Free The Bathrobe Knight by Charles Dean, Joshua Swayne

didn’t recognize, came in flanked by his own escort. What is it now? More drama? Another ‘surprise’ event? A Messenger that they’ve planned to make sure we send troops to Valcrest?
    One of his personal troops spoke first. “Sir, it’s urgent news about Valcrest.” Of course it is. ”  I think you’re going to want to hear this.” Of course I do. You couldn’t wait until we were in private to bring me bad news?
    “Fine, go ahead,” the King groaned, repressing a facepalm. “Tell me what the news is.”
    “Sir, earlier today a strange man in a green Robe claimed he defeated the White-Horn legion east of Valcrest. Combined with the reports from the Scouts and the massive number of Double-Bladed Iron Axes he sold to the Valcrest Blacksmith, we can absolutely confirm the report.” The room went so quiet.
    “You said the entire legion of White-Horns was destroyed?” This can’t be, wait . . . a man in a green Robe?
    “Yes, Sire, and with the Axe sales, we have enough iron now to reinforce an entire legion,” the guard said, smiling happily as he stood at attention.
    “The man in the green Robe. Was he tall? Broad shoulders? Red eyes?” It can’t be him. I sent that man out with just a Spoon, and he killed an entire legion?
    “Yes, Sire, that’s the one.” While the King smiled everyone else in the room broke out in murmurs.
    “Guard. Thank you for your service. Make sure to let the people of the town know that that man was sent by me--as witnessed by everyone in the court during the weekly scouting reports--to destroy the legion, and he did so with only a Spoon. Let them know that as long as that man resides in Valcrest, no harm shall befall the town from which he cannot protect it and that the King has done this out of his love for the people of Valcrest.” The King cringed as he made the proclamation. Speeches like that, especially when they were lies, made his stomach churn.
    What kind of rotten man is the Council turning me into? Though it isn’t entirely a lie. I didn’t summon the hero to the Kingdom, but I did send him to the front lines. “You see, gentlemen, this is why we don’t have to abandon either town. You wanted a legion to do what my man has already done. You would leave Barkton undefended and risk its death for nothing. Have you no faith in me? Did I not tell you the other day that I had summoned a hero to deliver us from evil? Trust in your ruler, for I spend my days protecting every member of this Kingdom. This meeting is over. You have pointlessly wasted enough of my time with an irrelevant squabble,” he said while getting up and heading to the door. The stunned Councilmen didn’t follow. They probably had more schemes to make behind his back.
    As soon as he had gotten out of sight of the Council, he turned to the bodyguard on his left and whispered as quietly as he could, “Go fetch our new Messenger. Have him meet me in my study as quick as you can and come with him. We have work to do. Oh, and make sure that Guard gets paid 10 Gold Pieces for his timely arrival. That type of luck needs to be rewarded.”
    Adjusting his Crown, he hurried his steps and headed for the study. This red-eyed fellow had saved him twice, but he couldn’t keep relying on him. The Council would be sending assassins to kill him soon enough, and it was only a matter of time before they cut his throat while he slept. The only thing to do now was to stall their efforts and thwart their plans. What kind of monster is he to kill an entire legion of White-Horns with just a Spoon? He must be a monster, a fiend of the Spoon.
    The problem is gone now, though, isn’t it? The champion with the Spoon killed them, and the problem is gone. He just killed them, and it went away . . . all you have to do is kill them.
     
    Kass:
     
    Kass logged in and picked the “log in at bind point” option. It was available to players who hadn’t logged out in combat and had stayed out of game for more than an hour. It