[i]Sanada Estates, Honimora, The Empire[/i]

	"[color=8dc73f][b]Now don't listen to Stephan your team is by no means "The B Team" You have proven yourself in these last few months and so I am trusting you with a mission of your own. As I said Alm shall join your team as a second in command, he has been around long enough to know how we do things and has access to all our resources out in the field. Aside from him I will be handing you a few new recruits along with some of our other members. Make this team your own and I expect great things from you all.[/b][/color]"
	Olivia, once of House Blackmoore, raised a clenched fist to her breastplate in salute, [color=SlateBlue]"I understand, sir. I will deliver results that meet your expectations."[/color] 
	Having been raised to speak and act properly, the black knight often came across as rigid and even casually arrogant in the way that only those brought up among nobility can manage. Those who pushed past her practiced distance usually came to respect her deeply-rooted sense of duty, even if her dedication to laws and etiquette made her an oddity among mercenaries.
	With a few final remarks, Jing dismissed those gathered to prepare for their mission.

[i]A week and a half later, at the Lost Oasis of the Black Desert.[/i]

	Though it didn't show through her carefully cultivated stoicism, Olivia was relieved when Alm came to her with a suggestion to rest. Since she was in command, her pride demanded that she be an example to her subordinates and not be the first to concede defeat to something as simple as the heat. If she was being honest with herself, she was probably more beat than most of her squad with their comparatively lighter equipment. Her armor was warded against magical fire, but did nothing against an overly-persistent sun and its black coloration certainly wasn't doing her any favors. If someone put their hand on her shoulder, they'd probably come away with minor burns.
	As the group settled into their various roles, Stephan couldn't help but open his mouth, "[color=a36209][b]So I'll take bets will we find this noble alive or dead? My money is on dead 50 Sovern at that,[/b][/color]" he jested. Olivia eyed him from behind her hair and a small scowl crept past her defenses. Her initial impression of the man, such as he was, was thoroughly negative and hadn't improved much since. To be sure, she understood that unconventional tactics and skills like his could well turn the tide of battle, or even avoid a battle entirely, but he was a mercenary in the truest sense. If the money ever ran dry, he'd quickly follow, and that lack of a sense of loyalty made him distinctly distasteful to the errant knight.
	[color=SlateBlue]"Have some respect for the dead, soldier,"[/color] Olivia ordered, pointedly looking at an apparently fascinating piece of horizon, [color=SlateBlue]"and if they're not, I don't want our employer hearing that we gambled over her husband's fate."[/color]
	Olivia offhandedly accepted the waterskin from Varo, [colour=AF7817][b]”Oh Your Grace, I’ve been meaning to ask,”[/b][/colour] She said, half teasingly as she 'bowed'. [colour=AF7817][b]”Do you know [I]why[/I] Lord Whoever was out here?”[/b][/colour]
	[color=SlateBlue]"Practice more,"[/color] Olivia started, [color=SlateBlue]"someone might think you were being facetious, and that will reflect on the company."[/color] She took out a small handcloth and wet it. [color=SlateBlue]"The whys aren't our concern. All that we need do is confirm their deaths or escort the survivors."[/color] She carefully dabbed her brow and cheeks with the cloth before wringing it out and stashing it away.