[center][h1]Arthur Lupin[/h1][/center]

[hr]

As Arthur and his fellow Envoys discussed their plans, he noticed the group of soldiers enter the tavern. Upon instinct, he tensed and grazed his fingers across his rapier but relaxed as they seemed to be off duty. Even though he was no longer a soldier, he had spent a great deal of time avoiding contact with the Twin Kingdoms' forces out of fear of being mistaken for a spy for the Empire. He shuddered at the memories of those long cold nights before brushing them off and watching the off-duty soldiers sit at the counter to order their drinks. Tapping on the table and drowning out the others around him, Arthur listened to their conversation, frowning in thought as they mentioned apparent disappearances out in the farmlands. A slight smirk of amusement came to his face as he heard them talking about metal monsters from the Empire. In a sense, those things were pretty monstrous in the field, but they were nothing more than Nuniel’s newest toys to throw at their enemies. 

Arthur was soon removed from the guard's conversation as Rean and Liora excused themselves to begin their investigations. A small sigh escaped him as he watched them leave, figuring it was best to get started, even though he wanted to rest a bit longer. “Might as well follow suit and take a look around the city,” Arthur muttered before forcing himself from his seat with a groan. “Good luck to the rest of you,” he said with a firm nod to the remaining party members before taking his leave from the table and exiting the tavern. 

A long breath left the tired Envoy and looked around the docks, his hand resting atop his rapier as he pondered where to start investigating. Soon his eyes fell upon the city's temple peeking over the buildings surrounding it, and he gripped his weapon tighter. But, of course, they were sent here by their masters, so perhaps there was something to be found on holy ground. Deciding to visit his Goddess and seek her aid, Arthur began to make his way to the temple. Walking in silence through the streets of the capital, he did his best to ignore the weight growing heavier on his shoulders, a frown coming to his face as his tired eyes kept a wary gaze on his surroundings. Even here in the city, he couldn’t help but feel on edge, waiting for the slightest shadow he passed to lunge out at him. 

Luckily he arrived at the temple with no issues and stood at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the smaller temples erected for worship. A slight chill ran up his spine as he began to climb the stairs, the already heavy weight on his shoulders growing even greater until he finally reached the top. His eyes widened with slight awe as he saw the statues of different gods. It took him a few minutes to remember why he was here, and he continued. It took him little time to find the temple of Astarte and came to a stop before the statue. A heavy breath escaped him before he fell to his knees and bowed his head before his goddess. For a moment, a strange feeling filled his chest, a sense he couldn’t figure out, and he decided to shake it off once it started making him uneasy. 

“My Goddess, I have arrived at my destination and found my kin like you had instructed. Together we will carry out the God's will and claim victory,” he swore in a calm voice before bowing his head lower and planting his hands on the stone below her altar. “Your loyal servant begs of you, Astarte, where must we go to find our next task? What evils must we face?” he pleads under his breath as he keeps his head low before Astarte. Arthur was unsure if praying to his Goddess for help would work, but it was better to try than not.