Horse took short steps after four hours of continuous walk with a man in armor on its back. Doctor Eryne was right about Saer being unkind to horses. The flambeau in his possession had been dimming since last two hours.

I shouldn’t have lighted it so soon. Saer talked to himself. Heat from the torch was making his face sweat inside the Bascinet. Air coming through pores in the helm was not enough to cool his face.

But he didn’t need it anymore. Solk, even in the time of near midnight, was brighter than his flambeau. The horse also felt presence of humans around and neighed. Saer whipped it to silence.

The village of thirty huts could get disturbed by a horse neighing. He could see the end of the village from where he was right now. Saer did not silence his horse again after spotting some people outside their houses. About ten of them were roaming there with sticks in their hands.

Saer threw the dead torch on ground. The simple act garnered him attention of walking villagers. He adjusted the crossbow strapped to his back and dismounted his horse.

Are these bandits really here? Saer questioned himself, hazing around till he saw passerby people kneeling at him. It served as an awkward reminder of the royal sigil glued on chest for the mercenary.

“No, please.” Saer said, “Get up.”

They rose to their natural position with dirty knees.

“Your reason to be here, sir?” one asked.

“I’m not allowed to answer it.” Saer said.

“You can keep your horse in my house.” Stranger said, “Leaving such a beautiful horse in open is not a good idea.”

“What’s the problem here?’

“Some people have lost their bulls and goats since sundown.”

Thieves. Saer said to himself.

“Thank you for your kind offer. But I need to keep going.”

He heard a group of people laughing from the east direction. The person with him heard it too.

“Maybe someone cracked a joke in the inn.” He said.

Saer mounted his horse again and set off towards the source of the sound. The curious man called him twice, but no more than it. He minded his own matters, not putting his nose in the knight’s business. The mercenary rode for five minutes in the forest and stopped after seeing light through windows of the inn. He could see four horses tied outside.

Bandits must be here. Saer opened pouch of copper coins and emptied it on the mud. He rubbed them with mud, then collected those coins he could see in moonlight. Hopping back to his horse, he went for the inn.

He tied his horse along with some malnourished horses before stepping inside the inn. Smell of alcohol hit his face as soon as he took few steps in there. When he removed his bascinet, the smell got stronger. There was something special about wine made in South. Dead mercenaries from Azmra would have loved to drink beer fermented in a hot environment.

Saer walked past some occupied tables in his noisy armor. His royal sigil became a point of attraction for everyone. Shame, he wanted his new sword to be so.

He placed his helm on bar shelf.

“What may I bring you, soldier.” The soberest man in the room said from the shelf.

“A shovel and a pick.” Saer said in a loud voice. Murmurs of people behind him stopped. The innkeeper kept tapping his finger on the counter.

“Stranger demand from a man who is not drunk.” Innkeeper said.

“This demand wouldn’t have come to you if villagers hadn’t scared away from me.”

“Hey fatass.” Innkeeper called a man serving beer in far-most table, “Bring a shovel and pick for him.”

Those who hadn’t heard Saer’s order earlier laughed. Waiter finished putting mugs on the table and sprinted inside a door. Saer heard utensils falling in the store room. Innkeeper blamed his size instead of the clumsiness.

He came back with both of those on his shoulders and put them on floor infront of Saer. The waiter clapped his hands to clean before taking the next order.

Saer reached into his pouch and picked some copper coins doused in mud. One man walked to the bar to pay for his drinking expense. While he waited for the change, he saw Saer counting coins. The man went on his way when he received the change.

Saer pushed three coins at the innkeeper.

“Two will be enough.” Innkeeper said.

“This extra one is for everyone’s beer.” Saer declared aloud.

Some drunken men cheered, whereas others continued chewing peanuts on their plates.

“One for me too.” smirked Saer.

The innkeeper gave him a mug of beer. Saer held it and started to walk towards the table at end of the room. He observed expressions of people he could see during the walk. But the table arrived soon.

Saer sat there, pretending to be drinking. Just bringing it near to his lips was making him nauseous. He kept on spilling beer on floor when nobody was looking.

He knew if thieves were there, they would think of finding the chest Saer was in search of. Or at least they would follow him.

Most of the people there enjoyed free booze. Some were on the verge of passing out cold and some had started snoring on their tables. Saer was watching for those who were not drinking much. The thieves needed to be sober in order to snatch treasure from him. Few people in the pub had gone out of there but none of them reached anywhere near to the horses. They had neither paid nor had the innkeeper asked for coins with them.

Some thieves are still in here. This is why the innkeeper did not ask for payment with his friends. Saer spilled the last drop of liquor on the floor and left the inn with his digging tools on his shoulders.

He roamed inside the forest for next half an hour on his horse, trying to find signs bandits following him. Saer stopped under a tree after a while. He did not want the bandits to not find him.

Saer had plenty of time to kill. And he had tools for his entertainment. He thought of entertaining himself in the most logical way possible and started digging a pit. Saer hit rocks deliberately and forced grunting. Soon it came to him without even trying. Weight of armors added with tools had strained strength in his muscles. Saer huffed, wiping sweat from his face.

He heard dried leaves breaking near him. Saer pulled the crossbow from his back and aimed at the innkeeper.

“I am not carrying any weapon.” Innkeeper raised his arms.

“So you stole animals of villagers?” Saer said.

“Why would I? I am richer than all of them combined.”

“Robberies across Ouskerus will make anyone rich.”

“Hey, don’t accuse me of being a robber.”

“Why else would you stalk?”

“I came here to ask if you could loan me some coins. There’s no use in doubting my intent-”

“Where’s the vessel?”

“Wine vessel or flower?”

“Give me the vessel.” Saer roared.

“It is not with him.” A bunch of people appeared through woods on foot, “Did you think we will fall in Uzmaen’s shenanigans?”

The innkeeper had doubts about them ever since they had appeared in his inn. They did not look like normal travelers seeking for shelter by any means. He gave them two rooms, thinking it could have just been a wrong intuition circling around his head. The intuition had turned true and had scared him already. Innkeeper stood there, hoping Saer would do something but despite of carrying a crossbow and a sword he stayed there with his hands folded.

“Now Uzmaen has hired a soldier to steal the vessel.” Leader laughed, "I will not be surprised if he kills you even if you give the vessel to him."

Only his men laughed. Saer was not obligated to laugh.

“Give me the vessel.” Saer said.

“Would we bother bringing it for your fictitious treasure?” bandit said, “You should have dug a deeper pit. Both of you can’t fit there.”

“What did I do?” Innkeeper’s voice was begging for mercy.

The bandits walked towards them, but Saer still refused to take any action. His hands were nowhere near to his weapons. When the thieves were few meters away from them, land did not support their weight and they ended up falling inside a giant pit. Saer hasted to remove the crossbow from his back then went to the edge of crater. Innkeeper came to see the bandits impaled by spears planted at bottom of the pit.

Saer shot arrows in the bodies of those who were alive. He did not lose more than three arrows in the process.

“You made this trap right now?” Innkeeper asked.

“Uzmaen had made it months ago.” Saer said, “The man with vessel is still in the inn. Come.”

“Six here. The last two might be in his room just beside the bar.”

“You confirm if it’s them or not.”

“Whatever I just said is the confirmation.”

“Point him out and whatever comes out of the vessel is going to be yours.”

The innkeeper was hesitating, but agreed.