“Wine?” Jace offered with a shake of the wineskin in his hand.

“I’m ten,” Amon replied.

Jace snorted and took a swig of the wine himself. “Ten years old and you can kill a man, but won’t drink wine?”

Fair point.

“Fine, I’ll have some.”

“Atta boy,” Jace chuckled, sliding the wineskin across the table.

The Anvil and Hammer wasn’t just a smithy and a shop it was also Rickert and Jace’s home, and Amon was currently in the kitchen with Jace as he didn’t want to talk in the same room Rickert died in, Amon felt similarly.

He took a small sip of wine not wanting to overwhelm his young body and savored the sweet taste. “Grape,” Amon observed, licking his lips.

“Grape.” Jace agreed.

They both stared at each other not knowing what to say. Amon had never spoken to a family member of someone he’d just killed, he found the situation uncomfortable and queer. It almost made Amon wish Jace had just tried to kill him, so he had an excuse to run away.

Well, there was Eligor, but that doesn’t count, considering the circumstances that led to that.

Jace sighed and rubbed the back of his head. “Look…” He paused and looked at Amon expectantly.

“Amon.”

“Look Amon, I won’t ask you why or how you killed Master Rickert. I think I have a good idea about what happened, and I don’t want to make a kid relive that, so just tell me one thing.” Jace gestured for the wine. Amon slid the wineskin across the table, and Jace took another swig when it was in his hands. “Why did you fetch me to hear Master Rickert's last words?” He asked glumly.

Amon pondered that, not knowing the exact reason himself. “When I was talking with him,” he said trying to find the right words. “All he talked about was you. He said some kind and horrible thing about you, but it was clear to me that he cared about you. Towards the end of our conversation, he called me Jace, and when I cut him, he thought it was you that did it…”

Jace grimaced and took another swig from the wineskin before gesturing for Amon to continue. “He was heartbroken and thinking I was you, he asked me if I hated him… I suppose that seeing how much he cared about you, I didn’t want him to believe in his last moments that his precious apprentice was the one who killed him.”

Jace slid the wineskin back at Amon. “How kind of you.” He said, an edge of bitterness seeping through his words.

Kind… that’s not the right word, I was just easing my guilt.

Amon shook the wineskin and found there wasn’t much left, so he drank the rest in one swig.

“Do you know what nyghtmare is?” Jace asked suddenly

Amon swallowed and nodded. “I’ve heard of it.”

“If you’ve already heard about it then I won’t go into too much detail, so I’ll just tell you that it’s a drug that isn’t too harmful in the beginning, but it’s addictive and when someone uses it too much they lose their sanity.”

“Like Rickert?”

“Like Master Rickert,” Jace confirmed, then broke into a laugh that turned into a cry. “You know, Amon… I don’t know if I hate you because you killed Master Rickert or because you took away the chance to kill him myself.”

Amon played with the wineskin in his hands to distract himself. He was always uncomfortable when people cried. “Did… did Rickert hurt you?” He asked hesitantly.

“He didn’t hit me if that’s what you’re asking. I’m a grown man, I would have punched his teeth in.” Jace said wiping away his tears. “No, he didn’t hurt me like that, but it hurt seeing the man I respected and thought of as a father lose himself and become an accomplice to criminal activity. But what hurt me most of all was knowing I was partially responsible since I willfully took Master Rickert's role in distributing drugs to the city.”

I figured that Jace was involved, but I didn’t imagine he had taken over for Rickert. Why wasn’t he one of the people executed in my previous life?

“When did you take over for him?” Amon asked, wanting to confirm a suspicion he had.

Jace sighed and stood up. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all this, but I suppose it doesn’t matter at this point. I took over around two years ago. Before then, I didn’t even know Master Rickert had any involvement in the drug trade, I just thought he used them. I’m getting more wine.”

That’s why I didn’t know about Jace in my previous life! Since Vine originally dealt with Rickert and Solas two years ago, Jace didn’t take Rickert's place. Gods! How many things will turn out different just because I was born two years later than Vine? What is that bastard even doing now?

Amon kneaded his forehead, feeling like a half-wit for not considering the two-year late start he had compared to Vine. The only reason Amon didn’t deal with Rickert and Solas two years ago was that he wanted to steal Rickert's blessing, and Amon had yet to manifest his blessing then.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

This isn’t going exactly as I planned but having the Bastion Knights and the royal family deal with Solas remains unchanged. A small change or two won’t deter anything.

Though Amon wanted to believe that. In only the first step of his plan, he already had to improvise. Vine was able to deal with Solas easily because he was the crown prince and had the power of the royal family and their allies backing him. Against that type of power and influence, the heir of a lesser house was nothing. Amon had none of that, the Bastion Knights and the royal family may not even believe Rickert's suicide letter that Amon was planning to write.

However, they may believe someone who was involved in the drug trade himself.

“More wine?” Jace asked returning with two wineskins.

“Yes. I think we’ll both be needing it.”

Jace sat down across from Amon and slid the wineskin over.

“Rickert said you didn’t want to be involved with him anymore and planned to leave. Is that true?” Amon asked as he grabbed the wineskin.

“Yes. I was building up the courage to put Master Rickert out of his misery before leaving the city. I had hoped that when the Bastion Knights investigated the Anvil and Hammer they would discover the drug cache and figure out who the mastermind behind the drug trade was themselves.”

“You don’t know?” Amon asked surprised. He assumed Rickert knew and had told Jace.

Jace shook his head. “Master Rickert was still the one who dealt with whoever was supplying the drugs, I only made the deliveries. I often asked him who was supplying the drugs, but he always refused to answer.”

Amon took a drink from the wineskin contemplating how he was going to convince Jace to help him. It didn’t seem that Jace held too much ill will towards him, so he was hopeful. Jace not knowing that Solas was the mastermind behind the drug trade didn’t matter because Amon knew, and the evidence he planned to leave behind would all lead to Solas. All Jace had to do was serve as a reliable witness.

“What would you do if I told you that I know who the mastermind behind the drug trade in the city is?”

Jace favored Amon with an amused half-grin. “I’d tell you that a kid shouldn’t get involved in this no matter what he thinks he knows, and to just forget about everything that happened today.”

Amon’s eyebrow twitched in irritation, but he couldn’t be too upset that Jace was treating him like a child considering he was one despite being forty years old if he counted his age from his previous life.

“Does the name Solas of House Owlking sound familiar to you?” Amon asked seriously.

Jace scratched his scruffy beard and seemed to be thinking about it. “House Owlking is one of the lesser houses, and they are renowned alchemists.” He said slowly. “It is said that more than half of the members of the Alchemist Guild come from House Owlking or apprenticed under someone from House Owlking. However, I don’t know who Solas is.”

“A house of alchemists who better to make drugs and supply them.” Amon hinted.

“I don’t know much about nobles or politics, but why would House Owlking want to be involved in the drug trade? I’m sure they make enough coin supplying medicine and their other concoctions to the Weyer Kingdom.”

Amon didn’t know how to answer that. He didn’t know the details on why Vine dealt with House Owlking so ruthlessly, and he never thought it important to ask. But if everything Vine did was to stop the Acolytes and to prepare the Weyer Kingdom for the Goetites arrival. Then he must have had a good reason for dealing with House Owlking the way he did.

“Truthfully… I don’t know.” Amon admitted. “Regardless of their reason, Solas and perhaps all of House Owlking are the ones making and supplying the drugs. We just need to provide the evidence to the Bastion Knights, and they will deal with them.” He said resolutely.

Jace laughed out loud dropping his wineskin. “Listen to yourself, Amon!” Even if what you’re telling me is true what evidence is there to give the Bastion Knights? Why do you even care about this?” He shook his head and picked up his wineskin from the floor. “What happened today isn’t something that a young boy can handle, and you’re trying to make sense of it. Don’t. Just forget everything that happened here today and go back to the orphanage. I’ll take responsibility for Master Rickert's death and flee the city like I was planning to do.”

He thinks me a traumatized boy. Very well, I’ll convince him otherwise.

Amon took a small sip of wine before he began explaining things to Jace. “I will write Rickert’s suicide letter detailing his involvement in distributing drugs and how the one who supplied those drugs was Solas of House Owlking. The Bastion knights will find the cache of drugs and at the very least they’ll investigate Solas. If we are fortunate they will find evidence of their own that condemns Solas and they’ll deal with him.”

“A suicide letter!” Jace interrupted.

Amon continued unperturbed. “If we are unfortunate, then they will find nothing and conclude that Rickert was a madman just making baseless accusations. At that point, Solas will become more alert. “Who else did Rickert tell?” he’ll ask himself, and he’ll think of you.”

“Me!” Jace Interrupted once more.

“He’ll either send his men after you to have you killed or he’ll want to take you alive to ask you if you told anyone else about him, and by ask I mean they’ll torture you.” Amon paused for a moment to let Jace ruminate on that. “Now, if you truly want to take responsibility for the role you played in the drug trade and the damage it caused to the citizens of Mefleiad, then don’t flee, stay and work with me,” Amon said looking into Jace’s eyes, unwavering.

Jace stared back in astonishment. “You… you came here intending to kill Master Rickert as part of this plan of yours didn’t you.”

“Yes,” Amon answered honestly.

Jace was taken aback, perhaps he didn't expect Amon to answer so bluntly. “Are you really a kid?” He asked warily.

“Yes, but I’m also forty years old.”

“Funny,” Jace said unamused. “I don’t know if you’re mad or some sort of genius, but I think you truly believe that this Solas of House Owlking is the mastermind behind the drug trade.” He stroked the wineskin in his hands and seemed to be lost in thought. “I’ll work with you, but I’ll write Master Rickert's suicide letter. I knew him better than you, it will be more believable if I write it.”

Amon nodded in agreement. He was hoping Jace would suggest that. “Shall we get started then?

Jace set the wineskin down and stood up. “Follow me there’s some paper and ink in Master Rickert's room.”

Amon followed after Jace, and they soon reached a heavy wooden door at the end of a long hallway. Jace had his hand on the doorknob but before opening it he addressed Amon.

“Amon, I thought Master Rickert had gone mad and attacked you first, so I understood why and could even forgive that you killed him.” Jace’s grip on the doorknob became tighter. “But it was your plan all along to kill him and use his death to expose Solas… I’m working with you not just because I want to take responsibility for my role in the drug trade, but also because I want to believe you killed Master Rickert for a good cause. If it turns out that you’re wrong and Solas and House Owlking weren’t involved in any of this, and you killed Master Rickert for nothing… I don’t think I can ever forgive you.”

Amon smiled ruefully. “I wouldn’t expect you to.”