Leo stood dumbfounded, not believing what he just heard come out of Josh’s mouth. But he quickly composed himself, showing his experience that came from old age.

“Forgive me, Milord, for my impudence,” Leo uttered. “But I fail to understand how come you respect me from defying you.”

That’s the hook.

Josh laughed it off with a wide grin. “Leo, I can see how that can be hard to understand,” Josh said.

He seemed a little bit xenophobic with Elaria, didn’t he?

“Tell me, Leo, what is a man who can’t stand behind his principles?” Josh asked rhetorically. “If a man who fights superior foe both in strength and experience just to defend his values is to not be respected, then who is?” He took a hearty pause to let the words settle in.

That’s the line.

“Actually, Leo, I should be the one to apologize. You trusted me and even entrusted a family heirloom to me after only knowing me for a couple of weeks. Yet I betrayed your trust with rash and dumb decisions. My sincerest apologies to you, Leo.”

Leo’s usual rigid composure faltered as he spoke out. “I… I don’t know what to say, Milord.”

Not letting Leo take even an ounce of control in the conversation, Josh interrupted. “You don’t need to say anything Leo, just accept my apologies.” His discerning smile not showing his true intentions.

Leo straightened his posture and let out a deep breath. “Your apologies humble me, Milord. It would be rude of me not to accept them.” Leo replied, his voice steady.

That’s the line.

Josh let out a sigh of relief. “Now that we’ve spoken as a man to man and let our past be bygones. I want to speak to you as a lord to a knight.” Josh stated. “This land and its people need you, Leo, not as a steward to a manor. But as a knight that fearlessly leads the guards and trains them.”

Mhhh…

Sinker is definitely the most challenging part.

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“I don’t know, Milord.” Leo sighed. “These old bones of mine failed to win a duel against a lady half his age. I don’t think I have the honor left to take an active mantle.”

I thought that it was going wayyy too easy.

“Nonsense,” Josh shouted out. “Even standing up and dueling with a monster like her takes the amount of courage only a vanguard fit to lead the charge has. Let alone doing it while being a whole mana circle lower than her,” Josh looked into Leo’s eyes with a piercing gaze as he continued. “You have more honor in you than you believe, Leo.”

As Leo was busy contemplating his answer. Josh walked closer and took a deep bow towards him.

“Leo, I plead you. This land, our land, has been suffering from goblin outbursts for long enough… I will attend Count’s Voss banquet in the next couple weeks and seek his assistance.” Josh sighed. “Sadly, that man reeks of arrogance, and getting assistance from him will be much harder than it should be. Let alone when the last lord’s attack on goblins left us standing with no more than two squads of ten guards and no standing army of our own.”

“Milord, I don’t know… Can I have some time to think about it?” Leo asked.

Are you serious? In any other household, you would be beheaded for standing against your Lord, yet you need some time to think about it.

“Leo, there’s no time to think about it. Even the people in the Daim Village started to feel the consequences of the goblins. Then what about the people from the Shallow Lake village?” Josh asked rhetorically. “Let me tell you, Leo. The people there are starving, living in fear, crying themselves to sleep, blaming their lord, and praying to the gods for saving.”

Wait does everyone in our land pray to Goddess Sol or to other gods too?

FOCUS

Josh shook off his stray thoughts. “Leo 8241 serfs and 784 citizens are suffering and have barely twenty guards for them all, so understand me; I will not take no as an answer.” He said with a commanding voice while patting Leo on the shoulder.

“Understood, Milord. Tell me what you need of me,” Leo replied, not feeling offended by the commanding voice of his lord but rather remembering the past lord who commanded more with an iron fist than a healthy discussion.

And that’s the sinker.

“It's Good that we are finally on the same page, Leo; tell me how many guards you had before the attack on goblins and what the usual number of guards needed to protect all four villages was,” Josh replied.

Leo thought for a second. “Milord, about a hundred guards died in the attack, and we usually had around a hundred to two hundred, depending on when the last call of arms was issued for the kingdom's sake.”

“Double that,” Josh replied. “No, wait, triple that, offer tax rebukes to the families of the serving people, and a nice salary after base training doesn’t matter young or old, as long as you willing and able to take a spear or sword.”

“Understood, Milord, but will we be able to afford it? I don’t think we even have enough equipment to arm more than fifty at the moment.” Leo rebuked.

“I’ll see what I can do about that equipment Leo, as for affording this enlistment,” Josh sighed. “We have to be able to afford it, even after we deal with the goblins; turmoil is coming, I feel.”

Josh looked at the sky and plunged deep into his thoughts as he spoke out. “Leo hundred of us were summoned, each having a talent of archmage. I pray that we were summoned to worry about farm fields and roads, but I believe that a war or a crisis is coming, and we will have no choice but to take part in it.” Josh sighed once more. “Lady Elaria is staying silent on the matter; as for myself, I pray that I’m wrong, and it’s just worrying too much. Nonetheless we have to prepare for the worst.”

Leo nodded, his eyebrows furrowed, as he thought deeply. “I’ll see to the recruitment of three hundred guards, Milord.”

“Do it with haste. Time is on our side for now, but we don’t know how long it will stay that way.”