Then, the innkeeper, who had been watching this commotion with crossed arms from a corner, finally spoke up.

“Is there any benefit in volunteering for the war?”

“Participating in the glorious duty to determine the city’s fate is a privilege—maybe too old-school to say that. The young lady has prepared rewards for those who volunteer.”

Reward?

The tense atmosphere in the inn seemed to ease up slightly at the mention of ‘reward.’ This knight Bayona knows how to play her tactics.

“Reward: Firstly, citizenship will be awarded to all volunteers! Secondly, if you have any criminal record, it will be erased!”

“sh*t, I’ll do it!”

“cr*p, me too!”

Suddenly, men began raising their hands all over the place. Everyone seemed eager to join the army voluntarily—a sight I couldn’t quite imagine.

By the way, among those who raised their hands was Luna.

“Citizenship! Erasure from records-!!”

Luna appeared excited at the mention of citizenship and record erasure. She is not from this continent but from the distant Ideope Island, so it makes sense she’d desire citizenship. But why does the record erasure interest her? Does she have a criminal record, Luna? sh*t, this was unexpected, and it made me dizzy with surprise.

Meanwhile, the inn quickly turned back into chaos with people loudly discussing everywhere.

*

“Master Hassan, Lady Luna. I’ll take a rest at the inn. It’s hot… I need to rest a bit. We should hurry and secure a room.”

As we stepped out onto the streets, soldiers were still recruiting conscripts and volunteers, despite the late hour. The city’s atmosphere clearly conveyed that war was looming.

Thus, we decided to end our after-party early and each head home. After all, drinking while Malco was being drafted to the army felt odd.

“Looks like I wasn’t selected.”

Luna looked somewhat disappointed as she couldn’t go to the battlefield. Although volunteers were accepted regardless of gender or class, Luna’s recruitment was rejected by soldiers after checking the list.

The reason was unclear, probably because she owned a lot of land back home, which exempted her from enlistment.

“I wanted the citizenship.”

Luna truly seemed regretful as she murmured to herself. I asked her about this advantage of citizenship.

“If you get citizenship, is it really that good?”

“Incredibly advantageous! You can open a bank account, join guild insurance to reduce healer costs, and more! It’s absolutely amazing!!”

The benefits of citizenship she described were similar to what I knew. Getting a proper identity leads to access to more benefits, although it comes with certain duties like paying taxes or participating in war.

Still, clearly, citizenship seemed important and something everyone wanted.

“One can earn citizenship by donating a certain amount of funds to the city. But from what I’ve heard, ten gold coins or more are required just to be considered.”

“So, the reward of citizenship equates roughly to ten gold coins?”

At my question, Luna nodded and then sighed again. Participating in the war for ten gold coins sounded like a decent money-making opportunity to some, especially bearded men with scars all over.

The cancellation of one’s criminal record was also a fantastic privilege.

“Speaking of records deletion…”

I recalled Luna’s strong reaction to that particular benefit. Though I knew she didn’t have the capacity to commit serious crimes, I still became curious—does Luna have a criminal record?

“Me, criminal record?”

Startled by my question, Luna cautiously eyed me.

“Why are you asking that?”

“Well, nothing much. But your reaction suggests there might be something. What crime did you commit?”

“Nope, nothing big… Just… well, there was something!”

Not wanting to answer, Luna turned the topic. My interest and doubt grew stronger. There’s definitely something unusual going on here.

What kind of life did Luna lead before joining our party?

We’ve had many conversations, yet her past remains a mystery, a deep sea continuously rising to the surface. Is it right to ask?

If she has committed a huge crime beyond my imagination, will I still be able to treat Luna the same way?

“Hassan, you’re frowning again. Stop having weird thoughts!”

“Not true, it’s just… Tell me, what crime did you commit?”

“Really want to hear? Hassan, it may make you hate me. If you really want to know, I’ll tell you…!”

Luna’s solemn expression made me feel the bl**d draining from my body. Two choices appeared before me.

To hear it. Or not.

But choosing not to hear could mean spending the rest of my life in doubt.

“Alright, tell me. I promise I won’t hate you.”

So, I boldly chose ‘to hear’. Luna sighed deeply, then hesitated like she didn’t know what to do, before beginning to speak.

“It happened when I first arrived on the continent. I was so hungry… I caught and ate a rabbit.”

“You caught and ate a rabbit?”

I already knew Luna ate tree bark and roots to survive. Yet, eating a rabbit didn’t seem like a crime. It’s a common thing adventurers do, right? The fur can even make useful items like caps or gloves.

“Is that a crime?”

“Because… It was a rabbit raised in a shrine. In the shrine’s garden, there were rabbits playing. Even if starving, eating a rabbit raised in a shrine… is a sacrilege! Hassan, I committed a sacrilegious sin!”

Luna cried softly, feeling deeply guilty about her wrongdoing.

“Is it really such a big sin?”

“I… ATE THE SHRINE’S RABBIT! Hassan, it’s a huge sin!”

“O-Oh? Alright, calm down.”

People around us started staring as Luna shouted, so I had to calm her down. I gently rubbed her back, and she finally steadied her breathing.

“…But it tasted so good. I still think about it sometimes.”

“Well… Maybe we can eat rabbit again sometime.”

“So, Hassan, why didn’t you volunteer for the war?”

Luna’s rapid mood shifts were still something I wasn’t accustomed to, and probably never would be.

Anyway, recalling the question suddenly thrown at me, I thought about why I didn’t join the war despite the attractive benefits.

Honestly, it wasn’t even a consideration.

“I don’t want to join the army.”

Still, sh*t, I don’t have any desire to join the military. And it’s not just any army—it’s a real war. I could get killed in a battlefield where we might fight hand to hand in muddy trenches.

Living as small-town commoners, like Hassan and Luna, we already have our hands full managing our little hut and our daily work.

Most low-level adventurers, who mostly live in poverty, are more worried about their next job than whatever the cultists might do.

“Hey, what’s this?”

As we were about to enter our home and relax, Luna noticed a small note attached to the front door. She began slowly reading it.

“Official document. Hassan of Samaria, by decree of His Majesty, you are hereby appointed as a righteous defender of faith and shall participate in the forthcoming extermination mission—participation in the eradication of the cultists is the natural right and duty of all citizens of Sodomora—”

I grew intrigued as Luna struggled with the text. My name? This wasn’t a note addressed to Luna, right?

“What’s that? What are you reading?”

“I’m not sure… It says ‘order’, but I don’t quite understand. The script is squiggly and hard to read.”

Order? sh*t, what’s that? sh*t, it can’t be serious?

My trembling hands reached out and grabbed the paper from Luna, reading through its hastily scrawled contents.

Indeed, similar to what Luna described, the hasty strokes made it difficult to understand.

The only part I could fully comprehend was buried at the end of the passage.

Henceforth, following the proclamation of mobilization at midnight, you shall be incorporated into the newly established 2nd Battalion, under the command of Lady Enya Sarditch, representative of the Sarditch Count.

– Count Hawkins Sarditch, Lord of the Marches (Sigil)

“d*mn.”

“d*mn? What is it? Happy news? There’s a count’s name here. Are they offering a reward?”

“You’re drafted.”

[Author’s Note]

Han Durul! Kadeom! Bo Hwang! Kim Mosse! Kaerin! Mini Cross! Alliance! k0606k! I sincerely thank you all for the sponsorship coupons!

There are also many anonymous donors who sent manuscript fee coupons! To everyone who sends coupons, and those who recommend and leave comments, I offer my gratitude through the Voodoo of Thanks!

The Voodoo of Thanks has the effect of making the remaining Sunday pass by slowly!

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