"Jirou-san! I was so worried. I'm truly relieved to see you safe."

"I'm sorry for the late greeting. It's good to see you well too, Priestess-sama."

After the mirror was fixed and I returned to this world—and after the mess with Dida was finally settled—I stopped by my shop in Erishe, and naturally, I dropped by the temple as well.

It turned out the Priestess-chan had been working incredibly hard, inquiring at the Great Temple about ways to fix the mirror and scouring through old legends. I truly couldn't thank her enough.

"There were legends left behind regarding the mirrors. Records from the ancient... Spirit Civilization era. It was said that the Kin of the Gods once migrated to this land through mysterious mirrors. Then, through those same mirrors, they returned to the Realm of the Gods, and after a certain point, they never returned... I couldn't find much about the specific mirrors themselves, though. Does this mean you, Jirou-san, were... one of the Kin of the Gods?"

The legends were actually quite clear about that, huh? Well, I supposed the people back then didn't really see a reason to hide it.

According to Mugen-san, 1,000 years ago, the NPCs—the locals—weren't very intelligent. Since the developers had forcibly turned the indigenous creatures of this planet into humans, they had been essentially primitive beings that had evolved overnight.

Even so, by imitating the players and carrying out the tasks given by the gods, culture must have formed, gradually evolving into the society that exists today.

But still, "Kin of the Gods," huh...

"Of course not. Do I look like the type to be a Kin of the Gods...? Besides, didn't the legends say that all the attendants of the gods were bad at physical activity?"

"Eh!? How did you know that? It's true that the legends state that while the Kin of the Gods were all great mages, they were quite poor at physical movement."

Apparently, people of the future didn't exercise much and were quite portly. I guessed even super-science couldn't solve obesity... Or maybe we were just heading into an era where the "chubby gene" wins out.

"Putting that aside... Priestess-sama. I heard we've had applications for the Knights?"

I changed the subject. If she poked too deep, I wouldn't have answers for most of it anyway. Since she seemed to be a fan of the "Great Archmage of Phantasms," maybe I'll get his autograph for her later.

"Yes. Ever since the Knights' parade, we've been receiving inquiries from women who want to join, little by little. Eight applications so far."

"Eight, huh? I can't tell if that's a lot or a little."

"Women who receive the Knight vocation are rare, so considering the ratio, I'd say it's quite a high number. There are even some who go as far as to defect from their homelands just to find a place to serve..."

"I see."

Come to think of it, the Knight class was technically an advanced vocation. I tended to forget because I was surrounded by them, but they were a step above simple vocations like Swordsman or Spearman.

"Anyway, I'd like to set a date to gather them for interviews. I can't afford to pay a full salary for Knight duties alone, so I can't hire them unless they're okay with that."

"If you decide on a day, I will handle the contact. From what I've seen, they all seem like good girls. I'm sure you'll like them, Jirou-san."

"I don't know if it's a coincidence, but women with the Knight vocation always seem sincere and kind. I'm looking forward to it."

Priestess-sama offered to handle the communications. Having the temple act as an intermediary boosted the credibility of our Knights' Order immensely. It was a huge help.

Before I knew it, the day had arrived.

Since there were applicants from outside Erishe, I had allowed nearly a month's grace period. During that time, the numbers grew, and in the end, ten women gathered.

I left the interviewing to Rebecca-san and Hetty-san. To be blunt, I didn't have much to say regarding Knight-specific matters. Well, technically I did: I wanted them to help out at the shop.

Depending on their personal situations, they could choose between being part-time or full-time staff; either way, the shop was severely understaffed. But first, the Knights. We'd talk about shop work only after they cleared the requirements to be a member of the Order.

The interview venue was, for some reason, outdoors. Specifically, the usual open square in front of Schelo-san's house. Our current Knights were all decked out in their full gear, just like during the parade.

Morokoshi-kun the dragon was also sitting regally nearby, and the applicants looked tense, their faces stiff with nerves... Wait, was this one of those "pressure interviews"?

"Nice to meet you. I am Rebecca Roth, the Commander of the Artemis Knights. We are a small, newly formed Order, but we plan to grow. That is why I am truly happy that you responded to our recruitment call."

Rebecca-san, clad in her knightly armor, gave a sharp, dignified greeting.

She really looked the part of a Knight Commander!

"Becky, you're being too stiff. With that scary face... look, even Jirou-sama is cringing behind you."

"Wait, Hetty, don't interrupt. The first impression is crucial..."

"But you're going to do that anyway, right? Even if you don't scare them now, they'll find out soon enough."

"I know, but..."

Just when she was looking dignified, Hetty-san poked a hole in it, and things immediately started descending into the usual mess. I guess that's the "mercenary style" of freedom.

"Ahem! Anyway, since you've come all this way, we have no intention of turning you away. You're all hired!"

Rebecca-san suddenly made the declaration. Everyone passed. Well, they had come all this way, and they were all confirmed "Knight" vocation holders. There was no reason for us to reject them.

Relief washed over the applicants' faces at the news. Afterward, they each gave a brief self-introduction.

"I am Diana Luna'Abella, a High Elf nodesu. It is a pleasure."

When Diana stepped forward and introduced herself, a murmur spread among the applicants.

Knights naturally wanted to pledge loyalty to a princess. Most of our current Knights were pledged to Diana. The only ones who weren't might have been Rebecca-san and Hetty-san.

"Now, now. No pledging loyalty yet. Wait until today's schedule is finished."

Rebecca-san checked the applicants, who had instinctively started to look like they were about to kneel.

The schedule. I had heard today's "interview" would take all day. That was why I had specifically scheduled it on a day when the shop was closed.

"Now, change into these. We are beginning the first day of training! Since you've passed, you're our team members now, so naturally, you'll be joining the drills."

The clothes I prepared were athletic wear from Earth. They had all come in their casual clothes, which weren't exactly suitable for training.

The applicants returned after changing at Rebecca-san's house.

"Now, let's begin. Marina, are you ready?"

"Ready anytime, de-arimasu!"

In front of Marina, two swords were thrust into the ground. Training iron swords.

Is this really going to be...

"Alright, Marlone. Take that sword and fight Marina over there. Keep going until I tell you to stop. If you don't resist with everything you've got, you'll die."

"Eh? ...Eh?!"

Marlone-san looked to be about twenty years old. With her fluffy hair tied back in a ponytail, she looked like a simple town girl. Even if she had been granted the Knight vocation, it was doubtful if she had ever actually held a sword.

However, Rebecca-san was absolutely merciless.

"Come on, pick up the sword and take a stance! You want to be a knight, don't you?"

"Y-Yes!"

With a burst of spirit, Marlone-san grabbed the sword. Taking that as the signal, Marina let out a cheerful voice.

"I am starting now de-arimasu! I have done this with Elepipi many times, so I am quite used to it de-arimasu!"

And so, the training began.

Later, Marlone would recount:

"We saw the Artemis parade and just admired its brilliance. We didn't understand what a knight truly is. That's probably why the captain imposed that training on us from day one. Yes... really... Our faint illusions were shattered into pieces. Honestly, I thought, 'What kind of place have I come to?' ...Yet, by the end, strangely enough, I found myself wanting to become stronger. That was the knight's baptism, I suppose..."

Well, truthfully, it was just our usual training routine.

It was the same combat-style training for recruits used back in the 'Scarlet Wedge' mercenary group. I'd done it myself countless times against Shello-san. At that moment, Hetty-san was handling the fourth trainee.

"Sorry, Jirou. I acted on my own."

Rebecca-san, who was standing beside me watching the training, suddenly apologized.

She was referring to the fact that she'd imposed such intense training right from the jump. I'll admit, it caught me off guard.

"But if a few of them quit because of this... You were counting on them too, right? As manpower for the shop."

"Well... to some extent. But for the shop, I can always hire new apprentices; there are plenty of options, so it's fine."

It was basically a buyer's market. There were plenty of people who would want to work for us.

However, I had a certain level of trust in those with the 'Knight' vocation, and since running the Order was a 'two birds, one stone' situation, I did hope the applicants would stay.

"Is it really better to be strict at the start?"

"Of course. With mercenary groups, people come expecting they might die. But with us, they don't really know what they're getting into, right? We can't have it just be for show. Besides, the Hitotsuzuki is coming up soon."

According to Rebecca-san, she wanted the Knights to be ready as a reserve force for the Hitotsuzuki. You can never have too many people, and even if they didn't engage in actual combat, just having them available to treat the injured or prepare meals would be a huge help.

"Reserve...? I mean, the Knights will be participating in combat during Hitotsuzuki too, right?"

Was I wrong? We'd been gaining experience fighting monsters here and there.

"You're going to participate? Even though they're the 'Knights,' I hadn't wanted to use Marina, the Princess, Ion, Shamash, or Elepipi without your permission, so I had been holding back."

"I mean, during the Hitotsuzuki, monsters swarm in huge numbers like they did in Lucraella, right? I was planning on participating."

"I'm relieved to hear that, but... but are you sure?"

I could sort of understand why Rebecca-san was hesitating. Or maybe the Hitotsuzuki was much more dangerous than I realized. It might not be the kind of thing one should just casually volunteer for.

That said, I wasn't about to turn tail and run now.

The Hitotsuzuki is a phenomenon where monsters pour out of monster spots—and that was happening right next door to our mansion. If there was anything I could do to help, I would help.

"Besides, Shello-san also asked me to help before."

"Then I'll ask for your help as well."

Usually, securing enough warriors is a struggle. Even if the Hitotsuzuki is a disaster for everyone in this world, not everyone has the guts to face it. Furthermore, powerful monsters appear during the event, and their strength is random; it's not always a predictable level of difficulty.

Even this forest's monster spot, which is under Rebecca-san's—or rather, Shello-san's—jurisdiction, apparently spawns monsters of a strength unimaginable during normal times. I'd heard that in bad years, there were more than ten casualties. This was no small matter.

Still, if our Knights helped, we should be a significant force. Especially with Shamash-san.

Summoned beasts that could be used freely and serve as shields were incredibly convenient. A summonable beast that can act as a tank is incredibly useful. Plus, Eyeball-chan has amazing offensive power, and at long range, too. Shamash-san himself can fire off magic.

Modern warfare was built on long-range engagement. Melee combat was outdated. If you can attack unilaterally from a distance where the enemy can't reach you, there's nothing better. I should probably work on raising my own magic to a level where I can use it in actual combat soon.

After that, the "baptism" continued for all the applicants, and they all headed back to town, completely exhausted. Apparently, only those who show up tomorrow will be officially hired as members of our Knights' Order.

Well, from what I saw, they all had good expressions on their faces at the end, so they should be fine. Even Elepipi, despite the tough training, always seemed to be having fun in the end. Those with the Knight vocation really have some grit.

—And the next day.

To my surprise, every single one of yesterday's applicants showed up without a single person dropping out. All of them were hired on the spot.

And just like that, the Artemis Knights nearly doubled in size.

* * *

"Oh, right. Hetty-san, can you try using this?"

On another day, during our usual Knights training, I spotted Hetty-san and called out to her.

Ever since she had decided to join our Knights, I often saw her enthusiastically discussing the management of the Order with Rebecca-san. She also frequently visited the mansion to fuss over Ion. She felt like a full member of the family now.

"Jirou-sama. Is that the 'Katana' you mentioned as a new product?"

"Yes. It's a weapon, but the way you use it is a bit unique. Back home, it was said to require a lot of skill... I wanted to have you try it out and see if it's actually difficult to handle."

Before selling the katanas—the Japanese swords—as products, I needed to test their actual sharpness and functionality. They would mostly be sold as decorative pieces, but it would be a problem if they were useless in a pinch. So, I decided to ask Hetty-san, who seemed the most versatile with weapons.

"I don't mean to brag, but there isn't a weapon I can't use."

As she spoke, she drew the sword from its scabbard. It was an uchigatana made by Master Dargos. I had tried cutting a few vegetables with it, but whether it worked as a weapon was unknown. Though, honestly, there's no way a steel bar like this wouldn't work.

"Hmm..."

Holding the sword and aligning the edge, Hetty-san swung it two or three times soundlessly.

"How is it?"

"It's a good sword. There shouldn't be any problem. Should I try cutting something?"

"Try this."

I brought out the straw bundle I'd prepared. I made it myself.

"Is this all you need?"

"Yes. Apparently, it's traditional to use these for test-cutting."

Rolled straw was said to resemble the density of human flesh, and the bamboo core the hardness of bone—hence its use in test cutting.

"Alright, here I go."

"Ah—wait a second."

I decided to record it on my phone. This was a master swordswoman of this world handling a katana forged in another world. I couldn't not film it. Even if she failed, it would just be a funny blooper.

"Okay, go ahead!"

"Very well."

Hetty-san held the katana in her right hand with a relaxed posture. She raised the sword, and the moment her left hand touched the hilt, she swung in a fluid motion—thwip, thwip, thwip, thwip. A beat later, the straw bundle fell apart into pieces.

"Whoa..."

"That's about the gist of it. It was a stationary target, after all. Becky could probably do this much too."

Hetty-san said it coolly, but having watched several test-cutting videos while researching, I could tell her skill was immense. I felt bad for even momentarily doubting if a "draw-and-slice" weapon like a katana would be difficult for her.

"Was this really your first time with this kind of weapon?"

"It was. But once I touch a blade, I generally know how to use it. I won't go so far as to say I can hear the 'voice' of the sword, but a swordsman just knows."

"Is that how it works?"

Thinking "Then I'm a swordsman too!", I gave it a try and actually managed to cut it normally... I wasn't sure if cutting straw was just easy or if my training was finally paying off.

Either way, I could now officially sell the katanas with the guarantee of "excellent sharpness."