XLIX

"I owe you my life," Illarion said later.

Balton smiled. The remnants of the good looks that Galela fell in love with are still real even at his much older age than his wife. "No, I'm the one who paid off my debt."

Amanda and Illarion stared confusedly at the old man. Balton chuckled before answering the question that flashed across the couple's faces. "Your horse, wasn't he the one who led you here? It seems the animal wants me to pay off my debt. I only realized this this morning when I saw the mark on the horse's back."

Illarion still didn't understand what the old man meant.

"I'm a twenty bronze man," said Balton. "You may have forgotten that you were in your twenties at the time. A little boy leading a group of troops, it's extraordinary."

Balton's dark eyes were still staring at Illarion. "That horse, you bought it when it was used to drag my body down the street by my master, Galela's parents. Then after spending a lot of money on that horse, you also bought me 20 bronzes, 300