The advisor paced back and forth, his mind racing. The guard had returned with unexpected news: Fate's associates had been spotted in one of the city's taverns. The advisor, Oliver, furrowed his brow. "Why are Fate's associates in the city?" he mused aloud.
Turning to the guard, he ordered, "Keep an eye on them. I will personally meet them tomorrow. Place two spies in pursuit of Jarvis and Lesley. Ensure they are not noticed."
The guard bowed and left the room, quickly dispatching two spies to shadow the pair.
Morning broke, and Jarvis and Lesley awoke to the early light filtering through their room's window. Jarvis stretched and went to Lesley's room. "We should finish our business quickly and return to Master. He must be pretty hungry by now."
They left the tavern, mounting their horses, and rode to the homeowner's office. Upon arrival, they inquired about the land that Fate wanted to buy. The receptionist, a bespectacled man, began searching for the relevant documents. Jarvis waited at the reception desk, while Lesley took a seat on a bench near the door.
Moments later, two seemingly ordinary citizens entered the office. One sat next to Lesley, while the other approached Jarvis. "Where did the receptionist go?" he asked.
"In the back, looking for some documents," Jarvis replied.
"Thanks," the man said, joining his companion on the bench.
The receptionist returned, carrying a stack of papers. "Here are the details on the two plots," he said, laying out the documents and explaining the prices and specifics.
Unbeknownst to Jarvis and Lesley, the two ordinary-looking citizens were the spies sent by Oliver. They listened intently to every detail before discreetly leaving the office. One spy hurried back to the castle to relay the information, while the other continued to shadow Jarvis and Lesley.
The pair left the homeowner's office and made their way to a tailor. The spy peeked through the window, watching them as the tailor gave them their new clothes. When they exited the shop, Jarvis and Lesley wasted no time, heading straight for the city gate. The spy attempted to follow, but their horse was too fast for him to keep up.
Jarvis and Lesley rode hard, returning to their base. The hobgoblins opened the gate for them, he asked Betagob," where is master?". Betagob replies,"Master is in the crafting room" and then Jarvis immediately heads to the kitchen to prepare a meal, while Lesley tends to the horse.
Back in the castle, Oliver received the report on Fate's land purchase. He pondered the implications, a sly smile spreading across his face. "So, Fate does have a purpose. I can use this information to our advantage. I am glad I didn't go to him without this knowledge. I will offer him land. That he has to protect because it is his, and in doing so, he will also protect Concordia."
With a plan forming in his mind, Oliver headed to Lord Leonard's chambers. He knocked on the door, and Leonard's irritated voice barked, "Who is it?"
"It's Oliver, my lord."
"Don't disturb me, Oliver. I'm very busy right now."
"Master, I have a solution to our current problem."
After a moment, Leonard's voice softened, "Oh really? Just give me a minute."
The door opened, and two beautiful, half-naked women slipped out of the room, casting flirtatious glances as they passed. Leonard, holding a glass of wine and half-naked himself, waved Oliver inside. "This must be a good solution, or you'll have trouble coming your way."
Oliver stepped closer. "Master, the adventurer Fate is our ticket out of this problem."
Leonard's eyes narrowed. "How so?"
"Fate is buying land around his base. Instead of giving him a ton of gold, we offer him more land in exchange for dealing with the small army marching towards Concordia and use the gold to grow our own army."
"Why is this better than just giving him gold and asking him to fight with us?" Leonard asked, skeptical.
"Because, my lord, in the future, when a larger army comes, Fate will have to help us. The bigger army will reach his base first, and he will need our assistance to protect his investment. We can even request the use of his artifact for protection."
Leonard's eyes widened, recalling his earlier desire to acquire Fate's artifact. "Ready a caravan. We are going to meet Fate."
Oliver respectfully declined. "Master, I can manage everything. You don't need to spend your precious time meeting a single adventurer. You have more important matters to attend to."
Leonard placed a hand on Oliver's shoulder, a rare gesture of approval. "You're getting smart, Oliver. Go quickly and get this done. I have full faith in you."
Oliver bowed. "Yes, my lord. It will be done as you command."
As Oliver moved towards the door, Leonard called after him, "Oliver, make sure the ladies who left come back. I have some unfinished business with them."
"Yes, my lord. As you wish."
Outside the chamber, Oliver instructed the guards to fetch the women. Walking away, he muttered to himself clenching his fists, "If I take this good-for-nothing lord to meet Fate, he'll ruin everything. I must handle this personally and make sure everything goes smoothly."
He ordered the servants to prepare a carriage. Changing into travel clothes, Oliver set out from the castle. The carriage awaited him, and as he climbed inside, his mind buzzed with plans for the meeting ahead.
Back at Fate's base, Jarvis finished preparing the table and went to inform Akira. Jarvis goes upstairs and as he approaches the door of the crafting room, "Master, the food is ready," he announced.
"That was quick, Jarvis, I was about to come down myself and make something on a campfire myself" Akira replied with an awkward laugh as a joke. "I'll come down in a moment. Please prepare the table."
Jarvis bowed and headed downstairs to set the table, ready for Akira to join them for a much-needed meal.