I looked down, and then glanced sideways, eye to eye with my laughing companion.

"What dashing thing ever happened? One that would make the whole village afraid and unable to do anything," I said firmly.

All around froze. It felt cold. Another big man shivered, and the Elder continued, "It was, it was! It happened…" He began to remember and worry. "Last week, I remember, it was yesterday. Three of our village hunters were brought to us, all pale, as if they had never seen the light of Jodkheim. They couldn't put the memorial relic in the crypt."

"I see," I nodded. "Anything else?"

"As my grandson said, there is an ancient crypt here." The village head pointed in the direction with his hand. "We used to bury everyone in it, but there's someone dangerous there now, growling and roaring, and I don't want to go inside and check who's there."

"Grandson?" I ran my gaze once more over the broad shoulders of the young man, and he smiled proudly back at me, catching my sleepy and slanted gaze.

"I see," I nodded again and moved on to the slippery subject. "What will you pay with?"

At that moment a boy appeared. He was carrying a rag full of something heavy. The Elder waved his hand, beckoning him to come closer to him.

"My great-grandson is a bright boy," the old man said, rubbing the child's head and pursing his lips.

The man on my right unfolded the bundle and showed me the contents. Inside were precious jasper earrings with emeralds, a silver necklace upholstered in gold, and a gold ring so rich in content that one would not find such a thing in Count Feanot. Here also lay someone's wedding ring, signed "I love you T.T."; it seems that the villagers cannot read. Next to it was a tourmaline-encrusted hair comb, without two prongs, made of a rare alloy that had been brought from the Light Motherland. A handful of fanciful antiquities, so mysterious that I twirled them thoughtfully in my hands. Their purpose was unknown to me. And there were forty coins in gold underneath all the jewelry. I struggled to resist the urge to take more than the Order's code allowed. "I wish I could shoot you in the head with that black arrow," I remembered the words of a stingy mercenary who had once traveled with me. Meanwhile, noticing my hesitation, the village chief continued, "Travelers and caravans rarely come to us…" "We don't even remember how much it costs? It must be a lot, right?"

Looking at the Elder again, I answered, "I'll take as much as my work is worth, no more." I took two gold coins from his hand. And in my mind I thought, "How about that! They're burying him in crypts! No, just stealing his valuables."

Everyone had a look of utter amazement on their faces. Apparently, they had no idea of the wealth they possessed. The young men standing behind the old man looked at each other. One of them quickly took the gold for himself. The boy lowered his head, and without waiting for the bag of coins, he kicked a roadside stone.

"In the morning, since there are no blacks..... I need simple arrows. It won't be easy to get through the woods to the crypt. You have some dangerous predators here. Now I'd like to get some sleep, I'm tired from the road."

"Go to the house on the right, Revva lives there. Her husband died not so long ago, so she'll take you in for the night," the old man explained.

I slightly raised my pointed hat and left. I was terribly sleepy. The boy darted forward, apparently to warn the woman who lived there.

When I arrived, everything was ready. The woman invited me to the table and put a simple plate in the form of a flat board with meat and leaves. I took the meat with my hand and took a few bites, swallowed it almost without chewing. Promising to cook something else for me, she disappeared into the next room. I picked up a bottle of murky tincture and took a sip of something very strong. That was the last straw.