Neko returns to the castle gates with the royal decree in hand, the fresh wax seal still warm against his palm. The road behind him fades, and the crumbling home ahead feels suddenly lighter.
By the tree near the lane, the same mercenary from the guild waits in plain sight. He is no idle watcher now, his eyes fixed on the house, patient and counting.
Neko steps past the gate and lifts the decree. The seal catches the light, red and unmistakable, a promise finally made real.
The Father
Well? Speak, son.
Neko
The tax is lifted. Our land is safe.
Relief breaks across the yard, and then the mercenary moves. He does not come to challenge Neko, only to make himself seen, pulling back his sleeve to show a baronial token hidden there all along.
The Mercenary
You were meant to notice me. The Baron prefers to know who learns his secrets.
The twist lands hard. This was never a hired watcher at all, but the Baron’s hand on the road, tracking the family after the ledger was found. Behind Neko, the household goes still, listening.
✓ Quest Accepted
Expose the Baron’s watcher
✓ Quest Accepted
Protect the family from the Baron’s reach
+ New Item Acquired
Royal decree
“I hold up the royal decree and demand the mercenary leave our land at once.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +0)
Neko holds the decree higher, the seal bright against the gray yard. His voice cuts cleanly across the stones, and the yard answers by going still.
Neko
By royal decree, you leave this land at once.
The Mercenary
As you wish. The Baron hears of this, and he hears it exactly as I report it.
He lowers his hand from the token and takes a slow step back, all warning stripped from his posture. The family watches in silence as the pressure on the house visibly eases.
The Mother
So that is the shape of it. He came to measure us, and now he has been measured.
The Father
Good. Let him carry the message. We are not waiting in fear anymore.
The Brother
Then we know where the danger stands now. At least it stands outside.
The mercenary lingers at the tree for one last beat, studying the decree, then turns toward the road. Behind Neko, the family gathers closer to the gate, united by the warning and the warning's end.
Quest Complete
Expose the Baron’s watcher
Quest Complete
Protect the family from the Baron’s reach