That entire event with gate 4 happened 4 years ago.

I've been in this world for 4 years.

This world was a world of medieval fantasy, with various different races, organizations, and magical shit happening.

However, I'm really nothing compared to such an extravagant setting.

Lionel.

That's my name in this world.

I woke up to this body, 4 years ago, pocket-less, lying on the street.

I don't know what happened to the original owner of this body, but I'm guessing his soul is long gone.

 

Lionel was an orphan, with nowhere to go after being kicked out of the orphanage after reaching 16 - this world's legal adult age.

Left with nothing in a medieval fantasy world, I wandered.

So, myself - 4 years ago, with nowhere to go, was looking somewhere to be employed with.

 

Coincidentally, there was a draft for every male citizen within the Empire, the country I was in within this medieval world.

This draft started from 16 to 25 year olds, for a period of 2 years.

So, I decided to fill my service at that moment.

Looking back on my previous experiences as a Military Police officer in my previous life, I volunteered for City Watch - an alternative form of service within the draft.

Basically a rag-tag group of normal soldiers as a police force within cities.

This job is not very sought out for, as it is highly demanding, both physically and mentally - with the highest mortality rate in peacetime.

However, for me - it was the best job.

In a world, where war with anyone could break out at any moment, forces deployed into internal areas were the least dangerous - like City Watch.

The bad thing is, there's a few scuffles here and there within the city, even during peacetime.

But as long as I don't die for some aristocrat's territorial expansion, I was fine.

I would be happier being stabbed by some thief instead.

 

So, I was a part of an organization known as City Watch after some 4 weeks of quick training.

However, I didn't patrol the city. There were a lot of dispatch zones within a city.

Instead, I was a Gate Guard for the Empire's 3rd biggest city, Tristle. (Gate Guards are part of City Watch)

Specifically, a Gate Guard for the Northeastern gate of the city of Tristle.

The smallest and least guarded one. Also nobody barely knows it exists.

I faithfully fulfilled my service as a Gate Guard, and was able to get a foothold of some money through my shitty salary.

But even after filling my 2 years of service for the Empire, I still had nowhere to go.

So I stayed.

I stayed as a Gate Guard, which was an option for people looking to extend their service and become a professional soldier.

And I've been a professional soldier for 2 years, instead of a draftee.

Holding the rank of "Head of the Northeastern Gate of Tristle" - as a Sergeant Major.

 

 

The fact is, 2 years ago - I wasn't in my right mind, deciding to be a Gate Guard.

"Head of the Northeastern Gate of Tristle" sounds all prestigious, but it was just a prestigious title.

In the end, I was a normal soldier. 

A soldier doesn't get paid that well, anywhere you go - unless you're top brass.

I got my dirty cheap pay of 11.2 silvers a month. Which is around $1120 a month in USD.

I barely paid rent, so I just decided to live in the living quarters within the Empire's official City Watch living quarters.

Also, there were only 2 men deployed within the Northeastern gate.

One being me.

The other, a newly drafted Gate Guard named Chris on his 1st shift.

And currently, on a cold winter night, we stood guard for a gate that nobody goes through within the city of Tristle.

The god-forsaken Northeastern gate, for 4 years.

"Sergeant Major?"

"Hm..?"

Me, being in a makeshift booth that you see the British Royal guards standing in, was dozing off, whilst Chris was standing outside.

Until Chris, the new Gate Guard, called for me.

"It's snowing, Sir."

As I looked up to the dark blue sky of this fantasy world, I saw bits of white dropping into the partially stone paved ground.

Seeing this particularly interesting bit of iced liquid dropping on my nose, I remarked.

"Fuck."

"..."

I mentally became tired, seeing the little drops of white ice piling up on the road leading to the Northeastern gate.

"Chris.."

"Yes, Sir?"

"Get the shovels, we need to remove the snow."

"Yes, Sir!"

Chris scurried off to the quartermaster to get snow-purpose shovels.

Cleaning any sort of trash or debree left in front of a gate was the Gate Guard's duty to clean up.

This included snow.

The chilling cold sent shivers down my body, with standard issue metal armor going against my skin covered by a thin uniform - making me even colder.

"Hahh...."

I let out a small sigh, where a bit of water vapor went out from my mouth, looking like smoke.

I stood in silence alone, waiting for Chris to come.

The night view was honestly beautiful, but it was far too damn cold.

After a few minutes, I heard footsteps coming from behind the Gate.

It was Chris, with a pair of shovels.

"Sir, I got the shovels."

"Alright. Let's remove all the snow in this vicinity."

While Chris was getting the shovels from the quartermaster, there was a substantial amount of snow piled up.

"...All of this, Sir?"

"..Yeah.. Regulations."

Regulations stated that a gate of a city must be clean 30 meters forward and wide at all times. That accounted for 900 square meters of snow needing to be removed.

So, me and Chris started pushing the snow outside the 900 square meter zone.

However, with the fierce snow, the area needing to be cleaned returned to it's original state of snow soon.

"Can't we wait for the snow to pile up all at once, Sir?"

"This snow isn't stopping for 2 months, Chris."

"Oh."

After 3 hours, me and Chris barely made the gate look presentable.

It was around 3 A.M.

Returning back to our original posts within the Gate booth, I sparked a conversation with Chris.

"Hey Chris."

"Yes, Sir?"

"How old are you?"

"I'm 16, Sir."

"Huh."

Most males of the Empire enlist at 16 to get their mandatory service over with.

"Do you have any family, Chris?"

"I have a mother and a sister, Sir."

I didn't really ask about where his father was.

"I see. How's working for City Watch?"

"... It's unique, Sir."

"It's shit, right?"

"Uhh...."

"I'm kidding."

"..."

Chris seemed a bit slow, but he was an overall nice dude.

"God, it's so damn cold."

"It is, Sir."

"I wish there was some sort of fire around here."

"I agree, Sir."

Estimating how long there was till a shift change, I rested my short handed spear between my arms and leaned on the booth, closing my eyes.

"Chris."

"Yes, Sir."

"Tell me if anybody comes."

"Yes, Sir."

Until the next shift change, nothing happened.

It reached 6 AM.

I heard the replacement guards approaching.

One of the 2 replacement guards was Bensen, a guard I knew fairly well.

When Bensen and the other guard arrived, they saluted.

"Glory. Sergeant Major."

I saluted back.

"Glory. How's it going?"

"Good, Sir."

"Really?"

"What's that supposed to mean, Sir?"

Bensen looked as if he was offended.

But in all honestly, Benson was depressed these days because his girlfriend broke up with him - so it was rare he was "good".

"Nothing. Well, anything new?"

"Uhhh, well, I heard that the dudes in the Western gate got wounded 'cause of a rogue demonic beast."

Demonic beasts were simply animals, such as Bears, infected by a "demonic spirit", which caused them to be highly hostile and stronger than your average organic specimen.

"Damn..."

"Yeah. Well, was there any irregularities or problems this shift, Sir?"

"No irregularities, just a bit of snow."

"..Snow, Sir?"

"Yeah... Good luck."

Dismissing the Bensen, I trotted to the living quarters with Chris, looking for sleep.

However, most people on the streets of Tristle were  just waking up.

Time worked differently for the night shift of the Northeastern gate.

---

9 hours later, 3 PM.

I was helping with administrative and physical work within the City Watch HQ, until I was called.

"Lionel."

"Yes, Colonel?"

I was currently in the office of the Colonel of the City Watch, the man highest in command.

"You have to change shifts."

...

"May I ask why, Colonel?"

"Have you heard about the trouble on the Western gate, with the demonic beast?"

"I have, Colonel."

"Well, we are sending the Northeast Gate Afternoon shift to replace the wounded soldiers on the Western gate. So, it leaves the Afternoon shift empty. You are filling that shift, with Private Chris."

...

"Understood."

"Dismissed, Sergeant Major."

"Glory."

"Glory."

I stepped out of the office.

I had no problems with the change of shifts.. the night shift was way harder and more tiring than the afternoon ones.

I ran to the lower enlisted living quarters and informed Chris.

Fuck yeah.

---