I stood at the center of the stone chamber, gazing at the shimmering silver coins, overwhelmed by their sheer quantity. This couldn’t be the Northtown garrison’s payroll. I had often heard the servants talk about how poorly equipped they were, their armor in tatters. Teal, returning from town, would frequently recount their poverty as a humorous anecdote. If a single quartermaster could embezzle this much silver, how could the Northtown garrison be so destitute? Something didn’t add up.
The entire affair began with Thomas, supposedly a guard, impersonating the Duke of Swording’s escort. The Swording dukedom, with its centuries-old lineage, held a status nearly equal to that of the royal family. Yet Exeter treated Thomas with a familiarity that suggested he was not a subordinate, but a clo
