>>2963755
>>Or I'll change your fucking world
this is a super cheesy line and i love it. also no hurt doggo.

>>2963755
>Or I'll change your fucking world, brick by fucking brick

Cheesy line is go

>>2963755
>Or I'll change your fucking world
Good cheesy action line. How's your week been boss?

>>2963782
Kinda shit.
Failed two of my exams. Will have to retake them in February.
Until then I'll have to find myself a job.

But it was calculated like this so at least it's not a surprise.

Anyway
>writing

Oh and the update may take a while as I'll have to go and grab some food quickly

The dog keeps barking at the kobold and now at you as well. Combine that noise with the incandescent fury boiling within you it's getting real difficult to control yourself. But you bottle up your outrage and point a finger at the man in front of you.
As you speak up a certain coldness takes over you and grants you a certain presence that's enough to shut up not only the man but his canine as well.

"Or I'll change your world! Brick by brick!"

Other than threatening him you haven't done anything of note. You didn't raise your voice, you didn't reach for your weapon, you didn't even start pumping your aether into the air for dramatic effect. But still it was enough to stun both of them.
Since they, as well as any onlookers who happened to spectate you, were too busy gathering themselves after that line you quickly took the opportunity and grabbed hold of the kobolds hand and promptly stomped away from the scene.

Attempting to converse with you while also trying to keep up your pace Szikra tried her best to calm you down.
"Okay big guy, you told the bad man.
Now get a grip and slow down."

"And why should I?"

"Because you are going to drag her on the ground!"

Upon hearing that you stopped and turned around, only to see the kobold practically hopping behind you just to keep up.
Seeing this you immediately let go of her and dusted her off.
After regaining your composure you looked down at her.

"Are you okay?"

"You know she can't-"
The kobold nodded.
"Well fuck me, I guess."

Pausing for a moment to take a few deep breaths you turned away from them and pointed forward.
"Let's keep going, shall we?
I don't want to further ruin my impressions of this place."

"Agreed."

After that rather awkward scene you passingly agreed that you'll try to stray as far away from any settlement you come across as possible, since garnering a bad reputation before reaching the capital is something you'd like to avoid if possible.
So it was back to the old comforts of camping under the canopy of heaven. Learning from this mistake you also decided to keep the kobold more on hand if possible, not wanting to loose sight of her again.

She proved quite useful as she was an amazing gatherer and tracker with her advanced senses. Around the camp she even helped you perform menial chores like maintaining and cleaning your equipment.
How much of that came from understanding or just mimicry, you weren't sure.

On one particular night, after eating your fills you found yourselves relaxing by the fire. Szikra was patting her stomach while you were just staring into the fire, feeling your thoughts ever drift to a certain place.

"Have you noticed?"
You asked.
"She always stares at the sky, at the stars."

For a moment she stops and looks at the tiny creature sitting at the edge of your little camp, staring upwards.
"Wouldn't you?
She's so far away from her home... perhaps the most well traveled of her kind... out here in the middle of nowhere with two hairless apes as her only companions.
Those may be the only things that remind her of home.
...
Kindred spirits I guess."

"Do you miss your home?"

"Sometimes...
I miss my home, you know. But every time I feel like that I'm reminded why I left.
Of course, I can't speak for her..."

You frown a bit at that. Not at what she said, that you understand. But something's been gnawing at the back of your mind for a while now. Every time you refer to her it's always "she" or "it" or "the kobold".
It's getting on your nerves.

"Maybe she needs a new home then..."

"What's on your mind?"

>I'm going to give her a name (pick one)
>I'll try to ask her name
>I'll try to teach her our tongue
>Other? (write-in)

>>2963935
>I'll try to teach her our tongue
>I'll try to ask her name

If she doesn't have one then we call her Jimbah.

>>2963935
>>I'll try to teach her our tongue
>>I'll try to ask her name
Not sure about the name Jimbah but i mean one step at a time.

>>2963974
To be fair, I was planning on going with Jimbo or Timmy. And then I realized that I should tone down the shitposting for a while.

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>>2963996
At least don't be so apparent about your shitposts

File: 1534413721220.png (654 KB, 591x611)

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>>2964011
I really do try to resist shitposting but it's so goooooooood.

>>2963935
>>I'll try to ask her name
>>I'll try to teach her our tongue

Okay then.
Schooling it is

>writing

Oh and please roll 3d10s for "educational purposes"
Best of 3
no dc, higher is better

Rolled 6, 3, 3 = 12 (3d10)

>>2964049
4 plus 4 equals 8!

Rolled 8, 2, 6 = 16 (3d10)

>>2964049
Big money!

Rolled 5, 7, 8 = 20 (3d10)

>>2964049

"She's no beast. She has a mind of her own.
If she can learn our tongue... maybe she won't be as alone.
And mayhaps we can learn her name."

Using your new sword as support, you stood up from the fire and approached the small creature. Upon getting close to her you slowed down and made sure not to appear aggressive. She barely took note of you but when she did she slowly turned her head around and gazed upon you with those big eyes of hers.
Inquisitively she cocked her head to the side, wondering what you'd want with her.

You signal at the patch of grass next to her and sit down on it. Patting the ground you gesture at her to do the same.
She seems obedient enough to follow through and sits down right in front of you.
Pointing at yourself you speak up.
"Zsold."
Then pointing at her you continue.
"You?"

She points back at you.
"You?"

"No... I mean yes but-
Okay forget it."
Once more you point at yourself.
"Zsold.
Can you say that?"

"Zhold?"

You crack a smile and start nodding.
"Yeah, that's right.
Zsold... Zsold."

"Z-Zhold?"

It appears that this will take a while.
Rather than continuing in your futile endeavor of attempting to teach her your name you changed your approach a bit and instead attempted to show her how to pronounce different sounds. With mimicry she managed to somewhat grasp the basics of the common tongue, which made you quite happy.

"Okay... One more time.
Zsold."

"Zsold?"

Cracking a smile you reached out and pat her head while nodding diligently.
"Good. Good."
Pulling back you attempted introductions once more.
Pointing at yourself you said your name and then pointed at her.

Finally she seemed to get the idea as she points at herself.
"Zana?"

"Zana...
Okay, we're getting somewhere.
I'm Zsold."

"I'm Zsold?"

"No...
I'M Zsold.
You, Zana."

"You Zana?"
She gestured at herself.

Taking a deep breath you calmed yourself down. It's not her fault after all.
"I'm... Zana."

"I'm Zana?"
You nodded.

"You, Zsold."

"You, Zsold."
Once again you nodded at her.

"Okay, let's try this once more.
I'm Zsold. You Zana."

"I'm... Zana?"
Your eyes open wide as you finally see progress being made and urge her on with hand gestures.
"You... Zsold?"
Reaching out you pat her head as a reward for her performance.
As you gently rub her head she seems less tense than she was at first contact, almost like she's getting used to you touching her.

As a final test you pointed at your companion, who by now has managed to enter into a food coma.
"Szikra."

"Sikh-ra?"

"Eh... close enough."

Standing up from your little seat you let out a loud yawn and gestured towards the fire.
Zana seems to understand your intentions and slowly she started following you back to the warm camp area.
Laying down on a softer patch of grass you pulled your cape over yourself and got comfortable.
To your surprise Zana coiled up close to you once more but this time actually snuggled up to you.
Not having the heart to push her away you simply closed your eyes.

Next morning you are awakened to the soft snickering of a woman coming from above you.
Sipping on some boiled water Szikra looked down at you as Zana was still sleeping next to you.
Before she could speak up you raised a finger to your mouth, signaling her to be quiet.

Standing up carefully so you don't wake the little kobold up you made your way to your friend who handed you a small canteen of water. Drinking eagerly from it you finally allowed her to speak her mind once you were far enough.
"I thought you wanted to teach it how to speak, not how to sleep with men."

"I did. And it's working."

"Oh? Color me surprised."

"Yeah... sadly it's going to take a while before she'll be able to do it properly.
But she gets the general idea."

"Neat.
So, are we gonna just wait for her to wake up or should we just do like always and let her catch up."

"No... I say let's wait.
She's proven herself to be useful and as such I'd like to keep a close eye on her."

"Sure, whatever."

It didn't take long for Zana to awaken and after treating her for some breakfast you showed off her progress to Szikra, who is genuinely shocked that you weren't making that part up. After eating your meals you packed your stuff and resumed your journey Eastward.

As you traveled the fact that the scenery wasn't changing all that much around you was shocking.
Forests were still segregated into small pockets, the endless plains were only cut off by the occasional farmland and mountains appeared almost non-existent around this part of the world.
You even started to wonder whether you were actually making any progress or not, as everything looked the same.

But as you spotted the silhouette of the Capital all your doubts disappeared.
"LOOK ZSOLD! We're finally there!"

"Yeah... how many days was it?"

"Like... a week? I didn't really count."

With your goal in sight you doubled your efforts and rushed towards it.

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The very heart and soul of the East had no actual name of its own.
Instead this massive city at the very edge of the world adopted the name of the castle that rests on a coastline cliff, Weistgardist.

Its towering dome oversees the whole city which sprouted around this seat of power. It both serves as the brain of the Empire and as the home of its ruler, The Empress. An immortal ruler who is perpetually at war with her greatest foe, the King of the West. Their bodies may decay and die but their spirits are reborn everlasting.
Supposedly there are several tests that only She herself could pass and that's how the East deals with would be impostors.

It's her divine will that lead to the prosperous growth of the Empire which values equality, fairness and justice above all else.
Or so would easterners have you believe.

For you however it is all just a ghastly town, full of pristine and towering houses that seem to be cast from the same mold.
Its streets are all squeaky clean, just like everything else, to the point that you feel like the city itself is trying to blind you.
But even with all the elbow grease they put into their appearance you just know that this city, just like everything else has a nasty side.

Even though the East likes to pretend that commoners and nobles are equal, so much so that the "parliament" that the Empress created has two sides, there are still people who fall outside these categories.
The downtrodden, the outcast and the unwanted exist even here. They are just neatly swept under the rug.

It's all pretentious to the point that it's disgusting.
But this is where you wanted to come and so you shall make the most of it.

Szikra looks up to you after she recovers from her astonishment.
"So ummm... here we are.
Should we deliver that letter or get toooo... whatever you wanted to do?"

>Let's visit the guards
>Look for clues about Stride first
>"I want to get my bearings, let's find a guild hall."
>Other? (write-in)

>>2964478
>"I want to get my bearings, let's find a guild hall."
It never hurts to figure out where exactly the hell everything is.

>>2964478
>Let's visit the guards
If I recall correctly, this is the 'deliver the letter' option? Since it's more or less a job, we ought to get it done first.

Guards are probably quicker to find than a guildhall anyway, and she can point us where we want to go after we're done with them.

>>2964478
>>Let's visit the guards

>>2964526
Yes, this is it.

So it appears that delivering the letter won

>writing

"I'd like to get done with the business regarding this envelope, since it probably won't take long.
From there we can decide how we should proceed. Any objections?"

"Nay."

Nodding in confirmation you signaled for Zana to keep close to you at all times and finally set off.
The streets of this place were vibrant with life and activity, to the point where you started to question your own existence.
Weisgardist is big, almost inconceivably big for you and to think that it has so many people in it... it's maddening.
The very air of this place felt different. Your entire life you saw people greeting each other in the streets, friends and neighbors wishing a good day to one another. Here, it's all cold. Hundreds if not thousands of people walking past each other, barely aware of the existence of each other. It was all so alien.

Not wanting to dwell on the matter for much longer you sought out one of the city guard and asked him where you might find a specific member of the watch. He was nice enough to give you a general direction to it but wasn't able to give you a proper path, stating that "It'd be too confusing."
You took his word for it.

So with only a vague idea of where to go you wandered aimlessly... and wandered... and wandered.
"Does this place ever end? I think we wasted half a day going from street to street but we still can't reach the bloody thing!"
Szikra complained.
"How do people ever get to where they have to go?!"

But just as she asked that her question was answered as you patted her shoulder and pointed upward.
Seeing a massive pillar in front of her gaze started trailing upward along its shaft and when she reached the top her mouth hanged agape.

A road, in the sky, held up by massive pillars.
"What in hells fuck is this?"

Looking around a bit you saw some strange, mechanical contraption that continuously elevated people up from the ground to this second "street" as well as carried people down from there. Curiosity overwhelmed you and you checked it out for yourselves. Upon reaching the top you were granted a sight that rather than enlightening you, only served to sow further confusion in your minds.

A massive, tube shaped metal carriage stood in front of you and was carried by beasts the likes of which you've never seen. A gierig stood at the entrance of this machination, wearing a strange outfit. She managed to convey a pleasant expression with only her eyes that put the entire rest of the city to shame.
"Good day to you. Is this your first time on the tram?"

"Y-Yes?"
You spoke up in your great confusion.

"Wonderful! Please step on in."
Not having the courage and the mental presence to go against her, you followed her inside where she took you to your seats.
"Where do you wish to travel?"

"Erm... the Guard Station?"

"Then if you allow me I'll notify you where you'll have to get off.
Would you also like a brief tour of our wonderful system?"

"Y-Yes please."

In about a minute the beasts at the front of the cart got agitated and started pulling it with incredible force.
The city under you looked like a blur as you darted past it. This speed was so frightening that Szikra, Zana and you all held onto the other ones in fear.

Meanwhile the stewardess barely seemed to be affected by this sudden acceleration and cared even less about the sudden stop of the creatures at the next stop.

"This tram system is Her Majesties latest project which was made to offer citizens a new, faster way of getting where they need to without endangering others! As you can see it allows for a much quicker travel than any horse drawn carriage ever could achieve. And it is completely safe, as none of the carts can leave before the one in front of them have left the station."

As you are struggling to keep down your lunch you asked her a question.
"And just what are those things?!"

"Oh, these? These creatures are quite rare, almost one of a kind.
As you may know, the Empress is a great supporter of the esteemed college of Torre.
An aspiring magus there caught the attention of Her Majesty and was hired by her for his genius creation, the chimeras.
These beasts are the creation of that magus and as you can see they are superior to all other beasts of burden, not needing food nor sleep and being much stronger than even a horse."

Though she gave you a good lecture you were too busy holding onto dear life to pay much attention to her, though the gist of it came through. And after two more stops the carriage finally brought you to your destination where the nice lady let you out and wished you a pleasant day.
With three pairs of shaking legs you stepped outside and swore to never use that fiendish contraption ever again.

But at the very least it brought you to your destination. Perhaps the city guard make use of it?
It doesn't matter.

You approached the front gate but as you'd expect gaining entry isn't exactly easy.
Upon arrival the soldiers guarding the entrance stopped you and demanded that you explain why you're even there.
Annoyed by him you explain how you have a letter to deliver to someone.

The guard scoffed at that.
"Well if that's the case you can hand it over and we'll see to it that it's delivered.
Because civilians are not allowed to enter!"

>Hand it over
>Tell him you'll deliver it yourself, whether he likes it or not
>Agree but demand your payment
>Other? (write-in)

>>2964806
>>Hand it over

>>2964806
>Ask him to tell the receiver to come here

If mohammed can't come to the mountain, the mountain must come to mohammed.
Wait. It was the other way around...

>>2964806
>>Ask him to tell the receiver to come here

>>2964842
>>2964866
Changing my vote to this

Well, okay then
That's pretty obvious

>writing

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"Fine... If I can't enter then bring them here.
Because I'm not leaving without my payment!"

"Ugh... just what do you think this is?!
What do you think I AM? Some chamberlain?!
You know what? Fine! Who's this for? I'll get them for you! And I'll make sure the Captain shouts their head off!"

"Whatever pleases you, sad little man.
It's for an elf, dark skin most likely. Name's Beatrice."

As you spoke you saw a certain... nervousness grow within the soldier in front of you. But when you spoke the name he went deathly pale and beads of sweat the size of peas started forming on his face. Dropping his weapon he turned around on his heels and ran inside like his life depended on it.
Curious, you turned to the other man stationed there and saw him staring in your general direction but clearly not seeing you. Szikra even waved her hand in front of his face but he didn't react at all to it.
This amuses you.

In a short time the man came back with a rather tall lady by his side. She shared the strange skin color of her parents but with her youthful vigor appeared much more exotic. Her long, blonde hair was kept in a ponytail and she was wearing armor that, while similar to the one these two were wearing, was clearly of much higher quality and craftsmanship.
The man next to her however appeared like he was already one foot in the grave, not helped by the fact that his "companion" had a most enchanting look to her.

Upon arriving she looked down at the ground and then back at the soldier who started praying for his life.
"You interrupted the training regiment... embarrassed the entire guard... and even dropped your weapon. A tool granted to you by the Empire...
Pick that up. You bring enough shame to it as is."

"Y-YES MA'AM!"

She shook her head as the gatekeeper returned to his post and stepped up to you.
"Please forgive them for this. They are just doing their job... albeit poorly.
I heard you have some business with me."

"He hasn't told you what?"
You looked at the man who was just about ready to faint by now.
"We brought a letter to you. It's from-"

But upon hearing that her ears twitched and perked up in a rather amusing manner.
Quickly she cut you off and spoke in an embarrassed tone.
"I see... then please, if you'd be so kind, follow me to my office.
Wouldn't want any official documents like this exposed."

She lead you past the gates, through the courtyard where a large number of soldiers were busy practicing and then into a bastion that seemed to serve as the central area for the officers to conduct their business.
You walked past many open doors that revealed some rather well decorated offices before you arrived to your destination.
Beatrice then brought out a large key-ring and quickly opened the lock on her door.

"Sorry about that. It's silly but I like securing my work even though my colleagues don't.
Please, come on in."

Upon stepping in you were greeted by the most austere room you've seen in this place so far.
Completely devoid of any decoration the place only had a table, a chair, a bookshelf and a single candle stick.
She didn't sit down but instead offered it to you.

"Forgive me but I don't usually entertain guests."
She then went to the door and locked it so nobody could come in.

"That's fine."
You responded.

"Yeah, not like we can share it."

"Oh... yes, of course. How silly of me.
Please, allow me to introduce myself. Captain Beatrice Gold of Her Majesty the Empress' army.
Now... erm... may I see that letter?"
You handed the delivery over to her and she hastily tore it open. Quickly she read through it and once she was finished she let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank the heavens!"

"What is it?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I just always get worked up whenever I get a letter from home.
I have a nasty habit of assuming the worst.
But thank you for bringing this to me. It means a lot."

"You're welcome but... why all the secrecy?
Why did you get so worked up about receiving a letter from home?"

"Please you must understand my situation. I'd rather avoid my men seeing me receiving letters from home while on duty.
It could undermine my authority a great deal.
Still, it eases my heart to know everything is okay with my parents."

"Happy to help... Now I believe it's time for our payment."

"Excuse me? Oh yes, of course. I forgot.
Hold on..."
Beatrice then leaned over to the side as she opened the drawer of her table.
"How much did you agree upon?"

>Give her a high price
>Give her a low price
>Tell her you didn't agree upon anything
>Other? (write-in)

>>2965258
I want to ask for a low price but the white knigga in me demands that we tell the truth.
>Tell her you didn't agree upon anything

>>2965258
>Tell her you didn't agree upon anything
We were invited in and offered a meal in exchange for delivering your letter. That was pretty much it.

>>2965258
>>Tell her you didn't agree upon anything

>>2965258
>Tell her you didn't agree upon anything
Your parents didn't presume to set a price for you to owe. Pay what you think it's worth.

Right... so.
The vote has been cast and I'll get to writing buuut...
Would you be okay with getting nothing?

>writing

>>2965368
Well yeah. Heck we were already on the way to the city and her folks decided give us some food out of the bottom of their hearts. Taking a letter to their kid is the least problematic thing we could do.

>>2965368
yup, we already got a free meal

>>2965368
I don't think anyone ever wants to do something for nothing.

But I don't know that leaving this woman with a good first impression, and so making headway with a potential future contact or ally, would necessarily be considered nothing, even if we don't get any monetary reward.

>>2965428
i mean, for all intends and purposes we got a kick ass meal out of it.

"Truth be told they invited us for a meal and just asked us to deliver this to you.
They didn't presume to set a price for you to owe. So pay what you think it's worth."

"I see. That's very forthcoming of you."
But as she keeps searching through her personal belongings she bites her lips.
"Oh damn it..."

"What is it?"
You ask her.

"It's uh... it's nothing. I just... oh heavens this is embarrassing.
You see... it's not that I do not value your work. In truth I believe that all work should be adequately compensated.
It's just that... I don't have much in the ways of money."

Szikra scoffs at that.
"Yeah, I see how you'd be broke with all this expensive nothing around you."

"Nono, it's not that.
It's true that us, officers receive a lot of monetary compensation for our work.
But I send roughly half of my earnings home to my parents who can't really work anymore.
And I myself don't need much. Other than the necessary things like paying taxes and buying food, I spend very little on myself. So I give the rest away for charity and people that need it more than me."

Then with an embarrassed expression she raises up her hand, in it a handful of copper coins.
Ten of them to be exact.
Szikra looks quite annoyed by this.
"Seriously?"

"I'm terribly sorry but this is all I have to offer...
It's shameful I know but you've caught me at a bad time. But if you'd be willing I could perhaps-"

"Then forget it."

"H-Huh?"

"Your parents already treated us to a meal that I'm certain cost more than this.
I'd not want to insult them or you by accepting that as payment. Let's just forget about the whole deal about payment then.
Now, if you'll excuse us we have other things to be doing."

"O-Oh! Of course. I'm sorry."
Beatrice then got up and unlocked her door for you.
"Once again, I beg for your forgiveness. I didn't mean to insult you with my offer."

"Just forget it already!"
With that you stepped outside.
"And have a good day."

On the way out you got to hear Szikra complaining non-stop about this little predicament.
"Maaan that was nonsense!"

"Would you really be satisfied by strong arming ten copper coins out of this woman?"

"It's not about the money! Well, not the amount of it.
Do you think if a messenger came she could pull of this stuff?
No... because you get paid for a job you do. Face it, she duped you."

"Have you ever used a courier before?"

"No, why?"

"Thought so. They don't even take jobs like this.
It's upfront payment or nothing."

"So? Does this make it okay to not pay us?"

"We got paid in gold last time... and you are complaining about ten copper..."

"Yes, because that's how you get rich."

You let out a sigh look up at the sky.
"It's getting late... Let's agree to disagree for now and look for a place to eat instead. Maybe a nice pub or something."

"Agreed."

But as you embarked on your journey towards food you found yourselves lost in the expansive city. Between the big, open areas like the squares and the main steets as well as the small and claustrophobic alleys you had no idea where you should even look for a place that'd serve food.
However as you are taking corner after corner you notice something and Szikra pokes you in the side.

"Zsold..."
She whispers.

"I noticed. Looks like we got an admirer."
You then saw Szikra slowly reaching for her weapon but you quickly urged her to stop.
It'd be wise to find out who the figure tracking you is and what they want before engaging them.

So you continued until you managed to stumble across a small tavern that seems to be open.
Cautiously you entered and sat down at a nearby table. At first the owner asked if he can help you but you shut him off for a time. Surely enough the hooded figure you spotted following you also entered and made its way to your table.
As you looked under the hood you addressed the person tracking you.

"Changed your mind captain?"

"Shhh...
I don't know if I was followed so I'll be brief.
I have a favor to ask of you. Well... more like an assignment, if you're willing to accept it."

"Oh this IS rich!"

"Not now Szikra.
Sorry captain but if you want to hire us do it through the guild.
One freebie is fine but we need to eat."

"I assure you this pleases me just about as much as it does you but seeking out the guild is simply out of question.
You two are clearly not from around here and seem like upstanding people... So you might be my only option."

"What do you mean?"

She looks around quickly to make sure nobody is listening then leans in closer to you.
"There is something going on in the city... something wrong.
We get more and more reports of organized crime, people disappearing, more murders in the last couple months than last year combined... and the guards have their hands tied. Including me."

>>2965579
>Ignore Szikra's advice
>Get caught in a potential cat and mouse game with a serial killer because we were nice

We really need to listen to Szikra in the future because it's apparent that she's seeing the plot and is trying to steer us away from getting our dumb ass killed.

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You raise an eyebrow at that which Beatrice notices.
"We know that many of these incidents are linked... maybe even more than we think.
But every time anyone requests permissions to investigate we are denied and instead directed to handle unimportant incidents like bar fights, loitering, that kind of stuff."

"So someone on the upper levels is in it? Do you suspect corruption?"

"Maybe... maybe they are just as unable to do anything as we are. The problem is that I don't know.
What I know is that people who insist on getting things done have a bad tendency of losing their jobs, their reputation, maybe even their freedom or worst... their lives. I know for a fact that the guild halls are all monitored for anyone from the guard entering."

"A good story lady-"
Szikra chimed in with a voice thick with sarcasm.
"But last time I recalled you don't have enough money to pay a postman.
You do realize that an adventurer costs more, right?"

"I... can't deny that I don't have the means to do properly pay you.
However! There certainly is something going on in the city, something the very people sworn to stop, can't.
Whether it's a new and rising crime lord or corruption in the Imperial Army, I'm sure it wouldn't escape the notice of Her Majesty... and were you to solve it... you'd be treated as heroes by the Empress herself.
And paid as such."
She then turned to you since even she realized that you are more receptive towards her.
"Please... I am unable to do anything... I can't protect the innocent like I swore to do...
You are my only hope."

>Sorry but I'm not risking my neck without the guilds protection
>We better get paid like heroes!
>Other? (write-in)

>>2965655
>>We better get paid like heroes!

>>2965655
>>We better get paid like heroes!
watch us not get paid like heroes at all.

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>>2965655
My mind's telling me noooooooooooooo
BUT MY DI-ICK!
MY DICK IS, TELLING ME YEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
>We better get paid like heroes!

>>2965655
>Other? (write-in)
Captain, this problem you want us to solve is out of our league. Adventurers like us are hired swords, not spies or investigators. And even if we were, we haven't any resources, contacts or the faintest idea where to start investigating. Even if we accepted this job, how do you propose we would begin going about it when everyone here sees us as outsiders and won't even give us the time of day?

>>2965732
This is a more saner response that I can support.

>>2965655
Start with >>2965732, then finish up with
>We better get paid like heroes!

>>2965732
ok i gotta admit this is the better response, i will vote for it.

Hmmmm.... I noted your vote but needed a moment to come up with how to handle this

I think I got it now
>writing

"Listen Captain... what you are requesting is... simply out of our league.
Frankly neither of us are skilled spies. And even if we were, you said it best, we are outsiders. We don't have the resources, contacts or even a general idea of how the city even works! Even if we accepted... how do you propose we would begin going about it when everyone here sees us as outsiders and won't even give us the time of day?"

You look at the captain who, despite her desperation, is still calm and collected.
"You are wrong in two things... One, I do not expect you to go out blindly.
I trust you can read."
You nod and she slides a slip of paper across the table for you.
"On this is the location of a place which may be of use to you, you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
And not only that, but I'm willing to lend you any aid that I can. I have extensive knowledge of the city... and its criminals.
I'll help you any way I can."

"And what's your second point?"
Szikra asks her.

"That you are perfect for this job specifically because you are outsiders.
Unlike me, the rules do not bind you. Once inside you may use any means you deem necessary to get closer to the source of all this. And I can assure you, these mongrels are more likely to trust you since you have no way of being connected to the guard."

You stroke your chin as you start weighing your options.
In the end you take the piece of paper and speak up.
"I'm not promising anything...
But if we succeed, we better get paid like heroes."

"Of that you can be sure."
She then stood up from the table and adjusted her shroud so it surely covered her.
"I'll try to keep in touch but I should get back to the barracks before someone notices my absence.
Good luck."

As she steps out the front door Szikra gives you an annoyed look.
"Really?"

"You are forgetting the one upside of us having no contract..."

"And what is that?"

"Nothing is stopping us from backing out."

Aaaand that's as far as I can go for today.

Thank you for participating, I hope you enjoyed yourselves.
I'm aiming to continue next week, but of course that all depends on how my thing go. Will post updates about that.
Oh and I'm also planning on doing some Omakes. I have 2 planned that I REALLY want to do. But I'm of course taking any requests you may have

As always, stay safe until next time

Omake #1: Rumors

In an unassuming little village somewhere near the eastern border a small group of adventurers were enjoying their meals.
They are not the most famous of groups, nor are they the most powerful but right now they felt like they were.

So far they managed to do a great job as adventurer, mostly because they manage to pick all the easy assignments thanks to their mentor. One after another they managed to conquer every obstacle that got in their way without failure, even though things were getting progressively more difficult as they grew more confident in their abilities and undertook more daunting tasks.

This last one in particular was rather thrilling, as they had to eradicate an entire den of aether mutated wolves.
The pack consisted of over a dozen man sized beast, but with meticulous planning, flawless execution and carefully taking them out one by one they managed to achieve victory without their teachers aid.
This was a cause for celebration.
Upon entering the small town they stormed into the local inn and proceeded to eat and drink away their spoils.
And they loved every second of it.

But as Lowan was chowing down on pork chops with his bare hands and the girls were attempting to eat with a hint of dignity something occurred to the little mage, Sonya.
She looked at all the others and just realized how quiet everyone was.
Without the constant background noise of the inn and their eating the silence would be deafening.

As her thoughts started slowly drifting towards that she had to realize how normal this has become for them.
Gone are the days when they could just sit down and have a chat about... anything, really.
But after traveling for only a few weeks together they managed to exhaust everything they could talk about, leaving only their most private of thoughts unspoken. Now they only ever talk to each other for any extended period of time if they have recent events to discuss.

It is scary how closely knit a group can become just because they spend so much time together, while at the same time they can grow so distant as well.

But as her luck would have it, the exact thing which she oh so desperately wished for happened.
And someone spoke up behind them.

"Maaaan, have you heard about that new thing?"

*hic*
"What thing? You need to be more s-sss-specific."

"You know what I'm talkin' about!
What happened at the Harvest Festival man!"

"I'm not followin' you."

"Okay, okay! This is actually the best.
Get this: Someone... some fucking idiot thought it'd be a smart idea to storm the Harvest Ball... and kidnapp a noble lady!"

"Why?"

"For ransom of course you dipshit!
But the absolute best part is that the nobles didn't do anything about it! They were just sitting there like "Oh gowsh! What are we gonna do now? They got the princess! We- We gotta pay them!"
And then there was this absolute madman, just some random nameless dude working there who found ten guys and told them that "Oy! Enough of this! We'll go and fuck their shit up! You in?"
And that's exactly what he did! Him, some girl and ten knights just went there and fucked up an entire army of bandits!
Then he came back with the princess and said "Tada!"

"Oh yeah... now that you mention it... I do recall hearin' about that.
But I heard he just took the guys as witnesses. The two of them went in and murdered everybody, while the others just watched!"

"NO! NO WAY!"

"Yeah way!"

"HAHA! Fucking phenomenal!
Some yokel just waltzed in on the nobles, saw what a bunch of shitbirds they are and then went and fixed their shit!
Brilliant!"

The two drunkards kept gushing on and on about this incident and slowly gained the attention of a large group gathering around them. The tale got wilder and wilder until people just didn't know what was true about it.
Naturally the adventurers at the table also had their opinions about it.

"Can you believe this?"
Lowan grumbled.
"It's like with the old ladies back at home.
Spreading nonsense around like this... what nonsense."

"I agree."
Avana concurred.

But hearing the children dismiss these old wives tales, someone else sitting at the table chimed in.
Griswald drank the last drops of his drink before slamming his tankard down and speaking up.
"Actually... you're wrong."

"Master! Don't tell me you believe this!"

"I have my doubts sure... but over the years I learned not to dismiss rumors.
Especially if they concern adventurers.
You never know who you'll end up having as a friend... or an enemy.
Whoever that adventurer is... if there is even a kernel of truth in these stories then he is not to be underestimated.
And you'd be a fool to dismiss this as "impossible". Want to know what else people called bullshit? Deacon slaying the Sea Mother..."

"Well it's hardly the same!"
Lowan protested.

"Actually it is.
And just for that dumbass comment we'll be training counter burst today!"
Lowan swallowed nervously, knowing his day is about to be ruined.

"Erm... Master Griswald?"

"Yes, Sonya?"

"Before you do that... I wanted to know why exactly are we heading to the East.
Since... you know... we are already at the border."

"Oh... that.
Yeah I suppose there is no harm telling you.
We are going to Weistgardist, the capital, to meet a friend of mine."

"You have many friends in the Empire?"

"No, Avana. Just this one.
But I'd gladly trust him with my life.
He's a gierig and a proper knight, as strange as that sounds.
If things haven't changed that much he should still be in the capital, serving one of the five noble houses of his people."

"They have nobles in the east?"

"Well not like here, no.
They are noble in name only, they are hardly as untouchable as here since the Empress doesn't give them many privileges. But the gierig are strange even by their standards.
First of all: they only have five houses. And they change constantly."

"What do you mean by "change"?"

"It's simple.
For us nobility is determined by blood, for them it's determined by money like everything else.
The five most wealthy families are declared as the five great noble houses of the gierig.
And yes, depending on how good or bad the next generations are at gathering coin these houses can and often do get replaced by others."

"So... if one family becomes poorer-"

"The next in line takes their place, yes.
This is what I meant by "if things didn't change much".
Because my friend is quite an unusual specimen by his peoples standards. He has plenty of guts and honor. And he swore an oath to the family of Clematis... he told the head of the family that as long as they pay him, he'll remain eternally loyal to them."

"Sounds like a mercenary to me..."

"Because you have no understanding of the world boy...
Often a gierig sellsword will betray you if your opponent offers him more money.
My friend, as long as the house pays him his dues regularly, won't ever leave them.
That is unheard of by their standards."

"A-And is he a great fighter like you?"

"Like me? I'm afraid not... he'd kick my arse.
Which is why I want you kids to meet him. He could teach all of you some moves I reckon."

"So then what are we waiting for?!"
Lowan slams his hands on the table.

"For you to get out and start blocking boy...
If you don't manage to do a proper counter burst by the time we get to the capital, you can't meet him!"

Omake #1: THE END

>>2975530
Did these guys ever meet Szirka? For some reason I see Sonya and her getting along.

>>2975639
Nope, we met them and the old man before we met Szrika

>>2975530
We can still ask characters questions right?

>To the crew and Griswald
If you ran into Zsold is there anything you'd want to say to him?

>>2975639

This guy
>>2975703
is correct

And it'd be a very one way relationship with Szikra forcing her to become friends, simply because she's too meek to initiate anything

>>2975718
Of course

>Lowan
No...

>Avana
Well... this is unexpected. Guess it really is a small world.
Listen, I don't like owing others so I would like to thank you for... enlightening us a bit.
What would you say for a dinner? My treat, of course

>Sonya
Oh gosh! You're hurt! How did it happen? Do you need any help?

>Griswald
Hey kid...
I uh- I really suck at this.
Look, I just wanted to thank you for helping me out that day. If I were alone... I don't even want to think about how long I'd have looked for her... or where I'd have ended up without you.
So for what it's worth... this old man thanks you.

Also, nice little friend you managed to find.
Care to introduce me? Or did you already call dibs?

>>2975749
>To Beatrice
What was your impression of Zsold and Szikra and what advice would you give them if they asked you for help?
>To Ciel
Can love blood on a battlefield? And what I should I do to obtain complete immunity from Tax Collectors?
>To the Zana
Are you enjoying learning how to speak the language of humans?
>To Zsold's mother
What piece of advice would you give him if you had the chance to see your son again?
>To Spookying
How fucked are we with this case?

>>2975769
Considering one crit fail pretty much killed our entire chance to deal with those bandits the first time? Pretty fucked.

>>2975769
>Beatrice
That'd depend on the situation.
But the best general advice I could give would be "Those criminals can only be trusted while in striking distance".

>Ciel
Can love bloom on the battlefield?
Gehehehe... depends on your definition of "love". If you refer to your works of... horrid, slimy, icky, sticky fiction then yes.
If you mean two burly men doing each other up the bum because they got needs then also yes.

But between two opposing sides?
Hardly.
It may sprout but it's cut down swiftly before the bloom in most cases.

As for taxes... abandon all conveniences of modern technology, go into the wilderness and live as a mountain man.
Kill anyone that tries to stop you and turn their skins into sofas.

>Zana
Is hard. Too much words.
But I enjoy talks

>Mother
Alexander... just stop.
The path you walk will bring ruin only to you.
Don't be like your father was and let adventuring consume you. Settle down and have a nice little family of your own. Because even though your time together is fleeting it's still worth it.

>Me
Not as fucked as you may believe.
The lead Beatrice gave you will give you a pretty good start and from that point it'll be a matter of figuring out how to approach the given characters.
The case itself isn't that hard

I got some bad news folks...
This weekend I won't be available. In fact I'll be gone on Friday. At best I can only do a session on Sunday, like I did last time. This means starting possibly a few hours later than usual. Will post updates as they come

>>2977042
That's alright Spooks. Just don't die on us.

Omake #2: Fates decree

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prvAdHXUvbs

There are places in the world that no mans son dares to enter. Places steeped in so much power that it warps all life around it, turning it into a twisted perversion of its former self. It's such places that the undesirables of the world call home.

A light pierces through the thick, thorny veins of the forest. And dark figures dance around it, reveling in the light that they are denied. As these grotesque and malformed creatures entertain themselves in a most brutal display of butchery a small cat steps out from the shrubs and comes into full view. The monstrosities stop pulling the guts of a deer out with their long, emaciated fingers for a second.

A bright light gleams in the felines eye and like a flowers petals its head splits eight ways, its guts slowly turning inside out through that opening, reforming into whatever form its owner wishes. Standing upright this new demon raises its hand and requests a share from the wild game its brethren have felled. At first they are none too pleased about having another mouth to feed but as one of them is about to speak his mind, another demon taps its shoulder and points at the hill overlooking the dark camp. The aggressor shudders and begrudgingly invites the newcomer to the feast.
It is not for him to decide who gets to eat.

Three figures clad in so much darkness that one may reasonably assume that the light avoids them out of fear, they look down upon this little gathering of horrific creatures and judge their every action. There may be over two dozen of them but all it takes is one of them to step out of line... and they all go to the chopping block.
Terror is a great way to make even the most dangerous of monsters govern themselves.

The smallest of the dark shapes speaks up.
Standing on all four it lets out a deep growl before speaking in a somewhat high pitched voice.
"We got 'nother one."

Standing next to him is a vaguely human shaped shadow.
It didn't speak, nor did it seem to move.
"..."

"I agree."
Finally the third voice joined.
"More and more join the flock. Finally our message is spreading on its own."
This one was clearly the leader as it sat upon a rock and gazed into the darkness with glowing eyes like emeralds.

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The one standing on all four began sharpening its claws, sparking a light in the dark which revealed its form.
With the sound of metal grinding against metal accompanying it the smallest demon continued.

"Which is why I don't understand why you're even bothering with those mortals...
If we got even one Ken out of the time and effort you put into these meatbags it'd already be a much better trade!"

"..."

"See? He agrees with me!"

The sitting figure looked at its ally, practically burning a hole into his soul in the process.
"First off... no he doesn't. And second... your time amongst the mortals is really starting to show.
I suggest you compose yourself more in the future."

"Screw you! How about you start lecturing me after you addressed the issue!"

"The only issue here is the one you're perceiving.
I told you already... This is just a test, an experiment to see how useful they could be for our cause.
It costs us no time and only a very minimal investment of a few crates filled with narcotics.
If the marauders succeed then the Elstraz iron trade will be crippled, causing shortages, increasing local demand, shift the tides of battle on several battlefield and just provide us with numerous opportunities. With what little we "paid" for their services we'll turn a great profit!"

"And if you fail?"

"That is also a possible outcome, such is the nature of experimenting.
If they fail then that's that. Back to plan A.
Even then we wouldn't loose much but a bit of time... and that's the only thing we have in abundance."

The dog like demon then looks up in his annoyance and suddenly all of his grievances just disappear.
"Well, speak of the devil...
Our little birdie came back. And he looks scared!"

A red eyed crow landed between the three shadowy figures and nervously swallows as it looks up at the emerald eyed demon.
"Took you a while..."
The leader spoke up.

"It's not like I chose this pathetic form!"

"Oh? Is that a complaint? Would you rather be a maggot?"

"N-No! Bird is fine!"

"I'm glad to hear it.
Now... what news do you bring?
How did Julians bandits fare?"

"Poorly..."

*sigh*
"I see. It's a shame, really. I really had some hopes for them.
But I guess it's just time to cut our losses and move on with our bigger plans."

However the hunched over demon had something to say.
"Oh no you don't! You're not weaseling your way out of this one!
Tell us little crow, how did they fail? I want to hear all the details!
Please tell me they failed right at the start!"

"A-Actually, Julian managed to infiltrate the event and kidnapped the Elstraz girl as planned."

"Oh? So then he lost to superior numbers?
Perhaps this is still salvageable."
The bird swallowed hard upon hearing this.
"What?"

"I-It was two... Commander."

"Two... what?
Armies? Units? Squads?"

"Adventurers. One man and one woman.
They had others with them but they didn't do much."

Upon hearing this the four legged one burst out into a fiendish laughter while the demon sitting on his throne slowly buried his face in his palms, took a deep breath and spoke up.
"Ughhhhhhhhh...
Forget everything I just said.
Those maggots deserve what they got. Cut all support to them and let them rot wherever they are!"

"Erm... there is more..."
Suddenly all three of the big demons turn to the crow, wondering what could make this even worse.
"The ones responsible for Julians death and the rescue of the noble were the same ones who have slain the cave dweller."

This managed to silence all three of the greater demons.
The emerald eyed one leaned forward and looked deep into the crows red eyes.
"The one we wished to recruit?"

"Y-Yes commander."

Suddenly the mood of the group changed and the hound demon, who was pretty ecstatic up until now got serious.
He raised his claws and began sharpening them.
"Is it... you know who?"
The crow shook its head.
"So it's not Him but someone else.
Want me to take care of them?"

"What?! No!"
The response was immediate.
"I agree that this is suspicious... BUT it is not worthy of our attention just yet.
...
Keep an eye on them. If they get in our way again then this is no mere coincidence.
And we'll have to... intervene."

Omake #2: THE END

I'm sorry to say this but I won't be able to make it.
I haven't even left yet and I still have a four hour drive to look forward to.
Plus I don't even have a draft

>>2987809
Bummer. Thanks for keeping us updated though Spooks.

>>2987809
Thanks for the heads up my dude