You wake up and have breakfast at the Boar's Tusk tavern.

The next day you woke up in your room, which is located on the territory of the Boar's Tusk inn. You get out of bed and you put on your clothes.

So you're wearing tough leather pants, a leather hunting jacket with a hood, and tough leather hiking boots. In your hands you hold your wooden camp staff, your purse hangs on your belt (there is also a sheath hanging on your belt that contains a small steel dagger), and over your shoulder you have your bag with your things, and also a leather quiver with a combat bow made of ash and 30 combat jagged arrows is thrown over your shoulder and is held in a sling. inside. You leave the room. You go down to the first floor of the tavern.

You bought some dried meat and a jug of ale. The price for this was quite acceptable for you: you paid only one silver coin. Then you sat down at one of the tables and slowly began to eat breakfast. At this time of the morning, there were almost no visitors in the tavern: only two men were sitting at a table near the wall, drinking cheap ale and talking about something. You continued your meal and, at the same time, you tried to examine the appearance of the visitors to this tavern.

One of them looked like a stocky, muscular man, about 35 years old, dressed in shabby, dirty clothes. His face was covered in bruises and scratches, he had a small brown mustache and brown eyes. This man looked like some kind of laborer.

The second man was lanky and had a gaunt expression. Outwardly, this man looked 40 years old. He was dressed in a worn gray cloth shirt and dark brown cloth pants. This man had a hooked nose, bags under his eyes, and his gray eyes were slightly watery. You couldn't guess what his occupation was based on his appearance.

However, it was obvious to you that both of these tavern patrons were ordinary commoners who clearly did not have enough money to live a comfortable life.

You tried to discreetly listen to the conversation of these two men. It wasn't difficult because these men talk quite loudly. Perhaps you will be able to find out some useful information about this city.

The stocky man grumbles gloomily: “There is nothing surprising in this event. Something like this could have happened a long time ago. I told you about this before, Igvald!”

The lanky man says with irritation: “But this is some kind of absurdity, Svern! How can you give such unfair privileges to Orlanian merchants! This is simply absurd! Orlanian merchants are simply ruining local traders! These Orlanian crooks bought up huge quantities of raw materials in the provincial area and began to systematically increase prices! They make huge profits! The Orlanian merchants behave arrogantly and defiantly: they bought a huge luxurious mansion in the Quarter of Big Market and now this building has become the representative office of the Orlanian Timber Products Trade Guild! Why doesn't the city council of Granveith take action? Why doesn't it take action the crown governor of the city? But small merchants like me pay taxes to the king's treasury! We are the foundation on which the city's prosperity stands!"

Svern smiles gloomily and says: “It’s naive of you to think that the city council, on which the richest residents of our city sit, is at least to some extent interested in your problems. And it’s even more stupid of you to assume that it will somehow solve the problems of the common people the noble Baron Jelar de Veid, who is the crown viceroy of the city. All these rich and noble gentlemen live in the Citadel Quarter and mind their own affairs, not paying attention to commoners like me or you.

Regarding your occupation, I can say that you overestimate the importance of this activity. You and small traders like you are nothing more than plankton, which is food for the huge fish of the large trading guilds. You are nothing more than a nutrient medium that will be mercilessly consumed year after year by the richest and strongest competitors. And in your place, again and again, other fools doomed to ruin will come. Out of hundreds of small merchants like you, Igvald, by the end of the year, ninety will go bankrupt in the city of Granveith. Then in another year, nine more will go bankrupt. Don’t indulge yourself in illusions, Igvald, you clearly don’t have enough skills, useful contacts and wealth for you to become that loner who, unlike 99 bankrupt poor people, will survive and expand his trading enterprise. Unfortunately, Igvald, your chances of becoming the richest merchant in the Kingdom of Morthem and taking the place of chairman of the City Council of our city are negligible! Rather, it is more likely that the dragons, the existence of which were told in fairy tales to children in ancient times, will suddenly rise again."

Igvald snaps back: “Aren't you implying, Svern, that your fate is more enviable? In my humble opinion, it would be unacceptable for any reasonable person to work in the Sandy Coast Quarter as a simple laborer at the port in dirty, dangerous work and get a pittance for it!"

Swern replies: “I admit that my work is indeed low-paid, dirty, hard and dangerous. But at least I have no debts. Unlike you, Igvald, I did not go to that famous brown-tiled house near the well to moneylender Etario Cross-Eyed and did not borrow money under the condition of paying extortionate interest.

And one more important circumstance: my sources of income are not limited to the money that I receive for my work carrying cargo at the port. Sometimes I can earn a little money by using my muscles in other areas of activity. So, I advise you to first deal with the issue of paying off your debts, Igvald. Don't talk about the prestige of someone else's work."

Igvald weakly tries to object: “I needed money to develop my alchemical trading shop. I purchased a large batch of glass vials and a batch of alchemical ingredients. I had a reliable plan that would provide a mouthful of sales and high profits in just six months!”

Svern asks: “And how is your plan? Did this plan work? Where are the mountains of silver coins, where is your huge profit, Igvald?”

Igvald says with sadness in his voice: “My plan... Didn’t work. So far the plan hasn’t worked. But everything will work out soon! I’m sure! I just need a little extra money and a little time!”

Swern sighs and says: “You are my friend and I don’t want your illusions to get you into trouble. Understand that now you need to pay off your debt in full. You don’t want to anger those dangerous individuals who profit from the activities of the moneylender from whom you took borrow money? "

Igvald wants to object, but falls silent at the last moment. A frightened expression appears on his face.

Svern continues saying: “I suggest you come with me now. Now we will go to your trading shop and we will see what we can sell from some insignificant things. Perhaps I will talk to some of my relatives about having them buy from you something from your goods. One way or another, I will help you save the necessary amount to pay off the debt. Well, we've talked long enough. It's time for us to go."

Soon, the two men leave the tavern.

You are pleased with your attentiveness: you managed to hear some useful information about the city of Granveith. You finished breakfast and you approached the owner of this tavern, who was giving orders to the maids.

You waited until the owner of the tavern was free and you asked him: “Respected master, can you tell me where the house of the moneylender Etario Cross-Eyed is located?”

The tavern owner looked at you with a scared look and said, “You shouldn’t go there. Believe me, this is a dangerous man and he is surrounded by dangerous people. Money borrowed from Etario can cause many tragic events.”

You say, "When you talk about dangerous people, you mean people who are associated with the guy nicknamed 'Merryman'? Right?"

The tavern owner's face turns pale and he only nods briefly in response.

You say, “You don’t have to worry. There won’t be any problems. I just want to settle the debt of one of my relatives. I’ll just go to this guy and pay off the entire debt. So I need to know how to get to his house. Can you tell me where to go?"

The tavern owner calms down a little and begins to explain in detail to you which streets you need to go down to get to the house of the moneylender you need.

You smiled friendly at the tavern owner and you told him: “Thank you for your help! I’ll go and settle some matters. Then I’ll come back. I’m still going to stay at your inn for the next few days. I prefer to pay for the room right away.”

Having said these words, you gave the tavern owner 5 silver coins. This is clearly enough to live for a week at this inn.

After that, you left the tavern and went in the direction of the house of the moneylender Etario Cross-Eyed. This house was located in the same South Gate Quarter as the Boar's Tusk tavern. However, the house of this moneylender was located on the opposite outskirts of this quarter.

So, you are walking along the dirty streets of one of the outlying, poor quarters of the city of Granveith.