Shade ignored the accusations from those Delarions and looked again at the thirteen Kasonlik people.
"And you? They do have a point. This is a Delarion city."
The burly leader among the southerners did not raise his gun. He sat on a long bench facing away from the table, both hands pressed against his thighs, with a towel draped over his head. Though he was a southerner, his Delarion Language was equally fluent:
"No one ever said the treasure belonged to the Delarions. Green Lake City has belonged to many countries throughout history. As for who the treasure, supposedly unearthed from an ancient tomb, truly belongs to—that is something only scholars can investigate."
He spoke with great logic. There was indeed a reason these Kasonlik people had chosen him as their leader.
Shade nodded again. He was right as well. The treasure that had appeared in the Duin River, wealth that had entered the river from an unknown source, was indeed difficult to assign to any one owner. Thus, only the simplest principle could be used: whoever found it owned it.
That was why these people had come into conflict:
He asked his second question:
"I'm looking for a boy. You definitely saw him just now."
Both armed sides looked at Shade, and the Kasonlik man answered:
"The Delarions knocked him unconscious, then threw him into the river with the other bodies."
He looked at Shade, with the enormous knitted map of the Old Continent beside him:
"This has nothing to do with us. You northerners really are interesting. You show no mercy even when dealing with your own people."
"I understand. Thank you for answering."
Shade said, neatly holstering his pistol before turning to push open the door and leave. Those who had been aiming their guns at him