It was early morning, with the sun barely dragging itself up from the horizon.
Out in front of the castle, a few hundred recruits stood in crooked lines, looking like someone had tried to form a militia out of the local tavern crowd. At a glance, it was a ragtag mix of races—beastkin with crooked spears, dwarves in dented pots for helmets, and even one elf polishing what looked suspiciously like a plunger.
Xu Tao didn't need to squint to tell that this "army" was in no shape for war. Half of them looked like they'd trip over their own swords.
'Well… we gotta work with what we have.'
"Quiet!"
Jehanne slammed the butt of her spear onto the balcony floor with a boom, loud enough to make the front row flinch.
"We've called you all here today to announce two things," she declared, her voice regal, commanding—and, somehow, a little annoyed. "First: our leader, Sir Xu Tao, has finally returned to our side!"
There was a beat of awkward silence.
