Victory!XP Gained: +500XP: 11 100 -> 11 600

  Quest plete: An IghreatXP: +200XP: 11 600 -> 11 800

  “Wow!”

  “It’s the First Hope!”

  “Amazing!”

  The children were all kept at bay by their elder siblings, though the First Hope stepped closer to che the children, beaming down with a delighted smile. His smile was almost as radiant as him.

  “Are you all well?” the calm voice called out, the First Hope peering over the excited children.

  “Yes, mister First Hope.”

  “It’s not mister First Hope, it’s Sir First Hope,” a child corrected.

  Sir Robert chuckled at the children. “Are you listening to your elders properly?”

  “Yes, mister Sir.”

  “Wonderful,” the Hope said, reag down to ruffle their heads. “It’s just Hope, not Sir. You may sleep peacefully, we will take watch.” His eyes fell across to the rge tower to one side, and theher, and finally the third. ‘…’

  “Who is the First Hope anyway?” Adam asked. “The oldest of the Hopes?”

  “He is the oldest, but he’s also the stro,” Vasera replied. “You should be careful not to offend him, Adam.”

  “I’ll offend who I want,” Adam replied, letting out a huff. His eyes remained glued to the First Hope. “So how strong is he anyway?”

  “He’s the stro of the Order of Life’s Rose, matched only by a handful across the entire nd,” Vasera said. “I’d fare worse against him than you.”

  “How much worse?”

  “Worse enough that you should be thankful for his help here, just like how I’m thankful I’m getting paid to do nothing now that he’s here,” Vasera replied, sipping from her wine skin.

  “How do you know so much about him?”

  “You are the fool if you do not know of the First Hope. He may be from the geion after King Merryweather, but like every First Hope, his name is known across all the realms.”

  ‘Is he really that strong then?’ Adam thought, noting how the children were in utter awe of the old man. ‘He’s probably a little weaker than the Chief, then?’ Adam hadn’t realise how ridiculous his thoughts would have sound to the others around him, daring to think so ill of the First Hope.

  “Stop thinking something so stupid,” Vasera said. “If I’m telling you someone’s strong, they’re strong. If I tell you someone isn’t worth b, then I’m either ill or serious.”

  “I’m sure the illness of a broke ails you even now.”

  “It is not others who break my heart!”

  “Didn’t I break your heart when I beat you so soundly?”

  “You are too close to me to speak so brazenly!” Vasera’s faed a wild grin.

  Adam smiled. “If the Golden Savage is tellio rex, then the world has goo the under realms.”

  Vasera cackled with ughter, Adam a sip of her wine. Adam took it and took it a sip.

  stitution SaveD20 + 1 = 7 (6)

  The fire spread through Adam’s throat, causing him to spit out as much of the wine as he could, his nostrils stinging, a out a hoarse cry as the fmes of the spice rushed him.

  “Ah! Gah! Haa!” Adam cursed, though he was u his lips together due to how they were on fire.

  “Now my broke has been healed,” Vasera said, taking back the wineskin to sip more of the fire wine, feeling the burn run through her body.

  Hope Robert eventually stepped away from the children, taking a walk around the perimeter, before he tally came across Vonda, who was also, tally, by herself.

  “Sister Vonda, I see you are well,” Robert said.

  “I am, Hope Robert,” Vonda replied, her entire body no longer as tense as it had been for the past few days.

  “I received word you were in the pany of demons.” The First Hope’s eyes fell across the pair of demons who were assisting with the firewood, chopping the logs to be used for the pit. “Curious that you assisted them to face the like of the Marshal of the East.”

  “The demons assisted in proteg the children,” Vonda replied, not allowing Robert to set the pace of the versation.

  “What were you thinking, Sister Vonda? s with demons?”

  “The demons are the friends of the Executive of the business, and have behaved well.”

  “Who is this Executive?”

  “Adam Fateson, the young man in purple.”

  “Is he Purple Adam?”

  “Yes.”

  Robert’s eyes fell to Adam, who was currently sipping water between holding his pauldron against his lips. “A young man who has not yet suffered the world. Is it wise for a busio have such a fellow in such a high position?”

  “Adam has his moments of wisdom, there is just some difficult with nobles.”

  “It is a surprise he has lived so long when he finds troubles with nobles.”

  Vonda let out a soft sigh, realising Adam had truly offehe First Hope. She uood what Adam meant about nobles with egos, but should he really be speaking so aggressively in the same regard?

  “The young man called you a Manager? What does that mean, Sister?”

  “I have takeemporary role of a Manager within the business.”

  “Temporary?”

  “Yes.”

  “Joining a business is not appropriate with your station, Sister.”

  “I will speak with the Mother Priest of the matter, Hope Robert.”

  “What matter is this?”

  “The matter of my role within the business of the United Kindom, and my potential future within Life’s Rose.”

  “Will you abandon Life’s Rose?”

  “If Life’s Rose does not wa forsake me.”

  “Life’s Rose will not forsake you, Sister. To suggest otherwise is disrespectful.”

  “I would not dare suggest so, aainly Hope Robert, you will not suggest that I, who owe Life’s Rose so much, will abandon my home.”

  Hope Robert inhaled for a moment, before he narrowed his eyes. “The matter with the demons will be settled at Life’s Rose, and the matter with the Marquise must be brought up. I trust you will speak openly and holy, about the matter.”

  “There is only one way I will speak the matter,” Vonda replied, w why Sir Robert was taking out his frustrations onto her. “I will inform the Mother Priest of all the matters, sihere is much to speak of.”

  “There is o bother about the little things, let Mother Soza deal with those.”

  “What I have to say is only something which Life’s Order should sider iure.”

  “What is so important it would affect the entire order?”

  Vonda turo look at Adam, who was still rubbing his lips against the pauldron he had cooled with his magic. “It is te, Hope Robert. Shall I request Adam to create aower for you.”

  “Adam?” Hope Robert asked. “He created the towers?”

  “They were indeed created by Adam,” Vonda replied. “I am certain he create another.”

  “…” Robert remained silent for a long while. “Sister Vonda, before I arrived, what happened?”

  After bullying Adam, Vasera went to go annoy the younger Iyrmen, them the wine from her wineskin, which they eagerly accepted, especially Laygak.

  “How could you all fight so eagerly and leave me without a fish to hook?” Vasera growled in annoyao the teen Iyrmen.

  “Aldish blood tastes too sweet to share,” Laygak said, before sipping the wine. “It is greater even than this wine.”

  “That wine costs too much gold for you to speak so lowly of it!”

  “I know how much this wine costs, but that is just how much we love the taste of Aldish blood.”

  Vasera cackled in ughter. “You Iyrmen! The stories of your insanity have reached even we in the far east.”

  “Do you wish to fight?” Naqokan asked excitedly.

  “I don’t want to fight you when you’re tired from killing Aldishmen.”

  “Killing the Aldishmen did not tire me.”

  Vasera cackled wildly once more, sharing more of her wih the Iyrmen, until her firewine was gohough there was no bitterness at the emptied wineskin.

  Kitool watched Vasera, who had decided to keep the younger Iyrmen pany. “Should we have fought?”

  “A message had to be sent,” Jurot replied, ing his axe and shield.

  “They now know of Adam’s abilities. They will send greater foes ime.”

  “Good.”

  “It may endanger Adam.”

  “Adam will endanger himself,” Jurot said, rubbing his magical shield with a cloth, staring at its face. The tingliion ran through his fingers. Might Roar, the shield he had received from Adam. “They should uand the vi we hold.”

  “I did not expect to hear you pin about killing Aldishmen,” Jaygak said, strapping her sword belt against her side, putting a foot up oump of a tree they had retly felled.

  “I am not pining about killing Aldishmen,” Kitool replied. “They are sequences for fronting nobles in the nd.”

  “We shall be judged by the Iyr.”

  “And Adam by the Aldish.”

  Jaygak frowned. “He’ll get out of trouble.”

  “Will he?”

  “It’s Adam.”

  Adam tio cool his mouth against the pauldron before the fiery spice had numbed his face. ‘I ’t believe she did this to me.’ Adam winced, cooling the water to sip more of it, before letting out a gasping sigh.

  “Where are you going?” Dunes asked, the young man tossing the dough between his hands, before pg it down beside the other ft breads whieeded to be heated on the skillet.

  “I o go thank the noble before he gets annoyed,” Adam replied.

  Dunes chuckled, nodding his head as he allowed Adam to leave, keeping an eye on the young half elf.

  “Sir Robert,” Adam called out, approag the older man, still adorned in full pte. “I am Executive Adam of the United Kindom.”

  “Yes, so you are.”

  Adam smiled, feeling the tinge of annoyance. “I came here to thank you for your assistahe appearance of the First Hope of Life’s Rose is something which honours our business, and we hope to show you our prratitude soon. Please, make use of the faculties provided by the business, and join us to eat dinner. Once we are ioill be able to shoropriate gratitude.”

  ‘So you behave…’ Robert thought. “I see you follow Lord Sozain.”

  “Yes.”

  “Then you may refer to me as Hope Robert, for I am a priest before I am a knight.”

  “Of course,” Adam replied, unsure if that was meant to be a slight.

  “Executive Adam, could you raise aower for the members of Life’s Rose?” Vonda asked. “A tower with two sets of bedrooms.”

  Adam paused for a moment. “Of course, Manager Vonda.”

  “Sister Vonda is only a temporary Manager,” Robert said. “I hope you do not io g onto her.”

  “Manager Vonda has graced us with her presence voluntarily. Of course, you know that you’re free to leave whenever, no matter how much it will break our hearts to see you go.” Adam raised his brows towards Vonda, a gentle look within his eyes.

  “I know, Adam.”

  “Of course, if you do io leave, I would like to know, so I prepare your pensation for you.” Adam fshed a smile towards her, but it was a strained smile. ‘Is he pig a fight, or is she really going to kiss me and then leave?’

  I 't believe she's going to do that!

  Also thank you to my new subscriber! Expect two chapters out tomorrow!