"Here is the letter I received from my delivery owl." Grimhild materialized a piece of paper in her hand, sliding it across the table. "You'll be surprised."
"What's this?" Pulling the letter towards him, Gunavoe squinted his eyes to read. "Congratulations, honorable mage, you have been selected by King Lancelot himself to partake in a duel at the arena. You will face one of the legendary heroes, and if you are to defeat him, you will be able to claim a wish of your choice, which will be decided by a magical genie."
Gunavoe went quiet.
The silence was too loud.
He continued to stare at the piece of paper until he slid it towards Grimhild.
"Bullshit."
"So, you think I'm lying?"
"Goddamn right. Why the bloody hell would King Lancelot out of all people initiate a duel? This has to be some scam."
"Zarutha wouldn't lie to me, Gunavoe, my delivery owl is a loyal friend."
"Here is your drink, sir, there is no need to pay, it was done by someone." A waitress approached their table, setting down a mug of booze.
"Ah, about damn time! Wait, it's not on the house? Then who's paying?" Asked Gunavoe.
"Oh, he left not too long ago, I believe he went by the name Jean Parolette."
"Who the hell is he?"
"Well... I'm unaware, but he appeared to be an adventurer." Said the waitress.
"Well, it's whatever, tell the lad I said thanks whenever you see em."
"Of course."
The waitress left the table, leaving Gunavoe to sip his booze in peace.
"..."
Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.
He continued drinking the Muddy Dragon until it was halfway empty.
"Bwaaa! That's some good stuff. Alright, so you mentioned something about your delivery owl being loyal, is that it- Huh? What's the matter with you?"
"The person who paid for your drink, you aren't gonna question that?"
"Oh bloody hell, why the fuck should I? The lad got me some booze, so I should appreciate it now, and ask questions later!"
"With a mindset like that, you're bound to get yourself into trouble one of these days."
Gunavoe lifted his hand, stopping Grimhild from talking.
"Spare me the lecture, granny."
"I should blast you with Fronyir."
"Pwa ha ha!"
Gunavoe continued chugging down his booze, leaving Grimhild with a look of disgust.
"You dirty, filthy old man."
Patting his belly, he burped.
"Oi, you have no right to be calling me out of all people, old!"
"Perhaps."
Grimhild lifted her cup, sipping the last of her orange juice.
"So, tell me, what do you plan on doing with that invitation letter, Grimhild? What's your precaution?"
"I'm going to summon Zarutha, and deliver the letter back to King Lancelot with my signature, saying I agree to the duel."
"What?!!" Gunavoe yelled, standing up from his seat. "Are you mad, woman?!" Slamming his hand on the table, he pointed at the witch. "You're gonna get yourself bloody killed, yeh fucking idiot! You stand no chance going up against one of the legendary heroes!"
"Hmph." Grimhild grinned, closing her eyes at his words. "You never know until you try, he acknowledged me for my strength after all."
"That wasn't said in the damn letter!"
"Yes, but it's common sense, why else would he invite me?"
"Tch..." Gunavoe sat back down, resting his palm against his forehead. "You can't be suicidal, I won't let you do something like this, I know how ruthless that man is, down to his soul. I've seen it with my own eyes."
"You have." Nodded the witch. "But I'm doing this for a reason, Gunavoe."
"What reason?"
"Projanta." Casting a spell, she lifted her palm in the air, projecting a hologram. "This is the Kingdom of Mesnil, currently."
"Oh... my... days..."
Upon the hologram was a disaster.
Single mothers who couldn't feed their starving children.
Fathers who were drafted into war.
Commoners who had to steal to survive.
And the rich who lived prosperously in their abode, financing King Lancelot and his army.
"The entire country is divided." Muttered Gunavoe.
"Indeed, and this will continue to spread across the entire Northern Empire if King Lancelot doesn't change his ways. I saw all of this during my journey on the road, and I was prepared for the worst. But now I know that King Lancelot is behind this, so I have a plan to stop this madness."
"I see..." Gunavoe closed his eyes, looking away from the horrors of Mesnil. "Alright, tell me, what's your plan?"
Grimhild took away the hologram and looked more serious than usual.
"Once I deliver the letter back to his kingdom, King Lancelot will be joyous from my agreement to his duel, but there's one thing I didn't mention."
Gunavoe glanced at the witch, lifting his brow.
"What is it?"
"I'll fight him under one condition; the commoners, the poor, the weak, and the starved must be fed, and sheltered until I arrive in three days. He won't deny this offer, mainly because fighting me will be the only entertainment he's had in years."
"You madwoman, giving a condition to one of the legendary heroes." Said Gunavoe.
"Sometimes being mad is the key to world problems."
"Hahahaha!" Gunavoe laughed before nodding his head. "You're goddamn right. This is why I love you, Grimhild, you're one crazy fuckin' chick, challenging King Lancelot to better the economy."
"I only see Justice, nothing more."
"That sounds like you, alright." His smile faded, lowering his head, and quickly tensing up the atmosphere. "But even if this is for the people of Mesnil, are you sure you can challenge a legendary hero, like King Lancelot?"
"That is a question I cannot answer, you must see it to believe it."
Gunavoe nodded his head.
"Alright, if you're confident enough, then I won't stop you. As long as that bastard is defeated, that's all I care about in the end. Lancelot killed my men, who were my childhood friends. He cannot be forgiven."
"Drinking all the time won't take away that pain, Gunavoe, you need to accept it without alcohol."
"..." The former knight clenched his fist with his hand, resting his forehead against it. "It's hard, you know? I was powerless. I couldn't do a damn thing to save them from being executed. I don't even know how they died."
Grimhild reached for his fist, grasping it with her smaller hand.
"You've mourned their deaths long enough, it's time to move on, that's what they would've wanted from you."
"Aye, that much is true."
"And you know it."
"Thank you, Grimhild."
"Mm." She nodded her head, smiling.
"If you weren't attracted to feminine men so much, then you would be the woman I would marry."
"Eronta."
Casting a spell, Grimhild summoned an apple inside his mouth.
"Oi, ghert thish therng out mah mouf!"
"I'm off, Gunavoe, our conversation was lovely, do take care of yourself."
She stood up, leaving the tavern.
"Oi!" Finally taking the apple from his mouth, he took a deep breath. "Wait! Will I be seeing you again, Grimhild?"
Walking towards the door, the witch turned around to nod her head.
"I'm certain we'll come across each other again. Goodbye, Gunavoe."
The former knight smiled, giving a thumbs up.
"Alright, I'll catch ya later, you old hag."
+
"Give me your fucking bag, you stupid bitch!"
"No, get off me, I won't let you take it! These are for my children!"
A woman struggled in an empty part of Wyvernwood, kicking, and slapping the man in front of her, but he didn't budge.
"Kids? Do you think I care about your kids? Hell, if I felt like it, I would be at your home right now, showing those little fuckers what's up! If you know what I mean... Kehahaha!"
"Y-You monster, you fucking... monster!!" She cocked her knee, ramming it into his groin.
"Gah! F-Fucking bitch!"
Leaning forward, he held his crotch, falling to his knees.
"I'll kill you!"
"Help me, somebody, please!"
Taking her chance to escape, she booked it out of the alleyway, heading for the open exit.
"Grab her ass!"
Out of nowhere, three large men stepped in front of the alleyway, blocking her escape.
"Let's fuck this chick up!"
"No... No!"
She ran the opposite way, but the previous criminal grabbed her by the hair, slamming her into the ground.
"Where do you think you're going, huh? We're gonna have some fun with you!"
"Stop it...! You can take my food, just leave me alone, I beg of you, I'm a virgin... you can't do this to me!"
"Oh, a virgin? You heard that, fellas?" One of the criminals laughed at her pleas and slapped her ass. "That means we got a nice, tight whore to pass around, doesn't it?"
"Why do people like you always get off scot-free? The world is sickening, isn't it?"
"Huh?"
The woman's voice changed.
It was different.
"What the fuck did you just say, you slut?"
"Oh, I made myself very clear."
"Strip her clothes- Guh!!"
A knife pierced the one of mugger's throats, causing him to back away, holding his neck.
"Oh shit, Danny! Oh man, what the fuck?! This ain't no ordinary chick!"
"Far from it." Said the lady.
"Shit, let's fucking run!"
Before they could make their escape, multiple knives pierced the other lawbreaker's thighs, forcing them to their knees.
"Gaaaah! F-Fuck, she got me!"
"Damnit...! Shit!"
The lady stood up, removing her blonde wig, and revealing long blue hair that flowed to her back.
"Evening fellas."
They all turned around, facing their assailant.
What they saw shocked them to their core.
"It's... you! Jean Parolette, that cross-dressing adventurer!"
"I go by many names, but crossdressing gives me an easier time attracting evil men like you, so I can clean up trash off the streets."
"No... spare us, we're sorry!"
There was no mercy in his actions.
Multiple knives were thrown from Jean's hand, blitzing their perception, and stabbing all three of them in the head.
They fell like puppets with their strings cut, meeting their maker.
"So, thugs are starting to know about me as the crossdressing adventurer? I have to play my cards more carefully."
Stepping over the bodies with high heels, Jean left the scene, showing no respect for their corpses.