Ding!

[ Character Sheet Updated! ]

[ Read the Character Sheet ]

[ MORGIANA ]

[ Nineteen years old. The character’s origins are shrouded in mystery. Morgiana is one of Robin Hood’s accomplices, his part-time lover, bodyguard, advisor, and an important NPC in the game. Engaging with her shall reveal new and exciting quests. ]

[ Recommendation: Keep AFFINITY and LOYALTY high at all times ]

[ Warning: May lead astray from the main storyline ]

‘Finally, someone is here who can help me out with the gameplay,’ Pete thought. ‘She’ll lead me astray? That’s exactly what I want to do.’

The duo walked out of the police station without speaking another word to each other.

“Morgiana,” Pete said aloud.

“Yes, Robin?” The girl had curly brown hair and a well-sculpted face, which you’d get from genes and exercise. Her cotton tunic was sheer, revealing a perky outline. She smiled with affection, filling Pete’s heart with infatuation.

‘Finally! Finally!’ the boy said to himself. ‘My harem is gathering! The beginning of my youth! The age of Robin Hood!’

“Are you okay?” Morgiana asked and pursed her pillowy lips. “You appear spaced out. Did the coppers torture you in there?”

Pete touched down to earth. “Apologies. I was lost in my thoughts. Knuckle did give me a hard time, but I found a way out. Thanks for posting the bail.”

“You’re welcome,” she replied, blushing.

The boy figured it was an excellent time to bond with her and get strategic info about the game. He had been stumbling around since he arrived.

“I have to confess something to you, Morgiana. I remember close to nothing. About myself and my followers.”

The girl widened her eyes. “How did this happen?”

“Umm… I… uh… ate some poisoned mushrooms in the forest and have been struck by amnesia since.”

“Oh, poor you!” she exclaimed with moist eyes. “Everyone was worried to death about you.” She caressed his back with an adorable frown.

“So, can you tell me more about my band of followers? What have we been doing? What’s the big picture? You know, just so that I can recall.”

Morgiana smiled at him reassuringly. “Why don’t we return to Sherwood forest, and I’ll tell you everything.”

Pete looked like he had something stuck in his throat. ‘Go back to Sherwood? Not if my life depended on it!’ Why the heck would he return to that dark, dark place? The memories were murky enough to cause nightmares.

“Ahem. You know, I think I’m going to stay in Nottingham for a while. I am planning to appear in the champion trials.”

Annoyance flashed across Morgiana’s face. “What! Do you want to be celebrated by these wretched townsfolks? Do you remember what the Sheriff did to our people? Have you forgotten the two-faced King Richard who exploits the commoners?!”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Umm…”

“Have you really lost sight of everything YOU taught us? Haven’t your merry men given up everything already? Now they must lose you too??”

‘Whoa,’ Pete thought, taken aback by her outburst. ‘It appears there is a dramatic backstory to this… So… does my band of followers already exist? I got a lot of catching up to do.’

Ding!

[ Morgiana’s AFFINITY and LOYALTY have decreased ]

‘What?!’ Pete thought in panic. ‘I was supposed to keep those numbers in check!’

[ Loading Quest… ]

[ Mellow Morgiana ]

[ Completion Reward: 5💰, Reputation +5 ]

[ Failure Penalty: Duel with Morgiana ]

[ Failure Penalty: Town Reputation -5, Sherwood Reputation -50 ]

‘Uh-oh.’ Pete was struck dumb for a few seconds. His unsocial nature kicked in, clamming him up.

[ Perfect Gene: Level 1 ]

Confidence returned to him almost instantly. He cleared his throat to speak.

“Morgiana… sometimes I think you forget I am your leader.”

The girl was taken aback. “What do you mean by that, Robin? I have always followed your orders!”

“Of course you do, dear. However, these instances when you question me and my goals are when I feel most distant from you.”

Morgiana gasped in heartbreak.

“I cannot explain all my plans to you. Some cards I shall play close to my chest.”

The girl fumbled for an answer. “Well… If the plan is to give away your life in service to the King and the Sheriff, you’ll have to explain yourself right away! You have taught us to question everything if we have to survive.”

‘Boy, this is a tough nut to crack,’ Pete mused. ‘I don’t want to sit on a tree and live with forest people at the moment. I’ll have to come up with a convenient lie to convince her.’

“Well, if you insist, I will share the truth. I wish to infiltrate the Sheriff’s office and the King’s army to bring them down from the inside.”

Morgiana’s severe expression softened. Her eyes became misty. “Oh, that makes so much sense! How silly of me! I’m terribly sorry I doubted you, Robin.’

[ Smooth Talker: Level 1 ]

The boy was surprised that the convenient lie worked. All he had to do was to make up something. Pete had grown up as a pathological liar, and lying came naturally to him.

“Oh, that’s okay. I forgive you,” he replied, touching her shoulder. She shivered under his touch and walked closer to him.

Ding!

[ Morgiana’s AFFINITY and LOYALTY have been restored ]

[ Mellow Morgiana ] [ Completed! ]

[ Completion Reward: 5💰, Reputation +5 | [ Rewarded! ]

“I am proud of you,” Morgiana went on. “Because you accosted that son of a bitch, Knuckle! He has always been a pain in our asses!”

Pete nodded. “Yeah, Knuckle is not a nice guy. Anyway, when you speak to me in public, refer to me as Rob Huntington. Okay?”

“I will! It’s one of your clever tricks, right? I’ll play along.”

“Perfect. Now lead me to the champion trials arena. Hope they haven’t called it a day already.”

“Come this way.”

The two entered the bustling crowd of Nottingham town square. A few minutes later, they reached a gathering. “Here… we have reached your destination. Best of luck, Robin,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

Pete made a courtesy bow. “I will take your leave then, sweet Morgiana. Can we share a kiss before you leave?” The boy was surprised at his own sudden request. Perfect gene attribute was giving him tremendous confidence.

Morgiana’s cheeks turned red immediately. Pete took a step towards her and pecked her on the lips. She giggled, pulled up her hood, and vanished into the crowd.

‘Well, wasn’t that something!’ Pete thought, licking his lips. The boy felt galvanized. His first kiss was fleeting and yet perfect. He spent a minute thinking about Morgiana before pushing through the crowd to get to the trials. ‘Good times!’

From inside the crowd, Morgiana eyed Pete walking away. She had a sly grin across her face.