You're pretty sure that he's telling the truth, at least as far as he knows.
Alric breaths a visible sigh of relief and says with a smile:
"Indeed, well then, we'll just need to take a look at the writ of payment tendered to you by the tax collector with his stamp of approval and we'll happily return to the city."
I actually was wrong you sense motives would have detected a bit of a lie so we're going to back track just slightly to get this fixed
At Alric's menton of a writ of payment the mayor sighs.
I didn't get one. The tax collecter cam into town last month and seemed a little off. Upon his arrival he started ordering townsfold around and making unreasonable demands instead of just coming to see me. Eventually my sheriff brought him to me and I was able to figure out that he wanted the backtax money. I told him that I would need a little while to gather it all together and that while I was doing that he was welcome to join me at the festival and stay at my home. He didn't want to come to the festival but did stay in my home. I came home to him raiding my liquor cabinate. Being stolen from doesn't really sit well with me so I gave him all the money from the towns coffers and sent him on his way. I assumed he went back to Magnimar but being that you're here I see that assumtion was wrong...
After finally explaining what had happened he took a deep breath, frusteration clearly building on his face. After his brief pause he continues.
Honestly, I’m not surprised to learn that he didn't return the money. I’ve heard rumors that he left here for Riddleport. But the fact apparently remains that we still owe a payment. You strike me as much more trustworthy agents, frankly, but I’m afraid we don’t have the full payment available to pay the taxes again. I’ll extend to you the same
offer I extended to Elias, though—enjoy the festival and tonight’s feast, stay in my home, and I’ll see what I can scrape together from what remains of the town’s funds to pay at least part of what we owe. Perhaps at a later date Magnimar might send you north to Riddleport to find out what became of that scoundrel.
