“Where is our provision?” Lionnel says to his daughter.

  “Right here.” Areti taps the bag on her hip.

  “Good. Now where is Iberia?”

  “She is still getting her hair ready.”

  “Ugh. What a princess.” Laquidra sighs. “Her long-ass hair is going to be the death of her. She should cut it short.”

  “I concur. Especially now,” Annurath agrees with her.

  “Well, If we are to move quickly. Are we in a hurry? The contract period is indefinite. So, I assume, we are not in a hurry?” Targarina pinches his left ear.

  “No, for now. No.” Lionnel slightly looks at Targarina.

  “Are you not used to being at a relaxed pace?” Areti asks the mercenaries.

  “Well… Not quite. Just unusual considering what happened yesterday. Are you sure the Wolfpack is not chasing us now?” Annurath looks at Lionnel.

  “No. They are not.”

  “What makes you so sure?” The black-and-blue-haired man squints his eyes.

  “A hunch.”

  “We’re betting our lives on a hunch?” Targarina smirks.

  “It’s all I have for now.”

  “Whatever, big man!” Laquidra taps the table. “More importantly, Ibis is far from here. Are we going to make stops?”

  “Naturally. We are changing carriages at every stop too.”

  “I don’t recommend that.” Targarina flicks his fingers.

  “We shouldn’t change carriages?” Lionnel raises one of his eyebrows.

  “No. I mean we all shouldn’t travel in different carriages. You want us to form a convoy, right?”

  “Seems like the best option. Why not?”

  “You forget one thing. Bandits are attracted to a convoy of carriages.”

  “Then all the more reason. A single one would be easier pickings.”

  “They don’t want easy pickings. They want more reward. One carriage equals one reward. Two carriages equal two rewards.”

  “I don’t see how that will stop them from attacking a lone carriage.”

  “Oh! Is it because they won’t risk their lives for a meagre loot?” Tarie joins in.

  “That’s part of it, yes.”

  “If that is so. I think attacking multiple carriages will be more dangerous. I don’t think the cowardly bandits would do that.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Bandits rely on numbers. We are a group of only seven people. If we split up in different carriages, each carriage would only hold three and four people excluding the coachmen. Not to mention, one of us can’t fight.”

  “Hmm how about this? We travel in a single carriage and change at each stop?” Tarie gives her suggestion to the group.

  “That is what I’m saying. I’m not suggesting we don’t change carriage at each stop, but rather we travel in one at a time.”

  “Oh.” Tarie’s eyes widen.

  “I'm with flower-boy here. If I want to attack I’d go for the convoy rather than a single carriage. Especially if the convoy consists of only three people each in the damn carriages,” Laquidra chimes in.

  Targarina twitches at the mention of the word flower. His smile becomes twisted for a moment before turning sweet again.

  “Yes,” Targarina says, his voice cracking a little.

  “So, what will it be?” Annurath asks Lionnel.

  Lionnel sits there silent for a while, clearly thinking about how to go forward.

  “I’d say let’s go with their suggestions, Father.” Areti touches her father’s shoulder.

  “Hmm… Very well.”

  “It’s decided then.” Annurath stands up. “Should we bring the carriage here?”

  “No. We will go to it. Now… where is that girl?” Lionnel looks around.

  “Feh! I’ll get the princess.” Laquidra goes upstairs, exaggerating her gait to make it seem like she is walking while lifting up her dress.

  “Anywho,” Targarina says while still sitting. “Iberia is really unable to fight? Not even for self-defense?”

  “That’s why I hired you people. To compensate for that.”

  “And… who is she really? Why are people after her?”

  “She is a priestess. That is all you need to know.”

  “Yes… a priestess who is looking for the God Stone. Color me intrigued. Does she seek to become a god?”

  “No.”

  “Or maybe you want to become a god?”

  “No. And I will not entertain probing questions any further.” The lord walks away from the table and goes outside of the inn, his daughter following him.

  “Huh… Anyway, Annurath… How will you carry your bag of 12,000 coins?”

  “I’m not. I’m stashing it.”

  “There’s a bank here?”

  “Yes. Tarie told me.”

  “Hmm. Let us go there, then.”

  “What about Laquidra?”

  “Oh yeah.”

  The two mercenary men are waiting for a while. One is standing up and one is sitting.

  “Good grief, how long does it take to fetch a girl downstairs?” Targarina stands up and at the same time he sees the person they are waiting for coming down the stairs.

  “Sorry!”

  “The princess has arrived! She has finished preparing her hair! Which looks the same as this morning anyway…” says Laquidra.

  “Say, Laquidra, we’re going to stash our coins in a bank. Do you want to come?” asks Targarina.

  “Sure. It’ll be hell to carry this around while going about with a princess.”

  “Huh? Who is this princess you speak of?” Iberia says without a hint of irony.

  Laquidra grins at her, “I wonder who…”

  “Are you coming with us, Iberia? We’re supposed to travel together all the time starting today, as it stands.” Annurath stands up from his chair. He fastens the chains wrapping his arms.

  “Alright. Lord Lionnel is ordering the carriage right? I’ll come with you. Wait… is it carriage or carriages?”

  “Carriage. Singular,” replies Targarina.

  The four of them walk out of the inn. It is a sunny day. Almost no clouds can be seen in the sky.

  “So, where to?” Targarina asks Annurath.

  “According to Tarie, three buildings to the right after this.” Annurath points north.

  The mercenaries and the priestess follow the street. It is a street made of cobblestones. While walking, Laquidra is looking down at the street, seemingly analyzing each of the cobblestones.

  “Is something on your mind?” Iberia tries to touch her.

  “Don’t you touch me,” Laquidra says in a defeated tone. “Can’t have the princess getting sullied, after all.” She frowns sadly.

  “What? Whatever do you mean?”

  Laquidra offers no reply. She just keeps on walking while looking at the cobblestones.

  “Hey, Iberia.” Targarina gets closer to Iberia. “Do you pray?”

  “Huh? Naturally.”

  “To whom do you pray?”

  Iberia raises her head. She looks at the sky.

  “To Gods.”

  “Yeah, but which one?”

  “Which one? All of them.”

  “The most often one.”

  “Hmm, if I have to say. Faith?”

  “Faith? Why’s that?”

  “I wish for… a peaceful world.”

  “If one wants peace then one should pray to Peace.”

  “True, but faith is more important.”

  “Hmm….”

  “I want people to have more faith, especially now.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Well… I’m from the capital. The number of people who have lost faith in Gods are increasing at an exponential rate. I shudder to think that if the capital is like that then what about in the outskirts of the Kingdom?”

  “Why do you want them to have faith in Gods?”

  “I believe people do bad things because they don’t have faith in Gods. They don’t believe that Gods are real or that Gods are not on their side, therefore, they take matters into their own hands. For this reason, I pray most to the god of faith. So that they may be given faith within their hearts.”

  “Some people do bad things because they simply want to survive.”

  “That’s exactly why! I want them to stay faithful to the Gods. That by doing good things the Gods will reward them. They have no need to harm others.”

  “Every year the bells tell them that a new God is born, yet every day they still have to toil hard just to eat, Iberia.”

  “Working hard is a virtue! They should be proud of that! Also, people need to have more faith in their neighbours, not just Gods! That they will help them in times of need! If you ask for food, surely a good neighbour will lend a helping hand!”

  “Faith in my neighbours? They have enough problems as is. What makes you think they will go out of their way to help other people? Proud? People don’t do hard work for pride. They do it to survive. And especially because everybody has their own problems.”

  “And again! That in of itself is a virtue! Helping other people despite having your own problems should be the standard.”

  “And again, they don’t do it for obscure concepts like virtue or pride. They do it to survive because they can’t rely on others. Others around them don’t even have enough for themselves.”

  “What’s the point of living without virtue?”

  “Everything.”

  “Without virtue… one will turn to sin… and one’s passage to Paradise will be denied.”

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “They don’t even know if it’s real. How can they entrust their entire soul to something so vague?” Targarina tries not to raise his voice. His voice cracks a little lower when speaking this sentence.

  “Faith must be strong precisely because there is no proof!” Iberia says. She is visibly getting riled up.

  “How about saving this conversation later for the road? You’ll have plenty of time.” Annurath intervenes between the two.

  “There will be no more of this conversation. I’ve made my point,” Iberia sternly says. She walks a little faster than the rest of them, going ahead of the group.

  “Are those questions necessary?” Annurath asks Targarina.

  “Consider them necessary.” He smiles.

  “Don’t do that again. We can’t have the client all riled up.”

  “Fine.” Targarina pinches his left ear.

  “Hey, Iberia! Do you even know the way?” shouts Laquidra to Ibera who is a little too far ahead.

  “Oh. Not exactly…” She slows down.

  “Here. It’s right here.” Annurath goes into a building that is slightly larger than the other buildings in the village. It is clearly made with security in mind, metal bars on the windows and guards standing near the entrance. One of the guards stops Annurath.

  “Hold. What is your business here?” says the guard.

  “We’re looking to deposit.”

  “Very well.” He lets Annurath and the others inside.

  Inside the building, the group can see that it has marbles for its beams and flooring. Laquidra especially takes a closer look at the shiny marbles.

  “Of course they hoard all the good stuff here,” says Laquidra with a wry expression on her face.

  “Naturally! It is a bank after all! Wouldn’t call ‘em good though. They get dirty easily.” Targarina chuckles.

  “That is not important! Still expensive!” Lauidra taps one of the beams made of marbles.

  Annurath approaches a gaudy man who can be seen wearing all manner of valuable accessories made of gold and pearls. He is wearing clothing made of the finest silk. He notices the bag Annurath is carrying.

  “Are you the owner?”

  “Ah, yes! But of course! Verily!” The gaudy man clasps his hands together, like a child seeing the most tasty candy.

  “We’re looking to deposit.”

  “Of course! My subordinate will gladly help you!” He gestures to a man sitting at a desk.

  The man stands up and greets Annurath.

  “Greetings, my good sir.”

  “I’d like to deposit it all.”

  “Gladly. Will this or these be under the same name?”

  “No. Different names.”

  “Very well. May I have your names?”

  “Annurath Rathmore.”

  “Laquidra Servante.”

  “Targarina.”

  The man waits a little, then asks Targarina.

  “Um.. and your surname, sir?”

  “Just Targarina.”

  “Oh, that cannot be done, sir. We’ll need your surname to avoid same name error and verify that it is actually you when you withdraw.”

  “I see. Then Targarina Petunia.”

  “Very well. If each of you would sign here…” He gives them letters of written order.

  The three sellswords hand over their bags of coins and sign the written orders that the man gave them.

  “You don’t need to be a citizen to use the bank?” asks Targarina to Laquidra.

  “No. Your first time, huh? Phoneie Bank is not owned by the Kingdom.”

  “Is that allowed? It’s quite different in Elddim.”

  “Courtesy of Prince Tsant Phrotnexis! And by Gods! Your parents must’ve liked flowers so much, huh? First name and surname are flowers, haha!” Laquidra laughs.

  Targarina pinches his left ear. His expression is flat.

  “You’re from Elddim?” Annurath looks at him.

  “Grew up there.”

  “And here are the tokens of approval unique to Phoneie’s Bank. Please be aware that you can only withdraw from our banks or affiliated merchants. Please do not lose the token as it is vital to confirm your identity.” The man gives each of the sellswords a token made of silver.

  “Hah! If people didn’t know any better they would just sell this!” Laquidra laughs.

  “Thank you.” Annurath walks towards the exit.

  “Well… Let’s go. Got a long road ahead of us,” says Iberia to the other two.

  ***

  The carriage stands before them. It is simply made of wood and the canopy itself is made of fabric. A very standard and cheap carriage.

  “Good call on not choosing a conspicuous carriage,” says Annurath.

  “Get on up.” Lionnel gets up on the carriage. The whole carriage is shaking because of him.

  “The poor horse has to carry all this weight…” Tarie pats the gray horse.

  “Don’t worry! He’s a strong horse!” the coachman assures Tarie.

  Each member of the group is getting on the carriage one by one. The coachman sitting on the coachman box looks behind him.

  “Are we ready, Lord?”

  “Yes. Begin the journey.”

  “Very well.”

  The coachman gently pulls the reins and the horse starts moving forward.

  “Eyes like a hawk, everybody.” Lionnel closes his eyes.

  “Quite the irony,” sneers Laquidra.

  Lionnel and Iberia are sitting near the coachman, Areti is next to Lionnel, Tarie is next to Iberia, and the sellswords are sitting at the back of the carriage. Iberia opens a book and proceeds to read it intently, Tarie is looking at her nails, Annurath and Targarina are looking out at the road, Areti is looking up at the canopy, and Laquidra is fiddling with a coin. The carriage is out of the village and starts to come up to a clearing which gradually leads to a road in the middle of a vast green plain. The sun shines brightly, yet the air is a little bit chilly.

  “How long ‘till the next town?” asks Targarina to the coachman.

  “About 4 hours, man.”

  “Hmm.”

  “You aren’t good with waiting, huh?” Laquidra slumps a little on her back.

  “I can wait.”

  The group is quiet, the sound of the rattling of the carriage dominates their auditory senses.

  “I can wait… That’s all I ever do…” Targarina reaches his head out to look at the bright sky.

  ***

  It has been 3 hours since the carriage left Faihte village. Iberia is still reading the book, Tarie is now sharpening the edge of her shields that are each on her arms, Annurath is still looking out at the road, Areti and Lionnel are asleep, Laquidra is munching on dried meat, and Targarina is looking at the various wild flowers as the carriage is passing them by while he is pinching his left ear with his nails, slightly making it bleed. Suddenly the carriage stops.

  “Woah!” The coachman yelps.

  “What’s going on?” Immediately awake, Lionnel asks the ruffled man.

  “My Lord! A Blockade!” He points straight.

  Down the road, there is a carriage blocking the path on a bridge. Just from the carriage, Lionnel can see that the river is wide and deep. Clearly a deliberate blockade by someone or some group.

  “By the Gods!” Lionnel stands up on the carriage.

  “Wolfpack?” Annurath stands up to get a better look.

  “Hmm. I don’t think so.” Laquidra ready her crossbow.

  On the bridge, a group of men comes out of the carriage that is blocking the path. They are lightly armored and some of them are grinning.

  “‘Ey! ‘Ey! What’s the hold up? C’mere already!” One of the men yells out to the coachman.

  “W-What shall we do?” The coachman is trembling.

  “Keep moving,” Targarina speaks up.

  “Are you mad?!” Iberia shrieks.

  “Lionnel, they are going to ask for a toll fee. It’s better to just give them some coins.” Annurath unfastens the chains wrapping around his arms.

  “What?! We shall not pay! This act is illegal!” Tarie raises her small and sharp rounded shields. “We shall fight them! They dare threaten the nobles?”

  “No shit this is illegal, dumbass!” Lauidra snorts. “Your call, eh, Lord Lionnel?”

  “Hmm.” Lionnel equips his big lion-faced gauntlets.

  “Hold… Let me talk to them.” Targarina jumps out of the carriage.

  “You are mad!” Iberia shrieks again.

  “Or… You could talk to them, Lord Lionnel.” Annurath follows Targarina out of the carriage. “This land is still within your rule, yes?”

  “Yes. That is true.”

  “Then, what do you suppose they will do once they see the lord of the land come out of this carriage?”

  “I doubt common brigands would recognize him.” Areti looks at her father. “But, perhaps… they will recognize the gauntlets.”

  “That is what I intend to show.” Lionnel jumps out of the carriage. “Stay here,” he orders the coachman. “You too.” He looks at his daughter.

  “This could be a distraction. I’ll stay with the princesses.” Laquidra brandishes her crossbow around. “Give me a signal if you want things to be bloody.”

  “Annurath, Targarina, with me.”

  Lionnel leads the two mercenary men towards the blocked bridge. Some of the men on the bridge pull their sword out of their scabbards.

  “A’ight, easy there! That’s close ‘nough!” A man aims his bow at Lionnel.

  “”Ay! You want to pass through here? You’ve got to pay! 500 coins sounds fair, ay?”

  “Come now! Do we look like we have that much money?” Lionnel tries to sound friendly.

  “Actually, yes you lot seem to do! Especially you big man there in the middle! All those muscles means you’re well fed!”

  “And hey! We don’t like pestering the good men on the streets! If you don’t have the coins we’ll make it easy for you! Just give ‘em shiny gauntlets and any weapons or valuables you have to us! Should cover the whole 500 coins!” Another man yells out to Lionnel.

  “Forget that! I see some women in your carriage! Give us one or two and we should be straight, yeah?” Yet another man yells out to Lionnel. “Here! We even have one right here!” He lifts a tied woman onto the side of the carriage to show her to the group. Her mouth is gagged with a rope, she is struggling to speak.

  “No you fool! We need somethin’ we can sell fast! Not a wench! People always take days to even consider buying it. We ‘ave to feed her too! That said, just give us 500 coins already! You’ll be on your way after that!”

  “Well… Looks like they don’t recognize who you are after all, Lionnel,” Targarina whispers to Lionnel.

  “I am Lionnel Liontari of House Liontari! I order you to stand down and let us pass!”

  “Ay! So you are loaded! Now give the coins here!”

  “Looks like they are just stupid. So? What are we to do?” Annurath asks Lionnel.

  “There are six of them. Follow my lead.”

  “No. They’re focused on you. Wait for my signal.” Targarina stops Lionnel from walking forward.

  “Ay! What are you whisperin’ for?!” One of the brigands jumps off the carriage and walks towards Lionnel.

  “Oh, we were just discussing what to give.” Lionnel quickly tries to calm the man down.

  “I got these knives here! They’re around 300 gryd each!” Targarina walks forward.

  “300 for a knife?! What a tripe!”

  “Oi! Who said you could get closer?!” The brigand who is holding a bow aims his bow at Targarina now.

  “I am going to show you the knives here. You’ll know why they are expensive! Very ornate stuff!” Targarina pulls out two knives from his belt and spins the knives on each of his hands.

  “You stop there! Throw the knives by our feet!”

  “Alright! Alright!” Targarina stops walking and throws his two knives at the ground near the brigands.

  The attention of the brigands is now at the knives resting on the ground. They do not realize the whistling sound coming at them.

  “Argh!” One of the brigands, who is holding a bow, yells out in pain. His neck is pierced by a bolt.

  “What in the fuck?!” The man near him is surprised.

  It is too late for the two men still staring at the knives on the ground. They have yet to register what has happened when Annurath throws his chained maces at each of their faces, crushing their visage into a bloody mess. Then Annurath quickly yanks back the chains that are connected around his arms to the chained maces back to himself.

  “You pieces of–” A brigand is in the middle of cursing when he realizes Targarina is sprinting at him with both of his swords are out.

  The man is struggling to pull his sword out of its scabbard when Targarina stabs him straight in the stomach with his left sword, then he throws the sword in his right hand to another brigand. The sword, being heavy, doesn't travel very far in the air and falls down. However, that scares the other brigand and his reflex forces him to guard his head with his sword. Targarina swiftly leaves the sword that is deep in a man’s stomach and runs towards the scared brigand to tackle him.

  “Ah!” The scared brigand accidentally lets go of his sword as he is falling down.

  Targarina takes that sword and plunges it deep into the scared brigand’s neck. While all of this is happening, the last two remaining brigands try to flee. Their efforts are stopped by Lionnel who lunges at them. Lionnel breaks the necks of the last two brigands by striking them with his big lion-faced gauntlets.

  “That’s all of them,” says Lionnel. “Are any of them still alive?”

  “Well… Two of them are alive. One is gargling in his own blood and one is bleeding out from the stomach.” Targarina picks up his knives. “Also, there are seven, not six!”

  “Let us question the bastard.” Lionnel goes to the man lying on the ground in pain who is holding a bloody sword embedded in his stomach. “And one of you, untie the woman.”

  Annurath signals to their carriage, gesturing that it is safe to come closer now. The coachman sets the horse forward to the bridge and stops right in front of it. The rest of the group comes out while Targarina gets onto the bandits’ carriage and cuts the rope binding the crying woman. Suddenly, once freed the woman runs to the man choking in his own blood, the one that has a bolt stuck in his neck.

  “P-P-Please s-s-save him!” says the woman, stumbling her words. Her snots and tears are like a river.

  “.....What?” Tarie’s expression turns into confusion.

  “You want to save him?” Areti asks the woman.

  “P-Please he-he-h-h-he i-is bleeding o-out…” The crying woman holds her hands on the man’s neck, trying to stop the bleeding.

  “There is no saving him.” Laquidra comes up to the woman. “He is dead.”

  “N-No!” The woman cries even harder.

  “What in Gods’ name is going on here?!” Tarie holds the back of her head.

  “Speak, Woman!” Lionnel yells out.

  “I-I-I will e-explain but… but… please save him f-first! He… he is my h-husband…!”

  “Hold a moment! …What!? You mean to tell us that your own husband binds you? With these bandits?!” Tarie points at the dead brigands on the ground.

  “We… were j-just trying… t-to get c-coins! We mean no harm!” The man stabbed in the stomach speaks out to Lionnel.

  “That’s true! W-We don’t i-intend to… a-actually… harm the p-people passing by!” The woman turns to Targarina and bows to him. “P-Please! H-Have… mercy!”

  “Mercy? Hehe… Mercy is not mine to decide,” replies Targarina while smiling weakly.

  “I… wha– This whole act is a farce? A lie?!” Iberia covers her mouth.

  “Seems like it, princess.” Laquidra scoffs.

  “B-But I do not understand! Why would you do this?” Tarie asks the crying woman.

  “...We w-were d-desperate! T-This is the o-only way!”

  “‘The only way’?! If it is coins you are after, you can go to a church and beg for an alm!” Iberia raises her voice. “What mad reason drives you people to do this?!”

  “I-I-It’s f-for my sister’s baby! S-She is about to give b-birth! For the physici–”

  “Lunacy! Blasphemy! Preposterous! No church would ever abandon a woman about to give birth! This is a lie!” Iberia hits the woman with her ornate staff.

  “Aw! It-it’s true! P-Please h-have m-mercy!”

  “Is this true?” Lionnel asks the man stabbed in the stomach.

  “Aye! It… is! Argh! We… We were trying to scrounge up as much coin as we could! For a physician!”

  “And you left her alone?!” Iberia yells at the woman.

  “No! S-She is with my mother!” The woman looks at Iberia straight in the eye.

  “More lies! It is as I said! No church would abandon a pregnant woman!” Iberia hits the woman with her staff again.

  “Please! Don’t harm her, my lady!” The man struggles to get up while holding his bleeding stomach.

  “Don’t you get up, man.” Annurath gestures down to the man. “You’ll bleed out faster.”

  “Well, Lord Lionnel? What is our course of action?” Tarie asks Lionnel.

  “Kill these two.”

  “Huh?!” Areti yelps. “Father! Surely you don’t truly mean to?!”

  “I am sorry, lady Areti. They did raise their weapon at a noble.” Tarie casts her gaze on the ground.

  “We can pardon them!” Areti grips her father’s arm.

  “Sod the fuck off!” Laquidra curses at Areti. “You nobles made this rule! Enforce it!”

  “I-”

  “I said, kill these two.”

  “As you wish,” says Targarina, casually.

  “P-P-Please wait! H-Have m-mercy! Ha–” the woman's begging is cut short. Targarina drives a knife into the back of her head.

  The man bleeding from the stomach is about to say something, but Annurath crushes his face with his chained-mace. After that, the only noise that can be heard on that bridge is the sound of a man choking in his own blood while holding the bolt that gives him so much pain.

  “Oh… And kill that man too.” Lionnel orders Targarina.

  Without saying anything, Targarina stabs the man’s heart.