Within the same city stood a massive mansion.
The estate was enormous, and in front of it stretched a huge garden filled with neatly trimmed plants and stone pathways.
Yuki stood before the mansion's giant entrance gates with a stunned expression.
"Whoaa… what a huge mansion."
He looked around in amazement.
"There are mansions in Agram City too, but… this one feels completely different."
As Yuki stepped forward to enter, two guards immediately blocked his path.
"Who are you?" one of them asked. "Do you have permission to enter?"
Yuki laughed awkwardly.
"Hahaha… w-well, I'm here to join the Demon Assessing Force."
The guards exchanged glances before quietly discussing among themselves.
"What do you think?"
The second guard shrugged.
"I think we should let him in."
"But he's just a kid."
"Yeah, but at least he has courage."
"Hm… fine."
The first guard stepped aside and pointed forward.
"You can go straight ahead. Once you enter the mansion, you'll see a counter on the right side of the entrance. Fill out the form there."
"Thanks!"
Yuki happily walked inside.
The mansion's main hall was crowded with people.
At the counter stood a woman organizing documents while applicants filled the area.
Yuki walked over to her.
"I want to join the Demon Assessing Force."
The woman looked at him for a moment.
"…A kid?"
Still, she handed him a form.
"Sure. Just fill this out."
Yuki grabbed the paper and looked through it.
Then he awkwardly raised his head.
"Can't I join without using magic?"
The woman shook her head apologetically.
"Sorry, but that's impossible."
But just then—
A man wearing an officer's uniform approached after overhearing the conversation.
"No. It's possible."
Both Yuki and the woman looked at him.
The officer calmly continued,
"Right now, we need as many force members as possible for this mission. So he can join."
The woman stepped closer to him and whispered nervously,
"But sir… he's a child. What if he dies there? Can he even survive a war?"
The officer answered confidently.
"He can do it."
His eyes carried both passion and determination.
"The fact that he's willing to join the war already shows how much he cares about this city."
He smiled faintly.
"And even if he isn't very strong, we'll still accept him."
Meanwhile, Yuki thought silently to himself.
"Well… finally, I joined something."
A relieved expression appeared on his face.
"I honestly thought they'd reject me here too because I can't use magic…"
Then he paused awkwardly.
"…But I don't even belong to this city."
The officer turned toward him.
"Young man, what is your name? I am Konta, commander of this force."
Yuki trembled slightly from the sudden introduction.
"I-I'm Yuki…"
"Yuki! Nice name!"
Konta suddenly grabbed Yuki's hand energetically.
"Come with me!"
As they walked away, Konta called out to the woman behind the counter.
"His name is Yuki. Complete his registration."
"Y-Yes, sir."
A little later—
Konta brought Yuki to the mansion's backyard training grounds.
Several practice dolls stood in the distance.
Konta crossed his arms and looked at Yuki seriously.
"I've already seen your spirit."
His gaze sharpened.
"But show me what you can actually do. Passion alone isn't enough in war."
Yuki blinked in surprise before turning toward the practice dolls.
The innocent look in his eyes vanished instantly.
His expression became serious.
"As you say, Commander."
Yuki pulled out the sword made from werewolf claws and immediately dashed forward.
His speed shocked Konta.
"What the—?!"
In less than four seconds, Yuki crossed nearly twenty-five meters and swung his sword.
Slash!
One of the training dolls split perfectly into two pieces.
The upper half crashed onto the ground.
Konta's eyes widened in disbelief.
"What was that…?"
He stared at Yuki in complete shock.
"He's just a child, yet he already surpasses many adult warriors…"
Konta unconsciously swallowed.
"If he keeps training like this… he might become the strongest swordsman in the entire world."
Meanwhile, Yuki calmly sheathed his sword and walked back.
"So, Sir Konta…"
He stopped in front of him.
"What do you think? Can I join the force now? I'm sure I'll survive."
Konta gulped before immediately speaking in a proud voice.
"I'm impressed by your swordsmanship, kid."
He nodded firmly.
"You've officially joined the force. Don't worry."
Suddenly, Yuki's face brightened with excitement.
"Then… then how much are you going to pay me?!"
Konta froze.
"…Huh?"
For a second, silence filled the air.
Then Konta slowly thought to himself,
"So… he joined for money…"
A disappointed expression appeared on his face.
"I thought he loved his birthplace…"
Still, Konta answered normally.
"Don't worry. We'll pay you fairly depending on how many demons you kill."
Yuki's eyes sparkled.
"Oh! Then how much for one demon?!"
Konta sighed internally before replying,
"For every demon you kill, you'll receive twenty Quito."
Yuki immediately became excited.
"Wow!! That much?!"
He quickly started calculating.
"Then if I kill just five demons, I'll get one hundred Quito!"
"Yeah… yeah…"
Konta nodded tiredly.
"But don't forget. Demons aren't easy to kill."
Then he casually added,
"Now go back home."
Konta turned around and started walking back toward the mansion.
But then—
"I… don't have a home."
Konta stopped instantly.
A sad expression slowly appeared on his face.
He turned back and saw Yuki staring at him with innocent, hopeful eyes.
It was devastatingly effective.
Konta couldn't handle it anymore.
"Okay!! Fine! You can stay at my place!"
Yuki's entire expression changed immediately into cheerful happiness.
"Thank you, sir! I'll repay this debt one day."
As Yuki followed behind him, he secretly smiled to himself.
"Acting really works… hihihi."