That night at the Merchants Guild...
"This has turned out even better than I could have imagined! Now, I can avoid betraying my kingdom and potentially igniting another war!" Jin says gleefully to Hopper, who is inching toward the door. Out of the corner of his eye he takes notice and turns to ask, "Hopper? Is there something you wish to share with me?"
Hopper freezes in his tracks, "Don’t hate me!"
"TOO LATE!" Jin shouts at the goblin. "I told you to stay out of sight! You fool!"
"I-I was careful! Not even the guards saw me, but as I was making my way back, she got the drop on me in the alley. She was gonna kill me! At least we still got the money!" Hopper pleaded.
"Damn you Zhon!..." Jin curses under his breath. Turning back to face Hopper with a finger pointed at him, "Fix this. If those princesses perish, another war will be upon us. But you better ensure my involvement remains hidden! Or we’ll all lose our heads." He commands the goblin.
"Bu-but I can't protect princesses!" Hopper stutters, "I'm a scout not a knight! Plus you need me to find that stone, and I already have a good lead. Get Lionel or Oskar to take care of it!"
Jin's eyes roll back in his head when the door unexpectedly swings open followed by a late knock. "Eh-excuse me sir, I couldn't help but overhear something about princesses? And me taking care of them? ...Is that right?" asks a smiling half-tabaxi man stepping into the room, filling any silence with his purring.
Jin pauses for a moment, deep in thought, then says, "Lionel, go fetch Oskar, for I have an idea." ...
the Beginning - Before - Journey forth