Gather Divine Coins and Gacha! - Chapter 237

 "Hey, why did they do something so stupid in the first place? I don't know what kind of exchange they had, but couldn't they figure out that no contact meant it was canceled?"

It was a pretty reasonable question.

Well, they did say that if things weren't going smoothly, they'd do it, but I'd still like to know the motive.

"It was probably money or women."

"...I see?"

Quite a simple reason... but in a way, it makes sense.

"Soldiers in the capital can enlist if they pass the recruitment exam, provided they are citizens. However, for positions within the castle, it's different; only those from the capital region can be chosen. And many opt for castle duty. Just because they're from the capital region doesn't guarantee acceptance."

"I see."

The old man seemed ready to explain in more detail. As expected from someone living in the capital.

"The salary is nearly the same. But for those working outside the castle, maintaining security in the capital region sometimes requires expeditions to exterminate monsters. The holy coins obtained during these missions are collected, but rewards are distributed. Since the gains are evenly divided... maybe around three to five gold coins per expedition? And there are several expeditions a year. If you want to earn money, working outside the castle pays better."

Several expeditions a year mean they can earn around ten gold coins. I don't know the official income, but this is significant.

"There's quite a difference... but castle duty is still more popular?"

"That's right. You read a lot of stories of various genres, didn't you? The Sacred Sword Ceremony at the Festival of Remembrance, the coronation ceremony, and weddings like Seriana's were depicted in those stories. Many of these are historical facts. To be part of such events... even if your name doesn't appear, you might get lucky and be a gatekeeper or a member of the band."

"I see... so there are a lot of romantics."

Well... I can sort of understand the sentiment. In the future, they can tell their children and grandchildren that they were there...

In my case, this time... I was the maid caught up in the incident behind the new duke's wedding?

"Hmph..."

"Huh?"

As I was impressed, Seriana snorted.

Did I miss something?

"You're not entirely wrong... but the popularity of castle duty is because they target those romantics."

"Huh?"

What does she mean?

"While men read war stories and hero tales, most castle-based stories are romances, right? Even nobles can't easily enter the castle without a reason. But soldiers working inside the castle are different. There are restricted areas, but they have some freedom to come and go."

"...... Ah. So they're trying to pick up women."

It might be different, but in my previous life, there were guys who used their job at a TV station to hit on women.

In this world with few entertainments, working inside the castle is a strong card for picking up women. ...If I weren't with Seriana and had no access to the castle, I'd probably want to hear about it.

"Exactly. But, well... relationships are complicated, and things don't always work out. He was unmarried past 30... so they probably exploited that."

If he were an adventurer, it might be different, but as a soldier, being over 30 and single, especially working inside the castle... maybe he wasn't popular.

In a job that should make you popular but doesn't, these middle-aged men were left behind. I can imagine the nondescript faces of the assailants.

"Soldiers can use dungeons if they apply, but even considering the earnings from that, their spending had been extravagant in recent months. He was likely manipulated by a woman to spend money. Then, the idea of the attack was proposed... Yusef, you're investigating this, right?"

"Of course. We're already looking into their acquaintances, the shopkeepers they frequented, and their customers. How far we'll get, though, is uncertain..."

"As long as we confirm that no domestic nobles or knights are involved, that's fine. We'll handle the rest within our territory. Right, Seria?"

"Yes. Good for you, Sera. If you're lucky, you might capture the mastermind yourself."

"Wait a second?"

While I was pitying the four of them, the conversation had jumped quite a bit.