Alden took a few more bites of his wrap, nearly done with it by this point. It was a good excuse not to talk while he mulled over what to do. Did he tell him? Well, it would certainly test whether or not Abir still wanted anything to do with him. He wasn't a fan of the idea of stringing the prince along by pretending that everything was fine.<br/><br/>A brief flash of a gruesome memory flitted across his mind, causing him to flinch as he finally decided to finish off the wrap before speaking.<br/><br/>"...well. I suppose I could tell you. Better you hear it from me rather than the hearsay of a villager who despises me."<br/><br/>He sighed, taking his cup of wine and holding it with both gloved hands.<br/><br/>"I've told you how I travel around, offering to let people see my collection of monsters in exchange for coin. But... it is a cycle. As you may have seen, some of the monsters I keep also have parts that could be very useful in magic, especially potion making. I make a number of them myself, all for personal use. And sometimes, when someone takes one look at my collection with awe, wishing to travel along with them..." He glanced down at his belt.<br/><br/>"...I take the opportunity to use some of my more experimental potions."