Mastery Is Earned

Raymond soon reached the shore. The boat was still moored there, completely undamaged, and the sight brought him no small measure of relief.

Without hesitation, he climbed aboard and worked both oars alone. Straining with every stroke, he rowed away from the reeds and began circling toward the shallows.

After dealing with Teddy, Raymond had first given his injuries some basic treatment.

The wound below his left ribs was not deep. The dagger had slipped through a seam in his coat of plates, but the arming coat underneath stopped it, leaving only a shallow cut.

He had taken several other hits during the fighting, but the coat of plates had protected him extremely well. Apart from some bruising to the soft tissue beneath it, he had suffered no other serious injuries.

No wonder armor like this cost so much more than a weapon. Without his coat of plates, Raymond would never have escaped with such minor injuries.

Once he had treated his injuries, Raymond checked the other goods in the cave and confirmed that the missing cargo was still there and undamaged. He could just barely move it by himself, but considering both safety and secrecy, he decided against doing so immediately.

Instead, he searched the bodies of Teddy, Derek, and the others, taking every coin purse and any weapon he could easily carry. Only then did he run back the way he had come.

They had been carrying far more money than Raymond expected. He guessed that Tessa, or someone working for her, had given them funds to buy armor. Teddy’s unusually fine shortsword had likely come from the same source. He could never have afforded it on his own.

Raymond had collected five coin purses in all. He had no time to count their contents, but their weight suggested the sum was considerable. Otherwise, these men would not have betrayed him so readily and without a trace of guilt.

Their betrayal had been the most dangerous situation Raymond had faced since coming to this world. Even now, the memory of what had happened weighed heavily on him.

Looking back, there had indeed been many signs that Teddy, Derek, and the others were behaving strangely. He had simply failed to notice almost all of them.

Raymond had believed that he treated people fairly and never demanded too much of them, so he had always extended them a basic measure of trust. He had never imagined that profit would make these supposed friends and companions betray him without hesitation.

Perhaps he still carried too many assumptions from his modern life. From now on, he could no longer deal with people as he had before.

Henk was the sole exception.

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The thought of Henk made Raymond row faster.

*I wonder how Henk is doing.*

Raymond could not keep the worry from his mind. Those half-orcs were even less trustworthy than Teddy and the others. If his suspicions were correct, Henk was probably facing much the same situation Raymond had just survived. Given their equipment and fighting ability, Henk might be in even greater danger.

From the fragments Teddy had revealed before his death, Raymond could piece together almost the entire story. Judging by Teddy’s reactions, he could hardly have been lying.

The bandits who had traded with the gnolls were most likely connected to Tessa or whoever stood behind her. Their objective had been to obtain an important strategic resource known as **Ebony ore**.

Raymond had never heard of Ebony ore before, but he had certainly heard of Ebony weapons.

Weapons made from Ebony were said to be far lighter, harder, and more resistant to wear than ordinary steel swords. They were also exceptionally tough and could hold an edge for a very long time. Ordinary blades would simply break against them.

Almost every warrior dreamed of owning an Ebony weapon. Such legendary weapons had all but vanished from the world and survived mostly in old tales. A rare few were supposedly still held by ancient houses, royal families, and the upper ranks of the Church.

House Silvertide, which ruled Brightwater, possessed a jet-black Ebony sword passed down through the family. Count Silvertide was said to wear it only when attending important events, which showed just how precious an Ebony weapon was.

As its name suggested, Raymond was almost certain that Ebony ore was the vital material used to forge such weapons.

What he did not know was whether Ebony weapons had vanished because the ore had run out, because the smelting methods had been lost, or because of both.

What was clear was that Tessa and her people had learned of this batch of Ebony ore. That was why they had repeatedly traded with the gnolls to acquire it.

When Raymond first came to Brightwater, Tessa knew nothing about him or his companions. She had questioned him indirectly about the ore to see whether another source might exist.

It was not until their second deal, when Teddy carelessly revealed their secrets, that Tessa realized Raymond had taken the ore from people working for her.

Whether to avenge those people or to keep word of the Ebony ore from spreading, Tessa had bribed Teddy and the others to betray Raymond at a critical moment and eliminate him for good.

Someone else was clearly supporting Tessa. She could never have controlled the entire black market on her own. Raymond simply did not know who her backer was or how powerful they were in Brightwater.

Raymond had considered City Watch Commander Edgar Holt, but he dismissed the suspicion almost immediately.

If Edgar were the one behind Tessa, there would have been no reason for him to send Raymond after the fishfolk leader. As commander of the City Watch, he could have used his authority to arrest Raymond and Henk, along with Teddy, Derek, and everyone else. Given his position, doing so in Brightwater would have been easy. There was no need for such an elaborate scheme.

Edgar had acted strangely when they first spoke, but that probably meant he was connected to Tessa in some other way. It was unlikely to have anything to do with the Ebony ore.

The ore was undeniably an important strategic resource. If the legends were true, then once forged into Ebony weapons—or even Ebony armor—it would become a formidable strategic asset. No wonder Tessa had been willing to kill Raymond over it.

The thought made Raymond row even faster. None of this had been his concern, but the moment someone tried to take his life, it became very much his concern.

He would never forget a single person who wanted him dead.

But for now, Henk was still on the island.

Raymond tightened his grip on the oars and rowed toward the shallows.

*Every debt must be paid.*