⚔️Serberia

Life in a civilized and prosperous land is undoubtedly good for everyone, but for a mind unaccustomed to luxury, it also carries a certain threat. Divided by appearance and means, the Baldurians quickly began to lose the unity and commonality they had accumulated. And the mysterious disappearance of Alessia also had its unpleasant effect here.
As a result, the squad gathered for the forest patrol not as a group of well-trained mercenaries, but like a class of school graduates: each is thinking or talking about something of their own, some are still worried about the disappearance of one of the sisters, and some are discussing recent purchases. The reconnaissance conducted by Ilva's eagle completely dispelled all concerns: the guys entered the forest thicket in a disorganized formation, without a clear plan of action or strategy.
First, an ugly goblin suddenly jumped out at them, and then a strange gentleman shrouded in demonic energy. And in both cases, these encounters seemed to come as a complete surprise to the Baldurians: the guys thoughtfully scratched their heads, trying to figure out what to do and how to act. And if Ren himself saw approximately the same threat between the first and second stranger, in the first case the patrol engaged in peaceful negotiations with the goblin; in the second, they opened fire without any warning.
A wave of energy emitted as if from the body of the unknown almost knocked the guy off his feet. Somehow regaining his composure, he discovered that his armor had fallen to pieces, and his clothes had turned into a pile of rags. Turning to his frightened and puzzled sister, Ren quickly took off the remnants of his cloak and helped the girl wrap herself in the tattered fabric. After that, he looked around at his comrades and realized: if the stranger had wanted to, they would have been left without weapons, completely at his mercy.

There wasn't much time left to make a decision, but the stranger apparently wasn't going to finish off the hapless patrol just yet, so Reynold boldly stepped forward:

— Hey, hey, hey! — He pulls a foreign object out of his eye socket and emits a wave of devastating energy from his body. — Is this how you greet travelers in the west?!

—Sir," Ren raised his palm, stopping his comrades, "please, let's not escalate the situation. The fact is that this area is currently under increased surveillance, which involves questioning and, in the event of resistance, appropriate measures for possible violators. Unfortunately, one of my comrades lost his nerve, which led to a violation of subordination. For this blunder, I, on behalf of our patrol, offer you my sincere apologies." The guy politely bowed his head. "If you are still willing to talk, you can rest assured that the above-mentioned offense by our squad will be considered with all due responsibility, and we will be ready to financially cover your treatment, if, uh, you need it."