The Royal Adventures Inn

The Mage Melfor looked at his former teammates and took a deep breath. He was probably going to die soon, and for what it was worth; these were his friends.

"Page and I come from the Aluma Kingdom. I was sent here to infiltrate the Royal Adventurers and eventually gain an important post in the Aingrint Kingdom," he said.

"Why did you want to join the Royal Adventurers?" Kyle asked.

"You may not know this, but the Royal Adventurers are made up of nobles from the kingdom. Every person who is part of the group is an aristocrat, well most are aristocrats,"

Sir Rollins explained to Kyle. He was the only one who just thought Royal Adventurers was just a cool name. He didn't realize it should be taken literally.

"My sister and I, obviously aren't aristocrats, but joining this group promised certain benefits.

If I could show my worth in the Royal Adventurers it could lead to being admitted into the Crown's Mage Army.

Once I joined the Mage Army, I would be able to spy on the kingdom, destroy enemies, and accomplish many things."

Melfor sighed as he thought of all the things he and his sister worked so hard to accomplish and how badly they failed. He was depressed.

He wasn't even mad at Kyle. He and his sister were probably going to be killed for being spies, but he couldn't bring himself to hate the good kid who saved his life from the wolves.

"If you could gain so much by joining the Royal Adventurers, why did you create the Bear Droppings Bandit Group?" Kyle asked.

"Because it was taking too long! I had already been here for nearly ten years and it didn't look like I was going to get moved up any time soon.

I saw aristocrats come and go in the group and people like me, non-aristocrats dying on missions. It was just a matter of time before I got killed on a mission. I just knew it.

I needed to make a big accomplishment, but also control things so I didn't get killed. I recruited the bored mercenaries in town who weren't making enough money.

"I had my sister approach each of them and tell them she represented a powerful backer and shared a plan to make lots of money with them.

At first, I only had one or two groups, but eventually, all the mercenaries joined my bandit group," Melfor said. His eyes grew wider as he revealed his plot.

He was obviously a little crazy now. His depression was gone and the more he realized what was in store for his sister and him the more anxious and crazy he became.

"How were you going to use the bandits to gain a position in the Mage Army?" Lady Sif asked.

"Ha, easy! I was building up their crimes. I was making them bolder and bolder. The more money these scum made the greedier they became. We were already planning a big score.

It would be something that would put the group on the must kill list for the kingdom. Just as we were going to act out our plan; this kid shows up and threatened the whole thing!

We tried poisoning him, but somehow he survived. I didn't expect him to figure things out so quickly. All of you were bumbling around all the time and had no clue.

This kid took less than a day to figure it out! Why, why did this happen?!" Melfor began to shout.

"Wait, wait, wait wait, I need you to do something or none of this will make any sense," Kyle said.

Everyone, especially Melfor was stunned. What did he need him to do? How didn't any of this make sense?

"Repeat after me, "I would have gotten away with it if not for this pesky kid," Kyle said.

"I would have gotten away with it if not for this pesky kid?" Everyone said together. They were all totally confused.

No, just Melfor. Say, 'I would have gotten away with it if not for this pesky kid,' but as a statement, not a question.

"I would have gotten away with it if not for this pesky kid," Melfor said. Everyone looked at each other and then Kyle.

"I don't think I understand the situation any better than before, G-Hawk, did it help you?" Lady Sif asked.

"Yes, it helped me a great deal," he said as he started laughing. No one understood what was so funny, but Kyle knew.

Nearly two days after the mystery was solved; a group of knights arrived to take the Mage Melfor his sister and all of the mercenaries to the Kingdom to stand trial in public.

Sir Rollins left with them, but Kyle refused to go even though it was thanks to him the mystery was solved.

It was the day the knights took the Melfor duo that they were finally able to identify the rest of the members of the Bear Droppings Bandit Group.

Kyle was currently in his room in the Inn. The crown took the Inn away from Melfor and gave ownership to Kyle as part of his reward in finding the traitors and destroying a dangerous bandit group.

The former owner, Mr. Mahoney, was posthumously charged with treason. It turned out, he was the right-hand man.

He was like Melfor and came to Star Tear Village nearly twenty years ago. Instead of joining the Royal Adventurers, he started a tavern and used it as the headquarters of a spy network stretching throughout the kingdom.

The real reason he was arguing with Page Melfor is that he thought Kyle's murder could be traced back to him if they poisoned him in his tavern.

This would expose the spy network that he felt was more valuable than a low-level mage in the Mage Army.

It turned out he was right, but the Melfors didn't care and tried to kill Kyle in the Tavern.

Mahoney's family lost possession of the tavern and were also escorted to the capital to face interrogation and possibly death.

Kyle still wasn't sure what he should do with the property. He did make some changes. For now, he was using it as a base of operations for however long he was in the Star Tear Village.

He passed management of the place to Froma, Gilbor's wife.

The other ladies were also invited to share in the work and profits the place brought in. He also offered to use it as the official meeting place of the Royal Adventurers.

There was even a secret meeting room Mahoney used to use for the Bear Droppings Bandit Gang.

The members of the Royal Adventurers were very happy with Kyle's arrangements. It showed them how much he valued all of them.

The Inn's name changed to, "Royal Adventures Inn." He decided the place was more of an Inn than a tavern and he liked the sound of it better.

"Grandpa System, what is the trophy case and what do you mean by secret lair/cultivation cave?"

"Why don't you come home and we'll talk about it faced to face?" Gramps said.

A light flashed and a strange kaleidoscope effect enshrouded him and carried him down a groovy cosmic tunnel that usually only appeared when someone was on drugs.

Kyle disappeared from the room. Just as he disappeared, someone knocked on the door.

"G-Hawk? Are you here?" The door opened and Lady Sif looked around the room and didn't see Kyle anywhere.

"Strange, I thought he was here." She closed the door and left.