Yeah, thanks for the help.

Umm...I don't know your reasons for
going out into the desert, but...

It would really be a good idea
for you to stay in town...

Thanks, but we've
already put a lot
of thought into it.

I see.
Well, as I promised...

Our canteens are this small?!

Looks like enough to me.

Yeah, we should be able to get
more water from certain types
of cacti growing in the desert.

Right, if we use them to fill up our canteens
whenever we need more water, we should
be fine. You sure know a lot.

Thank you very much.
You've been a great help.

It's the least I could do. I'm giving
that to you, so don't hesitate to
use it as much as you like.

Go out and turn right where
the road forks. You'll find a
lake at the end of the road.

You'll be able to fill up
your canteens there.

Gotcha.

By the way, what was with
the knight who was here?

He was guarding me all night.
I was so nervous!

One lie after another...

...That was a supervisor. The knights are
here to make sure that townspeople don't
talk freely to visitors from outside of town.

Why would they do something like that?

I don't understand the reasons, but it's on the
magistrate's orders. People other than merchants
like myself aren't allowed out of their houses.

I see... That's why we didn't
see any townspeople outside.

I wonder if there's a crooked
magistrate here, too.

There was no magistrate in
this town until recently, and
then finally he arrived...

Really?

Yes.

The Imperial Knights have started
to move into Nordopolica of late.

It seems they may've already
gone in to arrest Belius.

The appointment of a new imperial
magistrate to our town seems to
be related to that, as well.

The Imperial Knights are
going to arrest Belius?!

They say that Belius had something
to do with engineering the Great
War behind the scenes.

Belius did that...?!

That's what they're saying in town.

Well, I don't think the empire
will be able to do much so long
as Palestralle's there, but...

...

Thank you very much for your business!

Wait...but...

Yeah, thanks for the help.

Let's go fill up at the lake.