[img]https://i.imgur.com/xkXbb0W.png[/img]

[color=C69E6B]"No,"[/color] Renauld replied to Oscar, [color=C69E6B]"not at the moment. I'm freelancing for the time being."[/color] He didn't elaborate on why the sudden change in position. He also didn't really react to Oscar's bromantic skinship. He just gave an affirming 'hm' and nodded.

Renauld also refrained on commenting on the introduction of black-hair trench coat—Siwon, rather—because he just had nothing to say about it. If you had nothing nice to say...

Then the chaos began. The girl in the scarf obviously knew the armoured giant. They had some bad blood between them. Muu, as she introduced herself, was passive aggressive and goading the aggressive-aggressive giant into some sort of rage. Maybe it was an honest mistake from someone who didn't know better, but it wouldn't matter in the end. It didn't—and wouldn't—matter why a punch was thrown. The only thing that mattered was [i]if[/i] and [i]when[/i] that punch was thrown. If Renauld could smoothly redirect that punch 24 hours from now and aimed at a monster instead of Muu, then the less chance a guard would come and throw them all in a dungeon.

Renauld could tell that the giant was fuming. Whether it was an impotent rage or a rabid feeling of superiority didn't matter. What mattered was making sure there wasn't a fight in the middle of town. Eyes were beginning to turn on them, after all. Yelling in the middle of the square at the crack of dawn was a bad idea.

There was even a child nearby. Wait, there was a child nearby? Renauld's eyes had been too focused on Siwon, he hadn't noticed the small girl that had been hip-checked by the unknowing fiend knight. Suddenly, she rose. In the middle of Muu's passive aggressive rant, she gave a... rousing speech about joining their party. One that had the occasional bit tongue and misspoken word. It was difficult to listen to both of them, but he could get the general gist of it. Muu was poking a hornet's nest and the girl was being as brave as she could be.

He looked at Siwon and Argentum. They weren't doing anything to defuse the situation. They were merely getting out of the way. That was, in all likelihoods, the best possible move. After all, standing between someone who could lift a horse and someone brazen enough to prod them was a horrible idea.

Had Renauld possessed a greater will, he could have gotten angry alongside them. Call them both fools for fighting each other rather than the monsters. Had he been stronger, he could have stopped a fight that had broken out. Renauld was neither willful nor strong. He was just a mage in personality and ability; standing on the backlines and firing things in. Now, he was entering the frontline. He moved from beside the board to stand between Ettamri and Muu.

[color=C69E6B]"I don't know what went on between you two,"[/color] he said with a slight fear in his voice, [color=C69E6B]"but it doesn't matter anymore. What matters is the winter and us surviving it—all of us. I believe it would be for the best if we try to just focus on the job at hand."[/color] By now, every bit of hesitation vanished from his voice. [color=C69E6B]"Rather than being a part of conflict, I think it's best if we just get the supplies to the fort. The more capable hands we have, the more likely we are to succeed. I'm not going to ask you two to become best friends or to even talk to each other. I'm not going to ask you to even make amends. But I trust you both to ride on that horse and carriage and to mess up any monster that comes our way."[/color]

Such a speech felt out of character, even for Renauld. Usually, he would have simply sat by and let it run its course. This time was a bit different. He was [i]associated[/i] with Ettamri and Muu now. If they were to start shit with each other, he would get caught in the crossfire. Unless he decided to flee from all of them, conflict was inevitable. This wasn't an attempt at mediation, though. No, he didn't offer any solution. He was just trying to get them to stop fighting until [i]after[/i] the job was done. His livelihood was at stake, after all. Two weeks was his absolute limit for how far his money could stretch him during the winter season. 10 gold split 6, er, 7 ways was a lot. 1 gold, 42 silver each.

Slowly backing up from his sudden interjection between the two, he turned to the small child priest. He didn't really bend over or get too close. After all, one was patronizing and the other would hurt her neck. He had his issues about letting a child come along with them, but quickly resigned them. There was no other way, he figured. What business would hire a random child? It would be the only way for a girl as young as her to survive. If she was a priest, at least she could be protected. She wouldn't have to fight on the front lines. A minor consolation to the situation.

[color=C69E6B]"Katya, was it? I think we're all glad to have you aboard, seeing how important healers are."[/color] He didn't even hide his attempt at flattery. [color=C69E6B]"If I may ask, what spells do you possess?"[/color]