CHAPTER 12

AN OLD FRIEND

Mark sat at a wooden table in one of Diplovasia's bustling inns, surrounded by the lively hum of conversation. He savored every bite of the succulent pork and vegetables, relishing their flavors as they melted in his mouth. Suddenly, a man in his mid-thirties, donned in elegant green silk, approached and boldly took a seat opposite him. "Sir Mark!" he exclaimed, taking a seat opposite him. "It's been too long."

Mark released a breath. "Uh... You see, I have no idea who you are. A few months ago, I woke up without any recollection of my past life. I suffer from amnesia."

The man's laughter faded as he realized Mark was serious. "You are serious, aren’t you?" he said, his demeanor shifting as he took in the gravity of the situation.

Mark simply nodded before taking a sip of his wine.

"I'm Theodore von Valensky," the man said. "We used to be friends, sort of. You once saved me from bandits, and that's how we met. We hit it off and became pals." He paused. "Do you want my help to recover your memories? I'm wealthy and can afford the best doctors for you."

"Nah," Mark waved his hand. "I'm not interested. My old self intentionally took a forgetfulness pill to erase everything."

“Why?”

"Apparently, I faced a loss so crushing I couldn't bear it, so I chose to wipe the slate clean."

“Yo-“

“Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know. Whatever led me to such a drastic measure must have been pretty bad. My old self slew a dragon to get that pill."

“I had no idea you went through such a personal loss. Whatever it was, you never mentioned it to me. We did have a while to correspond, to be fair.” Theodore signaled the innkeeper over and ordered a cup of wine. Then he continued, “Aren’t you even a bit curious about your past life? I mean, the other parts, not just your personal loss.”

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“I have to admit, sometimes I am curious, but no. You see, I’ve got a chance few people get in life. A fresh start without being weighed down by the past. No roots or connections. I can live the life of a carefree wanderer, earning coin with my sword and using it to drink, eat, and sleep without any worries.”

The innkeeper arrived with Theodore's wine. He took a sip. "So... is that what you've been up to? Being a swordsman for hire?"

Mark nodded and recounted his encounters with bandits and beasts, vividly describing each one. Theodore was clearly engrossed, listening intently while sipping his wine. “Is this enough for you?” Theodore finally asked. “As a knight of Archon Anthemios, you used to serve a higher purpose. Now you are simply moving from one village to the next, taking up minor quests for a bit of coin. Don’t you have any deeper motivations?”

“Why should I?” Mark replied, pausing to take a bite of pork. “I’m not interested in some grand quest for some lord. I prefer the carefree life of a wanderer. I get to see all sorts of things and meet all kinds of people, enjoying myself with the coin I earn. What can I say? I’m a simple man.”

"Fair enough," Theodore replied. “Actually, since you’ve become a sword-for-hire, I do have a job for you. I’m a man of great piety, not to boast, but I've been supporting the Holy Church with regular donations. I've been corresponding with an erudite monk named Koman from the domain of Archon Zva. He's set on making a pilgrimage to an abandoned temple in Gaweroa after seeing visions of it in his dreams. Unfortunately, his previous mercenary companions were ambushed by bandits, and only Koman managed to escape and make it here to Diplovasia. He sought my help in finding a skilled swordsman for the rest of his journey. That's why I'm here – seeking out a warrior for the task."

"I see. Look, I know we were buddies, but I'm not doing this for nothing. I want a hundred gold coins."

Theodore nodded in agreement. "That's a reasonable deal. I'll inform Koman. The journey starts bright and early tomorrow morning. Koman's an early riser."

"I'll keep that in mind and try not to overdo it with the wine," Mark assured.

Theodore rose from his seat, tossing a pouch of coins to Mark. "Here's your payment for the journey. And Mark, stay safe, my friend. The road to Gaweroa is treacherous with bandits and monsters. Koman sought a skilled swordsman for a reason – the ongoing war against Archon Innokentios means no one's keeping the roads safe." Theodore paused, looking concerned. "He also believes he saw a vision predicting trouble at the temple."

Mark laughed. "Visions, huh? You're buying into that?"

"I'm a man of faith," Theodore replied firmly.

"Why's Koman heading to the temple if he knows something bad's gonna happen?"

"He thinks the High God wants him to face this trial, testing his faith. He's ready to endure any hardship."

"Thank the High God, then. His pilgrimage means more coin for my wine and feasts."

Theodore's expression turned serious. "Don't underestimate the danger, Mark. See you around, my friend."

With that, Theodore left the inn, leaving Mark to enjoy his wine alone. He savored the moment, knowing he'd be off on the pilgrimage come morning. Such was the life of a wanderer – always on the move.