Leaving Celia to take care of Anevia, Séliss left the room and went to the chapel. Both Konrad and Elemiah were on each side of the door, silently keeping an eye on Horgus who was pacing back and forth, like a caged lion. A furious lion. Upon hearing the door open, the lion turned his head to the entrance, gave the newcomer a dirty look, then resumed his walk. The young woman sighed. This one would be harder to calm down.

- Anevia told me about the jewelry that was sold to you, Séliss explained while approaching the merchant. She also said she did not steal it.

- And you’ll believe this damn liar!? Horgus exploded, turning in one block in her direction. Of course she stole it!

- Why do you think she did?

- Who else could have known I had it!? I’m not a dumbass, I don’t announce my transactions from the rooftops!

Séliss frowned, once again holding her chin. Indeed, put this way, the list of suspects was drastically reduced. But perhaps someone had spied on his transaction?

While Séliss was thinking, Horgus brushed the air away with his hand, as if he was shooing an irritating fly.

- Anyway, she’s a burden, he resumed, his tone now more haughty than angry. We would have less troubles without her.

Elemiah straightened up, his expression usually so calm becoming incredulous. He could not believe his ears.

- Are you… suggesting we abandon her here? he asked in hope he did not understand the merchant correctly.

- Absolutely! the latter replied without skipping a beat. Let’s leave her and go back home as soon as possible.

- Do you hear yourself!? We cannot abandon anyone! She has no chances of survival if we let her here!

- And us, we don’t have a chance to get out of here if we’re slowed down by a fucking millstone!

Séliss squinted her eyes.

- Hmm… Maybe it’s you we should leave here? she suggested with a cold tone. After all, a scout, even wounded, can still track and spot enemies… What good would a merchant do us underground?

Horgus’s face became pale in a split second. Oh no. He had made a grave mistake. His brain processed as quickly as it could, searching for a solution to get out of the trap he laid under himself.

- Listen, he finally said after a moment of silence. Let’s make a deal. Take me back home, make sure nothing happens to me, and I’ll reward you. Let’s say…

He paused, thinking.

- One thousand gold pieces?

This amount could seem like a lot for most normal people. A number of mercenary companies would grow pale if someone offered them this much money for a simple escort mission. But that was nothing for Horgus. Not only did he inherit his family’s fortune, noble minors from Kenabres, he also invested in a number of commercial deals throughout the years. Even though he was not this well known by the public, he was secretly one of the richest merchants of the city.

Plus, paying this much for an escort mission assured him to be truly protected, not only from foreign menaces, but also from internal ones. The group had to make sure he arrived safe and sound if they wished to get their reward. So, if one of them wanted to harm him…

On the other side of the dialogue, the reactions were as diverse as the number of people listening to him.

Séliss, her, was visibly thinking about the deal. This sum was admittedly interesting, but, to some extent, she was a bit vexed that the merchant thought he needed to buy his rights to go back to the surface. Well, sure, the wizard really did not like the self-important noble whose pastimes seemed to be insulting people and whining that his feet hurt, and getting rid of him was tempting…

Konrad opened his eyes wide, shocked. One thousand gold pieces… Even split in four, this would mean two hundreds and fifty pieces per person. He had to manage in the street all his life, sometimes with Elemiah’s help who would use his meager soldier pay when things got worse. He could not hope getting this high sum, even in his wildest dreams.

Finally, Elemiah crossed his arms, still staring at the merchant with a black look. This small man was trying to buy his survival just after suggesting to let another group member die. Pathetic… He finally gazed at Séliss, waiting to see how she would react.

- Understood, she concluded. But you have to leave Anevia alone until everyone is safe.

Séliss extended a hand to Horgus who grimaced. His gaze went from the tiefling’s hand to her face in turns, as if he was wondering if this deal was worth it. After a moment of reflection, he sighed. The tiefling and the human shook their hand, sealing their pact this way. A sneering smile appeared on Séliss’s face. When diplomacy fail, you have to resort to intimidation.

- We’ll resume our journey in eight hours, the summoner informed.

And thus, Séliss went back to her duty while the others were getting ready to sleep. A harsh day was ahead of them.