Knock! Knock! Knock!

Old Raine opened the door and stared in surprise as his son entered their home in Goldflash Town.

Mint was still sound asleep, but the noise woke both Raine's mother and Anna, who emerged from their rooms.

"Raine, why are you back? Did something happen at the estate?"

The cold air rushing through the open door cleared the last sleep from Old Raine's head. One look at his son's expression told him something was wrong.

Raine thought for a moment and decided to tell his family directly. The news would spread soon enough. Besides, if the dire gnoll continued hunting around Goldflash Town, farmers like his father, who worked outside the walls, would be among those in greatest danger.

"Father, a gnoll attacked one of the page boys' dormitories at the estate. Two trainees were killed on the spot, and another was taken."

"What?"

Old Raine drew in a sharp breath.

He knew what gnolls were and had once seen them from a distance in his youth. Those vicious humanoids normally lived deep in the forest. Why had one emerged now?

"Don't worry too much. Lord Lloyd and Lord Perez are handling the situation at the estate, and Goldflash Town has already been warned. I'm sure the matter will be resolved quickly."

To avoid frightening them further, Raine omitted the fact that the attacker was a dire gnoll more than two meters tall, with strength comparable to a Knight.

The full truth would only make his family worry.

"Mother, please don't go into the woods tomorrow to gather firewood or anything else. You should be safe if you remain inside town."

He turned to his father.

"And Father, you had better stay away from the farm outside town tomorrow."

"All right. I'll listen to you."

Old Raine nodded.

Ever since Raine told them that the new sheriff, Lord Hamilton, had invited him to join the Night Watchmen, his father had begun to see him as an adult rather than a child who needed protection—someone capable of carrying responsibility.

Raine's words carried far more weight now.

He nodded and went upstairs with Anna. Since he had returned, Anna would share Mint's room while Raine slept in his old bed.

He had barely lain down when someone knocked again.

Now fully alert, Old Raine peered through the crack beside the door. Three Night Watchmen stood outside, holding torches and wearing black leather armor. He immediately let them in, and Raine came down from the second floor.

The sharp-eyed man at their head looked familiar.

"Raine, we're short of men tonight. Lord Hamilton sent orders for you to join the patrol in this district."

"All right. Give me two minutes."

Raine agreed without hesitation. He knew this Night Watchman; the man's patrol route covered the streets around his home.

Had the assignment been elsewhere, Raine might have thought twice. But he would never refuse a chance to patrol his own neighborhood and protect his family.

He turned toward the stairs to retrieve the short sword stored on the second floor.

"Going to fetch equipment? There's no need. We brought everything."

One of the Night Watchmen produced a complete set of black leather armor, a bow, a quiver, and a hand-and-a-half sword, then passed it all to Raine.

Raine was pleasantly surprised by their thorough preparation.

Once dressed in the standard equipment, he looked much like the other Night Watchmen. His face remained youthful and he was slightly shorter, but little else distinguished him from the veterans.

"Be careful, Raine."

His mother's face was tight with worry. She had initially viewed his opportunity to join the Night Watchmen as good fortune. Now she saw that whenever danger arose, her son would have to confront it personally.

"Don't worry, Mother. I'll take care of myself."

Raine said goodbye to his family and followed the three Night Watchmen into the darkness.

"Raine, I heard the victims were trainees from the estate?" the squad leader asked.

"Yes. I saw it happen. The dire gnoll burst violently out of the dormitory, knocked the guards aside in an instant, and escaped."

Raine's expression grew grave.

Remembering the creature's Strength and Agility—both far beyond those of an ordinary human—still unsettled him. Converted into the system's numerical scale, its Strength might have reached 18 or even 20, vastly exceeding the limits of a normal body.

The three Night Watchmen exchanged glances, their expressions turning solemn.

They knew this young man had killed two criminals alone and earned Lord Hamilton's praise. Despite his age, he was capable and perceptive. If even he regarded the gnoll so seriously, the threat could not be underestimated.

Now they understood why Hamilton had ordered any Night Watchman who found signs of the creature to fire a signal immediately. Anywhere within Goldflash Town, other patrol squads could converge in half a minute, with Hamilton himself arriving soon afterward.

As they talked, Raine learned that the four of them were responsible for patrolling and securing two nearby streets.

"Let's light all the streetlamps first," the squad leader said.

Under ordinary circumstances, several of Goldflash Town's oil lamps were left dark to conserve fuel. Raine had only just learned that the lamps burned a mixture made primarily from whale oil.

Fueling a single lamp cost little. Fueling dozens or hundreds was another matter.

When Raine saw the Night Watchmen lighting the lamps, he volunteered.

"Let me try."

Since he would soon join their ranks, showing initiative would help him fit in with the veterans.

He pushed a match into the lamp housing and lit the oil-soaked wick.

The system responded.

[Host detected adding oil to a streetlamp.]

[Class change triggered: Night Watchman.]

[Requirements to advance to Night Watchman:]

[1. Militia Lv. 3 or above.]

[2. Strength 7 or above, Agility 6 or above, and Constitution 6 or above.]

[3. Any Swordsmanship Skill at Lv. 3 or above and any Archery Skill at Lv. 2 or above.]

[Current requirements not met. Advancement to Night Watchman failed.]

Raine's eyes brightened.

A new combat class.