The Mysterious Masked Knights (Blame it on Oliver)

Untitled Part 1

The Mysterious Masked Knights (Blame it on Oliver)

A humorous short story in which war is narrowly avoided, and it's all Oliver's fault. (Oliver may be the catalyst, but Agate is the protagonist. No pairings, save for a little EstellexJoshua in the background.)

Chapter 1: In Which Mueller has to Apologize for Oliver (Again)

It was a normal day in Bose, at least so far, when Agate walked into the Bracer Guild, looking for work. He spotted Mueller quietly conversing with Lugran. The presence of the Erebonian Major in Liberl surprised Agate and also reminded him of the letters Oliver, aka Prince Olivert, had been sending him. Agate had not bothered to answer any of them, no matter how many times Oliver invited him over to visit.

Though Agate had hated the empire in the past, and he certainly wasn't fond of it now, he had moved on enough to judge Erebonians as individuals. Mueller for example, was someone Agate had come to respect as a swordsman, Oliver on the other hand, was someone he could only tolerate. He didn't hate the oddball bard, or as he once heard Aina call him, the spoony bard, he just found the eccentric musician to be tiring to his patience. He could handle that though, if absolutely necessary, but prince Olivert was another story, that would be weird, awkward and if possible more unpleasant than dealing with Oliver's undercover identity.

Setting aside his thoughts, Agate greeted Mueller and Lugran with a, "good morning," and curiously inquired in a relaxed tone, "what brings you to Bose?"

Both Mueller and Lugran had become deadly quiet when Agate entered the guild. Mueller let out an exasperated breath and muttered, "that fool."

Agate instinctively looked around for Oliver, least the blond attempt to jump on him with a bear hug and a plethora of nonsensical remarks.

Noticing Agate's look, Mueller assured, "he's not here," which elicited a breath of relief to escape the red haired bracer.

"Is he missing?" Was Agate's next guess. It was too bad Mueller appeared to be busy, he would have liked to spar with him.

"Missing a few marbles..." Mueller grumbled, visibly troubled by the news he was tasked with delivering. "I'm actually here to see you."

"Me?" Now Agate was confused, though it didn't take long for him to roll his eyes and take a guess. "Is this about me not answering Oliver's letters? It's not that I hate him or anything, I've just been busy and didn't really have much to say." The statement sounded like a contradiction once Agate had spoken it aloud, but Mueller didn't look like he had the intention to point that out.

"I'm afraid he's gone too far and I deeply apologize for any inconveniences this may cause you," Mueller apologized, feeling true shame over what he saw as Oliver's incessant impertinence. "My mission is to escort you to Erebonia. The Emperor and Empress are on a trip around the country, the Chancellor and his troops are with them, so the fool has taken it upon himself to plan a party in his parents' absence. Worse yet, he has convinced his brother and sister to back him up. He insists that you should attend."

Agate couldn't believe this. He was ready to refuse, but Lugran chose that moment to interject, and judging by his expression, he had heard about the invitation beforehand. "I have a letter from the queen."

Agate looked at Lugran's outstretched hand, which held an envelope bearing the royal crest of Liberl. "For me?" He reluctantly received the letter, wondering why Lugran chose that precise moment to hand it to him. He opened the letter and curiously read.

"Dear Mr. Crosner,

First of all, I wish to thank you for your service to Liberl as part of the Bracer Guild. It also pleases me to hear of your involvement in cultivating friendly relations with our Erebonian neighbors.