Jayce put down two large mugs for Siderius and George. Both mugs were ale.
The people of this world didn't have access to a reliable purification system. They knew how to boil it and the most basic purifying processes. But that wouldn't be enough to deal with all the physical threats like bacteria and viruses.
And also the non-physical threats like bleeding magic or curses.
Ale was something reliable. The nature of the yeast kept the harmful physical threats away. It was also extra sensitive toward magic and any amount, even a tiny little bit, would cause the yeast to react in a visible way, alarming the drinker of its possible harmful content.
George took the mug and chugged down half of it in one go.
The blacksmith rode to the Crossroads Inn since morning. He was tired from the journey and anxious about what was going to happen next. He didn't know Snow that well and he couldn't anticipate what Siderius would react once he knew the Baron had learned about Dull Steel.
