Omen: 6, 20

Adam stared at the letter, which had been sealed with a familiar noble family's sigil. He stared at it long and hard before breaking the seal to read it. He was in his room, having been informed of the letter over breakfast. He scanned through the letter, his thoughts racing for a long moment.

"Hmm."

It was such an awkward time for a meeting, and Adam already had some business with the Duchess so he didn't need another noble ally. However, although their relationship had started off quite rocky, Sir Landon had been a rather decent enough fellow, even if he was a noble. Once the noble understood his place, he didn't keep acting up, and there was also the huge boon which Sir Landon had facilitated in the previous year.

'I can't just deny him, not when he allowed Jurot to fight in the tournament...'

Adam eventually went to meet with the Iyrmen, who thought about Sir Landon's offer to meet.

"A request?" Jaygak asked.

Jurot grunted while Kitool nodded.

"I don't really want to take a request while we're looking after the children." Adam rubbed the side of his neck. "What if this is a ploy by the nobles to get to Alex?"

"It would be a good fight," Jurot said, his arms crossed as he thought about how he could also kill nobles.

Adam stared at his brother. 'Do I make that kind of face too?'

"We can deny him the request to meet just in case it leads to further trouble, but we may sever the thread to cause more issues," Jaygak said. "We should meet with him, it might be nothing."

"We should meet him if it's nothing?"

"If it is nothing it means there’s no loss to us."

"That oddly makes sense..."

Adam didn't spend long preparing for the meeting, shifting his axe into a ring, leaving his armour behind along with his shield.

"Jurot, I'll leave the children in your care," Adam said, patting his brother's shoulder. He switched over to the Iyr's tongue. "If the Hopes try to take the kids, I'll leave you to handle it however you want."

"Okay."

'Vonda as a Ray should be enough to deal with Littlesea.'

Sir Landon's blue eyes were wide upon seeing Vonda. He had seen her previously many times, but last he recalled, she was a Sister, and yet within the year they had last seen one another, she had not only become a Mother, but a Ray?

Adam glanced to the woman beside Sir Landon, who was also quite new, in the sense he had never seen her before. She had a cute round face, suggested by the rest of her physique, which showed an obvious love of desserts. Adam understood why so much food was brought out, though he didn't say anything about how many snacks the noblewoman was consuming, especially not with the look she was giving her guests.

"It's good to see you again, Sir Landon," Adam said, almost reaching out to shake the noble's forearm.

"I am glad you accepted my invitation," the young noble admitted, the woman glancing his way with angry eyes. His black hair had been cut rather short, though the large gash across his face was the same as ever, with part of his face drooping because of it. He wore the fancy clothing of a noble, as expected of him, though Adam noted the noble was wearing a simple grey, not like the vibrant or deep colours typically seen in East Port.

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'He really is a married man.' "We are a little preoccupied, but you've always treated us well," Adam said, ignoring the first few weeks of their travel.

"I wanted you to meet my wife, Lady Beatrice."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Beatrice," Adam said, glancing over towards her for a moment.

"I am certain it is a pleasure for you," the Lady replied, her voice low, almost a growl. "How much pleasure it must be for you, who rejected the knighthood offered to you by my husband."

"Unfortunately I was already taken by the Enchanter," Adam said, flashing a gentle smile, feeling the gazes of the women beside him.

"The Enchanter?"

"We work for a business by the name of United Kindom."

"So it was you who was causing trouble for the Marquise?"

"That's not what the Order of Life's Rose thinks," Adam replied, flashing another smile towards the woman. 'Come on...'

The woman glanced towards Vonda, having already greeted the Ray, though bowed her head gently again.

Landon smiled awkwardly. "I wished to meet with you to request if you would be willing to escort the Lady and I to Red Oak, and to assist our hunt."

"That is rather awkward at this moment, as we have quite a large number of children with us," Adam said.

"A large number of children?"

"We are currently expanding the business and have found ourselves some children who will become future workers."

Landon slowly nodded his head. "Would it be that difficult to take an additional group of four?"

"Four?"

"Myself, the Lady, and two knights."

"Will we need to assist your return?"

"It would be preferable."

Adam thought for a moment. 'We are taking the Order of Life's Rose with us. Perhaps this could be a way to bring us a little closer?' "We are travelling with a Hope and several Rays, perhaps they could assist you on your return?"

Landon blinked. 'What did he just say?'

"You would have the Hope and Rays assist our return when you are so unwilling?" Lady Beatrice asked.

"The Hope and Rays are great figures, how could we hope to manage to even pretend to be half as decent as they?" Adam replied, smiling politely once more.

'Who is this deplorable young man?'

"So, you've come to request we assist you in this matter," Adam said, his eyes meeting the young noble's. "What is the payment of such a request."

"If you complete this request, I will consider it a personal favour."

"A favour?" Adam replied.

"The favour of a noble."

"..." Adam narrowed his eyes, unsure of how much that was worth. He turned towards Kitool, who thought of the offer.

'The favour of a noble.'

Adam remained quiet, allowing Kitool to think. Meanwhile, he reached for a small block of cheese, leaving the dessert for the noblewoman.

Landon also reached for his own small block of cheese. His thoughts were mostly focused on that. The group he had travelled with had rapidly begun to climb into relevance, but it wasn't just that they were beginning to grow in relevance, but they were a unique set of individuals.

'If I can grow closer to the group...' Landon thought about how useful he would become to the Littlesea family if he gained a connection with the United Kindom. 'I may even be able to inherit father's position.' Though the first child did have preference of inheritance, the matter was up to the Baron and the Baroness. If he could show that he was better than Mandon in some way, he could grasp the barony for himself. Even if he couldn't, just being able to procure magical weapons easier than other nobles could allow him to live a very different life than most secondary children of a Lord.

'The new laws allow even someone like me to create a new order...' The thought had passed through his mind several times. If he was able to procure magical items, he could create a decent order, one which could bring him fame and glory, even if he wasn't able to gain the barony for himself. There was only one problem...

'Why does she keep trying to pick fights with me?' Adam thought, trying his best not to glance the woman's way. He nibbled against the cheese lightly. 'I didn't even take any of your damn desserts.'

"It is a good deal," Kitool said.

"Then we'd be glad to accept," Adam said, bowing his head towards the noble. "When do you wish to leave?"

"We intended to leave on the first of next month," Landon stated.

"Perfect, so were we." Adam flashed another smile, this one more genuine. "Seems like it was Fate."

'Yes,' Kitool thought. She had heard Jaygak and Adam speaking the previous night, and the promise forced upon the young half elf. If they left the city, there was a small chance, the kind of small chance that if Adam wasn't around, they would consider it nil, but with Adam, it would have no doubt been a certainty they would have had some issues on the road from someone, the Marquise or otherwise.

However, with a noble, a true noble like Sir Landon, the son of a Baron, the Marquise would have to be careful. Hopes, Rays, and a noble? It was far too difficult for the Marquise to make a move, especially when Landon would have the justification of a Littlesea to protect him.

The favour of a minor noble was decent, though not quite good enough for them to consider it when they were so busy, but the presence of Sir Landon was what pushed Kitool to accept the deal.

Vonda remained silent, feeling the deep thought of the young woman beside her. A small smile appeared on her face, understanding what Kitool was thinking. 'The Iyrmen are not so different after all.'