I got up again early this morning as usual. Today I cooked pancakes for breakfast and it was really delicious. Armin ate 4 pancakes whereas Rose ate 2 pancakes. Armin showered me with praises even Rose gave a word of compliment which was really something. I even packed some for their lunchboxes and dropped them to their school.

Quickly dashed back home and took a shower and dressed up in my uniform and left for my duty. Before leaving I left some cash and a note for Aunt Martha. She was a really big help. She will bring Armin and Rose from school and also even cook to make dinner for tonight. I left her this cash and a note saying that she can use this money to bring some groceries.

I feel bad for making her do all the work. Armin and Rose enjoy her company and so does Aunt Martha vice versa. So she’s been also doing chores around the house. I know it feels like I am just using her kindness but I had no option because of my work.

My job as a guardsman was not what I expected it to be. The soldiers in the guardsmen regiment were all a bunch of slackers here. Most of the soldiers would show up for the attendance and then just disappear. There were only some squads like ours who took the guardsmen jobs seriously. Our captain Arnia was a big clutz but she still was committed to her duties and took it very seriously. Also, Bruno likes to play the hero of justice so he takes this job very seriously. Thalia and William followed Bruno’s lead and being in their squads all I could do were follow them. But because of the latest band of thieves were running amok in the city there was quite an unrest. So because of that even the slacker guardsmen soldiers started to patrol around the town and took their duty seriously for once in a while.

We, the crescent moon squad were one of the squads who patrolled around the town and also did menial work to help out the people. Are we really proud guardsmen soldiers who put protect the citizens or just a band of volunteers helping out people in need here? At this point, I can’t tell anything.

After the incident with the bandits, the next day I straightforwardly told Bruno and the bunch that I, Desmond Heller won’t henceforth accompany him in their covert mission. What was the point in risking my life while maintaining the secrecy of our heroic deeds? That was totally pointless in my opinion. If they worked openly than we might even rise in ranks but that won’t happen. I know that if we happen to expose this certain syndicate that Bruno was talking about exist then we might earn some glory and rewards. But this was a high risk, high return. And after the past incidents, I think my luck is pretty bad so it was better I stayed away from this mission. This was a big gamble and the odds were likely not in our favor.

I would have been glad to have some action on my duty as a guardsman but not too dangerous as before. Although guardsmen regiment had a bad reputation but I still hoped it would have some decent action in the least and in that way, I might somehow rise in our ranks. But the most action we got in our duty was when some random man broke into a fistfight with the shopkeeper on some petty arguments over some vegetables. We had to restrain that angry customer and arrested him. That was the only suitable thing for a soldier that we did after I joined the squad.

Soon I reached our rendezvous place in the garrison. Our squad captain took a roll call and we quickly left for our patrol duty on the streets.

Today we were taking a different route to patrol the town. Each day we swap routes to patrol with other squads.

Well, in my opinion, we had no reason to patrol because the town was already guarded heavily by military soldiers looking for those bandits. But we still doing our regular patrol anyway.

We were walking through one of the dusty town roads which were crowded with travelers and the military soldiers. Our captain Arnia was leading everyone from the front, Bruno and bunch were in the middle and I was walking right behind them at a distance.

After I straightforwardly told them that to count me out of their secret mission. They had been avoiding me for some time. Well, I don’t care, either way, it’s for the best.

Suddenly our captain turned around,

“Oops!” she said out loud as she searched her pockets, “Dammit! I forgot my purse back in the locker room. You guys stay here.”

“Captain, if you want to borrow some cash, I can lend you some,” said Bruno with a bright smile.

“Thanks for the offer Bruno but I also have my ID in it. So being an exemplar squad captain, I should carry my ID at all times.” she said with a serious tone, “You guys wait here. Keep your guard up, who knows when we might run among those bandits. I’ll be right back.”

After telling us to wait, she left. We all moved out of the road and stood on the roadside in a nearby alleyway. Despite my bad memories with alleyways it still had its own perks like to get away with the crowd. There were a couple of old barrels nearby in which Thalia and Bruno took a seat whereas William stood beside them with his hands folded. I just stood on the opposite side of the alley while resting my back on the wall.

It was utter silence and the air seemed heavy and I think that's because of me.

So I broke the silence first,

“Ha. If the bandits were dumb enough to roam around this heavily guarded town in the daylight, then they would have already been captured by now.” I said.

As per the Captain who told us that we could run into these bandits if we stay sharp.

But we won’t just run into them while strolling around casually in the daylight like that. Even if they do appear, they would surely make a loud commotion.

“I guess somebody is being a wuss here.” said that cocky William while he elegantly fixed his glasses.

He’s definitely has a bone to pick with me.

I ignored his taunting comment altogether, he was just trying to rile me up.

Suddenly Thalia hit William in the head,

“Put a lid, you blabbermouth.”

The most mature among the three was Thalia, hands down.

But then Bruno spoke up as well,

“William stop picking fights among ourselves. We need to stay sharp, we might spot those bandits hiding among the crowd.”

“Oi, what’s the point, even if they do pop up. Specifically, you would be better off hiding in some corner. Like how you did the last time?” I mentioned.

Seeing him acting all cocky. Where was this courage while we were fighting back in the alley.

At first, when Thalia and William launched the first attack, Bruno just disappeared. He returned later after he thought the Bandit was knocked down just to find out that the bandit was ready for another round.

“Desmond! How dare you insult my master like that.” shrieked out angry William.

“I didn’t say anything but the truth,” I replied firmly.

Bruno stepped up forward with a remorseful expression,

“Listen, Desmond! If you think I am such a person who would hide while my allies risk their neck then you are wrong.” answered Bruno with a stern face, “That time I shouldn’t have taken a detour and I apologize for that. It was my fault that the enemy turned out more powerful than I had calculated. I would see that I won’t make such a blunder in the near future.”

Bruno was a cheeky brat but I didn't get the reaction that I hoped for.

I can clearly see despite being a proud noble he still had a sense of guilt.

Thalia also stepped in,

“It’s not your fault, master. I was weak to put that thug down my blade. If only I was more powerful...” she said with a sorrowful look and guilt in her face.

“Forgive me as well master!” said William as he bowed his head, “I failed to realize that the enemy was still alive and my carelessness gave him enough time to recuperate”

“William, Thalia… Both of you” replied Bruno with a teary eye, “You guys don’t need to apologize. You both held your ground against the enemy even though the enemy was well-armed. I am really proud of you.”

“Master…” said William dramatically while tearing up.

And Thalia also had cheered up and a small smile appeared on her face.

Ah, here we go again!

This melodramatic master and servant soap opera was really getting old. This fluffy lovey-dovey environment was really suffocating me.

“But in the end, we still got our asses handed to them.” I butted in-between “That’s still a strong fact that despite having the advantage of numbers but we still failed to put a single bandit down. Taking down the entire gang by ourselves is just the height of lunacy. Heh!”

With my statement, the mood again turned upside down and thankfully it was breathable once again. Phew!

Thalia and Bruno dropped their eyes and their cheerful smile disappeared.

William had a deep frown on his brows and grabbed me by one collar and pushed me against the wall behind my back.

“Just because we once happened to taste defeat, you will just readily giving up like that? I thought you had more guts than that, Desmond Heller” said William with a stern face.

I would like to bash his face for grabbing my collar but this time I would let him lash out on me. I let this slide out of respect for him saving my ass back then.

“Yes, I am a coward. There you have it. Does that make you feel any better?” I asserted my comment with a positive tone and a friendly smile.

Suddenly William got even antsier,

“Why you…”

“Listen up,” I continued “unlike you wealthy noble’s born on a silver spoon. I have a family to feed. If I were to lose my life in vain like that then there would be no one to look out for my little siblings. You guys are just a lunatic bunch and marching to such a dangerous mission without care for your life. Even if you were to lose your life, you people would still be hailed as heroes and statues of marble would be carved in your honor. Whereas I would still be known as traitor’s kid and my little siblings would still be scorned by society and that's a harsh fact.”

To that William just pursed his lips and loosened his grip on my collar.

I straightened back my collar and added,

“And if you guys are still adamant about your decision even after that shameful defeat. Then please go ahead and get yourself killed but count me out of it.”

At least now that I made my point if they are still inclined on carrying out their suicide mission then that’s their lookout.

William frowned angrily,

“Why don’t you understand! We won’t fail like the last time. Could you just...”

“What’s the meaning of this?” asked Captain Arnia who suddenly popped out of nowhere “What do you mean by shameful defeat?” she asked with a serious expression.

Damn, when did she get here?

Everyone was startled with the Captain’s sudden appearance.

With her straight out questions, everyone replied with silence and bit their lips.

I let out a huge sigh,

“Listen, Captain! Please put them sense in this idiots, what they are doing is literally insanity.” I said to the Captain and stood beside her.

“Desmond! What do you think you’re talking about?” asked William as he fixed his spectacles while making a forceful smile while his eyebrows still twitching.

Bruno and Thalia also started sweating from their brows.

Damn, I like those looks in their faces.

“Listen, Captain! We were one-sidedly defeated last week and now these guys are again risking their necks despite I told them not to.” I complained to the Captain.

“Why you!!!” William stepped forward angrily to grab me but I hid behind Captain. I stuck my tongue out to taunt him from the Captain’s blindspot.

“Stay down, William! That’s the captain’s order!” commanded Captain while I continued to make funny faces.

“You little scumbag!” said William frowningly but he still backs downed obeying the captain’s order as he bit his upper lips.

Even Thalia and Bruno were giving me the sour looks.

“You don’t need to fret Desmond. Tell me everything,” said the Captain.

“Alright, last week we took a big gamble. ” I replied and continued “And we gambled a huge amount and we lost. It was a crushing defeat that I won’t ever forget. Now, these guys wanna go gambling once again and to take revenge for the last time. Please, could you tell them not to gamble away their earnings like that? ”

The Bruno gang had a confused expression hanging on their faces.

“Is that so! I see.” said the captain as she nodded her head in agreement, “Desmond here is absolutely correct. You guys should be ashamed, especially William here!”

William was shocked as he tried to defend,

“What? But he…”

“How could you treat him this way? He was just looking out for your sake. And you are just threatening him.” she scolded.

I could hardly control my laughter as I tried to hide my expression from others.

The captain kept going on the moral and evils of gambling,

“Gambling is a foul sport. The people who earn from gambling actually earn from one’s greed. It’s never a productive sport, it’s basically a game of stealing from others. As a proud guardsman of Rublor kingdom. Gambling turns into an addiction and it leads to one's downfall. One time you are rich and the other your down the street. Such types of things don't suit an upstanding citizen of a Rublor... Blah blah…”

She went on talking about moral ethics and whatnot that I just started to doze off while standing upright.

Just when I was about to fall asleep, I heard a loud scream from the other side of the street.

“What was that?” shrieked out our Captain first.

“I guess, finally some action on duty,” I said with a chuckle.