I'm ready

"Hiring a guard! Hiring a guard for travel!"A thin, middle-aged man shouted outside the gate, He was a merchant looking for protection during his journey. Typically, a merchant would go to the mercenary guild for protection, but this particular person had no money to afford their services.

"Hey, George, stop bothering the people here," A fat merchant sneered.

"Mind your own business, Fabo," the thin man retorted.

"Who would want to work with you and your low salary? Hehehe," Fabo taunted.

Before things could escalate, a man wearing well-made leather armor with plated alloy around his chest and shoulders approached them. The young man's face was hidden behind a face mask, but his black-hued eyes gave away a sense of strength and confidence. It was Sid, who had already completed his training and possessed strength equal to, if not greater than, that of a One-Star Knight.

"I heard that you're planning to pass through Harnsey Village," Sid asked.

"Yes, that's correct, sir," George replied respectfully. As an experienced merchant, he knew the value of having a capable protector on his journey.

"I'll accompany you until Harnsey Village, for my payment. I will protect your caravan," Sid spoke with confidence.

"For real? Yes, of course, sir. Thank you for gracing me with your protection," George felt elated at the prospect of having such a capable and confident guard for his journey.

After all the training he had gone through, Sid had matured and learned the importance of projecting an image of strength and confidence in order to command respect from others. So, when he offered to accompany George and protect his caravan, he did so with an air of authority and confidence

They waited for a couple more minutes until two amateur warriors came out to them, and Sid could immediately tell that they were not very strong from their movements.

"Name's Lob, a warrior," the bulky man in his late 20s introduced himself, extending his hand to Sid.

"My name is Rid."Sid shook the man's hand and replied, he didn't want to use his true name, as he was well known for being a genius blacksmith.

The other warrior, a thin man around 30 years old, chimed in, "You sound quite young. Are you sure you're ready for this kind of job?"

"I'm simply tagging along until I reach my destination," Sid answered calmly.

The thin man looked at him skeptically. "And where might that be?"

Sid hesitated for a moment but decided to be honest. "I'm heading to Hazen Village."

"Hazen Village?" the bulky asked. "That's a very far place. Why do you want to go there?"

"I just need to finish some business" Sid replied calmly

The two warriors looked at each other, and then back at Sid. Finally, the thin man spoke up.

"Alright, we'll take you with us. But don't panic when we get abused by bandits. It's very common in this area. "

Sid nodded, and they set off on their journey.

***

Sid sat on the front seat of the caravan, while the merchant and the two warriors sat behind him. He had insisted on sitting up front, as he wanted to be able to react quickly to any sudden accidents or attacks. His Master Vincent had taught him to never trust anyone but himself, and he took those words to heart.

Naturally, he had positioned himself to be ready for any sudden actions from the other travelers. He was prepared for any tricky moves from those behind him

As they rode on the caravan, the two warriors, started talking about the current affairs of the kingdom. Sid pretended to be asleep, but he was actually listening to their conversation.

"Hey Rey, I heard that the Aezodal Empire is going to invade our kingdom soon," Lob said in a worried tone.

"I heard the same thing. That's why the Capital has been ordering more weapons to be made," Rey added.

"I hope the war doesn't come to our town," Lob said, his voice anxious.

"Don't worry about it. Our town is far from the border. We'll be safe," Rey reassured him.

Sid couldn't help but feel a bit curious hearing their conversation. He had heard about the conflict between the two kingdoms from Ben, but he didn't know that it had escalated to the point of an imminent invasion.

He silently listened to their conversation, making sure to remember every detail. He needed to be prepared for any eventuality, and knowing the current affairs of the kingdom was a crucial part of that.

"I heard that the kingdom is now mass recruiting De facto Knights for their arsenal," George, the merchant chimed in.

"De facto Knights?" Lob questioned with a furrowed brow.

"Simply put, they have lowered their standards and are accepting people to sign up for the military. Once you prove yourself in battle, you will become a De facto Knight," the merchant explained.

The two warriors exchanged a silent look before contemplating the pros and cons of joining the army.

"It could be a chance for glory," Rey said thoughtfully.

"But at the same time, it's a risk. We might not survive the battles," Lob countered.

George overheard their worries and added, "Well, I've heard that anyone who joins the military will receive one gold per month, and the stronger you are, the greater the rewards.

"Is that true?" asked Lob.

"One gold per month? That's a huge sum!"The two warriors' faces lit up with excitement at the prospect of such a high salary. One gold was equal to 10 silvers or 100 copper coins, a significant amount compared to their current earnings of only 3 silver per month.

"It is indeed true," replied the merchant. "And not only that but the stronger you are, the greater your rewards will be."

"That sounds like a good deal," said the other warrior, Rey.

"What do we have to do to join?"He added

"It's quite simple, really, You just need to sign up at our nearest military outpost and prove yourself on the battlefield. If you can show that you have what it takes, you'll be granted the title of de facto knight and all the benefits that come with it." The merchant explained to them the process.

Lob and Rid looked at each other, their minds made up. They would join the military and become de facto knights, no matter what it took. The promise of one gold per month was too good to pass up.

Meanwhile, Sid continued to listen in silence. It was interesting to hear about the current affairs of the kingdom and the opportunities that came with it. He made a mental note to keep himself updated on such matters.