Morning light washes the land office in pale gold. Alerie arrives with her account books tucked beneath one arm, the torn warning concealed between their pages; the mercenary walks beside her.
Edrin Vale, a human man with fair skin and a narrow face,, a thin middle-aged man with receding sandy hair, watchful gray eyes, and a neat burgundy waistcoat, waits behind the clerk’s desk. Fresh ink, folded papers, and a sealed ledger stand ready before him.
Edrin Vale
Mistress Alerie. I expected you after receiving the letter. Your companion may remain, of course. A witness is sensible.
The mercenary stops near the door, broad shoulders still beneath his travel-worn cloak. He says nothing, but his attention moves from Vale’s prepared papers to Alerie’s books.
Edrin Vale
The warning was genuine. An offer was submitted for the Golden Hare, and its terms included consequences if the property changed hands improperly.
Edrin Vale
But the buyer’s identity was not recorded in the copy I received. The seal was damaged before it reached my desk, so I cannot swear who authorized it.
the mercenary
You can explain the warning without explaining the missing name. That is precisely the gap we came to examine.
“"I have never missed a single payment, I have never put the Golden Hare up for sale and I have proof that the Hare is mine until I pass or until I select an inheritor. So what exactly is the meaning of all of this? The king has no say over that land because it was claimed before his kingdom was placed and built."”
SUCCESS (Good Conversation, rolled +2)
Alerie
I have never missed a payment. I have never put the Golden Hare up for sale, and I have proof it is mine until I pass or name an inheritor. So what exactly does this mean? The king has no say over land claimed before his kingdom was built.
Alerie places her account books on the desk and draws out the preserved deed. The mercenary shifts closer, his silence becoming a firm presence at her shoulder.
Edrin Vale
It means someone is attempting to make your lawful ownership appear uncertain. Your payments are current, and this deed supports your claim exactly as you describe it.
Edrin Vale
The Crown cannot simply seize ancestral land under these records. But a fraudulent transfer, if accepted before it is challenged, could force you into an expensive dispute.
the mercenary
Then say plainly what must be challenged, Vale. She came for an explanation, not another cloud of careful words.
Edrin Vale opens the sealed ledger and turns it toward Alerie. One entry records an offer against the Golden Hare, while the authorization line remains conspicuously blank.
Edrin Vale
This entry is the entire threat. I will certify your payment history and attach your deed today. Whoever submitted the offer will have to answer for it.
✓ Quest Accepted
Secure Vale’s official certification of Alerie’s ownership
“"How could someone offer on land that isnt for sale. I'm missing how that could ever get through any kind of certified handler." *She said taking the page and reading over it.*”
SUCCESS (Good Conversation, rolled -3)
Alerie
How could someone offer on land that isn’t for sale? I’m missing how that could ever get through any kind of certified handler.
Alerie takes the page and reads it closely, weighing the offer’s language against the deed and the ledger entry. Fresh ink stains her thumb as she turns it.
Edrin Vale
Because an offer is not a transfer. Anyone can submit a claim for review. My office records the submission, but certification confirms only that the paperwork was received, not that the seller consented.
the mercenary
Then the handler accepted a document that named property without proving the owner authorized its sale.
Edrin Vale
Correct. Ordinarily, the missing authorization would stop it. But this entry was marked for expedited review, and that notation was added after intake.
The smeared ink covers part of the notation’s edge, but Alerie can still read the clerk’s initials: E.V. Vale’s face tightens as he sees them.
✓ Quest Accepted
Establish who authorized the expedited review
“"You certified this. This is the same signature as the papers I recieved." *She said placing both pages on the table and gesturing to the signatures.* "So you are the one who mishandled these."”
SUCCESS (Good Conversation, rolled -1)
Alerie
You certified this. This is the same signature as the papers I received. So you are the one who mishandled them.
Alerie places both pages side by side on the desk and points to the matching initials. Fresh ink smears beneath her thumb, marking the deed with a dark streak.
Edrin Vale
I entered the expedited notation, yes. I did not authorize the offer, but I should have stopped the file until the owner’s consent was verified.
the mercenary
That is mishandling, whatever careful name you give it. Her property was placed at risk because you treated urgency as permission.
Vale’s composure cracks. He reaches for the ledger, then withdraws his hand when the mercenary steps nearer, the room tightening around the admission.
Edrin Vale
I accept responsibility for the procedural failure. I will attach your deed and payment record, flag the offer as disputed, and identify who requested expedited review.
the mercenary
She came prepared to protect her home, and she has forced the truth into daylight. I should have trusted her strength sooner.