Filming of "Betar's Redemption" proceeded smoothly.
They avoided the mistakes they had made during "The Mage Tower's Fall," such as staring at the camera, waving, and jumping around. And compared with the two inexperienced leads back then, Annan and Evelyn, the Bard and the old Orc gave performances that sped up filming severalfold.
On the fifth day of filming, it was Old Zoran's turn to appear—playing himself. That way, when travelers who had watched "Betar's Redemption" and mourned his death came to Star-Moon Bay, they would be astonished to find him alive.
Annan also asked Lady Deepwinter, "When was the last time you visited Betar City?" After hearing her answer, he changed the scene in which the City Lord's Mansion sponsored the Dungeon Library to one in which Lady Deepwinter sponsored it while passing through Betar City.
"Lady?"
"Of course she was only a lady a dozen or so years ago."
"Thorough."
Annan could not keep his identity hidden much longer. It might already have been exposed—Gema had seen the cement, and the Diatra Family could hardly have missed what the Dungeon's high walls, raised in just five days, meant.
So besides filming, Annan did two other things: he had craftsmen sell cement in Betar City and sent Rona to look for the bootleg merchant near the inn.
The cement sold briskly, though supplies were limited because the Portal could open only three times a day. Annan raised the price by 500% from its original one Gold Coin per thousand pounds, and it still sold out easily.
As for the merchant, Annan had not forgotten about the bootleg copies. With "Betar's Redemption" nearing completion, finding the merchant could save him considerable expense.
The bootleg merchant turned out to be a boy of fifteen or sixteen, trembling nonstop when they brought