The next day, EeDechi and Barrett abandoned ship and came ashore, arriving at the city of Tantzburg. Built along the river on open plains, Tantzburg thrived on brisk trade with nearby towns. Its economy boomed, and its streets teemed with a constant flow of people. Crowds bustled in every direction while carriages of every kind rolled through the gates, hauling goods and wealth.
The two adventurers decided to start their "recruitment" right there. Barrett headed to the taverns, bulletin boards, and the Adventurer's Guild hall to post hiring notices, while EeDechi rented a small wooden shack in a quiet corner of the city market to serve as the interview spot.
Everything was ready. Now they just had to wait for willing applicants to bite… no, to join their great and righteous cause.
They waited. And waited. Across the way, the old vendor selling snow lotus fruits had already sold half a basket, but not a single soul had shown up at EeDechi and Barrett's stall. EeDechi sat behind the table, bored out of her mind, head tilted and chin propped on one elbow.
Cheeko planted its paws on the stool, sprang onto the table, and crouched neatly on the tabletop. EeDechi's eyes brightened. "We've got nothing better to do anyway, Cheeko. Why don't you fill out the team application first?"
Cheeko looked up at her and gave a soft "meow," clearly not understanding.
EeDechi pulled out a sheet of parchment and a quill, scratched out a "Team Application Form" in quick strokes, and spread it on the table. Cheeko stretched its front legs forward, arched its back high in a lazy stretch, then strolled over to the parchment. It picked up the quill in mouth and, in no time at all, filled out the Team Application.
Barrett leaned in for a look. On the paper it read:
Name: Cheeko
Race: Cat
Ability: Eat
Hobbies: Eating crystals, glass, and other translucent things
Ideal: Eat, sleep, travel the world
Just as eye-catching as the endless "Eat" entries was Cheeko's handwriting—neat, elegant, and precise, like it had been carved onto a stone printing plate. By comparison, EeDechi's characters were crooked and uneven, with terrible connecting strokes that looked like worms crawling across the page.
"People are worse than cats, this is so frustrating," Barrett shook his head repeatedly.
"This is cursive script," EeDechi protested. She scooped up Cheeko's round body. "It's decided. I officially appoint you as scribe for the Last Defender of the Way adventurer team!"
"Meow~" Cheeko chirped happily, accepting the role.
"Come on, sign your name here and add a paw print," EeDechi said, pointing to the bottom-right corner of the parchment.
Cheeko gripped the quill in his mouth, wrote his name, then dipped one tiny paw into the inkwell, pressed it down, and left a small, perfect plum-blossom paw print.
A clear, pleasant female voice sounded from outside the shack. "Excuse me, is this the adventurer interview spot? I saw your recruitment poster outside."
EeDechi's face lit up with delight. "Come in, come in! This is the place." She looked up to see the newcomer—and her excited expression instantly fell.
The person who stepped inside was a young girl wearing gleaming emerald-green plate armor that fit her perfectly. Her eyes were a deep forest green, and her long silver hair was tied into smooth twin ponytails. She looked every bit the resolute female warrior.
She wore a longsword at her hip, her figure slender and straight-backed. A tightly cinched waist garment hugged her graceful curves, while the form-fitting breastplate molded perfectly to her chest, shaping two prominent rounded swells. Her green skirt armor barely reached mid-thigh, leaving the rest of her long, pale, beautiful legs exposed.
EeDechi stared at the girl's outfit with clear displeasure and asked, "What's your name?"
"Ikusa Otome Suvia," the girl replied. She sat down in the chair across from the table, holding her lovely waist perfectly upright.
"Your Justice Value is pretty high," EeDechi said. She activated her Innate Talent, glanced at the girl's Justice Value, then slid a sheet of parchment across the table. "Fill out your personal details first. If there's a position that fits you, I'll let you know right away."
The girl noticed the dissatisfaction in EeDechi's eyes. She pouted, quickly filled out the form, and left looking thoroughly unhappy.
"Next."
A young woman in an elegant court gown stepped into the wooden shack. She had lustrous golden hair crowned with a delicate wreath of golden filigree. Her skin was fair, her face serene and gentle, and lace-trimmed silk gloves covered both hands. She carried herself with noble grace, like a princess who had fallen among common folk.
"You are…?"
"Himekishi Olivia," the beautiful and refined girl said. She lifted the hem of her skirt, dipped into a graceful curtsy.
EeDechi let out a sigh and pushed a sheet of parchment toward her. "Fill out your personal details. You're very talented—please wait patiently for our notice."
The girl completed the form, turned, and left. A faint, delicate floral scent lingered in her wake.
"Wearing a skirt that long? How do you even fight in that?" EeDechi grumbled. "Aren't there any broad-shouldered, muscle-bound female warriors around? Male warriors would be fine too."
The words had barely left her mouth when a broad-shouldered, powerfully built man strode in. He had thick brows and bold eyes, wore dark clothing, and black metal boots. The skin left bare was a healthy wheat-gold tan.
A dark giant sword was strapped across his back. His thick arms looked like they had been forged from solid steel, and the red pauldrons were carved with the image of a dragon's head and a longsword.
The man dropped into the chair like a conqueror claiming his throne. The wooden seat groaned and creaked under his weight.
"I'm here to apply!" His voice rang out, firm and commanding.
EeDechi let out a relieved breath. "Finally, someone who seems normal. So, what's your name? What did you do before this?"
"I'm Vult, from Kuroinu. I'm the leader of the Black Dogs mercenary corps—the king of all mercenaries!"
EeDechi nodded. "I can see that. You're clearly a battle-hardened, tough-as-nails warrior. What's your ideal? Any plans for the future?"
The man swept one massive hand forward, pointing straight ahead, and declared in a voice that rang like steel: "I will turn the Great Tomb of Nazarick into a Service Nation! Destroy everything, burn it all, plunder it, and violate every last bit of it!"
"Well, aren't you something," EeDechi muttered. She frowned as she checked the man's Justice Value. "Your Justice Value is only -260. Don't you think that's a bit low?"
"Hah, what the hell is a Justice Value?" the man sneered, his eyes full of contempt.
"Alright then," EeDechi waved her hand. "Next."
By noon, by EeDechi's standards, not a single candidate had made the cut. Barrett tried to talk some sense into her. "Ease up on the requirements a bit. A Justice Value that isn't sky-high is still okay."
"No no no!" EeDechi shook her head hard, her voice ringing with righteous certainty. "Justice Value is a hard rule! It's the one thing I care about most! Anyone with a Justice Value below -100 is scum—pure trash—and they can forget about sneaking into our adventurer team!"
A handsome young man with a slick, roguish look in his eyes poked his head around the doorframe. He gave EeDechi and Barrett a quick once-over, then sauntered into the wooden shack with a fluffy-haired girl in pale pink trailing right behind him.
The young man was tall and broad-shouldered, wearing a green cloak over gleaming silver armor. He grinned wide, flashing a row of sharp, shark-like teeth, and introduced himself.
"I'm Rance, and this is my assistant, Sill Plain."
The fluffy-haired girl Sill clung tightly to Rance's arm, staring timidly at EeDechi with a nervous, uneasy look on her face.
This was the first applicant who had shown up with their own assistant. EeDechi glanced at both of their Justice Values—they were both well above 50. The adventurer team captain finally broke into a satisfied smile.
"Fill out the details, if you wouldn't mind. Could you wait next door for a bit? We still need to do a final review of everyone's resumes."
Rance nodded, grabbed Sill by the arm, and the two of them left.