The cold January wind blew through the broken gate, sending chills down everyone's spine. The surrounding commoners, hearing the commotion, extinguished their lights and bolted their doors and windows. No one dared to show their face or ask any questions. The lonely starlight shone on the simple houses in the suburbs, as if at the end of the world.
"Ooh, ooh! Damn demon! Help! Sheriff, help!..."
"Columbus, stop shouting. The agreement you signed with your own hand means even if you call the sheriff, you still have to pay back the money! The merciful Almighty won't allow any injustice!"
The Jewish merchant Eliyahu smiled as he pulled a parchment ledger from his thick linen robe. Then he opened the ledger, flipping from the last blank page forward. Soon, Eliyahu found the most recent records, pausing when he saw the transactions of spices, ivory, and gold ornaments, nodding in satisfaction, indifferent to the cries beneath him.
