After spending a couple of days enjoying the luxurious comfort and amenities King's Tree had to offer, we finally got word that the Beastarian Kingdom's forces were nearly ready for the next step.
Alva was reluctant to leave, but the rest of us were eager to get moving again.
Stripe City—the second-largest city in the Beastarian Kingdom after King's City—was still densely populated. Thankfully, it hadn't been destroyed during the takeover. Instead, the orcs had turned it into their headquarters, forcing its residents into labor: farming, hauling, and providing for their occupiers.
To take the city back, we couldn't just storm the gates. The orcs had strong perimeter defenses and constant lookouts. A direct assault would be useless.
We needed to draw their attention elsewhere first.
Since distraction and confusion had worked wonders before, the king decided to build on that same weakness.
We were briefed on the plan soon after—and I had to admit, it was clever. Risky, sure, but clever.
Because Stripe City was overcrowded with both orcs and captive citizens, the kingdom had been trading with them for several days. In exchange for releasing a few captured citizens, the Beastarians sent them carts of food.
But today would be different.
This time, the carriages would be carrying more than bread and vegetables.
That was where we came in.
We were to hide inside the carriages of food, covered by sheets and supplies. Once inside the village, we'd break out, cause a distraction, and draw the orcs' attention—hopefully the lookouts' too.
Thirty seconds.
That's how long we needed to hold them off before the army could surround the village and take advantage of their scattered forces.
This was our most daring mission yet—for a lot of reasons.
To stay as concealed as possible, we had to remove our gear.
Good thing I didn't need bags, thanks to my zero-bag technique.
The bad news? I had to ditch my precious hat.
As we handed our outerwear to the knights who'd return it once the battle began, I felt… extremely exposed. Just a sleeveless linen undershirt, pants, and boots. But if that's what it took to save those hostages, so be it.
Alva was equally unamused about having to give up his accessories and ended up dressed almost the same as me. Talos was down to his gambeson, and Uri—already as stealthy as ever—was still in his usual hooded robe equipped with his hidden daggers.
We were just about to head out to load into the carriages when I noticed Alva had tied up his hair.
That's when it hit me: I could remember dozens of spells and hexes, but somehow not how to tie my own hair into a bun. So, naturally, I asked him to do it for me.
There were three carriages total—one leading, Talos and I in one, and Alva and Uri in the other. Once the orcs inspected them and exchanged the citizens, I'd cast strength and swiftness enhancements on Talos. His breakout would be the signal for the others to do the same—reach me, get their enhancements, and then split off in their predetermined directions.
I planned to stay in the carriage a little longer while they drew the orcs away.
Seeing how Talos had adjusted his body for swiftness and Alva had practiced with simple strength beforehand made me feel a lot less nervous than I otherwise would have been.
The ride was long and bumpy, and the smell of the food got old fast. Talos and I stayed silent. I was left alone with my thoughts.
I found myself thinking about the orc woman from the coastal village. So much had happened in just a few days that I'd pushed that memory aside for more immediate concerns. But she'd said her husband was a good orc.
I hoped to meet him one day.
I could tell we were getting close to the city. Talos and I shared a quick glance.
The carriage stopped, and I heard muffled voices outside. The orcs inspected each cart in turn, then we continued moving.
My heart was pounding by the time we stopped again.
This was it. Talos looked at me and nodded.
I cast my enhancements on Talos, and he burst through the side of the carriage. Food spilled onto the ground as he sprinted off.
Moments later, Alva and Uri appeared—I quickly enhanced them, and they split off in their directions.
"What—?!" one of the orcs grunted as chaos broke out around us.
The carriage overturned with me still inside, and shouting filled the air.
"Thieves!" an orc roared.
I pushed myself up and looked around—citizens and orcs were scattering in every direction, completely disoriented.
Without wasting a second, I slipped into the crowd and blended in with the other Beastarian villagers—as best as a human could.
Thirty seconds. That was all.
You guys got this. But I still had to do what I could.
I peeked inside a nearby house and spotted captives locked away inside. I decided to go in.
By the way, this wasn't breaking and entering—it was entering and breaking out.
The first thing I saw when I stepped inside was an orc asleep in the middle of the main room, a spear beside him and a key resting on his lap.
I had to sneak over, grab the key, and make my way upstairs.
Carefully, I crept forward, keeping my eyes on the key and the stairs—until a small noise under my foot ruined everything.
I looked down.
A squeaky floorboard.
The orc's eyes snapped open.
We stared at each other.
The moment he started to move, I cast a hex of slowness.
Wow… is this how Uri feels? I thought, watching as the orc froze mid-motion, unable to react in time.
I grabbed the key, headed upstairs, and freed the captives. They thanked me and immediately ran down, eager to get revenge on the now-hexed orc.
I smiled in satisfaction—right before a loud "OOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" echoed through the air, the same call I'd heard during the battle at King's Tree.
The thirty seconds were up. We'd done our jobs.
From outside, I could tell the lookouts had spotted the Beastarian army now surrounding the city.
I stepped out of the house and was met with the sight of chaos and hope colliding—citizens fighting back with renewed energy as their army closed in.
The sight was beautiful.
The village was encircled by Beastarian knights, their banners visible beyond the stone walls and dense greenery. Narrow paths wound between clusters of red- and blue-roofed houses, and on the city's edge, tall windmills turned slowly over the fields.
We'd agreed to regroup there once our task was done to retrieve our gear, so I sprinted through the streets—dodging and weaving over, under, and around the fighting.
By the time I reached the rendezvous point, the others were already there—thanks to their enhancements—and looked as thrilled as I felt.
I noticed they had some wounds, so I quickly healed them.
"This is crazy!" Alva said, shaking with excitement.
"I can't wait to join them," Talos added, scanning the streets for knights.
A minute later, a few knights rode up on bearback and handed us our gear.
It was time to suit up and get back in the fight.
Cue the magical sparkly montage.
Uri technically didn't have to wait, but he chose to stay with us until we were fully equipped.
We looked back toward the battlefield.
Now, it was showtime.
We charged in—the others sprinting ahead, still boosted by their enhancements.
I moved through the chaos, healing and freeing anyone I could, while we tore through the orcs.
It was an absolute Beastarian blowout.
After only a few minutes, the orcs began to retreat.
"Maybe the elves will be easier! Come on!" one of them shouted as they fled.
Thanks for the intel, guys.
"Orc stronger! Orc stronger! Orc stronger!" they chanted while marching out of the city—for good.
Don't you mean Orc retreating! Orc retreating! Orc retreating!?
Regardless, we still needed to alert the elves.
Cheers erupted as the Beastarians celebrated their victory.
I met back up with my party, and we exchanged smiles, high fives, and a few well-earned pats on the back.
Trumpets blared as King Brar stepped forward into the center of the city.
The crowd gathered around him as he raised his voice.
"First, I would like to thank four courageous heroes—without them, this victory would not have been possible. Everyone, please give a round of applause for the Talos Party!"
He gestured toward us. The citizens erupted in cheers as we walked toward him.
When we reached him, he smiled warmly.
"As a token of my gratitude—not only for your bravery at King's Tree, or for saving the creatures of the Wilderness, but for risking your lives today for a land not even your own—I would like to make you feel at home… with this."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out an enormous, golden, gleaming medallion.
I could hardly believe my eyes.
The crowd gasped in awe.
"From now until forever, you have my blessing—the highest honor: the Blessing of the Beastarian Kingdom."
Each king could bestow a medallion, known as the King's Blessing—the highest honor a party or knight could ever receive. It granted unlimited access to any good we'd ever need within the kingdom… within reason, of course.
Every small quest, every fetch mission, every step that led us here—it all suddenly felt worth it.
This was a level of achievement I never even imagined possible.
Talos hesitated for a moment, glancing at each of us.
We were all speechless.
Then he accepted the medallion with a deep breath and raised it high above his head.
The entire city roared.
"TA-LOS! TA-LOS! TA-LOS!"
It didn't feel real. Things weren't over yet, but this—this was a moment I'd remember forever.
We stayed for several more hours, celebrating with the Beastarians at their victory feast.
Alva, of course, enjoyed the festivities to the absolute max.
As the knights began to depart, we met up with King Brar and Legraddy, who were speaking and preparing to leave as well.
I told them that I'd overheard the orcs mentioning their next target—the elves—right before retreating.
The king nodded gravely and quickly wrote a handwritten note for me to deliver to the Elf King, one that would guarantee our direct entry into the castle.
"I know your work isn't done," he said, handing it to me, "but you'll always be welcome here. I look forward to seeing you again."
Legraddy nodded to all of us, lingering a moment longer on Uri before he and the king rode off with the army.
We spent the night in Stripe City.
The knights had already brought over our horses after the fighting concluded, so early the next morning, we decided it was time to move on.
As we approached the stables, a small voice called out.
"Uri the rogue? Is that really you?"
We turned to see a young boy running up to us, wide-eyed with excitement.
So it wasn't just Legraddy who had noticed him.
Uri froze, still facing away from us.
The boy ran closer. "After you beat the Orc King, can you please teach me how to be a rogue? I wanna be one just like you!"
For a moment, there was silence. Then Uri's shoulders began to tremble.
Uri—the stoic, composed, and reliable rogue of the Talos Party—was crying.
He wiped his face, turned to the boy, and said softly but firmly:
"Yes."
And just like that, his purpose became clear.
Once the Orc King was defeated, Uri wouldn't have to wonder whether he was the last rogue anymore.
He'd be the one to teach the next generation.