I was an apprentice in Ferren

Chapter 115 Training
Although it had been almost six months since they last met, Deva said goodbye to her mother after breakfast and went to the guard post alone.

Archmages are very busy. Spell research, council duties, and teaching at the academy are all part of their work in Harua. Many archmages also have territories to manage in Faerûn or even other planets. It can be said that every vacation they have is a luxury.

Deva had grown accustomed to this life. In fact, the church mentors and instructors had spent more time with her than her mother. Separation had become a part of her life, and she no longer felt sad about the word; she only looked forward to the next reunion.

And she's quite busy right now.

The Guard is the largest law enforcement organization in Beer Town, a town teeming with merchants, adventurers, and hooligans. But after a week of work, the paladin discovered that it was these ordinary people who caused him the most trouble.

Fights and brawls are commonplace, petty theft is commonplace, and the way shrewish women yell in the street terrifies her. This week of mediating various incidents has left her feeling dizzy and overwhelmed.

Of course, according to the vice-captain, such trivial matters wouldn't normally require her attention, but the paladin didn't want to give anyone a handle against her. She diligently completed her week's tasks and finally welcomed a vacation of her own.
Weird.

Most positions in Harua are only allowed one day off per week, meaning they have to go to church to pray on Sundays. Under such circumstances, a lowly guard captain would naturally not enjoy the right to a two-day weekend.

Of course, there are still some conveniences. For example, they can take turns on duty with the three sheriffs on Saturdays and Sundays to make the long weekend last longer, unlike other police officers who have to be on duty even at night.

However, at the debriefing meeting on Friday, the sheriffs all said that the captain shouldn't be working so hard, as the old captain never worked weekends and everyone was used to it.

However, the paladin, who was determined to change the bad habits of Beer Town, naturally would not accept this unwritten privilege. Instead, he took the first shift early and didn't even sleep in.

However, Deva still had a little selfish motive. After finishing her duty on Saturday, she naturally wouldn't have to be on duty on Sunday. That way, she could pray on time and avoid the kind of shallow-minded behavior that would cause controversy, like oversleeping and then having to buy a ticket later.

Five people took turns on duty, and several key members each had to work 4 hours on weekends. After the sheriff took over, she couldn't help but yawn. Seeing that no one was around, she secretly cast a healing spell on herself and immediately felt refreshed.

Unlike those sworn paladins, her Healing Touch is more powerful, can be used more frequently, has outstanding healing capabilities, and can even dispel many powerful negative status effects.

For example, her Holy Healing spell can relieve fatigue and poisoning. With further improvement, it can even remove exhaustion, disease, and curses instantly, making it a panacea.

However, doing so was somewhat of a waste of Lady White Night's divine power, and Deva silently prayed for the lady's understanding several times before finally breathing a sigh of relief.

I saw my mother late last night, and after we finished chatting, it was probably almost 2 a.m. I had to get up early to go to work, so I was quite tired.

Of course, going back for a nap would be fine, but for some reason, Deva still chose to come to the tavern from last week. She glanced around, a hint of joy flashing in her brown eyes.

This guy really did come!
Although she had changed into civilian clothes, Deva was still recognized. The boss was about to come over to offer his services when Deva waved him off and casually sat down on the other side of the table. "Why didn't you come to the police station to find me?" "I just arrived too. I figured it's lunchtime now, and if I'm lucky and have a bit of chemistry, I should be able to wait for someone here." DuPont smiled slightly. "Looks like we're on the same page."

The paladin blushed slightly upon hearing this, but snorted, "What if we don't have any chemistry?"

"That just means it's not a coincidence. Going to the police station to see someone would probably cause some gossip, and I don't think a fair paladin would want to be embroiled in scandals, would he?"

“That’s true.” Deva nodded after hearing this. When she delivered the food, she poured out all her troubles from the week. When the lunch arrived, she suddenly realized that DuPont hadn’t said a word. She asked somewhat cautiously, “Don’t you find it annoying that I’m so long-winded?”

"It's alright. Anyway, I can't practice magic while eating. It's a good thing that a beautiful woman tells me stories for free."

“Go away, I’m not a bard who charges money for telling stories, but this is all too much trouble.” Deva sighed as she spoke, “Although I worked as a guard in White Rock City for a while, it wasn’t this troublesome back then.”

“The job of a guard has always been troublesome. After all, we are a civilized society, not a barbarian tribe where might makes right and might makes right. You didn’t think about it before because someone probably didn’t want you to get involved in these things.” DuPont poured a glass of refreshing cherry juice for Paladin as well: “Here, you are the highest-ranking person besides the city hall leaders, so you will naturally have to handle many things.”

"However, from what I understand, most of these kinds of things are mediated by the local security guards. They are locals, and they know the parties involved in many incidents, even if they are not familiar with each other. Mediation is a piece of cake for them. As long as no one dies or a major case occurs, you don't need to get involved in these small matters. In fact, getting involved might just make things worse."

"Huh?" Deva looked incredulous. "How could this cause trouble? Everyone knows that we paladins are the most just!"

"But some people don't care about fairness, especially some who are simply unreasonable. For them, interests come first, and they can abandon face and morality. In layman's terms, they are troublemakers."

"There are many ways to deal with these people and those old guards. Sometimes a single sentence from them is much better than half a day of reasoning. After all, for these people, many things don't need to go to court or find a judge. And these guards can also keep them quiet, saving valuable police resources. Of course, if you are willing to open the Realm of Honesty and make them keep quiet, that is also a method."

At this point, DuPont took a sip of juice and looked at the dumbfounded paladin: "To be honest, I don't think you're suited for this place. Paladins are supposed to be taking risks and training, right? Being here is just a waste of your time and talent."

“My mentor recommended that I gain experience in the mortal world. She said that this is also a form of self-cultivation, and that I would encounter far more things than adventures, since human emotions are more complex and changeable. As long as I can maintain my composure during this time, I will be able to reach a higher level without any obstacles and will not be tempted by evil spirits.”

At this point, Deva put a mouthful of soup in her mouth, her expression seemingly lifeless: "I haven't felt it in Whitestone City yet, but after coming here, I feel that what my mentor said is very true, but people are indeed too complicated, and many things are simply impossible to distinguish as right or wrong. I feel very tired in this first week, and I really don't know how I will work until the end of the year."

"So you'd better learn to lighten your load, and you can't slack off on improving your skills." DuPont wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth: "In fact, I think a lot of the things you're busy with now are just busywork. If you really want to achieve something here in the guards, the most important thing is to establish your authority. Otherwise, just setting an example won't be enough."

(End of this chapter)