The tavern door slams open again, and cold air cuts through smoke and spilt ale. A silk-clad emissary strides in with two armored guards at his back, stepping past the fallen mercenaries without a glance.
His gaze locks on the parchment in Miyamoto Mifune's hand. The tavern owner stays low behind the bar, while his daughter clutches the passage frame and stares at the newcomers.
The Emissary
That writ is not yours. It is bound for the local lord, and I am here to take it.
One guard shifts his spear toward the floor, not yet striking, but ready. The other watches the room and the back passage, reading every exit.
The Tavern Owner
My lord has no claim on my roof. He can send coin, or men, but not another threat.
The emissary finally notices the wounded mercenaries on the boards, then looks back to the parchment, calm and unreadable. The room tightens around the document in Mifune's hand.
✓ Quest Accepted
Negotiate with the local lord's emissary over the temple document
“I hold the parchment high and demand the emissary state his lord's true intent.”
SUCCESS (Good Willpower, rolled +0)
Miyamoto Mifune lifts the parchment higher into the candlelight, the broken wax still crusting his fingers. His burned hand stays steady despite the sting.
Miyamoto Mifune
What is your lord's true intent?
The Emissary
To measure who here speaks for themselves, and who merely clutches stolen paper.
The Tavern Owner
He speaks like a judge, but he arrives with guards at his back. That is not justice.
The Tavern Daughter
If the lord wants the parchment that badly, then it is worth more than a threat.
The Emissary
My lord's house is pressed on all sides by temple men, small lords, and worse. That seal is a lever, not a prayer. Give it to me, and I can tell you what he truly fears.
For a heartbeat, the room does not move. The emissary waits with patient eyes, and even the guards hold their spears low, as if the answer itself may decide whether this becomes parley or steel.
“(I read the parchment) Then I toss it to the Emissary.”
SUCCESS (Good Reasoning, rolled -1)
Miyamoto Mifune lowers his gaze to the parchment, tracing the seal, the hand of the lord, and the lines beneath it in the candle flicker. Then he folds it once and extends it across the empty air.
The emissary takes it without hesitation, his thumb brushing the broken wax before he draws the page closer to his chest.
The Emissary
Good. You read quickly. That will save us both time.
The tavern owner’s jaw tightens behind the bar, while the daughter keeps still near the passage, watching the exchange like one wrong word may split the room.
The Emissary
This parchment is a bargaining chip, not a trophy. My lord wants the temple reminded that its reach has limits.
He slips the document into his sleeve and studies Miyamoto Mifune over folded hands, calm as a gate closed on iron hinges.
Quest Complete
Negotiate with the local lord's emissary over the temple document
Attribute Upgrade: Willpower Good→Great