[IC] Absolved Will Be the Saviors

[Mas Bagus]

Oswald was brewing that stranger's coffee when more patrons came in, and as he looked at the front door, the barkeep realized that his trouble was getting even bigger.

"Beer? This early in the day?"

remarked one of those newcomers. Her hair was carrot-colored, and her attire was as pompous as those troublesome nobles on the business trip.

"Then again I've heard that it would pair well with some of the dishes served in this region. Very well, a mug of your finest dunkel, then. As for the dish, I would like sauerkraut as the appetizer, Schweinshaxe as the main dish, knödel as a side dish, and apfelstrudel as dessert."

Without giving Oswald time to comprehend, let alone write those long words in a damn paper, that dame had already talking to one of her companions, who seemed like a bratty panjandrum.

"Oy! Guv!" He called, leaning half of his body on the counter like an irritated horse. "Say whot again?"

Carnathia repeated his order, and by the time she started pronouncing sauerkraut and Schweinshaxe, Oswald no longer bothered writing them up.

"You know what, Guv? I say you went to the wrong establishment. There is a fancy restaurant five towns ago run by Varenheim Knive ears, they definitely got all you want. The best we make here's sausage roll! Da best in da east I say!"

"We can have 'em too boss?" the cook suddenly chimed in, bringing Ludwig's omelet and placing it on the counter. "Saurkraut is that fermented cabbage, boss, and for Schweinshaxe---"

"Scwein... what agen?" inquired the barkeep, slightly confused when the cook spelled the word proficiently.

"Sch-weins-haxe" the cook corrected. "I can fetch swine knuckle from our local butcher, it's still early day so he should have some. For the Knodel, I will boil the potatoes now."

The barkeep rolled his eyes and poured a black colored beer into a mug. "Whatever. Bloody Fritz and their unnecessarily long words. Just saying you want a black beer would suffice. What about your pals? They got mushy wet sour cabbage and pork legs too?"

The cook, a young man with afro hair winked. His voice was smooth. "I can make your order, miss, but the preparation would take a while."

[Randomness]

Osric Griswall

---

The trip was long, but not quite grueling. With their colorful cast of characters, there was at least something going on. Rezello would occasionally be preoccupied with his thoughts, sometimes mumbling to himself, and then there was the silent war between Mirielle and Amaris. And then just being around Amanita gave the wagon a nice earthy scent. Lynx took it upon herself to steward the trip, boasting of her liniage within a merchant’s family. Between her and Carnatia, there was enough high class blood among them to balance Osric’s presence as the gun for hire. It was odd that the client this time wasn’t either of them. Rubbing elbows with nobility wasn’t a new concept. Some companions he used to travel with were current or former nobility. Perhaps what made it odd this time is Carnatia and to an extent Lynx didn’t appear to have abandoned that life style.

After almost a month of travel, they arrived at Dragon Maw. Being so close to Tretagor, one wouldn’t define it as a tourist town. Yet even so, it was clearly receiving a lot of business. Development was high, and the population bustling. As the last stop before Tretagor, it would definitely be a good time to get any lingering reservations out of the way. Osric dismounted and twisted his back to help loosen his spine. Then he joined the others as they discussed what to do. It was a rare moment of down time, even if just for the evening. Work truly began in the morning, and Osric agreed with the other’s that a warm meal was warranted.

Osric joined the others at the t was hard to pass up Lynx’s offer to cover the meal, saving whatever personal budgets they might have had. Osric wouldn’t turn that down. So as everyone else made their way after Ludvig, Osric too walked with them. What made it better though was the show between the barkeep and his companions. They walked into the middle of it, but already it seemed the keep woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Whatever it was Ludvig ordered, an omelet if the barkeeps response after his joke by the sounds of it. And then Carnatia following with the order of her own. A difference of night and day. Humorous. At least the kitchen staff heard her and were willing to accommodate her requests.

When the mood quieted down, Osric also sat himself down at the bar. “I think I’ll pass on the pig scraps and pickled cabbage. I’ll have some of that coffee, if there’s any left. And a sausage roll sounds like a hearty enough breakfast, so I’ll have that. Here’s hoping Carnatia’s meal doesn’t take up the too much of the Ktichen’s time to whip up.”

[Augran]

She orders food as extravagantly as she dresses, he thought.

Raising the sunglasses onto his hair lest it fogs up as he drinks his coffee -- no sugar or anything in it this time -- Ludvig's eyes dart back and forth between the afro-haired cook and their team's only redhead.
No particular reason.

Their outfits did stick out a lot compared to people in the town, now that he looked at it. Especially Carnatia. A lot of gold trimming, and that headband. At least it didn't look gaudy.
Still, it's like she's being painted as a target for thieves, which might actually be a problem with the amount of coin Linceleste brought with her. The incessant jingling of coin emanating from the carriage throughout their travels, it must be numbering in several hundred.
Suppose that's assuming anyone would dare commit thievery in a town with a lot of military presence. Aside from maybe himself. Not for now, though.

Forks a slice of omelette as Osric sits down on the bar as well -- Huh, that is one plain omelette. Lightly salted. Visible specks of pepper dust. Bit creamy, must be butter.
Not bad.
He felt weirdly thirsty though, must be the butter. Coffee's not helping either, plus he felt like adhering to a balanced diet, especially since the omelette didn't have any greens in it.

^{『 Ludvig 』} "Oh, I'll have some of that sauerkraut as well.
And some water, please. Thank you."

Chewing and gulping while glancing at the three, or rather noticing the lack of people aside from them. Glancing at the door.
Strangely anxious and relieved at the same time, at the persisting absence of a certain somebody.

[Soldat Elf]

Linceleste York

---

As they have arrived on the tavern. It was Carnatia who led the way on the entrance to the facility. As she heard out from what the barkeeper said. She made an order that seemed alien to them. She also noticed Ludvig, who already had orders for himself. She let man have some space and looked back to the Carnatia, and the baroness also turned her head to Linceleste too.

"Lady York, I realize that a full-course meal might not what you have in mind when you offered, but I am willing to pay for myself if it's too much trouble, no offence intended, of course. I did not wish to slight your gracious offer, merely making a clarification on my own end.

As from what she heard from Carnatia. Linceleste shook her head gently and slowly and said, "Don't worry about it. I can cover it." and gave the baroness a smile.

"You know what, Guv? I say you went to the wrong establishment. There is a fancy restaurant five towns ago run by Varenheim Knive ears, they definitely got all you want. The best we make here's sausage roll! Da best in da east I say!"

For her turn. She heard that the sausage roll is the best dish they have. It seemed that was their signature dish. As she settled for her order, she took her turn. 

"Mine is a sausage roll, please. And give me your recommendation for a drink that suits with it," Linceleste said to the barkeeper in a polite manner.

When the mood quieted down, Osric also sat himself down at the bar. “I think I’ll pass on the pig scraps and pickled cabbage. I’ll have some of that coffee, if there’s any left. And a sausage roll sounds like a hearty enough breakfast, so I’ll have that. Here’s hoping Carnatia’s meal doesn’t take up the too much of the Ktichen’s time to whip up.”

As she heard Osric and Carnatia's order. She is still waiting for others who have not yet ordered.

[Mas Bagus]

“I think I’ll pass on the pig scraps and pickled cabbage. I’ll have some of that coffee, if there’s any left. And a sausage roll sounds like a hearty enough breakfast, so I’ll have that. Here’s hoping Carnatia’s meal doesn’t take up the too much of the Ktichen’s time to whip up.”

"Now we talk business eh! Goodd choice, simple and not bothersome." said the barkeep happily, pointing his graphite at Oswald. "Nah, no need not to worry about the bloody queue, Nob had made quite a batch this early morning, so sit tight! Coffee and sausage roll coming right up!"

Later, the eccentric man Ludwig called.

『 Ludvig 』 "Oh, I'll have some of that sauerkraut as well.
And some water, please. Thank you."

"Throat's getting sewer-ish I see. Don't worry mate, A water and them nasty cabbages!"

When Oswald wrote it down that blonde lady finally ordered, what a time indeed.

"Mine is a sausage roll, please. And give me your recommendation for a drink that suits with it,"

"Fancy that roll of dem sausage I see," he remarked, only to frown upon seeing the last part of what he just wrote. "milady, this is a bar.
We serve booze here for the most part if you haven't noticed. If ye ask me a nice drink except for spirits? Then I say you've got wo'er... with sugar, savvy?"

****

On a wooden tray, another freshly brewed coffee, black beer and two mugs of water (one sweetened) were ready to be delivered. The barkeep seemed to work both as a bartender and server, and he had all the drinks delivered in no time. His paunchy frame didn't seem to slow him down at all.

Now, he had already retreated to the kitchen, and would soon return to the common room with a tray consisting of already cooked pastry, tongs, and three relatively clean plates.

"Nob hasn't returned, so the cabbage has to wait, me afraid. Enjoy!" He said enthusiastically, to both Oswald and Lynx after personally plating the dish.

"Sadly we serve no pastry, and this town ain't got any bakery as far I remember," he said to Carnathia, waving the tongs. "Unless you want to knock on ole' Brenda's door. Damned sure she always bakes that flaky dessert of yours. In the meantime, fancy some sausage rolls, ma'am?"

[13org]

---

Having Carmen reassuring her that the guards from Dragon's Maw had already been informed about her was very comforting for Amaris. Given the respect he seemed to have and the old position as a cavalry colonel, it should be more than enough to give her a free pass to walk around without being accused. The mention of pigs being a staple on Dragon's Maw was very promising. She didn't particularly care about 'refined' meals, only about good meals. With meat being one of her favorite.

"That sounds delightful! It would be nice if someone could also drag Ludwig out of his self-imposed exile as well..." Amaris said with a sigh. Maybe she was indeed a bit too hard on Ludwig, but it had already been days since that incident...

Mirielle also was quick to reassure Carmen that she would escort her, albeit in a way that made Amanita misunderstand it as being friendship, which gave Amaris a wonderful opportunity to tease the ex-inquisitor about it.

"Isn't it, Amanita? I didn't know Mirielle cared about me so much!" Amaris said with an teasing grin as she looked at Mirielle.

"Why don't you come with us as well, Amanita? I do find your company to be quite pleasing." Amaris said as she turned to Amanita, with a gentle smile as she extended her hand towards her.

---

"Thank you again for your generosity, Linceleste." Amaris said, with a smile as she thanked Linceleste for the meal as they entered the tavern. The young noblewoman was still a bit of a mystery for Amaris. Even though she heard Linceleste was on this mission to rescue her uncle, with how young she was, she expected her family would object to her decision to go, send someone in her place or at least a bodyguard. But regardless of the reasons behind her presence, Linceleste seemed to be, despite being rather quiet, a very kind girl. Similarly to Amanita, she was someone Amaris found relaxing to have nearby.

While Amaris didn't care about how 'fancy' and 'refined' the tavern wasn't, she couldn't help but to think Carnatia's requests didn't fit the place at all. As the talk with the barkeep continued, Amaris was almost certain they would be kicked out, as the barkeep seemed to start finding Carnatia's requests to be offensive. Due to that, when the cook suddenly appeared from inside the kitchen, saying that it wouldn't be a problem to indulge Carnatia's requests, she was quite surprised.

"Quite a nice guy, that cook fellow, isn't he?" Amaris said, looking to the young cook and thanking with a silent nod and a smile before she turned to the barkeep as he asked about their orders as well. At first, Amaris would simply ask for whatever Carnatia was asking, but after hearing Osric's order and seeing how proud the barkeep seemed to be about their sausage rolls, she decided to modify her order a bit.

"Knodel and Schweinshaxe sound wonderful for the main dish! Although, if possible, I would like a sausage roll with some black beer for the appetizer. I don't mind a reinforced breakfast, seeing the long way we probably still have ahead of us." She said with an amicable smile, hoping the barkeep would find her choice of appetizer a bit more to his liking. Especially since the barkeep seemed quite proud of their sausage rolls.

"Before you say anything, don't worry, Mirielle. I am not someone who enjoys drinking until I fall or something. A mug of dark beer simply sounded like a good combination." she said, making sure to Mirielle she wouldn't need to worry about Amaris getting drunk. Unlike other times, this time Amaris was simply informing her and not teasing. Which would be probably a refreshing change for Mirielle.

With the matter of their order settled, Amaris finally turned to Ludwig, who had gotten to the tavern before them and was sitting a bit apart from them. Sighing heavily, she turned towards him with an annoyed expression.

"Come sit with us, Ludvig. I get that I was a bit too harsh at you back then, but I'm not that mad at you. I don't think anyone is, to be fair... It's already time for you to return to your normal, cheerful self, isn't it?" Amaris said, a bit annoyed.

[A5G]

'F-FRIENDSHIP?!"

Despite managing to keep a stoic front for the entire trip, it all crumbled at the end from a single plain sentence of the winer. Mirielle sputtered in indignant outrage at the seemingly random statement, made worse by how genuinely it was said. Just which part of their interactions looked like friendship?

The moment of shock was enough for the party to move along, filing into the quaint tavern that could've easily be mistaken for several hundred other similar pit stop all over Helvetia. Mirielle had to jog a bit to catch up, inwardly cursing at the missed opportunity to clarify the fact of the matter. Now that there's other people present, there's little chance to properly talk about it without compromising their relative anonymity.

A fuming Mirielle slipped into the seat next to the penitent, with an obvious gap inbetween if anyone's paying attention, chair angled so that she can keep Amaris in her peripheral vision. She flicked an errant strand of hair away from her eye, wondering if it's time for another trim, even as the bulk of her attention fell into the ongoing conversations.

"I'll have the sausage roll. And some water please, thank you."

An eyebrow rose at the sudden chatter from the witch. Surprisingly lacking barbs this time around. Mirielle remained quiet for a few seconds, mulling whether to keep the silent game, before deciding that she should at least remain civil in return. With a shrug her posture eased, leaning into the backrest instead of remaining straight as a flagpole.

"I shan't judge you over your choice of breakfast," The W word was at the tip of her tongue, but she switched it seamlessly enough. "Miss Amaris. But there is wisdom in avoiding overindulgence." Honestly, Mirielle herself could appreciate good meals. It's just she need to remain in perfect condition at all times, or at least until the mission was deemed over. There's potential danger both within and without after all.

And look, Amaris even took the initiative to mend the bridge with Ludvig (with a V). About three weeks late, but better late than never. Seeing the man mope like kicked puppy wasn't exactly pleasant so far. Heh, a murderous witch comforting a puppy. Wasn't that an image? Mirielle lightly chuckled at the thought.

[Augran]

'Normal, cheerful self', she says.

Ludvig stares at himself being reflected by the half-empty glass of water beside an empty plate of what used to be a decent plain omelette.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"I see... There seems to be a misconception. Um..."

Takes a shot of the remaining water in the glass, as if looking for some extra courage underneath that water. Heartbeat's rising. He hated confrontations precisely because of this, but this had to happen at some point.
He pivots on his barstool to face Amaris.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"I was cheerful to you alone. This is how I am normally, I'm actually not that much of a people-person.
I was just looking for a way to naturally excuse myself from the room, and you, my beautiful intimidating friend, were chosen by yours truly as my patsy."

Gently grabs Amaris' hand with both hands and pets it like a cat, like he's a grandmother imparting wisdom to her kin.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"I do need to apologize for that particular deception.
I did know about those robes beforehand, my family used to collect artifacts back in the day and that's one of the ones I've always wanted to get my hands on.
Figuratively, not literally like I did do."

He hoped the joke at least earned some laughs, as he lets go of her hand and turns back towards the bar and his empty plate. Points at his empty glass and hands it to Oswald.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"I did not lie about you, at least. I do find you beautiful. The teeth are... frankly a plus, to be honest. And you've been so amicable so far you actually became friends with Mirielle, which is an incredible feat in its own right.
Um... I, I think I do find you attractive. Very. Hell, some might even call it love at this point.
That's also why I'm being distant."

Glances at Amaris then back to Oswald handing him a new glass of water. He mouths 'thank you' in silence.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Even now, I can still feel this growing mass of selfish desires inside of me, and all it wants to do right now is to know everything about you... and that's just not what either of us need right now.
You need to earn your freedom, I need to protect you all from harm, the team collectively has this... mission, we don't need distractions.
Although it seems a bit late for that."

Drinks the water with his left hand while showing the back of his right hand. Three subtle scars that nearly blend with his skin.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Mm... Yep.
By the way I'm alright, as you can see... so.
Thanks for... repeatedly asking the others to check up on me.
Honestly I'll be fine if you did stab me intentionally, even a hundred times.
And you can take that as an invitation."

Glances at Amaris and winks.

[Mas Bagus]

"Knodel and Schweinshaxe sound wonderful for the main dish! Although, if possible, I would like a sausage roll with some black beer for the appetizer. I don't mind a reinforced breakfast, seeing the long way we probably still have ahead of us."

"I'll have the sausage roll. And some water please, thank you."

"Beer, more sausage. Nob! More of that swine legs and fried mashed potatoes of yours! And wother? Again? What's wrong with people these days?"

Seeing that nobody seemed to care about his cockney remark (not that he cares as long as they are ordering), Oswald returned to the kitchen to oversee the preparation and maybe give Nob some hand.

All dishes had been cooked, but before he put them on a tray and started serving, Oswald checked his list, not the kind he uses to keep everyone's order on the tab, but the list of people The Order had informed and their general appearance.

And their appearance was as insane as described, making the fat barkeep wonder what kind of faithful nutjob commissioned this mission. What mission? It was a secret they said in their letter.

He had everything served in no time, and since everyone was busy talking with each other, he decided to read the room and not meddle with his snarky remark.

"Quite a colourful bunch you have here." Oswald now sat at Rezello's table and placed a mug of beer and a plate of sausage rolls. "On the house." He gestured.

"Can't say yous are the most unusual though. I've seen more mercs like you folks cross the border in these past two years. Usually they got no papers with them, means one-way trip to no man's land. You, eh... got a similar purpose?"

[Deide]

Amanita Myrcella

---

"That sounds delightful! It would be nice if someone could also drag Ludwig out of his self-imposed exile as well..."

Ludwig did seem less energetic after their interaction togheter. Personally, she didn't see the problem with it, but she was told she was "strange", so it's probably an her-thing.

'F-FRIENDSHIP?!"

Oh, Mirielle was starting to turn into an interesting shade of red.She approved, it looked good on her.

"Isn't it, Amanita? I didn't know Mirielle cared about me so much!" Amaris said with an teasing grin as she looked at Mirielle
"Why don't you come with us as well, Amanita? I do find your company to be quite pleasing."

"Yes, thank you, i would like that. And i do find your own presence quite soothing myself,though i'm unsure of the reason why.

A mistery she couldn't help but want to resolve. She hoped that, if she continue to interact with her, she could glean the reason why. A win-win situation!

---

A Tavern, a place for eating and resting. Unfortunately,it seemed to be quite well maintained, no mold on the wall,no life struggling to make a living inside the floor, it was quite unlike most other taverns she visited. A shame.

Seating herself beside Amaris, but far enough not to hit her with the brim of her cap. People didn't like that.

Seeing as everyone's was ordering, she added her own voice, ordering her usual.

"Can i get things you won't use? Butcher's remains, draff,wrung blood, food you are going to throw away, anything is fine."

She could sustain herself perfectly well on these thing, and most everyone was glad to get rid of them, so the request shouldn't be too bothersome.

"I shan't judge you over your choice of breakfast," The W word was at the tip of her tongue, but she switched it seamlessly enough. "Miss Amaris. But there is wisdom in avoiding overindulgence."

"But life is full of wonders, shouldn't we try and appreciate them as much as possible?"

Once someone said to her that 'too much of a good thing is never enough',and she found herself agreeing at the time. Was she wrong?

[Valkon]

Rezello

---

At Carmen's suggestion, Rezello and the others made their way to the tavern, following after their quick-moving companion. Mirielle initially lagged behind, blatantly taken aback by Amanitia's misinterpretation of the relation between her and Amaris, but caught back up with them quickly enough. While the others ordered - certain requests drawing the ire of the bartender present, though thanks to some luck the cook apparently knew the more fanciful orders well enough - Rezello took a seat at one of the open tables, looking around the tavern.

Empty. Not necessarily a surprise, given the time, though he expected a tavern in a city as busy as Dragon's Maw seemed to be would have had at least a few patrons. Another stroke of luck, perhaps. As much as they could try to keep a low profile, a group like theirs would almost certainly draw attention from others. Plus, it meant Carnatia, Ludvig, and Amaris - the latter two deciding to add some of the same as what Carnatia had ordered to their meals - wouldn't have to wait for someone else's order to finish... or, as would be more likely, delay them from getting started

As the cook was working on the more complicated orders, the barkeep brought out his "best in da east" sausage rolls and a collection of drinks. Though Rezello hadn't yet put in an order, it seemed as though the barkeep had read his mind, bringing pretty much exactly what he would have chosen. Plus, it was on the house, apparently.

"Quite a colourful bunch you have here. Can't say yous are the most unusual though. I've seen more mercs like you folks cross the border in these past two years. Usually they got no papers with them, means one-way trip to no man's land. You, eh... got a similar purpose?"

"More unusual than us, eh?" Rezello glanced at his companions for a moment before turning back to Oswald. "You must see some interesting people out here on the frontier, friend. As for our purpose, well, I can't really say. Details weren't really a part of my job description, I'm just here to try to keep these people safe. As for a 'one-way' trip, well... Whatever we're here to accomplish, I'm hoping it'll turn out two-way. I expect most of my allies here would agree."

He lifted a sausage roll to his mouth, the jaw of his mask moving with his own as he started eating. Better to maintain secrecy, even if this man was just a barkeep trying to make a bit of friendly conversation. Besides, it wasn't exactly a lie; he didn't know too much about the mission, aside from what he was told during his initial briefing and had been discussed on the party's first night together. Whatever wasn't already known to the public must have been that way for good reason.

"But, who knows how things will turn out. Tell you what, though, if I do return, I'll be coming back for some more of the best sausage rolls in the east."

[Randomness]

Osric Griswall

---

Now that most everyone was at the tavern, the barkeep and his kitchen would certainly be busy for the next little while. Everyone was gathered around tables and making small talk. Amaris, Mirielle, and Amanita were the last to arrive. Two girls sitting at the table, five feet apart because, well... It was obvious the Mirielle wanted to be close to keep an eye on the sarkaz girl, but also to signify that she was doing so out of obligation exclusively. Being honest with himself, if it were not for Mirielle’s vigilance around Amaris, Osric would have forgotten that she was the very woman that massacred an entire town. At least his uneasy feelings after initially meeting Amaris had gone, leaving him even more ready to continue this journey with her.

“You know, Ludvig, that was probably the most heart felt confession I’ve heard in a long time. And I’ve been on the road for a long time. Meeting all sorts of folks with all sorts of tales. But I’m sure you have similar.” said Osric. He took a bit out of the sausage roll and sipped his coffee. The kitchen was working fast, but it looked like Carnatia’s order was still going to be a bit of time. There wasn’t a rush at least, so the conversation was nice.

“Amanita has the right idea. Lets add to the story. We’ve not reach Tetragor yet, and we are already turning heads. We’re going to be a forced to be reckoned with by the end of this.”

[Randomguy]

Carnatia de Valmont

---

The cook, a young man with afro hair winked. His voice was smooth. "I can make your order, miss, but the preparation would take a while."

@Mas Bagus

Carnatia nodded, "Certainly. I shall wait with bated breath."

She did not truly expect them to actually serve her order. She mostly asked because Carmen had mentioned the possibility of a custom order and that she might as well ask.

That they would actually go out of their way to serve her order though, merit at least a token of appreciation. Yes, she would tip generously, if nothing else, especially if the food turned out to be delicious.

As from what she heard from Carnatia. Linceleste shook her head gently and slowly and said, "Don't worry about it. I can cover it." and gave the baroness a smile.

@Soldat Elf

"I will leave it to you then," Carnatia remarked.

No sense in arguing. Decorum dictate it would be rude to reject such an offer, in any case. Perhaps if she were another noble, Carnatia might have insisted. After all, among nobles such gesture was part of a 'game' of the sort that they play in high society, as a 'battle of status', and so, if one were to maintain respect in high society, easily relenting would be seen as a sign of weakness, perhaps even inviting gossip and rumours regarding one's financial status—or lack thereof.

It was not a game Carnatia enjoyed playing, but nevertheless a necessary one to play. Linceleste, while coming from an affluent family, was not a noble nor was this a high-society soiree. Therefore, at this moment playing such a game was—fortunately—unnecessary.

『 Ludvig 』 "Even now, I can still feel this growing mass of selfish desires inside of me, and all it wants to do right now is to know everything about you... and that's just not what either of us need right now.
You need to earn your freedom, I need to protect you all from harm, the team collectively has this... mission, we don't need distractions.
Although it seems a bit late for that."
^{『 Ludvig 』} "Mm... Yep.
By the way I'm alright, as you can see... so.
Thanks for... repeatedly asking the others to check up on me.
Honestly I'll be fine if you did stab me intentionally, even a hundred times.
And you can take that as an invitation."

Glances at Amaris and winks.

@Cale Henituse

'Was that supposed to be his idea of courting?' Carnatia thought.

How droll.

It was such sappy exaggerated lines one might find in lowbrow smutty literature designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator...which her sister enjoyed—and made Carnatia read, recently.

In any case, perhaps Ludwig was the type to coast by merely on his looks alone, which was fair enough, he definitely had the look for it. His romantic lines...not so much.

Though she probably best keep that to herself. Hardly proper to nitpick such a thing, especially when the subject in question was a teammate.

"I shan't judge you over your choice of breakfast," The W word was at the tip of her tongue, but she switched it seamlessly enough. "Miss Amaris. But there is wisdom in avoiding overindulgence."

@A5G

"But life is full of wonders, shouldn't we try and appreciate them as much as possible?"

@Deide

"Very true. Lady Mirielle, temperance is a virtue, alas, it is not quite abstinence, no? Temperance meant moderation in action after all, which means it should be all right as long as we do not go overboard. While we are in this area, it would be a shame to miss out on dunkel based on what my brother had told me. Apparently, it is made with a technique called decoction mashing, which involves taking a portion of the grains, boiling them, and then adding them back into the mash to increase the overall temperature. This boiling process helps extract more starches from the grains, giving it a malty aroma, with notes of caramel, toasted bread, and a touch of chocolate or coffee. Its flavour profile is supposed to be smooth and mellow, accentuating the sweetness from toasted malt mixed with a slight bitterness from the noble hops used. Are you sure you do not wish to indulge?

[Mas Bagus]

"More unusual than us, eh? You must see some interesting people out here on the frontier, friend."

"Oh you betcha! If it wos about bizarre appearance, then no folks can top those sarkaz mercs from Dagorlad. Come here once every blue moon for mercs jobs or just guardin' caravans. If it's bout personality, then those rogues from the guild should be the top contenders, play cards here for some nights while laughing and exchangin' tales bout their latest swindlin'. Those damn charlatans usually stopped laughing when they got too drunk and blathered up their latest source of fortune for everyone to hear."

The barkeep watched intently when the mercenary brought the food to his masked mouth, curious how the man would chew his meal, but then quickly realized that he had behaved impudently, so he continued.

"One thing for sure, fool as they may, no blokes with good heads on their shoulders would risk crossing to Sielse. Not anymore after the last winter, when the latest news about the latest batch of mercs stopped flowing. That's why I said they went on a one-way trip."

As for a 'one-way' trip, well... Whatever we're here to accomplish, I'm hoping it'll turn out two-way. I expect most of my allies here would agree."

"But, who knows how things will turn out. Tell you what, though, if I do return, I'll be coming back for some more of the best sausage rolls in the east."

The barkeep smiled.

"Then I owe ye some useful tips. Whatever your business might be in Sielse, better do it fast, and don't wait for anything, and I mean anything. Y'all must go home before November, lest yous will have to survive there until spring, and the more time you spend there the more it will mess your--"

The barkeep tapped his temple with his stubby finger.

"Things used to be more simple there a half-decade ago. On one side of the barn, you got that bloody loyalist, and on the other, there wos them heathen revolutionists. But these days I heard nobody can tell which pricks control that region. There used to be waves of refugees coming from Sielse, but today, all is quiet, like midnight quiet in a cemetery and we no longer see anyone trying to flee that no man's land. Sure, the bloody Tommies would detain illegal refugees, but surely staying behind bars is much better than staying in that God-forsaken land. Again, don't stay too long, do your duty and get back. Me inn's door's always open and yous can spend winter here."

@Valkon

[A5G]

Mirielle was halfway expecting another bout of impalement, but turns out with proper warning Amaris wasn't as stabby as before. But then her thought practically stopped at the sheer intensity of the emotion the quiet man suddenly displayed even if his choice of words were kinda sappy. Even when it was directed to probably the most questionable person in a dozen miles, there's something beautiful in loving someone regardless of their shortcomings...

No, wait. She should be concerned. And was that a jab at her?? Was he implying that Mirielle was the one hard to befriend?? The sheer audacity of this man.

Fuming but not wanting to ruin the mood, the ex-inquisitor tuned out the troublesome duo and switched her attention to the source of all her trouble today. As always, the frank straightforward attitude was putting her in the back foot. The simplicity in the inquiry was surprisingly thought-provoking, almost enough to forget that it easily put her in a tough spot earlier.

Almost.

"Well, Amanita dear." She coughed twice, buying time to rearrange her thoughts. A free hand idly twirled a lock of golden hair. "There are both wonders and horrors in life, and the line between the two are a lot blurrier than we'd expect. Take, for example, the drinks. Nothing wrong with indulging in alcohol from time to time. Drink too much every day though, and it is a gateway to violent and slothful behavior. Ruining both one's body and mind in equal measure."

Yes, that sounds perfectly reasonable. All that scripture-reading paid off.

The chatter continued, this time by the redhead noble. She's talking about... Mirielle was pretty sure it's about food, but she's completely lost somewhere around the second step. Was cooking really complicated? Her knowledge mostly extended to cleaning, cutting, and boil/grill/fry the ingredient with a bit of salt and spice sprinkled in. She smiled and nodded along anyway, but anyone paying close attention can see that her eyes already glazed over as her mind wandered into a distant place.

[13org]

---

Truth be told, watching Mirielle's composure being shattered upon the mention of friendship and the many shades of red she was turning as she struggled to regain it was incredibly amusing for Amaris. Even the way she sat down made it clear that she was still recovering from the shock... Which only encouraged Amaris to further poke fun at Mirielle.

"I couldn't help but to notice that this is the second time you referred to me by my name... I wonder if behind all those tough words you are secretly coming to enjoy my company..." Amaris said, with a teasing smirk as she looked to Mirielle, before addressing the more valid concerns Mirielle had.

"No need to worry though. I never had any problem with alcohol and I seldom drink more than a single cup." Amaris said in a more serious note, reassuring Mirielle that she wouldn't have to worry about her getting drunk.

Ironically enough, the moment Ludvig himself began to speak, it quickly became Amaris' turn to get shocked and embarrassed. As she heard his confession, Amaris couldn't help but stay as still as a statue in her chair, covering her mouth with her hands as she tried processing what she had just heard.

While she already heard a few times about her beauty back in Dargolad, nobody had ever been this forward with their feelings about her before and honestly, Amaris herself didn't know how to react. Too stunned to react, Amaris simply stood still as Ludvig held her hand, something which would normally have earned him quite a scolding before.

"Oh- I-I see... Sorry for... misunderstanding you..." Amaris said, stumbling on her words as she gently pulled her hand back, not really sure on how to take Ludvig having used her earlier... or if that was indeed the entire truth about how he was acting.

"I am very flattered... You are... quite good looking yourself and you're very sweet, but... Maybe you are going too fast don't you think? As you said, there are more... pressing matters to solve at the moment, for both of us. Besides, we both know ourselves too little to speak of love, Ludvig. Attraction might be the word you are looking for." Amaris began saying. It was her first time dealing with a confession like that and Ludvig's had completely overwhelmed her due to how suddenly it came and how 'intense' it was. Finding a way to delicately let him know that such advances were a bit too fast for her without wounding his pride was a... new experience for Amaris.

"Most importantly... There are still a side of me you are not aware of... Regarding what happened in that slaver settlement... I did say I am not guilty of killing innocent people. I never said I wasn't responsible for the slaughter that happened in that town." Amaris said, both her expression and her tone growing darker for a brief moment.

"Still, I was worried. Especially given how you left the room after what happened and how you distanced yourself from the rest of the group. I am glad to know you are fine. Regarding your confession... I.. I am not saying no, I'm just saying... Let's give it some time and a bit more thought. Should your feelings remain the same after all this is over... Then... who knows..." Amaris finished with a smile, even if a bit awkward, followed by an even more awkward silence.

Fortunately for Amaris, on the exact moment she finished, the food was served, including her quite generous meal. A good mug of dark beer, sausage roll and the main dish, Knodel and Schweinshaxe. A big bite of the sausage roll, together with a rather generous gulp of dark beer seemed to be quite helpful in taking Amaris' mind off the sudden confession and the awkwardness that followed, which seemed to be almost the complete opposite of what Mirielle meant by avoiding overindulgence.

"Anyways! You really weren't lying when you mentioned your sausage rolls are ones of the best, were you?" Amaris said surprised as she glanced towards the barkeep, who was talking with Rezello as she tried to disperse the awkward atmosphere that was in the air after Ludvig's confession.

"I could share some of mine with my dear friend, should you change your mind!" Amaris said, with a teasing smile towards Mirielle after she heard Carnatia's reply to her.

"Sure, there is nothing wrong in appreciating life, but Mirielle is also correct. Moderation and balance are the key, should you really want to live life to the fullest." Amaris said, giving a playful wink to Amanita and extending her fork towards her, offering a piece of her sausage roll, making the same offer she jokingly did to Mirielle.

[Augran]

Even Ludvig thought that the natural reaction was to be swiftly rejected, put off by the sudden upheavel of emotions unleashed within basically his first attempt at confessing to her.
Amaris' reaction is so far away from his expectations. A whole lot better than he expected, in fact.

Throughout her response and her ensuing interactions with Amanita and Mirielle, the word 'adorable' pops up repeatedly in his mind.
Even despite the little bit in the middle there about some slaughter.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Which one of us here don't even have blood on our hands, anyway? I bet even Linnie maimed a few thieves every now and then."

Ludvig said within earshot of the bar where his fellow men Osric and Rezello sat, and also Oswald the barkeep.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"I was almost sure it was a job requirement."

He turned away from Amaris' direction and back towards his empty plate that still lacked the sauerkraut he ordered minutes ago. A momentary annoyance, before his mind turned to different thoughts and he caught himself smiling again. He glances at the closest person sat to him, Osric.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"I'm, obviously no stranger to rejection, right? You can tell.
And yet, she was being so considerate, and, and gentle."

Leans his head back, staring at the ceiling. Sighs.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"No, yeah. This is definitely love. I love her a lot.
I'll die for her if I had to."

A little while later, Ludvig gently slaps the countertop, equally annoyed and curious.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Blast it with the sauerkraut... Oswald, could I have a sausage roll as well, please?
Also do you have, um... a sprinkle jar of minced garlic? Do you sell 'em? I'd like one of those to go."

[A5G]

Mirielle's mind wandered into less wholesome stuff, the manifold cooking steps reminded her of her last job as an inquisitor. An entire village taken by insanity after landslide rendered them cut off for two years, with only a handful of crazed husks left in there. The state of the missing travellers when she and her team found them...

...well, let's just say she wasn't a fan of entering the kitchen for a while after that.

Past the morbid thought, her straying attention landed onto the subject of close monitoring for the past month. The penitent - no, she wouldn't be one for that much longer now, would she? It was difficult to imagine her as anything else, at least until the sarkaz started stumbling like a village maiden. A crack in the facade? It's so easy to see Amaris the witch, that Amaris the person was lost inbetween.

Mirielle clicked her tongue, shaking awake from her reverie. Tch, do not sympathize with the sinners. Doing so will only expose one's weakness. Her absence from the inquisition must've clouded her judgment.

...but Amaris would've absolved her sin soon, wouldn't she? Then she's just another person.

The arrival of the food saved Mirielle from the logic spiral, where the difficult thoughts sank into the background. Right, one step at a time. Future problem was something for future Mirielle to deal with. For now, breakfast. The sausage rolls actually looked like a serious contender for "the best sausage rolls in the east".

She saw the troublesome penitent's lips curling into a now familiar smirk followed by anothet tease. Mirielle, for her part, recalled the interesting shade of bashful red Amaris had turned just mere seconds earlier and immediately felt better.

So she simply returned a smirk of her own, saying nothing as she bit into her sausage rolls.

"Heh."

Yep, best sausage rolls in the east.

[Mas Bagus]

Again, don't stay too long, do your duty and get back. Me inn's door's always open and yous can spend winter here."

"We will keep that in mind," interjected Carmen, there was a noticeable gruffness in his tone. "Señor, why don't you bring me some pale ale and food?

The barkeep stood up from his chair and glanced at the captain, the Barkeep's rounded stature seemed diminishing under Carmen's sharp gaze.

"Sure, Sir. What would you like?"

"Anything will do. Por pavor!"

Without any more ado, the Barkeep left.

Sitting down, Carmen took a minute to get rid of the frowns on his face. "I've spoken with city Castellan and he agreed to trade his horse with ours. There will be no delay with our departure."

Everyone knew that their scheduled leave would be tomorrow morning, but the unexpected matter was it didn't take too long for Carmen to return from his supposedly important talk with the local commander. Was there some disagreement? Only the captain would know.

"The food is good?" He said, turning at Mirielle and Amaris.

[Soldat Elf]

Linceleste York

---

As the bartender placed her order on the table in front of her. Linceleste began to eat while still listening to her surroundings. Her fellow traveler, the rogue knight, and the barkeeper discussed what happened to the folks that walked on to their next destination, as well as what happened to her uncle. Linceleste requires more data from the two to prepare, and the data she collects will be utilized to prepare later on. As of now, thinking too much while eating is considered bad etiquette. She continued to eat slowly and enjoy her dinner.

"I will leave it to you then," Carnatia remarked.

No sense in arguing. Decorum dictate it would be rude to reject such an offer, in any case. Perhaps if she were another noble, Carnatia might have insisted. After all, among nobles such gesture was part of a 'game' of the sort that they play in high society, as a 'battle of status', and so, if one were to maintain respect in high society, easily relenting would be seen as a sign of weakness, perhaps even inviting gossip and rumours regarding one's financial status—or lack thereof.

It was not a game Carnatia enjoyed playing, but nevertheless a necessary one to play. Linceleste, while coming from an affluent family, was not a noble nor was this a high-society soiree. Therefore, at this moment playing such a game was—fortunately—unnecessary.

As the red-haired baroness Carnatia gestured her generousity, the two had been settled. Lincelested nodded as a reply.

"Thank you again for your generosity, Linceleste." Amaris said, with a smile as she thanked Linceleste for the meal as they entered the tavern.

She also nodded to the Amaris for welcoming her thanks.

Meanwhile. Her Skipper entered the facility where the team was staying to enjoy a meal.

Sitting down, Carmen took a minute to get rid of the frowns on his face.

"I've spoken with city Castellan and he agreed to trade his horse with ours. There will be no delay with our departure."

Linceleste paused and elegantly wiped her lips with her handkerchief. Turning her attention to Carmen and said, "I see. I will see it myself after the meal and recheck the health of those horses and will do resupply the needs after it.

Also, I'll take your order on my tab. Skipper." She said to Carmen and continued her eating and still kept her ears from the surroundings.