Chris shuddered, drawing in a long, sharp breath.
Pissing in winter was never pleasant, especially outdoors in the snow. That put a man's bladder to an even greater test.
It had been a month and a half since they left Inyama. The caravan had spent all that time winding its way along, taking a few detours. By Isaac's estimate, they were still about half a month from their destination.
With a month and a half already behind them, another half month did not seem so long.
However, the remaining journey would also be the hardest stretch. Isaac's Caravan had now left the Bohemian Empire's heartland and was approaching its border provinces, where bandits were becoming increasingly common.
Even fellow travelers and other caravans on the road had become potential threats. No one knew who they really were, or whether they had another line of work on the side.
When they stopped for the night, Isaac chose their campsite with greater care. Once camp was set up, he assigned more than ten guards to rotate through open and concealed sentry posts around it, guarding against possible bandit raids.
Whenever they encountered mercenaries or similar types offering their services, Isaac turned them all down, refusing to trust them no matter how sweetly they talked.
So when Chris went out to piss that evening, he was careful not to stray far from camp, relieving himself at the edge of the firelight.
Before pissing, Chris also carefully surveyed his surroundings to make sure no villain would leap out of the bushes in front of him and swing a blade at his little brother while he was busy.
After finishing and pulling up his trousers, Chris did not hurry back to his tent. Instead, he took a Flintlock and made a circuit of the camp.
Hidden sentries were already stationed nearby, wrapped in sleeping bags and waterproof cloaks, lying up in trees or concealed in hollows among the bushes. They provided effective, discreet security for the camp.
Still, out of caution, Chris made a patrol himself. Only after confirming there was no unusual activity nearby did he head back, satisfied.
Before returning to his tent, Chris noticed several people gathered around the campfire in the center of camp, chatting.
It was not that late, so it was perfectly normal for them to still be awake. Chris did not mind. He even intended to circle behind the tents at the side so he would not disturb them.
But when Chris heard his name mentioned in their conversation, he instinctively stopped and stood in the shadows behind a tent, eavesdropping.
"Trading in winter is rough. Why were you all willing to travel so far?"
Chris knew the speaker well. He was a Player, the one who played the Lute. What was his name again... Alibaba?
"For the money?"
"Before we set out, I didn't know there would be much money in it. I just wanted to repay a kindness."
"Same here. When I heard Mr. Chris needed help, I set out with Big Sister Connie. I wanted to repay him."
"I'm from Bagnia. I just wanted to escort my country's prince home."
Three men had given two kinds of answers. That rather surprised Alibaba, who wore a fleece-lined white robe and a thin, parted mustache, looking every inch a bard.
"I'm curious. I've got some liquor here. Tell me, what did Chris do for you?"
Alibaba offered his wineskin to a middle-aged man, a veteran smuggler working under Isaac, whose weathered face had a seasoned, capable look.
With liquor on offer, talking was easy.
The middle-aged smuggler accepted the wineskin with a smile, took several swigs to satisfy his craving, and then told his story.
"I used to be a pauper, so poor I couldn't even afford a drink. Boss Isaac's partnership with Mr. Chris gave me the chance to earn enough money to send my son to the Accounting School. As long as he graduates, he won't have to become a lowlife smuggler like me.
"My son is going to be a respectable man, no doubt about it. So when the boss said Mr. Chris needed help, I thought it was time to put my life on the line, for my son and for other poor people too."
The drinker smacked his lips, took one last sip, then carefully replaced the cork and tucked the wineskin close to his body.
"Mr. Chris has plenty of goods, and they're cheap. He's helped so many, so very many poor people. He's a friend to the poor. He shouldn't die in the Bohemian Empire."
"What about you?"
Alibaba turned to the second man, casually handing the young fellow under Connie's command a sugar cube wrapped in waxed paper.
The young man eagerly took it, tore open the paper, and popped it into his mouth, his face filled with bliss.
"Mmm... Doctor Chris cured my mother. She was waiting to die by then. My brother and I could only watch as she burned with fever and coughed nonstop, until she coughed up blood. We spent several nights crying.
"We had no money. The priest at the Church of the God of Light wouldn't open the door for us, and the doctors at the big hospital said no medicine could save Mother. They told us to go home and prepare her funeral.
"All we could do then was carry Mother home. As we passed Doctor Chris's clinic, he came out and told us to stop. He examined Mother right there by the road, then prescribed medicine without asking us for any money.
"He had Mother stay at the clinic and told my brother and me that one of us should stay to look after her. Every day, he even brought three portions of food for us. After ten days, Mother was better and could get out of bed and walk.
"So when Big Sister Connie came to our door and said Doctor Chris needed help, I came. My brother had to work to support Mother, so he couldn't get away."
Finally, Alibaba turned to the third man, who scratched his head.
"I'm from Bagnia, and I'm one of those poor people that fellow mentioned earlier. Prince Chris's goods have benefited a lot of poor people in Bagnia, so I think he's a compassionate man.
"If His Highness returns home, the poor there should have a better life.
"So I came along with Connie."
After hearing this, Alibaba knew where he stood.
"From what the three of you have told me, there's no doubt Chris is a good man, a truly good man. But do you know what he plans to do after leaving Bohemia and returning to Bagnia?"
The three exchanged glances, then all stared straight at Alibaba.
"He wants to build a country where no poor person will starve to death. Chris has had a dream since childhood. He wants every poor person to have a home of their own and new clothes to wear every year.
"No child or elderly person from a poor family will starve. Everyone will have food. Every young man will have a job and be able to find a wife. They'll be able to live good lives in peace and safety, and noble lords won't be allowed to kill people on a whim..."
By this point, Chris was utterly stunned.
Wait, when did I ever tell a Player any of this? I have this dream? How come I don't know about it?
Before you continue