They finally arrived at the fireplace where a big bald man was waiting for them. Cadmun ordered some others to prepare the pig, and a couple of servants grabbed the carcass from their tired arms. The crowd of people turned their attention towards the pig passing through and quickly got caught up in discussions of what the best way to prepare pork was. Hearing the suggestions like ‘grilled’ or ‘in a stew’ made his mouth water.

“Cadmun! Are you okay?” he asked.

“I should be asking you the same,” Cadmun answered. “I guess we both got out with a few scratches, eh?”

Cadmun laughed and patted him on his shoulder. He couldn’t even return a smile. He was defeated. He felt lost. If it only was just a few scratches.

Cadmun’s demeanor changed. He looked over to Timmy who just shook his head. He squatted to see the boys eye to eye. That’s what they were after all. Just some boys.

“They got you good.”

The bald man tried to find the right words, but he wasn’t in the mood to talk about it.

“Hey kid, what happened? You look like shit.” Montgomery peeked out of the crowd and made his way over to them. “And smell like it too.”

The two men stood in front of him waiting for an answer.

“I just want to lay down,” he told them.

He wasn’t tired. Especially not after doing nothing all day, but he wanted to be left alone.

“Well, guess what,” Montgomery said, ”Sir Frost also wanted to lay down after the Slaughterhouse yesterday. Imagine his surprise when I told him that you took apart his tent to wear as underpants and have been rubbing your privates all over it.”

Cadmun sprung up. “Montgomery!”

The authoritarian Sir Frost snarled at Montgomery to shut his mouth at inappropriate times like these, but his remark caught the boys off-guard, and they burst out laughing. They were just boys after all. Seeing this, the face of the former factory supervisor softened.

“If you wanted new clothes, you just had to find a diamond.” Montgomery joined the boys laughing for a good minute.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Cadmun said with a fake drill in his voice, but the three slaves just kept laughing at his misery of losing whatever roof he had over his head.

Then Cadmun yelled: “I said that’s enough!”

The three of them immediately shut up.

“Onto more serious matter.” Cadmun lowered his head casting a shadow that darkened his face. “Is it true? What Timothy told Lydia?”

Cadmun’s eyes were switching between him and Timmy as he asked that question. There was only one thing he could mean by that. There’s no point in lying here.

“Yes, I am a Player,” He made sure to speak as silently as possible, so that the crowd behind Cadmun couldn’t hear him.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“What?” Montgomery cried out, but immediately covered his mouth with his hand. Fortunately, the other slaves were too busy fantasising about dinner to give them any attention. Then he whispered: “You mean, you’re an Adventurer? Is that what happened with the gems?”

image [https://i.imgur.com/oeKVEho.jpeg]

He nodded.

“We have to inform Shadis,” Cadmun said.

“What? No!” Montgomery protested. “You can’t do that. The others will eat him alive if they find out.”

“This is a huge security risk. What if he’s a spy?”

“I’m not a spy!” he proclaimed, but got completely ignored.

“Cadmun, wait a minute. Let’s not waste an opportunity here. Imagine what we could do just by having one of their Inventories.” Montgomery gesticulated wildly. “Or think about all the information we can gather from their Statuses. We can finally see what they see!”

I’m not an inventory either!

Cadmun shook his head. “They’re not stupid. They know that we’ll know. Don’t you find it suspicious that they present us with him?”

Montgomery put his hands together. “Please, don’t ruin such a big chance! The others are too narrow-minded to understand the potential.”

The two men were arguing as if they were in their own world. This was all too familiar. And frustrating. No pleading or begging from Montgomery helped the situation. Sir Frost had made up his mind.

“It’s just as big a chance that we’re getting tricked,” Sir Frost said sternly. “How can we trust him? We don’t even know his name!”

“You can’t seriously believe that he wants to harm us? He’s just a boy!”

“Bonatelli is also just a boy.”

With that, the discussion stopped abruptly. Montgomery didn’t know how to respond.

“I’m not the Baron. I’m not like the other Adventurers!” he tried to defend himself.

“I surely hope so,” Cadmun replied.

Something had changed in the bald man’s expression. His face seemed more sour, more… hostile. An uneasy feeling welled up in his stomach. Apart from Montgomery, no one else was on his side. If that was the case, then he wasn’t safe anywhere anymore. If the other men saw a reason to fight him for being a Player, then this time he’d get beaten up for sure. And PP might join them too! You can’t be serious, right? How am I the enemy after everything I’ve been through?

Montgomery looked at him as if he read his mind and agreed. There was no reason for hostilities. Cadmun had to understand that, but something in his past had made him distrusting of Adventurers. Is that what Bonatelli meant? That a lot of people won’t like my decision?

In the end, it was Timmy who broke through to Cadmun. The boy, who he had never heard speak before, just took one of Cadmun’s hands very softly and looked into the man’s eyes with a determined look on his face. Cadmun’s tense face softened, and he turned to Montgomery.

“Monty, this will come out eventually. If not by us, then by Reacher or Becket.”

Monty?

“I know. We just have to slowly let it marinate and serve it to the others carefully, before those idiots drop the oil into the fire.” Montgomery smiled slyly. “Speaking of food, how about not spoiling everybody’s appetite with heavy topics? Let’s not ruin today’s celebration.”

“You’re impossible.” Cadmun let out a laugh. “Now I’m hungry.”

“Come on, the pork’s starting to smell really good. We’ll talk about this some other time.”

Cadmun’s eyes switched from Montgomery to Timmy and back. “You’re right. Let’s talk about this some other time.”

The faces of Montgomery and Timmy lit up, and he felt the weight being taken off his shoulders. Thanks, you two!

Cadmun turned more serious for a moment. “That does not mean that you’ll be treated differently.”

He straightened his back. “Of course not, Sir Frost.”

“Let’s go then!” Montgomery said jumping up and down full of anticipation as he made his way through the crowd.

The other two turned toward the fireplace and followed Montgomery. When they turned their backs on him, he let out a sigh of relief. Timmy noticed that he didn’t go with them and waved him over.

“Recruit, go get yourself cleaned up!” Cadmun ordered with the bravado he had come to expect from him, “it looks like the food will be ready any minute now.”

“That’s a great idea! Just ask Lydia if she can wash your back like she does the Baron! That’ll wash all your worries away!” Montgomery winked.

He blushed at the thought of it.

“Montgomery!” Cadmun screamed and started to chase him, but Montgomery had already disappeared way into the crowd.