Mas Bagus

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Jazdia couldn't say she was satisfied with Thernous' answer, but that was probably given. Erwin, after all, was his grandson, and he had to ensure everyone could tolerate him and understand his behavior one way or another. Jazdia only understood one thing, that was there were just two kinds of people in this kind of mission. Either they are an asset or a liability. And in her judgment, today Erwin acted like the latter.

Two uncontrollable factors had already shown up on the first day, she wondered how many more she had to deal with. Should have known this wouldn't be that easy.

Silently, Jazdia walked toward her own space; one spot in the shallow cave at the end of their camp. A campfire was already lit in front of it, but the hearth felt a bit too far.

Already had enough of unnecessary negativity, Jazdia decided to make peace with it and just find her most comfortable position and rest. Fortunately, she had brought her bedroll with her.

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

When Thernous said the attempt to kill was legal, Jazdia felt her face grow hot. What did the man say to his grandfather when she was not looking? Jazdia wondered. Did he know that the shot was not discharged out of self-defense nor to answer to a provocation or hostility? Or if he knows, did he just condone what is basically an execution without trial of a not-yet-armed civilian?

That Erwin, after a brief apology still tried to blather about his views about law. Like a cheap mantra. She wondered what he was trying to achieve with that. To debate her reasoning? To convince that his actions were sensible.

"Be quiet!" she said bluntly. "This is not a courtroom. While in my belief your method was unprocedural and disproportionate, I know better than to continue a futile endeavor to compare our understandings of the law of the land here, because the debate would continue for days."

Let those nobles believe whatever they want to believe.

"Lord Thenous, there is one one more thing I need to discuss with you too. Despite the dissenting opinions about the soundness of the procedure used by Erwin, I truly hope this will not happen again. Even if someone is suspicious, what would we do then? Interrogate them? It would take a full day. Kill them? That would earn us unnecessary attention and I wish not to sleep with a damaged conscience. We are on a very sensitive mission, and we only have seventeen days left to go there and back again. Minimizing our signature is important.

Pausing, Jazdia appeared to be more relaxed, though the fury in her eyes was still apparent.

"We are not here to do tentative law enforcement, we are here to bridge communication. Already four times your king's envoys failed with their task, we can't afford to be the fifth."

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"First of all, being an eldritch abomination is his business and it is not illegal to be one. And second, if you are wondering, sir Erwin. Casdegar is not his name. It means Ancient One in Elvish."

Jazdia moved closer. Her face was devoid of any emotion, but one could see a banked fire of anger in her eyes. "Like the word 'she-elf' you used to address me. The difference is I know a common courtesy and picked my words better than you."

The restaurant owner's gaze darted to Thernous for a moment, then flickered back to Erwin. Ready to unleash her vexation. Deserving or not she will be sharp. If the words cut deeper than a knife, then she can afford to be brutal.

"Also don't act like I am under your command. Kid. I know the law of your nation better than you. I helped reform your constitution 20 years ago, and my organization oversaw all of its amendments. When you prattled about the law like the word was some cheap mantra, I couldn't help but laugh inwardly, but I did not say anything so you could preserve your dignity. It was wrong, indeed, clearly so now because I thought even if you have a brain about the size of your trigger-happy finger, I couldn't imagine, of all myriads of reasons to not shoot, you chose to shoot a man over some unfounded suspiciousness. How does it feel when your arrogance backfires on you? Suck it up! And don't bother me."

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The transformed merchant stood there unmoving, listening to all the different reactions laid out in front of him. Admiration, anger, cautiousness, nervousness, fear, and indifference. The bears could not stop talking, the elf gave him a stern warning, and the fair lady moved toward him fearlessly. He raised his tentacled hands and warned her to stop.

Stop moving, stop talking. He was old, he didn't remember, he didn't have the urgency to remember. For him, all memories like messages written upon the sand, lasted only until the next high tide.

"I will remember thy Name. Louise Ironside." He said, with a voice that reverberated. He still sounded menacing, but if one could notice, everything he said was done with great difficulty.

"Now don't stray too close. Go back to those who call you his dearest,"

And toward the bears he said. "I am unfit... to conduct business right now. Apologise." he raised his oversized hand, having the fingers and tentacle gripped his lance and pulled it up before returning to his carriage, where the difference in size was apparent.

Before leaving, he exchanged a glance with Jazdia. "I will leave... in peace. Until next time."

Unhindered, Goodenough guided his transport back into his supposed direction. The four lamps in his carriage were extinguished, and nobody could tell where he was going when the darkness of the night swallowed his gargantuan silhouette.

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The Not-So-Goodenough waited until the time ran out, He tiled his faceless head once before swiftly lunged forward and swung his lance upward toward Erwin. With no defensive stance (as if it could do much) and no preparation to move away, the blow connected on his side ribs and threw him away.

"Law you said!" he boomed, coarse and hard as the coral. "Spell not your law in front of me. Human! Before you even walked this land my people ruled it." toward the now-landed and knocked-out noble he walked, and pointed his lance.

"Stay down! Lest you want to be humbled some more."

****

Jazdia could feel half of her hair rising up like being carried away by a strong tide when a heavy thud of metals clashed in front of her. By the next moment, Erwin had already changed in position and landed a few meters away.

She already knew this could happen and the noble totally had it coming.

Sighing, the elf walked between Goodenough, his lance, and Erwin. Staring at the gargantuan, twice taller and bigger than a certain bear. Eyes activated, glowing violet with a tinge of red. Power was the true language they understood.

"Alright, that's enough. Leave now in Peace, Casdegar!" She said, bow already held firmly.

The merchant acknowledged it quickly. With a swift motion, he retreated his lance and stabbed it onto the ground.

"Pardon the roughness in my voice, Friends. For The wound from this fool's marble hasn't healed yet."

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

A thunderous boom of a discharged firearm echoed in that small valley. The bullet traveled true and cavitated Goodenough's neck. Bluish blood splattered from its entry and exit wounds.

The man's face contorted in pain, yet he was standing still. And finally, he hunched, but not to fall. From his back, four tentacles sprouted out and stabbed themselves into the soil. Myriads of wormy things suddenly squirmed in his wound, his beard blacked, weaving itself together in a series of disgusting phlegmatic sounds as it crawled up to cover his elderly face. It formed a black chitinous visor and finally spread and evolved into what seemed to be a full helmet and armor that covered his head and neck. Several red tentacles squirmed out from the gap where the eyes should be.

And now, as the shadow engulfed his entire presence, he suddenly grew bigger and taller. Underneath his torn human clothing, emerged a dark-blue exterior protected by tightly assembled scales. His lanky limbs grew additional tentacles and spikes. and as the spike grew longer from his shoulder, it formed into a lance as tall as himself, made of what seemed to be a somber coral with a bluish end.

Menacingly, he drew his lance and stood there, waiting for Erwin to prepare his human toys.

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

At this point, the whole thing has become a nasty piece of business. On one front, Jazdia had to deal with Loise and her impulsive, not well-thought gifting. Behind her, Erwin started to call her out. It was long speeches spewed with unadulterated hatred, and quickly developed into a wholesale gesture for violence.

Jazdia only had one thing in mind.

"What the hell is he doing?!"

"Erwin. Put your gun down," she demanded. Taking a step closer carefully to not agitate the frenzied musketeer. Are they really going to murder the man? Out of unproven suspicion?

Good enough was barely taking a few yards from his initial position when he heard the warning. Even in the middle of clanking and creaking, he heard the warning, so he jumped down and casually faced the nobleman.

"Good sir, did you simply get carried away with your dramatic gesture, or-or are you pointing your weapon at me with lethal intention? Is that even legal for you to do so? Or do you just want to yank my chain some more?"

Long-winded speech answered with another, and Goodenough spent exactly five seconds.

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While Erwin kept prattling about his 'concern', the Merchant was in the process of rolling and hauling his carpet back to his cart, finishing his preparation to leave the place. He had paid the man no heed, nor actually appreciate his so-called concern. They were spoken with thinly veiled threats, and half of them served nothing but to impugn his credibility. He was honestly offended by it, perhaps as much as when the bears brazenly pushed him away from his own merchandise.

But he said nothing. It was better this way. Debating a noble in the middle of nowhere was unproductive at best. He had earned quite amount of gold from this awkward encounter, and his papers were legitimate this Erwin would have no reason to arrest him any longer.

A triumphant smile curled on his face when he climbed up to his cart and bid everyone but Erwin farewell. "Auf wiedersehen, Do vstrechi, until we meet again, lassies, ma'am, miss and lady!"

And with that, he started rolling slowly toward the main road.

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Take what?

Shifting back to Loise, the blonde squire presented a box for her. Quite posh for a mere wooden box, so it had to be precious trinkets or jewelry.

And she asked her to take it...

Take? It took a while for Jazdia to decrypt what kinda of 'take-this' she meant and simulated them in her mind. Unfortunately, drowsiness made her decision-making slightly impaired, so she picked the least likely one, and added a healthy dose of sarcasm in it.

"Is that for me?" Jazdia said coyly. "Thank you! I will treasure this gift. Can you tell me what's inside or should I open it myself?"

The blonde human stared at her for exactly eight seconds before shaking her head.

”No, but I would ask you and Sir Chandrar to take a look on this elven made stuff. I'll be back on you two when it's done."

Jazdia's face twitched only slightly. Though she couldn't help but feel bewildered by her bold and unusual request, she managed to appear composed.

"You will be fine."

The elf said thoughtfully when she rejected the box.

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

Seeing them speaking in unison like that was quite refreshing, so Jazdia smiled back, genuinely this time, before answering them teasingly. "If you say so big girls. Don't forget to follow the lady then and say your thanks, okay?"

Back to Erwin.

Working huh? Jazdia muttered inaudibly, letting the man finish explaning his reasoning. Whatever reason he had, Jazdia simply believed now was not the time.

"But he is cleared by me... His things seem legit, only thing that concerns me is his spare stock of mana potions and the direction he is travelling. If we were a larger group, I would saw we split off some to escort him to his trade and back south once he was done, but... since we need all those here to head to the pass we need the full company."

There was a pause. Erwin looked at her searchingly probably asking her to play along.

She wouldn't.

"Well if he is clear and legitimate, then we have no reason to take more of his time." Jazdia shifted to the merchant, who ever-jovial. "Right, Sir Goodenough?"

"Yes, ma'am! But I don't mind the questions. Pardon, but I overheard the concern about my stock and my destination. I have explained my stock, so regarding my destination that would be Blizz Plain in Great Westernant. Long journey eh? That's why I take me time roamin around first to add something more for me capital. So you want to buy, miss? Name your stuff I and I might ave them!"

Jazdia shook her head. "Thank you, but I am all set."

The merchant Goodenough now looked genuinely dejected.

"Are there any more questions, then? If all's clear, then 'fraid I can't spare time for more questions. I did say to that pretty miss over the that I intend to rest here, but feels like I ain't welcomed, or-or disturbing. Then I would, again, say pardon, and move me cart somewhere else. Now if ye would excuse me!"

Swords, blades, and spears, all gathered and tied. Jewelry and collectibles were collected, neatly, systematically and ready to be stored back. The merchant was closing up his shop now.