169 More the Merrier (1/2)
He did not alert anyone about the knights' incoming presence. Only Tia and Jeanne accompanied him outside as he had wanted the adventurers to stay with Old Thane and make sure nothing was amiss in the cooking. Sylvie had sent Jeanne out because Jeanne was not actually useful in the kitchen and she felt that the hero with her popularity could ameliorate any tensions if they arose.
He did not want to break the mood of happiness that had started up in the festival, and he was confident he was going to be able to handle this on his own. In the first place, he doubted this would amount to much of anything. The knights were probably out here just to check up on the situation after the fireworks and rain of golden light, which was understandable.
A simple explanation would keep them happy and on their way.
Li waited, and eventually, the knights appeared on the main road. A fair amount of them, half a squadron, perhaps fifty or so men, and though they were armored, they were helmetless and did not ride on horseback, none of them with unsheathed weapons nor carrying the cumbersome and heavy standard of Lys.
Tia was used to seeing knights here and there due to their patrols, so she remained relatively calm, staying close by Li's side. Li made his way down the road and waved at the knights, recognizing at the head the same young captain that he had been seeing quite often lately.
The captain nodded and waved too, and Li knew then that there would be no real issues here. Behind the captain emerged the slight figure of Swift who also waved.
”Goodness, a dragon, is it?” said Swift as he pointed to Tia with a gloved hand.
”Soon to be dragon,” said Li. Swift bent down to try and pet Tia, but she reacted savagely, snapping at his hand.
Swift's hand retracted at a speed so fast that the human eye could not have possibly perceived it. It was there one moment, and in another, it was not. The speed was not impressive to Li, but he noted that it was exceptional compared to what he usually saw in this world.
”She doesn't take kindly to strangers,” said Li simply.
”Oh, well dear me, I should apologize.”
”You don't have to. Just tell me why you're here.”
”Like I said before, I'd like us to work together. No conflict, all peace,” said Swift as he flashed a smile. He turned slightly towards the group of knights behind them. ”These here folk were drummed up by the temple priests. Thought the new faith was calling down literal hellfire. Almost screamed their heads off telling me to mobilize some huge army, like that would do anything.
I calmed them down, so no worries on that end.”
”Ah, law's still the law. If there's a complaint, then knights have to be sent out to check it out. But, as you can see, everyone here's just on the end of their shifts and are barely armed. I've led them here mostly to sate their curiosity with how the festival's been doing, not to police anything.”
”Well, you can certainly see for yourselves,” said Li as he gestured to the sound of talk, food, and drinks resounding from the crowd in the distance. ”Nothing out of the norm. Just people enjoying the end of the summer. And food, drink, and populace all accounted for under the paperwork we filed.”
”Ehrm,” said the captain to get attention, and Li looked at him to give him the okay to speak.
”The lights in the sky, we'd like an explanation for,” said the captain. ”Not to suspect you of anything, good sir, but merely to understand.”
”Understandable.” Li pointed to the Everfortune tree, at its glistening red petals shining like ruby gems in the night. ”That is a tree infused with divine blessing and meant only to bring fortune and goodwill upon this land. The lights you saw were merely a result of its planting, and I can assure you that no harm has or will come from it.”
The captain nodded as he and his men stared at the tree, awed at its jewel-like brilliance. ”Certainly, we believe you, it is simply a matter of regulation that we must investigate the tree. Would you mayhaps be fine with an Arcanist ascertaining the nature of the tree?”