The din of the tavern buzzed around Jarvis and Lesley as they descended to the dining area for dinner. They found a quiet corner and ordered their food, settling into their seats. Not long after, a drunken adventurer stumbled over, reeking of ale. He dropped heavily into a chair at their table, his lecherous eyes fixated on Lesley.
"Hey there, beautiful," he slurred, leering. "Let me show you a good time."
Lesley's eyes flashed with anger. "Sir, please leave us alone."
Ignoring her, the adventurer placed a hand on Lesley's shoulder. She reacted instantly, her grip ironclad as she crushed his hand, causing him to yelp in pain. When she released him, he swung a hand to slap her, but Jarvis caught his arm effortlessly, lifting the adventurer from his seat and throwing him to the ground with raw strength.
The adventurer's companions, seated nearby, rose with fury and approached menacingly. Jarvis stood tall, his voice calm and composed. "My name is Jarvis. I apologize for my actions. We should talk this out and not escalate the issue."
A bulky adventurer stepped forward, dismissing Jarvis's words. "There's nothing to talk about old man." He swung a powerful punch, but Jarvis caught it with ease making a loud sound attracting everyone in the tavern, his grip like a vice.
The tavern fell silent as Jarvis spoke again. "I don't want to escalate things. I should have mentioned earlier: I am an associate of the adventurer Fate."
The name hung in the air, casting a hush over the tavern. The adventurers hesitated, then backed down, lifting their unconscious companion and leaving the tavern. Jarvis adjusted his clothes and returned to his seat. "I guess we should have used the master's name earlier," he said, sharing a small laugh with Lesley.
A tavern employee approached, setting their food and two mugs of beer on the table. "We didn't order beer," Lesley remarked.
"It's on the house," the employee explained. "Fate has done a lot on the battlefield, and we want to be on his good side."
Lesley nodded. "I guess we'll accept it, then."
The atmosphere in the tavern shifted, quieter now but buzzing with whispered conversations about Fate. Jarvis, with his back to the crowd, heard snippets: tales of Fate's strength, his goblin-controlled base, and most unsettling, news that the kingdom of Duatt was amassing an army to march on Concordia.
Jarvis stood and approached a nearby table where several adventurers sat, their attire marking them as adventurers from thief class. The adventurers eyed him warily. "Look, old man, we didn't do anything to aggravate you. We aren't with those guys."
"Don't worry," Jarvis replied calmly. "I'm just here for some information."
One of the adventurers scoffed. "And why do you think we'd give you any info? You might be Fate's associate, but we have nothing to do with you or him."
Jarvis reached into his pocket, revealing a gold coin. "One gold coin isn't enough," the adventurer sneered.
Jarvis rotated his hand, revealing two more coins hidden behind the first. "I guess these will change your mind."
The adventurer snatched the coins and pocketed them. "Fine. Listen carefully. We were in the Duatt kingdom and heard a rumor from some royal guards. The king's oracle made a prophecy: a demon lord is rising in the Concordia region, destined to destroy everything."
"The king is sending an army to investigate," another adventurer added. "The recent monster waves suggest something is wrong here. One wave is uncommon; two strong waves are unheard of. The king of Duatt is very superstitious and trusts the oracle's prophecies. She's always been right."
Jarvis nodded and returned to Lesley, recounting what he'd learned. "War is definitely coming to this region. We need to inform Master Akira as soon as possible."
They finished their meal in silence, the weight of the news hanging heavy over them. They retired to their rooms, the sense of impending conflict gnawing at their minds.
In the castle of Lord Leonard, an emergency conference was underway. Leonard and his advisors, faces drawn with worry, sat around a large round table. A minister from the royal capital stood among them, delivering unwelcome news.
"Why can't the royal army provide any support to Concordia?" Leonard demanded, his frustration boiling over.
"The royal army is occupied and is making preparations to deal with the normal elves and dark elves, who have banded together and are marching towards our kingdom," the minister explained.
Leonard slammed his hand on the table. "That cannot be true! Dark elves and normal elves despise each other. They would never work together." He stood, pointing an accusatory finger at the minister. "You're lying!"
The minister's guard, a menacing knight, drew his sword slightly, but the minister raised a hand to calm him. "Lord Leonard, you must handle the demihuman threat on your own. We will send gold, but it will take a month to arrive. As you are familiar with how long the process of collecting funds from nobles go" The minister turned to leave. "I have nothing more to say. Our business is done here. I hope you will send good news to the capital about your victory over the demihumans."
As the minister exited, Leonard glared at his advisors. "What should we do? The recent waves, especially the raid, have cost us many soldiers and knights. Come up with a strategy, or I'll have your heads."
He stormed out, leaving his advisors to grapple with the dire situation.
The advisors looked at one another, their faces etched with worry. One advisor finally broke the silence. "We need to prepare for a siege."
"That won't work," another advisor interjected. "Help isn't coming. The royal capital is too busy."
"Then we hire adventurers," another suggested. "We've done it before, and they can help bolster our defenses."
Frustration boiled over, and an advisor slammed his hands on the table. "Hey! Do you remember Fate?"
"Yes, I do," another replied. " We should hire him. Offer him a good amount of gold to deal with our issue. He's a summoner and commands hobgoblins. And there's his artifact that can kill enemies from a distance. He is a one man army. He could take out the army's commander, and with his help, our soldiers and knights can handle the disarrayed forces."
"That's a brilliant idea," the advisor exclaimed. He shouted, "Guards! Guards!"
A guard opened the door, and the advisor said, "We need to get in contact with Fate. Make the necessary arrangements."
The guard bowed. "Yes, as you command, my lord," and left to carry out the orders.
The two advisors then discussed hiring additional adventurers to minimize their soldiers' losses. "Eventually, a big army is going to come here. We need all the help we can get."
They began outlining plans, the air thick with urgency as they prepared to face the looming threat.