But Annan felt calmer than he ever had before.
He took advantage of that peace to think. By attacking the Rat Tide and drawing its attention, he had earned an undisputed second place in the Hunt. But he had no chance of overtaking Blackwatch...
A thought suddenly struck Annan: did this mean the Empire really had prepared a generous prize? Since Blackwatch would unquestionably take first place, the Empire could honor its promise with a precious treasure while strengthening its own Legion.
He had no chance of winning it, but he could find out what the treasure was.
He went out for a look. Around the camp, the cavalry slumped as though they had lost a battle.
After another day of rest, though, they would be back on their feet, their inexperience and immaturity finally gone.
Night fell over the Northern Great Wall. Still dressed in his Mage Robe, Annan arrived at the Victory Banquet in Blackwatch's Headquarters.
The Legion Commander had not appeared yet, so Annan joined representatives of several factions he had befriended over the past few days.
They talked business and trade. Annan would bring theaters and commercial streets to their countries, then buy ore and grain from them.
When gold coins came up, they complained about the recent flood of counterfeit coins in their countries. No one had dared do this before. As the Goddess of Wealth, whose portrait appeared on every Gold Narl, she controlled every coin in circulation and could punish anyone who damaged or forged them at any time.
But after the gods went silent, the order the Goddess of Wealth had established rapidly crumbled. The Wealth Church clung to life, able to maintain its authority only in large cities. Counterfeit Gold Narls had quietly begun circulating in smaller cities, towns, and villages.