Jaygak’s eyes fell across the group. There were the Iyrmen, of course, including Jurot and Kitool. ‘Ray Vonda remains as the temple. Jurot, Kitool, and I are here…’

“It will be fine,” Kitool said.

“Are you sure?”

“He is walking with the Hope, and we know which inn he is procuring.”

Jaygak glanced around them. Adam had told them to gain honour for their kills, and while the adventurers had grown lively upon seeing the amount of hydra they had brought back, as well as the Ray accompanying the Iyrmen, it didn’t seem like a good idea for them to leave Adam be.

“If Adam causes trouble, we may have our fun,” Jurot added, his arms crossed as he allowed the teen Iyrmen to explain the story to the guild, the Ray accompanying them to moderate.

“Do you want him to cause trouble?”

“Adam will cause trouble whether he wishes for it.”

Jaygak exhaled, unable to deny that. ‘How much trouble can Adam cause while with the Fourth Hope?’ It wasn’t that she did not believe it, but rather, she wanted to imagine how much trouble Adam could cause, and what kind of trouble he could cause while in the Hope’s protection.

‘…’

The Hope would protect Adam, wouldn’t she?

Did the Hope need to protect Adam, or did someone need to protect the Hope from Adam?

Quest Complete: Hydras, Hydras, Hydras and More Hydras

XP Gained: +250

XP: 14 800 -> 15 050

The intense aura filled the air as the two groups met. Adam remained within his heavy armour, beside the Hope and her Rays, while the knight and her companions glared towards Adam, each adorned in full plate armour.

“I do not know if you have courage, or if you are fool, but how dare you-,”

“Yes,” Adam replied, stepping forward, before noting the way the guards reacted, each grabbing at their weapons. Adam stopped, tying his hands behind his back, standing taller, as though daring them to draw their weapons. “I am as stupid as I am courageous, and I dare.”

“Your head is held too high while within the realm of our Marquise,” Sir Olivia stated, stepping towards him, the guards following after her, but she stopped upon seeing the Hope stepping forward, beside Adam. “I have heard that your order has stepped in to mediate.”

“We are not to mediate,” Hope Willow replied. “It is the Marquise who believed she could step into the matters of the order.”

“Do you intend to step forward here?”

“This matter is between the Order of Life’s Rose and the Tiderock family.”

“…” Sir Olivia eyed up the taller woman, their eyes meeting through their visors. “Even if you are from the Order of Life’s Rose, you cannot behave so inappropriately within East Port.”

“What inappropriate behaviour have we displayed?”

“The matter of this wicked fiend’s behaviour has gone too far. He killed several nobles.”

“That’s a lie,” Adam said, quickly, his voice filling with uncharacteristic desperation. “It was my brother and Kitool who killed the nobles, not me! I wouldn’t dare to claim such credit from Iyrmen.”

“You…” Sir Olivia paused, comprehending Adam’s desperation. Though it had filled her with delight, there was something else about the desperation which seemed queer.

“The First Hope stated as such,” Hope Willow said, her voice low and firm. “It was the Order of Life’s Rose with showed such grace to the Marquise, while she did not show the appropriate respect to our order.”

“The group has kidnapped someone in the employ of the Marquise.”

“Who is that?”

“A boy by the name of Alex.”

“That boy was under the order’s protection before he was in the employ of the Marquise,” Willow stated, standing a little taller. “It is the Marquise who covets that which is under the order’s protection.”

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“You intend to protect the child?” Olivia’s voice grew darker.

Hope Willow stepped forward towards Olivia, the woman towering over the knight. “Yes.”

“Do you know what that boy is, Hope?”

“Mother Soza embraces us all.”

“Even the demons within the group’s employ?”

“Yes,” Willow replied, not missing a beat. “The demons are currently tempered by Ray Vonda.”

“I did not expect to…” Sir Olivia paused. Though she had verbally sparred with the Hope, something passed through her mind. She was certain she knew the name Vonda. ‘Vonda?’

The flashes of the priest filled her mind, the young woman whose lower face and neck had been burnt, a woman who was referred to as Sister but barely a week ago. “Ray Vonda?”

“Ray Vonda has been tasked with watching over the group to ensure there are no complications, and I will personally escort the group,” the Hope stated, her voice still firm. “The Marquise will answer for assaulting the group while it was under the order’s protection.”

“If the children were under the order’s protection, it should have been made more obvious.”

“Ray Vonda specifically stated so,” Adam said, raising his voice. “She said it right to your face, knight of Tiderock. Ray Vonda had placed the children under the order’s protection, and it was the Marquise who did not respect the Order of Life’s Rose!” Adam pointed at the woman accusatory, making sure he voice carried around them.

“I would not take the words of a criminal so seriously.”

“Do you see this, Hope Willow?” Adam asked, glancing towards the woman, glad he was wearing his helmet so no one could see the grin on his face. “The Marquise’s knight is calling me a criminal for assisting your order in defending the children within your care! I ask you, Hope Willow, where is the justice in such words?”

‘How much trouble will you cause?’ Willow asked. “Indeed, it is beneath the Marquise and her knights to state such. Will the Marquise state that Ray Vonda is a criminal for defending the children who were under the Order of Life’s Rose protection?”

“We shall see whether the child was under the protection of the Order of Life’s Rose or the Marquise first.”

“I can’t believe the Marquise would threaten those under the protection of Life’s Rose,” Adam said, raising his voice. “It was even the mercy of Life’s Rose which raised the nobles who raised their trea-,” Adam began before Willow turned swiftly to glare at the young half elf, realising he was going to let words spill which would prove to be difficult to deal with even to Life’s Rose.

Adam cleared his throat. “Even though the nobles died valiantly while reaching for those within the protection of Life’s Rose, it was the mercy of Life’s Rose, whose hearts are cleaner than even the gold of justice, which brought them back to life, but even now the Marquise has brought her knights to stand against the valiant Hope!”

Sir Olivia wondered why Adam was being so awkward about his speech. He was a terrible actor, and it wasn’t as though the commoners would believe his words. Though…

Her eyes glanced around, noting the way the nearby commonfolk were staring at the group. ‘I am standing against a Hope…’

Meanwhile, it was at the estate of a particular noble that a servant passed along a letter, before handing it to the head maid, who swiftly brought the note to her liege.

The Duchess allowed the head maid to open it and read it to her.

“The Marquise has sent Sir Olivia and a small group of house guards to the temple where the United Kindom had left part of their group, including the child which is assumed to be a Sorcerer. It is presumed that they may be sent instead to track the Executive, Adam, who does not hold the protections afforded to him by the Iyr.”

The Duchess scanned through her own documents, signing the bottom of the document, before beginning to stamp her seal within it. “It should be expected the Marquise has prepared to act. She will no doubt move her knights within the city, though that may lead to some terrible consequences if the young man does not obediently follow her.”

The Duchess handed the letter to one of her servants. “To Sir Landon Littlesea,” she said, before holding her hand out for the letter with her gloves hand, before reading the note herself.

“It would not be right for me to believe such a group will act quite so predictably, not after the rumours of the return of the Marshal of the East, who had returned empty handed…” The Duchess had no idea how the group had returned empty handed, though it was said that they did some face to face with a Hope. However, was it truly so simple? Their armour seemed to have gone through the signs of battle.

The Duchess sensed something else had happened, though what happened then was truly only known by those who were there. ‘Perhaps I am thinking too much on the matter. The group came across the First Hope, and not even the Marshal of the East would dare to clash blades with him.’

However, the Duchess had noted something peculiar. A rumour in which two knights had been slain during a confrontation, something which was painting the Executive in purple as a criminal. It had begun recently, and had passed through her ears several times, but she wasn’t sure what the Marquise was trying to do, not when it was obviously a ridiculous rumour, one which reeked of desperation.

‘Regardless of how the Marquise wishes to play, I cannot allow her to set the pieces as she wishes,’ the Duchess thought. ‘My preparations should suffice.’

It wasn’t as though Adam enjoyed killing nobles.

“What justice is this, Hope?” Adam asked, trying to create a bigger scene, so the rumours could spread far and wide. It wasn’t that he wanted anyone to believe his words, but rather the murkiness of the situation could be used by the group.

“Hey!” shouted a voice, before the figure cleared his throat. “Excuse me, would you mind keeping it down?”

‘Eh?’ Adam thought.

The figure was heavily armoured, wearing full plate armour, armour he had rushed to don upon hearing the news the group had returned. It was finely made plate armour, and stamped within the armour was a symbol of East Port, not of the Eastsea family, but the city itself. At his side was a blade wrapped within a scarf, though even through it, everyone could see the blade was made of stone.