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Sylanwood, Diremaw: The Frozen Slopes: Treasure Room, Time: 3:15 PM
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Freya, oozing confidence and power, addressed Alwin in a commanding tone. "So! I might guess you are Alwin Stirner, the old man who has been stealing artifacts from kingdom-protected ruins and castles. Oh, I will get to your grandson, Christopher's crimes once we get our hands on him." She punctuated her words by stepping on Alwin's hand, making it clear who held the upper hand.
Alwin's eye reddened, a maelstrom of fear and anger churning within him. He felt utterly humiliated, reduced to a trembling shell of his former self.
"You government dog...!" Alwin seethed, his words filled with venom and bitterness. Despite his defiance, Freya merely giggled at his futile rage, treating him like a mischievous child caught in the act.
Mianne and James watched this astonishing display in sheer disbelief, their eyes widened at the stark contrast between Freya and Bada's approach.
While all Arch Sentinels were unique in their ways, Freya's ability to toy with her adversary like a predatory tiger left them utterly astounded.
Freya maintained her amused grin as she continued to exert her dominance over Alwin. "Oh, Alwin, it's not about being a government dog. It's about being on the right side of Bada" she quipped, her tone dripping with sarcasm, even though she not even making the sentence make sense.
Mianne couldn't help but be intrigued by Freya's confidence and composure in this dire situation. She turned to James and whispered, "James, who is she? And why is she helping us?"
James whispered back, "She's Freya, the Red ArchSentinel. I've heard stories about her. She's a force to be reckoned with and serves The Congregation of Unity faithfully. As for why she's helping us, I have no idea, but we should be grateful."
Elowen, still clinging to James, looked up at him and asked in a timid voice, "Mr. James, is she a good person?"
James smiled down at her reassuringly. "Yes, Elowen, she's one of the good guys. She's here to help us."
Meanwhile, Freya's subordinates began securing the GV soldiers, and the situation appeared to be under control.
"Escort this old man to a retirement home," Freya ordered her samurai to detail Alwin, securing him in a large steel lock around his hands. As the samurai posed in an unusual but confirmatory manner, they led Alwin away to the horse wagon station outside.
Turning her attention back to Mianne and James, Freya couldn't help but tease them with a sly grin. "Well~ I guess your little friend already told you about me, didn't he?"
Freya's playful tone made Mianne's face turn an even deeper shade of tomato red, and she kept muttering denials under her breath. James, on the other hand, stood there stiff as a rock, unable to respond.
Freya then shifted her focus to James and casually knocked on his forehead as if it were a door, causing him to snap back to reality. "I've heard of you," she continued.
"Bada has been keeping an eye on you ever since you took down one of them." James couldn't contain his excitement, and his starry-eyed look grew even wider, which slightly unnerved Freya.
Suddenly, Freya remembered something and scratched her head awkwardly. "Oh, by the way, sorry about Erik. He can be a bit explosive with any rising star…"
James was momentarily puzzled, but it didn't take him long to recall the name. "Oh, Erik! Yeah, I remember him."
Freya casually mentioned, "Well, same deal as always. We'll decide on some promotions and rewards for you in a few weeks."
Just then, some of the samurai soldiers returned with news. "We've found some suspicious people trying to escape!" they reported, dragging along two individuals bundled with ropes.
It turned out to be Ace and Ezra, their faces stoic and exhausted. James and Mianne restrained their laughter, amused that their friends had been labeled as "suspicious." Ezra, on the other hand, wore an annoyed expression as he glanced back at them.
Freya raised an eyebrow as she examined Ace and Ezra. "Suspicious, huh?" She couldn't help but chuckle and then turned her attention back to James and Mianne. "Seems like you've got quite the adventurous bunch here."
Ace and Ezra were finally released from their rope bonds, and Ace stretched his arms as he explained, "Well, it was a bit of a misunderstanding, you see. We were just trying to, uh, explore the place."
Ezra nodded in agreement, adding, "Yeah, we were curious about the ruins and got a bit lost. No harm intended."
Freya shook her head, her playful smile still in place. "Alright, alright, let's not make it too complicated. Welcome to the mess," she said, gesturing toward James, Mianne, Ace, and Ezra. "You guys seem like you could use some guidance. How about joining our guardian group? We could use the extra hands, and you won't have to get yourselves labeled as 'suspicious' again."
James, however, shook his head in denial, surprising Freya. "I do want to join, but I want everyone to explore our freedom in the world. If we join you, we will restrict ourselves," he explained, leaving an impression on Freya.
"Well, I tried," Freya admitted, her playful attempts to recruit them now abandoned.
"But Bada does want to let you know something." She handed James a slip of paper and continued, "He'll be at Tarrabria in Sylanwood as part of the Culture Fest. He wants you to meet him at the Colossal History Museum there." Freya watched as James opened the slip to read its contents.
"Dear The Lucky Inquisitors,
We would like you to come to the Culture Fest, as a request of Master Bada. He will be meeting you at the Colossal History Museum in Tarrabria, Sylanwood. The reasoning behind this request is unknown to us, but it seems Bada wants to show you the history. We also have an offer for you, to guard our grand director Asmon from any terrorist and planned criminal attacks.
Sincerely, The Congregation of Unity."
James folded the slip of paper and tucked it into his pocket, contemplating the offer. "Thank you for delivering this message," he said to Freya. "We'll discuss it among ourselves and make a decision."
Freya nodded, her playful demeanor returning. "No rush, take your time. We'll be on our way for now." She turned to her group of samurai soldiers and ordered, "Alright, team, let's head out."
As Freya and her group began to leave the ruins, she glanced back at Ace and gave him a wink. "Oh, Ace, I almost forgot to mention. Your brother, Pierre, sends his regards."
She chuckled knowingly at the expression that crossed Ace's face. "He mentioned something about you needing to be more responsible, but don't worry, I won't tell him about your little adventure here."
Ace sighed in exasperation but managed a weak smile. "Thanks, Freya. Tell Pierre I'll never be home."
Freya waved as she continued walking away. "Take care, you lot! Hope to see you at the Culture Fest!" With that, she and her group disappeared from view, leaving James, Mianne, Ace, and Ezra to contemplate their next steps
Before they could continue, a bunch of roars could be heard as large shadows appeared from above.
"Shit, what now?!" Ezra stated, looking up as his eye bulge out of his skull.
"Is that-" Mianne was star-struck by the sight of it, it was like something from a fantasy.
"Woah!" James's jaws dropped to the ground as he saw the sight of what was happening.
Dyssorath, however, was celebrating to his heart's content as he let out a cheerful roar.
A bunch of pinecone dragons was flying on top of the mountain in a circle, creating a star-struck tornado formation.
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