GATE: Task Force Guillotine

Chapter 5: Siege of Italica Part 1 (Rewritten)

Rors Tavern, Outskirts of the Empire

March 26, 2028, 15:23 (26th day of the Crescent Moon 638)

The tavern buzzed with the low hum of conversation, clinking mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. Flickering candles cast a warm glow over the room, filling it with the smoky scent of burning wood and the faint tang of spilled ale. In one dim corner, three men, cheeks flushed from drink, leaned close around a rough-hewn table, their eyes wide with disbelief.

"Ye're tellin' me they repelled a flame dragon?" one of them asked, voice thick with doubt.

"Not even the strongest knights nor mages can pull off such a feat!" exclaimed another, shaking his head.

"Aye, and are ye sure it weren't just a wyvern, mate?" slurred the third, his speech thick with drink.

The storyteller shook his head, undeterred. "I'm certain! Twas a real flame dragon, nothin' less. Were it not for those strange folk, I wouldn't be here to tell ye."

Across the room, a group of knights from the Rose Order listened intently. Among them was their leader, Princess Pina Co Lada, who wore a thoughtful expression as she considered this strange account. Eager to prove herself and learn more about these mysterious foreigners, she leaned closer to her fellow knights, her voice barely a murmur.

Hamilton, a bit skeptical, rolled her eyes. "Here we go again. People talk as if these foreigners are some kind of heroes. It's not like they're invading or something," she scoffed.

Norma, another knight, frowned thoughtfully. "Still, these stories may have some truth if so many villagers say the same thing. Surely they can't all be lying."

Just then, the tavern's hostess approached them, overhearing their conversation. Her graying hair was tied back in a loose bun, and her hands were rough from years of labor, but her eyes shone excitedly.

"Ah, but it be true, noble knights," the hostess insisted, her voice carrying an old-world lilt. "A real flame dragon, I tell ye! And not a soul here's forgettin' the sight of it."

Norma's brow furrowed in doubt. "Are you sure, ma'am? It's unheard of for anyone to bring down a flame dragon."

Pina, though sharing some of Norma's doubt, was desperate for information. Even if the story had some exaggeration, it was worth hearing. She turned to the hostess, offering a kind smile. "Please, tell us what you know. We're eager to hear it."

The hostess beamed, drawing herself up with a sense of pride as she prepared to tell her tale. She cleared her throat, capturing the attention of the room, which had begun to quiet.

"There were sixteen of 'em, all told," she announced, her voice carrying over the gathered patrons. "An' two of 'em were women if ye can believe it!"

A drunkard at the bar guffawed, shaking his head. "Women? They have women warriors?"

"Aye," the hostess replied, undaunted. "And when the dragon came, they saved us all, riding on these—these—magic chariots that moved faster than any horse ye've seen! They wielded magic wands, but not like any we've known. These didn't chant spells—they pointed, and the fire leaped forth!"

The drunkard stared, eyes wide with disbelief. "And ye say they slew the dragon with these... 'magic wands'?"

The hostess nodded, enraptured by her own tale. "Aye! One of 'em had a great rod o' steel, bigger than a spear, that burst forth from their chariot with a deafening roar. It struck the dragon in its left arm, and there was an explosion like nothin' I've seen before! Flames and smoke everywhere!"