The Adventures of Rose Hood

I walked in the park with my boyfriend, Dallel. We held hands and wandered.

He was assigned to be my guard, so we could spend a lot of time together.

We had dinner, where he complained about Jalad. He didn’t realize that people gave him nasty looks.

His squad liked him, and they defended him in the public square.

Darsen was the biggest supporter of me and him getting together.

The city was torn on this issue. Some wanted Dallel to return to the guard, but a guard said,

“Until he apologizes to Captain Jalad, we won’t give him any respect.”

The king and the Kingsguard stood on Dallel’s side, and the city guard on the other side. The citizens didn’t know what to do.

Selethon was destabilized, and it was by one man. At least, that’s what everyone thought.

To all 3 groups I was a peacemaker. I acted like I was at all interested in helping. It was pitifully easy.

To Jalad, I acted as though while he was correct, Dallel was also in a tough situation.

To Dallel, I acted as though Jalad was at fault and needed to apologize.

It was almost disappointing that it was that easy.

“It’s a wonderful day, isn’t it, love.”

“It is, Rose.”

I saw Mammon.

“’Xcuse me Rose, but could I speak to ya.”

“Sure, why not?”

“In private.”

He looked at Dallel.

“Sure, why not?”

I turned to Dallel.

“Go home and wait for me, love.”

Dallel nodded and walked off. I turned my face business and looked back at Mammon.

“Yes?”

“I want t’ know what’s goin on with ye.”

He only spoke in his dwarvish accent anymore when he was either tired or angry. He was both.

“What do you mean?”

“This!”

He gestured around him to the several posters, some marked with anti Dalis propaganda.

“Ye did something, and I want ye t’ stop.”

“It’s a result of Dallel joining the Kingsguard, people don’t think he can live up to Royce.”

“Tell me the truth, Kala.”

That name, I looked at him in annoyance.

“I know y’ haven’t regained yer memories, so what’re ye doing, actually?”

Then he signed his death contract.

“And what was that smile when the adventurers were cursing Dallel.”

I noticed that no one was around. What a coincidence.

“Oh, it’s quite simple. Purity hasn’t merged with me yet, so I’m torturing her until she relents.”

Mammon froze.

“What?”

“I’m going to destroy everything the one you called Rose loves until she gives up and lets me absorb her.”

“W-why are you telling me?”

He noticed two things, the silence bubble, and the fact that there are no witnesses.

“Oh, because it’s so tragic. After his discussion with the peacemaking Rose Hood, the guildmaster drank a beer too many and fell out of the window of his office.”

“Wait. GET AWAY FROM ME!!!”

_

Maid POV

Wow, the guildmaster is ordering a surprising amount of beer, I wonder what happened.

I entered the room, but it was empty, and I noticed the window was open.

“Huh, well guess I should close that. Mammon hates having a cold room.”

I looked through the window and screamed.

_

Jalad POV

“What happened?!”

“M-M-Mammon.”

The maid pointed out the window. I looked, expecting to see him sitting on the opposite side, but he wasn’t there.

Then the maid uttered something that made my heart drop.

“Look down.”

I slowly looked down at Mammon, who clearly didn’t have a clear fall.

I bolted down the stairs and rushed outside.

“MAMMON!!!”

He was barely breathing.

“Mammon what happened?”

“P-poison that seemed so sweet.”

“What?”

Mammon died before he could continue.

_

Mammon died.

Kala could only laugh as I despaired. But when I heard what Jalad said, I knew that he didn’t die in vain.

I grew determined for a moment to keep fighting.

But Kala just kept laughing.

_

Even if we were angry with each other, I still cared for the old man. Jalad told me he died through a letter, and me and Rose went to the guild to talk to him.

“Jalad, is... it true.”

He only nodded.

“What were his last words?”

“It was odd... his last words were, ‘poison that seemed so sweet.’”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t think it was an accident.”

“What do you mean?”

Adventurers came up after hearing Jalad.

“I’m saying, there is no way Mammon would get that drunk, nor, even if he was, would he have died from a fall like that. And his words, they weren’t slurred at all. He was fully conscious up until his death.”

“Jalad, a tragedy happened, please don’t try to make it worse.”

Rose’s words shocked me and Jalad. But the guild agreed and started yelling at Jalad, but I knew something was wrong, Jalad was right. It was too fishy. And Silas was twitching ever since Jalad said that line.

“Silas...”

All attention turned to me.

“What do you know?”

People started looking at Silas in suspicion and shouting began until I raised my hand for them to stop.

“Dallel?”

Rose looked confused. Upon seeing the confusion Silas seemed to get twitchier.

“Silas.”

“Dallel, he lost someone close to him, let off.”

“With all due respect Rose, shut up.”

Everyone was taken aback.

“Silas, you know something.”

He nodded.

Rose looked at him.

“What do you know?”

“That phrase. It was a contingency me, Mammon, and Rose made before she lost her memories.”

“And what did it mean?”

He gulped and I noticed his power ready to attack at any moment.

“I shouldn’t say.”

At this point one of the aces grabbed him.

“Listen, buddy, Mammon is dead. That phrase meant something so tell us.”

He gulped again. I spoke calmly to encourage him.

“You can tell us, what does it mean?”

“Kala is not good.”