>>5320089>“To reuniting with our lost friends!” You raise your drink and slam it against those of your friends. You can’t lie to yourself. The future looks bleak. In the coming days ahead you’ll be subjected to war and all its unspeakable horrors. Battle and conflict will hound your every step along the way, and it’s likely that some of the people at this table, perhaps even you yourself, will not survive to see the end of it all. But at the very least, for now, you can do your best to push that thought to the back of your head and enjoy this time with your friends. You spend several hours with the Blue Lions, drinking, eating, and thanking the Goddess that you made it out alive.The next day, you and Corrine are called to Castle Charon’s audience hall, to meet with the Margrave. There, you find him waiting for you, along with Prince Dimitri and Sir Bertram. The man stands on the same dais you’d seen him on before. Someone seems to have brought him a replacement table. This one lacks the hole you’d seen him punch through.
“Blair Weaver. Or d’Rusalka, should I say.” His voice booms. “Sir Bertram has informed me as to your true identity. Ordinarily, having a noble of the Empire sitting within my halls would be unheard of, even before their forces were getting ready to lay siege to my territory. However, Prince Dimitri has informed me that you played a pivotal role in retrieving him from Highwind Castle.” The man clears his throat. “Additionally, you had previously mentioned fighting side by side with Thunderstrike Cassandra. Though I find my relationship with my daughter strained these days, I cannot deny that hearing such a thing elevated your status in my eyes. I suppose given the current circumstances; I can overlook your duplicity.”
>“Thank you, my lord.” Catherine is the daughter of Margrave Charon? That’s certainly news to you.“The payment I promised you upon completion of your assignment has been delivered to your room. However, I still have a need for your service. One that I’ve already discussed with Prince Dimitri.”
“We’d like you to stay in Charon for the time being.” Dimitri says. “I must return to Fhirdiad to assume the throne and rally the Kingdom, but the day will come when the Empire launches a full-scale assault on us, and it will come soon. They will need to go through Charon if they wish to make it to the heart of the Kingdom. The Margrave’s army is well-disciplined and experienced, but they lack the numbers to hold them off forever. As such, we’d like to aid the expedition of this mercenary company of yours, on the condition that you use your troops to help defend the frontlines here.”
>“M-me?!” This causes you some shock. “I-I appreciate the honor, my lords, but we’ve hardly even started creating our company. Right now, we’re barely five soldiers. Surely there are more established companies you can utilize in your defense?” 