"Let me summarize what you've just said," I began, my tone as flat as the silent room. "You're encouraging the four of us to volunteer as soldiers for a fortress city of a kingdom that, by all accounts, looks down on the people here so much they barely offer any aid---and if we decline, we're left to fend for ourselves---is that about right?"
The man across me kept his smile steady. No answer.
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The room was plain---a few tables and chairs with a counter where he leaned, somewhat like a bar. For all I knew, it could be one.
I didn't push him further. My eyes drifted to the girls who'd woken up alongside me beneath that tower, with no memory of how we'd ended up there. They'd introduced themselves as Yuki, Masumi, and Mio, each wearing an equally displeased expression.
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Understandable.
After all, for unknown reasons, we had seemingly ended up in another world. I couldn't prove it was definitely another world, but the signs were there: the unfamiliar night sky and technology that felt like coming from centuries past were the most obvious.
After we emerged from the tower under the guidance of an armored man, an eccentric-looking woman led us to a walled city at the base of the hill, where the tower stood surrounded by tombstones. The townspeople had stared at us as we passed, but ignoring that, we eventually arrived at the headquarters of the Crimson Moon Volunteer Corps.
"---I don't have all day, kids. Make your decision quickly!"
Britney, the man behind the counter, waved a hand, looking exasperated.
So my initial summary was probably right, huh?
He offered no response.
I sighed internally.
"Fine. I'll accept it."
The blue-haired girl with a bob cut stepped forward. She was dressed in a uniform like the others'. Mine matched theirs but was styled for a male. It's a uniform, to put it simply.
No hesitation, huh? Is she the type who doesn't think things through?
Mio struck me as stubborn and hard on herself. She didn't hesitate to reach for the badge labeled "trainees"---her new status---and a small leather pouch containing ten silver coins that Britney had laid out on the counter. Apparently, getting rid of this new status required twenty silver coins. What a scam.
