Posts from Black Ice Auto-translated

Theohar listened carefully to the first warden and roughly understood the essence of the task. He was pleased that infiltrating the enemy-occupied territory would not be too difficult; moreover, after experiencing a difficult battle, he didn't feel fully prepared for new confrontations.
"-Alright, I've always been curious about the events that took place in the Haven." - Theohar thought. "-I wonder how many of these simpletons will follow me there?"

5, I'll leave it for now.

- In that case, you will join me in a few days.

- Excellent. Do we have a plan, and what should I prepare for? Or does King Friedrich make all the decisions?

Vaironis sent Richard and Hartmann's heads to headquarters along with a message, I quote.

The new leader didn't appeal to Nerghui: too young, too ambitious, and almost certainly not averse to intrigue. Just like her former enemies from the League. Besides, he seemed to her like nothing more than Jonas's puppet, an odd coincidence.
Nevertheless, deep down, she was glad to see Schneider as a member of the order: he had proven himself to be an experienced and skilled warrior, and that was exactly what they needed now. Although his vague goals undoubtedly worried the warrior. And that's why she decided to go with him to meet Friedrich; she wanted to better understand the first Guardian.

Vaironis sent Richard and Hartmann's heads to headquarters along with a message, I quote.

The new leader didn't appeal to Nerghui: too young, too ambitious, and almost certainly not averse to intrigue. Just like her former enemies from the League. Besides, he seemed to her like nothing more than Jonas's puppet, an odd coincidence.
Nevertheless, deep down, she was glad to see Schneider as a member of the order: he had proven himself to be an experienced and skilled warrior, and that was exactly what they needed now. Although his vague goals undoubtedly worried the warrior. And that's why she decided to go with him to meet Friedrich; she wanted to better understand the first Guardian.

-- You can't handle two of them on your own. You also have to carry your own weapon and shield, and you only have so many hands, -- Thorvar pointed at David's hands. -- Come on, let's go see Dalingr, and we'll figure it out there.

David looked at his hands.
— You're right, Thorgvar, I have no idea what to do. So I'm just going to follow my heart. Okay, let's go to Dalingr, maybe he can help.
*we won't receive the letter from the Order for a couple of days anyway.*

- Well... Let's start with the envoy's mission. He managed to convert the head of our order to his faith... Golden Fingers, Margrave von Braun, also known as "the King's Shadow," I'm sure you've heard of him. Eleanor, the wife of the eldest prince, Rexev, and also someone named Faris, apparently a Coranian, who possesses a high level of skill in herbalism and healing magic. As for the conspirators, we managed to uncover and even eliminate several of them. One of the Catharians was a woman named Shiva. We couldn't gather any information about her origins; her legend was too skillfully crafted. However, her deeds are well known; it turns out that many unsolved murders of individuals who were undesirable to the Catharian crown, where nothing but an arrow in an unprotected spot was found, were her doing. The girl was a master with a longbow, as sharp-eyed as an eagle, and had been carrying out assignments for several years, but we managed to eliminate her. In addition, we gathered information on Frank du Boucher. As rumors had it, this man was not just a wise advisor to the throne and an influential nobleman, but also a master of secret and effective assassinations. However, before we could eliminate him, the king's eldest daughter did... albeit at the cost of her own life. We also had suspicions about some of the guests. We managed to eliminate the infamous Count of Red Cliff and almost got to another of the Catharians, a master of secret assassinations who never left any traces, known as the Shadow, but... then the envoy intervened... and everything went to hell. The most annoying thing is that damned dark elf, - a clear note of contempt and some resentment crept into Mike's voice, which had been relatively even and calm until then. - I suspected, damn it, I suspected that she was planning something, but... the king was so infatuated that it was difficult to even get close to her. And, unfortunately, no evidence was found... until it was too late.

David looked at his hands.
— You're right, Thorgvar, I have no idea what to do. So, I'll just follow my heart. Alright, let's go to Dalingr, maybe he can help.

--Well, that's great. We can celebrate our victory along the way!
And so, the three of them decided.

- Excellent. Do we have some kind of plan, and what should I prepare for? Or does King Friedrich make all the decisions?

- King Friedrich will brief us upon our arrival, and based on the information we receive from him, we will decide on the next step for the order.

- Well...
... Before it's too late.

- Interesting information. I have already dealt with Frank; he was a formidable man, and his insight was something to envy. I understand that there are no traces of the Moon Chosen left?

- Moon Shard... The Chosen One? She disappeared, just like many others. When I was in hiding, I didn't see her among these fanatics. I wanted to try to find traces of her while serving in Haven, but, unfortunately, I wasn't given the opportunity. Maybe I'll have better luck in the Haven of Valkyries. If you don't mind, I'll take on this task.

"Interesting..." thought Theohar. "Yes, this is a worthwhile task for me." "I would also like to join in completing this task," the mage said aloud. "I think we can find a lot of useful information in the Haven."

Lugus found the chief scout in his usual spot, and to his surprise, saw him in a rather unusual state. Waimond Lancaster was drinking vodka alone, seemingly mourning his fallen comrades, whom he had known since joining the order. When Lugus entered the room, he probably wasn't sure if he had chosen the right time to appear, but the scout gestured that he didn't mind. Upon learning that his brother in the order had come to inquire about a new assignment, he immediately got down to business. It should be noted that this time, he was without his usual sarcasm.
- My best scouts have spent the last two months in Katharia, investigating a delicate matter. Based on the information they provided, I have every reason to believe that the queen of that country is not human. At least, not anymore. And you're probably wondering, if this is a reconnaissance mission, why didn't I send the people who were already working on it? The answer is simple: the young, arrogant upstart recalled them and demanded that I take on another, "more important" task. Do you think you can handle such an assignment? - The scout pointed to a bottle of alcoholic beverage. - A very popular drink in my homeland. It's good stuff.

- I think I can handle it, - Lugus paused, - But honestly, I would like to deal with other matters first. I heard about the assignment to negotiate with the Free People, and it interested me. The thing is... - the forest dweller briefly told his story.
- I'm not in a hurry to do it right now, but perhaps you know some details about this assignment and something about the life of the Free People. Where should I start my search if I go there? - Lugus was about to give his word to Lancaster, but then decided to immediately talk about the last matter, - And one more thing... Before I go on the assignment, I would like to complete my training in the basics of being a Guardian. The first Guardian, Hartmann, was training me, but unfortunately, the training was not completed. I know that this is usually the responsibility of the first Guardians, but if you don't mind, I would like to finish my training with you.

- King Frederick will brief us upon our arrival, and based on the information he provides, we will decide on the next step for the order.

- Very well. Let me know when we are ready to depart.
Joseph bid farewell to the members of the order he knew and headed to Atelstan.

- So you're one of them? - Waimond asked with some indifference. - If you feel any sympathy for your people, I wouldn't recommend going on this negotiation mission. A young brat is unlikely to resort to peaceful methods and will most likely prepare something nasty in case they refuse. As for your training... - The scout carefully examined Lugus, then took an unopened bottle of vodka from a drawer and handed it to him. - Here's your assignment; as soon as you finish it, you'll become a good Warden. - Lancaster's face stretched into a drunken smile. ____________________________________ When Joseph reached the apartments of the wizard mentor, he found him hurriedly gathering his things. Light leather armor, a one-handed blade, some vials with strange liquids, and other items that Joseph had never seen before in his life. Atelstan said he was going to "save an innocent child" and didn't have time to talk. ____________________________________ - Alright," said the first Warden. - Theochar, Nerghui, Joseph, Mike. We'll reach the border of Heligkight together, and then we'll split up. We leave in two days; use the remaining time wisely. ____________________________________ Dalingr hadn't gone anywhere, as expected, but this time he seemed to have guests. The servant asked the three Wardens to wait while the host finished talking, but they didn't wait because they had "urgent business." In the hall, there were three people: Dalingr himself, his wife, and an unfamiliar man with refined features and generally rather strange appearance. He had snow-white hair and blood-red eyes. "The Kagan's problem will soon be resolved," was the only phrase spoken by the stranger that Thorvar and the others heard before interrupting their conversation with their sudden arrival. The seated trio looked at the newcomers with interest. - Aren't these the same three Wardens who visited me earlier? - Dalingr asked rhetorically. - How can I help you? The Wardens described their problem, telling them about Elisee and Agatha, whom they had been forced to leave in Life Root. - Gentlemen, fortune has smiled upon you," said the stranger. - It so happens that I possess certain... abilities, and I am able to break the spell threatening the lives of the peasants. However, this will take some of my time, and therefore I must demand payment for my services. - The stranger turned to the woman. - Be so kind. - Dalingr's wife left the room and returned a few minutes later with old hand-drawn portraits. - They must die," Dalingr briefly explained to the three. - Kagan Oktai Naranbaatar, as well as khans Chagatai Sukhbaatar, Azamat Munkhdalai, Ganzorig Gankhuyag, Altantuyaa Sarnai. I am aware of the latest events that have taken place in the order, but I don't know if you are: Richard Grey's treaty with Oktai Naranbaatar is still in effect. The new Magister canceled this mission for his subordinates, but it seems he did not bother to inform the Khanate about it. And since all three of you are still members of this order, you should be able to handle this task without any problems by presenting yourselves as diplomats from the order. The death of the Kagan is mandatory. The rest is up to you, but keep in mind that for each one you kill, you can receive an additional 5000 coins on top of the 20,000 I promised for the overseas flower. - If you agree, I can start freeing the peasants' minds right now," concluded the stranger.

Ah, where did we end up! It's a challenging task, although we're not exactly cut out to be assassins...
-- Why do you need them, Dalingr? -- Torvar couldn't read, and no one bothered to tell him about the search for the heads of criminals. Plus, it would be interesting to hear what Dalingr himself has to say about that story.

The three exchanged glances, and each of them smirked. Dalingr spoke for all of them. – They are in our way.