[sub][i][color=gray]Fifteen days ago...[/color][/i][/sub]

Ludvig felt significantly less bad about spending two silvers for coffee, after Carnatia's generous tip of what does amount to ten silvers.
Before that was a lengthy positive review, followed by more sentiments about splurging. It felt strangely nostalgic, seeing someone in nobility just gleefully part with coin.
Oh, how rare they ever do it.

Then came their replies to his question. Statements of their resolve, or some might rather view as justifications for their future misgivings. Sadly, Ludvig did not disagree with it. There exists lost causes that are simply permanent, unamendable. Best to lock them away from society, yet to him death still seemed too much for a prison.

He knew that thinking so was hypocrisy. He'd be lying to himself to think it wasn't.
He hoped to match their resolve with his. The first thought was to finally procure a weapon again.

After the little breakfast party, Ludvig was out and about, wandering around the city, observing the people. He would not be seen by the rest of the team for the ensuing twenty or so hours.

The morning after, before departure, a leather-sheathed steel dagger could be spotted along his left waist, and for the more discerning, a little rectangular shape filling the right breast pocket of Ludvig's pink polo.
One could tell he was a tad dismayed, seemingly about this new horse. But of course, it wasn't trained to trot like the previous one. A galloping horse, he muttered and sighed. He supposes reading a book during the ride was finally out of the question.

[sub][i][color=gray]During the trip...[/color][/i][/sub]

The object in Ludvig's pocket reveals itself to be a polished silver, stainless steel harmonica, with which he would skillfully [url=https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=yGJMrwAt1QA&si=0DwnlCGcNCQ2DKVO]play some tunes[/url] with as they rode the days on horseback.

When he's not playing the harmonica, he resumed his habit of sleeping on the galloping horse during the day, and with the extra vigilance, he afforded extra sleep during the night as well... except for the nights when Amaris took watch, opting to stay up and try to chat with her. Meaningless topics like the moons and stars in the sky, and how beautiful she is as these celestial bodies reflected their lights about her.

A worry develops in the back of his mind that the extra sleep's gradually turning him into a deeper sleeper...

[sub][i][color=gray]Present day...[/color][/i][/sub]

... as is proven by Ludvig still being asleep during the entire ruckus that is currently happening.
He jolted awake at the sound of Carnatia's voice pleading for Mirielle to stay her ground, and the wake of mana surrounding the two women.
Trouble. Five uniformed men and a sixth hanging by a rope.

With about zero hesitation and a hopefully adequate evaluation of this team's members, he unsheathes his dagger, leaps off his horse, grabs the biggest guy in the team -- that being the masked man in green named Sten Rezello Ashton-Fulsteel -- and teleports¹ both of them right beside the hanged peasant, slashing the rope while mid-air and letting the peasant fully drop to ground.

There they were, Rezello, Ludvig and the peasant, in the middle of two uniformed soldiers, one of them visibly more armoured.
Obviously Rezello would deal with the more armoured one, right? He could only hope.

[sup]『 [i]Ludvig[/i] 』[/sup][indent]"Greetings, mortals. Fine morning we have today.
So, are you loyalists or revolutionists? Doesn't matter, you're all the same anyway. Do y'all know of a Paladin by the name of Thomas?"[/indent]
Provocation is such a fun prelude to any conflict. He gauged their reactions as he prodded with the important question, and swiftly came to a conclusion.
These people are hiding something. They need to be kept alive.

From this point on, a shield² of slimy, gooey nature, may pop up around Rezello or the peasant if they are unable to dodge an attack. Ludvig's confident he can dodge attacks without having to spend any mana to shield it, even from one of the muskets.

[sub][color=gray]¹『 [i]Jumpscare[/i] 』
²『 [i]Prismatic Barrier[/i] 』[/color][/sub]