Chapter 5

Pinereach keep was interesting from a number of standpoints. First off, it was definitely constructed as a military base. The walls were sturdy, made out of solid rock and something akin to cement. Massive wooden beams were used as support here and there, especially for the ceiling.

The gate passed through the main defensive tower and opened right into the courtyard. All the other buildings were surrounding the open space in a semicircle.

We went inside one of them, heading to the captain’s office and the command center of this place.

After looking around I couldn't help but notice the strange feeling it gave off. There were decorations here and there, some doors had names written on them and random things scribbled around. At some point, I saw a wall with all kinds of random stuff scratched on it.

‘J+T= <3’, ‘The cake is a lie’, ‘For a good time write a letter to…’. What were these knights doing? Greg answered my unspoken question while still walking.

“Not what you’d expect from a military outpost right? Thing is, our knight order is permanently stationed here.” He shrugged and continued speaking. “If the same people stay in the same place long enough, they’re bound to leave an impression.”

“So writing ‘I can heal a wound, but I can’t help you unscrew a goblin, damn it!’ is the result of that?” I asked incredulously.

“Ah, that. The doc was more hammered than an anvil the night he wrote that. Gods, that Saturday was wild…” Said Greg with a tint of nostalgia in his voice.

“Any idea who he was talking about?” I asked a little bit curious at whatever the hell these people did around here.

Greg just shrugged. “No idea. When we finally got rid of our hangovers we asked him about it. He just clamped up and said he doesn’t remember. A good excuse considering all the mead he chugged, but few actually believed him.”

That was the end of the conversation and we spent the rest of the way in comfortable silence. The fort’s layout was relatively simple so I had no problem memorizing the way, even if I didn’t intend to.

Finally, after a bit more walking and Greg making small chat with some knights we met along the way, we arrived at a simple wooden door. Greg knocked politely before a man’s voice was heard from the inside.

“Come in.”

Greg opened the door and we entered. As the office of the head honcho around here, I expected a carved, wooden desk with a bookcase around the wall and windows overlooking the entire keep.

Instead, it looked more like a storage room. The walls were covered in maps, boxes, and stacks of paper, while in the center stood a plain table that seemed like it would break from a gentle tap.

The man that used this place as an office was writing some documents while resting his head in his free hand. He was tall and broad-shouldered, having a handsome face with blue eyes and short, blonde hair. He looked like what you’d expect a stereotypical knight to.

What stood out though, were the bags under his eyes and the pitiful expression he was making.

“Hello again sir.”

“Hello, Greg. Done with your shift? Go get some rest then, we don’t know when that luxury would be taken from us too.” The man’s voice carried a strength befitting of his position as a leader, but the exhaustion could be easily heard along with it.

“I should be saying the same thing to you captain. How long have you been in here again?”

The man took a break from his work and leaned back into his chair while rubbing his eyes. “What time is it now?”

“It’s nine P.M. sir.”

“Ah right, then I’ve been here for about, uh two days I think.” The man casually responded as if working nonstop for two days was something normal for him.

“Yikes. Captain, you’d better head off to sleep. You’re no use to anyone dead.”

The man continued rubbing his eyes. “I know, I know. I just have to finish some more paperwork and I’ll finally be able to pass out.”

“Right, we don’t want the doc having another aneurysm seeing you half-dead from lack of sleep.”

The captain gave a soft sight. “Lucian is a wonderful medic, but his nagging can be just as tiresome as these things.” he said, gesturing at the piles of paper stacked on his desk.

“Anyway sir, I brought a prospective hire for you. His name’s Reginald and he’s a very, uh, passionate young man.”

I winced internally at being reminded once again of the debacle with Jerry. I wanted to make a good impression, but it looks like I’ll have to settle for just an… interesting one.

“Hm? Ah, apologies I didn’t see you there. You must be the adventurer that accompanied lady Asteria to the Keep. You have my thanks for keeping her safe.”

“Uh, yeah, no problem.” I said, not knowing how to deal with the man’s sudden gratitude.

“I definitely have enough work to go around, especially for someone as capable as you. What are you good at exactly?”

Would have been a great time to have the memories of my past life right about now. “Um, well, I have this sword and I can kill things with it and-”

“Perfect! You’re hired!” He suddenly said with an eager expression on his now less than dead eyes.

“J-just like that?”

“You already offered so no backsies. I’ll write up a contract and give it to you in the morning. How does 200 gold a month sound?”

I had no bloody idea how much that meant, but at this point, any money was better than no money.

“It sounds good?”

“Great, I already have some things for you to do, but unfortunately they will have to wait until tomorrow. Greg would you be so kind as to show Reginald here where the barracks is?”

“No problem captain, I was just heading there myself.”

“Thank you. Reginald, I will be expecting you here tomorrow morning at 6 A.M. sharp to inform you of your duties. Dismissed.”

With that, Greg and I took our leave. I was happy to have found a place to live for a while until I learn more about this world and have the confidence to venture out. I didn't know what my job here would entail, but this was a much better situation than I would have hoped for.

Still, as the both of us walked along, I couldn’t help but ask a question that had been sitting on my mind.

“Say, Greg, why was the captain so eager to hire me?”

The man kept walking, simply turning his head to acknowledge he heard me. “Ah, that. Well, remember when I said we were really understaffed? I meant it. There are a lot of issues and we don’t have the body count to throw at them. The fact that lady Asteria spoke well of you is also a huge plus.”

“Is, uh, lady Asteria some sort of a princess?”

Greg just shrugged. “No, not really, but she may as well be with how influential she is. She’s actually a priestess, a very powerful one. Enough that even dragons listen to her from what I’ve heard.”

“She is? But why did she leave all the fighting to me and Lily then?”

“Well, I mean she’s not powerful like that. She’s not known for destroying mountains or beating people up. From what I heard, she’s actually a pacifist. She’s skilled in some other things.”

“What other things?”

“I don’t know man. I’m just a gate guard, someone like lady Asteria is way beyond my paygrade. I just told you the rumors. The captain should know her better, but judging by the super respectful attitude he was giving her earlier… Well, you can make your own assumptions. Needless to say, don’t do anything to piss her off.”

At that, I stumbled a little bit and had a massive cringe attack. Greg, who was just about to push open a door, curiously turned to me. “What? Don’t tell me you actually did something to make her angry?”

“Worse… I asked her to marry me.” I said before I had the chance to catch myself

“Pfff.” A few patrolling knights gave us strange looks as Greg kept laughing like an idiot while holding onto his stomach. In the meantime I was burying my probably red face in my hands, trying to summon a hole to crawl into.

“...ha, ha, ha, oh, oh Gods.” It took him a few minutes to calm down. “W-well I mean, heh, heh, at least you're ambitious. Pff, d-don’t worry I never heard anything about her being married.” The bastard kept giggling while I contemplated stabbing him. “At least you have a shot. Right tiger? Pff hahaha.”

“Shut up Greg, let’s just go. I had enough bull happening to me in one day. I just want to pass out and forget about everything.”