The commotion had attracted considerable attention. Crowds gathered on the distant streets, hanging back in fear yet unwilling to miss a single moment.

Anser also spotted members of the Silver Scale Bay Guard, but they did nothing. Perhaps they were waiting for orders from above.

Remembering how the bearded man had pretended to be a guard, Anser grew wary.

After considering the matter, he took out his holy symbol, hung it outside his cloak, and casually imbued it with Divine Smite.

'I'm not impersonating anyone. Whatever conclusions they jump to have nothing to do with me.'

Hoofbeats pursued the slavers like death's own drums. Knowing they could not outrun a horse, they scattered and fled toward crowded areas.

They had guessed wrong again. A crowd might not move aside for a person, but it would certainly avoid a horse—especially one like Nornoth that looked capable of killing someone with a single collision.

Anser cast Jump and Feather Fall on Nornoth again, allowing him to leap over every congested section.

Thus, the people of Silver Scale Bay saw a flying horse bound more than ten meters through the air for the first time!

Two of the six fleeing sailors were Level 1 classed individuals, but how could they escape pursuit by a man, a horse, and a hawk?

Four ordinary sailors died one after another to Nornoth's horn and whip-like tail. One classed individual attempted to disappear into the crowd, only for Anser's Magic Missile to lock onto him with deadly precision.

The final classed individual was fast, but a single Chromatic Orb electrocuted him beside the docks.

The continuous experience notifications left Anser smiling broadly.

In truth, those sailors had already been abandoned. The moment the Conch received word, it cast off its lines, raised sail, and left the berth.

By the time Anser reached the docks, the sailing ship was already moving away from shore. Because getting a sailing ship underway was so cumbersome, however, it was still only thirty or forty meters from the wharf.

There were no passengers on deck. They had probably all been driven into the cargo hold.

Nornoth was eager to act. One Fey Step would let him teleport onto the deck.

Anser did not want to risk it. The ship still carried more than a dozen firearms, along with a captain or hidden owner who had never appeared. If he jumped aboard, he might never come back.

As he watched the ship drift away, possibilities raced through his mind. Gust of Wind, Dragon's Breath... One spell after another surfaced.

'Move closer and unfold your neck armor.'

Nornoth edged forward in measured steps.

Anser stroked the Ring of Spell Storing, and spell-light flashed in rapid succession.

One Magic Missile and two fire Chromatic Orbs struck the ropes and mainsail one after another. Ropes snapped, the sail burst into flame, and the fire rapidly spread outward.

"Put out the fire!"

"Stop him!"

"Shoot!"

"..."

The ship continued moving away, but damage to its sails sharply reduced its speed.

Anser bent slightly, concealing himself behind the neck armor as he concentrated on his spell.

Scorching Ray!

Forceful Draconic words tore through the sea breeze. Three rays of fire struck a sail, a rope, and the capstan in an instant. Burning canvas and ropes swung wildly, igniting more flammable objects as fires erupted everywhere.

Anser's eyes lit up. Ignoring the scattered bullets, he switched to Sorcerous Burst, which he could cast more quickly and accurately. He did not need power—he only wanted to start fires in as many places as possible.

Six or seven fire Sorcerous Bursts struck sails and rigging in succession, shrouding the Conch in flame and smoke.

By then, no sailors were shooting at him. It would have been pointless.

A wooden sailing ship was filled with flammable materials and depended entirely on its sails and rigging for propulsion. If they did not extinguish the fires, the entire ship would be lost.

Carried by the current and its own momentum, the vessel drifted beyond his maximum range. Anser had already achieved his goal.

"Let's see how you run now!"

Beneath the shadow of his hood, a smile curled across his lips. Delight swept away all the frustration of spending day after day fleeing disasters and subterranean creatures.

This engagement had earned more than five hundred experience points. Even Nornoth had gained experience, though Anser did not know what changes that might bring.

The ship held many people and possessed numerous firefighting measures. The crew extinguished the flames one by one, but the damage was severe, and the loss of propulsion was already inevitable.

The docks were exceptionally quiet. Anser looked to the side. Not a single person stood within a hundred meters of him, while dense crowds of spectators packed the distance.

Several guards stood at the crowd's edge. Seeing the glowing holy symbol on Anser's chest, they exchanged uncertain looks and did not dare approach.

Then several people began pushing through the crowd. Judging by their equipment, they were probably classed individuals.

"Hey, friend! What happened here?" a burly man with an axe on his back shouted at Anser.

The holy symbol made certain people wary, but it also dispelled most people's fear. After all, how could a follower of Tyr possibly be a bad person?

"That is a slave ship!" Anser pointed his staff toward the Conch, his voice carrying far through the sea breeze. "They offered passage for five gold pieces to trick people aboard, intending to sell them elsewhere as slaves. Did none of you notice?"

He looked furious, though more than half of it was an act.

The crowd erupted into shocked discussion.

"Is that really true?"

"I knew something was wrong. They didn't check tickets or even count the money..."

"Good thing I didn't board. And you complained about me..."

"I was the clever one..."

"Your legs were too short, and you couldn't run fast enough..."

"..."

Faerûn had laws, but its people celebrated heroic deeds even more. Concrete physical evidence and witness testimony were often unnecessary because magic was too convenient. Detect Evil and Good, Detect Thoughts, Zone of Truth... Each was more useful than the last.

That remained true only so long as one did not harm the interests of the ruling nobility. If one did, they needed just as little justification to make an arrest.

"They're escaping!" someone shouted, pointing at the ship.

Anser turned. On the still-drifting vessel, sailors were hauling coils of hemp rope and rolls of canvas from below and urgently replacing the damaged rigging.

'They carry that many spare supplies?' Anser knew nothing about sailing ships, but one look at the complicated ropes told him they would not finish repairs anytime soon.

The crowd began to close around him. They were no longer afraid, and many stared at Nornoth in open wonder.

Numerous classed individuals watched the ship with calculating eyes, eager to act. Fighting evil was an excellent justification, and its ill-gotten wealth would be their reward for "justice." Surely a follower of Tyr would not concern himself with such minor details.

"Quiet!" A rough voice instantly overwhelmed the noise. "Everyone leave! The Silver Scale Bay Guard is taking over."

Anser followed the voice. A woman taller and more powerfully built than most men pushed through the crowd, followed by dozens of guards.

[Guard Captain, Human, Level 5 Barbarian (Path of the Zealot)]

Barbarians who followed the Path of the Zealot received the favor of a deity or pantheon. The class's core concept was "the supreme, ecstatic experience of rage achieved through union with the divine."

Anser studied her for a moment and found the emblem of an upright flaming sword on the greataxe across her back. It was the holy symbol of Tempus, God of War, a Neutral deity.

Believing in a Neutral deity did not necessarily make the believer Neutral, however.

The captain appeared to be well known. At the sight of her, the classed individuals and civilians became as timid as mice before a cat, scarcely daring to breathe. Most of them dispersed within moments.

She stopped before Anser, her gaze passing over Nornoth and the holy symbol before settling on his face. "My name is Ragna, sheriff and captain of the Silver Scale Bay Guard. What should I call you?"

"Anser." He remained composed.

The greater the commotion became, the more it favored him.

Additional Note:

1. Baldur's Gate's highest governing body is the Council of Three, composed of three Grand Dukes. Most administrative affairs are handled by the subordinate Parliament of Peers, also called the Upper Parliament. Most of its fifty members come from the Upper City's patriar families, while only one-quarter are influential figures from the Lower City or Outer City.

(End of Chapter)