Ser Angus had been inside his private room since his group had gone to collect wood snakes. He was having a nice time since morning because Counselor Padraig hadn't come in his sight.

When Lord Wernh'An gets cured, I will get Padraig exiled from Hilcastle for his ill advice. Ser Angus watched soldiers lighting fire in the camp yard. Trees around the castle area had shed all the snow on their leaves because of the mild earthquake some time ago. This was the rare occasion to see something green.

No, I will get Padraig killed. I will convince Lord that he is treacherous and doesn’t believe in Wutke. Droplets of contempt were taking big shape inside his head.

He would have been plotting more if he hadn't heard castle gate creek open. The soldiers who had been making tea sprinted for the gate, leaving their kettles suspended over the fire. Ser Angus also shut the window and left off for Godfreed's working chamber. On his way he encountered with guards rushing for the gate. Most of them had hay strands over their backs. He also got to see some Short Cloak sorcerers going for the entrance.

In Godfreed's room Ser Angus found him working alone.

"Ser Angus, I was thinking about you." Godfreed smiled.

Ser Angus looked at high cupboards on every side of the wall, "Great to see nothing shattered due to the quake."

"It doesn’t even get my acceptance as an earthquake." Godfreed drained every drop of potion from the spatula and placed it on a plate.

"Are you done with it?"

"Yes but the liquid needs to be hot during the procedure."

The knight stretched his neck and noticed the half filled cauldron with bubbling potion.

"Don’t mind it. I had prepared full but didn’t know it would take them so long to return. Half of it evaporated." Godfreed pointed at the thick liquid.

"Careful." Voices reverberated from the passage.

"I'm okay. Stop touching me!" it was Commander Evar's voice.

Voices grew louder and clamors became audible. In no time, Commander Evar arrived with Saer along with some soldiers.

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Godfreed inspected for the musician as well as sorcerers.

"Where is the musician?" he asked.

"Dead." Commander Evar said.

"You lost the violin?"

"Tree and the sorcerers too."

"Didn’t those snakes got tamed or what?" Godfreed was sweating.

"We got tamed." Saer intervened.

He took out the pearls from his pocket and dropped them on the table. When he put another bunch of pearls then they rolled on table while some of them bounced on floor after dropping.

"While trying to collect these, snakes woke up." Commander Evar uttered.

"You think these little shits are more significant than our skilled sorcerers?" Ser Angus fired at Commander Evar, kicking some pearls while marching at where Evar was.

"Be careful on how you speak, knight."

"Then answer me if respect is what you want. Are these more valuable than our men?"

"I would not compare, Ser Angus." Counselor Padraig spoke from the door, "When the three foes of Calajhans merge together to make a formidable singularity then their crown would require these precious pearls to be bedded on it."

"Don’t you consider immediate threats as important too, Padraig?"

Some people gasped when Ser Angus called him mere by his name.

"There is no immediate threat, Ser Angus." Commander Evar broke their conversation. He cut the ropes which tied the pot on Saer's back.

Saer stretched his back when the burden was off.

"We have captured some snakes here." By pushing aside the pearls, Evar put the pot on the floor.

"Open the lid, please." Godfreed said proceeding to speak with Saer, "And you, empty your pockets. I want every single pearl you are carrying."

Saer nod and put his hands in his pocket.

Commander Evar pulled his hand immediately after touching the pot lid.

"Hot!" the commander blew on his fingers.

Evar caught a cloth from the table, used it like a glove and started unscrewing the tight lid. Fire erupted out of the pot as soon as the lid left its place.