To start this quest, approach Vlad's hut in the village center during the "Smoke and Ashes" quest. If you miss this step, you will still get it at the end of the "Smoke and Ashes" quest after speaking with Anca.
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The manumits. I've heard this name before - they are a group of rebels who challenge Brencis's rule in the valley. Elusive and secretive, they won't be easy to find... But if I manage to do it, perhaps we can join forces against a common enemy.
I know Vlad joined the manumits. Maybe I can find some clues in his hut that will lead me to them.
You will get this objective when you approach Vladimir's hut. Inside the house, you will find several objects to investigate, but the most important one is a small sack of flour located in the second room - inside it, you will find Silver Spearheads (Quest Item).
It appears that the miller has been smuggling contraband for the manumits. I need to speak with him about this.
Much depends on whether you reach the mill during the day or at night. If you enter the mill's courtyard during the night, you will run into three soldiers who will want to know what you are doing at this time of day. You will get three dialogue options:
Each of them will allow you to convince the soldiers to let you go free. You will also be able to attack them and try to kill them if you wish.
The soldiers sniffing around Mert and Renna's mill are clearly up to no good. I could save some time by simply getting rid of them...
At night, you can attack the soldiers directly during your conversation with them, or simply return to the mill and attack them. During the day, you will have to fight them if you don't repair the cart or if you check the shed where the soldiers are hiding.
If you kill them at night, you won't have to wait for daytime, as Renna will immediately tell you where her husband was taken.
Killing the soldiers is also better for Renna herself. If you don't do this, when you return to the mill later, you will find her corpse.
I went to Mert and Renna's mill but stumbled upon a group of soldiers there. Maybe I should try again during the day, when they're gone.
If you come to the mill during the day, miller's wife - Renna will suggest that you repair the cart. If you listen to her and repair the cart, she will explain that the soldiers have set a trap in the shed. She will also tell you where her husband was taken. You can then leave peacefully without a fight or check the shed, which will lead to a confrontation with the soldiers.
If you don't listen to Renna and don't repair the cart, the soldiers will come out of the shed and try to arrest you, leading to a fight with them.
Soldiers are holding captured manumits at Stoneward Post. If I speak with the rebels there, I may learn where to find their leader.
If you want to avoid fighting the guards, reach the location during the day rather than at night. The guard at the gate will then let you inside regardless of which dialogue option you choose. He will ask you to leave your weapon with him, but there is a way to keep it. To do so, tell him "I... I want to enlist!" and then "What? A soldier without a weapon?".
To meet the miller, I must speak with the prison overseer first.
The overseer and the prison are located in the tower, so that is where you need to head.
I've overheard an angry woman screaming at a soldier about some stolen goods. Maybe I can learn more about the issue.
Near the entrance to the tower, you will run into an angry woman. Talk to her because - even though nothing suggests it - this is the easiest way to reach the miller. The woman will tell you about a local merchant who sells the prisoners' belongings.
A woman in the Stoneward Post told me she left a blanket for her imprisoned husband - only to find it amidst merchant Yenno's goods. I should ask him about this and see if I can learn something useful.
Head over to this merchant. If you threaten to speak with the commander, he will reveal which soldiers are supplying him with the goods.
I know that the guards in the Stoneward Post are trading items taken away from the prisoners. I can talk about it with the commander.
Talk to the Post Commander and tell him what you learned from the merchant Yenno. In exchange, the commander will grant you access to the prisoner - when you go to see the overseer, he will already know about it.
If you did not complete the optional steps above, you will have to convince the overseer to let you see the miller. If you have some cash, you can give him 300 denarii. You can also accept his proposal to fight Cerbus - or refuse to do it and complete the optional tasks related to the angry woman.
The prison overseer will allow me to speak with the miller if I defeat a soldier named Cerbus, who busted his eye.
Go outside, find Cerbus, and defeat him in a fistfight.
I should go back to the prison overseer and tell him about my fight with Cerbus.
Go back to the overseer and inform him that you beat up Cerbus, and then he will open the door leading to the cells where the prisoners are being held.
I can finally go down to the prison cells and speak with the miller.
Head down to the basement where the prison cells are located. Mert is in one of them. There is also one guard in the basement.
At a certain point in the conversation, you will have a choice on what to do so the guard doesn't hear what you want to talk about.
When I entered Stonward Post, the miller was already dead. I must find his body and compel his soul to tell me how to reach the manumits.
If you delayed visiting Mert for too long, when you come to the overseer, he will inform you that Mert died and his corpse was dumped somewhere outside the tower. Go outside and find his corpse lying in a corner, near the tower.
I have to question the miller's corpse. He could still tell me something relevant about the manumits.
Cast the Compel Soul spell on his corpse. However, you will not gain any valuable information.
To compel Mert's soul, I need to find items that once held meaning for him.
Right next to the corpse, on a bench, there are pliers that can be used as a catalyst, but they will not produce the expected result - you will only learn that Mert valued a certain ring. Head to the nearby tent and find a package containing the Wedding Ring (Quest Item) - this is the catalyst you need.
Cast the Compel Soul spell again, this time using the ring as a catalyst. This time you will get the required information, this quest will end, and you will receive the next one - "Shadows in the Woods".
Getting in touch with the manumits has proven to be even harder than I thought. I am close, though - just need to dig a little deeper...
