You shrug. "Sounds like a decent deal."
"Arthur Hornraven, this'll be the first time Kanton and Krorid have ever been allies. This is the closest our two peoples have ever been," Elya says. "And most of it is thanks to you."
And yet, the Kroridians are the only ones who actually respect me.
You grunt noncommittally.
Suddenly, the grin returns to Elya's face. "Actually… I dragged you here to show you something. The politics was all a big distraction."
"The fuck are you talking about?"
Your curiosity piqued, you follow her deeper into the empty armory. Passing multiple racks of armor and weapons, she leads you to a back room. The sign next to the entrance is, frustratingly, in Kroridian. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into.
She flings the door open and steps to the side.
Inside, Darin is sitting upon a stool, a bottle raised to his lips. Your sudden entrance startles the man, who almost immediately buckles over, coughing. He turns his head to the side and spits out whatever alcohol he was choking on.
This motion causes him to slip forward off the stool, barely catching himself with his good leg. He stumbles forward, bracing himself against the far wall, cursing under his breath.
He glances over to you and raises his bottle into the air. "Surprise."