I closed my eyes, mulling over whether this was the right path or not. Countless ifs went through my head, what if I chose not to save them? What if I chose to save them later this day? Those questions came and gone, like a lightning storm.
As I'm lost in thought, gramps went inside the room, ready with the things I ordered him to find. I took them and went outside the manor after saying my farewells to him.
"Ah, Good morning young master!" A gardener greeted me happily. He wore an overall made from jeans, with a worn-out straw hat covering his head from the early sun. His skin is quite pale, belying his job as a gardener. I greeted him back, and he seemed really excited for some reason after I greeted him, although he tried to play it cool, I could almost see the sparkles coming out from his now starry eyes.
As I went through the garden, I inadvertently looked back at the manor. Although I only lived here for a day or so, a sense of loneliness washed through me. It might be the reminder memory(of which I cannot access) of the real Uther Baskerville. I went outside the gate. A path of stones could be seen ahead. Steeling myself for the upcoming adventure I might be dragged into, with bold and unconcerned stride, I followed the path.
....
The city was bustling. Apparently, there was news that was posted on the notice board about some convicts getting caught and a trial will be held for them in the evening, also, there will be a harvest festival one week from now.
'Good, I have some time left before they're moved from prison. I better buy some stuff before going there.'
I went into a tailor nearby where an attendant excitedly tried to coax me into buying some expensive clothes.
"Sir, you'll love our clothes. The best in the County I say!" he shamelessly said.
"I need some masks, 7 of them. I need them to be rather concealing."
"Rather concealing?" the attendant eyed me suspiciously.
"Yes, it's for the festival." I lied.
"Ah, for the festival. I see, we only have 3 of them right now, we'll have 7 of them by noon. It'll be 70 copper coins in total."
A silver coin fell into his hands as I asked for the receipt. He then gave me a slip of paper with a stamp and signed on it. As he went to the counter to get 30 coppers for me, I told him to keep it.
I went out of the tailor's to the street.
'I need some armor to do this job perfectly, let's try that shop with golden "Armors & Arms" embossed on its signboard a street away westward from here, I believe.'
A chime rang as I went inside the store. There, a short but burly man with quite a long beard manned the shop. He's a dwarf.
"What do you need, lad?" He asked me gruffly, a typical reaction by dwarves who were rough and bold.
"A gambeson and cheap knives, 14 of them. Also, give me some pouches for the knives, won't you?"
"Tch, only 14 cheap knives and you ask for pouches? Get something else or there won't be any pouches for you"
"Hmmm, alright then, I'll also buy a buckler. How's that?"
"That's more like it! the total is 1 gold coin. 15 silvers for the gambeson, 74 silvers for the knives, and 11 silver for the buckler, the knives should be 84 silvers, but since you buy in bulk, I'll give you some discount."
I put a gold coin on the counter, where he began to scrutinize it until he was convinced it was real, before putting it in his pocket.
"Come over to the back for measurements. Your stuff will be ready by noon." he beckoned.
....
I sat on the stone bench by the water fountain across "Armors & Arms", lost in thought.
"Mister, will you buy a flower?" A little girl approached me, with a basket full of flowers in her arms. A smile was present in her dusty face, seemingly ever-present, though there was a sign of fatigue in her countenance.
"Then I'll buy some, just for you. How much was it?"
"3 coppers per stalk, mister."
I took 21 coppers, and then told her I wanted 7 of them.
"Thank you, mister. Have a nice day." She said as she handed the flowers to me. She then skipped along the road to a bunch of younger kids playing around.
Not long after I took my eyes off her, a scream rang throughout the street. As I looked around for the source of the scream, I noticed her shielding a younger kid behind her while she herself was on a debate with an armored man.
The debate got very heated as I came close to them. It looks like she was pleading for her little brother, while the man said that her brother had obstructed the way.
"I need to take him with me, little miss. For he had obstructed the path of the Church."
'So it's the Church, huh. I don't like it.'
"Please sir, he's the only one I got left. Please, you can let him off this time, can't you?"
"I'm really sorry, but he has to be detained. He will be released when we judged him guiltless in today's trial." The man's voice sounds kind, but the words behind it were cruel and merciless.
"Men, take him away." He ordered.
"Please, sir! take me away instead!" The little girl pleaded even harder. She grabbed the man's boots as her last desperate attempt to save her brother.
The man seemed not to notice her. As her brother was dragged away into the carriage, she tried to grab his boots again, and this time, he reacted. He kicked her away and coldly said.
"Touch me again, and he'll receive his judgment now." He threatened.
The little girl went limp after she heard that. She can only slump down and cry, and the worst part is, no one seemed willing to help her. Their faces distant and uncaring, I can almost hear their excuses saying the Church is right.
Some time passed, and the crowd went on their way while I stayed there.
"Why don't you wait for today's trial? It's really unlikely he'll be judged guilty." I asked.
"He....he will be judged guilty. No one is guiltless in the eyes of the Church. Even if he's only playing around on the street, when his name was listed into the list of convicts they keep, there's only one fate waiting for him, because the same happened to my mother."
"Do you want your brother back?"
"Yes."
"Will you pay any price for it?"
"Yes, I will." She resolutely made her decision.
"Good, then I'll need your help to save some acquaintance and your brother."
"...…"She went silent and finally nodded.