Colin walked down the clean, neat stone avenue into the Castle District, then made his way through the streets and alleys toward Horn Castle.
It was worth noting that Thousand Masts City was divided into many districts.
The Castle District was named after Horn Castle and housed the city's military barracks, courthouse, government offices, and the largest market in Thousand Masts City. Most of the residents were soldiers or high-ranking officials and their families, with a small number of tenants who were either wealthy or famous.
Aside from the two wealthy residential districts, it was the most affluent area in the city.
Gazing at the three-story residences around him, decorated with all sorts of greenery, Colin couldn't help but think, 'It would be great if I could move here someday.'
He walked briskly up the hillside to the main gate of Horn Castle.
Dozens of Adventurers were scattered about the courtyard behind the gate, all of them apparently here for the interviews.
Before Colin even got close, a Guard in full Plate Armor shouldering a long halberd shouted, "Name and purpose!"
"Colin. I'm here for an interview."
After another Guard sitting at a nearby table jotted down his name, the Guard at the gate stepped aside to let him pass.
Colin cautiously entered the courtyard.
After asking a few Adventurers, he found the place to line up. None of them looked to be in good spirits, however; they all seemed a bit nervous.
The line grew shorter one person at a time, and Colin, standing near the back, advanced step by step with the others.
Before he knew it, only two or three people were left ahead of him in line.
Colin leaned forward a little and could faintly hear the conversation coming from inside the room.
Just as he was about to move closer to eavesdrop on the interview, the oak door swung open. Several men in Leather Armor walked out, and judging by their expressions, the interviews hadn't gone well.
Colin, who was dressed in much the same way, suddenly had a bad feeling.
'The main problem is that Kase isn't here,' he thought. 'Without that muscle-bound Half-Orc to make an impression, I'm not very competitive in this crowd of Adventurers.'
"Next."
A low voice called from inside the room.
Colin glanced at the unmoving group of Adventurers in front of him, then looked back at the crowd behind him, who were all just staring at one another.
"Is there no one else?"
The voice called out again.
'It has to be done sooner or later, so why be nervous?' Thinking this, Colin called out in response, then strode into the room and pulled the wooden door shut.
Behind the door was a rather large office.
There were four desks inside, but only one was occupied.
The man sitting there was middle-aged and wore a gray robe. He had a neatly-trimmed mustache and a practical short haircut, giving him the look of an efficient professional.
"Name?"
"Colin, sir."
"There's no 'sir' here. You're speaking to a lieutenant of the City Watchers," the middle-aged man said. "I expect this conversation to be conducted with the proper seriousness."
"Yes, Lieutenant."
Colin pulled out a chair and sat down at the desk.
He could see the middle-aged man behind the desk looking him up and down, making no effort to hide the disdain and impatience in his eyes.
"Are you the only one in your party?"
"There's also a Half-Orc."
"A Half... Orc?" The man drew out the word "Orc," his tone dripping with contempt.
'It's over.' Colin's heart sank.
"Then do you have any accomplishments to speak of? Or any proof of these accomplishments?"
"We killed a Winter Wolf, but we left the fur in Flint Village, and we gave the claws to someone to be processed."
After he spoke, the room fell silent.
After a long moment,
the lieutenant finally spoke. "Oh, right. And yesterday, I killed a Red Dragon as big as this castle. I struck it from the sky with Magic and watched it fall into the harbor of Thousand Masts City. Its corpse is still sitting on the seabed."
Colin said, "I'm not lying."
"I can see the Arcane Radiance on you, and I have a good idea of your capabilities. I don't believe for a second you did what you claim, not even with a Half-Orc's help. I've dealt with plenty of Orcs, and I know what those mongrels are like."
Colin frowned.
'The strongest Totem Warriors of the tribes are nothing like ordinary Orcs,' Colin thought. 'Kase is definitely stronger than any Orc this man has ever faced. And this guy has no right to talk trash about Kase.'
"So, my apologies, Colin."
The lieutenant stretched and leaned back in his chair. "Of course, this isn't your fault. I was against this recruitment method from the beginning. After all, once you open the doors for interviews, you always get a flood of people who have no idea what they're capable of..."
"I understand, Lieutenant."
Unable to take any more, Colin cut off the man's long-winded speech and turned to walk toward the door.
CREAK. The wooden door to the room opened.
A person in a tattered Cloak walked in.
Just as Colin was about to step around them and exit the room, the newcomer suddenly spoke. "Colin? Fancy seeing you here."
Colin turned back for a closer look.
'That simple cloak and Plate Armor Chest Guard... isn't that the middle-aged man who gave Kase and me the Weak Antidote?'
"You're Colin, right? I had a feeling a human wouldn't be named 'Kase'."
The man smiled as he looked Colin up and down, then continued, "It seems your herb-gathering trip went well. You even brought back a rather nice trophy. I hope my help wasn't an imposition."
"Not at all. Your Antidote saved our lives, sir."
Colin was at a loss for words for a moment, and decided the best thing to do was to thank the man.
After speaking, he reached for the coin pouch at his waist.
"Friend," the middle-aged man said with a smile, "allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Edwin Helder, a Paladin. I do not offer aid for monetary reasons. Besides, you need the money far more than I do."
Edwin added, "Of course, your desire to repay a kindness is a truly wonderful quality, and I thank you for it."
Colin smiled.
Even the original owner of his body, who had lived in the slums, had heard of the Paladins' good reputation.
While many of the poor considered Paladins to be nothing more than enforcers for the noble lords, his experience a few days ago had convinced Colin that the man before him was a decent person. At the very least, he was well-spoken.
Edwin gave a slight nod. "So, to get back on topic, are you here looking for work?"
Colin smiled ruefully. "I've already struck out. Good luck with your interview, though."
"I think my luck has been quite good enough for one day. Come over here. I believe your accomplishments are more than sufficient to become a field operative for the City Watchers." Edwin smiled as he walked behind one of the desks and began tidying up some documents.
It took several seconds for Colin to process what had just happened.
'So he's one of the interviewers, too? Does that mean I still have a chance at the job?'
Just then, the lieutenant cleared his throat twice.
Colin saw the man dart a few cautious glances in their direction before saying in a loud voice, "I wasn't finished speaking, Colin."
"Then is there something else you wanted to say, Lieutenant?"
Colin turned back to face him.