The blood and scraps of flesh left on his armor did not hamper Renato's movements, but once combat ended, the blood would gradually dry, forming a dark brown crust in the grooves of the armor and making it harder to clean later.
As a civilized man, the swordsman preferred to keep his appearance presentable, or at least avoid looking like a dangerous cultist at first glance.
Taking advantage of the bright midday light, he spent about half an hour carefully wiping every part of the Mountain's Embrace with a damp cloth. Then he polished it again with a dry cloth and wax, restoring the gilded patterns to their original brilliance in the sunlight.
After returning to High Tide and washing up, Renato kept his promise, spending three silver coins on a lavish lunch of a whole roasted large halibut and Pea and Clam Soup.
The halibut, weighing a good ten pounds or so, had very little seasoning. Sea salt and the fish's natural flavor alone easily won over his taste buds.
The clam soup had a rich broth, with peas cooked until soft and mixed with chopped onions and herbs. Every spoonful brought up several open shells.
As he ate, Renato went over his plans once more.
The fraction of his strength he had shown that morning should have been enough to intimidate those gang members, ensuring that the Ironhook Gang would not dare drag their feet and would take seriously the task he intended to give them tomorrow.
As a visitor who had only just arrived in White Harbor and knew neither the place nor its people, Renato had no intention of making life difficult for himself.
Having been cheated on the very first adventure [quest] of his career, he understood one thing well.
Never accept a search quest